Dark Fantasy’s Extra Chapter 111

After losing Eugene, Sephira returned to the burning house.

It was the house where an innocent young Sephira once lived with her parents, in her distant memories.

This must be an illusion created by that strange Beast.

“Sigh… I lost him again.”

Even with that small sigh, she could smell burning flesh emanating from her own skin.

The illusion that strange tree cast on Sephira at Vile’s old laboratory was exactly the same as now.

The horrific burns Sephira suffered as a very young child.

Her entire body was charred like coal, not a single strand of hair remained, her eyelids were burned off leaving her unable to close her eyes, and her lips were fused together.

They were wounds that should have been fatal, but she survived forcibly due to her innate magical power talent.

Both her mother and father died, leaving only miserable days where her life was merely being prolonged.

Even that life’s candle was slowly flickering out, perhaps because Sephira herself had lost the will to live.

That memory was undoubtedly Sephira’s worst nightmare.

But there was always one name that followed whenever she recalled that nightmare.

“Eugene…”

That name like a god who saved Sephira when she was thrown into hell alive.

Her savior who wiped away the pus oozing from her burn wounds and connected her to the world when her eyes and ears were blocked.

Even now, though her skin stung and the smell of burning flesh brought back old nightmares due to the unknown Beast’s illusions, Sephira remained composed because she could strongly recall Eugene at the same time.

Without Eugene, she might have broken down from these vivid illusions.

“…What exactly are you?”

A huge cat head appeared in the crackling flames and asked.

Though it was smiling at first, that smile completely disappeared after seeing how calm Sephira remained even in the horrific illusion.

“No, no, what exactly are you?”

“That’s what I should be asking. This level of vivid illusion… to be able to do this much even against me would be difficult for an ordinary high-tier Beast.”

“Me? As you can see, I’m a cat.”

The surrounding flames flickered in the shapes of countless cats.

“And cats are curious. But you people… I don’t really want to know about you.”

The cats made of fire pounced at Sephira from all directions, but they vanished like weak candle flames with a single slash.

“Honestly, I’m quite shocked. I put a lot of thought into this curse, but it only properly works on one person.”

“…One person?”

“But that’s fine. If I can stew even that one person well, it’ll make a delicious dish.”

“You’re not talking about Eugene, are you?”

Sephira swung her holy sword again, splitting the Grinning Cat’s head in two.

But the Grinning Cat’s head maintained its bored expression even while split in half.

“I don’t really want to invite someone like you. You’re too strong for me to even think about fighting.”

The Grinning Cat spoke perfectly fine despite its head being split in two.

“Then give up everything and quietly end this illusion. Or I’ll break it myself.”

“Ah, you probably could do that. You definitely could… Part of me wants to do as you say and run away with my tail between my legs.”

“Why don’t you?”

“…Because of that damn old man.”

“Old man?”

“That old man who created me. He suddenly said plans changed and bound me to this old, filthy restaurant. Even if I let you go now, you’ll all come back later to kill me for sure, right? For me, putting everything I have into killing you is my only path to survival.”

“We’ve already met other Beasts created by Vile. We made appropriate deals with them and agreed not to kill them.”

“How can you prove what you’re saying is true? You’re not asking me to let you go just to prove it, are you?”

“Then I have no choice.”

Sephira pointed her sword again.

“Hey, as you can see, those kinds of attacks don’t work on me?”

The halved Grinning Cat stuck out its tongue.

“If they truly didn’t work, the barrier wouldn’t have been breached earlier. If you’re trying to buy time, give up.”

Sephira mercilessly slashed at the Grinning Cat.

Again and again….

* * *

“This is troublesome…”

Dominic muttered.

Sephira had just opened the restaurant door.

The inside was a normal restaurant, though in ruins.

But with just that, everyone except Dominic himself vanished in an instant.

They literally disappeared like smoke.

Though he wasn’t sure of the exact mechanics, it was probably some kind of trap.

But why was he the only one who remained?

“Ugh…”

Just then, a voice came from the restaurant stairs.

When he turned his head, a very small and strange-looking cat was coming down.

Though it looked similar to a Cheshire Beast, its size was that of an ordinary cat you might find anywhere.

“What exactly are you?”

And the cat asked Dominic first.

“Why does nothing work on you?”

“Ah, I understand now. This restaurant is some kind of… barrier or separate space? One that uses human minds as a medium?”

Among the behemoths from the past that Dominic had investigated, there were those who could widely distort reality using powerful curses or magic, or even carve out space itself to create their own new world.

The people who vanished must have been sent to such a space.

“You know quite a bit. But why doesn’t it work on you?”

“Haha… I, no, we are naturally immune to such things.”

Dominic laughed.

But that laughter sounded somewhat pitiful and gloomy.

