kscans

Chapter 103 - A Certain Decision

The Border.

The Forward Operating Base.

A frantic atmosphere filled the base. Wounded were being transported and treated. In the medical bay, almost no one could move. The only ones active were the doctors and nurses.

Many were wrapped in bandages, unable to move, or had yet to regain consciousness. They were being treated with potions, but those mainly healed wounds; they did not restore lost stamina or magic.

Because of this, they couldn't move even if they wanted to.

And among them, lying on a bed, was me. Tina was by my side.

Her only visible injury was the cut on her face; she had no others.

Tina smiled faintly.

"...Neither of us is okay, but we managed to survive. It's all thanks to you improving my equipment, Shinsuke."

I looked at her.

"From the looks of it, you don't seem to mind it much? The scar on your face?"

At my words, Tina touched her cheek.

"...Not really. Getting injured is something every adventurer goes through. There's no point in worrying about every little thing. Or does it bother you? A woman with a scar on her face?"

Seeing the slight anxiety in her eyes, I replied.

"...No. If you don't mind it, then it's fine. No matter what happens, I will never abandon you."

I said something a little embarrassing.

I turned away, feeling my face flush. Tina's face was also red, but I didn't see it.

The other adventurers watching this thought:

(Dammit! What's with this lovey-dovey married couple talk?!)

(Flirting like that... you're not doing it on purpose for us to see, are you?!)

(Son of a bitch! Why is such a beautiful woman with such a plain-looking guy?!)

(There are female adventurers here too, but they won't give me the time of day! Teach me your ways!)

Such were the resentful thoughts and glares directed at us.

Of course, neither Tina nor I could sense them.

Come to think of it, I feel like I'm forgetting something. I was trying to remember when a commotion erupted from the hallway.

Another emergency case? I thought at the time.

*

The Commander's Office

Goltor was summarizing his reports.

The performance of the Edgeson units, the bravery of the soldiers and adventurers, the weakening of the monsters. Never in the history of warfare had such a great feat been accomplished.

He would be able to give a good report to Lord Yorune. But for now, delivering it to Emperor Grine was the top priority.

He had already sent a messenger with a brief report; all that was left was to submit the detailed one.

It was then that the door suddenly burst open and a soldier appeared.

"Forgive the intrusion, sir! We have an emergency! A monster has suddenly appeared in the royal capital! It has half-destroyed the city, broken through the great wall, and is now heading straight for us!"

At this report, Goltor shot up.

"Wh-what?! What kind of monster is it?!"

To this question, the soldier replied.

"W-well, sir... it's a monster unlike any we've ever seen before. The report says it's shrugging off attacks from the Edgeson units stationed in the capital and is destroying them one after another."

The soldier was utterly bewildered.

Goltor clutched his head. Why did one misfortune after another keep piling up?

The death of the former emperor. The increased activity of monster hordes. The appearance of high-level species. And to top it all off, an unknown monster.

He had never heard of them coming in such large numbers. But now was not the time to be thinking about that.

Goltor ordered.

"Immediately gather all able-bodied men! We are abandoning this base! Get the wounded out of here at once!"

At this command, the soldier was aghast.

"?! Y-you're abandoning the base, sir?! If you do that, your position as commander..."

Before the soldier could finish, Goltor cut him off.

"That doesn't matter! With our current strength, there's no way we can defeat an unknown monster! The casualties will be immense! Lord Yorune would not wish for that."

Hearing those last words, the soldier snapped back to his senses.

Lord Yorune. A man who always put his people first. A man who considered any death other than by old age to be unacceptable.

The soldier straightened up.

"...Understood, sir. I will relay the message to all soldiers immediately."

He saluted and left the commander's office.

Alone now, Goltor stood up and took the great hammer hanging on the wall into his hands. The wounds he had received at the castle were fully healed.

He left the room to do what needed to be done.

*

High Above

The Seven Demon Lords were watching this scene.

The Behemoth, resurrected using Grine's body as a medium. It was supposed to rampage with overwhelming power and destroy everything, but for some reason, it had left the capital and was heading for the forward base.

Harynair the Corruptor spoke.

"...Hey, Redorza? Why is it heading for the base? Wasn't it supposed to annihilate the capital?"

To this question, Redorza the Sage replied.

