Chapter 389: Episode 46

The true identity of the man known as "Lion-Binding Tabakal" in the previous war was a child soldier. His family was killed by an armed group with radical religious beliefs; he converted, had a bomb implanted in his body, and was dragged into a war called a "Holy War." This is a common story, not rare at all.

He was an ordinary soldier, disposable like a consumable. To survive, he killed countless people. He could feel no guilt. However, his spirit was exhausted, and he fought to the death every day.

The only thing that kept him going was his friends.

"Pfft, cough, cough, cough...! You really are a genius! You're a genius at pranks!"

Among the recruited child soldiers, there was a child I was close to. Life under surveillance had no entertainment, let alone the freedom to speak one's mind. His only pleasures were terrible food and the occasional chat allowed. Jack used to play pranks on him. No matter how stupid they were, his friends would always laugh out loud.

"Don't tell anyone, this is just a story... My other family members were all killed, but only my pregnant mother was safe at a relative's house... That's how it should be."

Everyone craved humanity. I tried to think that I was more than just a tool for killing. Trivial exchanges of joking and laughing with each other healed their longing.

"Was it a younger brother or sister when you were born? I hope it's my brother... Once 'this' is all settled, I'll go see him. Will you come too? Show your younger brother the pranks you're good at."

After the war ended, almost no child soldiers survived. Jack's best friend was not there. He must have fought to stay alive, but when he was released from the fighting, he began to wonder why he was still alive.

He lived only for a promise that burned constantly in his heart. To post prank videos on the internet and send them all over the world. I don't know his face or his name, nor do I know if he is still alive.

At some point, it became popular, and now it has reached the peak of an Ituber. Many people who sympathized with his ideas gathered, and his activities spread widely. Finally, Jack found his best friend's brother.

His time, which had stopped since that war, finally began to move. At that time, I was dragged into the worst offline meeting. If he were the only one here, I wouldn't have panicked. A friend's brother was taken hostage. When he saw it, he couldn't stand.

Jack got up. He had only been unconscious for a short while, but he still stood up. Even I was surprised. He must have believed that even the Velvet who had driven him to the edge until now had defeated him. For the first time, you could see the unease in his expression.

He was in a state where only willpower kept him conscious. I didn't even have the strength to take a step. However, Velvet remained vigilant against this extraordinary spirit. Sometimes, the Spirit Power of a Nen Ability even exceeds the limits of the body.

"Wait for me... I'll be there to help you right away, little brother..."

Jack retrieved the last headscarf he had hidden. One of them was stained red with blood flowing from his wound.

"Red Snake, go!"

Its attack speed was nothing compared to before. It spun in a straight line and attacked Velvet like red lightning. Even so, no matter how fast it was, it was just one strike. She reacted quickly and successfully intercepted it.

But the edge of her ice skate did not cut through the headscarf. The headscarf was soaked in a large amount of Jack's own blood, and the bond with the caster was deeper. Because the conductivity of Aura was greatly increased, the enhancement rate also increased.

Due to the clumsy attack, Velvet was slightly off-balance. Jack did not miss this opportunity. The red cloth snake finally wrapped around Velvet. In an instant, my whole body was bound.

I tried to grasp her consciousness by tightening my own, but Velvet also resisted with all her might. She used Manipulation on the cold and froze the headscarf. Because it was soaked in blood, the headscarf was greatly affected by the cold.

The blood began to freeze. It didn't loosen the binding, but it made the frozen parts impossible to control well. In that situation, Jack lifted Velvet high with a cloth snake. If you hit the ground with the momentum to crush ice, Velvet wouldn't be free.

I wouldn't go easy on Jack. It's not because I hate Velvet, but because he recognized her strength as a warrior. If you don't do it well, you might not be able to defeat her; she is "Hard" and has solidified her defense. If you don't attack with the intent to kill, just like she did to Jack, you won't win.

However, it was an action taken precisely because it recognized the enemy as a threat. What if an unrelated third party intervened?

Where Jack was trying to swing Velvet, a girl suddenly stood there. I tried to reach out my hands to catch the falling Velvet.

(A child...?)

This was a reckless act. It could indeed slightly reduce the impact, but it would be a serious injury, far from worth it. I didn't care if I died.

