As I opened the broken glass door and stepped inside, the first thing that greeted us was a wide space. As expected, it was a church building, where light filtered through enormous stained glass windows adorned with unknown artwork, creating a somewhat dreamy atmosphere.
In contrast, this floor was filled with rusty machinery and broken facilities. The rough floor and the numerous uncleaned open spaces made it feel even more vacant. A slight noise could be heard from the second floor, suggesting that the first floor was just for show.
“I removed the nearby detectors for entry, but they must have sensed something odd over there as well.”
“What should we do?”
Erica grasped her sword and pointed toward the stairs visible in the distance.
“There aren’t any dangerous elements on the first floor, so we can search briefly and head over there…”
“Hik, hick!”
In the midst of that conversation, a high-pitched voice caught both Erica’s and my attention. A short and petite girl, who seemed more like a newly adult rather than a child, stood before us. A strange machinery device was affixed around her neck.
“Hello…”
“S-save me…!”
Before I could finish my greeting, the girl stood frozen with a pale and terrified expression as Erica’s sword was pointed at her chest.
“Ugh, hick.”
I couldn’t help but tilt my head.
“You’re not going to k*ll her?”
Earlier, Erica had killed the men swiftly, yet she was sparing this girl?
It’s true that after seeing those rough individuals, one naturally softens when looking at a delicate and cute child.
“That can happen. I understand your feelings…”
“That’s not it.”
Erica put her sword back and surveyed the surroundings.
“The magic power sensed here is low… She differs greatly from the reported resident Awakened Ones. Perhaps she is someone caught up with this group.”
The wanted Awakened list I saw in the reports certainly included high-rank Awakened Ones. In short, this girl seemed to have some backstory—
That’s what I inferred.
“Hik, huh. Haah.”
In contrast, the girl was still trembling.
“It’s nice to meet you.”
“A-ah, hello…?!”
As she clutched her heart and nervously greeted me, she appeared even more startled upon making eye contact with me, like a puppy frightened.
“You don’t have to tremble like that. We’re safe people.”
Probably.
“Y-yes, yes… Thank you… thank you…”
“You’re not one of them, right?”
The girl lifted her head at Erica’s voice.
“Y-yes, actually, I was a wanderer who was staying here for a while… Suddenly, people appeared a week ago…”
“So you’ve been captured.”
She nodded.
What followed was a predictable tale. Doing odd jobs or menial tasks, she probably wasn’t seen as useful labor for them.
Was the commotion today meant to send someone like her out?
She seemed to be around the same age.
“We’ll save you.”
With the usual calmness Erica displayed and the angelic smile that she rarely showed me, she looked at the girl.
“R-really?”
“Instead, you’ll have to help us a bit. We’re going to k*ll the people upstairs starting now.”
The girl’s face hardened.
“Y-you might not believe it, but we are affiliated with the Association.”
“So am I.”
Erica made a face of disbelief. The Association’s insignia on her uniform was noticeable.
“I-I don’t know how to fight…”
“It’s fine. I’ll handle all the fighting; you just need to follow closely from a distance…”
What? Why are you looking at me?
“If you feel it’s dangerous, using this person as bait is a good method too.”
“That’s too much.”
“This face can create quite an impact.”
Well, that’s true. At the very least, those in the vicinity would recognize me.
“Are you really going to use her as bait?”
“Y-yes?”
“Are you going to?”
“N-no…”
The girl, who hesitated and opened her mouth, was calmed by Erica’s request to guide the way.
—
Second Floor.
It had a different atmosphere from the first. The walls and facilities seemed painted in dark hues, with carpets and some decorations that caught the eye.
Perhaps it was because they borrowed the interior from a former church building, as numerous rooms and hallways lined the area.
“Over there, inside the room, there are many people… And, although I’m not sure, the red door over there seems to prevent anyone from entering, so something might be inside.”
The commotion seemed intensified compared to the first floor.
Just as we turned a corner and peeked around.
A kn*fe flew and narrowly missed Erica’s neck.
“Ah, d*mn, that was close.”
Voices of several men echoed through the hallway.
There were no exceptions. Speed and agility were needed right now.
