Chapter 49
Chapter 49
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Someone's Sidekick
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"Haa! Haa!"
My breath rises right up to my chin. My heart feels like it's about to burst.
But I can't stop. The moment I do, I'll die.
I don't mind dying myself. But I want to save the person next to me.
"Urgh... K-Kang Yuna, cadet..."
"Are you okay?! Pull yourself together!"
"L-Leave me... Go on your own..."
"If you're going to say that, just pass out instead!"
Kang Yuna raised her voice without realizing it at Hero Shieldman's words.
If he had died instantly on the spot without any chance to save him, that would be one thing.
Abandon an injured person and run away alone? How does that even make sense?!
A hero. Someone aspiring to be a hero shouldn't say things like that!
"Just hold on a little longer. Reinforcements will be here soon."
"I'm ashamed... A hero being helped by a s-sidekick like this..."
Kang Yuna shook her head at Shieldman's self-deprecating mutter.
Hasn't he seen hero movies? Sidekicks help heroes all the time in those.
It's not something to be ashamed of—it's only natural. Just like heroes saving civilians!
"O-Okay... Just a little longer, I owe you..."
She supported Shieldman's drooping body again and started walking.
She knew full well that the situation was dire, despite her words.
The other teams that had been handling the scene had all been swept away by the monsters.
She didn't even know if they were dead or alive. They had barely managed to retreat.
They had prepared well. They had acted according to protocol for a monster appearance in the city center.
And things had gone according to plan up until the middle.
That was when the problems started.
News came of more monsters appearing elsewhere.
Kang Yuna's team, who had been on standby for civilian evacuation, was immediately deployed.
They arrived at the reported monster appearance location.
But what they encountered was only civilians fleeing.
When the hero asked what was going on, he suddenly vomited blood and collapsed.
A gruesome wound was revealed on his abdomen. It was an ambush that no one had anticipated.
"Damn it! What the hell! Where did it—"
"Shit! Shape-shifting monsters! They're mixed in with the civilians, argh!"
They only grasped the situation after the first team to arrive had been overwhelmed.
Shape-shifting monsters. Extremely rare ones that hardly ever appeared.
Some heroes had never even encountered them before.
And of all places, they showed up in the city center teeming with people everywhere!
"Support Team 2 here! We've encountered shape-shifting monsters! They're blended with civilians—can't distinguish them! We need detection Ability heroes! Right now!!"
They urgently requested support, but it was already too late.
The power of shape-shifting monsters varied wildly depending on their spawn location.
If there were no nearby lifeforms to mimic, they were just Caution-class.
But in a place like this, overflowing with people they could mimic?
It was safe to say they surpassed standard Alert-class and reached Ferocious-class!
"Detection Ability heroes will take at least 30 minutes! We need to retreat!"
"Civilian evacuation isn't complete yet! If we run, they'll target the civilians—that'll turn into a real massacre!"
Hold position. The heroes had to grit their teeth at that decision.
Right now, they weren't heroes or shields. They just had to be bait.
They had to let themselves be swept away, just as those vile monsters wanted.
Civilians who hadn't finished evacuating were approaching.
There were monsters among them. They were definitely mixed in.
In a situation where enemies and civilians were indistinguishable.
Retreating and waiting for detection Abilities was the rational choice.
But if they fell back, the monsters would definitely harm the civilians.
"Engage!"
"Kang Yuna, cadet! Cover the rear!"
"Got it!"
A civilian who had been running away suddenly twisted grotesquely mid-stride. No, it was a monster.
Fighting off the ones swarming from all sides eventually scattered the team.
'At least the civilians seem to have mostly escaped.'
There didn't appear to be any left at the spawn point.
But she couldn't let her guard down. There might be people trapped in buildings.
Kyaaah!!-
The moment she rounded the corner, a person charged with a monstrous screech.
She set Shieldman down beside her. Planted her left leg as a pivot.
A kick of terrifying power spun once and flew out.
"...Ah."
For a split second, it felt like the thought of assaulting an innocent civilian, was slowing her down.
She realized too late, 'That's a monster!'
Thwack!-
It reflexively dodged the vital spot for a lethal blow.
Thanks to that, the monster screeched and charged again.
"Haat!"
Boom!-
Her full-force punch slammed precisely into the monster's face.
With a crunch, it hit the ground and convulsed.
The sight was so much like a person dying that stray thoughts filled her mind again.
