Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Monster
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An unfathomable darkness.
A void space with no ceiling, no walls, not even a floor.
There was no light.
- Thud.
A shadow.
Its form was not clearly visible.
A colorless afterimage darker than the darkness itself.
Buried in countless noises, it dredges up a erased vow.
【One step■ remember■.】
The first step.
The shadow took one step forward.
Invisible ripples trembled, distorting the surface of the darkness.
It tore the contours of space, proving that this world existed.
【Two steps■ will not■.】
The second step.
Beyond the infinitely expanding space, something writhed.
【At the third■ grieve■not.】
At the third.
Something tore.
Yet the shadow did not sob.
Without grief or regret... it only walked.
Forward, ever forward.
【At the fourth■ wail■not.】
Four.
It did not cry, but tears fell.
Even if its knees buckled and its breath failed...
【■■ steps■ rise again and walk.】
Five.
Bloody footprints remained.
The shadow raised its body once more, heading into the meaningless darkness.
【With six■ steps, know it will not■end.】
Six.
The boundaries of space blurred.
Darkness devoured darkness, and through the gap poured ashen fragments too pitiful to call light.
【With seven steps■ never give■up.】
Seven.
Finally, the shadow stopped.
Its body was covered in wounds.
Memories torn, name forgotten, existence faded.
【I vow.】
Yet its will alone never broke.
***
"...Persistent."
Charlotte gazed at Klaus with an expression devoid of any fatigue.
"Hoo..."
Klaus drew in a deep breath.
His stamina had long reached its limit, and now a burning pain seared his lungs as if they were scorching... but he endured.
He had no choice but to endure.
"...You still plan to hold out?"
Charlotte repeated the same question.
She had asked it many times already, but the answer was always the same.
"You know... after beating me to a pulp, hearing that kinda messes with my head..."
Klaus staggered, his knees threatening to give way, but he forcibly steadied his stance.
He lifted his heavy sword once more. His form was a mess, full of openings... but his eyes remained as sharp as ever.
"...Why not just give up?"
If he had collapsed, she wouldn't have been disappointed.
If he had closed his eyes, she wouldn't have said a word.
But Klaus refused to fall.
"I'm not trying to win..."
"......"
"...I'm not backing down."
Sensations throughout his body were growing numb, yet the single flame burning in his heart refused to extinguish.
Hope called a miracle... it might just be a ridiculous delusion.
But Klaus believed.
Just as dawn follows the night. If he never gave up, someday a miracle... would surely come.
"...Fine."
He had felt it throughout the fight.
Klaus could not beat Charlotte.
Skill, experience, stamina... technically, strategically, he lacked in everything.
Charlotte gripped her two swords.
This time, to end it for sure.
"......"
Klaus gripped his one sword.
This time, to prevent the end.
Just before the three radiant swords clashed.
──────!!
Space tore open.
A white crack spread like lightning, and the rift yawned wide.
The sizzling fissure expanded in an instant to the size of a person.
"...What?"
Charlotte spun reflexively.
But it was too late. A black arm shot from the rift and snatched Charlotte in a flash.
"...!!"
Klaus grabbed her arm.
"Hold on tight...!!"
They felt it without words.
A power on a different level from the red beasts.
"Urgh...!"
Even so, Klaus didn't hesitate.
To not let go of Charlotte, he threw himself into the rift instead.
"W-Wait a sec..."
Space soon sealed shut, leaving no trace of the tear.
***
'This is bad.'
Did the kids somehow level up in the meantime? My divide-and-conquer tactics were starting to fail.
'No, why isn't it working?'
Throw out plausible lies, sow suspicion, incite division.
First attempt: theft.
I swiped items from students who weren't even properly geared, fanning the flames of doubt.
"Hey, did you take my arrows?"
"Nope?"
"Yeah?"
...And that was it.
"What's this?"
Second: notes.
I wrote messages on scraps of paper accusing someone of betrayal and dropped them in the group.
"You wrote this?"
"Maybe?"
"Stop betraying us, huh?"
"Got it."
...Way too calm reactions.
Is betrayal just daily life for these guys?
They didn't care what anyone did.
'Am I the weird one?'
Normally, if items vanish and betrayal evidence appears, heads would roll right there, right?
Poke. Poke.
I even prodded them lightly with a dagger.
But thanks to the mana artifacts on their wrists, all I got were numb responses.
'No clue.'
Whatever.
I'll abandon the divide-and-conquer.
Soon, my position would show on the map.
Better to lure them in and wipe them out at once.
Score
[1st: Adel 「56」]
[2nd: Lev 「44」]
'...This is seriously bad.'
Lev having that many points meant the 'jealousy' slumbering inside was rampaging.
One tiny slip, and it wouldn't be a bad end from the space mage—it'd be from Lev.
And.
'Here they come.'
I took position in the middle of a plain.
