Chapter 28
Chapter 28
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: #009_Trigger (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
1.
The argument cut off abruptly, plunging the surroundings into silence.
Well, yeah.
If I were in their shoes, in the middle of assassinating someone and bickering with the accomplice, and some bastard suddenly butted in, I'd think, *What the hell is this guy?*
'Focus!!!!'
I froze up for a second too.
Why?
Why the fuck is that crazy bitch here?
Did she really show up because I said "see you next time" last loop?
That was just like saying, "Hey! Let's grab a bite sometime!" It wasn't literal!!!
Is it a system that comes find you on its own after two weeks?
Like my hypothesis last time— an inevitable encounter within the loop, even without using Universal Currency?
With this shitty starting point and a time limit to boot?
How the hell am I supposed to survive!!!
Get the scriptwriter bastard out here!!!
Should I run now?
Maybe she hasn't spotted me yet.
"……."
No.
What good would running do?
This loop's fucked anyway; I was about to reset it.
As long as she doesn't slice me right away, this is a chance to gather more info.
I need to figure out what triggers that samurai bitch besides Universal Currency.
Luckily, there are two actors here to play my part.
"Who the hell are you!"
Eiming, who'd been raging like family over Ceres's corpse desecration, bellowed savagely.
"Kisara Yagyu? Why is an Executioner in the Necropolis…."
Gisella's voice, meanwhile, trembled faintly, as if facing the executioner himself.
Even Eiming, who'd been shouting beside her, gulped upon hearing the name.
"Oh? You know me?"
Whoa! Fuck! So the samurai bitch's name is Kisara Yagyu!
I'd died twice already without ever getting an introduction.
"What brings you here? We already coordinated with Paradise Management Bureau in advance."
"Ah, right. Project Z, was it?"
"Yes, Project Z was officially approved all the way up to the Bureau Chief. We got the official response that it's fine as long as it's controllable. All procedures and response protocols were handled per regulations. No issues."
"No issues, huh…."
Kisara's cheerful laugh.
"Is that so? Too bad."
My magic circuits tingled.
A prickling killing intent raised goosebumps across my skin in an instant.
"I don't think so."
Having taken two hits from her already, the warning signs felt clearer than before.
Kisara was about to *slash*.
"You crazy fucking bitch! Eiming!"
"Fuck! Count me out! I got nothing to do with Twilight Resource Development!"
"Then just sit there and die!"
"Argh, fuck!"
I knew it, but she's a total psycho!
I knew she was strong, but those two are definitely mages too.
No, wait.
If my memory's right, Gisella's a solid 2nd Rank Mage, and Eiming, who was bulging veins in his neck against her, should be around the same?
Even with Complex Demon Language…
—————!!!!!
A deafening roar threatened to burst my eardrums.
A shockwave like the air itself exploding rocked the rowhouse violently.
And then.
"Fools. These things always require someone to take responsibility."
That was it.
No need to look to know what happened.
Fuck, words fail me.
Two mages cut down in one second?
Even that Ceres hag couldn't beat her?
What the hell is Paradise Management Bureau? What's an Executioner?
Why is a high-class lunatic like that chasing a loser like me?
Do I even get minimum wage?
"You're in luck today. I was pissed about this shitty out-of-town assignment… and here's a bonus right next door?"
Of course.
No way she wouldn't know.
"Hoo."
I let out a long sigh and subtly pulled out the *Truth Coin Toss* from my inventory.
"It's one of those neighborhoods that grows on you after a while."
-Clack
I tried to draw out meaningful conversation as her footsteps drew closer.
"Sedric Montraven, right?"
"How'd you know? Just from my voice. Aren't we strangers?"
"I have an exceptional sense for targets. I never miss."
"For someone like that, you already slipped up once."
"Even if it's a fallen count's family, how was I supposed to guess the safehouse was in this shithole?"
Now!
I flicked the coin.
Snatched it from the air and checked.
TRUE
['Kisara Yagyu''s statement is true]
[Truth Coin Toss remaining uses (1/3)]
Okay.
