The Definition of Life

tl: deepl & meepilee

(Upload schedule changed at bottom, enjoy)

Flamm was told she was free to explore, and was troubled. 　Of course, there were some doors in the institute that were off limits, but other than that, there were really no restrictions on any other activities. Why would they suddenly tell us to do whatever we wanted in such a hostile environment? For the time being, she decided to ask Dafiz where Eterna was as planned and went with Ink there.

The exterior of the building looked like a church, but once one stepped back from the chapel, one found a laboratory with walls made of an unfamiliar metal-like material. 　The scenery, which lacked any warmth of wood, was similar to the underground laboratory in the caves near Enichiede. As Flamm walked toward the exit, she felt an inexpressible sense of anxiety, perhaps because the memory of the attack from the deformed ogre remained vivid in her mind. Or was it for a different reason? We were greeted lightly by a female researcher passing by, who was so affable that we could hardly believe she was from a hostile organization. 　The child standing next to her, about ten years old, was probably her son. He was staring silently at her, but at his mother's urging, he bowed his head. 　She parted from them and continued on, and around a corner, to the right, stood another female researcher. 　She remained silent, staring into Flamm's face. .......We ignored her　 The three of them went through the door ahead of them and out of the chapel, which was even more unoccupied. There, they found the main street lined with neatly-paved, brand-new wooden houses. There were houses, stores, and a children's playground, and that was about as far as she could see, but other facilities were probably out of sight as well. 　Perhaps due to the large number of young residents, the village seemed lively even for a village of 500 people. It was ironic, however, that a village where half of the residents were dead was much more lively than a village where only the living lived. Currently, most of the revived people are 「Originists」 who lost their lives due to attacks by monsters or crimes. 　Most of the researchers seem to be related to them. 　In short, they are working here in return for the price of reviving them, although they are paid separately, of course. 　According to Dafiz, perhaps because of this, the researchers are highly motivated. Certainly, they must be fulfilled to be reunited with someone they thought would never see again, and to see the continuation of a story that should have ended. 　They must be happy. 　But--

"...... I don't really like it here."

Flamm still felt uncomfortable.

"The air is clean, and it doesn't seem to be too bad, you know?"

"It's not like that."

"I think I know what you're feeling."

"I have no idea. Is this different from the other villages?"

"The way they look at you, Master."

She was a little surprised to hear Milkit's words. Yes, the way they looked at me 　People stared at Flamm for some reason. In the Royal Capitol, people often glared at the markings of slaves. So she thought she was used to the malicious stares of others. 　But - this unease that stuck to her skin was something else.

"Everyone is looking at Master, I feel like there's no emotion locked in there, it's ...... creepy."

"Are you saying that people like Flamm's face or something?"

"I think you would be able to tell if that was it because you could see the ulterior motives in their eyes, but--"

It's not. 　 　　The eyes were very inorganic, just as Milkit said.　　　　　　　 　One of them was even talking to their partner without a care in the world while looking at us. 　Of course, the man walking next to her asked, "Where are you looking?" 　The woman then laughed and said, "Oh, sorry," and finally glanced one more time at Flamm and turned to him.

"They're all 「Originists」, and they're all people who have stuck their necks out deep enough to know about the core. Maybe they know about me too."

As a dangerous person who can destroy the core. That's why it attracted so much attention. At least, that's the hypothesis she came up with.

◇◇◇

Eterna was in a wooden house about three minutes' walk from the institute. A magic-sensitive doorbell was mounted next to the front door. At first glance, Sheol Village appears to be a rural, undeveloped village, but closer inspection revealed that advanced technology was being used in many places. It was a disguise, after all, not a perfect reproduction of a village. It was enough if the outside observers did not notice that it was a church facility. Flamm put her hand on the orb and let a small amount of magic flow through it. 　Then a chime rang inside the house, and footsteps approached us. 　The door opened and out came Eterna, looking gentler than usual.

"Oh, it's Flamm, Milkit, and Ink."

When she saw Flamm and the others, her expression turned shadowy.

"Eterna! We've come to see you!" Ink said cheerfully.
Eterna's eyelids twitched.

"We got here about an hour ago, we've already found Mr. Gadio, and we've spoken to Mr. Dafiz."

"I've heard. Shall we go inside?"

