“Bell!”
Victoria runs over.
Instead of walking towards her, I stand still and scan everyone present.
If I suddenly charge forward, it might just wake everyone up a bit sooner.
So, I need to plant the seeds.
Personally, I’d like to see dozens break free from control, but in reality, even one would make a difference.
But no matter how low the odds, I have to give it a shot.
If I don’t, it’s a zero. But if I do, there’s at least a chance, even if it’s just a tiny bit.
“I’ll accept anyone. But unlike me, people don’t forgive traitors. So make your choice before it’s too late.”
After deliberately saying that, I welcomed Victoria, who sprinted over without sparing a glance to anyone else.
“What’s up? Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I won’t die. Even if just my hand remains, I won’t die, right?”
At my words, Victoria’s expression momentarily goes distant.
Maybe she’s recalling what happened yesterday. My hand was lying on the ground, and in front of her sat a charred half of Polaris, protectively.
That memory’s still lingering in my mind. It was a rather gruesome sight.
Only she knows what she thinks about it.
“I thought you were dead.”
“I thought so too.”
I never expected to survive with just a nub left.
And I didn’t realize that the weapon mounted on that eight-wheeled vehicle was powerful enough to liquefy human bones in an instant.
Well, I guess being alive is a relief.
I see through Victoria’s eyes how those around are crawling on the ground, looking up at the sky.
Fear is contagious, and people are having a harder time regaining their sanity than I expected.
Did they hear me?
Victoria takes my hand and retraces her steps.
Am I walking too confidently?
If they leave me alone, the soldiers here will become the rebels.
Then it happened.
Flash!
A bright light shone, and I could see my head bursting sideways in Victoria’s eyes.
That was quite a powerful attack. What was that?
The skull is pretty hard. I didn’t expect it to pierce through so easily. It’s not a gun, so what on earth is it?
Victoria turns her gaze towards where the attack came from.
There stands the nobleman who had beaten me, aiming a large gem-studded staff at us.
“Clear that water above your head, now!”
Then he shouted towards Victoria. Shouldn’t he be shooting at her if he’s terrified of the water above, not me?
Ah.
That makes sense.
If Victoria loses control, there won’t be many alive here who can truly survive.
The enormous mass of water swelling to an unbelievable size stretches all the way to the sky above Bern City, far to the west.
“Everyone, lift your weapons and aim at that girl below! You there! I don’t know what you’re doing, but if you don’t do as I say, that thing below will die too. Got it?”
The current leader of the army.
He makes some truly sharp judgments. At least, he’s making the best choice possible at that moment.
Following his command, those suited in mechanical armor and those capable of using magic surrounded Polaris.
If it were a situation where they couldn’t use magic, it wouldn’t matter, but someone as strong as Polaris isn’t that fearsome.
That’s the army of this world fighting such monsters.
However, as everything they can resist is based on magic, they were easily killed in Bern City.
Here, at least, we’re outside the influence of any magic-suppressing devices.
Like children following the Pied Piper, the Twilight Association, which had foolishly charged towards us in a state of delirium, stopped as the sky began to flood.
In such a situation, the leader’s choice to kill an example and use hostages to somehow secure the situation isn’t entirely bad.
Again, I reiterate.
Even if you make the right decision every moment, if the premise is flawed, you will never arrive at the correct answer.
“So, with that, I won’t die. Humanity.”
I said, moving my upper and lower jaws. There was a hissing sound as air escaped from where there was nothing left above my nose, but that only drew their attention more.
Crunch.
Reality pressed back in, returning to normal.
Phew. I didn’t crack the world this time, even after regenerating twice in the same spot. Is this what becoming used to it feels like?
I’ll think about that later.
I look around at the people who are aghast at me.
Among them, seeing Victoria make a face as if she thought everything would be alright, it seems she’s beginning to grasp the fact that I’m hard to kill.
“Even if it’s you, if you contract with me, you’ll hand me over.”
In the first world, the power of religion was so strong that anything I did became acts of the divine.
But not here.
So, showing a semblance of mercy here while persuading through my actions that the power dynamics won’t change, no matter what they do.
“I don’t rule. I support every action of humanity. If you want something, you need to go get it, and I hope those who dream can achieve their dreams.”
No matter what that dream is, if it’s something they desire, it should be free, right?
“But humanity is different. They oppress, abuse, and dominate.”
I condemn the actions he had taken up until now. The people of this world hold a sense of justice of their own. They can reflect and judge right from wrong.
They’re equipped with a common sense to follow what’s right and detest what’s wrong.
Even within the army, no, especially in such extreme situations, they must judge to survive.
Of course, choosing my side would be the worst choice!
“I don’t want humanity to die. If you stay here, the royal castle will recognize you as rebels.”
Yes. This, disguised as a taunt against the leader, is directed at those listening around me.
Which side do you think they’ll think is right?
Will the seeds I sow sprout?
I carefully check the field.
“Humanity should dream more.”
So I said that, wishing that they keep killing each other infinitely while giving me warmth.
Just one person needs to betray me. In battle, a traitor faces execution.
Especially if it’s that leader over there. I believe he’ll have the skill to cut down anyone before they can break down the group’s sanity.
I trust in humanity’s malice.
I’m aiming for that.
Just one.
Just one person is all it takes.
And then it came.
“I, I will follow you! You saved my sister, so…”
Sister? Looking at his face, I recognize something. On the day Bern City burned, I turned a girl with burns into a harvesting machine. She was part of that family.
Right. If he’s from the Bern City defense forces, it wouldn’t be strange if his family lived in Bern City.
As that young man approached me, the leader exaggeratedly shouted so everyone could hear.
“Traitor! A traitor emerges from my army? How very sad! Foolish soldier! You know what happens to traitors in the army? Immediate execution!”
Flash.
Light swept over, tearing the man’s upper body apart.
Hehe.
This is very good.
Just as I expected!
The human body is sturdier than one might think, so even if it was a fatal blow, it takes time to actually die.
And that’s the opportunity. Even in that moment, I can make a contract.
“I’ll offer myself to you. But later, once you finish everything, I want everything you have in return. How does that sound?”
In the midst of an encroaching silence, as his upper and lower half separated and fell apart, the man began to swell and transform like a piece of pottery.
And when his shell shattered and new life emerged, his hair turned purple and his skin blue as he crawled out.
I moved closer and said.
“I’m contained within you, so it’s okay to keep dreaming.”
Vague words like a dream would lead them to interpret it how they wished.
“Th-thank you.”
As he knelt and bowed before me, someone among the bystanders cautiously approached me. Upon seeing that, the leader’s expression hardened and he shouted.
“Traitor! Deserting soldier! You all face immediate execution!”
Light and flames surged, and people began to die.
I turn them into harvesting machines. Even with wounds that can’t recover here, people are so engrossed in the revival that they don’t even realize it.
And while that happens…
“What?”
A harvesting machine, now able to counterattack, emerged.
The light from the staff scattered helplessly as if it were just a toy.
Countless warm feelings that fell around me halted my chill, if only a little bit.
Where is that warmth coming from?
Hehe.
“I will keep saying this. Come to me. I will share myself with humanity.”
Of course, knowing the leader can never surrender now due to the number of people he has killed, I also pretend not to know about the spy sent by the company, Gannelfu, among those bowing to me. It’s all about preparing for the next move.
Information gathers, warmth accumulates, and harvesting machines increase.
Once again, my choice proved to be right.
