Point of View of ???
The night was dark.Almost as dark as the environment I had grown used to living in alongside my "comrades"… if that term even applied.
People who wouldn't hesitate to kill me if the situation demanded it.
Even so…it was better than being alone.
Especially when what we were about to do… was horrible.
Although, for me, it had already become routine.
—Keep your eyes open. We're close to the target. She may have the appearance of a child… but she is still an extremely powerful monster… although there's nothing to worry about —the leader added
—. We have worse things on our side. —he said with a confident smile, a smile that once again made it clear that this job would just be another one on our long list of crimes.
But even so, I knew exactly why he said it.
After all, this time we were accompanied by 6 Apostle followers and 20 high-ranking members, in addition to my squad, which is mid-rank.
I had seen firsthand what the Apostle followers that came with us were capable of.Although they were far below the power of an Apostle… they were still overwhelming.
It was absurd.Inhuman.
—Can we have some fun with her before killing her?
Rom.
Again.
That idiot never missed an opportunity to show what he really was.
Some of us had chosen this path.Others… not so much.
But him…
He enjoyed every second.
Especially the suffering of others.
I hated him.
If I had the chance… I would kill him without thinking.
—Ha… ha… ha…
A dry laugh escaped from my mouth.
I suppose I wasn't entirely wrong.
We were comrades.
Because, just as they wouldn't hesitate to kill me…
I wouldn't hesitate to kill them either.
Especially Rom.
And that…was fine.
That's how this world worked.
—We've arrived. This was the last point where one of the "eyes" detected the target. Beyond this… we don't know what's there.
The forest began to open.
The moonlight filtered more intensely, revealing the landscape in front of us.
—Fiuuu…
One of the men whistled, surprised.
It was no wonder.
The scene before us was something like a church that, although deteriorated, rose in a majestic and solemn way while standing at the center of a large open field that resembled a beautiful meadow.
Enhancing the already beautiful atmosphere, the surroundings were softly bathed in moonlight, making the place even more mystical.
Right in front of the church there were two women; one I assumed was the mission's target due to her similarities with the mental image I remembered of her.
The other woman… from what her appearance suggested, she was a nun, but...her appearance was nothing like that of a common nun; after all, she was impossibly beautiful.
Her figure, her face, and everything that made up her identity seemed as though they had been crafted with the greatest love and care any being could offer, that was how beautiful the nun I assumed worked at the church was.
—Looks like our prey chose a nice place —Rom laughed—. Better for me… more things to have fun with.
For a moment, a deep hostility filled my entire being and it was directed at Rom…. At the same time I racked my brain thinking of a method, some way to save the beautiful nun.
As we got closer and closer to the location of the two women, then suddenly—
The ground beneath our feet lit up.
Red.
Intense.
Blinding.
I closed my eyes by instinct.
When I opened them…
Once again I was standing in the middle of the forest.
But something…
was not right.
I was alone, none of my comrades were anywhere around.
The air felt heavy.
Dense.
As if something was… too close.
As if something was breathing right behind me.
I turned abruptly.
But there was nothing.
—AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!
A scream.
It was heard in the distance.
A tearing scream.
And extremely familiar.
At that moment, a thought came to me.
We were no longer the hunters.
Now we were the prey.
I ran.
Without thinking twice.
Straight toward the source of the scream.
When I arrived…
I saw him.
One of the Apostle followers.
—You… —he said with an indifferent voice—. You came with the team… right?
His tone was strange.
Bored.
As if all of this were a nuisance.
—Yes, sir. Mid-rank. I'm on this mission.
—Yeah, yeah… whatever —he replied, yawning—. Let's just find whoever is responsible, eliminate the target, and leave. I don't want to waste time.
—Understood —I said, bowing my head—. I'll do my best to help.
The man made a gesture with his hand, clearly annoyed, and began to walk.
—Sir… —I hesitated—. The one responsible… and the target aren't the same?
He stopped.
Slowly.
He turned his head.
His gaze… was sharp.
Heavy.
—You're quite brave for a mid-rank.
My body tensed.
