Ch.215Chapter 215 – Four Signatures (4)

“Haa, haa…”

Silver Blaze, who had been running with gritted teeth for quite some time, began to slow down gradually.

“Ugh…”

Of course, when it came to speed within London, no one could match her, but the problem was that she had devoted her entire life to horse racing.

As a result, her body, which had sprinted dozens of times her usual distance and was still suffering from aftereffects, couldn’t possibly be in good condition.

– Thud…

Thanks to this, as she crossed halfway over London Bridge while evading the encirclement closing in from all directions, she finally reached her limit and collapsed forward.

“No…”

However, despite her legs not functioning properly, she gritted her teeth and began to stagger to her feet.

“With master… I’ll… mate…”

Thus, using the remaining energy of her heat cycle, Silver Blaze muttered those words as she crawled forward on all fours.

“Got you…”

“…Ugh.”

With those chilling words from behind and someone stomping on her back, she finally stopped moving and went limp.

“I have nothing against other species, but… the world of competition is cold.”

Arsène Lupin, who had caught up to Silver Blaze first using his propulsion device, looked at her with pitying eyes and bent down to extend his hand, but…

“So…”

– Grip…

“…Huh?”

When Silver Blaze, who had been lying limp, refused to let go of the contract with all her might, he began to show a bewildered expression.

“Hey, it’s going to tear at this rate?”

“With master… ma…te…”

“You’re not letting go?”

And the next moment.

– Grip…

“Country girl from France, step aside…”

“…Eek?”

The noblewoman, who had caught up to them second, grabbed Lupin by the hair and spoke.

“I need this man to conquer the world…!”

“…Let’s be clear here. You’re not trying to conquer the world because you need Adler, right?”

“Sh-shut up!”

Thus, the noblewoman and Lupin, now grabbing each other’s hair, began to emit killing intent as they pulled at the contract still clutched in Blaze’s hand.

– Swish…

“”………!””

At that moment, suddenly a black hand shot out from the shadow cast by the bridge and grabbed the contract.

“It would be better to let go before I kill you all…”

Gil the Reaper, half-emerging from the shadows, whispered as he pulled the contract toward himself.

“You… you’re only good at killing…!”

“Not true? I’m going to rape and kill? You’re just going to wastefully taxidermy without doing anything!!”

“I won’t rape, kill, or taxidermy, so let go!!”

“Ma…te…”

Thus, the advance party became entangled in a chaotic struggle.

– Click, click…

“…Tch.”

Moran, watching them from a distance, realized she was out of bullets and began running toward London Bridge with her rifle raised.

– Rumble rumble…

“There it… is…”

“But… they’re all stronger than us…”

“We’ll… overwhelm them with numbers…”

Almost simultaneously, the monsters arriving at both ends of the bridge began to stagger toward the center where the contract was.

– Creak… creeeeak…

And because of this, London Bridge began to sway slightly precariously.

– Creeeeeeeak…

Thus, it seemed like a new verse was about to be added to a future nursery rhyme about England’s most famous bridge, but…

“That’s far enough.”

The most intense treasure hunt in British history was, fortunately for the already quite battered London Bridge, about to come to a sudden end.

“From now on, if any of you moves even a single step…”

This was because a being whose victory couldn’t be guaranteed even if all the monsters on London Bridge attacked at once had appeared at the end of the bridge at that very moment.

“…you’ll be torn apart.”

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The moment after that chilling yet spine-tingling voice clearly echoed across the bridge.

– Whoooosh!

“”………!?””

A killing intent so intense it could be physically felt, not just sensed, began to weigh heavily on everyone standing on the bridge.

“Urgh…?”

“What is this killing intent?”

“…Is it that damned professor again?”

The women at the center of the bridge began to mutter in confusion at the level of killing intent that could only be reached by exceptional powerhouses like Professor Moriarty.

“But the contract should have been signed already… why…”

“…Maybe trying to reduce competition.”

“No. There’s no playfulness in this aura, unlike him.”

But soon realizing it wasn’t Professor Moriarty, they narrowed their eyes and began to look toward the direction from which the new competitor’s voice had come.

“H-hieek…!”

And the next moment, screams erupted from the edge of the monster crowd.

– Splash, splash…!

“”……..?””

Just a few seconds later. The long line of monsters suddenly scattered in panic, and those at the edge began jumping off the bridge with pale faces.

“M-move…!”

“Don’t push…!”

