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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: Raid
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"Yawn..."
"What, sleepy?"
"Ah, no sir!"
When I asked if he was tired, the rookie answered loudly, flustered.
Who taught this punk?
"Hey, keep your voice down. This is a secret base."
"Yes, y-yes..."
A laugh escaped me at the sight of the rookie hurriedly shutting his mouth.
I used to be like that too.
"Well, don't worry too much. This place is deserted. It's a travel spot, but unpopular, and far off the main path. There's even a private property sign. Who would come here?"
"I-Is that so...?"
"Yeah. So don't worry and just keep a good lookout."
Ugh, this patrol is killing me!
To make sure the rookie wouldn't feel pressured, I deliberately exclaimed it and, with a nonchalant attitude, lay down in the grass.
To think I have to look after a junior like this.
Life's really unfair.
Back in my day.
We learned by getting beaten by our seniors.
"Um, thank you, Senior."
"Huh? For what?"
"I didn't think I'd get used to a place like this. You've helped me a lot."
"Why are you like this? We're just low-level villains anyway."
"Even so. Thank you."
Sigh.
How did a guy like that end up as a villain?
There are people who want to live good lives, but circumstances don't allow it.
Sometimes, when I saw innocent guys like him, I felt conflicted.
I wondered how hard their lives must have been for them to walk this path.
Just as I was thinking life was incredibly annoying, something pitch-black approached.
"I really think you're amazing, Senior..."
"Quiet, rookie. Something's wrong."
"Huh?"
"Look, do you see it? It's a person. Get ready."
"Ah, it really is."
So carefree.
I told him to get ready, and he's just marveling.
Frustrated, I patted the rookie on the back.
Only then did I see him hurriedly grab his weapon, and I suppressed a sigh.
He's still a rookie.
I checked the approaching figure.
...It's a woman.
Is she lost?
Her smiling face was subtly ominous.
"This is private property. Please turn back."
"Oh ho ho, is that so?"
"Yes. I don't know how you ended up here, but if you're lost, I can guide you."
I spoke kindly while my eyes scanned her appearance.
Weapon... none.
Noticeable injuries... none.
She's wearing an Academy uniform, so she must be a student.
She probably came out for an activity, played around, and got lost.
Tsk, what a bother.
If I killed someone here, it would become a headache.
And an Academy student, no less.
If she were reported missing, an investigation would start, and the location of this place could be exposed.
I should deal with this appropriately and send her back...
"No, I think I've found the right place. Übermensch's Playground."
"...?!"
"It would have been dangerous if I was too late. I'm very happy I found it."
I swung the sword I was holding, attacking the woman in front of me.
She turned and dodged as if she already knew, but I didn't care at all.
A woman in an Academy uniform.
And such a woman comes here alone, knowing the organization's name?
That's impossible.
We've been found out. The organization's hideout.
"Hey, rookie! Quickly ring the emergency b— *cough*?!"
"That won't do. If someone escapes, I'd feel bad for Laila. Only fifteen people are to survive. That's what was decided."
W-when did she...?
She clearly had no weapon!
Before I knew it, my neck was deeply cut, and blood was flowing out.
Only the blood droplets suspended in the air told me I had been attacked.
...Wait, blood droplets?
"You have good eyes. Though it's already too late."
I instinctively clutched my neck with my hand, but it was no use.
Blood was already gushing out, draining rapidly.
Perhaps due to the lack of blood, my head felt numb, and my vision began to blur.
...Damn it, I was too careless because she had no weapon.
It's a thread.
A thin thread, it grazed my neck.
She didn't attack.
There was no movement.
She knew I would attack and set up threads in my path.
"C-cough... Is she an Academy puppet...!"
"Hmm, there's no need to tell someone who's about to die, is there?"
"What's your goal...! There's no way Übermensch could have been exposed...!"
There's no way I'm surviving this.
This much bleeding. I'll surely die in less than ten minutes.
If so, I have to save at least the rookie.
It was agony trying to speak with my throat cut, but I forced the words out.
I had to buy time somehow.
That kid, he shouldn't die here.
He's an innocent kid.
Surely, given time, he could come to his senses and clean his hands...
"Oh, as for the person next to you, isn't it already too late?"
"...What?"
"Because he's lying over there. So you don't have to suffer."
The rookie was lying in the field.
Just a moment ago.
Just like I had lain down in the field to reassure the rookie.
He was covered by a red blanket, lying with the ground as his bed.
...Haha, hey.
Why are you lying so uncomfortably?
