Chapter 386: Episode 43

I cannot move my body. I also cannot react to the sudden anomaly. Is it related to the mysterious device appearing on Six?

This seems to be a phenomenon caused by some kind of mental ability. It is a unique skill called "Hatsu," which draws a line between itself and normal abilities like physical enhancement. However, although Six's appearance has changed, I did not use it. At least, I am not aware of it.

"Huff... what on earth is this... but..."

"Wuwuwu... my body...!"

I am not the only one affected by this ability. Just as Blade and Velvet nearby began to suffer, they collapsed on the spot.

The two who were in good spirits just a moment ago were both somewhat dazed. Both of their bodies had problems. There were black bruise-like spots all over his skin. It was easy to understand on the bare-chested Blade. Velvet had similar symptoms on her face.

"What on earth is this!"

Blade was spirited. However, you could tell at a glance that you had gone too far. I was in a kneeling position, unable to move normally from that spot. Even so, compared to Velvet who was lying motionless, I could say there was still enough room.

"Noah, Six! Can you hear me! This is 'Separation's' escape! Don't forget yourself! Calm down!"

Hatsu is usually a technique thought up and created by oneself after fully practicing the other four major arts, but I have heard that very few people learn it unknowingly without training. It is said that this phenomenon only happens to talented people, but it is also possible. Noah Heliodor is active as a top-tier Nen user and has demonstrated his Nen ability.

There is a danger that an ability created without awareness will lead to irrelevant effects and limitations, because even you do not understand the full picture. If it is just a memory in case of emergency, it is even harder to control.

"Mom."

No symptoms similar to black bruises were seen on Noah's body. He forgot himself and shouted loudly, but his body did not seem to show any abnormalities. If this is his ability, he might not even know what he is doing. It looks like they didn't use their power to deceive us, but it turned out to be a bad situation.

Now the crazy audience is about to swarm in, and even a group of ordinary people cannot deal with it properly. However, the worst-case scenario is equally disastrous for the impact on the audience.

The audience close to a certain distance also produced the same effect as Blade. It can be inferred that the condition for activating the ability is based on distance. It seems to cause symptoms in people near Noah.

As a result, the audience cannot get close to us, but it is said that the distance is around 10 meters. They have a way to attack us from that distance. Using a tranquilizer gun, you can attack without getting too close.

Under normal circumstances, the defense enhanced by "Ryu" could easily withstand this anesthetic needle, but now Blade and Velvet are covered in wounds. That robe is not as beautiful as before. If the hit is bad, the attack might get through. With so many opponents, it is only a matter of time before they are eliminated.

If you don't stop Noah's rampage somehow, Blade will go into a dormant state. After that, I don't know what will happen either. Noah's actions are strange, as if he has changed.

"Ah, Mom...! Suha, suha...! After all, it smells like Mom! I knew it from the first time I saw you. You are the reincarnation of Mom! This is like a dream!" I can't believe I can still be with Mom like this..."

Just when I thought she was shivering in fear, she suddenly smiled happily and hugged me like she was being spoiled. He buried his face in Six's chest, shouting "Mom, Mom" non-stop. Apparently, he overlapped his mother with Six. To me, there is an obvious age difference.

I think his ability is to cause "disease" to the people around him. The symptoms of this disease are very severe, causing bruises all over the body and even paralyzing Nen users. Perhaps the starting point of this ability is Six. The effective range is about 10 meters centered on Six.

Of course, Noah, who activated the ability, was not affected by the disease, but Six's body did not have any symptoms either. This is an ability harmless to Six. The number of Angel-like devices might be a symbol of his ability, but I don't feel they have any special effects themselves. It is just an appearance.

However, Six's body freedom no longer works. At first, he suspected that he was using the ability of the control system to manipulate his own body, but he soon discovered the reason. His only ability is to make other "living things" around him sick, except for himself and Six.

In other words, even non-humans can suffer from this disease. In fact, my main body, the insect body, is being attacked by the anomaly. Even now, I am being tortured by intense pain, causing me to lose consciousness. Usually, I would have fainted long ago. Blade should not be able to move. I myself have also experienced pain.

