Catching the Thief (2)
“Get out of the way, it’s dangerous!”
The Ure technique, Far Thunder.
BOOM!
“Whoaah!”
The screams of the guards rang out, but I had no time to worry about them.
If they were normal humans, this would be enough to subdue them. But of course, that’s not the case here.
The vagrant had slammed into the fence and stopped moving, yet I didn’t let my guard down. The black smoke that had been swirling around him was only now beginning to dissipate.
With a wet splat, what emerged was a grotesque creature. It was hard to call something that looked like a repulsive hybrid of fish and frog with limbs attached a normal living being.
“Aaaah… I resent you… I hate you… I want to kill you…”
And it wasn’t just its appearance. Even after being smashed into the fence by my attack, it didn’t seem to fully register that it had been hit. The odds were high that its intelligence had completely collapsed.
Seeing that, I finally understood what it had used earlier.
“It’s a suicide tool used by the evil god’s followers!”
“Got it!”
Diana’s shout confirmed it. This was now the third phase of an evil god follower.
No matter which follower it was, they always transformed like this in the final phase.
In the game there had been no depiction of them using anything specific, so I hadn’t recognized it at first, but the result itself was all too familiar. The moment it entered the final phase, there were many changes—race shift, stat amplification, full HP recovery—but the biggest characteristic was something else entirely.
“If you kill it, it explodes!”
“Understood!”
In the game, the area would be marked unusable for three turns, so that part was familiar too. In the game, unless it was a major area, you could just avoid it for a while and let it blow up. But now that it had become reality, I couldn’t treat it so lightly.
“How big is the explosion radius!”
“It varies by individual!”
Unfortunately, since I didn’t know the exact blast range, I couldn’t simply blow up the house and call it a day.
Ure technique, Flash Strike.
“Grrrk.”
“As expected, this isn’t enough to kill it.”
More importantly—
EEEEE!
“Intruder!”
There were far too many security forces. Since that pig bastard had scraped together every available combatant and stationed them around the mansion, the moment a bomb capable of leveling the area went off, it would cause an absolute catastrophe.
“S-stop right there!”
“There’s a strange monster over here too!”
The security forces who had just arrived warily eyed both me and the monster at the same time.
Well, I suppose wearing the arm of a giant robot does look incredibly suspicious…!
The problem was that I couldn’t just shove them aside because they were in the way. Right now they were only on guard, but the second I tried to move them, they would clearly turn hostile.
Yet leaving them there would obviously interfere with the fight.
What do I do?
Fortunately, my dilemma didn’t last long.
“Leave that one alone, you idiots! He’s cooperating with the security forces!”
“Ah, could you be the one who swept up all the pickpockets last time…? Sorry!”
Luckily, the security officer I had met before shouted at them, and the men surrounding me lowered their spears.
But unfortunately, it was one beat too late.
“I will crush you… from the front…! I will humiliate you!”
Shunk.
The vagrant stabbed its own claws into its chest. Rotten blood, oil, mucus, water, poison, and ink poured out in a torrent. All kinds of fluids gushed from its softened, mushy chest.
Shwaaaa.
They gathered into one mass, forming a giant lump. It was too crude to call a sword, but in the sense that it was a long pole gripped in its hand, it was indeed a sword. Before anyone could recognize or interfere, it had already been completed and seized in the vagrant’s grasp.
“Stab—”
The commander’s voice belatedly issued an order, but I cut it off sharply.
“BLOCK IT!!!”
It was too late to interfere or dodge. All I could do was shout loudly and pull as many people as possible into my arms to defend them.
Kwagagagak!
It was more like a water explosion. The moment the vagrant swung its arm, a tidal wave-like current swept over the surroundings. That attack had taken advantage of the split attention directed at me, but even if it hadn’t, would I have been able to stop it?
