Paradigm Parasite

o guide it.

 

　The villagers within range are too wounded to move.

We have no choice but to kill it.

If we kill it here, I can't eat the carcass, which is a pain.

 

　Then it occurred to me.

 

　Ah, there's this way.

 

　I hit the Death Worm with a  while running.

　As expected, at this distance, it did not ignore me.

It immediately turns its head toward me.

 

　I am the one who is using magic the most spectacularly.

If it's in close proximity, you'll want to aim for it.

 

But even so, it's a fickle fellow, going this way and that way.

 

　Death Worm opens its mouth.

　Poisonous fluid again?　Doesn't it release flames or electric shocks?

　I felt a little uncomfortable there.

 

　…Oh? The motion seems a little different…?

 

When it spits its venom, it turns its head slightly, but that's not happening this time.

　My hunch was correct.

The thing that came out of its mouth was a large number of long, thin strings ……, rather tentacles.

 

　Immediately, I deployed .

　It breaks through the defensive magic and pulls me in, entangling my body.

　Before I could react, I was dragged into the Death Worm's mouth.

 

I – Heidi – could only watch in amazement as he was swallowed by the monster.

　It really happened in an instant, and I myself was so frozen in my thoughts that I couldn't think of anything else.

 

　But…no, not yet.

 

　It is still too early to give up.
It will take time to be digested.

　If I hurry, there is still time.

I shook off the feelings of resignation that welled up in me and gouged out the monster's stomach with my kukri.

 

The monster screams.

Without any fear, I thrust the other kukri into its belly, and forcefully opened the wound.

　A sticky liquid of a great color gushed out, but I didn't care, I just kept on spreading the wound with the kukri.

 

　It was my fault.

　Because I pushed him too hard.

He pushed himself into it…
and the result was…
this.

 

　In the end, was I doing the same thing as the person who had set me up?

　I didn't even try to do it myself; I forced it on others.

　I swore to help him, and then almost killed him.

 

　What did I want to do in the end?

　I wanted to protect him, and I wanted to protect the people.

All I did was talk about wanting to protect them, but I let them both die….

 

　No, it's not too late.
He is not dead.

 

　I shake my head inwardly and put all my strength into it.

I had noticed that the monster was opening its mouth above my head, but I didn't care about that.

　If I don't rip his belly open soon, he will die.

 

　I put all my strength into my hands, almost choking.

In a corner of my mind, I think that I have become less able to control my emotions since I got into this body.

　I feel tears streaming down my cheeks and wonder if I have ever been such a crybaby.

 

The monster was going to spit out its venom.

　I had no desire to lose.

　If I widened the gap between us, it would take time to close it again.

　If I did so, the possibility of saving him, even if only a small one, would disappear.

 

…Oh…I think I'm dead this time.

 

　I wish I could apologize to him.

　I close my eyes and brace myself.

 

　…?

 

　No matter how long I waited for that moment, the poisonous liquid did not come down.

　I fearfully look up.

The monster is not moving at all, with its mouth open towards me.

 

I stared at the monster for a few seconds….

The monster's body trembled and it slowly collapsed and stopped moving.

 

　What in the world…?

 

　I turned my eyes to the monster's wounds.

 

　”What the…!?”

 

　I gulped.

　A black string-like object wriggled across the surface of the wound…
and disappeared.

　I stared at the wound again with my eyes, but I couldn't see the string from earlier.

 

　What was it?

 

　What was that string-like object?

　The moment it came into view, I felt a tremendous sense of disgust…no, fear….

 

　I shook my head and put my questions aside.

I don't know why the monster stopped moving, but I have to get him out of there as soon as possible…

　I was about to widen the wound in a panic when a human arm sprouted from the wound.

 

I quickly jumped backwards to get away from it.

The arm that had sprouted out touched the monster's body as if to check it, and then retracted.

　I was so shocked that I couldn't speak.

 

　The protruding arm was familiar to me.

I thought for sure it would not die instantly, but inwardly I also thought it was only a matter of time.

But no way…on his own….

 

　”……
Phew.
It stinks inside the monster.”

 

He came out of the belly in his usual mucus-covered state.

　He didn't look particularly injured, and his demeanor was normal.

　I froze, unable to move.

 

“Are you…
okay…?”

 

　He may have just noticed me, but he only turned his gaze toward me.

 

“As you can see.
This time, though, I'm chilled.”

 

　Hearing this, my strength suddenly drained out of me and I slumped to the ground.

 

“Ha…ha…ha…th…thank goodness!”

 

　For some reason, a strange smile escaped my mouth.　

 

　What is this guy doing?

　I wasn't sure how to react to the woman slumped in front of me with a tearful smile on her face.

　Does it matter?

 

　My whole body was in a mess, but I had gotten my money's worth.

　I'd better check on that later.

　I'd better take a bath and wash my clothes quickly.

 

…I'll pay someone to wash my clothes for me.

 

　I guess that's impossible under the circumstances….

　I look around lightly.

　The number of dead is around 50, and the number of injured is about double that.

 

　Damage to buildings is only about 30%.
Part of this is my fault, though.

　As I recall, the population here was about 400.

　A little more than 10%, that's quite a decrease.

 

But still, just one of them did this.

 

　Two or three of them will destroy a village.

　It's that tough.
The stationed knights and ordinary adventurers won't be able to handle it.

　It would be better to seize the ruins before the next one comes.

 

　It is possible that some of them are already out there, but…
the ruins come first.

　Let's get going.

 

　But first.

 

“I need a change of clothes.”

 

　Let's at least get rid of this mucus.

 

…And then I'll have to take care of Heidi, who's smiling like she's broken.