Chapter 105

A few days after the love potion incident, I’ve been frequently going overseas lately.

The reason for this is that suddenly, a large number of superhuman criminals have popped up, making it difficult to handle. So, I’ve been contacted first, but… seriously, are there really that many?

“Even though I rush over immediately…”

“…There are too many requests.”

“Tell me about it.”

Well, since I finish things quickly after being called, everyone wants to request me. But isn’t this too simultaneous? Even if I finish quickly, this is a bit much.

“There seems to be a specialized command system for communication. For things to explode this neatly at the same time, it’s beyond human technology to track. It seems we’ll have to step in…”

“That seems to be the case!”

What a bothersome situation. Who’s behind all this…?

…By the way, ever since I directly spoke to the senior’s Crystal Stone… something feels off. When I use my power, there’s a slight sense of discomfort. It’s not like there’s a problem with movement or magic manipulation, but it feels strange…

“…? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, it’s nothing.”

Well, it’s probably the senior up to something weird. Since I’ve noticed, they’re probably boldly messing around inside now. But don’t touch anything strange. How are they interfering with me like this…? Ah, through [Madness Extreme Poison]… That prickling sense of discomfort must be from that.

Anyway, it’s a relief this situation isn’t happening in Korea. There’s some merit to the usual slaughter. Plus, with all the frustration over those idiotic precedents prioritizing criminal rights, many superhumans are quite zealous in taking down criminals.

“Rampage! We’ve found them!”

“Good job. What’s done is done, but we need to prevent this from happening again.”

“This year is busy!”

“Sigh… By the way, how did these superhuman criminals causing worldwide terror even gather…?”

“Who knows…”

Could the witch be involved in this? Pandora said she’s waiting, but it doesn’t seem like she’s controlling the witches… The possibility is quite high. No, even if she created the witches, she wouldn’t leave them completely uncontrolled. Maybe she’s controlling the major witches and leaving the rest to their own devices? Sigh… There’s too little information to know.

“Where is it?”

“Chile! The exact coordinates are…”

“Here… Anyway, South America is weirdly a crime paradise.”

“Is that so?”

“There’s more than one or two countries taken over by criminal organizations. Well, it’s because their governments are worse trash than those disgusting criminal groups.”

Still, it’s not my business. Even those disgusting criminal groups are faithfully fulfilling their deals with the Fairy Realm. Compared to those idiots who are so obsessed with religion they can’t tell right from wrong, they’re much better.

But this surge of superhuman criminals is unbearable. Those criminal groups probably find it hard to control or are even being taken down by the emerging superhumans. Criminals are ultimately trash who only think of themselves, so this is practically inevitable…

“Is that the hideout?”

“Yes!”

Anyway, I opened a [Gate] to the location Chubby told me and moved. And in front of me was a massive hideout. It seems this criminal group built it after conquering the area. I don’t know how strong they’ve become to do this, but… well, it’s meaningless to me.

“Just in case, let’s set up a barrier and pick them off one by one.”

“Understood!”

Alright, then… Let’s deploy the barrier I’ve been practicing. Even in a non-rampage state, it’s sturdy enough to block an [Energy Blast], so there’s no way they’re escaping. Plus, while it looks like a hemisphere from the outside, it’s actually a sphere centered around me, so they can’t dig their way out either.

“All that practice paid off.”

“You’re almost a master of barriers now!”

“Right. Let’s begin?”

“Yes!”

◇

Inside the blood-soaked hideout.

After finishing off the last one, countless corpses are scattered across the floor.

“It’s over.”

Among them, the three torn-apart bodies in front of me had linked their abilities to extend their influence worldwide, commanding a significant number of superhumans in exchange for money. I don’t know why they did such a pointless thing, but they probably thought they were gods or something. Criminals tend to have twisted or incomprehensible minds, so there’s no need to overthink it.

“…Huh? What’s this…?”

“What’s wrong? …Ah! This is…!”

This is clearly a magical tool, isn’t it? One specialized in amplifying abilities… It’s impossible for humans to create something like this with current technology. That means… it’s the only explanation. The witch must have subtly intervened.

“No wonder they looked strange…”

“It’s a body-mounted magical tool that enhances physical abilities and aids in magic recovery!”

“That’s basic, but there are also powerful energy weapons here. None of these are things humans could create. Moreover, the Fairy Realm doesn’t make these either. And this tool affects the mind, right? Did they use it for mass hypnosis? No wonder the superhuman criminals’ eyes looked off…”

“Definitely, the witch must be involved! I’ll report this!”

“Go ahead.”

