Chapter 51: Pathogens

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Translator: Soafp

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The Indomitable Hero.

That title came to be used by people before long because Heinbock never fell, never gave up, and stubbornly continued fighting no matter what.

“Ghh… huff, huff—Sacred Power Release!! Flying Light Blade!!!!”

Heinbock unleashed the power dwelling within his sword—his sacred weapon and proof of being a hero—and released a flying slash.

That slash chased its target until it struck, making it a true finishing move.

It was a secret technique capable of cleaving even hard dragon scales and cutting the enemy cleanly in two.

And yet—

“Mm~! I'm starting to get bored of bullying weaklings already. Got anything else?”

“Y–you monster…”

The flying slash struck the beautiful female demon, Zenapart, dead on.

It should have.

And yet, Zenapart merely licked her lips and wore a sadistic grin, smiling gleefully.

Was the attack being nullified?

Or was she defending herself with magic?

Even Heinbock, a veteran hero of countless battles, could not discern the secret behind Zenapart's invincible defense.

His exhaustion had already reached its limit, and even thinking was becoming a chore.

Still, Heinbock had not abandoned hope of victory.

(The unit of three thousand was wiped out before they could even retreat, my disciples are barely clinging to life… and I myself have no chance of winning, no matter what I do. Then at the very least, for the heroes who will come after me, I must uncover the secret behind her invincibility!)

Once more, Heinbock released a flying slash.

Zenapart, looking bored, shrugged her shoulders.

“Mm~, I'm tired of your attacks already. They're tasty at first, but the flavor's all the same. Gets boring~”

“…Flavor?”

“That's why!! I'm done with you!!”

“!?”

It happened in an instant.

Zenapart closed the distance at blinding speed and gently placed her hand on Heinbock's chest.

The next moment, his lower body—armor and all—vanished.

“Gah—w–what… happened…”

“Mm~!! Strong humans really are tastier than the weak ones!!”

With his lower body gone, Heinbock was left unable to move where he lay.

“Alright then, I'll have the rest of you too!!”

“…I'm sorry, Liese.”

Murmuring the name of his beloved fiancée one last time, the Indomitable Hero closed his eyes.

Thus, Heinbock's life came to an end—

—or so it should have, but instead, an unfamiliar man clad in black snatched him away from Zenapart.

“…Are you alright?”

“You are…?”

“I am No-Name. Well, there's no need to worry about the details right now.”

“Have I… been saved?”

“Yes. Though I can heal wounds and illness, I cannot do anything about exhaustion, so you should sleep soundly.”

“H–haha, I'll take you up on that… but just one thing.”

After conveying something important, Heinbock quietly began to breathe in sleep.

---

Heinbock had fallen asleep.

Despite raising countless death flags, he had kept fighting without losing—no wonder he was exhausted.

Let him rest peacefully.

…Still, it would be cruel to leave him naked from the waist down, so I didn't forget to repair his clothes using the great scythe's ability.

“So.”

I looked around.

What lay scattered across the area were mountains of corpses. Some were barely still breathing, but thousands of bodies littered the land.

It was a gruesome sight that could not be dismissed with a single word like “tragic.”

Standing atop those corpses was a woman.

She had marigold-colored hair cut at shoulder length, with braided antenna-like locks.

Twisted horns protruded from her head, making it immediately clear she was a demon.

“…Did you do this?”

“Mm~? Yep~. Oh, did that make you mad? Like ‘How dare you kill my comrades~' or something? Mm~!! You're so caring toward your friends~!!”

“No, that's not it. I don't even know them. That's not why I'm angry.”

But I was angry.

Truly angry.

“Why did you kill them? To eat them?”

“Pfft—ahahaha!! No, no~!! I only eat strong humans~!! This time, that guy over there is the only one worth it. I don't eat weak trash~!!”

“Then did you kill them because they attacked you?”

“Mm~!! Even if weaklings try to kill me, it's no problem at all. I just killed them because I felt like it~!!”

“You killed them… because you felt like it?”

The demon woman grinned.

It was a deeply evil, utterly irreconcilable, repulsive smile.