“Ugh…”
“It hurts…”
“What is this…”
“Grrk grrk…”
“Oh god…”
Everywhere except within the defensive range of my Thousand Arms was drenched in rotten blood. The only ones unharmed were the five I had protected. The rest were all submerged in the foul liquid.
“Snap out of it! They’re not dead!”
Since groans and breathing could be heard from those trapped inside, they were definitely still alive. But it was obvious that if left like this, their lives wouldn’t last much longer.
“They’re alive… I must crush them…”
Yet the creature had spotted the unharmed personnel and was once again raising its arm to swing.
If things continued this way, even if we were fine, the remaining people would be wiped out.
Shwaaak!
At that moment, an arrow flew in from far away—Diana’s shot.
“Grrrk.”
Arrows pierced the vagrant’s arm, shoulder, chest, and head. Mana in the shape of fish began gnawing away at its body.
“Get a grip and escort the injured!”
“Y-yes!”
Fortunately, they seemed to be fairly experienced. At my shout, they didn’t freeze but immediately scattered to gather up the fallen.
And as for the crucial vagrant—
“Grrrrk.”
It was creaking and groaning, apparently affected well by the special ability of the Silver Fish Bow. But it was only a single breath’s worth of leeway. Creatures that entered the final phase always possessed super regeneration.
At the same time, that single breath was more than enough.
Kururung. Left foot. The moment it touched the ground, thunder roared.
Kwarurung. Right foot. An even louder sound echoed.
Kugugung. Left foot again. A roar like the earth splitting burst out, yet the ground showed no change.
Thud. And the final right foot. This step made no sound at all. Instead, the pulled-back left arm shot forward like lightning.
This was the foundation and essence of Ure—Thunder Step.
Ure technique, Thunderclap.
“Instant Death Technique—Three Steps, Certain Kill.”
“It’s still alive. Be careful.”
“Confirmed!”
Seeing its arm twitch again, I struck it with my opposite arm.
Thud!
“Push it inward! I need support!”
The vagrant that flew away embedded itself in the middle of the garden. It was a shame it didn’t destroy the mansion itself, but this was good in its own way. The unnecessarily vast garden typical of a grand estate was the perfect place to go wild without worrying about collateral damage!
“Kyaaaak!”
“Shut up!”
Ure technique, Falling Thunder.
I slammed down on the vagrant’s head, which could no longer even speak like a human. Its entire body crumpled around the head, and the powerful impact sent dirt exploding outward.
“What the hell is this!”
“What should we do?!”
The two who had come after hearing the commotion arrived right then.
“Pin it to the ground!”
“Haaap!”
“Hup!”
At my shout, the two didn’t waste words. Each targeted one of the vagrant’s arms and attacked.
Secret technique—Heart Pierce derivative, Nailing.
Their spear and dagger sank into the vagrant’s palms as if melting through them, pinning the creature to the earth.
As expected, unique abilities are the best… ugh.
There was no time to rejoice. The characteristic regeneration of the final phase was already writhing again. Not only the areas I had beaten, but even the spots they had pinned were recovering at visible speed.
I can’t give it time.
“Get back far!”
Since it was pinned down, all that remained was to beat it to death.
Ure technique, Thunder Cloud.
Kwagwagwa—!
I swung both arms without pause. The ground flipped over, flesh burst apart, and lightning roared.
Creak. Creak.
Even so, it wasn’t enough. I could see flesh continuously regenerating from the torn and exploded parts.
In that case.
Ure technique, Piercing Heaven.
TOO-KWAANG!
The hand blade I shot out while twisting my waist—the technique known as Spear Hand—completely pierced through the creature’s head and fixed it in place.
“Oil!”
“I already poured it!”
The oil canister Nephure threw shattered above the vagrant, drenching its body. I then tossed a small bead pulled in through the Descent connection.
“Change: Fire.”
Whoosh!
“Graaaaah!!”
The small iron bead instantly transformed into pure flames and set the vagrant ablaze. As a variable given to me, who could use nothing but physical force, it once again did its job perfectly.
