Chapter 97: Demon Girl Chika watched Yeon-woo's back in silence.
"Hey, clean it up thoroughly. Make it look like no one was ever here."
"I know, I'm working on it. But shouldn't we at least collect the materials…?"
"Do you think we're in a position to be looting? You that greedy? I'll come back and get them for you later, so just focus on cleaning up for now."
Yeon-woo barked orders at Rio as he directed the rest of the team.
This was supposed to be his first time acting as a team leader, yet he commanded them with practiced ease, showing no signs of nerves. Despite only holding a Temporary License, he didn't hesitate to boss around the Rank 9 Agents—who technically outranked him—while keeping the team's morale high.
"Stop dripping blood and wipe yourself down. You're the one who said we shouldn't leave a trace."
"Ah, sorry."
Since he had taken the brunt of every monster's attack, his body was covered in their blood. Seeing Yeon-woo wipe a smudge of monster blood off his cheek with the back of his hand while smirking was a far cry from the image he projected back at Yggdrasil.
Yukina seemed used to it, but for Chika, it was a different story.
This was the first time she had seen Yeon-woo truly fight. He had performed well in the exams, but until now, he had mostly relied on underhanded tricks to toy with his opponents. Aside from the Tournament, she hadn't seen him in actual combat. Even then, she had been on the White Team and hadn't witnessed him and Shizuka taking on the Black Dragon.
In Chika's eyes, he currently looked like the bravest, coolest man alive.
He silently endured every monster attack so his teammates could shine, and despite having gone through several battles already, his Mana Barrier showed no signs of failing. Moreover, his defensive skills were exceptional. Even without a weapon to parry properly, he managed to avoid critical hits and deflect the impact of blows, proving he was no stranger to dueling powerful foes.
Unaware that Yeon-woo had learned these skills the hard way by being used as a punching bag by Frey, Chika watched in admiration.
In her mind, she imagined Yeon-woo receiving tutelage under some noble, high-ranking mage. She couldn't have known he'd acquired these instincts through sheer survival while being beaten and cursed at, but she could at least recognize that he had been trained by someone truly strong.
As a martial artist specialized in ultra-close-quarters combat, Chika knew exactly how difficult it was to deflect impact and keep monsters pinned down so they wouldn't target others. They had hunted the monsters with ease so far, but that wasn't because the team was exceptional—it was because the man acting as their anvil was extraordinary.
And was that all?
He displayed overwhelming ability in combat and was perfectly efficient when leading the team. No matter what he did, he exuded confidence, taking care of things others hadn't even thought of while remaining composed enough to keep an eye on his surroundings.
If his image at Yggdrasil was that of a sly snake surviving on wit alone, here in the field, he was a mage more capable than anyone else.
Chika stared blankly at Yeon-woo's cheek, where a long streak of blood remained after he'd wiped it. She suddenly found him sexy and jumped in surprise at her own thought.
What am I thinking? I have Akito.
Yeon-woo glanced at Chika as she panicked internally and wondered why that "mad dog" was acting weird again. Seeing the other agents slowly backing away from her, Yeon-woo was debating whether he should intervene when Masayoshi and Takeo returned from their scouting.
"We caught two."
In Masayoshi's hand was a monster called a Pellet, which resembled a large squirrel. Though technically monsters, they were non-aggressive and weak, often found in city parks. Including the two Masayoshi brought, the group had already captured five.
Even while rushing toward Adrian, Yeon-woo had ordered Masayoshi to catch every Pellet he spotted.
"Can you finally tell us why we're catching these things?"
"Yeah. Release one for now."
"..."
After all the trouble of catching them, being told to just let one go might have been annoying, but Masayoshi simply looked at Yeon-woo for a moment before releasing one of the Pellets.
The moment its feet touched the ground, the Pellet bolted toward the nearest tree. Yeon-woo watched it for a second before turning to Yukina.
"Which way is the mana flowing from?"
"That way."
