Macho

To think that even in this twisted nightmare trial, Venti, who was supposed to be his enemy, had chosen to help him, putting her own existence at risk... She had defied the rules of the trial to help him, and in doing so, she had been removed from the game. It made no sense. Why would she sacrifice herself for him? A monster that took on Venti's appearance. Did it perhaps also take on his feelings as well? For a moment, he wondered if he was going crazy.

When he reached the end of the hallway, he heard a faint scream behind him.

"Food!"

The scream was in a high pitch that was very familiar.

'Paimon.'

Turning around, he...

...

..

.

Started running.

***

Yomite raced down the hallways, his breath growing ragged as he began to tire.

How long had he been running? Twenty or so minutes already?

Wasn't the exit supposed to be close? Paimon—or rather, that "thing"—continued to chase him.

Was this actually Paimon? A three-meter giant, with bulging muscles ready to explode.

It looked like it had been sculpted out of rock, but it was more detailed than one would expect. The way its muscles moved, the way it walked, its very presence was undeniably inhuman.

"Little. Pig. Little. Pig. No. More. Escape."

"Damn it!" Yomite dove off the nearest staircase, rolling down the stairs and landing on the floor below with a heavy thud.

He picked up his head and saw that the creature was at the top of the stairs, looking down upon him with a creepy grin.

"Emergency. Food. Heheheh. You. Can't. Escape. Paimon."

Yomite's heart pounded in his chest as he scrambled to his feet and bolted down the corridor. His frail form was more than exhausted, and if he didn't take a break soon, he would undoubtedly vomit.

The monstrous Paimon pursued him relentlessly, every large, terrifying, echoing footstep a reminder of the terror that hunted him.

The horrifying creature, nothing like the Paimon he knew, relentlessly pursued him.

Paimon's massive muscles flexed and pulsed with every movement, as if they were capable of splitting the very air.

The enormous arms and legs that propelled her forward seemed like they could easily crush Yomite with a single blow.

The sheer size of her powerful, sinewy body was a force to be reckoned with, instilling terror in Yomite's heart.

Her face, as large as two watermelons, was a grotesque distortion of the familiar Paimon he once knew.

Her eyes, usually full of curiosity and mischief, were now cold and lifeless, sending chills down Yomite's spine.

Her wide, menacing grin was filled with rows of sharp, gnarled teeth, giving her the appearance of a predator, eager for its next meal.

"Little. Pig. Little. Pig. Little. Pig," the monstrous Paimon growled, her voice a bone-chilling rumble that echoed through the endless corridors.

Yomite's legs felt like they were on fire as he pushed himself to keep moving. He knew he couldn't outrun this monstrosity forever.

His eyes frantically scanned the area as he sprinted down the hallway, searching for a place to hide or something to use as a weapon.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a door with a sign that read "Kitchen."

Desperate, he dashed into the room and slammed the door shut behind him.

He knew it wouldn't hold the monstrous Paimon back for long, but it was the best he could do at the moment.

The room was dimly lit, filled with rows of stainless steel countertops, stoves, and refrigerators.

The scent of lingering spices and cooked food permeated the air. Yomite quickly scanned the area, searching for something, anything, that could help him. Knives, pots, pans – none of these would be of any use against that thing.

As he continued searching, the pounding of Paimon's footsteps grew louder, and Yomite knew she was right outside the door. He braced himself for the inevitable.

With a terrifying roar, Paimon effortlessly ripped the door from its hinges with one of her giant hands, sending splinters flying.

Yomite's heart leaped into his throat as he stared at the massive creature standing in the doorway, her cold eyes locked onto his.

"Little. Pig. Little. Pig," Paimon taunted, her voice a low, menacing growl. "Found. You."

Yomite's breath caught in his chest, he could no longer run, his mind racing for a plan. He had to do something.

Anything.

'Think. Think. Think! You're not that dumb Yomite! Think of something!"

Then, a flicker of hope caught his eye – a large industrial-sized fire extinguisher mounted on the wall. He didn't know if it would work, but it was his only chance.

With a burst of adrenaline, Yomite lunged for the fire extinguisher, unhooked it from the wall, and aimed it at the monstrous Paimon. He pulled the trigger, releasing a torrent of foam and CO2 at her.

The creature roared in surprise and confusion, momentarily blinded and disoriented by the sudden attack, but when he tried to run away, he noticed that Paimon had absorbed all of it and ate the foam that was shot at her.

"Se-Seriously!?"

Yomite stared in disbelief as Paimon effortlessly devoured the foam from the fire extinguisher, the chemicals seemingly having no effect on her monstrous form.

As the foam disappeared into her gaping maw, Yomite's mind raced, searching for any other way to fend her off.

That's when it hit him: Paimon was always a heavy eater, consuming large quantities of food without hesitation.

'Perhaps if I feed her...'

He frantically began grabbing everything he could find in the kitchen - fruits, vegetables, cooked meats, and even uncooked ingredients. He threw them at the monstrous Paimon, hoping that she would be compelled to eat them.

To his amazement, Paimon caught the food in mid-air and began stuffing it into her mouth.

As she consumed the food, she seemed to shrink slightly with each bite.

Yomite didn't waste any time, continuing to throw food at her as fast as he could find it.

As Paimon continued to eat, she grew smaller and smaller, her massive form gradually shrinking back to a more familiar size.

Her frightening, lifeless eyes began to regain their warmth and curiosity, and her menacing grin softened, replaced by the playful smile Yomite remembered.

Finally, after consuming all the food he had thrown at her, Paimon returned to her original, small fairy form.

Exhausted from the ordeal, she gently floated to the ground, fast asleep.

Yomite, panting and covered in sweat, collapsed to the floor as well, his heart still pounding from the terrifying chase.

***

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Konosuba - 15 chapters

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