Chapter 105
Chapter 105
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter Title: Chapter 105: Rain of Beasts
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Magic beasts fell from the sky.
The massive creatures plummeted to the ground, cracking the pavement and crushing people flat.
The guards scattered in blind panic. Some were squashed by the beasts before they even realized what was happening, while others fought desperately against the monsters blocking their path.
"Aaaagh!"
Someone screamed. Those who had the luxury screamed shrilly like that. Naturally, those without even that luxury simply stayed silent.
Camilla smirked faintly in the midst of it all. Surveying the entire plaza in front of the association with a broad view, she thought to herself.
In terms of color, gray.
In terms of words, chaos.
A muddled mess that couldn't become white or black, undecided and helpless.
Camilla loved this chaos. Watching them flounder about, not knowing what to do as they died—it made her heart race.
The key part was that they tried to pull themselves together, tried to do something, but ultimately met with catastrophe.
"Sa... save..."
A guard with his legs crushed under a magic beast crawled across the ground.
Bang!
Camilla walked over and personally put a bullet in his head.
She stared intently until the light faded from the guard's eyes.
'Fun!'
It was fun. Entertainment. A form of observation.
While basking in that thrill for a moment, Camilla quickly shrank back from the magic beast that had crashed down right beside her.
Thud!
A heavy sound came from immediately next to her.
In that instant, both her feet lifted off the ground.
It wasn't just the guards who could die crushed by the falling magic beasts.
Camilla herself was standing in a spot where she could be squashed at any moment. It didn't take her long to realize that.
"...Gasp!"
A dizzying sensation of floating made Camilla suck in her breath. Imagining herself splattered if the beast had landed just a bit to the side sent chills down her spine.
"Betty, you bitch!"
Camilla spat out a curse.
It was a rebuke toward Betty, who had recklessly summoned the beasts without calculating their landing spots properly.
No, why drop them from the sky in the first place when she could have just summoned them normally?
Because of that, several beasts had failed to land properly and died with broken necks.
Crunch!
See that? Poor thing—another magic beast had smashed into the ground and died. What had the beast done wrong?
Was Betty pursuing some artistic ideal of her own?
Like the philosophy that magic beasts were most beautiful when flailing helplessly as they fell from the sky.
Camilla was willing to respect an artist's stubborn ego, but not when her own life was at stake.
"Hey!! Betty!!!"
Camilla bellowed Betty's name. Accompanied by threats that she'd kill her when she came down.
Soon enough, the rain of magic beasts stopped. The plaza in front of the association was filled with red bloodstains. There were still plenty of surviving guards, but they remained plunged in chaos.
Camilla chewed out Betty, who had descended to the ground.
"Hey! You did that on purpose! To scare me!"
"Huh? No?"
"Then why summon them from the sky of all places!"
"'Cause it's cool."
Camilla glared at Betty, who tilted her head innocently as if oblivious, then turned her gaze to the guards.
The survivors had clustered together, facing off against the magic beasts.
―Don't retreat!
―Stay together! Form up!
Bang!
The guards opened fire. Mass-produced weapons made by Han U-sol.
They were standard issue, but their effect on the magic beasts was still considerable. Every time the guards spat fire from their muzzles, the hit beasts collapsed limply.
―Aaaagh!
―W-wait!
Effective as they were, they couldn't overcome the numerical disadvantage. This was a fight that had erupted in sudden chaos from the ambush to begin with. The formation slowly crumbled, and guards died one by one.
Watching indifferently as the magic beasts devoured the guards greedily, Camilla thought.
'Front of the building's cleared. Wonder how many are inside?'
It would be nice if this was the extent of their forces, but they might have noticed the commotion outside and prepared for battle indoors.
'...More beasts died than expected.'
A number of them had their heads smashed due to Betty's flashy performance.
On top of that, more had fallen to the guards' counterattack than anticipated.
