Chapter 134
What is this...? I have a strange sense of unease.
The 'ominous presence' was coming from the direction of Chief Shimizu and the others.
It wasn't like the feeling I'd had at the convenience store before—that there was an enemy I couldn't beat... a monster.
It was something else... a murky, sludge-like 'ominous presence.'
Was it a new monster? Or—
"Onii—Nattsun! Why are you spacing out?! Watch out!"
"Ah... S-sorry—sorry!"
Rikka-chan's shout brought me back to reality as I got lost in thought.
No, no, I was getting sidetracked again.
Having my Search ability improve this much might be a problem.
There was too much information coming in for me to process it all.
Focus. Focus—
≪Your proficiency has reached a certain level≫
≪Your Skill 'Concentration' has increased from Lv. 3 to 4≫
Oh, my Skill leveled up.
I gave a little fist pump to myself, then refocused.
I took up a position where it was easy to snipe and pulled the trigger.
"—Giiya!"
The bullet hit one of the ants charging toward us.
It seemed to die in one hit, and the ant turned into a magic stone.
≪You gained experience≫
Guess taking down just one isn't enough to level up.
That said, the bullets Ichinose-san gave me are limited, so I can't waste them.
(Well, if it comes down to it, I'll drop the Transformation Technique and fight...)
I don't plan to keep my identity hidden when our lives are on the line.
Besides, I was sure Nishino-kun and Rikka-chan would explain things well if I revealed myself now.
I don't know how to put it, but I felt like I could trust them.
"Insecticide! Fire!"
Meanwhile, Nishino-kun and the others were steadily thinning the ants' numbers.
But then—
"The response from Search just increased!"
"What?!"
They were still some distance away, but a large number of ants were converging on us.
I could sense more than thirty of them.
"How many, and how long?"
"More than thirty! They'll be here in about a minute!"
"Damn it... Then let's clear out the ants in front of us first! Move!"
"Yeah!"
With Rikka-chan and Goshogawara-san at the front, we charged into the swarm.
Oh, an ant that Goshogawara-san hit went flying through the air. That log was incredible.
Maybe because they were getting used to the ants' movements, the other students were moving even better now.
"Still... There are more of them than I expected."
"They must be desperate, too."
If the Queen Ant was the kind of monster Nishino-kun had guessed—one that couldn't move—then being discovered by us must have made it feel cornered.
(But I doubt they'll just try to overwhelm us with numbers... We should assume they have another plan.)
Nishino-kun was probably wary of that, too.
That was why he kept an eye on his surroundings even as he focused on the battle.
"Hey, Nishino! There are higher-ranking ants mixed in with the others!"
One of the students shouted.
Looking over, I saw three higher-ranking ants emerge from a hole the ants had dug.
They were bipedal ants carrying swords.
They were Soldier Ants, like the ones we'd encountered before.
"Rikka, take the higher-ranking ones! Ichinose and Goshogawara-san, support her! Everyone else, clear out the surrounding ants so they can't interfere!"
"Understood!"
The battle grew even fiercer.
Meanwhile, the 'ominous presence' I'd felt earlier kept growing stronger.
(Damn it, what is this? I can't focus...!)
Something was wrong.
It had never felt this strong before, no matter what.
I felt an urge to turn off the Skill, but then I wouldn't be able to sense the ants, either.
(Focus. Focus...)
I pulled the trigger.
One of the Soldier Ants fell.
≪You gained experience≫
The 'ominous presence' grew even stronger.
No matter how much I 'concentrated,' I couldn't shake that feeling.
It was almost as if the Skill itself were urging me to hurry.
Don't be stupid. What would it be urging me to do?
A Skill was just a Skill.
It couldn't have a will of its own.
—Then why?
The answer was obvious.
"...!"
I pulled the trigger.
Another higher-ranking ant's head blew apart.
≪You gained experience≫
≪Your Lv. has increased from 22 to 23≫
All right, I leveled up.
Now I could finally unlock my fourth Job.
Haha, yes!
"Take that!"
Rikka-chan then decapitated the last Soldier Ant.
"All right! I leveled up!"
"Don't let your guard down! There are still more coming!"
That's right. Focus.
Those guys didn't matter.
Whatever happened to them was none of my concern.
The path ahead opened up.
"All right, let's run! The underground mall is just ahead!"
"Understood!"
Trying to shake off my distracting thoughts, I ran off with Nishino-kun and the others.
A little earlier—
Kazuto's former-coworker team—Shimizu and the others—were making their way toward the underground mall.
"We've made it this far without any problems..."
"Yes..."
They were probably about halfway between City Hall and the underground mall.
They'd made it this far without encountering any monsters.
Nijo, who had a Detection Skill, carefully scanned their surroundings.
"Looks like we're the first ones here."
"Ha, maybe so."