If you sleep like that, your neck will get twisted.
"I'll be going now? Have a good time with the remaining time."
Thump, thump.
The crimson devil walked away.
My vision blurred.
My head felt numb.
Somehow, I managed to move my feet and lay down next to the rookie.
"Ha... Hey, rookie. I always thought it would end like this someday. But I didn't want it to be you."
There was no reply.
You punk, slacking off.
How dare a rookie sleep when his senior is awake?
Back in my day, if you did that, you'd get beaten all day.
"Rookie. ...Life's incredibly annoying. Isn't it?"
Again, there was no reply.
And he, too, could no longer continue speaking.
The strings of the two puppets were cut.
***
"Intruder! Emergency! Emergency! What are you all doing?! Stop her now!"
"What are the guards doing?!"
"You idiot! They're probably dead already! If you have time to blame others, hurry up and fight!"
...Ugh, so noisy.
They're all just chaff.
When they die by methods they can't understand, they just raise their voices and don't think of attacking.
At this rate, fifteen might not be enough, might it?
Amelia and Shiu are the protagonist and heroine.
Even sending a hundred of these chaff wouldn't be too much.
No, actually, these guys.
Are they even superhumans?
Why are they carrying guns?
"Gah?!"
"Th-threads! She's shooting threads! Drop your guns! Cut the threads with your knives! Hurry!"
Someone's voice was heard.
...Finally, you noticed.
I wondered when you'd figure it out, honestly.
Your level is much lower than I expected.
Fifteen won't be enough. I'll need thirty.
At that voice, the chaff put away their guns and swung the knives they held wildly.
Most of them didn't cut because they were imbued with magic, but I felt some threads breaking through my hands.
...Oh.
There are a few useful ones, aren't there?
"Hmm, good. You passed."
"What are you saying...!"
In an instant, her school uniform top tore apart as if exploding, and threads imbued with magic spread out, brushing past the villains' bodies.
The result, well.
Goes without saying.
A great success... I guess?
"H-Heeek...?!"
"Ah, I didn't think of this... Ugh, it's gross."
No, not a great success.
I'd have to call it a failure.
Because dozens of villains had their entire bodies disintegrated as if diced.
...It's too brutal.
Alright, this is sealed away.
It's like the meat I ate is going to come back up.
The smell is awful, and it looks bad.
And I'm covered in blood, which makes me feel unpleasant.
Let's not use this.
Fortunately, the people I marked didn't die.
There was a point to making it weaker.
...Ugh, I regret it.
That guy who was on guard, I should have let him live.
It was my first time meeting them, so I thought everyone was that skilled.
To think it would take so long for them to even notice the threads.
If I'd known, I would have put him on the survivor list.
"M-monster...!"
"Hmm... Monster, how rude. Could you please call me a person?"
How impolite.
I am no monster.
Compared to guys like you who kill people for personal gain, that is.
If the author hadn't multiplied you guys, I wouldn't have had to go around killing like this.
Making things feel so gross.
"Hmm, thirteen... Thirty will be difficult. Excuse me, how many people are left?"
"Y-you think I'd tell you, you devil!"
"Oh, come on. I told you I'm not a devil."
What to do.
...Well, fine.
Can't be helped. Shall I send them ahead?
I used up both of my fingerless gloves to give the remaining people a gift.
"Alright, from now on, we're going to play hide-and-seek."
"Just kill me! I won't obey your orders—"
"Quiet. I'm talking."
Haa.
Why do they only listen when I get angry?
Can't we go easily?
The atmosphere has become gloomy.
"Alright, there was a little commotion. Can I talk again?"
"U-ugh..."
"The rules of hide-and-seek are simple! You are to attack the students in the lodge on the mountainside!"
"A-attack students...?"
"If you kill even one, I'll let you live."
They seemed too scared, so I gently dangled a carrot.
Hmm, just as expected.
Their trashy eyes are turning even trashier.
I'm glad they seem motivated.
Go on, put your effort into attacking the protagonist's group.
That way, our heroine and protagonist will grow.
It'd be great if they beat them almost to death.
"Now, hurry up and go. If you're late, I don't know what might happen?"
"H-Heeek?!"
...Even so, if you run away screaming like that, I get a little hurt.
Is my face that scary?
No, it's not. When I looked in the mirror, I was clearly pretty...?
"Alright, then, shall I go meet the cadres?"
Was it the Twelve Zodiacs?
Hmm, there are so many, I wonder which one it'll be.
What animal will it be, I wonder.