Chapter 336
TL: Elphie / PR: Mikan
âWhat in the world is going on?â
Perhaps he sensed her confusion, because Michael took a step closer and kicked Chomp-chomp, who was still cradled in her arms.
With a strangled cry, part of the creatureâs body was sent rolling across the ground.
Irene lunged forward in a panic, but Michael grabbed her arm and stopped her.
âA while back, I felt something crossing over from another place. I considered tracking it down and destroying it. But it vanished quickly, so I left it alone. Who wouldâve thought itâd come back with reinforcements? And more than thatâŚâ
He trailed off and touched his own body in disbelief.
âI didnât expect myself to be among them.â
That clinched it.
This placeâthis strange, twisted realmâhad to be the higher dimension that the Hand spoke of. The one where the Monster King Michael still existed.
Even though the Michael she knew had long since relinquished his miasma and destructive power⌠if this place followed different rulesâif, like the old monster realm she once traveled, time held no meaningâthen all bets were off.
Or perhaps this world was governed by entirely different laws.
In her world, the Monster King Michael had already vanished, so it wasnât entirely shocking that one might still exist here.
After all, this place was one where anything could happen.
But what she hadnât expected was to face a Michael who not only failed to recognize her, but had also brutally mutilated Chomp-chomp.
Gulp.
Irene swallowed dryly.
Before setting out, she had reassured herself that Michael wouldnât be in danger, because she had complete faith in her own control of miasma.
When she was clearing dungeons, monsters hadnât even dared to approach her anymore. They instinctively recognized her as a being far superior to themselves.
Even high-ranking monsters fled before making eye contact. And when the threat wasnât a monster, whether falling rocks or vast seas, Chomp-chomp was always there to protect her. Nothing had seemed truly dangerous.
That was why sheâd thought it would be safe to come here.
And yet now⌠she was face-to-face with a Michael whose power exceeded her own.
âNow, who are you?â
Michael asked, stepping closer to the kneeling Irene.
âYour wife.â
Irene answered bluntly.
Whether he was a monster or not, as long as he was Michael, she was his wife.
âBut youâre human, are you not?â
âSo are you.â
âMe?â
Michael muttered in disbelief and looked down at himself.
âI may look human⌠but itâs impossible for a mere human to become a Monster King.â
And yet, Michael had once become that very impossibility.
To save only her, he had killed, and killed againâdrenched in the blood of all he destroyed.
Most likely, the man standing before her now was a version of Michael that had split off from that moment in time⌠or perhaps a being born from a world shaped by the Impossibility itself.
But that didnât matter.
What mattered now was that this being had Michaelâs body but didnât remember her.
Michael slowly turned in place, then lowered his arms and grasped Ireneâs chin, forcing her to look up at him.
âDoesnât seem like a complete lie. I can sense a miasma rivaling mine.â
ââŚâ
Those words brought Irene a small sense of relief.
It meant he was less likely to harm her.
Not because she feared for her own safety, but because if this Michael so much as scratched her, the real Michael, once his consciousness returned, would be devastated with guilt.
âSo, you say youâre my wife. A wife, huh. I know humans take mates to breed. Itâs necessary.â
As he muttered the word âbreedâ, Michael suddenly broke into a bright, almost boyish smile, stepping closer to her.
âWell, thatâs perfect. Iâve been wondering about that, actually.â
Wondering?
Just as Irene instinctively tried to retreat, an ominous feeling prickling down her spine, Michael grabbed both her arms.
âI was just starting to think I should try it. And look, here you are.â
He smiled as he buried his face into the nape of her neck.
In that instant, the two of them vanished.
The clearing fell silent.
Then, with a groan, Chomp-chomp stirred on the ground, raising a few uninjured tendrils.
[Ack, I thought I was gonna die.]
He glanced around in a daze.
[Hey, Hand of Appraisal! Get out here! His Majesty is gone!]
From a nearby thicket, the Hand of Appraisal scuttled out, fingers wriggling.
The moment it showed itself, Chomp-chomp smacked it with a tentacle and shouted:
[Hey! Where the hell did you bring us?!]
He wept, repeating a line he had once shouted before:
[I hate this world! I donât want to be here!]
