“Uh, is that… a persimmon?”
“Wow, that’s insane. It’s huge. If we eat that, I bet we wouldn’t crave snacks for a week.”
The moment the red persimmon opened, all eyes of the people staying in the village and those who came to see Lime turned towards it.
Indeed, it was an undeniably mysterious sight.
Come to think of it, there was definitely no such large tree in that spot when they arrived yesterday.
Which means one of two things.
One possibility is that someone found a massive tree somewhere, transported it overnight, and replanted it here. However, this had a simple but fatal flaw.
‘Where would you even find a tree that big?’
It was a fatal and realistic flaw.
After all, in fictional works, how exactly does one procure a colossal tree like the World Tree?
A tree of that size would undoubtedly be under media scrutiny or managed by the government, wouldn’t it?
It seemed impossible to transplant and root such a tree overnight.
Of course, given the existence of phenomena like singularities, it might be possible, but there was a strange bias: would they really use such powers to move a tree?
The other possibility was that it grew overnight, equally impossible, but if true, it would confirm the existence of “singularities” or whatever they were called.
And as if to prove this point…
Large fruits materialized instantly before starting to grow rapidly like ink spreading through water.
Centered around the bright red persimmons, pure white flowers bloomed, quickly turning crimson.
Those who had quietly wondered if this might be a “singularity” were now openly marveling at the sight of the fruits appearing so fast.
“Wow.”
“Hey, hey! Did you capture that on camera?”
“It’s really beautiful… Though it’s a bit strange to think of it as a persimmon.”
“Good thing I came to see something good.”
“I wonder how it tastes?”
“Judging by the color, it seems like it might be a dried persimmon but appears quite firm… I’d like to get a closer look…”
It was like watching a child with childish wonder receiving a Christmas present. If one’s innocence still lingered, perhaps even Grandfather Santa could be considered a “singularity” of some sort, so the thought wasn’t entirely off.
Meanwhile, as the gathering crowd sighed in amazement…
The villagers, who had been working hard to keep the onlookers from getting too close, were beginning to feel a sense of fear.
“Uh… Uh, what is it? Is something going to happen?”
“Man, this gives me the creeps.”
“Hurry, push the people back further!”
“But, how am I supposed to do that if they won’t listen?!”
“This is insane…”
The thought running through their minds was clear: when singularities caused events, it was often followed by something terrible. This was considered ‘common sense.’
But the throng of onlookers couldn’t grasp this.
Even if they yelled and warned about the danger, all the spectators could see was a huge persimmon tree with persimmons ripening unusually fast.
Naturally, they sensed something odd, but the thought “oh, it must be because it’s a singularity” erased any sense of impending doom.
To the gathered crowd, singularities were merely something quirky and cute. The fruits, which grew like spreading paint, added an element of beauty to it all.
As an uneasy tension mixed with admiration spread…
The red persimmons, which looked temptingly ripe, started to split open slowly.
What? Do persimmons normally open this way?
Isn’t it supposed to fall off instead of splitting?
The skin cracked into a cross, and a bright red liquid oozed out, causing the previously casual onlookers to start murmuring uneasily. Even the uninformed could sense an ominous vibe.
Finally, the viscous, dark red lump which had been slowly sliding down from the fruit came to a stop.
In the tense silence that followed…
The dark red lump fell from the persimmon husk, crashing to the ground along with it.
It seemed like it had smashed into the ground, causing onlookers who had been watching to relax and let out sighs of relief.
“Just some fruit falling, that’s all.”
“Looks like you couldn’t eat it anyway. A single fruit could’ve fed ten people.”
“Still, even if…”
“Uh?”
But their relief was short-lived.
The supposed “fruit” that had fallen didn’t actually crash to the ground.
Instead, it unfolded its husk like wings and soared into the air.
“…What is that?”
“…”
A magnificent display as countless crimson shapes took flight, unfurling their wings. However…
Kaaaah!
Keeeek!
As they screeched and began to dive down again, the magnificent scene turned into a horrifying spectacle.
Initially murmuring, “Huh? What’s that?” the crowd soon realized the gravity of the situation as they were set upon by the crimson creatures, splattering crimson fluid in all directions.
“Ah, ahhh!”
“What the hell is this?!”
“Told you not to come too close!”
“Everyone, get inside the building!”
“Keep your distance!”