If Jack had the same spirit as seven years ago, he wouldn't have hesitated. He should have continued the attack with the child who cut in without losing momentum. That was what he was like before he became an Ituber.

The attack stopped. The ice mass wrapping and protecting Velvet quickly lost its momentum, and Six caught it safely.

"Sorry I'm late, Susu."

Jack was startled by the voice behind him. But I didn't have time to look back. A log-like arm wrapped around his neck, and he lost consciousness before he could even resist.

We succeeded in defeating Jack. I thought it ended in an overwhelming victory for Velvet, but there was something terrifying about Jack, who made a fierce comeback from there. If I had been wrong, Velvet would have been seriously injured by now. This was a battle that showed the level of combat between true Nen Users.

Looking at it this way, maybe Jack isn't such a bad person. Blade said that if he were a villain at heart, he wouldn't have hesitated to launch the final blow. The speculation that they were taken hostage might not be wrong. I think he is also a victim forced to fight against his will.

It was a bittersweet victory. Besides, I am now being yelled at by Blade and Noah.

"There's a limit to jumping into places like that!"

"That's right! If something happened to Mom... I wouldn't feel like living!"

I didn't really think about what I was doing at the time; my body just moved in the blink of an eye. However, I wasn't desperate. Six's body can be repaired with Aura, so I thought it would be fine someday.

For the time being, I explained this constitution to Blade in advance, but didn't reveal the details. It seems that the strengthening of self-healing power is an ability belonging to the Enhancement type, but there is also a limit. It's obvious, but even the best user seems to die if they receive a fatal injury.

In Six's case, the body is reconstructed with Aura. Perhaps this will be another ability that is not of the Enhancement type.

I only have some knowledge of Nen Abilities here, but I can roughly understand that I am a rather special existence. It's not a secret that must be kept absolutely, I'm just worried about whether it would be good to say it publicly.

I'm not very good at lying. Blade and Velvet will know I'm hiding my abilities. Anyway, Noah.

However, perhaps because of the etiquette of Nen Users not to pry into the abilities of non-enemy opponents, they have never been deeply questioned. That's why they might think I'm a person with a certain resilience.

As a result, Jack relaxed his control over the attack, and both Velvet and I escaped unscathed. From Blade's perspective, what I did seemed like an act of putting my own life in danger.

Velvet reached out a helping hand to me unusually, perhaps because I couldn't see Blade, who was giving a verbal sermon.

"Well, all's well that ends well."

I certainly thought that was true, and I was saved by Velvet, so I didn't object, but somehow it was disgusting.

"Huh? Were you expecting thanks like that? Hmm... well, how about something like this?"

Saying that, Velvet pulled up her skirt. I couldn't help but take another look at that sudden and incomprehensible movement. I don't know why you would do that.

"Because you were watching me the whole time I was fighting, are you that interested?"

It's not like I was watching it the whole time. However, even though she was wearing a short skirt, she was moving violently, so it's certain she could see all sorts of things. Inside was black saliva instead of underwear, but that doesn't mean it's something to show off. On the contrary, it was so defenseless that I was careful not to look at it.

... That is to say, if I said I didn't care at all, it would be a lie. Six's body's gender is female, but the insect in my body is the King of Ants and male. I instinctively understand that this kind of insect can reproduce across species boundaries. In other words, even if it's a human, if it's a woman, it's the same.

I cannot judge for myself whether this is a normal human emotion or if it can be said to be a general feeling of men toward women. Even if I think so myself, the premise is that I am not human. I cannot be sure that this is not a manifestation of lower desires based on insect instinct.

That is why I am not good at controlling this emotion. I admit that I have a tendency to avoid too much. Even when browsing the internet on my Smart Phone, I am at the level of backing up the browser immediately when I see an obscene ad.

However, overreacting at this moment is a mistake. You can tell from the face of Velvet, who is patting her skirt. It's an amused face. If you expose your shame here, there is no doubt that it will become a scandal later, adding fuel to the fire.

I never thought I would be so stressed out by something like this. As I tried to pretend to be calm, Noah interrupted me.

