Chapter 42
Chapter 42
Episode 14 - Small Error Space (3)
The level 8 totem was already set up. Everyone was in a state of combat doping. The battle could not be stopped, yet Gray was here.
He was lying on the mat, even covering himself with a blanket like it was a comforter.
As if it were his own bedroom.
“Gray Habanero.”
I hurriedly closed the door and asked.
“What are you doing here, Student?”
“I took a nap…?”
“Why?”
“Why do you ask? This is Gray's hideout… shortened to 'Grit'….”
“No, what the hell does that mean? Why is the department airship your hideout?”
“Well, no one came… hic yeah….”
At that moment, a strong smell of alcohol wafted through the air.
Three bottles of alcohol were lying around.
“…Huh? By the way, what are you doing here, Professor? No one has come for half a year….”
I closed my eyes.
Then I pressed my temples with my hand.
Suddenly, I thought of the Habanero family being descendants of a cat beast-person clan, and how cats can sleep anywhere.
Even so, it was not a situation to be excused.
< 155! >
< 150! >
< 145! >
⋮
The real-time countdown was being transmitted to <Communication>.
Right now, we were in the middle of a battlefield. But he was completely unprepared for combat.
Of course. He had just woken up from a nap.
He didn’t even seem to have a “Parachute Magic Tool,” as everyone had only taken one before boarding, and there were no spare ones. The airship had also been hastily retrieved from storage, stripped of supplies.
Ah.
What should I do in this situation?
“Ah, right, right. Professor….”
At that moment.
Gray grinned, showing his buck teeth.
“Did you know? There’s some fun news….”
“News?”
“Kaiser said… I’m overwhelmingly better at [Illusion Magic] than you, Professor.”
“What?”
“Surprising, right? No, I said I wasn’t, but Kaiser kept insisting that I was, convincing me. hic”
“…….”
“What, if you’re lacking, do you want to learn from Gray? snickers Even though I dislike other lousy professors, I’d be willing to teach you…♡”
His voice was filled with laughter.
His buck teeth protruded.
His expression was confident.
However, I couldn’t understand what he was saying in this situation, and the strong smell of alcohol was unpleasant.
Having just seen the demons, my anger was also boiling inside me.
“What nonsense are you talking about right now?”
“Huh? So, Gray….”
“Enough.”
“……?”
“I won’t listen. Get a grip, Gray Habanero. Stop talking nonsense.”
My voice was stern enough to feel unfamiliar even to myself.
Perhaps because I was so serious.
“……Huh?”
The smile vanished from her face.
Her fingertips curled up. Her gray eyes widened in surprise.
“…Why, …why are you angry….”
Gray mumbled. It seemed she was surprised that I was angry.
But this wasn’t the time to care about that.
< 130! >
There wasn’t much time left.
What was Gray’s condition?
She was drunk.
Her cheeks and ears were red, her body temperature seemed high, and her eyes were half-lidded. She looked unkempt, as if she hadn’t washed properly.
“Hey.”
After mumbling, she began to speak with a somewhat firm expression.
“Why are you suddenly angry and, …doing this….”
As I stepped closer, she flinched.
“Gray Habanero. The professor is currently very busy. And I’m not in a good mood.”
“…What do you want…?”
“Answer my question. How much have you drunk?”
“…Why?”
“Answer. How much have you drunk?”
“…….”
At that moment, Gray, who had been looking up at me in fear, suddenly smiled widely.
“One drink♡”
That was a lie. As I scanned her thoughts, it seemed she had drunk all three bottles lying around.
They were cheap drinks. They were large in size and had an alcohol content of 35 degrees. In other words, she was completely wasted.
I knew that this student was very impulsive and sometimes violent. Especially now that she was drunk, it would be even harder for her to control her impulses.
< 110! >
With a monster outside, and if a battle broke out.
I had no confidence that Gray wouldn’t jump out.
“Do you have a ‘Parachute Magic Tool’ right now?”
“…Why do you ask…?”
Then Gray opened her eyes wide.
“I didn’t steal it.”
“Do you have it or not? Just tell me.”
“I don’t have it. I didn’t steal it. The storage in front was originally empty… Gray didn’t steal it….”
“Got it. Raise your arms.”
“…Huh?”
In a hurry, I tried to take off my “Parachute” and put it on Gray. After all, I could implement something similar to a parachute with [Illusion Magic].
