I Won't Kill You. Don't Worry
I turned my gaze for a moment to check on Stella's condition.
Already too late?
The Tamer Hero sat collapsed on the floor, trembling as she muttered to herself.
"Monsters~ Listen to me... please just listen to me~!"
"N-now... we have to r-run... What the hell even is that... This is completely unfair!!"
Aaron stuck out his foot and tripped Yuki, who was trying to flee while reeking of piss.
Yuki, nose shattered and streaming blood, spoke in pure terror.
"Aagh..! W-wait a second... Stop!! What did I even... do wrong..!"
Aaron crushed Yuki's left calf under his heel.
"Gyaaaaaah!..."
"I've thought about it long and hard. No matter how I look at it, this is all your fault.."
"F-fuck..! Why the hell are you doing this to me! Those bitches came onto me first, so why are you—!"
Aaron's foot twisted the already-shattered calf.
Crunch—
"Gyaaah..!"
"F-fuck! I just did what I was told to— Gyaaah!!"
Unable to listen to another word of it, Aaron lightly stepped on the man's crotch with his other foot.
"P-please, what are you doing!!.. Don't.. don't..!"
He'd be better off shutting up. Why the hell is he still talking?
"Are you just stupid, or are you overflowing with courage.."
Aaron put his weight into it and ground the man's testicles left and right.
"Gyaaaaaaah!!!! .. Haah haaah.. Please…gyaaaaah...!! Stop.."
Yuki begged, face a sticky mess of snot and tears.
"Please... don't kill me... don't kill me... Why are you even—! Gyaaaaaah!!"
Aaron casually kicked the man's already-mangled crotch.
"P-please!! Not there.."
"Hmm.. A man's balls are tougher than I expected.."
"Ghh-eup!!.."
Yuki clamped his mouth shut, secretions streaming down his face as he endured the pain in pure terror.
"Ah.. right. I just remembered."
Aaron pointed at the Tamer Hero.
"You. Come here."
She answered, trembling violently.
"Y-yes..?"
"Haa.. You didn't do anything directly, and I was a former hero myself once.. so I'm not planning to just kill people at random."
"Th-that means..?"
"You're not completely free of responsibility either, so if you just do exactly as I say, I'll let you live."
Obviously there's no way I'd do that, you idiot bitch.
"…What do I have to do..?"
Aaron pointed at Yuki.
"Bite."
She stared at him with a look of pure incomprehension.
"...What?"
Aaron sighed and explained.
"I mean."
He grabbed Yuki by the balls.
"Gyaaaaaah!"
"Bite this off. Do that and I'll spare you."
Both Yuki and the Tamer Hero went deathly pale.
"H-hey!! Barbara! You... you're not actually going to do it, right..?"
The Tamer Hero looked back and forth between Aaron and Yuki, shaking.
Aaron seized Yuki by the hair and yanked his head back.
"You don't have to if you don't want to. Not if you'd rather end up just like him.."
"I-I'll do it.."
Yuki thrashed and screamed.
"You fucking bitch!! How could you do this to me!! You agreed to the plan and now you're trying to save your own skin—"
"Sh-shut up!!"
The Tamer Hero took Yuki's crotch into her mouth and bit down.
"Gyaaaaaaah!!!!!"
Truly magnificent. Best scream I've ever heard.
"What are you waiting for? Just biting isn't enough.. Pop them! Pop them!"
Aaron offered her a light cheer of encouragement.
Crunch—
Yuki's crotch turned a vivid red as some kind of fluid began leaking out in streams.
Slap—
Slap—
Aaron lightly slapped Yuki's cheek.
"Hey. You still alive?"
No answer came. Only a faint twitch.
Passed out, huh. Shame.
The Tamer Hero looked up at him with a disgusting face smeared in blood.
"Y-you'll spare me now, right..?"
"Of course."
I want to end every last one of them right this second.
Just the fact that the bastards who did this to Master are still breathing is revolting.
But I have to endure.
Killing them alone isn't enough.
That wouldn't be revenge.
I will not kill them here.
Pain alone isn't enough. Just suffering physically and then dying would be far too merciful for them.
The Holy Lance Hero, ankles already severed, screamed.
