Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: Warmth
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It was as if a monster from mythology had been brought to life.
A colossal body with fifty dragon heads.
It was reminiscent of a hydra.
The monster, created from a vast amount of blood, possessed an immense aura.
Perhaps even renowned Fixers would be aghast in its presence.
The aura emanating from the monster alone crushed the entire space with tremendous pressure.
It was belligerent and violent, blasting intense cold from its mouths, and annoyingly, its heads regenerated instantly when severed.
Isaac had created quite an astonishing creature.
Though he never struck me as having the brains to create something like this.
In a world already on edge, if something like that were unleashed, it could have become a catastrophe for the city.
But this catastrophe had met the wrong opponent.
“Grrrroooar...! Grrrrowl...!”
Of the many heads that had once boasted such might, only five remained.
Its beautiful, clear, aquatic body was scorched black in places.
Completely battered, it staggered on the floor.
Still, the fighting spirit in its eyes had not died.
I glanced at my left shoulder.
I lightly brushed off the frost that had settled there.
“Graaaaaah!!”
At that moment, one of the heads opened its maw wide and lunged at me.
I had looked away from the monster, but I hadn't shut off my senses.
I swung the sword in my right hand lightly.
A wave of blue sword energy cleanly sliced off the attacking head.
The neck, having lost its head in an instant, lost its strength and collapsed to the floor.
Normally, the head should have regenerated immediately.
But dark blue flames erupted from the severed stump, preventing its regeneration.
No matter how it struggled or blasted cold from its other mouths, the flames wouldn't go out.
The flames grew stronger, mocking its struggles.
I swung my sword once more.
*Swish!*
A clean diagonal line was drawn across another neck, and the head fell along the cut.
That leaves three.
*Isaac's magical energy outside feels weaker. It's time to end this.*
I extended my left arm toward the monster.
I opened my palm.
Black flames surged up from beneath the creature.
Starting from its lower body, the flames grew larger, engulfing it entirely.
The flames burned only the monster.
“Grrrrooooaaaar!!!”
The monster thrashed, trying to escape the black flames that consumed it.
But its actions were futile as it flailed within the fire. The monster's screams were drowned out by the sound of the burning flames.
As I slowly raised my hand, the monster's body floated into the air.
When I clenched my fist, the black flames engulfing the monster began to shrink, soon becoming a black sphere.
The black sphere blazed like a sun.
But it radiated not intense heat, but a chilling cold.
As if an eclipse had occurred, darkness fell over the entire laboratory.
*May your next life be a happy one, in a much better place than this.*
I swung my sword vertically at the black sphere.
A long line was drawn through space in the direction of my swing, and the black sphere split in two.
The black sphere disintegrated into ash and dust, scattering into the air.
Light returned to the darkened laboratory.
*Beep—!*
*Beep—!*
*Beep—!*
As the monster vanished, an all-clear alarm sounded, and a mechanical voice announced the situation was resolved.
The barrier surrounding the lab deactivated. The sealed passageway opened again.
I looked around.
This is a problem.
I had tried to control my power during the fight to avoid leaving any traces of the Grim Reaper's magic.
But my efforts were in vain; the spacious lab was a complete wreck from the battle.
All the machinery was smashed, the floor was cracked, and the walls were scarred with sword marks.
Hmm...
What excuse should I make?
Right. I've decided.
I'll just feign ignorance. I know nothing about this.
—*Thank you.*
—*We're grateful.*
—*Thanks.*
Just then, faint voices reached my ears.
I bowed my head slightly in response to their gratitude. And once again, I made a wish.
That these souls, sacrificed for one man's greed, would live much better lives in their next incarnation.
That they would start over in a world far better than this one.
Now, I should probably start acting like a kidnapped girl.
But there's something I have to do first.
I lifted my head toward the passageway.
My eyes narrowed.
It would have been better if it had ended there.
But to foolishly walk into your own grave.
No. Perhaps it is because he is foolish that he comes this way.
As the Grim Reaper, I will grant him death.
It's time for him to pay the price for what he has done.
***
"Cough, cough... Cough!"
He vomited a mouthful of blood.
Pained coughs echoed down the long corridor.
Isaac leaned against the wall, limping slowly forward.
The emergency return device he had kept on him for just such a contingency had activated.
"Cough! Cough, cough...!"
But he was far from unharmed.
The effects of the treatment kit must have worn off, because his body was a complete wreck.
His face was covered in blood.
His entire body was a mess of wounds.
His usual handsome appearance was nowhere to be seen.
His injuries were so severe that one could hardly imagine it was Isaac.
"Where... where did it all go wrong? Everything was supposed to be perfect..."
A headache accompanied by dizziness prevented him from thinking clearly.
Yet he didn't stop thinking.
He tried to understand why he was in this state, why his plan had crumbled, to comprehend all the misfortune that had befallen him, but no matter how hard he thought, it made no sense.
The reason for his inevitable failure was remarkably simple.
The knowledge of the original story and the protagonist's absolute power.
He had believed in these two things.
He never doubted that he could control the world as he pleased, and he firmly believed his actions would invariably lead to a good ending.
Just as the protagonist in any story overcomes trials and adversity.
He believed he, too, was heading toward a happy ending.
This was all the result of his optimistic mindset that everything would work out, his arrogance, and his foolish actions.
Of course, Isaac remained oblivious to this simple fact, even now.