I immediately felt the emptiness beside me, accompanied by the sounds of screams and clanging metals.
For a moment, I glanced at the girl who was trembling while hugging the wall.
She seemed to be doing well. I thought she would be overwhelmed with panic, but perhaps it was because she was caught up in a criminal organization as a wanderer; she didn’t show any sign of fear.
She was holding up well. I looked forward to how she would break down later.
I smiled subtly and turned the corner. I made eye contact with Erica, who had finished off the two fallen men.
“I sensed some signs, but it’s clear now we’ve been discovered. We might need to demolish this building entirely.”
Before reinforcements arrive, they might already be on their way to us, but the thought of destroying everything didn’t sound so bad.
Before I knew it, Erica had come to my side, guiding me and the girl towards the stairs. She pushed us into an empty space and scanned the surroundings.
“Stay here for a moment. I’ll be back soon. You—”
Her gaze fell on my uniform.
“Just stay as you are.”
Instead of replying, I smiled slightly.
With Erica rushing off, and the girl quietly watching in silence amidst the commotion and noise along with multiple explosions.
It was an unpleasant yet familiar environment. A great setting for my brain to think quickly.
How many more situations like this would I face? Would I encounter them together with Erica instead of alone?
My ears hurt, but my smile deepened.
With my hands clasped together, I watched the girl, still tense, hurriedly scanning the indoor area.
I quickly slipped away.
Ignoring the voice calling me from behind.
—
It was a massive explosion. The second floor collapsed, and the ceiling of the first floor was destroyed, leaving the surrounding objects and walls shattered and broken.
Since the goal was the second floor, they likely intended to drop everything into the large first floor, not the hideout.
“k*ll, k*ll!”
“AAAAH!”
The sounds of blades clashing echoed, engulfing the area in a bl**d-soaked frenzy. The rampant magic power mixed with the dense scent that tickled my nose.
From the back of the stairs leading down to the first floor, I watched Erica, fidgeting with her uncomfortable combat uniform.
She was certainly fighting well. In truth, dealing with high-rank Awakened Ones was no match for a ranker. Although when resistance is fierce like this, it inevitably takes some time.
I was curious whether she would use melee attacks or area spells, but she was employing both as she engaged in battle.
Dozens of approaching Awakened Ones fell, bleeding profusely, as Erica quickly thinned out the riffraff.
As I pondered this while fidgeting with my hair, I heard a hurried breath coming from behind.
“Hah, hah…! Y-you’re here…!”
“Yeah.”
I had no particular thoughts about it. It was only natural for the girl to be coming this way.
“You made it here well. It was dangerous, so I came this way.”
The girl struggled to catch her breath, looking flustered.
“Why? Were you angry? Because I left you behind? Were you confused when I left you in that commotion?”
“W-what are you talking about?”
“If you had stayed there, you would have died. It’s unfortunate. I saw a monster swarming on the third floor.”
If she thought that just because Erica treated her well, I would help her too, then she was mistaken. The only thing I could offer was a greeting.
And I had done that twice. Hello, nice to meet you.
“How did you make it this far? What should we do? She’s being pushed back.”
The girl rolled her trembling eyes and looked behind me. The echoes and smoke mixed, making it difficult to see.
“The situation is nearing its end, and the remaining Awakened Ones will probably come to capture me. After all, I’m an intruder.”
She swallowed hard. The device around her neck made it seem difficult for her to breathe.
“And you will be too. They clearly sent someone for a search on the first floor, so why are you still alive? Was it because of their assistance? Or did you collude with this intrusion under their orders?”
“N-no, that’s a lie…”
“Is it a lie?”
I chuckled softly.
Another explosion rang out, and screams filled the air. The scent of bl**d and moans painted the area.
The girl shivered.
“What… what should I do…?”
“Well, how about we both humbly accept our deaths? The predetermined outcomes and established fates cannot be resisted.”
“B-but you… you’re strong!”
Her voice was sharp, piercing through the space and irritating my ears.
“A-even if you’re a criminal… humans are dangerous…”
“What does your danger have to do with me? Just leave me be; after all, you and I are both fated to d*e.”
I turned my body and stretched. I felt stiff.