"What are you doing, Velvet? Don't let my mom see such lewd things. You'll only stain your pure heart."

"I'll kill you."

"Ahhh... it's so cold...!"

Thanks to Noah's help. Velvet is cooling him down with an aura as if to freeze Noah, but before I could say anything, Blade intervened.

"Don't waste so much of your Aura; the battle starts now. You must have consumed a lot in the fight just now. How much Aura do you have left?"

"……Hmm, one more round should be fine."

Since it concerned Velvet, he likely wasn't exaggerating his remaining strength. One more round seemed doable without issue, but he was indeed exhausted. This was an intense battle that even an amateur could see. Aura is limited; if it is consumed, it cannot be recovered unless you rest properly.

"If someone hadn't been caught, things would be easier."

"Haa……!"

This time, Velvet fought alone, and the burden was concentrated. From now on, we should be more conscious of teamwork and coordination. We confirmed the name on the electronic bulletin board.

Jack's display disappeared; besides here and Pomerni, the only ones left are Tsukutek and Quick-Answer Bat. Are you going to fight them too?

After dealing with the unconscious Jack and discussing what to do next, the speakers in the hall began to blare. I wondered if the management intended to use Pomerni for the broadcast.

"Ah, testing. The sensitivity is good. It will be a sunny day today!"

But the voice I heard was not Pomerni's. Somehow, I felt familiar with that female voice. I was sure this was...

"Thanks for waiting☆Magic☆Milky~~~~pyon☆☆☆"

A virtual YouTuber, Magical☆Milky, was projected onto the giant screen. Should I accurately call that person's avatar? Shortly after the match started, I lost contact with her. I thought the internet connection was lost due to radio interference affecting the entire ship, causing the communication breakdown.

In fact, even when I checked my Smart Phone, the radio interference was still continuing. First of all, how do you display an image on the screen? The ship's internal system should be managed and controlled by the game management. Does this mean Milky is with the management?

"Sorry, I suddenly fell down☆Everyone was worried! But it's okay, Mirupyon has been working behind the scenes, destroying this inexplicable, fucking game for everyone's benefit."

After saying this, Milky took out a menacingly shaped staff. The magic wand, engraved with the image of the evil god "Irumi" on the head, emitted purple miasma. This is the magic wand used by the Assassin Milky from the Magic Kingdom, which contains the souls of many victims he has killed so far (setting).

"I will release everyone with Mirupyon's magic pyon☆Come on, let's do the usual ikupyon☆Let's comment together pyon☆Here we go! Sweet Milky Milky Lovely Kiss★★★"

Right, Milky's finishing move, the magic SweetMiyumiyuLovelyKiss. His naming sense made old fans call out "So disgusting," and he received comprehensive scandals for commenting wildly at the audience; there were even comment-free zones during live streams, and that's how it is now. It became the agreed-upon strongest magic, earning the nickname "Listener Killer."

We at the Itu Bar in this Venue, as well as the ordinary audience watching from the stands, were silent, not noticing any reaction. They didn't follow the promise of a live performance and seemed not to know how to react at all.

But the silence would soon be broken. A heaven-shaking roar erupted. The vibration was so great that I couldn't stand steady, and my vision shook violently. It wasn't an earthquake. It was inside the airship.

The floor began to tilt slowly, as if the direction of gravity had changed.

＊＊＊

Time flowed back a little. There was a person running around the intricate corridors of the ship.

"Damn it! What is going on? This wasn't the plan!"

The man ran while flipping his tattered coat. Metal parts of various sizes were sewn onto the coat, making a loud "clanging" sound; parts spilled from his pockets and rolled onto the floor, but he continued to run without hesitation.

This was Tsukutek from the Itu Bar I tried to create. He was now being hunted by enemies. For him, having survived in the world of Meteor City where the weak are prey to the strong, he had gained power. It could be said he was a formidable enemy.

The number was two. However, they proved to be quite skilled. Besides using a wide-range En, applying "Hidden" to the En to eliminate their presence was insane; I couldn't believe my eyes. If it weren't for my self-made "Artifact," I would have let them get close without knowing.

