[ 03:00 ]
Heidelberge swiftly adjusted his grip on the scrubber pole and shifted into a Defense Stance.
The tip of the pole lowered, steady and firm, as the skeletal knight began to move.
Whoosh! Slash!
The massive twin scythes came crashing down at a speed far beyond any bacteria he had ever faced.
But in the instant the blades were about to reach him, the instincts of a Level-7 Purificator kicked in.
He sensed an aura far too dangerous to confront head-on.
Don't block it directly…
Heidelberge thought.
Instead of raising the pole to guard, he curled the index finger of his left hand, triggering purification energy at his feet, and launched himself sideways in a split second.
BOOM!!!
The scythes slammed violently into the ground, shattering tiles apart.
Thick purple smoke erupted instantly, and the struck area transformed into a dark violet festering mire.
It bubbled like toxic lava and began corroding the floor, spreading rapidly outward.
"Whoa! That was close, Del!"
Pixy shouted, retreating frantically.
"If you'd taken that hit head-on, you'd be infected with rotting pus and your gear would've melted for sure!"
Heidelberge stared coldly at the corrupted ground, already analyzing the threat.
This Staphylococcus aureus general possessed an extremely aggressive infection-spreading ability.
Prolonged close combat would put him at a clear disadvantage.
Fsh!
Suddenly, Heidelberge hurled the scrubber pole with all his strength!
The silver weapon tore through the air in a straight line toward the festering general at tremendous speed.
Clang!
The skeletal knight casually swatted it aside with a scythe.
The pole flew off and landed on the far side of the dimensional chamber, behind the enemy.
"Are you insane, Del?!"
Pixy screamed.
"You just threw away your weapon! What are you gonna fight with now?!"
Heidelberge didn't answer.
Calmly, he slipped his hand into his coat pocket, pulled out over a dozen small white spheres, and scattered them in all directions.
"Effervescence Bombs—Hydrochloric!"
The spheres burst into countless bubbles of diluted acid.
The festering general spun its scythes wildly to deflect them, but there were too many.
One bubble slipped through and struck its torso, white light corroded the bone as it let out a shrill scream of pain.
Enraged, the general kicked off the ground and charged at Heidelberge, now seemingly unarmed, at twice its previous speed!
"You can't dodge that! It's way too fast!"
Pixy squeezed her eyes shut.
The twin scythes rose high, their blades poised inches from Heidelberge's neck—
But then—
Fwoomp!
Heidelberge vanished right before their eyes, leaving only a fading afterimage.
In the next instant, he reappeared at the spot where his pole had fallen.
He had used Point-to-Point Transport, linked directly to his weapon.
He grabbed the pole and hurled it again from a different angle, like a stake driven toward its target. Once more, the skeletal knight knocked it away, but this time—
Pixy noticed something.
He's not throwing it randomly… he's boxing it in!
The flying pole and the previously scattered effervescence bombs were now connected by threads of pure white energy, forming a massive enclosed boundary around the mounted general at its center.
"Sanitary Nirvana."
Heidelberge spun the pole once and drove it down into an Anchor Point.
The dimension trembled violently as dozens of pure white whips erupted from the air itself, binding the skeletal rider and its mount tightly.
They were dragged toward the original Bubble Mark Heidelberge had planted earlier.
The general struggled violently, slashing at the restraints, but the white light only tightened further, purifying the filth until it howled in agony.
At last, the cavalry of decay was immobilized, suspended in midair.
Heidelberge clasped his hands together, then slowly spread them apart.
Purification energy condensed into a massive effervescent sphere the size of a basketball, densely packed with white electrical charge.
He hurled it directly at the area where the infection was most concentrated!
VVVVROOOOOM!!!
The explosion of pure cleansing energy engulfed the festering general in an instant.
Purple bones disintegrated into fine droplets that evaporated into the air. The once-rotting ground returned to spotless white perfection.
"Yesss! We did it!"
Pixy flew in, checking the area while letting out a long sigh.
"I seriously thought we were gonna turn into pus this time!"
Heidelberge checked his pocket watch.
[ 00:30 ]
Thirty seconds remaining.
"Pixy… it's time."
"Do it. Don't hold back!"
Heidelberge placed his hand on Pixy, transferring all remaining purification mana into his partner.
The yellow duck radiated blinding light that surged in every direction, a Final Sanitize, erasing all residual contamination until the pathogen count dropped to zero.
He summoned a cleanliness analyzer and checked the reading.
pH 7.0 / Neutral.
"After this job… I want three orange cakes, Del,"
Pixy immediately began negotiating.
"That's hazard pay for having to smell that rotten pus!"
"Wait… Pixy."
Heidelberge interrupted.
His gaze locked onto something lying where the Sewager scientist had stood before escaping.
It was a black metal insignia engraved with a crossed-out eye.
He used the tip of his pole to cleanse it, then picked it up.
A hoarse voice crackled out from the emblem.
"Hello… Sewager. Did the mission over there go smoothly? How far have you sown the seeds of decay?"
The corner of Heidelberge's mouth twitched into a faint, mocking smile.
His expression remained stoic, but his eyes gleamed coldly. He didn't answer, he simply crushed the emblem in his hand until it shattered.
"Right on five minutes…"
he murmured as a black dimensional gate began to open, carrying him back to the real world.
[ 00:01 ] … [ 00:00 ]
Ding!
The pocket watch chimed precisely as the final cleansing light faded.
The space fully returned to normal, and the dimensional gate trembled, preparing to close and send them back to reality.
Pixy fluttered closer to Heidelberge as he crouched down, pocketing the crushed remains of the insignia.
Tilting her head with intense curiosity, she asked.
"Hey, who was that voice just now? Huh? Huh? Was that a clue about whoever's behind all this, Del?!"
Heidelberge maintained his deadpan expression, straightening his coat as he replied calmly.
"Nothing… just the bathroom exhaust fan."
"Yeah right! Since when do fans talk in full sentences? You're unbelievable!"
Pixy grumbled, but still followed him out of the dimension.
When they stepped back into the second-floor hallway of the client's house, the once-distorted wooden door had returned to a spotless, ordinary door, looking as if it had just been newly installed.
Heidelberge walked past the client, who stood slack-jawed at the gleaming bathroom.
He sat quietly near the staircase and opened a thick notebook he always carried.
On the latest page, a realistic line drawing of Staphylococcus aureus (Abyssal Suppuration General) gradually appeared, recreated through magical recollection.
Heidelberge picked up his fountain pen and wrote a short note beneath the sketch in sharp, precise handwriting:
"Caution: Do not engage directly."
He snapped the notebook shut, packed everything into his dark leather travel bag, and turned toward the client, who had finally recovered and was about to rush over in gratitude.
"Job's finished. Transfer the payment to the usual account,"
Heidelberge said coolly, effortlessly stylish as ever, before walking out of the house, followed by a yellow duck already demanding orange cake again.