The previously organized scene quickly descended into chaos.
Screams of horror and monstrous cries filled the air.
The swarm of indeterminate creatures, whether batlike or birdlike, hunted humans like sharks among schools of fish.
The only saving grace was that the creatures appeared to return to the tree to “transport nutrients,” sparing more humans than otherwise.
The persimmon tree, fed by the nutrient supply, absorbed more of the crimson contents and produced richer-hued persimmons than before.
It was only then that people realized why singularities were dangerous. They had no choice but to understand now.
We should’ve listened and ran when they told us to.
We should’ve stayed away when they warned us.
Why was something like that left out in the open?
What is going on here?
Terrified fleeing humans remembered the earlier warnings and sought refuge in nearby buildings.
The interiors were already filled with others thinking the same thing, but more people squeezed in anyway.
Even though they knew they probably looked like packed lunch boxes to the creatures outside, the buildings were the only structures that offered immediate shelter.
Attempting to escape through the open areas where the creatures roamed without cover would have been an obviously bad choice, even to those not thinking clearly.
Thus…
The Foundation, or the Laboratory, or even the Government…
Anyone, anyone, please save us…
Like cockroaches hiding under furniture, they burrowed deeper into their hiding spots, praying the monsters wouldn’t find them.
But their hopes were dashed far too quickly.
Bang! Bang!
“Kyih…”
“Shh, be quiet. You’ll get us discovered.”
“No… It’s already too late…”
“Shut up!”
Something was slamming against the building they were hiding in.
Thankfully, its apparent inability to use doors was the only positive aspect. If only because the structure was carefully designed by none other than Electric Scent.
Still, people grew increasingly nervous with the growing cacophony.
No one knew how long the building could hold out against the multiplying monsters outside.
Naturally, given the horrific scene of people being devoured next to them, no one dared suggest leaving.
Despite contemplating escape, memories of the nearby screams of d*ath that accompanied the thought kept everyone silent and frozen.
Anyone who tried to leave now would probably be insane.
So what should we do?
Are we going to d*e here?
I want to live…
Mom…
Thus, reduced to waiting like animals in a slaughterhouse, the humans sought refuge in darkness, fleeing reality.
Then…
An unusual sound came from outside the building.
Krak! Kek!
Squeeeek!
Ke-ek!
The cries of the monsters that had just been tearing humans apart sounded pitiful.
Did these creatures feel pain? And more importantly, why were they making those noises?
However, silence descended upon them.
To be precise, the pounding on their building stopped, and the cries of “grg-grk-kkeek” from the monsters seemed to have lessened.
They could hear faint sounds from a distance, but the building itself seemed undisturbed for the moment.
…What’s happening now?
The people hiding inside lacked the courage to find out.
After witnessing people d*e in the courtyard, opening the door to check didn’t seem like a good idea.
Yet, the feeling of safety made their curiosity grow irresistible.
What is going on?
Is something even scarier appearing?
Is it possible someone has come to rescue us?
The military… Yes, surely the nearby military units have arrived.
Still, they lacked the courage to verify.
In these circumstances, summoning courage was akin to inviting d*ath.
So they clung to the fact that they had survived momentarily, emerging cautiously from the darkness…
Kerplunk.
Creak, creak.
A noise, as if something sizeable was evaluating the sturdy-looking door without a word.
The people emerging from the darkness, like cockroaches fleeing a turned-on light, quickly dove back into the shadows.
They watched the door with dim, frightened eyes from their hiding spots, too terrified to consider obstructing it.
Then, with a click, the door creaked open…
Beyond the open door came the monsters’ shrieks, a strangely sticky sound “Koong-kong!” – the sounds of something massive moving nearby.
And what appeared with those terrifying noises…
“…Eh?”
“…Huh?”
It was Jelly.
The slightly blurred impression of Jelly tilted its head curiously after entering, puzzled perhaps by the emptiness. It bobbed its adorable head in a manner reminiscent of something very endearing and looked quite sad, which prompted someone in the darkness to cautiously step forward.
They must have been reminded of Lime.
As a result, Jelly appeared to rejoice at encountering a human, jumping around excitedly.
“Huh, heh-heh?”
The brave individual who stepped forward, at the sight of this adorable behavior, relaxed completely and collapsed onto the floor.
The people lurking in the shadows were utterly confused about the situation.
