Monster Zoo # 6
Monster Zoo # 6
And so, while we waited for rescue.
"Purrrt... purrrrt?"
The Antillery we'd taken hostage woke up. The bastard came to, shaking their body and trying to exert strength.
"Yu-ri! Shut their mouth!"
"Ah, okay! Got it!"
—Grip!
I asked Yu-ri to clamp their mouth shut right away. If they managed to communicate somehow here, things could go sideways. For now, we just had to hold the hostage and quietly wait for rescue. Cold-blooded, sure, but this is the world of superhumans. Monsterkin and superhumans are fated to clash.
"Ah! The antennae! You have to keep their antennae still too! This bastard uses those to communicate!"
Leona shouted.
"The antennae! Si-hoo! They're messing with their antennae! You grab the antennae!"
"Huh! Got it!"
On top of me holding the Antillery from behind with a knife to their throat, Yu-ri had their mouth. Si-hoo grabbed their antennae. Total restraint. Even torture isn't this thorough.
"Purrrrruk."
The Antillery, suddenly silenced, thrashed, but they couldn't overcome the strength of three superhumans.
"Phew! I can relax now! Wow! Now that I've calmed down, I really feel like we survived! A defense mission in a tight space like this, what an utterly ridiculous thing to happen!"
Leona was in an extremely excited state. Guess it's because she feels like she came back from the dead?
"You said it. Hey, Leona. What about contact with the outside?"
"No luck. The gate doesn't seem to have vanished yet. The signal's jammed, phones aren't working."
"Guess we're stuck waiting no matter what."
"Exactly."
Right at that moment.
—Pssssssht!
Abruptly, steam or something like it hissed out from the bulkhead.
"Ah!"
—Creaaaaak!
The bulkhead began to open!
"Whoa!"
And what entered was—!
"These commie bastards dare lay a hand on my juniors!!!"
"Kill them all!!!"
"You crazy Red Ant bastards!!"
Our proud hero seniors!
—BOOM!
—CRASH!
"Ptchchchchcht!"
"Ptchcht!"
"Chchchcht!"
The monsterkin who had held the advantage through sheer numbers in the cramped space were swept aside like literal trash mobs the second the door opened. Every time the active heroes who came to rescue us swung their weapons, they were getting mowed down for real!
—BOOM!
"Kim Geun-cheol! Leona! Lee Si-hoo! Woo Yu-ri! Are you alive!"
And Instructor Lee So-ra, in her usual suit, came flying in.
—KABOOOOOM!
She charged in, hurling a punch as she flew. The sudden pressure wave tore the Antillery Guardians apart.
We're alive!
Our instructor, isn't she way too cool!
"Oh! We're safe!"
"We're alive!"
"Instructor!"
Now we're really saved. Man, that's satisfying. Seeing those monsterkin bastards exploding is just so deeply satisfying.
"Ptchchchcht!"
"Chchcht!"
The bastards tried to resist somehow, but the entrance had already been breached, and active heroes—absolutely incomparable to us cadets—were mobilized.
—Crunch!
—Burst!
They're dying literally the same way I killed the workers. Truly a sight to behold. That kind of power. They're active heroes, so their force is no joke.
"Oh! As expected! That's the power of our active hero seniors!"
"They really are amazing! So cool!"
"Right!"
—CRASH!
Instructor Lee So-ra, having plowed through the monsterkin, stepped into the glass enclosure.
"From the look of it, none of you are hurt. Were you very startled?"
"I thought I was going to lose my mind. Might've actually lost a little bit of it, honestly."
"Judging by how you talk, you're perfectly fine... Anyway. That's a relief. For something like this to happen so suddenly. We'll talk later, for now, let's get outside."
"Yes, ma'am!"
We immediately followed Instructor Lee So-ra out of the glass enclosure.
"But what about that monsterkin?"
"Ah! This! This is really important, ma'am! Instructor Lee So-ra! I'm not just saying this! We need to secure this properly! I'll explain everything, so this one, please!"
"Understood! Hand it over!"
Maybe my urgency got through, because Instructor Lee So-ra took the Antillery. The composed educator's attitude of securing it first and listening to the details a bit later. I have so much respect for that.
"Hey, juniors! Those Red bastards didn't do anything to you, right!"
As we were heading out, the veteran Hero at the front who was slicing monsterkin apart with a chainsaw shouted.
"No! Nothing happened!"
"Workers of the world—!"
What?
"Unite?"
I answered back.
"Got you! Something did happen!"
The Hero roared like a tiger!
No way! That was a trap?!
"Ah, come on! That's not it!"
"I'm joking! Hurry up and get out!"
"Yes, ma'am! You seriously scared me half to death!"
"No, Kim Geun-cheol, why are you going around memorizing the Communist Manifesto?!"
Leona shouted in appalled disbelief.
"That, it's because of the defense mission!"
That's the only thing I can say.
"What does that even mean?!"
"You guys! Get out here, now!"
"Ah, yes!"
Well, I got yelled at. I focused on running immediately, and that's how we made it outside.
"Whoa."
When we got out, the soldiers had already set up barricades. Not just basic infantry, but armored heavy-weapons squads. Plus bipedal Vulcan cannons, even helicopters.
It was like a full-blown war zone.
Everyone had the zoo completely surrounded.
