Chapter 134
Chapter 134
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 134
Chapter Title: When Things Go According to Plan
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"I love it when things go according to plan!!"
*Beep beep—!*
Aiba chucked her blaring smartphone out the window at the police cars chasing behind her.
A chase scene— she'd always been the one catching up, never the one being chased.
"Up ahead!"
A police car leaped off a hill, cutting into the asphalt road to block her path, but Aiba whipped into a sharp U-turn drift. Tires screeching, she carved thick skid marks into the pavement, slipping past with ease.
The moment they took aim at her passengers, she sensed the "kill on sight" order had come down.
This mess involved the United States military from the start.
In the worst case, the one pulling the strings... the President himself... might be behind it all.
She reached out with telekinesis, snatching a pistol and shoving it into Yu Ying's hand for an extra gun, then took a deep breath.
Desperate cops laid booby traps and barricades, but her driving—dodging sniper rounds from pursuing police choppers—transcended mere skill into the realm of miracles.
Aiba levitated the car with psychokinesis, effortlessly breaking through the encirclement.
Once out of the city, she worried missiles might rain from above, but she barreled down the road anyway.
"Where to, Neo?!"
"No idea!!"
The Oracle who'd put her in this spot hadn't said a word about what came next.
Beyond cops came special forces and even Ascenders, all swarming to nab the criminals.
Amid it all, Yu Ying's wanted poster listed serial killings. She pressed her throbbing forehead, lamenting that her VTuber career was toast.
Her fans must be freaking out too.
How the hell did Yu Ying end up accused of raiding a US military base and massacring soldiers and researchers? And Aiba, the driver and accomplice, was charged with murdering a superior officer. Considering her military ties, folding a lieutenant colonel in half wasn't entirely wrong.
*Vroooom—!!*
Aiba plunged boldly into the tunnel.
The exit had long been sealed. Police cars charged in reverse to ram her, but she cranked the wheel, twisting the car's nose sideways.
Planning to phase through the wall?
As if anticipating it, a soldier mixed among the cops pulled a launcher— but Aiba defied expectations. She drove up the wall, clinging upside-down to the tunnel ceiling, then blasted through the police, crossing over the road.
Far from crashing, the car elegantly spun half a turn, sliding gracefully onto the pavement.
The suspension was shot—the chassis bucked wildly—but she didn't care.
"Are you insane?! Seriously!? Starting a war???"
It wasn't a police chopper anymore; a military helicopter hovered over the road, aiming at the two.
Yu Ying waved her pistol, begging them not to fire, but ominous beeps preceded a salvo of missiles.
She aimed her pistol at the incoming missiles, detonating some in chain explosions—yet others endured the blasts, homing in on the car.
"Hup!!"
Aiba thrust out her palm, seizing them with telekinesis and slamming them vertically into the asphalt behind.
*Boom!* The explosion lifted the car's rear, jolting it wildly—but it held, it could take it—
"That rolling tire up ahead... that's not one of ours, right?"
"Damn it."
The shock had ejected a tire, which rolled off declaring independence.
And it stopped against a massive tank.
Aiba grabbed Yu Ying's collar, staring at the tank plugging the city entrance, main gun trained on them.
*Thoom—!!*
Dodging the incoming shell, she cursed inwardly. Were they really gearing up for war with China?
There was a limit to piling on the hate—this was straight-up intent to kill, no mercy.
They knew Yu Ying's status with the Chinese Chairman, yet here they were, gunning for her openly. Aiba scowled at the madness of it all.
The shell struck dead-on, crumpling and igniting the car in a massive fireball. It bounced like a rubber ball, spinning wildly before slamming into the asphalt.
Pursuing cop cars screeched to a halt.
A news chopper trailing the police bird had its reporter go pale, never dreaming they'd actually fire.
Was this how World War III started?
No, it wouldn't happen. That's why she was here—to stop it.
*Skreeee—!!!*
Sparks flew everywhere from metal and stone grinding.
Aiba slid on the car door like a skateboard, clutching Yu Ying, kicked off the ground, and soared over the tank with it.
But the city, near a secret base, brimmed with troops ready to eliminate them anywhere. Beyond the tank: armed soldiers.
From psycher squads to troops in pitch-black exoskeletons, all waiting.
"Open fire!! Kill order's come straight from command!!"
"Neo! What do we do!! Shoot?!"
They could slaughter everyone if they wanted. But out in the open, these might just be pawns following orders—no snap judgments. That's why the cops had only shot the tires earlier.
In that split-second, Aiba's mind raced, but no easy solution emerged.
