Chapter 67 |
After parting ways with Ha-rim, I got into a plain black car.
The car was old in some ways but also seemed somewhat new.
It was a car favored by personnel belonging to the Institution, and even though it looked like this, it was resistant to things like bombs and bullets.
"Hey~ It's been a while since I last saw you, right Alice?"
The woman driving was Carol.
Sitting next to her is James.
Aside from James, I don't know why she, a high-ranking woman, is bothering to give me a ride and move around with me.
That's why I looked at Carol with a questioning expression.
Carol looked at me in the rear-view mirror and smiled brightly.
"That's all?"
"That's all! Or so I'd like to say, but people we shouldn't get in touch with are walking close by."
Is it an anomalous object again?
Why do so many things appear in this area?
Surprisingly, they don’t seem to be targeting children.
I thought they were bound to be involved in something as the main characters in a horror game, but I guess that's not the case.
I guess the Institution is going to ask me to take care of it.
"Should I take care of it? I wouldn't necessarily kill them if they're human."
"No."
But Carol's answer was surprising.
"We just need to pass by safely."
She said earlier that there are people walking around that we shouldn't be associated with, but are they really that dangerous?
It's quite serious.
I slowly looked at the monsters in the mirror.
Which monster can be brought out now and has the most powerful destructive power without us getting caught up in the fight?
The Beast of Gévaudan? Slenderman?... Or maybe...
Is it because I was concentrating?
My aura came out just a little.
Carol opened her eyes wide and spoke to me.
"Ah, I know what kind of misunderstanding you're having. It's not that, so relax a little."
Carol's words could not continue.
This is because the vehicle flipped over due to an unexpected attack from an enemy.
"Kyaaa!"
"Tsk..."
The car rolled over with a dull impact sound and only stopped after destroying the entrance of a building.
No matter how solid the car is, it seems that it can still flip over like a turtle.
I checked for the attacker outside the cracked window.
It has a cylindrical face like a hammer and a relatively long and slender body.
And it had strong arms and legs to support that heavy head.
...I feel a similar kind of power that I felt from the wolf last time.
Carol said that the wolf was derived from a devil, right? The code was also D.
I asked Carol, who was still in shock.
"Is that... A devil?"
"Urgh!"
"..."
It wasn't a shocked gasp, it was just that with the car suddenly rolling, she got motion sickness.
James threw a plastic bag to Carol and then answered for her.
"That's right. Would you mind waiting a moment? I'll keep it in check with my weapon."
"There's no need for that. He doesn't look that strong."
The energy level I felt was similar to that of the wolf back then. The Beast of Gévaudan can take care of it.
"We didn't mean that! Never use your power, never!"
"Wait?! Can you wipe your vomit off your mouth first before facing me?!"
I was embarrassed by Carol's aggressive persuasion and stopped using my power.
James grabbed the two of us with the strength of an adult man and escaped from the car.
"You two, don't even think about making a fuss, just leave the place for now."
As soon as we left, our car was crushed in the middle and exploded.
There was a dent, as if something sharp had been driven into it.
An awl?
"I guess it's not just one."
Then, from behind us as we fled, we heard flapping sounds.
It had wings, a long and straight body, and a pointed head. Like an owl...!
When the hammer monster struck the awl monster, the resulting shock wave surged towards us.
Sensing an intangible energy, I signaled to James.
James threw Carol away "Hey! That's too much!" and used his gloves with their own anomalous properties to cancel out the attack.
That's strange. The monsters have quite a bit of power.
However, their aura smells like small fry...
"Is it a case where they evolve because their appearance satisfies the context? You said there are cases where those who were monsters evolve."
"You have a good memory. You're probably right."
"Hmm. Maybe that's why they didn't talk to me earlier."
Tsk. They can't speak because they're a lesser devil. Then what is the difference between them and the widespread anomalous monsters?
I sighed without hiding my disappointment.
I was curious about other demons.
Bang!
James fired, aiming for the devil's eye.
The demons hesitated, unable to attack easily.
I don't know why he's doing that when I could easily take care of them.
"Help will arrive soon, so act as naturally as possible."
Natural behavior? When support comes, it means you are an ally.
Why would he think I'd be nervous?
The doubts did not last as long as expected.
I witnessed an arrow filled with holy power flying from afar.
