Ch. 142 Art is an Explosion (Two-in-One)

When they reached the center of the fire, what they saw was a scene like hell.

The town square was surrounded by blazing fire.

At the edge of the square, the only thing still standing in the fire was a stone church. The black cat demon crouched on top of the church, watching the square surrounded by flames.

The people of the entire village were gathered here, engaged in a bloody and sinful revelry.

Like mad dogs without human form, they held crude weapons and slaughtered each other.

For no other reason than that the other person was stronger or better than themselves.

To make themselves the only one standing at the top of ‘comparison’, people were engaged in a struggle where only one person would win.

Whether women or men, old or young, people were dominated by a frantic desire.

Guards with swords cut down several people, only to be tackled to the ground by a swarm of villagers, a red-hot iron poker plunging into his neck.

Then, the several people who had tackled the guard together entered into a struggle once again.

It was like a death revelry before the end of the world.

Using this as nourishment, Cath Palug greedily absorbed power, sitting on the church’s bell tower like a god who dominated everything.

“Ah!” Kay suddenly sat up from the ground.

He didn’t know when he had fallen to the ground.

“Brother Kay!” Artoria ran over from not far away. “Are you okay?”

“I…” Kay frowned.

He saw that black cat, telling him some boring things.

He hadn’t even reacted before the illusion suddenly collapsed.

Was it due to external factors?

“What happened?” He scrambled to his feet quickly.

“Go save them, quickly!” Artoria said anxiously, pointing toward the village clearing that resembled a gladiatorial arena.

“Where’s Merlin? Where is he?”

“I haven’t seen him.”

Merlin should have still been there before they were dragged into the illusion.

But now, he was nowhere to be found.

“We can’t worry about that right now.”

“Those villagers… they’ve all lost control.” Kay looked grimly at the chaotic square.

Why were they acting like this? It definitely had everything to do with that black cat monster.

The villagers were all innocent people caught up in it, losing their ability to judge under an external influence.

Reason told him that as soon as they approached that place, they would immediately be swept into the beast-like slaughter.

There was only one way to rectify this, and Artoria and Kay decisively reached a consensus.

The young girl spoke as she unfastened the sword from her waist: “Brother Kay, remember to strike with the scabbard.”

“Don’t hold back too much yourself.”

They had to stop those villagers.

Artoria gripped the sword with both hands, wrapping the leather pouch of the scabbard around the sword’s crossguard.

She looked up, and through the air distorted by the heat, she saw that shadow atop the church.

The intense heat baked her back, and a few drops of sweat fell from her forehead.

The two of them charged into the crowd side-by-side.

A man and a woman were rolling together, tearing at each other with their fists. Artoria rushed into the square and struck the man’s neck with her sheathed longsword.

His eyes rolled back, and he fainted instantly.

As for the woman who had been pinned down by him and should have been classified as a victim—

Artoria did not hold back against her either.

‘This is for her own good.’

If she worried too much about the woman’s feelings in the moment, it would only cause more damage in the long run.

Thinking this, the back of her high-heeled boot, clad in metal plating, slammed hard against the woman’s head.

*Thud—*

This way, though they would suffer a bit, it would certainly save their lives.

Until Cath Palug was dealt with, they would no longer attack each other for absurd reasons.

And then, there were many more people who needed to cool their heads.

Swinging her sheathed sword, Artoria broke into the ‘arena’.

“You are doing very well,”

That ethereal, fleeting voice still echoed in her ears.

*Thump.* Artoria knocked out another villager.

“No one can stop you. All shall be eliminated. In the end, you will become the strongest. No one is greater than you.”

“Brother Kay!” Artoria shouted.

“You hear it too?” Kay’s shield slammed into a young man’s face, who collapsed instantly.

Yeah, his nose was going to be in bad shape.

“Over there!” Artoria saw the black cat perched on top of the church.

‘Charge!’

The two exchanged a look.

As long as they could deal with that monster.

It was called ‘Cath Palug’, right?

Things would surely take a turn for the better.

“I am not your enemy, I will help you,” the Beast’s voice argued.

“I will help you see the true essence of your heart. I will help you stand at the pinnacle of this world.”

Despite saying such things, its actions were clearly intended to plunge her into the same madness as the villagers, wasn’t it?

Jealousy born from comparison, the desire to destroy because of jealousy—countless people were slaughtering each other with such absurd thoughts, leaving only one person behind, the one who triumphed in every comparison.

However, if even the illusion couldn’t make her waver…

What could a mere whisper in her ear do?

The knight’s steps were exceptionally firm as she lunged and parried through the arena.

“You truly disappoint me,” the Beast’s voice sighed. “You are stronger than others; you originally possessed the aptitude to engage in comparison.”

The moment the voice faded—

A villager suddenly let go of his opponent and lunged toward Artoria of his own accord.

The longsword struck his head, and the villager tumbled down immediately.

But then came a second, and a third. As if receiving some kind of command, the villagers abandoned their original opponents and began to surround Artoria and Kay.

“They’re surrounding us!” Kay warned loudly.

No matter how they had been killing each other before, at this moment, the villagers all shifted their targets to the two outsiders.