Dark Moon
"Wh-what kind of magic was that?!"
"It wasn't me. My comrade cast it."
It was the 3-Class support magic Bind. The power of Bind varied depending on how densely you constructed the formula. It was difficult to use in the heat of battle, and the mana tremors before activation grew so violent that it rarely landed unless the opponent let their guard down. Lakemak had been so certain of victory that he'd grown careless — and walked straight into it. He never expected No. 212 to intervene at that exact moment.
The Bind will only last about four more seconds at most.
That was more than enough. No. 212 wouldn't have cast Bind without a plan.
Crash!
The window shattered as an attribute sword came flying through. No. 212 had thrown it.
I snatched the attribute sword with telekinesis. At the same time, I changed its attribute to wind. The wind sharpened the blade's cutting edge.
"This ends now."
"You bastar— ghk!"
The attribute sword pierced straight through his heart. No matter how thoroughly he wrapped himself in aura, mere aura alone couldn't stop an attribute sword driven by telekinesis.
The Bind released, and both Lakemak and I plummeted downward.
Wind
I laid down a cushion of wind right before impact, nullifying the shock.
Thud!
Lakemak hit the ground a beat later. His body convulsed. Even with his heart pierced, he was still alive. Of course, left alone he would die on his own soon enough.
"I prefer certainty."
I flicked my right hand upward. The attribute sword that had fallen to the floor shot into the sky. I brought my right hand down. The attribute sword plummeted and drove through Lakemak's skull.
I lifted my head. No. 212 sat perched on the windowsill. She had put her mask back on.
"How's the situation?"
"You know how skilled No. 31 is. The interior's already been cleaned up. We're wrapping up the exterior of the mansion too. Even without us stepping in, the fighting will be over in three minutes."
"Mission complete, then."
"Assuming no additional attacks. More importantly, aren't you going to thank me?"
"Thanks. Made it easy thanks to you."
"No need for formalities between us."
"..."
It was a little absurd, but I let it slide. No. 212 sometimes came out with nonsense like this.
The original mission had only been scheduled until the negotiations. But Baron Ptelgar had requested additional escort.
The mission duration was extended until the final negotiations concluded.
I moved to the final negotiation site with Baron Ptelgar. I sat in the driver's seat and drove the car while the baron sat in the back, muttering endlessly under his breath.
"Damn it. Damn it...! Lakemak, you ungrateful bastard...! After everything I did for you all this time, you dare betray me? Why? What the hell was missing that made you turn on me? I'm going insane, seriously..."
Lakemak's betrayal must have hit him harder than expected.
I kept my mouth shut and focused on driving. Opening it would only get the sparks flying my way.
The car wheels kept turning, and we arrived at our destination — the plaza.
Bodyguards and laborers who had arrived ahead of us were already facing off against each other. At their center sat a single table and two chairs.
Fewer than fifty laborers showed up.
The number of laborers who had come to the negotiation site was smaller than I'd expected. But it wasn't strange. The outcome of the final negotiations was obvious to anyone with eyes.
"Baron Ptelgar. We've arrived."
"Keep a close watch and make sure those filthy laborer bastards don't start wriggling."
Baron Ptelgar took his seat in the prepared chair. Across from him sat the laborers' representative, Bill Claxon, while a civil servant from the local government stood between them as a witness.
Conversation passed between them.
Bill Claxon's face turned bright red. He slammed his fist down on the table and exploded in fury. Baron Ptelgar watched the display and snickered. As the atmosphere grew heated, the civil servant stepped in.
Once the official took the lead, the negotiations moved quickly. Bill Claxon signed the agreement with tears streaming down his face.
Baron Ptelgar approached me looking thoroughly pleased.
"The negotiations are over. Let's go."
The situation began to settle.
Bill Claxon remained seated in his chair with a vacant, devastated expression until we disappeared from sight. Laborers crowded around him, offering comfort. His complexion was far too poor. He might even have been considering something extreme.
Once in the car, Baron Ptelgar spoke in a voice far more cheerful than before the negotiations.
"Back to the mansion. Heh heh."
"Yes, sir."
"You. Sure you don't want to work under me for real? Salary, house, car — I'll take care of all of it."
"I'm sorry."
"Tsk. Finding someone useful is going to cost time and money..."
"Baron. This may be overstepping, but wouldn't it be better to change residences? The laborers might still try to attack."
"Haha. It's already over. Negotiations are finished — why would they still come after me? You seem sharp, yet you're surprisingly stupid."
"...Do you intend to remain at the mansion?"
"I'll stay about two weeks. I've got a few things of my own to sort out. I'd like you to keep escorting me until then."
"I'm sorry. Extending the mission is beyond my authority."
"I know. Instructor Vinous already said no. Tsk."
"Your bodyguards are excellent, Baron. They will keep you safe."
"They'll do as much as they're paid for, at least."
There was free time before we returned to the unit. No. 212 and No. 31 headed to a department store for shopping, while I made my way to the slums.
In a shabby, empty house, I waited quietly for someone.
