Episode 7 - Straightforward Declaration of War 4

She wore a dancer's costume with extremely high exposure.
Her face was barely visible through a veil, revealing only her silhouette, but the exposed shape of her eyes hinted at her considerable beauty.


She smoothed her slightly wavy brown hair with her slender hands and stood before Kaftin with careful steps.


“I am ‘Whispermere,’ the branch leader here.”
“...Doesn't seem to be your real name.”
“Of course not. My personal information is one of the guild's highest secrets.”
“Well, that means appearing like this was quite a stretch... My apologies.”
“Apologizing now?”


When he subtly shot back, she cleared her throat loudly and averted her gaze.
He thought she was a truly fascinating person.


The unsettling aura she'd shown until just moments ago was gone, replaced by what seemed like a timid, ordinary young man from the neighborhood.


“Well, fine. Since we've met anyway, I'd appreciate it if you kept quiet about me.”
“Hah, like I'd tell anyone. A good story like a beauty like you being the head of an Information Guild branch? Of course, that's something only I should know.”
“…….”


She shook her head at his nonsense, her feelings complex.
She couldn't tell if he was being sincere or just testing her again.


“First, I suppose I have to ask the question you just refused to answer.”
“…….”
“What about magic?”
“You really want to know?”
“Even so, if a human is that invincible...”
“...6th Circle.”
“……?”
“Magic up to the 6th Circle has no effect on me. Even enchanted artifacts become useless the moment they touch my hand.”
“……!!”
“As for magic beyond that... I can't say for sure, but it seems to work.”


He didn't sound like he was joking.
But if that was the case... his physical state was far beyond anything known to humanity thus far.


I'd heard that among the martial artists of the Eastern Continent, some were so skilled at manipulating aura that they could use Aura Skins to gain near-invulnerability to poison and physical damage...


But magic not working? That was clearly beyond the realm of the ordinary.


“You must have some kind of special constitution?”
“No. It's acquired. I don't know the details, but...”
“...Acquired? What on earth...”
“...Got any artifacts or weak magic? It'd be quicker to show you directly.”


Seeing him grumble as if he couldn't explain it himself and prepare to demonstrate, she immediately summoned an agent.


“Any magic will do, right?”
“Ah, yes. It doesn't matter what it is. As long as I can touch it.”


The agent immediately conjured a faint light with magic.
It was Floating Light, one of the basic first-circle spells anyone could use if they knew the incantation, even if they weren't a mage.


“That'll do. Watch closely.”
“Yes.”


Kaftin tore off his blood-soaked shirt with his bare hands.
The bulging, massively pumped physique revealed beneath made Whispermeer involuntarily gasp and shrink back.


“Watch closely. I won't show it again.”
“Yes, yes!”


Kaftin extended his right hand and lightly stroked the orb. With a soft puff, the light scattered and vanished in an instant.


Simultaneously, a peculiar pattern slowly glowed a pale green on his torso, appearing briefly before fading away.


“See? Because of this, magic barely works on me.”
“……!”


Whispermeer desperately stared at it during that brief moment, trying desperately to commit it to memory.


“That acquired magic immunity... Where did you get it?”
“…….”
“Please.”
“I don't know.”
“Huh?”


Kaftin shook his head.


“Due to circumstances, I... can only remember up to about three years ago. What happened to me before that... I don't know either.”
“I see... Then where were you and what were you doing during those three years?”
“...That would be an important story connected to my request. Do you really want to hear it? It could get you into trouble too.”


As Kaftin spoke, his voice laced with subtle threat and his characteristic smile playing on his lips, she instinctively sensed that this story was genuinely dangerous.


But from the moment she revealed herself to him, she was already as good as entangled.


“I'll ask you to do it.”
“Hmph. Seems the branch chief isn't just carrying this burden for nothing.”


Kaftin plopped down on the sofa, scratching his head thoughtfully.
He was reconsidering whether it was truly okay to tell her this story.