Yeon-woo led the group in the direction Yukina pointed. To an outsider, his actions might have seemed eccentric since he offered no explanation, but because he had led the team so well thus far, no one questioned him. Even the agents followed him in silence, despite their doubts.
"Release another one."
Masayoshi released a Pellet that had suddenly started struggling. It immediately took off, disappearing into the underbrush.
"Release another."
"Is there actually a point to this?"
Chika couldn't hold back her question any longer, but Masayoshi, who had already noticed something strange, released the Pellet immediately. As it vanished into the brush just like the others, Masayoshi looked at Yeon-woo in disbelief.
"How did you know?"
"My master is Frey. I learned a few tricks for tracking."
Since he couldn't say he knew it from game knowledge, Yeon-woo used Frey's name as a shield. While the others were reeling at the mention of the leader of one of the world's top three mercenary groups, Chika asked impatiently.
"So, what is it?"
"A Safe Zone."
"A Safe Zone? Those exist outside the Barrier?"
Chika, who wasn't much for studying, didn't know, but there were many Safe Zones where monsters couldn't approach. The reasons varied—some areas were dangerous to both humans and monsters, some possessed mysterious, undiscovered powers, and others were avoided because of the presence of a powerful entity.
"But what does that have to do with the squirrels?"
"The Pellets ran into the brush."
"…?"
Seeing Chika's confused face, Masayoshi explained further.
"Pellets have behavioral patterns almost identical to rodents. When threatened, they flee to the nearest narrow burrow or climb a tree."
"They... did flee, didn't they?"
"We just released two, and both of them ignored the trees and roots entirely to run far away. It was as if they were trying to get as far from this spot as possible. We don't need the rest, right? Can I let them go?"
With Yeon-woo's nod, Masayoshi released the remaining Pellets. They all bolted away in the same direction, and only then did Chika realize they were acting exactly as described.
Yeon-woo had used Frey's name, but he knew he'd have no answer if they pressed him on the specifics of how he knew, so he quickly changed the subject.
"Since this is a Safe Zone, let's rest and reorganize. Don't worry about monsters and just relax."
Though they had traveled comfortably thanks to Yeon-woo drawing all the aggro, the continuous combat had inevitably taken its toll. And because they never knew when a monster might jump out, the constant tension had left everyone desperate for a break.
"So that's why you pushed us so hard."
Masayoshi, seemingly understanding everything now, dropped his backpack and lay down as if he were in his own living room. The agents, unable to relax as easily as Masayoshi despite being told it was a Safe Zone, hovered awkwardly before sitting down on some fallen logs.
"You guys must be hungry, so eat this. Also, I brought high-grade supplements, so take some in advance."
"You really prepared for everything, didn't you?"
Rio looked exhausted as he watched a mountain of supplies spill out of Yeon-woo's oversized backpack. Masayoshi, ignoring the dirt on his clothes, crawled over to check the items and held up a vial in disbelief.
"Isn't this stuff impossible for civilians to get?"
"If you can't find the goods, you should wonder if you just didn't offer enough money."
Yeon-woo gave a cool response and stood up.
"Anyway, I'm gonna go take a dump."
"...What are you up to now?"
The agents looked disgusted by Yeon-woo's bluntness, but the others watched him with serious eyes.
He was always like this.
He would make some ridiculous excuse to slip away alone, only to sacrifice himself and work tirelessly for the sake of others. Takeo had seen this behavior during the Tournament, and those who had been with him longer felt guilty for letting him shoulder the burden alone, yet they wanted to be his strength.
Of course, Yeon-woo had no idea they saw him that way. He was just grumbling internally about why they were suddenly being so clingy when he needed to leave.
"I said I'm going to take a dump. Just rest."
"Sigh... Take at least one of them with you—Yukina, Chika, or Takeo."
"No, why would I take someone to the bathroom with me? Besides, even if this is a Safe Zone, there's no 100% guarantee. If I'm leaving, the three of them need to stay here."
"Then what about you?"
"Me? You've seen me. Is there any need to worry?"
