Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Ambush
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For Sen, the fierce and strict competition within the Extermination Squad hadn't been all that difficult.
Not only among kids her own age, but even against seniors five or six years older, Sen displayed overwhelming talent.
Assassination, sparring, intelligence gathering, stealth...
In all the essentials for an Extermination Squad member, Sen stood unrivaled, treated as the next leader to carry the group forward.
Her placement in the academy was proof of the leader's intent to properly train her.
'The leader.'
In the Extermination Squad, they often held one-on-one spars with the leader. Survive for one minute to pass; fail, and you're out.
Those who failed simply vanished naturally.
And now, Sen felt the same endless, hopeless pressure as when she'd sparred with the leader.
"Ngh!"
Unable to withstand Daniel's advancing momentum, Sen kept getting pushed back.
'I can't win. I have to aim for his sword.'
The good news was that his sword was in such poor condition it was already wobbling after just a few swings.
She'd deliberately targeted it to break, and the effect came faster than expected.
Each of Daniel's strikes carried such weight that the sword finally shattered.
'Now.'
Sen lunged forward at the broken blade flying through the air, swinging her dagger—but
Thud.
Her vision suddenly shook, and cold rooftop concrete pressed against her cheek.
In her dizzying field of view came a sharp impact at her temple.
"Tch. You were hopping around so much it made me dizzy, but now you're finally settling down."
The sword had shattered, but he'd struck with the flat of the blade.
"So, you gonna tell me what you heard from Demalico?"
"..."
I knew Sen's fate well enough to be sure no torture would make her talk.
So what I needed wasn't torture or intel extraction—it was negotiation.
All I'd done was seat her at the bargaining table.
'A bit rough, maybe.'
I plopped down in front of Sen, who clenched her lips the moment she acknowledged her defeat, and asked,
"Curious how I knew you're with the Extermination Squad?"
"...!"
She bit immediately, whipping her head to glare at me. I smiled back, but she stayed silent.
"Seems like I know a thing or two about that organization you're hunting, too."
This was pure hunch.
If the Extermination Squad stood opposed to the dogfighting ring, then the organization they were personally chasing was likely the Dogfighters.
Plus, the raw materials for cigarettes potent enough to wreck Demalico like that could only come from the Demon Realm Forest, as far as I knew.
So the thugs making those smokes probably relied on the Dogfighters' connections to the Demon Realm Forest.
"I want just one thing. What info you got from Demalico. Where those gangsters are."
Extermination Squad secrets wouldn't do me much good anyway.
"I won't tell a soul you're with the Squad. I'll treat you the same as always. Sound good? It's way better for you."
Sen pondered for a moment, then slowly spoke.
"Why are you looking for the gang?"
"Got a bit of interest in the cigarettes they're peddling."
Honestly, ever since regressing back to eighteen, everything had been a bewildering mess.
'What kind of academy has this many incidents?'
Some unknown Dogfighters group pops up, a student smokes so much his skin rots off...
And all tied to the Demon Realm Forest, which piqued my curiosity.
Normally, at this point, I'd be deep in the forest outskirts, training like a madman to forget my expulsion trauma.
The idea that someone before me had been smuggling materials from the Demon Realm Forest was intriguing as hell.
Not to mention, how the Dogfighters wielded the powers of the forest's magic beasts.
"What'll you do if you find out?"
"Man, so many questions. Figure it out, then hand it off to the guards. What else?"
No need for me to wipe out the thugs myself—that was the guards' job from here on.
Sen gave a strange look, then slowly stood. Her head seemed steady now.
"Fine. I'll tell you. The gang's location and what Demalico spilled about the smokes."
Demalico was just a customer, so he didn't know much about the product.
Just that it was cheap, highly addictive, and long-term use brought extreme fatigue and bizarre bodily changes.
With the location pinned down, I grinned in satisfaction. Then Sen turned the question on me.
