“Hey, once the cleanup is done, help Bella deal with that villain. Don’t just stand there watching.”
He gives orders to the team, who are almost done with King Toad and the otherworlders.
Right now, it looks like Bella and Vulture are evenly matched.
However, if this drags on, Bella, ranked B among heroes, can never defeat Vulture, who is ranked A in villain danger.
Support is needed.
Timing is everything; it’s best to gang up right now.
Isn’t ganging up the true symbol of a righteous hero?
“…Alright, I get it. We’ll talk about this later.”
Boom!
The moment King Toad goes down.
Whoosh!
Olivia joins the fray, flames of platinum burning bright.
“Villain… I don’t know what your scheme is, but I’m going to smash you to bits right here.”
Next, with a line worthy of a protagonist, Kurosawa Yuji charges in.
“Leader, I will follow your command for now.”
Behind him, Rin advances, leaving a trail of pure white ice.
Bang!
Ishihara’s Magnum revolver fires.
“…Tch.”
Nishizawa Eri, expressing her discontent from head to toe, launches her chain scythe as the last piece of the puzzle falls into place; everyone has joined the battle.
Flash! Boom! Crash!
Ice and fire dance, chain scythes and hidden blades swirl, bullets explode, and Yuji’s sharp katana aims for the vital spots.
As the full-scale attack is unleashed, Vulture’s magical shield rapidly depletes, leaving his armor in tatters.
“Ugh! Kyaah?!”
A scream escapes Vulture’s mouth, filled with rage as he enters a berserk state.
Normally, he would have brutally butchered them one by one, instilling fear.
He did that in the second half of the original story when he reappeared.
But now, that future is lost.
There’s no beating a gang-up.
“Ugh! The cowardly… to face one against many…!”
Vulture, whose rage is nearly fading, shouts in desperation.
What’s he talking about?
If he was that bothered, he should have brought his own buddies.
The best part of chilling is either watching fights or fires.
I’ve never had it so easy by not fighting.
Truly, slacking off is the best.
“Ugh! Kyaah! Kiiiiiik! Kick! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you…”
“It’s over now, beast.”
Bella declares in a cold voice.
Swish!
The blade of her hidden knife spreads through the air.
“My ‘Shadow Slash’ will disarm you!”
Seriously, why do you have to announce that?
That’s just nuts.
A brown line spreads through the air like a spider’s web.
The solid line stretches out like a spider’s web.
“Ahhhhh! Caw! You vulture, you vulture… This is insane…”
Swish!
The chaotic blades of the private investigator mercilessly slice into the vulture’s entire body.
The vulture, reciting a three-bit villain’s line, watches as his full armor completely crumbles.
As the armor disassembles, his combat mode is forcibly disabled.
Swish.
Bella’s private investigator ensnares the vulture’s entire body.
The attack halts.
An unprotected hero can be subdued even with hunter strength, so he’s probably feeling at ease.
“It’s over now. Surrender quietly. I might spare your life.”
Bella suggests surrendering.
The surrounding crew nods.
This adorable world is the problem.
Trying hard to avoid killing.
The original story flashes back.
In Volume 1, Yuji and Olivia, after a fierce battle, suggest surrender with lines similar to Bella’s.
However, the vulture scoffs at the surrender suggestion and mockingly uses the emergency escape device to flee right then and there.
‘What a pure 100% sweet potato.’
If this were a web novel where villains’ escapes are absolutely unacceptable, the readership would have halved by now, and the comments section would be on fire, while the author would be offloading goods.
The original author should be the one doing the offloading.
‘Still infuriating when I think about it.’
Honestly, even though it’s a light novel, I was a bit pissed at that moment.
Maybe my inner soda path had started growing since then.
So, a definitive kill is definitely in order.
“Hehehe, do you really think I’d accept your surrender? Heh! Hee! Hahaha!”
The vulture unleashes his magic.
The golden chain necklace around his neck gleams ominously with a blood-red hue.
He begins to infuse magical energy into the emergency escape device hidden within the chain.
“Isn’t this dangerous? Bella.”
“Let’s keep watching for now. We can respond when it really gets dangerous.”
Ah, those sweet potato lines.
I expected it, but I’m dumbfounded and might just choke on my own bile.
I need some soda, desperately.
Now is the time while the crew is restless.
I send a message via Hunter Watch.
[Move out. Coordinates sent. Han Seo-Jin. The target is to destroy the red-haired man’s necklace and then subdue him.]
I had a hunch this would happen, so I had Han Seo-Jin poised right in front of the gate.
She can come whenever called.
She’s a speedster after all.
[I will follow the order.]
“Creeeak! Hihihihihi! Hehehe! Huh! Hehehe!”
Just as the vulture was laughing so hard it was almost choking.
Whoosh!
A shimmering gray beam zipped past in front of the vulture.
Crash.
At the same time, the golden chain necklace—the emergency escape device—is destructively shattered.
“What, what? What was that? What was that just now? What is it? What is it!!!”
“Your struggles are over. I recommend you surrender quietly.”
Flash.
With a flash of gray light, Han Seo-Jin, clad in a hunter suit, appears right in front of the vulture and speaks coldly.
She seizes the ex-cursioner lying on the ground.
Since she’s not a hero, she can’t switch to combat mode due to lack of compatibility, but handling a standby phantasm weapon is no issue.
“This can’t be happening. This can’t be real! It’s a dream! A dream! Boss’s plan… Boss… Bossssssss!!!”
“I can’t take it anymore! It’s a dream! It’s all a dream! The boss’s plan… Boss… Booooooss!!!”
Vulture is at it again.
Ah, this guy really is a typical light novel villain, so unnecessarily chatty.
It’s infuriating.
“Bella. Shut him up.”