Yeon-woo replied with a confident smirk and turned away. The moment his back was turned, he let out a sigh of relief at finally escaping and sprinted toward where Akito would be.
I have to see the loli event, after all.
If Akito somehow skipped this event, the destruction of the world was a certainty. He had to make sure it happened.
*
At that same moment, Akito was staring at a massive structure before him.
While heading toward Adrian, he had detected a faint mana reaction and changed course, thinking it might be a distress signal from Yeon-woo's team. Normally, sending a distress signal outside the Barrier was difficult. A flare into the sky was simple, but anything a human could see, a monster could see too—and monsters were especially drawn to concentrated mana.
Therefore, when safety couldn't be guaranteed, mages would sometimes use faint mana pulses as a signal if they were certain a rescue team was nearby.
"It seems... it really was a distress signal..."
Shiori muttered as she looked at the ice embedded like an ornament in the ruins of the building. Inside a massive block of ice that covered the entire wall of the collapsed structure was a small girl.
"Is this a seal...?"
"It's a relief the agents are all unconscious."
Shiori glanced at the unconscious agents and whispered. The agents they had rescued earlier had been drifting in and out of consciousness due to their severe injuries, which had been the main reason for the group's slow pace. While they had been nothing but a burden, Shiori was glad they were out cold now.
Because on the forehead of the girl sealed in the ice was a small horn.
A demon.
The most significant physical difference between humans and demons was the horns on their heads. Though small, it was clearly a horn and not a bump. The group tensed up, and Shiori, knowing Akito well, was glad the agents couldn't see this, as her brother might try to save her.
Regardless of what the others thought, Akito felt as if someone were calling out to him. At first, it was so faint that he had asked the others if they heard anything, but they had all said no. Following the mana reaction to this spot, Akito now knew who was calling.
The demon girl trapped in the wall of ice. She was calling for him.
He had been taught that all demons were enemies of humanity to be struck down, but Akito's nature was not cold enough to raise a hand against such a small, young girl. Moreover, the voice calling to him was so sorrowful and desperate.
How long had she been trapped here?
Looking at the weathered buildings around them, Akito unconsciously stepped toward the girl.
"Brother, it's dangerous."
"Huh?"
As if it had been waiting for him, a magic circle on the floor began to glow brightly as Akito approached. A powerful force of mana surged from the soles of his feet, forcibly invading his body and pinning him in place. Kurumi and Ailee reacted instantly and rushed forward, but they were blocked by a transparent barrier.
"Ugh—!!"
As the mana forced its way in, Akito became acutely aware of every single vein in his body. While the awareness itself was a strange experience, it was accompanied by agonizing pain as the mana coursed wildly through his system. Akito let out a low groan.
The light from the magic circle began to fade from the outer edges, as if it were being sucked into Akito. At the very end, bright light erupted from his eyes and mouth like headlights.
"Haah... haah..."
"Brother!"
The moment the transparent barrier vanished, Shiori rushed forward with tears in her eyes to catch the collapsing Akito. Though his breathing was ragged, Akito raised a hand to show he was okay.
"Are you hurt anywhere? Do you feel dizzy? Do you want to throw up? Is your mana okay? Are your eyes alright? How many fingers am I holding up?"
As Shiori fired off questions like a machine gun, Akito managed to steady his trembling body and reassured her. Leaning against Shiori while receiving worried looks from the other heroines who had arrived behind her, Akito felt an unfamiliar power flowing within him.
However, he couldn't bring himself to worry Shiori, who was already dripping tears, so he forced himself to act as if nothing were wrong.
As he struggled to stay upright, he saw the massive wall of ice rapidly melting. The demon girl, who had been suspended in the air, fell as the ice vanished, and Akito quickly lunged forward to catch her.
He had only ever learned that demons were savage and aggressive. But this little girl had a face so beautiful she could have been called an angel if not for the horn.
A body temperature as warm as his own, a soft and fragile frame...
Akito found himself unable to attack a girl who felt exactly like a human.
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