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Chapter 24 - Ambush
Three men suddenly attacked us. All of them lightly dressed, in black from head to toe, with knives in their hands. I had no idea who they were, but it's clear that they're trying to kill me. In that case, there's no need for me to show mercy.
"Dieeee!! Heroooo!!"
The shout from the leader told me they knew my identity, which was very problematic. How did they find out about me?
"W-What's going on with these people!"
I defended Melo-chan, who was now teary-eyed, on my back and dealt with the first person. I easily grabbed the wrist that was thrusting the knife. It's slow, and looked like he's standing still compared to Cain-san's thrust. I poured in magical power, rupturing the blood vessels in the wrist.
"Aaaagh!!"
He screamed, dropped the knife, and touched his face, now defenseless.
"Burst."
Boom!!
I scattered the contents of his head like a fountain, sending him to the afterlife. Joanna, meanwhile, was dealing with the second person. He didn't seem to be much of a threat, so I left him to her.
"W-What was that just now...!"
"Oh, my true power hasn't been revealed yet."
Fortunately, they hadn't realized the extent of my power. I charged at the third person, who flinched and stopped his feet, and burst his wrist.
"Aaaargh!!"
The hand, still holding the knife, fell down. I grabbed his left shoulder and made it boil so he couldn't pick up the knife.
"Ooohh!!"
It hurts, it's hot. Poor old man whose name I didn't even know. But, well, it's his fault. The man that Joanna was dealing with had his throat cut with a short knife after a struggle and died. As for Melo-chan, she's pale and trembling with teary eyes.
...Between me and these people, I wonder who she was more afraid of.
"Melo-chan, close your eyes and cover your ears for a moment."
From here on, it's a sight that couldn't be shown to a ten-year-old girl. I gave Joanna a signal with my eyes, and she held Melo-chan, shielding her gaze.
Now, it's time for torture.
"What's going on? My shoulder... it's melting!?"
I grabbed the hair of the man who's making a pitiful voice and flailing his legs, and lifted his upper body.
"Did Brutogyu send you? How did you find out about me?"
"W-We saw our comrades... the battle in the forest...!"
"Comrades? Who?"
"Cain... a rendezvous... in the forest... comrades!!"
Oh, they saw that. So, Cain-san did go to meet Brutogyu's subordinates after all... Wasn't this quite bad? After that fight, I went back to the weapons shop, but the leader was left there.
"Do they know about the leader...?"
I looked at Joanna and our eyes meet. If that's the case, we didn't have time to deal with these small fries.
"Enough talking, let's get to the point."
"Yeah, you can keep quiet now."
"Gyaaaah!"
I made his head explode, scattering his brain on the cobblestones. I'm sorry, people living around here. I've left a mess on the streets, but I'm in a hurry, so please forgive me.
Joanna carried Melo-chan, and we ran towards the eastern fountain square. Leader, Strah, and Beato, please be safe!
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From an alley leading to the fountain square, Joanna cautiously peeked out to check the situation. It felt like the first time we came here. I joined her and also took a peek.
"...They're there."
"They've surrounded the front of the shop. They seem similar to the men earlier. There don't seem to be any knights or soldiers."
There were about ten men. If their level of skill was the same as the ones before, it'd be convenient, but there's a thin man in black among them. I remembered that guy. His name was something like Renkino, the one who fought against the leaders during the attack on Neil.
"If it's dirty work in the capital, they're more suited for it than knights or soldiers, who couldn’t pretend to be bandits here."
"In any case, it's annoying."
I felt extremely distressed at the moment. That memory of that night flashed through my mind, making me really angry. Beato was inside the shop, and yet, those guys, like that night, my family...!
"Kirie-chan...? You have a really scary look on your face. Calm down a little."
"...I'm fine. I'm calm. Right, that guy, Renkino, he's a notorious assassin, right?"
Renkino was trying to open the locked door of the shop. If he entered the shop, Beato and the others would be in danger.
"Yes, that's right. He's a bit troublesome opponent."
"...Melo-chan, hide here."
"Y-Yes, even though I don't know what's going on, I’ll hide."
I felt sorry for suddenly involving her in all this. I couldn't explain the situation, but if even one of them escaped after seeing Melo-chan with the Resistance, it would be troublesome. So I bid her to hide.
"Alright, let's go, Joanna."
"Huh? You mean, you...?"
"We're breaking through."
"And you said to stay calm with that mouth!?"
Beato and everyone else was in a pinch, and I couldn't stand watching anymore. Besides, I was calm because I caught a glimpse of it from behind the curtain.
I then rushed straight into the crowd of enemies. One noticed my approach informed Renkino. I didn't care. I'd continue to attract the enemy's attention like this.
Crash!!
The door of the weapons shop flies off, shattering the glass. One of the men caught in the blast screamed as a piece of glass pierced his face. Unfortunately, Renkino managed to dodge the flying debris.
"You guys, the shop is closed for today!"
Wait, if it's not the leader, then it must be Strah! She's carrying a huge hammer. I caught a glimpse of the leader through the window, and he made eye contact with me, so I charged in.
"Well, whatever!"
The leader jumped out of the shop. The men, caught in a pincer attack from the front and back, fell into chaos. Now was the chance. I'd annihilate them all.
I grabbed the head of one bewildered man and focused on boiling just his brain. As long as I made it burst spectacularly, my abilities shouldn't be exposed. The leader, meanwhile, killed one person with his sword, and Strah stood guard to prevent anyone from entering the shop. Now, let's wipe them all out in one fell swoop.
"You bastards, calm down!!"
Renkino's sharp voice resonated. With just that one shout, the confusion among the men subsided. Unfortunately for them, even if they regained their composure, it's already too late. One after another, I boiled the contents of their heads, killing them. The leader also killed another person with his sword.
"Damn it, the ambush failed. You guys, retreat for now!"
Oh, Renkino-san wouldn't fight, huh? As expected of an experienced assassin. Seeing that victory was no longer possible, he gathered his subordinates and tried to escape.
"You're not getting away!"
"I agree!"
The leader and I each took down two men who were the last to escape. But that's the end of it. Renkino and his four surviving subordinates disappeared into the darkness of the capital.
"...Damn it, those bastards escaped so quickly!"
I had no interest in watching their backs. Realizing that I couldn't catch up, I quickly head towards the shop.
"What about Beato? Hey, Strah, what about Beato!?"
"Well, aren't you worried about me at all? Don't worry, your princess is unharmed."
A silver-haired girl poked her head out from behind the counter. I'm relieved that she's safe...
Beato, who saw my face, immediately ran towards me and hugged me.
"...Huh!"
"Oh, oh, you're burning up."
"...It's not like that. Look, let go. The blood of those filthy men will stain your clothes."
She's teasing, but no, it's not like that. I didn't feel anything for Beato at all.
"...This is bad, Strah. This place is compromised. Our faces and names as well. We can't stay here any longer."
"Well, well, I really liked this shop."
The leader and Strah seemed a bit disappointed. I didn't know how long they've been running this place, but it's their home.
"So, here's the plan. We'll hide until the day of the uprising. You guys should head to Frejenta as you are."
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