Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Something Feels Off (7)
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The power outage seemed to be resolved quickly.
The emergency power system, designed for just such an electrical failure, had kicked in immediately.
But when even that emergency system failed, plunging them into darkness for a second time…
Sensing something was amiss, the atmosphere inside instantly grew chaotic.
“What in the…!”
“Quickly… restore the power…!”
Faint voices drifted from the hallway beyond the door.
It seemed they had finally realized this wasn't an accident but an intentional act.
After all, for such a mishap to occur with so many esteemed VIPs gathered…
From their perspective, it must feel like a knife was being held to their throats in real-time.
Of course, once they realized the blackout was just the beginning… they’d probably wish they could just pass out!
‘That aside, this fox mask Greg gave me is incredible. It got dark so suddenly, yet I can see perfectly. Artifacts really are something else, aren't they?’
I marveled inwardly at the performance of the fox mask, which allowed me to see clearly in the darkness, and glanced at Sabrina, who was looking around as if her eyes had already adjusted.
Was it because she was a nocturnal bear metahuman?
It didn’t seem like she needed much time to adapt to the dark.
As I quietly watched her eyes, which glowed faintly, likely due to a tapetum lucidum, she leaned in and whispered anxiously in my ear.
“Fox, what now? My idiot brother has started to move. Do you have a plan for what’s next?”
“…”
A plan? Of course, I still had one.
I had disabled all of Nemesis’s notoriously difficult combat robots.
All that was left was to keep Lexi from running into David, and that would be game over.
So how would I keep them apart?
It was simple. Since I had a rough idea of where Lexi was, I just needed to lure her outside for a moment when David was about to pass by.
There was no need to fight her head-on. Lexi was obsessed with Raven.
If I used that as a pretext to talk, she’d likely play along.
‘Then let’s head that way.’
First, I silently slid the ceiling panel I had opened back into place.
Then, I pointed forward, signaling for Sabrina to move in that direction.
Perhaps because she had watched the entire process of me neutralizing the combat robots…
Sabrina nodded without any particular suspicion and quietly followed behind me.
‘Since there’s a massive blackout, sleeping gas will start flooding the area soon. Fortunately, the gas is heavier than air, so it won't reach us up here in the ceiling… but just in case, I should prepare for the possibility of inhaling it.’
I glanced down at Sabrina’s attire as she followed me.
She was dressed in a simple hoodie, as if she had left in a hurry. Was that just underwear underneath?
I took off my jacket and vest, then handed the lighter vest to her.
It was a gesture for her to cover her mouth and nose, as it would be trouble if she inhaled too much of the sleeping gas.
“Why this…? Wh-What?! Are you telling me to press my nose against the clothes you were just wearing…!”
“…?”
“…Ugh, w-well, I guess it can’t be helped!”
Sorry if it’s a bit unpleasant.
As I bowed my head apologetically, she seemed to understand the necessity.
Sabrina’s face flushed as she snatched the vest from my hand.
‘This should keep us from falling asleep from the gas. Alright, now let's go interfere with Lexi.’
I took off my cumbersome necktie, stuffed it into my pants pocket.
Then, with Sabrina, I began to crawl quietly through the space above the ceiling.
I could have moved faster with psychokinesis, but then I wouldn’t be able to hear what was happening below. It was an unavoidably slow procession.
How far had we crawled through this dark, narrow ceiling passage?
Just as I felt we were approaching Lexi’s likely location, a startlingly loud sound echoed through the space.
*Whoosh… Crack!*
‘Wait, that’s… the sound of a whip!’
It was impossible to miss.
It was the distinct, loud crack a whip makes when it moves faster than sound, creating a small sonic boom.
And in this building, there was only one person who would use a whip as a weapon.
I urgently opened a ceiling panel in the area the sound came from and peeked down to check the situation.
‘…Why?’
My mind suddenly went blank with bewilderment.
The reason was none other than the sight of David and Lexi facing each other, locked in a tense standoff.
Hey, Mr. David. You’re not supposed to be here at this time.
