Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: I Don't Like Hurting People (3)
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“That guy...”
When I pointed at Jace, who had been dragged over limply by the hand, she let out an “Ah” as if she’d only just remembered him and dropped him to the floor.
“I just knocked him out, that’s all. But you recognized him right away, huh? Guess the mask doesn’t suit me after all.”
She grumbled as she pulled off the white mask covering the upper half of her face, clearly annoyed. And once again, my eyes met those green ones. I frowned at that gaze, which seemed to lick over me like it wanted to drag every last bit of me out into the open.
What’s her angle? Why hasn’t she said a word about me taking on... that villain? Just in case a fight was about to break out, I checked my condition. Crackle—a little ice formed, but still.
Even so... my chances of winning weren’t great. Not unless I was in top shape. In my current half-assed state, it’d be tough. I was only just at the level where I could use the First Sword.
For now, let’s try talking it out. With that thought, I opened my mouth.
“Uh... I don’t even know what to call you, but anyway, why are you here? Knocking out Mr. Jace, wearing that mask...”
“Oh, I haven’t told you my name yet? Call me Hera Carmen. I’m the one who’s basically Zenon’s big sis. Wanna try calling me sis?”
“......”
I stayed silent as I stared at Hera, who was smiling faintly like she was just enjoying the situation. Call her sis? I’d rather bite my tongue and die. The silence stretched on for a moment before Hera spoke up.
“Hmm, well, I get it. We’re not close enough for that yet.”
“...And we’re not gonna get close anytime soon, either.”
Crackle.
Killing intent leaked from her, thick and vicious, and before I knew it, ice had formed around me too. I clicked my tongue softly at the sight of her face, still grinning slyly.
What a psycho bitch.
She was radiating that intense murderous aura without a flicker of change in her expression. She’d probably done this sort of thing countless times. But that didn’t make it any easier to understand why she was pulling this off.
Attacking the Hero office, knocking out a full-fledged Hero, and confronting me with her face out in the open like this. She had to know it wouldn’t be a small blow for Hera Carmen, daughter of a Top Hero.
In that instant, something flashed through my mind. She’s here to kill me.
“...You never had any intention of letting me live, did you?”
“Right. If you’d just gone to District A like I told you, Zenon would’ve only gotten a little hurt, and that’d be it.”
A little? My lip twisted. Lies like that meant nothing to me, who knew the original story. How many people got hurt, and how much pain did Zenon go through because of it—
I bit down on my lip to suppress the surge of emotions threatening to burst out. How much it had hurt me just reading that scene in the novel. A metallic tang mixed with the smell of blood in my mouth. I must’ve bitten down hard enough to tear my lip.
“That must hurt.”
Empty pity. Yeah, it was my mistake to think talking would solve anything. I knew from the start that she was rotten to the core.
She noticed the change in my expression; the faint smile on her face vanished.
“...I don’t know why you’re protecting Zenon. But I already warned you once.”
“......”
“I told you it was dangerous, so why’d you go anyway? If you die here, think of it as revenge for the kids you’ve been holding onto. That way, it’ll feel a little less unfair, right?”
Ha, like there’s any “less unfair” way to die. I swung my hand dismissively, scoffing at her ridiculous joke. Mind games won’t work. Fine, then—
Rooooar.
With a bit of rest, my body temperature had recovered somewhat. I’d end this in one shot with the most powerful technique I could muster.
Whoosh.
My fingertips pointed toward the sky. Hera’s gaze naturally followed. And at the end of that gaze—there was a massive snake.
It shattered the earth and devoured the light of the heavens. Nothing like Moonlit Night Sword, which merely drew in moonlight. Immense enough to swallow the sky itself, its gaze overlooking the ground was proud and aloof. The predator that devoured everything beneath it, and in the end, even itself.
Jörmungandr.
Maybe because I’d summoned that existence, my legs gave out and I collapsed to my knees. As I squeezed out everything I had, I gazed at the massive shadow it cast over the city, then at Hera staring blankly at the serpent. I gave her a faint smile.
...She’s gotta be at least a little surprised.
“Don’t get too close to him. It’s dangerous.”
The first words I heard from her were that. Don’t get close to him, out of nowhere, impossible to pin down. I recognized the voice the moment I heard it. Hera Carmen—once someone I was pretty close to... my older sister.
Why was she, a third-year, here? Before I could even resolve that question, another voice chimed in.
“Sure.”
A very familiar voice. No, in this Academy, only one person had that voice. Aisha. I’d followed her up here when I saw her heading this way, so of course I’d hear her. But what messed up my head was why she was agreeing with Hera.
