“Let me see.”
Lynch pointed at the officer's hand, his expression exceptionally grave. He was no longer the layman he had been when he first encountered mystery. Moreover, having just dealt with the twisted one of Klin, he knew exactly what distortion meant.
It meant an inescapable death.
It is not even me who has been contaminated. I am merely a bystander. Why is my heart so tense?
Lynch did not know the reason, but his current mood was even more oppressive than when he learned he only had five hours left to live.
“What is there to see? It is disgusting; I feel sick just looking at it myself.” Despite saying this, the officer reluctantly extended her hand toward Lynch. “Do not touch it. The contamination is potent; there is no need to take the risk.”
It was indeed hideous. Large patches of dark sores, with festering, blackened wounds oozing dark yellow pus. Countless granulations extended from the sores, squirming eerily like a nest of living snakes, continuously expanding the area of the wound. It was far more visually shocking than the shriveled, withered arm he had seen when he was linked to the mystery relic.
With such a bizarre phenomenon appearing on her own body, even someone as strong as the officer could not possibly remain emotionally unaffected.
Lynch could even imagine her terror upon discovering she had begun to distort, the despair of seeking Lynch out for help only to find he was not there, and finally, the resignation of dressing in her finest attire, sipping her favorite red wine, and recalling the experiences of her father before his death while gripping her sword, waiting for the final moment to end the soon-to-emerge twisted one as a human using her father's relic.
“There is no need to make that face, Lynch. From the day we first met, I told you that encountering, understanding, and becoming mystery is the fate of us soul manifestation soul severers.” Officer Natalie sighed softly. “I have personally sent off several friends who became twisted ones; today, it is finally my turn.”
“Is this the beginning of soul distortion?” Lynch asked in a low voice, eyes narrowing. “How did it suddenly turn into this?”
“Yes, this is distortion. I can still maintain my sanity for now, but my consciousness is falling into chaos, and I am plagued by waves of unprovoked irritability and anger. As the contamination spreads, these feelings grow increasingly intense. I estimate that it will not be long before I lose my mind completely, and at that moment, my body will distort. I do not know what kind of monster I will become. As for the reason...”
Officer Natalie sighed, her expression calm yet weary, and pointed to the sword Lynch had cast aside.
“The wielder of this sword cannot harbor guilt toward the enemy they attack, or the sword will assault the wielder's will. Klin became a twisted one ultimately because of that document of ours. I felt guilty toward him, and thus suffered the backlash. Normally, this level of backlash can be overcome by will alone, but it happened when my will was at its weakest, and I was eroded by the bodily fluids of the twisted one. By the time I realized my soul had been eroded and the distortion had already begun, it was too late.”
Lynch felt a subtle ache in his heart. He took a deep breath, suppressing the surging emotions in his chest, and tried his best to remain calm as he asked, “Is there any solution?”
As he spoke, he took out Lawrence's Pipe, stuffed it with a pinch of calming grass, and handed it to Officer Natalie.
“It is useless, Lynch.” The officer chuckled softly and shook her head. “Doing this before the distortion might have had a weak effect, but once the distortion begins, nothing works. I know your character; you would never give up on struggling for survival until the very last moment, and I understand you want to save me, but... the reason distortion is terrifying is because it is unsolvable. No matter how powerful a soul manifestation soul severer is, they cannot save someone who has already begun to distort.”
‘Neighbor, is it truly absolutely unsolvable?’
【Well, soul distortion can only be mended by the soul itself; external forces cannot interfere. However, a soul in the midst of distortion is powerless to adjust itself, so... I am sorry, Lynch.】
“Be more mature, Lynch; this is not like you.” Seeing Lynch stunned, Officer Natalie smiled and gently patted his arm with her uninjured hand. “Having you by my side, I have been very happy along the way, but unfortunately, I have reached the end of my path, and your road ahead is still long. We are destined to say goodbye here. Please forgive my selfish request before parting: send me off just as I sent off my other friends.”
His chest felt increasingly heavy. Lynch panted heavily, his fists clenched tightly.
“Heh, actually, I was also hesitant about whether to let you bear this pain. I also wanted to just end it quietly myself, so as not to become a monster that kills rampantly, but...” The strong officer's eyes suddenly reddened, and her voice choked with sobs. “But I am also afraid. I am only twenty-four, and I still owe you three conditions. I do not want to die yet. Even knowing that death is the best outcome now, I still cannot bring myself to end it. Help me, Lynch. Do not let my final moments be so ugly.”
As she spoke, Officer Natalie wiped the corners of her eyes, picked up the sword Lynch had dropped, and pressed it back into his hands.
“I am the last of the Angel family. This relic left by my ancestors will be left to you from now on; I believe you can use it properly. It has the traits of severing and sharpness, which are very useful and perfect for cutting off my head. But be aware, every time you strike an enemy, the corresponding pain will be reflected back onto yourself. Heh, I hope this pain will make you remember me forever.”
Lynch took the sword blankly, his mind a complete void.
Over the past twenty days, every little detail of his time with Natalie flashed through his mind. Every memory made his heart ache faintly. Holding the sword that still retained the officer's warmth, he felt it was incomparably heavy.
How can this be? She is my savior, she is my best friend. We were laughing and talking not long ago, and we joined forces to solve a dangerous twisted one. It has only been a few hours, so how could this happen so suddenly?
I do not want her to die, and I certainly do not want to kill her with my own hands. I want to live on with her.
Seeing Lynch's expression and his reddened eyes, Officer Natalie said nothing more. She merely pulled at her collar slightly, and Lynch watched in horror as large patches of dark sores and granulations had already quietly crept up her neck and were continuing to spread upward.
“The filth has almost completely eroded my soul. I estimate that the moment those disgusting granulations cover my entire body will be the moment I lose my sanity completely and fall into madness. There should only be a few minutes left.” Officer Natalie smiled wearily, her voice raspy. “I am in great pain like this, too, Lynch. Help me end this pain. I am tired, too. Let me rest. Thank you.”
His chest felt as if it were being repeatedly mangled by blunt shears. Filled with helplessness and resentment, Lynch gritted his teeth so hard the muscles in his cheeks twitched. His eyes were bloodshot, as red as if he were going insane.
Clang. The sword left its sheath and hung above the officer's neck. The light reflected by the blade shone into her pupils, adding a glimmer of life to her gradually unfocused gaze.
Thank you, Lynch.
I am very happy to have known you.
And then... farewell, Lynch.
The sword sprang to its highest point, then swung down violently.
The granulations had already crawled onto the officer's face, making her features terrifying and grotesque, but she still managed a twisted smile as she saw Lynch's movements at the last second.
However, just as the smile bloomed, the sword, mid-swing, suddenly flew from his hand. Lynch then lunged forward, hugging Officer Natalie's already limp body, ignoring the disgusting granulations covering her and the terrifying, poisonous mystery filth.
The officer's eyes widened suddenly. She looked at Lynch in astonishment, wanting to struggle, but her body had no strength left. She could only watch as Lynch leaned to her ear and whispered rapidly:
“Do not move. Use your final shred of reason to listen. I have an idea. It has zero success rate, but one could say there is a theoretical possibility of success.”
“Let us bet on it together. If we win, we live together. If we lose, we become monsters together.”
“I am going all in. If I die, I will die on the path of struggle. To let me retreat without a fight? Keep dreaming!”
As he said this, Lynch pulled her twisted body into a tight embrace.
The dice have been cast. Whether we win or lose, it is up to fate.
Rate on N.U.