"How'd you know I'm with the Extermination Squad?"
"White hair, single-syllable name. Classic Squad brat trait."
"...So how'd you know that?"
"Dunno?"
"..."
A deep frustration seeped into Sen's blank expression, devoid of emotion. Seeing her turn from doll to human filled me with smug satisfaction.
"You think I'd tell you just 'cause you told me?"
"You..."
Her dagger hand tensed, itching to argue, but she knew she had no leverage and moved on.
"What did you mean, you know about the organization we're chasing?"
"Dogfighters, right? That Hare who caused the commotion last time—she's one of them. Came scouting me at night."
"...!"
Sen stared at me in shock, gauging if I was lying. But I had nothing to hide.
Spilling like this would make it easier to use her later.
"That cover it? I'm heading out."
"What the hell are you?"
This time, pure curiosity from Sen, not bargaining. She'd felt like a lifeless assassin doll moments ago, but now she seemed almost human.
"Hm."
Not sure if she'd taken a personal interest in me, but I scratched the back of my head.
"Just a regular guy?"
Not wrong, right?
*
"So you brought me along?"
Hayun scowled with a strange expression, clearly annoyed, and I mumbled a hesitant confirmation.
After class.
Hayun and I strolled through the streets.
No point dragging it out—we were heading straight to check it out. Better with backup than solo, so I'd planned to bring May.
But she refused.
She claimed she needed to nurse the hospitalized, mute, immobile Demalico, but Sen's words had clearly shocked her.
She'd fled without even glancing my way.
'She'll get over it.'
She knew she had no right to beg mercy from me back then, so she hadn't said a word.
May had pulled every trick to get me expelled.
Plan B was Hayun, but she soured hearing I'd asked someone else first.
"Anyway, it'll be quick. You won't have to fight—just call the guards if we confirm."
"No way. I'm fighting too."
Hayun gripped her sword hilt.
A quick rundown of thugs selling addictive smokes with nasty side effects had fired up her sense of justice; she'd grabbed her blade.
I'd brought the sword my sister got me as an enrollment gift, too.
"Your mood seems brighter lately, though?"
I probed lightly, and she asked if it showed, flashing a small smile.
"Turns out my family disowned me."
"..."
Shocked inwardly, I kept a straight face.
"Confessed to Ares and got shot down. Told them I wouldn't let my uncle push me around anymore, and next day—disowned, funding cut."
"Academy?"
"Can stay through this year, so aiming for a scholarship."
"..."
"Dean said if I prove myself, it'll be fine."
"Huh."
Thought her family would've yanked her immediately to spite me, but apparently they'd soured relations with the Leiros Family already—might as well screw them over by leaving her.
I'd heard the Dean grinning wickedly, yelling "Take that!"
People don't change easily.
"Dinner at that tavern from last time after?"
"Sure, there's a dish I wanna try."
I shifted the mood, and she nodded eagerly.
"I'll join you."
A girl's voice from behind.
Hayun and I whipped around, startled. Rin smiled at us.
"Where to? Date?"
"Nah, nothing that sweet."
"Right. Sure. It's not."
Hayun eyed me suspiciously, maybe due to Rin's vibe.
It was friendly on the surface but stabbed oddly at the heart.
Almost asked how she knew, but her smile said not to. So I naturally added her to the group.
"We're off to fight gangsters. Could be dangerous."
"Gangsters?"
"...She'll be fine."
Hayun fretted over Rin, but I knew Rin's skills could protect herself.
Worst case, I'd cover her.
Rin sidled up to me, whispering low enough Hayun couldn't hear.
"Didn't I tell you? I feel annoyed, angry, all sorts of bad thoughts."
She grinned, but her voice chilled me.
She pinched my side lightly, glancing at Hayun with laughing eyes.
"Or is she the one?"
No clue what admitting it'd trigger, so I shook my head fast.
"I see..."
She smacked her lips in genuine regret, then fell back slowly.