Chapter 229
Chapter 229
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 229
Chapter Title: An Unforeseen Encounter
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In truth, explosions were an all-too-common occurrence in Nighthaven.
Carjackings, mass shootings, bombings, poison gas attacks, and so on.
The crime rate in this city was high enough to rival the most lawless cities in superhero comics.
Perhaps this was because the laws were more lenient than in my original world, and metahumans were generally a hot-blooded sort.
It had reached a point where citizens felt something was missing if a day went by without an incident.
Most of Nighthaven's residents were metahumans themselves, so they were quite tolerant of this level of chaos.
Even if they were unfortunately caught up in something, as long as they didn't die, they could usually make a full recovery thanks to advanced science and magic.
It was almost understandable how the city managed to function despite the absurd number of incidents.
In a way, the fact that Fixers resolved situations before they spiraled out of control likely played a part.
So, the explosion that had just occurred not far away would surely be handled soon by the police or a Fixer, but…
Leaning out the window, I gazed at the full moon hanging clearly in the night sky and thought to myself.
‘I can’t be certain… but the ones behind that explosion must be the Metahuman Liberation Army.’
*Do not move on the day the full moon rises.*
At first glance, it sounded like a coded message with some special meaning.
But I understood it to simply mean that today, on the night of the full moon, we were to keep a low profile.
Any obviously dangerous-looking riffraff wandering around on a night like this would be prime targets for the police.
And if that were to lead back to a connection between the Black Anchor and the Metahuman Liberation Army, there could be no greater folly.
‘Echo, how much energy is left?’
[ Calculating… Approximately 30% remains. ]
I checked Echo’s remaining energy, just in case.
About 30% left. A number that was far from reassuring.
If I had known this would happen, I would have fully charged Echo beforehand.
But after hacking all those robots earlier, it was inevitable that it would be running low.
From now on, I’d have to conserve Echo’s power for when it was absolutely necessary…
Frowning slightly, I stared intently in the direction where smoke was billowing.
‘First, let’s head toward the commotion. I’m sure Raven can handle himself, but I can’t just stand by and do nothing.’
There was always a chance an enemy Raven couldn't handle alone, like one of the Seven Extremes, might appear unexpectedly.
Or perhaps Shiroko was in grave danger. I couldn't afford to be complacent.
Thus, after a brief exchange, I entrusted the freed prisoners to Lindy.
Then I rushed out of the building and sprinted with all my might toward the epicenter of the chaos.
Or rather, I tried to.
If not for the myriad of knives that flew toward the entrance just as I was about to dash out.
“…!”
“Aah!”
“Gyaaargh!”
The attack came suddenly, without any warning or presence.
Realizing it a moment too late, I grabbed Lindy, who was in the line of fire, and threw myself to the side.
The knives, having lost their target, flew toward a Black Anchor member behind us.
The gruesome sight of them embedded in him like needles was enough to send shivers down my spine.
But as I lay on the floor with Lindy, I had no time to dwell on it.
Because right after the knives flew in, someone strode into the building through the entrance.
“A shame you dodged. It should have been a successful surprise attack. You are a human with remarkably fast reflexes.”
“…!”
The one who spoke in a flat, inhuman voice was a strange, tall woman.
Was she nearly two meters tall? The sheer distance I felt just looking at her made the scene feel unreal.
Her attire was particularly striking—a maid outfit.
Unlike mine, it exposed a great deal of her shoulders and thighs, reminiscent of a cosplay maid.
But perhaps it was due to her lifeless, pale skin and completely dead, empty eyes.
I could instinctively tell this woman was not human.
An android? Or maybe… an undead?
Letting go of Lindy, I rose to my feet and stared at the woman, my hand quietly gripping Echo.
‘Echo, try hacking that woman in front of me.’
[ …My apologies. It appears she is not a hackable target. ]
Not hackable?
That meant she wasn't an android…
But to call her undead, she lacked the characteristic unnaturalness of a moving corpse.
This meant I couldn't rashly switch to Saintess Mode.
Unable to discern the enemy's identity, I took a stance, ready to spring into action at any moment.
I didn't know if the volley of knives was magic or something else.
But one thing was certain: unlike the Black Anchor members, this was an opponent I couldn't afford to underestimate.
Did she notice my guarded posture?
The woman, who hadn't blinked once, glanced around lightly before speaking to me.
“I did not expect to find things in this state… Are you the one who did this to the Black Anchor?”
“…”
My guard raised to its peak, I offered her no reply.
I couldn't speak anyway, but I was also debating whether I should resort to my psychic powers.
Raven had strictly warned me never to use them in front of people, but…
If I held back my power and ended up risking my life, it would completely defeat the purpose, wouldn't it?
Did she have any idea what thoughts were racing through my mind?
She slowly slid her hands, which had been resting near her knees, up the lines of her body as she spoke.
“Your appearance is quite beautiful, but it seems you hide skills beyond imagination. In that case…”
From her knees to her thighs, thighs to her hips, hips to her waist, waist to her chest, chest to her shoulders.
