Is That My Alter Ego

Chapter 73 – Beast Transformation

Grrrrrrrr…

After the wolf’s cry resonated through the lower levels, a low beastly roar began to quietly reverberate.

– Oh… Oh?!

– Run away!! It’s the beast transformation!!

– What the hell…!

– Save meeeeee!!

The residents of the lower levels, glancing toward the source of the howling, broke into a cold sweat and began to flee.

Some stood frozen, like prey caught in the jaws of death, staring blankly at the predator.

It seemed that the extreme terror had rendered their minds blank, leaving no thought of escape.

“What on earth is that…?”

Of course, I too stood paralyzed, gazing at the wolf monster.

I had never heard of, nor experienced, a person transforming so suddenly into a massive beast.

Moreover, my frail body felt as if it had turned to stone the moment I laid eyes on the creature before me.

“….Master! Run away quickly…! Come behind me! You’ll die like this!!”

“Ha… But my body…”

“….What?!”

Kali shouted at me, drenched in cold sweat, but no matter how hard I struggled, my body refused to move.

Auuu-!

The howl of the wolf echoes once more. Immediately after, the beast, in search of prey, fixes its gaze upon the one that appears the weakest.

“This… this can’t be…”

Of course, that ‘weakest prey’ was me. As I met the piercing crimson gaze, my entire body began to tremble like a quaking aspen.

I know it too. I know that in the realm of the doppelgänger, pain does not exist.

Yet, witnessing death charging toward me, I could not suppress the rising tide of fear.

Kraaah—!

The wolf let out a monstrous roar and began to sprint toward me. The speed of the beast, running on four legs instead of two, was beyond imagination.

Though the distance between the wolf and me was easily over a hundred meters, the moment I registered its movement, that distance halved in an instant.

“….Oh no, Sir Venice—!”

“Don’t!!! Venice!!”

“….Ah.”

Before my eyes, the black wolf, drooling and rushing toward its prey.

Mr. Hudi, with his teeth clenched tight, and Lania, screaming behind him.

Time seemed to slow, flowing like molasses. Is this what they call a fleeting moment?

That wolf would come barreling toward me, snuffing out my breath in an instant. If that were to happen… my final existence as a doppelgänger would come to an end.

…..How regrettable.

I had yet to experience so much. There was still so much I wanted to learn about the East.

I had not yet resolved the imbalance and absurdity that spread across Espilia. I had failed to erase the shadows that settled upon the faces of the residents, both highborn and low.

Still… I had so much left to do.

But cruelly, time continued to flow. The wolf had now reached right before me.

It opened its massive jaws, as if to swallow me whole. If that maw reached me, I would be torn asunder.

I stared into the face of impending death, the gaping throat of the wolf already so close I could see it.

“Nooo!!”

“……..Kuh.”

The wolf’s gaping mouth began to close. My face was the target of that deathly intent.

Now… I…

“GET AWAYYYYYY—!”

Kwahzizk—!

Kekek—!

At that moment, from afar, Karly charged toward me, channeling all her momentum into a kick aimed at the wolf.

The wolf, unthinking of defense, is sent flying far away the moment it meets Kali’s kick.

The death that had approached so closely recedes. The heart, which seemed to have stopped, begins to beat once more, and the breath that had been held returns to the lungs.

Cruelly, as death pulls away, my body finally stirs to life.

“Hey, you crazy b*stard! I told you to run!!”

“……..”

“Say something! You almost died just now!!!”

With a fierce expression, Kali grabs me by the collar and shakes me back and forth.

The difference in our strength is staggering; with just one hand, she lifts my entire body, leaving me dangling in the air like a puppet.

I quietly gaze at Kali’s face, twisted in anger.

[Surprise, rage, sorrow.]

Now, as I watch her eyes glisten with unshed tears, I manage to whisper,

“….I’m sorry.”

“You crazy… what did you say?”

“Thank you for saving me… Kali.”

“Ugh… fine.”

Kali wears a look of shock for a moment, then exhales heavily, setting me back down on the ground.

I still don’t understand. Why, upon seeing me for the first time today, did she display such a sorrowful expression, such raw emotion?

But for now, I have no time to ponder. The wolf monster, having smashed the wooden crates piled far away, shakes its head and rises again.

“…Now, really run. If you don’t listen this time, you’ll get hurt badly.”

Perhaps angered by the attack, Kali speaks quietly, her eyes burning with intensity as they meet the wolf’s fierce gaze.

I nod to Kali, then follow Hudi and Rania, who have already moved to avoid the fray.

“Lord Venice—! Why on earth were you just standing there…?!”

“Ugh… I thought we were done for…”

“I’m sorry… I couldn’t move.”

