Chapter 32
Chapter 32
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Past Connections (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Before Haveron and Anya were dragged away to the outlaws’ den.
Watching the outlaws turn District 13 upside down, Hannah recalled the words her mother would sternly repeat every time she left the house.
“Hannah. You must never interfere. Just watch from a distance. You’re only there to see if Haveron is alive or in danger. Never, ever. You can’t let the Empire or those outlaws find you.”
Her mother’s words, insisting she must never be found, that she should only watch. Her words that if anything happened to Haveron, she should call for her and never act on her own.
The worry, anger, and pain laced in her mother’s voice had been deeply ingrained in Hannah’s mind for nearly a decade.
*Grit.*
She ground her teeth and tightened her grip on the hilt of her dagger.
She wanted to cut them all down right this instant, but the best she could do was watch until support arrived.
“Waaaaah—”
As Haveron was beaten, the child’s cries erupted. Annoyed, the men knocked Anya unconscious and began to drag them away.
It wasn't just one or two of them; there were over a dozen right before her eyes. Moreover, the one dragging Haveron was clearly more skilled than she was.
“No, why all of a sudden…!”
The outlaws, who were usually quiet and showed no interest in Haveron’s home, were suddenly tearing apart not just his place but the entirety of District 13.
She had sent an emergency message, but there was no telling what those men would do to Haveron once they returned to their base.
‘Just following them should be fine. When Mom gets here, she’ll need to know their location to catch up quickly.’
The situation in District 13 was, in a word, pandemonium.
People were being abducted. Dragged away by outlaws. Among them were those committing not just kidnapping, but murder, rape, and arson.
Her body trembled faintly. Even for Hannah, who considered herself to have lived a fierce life, this was a first.
It was enough to make her wonder if this was what it would look like if the Demonic Realm descended upon the world.
The men were gradually moving toward the edge of District 13.
‘District 10. And the cemetery of District 13.’
It was called a cemetery, but it was nothing more than a corpse incinerator. District 13 wasn't a place where anyone could be given a proper burial.
When she reached the cemetery, the place looked different from what she had always known.
The entrance to a massive burrow she’d never seen before was wide open, and countless outlaws and their captives were being dragged inside.
‘When are they going to get here?’
It had been a while since she sent the message, yet there was still no word from her mother. Not just her mother, but the other members of their organization as well.
As Haveron was dragged away and disappeared into the burrow, Hannah chewed on her fingernails.
She had waited here for over twenty minutes, but no one had arrived. They should have been here by now.
‘I have no choice. This is unavoidable. Besides, Mom said Haveron was a former colleague.’
Her mother cared a great deal for her old comrade, Haveron. But whenever Hannah asked why she didn't help him, her mother would only offer a bittersweet smile for reasons unknown.
Hannah suppressed her presence and slowly approached the burrow. There didn't seem to be any particular security. They were all too busy dragging people inside.
Infiltration like this was a piece of cake.
She had done it many times before. Using mana to blur her form, she slipped into their blind spots.
But the moment she set foot inside the burrow.
*VREEEEEEEEE—*
An alarm system suddenly began to blare madly.
‘What! I was sure there were no alarms!’
As soon as the alarm sounded, the outlaws drew their weapons and scanned their surroundings.
“Over here!”
She deflected a swinging sword and leaped back.
“Ack—!”
Plunging her sword into the nearest man’s neck, she set off a smoke bomb.
The situation was chaotic, but she couldn't take them all on. Just clashing swords once had sent a jolt up her arm.
A part of her regretted coming in. Who would have thought she'd be caught so quickly?
“Backs together! Don’t give her an opening!”
“Block the entrance! Trap her inside!”
She bit her lip. She had no idea where it had all gone wrong.
*BOOM—*
A stun grenade she threw into the middle of the men exploded, shaking the burrow violently.
It was best not to use such things in a place like this, but survival came first.
The burrow trembled violently, and dust rained down from the ceiling.
The entrance was blocked, so she had to go deeper. Staying here would only increase the chances of being discovered.
She judged it better to look for an escape route or gather information from within.
The further she went, the darker it became. It wasn't just about the lack of light.
