Is That My Alter Ego - Chapter 90



Chapter 90 – The Children

Thud-thud.

“………..”

Kali walks toward the colossal Ael mansion. Her eyes glow with a crimson light, and blood seeps from her tightly shut lips.

Kugugugung…!

—

At once, power begins to gather. The predator’s crimson aura ripples. Soon, if the guards come to block my path—

“…….?”

Yet, not a single guard is in sight.

When I first arrived at the Ael Manor, filled with hatred. When Venice saved Kalea. And even after that.

The Ael Manor had no gaps. Every day, every hour. Not a single moment passed without guards stationed tightly.

But now. The Ael Manor appears empty, as if no one exists. Even the streets are devoid of wandering citizens, making it seem like a forsaken village.

“………”

Such things do not matter. Whether guards are present or absent is of no concern.

Only those who obstruct my path. Those who hinder my hatred shall be torn apart.

Kali, gazing at the wide-open gates of Ael Manor as if welcomed, begins to step inside.

A beautifully arranged garden. Fresh green leaves and petals breathe with life, while birds chirp.

There is no time to care for such things. There is no space left in a heart ravaged by fury.

She passes through a garden area so vast it could be called a forest. At last, before Kali’s eyes stands the grand visage of Ael Manor.

And there, an overwhelmingly wide and flat expanse that could accommodate hundreds, even thousands of people, is revealed.

And far beyond that grand space, countless knights and young beastfolk stand beside a single throne, their expressions hollow.

And they gaze upon the figure seated upon that refined throne.

Creeeak—!

“Ronan….Ael-!!!!”

“Oh dear. You’ve finally arrived.”

Kali’s shout echoes through the vast Ael Manor. Yet, the knights and beastfolk remain unmoving, while Ronan Ael merely digs at his ear and scoffs at her.

…I will kill him. I will surely kill him. I will tear that mouth apart as it is, and gouge out his eyes to make him eat them himself.

Thud—thud—thud.

The beginning of it all. A tenacious fate entwined with hatred, I step forward.

Kali’s form remains human, yet with each step she takes, weight bears down. As if the shape of her seething rage moves within her.

With just her murderous intent and momentum, an ordinary person would immediately foam at the mouth and faint. Yet, the ordinary Ronan instead smiles at her and rises from his seat.

“Ugh… heh heh… Hahaha…! Yes… that expression…! That’s what I wanted!!”

What could possibly be so amusing? Now, Ronan Ael clutches his belly and begins to laugh.

Kali does not fall for such trivial provocation. She merely advances step by step, ready to tear that wretch apart.

Let’s rip that b*stard to shreds. I’ll help you…

…Shut up.

I wanted to run right now and tear that mouth apart. But the moment I lost even a shred of reason, I felt as if I would be swallowed whole by that voice.

Kali, caught in a precarious tug-of-war with herself, walked on, shaking off the voice.

“Ronan Ael… you b*stard…!”

“Whoa there! Just calm down a bit.”

“………”

With a sly smile, Ronan Ael waved his hand dismissively. Naturally, Kali did not stop. Instead, her anger surged even more.

“Ah… if it comes to this, I suppose there’s no helping it. Now, everyone, why don’t you come out for a moment?”

Thwack-!

“”…………””

As Ronan Ael snapped his fingers, the young beastfolk standing beside the throne began to step forward slowly.

“……….!”

“Oh? Do you recognize any of them?”

Feigning ignorance, Ronan Ael laughed heartily at the sight of Kali’s contorted face.

‘….How.’

That chicken beastfolk child, looking at me with hollow eyes. The lively child who used to roam the back alleys of the lower district had vanished without a trace one day.

The child’s parents, in their desperate search for their lost offspring, had cried out daily, only to disappear from the lower district themselves.

The name… was it Daru? That voice, so vibrantly bright. It was the voice that had illuminated the lower district, so I knew it well.

With one eye vacant, the limping beastfolk child looked up at me. It was the child who always raced with Daru.

Faster than the other children, often getting into trouble and causing a ruckus, yet still radiating that unique brightness of youth.

….Hori. It was Hori. I recognized the child when they collided with me, running without looking ahead. I remembered that smile, the one that had boasted of becoming a great adventurer one day.