Surrounded by a circular thicket of trees—perfect spot to flee or hide.
"This the place...?"
"Yeah..."
Students who spotted my position came swarming.
One by one...
'Uh...'
More than expected.
Way more.
"Hiding somewhere? Up in the trees?"
"Or underground? Dug a tunnel?"
'...This many?'
At a rough count: over 70 students gathered for my spot alone.
'No, actually good?'
The more students I take out, the higher Klaus's odds against the disaster...
'Guess I can only trust Levi.'
- Crackle.
"Huh?"
"There he is...!!"
I pulled 【Leviathan】 from my inventory and deactivated 【Silent Walker】.
"Grab him!!"
"He can't do shit against a group rush!!"
"The points are mine!"
Over 70 students charged, forming a semicircle around me.
'A bit more.'
【Leviathan】's unique skill: opens the abyss and manifests Leviathan.
The larger the abyss, the stronger—but control difficulty skyrockets exponentially.
So I lure them.
One step closer.
One step deeper.
"Got him...!"
"Smash his mana artifact quick!!"
Dozens of eyes locked on my wrist's mana artifact.
Artifact breaks, game over.
- Whoosh.
I tuned my mana to disrupt their attack paths.
[HP: 76]
But I couldn't dodge everything.
Small wounds accumulated.
"My points...!!"
[HP: 47]
"Move...! They're mine!!"
[HP: 11]
'Last one.'
[HP: 1]
That instant.
"Wh-What...!!"
"That's from before...!!"
"Crazy... everyone dodge!!!"
────────!!
The abyss unfurled beneath my feet.
The bottomless darkness swallowed everything.
'There's a saying.'
One loach muddies the whole pond.
Not a perfect fit, sure.
But... why does it come to mind watching this?
"What is this...!"
"I'm dying! I’m gonna die!!"
Students screamed mid-breath as they got sucked into the abyss one by one.
'Please don't eat them.'
I prayed to Leviathan on the other side.
Moments later...
Pop! Pop!
Did my prayer reach?
The abyss spat them out one by one.
"Urgh..."
All vanished in light, their mana artifacts shattered.
Score
[1st: Adel 「138」]
'Wow.'
Was 1st place basically locked?
'This should do it.'
I'd love to chill and wait for Klaus's win, but...
'I am really anxious, though.'
What if.
I pushed a bit harder.
***
'Didn't see this coming.'
One thing I totally didn't expect.
The space mage kidnaps students, slowly drains their mana, or uses them as hostages to break Klaus.
'But me getting kidnapped? No way I saw that.'
Right.
I got snatched into the space mage's so-called 'space labyrinth.'
'Come to think, I'm a student too?'
For a moment, I forgot I was one.
Stirring chaos, masked man...
I juggled roles till I forgot my actual job.
'Damn, i'm dizzy.'
I was just saying that, but...
'....'
No.
Actually I was dizzy for real on second thought.
'There are only two exits here.'
This is a problem.
One opens only after catching the beast...
The other only after beating the space mage.
'Fuck.'
Seriously.
No matter how I fly, I've got to clash head-on with one.
And right then...
- Rumble!!
A brilliant flash struck right beside me.
I ducked on reflex... but it wasn't aimed at me.
【Ah.】
"......"
- Whoosh...
Beside me, beast remains scattered as ash.
Charred black bones and flesh.
...I looked up toward the flash's source.
There...
【That's the guy, Lev.】
The saintess, Lev de Lumière.
'No...'
【Ah, eye contact.】
Beyond those crimson eyes, deep within—her hidden jealousy.
The 「False Saintess」 Lev de Lament had awakened.
"...Adel."
【Lev... eliminate him.】
"...You gonna fight me too?"
Jealousy spoke.
Her shadow was devouring her body.
【Hee hee... how shall we play?】
"...Shut up."
Lev's reason was fading.
This place was the disaster's space.
Its aura eroded Lev's mind, surfacing the jealousy... Lamenta's personality.
[Le―]
I quickly pulled out the whiteboard.
【Ah, no can do.】
- Crackle.
The whiteboard in my hand... turned to ash and scattered.
【Now... what to do? Tell me.】
"Shut up, I said."
【Lev... getting too emotional?】
"...You monster."
【Hee hee....】
Jealousy laughed.
Mocking my silence.
【Monster, huh...】
People converse through words.
Words convey thoughts, express emotions, connect hearts—direct mediums.
Words are needed for humans to understand each other.
【Yes, I'm a monster, Lev.】
But I can't speak.
A body not even allowed a voice.
I can't convey emotions in any way.
【You who lost emotions. Me, their remnant.】
Emotions exist, but no path to release them.
I want to share, but I can't.
【Adel, who has them but can't express them.】
...People become monsters without emotions.
But with emotions yet unable to express...
Is that... human?
【We're all just monsters.】