Meanwhile, she cautiously sat down on the seat next to him on the sofa, preparing to listen to his story.


“...Looks like you're serious about this.”
“It's been a long time since I've met someone as interesting as you.”
“Oh, come on... Fine. I'll do it.”


As if conceding defeat, Kaftin began to speak.


“Do you know about the Torture Martial Artist, ‘Vesren Painroad’?”
“...The name... I think I've heard it before. Definitely... He was the one who became the turning point for the Four Gang Lords to truly rise.”


Kaftin chuckled and nodded.


“Yes. That man is my master.”
“……!?”
“And my purpose for coming here is obviously….”
“…Hold on.”
“Why?”
“Clearly, that… Vesren Painroad is recorded as having died twenty years ago, correct?”


That was correct.
The man who had once operated in the shadows of this street as a freelance torture technician, claiming to have developed a torture-based martial art by integrating torture techniques into combat, was recorded as having been attacked and killed by the alliance of organizations centered around the current Four Gang Lords.


“Huh. He certainly was a senile old man who never quite died.”
“……!”
“Well, he did pass away not too long ago, after all.”
“I see….”


After a brief pause, Kaftin spoke again.


“So, do you think you can give me the information I want?”
“Only after I learn a little more about you.”
“Tch. Playing hard to get, are we?”
“Because I'm a professional.”


As he shook his head in apparent disgust, Whispermeer spoke up this time.


“Then... how old are you currently, Kaftin?”
“...I told you. I don't remember. Roughly... around sixteen, I suppose.”


Just barely of age, then.
But to her, his build and tone of voice made him seem easily 20 or older.


“What's with that weird look? Seems like you're thinking something incredibly rude about me right now.”
“Ah, no. I wasn't thinking that.”
“Hmph. I know. Even my old man used to tease me about looking old.”
“…….”


Watching him grumble, Whispermere decided she needed to circle back to her original question.
Her instincts as an information broker whispered that there was still much to uncover from him.


“You just said it was a body impervious to swords, poison, and magic...?”
“Why?”
“I'd like to hear about any other special traits it might have.”
“…….”


Perhaps pushing further was indeed impossible.
Watching Kaftin's clearly troubled profile, she swallowed dryly.


As the disciple of a Torture Martial Artist and a vengeful spirit, he would undoubtedly stir up trouble in this district later.
Gathering as much information about him now as possible was beneficial for the Information Guild too.


“Well... he needs about eight times the food of a normal person, and his strength rivals that of an ogre.”
“……!?”
“Hard to believe, huh?”
“No... After seeing that just now...”


Even if it was just a basic spell, he was someone who could make things vanish with a mere touch.
It wasn't surprising he possessed strength beyond common sense.


The only question was... where and how he had acquired such an incredible physique.


“Truly, you have no recollection of that physique?”
“...Why? Do you want to become like this too?”
“...Saying no would be a lie.”
“I don't recommend it.”
“Why?”


At that moment, he swiftly turned his head and met her gaze. Whispermere felt her breath catch in her throat at the expression on his face.


It wasn't the face of a living person.
His expression was identical to that of someone who had just been laid to rest in a coffin.


“I don't remember clearly, but I have nightmares almost every day... And if the content of those dreams is true... then I killed 46 people to obtain this body.”
“……!!?”
“So, the 27 I killed just to get here today, plus one more... and then adding the number of screams I heard in the nightmares, even though I don't remember them all clearly... it easily tops 90.”
“Th-that...!”


Assuming his words were true, it meant he had already killed nearly 100 people by the age of 16, just after his coming-of-age ceremony.


Notorious murderers had often existed in the world...
But she could confidently say none had been this extraordinary.


“So, you'd be wise not to wish to become like me unnecessarily. Above all...”
“……?”
“You're already beautiful enough. You. You don't need to try so hard to be anything more.”
“...Are you mocking me?”
“Kek. I'm honest when it comes to complimenting women? Well, you can doubt me if you want. It's just a matter of me ‘proving’ it.”