“I-I’m not strong.”
I’m weak.
I jumped slightly. My combat uniform swayed and made a peculiar sound.
“This suppressive suit, which cannot be removed, was put on me by that pretty girl over there.”
Her pupils distorted.
Her stumbling steps wandered along the landing.
“Now, all we can do is wait for the coming d*ath in silence.”
“I-I don’t want to.”
What appeared at the end of that was a distortion.
The grotesque figure of the girl was ensnared in a swamp. She clawed at her hair, desperately trying to shut her eyes to avoid seeing ahead.
“I don’t want to, don’t want to. Please save me. I don’t want to d*e. Mom, Dad.”
“What does it feel like to spend your last moments with me? Not being able to see your loved ones, rotting away in a place like this, and meeting d*ath alongside a criminal who would likely appear on the news?”
“No! I don’t want to!”
“Thinking about how you might d*e is fine too. Maybe your limbs will be crushed, your heart pierced?”
“Stop, stop it. Be quiet. I don’t want to.”
As her hair was pulled out in large clumps, the girl cowered in a corner.
“Do you know?”
I approached quietly and whispered in her ear.
“You, trembling in fear, are incredibly attractive.”
“I don’t want to!!”
—
What I felt was a familiar sensation. With a slight stinging pain, the red mass that flowed from my mouth triggered past memories.
Hearing the girl screaming as she plunged a kn*fe into my abdomen, I turned my gaze away.
“Ah, ah, no. Ah.”
Emotions overwhelmed her, making her look like a piece of art. The colors I had long lost seemed to mock me as I gazed at her.
“I’ve been waiting for you to pull that out.”
The torn and shredded suit that constricted me turned red with the bl**d pouring out of me.
Until the dirty black fabric, which was slowly dissolving and tainted, revealed itself.
I took a shallow breath and smiled faintly.
—
There were surprisingly many. The information reported is not always without 1mm of error, and one must consider that. However, this incident clearly had a broader margin than expected.
Even among criminal organizations, this type was likely dangerous enough for the upper ranks to wish for its eradication. But in this situation, I too must acknowledge that I had overlooked this point in my miscalculation.
Erica gasped for air, grimacing at the countless bullets pouring in from behind the wall.
It wasn’t a dire situation, yet it wasn’t smooth sailing either.
She bore multiple stab wounds in her abdomen. Bullets were lodged in her arms and legs.
It hurt.
She wanted to breathe peacefully, but she could only inhale the smoky air exuding from behind the wall, taking her focus off the attackers.
Honestly, it was frustrating.
Anyway, something always goes wrong when I’m together with Orly. Even though she conducts herself according to her plan, things spiral out of control from somewhere.
“What are you waiting for?! Go in!”
“B-but, Commander…”
Why was I still thinking about her, even in this situation?
Upon reconsideration, being lost in thought during battle was a familiar occurrence for me. Whenever I met Orly, I often ended up utterly broken and gasping for breath.
What were they doing right now? At least they had her in a combat suit, so there shouldn’t be a problem. However, I was concerned about that kn*fe the girl had earlier… But surely nobody would d*e or get hurt, right?
—
Bang.
Before I could finish my thoughts, the wall I was leaning against exploded. Debris shattered and flew around, burying me.
As I quickly opened my eyes, what I saw was—
Weapons charged with countless amounts of magic power and guns aimed at me.
And—
Above them.
A girl plummeting from the sky.
Crimson rings enveloped the ground and shattered the space. The air trembled as every living being standing on the ground was torn apart, spewing forth fountains of red.
The space warped and blades traced arcs. The scattered red petals transformed the chaotic environment into an instant tranquil theatre.
Landing at the center of the stage, the girl began to dance.
Lightly, yet desperately.
Crying and laughing, she brandished a thin kn*fe.
Screams turned into the audience’s cheers, and bl**d became red flowers thrown at her standing on the stage.
The girl cried.
She fervently chased the spotlight that wouldn’t illuminate her, crying passionately.
As she stumbled and crawled, barely reaching the light, she finally gazed at herself, beaming a beautiful smile.
—
Erica felt as if she was witnessing such a scene.
