Chapter 29 – The End of Hunger
“A beautiful boy with bright blue hair. You are the rumored Theodore, right?”
“I don’t know what kind of rumors you’ve heard, but I’m pretty sure I’m the only boy with blue hair.”
A girl with purple braided hair that reached her shoulders looked at me with interest.
I’ve never seen a girl like her before. She’s very pretty. She’s also my favorite. Just as I was thinking that, Liz said.
“Could it be, Toto?”
“Hmm? Oh, isn’t Liz-san? That’s right, it’s Toto, hallo. Oh, I haven’t introduced myself to you yet, Theodore. My name is Toto. It’s nice to meet you!”
“Yeah, nice to meet you. So, what the hell do you want from me? I thought you and I had never met.”
When I asked this, Toto, a girl who seemed to be an acquaintance of Liz’s, giggled.
The moment she casually reached into her pocket, she pulled out something and threw it at me with tremendous speed.
It flew in a straight line at high speed, and I stopped it by pinching it between two fingers.
It was a sharp knife.
It was aimed right between my eyes.
I don’t know if a normal person’s strength would be fatal because of the skull, but the knife released by this girl was undoubtedly fast enough to pierce the human head deeply.
–I see no poison has been applied.
With that thought in mind, I threw the knife away with my returning hand.
The girl who calls herself Toto catches it easily. I threw it with the intention of killing her.
Toto received the knife and opened her mouth, looking pleased.
“The other day, at a bar, a group of Imperial troops were talking about a beautiful blue-haired boy who was extremely strong. I’ve been wondering what kind of guy he is. …… You’re pretty good, aren’t you?
“Huh. Does that mean you’re interested in strong people? Or are you more interested in people with blue hair? Anyway, what a nice way of greetings to the person you meet for the first time.”
“I’m sorry! My blood was boiling and my hand slipped! Personally, I don’t care much for blue hair. I think it’s beautiful, but nothing more. Well, blue-haired people are all natural-born prophets of God, so there aren’t many of them.”
She gives me a sticky, licking look. I guess she’s really hungry for a strong man.
From behind this girl’s cute appearance, I can sense an unconcealed killing intent.
It’s similar but different from the madness I felt from Charlotte before.
This girl, Toto, doesn’t seem to be able to hold onto her killing intent. Unlike the general’s daughter, who is ruled by madness, she is fully capable of keeping her strong killing intent.
There is a sense that she’s getting used to it.
She gave the impression she would just cut off the head as pass by even if she has never met the person before. She would kill people as if she was breathing.
If I had been a mere human and had been killed by her knife, she would have killed the witness, Liz, next.
I wonder how many people she has put under that blade in her life.
An interesting, but dangerous opponent.
If there was no one else here, it would be better to get rid of her as soon as possible.
As Toto and I stared at each other in silence, a battle suddenly erupted.
Liz, who hadn’t been able to keep up with the fighting, asked me fearfully, as if she had finally regained her composure.
“Oh, ……, hello. You’re not trying to start a fight here, are you?”
“I’d like to check out Theodore’s strength right now. It’s also fun to cut open his stomach and see what he’s like inside.”
“If you’re willing to do it, then I’ll deal with you seriously. Well, unlike you, I’m not going to kill you, more fun torturing enemy girls who become helpless.”
“Eeeeeh, eeeeh, hey let’s calm down first, you two.”
Without listening to Liz’s restraint, Toto said with a smile that showed her canine teeth.
“Theodore, you have a cute face, but you’re quite the devil. It’s a little different from Toto, but I think it’s similar. He doesn’t seem to have the kind of personality that would be accepted by the gods.”
“Same as you. I can feel the divine energy from the sword you have strapped to your waist. If you weren’t a prophet, you wouldn’t be able to use it.”
When I pointed this out to her, Toto looked a little surprised.
“Huh? So you know. This is exactly divine sword Mea Viper. No matter how hard the thing is, it would be destroyed once I slash it! That’s what it’s like. It’s only because Toto is loved by the god that she can handle this kind of thing. Even if I say that, no one will believe me, though…”
“I believe it, because wielding a divine sword is impossible except for those who are loved by God.”
At that moment, she felt her beloved sword tremble.
“Oh? Oh? Are you serious? You have quite the eye for detail, as expected of someone with blue hair.”
“But … I don’t think that god is a good god who brings grace to others.”