It reminded me of Mary's cross that I saw before.
And Maria's affiliation was... The Cathedral.
"Kyaaaak!"
The fluttering Awl Demon was hit by an arrow and fell.
I'm guessing it's hurting like hell, judging by the way it yelped and the smell of grilling meat.
I think I understand why James told me not to be nervous.
Anyone who uses divine power would be the complete opposite of me.
"Kuooo..."
As the awl demon struggled and died, the hammer demon broke the wall and tried to escape.
However, when another man dressed as a priest came out of the alley and held up a cross, the devil lost his way of escape and was soon killed by an arrow flying from behind.
...I'm scared because I'm a devil too.
"Cathedral... Is it?"
"Yes."
One of the priests who found us, a man with a bow, approached us. Probably the leader.
James hid me behind him and responded to the man's reply.
"Thank you for your assistance. I'm the Institution's agent, James."
"The grace of the Lord is available to everyone. I'm Arch-priest Ginus. Are you both safe?"
A man with a kind expression.
However, sparse scars were visible on his face and neck.
He smells like a veteran who has battled devils before.
Because he was so tall, he didn't notice me because of my height and was focused on Carol and James.
Then, after a while, he blinked as if he had noticed me.
"There were three of you. Are you hurt?"
He held out his hand to me. I didn’t get hurt, but he was offering me his hand.
I was skeptical, but I tried to hold it.
"Thanks."
"!"
But then Carol took his hand first.
Carol, who had been rolling around on the floor, was gone, and only Carol, who was very serious, was standing there.
"I see. So even the Institution sometimes falls into crisis. Be thankful for God's care."
"Thank you. I will provide you with a small amount of compensation for this work later."
"I'm not asking for anything in return, but I would be grateful if you could help us later. Oh, and."
The man's eyes turned to me. Sharp eyes. He's analyzing me.
I am a devil. He's a priest.
It was clear that if my identity was revealed, I would be in a very, very troublesome situation.
I tried not to swallow and to keep my composure.
"I think the kid is scared. Can I have a word with her?"
But I'm not even shaking...
'Wait, isn't it more suspicious if I don't act scared?'
Did that guy suspect my identity from my attitude?
While I was thinking that, Carol came in front of me and blocked my path.
"This child isn't scared because she also has anomalous powers, so her combat abilities are strong as a person. We're in the process of transferring her, so please avoid contact."
Carol's spirit is undeterred by the veteran priest's sharp eyes.
I realized that she deserved her high status.
"On that note, your organization sometimes mistakes devils for anomalies. I know that in your eyes, devils and anomalies are similar, but they are distinctly different. They are enemies that must be exterminated."
"Aha. So, you're saying you want to contact this child and see if she's a devil?"
"All it takes is a handshake."
Carol responds coldly to the man, who smiles kindly at her and makes a suggestion.
"It can't be done."
"..."
"Do you know why this girl wasn't accompanied by other agents? It's because she's unstable. Unless it’s someone as close as me and James, her abilities easily get out of control."
"Out of control?"
Of course, she's lying. Carol is trying to play it cool by lying without even batting an eye.
However, there were things in the Institution that could actually cause a catastrophe if handled incorrectly, and things that had bizarre quarantine rules.
An ideal where anomalous entities and devils coexist.
The Cathedral understands how complicated it is, so they cannot openly doubt Carol's words.
"Yes. She may run out of control. That's why we took the risk and didn't use unfamiliar agents. This girl is fearless, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have an unstable mind, so don't judge her by her looks."
"I know what I'm talking about when it comes to devils, and the more special they are, the more likely they are one."
"And I know what I'm talking about when it comes to anomalous objects. For example, this pen, which is not that destructive but can modify phenomena at will."
Carol picked up her pen. It began to emit a mysterious light.
It is an incredible ability to correct a phenomenon.
"What would happen if you turned the wind into fire and made the sound of a heartbeat silent with this?"
As she said that, the man was speechless. Carol spoke quietly to the man.
"I'd like you to step aside."
"...I see your point."
The man stepped away.
Only after the man was out of sight and she had walked around a couple times to make sure there was no surveillance around did Carol relax.
"I almost got in big trouble. Urgh, I'm tired."
Quickly shedding her dignified appearance, Carol began to whine.
