This is—⁉
Before I knew it, I was on my knees, both hands pressing against my head.
An unbearably loud, deafening roar slammed into my ears, drowning out every other sound around me.
A searing pain, as if my eyeballs were about to burst, squeezed my brain tightly.
My vision turned deep crimson.
"The self-destruct—it's activated!"
Abigail's voice reached me through the thunderous noise.
Forcing my stiff neck to move, I lifted my face.
Abigail was gripping Lydia's arm, pressing her close.
Beside me, Ferris was shouting, her hand resting on my shoulder.
—So that's it.
Abigail did this.
As the pain gradually became more bearable, my thoughts began to clear slightly.
"Butchers are programmed to self-destruct when they're near death! During the fight earlier, the damage accumulated in Jévodan's body exceeded the threshold for the self-destruct sequence to activate!"
Lies.
Abigail, who witnessed the end of my battle, used the control terminal to trigger my self-destruct mechanism.
The activation procedure for the self-destruct was already known.
Simply put, among the items I'd seized and stockpiled, there were some belonging to Rusher, and within them was something akin to a manual. She'd studied it thoroughly.
However, a password-like secret incantation was needed as a key, and that hadn't been discovered yet.
The incantation required to initiate the self-destruct sequence was whispered to me by Titania. I don't know why she knew it, but she must have used her insect minions.
Still, when it came to giving Abigail the information she needed to press my self-destruct button, I hesitated.
Even if it was necessary for the mission, granting her such overwhelming control was unacceptable.
But I allowed it.
I think I was under a witch's spell—
—I see.
So, when the self-destruct is activated, this excruciating pain is triggered to subdue the Butcher. I knew there'd be a few minutes of delay from experience, but this is unexpected. That's why Butchers about to self-destruct kneel so quietly…
A storm of agony floods directly into my brain.
I collapse, hands braced against the ground, and it's no act.
"●＃■▲◇★, ◇〆※〆! §▽□〒※○※▲〓⁉"
"I told you I was analyzing your devices! So I know how the Butcher works!"
Both Lydia, panicking, and Abigail, stern-faced, their voices trembling. They don't need to speak aloud when using telepathy… they're both incredibly anxious. Heh…
Ah, this is bad… I'm seriously about to lose consciousness…
A swelling sensation, like gas being pumped into a balloon in my brain, surges into intense nausea.
Suddenly, I taste bitterness.
My tongue, hanging loosely from my mouth, licks the dirt.
"Jévodan! Jévodan!"
Ferris's cries are soothing. My body feels warm—is that your healing magic?
Ferris, why can you do this for such a grotesque monster…
Alright. Even if I'm free, I won't kill Ferris or Lydia.
Second-rate pros sacrifice their allies to prioritize the mission, but first-rate pros complete the mission without losing their allies.
I'll spare Abigail, Titania, Ferris, and Lydia, and kill the rest. Easy. I can do it.
I'm a self-made pro, after all.
Wait, at this rate, I might die before the self-destruct… this feels awful…
"Lydia, you can do it! Replay Jévodan's voice in your mind and pull out that device on his temple!"
"〓●△〓▽○▼＃★▽...ッ‼"
Lydia's face contorts in agony.
Removing a Butcher's control device is probably a serious crime, like disabling the safety on a nuke.
"Please, do something! If those insects attack us now, we're finished! And if Jévodan dies, Ill be disposed of! I don't want to be eaten by another Butcher! Please, Lydia!"
Abigail's acting, but her genuine fear mixes in, making it a convincing performance. Her face is etched with terror and desperation.
—ッ⁉ Guaahhhhhhh… the pain again…‼
I've collapsed without realizing it.
Ferris cradles my head, crying and screaming.
"Lydia! Jévodan 〓〆□※〆☆▲▽○‼"
Warm droplets splash against my cheek.
Through my blurred vision, narrowing in from the edges, a shadow rushes toward me.
"Jévodan, say anything! Just keep talking, I'll save you! Hurry, hurry!"
Anything… what do you mean, anything…
Something…
I… I've never seen my parents' faces since I was born.
I was born in a filthy brothel corner.
Abandoned on the street immediately, never tasting my mother's milk, destined to die of hunger and cold. A kind stranger found me and took me to an orphanage.
The orphanage was hell.
It was just a name; in reality, it was a substandard detention center funded by subsidies. Children were mere points to show officials. One child, one point.