The most important quality for a judge is the mind.

An unwavering mind that absolutely obeys the Saintess.

In some sense, they are fundamentally the same as 1st-rank hunters.

The only difference between them and judges is innate fighting talent.

Judges don’t need such talent.

After all, such abilities can be created artificially.

The success rate of the procedures and rituals to imbue judges with such physical strength is extremely low, with barely 1 in 100 surviving, but it can be done nonetheless.

“Though hunting Beasts isn’t my specialty, it seems I’m the only one who can fight right now.”

“…Disgusting.”

The cat looked at Dominic closely and wrinkled its face.

“What kind of cursed creature are you? Even that old man who created me would be shocked to see you. How many humans were ground up to create just one of you?”

“That’s a trade secret.”

Dominic threw a silver dagger at the cat.

* * *

“…”

Zepetia put down her fork and knife.

On the plate was Cheshire Village’s specialty, steaming cat stew.

“Not very tasty.”

“Does it not suit your taste?”

The Grinning Cat sitting across asked.

“No. I was a bit excited, but it’s disappointing.”

“Well, can’t be helped then.”

The Grinning Cat cleared away the plate.

“Hey.”

Zepetia called out to it.

“Why aren’t you attacking me?”

“I don’t touch what others are eating. Even I have that much class.”

“What?”

* * *

“Huff, huff… someone… someone please help…”

Oscar squeezed out words as he crawled on the ground.

“Take my hand.”

A sweet voice reached Oscar’s ears.

The voice of that beautiful person he admired.

When he slightly raised his head, he saw a slender white hand before him.

“Ah…”

His eyes grew hot.

Finally… finally she came to help.

I believed.

I believed she would come.

“Lady Sephira…”

Oscar gathered all his strength to grab that hand.

As expected of her strong and beautiful hand, it lifted Oscar up in one go.

“I knew you would come to save…”

Oscar fully raised his head to look at his savior.

And for several seconds, Oscar’s eyes and brain refused to understand what he was seeing.

The flowing white hair looked exactly like Sephira’s.

But that was all.

The eyes and nose didn’t look like hers.

Or more precisely, they weren’t there to compare.

The only thing remaining was a mouth full of large, sharp teeth.

And teeth that looked exactly like the Cheshire Beasts…

“Ahaha.”

When the teeth spread wide, the scene of hell contained within came into full view.

Countless small black human figures were screaming inside the monster’s mouth.

“Ah…”

The moment Oscar let out a deflated sound, all those small black humans turned to look at him.

Though small, every single one had bloodshot eyes filled with deep, cold emotions that were immediately apparent.

It was so blatant that he could understand even if he didn’t want to.

“Aah… Aaaahhhh!!!”

Oscar screamed, fell to his knees, and tore at his hair.

The tears that had been dripping to the floor from his eyes turned black at some point.

A black, sticky liquid like tar also dripped from his nose and mouth, covering the floor.

“Ack, ackk…”

Oscar shook violently as his breath was choked by what he was emitting.

Please tell me this is all a dream.

Someone please help.

I don’t want to be in a place like this.

Anyone, please.

Master, my dear master, please save this worthless disciple.

That ominous Judge, that gloomy woman with strange thoughts, or that…

“Oscar!!”

As that voice pierced his ears, everything suddenly became clear.

The fake Sephira mocking Oscar and all the black nightmares retreated.

“Eugene…”

In the distance, a man wearing a hunter’s uniform was running over.

Though a lower-ranked hunter, he was a strange man trusted by everyone.

…Though Oscar never told anyone that he too was among that everyone, right now he could honestly say…

“Ah.”

Eugene’s hat flew off as he ran.

What he thought was Eugene had the same horrific teeth as before.

And Oscar lost consciousness.

“Ahahahaha!!”

Someone’s mocking laughter echoing in his ears faded away to the other side.

* * *

Finally it grew quiet.

How long had I been fighting relying only on sound and instinct, covered in Beast blood to the point it completely covered both eyes?

When the Grinning Cat declared it would kill me, all the Cheshire Beasts that had been sitting like customers stood up and rushed at me.

I don’t specifically remember how I fought.

There were too many, so I just shot my gun, threw daggers, swung my axe, and detonated bombs.

Honestly, I didn’t think I would win, but somehow I survived.

“Hey.”

The Grinning Cat’s voice rang out.

So it hadn’t fought directly after all.

If it had, I wouldn’t have survived.

I roughly wiped the blood from my face with my hand and looked that way to see the Grinning Cat watching me with a disgusted expression.

“You fight quite well.”

“Thanks for the praise…”

“But you know.”

“What?”

“Doesn’t that hurt?”

The Grinning Cat pointed at my stomach.

When I looked down, I saw a blade that had completely pierced through me.