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Chapter 99 Three small boxes
After crying for a while, I absentmindedly gazed at Gustav, who lost his head, twitching and convulsing. In the end, he didn't say anything about attacking my village. For him, the event that messed up my life was probably just a minor thing.
"... That's enough."
I couldn't stay like this forever. I should forget about that dead piece of garbage and accomplish my other goal.
This room seemed to be a storage facility for Gift Spheres. Maybe not all of the Gift Spheres were here, but there's a considerable number of them. I decided to take one that seemed compatible with [Boil].
"... Which one should I choose?"
There were labels in front of the cases containing the spheres. I can make an estimate of their abilities from there, but none of them really resonate with me.
"... What's this?"
Three small boxes were neatly arranged on a distinguished shelf, each with a different colored lion mark on the lid. From the right, the colors were as follows, yellow, blue, an empty space for one, and then red. According to the labels, the Gift names are [Earth Emperor], [Water God], and [Flame King].
"Water God... huh?"
If it would allow me to control water, it might be perfect for my [Boil], right? Despite being neatly stored on the shelf and in respectable boxes, they're probably just going to be used for some crappy experiments on artificial heroes. I took one without hesitation.
I grabbed the small box and stowed it away in the back of my backpack when suddenly,
"Shaa!"
The door slid open.
"There's an intruder!"
"...!"
Two church soldiers burst into the room. I quickly drew my sword, closed the distance, and swiftly cut them down.
"Uh-oh, they found me...!"
To avoid being seen, I quickly covered my face with a hood and veil. They were shouting for their comrades. So, from here on, I am against time.
"It's from this way; I heard the sound..."
"Look, it's her! She's already taken down two!"
As expected. From the other end of the corridor, a horde of guards and squishy masses of flesh emerged.
"There's no choice but to break through..."
Even though I was in a miserable state, I had no other option. I had to kill them all, breakthrough, and escape to the surface.
△▽△
The three heads of Cerberus were cut off by the golems clinging to their giant bodies. After an aerial battle with Garuda, the heat ray fired from the mouth of the magical dragon golem Gargoyle pierced through its heart.
Then,
"Uoryaaaahhh!"
My Buster Gauntlet boosted with my Renki, landed a successful uppercut on the jaw of the Chimera.
The impact caused the head to be torn off and sent it flying. My body, propelled too high, was caught by Gargoyle.
"You saved me, Gargoyle."
Even though I said that I was the one who gave the orders to the Gargoyle. Gargoyle was a formidable magical creature for me, so we managed to deal with everything. If it weren't for the [Mech], I might have died. Despite its complicated history, this power was now firmly supporting me.
"All right, next is to join up with Kyrie!"
First, I need to break through this massive wall. Can I do it?
-Zuuuun!!
As I pondered the wall, I heard an incredibly loud noise behind me. When I turned around, there was a large dragon with two legs, and wings on its back. It seemed to have descended from the ceiling.
No way, I'm really exhausted right now.
"Gaaaahhh...!"
"Darn, no choice but to do this...!"
There's a door in the corner, but Kyrie has the magic key. Without an escape route in sight, I prepared my gauntlets, ready for whatever came.
-Shubbaa!
There was a sharp sound of cutting through the air, and the dragon's head shifted to the side. It fell off, and the body collapsed upside down. Is it dead?
Suddenly? Why? My mind was filled with questions, but they were quickly answered.
"Hey, little miss. You seem to be in one piece."
Balge, was that his name? He jumped in and cut off the dragon's head. It was so fast that I couldn't see it with my own eyes.
"I owe you one; you're truly a leader."
"And you've adopted that nickname too, huh?"
"Kirye kept calling you that, so, you know. And hey, don't call me little!!"
It turned out that the side I was on was the combat arena of the Monster Research Floor. Balge didn't even know it was connected to the Artificial Hero Research area. So, this person who had come to the Monster Research Floor ended up saving me.
"You got separated from Kirye; that's unfortunate."
"Unfortunate is an understatement. We didn't plan on getting separated, and I have no idea how to meet up with her."
Thanks to Balge's magic key, I safely escaped the combat arena. Now I'm hiding in the duct, following this person from behind.
"Meeting up with me might be a silver lining in your misfortune."
"Seems like it."
The duct didn't just connect rooms; it also provided airflow through the corridors. So, I could get a sense of what was happening outside. It looked pretty chaotic—security guards running around with grotesque meat monsters, and there was a loud explosion a little while ago.
"Toka, what are your plans now?"
"I'm worried about Kirye, so I want to find her somehow. Can I count on your help?"
Leaving a younger girl in enemy territory and going back would make it awkward to face Beato and Mel-chan.
"Well, my business here isn't finished yet, so fine, I'll lend you a hand."
○○○
My body felt heavy. In the end, I was all battered again. While evading the pursuit of the guards and meat monsters, I created a pile of corpses. Now, I somehow reached the staircase near the entrance.
(Toka, I hope you're safe. Leader, what are you up to...? Ah, my vision is getting blurry...)
My legs were wobbly, and the crimson swordbreaker hanging from my waist felt unusually heavy. I approached the wall's plate, held the magic key against it, and then slid open the hidden door, and I ascended to the chapel. Finally, my limits had caught up with me.
-Thud...
I collapse without even supporting my own body. The vibration of the hidden door closing and the coldness of the floor transmit through my cheek.
No good. If I lose consciousness here, it's over. If my pursuers find me, it's the end. I need to stand up, walk, and return to Beato.
However, no matter how much I tried to pull myself together, my drained stamina was beyond help.
(...It's hopeless. I can't move a single finger...)
My vision blurred, becoming hazy. In my fading consciousness, someone approaches.
"If... you... okay..."
(Bea... to...?)
Even though there was no reason for her to be here, Beato was peering at my face. Have I finally started hallucinating, or is this place inside a dream? While contemplating such things, I let go of my consciousness.
***
Where I am right now?
Slowly descending into a dark, dark abyss. The light was gradually getting farther away. Why? Because something is pulling me.
What? Hands. Many hands covered in blood, rotten, and with protruding bones. Those I had killed before, the corpses infested with maggots, were dragging me into a pool of blood.
"Aaahhhhhhhhhh!!!"
Screaming, I jolted up from the bed. Sweat was pouring down my body, and my tears were streaming involuntarily. Oh, right, Beato wasn't here, and that's why I had such a nightmare.
"Haah, haah..."
The morning sun was streaming through the window. It seemed I slept until morning. Speaking of which, where was this place? First of all, the bed I slept on was surprisingly soft.
It's the worst waking up without Beato. The room looked more like a chamber in a castle than a mansion. The walls had a calming wallpaper, a wooden wardrobe, an indiscernible painting on the wall, and a small table with a vase by the window. It seemed to be someone's room, but...
-Knock, knock.
The sound of knocking interrupted my thoughts.
"May I come in?"
A girl's voice came from beyond the door. Perhaps it's her room.
"Uh, please come in..."
"Thank you very much."
As the door opened, the moment I saw the girl who entered, I almost blurted out, "Bea..."
Because she had long silver hair, blue eyes, and every feature, height, and age just like Beato. However, it couldn't be Beato. There's something different in her aura, and above all,
"You seemed to be having quite a bad dream. How are you feeling now?"
She spoke normally.
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