CH 226

Previously



Momo was captured. 



Taken.



Momo was taken from me. 



“Uu… Grrrr …”



Momo growled.



I wanted to cover my ears at that sound.



The target of Momo’s skill was not the intelligent zombie… It was me.



Momo was hostile to me.



That fact almost crushed my chest.



I took a few shallow breaths, held my chest and stepped back.



Then, Momo also took one step forward.



She didn’t want me to escape.



She wanted to hurt me.



Me, her–



“Momo … Stop …”



“Uuu…”



Momo’s face was distorted in agony and pain.



I could sense her feelings of anguish and despair. She didn’t like it. She didn’t want to do it.



But the next moment, Momo unleashed her shadow and jumped at me.



“Wau… Wauwwwwww!”



“…! Momo!”



The air crackled and asphalt broke into two.



This was Momo’s “Roar” skill.



Now that the skill had evolved and raised its level, its power had even surpassed the high orc.



Without Aka’s defense and Kiki’s support magic, its power was not something that I could withstand by myself. 



I stitched my shadow to the ground and managed to hold on even though I was about to be blown away!



“Guh… Momo!”



“Waun!”



I launched a shadow at Momo.



It was just a shadow meant for restraint.



I’m not going to hurt Momo.



But, Momo dodged it just a moment before I could restrain her.



Use your shadow to repel it and use the recoil to distance yourself from the opponent.



…… It’s a technique we often use together against monsters.



But to use it on me…



“Kyu, Kyu …?”



“? …… (Furufuru)?”



Aka and Kiki looked at me in confusion.



The two of them must not have properly understood the situation yet.



At that moment, I received Sora’s telepathy from the sky.



“Kazuto! What is this? Why is Momo attacking you?”



“She’s being manipulated by the enemy’s skills! I’m sorry, I was caught off guard!”



“What did you say? How can Momo be…! That zombie … I won’t forgive him! Absolutely not!”



Her feelings of anger were transmitted along with the telepathy.



I was happy that Sora was so concerned about Momo.



But,



“It is useless! Sora, don’t do anything and just wait in the sky!”



“Wha–!”



“I don’t know how his skills work, and if you get manipulated, that will be the worst case scenario!”



“Ugh…”



In this situation, if Sora ends up in his hands, we will be driven into a corner.



If the zombie’s target is Sora instead of Momo … no, it’s much more likely that his target is Sora.



In that case, I cannot allow Sora to be anywhere near him.



“Please… I will definitely help Momo. So wait for me.”



“…Okay. But, Kazuto… Don’t die, okay.”



“I know, thank you, Sora”



Leave it to me.



I am glad that Sora could trust me.



“Kyu, Kyu …?”



“… (Furu Furu)?”



“It’s okay. I’ll definitely bring Momo back. Aka, Kiki, hide in the shadows.”



As long as it is a monster, it is dangerous to let Aka and Kiki fight as they are.



Alright, calm down.



Analyze the current situation.



That intelligent zombie used some skill to control Momo.



It’s probably the same skill as the demon girl who fought at the school.



(… Would you like to use “Healing Jewels”? You can probably help Momo with this, but this is a one-time item, and if the zombie uses the skill again, you won’t be able to save Momo again…)



Then there is only one thing that I can do.



Defeat that intelligent zombie. That’s it.



“Kyu …”



“… (Furu Furu)”



Kiki and Aka also hid in the shadows while sending encouraging glances towards me.



And at the same time, Momo started running.



“Waun!”



She’s coming to me again.



Fast.



Agile movement with a spring peculiar to dogs.



How many times have you confused your enemies with this movement?



(I know. Momo is strong. I’ll be in danger if I don’t fight properly)



I’ve seen your strength next to me countless times. I know you more than anyone else.



And that’s why I know the “weaknesses” better than anyone else.



“–Item box”



I used the ‘Item Box’ to store the asphalt under Momo’s “feet”.



It is possible to store a part of the asphalt in my Item Box, but not the whole surrounding area.



Naturally, Momo floated in the air for a moment.



“Waun– !?”



And at that moment, Momo’s shadow disappeared.



The shadow skill cannot be activated unless the foot is on the ground.



This was Momo’s weakness. A weakness in her skill that she hadn’t changed since the beginning.



If it was like usual, I would have covered this weakness with my Item Box, and depending on the conditions, I could even mitigate it.



(We fought together more than anyone else.)



We know each other the best.



I approached the defenseless Momo.



“Wa–“



“–Momo, I’m sorry”



I punched Momo in the nose when she tried to use her ‘Roar’ skill and forcibly cancelled her skill.



“Kyuu!?”



My heart hurts.



Why do I have to raise my hand against Momo?



But this is the only way.



She could not use her shadow skill any longer, I had forcibly cancelled her ‘Roar’ skill and Momo, right now, could neither attack nor defend or dodge.



I unfolded my “shadow” under my feet and engulfed Momo.



“–Wau …”



There was no resistance and I easily stored Momo in my “shadow cage”.



