Chapter 60

She was hugging her knees and crying in a place where no one could see her.

She lamented that she had nowhere to belong, crying like a kitten.

Footsteps approached.

When they stopped in front of Kiril, she lifted her face to recognize the presence.

Was it an enemy or an ally?

However, to her, the existence that should be called an enemy did not treat her as one.

After fainting yesterday, Kiril found herself in an uninhabited shack.

She wasn't tied up or anything, and Mute was sitting next to her.

In response to Kiril's clearly frightened appearance, Mute began to speak in a halting manner.

About the Children.

About the Origin.

And about what kind of beings they were.

It was then that Kiril finally realized that the true purpose of the journey was not to defeat the Demon King.

From beginning to end, she had been nothing more than a jester.

The fear of the fleshy vortex had somewhat diminished now that she knew the truth, but her feelings towards Mute, who mercilessly killed people, remained unchanged.

Even though Mute knew this, she did nothing to Kiril.

When the morning came, Mute went outside and told Kiril to wait in a place a little away from the square in front of the castle, then disappeared somewhere.

"Why—"

Kiril was afraid to ask Mute this question.

The qualia of words was different.

Even if the pronunciation and meaning of the words were exactly the same, the way they were received was different between her and Mute.

Poor Kiril, at the center of the commotion, didn't understand the meaning of the storm surrounding her.

Her heart was a mess, on the verge of breaking, but it wouldn't break.

If she could have leaned one way or the other, she could have escaped this half-baked, ugly moratorium.

Even a simple "I'm sorry" or "I don't care" would have been enough.

But Kiril couldn't become either side.

That's why she was afraid.

Of Mute, who could completely cut things off and move forward on the path she believed in.

"Kiril, let's run away together."

After finishing her job, Mute extended her hand to Kiril.

Kiril, with dead eyes, took her hand without thinking about the reason.

Even if she refused, Mute would probably wait until she moved.

Kiril had no idea why, but she had an unfounded confidence that Mute would do just that.

She stood up, and the two of them ran.

"Where are we going?"

She asked in a small voice that was about to fade away.

"..."

Mute didn't answer.

She just continued to run with a somewhat lonely expression.

From behind, in the square in front of the castle, came a roar and screams mixed with all kinds of emotions.

"How long are you going to do this?"

Kiril, suddenly terrified, asked in a louder voice than before.

"..."

Mute still didn't answer.

The chaotic noise faded and grew smaller.

Perhaps the number of people had decreased as more died, reducing the volume.

Kiril tried not to think too deeply about it.

She didn't want to think that she was involved in the commotion.

If she realized it, she felt like she would be crushed, spilling red liquid and dying.

So she didn't think about it.

She vaguely continued to ask Mute whatever came to mind.

"Why do you do this much?"

She asked in the same tone.

"..."

Mute stopped, turned her head, and answered without looking back.

"Do you know why I brought Kiril?"

"I don't know anything. Because I was betrayed and hated, and I have nowhere to go, and I wanted to be remembered by being hurt. I can understand that to some extent. But... to kill so many people, it's crazy."

It was a common-sense answer.

It was a value system that was far removed from Mute's, but she nodded in satisfaction.

"Yes, that's why."

"That's why?"

"One. I will die. For Mother. I want someone to remember me. I can't hope for a monster. But I wanted it. A human-like sentiment."

"...That's just a bother."

"I'm sorry. But Kiril, you didn't run away. You were kind and strong. That's why it was good."

She didn't run away because she had nowhere else to go.

She was also afraid of Mute and thought she might be killed if she ran away.

Even if she was called kind, she couldn't be genuinely happy about it.

But how Kiril felt about it was a trivial matter.

In the end, she followed Mute to the end.

To Mute, it felt like kindness and was a source of comfort.

"Two. I just wanted Kiril. In return, I wanted to give something."

"For that, did you show me the killings?"

"Yes."

Seeing Mute nod immediately, Kiril gritted her teeth.

It was selfish to the extreme to do it for her own sake.

Even if their values were different, showing her the deaths of people was nothing but harassment—just as Kiril was about to yell at her, Mute said:

"We can't do anything else. We weren't born to be human, but to kill humans. That's who we are."

"...What?"

"Mother is grateful. But I think we have power. We can hear voices. But the world is narrow."

The Children of the Spiral had always lived in an underground garden.

The five children were born and lived to walk on the predetermined path in a closed world.

Deviation was not allowed.

Because they possessed the power of non-humans in their hearts.

Mute had always been proud of this.