It had been a long time since Kahtel fell asleep, so the number of magic beasts was limited.
Betty's pointless antics had wasted several precious resources.
Feeling a twinge of irritation at that fact, Camilla didn't show it.
Imagining the spectacles that would soon unfold in District A made such annoyance feel utterly trivial.
Magic beasts suddenly appearing to attack the association. And for some reason, refugees heading straight this way unhindered.
Coincidentally, it was the day of the mayor and association head's meeting. One of the rare occasions when all the corrupt higher-ups gathered to schmooze.
Then magic beasts dropped right in front, and contact with the guards cut off.
They were probably panicking somewhere in the building right now, clueless about the situation.
"Heh."
Camilla led the magic beasts to the building entrance and unconsciously covered her leaking laugh with her hand. Chaos, disorder. Exactly the things Camilla loved.
Had they ever imagined it?
That today was their last day alive.
Did they know?
That a traitor was among them. That there was an idiot blinded by power, duped by plausible words.
No, they probably didn't. They couldn't have. If they were competent enough to notice that, the world would already be at peace, filled with nothing but boring routine.
Colton had betrayed them. The man who had chased power his whole life chose betrayal without hesitation for even greater power.
Refugees were arriving outside. Worthless, lowly scum like bugs. But even a pathetic bug's hand held meaning if it gripped a gun.
Bullets killed regardless. No discrimination before a slug.
Sewer worms.
Alleyway gutter rats.
Fat, pampered pigs.
Greedy toads.
Bullets were equal to all.
Likewise, gunshots were equal. Stirring anxiety and fear, inciting chaos.
The bugs were swarming. To sow chaos. With ridiculous posturing, but very real weapons aimed.
Ronel and the privates wouldn't stop them. They were squads detached from Colton's main force precisely to fan the flames of disorder. They'd stand by and even help the refugees' rampage.
Colton's main force was coming here with all remaining privates. To kill the mayor, association head, and numerous executives gathered in the association building.
Many would die.
Death would bring chaos, and chaos would mean ruin.
"Puhahaha!"
Unable to hold back the bursting laughter, she kicked the door open. With a bang!, it flew wide, and the magic beasts pushed inside.
Bang!
Soon, gunfire echoed. In the narrow, winding corridors, guards fired and beasts bit. Camilla and Betty stood calmly behind the wall of magic beasts, watching.
Guards fell, beasts fell, guards fell. Equal numbers on both sides, but only the meat-chewing beasts remained.
The building was chaos. Everywhere the magic beasts passed left terror etched and blood trailing.
Camilla advanced, lightly stepping in their blood. Toward the top floor where the mayor, association head, and key executives were gathered.
"Wh-what the hell is going on!"
"The outer guards..."
As expected, chaos upon opening the door.
From their perspective, it was sudden misfortune.
"Hi?"
Stepping onto the top floor, Camilla waved cheerily at them. Every eye in the room filled with fear—from the magic beasts slowly following behind her.
"Everyone, protect me! Protect us!"
The few guards and privates stationed in the room stepped forward in front of Camilla and Betty. Their weapon hands trembled visibly.
"You old guys scared? You are!"
Betty stuck close to a magic beast, taunting the guards. Camilla stroked her lips thoughtfully, ignoring her.
They would all die. Now that she and the beasts had reached here, it was an unchangeable fact.
No matter how rotten they were, they were the heads leading humanity. If they all died on the same day, the city—no, at least District A—would plunge into massive chaos.
Yes. Chaos.
That was Camilla's goal exactly. She wasn't even aiming for total ruin.
Just a little commotion to buy time until Kahtel awakened by throwing humanity into disarray.
But humanity turned out frailer than expected, already tearing itself apart from within.
Colton had betrayed them. He'd informed her of the mayor and association head's meeting today and turned a blind eye to the refugees heading for District A.
For power.
A coup to kill off the association's upper echelons and even the mayor to take his place.