“I wasn’t planning on getting close to him anyway.”
Her words hit like I was drunk; my mind went hazy with each one. Stumbling, I braced myself against the wall with one hand and dazedly listened to the rest of the conversation.
“What if Zenon heard you saying that right now? How do you think he’d feel?”
I was a selfish guy. I hoped she’d say it’d hurt her too, or at least stay silent. But her response was—
“...I don’t think it’d bother him much.”
...straight to rock bottom.
Bang.
I kicked the rooftop door shut like I was taking out my anger on it, then staggered down the stairs, halfway to class—no, home. I don’t remember. Whether I went to class or straight home. I just let myself get swept along in the crowd, amid the murmur of all those people.
Like a bottle caught in the waves, I drifted somewhere.
I couldn’t pull myself together at all. A hollow sense of loss in my chest, like something was missing. Even though we weren’t close enough for emotions to run that deep, her words still left me feeling lost.
What had I lost?
Were she and I even friends to begin with? No, I couldn’t even confidently answer that. She’d wake me if I was sleeping, blush while sniffing my scent. But maybe even that was just my imagination. Why—had I...
Since when had I been taking her in with my eyes?
When our eyes met, red like they held the sunset, or when she replied to me in that indifferent tone, I felt some inexplicable satisfaction. Like something empty in my chest was being filled. Sometimes it frustrated me that we were still so distant.
But approaching her first? I was scared to step up.
Scared she might hate it.
When she talked to others, I’d bow my head and pretend to sleep. Then she’d come wake me. It was so childlike. And yet...
One sentence, and I couldn’t get my head straight. Even on the same subway car, right in front of me, in the same space. That short distance felt like a solid wall, impossibly far.
“Zenon... I... B...”
I nodded weakly and walked in the opposite direction from her. Not even sure if this was the right way. Why had I come here?
Tug.
As I wandered the street listlessly, what snapped me out of it was someone pulling my sleeve. Who is it? I turned, but no one was there. No—just someone short.
“Big bro.”
“......”
“Big bro crying?”
A little kid looking up at me with clear eyes, candy stick in his mouth. The moment I tried to walk past, he tugged my sleeve again.
“...Cut it out.”
“They say guys get three cries. You just used one, bro.”
“...Where’d you learn that?”
“My dad told me.”
“I see... And I wasn’t crying.”
“Your eyes are red.”
Dry eyes, I brushed it off like that and wiped the tears pooling under my eyes. I wasn’t usually this sentimental.
...Not like I was actually crying or anything.
Only then did I somewhat come back to my senses. Why I’d come here, how I’d wandered this far.
“I was in the middle of my practical exam.”
“What’s that?”
Smack smack. I gave a small smile as I looked at the kid still sucking on his candy.
“...Just standing in for a Hero’s job.”
“You a Hero, big bro?”
“...No.”
“Aww, boring.”
Where exactly was I supposed to be fun? It was a bit absurd, but getting mad at a kid felt wrong, so I just sighed.
“Sighing brings bad luck, they say.”
“Your dad teach you that too?”
“No, Mom.”
“...I see.”
I glanced at the clock announcing seven hours until my practical exam, then turned back to the kid.
“Anything I can help with?”
“Nope.”
“...For real?”
“Yeah.”
I was in a bind. Practical exam in seven hours, streets darkening already. If I didn’t do anything, it’d probably be suspension again... or maybe expulsion this time. I knew my usual behavior was bad, but I didn’t actually want to get expelled.
I just... wanted to catch one person’s attention.
“Want me to walk you home at least?”
“Sure.”
Smack smack, still expressionless kid. I clicked my tongue and took his hand.
“Where’s home?”
“Just keep going straight, it’s there.”
“Close by. District A good to live in?”
“Dunno, I live in District B.”
“...Then why are you here?”
“Got lost.”
Can you really say that with such a chill face? Anyway, escorting a lost kid home counts toward the practical exam. Without a word, I held his hand tight and started walking.
...I wonder if Aisha’s doing okay.
“...!”
The sudden thought made me flinch. If only it came with some signal, but Aisha popping into my head out of nowhere had troubled me plenty of times before. Friend... no, not even that anymore.
The fact that she still affected me hadn’t changed. As that thought trailed on and I sank back into gloom—
Weeeen.
“...Ability alarm.”
An ominous feeling gnawed at me. Looking around, nothing seemed dangerous. So probably nothing happening here. My gaze turned toward District B.
What should I do? For some reason, Aisha’s face floated up amid this foreboding sense. I hoped it wasn’t related.
And far off—
Probably District B, the direction Aisha had gone.
I saw ice rising up.