The Abyssal ...... monster?"

My brow furrowed even more, and I gently cocked my head and asked him.

"You came out of the Abyss, didn't you, those black quagmires."

"...... Yes." I didn't think to deny it, there was no need to lie here, it was too easy to be recognized.

"I'm ...... Monster ...... ?"

Then I felt like it was a really stupid question. My own appearance and behavior before, as well as the way humans treated me, kept telling me that in their perception, I was an abominable and scary monster.

Thinking of this, I suddenly felt a little sad.

The swordsman seemed to see that I was depressed, and his look of surprise flashed.

"Do you think you are not a monster?"

"I ...... don't know ...... Wake up ...... Just ...... like this ......" In fact, I wanted to express much more than that, but the pronunciation of human language is exceptionally obscure to me, and I simply can't speak it smoothly.

There are full of things I want to say and questions I want to clarify, but I don't know how to express them.

I can understand everything, but I just can't say it.

"So what do you think you are? An angel sent by the Mother Goddess of Abundance?"

The swordsman had a rather sarcastic smile on his face.

I didn't know who he said the Mother Goddess of Abundance was, but that didn't stop me from hearing that he was being sarcastic.

I'm certainly no angel, but I don't consider myself a demon either.

"For ...... What, to kill me ......"

"Why kill you? That's a good question." The swordsman took a grass and held it in his mouth, "Do you know that if the two of us continue to be alone in this ...... this little dark smoke, what interesting things would happen?"

"...... Do you want to ...... Do what ......"

I wrapped my cloak around me a little nervously and looked at him warily.

Why is this man so boring? I thought he was a decent guy at first.

The swordsman first showed a rather confused look when he saw my behavior, and then immediately seemed to understand something and laughed dumbly.

"What did you think of? I mean, from now on we're going to get down to business, be serious. I'm not here to chat with you. You answer whatever I ask next, you hear me?"

"Uh ......" I felt my face start to heat up again, humiliated.

The swordsman ignored my reaction again and held out a finger.

"First question, where did you come from and what exactly is the purpose of your visit to this world?"

？？？？

I am confused.

Where did I come from? From the earth. What purpose do I have? Does trying to make money to go back home and get married count?

Do you think I cared to come to this shitty world? Do you think I'm the one who wanted to become a monster? I woke up like this, and I'm depressed too, okay?

"I ......"

"Second question, how many more of you are there, tell me when and where they will appear in the future."

"I ......"

"Third question, why do you speak human language? Why can you disguise yourself as a human? You are undoubtedly the most special one compared to the others of your kind I have come in contact with. What other unknown abilities do you have, do you belong to the advanced beings of the Abyss, and how many other existences like you are there?"

"......"

"Three questions, tell me what you know. I am not negotiating with you, this is an interrogation. If you don't want to cooperate, or if I detect that you are lying, I will kill you, do you understand?"

I understand your shit！

I wanted to spit in his face, how could this man do that? Throwing out such a series of questions to himself, have you ever given me a chance to talk properly! And are you sure you only asked three questions?

In my heart, I was indignant, but given the situation, I had to answer honestly.

"I ...... I don't know ...... I only ...... Born ...... Not ....... Understand ......."

"Given that you may not be familiar with human language, I will give you one more chance to answer the first question first. Where have you come from and what is your purpose. No need to rush, take your time and speak clearly, I have plenty of time."

............

What do you want me to say ...... I don't even understand what you're asking. What us? Meaning are there many more existences like me? Did they also cross world? I don't even know!

"I ...... Really ...... I don't know ...... Ah!"

"Boom"--!

A stunning lightning bolt rose from the swordsman, and with a flash of light he reached me, his longsword already at my neck.

"Say. Don't try to fool me, in your current state, I will kill you easily."

I looked at his indifferent gaze with some horror and gulped unconsciously.

I couldn't provide the information he wanted, no, I would really die if I went on like this. I don't dare to gamble again whether I can still be resurrected, I have to find a way to escape.

The man in front of me seems to be able to talk nicely, but in fact the position in his heart is firm and unshakable.

Even if I look like a human at this time, even a weak and helpless image of a young girl, but in his eyes, I am afraid that I am still the same appalling monster.

We are not at all of the same kind, don't expect him to speak to me with any empathy.

It's funny that I just ventured to show him weakness in an attempt to get him to leave me alone.

"I ......"

I panicked, my heart beating.

I'm sorry to say that I feel like peeing.

