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~Chapter 41~
—“Proceed with the next trial…”
“Then so be it.”
The judge’s voice and mine resonated in unison.
I allowed a slow, confident smile to spread across my face.
“There is no longer any need for another trial.”
[Skill ‘Child Actor’ has been activated!]
Now then, shall we begin?
“Because I no longer have any reason to save those defendants—or rather, those hostages.”
My words rang out with deliberate clarity.
—“Why?”
—“Why?”
“You yourself admitted it, Honorable Judge. I am bound to save humans, am I not?”
I slowly turned my gaze toward the three bound hostages.
From the moment I had seen them clap the backs of their hands, I could no longer perceive them as human—merely as something imitating humanity.
“But those creatures… they are not human, are they?”
Rumble!
The ground trembled beneath me, yet I stood unshaken, daring them to refute my words if I were wrong.
This trial could no longer stand.
The one who rendered judgment had changed.
“W-What nonsense are you spouting?!”
I turned my head to see one of the hostages bolt upright, eyes wide with shock.
“H-How dare you claim we are not human!”
Crack.
Their expressions varied—rage, indignation, bewilderment.
From a distance, one might almost believe they were truly human.
“You pretended you’d save us, only to use us as pawns! And now you insult us as well?!”
“Y-Yeah…!”
“You cursed little brat! Die, just die!!”
I met their fury with an untroubled expression.
Say what you will…
You’ve already been exposed.
—“So it’s true?”
—“She’s right, isn’t she?”
I was tempted to tease them further, but I refrained for Father’s sake; no doubt he was already pale with worry.
“This is absurd!”
I cast a sidelong glance, then addressed the one who had shouted first, glaring at me as if to kill.
“You clapped the backs of your hands.”
And in such an unnatural, grotesque way.
The earth quaked even more violently.
—“So what?”
—“What are you implying?!”
Bark! Bark!
Even as canine howls reverberated through the walls, I spoke on, unflinching.
“When humans are cornered, they act instinctively. A true human would display even greater humanity when under threat.”
—“…”
“Just as I am wracking my brain for survival, choosing my words carefully now?”
I turned my gaze upon the hostages, each syllable firm and resolute.
“You are not human.”
The cacophony of curses, protests, and sobbing ceased in an instant.
“…”
“…”
“…”
Six pairs of eyes, their expressions wiped clean, now stared at me in chilling silence.
And then…
“Hah… hahahaha… Over something so trivial…?”
A hollow laugh echoed from among them—
Crack.
A man’s neck twisted grotesquely.
—“We’ve been discovered.”
—“Yes, we’ve been found out.”
—“Kihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihi—”
Skreeeech.
The shrill sound, like fingernails raking a chalkboard, made me cover my ears.
But there was something even more unsettling.
—“How… did you know?”
Damn it, that was close.
The hostage’s neck extended unnaturally, bringing his face mere inches from mine. His wide eyes were losing their pupils.
And then…
—“I asked you, how did you know?”
From the other side, the judge loomed close, its body grotesquely swollen, its gnashing teeth so near I could feel the breath of its growl.
Warning:
The moment you identify the hostages as monsters, they will suddenly appear.
Do not panic—this is a horror game.
Before me was the dog-headed judge, behind me the broken-necked abomination.
This presentation… truly horrific.
In the game, I could savor the fear from the safety of a screen. But now?
The stench! This mutt reeks of rot!
Fortunately, with Child Actor active, my mental fortitude was bolstered enough to remain calm.
“Therefore, Honorable Judge,” I declared at last,
“With no humans left in Team Two to stand trial, we have no reason to remain here. Please send us outside.”
This chapter usually concluded here.
There’s only one thing that concerns me now: the judge’s state.
Though the game’s high degree of freedom allowed for alternate endings, I hadn’t expected it to go this far.
I had prepared various contingencies with Father, but just in case, I muttered the magic words in my heart.
Did we… win?
As I watched the silent monsters, I swallowed a quiet breath.
Perhaps it’s truly over.
But overconfidence is fatal.
—“We refuse.”
—“No!”
—“We refuse!!”
The judge opened its maw wide. What I had thought a dog’s ordinary mouth revealed endless rows of teeth—two, three, countless layers stretching into darkness.
I averted my eyes, unwilling to glimpse the abyss beyond its throat.
Warning:
At this point, do not look directly at the berserk judge.
You will be subject to a mental attack.
—“Our trial is not yet over!”
—“Show us something even more entertaining!”
—“Show us!!”
Ah… I’ve triggered every unlucky probability imaginable.
It seemed my luck had skyrocketed upon entering this world—in the worst possible sense.
I had stumbled upon the rare outcome where the judge refuses to release the participants.
This ending triggered only when the judge was flustered too many times during the trial, a vanishingly rare occurrence.
—“Let the trial begin!”
—“Begin!”
Rumble.
The floor quaked violently without respite.
The berserk judge’s form was no longer what it had been.
Its figure warped grotesquely as the massive shadow behind it writhed and swelled.
“If you will not release us willingly, then it cannot be helped, can it?”
I slowly recalled a particular forum post.
Now then… from here on out, the genre changes.
Game Category [Forum Post] [Casual Chat]
Paranormal Phenomena Edition
“The Judge’s Law”
Rank: Archon
Well done, comrades, for making it this far!
From here on, this is a strategy guide tailored for those daring enough to tread the unconventional path.
We welcome your insane decision to attempt the subjugation of the Judge…
◆ The monsters disguised as hostages are, by design, extensions of the Judge itself.
Therefore, if you intend to bring the Judge down, it’s best to eliminate these creatures first.
However, for novices without purification skills, don’t even dream of it—such a feat is utterly impossible.
Subjugating the Judge
The cursed Judge refuses to release me?
Then there is but one option left.
Beat it into submission.
The problem is that without the Purification skill, this battle is impossible—failure means certain death.
But that’s not the case here, is it?
In other words, as long as one possesses the Purification skill, victory is within reach.
—“The next trial shall commence!”
—“The remaining prisoners: ‘666’!”
—“Begin!”
The monstrous entity, now little more than a formless abomination, pointed a gnarled finger at me.
At the same time, the hostages, who had shed the last vestiges of humanity, stretched out their hands to seize me—creatures halfway between man and hound, ears sharp and twisted.
Their bristled, clawed hands clamped down on my arms, yet I felt no fear.
Even if I was low-leveled…
I had a guardian who was once a legendary hero.
“Dad!!”
[Mission! Create the largest heart you possibly can!]
[If you fail, the skill will not activate!]
Oh, is that all?
Child’s play.
Summoning every ounce of holy power within me, I tore my arms free from the monsters’ grip.
“Ugh…!”
The instant their hold faltered, I thrust both hands above my head.
It wasn’t elegant, but it was the best I could do.
Above my head, I formed the largest heart I possibly could.
Activate, now!
