Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Before the Grim Reaper
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Just as it is before the Grim Reaper.
The square, crowded with people, was incredibly noisy.
Normally, they would be participants in Adam's game, but Red's chilling warning had them frozen in place.
Wait. Stay still.
No one felt the urge to defy those words.
But their freedom of thought hadn't been suppressed, and as they waited, different opinions began to surface here and there.
Is it really okay to just stand here?
Shouldn't we escape while we have the chance?
Many couldn't even let go of their lingering attachment to the game's prize money.
An astronomical sum they could never earn in a lifetime. With that money, they could do anything, be anyone, and perhaps live a life of happiness.
For those living at the bottom of the barrel in the Outer District, it was an incredibly alluring, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Give that up?
No!
They wanted it, even if it meant trampling over others.
Those dissatisfied with not being able to play the game began to subtly express their discontent, trying to incite the crowd to start the game now.
But every time they did.
"Ouch!"
"Ah! It's hot!"
"Ugh, my back... it's burning. What's happening all of a sudden..."
The masked, silver-haired girl had secretly spread fine particles of mana throughout the square, giving a sharp sting to anyone harboring wrongful thoughts.
She was preventing any incidents from breaking out.
Of course, a child's playful rap on the knuckles couldn't completely erase human greed.
A tense atmosphere hung over the square, as if disaster could strike at any moment.
Amidst the palpable tension, the situation changed abruptly.
"What!? What is that!!"
"A m-monster!! It just appeared out of thin air!"
"Aaaaargh! What the hell is going on!?"
Four massive beasts had suddenly materialized in the square.
Each beast was hideous, like something straight out of a terrible nightmare, and the eerie, chilling aura they emanated...
...dominated the entire square.
Some people began to show signs of panic attacks, nearly plunging the square into a cauldron of chaos.
But instead, the extreme fear froze everyone in place, and nothing happened.
They simply trembled like prey before a predator.
"We're going to die. We're going to die."
"Dammit. Why did I have to come to a place like this..."
"Ugh... ugh..."
Even with hell before them, there are always some who refuse to yield to fear.
The Fixers, hidden amongst the crowd, holding their breath.
They sensed something was off about the monsters, which were taking no action.
They surmised that something was wrong with the beasts and thought this might be their chance to eliminate them.
After exchanging thoughts and opinions.
Several of the more competent Fixers stepped forward to face the monsters.
The moment the brave Fixers charged, the stationary monsters moved.
And so, battles were about to erupt at each location.
First.
The monster standing to the north was named [Death].
It was a formless being wearing a tattered hood.
Its appearance resembled a grim reaper, and just as humans cannot comprehend death, its face was filled with pitch-black darkness.
[Death] held a large scythe to reap life and sow death.
The one confronting this monster was a large, chubby, thuggish-looking man.
"Zehahahaha! Before my fists, even a ghost-like bastard like you is finished."
A large gauntlet was fitted onto the man's right hand.
The material embedded in the gauntlet had the power to annihilate anything, no matter how sturdy, with few exceptions.
The man charged, and several Fixers followed at his back.
The moment the man activated the device and threw a punch at [Death].
*Swish—*
[Death] swung its scythe in a wide arc.
The man and the Fixers struck by the scythe instantly shriveled up like mummies, then became skeletons, their bones turning to dust that scattered in the air.
The people who witnessed this sight turned pale, swallowing the screams that almost escaped their lips.
"..."
The monster to the south was named [Abyss].
It looked like a giant sphere covered in pure white wings.
Though it looked ordinary, the eerie energy emanating from the sphere was anything but.
The one facing this monster was a cheerful man with a well-trained body.
"Don't know what it is, but if I burn it enough, it'll disappear."
The man's body was composed of various mechanical parts.
Thanks to this, he could produce powerful, intensely hot flames from his body without a flamethrower.
The man took the lead, with several Fixers following behind him.
The moment the man wreathed his arms in flames and prepared to unleash them with a punch.
The many wings covering the sphere spread open.
At the center of the sphere was an eye, and the closed lid opened.
As they say, when you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.
The man of flames and the Fixers who looked into the eye of [Abyss] were instantly overcome with an indescribable, extreme terror that consumed their minds.
The human psyche was far too fragile to withstand the abyss.
The Fixers who had stood against [Abyss].
Blood trickled from their eyes, noses, ears, and mouths, and then their bodies swelled like balloons and burst.
The ordinary people screamed at the horrifying sight or vomited on the ground.
"S-s-s-someone... exploded."
"Blech!"
The monster to the east was named [Gluttony].
It looked like a deep-sea fish from the ocean's depths.
Smooth skin, a plump torso, and four fat legs.
Above all, its grotesquely hideous appearance induced revulsion.
A werewolf stepped forward to face [Gluttony].
A giant fork and knife were strapped to the werewolf's back.
"Awoooo~ A fish like you is just prey to me."
The werewolf stared intently with the gaze of a predator aiming for the head, then kicked off the ground.
Inspired by its bravery, other Fixers followed.
The werewolf let out another piercing howl and, raising the fork and knife from its back, was about to strike.
[Gluttony]'s mouth gaped wide open.
Countless arms shot out from within, instantly snatching those who dared to attack it.
The hands clutching their prey retracted back into the mouth, and [Gluttony]'s jaw snapped shut.
People covered their mouths with both hands and looked away.
"It can't be..."
"No way. I heard that werewolf Fixer was pretty skilled. To be taken down so easily?"
The monster to the west was named [Despair].
[Despair], sitting leisurely on a massive throne made of skulls.
Was a giant skeleton adorned with many sparkling jewels.
