I turned my attention back to the puppet.
It had definitely been frozen solid, so how the hell had it broken out of the ice?
My eyes drifted to the shards of ice scattered across the floor. I only noticed now that they were mixed with pieces of the puppet’s outer layer. Then I looked up at the doll again.
...It's smaller.
It must have smashed out of its own shell to forcibly break free from its frozen state.
That meant that using Sellen’s cold ki to freeze it and rushing upstairs wouldn’t work.
Now what...?
I racked my brain as I ran down the hall.
The clock was ticking, which was a problem. Twelve hours was not a lot of time in this situation.
I kept glancing back as we sprinted.Thump...! Thump...!
It sure was doing a great job of chasing after us. With that size and weight, shouldn't the hallway have collapsed by now?
This damned hallway must’ve been reinforced with steel or something because it showed no signs of giving way.
The doll wasn't fast by any means, but it kept pace enough that if we let our guard down, we’d be caught.
In more ways than one, it was a colossal pain in the ass.
...A pain in the ass?
That phrase made the wheels in my head turn.
At the same time, Evan, running beside me, said, “Don't you think it would be better if we just gang up on it and kill it now? I feel like we’re just wasting energy here.”
“No. I think that might be exactly what the princess wants.”
“What do you mean?”
“That puppet’s purpose is to be a nuisance and waste our time and energy.”
It moved just fast enough to keep up without losing us. It had just enough aggression to be a problem if left alone. And it was durable enough that it was impossible to finish quickly.
It wasn't meant to be taken down.
“One of us keeps it busy,” I stated firmly. “Meanwhile, the other four can search the second floor, find a path that leads to the third, and head upstairs.”
“That's too risky,” Sellen said. “Wouldn't it be safer for four of us to distract it while the last person searches the entire second floor? They could shout to inform us once they find the way up.”
“No,” I said, shooting her idea down.
Sellen didn't seem particularly offended. She just gave me her usual deadpan stare, a silent demand for explanation.
“First, time is gold for us, as you know, and this floor is huge. It’d take a full hour just to make a round trip in these godforsaken hallways. Also, there are probably hundreds of rooms; I can't imagine how long it would take one person to search them all.”
“...Fair point. What else?”
“Second, it's too risky for the five of us to go up there together. How far do you think it’ll follow us?”
“You mean it could chase us up to the third floor?”
“That thing smashed its way through the floor when it first appeared, so there's no reason it can't make it to the third floor the same way. What will happen if we have to face it up there alongside an even stronger puppet?”
Sellen said nothing.
To be honest, I knew it too.
The kind of person who was always pessimistic, looked at everything negatively, and nitpicked every little detail... Normally, such people were disliked and avoided, but in an emergency like this, it was different.
Someone who could speak the bitter truths was necessary. I believed that was the role of a leader.
“Then who’s going to stay behind?”
“...That’s something we need to start figuring out,” I said. I carefully added, “To be honest... I’m probably the best choice. I can hold that thing off and I can actually beat it if I really try. But... it can’t be me.”
“Because you’re our strongest asset.”
“...”
I was mildly impressed.
Even in a situation where I was openly suggesting that I’d step back from being the bait or the sacrificial lamb, they still respected my choice.
Of course, I wasn’t being unreasonable, and there was logic behind my words—anyone even a little bit rational would see that...
But how many people could think that clearly in a life-or-death situation?
Is this what makes a hero a hero?
It struck me again, that every single one of them was a future hero.
Charon raised his hand. “I'll do it. With my speed, I can outrun that thing easily. I’m confident in my stamina, so I can play tag with it all day.”
“All right.”
If it was Charon, I could trust him.
I nodded my head in agreement, and Charon immediately attacked the puppet to get its attention, but...
“Evan! Dodge!”
“Gah?!”
Evan, who had just been reaching for a nearby doorknob, had to turn and run again.
Thump...! Thump...!
The puppet charged toward us, not even looking at Charon.
