Chapter 52
Chapter 52
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter Title: Auriel, Truly Dead?
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Auriel. Is she truly dead?
If she really died, what is the state of the barrier? Could her son have repaired it by any chance?
This raid was to probe those questions.
A massive raid that reduced an entire district to rubble. Damage on a scale that would disrupt the central administration—utterly different from the previous chimeras.
Yet days had passed with no response whatsoever. Even accounting for their vigilance against attacks outside the city, this was excessive. If Auriel were alive. Or even if the barrier were still intact, they never would have handled it this way.
Kahtael was convinced.
Auriel had given birth to her child and died, and that son— the guy called Black U-sol—still couldn't fully wield his powers.
In other words, now was the perfect moment.
"It's certain. Auriel is dead, and the barrier is incomplete."
Kahtael said, twisting the corner of his mouth. A single woman stood before him.
"Then we go in head-on for real?"
"Yes."
Kahtael nodded at the woman's question.
"Gather all the magic beasts in one place. Then break through at a single point."
And—
"Shatter the barrier and enter the city."
As Kahtael finished speaking, Betty materialized out of thin air right on cue.
"I'm baaack~."
Thud. Betty landed on the floor and spoke.
"...Why'd you come alone?"
"Ah. Anis didn't wanna come."
The woman beside Kahtael reacted with utter disbelief at Betty's words.
"No, didn't you go with her to drag her back by force?"
"She said no—how was I supposed to drag her? And Han was just there as my escort."
"...Never mind that. So where's Han? Why didn't he come with you?"
Kahtael, who had been watching their exchange, finally spoke up.
"...Ah."
"Ah?"
"I forgot."
Kahtael's and the woman's faces crumpled in unison.
"......Go back and get him."
"Yep."
Betty answered briskly and tried to activate her ability to head back—but
"Huh?"
Nothing happened.
"Uh... I'm out of mana. Guess I used too much. Hehe."
"......"
Kahtael pressed a hand to his forehead and squeezed his eyes shut. He desperately wanted to flick her skull.
"...Camilla. Any way to contact Han?"
"Pfft. You know we don't even have phones, let alone IDs."
Camilla, the blue-haired woman, waved him off with a laugh at Kahtael's question.
"It's a headache."
Kahtael sighed. Betty's mana would take at least a day to recover, and there was no guarantee Han would stick around. No—he'd probably moved already.
By tomorrow, when Betty could go fetch him, it'd be too late.
"...Guess we wait till Han comes out of the city on his own?"
"He'll have a tough time solo. He's a pretty infamous villain among heroes—won't even get near the entrance without getting nabbed."
"...He can sneak out."
"The guy's dumber than he looks. Bet he'll march right up to the checkpoint."
Kahtael kneaded his temples.
"What a pain."
"He'll manage."
"What a pain."
The long-haired man—Han—muttered.
"No sign of them coming back means they forgot completely. Looks like I'll have to walk."
Han let out a sigh and gazed at the sky. He cut a rather pitiful figure.
"Anis! Please!! Be careful!!"
Yoon Na-rin yelled at me. At her desperate plea, I backed off, summoned my weapon, and assumed a stance.
Roar—! Yoon Na-rin's flames engulfed everything in front. The man standing idly there seemed utterly consumed.
"Not bad at all. Mana output, power, speed—solid across the board."
Slash—!
With a casual sword swing, Han cleaved the flames into ribbons that vanished.
"But did you really need such a wide attack? Great for crowds, maybe, but against a lone foe? Not so much. Spread-out mana makes it easy to dismantle."
Roar—! Yoon Na-rin launched another strike. Same result—the flames died to a single cut.
"For a solo target like me, try honing it smaller and sharper. Like a spear shape. Tougher to pull off, sure, but tighter focus amps the power and speed."
"Like hell—are you my teacher now!?"
Yoon Na-rin's face twisted in irritation as she spat her frustration. Han scratched his head sheepishly.