The reason I can think now is because of the sensory acceleration after entering combat state. I can think that my consciousness is as if in a place separated from my own body, but conversely, I feel that the connection with my body has become infinitely weak. He certainly cannot move the main body, and there is also a problem with his operation of Six; under normal circumstances, he should have been able to do it unknowingly.

There is a way to get out of this situation. One thing that came to mind is to use the power of salvation. With a determination to save people, she gained extraordinary power. With that overwhelming violence, it is possible to turn this situation around. However, this is not a convenient feature you might want to use casually.

Once in that state, all controls will stop working. The "me" inside me speaks as if it were the power of justice, but I doubt if that is true. Even if it is activated, it might not stop until everyone here is killed. I don't know what will happen.

And that terrible feeling when I activate that ability, as if I am no longer myself. I never want to taste it again. If it is physical pain, I can endure it, and if I cannot endure it, I can let go of my consciousness. But that kind of pain is a feeling that destroys the heart itself. Neither endurance nor escape is allowed.

"Mom, I worked hard... I became a great singer just like you."

I want to avoid using that power. Is there any way to stop Noah's rampage? I will try again to see if I can move Six's body. I pray with all my heart.

I can barely move my arm. However, attacking Noah and stopping the activation of the ability is not strong enough. All I can do is put my hand on Noah's head while hugging him.

"Noah..."

There were no more words after calling his name. In this situation, it is impossible for Noah to be stopped, although not by much. I also think so.

"... Hahaha... Ha..."

I just called your name. However, his expression changed drastically because of this one word. Before that, his gaze was not focused on Six. As if he finally understood who was there.

"I'm sorry, I really know... even if I do this, I will never see my mom again..."

The Angel device possessing Six disappeared. As if the ability was canceled, the pain in my body disappeared instantly. Blade recovered, and they began to deal with the onlookers.

"However, I thought, if I really possessed mysterious thinking power, maybe I could see him again. The ability I got is completely different from what I hoped for."

Noah returned to calm. He laughed softly, as if mocking himself. There was no madness in that smile.

"To be honest, although I understood deep down, I couldn't accept it until the end. Perhaps that is why I was able to develop such a terrifying ability, thanks to you."

He thanked me. I don't understand more than half of the meaning of the words. But I do know one thing. Should I tell him?

Standing behind him was Velvet, staring at me with Absolute Zero eyes.

"Have you finished talking to your beloved mom?"

A cold breath spread on the ground. This is not a metaphor or anything, it is really cold. Frost grew under her feet. Abilities that give special attributes to the aura are classified as modifiers. In this case, it seems to turn the aura into cold. Isn't this a scorching hot Bar?

Noah wanted to turn around, but before he could, a Velvet-like hand grabbed his collar.

"Cold!? Pfft!"

"What do you want to end it as a good story? What excuse do you have for getting us into your pathetic traits?"

"Ku, gubi, gulu...!"

"None? Then fine."

Velvet grabbed Noah's neck with one hand and lifted him up. The strength of the person holding it is not ordinary, but the person being held is hung up without hurting the neck, so even an amateur can be said to have ability.

"Oh, by the way, changing the subject, but you love your mom so much, it seems there are many fans over there who want to be your mom."

"Noah-samaaaaaaaaaa!!"

Noah's bloodshot-eyed female fans—I don't know why I saw a makeup-wearing muscular man in the front row—waited, drooling, like hungry beasts tracking prey. Everyone was crazy.

Noah looked at me desperately. I thought he might be asking for help, but I gave him a thumbs up, meaning good luck.

"Please come and provide us with plenty of fan service. Prince Lolimazakon."

Velvet threw Noah. The Bullet hit a group of fans. It was as if raw meat had been thrown into a pond inhabited by a large number of crocodiles.

"Mom, help me!!"

I think I am self-employed.

For a moment, the commotion at the Venue had subsided. I think Blade worked hard to quell the riot and was able to suppress it early, but it is hard to say it was completely quelled.

Some spectators acted aggressively, while others did not. Their mental state remained insane, but just because they were excited did not mean they were displaying fighting instincts. At first, the entire Venue was in an uproar, and some fans who incited the chaos were also caught up in it, but after Blade dealt with those people, they calmed down for the time being.