“Not a good God, you say? He’s everything to Toto! I love him and adore him, continuing on my pilgrimage–I’m having so much fun every day! I think from the bottom of my heart that being alive is a grace!”
The girl who talks so innocently is probably living up to her words.
Although I’m a part of the gods, I’m only a demon god(majin), so I don’t really understand the belief in gods that humans and other races have.
But I remembered that there were others who had said and done things that could be described as fanatical. I felt that the person who had been making Final Droplet for the goddess and the girl in front of me had strangely similar ideas.
She doesn’t seem to be having a mental breakdown like Ghislain, though.
“This town of Granden is good, isn’t it? It’s not boring to just listen to the stories of the great heroes and other strong people. But unfortunately, it’s about time for us to leave this city.”
“Us? Is there someone else traveling with you?”
“That’s right. It’s a guy named Hain. Have you seen a man who looks like a prowler, all in black, thin and tall?”
I couldn’t remember seeing such a person in my memory, so I just shook my head and Toto let out an exaggerated sigh.
“Oh, damn it. I wonder where that idiot is. I told him it was time to go, but no matter how hard I searched, I couldn’t find him. Could it be that he has gone out of Granden? ……”
The girl who was talking about her partner, who seemed to be very free-spirited, seemed to be more dumbfounded than concerned.
The divine sword in its scabbard, strapped to the girl’s waist, trembled as she spoke carefree.
“Well, I’m sure that idiot will show up sooner or later, so it doesn’t really matter. That’s why I’ve been looking for Theodore-kun for the past few days.”
“I see. But this town isn’t very big, so if you do anything conspicuous, you’ll probably be found and put in jail immediately.”
“Hmm. You don’t have to be so cautious, you know. It’s true that I was curious and looking for you, but I’m not thinking that I want to kill you at any cost. For now, though…”
“What were you going to do if I had died when you greeted me earlier?”
“I thought there was no way you were such a small fish, so it’s okay. If I really wanted to kill you, I would have done something bolder.”
Toto smirked and sneered.
It was as if she told that she could kill me at any time when the time was right.
“I was able to feel the strength of the rumored Theodore, so I’m satisfied. And now, I’m wondering about the culprit of the attack on the temple that’s been getting a lot of attention lately. Do you know what kind of guy he is?”
I looked at Liz.
Unlike me, who has gotten a fair amount of information from General Duras and Clarice.
I don’t think Liz knows much about it. At best, she’s heard rumors about it.
As expected, Liz gives up her shoulders.
“I’ve been wondering about that, too. How much do you know about it, Toto?”
“Hmm. I went to guard the temple a few times, but all I know is that he’s a very tough guy. I was thinking of finding him and beating him up before I leave this place at least, and then taking his head to the military to get a reward. ……”
That’s a little odd.
This fighter – or perhaps murderer. It’s curious that a girl who likes that kind of thing has to go somewhere without being able to touch the perfect prey in front of her.
“Do you really have it in you to leave someone who seems so strong behind?”
“Hmm, yes. I’ve had a revelation from our God. The next battlefield is far away. That’s why I can’t stay here too long. Just a few more days, I guess.”
Toto stroked the handle head of the mare viper.
The trembling thing bounced a little louder and then quieted down.
“Toto, are you aware that four temples have already been attacked?”
“Yes, yes, yes. One of them seemed to have attacked right after we were removed from guard, so it was a real shame. If we had stayed a little longer, we might have been able to see the culprit and kill him.”
Liz, who had been listening, quickly hid behind me and stared fearfully at the purple-haired girl who was shorter than her.
“It’s okay, Liz. She’s not dangerous.”
“You were just attacked, weren’t you? If it’s another person, you really would have died, you know……?”
“It’s just a greeting, that’s all. What do you have to be afraid of?”
“I think you have a point, Liz. Theodore is quite crazy, isn’t he?”
“I don’t mind anything as long as it keeps me occupied. I don’t care when or where you come at me next, just make sure it’s when no one else is around. Otherwise, I won’t be able to play with you.”
“…bad, bad, bad… What’s with these two people?”
Liz grabbed me by both shoulders, shaking and squirming.
I have been attacked many times by surprise, assassination, and other unexpected things. Especially since I became the current Lucifer, I’ve been attacked many times by those who were repulsed by me. Of course, all of them ended in failure.
Compared to that, this was nothing. But from a normal kid. If they see it, will they think it’s out of the ordinary?
“Theodore, you’re a special student of Mildiana, aren’t you? What brings you here?”
