<purga> shaman 62

The Shaman can't become a Hero
Act 6: Cannibalizer
Chapter 62: The Cannibal Hungers part.1
=================

"Wai-, what are y-, Kotori!?"

Guess she'd reached her limit. It's the frank impression I got seeing Takanashi-san cry out in fear and latch onto Class Rep who happened to be near by.

This is bad. This might as well mean negotiations have broken down... No, I can't let it. They may hate it from their very core, but starting with Takanashi-san, I have get all the girls here to bear with th—

"Run! We have to run now! He'll eat Kotori, he'll eat everyone!"

"... Eh?"

It didn't click for a moment— But then I got it, I got what Takanashi-san was trying to sat. I understood it, all too well.

Yokomichi Hajime has the <Skill Eater>. From the way he spat out the Rook Spider's webbing, to the fact that he himself declared having feasted on it's meat. From just these 2 observations, you could naturally deduce that this <Skill Eater> of his allows him to plunder the powers of the monsters he eats.

It's a common trope. I've seen many a story where the absolute weakest of protagonists grow stronger and stronger. Starting off with stuff like defeating a Slime, or Goblin or Horned Rabbit, you see them gaining their powers and grow(cheat) their way to peerlessness.

But the thought had lapsed my mind. The terrifying thought that, does this voracious form skill stealing target *only* monsters?

"Kotori, his vocation! What's his, Yokomichi Hajime's vocation!"

Shouted Souma Sakura. Before I could even react, she was urging Takanashi-san for an answer.

"He's a <Cannibalizer>! And he's already, eaten Nagae-san!"

Hearing the answer, I was shocked, jolted with much greater trepidation than when I witnessed that nameless girl being eaten by Goma.

Goma were monsters, hideous as the sky is blue. Not humans, monsters. That's why them trying to eat humans would be reasonable behaviour.

But a fellow human doing the same, that—

"<Lux Sagitta>!!"

And before I noticed, a light arrow had peirced itself right at Yokomichi's feet.

"Yokomichi-kun, that was a warning. We don't want to have to kill you. So please quietly, go back. And do **not**, come to us ever again"

"... Haa?"

Yokomichi reacted as if flabbergasted. It's vexing, but for once, I'm in complete agreement.

There's no way I'm so dense as to not see the meaning behind Souma Sakura's warning.

I'm suspecting that Kotori-san just took a peek at Yokomichi's Status info by some skill or vocational ability they'd kept hidden from me. And though there's the matter of my shock upon learning of this hidden Sage's skill, let's not get sidetracked.

She mentioned Nagae-san, in other words, the girl belonging to the same literature club as me, Nagae Yukiko. And we just learned that he <ate> her, otherwise said, he killed and feasted on her.

There's accepting one's shortcomings, and then there's trying to team up with a literally crazed cannibal, the latter of which, I'll have to decline. Personally speaking, after becoming away of this fact... No, even if it's some kind of misunderstanding, all long as there's the smallest chance of it being true, I will firmly oppose on joining hands with Yokomichi.

But seriously, Souma Sakura, it's like you're looking to start something.

"What, the, fuck is with that attitude? And just when I said I'd protect your sorry asses"

"I have nothing more to say, to a cannibal like you. Turn back and leave, right now. Or else—"

Bitch is off her kilter, I think, despite not being her target. How the hell did to go from 0 to 100% intensity so quickly. She's completely underestimating, no, she's misjudgeing Yokomichi's strength.

Meaning that, she's categorized him as someone that *we* must drive away, no questions asked.

Ah, goddammit, this stupid bitch. All my oiling up on Yokomichi from just now, it's like that shit went completely over her head.

I'm certain of it. That, if we fight Yokomichi Hajime, if we engage with this <Cannibalizer>, there's a huge risk of us losing someone. So if we were going to fight anyway, rather than something soft-hearted like a warning, she should have shot him dead with him never realizing.

Thanks to Souma Sakura's unneeded warning, we've now lost our important chance at a surprize attack.

"— Shut Your trAp, fucking wHore! If you'd oNly been Quiet like YuKiko, I'd given yoU SO much LOVing y'knOW!"

