Chapter 362: (361) Please take responsibility if you’re wrong
Devil race?
Isn’t that the race that fought alongside the Demon Lord in the past?
“This country was the location of a fierce battleground. The hatred for the devil race remains. Moreover, in the Goddess Church doctrine, the devil race is said to be the reincarnation of guilty souls. No one would complain even if devils are tortured.”
“Hatred toward the devil race … Is Haru spared from it?”
I was worried about Haru as I looked away from the devil in front of me.
Currently, she should be with Carol at the weapon store in town looking for a brand new magical tool to maintain her sword.
“The White Wolf race fought on both the Hero and the Demon Lord’s side. I don’t think that she will be treated like her. You didn’t see anybody look at her strangely in town, right?”
But Suzuki added that it would have been dangerous if she was still wearing the slave’s collar like before.
It would have been dangerous …
If I made a wrong choice - no, if the Hero did not take Haru out of the Southern Continent, it might have been Haru sitting there.
““I wonder if I can do anything about it.””
Both Suzuki and I spoke at the same time.
After saying those words, we moved with a newfound determination to save her - or not.
If only we had nothing to lose by being jobless.
“The more important people you have, the harder it will be to move freely. This world may be a game-like fantasy world but it is not a kind world. It doesn’t always have a happy ending.”
Suzuki said as he ground his teeth and endured.
I felt the same as well.
My palms hurt. I had clenched my fist tightly without knowing and my fingernails dug into my palm.
I wasn’t bleeding but I looked at my red swollen hands.
It hurt …
What about that girl’s pain with all her blood covering her? It felt painful just by imagining it.
I could not stand being in that place any longer and fled out of the room.
Suzuki left with me.
“Why did it turn out this way?”
“After the war ended 12 years ago, the devil race hid their horns on their heads and wings on their back with magic and blended into their surroundings to live. But due to this incident - after finding out that she was afflicted with the curse, a Blood Appraisal was conducted and it came to light that she was of the devil race.”
Suzuki explained.
In other words, it was because of me?
“It is as Suzuki-dono said. Thanks to that, we found more than 10 devil race members. With the just cause of finding people with the frenzy curse, we could conduct Blood Appraisal on a large number of people. Buhihihi.”
“What happened to the devil race members who were not afflicted with the frenzy curse?”
“Of course, they were sent to the church. They are criminals after all.”
“ - ”
I was about to argue when Suzuki grabbed my hand.
I can’t go against the inspector.
It was as though he was telling me that.
It was mortifying.
Suzuki was feeling mortified just like me but it was frustrating that he was stopping me for my sake.
“Inspector-dono, why did you not send her to the church like with the other devil race members?”
Suzuki asked.
“It’s simple. She is a tool to find the criminal.”
“I knew it.”
Only Suzuki was satisfied with that answer.
“Does she have a connection with the criminal? Because she is a devil?”
I felt that the racial discrimination was excessive.
Certainly, there was a high chance that the devil race was involved in this incident.
Nevertheless, does that justify torturing a girl who was living peacefully?
The inspector laughed at my question.
I couldn’t tell what was funny.
“That is not true, Kusunoki-kun. The inspector-dono is looking for the word that will activate the frenzy curse using her. Not any phrase can be the word. It might be possible to find the criminal or their goal once they know the word. Well, a conservative estimate of the number of words would be around 10,000 types so it won’t be easy to find.”
“ - Wait, Suzuki. Once they know the word, that girl will become a Berserker! Isn’t that dangerous!?”
“That’s why we cut the tendons in her feet. Even if she becomes a Berserker, it is easy to deal with her if she can’t move her feet.”
“Deal with …”
“I don’t think they will kill her outright. This is a law-abiding country. There will be no judgment without a trial.”
“Yup, that is correct. It seems that Suzuki-dono has studied about this. Buhihihihi.”
I’m surprised they could claim that they won’t judge her without a trial after seeing what they have already done to her.
Damn it.
I was about to exclaim when it happened.
─ Don.
We heard a dull sound and the metal door leading to the next room was deformed.
It was easy to tell what happened.
One of the presence among the two that should be in the neighboring room became extremely faint.
Was the devil race girl about to die?
But then the reason for the change in the shape of the door - don’t tell me!?
I tried to grasp the knob on the deformed door but,
“Kusunoki-kun, that door won’t work! This way! Inspector-dono please evacuate to a safe location.
Suzuki led the way to the neighboring room.
From the window, I could see the devil race girl rampaging and the knight on the verge of death.
The door changed shape due to the knight crashing into it.
Even if she had a superior criminal job, she shouldn’t be able to do so to such a high-level knight opponent.
How could she use a Berserker’s skill?
【Evil Berserker: Lv1】
… !?
The devil race girl’s job had changed to Evil Berserker?
Not Berserker?
“Did the frenzy curse activate!?”
It seemed that Suzuki had not noticed that her job was not Berserker.
