CHAPTER 21 - A Corrupt World. Part 3
I reached the car and I'm flying above it. I noticed several heroes watching me from a distance, but they show no signs of wanting to come closer.
I admit, I'm scared. It's one thing to see sword attacks in slow motion, but I'm in a modern world—there are firearms. I highly doubt I can dodge bullets. I don't know if the heroes are planning to shoot me from afar, which is why I'm constantly moving randomly to throw off potential snipers.
There he is, below me. I'm determined to kill him. A rapist will leave this world and go to hell… But I still feel nothing. No regret, no fear. Why do I feel this way?
And the pity I thought I felt—I don't think it was pity; it was more like… annoyance, irritation. Why? For wasting time on trash like him.
What's happening to me? I don't know, and right now, I don't have time to worry about it.
"Something inside me says I'm doing the right thing. He's a bad person, so I guess it's fine… Huh?"
The sword disappeared. Why? I still felt the need to use it. Why did it go away?
"Sword Dex!"
… Well, well. It's not appearing. How strange. Does it have a usage limit? Ugh, there's still so much I don't know about Dax, Dex, and Dix.
Whatever. My strength is more than enough to take them down.
I descend and fly alongside the car. The driver is intensely focused, staring straight ahead. Well, well. We've got an excellent driver. Too bad you're one of the bad guys.
I tapped the window to get his attention, and the driver, startled by the sudden action, immediately turned to look at me. I could see the terror in his eyes. Fear because I can fly? Maybe it's just his instincts, which know perfectly well I'm not here to talk or knock them out to take them to prison.
I'm here to kill them.
Heh. Hahahahaha! His scared face made me laugh… Laugh?
"Shit!" he said.
And immediately, he swerved the wheel and hit me with the car—exactly as I expected.
Now that I have both hands on his car, I can do this.
"Wind Akaso!"
A massive gust of wind flips the car, sending it rolling down the street, getting more and more wrecked. That'll injure the men and give me the advantage, but it comes at a cost. Now I feel exhausted. Damn it, I really lost too much magical power. I highly doubt I can cast that spell again. With the energy I have left, I don't think I can even use a basic spell like healing more than twice. That means I'll have to fight without magic.
"Muslar Asio" is still active in my body, but I feel myself getting more tired, like I'm running. I'll only be able to fight for about 3-5 minutes max. I need to hurry.
I land and head toward the car, which is flipped over. I hear that fat guy screaming in pain like a baby, but I don't blame him—no one would come out unscathed from an accident like that.
I was hoping it'd be on fire, but I don't see any flames. Action movies lied to me.
Wow. Right where I cast the spell, there's a huge hole. Did the wind pierce through the entire car? Uwaaah! I also destroyed a convenience store with the wind! I-I don't see anyone there, s-so it's probably not a 24/7. I didn't kill any innocents!
But what I did do was destroy the fat guy's legs and part of his stomach, since he was in the wind's path.
Ouch. I admit I didn't do it on purpose; I just wanted to flip the car, not realizing the spell was that powerful.
The wind spell… No, wind-type magic is really powerful. No wonder it's hard to find wind-type spells.
That fat guy is losing a lot of blood, and his screams keep getting louder. If I were you, I'd pray to suffer longer and not die, because in hell, you'll have it worse. Enjoy the time you have left alive.
Huh? Uwaaah! I'm gonna die! Idiot, you forgot they have guns! I'm gonna die! I wasted a life!
T-They shot me in the head from the car. Goodbye, first life! Idiot, idiot, you wasted a life! God's gonna be mad at me!
…
…
…
Hmm… This dying thing is taking a while.
Uwaaah! They're shooting at me more! They hit my chest…! Huh?
A bullet hit my hand, but… it bounced off.
It bounced?
I checked my forehead… Nothing, no wound. The bullets bounce off my body?! It's a miracle!
But why? Sandro's sword was able to pierce my body, but a bullet can't? God can't help me, so it wasn't him. Why? Does it have something to do with the magic God gave me?
No time to think about it; they got tired of shooting and decided to get out.
The four men exit the car, their bodies trembling as they activate their powers. One grows two swords from his head—one on his forehead, another on the back of his neck—reminding me of an anime character I saw a while ago. Another starts emanating fire from his body, a classic but no less dangerous power. The third grows to five meters tall, his skin turning red and muscular, like an ogre from a Japanese legend. The last man turns his arms into giant, sharp, gleaming blades.
I observe them closely, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness. Fighting demons and adventurers is one thing, but this is on another level! I went from a generic magical world to a world with superpowers! I feel like I'm in a comic, not a manga!
What an interesting place! I can't help but smile with excitement.