After thinking about it for a moment, Flamm declined. 　Flamm decided against it, because he saw a man behind Eterna, staring at Flamm's face as if to ask her how she was doing.

"If my presence disrupts their moment of reunion, I don't want to disturb them.　 At least, not yet," she thought to herself.

"Ink was very insistent on wanting to see you, so I brought her here."

"Did I say that ......?"

"Play along. So, please do me a favor. I think it would be safer to have Eterna take care of her than us, and I think Ink would feel safer too."

"I'm not convinced!"

Aside from the protesting Ink. Eterna had a half-bewildered, half-stern look on her face. But a body slightly smaller than Eterna's had already snuggled into both of her arms.

"Well then, we have business elsewhere."

"...... okay."

Milkit bowed to Eterna while Flamm left the place with a quick step.

"Was there anything you wanted to do?"

"No."

"Then why ......"

"I felt like things would get complicated if I were there, so I decided to leave Eterna's affairs in Ink's hands."

But, it wasnt as if she was expecting the stares to disappear from around her when she left that house.[^1] 　She was overthinking things. Once she became aware of them, she felt as if they were all looking at her. And if she happened to look at a passerby's face and their eyes happened to meet - it would bother her even more. Flamm's walking speed naturally increased. 　Then, a ball rolled into her foot from somewhere and hit her. 　Apparently, a child was playing with it. 　A woman who looked like a mother apologetically bowed her head. 　Flamm picked it up, crouched down, and handed it to the approaching boy, about five years old, saying in a gentle voice, "Here you go".

"Thank you, onee-chan!"

The child thanked Flamm, looking her in the eye. 　Her cheeks relaxed and her hand naturally reached for his head. 　As she stroked his soft hair, the boy's mouth fell half open.

"...... ah."

The expression disappeared from his face. 　Then he stared at Flamm's face. Her brown irises reflected his face, her cheeks drawn back. 　A normal human being would tremble in one part of his or her body while trying to maintain the same posture, but not this child. 　Literally, he did not move an inch. It was as if he had been instantly cut off from his daily life and plunged into a swamp of the unusual, a feeling of disgust. 　Goosebumps broke out on Flamm's arms. 　She rushed to remove her hand, and his smile returned. 　Then, as if nothing had happened, he rushed back to the woman and jumped into her chest. 　Perhaps she were a living person, she bowed to Flamm as she played with her own child. 　Flamm, too, bowed lightly, then gingerly pulled Milkit's hand and left. 　Parent and child waved at each other until they were out of sight, and once they turned around, the boy's eyes looked at Flamm with the same impersonal stare he had when he patted her on the head.

◇◇◇

Eterna took Ink outside the house with her, not too long after introducing Ink to her parents. 　Then she sat down on a bench in a park that had been built nearby and, unusually, placed Ink on her lap.

"What is this?"

Even though Ink was smaller than Eterna, Eterna was still quite small. 　She was a bit displeased at being treated like a child. 　But she was also a little glad to be able to rely on Eterna. To be honest, it was quite a shock for Ink that Eterna had left without telling her. Even though it was only for a week or so, they had spent almost all their time together. Naturally, she felt affection for Eterna. 　But her fears that he might have been the only one who felt that way were unfounded.

"Ink, I want to hear your voice."

Eterna whispered in Ink's ear. 　It was so itchy that Ink's face turned bright red.

"Wait, you don't have to talk in my ear like that," she said. "Just let me hear it."

She would not listen. 　Ink gave up, but did not know what to say when asked to "let me hear your voice". She didn't even know why Eterna had suggested such a thing in the first place. 　The only thing that was clear was that her voice was shaking. 　She could not tell whether it was anxiety, fear, or hesitation, even with her good hearing.

She said, "Well, ...... actually, I like this kind of skinship."

"I know. I patted your head when your were sleeping, and you looked so happy."

"......, is that so?"

"yeah."

The fact that even she didnt know was suddenly so out of the blue for her, she really didnt know how to respond.

"......Gu, no."

Her face was hot. 　Ink could not understand.

"How am I supposed to speak hearing that! No, it was Eterna who silenced me!"

"...... did I?"

"Yes, you did!　I can't talk with that in my ear out of the blue!"

