Chapter 103
Chapter 103
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 103
Chapter Title: Enigma Auction Scramble (3)
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A gas that, once inhaled, causes you to lose your sanity and go on a rampage.
I guess it’s something like rabies or a rage virus. Either way, it was a headache.
The people who hadn't yet escaped the Enigma Auction were, strictly speaking, people we had to protect.
This incident was happening at an ordinary auction house, nothing illegal about it.
The people on site were just innocent victims unfairly caught up in the situation.
But the moment they inhaled the gas and started rampaging, they transformed into enemies we had to deal with.
Worse, they were enemies with extremely tricky conditions attached: we couldn't injure them, and we had to subdue them quickly before the number of victims grew!
“Ugh… Hurry! Get outside! You can’t inhale any more of this gas!”
“Aaaah! Run!”
“We’re gonna die! We’re gonna die!”
Alice quickly subdued a man who had lost his mind and was rampaging with a sleeper hold.
She raised her voice without a moment’s hesitation, guiding people toward the exit.
However, perhaps because the number of people losing their minds inside the auction house was steadily increasing, the full-blown chaos didn't subside easily, and casualties continued to mount.
“This is dangerous! I have to help Alice…!”
The severity of the situation was obvious even from a distance.
Sabrina’s face turned pale with horror as she started to rush toward Alice.
No, she would have rushed out.
If I hadn't thrown myself at her, desperately clinging to her waist.
“Wh-what are you doing, Yuria?! At this rate, Alice will be—!”
“...!”
Sabrina, who barely managed to keep her balance, looked down at me with a bewildered expression, as if asking what on earth I was doing.
Even for someone like Alice, it would clearly be overwhelming if people started rampaging from within.
So, to calm the situation, she had to lend a hand, however small. That must have been her thinking.
But that was a judgment made knowing only one side of the story, not the whole picture.
I pointed a finger toward the other Fixers near Alice, as if to say, *look over there*.
“Gasp, hack…”
“A mask, a gas mask…”
“Hey, get a grip!”
“Ugh! Don’t tell me they’ve inhaled too much gas too!”
There, Fixers were on their knees, clutching their throats.
Others had collapsed to the ground, grabbing their heads as if struck by a severe headache.
They had been standing near the crowded exit, talking nonstop.
It seemed they had naturally been exposed to the gas leaking from the auction house.
Even Fixers, who could easily resist most drugs or magic, couldn't withstand it?
If so, there was no way Sabrina, who was merely physically tough, could endure it.
Perhaps she, too, understood this fact to her very core.
Sabrina bit her lip, wondering what to do, as cold sweat trickled down her face.
“Kuh… Alice…!”
“…”
But her thoughts weren’t wrong.
A gas that causes one to lose their sanity and become aggressive upon inhalation was flowing out from inside.
And dozens, hundreds of civilians caught in the incident had to be evacuated through a cramped exit.
In such a perilous situation, to think that Alice was the only one who could be properly trusted and relied upon…
It was certainly a daunting task. No, even if Raven or Victor were there, it would have been just as daunting.
The very people you’re supposed to protect are attacking indiscriminately and causing a riot?
This was close to a disaster that would be difficult to resolve unless you were exceptionally skilled.
‘Well, if there’s a silver lining… it’s that a gas attack, from my perspective, is a pretty good matchup!’
Alright. This is enough of an assessment.
While no one is paying attention to me, I’ll finish this quickly.
Having made up my mind, I let go of Sabrina’s waist and stood up.
Then, I subtly lifted my mask so only she could see and gently placed a finger to my lips.
Sabrina knew I could use psychokinesis.
It was a sign for her to cooperate, so I could hide my identity and avoid any potential interference.
“…I understand, Yuria! Hide behind my back!”
“…!”
Thankfully, did my intention get through?
She nodded her head vigorously with a look of clear understanding.
Then, she looked around with great caution, becoming a shield to block any line of sight to me.
This way, even if someone glances over, they won’t find it suspicious.
After reconfirming that no one was watching, I drew upon my psychokinesis in earnest for the first time in a while.
And I stretched out the invisible hands connected to my body, pulling the hazy smoke that was scattering in all directions down to the floor.
‘I don’t need to solve every problem. As long as people don’t breathe in this gas, they’ll be able to get out quickly.’
