Chapter 179
Peintre.
He was the type to *bolt* similarly in the original story.
He'd orchestrate the Beniti affair from behind the scenes, and then, once the Protagonist's party had finally stopped Deron, he'd immediately double-cross them and flee.
What's more, he'd awaken a boss they'd almost defeated, forcing them into Phase 2.
For Players who had painstakingly cleared Deron, it was nothing short of despair-inducing.
Especially for newbies.
[Category: Free Bulletin Board]
[Title: What the hell is up with this Peintre guy?]
I'm a noob who hasn't even cleared the first playthrough yet. I'm currently clearing [EP31.Beniti], and the boss patterns are *fucking infuriating*. Especially because of that *fucking* Peintre guy.
Seriously, *what the hell*?
He just shows up out of nowhere, *talks a bunch of trash*, then awakens the boss we worked so hard to beat and *bolts*.
Thanks to him, all my characters got crushed by Phase 2 Deron.
Thanks, *you bastard*.
I'm going to retry.
A raw newbie like this is rare. *Sigh*... Smells like something *naughty*.
Why is this post so lewd? Shouldn't this have an R-19 tag? It's been a while since I've felt this *pumped up*. Dammit... I can't. Gotta go *relieve myself*. Someone get all these old farts above me a cart and send them off.
[This too, must be the Dean's divine grace...]
-> *Sudden Worship*
-> *Great Dean*
-> As expected, the Academy Emperor is normalizing the story.
What's so good about such a *frustrating* character? You bastard! Are you saying our Dean can't protect the Academy, can't help, can't speak, has a story contribution of 0%, is a one-trick Prophet, a useless paragon who only "saw the future," a toilet bowl Gallimard? No, I didn't say *that* much ;; Thorough self-objectification, as expected of the Academy's evaluation lol.
Of course.
The fact that he'd awakened a boss they'd almost defeated and then *bolted* was infuriating enough.
But what truly grated on their nerves was Peintre's characteristic *taunting*.
He'd constantly provoke the Protagonist's party with all sorts of taunts.
In some ways, he was the most fitting villain.
Literally, a *likable* friend.
[Category: Free Bulletin Board]
[Title: *Stop it, you bastard!!!!!!*]
Seriously, how many times is this *bastard* going to show up?
1. The Protagonist's party defeats a stage boss.
2. Peintre suddenly appears from somewhere.
3. He *taunts* like crazy, then awakens the boss, opening Phase 2.
4. Players scramble to deal with the sudden disaster.
5. Meanwhile, he leisurely makes his escape.
This pattern alone has repeated 6 times now. Ever since Deron, this *bastard* awakens every single boss we meet! And they get *insanely* strong. Who knows how many magic stones he shoves into them. How can the awakened power of some *nobody* rival that of the Academy's top students? This is why everyone says the difficulty is *fucked*, *damn it*!
Oh, *cut the bullshit*. Denying reality won't help, lol. If you don't like it, buy premium. You can skip it from the 2nd playthrough. But you still have to clear the first playthrough first, don't you? Did someone hold a knife to your throat and force you to play the first playthrough? That's *fucking* harsh!
But the catharsis you get when you clear it, after all that suffering, is *insane*. When Fox pierces Peintre's heart, that's *truly* satisfying. For Players, it's one of the most memorable scenes. For all the talk, it's still a fun game.
[*Painter-gay* is definitely annoying.]
-> What kind of *fucking* nickname is this now?
-> *Painter-gay*, my ass.
-> They say it's *Official Lore* that he's actually gay.
-> ?
-> ?
-> *Is this for real?*
-> No, it's *really* official.
-> *Painter-gay, my friend*...
Moreover, this wasn't the first or second time for this guy.
After the Vanity Episode, he appeared multiple times, tormenting Players.
Every time the Protagonist's party subdued a Heretic Cult Branch, he would suddenly emerge from the shadows.
Like subtly awakening a stage boss that had just been cleared.
Or subtly ambushing one of the supporting characters.
In short, he'd cause chaos and then leisurely make his exit.
He was annoying.
Personally, even I had to restart playthroughs more than once because of him.
It was obvious what other Players' reactions would have been.
He kept popping up everywhere like this.
In the Unpopular Character Poll held in the community, he even achieved the remarkable feat of surpassing the Dean to take first place.
One might say he was a sensational Disruptor.
“Guh...!”
But. Even that infamous fellow couldn't escape the night.
“You seem to be in pain.”
A leisurely remark.
I was smiling, my hand still piercing Peintre's heart.
His eyes, once sly and cunning, were now wide with horror and trembling.
Peintre, unable to utter a taunt, could only gasp for breath.
A twitching sensation transmitted through my fingertips.
*Thump, thump, thump...*
It was pulsing slower and slower, then finally stopping.
The final tremor from a wretched creature.
I savored the sense of depravity and vengeance it brought.
In my ears, a gurgle that couldn't become a scream.
“Ugh, ugh, uh...”
“Hmm?”
I tilted my head.
Even with his heart pierced, he showed no sign of dying easily.
Perhaps it was because he was one of the Demon God's Seven Apostles.
His sin-stained eyes glared at me.
But that was all.
“How rude.”
*Crunch!*
My hand simply clenched into a fist.