Instead, he was busy looking for external causes for his problems.
—*Murderer.*
"No! I'm not a murderer!!"
—*You just want to win the game. You just want to win and get your reward.*
"No, no, that's not it! I'm doing this to save the world... to protect everyone. Why can't anyone understand my intentions..."
—*You're no hero.*
"I... I am the protagonist of this game... the main...!! Cough, cough...!!"
Isaac's eyes swirled with deep anger and resentment.
"It's not... it's not... over yet... Cough!"
Isaac planned to reach the end of the corridor and unleash his masterpiece upon the world.
He intended to use his masterpiece to eliminate everyone who interfered with his story and get it back on his desired track.
It didn't matter if the masterpiece couldn't be controlled.
It would be better for a world that couldn't recognize his noble cause to be destroyed anyway.
"All of you...! Yes, you're all the problem... It's the world that's strange for not understanding my will... Hah... heheh..."
Staggering out of the corridor, Isaac arrived at the lab and froze.
He couldn't believe what he was seeing.
The laboratory was in shambles.
And standing alone within it...
...was the white-haired girl who should have been dead, Lily.
"How...? Why are you alive...?"
Isaac's gaze fell upon the massive, shattered glass tube behind Lily.
The immense aura that should have been there was gone.
How? Why?
Sensing something was wrong, his eyes quickly took in the scene.
As his brain processed the information, he noticed the dark blue sword in Lily's right hand.
No way!!
"How..."
Isaac couldn't finish his sentence.
For a fleeting moment, the phantom of a skeletal knight in black armor appeared behind the girl before vanishing.
Isaac's eyes widened.
A faint smile touched his lips.
He knew the identity of the skeletal knight.
And from that, the girl's identity naturally followed.
Isaac clutched his forehead with one hand, dumbfounded by the absurd truth.
His shoulders trembled as he burst into laughter.
"Heh... Hahahaha...! So that was it. That was it!!"
Isaac shouted, staring directly at Lily.
"You! You were the Grim Reaper!!"
No one would have ever imagined it.
That the Grim Reaper, the stuff of the city's urban legends, was such a beautiful, small girl.
Regaining his composure, Isaac stretched both arms toward the Grim Reaper.
"Grim Reaper! Join me! With your power and my knowledge, we can save this world!!"
Isaac might have gone mad.
To escape the cruel reality, even for a moment, he clung to an impossible fantasy and spouted nonsense.
In response to his insane words, Lily remained silent.
Isaac flinched when he saw the Grim Reaper's face.
On a face that was usually as dry and emotionless as a desert, an emotion had appeared.
Her eyes had become incredibly fierce.
The small girl's blue eyes were filled with rage.
Understanding her meaning, Isaac threw his head back and laughed like a madman.
"Heheh... Hahahahahahaha...!"
The crazed laughter echoing through the lab ceased.
Isaac's eyes glinted wildly at the Grim Reaper, his mouth stretching into a wide grin.
"Grim Reaper!! Prepare yourself!!!"
Using his remaining magic, Isaac solidified the blood flowing from his right arm into a scythe.
A weapon quite fitting for confronting the Grim Reaper.
Gripping the red scythe, he charged toward the Grim Reaper with long, quick strides.
As the madman closed the distance, Lily stood perfectly still.
The corners of Isaac's mouth lifted even higher.
He thought.
The reason he had ended up like this. The reason he had failed—it was all the Grim Reaper's fault.
Therefore, to kill the Grim Reaper, he poured all of his emotions into his attack.
And so.
The moment the Grim Reaper and the madman crossed paths, a gentle breeze swept through.
*Step, step.*
Isaac walked past the Grim Reaper, one step, then another. Then, a diagonal line appeared on his body, and blood spurted out.
Letting out a final scream, Isaac fell forward.
Flames erupted from the wound, instantly engulfing his body.
The unharmed Grim Reaper let her sword dissipate into the air and walked away, leaving his death behind without a second thought.
What had made him this way?
Was he like this from the beginning?
Or did this city make him this way?
Or was he corrupted, drunk on his near-omniscient knowledge and power?
Perhaps it was all three.
And so, the man who deluded himself into thinking he was the protagonist met an end befitting his evil deeds. At the hands of the Grim Reaper, his body was consumed by hellfire, and even his soul was utterly annihilated.
***
After dealing with Isaac, I found a suitable spot and lay down.
Then I closed my eyes, waiting for them to arrive quickly.
In the darkness, I heard the sound of urgent footsteps.
And then.
“Lily!”
At Red's shout, I slowly opened my eyes, as if just waking up.
I sat up.
My eyes met Red's.
This next part is important.
I had prepared several excuses for the disaster that had occurred here.
All I had to do was put on the right expression and deceive her.
But in that moment, she rushed over and wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug.
My eyes widened.
I was so taken aback by the action that my arms flailed awkwardly.
“It's okay now. I came to save you. You don't have to be scared anymore.”
Hearing those words, my flustered arms stopped as if by magic.
Come to think of it, I don't think anyone has ever come to save me like this before.
And being held like this is a rare experience.
I was held at the zoo before, but this was much warmer.
My chest felt ticklish.
Normally, I would have pushed her away with both hands, unused to this feeling, but right now, in this moment...
Wanting to bury myself in this warmth just a little longer, I hugged her back tightly with both arms.
It's so warm...