Light (2)
'He's probably watching right now.'
A magic tool hidden in a secluded crevice.
I looked at the angle finished with transparent light and gave a brief smile.
I hope it at least feels out of place.
"Hehe."
A low chuckle escapes my lips.
He must think he has everything in the basement under control.
But from the moment I set foot in this place…
It's already game over.
I'll make him regret it.
If he had just stayed hidden like he was dead after running away, he wouldn't have to see me again.
I let you go back then because I was still inexperienced…
'But since you've reappeared… I don't plan on being lenient this time.'
I calmly walk forward.
All I see is a long corridor, the only light coming from the torches faintly illuminating the darkness.
It's so vast that I can't even see the ceiling.
Did they cast an expansion spell here too?
Maybe it's because they're always on the run, but they sure know how to maximize the efficiency of a limited space.
I continue walking for a while.
Soon, the corridor ends, and a giant door blocks my path.
"Excuse me for a moment."
I gently place my palm on the surface.
Leaving the girls who had stopped at the end of the corridor behind, I infuse pure mana into the surface.
And then…
Creeeaaak-!
The closed iron door opens.
Even though I didn't use much force…
I smile faintly and say,
"Shall we enter?"
"Ah… Y-Yes! Young Master!"
"…How do you even know about this kind of thing?"
"Hehe."
Emilia stares at me with suspicion.
Since I couldn't explain that it was a strategy I learned from the game, I just tried to gloss over it.
"It's a secret."
"…"
Maybe it was because of my usual suspiciousness…
But it seemed like it only amplified her doubts. However, I didn't have time to explain myself.
This was the beginning of the main episode.
Thud, thud-.
Our footsteps echo softly.
At the end of the long corridor, we find rows of rusted bars.
It reminds me of the underground prison where I rescued Irene.
Of course, the scale is much smaller than back then…
But even this place could easily hold thirty people.
We slowly look around.
"To think there's such a wide space at the end of the corridor… This place is getting creepier by the second."
"W-What could this place have been built for…?"
"Oh dear."
Of course, the scene here doesn't end with just the bars.
Next to the gloomy prison…
There's a bed placed there for some unknown purpose.
Sheets stained with brown spots, chains seemingly used for restraint, and sharp blades scattered on the floor.
For someone in the know, it's all too obvious.
'An abandoned laboratory.'
This place was used as a laboratory a long time ago.
A group of fanatics obsessed with cruel experiments.
They artificially combined various creatures, continuing their chimera research, and in the end, they succeeded in creating something.
Something far beyond common sense.
[EP5. Midterm Exam]
- Abandoned Laboratory, the Monster That Cannot Smile -
[They dared to cross the realm of God.]
[They mocked the stars by borrowing life, and praised their wicked god by bathing in blood.]
[The fanatics chanted in one voice.]
[""All is for Him, the source of all things, our Lord.""]
That's all the explanation the game gave.
Afterward, the laboratory was shut down.
Only a minimal number of personnel were left to manage it.
Exactly what happened… Well, a little imagination is all you need.
Anyway, this is the scene before us.
"…W-What is this…"
"…"
"Didn't I tell you? Whatever you see, don't be too surprised."
It may be covered in dust from being left unattended for so long…
But that doesn't mean the evil that had flowed through here is completely erased.
The girls fall silent.
Bloodstains imprinted on the floor.
Bones piled up in a corner, and leftover surgical scraps.
The pungent smell of rotten flesh stings our nostrils.
""…""
The two of them just stand there, frozen.
Anger, bewilderment, sadness… It wasn't those emotions that froze the girls in place.
It was simply…
The intense shock that washed over them.
For children who haven't even reached adulthood, it was a rather gruesome sight.
'I knew they'd react like this…'
Emerald and blue eyes wide with horror.
It's a good thing there weren't any remains that looked distinctly human.
If there had been something even remotely suggesting that, one of them would have fainted for sure.
A sigh escapes my lips.
'As much as this is for Regia's growth… I wonder if this is the right way.'
Maybe I should have come into the lab alone from the start.
A brief pang of regret hits me, but I shake my head.
'…This is a necessary process.'
Regia's growth is crucial.
There's a certain item she obtains later in the story.
To fully utilize it, the protagonist needs to have achieved complete awakening.
Her current fragile state simply won't do.
As an item that acts as the key to the ending…
The outcome changes depending on how well Regia can handle it.
It's no exaggeration to say that the fate of the world hinges on this.
"J-Just what in the world happened here…"
That's why her growth is essential.
To guide this world to a happy ending, she needs a narrative of overcoming hardship and rising above it.
To the point where her wish reaches 'it'.
Growth always comes with pain.
I protected her from Emilia's bullying last time…
But in the long run…
I need to let her face the trials that come her way to a certain extent.
She needs to learn to overcome them on her own.
"Ugh…"
Regia stumbles back.
Seeing her desperately trying to swallow back her nausea makes my heart ache.
I can't help but feel sorry for her.
My beloved protagonist.
She met a tragic end in the original story…
This time, I wanted to protect you from all the pain…
But it seems fate insists on you growing up.
"Regia."
"…Young Master."
I gently stroke her hair.
Her warmth seeps into my palm.
A warmth that feels especially tender.
As I try to calm the protagonist with a gentle touch, the villainess beside me mutters something.
Her voice is unusually serious.
"I had a bad feeling about this from the start… As expected, this basement doesn't look like any ordinary facility."
"I agree."
"We need to stop going any further."
"Lady Emilia."
"Let's go back the way we came. We should return to where we first teleported."
"But Lady Emilia…"
"I won't budge on this! After seeing such an ominous sight, are you still suggesting we keep searching this place?!"
"That's not what I meant. I just…"
Emilia is on edge.
I shake my head at her agitated outburst and slowly point my finger in the opposite direction.
Towards the door of the laboratory we just passed through.
There…
"I was just about to say that it's already too late to turn back."
Something is blocking our way.
The girls forget their conversation for a moment and turn to where I'm pointing.
Grrrr… Click, click…!
The mutated creatures, which had been lurking and watching for an opportunity…
They bare their teeth menacingly and charge at us in unison.
"Well then."
I step forward.
In each hand, I hold a sword formed of shadows.
And then…
"Let's see if we can make it out of this alive."
Crack!
The jet black blade pierces the space between the eyes of the mutated creature that had reached right in front of me.
As I smoothly draw the blade back, I see two more wolves lunging from the sides.
Shhhing!
I spin around, drawing a graceful arc with my movement.
The jet black blades cut through the air.
The short, clean strokes resemble elegant calligraphy.
And in the next moment…
Slash!
The upper bodies of the wolves, severed at an unknown point, fall to the ground.
Rotten blood splatters the surroundings.
In an instant, three mutated creatures lie dead.
I come to a stop.
An aura of faint bloodlust surrounds me.
"Hehe."
It's a message of sorts.
To the one who is watching all of this unfold from beyond the screen.
"Just you wait."
Once this messy business is over…
I'll be coming for you.
Hiding the smirk playing on my lips…
I give a meaningful smile.
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