Chapter 75: A Move to Turn the Tables (3)

And if the former, the Black Knight would use the Growth Monster Villain as a shield and withdraw.

Even the latter was no problem. He had made a powerful Monster Villain a subordinate and almost neutralized the powerful enemy Sacred Knight. Even if he let them escape it would be more than sufficient results.

—Therefore a third option was needed.

Not abandoning Knight, not fleeing unsightly, something that would overturn this situation in one shot.

What is that, as if such a convenient option exists—the calm part of me sneered that way, but who cares.

"Kh... something, something, a hand—!?"

"Saber-senpai, this is bad! This side won’t last that long...!"

The expression of Saber swinging her sword while protecting Knight was twisted to the point she looked about to cry.

Knuckle as well was breathing with her shoulders, wearing down her nerves in an endless defensive battle.

I want to protect someone precious, I want to save a best friend precious like family, but reality is a dead end no matter how we struggle, and only a future of ruin can be seen.

But Saber continued enduring the Black Knight’s fierce attacks without giving up.

Knuckle as well clenched her teeth and continued receiving the Growth Monster Villain’s attacks.

"You’re making useless struggles; as I thought you are not suited to be Sacred."

While mocking he released black flame and swung the greatsword.

—Don’t fuck with me, Black Knight.

Her feelings are by no means wrong.

Anyone would want someone precious to become happy and be saved.

Precisely because of that Saber was clenching her teeth and enduring. To buy even one minute one second of time, to think of some means of turning the tables.

Do you sneer at that as a desperate struggle?

Do you declare that she who tries to protect a precious person trampled by evil is not suited to the justice of the Sacred?

"...Kh, damn it...!"

I desperately suppressed a brain boiling with anger.

Even if I charged according to anger it would not solve anything; stay calm.

In the first place I was the lowest in combat ability. If I lost my calm the likes of me would only be a burden.

Think about what I can do, how I can overturn this situation—!

While grinding my teeth I stared at the Growth Monster Villain—the giant monster said to be Knight’s younger brother.

—The Growth Monster Villain was an existence whose desire was directed inward.

I am weak, I am fragile, therefore I want to grow, I want to change—because it was a Monster Villain that transformed from that kind of desire, interest in others was thin.

Unlike many Monster Villains the one it directed desire at was itself, so in the first place it did not need an opponent.

Precisely because of that it had been repeating monologues since earlier. Confirming what it itself lacked, lamenting "why am I this weak"—growing, powering up.

And the erotic scenes in the original were brute-force things left to instinct. It used the growth ability to feel pleasure well and to give it, but basically brute-force rape was the erotic scene that occurred with the Growth Monster Villain.

Combat and erotica both brute-force.

In addition it had no sense of pain, so no matter what means were used it could not recognize others—

(...No, wrong.)

—There was one method.

In the original game, only under certain conditions the Growth Monster Villain had conversed with the Sacred.

The human who became the base body had been a different Earthling, but even so it was the same type of Monster Villain; there should be common points.

And if.

If that succeeded—he too, like me...

"Saber! Hold down the Black Knight! Knuckle! Stop the Growth Monster Villain’s movements...!"

I readied tentacles and shouted.

The six tentacles grown from my back, as if taking a fighting pose.

Saber parried the Black Knight’s attack and leaped back to my side with a backstep.

"...Can you do it? Atel Octo."

"...I don’t know. But there is a possibility."

There was hesitation.

Is this really okay? Have I overlooked something, no, in the first place have I remembered wrong?

The doubts spinning around in my head made me feel like vomiting.

Ah, I already hate this. Why am I doing this kind of thing. Someone with more attachment to the original should handle it well; previous-life me only launched the game for recollection scenes after completing the erotic scenes.

Weakness and anxiety made my head feel like it would break. Originally this kind of thing didn’t suit me; I wanted to dump it on someone and hide somewhere safe.

"That’s enough—leave it to me."

And yet Saber directed a smile of complete trust this way—and stepped in all at once.

She flicked away the Black Knight’s sword, spun the holy sword like a baton—and gripped the blade.

The blade wrapped her palm without cutting it—

"Blow away...!"

—A full swing with brute force.

The guard of the holy sword was slammed into the Black Knight’s chest like a hammer—a roar. The Black Knight was blown away while scattering fragments of armor.

The Black Knight leaked a pained voice—but it was far from a fatal wound. It was only an action to blow him away, to separate the Black Knight from this place because she believed in me.

"Knuckle—I’ll leave that side to you."

"Yes—I was properly asked, Saber-senpai."

Their gazes crossed for an instant, but as if saying that was enough Saber ran toward the Black Knight.

Knuckle as well—putting on a smile that showed no fatigue, charged at the Growth Monster Villain.

Even though I hadn’t given much explanation, the two were already going all-out to support me.

That was because they trusted me.

Because they believed Vigilante Atel Octo would overturn this sad current situation.

I felt happy at that trust, but felt it even more heavily.

—Wrong; I’m not a man who can be trusted that much. I’m garbage whose thinking is directly connected to the lower body, who fell into being a Tentacle Monster Villain because I wanted to violate Saber.

I wanted to shout those words according to emotion but clenched and endured—and smiled fearlessly.

"—If I’m going to keep up appearances, then until the end...!"

Therefore put in spirit, Vigilante.

Certainly I might be garbage, but I have to repay the two who trusted such garbage.

Therefore I steeled myself and waited for the chance. ℯ

Now—decide it, Sacred Knuckle.

"Even if there’s no pain! Even if you’re sturdy! How about this!"

Knuckle who had closed the distance shouted while slamming her fist.

Not at the Growth Monster Villain—at the ground.

The aged asphalt, the earth, was crushed by the impact and became a crater.

Certainly the Growth Monster Villain was a sturdy existence, but even so it was a living thing that walked on two legs. Since it was not an existence that could fly, if there was no ground to step on it would only fall.

And a muscle-head who was not even an excellent warrior should not be able to land properly—it landed on its butt in a crater full of rubble and earth.

There was no damage that could be called damage to the Growth Monster Villain. But its movement stopped.

"Well done, Knuckle!"

Without wasting that instant I leaped into the crater.

Perhaps not understanding the situation, I thrust tentacles at the Growth Monster Villain that did not move while sitting on its butt.

But perhaps noticing the existence of tentacles coming toward itself, it stretched both hands and grabbed two tentacles. Buchiri, mechiri, they were torn off and lost power.

But I still have four tentacles left!

While it was tearing off two tentacles I thrust out another tentacle.

Straight, straight, stretching toward the face—it zururi invaded the Growth Monster Villain’s mouth.

—With my tentacles it is impossible to injure him.