In the midst of the blazing forest, the main alien force was under a coordinated attack.
What surprised me was that, as expected, two heavily armored mechanized infantry Replicas were mixed in with the enemy ranks.
Three Replicas in the colony.
Impossible. It was a complete ambush. It could only mean the attack plan had been leaked.
But there was no time to ponder the reasons.
I charged into the enemy lines from behind, swiftly taking down one of the two Replicas with a direct assault. I then broke through their encirclement, wreaking havoc.
As the Butcher suddenly appeared from behind, the human forces panicked, and the battle devolved into a chaotic melee between aliens and humans in the forest.
I desperately wanted to find the wagon carrying Abigail and the others, but considering the risk of being shot by machine guns from a distance, I had to eliminate the remaining Replica first.
Without the element of surprise, facing a Replica head-on was a formidable challenge. I even considered partially unleashing my power, despite the prying eyes around me.
Its machine gun fire tore through the trees, but I had to weave through them to close the distance, which was a hindrance. The enemy was a veteran, skillfully using the terrain to their advantage. It took me longer than expected to get close.
In the end, I destroyed the last Replica when the surrounding combat noises had thinned out.
The aftermath was a gruesome, chaotic scene, making it impossible to tell whether the aliens or humans had won.
I wandered aimlessly through the blazing red forest.
Finally, I found the wagon.
I stood before the vehicle, now a burning wreck riddled with bullet holes.
A perfect target, that wagon.
...
I had lost two irreplaceable women.
One of them could have been my key.
Would I ever be fortunate enough to find another woman as reliable as Abigail?
Tough, resilient, intelligent, and beautiful. Someone who listened to my words. A kind-hearted soul who genuinely believed the absurd truth that my personality existed within this grotesque flesh.
Shouting into the night sky, I tried to shake off the overwhelming sense of despair.
The Butcher's roar echoed through the forest, shaking the trees.
My vision turned crimson.
I'll just kill everyone.
It doesn't matter if they're human or alien. Everything in sight.
Not a single one will escape. I'll devour them all.
...
...No.
Let's just go home. I'm exhausted.
"—…N! Jévo!dan!"
I turned at the familiar voice, and there stood Abigail, who was supposed to be dead. Was this an illusion created by the Butcher's bloodlust?
"Come here! She's—!"
Abigail rushed toward me.
She seemed real.
I was stunned.
Did she somehow escape the wagon on her own and hide?
Amazing, Abigail. Beyond my imagination.
She grabbed my finger, looking frantic, and pulled me toward the bushes.
There lay the Sauvage girl, unconscious.
Blood oozed from her mouth, and her abdomen was wrapped in cloth, now soaked red.
"She was hit by a stray bullet… You have healing magic, right? Bring an alien who can heal her! Hurry! She'll bleed to death!"
Unfortunately, the alien capable of healing was just blown to pieces by a machine gun right in front of me.
I placed a hand on Abigail's shoulder, feeling her desperation, and turned toward the forest. A presence was approaching from within—not human.
From the shadows emerged a lycanthrope, a werewolf with blood streaming from his head. He lunged at me, snarling wildly.
—Go home. Protect me.
He held a control terminal in his hand. My Rusher must be dead.
The lycanthrope pointed at the Sauvage girl and said something.
I understood his intent.
There seemed to be no choice.
Hesitant, I pinned the Sauvage girl down.
I pressed my palm against her forehead and crushed her skull in one swift motion.
A red flower bloomed on the ground.
Abigail froze, her eyes wide with shock.
The Sauvage girl couldn't be saved. It's okay. This way, she felt no pain.
...The Sauvage girl's brain looks delicious.
—Wait. Stay alert.
"—Ugh…!"
Abigail's cry, coinciding with the command, drew my gaze from the Sauvage girl's remains, where I had been battling my hunger.
The lycanthrope had forcefully pushed Abigail against a nearby tree, lifting her robe and fumbling with his pants.
Is he serious?
There are still enemies around.
He intends to rape Abigail in this situation?
Abigail struggled, but the werewolf's strength pinned her down, leaving her helpless.
"No—stop! Let me go…! Ugh—!"
Abigail looked at me.
"…Help me—Jévo!dan!"
At her plea, something inside me snapped.
How dare he! If she gets shot, what will you do? You'll break her bones with that roughness! Clumsy oaf! You worthless mutt! Don't you dare touch Abigail—!"
Before I knew it, I had torn out the lycanthrope's throat, savoring the hot blood.
Delicious. The blood of the strong is exquisite.
Damn… those foolish underlings!
They fell right into the trap!
Because of their incompetence, the Sauvage girl is dead. She was my greatest creation…
—Damn it, damn it, damn it!
You bastards!
Unconsciously, I screamed into the night sky.
The Butcher's furious roar cooled the heat of the burning forest, silencing the surrounding chaos.
I noticed Abigail picking up the fallen control terminal, her expression intense as she examined it.
She looked up at me quietly.
...What are you doing? Trying to control me? Useless. It won't work on me. Didn't I explain?
So, Abigail… you plan to control me, make me your pawn. You saw a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You're as cunning as ever. I'll need to reeducate you harshly, reestablish our power dynamic—!"
I crushed the lycanthrope's head and tore it off.
Abigail stood up.
"—Jévo!dan. I might be able to analyze this…"
My hand, reaching for her neck, froze.
"Earthpint analyzed various alien tools. Though this type is new, with the right equipment, I could study the mechanism of the device in your head… Do you know where I can find such equipment?"
