You Have Two Choices (Part 2)
Daemo auntie had her eyes practically split open in rage, while I stared back at her through my expressionless dog mask, tension dripping thick in the air like sludge. That's when it happened.
"Um...!"
One of the women raised her hand. Everyone turned to stare at her. Especially Daemo auntie—her face was priceless.
"You, stay right there—"
I strode forward, slamming my shield into Daemo auntie's shoulder and shoving her aside. Warrior avatars pack insane strength. With just a light push, the auntie went tumbling sideways with a massive crash.
"Arghhh!"
"Daemo-nim!"
"You bastard!"
"Wha-wha-what...!"
The heavily armed men reacted in all sorts of ways—some rushing to help her up, others frozen in shock, a few half-assedly yelling. I ignored them completely. Why bother talking to trash like that?
I approached the woman, but she flinched back, probably scared of me.
"Go on. Speak. I'm listening."
"Th-that...!"
She glanced nervously around at the others. The women here... they all looked surprisingly intact. Not a skeletal one in the bunch. And a few—no, quite a few—of them were clutching their bellies with both hands?
"Um... I'm pregnant."
"...I see."
Not full-term, from what I could tell. Just a slight bulge? Fuck if I know how much a pregnant woman's belly swells. But definitely not like those nine-month waddlers from dramas or movies. Roughly ten of them, by a quick count.
"I-I heard rumors... they say you... you can heal the sick, that sort of thing..."
"That's right. I have servants who assist with that too."
"Th-then... could I... could I come with you?"
The men glared daggers at her. She didn't give a damn.
"I'm... I'm going to give birth soon. Babies... they get sick so easily. Even a little illness can be dangerous. I need someone—someone—to help. But here, there's no doctors, no medicine, nothing... S-so, if I follow you, everything will be okay, right? Me and my baby... we'll be fine?"
"...Let me be clear."
Pregnant women, huh.
"You'll be fine. I can heal any illness. My servants will take good care of your health too."
The vibe between the women and men? Not husbands or boyfriends, that's for sure—no loving glances or protective gestures. Probably just playthings they'd been screwing around with since the world went to shit. The babies in their bellies were the results.
"Will you follow me?"
"Yes!"
The women flocked to my side in a rush. Then one ugly-faced bastard growled and lunged to grab one back.
"Fuck, who the hell do you think—!"
I thrust my spear. It plunged deep into his side. His eyes bulged, then his whole body petrified yellow before crumbling into sand with a whoosh.
"Kyaaak!"
"Aaaah!"
"Ughhh!"
Women, men, Daemo auntie—everyone screamed in terror. I spoke calmly.
"...Don't stand in the way of those who wish to come to me. You will die."
Why the fuck am I talking like some historical drama villain? No clue.
But damn. I just... killed a person.
I've gotta be firm. Maintain the dignity. That's all I was thinking when my spear shot out on its own.
I'd killed a human, but... it should've been shocking, right? Truth is, it didn't faze me at all. Is that normal?
After turning zombies, monsters, all sorts of grotesque shit into sand nonstop, watching a guy dissolve right in front of me barely registered. Plus, one of these assholes—probably not here—had already tried knifing or shooting me before. Who knows.
Anyway. It didn't bother me.
Gonna haunt my dreams? Nah, feels fine.
Lost in those thoughts, I stood frozen mid-thrust like a statue. Everyone was staring.
I raised my spear upright.
"If you wish to come with me, nothing will stop you. Who will join me?"
The first pregnant woman bit her lip, her face etched with fear, but she stepped forward slowly. Then the other pregnant ones followed. Then the non-pregnant women rushed over. Nearly 30 in total. Almost all of them came to my side.
Daemo was still sprawled on the floor, eyes wide like a demon's, sweating bullets. Looked like her shoulder was clutched in pain. Bone injury? Whatever.
"I'm taking these women with me. If any of them get hurt or die on the way out, I'll turn every last one of you into sand. Got it?"
No response. I stared them down, then turned and walked away. The women followed.
As we exited the building and headed down the main road—
Bang! A gunshot rang out, and the women screamed.
I whipped around. Do these women have no concept of cover? At the sound of gunfire, you duck behind a building or something.
They were huddled on the ground, clinging to each other. The shot came from above. Rooftop sentries—two guys aiming rifles our way.
They were about to fire again? So.
I charged forward. Toward the building.
Sure, I had my bow as an option. But one shot and done wouldn't cut it here. I ditched the spear and sprinted at superhuman speed, human limits be damned. Leaped, grabbed a windowsill three meters up. Climbed the wall hand over hand.