"...That's strange. If it had lost its reason, it should have been programmed to kill any living thing it sees. Why isn't it attacking?"

Redorza was puzzled.

The other six pondered this.

Sensing something, Bamhal the Dragon King spoke.

"...It seems its reason hasn't been completely erased. I can sense a faint human presence from the Behemoth."

At these words, Lates the Thousand Poisons exclaimed.

"What?! It still has reason even after becoming a monster? Unbelievable. It should be impossible for the human mind."

The other five nodded in agreement.

Even a seasoned warrior would lose their reason if they were one hundred percent transformed into a monster. All their past experiments had proven this. In Rodel's case, Redorza had left the crucial human brain untouched, fusing only his lower body with that of a monster. That was why, although he had gone somewhat insane, they had managed to stabilize him with drugs and culture fluids.

And that had taken a considerable number of days.

And this one had overcome it in a matter of minutes? To this question, Bamhal replied.

"...That human, Grine, was it? She originally possessed an abnormal ambition and the patience to wait for a long time. Because these two traits were honed over a long period, her mind became slightly stronger than that of an ordinary person. As a result, she succeeded in retaining a sliver of her reason even after becoming a monster. That is most likely what happened."

At this explanation, Sidoor the Sword Demon added.

"...In that case, why is it heading for the base? The 'two people' Harynair mentioned at the end... did it sense they were at the base and go there to kill them?"

To this question, Bamhal replied.

"...That is a possibility. She was a sharp-witted princess, was she not? She probably reached that conclusion from the few words she overheard. It would not be difficult."

At those words, Rumby the Fateweaver whined.

"...Isn't that, like, really bad? If that Otherworlder dies, all the fun will be gone. I don't want that! It was so exciting when he was fighting the Minotaur at full strength. If he dies now while he's all exhausted, it'll be so boring!"

She was throwing a tantrum.

They all felt the same. Whether a desperate, all-out battle resulted in victory or defeat, it was bound to be entertaining. In Sidoor's case, there was meaning only in fighting him himself, which was why he had sent Danmes.

To see if he had gained the strength to be worthy of fighting him. For it to end like this...

It was truly unacceptable.

Sidoor spoke.

"...Shall I dispose of it?"

He said as he drew his sword.

Bamhal stopped him.

"...You will not. We did this to erase our tracks. If you show yourself, it will be meaningless. Surely, the Otherworlder understands the state of his own body. He will choose to flee. Besides, the Behemoth will die in two days, will it not, Redorza?"

At these words, Redorza replied.

"That is certain. I mixed a drug into it that will cause it to die naturally. Clinical trials have been completed. It is a certainty."

This response brought a sense of relief.

In that case, they decided to watch until it died naturally. This was truly an unexpected turn of events.

How would the situation unfold?

The Seven Demon Lords were enjoying this in a different way.

*

The Forward Operating Base

Soldiers were busy transporting the wounded.

Suddenly, they had appeared in the infirmary, announced that an unknown monster was heading for the base, and that it had been decided to abandon it. The evacuation began. Those who couldn't move were placed on stretchers and carried away. I was walking with a crutch.

The broken bones had been healed with a high potion, but the pain still lingered. On top of that, my magic was depleted, and walking was all I could manage. Tina was supporting me, her shoulder under my arm, as we walked together.

It was pathetic.

No matter how strong the enemy I had just fought, to flee from a monster that appeared afterward without even fighting...

But I couldn't drag Tina into my own selfish desires. I decided to evacuate in silence.

When almost everyone had been evacuated, Commander Goltor appeared.

"...Men. We are currently facing the worst possible situation. As of this moment, we are abandoning the base and evacuating to the nearby territory. We able-bodied soldiers will form the rear guard and do everything in our power to ensure your escape. That is all."

With those final words, Goltor and several dozen soldiers headed back toward the base.

Everyone knew what it meant. They were serving as the rearguard. The retreat was silent. Everyone wore an expression that suggested it was the end of the world.

Several minutes after the retreat began, the ground began to tremble.

A sound could be heard from far away. The battle had begun.

I was frustrated. I felt utterly pathetic. If only I had more power. If only I had the strength to move even in this state...

The moment I thought that.

Suddenly, the world turned black and white.

And then.

【Skill, 'Awakening' has been acquired.】