"You son of a bitch!! You think this is the end?! Saintess!! Right now, my—"
The Saintess cast a spell.
"Silence!"
A spell to shut a mouth.
"Mmph... mmph..!"
The Saintess smiled sweetly.
"Please be quiet... Holy Lance... Aaron.. I'm sorry... I understand that our lives are now in your hands."
No telling what she's scheming.
"Saintess. You'd better stay still too. I want to have a long, long talk with you."
Aaron glared at her with lethal intensity.
"How thrilling!! Aaron... Don't worry. I'll wait for you forever.."
"I don't believe a word of it, you crazy bitch."
The Tamer's demon somehow can't control the monsters anymore..
The Saintess is a non-combatant, but there's no telling what she's hiding.
Best to immobilize all of them first.
Aaron drove knives through Yuki's hands and feet so he couldn't move.
"Gyaaaaaah...!!! Ghk.. What are you— Kyaaah..!.. Haah.. hhk..."
"Shut up and stay still."
He tossed over a small, rusted knife too dull to be used as a real weapon.
"Hey, Holy Lance Hero? Use that to carve out the rest of your ankles and wrists until the bone shows."
The Holy Lance Hero just stared blankly, as if he couldn't understand the words.
"Mmph...?"
Aaron walked over to pick up the rusted knife himself.
"If you'd rather not, I can do it for you."
"Mmph.. mmph!!!"
The Saintess spoke softly.
"Holy Lance, I think it would be better if you did it yourself."
The Holy Lance Hero, still looking around in confusion, eventually turned to the Saintess and made muffled noises of protest.
"Hey! Want me to do it for you? Of course, my technique is a bit rough, so I might just smash the wrists and ankles completely."
Not that I wouldn't smash them even if I did it myself. I just... want him to suffer a little more, you know?
In the end the Holy Lance Hero seemed to give up and began sawing at his remaining intact ankle himself.
"Ghhheup!!!.. Ghhheup!!!"
"Ghhhhheuuuuup!!!!!!"
The rusted knife was so dull that the Holy Lance Hero's ankle ended up a shredded mess, and his hands were soaked in blood.
"Haah.. haah.. haah.. mmph..!"
Looks like he's trying to say something.
"Yeah, I know. It's not cutting well, right?"
"Gh.. mmph!!!"
Obviously carving through a tough human ankle with a rusted knife was never going to be easy. Only the outer flesh of the Holy Lance Hero's ankle was shredded, the bone still showing.
"Why are you just sitting there? You have to cut it all the way through. Pick it up again."
He looked around at his comrades, realized no one was coming to save him, and with shaking hands picked the knife back up. Something like resolve burned in his eyes..
Aaron gave him a light warning.
"Ah.. just so you know, if you try to stab me with that knife, don't even think about dying easy. Cutting off your wrists and ankles won't be the end of it."
The Holy Lance Hero shook his head hard and began sawing at the exposed ankle bone.
"Ghhheup!! Ghhheup!"
"Haa.. There's no way the bone's going to break like that.. Here, I'll help you just once. You do it like this."
With that, Aaron snatched the knife from his hand and put all his strength into snapping the ankle where the white bone was already showing.
"Ghhhhheup.. mmph.. mmph!!!!"
"What's wrong? That's only one done. You've still got both wrists left, don't you?"
"..."
Ah. He passed out.
"You're next."
At the sight of it, the remaining heroes seemed to be shaking with terror.
The most spectacular was the Tamer Hero—her skirt hem was starting to get wet. She must have wet herself.
"Ah.. e.. eh..."
"Hey, you lot. Don't just sit there. Strip."
"Ufufu.. If that's what Aaron wants.."
Without a moment's hesitation the Saintess reached for the pure white robes she was wearing.
When she removed the white-and-blue veil from her head, long silver hair cascading all the way to her hips was revealed.
Then she brought her hands behind her back and carefully undid the ties supporting her chest.
The fabric of the nun's habit, open at the sides and barely covering her thighs, came undone piece by piece.
What was revealed was the Saintess's body, so white it looked almost translucent.
She neatly folded her clothes and set them in front of her.