Just when things were getting better, they had to meddle and make things annoying. I want to storm in and wipe them out, but I’m still not strong enough to reach Pandora. Damn it… I guess I’ll just have to grit my teeth and push through…

If they intervened, there should be traces, but if there are none, it means it’s been a long time. If we didn’t notice, it means they’re well-versed in Fairy Realm technology and have created means to evade detection. They’re not just living long for nothing… Plus, they probably have former mascots or similar beings, so technology leaks are possible.

“I’m back!”

“Alright, let’s head back.”

“Yes!”

After that, I went around to the requested locations, took down superhuman criminals, and barely made it back home. Even so, it’s still a long time until evening. Well, I’ve been doing this without even eating lunch, so it’s only natural, right?

“…Ah, I want ramen.”

“Shall I make some?”

“Is there leftover rice?”

“Yes, there is!”

“Then take out… half a bowl.”

“Got it!”

By the way, considering the self-proclaimed regressor incident and this situation, we need to quickly capture and kill the witch who’s indirectly interfering. The problem is tracking her down. They’re probably inducing and supporting more than just these incidents, so there’s no time to relax. But… how do we track her? It seems impossible in our current state. First, we need to understand the witches’ concealment methods, analyze them, and develop new detection magic, but that’s easier said than done…

“Is the Fairy Queen already working on a witch tracker?”

“Huh? Yes, she is! But she’s still struggling with the analysis…”

“The analysis is the problem… Then they must have considerable technological prowess.”

In that case, we either stumble upon them by chance or wait until the analysis is complete and the tracker is developed… Only two options. But the former is hopeless, so it’s practically the latter.

“…By the way, wasn’t this spicier before?”

“Huh? Yura was jumping around after eating this…”

“Really? …Could it be that after training there, it’s like this now…”

“It’s the same pain, so probably, right?”

“Tch… Well, at least it’s a bit better now.”

Sigh… How long do we have to wait for the tracker to be developed? Last time with the medal incident, things exploded before the analysis was even complete. Will it be the same this time? These anxieties always seem to come true…

“Ah, the ramen smell…”

“I already ate and cleaned up.”

“Ah~…”

“I’ll make some more for you!”

What, did Diamond Dust come out of her room after smelling the ramen? That girl’s nose is like a ghost’s when it comes to this. Anyway, I’ve already eaten, so I’ll grab some chocolate bread and eat it on the sofa.

“Meow.”

By the way, Max always magically appears and sits on my lap whenever I sit on the sofa. And don’t eye my bread, you little thing. Chocolate is deadly for cats.

“Older Sister. Is there any leftover rice?”

“Leftover rice? There should be. There’s always a little left, so it’s in the fridge. Heat it up in the microwave.”

“Okay~.”

…Is Yura okay? Her friends… they’ll be fine, right? If only these superhumans hadn’t appeared, I wouldn’t have to worry so much. …That dragon, was it? That guy… no matter how I think about it, I can’t see him in a good light.

“…Ayun. In your current state, that level of heat shouldn’t feel too hot, so just take it out.”

“Ah, okay.”

Why is she making such a fuss over reheated leftover rice? She’s even soaking a cloth in cold water to use… What’s a non-ordinary person doing that for?

“By the way, Older Sister.”

“What?”

“Those superhuman criminals, you know… how do you kill them so easily?”

“That?”

“Yeah. No matter how many times I do it, there’s always some resistance…”

Hmm… So Diamond Dust has been struggling with that too. Now that the monster’s personality is completely gone, the original personality isn’t affected at all. So it’s entirely human emotions, not severely broken… That makes sense.

“If I recognize them as enemies, there’s no such thing.”

“Huh…”

“Well, changing your perception is important, so first, think of them as ‘monsters disguised as humans.’ After all, they act just like monsters, right?”

“That’s true…”

“In short, create a justification, one that’s more than enough. And firmly believe in it. Though, if you get caught up in emotions, it’s meaningless.”

“……”

…Is this really that hard to grasp? It’s strange… Changing your mindset a bit should be something anyone can do, right? It’s easier than recognizing them as non-human like I do.

“Anyway, that’s how it is, so give it a try.”

“Ah, okay…”

The response isn’t very enthusiastic. Well, it’s ultimately up to her, not my concern.

“Older Sister. I want to pet Max too.”

“…Here.”

“Hehe…”

“Meow?”

Thanks to Diamond Dust, Max is off me now, so… I’ll play some games for the first time in a while. Thinking about it, I’ve set up everything so lavishly but haven’t really enjoyed it much. This is why online games are a bit… You can’t keep up with the high specs by just logging in occasionally, and if there’s a raid, it’s hard to schedule, so you have to join public parties, but half of them are minefields…

…Tch, what can you do? Sigh… Will the MMORPG market even survive until the day Earth is completely safe…?