episode_0013

Before I caused a riot on the third floor, I frantically moved the third clone on the second floor.

No, in fact, it felt as if the clone was moving on its own. As if it had an autonomous will.

The researchers didn’t come in my direction, perhaps having other things to do.

A moment later, I—that is, Clone 3—moved to a large room where the beasts were stored.

The entrance to the beast enclosures, where the beasts were trapped, was blocked by a thick, large iron door due to their danger. The laboratory would retrieve the cages containing the beasts from here and deploy them to the testing grounds whenever needed.

‘Good. Shall I open it now?’

I swiped the key card. A heavy mechanical hum echoed through the corridor, and with the sound of pulleys moving, the door slid open to both sides.

As the sound of air escaping, like a whale exhaling, reached my ears, a pungent stench assailed my nose. The smell reminded me of a livestock farm.

In the dimly lit room, only the sound of sleeping beasts growling could be heard.

‘They happened to be sleeping.’

I crept forward and began unlocking the beast cages one by one with the card. I could feel the beasts’ rough breathing right in front of me. I was very nervous.

Immediately after unlocking all the cage entrances, I realized something important, belatedly.

‘Wait, how do I wake them up now?’

I could wake them by provoking them. But if I ran away with my slow footsteps, I’d be caught and killed before I could retrieve and dispel the clone.

Of course, the ‘me’ here is Clone 3, so I wouldn’t truly die, but it would hurt a lot. The main body and other clones would also feel the pain.

And it would be better to make it look like an accidental escape to confuse the lab. That would reduce the time they have to suspect someone intentionally caused the breakout.

It would be great if I could use a pushover researcher as bait.

Just then, I heard someone approaching.

I peeked my head out the beast enclosure door and spotted a familiar face.

‘Ah! It’s that slicked-back hair guy who electrocuted me!’

He’s trash who’s been bothering me, always with that ponytail guy as a 1+1 set!

Conveniently, I had the electric shock collar that had been removed from the main body. I quickly transferred it to Clone 3’s hand. I held the collar in one hand and the switch in the other.

“Strange…? Did no one properly lock up the beast enclosure when they left for the day?”

I waited in the corner of the enclosure, and the moment he approached the entrance, I lunged for his legs.

“Gah! What the—?”

While he was sprawled on the ground, disoriented, I quickly fastened the electric collar onto his leg. I just placed it there and pressed a button, and it latched on automatically. Good performance.

“Wait? You’re 10-6-8! What are you doing here?!…”

While the slicked-back hair guy was still processing the situation, I gave one of the cages in the corner of the beast enclosure a hard kick and ran out. A loud clanging sound filled the room.

-Growl…! -Hooowwwl… -Meoooww…! -Roar!

I crouched at a safe distance and watched. One by one, the beasts, disturbed from their deep sleep, began to wake. When one cried out, several more followed, howling in a chain reaction like dominoes.

“Huh…? Huh…? What in the…?”

The slicked-back hair researcher, looking towards the dark beast enclosure, fearfully backed away slowly. He seemed to be trying not to provoke the beasts.

However, what if I used the power of electric stimulation?

-Zap!

First, I gave him the lowest voltage.

“Aaaaargh!! Cough..!”

He crashed backward, falling with a thud. The beasts, hearing his scream, became agitated and started walking out of their cages.

“My leg? Why is this on me?! Ah! No! Stay back!”

The slicked-back hair guy, terrified, got up and started running in the opposite direction from where I was. As expected, he’s an adult male, so he runs quite well. The beasts instinctively chased after the researcher.

When he had run a suitable distance, I adjusted the switch setting to maximum and pressed the button.

“I won’t forget the grudge of you electrocuting me!”

-CRACKLE!

“Yaaaargh!”

A bolt of pain struck the slicked-back hair guy’s leg like lightning. He screamed and fell, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

The first thing the terrified, fallen man faced was a wolf-like beast, a Skullkit.

“Aagh…ugh… Good boy? Go away! Please go away! No!”

“Grrrrrowl!”

Here’s a setting from 『Crimson Scholar』,

Skullkits like the flesh of cowards.

“Hel…KAAARGH!”

The slicked-back hair guy’s desperate scream echoed throughout the laboratory.

“What? That scream? What’s going on?”

“It’s a beast! A beast has escaped! Emergency! Emergency!”

The slicked-back hair guy happened to be running in the direction of many people.

The beasts, having tasted blood, now had their eyes crazed and began to charge at people. Immediately, sirens blared throughout the entire laboratory.

“Well then, I should retreat now.”

Just then, the main body smashed Ponytail’s skull.

I retrieved Clone 3.

I was retrieved.

***

Immediately after the elevator doors opened, Kalia turned pale, looking at the chaotic second floor.

There was a blend of screams, gunfire, explosions, noise, and commotion all rolled into one.

