Chapter 55

EP.55 Derailment Frenzy - 3

[I don't understand this, but what was that monster... or rather, that monster person? There were no such creatures in my time.]

With his body reduced to a rag, Leo, who was searching for his lady, cut down another monster person without a word.

“It’s only natural that they didn’t exist. These monster people are originally unrelated individuals.”

These modified humans are mostly victims of this terrorist attack and the murdered missing persons.

[...Could they have been modified? Who would do such a thing...]

“We need to get to the lady before that guy does.”

As he cut off the monster person’s neck, Leo said,

“They were all polymorphed.”

[...Polymorph?]

It was a black magic polymorph, specifically a unique spell that modifies through black magic.

“The mimicry magic was completely reengineered into transformation magic.”

Commonly known as a Claymaster

A black mage with the unique magic that can transform not only humans but any living being.

The reason Jihard’s appearance seemed natural was likely due to the power of the Claymaster.

[Then the terrorists at that time... that guy...]

<They were probably decoys.>

It was a strategy the Claymaster often used.

After deliberately casting a basic polymorph, they would kill people for materials if the client succeeded, and even if the client failed, it would reduce suspicion and allow them to move more safely.

[But Aria can distinguish polymorphs, right? Then...]

<Do you know why these monster people have such abilities?>

The Claymaster’s polymorph doesn’t just change appearance.

It alters the structure of bones, muscles, and blood vessels, a true transformation, which is why even ordinary people and low-level mages could become such superhuman monsters.

[Then his face...]

Polymorph is a mimicry ability, so it can be distinguished in that way.

However, the Claymaster’s polymorph changes the body itself, making it impossible to distinguish using Leo’s method.

“I need to get there first...!”

Even this close, he couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.

His ribs cracked and pierced his lungs with every movement, but his legs didn’t stop.

He couldn’t lose Aria again.

He is still running.

***

A few hours before the incident.

In a situation where Leo and Irina were pretending to go on a date, a girl and a graduate student were behind them.

“Um... Miss Ariesfil, this seems to be a personal matter...”

“Could you please be quiet?”

At that moment, Amelie saw it.

The eyes of a killer, the shadow in those eyes implied a coldness that could abandon humanity.

And Amelie realized that if she tried to stop it any further, she might die.

“Yes... Yes, Miss...”

She obediently complied with Aria.

‘...But if it’s Leonardo, he’ll just go along with it and leave, right?’

Amelie thought, feeling relieved. It had been a long time since the rumor spread that Leo had rejected the Tempeius family’s offer, and such a Leo wouldn’t easily...

-Why are you shaking so much? Miss Irina, are you cold?

Her relief crumbled like a sandcastle when Leo initiated physical contact.

Leo used it not for a rational purpose but as a means to communicate with aura.

“Hands... Hands held by Leonardo...”

Aria and Amelie couldn’t notice. The purpose was to have a conversation that couldn’t be overheard, so there was no way they would notice.

“Miss Ariesfil...?”

Swoosh

Aria drew her sword from its scabbard.

“S-Stop! Miss Ariesfil...!?”

“It’s fine. I’ll just cut off this dirty wrist that Leonardo’s pure hands touched. There will be no problem.”

It was all a problem. Amelie, flustered, tried her best to stop the slaughter.

“Just...! Calm down!! Leonardo doesn’t have such intentions...!”

Meanwhile,

-Do you want a coat? Your hands are very cold.

Leo’s act of covering her with a coat intensified Aria’s murderous intent.

“...Miss Ariesfil...? I want to live...”

“Ariel.”

To her surprise, Aria’s expression was calm. Amelie felt a bit relieved by that calm expression.

“Could you move? If you stay there, I can’t kill that girl.”

It wasn’t calm at all. Amelie finally realized that when humans reach a certain point of anger, they experience a mental detachment.

“Calm down!! Please!! If you kill her, it can’t be undone...!!”

It was a problem that couldn’t be undone, both in love and in crime.

Realizing this, Amelie held Aria with her frail arms. Aria smiled and said,

“By the way, weren’t you with Leonardo in the women’s restroom at night?”

“Yes...? That was...?”

She had already explained it. Logically, Aria knew that ‘such a thing’ didn’t happen.

But Aria was in a state of anger-induced detachment, completely devoid of logic.

“...Ah...! I just got a call from the magic tower...! I’ll go...!!”

To escape the slaughter, Amelie unfolded a teleportation map and fled. Stopping the situation was important, but her life was irreplaceable.

“...Where is that... that girl...!”

With the obstruction gone, Aria wielded her sword more freely. Fortunately, Leo and his group had hidden in an alley while running.

Aria, whose attention was diverted by Amelie, didn’t see where they went.

“Spirits.”

But that wasn’t a problem for Aria, who had learned spirit magic. She could track them using the spirits’ vision and power, just like last time.

[We need to run...]

[People are in danger...]

[You’ll be in danger too...]

But the surrounding spirits seemed uneasy. They were trembling in an unstable form, either out of fear or confusion.

“...In danger? What do you mean...”

BOOM!!

A loud explosion.

“AAAAH!!”

A tearing scream followed.

Aria, startled, looked in that direction.

“KIEEEEE!!”

A mysterious monster, baring its grotesque jaw, lunged at Aria.

Swoosh... Thud

To the enraged Aria, it was just a good outlet for her anger. In an instant, the monster’s neck was cut off and fell to the ground.

“What is this? I’ve never seen such a creature...”

“Help...!!”