She clung to me and spoke nonsense, telling me to give her a kiss for being strong, so I hit her.
James applauded and praised Carol.
"You have charisma befitting your position, Director Carol."
"Thanks, but if you throw me again, I won't forgive you. I'll be upset for a week."
She's got a backbone.
I became interested in the pen that Carol had.
Everyone will want a useful tool like this.
The power to modify reality. Who could have that kind of thing?
"Did that pen have such terrifying powers?"
But Carol shook her head.
"No, I'm just bluffing. Now look, it's just writing in the air."
"What, really? I kinda want it."
...
I was rolling around in the isolation room of the Institution after I returned from school.
Now, here feels like home.
It's actually not shabby, and the room is spacious.
As I was lying down and fiddling with my phone, James opened the door and came in.
"Is school life fun?"
"It was nice and reminded me of the old days."
I nodded.
It wasn't very boring, and I also thought that living only in the isolation room wasn't good.
"I guess sleeping was part of the old days, too."
"Ahaha..."
Urgh. Did you even watch me sleep during class? I smiled sheepishly.
"It seems like you are close to those kids."
James said this while drinking the coffee he brought when he came in.
I take the drink from James' other hand.
Cocoa. We took a sip and continued our conversation.
"I'm trying to control myself as much as possible, but when those kids ask me to join them, it's hard for me to refuse. Especially Ha-rim. Haa... Why am I so indecisive? I need to control myself."
"Why do you think you need to restrain yourself? Other than because of the Institution's regulations?"
What do you mean by excluding the Institution's regulations? Is that still okay? I came up with a reason in my head.
"Those kids might get in danger. They have the right to live safely in their normal daily lives."
There are probably a lot of things in this world that I don't know.
It's difficult to deal with it like a game, and even harder to predict.
It would be very sad to lose a friend in vain due to an accidental trap along the way.
"That's right. But as an adult, I want to give you this advice."
"Advice?"
"Just... Follow your heart."
"..."
This is similar to what he said last time, that it's okay to be a fool sometimes.
James also added that it would be better to be myself, even if it means being a fool.
"We feel bored in everyday life. That's why we go on thrill rides or play survival games where we shoot fake guns to experience something new. When in reality, few of us would be able to handle the real thing."
"What do you want to say?"
"Well, it's not that big of a deal. If the kids enjoy watching scary things, I think it's okay to let them experience it just enough to have fun. Isn't it human to pursue the extraordinary on a daily basis?"
I responded to James' blatant remarks that disregarded the Institution's rules.
"Are you telling me not to erase their memories? I'm really worried about whether it's okay for an Institution agent to say something like that. There might be a voice recording device here."
"It's okay. Even Director Carol can't hear the conversation here. She designed it that way."
"And I never said not to erase memories. However, I am also human, so it might be difficult to check each and every one. And... The Institution is not so strict that it can control every supernatural phenomena."
James finishes what he has to say and goes back to his work.
I looked at his back and then lay down again, my worries deepening.
POV Switch - 3rd Person
James came out of the isolation room and ran into Director Carol in the hallway. She spoke with a bright smile.
"Did the story end well? I'm glad you're a good adult for Alice, because she gets lonelier than she looks."
"Did you hear everything?"
"No! But I have a rough guess... Please continue to do so in the future."
Carol passed James.
James looked at her like that and muttered to himself.
"...I can't see what is inside."
POV Switch - Alice
When I turned on my smartphone to play a game, I was surprised to receive a call from an unknown number.
This cell phone was made for nominal purposes only, so I never gave the phone number to anyone.
I answered the phone, wondering if it was spam.
"...Hello."
"Hello Alice!"
It's Ha-rim's voice. How did she get my number?
"How did you get my phone number?"
"It was written in the principal's phone book."
What she's saying is that she sneaked into the principal's office and took my number.
Hey! Do not view other people's personal information with the sense of examining a point of interest!
Ha-rim is a good girl, but sometimes she acts outside of common sense.
I didn't bother to argue.
"Okay. What's going on?"
"Kyeong-min has been acting strange, so I was wondering if there was something wrong."
What? I asked in surprise.
"Can you tell me what's strange?"
I was already creating a mirror because I was worried that something had happened to him.
"All of a sudden he's talking about a YouTube channel, and it's really bad... What was it? A virtual YouTuber or something?"
"...?"