"...Sorry if that irked you. I just can't help offering pointers."
"You're insane!?"
Her outburst didn't last; Yoon Na-rin froze, realizing she'd snapped too hard—worried it'd set him off. But she shook it off and glared anew.
Han's lips parted as he observed closely.
"Impressive how your drive to protect a friend overpowered your fear. Scared of me, yet scrambling for a way out. No real breakthrough yet, though."
Yoon Na-rin's face shifted uncomfortably, as if her thoughts had been laid bare.
"...Er, apologies if that's upsetting. My power's a sort of mind-reading—picks up stray emotions. Can't parse full thoughts, but I can guess. Curiosity gets the better of me sometimes."
Addressing Yoon Na-rin like that, Han turned to me.
"You look conflicted. Didn't probe deep, but what I caught was chaotic, unstable... contradictory."
"......"
I eyed Han's rambling monologue, thinking:
'This guy's quieter than he looks, but damn, he won't shut up.'
Annoying.
"......"
Han glanced my way, fell silent briefly, then spoke in a subdued tone.
"...Anyway, no plans to hurt either of you. Relax."
Yoon Na-rin's tension eased at his words. Han paused thoughtfully before continuing.
"Heroes from other districts will show soon. Mind keeping quiet about me? Hate being hunted."
"Why would we?"
"In exchange, I won't kill you here and now."
"Fine. Secret's safe."
No. No harm intended, my ass—flips in a heartbeat. Sneaky prick. I tsked inwardly.
"Appreciate it."
Han turned and leaped to the building rooftop, vanishing.
"What a lunatic."
"Tell me about it."
I nodded along to Yoon Na-rin's cursing, scanning the area.
Three corpses caught my eye. I asked Yoon Na-rin:
"...That guy from earlier do this?"
"...Yeah."
I stared blankly at the bodies.
More precisely, the inscription carved above the corpses.
"......"
Staring at those words, the guilt gnawing at my heart's corner began to dissolve. No—a thrill of satisfaction bubbled up.
Dead? So what?
It's just a novel.
Characters in a story.
Even if I killed them. Even if it was my fault.
Why should I feel guilty?
I kept staring vacantly.
One thing was crystal clear.
Something inside me had broken this time.
Like spectating the world from one step removed. Maybe that's why I'd bantered so freely with that Han guy.
But ironically...
"...Anis. You okay?"
"...Yeah."
Yoon Na-rin's single phrase.
This one line laced with worry and kindness.
It hit me: I'm part of this world too.
That I'm alive. That I exist.
That someone needs me.
That's why I can't quit being a hero.
I have to risk my life, throw myself into the fray to save them.
Prove it. That I'm human like you.
I know. I feel the same.
One more voice in my head.
A little later, heroes from other districts arrived for backup. Elise and Flo must've called in reinforcements when they mobilized.
If you're coming, hurry the hell up—such slowpokes.
"Th-this...!"
The reinforcements freaked out at the three bodies, fumbling in panic. Rookie heroes through and through.
Maybe late was better. Early arrival? That guy would've shredded them.
I spoke to the tense, stammering heroes.
"Villain named Han did all this. He bolted."
Secret pact? What pact? Forgotten.
Fucking prick—his word-flip pissed me off. Enjoy the manhunt. I relayed the guy's details I'd overheard from Yoon Na-rin.
"Alias is Thousand Killer Ghost or something. Issue a warrant, stat."
"Th-Thousand Killer Ghost!?"
Their eyes bugged out. What—he that big a deal? Probably already wanted.
Yoon Na-rin and I headed to the hospital. Our wounds weren't hospitalization-level, but the heroes fussed over cleanup and shooed us off.
Chasing minor merits from the dispatch? Or just polite? Who knows.
"Haa..."
In the car to the hospital, I leaned against the window and shut my eyes.
Thus ended a day long if long, short if short.