"Come again soon."
After having Duke upgrade the power and fire rate of my handgun and shotgun, I gave him a glance and stepped outside. There, something was trudging across the drained lake bed—now littered with wreckage—at a surprising speed.
"You took my precious water... How dare youuu!"
'Hiiie!'
"Was that... Moreau?"
'I didn't hear anything about him being able to walk!'
Chasing after it, the figure vanished behind some debris. I followed into the ruins of a house, where I found an attache case containing an extended magazine for the handgun and a diary on a shelf. Reading it revealed that the Lycans were villagers mutated by something called "Cadou" implanted in them. Moreau had conducted those experiments, and Miranda sought a "strong vessel." So Rose is that vessel...?
'...Let's get her back soon. I've got a bad feeling about this.'
"Yeah. First, Moreau. Time to settle things with that puke freak."
I attached the extended magazine. Stashing the trunk in a convenient ruin, I dual-wielded the Samurai Edge and proceeded deeper. As Evelyn soared into the air, she called out a warning—just as it burst through the wall ahead.
'Incoming!'
"Tch!"
"Miranda Mama, this time... I'll do it for real...!"
A colossal monster blending fish and amphibian features, covered in countless eyes. Moreau's true form dangled like a tongue from its maw—honestly, revolting. I unloaded both handguns into it, but it charged without flinching.
"I'm no slowpoke!"
"No choice... Shield, Evelyn!"
'On it!'
Moreau's charge was met by mold forming a shield around my Samurai Edge-gripping hand. As his main body lunged to grab me, I pumped every bullet I had into it.
"Ggyaaaah!? T-Take this... this too!"
"Guh...!?"
The ferocious body slam hit the shield, hurling me far into the wreckage. Dammit, with this size difference, even the shield can't handle it.
"Don't run awayyy!"
"You're the one who sent me flying!"
'Reinforcing your left arm!'
I blocked a forelimb strike with my right shield, using the momentum to retreat. Then, with my left hand gripping the mold-reinforced grenade launcher, I fired point-blank—Moreau writhed in pain.
"Gyaah!? Y-You bastarddd!"
"What!?"
'That's way too gross!?'
Moreau spewed green sludge-like vomit from his mouth. I instinctively shielded my head with the shield, but I heard it dissolving. Glancing down, parts of my clothes and weapons were melting too. My mold-covered hands and head were fine. Stomach acid like sulfuric? One hit, and I'm done.
"This is... my special reserveee!"
'Gyaahhhh! Dirty rain! It won't hit me, but ewww!?'
"Yeah, can't get soaked in that."
Climbing atop debris, Moreau puffed up like a blowfish and sprayed the sludge skyward, raining down filthy acid. I scrambled under a ruined house's roof for cover. A full dose would melt me entirely. What now?
"Love me... Mama."
'Mmm. Reminds me of old me—go get him!'
"If I could, I would!"
"There you areee!"
My hiding spot exposed, I bolted as Moreau charged and demolished it. Then I spotted something good: an undamaged powder keg, likely submerged before but dry now. Timing it as he neared, I blasted it with shotgun pellets—boom! Massive explosion. Moreau collapsed, his main body lolling out.
'Nice shot!'
"Ugyaaahhhh! ...That's cheappp..."
"Take this too!"
Closing in on the downed Moreau, I fired shotgun blasts at zero range repeatedly. Screaming and thrashing, his main body retreated into the mouth. Then a forelimb swung at me. I raised the shield instinctively, but it slammed my gut, smashing me into the muck. Damn, that hurt...!
"Please, Miranda Mama... I'll try hard..."
'Ethan's in trouble!? Y-You... What do you mean "Mama," you mama's boy! Fatso! Ugly! Puke freak! Fish failure! Doesn't having your home in your mouth make you sad?! Your mom's got an outie belly button!'
"W-W-What did you saaaayyyy!"
Evelyn zipped behind Moreau, hurling insults. Enraged, he whirled and chased her, awkwardly lumbering across the ground to show off. Now's my chance—recovery... I pulled out first aid, lifted my shirt, and doused the bruise on my abdomen. There. Pain's gone.
"You, youuu! You bratty girl, don't mock me and Miranda Mamaaa!"
'Calling yourself "me-sama"—total mama's boy, so gross!'
"Gaaaaahhhh!"
...Evelyn's drawing him in brutally. Should've brought landmines.
"Why! Why does everyone bully meee!"
'I thought that once too! Why does everyone hate me?! I cried from the bottom of my heart! But if you want someone to like you, you can't be a jerk!'
Evelyn responded to Moreau's heartfelt cry with words from her own experience. ...Yeah, you've really turned into a good kid.
"You're just like meee!"
'No way. Unlike you, who nobody likes, Ethan likes me. Right, Papa?'
"You! You! You had another kid besides Roseee!?"
"...Yeah, no blood relation, and we fought to the death, but she's my kid."
Redirecting his fury, Moreau charged me. I braced with Evelyn's massively reinforced right-arm shield, taking the full-weight tackle. This time, digging in my feet, I didn't budge!
'Ethan!'
"Don't worry, this is nothing... Don't underestimate a dad!"
"If I kill you, everyone will... respect me!"
I bashed with the shield, pulling back briefly. As he snapped at me, I blocked with the right shield while grabbing the grenade launcher left-handed and shoving it into his gaping maw.
"Wha... Youuu! Don't look at me like thaaat!"
'You're just like me. Death's your salvation.'
"This one's on me—blow away, puke freak."
With Evelyn's cold pronouncement, I pulled the trigger and shield-bashed him flying. Moreau agonized over the internal explosion, his massive body swelling even larger. Unable to comprehend his defeat, he clawed at his head and screamed.
"Why, why! Why aren't you scared of meee!?"
"You lot? Evelyn scared me way more than any of you."
'Hey.'
"But stealing my daughter? You bastards are the ones I can't forgive!"
"Dammit!! Help! Mamaaa! Mamaaaaaaaaa—!?"
Then, a massive burst. Flesh scattered everywhere, leaving only his gem-like compound eyes gleaming. I pocketed them, just in case.
"What a filthy bastard to the end—makes me sick! ...You okay, Evelyn?"
'...Yeah. That Mother whatever... Not just for chopping up Rose, but personally, I can't forgive her anymore...'
"Same here. I'll punch her at least once."
Retrieving the trunk, I left the scene. Following what must've been the underwater exit Moreau mentioned, I entered a tunnel leading to what seemed like his room. Lit by the TV's glow, I read a diary there: Heisenberg was the one who suggested splitting Rose to ensure everyone gathered for the ceremony. Rose is the vessel to revive Miranda's long-dead child. And one page was filled entirely with Moreau's "no, no" fears of being abandoned.
'That last part doesn't matter.'
"Don't say that. Hmm, this is...?'
A strange large jar on the desk caught my eye, labeled "Cadou." Beside it, a part that seemed to fit the four-winged fetus key.
"So this is Cadou... What made the Lycans and all."
'Hmm, kinda déjà vu...'
"And this is the last piece?"
Attaching it completed a six-winged fetus key. Reminds me of Miranda... As I pondered, the static-filled TV suddenly displayed a chess knight-like emblem. We both jumped, then his voice echoed.
≪"Not bad, better than expected."≫
"That voice... Heisenberg!"
≪"Glad you remember me—we just met, after all."≫
Heisenberg. The voice of the bastard who dismembered Rose made us both tense up.
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