chapter 27

I’m sure I died, but for some reason, I woke up in my futon . Err, who, am I? ……eh, from there? Even I’m surprised at myself . If I remember correctly, I was born in the desert……no, err, what, hm? My head is a mess . you’re a aid Even though I woke up, my head is in a mass, my body hurts all over, I can’t put any strength into my muscles, why am I alive, as I was panicking, I met someone’s eyes…… wait, what do I mean someone? “You’ve woken up, Maito-san!” “Err, you are……err……mhm . ” Before my eyes, with a tired expression is……err…… Bad bad, even my friend’s name is messed up . What was his name? “Are you okay? Is there anywhere that hurts?” “My whole body……and my head, is in a mess……this is bad . ” I put a hand to my head……hm? I have a hand . Why? Wasn’t it melted? Wait, I, died right? ……when my side was cut . ??? Even though I was still confused, I was surrounded by everyone within a few seconds . I can’t calm down . “Maito, are you okay now?” “Err, probably . My head is a mess though . ” Thank goodnesssssss, some of them slumped with that . Sorry . But my head is in a mess in the present continuous tense, I can’t tell who is who . “For now, what, happened to me?” For now, feeling like this guy is the leader, I tried asking the one in a kimono . “Do you remember, that you were eaten by the sna……ah, wait, don’t get up . Don’t get out of the futon! We’ll explain and apologise later, but you’re naked right now!” Nn? What’s wrong with being naked……everything . Hm? What wrong with me? My common sense is lacking, or rather, faded? “……so! You were eaten . ” “I know . ” “Then, Kadomi-kun and Toriumi somehow dealt with the snake, then we……got you, out, but……” ……I also know that . That was very painful . Hm? Something’s strange, well, it’s fine . Please continue . “Your right hand and both legs were gone . For your right leg, even the bones were gone . Your torso was also dissolved and the ribs could be seen, the insides too……well, how to put it, er, apology number 1 . At that point, you weren’t wearing any clothes, but it wasn’t R-18E, it was R-18G, so no count please . ” No, something like that is fine! In fact, sorry for showing you something so grotesque . You guys really are conscientious, seriously— . “At that point the snake was dead . After that, it took all of Hagasaki-kun, Katori and Kariya’s MP to heal you, and how to say this, well, you became human again . ……apology number 2 . ” “No, that’s fine . If you minded that, I would be dead anyway . ” They felt like they were about to commit seppuku, so I interrupted to stop them . “……so, well, we recovered MP and healed you a little more, so the scars are mostly gone but……sorry, there’s some left on your right leg and side……and of all places, your face . And, your hair . We’re really sorry . ” Since they lowered their heads with really apologetic expressions, I could only panic . “No, I said it’s fine! I’m the one that got myself eaten, got myself melted and was saved, so something like that . ” ……or is it, that terrible? And so I had them let me take a look in a mirror, I see, the area from below the right eye across the cheek is discoloured . But the surface is smooth and it doesn’t feel stiff, so it’s not much . Mhm . It was a waste to worry . My hair became about 20cm shorter but……it’s not like I’m bald, mhm, no problem here either . My right leg is a little worse, from my thigh to my calf, there is a large scar that looks like a burn . My side is similar to my right leg . “Actually, if it’s something like this……[Disguise] . Heal . ” For an instant, I almost couldn’t recall my original appearance but, mhm, it’s okay . I can remember . Once I activated [Disguise], it healed in an instant . Mhm, there’s no stiffness either . “……how is it?” “Ah, it’s healed . That’s good . ” I don’t know how it works, but I can at least return my appearance to normal . so what did happen “……so, you, you’ve been somewhat strange since just now, what’s wrong?” “A—h mhm, my head is a bit jumbled up, like a lot of things are mixed up, or not connected……something like that . ” They looked at me doubtfully, but that’s what it’s like . “……can, you explain what happened? ……no, if you don’t want to remember it, then I won’t force you . ” “Ah, that’s fine . Err, I was swallowed whole, then, aaaah, mhm, I remember until right after that but……it gets confused around there . ” Err, my body wouldn’t move, it was ridiculously painful, I couldn’t think, then……it’s that that my memories become fragmented . Err, I couldn’t move, using that chance, Kadomi-kun cut my side wide open, my bones were also broken by Toriumi, but I was still melting and what I ate came out from where I was cut…… …… Ah . snake? “Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!” “Uwah, what is it?” “I remember I remember I remember!” The instant I remembered, like pieces of a puzzle falling in place, everything joined together and my head became clear . “You’re, Suzumoto! Err, Hagasaki-kun, President……Shachi . Kadomi-kun and, er, Hariu, Katori……Toriumi, Kariya . I got it correct right? I’m correct right?” “Eh, wait Maito, you forgot our names until just now?” Hagasaki-kun made an indescribable expression, but so many things just became clear so that doesn’t matter . “You remembered, meaning?” President asked that, so I dug through the insides of my head one more time, and it really is that, I got it . “It seems, I [Shared] a lot of things with the snake . ”

memories?