"Ahaha, you may look scary, but you're nothing special!"
"How do you like that, our power!"
"If they're all like this one, we might be able to take down the rest easily."
The Fixers who charged [Despair] swung their weapons with triumphant smiles.
The crowd watched those Fixers with looks of utter bewilderment.
[Despair] cackled, letting out a wicked laugh.
A moment later.
"Huh...?"
The lone remaining Fixer looked around, sensing something was wrong.
The other Fixers, dead and bleeding on the ground.
[Despair], looking down at him.
Realizing the situation, the lone Fixer's face turned paler by the second.
He hadn't defeated [Despair], but his own allies.
As if rewarding an amusing play, [Despair] annihilated the remaining Fixer with a simple gesture.
[Despair] cackled.
At the sound of its cruel laughter, the people covered their ears and squeezed their eyes shut.
"Ugh, it's so scary. Help me."
"We're all going to die."
"Sob, I want to go home."
Having dealt with all the challenging Fixers, the monsters became quiet again.
These four monsters were indeed the powerful chess pieces Adam had boasted about to Red.
Seeing their overwhelming power and the Fixers who fell so easily before it.
The people sank into deep despair.
Money, everything, none of it mattered anymore.
They just wished someone would get rid of those monsters.
A moment later.
When the stationary monsters all began to move strangely in unison, the people were terrified.
*Ah, this is the end.*
The moment everyone thought this, a deep darkness fell over the entire square.
In the darkness, the monsters raised their heads and looked toward the same spot.
A tiny black sphere was floating near the ceiling.
The presence of that black sphere had sucked away all the color and sound in the square.
The monsters looked at the black sphere.
No, they stared at the small, masked, white-haired child standing beside the black sphere.
The moment the monsters saw the small child, they realized.
They could feel hell in the tremendous energy flowing through that small child's body.
Their instincts screamed at them to run, but as mere chess pieces, the monsters could not escape without Adam's command.
They were to wait until given another order. However, they were permitted to kill anyone who tried to escape the square or attack them.
The four monsters moved in unison.
[Death] arrived first, swinging its great scythe at the Grim Reaper to deliver death.
But the scythe was stopped by a single, small, raised index finger.
With a light gesture from the Grim Reaper, black flames erupted on [Death]'s body, instantly engulfing it whole.
As if displeased by a mere imitation acting like the real thing in front of the genuine article.
In the flames of hell, [Death] met its own death and was completely annihilated.
[Abyss], ascending next, spread its wings wide and flew toward the Grim Reaper.
But its feathers melted away like waxen wings challenging the sun.
The eyes of [Abyss], which had opened wide to show its abyss.
Were completely blinded by the radiance emanating from the Grim Reaper.
It plummeted back to the ground and disintegrated into dust that scattered in the air.
[Gluttony] opened its mouth wide, as if to devour hell itself.
Countless arms shot out from within, their hands about to seize the Grim Reaper.
A dark blue sword, thrown by the Grim Reaper, shot forward, grinding the arms to pieces before entering [Gluttony]'s throat.
At that moment, [Gluttony]'s massive body shriveled inward, growing smaller and smaller.
Everything that constituted [Gluttony] was absorbed by the dark blue sword within it, completely devoured.
*Kekeke.*
The moment the wicked laughter was heard, black threads bound the Grim Reaper's body.
The Grim Reaper turned its head slightly toward [Despair].
The sword, which had been hovering in the air after absorbing [Gluttony].
Flew swiftly and grazed past [Despair].
A long vertical line was drawn across the cackling [Despair]'s body, and with its laughter, it split in two and vanished.
The four monsters that had confronted the Grim Reaper had all met their end.
The time it took for them to die.
Was a mere twelve seconds.
The black sphere vanished, and the darkness covering the square lifted.
"Huh? What in the world just happened?"
"The monsters? Where did all those monsters from a moment ago go?"
"More importantly, was it always this chilly in here? I feel like it's gotten colder."
Unable to comprehend what had just transpired.
The people were bewildered.
They just shivered from the sudden chill, feeling a slight sense of relief.
The people realized that while this place was incredibly dangerous, staying put was actually the safest course of action.
One and all, they set aside their greed for money and remained quiet.
"...What on earth happened?"
*'Who knows.'*
To Lena's question, filled with doubt, Lily feigned ignorance with a shrug of her shoulders.
***
"What the hell happened? Why have all my chess pieces disappeared!?"
The blacked-out screen turned back on, showing the square again.
Adam was bewildered to see that the monsters he had sent were gone from the screen.
"..."
As Red watched the screen, an inexplicable sadness filled her eyes.
She closed her eyes once, then opened them again.
And turned her head toward Adam.
"The game is over."
"Ugh, this can't be happening. Why... Just why..."
Adam, who had been stomping his feet on the floor, stopped as if he'd realized something.
And muttered quietly.
"Could it be?! No, if that's the case, I can understand why the Cult of the Grim Reaper made that request."
"The Cult of the Grim Reaper?"
At those words she couldn't ignore, Red's eyebrow twitched.
"Don't tell me this has something to do with the Cult of the Grim Reaper."
"Ha, a dead man walking doesn't need to know."
"You're going to have to tell me everything you know."
"Ahaha, don't act like you've won just because the game is over. I may have been surprised by the unexpected, but nothing is finished yet."
A wide grin spread across Adam's face as he threw his arms open.
Red also grinned, revealing her sharp teeth.
"My power is one that can rule over people, cities, and even the world! Before my power, your flimsy sense of justice will be torn to shreds!!"
"Is that so? I look forward to it."