Chapter 48 : Harbinger of end

The training with Cled was completely over. I had become noticeably more accustomed to the training method using eggs, and at some point, I started wearing protective gear with practice blades attached to my elbows and knees to prepare for actual combat.

It was certainly difficult to get used to attacking with body parts other than my hands. However, it showed superior efficiency in close combat because it didn’t require time to recover posture when avoiding and counterattacking the opponent’s attacks.

“That’s enough. You should be able to switch to real ones soon.”

Cled, who had been sparring with me, said, wiping his sweat.

“Already? I don’t think I’ve even reached the tip of Cled’s toes yet.”

“You’ve passed the stage where you can increase your proficiency through training. The rest you have to make your own by using it in actual combat.”

Normally, he would have had a big grin on his face thinking about drinking after training, but today he had an unusually serious expression. I was a little worried about his unusual demeanor, so I carefully brought it up.

“…Is something wrong?”

He seemed to hesitate to answer, then took a sip of alcohol and opened his mouth.

“This morning, I received a mission from the commander. We’re going to scout Invidia’s nest with a group of people.”

It seems that Commander Violet’s story about the signs of Invidia’s hatching was true. The egg-shaped outer shell surrounding Invidia in its hatching state blocks all attacks, so no matter how much you attack, it’s useless. Therefore, the purpose of the reconnaissance is likely to simply identify the location and consider the manpower allocation for the subjugation battle.

Until now, the subjugation of ancient species Sarkas had relied entirely on Violet’s ability. However, the ancient species he subjugated, ‘Gula of Gluttony’, had a short awakening cycle, so its damage was limited to about one village.

“Invidia is a monster that even the commander said was overwhelming. If you don’t prepare thoroughly, you’ll be defeated.”

The hatching cycle of Invidia of Envy was much longer than that of other ancient species. Even in the literature, there were few records of it, so there was very little information about humanity witnessing it. However, one thing was certain: every time it awakened, a disaster of a scale that overturned the world came.

“Please let our team go too.”

“What?”

As a combatant who would participate in the Invidia subjugation battle, I wanted to see its current state with my own eyes. As Yuri’s magical power could be the key to the subjugation, it was important to clearly learn the place to fight.

“It’s just a reconnaissance. There’s no need to bring more people than necessary.”

“It’s a battlefield where we’ll also risk our lives. At least, let us see the battlefield with our own eyes.”

“…”

He seemed to be worrying, then sighed and scratched the back of his head.

“You always make things difficult… I’ll tell the commander. Be ready to leave tomorrow morning.”

“Thank you, Cled.”

With gratitude, I patted his back. It’s something I would never have imagined before, but now I know that he’s a surprisingly soft person.

“Hmph, you’re getting more and more brazen.”

There was a good reason for me to insist on joining the reconnaissance, even if it meant pestering him. Experiencing a safe battlefield at this time would be a great help, not only for me but also for my teammates.

That night, I went outside alone while my teammates were sleeping. It was to check the Chaos Points, which I hadn’t checked once since the last time. I was afraid because the status window was broken with unpleasant noise when I forced the given quest to fail.

I steeled my mind and checked the Chaos Points.

‘1.9…’

The unnervingly broken system was still the same, but I could clearly check the value. It was only a matter of time before it reached 2.0.

I could slow down the increase, but there was no way to lower it. I had tried all sorts of methods. Making the main characters say the original lines, deliberately creating the same situations, etc. There were fewer things I hadn’t tried, but the value never went down.

“Can’t sleep?”

At the sound of someone’s voice from behind, I hurriedly closed the status window. It wouldn’t be visible to others anyway, but there was no reason to keep it on.

“Ah… Yuri.”

Yuri was wearing a cotton glove on one arm that she hadn’t worn before. It’s to cover the burns she got on her arm while trying to save me from the explosion. Even if I try to forget, the shock of that time keeps coming back whenever I see her glove.

“…You have a scar, Yuri.”

She briefly lifted her arm and then shrugged, as if she didn’t care.

“It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t interfere with my magic output.”

Yuri was always like this. Unlike girls her age, she seemed to have little interest in anything other than getting stronger. She was always training when she was alone, and she even thought that eating time was a waste, so she didn’t spend more than a minute. It’s no wonder that the male students who were attracted to her pretty appearance gave up on their own.

“And, as a result, I saved you, Saya.”

I looked at her in surprise at her unusual choice of words.