Being close to an Apostle follower was completely different.
His presence, though faint, was overwhelming, and I could see more detail in his appearance, covered by a robe, leaving only his hands and feet visible.
His dead eyes.
His expressionless mouth and a face of superiority that made me feel inferior.
—I apologize. It was careless of me.
—No… —he said after a few seconds—. I like you.
He smiled slightly.
—The ability we're experiencing… does not match the target's.That means someone else is involved.
—Then… shouldn't we be on alert?
—Buaaah… —he yawned—. Not really.
He kept walking.
—If someone strong were involved, there would be clearer reasons.Besides… this place does not seem to house someone like that.
He paused.
—And, if there were someone who had their reasons… they would probably be someone more focused on defense than on attack.—The barrier is… quite decent.
—It's probably the work of the nun who was next to the target.— fu fu fu —he laughed in a mocking tone
Crack.
I turned my head 180 degrees in search of the origin of the noise I had just heard.
suddenly—
Crunch… crunch…
My body froze.
That sound…
Someone…
was chewing something.
The noise came from behind me.
Or rather in front of me, where my gaze had been moments before.
Where he was.
Where… he should have been.
I didn't want to look.
Every part of my being screamed at me not to.
But even so I did.
At the same time—
Plof.
Something fell to the ground.
And I saw it.
The lower half of what was supposed to be the Apostle follower's body.
In front of it.
A creature.
Gigantic.
Humanoid and demonic.
Devouring the upper half of the Apostle follower's body.
The world stopped for an instant that felt like an eternity.
Our gazes met.
Or at least I wish I could say that.
Since in no way could it be called a gaze when horns protruded like growths from the two sockets where its eyes were supposed to be.
I couldn't see clearly, but in the darkness I faintly discerned how the creature was smiling.
The cold ran through my entire body.
And then—
I ran, I ran like never before..
Without looking back.
Without thinking.
Only… to survive.
I don't know how long I was running but time passed.
Seconds.
Minutes.
Hours.
When I stopped…
I was alone.
In the same forest.
With the same silence.
—AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA—
Another scream.
Closer and even more horrible.
No.
Not this time I wasn't going.
Not knowing what was in that direction.
I turned around.
And ran in the opposite direction.
Then—
Like lightning, the pain came.
I looked at my left arm.
But it was not there.
Only a trail of blood remained.
—AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA—
The scream came out of me without permission.
I didn't feel it coming.
I didn't see it.
When…?
How…?
The pain was unbearable.
My body… was collapsing due to the pain.
—Fuuuuuu…
A heavy breath was over me.
I raised my gaze.
There was the creature.
Watching me.
There was no hatred.
No pleasure.
Only… emptiness.
—Ru… n…
My mind barely managed to form the word.
I tried to run.
And in the clumsy attempt to escape I tripped over my own feet.
I fell.
Squash!
An indescribable pain crossed my body.
My legs…had been crushed by the creature's hand, destroyed with no hope of recovery.
The creature lifted me by them as if I were a ragdoll.
As if I weighed nothing while bringing me slowly closer to its face.
Face to face.
I looked at it.
There was no cruelty.
And that… was worse.
The smile I saw moments before never really existed and I don't know if that was worse.
It was not torturing me.
It was not enjoying it.
I…
meant nothing.
It opened its mouth.
And in that instant—
I understood.
Inside its mouth…
I saw everything.
Every mistake.
Every life I destroyed.
Every decision.
Every sin.
The creature was not a monster.
I was the monster.
All of this was a judgment.
—It was never hunting us…
My voice was barely a whisper.
—It is punishing us…
I laughed.
Weakly.
Of course.
It made sense after the life I had lived it was time to pay for everything.
Then…
I saw it.
In the distance.
It was me.
Running.
Like I had done moments before.
I tried to scream.
To warn myself.
To save myself.
But no sound came out.
Desperation.
Pure, absolute desperation.
And then—
It put me into its mouth in a single bite
everything ended after that with the sensation and sound of my body being crushed inside its mouth.
then.....
I did not see.
I did not feel.
I did not exist.