“Wow, what a disgusting bastard.”
Even so, the difference in weight class couldn’t be helped. Even while the flames—its greatest counter as an immortal—devoured its body, the creature stubbornly endured.
But its regeneration was clearly beginning to slow.
Pabababak!
Three arrows in each limb, twelve in the center of the torso, and eight in the head. A total of thirty-two arrows once again pinned its body down.
Gaaarduk.
At the same time, the special effect of the Silver Fish Bow activated. A full parade of paralysis-type status ailments unfolded.
“Is it done…?”
The regeneration that had already been cut in half by the flames now looked as if it had been halved once more by the paralysis. At this rate, I could kill it completely.
“Haa…”
I finally let out the breath I had been holding and stared at the vagrant burning like a bonfire. Nephure and Lierre, who had been keeping their distance, slowly crept closer.
“Is it over now?”
“What the hell is this thing?”
Since these were questions I could answer, I replied.
“Our dear culprit. If it dies like this, it should be over, right?”
“This guy has completely stopped being human…”
“Why would it do something like this?”
“Unfortunately, that’s something I can’t answer.”
When I shrugged, Nephure glanced around briefly before whispering softly.
“The more unfortunate thing is that nothing besides the garden got blown up, isn’t it?”
“That is indeed unfortunate.”
Because the situation had been so urgent, the ‘accidentally blow up the house by mistake’ plan couldn’t be carried out. It was an extremely regrettable situation, but this thing had been too dangerous to mess around with.
“Didn’t you just beat it from start to finish?”
“I did beat it from start to finish, which is why it ended like this.”
If it had been a normal enemy, it should have died in a single blow.
Tak tak.
The three of us slightly lowered our guard and casually stared at the burning flames. The vagrant showed no further signs of regenerating, and we had to do something before it died and exploded.
“W-what is going on here! You! Aren’t you that trash from the Helisbort family?! Explain yourself to me!”
“Haa…”
The trash trait—raising his voice the moment he thinks it’s safe.
“That pig actually came out. Looks like it really is over.”
Perhaps because the ground-shaking vibrations and sounds had disappeared, the pig came outside, shouting in his characteristically unpleasant voice. In one sense, it was proof that the situation had ended, so I was going to deal with him appropriately, but—
“Grrk, grrrrk.”
“Wow, it survived that?”
Even though its head had already been blown off, it seemed he had heard the sound. A gurgling noise came from the vagrant, which had already been reduced to a handful of ashes. Of course, unlike my admiration, it wasn’t a sign that it was trying to regenerate. It was the opposite.
The flames consumed its body at an even faster rate, and soon it met its death.
Bubbling.
Then the remaining lump of meat began to boil.
“Ha. So you were waiting for the right moment.”
It was a clear sign of self-destruction.
“W-what are you going to do?”
“Blow it up, obviously.”
It was actually for the best. Since it was going to explode anyway, better now than later.
“Move back a bit and lie down. It’s going to be intense.”
“Yes!”
“Just do it quietly.”
Urrung.
“Sorry, that’s impossible.”
First, I dug up the ground, including the spot where the vagrant was embedded. The earth, compacted by my punches, rose into the air while still maintaining its shape.
“Hup!”
Looking at the rising clump of dirt and the monster on top of it, I stepped on the ground, rotating my ankle, knee, waist, and shoulder in sequence, then drove my fist upward from my waist like a rising strike.
That was the motion of Reverse Heaven, like lightning surging from the earth.
Ure technique, Ascending Strike.
The perfect uppercut connected with the grotesque creature’s jaw and forcefully lifted it skyward.
KWAAAANG!
With a massive explosion, the clump of earth flew high into the distance.
It rose.
It rose.
It rose.
And then it burst.
Puuuung—!
Shwaaaaa.
A disgusting rain mixed with rotten blood and foul energy poured down, but—
“That takes care of it.”
At any rate, I had managed to end things before it turned into an even greater disaster.