Must Kill

~At the Rear of the Guild Alliance~

“Kyah!”

An arrow flying toward Konoha suddenly veered off course.

“An arrow-dodging skill? It veered away just because I focused a little. Ah, more importantly!!”

“Yes, Konoha, head for the fortress. There’s probably someone strong over there. I’ll clean up the trash in the rear and then head that way!”

“Okay, got it!”

With that, Konoha broke into a run. She sprinted along the muddy road. And along the way—

“Ah!”

“U-uuuuugh!”

A girl wearing a keepsake robe—the same girl Konoha had become friends with on the way here—had an arrow stuck in her shoulder and was groaning in pain.

“Hang on! I’ll help you now!”

She gave the girl a healing potion and a status ailment potion. Her complexion was still bad, but at least this should have prevented the worst-case scenario.

“Damn! Someone has to get her down the mountain… Ah!”

Right in front of her was a male adventurer who was just about to be killed by goblins. He no longer had any weapon in hand to fight back, and he stood frozen in terror.

“S-stop, stop! No!! I don’t want to die!! I don’t waaant to!!”

“Haaah!!”

She beheaded the goblin. Blood sprayed out with a dull sound, staining Konoha’s mask red.

“Are you okay!?”

“Ah, ahh. A g-girl? Ah, you were the one from earlier!! I’m sorry, I’m really sorry…”

“It’s okay. More importantly, where are the other veterans?”

“Most of ’em already pushed to the front. Because of that, the rookies around here are… almost all…”

“_____! Take the surviving rookies and escape! My friend cleared a path in the rear, so you should probably be able to get down the mountain now. You carry that girl over there!!”

“W-what about you, miss?”

“I’m staying behind to save everyone. I have to atone.”

“That’s insane!! There are still more than 500 goblins left in sight alone… Ah, ahh, aaaah…”

A horde of goblins was advancing on the adventurers gathered in this area. Along the cliffside, goblin archers were lined up in formation, wearing ugly grins as they prepared to rain arrows down on them at any moment.

“It’s hopeless… Mom…”

“No, no no no nooooo!”

“O Fortuna-sama…”

(The only atonement I can make right now is avenging them. In that case!)

She drew Agate and took her stance. Pouring her feelings into the tip of the blade, she stared fixedly at the cliff before her.

“《Ogre-Slaying》!!”

An invisible slash shot forth from the steel blade as she swung it down. It flew straight toward the cliff, and then—

““Giiiiiiiaaaaaaaaahhh!!!””

Nearly twenty goblin archers were slaughtered in one blow. And that wasn’t all. The cliff began to collapse. Not only were the goblins above it wiped out, but the goblin soldiers waiting below were crushed by the falling rocks.

“Kiiiih!!”

A goblin soldier hidden in the brush fired an arrow at Konoha, but her arrow-dodging skill blocked it. She also sensed a goblin closing in from behind, and without even turning around, she swung her sword and took its head off.

Splash.

“The 《Detection》 skill really is convenient, isn’t it? Now then, I have to kill the rest too.”

The adventurers could do nothing but stand there in silence and watch the slaughter unfold. The hideous little goblins that had been gleefully attacking them only moments earlier were now being cut down one after another by a girl more than ten years younger than they were. Without arrogance, without losing herself in battle frenzy, the girl simply kept killing goblins with an utterly expressionless face.

A group of nearly a hundred goblins charged from the front. The goblins wore eerie, sneering grins. But Konoha ran straight at them.

As Konoha rushed forward at incredible speed while dodging arrows, the goblins began to falter. Just before entering the reach of their spears, Konoha leaped.

“Giii!?”

Konoha had neither hesitation nor restraint. She simply judged the goblins before her as “evil” and carried out the simple task of slaughtering them. The way she performed that grim work with cold efficiency made it hard not to say that, somewhere inside, she was already broken.

The goblins began throwing away their shields and fleeing.

“Come forth, 《Ibaraki-doji》.”

Konoha’s hair turned silver-white and grew long. Her crimson eyes locked onto the goblins, and the lesser goblins could do nothing but stand frozen in place. It truly was a demonic gaze.

“I’m a little angry right now. Hey, are you evil?”

“G-giih.”

“Gaga…”

“Yeah, I figured we couldn’t understand each other. Sorry. Bye-bye.”

A head flew off with a sharp slice and rolled into the grass. The sharpness of her blade knew no bounds.

Konoha swung her sword toward the goblins still trying to flee.

“Oni Fire!!!”

The instant a sunlike brilliance burst from the tip of Konoha’s blade, a pillar of flame roared upward. Sparks crackled and burst, lighting up the area.

