Chapter 2. Encounters and Opportunities (11)

Although I stumbled a bit when a rock caught my foot, I was able to arrive before it was too late.

He was covered in blood… but he didn’t seem to be a lowest-tier Hunter. His injuries were much better than when I last saw Lee Si-yoon.

Of course, it’s only better in that his facial skin wasn’t peeled off and his limbs were relatively intact, but if left as is, he would die. It’s uncertain whether he would survive even with holy water.

Slowly, light that illuminated me from the sky flowed down.

…I know, I know.

In this situation, I can’t just stand by and watch.

I placed my hand on the injured person’s body and closed my eyes.

…Even if I don’t ask for help, the divine power will flow out anyway.

Because that’s the kind of being you are. Well, at least you haven’t ‘screwed me over’ like that so far. If I become arrogant and go around boasting about being a Saint, I don’t know what will happen then, but at least for now.

I wasn’t the only one running towards the injured person.

It was natural to hear sounds of surprise from around me upon seeing the dazzling light. Among them was something like a woman’s scream. It was heard from quite far behind, so I couldn’t tell who screamed-

And then, soon after, a scream that was a little different from a human scream was heard.

Is it the sound of a beast? No, it’s a little different from that. It’s a more chilling sound than any wild animal I’ve seen so far.

-A monkey?

When I thought it sounded similar to the cry of a primate-

Human screams were heard again. The voices of men and women were mixed together. And, from beyond the gate again, red things flew.

The things that fell with dull sounds were people, and parts of people.

And, among them, there were also things like animal hides. Parts of feline beasts, resembling tigers or lions, that were large in size.

However, their size was large.

What did Ria say on the way here?

Did she tell me to think of a bear the size of an elephant?

……That’s not the size of an elephant, but it looks like the size of a rhinoceros-

“…No.”

I quickly shook my head. Then, as I got up from my spot, I stumbled a little.

And I ran again.

Towards the closest red light.

“…Ah.”

……This person is impossible. They were in a state that couldn’t possibly be alive.

To the next red light.

It was a part of a person. There was nothing I could do with just a leg, even with divine power.

Then-

“……”

As I was trying to get up, someone grabbed my arm.

Just like before, my body was spun around.

Ria was looking at me.

Her expression was much angrier than when I spoke to Lee Si-yoon.

“Where are you going-“

Instead of answering, I pointed with my finger. Not to an ambiguous location, but to the next person stained bright red.

Ria was speechless at my action.

She was already holding a sword in one hand, but Ria hadn’t managed to put on armor. That was natural, of course. Just a moment ago, she was wearing a nun’s habit.

The veil had long since fallen from Ria’s head.

When I unconsciously raised my hand, I realized I didn’t have a veil on my head either.

“Wait, wait a minute…!”

Sophie shouted as she ran towards me. There were knights around her. Some looked like they were considering whether to pull Sophie back, looking at her.

“Sister, that side is closer to the gate!”

Seeing her run with a look of horror, despite trying to provoke me, she seems to have a Saint-like personality.

Well, even the other candidate who came here and I haven’t met, one of us will become a Saint if I’m not around. To do that, they must have at least minimal consciousness.

No, didn’t they say there are quite a lot in reality? Since there are two more nearby, it wouldn’t be strange to think there are about a hundred nationwide.

“That way, Sister.”

I pointed in the opposite direction of where I was trying to run.

“You go that way.”

“Yes?”

“There are many injured people.”

I said only that and looked back at Ria.

“…Tsk.”

Ria wiped her face and let go of my hand.

“Wait here for a moment. If anything happens, hide behind the Hunters. I’ll be back in the car for a bit.”

“Alright.”

As Ria ran off quickly, I also ran towards the patient.

Kneeling down, almost sliding on the floor, I confirmed that the person was still breathing and poured divine power into them.

People were pouring out of the building. Hunters who had briefly retreated, and Hunters who were being treated for injuries. Clergy who were taking care of people inside.

Seeing a few knights coming out with them, it seemed like another Saint Candidate was taking care of people inside.

I raised my hand towards the approaching Hunters and shouted.