The atmosphere itself was dark and viscous. There were vats filled with something unsettling she was reluctant to approach.
And inside iron cages were countless figures, impossible to tell if they were corpses or living people.
*Woooooong—*
At the end of the burrow, a large blue portal in the center of a massive cavern was growing in size.
And in a cage at the far end, Haveron’s daughter, Anya, was curled up, terrified.
“You damn kidnapper—!”
Hannah launched a surprise attack, swinging her sword at the figure whose back was turned, but…
“Oh my, I can’t let you take away my precious material.”
As if he had been expecting it, the outlaw parried Hannah’s sword and blocked the way to Anya’s cage.
“I don’t know how you got in here, but this works out rather well.”
The outlaw looked at Hannah and smirked.
*Fwoosh—*
Before she could even register it, a sword from an unknown assailant suddenly lunged toward her face.
‘Ah, I should have listened to Mom…’
The moment she closed her eyes, sensing death.
*CLANG—*
A dull metallic sound rang out, and a faint breeze tickled her hair. She cautiously opened her eyes.
“A… crowbar?”
“I commend your courage.”
***
Was she even 160 centimeters tall? A ponytail and a mask pulled up to the bridge of her nose.
I figured this woman must have also grasped the shitty situation in District 13 and come here.
Otherwise, that thing wouldn't have swung a sword at this young lady.
*Heh.* Humanity isn't dead yet, I see.
But something about her eyes seems strangely familiar.
The mask covered most of her face, but those eyes… they were oddly familiar. I quickly scanned my memories, but nothing came to mind.
I’ll have to dig through my memories after dealing with these guys.
“An accomplice? To come seeking your graves as a pair. Your courage is commendable.”
“What’s this psycho rambling about?”
A sigh escaped my lips as I watched some lunatic strike a pose in front of the portal.
He was probably the leader of the outlaws, judging by his grizzled appearance and smirking face. It made me want to flick him on the forehead.
Still, if he’s the boss, shouldn't he have some… you know, gravitas?
To think I went through all this trouble because of a guy like that.
“Anya.”
Behind the leader, I could faintly see Anya fast asleep inside a cage.
That was a relief. It looked like I could keep my promise to Haveron. And it seemed she hadn't been harmed.
“But seriously, locking a person in a cage? Are people animals to you? You just wait right there.”
The moment I took a step toward that sorry excuse for a boss.
*FWOOSH—!*
Suddenly, with the sound of tearing air, a shield came flying at my face.
*CLANG—!*
I parried the shield with my Eternel Crowbar and backstepped.
This time, a wave of heat came from behind, and I ducked to avoid it.
There was more than one. A shield, plus magic.
“Three of them in total.”
The crowbar and my sword, imbued with Spiritual Power, clashed against the shield, sending sparks flying.
Sword, magic, shield. They really had a bit of everything.
“Hah. What is this now? Is this a zombie apocalypse, not a fantasy?”
All three of them had grotesque appearances.
Their mouths were partially sealed where flesh had fused with flesh, and their skin oozed with pus, covered in tubes that seemed to flow with demonic energy.
It was beyond bizarre, reaching the level of revulsion. That outlaw couldn't have created something like this. Which meant it had to be the Empire.
Seriously, what the hell are these bastards up to? Human experimentation! This crosses the line, by a long shot!
“Hehehe. I told you. You walked right into your own graves.”
Sword, magic, and shield.
Like some kind of adventuring party, they were ridiculously well-balanced.
From now on, you guys are Swordsman, Mage, and Tank.
“There’s no way you can win!”
“Hoo. Why don’t you shut up, extra? Why is an extra talking so much during a boss fight?”
I took a deep breath. This was clearly not going to be an easy fight.
I had felt their true strength just from dodging and clashing with their attacks.
“Hey. Can you rescue Anya?”
At my question, the woman met my eyes with a grim expression and gave a hesitant nod.
That must be her answer to whether she could rescue the girl on her own.
“When I create an opening, get Anya. I’ll make one somehow. Then protect her. Until the fight is over.”
Their attacks were incredibly heavy. Even without fully channeling my Spiritual Power, my arm was tingling.
Three formidable enemies, the likes of which I hadn’t faced in a while.
