Even so…
I found it suspicious.
Since then, it hasn't fired another beam.
Wouldn't that beam have enough power to pierce through walls?
It must know I'm lurking around here.
Yet it isn't shooting.
Is it… aiming for something?
"Hm?"
Splat! Splorch! Squelch!
Something like sludge fell a short distance away from my position.
Did the Soul Eater release it?
What is this?
"!"
The sludge begins to take shape.
A human form.
If I had to compare it, it's like an exquisitely crafted clay figure.
It feels as if I'm watching the creation process in fast-forward.
Three humanoid figures in bluish-purple rise up.
I'm used to seeing humanoid monsters in this ruin, but…
The part corresponding to the head gives off a strangely eerie feeling.
The head is shaped like a human mouth turned vertically—bizarre.
What the hell are these things…
They're creepy.
And amid the faint vibrations, I can tell the Soul Eater is slowly approaching.
It's moving toward me, albeit gradually.
"…! For now, I'll paralyze these creepy ones with [Paralyze]—"
Squelch.
"—What!?"
Something slithers out from the depths of the lip-like part.
It was a human head—pale and bloodless.
The expression looks like a crying face.
Or perhaps one of agony?
Or maybe a face crushed by despair…
"I see."
I finally understand.
This is, in a sense, a "recreation."
The essence of the Soul Eater is the same as those lizardmen.
It's showing me the death throes of the discarded ones.
The death faces of the discarded people it killed.
Their expressions right before death.
Probably part of the Soul Eater's collection.
Is it transcribing the forms of the souls it has captured?
I can't say for sure.
In any case, it's showing them—to me.
"Look? Take a good look at your pitiful companions' faces."
Give me a reaction.
Give it to me.
The Soul Eater's—entertainment.
Cold sweat runs down my skin.
My smile twitches slightly.
"You too, huh… Every damn monster in this place has such rotten tastes…"
Plop, plop, plop.
The transcribed zombies draw closer.
"…!"
They approach with wet, slapping steps.
The fact that their base expression is one of crying makes them even more unsettling.
Their faces look as if they're desperately begging for help.
"——————"
◇
I take one step back.
"Don't… fuck with me…"
These are different from the ones before.
Yes—different.
I have fought humanoid monsters up until now.
But,
"They weren't this… 'human'… These guys are almost completely in human form…!"
They have human shapes.
The emotions they stir are completely different.
Gogogogogogogogo…
Crack, snap, crunch—
DOGAGAGAGAGAGAAN!
The wall diagonally in front of my left hand collapses.
With the vibration, the gigantic stone face reveals itself.
Its body is roughly rectangular with rounded edges, perhaps.
The front part is a stony human face.
The rear part looks like a fusion of catfish-like flesh, stone, and earth.
Numerous tentacle-like fleshy appendages extend from its body.
Thick, meaty black tentacles.
They somewhat resemble sea anemones.
Their movements are like seaweed swaying at the bottom of the ocean.
They could even pass for the Soul Eater's hair.
The tips of the tentacles glow faintly yellow.
That must be it.
The beams probably came from those tentacle tips.
"!"
Red liquid like blood flows from its closed eyes.
Like bloody tears.
Gape.
The Soul Eater's mouth opens wide.
Red liquid begins spraying from its mouth in bursts.
And then,
"HYIIIIIII—AAAAAAAAGHIIIIIIIAAAAAAAAA—!"
A piercing roar mixed with filthy vomiting sounds.
It's like a silk-tearing scream distorted beyond recognition.
Already in the realm of horror.
An ear-splitting shriek.
The scream stops, and the Soul Eater closes its mouth.
Suuu.
Now its eyes slowly open.
Its mouth forms a smile.
Golden pupils.
Somehow, those eyes seem to be laughing.
"This thing—"
It's enjoying this situation.
Cornering me.
"..."
Even so, there are still no openings.
I can't find a single gap.
