Chapter 139 (1/2)

Finally defeating the Human-Faced, we began walking away from the ruins.

We walk along the side of some fallen trees.

Currently, I’m leading our group while Eve is holding our rear.

Seras is walking behind me.

Liz and Slei were following behind Seras.

Slei has now returned to her first form.

It appears that she feels a bit tired because of her transformation.

Her third form particularly accumulates fatigue from her.

Pigimaru is comfortably snuggling in my robe just as usual.

[Pifuuu~…]

It seems he also was quite tired from our combination technique.

[It’s more peaceful than I thought.]

Seras said.

Standing at the rear end of our formation, Eve answers.

[It would be alright if the other monsters were the one chasing along the tracks of this Human-Faced but… that could also mean there were many monsters who have seen the Human-Faced when it moved.]

I interrupted her words.

[It could probably be the opposite.]

[The opposite?]

[It’s possible that they were moving away, avoiding the Human-Faced.]

Even back at the Disposal Ruins, there were no other monsters in the area near the Human-Faced.

The Human-Faced were monsters avoided by other monsters…

Perhaps, there may even be a custom where they would give up on the prey that the Human-Faced had set its eyes on.

[Fumu… It seems that the monsters weren’t able to coexist in the Demon Zone like we thought.]

[I had the impression that this place would be swarming with monsters but there are surprisingly fewer monsters in this place.]

[In that case, you could even say that the monsters in here were quite conscious about their own territories huh.]

[……………….]

[Mhmm? What’s wrong, Touka?]

[No, it’s nothing.]

While saying that, I was actually observing Eve.

Just a while earlier, she was influenced with the victory from the battle against the Human-Faced.

“Only a few people were able to bring down the Human-Faced.”

It seems that Eve became quite shocked from that.

Just as we were leaving the ruins…

“I still can’t feel whether this really is reality or not. Even though this was indeed possible through that power you used before, but I still saw that Human-Faced dying right in front of my eyes… I feel quite of strange. I feel kind of exalted and somewhat bewildered…”

There’s a bit of excitement in the air around her when she said that.

However, Eve has now returned to how she normally acts.

Human-Faced.

It’s an enemy that I couldn’t be careless with, but it also isn’t something that makes me hopeless when fought against.

A perfectly flawless monster—- isn’t something I could describe this one.

I’ve experienced fighting against two Human-Faced so far.

You could fight them enough depending on how you planned it.

……Well, I can’t really deny that most of it is because of the great power of the Abnormal State Skill.

[Human-Faced huh…]

As thoughts were running through my mind, I muttered.

There certainly is the eeriness that I could feel from it, but it this creature is still full of mystery.

Even the extensively knowledgeable Seras doesn’t exactly know anything about it.

The most ferocious of the most brutal enemies.

The most sadistic of the cruelest enemies.

How were they born?

Why were they born?

I take out the triple-layered hemp bag from my backpack.

The contents were still slightly warm.

I opened the bag while we’re still walking.

Seras suddenly peeps in.

[Is this a material used for a Forbidden Technique?]

Inside the bag is a part of the body of the Human-Faced we defeated just now.

A portion of it was still throbbing.

[There weren’t any raw materials written in the “Encyclopedia on the Forbidden Arts” that could be acquired from the Human-Faced but… I felt like it looks like one of the illustrations I’ve seen added inside it. In that case, I thought whether we could use this as a substitute or not.]

Seras tilted her head as she looked up to my face.

[You’re talking about that one in page 167?]

As expected, I won’t remember what page that one is on.

However, it seems that Seras remembers it.

[I already forgot what that ingredient was for—]

Looking like she’s a bit glad, Seras raises her white index finger.

[You’re talking about the “Gem of Voice Amplification”, right?]

[Yeah, that’s right.]

“Damn it…” I scratched my head.

[You’ve perused the book a lot that it seems like Seras knows more about the “Encyclopedia on the Forbidden Arts” than I do.]

Whenever we had free time, I’ve always seen her perusing the book.

Seras straightens her back.

She then looks forward and gently brushes away her blond hair.

[I was indeed just really interested with what you’re reading at first, but I thought I could be more helpful to Touka-dono in this regard.]

[I also intend to thoroughly read after I find some spare time, but it might be more likely that I’d end up having to rely on Seras for the contents regarding the book. I’d be relying on you at that time, okay?]

Placing her hand over her chest, Seras respectfully nodded.

[Please leave it to me.]

[Sorry.]

[Suddenly apologizing… I was just reading a lot because I like reading.]

[Even so, that really helps me.]

[—–Yes.]

There’s a bit of liveliness in her reply.

[…………………….]

The book lover, Seras Ashrain.

I thought it would only be a matter of time when she would be interested in the “Encyclopedia on the Forbidden Arts”.

My reading time has decreased since I entered the Demon Zone.