#252 Acting Skills Run in the Family
Smack!
"Is this the best you've got to kill me with? Put some real effort into it! Show me some spirit!"
"Shut your trap, you bastard!"
"Die!"
"Hey! Mother-in-law said to subdue me, not kill me!"
The Green Fruit Knights—or should I say cunts—clung to me tenaciously, enduring my taunts and blows alike. By now, their asses and tits should be stinging enough to slow them down, but they swung their swords even harder.
"The Green Fruit Knights are nothing but children to Steel Armor."
"There have always been special ones among humans like that."
Huh?
I caught the voices of Saint Dunn Gwen and Risanna Gwen chatting as they watched our fight.
Humans?
Something about Risanna's words had been nagging at me since earlier. She kept emphasizing "human" like she wasn't one herself. Sure, anyone could have a phase like that around age 15. If Risanna was still stuck in hers at her age, it wasn't that weird.
Yeah, you wouldn't give me a straight answer easily. Humans are worthless trash, but every now and then, one with special powers pops up.
But her earlier words and this one felt off in nuance. She sounded like someone who'd lived for centuries. Like special humans like me always emerge among the human shit. Only someone with tons of experience could say that.
So Mother-in-law's a few hundred years old?
That didn't add up. No matter how strong your superpower, you couldn't beat lifespan limits. Especially not in a place like Dark City, where disaster could strike anytime, anywhere.
...Curious, but no need to overthink it.
I could make the whole in-law family kneel later and get the truth then. No point wracking my brain now with scraps of clues.
"Hey, ladies. Why not surrender while you can?"
"Shut your mouth, you villain!"
"Villain? I'm still the son-in-law of this house."
"Cut the bullshit!"
"Heh heh heh. Either you can't hear me at all, or it all sounds like bullshit. Woof woof, let's go for a walk."
No surrender? Fine then.
"Full power ON."
I kept the No-Kill Rule off. The Green Fruit Knights were all beauties—no way I'd kill them. Beauties are treasures!
"Neck Slice!"
"Kyaa?!"
I dodged a sword and swung my hand in a surprise chop to the woman's neck, knocking her out.
Maybe because I'd been targeting tits and asses, they got careless? They weren't guarding vital spots.
The price of carelessness was steep.
"Neck Slice!"
"Kyaak!"
The woman next to her went down the same way, eyes rolling back as she collapsed.
"Be careful!"
Only after two fell did they start protecting necks and vitals. Too late.
A tiger doesn't hunt sheep because it's full. I'd stuffed myself with gumiho an hour ago. Wait, reverse in this case? Anyway, once the tiger decides to hunt, sheep have two choices: surrender or get hunted.
Judging by their actions, no surrender in mind. So, hunted it was.
"I permit the opening of spirits."
Risanna, who'd been watching, spoke up.
Spirit opening?
"Green Fruit Mage Order. Assist the Green Fruit Knights."
Saint Dunn Gwen, head of the Gwen family, spoke too.
Green Fruit Mages? I got it quick.
"Halo!"
"Visril!"
"Vusmonger!"
The women fighting me chanted weird words.
"Huh?"
Mystical phenomena swirled around them. Fire erupted, winds howled. Water formed, earth burst from the ground to envelop them.
Excluding the two knocked out: three with fire, two with wind, one with water, four with earth.
"Guardian God of the Green Forest, lend us your divine power!"
The watching men chanted too. A bizarre force settled into them.
Superpower? No, not that.
I first thought superpowers. Everyone in the Gwen family except Elis had them. But no—this was some unknown force.
Sweet?
The element-wrapped women and empowered men smelled sweet. Not processed chocolate—real fruit sweetness.
...Nauseating.
But I caught the foul stench hidden in it. Worse than a sewer.
"Die, Steel Armor!"
Their attacks ramped up with new tricks. Swords swung with roaring flames scorching my skin, winds slicing past.
Whoosh—!
"...My suit's burning?"
Flames from a woman's sword singed my bespoke suit from Peter Elder—unscathed by S-rank Jenaraider's lightning. Incredible.
"Haat!"