A researcher, who had been firing a rifle at a tentacle that flew in from one side of the room, was dragged away, screaming. A guard with an axe struggled with a humanoid beast that swung mantis-like forelimbs, and someone else was dancing as they burned.

“Hey… Violet… What exactly did you do?”

“I told you earlier, I’d unleash the beasts!”

“I thought you meant you’d just unchain one or two of them at most.”

We stepped out of the elevator, and the lab personnel recognized us.

“Why are those elevator doors opening…? Are those test subjects?”

“No! They’re escaping!”

“It’s Kalia Blaze! That pink-haired bitch has escaped!”

“What?! Dammit…! Call the Team Leader-nim!”

The guards saw us and immediately opened fire.

I quickly pushed the pig researcher forward.

“Ah! No! I’m a research team employee! Don’t shoot! Aaaaargh!”

He fell, riddled with holes. Thanks to him, I and the others gained time to duck or hide.

From around the corner of the wall, our gaze went towards the elevator going to the first floor, beyond the corridor.

“Seriously, wouldn’t it be great if we could just go straight down in one go?”

“Kalia, I’m sorry! One elevator can only go to one floor at a time. It’s a security measure.”

“You said you’d wait for the Brotherhood members, but you’re really doing whatever you want…”

“Originally, I was planning to hide and buy time until the Brotherhood members did something, you know? Now I don’t know anymore. Let’s just smash everything and get out!”

Kalia clutched her head.

“Violet… I’ll go first, just follow behind me. Got it?”

I created both Clone 2 and Clone 3 and stuck close behind her.

Bright purple flames erupted across Kalia’s entire body. Large and small flames flickered up and down, like petals blooming and falling.

‘So that’s Kalia’s unique ability.’

The floor Kalia stepped on cracked and crumpled with a crunching sound. She charged.

“That bitch is coming! She’s coming!”

The guard who first screamed at us aimed his submachine gun.

There was no time to aim, so he fired from the hip.

RAT-A-TAT-TAT! Bullets poured down like rain, or rather, they should have.

Too late. The muzzle that should have been aimed at us was held by Kalia’s left arm, pointing at the ceiling.

At the same time, her right fist, engulfed in flames, struck him in the solar plexus. BANG! With a small explosion, the guard flew backward, his chest caved in. It was a clean blow.

“Aargh! Die!”

Right behind him, a horrified researcher fired a shotgun. BANG! BANG! I felt thick projectiles whiz past my head.

One of the test subjects was hit and screamed.

Kalia realized that if she dodged, people would get hit.

She crossed her arms in an ‘X’ shape and stepped into the line of fire. Two more gunshots rang out, and fierce flames erupted from her arms.

I saw heavy slug rounds bounce off. Kalia’s leg swung into the researcher’s side. He bent sideways and slammed into the wall. The shotgun, dropped from his hand, flew into the air.

-CLANG!

Kalia sensed something strange and stepped back. A mace glowing with white light flew into the spot where her head had just been.

An awakened guard ambushed her, smashing through the partition next to the corridor. As she retreated, she kicked the falling gun up with her foot. She grabbed the shotgun in a reverse grip.

The flames from her arm spread along the barrel to the stock. The surface of the shotgun, consumed by fire, cracked like red spiderwebs.

Unyielding Flame, Kalia Blaze’s unique ability. Its effect is simple: the flames generated from her body enhance her physique and any objects she holds. The accompanying incineration ability is secondary.

Though a simple ability, its power is deadly.

She spun her entire body and struck the head of the charging guard with the gun stock.

-POW!

The awakened guard’s head half-exploded, and flames burst forth.

I gasped in horror, my mouth agape. This is insane…!

As the headless body thrashed, she hoisted the corpse onto her shoulder and threw it forward.

“Aargh!”

“Where’s the guard captain?! Argh!”

The armed researchers rushing forward were hit by the flying corpse and tumbled like bowling pins.

She advanced like a single lancer cutting through the chaos. Anything that blocked her path, be it a guard or a beast, was crushed.

I scurried diligently after her.

I exclaimed excitedly.

“As expected! Kalia is! Strong!!”

“Stop with the useless, talk!!”

“Let’s smash everything and GOOOOO!”

Looking back, the other test subjects were also following, enacting their deserved violence.

“Revenge! You scientists!”

“Agh! Stop hitting me!”

“Die! Just die!”

“Kyaaah!”

The target elevator appeared before our eyes.

“Wait! Why is that locked?”

Of the three elevator doors in the lobby, all but one were sealed by fire doors.

Even the last remaining door wouldn’t open when I swiped the key card.

There was a researcher nearby being beaten by a test subject, so I went and pointed my gun at him.

“Aaaaargh! Don’t shoot! I’m sorry! Please save me!”

“Hey! You! Why won’t that open?! I won’t shoot, just answer!”

“The lockdown system! The emergency lockdown system is active! That door! That elevator can’t be opened now unless it’s by the lab director-nim or the guard captain’s authority!”

“What?”

