TL Here: If you could switch off your mind, that would be great. Some skill names are made up.
...
A series of gunshots rang out, but Rabu could only stare in shock at the unscathed Sensei before her.
In front of him, something resembling a protective shield shimmered, absorbing all the bullets.
"Hey, hey, hey… You've gotta be kidding me."
Rabu broke into a cold sweat but also felt an odd sense of relief. Didn't the employer say this adult had no defensive capabilities? Then why is reality saying otherwise?
"I never said I could fight," the Sensei spoke calmly. "But I never said I couldn't defend myself either."
"All units, open fire!!"
At Rabu's command, every delinquent and Helmet Gang member—except for Wakamo, who was still slacking off—unleashed a hailstorm of bullets at the Sensei.
The deafening gunfire filled the air like a symphony of fireworks.
Rabu was confident that even Gehenna's infamous Head Prefect would have a hard time tanking this level of firepower.
Yet, when the gunfire ceased, the Sensei remained completely unharmed. A translucent, turtle-shell-like blue shield enveloped him.
Everyone stared at him in stunned silence.
"He… he actually tanked the firepower of nearly a hundred people without a single scratch…" Rabu muttered, looking at him as if he were some kind of monster.
The Sensei, inwardly, let out a sigh of relief.
Truth be told, he had gambled on this.
To block the bullets, he had used Night-scouring Gleam, the ability of Nearl the Radiant Knight from Arknights. The defense had held up surprisingly well, which was a pleasant surprise.
The only downside? His body felt like it had just run a marathon. His clothes were soaked in sweat, and he was barely managing to hold himself together.
While the Helmet Gang and delinquents were still dumbfounded, the Sensei put on a pair of pre-prepared sunglasses and tapped his earpiece.
"Begin operation."
In an instant, a barrage of flashbangs and smoke grenades was tossed into the enemy's ranks!
"AAAHHH! IT'S AN AMBUSH!!"
"My eyes!!"
"Where is he—AARGH!!"
"That's so dirty! Attacking like that is—"
Before they could even recover, the air was filled with the relentless sound of gunfire. One by one, Helmet Gang members and delinquents collapsed to the ground.
"Bastard!!"
Rabu, who had been standing closest to the Sensei and avoided the initial blast, raised her gun and charged at him, planning to take him hostage and disrupt his team's movements.
But the next moment—
Bang!
A single shot rang out.
Rabu was hit squarely in the head. She collapsed, unconscious.
"Well done, Hasumi."
The Sensei couldn't help but praise the shooter.
"Go on, Sensei," Hasumi's voice came through the earpiece. "We'll handle the Helmet Gang."
"Understood. I'm going after the Fox of Calamity."
The Sensei immediately searched for Wakamo, but she had completely vanished from sight.
Not good!
A sudden chill ran down his spine.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Several gunshots rang out, striking his shield.
"Ugh…"
A wave of exhaustion washed over him.
It seemed that tanking the gunfire of nearly a hundred people had been too much after all.
While the Sensei had a well-proportioned physique, his athleticism was mediocre at best. He had never been particularly active in his previous life, so his stamina was below average.
Seeing that gunfire wasn't working, Wakamo swiftly removed the short blade mounted on her gun. She was going to cut him down instead.
"TERRA ARNAMENT, SWITCH TO HEAVY OPERATOR BUBBLE" → [Heavy Operator Bubble, skill counterattack damage, armament complete]
In an instant, the once-blue shield transformed into a yellow barrier covered in dense, protruding spikes.
At the same moment, Wakamo's blade came slashing down—
Clang!
Her strike connected with the newly transformed shield.
Then—
Shing!
The shield's spikes suddenly shot outward in retaliation!
"Tch—?!"
Wakamo reacted quickly, but the spikes were densely packed. Though they weren't lethal, they still tore through her mask, shattering it.
Despite this, she remained unfazed.
Without hesitation, she gripped her blade and rushed forward once more.
She was going to complete the mission—no matter what.
However, the Sensei had no time to carefully examine Wakamo's face. He deactivated the Terra Armament, leaving himself completely defenseless as he stared at the approaching girl.
Wakamo was bewildered by his actions. As she closed the distance, she merely pressed the flat of her blade lightly against his neck, her eyes meeting his.
Despite his exhaustion, the Sensei's gaze remained firm and unwavering, filled with the resolve of someone who had bet everything on this moment.
"..."
After a brief moment of eye contact, Wakamo's face turned red. Her gaze toward him grew increasingly… ambiguous.
She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks and the rapid pounding of her heart.
Her heartbeat was so fast—it felt like her heart might just leap out of her chest!
At this moment, all thoughts of killing the Sensei had vanished from her mind.
Could this be… love?
"Wakamo, dear."
Perhaps due to fatigue, the Sensei wasted no time on formalities and got straight to the point. "Would you mind calling off the Helmet Gang and delinquents? This building is very important to us."
He… he knows my name?
He even called me dear… and said this building is 'very important'?!
"Ah…!"
Wakamo quickly withdrew her blade, turned her head to the side in embarrassment, and pressed both hands to her blushing cheeks.
In her eyes, the Sensei had become even more attractive than before.
Orders from the employer? A hefty reward?
None of that mattered anymore!
"Y-yes… o-of course…"
Wakamo hesitated, then slowly pulled out a mask from who-knows-where and put it on.
"Then, this humble girl shall take her leave…"
With a sudden whoosh, she disappeared without a trace.
The Sensei let out a deep sigh of relief and collapsed into a half-crouch.
His gamble had paid off—he had bet everything on the probability that "Wakamo would fall for him at first sight," a classic trope that had a high chance of triggering.
That said, it had been an extremely risky move. If he had miscalculated, Wakamo might have immediately treated him to a Louis XVI special—a historical reenactment he had no interest in experiencing.
For the record, the Sensei didn't have much of an opinion about his own appearance. In his previous life, he had gone on a handful of arranged dates. While none of them worked out, the women never found his looks or physique particularly off-putting, so he figured he wasn't too ugly.
Meanwhile, thanks to the earlier flashbang and smoke grenade assault, the members who could operate the Crusader Tanks had already been taken down by Yuuka, Suzumi, and the others. Without anyone to control them, the tanks were effectively useless.
On top of that, both Suzumi and Kirino still had plenty of flashbangs and smoke grenades left, adding to the chaos among the remaining Helmet Gang and delinquents.
"Ugh… that really hurt…"
At that moment, Rabu finally regained consciousness.
The Sensei stood before her.
"Are you all still planning to continue? The Fox of Calamity has already retreated."
"W-what?!"
Rabu stared at him in disbelief.
Even the Fox of Calamity wasn't a match for him?!
If that was the case, what was the point of continuing this fight? It was better to cut their losses and get out of here!
As for the employer? Who cared? They had already received the deposit anyway.
Looking at her disorganized and demoralized subordinates, Rabu immediately shouted, "All units, retreat!"
The moment the Helmet Gang and delinquents heard the order, they bolted in panic.
"Sensei, you'd better remember this!"
Rabu pointed a finger at the Sensei, her voice filled with frustration.
"The next time we meet, you won't be so lucky!!"
With that, she turned and ran without looking back.
In mere moments, the once-nearly-hundred-strong force had scattered.