Eterna, who was completely unaware of what was going on, was still gaping at Ink when she was swatted down. 　A girl over fifty years old playing with a ten year old girl. 　It was a terrible picture.

"I'm sorry, Ink," she said.

"It is rare that you apologize honestly. If you are sorry, please don't say anything strange like that again."

"No, that's not what I'm sorry about."

"That's not what you're sorry about?"

"I left on my own and made you feel lonely. I really ...... think I was selfish. So, I'm sorry."

That was the thing that she had wanted her to apologize for. 　But the timing was a mess.

Ink sighed, "Huh," she said with a grim look on her face.

"It's okay, it's my parents. I'm sure I would have done the same if I were in the same position."

"Nn......."

Eterna put her arms around Ink's body, hugged her, and buried her face in her neck.

"What? Again?"

The feeling that suddenly ran into the back of Ink's head caused her voice to turn inside out.

"That's what ...... your voice was supposed to sound like. Already I looked away for a moment, and it feels like youve grown up."

"Eterna,......?"

Eterna's tone suddenly became serious, and Ink was perplexed.

"Really thank you, Ink. I'm not sure if it's a good idea for you to be here, but I'm glad you came."

"I'm just along for the ride. Why don't you tell that to Flamm?"

"I'm going to tell her that, of course. . But right now, I felt like saying it to Ink. Thank you so much"

"I dont know how I helped, but I hope I helped.　Don't tickle me like that!"

Eterna's breath hit the nape of her neck, causing Ink to writhe each time. 　But protests would not change her pace.

"No, I won't stop."

'You're a good old adult, you're not supposed to do this to a child!

"I can smell the sweet goodness of ink."

"Eterna looks like a pervert!"

Ink struggled to escape from his arms, but Eterna's strength was stronger than she had expected. Firmly holding on, Eterna smiled mischievously at the sight of Ink, who seemed to be enjoying herself as she flailed about. 　And then she thought back to herself.

"What is it that I really want?"

◇◇◇

Flamm thought about going to see Gadio as well, but decided against it when she saw him chatting with Thea from afar. She had never seen him with such a happy expression on his face while interacting with others.

"There are no drawbacks, the resuscitation is perfect, so this is the right thing to do."

Dafiz's logic was so hole-free that it almost convinced Flamm, who was hostile to the church. 　Flamm, who had gotten bored and returned to the church anyway, sat down side by side with Milkit in the chapel. 　Although the church was made of wood to hide the institute, it was a functioning church of the 「Origin」religion. 　Looking up, he saw a statue of 「Origin」on display. 　It looked like it were memorialized, which made her sick. Or perhaps the 「Originists」 actually believed it was good? 　Or maybe the 「Origin」 wasnt good nor evil, but it depended on who was using the power.

"If we destroyed this situation, would anyone be happy?"

Flamm murmured as she looked up at the statue. 　There was something uncomfortable about this village. 　But that alone was no reason to destroy the happiness they had gained.

"I don't know, I've never experienced the loss of someone I cared about. But ...... I'm sure that if my master were to disappear and call out to me, I wouldn't be able to resist the temptation."

"I wouldn't either. So it's understandable, as long as the power that makes it possible isn't the origin core."

No matter how well-intentioned it is used, there was enough evil in it to ruin it. 　Flamm is convinced of that. 　But the people in Sheol, including Dafiz, didn't think so. 　From the bottom of their hearts they believed - or was that really the case? 　If so, there was one thing that puzzled her.

"If Mr. Dafiz really believed that his research was perfect from the bottom of his heart, why didnt he invite me here with Eterna and Gadio?"

"Isn't it because you dont have anyone you've lost?"

Milkit had a point. 　But as it turned out, that led to the unexpected event of Flamm's visit.

"But then," she said, "there was no need for Dafiz to get them to leave without telling me.　They should have said where they were going and why they were going there. Especially if they were confident that they were doing the right thing. Because they knew I was against the church, right?　And if they try to kidnap Eterna and Gadio, they would know that I would definitely try to find them."

"Are you saying that they were trying to avoid calling the master?"

"Maybe. Dafiz also ...... was afraid of me somehow."

The stares at Flamm. 　The most important thing to remember was that the dead were not the same as the living. 　However, he should have noticed it soon after his study of the dead, and it is even possible that he thought "it might happen". 　That is why he did not call Flamm. 　If it was a "human reaction," it would have been fine. 　But if it was an effect of something outside of human will, then Dafiz's belief in complete revival was still unfulfilled.

