Chapter 105 Chihiro Yuki ⑪
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Gack!”
Hiroki Nishiyama let out a sound like a crushed frog as he slammed into the stone wall. He slid down the masonry, a pathetic heap of a man, after the masked hunter Sieben¹ struck him. The violence was so sudden the entire room fell into a ringing, heavy silence.
”It huuuuurts! You… you’re still…! Gueh! Gubeh!”
”I was a fool to leave you alone, thinking you were a nobody,” Sieben muttered, his voice cold. “I never imagined you’d pull something this audacious…”
Sieben continued to rain kicks into Nishiyama’s side. The boy’s nose was already twisted into a sickening, broken mess. No one moved to stop it; they were pinned in place by the ghastly, murderous pressure radiating from the masked man. A few hunters whispered, ‘Serves him right,’ but the brutality was becoming hard to watch. I was just about to try and intervene when it happened.
”Dear, please. Any more than this and it’ll get ugly,” the wolf-eared woman said quietly, reaching for his arm.
”Stop, stop! Master, if you keep going, he’s actually going to die!” Narumi cried, clinging to his other side.
”Tch… Forgive me. I lost my head for a moment,” Sieben replied, pulling back. He stared down at the broken boy. Did he have a personal grudge? I couldn’t tell.
”Honoka, heal² him,” Sieben commanded.
”Ehh?! Even if you’re the Master, that’s a lot to ask…” Honoka muttered.
”Just do it. If he dies from this, my spite won’t be satisfied.”
”But…”
Narumi still hesitated. I didn’t blame her. Nishiyama was loathed by the entire class; he’d been completely ostracized. Of course, the idiot himself seemed to believe he was some ‘solitary elite.’
”Oh my, oh my. Shall I handle the repairs, then~?”
A pink-haired priestess from the Aurelia Church³ stepped forward with a breezy, vacant smile.
”Fine. I’ll leave it to you.”
”Yes, sir. Right away~,” the priestess replied in a dazed voice.
She knelt beside Nishiyama and cast ‘Heal.’ His wounds closed in seconds, the skin knitting back together before our eyes.
”W-Whoa… incredible… You’re huge… Hey, why don’t you ditch this guy and come with me—”
”Ufufu, I’ll have to decline~,” she said, her smile never wavering even as her eyes stayed cold. “I have no interest in people who try to destroy nations without even realizing they’re doing it~.”
”Guh… you again?” Nishiyama spat, glaring at Sieben. “First the dog-girl, then Honoka… why is everyone following a shady bastard like you?”
”I’m a wolf, not a dog. Try to keep up,” the wolf-eared woman corrected him, looking down with pure disdain.
Ah, so she was a wolf. Anyway, setting that aside…
”Nishiyama, I have one question,” Sieben asked. “How did you—a man of your ‘caliber’—defeat a Killer Army Ant⁴, even a scout?”
The room went quiet. Sieben was right. There was no way Nishiyama could win that. Killer Army Ants aren’t just dangerous because of their numbers; they have insectoid carapaces like armor and freakish strength. Defeating one alone was impossible for someone like him.
”Isn’t it obvious? I used my servant as a dec—gebu!?”
Sieben’s boot met Nishiyama’s face before the sentence could finish. In that moment, the truth clicked for everyone.
”You used your own comrade as a decoy?” Sieben asked, his voice a low growl. “And since they aren’t here… you left them to rot!?”
”Shut up! I’m a Hero!” Nishiyama screamed. “It’s an honor to die for me! My life is worth more than a thousand peasants!”
”Don’t you dare!” a hunter shouted.
”You absolute piece of filth!” another yelled.
”You should’ve been the one who died!”
The surrounding Monster Hunters exploded in rage. They descended on him in a chaotic blur of boots and curses.
”Just kill him already!”
”Feed him to the ants!”
”Why the hell should we have to die for a piece of trash like this?!”
”Shut uuuup!” Nishiyama shrieked. “It’s a minor sacrifice for the Hero! As long as I live—bu! ba! be! babu!”
He was being beaten to a pulp again. The priestess looked to Sieben, questioning if she should stop them, but Sieben simply shook his head.
* * *
”Man, that felt good.”
”Now I can focus on the fight. Mostly.”
The hunters looked refreshed as they pulled away. Their ‘vigilante justice’ had been a much-needed vent for the stress of the coming swarm. Nishiyama was currently rolled up in a straw mat like a rug, left to groan on the dirt floor. I had no intention of healing him again; he wouldn’t die from a few broken ribs. Internally, I thought it served him right, but it wasn’t enough. Not nearly enough.
”By the way, Lord Sieben, why are you here?” the Guildmaster asked.
”I got the report from the Guild Headquarters. Is there a problem?”
”No, it’s just… you arrived incredibly fast. How?”