Before evening fell, the door opened and Bill Claxon stepped inside. I had concealed my presence in a corner of the house. He sat at the table and kept downing beer he'd pulled from the refrigerator.
I walked silently up behind him. With a gloved hand, I seized his head.
"Hhk! Wh-who are you?!"
"You don't need to know."
The mask distorted my voice.
Bill Claxon bit down hard on his lip. He trembled with some emotion — fear or rage, I couldn't tell — then let out a long sigh and calmed himself. It was a sigh of surrender.
"...Did the baron send you? To kill me? Of course that piece of shit would..."
"I am a black mage of Resistance Echoes."
"A black mage of Echoes? If you're not from the baron, why come looking for me?"
"I'm giving you a chance at revenge."
"..."
Bill Claxon brought the beer glass to his lips and drained it in one go.
"Revenge... I never thought that word could sound so sweet... Fine. Speak."
"I can turn you into a Living Bomb. I'll even hand you the detonation authority."
"...You want me to blow myself up with Baron Ptelgar? That's... terrorism."
"Do you know why people commit terrorism? Because there's no other way. Do you have another method?"
Bill Claxon clenched his fists tight.
"...Even if I decide to do it, a problem remains. How am I supposed to get close to the baron?"
"I'll tell you about the secret passage into Baron Ptelgar's mansion."
"So I go through the secret passage, reach the baron, and detonate. Understood."
"No. The entrance to the secret passage will be guarded by bodyguards. You'll be captured by them."
"...Then I can't even carry out the suicide bombing?"
"Think about the baron's personality. He'll come out himself just to mock the man they've caught."
"That bastard would do exactly that. But what if he doesn't come out? What then?"
"Doesn't matter. The Living Bomb's explosive power is more than enough to level the entire mansion."
"Kh... khkh. You're no saint either."
"So. Do you refuse?"
"I'll do it. I was going to die soon anyway. Why would I refuse a chance to take the baron with me? I'm already prepared. ...What do I need to do now?"
"Just stay still."
I slipped my left hand into my pocket and pulled out the Dark Hole I'd prepared.
I opened my Astral. Black mana flowing from the Dark Hole moved according to my will and seeped into Bill Claxon's body.
I carved a magic circle into his skin with black mana. Even though his clothes hid the skin from view, I could feel the magic circle being etched into his body with perfect clarity.
Simply copying a black mage's method won't raise the power. I need to modify parts of the formula. The explosive formula has to be inscribed at least five times over.
Magic circles were delicate.
Even a slight error in the formula would reduce the circle to nothing more than meaningless scribbles. The calculations had to be perfect.
That black mage failed the calculations. I won't.
I had finished the calculations before arriving here. All I had to do was carve the magic circle into Bill Claxon's body without a single mistake.
Ssssss...
Every last drop of black mana stored in the Dark Hole soaked into Bill Claxon's body. I reviewed the magic circle three times to confirm it had been properly inscribed. There were no problems.
"It's done."
"...Tell me how to detonate it."
"Want it intensely enough. Then it will explode."
I told him the location of the secret passage.
"I won't thank you."
"I don't expect you to."
Bill Claxon closed his eyes and sank into thought.
I quietly left his house.
I met No. 212 and No. 31 at the rendezvous point. Both of them were carrying bags in both hands. A quick glance showed cosmetics, snacks, underwear — items the unit allowed.
I had dumped the Dark Hole down a sewer. Bringing it back would only get it confiscated during the personal effects inspection. Saying it wasn't a waste would be a lie, but there might be another chance to obtain a Dark Hole someday.
"No. 211. Look at this."
"...!!"
I froze. In No. 212's hand was a sheer red mesh panty.
"It's No. 31's panty."
"What?"
My gaze naturally shifted to No. 31. Her face slightly flushed, she snatched the mesh panty from No. 212's hand and spoke as if making an excuse.
"I only bought it because No. 212 asked me to. Hers is black."
"Ah. No. 31. Why would you say that?"
"You started it."
No. 31 and No. 212 bickered over the underwear. It was a little surprising that No. 31 had any interest in something like this. I realized that what I knew of her wasn't everything there was to know.
I stood awkwardly between them. Cosmetics or underwear — neither was a topic I had any business inserting myself into.
...They're talking about this kind of thing with me right here between them. Have we lived together so long that I don't even register as a man anymore?
Thinking of No. 212, who'd sucked my cock, that didn't seem right. Maybe we'd just grown comfortable after so much time together.
When the appointed time arrived, the unit return bus pulled up. Their conversation cut off. We boarded the bus in silence. Every time I rode this return bus, the feeling was strange. I hated to admit it, but there was something of finishing work and heading home about it.
BOOOOM!
It was right before the bus left the city. A massive explosion roared out.
No. 31 and No. 212 looked toward the bus window.
"...It's not an attack aimed at us."
"I think it's over that way... Isn't that the direction of Baron Ptelgar's mansion?"
I didn't even glance at the window. I closed my eyes.
"Don't worry about it. Our mission is already over."