"He called the 「origin core」a 'terrifying power'. He knows what the core is."

"But the people who came back to life were in almost the same condition as normal human beings. Maybe they really do have complete control over it."

"Maybe it's just that the 「origin」 is recreating them based on the information left in their physical bodies?"

"Doesn't that mean they arent really alive?"

"I don't know. If I were to change here and turn into something else that is not me, but a complete reproduction of Flamm Apricot--do you think it would be me?"

As she was saying it, Flamm herself was beginning to lose his grasp of it. 　Of course, there was no way Milkit could understand such vague and conceptual talk.

"......I'm not sure."

She said in a muffled whisper, pondering. 　She continued.

"Either way, its unsettling" A disgust she couldn't explain. 　Flamm nodded in agreement.

"Yes, 'I kind of don't like it but cant point my finger to why'. I think that's the kind of discomfort I'm feeling. Well, that doesn't mean that such an ambiguous feeling is a reason to destroy the happiness of the people in this village."

"But I don't think it's something we should turn away from. Because if something that looks exactly like the master stood next to me, it would be a relief to me, but the master who disappeared would still be ...... gone, wouldn't they?"

Milkit was right, no matter how many times one is resurrected in the same state as before they had passed, even if it is an elaborate "replica" that is more real than the real thing, then it is not a true resurrection. 　Only the living can be saved, and that is the complacency of the bereaved. 　The dead, perhaps in the afterlife--well, whether such a thing exists or not--they may be grieving to see their loved ones united with something that looks exactly like them.

"That, too, is indeterminate. We don't know if there is an afterlife, so I think the people who should be rewarded first are the living."

"How can we say we've been rewarded if we're not real? it's hard to put in words."

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"It is difficult to say that they are not real. In the end, it comes down to what you think and what you want to do."

"By the way, what does your master want to do now?"

"Hmmm... ......"

It may have been risky to speak badly about 「Origin」 in the church, however they did get permission to do whatever, although that may have just been a vague guideline. 　However, she thought it was okay to speak out about such thoughts to Milkit.

"I think that 「Origin」 wants to expand its power," she said. "I think Origin is trying to expand its power, just like Ink did, and this 「necromancy」 research is part of that proliferation."

"Are you talking about some kind instinct implanted by the 「Origin?」"

"I don't know if it's instinct or the will of the origin. You know, that "connection" ability of Nect, doesn't it seem like it wants to increase?"

Rather than increase, it would be more correct to call it assimilation. It is more like assimilation than increase. 　Nect did not seem to use his ability in such a way, but he could do it if he wanted to.

"It's a sensible idea ...... I kind of get it. But the rest of the 'spinning' and 'twisting' is irrelevant, isn't it?"

"Eterna told me that magic-sensitive switches are always spherical, right?　 Whether 「Origin」 uses magic or not, I don't think we can say that the spiral-shaped, spinning, etc., are irrelevant either."

Milkit listened to Flamm with a serious look in her eyes. 　But she didn't understand more than half of what he was saying, and she clearly blinked more often.

"So you're saying that rotation also has something to do with the increase, is that correct?"

"In a nutshell, yes. And "proliferation"--that is the purpose of the origin. If we assume that, it explains why people revive in the 「origin core」."

"What do you mean?"

"If the technology to revive people is put to practical use, everyone will use it, right?　The more it spreads, the more people will be inhabited by origin cores without any effort. So, for that reason, they are currently reproducing their pre-birth personalities and "mimicking humans" without any effort."

And then, when there are enough of them, they will turn their fangs. 　The human race will be destroyed and the world will belong to 「Origin」.

"And so, to conclude, ...... my personal intention is to stop this research. For now, you know. I still don't trust 「Origin」. It's just a hypothesis, but I think 「Origin's」 goals and 「Necromancy's」 goals are in line with each other's interests."

However, in the current situation, if she would try to stop them, she would end up turning Gadio and Eterna into enemies. 　She had to find a "logic" to convince them. 　They were not so gullible that they could just take action based on Flamm's uneasiness and discomfort alone.

