Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 026
Chapter Title: War
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My initial thought when I first acquired the skill had been spot on, after all.
Thunderbolt
Summons a lightning spear that electrocutes enemies, intercepting distant foes. The more mana injected to charge it, the larger and more powerful it becomes.
With immortality restoring both my mana and life force every time I died and came back, I could repeatedly die quickly to pour as much mana as possible into Thunderbolt.
So I kept resetting myself to the brink with Baal's Minor Curse, even draining my life force into the spell.
'I didn't expect it to pack this much punch, though...'
The spear rocketed out with a thunderclap roar, piercing the fleeing vampire in the blink of an eye as it crossed the sky.
Fragments of lightning scattered in every direction.
Illuminating the darkening skies over Sector 5 in a brilliant flash—it was quite the spectacle.
'Should've asked Gamlong for more details.'
Come to think of it, he said it was the Baal Cult among the demon cults?
I didn't like those bastards one bit.
For now, I climbed up onto the hatch.
The helicopter's interior was a total wreck.
The vampire had gone wild with his bloodsword or whatever, splattering blood everywhere.
I first checked on the unconscious inspector rolling around.
"Looks like she's not too badly hurt, at least..."
Now that I looked closer, her left wrist was pretty swollen.
This couldn't be from when I tossed her earlier, could it...?
"...Hmm."
Playing dumb, I picked her up and settled her into a seat.
That's when the helicopter suddenly started tilting.
"?!"
I bolted to the cockpit.
The last surviving minion was gripping the controls, screaming his head off.
"Gah! Aaaagh!"
"What's your deal? Hey! Snap out of it!"
Suddenly, he convulsed with a hack! and face-planted dead.
Seeing that, it hit me.
"Oh, right. With his vampire master dead..."
He'd been clinging to unlife as the vampire's thrall. No master meant the empty husk gave out.
Right on cue, alarms blared deafeningly.
Altitude too low!
The chopper plummeted toward the ground. I clutched my forehead.
'What now?'
Obviously, I had no clue how to fly a helicopter.
Sure, I'd survive a crash, but the inspector behind me wouldn't.
She'd be pulped along with the wreckage.
'Can't let that happen.'
I still needed her sponsorship, after all.
"Slow it down first...!"
That's when I spotted the 'AUTO' button next to the controls. Instinct told me it was autopilot, so I shoved the minion's head aside and hit it.
The stick pulled back on its own. Speed dropped visibly, but the alarms kept wailing.
We'd already built up too much downward momentum.
"Damn...!"
Sensing the inevitable crash, I dashed back, scooped up Inspector Yenitz from her seat, and bolted.
"No choice now...!"
As I reached the hatch, fierce winds clawed at my face.
I glanced at the inspector's face, oblivious in her blackout. A beauty who'd turn heads anywhere, catlike features and all.
I sighed.
'This jinx is real.'
Every time I got tangled with a knockout, shit like this happened.
Just then, the chopper skimmed over the rooftops of low-rise buildings.
I leaped with her in my arms.
"Hup!!"
The impact on landing shredded my legs like raw meat, shock ripping through my body.
Staggering, I triggered Baal's Minor Curse and twisted to take the fall instead, slamming into the ground.
I skidded a few meters.
Bam—!
Crashing into someone's AC unit finally stopped me. I quickly checked the inspector.
"...Ngh."
She let out a soft breath. I sighed in relief.
"Phew."
Aside from some scrapes, she seemed fine.
Resetting with Baal's Minor Curse again, I gazed at the blood-red sky.
The arid winds of the 8th Special District rustled my hair.
'...Now that I think about it.'
Once, atop our apartment roof, I'd watched the sunset with my sister like this.
Lena Clark.
She loved this polluted city's vista for some reason, leaning on the rusty railing, gazing joyfully at the sunset-drenched 8th Special District.
Those moments, she looked so free—like she'd fly off if I looked away.
"......"
I recalled her final moments, seen through the curse.
I exhaled wordlessly.
"...Poking at wounds that haven't even healed."
Then, police choppers appeared in the distance, heading our way.
Soon, the usual messages popped up.
+ All Stats increased further due to high achievement rank.
+ Enhanced Skill Points awarded as reward.
Belial's Withering Minor Curse
'Venator's Bloodsword Style' tree unlocked.
Amid the sunset I'd seen once before, for some reason, those messages felt like a pat on the back today.
Somewhere in the 8th Special District.
Gamlong, masked in wood, trembled before the altar.
Withered sacrifices littered it.
"N-No! This won't do!"
Screaming, he dragged a live man from the corner.
"Aaaagh! Please! Spare m—Guhk!"
