The Paramere Search Operation (7)
The Paramere Search Operation (7)
The day was darkening. Pablo, who was leading the way, had also turned even paler.
"H-how about we go in here?"
I glanced up at the house he had chosen. Well, well. It was just an ordinary one-story house, but it had bars on the windows and was decent enough.
"You want us to spend the night here?"
"Y-you shut up! Why do you keep talking back when you're so young?!"
"...Do you have any idea what you're saying to a priest of the Church of Ra...?"
"I-I wasn't talking to you! Inquisitor Rosemary! It's just that this little bastard keeps—!"
I patted Rosemary on the back.
"It's fine. Don't worry about it. But you actually look out for me, huh? I thought you hated me?"
"I do hate you. But the Church of Ra being insulted is a different matter. Separate from my dislike of you, you are an inquisitor of the Church of Ra."
She scowled sharply.
"I'm only maintaining boundaries."
"You're such a tsundere."
"What?!"
"Lower your voice. They'll hear you."
Noah slipped in. His platinum-blond hair was very pretty. His puppy-like eyes quietly asked.
"Um, Brother. What's here that's making you act like that?"
"Who knows. Wouldn't it be better to see for yourself? It's hard to explain in words anyway."
"See for myself? Will it come to us?"
"Well... it'll work out somehow, won't it?"
Once I created an extreme situation for them, they'd all listen to me on their own. I followed Pablo into the house.
So he wants to hold out here. That's pretty funny. It's nothing but wood that'll break in no time.
On top of that, this guy doesn't know what's here. Let's see if he says the same thing once night falls.
"I-it'll be safe if we stay here! Definitely!"
"Ah. Yes."
I settled into a suitable spot. I took off my pack and sat down right there.
Rosemary watched me. She quietly sat down beside me and whispered.
"If something comes swarming in... wouldn't it be better to at least set up some kind of defense? At least do a little work on those tattered bars out front..."
"A situation where we have to break through rather than block is coming."
"What?"
"I'm saying fixing the bars won't do any good."
If anything, setting up a half-baked barricade would make things worse. It could get in the way.
There was a reason the safe zone was the second floor.
If you stayed on the first floor, your scent leaked out. No matter how well you sealed it, sometimes one of them would still wriggle its way up. But the second floor was different. If you sealed it completely, covered the windows with cloth, and then sprinkled powder that erased scent, they couldn't enter the second floor recklessly.
"Rosemary."
"...What?"
"If something lunges at you, tear off all its limbs first. That's the easiest way. Cutting off the arms and legs keeps them from moving much longer than cutting off the head."
"What? What in the world are you talking about?"
"Just saying."
Ah. They'll be getting up soon. I glanced at the sky. I kindled Sacred Flame in my hand.
I roughly tore wood from the house. I lit it and brightened the darkening interior.
"Brother Pablo."
"Wh-what?"
"Nothing."
I shrugged.
"I'm telling you to see the consequences of the words you spat out for yourself."
The quiet city slowly began to fill with noise. Grotesque cries. Something moving while defiling the walls.
The loudest sound was sniffing. The sound of violently sucking in air came from all directions. At a glance, it almost seemed like breathing. A sound as if some enormous creature was ceaselessly inhaling the stench of rot.
"Wh-what...?"
Holy Arts settled onto Pablo's hands. Ice as cold as moonlight. Still, he wasn't some half-rate nobody. If he could bring out Holy Arts that quickly, he was at least usable.
Ice was valuable. Fire was actually inconvenient here. These things kept moving even when set ablaze. Freezing their bodies to slow their movements was better.
If I could sweet-talk him into being useful, wouldn't that be better than throwing him away?
Squelch.
A strange sound suddenly rang out. The entrance of the house. Something clung near the bars. Rosemary narrowed her eyes.
"...A lump of flesh?"
Something that looked like a melted lump of flesh lightly shook the bars. The stench of rot was severe. It was more pungent than anything I had ever smelled before.
Grgrgrrk.
A strange sound. The sound of rotten flesh sticking to the floor. Something suddenly thrust its head out beyond the bars. A human shape.
But it was not human.
Because humans don't have six eyes.
"He...llo?"