“You’re my training partner from now on. It’s troublesome if the goal I have to surpass dies. If you die, I want you to die by my hand.”

It would have been nice if she hadn’t added that.

She sat down naturally next to me, who was sitting silently on the grass. It was surprising that she, who dramatically avoided unnecessary conversations, made such small changes. Yuri, who was quietly looking at the moon, spoke to me first.

“Come to think of it, we went into Vincent’s room together last time, Saya.”

It was about the day we went into the closed room of Yuri’s brother, Vincent Freesia, to find information about Sarkas with brainwashing abilities.

“I hated him for seven years after he left. I never thought he would disappear without saying a word to me.”

As Yuri told me, Vincent left the house the day after his parents burned all of his materials. His exact whereabouts are unknown, but if he is alive, he is surely immersed in Sarkas research in a more free environment.

“…Do you still hate him?”

It must have been a difficult decision. The only person Yuri could open up to and talk to had suddenly left, leaving her alone as a child, and the anger at that must have remained with her until now. However, she said that she now forgave her brother.

“I don’t know if I hated him more than necessary. He was my everything. But if leaving the house was something he needed to do, I think I should have pushed him instead. The Freesia family is the worst environment for Vincent to achieve his dream.”

“…You’re a good sibling.”

I think that the existence of Yuri’s brother, who spent her childhood with her, even if it was a little twisted, allowed her to walk the right path.

Yuri stared at me intently, unlike her usual self, and then lifted my chin.

“…!?”

“It’s strange. No matter how I think about it, you resemble Vincent.”

She had never had the habit of touching, so I was easily embarrassed by her touch.

“Resemble, do you mean in appearance…?”

“No. I’m not talking about appearance. When I talk to you, you overlap with Vincent in a strange way. It’s very strange.”

I think I know to some extent why she feels that way. Vincent Freesia, Yuri’s brother, was actually created as a character most similar to me from the planning stage.

In my past life, I was a nobody who couldn’t give up on my dream of writing, and I only wrote mediocre novels every time.

Of course, there was opposition from my parents, and to them, seeing me without a proper job, writing must have seemed like a curse. A curse that corrupted their only child, who should have studied normally, gone to college, and gotten a job.

Standing in that position, the character I created by projecting myself was Vincent. So, it wasn’t strange that she saw him overlapping with me.

“Anyway, I finally completed the emotion catalyst. It’s much more efficient than the one I showed you last time.”

Yuri took out purple solutions contained in glass flasks and showed them to me.

After I told her the truth about the principle of magic activation, she seemed to have been seriously researching how to control her emotions for a while.

The result was this, made using herbs that forcibly induce excitement. If the components were twisted, it could also be used as an aphrodisiac, so it was not easy to obtain.

“This time, in addition to simply exciting you and keeping you in a state of constant anger, it will dramatically increase the magic output.”

“…What the hell did you put in there?”

“I put in a small amount of catalyst made by melting bloodstones. Originally, it’s not for drinking, but I added only enough so that it wouldn’t harm the body, so it shouldn’t be a big problem.”

It’s true that it’s a dangerous attempt that others would call crazy if they saw it. However, this adventurous spirit was also the reason that made her strong.

Right now, Yuri can use intermediate magic with the maximum power that an individual can produce, and that too multiple times. If she dopes herself with a medicine she made herself, she might be able to temporarily display magic comparable to Violet’s.

“…Commander Violet. What is he thinking?”

I had told Yuri about him when she woke up. Circumstantially, it was reasonable to think that he was the one who brainwashed Carne to kill Yuri.

However, strangely, he doesn’t react to our actions. Even though he realized that his plan had failed, he just acted as usual.

“There’s no guarantee that he’s the one, Saya. Even if Violet is right, as it is, I think he’ll leave me alone until the subjugation battle is over.”

…Certainly, Yuri was an indispensable talent for the subjugation battle. He might have thought it was a better judgment to keep her alive until then. Or, we might be completely wrong.

“Let’s go in. We need to prepare for tomorrow’s reconnaissance.”

I nodded at Yuri’s words and returned to the dormitory room.

Tomorrow.

I can finally see with my own eyes the reality of Invidia, which brought this world to its end.

Anxiety and a primal curiosity kept interfering with my sleep.

Can I resist the predetermined fate of this world?

When that day comes, will I be able to talk with my comrades with a smile on my face?

The next morning, before dawn, I prepared and left the academy. The personnel who were going on the reconnaissance were Commander Violet, the instructors, and the Spirit Masters of the S-rank teams, including our team.