With that movement, the loaded Shadow extended.
The Pitch-Black, sharpened like thorns, tore apart his heart and all his internal organs from within.
His body became nothing more than a *pulverized mass of flesh and bone*.
Even the life that barely clung on was crushed.
“Some people occasionally make mistakes, you know.”
*Thud!*
Peintre's body flopped onto the floor.
His limp form looked like a *burst wineskin*.
I offered a chilling smile.
“Just because I played along a little doesn't mean we're equals.”
Peintre.
He had originally intended to make Deron go berserk and then escape.
It was a pattern that had worked multiple times in the original story.
But precisely because of that, I was able to deal with it perfectly.
He was one of the main villains in the original story.
I'd taken this guy's head more than 1900 times even in my previous life.
The slaughter I had just committed merely added another tally mark to that number.
There was no need for any grand narrative.
“Did I look like your friend?”
I questioned the *pulverized remains* at my feet.
Of course, there was no reply.
For corpses are silent.
“It's truly over, then.”
The most annoying enemy in the original story.
He might have died the most futile death, achieving nothing.
I didn't even want to dignify this hunt with the name "punishment."
I easily wiped the blood from my hand.
Perhaps it's because I hated him so much. I feel like I got unnecessarily emotional.
It didn't matter.
Compared to what he had done to Beniti, this was an infinitely merciful end.
I calmed the slight heat that had risen within me.
Then, I fiddled with the crystal ball in my other hand.
It was something I had snatched from Peintre's pocket earlier.
I whispered, chillingly.
“So... what were your impressions of your little *reconnaissance*?”
As expected. A red light glowed within the crystal ball.
It has been observing the entire situation until just now.
I spoke softly towards the person, that sinister gaze, sitting beyond the light.
Though I was suppressing my killing intent.
“Didn't I tell you last time that everyone would pay the price?”
This target was Beniti. Next, the Businessman. And finally, I will not stop until I rip out your roots.
I covered my ominously twisted lips.
Yet, the malevolence remained unconcealed.
“Insignificant beings, indeed.”
A heavy silence descended.
Following that, a voice returned from the crystal ball.
It was a voice thick with static.
-{...This, honestly, is surprising.}
His tone was stiff.
The other party hadn't revealed his identity, but I could roughly deduce it.
He was one of the Demon God's Seven Apostles, the one called the Second.
I spoke with a fresh smile.
“Conductor.”
-{Hoo.}
“Surely... you weren't trying to catch me with a trap of this caliber, were you?”
Of course not. I did hope it would work, but I didn't expect you to be this far beyond. You are truly a masterpiece imbued with His power. Though for now, you are merely a *Censored Name*.
“You might want to start polishing your neck. I'll be visiting soon.”
-{Pfft, I do like your confidence.}
A voice that didn't lose its composure, even when killing intent was revealed.
One might say it was fitting for the Heretic Cult's second-in-command.
He didn't lose his cool.
Instead, he merely provoked me, as if amused.
And it seemed he knew my identity, perhaps because he was one of the higher-ups.
-[Ah, now that I think about it.]
The man beyond the crystal ball spoke with an air of nonchalance.
As if it had just occurred to him.
-{Aren't you worried?}
-{You led Academy forces and invaded Beniti, didn't you?}
If you're gone, and some of the Faculty are gone... the Academy would be as good as empty, wouldn't it?
There's no way we'd miss an opportunity like this, is there?
A sinister echo spread.
It was like an awl piercing an unexpected spot.
It flew smoothly and stabbed into my neck.
The silhouette beyond the *crystal ball's surface* smiled.
-{Didn't you anticipate this far?}
-{Since the Academy is on Alert Status, there's no way we'd enter.}
-{Unfortunately.}
The voice continued.
His tone, subtly mocking yet not quite, was precarious.
Emilia, who was listening beside me, and whose pupils widened.
Had even she not predicted the possibility of a counter-attack?
The Conductor seemed particularly amused.
By now, His grace would have reached the Academy.
Content implying an Academy Invasion. Despite hearing such words, I...
“Is that so?”
I was still smiling.
-{Hmm...?}
“In that case, shall we find out what the situation is like at the Academy?”
I pulled out another crystal ball from my coat.
The screen was already lit.
I received the call and turned up the volume so everyone could hear.
Beyond the clear audio, only one voice could be heard.
-{Captain.}
-{As per your God's Providence, the Heretic Cult bastards have arrived here as well.}
The scale appears to be roughly 3000 individuals. They seem to have swarmed in through a Subspace Barrier.
-{Please, your next command.}
A deep, resonant voice.
Even while the speaker was speaking of 3000 troops, there wasn't a hint of tremor.
His usual lighthearted demeanor had settled into cold composure.
The Conductor, who had been silent for a moment, soon let out a dazed murmur.
-{...Impossible.}
Indeed.
Even if it had been just a voice, he would have recognized it.
After all, they had clashed on the battlefield multiple times.
And he was also the sworn enemy who had severed his lower body.
“Then, shall we go?”
I enunciated clearly. The sharpest sword I had kept hidden was.
“Sir Kyle.”
The Red Sword Saint. My lips addressed the *slayer*.
A faint thrill coursed through me.
“Sweep them all away.”
-{Everything, as you command.}
The stars began to move.