Mr. Magical Girl

Chapter: 199. Those Eyeballs Are a Bit Disgusting (1)

In the straight corridor, there were purple beans scattered everywhere.

What Al’sel said didn’t seem like a lie. They all lay there, frothing at the mouth, shaking as they clutched their bodies with four arms.

But not a single one of them had stopped breathing or had their hearts cease.

“… What kind of effect could cause this?”

“It’s my unique magic. Nightmare, trauma induction, sensory deprivation, time dilation, sensory amplification, illusion, sporadic fainting, memory shuffle, phantom pain. You know, it dumps all that serious psychic realm magic at once.”

Just hearing that is freaking terrifying.

Based on the list alone, it’s classified as non-lethal magic, but wouldn’t more people be begging to be killed instead?

“The best part is that a recovery spell activates according to the end of the effects, so there’s no worry about mental damage. It’s perfect for neutralization.”

Not torture?

If you asked someone with weak mental fortitude about their base position, they might create a nonexistent base just to serve it up.

Whatever the deal with Al’sel’s magic power is, the path is easy, so that’s good.

As we walked through the corridor filled with screams and groans, I soon understood what Al’sel was talking about.

“… You mentioned earlier that you were the one holding up the world, right?”

“That was half a joke. In reality, it’s the entire species that does that.”

Oh? That doesn’t sound like a lie. Even if it’s just one, I bet they’re sustaining about 33% alone.

It was such a powerful pressure that it felt like that.

The moment I took a step forward, the atmosphere around me warped.

It seemed they weren’t even trying to hide their gazes; countless eyes pinned us down.

Battle vision. Something like that, huh…?

“Why do they look like that?”

“You said this species was weak, right?”

“I did.”

Then what is this overwhelming pressure I feel all over my body?

Even if I underestimate it, it’s A-Rank at the top level.

Depending on their abilities, it seems like there’s pressure that could fit in 0-Rank.

“I think you’re misunderstanding something, Haram.”

Is Al’sel feeling the pressure too? He spoke up with slower steps.

“In the Otherworld, combat is fundamentally when one strong fighter can cover dozens, hundreds, or even billions.”

Crunch.

The presence of a single gaze intensified, and my left hand twisted.

Had the bone shattered, or was it dislocated? A sharp pain accompanied a full rotation of my left hand.

“These beings might be weak as a species, but they possess the power to hold a position within their group. And the being in front of us is the one ensuring they survive.”

Crunch. Crunch.

My neck. Left leg. Right leg.

It felt as if space itself was twisting.

My entire body began to rotate.

I managed to hold my neck in place with force.

Was it because I had concentrated my consciousness on my neck? Both of my legs completely buckled.

What I couldn’t even begin to describe as pain. But perhaps because the whole process was unreal, what dominated my mind wasn’t pain or fear.

It was just the thought, Damn, this hurts.

Then, as my bones and flesh regenerated, I turned to look at Al’sel.

I could see that he was also under attack.

Tentacles twisted everywhere around him—arms, legs, and neck.

The way his limbs were pulled out was so eerie it felt like he was possessed by a ghost.

Yet, there was no change in Al’sel’s expression.

Only his twisted arm flailed, and his bent leg stretched forward.

His face, turned 180 degrees, merely swayed as he continued to walk forward.

“Your flexibility is impressive.”

“It’s an advantage of our species.”

Maybe because his neck was turned, Al’sel’s voice sounded quite strange, but in this tranquil moment where we talked, it somehow inspired some will in me, allowing me to push my shattered leg forward.

One step. Forward.

An easy step, yet the pain transmitted from my broken foot and leg was quite impressive.

But still.

I could bear it.

Spurt.

My arms and legs were regenerating, emitting a bit of light as I stepped forward.

“You’re regenerating faster.”

“I’ve gotten used to it the more I use it.”

With a stronger gaze, my waist twisted.

Fortunately, I managed to stop that, but the cost was a rotation of the remaining limbs.

“Don’t depend too much on it. There’s a price for regeneration. When fatigue accumulates, no matter how strong the metal, it will break.”

“I understand that much.”

Even if I say I won’t die.

The memories and pains that accumulate within me. And the fear won’t disappear.

The moment I cross that threshold, my will might break.

But still.

“What else can I do right now?”

“Yes. At this point, there’s no method other than enduring it.”

As we moved forward, the stares targeting us intensified.

Along with that, the mysterious physical force upon my body grew stronger.

Right now, I’m barely holding on while repeating steps and regenerations.

But how long can I keep this up?

A long corridor.

The enemy’s form doesn’t even appear from the other side.

Nonetheless, we slowly move forward.

To endure until the last line.

To not die instantly while preparing for a regeneration and finding an opportunity to leap at the enemy.

Hundreds of dislocations.

Hundreds of fractures.

Through that nightmare, I drew closer to the enemy.

Far closer than expected.

My body is tougher than I imagined.

Thinking this, I looked at Al’sel standing opposite me.

He had become so entangled that he was practically a pretzel, with his limbs contorted.

Though it seemed he was keeping his head and body safe, vibration continued from key parts.

Compared to that, my limbs hadn’t broken at all.

