Chapter 86. The Devourer, No. 10 (3)
“I only came here to do what I have to do.”
No. 10 answered in a completely emotionless tone.
Yukgap spoke provocatively.
“If you’re moving, that means Abraxas has something dirty enough that it needs the evidence erased.”
“You only ever get sent out when there’s filthy work to do.”
“I don’t care what a deserter like you says.”
No. 10 replied bluntly.
“I’m simply doing my job.”
His muscles suddenly swelled.
His skeletal structure began changing violently.
Scales spread across his face, and his head transformed into that of a crocodile with an enormous jaw.
A thick tail, as wide as a log, rose behind him.
“Just like always.”
Now fully transformed into his beast form, No. 10 snapped his interlocking teeth together.
He looked exactly like a starving crocodile.
“H-He turned into a monster!”
Mijin shouted in terror.
Yukgap immediately snapped at her.
“What are you doing? I told you to run!”
“I can’t! My legs won’t move!”
Mijin stammered while trembling violently.
Apparently, panic had frozen her legs in place.
“One first.”
The moment Yukgap’s attention shifted toward Mijin, No. 10 opened his enormous mouth and charged.
His crimson tongue flicked out as though he were about to tear Mijin’s head off.
“Aaaaaah!”
Mijin could only scream as the gigantic jaws rushed toward her face.
“Not happening!”
Yukgap moved instantly.
He wrapped an arm around Mijin and pulled her aside.
No. 10’s jaws slammed shut on empty air with a thunderous crack.
If Yukgap had been even a moment slower, Mijin’s head would have been crushed.
“Are you okay?”
Yukgap asked gently.
Only then did Mijin realize that some bizarre beast she had never seen before was holding her.
It looked like a gigantic cat standing on two legs.
She stared at it for a moment.
Then understanding finally dawned on her.
“Mr. Yukgap?”
“Sorry. Did I scare you?”
Yukgap, now in his Archon form, gave an awkward grin.
He preferred not to reveal his cheetah form in front of other people, but he had no choice if he wanted to evade No. 10’s attack.
Mijin carefully looked him up and down in shock.
“They said all men are beasts.”
“So this is what they meant?”
“Can all men transform like this?”
“No! Just me and that guy!”
Yukgap shouted.
“Anyway, run!”
“If that bastard is here, something bad is about to happen!”
“O-Okay!”
Fortunately, the shock seemed to have pulled Mijin out of her panic.
She stumbled toward the village.
Once only the two Archons remained, No. 10 spoke almost generously.
“Alpha gave no particular order regarding you.”
“I will not eat you.”
“So move aside.”
“That won’t work.”
Yukgap raised his monomolecular cutters in both hands.
“I’m looking for something in this village.”
Seeing that Yukgap had no intention of moving, No. 10 opened his jaws and charged.
“Then be eaten quietly!”
His crimson mouth surged toward Yukgap again.
Yukgap only scoffed.
“You’re too damn slow!”
He accelerated instantly.
Then he slashed hard across No. 10’s neck with a monomolecular cutter.
“Ghk!”
A reflexive grunt escaped No. 10.
A long wound opened across his neck and bright red blood sprayed out.
After landing the strike, Yukgap accelerated again and put distance between them.
“No. 10, I know your bite force is terrifying.”
“But on land, you’re painfully slow.”
“There isn’t even any swamp around here for you to move properly.”
Yukgap smirked.
“Why don’t you just give up and leave?”
No. 10, like No. 9, had originally been modified for aquatic combat.
His mobility on land was poor.
No matter how Yukgap looked at it, this was an unfavorable fight for No. 10.
“I cannot.”
No. 10 did not retreat even a step.
“Alpha gave an order.”
“Have you forgotten that Alpha’s commands are absolute to an Archon?”
There was something terrifying about his obedience.
He would not abandon the fight even when it was clearly disadvantageous.
Yukgap shuddered in disgust.
“Sorry, but I don’t know anything about that anymore.”
“I have no intention of getting involved with Abraxas again.”
No. 10 suddenly burst out laughing.
“Hahahahaha! Do you really believe that?”
“Alpha was right after all!”
Yukgap frowned.
“What are you trying to say?”
No. 10 stared at him with vertically slit pupils.
“Not even once?”
“Have you never once considered that your desertion itself might have been part of Alpha’s plan?”
“A deal? I told you, I don’t know anything about that!”
The old woman remained stubborn.
Victoria, frustrated, kept pressing her.
“Are you really going to keep this up?”
“I said I don’t know!”
While the two argued back and forth, the door suddenly burst open.
Miae rushed in and shouted,
