Chapter 106 Chihiro Yuki ⑫
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
I dragged Nishiyama toward the North Gate, moving out into the open air. Dozens of Monster Hunters¹ had already taken up their positions, their defenses readied. Fortunately, the swarm of Killer Army Ants² was not yet in sight. Though, I knew it was only a matter of time.
I drew curious gazes from the street’s residents, but there was nothing to be done about that. It seemed the news of the impending attack had not yet reached the common folk; martial law had likely been imposed to keep them in the dark. If they had known the truth, Nishiyama would have undoubtedly been buried under a mountain of vitriol and abuse.
A few minutes after my arrival, the Clan members led by Lil, along with the other Hunters, arrived on the scene. Naturally, Yuki was among them. Or rather–
”Nakim! Why are you here?! And Kodama-san and the others too…”
”Sorry! I was just so worried…” Kodama said.
”Well, you see. We tried to stop him too, but, well…”
”He said he had a bad feeling…”
”Because he tried to go all by himself…”
Kodama and Kijima’s younger sister were there as well. Mixed in with them was a boy around Jessica’s age. How should I put it… he was the type of ‘boy-girl’ who looked like he would be quite at home crossdressing.
Hmm… I might be able to use him for something.
Putting that aside for now, Yuki appeared to be trying to persuade the boy, Nakim, to flee to Foxia. But since they had already come this far, I would have to make them pull their weight as combatants. I walked toward the group where Yuki and the others stood.
”What is it? You’re being noisy.”
”Ah, no, sorry. This guy–Nakim–said he wanted to join the fight and came over here,” Yuki explained.
Apparently, this Nakim boy was an exchange student from the Envyos Magic Academy³, and Yuki’s group was acting as his escort. Hearing of the city’s plight, and whether it was out of a sense of justice or something else, it seemed Yuki alone intended to remain in Varity while the others were meant to head for Foxia.
In the end, everyone had returned to Varity out of concern.
I found it foolish to walk into a place of death voluntarily, but it seemed Yuki and Nakim were friends, and Nakim couldn’t bring himself to abandon him. They were a far cry from my own former classmates.
I stepped between the two, who were still locked in argument.
”Yuki, it’s too late for that. Just make sure you protect him.”
”That… well, yes, but…!”
”I told you before. Even if it is impossible for you, I can do it. I can handle the ant extermination by myself. Or what? Are you saying you lack the confidence to keep this child safe?”
”…”
Yuki went silent. Besides, a student of a Magic Academy should have at least some basic knowledge of how to fight.
”Furthermore…”
From the watchtower on the castle wall, a sentry confirmed the approach of the ant swarm, reporting the news with a loud shout.
”It’s already too late. Steel your heart once and for all.”
I threw those words at Yuki and returned to Lil and the others.
”Lil, I will hold the front. You and your group take care of any ants that slip past me. I said I could handle it alone, but there will be stragglers. Just don’t step forward unnecessarily. Make sure the other Hunters understand this too. Also, Honoka and Alisha, focus on healing.”
They all nodded in unison. Lil and Leki were a given, but Reese also possessed high Status⁴. They wouldn’t fall behind so easily. The three girls had also leveled up quite a bit since we first met. If they were alone it might be a different story, but as long as they stayed together, they would be fine. I would have Reese cover them. Since Reese and the three girls had been taking requests together lately, they had developed a decent level of coordination.
On a side note, since I had been told, “Using my surname is too formal, so call me Reese,” I now addressed Himezaki-san as Reese.
Soon, the vanguard came into view. I grabbed Nishiyama by the scruff of his neck and walked toward the swarm.
* * *
I took up a position roughly one hundred meters ahead of Lil and the others. It was just me and Nishiyama. Furthermore, Nishiyama was still tied up like a straw roll.
The black mass of the ants was visible in the distance. They looked like mere dots, but because they moved in a single column, their numbers were actually quite staggering. They would be upon us within minutes.
”Hey! You bastard, undo my ropes! …Wait, why are you holding such a dangerous thing? Hey, stop it, quit it–!”
Noisy as a gnat. I had intended to do so even without him asking, so I used my greatsword to slice through the ropes binding Nishiyama.
”…Phew, you scared me. Hey, I’m going to run for it, so you buy me some time–“
”‘Do not run.’”
I used Royal Authority⁵ to halt Nishiyama’s escape. For what purpose had I dragged him all the way here? It was for this–
”W-What… my legs won’t move. You bastard, what did you do?!”
”I have no obligation to tell you. But, I suppose… as a gift for the afterlife, I’ll tell you what I’m going to do with you. I’m going to make you ant bait. You’ll be made into a living ant-dumpling and eaten alive. Oh, but feel free to resist. Perhaps, by some miracle–no, one in a billion chance–you might be saved. Just like I was.”
”You bastard, what are you saying… Wha–?! You were… alive…”
I slowly removed my mask. Looking at my true face, Nishiyama’s eyes widened in sheer horror.
”I-Impossible… Wait, just a minute, hey!”
”Actually, I’ve been looking for someone to put through the exact same hell I suffered. I was just about to find a way to make the Queen Ant submit when this happened. But well, the timing was perfect.”
”Hi… ah… wait, I was wrong! I’m sorry! I apologize for running away! So please, help me! Save me!”
”…I refuse.”
”Uwaaaaaaaaaah! You monster! I’m a Holy Knight⁶ from another world! I’m not the kind of person who dies in a place like this!”
Nishiyama let out a blood-curdling scream and tried to flee the area, but his legs didn’t move an inch.
Ordering me even at a time like this… I had no reason to save him. Before all else, he had done something that could have led to Greedia’s destruction. If anything, he should consider himself lucky that it ended with just this.
