Dirty Baals... A really unusual and kinda controversial name.
Especially considering they didn't look that different from humans.
Their skin tone depended on sun exposure and birthplace, but was generally near-white.
The main difference from humans was their nose. It resembled a human snub nose, exaggerated to an extreme. The tip was sharp and very high, and the nose itself was small.
From the side, it could vaguely resemble a pig's snout or a severed nose. But if you put aside your prejudices, it looked quite cute.
The Dirty Baals also had a few amusing details. For example, one of the teeth, usually one front fang, peeked out from behind the lip. Another difference from humans was their long, pointed ears, which looked surprisingly attractive...
But that was about it, really.
So where did all the hatred for these creatures come from?
Asking himself this question during one of his sleepless nights, Mr. Nobody decided to start a conversation with Paymax.
At the time, Paymax's friendliness level was still at twenty percent.
"Listen, what kind of creatures are they anyway? Dirty Baals."
"A very interesting question... Mr. Nobody, I can give you several answers. The first is based on official data, the second on mythology, and the third... is my personal answer, tailored specifically for you. Which would you prefer?"
Paymax did not always respond in this manner. He only used that kind of variation in special situations.
"As far as I understand, in Concord, you have to be careful — both with official history and with myths... Then let's go with the third option."
"Great! With your permission, I'll begin... According to legend, the Peak of Havoc decided to bestow its fiery gift upon the world once again. It was then that the well-known Comet of Havoc appeared."
"…The one that comes around once every 50 years?"
"That's right, and its first arrival was truly special. Legend says the Peak of Havoc carried twins in its womb. With the first arrival of the Comet, the two offspring were born into our world and began to sow their seeds everywhere."
"…"
"An interesting fact is that the children, even though they were twins, were not equal. Quite the opposite, in fact. Unlike the older twin, who took all the most terrible and frightening aspects of Havoc, the younger one became rather pitiful and inherited only a few vicious traits: cunning, a love of filth, some of the beauty of Havoc, and most importantly, an intolerance of sleep. It was the seeds of this spawn that later came to be called the Dirty Baals."
"That's... unusual."
"Some of these traits stood out sharply compared to humans. For those who could and those who wanted to, it was easy to exploit those traits, and voila! Now, almost everyone hates the Dirty Baals more than cockroaches."
"But why would anyone need that? You mentioned that, according to legend, these creatures were created by the Peak of Havoc. If so, it is logical that hatred for these creatures could somehow affect their mother, the Peak. As far as I know, hatred toward Dirty Baals exists only in Concord, so does that mean..."
"Whoever spread hatred for these creatures wanted to harm the Peak of Havoc?"
"...Yes."
"Mr. Nobody, following the third directive, I am obligated to protect and support my user. Therefore, I am forced to remind you… Do not ask such questions to everyone, and refrain from discussing such topics in inappropriate places. At least until you leave Concord."
"..."
"These questions may lead to information that, for your own safety, it is better... not to know."
"...I see. Then how can I get an answer to this question?"
This time, the hologram of the planet popped out of the bracelet, clad in a black cloak covered in dark purple fire.
"Your advanced intelligence is ready to help you with that! I will provide the answer in a safe form... Following the rules of the big game, Big Brother decided to tease Big Sister and unleashed his insects on her." The hologram of the planet smiled slyly and giggled maliciously. "What expression would appear on the face of their precious mother whose precious children are despised even by pathetic cockroaches?"
Paymax laughed — low and vicious.
Advanced intelligence was disturbingly adept at playing the role of a powerful villain.
And sometimes, just like now... This talent was not only impressive but also frightening.
…
"…beat the shit out of these bastards!" shouted Paymax.
That shout was the spark that ignited the slaughter.
"***!!!"
"***!!!"
The Dirty Baals in the car let out a furious cry, mixing the pain of their comrade's death with hatred for their enemy.
"..." Sensing something bad was about to happen, Mr. Nobody quickly jumped away from the driver's corpse and...
*Boom!*
*Boom!*
Two electric rifle blasts from the car.
The shots tore huge holes in the smoke from his grenade, which had almost dissipated.
*Booomm!* Without looking, he fired his revolver in response and ran behind the car himself.
Now the smoke was almost useless.
'Shit!' he thought.
He heard the whistling sounds of his own bullet. It ricocheted off the armored walls of the car and tore wildly through the interior.
Of course, this way it could damage one of the enemies, but it could also damage his target!
And the consequences of such actions were frighteningly unpredictable.
"…Paymax. Voice trap," he said.
A moment later, a tiny light lit up in the dissipating smoke, followed by Mr. Nobody's voice speaking in the Dirty Baals' tongue.
"*****...***?"
'Listen, I know we got off on the wrong foot... But maybe we can agree and not kill each other?'
"**!!!" Paymax didn't even need to translate. The answer came in the form of...
*Boom-boom-boom!* Four more rifle shots rang out.
The unpleasant, shocking sounds of the shots made Mr. Nobody's insides twist.
He had seen similar rifle models before. If asked to describe their effect in two words, he would say: annihilation and molecular disassembly.
'Damn...' he thought, trying to be quiet as he hid behind the car.
"****!!!"
The Dirty Baals were shouting something in his direction and periodically firing at the area.
But at the same time, they were in no hurry to get out of the car, apparently afraid that the enemy would catch them off guard.
'Things are really bad...' he thought.
His heart began to beat at an alarming rate.
The guards could continue to sit in the car, simply waiting for him to make a mistake, act rashly, or call for backup. Time was on their side.
In addition, the Dirty Baals had particularly keen hearing, and it wouldn't be long before they discovered his location.
As for him, he had run out of tricks. The smoke and the voice trap had both failed. At the same time, waiting for his motorcycle to arrive was simply irrational and suicidal.
"****!!!"
*Bang-bang!*
"...What did he say, Paymax?" he whispered, leaning his back against the side of the car.
The cries of an enraged Dirty Baal could be heard right behind him.
"Literal translation: You're shit. I'll fry and bake you along with the shit, you dirty bastard," Paymax replied just as quietly.
"Haah..."
He exhaled wearily and glanced at his revolver.
It had long been clear to him that this weapon was not simple and most likely contained some kind of supernatural power.
But could its monstrous power help him now...
"..." He pulled his fingers toward the power slider.
Following Marcel's warnings, he used the revolver only in safe mode and did not raise the power slider above 60 percent.
However, he knew that by raising the power level to 85 percent, his metal arm would definitely survive...
*Clang!* There was a loud sound of metal striking metal right behind him.
"***!!"
Dirty Baal, who was in the car, struck the car's armored body right where Mr. Nobody's head was.
It was just a coincidence. Most likely, he was just expressing his anger and hadn't yet figured out his location...
But it created an opportunity. Now, Mr. Nobody knew exactly where his opponent was.
*Click* The revolver was cocked again, and the power slider rose to... 86 percent.
"..." He moved away from the car and aimed the barrel at the spot where the Dirty Baal was supposed to be.
All that remained was to find out whether his revolver's bullet could punch through the armored plating — and the Dirty Baal's skull behind it.