I clenched the air.
My throat growled unconsciously.
Equipment…
The human settlements I've destroyed have none. Everything's been obliterated. The people were either food or captives. Nothing remains. This city still has defenses, so taking you there is risky.
—But in my secret place…
I've hidden supplies stolen from humans and aliens.
I've returned there alone many times after battles, accumulating various items.
But I won't reveal that location to anyone. It's where I plan to establish my base after escaping. Even if Abigail is cooperative, it's out of the question.
"If we can remove the device from your head… you'll be free, right? No more cruel treatment?"
Abigail's voice grew increasingly passionate.
"—Locked alone in that dark, narrow space. Treated like an animal, displayed, thrown into dangerous battles as a disposable tool…! Forced to kill even the girl you loved… It's unbearable!"
Is that how you see me?
"—Jévo!dan. Let me help you. Please?"
I felt an inexplicable pressure from her and took a step back.
My heel bumped into something.
The Sauvage girl, headless, lay quietly on the ground.
...Time is running out. I need to retrieve what I entrusted to her.
Fighting the urge to eat her scattered brain, I tore open the cloth around her abdomen and slit it open with my claws.
Using my fingers and tongue, I searched for what I had hidden.
Her abdomen was slender and beautiful, a wonderful woman who had welcomed me countless times. Inside, a pink treasure awaited. I carefully cut it open, as if performing surgery.
—Found it.
I held it up, turning to Abigail.
She sat on the ground, pale and trembling, hyperventilating as she stared at me.
She might have thought I was eating the Sauvage girl.
"—Why… what are you…?"
This is what I need to give you.
I showed her the small, glowing object pinched between my fingers.
"...?"
Abigail frowned, studying it intently.
As I approached her, she scooted back, sitting on the ground. She seemed extremely distressed.
This is likely a key… a small medal.
I've seen aliens use it to open my prison cell many times.
Even with the key, the control device must be disabled. But I thought it might be useful someday, so I hid it inside the Sauvage girl. I hadn't told you yet.
Anyway, we need to leave this battlefield immediately.
As I took a step forward, she shook her head and retreated, dragging herself backward until her back hit a tree trunk.
...When you're extremely nervous, you always do that—shake your head.
It's incredibly cute. I don't know why, but it's reassuring. It makes me want to see you do it more. But not now. We need to leave, or you'll end up like the Sauvage girl.
For now, I need to hide this medal inside you.
I placed the medal on my tongue and extended it toward her lap.
"—⁉ No, stop…! I don't want this! Stop it! Jévo!dan!"
She resisted fiercely, her eyes wide, glaring at me with an expression I'd never seen before.
...The medal is covered in blood.
If you resist, I can't insert it properly. You need to accept it like the Sauvage girl did.
Arguing is a waste of time.
Reluctantly, I retracted my tongue, picked up the medal with my fingers, and placed it in her hand.
—Key, important, keep it—
I glanced around. Gunshots still echoed from deeper in the forest. This place isn't safe. We need to move immediately.
—Let's go, it's dangerous—
But Abigail remained still, staring at the glowing medal in her hand.
—Abigail, are you injured?—
If she's hurt, we need to treat her before moving. Despite my appearance, I'm a former scout with basic medical knowledge. My base should have supplies.
At my question, Abigail looked up at me quietly.
Our eyes met.
Her eyes were filled with fear, overwhelmed by the rapid succession of violent events. It was understandable.
She had spent days in close quarters with a monster, nearly became an alien's plaything, was suddenly thrown into battle, and faced a barrage of machine gun fire. She witnessed her fellow captive brutally killed by me, nearly raped by a werewolf, and saw the Sauvage girl's insides torn out. Now, she faced the Butcher, the source of all this horror. Any ordinary woman would have gone mad.
But…
After a moment, Abigail's hazel eyes gleamed with determination.
She took a deep breath, as if steeling herself.
"—You're not a monster. You're scary, but we can talk. You care about me, rescued me from the battlefield, and protect me. You have a noble heart. Jévo!dan, let's escape that place together. You'll finally be able to live peacefully."
It seems there's a major misunderstanding about me… but it's fine. Let her believe it. It's… convenient.
"I'll understand you. I can be your greatest ally. Look at me. It's okay. I'll set you free."
Fearless Earthpint.
She's trying to deceive the Butcher.
To an outsider, she might seem more insane than me…
"Trust me, Jévo!dan."
...
—Let's move, it's dangerous here—
I tapped Abigail's shoulder. She nodded, then tightly grasped my finger. She glanced nervously at the Sauvage girl's remains.
"—Before we go… please… give her a proper send-off…"
I decided to grant Abigail's wish, revealing a fragment of my secret power.
〈Extinguish Imolate〉—a power that burns the branded prey to ashes in an embrace.
This is the first time I've used this ability in front of someone.
I possess many such powers, far beyond those of an ordinary Butcher.
Powers I've hidden, waiting for the day I can unleash them without restraint to annihilate the aliens.
Claws I've sharpened alone, believing in that day.
Always, always alone—
I cradled the Sauvage girl and cremated her. Burying her would risk discovery by humans.
After the nameless woman turned to dust and vanished, an overwhelming sense of futility weighed on me.
In the blazing forest, I howled again to shake it off.
I decided to take Abigail to my secret place.
Until Abigail arrived, the Sauvage girl was the only woman Jévo!dan treated specially.