An astonishing lack of openings.
If I show even the slightest intent to use a status ailment skill here,
It will surely repeat what happened earlier.
This time, it might take a whole body part.
The viscous footsteps approach.
I turn toward the sound.
The transcribed zombies are closing in.
"And moreover… damn it all! Using the souls of dead humans like this…!"
The zombies drip bluish-purple liquid as they draw near.
I thrust my left arm toward the zombies.
"Guh…! Pa—"
I feel it watching me intently.
Sweat pours out in a rush.
My eyes widen.
I grit my teeth.
I resolve myself and open my mouth.
"[Para, lyze]!"
It wasn't blocked.
The three zombies' movements stop.
Paralysis, successful.
I glance at the Soul Eater.
It's watching from on high.
My arm wasn't pointed at it.
That's why it didn't intercept?
With ragged breaths, I firmly fix my gaze on the three zombies.
My voice trembles.
"N-Next—"
Their sorrowful human expressions.
Crying faces.
Faces begging for help.
"Poi—[Poi, zon—]… Aaaaaah, damn it!"
I look up at the ceiling.
"I can't… do it…!"
I grit my teeth with all my strength.
"Even if they're half-dead… against opponents in human form…! How could I use such a cruel poison skill on them…! Don't screw with me!"
Tears well up at the corners of my eyes.
The discarded ones who died in this hellish ruin.
In a sense,
"They're my comrades… aren't they…!"
I glare at the Soul Eater with every ounce of hatred I have.
"I—I'm not fallen that far! I'm not like you, who treats human souls like toys! That's why I can't use this poison skill on my 'comrades'! I won't! Monsters are one thing… but against opponents in human form… against guys who did nothing wrong… there's no way I could use this poison power on them! I—I—"
Splash.
Tears overflow uncontrollably.
"I'm… still… hu… man…!"
Niiiiii.
The Soul Eater bares its teeth and laughs.
Its eyes pull up sharply into a smile.
Splat,
Splash,
Splorch!
Squelch…
About twenty more sludges are added.
The new sludges immediately take human shapes.
Squelch.
Human heads emerge from the vertical lips.
Once again, expressions of despair line up.
The march of the dead begins.
As if trying to surround me.
Plop, plop, pat.
"D-Don't come closer…"
I cover my face with my right hand.
Staggering, I retreat.
"Stop… please…"
Even if it's just transcribing soul memories.
Even if those forms are mere imitations and copies.
The originals were comrades—fellow discarded people.
They come back to life.
The figures of the many discarded comrades I've encountered.
"We're comrades, aren't we…!?"
Please, let it reach them.
My heart.
One more miracle—…
My arm begins to tremble finely.
"Don't come…"
I'm being driven back.
To the wall.
Ahead of me is the line of the dead.
Behind the dead is—the Soul Eater.
The Soul Eater is also closing in.
Niiiiii!
The Soul Eater displays a radiant, full-faced smile.
A smile as brilliant as the sun.
Its teeth are unnaturally white.
Its gums are so raised that they're slightly exposed in its grin.
It's savoring my despair.
Chewing on it.
The expression of someone who has encountered the finest prey.
This thing is enjoying itself…
That was the moment.
A large number of pale, bluish-white spirit-like entities with human shapes and faces emerge only from the upper half of the Soul Eater's body, writhing and suffering.
Their eye sockets and mouths are pitch black.
Their mouths are wide open.
""HOOOOOOOOOOOOO—! OOOOOOOOOOOOO—!""
It was as if they were begging for release from the torment of their bonds.
A grand chorus of souls dyed in despair.
Is it showing this scene to the captured souls as well?
"That's too cruel—"
A chill runs down my spine.
My teeth won't stop chattering.
The worst of the worst…
This thing is a demon. The Soul Eater is a demon.
"Ugh!?"
I feel my back hit the wall.
There's nowhere left to run.
No will to run anymore…
My legs are frozen and won't move.
