Chapter 180-2

Chapter 180-2

[Part 2/4]

My whole body felt cold. My consciousness sank into the extreme cold darkness. It truly felt like 'death'...

(It's not that... scary, is it?)

For some reason, I was used to this feeling. I couldn't find it terrifying anymore. It felt almost like an old friend. My consciousness was rather...

(What about Mother... Shirona...?)

I wonder if mother and sister are safe? Did they manage to escape? That was my only worry, my only regret.

Family is a vital bond, where members support and help each other. This bond is especially significant for me, given the mother who treated me like her own child and the sister who looks up to me like a real brother.

'...Even if it's just a game?'

A sweet voice whispered in my ear. When I turned to look, I met emerald green eyes. Ignoring the feeling of falling, I saw myself reflected in her pupils.

"Does that really make it okay to leave them behind?"

I immediately argued back. No, it was precisely because of that... understanding the true nature of this situation meant I had to take action. I was sure it was my duty.

'You've never known a real family, have you? No, maybe that's why you crave it so desperately?'

The goddess or the evil mother tilted her head, pondering. She observed me and saw through to my essence. I didn't deny it. But it wasn't something I was happy to hear.

'As a mother, let me teach you. It's that kind of thinking that leads you to make mistakes over and over, you know? ...More importantly! Your family is right here, isn't it──Whoa!'

I punched the monster's face that was trying to welcome me with open arms. If I let myself get too close and buried my face in her ample chest, I knew I would be devoured like a praying mantis, not physically, but mentally. If I gave in, I'd never be able to return.

'But for now, you have no choice but to trust me... right, boy?'

"..."

I punched her in the face so hard that my fist sank in, yet she declared she was unharmed. It's a mental world, spiritual yet invasive.

'After all, mother is generous. Boy, if you wish, I'll hold back.'

"I can believe it, but I can't trust it."

At the proposal, which was accompanied by a smile, I frowned. My mother is honest to the end, but she doesn't know her limits. She measures people by God's standards, creating a fatal discrepancy. But...

"I need it for dressing, I guess."

He steeled himself, reaffirming his determination. A sense of resolve settled in, and he felt a sense of conviction.

But then, a sudden, unexplainable sensation washed over him. "Hmm...?" he muttered, his brow furrowing in concern.

A shiver ran down his spine, as if an unseen gaze had touched him. The hunting dog's sudden bark and the hunter's swift reaction were perfectly in sync.

Then, the unthinkable happened. The eerie creature began to take shape, emerging from the skeleton's remains with an otherworldly force. The hunter's blood ran cold as he beheld the terrifying sight.

"A, ah..."

The hunter was stunned, unable to comprehend the horror. The creature had countless tentacles, eyes, and limbs, crawling around on the snowy ground like a monster.

"....!!!!"

The hunter's gaze snapped into focus, alerted by the dog's fierce barking. He swiftly dropped his pipe and grasped his matchlock gun.

The deafening roar pierced the air, like a knife slashing through eardrums. The gun fired, and the massive creature surged forward. There was no time to reload.

"This...!!?"

The hunter drew his wakizashi and swung it up. The tentacles wrapped around him, constricting his neck, wrists, and ankles.

"Damn, damn it!? Damn youuuuuu!!?"

The hunter desperately struggled, trying to resist the creature's deadly attack, but it was too powerful.

* * *

The white fox's ears trembled at the sound of the hunter's screams. The fresh blood splattered everywhere, painting the blue sky. The child had been knocked down without realizing what was happening.

"Eh...?"

The child's confused muttering. The immature mind couldn't understand what was happening. It took a moment for the child to realize that her mother was covering her with her body on the snowy ground.

"Mom...?'

The child understood the action, but not the meaning behind it. She called out to her mother, who was sweating and trembling in pain.

"Mom..."

"──You're a cunning fox possession, and a traitor to our village!"

The child's voice was drowned out by the villagers' harsh insults. The child looked up, slowly realizing the situation they were in.