What should I do? The knights must have been waiting outside, along with that troublesome old man. The swordsman was right, in my current state, it would be very easy for him to kill me, and he wouldn't even need to cooperate in the battle like before, just by himself.

"Really ...... I don't know ...... I ...... Wake up ...... You guys ...... attacked ......"

"You want to say it's our fault?"

The swordsman pulled up the corners of his mouth and looked a little gloomy with a smirk, he was getting impatient.

"It's not ...... of. I ...... don't want ...... to hurt ......"

Don't panic, don't panic. Calm down, think back carefully about how you felt before and try to see if there is a way to let out the black smoke again ......

"You say you don't want to hurt us? Do you know how many of our church knights you have slaughtered today?" At this point, the swordsman's eyes narrowed and he looked at me with a blazing murderous aura in his eyes.

I shuddered at his fright.

"You ...... Hurt ...... I ......"

The words came out cowardly to the point of not having the slightest bit of strength.

"It seems we have nothing more to say." The swordsman raised a cold smile that made my heart palpitate, "You think you're innocent? It's ridiculous. You're obviously just a monster that crawled out of the abyss, an existence that only brings disaster to the world, and now you want to pour out your grievances with me here? I am also really bored enough to waste so much words with you."

"......"

I didn't know what to say to him anymore, I just looked at him stubbornly.

Clenched my fists.

"To be honest I don't really want to just kill you. You are the only one among the many monsters that have crawled out of the abyss so far that appeared to be able to communicate properly. If I just capture you back, I think those guys from the church would be very happy. They will use all kinds of cruel methods that you can't imagine to torture you until they pry out everything they want to know from your mouth. I'm going to give you one last chance to tell me everything you know and die without pain, or I'm going to send you to the underground prison of the church and fall into the hands of those people, begging for death. You're smart, so I'll just count to three and you decide for yourself."

The swordsman's eyes told me that he would do what he said.

But what am I supposed to say? How to say it?

"Three."

"Wait ...... I ...... Am....... Come ...... Country ...... Companions ......"

The connection with the black smoke had not been regained, and I desperately wanted to say something to stall for time, but the more anxious I was in my mind, the more the words stumbled out of my mouth, and even I didn't know what I was saying.

"Two."

The swordsman looked wistful and indifferent as he took the liberty of declaring a countdown to my death.

"Uh ......"

Black smoke, please! Come on hurry up!

"One."

He raised the longsword in his hand, the lightning's glow flickering once more, looking like it was about to come down in one swing, and then my head would have to be forced to move.

"Not ..... s! I'm only ...... I only ...... want ...... to be ...... alive!"

I stared at him with a deadly glare, my eyes gradually misting with water, reflecting the swordsman's face. I craned my neck and blinked desperately, not wanting it to just run down.

God, if you really exist, please hear my prayer.

Since you gave me the chance to rebirth, please don't let me die again so sparingly.

I want to say goodbye to the cowardly self that I used to be, not to run away anymore and face everything bravely.

Let me be strong and live well with this monster body.

............

Carlos hesitated.

He looked at the monster who had closed her eyes, clenched fists, and seemed to be ready to meet death, not knowing whether it was because of lightning or fear, and trembled a little.

This battle fought until now, and the time it lasted was not really long. He had been lurking in the shadows from the moment the battle started, waiting for an opportunity to give the monster a fatal blow. Archbishop Ansel had bought him the opportunity, and he succeeded. After stabbing those two attacks, the monster, which was thought to be certain to die, suddenly turned into the appearance of a human maiden after its flesh gradually turned into ashes.

Carlos had been observing its emotional changes from the beginning to the end, trying to find a trace of something that was not human. But now, he really felt like he was about to kill a tender young girl who was defenseless.

He was a papal knight of the Holy Church, a hero who had decimated the Abyss, and the monsters who had died at his hands, thirteen if you count the one in front of him, but he had never hesitated as much as he did today.

This particular abyssal monster is not the same as the previous beasts that are senseless and only follow their instincts to devour everything. It has considerable intelligence and emotion, can be afraid, can be sad and shed tears, and even ...... It will think about right and wrong.

Carlos didn't know if it would be a good thing for later if he just killed it.

It could, potentially, be the key that unlocks all the mysteries.

He once again observed the abyssal monster in front of him, which looked like a human 15 or 16 year old girl.

Wild, slender, beautiful, and somewhat stubbornly stubborn.

He had to admit that if she was really human, she was undoubtedly the most beautiful girl Carlos had ever seen.

He got a bit of a headache.

To swing the sword, or not to swing it.

That was the question.