Chapter 20
Chapter 20
20th Episode.
EP8 - Professor Assassination: Proxy Assassination (2)
"Professor! I'm sorry. Am I a bit late?"
Three hours later, Adele returned with shopping bags in both hands.
She seemed to have enjoyed herself thoroughly.
"Let's go."
"Yes, yes. I'll return to the mansion."
Thus, the first shopping trip ended with everyone happy.
If every day were like today, living in this world might be a pretty good idea...
...That thought was shattered as soon as we returned. The professor assassination began as soon as we entered [District 0].
【 Assassination Studies 1st Year Beiki: <He's coming. Everyone prepare for assassination.> 】
Here we go again.
But something was off.
The mini-map was filled with red dots. And even the <Communication> message that popped up on the 【Script】.
Two. Four. Six. Eight... Fourteen.
'What is this?'
There were an abnormally large number of Students targeting me.
"Adele. Be careful."
"Huh?"
That's when it happened.
Crack-!
A tree on the roadside broke and fell onto the car.
"Huh? Oh!?"
Adele hurriedly stepped on the accelerator, barely avoiding the tree.
Crash! A huge tree fell behind our car.
"...What was that?"
A flustered voice.
It wasn't over.
Swish-
Clang!
A throwing star that flew towards the window bounced off the shield.
As if they were seriously trying to stop the car.
Thud!
Then the car slumped.
And then it started to rattle.
"What's wrong all of a sudden? Uh-oh...?"
Adele slowed down with a flustered voice.
The tire had run over a [Spike Trap] and burst.
"What's going on all of a sudden? I'll go out and take a look for a second..."
"No. Don't go out."
"Yes?"
"It's a professor assassination."
She turned to me with surprised eyes.
"...Today?"
Because it was the weekend.
They usually assassinate on weekdays.
First, I need to assess the situation.
【 Assassination Studies 1st Year Haddon: <Get ready! He's coming out soon!> 】
There are exactly 14 assassins.
All of them are clustered on the trees.
【 Assassination Studies 1st Year Kata: <Hide your face properly!> 】
They're wearing masks.
Naturally, they're organized.
What's the assassination plan?
【 Assassination Studies 1st Year Balisong: 'I'll turn him into a hedgehog when he comes out.' 】
【 Assassination Studies 1st Year Kyul: 'Come out quickly. Come out...' 】
【 Assassination Studies 1st Year Kai: 'Hoo.... Firing preparation complete.... We will definitely kill him....' 】
It's much rougher than I thought.
Rather than having a separate plan, it's like they're just trying to smash me to pieces.
"What should we do? Is there anything I can help with?"
"No. Just stay still."
Just because it's Assassination Studies doesn't mean they're all reckless.
Attempting to assassinate someone other than the professor is subject to strict disciplinary action, up to the death penalty.
'Let's see.'
Currently, the car has tinted windows.
They can't attack recklessly because they don't know who's inside.
But the moment I go out, arrows, bullets, and throwing stars will rain down.
'...But something's strange.'
The fact that a group is targeting me.
The somehow excited atmosphere.
The fact that they bothered to wear masks.
If it were just this, I would have thought it was Marina and her gang...
【 Moon Shadow Scholar 1st Year Forte: '…….' 】
Why is this guy here?
It was Forte, who attempted the first assassination on my first day of work.
'……First, I'll crush their assassination.'
It's different from the first day.
Back then, I was just trying to avoid the impending crisis, but today, I will have control of all situations.
I closed my eyes and activated my Superpower.
『 World Fabrication: Space Fabrication [Mist Curtain] 』
『 World Fabrication: Shape Fabrication [Mana Car] 』
『 World Fabrication: Shape Fabrication [Dante] 』
⋮
* * *
No ordinary Student thinks they can assassinate a professor 1:1.
That's something only a Hidden Dragon Society Student can do.
That's why most professor assassinations consist of a 'raid' by an 'Assassination Squad'.
Multiple people targeting one defenseless target.
That's also part of assassination.
'Fourteen is a record...'
The basis of group combat is numbers.
The more people there are, the higher the morale.
'There's also a Moon Shadow Scholar guy from a family of sniping geniuses...'
Moreover, the stronger the person is, the more confident they become.
'…….'
'…….'
No one was here because they wanted to be. It was a gathering of those who had been bullied by Joaquin.
So, at first, it was half suffering and half fear.
But when they actually stood in front of the target and started the assassination, excitement surged.
'……If I kill him here, I can get everything the professor has, 15 million Hica, and a diploma.'
The professor's assets and 15 million Hica are split n ways, but the diploma is not.