That's why they looked down on the first generation, Ink, but the situation changed when she started living as a normal human.

The strong power they possessed indicated that they couldn't turn back.

The second generation was not the final form, and would eventually be replaced by the "Children."

Mother might eventually shift her interest to them and start to think that Mute and the others didn't matter.

When that happened, they would have nowhere to go.

Moreover, the Children were abandoned by Satuki and cut off by Origin.

They whispered.

"Die as scripted, that's your role."

As children of Mother and Origin, Mute and the others had no choice but to follow.

They were prepared to accept death when it came, but—since they were born as human children, they couldn't completely abandon their humanity.

She wanted to repay Mother.

She wanted someone to remember their existence.

It was a common wish.

And Mute, upon meeting Kiril, harbored another hope.

"Kiril, it's different. There are many things you can do. You can save and protect, not just kill. There are many other things."

"Stop overestimating me. Everyone was like that. I'm not a hero. I can't do anything—"

Kiril, who had given up on everything.

Mute took her hand in both of hers, looked her in the eye, and smiled.

"You're alive. Your heart beats. That alone means there's a possibility."

Kiril thought Mute was a terrifying monster.

But that wasn't true.

She was actually afraid of death.

It was a mistake to assume that they had completely different values and not try to understand her words.

The paths they had taken were different, but whether human or monster, there was a possibility of reaching the same end.

Mute's body might be that of a monster, but her thoughts were very human.

"Then, why don't you do what you want?"

Acting on emotion, involving others.

It was extremely troublesome.

As a hero, she shouldn't forgive her.

But it wasn't incomprehensible.

"I'm done. But Kiril, you're different."

For the first time, Mute's words penetrated Kiril.

Mute, having reached a dead end on a different path, was trying to guide Kiril, who still had a path to follow.

It was a luxury, to give up everything just because you couldn't meet expectations.

There was an eight-year-old girl in front of her who couldn't even make that choice anymore.

"I—"

Even so, all her worries wouldn't disappear.

But Kiril was trying to come to a decision.

But then—

"Watch out!"

Kiril sensed the approaching killing intent from afar and instinctively pushed Mute to the ground.

Whoosh!

Immediately after, an arrow wrapped in wind passed over their heads.

As a hero, she shouldn't have saved her.

Mute was prepared to die.

But Kiril still had something she wanted to tell Mute.

So without thinking, her body moved reflexively.

"…Kiril, that was—"

"It's Linus… Let's run!"

"No, I'll fight."

"But—!"

"I knew the commotion would be big. I can't run. This is the end."

"Is that what you intended from the beginning!?"

With this much commotion, Mute's existence wouldn't be forgotten.

She had already told Kiril what she needed to.

Kiril wasn't fully recovered, but she could manage on her own.

So—there was no need to fear death anymore.

Mute put her hand in her pocket and confirmed the hard, cold sphere with her fingertips.

"Kiril, get back!"

Linus, who had approached from above, said as he fired multiple arrows.

Kiril, holding Mute, leaped back to avoid the attack.

"Kiril, let go. That's not good. I'm a murderer, an enemy, a monster."

"Even so, I— I…!"

She knew Mute was a criminal and a murderer.

It was foolish to be swayed by a few words and protect her, causing a conflict with her comrades.

It was foolish, but—after moving her heart, it was too convenient to say "don't save her."

"Even if you're a monster, even if you have nowhere to go, I can't just watch you die pointlessly!"

"Hey, Kiril, why are you protecting her!?"

Linus, confused, pursued them.

He was faster than Kiril.

In the narrow alley, there was no place to run, and the gap was closing.

Kiril, hesitating to draw her sword,

"Enough. It's over. I've had enough."

Mute tried to stop her desperately.

But Kiril didn't give up on her, hoping for a deus ex machina.

But it was different from the case with Ink.

Mute had killed people on her own and was being pursued by the church.

It was impossible for her to live in this kingdom.

"Judgment"

A giant sword of light approached the two.

The magic, which illuminated the dim street, ruthlessly approached Kiril's eyes—she dodged by tilting her body, but it grazed her shoulder, causing a light burn.

The pain drained the strength from her arm.

Taking advantage of this, Mute pushed Kiril away on her own, causing her to roll on the ground.

"Sacred Lance"

The "masked woman" waiting in front raised her hand, and a spear of light floated in the sky.

She swung her arm.

The spear was then shot at Mute, who was crawling on the ground, at high speed.

"Mute!"

"Ah… gah…!"

The magic hit her leg, burning it.

The unpleasant smell of burning human flesh filled the alley.

