Chapter 38
Chapter 38
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: He's Coming
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“Ares?”
How in the world was he here?
Did Daniel pull some trick?
Thoughts raced through her mind, but instinct screamed to escape this man first. Sen lashed out with a kick to Zavallanko's gut.
“You punks really think I'm a joke!”
Zavallanko didn't budge an inch. Instead, he hurled Sen into the wall, snatched his cutlass, and stormed out.
“Guh... ugh.”
Amid the brain-rattling shock, Sen fought to stay conscious and popped a pill from her pocket into her mouth.
Pain ebbed away as heat surged through her body.
One of countless secret elixirs used by the Extermination Squad.
“Why the hell did you hide Zavallanko from me?”
The squad hadn't mentioned he was an executive of the Pirate Lord when assigning this mission.
They had to know. The Pirate Lord was an S-rank, top-tier threat to the Extermination Squad, and his executives were rated A-rank underlings.
The squad had deliberately withheld Zavallanko's intel from her.
Sen reached to wipe the drool from her mouth but froze at the red stain on her hand. Blood.
Hoo.
Just a toss into the wall, but the internal damage ran deeper than expected.
Even so, Sen coldly crushed her emotions and raised her dagger.
Betrayed or not, she couldn't break from the squad. She knew the fate of deserters and grudge-holders.
Besides, she had nowhere else to go. She'd never even imagined a life outside the Extermination Squad.
So, despite the faint sting of betrayal, Sen silently left the room to complete her mission.
Down on the first floor, the third-year delinquents had teamed up with Ares, Arni Duratan, Hayun, and Adriana.
Ares, the strongest student, was handling Zavallanko.
“Gah!”
“You little shits are insane!”
Ares grimaced as their swords clashed. Zavallanko fought one-handed, so Ares could barely hold his own in raw strength.
Splat.
“Guhk!”
This wasn't a spar. It was battle.
Or more bluntly, a brawl.
Ares took a kick to the gut, spat blood, and tumbled backward.
Ares Helias, first place in third-year one-on-one duels, defeated without unleashing his full power.
But the women behind him surged forward to fill the gap.
Arni Duratan charged with her greatsword, red hair flying.
But...
“Students are so damn predictable.”
Zavallanko sneered.
“What?”
Arni had no idea what he meant—until an arrow slammed into her side.
One of his goons, hiding behind an oak barrel in the corner, had fired a crossbow.
“Coward!”
Arni Duratan, eldest daughter of the kingdom's premier swordsmanship clan—known for hair the color of red dragon blood.
She'd never lost her top spot in practicals before Ares arrived. Now she scowled at a mere crossbow and halted.
She squeezed her eyes shut as another bolt flew—but Adriana, the mage guarding her back, intervened.
“Arni! Get it together!”
A protective spell held... for a moment.
Zavallanko cackled as his cutlass shredded the barrier like paper.
“What the fuck!”
His cutlass arced high—but before it swung down, Hayun's naginata blocked it.
She launched herself into the air, slamming down with sheer momentum.
Zavallanko's smirk vanished for the first time. He backpedaled frantically, scanning the room.
“......?”
Hayun blinked at his over-the-top panic.
As if searching for someone...
Chance.
Hayun lunged with a thrust. Zavallanko snapped back to reality, twisting for a counter—
Thud.
Sen's knee strike from the stairs nailed his face.
Got him!
This one landed solid.
Executive or not, he was human. A clean knee to the jaw...
“Tickles!”
Zavallanko slashed the airborne Sen down to the floor like discarding trash. He twisted, shoving Hayun back.
“Kuhk!”
“Ngh!”
Sen spat blood and rolled. Hayun blocked with her naginata but flew backward anyway.
Ares Helias, who shot to the top of his year like a comet.
Arni Duratan, eldest of the Duratan sword clan.
Hayun, Eastern sword style wielder and Arni's rival.
Sen, unmatched in third-year agility and speed.
And Adriana, top in third-year magic.
Despite this lineup of prodigies, they couldn't take down Zavallanko—a mere gang boss.
