EP.179 Rampage (4)
The voice that woke my consciousness, momentarily lost in the whirlwind of light, was as clear as an alarm clock.
“Oh my, are you awake?”
“Where am I…?”
Struggling to lift the eyelids that felt glued to my retinas, I briefly surveyed my surroundings.
An old, shabby stone building, where signs of life were almost impossible to find.
In the midst of it stood a beautiful woman, looking over here with an enchanting gaze that seemed utterly mismatched for this dilapidated stage.
“Just swung a sword twice, and you fainted like a damsel? Truly, you people are so soft and weak. I thought I was going to lose my patience waiting here.”
“You…!”
She had the face of the Hero but was definitely someone else.
Every time she frivolously spoke, sullying the Hero’s body, a surge of anger bubbling up as if my insides were being scraped out with sandpaper.
Not only had she taken over the Hero’s body, but she was also intent on slaughtering innocent civilians with those very hands.
Having seen many a villain, feeling this level of revulsion from someone who spoke human language was truly a first.
“Do you really think anyone’s going to be scared of that fierce stare of yours!? If you think I’m the same as before, you’re sorely mistaken! Threatening me in that ridiculous appearance? It’s not that scary at all!”
For just a moment, when our eyes met, she took a startled step back before suddenly threatening me.
It was at that moment I realized, my body was completely bound and rolling helplessly on the floor.
Rope. No, something resembling human hair, tightly wrapped and binding me in layers.
It was too much for my awkward strength to unravel.
“What happened to the others…?”
“Hmm~”
As I threw the question, a sense of composure returned to her panicked face.
I could faintly remember her swinging the Holy Sword right before I lost consciousness, and the scene where the Saintess blocked it was still etched in my mind.
However, everything that happened afterward was shrouded in darkness.
“Rest easy. Amazingly enough, there wasn’t a single casualty. I merely aimed to get rid of those bothersome people, but each time, my vessel resisted fiercely, resulting in only dozens of injuries.”
“……”
Hearing that everyone present, including the Saintess, was safe brought a deep sense of relief to my heart, but I didn’t show it.
I had no means of determining whether her statement was true or false, nor did I want to give her even a sliver of opportunity to exploit any gaps.
“Hehe. Now, look.”
“……!”
In the middle of her speech, she suddenly raised her hand.
That snowy white hand began to move in a peculiar manner, like a tangled puppet.
“It seems something in my body is unconsciously resisting the act of killing. Well, that’s just a matter of time, isn’t it?”
With that, she let go of her hand.
From that moment on, distinct forms of conviction began to take shape in my mind, which had been filled with vague confusion.
Although the physical control might have shifted to that unknown author, it was clear that the Hero’s consciousness remained intact within.
That alien-like reaction, seemingly unable to synchronize body and mind, was the most certain evidence.
Therefore, what I now had to wrestle with was how to restore the Hero’s consciousness back to its original state.
“You were just wondering how I could bring you back to your senses, weren’t you?”
“─!?”
But my hopeful wish was mercilessly pierced through by her biting remark.
THWACK!
A heavy sword strike struck in my peripheral, and the sudden blast of sound and ringing dulled my previously smooth thought process.
“How foolish. Just how can you be so stupid? You people…”
Propping her chin on the hilt of the sword lodged in the ground, she looked down upon me with a haughty smile.
“You’d do well to stop your foolish thoughts. No matter how powerful you may be, separating me from this vessel is almost impossible.”
“What…!?”
I briefly glimpsed her expression beyond the angle of the blade.
Her face, devoid of any anxiety, seemed far too confident to be spouting lies.
One thing was clear: she certainly had something she believed in.
“If it were just borrowing a bit of power from the Saintess, you would only need to absorb the Holy Power. But I have placed my very existence into this vessel through the Holy Sword. Such a trivial method won’t work on me.”
Usually, I wouldn’t have wanted to pay the slightest bit of attention to what someone using the Hero’s mouth said, but now I needed to gather information to separate her from the Hero.
Feigning a modest shock, I allowed her to yap on for a while.
To my surprise, that approach worked astonishingly well.
She continued to say that she had devoted herself to the Hero’s body through the Holy Sword.
Then, if I could just detach the Holy Sword from her, is it possible to return the Hero to his original state?
“Oh my. You figured that out so quickly. I thought your intelligence was that of a monkey, but it seems it’s more like that of an ape. I expected a bit more hinting, but heh.”
“─!”
In that instant, a mocking laughter that resonated directly in my mind temporarily chilled my thoughts.
She read my inner feelings effortlessly, as if flipping through a diary, keeping them from even slipping out of my expression.
I couldn’t easily calm the turmoil of confusion that had been swirling inside me.
“Yes, that’s right. If you could just detach the Holy Sword from me, the vessel’s ego would regain control. Of course, only if that can indeed happen. Hehe.”
The sinister laughter mocking the foolish one’s misbehavior constantly pressed down on my head.
Detach the Holy Sword from her.
Saying it was simple, but if that opponent was the Hero, renowned as the strongest of humanity, and especially with the Holy Sword, said to be the greatest weapon of humanity in hand, the odds of success were utterly despairing.
Like asking a mouse to place a bell on a flying dragon’s neck.
I could guess why she openly revealed her weakness to me.
“Go ahead, try it if you can.”
That smug expression, looking down upon me like a mere insect, seemed ready to utter those very words at any moment.
“Finally, our levels match. You people.”
A wave of impulse surged through me, wanting to hurl a barrage of curses at her, as she arrogantly trampled my back, but knowing I couldn’t act that way in front of the Hero, I suppressed it forcefully.
“Now it’s time for your punishment. You haven’t forgotten that humiliating act you’ve committed against me, have you?”
“……”
“Hehe. I’m so curious how long you can maintain that cool facade. Though I can’t kill you right away due to the body’s rejection response, soon, you’ll be begging me to put you out of your misery.”
“……”
The caress of her hand brushing my cheek held no warmth, unlike the gentle sunshine of the morning.
The clarity I had barely regained was fading into darkness again.
Despair and dismay pressed down on my thoughts.
The fear that the Hero might disappear from this world forever pulled my mind deeper into an unending abyss.
“Shall we start with a hug? Or should we kiss first? Hahaha! Crying will do you no good! No matter how much you beg, my harsh torment will continue… Wait, what did I just say…?”
“……!”
Suddenly, my consciousness perked up.
That frivolous declaration, which had loosened the tightly wound strings of tension, jolted my awareness back into focus.
“What did you just say…?”
“Shut up! I just misspoke! Yes! First, I’ll seal that sinful mouth of yours with my lips… No, that’s not it! I want to bury my nose in that wicked behind… No, that’s not it—!!!”
The usually composed her suddenly clutched her head and started twisting her body in confusion.
“W-What is this! If one carries the sacred name of the Hero, shouldn’t they have a mindset worthy of it!? How can you constantly think about getting intimate with a man you admire—!? Like some lustful beast!”
At that moment, I was certain.
The Hero was still inside there.
And then it dawned on me.
The secret plan to drive away that brazen author who had taken over the Hero’s body.
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