As the lights flickered back on, returning to normal…
I scrambled to piece things together, trying to deduce the cause of this already-unfolded outcome.
‘Could it be… because Raven wasn't there to take Sabrina’s request?’
Let’s think. In the original story, Raven was hired by Sabrina to stop David.
With his excellent observation skills, he cornered David, who was busy planting gas emitters all over the hotel.
But now, Sabrina and Raven never met, which meant there was nothing to hold David back.
So, if an unopposed David had managed to reach the VIP banquet hall as soon as the power went out…
‘Aargh! This stupid original story is no help at all!’
I honestly felt like tearing my hair out.
My plan was to get Lexi far away before she could run into David.
But of all the rotten luck, they had to meet before I could do anything!
The situation, which had felt precarious, now seemed to be tumbling into the worst possible abyss.
But regardless of the internal turmoil I was experiencing in the ceiling…
Lexi, whip in hand, licked her lips alluringly and spoke to David, as if they had already exchanged blows once.
“Quite a good reaction. Are you a Fixer, perhaps? This unnatural blackout, was that your doing too?”
“…I have no reason to answer.”
“Oh, is that so? Hmm… I wonder if you’ll be able to say the same thing after I’ve thoroughly choked you. I’m so curious!”
Wow, she’s terrifying.
Even from a distance, I could see Lexi’s eyes gleaming wildly.
She truly looked the part of a queen consumed by madness.
“Serpent, bite!”
*CRACK!*
She flicked her whip lightly toward David.
It was a casual movement, like swatting a nearby fly.
But the result was anything but light.
“Wh-What is that…!”
Sabrina, who had been watching anxiously beside me, gasped, her eyes wide with horror.
Deep gashes, as if someone had hacked away with an axe, were carved into the wall and floor near where David stood.
It was a result that seemed unbelievable for what looked like a simple black leather whip.
But perhaps it was to be expected. Her whip was an artifact from another world.
‘The Flesh-Biting Serpent, was it? I remember it being one of the ego weapons with a will of its own… This is insane. How can a whip be that powerful?’
For an ordinary person, it was a terrifying attack that would have instantly torn flesh and broken bones, rendering them unable to fight.
However, perhaps because he was an inherently durable bear metahuman…
David, though bleeding from Lexi’s merciless assault, crossed his arms, slammed the backs of his hands together, and shouted.
“Shock!”
“Ugh!?”
*BOOM!*
A shockwave shot out from between David’s hands like an arrow, engulfing Lexi.
It was a powerful storm of force that seemed to tear space itself apart, and Lexi, caught off guard by the unexpected blow, had no choice but to be swept away by it.
‘That’s… David’s Circuit Magic!’
I couldn’t help but admire the power David was displaying.
Circuit Magic.
It was a unique method of magic used by a very small number of individuals in this world where metahumans had appeared.
To put it simply, it was like modifying one’s body in a special way, turning the flesh into a sort of biological artifact.
David had no aptitude for mana, but he possessed outstanding magical talent.
Thus, by inscribing his self-developed Circuit Magic onto his own body and armor, he could wield magic freely.
Of course, Circuit Magic was unique, but it wasn't a particularly good method.
It was so extremely focused on efficiency that its output was severely lacking compared to traditional magic.
As a rough analogy, it was like melting down a gun to make a steel slingshot while everyone else was using guns and cannons.
If it weren't for the fact that traditional magic was restricted by Earth’s low-mana environment, this method would never have developed.
“Ah, ahahaha! Magic with no telltale signs of mana…! What, you’re a circuit magician! It’s been a while since I was caught off guard like this!”
And perhaps that weakness was now showing.
Despite the shockwave landing a clean, unexpected hit, Lexi seemed largely unharmed, her hair merely disheveled.
If anything, foolishly provoking the previously bored-looking woman had only made her far more dangerous.
‘David’s not going to make it, is he…?’
In the first place, David wasn't someone who had ever learned how to properly fight.
He was just a pure romanticist who wanted to get his childhood friend back.