Crumpling the sill, I vaulted to the next floor, smashing through a window and grabbing with one hand, climbing like a ladder.
Crash! Crash! Crash!
In seconds, past the 4th, 5th floors. 10th floor, ground far below—I didn't stop.
The rooftop guys yelled.
"Wh-what the hell is that?!"
"It's a monster!"
"Shoot! Not the women—the bastard!"
"Monster!"
They hadn't seen shit from up top, just watched from afar.
Crash! Crash! Crash! Smashing through to the roof.
By the 15th floor—
Rat-tat-tat! Tat-tat! Bullets ripped through me. Like I'd die? Just sand puffing everywhere.
I vaulted the rooftop parapet. Slid over.
Black dog mask. Then shoulders, arms. Their faces—straight out of a horror flick.
Even as I swung my legs over, they panicked and sprayed bullets.
"Arghhh! Arghhh!"
"It's a monster!"
Rat-tat-tat! Rat-a-tat-tat! Bullets tore into me wildly.
Still got a ways to go, assholes.
I strolled forward casually. Click, tick-tick. Guns empty. They bolted.
I snatched one arm and hurled him hard against the parapet. Thud! Heavy impact, he groaned sprawled out.
Two more screaming toward the stairs. Slow. I flew at them in one bound, stomped the parapet, landed in front of the stairs. Grabbed their throats, hoisted them up.
"Guhk!"
"Grrrk...!"
But from behind—some noise? Turned. Women at the stairwell. Five? Six? Not pregnant. Ah, left 'em here to play with the sentries.
Deal with these first. Dragged them to the parapet I'd climbed. Tossed 'em out. One by one.
"Arrrghhh!"
The second clung to my arm, but I'd thrown too hard—couldn't handle his own weight, let go. Spinning off into the air. The grounded sentry gawked, trembling.
Thud, thud. Two impacts. Women's screams below.
Grabbed the groaning one's collar, hurled him out.
"Nuuuughhh!"
Couldn't even scream properly before plummeting. Thud.
Glanced down. ...Like three ketchup packets burst. Up close it'd be gruesome, but whatever. I'd warned them plenty.
Anyway, to the stairs. A few women there, all haggard, shaking.
"Wh-who... are you?"
Terror-stricken. Nowhere to run. Walled-off corner, filthy mattresses, next room plastic shit buckets, then one with cans and supplies. High floor, no elevator—they'd set it up to live here.
These women probably weren't wives or girlfriends to the guys I tossed. Sisters, daughters, aunts, something? Nah.
"Don't stay here. Let's go down."
"Wh-where..."
"First floor. Don't wanna? Stay. Your choice."
Alone, I'd just jump. But these women couldn't. Fuckin' first floor. Long-ass way.
Footsteps above—they were following down anyway.
Reached the first floor, entrance. The three gruesome corpses splayed out wide. Middle of the road, women huddled shaking.
Daemo clutching her shoulder, sweating and groaning. The other two guys fussing over her dislocated shoulder or whatever.
I appeared—everyone flinched, staring. Men's hands on guns and knives, but too scared to draw.
Ma'at's Rest.
I whispered softly, hand glowing, touched my chest. Bullet holes and shredded flesh restored in a flash.
They flinched harder watching.
I spoke.
"I am a god. I am merciful. I warned you multiple times. But you ignored me in the end."
I clenched my fist in the air—sand gathered into a spear.
"You won't forget my warning to kill you all, right?"
As I approached, one panicked and yelled.
"I-it's got nothing to do with us, no, nothing!"
"Y-yeah! W-we didn't shoot!"
"...That's true enough."
I halted, nodded.
"The rooftop guys didn't hear my warnings. So you might feel wronged. A god must heed human words."
I pointed the spear tip at them, at Daemo.
"My offer stands. You can't come to me. Survive on your own or die by my hand. But since you didn't attack, you live. Remember: my mercy ends here. Next time you harm me or mine—warning heard or not—I'll turn you all to sand."
I paused, watched them. Raised the spear.
"The rest are probably outside, out of sight. Tell your comrades: the wrath of god passed through here."
Fuckin' chuunibyou as hell, but badass lines.
Couldn't not drop the finisher.
"Hasta la vista."
Nailed the last punchline, turned away. The rooftop women had come down too. Heard everything.
"You have a choice. Stay here or—"
"W-we'll go!"
Their faces... yeah, said it all about how they'd been treated.
"Quick on the uptake. Good. Let's go."