Operation (6): The Watcher's Assault
The restaurant I'd spotted on my way here was just an utterly ordinary establishment.
A place with no customers—whether due to bland food or rude service—where flies buzzed lazily through the empty air.
"Ahem! Excuse me, is the manager here? I'm the mayor."
"Welcome... Eh? Mayor?"
The manager, who had come out holding a menu, froze at the sight of Mayor Averb.
His face lit up when he then noticed me and Obri, draped in cloaks emblazoned with the silver phoenix emblem.
He must have thought it was his lucky day.
But the moment I crossed the threshold, I cast Soundproof.
"Make sure no one gets in, senior. Use any means necessary."
"Got it, Kirian."
This time, Sleep.
The manager crumpled to the floor first, followed by the cooks in the kitchen dropping where they stood.
As the interior fell deathly silent in an instant, Mayor Averb swallowed hard.
"Y-Young master."
"Sound's blocked too. I wanted to talk freely. So, Mayor Averb—what's your connection to the Red Cartel?"
I dropped the engineering academy pretense immediately.
The color drained from the middle-aged man's face.
He bit his lip hard, eyes darting every which way.
If my guess was right, the mayor now faced a choice.
Which side would he pick?
"I-I have no connection to the Red Cartel whatsoever..."
"Think carefully before you speak. That thing on your chest—I could detonate it, or remove it."
"You knew? H-How did you...?"
"Is that your careful answer?"
I tilted my head, and Poi Averb tore open his shirtfront with trembling hands.
Revealed was an object leaking ominous mana.
A crudely made vest with a magic circle etched in horrific fashion sense.
"B-Bomb! Those guys forced this on me earlier! They said they'd blow me up alive if I didn't lure you into the city streets...!"
As expected.
The mayor had been blackmailed by the Red Cartel.
That explained his clumsy, erratic behavior.
Lure me into the city?
'A scheme so blatant its intent is crystal clear.'
They'd set up a favorable battlefield to take us out.
Mayor Averb was the bait in their plan.
It felt like karmic payback for how I'd used the Red Ghost girl as bait.
This Watcher seemed driven more by pride than hunting instinct.
"I see. So that's how it is."
"Pardon?"
"Stay put. If you want to live."
Mayor Averb stiffened into a rigid salute like a statue.
I approached closely and fully deployed my Transcendent Eye to examine the bomb vest.
'Pathetic.'
Impressive power, but the design was amateurish.
I withdrew my Mana Cooling and gathered a bit of mana at my fingertip.
Then pressed it like a needle into one spot.
Special Spell 'Disassembly' deployed.
Observation target's energy density drops sharply.
The bomb was disarmed.
As I pulled my hand away and told him to take it off, the mayor recoiled in terror, as if a blade were at his throat.
"Th-They said it'd definitely explode if I removed it! If this goes off, my wife and kids will be left destitute...!"
"Don't worry. Take it off. That's an order."
Too much hassle to persuade—I invoked authority.
Poi Averb shakily began removing the bomb vest.
His face was on the verge of tears, but as he pulled his head free, his eyes changed.
"I-It didn't explode?!"
"As you see."
I took the sweat-soaked vest and inspected it closely.
It was designed for remote control at close range.
Connected to the controller via a mana thread.
Mana pooled in the vest let me read part of its pattern.
Ferocious, barbaric mana.
'Just like a rabid hound.'
[Just a mutt, really.]
Hierniorn was already growling.
Fittingly so.
The mayor sighed in relief, as if reborn—but—
'They'll know by now that I've disarmed the bomb vest.'
Since it's linked by a mana thread.
A slight delay, perhaps, but only a matter of time.
"Young master, I'm truly sorry! As a recipient of the Kirchheis stipend, I've done the unforgivable! Kill me!"
The mayor dropped to his knees in a flash, clasping his hands and begging.
I hauled him up and glanced out the window.
"Forget that. Do what you can as Dickferji's mayor."
"Pardon?"
"You have an Emergency Command artifact assigned to this city, right?"
Cities in Kirchheis territory fall under the family head's protection.
In crises, each has an artifact to issue citywide evacuation orders and alert the main castle.
Meeting the mayor despite the risk was partly to secure that Emergency Command.
But frustratingly, he hesitated.
"Young master, it's for true emergencies only. Never used in the last 50 years..."
"A massive clash is about to erupt downtown. If this isn't an emergency, what is? Waiting for the Demon King to resurrect?"
"Pardon?"
Still not grasping the situation.
That was when Obri stepped inside.
Her face rigid, she pointed outside.
"Kirian, Red Ghosts are swarming. Attack's starting soon."
"...!"
Shadows creeping from every corner.
Red Ghosts.
Mayor Averb fumbled in his pocket in panic, while I stroked the Hundred Spirit Orb already in hand and stepped out.