The Assassination Studies diploma is great.
For some, it's an achievement.
For some, it's the completion of their Student life.
Conversely, for some, it's because they receive a pension from the Hica royal family for 20 years.
In other words, you only need to do well once.
Then you'll get a solid pension!
'There's a possibility.'
He didn't use force in the recent Marina incident.
'A professor who doesn't fight back.'
They said he's a professor who can't fight back and only evades.
The tools are simple, so the strategy is simple.
'Block the evasion.'
Currently. The car has stopped, there are Traps everywhere, and they are surrounding the car in a circle. No matter where he comes out, they can definitely kill him.
Just as they were thinking that, Mana 'fizzed' in the car.
< Everyone, get ready! >
The Students had no doubt.
The professor would become a hedgehog.
However, as fog began to rise from all sides of the forest, that thought slowly began to crumble.
"Huh?"
The forest turned hazy, as if smoke bombs had been set off everywhere.
"What, what is it?"
"Fog? Is it a smoke bomb? But when..."
As the surroundings became foggy in an instant, confusion crept into the confidently prepared atmosphere.
Even more so because they were Students with little assassination experience.
< Everyone, don't panic! >
< Close your eyes and focus on the sound! >
The Students listened carefully. Then they heard the engine exhaust sound of the Mana Car.
'It's over there!'
The car began to escape through the fog. But because all the front wheels were blown, it wouldn't roll properly.
Is the professor cowardly hiding in the car?
The Students chased the car with their swords. Crossing from tree to tree.
'It's useless!'
The reason why the car stopped on the straight road is simple.
It's to set up a double Trap in front.
The car can't avoid it.
'Just a little further...'
It will fall into a pit!
They had no doubt.
Until the car brushed past the Trap.
< What, what?! >
< What happened! Why is it passing by! >
The car ignored the Trap as if it had no weight. Could that also be the professor's trick...?
Something was wrong.
< Don't panic! Don't panic! >
< Chase! Run! >
< It's okay! Just chase after it! >
Saying not to panic was of no help.
As the triple Traps were messed up, the Students strongly felt 'something was going wrong' in real time.
It was a problem of flow.
Rather than the feeling that something was wrong right now, it was an ominous prediction that even if this continued, it wouldn't succeed. Nevertheless, they chased after the rattling car in a hazy judgment.
< Uh? It, it's an ambush! >
< What!? >
But that's when it happened.
Strange words began to be heard through the communication.
< What are you doing! Why are you holding a knife to me! >
< What? Who are you. What are you talking about!? >
< I'm Bargan. No, suddenly someone ran at me with a knife...! Hey! What are you doing, you bastard! >
It seemed like there was a traitor.
One Student was flying from tree to tree when someone ran at him with a dagger, and he hurriedly created distance.
The two people faced each other on the tree like that.
"...Hey! Why are you targeting me?"
"……."
"What are you doing? Snap out of it!"
"……."
The opponent didn't answer. He just held the knife and shook his body as if he would run at any moment. It seemed like that situation was happening everywhere.
< Who are the traitors! What are you doing? >
< It's not just one or two people? >
< I'll kill you if you don't stop. Do you understand!? >
The excitement of the group assassination is converted into aggression.
Just the situation of the opponent holding a knife and blocking them makes them want to stab them because they feel like they're being disturbed.
'This is...!'
But while no one saw the essence of it, one Student grasped the essence.
< I'm Moon Shadow Scholar Forte! Everyone take off your masks! >
< What!? >
< This is a clone! The professor must have used [Illusion Magic]! >
Forte gritted his teeth.
This is Professor Dante's trick.
'It must have been easy to deceive the appearance with the Student uniform and mask.'
But he can't imitate each individual's face.
Because he wouldn't know it in the first place.
'Professor Dante Hiacapo... I thought he was a [Footwork] or [Throwing] type assassin, but he also learned [Illusion Magic]...?'
Forte's eyes sharply scanned the world.
Roughly estimating, the number of 'clones' that ran at them was about 10. I heard that clones require a lot of mental concentration.
Exactly 30 seconds after the assassination attempt. To create so many clones in that time, send them out, and have them block the path of all the hidden assassins.
Professor Dante is...
'...He's a monster, damn it!'
There's a rumor going around these days. He has no past. He doesn't fight back. Professor Dante is surprisingly weak.
But that can't be true.
Forte sensed it.
It was the same as the first day. He was recklessly targeting an overwhelming monster.
Still, because he doesn't know his 'full power', and because he hasn't directly fought him,
He thought that if he tried,
He might not know.
It was a stupid thought.
'I didn't know the gap would be this huge.'