"But it's a troubling problem," she said, "If only they would quickly turn into a monster and attack us, we would be able to solve the problem by fighting them. However, if that happens, all the people who are dreaming of happiness in this village would be brought back to reality."

"I don't think it would be all bad. I think it will lead them to the right path."

"What do you mean?"

"If they reveal their true nature as a monster, it is a failure for the 「origin」 that wants to increase, isn't it?"

"That's true, huh?"

Flamm nodded. 　The most important thing to remember was that the origin will want to continue mimicking if at all possible until this technology becomes widespread to the general public. It was still far too early for him to reveal his true identity.

“It may not be possible to revive a person simply by regenerating the body of a dead person. Something other than the body may have already disappeared somewhere beyond the reach of even 「Origin」 at the time it attempted to revive.”

“I see, so Milkit is trying to say that this missing something is something like the so-called "soul" . If the soul exists, then there is a strong possibility that the world of the dead exists. If the dead are observing the living from there, they may be sad to see the living making love to an imposter who just looks like them, so we should destroy them.”

Milkit nodded deeply at Flamm's supplementary explanation.

“That's amazing, Milkit, I never would have thought of that.”

It was an interesting guess, and above all, Flamm was glad to see that she had grown up to make a series of rather complicated theories. 　She even borrowed books from Eterna to read these days, perhaps influenced by that. 　It was worthwhile to teach her to read and write.

“No, I don't think so. It's just my imagination.”

“But if I ever have to fight the dead, I will feel a little better if I remember what you just said. I can defend my thoughts and say that I am doing the right thing. But it would be best if it didn't happen.”

“......Yes, I hope it ends peacefully."

After Milkit's words, the conversation broke off. 　Flamm knew that reality was not so easy. 　That's why she tends to imagine the bad things and then shut down. 　But there was no way to have a peaceful ending here without anyone's blood being spilled. The best ending would be where the revival was actually perfect, the will of the origin was completely sealed, and everyone lived happily ever after.

”Ah, but - no matter how hard I look for it, I can't find it.”

All that comes to mind is a landscape painted in red. 　She exhaled strongly with a "whoosh" to shake off the images that stuck in her brain, and stood up with vigor.

"Well," she said. "I'm sure we've talked quite a bit. ...... It's still light outside, isn't it?"

"It looks like we still have some time before dinner."

"What are you going to do until then?　Do you want to go for another walk outside?"

"I think I'll just rest in my room," she said. "I think walking around with no particular errand to run will only make Master tired."

It was true that when people stared at her like that, she would just get tired just walking around.

"Well, let's just relax in the room until dinner time."

Flamm and Milkit got up from the bench and went back to their assigned rooms. This was hostile territory, and anywhere where they were exposed to the eyes of others which was unsettling. 　So the only place Flamm could rest was in the room where she and Milkit spent time alone together. She didnt know if anything would actually happen here,　but she had to rest when she could and conserve her strength in case it did.

◇◇◇

The evening dinner was abruptly canceled. 　According to the plan, the banquet was to be held in the institute's conference room, including Gadio and Eterna. 　Apparently, the reason was that Dafiz had urgent business. 　So the meal was brought to the rooms and eaten there. 　The dishes, which were made with vegetables from the surrounding villages, were not bad tasting. 　Flamm was the first to eat the food, but she did not seem to have any concerns about poisoning.

After the meal was over, they were soon shown to the bath. 　It was a spacious bathroom, but again, it was just the two of them. It was as if they were being taken care of, but they didn't see anyone on our way to or from the bath, neither of course, in the bath as well. 　The night went by without much happening, and Flamm and Milkit slept in the same bed.

Some time later, late at night. 　Flamm woke up in the pitch-dark room and sat up. Her mouth was dry and she needed something to moisten it. 　She crawled out of bed, took a glass from the cabinet in her room, and poured water from the water pitcher on the table. 　Then she downed the contents in one gulp. 　The ice in the pitcher had melted away and the water was not very cold, but it was enough to moisten her parched mouth.

The feeling of satisfaction was so great that he involuntarily let out a "Phew!"

Perhaps in response to the sound, Milkit moaned, "Ummm ......."

However, she did not seem to wake up. Relieved, Flamm placed the empty glass on the table and went back to bed. She checked the clock on the shelf and found that the date had not yet changed. She felt as if she had been asleep for a very long time, but it was probably because she had gone to bed too early. After checking the clock, she put her hand on the futon and ...... stopped moving when she suddenly thought she heard something. She was not sure what to expect, but she was sure she would be able to find it.