Another human voice, a desperate plea for help. Suppressing her anger, Aria ran to the person who called for help.

The blood of her family and the chivalry she learned temporarily suppressed her anger. Of course, later, her Leonardo, who had hurt her beliefs, would need proper education.

“Big brother...! Big brother...!!”

The one being attacked was a young girl.

The attacker was the same kind of monster person.

From the situation, it seemed that the ‘big brother’ had already been attacked by the monster, and now it was trying to attack the sister.

The monster had already pinned the girl’s arms and was ready to tear off her head. If Aria was even a moment late or early, the girl would definitely die.

Swoosh

Aria’s sword, considering the angle, power, and everything, made the best possible attack.

The monster’s neck was cut off in one stroke, and she carefully avoided hitting the girl.

[Did I do well?]

<Yes, thank you.>

And just in case, she used a wind spirit to create a protective barrier around the girl, preventing the worst-case scenario.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt...”

“Big brother...!!”

Aria looked at the girl with a slightly flustered expression. Through her spirit magic, Aria had become adept at sensing others’ emotions.

She could feel the girl’s emotions without any filter.

Confusion, despair, pain, fear.

And hatred towards herself.

Just as Aria was taken aback by the hatred, the girl grabbed the decapitated monster and began to cry.

“Big brother...! Wake up...!! Big brother...!”

Aria’s thoughts turned to an unpleasant hypothesis. About the origin of the monster and how the girl’s brother died.

The sensation of nausea rose, and her thoughts gradually lost clarity.

[Aria! It’s dangerous!]

Hearing the spirits’ warning, Aria quickly regained her composure. She couldn’t lose her calm over uncertain facts.

She needed to remain calm and rational like Leonardo, always ready to judge the next situation.

“KIEEEEE!!”

Another monster, predictably, lunged from the alley, claws extended.

‘I can counterattack.’

Aria tried to counterattack with her sword.

“Save me...”

A voice suddenly rang out. It wasn’t from the girl or the spirits.

She didn’t want to imagine who said it, but her sharp hearing had already identified the source.

“Don’t... kill...”

[Aria, I understand.]

At that moment, a water pressure shot towards the surrounding monsters and instantly froze them. The water and ice spirits had read Aria’s mind and acted on their own to subdue the monsters.

“...Grrrr...”

The monster, mostly frozen, let out a low growl. Aria wanted to believe it was just a threat.

Imagining more would be too much even for Aria.

“Miss!!”

A familiar voice.

With that boy around, she could endure this situation.

“Are you okay? What’s happening...”

“Leonardo!”

It was Leonardo. Fortunately, he seemed to be safe.

“Is this monster... because of you, Miss?”

Looking at the frozen monster, Leonardo asked with concern.

“...These... I don’t know...”

Just as she was about to express her confusion and anguish, another voice rang out.

[It’s dangerous... that guy...]

[It’s definitely Leonardo, but something’s off...]

It was the water and ice spirits who had helped her earlier. Hearing this, Aria began to judge rationally again.

“...Leonardo.”

“Miss, are you okay? Any injuries...”

Aria stepped back and looked at the Leonardo-like figure.

“Leonardo, I’m sorry to doubt you, but can you roll up your sleeve and show me a wound?”

“Ah... Yes. It’s understandable to doubt. We could be in a similar situation again.”

He agreed and rolled up his sleeve. He made a light cut on his scarred arm, and blood flowed out.

“You know, polymorph doesn’t bleed...”

Swoosh

Aria lunged and delivered a sword strike. The wounded arm was cleanly severed.

“Ah...! Ahhhh!! What are you doing...!”

“Who are you? Where’s the real Leonardo?”

“What...!!”

Aria continued to swing her sword. This time, the abdomen was cut. The figure narrowly avoided it, but the attack had clearly hit.

“The blood on your clothes is strange.”

The blood was quite soaked, but the pattern was odd. It looked as if the bloodstains were deliberately placed.

Then she remembered something Leonardo had told her before.

-When tracking or hunting, bloodstains are a good clue. The shape can reveal the situation.

“And asking to see your arm wasn’t to see the blood from the wound.”

What Aria wanted to see were the scars on the arm. There were many, as if from a brutal attack, but Aria knew.

“The scars on your arm are different. The shape and position.”

Even looking at the severed arm, the shape and position were clearly different.

“...You remember that?”

She remembers. Because it’s Leonardo.

“Most importantly.”

She took a stance to finish it.

“Leonardo would have definitely dodged. Such an attack.”

Because it’s her Leonardo.

“...Should I call it cold or ruthless.”

His tone had already changed.

Like an actor who, after the play, smokes a cigarette and curses the theater staff, a drastic and sharp change.

The fake raised both hands, the severed arm regrowing. The blood from the wound had stopped, and a new arm sprouted.

“I thought you were just a fool, but the ‘genius’ label isn’t a false one.”

The abdomen was the same. It was more like restoration than regeneration.

“I’ve been through something similar before.”

The experience from her dreams had been a significant stepping stone for Aria’s growth.

“Is that so? I wonder if you’ve been through this.”

The Claymaster lunged at the panicked girl.

“Wh...?! Ahhhh!! Save... me...!”

“Quite artistic. The siblings dying the same way.”

The girl’s body melted like clay filled with water. Soon, the screams stopped, and the skin, muscles, and bones reformed into a new doll.

The unpleasant valley of slaughter and life was painfully embedded in the girl’s corpse.

“This kind of thing is important for the audience. What do you think, Miss?”

It all happened in just three seconds.

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