CH 81

I close in on the monster tamer with the blade (Aka) on her neck. The plan was an improvised one, but it seems to have worked.



“Now, if you don’t want to die, I’ll have you listening to my instructions.”



Despite saying this, my heart is shaking. The {Negotiation} skill is allowing me to articulate fluently, but I’m nervous inside. After all, I am currently pointing my blade at a human being, not some monster. I’m pointing it at a girl who isn’t even an adult.



I have no problem fighting against monsters. Why am I so nervous against humans? I already know the answer. I haven’t been able to severe my ties yet.



—It isn’t good to injure other people. This was a common sense in everyday life. However, in this world, this idea is holding me back. The ideology still dwells within me. My mind understands that it’s better to just kill and get things over with. I could also attack her limbs and capture her. Although I understand, I cannot execute it. I don’t want to execute it… If my {Stress Tolerance} levels up, I wonder whether I will grow numb to this kind of feeling.



What if I had other types of tolerance such as {Guilt Tolerance} and {Avoidance Tolerance}?



… No, I should stop getting distracted and focus on the things in front of me.



“Don’t think about resisting. Pacify the monsters this instant. You are capable of doing this right?” Hearing my orders, the face of the monster tamer which showed fear softened. It was now a combination of surprise and relief.



“…You’re quite the nice one.”



“I want to finish this as peacefully as possible.”



“Peacefully…you say…”



The monster tamer seems like she wants to say something, but she raises her hands instead. As if it’s a signal, the monsters that were rampaging suddenly halt.



“H-huh?”



“They suddenly stopped.”



“What’s happening?”



The students that remain in the cafeteria are visibly shaken. Nonetheless, their voice contains some trace of relief.



“— {Return}.”



With that, the darkness that surrounded the cafeteria fades away. Even the monsters that have calmed down are sucked back into the “darkness”. Now, the panic from before seems like a lie.



“Are we saved?”



“Are we fine now?”



“Hey, who is that standing beside Katsuragi-san?”



“I can’t see because of the hoodie.”



“Is he the one that saved us?”



I’m at the center of attention. Well, I guess it can’t be helped. Nishino-kun and Rikka-chan are also staring at my direction. Ichinose-san… still has her gun ready. She appears to be ready to shoot at any notice. But at least for now, everything is okay.



“Surprisingly, you complied without doing anything.”



“It’s cuz I don’t wanna die.”



She glares at me with irritation.



“Unexpected. I never imagined that someone like you would exist. Fuck.”



“Is that so?”



“Ah, how unfortunate. I was super pumped to earn a bunch of experience…”



She speaks as if she has met with the “Game Over” sign in a video game. It’s the complete antithesis of how I felt a moment ago. She doesn’t even see human life as important anymore.



“You’re mad.”



I say this without realizing that I have said it. Her eyes becomes round as if she didn’t expect this.



“Am I? Who doesn’t want to be at the top? In this world full of monsters, the concept of over-leveling does not exist. It’s better to live like this than to live under the care of someone else. Don’t you also have the desire to live as you please?” To live as I please… Certainly, her words are not wrong in this new world. Those with powers are absolute. In the present world, values from the past possess no meaning. To live freely and to live one pleases sound like a winning deal.



“I won’t… deny it. My life hasn’t been anything worthy of praise either.”



“Hee~”



She turns towards me and whispers so that only I could hear, “It’s not too late you know. Why don’t you join hands with me?” I am given such a proposal.



“Huh?”



“From the looks of things, you have skills or occupations that are related to assassination. I can strengthen those skills you know? I also have an army of monsters in my arsenal. There aren’t any demerits in having me as your ally. It isn’t a bad idea right?” Strengthen my skills? Does she have rare skills like my “Item Box” and “Precocious”? So that’s why she can subordinate so many monsters… “You think I’ll agree to your plans? I can’t trust you.”