The best talent was selected in preparation for the worst-case scenario, but Invidia wouldn’t awaken before the scheduled date. It was still in the very early stages of hatching, so today’s task was simply to observe its progress and prepare the equipment necessary for battle.

Just before entering Invidia’s hatching place, combat instructor Cled warned us.

“Kids, no matter what happens, contact with Invidia is prohibited. Just help us with the chores.”

Chores meant setting up temporary tents and moving supplied materials. National manpower was scheduled to be invested, and as hatching approached, combat personnel had to stay nearby in advance, so the necessary facilities were needed.

“What will Invidia of Envy look like, Saya?”

Luna, who had been silently sticking close to me all the way here, opened her mouth for the first time. Since she could no longer use a shield, she was now practicing how to actively use magic with her other empty hand.

“…According to the stories passed down, Invidia has no fixed form.”

The ancient species Invidia, in charge of envy among the seven deadly sins.

Invidia, which has no fixed inherent form, is said to have imitated the appearance of all things, envious of them, as its name suggests.

It’s an even more terrifying Sarkas because it’s said to perfectly reproduce not only the appearance but also the ability.

“The nest is ahead. Everyone be careful of unexpected situations.”

Like a combat instructor, Cled took the lead and slid down into the nest. Actually, it’s called a nest, but it was close to a huge basin. Like a crater hit by a meteorite, it was a terrain that was hollowed out in the shape of a round hemisphere.

He held his breath and entered the nest, but nothing happened even after a few seconds. Cled, who confirmed safety, waved his hand to signal that it was okay to enter.

The personnel slid down the basin one by one, and I could finally face the reality.

“This is… Invidia…?”

Countless black tentacles extending from the wall of the basin were connected to a single sphere in the center.

That black lump, which was bumpy as if a lump of muscles were gathered, was beating with a thump-thump as if to claim that it was alive. The size was surprisingly a little bigger than a person, much smaller than I thought.

Carne, who was watching the shape, frowned and said.

“…Disgusting.”

I think her expression is probably the reaction of a normal person. That creature, which was all shrouded in mystery, amplified the uneasiness of those who saw it.

“It doesn’t seem to be active. What should we do, Commander?”

When Cled asked Commander Violet, he shook his head with a complicated expression.

“As originally planned, we will only do the necessary equipment for the battle today and return. In the first place, the curtain surrounding that thing not only blocks magic, but also seems to use it as nourishment. There is no need to attack hastily.”

“…I understand.”

Violet also seemed to be well aware of Invidia’s danger. He asked them to be careful not to touch even the tentacles extending from the wall as much as possible.

The personnel moved according to the plan, moving the supplies and setting up temporary tents. A small number of people will remain here even after the facilities are finished and observe Invidia’s movements.

The facilities also included traps for subjugation, and special materials such as spears and explosive traps were placed ominously.

One of the instructors in charge of directing the personnel handed me a liquid containing strings and explosives and said.

“Carefully fix this to the bottom of the guy. Be careful because if it explodes, it’s over.”

The reason why we were asked to do dangerous work was because most of the instructors were tall, so there was no space to crawl under the tentacles.

I lowered my body as much as possible and crawled under Invidia, being careful not to touch the tentacles.

‘It’s even more disgusting up close.’

I’m probably the closest person among the people here. Looking up from right below, I saw that the black-shaped muscle mass had countless eyes closed on it.

Being so close, the beating was more realistic, so I quickly finished the setup and came out from under the tentacles and told them that I was done.

“I’m done.”

“Good. We’re retreating!”

Compared to the beginning when everyone was very nervous, only surprisingly boring work continued, so they cheered when the work was over.

I could see the figures of my teammates far away. Luna, who had been carrying heavy loads, was sticking to Yuri and Carne and talking with a bright expression.

“Saya, let’s go back now! I’ll make you meat stew tonight!”

I responded to her call with an awkward smile and gesture, and took a step.

Chaos|Points_Reached_Set|_

Panel|_Assigned:In_dia_Hatching_Accelerated

Along with the wildly broken letters, the status window showing the Chaos Points was forcibly displayed in front of my eyes.

The first thing I felt was a strange sense of déjà vu.

It was the same, somewhat nauseating and unpleasant feeling that I felt when the Chaos Points reached 1.0.

With an unpleasant twisted sensation, a faint crackling sound was heard.

I turned around to the source of the sound,

And clearly met eyes with the end.