In contrast, Lexi was a top-level Fixer who had fought bloody battles in the war against metahumans for years.
Before even considering their power levels, there was a fundamental difference in their combat experience.
“Hmph…! Then I will simply attack until you fall!”
“You fool! You think I’d fall for the same trick twice?”
And my concerns immediately became reality.
As if to say she wouldn't be caught by the same move twice, Lexi smoothly slid across the floor, dodging the shockwaves David fired, and swung her whip with abandon.
Twice, three times, four times… Perhaps even for a bear metahuman with their absurd defensive power, Lexi’s attacks were too much. David, who had been silently enduring, was clearly reaching his limit.
“Ugh… my, my leg…”
His clothes were in tatters, and blood dripped from the torn fabric.
Soon, the strength in one of his legs gave out, and he fell to one knee.
Naturally, a stationary David was nothing more than helpless prey to Lexi.
With a sharp snap of her wrist, she used her whip to ensnare his arms, legs, and neck.
“Grrgh!”
“Got you! Now then… let’s hear what a bear metahuman sounds like when he screams!”
Even for David, who was sturdier than the average metahuman, the binding was too strong to break.
Lexi gave the whip a hard tug, then rushed toward David, seemingly to deliver the final blow.
At this rate, David’s going to be done for by Lexi!
Just as I resigned myself to using my psychokinesis…
Sabrina, who had been anxiously fidgeting like a cat ready to pounce, finally couldn't hold back any longer and leaped from the ceiling.
“D-Don’t you hurt my brother!”
“…Huh?”
“What…”
Green mana leaked from Sabrina’s tightly clenched fists, which had turned white from the pressure.
Then, her dainty fist slammed into the floor with all her might.
*CRASH!*
The desperate blow, imbued with all her mana, created a small crater in the floor and kicked up a cloud of dust.
It was a strike aimed at an opening that could have caused serious damage.
Wary of this sudden intruder, Lexi scowled and retreated.
And so, a touching sibling reunion was finally achieved.
David, clearly exhausted from Lexi’s relentless assault, looked at Sabrina and said.
“Sabrina, how on earth did you get here…”
“*Pant, pant*… Because you… were doing something reckless… I came to save you!”
“I told you to go home. It’s too dangerous for you here, Sabrina. You could be killed!”
Of course, for David, this was terrible news.
For his timid younger sister to get involved in a plan with no guarantee of success… as a protective older brother, he must have been sick with worry.
But in response to David, Sabrina forced a smile onto her lips and replied nonchalantly.
“You idiot brother. It’s not about whether I can do it, it’s about having to do it, right? Reine is precious to me, but you’re just as precious, David!”
The heart is like a flame.
The firm resolve David had inherited from Reine had now been passed on to the once-fragile and childish Sabrina.
If there was something that absolutely had to be done, one simply had to move forward without compromise or negotiation.
Sabrina, too, had found the will to overcome her reality in order to protect what was precious to her!
“Ha, what is this, a grade school talent show…? Is that your little sister? So, if I just torment your dear sister, you’ll surrender, won’t you? Right?”
“…Hmph.”
But reality was a cold, hard thing, unlike one’s ideals.
Sabrina’s intervention was not going to change anything about the current situation.
Worse, now that she had used up every last drop of her minuscule mana on that one attack, her appearance was meaningless.
It had bought a few seconds of time, at best. A pitiful result, nothing more, nothing less.
But those few seconds had, at the very least, changed David’s fate.
*You did well, Sabrina.*
Thinking this, I suppressed the tension rising in my chest and leaped down from the ceiling.
“Huh? You’re… that kid who knows Jin?”
“…”
I was currently in a dress shirt and long slacks, having taken off my jacket and vest.
But perhaps she recognized me from the fox mask on my face and my tied-up white hair.
Lexi looked at me as if to ask why I was here and opened her mouth.
Alright, this was the crucial part.
The final gamble I had decided upon after watching the situation and deliberating over and over.
It was time to create the one and only breakthrough that would give David his happy ending.