Chapter 255: Night of Universal Hallucinations 『 Part Four 』
「 Himeko was still calling out to March 7th on the other end of the line, but there was no response.
Realizing that something was amiss, she immediately dispatched Dan Heng and Stelle to the rescue. Argenti also volunteered his services, insisting that Velite accompany them as well.
When the group arrived in the room, they were met with the sight of a colossal… bug.
Dan Heng, with lightning reflexes, yanked March 7th behind him and assumed a combat stance. Argenti's gaze sharpened, his expression turning unusually grave. "How hideous… The inharmonious pitch has surfaced. Stelle, honor compels us to vanquish this dissonance."
These insects were not particularly powerful, but they possessed the ability to replicate themselves one after another. Fortunately, Argenti struck with blinding speed, sweeping his spear across the room and annihilating them all in a single motion.
"I did not expect our paths to cross again… the Sting," Argenti enunciated slowly, weighing each word.
"Huh?"
"Ugh… back when Argenti found me in that cave, I was being chased and stung relentlessly by a swarm of these things…" Velite recalled with lingering fear, his face draining of color.
Argenti had believed he had driven off all the True Stings previously, but it appeared they were still in pursuit. He turned to Velite. "Could it be… Velite, is it possible you have been tainted by the pheromones of the Swarm?"
Velite was completely clueless, but Dan Heng had some knowledge on the matter. "I have read data concerning the True Stings in the databank. When this species of insect beats its wings, it scatters fibrous debris that induces hallucinations in those who inhale it."
This explained why March 7th had seen another version of herself in the room. 」
「 ..... 」
〜KonoSuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World〜
"Bugs… that is just too gross!"
Watching March 7th turn into a bug on the sky curtain, Kazuma turned green, covering his mouth as he stumbled back a few steps.
"UGH—! My eyes…"
Aqua froze for a moment, then pointed at Kazuma and burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"Bwahahaha! Kazuma! Didn't you just say, 'If it's a mature, big-sister type March 7th, that wouldn't be bad'? What about now? Hmm? It's a bug! A slimy little bug!"
"Enough, I don't want to hear it!"
Kazuma gritted his teeth.
"At least these bugs aren't huge, though that constant splitting attribute is a bit of a pain."
"Heh heh."
A gleam of delight flashed through Megumin's crimson eyes as she lifted her chin proudly.
"Kazuma, hurry up and ask me why I study Explosion Magic! Explosion Magic is perfectly suited for clearing out mobs like this in large numbers. Well, Kazuma, I'll give you a chance—do you want to learn Explosion Magic with me?"
"If this world ever gets invaded by True Stings, you'd at least have the power to fight back, you know? Otherwise, what can your Thief class steal from a True Sting? They don't wear panties for you to snatch."
"…Please don't state your wild conjectures as if they were established facts."
Kazuma dug a finger into his ear.
"Besides, what use is your Explosion Magic when you can only fire one shot a day? Lugging your body around while running away is already exhausting enough."
"And even if True Stings really did appear in this world, wouldn't letting Darkness draw their aggro be enough? Given that guy's level of perversion, she'd probably get a massive kick out of being stung repeatedly."
—
「 Considering the extreme reproductive capabilities of these insects, Dan Heng proposed a search of the Express first, to dispose of any eggs immediately upon discovery.
However, this method was too inefficient. Pam suggested using the Express's mobile plot device, which allowed them to view the situation in different rooms at any time. Through this equipment, Stelle observed that inside Dan Heng's room, Argenti was currently conversing with a True Sting.
But when the view shifted to Argenti's perspective, the creature before him was not a True Sting, but a cute organism known as a "Wubbaboo."
Argenti could not wait to begin his lavish praise, offering sincere compliments: "You must often be described as 'cute,' but has that ever caused you distress? Please, believe me, your depth cannot be contained by such a word. Oh, Sphere, your name is—'Glamour.'"
"No more words are needed. Encountering a lifeform such as you moves me deeply, yet I will never abandon the demands of my spiritual asceticism for it. If I cannot resolve this crisis, I shall vindicate the glory of the Knights with my death."
"Beautiful existences, are you too believers?"
March 7th was dumbfounded in front of the camera. "What, what, what? Why is he communicating so deeply with a bug…"
Wasting no time, the group rushed to Dan Heng's room, eliminated the insect, and rescued Argenti from his hallucination. After Argenti described the beautiful creature he had seen, Dan Heng surmised that the dust caused those who inhaled it to see something akin to "what the individual desires." 」
「 ..... 」
〜Type-Moon World, Carnival Phantasm Worldline〜
"Is he this courteous even to insects? You knights are truly interesting…"
Sasaki Kojiro looked at Saber with an amused expression.
"Ahem… that is Argenti's personal conduct; please do not generalize it to all knights!"
Saber cleared her throat, blushing as she lifted a cup of hot tea, attempting to alleviate the awkward atmosphere.
"Come to think of it, if inhaling the dust produces what the individual desires… wouldn't that make it just like a false Holy Grail?"
Emiya Shirou pointed out from the side.
"…That would be quite interesting,"
Sasaki Kojiro chuckled softly.
"My wish is to complete a duel to the death that I never experienced in life. Would the True Sting conjure some formidable enemy for me?"
"A duel to the death never experienced… how about conjuring Jingliu? Or Jing Yuan wouldn't be bad either."
Lancer spread his hands.
"But that wish of yours would be hard to realize. After all, no matter what hallucination the True Sting induces, the actual strength of the opponent you see is still just a bug. Compared to you lot, I'm actually curious about what kind of hallucination Stelle would have if she inhaled the dust."
"Probably…"
Saber thought for a moment.
"Probably a lot of trash cans? Isn't that what she likes best?"
—
「 "Regarding such a hideous threat as the Swarm, I wonder if its words before death can serve as a reference. After all, 'when a bug is about to die, its words are good'…"
Dan Heng looked puzzled. "You mean to say the insect conveyed a message to you before it expired?"
"Precisely. I shall relay its final testament—'Celebrate your shallow victory to your heart's content, for you will never perceive the existence of the Overlord!'" 」
「 ..... 」