The report only went out this morning. I was stunned when the messenger reached my house. I didn’t think anyone was stupid enough to provoke the ants. When I found out the idiot was Nishiyama, it made sense—but I was still furious. He’d derailed my plans. I had intended to turn the Queen into my Kin⁵. I was just waiting for my level to rise after the Wrathfiria business. He’d ruined a perfect opportunity.
But there was no time for that. Foxia⁶‘s gates would likely be shut by tomorrow to prevent the pheromones from spreading. If the city falls, the Kingdom of Greedia⁷ follows. I’d made the mission voluntary for my Clan, but they all signed up.
Since a carriage was too slow, we used the vehicle Tatei created with Materialization Alchemy⁸. It’s essentially a camping car—thanks to space-expansion Augmentation⁹, the interior is massive. It runs on the driver’s mana and hits speeds of 200 km/h. I don’t have a license, but since cars don’t exist here, it doesn’t matter. I practiced until I could handle it.
We covered a five-day journey in three hours. We went off-road to avoid carriages, though I can’t say the same for any monsters we flattened.
”Nishiyama, when did you kill the ant?” I asked.
”Fugu… three days… ago…”
Three days. The nest is three days north. There are villages in that direction.
”Did you stop at any of them?”
”Of course I did… It’s the duty of peasants to serve me… gukya!”
I ground my heel into his face. That meant those villages were already gone. Their destruction had bought us time, but I didn’t know how much.
”Nishiyama… you really are rotten to the core,” Chihiro Yuki muttered, looking sickened.
”Shut… up… I’m the Hero. I won’t die here, even if this country burns.”
Chihiro clenched his fists. I understood his anger, but I couldn’t help but think: Chihiro, you did something very similar to me.
”Forget about him. Who are you?” I asked.
”Ah, sorry. I’m Chihiro Yuki. I was escorting a group from Envyos¹⁰ to Foxia… but I heard the news and couldn’t just stand by.”
”Hmph,” I grunted.
”And you are?”
”Sieben. Red Copper rank¹¹ Hunter. I’m here to stop the swarm.”
”Stop them? Do you really think that’s possible?”
”You can’t do it. I can. That’s all.”
I said it flatly. Chihiro looked stunned. He probably thought I was just another arrogant blowhard.
”Hmm…”
I looked down at the trussed-up Nishiyama.
”You think you can get away with this?! You’ll pay—”
He still hadn’t learned.
Alright. I’ve decided how I’m going to get my vengeance.
I grabbed Nishiyama by the collar and began dragging him toward the door.
”Lord Sieben, where are you taking him?” the Guildmaster asked.
”To the front lines. We can’t sit around chatting forever. Unless you’re planning on rotting here?”
With my team behind me and a screaming Nishiyama in tow, I headed north—straight toward the approaching swarm.
—
Summary:
Sieben brutally punishes Nishiyama for endangering the region by provoking a swarm of Killer Army Ants. The truth emerges that Nishiyama used a comrade as a decoy, leading to a mob lynching by enraged hunters. Sieben reveals his magical camping car and plans to use Nishiyama as bait to stop the approaching swarm.
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Character_Insight:
Sieben demonstrates a cold, utilitarian morality; his anger stems as much from Nishiyama’s tactical stupidity as his moral failure. Nishiyama’s narcissism is absolute, viewing himself as a ‘Hero’ whose life justifies any sacrifice, showing no growth despite physical punishment. Chihiro’s reaction highlights a growing contrast between his traditional justice and Sieben’s ruthless efficiency.
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Behind_the_scene:
The author references ‘Eternal Stasis’, a nod to another series or niche game lore. The use of a camping car in a fantasy setting is a classic ‘isekai cheat’ trope that breaks traditional genre boundaries.
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Glossary:
Notes:
• Sieben – Young man with black hair and a mask covering his eyes. He purchased Honoka and Ria.
• Narumi – Narumi Honoka. A member of the relief team with healing magic. Despite her cute, short, ‘transistor glamour’ appearance, she is cold-hearted and mocks Sasaki. Black hair, black eyes.
• Honoka – A member of the relief team with healing magic. Despite her cute, short, ‘transistor glamour’ appearance, she is cold-hearted and mocks Sasaki, now a bound slave to him.
• Aurelia – A goddess who contacts the class via the school intercom to announce their reincarnation. Characterized by the protagonist and the Administrator as ‘useless’ and selfish.
• Tatei – Tatei Kozoo. Height 186 cm, weight 52 kg. Natsumi’s otaku friend. Originally a tall and sturdy man, but he became skin and bones due to anorexia. Possesses the skill ‘Materialization Alchemy’. Created equipment for the class.
• Tate – Male Otaku friend of Reese. Gaunt and thin, wears glasses. Possesses Materialization Alchemy skill.
• Chihiro – Height 178 cm, weight 70 kg (Male). Natsumi’s childhood friend. A handsome, athletic top student in the soccer club.
• Yuki – Yuki Chihiro. Height 178 cm, weight 70 kg (Male). Natsumi’s childhood friend. A handsome, athletic top student in the soccer club.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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