Chapter 17
"Gah!"
Yuurai spits out blood and falls to her knees on the ground.
(Ouch, hey! Why are you attacking me out of nowhere without even listening to what I have to say!?)
Whether it's due to the effect of the Undying skill or simply her tough body, Yuurai doesn't die from being stabbed by a sword. It seems her heart isn't a vital spot either.
Even so, being stabbed obviously hurts and is agonizing.
"......Boss, what's with this weakling?"
"I don't know. But even I didn't notice her presence until she showed herself. She looks like a weakling, but she's probably not just some nobody."
"Isn't it just that she's so weak her presence couldn't be sensed?"
"......If she were a real weakling, I'd have noticed her footsteps at least. Does she have some kind of Stealth skill like me......? I'm not sure, but she got taken down pretty easily. What is she?"
Yuurai, while spitting blood, tries to pull out the sword stuck in her. Once it's out, the wound will heal naturally within a few hours. If she drinks a recovery potion, it'll be even faster.
"Tch. She's still moving. Pretty tough, huh."
The Beastkin boss draws another sword. Just before that sword can sever Yuurai's neck, she deflects it with her Blade of Darkness.
"What!?"
The Beastkin boss shows a look of shock. Then, immediately shifts to a wary stance.
"You lot, stand back! This one's not just some weakling!"
(It hurts...... it hurts...... it hurts...... Being pierced through the chest brings back memories of that time...... Those damn soldiers...... Killing them wasn't enough......)
A pitch-black emotion flows into Yuurai's mind.
Even though she doesn't want to remember it, the pain in her chest forcibly flashes back to that moment.
"Just die quietly!"
The Beastkin boss approaches and tries to grab the sword stuck in Yuurai's chest.
Yuurai dodges that hand and leaps backward.
(I'll kill them I'll kill them I'll kill them I'll kill them I'll kill them I'll kill them I'll kill them I'll kill them I'll kill them I'll kill them I'll kill them I'll kill them I'll kill them I'll kill them I'll kill them I'll kill them I'll kill them I'll kill them I'll kill them I'll kill them)
Dark emotions swirl within her. She feels like she could slaughter everyone here in an instant, but with the faint trace of rationality left, she holds herself back.
(Don't kill...... I'll kill them...... These guys...... I'll kill them...... They're not those damn soldiers...... Don't kill recklessly...... I'll kill them...... I said I wouldn't kill...... I'll kill them...... I told Claire that too...... I'll kill them...... Calm down...... I'll kill them...... Calm down......!)
Yuurai desperately restrains herself from falling into Corruption.
Breathing heavily, she first pulls out the sword. The Beastkin boss tries to attack, but she blocks it with Marionette magic.
"Wha, what!? My body won't move!?"
After pulling out the sword, Yuurai drinks a recovery potion she had on hand to heal the wound.
The pain subsides, and her thoughts gradually become clearer.
(Calm down...... calm down...... I'm not just some dangerous Monster......)
Once the wound is completely healed, the pitch-black emotions disappear somewhere.
Unfortunately, though, she can't say she's fully back to normal. A slight destructive impulse remains, and she can imagine that if she doesn't release it, things will get worse.
"Ahh...... this sucks. Is this the effect of using Corruption......? I might be more irritable now. Or is it just because my trauma was triggered......? Probably because of Corruption, huh...... What a troublesome magic I've used......"
"B-Boss! What the hell is this thing!? Her magical power...... her magical power is insane!"
"I've never seen a monster like this before!"
"Boss! Hurry up and take her down!"
The voices of the Bandits felt incredibly annoying to Yuurai.
"......Sorry, but I'm gonna use you guys to vent a little. Don't worry, I don't intend to kill you."
Yuurai feels a murderous intent toward the Bandits but ignores it.
"All of you, suffer. Pain."
The Bandits all spit blood and collapse at once.
"......You guys aren't dead yet, right? This isn't a killing spell...... Oh, but it's still not enough...... Should I use Mental Corruption too?"
The area is enveloped in darkness.
And then.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
"Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
"Don't come near meeeeeeeeeeeee!"
"Iaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
The Bandits scream and cry. Though they're supposed to be adults, they seem like infants now.
"You look like you're suffering...... Nice, that sound...... What are you seeing, I wonder?"
In the past, Yuurai had asked Claire what happens during Mental Corruption.
It seems to differ from person to person, but Claire apparently saw a hallucination of being slowly devoured by countless insect-like Monsters. The pain and sensation were perfectly replicated, and it became a severe trauma for her.
"......I wonder if the Holy Knights are doing well? Have they safely returned to their duties? Once you're feeling better, come visit again. I'll show you something nice once more."
For a few minutes, Yuurai laughs hysterically while listening to the Bandits' screams.
"Yuurai. Stop it already."
"......Hm?"
At some point, Claire had come to stand beside Yuurai. Seeing the pained expression on her face, Yuurai's emotions quickly cooled.
"Ah...... yeah, that's enough, right?"
She releases Mental Corruption. Everyone is lying on the ground, eyes rolled back. They're twitching, so they're not dead.
"......Did I go too far?"
"To me, it looks like you did."
"Yeah, I figured......"
Yuurai lets out a deep sigh.
She reflects on having gone overboard, but it seems she doesn't feel any guilt.
That, in itself, is something terrifying, and Yuurai feels a bit scared of herself.