Seeing him chuckle and look pleased, she could be certain he was in a fairly good mood right now.
Then...


“Then, may I ask another question?”
“Still? You're something else.”
“...I want to hear why you killed the mercenaries in the restaurant.”
“......”


She swallowed dryly, waiting for his answer.
She’d asked while in a good mood, but if she wasn’t careful, the atmosphere that had just improved could collapse.


The moment he turned to face her again and flashed a smile, she instinctively curled her legs and shrank back.


“Ah. That story, huh? If it’s just that.”
“So… why?”


He raised his index finger and began his explanation.


“You see, I don't really care about the world's laws or morals.”
“……!”
“But that doesn't mean you can live any old way. That wouldn't make you human anymore.”
“Y-yes, that's right….”
“So I set my own rules for myself and live by them.”


After a brief pause, he suddenly stuck out his tongue to wet his lips, then continued speaking with a growl like a starving beast.


“One of them is... that I'll tear apart any bastard who interrupts my meal, alive or dead.”
“……!!”
“And those mercenaries were bold enough to do just that. Thanks to them, I couldn't enjoy my meal properly.”
“I-I see…”
“Yeah. Plus, maybe it's because of my body, but I sometimes feel this urge to eat flesh. Especially when I'm hungry… So if you unnecessarily interrupt my meal time…”
“……!!”
“…I sometimes think about tearing someone apart and eating them alive.”
“M-me too…?”
“I told you. I don’t touch women or children. That’s also one of my rules.”
“…T-that…is a relief.”


He chuckled and waved his hand dismissively.


“Don't worry. I've never actually eaten a person. At least, not that I can remember.”
“…….”
“Well, it's a matter of pride, I suppose.”


Whispermeer was slowly beginning to grasp the character of this man named Kaftin.


A monstrous being who denies all the universal values a human ought to possess, committing heinous acts driven solely by his instincts.


Yet simultaneously, a fierce pride violently suppresses those instincts, allowing him to maintain the bare minimum of human dignity... a monster.


If even his pride were to crumble...
He couldn't even begin to imagine what would happen to this street.


“Then... your purpose in coming here is... revenge, after all.”
“Yes. I want to ease my master's grievance and give him peace.”
“Once you know where they are... you'll go straight to them?”
“Of course. I have no intention of taking my time with this.”


Revenge.
Naturally, he would want to see blood.
And a lot of it, too...


Given his nature, to kill his targets—the Four Gang Lords—he'd literally tear apart and crush any living thing that stood in his way.


“That... is a sad thing.”
“Yeah. It is sad. I have rules, even when committing crimes.”
“......?”
“When I commit a crime, I make it as perfect as possible. And to perfect it, I kill the witnesses. I kill the witnesses of the witnesses who saw it... I repeat this process endlessly until there are no witnesses left.”
“......!”
“It doesn't matter if the village disappears or the country vanishes. I kill until the witnesses are gone. And I hunt down my enemies to their family graves, wiping out their entire lineage.”
“That's...!”


Whispermeer leapt to his feet, genuinely horrified.
It was clear from his demeanor that he wasn't the type to joke about such things.


This man truly believed that to exact revenge on a few people, thousands... no, perhaps tens or even hundreds of thousands had to die.


“Why must you go that far just for revenge?! So many innocent people get caught up in it!”
“Ha! The lady who runs the Dark City's Information Guild has a weak stomach!”
“It's not about having a weak or strong stomach!”
“No, it's simply a matter of guts. It's a simple question of whether you're prepared to see that much blood or not.”
“No! This is...!”
“Right, that's enough talk. Miss.”
“......!”
“Come on, tell me... won't you? The location of those damn bastards.”
“......”
“That's the only way I can hunt them down.”


-To be continued-