Chapter 87
* * *
Behind the collapsed statue in the square, Vanilla, clutching a shotgun, confirmed that the targets had finally gathered around the clock tower.
“Emmy, the flag.”
At Vanilla’s command, a tense Emmy hurriedly waved the flag to send the signal.
From atop the clock tower and the surrounding roofs, Cherry and Harrison spotted Emmy’s signal and waved their own flags in return, giving the O.K. sign.
Then, from atop the roof of the Happy House on the distant hill, a large flag fluttered. It was the signal from Victor and Knox.
Having confirmed everyone’s readiness, Vanilla and Emmy began their slow advance toward the clock tower.
* * *
Upon receiving the signal from Vanilla and Emmy, Victor placed a large stone onto the catapult’s arm.
These were stones that Cherry and Eden had recently scavenged. There were only five of them, but Cherry had insisted that would be enough.
Victor and Knox’s role was to create a diversion.
The catapult arm, which Cherry used to pull back alone, now required the combined strength of Victor and Knox pulling with all their might. They released it, aiming toward the vicinity of the clock tower.
Boom—!
In the distance, the stone struck the outer wall of a house adjacent to the clock tower, causing part of the building to crumble.
“Phew.”
A cloud of pale smoke escaped Knox’s red lips. Having run out of lollipops, he had finally resorted to lighting a cigarette.
He took another deep drag and exhaled.
Fuuuu.
With the cigarette tucked between his fingers, he shaded his eyes with his hand and peered ahead. A languid smile played on his lips.
“Wow, that’s spine-chilling. What were they thinking, giving us this job? What if we accidentally hit the clock tower?”
Hearing Knox mutter as he watched the scene, Victor stiffened with tension. If things went wrong like that, it really would be the end.
Noticing Victor’s anxiety, Knox smiled and patted his shoulder.
“Don’t worry too much. The ones over there are a Lancaster and a Sinclair.”
“…Pardon? What does that mean?”
“It means they’re the ultimate duo. They’re the kind of people who would survive even if the clock tower collapsed on them.”
Of course, if Eden and Cherry had heard this, they would have been horrified and asked if he was trying to get them killed, but Knox truly believed it.
“Anyway, shall we prepare the next stone, Chef?”
At Knox’s word, Victor moved briskly to load a new stone onto the catapult.
* * *
Frank was in a state of utter chaos. Suddenly, out of nowhere, boulders were flying in and smashing the walls of the surrounding buildings.
“I thought there was no one else left in the village?!”
Frank shouted at Jacob and Marc, his voice laced with fury.
They pressed their backs against the wall of the clock tower to avoid the rampaging monsters. They weren’t the only ones trapped; three other soldiers were isolated with them near the tower.
More and more monsters were gathering. While the numbers didn’t compare to the swarms in the capital or Kintne, there were still a significant amount. It wasn’t a force that a mere ten people could fight through.
“How about we head up into the clock tower?”
At Jacob’s suggestion, Frank nodded.
“That would be better.”
“But what if those monsters knock the tower down while we’re inside?”
When Marc countered, Frank hesitated for a moment. It was then.
Bang! Crack—
A bullet flying from somewhere struck Jacob’s forearm.
“Ugh.”
Jacob dropped his rifle to the ground. Of all places, he had been hit in his right arm—his trigger arm.
“Wh-what? Where did that come from?!”
Marc immediately raised his rifle, but soon his right arm was also sniped. The rifle Marc was holding fell to the ground and was kicked far away by the trampling feet of the monsters.
Frank screamed at the search party members.
“Damn it! You said you caught all the villagers! Did you not search properly?!”
“W-we did! There was definitely no one left except for the slaves in the Village Chief’s house…!”
The searcher couldn’t finish his sentence. A bullet from an unknown source pierced his hand. Once again, a weapon was lost.
“Blast it! Hold onto your guns! There’s a sniper! They’re aiming for the weapons!”
The problem, however, was that the sniper hiding somewhere wasn’t their only enemy.
Skreeeeeee!
“A-aaah!”
“Aaaaagh!”
One searcher and one of the soldiers masquerading as the Royal Army were dragged away by monsters. Frank swallowed hard and ducked low.
“Urgh. C-Captain, what do we do now?”
“What do you mean, what do we do?! Fire! We have to clear out these monsters!”
As Frank shrieked, the searchers finally regained their senses and began firing at the swarming creatures.
Bang! Bang!
However, boulders continued to fly in from nowhere, landing with thunderous crashes, and the loud, rhythmic roar of a light machine gun echoed continuously from atop the clock tower.