The onlookers also lost their fighting spirit; they realized they had no chance of defeating Blade, who displayed combat power like a Demon. Many people left the Venue.

I could not let everyone pass out without asking or answering, except for those who walked toward me with fighting spirit. Controlling all the spectators and ensuring safety was impossible, and we were under no obligation to do so. Velvet insisted that whatever happened was the spectators' own responsibility, while Blade insisted that they should help solve the trouble at hand as much as possible.

In the Venue, there were many corpses (though not dead), some hit by the Anesthesia Gun, some hit by blades, and the operators were busy riding small carts back and forth; the whole place had collapsed. Transported to the guest rooms. Next, the remaining spectators were starting a banquet.

Among the crowd without leadership awareness, a man walked onto the stage. It was Noah, who had been thrown onto Velvet and besieged by fans.

"Are you still alive?"

"He's alive!"

Her hair was messy, her clothes were tattered, and she was covered in lipstick kiss marks. It even had teeth marks. Even so, they were attacked by so many people and had dodged that level of damage, so they were able to parry well.

"Don't worry, I certainly didn't mean to be hostile to everyone. I was upset and lost control of my emotions before, but I'm fine now. I can feel it... true love!"

"Do you want me to let you go again?"

Noah looked at Six with some very shiny eyes. Walked here. I reflexively hid behind Blade. Somehow, this place was being established.

"What!? You don't have to be afraid. Thanks to you, I woke up... I still have feelings for Mom, but I won't drag it out anymore. Until that thought." I "I decided to do my best for you. Six... you are my new mom!"

As an actor, he had appeared in many hit dramas, and Noah's words and actions were like a scene cut from a drama. I felt it was true that he could emit a star's aura even just by his looks, but no matter what I did, I seemed unable to understand the last word.

Dodge to avoid the approaching Noah.

"Uh... Mom is hiding from me...? Let's die..."

Noah, who was already dazed, lowered his head. This character had changed a lot compared to the original work, and I suspected he might have been affected by drugs and the audience.

"You can die as much as you want, but for now, please explain the details of the ability you used earlier."

"... Six-sama is hiding from me... Does Mom not like me... No, impossible... Uh, what should I do to make my love known..."

When Velvet realized Noah didn't hear her, she instructed me to hear the same thing. I didn't want to talk, but I had no choice.

Noah started talking like a Fugura out of water, and he said his ability more or less matched my expectations. Anyone within the range of the ability would rapidly develop a disease, and the effects would appear randomly. It seemed impossible to activate it by narrowing down the target. The closer to the starting point of the effect, Six, the more severe the disease.

When the skill was activated, the target would be affected by the disease it caused, but if the target left the effect area or the skill was canceled, they would recover their health. And this ability had a limitation: it could not be used unless Noah and Six were in contact. Even if it was done unconsciously, that was a terrifying restriction.

"It has all kinds of weaknesses, but depending on how you use it, it could be a powerful trump card. I think it's worth keeping as one of your cards. Above."

A restraining order was issued to Noah, keeping him away from Six without permission. This was more relaxing for me. Noah protested angrily at first, but when I expressed agreement with Velvet's plan, he turned into a soulless zombie emitting only a groan.

"Alright, since the pervert has been dealt with, let's get back to the point. The game is still in chaos, and I can't understand the enemy's intentions."

This was a story about who would benefit from causing such a commotion. Means of communication with the outside world were now cut off, but it would eventually be known to the world as a major incident. What was the purpose of the mastermind behind the incident?

"So far, what we know is that the enemy is trying to force the game to move forward."

Are you trying to get rid of the distrust and resistance to the game by making them lose their minds? Velvet said this might be a gimmick, prepared as one of the detonators to accelerate the game. I was annoyed by the act of not treating a person as a person.

"So here is one, let's get closer from here and see what the enemy is doing."

The enemy seemed to be observing the players' movements by some means. Otherwise, it would be impossible to grasp the eliminated players. Surveillance cameras could be seen in many visible places in this stadium, and such cameras could be Hidden and installed.

Therefore, if you appeal from here, it is possible to convey the request to the enemy. The question is what to appeal. Complaining about the game won't let you move forward.

