Chapter 233 – Cause of the Transformation

One of the enemies thrusted a needle into the arm of his comrade. From the man’s agitation, it was clear that this wasn’t part of the plan. He fell to the ground, screaming.

「What did you do to him?!」the blue-haired man shouted as he approached them.

Sounds of clothes ripping and muscles tearing came from the man as blood sprayed out of his body and pink slimy things protruded out.

At first, Claude thought it was a new type of monster. There were monsters that laid eggs inside humans. As the eggs hatched, they would come out of the host body, tearing it apart.

However, the slimy things didn’t completely jump out, but instead extended only about a meter in length, squirming in place. They were about as thick as sausages and looked like sea anemone, numbering around fifty… or a hundred even.

「Joseph?!」the blue-haired man screamed, confused.

The man named Joseph was dead—or so it appeared to be, but he raised his head, blood flowing from his eyes that were fixed at Claude.

All of a sudden, he went down on all fours and scurried towards Claude. Claude quickly swung his sword, cutting Joseph’s face from the front, but the man didn’t stop, and instead tackled Claude to the ground. He tried to push him off, but the tentacles grasped him firmly.

Claude’s body creaked, the powerful grip turning his vision red as sharp pain rushed through his whole being. But words wouldn’t come out. He couldn’t make a sound.

His sword lay on the ground by his side. He reached for it, but the tight grip of the tentacles on his arm wouldn’t allow him. On his waist was a knife. Desperately, he moved his wrist. He couldn’t grab it, at first. And then he did. He drew the knife and stabbed at the tentacles. Stab. Stab.

「Ahaha. That’s not gonna work. He doesn’t feel pain anymore.」

「What did you do to Joseph?!」Larks grabbed Ray’s shoulders.

「Oh, Captain Larks.」

The commanding officer wasn’t aware of this part of the plan, nor did he know what the young man did to Joseph.

「The situation would just get worse and worse, so I used our trump card.」

「Trump card?! How could you call this a trump card?! He looks like—」

「A monster. I know.」Ray said casually.

Larks froze. Claude frantically stabbed Joseph over and over again, but the man didn’t budge, only the tentacles wriggled about, making slithery noises.

「Ray… Did you… join the squad for this?」

「You’re mostly right. I joined your squad to test the power of our new weapon. But that’s not all. I also wanted to kill Claude Zahard Kirihal. We basically share the same sentiment.」

「Share the same sentiment?! You turned our comrade into… this! Will he turn back to normal?!」

「Turn back…?」Ray cocked his head, genuinely puzzled at the question.「What do you mean? We’re all going to die after this mission anyway.」

「That’s…」

「Is there even any need to turn him back to normal? Joseph threw his life away to kill the enemy. It’s an honorable death.」

More tentacles grew out of Joseph’s body, his flesh now barely visible. Larks saw Claude smash his head a while ago, yet the tentacles didn’t stop moving.

「This is anything… but honorable…」Larks muttered. He felt all strength leave his body.

Ray let out an exasperated sigh.「Ah, come on. It’s fine. He’ll kill Claude Zahard Kirihal and help in testing the new weapon. I’m sure our great leader will pay his bereaved family handsomely.」

「Wait… What did you just say? You work for Ludancia’s leader?」

「I do. I mean, isn’t it obvious? Only she has the power to entrust an important weapon like this one to anyone.」

Larks felt lightheaded, his knees growing weak. Everything was of the leader’s design. They were all puppets playing on the palm of her hand, used as lab rats to further her goals. In the end, he couldn’t choose his place of death.

「J-Joseph…」

「Like I said, he’s as good as dead. We don’t even know where his heart is or how he’s moving. I’ll write all this down in my report, of course—」

The door to lecture building C opened.

「Ah…」

She probably thought it was over, since it had been quiet for a while. Larks recognized her—Luka Lordgrad Ludancia, wearing nothing but pajamas and a coat. Her face turned white as soon as she saw Claude on the ground restrained by the tentacles while coughing up blood.

「What a pleasant surprise.」Ray said.「I didn’t think she’d come out by herself. That saves us the trouble, right, Captain Larks—」

「Claude! Claude! Claude!」Luka rushed towards him.

The tentacles tried to grab her.