The monsters were relentlessly converging on the tower.
‘Shit, this is driving me crazy!’
This time, two more soldiers were sniped and lost their firearms, and four searchers dropped their guns. The only ones still armed were Frank and Marc.
Just as Frank was beginning to think there was no hope left—
Crash—!
The first-floor door of the clock tower suddenly blew outward.
Squeaaaaak!
Simultaneously, a massive monster that had been lurking in front of the door was sent flying along with the doorframe.
Even the frenzied monsters paused, looking confused, as they turned their gaze toward the entrance of the clock tower.
A cloud of dust billowed from the entrance, making it difficult to see. After a moment, the dust began to settle, revealing a silhouette standing there.
Dainty, cute features. Beautiful golden eyes that looked like molten ore. Deep pink hair.
A woman who looked elegant in every way stood there, holding an axe.
Frank rubbed his eyes for a moment. In the woman’s hands was a massive axe that didn’t suit her appearance at all.
As she stepped slowly out of the clock tower, a nearby monster lunged at her. But—
Thwack!
A bullet from somewhere struck the monster’s head with pinpoint accuracy. It was impossible to tell where the shot had come from.
There was supposed to be a sniper among the Kintne search party. What was that guy doing? Was Charlie really dead? Frank bit his lip.
The woman, walking out with an air of leisure, looked at them and flashed a bright smile.
“Hello, gentlemen.”
Hello, gentlemen…? Frank couldn’t believe what he was hearing and kept muttering her words back to himself.
“Don’t you know that knocking is essential when visiting someone else’s home?”
“……What?”
What kind of bullshit is that?
Frank blurted out the question stupidly. Cherry continued.
“Do you have any idea how much effort I put into this place? And you think you can just swoop in and take a seat? Not a chance.”
“W-we only need to take Sir Eden with us, Lady. Hand him over.”
One of the soldiers on the other side spoke to her.
‘Eden? Sir Eden? I’ve heard that name somewhere….’
He couldn’t remember where he’d heard it, but he was certain that “Sir Eden” referred to the madman firing bursts into the air from atop the clock tower.
Thud—!
Another sniper shot rang out, hitting Marc in the arm. Now, Frank was the only one left with a gun. However, the woman before them was unarmed.
The moment Frank moved to raise his gun—
Bang!
A bullet from somewhere struck his shoulder instantly. Frank, too, finally dropped his weapon. At that same moment, the monsters began to lunged.
Frank tried to scream and run, but they were already backed against the clock tower. In the end, he couldn’t escape, and a monster’s teeth tore into his leg.
“Aaaaagh!”
Having lost his leg so pathetically, Frank collapsed to the ground and looked up. Deep pink hair flickered in his vision.
Thwack—!
The woman was sending monsters flying with her heavy axe. ……Wait, sending them flying?
Frank stared at the woman with wide eyes. She spun the large axe in her hand, gripped it tight, and swung it without hesitation at an approaching monster.
Slash!
The torsos of two monsters lunging at her were sliced open in a long diagonal line.
When she swung the high-held axe down again, a monster’s head was driven into the ground and crushed. The fact that the ground itself was gouged deep was a bonus.
Immediately following that, she slit the throat of a monster right next to her with the axe.
Splatter—!
Thick green blood sprayed. With a single kick, she sent the remaining carcass flying until it slammed into a building. The impact caused the creature’s dangling head to fall off and roll across the ground.
“Th-this is insane…! What kind of monster is she…?!”
In Frank’s eyes, the woman before him was the real monster. How could such superhuman strength come from a person? It made no sense!
‘I-I have to tell Elle about this…!’
He hadn’t even been able to transport the Brunel slaves to present to Elle yet…!
As Frank crawled along the ground without his leg, a long gun barrel slammed into the dirt in front of his nose, blocking his path.
A pair of sturdy combat boots came into view. They were small—not a man’s size.
“Oops. Where do you think you’re going with your leg like that?”
The voice that followed was also female. Lifting his head slightly, he saw a cold-faced woman with blue hair tied up high, glaring down at him.
Then, a young girl landed in front of them like a flying squirrel, having leaped across the shoulders of the monsters.
“I heard you were going to turn the villagers into slaves? You really are a bad man, aren’t you?”
W-who on earth were these people? But Frank could do nothing more. The monster that had bitten his leg now completely swallowed his torso.
“Aargh! Aaaaah! H-help me! Help me!”
But his desperate plea for rescue was soon silenced within the monster’s maw.