Regardless, it seemed Nishiyama still didn’t understand his own unique skill. Since he was going to die anyway, I decided to teach him with the utmost kindness.
”Nishiyama, your unique skill, Class Fake⁷, is a skill that disguises your class. That is why your class appears as ‘Otherworld Holy Knight.’ However, unless you’ve actually fleshed out the settings, changing the name of the class means absolutely nothing.”
”Huh? What are you saying…”
”In short. You’re just claiming to be something without any substance. You’re empty.”
Nishiyama looked stunned.
I knew this because I had used Appraisal⁸ on him before coming here. Yet, Nishiyama hadn’t investigated a single thing about himself.
While we spoke, the vanguard of the ant swarm drew closer. At this distance, their shapes were clearly defined. I put my mask back on and, with a twisted smirk, gave Nishiyama an order.
”‘Charge the swarm.’”
”No… No no no no no no no no no no NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
With despair-filled tears in his eyes and his ugly face further distorted, Nishiyama drew his sword while screaming and charged toward the ants.
”Uwaaaaaaaaaah! Damn it! Damn it! Damn damn damn! Aaaaaaaaaah!”
Acting out of pure desperation, Nishiyama swung his sword down on an ant, only for it to be repelled by the carapace. At this size, an insect’s shell was harder than poor-quality iron. If he had aimed for the joints, he might have managed something, but with Nishiyama’s lack of skill, even that was impossible.
The ants swarmed over him, knocking him down and biting into him.
”Ah! Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! It hurts! IT HURTS! STOP IT! STOP IIIIIIIT!”
Nishiyama’s death throes reached my ears. His limbs were bitten off, his bones crushed, and he was dissolved alive by formic acid. By the time his voice finally cut out, he had become nothing more than a mangled lump of meat.
Now, while the root cause of this commotion had been extinguished, Nishiyama’s death would not stop the swarm. That was to be expected; the scent had stuck to me as well. Not just me, but the Monster Hunters waiting behind and the residents of the city.
I took a greatsword in each hand and readied myself, focusing on the rushing ants.
”Howl–Storm Sword⁹.”
I activated the Wind Magic Sword¹⁰. Gale-force winds wrapped around both greatswords in my hands. I slashed a massive cross into the empty air, leaving behind a vacuum wake. Then, I thrust my swords toward the center of the intersection.
The cruciform wake began to swirl, becoming a tornado that struck the ant swarm. The ants caught in the vortex were minced from within, torn to shreds. By the time the tornado dissipated, even carapaces harder than iron had been sliced apart, leaving the mangled corpses of ants scattered in layers across the ground.
The range was sufficient, the visuals were flashy, and the power was high. It was a technique I had been developing for some time, though I noticed that my own arms were now etched with numerous fine cuts from the backdraft.
Not a move I should use too often, I noted in my heart.
As I visually confirmed another wave of ants that had escaped the tornado rushing in, I readied my dual greatswords once more and charged into the swarm.
—
Summary:
Chihiro Yuki drags the cowardly Nishiyama to the battlefield at the North Gate of Varity to face an encroaching swarm of Killer Army Ants. He confronts Yuki’s group and Nakim, a delicate magic student, before taking the front line alone. Chihiro reveals his true identity to Nishiyama and uses Royal Authority to force him into a gruesome death as bait. Finally, Chihiro unleashes his powerful Storm Sword technique to decimate the ant vanguard.
—
Character_Insight
Chihiro demonstrates a terrifying degree of calculated cruelty in this chapter. His motives are driven by a need for poetic justice, forcing Nishiyama to experience the same ‘hell’ of being eaten alive by ants that he once endured. This suggests that while he is protecting the city, his primary drive remains personal vengeance and the validation of his own survival. His dismissal of his former classmates’ protective instincts shows how much he has detached himself from standard human empathy.
—
Behind_the_scene
The author uses this ‘Zamaa’ (payback) moment to satisfy reader anticipation for Nishiyama’s downfall. The reference to ‘Geronimo’ and ‘Brooklyn’ at the end is a nod to Kinnikuman (specifically the character Terryman and his disciple Geronimo), showing the author’s personal interests and age range through classic shonen manga tropes.
—
Glossary:
Notes:
• Yuki – Yuki Chihiro. Height 178 cm, weight 70 kg (Male). Natsumi’s childhood friend. A handsome, athletic top student in the soccer club.
• Lil – One of the heroines. Height 166 cm, B-W-H: 90-56-90. She is a top-tier beauty with long indigo hair down to her waist, a large scar on her abdomen and sharp golden eyes. She has wolf ears and a tail.
• Kodama – Kodama Satomi. A self-proclaimed fan of Chihiro. A bronzed girl with bleached hair. She uses Lightning Bolt sorcery. Her stats are noted to be higher than a Gargoyle’s, though she is not built for melee.
• Nakim – A thirteen-year-old boy with soft, androgynous features; the creator of the Dispel spell.
• Jessica – A girl with a refined speech style and an intense, obsessive devotion to her sister. She has pink-blonde hair styled into vertical ringlets, green eyes, and short stature. AA chest.
• Alisha – A Miko with fluffy pink hair and a prodigious, triple-digit bust measurement.
• 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.
• Reese – Jessica’s sister, currently asleep. Identified as a ‘beautiful blonde lady’ by Alice.
• Leki – Lil’s daughter. Height: 140 cm, B-W-H: 70, 54, 69. She looks more like a Siberian Husky puppy than a wolf. Honestly, she just looks like a stuffed toy, recently transformed into a human form. Now use great axe as weapon.
• 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.
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