Hey! This Is the Support Gap! (4)
THUD!
Gah-!
The veteran Angel commander lay sprawled on the ground, having been struck down just moments ago by a being wearing golden gauntlets who had led the charge for the Demon Lord Diablo’s 2nd Legion.
As the Demon Legion Commander slowly approached and lifted a foot to crush her throat, the commander writhed in agony, her mind consumed by the thought of her impending end.
"Gah-! Gack! Hrk-hrk-hrk... huff... huff... sob... sob..."
When the Legion Commander finally withdrew her foot, having squeezed the very last breath out of her, the Angel commander gasped for air, weeping in despair at her own helplessness.
She could hear the Legion Commander shouting at her:
"And to think, my sister lost to a bunch of pathetic Angel soldiers like you! My sister! The sister I actually acknowledge-!"
"..."
Only then did the commander understand. The reason the Demon Legion Commander had personally led her elite troops to invade this place was nothing more than to vent her own frustrations.
"Move faster, you idiots!"
"I always knew you Angel bitches were slow as hell!"
"I’m not even asking you to run... just walk, you wretches!"
Watching the Demon Legion Commander and her high-ranking subordinates slowly drift away while her own troops were persecuted by the demon soldiers, the commander felt a crushing sense of resentment.
'If only we had that kind of strength... or support... we could have at least put up a fight... it’s so lamentable...'
!!!
As tears of frustration streamed down her face, the commander suddenly recalled what the Demon Legion Commander had shouted earlier, and her eyes widened.
'And to think, my sister lost to a bunch of pathetic Angel soldiers like you! My sister! The sister I actually acknowledge-!'
A few days ago, on the day they had achieved victory against the Demon 1st Legion... she remembered the words the human hero had spoken while facing a massive red wave alongside her own gleaming white full-plate armor and sword.
'That red wave is likely our side's power.'
Back then, the human hero had clearly said the red wave was their power. And indeed, just as the hero had said, that red wave had restored them... and empowered by that strength, they had surged forward and pushed back the Demon 1st Legion.
As she recalled more of the conversation, another phrase the human hero had uttered surfaced in her mind.
'Is that... that man's ability...? You said it was recovery...?'
A man...? A human... man??
Was he talking about the being who had fallen from the sky during the massive legion-wide total war?
It was really... a human man...?
It had only been a rumor until now...
That red wave had been an incredible power—one that instantly restored allied soldiers who were on the verge of collapse from injuries and prolonged combat, allowing them to return to the fray.
And yet... that incredible power... was used by a human man...?
No, it didn't matter who it was.
Please...
Just once...
Just one more time...
I want to feel that power again...
Sob...
As if to answer her prayer, a sound that brought peace to her heart just by hearing it echoed from afar.
WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-
!!!
It... it came. It really came!
One more time...
A chance to fight!
The commander felt a desperate longing to see that massive red wave she had witnessed before. Hurry... please, hurry... hurry!!!
VROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM-!
It’s... it’s coming!
The sound she had craved finally arrived. Life began to return to the eyes of the Angel soldiers who had been cornered, and to the commander who had been drowning in the despair of her own incompetence.
Just as the saying goes, "Speak of the tiger and he shall appear." I thought the appearance of the "Airhead Angel" meant a chance to quickly collect coins, but at the same time, a wave of worry washed over me.
Wait, two legions are deployed?
Why?
For what reason???
As if anticipating my question, the answer spilled from the Airhead Angel’s lips.
"It seems the biggest reason was that you pushed the 1st Legion out of the occupied territory a while ago."
No sooner had she finished speaking than all the heroes’ gazes shifted toward me. Following their lead, the Airhead Angel’s eyes locked onto mine.
"Eek-!"
"?"
The Airhead Angel gaped at me, looking utterly horrified.
?????
Why?
What’s with that reaction?
I remember her treating my buff ability like trash, asking what I was even using it for... but why now?
Was she awestruck by how superior my ability was? Did she finally get the picture?
At her reaction, countless hooks in my brain snagged onto various thoughts, and I eagerly anticipated what she would say next.
And then...
The words that came out of her mouth left me...
"Ah... a-a-a... you’re still alive!?"
"..."
She... she drove me into a state of manic agitation.
...You’re still alive?
You’re still alive?
Hey, Airhead Angel!
That statement is killing me—twice over!
Do you have any idea how hard I struggled just to stay alive?!
You knew back then that I had revealed my ability and that it was considered garbage... and you just assumed I was already dead and said it out loud?
I know you’re an angel with poor social skills, but...
Isn't this going too far?
Did you trade your intelligence for combat power?
Is that why you’re so socially inept?
I should have known when she asked me what I was using my buff ability for back then...
Judging by her words, she must have thought I was a "no-ability" type and assumed I’d been dead for a long time.
"Wow... I’m so dumbfounded I don’t even know what to say... I had a feeling when you reacted like that before, but... 'You’re still alive?'... You’re still alive? This is a serious line-crossing statement. Isn't it a bit much to assume I was already dead? Are we even allies? Do people say 'Oh, you’re not dead yet, you’re still alive?' to their allies these days...?"
Completely flabbergasted, I openly mocked her and then looked at Cheonma, who had been watching me.
"..."
"..."
Cheonma, who had locked eyes with me in the air, let out a deep sigh and looked at the Airhead Angel, trying to mediate the situation.
"Hah... Archangel. That was a very rude thing to say. Isn't it quite disrespectful to ask someone you need help from if they’re still alive?"
