Chapter 105
Chapter 105
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 105
Chapter Title: What's Wrong with Chuunibyou?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Lee Seong-hoon...?”
Sophia's call went unanswered.
Something was off with him. This wasn't the usual Lee Seong-hoon.
Not the playful, foolish guy she knew.
He was cold. An icy aura that made her think twice about even touching him. Unnerved by the unfamiliar vibe, Sophia fell silent and just watched.
Levia, oblivious to the tension, let out a bizarre noise as her head snapped back into place.
A sneer curled at her lips.
“As expected. Not your average human. Gotta be special to stand next to Sophia.”
No response to that either. The only sound from Lee Seong-hoon was one thing.
Thud—!!
Just the sound of his footsteps hitting the ground. In his hand was a pure white mask. The moment he donned it, an ominous aura seeped out.
The scythe in his grip. The robe draped over his body. The mask covering his face.
Each one reeked of death.
That alone might've been manageable. If that was all, Levia wouldn't be hesitating and backing away now.
But behind the death... something else loomed. A woman floating in the air, coiled around his neck.
Her overwhelming presence was what made Levia falter.
'What the hell is that?'
No answer to her silent question. Levia moved her hand. Tattered rags burst out from both sides of the path he approached on.
Aggressive rags, their entire bodies protruding like weapons.
But—
Slash—!!
The scythe traced an arc. Following its afterimage, the rag's body shattered into pieces.
In an instant, it turned into a lump of meat, collapsing helplessly to the floor. Through the gaping holes, one could see—
His eyes had grown even colder.
“This...”
He advanced. Magic manifested from Levia's hands. A chantless ambush via Chant Disruption.
Blood spears surged toward him from below.
“Did you make these?”
But they vanished. He reached out, and the spears were sucked in and absorbed.
Levia nearly toppled over in shock. She heard a stifled 'pfft' from the side but had no time to care.
Death approached.
“I'm asking you.”
Thud—!!
“When someone's talking...”
Thud—!!
“You answer.”
He kept coming. Levia retreated step by step. She'd thought 'If I die, I die' just moments ago, but now facing actual death, that mindset evaporated.
“Last chance.”
He didn't stop, even as she faltered.
“You. Or not.”
Sorry. I didn't expect that either.
I know. Thanks. I stroked Lily's head. She didn't seem to hate it, not pulling away.
Does she only behave when I threaten to toss her to Michael? Works like a charm.
I kept walking. My legs trembled like mad, but thanks to Lily's blessing, I hid it well.
All because of Dimensional Refraction. Damn skill. Drains mana like crazy. Never using it again.
No merit besides decapitating distant foes by surprise. Nothing else good about it.
Ooooooh!!
I cleaved through the annoying charging rags as I advanced. With Lily's blessing, even small fry like these were no match.
The old me couldn't beat even those small fry. Goodbye to that weakling.
I cracked a joke, but my mood wasn't great.
Why?
The rags. I thought they were just magic constructs, but no—they were humans.
Lily confirmed they all had souls and absorbed them. Devils gotta devil, I guess.
S bloated, unrecognizable forms. Intelligence below goblins. No shred of human dignity left.
I'm not raging like 'How could humans do this?!' I'm no shonen protagonist, no vessel for that kind of fury.
I've killed plenty since coming here. Ruthlessly, when my life was on the line.
Slept like a baby afterward. No nightmares. I'm not the sensitive type who mourns strangers.
Wolves don't get mad killing rabbits. Same deal.
“Lily. Just recover all the rag souls.”
“Just do it. One soul as payment.”
Lily smirked and nodded. She's annoying if you look close.
Anyway, back to why I'm pissed...
Hard to put into words.
Like feral dogs invading my farm, ripping apart all the livestock.
What's worse? They don't hunt to eat. They do it to show dominance. For fun.
Exactly this. The green-haired woman ahead turned people into this for fun.
But I'm not mad about the human-to-rag part.
“Ever tried serializing daily, cranking out 10,000+ characters?”
“Squeezed your brain for worldbuilding, plotting, breathing life into characters?”
I spun the scythe. The babbling greenhead caught my voice and faltered into view.
Some no-name side character I never even set up is pulling this crap.
Not killing to survive. Just killing.
“You're done for.”
She looks like a progenitor? So what if she is.
Might seem trivial, but it's serious. Imagine someone trashing your house.
“W-what are you?!”
“Lee Seong-hoon.”
“Not you!!”
Oh, behind me? I grinned at her question. Not scared of me, huh.
“A devil.”
“A devil? Don't lie!! A devil contracting with a mere human—not even a mage—and floating around the human realm like this?”
Don't believe me? Fine. Quit whining. Before she could say more, I swung the scythe.
She dodged naturally, widening the gap.
Realizing I wasn't in a talking mood, she assumed combat stance. Flicked her finger and charged—
A deal? I shook my head at the question. The one charging at insane speed tripped and hit the ground. My attack barely missed.