「Whoa there.」Ray cut them up with his dagger and pink liquid gushed out.

「Claude!」

「Please come quietly, Princess. Your mother wants to see you.」

「Claude! Claude! Nooooooo!」

Light was slowly fading from Claude’s wide-open eyes. Not wanting the tentacles from getting Luka, Ray grabbed her collar and pulled her away.

「Claude! Claude!」

「S-Stop struggling! Hey, Captain! Please snap out of it and help me out here!」

Larks stood still, his mind in a daze. Luka’s screams sounded distant in his ears.

What… happened to Ludancia?

Ludancia was developing a clearly strange weapon which Ray used without hesitation. A girl was crying before him.

Should I really be doing this…?

His comrade who wished to share the same fate as him was tragically turned into a tentacle-covered monster squirming on the ground. This wasn’t what they wished their last moments to be. But there was no turning back now.

「Captain Lark—」Ray’s body stiffened.

「Claude! Claude! Clau—」

Luka, her face wet from tears, noticed the grip on her loosen. Then the young man collapsed, gasping for air. Blood stained the snow.

「Hey, you there.」a voice said.「Guy with the blue hair.」A familiar boy stood there, one with black hair and eyes.「Tell me how to get this tentacle things off of him. If you don’t, I’ll kill you.」

Hikaru’s sharp gaze darted at Larks, the dagger on his hand dyed in deep red.

Hikaru’s movements were quick. He spotted Claude on the ground, wrapped in something.

「Tentacles…?」

They looked familiar, like the ones that grew on the back of the earth dragon at Un el Portan.

『Hikaru, I got a bad feeling about this.』

「Drake?! What are you doing here?!」

『I smelled something strange, so I stuck to your back.』

Hikaru never thought that the drakon who did nothing but eat and sleep would go with him on his own volition. He didn’t see the creature back in the apartment, so he thought he was fast asleep. Drake was on his back all along.

「Stay put, okay? I’m kinda pissed right now.」

The young, deranged man made his way to Luka who just stepped out of the building. He didn’t plan to do anything to Claude. With Stealth on, Hikaru closed in on Luka, went behind the man, and stabbed him with his Dagger of Strength.

「Captain Lark—」

「Claude! Claude! Clau—」

Hikaru could kill the man with Assassination’s effect, but he didn’t care. Anger surged within him—more than he imagined—when he saw Claude, his friend, hurt.

「Tell me how to get this tentacle things off of him. If you don’t, I’ll kill you.」

「I, uhh… I don’t know…」

The blue-haired man was surprised to see Hikaru appear out of nowhere, but more than that, the rage seething from the boy overwhelmed him.

「I see. Well, then—」

「I didn’t want any of this to happen!」the blue-haired man screamed as Hikaru was about to move.「I didn’t… I didn’t wish to see someone turned into a monster… Ray said he doesn’t even know where his heart is or how he’s even moving… I… I just wanted to fight the warriors from Jarazack… I didn’t mind dying at their blade…! H-How did it come to this?!」

The man fell on his knees, crying. Hikaru didn’t know what kind of thoughts raced through his mind as he came here, but it would seem he really didn’t know anything.

No, wait. There is something. He mentioned something about the heart…

The tentacle monster should have a core somewhere inside its body. Hikaru activated his Mana Detection and focused.

「Found it.」

There was a mass of mana in one spot of the creature’s body. Hikaru inched closer and thrust his blade into it. The tentacles flapped about before going limp, and dropped to the ground.

「Claude… Claude!」Luka scurried towards him and pulled the tentacles away from his body.

「H-How did you…?」The blue-haired man watched in awe.

「Move.」Hikaru moved Luka aside and pulled the man clinging to Claude away from him along with the tentacles.

「Uh… L-Luka…」

「Claude!」

「Let him rest.」Hikaru said.

Claude was badly injured. His bones were broken in places. His insides were probably a mess too. Moving or hugging him would be dangerous. But leaving him here would only result to him freezing to death.

「What now…?!」

Hikaru could call for help, but he didn’t have time to tie up the blue-haired man. But it would seem fate didn’t forsake Claude just yet.

「Hikaru-sama!」

The third member of Hikaru’s party came running towards them—Paula the Healer.

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