And in that moment, as I gazed upon the faces of the other children, Kali’s eyes began to tremble.

The timid cat beastfolk child. The slightly arrogant bull beastfolk child. The clever lizard beastfolk child…

I remember them all. Even though they had vanished, the residents of the lower district had to keep living.

Bearing that pain. It was a filthy, sordid, and disgusting world, yet we had to endure.

All the children who had disappeared from the lower district stood before Kali, looking at her with empty eyes.

“Y-you… why are you here…?”

“Pfft…! Ah… this is too funny. You still don’t grasp the situation, do you?”

“………”

“Sigh… then allow me to bestow a bit of mercy and explain it to you….!”

Swish-!

Ronan Ael, arms stretched toward the heavens, began to speak, his expression one of rapture as he gazed into the void.

“Yes, indeed! I brought them all back! By His will, I have been reborn as a magnificent ally!!”

It was madness. Utter nonsense. Yet, in Ronan Ael’s eyes, a glimmer of insanity could be seen.

Creak…!

“Y-You… b*stard…! Have you even thought about what those children’s parents went through!?”

“…Parents? Why should I think about that?”

In an instant, the teeth that had been regenerated shattered once more. But Ronan Ael replied as if he truly did not understand.

Rage surged within. Anger boiled over. The emotions they had displayed flooded back.

“…You son of a b*tch…! Because of you, because of you, those parents…!”

The parents of the chicken beast child had long since vanished from Espilia.

The parents of the wolf beast child, searching for their lost one through the night, had hanged themselves in a desolate alley one fateful day.

The parents of the cat beast child had gone mad. They still care for the doll left behind by their child as if it were their own.

An orphan is what we call a child who has lost their parents. Yet, there exists no word to describe a parent who has lost a child.

There was no way to articulate that pain. No means to explain that suffering.

I remember the faces of all the parents who lost their children. Those who had once worn bright smiles even in dire circumstances were now utterly broken.

And yet… you claim to be indifferent to that suffering? After shattering their lives?

I became certain once more. Ronan Ael. That b*stard must never be forgiven; he is a villain who must be killed.

“Ronan Ael—!!!”

Carly lunged at Ronan. The pain the children must have felt, and the anguish of their parents seemed to resonate within her.

“Ah… this won’t do, will it?”

Ronan Ael, watching the scene unfold, pulled something from his cloak. A massive eye with wings, radiating an ominous aura.

Wooo…!

“It’s time to work~?”

As the closed eye opened, an unknown wave began to spread outward.

Extreme… Ghaaa…!

Graaah…!

Ugh… Ah…

The children, who had been staring blankly at Carly, suddenly began to writhe in agony. Blood tears streamed from their eyes.

“…No.”

Sensing the anomaly, Carly froze in place. Something was about to happen. She couldn’t tell what, but it had to be stopped…!

Rumble… Crackle-!

From the small bodies of the children, flesh begins to sprout. The grotesque flesh grows larger, forming a bizarre shape.

“……..Ah…”

Kraaahhh-!

The children. No, the monsters that were once children gaze up blankly. Their emotions seem to seep through the air.

Pain. Despair. Sorrow. Curse. Rage…

A swirling mass of all the world’s negative feelings. The monsters begin to howl.

Tears flow. From Kali, and from the children who have become monsters.

Their howls are not meaningless. They are speaking to Kali. And that emotion reaches her.

-Please, end our lives.

They plead to be freed from this torment.

The children suffer. Angels who should have grown without pain have been tainted and shattered by evil.

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”

This was a transformation unlike mere beastification. Their change was irreversible.

Kali looks at the children, apologizing. She regrets not realizing sooner. She feels deep remorse for the situation that forces her to kill.

“Kuhahahaha-! How does it feel? Don’t I look just like a perfect human?!”

“….Ronan Ael-!! You, of all people… I will tear you apart, you fucking b*stard!!!!”

“Go ahead-! Soon enough, you too will be under my control-!!!”

Graaahhh-!

Ronan Ael cackles madly. The monsters advance, trying to seize Kali as she rushes toward them.

From noble mtl dot com

Kali runs, tears streaming down her face. To grant the children peace, and to slay the source of all evil.