I started running as the thought of the Hereticus Marquisate crossed my mind.
– Weren’t you supposed to wait for your companion?
“The situation has changed.”
If Kult really was at the Hereticus Marquisate,
Then the situation was far more urgent than I had assumed.
If he were relocating to another place, he’d need to move secretly while also making preparations,
But if he was in his own mansion, there was no need for movement, and everything would already be in place.
“And Emily already knows where I am anyway.”
– What about that pink-haired girl?
“That one… I’d appreciate it if you could talk to her, Scriptwriter.”
– I don’t know where she is.
“Wouldn’t the nanomachines find her quickly?”
– You really think nanomachines are all-powerful, huh? They’re not that convenient. They’re useful for precision work, but for something as crude as tracking a person, they consume too many resources.
“Then I guess all I can do is hope she finds me on her own.”
– That girl? Isn’t that asking a bit much?
“I don’t know. I hold Yuna in pretty high regard. She’ll come.”
Partly because our thought processes were similar,
But also because Yuna had an exceptionally good understanding of me.
That’s why I could trust her.
Though…
“I just hope she shows up before I get killed.”
– Don’t tell me you’re thinking of buying time against the Prophet?
“I figure he’s probably weakened after gouging out his eyes.”
– Even so, you’re still far too weak.
“I know. But if staying still won’t change anything, I have to try something. Who knows what I might stumble upon?”
– A fair point.
“Because you said most inventions begin with coincidence.”
Just as the Scriptwriter had quoted me earlier, now I was quoting him.
It was my way of showing a bit of camaraderie.
And there was a reason I was pretending to be friendly with a lunatic terrorist like him.
– How amusing. Are you hoping I’ll lend you something?
“Yes, please do.”
– Hahaha! You don’t even bother with flattery. Fine. I’ll whip up something suitable.
As I sprinted with all my strength,
A sandstorm-like swirl began to form in front of me.
The dark storm quickly took shape, stacking upon itself to form something.
A small object, with an unknown purpose.
– Welcome to Ex Machina, Johan Damus. Think of it as your initiation gift.
“What is it?”
– The most efficient weapon I could make under the current circumstances.
“So what exactly is it?”
– A bomb.
“Ah. Understood.”
I thought it might be something special, but apparently not.
Well, it’s not like the Scriptwriter had combat in mind from the start. This was just a gift he threw together in response to my complaints.
The number of nanomachines spread across the Empire was limited,
And this was probably the result of gathering up all the ones in this area.
– All you need to do is infuse it with mana and throw it with all your might.
“Simple. I like it.”
– In the end, convenience is the heart of invention.
Truer words were never spoken.
***
With the Scriptwriter’s gift in hand, I arrived at the Hereticus Marquisate.
Boom!
I gave the mansion’s front door a solid kick.
Unlike in the movies, the door didn’t break or anything like that.
– What are you doing?
“Knocking.”
– I see…
If no one had been watching, it might’ve been fine. But knowing the Scriptwriter was observing made my face flush a little.
Still, I’ve never neglected my training. How could I fail to break down an ordinary wooden door?
Shring!
“……”
Click.
I drew my sword from its sheath, then quietly put it back.
If I swung and the door still didn’t break, it would be a disaster.
No need to waste energy. Better to go with a surefire method.
Bang!
I pulled out a gun from inside my coat and fired at the door’s lock.
It was just a wooden door, after all.
Unable to withstand the force of the bullet, the lock shattered, and the door swung wide open.
– Emily’s creation, I see. That girl’s inventions tend to be pretty useful.
“Is that so?”
– Yes, unlike the others, she knows how to prioritize convenience.
“Oh, that’s true.”
I recalled the machines built by Coran Lekias—
The intricate machines that smashed through buildings, the massive devices that incinerated mountains.
All of them were enormous and complex.
Like encyclopedic collections of a single individual’s knowledge.
In contrast, most of Emily’s inventions were small, sleek, and practical.