"All personnel rescued. Over."
"Understood! But that Antillery—!"
"It's a critical piece of evidence. Report that Lee So-ra will be directly managing it."
"Yes, ma'am!"
When Instructor Lee So-ra called out, a lieutenant with crisscross three-color camo on his face sprinted off. Wait. We're on an urban deployment, and he's wearing full face paint?
A question flickered for a second, but I internally concluded they probably made him do it because orders came from above.
"Hoo. Now I can relax a little. Alright, then. I know this feels harsh right after an incident, but I need to hear what happened."
—Click.
Instructor Lee So-ra pulled handcuffs from her back pocket and smoothly restrained the Antillery. The practiced skill of an obvious pro.
"Ptchchcht."
Anyway, I'd better explain properly what went down.
"Yeah. I should."
We moved to the temporary headquarters set up right in front.
* * *
—Ding.
[Main Quest Complete.]
When we entered the headquarters, a welcome sound rang out. But it's not what matters right now, so I'll check it later.
"You can talk while writing it down."
"Okay."
We immediately started writing out the day's events on paper as we talked.
It's pretty simple. The alarm bell suddenly rang and the doors shut. While we were waiting, monsterkin suddenly appeared. So we fought them, realized their target was the one locked in the zoo, and used them as a hostage to buy time.
"Strange... Antillery shouldn't be capable of something like this..."
"Exactly, Instructor. This is clearly abnormal. Opening a gate and crossing over in that manner. I've never heard of such a thing."
That's what Leona said, and—
"It really is weird."
Yu-ri nodded.
"Si-hoo. Is it a strange occurrence? Monsterkin doing stuff like this?"
"Geun-cheol. This is seriously strange. A naturally occurring gate, maybe. But at least in this instance, it's basically no different from the Antillery deliberately using a gate for their own purposes."
Si-hoo, arms crossed, said it with a serious face and a grave tone.
"Really?"
"And the gate itself is weird too..."
Since I'm not from this world, I don't really know the common knowledge. Anyway, if my friends say it's weird, then it's probably weird.
"I see. Whatever the case, that was an excellent judgment call, Kim Geun-cheol. I'm not sure of the reason, but to think they'd be targeting that one. It was a bit dangerous, but Kim Geun-cheol's decision saved your friends. Be proud."
"I'm very proud."
My reflexes saved my friends today. Instructor Lee So-ra praised me for it and ruffled my hair.
"Then head on back. Your part is done. Do any of you need to go to the hospital?"
"I'm fine."
"Me too."
We aren't hurt badly enough to need a hospital. Just go home, eat a full meal, get a good night's sleep, and I'll wake up fresh. Anyway, scored a win today. When I get back, I'll have to check my points.
Ah, but before we go, let me just ask one question.
"But Instructor. What is it, really? What is that thing that they'd go that far to rescue it? The Antillery trying to rescue a hostage. I never imagined monsterkin would do that."
"Well... I'm not sure either."
Instructor Lee So-ra answered, pressing her lips together.
"This might sound a little irresponsible coming from an instructor, but for the Antillery to go that far to rescue a hostage. This is the first time I've ever heard of something like this."
To that degree?
"Seriously. There've been so many strange things lately. It's way too unusual."
Leona, sharing the sentiment, nodded.
"Hearing it's a first is fascinating. Anyway, it seemed like a pretty important bastard. Yu-ri. You said it might be some kind of prince or princess, right?"
"Something like that, probably?"
"No. These Red Ant bastards are communists. There's no way they'd value a prince or princess."
Ah, right.
Leona's right.
To a communist, royalty is just a target for overthrow.
"Hmm, something important to these Red bastards... Well, Leona's right, but they might also be a special bloodline."
A bloodline, huh.
"Kim Geun-cheol? What do you think is the most important thing in a Red— no, a communist system?"
The instructor suddenly asked me that. The thing Red bastards value most. I figure it's equality and the workers.
"Well, the people, or the means of production? Something like that? I'm not entirely sure."
"Wrong."
"Then what is it?"
"The most important thing in a communist system is only the ruler's absolute power and their wealth and glory. Nothing else is needed; only that matters."
Ah.
"Well, that's true."
An ideology where the luxury and pleasure of the ruler is the most important thing, over the lives of hundreds of millions. That's what communism is, fundamentally.
"This Red bastard. No, I shouldn't use such language in front of students. Anyway. These Antillery are bastards who follow communism. Since they're that type, I suspect the individual that was on display in the zoo carries the bloodline of the 'Secretary-General.'"
"Secretary-General?"
Secretary-General?
"That's, you know. The leader of the Antillery."
Seeing my confusion, Leona poked my side and whispered in my ear. Ah, no way. When someone like Leona blows air in your ear, it tickles so bad I can't stand it...!
"Eugh, but Secretary-General. What is this, Stalin?"
"Apparently, it actually considers itself the successor to Stalin. Wait, Kim Geun-cheol? Don't you study?"
"How the hell do you study for that?!"
"It's all in the textbook! I told you to study the monsterkin section properly!"
It really is?!
"You can flirt on your own time. Go on back now."
"Th-this isn't! This isn't flirting, Instructor! Kim Geun-cheol is simply like a student to me...!"
"That's right! Leona is like a mother figure to me!"
"Get out!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Let's just get out...