“It’s supposed to be like a little study abroad program, I’ll be back after a month or so.”
“Oh, I see. Then it seems to be no problem.”
When I didn’t understand the meaning of the words, Toto continued.
“Actually, you know. Toto is thinking like this. There’s no need to look for the culprit of the temple attack anymore.”
“Why is that?”
“It’s easy. He’s the one who did all this. The culprit will definitely come to attack this temple of Granden.”
The tone of her voice was convincing.
I decided to say what I had always wondered.
“…… Do you really think so? We’ve had four temples attacked.
The fifth temple may also be in danger. But there is that great hero in this city. Naturally, the temple’s security is incredibly tight. No matter how powerful the culprit is, I don’t think they can do anything about it.”
“It’s true that the Great Hero is strong, he’s a monster. But no matter how strong he is, he only has one body. I’m telling you.
Do you know what that means?”
You mean they’re not going to attack the temple head-on?
Or could it be a diversion or something that would force General Duras to go out and attack the temple in the meantime?
“Oh, um, can I say something?”
“Please?”
I said, and Liz opened her mouth, hiding behind my back, as if she was having trouble saying it.
“There are two more temples, right? Why don’t Theo and Toto care about that at all? It’s as if the other one is already supposed to be attacked.”
It’s obvious.
“Uh, I feel so sorry for that…”
“How can you say such easily..?”
“If they want to save their life, they can run away anytime. It’s dangerous no matter what anyone thinks. Although I guess it’s human nature that can’t be separated easily.”
With a dumbfounded Liz at my back, I began to wonder how the culprit would get past this high alert.
Maybe I’ll see something quite interesting.
As I was thinking about this, Toto suddenly said while rubbing hee stomach.
“I’ve seen the rumored Theodore, and I’m starving. So I think it’s time for Toto to have dinner, would you two like to join me?”
“Oh, I’m a little ……!”
“You’re got Liz scared, you know. I’m sorry, but maybe some other time.”
“Oh, I didn’t mean to do that. Well, if that’s the case, I guess I can’t help it.”
Toto muttered to herself that she was not very disappointed and turned on her heel. Ahs then turned her head and said.
“If I catch the culprit safely, I’ll probably eat Theodore next.”
“I’ll always be here.”
“Kukuku. Theodore is a really interesting guy, and I really want to kill him once, so please don’t die before then.”
Toto walked away, laughing hysterically.
–Well, well, well, there’s a hell of a monster out there.
I saw General Duras, Clarice, Charlotte, and other talented people.
The girl who called herself Toto gave me a different vibe.
It’s really interesting. If the other side wanted to, they could just go ahead and kill each other.
“Has she left?”
Liz seems to have closed her eyelids tightly with my back as a shield.
“It’s okay, she’s out of sight. Besides, didn’t you and that girl know each other?”
When I asked her that, Liz told me how it happened.
When Liz accompanying Shaula who was enthusiastic about buying a gift for Roka, that’s where she seemed to have met the girl, Toto. At the time, she thought she was just a pretty girl.
“If I’d met such an interesting girl, I’d have liked to go out with you guys.”
“I think Theo’s sensibilities are out of whack. Really. Really. You were about to be killed. Why do you look so calm? Normally–”
“A normal human being might be scared.”
When I chuckled and replied, Liz jerked back and stayed there.
I turned my head and fell silent.
I guess it was understandable that she would react this way, even though she was always so unafraid of things.
…… However, I thought I saw something else just a moment ago that was similar to Liz being scared like this.
What was it? When I thought about it for a while, I muttered inwardly, “Oh….”
The sword that the girl named Toto was carrying. I think it was called the Mare Viper.
That sword, also known as the divine sword, was trembling “as if it was afraid of something,” just like Liz, who was frightened right in front of her.
Was it because it saw through me and was afraid of me–?
☆
Outside the fortified city of Granden.
Four temples had already been destroyed, and in the depths of the last remaining temple, a tall, lean, black man was struggling.
The soldiers on guard looked at each other as if they didn’t understand what was going on.
“…… It’s been three days already.”
“Hmm. It’s a wonder how you can survive without water, let alone food. ……”
The man would never accept any food or water offered to him.
However, the man’s symptoms were clearly nothing more than the symptoms of extreme hunger.
The nun patiently offered food and water to the man many times, but he rejected them all.
Still, she did not give up and still stood in front of the suffering man with a glass of water in her hand.
“Why do you refuse to eat so much? If you continue like this, you will really be …… dead, won’t you?”