“I shall obey. My master’s master. With my ‘Shadow Bind,’ I will thoroughly restrain that beast.”
Bella elegantly bows as she reaffirms her skill name.
“Stop saying the skill name.”
Please.
I feel a bit embarrassed every time I hear it.
“…Understood.”
Bella flinches slightly as she infuses mana into her hidden blade.
“Ugh! Ugh ugh!”
Vulture’s mouth is perfectly shut now.
Ah, finally a bit of peace.
Since I smashed the emergency return device, it’s all over now.
‘I really got away with it today in a model-like fashion.’
As my grandson once said, the best strategy is to win without fighting.
I achieved victory without swinging a single sword, thus fulfilling the greatest strategy.
Vroom!
Durandal vibrates as if expressing discontent.
Looks like the sword spirit, the Black Prince, is feeling a bit jealous.
‘But it’s not like the situation hasn’t ended.’
Vroom vroom!
Durandal trembles vigorously like a vibrating cellphone.
Honestly, so finicky.
Ignoring the will of the Black Prince, I take photos of the scene with my Hunter Watch and send a message to Association President Ichiro.
[Situation ended]
[Gate conquest completed.]
[Villain capture.]
[Follow-up measures requested.]
No sooner had I sent the message than a reply came back.
[Read receipt]
The situation is concluded.
*
The tedious aftermath was taken care of by the late-arriving heroes from the association.
They restrained Vulture’s minion, retrieved various equipment from the New World League left inside the remaining gate, and dealt with the remaining otherworldly creatures, after which the alarm was lifted.
Before long, the sun began to set, painting the lake with twilight hues.
Inokashira Park Café’s outdoor table.
Sitting at the prime spot overlooking the cherry blossoms and the lake, I was enjoying coffee time with my companions.
I had planned to leave, but Olivia insisted we stop by the café.
Our group sat clustered around two large tables.
Bella was behind Olivia, while Han Seo-Jin stood behind me.
Slurp.
I savor a sip of the hot chocolate I ordered.
Yeah, this sweet flavor.
Vroom.
Durandal vibrates, seemingly unhappy.
What now? Did the tsundere button get switched to my younger brother?
“Today’s command was really impressive, Kim. If it weren’t for you, we all might have been in danger.”
Yuji gazes at me with sparkling eyes.
Why is he like this?
It’s a bit too much.
Go away. What are you, some kind of thug?
“Ugh.”
I let out a sigh.
Yeah, this world is just like that.
Just then, as I took another sip of hot chocolate.
“…What’s so impressive? You didn’t do anything. Black-haired. Not even once did you swing your sword.”
Nishizawa Eri, sitting in the corner, coldly looks at me and remarks.
Oh.
I thought everything was about to wrap up in a happy ending, and yet here we go again.
Really losing my mind.
It’s true I got off easy, but saying I got off easy makes me mad.
“Don’t say that, or I’ll get mad.”
“Damn it…”
Just as I was about to let out some colorful Korean curses.
“What do you mean by that, Nishizawa? Isn’t your contribution the lowest?”
A cold voice cuts through my words.
Olivia.
She shoots a cold glare at Nishizawa Eri with her contempt-filled blue eyes.
Nishizawa’s face hardens.
Her orange eyes quiver.
It seems she’s flustered by the sudden rebuke from her idol, Olivia.
“Your Highness, that’s…”
“Kurosawa’s words are right. If it weren’t for that idiot’s command, if he hadn’t placed Bella in the shadows as a contingency, our lives could have been in danger. He prevented the worst-case scenario and saved us all.”
Ah, refreshing.
It’s my first time feeling like I got a soda from Olivia.
Well done, Olivia.
Today, the tsundere is at her best.
“But what about you? Didn’t you disobey orders and say you shouldn’t have to face normal dimension monsters inside the gate?”
Nishizawa Eri’s hands tremble.
Her face turns pale in shock.
Cold sweat drips down her forehead.
“What right do you have to belittle him, when you have the lowest contribution, didn’t follow commands, and have no sense of responsibility or qualification as a hero?”
With that, Olivia turns away as if she doesn’t even want to acknowledge her, sipping her coffee.
The atmosphere freezes.
Creeeak.
Nishizawa Eri stands up from her seat.
“…Black-haired.”
Her gaze turns towards me.
“You’re not forgetting our duel, right? The stakes?”
What is she talking about again?
Having heard Nishizawa Eri’s words, Shinozaki Rin flinches for some reason.
“Yeah, I haven’t forgotten. But let me tell you, your crazy antics have really ruined my mood,”
My day started out so well, and now it’s all ruined by that crazy woman.
“So, I guess I need to add another condition.”
Nishizawa Eri’s expression contorts.
Rin flinches again.
What is with her?
Nishizawa asks with a voice laced with contempt.
“What is it?”
“The loser must wear a collar and submit to the winner. How about that?”
You’re done for.
“…Trash, filthy, pervert, the worst…”
The insults keep coming.
Bring it on; I dare you to scream.
“If you’re so bothered, then just don’t accept.”
As long as I have Olivia as a hostage, she has no choice but to accept my terms.
Nishizawa Eri bows her head.
Her fists tremble.
“…Fine! I’ll accept! Just you wait, you filthy pervert!”
Nishizawa storms out of the outdoor table, her voice quaking.
A strange, awkward silence blankets the table.
“What’s there to cry about? You’re such a joke.”
Unbelievable.
“Seriously. What are you doing right? Mr. Universe’s number one pervert who wants a collar?”
Crack.
The table cracks a little.
Olivia’s hand shakes.
“For once, I agree with Bonaparte. I’m lucky I didn’t end up like that. Pervert.”
Rin speaks with a quivering voice.
The gazes of the two women pierce into me.
Instead of answering, I take another sip of hot chocolate.