“Gather the injured! As close as possible, quickly!”

The Hunters, trained to move as efficiently as possible in such situations, heard my words and quickly spread out in all directions. The clergy also dispersed towards those Hunters. Presumably, if they weren’t on the verge of death, they could at least stop the bleeding with the holy water and divine power they possessed.

As I confirmed that the person I treated was still breathing and got up, I stumbled a little.

“Tsk.”

It was a moment that required maximum efficiency, and although I tried my best to maximize efficiency, the amount of divine power didn’t seem to be something that could be divided and used so efficiently-

“—–!”

Once again, a chilling roar was heard from behind me.

I, and everyone else present- turned their heads towards the source of the sound without realizing it.

The gate looked like thinly spread mercury. Its surface shimmered faintly in the light, and in my memory, it actually rippled like the surface of a liquid when touched.

And, that gate surface was wildly churning.

Bang!

A sound like something being struck was heard,

“Damn it!”

Someone’s voice was heard.

And, something flew in from beyond the gate. Unfamiliar equipment. Strictly speaking, it was like a large communication device that might be found in a field headquarters in a war movie, but for some reason, it was flying towards me from beyond the gate as if it had been kicked by something.

Foolishly, I lay down on top of the patient.

Did I think the patient would be safer if I covered them with my body? I’m not sure-

But before it could reach me, it split in half.

Bang!

It slid across the floor, forming a V shape with me and the patient in the middle.

“……Haa.”

As I let out a breath seeing that sight and lifted my head, my eyes met someone’s, and I froze.

“……”

Ria.

Ria was holding a sword in one hand and the shield I used in the other.

Although she had a lot she wanted to say, Ria didn’t bother to speak it out loud.

“……Well, it’s partly my fault.”

Ria muttered as if, and placed the shield in front of me.

“I couldn’t bring a gun. But… you learned, right? How to protect yourself with a shield. I can’t block that thing beyond the gate, but…”

“At least it can block falling debris. Thank you, Ria.”

“……I’m your knight.”

Ria closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened her mouth.

“So, where are you going?”

“First-“

“Sister!”

Someone called me.

Turning my head, I saw Lee Si-yoon, along with other Hunters, pulling the injured away from the gate.

“First, let’s go over there.”

As I got up from my spot, other Hunters ran towards us and dragged away the unconscious patient.

“—–!”

As soon as I started running, again, something screamed.

Thump.

This time, the ground trembled.

Once again, I looked towards the gate. And I almost stopped in my tracks.

What was coming out from beyond it was a giant. No, it wasn’t human. It looked like a monkey.

A monkey wearing tiger hides, specifically, hides of tigers much larger than we know, woven together haphazardly on its head.

What was woven from several tiger hides, crudely mimicking a tiger’s face, looked like a beast version of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre I saw as a child.

It was twisting its body forcefully from inside the gate, trying to come out, with something that looked like it could snatch a person’s waist with one hand and chew it with its mouth.

“My God, a Rank 2 Hunter…”

Seeing what was ‘held’ in that hand, someone muttered.

At those words, goosebumps spread across my back.

They say Rank 1 is equivalent to a Hero, but that doesn’t mean Rank 2 is a low rank. From Rank 3 onwards, they already possess abilities that wouldn’t be strange even if they weren’t human.

…….

I couldn’t help but glance at Lee Si-yoon.

How on earth did that guy survive in this situation…?

No, that’s not right.

Still, there was hope.

The tiger hides were torn in various places, and blood was seeping out from between them. At least, that’s not a demon. If so.

Bang-!

A sound was heard, and the monster screamed again.

“Do you think I’ll just let you go!?”

A voice was heard from inside the gate.

Yes, there’s still a Rank 1 Hunter inside. Even though there were casualties, the situation could still be contained.

“Ria!”

“Uh, yeah…!”

As I shouted, Ria, startled belatedly, followed me.

I ran with all my might towards the injured person, from whom the smell of blood was strongly emanating.

Stopping that was not our job.

At least, it’s not something I can do.

So, for now, I’ll save the people in front of me.

Without even scattering the light falling on my head, that’s all I was thinking.