In the vast body of the gigantic centipede, where no light could penetrate…
Initially, it felt like entering a long tunnel due to its immense size.
“Ugh…”
However, as flames erupted from its body and illuminated the surroundings, a wave of nausea surged, forcing me to retch.
Contrary to its black, mineral-like exterior, the inside of the centipede was covered in a fleshy, crimson substance akin to that of a mammal.
The pulsating walls and the squishy, slimy sensation beneath my feet made me acutely aware that I was inside a colossal creature.
Perhaps because of that, an instinctive disgust and the desire to escape surged within me, but I shook my head and quickly brushed it aside.
Why had I ventured so deep?
Was it not because I had something to accomplish?
Furthermore, considering the comrades outside who were buying me time, I couldn’t afford to waste a single moment.
So, I forced down the bile that had risen to my throat and moved deeper into the centipede’s body.
[What a fearless girl to come this far.]
Of course, the owner of this body wouldn’t simply allow me to intrude recklessly.
From who knows where, a swarm of lustful puppet dolls—servants of the Witch of Lust—blocked my path.
I spoke toward the puppets’ mouths, which uttered the indistinct murmurings of the Witch of Lust.
“I might be a bit fearless. Unlike someone who, out of fear, only thinks of retreating and doesn’t even consider fighting.”
At those words, the expressions of the puppets twisted in unison.
It seems the remark struck deep for someone who had been fleeing into the depths of the centipede from the moment I entered.
[You damned wench, I’ll never let you go!]
Perhaps that’s why the puppets shouted in outrage before charging at me with anger.
“Who would say such things?”
It was simply hilarious.
Compared to the enemies I had fought up until now, the puppets controlled by the Witch of Lust were far too weak.
Flames erupted from my body.
The puppets that had lunged at me disintegrated into ashes in an instant.
[Ugh…]
Such puppets couldn’t even bind my feet.
Realizing this, I could see the expression of fear that the Witch of Lust felt reflected on the puppets’ faces.
“…Ha.”
I couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh at the fact that the Witch of Lust was feeling fear.
It was absurd.
The fact that someone capable of feeling fear could commit such deeds against others.
So, I silently murmured my anger.
“Go on, try to run with all your might.”
Yes, then you will die in fear.
You, who kill the people of the city, rob them of their loved ones, and toy with their hearts, deserve to die haunted by terror.
With that emotion in mind, I declared toward the Witch of Lust beyond the puppets.
“No matter where you run to, I will find you and definitely kill you.”
With that proclamation, I began charging forward, burning the puppets in my path.
No matter where those countless puppets had been hiding, they continued to emerge endlessly, yet they could not halt my advance for even a moment.
Only the screams of the burning puppets remained.
The places my steps touched transformed into a hell of flames where human-like figures screamed in agony.
And as that hell expanded, as the distance between me and the Witch of Lust closed, I could feel the fear in the puppets’ faces intensifying.
Yet, no shred of sympathy emerged within my heart.
Jessie, who had lost her brother.
Florene and the people of the Dolos House.
And countless others who suffered because of the Witch of Lust.
All I felt was a cold rush of revenge and fury.
If you understand the fear of hell closing in, you shouldn’t have acted that way.
If you didn’t want to be thrown into hell, you shouldn’t have done such things in the first place.
Murmuring that to myself, I set the Witch of Lust ablaze, burning and burning again.
How long had I been burning?
Now that I had taken care of so many puppets, there were no more enemies blocking my path.
I was almost close to the fleeing Witch of Lust, just a little further, and I would finally see that damned face.
“…Ah.”
It was then I stumbled upon a sight I wished I hadn’t seen.
Where had the Witch of Lust sourced so many puppets, and how had she gathered them?
“It’s truly, this damn…”
It was a factory.
A place where countless puppets, resembling pregnant women, mechanically produced new dolls, as if items were rolling off an assembly line.
Newly born puppets were being raised mechanically with unloved hands.
The birth of new life should be a sacred and dignified event.
Yet, here it was, a horrific desecration of humanity created by the sheer greed of one being, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.
Such a place should not exist…
As I was about to burn the factory, the puppets inside ran towards me in an attempt to stop me, shouting.
“Don’t…! Don’t touch the baby…!”
“Ahh…! Our baby, our baby.”
Despite the puppets pleading not to touch the baby, I didn’t stop.
Having experienced it before, I knew those words were merely to instill guilt in me.
If they truly cared for the baby, there was no way a pregnant woman would come charging in, nor would they toss the baby to the ground to stop me.