What, something like this existed? We’re stuck here?

The test subjects who heard that were flustered.

“Damn it! We can’t get out of here?”

“No! This isn’t real…!”

Kalia calmly asked the researcher.

“Then, where are the lab director or the guard captain now? Surely not on a lower floor, right?”

“I don’t know! Agh! Don’t hit me! The lab director-nim was on this floor! Until just a moment ago…!”

Anger surged within me, and I struck his head with the pistol grip. The researcher fainted.

But from the right, a group of people were cautiously approaching.

“Enemies?”

As I prepared to fight again, I saw a middle-aged man with an impressively shiny scalp among them.

“Damn it! What in the world is going on?”

“When are reinforcements arriving? Where’s the guard captain?”

The lab director was cautiously approaching with armed researchers.

“The guard captain is coming up now! Reinforcements are with him, so just wait a little longer!”

“Kalia! That’s the director!”

Kalia charged again like an arrow.

“Stop right there! Baldy!”

“What?! Who are you people?! Don’t come near! What are you doing?! Protect me! Uh-uh-uh-uh…?!”

The researchers scattered to the left and right like an ebbing tide, dropping their guns and fleeing.

“Aaaaargh! Director-nim, I’m sorry!”

The terrified bald man pulled a pistol from inside his gown, but Kalia immediately grabbed him and snatched it away.

I took him over and dragged him to the front of the elevator.

“10-6-8? Kalia Blaze? So it was you bitches! Who caused this mess…!”

“Shut up and open this door, Baldy! You said you could open it!”

“Funny! Do you think you can get out like this? You’ll never get out! Do you think Raphlaxia is some neighborhood convenience store? You’re all dead!”

Kalia grabbed the babbling bald man by the neck and threatened him in a low, growling voice.

“Hey, if you can’t open it, you die.”

“Ah… Wait! I didn’t say I *couldn’t* open it… Calm down! Calm… Ow…”

One of the test subject men behind us suddenly pointed at the elevator.

“Wait! Look at that!”

On the elevator display panel, which had been off moments before, an upward arrow signal indicating it was ascending had lit up.

The elevator was coming up. Now that I looked, the fire doors were also retracting.

“It’s moving…?”

I looked at the bald man, and he tightly closed his mouth, as if trying to suppress a laugh.

“Hey! What’s that? Why is it moving…? Who’s inside…”

With an ominous feeling, we looked at the door.

A light chime rang out. The elevator arrived.

“…Violet, take care of that director.”

“What?”

The elevator doors opened.

Thump, thump, the floor vibrated.

From inside the elevator, a giant in black combat gear, wearing a helmet that obscured his face, stepped out.

“Huh…?”

“Run!”

Kalia pushed me and the lab director away from the entrance.

A sledgehammer swung in a wide arc.

-CRASH!

With a loud boom, Kalia was sent flying towards me and collapsed on the floor.

“Kalia!”

I was about to rush to her, trembling and spitting blood from her mouth, but I froze at the sound of the floor rumbling.

I trembled as I looked at him. It was an Ogre.

“Deal with them all.”

From behind the Ogre, heavily armed guards poured out of the elevator.

-RAT-A-TAT-TAT!

“Aaaaargh!”

“Noooo!”

“Help me!! Aaaaargh!”

The guard soldiers sprayed automatic rifle fire.

Test subjects who hadn’t managed to escape fell to the floor.

Bullets struck the head of a test subject who was crawling on the floor.

Bullets lodged in the backs of fleeing people.

Meanwhile, awakened guards wielding swords and maces rushed inside. Screams and noise spread from where they entered.

“Hahahaha! The guard captain’s here! Save me! Haha…Ow!”

The bald man burst into laughter. I hit him on the head.

When the bald director screamed, their attention turned our way.

I tearfully aimed the pistol at the director’s head. I also didn’t forget to use Clones 2 and 3 to pull Kalia towards me.

“Don’t move! If you move, this guy dies!”

“Foolish stunt.”

The Ogre dismissed it. Some of the guards who had been clearing the lab came and aimed their rifles at us.

I desperately pulled the trigger, shooting the director in the shoulder.

-BANG! BANG!

“Aaaaargh!”

“I told you not to move! Otherwise, the director dies! Do you want to see this guy die? Back off!”

“Ugh… That’s right! I’ll die! Hey! Team Leader-nim! Calm down for a moment! Aaaaargh! Stop!”

Using the director’s pain as a shield, I retreated. With every step back, the Ogre and the guards advanced.

The noose was slowly tightening.

I need to think. Where was the closest room near the elevator?

Calm down. Two lives are on the line.

It was a room packed with wires. Right, the ventilation shaft.

I remembered.

I quickly dragged the director into the room near the elevator entrance and locked the door.

“Don’t come in! If you do, your director dies! Got it? If you want to see your boss die, act wisely!”

“That’s right! Guard Captain-nim! Aaaaargh! Think! Agh! Wisely!”