In the end, the reason the situation had escalated was that people kept inhaling the gas, increasing the number of those who lost their sanity.
If I could suppress the gas to prevent new victims, that alone would significantly reduce the damage.
Perhaps those managing the people on-site noticed the change immediately.
Alice, who had been controlling the crowd with a grave expression, widened her eyes and whipped her head around.
She had probably been struggling with the gas scattering everywhere, only for it to suddenly sink to the floor.
She must have been wondering who did it. Fortunately, it seemed she didn't notice it was me.
In the end, did she give up on trying to understand the cause in such an urgent situation?
Alice shouted loudly at the people who were in a panic due to the rampaging individuals.
“Everyone, please calm down! The gas has settled! It’s safe now! Please follow the instructions and move toward the exit!”
At her voice, did the panicked crowd finally notice the thick smoke settled on the floor?
Even those who had been violently shoving others to get out first finally seemed to calm down, following an orderly line out the exit.
Fortunately, were there no more interruptions?
With the help of the Fixers who had belatedly come to their senses, the procession of evacuees was finally nearing its end.
At this pace, all the sane people would be out soon.
Just as I was thinking that, channeling the thick gas along the ground and out the window…
Suddenly, the screams from inside grew louder, and a black shadow shot out from between the people being pushed aside.
“Graaaah! I need… blood!”
“Ugh?! Wh-what! Who is this person!”
The black shadow was a girl with long, jet-black hair that fell to her waist.
She looked to be about high school age. With the whites of her eyes showing and drool dripping from her mouth, she looked anything but normal.
The black-haired girl who burst out from the crowd pounced on Alice like a wolf.
Perhaps her reaction was delayed by the unexpected situation. Barely raising her arms, she had no choice but to block the attack and roll backward.
“Alice!”
“Kuh… I’m fine! Fixers! Get the rest of the people out of the auction house!”
“Grrrr!”
Alice raised her voice as if to reassure a worried Sabrina.
Then, she used her strength to overpower the girl who was persistently clinging to her, trying to bite.
As expected of someone whose physical prowess was in a league of its own among her peers.
No matter how much of a surprise attack it was, if it turned into a contest of strength, there was no way she could lose.
But to me, who was busy suppressing the gas with psychokinesis, the black-haired girl’s face was familiar.
I had never seen her in person, but she looked quite familiar. It was because she was also a character from the original story.
‘That person… is the Academy’s Disciplinary Head?’
Come to think of it, Tamamo, the Academy's Student Council President, was at the auction.
In that case, it wasn’t strange at all for the Disciplinary Head to be with her.
No, wait a minute. If the Disciplinary Head has lost her sanity like this…
Does that mean Tamamo, the magical genius, is in a similar state? That would be… a huge problem.
As I was feeling flustered by the incredibly bewildering turn of events, the Disciplinary Head, who was being overpowered by Alice and put into a sleeper hold, thrashed about, extending sharp claws from her hands and swinging them wildly.
“Kyaaaah!”
“Dangerous…! Ah, seriously! Why would someone who can use magic like this fall for something like gas!”
The source of those blazing black claws was none other than magic.
It looked hot, but it wasn't actually hot. It was a type of dark magic that maximized cutting power.
Alice yelped and kicked the Disciplinary Head she was holding, pushing her away to create distance.
The claws, having lost their target, uselessly sliced through the floor and walls, showing off their formidable power.
As expected of the Disciplinary Head of the Academy, an international school that gathers talented students from all over the world.
Though she was currently berserk from the gas, she was a formidable opponent that even Alice couldn't afford to let her guard down against.
If Alice had her usual twin swords, she probably would have had the upper hand.
But now, with only one side able to use magic, Alice was likely at a significant disadvantage.
‘Should I help Alice? No, if I let go of the gas now, the damage will only get worse. It’s better to get the gas out of the building as quickly as possible. Here… I have no choice but to trust Alice.’
I decided on my course of action while rapidly expelling the gas flowing out of the auction house through the window.
First, I had to deal with this gas somehow, and then I could help Alice or do whatever else was needed.
I silently cheered on the Fixers who were confronting the people staggering out of the auction house, drooling and disoriented.
There were metahumans and other Fixers who had lost their minds in there, but… please, just handle it! I’m counting on you!
But what on earth was this gas, and what were the others doing and where were they?
The situation was nothing short of infuriating.