But Colton wasn't satisfied with even the association head or mayor's positions.
Colton wanted to become an angel.
He believed Camilla's words utterly, thinking he could become one by reducing human numbers.
Once the association's upper ranks were wiped out and the outside became a refugee hellscape, Colton—who planned to succeed in his coup and claim the mayor's seat—had no intention of cleaning it up. He'd kill even more if he could.
"Heh heh..."
It was a total mess.
So much so that laughter bubbled up unwittingly.
No mess like this one. If it was this bad, it wouldn't end in mere chaos.
What was Yeriel doing right now?
She wasn't showing herself yet, but when things escalated further, could she really stay away?
Once the association takeover ended and refugees arrived to start riots in District A, she planned to scatter magic beasts throughout the district.
Then Yeriel would surely appear to clean it up. Dragging her ailing body and festering mind to save humanity.
For that moment, Anis and Han were waiting somewhere in District A.
To ambush the frenzied Yeriel.
Even if they failed to kill her, it didn't matter. Failure would still buy enough time until Kahtel rose.
But if they succeeded...
True annihilation.
Dogshit destruction.
And that would be pure honey-sweet fun for Camilla.
"Am I a bit late?"
At that moment, a man's voice came from behind Camilla. She turned and welcomed the man entering the room.
"Mm~ Kinda? But come on in."
It was Colton. He entered lightly with numerous privates at his back and stood a short distance from Camilla.
Camilla gazed at Colton, thinking.
Do you know?
That my words were lies.
That you'll just be used and discarded someday.
A sticky smile leaked out. When he finally realized the truth, what expression would he make? She wanted to see that always cool, composed face crack.
"C-Colton...? Here to save us...?"
"You always treat me like a selfish opportunist, but now you add honorifics."
Colton gave a light smile to the pig eyeing him warily. He turned to the mayor and association head. Everyone in the room felt an eerie sense of ease from his demeanor.
"Colton...! What's the meaning of this! Why with the magic beasts...!"
"Long time no see, Mayor. I trust you've been well."
"Colton!! You don't mean...!"
"The association head hasn't changed. Still as cowardly as ever."
"What...!"
Listening to their exchange, Camilla slipped back with stifled chuckles. Colton's casual banter and the association head's rising anxiety and sense of betrayal made for quite the spectacle.
"You're both getting on in years. Don't you think it's time to step down?"
"You bastard!!"
"Betraying us!!"
The mayor and association head bellowed, and the other executives shot to their feet in outrage. Forgetting the magic beasts glaring at them, they condemned Colton.
Traitor who sold humanity for power.
Selfish betrayer.
Retard who fell for the demon's temptation.
A torrent of insults poured toward Colton. The words were sharp and thunderous, but their eyes weren't as keen.
What emanated from their gazes was the unique emptiness of those who had already realized everything and given up.
Everyone screamed as if to bring the building down. The association head, mayor, pigs and toads, foxes, snakes and rats—all united in their cries.
Even as they shouted, no one glanced at Camilla or the beasts. They simply vented their final emotions at Colton, intuiting their fate.
Filthy scum.
Son of an outer whore.
Power-mad murderer.
Amid the abuse, Colton casually raised his right hand. All fell silent in response.
After a brief silence cooled the rage, what followed was hollow despair. Those who had finally accepted their fate began sobbing.
Colton felt no pity. In the end, their incompetence and corruption—failing to do their duty—had led to this worst outcome.
"Don't worry. I'll take over from now on and work for humanity."
As Colton finished speaking, the privates moved at once. They drew revolvers from their belts and aimed at everyone in the room.
No hesitation. Before the executives could even gasp, Colton spoke.
"Kill them all."
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
The privates' muzzles spat fire.
Cool bullet holes pierced every body in the room. Pigs, toads, foxes, snakes and rats—no exceptions.
Colton watched the scene straight on without averting his eyes.
His expression said his long-cherished wish had finally come true.