Continuously breaking and twisting, still causing pain.

Yet at the very least, they hadn’t come apart.

“Ah, come on.”

We’re almost there, so stop with the tricks, will you?

With that in mind, I poured all my strength into my left arm and clashed against the enemy’s force.

I threw in all my walking strength for a taut tug-of-war.

Maybe I couldn’t have used it if we were advancing step by step.

But now, there was no need to move forward.

So, I took my gaze away from my trembling left arm and looked ahead.

A gigantic underground structure.

Maybe built long ago, the tiles were densely decorated, faded with time.

Seemingly an important place, the tiles were polished to a shine, and not a speck of dust showing the passage of time.

Yet unable to withstand the weight of time, a few cracks were scattered here and there through the tiles.

In the center of this ancient structure were countless electrical wires and pipes connected to a stone chair.

And on that chair sat the being we were looking for.

A number of eyes gleamed as it looked at us.

However, its appearance was entirely different from those we have seen before.

Three out of four arms seemed to have been ripped off, leaving only bulging flesh stuck to its body—and its remaining arm was bashfully thin, like a mummified corpse.

No, that’s not quite it.

Its entire body, apart from the eyeballs, seemed shriveled and desiccated.

Its characteristic purple skin was withered to a grayish hue.

Its mouth was wrinkled and shriveled, and its sunken belly looked like it had never consumed food.

In other words, it was a complete mummified figure.

Despite this, the countless eyeballs attached to its head were moving, blink—as if they were moisturized, contrasting sharply with its desiccated body.

Is that alright to call that alive?

Isn’t that a simple mummy?

In reality, it seemed dead, barely maintaining itself with whatever power it had.

That sight was utterly pitiful, yet I paid it no mind as I extended my right arm to swing the hammer.

What else can we do?

We came here for information, and the being before us is the one who possesses all that information.

Whether it’s alive or dead.

Now that it’s a battle of strength.

But before that—

“Is there anything I need to do?”

At my question, squelch squelch.

Al’sel quietly started to splash fluid around, mending his form.

Then, he drew a magic circle over his now twisted arm, carefully scanning the surroundings before speaking.

“There’s nothing. Let’s neutralize it.”

That’s my specialty.

Now that we’ve gotten this close, the enemy’s strength isn’t increasing any further.

So, one could say this is their full power.

If I sacrifice one limb, I could attack sufficiently.

So, I took the strength away from my left arm that was about to twist.

The moment it contorted, the power spread throughout my body again as I lowered my posture to charge.

“Let’s go.”

Just as I was about to spring forward—

Greeeeeak.

A scream echoed from hell, causing the force closing in on my body to fade.

The scream was from the grayish mummy sitting on the chair.

With its remaining arm, it lifted its body and opened its skeletal mouth.

“Why are there beings as strong as you here…?”

Its voice was dry and cracked, like that emerging from the pit of despair.

“… I’ll step back.”

Negotiations and conversations aren’t my forte.

“Understood.”

As I took a step back, Al’sel took a step forward.

“Hmm. It’s nice to meet you, great one. I might as well ask your name, may I?”

Al’sel, with a fluffy demeanor, pretended to be friendly while hiding his true nature.

However, there was no kindness or respect in his voice.

Instead, it was a sense of pressure that was anything but friendly.

“…I am Griks.”

Noticing the strange tension, the mummy, who called itself Griks, lowered its voice.

“Indeed. Griks, I am Al’sel. This person beside me is Haram Lee. We came here seeking information.”

“If you want to buy information… You should request it through a proper channel. What is this nonsense…?”

Come to think of it, didn’t they say it was an information broker?

So we can buy it with money? Hmmm.

“That’s just surface information. Isn’t it?”

Hearing that, Al’sel started to chuckle.

“What we want are more important bits of information. The strength and populace of each faction. The ratio of soldiers, combat power, the amount of currency possessed, imports and exports. Important statistics like that.”

“Ah… Were you trying to obtain that? I wasn’t aware.”

“… You’re not affiliated with any faction, are you?”

Could it have been something problematic about Al’sel’s ridiculous remark?

Griks replied with a touch of anger in his dried voice.

“How did you know that?”

“…We’ve engaged in countless battles. We made treaties. Therefore, those who could demand such information… Do not exist between us.”

Perhaps recalling the distant past, a hint of sorrow emerged in Griks’ voice.

“Indeed, how intriguing. A treaty sounds so obvious, simply by hearing it.”

Al’sel’s voice conveyed emotions entirely opposite to that.

Mockery and delight, alongside a touch of pity.

“It must be a treaty to maintain lines to prevent losses between large groups. Pretty obvious. Those with existing power created a trash-like peace for their own benefit…”

Before Al’sel could finish his sentence, Griks shouted out with massive anger.

“Shut up! What do you know?!”

Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack.

The power that had been halted surged back into my body, just as the octopus standing in front of me had completely crumpled.

… Sigh.

Taking a breath, I neutralized an overwhelming amount of force while recovering my limbs and then opened my mouth.

“What shall we do?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Please neutralize it.”

Now, Al’sel had returned to my side once more, asking for assistance.

“Of course.”

Hearing that, I charged.

I dashed toward the enemy.

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