“HAAAAAAH!!”

It was a purifying blaze that incinerated only what Konoha deemed “evil.” The explosion of flames swallowed the goblin horde in an instant, burning their bodies so completely that not even bones remained.

“Giiiiiiiaaaaaaaaahhh!!”

“Gii! Gii! Giiih!!”

All that remained afterward was ash. Archer or shaman, it made no difference—evil was simply annihilated without distinction.

At the sight of the towering pillar of flames, the adventurers could once again do nothing but stand there in stunned silence. A girl about the same age as their own daughters stood at a height far beyond them. Faced with that overwhelming power, a light of hope gradually began to kindle in the adventurers’ hearts.

“Everyone here, get down the mountain. Leave all the wagons too and just run downhill! Hurry!!”

“U-understood!”

Watching the adventurers start their descent, Konoha quickened her pace. Along the way, countless mangled corpses lay strewn about. Offering prayers for them, Konoha pressed onward.

(If there’s still anyone I can save, then I have to save them.)

Then, from up ahead, a man came staggering toward her.

“That’s… Ezel-san!? You survived!”

“H-help me. Ah, Konoha-chan, you need to run too… Ah, aaaahhh!”

At that moment, a goblin sprang out of the brush, but without panicking, she calmly swung her blade and neatly took off its head.

Demi-humans generally do not challenge high-level adventurers on their own. That was why they gathered in groups, emboldened, and attacked. This, in particular, was what made goblins so terrifying.

(Is it like group psychology, maybe? Like how things don’t seem scary if everyone crosses together—they gather up and encourage each other. That’s why they get stronger in groups. And if they’re moving with this much coordination, then there really must be some kind of command structure. In that case, I have to crush that.)

Ezel stared at Konoha, his expression full of shock, as she stood there deep in thought.

“Ezel-san, get down the mountain first! I’ll handle the rest somehow.”

“Huh, ah… what?”

“Just go!!”

“O-okay!! I’m sorry, I owe you one.”

After seeing Ezel run off, Konoha resumed walking forward. And then she found Sid under attack by the Goblin King. The timeline had looped back.

“What Are You?”

Konoha stepped in between Sid and the Goblin King. Pointing the tip of her blade at the Goblin King, she fixed him with a fierce stare.

“I’m the adventurer Konoha. Are you evil?”

“Hoh, A Female? And Quite Young, From The Look Of You. Perfect Timing. I Was Just Starving For A Woman. Shall I Impregnate You Until You Break?”

“…Yeah, you’re evil. Then I don’t need to hold back.”

The Goblin King bared his claws and lunged at Konoha. He planned to land a hit first and then capture her, but—

“《Iaido》!”

A silver flash burst from the lacquered scabbard, and in the next moment, the Goblin King’s claws had been shattered to pieces.

“UGAAAAAAAH!!”

The Goblin King staggered backward. In that opening, Konoha slipped behind him and slashed his back.

“LIKE I’LL LET YOU!”

He spun around quickly and tried to stop her with his mighty arm, but Agate sliced even that off with ease, severing the hideous limb.

“GAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!”

Blood sprayed upward, staining the Goblin King’s vision red. In that very instant, Konoha closed the distance and drove Agate into his abdomen. But—

“THAT ALONE WON’T KILL ME!!”

“Ah—!! Kyaah!”

The Goblin King’s kick exploded into her, and despite the barrier she threw up in desperation, Konoha was sent flying into a large tree. Since her skill Barrier activated even unconsciously, the damage was greatly reduced, but it was still a heavy blow.

“F-FUGU, FUHAHA. YOU MADE ME WORK FOR IT, LITTLE GIRL. BUT IT’S OVER NOW. NO MATTER HOW STRONG YOU ARE, FROM HERE ON YOU’RE LIVESTOCK FOR US. I’LL SHATTER YOUR DIGNITY AND YOUR PRIDE, AND IMPREGNATE YOU UNTIL YOU DIE.”

“………………”

Konoha closed her eyes. Wondering if she had lost consciousness, the Goblin King reached a hand toward her body… but then—

“Skill 《Freeze》!”

“What!?”

The Goblin King’s legs began to freeze over in an instant. Startled, he turned around to see a girl with deep sapphire-blue hair pointing an ice staff at him.

“Another One? You’ll Be Livestock Too—”

“I have no intention of becoming that. 《Wish of the Frozen Earth》!!”

Attack magic: Wish of the Frozen Earth. A technique that created and manipulated various solid substances from frozen ground. Chains of ice seized the Goblin King and bound him tightly.

“NUAAAH!!”

“The crime of kicking Konoha away is a grave one, you know? Die.”