"P-Please don't let your guard down, everyone."
There were eight people on their team.
They were all former coworkers of hers from the same company.
They'd fought the ants twice after leaving City Hall, but there hadn't been many, and they'd brought plenty of insecticide, so they had dealt with them without difficulty.
Before long, a run-down shopping district came into view.
Their tension naturally began to rise.
Amid the prickly tension, one male staff member spoke up.
"Um... Chief, would it be all right if I had a smoke before we head in?"
"Inoue-kun, honestly..."
Shimizu was exasperated by his suggestion, but glanced at her watch.
The plan was to take up positions at the various entrances to the underground mall and use smoke signals to confirm everyone was safe.
There was no smoke rising from either City Hall's direction or the students' direction.
They had a little time to spare.
"All right. Let's take a short break. But just one cigarette, okay?"
"Thank you. Oh, would you like some?"
The man called Inoue took a plastic bottle out of the backpack he was carrying and handed it to Shimizu.
"Oh, thank you."
"It's no trouble. Carrying things is part of my job, too."
After handing out water to the other members, he lit a cigarette and took a drag.
A coworker who was close to him did the same.
Shimizu and Nijo opened their bottles and each took a sip of water.
"Well, this is where the real battle begins."
"Yes. Mm... We have to do our best."
This was a battle they couldn't afford to lose.
Nijo steeled herself.
Just then, she happened to make eye contact with Inoue, who had given her the water.
He was smoking, but hadn't touched the bottle in his hand at all.
His shadowy gaze was fixed on them.
What was that about? It was almost as if he were waiting for something—
"...Huh?"
Suddenly, her strength drained away.
Her body wouldn't move the way she wanted, and Nijo collapsed to the ground.
"What... is this?"
She was numb and couldn't move.
Chief Shimizu and the others were sprawled on the ground, too.
Only Inoue and his companions, who had handed out the water, were still standing.
"Heh..."
Then Inoue's mouth split into a crescent-shaped grin,
"Heh... Hahaha, ahahahahaha! Ahahahahahaha!"
and he burst into a crazed laugh.
"Man, I never thought it'd be this easy."
"Huh? W-What do you mean, Inoue-san...?"
"What, you still don't get it? Heh. You're stupid, Nijo-chan."
With a splash, Inoue picked up the plastic bottle that had fallen beside Nijo.
"This has 'paralysis poison' in it. A special batch made with this guy's 'Chemical Synthesis' Skill. Anyone without a Paralysis Resistance Skill won't be able to move for about five minutes."
Inoue glanced at one of the men behind him, who was grinning.
He was a man with the same 'Doctor' Job as Shibata.
But she'd never heard of 'Chemical Synthesis' being able to make paralysis poison.
No, the effects of Skills were largely based on what their users claimed. That was especially true of detection and support Skills.
He'd kept it hidden. Until now.
But why?
She found out the answer almost immediately.
"Well, let's get this over with before the poison wears off."
Ignoring Nijo, who was still confused and couldn't make sense of the situation, Inoue pulled a survival knife from his pocket.
Then he slowly walked over to one of his coworkers lying on the ground.
"H-Hey, this is a joke, right...?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Without hesitation, Inoue plunged the blade into his paralyzed coworker's body.
"Aaaaaaaagh!"
His scream echoed around them.
"I-Inoue-kun! What are you doing?! What are you doing?!"
"Just what it loo-oo-oks like, Chief Shimizu..."
With a squelch,
Inoue plunged the blade into the man again.
Twice, then three times. The man shuddered with each stab, then stopped moving.
—He was dead. Just like that.
At that moment, Inoue tilted his head as if wondering about something.
Then he nodded to himself, as if he'd figured it out. "Ah, I see. So that's how it works."
"Well, an unfortunate accident just claimed the life of one of our companions."
"Huh...? W-What are you saying...?"
"Hey, you guys. That's right, isn't it?"
"Yeah, that's right." "Mm-hm, it was an accident." "Couldn't be helped." His companions nodded along.
Shimizu and Nijo stared at them in a daze.
What were they talking about?
"Listen, Chief Shimizu. Our team was unlucky enough to be attacked by a huge swarm of ants."
He spoke gently, as though explaining something to a child.
Inoue toyed with the knife in his hand, then turned his head toward another coworker lying on the ground.
"H-Hii...!"
The man must have understood what was about to happen to him.
He desperately struggled to get away, but it was utterly pointless while he was paralyzed.
Inoue walked over to him, step by step.
"And despite our valiant efforts, two of our coworkers died."
Stab, stab, stab.
He brought the knife down without a moment's hesitation.
The man lay motionless in a pool of blood.
"Just as I thought." Inoue's grin deepened.
"The remaining members barely escaped the crisis and made it back to City Hall. And they all lived happily ever after."
Inoue spread his arms and gazed down at what had once been his coworkers with an ecstatic expression.