She smiled sweetly.
"Will this do, Aaron?"
"You're next, Tamer Hero."
Her mouth was smiling, but her eyes were clearly filled with terror.
"I-I don't know anything~ Really.."
If she's this scared, she'll spill every scrap of information she has.
"You think I'd trust you when I know you're hiding something?"
Aaron pointed at the Holy Lance Hero.
"If you don't like it, you can end up like him."
"I-I understand... I'll do whatever you say.."
The Tamer Hero slowly rolled up her soaked skirt hem.
—Rip
"Kyaaaah! Why... why are you doing this..!
Hek!.. This is... blood..?! Y-you promised you wouldn't kill me..!"
Aaron answered with a smile.
"Yeah. I'm not going to kill you."
He sliced from her skirt hem all the way up to her shoulder.
"Hurry up. And no suspicious movements."
These things aren't human.
There's no reason to treat them like humans.
With trembling hands she tried to wipe away the flowing blood with the torn fabric of her clothes.
"I-I understand, so.. please stop.. I'm so.. scared.."
Looking at her like this, she really does seem like just an ordinary girl.
Her reactions.
And that soft, fragile skin.
So why don't I feel even a shred of guilt? Is something wrong with me?
Aaron drove the knife into her shoulder.
"Kyaaaaaah!!! Why.. why are you doing this to me.. I did everything you told me to.."
"Why, you ask?"
He turned only his head to look at Master's corpse.
A small, fragile body.
And on that body, countless wounds from teeth marks remained intact.
A wolf's fangs had pierced her flesh.
An orc's club had smashed her head.
The spirits' magic had bound her.
And yet kind Master had never once been able to wound the monsters who had been protecting her.
"Because she was that kind of person..."
Aaron twisted the knife buried in her shoulder.
"Gyaaaaaah..!!"
"It's better if you don't even know why this is happening to you. Not that it would ever happen, but if you actually tried to atone... that would just be ridiculous, wouldn't it?"
The Saintess murmured.
"Aaah.. Aaron, even that side of you makes me shiver.."
"Shut up, Saintess. I'm so excited about the moment I get to talk with you that I can barely wait. Quietly wait your turn."
I can feel it.
Master's power is circulating through my body right now.
But at the same time I know I can't keep holding it inside me.
Power beyond what my vessel can contain—I'm only clinging to it.
Right now I'm just desperately gripping the remaining power with everything I have so it doesn't fly away.
I was never meant to be a vessel that could permanently hold the power of an Ancient Dragon.
I can feel the power draining away with every second that passes..
Before it all disappears, I have to extract every piece of information I need.
And finish them so they can never move again.. of course, only to the point where they don't die.
These bastards cannot be allowed to die easily here.. No matter what, I wanted to give them pain and humiliation beyond what Master suffered.
'A few dozen more minutes... is about my limit, huh..'
Even if they are otherworld heroes, with injuries this severe I can restrain them with my own power alone.
After that I can take my time torturing them until they talk.
Aaron pulled the knife from the Tamer Hero's shoulder.
"From now on, answer every question I ask. If you hesitate even a little, or if I think you're lying, you die on the spot."
"Gyaah.. haah.. haah.. I under.. stand.."
"Master.. Tell me the names of everyone involved in the dragon subjugation."
"I-I don't really know either.. W-we just did whatever the kingdom ordered.."
The knife grazed her left eye.
"Kyaaaaaah... m-my eye.. everything's.. everything's getting blurry.. Why.. why on earth.. I really.. don't know.."
"I'll add one more rule. 'I don't know' is also forbidden."
"Wh-what do you mean.."
"Then I'll change the question. How many direct heroes are there under you in total?"
She clutched her eye and trembled as she spoke.
"I-I.. I've never actually seen all of them.. but there aren't that many.. about ten.."
"And of those, how many were involved in this incident?"
"Just the three of us.."
"Really? Even the ones who helped indirectly—that was only you three?"
"You know what? I'm an otherworlder just like you."
She flinched.
"That means I can tell whether what you're saying is a lie or not. Want to lose the other eye too?"
Obviously a bluff. If it were actually true, I wouldn't need to lie about it.
