The World Eater – 2

‘Is there some way?’

I fell into thought, watching the World Eater’s eyes turn black again. If things continued like this, my memories would truly be read.

And we’d all die together, amicably.

What was even more disheartening was the fact that it was doubtful whether that guy would retreat even if we experienced a forced defeat event, just as it happened in the game.

The reason the World Eater, who had almost killed the protagonist in their first encounter, obediently retreated was because it had read the protagonist’s memories and realized it had misunderstood.

But now, from the moment my memories were read by that guy, it was as good as over. Because it would unconditionally try to kill any human who knew its secret.

‘It probably won’t just unleash its breath without warning….’

At first, the pattern I worried about most was its breath, but as my worries gradually subsided and I was able to calmly analyze the situation, my thoughts changed. I realized it wouldn’t immediately unleash its breath and kill me.

Having lived for an incredibly long time and accumulated an enormous amount of knowledge during that period, that guy had said with its own mouth that it was quite starved for new knowledge.

Indeed, in the first encounter, when it read the protagonist’s memories, if the protagonist had visited Hell, the DLC region, the cutscene would change, making the memory-reading time a little longer as it remarked on having visited an interesting place.

It was the same now. Hadn’t it personally led its colossal body all the way to the Empire’s capital, flying there to meet me, a human who had defeated a god-abandoned creature?

It seemed its nature hadn’t changed here either, so there was a high probability it wouldn’t just unleash its breath without warning until it figured out how I, a human, had killed the god-abandoned creature.

That guy also knew very well how powerful its breath was, and it also knew very well that a normal human would evaporate without even leaving ashes the moment they were hit.

No matter how mighty and powerful the World Eater’s strength was, it couldn’t read the memories of a human burned to nothing but ash.

It was an opportunity to acquire new knowledge, and it wouldn’t kick that away with its own feet.

“You ask why I attacked? Obviously, it’s because you were trying to do something suspicious.”

For now, I had to buy some time until a suitable method came to mind. With that thought, I opened my mouth. At my words, the World Eater’s massive body hesitated for a moment.

The body of the mana human, created for conversation, returned to its original state. Its severed head reattached, and the eyes and mouth that had sprouted on the back of its head disappeared. The regenerated body staggered and walked over.

It was a good sign, meaning there was still room to resolve things with words.

“What were you trying to do to me just now?”

“I will …… look into …… your memories.”

“My memories? Why?”

Unlike the momentum from a moment ago, as if it would attack any second, it was obediently answering my questions. The thought, ‘Perhaps it would pass without a fight,’ flashed through my mind.

“It is to know …… the method …… by which you killed …… the god-abandoned creature.”

“Then you should have at least spoken to me first. You suddenly made your eyes glow without warning, so I thought you were going to do something, and that’s why I cut off your head.”

“Words……?”

The mana human’s mouth stopped moving.

And then, the main body began to move.

Its head slowly lowered towards the ground. Its body crouched, and its neck settled down, becoming level with the floor. The distance between us closed in an instant.

An enormously colossal head, with one eyeball similar to my height and teeth far larger than me, was thrust forward to within a few steps of where I stood.

ㅡThat’s presumptuous talk…… human…….

A tearing noise assaulted me.

Even though I knew it was useless since it was directly pushing thoughts into my head, I reflexively covered my ears. A high-pitched ringing sound, Piiiiii-, surged through my ears. My legs involuntarily staggered.

I gritted my teeth. Even though it was merely that guy’s voice reverberating in my head, my body felt like it would collapse at any moment. I forcibly put strength into my legs, which were losing power and about to give out, and endured.

It was just one conversation, yet its aftereffects ceaselessly churned through my head. My entire body ached, wondering how much power it had poured into just one word.

Or perhaps, for that guy, that was just a normal conversation.

ㅡIf you haven’t grasped it…… I will make you realize…….

As soon as I heard those words, my mind snapped awake.

The words it had just uttered were perfectly identical to the line the World Eater spoke right before initiating combat in its first encounter with the protagonist.

The sight of the mana human scattering into the air came into view. The fact that it had dispersed that meant it had no intention of conversing further. The slight hope I had harbored scattered along with it.

I clutched my head, which was ringing like crazy, with one hand and staggered, bracing myself. It had uttered such words and even destroyed the mana human, so combat was inevitable.

If so, no matter what the outcome, I must at least fulfill the conditions for the forced defeat event.