Smashing the man's head with a hammer to knock him out, Gamlong laid him on the altar and raised a ritual dagger.
"P-Please! O Baal! Answer me!"
As his mad eyes swung the blade down—
"Don't you know it's all pointless?"
"!!"
The voice halted Gamlong. His trembling gaze turned to the entrance.
"P-Priestess...!"
"Fool."
An old crone with a liver spot on her nose stood there.
"As I told you, I confirmed with this 'eye' that he is Baal's proxy."
"Th-That's...!"
Gamlong swallowed hard and yelled.
"How could I believe that on the spot?! No signs from the prophecy, and he's just a police hound—how could he be the great Baal's proxy...?!"
"Hound? This heretic still spouts such nonsense!"
A dark elf stepped from behind the crone, drawing her sword. Gamlong yelped and fell on his ass.
"For a shepherd long devoted to this cult, what a pathetic end."
The priestess approached, leaning on her staff.
"No need to feel wronged. It all happened because your faith faltered."
"P-Priestess!"
Prostrating, he clutched her hem, pleading.
"I-I was wrong! I never dreamed he was truly the proxy... For my past devotion, please show mercy!!"
"Mercy isn't mine to grant, Gamlong."
"Priestess!!"
The crone raised her hand. A massive wolf silhouette emerged from the shadows.
"So, where is he?"
Bearwolf Gerald Hudson's eyes flashed with rage.
"The heretic who dared harm the great one?"
"H-Hudson...!"
The wolf, missing two fingers, growled low.
"Gamlong."
"Hudson! Hear me out!"
"Your great sin. You'll repay it in the endless hell where even death won't come—until your name fades."
"N-No. Please. Please!!"
Gamlong screamed as the reaper's shadow loomed.
"Nooooooo!!!!"
That night.
8th District mansion.
An elderly gentleman entered the vast conference hall, staff in hand, and took the head seat.
"Massimo."
"Yes."
The waiting black-suited man activated the central monitor.
A dozen faces flickered on.
All aged, they placed hands over hearts and bowed to the gentleman.
"...My old friends and family of the commission."
The godfather cleared his throat softly.
"Sordi, Edmonds, Mazzeroni, Spencer... Bruno's absent."
"Ah, Moonlit Path. Right, he tried dealing with those terrorists."
The godfather nodded as memory returned.
"My friends. I apologize first for holding this meeting remotely due to the unfortunate incident in Sector 5."
A red-jacketed elder spoke on screen.
A potbellied mafioso puffed his cigar.
The mafia bosses nodded.
Murmurs rose.
Someone slammed the table.
A bespectacled man spoke.
"Possible."
Silence fell at the godfather's word.
"But Edmonds, Luther's hardline. Bow first, and we'll lose over half our interests."
"Dear friends of the commission, the era has changed."
His hawkish eyes gleamed beneath frail features.
"To protect ours, we must rise up."
War, in other words.
"Fortunately, the situation isn't dire."
The godfather coughed lightly; the suit handed him a handkerchief.
"Sources say the border's messy. Means no full army deployment anytime soon."
"Time's short for Dun City, not us."
Intrigue lit the bosses' faces.
"Dun City's only move now is flooding local police with support. But strong forces aren't built overnight."
"8th Special District police alone? Not much to worry about currently."
The bespectacled man asked.
"Mafia Butcher."
Wiping his mouth, the godfather continued.
"All that was the Mafia Butcher's doing."
The godfather nodded.
"That's the one. Joined the penal unit after and's been cooperating eagerly with police. And not just that."
The Enchantress of Moonlit Path, Ron Dito, maybe even Baal Cult's Bearwolf...
"All subdued by the Mafia Butcher."
"That Sector 5 bolt? Butcher's work too."
"Sources say he's a dual-element mage wielding fire and lightning. Lightning's insanely potent—reports claim he razed the alchemists' hideouts."
And that Sector 5 bolt was likely lightning magic too.
The bosses gasped.
"In other words!"
The godfather raised his voice; screens hushed.
"...Without him, police are no real threat."
"Just the investigative special forces, unreliable at best."
Remove the Butcher, bog down police, ally with other district powers for pressure.
"Luther bows first in the end."
Time would make mana stones ever more vital for them.
The red-jacketed elder said it.
He grinned, flashing gold teeth.
The potbelly clapped.
Balone eyed the godfather.
Chuckling, the godfather pointed.
"Exactly, Don Balone."
Addressing the mafiosi:
"Dear commission members, consider: no matter how mighty the Mafia Butcher mage..."
His eyes gleamed coldly.
"His mana isn't infinite, is it?"