“By the way…”
I entered the building while chatting with the Scriptwriter and came to a halt.
The mansion was deathly silent. So silent it gave me chills.
Where had all the attendants and servants gone?
– Got any guesses? Surely you’re not planning to search this entire mansion, are you?
“Luckily, I do.”
– That’s a relief, then.
I began walking quietly.
I had run at full speed until I reached the mansion,
But from here on, that wasn’t an option.
Since I couldn’t defeat Kult in a head-on fight, the best course was to suppress my presence as much as possible for a surprise attack.
– Your movements aren’t half bad…
Just then, static began to creep into the Scriptwriter’s voice, which had been chattering endlessly in my ear.
It seemed, just as he’d mentioned before, that divine power interfered with him.
Come to think of it, I wasn’t even sure the bomb he gave me earlier would work properly.
– Bomb… nanomachines… no… surrounding structures… made from… don’t worry…
It seemed the bomb wasn’t made of nanomachines, but rather, he had gathered nearby materials to craft it.
That must have been what he meant.
Turns out it was a surprisingly thoughtful gift.
In that case, there was nothing to hesitate over.
Using the now-fading voice of the scriptwriter riddled with static as my guide,
I finally arrived at my destination.
“……”
It was Helena’s room.
A faint glow of light leaked through the crack in the door.
Creeeeak.
I opened the door absentmindedly.
Any thoughts of ambush had long vanished from my mind.
Because what leaked from the door wasn’t just light—
The thick stench of blood pierced my nose.
“You…”
The moment the door opened, I saw a girl lying on the bed,
And beside her, a boy.
A white dress soaked in blood.
The blind boy clutching her hand tightly.
When I saw Kult holding Helena’s lifeless hand with such desperation,
As if he was frozen in a painted image,
I immediately drew my sword.
“You bastard…!”
Clang!
But the blade never reached him.
The sword I swung was blocked by the shield surrounding Kult. It couldn’t get through.
“You really went through with it, didn’t you, Kult!”
“You’re too late, Mr. Johan.”
Kult who had been tightly holding Helena’s hand quietly stood up.
On both of his wrists were nails made of light, driven straight through.
The blood flowing from the nail wounds showed no sign of stopping.
That’s the relic—
Helena’s Holy Nails.
“It’s already over.”
Kult raised both arms as if to show off.
The blood flowing down looked like shackles and chains.
“So there’s no need for any more pointless resistance. Helena is already gone, and the completion of my plan is right around the corner. And who is left to stop me now?”
Kult reached out his hand.
His hand touched the surface of the barrier he had created.
Even then, the sword I had swung remained frozen in place.
“You are powerless. You can’t even break through a simple shield like this. What do you think you can possibly do?”
“What can I do?”
I withdrew my sword for the time being.
The shield was too tough. My incomplete aura couldn’t even scratch it.
Then I just need to create a complete one.
Shkak!
I struck a magic engineering battery against the blade, forming an aura.
Shkak! Shkak!
I scraped every battery I had to strengthen the aura.
Just a massive wave of power.
“Watch closely what I can do, you crazy bastard.”
I swung.
It wasn’t even swordsmanship. Just a violent outburst driven by emotion, hurling brute force at the shield.
Craaaaackle!
But the result didn’t change.
My oversized aura was all noise, unable to leave even a scratch on Kult’s shield.
“…Haah. Let’s stop this.”
Kult shook his head,
letting out a sigh as if he felt sorry for me.
That expression only made me angrier.
“It’s already over.”
“No.”
“……”
“It’s not over yet! This is just the beginning!”
I shouted, pouring all the rage I felt into my voice.
But separate from that emotion, my mind was clearer than ever.
From the start, I had no way of beating Kult head-on. It was impossible through brute force.
I had to catch him off guard.
The problem was, every card I had was already exposed.
To seize a single chance, I’d have to take a risk.
“Hup!”
I decided to use the bomb the scriptwriter had given me… right now.