But the burned part twisted, and the exposed muscle changed to a twisted appearance.

"Maria, that was dangerous. What were you going to do if Kiril couldn't avoid it?"

"I thought I had to do it to stop her."

"That's true, but—"

It seemed the masked woman was Maria.

Last night, the two who stayed at Linus's hideout immediately headed to the square when they sensed the disturbance.

Of course, he tried to stop Maria from coming along.

Even with a mask, he wanted to avoid involving her in church-related disturbances as much as possible.

But for some reason, she insisted on coming along.

In the end, Linus couldn't stop her, and the two of them headed to the square.

But on the way—his eyes caught sight of Kiril and Mute.

Linus, judging Mute to be the cause of the commotion, fired an arrow.

Upon learning the woman's identity, Kiril unsheathed her sword without hesitation.

She glared at her and took a stance.

"Maria, you—!"

Linus, confused by Kiril's hostility, couldn't hide his bewilderment.

"Hey, Kiril, wait! We're not the enemy, right!?"

"This person… This person tried to turn me into a monster by giving me a core! She tried to manipulate me for her own convenience!"

"What are you talking about? Did that Mute do something to you…"

"No, Linus."

Maria calmly stated.

"It's true. I tried to turn Kiril into a monster to fulfill my own wishes."

"…That's ridiculous."

Linus hadn't heard anything from Maria yet.

Even last night, he had just been by her side as she remained silent.

He thought it was kindness.

He believed that if they spent time together, she would eventually tell him everything.

"Wait, so your appearance…!"

"Yes, I did it myself. And I gave cores to Kiril and Jean to give them the same power and the same will."

"So that's why Jean—"

He remembered cursing Jean.

That was the reason for his anger.

"But even so, there's no need for Kiril to protect that girl!?"

Kiril knew that much.

Mute had committed so many unforgivable sins that even she was aware of it.

"But—"

Even so, did Maria have the right to judge Mute's sins?

What did she mean by hurting her, bearing the same sins?

"Haahaaaaa!"

Kiril charged at Maria.

Maria, though her expression was hidden, calmly created countless small swords of light and prepared to release them.

Her calmness suggested that she had understood from the beginning that it would come to this.

"Kiril…!"

Mute bit her lip in pain and ran.

She passed by the two who were locked in a sword clash and tried to escape.

"What's going on… Damn it!"

Linus didn't understand anything about Maria, Kiril, or that girl Mute.

But one thing was clear.

He couldn't let Mute escape here.

"…Maria and Kiril, I'll hear everything from you when you come back!"

After much deliberation, Linus leaped onto the roof and pursued Mute.

Maria and Kiril, seemingly oblivious to his words, continued their close combat with swords and magic—

◇◇◇

Flam and the others finally arrived at the square and stood there, stunned by the hellish scene before them.

Hundreds of bodies lay scattered on the stage, and adventurers were trampling them as they fought.

Swords clashed in the air, and one of them was blown away towards the ground.

Instead of sand, red blood mist sprayed out.

"It's terrible…"

Eterna, seeing this, expressed what she felt.

"What's going on here?"

The ones killing each other were normal humans.

Among them were soldiers and church knights fighting each other.

They looked like madmen, but the reason was clear when scanned.

--------------------

Aegis Clearade

Attribute: Light

Strength: 4871

Magic: 4219

Health: 5783

Agility: 5236

Senses: 4091

--------------------

First one.

--------------------

Aegis Clearade

Attribute: Light

Strength: 4871

Magic: 4219

Health: 5783

Agility: 5236

Senses: 4091

--------------------

Second one.

--------------------

Aegis Clearade

Attribute: Light

Strength: 4871

Magic: 4219

Health: 5783

Agility: 5236

Senses: 4091

--------------------

Third one.

And the fourth, fifth, and sixth—everyone had the same stats.

The names were meaningless.

They were just given the name of one of the connected individuals.

The problem was, of course, the undeniable, S-rank monster-like numbers.

There were not just a few, but dozens of people with these stats standing before them.

"It's Mute. She used her power on the S-rank adventurers gathered in the square."

And she connected the other people and instructed them to carry out indiscriminate killings.

If one person had S-rank abilities, all the connected ones had the same stats.

Connecting a strong adventurer with a high strength and a strong adventurer with high magic created a person with both.

Whether they were adventurers, civilians, children, or the elderly—everyone, without exception, became S-rank.

In the face of such overwhelming violence, people had no choice but to fall one by one.

Gadio looked around.

There were soldiers, but no generals, no leaders of the church knights, no Chimera