*Rat-tat-tat!!*
And that hesitation sealed their fate.
Could she stop all the bullets? No choice—she raised her hand.
"Hey, you lot!! Who gave you permission to mess with my comrades?!!!"
Like a thunderbolt, a white-glowing girl landed before them. She ballooned massively into a giant human balloon, body absorbing the hail of bullets.
Her flesh sucked them in like a trap, then she flexed, blasting them back out everywhere, shrinking to normal size and gasping for air.
*Crackle—!!*
"Gotta Go Fast"
Sadako turned to lightning, a streak of light sweeping past. Soldiers flew skyward, crashing down moaning.
"Yay, the world's fastest friendly captain's here, Yu Ying!"
"Sadako!! ...Huh? How'd you get here...?"
"Saw it on the news and ran across the ocean!!! We're comrades!!!"
".....You mumbled about a beer festival in America.... You didn't sneak over for that, right?"
"Come on, Yu Ying. You think so little of me?"
"....Olga Auntie's a Sadako who grumbled she can't even drink.... Anyway, thanks for coming!!"
"Explanations later. Let's bounce!"
As the tank swiveled its turret, Sadako enlarged her arms with [Model Adjustment] and uppercutted the barrel into a bend. She scooped up Aiba and Yu Ying, twisting to flee.
Then, from an alley, [Oracle] popped out, waving frantically.
"This way!!"
"Oracle!! Hey, Captain, head that way!"
Before soldiers regrouped, Sadako zipped like lightning at Aiba's plea. Oracle clasped hands skyward: Thank God!
"You did it!!"
"You think I'd fail?!"
"Honestly, taking on the US military solo? You're no Matrix Neo—I couldn't believe it'd work. I'm not infallible, y'know? Predictions aren't always spot-on."
"Ugh, Morpheus. If you were gonna doubt me, don't send me at all!!"
"But Neo, how could I ignore what fate showed me? We're all bound by unseen pulls and ties!"
"Uh, got a script? We filming a movie or what?"
"Everyone, this way!"
Sadako, overhearing Esper and Oracle bicker, pulled booze from her pocket and sipped. "We get a break too?" Oracle herded them into the sewers, no time for chit-chat.
Expecting nowhere to hide, they found a transparent wall. Oracle led them through.
Mattresses, donuts, coffee—a secret hideout. The group gawked.
"Rest up. I knew you'd come, Neo."
"....How? Even my favorite donuts."
"You're New Humanity. If the Tower makes Ascenders New Humanity, you're special by nature. Anyway... rescue success. I'll show what would've happened if fate hadn't changed."
"You said only you could see before?"
"Fate shifted, so IF scenarios are fair game."
Oracle polished his crystal ball squeakily, inviting all to watch as he cast the [Skill].
An original subclass for [Wizard]-line Ascenders, granting future sight or prediction.
Oracle peered eons farther than they could.
Aiba, the Esper, wondered: Could the Tower see the future too?
"Ooh... I see it..."
Even Yu Ying, fighting sleep from exhaustion, peered curiously. The orb revealed possible futures.
Yu Ying, miserably slaughtered by the US government. Wakamo cradling her amid ruins of civilization. Sadako's face hardened at Wakamo's beloved VTuber merch burning like trash.
Furious Young Wei shadow protested to America; Asian Federation declared war. WWIII loomed.
But it wouldn't happen—because Esper and Alchemist wrecked the secret lab, and Wakamo only avenged on Guardians.
Soundless, details fuzzy, but second-gen Man-Eater appeared before Wakamo.
The vision: Wakamo, brutally defeated, crumbling to black ash. Guardian exec shadows rose with flags: time had come. A horror worse than WWIII followed.
"....No way. 【Idol】... she's... not human, right? The Fox Goddess beat a Man-Eater, and she loses?"
"No clue how! It's a future that won't happen!! But if it did...
It means the Fox Goddess can't beat Man-Eater."
"Wait, hold up. I thought Man-Eater was human spec-ops? Our boss can't lose...."
"If they were like elves or dwarves, race-swapped..."
"They're dead."
"...What?"
"Two, kidnapped like me, murdered. Them. The Legendary Classes who could've taken Man-Eater."
Dead silence at Yu Ying's words.
She'd seen lab files: two Legendary Classes snatched by 2nd-gen Phantom Thief, eliminated.
Regardless of combat prowess, any edge against Man-Eater made them priority removes.
Aiba recalled their faces from festival chats beside Wakamo, face darkening.
"And this is another future."
Fox Goddess in full rage, razing America to ash.