While we were lost in thought, the confused girl took the knight’s sword and kicked through the door before exiting.
I drew the sword in the room.
“Zantetsu!” (TLN: Iron Cut or cut through iron, doesn’t really translate nicely so I’ll leave it as is.)
I cut through the metal walls using the skill and created another entrance by kicking through the wall.
Then, I tried using Healing Magic on the interrogator.
“ … The world … kyu.”
“Mega Heal! What are you saying, you will be all right! Mega Heal!”
My second Mega Heal did not activate. I could not use the same spell consecutively.
And there was no meaning even if it activated.
“Kusunoki-kun, his condition -”
“At times like this, it doesn’t follow novels where the body temperature suddenly drops. He’s still warm, damn it.”
His body temperature did not fall suddenly.
But his presence was disappearing.
His presence quickly grew faint and I could no longer feel it.
“ … ! Suzuki, this man is dead.”
Suzuki noticed as well.
He left the room with a taken aback expression.
A Lv1 defeated a high-level Knight - no, killed.
She left the room when he died and gained distance from us. In other words, the combat ended.
Her level increased.
“Suzuki, her job was not Berserker! It was Evil Berserker! Do you know anything about it?”
“Evil Berserker - I’ve not heard about it. It might be a racial job.”
A racial job.
Something like the Elf Bowman that only Dark-Elves and Elves could change job into.
Carol suddenly changed job to Temptress and it was triggered by her Commoner level increasing.
It would not strange that turning into a Berserker to be the trigger for the devil race to change job into Evil Berserker.
“Kusunoki-kun, are you prepared?”
“Yes I am.”
“I’m talking about the resolution to kill her.”
The frenzy curse activated.
I knew that the curse could no longer be treated with Dispel.
“Can’t she be cured of her confused state with Dispel?”
“It is impossible. No, it is possible but she will just fall back into the confused state immediately.”
Suzuki said with a sad expression.
I looked at the sword I held.
It was the type of sword to place talisman in the handle that I grabbed in the spur of the moment.
“I am prepared. Prepared to pierce the girl with this sword.”
“ … I see. Then I won’t say anything else. Let’s search separately.”
Suzuki and I nodded and we split up to search.
Thankfully there were not many people in the facility and there weren’t many human presences.
“Buhihihihihihihi!”
I heard a sound like a pig being slaughtered.
That voice was the inspector!
I ran toward the voice.
I don’t know what happened but a bookshelf had collapsed and the inspector was trapped under it.
“Inspector-dono!”
“I-Ichinojo-dono! Help me!”
When the inspector said that, the tattered devil race girl saw me.
Her body seemed to blur before she rushed toward me.
She was fast!
“Ku!”
I stopped her sword.
An expression of agony appeared on her face after I stopped her sword.
Her strike didn’t feel as strong when I received it but when our swords were locked, I could vividly feel her strength.
【Evil Berserker: Lv12】
She leveled up until level 12. But what was going on?
Why was she able to move with the leg tendons cut?
Why was she showing such an agonized expression?
She looked like she was suffering even though I only blocked her sword.
Was she feeling impatient? Or was it the confused status?
While I was feeling troubled, she pulled her sword back smoothly and swung her sword as though to sweep me away. This time I chose to dodge by jumping backward.
Her expression did not change.
It seemed that she was fine if I avoided her attacks.
“What are you doing!! Hurry up and kill her!”
The spectator was being noisy.
I wanted to restrain her if possible.
She would be released from her confused status if I restrained her for an hour. I wanted to find out the secret of her power for that sake.
I made a decision.
I received her slashing attack once more.
- Now!
I used my skill - Thought Trace.
… I felt like I was about to be swallowed by a torrent of emotions. So this was the confused status.
There was not only the confused status, but my entire body also hurt - probably from the whip injuries.
I see, I have a low resistance to confusion. I would not be able to endure for an hour and become a cripple if I was ever in that condition.
But I begged myself to endure for just a minute.
During that time, the body pains further intensified and turned into severe pain.
As the pain intensified, the strength behind her sword increased.
I see, I now understand the secret behind your skill.
I dispelled Thought Trace and jumped backward.
I wiped my sweat.
The secret to her skill was - the more extensive her body injuries, the more strength she can exert on the affected body part.
In exchange, she would feel increased pain and would lose HP.
If she continued fighting like that, she would die even if I don’t attack her.
- Resolution … huh.
Koshmar-sama - you said this to me.
To enjoy my otherworld life. I was not given any particular mission.
Metias-sama, you chose me.
I was summoned to this world.
This will become the string for the spinning top to delay the end of the world.
“Please take responsibility if I am mistaken.”
I channeled magic into my sword.
I said as I put force into parrying the girl’s swing that was meant to cut me down before returning with a slash.
My sword sliced through her left armpit and until her heart before stopping.
Her body lost strength as her eyes remained open and she collapsed while still with the sword embedded in her.