Tsukutek immediately judged the chances of winning were slim, so he ran away. "Three days ago," I tried to make full use of the traps set everywhere on this ship to scatter the enemies, but it was only a slight hindrance. Retsu seemed to have avoided or dealt with it.

At this rate, they would catch up soon. I hadn't heard from the client that users of this level were mixed into the game. This was completely unexpected.

Tsukutek was a person hired by the creator of this game. Infiltrating as a player to control the game flow from the inside. This was a detonator to blow up players who had no motivation.

The client who hired Tsukutek from Ryuseigai was the Mafia. He was one of the "Eleven Heads" who controlled the world's Mafia, and he was his client. That is to say, this game was planned and executed by the Mafia.

The client's main instruction was to "heat up the game," and other than that, there were only a few points to keep in mind. It was as if the instructions were vague, but there was no dissatisfaction.

He wasn't particularly unwilling to play an aggressive role. I felt it would be fun to play with toys with other Itu Bar members, so I was willing to accept the role and turn the game upside down. There were no complaints because you could make money by doing what you liked.

I heard the purpose of this game was clinical trials and demonstrations for new drugs. The audience was used as subjects.

However, this was not without suspicion. In fact, the experiment might be one of the reasons, but was that really the only reason? Hijacking an entire ship and turning it into a testing ground was crazy. Was it necessary to invest so much time and money to make a game?

There were doubts, but Tsukutek trusted the Mafia. Because I believed the Mafia would not harm the people of Meteor City. The two were not equal. On the surface, they pretended to be so for the sake of face, but in reality, the status of Ryuseigai was higher.

The talent of Meteor City was indispensable to the Mafia, and they guaranteed the best treatment to maintain this relationship. Moreover, Tsukutek, as a "craftsman" familiar with Nen Ability, had made huge contributions to the Mafia and could not be abandoned under any circumstances.

So I couldn't accept this situation. There were too many unplanned events. Most of the Itu Bar were Nen users, but I could feel that the strength of the pair I was currently being chased by was extraordinary.

Since there was no way to escape Retsu's capture, I could only fight back. I didn't intend to lose, but indeed, no matter how strong I was, my chances of winning were slim. At the very least, one person couldn't deal with two enemies.

I needed to find a companion. The candidate was already decided. Like Tsukutek, another assassin inspired by the Mafia was participating in this game. I tried to use the wireless terminal that could be used even if there was radio interference to make a call.

But there was no response. The communication seemed to be going through, but the radio didn't respond.

"I really can't use it at a time like this! Where are you running around, that bat……!"

Tsukutek, who was cursing on the side, was running side-by-side, nodding as if to return a nod.

"Hey!?"

A man wearing a black tuxedo and a top hat, with a cape fluttering, was running beside Tsukutek. A Quick-Answer Bat, also known as the Magic Eye Tuber. Its expression was hidden behind a white mask and could not be recognized.

This person was the other Mafia assassin.

"What are you doing not contacting me!"

The Bat remained silent to Tsukutek, who was shouting at him. He made a peace sign with both hands and responded mischievously.

The fact that I didn't notice its presence until it approached this distance was considered an ambush using Zetsu by Tsukutek. If there had been a hint of killing intent, I should have noticed it, so there should have been no hostility.

I thought it was impossible to say that the fact he didn't respond to the radio was an act, as he was dedicated to being a silent character. I started to feel that I couldn't say it was impossible.

Tsukutek spat a bloody streak into the air, but the Bat shrugged. The appearance looked like a cheap magician, but judging by the look, he was a man who could be counted as one of the "Shadow Ten," the assassination squad in charge of Ten-rou. Its power was real.

"……Well, it doesn't matter. It's two-on-two now, we're going to fight back."

In Tsukutek's view, as a companion, there were many factors of unease, but it couldn't be called a luxury. The enemies still showed no signs of stopping. I should have noticed the Bat's presence next to the En. If you are going to approach after knowing this, you will have to intercept it.

But then they stopped for a completely different reason. An earthquake hit the ship. The airship, which had been sailing peacefully enough to make one forget it was in the sky, suddenly began to shake as if being tossed by rough waves.

"Teeth?"

Then came the feeling of floating. The ship carrying them began to fall toward the sea.

"Haaaaaaaaaaaaa!?"