"...... na, ku ...... yi ......."

It was not her imagination; she could definitely hear someone talking from somewhere. 　Flamm rubbed her slightly open eyes and approached the direction of the voice - the entrance to the room.

"Is it ......?"

"...... should be ...... o......."

Then, she heard the voice even more clearly. Moreover, it seemed that someone was having a conversation with someone else, and not just one person. They were annoying at this hour of the night.

"Why don't they at least talk in their own rooms?" she thought.

Flamm thought about giving them a warning, but before she did, she put his ear to the door to see what was going on outside. 　And then--

"Why should I let you live?" "Open the leg muscles and lick it." "Skin it, that's it." "Box it."

"Break the spinal cord and you're in." "It's a necessary procedure."

"It's a necessary procedure. "It must not be allowed to escape. "Should we kill it, no? "This has not yet been authorized. "We must connect it. "How will you lead it?

"First, we have to make a hole by twisting, then we have to get inside, connect to the brain, and then we have to become one, all of us together." "I want to see what's inside like a maggot, just once.

"Kill this time, connect the next." "Mutilate." "I'm not fit to be connected." "I'd rather bleed."　"How does the hole in the cranium open?" "Three, four, five, five, six, seven, eight, eight, eight, nine, nine, nine" "We will not suffer."

"Oh, narrow, oh, narrow." "I want a womb." "Scraped off my toes." "We must punish him." "Gee, gee, gee." "I hear sirens." "We must take it from him."

"Stitched together with tubes." "Squeak, squeak, squeak, danger."

"It's not enough." "Yes, yes, yes, yes." "You must fulfill..." "It's late, it's late for everything."

"--It is already late...everyone..." - not just two people, but countless human voices can be heard talking to each other.

Moreover, from all directions, perhaps surrounding the door, dozens of people are standing behind this thin board.

I'm not sure what to make of this.

Flamms body shook with a jerk. 　A faint sound was heard. 　Then, as if they had noticed that I was eavesdropping, the talking stopped abruptly. But if one listened carefully, they could hear the breathing of more than one person. They were still there.

"Tomorrow," one of them said.

One of them said, "Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow."

Another agrees.

"Tomorrow is good."

"Tomorrow. Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow."

"We'll come to a decision by tomorrow."

"Let's wait for tomorrow."

More voices were heard all at once. They spoke and acted as if they were toying with Flamm. Since there were so many of them, they could have attacked us right now, but why put it off? 　Flamm felt as if she were being took for a fool, and anger rose up within her She had the strength to fight. It was true that she was dealing with a people with cores, but unlike the enemies she had fought in the past, these bodies were ordinary people who were not even adventurers. She should have been able to get through the fight if she had kept a small group of people at all times, taking advantage of the room entrances and narrow corridors. As for Susie, she said she was an A-rank adventurer, so she had some concerns, but if push came to shove, she could just run away and ask Gadio and Eterna for help. 　If they knew they were dealing with a monster and not a revived human, they would cooperate with her. she put her left hand on the door knob lever. Her eyes were completely clear. She exhaled loudly and opened and closed her right hand to check the movement. Then, she put strength into her hand holding the lever, twisted it, and with a clank!　and pushed it open forward at once. As soon as she stepped out into the corridor, she drew her sword and readied it--!

"......?"

But there was no one in the dark corridor. 　The dark corridor continued even when I looked around. She tried everything she could to sharpen her senses, looking for footsteps or signs of people, but she could find no sign that anyone had been there. 　Perhaps it was just her imagination. 　Tiredness and the still lingering drowsiness must have caused the auditory hallucinations. The voices that she heard were so clear in her ears that she could not help but think that she had heard them. 　In fact, there was no one in front of the room. Slowly, she closed the door quietly, and this time, she crawled into bed. 　Then, with Milkit's face right in front of her, her eyes opened slightly.

"Mast......er ......."

Milkit called out to Flamm in a muffled whisper.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

"I am not awake. I'm sleeping ......."

She seemed to be in a half-awake state of consciousness - in short, she seemed to be sleeptalking.

"It's nothing, you can go back to sleep."