This assassination has already gone wrong. It happened in such a short time.
'But...'
If you draw a sword, you have to cut something.
Assassination shouldn't end clumsily.
< Damn it.... What does that mean? Take off the mask here.... >
< The car stopped over there! Can't we just go and try to assassinate him? >
< There's no guarantee that that car is real! I can't take off my mask! We're just screwed! >
While this guy and that guy were confused and couldn't unify their opinions.
Forte thought he had to lead them.
Whether he wanted to or not, the assassination had begun.
"Everyone look at me!!"
Forte took off his mask and stood on the tallest tree.
"It's okay! We can still do it! Take off your masks! Take them off and distinguish the fakes! These clones only clumsily imitate the appearance, so you can distinguish them if you take off your masks!"
In fact, Forte's judgment was accurate. No matter how much 『World Fabrication』 it is, it can't fabricate faces it doesn't know.
However... The Students, who were still green in the eyes of assassins, didn't listen to him well.
< H, how are we supposed to do that!? >
< If it's revealed that I assassinated him, my demerit points are in danger! >
As the situation went wrong, they were too excited and their thoughts didn't work properly.
"……."
"……."
While everyone was silent, the eyeballs in the masks rolled around suspiciously, that's when.
< ......I suspect you the most? >
Someone began to suspect Forte.
"What? What nonsense are you talking about?!"
Forte shouted. But suspicion spread like wildfire to the Students' anxiety and quickly spread.
< Th, that's right! Aren't you the fake? >
< Then we'll end up stabbing each other! If what you say is right! >
< If it's made with [Illusion Magic], it would be more efficient to make only that guy a Phantasm! >
Each person's logic unfolds from their own perspective.
As the number of boatmen increases, opinions are not unified.
"What are you talking about, you idiots! Take off your masks!!"
< Don't be ridiculous! Hey, let's take down that bastard first! >
< Yeah! >
Whoosh!
As the Students threw throwing stars, Forte hurriedly jumped to avoid them.
< Hey! Clones have low combat power! >
< Yeah, clones can't fight well anyway! Just attack any of the stopped guys! >
As the excitement of the assassination was suppressed, violence began to erupt in the wrong direction. In Forte's ears, it was a moronic idea.
'You idiots don't even take off your masks, how do you know who's who!'
But in the midst of the chaos, as the clones fell and actually disappeared, it began to turn into madness.
< Hey! This is a clone! Kill him! >
< Kill him! He's weak! >
< Hey, hey! Wait a minute, n, not me……! >
Someone's scream is buried.
Everything is going wrong.
Forte tried to protect the Student who was not a clone.
< Hey! The clone is protecting the clone! >
< This is the real body!! >
< Where?! >
Forte hurriedly took off his mask and shouted.
"I'm Forte! Get lost, you idiot!"
"What? Wh, why are you protecting the clone!?"
"Why is this a clone! He's a person!"
However, the Students who ran at him only listening to the communication, even though there were almost ten of them, were already in chaos and ran at Forte.
A messed up situation. Students running at him with knives.
Thwack-!
Throwing stars stuck in various parts of his body.
"……You idiots!"
He could have avoided it if he wanted to, but Forte didn't avoid it.
And then he shouted.
"Snap out of it─!!"
Just as the assassins were about to run at him─
Someone's instruction pierced everyone's minds.
"Stop."
A voice that echoed like ripples in the silence.
All the Students were horrified and looked at that place.
Professor Dante Hiacapo was standing there.
'Wh, when...!'
He walks slowly. His footsteps are not heard. His downward pink gaze is surprisingly emotionless. A walk and gaze that sculpted the word death into a human.
The Students unknowingly took a step back.
'Could it be, this.... If it's now...'
'Ah, right. Now, when he's off guard...!'
But the group is brave. Some Students still haven't come to their senses. They thought this was some kind of opportunity. So, when some of them tried to wield their swords and use their Superpower. Dante's brow furrowed.
Fizz-!
As Magical Imprints splattered in all directions, a miraculous thing unfolded.
In a dreamlike, hazy sensation.
A falling leaf stopped. Flying dust stopped, and a bird in the air, and the body of a running Student stopped.
The whole world stopped as if it were frozen in place.
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『 World Fabrication: Space Fabrication [Time Stop] 』
⋮
Only when it stopped could I see what was there.
The mask fell from the face of the Student who was sitting in the middle of the crowd.
A Student bleeding with a knife stuck in his back. Forte.
"Why don't you listen?"
In a world where everything from movement to sound was stopped.
Dante rebuked with a cold voice.
"I clearly told you to stop."