After gently stroking Rania’s head as she clings to me, I apologize to Hudi. He sighs, muttering, “Thank goodness you’re alive.”

Now, we turn our attention to Kali and the wolf monster, who have begun to face each other.

As the two red eyes lock onto one another, the very air around us feels heavy.

For someone as fragile as I, merely touching that atmosphere makes my body feel weighed down, and once more, tremors begin to ripple through me.

“….Come. You b*stard.”

Kraaah—!

As soon as Kali’s words came to an end, the wolf began to howl and charged toward her.

It was as if it sought to tear apart the very one who had wounded it, saliva dripping from its maw in a frenzy.

Swaaak-!

The wolf leapt with the same speed it had been running, its sharp claws poised to strike.

If it continued like this, her body would be shredded by a weapon sharper than any blade.

Yet Kali, evading the spot where the wolf would land, drove her fist into the creature’s jaw as it stumbled.

The wolf, with its hide that seemed impervious to blades, could not prevent its head from shaking violently.

As the opponent revealed a weakness, Kali intensified her assault. She swept the wolf’s legs from under it, targeting its vulnerable spots—jaw, solar plexus, and more.

It seemed as if victory was within her grasp.

Crack… crackle…

At that moment, the wolf’s gaze, once filled with defeat, ignited anew.

Kra… aaah-!

Swaaak-!

“…Kugh!”

In an instant, the wolf struck at Kali with its claws. Her arm, unable to evade in time, was left ragged and torn.

The pain twisted her expression, blood streaming from her left arm.

The wolf, swelling with fury, howled even louder. It was not merely its spirit that had grown stronger.

Its already massive form expanded further, claws and fangs sharpening to a deadly point.

“…Ha. Look at this b*stard.”

Kraaak-!

“Fine. If that’s your intent, I’ll put you down, you son of a dog.”

Simultaneously, Kali’s own spirit surged. Her eyes sharpened, and her stance lowered as if she were about to strike the ground.

In this battle, where both exuded a palpable killing intent, it was impossible to predict who would emerge victorious.

-…Help me.

“….What? What did you say?”

“I said nothing at all.”

“Why are you acting like this all of a sudden, Venice?”

Surely, someone had spoken just moments ago. When she asked Hudi and Rania, they both denied it.

Strange… There had definitely been a woman’s voice…

-…Please, help me.

“……!”

This was no mere illusion. Someone was calling for help.

Yet, it seemed this voice reached only my ears. Startled, I glanced around, but all I found were the strange expressions of Hudi and Rania, gazing at me with bewilderment.

And this voice. It was hauntingly familiar. It matched exactly the voice of the woman who had just moments ago transformed into the wolf monster.

“…Beneath, my lord?”

“Beneath, is that you…?”

-Please… anyone, just help me…

I took a step forward. How could anyone in this world ignore such a sorrowful yet desperate plea?

Kraaah…!

[Desperation. Sorrow. Longing.]

I looked at the wolf, its head clutched in its own paws, howling in anguish. While others regarded the howling beast with fear or rage, I felt something different.

A desperate cry for salvation. A sound that wished not to harm others.

I quietly ran toward the wolf. Even as shouts from behind urged me to stop, and the howling echoed in my ears, I pressed on.

“….What the hell are you doing?! Get back here, you crazy b*stard!!”

“It’s alright. I’m fine.”

“What’s fine about this….!”

Kali seemed to be shouting something, but all my senses were drawn to the wolf before me.

Kra…aaah..!

It was as if two selves were battling within the creature—one that sought to devour me, and another that refused to let that happen. The wolf repeated its frantic movements, then suddenly stilled.

Even as its sharp claws tore at its own flesh, it clutched its head with both paws, shaking it violently.

“…I don’t know what you’ve been through. But… I think I can understand the depth of your pain.”

In this moment, where it seemed the self had been lost, I could still feel her kindness, a desire to think of another.

Yet, at the same time, I sensed a profound negativity that could consume such kindness entirely.

[You can absorb the emotions and memories of the target. Will you absorb them?]

[Absorb: Negative emotions of the target ‘Silphia’ absorbed. Cessation of beastification.]

[Do not absorb: Nothing will happen.]

(Warning: Negative effects may occur to the user.)

Kra…aaahh..!

“Hey, you crazy b*stard!!!!!!!!”

As if it had swallowed the gentle self whole, the wolf tore its gaze from its own paws and lunged at me, eyes filled with fury.

—

What if my power awakens just a moment too late? Even if I were to absorb emotions, if I fail, I would be left unresponsive, destined to die.

‘Absorb.’

Yet, I have no choices. This is my conviction, my will.

If someone in need stands before me, and I can offer even a small help, then I shall do so.