The man didn’t answer.
With drool dripping from his mouth and his bloodshot eyes gazing around him, he had a feeling that he was in the middle of something.
He clutched at the sheets of the bed where he lay in the agony of hunger, ready to tear them.
“Hey, stop it already. This man is…”
“You can’t say it that way ……! This person also has the blessing of Orphelia. The fact that he’s still breathing is proof of that. It is not yet time to die.”
The military man looked at the nun’s demonic appearance and could not speak a second word.
The nun immediately turned to the suffering man and brought water to his mouth. But her hand was brushed away. She almost dropped the cup and broke it.
How many times has this been done?
“Why don’t you just take it ……If you eat properly, you should be able to recover that hunger and suffering quickly.”
“Hunger …… and eternal, suffering. That’s …… what some people live for.”
The man spoke for the first time.
But it was not a pleasant experience, and the nun was very confused by what it meant.
The man, who had been struggling to breathe again, opened his tightly shut eyelids and slithered up from his position.
“Oh, do you feel like drinking water?”
He does not respond to the nun’s words.
But the man seemed to be listening to something with a single mind, as if he were listening to the twittering of birds in the forest.
Then his mouth opened.
“Is the fact that …… your voice reaches this place …… proof that you are a god?”
The unintelligible words continue.
“Here is a sacrifice worthy of the fertility god. Not for you, but for all of nature’s abundance… Come, Ledo Mescure……!”
Immediately after the man in black shouted in a strangled voice, the man’s big sword stored in another place vibrated and flew at a tremendous speed. With a roar, it crashed through the walls of the temple room, entering the room and falling into the man’s hands.
It was a scene that would have left anyone dumbfounded. However, the man said as if he didn’t care about that.
“Time is full. There is an ideal paradise at the end of an unfulfilled hunger. Eat as much as you want, no one left behind.”
The jet-black greatsword in the man’s hand instantly distorted its shape and split into several layers like tentacles.
The nun, who had been fuming in front of the deformed sword, tried to scream, but her mouth fell open.
The moment she opened her mouth, a tentacle pierced her mouth. In an instant, the nun’s body was dead, and “suck up” the spouted blood and flesh and guts.
“Aaaah….!!
“Don’t, don’t be afraid!! Take the sword–!”
The soldiers who were slow to move suffered the same fate.
Without even being given the time to blink, he died, and the flesh and blood were shed by the black tentacles of a different form.
The soldiers who heard the sound and rushed to the scene had no time to prepare their weapons.
Instead, the black tentacles moved erratically and rushed forward, piercing the floor and ceiling. They quickly devoured the people in their path, covering the entire temple and eating away at the temple staff and soldiers inside. The one-sided carnage filled the temple, leaving not even a final scream.
The man clutched the hilt of the large sword, which had turned into a deformed form, while being pierced in all directions.
He continued walking through the temple, which was beginning to collapse, and eventually reached the far end of the temple. There was only a huge crystal floating in the water. There was nothing else there.
If you notice, the expression of anguish had disappeared from the man’s face, and he had returned to a peaceful look.
The great sword, no longer a giant black tentacle monster, became like a raging storm, devouring the remains of humans and destroying the temple itself.
The man mutters as debris begins to fall from above his head.
“Don’t worry. You have been sacrificed to the fertility god. Your deaths will not be in vain. A paradise will surely be created in the ideal that human pursues.”
Realizing that he was the only one breathing in the temple, he looked at the faintly shining crystal in front of him.
However, he turned on his heels in a huff, as if he wasn’t really interested in that.
The greatsword that turned into a tentacle in my hand became a black storm that shattered the crystal into tiny pieces.
The man left the crumbling temple as it was destroyed to dust.
A brief moment of peace stabilizes the man’s spirit.
No hunger, no dryness, no pain. A man in black, with a peaceful state of mind -Hain looked up at the night sky.
“There’s only one Tribute left.”
The large sword, which had become deformed, had somehow returned to its original form.
Even though it should have been exposed to blood and flesh by instantly eating and killing nearly 100 humans packed in the temple, there is not even a drop of blood left on the blade.
However, the blade of the sword radiated the horrifying resentment and hatred of the victims.
“Wretched ghosts–no need to grieve. There will be more of you soon. Go now, there are many of your people waiting for you.”
At the same time as that muttering, a huge number of grudge spirits overflowed from the black great sword and flew towards the fortress city of Granden while shouting vindictively.
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