Snickers from the side.
“Right. Sophia.”
“Right? Right?? You forgot about me?!”
“Didn't forget. Stay there. Why would I forget you?”
Silence fell suddenly. No time to check on her; I leaped back to create distance.
Got it. Turns into a rag like those? Progenitor power's nasty as expected.
I nodded and leaped back. Her magic blasted in embarrassment from the fall.
The blood spears got sucked into [Spell Eater], decomposed into mana, boosting my stats.
“What kind of human are you?”
“The kind that kills progenitors.”
“You knew I'm a vampire?”
“Obviously.”
I replied, opening [Inventory]. Pulled out post-its and scattered them like confetti.
The post-its flew to their positions, weaving together with dark, ominous mana, glowing.
“Then you know what vampires are? Filthy, ugly pests. Can't survive without other creatures' blood.”
The mana took form. Shadows connected, forming a spiderweb pattern.
I hid behind it. To keep her from leaping straight at me.
“Parasites. Sucking blood from others until they kill them.”
Not one layer, but multiple. I spread about five layers to trap any rash moves.
Blocked all paths to me.
“That's what Sophia is. You think it's right to get this mad over trash like her? Are you an idiot? Sophia disappearing from Justitia would benefit everyone. They all think so.”
Hm. Just in case, I gave Lily one soul as insurance. Sometimes you gotta risk it when it's dangerous.
“Or is it that? Hero syndrome—'I can't abandon people'? Still at that age?”
Look at this. What's wrong with chuunibyou? You just don't get it. Feel that turbid prose oozing out, that vessel of insolent madness?
“Hey.”
She looked at me. I looked back. She'd been yapping nonstop; time to shut her up.
“So what? Scared? If not, stop bitching and come at me.”
With that, she charged. Sanity gone, finger extended toward me.
Obviously. No way mere shadows stop a progenitor. They'd snap on contact. Normal shadows, anyway.
“Huh?”
My shadows are infused with dragon mana. Dragon-infused shadows don't break in one hit.
Never.
Passed one layer, two layers. On the third...
She felt it. No shadow breaks that easy.
Should tangle in the shadows, never reach me, and collapse—
“Die.”
I barely dodged the incoming finger by a paper's width. Without [Spell Eater] earlier, I'd be hit.
What the? My plan? Underestimated the progenitor. Nearly died.
Luckily, she tripped in the shadows. Before she recovered, I gripped my scythe.
“Damn it. How many times you gonna trip!!”
Ignoring her curses, I activated my weapon skill.
[Weapon Skill: 「Soul Eater (EX)」 activated.]
[Burning the soul.]
Death Reaper gleamed with white light. I felt it—the soul shredding even now. This light was the soul's essence.
“Won't waste it.”
A prayer for the unknown soul. Not really sorry, so probably useless.
I charged. The progenitor looked my way. Our eyes met. Her crimson eyes gleamed.
I didn't stop. Swung at her surprised form. A pure white trail lingered.
Thicker, clearer than before. She reached to block, but her hand severed clean.
Momentum unbroken even after the hand. [Soul Eater (EX)] made Death Reaper razor-sharp.
Aimed for the neck. Ignored the rising blood spears. Slashed her neck again.
“Idiot.”
Blood gushed. I blocked it with one hand, trying to absorb her soul with [Soul Eater (EX)].
“Even regular vampires survive decapitation. Think that'll kill a progenitor?”
Her mocking voice rang out. As if triggered, the walls flanking us crumbled.
“Die.”
A voice echoed. A wave of rags surged. Amid Lachesis's panicked cries and Lily's temptations, I focused.
Decision was quick. Priorities clear.
Gripped the scythe. Her head hadn't regenerated yet. Amid the soul's burning screams from [Soul Eater], I swung.
Minced her body like cube steak.
“What are you—?!”
Ignored her panicked voice. Sole focus: pulverize into dust. Slashed relentlessly. Pieces split.
Split the pieces again. Halves to quarters to eighths.
More...
More fragmented body, kept activating the skill.
16ths.
32nds.
And then—
“Now what?”
Hm. No clue.
Seeing the rags swarming to bury us, options vanished. Say I somehow killed the progenitor.
This? Truly hopeless.
Thinking of ditching solo—something appeared before me. A wolf.
A wolf five times my height stood guard.
Watching it blankly, someone poked my cheek from behind.
Sophia grinned behind me.
“Hi?”
Her bright cheer clashed with the situation, but I got it quick. This wolf was Sophia's Karul... whatever. We're good now.
Relieved, maybe settle that grudge from earlier?
“Falling for me?”
Sophia nodded without hesitation. Then grabbed my cheeks with both hands.
Shoved her flushed face and shaky pupils at me.
Her next words were bewildering.
“Since I like you... can I suck your blood?”