“…What are you doing, Professor?”
“Raise your arms.”
“…Why? Why?”
“Because I need to put on the parachute.”
“Why? What’s a parachute…?”
“You don’t need to know. Arms.”
“I don’t want to….”
Then Gray resisted like a drunkard, swaying.
I had no choice but to force it on her, but she refused to wear it no matter what.
“Ugh, no…. Why are you doing this….”
“Right now, you can’t understand what I’m saying. Just put your arms down. You’re in the way of putting on the parachute.”
“Don’t… don’t do it… it hurts… no, why do you keep trying to touch me…? Are you curious about Gray’s tattoo…?”
“The professor doesn’t have much time. Stay still.”
“No, it hurts. You’re being too rough on my arm….”
< 50! >
< Professor Dante! What are you doing! Hurry out! >
Once again, urgency surged through me. I grabbed both her arms and pressed her against the wall. With a loud thud. The impact made Gray’s eyes go cross-eyed.
“……??”
Once I pinned her down like that, Gray stopped resisting. Thanks to that, I was able to put on the “Parachute Magic Tool” and secure it tightly.
Then I changed my mind and tied it up completely so she couldn’t escape. ‘What the hell is this….’ She seemed frustrated, trying to get free, but since I had tied the straps completely, it wouldn’t be easy.
“Gray Habanero. You seem very drunk. Don’t come out unnecessarily, just take a nap here. Understood?”
“…I’m not drunk hic.”
“I understand, so I’ll say it again. Don’t come out. Got it?”
“…….”
Gray hesitated, then turned her head and mumbled.
“…I was going to sleep more….”
If the airship crashes, the engine room will definitely open.
The “Parachute Magic Tool” will automatically deploy.
So it was better to stay here than to move recklessly.
“…hic.”
I closed the door to the engine room.
【 Gray: ‘…What’s wrong with her…?’ 】
【 Gray: ‘…I was trying to be nice….’ 】
【 Gray: ‘…….’ 】
I hoped she wouldn’t crawl out unnecessarily.
< 20! >
* * *
I stepped out onto the deck.
< 5! >
The moment the totem was completed, the magical imprint would burst. If that happened, even the eyeless demons would be able to detect us.
< 4! >
What I was worried about was that I had no knowledge of this damned [Error Space].
< 3! >
If those three arms were all part of the “Instant Death Curse,” Hiaka Academy would lose its three best professors…….
< 2! >
But for now, I had no choice but to throw myself into this uncertainty. So please.
< 1! >
Please…….
Crackling—!!
The magical imprint burst forth. The area of the “Firefly Sanctuary” totem expanded. A green aura spread across the entire 40m diameter. For the first time, I realized that a strange [button] had formed inside me.
This button would teleport me every time I pressed it. However, with only two bullets of combat power, my attacks had to be cautious.
< I’m going! >
The first to jump out was Vaiper. He wielded the dual swords “Poisonous Fangs” that pierced through his palms and smashed one of Jinxite’s fingers. Then he summoned a giant cobra, about 15m long, wrapping it around one of Jinxite’s wrists.
Immediately after, Jinxite’s fingers spread out, as the attacked entity was about to cast a [Curse].
At that moment, Leo’s strike landed. Boom!! A finger larger than a human body shattered. Right after that, Leo used “Blink” to soar into the air and shouted.
< Headmaster!! >
Headmaster Angela, after using “Blink” to ascend to 40m in the air, soared up to an impressive 100m using [Footwork].
Now, she began to fall like a meteor shower.
Despite being an 80-year-old female assassin of the [Combat Type], she was a monster wielding a giant scythe that was 3m long. A [LegendⅠ] grade Stigma Weapon known as “Grim ReaperΩ.”
She descended.
Like an airplane pouring down. At first glance, it seemed like the god of death was raining down divine punishment upon the earth. She descended with a blue aura.
The giant scythe, imbued with superpower, struck down vertically… on the wrist that Vaiper had secured. A strike infused with the spirit of a top-tier [Grandmaster].
Boom ──── !!
At the end of the split air, it exploded.
The hand of Jinxite, which was the size of a three or four-story building, was shattered. Even then, the shockwave didn’t weaken, cracking and smashing from the wrist to the forearm.
It hadn’t even taken five seconds since the operation began to reach this point. That was how an assassin’s battle worked. They didn’t engage in a prolonged struggle, raising the tempo. They either crushed or were crushed in one blow.