Then again, that Grammaton executive in Libria, the escape from the capital, or the Death Worm… they were all formidable foes.
I gathered all my focus. Back into that state of concentration. I had to maximize that strange sensation that came over me during battle.
My steps were swift. There were no war cries that a normal person might let out.
The Tank pressed forward, shield first, and I threw a punch with the hand holding the crowbar. The shield and my fist collided, creating a gust of wind.
*BOOM—!*
But the shield didn't so much as crack, let alone shatter. It must not be ordinary metal. Or perhaps it was reinforced with demonic energy.
*CLANG—*
On the other side, sword met sword, sending sparks flying as magic targeted the opening.
*Screeeech—*
The Swordsman gripped his weapon with both hands and pushed, a heavy weight pressing down on me. The swords ground against each other, letting out an unpleasant screech.
I kicked the Tank toward the Mage, then swung the hand holding the crowbar at the Swordsman’s head.
*Thwack—*
The crowbar, swung horizontally but blocked by the sword, came down vertically, striking the man’s shoulder. The Swordsman staggered from the impact.
Blood splattered into the air.
“Hoo.”
Fighting while protecting someone is never an easy task. It might be different if you're stronger than your opponent, but if not, it's even harder.
That’s why I had to bring out everything I had.
[Strength 101] [Stamina 52] [Dexterity 13] [Spiritual Power 31] [Intelligence 71]
<Skills>▼
Annihilate Evil - 0.5%
Ring of Spiritual Power - 2 Strokes
Spiritual Arts - 1 Star
My lacking Spiritual Power and Stamina. And my Spiritual Arts. Those were my current weaknesses.
On the other hand, the Annihilate Evil skill and the ability to enter that strange state of sensation…
That period of concentration, where the enemy’s movements became crystal clear and everything felt possible, was definitely a tremendous strength.
I shook out both my hands. I calmly settled my Spiritual Power. I had to conserve it. It wasn't infinite.
I had to focus. Concentrate. Rescue Anya. Get this young lady out. And take these guys down.
I had to accomplish all of this with minimal damage.
*CRASH—*
I rolled back to evade the barrage of attacks as magic rained down on the floor.
“This is annoying! Seriously.”
I had to create a gap in their coordinated attacks. Two gaps, to be precise.
I grabbed the Swordsman’s wrist, spun my entire body, and slammed my elbow into his face, then kicked the staggering man.
But the stagger was momentary. Even as his posture broke, the Swordsman thrust his sword, and I dove between the two of them, rushing the Mage.
As I lunged with my sword, he raised a hand to cast a shield. A reflexive action.
My goal was never to stab him with the sword in the first place.
With the wide shield now behind me, I pulled a smoke bomb from my inventory, set it off, and threw myself at that damned extra.
“Block him!”
The man yelled as he hastily raised his sword, but it was fine. My goal wasn't to kill him, but to create the opening itself.
“Now!”
At my signal, the woman smashed the cage behind the man, pulled Anya out, and held her tight.
“No! My material! The material blessed by mana!”
“Get outside!”
I threw the sword in my hand at the charging Swordsman, then smashed my fist into the extra’s face.
“How dare you call a child ‘material’! Your mouth was the problem!”
Ah, so satisfying!
I really wanted to land a punch on that bastard’s mouth.
*Rumble—*
The Mage, intending to block our escape, fired a spell at the only exit.
The distance was too great; there was no way to stop that spell. But if those two couldn't get out of here, they would become a liability.
Fighting while protecting someone against enemies I wasn't sure I could beat even with my full concentration was by no means easy.
“No—!”
“Yes!”
Kratos grabbed the woman holding Anya by the scruff of her neck and quickly threw her out of the burrow.
“Kyaaah—!”
Just as the woman rolled past the entrance, the Mage’s spell collapsed it.
Now, inside this cavern were the extra with the smashed face, the Swordsman, the Mage, the Tank, and me.
Only five of us remained. There was no way out.
Either leave alive or die.
Ah, of course, I’d be the one doing the killing.
“Alright. Let’s start round two. I can do this all day.”
Ah, of course, that was a lie. But I couldn't let the enemy know I was tired.