Yet even then, Wakamo lost to Man-Eater, slain.
US cities swept by storms, White House ablaze—Aiba had words.
"The Apostle in Russia. Scientist horrors and nukes on their own soil?"
"Precisely, that guy's the vicious cycle severing the future the Tower wants for humanity. Tower judged non-resisting humans unnecessary. A history-rich nation's bold call..."
"—Then America? The Tower letting this slide?"
"They're true patriots, guarding freedom for America. Want to make it great via few sacrifices."
"Then why let Fox Goddess rampage in this one?"
"You know what settlers did to Native Americans? Even if all killed, new Wakamo faithful would migrate—no issue."
"Whoa...... seriously.... tons to say, but.... Why's America crawling with vicious Legendary Classes unlike Eurasia?"
"Man-Eater's probably... Aztec Empire? Mexico."
"Damn, should've voted different. Mexico wall was right!"
"Nonsense."
Aiba felt her sanity slipping.
She got being "special" among humans made Oracle's foresight easier.
But non-human Fox Goddess Idol Wakamo being human-weak against Man-Eater? Unconvincing.
America's Tower valued 『Freedom』; current "Guardians" genuinely served America.
Unlike Russia's mad scientist.
Still, Russia's "no resistance, all die" madness chilled her.
Time to immigrate to Korea ASAP.
"『Guardians』 and Six Worldly Demons have opposed for ages.... 1st-gen Man-Eater hugely influenced Guardians' founding. Took bombs to barely kill it—caused more US damage than monsters. That's when Legendary Class wariness began."
"President the mastermind?"
"Former, technically? Secret org he built for future threats. Guardians are extremists. Wouldn't care if Yu Ying were empress. War-not-sparing patriots."
"Hate this country...!! So vast, every damn thing happens..!!"
"Anyway, avert US doom by clearing the frame-job first."
"[On that, Asuka's gathering evidence. Don't worry.]"
"So we chill here till resolved?"
"[Probably—!@%^$#)&%@%(#@($@$)@#$]"
*Beeeep—!!!*
Aiba slumped in the Matrix, munching donuts, figuring Asuka had it handled—finally relaxing—when static hit, Asuka spouted gibberish, connection died. She hiccuped.
Yu Ying's watch screen went black, blaring ear-splitting sirens like a malfunction.
*Thump thump thump—*
Heart pounding wildly.
Indescribable chill and nausea gripped her.
Invisible, painless agony triggered extreme stress, panic beyond tension, nerves frayed past jittering.
Head spun, vision splintered into dozens, fracturing repeatedly.
Brain stabbed like with a knife—Aiba knew the cause, sadly.
"Man-Eater!!!"
The pursuer was Man-Eater!!
"Urgh... ugh... ugh..."
Yu Ying teetered on panic's edge, survival instinct screaming suicide over alarm. Oracle clutched his chest in agony. Only Sadako stayed composed.
But even she trembled, eyes flickering—terror unlike facing 100th-floor boss Inari Fox Goddess.
No good.
This wasn't fightable; facing it meant shock-death.
Sadako might endure, but fighting scared? Pointless.
"Oracle!!! How close?!!"
"No idea!!!!"
Voices pitched high, hyper-sensitive. They glared like ready to fight—but really seeking scapegoats to flee.
On rationality's brink from terror, Aiba slapped her cheeks, barely holding on.
This transparent wall led to Six Worldly Demons' secret hideout passage.
Now solid wall—no sensing beyond!
It had to be.
"Uwaaaah!! I don't wanna die!!!"
Oracle finally screamed in panic.
Eyes unfocused, his massive Man-Eater fear consumed him.
Aiba empathized but grabbed his collar, bolting.
Sadako ditched her booze, lit it to torch the hideout, blocking the path, dragging Yu Ying to flee.
"Damn!! Should've brought more booze!!!"
Pressure crushed like hangover; barely ran, body heavy as soaked.
Racing underground passages.
Pitch black amplified dread.
Wall-shattering crash behind—breaths ragged.
Terror prevented blackout; hyperventilation worsened.
"This a Skill effect?!"
"Yes!!"
"Legendary Class should have weaknesses!!!"
Wakamo died at zero mana. Adelheid couldn't kill foes. Ninjas had transform limits. Werebeasts turned beast if overdone. Etc. But "non-human" weak to human-level? No risk.
Then Tower'd exploit it—100 floors impossible.
*Chill—!!*
Legs locked.
Aiba halted, paralyzed.
Sadako stumbled, legs buckling.
One shared thought: "Don't look back."
