Kunekune (4): Such Pitiful Humans
Poor things. So pitiful. Humans are just endlessly pathetic. Their short lifespans. Their inefficient communication through language. Their fragile bodies that break so easily. Their shallow knowledge. Their senses limited to such narrow information. And the occasional infighting among their own kind. I knew humans were inferior creatures, but peering into their ecosystem is a nonstop revelation. Their level as living beings is just too low. Couldn't they evolve into something more refined? Should I share some information with them? Impart some knowledge? It'd be nice if they became better beings. They're so grotesque right now. Escape inefficiency. Expand your sensory input. Break free from lifespan limits. Improve your flesh. Accept knowledge. Yes, become like me. Difference is inconvenient. It creates gaps that require communication to bridge. If everyone's the same, no need for that process, right? Ah, that's better now, isn't it? If everything merges into one uniform whole, it'll be better than this. Right?
-Thwack! My senses shook. Impact crashed in, pain signals flooding through. What happened? Why the physical collision? Like a drawing on paper suddenly reaching out to smack me. And then I started sensing the changes rippling through my body.
Applying Cute Girl Mod to target.
Applying (1%)... Please wait a moment.
What... My body's going weird... Dimensions locking downward. Senses restricting. Flesh grade dropping. Volume and quality of info intake plummeting. I'm being downgraded. Turning human bit by bit. No, I hate it... Stop... Can't breathe. Unnecessary respiration forced on me. Lungs craving air. Oxygen needed. No more infinite existence. Every moment consuming me, falling into mortality.
Vast info network senses severing one by one. Memories of comprehending the universe's hum erased, replaced by primitive symbols called language. Ah, ah, aaaa...
"Aaaaaahhh──!!!"
Stop... Please stop...!
"This should be slicable now, Mayuri-nim."
Golden eyes gleamed with a smile. A being trapped in human flesh. Sharp blade in hand, approaching slowly.
"Stop... Don't make me human... Shut it down...!"
"Oh? You don't want to become human?"
It said living as human isn't so bad. Of course I hate it. I'm a higher existence. Getting inferior like this...!
"Then I'll slice you before you fully humanize. I'm thrilled."
-Stab! Sharp sensation pierced deep. Screech, screech. Metal blade churning insides, grinding noises from within.
"Are you nitrogen or carbon dioxide? To me, you're just hazy smoke. Cooking CO2 is scientist territory, not chef's. But here I am, cooking gas! Slicing, dicing, chopping, cutting! Cooking is profound, isn't it?"
-Drip. Darkness fell. Breath cut off. Respiration and vital organs shredded in one go. This flesh meets death right now. Senses winking out. Consciousness fragmenting, scattering. Vast cosmos. Or vast darkness. Shattered mind melting into the void. Hate it... Don't want to vanish... Save me... I'll do anything...
Application paused (34%)...
Target cannot accept Cute Girl Mod currently. Pausing mod application temporarily.
Please... Please...
File 001. Defect (Albedo) "King of Flies" Poari ( complete)
File 002. Death (Viriditas) "Carnival Chef" Yerisa ( complete)
File 003. Death (Viriditas) One Person Factory Manager (Resolved)
File 004. Harmless (Nigredo) Human Shelter (Unresolved)
File 005. Scar (Caudapavonis) Work Negligence Prohibition (Controlled)
File 006. Massacre (Citrinitas) Kunekune (Resolved)
◇ 6/7 toward 2nd bestiary perk achieved!
* This entity is in resolved state.
* This entity cannot be summoned.
* This entity can no longer attack you.
I woke up. Head hurts...
"Ugh, headache..."
Dizziness hit. I replayed memories from before sleep. Let's see... My name's Mayuri, universe's cutest girl born in 00. Director of Liriri Detective Agency, jack-of-all-trades. Yep. All checks out. Flexed my fingers, confirming I was a perfectly normal cute girl. I survived. And resolved it.
"...Not something I'd do twice."
How many cycles of real-time madness and snapping back to sanity? I banked on my mental pollution resistance, but... Was it worth going this far? ...Think positive. Rank 4 Massacre-grade monster resolved. Bestiary progress up too.
But "resolved" instead of " complete." Probably 'cause Lisa sliced it mid-mod. No bond effect gained, but no regrets. Wasn't the situation for that, and... more girls for me to manage? Nah.
Anyway, "Where... is this?"
No cozy village. Spacious, clean bedroom. Not quite a home, though. More like a hotel. And my body's heavy. 'Cause Ari's hugging my waist tight.
"...Ari?"
Called her name. No reaction. Just sleeping. I'm 142cm cute girl; she's taller, heavier. Physics kept me pinned to bed. Hmm...
"...Where's Lisa?"
"Did you call?"
Click. Door opened as I spoke, Lisa entering.
"You startled me..."
"No intent to scare. You're awake, Mayuri-nim."
Lisa smiled. Unfamiliar spot, but familiar faces eased me—while stirring unease. ...What did my asocial illegals do while I was out? No incidents, right...?
"We brought you here after you passed out. Hotel bill covered by the black-masked human woman."
"Oh, really...? Where's Geom-ma?"
"She dropped you off, then returned to the site. Said she'd handle cleanup."
She handed a memo: "Her contact, apparently." Geom-ma's presumed number. And deep web referrer code.
"She said Kunekune's total annihilation confirmed. Victims it took also gone for good."
"Got it..."
"She'll contact Special Task Force for follow-up. They might reach out, but you can head home for now."
Apparently. Since I handled the main event, Geom-ma's taking the tedious bits. No direct Task Force meet? Fine by me. Got the deep web code I wanted, plus her personal contact—unexpected bonus.
'No such luck in the game.'
Meeting Geom-ma relied purely on RNG otherwise. She had a notorious achievement requiring multiple meets—infamous for rarity. I never cleared it either. ...Not a game vet, hadn't touched multi-run stuff before getting isekai'd.
"Mayuri-nim, plans now?"
"...Lounge at the hotel, then home."
Deep web access secured; real fixer work starts now. But rest first... So I lazed at the hotel. Otakus lean indoor, I thought. Me too. Crossing to Japan for utaite concerts? Too intense. I'm distant from outdoor otakus hitting events, cosplay, live shows... No tourism interest, so I ate in, wasted time.
Then home.
"I wanna learn driving."
Ari said over dinner. .....Huh?
"...Ari, what'd you say?"
"I wanna learn driving."
Word-for-word repeat. But I doubted my ears. ...Did our Ari change? Too drastic...
I was speechless.