Under the cover of night, E-Rantel was unusually quiet. Aside from the occasional flicker of candlelight, there was barely any illumination to be seen.
Soldiers patrolled the streets at intervals, safeguarding the residents.
A dark figure moved swiftly through the alleys. Wrapped in a loose black robe, she blended seamlessly into the shadows.
Beneath the robe, a pair of dark red eyes scanned the surroundings. Strands of short golden hair slipped into view.
After avoiding the soldiers' patrol routes, the figure quickened her pace and stopped in front of an apothecary.
"Someone beat me to it?"
Clementine, concealed within the black robe, frowned at the damaged door.
It seemed someone else had gotten to her prey first. The thought irritated her deeply.
The good mood she'd been in earlier immediately soured.
Drawing her rare stiletto-like weapon, Clementine stepped inside without hesitation. She had every intention of thoroughly tormenting whoever dared to steal her target.
As someone who had reached the Hero realm, Clementine did not believe there was anyone in this small city capable of matching her.
"Let's see which little mouse it is…"
A strange smile spread across her face as she made her way toward the second floor. That was the living area—and her original target had been there.
In the stillness of midnight, even the faintest sound would stand out. But Clementine, as a Hero-class individual, could perfectly conceal both her presence and her footsteps.
Just as she silently stepped onto the second floor, an unusual sound reached her ears.
Crunch… crunch…
It sounded like someone chewing.
Following the noise, Clementine stopped outside a door.
Listening to the movement inside, she broke into a radiant smile.
She could hardly wait to send them off.
...
Inside the darkened room, a figure made entirely of slime held a dark red heart, chewing it slowly.
On the blood-soaked floor lay two bodies, one old and one young, both with their chests pierced through.
Herohero felt the Talent Seed gradually condensing within his body as he savored the texture of the heart. He nodded in satisfaction.
After previously devouring Ninya's Talent, the three of them had discussed their next move.
Herohero would search throughout the city for humans possessing Talent, then consume their hearts to obtain it.
He thoroughly enjoyed the process and jokingly referred to it as eating a "buffet."
Pick whichever you like. Eat whichever you choose. Total freedom.
The only troublesome part was reviving them afterward. The three of them weren't devils, after all. They understood that taking something from someone meant owing them.
Of course, if the target had harmed their interests, that was another matter.
Like the human he was eating now.
All three had unanimously decided not to revive this one. They would even erase his soul entirely.
Nfirea. The boy who looked uncannily like the protagonist of an adult anime was today's target. His Talent was exceptionally powerful—rumored to allow him to use any magic item.
From fragments of Ninya's memories, they had confirmed the ability wasn't exaggerated. Whether support-type items, attack-type items, or magic-type items, he could ignore all usage requirements and directly command them.
There was no doubt it was a terrifying power. If it truly had no limitations, its potential danger could even surpass that of World-Class Items.
The Great Tomb of Nazarick. The Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown.
If someone with that kind of Talent ever got their hands on it, it would be fatal.
The guild could be forcibly disbanded. Its base could vanish. Everything their former comrades had worked for would be reduced to nothing. Even the NPCs they created might cease to exist.
The three of them could never accept that. Even if the chance of that person coming into contact with the guild weapon was close to zero… what if it happened anyway?
Momonga couldn't gamble. Naohara couldn't gamble either. A power that could threaten the very existence of The Great Tomb of Nazarick simply shouldn't be allowed to exist.
Momonga: "Eat him. This Talent only needs to belong to the three of us."
Naohara: "As much as I hate to say it, we have to destroy his soul too. He can't be allowed even the slightest chance to revive."
Those were Momonga and Naohara's conclusions, and Herohero agreed completely. When it came to an unstable variable like this, it was better to erase it entirely.
"Wonder how Naohara's 'friend game' is going. Damn it, Momonga actually stopped me. Next time, I'll sneak up and give him a nice slime cannonball bath."
Herohero muttered as he complained, then waved his hand. A magic circle appeared, spreading over the old woman and the youth on the floor.