Charon, who had caught up, gritted his teeth. “...It’s like it didn’t even see me.”
“Hmm.” I scratched my forehead as I thought. Then I murmured, “I guess... it's more focused on wherever there are more people.”
If its role was to drain our energy, that made perfect sense.
Sellen said, “Should I stay behind? I can keep freezing it over and over.”
“How many times can you use that?”
“...Ten times? Maybe one or two more if I push myself.”
I wonder if “pushing herself” meant risking her life.
“Like I said, that thing’s got a hundred layers.”
“Mmhm.”
I racked my brain a bit more, but I couldn’t come up with anything.
Finally, I sighed and said, “I guess we’ll just have to finish it off here and move on quickly.”
I needed to carefully manage my energy and also mind the time.
Given the number of floors left, we couldn’t afford to spend more than two hours here.
It was at this moment...
Mir had been quiet all this time, but now she loudly shouted, “Me! I’ll handle it!”
Charon was quick to respond with a sneer. “You? Don’t make me laugh. Mir Giant, you should know when to step in and when to stay out—”
“Charon, shut up for a second,” I snapped. I looked at Mir and asked, “How are you going to handle it? That puppet seems to automatically track wherever the most people are.”
“Doesn't matter! I'll grab the puppet and hold it back so it can’t get to you guys!”
“Bullsh—” Charon, halfway through his retort, saw my expression and shut his mouth again. He still didn’t hide his objection, though.
Sellen and Evan probably had similar expressions on their faces.
“...”
My thoughts were a bit different.
In truth, from the moment I’d first planned this operation, I had considered Mir Giant the best candidate.
It was as she said: With the strength of the giants, it should be possible to grab that giant puppet and hold it back...
Even without blessings or martial arts, Mir was the strongest among us in terms of natural physical strength.
And yet, the reason I hadn’t brought her up was...
Because I’d been waiting for her to speak up and assert herself.
Being bait, playing the role of a sacrificial lamb, was like that. It wasn’t something you could force on someone.
“Mir,” I said.
“Yeah!”
“I'll leave it to you.”
Mir's eyes widened, followed by a smile so bright that it almost made me cover my eyes. “Leave it to me!” she shouted.
“...But promise me one thing.”
“Understood!”
“I haven't said anything yet,” I said, not hiding my amusement. “If you feel like you're going to die, you have to run. Got it?”
“...”
The corner of her mouth turned up slowly to give me a crooked grin. It didn’t quite suit her, it looked more like a mocking smirk... but that wasn’t quite right either.
“Got it! Then do me a favor too!”
“Go ahead.”
Mir thumped her chest with her right fist and shouted, “Trust me!”
“...”
“Whatever happens, whatever you hear, don’t turn around!”
I met her gaze for a moment, then gave a firm nod “...Deal.”
Mir gave another big grin, then immediately turned and ran toward the puppet.
KAA-BOOM!
The loud sound of two objects colliding echoed down the hallway.
Evan flinched and started to look back, but I stopped him.
“Evan, let's search the rooms.”
“Oh, okay.”
BOOM...! BOOM...!
The repeated crashes sounded like large boulders slamming into each other.
I too wanted to look back, but I forced myself to focus on the task at hand.
So instead, I threw open the nearest door and rushed through the room, overturning the furniture in my search.
I suppressed the urge to let my thoughts drift to Mir.
And yet the image of her smile at the end remained stubbornly in my head.
Oh.
Only a moment later did I find the perfect way to describe that smile.
It was a fierce, exultant smile, one that fit a confident warrior poised for battle.
* * * * *
* * * * *
Thunk... Thunk...
How long could Mir Giant hold out?
A giant's unparalleled physical strength, the overwhelming power packed in her small body, and the power of the Frost Giant, still very much untapped but undeniably awakened.
Even with all that...
My honest assessment was that she’d last three hours, four at most.
That was why I had told her to stay alive, to run if she must.
...
A quiet, bitter laugh escaped me.