'Get it together! This isn't a civilian. It's a monster. A beast that harms people!'
A little further, and they'd reach the defensive line.
That was her thought as she hurried along.
"Kyaaah!"
Kang Yuna's head whipped around at the scream.
It came from a nearby convenience store, not far off.
Shape-shifters could mimic forms, but not voices perfectly.
That meant it was a civilian who hadn't escaped.
'Someone who hasn't gotten out yet!'
She had to save them. But in this state, how?
Dragging the injured Shieldman would be tough.
Maybe escape now and come back later...
"I'm fine, Kang Yuna cadet."
"Shieldman?"
"I heard it too. That scream just now. We're heroes, aren't we? If someone's in trouble..."
We have to save them. Shieldman gently pushed Kang Yuna away from supporting him.
Then, slowly raising his blood-soaked shield, he spoke.
"Let's go."
"...Yes!"
The hero and the sidekick. The two ran toward the convenience store.
Kyaaah!-
"Uwaaaah!"
Inside the store, a part-timer and two customers were visible.
And the monsters targeting them entered their sight.
"Kang Yuna cadet!"
"Yes!"
Kang Yuna, with freer movement, took on the monsters.
Shieldman, badly injured but able to wield his shield, protected the civilians.
Thwack! Thud!-
"Everyone! This way!"
If they stayed exposed, more monsters would come.
For now, they had to hide out of sight and wait for support.
While Kang Yuna fought the monsters, Shieldman guided the civilians to the storeroom.
Then, holding the door, he called to Kang Yuna after she felled the last one.
"Kang Yuna cadet! Hurry!"
As she entered the storeroom, Shieldman quickly shut the door.
Kieee!-
Kraaah!-
Monster cries echoed from afar, perhaps drawn by the commotion.
No one knew how long they could hold out now.
They might really die here.
"Haa, haa..."
As they caught their breath, belated fear washed over her.
The flame of courage flickered out, and the darkness of regret thickened.
No matter how hard she tried to push through. No matter how she gritted her teeth to shake it off.
The fear of death wasn't something easily dispelled.
Kieee!-
Krueee!-
The monsters charging in boldly were reduced to corpses one after another.
Even if more came, even if they charged more fiercely, it was futile.
Before an S-Rank Hero like Valkyrie, everything was meaningless.
"Valkyrie! This sector seems cleared!"
"Good. Move to the next one immediately."
"Aren't you pushing too hard? Just yesterday you were fighting monsters in Japan, and before that, villains!"
Valkyrie gripped her spear dismissively at the hero's words.
"There are over ten heroes we haven't rescued yet. Probably over a hundred civilians still trapped. Where's the time to rest when they're suffering? You think the monsters will wait while I take a break?"
"That's not it, but..."
"I appreciate the concern, but later. Right now, we have to fulfill our duty as heroes."
If only this weren't the city center, but some empty wasteland.
She couldn't even use half of her full power, worried about harming people.
That was why city monster outbreaks and villain incidents were so hard to handle.
Once caught up, they had to advance bit by bit like this.
'The bigger problem is the swarm of shape-shifters.'
Up close, they were obvious. But they only mimicked appearances—language and sounds were completely different.
In this chaotic situation, distinguishing them was incredibly difficult.
On top of that, all deployed heroes were B-Rank.
No A-Ranks with more experience and battles under their belt.
"This is insane."
Chronic manpower shortage. The consumption outpacing the recruitment.
Even she, an S-Rank, was running herself ragged like this. The answer was very clear.
But ramping up numbers would drop quality.
If not for the Union managing heroes systematically.
She was certain the number of heroes would be half of what it was now.
That made it hard to criticize the Union even knowing their faults.
"Valkyrie! The monsters keep taking civilian forms—we can't advance carelessly."
"Detection Ability heroes aren't here yet?!"
"They're almost here!"
"Tell them to hurry! Every second you delay, innocent lives are lost!"
She wanted to charge in and slaughter them all.
But harming the innocent would make her a villain, not a hero.
Even S-Rank Valkyrie couldn't move recklessly this time.
The heroes guarding the outskirts of the monster outbreak zone.
From a little while ago, they had been chatting about one topic.
"Weird. Who drives a car like that into a life-or-death escape?"
"Looks like the owner might still be inside. But isn't that an expensive car?"
"Not sure, but it screams 'don't touch me' just looking at it."
An Aston Martin Vulcan sat abandoned on the roadside.