"If the enemy's purpose is to advance the game, then let it take its course."

In the explanation of the game rules, it was clearly stated that the player must be shot with an Anesthesia Gun as a requirement for disqualification. If an athlete lost the ability to act without using an Anesthesia Gun, they might be disqualified, but what if the athlete themselves requested to withdraw?

At least we weren't here to win the game. I thought it would be good if we could end this situation. If the four of them withdrew here, the game would progress significantly.

I didn't know if the enemy would easily admit it. There was a clause that the game's management tried to make us fight. However, no matter what the enemy thought, if the players themselves had no will to fight, then the game wouldn't be established in the first place. Therefore, even if not acknowledged, announcing retirement was meaningful, and the enemy might show some kind of reaction.

"I have no interest in victory, and I don't care. If Six wants to win, of course, I will do my best to help them."

"If you are a top YouTuber, no one will jump ship for such a shoddy bonus. Retirement won't hurt me. The problem is how the enemy will accept this act of giving up fighting spirit."

"But if retirement is allowed, there might be no need for everyone to evacuate immediately."

Withdrawing meant you lost the right to participate in the game. I didn't think it would cause any inconvenience at the moment, but it might cause problems later.

For example, according to the rules, the children who were athletes should have the right to participate in the finals with Pomerni when they fought and became the last one. In other words, the remaining players would be told where Pomerni was.

I didn't know if this information was true, or if they would really tell me in the first place, but for now, it was defined by the rules. Rather than taking actions that completely deviated from the enemy's expectations, following the trend to a certain extent could yield more information.

"Then, I, Blade, and the perverted prince will either retire or be defeated, so we announce our disqualification."

Therefore, for some reason, it was decided that I would no longer be the only one retiring. I thought it would be better if I left my qualification to Velvet or Blade.

"This kind of thing is just a formality, anyone can do it."

"What are you talking about? That Six is our mom and should get special treatment; it's enough for us to be disqualified."

Velvet just wanted to be lazy and push the role. Well, there was no reason to refuse, so I obeyed.

"Admittedly, anyone can do it, but I chose you for a reason; you might be the one who wants to help Pomerni the most."

When Blade heard me and Velvet after the meeting started, he must have felt my concern for Pomerni. He seemed to be considering giving me a ticket to the grand finals by making me a player.

"Of course, I won't let you bear it alone; as long as everyone works together, any difficulty can be overcome."

Blade extended his fist. Six humbly smashed his fist into it. It was like two fists of different sizes, but the idea leading to it had no difference in size. I felt the same way.

"I heard the story!! Awesome!!"

As if to shake such a determination, a loud voice rang out. Accompanied by loud BGM, Pomerni's figure was projected on the huge screen.

"My God!! Thought of a game everyone can play, but it's a pity it can't be satisfied! Ichu-fei seat? All of Master Mine's property? Don't you want that? I see! Obviously, we still don't have enough gorgeous prizes to make our dear children serious!!"

The background where Pomerni stood changed, and a large set hidden behind the curtains was ready.

"By the way, did the children use the 'Special Invitation Ticket' system to hold this non-party?"

The Special Invitation Ticket was a ticket to attend an offline meeting obtained through official child privileges. If you submitted an application to the management in advance, they would give you some tickets for free.

"If you use this invitation ticket, you can easily invite your close friends and family to this ship."

Why do we need to talk like that now? The disturbing drum sound stopped, and the curtain covering the set was also pulled down.

Inside was a Transparent cage made of Material similar to plastic. There were several people inside. One by one, they were full of horror and twitching. Some children were crying and knocking on the Wall. Even that sound didn't reach the outside and was trapped.

"So the guests are here! Truly the children's best treasure! Add this to your winning prizes!!"

Pomerni snapped his fingers, and the digital counter set up next to him started ticking.

"The time limit is two hours from now! By then, the contestants must win the match and reach this place, the venue for the finals! If you don't arrive in time, the special Mustard Bomb placed on top of the cage will booooooom!! Oh my god, everyone will be dyed 'red'!"

Is this something a human would do? Are you saying you want us to go that far just to let you fight?

"There isn't much time left! Show us your love and courage!"