A woman reached out. I felt pushed back.
"Hmph!"
I snorted hard, tensing. The push vanished.
Superpower.
"S-rank after all? No superpowers! They don't work on Steel Armor!"
I instinctively knew it was a superpower. The woman confirmed it right after.
What the hell are these guys?
Superpowers and mystery forces. The Gwen family had as many secrets as me.
"Guardian God of the Green Forest! Punish this foul defiler!"
"What? Foul?"
Me? A gentle, clean guy like me? Foul?
You're dead, buddy. I'll remember that face.
Anyway, the Green Fruit Mages attacked. They reached out, bizarre power surging from their hands.
Thud—!
"Hmph!"
It hit like a heavy iron ball.
"...Heh heh heh. Look at these fuckers."
The woman's psychokinesis was manageable. But the men's mystery power? It pushed me back a full step. Had to retreat to fully absorb it.
"Haaaaat!"
"Guardian God of the Green Forest!"
Their assault didn't stop— fiercer now. I was slowly pushed back.
"Th-this can't be! What the hell is this power?! Never heard of it! Who the hell are you people?!"
I yelled at the Gwen family in shock.
"Haaaaat!"
"Guardian God of the Green Forest!"
No answers—just more attacks.
"Enough."
Saint raised a hand. They halted.
He walked through them.
"Get it now, Steel Armor? The gap between us? No matter how special a human you are, you're still human. You can't surpass racial limits, so you'll never beat us."
"Never beat you? So shocking, tears are coming! Scary! Who are you? What's this 'racial limit' crap?!"
"Still got fight in you. That arrogant tone hasn't changed."
"...S-sorry."
"Hmph. Much better."
Saint's lip twitched up. Seemed genuine.
"What are you? And that power—what was it? Never heard of anything that strong!"
"Of course not. It's the source of power only we possess—something pathetic humans like you can't touch."
"Please! Tell me! What is it?!"
"...Daring to order me?"
"Eek! Sorry! I deserve death!"
I dropped to my knees before Saint.
"Spare my life, please! You know who I am! I'm super useful! If you let me live, I'll serve the Gwen family to my dying breath!"
"Heh. Power belongs to those worthy of it, yet you wield far too much. You don't even know how frail you are."
"Yes! I'm frail! I've been arrogant! Please, just spare me!"
"Hmmm... What to do..."
Saint pondered, looking down. Risanna approached.
"Make him a slave."
"A slave?"
"Yes. Use him to take Sanctuary Corp and Dark City for us."
"Hm... He's got uses."
Saint nodded after a moment.
"You're the Gwen family's slave now. Got it?"
"Thank you! I'll ring my slave bell loud and proud! Thanks for sparing me!"
I bowed repeatedly. Saint turned away, done with me.
I asked, "Um... so who are you really? And what was that power?"
"..."
Saint turned back, voice icy. "No need for you to know. Just serve the Gwen family."
"..."
No answer. I stood.
"Hey."
"...What?"
"You fucking father-in-law prick. All that slave talk when you won't even tell me shit? Pisses me off. Hey, kneel. I knelt to you, so you kneel to me. Fair's fair."
"Y-you madman...!"
"Madman's you. Don't you know who I am?"
I crossed my arms, grinning. "Steel Armor, baby. Think I'd really kneel to a shit-tier father-in-law like you?"
"...If you wanna die that bad, fine. Kill the worm."
Saint finally realized I'd played him.
Why's our cutie Rachel so good at acting? She takes after me. Blood or not, our bond and family love let her inherit my skills. Hereditary talent.
Snap—!
Element women charged; mystery men reached out.
"Tch. Thought you'd spill after that, but just wasted my knees. Whatever. Now I'll get answers with fists, not words."
I can't stand not knowing.
"Thun—"
Bzzzzt—!
"Thunderclap!"
Boom—!
I spread my arms wide, unleashing lightning. No charge skill, but my Thunder Emperor trait made it stronger than Jenaraider's.
"Kyaaaaak!"
"Kuaaaak!"
Lightning arced everywhere, electrocuting the Gwen family.