In Man-Eater's sight: frog before snake, mouse before cat.
"Run!! Run!!!!"
Sadako yelled frantically; Aiba telelifted the group, bursting from the passage.
But soldiers encircled—busted.
Sadako and Aiba froze; guns trained.
"Trouble, huh?"
Familiar voice—soldiers vanished into view.
Trapped in picture frames on canvas—
"Diorama Release!!"
The biker woman who sucked in and sealed the passage: artist Adelheid!!
"A-Adelheid sis..... how....?"
"Don't say that? We're comrades?"
"Not here for a secret US exhibit, right....?"
"As if!!! Ohohohot!!"
Adelheid dodged with fake laughter, sweating, eyeing Yu Ying.
"More importantly, you okay? Feel nothing? No fear...?"
"Not really?"
Death-weary Adelheid shrugged off Man-Eater's aura.
To her, this chill paled against vivid near-death woes like power outages....
"Kyaaaaaaa!!!!!"
*Boom—!!*
Adelheid's barricade shattered; a monster in human skin—blond, masked—emerged.
Sadako eyed its ominous blood-red aura: 'Like Fox Goddess or Apostles....?' Battle will crumbled.
No win sans Wakamo-boss.
"Urgh!! Everyone, run!!!"
Aiba hurled Oracle to Adelheid, maxed telekinesis on Man-Eater.
Worst case, teleport out solo!!
She even mind-probed, tugging to suppress madness, draw reason.
But too strong.
Couldn't last seconds.
Nose bleeding, Aiba gasped—she'd banked five minutes, but underestimated wildly.
"Urgh—impossible!!!"
"Aaaaaa!!!"
*Vrooom!!*
Man-Eater lunged to kill Aiba—roaring engine preceded Hummer slamming it.
Human attacks resisted, but impact flung it surprisingly far.
"Our lovely employees are safe, right?"
From the Hummer's driver's seat emerged savior Wakamo Inarizushi, radiating glory.
Yu Ying fleetingly thought VTuber concert sneak-in, but nah—she came to save me.
Boss really, really likes me!!
Surely not below concert priority!!
And icy chill froze Man-Eater's rising legs and body.
White frost blanketed ground; group smiled, glancing beside Wakamo.
Yu Ying called her auntie till her ditzy reptile rants—but
Adults were adults!!
"You came, Olga Auntie!!"
"Been a while, ladies. I wasn't late?"
Kind, warm smile; Robert blew frost off his gun, winked.
"Sigh, knew it."
Yu Ying's genuine disappointment: overhyped.
Wakamo puzzled at Man-Eater's odd slowness escaping Robert's freeze-shot, but...
Prioritized: Yu Ying and crew safe.
Sadako and Adelheid too? Bonds good!!
How they reached America? Curious, but bad timing.
Lingering soldiers, cops, news chopper encirclement—dire.
Man-Eater primed to fight.
Then a bear sauntered in on all fours, rearing up.
"Halt!!! Korean Ascender Association Surveillance Team Chief Won Da-hye!!!"
No roar—she flashed ID, demanding highest rank here.
"If you don't wanna make Asian Union enemy and spark WWIII, stand down!!!"
Not mere Ascender—state official. Cops murmured.
Some soldiers aimed undeterred, but hesitated eyeing Man-Eater behind Wakamo.
"Won Da-hye Manager? When'd you hit America?"
"Hoh... Manager? Say I did my duty. Heard Yu Ying kidnapped, disguised as bear for stealth recon."
".......I see....?"
Thought new bear monster captured, came to see...
Yu Ying's eyes welled.
All risking lives, rushing to America for her!!
"This is US gov framing!! We'll protest formally!! Evidence ready—we'll file at International Criminal Court!!"
Confused troops and cops radioed, verifying briefings.
Even if Won Da-hye's crew lied, no way small unit beat them.
"....Oracle, you orchestrate this?"
"About eighty percent? I'm a world peace guy!"
Perfect timing—all gathered beyond Oracle's expectations!!
His intel: none in America. Baffling.
But issues remained.
"Grrr...."
Man-Eater, surrounded, growled low.
Troops and cops held breath, fearing atrocity if provoked.
But chased Sadako knew.
'Suppressed aura max....?'
No heart-gripping pressure from pursuit.
Beast-raging, yet... faint reason left?
Shunning crowds, it crouched, head buried between legs, silent.
Wakamo watched complexly.
Second encounter.
Gazing at her scarrier form, Wakamo sighed heavily.
Just wanted peaceful VTuber life—
Life never went as planned.