Chapter 268: Rinella’s Destiny is Her Own (61)

Chapter 268: Rinella’s Destiny is Her Own (61)The village fell into chaos

The residents shrieked at the sight of the Flesh Globs that fell from the sky. Some people were bleeding profusely, having lost an arm or a leg.

It was fortunate that I arrived early.

Even though the Percus territory was a central area, it wasn't densely populated. Because of this, only a few people were hit by the Flesh Globs that fell from the sky.

Yes, for now, it was like that.

Seeing the people writing out in agony, I had to grit my teeth.

Do I really have to abandon them?

Rather, it would be fine if it were just the people living in the center.

More than that, I was worried about the residents living in the remote areas. There weren’t enough defenders there, nor anyone capable of leading the evacuation

Seria was supposed to lead the evacuation gradually from the rear.

But there was no telling how long that would take.

The scheduled delay caused by the rampage of the test subjects could be fatal.

There was also the unexpected descent of the Evil God's underling without warning.

The ground shook as the air vibrated with deep, resonating thumps.

Thud, Thud. The giant's footsteps, casting a shadow as it walked, were imbued with immense power.

The ground was crushed, and trees snapped like twigs.

Before long, the dawn light revealed the grotesque figure of the monster.

A giant made of corpses.

There was no other way to describe it.

Hundreds, thousands or maybe even tens of thousands of corpses, were clustered together.

The corpses forming its feet couldn’t bear its weight and bled out. With each bloody footprint, mournful cries echoed.

The giant's head was made up of countless human faces.

Their eyes darted around, scattering their gaze. It took a moment for every pupil to focus on a single point.

The giant glared down at me.

No, perhaps it was looking at the village I was at.

Its field of vision was that vast. Maybe there were even eyes on the back of its head, leaving not a single blind spot.

Hundreds of mouths screamed at once.

Wooooooooooooo!

Hearing the resounding roar, the Flesh Globs also howled, adding to the noise. It was a scene seemingly impossible to believe existed in our human world.

The faces of the villagers naturally turned pale.

"O’ H-Heavenly God..."

A voice slipped from someone's lips.

Hearing the voice, which demonstrated everyone's feelings, I snapped back to reality.

The appearance of such a transcendent enemy instantly drenched the atmosphere in fear.

One had to crane their neck to the point of it hurting just to be able to see its head.

How insignificant and pitiful mere humans seemed in front of it.

The despair of a mantis in the face of a cart rolling towards it was reflected in everyone.

I instinctively understood.

The reason we were told to flee.

And why we were told to abandon this place.

The disparity was clear in an instant.

Celine had been foolish.

How could one hope to fight against such a monster, let alone find its core?

A single punch or kick from it was equivalent to a natural disaster; it was a monster straight out of legend.

I couldn't even think about facing it alone.

That was a role fitting for a hero straight out of legend.

I bit my lip and tightened my grip on my sword

Just then, I spotted a Flesh Glob moving towards a middle-aged woman.

"Sa-Save me..."

The middle-aged woman was so terrified that she couldn't even speak properly.

So, I decided to eliminate the threat.

A silver arc cut through the air.

The hatchet blade tore through the air, striking the Flesh Glob head-on. The Flesh Glob flailed and staggered backward, but that was its end.

The thrown hatchet struck with force once again.

With a sickening crunch, its bones were smashed, as the Flesh Glob bled out.

I kicked off the ground and swiftly retrieved the hatchet.

The next move I made was a kick.

Phakk, my foot drove into the plump flesh, making the Flesh Glob let out a pitiful scream as it flew away.

Trembling eyes turned towards me.

I sighed and extended my hand.

"...Aunt Yona, please take refuge in the manor."

I kept murmuring to myself.

I must let go of what must be discarded.

Right, I must let go of what must be discarded.

Even though for them, it was their only life, their single chance, the fact that for someone else, it was something that could be recklessly thrown away was incomprehensible.

But I had to force myself to accept it and move on.

I closed my eyes amidst the burning scenery.

My mind grew hazy.

The line between unconsciousness and reality blurred.

Suddenly, it struck me that this wasn’t the first time I had stood in the midst of burning flames.

Staggering, I continued walking.

With sword and hatchet, I drenched myself in flesh and blood as I marched forward.

The acrid smoke made me even thirstier.

Perhaps due to the lack of oxygen, my breath became ragged. My mind drifted further away from reality.

There wasn't even an enemy capable of wounding me.

What jolted my muddled mind awake was the voice of someone grabbing and shouting,

“Children, there are children left inside!”

My eyes flicked toward the person speaking to me.

She was a young woman, still showing traces of youth.

Suddenly, my vision blurred, and I experienced a sudden shift in my surroundings.

Unconsciously, a strange title slipped from my mouth.

“...Junior Sister?”

But in the next moment, seeing the face of the woman crying and shouting at me.

I realized I was hallucinating.

She was just a cute woman with freckles.

Had she just become an adult?

“W-What? Y-Young Master... What are you talking about? T-There are still children inside...”

Through my blurry vision, I followed the direction the girl was pointing.

It was somewhat a familiar alleyway.

My mind, which was wandering in a momentary daze, began to freeze.

It was because I realized whose house she was pointing to.

“...Damn it.”

I immediately kicked off the ground and sprinted.

Flesh Globs lunged at me from all sides, but each time they did, I crushed their heads with my hatchet as I ran forward.

There was no time to finish them off properly.

I kept running and running, and after a while,

I found someone and came to a sudden halt.

It was a boy.

He was coughing up blood with his abdomen pierced.

I shook my head blankly and muttered.

“Ned...”

Then, staggering, I approached Ned.

Next to him, a Flesh Glob that had been cut by a knife was writhing.

Ned had been fighting this monster.

Gritting my teeth, I threw my hatchet.

With a splat, blood spurted into the air.

Kiiiiieeeeeeek!

With that final sound, the Flesh Glob that had been fighting Ned perished.

To think he could fight such a terrifying monster.

Ned's words about not neglecting his daily training were no lie.

Even if he wasn't a knight, he could have been an excellent soldier.

Only if he survived.

I dropped to my knees.

My eyes swept over Ned's wounds with a hollow gaze.

Fumbling, I searched my pockets. Maybe I could save him with a healing potion.

But before I could do that, a firm hand grabbed my wrist.

The boy was smiling with blood trickling down.

“Great Master.”

Seeing that smile, I felt completely at a loss.

Someone's memories came surging in like a tide.

Strength gradually began to return to the hand gripping my sword.