In truth, I already knew. Mir would not run away or back down until the very end.
Thud... Thud...
Was she a coward by nature?
Or was she simply shaped by her surroundings, education, and life experiences? I wouldn’t know until it was over.
In my opinion...
Mir was the furthest thing from a coward.
If she was the type to prioritize her own safety, she wouldn’t have died during the training camp before my regression.
—Mir protected us.
—Saying that... protecting the weak... was what made a hero... so in my stead...
Back then, I’d told Mir that protecting the weak was what made someone a hero.
It hadn’t been advice, and it certainly hadn’t been a reprimand.
I hadn’t thought much of those words when I spoke them, and yet those few words had inspired her to awaken as a hero.
—I... am not qualified to be a hero.
It had been hard to refute what Sharyl had muttered, for she had undoubtedly done nothing but receive Mir’s protection.
So when Sharyl had said she was disqualified as a hero...
It had also meant that, at that moment, Mir—who had protected the young heroes—had been the most heroic of them all.
I knew.
Of the five of us, Mir Giant was the most heroic. Even in the face of death, she would not back down.
I guess I had one more reason to kill the princess as soon as possible.
Click.
My grip on the doorknob tightened.
It irritated me that neither fire eyes nor serpent’s eyes worked in this damn building...
I forced down my impatience and searched the rooms one at a time in great detail. I knew that at times like this, the slowest way was often the fastest.
* * *
Everyone had something they were confident in.
For Mir, it was her strength.
Not skill nor special ability—just pure, raw power.
Thud...! Thud...!
She tore across the floor and ran straight for the thumping puppet.
KWWAAAAAANG!
A massive crash rang out.
Her eyes widened fiercely.
In a contest of strength and power, she was unbeatable.
...Even in the snowfields of the far north, against her own kin several times her size.
“Grrrrkkk...!
She gritted her teeth hard enough to shatter them.
With bloodshot eyes, she braced her entire body to halt the advancing puppet.
Given the size difference, it looked as reckless and precarious as a squirrel trying to stop an avalanche.
Yet Mir actually stopped the charging puppet.
[...!]
The puppet looked almost startled. Though its features were merely painted on... for the first time, its expression seemed to have changed.
“You... can’t... GO...!” Mir roared, her shout carrying a grandeur like thunder.
The sound, as if she was spitting blood, echoed through the mansion.
Though Mir didn’t know it, the young heroes searching the rooms heard her and became even more frantic.
[...!]
Faced with an opponent that was able to stop it in its tracks, the puppet's face changed into something like fury.
BOOOM!
A shockwave exploded from its massive body, knocking Mir into the air and sending her flying.
“Keuk...!
She hadn’t been prepared for that.
Mir felt like a wave larger than any gale had hit her.
Her mind went blank for a moment, and her body stumbled as if it was about to collapse.
Sensing an opening, the puppet leaped high into the air.
“...!”
Mir regained her senses belatedly and looked up in time to see the figure closing on her.
“Wait...”
Even though Mir realized what was coming, it was too late to dodge. All she could do was reflexively throw her arms up in defense.
The body of the doll, which had been soaring high a second ago, came crashing down like a meteor.
THOOOOOM...!
The colossal weight of the falling puppet’s body crushed Mir.
GRR–GRR–GRRRK...!
The crushing force bore down on her. It felt as though her spine and knees were about to shatter.
Hold on.
She had to.
She wanted to hold on.
She had a promise to keep.
Just... Hold on, hold on, hold on, holdon,holdonholdonholdon...!
However, in this world, there were some things that willpower alone could not overcome.
Her nails splintered under the pressure.
Her fingers snapped and twisted back at unnatural angles.
She could feel nothing but fire-like agony through her wrist.
Ow...
Finally, her spine bent and gave out, her knees buckled and gave way. The pain was unbearable—but her own weakness was almost more crushing than the puppet.
Why am I so weak?
KWWAAAAAAAANG!
The giant form of the puppet crushed Mir underneath.