Chapter 35
Chapter 35
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Ambush (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Damn it, why are there so many of them?!"
"Amelia! You okay?!"
"Don't worry about me—protect the senior properly!"
"S-Siu! Be careful!"
"!"
The moment I glanced away because Amelia looked to be in danger, a villain sneaked up behind me without a sound and swung his sword.
Senior got injured trying to protect her from the sudden ambush and shouted a warning, but it was too late to react after hearing the noise.
It was a perfect sneak attack. If it weren't for me.
If you already know before the sound even reaches you, there's plenty of time to react.
"H-How?!"
"That kind of trick doesn't work on me."
Unfortunately, sneak attacks don't work on me.
Unaware of that fact, the villain lunged at my back, convinced I couldn't dodge, putting all his strength into the strike.
If the ambush had succeeded, it would've been a devastating blow.
But the moment the ambush failed, it turned into a reckless attack full of openings.
Of course, I didn't miss the moment the villain staggered. Using centrifugal force, I landed one solid kick.
Just like when I took down the chameleon beastman— a weight-loaded kick to the body.
...But gentler this time. Even that was more than enough.
Maybe thanks to that experience.
I felt like I'd gained an understanding of just how much force it takes to knock out a superhuman without seriously injuring them.
"Guh...?!"
The guy rolled on the ground, eyes rolled back in pain.
He'd live.
Even with internal injuries, a few months of treatment should fix him up.
No need to worry about that.
In a situation where we could die any second, a few months was a bargain.
"Hoo, hoo... How many is it now?"
"No idea. I think I've taken down about five."
"Ha, just five? Seven for me, including the one I just got."
"N-Ney."
Even in a situation like this, she won't back down.
How big of a shock must that have been back then?
She's this confident even now.
"...By the way, where the hell did Arte disappear to?"
"Beats me. That's what I'm worried about too."
Of course, it wasn't worry for Arte herself.
No matter what mess she stirred up, she didn't look like the type to get hurt.
What I was worried about was what kind of mess she was stirring up.
"Suspicious. This all blows up right after she vanishes?"
"...Yeah, I agree."
"Something's definitely up."
Arte had said she was going to the bathroom during the party and disappeared hours ago.
And right on cue, villains attack when she's gone?
In a remote place like this?
It fit too perfectly.
"Sh-Shit...! H-How the hell are we supposed to beat these bastards...!"
"W-We gotta run. No way we can win!"
They'd lost their will to fight.
They'd swarmed us in a group, but realizing it was just them left must've crushed them.
As they started slinking away, Amelia gripped her spear and asked,
"What do you wanna do?"
"Letting them go might be fine. We've got too much to handle already."
"Got it. ...Hey, scram. We got no business with you."
A good amount of time had passed since the fight started.
Even without Arte, there was too much to do.
First, report to the Association and the police.
These guys were Übermensch.
They each had animal body parts—definitely.
Paws of some creature, wings of an unknown bird, sharp claws, and so on.
The one who ambushed me earlier had weird fleshy pads on his feet.
No wonder I didn't hear footsteps.
Similar to Laira.
Some animal-like feature, just like her.
...What the hell is going on?
We needed the Association here ASAP to figure that out.
And that wasn't all.
We had to restrain the ones we took down first, call an ambulance for senior's treatment.
No time to capture these guys who'd lost the will to fight.
Worried they might harm civilians, but mentioning it in the report should cover it.
That was the judgment call. Let them go.
Until they started acting weird.
"G-Guh?!"
"Yoo Siu... Something's off."
"Yeah. I felt it too."
A strange unease washed over us.
Just moments ago, they'd been desperate to flee.
When it looked like we weren't gonna chase, their faces lit up, and they turned to run.
...But now, their faces looked wrong.
"Something's weird."
The moment those words left her mouth, Amelia accelerated in a flash.
Just as I favored close combat based on intuition, Amelia was maximizing her own ability.
"Hup!"
-Crunch.
A sound that shouldn't come from a human echoed through the forest.
Of the three trying to flee, two collapsed with deep gashes in their chests, and one's neck snapped cleanly against her spear shaft—all in one breath.
