Chapter 33
The armored figure, standing as if witnessing the death of a lover, began to twist and contort, its armor rippling like fish scales, merging with the horse to take on a grotesque form.
It was an upper body clad in armor and a horse’s lower half, resembling a centaur from mythology, yet its pale blue hue suggested something different.
A pale horse, a symbol of death, drew a spear-like sword and took a stance.
“…Evade!”
Relying on instinct, Kevin shouted and immediately threw himself forward, causing some to instinctively press against the wall.
Krrrk, krrrrk!
Soon, a storm of sharp spears erupted towards the corridor, revealing its deadly intent. There was no time for screams. Living and inanimate objects alike were shredded, blood splattering on the white ceiling, and only a few managed to survive.
Clang.
The knight of death, having delivered its carnage to the corridor, reached Marie with a single leap. The horse’s knees, which seemed never to bend, touched the ground, and the sharp spiked gloves fell away, revealing its pale and lukewarm hand.
Tap.
The hand touched Marie’s cheek.
Though the motion was unexpectedly calm rather than the violent outburst anticipated, Kevin, barely surviving, recognized it as an ominous sign. These damned anomalies were like children or puppies; when they were quiet, it was often the most dangerous time.
“Damn it.”
He fumbled in his jacket for the detonation device. His gaze shifted between the marionette with its arms outstretched toward a barely alive team member, the sewn-mouthed man reanimating the shattered corpses as puppets, and the knight.
He sighed. It was better to blow the whole place up than to let these things run rampant.
Huff.
He pressed the button, hoping for a painless death.
“…?”
However, despite waiting, there was no sound of an explosion. The only noise was the occasional crackle from the damaged wiring caused by the rampaging monsters. The corridor remained silent, with only the faint moans of the barely surviving team members reverberating across the floor.
“There’s no explosives.”
An unbelievable voice reached his ears.
His eyes widened as he turned towards the end of the corridor.
“Before you arrived, J had already cleared everything away…”
Marie Garcia.
Despite the blood she had lost, Marie was inexplicably unharmed. She stood up, holding the knight’s hand, her clothes spotless and her skin smooth and unblemished beneath the torn fabric.
Ripples of transparent tentacles flowed around her.
This was an outcome that none, including him, could have anticipated. Hence, some things began to make sense.
“An anomalous entity…”
An unforeseen anomaly.
A completely transformed SCP was staring down at him.
Case 10: Cleanup
Kevin struggled to comprehend the situation, right up until the very end. It was his role to remain calm and make clear judgments. First, he recalled the identity of the transparent tentacles swirling around Marie.
The transparent jelly eraser.
It cautiously wrapped around Marie’s body, causing wounds, scratches, bloodstains, and dust to disappear each time. This realization made Kevin let out a bitter laugh. It became clear why Marie had appeared so fearlessly before the armed team—she had this.
If he had an extra life, he might have taken risks once in a while too.
“When did you become aware of our assault?” Kevin asked.
“Almost right before it happened.”
Marie picked up a shard of mirror that had bounced from somewhere and showed it to Kevin. Her reflection moved independently within the fragment, displaying images that seemed to fluctuate and change.
“The magic mirror can detect anything that appears in its reflection.”
“Ah.”
“So, I asked for the explosives to be removed. The location was revealed by my magic mirror, Spiegel.”
Marie, who had been explaining somewhat awkwardly, fell silent. Her eyes were filled with sadness, not over the fact that she nearly died or the pain she endured from the knife wounds.
“But it didn’t reveal that I’m an SCP.”
Her struggle with the fact that she was an anomalous entity was evident. It was clear that she was very confused and distressed.
<Lady, please don’t be sad.>
The man with the sewn mouth said softly
Despite the menacing presence of the knight, who stomped threateningly, the marionette troupe leader, unperturbed, knelt on one knee to meet Marie’s gaze, his expression one of gentle concern.
<What kind of performance should I put on for you to smile?>
The softly spoken words contrasted starkly with the blood-soaked surroundings, creating an eerie atmosphere.
<I can do anything for you.>
“Why?”
<Because I love you.>
Marie’s expression tightened at the mention of love.
Love.
What a tiresome word.
It was a word that had only brought her pain and isolation, a word that had shaped her into the solitary, monstrous being she had become.
She took the cotton doll, once covered in blood but now cleaned and smelling of stale dust thanks to the transparent tendrils, into her arms. The gesture was a mix of comfort and sorrow.
Her heart, still tumultuous, slowly began to calm as she looked around at the carnage.
Her gaze then turned to the few surviving team members and Kevin, whose blood loss had reached critical levels. It was time to move on to the next stage.
“…You see all of this, don’t you?”
Her eyes fixed on a corner of the room.
She was looking at the sole functioning CCTV camera.
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