episode_0020

It’s been three days since I’ve been hiding in Eli.

I met Alessia’s old acquaintances, collected information about the target, and waited at the location where they were most likely to appear, but for two days I was in vain.

“Director, I may be rude, but I wonder if the target escaped?”

Alessia asked cautiously.

“Why do you think that?”

“That… I think we acted too loudly.”

As Alessia said, we acted too loudly for two days to be called an undercover.

This is clearly the main territory of the Rud Zetas. There are eyes and ears everywhere, and it can be said that everyone who makes a living here is dependent on the Zetas.

In that situation, did you steal information about the target from Alessia’s acquaintances, acquaintances who didn’t seem particularly close?

The Zetas would have noticed this already, and it would have reached the target’s ears.

“You are right. Just about half.”

“I’m glad I got half of it right.”

Is that a good thing?

“Target will not run away. If that guy is who I expected.”

All my actions are based on the hypothesis that the target is ‘that person’.

Since I am now in the stage of testing this hypothesis, I also need to act clearly so that if I am going to be wrong, I will be sure to be wrong.

“Therefore, I will pass today’s undercover and stay at the dorm. There is going to be a welcome party.”

“Yes..? Director, I don’t understand.”

Hey, it’s annoying.

Mariela understood if I pretended, so I didn’t have to bother explaining.

“We are currently the only guests staying in this accommodation. Plus, it’s located in a fairly deserted place. The reason I chose this lodging was not simply for hiding. It’s for throwing rice cakes.”

“…Do you mean rice cake?”

“Yes, rice cake. It’s a piece of cake that I have no choice but to bite. When we first checked in, the owner checked our faces under the pretext of verifying our identity, right? They must have already found out that the Director of the Management Bureau is here.”

“……I don’t understand.”

“Just say it’s okay and move on.”

The target has information about the management station. Of course, you know that there is only one male director in the management bureau, and you also know that the director has a very special appearance.

There is a 99.99% chance that the owner of this place is also a member of the Zetas, and since such handsome and beautiful foreigners came to a sparsely populated lodging, of course they would have sold us out.

What if we add in the fact that we wandered around looking for targets?

He will figure out that I am the Director of the Management Bureau.

The purpose of the target is to hit the management station.

But what if the director of the management bureau, who was usually hidden away, personally came to their living room? And that with only three subordinates?

Even if I can’t eat this, I have to say it.

“The check-out time for the accommodation is 10 a.m. tomorrow. So the only chance is today.”

“…What opportunity are you talking about?”

“I told you earlier. There will be a welcome party. Today or else the Zetas don’t have time.”

Do you give up on food that looks good to eat, or will you bite the rice cake I throw at you even if it looks like a trap?

From my perspective, the opportunities are endless thanks to Retry, so I will take a bite, but other humans only have one chance, so they can be cautious.

Of course, it doesn’t really matter even if you don’t bite the rice cake. There are many ways to make the target come out.

From my perspective, it is a low risk, high return game with nothing to lose.

“…Zetas? Welcome party..? Ah..!”

Alessia nodded, perhaps finally understanding.

“Then, I will stand by armed.”

“Good.”

Well, the two monsters here will take care of it anyway, so there’s no need for Alessia to step forward.

*

*

Around 10 p.m.

The first person to notice was Bir.

“Master, I’m here. There are approximately 30 people.”

“Less? Is he an interrogator or an elite soldier?”

As I peeked outside through the gap in the curtains, I saw people moving around busily.

‘He’s holding a gun. ‘It’s a lie.’

Guns, which should be scary in real life, are not that scary in this worldview.

Of course, guns are powerful weapons here too. An ordinary person can be killed anywhere with one shot, and even most superhumans cannot ignore a bullet.

However, guns are completely ineffective against superhumans who have surpassed a certain level, such as Vir and Kuen.

In addition, soldiers who have received intensive combat training like Alessia can also fight against many people with guns.

I don’t really know how that’s possible. Because this game’s worldview is sick to begin with.

In any case, picking up a gun means that they treated us as nobodies, at best not even on the level of Alessia.

“Quen, wake up.”

“Ugh—cancer. I didn’t sleep–”

Even drooling.

“Can you feel the situation outside?”

“Hmm—there are a lot of people–?”

Kuen sat down, closed his eyes for a moment, and immediately recognized the situation.

It’s amazing how on earth they recognize that presence.

“It’s a gift. I’m giving it to you to tell you to do well in the future.”

“Seonmuul–? Suddenly this–?”

“Why don’t you like it?”

“No~ It’s so good~”

Kuen’s eyes, which had been half-asleep, came to life.

“Hey – I just have to kill them all, huh?”

“Keep at least one guy alive so he can talk. Take care of the rest.”

“Yay–”

Kuen’s eyes turn red.

This is a symptom that appears when entering an acceleration state.