Terror binds my body to the ground.
Scary,
Scary,
Scary.
The dead draw near.
The Soul Eater closes in.
"S-Stop…"
I'm definitely going to die.
"Please stop… I beg you… stop… don't come… don't come don't come don't come don't come don't come don't come don't come don't come don't come aaaaaaaaagh—"
The Soul Eater's mouth opens even wider.
Its tentacles begin to dance wildly at double speed.
Nii, kaaaa!
With bloody tears streaming, the Soul Eater sparkles with its finest smile.
I can feel it—the Soul Eater's delight.
Its feelings.
"The best!"
◇
Yes, the best.
Right now is the best.
For the Soul Eater, this is the supreme moment.
The moment it has been waiting for—the ultimate instant.
And because of that,
A clear opening appears.
"—[Pa・ra・ly・ze]—"
Crack,
Snap,
Creak—
"Gi, ii…!?"
Through the gaps between the fingers covering my face, my eyes firmly lock onto the Soul Eater.
Ever since I thrust my arm forward to use [Paralyze] on the first three zombies, I have not lowered my left arm even once.
I recognize the target with my eyes.
My arm is pointed at the target.
Activation prerequisite two—cleared.
"…—gi, iii!? Gi!?"
The Soul Eater's expression changes completely.
Its movements stop.
"That's it."
I fix my gaze on the Soul Eater through the gaps in my fingers.
The fatal weakness that inevitably appears in an arrogant strong one the moment they corner their prey—
The moment they believe they are superior to their opponent.
The moment they are convinced victory is assured.
What arises is the great enemy—
Named carelessness.
And what accompanies it is a blank in consciousness.
I drove it right into that blank.
Status ailment skill Paralyze.
[Skill level has increased]
[LV2 → LV3]
The trembling has long since stopped.
The tears have long since vanished.
It was all fake acting.
"Giiii! Nugiiii! U, igiiiiiiiiii!?"
The Soul Eater desperately tries to move its body.
It grits its teeth, struggling.
But it can't move.
Its golden pupils are excessively bloodshot.
Thick veins like blood vessels bulge in the whites of its eyes.
The stone face glares at me with a grinding sound.
Hatred, humiliation, murderous intent…
Red liquid seeps from the flesh that resembles gums.
I glare back at the Soul Eater.
"I can even deceive and fool myself."
A moment ago, I was genuinely terrified.
Genuinely cornered.
Confronted with enemies in human form, I was fiercely conflicted.
I had completely immersed myself in the emotions of "the gentle Mimori Touka."
In short, I fully became him.
To deceive the Soul Eater, who sees through everything.
"You guys—love that kind of thing, don't you?"
The sadistic nature possessed by the lizardmen and the twin-headed leopards.
The desire to torment the weak.
Black desires.
Yes, they were waiting for it.
For a frightened appearance.
For a pathetic appearance.
I realized the Soul Eater was the same.
The moment it prioritized showing off its collection instead of finishing me off.
So I used it.
I let it become convinced of victory.
I granted its wish.
I gave it exactly what it wanted.
The pathetic appearance of a weak prey that an arrogant predator desires.
"Kakaka… How was it? Pretty convincing acting, right? Hey, Soul Eater boss?"
The status ailment skill worked on the Soul Eater too.
Perhaps because of the relief and joy from that,
My mouth twists further into a grin.
"Kuku, of course it did…"
I've become quite the master actor and con artist.
After being taken in by my aunt and uncle,
"For days, for months, for years—"
I tried to become harmless.
I tried to become normal.
I tried to become kind.
I raise my arm and show the Soul Eater the hand with the blood-seeping fingertip.
"Deceiving and fooling even myself—"
To the point where I eventually forgot my true self.
"I—"
I widen my eyes and begin to laugh with raw malice.
"—have been playing the role of the 'kind, ordinary background character Mimori Touka' this whole time."