Chapter 130: Black Rust (7)

A fierce battle raged amidst the collapsed buildings, shattered roads, and crumbling ruins.

It was a clash between the palm-sized Mini Reapers and colossal Objects that slaughtered people with ease.

Those Mini Reapers, looking just like the Gray Reaper, maneuvered through the wreckage-strewn streets and engaged in combat.

Meanwhile, the Gray Reaper, who had appeared alongside them, was nowhere to be seen.

The Mini Reapers faced off against a ruthless Object capable of slicing through not just people, but reinforced concrete as effortlessly as cutting butter.

To think there were so many Objects like that hidden in our city...

Despite this, the Golden Mini Reapers showed no fear as they charged at the brutal Objects.

They dashed through the dust-filled ruins and acrid smoke, persisting in their battle against the grotesque threats.

The smoke obscured my view of the battlefield, making it hard to gauge the situation, but surely the Mini Reapers were being pushed back?

In the sky, Blue Reapers flew in erratic patterns. They quenched the flames by spraying fine water mist and shielded the people with protective layers of water droplets.

Meanwhile, large marshmallow-like cushions surrounded us refugees. These cute, fluffy barriers served as both comfort and protection, blocking any stray debris.

Beyond the smoke, a sound reminiscent of a blade sharpening on a whetstone echoed ominously.

It sent chills down my spine, recalling the same noise I’d heard when a monstrous Object sliced a bus to shreds.

Thud-!

With a dull, heavy sound, something golden plummeted from the sky.

Swish-! Swish-!

A Golden Reaper, its limbs flailing as it fell, landed on my outstretched hands.

Even as it touched down, the Golden Reaper, with a puzzled expression, looked up at me, its movements ceasing as it flashed a bright smile.

This little being is fighting for us?

As I came to my senses, I found myself gently stroking the Golden Reaper's head with my fingers.

The Golden Reaper, still smiling, suddenly took on a serious demeanor and leaped back into the fray beyond the smoke.

Golden Reaper, fighting!

*******In an area beyond the smoky haze that everyone else couldn't see, Golden Reapers were darting around with huge, beaming smiles plastered on their faces, completely out of sync with the ash and dust swirling around them.

Meanwhile, the big, bad Objects were flailing their sickles in a frantic, destructive frenzy.

But guess what? The side getting pushed back in this wild scuffle wasn’t the tiny, cheerful Golden Reapers—it was those hulking Objects!

To the Golden Reapers, it probably felt more like a super fun game than a real fight.

They laughed and giggled, even as they dodged and danced around high-speed scythes that could slice through steel like it was butter, tumbling through the air before landing.

The Golden Reapers laughed as if they were having fun even though they were hit by a high-speed scythe that could easily cut through rebar and roll on the air before hitting the ground.

Some of the Golden Reapers were even clinging to the Objects' scythes like they were riding a rollercoaster.

It looked a bit dangerous, sure, but they were loving it, their hair flowing in the wind like they were on the best amusement park ride ever.

There was just one rule in this exhilarating playground.

No Object was allowed to escape this smoky amusement park and get close to the people.

Any Object that tried to break that rule ended up looking like a sponge with countless Golden Reaper-shaped holes all over them, rolling around the battlefield in defeat.

*******I was just standing on a busted road with a ruined city behind me.

But somehow, in the blink of an eye, the whole scene morphed into some weird place where blood was pooling up to my ankles.

It felt like I'd stumbled into a whole other world.

As soon as my antenna locked in the direction, I felt someone trying to look at me.

It was like we were exchanging glances—how weird is that? In the corner of my vision, a dark forest appeared.

There, a man stood with a Steel Tower and a dense forest behind him. His face was all blurry, but he was carrying a bunch of antique lamps.

The shadow he cast from those swaying lamps danced around like it had a mind of its own.

Even though his face was obscured, his gaze was sharp, as if he was peering right through me.

When our eyes met, there was this weird sense of familiarity.

The man’s lips moved slowly, and an unfamiliar language spilled out. But there was one word I could catch clearly.

[ You are still the same. ]

As soon as he finished speaking, the world around me began to collapse.

The bloody sky and the bizarre lumps fell apart like dust, and the gas lamps shattered too. It was like the power supply from the main body was abruptly cut off.

Simultaneously, my antenna, which had been pointing north just seconds ago, now flapped about helplessly, unable to find the main body.

The antenna that was clearly pointing towards the Steel Tower just a moment ago had lost its direction.

It felt like the stuff I heard from that familiar-looking guy should be meaningful, but honestly, I was still just as clueless as before.

What a pain in the ass.

I’m guessing the ‘Divine One’ is the one who created Watson. Next time I see Watson, I’ll definitely have to ask him to give that guy a call.

As the blood-filled space crumbled away, the desolate ruins reappeared. The culprit behind all this mess was finally taken care of.

The lamp guy? I’ll think about him when I run into him in person next time.

*******Time continued its relentless march even as Objects emerged and the city crumbled.

As the chilly night air settled over the ruins, the hearts of the city's displaced residents grew just as cold.

“Ha, what are we supposed to do now?”

The sigh that accompanied this question seemed to capture the collective sentiment of everyone present.

With the city’s autonomy having been recognized by the government, it was left without support. Or perhaps the government was simply too stretched thin to offer help.

I lay down, clutching a dusty rag for warmth, but the night air was still biting cold.

Suddenly, a large fire blazed in the midst of the wreckage. The enormous flame, resembling a massive campfire, began to warm the surrounding area.

Just what the hell is happening?

Curiosity led me to the source of the blaze, and to my surprise—

Gyuu-!

It was a giant marshmallow perched on a tree, set ablaze by the Gray Reaper.

As Blue Reapers, looking like delicate fairies, fluttered around and sprinkled shimmering powder, a sense of calm began to settle over me.

< don’t="" worry="" too="" much!="">

< Something good will definitely come out of this! >

People momentarily set aside their worries and gathered around the fire.

They sipped on warm hot chocolate and enjoyed the comforting glow of the campfire, while the Golden Reapers danced about playfully.

For a brief moment, the warmth of the fire and the cheer of the gathering helped them forget their anxieties and fend off the cold.