"That's the story. Got it?"
"Are you insane...?"
"That's a terrible thing to say. That's discriminatory language."
Wiping the knife with a handkerchief, Inoue smiled pleasantly.
"Now then, Chief Shimizu. Nijo-chan. You have two choices."
He smiled warmly,
"You can die after becoming our toys, or you can become our toys and then survive as our slaves. Which do you prefer?"
He said something that ridiculous.
"D-Don't mess with us!"
"Y-Yes! What happened to you, Inoue-san?! And the rest of you, too?!"
They shouted desperately, but Inoue and the others only gave them creepy smiles.
"Come on, do you people understand the position you're in?"
"That's what I should be asking you! Do you think you'll get away with this?"
"I do."
Inoue declared it matter-of-factly.
"What's the big deal about killing someone in this world? There's no police to arrest us, and no courts to judge us. So why bother holding back? Wouldn't it be better to do whatever you like and live however you want?"
"Right?" Inoue asked his companions for agreement, and they all nodded.
"...A life like that isn't human. You're nothing but beasts."
"Then it's survival of the fittest. Oh, right. I said you had a choice, but you don't actually have one."
When Inoue held out his hand, a strange glowing collar appeared.
"What is that...?"
"It's the Skill 'Subjugation.' Anyone who wears this collar becomes my slave. Everything you say and do will be exactly as I want. Heh. I only got it yesterday, so its level is low, but even so, I can manage two people."
"No... Don't be ridiculous! There's no way a Skill like that exists...!"
"Oh, it exists. Apparently, you normally need to have the advanced Job 'Slave Trader' to get it... Man, I'll never be able to thank that person enough. Now I get to enjoy myself this much. I'll make sure to give you two plenty of affection as our slaves."
At his words, Nijo and Shimizu went pale.
"No... P-Please stop...!"
"Heh! What's with that face, Chief Shimizu? I didn't know you could look like that. Damn, that's really turning me on."
"H-Hey, Inoue, let's hurry up and get this over with. I honestly can't hold back anymore."
"M-Me neither."
"Let's get to it already. I've been dreaming of the day I could do this with you two."
Then their hands reached toward the two women.
Paralyzed and unable to move, they had no way to resist.
(Why...? Why is this happening...?)
Nijo couldn't believe what was happening right before her eyes.
One of Inoue's companions went behind her and forcibly pulled her to her feet.
"Well, let's start with Nijo-chan."
The collar in Inoue's hand moved toward her.
Her Skills and instincts immediately understood. What he'd said was true.
The moment he put that collar on her, she would no longer be herself.
Just as he said, she'd become his slave—no, his puppet.
The thought made her whole body tremble with fear.
"Ah... Ah..."
Was her life really going to end here...?
Without understanding why, without ever seeing the person she loved, would she become their slave?
Absolutely not—!
"Aaaaah!"
The moment the collar—and Inoue's hand—came close to her face, Nijo summoned the last of her strength and bit down on his finger.
"Aaaaagh! L-Let go! You bitch!"
"Uuuuuuuugh!"
She wouldn't let go. Inoue's companions desperately tried to pull her off.
She clamped down with all her might—and bit Inoue's finger off!
She spat it out. The taste of blood filled her mouth. Serves him right.
"You...! You little bitch! I'll kill you!"
"Ah! Ah, gah!"
He punched her. Again, and again, and again.
"Is the paralysis wearing off? Ah, damn it! You killed the mood... That hurts, shit!"
"H-Hey... Inoue, are you okay? Should we get that treated...?"
"Shut up! Keep your mouth shut!"
Inoue made the collar appear again.
Unlike before, she wasn't letting her guard down. And now her body wouldn't move at all.
This time, she had no way to fight back.
But she wouldn't give up... No, she didn't want to give up.
She would survive, no matter what, and see that person again.
"Help... me..."
"Huh?"
"Help me, Kazuto-senpai!"
"—All right."
She heard a voice that shouldn't have been possible.
The next moment, Inoue went flying in a wide arc.
"...Huh?"
An idiotic sound escaped her before she could stop it.
What had happened?
She turned her gaze and finally realized that Inoue had been punched away.
Then she saw who had appeared, and her eyes went wide.
Inoue's companions—and even Chief Shimizu—stared blankly at the person who had appeared.
"Ah..."
She'd wanted to see him. Wanted to see him so badly.
She'd pictured him over and over, until she could hardly keep herself from crying.
Maybe he was already dead.
Maybe she'd never see him again.
Even so, she hadn't wanted to give up.
"—Senpai..."
At last, they were together again.
Once more, in this hell.
With the man who had given her the warmth of a patch of sunlight.
As tears fell from her eyes, she spoke his name.
"—Kazuto-senpai!"
The man she'd been waiting for all this time stood there.