With no proper meals, my childhood was focused on scavenging food.
It only got worse. Once I could do some labor, I was thrown into battle as disposable manpower.
Hauling cargo, tasting poison, acting as bait—boys and girls alike were used for amusement at night. Our lives were cheaper than a bullet.
I survived those days.
Not because I wanted to live, but because instinct kept me going. If I'd had a mind to think freely, I'd have killed myself long ago.
When I finally gained awareness, I escaped during the chaos of my unit's annihilation on the frontlines.
A child with no survival skills, unprepared, had no reason to survive in the forest.
But I was found. A miracle. Picked up by someone on a mission in the forest—later my foster parent and mentor.
Wait…
Something tugs at the edge of my memory.
What is it? Tracing my fading memories, a thin veil lifts, revealing a figure.
I can't recall my foster parent's face.
But another figure stands in my mind's eye.
Who is it?
During my beast-like childhood, someone was always by my side.
A tattered child, gender unknown, with mud-caked hair, their strangely colored eyes gleaming as they watched me.
Hungry, I always thought their eyes looked delicious, like hazelnuts, honey-glazed and tempting—then they turned and walked away.
A blinding flash erupts in my mind.
The freezing sensation fades, and my vision slowly returns.
A woman's face appears, peering down at me.
"Jévodan, can you hear me? Respond if you can."
It's Lydia.
"Jévodan, please respond…"
Ferris, tears streaming down her face. Beside her, anxious Lydia holds a bloody, thick rod like a five-inch nail.
It's flashing red—
I snatch it from Lydia, leap up, and cradle it against my abdomen.
A moment later, a deep thud vibrates through my massive frame and the ground.
I rise slowly.
Beneath me, the shattered remains are scattered.
A ticklish sensation, like sweat dripping from my temple to my cheek, trails down.
…Pelorri.
Tastes like brain matter. Delicious.
I extend my tongue, licking my temple.
There's a hole.
The protrusion that was there is gone.
The chains are broken.
An explosion of emotion surges through my solar plexus, and my blood, heated with fervor, bubbles and pops.
A Butcher roars, shaking the earth and racing across the night sky.
The darkness above parts, stars shining through, celebrating my liberation—
"Jévodan!"
I notice a voice from below. My gaze drops from the sky.
Ferris is jumping, hands reaching up.
What's wrong? Fox instinct?
"Jévodan, sit down! Ferris will heal you… you need to close that wound fast. It was really deep."
Right. Of course.
I sit cross-legged, and warmth immediately spreads over my head.
As Ferris closes the hole in my head, I look at Abigail.
She's slumped, exhausted.
Our eyes meet.
Her beautiful hazel eyes.
"Are you okay now? Jévodan?"
I lick Ferris's tear-stained face.
"…I'm fine. What happened, Lydia?"
Casually, I ask Lydia.
"During the fight with the Titans, your self-destruct device started to malfunction. So, I removed it. Are you alright? It seemed like a really important device…"
"I'm fine. I feel great."
After all, those cursed chains are gone.
It's like the euphoria of returning from a desperate mission.
"Oh, that's good…"
Lydia hugs me.
"Thank you, Ferris. You've been healing me all this time."
"No… if Lydia wasn't here, I couldn't have done anything… Fah!"
I lick Ferris's face again. I could spend all night licking every inch of her. And Lydia too, pelorro.
"Um… hehe… if you're thanking someone, thank Abigail too. When I was panicking, not knowing what was happening, Abigail ran over and told me exactly what to do. She's the one who said to remove the device. She's way more capable than I thought! Can't underestimate demi-humans."
True. Abigail's a resourceful woman.
Abigail places a hand on Lydia's shoulder.
"So… you're really okay, Jévodan?"
"Thanks to you, Abigail."
"—So, be nice to Abby when we get back, okay?"
Lydia says with a smile.
Of course. I'll be nicer than ever.
Once we return, no one can stop me.
I'll take Abigail and Titania with me when I leave.
I want to thank Ferris and Lydia, but there's no time. I'll repay them before crushing Feambalm, I promise.
After that, the aliens will face the consequences for turning me into this and trampling my soul's dignity for so long.
"Let's go, both of you. It's dangerous here."
"Yeah, if they attack again, it'll be bad."
Lydia and Ferris nod.
Let's go.
When we return, Abigail's collar will be removed.
And it will all be over.