Chapter 102

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A cold snap buried the withering plants, which were out of season.

Though the cold snap had already passed, the sudden change in temperature made their bodies shrink.

Despite the clear sky that lacked a single cloud, thunder never stopped, and the sound of explosions like artillery fire continued to erupt.

The ground shook, showing how powerful the clash of forces was. Even though the distance was considerable, the impact was felt clearly. Who would believe that such a thing was caused by just a few people fighting? Supernaturals are terrifying. Even though I’m one myself.

But I’m just a regeneration tool, so I can’t do something like that.

In that sense, I sometimes envy firepower-type Supernaturals.

No wonder Arin secretly admires Eugene or Alice.

Well, I’m perfectly satisfied with my super regeneration, though.

It’s a perfect match for Lucia, isn’t it?

It’s truly a match made in heaven!

Is this not the right time to say that? Well, who cares? There’s no better phrase than that.

There’s no hierarchy among supernatural abilities. Every ability has its pros and cons, and it all depends on how you use it.

The user is more important than the ability. Even a seemingly weak or trivial ability, if honed to its extreme, can become unparalleled in its field. The woman who appeared before us is one such case.

“Are you all okay? Oh dear, you’re bleeding… You’re injured, but thankfully, it’s not life-threatening. Yes, that’s a relief.”

It was after the black knight’s remains were annihilated, and Eugene and Alice were exterminating monsters. I followed them around, watching, as there was nothing I could do to help since the two of them handled everything.

Eugene’s momentum was really impressive. No wonder he’s scary when he’s angry. He’s usually so calm, but when he loses his temper, it’s really spine-chilling. I wish he could be a bit more intimidating all the time, hehe~♡.

Our footsteps, which had been advancing with great momentum, stopped sooner than expected. It wasn’t because high rank or named monsters blocked our way. There was no longer any need to fight.

“I’m so grateful that you didn’t give up and tried your best. You’re all so admirable.”

Finally, the Celestial Corps arrived.

With a warm smile, a middle-aged woman greeted us.

Her reddish-brown hair was very familiar.

Even though it was our first meeting, her features seemed familiar.

The gentle curve of her eyes and the calm smile at the corners of her mouth.

The person who naturally came to mind was the class representative of Class A.

If Arin took off her glasses, let down her braided hair, and aged a few more years, she would look like this.

I briefly wondered if she was Arin’s older sister, but Arin was an only child. So, the answer was obvious.

“It’s alright now. Don’t worry. The adults will take care of the rest.”

Arin’s mother.

The vice-captain of the 2nd Division, Ariene.

If she’s here, her husband, Kallad, must be here too.

This thunder must be caused by the 2nd Division Captain.

I had guessed as much. Arin was here, after all. It was natural for Kallad to appear.

And this chill must be from the 3rd Division Captain, Isabella. If Kallad came because of Arin’s call, Isabella probably came because of the rift. A rift of this scale in District 4 would require a captain’s direct intervention.

Regardless of the reason, having two captains here was a good thing. Even if they couldn’t defeat Astaroth, they could suppress her. Considering the constant explosions, there might even be another captain here.

“…No, we can still fight. There might still be civilians who couldn’t evacuate. Please let us help, even if it’s just a little.”

“No. Everyone has already evacuated. There’s only you left.”

Ariene shook her head at Eugene’s words.

She wasn’t lying to persuade us.

There really were no more civilians to evacuate.

Her Supernatural ability is Presence Detection.

If her daughter Arin can sense danger, she can detect presences.

A seemingly trivial ability, but she reached the position of vice-captain with it.

After endless training, her presence detection has reached a level of accuracy, scale, and performance far beyond that of basic detection. 

Clairvoyance (千里眼).

It was effortless for her to encompass the entire national park within her perception.

The number of people remaining in the park, the number of streetlights and benches, the number of cherry trees, and even the number of cherry blossoms falling.

She could clearly perceive all of it.

Ariene, though she seemed gentle, clearly distinguished between public and private matters. If there were any civilians still alive in this chaos, she would have rescued them first. We are supernaturals, so we were lower on the priority list. At least we can defend ourselves, unlike civilians. The fact that she came to save us meant there were no more civilians left.

“Are you sure everyone has evacuated?”

“Hmm, excluding civilians, there are a few more people besides you. But they all have the strength to take care of themselves, so don’t worry.”

Ah, I see. If they have the power to protect themselves in a place where monsters are swarming due to a rift, they must be supernaturals.

Besides us, if they’re not Celestial Corps heroes but still supernaturals… there are only three of them, right? Arin, Leo, and Anastasia.

Kallad, though he seems cold and rational on the surface, is actually the opposite.

He’s a doting father who would do anything for his daughter.

In the novel, he once followed Eugene and Arin with a sniper rifle when they went on a weekend date.

If Arin gave him a peck on the cheek, he would smile all day, wouldn’t he?

Ariene is also the opposite of her appearance.

As I mentioned earlier, she clearly distinguishes between public and private matters.

That doesn’t mean she’s cold-blooded.

It just means she sets clear boundaries between public and private matters.

If Arin was truly in danger, she would rush to her without hesitation.

However, if it’s not the case, she prioritizes those who seem to need help more.

Judging by Ariene’s actions, it seems she thought we needed help more than her daughter.

Or perhaps help was already sent to Arin separately.

Since she didn’t come alone, it’s probably the latter, right?

Eugene and Frey seem tired, but they’re still energetic.