"... Whaaaaaat!? R-r-r-r-really!!!! R-really?! The one... I need help from... is this man...? I-I’m so, so sorry!"
"..."
At the angel’s reaction, Cheonma turned her head back to look at me.
In the eyes of Cheonma, who met my gaze, I could feel such pity that it made me think, 'She’s always like that... can’t you just bear with it?'
With a reaction like that... she really is a genuinely socially inept angel... I guess I have to be the one to understand and let it slide...
Even Cheonma probably can’t cover for that one, seriously...
Sigh... what was I expecting?
".... Let’s go quickly. If we stay any longer, I feel like I’m going to get so frustrated I’ll have a heart attack..."
"W-would that be okay? Thank you. Angel? We’ll move via Merlin’s teleport, so it would be better if you went ahead and moved with your army."
"T-thank you! But you have to come quickly! If there are two legions, even my legion can’t handle it!"
"..."
Zzzzz-ing.
Having said only what she wanted, the Airhead Angel distorted space and threw herself into a circular ring emitting a brilliant white light.
Watching the Airhead Angel disappear, I turned my head to look at the heroes. When the heroes met my eyes, they looked away one by one.
"..."
"... Well, let’s go. Are we not going?"
"That... it’s okay..."
"We have to go quickly to earn coins. Don't you want to pull the Gacha, Cheonma?"
Cheonma, who had been avoiding my gaze, looked at me at the mention of "coins," and her eyes sparkled at the word "Gacha" as she shouted.
"Gacha! I, I have to pull it! I want to pull it right now!"
"Then we have to go earn coins quickly..."
Good grief...
Just how serious is Cheonma about the Gacha?
She seemed worried about me just a moment ago... but her attitude changed instantly at the mention of the Gacha.
Judang, who had been quiet, stepped forward, peering at me as she opened her mouth.
"That... young master. Really..."
"Monk Judang. Do you not want to drink canned beer?"
"Merlin! Quickly! Quickly to the battlefield! Didn't you say every second counts? Hurry up!"
Threatened with canned beer, Monk Judang instantly ignited her fighting spirit.
Merlin sighed and stepped forward.
"But... you’re almost driven to the point of death, you know."
Ah, why is she like this too?
Unable to understand the heroes’ behavior, I sighed and asked, sounding accusatory.
"Hah... no, what’s wrong with that?"
"... What?"
Merlin’s eyes widened in surprise at my behavior, and she answered in a flustered tone.
"We’re... we’re colleagues..."
"Colleagues? Sure... we are colleagues. But we aren't exactly ordinary colleagues. We’re a mercenary-like relationship formed out of mutual necessity."
"... Why would you say that?"
"Then, are we an ordinary colleague relationship? Who says so? Who asks their colleague to prove their ability? Telling someone to die if they don't have ability is just a 'give-and-take' business relationship. Stop saying nonsense and let’s go. We don't have time."
...
....
.....
Grind...
?
Merlin, who was glaring at me and grinding her teeth, was interrupted by King Arthur, who stepped in to mediate.
"... Both of you, stop. You know the situation is terrible, so why keep doing this?"
"Arthur... I didn't mean that...!"
"Merlin. Stop."
"Tch..."
Under King Arthur’s mediation, Merlin clicked her tongue and turned her head away.
"Eodum...? You stop too..."
"Yes. Let’s go quickly."
King Arthur, seemingly dissatisfied, glared at me and continued.
"... You. Once this is settled... let’s have a talk later, okay?"
"Do as you please."
"Merlin...?"
When King Arthur called out to the sulking Merlin, she nodded and said:
"Fine... MASS TELEPORT!"
Wooooong!
Wrapped in green light, we teleported to the Angel camp.
Teleporting to the coordinates of the Angel camp that Merlin remembered, we were greeted by a horrific sight: angels, covered in blood, supporting each other as they retreated.
...
The heroes seemed used to the situation, each of them checking their gear, but having lived in modern society, this was my first time seeing such a gruesome scene, and I was left speechless, lost in a daze.
Merlin, who had been bickering with me just moments ago, couldn't wait and pressed me.
"..."
"What are you doing? Not preparing? Is this your first time seeing something like this?"
".... Yes."
"...? Did you live in some kind of earthly paradise?"
"..."
Even when I had seen blood, it was just the occasional nosebleed from pulling all-nighters studying for exams back in school... I’m not some blood-crazed demon. In modern society, how often do you get covered in blood? Unless it’s an accident, there’s no reason to see it at all... so how could I be expected to adapt so easily?
I thought that, like in novels, I would adapt to the blood quickly and accept it calmly, but the reality of the situation was completely different.
The moment the scent of blood pierced my nose and penetrated my brain,
I couldn't think of anything, and I fell into a daze.
It was as if... I was in that typical, bewildered state of a private first arriving at his unit in the military.
"....!#!%%!#! Hey! Snap out of it and get ready! Why are you suddenly staring into space?"
"..."
KABOOM-!
Merlin’s urging voice jolted my mind out of its daze, and the sound of something exploding made my senses sharp again.
Right, this isn't the time to be spacing out.
With my mind cleared, I saw the heroes, each finished with their preparations.
I thought of health potions and mana potions in my inventory and summoned them into both hands from the sub-space.
Clutching the potions tightly in both hands, I stepped forward with a determined expression, took a stance as if scratching the air, and shouted:
"... Here I go! Tsunami! RED!"
No sooner had I finished speaking than a siren sound that set everyone’s nerves on edge began to echo through the air.
WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-