And that was with his left arm broken, in a cast, fighting one-handed.
“No way...”
“He's a monster.”
“W-We gotta run!”
The students who charged in trembled and tried to flee, but Zavallanko sneered.
“Lock the door.”
His goons at the entrance slammed it shut. Terror filled the students' eyes.
Now that's the right look, Zavallanko thought, ignoring his throbbing left hand with a grin.
“Yeah, got it.”
Hayun's voice rang soft.
She held a square artifact, murmuring into it. Zavallanko recognized it: a mana radio, exclusive to the royal special investigations bureau.
How did a student get her hands on one?
Questions swirled—but a young man's voice crackled through.
“I'm here.”
Audio was fuzzy, but unmistakable.
The voice that haunted his dreams, echoing endlessly.
The one he'd sworn to rip apart someday.
Boom!
The locked door shuddered violently. The thugs jolted in panic, but Zavallanko barked.
“Block it! Tables, chairs—pile 'em up!”
Ragged breaths.
He ignored the other students, eyes locked on the door.
Cold sweat beaded.
His cutlass grip felt slick, heart pounding faster.
Left-hand pain intensified with every kick from outside.
“Hoo, hoo.”
Time to kill.
He was one of the Pirate Lord's top ten executives. Sure, exiled now to run a street gang, but still.
No way he'd lose to some academy brat.
“Last time, I got careless.”
Fine.
Go kill him.
Thrust the cutlass into his throat the second he steps in.
As he tensed for it—
The door splintered. A black-haired boy entered, unleashing killing intent that dominated the room.
“Kyaaa!”
Zavallanko twisted and shattered a window, fleeing.
Thanks to Hayun's radio and Rin's signaling spell from outside the building, we'd tracked down their new hideout fast.
If asked how we found it without Sen's tip? Not hard.
Well, not for me. I didn't break a sweat.
May's crew had unleashed every third-year delinquent to comb the city.
Not just them—with the dean's backing, even the disciplinary committee (fourth- and fifth-years only) and professors patrolled the streets.
We nailed it before 8 p.m.
Of course, their job ended there.
The raiding students were May's closest pals, plus Ares and his crew—there at Hayun's plea to rescue Sen.
Grateful to the clueless ones following the dean's orders, I kicked the door Rin pointed out.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Splintering crash. I burst in, radiating killing intent.
Zavallanko.
Catch him, and it's over.
Illegal drugs, kidnapping, assault, bribery—even forbidden slave trading of kingdom citizens.
He'd go to prison and never leave.
Straight to the gallows.
No more bribing his way out or wiping the crimes clean.
Because we'd planted a tenacious inspector on our side.
She won't let go till you're hanged.
As someone who'd felt her bulldog grip firsthand, I almost pitied him.
Of course, the guards who'd taken bribes and buried crimes would face justice too.
My task: nab Zavallanko.
But...
“Kyaaa!”
Instead of fighting, he bolted through the window the instant he saw me.
I chuckled, told Rin to treat the wounded, and chased him out the same way.
“Where you going!”
“D-Don't follow, you bastard!”
“Come quietly! You're done!”
“Fuuuuck! Know who I am? Pirate Lord's man!”
“Zavallanko! One-eyed, busted arm.”
“Executive! All pirates kneel to me!”
Ex-executive, technically.
“Then I'm a bandit chief! From Demon Realm Forest!”
“Bullshit! You think I'm lying!”
Yet he kept sprinting, no slowdown.
Not that late—taverns open, streets bustling.
Our chase drew stares. I closed in and snagged his nape.
Splat!
I yanked him down. Drew my sword—but he rolled back, grabbing his cutlass.
“Fine, I'll kill you!”
“You were running a second ago...”
“Shut up! I was careless last time!”
“Sure.”
Ever since killing that fighting dog, combat dragged out my old Demon Realm Forest habits.
Normally, Daniel McClane, 18-year-old academy student.
In battle? 28-year-old Demon Realm sherpa.
My aura shifted. Zavallanko trembled but gripped his sword and swung.
One strike shattered his blade. Crushed by despair, he dropped to his knees.