"A sword man, fire, ogre, and blade. Alright, let the action begin," I murmur to myself, preparing for battle.
The man with swords on his head starts spinning rapidly, turning into a whirlwind of steel. A human blender, huh? Too bad I don't have bananas or milk for a smoothie.
He charges at me with speed, but I manage to duck in time and deliver a "strong" punch to his stomach with my right fist. From the neck down, you're still a normal human. His body stops dead, and the air escapes his lungs with a pained gasp. I didn't dare kill him. I had the chance, but…
Almost immediately, the man engulfed in flames shoots a blast of fire that lights up the dark streets. I jump agilely, dodging the attack by a hair. Don't get distracted, Daniel; think about your morals later. I almost ended up as grilled meat.
I landed just in time to see the ogre swinging his giant fist at me. His movements are fast and powerful, completely mismatched with his size. I feel intense fear seeing that coming at me. I can't escape, so I'll fight!
I clench my fist and, with a shout of effort, slam my fist against his, the impact resounding like thunder. Let's see who's strong…! Huh? Well, well.
To my surprise, my strength far surpasses his. The force of the impact shattered his hand and sent his arm flying backward, making the giant crash heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
No time to celebrate. The man with blade arms attacks me fiercely. His strikes are fast and precise, but I manage to dodge them all. No, almost all. As I leaned back to avoid him, he grazed my nose. He cut the tip of my nose! It doesn't hurt; it burns a lot, but it's just the tip, no big deal.
I'm losing speed. I'm becoming an easier target. I need to end this.
He raises his arms to crush me, but I propel myself with my left arm to the right, dodging the attack. An opening!
I push off again and deliver a kick with my right leg to his left side, sending him flying into a nearby car that crumples from the impact.
The fire man launches fireballs in my direction, each one bigger than the last. I dodge them with quick movements and charge toward him, determined to finish this. Seeing me approach, he unleashes a massive fire blast, his last effort to stop me.
Shit. This fight's getting complicated. It's the toughest fight I've had… Well, I haven't had that many fights, actually.
I don't know if I have the energy for it, but I'll take the risk!
"Viens Flam!" I shouted, and a wind barrier materializes in front of me, protecting me from the fire.
It worked?! Thank you, God…! Though my vision's starting to blur. I think I've got 30 seconds before I hit my limit.
"How many powers does he have?!" he yells, shocked.
The flames around his body suddenly vanish. What's he planning?
"My time ran out?!" he said, desperate.
Time? So powers here have limits too. It's like magic in World 1, where magical energy runs out. That's interesting and useful to know.
The barrier vanishes, and I charge at him.
"No, wait!" he screamed, but it's too late.
I jump and deliver a kick to his head with my right foot, sending him flying.
"Huh?!"
As I land, I notice in horror that his left eye has popped out of its socket. I shudder at the sight. T-That's disgusting! I hope he's still alive!
I thought I'd kill them without guilt, but I don't want to anymore. I don't want to kill them… Huh?
A chill runs down my spine, and I turn just in time to take a hit from the giant ogre that sends me flying through the air. The pain is intense, but I barely endure it.
"Shit!" I shouted as I painfully hit the ground.
T-The faceplant hurt more. Ow.
I get up quickly, knowing I need to stay alert. The other men are still unconscious on the ground, so I just need to deal with the ogre to win.
Like a bull, he prepares to charge me, so I do the same, locking eyes with him.
I'm stronger, but you probably have more energy than me. I'm so tired I could collapse any second. I need to end this now and hide.
I can't keep dodging much longer, so I need to finish him another way.
"You're good, I like you, kid!" said an unfamiliar voice.
"Huh? What?" I murmur, turning to see who shouted.
It's a man dressed in black with a red bow tie. He has a mustache and a small white beard, plus a ring on his forehead. He looks odd, almost like a hero from another era, Victorian times. So elegant.
"A hero?" I asked, but I don't have time for an answer.
The giant tries to hit me again with his right fist. I dodge the blow and stare at him—or rather, the night sky behind him.
The sky, my great strength, my low energy. I've got it!
I grab his arm with both of mine, forming a plan.
"Arches Nexus!" I shouted, and I start flying rapidly upward, taking the giant with me.
He's so heavy! I'm struggling to keep control, trembling too much; he could slip any moment. I didn't want to kill him, but if this fight drags on, I'll die. Sorry, but I can't die yet. I won't waste lives on filler enemies.
"Let me go, damn it!" the ogre shouted, hitting me again.
I can't take it; that hit weakened me more. I let go, and he falls screaming.
"Shit!!"
His scream fades as he plummets.
"We're about 200 meters up. Will his size cushion the fall?" I wonder as I watch him drop.
