Berserk of Gluttony (LN) - Volume 4 - Chapter 20

Chapter 20:

Lust Enters the Fray

THE UNDEAD ARCHDEMON had two skills I’d never seen before. I used Identify to get a better understanding of them.

Dark Magic: Summons dark matter from another dimension.

Undivided Mind: For a limited time, increases the power of any technical and magical skills fivefold.

I had no idea what dark matter might be. I wondered if it had something to do with the way the facility had exploded.

“You’re right,” said Greed, reading my puzzled thoughts. “In this world, dark matter is highly unstable. It can’t hold its own shape, so it vanishes. When it does, it causes an incredibly high-energy explosion.”

“Then what I’m most worried about is whether that last attack also used the Undivided Mind skill…”

Undivided Mind increased the power of its wielder’s other skills, so we needed to know if the archdemon had just deployed it as well. If it had, then I didn’t need to worry about the dark matter attack getting any bigger. But if it hadn’t, then this monster was technically capable of creating an explosion five times larger than the one that had just destroyed the facility. If so, and if the archdemon used Undivided Mind and Dark Magic multiple times, the kingdom of Seifort would be rendered to little more than dust.

I had a comparable skill, Strength Overload. For a short time, that skill doubled my strength, but the advantage came with an accompanying risk. After the boost time ran out, my strength stat dropped to 10 percent of its current max. It took a full day for my stats to return to normal. I had assumed that any limited-time stat boost came with a similar kind of risk, but Undivided Mind bucked the trend.

Greed grunted. “I can’t say with complete certainty, but my gut tells me the archdemon still hasn’t used Undivided Mind.”

“That monster possessing Rafale said it would grant him his wish…”

The monster had spoken with such supreme confidence that I couldn’t help also believing that the explosion just now was only the beginning. For now, though, the monster only hovered in the air, silent, its eyes closed.

I glanced at Aaron. He was at his limits, his shoulders heaving with each breath. But he knew the situation the same as I did, and his many years of experience told him just how precarious it was. “Fate, give me Memil. This is as far as I go. If I fought beside you now, I’d only get in your way.”

I passed Memil over to Aaron. “Take care of her, please. She’s lost a lot of blood. She needs rest now more than anything.”

“Leave it to me. We won’t be able to shelter in the manor with that thing flying around. For now, I’ll evacuate Memil and whatever townspeople I can to Hobgoblin Forest…” Aaron looked up at the monster with a grimace. “Although I can’t help but think that based on that monster’s stats, perhaps we should go farther.”

Just then, a voice called out to us. I turned to find two white knights running toward us, and between them was a girl with blue hair and an impressive bust. My eye twitched as she called out again.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Fate. I guess I made it just in time, huh?”

“Just in time?! What the hell are we going to do about that thing up there? This could be the end of Seifort as we know it, Eris!”

Before I could say anything else, the two white knights dropped into battle-ready stances and pointed their white spears directly at me.

“He’s fine. Lower your spears,” said Eris. “We’ve got a lot to talk about, Fate, but now’s not the time. We’ll chat once the danger has passed, okay? I assume that’s all right with you, too, Aaron Barbatos? I have you to thank for delivering this information, after all.”

Aaron looked suspiciously at Eris—she’d appeared suddenly out of nowhere, after all—but then something clicked, and he nodded in agreement.

“Your quick understanding is appreciated, Aaron. Fate, you should know that…I am the king of Seifort.”

“Huh?! Why would you keep something like that a secret?! You’ve got a lot of explaining to do when this is all over!”

Only then did I notice the black weapon Eris had brought with her—a black gunblade. A chill shot up my spine as a host of memories came rushing back. However, I decided to hold back my opinion for the time being; with the gunblade Envy fighting on my side, it was hard not to feel more confident. I suddenly had to wonder which one of them it was I had seen when Aaron and I had our audience with the king—Eris or her Weapon and one of its human puppets?

“Envy’s always been rather stubborn. The poor thing was a bit traumatized when it lost to you in Galia.”

“And, uh…what’s it saying now?”

“It’s saying I can do as I please. It’s still languishing in self-pity. Feels like a failure.” Eris grinned as she ran a hand along the sheathed gunblade. I couldn’t shake the feeling that even as an inert weapon, it looked horribly unhappy to be where it was.

“But enough talk. My knights, your task is to lead the townspeople out of the kingdom. Our foe clearly outstrips the Divine Dragon, and even shock waves from its attacks could potentially bring down the city.”

“Understood!”

The two white knights bowed and immediately gathered the soldiers and holy knights to aid in the evacuation.

“Fate,” said Aaron, “I’ll see you again when this is over.”

“Yes, and please take care of Memil.”

“She’s in good hands.”

With that, Aaron took off with Memil over his shoulder. I watched as he faded into the distance, then turned my gaze back to the task at hand. “The monster looks about ready to make a move. Are you ready, Eris?”

“It’s been a while since I took part in a real battle, but I trust I can still handle myself. As you’ve probably guessed, I usually play a back line support role. I’ll leave the front line to you.”

When I thought about it, it had been a while since I’d fought alongside another bearer of a Skill of Mortal Sin. The last time had been with Myne.

Speaking of, where is that girl? The sounds we’re making would wake anyone…

But I didn’t have the time to think about it. I settled into a fighting stance as Eris unsheathed the black gunblade and pointed its barrel toward the Undead Archdemon.