Chapter 5
Chapter 5: To Kill or Not to Kill
***
“A monster… from the Abyss?”
I frowned even more deeply, tilting my head slightly as I asked back.
“You came from the Abyss, didn’t you? From those black swamps.”
“…Yes.” I didn’t think about denying it, there was no need to lie here, it would be too easily seen through.
“Am I… a monster…?”
Then I realized what a foolish question this was. My previous appearance, behavior, and the humans’ attitude towards me had all been constantly telling me that in their perception, I was just a hateful and terrifying monster.
Thinking of this, I suddenly felt sad.
The swordsman seemed to notice my low spirits, a look of surprise flashing across his face.
“You don’t think you’re a monster?”
“I… don’t… know… woke up… like… this…” Actually, I wanted to express much more than just this, but human language pronunciation was exceptionally obscure to me, I simply couldn’t speak it smoothly.
I had a belly full of things I wanted to say, a belly full of questions I wanted to clarify, but I didn’t know how to express them. Though I could understand everything, I just couldn’t speak it.
“Then what do you think you are? An angel sent by the Bountiful Mother Goddess?”
There was quite a mocking smile on the swordsman’s face.
Although I didn’t know who this Bountiful Mother Goddess he mentioned was, that didn’t prevent me from hearing his sarcasm.
I definitely wasn’t an angel, but I also didn’t believe I was a demon.
“Why… kill me…”
“Why kill you? That’s a good question.” The swordsman broke off a blade of grass and put it between his lips, “Do you know what interesting things might happen if we two continue to stay alone in this… this little dark room you created?”
“…What… do you… want… to do…”
I nervously wrapped the cloak tighter around myself, watching him vigilantly.
How annoying is this person? And to think I initially thought he was an upright person.
The swordsman saw my behavior and first showed a rather confused expression, then immediately seemed to understand something and laughed helplessly.
“Where did your mind go? I mean, from now on we’re going to start doing serious business, be serious. I didn’t come here to chat idly with you. From now on, answer whatever I ask, understand?”
“Uh…” I felt my face starting to heat up again, how embarrassing.
The swordsman didn’t pay any more attention to my reaction and held up one finger.
“First question, where did you all come from, and what exactly is your purpose in coming to this world?”
????
I was completely bewildered.
Where did I come from? From Earth. What was my purpose? Would working hard to earn money to go back home and get married count?
You think I wanted to come to this broken world? You think I wanted to become a monster? I just woke up like this, I’m very depressed too, okay?
“I…”
“Second question, how many more of you are there exactly, tell me the time and place where they will appear in the future.”
“I…”
“Third question, why can you speak the human language? Why can you disguise yourself as human? Compared to other ones of your kind I’ve encountered, you are undoubtedly the most special one. What other unknown abilities do you have, are you a higher life form of the Abyss, and how many beings like you are there?”
“…”
“Three questions, tell me everything you know. This isn’t a negotiation, it’s an interrogation. If you don’t want to cooperate, or if I detect you’re lying, I’ll kill you, understand?”
I understand your XX.
I wanted to spit right in his face, how could this person be like this? Throwing out such a string of questions on his own, like popping beans, did you ever give me a chance to speak properly! And are you sure you only asked three questions?
Though I was furious inside, given the circumstances, I had no choice but to answer honestly.
“I… don’t… know… I just… born… don’t… understand…”
“Given that you might not be very familiar with human language yet, I’ll give you one more chance, answer the first question first. Where did you all come from, what is your purpose. No need to hurry, speak slowly, speak clearly, I have plenty of time.”
…………
What do you want me to say… I don’t even understand what you’re asking. What do you mean by ‘you all’? Does it mean there are many beings like me? Are they also people who crossed over? I really don’t know!
“I… really… don’t… know… ah!”
“Boom” ——!
Lightning erupted from the swordsman’s body, in a flash of light he was in front of me, his long sword already at my throat.
“Speak. Don’t try to fool me, in your current state, killing you would be effortless for me.”
I looked at his indifferent gaze with some terror, unconsciously swallowing.
I can’t provide the information he wants, no, this way I’ll really die. I don’t dare to gamble again on whether I can resurrect or not, I need to find a way to escape.
This man before me, though he seemed like someone who could talk reasonably, actually had an unshakeable stance in his heart. Even though I now looked no different from a human, even appeared as a weak and helpless girl, in his eyes, I was probably still that horrifying monster.
We weren’t the same kind, there was no point in hoping he would show any empathy towards me. It was laughable that I had just had the thought of showing weakness to him, hoping he would spare me.