As expected, Yokomichi riled. He's blown his top. Negotiations are already in smitherines.

I better get ready. There's no going back from this.

"DO IT! MEI-CHAN!"

Along with my yell, blew a fiece gust.

No, this isn't mere wind. It's the figure of Mei-chan swinging up her Halberd as she passed me instantly.

"<Blackhair Bind>!!"

I sick all the blackhair tentacles I can muster towards Yokomichi, almost as if getting him back for the webs.

He doesn't know about my powers at all. That goes double for Mei-chan strength. Tentacle binds with a Berserker's full swing combo, not something you can handle so easily.

There's a hint of guilt. Killing him, Yokomichi, a classmate, and a human being, it's no question an act of murder. It's the guilt of making Mei-chan do that.

No I don't think Mei-chan, despite herself, can actually commit murder without feeling a thing. She's got to be aiming to lop off an arm or something.

Right? But she's clearly swinging down right on top of his head... Crap, is he dead?

"— Whatthe!? You try'na KiLL me OI! MomokaWAA, fucking bEtrayed me, did'ja baStard!?"

Yokomichi moved at speeds imperceptible to my eyes, drew out the greatsword on his back, and successfully recieved the headsplitter from above. Tch, he's changed gears to fighting mode already, Yokomichi's reaction speed is fierce.

But the wierd shit didn't end there... What, is with his arms? He's got blades coming out of his elbows. I recognize that, it's definitely a <Knight Mantis'> scythe. After quickly shredding my blackhair, he used his now free hands to defend against Mei-chan's attack.

So this is, the power of the Skill Eater. What growth cheat, what skill master, he's just a damn monster

"Momokawa-kun, Futaba-san! How could you, are you planning to commit murder!"

"Bitch just shut up! It's all couse of you that we're in this mess— <Contra-beat Butterfly>!!"

This is unbelievable. Here we are taking responsibility of literally murder and Souma Sakura's still talking big. As I reflexively return her accusive sentiments, I let fly my new curse of poison butterflies whose effectiveness are still vague.

Mei-chan and Yokomichi had already entered combat status. Looks like the Mantis Blades were in the way, they're gone from his elbows.

Still, this bastard's actually able to hold his own against Mei-chan in a match of blades, he's got to be pretty good with swords. This Porky's being a real pain in the ass.

But while he's busy with that, I call up Rem to cut away my web bindings with her knife. I can finally move.

"Ghh, Va, Facking azzholes, you bitches wanNa Go! Then I'll sHow you go, damN stinkin' whoRes"

Still locking blades, Yokomichi made the most indecent grin he'd made yet. A smile so ugly, even as a guy, I felt violated.

We have to kill him. I was convinced.

"All hands, attack Yokomichi! Class Rep, come on!"

"Ryouko! We mustn't resort to murder you her me!"

"We don't kill him right now, and he'll rape, kill and then eat you, all of you!!"

"Buhyahahaha! Chill Momokawa, I'm a nice guy, so even if they're filthy sluts, I'll eat them real tender! Here, Ice Breath!!"

After making a quip at our idiotic discord, Yokomichi released a large volume of chalk white breath from his mouth.

"—Kh!?"

Mei-chan reacted instantly. She dodged the <Ice Breath> that was both in name and appearance similar to the ice magic of <Eis Blast>, and barely avoided direct contact. But sadly, my butterflies weren't so lucky and every one of them were instantly blown away.

Yokomichi just kept spewing out his Ice Breath and— What the, we're in a fog now!?

"Mei-chan, take some distance! Everyone else, keep close!"

The cold white mist thickened as it surrounded us. And in no time at all, Yokomichi's figure generating this blinding curtain had disappeared on the other side.

Damn, we can't see shit in here.

He's probably in the same situation. But what if he has a skill to see past fog?

"L-listen girls, we have to fight now that it's come down to this! Keep your weapons ready!"

"Ryouko, we can't!"

"This isn't about whether we kill him. Let's just focus on defending ourselves"

"... I guess it can't be helped then"

"I, I got it, Ryouko-chan!"

"No problem"

"*Fueeehh*, scary, it's so scaryy..."

