Is That My Alter Ego

Chapter 85 – I Saved You

“What the— Gah!”

After slaying the two members, I descended what appeared to be stairs leading underground.

It seemed their stronghold lay beneath the surface. With each level I descended, I encountered several more of their kind.

Of course, I killed them the moment our eyes met. No, they likely never even sensed the moment of our gaze.

This was the utmost mercy Kali could offer. Before they could feel greater pain, I sent them swiftly to the other side.

“How deep have these fucking b*stards dug?”

I felt I had already descended more than five levels, yet the stairs still stretched on.

The lair of the vermin dwelling in the underground city must lie even deeper. They must be trampled so they never see the sunlight again.

Ah, it’s disgustingly long. Let’s just move quickly.

Kali climbed onto the handrail of the stairs, gazing down the gaping hole that revealed an endless procession of steps.

For anyone with a fear of heights, the sheer drop would be enough to make them crumble to the ground. No, even for an ordinary human without such fears, the knees would tremble.

Surely, no one would entertain the mad thought of jumping from this height.

Everyone knows that a human falling from such a height would shatter like minced meat.

“I’m coming down now.”

Yet without a moment’s hesitation, Kali leaped. The resistance of the air whipped her hair wildly around her.

In a situation where anyone else would scream in terror, the eyes of the beast remained wide open, fixated on the rapidly approaching ground.

At last, the ground loomed before her. Kali enveloped herself in magical energy, focusing her strength particularly in her lower body.

KWA-BOOM—!

A tremendous roar echoed, reverberating through the long corridor, reaching even its farthest end. The ground where Kali landed had already caved in, forming a small crater.

“Ugh… aaah—! What are you!!”

“Y-You insane, you jumped down from here?!”

The members of the organization, who had been enjoying their fun with the slaves, were taken aback, collapsing in shock at the spectacle unfolding before them.

The colossal sound rang in their ears, a ringing that accompanied the sight of her crimson eyes glowing quietly in the darkness.

Some gazed at the monstrous figure emitting a feral cry, while others stared blankly at the endless hole above, where the stairs seemed to stretch into oblivion.

Rustle—!

And in a fair twist of fate, they met their deaths at the same moment.

—

Kali forced the wretched souls, born in different days and different cities, to sign a pact of despair with a single sweep of her hand.

Thud—splash.

The headless corpses crumpled to the ground in unison. Kali moved forward, not sparing them a glance.

“…There’s a smell.”

The scent of her master hung heavily in the air ahead, a familiar aroma that always seemed to soothe her heart, a fragrance she yearned to inhale without end.

“What the—cough!”

Having dealt with another member of the organization, Kali stepped into the brightly lit corridor that pierced the darkness.

*

“Ha… these mad b*stards. They’ve taken quite a few.”

The countless iron cages scattered throughout the bright, polished space felt alien to Kali, just like the lobby.

The long corridor, reminiscent of an art gallery displaying human suffering, stirred a deep revulsion within her.

—Mom… Mom…

—Please, let me go…

—Why am I here…

The people trapped within the cages wept, or thrust their hands through the bars, shrieking in terror as they evaded the leering members of the organization. They gazed into the void with hollow eyes.

“Cough, cough, cough… Come here, you b*tch!”

“No… no! Get away…!”

“Oh, you fucking whore! Why are you resisting so much!”

“Ahhh… please… please save me…”

One of the members gripped the chin of a woman who was rather pretty, his gaze dripping with disgust.

Tears streamed down her vacant eyes. Then, as she turned her head, her gaze met Kali’s.

“P-please! Please save me… please…!”

A beastly figure, covered in blood, stared silently at her.

Its hands were grotesquely deformed, and its eyes had transformed into those of a beast, yet with the bodies of the organization members sprawled behind her, she cried out as if grasping at straws.

—W-what…?! S-save me!!

—Fuck!! Please let me out!!

—Me first… let me out first…!

Bang, bang, bang—!

As they clung to a single thread of hope unraveling before them, the captives screamed and pounded against the bars of their cages.

The members of the organization, caught off guard and unaware of Kali’s entrance, turned in confusion, their eyes locking with hers.

“Shit… what the hell are you?! When did you even get here?!”

“Intruder—! Sound the alarm… sound the alarm!”

The members of the organization flailed about, some lunging at Kali, while others scrambled away in a panic.

– You fucking b*tch! Help me!!