"Wh-what! What are you?!"
"Hello? Hello? Hello? Hello? Hello? Hello? Hello? Hello? Hello? Hello? Hello? Hello? Hello?"
It repeated the same words. The body that emerged after the head had four arms attached. Rotten flesh dripped from the ends. Its three trampling legs reabsorbed the fallen flesh.
Six eyeballs rolled independently. The breathing pores covering its entire skin made violent sounds. A thin sound, like someone blowing a flute carelessly.
Drip.
The sound stopped. A mouth near its forehead opened.
"Hello?"
Immediately after.
The Rotten One - Ratten lunged.
"You crazy—!"
Rosemary spat out a curse. The axe she held at her back traced an arc. The neck flew off with a clean cut.
I clicked my tongue. I told her not to strike the neck.
It moves anyway. If you're going to do it, you have to break all the limbs.
Rosemary was grabbed. The monster's body split open with a rip and a grotesque mouth burst out.
"Sister!"
"Do not worry!"
The axe of Iskandar flashed. Brother Lucas Marcus, who had leaped out, scattered blue light from his axe.
A cleanly severed cross-section. The monster's limbs fell in an instant. Unlike its grotesque appearance, it was subdued quickly.
Rosemary panted. She peeled the filthy chunks of flesh off her body.
"Wh-what is that thing?! It's a monster I've never seen before!"
"That's not the end."
Squelching sounds came from all directions. I remained seated.
"They're coming."
The terror of the Rotten One - Ratten wasn't that its body kept moving no matter how much you cut it.
It was the absurdly large numbers.
"Hello?"
"Hello?"
"Hello?"
"Hello?"
"Hello?"
The beginning of the truth hidden in the city, and the words someone utters when they first meet someone else.
The Ratten swarmed in. The bars crumpled. The walls, unable to withstand the overwhelming mass, began to collapse.
Pablo screamed. His hand flashed.
"Aaaaaaaaaah!!!"
The Holy Arts of Lu. Beautiful ice shards traced arcs.
But well...
Compared to the enemy's numbers, it was absurdly insufficient.
Crash!
They struck, but were instead swallowed up. A few individuals slowed down, but it was only a fraction.
"I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
Pablo clutched his head. Trembling, he repeated apologies to no one in particular.
Rosemary's axe blazed. The 'Cliff-Burning Fire - Guillotine (A)' she had learned from me spewed rough flames.
BOOM!!
The Ratten that had swarmed in were caught in the explosion and scattered.
But there were so many. Absurdly many. Well, well... this reminds me of the inside of Vagueness.
"Rotten to the bone!"
"They're not tough! But this grotesqueness, what in the world...!"
Amid the echoing greetings, Lucas and Marcus rampaged. Their swinging axes completely crushed the bodies of the Ratten.
But there were so many. Absurdly many. I yawned. I remained seated.
"What in the world is this... a vague state that's neither dead... nor alive..."
Noah's face went deathly pale. The Sacred Power gathered in his hands descended upon the paladins through prayer.
The protective Holy Arts unique to the Goddess of Life Isis. The barrier enveloping their bodies repelled the limbs of the clinging Ratten. With a single flash of light, the Ratten lost their forms.
But the limbs clung to the remaining Ratten on their own. Infinite regeneration. Without caring that the limbs had once been parts of each other's bodies, they absorbed limbs indiscriminately like a colony and lunged again.
I quietly stood up. There was a smell of urine. The cause was the priest who was completely prostrate on the ground, begging desperately.
"Brother Pablo."
"Save me! Save me! Save me! Please! Please! Please! O Lu... O Lu... g-g-give me strength... please... just once... please..."
"You should lift your head and look."
The paladins were fighting desperately. Noah was ceaselessly pouring out Holy Arts.
I grabbed Pablo by the hair. I forced his head up.
"Aack!"
"Do you see? This happened because you said to stay here. Do you understand?"
"O Lu... O Lu..."
"Don't you think it's too late to look for a god? There's only one thing to say at a time like this."
"Wh-what is..."
I turned my back on the Ratten. I pointed at myself.
"Your savior, who's closer than Lu. Isn't he right here?"
"Ah... aahh..."