“I…”
I was panic-stricken, my unworthy heart beating “thump thump” non-stop. It’s embarrassing to say, but I actually felt like I needed to pee.
What should I do? The knights must all be waiting outside, and there’s that troublesome old man too. The swordsman was right, in my current state, killing me would be very simple for him, he wouldn’t even need to coordinate with others like before, he alone would be enough.
“Really… don’t… know… I… woke up… you… attack…”
“So you’re saying it’s our fault?”
The swordsman pulled up the corner of his mouth, his expression between a smile and not looking somewhat gloomy, he was already starting to lose patience.
“Not… that. I… don’t want… harm…”
Don’t panic, don’t panic. Calm down, carefully recall the previous feeling, try to see if there’s a way to release the black smoke again…
“You say you don’t want to harm us? Do you know how many of our church knights you slaughtered today?” Speaking of this, the swordsman’s eyes narrowed, his gaze towards me carrying a sharp killing intent.
I trembled in fear of him.
“You… hurt… me…”
The words came out too timid to have any conviction.
“It seems we have nothing more to talk about.” The swordsman raised a cold smile that made my heart palpitate, “You think you’re innocent? How laughable. You’re just a monster that crawled out of the Abyss, just an existence that will only bring disaster to the world, and now you’re trying to pour out your grievances to me? I’m really quite bored too, to have wasted so many words with you.”
“…”
I didn’t know what to say to him anymore, just stubbornly looked at him.
Clenched my fists.
“To be honest, I don’t really want to kill you just like this. You are the only one among the many monsters that have crawled out of the Abyss so far who can communicate normally. If I just capture you and take you back, those guys at the church would probably be very happy. They have plenty of methods, they would use all kinds of cruel means you can’t imagine to torture you until they pry out everything they want to know from your mouth. I’m giving you one last chance now, either tell me everything you know honestly and die without pain, or I’ll send you to the church’s underground prison, falling into those people’s hands, unable to live, unable to die. You’re very clever, so I’ll only count to three, you decide for yourself.”
The swordsman’s eyes told me he would do as he said.
But what should I say? How to say it?
“Three.”
“Wait… I… am… come… country… companion…”
I hadn’t been able to regain control of the connection with the black smoke, I desperately wanted to say something to buy time, but the more anxious I became, the more stumbling my words became, even I didn’t know what I was saying.
“Two.”
The swordsman continued counting down my death sentence with an indifferent expression.
“Uh…”
Black smoke, please! Hurry, hurry!
“One.”
He raised the long sword in his hand, the lightning’s glow flickered once again, about to swing down, and then my head would be forced to relocate.
“Not… that! I just… I just… want… good… live!”
I stared at him hard, my eyes gradually welling up with tears, blurring the swordsman’s face. I tilted my head back and blinked desperately, not wanting to let them fall.
God, if you really exist, please hear my prayer.
Since you gave me a chance to be reborn, then please don’t let me die again in such a muddled way.
I want to bid farewell to my former cowardly self, no longer avoid things, bravely face everything.
Let me use this monster’s body to live on strongly and well.
…………
Carlos hesitated.
He looked at the monster who had closed her eyes, clenched her fists, and seemed to have prepared herself to welcome death, her body slightly trembling either from the lightning or fear.
This battle, up until now, hadn’t actually lasted very long. He had been lurking in the shadows from the moment the fight broke out, waiting for the opportunity to deliver a fatal blow to the monster. Archbishop Ansel had created an opportunity for him, and he had succeeded. After delivering those two sword strikes, the monster that should have died, after its flesh gradually turned to ash, suddenly transformed into the appearance of a human girl.
Carlos had been observing its emotional changes from beginning to end, trying to find any trace that didn’t belong to humans. But now, he really felt like he was about to kill a weak girl who had no power to resist.
He was a Pontifical Knight of the Holy Church, a hero who slayed the Abyss, the monsters that had died by his hands, if counting the one before him now, would be thirteen, but he had never hesitated like today.
This special Abyssal monster was different from those previous ones that had no rationality and only followed their instincts to devour everything. It possessed considerably high intelligence and emotions, could feel fear, could feel sad, could cry, and even… could think about right and wrong.
Carlos didn’t know if killing it just like this would be a good thing for the future.
It might be the key to unlocking all the mysteries.
He observed again this Abyssal monster that looked exactly like a human girl of 15 or 16 years old.
Young, delicate, beautiful, with somewhat stubborn persistence.
He had to admit, if she were really human, she would undoubtedly be the most beautiful girl Carlos had ever seen.
He was getting a headache.
To swing the sword, or not to swing.
That was the question.