– You… are you one of those b*stards?!

– You crazy b*tch!!

As they realized Kali wouldn’t save them, a torrent of curses and accusations rained down upon her. Kali’s brow tightened, veins pulsing with fury.

“…Shut up.”

– What do you mean, shut up?! I’m about to die!!

– You selfish b*tch! Is it all about you surviving?!

The endless stream of insults sharpened the glint in Kali’s eyes. At the same time, a palpable aura of menace began to radiate from her.

“Close your mouths. If you don’t want to die.”

Sssss—

As Kali’s brief murmur faded, the once-chaotic corridor fell into an eerie silence, as if the very air had thickened, stifling even the breath of those present.

The victims who had hurled insults at her. The organization members who had charged at her. The ones who had turned to flee.

All stood frozen, crushed beneath a weight that seemed to deny them the right to breathe.

Some had already collapsed, frothing at the mouth. There was no need to explain the magnitude of the force she exuded.

“Who said anyone would save you? Just sit tight and wait.”

And you all—just die.

“What… what?! aaah—!”

At the end of the long corridor, Kali surged forward, sweeping the organization members aside.

Torn by her massive claws, limbs shattered, faces crushed. They became prey, unable to even react.

Slaaash—!

“Ugh… hick!”

As an organization member was ripped apart before her eyes, a torrent of blood erupted into the cage-like space.

Though drenched in blood, the residents could not scream.

They feared that any sound they made might redirect the monster’s wrath and hatred toward them.

– Ugh!

– Gah!

It took mere minutes for her to reach the center from the end of the long corridor.

However, that time was enough for someone to reach the lever at the end of the corridor.

“Khahaha! You’re dead, you crazy monster b*tch!”

Creak—

Whaaa—

As one of the members pulled the lever at the end of the corridor, a white light began to flash red, and a tremendous alarm blared.

“I can live now—”

“Not a chance. Where do you think you’re going to live?”

“Huh?”

In that moment, when he was soaked in the relief of victory, Kali had already dealt with all the members and reached right before him.

Ah… no. I was supposed to be the top slave trader in the underground city, following the boss—

Screech.

As his body was torn apart, and finally, the disgusting neck was severed from his body, he realized that achieving the goal he had long dreamed of was impossible.

“Here… it’s here…!”

The black tank top and short shorts were already stained red, and her eyes were filled with madness.

The reason was that beyond this great door, the scent of her long-awaited master was intensely palpable.

Khahahahaha—!

Master, I have come. I came to save you.

She pulled on the doorknob. But the door was firmly shut, refusing to budge. It seemed to be locked with some special mechanism.

Kali, with a puzzled expression, tugged at it a few times, then stepped back from the door.

Thud— Crash—!

After a running start, she kicked the door with both feet, and the ‘Locker’s Door,’ designed to be impenetrable even by a dozen strong men or considerable magic, was ripped from its frame and flew away.

Thud… thud… clatter.

Finally, an entrance appeared. Without hesitation, Kali stepped inside. His scent was so thick it made her head spin.

Had it been too long since she last smelled it? Just his scent alone seemed to lift the corners of her mouth.

“Shit… shit! How did you break through that? I paid a fortune for it…!”

“Oh, it’s you?”

Like a king upon his throne, a sweaty, bloated pig sat in the center of the vast room.

So overflowing with grease, if you butchered that b*stard, you could easily feed a hundred hungry children.

Yeah… it’s you, isn’t it? The one who took my princess.

Step— step—

Heavy footsteps reverberate through the vast chamber. Each step is taken slowly, deliberately, as if stalking prey.

“Ha… Haha! This one will be different from the fools before!”

“Uwooor—!”

KWAANG—!

A sudden roar erupts from behind, and Kali leaps from her spot. The ground where she stood is now a crater, smashed by a colossal fist.

“What the hell is this? Is it even human?”

“Uuuhhh…”

It towers like a fusion of three adult men, muscles bulging to the point of bursting. Saliva drips from its maw, and the whites of its eyes are obscured, rendering it speechless—likely devoid of any discernment.

“Khahhat! That creature is my only guard slave! A monster crafted from the flesh of several men!!”

“……”

Indeed. It was a being that could rightfully be called a monster. It was far from ordinary.

Could I possibly defeat this? The thought flickered in her mind. And whether the term “slave” held truth, a brand marked its neck.