“Zeek is definitely the best, even preparing a gift like this.”

Like an excited child, Kuen quickly packed up the party supplies.

In one hand, a long kitchen knife resembling a sashimi knife,

In his other hand, Kuen’s special weapon, a giant pair of scissors.

Scissors as tall as you, about 1.5m long.

There is no special decoration, it just looks like an enlarged piece of iron scissors with the proportions adjusted.

The only characteristic is that the blade starts out thick and becomes thinner toward the end.

“Then I’ll come back.”

Kuen opened the window and sat down on the window sill.

And when he looked at me, he smiled and gave a slight wink.

“Go quickly.”

“I’m embarrassed.”

Kuen jumped out of the window.

“Master, 5 people are coming. Everyone is armed.”

“Hmm… I told Kuen to save one person… If you can subdue it, subdue it. So that I can just talk.”

“Okay.”

Bir also jumped out the window.

In the room where Alessia and I were alone.

“I will protect you, Director.”

Alessia said with a serious expression, holding a pistol in her hand.

“Take it easy, it’s still just a taste stage. The night is long.”

It feels like I’m playing some sort of defense game.

*

*

My dad told me when I was young.

Colors exist in all things in the world.

Each person perceives beauty in different colors, but everyone lives to color the world with those beautiful colors.

I couldn’t understand it at the time.

Because I have never seen such a beautiful color before.

Living in a black and white world, the first color I saw was red.

A red-colored liquid that came from a dying animal that I happened to see.

Blood taught me what beauty is.

I killed animals to see blood again.

Instead of stopping me, my father told me the rules I must follow.

Do not kill animals that should not be killed.

Don’t kill too many.

Never get caught.

Humans were among the animals that should not be killed.

When I asked the reason, my father said.

‘People should not kill people.’

I didn’t understand it, but I just memorized it.

Because what my dad says is always right.

But the most beautiful blood I’ve ever seen was human blood.

My father was bleeding beautifully and dying in front of me.

My dad, who taught me a lot and loved me.

It was a shame that such a father died, but

Dad’s blood was so beautiful.

Didn’t they say that people shouldn’t kill people?

But why did that man kill my father?

People should not kill people.

But that man killed my father.

Dad was always right.

And my dad has never killed anyone.

Then there is only one answer.

‘That man is not human.’

Humans are animals that should not be killed.

But that man is not human.

Then I can kill you, right?

The world I faced outside the fence of being a father was so interesting.

A world where people and human-like animals live together.

It was a world full of things to kill.

My father told me that I shouldn’t let others catch me killing animals.

And he taught me how to avoid getting caught by investigators.

My father, who was a former investigator, knew that well, but

I was stupider and more immature than my father.

Eventually, an investigator came to see me after discovering an animal corpse that had not been disposed of properly.

I shouldn’t have been caught.

That’s the rule.

The investigators couldn’t kill him because he was human.

I was drawn to them and was thinking of a way to end a life without my only entertainment.

But they didn’t capture me or kill me.

Instead, he gave me money and praised me.

He handed me a piece of paper and told me to tell him after I killed him next time.

The paper was a wanted letter,

The face of the animal I had killed was drawn on it.

There were animals in the world that were okay to kill.

And a lot of it.

*

*

“… What is this… ”

I heard it was dangerous, but I didn’t know it would be this bad.

That woman, no, that monster appeared among us out of nowhere.

Holding a strange pair of scissors, he moved at an invisible speed and killed more than 20 people in an instant.

A corpse with its entire body crushed by a handle, a corpse with its limbs cut off and dying from excessive bleeding, a corpse with its abdomen cut off and its internal organs spilling out, and a corpse with its entire body mangled.

Among all the corpses, there is no one that died cleanly ‘instantly’.

Even though he was dealing with so many people, he played with them one by one leisurely.

And the only living person is me, who has not yet become a corpse, with the tendons in my limbs severed.

I realized this instinctively.

Those who are already dead are better than me.

From now on, all I have left to do is beg to be killed.

“Umm— Those who entered the building— Vir will take care of it—?”

The woman looked around and spoke slowly to herself.

Then he turned to me and said with a smile.

“So, what should we do now?”

Only then could I see the woman’s face.

Her beautiful appearance was completely incongruous with such terrible tragedy.

However, a cruel madness that could not be hidden even with such a beautiful appearance was reflected through both eyes.

“Monster… monster… ”

“Umm–? Are you saying I’m a monster?”

The woman shook her head lightly.

“No~ I am a human—.”

Her eyes began to turn red again.

Just like when there was a brutal massacre just moments ago.

And the slow tone of speech became so fast that you could almost miss it.

“I’ve never killed anyone yet.”

I let out a hollow laugh at her last words.

“…Crazy bitch.”

Eyes that don’t waver even an inch.

This woman truly did not treat us like people.