I hear a loud crash and descend quickly. The ogre is surrounded by blood, his body motionless. Some of his bones are sticking out, his head split in half, and his lungs burst out of his chest.
"I-I guess not."
… I really didn't want to kill them. If I could avoid it, I'd take the chance, like I did with the others, except maybe the fire guy. But this time, I couldn't avoid it; I had to kill him. I guess that's why I don't feel as guilty. It was him or me. I can't make mistakes. I made one with my mom, and that led to my grandma being kidnapped. I didn't have the courage to face her and the legendary demons.
I won't make that mistake again.
"This is definitely the best fight I've had," I thought, satisfied with my victory.
But… Ugh, I don't know how to feel about killing a human again. Having God's permission makes me feel less bad, but what would my grandma say if she saw me? This goes against the values she taught me, yet I do it without hesitating much. Why am I like this?
Well, well… No.
Ugh, I think I know the answer, but I won't think about it. It's not worth torturing myself knowing what I am.
"Simply incredible!" said the man from before.
I turn to look at him. He's holding Minsfel by the neck. Is Sigur still alive? He's tough.
"You forgot this bastard!"
He throws him at me, and he lands at my feet. The fat guy just looks at me in terror, and when he tried to raise his hands, I crushed them with my feet.
"Feels awful knowing you're gonna die, doesn't it? And I've got news: hell exists. Get your ass ready; you'll be raped by demons for eternity. The perfect punishment for a rapist like you."
… Ugh, my mom went to hell when she died. Arghhh! Don't think about what she suffered, don't think about it! Don't feel sorry for her!
"Who are you, friend?!" said the man.
Hmm. I think he's a good guy. I guess I can trust him. He doesn't seem like a villain.
"My name's Daniel."
"Are you new to the organization?!"
"Organization…? I'm not in any organization."
His cheerful face turned to one of surprise. What organization is he talking about? One against the dictator? He seems like one of the good guys.
"Huh?"
He walks toward me.
"And why did you do this?"
"I'm protecting a girl, that's all."
"You messed with the dictator's son for a girl?"
Well, well… Ugh, don't say it like that.
Put that way, yeah, it sounds cliché. Messing with someone important for a girl. And I don't even know her. But I'm not interested in wooing her either. I guess I just want to help.
Lately, I've been feeling confused about who I am. Did I help her to keep her safe? I think so, but I'm scared to think there might be a darker reason, like wanting to kill.
I'm not my mother. I'll never be like her!
"Yeah, that sums it up."
"You're crazy!" he said, trembling with fear and teary eyes.
Is he that…? Huh?
He started laughing and hopping around me like a rabbit.
"I love it!"
I like his attitude. I don't know why, but I like him. He seems like one of those typical crazy heroes.
He stops in front of me and extends his right hand.
"I'm Bravo, nice to meet you."
Well, he doesn't seem evil. I can trust him. Plus, I need help; the stares I'm getting have tripled. There are like 100 people, hiding, waiting for the perfect moment to attack, and their numbers are growing. We need to go.
We shake hands.
"Daniel, pleasure's mine."
We stop shaking hands.
"You gonna let them live?" he said.
"Maybe. I don't know if they were raping women too."
"They definitely were. Trust me, I've seen it myself. They took the scraps from this pig."
"Don't call them scraps."
"It sounds crude and inhumane, but what was left of them was scraps of what they once were."
… Okay, that changes things.
"Sword Dex."
The sword appears, and I grab it with my right hand.
I'm at my limit now; I'm going through hell to stay awake. I'll kill them and try to hide. If I can't, I'll let them capture me. I just need one day to pass, and I'll leave. I highly doubt they'd want to kill someone like me, who's shown multiple powers. They'll want to study me. I think that's why the heroes aren't attacking—either out of caution or because they have orders not to kill me from the dictator.
"Well, I need to make sure they're… You know."
I walk away. The sooner I finish, the sooner I'll get to sleep.
Ugh, I'm hungry too. I want lemon cake.
"Super strength, flight, wind control, and you can summon a sword. Those are your powers, right?"
I turn to look at him, and he smiles.
"I saw everything you did. I saw how you flipped that car, your fight, your movements. In short, you're really strong."
Well, it's thanks to seeing attacks in slow motion; that's why I can react so… easily. Huh?
He kneels before me.
What's he doing? It's awkward; I don't like being treated as superior.
"H-Hey, don't do that; I'm not above you. Get up."
"Please, help us!"
Help them…? Why would they need my help? Is there really an organization trying to overthrow the dictator?
"Help them?"
Ugh, as long as they give me food, I'll consider helping.
I'm starving.