Trigger confirmed.
Kisara isn't tracking *me*.
She never imagined I'd be in the Necropolis.
Project Z was the target, and I'm just an accidental freebie next door.
Which means if I hadn't come to the rowhouse, I never would've crossed paths with that psycho.
"……."
But still.
Is that all there is to it?
No.
No way.
She's like a vicious debt collector chasing me to hell over one touch of Universal Currency.
She's taken my life twice in this route already, and she's the boss of the route that's about to take it again soon.
Recall the genre tropes.
An isekai life where bad luck piles on bad luck from the early game.
If Kisara's the boss of this route….
Would God give me a convenient like "ram your head in like a turkey and you'll live"?
Kisara rounded the corner, exactly as beautiful as the last time I'd seen her—like a drawing come to life.
"Oh dear, you're badly hurt. Where'd you roll in from?"
"Some bullshit called Project Z is why."
Think. Think.
One question left.
Drag out as many clues as possible for the next loop.
But time was short.
"Hmm, your sister was boring… but I had high hopes for you."
Fuck, here it comes. Again.
That line she always drops right before slashing me.
"Your eyes are to my liking… but is that all?"
Huh?
Extra line this time? My eyes are to her liking?
She likes half-dead, blood-soaked guys?
"Time time time."
"?"
"Can't die feeling this wronged. Lemme ask one thing."
I seized the opening.
"Even if I wasn't here. Would you have found me? Or did my luck just shit out today, crawling in here for no reason and getting myself killed?"
"……."
Silence.
The violet eyes that had been smiling moments ago lost their mirth.
"…That's weird."
"Weird how?"
"You're ready to die but holding onto hope? Definitely weird. Contradiction."
"I'm the type who believes in the afterlife. Heaven for believers, hell for nonbelievers."
Kisara tilted her head, hand on her sword hilt.
"No need to feel that wronged. Now that I'm here, I'd have found you anywhere in this city soon enough."
"Thanks for the answer!"
Nice!
Once more!
I flicked the coin low and snatched it.
TRUE
['Kisara Yagyu''s statement is true]
[Truth Coin Toss remaining uses (0/3)]
"……."
Hah, fuck yeah.
Of course.
Nothing ever comes easy.
"That's plenty of time wasted, right? If you disappoint me, you'll regret it."
Sharp as ever.
Stalling wasn't just for questions.
"Uh… five seconds! No, ten!"
I'd already used it when I tossed the first coin.
*Replica of the Mysterious Insect Scripture*
- Grade: SR
- Description: A scripture containing the teachings of profound insect sounds, this is a copy.
- Effect: Summons an Outer God's familiar for 5 minutes.
- Note: Does not distinguish friend from foe. One-time use.
Hey, you bitch.
Think I'd go quietly just 'cause I'm polite?
Dream on.
Gonna go out with a bang.
Perfect chance to gauge Kisara's power and the scripture's might.
If needed, *Missing Receipt* can reuse it once.
But….
"Wait… it'll be here soon. I called a real badass friend. Just a sec. It'll be here any second…."
Why isn't it coming!
Over 30 seconds already! Put that in the description!
-Ding
An alert chimed behind me.
Elevator arrival.
No way… Outer God's familiar?
Comes via elevator like a delivery guy? Kinda lame.
"Hm?"
That elevator… was it always like that?
No. The design's different.
The doors opened.
-Thud thud
A lady in a pristine white suit stepped out, heels clicking.
Perfect formal attire, slender cane in one hand.
Killer body on a woman….
But her head's a goat.
-Shing
She drew a sword from the cane as she approached, goat head and all.
Paint spread from behind the goat like ink, twisting the scenery….
And suddenly, the rowhouse was a swanky hotel lobby.
I'd seen this lobby before.
"The Hotel… Abyss?"
Knew the hotel was a Rift, but the Outer God's familiar is staff from there?
Hotel Abyss is definitely Depth 9 Rift.
Felt it instantly. Scary strong! Domain expansion shit!