< It’s done!! The ambush was successful! >
< Create distance, now!! >
At that moment, Toy, who was handling the totem, moved. Collider prepared [Illusion Magic] for Jinxite’s follow-up.
And then I moved.
I used “Blink” to soar as high as possible and stopped with “Void Walk.” I needed to see the overall composition at a glance.
Then I added mana to my gaze. That was when Jinxite’s two arms began to move.
The movements were like those of a giant machine, yet they resembled human hands, which was bizarre.
I had to examine them closely. Only I could discern the curses from even the smallest traces…….
< This, this should be fine! >
Just as Collider was filled with joy.
I shouted.
< Dominate!! It’s the “Curse of Domination”! >
< What, what did you say!? >
Hundreds of eyeballs sprouted from the moving arms.
One of the remaining hands was particularly notable. The one in the 90s.
Curse number 90. “Curse of Domination.” The fingers of the giant hand that held it pointed at Professor Toy.
< Dodge, Headmaster Toy!! >
I shouted.
In an instant, as the eyes of Jinxite’s hand pointed at Toy, his body appeared at the exact opposite of the totem’s area. Near Collider.
< Headmaster!! >
< Ah, I’m fine! I’m fine! I dodged! I dodged! >
< Thank goodness! Headmaster! >
It wasn’t over.
< Collider, dodge—!! >
When I shouted into <Communication>, it was too late.
Thud—
A sword pierced through Collider’s chest. It was Toy’s strike.
< C-Collider! >
< Headmaster Toy! What the hell… Ah!! >
At that moment, Jinxite’s other hand moved, and the middle of its palm tore open, revealing a gray totem, and a gray beam shot towards Vaiper.
―― !
“Ugh!!”
A massive beam with a diameter of 2m. Vaiper barely twisted his body to evade it, but the giant cobra he was riding was exposed to the beam. Its head turned to stone right there.
< The second arm is “Curse of Petrification”! Damn it! >
In the next moment, the situation became chaotic. Collider fell. Headmaster Toy charged at Leo, and Headmaster Angela had to block Toy.
< Headmaster Angela! Don’t stop me! I’m fine! The one under domination is Professor Leo! >
Totally “dominated,” Professor Toy claimed his integrity without any sense of alienation… but no one would fall for such a trick.
< Headmaster Angela! Behind you!! >
At my shout, the headmaster dodged a little faster.
A beat too late, the “Curse of Domination” reached the space she had occupied.
< Thank you, Dante! >
This time, she successfully evaded.
Fortunately, Angela was a [Combat Type] assassin. She was a [Grandmaster] level assassin who had honed pure strength for nearly 70 years…….
The gray beam targeted Vaiper again. A few shots missed and swept the ground, petrifying the students, buildings, and facilities in a group far away.
At that moment, I moved again. I accurately assessed what I could do.
< Headmaster Angela! We need to break the “Domination”! >
< I know! But I’m the only one who can stop Toy! >
< Leo! Signal when you’re in the air! To the sky!! >
< Understood! >
But this <Communication> was also heard by the dominated Toy. It was fine. His sky and our sky would be different.
< Now!! >
It was simultaneous.
Including me, four of us jumped into “Blink.”
“World Forgery: Recognition Forgery [World Inversion]”
However, just before the moment, the hierarchy I had defined in this world was flipped.
Even though Professor Toy was a Grandmaster, he couldn’t discern this and opened his eyes at the very bottom of the totem’s area, about 20m below, while Angela and Leo opened their eyes in the opposite sky.
At the same time, I raised “Liberator⁺₊⋆.”
But I had been feeling it since earlier, the hand of Jinxite that contained the “Curse of Domination”…… let’s call it the “Dominating Hand.”
Since earlier, the Dominating Hand had been glancing at me, which was why “Bright Star⁺₊⋆” felt burdensome.
─── .
So when I fired the bullet, it twisted that heavy wrist and evaded the bullet’s trajectory. However, I hadn’t aimed at it from the start. I aimed at the [Totem].
Boom!!!
The totem that had been pouring out the “Firefly Sanctuary” shattered in one blow. The power that governed the area disappeared. Then the force that had been holding me released. But it wasn’t just me.
At that moment, Professor Toy, who had been trying to use “Blink” again, began to fall.
< What will happen if you break the totem—!! >
Stop the act, you crazy bastard.