I don’t even hope for things to proceed as they did in the game now, but it would be much better than doing nothing when an opportunity presented itself.

The dragon still had its head lowered to the ground and was ceaselessly pushing thoughts into my head. Because of that, my entire body was on the verge of losing strength, but I forcibly dragged my limbs and moved.

Because there wouldn’t be another chance if not this very moment.

I gripped the blood-stained sword with both hands. I didn’t know why it was specifically thrusting its head here to directly pound thoughts into my mind, but it was a good thing regardless.

I turned the weapon in reverse and aimed it at my abdomen. I thrust the blade deep in. As if my action seemed strange to it, the voice reverberating in my head abruptly stopped.

I felt the sensation of blood draining from my entire body, and just as that sensation reached its limit, I pulled out the blood-stained sword. A few drops of blood that the blade hadn’t fully absorbed dripped onto the floor.

Holding the sword stained crimson with blood, I closed the distance. As if it wanted to observe the struggles of a mere human, it didn’t move at all, even as it watched me swing the sword.

ㅡClang!

The moment the blade touched its head, the blood-stained sword let out a sharp metallic sound and shattered into two pieces.

“Kihit…… Hihhihit…… It hurts a lot. Doesn’t it?”

In a back alley of the capital city. In a place where everyone had evacuated due to the World Eater, a woman whose entire body was a mess was staggering out, supporting herself against the wall.

There wasn’t a single unharmed spot on her body. Her already disheveled hair was soaked in blood and a mess, her body was covered in wounds, and her gait was limping, as if her leg was also injured.

Due to her outrageously revealing outfit, her skin, exposed without reserve, was covered only in wounds. Most of them were incised wounds as if cut by a knife, but in places, there was also skin discolored blue from severe bruising.

She was definitely not in a normal state.

“Your Majesty the Emperor is too much. Just because I boasted a little to his face, he suddenly tried to kill me. Is teasing a sin? Hihhit. This is a wound from a Holy Sword, so it won’t heal right away.”

Breasts much larger than her head. A waist so thin it seemed thinner than her thighs, to exaggerate a bit. Thighs plump with flesh, appearing as soft as her breasts. Clothing that seemed worse than wearing nothing.

Not only did her enormous, seemingly bursting breasts sway up and down every time she limped, but her dress shirt, which barely covered her nipples, seemed precariously close to spilling out at any moment.

The woman’s identity was Nyx.

“See, I told you we should run away! Your Majesty the Emperor even said he would let us go unharmed if we ran away now, but you kept teasing him to the very end! Look at the state I’m in because of you too!”

“Heh, what’s a bitch who would’ve died without me saying?”

“If it weren’t for you, none of this would have happened in the first place!”

“Wasn’t it you who suggested we go to the Imperial Palace first? So, you were really just going to meet Minerva and talk? Knowing what kind of relationship we have with Minerva?”

But something was strange.

Judging by the content of the conversation, it was clear that two people were speaking, yet both voices were identical. Moreover, Nyx was the only human figure in this back alley.

It was a natural result, as everyone else had already evacuated. Even if the knights hadn’t evacuated them, no one would stand their ground with a dragon flying in the sky.

However, despite that, Nyx’s voice very diligently chattered away a conversation for two people.

“Hihhit…… Hihhihit…….”

“What’s so good that you’re laughing so strangely? Huh? I’m in this state because of you, can you even laugh?”

“Of course, it’s funny. After all that posturing, as soon as the dragon let out a single roar, everyone completely fainted. Your Majesty the Emperor, who put us in this state, is the same, so how embarrassed will he be when he wakes up later?”

“……Really? How do you know such things?”

“You can feel it too if you concentrate, idiot. Why can’t you do what I do?”

At the voice scolding her, Nyx closed her eyes dejectedly. Her wounds ached and her legs trembled uncontrollably, but she somehow expanded her detection range and checked the dragon’s vicinity.

“Listen carefully…… Can you feel it?”

“W-well, yes…… but isn’t it dangerous right now? They’re right next to the dragon. They say dragons can even cast mind control, so what if their mind gets controlled?”

“Mind controlled? That person?”

Nyx snorted in derision. At that reaction, Nyx’s body involuntarily recoiled.

“Did you forget how we cast magic on that person’s head?”

“Ah, right…… that’s how it was.”

Nyx awkwardly moved her feet again. As she did, she muttered in a small voice.

“Mind control, you say? How could that be possible?”

If there was no permission, even the act of looking into memories would be impossible.