They’re in danger, but they don’t seem to need immediate help.

“Now, let’s evacuate quickly. Before you get caught up in this.”

Ariene said that and turned her gaze toward the source of the explosions.

A faint shadow of concern crept into her face, which had just been calm and reassuring.

Since she could detect presences, it seemed she knew what was happening over there.

“What exactly is ‘that’… Is it even human…?”

She muttered softly to herself, then suddenly flinched and shook her head.

Ariene composed her expression and resumed her gentle smile.

“I’ll guide you to a safe place. There’s a medical team there, so it’s best to get your injuries treated first. If left untreated, your wounds might get worse and cause you a lot of pain.”

Eugene, reflected in her eyes, was covered in blood.

Most of it was his own. He burned or dodged the monsters’ blood before it could touch him. His school uniform was completely tattered, long since losing its original appearance.

…Should I take back what I said about him not needing help?

Did I underestimate his injuries because they would be mere inconveniences at best for me?

There may not be any critical injuries that hinder his movement, but he still looks quite battered.

“Fortunately, our cute little lady here is unharmed… but…”

Ariene reached out as if to pat Frey’s head.

Our Alice/Frey is indeed cute. I also love to ruffle her hair every day.

Her cheeks are so soft and squishy. They’re so bouncy, like mochi. I want to take a bite out of them.

Those squishy cheeks are Alice’s signature feature.

I almost wanted to give her the nickname “Cheeks”.

“…Get your hand off.”

Frey hid behind me with a bored expression.

“Yes, I’m sorry. By the way, are you okay? Your heartbeat seems a bit irregular.”

Ariene, who had been awkwardly smiling, soon spoke with a slightly serious tone.

Her gaze was directed at my chest.

It seemed she had detected my condition with her presence detection.

My heart, pierced by the black knight’s demonic sword.

The death energy still lingered in my body.

More specifically, I intentionally left it there.

Even a slight movement caused my chest to throb painfully.

My heart has recovered enough to function, so there’s no immediate danger to my life.

It just hurts. Hehe, my chest feels heavy. Physically heavy, that is. The pounding is so painful, so very painful, it feels like my heart is being torn apart. It’s like falling in love~♡. No wonder people want to fall in love. It feels so good~♡, doesn’t it? Hehe, hehehe…

“I’m fine. You don’t need to worry. My supernatural ability is super regeneration.”

My voice was a bit hoarse. My heart’s irregular function made my breathing a little rough. Although I haven’t looked in a mirror, I could feel my face flushing red.

“…I see. Still, just in case, get checked out, okay?”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Good. Even if it hurts, just bear with it for a little while.”

Oh it hurts alright, hehehe~♡

Ariene turned her back and motioned for us to follow.

Using her presence detection, she seemed to be locating the monsters and finding the fastest route.

After a brief silence, she took a step forward a few seconds later.

We began to move, following her.

“Huh?”

“…That.”

But we soon stopped.

Ariene was the first to raise her head.

It seemed she had sensed something with her presence detection.

Next, Eugene looked up at the sky and widened his eyes.

From the ground to the heavens.

Crimson flames shot upward, fiercely burning.

The flames that reached the center of the shattered sky rapidly split apart.

One became two, two became four.

After endlessly splitting, hundreds of flames were now flickering in the sky.

“…Sun Sword? But, who?”

Eugene muttered blankly.

Sun Sword? That’s your technique, Eugene.

You’re here, so who else could be using it… Ah, right.

“Astaroth…”

Eugene’s technique has been stolen.

The problem is that this technique is capable of mass slaughter.

At the beginning of the rift, the casualty count was lower than expected thanks to this technique.

But if she uses it on humans instead of monsters…

Even without such a technique, she could still do it, yet she mimics it. What a sadist.

Red meteors began to fall.

The sight of countless lights falling like a meteor shower was romantic and beautiful, but the aftermath of their landing would be anything but that.

Astaroth’s Sun Sword was far more powerful than Eugene’s. That was inevitable, as although Eugene is the original creator of the technique, Astaroth is much stronger. The same technique, but the output is vastly different. Even before the explosion, Eugene seemed to realize this, his expression slightly shocked.

“What are you spacing out for? Aren’t you going to intercept them?”

“…Got it.”

Frey frowned and spoke.

Eugene, shaken out of his daze by her annoyed voice, immediately raised his dagger.

Even if he goes all out, it’s questionable whether he can shoot down even a few meteors… but it’s better than doing nothing.

“It’s fine. Didn’t I tell you? Leave the rest to the adults from here on out.”

Ariene said with a forced smile.

A Supernatural on par with Angelica, Ariene was a superhuman among superhumans. However, her supernatural ability wasn’t suited for intercepting the meteor showers. Presence detection is a great boon in combat, but it shares the same weakness as Arin’s danger detection. In this situation, Ariene can’t be much help.

But someone else could.

Lightning illuminated the ground. A single bolt of lightning shot upward against gravity, reaching the sky. The thunder came afterward. Faster than sound, the lightning reached the heavens.

It spread in all directions. Like thunder from the clouds, the lightning that originated from the ground split into hundreds, wrapping around the red meteors.

And then they vanished. The crimson flames and lightning annihilated each other.

By the time the thunder faded, there were no more meteors left.

 

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
Hey! It was the protagonist’s limited event! Power up now!

That aside, I didn’t realize that there would be so many minors among the readers.

As expected, anything obscene is not allowed…

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
He brought a what to their date? Hmm…