Saying this, Flamm put her hand on Milkit's cheek. 　Then she relaxed her cheeks happily and closed her eyes again.

'Nn.......'

And then she immediately fell back asleep. Flamm also tried not to think too much about what had just happened and let go of her consciousness after about five minutes.

◇◇◇

Then came morning. 　Flamm was shaken awake by Milkit. She got off the bed and stretched herself out with all her might, shouting, "Mmm! and stretched out with all her might. 　After a good night's sleep, the events of last night seemed like a dream. No one had snuck into her room since then, so perhaps it really was just an auditory hallucination.

She prepared herself in the washroom provided in the room. 　It was actually a pretty nice room, with a bathroom and refreshments. 　Perhaps they sometimes let church dignitaries stay there. 　About 30 minutes after waking up, it was time for breakfast to be served. 　They sat and waited patiently.

"He's not coming, is he?

"Should I go and ask?"

They sat down in their chairs and talked like that. 　After another 20 minutes passed and no one came, they had no choice but to leave the room. 　They opened the door and step out into the gray hallway. 　Flamm turned to her left and saw a tiny little figure at the other end of the long hallway.

"Who's that? ......."

It was Rukou, waddling along the wall with unsteady steps.

"I wondered if he's lost track of his mother."

"He was one year old. I heard that when they learn to walk, they go to many places out of curiosity."

"She's getting bigger, and it's not easy for her."

The two of them approached Rukou, saying that they were going to go see Dafiz anyway. 　Then she looked at Flamm's face and smiled, flapping her hands and saying, "Oh, oh."

Then she picked up speed and walked toward Flamm.

She smiled and said, "It looks like they'll come without us."

"Then we'll wait and see." [^2]

Flamm crouched down and said, "Come here," waving her hand.

Rukou had been walking well until he sprained his right leg and almost fell down. 　Flamm and Milkit leaned forward and try to help her. 　But - Rukou didn't seem to be in any pain and just kept on walking.

"Oh ...... what?"

・・・・?

Flamm had a question mark over her head. 　A continuation of last night's dream? - was she still having visions? 　Why was Rukou walking around with her legs bent limply and without a care in the world? Furthermore, as she approached Flamm, her left leg bent with a gurgling sound next. 　Still, she continued to walk, using the side of her foot dexterously.

"Gosh, master, this is ......"

The distortion worsened the closer she approached. The shin area broke, and the leg snapped together with the knee. Next came the knee, then the thigh, then the hip - and still Rukou, making good use of the grounded surface, approached Flamm. 　Finally, not only the legs, but the torso, the shape of the head, the fingers, the arms, every possible part of the body, were deformed in a whirling motion. 　Gurgle, gurgle. 　Bones in every part of the body were broken, and the sound that should not come from a human body was echoing over and over again. 　And yet, Rukou was still smiling.

"Urau, furau!"

Her voice was that of an innocent child. Her neck was broken and her vocal cords were twisted, but only her voice sounded normal, which made it stand out and was even more eerie. The torso was twisted, and the sides of the head were in contact with the thighs. Her toes passed over her head and fluttered around her shoulders. 　Flamm could no longer even tell how it was moving. 　Her entire body wriggling like an insect, Rukou slowly nipped at Flamm and the others. 　The skin everywhere on her body was ripped and blood was spurting out, probably due to her forced bending. 　The red fluid stuck to the ground after she passed, like the mucus of a mollusk. The smell of iron stung her nose.

"Hi ...... hi, ah ......."

Milkit clung to her Master. 　Tears in her eyes, her cheeks drawn back, her body trembling. It was a nightmarish sight, more ghastly than a complete deformity, perhaps because it still retained some part of a human being. 　Dafiz said. 　Inside Rukou's body, he said, she had organs almost like a normal human being. 　There was no core in it, the heart is beating, the blood is circulating, so it must be human. 　Ah, but what if this too is a "reproduction" by Origin to deceive the human eye?

"Fu, lamu......?"

Rukou's face is distorted and the position of the parts was messed up. Her head was also torn in various places, and blood was spurting out. 　In particular, the wound on her neck was split open and dripping with more than enough blood to kill someone. 　Still, she continued to pose as a human child. 　Her lips formed a squishy crescent shape, as if she had been delighted to find a toy.

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