Just when I was about to put her in the cage, Momo looked at me with relief 



Momo trusted me even though she was being manipulated.



If it was me, Momo knew that I could save her.



That’s what she believed in and gave her everything in this fight.



“Thank you, Momo … It may be a little cramped, but please wait for me for a while.”



Momo’s proficiency in ‘Shadow’ is stronger than mine.



As long as she is being manipulated, I will only be able to trap her for a few minutes at best if she resists internally.



In that time–,



“Oi……”



I looked at the intelligent zombie.



He sneered.



“Ah, that’s good. That’s a good look. At last I can see more than just the surface. I think I’ve finally seen the real you.”



“…”



At that voice, at that expression, something broke in my head.



Do you know who you forced me to raise a hand against?



I … I raised my hand on Momo?



I won’t forgive … I will never forgive you.



The heat felt like magma, pouring endlessly from inside my body.



≪Skill level has reached a certain level≫



≪Anger went up from LV5 to LV6≫



≪Skill level has reached a certain level≫



≪Anger went up from LV6 to LV7≫



≪Skill level has reached a certain level≫



≪Anger went up from LV7 to LV8≫



≪Skill level has reached a certain level≫



≪Anger went up from LV8 to LV9≫



≪Skill level has reached a certain level≫



≪Anger went up from LV9 to LV10≫



≪Satisfied certain conditions≫



≪You have acquired the skill “Rage” ≫



≪Skill “Anger” is integrated into “Rage” ≫



≪Rage went up from LV1 to LV3≫



≪Invoke Rage≫



≪Every status will increase≫



≪The power of all skills will increase≫



≪Thinking ability decreases≫



≪Skill level has reached a certain level≫



≪ “Mental distress tolerance” has increased from LV8 to LV9≫



≪Thinking power returns to normal≫



“–I’ll kill you.”



“Try it if you can!”



With a kunai in my hand, I stepped forward.



“Fast!”



“Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”



I closed the distance in an instant.



I was surprised at my own speed.



I wielded the kunai.



The intelligent zombie reaction was momentarily delayed.



I activated the Item Box right when the kunai and the magic sword clashed against each other.



Just like what I did with Momo, I stored the asphalt under his feet.



“Scaffolding–“



“The art of fire!”



“Huh!?”



The ground disappeared and we both floated in the air for a moment.



At that moment, I activated the art of fire.



Super firepower at almost zero distance.



“Self-destruction– no, reflection!?”



Correct. It’s a self-destruction technique, a powerful support magic buff that Kiki cast for me beforehand.



You can attack only once, but with zero risk of collateral damage.



I’m not going to let you get away with it.



“Gah … Stop.”



The Intelligent zombie emerged from the black smoke.



He had some burns on his body, but that was about it.



He took a step forward and collapsed on the ground.



At that moment, I took out a ninjatō from the item box.



It was a weapon made from Super Class Ninja Creation LV5.



Naturally, it was a sword created from a skill with the highest proficiency. It was not just an ordinary sword.



This weapon can be used with a special skill called “Ninjutsu Infusion”.



The effect was very obvious. The user could add one ninjutsu as a special effect.



“–Infusing “The Art of Thunderclap””



Infusing skill to the ninjatō .



Super-class ninjutsu “The Art of Thunderclap”.



The blade emitted a pale white glow and turned into a literal bolt of lightning itself.



“Fast.”



“Guh–!”



The intelligent zombie’s magic sword and my ninjatō clashed once again.



A surge of electricity burst from his sword and immediately dug into the zombie’s body, electrocuting him from inside and out.



Of course, as the owner of the skill, Kazuto was immune to the electric shock.



But the zombie was different.



You can’t move properly because you’re numb, aren’t you?



Of course, I can’t miss this opportunity.



“Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”



Slash.



Head, torso, arms, neck.



Anything that stood in my way, I slashed it.



The intelligent zombie’s body was extremely tough.



The effect of his slashes were shallow even though he had exerted all his might behind those slashes, used all his stats and skills and even strengthened himself with a combination of “Striking Point” and “Running Gale”.



(Is this the effect of increased status of “Arrogance”? … Does he still hold the advantage?)



It is true that the current situation definitely favored the intelligent zombie. Momo was stored in a shadow cage, he did not have any support from Kiki or Aka, and the only support he could rely on was Ichinose.



But was the situation so irreversible?



In fact, the attack just now was successful and I wasn’t even badly injured.



The situation can change depending on how I fight.



(Do you still have something under your sleeve?)



Ah, my thoughts are strangely calm even though my insides are churning with anger.



I can feel power pulsating within every inch of my body.



Is it because of the skill “Rage” that I acquired earlier?



There was an announcement that the status would rise when using the skill, so perhaps it was related to that.



“Guha–“



The zombie spat some blood and started laughing violently.



He swung his magic sword in the air aimlessly. 



With a huge noise, the buildings around me crumbled.



Still, I won’t give up.



I swung the sword as many times I had to, and slashed him however many times I had to.