[Soul Corrosion]
Transparent tentacles slipped silently into both bodies. Moments later, they withdrew, cutting off any possibility of resurrection once and for all.
Floating above Herohero's slime-covered palm were three seeds glowing with a faint pale-blue light.
These were the Talent Seeds he had extracted. For his own reasons, he had taken only three.
He didn't dare extract hundreds of something this terrifying. In Herohero's mind, it was enough for just the three of them to have it: Momonga, Naohara, and himself.
"With this Talent… maybe I could…"
Herohero pictured himself wearing Touch Me's armor, holding the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown in his left hand and the Dragon Destruction Sword in his right. The thought alone made his blood surge.
That would be ridiculously cool.
"When the time comes, I'm definitely taking a bunch of photos."
As Herohero lifted his hand, about to activate [Gate] and leave, an unfamiliar presence entered his senses.
"Hm?"
"A little mouse around level 30. Looks like I've got a midnight snack."
He lowered the tentacle that had been about to cast [Gate] and went back to leisurely chewing the heart in his hand.
...
Back to Clementine's side.
The door burst open with a kick. A flash of light followed, cutting through the air with a sharp whistle as a pointed short spike shot straight toward him.
Herohero didn't change expression at all, as if he'd expected it.
Still eating, he slowly raised his right hand and casually pinched it between his index and middle fingers.
"Ding!"
The short spike stopped dead between his fingers. At the same time, the black-robed Clementine appeared clearly in front of him.
"So strong… and not human?"
A surprised voice slipped out. Clementine's earlier carelessness vanished instantly, replaced by a tense, serious stare as she sized him up.
He was far stronger than she'd imagined, and judging by that horrifying appearance, he was definitely not human.
"You've made me a little angry."
Herohero said it flatly, as if he were still in the middle of enjoying a buffet.
Drip… drip…
A corrosive sizzling sound rose as drops of pitch-black slime fell, instantly eating through the floor. A sharp, pungent stench began to spread.
A dark barrier expanded rapidly, swallowing the entire room in an instant.
Clementine's already grim expression turned even darker.
"Damn… I ran into a monster."
The moment she felt a sting in her breath, she held it, refusing to inhale. Even so, the corrosive gas made her skin prickle with pain.
Her black robe began to melt where it touched the air, gradually revealing her original appearance.
"Huh…"
The instant Herohero saw her face, a flood of thoughts surfaced. At the same time, he withdrew the corrosive gas from the air.
"So it's you."
The tense atmosphere dissipated at once. Herohero tilted his head slightly toward Clementine.
"You know me?"
Clementine stared at the monster as if facing a mortal enemy, refusing to lower her guard. She hadn't forgotten that oppressive presence from a moment ago.
She didn't know why he had stopped attacking, but she wasn't about to relax. That mocking look on his face didn't signal anything good.
"Uh…"
Herohero suddenly had no idea what to say.
[What do you do when you run into someone you know while eating at a buffet?]
He was cold and ruthless toward strangers, but gentle with his own.
And in Herohero's eyes, until Naohara made his position clear, this human still counted as "one of ours" for now.
After thinking for a moment, Herohero put on what he believed was a friendly smile.
No matter what kind of trouble you run into, just smile first.
Time passed in a silent stare-down. Neither of them spoke.
Herohero didn't know what to say. Clementine kept her eyes locked on him, not daring to make a rash move.
"...Do whatever you want. I'm heading out."
After who knew how long, Herohero finally couldn't stand the atmosphere. He raised his slime-covered hand and gave a small wave, then immediately sprang backward.
The job was done anyway, so he chose the fastest possible retreat.
A pitch-black hole opened and swallowed him in an instant, and he vanished from Clementine's sight.
Clementine still didn't relax. Fully on guard, she kept scanning the surroundings, wary of a sudden ambush.
Only after half an hour did she finally lower her weapon.
"Whew… I survived."
Once she was sure he was truly gone, Clementine slumped to the floor, letting out a long breath as the tension drained from her body.