"......"
"......"
An eerie wind, utterly at odds with the street's peaceful vibe, swirled through downtown.
One figure strode toward us deliberately.
No need for introductions.
"Watcher."
"The family head's grandson, eh? Quite perceptive and bold."
Security Captain Kubira Rox.
He removed his turquoise helmet—the Security Force's symbol.
His frame ballooned instantly into a hulking giant.
That helmet perfectly masked the Red Ghost stench—an artifact.
"Tch. If you'd panicked, this hunt would've been easier..."
Now I saw: he wanted me more cornered.
Trapped alone underground at city hall, under Security Force "protection."
A perfect no-escape ambush hunt.
"They said you wouldn't do anything reckless. That all you had?"
"Exactly. And you're the opposite—reckless through and through."
Then Mayor Averb burst out, aiming a short wand skyward and shouting.
"To all Dickferji citizens! Red Ghosts have appeared to overthrow this city and hunt Kirchheis blood! Fight them with silver weapons in the sunlight!"
Piiiuuuuuu!
The emergency command rained down across the city, alarms blaring instantly.
The same message flying to Kirchheis Castle.
But Dickferji's Watcher smirked.
"Think you can hold out till reinforcements? Look—know how many Red Ghosts gathered here for your flesh?"
"Exactly 32, including you."
"......"
I spat the number from my Transcendent Eye; the Watcher fell silent.
Using the mayor's Emergency Command wasn't for rescue.
Just to minimize Dickferji casualties and ease cleanup.
He was badly mistaken.
I didn't bother correcting him.
No—I wanted to ask the Watcher something.
"Answer one thing. What's your link to vampires? You mimicked them convincingly. History buff?"
Imitating a clan extinct 500 years ago.
Ridiculous and unsettling from my view.
The emotion of facing old era remnants and scars that endured.
The Watcher cocked his head.
"Intriguing. No prey ever asked that."
He twisted his lips, giving an unexpected reply.
"I'm a pureblood Red Ghost, heir to the Leader's blood. True vampire lineage."
"Pureblood Red Ghost...?"
What? Really fake?
I frowned in confusion; he chuckled, assuming incomprehension.
"You'll learn details soon. Today, here—you become mine. Learn gradually, Kirian Kirchheis."
Flash!
His form blurred like a mirage.
Simultaneously, 32 Red Ghosts leaped airborne.
Just like ancient vampires turning bat-shaped for disruption—
Bad feeling indeed.
"...Hierniorn."
[Yes! Finally my turn!]
I infused mana to summon; the phoenix guardian materialized.
Whoooosh!
Red radiance spread like burning air; living flames formed a massive firebird, surging vertically.
As Mayor Averb noted, Red Ghosts hate light—fire even more.
'Phoenix holy fire is peerlessly effective.'
Too close to evade.
Golden feather waves slashed like blades.
The massive shadow lunging at me shattered like illusion in the majestic flame pillar.
[Yes! That's the taste! Burning foul things! Perfectly stable!]
What're you on about.
Anyway, Hierniorn's block scattered the shadow swarm like a fountain to the ground.
That gave Kuger professor and trainees peeking from outside their chance.
"Now! Hit from the left!"
"Buff me with Acceleration! Then Slow them!"
Sword-wielding Professor Kuger led, Rafar and Nazel thrusting behind.
Libiel and Lorang in mid; Mihaden rear-guarding.
Admirably orderly for an impromptu formation.
Solid tactic to pick off disorganized Red Ghosts post-Hierniorn flames.
'Then.'
Just pin the Watcher properly.
Transcendent Eye wide, I tracked him.
He was already upon me.
Hand outstretched for my throat.
Undeniably fast.
"Faking it makes you real, huh."
"...!"
But before contact, he flew sideways.
Werewolf-transformed Obri's claw strike.
The briefly flung Watcher recovered, charging her.
Tremendous speed again.
Bam!
The giants clashed head-on.
A ferocious scream erupted from the wolfman.
"Gaaah! You damned bastard!"
One clash—her arm broken.
Obri hadn't just taken it; Watcher's head spun backward—but—
Crack.
He casually reset his neck, healing instantly.
Even smirked leisurely.
"Weak academy stock? Full of flaws."
He launched at me again post-Obri.
Afterimage-blurring speed.
One thing confirmed.
'Body強化 brawler style.'
Then my and Professor Rapens' plan should work well.
Just before Watcher's grasp—
Professor's mana flew from afar, embedding.
Defense Spell 'Motion Delay' executed.
Eternal factor delaying foe's motion.
In that ultra-brief slowed moment—
I aimed and activated my factor.
Special Spell 'Time Deceleration' executed.
The opposite of pouring time into Dumroad.
I stole time from his heart.