“Khuk khuk… Watching that girl die, I’ll have to modify this one…”

The piglet began rummaging through something. An unsettling scent, that of its master, wafted from the direction it faced.

And that uneasy premonition had never been wrong. In the piglet’s hands lay the limp form of its master.

“….Master!!”

“What? Master? Is this your master? Then watch as your master is broken!”

“U…u…”

The master, as if struck by some unseen force, was devoid of strength, his once-clear eyes now clouded.

The moment Kali beheld this, something within her that had been holding her together began to fray.

“Hee hee… Just to my taste—!”

“Ugh…”

And when she saw a single tear escape from the vacant eyes of her master, it was as if a dam had burst.

THUD—!

KRaaaH—!

The last thread of Kali’s patience snapped.

“U… Uaaa—!”

CRACK—CRUNCH—SMASH—THUD!

What in the world is happening? The boss of Sakra, Piggy, stood frozen, staring blankly at the chaos unfolding before him.

—

It was surely a wretched creature. Yet, the moment this spear in my hand shed tears, the creature transformed into a monster.

KRaaaH-!

With a mane of crimson and stripes of black. And eyes, as if soaked in blood, glimmering red. A roar that seemed to shake the very heavens.

The masterpiece birthed by blood, the guardian slave was invincible. It triumphed over all, be they seasoned adventurers, mercenaries, or sorcerers.

This monstrous being, with its overwhelming physique and endless regeneration, claimed a place in this underground city, leaving behind all but greed and lust.

But… the guardian slave that had forged such a being was now being hunted. Arms severed before they could regenerate, legs torn asunder.

The guardian slave wore a visage it had never known. Surely… emotions had been suppressed. Yet, the slave bore a look of sheer terror.

Ignoring even the golden chains, the guardian slave began to flee. However, the beast would not release its prey.

CRACK- CRUNCH- CRUNCH.

The massive form crumbled. As flesh attempted to regenerate, it was bitten and shredded anew.

The guardian slave crawled, reaching out its arms as if pleading for salvation, for help.

CRACK.

As a colossal paw crushed the guardian slave’s head, it slumped. The bond with its master severed, it moved no more.

GRRRRR…

“U… uuuh…”

The monster’s gaze fell upon the creature. It froze in place, unable to even conceive of movement.

Sssss…

The red sofa upon which he sat began to darken, turning a deep crimson.

“S… save… save me…”

Breath caught in his throat. The overwhelming aura of the beast seemed to crush his very being.

Something unfinished, unspoken, continued to erupt forth. The creature trembled all over, tears streaming down its face.

Thud- Thud- Thud.

“U… ugh…”

Please… anyone, it doesn’t matter who. Just save me. Free me from that monster.

Thud. Thud.

Grrrr…

“U… ah…”

No… no. Please, anyone, just let it be. Please, kill me.

The blood-red monster finally reached its prey. Before the traitor who sought to claim its beloved as a spouse.

Tremble, tremble, tremble…

—

A colossal shadow looms. Breath halts. The body trembles violently, and the eyes humbly gaze upon the death that has arrived right before them.

“U…uh…”

KRaaaK-!

“UaaaH-!!!!”

A massive maw gapes wide. The world fades to black. Its fangs are revealed. Its—

CRACK.

*

“What in the world is happening…?”

“….Shit, what just passed by?”

“Gulp…”

Hudi, who arrived late to rescue Venice and Kali, along with several beastfolk residents.

They pass through a corridor littered with corpses, freeing the remaining residents, and head toward the door at the end.

– Th… there’s a monster…

– S… save me…

– It will kill me, I’m going to die, I—

The residents could not meet their eyes, trembling strangely, perhaps due to the trauma of being abducted.

“…Ugh. What is that smell of blood…”

A beastfolk covered his nose as he spoke. Just as he said, a foul stench of blood wafted from the hole ahead.

They sweated coldly, swallowing hard as they moved forward.

A vast and expansive room. Countless bloodstains marred the floor.

The corpse of a headless giant something, and in the center of the room, something sticky clung to a throne.

What that something was made of was proven by the vomit of the beastfolk approaching it.

And there, standing in the middle of the room, was Kali, holding Venice, who appeared to be sleeping, in both hands.

“I’m here… I’ve protected you… I’ve saved you…”

As Hudi and his companions caught the scent of his madness, watching Kali murmur with a hint of insanity, his eyes transforming into heart shapes.

They were left speechless in the face of that distant madness.