“Trust me. I don’t wanna die either. Also, you and I have the same ‘smell’. We’ll make a great team. ” What is she saying after meeting me for the first time? To begin with, she’s a lunatic that wanted to massacre everyone in this school. I shouldn’t lend my ears to her. She’s just trying to find an opening by saying things that would interest me.



“Sorry, but—”



““Ah! Found it!!!””



Voices that reverberates throughout the cafeteria interrupts me. At the entrance, there is a twin. They are the pair that we have seen before arriving here. There are traces of battle all over their bodies. As I thought, they are capable of using skills.



“Reinforcements have arrived.”



“Tsk.”



The monster tamer looks downwards as if she has given up. From her reaction, I can deduce that the twins aren’t on her side.



“Oi, give yourself up!”



“Muhahahaha, I have found you, villain!”



Having said that, a fireball appears on the girl’s hand and a spiral-shaped boulder appears on the boy’s. Oh, are those magic skills? So those things exist. When I was having those thoughts, “Danger Detection” and “Enemy Detection” activate simultaneously.



“Villain! Move away from that person!”



“——What?”



That was a completely unexpected blow. Rather, it’s more accurate to say blows. Well, that doesn’t really matter. The thing is, the attacks were released towards me.



“Wa….!?”



Almost reflectively, I dodge the projectiles. The attacks hit the walls of the cafeteria, leaving parts of them burned or shattered. Uh, yeah… If I had been hit, I would’ve died for sure… “Hey, what are you guys—gah!?”



The monster tamer doesn’t miss the opportunity. She twists her body and kicks my flank as hard as she could. Then, she distances herself from me by back-stepping.



“Wow, lucky me.”



“Y-you…!”



You have to be kidding me? Despite being specialized in stealth, my “Endurance” stat is in the three digits you know? Also, even though she took me by surprise, I wasn’t able to react to her speed at all? Okay, let’s put those aside for now. I look towards the twins. Why did they attack me?



“Eh? Hey, nee-chan. Didn’t Toka nee-chan say that the enemy is a girl?”



“What are you saying, little brother? He’s pointing his blade at a fragile girl! Plus, he’s wearing something suspicious. He has to be the bad guy!” “I see! You’re right! As expected of you, nee-chan!”



The twins seem to think of me as the perpetrator. For the first time since I was born, I feel like beating up kids for real. Damn it, you did you guys meddle with the situation!?



“Ahyahyahyahya… I legit thought it was game over, but Lady Luck hasn’t abandoned me yet.” The moment she says that, I hear a series of gunshot from the distance. They’re from Ichinose-san. She seems to have shot the moment the monster tamer moved away from me. The bullets are aimed at the monster tamer’s temple and thighs. They will lead to either instant death or paralysis. I’m impressed at her ruthlessness. However“That ain’t gonna work~”



The bullets are stopped a few centimeters before their targets. The “darkness” has protected her yet again.



“It’s show time! Dog!”



A large beast spawns from her feet. The third encounter.



“Waooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!”



Along with a howl, the dark wolf appears.



“What is that dog…”



“It looks extremely overpowered…”



The twins’ eyes are glued to the dark wolf which has come out of nowhere. The same goes for the other students. Some people are trembling and holding onto each other. The dark wolf’s strength is that amazing. Even so… it’s just that. The wolf’s current condition is far from ideal. With the two battles from before, it should be considerably exhausted. The wounds that the student council members and I inflicted have not healed yet. Right now, I’m confident that I can beat it.



“You think you can beat it right now, right?”



The monster tamer smiles creepily as if she has read my mind.



“Sweet. I’ll show you. This is my trump card.”



She lays a hand on the dark wolf.



“{Familiar Strengthening}”



The next moment, the dark wolf’s body begins to the pulse. A black steam rises from its body, and the wounds heal. The wolf’s body enlarges, and the darkness surrounding it becomes darker. Clearly, it has become more powerful.



A skill… that strengthens familiars? I watch what is happening in a daze. It’s not just me. Everyone else is also doing the same. The dark wolf’s presence has become that much overwhelming.



“Now, let us continue.”