“Kuhahahahahahaha!! Good! Good! Ah, this is fun! I knew it! Fighting with you is really fun.”



“…”



You speak as if you really mean it.



That’s what makes me even more nervous.



“…Who?”



“Hmm?”



“Who the fuck are you?! What are you doing this for!? What is your aim?!”



In this fierce exchange of offense and defense, I yelled at him in confusion and anger. The intelligent zombie looked at me in surprise as if he did not understand the reason for my outburst.



“Why…”



He spoke as if the answer was obvious,



“Isn’t it decided because I’m a monster and you’re a human?”



“……huh?”



I was stunned for a moment.



The intelligent zombie used that opportunity to create some distance between us.



“You humans hunt us monsters. You level up, improve your skills, and get stronger powers. As for us, we fight to survive.”



“…”



“I’m not saying it’s a bad thing. The weak are the prey and the strong rule the world. It is the law of nature. Then what should the weak do to survive? It’s obvious. We observe, plan and then act. We measure the gap between our opponents and strategically create a plan and defeat the strong. Just like you, I’m only fighting and surviving in my own way. “



“… Then why bother aiming at us? Where does it make sense to spend so much effort?”



“That’s obvious. It’s because I’m the owner of ‘Arrogance’ and you’re the owner of ‘Precocious’.”



“What……?”



“Didn’t you say when we first met? We’re not the chosen ones. We’re just lucky and weak. Because we’re weak, we have to think, we have to act cautiously, we have to gather our own power and ultimately, we have to become stronger. That is why I’ve been sharpening my fangs. We may be different species, but you and I were both overwhelmingly weak, and that’s what made us so strong.”



“…”



“I respect you. From the bottom of my heart. You are gathering comrades and getting stronger and stronger every day. You dazzle me. I cannot get enough of you.”



The intelligent zombie raised the magic sword and pointed it’s tip at me.



“–That’s why I want to kill you.”



“I want to kill you and surpass you.”



“Once I can do that, I feel like I will become a stronger monster, reborn in this world anew.”



It is an insane, selfish belief that has no regard for others.



It is a monster’s way of thinking that is incompatible with humanity.



An arrogant way of life, a way of life where the world is all about you.



“–Don’t fuck with me!”



That’s a load of crap.



“For such a trivial thing, you destroyed this safe zone we built, and you even put Momo through that?”



“Knowing the opponent’s weaknesses is the basis of any strategy.”



“Shut up!”



“I won’t shut up. Just as you gather your friends and survive in this world, I want to survive in this world, I want to live the way I want to live, the way I like to live. To do this, I will think, I will plan, I will use everything I have. I want to make you suffer, I want to make you despair, I want to kill you. That’s how I want to live in this world, as a monster!”



At that moment, a huge amount of energy overflowed from the intelligent zombie’s body.



“…!? What …?”



“I’ll tell you, the precocious owner. The essence of the skills we possess.”



The essence of skill …?



“Did you think that the only skills we had were to gain experience and points? No, not at all. That’s not what our skills are all about.”



The intelligent zombie smiled widely and raised one of his hands to heaven.



“Order! Individual: High-ranking Ghoul. Grant access to Chaos Frontier System Server!”



“Huh!?”



What?



What the hell are you trying to do?



“I’ve been thinking for a long time. I don’t have a name yet. What kind of name would be good if I could be given a name?”



“…”



“Unlike you humans, the name given to us monsters is an indication of our very existence, so I used the skills I was given when I was born in this world. I will be called – “Arroganz”.”



≪――Zaza, Zazazaza≫



“…”



My head throbbed severely.



What is this?



I hear a static noise in my head.



≪Zaza――Zazazazazaza――Zazazazazazazama ――Contacting Zazazaza≫



“Come on, answer me! Chaos Frontier!”



In response to his voice, the noise that echoed in my head intensified.



≪Zazaza– Connection– Connection– Failure≫



≪The target individual meets the conditions ――Zaza――Satisfied――Zaza different Zaza――≫



≪No-No-No-No-No-Zaza-Connect-Connection-Success >>



≪Application accepted≫



≪Certify the target individual as a named monster≫



≪Name the target as the individual name “Arroganz” ≫



≪Bonus will be given≫



≪Strengthen various stats≫



≪Acquired the unique skill “Blood Realm” ≫



An announcement that flows in my head.



What is… this…?



No way, this guy… Did he just proclaim himself a named monster and turned into one?



Impossible, how can he do that?



“It’s possible. This is the power of ‘Arrogance’! Infiltrating and tampering with the system! My own power, which no one else can infringe upon!”



The intelligent zombie’s energy increased as he spoke.



It’s like the time of the Dark Wolf, who evolved at school.



“Let’s introduce ourselves again, precocious owner. My name is Arroganz. I’ll kill you and I’ll be reborn in this world. I won’t let anyone get in the way.”



Thank you for reading.



There were two possible names for zombies: Midnight Rage and Arrogant Allogants.



My middle-aged mind made me choose the latter.