But if she's so terrified that she can't think straight..
"I-I'm sorry.. I really.. wasn't trying to lie!!.."
"Last chance. Speak."
"Every single one of them.. without exception.. took part.."
So they all participated indirectly..?
"Not a single one among them ever questioned this or said it was wrong... not even one.."
"..."
"So only you three came here? Are the soldiers below just escorts?"
"N-no.. that's.. um..."
When the Tamer Hero stammered and hesitated, Aaron idly stroked the dagger in his hand.
"Hiiik… Th-that! .. The three of us came as the advance party.. and the rest.."
A bad feeling crawled up my spine.
"The rest... were supposed to be deployed again.. after we arrived.."
Right now Master's power is overflowing, so I overpowered them with sheer momentum.
I expected soldiers and can handle them.. but if the remaining heroes show up, I have no chance of winning..
If reinforcements arrive, it's over. Do I have no choice but to kill them all here..!
That was when it happened.
"Spirits, bind that man's body!"
Aaron tried to draw his knife, but his body wouldn't move at all.
"What the hell is this..!"
I'd been carefully watching for any flow of mana just in case, but this isn't magic. Some unknown force has completely restrained my body.
The Saintess smiled radiantly.
"Aaron.. From now on you belong to me forever.. You'll never escape..♡"
"You fucking bitch!"
I thought it was strange how obediently she was going along with everything!
"Hey, Saintess~ Looks like you got put through the wringer pretty bad?"
"S-Saintess.. a-are you alright..?"
The surroundings were already surrounded by the reinforcing heroes.
Three of them in total, it seemed..
Among them, a hero whose gender was hard to tell tripped over the corpse of the Light Hero without noticing it.
"Ah.. Big Brother Adril? Why are you lying there.."
A hero who looked like a mage covered his mouth in shock.
"H-he's already dead.."
He fell silent for a moment, then glared at the Saintess with murderous intent.
"What the hell does that mean..? There's no way Big Brother Adril would die… What exactly happened here, Saintess?"
"Fufu.. I don't really know either.."
"There's no way Big Brother would lose to some dragon like that! Which bastard did it!!"
Ah... I really shouldn't, but I can't hold it in..
"Ah..? That pathetic hero? He pissed himself while looking down on me and died.."
"You son of a bitch!!"
Damn it, if only my body would move..
Thud—
A fist slammed into his face.
"Hey! Are you the one who did that to our Erina?!"
Erina.. so that's the Tamer Hero's name..
His entire mouth had burst open; the taste of iron filled it. What the hell.. a woman's fist shouldn't feel like a lump of iron..
The Saintess shouted.
"Handle him carefully! That person is..!"
"Shut the hell up, Saintess. Even if it's a request from you, I can't just let this slide. At least one or two of his limbs need to be crippled or—"
The gorilla-like woman cracked her knuckles and sneered.
"Not moving, are you? Nobody stays fine after taking one of my punches."
Lying collapsed, his body still refused to move.
Fuck off... I'm not going down without a fight. I'll at least take one throat with me.
With the last of his strength, Aaron drove the dagger into the Tamer Hero's neck and twisted.
Blood poured from the Tamer Hero's throat and she collapsed lifelessly. Caught completely off guard, everyone present froze for a moment.
The gorilla woman stood frozen for a second, then snapped back to her senses and frantically tried to set the Tamer Hero's broken neck straight again—but the already-snapped neck kept flopping toward the ground.
"E-Erina?? Why.. why...!! Snap out of it!! Please.. why... aren't you moving..?"
There was no way a corpse would answer.
The gorilla woman seemed to lose all reason as she wailed, radiating pure killing intent as she approached.
"You son of a bitch! I'll kill you..! I'll fucking kill you!"
The gorilla woman advanced on him, completely unhinged.
Aaron put on one last show of bravado.
"She was the first. You, and you... and you... Every last one of you here can wait your turn.."
The gorilla woman's fist came flying at him with enough force to kill.
If this connects, it's over... I don't see any way to dodge.
In the distance, someone came into view. Was he seeing a hallucination before death..?
The necklace reacts.. That man..?
"If I save you, will you be able to save me?"