A feat only possible for Amelia, whose acceleration ability focused on speed among body enhancements.
But it didn't erase the unease.
Those guys could've blocked that attack.
No reason to just take a hit like that without doing anything.
"It's not over... right?"
"Yeah. You saw that creepy scene."
We couldn't even admire the sight, and Amelia didn't brag like usual.
Part of me thought leaving them like that might kill them, but the greater danger hit first.
"...Something's definitely up."
That final look.
The moment before Amelia struck.
Faces drenched in tears and fear. But they didn't run.
They'd clearly been about to flee right up until then.
"Looked like they were being dragged along by force."
"Right? You thought so too, Yoo Siu? Ugh, gives me chills."
If we hadn't taken them down preemptively, they'd have attacked no matter what.
That's what Siu thought.
"...What rotten luck. My underlings dying to just three kids?"
A deep, gravelly voice suddenly rang out.
We whipped our heads toward the sound. About ten people were shambling over dejectedly.
All with animal-altered body parts. Übermensch, no doubt.
But something other than their pitiful looks made Siu frown.
"...Blood smell."
"What?"
Amelia asked back, but Siu didn't answer.
Blood.
The same smell as when he sliced the chameleon villain.
Siu realized it was wafting thickly from them.
"Sorry. We don't wanna mess with students either—too much risk—but orders are orders."
"...Whose orders?"
"Pl-Please spare us! We're right now... G-Guh...! M-My neck...!"
A man who urgently shouted something had his neck snapped instantly, dying on the spot.
After a stunned silence at how easily the life was snuffed out, a man sighed and spoke.
"Told you not to do anything stupid. You never listen."
Unlike the others, this man was covered head to toe in gray fur, with large ears, a short tail, red eyes, and prominent buck teeth revealing his animal nature.
"You... a rat? You look exactly like one."
"That's right. I'm an executive of Übermensch, one of the Twelve Branches. Marmoda."
"...Did you kill that guy?"
"Wish I could take credit."
The man who declared himself an Übermensch executive let out a heavy sigh.
"Told you to behave. You lot, don't do anything stupid—just follow orders. They're definitely watching right now."
"Y-Yes, sir!"
Watching?
Scores of questions for him, but he looked done talking.
"Alright, Academy brats. Only one of you hurt despite my kids going all out? You've got some skill."
"Skill? They couldn't even touch this spear."
"Is that so? Sorry, but things are about to get tough. Don't hate us—gotta survive somehow. ...Go, kids."
At his signal, the villains charged all at once.
For me and Amelia, forced into back-to-back fights without rest—an absolutely unfavorable situation.
Knowing that, Amelia started whining.
"C-Continuous fights are kinda unfair, aren't they?!"
"Couldn't touch the spear? Time to get unfair. And 'unfair' against villains is a compliment."
"Ugh, so annoying!"
Even now, she can't rein in her temper.
Amelia, you seemed like such a proper young lady.
No matter how I thought about it, "virtuous daughter of a good family" didn't fit her.
Maybe "spirited miss," though.
"But continuous fights are actually good...! Not giving us a break will be your mistake!"
"Interesting. Why's that?"
"I never even got hit by Dad! Wanna know why?"
"A-Amelia! What the hell are you saying all of a sudden?! We're in the middle of a fight!"
For a second, my grip slackened while facing the villain in front of me.
Luckily, so did his, averting danger.
Wh-What the hell is she saying in the middle of a fight?!
"Even Dad couldn't catch me when I kept activating my ability...! I'd run away before he could punish me!"
"...No need to hear more. That your last words?"
"Get ready to taste the speed of Amelia Lindberg, whom even A-Rank #4 Lionel Lindberg couldn't catch!"
"Wait, what?"
Everyone felt the confusion at her words.
A-Rank #4... Lionel Lindberg?
A famous hero.
Praised as "Lionel of Light." And she's his daughter?
No way to know since she never talked about her family.
No, that's not the point right now.
What did she just say?
...Even that Lionel couldn't catch her in speed?
"Here I go!"
Amelia shot forward like a bolt of lightning.
A speed on a whole other level from before.