Thanks to Class Rep's convincing, the rest of us are finally getting prepped for battle.

"Class Rep, we're changing formation. He could attack from anywhere, let's circle out"

"Eh, ah, got it... Kotori, you go in the middle, with me, Sakura and Momokawa-kun surrounding her. Minami, stay in front of me, Asuna to Sakuna, and Futaba-san please go over to Momokawa-kun. We don't know where the next attack will come from, so stay alert everyone"

Our formation is more like a triangle than circle. With Takanashi-san at the center, we have the 3 rear liners including me, with our backs to her. And in front of us we have the vanguard team members stationed. Considering our numbers and everyone's powers, this is the best defensive position we can manage.

But still, Yokomichi never attacked us while we were practically dragging our legs making this sudden formation change. Is he underestimating us?

"Momokawa-kun, what are out chances of escaping?"

"The entrance wasn't too far off... But trying to find it in this fog will be too dangerous. And plus, he could've already blocked it off with those webs"

That's probably why Yokomichi didn't attack us right away. When I said this, it suddenly felt very possible.

"More importantly, Takanashi-san!"

"Hiiik!?"

"Anything else you know about Yokomichi's powers?"

I really can't see a thing, but I kept my gaze fixed to the front, with me and Rem holding our spears at attention. From behind me, I could hear Takanashi-san's uhhs and umms of deliberation on my question. Seriously, just tell me already.

"W-well you see, Kotori can't see it if she doesn't look at it so... there was a whole lot and, Kotori doesn't remember"

So she means like, if she doesn't directly look at the guy, she can't see his Status stuff like vocation name or skills.

"Anything you can remember?"

"Uhh, that icy magic was... it was from Nagae-san, I remember"

"— Corrrrect! Damn, Kotori-chan, she can totally see my Status"

We heard Yokomichi from beyond the mist. The direction of his voice was unclear, but it was apparent that he was at a distance close enough to hear us talk.

"So yeah, Yukiko was an <Ice Mage> you know. Always scared and faint-hearted and totally Yukiko-like, not like she didn't have attack magic like <Eis Sagitta> cause she literally did, but then she was always too scared to fight monsters. So guess what she did, she used this very same <Eiz Mist> and hid away inside, letting everything hostile pass by unaware. So girl-like isn't it? She was adorable—"

"Got you!!"

With a piercing yell, Kenzaki-san took a large stride forward, and swung at him.

It looked as if something shaped like Yokomichi was split in two... wait no, a mirage? The figure instantly lost color and blended into the fog.

"Bufufu, that one's <Eis Mirage>. Thought it was me, didn'cha?"

Tch, she clicks her tongue in annoyance, as Kenzaki-san steps back into position.

"Looks like he can make illusions in the fog"

"Unff, every time I use this skill, I feel one with Yukiko precious"

Hearing a phrasing that feels somehow familiar, I started to see one, two, many Yokomichi-like chubby shadows. They looked blurred from under the cover of mist and... shit, I can't tell which one's real at all.

"Hey, hey guys, where's the real one, guys"

"Don't panic Minami. He'll have to move to attack us, so that one"

"— You really sure about that"

I felt a whistle of wind in my ear. The sound somehow seemed familiar.

"Ouch!?"

Yelped Natsukawa-san. I looked back in a panic, and saw her holding on to her cheek while still glasping her knife.

"Minami, what happened!?"

"I'm a-alright, no biggie, it's just a scrat—!?"

A beam of of blood lined along her cheek. It's most definitely just a scratch. It's at the level with Souma Sakura's healing magic can take care of it in a jiffy. But just upon saying that, Natsukawa-san went ghastly pale in the face.

"Eww, what *is* this... it's slimy and, and, stinks..."

On looking closer, I could see a clear mucousy substance mixed with her blood.

"Oooff, so good, you're so tasty Minami-chan! It's a whole new taste from Yukiko-chan... no wonder you're our track and field super ace. It's full of liveliness and energy, wild yet feminine, your blood's got a deliciously mild flavor."

"... It's his tongue"

Could be my imagination, but I saw Yokomichi licking his lips on the other side of the mist.




=================

TN: Wow, I'm so sleepy, hope this isn't too terrible~