“Help, help me…”

Meanwhile, the monsters who couldn’t jump off the bridge in time also turned deathly pale and began to frantically push toward the end of the bridge with all their might.

– Whoooosh…

As the impenetrable crowd of monsters parted down the middle like the miracle of Moses, the figure that had terrified them so much was revealed.

“Such worthless impurities of the world…”

The one muttering those words while walking forward was a petite girl wearing a black formal outfit resembling a secretary’s uniform.

“…Back in my day, things like you couldn’t even get treatment in hell.”

As she moved forward with an annoyed expression, her eyes—at least the one not covered by her bangs—remained closed, causing the monsters pressed close to her to start trembling.

“I don’t know who dares to play games with the dead… but I find it somewhat unpleasant…”

“That… why is that here?”

And the women engaged in the fierce battle at the center felt the same way.

“Why is the guardian hound of the netherworld here…?”

“………”

“That’s not something you can control as a familiar, that thing…”

As Lady Clay, who had been skilled in sorcery and familiar summoning since childhood, retreated while sweating profusely, the eyes of the women around her began to waver.

“Come to think of it, there are not one but two beings here who are deceiving death.”

“”………””

“Interesting. Shall I take you away?”

Meanwhile, the girl began to emit a blue light from behind her bangs as she looked back and forth between Lady Clay and Gil the Reaper.

“But, there’s a more urgent matter right now.”

“…Ah!”

The next moment, the girl suddenly jumped onto the railing and began examining the contract she had somehow snatched without anyone noticing.

“How inferior…..”

And then, she began to growl, baring her teeth.

“…Were you playing such petty games with my master?”

“Th-that bastard planned this!”

“Shut up.”

“…Eek.”

When the noblewoman momentarily flared up at the girl’s contemptuous voice, she quickly lowered her tail in fear at the girl’s cold voice as she slightly turned around with glowing eyes.

“Insult my master one more time, and I’ll kill you all.”

The girl began to apply force to both hands as she glared at the women.

– Riiip…

“N-no!”

Thus, it seemed the prize of the historic treasure hunt was about to become a mere scrap of paper sinking forever beneath the surface of the Thames, but…

“Hey! If you’re going to do that, just sign it yourself!!! It’s such a waste!!!”

– Pause…

At the shrill voice that rang out from among the distant monsters, the girl who was tearing the contract momentarily froze with wide eyes.

“”……….””

And then began a moment of silence.

“Uh…….”

In that silence, the girl who had apparently never considered that idea before stared blankly at the empty fourth signature space.

– Thump, thump, thump…

Eventually, her face reddened as her heart began to beat rapidly.

“Who the hell just said that…”

“Eek… that can’t happen…”

“…You little mutt!”

“One pet position is enough for meeeee!!”

The women in the battle, noticing this change, momentarily forgot their fear and began rushing toward the girl, but…

– Grab…!

“…Huh?”

Someone had grabbed the girl’s leg before they could reach her.

“Kid.”

“”…….!?””

“…What are you doing here?”

It was none other than Rachel Watson, who had come to watch the unusual horse race on London Bridge in a completely intoxicated state.

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“Hey, are you having bad thoughts?”

“…What?”

“This young punk… don’t even know how much life you’ve got left…”

As Watson pulled down the leg of the netherworld’s master who was standing on the railing while muttering with a slurred tongue, everyone around them froze.

“Grrrr…..”

Meanwhile, the girl, who had lost her balance and fallen face-first onto the ground, momentarily showed a confused expression before baring her fangs with fierce eyes at Watson, who was lecturing her with a red face and reeking of alcohol, but…

– Whack…!

“…Yip!?”

The next moment, Watson’s love-filled knock on the head struck the girl directly, punishing her.

“I’ll… where do you get off glaring with those blue eyes while an adult is talking…”

“……..”

“Aren’t you going to lower your eyes?”

Eventually, Rachel Watson showed her true colors as the original’s dog-handling bully by swinging her fist in the air.

“Ah… but… what did I come here for again?”

While the girl was momentarily stunned by this situation she had never experienced in her life.

“…Oh right.”

“Ah.”

Watson, who had been looking confused for a moment, quickly snatched the contract from the girl’s hand.

“I came to buy a betting ticket.”

The next moment.

– Scratch…

“”…….!!!””

She took a pen from her pocket and, before anyone could stop her, naturally inscribed her name in the empty fourth space.

“But why isn’t the race starting?”

“”……….””

It was the moment when the glorious final owner of the fourth signature was revealed.