The movement, which at first glance resembled a seductive dance, made the men nearby gulp audibly.
But when the woman raised both hands above her shoulders, knives had suddenly appeared in them.
Not just one or two, but a tremendous number—well over ten by a rough count.
Where on her body had she been hiding them?
It was a completely surreal sight, like something out of a magic trick.
“If I take you with me, I believe I will receive ecstatic praise from my master.”
“…Mmph!”
“Ugh… Everyone, take cover!”
As if translating my cry, Lindy, who had gotten to her feet, shouted urgently.
Fortunately, the others, who had been watching the situation with bated breath, seemed to grasp the meaning.
They quickly scrambled for cover behind nearby pillars and desks.
Then, the tall woman pulled her arms inward and flung the knives in her hands, scattering them in every direction.
Though it looked like she had thrown them randomly, the knives flew relentlessly through the room, like fish swimming through the sea.
‘Tch, Lindy couldn't get away…!’
While the others had managed to hide in time, Lindy was in a position with no cover, bound to be caught in the attack.
Gritting my teeth, I stood in front of her, blocking the way, and swung my fists to knock the flying knives aside.
Thankfully, in my current Athletics Club Yuria Mode, my skin was tougher than usual.
As long as it wasn't the sharp edge of the blade, I could deflect them without getting hurt.
However, because I couldn't move from my spot to protect Lindy, I sustained cuts all over my body from the knives I couldn't avoid.
Still, I managed to deflect the most dangerous ones, so it was a relief…
I looked down at my hat, now in tatters from the barrage of knives, and set it on the floor with a grimace.
“Y-Yuria…! I’m so sorry, it’s because of me…!”
“…Mm-hm.”
“I’ll hide so I’m not in the way. Th-thank you so much!”
*These are just scratches that will heal quickly, even without the Tesseract. It's fine.*
I gave her a small smile and helped her hide behind a pillar.
I couldn't move far away if I wanted to protect her, so it would have been trouble if she were used as a weakness.
The fortunate thing was that a second attack didn't come while I was doing this.
I didn't know her intentions, but perhaps she wasn't a completely dishonorable villain.
As I took my stance again and faced the woman, she spoke, her expression still unchanged.
“To parry knives with the back of your hand… Could this be the rumored enhanced human?”
“…Hmph.”
“Even better. I was worried you might die instantly, but it seems I can afford to put a little more force into it.”
*Swoosh.*
The woman naturally produced a multitude of knives from her hands, just like before.
They looked similar to the previous ones—silver table knives one might use for a meal.
But I couldn't underestimate them based on their harmless appearance.
Having been cut once, I knew the blades were sharp enough to pierce solid rock.
If I let my guard down for a moment and got stabbed in a vital spot, it would be over.
This was a truly troublesome situation for me, being unarmed.
“I want to take you as a gift, so please do not die.”
“…Hmph.”
The woman uttered words that clearly underestimated me and threw the knives.
A storm of blades erupted, covering all directions—up, down, left, and right—leaving no room to escape.
This alone told me she was a formidable foe, at least on the level of a Double Number Fixer. An opponent I couldn't afford to be careless with.
With that thought, my gaze deepened, and the world seemed to slow down.
‘Individually, the knives are weak, but together, they completely fill the space. There’s no room to dodge.’
Well… if there’s no space to dodge, I just have to make some!
I struck the incoming knives with the back of my hand, sending them flying into each other.
Dodge what can be dodged, deflect what cannot.
This extremely simple process resulted in movements as fluid and graceful as a dance.
The deflected knives collided with others, pushing them outward, which in turn interfered with yet more knives.
This precisely calculated motion created a chain reaction.
‘Now!’
The moment a fatal gap opened between me and the woman.
I kicked off the floor hard and squeezed my body into the small opening.
Of course, the gap was incredibly tight, and red lines of blood appeared on my arms and legs.
But considering the advantage of reaching her, I felt no pain at all as I arrived, covered in blood.
However, had she anticipated me closing the distance?
The woman, still maintaining her expressionless face, unleashed a torrent of countless knives from all over her body at me.
“Indeed. But can you dodge at such a close range?”
It was as if she were an alligator with its mouth wide open, the myriad knives her teeth.
No matter how tough my skin had become, if I were caught by those blades, I would be turned into a pile of mincemeat in an instant.
But this, too, was within my expectations.
I pulled out a knife I had secretly hidden near my hip and used it to parry the falling blades.
Perhaps because it was an object of the same hardness, it didn't easily break.
The dense rain of knife-like teeth was completely deflected, sent flying in the wrong direction.
“…Hyaaaah!”
“Gahck…!”
*Crack!*
I clenched my fist tightly and, with all obstacles cleared, struck the woman squarely in the abdomen.
With a sound like wood breaking, her body bent into an L-shape as she was sent flying.
No matter how durable she was, there was no way she could be unharmed after taking a direct hit like that.
It was a textbook case of giving flesh to take the bone—a strategy I had no desire to use a second time.