Ice spears began to form. Shining like crystal, they slowly took shape while giving off a faint chill.

“Goodbye.”

The next thing he knew, there was a sharp slicing sound through the air, and two spears pierced the Goblin King’s face. One struck an eye, the other his mouth—fatal wounds for a human.

“AGH!”

“You’re still alive? Just as tough as you look. Then here’s one more.”

Another spear shot toward the Goblin King’s heart, blowing his huge body backward. The spear narrowly missed his heart, but pierced his lung and pinned him to a large tree along with his entire body. With a heavy thud, the Goblin King slammed against the trunk. He looked like a cursed straw doll.

“Konoha!”

Meiro immediately ran over to Konoha. Konoha gave a slight smile and took Meiro’s hand.

“Sorry, looks like I was a little sloppy at the end. Owww…”

“Hang on! I’ll use healing magic right now!”

“Ah, I’ll drink a potion, so I’m okay! Don’t worry!”

“I see. I’m sorry I was late.”

Since Konoha was unable to open the potion herself, Meiro took out a healing potion and gave it to her to drink.

“Muu, this feels kind of like I’m a child…”

“For now, let yourself be pampered. You’re still not very used to combat. You need training.”

“Yeah, sorry. So, what should we do now…?”

The Goblin King still had a little breath left in him, but not only was his body pinned in place by the spears, he had also already lost so much internal blood that his vital functions were beginning to fail.

“Help Me.”

The Goblin King began begging for his life.

“I Regret It. I Won’t Do It Again. I Was Just Desperate To Survive, I Had No Choice.”

Seeing that, Konoha hesitated.

“………………………………”

The Goblin King secretly smirked.

(Just As I Thought, This Type Of Girl Is Weak To Emotion. Once I Recover, I’ll Mangle That Body Of Hers And Display Her Head.)

Konoha faltered. Now that she was facing him calmly, she had started to feel resistance toward killing him. And so—

“Okay… I…”

(Konoha.)

“Huh?”

(Konoha, don’t. This is evil. You have to do it.)

“Suku… na?”

It was Sukuna, suddenly speaking to her. This was the second power of Konoha’s Oni Princess skill.

Sukuna took partial control over Konoha’s body, while still leaving Konoha’s consciousness intact. Konoha gripped Agate tightly.

(Understand? This is evil. Evil must be killed. If you don’t kill it, other people will be killed. Is that really okay with you, Konoha?)

“I…I…”

“What’s wrong, Konoha?”

Meiro sounded worried, but her voice no longer reached Konoha’s ears.

(Come on, there’s no need to be afraid. Grip Agate tightly, and look at your enemy. This is evil. It’s something you’re allowed to kill. Now, take your stance.)

“Ah, uh…”

Something black began to invade Konoha’s mind. It’s okay. This is evil. Evil. Evil must be killed. I have to kill it. Kill. I have to kill it I have to kill it I have to kill it I have to kill it I have to kill it I have to kill it I have to kill it I have to kill it I have to kill it I have to kill it I have to kill it I have to kill it I have to kill it I have to kill it I have to kill it I have to kill it I have to kill it I have to kill it I have to kill it I have to kill it I have to kill it I have to kill it I have to kill it I have to kill it I have to kill it I have to kill it I have to kill it I have to kill it I have to kill it I have to kill it I have to kill it I have to kill it I have to kill it I have to kill it I have to kill it.

“K-Konoha!?”

Meiro was aghast. Konoha had put on a delighted smile, readied Agate, and pointed its tip at the Goblin King.

“N-no, Stop. I Regret It, Stop, Sto—”

“You’re so noisy♪”

“What!? I’m Sorry, Forgive Me, I’m Sor—”

Slash.

There was a dull thud, and the Goblin King’s head fell. Konoha gave a satisfied little smile, picked up the head, and stuffed it into the bag she had brought with her. The expression on her face as she happily did it—as though she were putting a toy away into a toy box—made Meiro shudder.

“Phew. Well then, shall we finish this to the very end?♪”

“F-finish it… what do you mean?”

“There are still some in that cave over there, right?”

“Huh?”

Deeper in was a cave that looked like a goblin nest. There were definitely several presences inside.

“It’s exciting going into a cave to look for treasure, isn’t it~!! I wonder what we’ll find!!”

“K-Konoha?”

“Hm? What is it, Meiro-chan?”

There was no light in her eyes. Her crimson eyes, flickering like flames, looked as though something pitch-black had stained their depths.

“Let’s go! Meiro-chan.”

“Y-yes… that’s right.”

Konoha happily entered the cave. Watching her from the side, Meiro could only think, over and over—

Kushibiki Konoha had already gone mad.