So, I gritted my teeth and burned the puppets rushing at me.
Yet, I couldn’t escape the bad feeling that washed over me.
If only they had been more of a threat, perhaps it would have felt less grim. The pregnant puppets were heavy, and the puppets that were not fully grown were weak.
But I could not leave the ones that showed hostility simply as they were.
“Damn it… Damn it…”
I couldn’t help but curse as I burned the factory and the puppets.
As I continued to incinerate the factory,
– Kiiiii!!!
With a massive scream, the ground trembled like an earthquake before settling down once more.
The centipede writhed in pain as I set fire inside its body.
It wasn’t the first time it trembled, but this time, unlike before, it brought forth a troubling problem.
“AAAHHHHH!”
“Hoooolaaaaaaahhh!”
The recent tremors caused the babies nestled in the fleshy cradle at the corner to fall out, bursting into tears.
When asked why I didn’t burn those babies while I had already set fire to the other puppets, it was simply because those babies, who had just been born, hadn’t attacked me.
…Also, I couldn’t bring myself to burn those defenseless babies.
But regardless, I couldn’t afford to waste time, so I intended to ignore the fallen babies and head straight towards the location of the Witch of Lust.
“Ugh… Aaaah!”
The babies cried out as if their breath would leave them.
I couldn’t ignore the sound of their wailing.
“…Hah.”
I hesitated in my steps towards the Witch of Lust and instead approached the spot where the babies lay.
Fortunately, since the ground was composed of the squishy flesh, the babies hadn’t sustained any serious injuries from falling.
“Hwaaaaah!”
“WAAAAAAH!”
As I drew near, the babies cried out even louder.
Probably due to the heat emanating from the flames surrounding me.
I had kept flames around me since entering the centipede to guard against unexpected threats, but I extinguished the flames to comfort the babies before picking them up.
“Aww?”
“There, there, it’s okay now, hush.”
While they had been crying out loudly, leveraging my past experience volunteering at an orphanage, I gently cradled and rocked them to hush their cries.
“Kyaaa! Awoo!”
Seeing the babies erupt in laughter while I cradled them not only warmed my heart but also made me smile.
Right, even if they were being controlled, what fault did these newborns have for not being able to harm others?
They had simply been born into such a place.
What unfortunate little ones they were.
Feeling sympathy for the happy, smiling babies, I thought I would like to take them with me when I left.
Though they might not be human, I believed Sylvia could find a solution.
Even if they were born to be puppets, I wanted them to live as people.
“So stay put for a bit. I’ll take care of everything and be back soon.”
I murmured this as I carefully laid the babies back in the cradles.
Not wanting to fall, they reached out their little hands towards me, whining softly.
I gently patted their heads, laughing softly.
As they responded to my actions with bright smiles…
Then, with a pop, they exploded.
“…Ah.”
Though I called it an explosion, it was not to the degree that I would sustain any harm.
Just remnants of what had once been those giggling babies smeared everywhere.
“…Ugh, haah.”
I clenched and unclenched my hands, smeared in the blood and flesh of babies, taking deep breaths.
“AAAAAAARGH!!!!”
I screamed, filled with resentment and anger.
I will kill you, I will definitely kill you!
How far do you toy with the human heart!
Rage boiled over within me.
My body felt like it would explode with that rising fury.
Hot, burning hot, burning hot!
Oh? Why is my body so hot?
[Aha! How foolish! Letting your guard down due to pity! Are you really that big of a fool?]
Then, I heard mocking laughter.
[No matter how much you wield powers that are a match against mine, isn’t it too naive of you to underestimate my abilities? You really think I stepped into this confrontation unprepared?]
Something felt off.
My body was hot, it was unbearable, but at the same time…
I felt… good.
The voice spoke to me while I writhed in pleasure.
Who was it?
I had heard that voice before, hadn’t I?
[This inner nest is entirely my territory! The air you breathe, even the blood of that wretched child you’re drenched in, is all soaked with my power! Even if you had kept flames surrounding you, now that it has seeped into your body, you cannot resist my powers!]
I tried to think, but nothing came to mind.
I didn’t know.
It felt as if my brain was filled with pleasure from the heat.
My rationality melted away.
It liquefied.
Turning into goo.
Gummy, sticky.
The voice, whose was it?
I needed to recall.
No!
It feels too good.
It feels too good.
It feels too good.
“What are you doing, kneel.”
And it was then that I finally came to recognize who it was when I saw the figure before me.
“Y-yes… M-my lord…”
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