“That's right~!! Mm~!! Weak humans make such nice sounds when you toy with them~!! No matter how weak and tasteless they are, seeing their faces twisted in despair is so much fun~!!”

“I see. …I see.”

“Mm~!! Did you get scared? Don't worry— you look fairly strong, so I'll eat you as an appetizer before the main dish~!!”

“Close your stinking mouth. You make me sick.”

Disgusting.

No, not because we're standing on a battlefield reeking of blood.

It's a much simpler reason.

“You're a pathogen.”

“…Mm?”

No—worse than a pathogen.

“You're pus. You're cancer. In other words, you're nothing but a malignant disease.”

“Mm~!! …Pathogen? Pus? Cancer? What are you even saying? Are you, like, crazy?”

“Shut up. I only treat illnesses. And remove pathogens.”

Killing to live, to eat, or to eliminate danger is normal.

I don't deny killing in a struggle for survival, and if someone kills to eat, I feel no anger toward it.

But this pathogen in front of me is unacceptable.

Killing for fun is unforgivable.

It's an atrocity that must never be allowed—worse than an animal. Pure trash.

“…Mm~!! I don't really get it, but sure, sure!! I welcome tasty humans—”

I closed in on the chattering pathogen and slammed my fist into her abdomen.

No holding back—enough force to reduce a human body to splinters.

But there was no impact at all.

“Hm.”

“My arm disappearing must've surprised you~!! Sorry, sorry~!!”

“…You ate my arm?”

“Mm~!! Didn't think you'd see through it in one hit~. Correct, correct!! Big correct~!!”

“I wasn't the one who figured it out. —Extra Heal.”

“Mm~!! Your arm grew back!! I saw it at Kaime Fortress too—nice, very nice~!! You don't disappear even if I eat you~!!”

The pathogen didn't seem particularly surprised as my arm regenerated through healing magic.

Heinbock had told me.

Right before his lower body vanished, he had muttered something about taste—that tipped me off.

“Since I have the chance—Mm~!! I'll show you~!! My true form!!”

Laughing happily, the pathogen suddenly began to undress.

Her ample chest, slender waist, and supple limbs…

Normally, I might have been captivated.

But she's just a pathogen.

Looking only makes me nauseous.

As I grimaced in disgust, her body suddenly split open in places.

No—“opened” is a better word than “split.”

Mouths appeared all over her body—on her shoulders, arms, abdomen, legs.

“…That's gross.”

“Mm~!! Calling a girl gross is mean~!!”

“Oh, really.”

“I use these mouths to eat anything and dissolve it in my stomach. Human flesh, magic—anything can become my power.”

“You're like a Chimera. Seriously gross.”

Heinbock's guess had been right.

This pathogen nullified attacks by eating them.

If that's the case, it's simple.

No matter the food, eating requires one action.

Opening the mouth.

So if I punch her before she can open it, problem solved.

“Hah!!”

I closed in again.

Before the mouths across her body could open, I struck her repeatedly with rapid blows.

“Whoa~ you got me~!! Just kidding?”

“!?”

“Mm~!! You thought you'd finished me? Too bad~. I may not look it, but I've lived a loooong time~. You're not the first human to try overwhelming me with speed~!!”

Looks like I was careless.

This time, both my arms were eaten.

I was completely defenseless.

Defend with the silver chains—no, too late.

It's a gamble, but I'll try an escape method I've been considering for a while.

And then—

“—Sacred Power Release: Holy Rain!!”

A rain of light poured down.

Glancing over, I saw Lidiel in the distance, several hundred meters away, crossbow at the ready.

The light rain was extremely effective against the pathogen, interrupting her attack on me.

Saved.

I'll have to thank Lidiel later.

Maybe I'll give her a one–one scale swimsuit Lidiel figure as a present.

“She's here!! She's here, she's heeere!! Since the main dish is here, I don't need you anymore!!”

“!?”

It happened in an instant.

The pathogen's body swelled, her torso splitting open in a cross shape.

A massive mouth appeared—and from it extended an even larger mouth, big enough to swallow a head whole.

It looked like an alien creature from a movie I saw as a child in my previous life.

Unable to react to the sudden change—

My head was bitten off and swallowed by the pathogen.