I slammed it onto the aura, swollen with energy from the magic engineering batteries.
Wasn’t I told to fill it with mana and throw it?
In that case, I’ve already packed it with an overwhelming amount of mana.
“Die.”
Booooooooooooooooooom!!
A massive explosion erupted.
A blinding blue flash pushed back the dawn light.
Fueled by a surge of mana, the blast shattered Kult’s barrier, obliterated the mansion, and sent my body flying far into the distance.
“Gah!”
The shield was broken.
But I was in ruins.
Isn’t it pathetic? Isn’t it laughable? Look at me.
Even when I risked my life for a single strike, all I managed to do was break Kult’s weakened shield.
But that’s enough.
It’s more than enough.
“If it’s you…”
I forced my staggering body to stand.
I spat out the blood that had filled my mouth and continued,
“I knew you’d do something like this.”
The explosion left me in shambles, but Kult didn’t come out of it unscathed either.
For him, it wasn’t just a matter of losing the shield.
He was inexperienced in combat, and his body was naturally fragile—
So in some ways, the impact hit him even harder than it did me.
And yet, even so—
“Did you think you were something? Thought you’d become some kind of cold-blooded monster? Too bad. You’re still just a shaken human. A trashy human who did something vile… that’s all you are.”
In the middle of the explosion, Kult protected Helena before he protected himself.
I remembered what I saw when I opened the door—
He was clutching Helena’s hand, praying.
Even after committing the act, he still clung to regret.
He had definitely changed.
He wasn’t the same monster he became in the original game.
He was just a man, trembling and consumed by guilt.
“So what?”
Still unsteady from the blast, Kult brushed his hair back as he spoke.
Clear tears ran down his hollow eyes.
“So what difference does that make?”
He gripped the Spear of Divinity.
Most of his injuries from the explosion had already healed through divine power.
Only the wounds made by Helena’s Holy Nails, those piercing his wrists and ankles, remained.
“Are you happy you got a hit in? If that brought you peace, then go ahead, tear my heart apart with that sword, or that blade hidden in your tongue.”
“Would you be at peace if it were you?”
“Of course not. But I understand your anger, so I’m simply offering what little I can give.”
“If that were enough to kill you, then maybe it’d be worth considering.”
“What do you think will happen?”
Kult couldn’t be killed now. Not even without his Prophet’s power. The Holy Nails driven into his wrists and ankles by Helena will constantly work to return him to his original state.
Even if you stab his heart, slice his throat, or go as far as severing the limbs pierced by those nails, it won’t matter.
That’s merely what’s visible on the surface. Helena’s Holy Nails have already become one with Kult.
“I’m a petty, insignificant man. No one knows that better than I do.”
“……”
“But I’m also someone who knows his place, and I know what I can and can’t do.”
“So are you going to give up quietly now?”
“No.”
Was he telling me to just vent my anger? Maybe that’s all Kult thought I was capable of.
“I’m simply going to do everything I possibly can.”
Tap.
I lowered my sword. Killing Kult with my blade was impossible.
I didn’t come here to kill him in the first place.
That’s why I said—
“Yuna, the path is open.”
“You’re the coolest today, Johan.”
Yuna who had been hiding among the building debris charged forward at full speed.
Seeing her, Kult quietly reached out his hand.
He was probably confident.
He must have thought that not even Yuna could kill him. But our goal wasn’t Kult.
“What?!”
Yuna pretended to charge at Kult, then suddenly changed direction.
I had opened the path.
And Yuna used that opening to reach her destination.
“Mr. Johan. Miss Yuna. What on earth are you thinking?!”
Just as Kult’s goal hadn’t been to eliminate his enemies, our goal hadn’t been to punish Kult either.
I was powerless and weak. Unlike Lobelia, I couldn’t become a hero who defeats enemies and saves everyone.
That’s why I simply…
“Thought about saving someone.”
I would save Helena.
That alone was the reason I came running here.
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