“Tell me if I’m wrong . Err, after I was swallowed, everyone was trifled with by the snake’s speed . ” “……mhm . ” Kadomi-kun seems to have something to say about that . Mhm, the front line was trifled with the most . “Magic didn’t work, swords don’t work well either, and as you were having a tough fight, it suddenly stopped and started writhing . Then Kadomi-kun cut through the side of the snake and Toriumi crushed the bones, then I was pulled out . Is that right?” “Right right . Nn—……by the way, which side did I crush the bones on?” “The right side . ” When I answered Toriumi’s question, he made a face like ‘ooh’ . Mhm, I’m correct . “After that?” “It was after death, so I don’t know . ” When I said that, everyone was clearly stunned . “……eh, Maito-san died?” “No, the snake . ” I quickly told them to resolve Hariu’s misunderstanding of me dying once . “……somehow, it seems like I [Shared] with the snake while in its stomach, probably at full strength without any limiters . Then the snake’s memories and my memories got mixed up, well, that’s why I was panicking just now . ” so maito is snake? I see, since I [Shared] without limits while my consciousness was heavy, like how I got the snake’s memories, my pain also suddenly flowed into the snake . Of course it would stop moving and writhe . What could it have felt like for the snake to feel arms and legs it doesn’t have melting . And I……seemed to have continued [Sharing] even after I lost consciousness, the memory of dying is strangely stuck in my head and won’t leave . ……I can only hope there are no after-effects .

memories of death… .

“Honestly, it was horrible for you but……if you weren’t swallowed and didn’t [Share], I don’t think we could’ve won . ” Suzumoto said that with a strangely dark expression . Oh my, then me getting swallowed wasn’t a bad thing . ……mhm, rather than, not bad, well, at least it wasn’t just getting swallowed meaninglessly and being a burden, so there’s some hope . “…… if you couldn’t [Share], it would’ve become something like that thing with Ketorami and Fukuyama . I definitely don’t want to end up the same way as him . I think we will have to become able to somehow deal with those types of unique monsters without you . ” ……well, it’s not like I don’t understand how he feels . But, I don’t think you need to be that worked up over it . We made use of the merits of having more people……by using one as a bait, exploit the opportunity, I think they can do something like that more but……these guys probably can’t do it . To put it nicely, they’re kind, to put it harshly, they’re naive . This is a problem . Even though there is someone perfect for being bait, or rather, someone who can only be bait, they went ‘we have to become able to somehow deal with those types of unique monsters without me’ . ……I’m the one, that has to do something . I’m aware that I’m a mental shackle . At this rate, I’ll keep being a burden no matter how much time passes .

shackle but also support

For now, I withdrew while still wrapped in the futon to wear clothes . When I got out of the futon and took a look at my own body, it was quite moving . This has been healed after being melted once . Wow, otherworld qualities are wonderful . Then, there is only the dog tag hung around my neck . I had this on even when I changed into sleep-wear . Seeing as it didn’t melt, this also seems to be some metal with otherworld qualities . I checked the dog tag just in case, and [Strong Acid Resistance] [Poison Resistance] [Pain Resistance] skills were added on . With these, even if I’m eaten again, well, can’t I hold out for quite a while? ……not that I want it to happen a second time! def not For now, I changed into my maid uniform and we gathered again in the chemistry lecture hall . back to business? “First, let’s set out after noon . With all that trouble, everybody barely slept . ” Sorry, only I slept a lot . “After we take a nap, let’s head south again . Okay, dismissed . ” We gathered but were dismissed immediately . In this case, the dismissal is ‘we’re sleeping so get out’, so I returned to the lab . But even so, I’m not sleepy at all, so I’m free . O—h, I can see the carcass of the snake through the window . Huge . It’s a sight . But can we just leave that? Won’t it be bad if it rots? ……actually, snakes also have meat……gulp .

…eater becomes eaten?

And so time for the snake dissection show . Ye—ah . Quite a bit was dissolved by the snake’s own digestive juices, but since it was so huge in the first place, most of it is left . For now, the skin and scales……somehow, don’t you want those? Then, the meat . Is it tasty? And so, I’ll be gutting it with a kitchen knife . Since I just got it, let’s try using the kitchen knife with the strange pattern I was distributed . Okay, then, cu—t . hard work Pon . begins… . ? ……wa, was what happened just now (approximately) . Basically, when I cut the snake with the kitchen knife, the snake was split……into meat, skin, scales, bones, fangs, guts, eyeballs and something . ……hmmm? That’s strange, did someone stop time?

magic!

When I went to take a look at the clock, it didn’t seem like time had stopped, so I probably dissected it in an instant . ……the only thing I can think of would be this kitchen knife . Well, it has a strange pattern too, so there might be stuff like this . Mhm, I’m already used to these things . For now, I had Ketorami-san help me carry what was dissected and stored them in the physics lecture hall . Mhm, it’s a nice scene .

good everywhere

Okay, the problem is the [something] that appeared after dissecting the snake . Specifically, it is a golden chest about the size of a human head . It was probably in the stomach, but seeing as it maintained its shape without melting, things are strange but, well, it’s fine . Since it’s a chest, there is the box and the cover . And it’s locked . ……what a pain . Let’s erase it with [Cleaning] . Okay, erased . With the lock gone, it can be opened, so I opened it without reservation . What will come out? What will come out? ……there was a thick book inside .

When the treasure is a book, Hecate approves .