"Priest Pablo. I'll ask one last time."
I smiled broadly.
"Are you going to follow along quietly, or not?"
Pablo wept loudly.
"I'll follow! I'll follow! Please... please save me! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
"No more nonsense."
I let go of his hair. I lightly shook out my hand.
Rosemary screamed.
"What are you doing not helping right away?! Are you insane?!"
"Ah~ah! I didn't want to use this here!"
A thick axe emerged from my Pocket with a thunk. Against Ratten, completely destroying them was more effective than cutting them with a greatsword.
I grinned. Behold the Holy Arts I had mastered in just fifteen days!
The Holy Arts I had created by beating Rosemary every time she charged at me like she wanted to kill me!
Beatrice's spirit popped out.
【Don't forget it's thanks to me!】
Of course. I never forget a favor!
I gripped the axe. The flames that had begun clinging to its edge started to condense.
"If they find out I can do this... the others will tell me to become a Divine Judge!"
"What bullshit are you spouting! Fuck!"
"Watch closely! And don't tell anyone!"
The condensed flames grew. They covered the axe and formed a monstrous single-bladed axe.
Brother Lucas Marcus's eyes widened.
"You crazy—?!"
"Little Brother! How in the world do you have Shape Transformation at that age?!"
Noah was startled.
"Br-Brother?! How in the world do you do that?!"
"Well!"
[Even when the blade fell, no blood came out.]
[The demon's head blinked even after losing its body.]
[Using Crushing Guillotine - Guillotine (S).]
Rosemary's mouth fell open at the form of the Divine Artifact that had descended.
"Y-you trained exactly the same as me! Why is the result different?!"
"Hey. Rosemary."
I stepped in front of her. Before the countless Ratten, I let the single-bladed axe drop.
"Can you keep up?"
"Can I?! Fuck!"
BOOM!!
A blaze bright enough to mistake for daylight slammed into the horde of Ratten.
. . .
Day approached. In the complete darkness, the veiled sun that would at least serve as light rose.
"Ah... aah..."
Noah, the Apostle of Isis, collapsed onto the ground. His legs seemed to give out, and he sat there dazed.
"I... I'm alive, right?"
"We're alive. Little Brother."
"What a dreadful night."
Brother Lucas Marcus peeled the rotten flesh off their bodies. Once day came, the Ratten fled into the darkness of night with a sh-sh-sh sound. The leftover rotten flesh writhed, continuing to move to avoid the sun.
Rosemary, now a complete mess, frowned. She stomped on the moving rotten flesh.
"Can't we get rid of this?"
"Try burning it."
Whoosh.
The flames caught, but it didn't disappear. It just kept moving. Pablo, who had been trembling without doing anything, grinned.
"I-I survived... I survived... fuck... I survived... l-let me out... let me out..."
He was half out of his mind. Rosemary strode over.
Slap!
Pablo rolled across the ground.
"Wh-why?!"
"Snap out of it. My patience only goes so far, damn it. My junior does nothing and just sits there trembling for half a day?"
Rosemary's eyes rolled wildly.
"I would have torn him apart with my own hands. Be grateful you're from a different church. Priest Pablo."
"Ah... aah..."
I lowered my axe. I let out a sigh. My whole body was covered in the stench of rot. This is why I hate fighting here. Even after it's all over, the smell lingers everywhere.
"...What are you going to do?"
Rosemary asked. I glanced back. Brothers Lucas and Marcus bowed their heads as if in awe.
"We've seen it again! Elder Brother!"
"You truly were the face of Ra!"
Noah's eyes sparkled.
"I've never seen a paladin stronger than you in my life, Brother!"
"Aah... this is why I didn't want to use it..."
"Stop talking nonsense and tell us the plan. Monster."
I looked around at them. My eyes met Pablo's. He hesitated, then finally bowed his head deeply.
"I... was wrong. I'm sorry. Brother."
Still, he wasn't the absolute worst.
I spread out the map. I recited the route just as I had yesterday. I asked once more to confirm.
"Anyone have any complaints?"
There was no answer. Everyone was looking at me as if it were only natural.
As expected...
People only come to their senses after they've rolled around like dogs once!