Mouth agape, frozen solid, I locked eyes with the goat staffer.
Square pupils—creepy as hell.
Blink!
"Hey!"
I spat my TOP3 deathbed line at Kisara.
"I'm out first. Squirm for me!"
But the goat staffer just glanced my way, then passed me to head for Kisara.
"Um."
Kinda embarrassing.
Seems the Sturdy Disguise special trait applies even to summons from the scripture.
Still looks sturdy; SR grade checks out.
Kisara gasped at the suddenly hotel-transformed surroundings.
"Wow! A familiar? One that can even 'Open Gate'! You called it?"
No need to stall anymore.
"Don't get chummy, you goat bitch. Got cocky 'cause I played along."
-Kiiing!
Sparks flew right in front of my face.
Kisara's remote slash deflected off the goat staffer's sword.
"Tried to cut your tongue, but it blocks?"
No idea when she'd drawn it, but Kisara held a katana.
Waves etched on the blade glittered blindingly under the chandelier.
"Go! Save your kin!"
The hotel staffer's foot slammed the marble.
-Kaboom!
They clashed with Kisara.
I had no clue their levels.
But watching from the side, I could guess.
Different leagues.
-Kwarungkwangkwang!!!!!
Air screamed like bombs dropping every sword clash.
Not a single motion visible in their exchanges.
Even straining Laplace's Eye, same.
-Bang!
With the explosion, Kisara got pushed back first.
The hotel staffer slid back like guarding me, blocking my front.
Outer God's familiar is no joke?
"GOAT as expected! Finish her!"
If the scripture kills Kisara, clear difficulty plummets.
"Please… please…."
Gripping harder than any bet, watching the fight.
"This hotel's such a pain. Rules everywhere… so…"
Kisara grumbled in frustration.
"Gotta bulldoze it."
Kisara's arm—and the sword extending from it—blurred.
-Hwoook
A sucking inhale pierced my eardrums.
Different.
Fundamentally unlike any slash I'd seen.
-Crack
Delayed like glitched graphics, fissures trailed the sword's path.
Fissures spread, shattering the lobby in seconds.
The opulent hotel lobby reverted instantly to Ceres's wrecked rowhouse.
And.
Drip.
Two arms fell.
The hotel staffer's upper body, sliced diagonally, slid off smooth as butter.
-Clang
Shattered cane-sword pieces hit the floor with a shrill ring.
"Tch."
Yeah, figured it'd end like this.
Can't let Sedric eat for free, huh?
"Was decent a— Huh? What're you doing?"
I'd had my gun to my head the whole spectator gig, for this exact moment.
"Never seeing you again next time!"
-Bang!
In the instant I pulled the trigger.
The last thing I saw was….
-Ding
======
『 EP5. Reset Button 』
You ultimately chose death yourself.
Death is the surest defeat….
But it might be different for you.
[Loop Summary]
▶ Achievement: 「Selective Death」 unlocked
- Understanding of 'Death' slightly increases.
- 30pt awarded.
▶ Acquired Titles: None
▶ Challenges: +52 pt
:::Challenges (New!):::
- Raise 'understanding' of death to 'High'. +5pt
※ Death penalty applied ※
[ Delayed Response ]
[ Resistance Claw ]
- Resistance claws grow. They regrow even if pulled.
- Applied permanently.
「Blocking Amulet」 prevents [ Resistance Claw ].
Remaining uses: 2.
From the end of hubris and folly, may you reach transcendence.
======
2.
One flash before my eyes.
And I was hurled back into the death-filled void.
As terrifying as any gambling addiction center.
But no time to feel the unease or fear.
No leisure to savor pulling a relic SSR on the final achievement.
"Fuuuuck, save point glitched and nearly fucked me!!!!"
Chills ran down my spine.
Wasn't seeing or hearing things.
That final trigger-pull moment.
The hair-raising sight.
[ 1. Kisara Resist ]
[ 2. Paradise Management Bureau ]
Golden particles nearly forming choices.