Ch.667Chapter 25. Let it Unfold (17)

I should not judge espers by their appearance.

But sometimes, appearance tells you exactly what kind of esper someone is.

A childlike appearance.

A doll-like pretty boy with blonde hair and blue eyes.

Shota.

That’s right.

When creating my alter ego “Doblin” as an S+ rank hero, I went with a shota goblin!

“The response is good.”

People went wild at the appearance of the shota goblin.

While there were many S-rank heroes who hadn’t been revealed until now, if you asked who was the most shocking at the opening ceremony, the shota goblin would definitely be number one.

It was so extreme that a certain girl had already warned through a secret SNS that “Doblin x Lord of Radiant Wings” shipping was starting to circulate among certain groups on the dark web.

That’s how much attention the shota goblin is getting right now.

Right now—

“Will you call me noona?”

Like someone who has me sitting on their thigh, hugging me like a doll and vigorously patting my head.

“I feel like something is touching my butt. Is it your hand?”

“It’s my thigh. Hey, can I pat you some more?”

“If you want to get arrested by the FBI. And I have no desire to turn an S+ rank into a sex offender.”

I reached up my hand and lifted Seong Ji-eun’s chin as she kept trying to bury her face in the top of my head.

“But I can call you noona in front of other people.”

“Heehee…”

“Wow, that unni really looks like a pervert when she acts like that.”

“I think it’s more because of the blonde hair.”

“……”

The three Riders watching Seong Ji-eun’s not-quite-rampage wore sour expressions, but I knew the true feelings hidden behind those expressions.

“My body may have shrunk, but my pride remains intact.”

“What?”

“Just to clarify, I’m keeping everything in place with magic. That’s also why I wear slightly oversized shorts.”

“Ah.”

They might not have wanted to bite and suck like Seong Ji-eun, but they were apparently curious.

“Hyun Se-rin, you’ve seen it before. With Ymir.”

“It didn’t feel quite like this back then… It was more like you’d been hit by a shrink ray, right?”

Unlike the three women who had transformed into children—those who dreamed of being Syndicate Puff Girls—my case was a bit different.

“Rather than looking like a child, it was more like an adult who had been forcibly shrunk.”

“But now you’re completely like a child? I’d believe it if someone said you were in elementary school. Like… 5th or 6th grade?”

“It’s because my mindset has changed.”

Back then, I wasn’t 100% committed to burying my bones in this world.

But now that I’m 200% determined to live as a member of this world, some of my abilities have changed slightly as a result.

“I’ve decided to be more proactive in using my abilities to transform this world.”

The prime example of this is my current “shotafication.”

“It’s just that. If you wish for it earnestly, the goblin will make it come true.”

“That phrase somehow feels a bit off…”

“The phrasing isn’t important, so you don’t need to worry about it too much. What matters is people’s confusion.”

Some people are probably getting headaches right now because of Doblin’s appearance.

“Those who were trying to spread rumors that Doblin might be the Goblin are all tearing their hair out in confusion right now.”

How could anyone speculate that Doblin might be the Goblin?

It’s simple.

Qiongqi, Taotie, Taowu, and Hundun are participating as heroes.

With all the Syndicate executives showing up, wouldn’t the Goblin participate too?

If they say the Goblin died, wouldn’t they bring out either a Goblin clone or the next generation Goblin to participate?

If it’s not just “goblin” but “Doblin,” and if they’re not from Dublin, Ireland, wouldn’t it be related to the Goblin?

There probably aren’t many people thinking that far, but one or two might have accepted it as fact.

“But even they couldn’t have predicted this, right? That the Goblin could become a boy like this.”

Ymir can do it too.

It’s different for the executives, but the executives can actually “Lilith-ify” more easily.

It was actually an ability I struggled with, but by throwing away the unconscious lock in my mind, I was finally able to use my abilities more completely.

“Then teacher, does Doblin fight like the Goblin too?”

“Maybe…”

“He’s not a Rider.”

“Ah.”

Cheon Ju-yeon was genuinely disappointed, but Doblin has his own fighting style.

“And it’s not a scholar’s topknot either.”

And that style is quite different from the existing Goblin variations.

“What is it like?”

“I’ll have to let you see and judge for yourself.”

“…That means you’re seriously aiming for the championship? Even against us?”

Hyun Se-rin licked her lips and her eyes sparkled.

“You think you can beat me in the stadium with that appearance that’s not even the Goblin? Maybe in bed, but…”

“You don’t know if something is long or short until you measure it directly, right?”

“…Oh my, I must be crazy. Is it because of the Ymir virus? Why does that sound like it has another meaning?”

I was just using a common saying, but Hyun Se-rin blushed and turned her head away.

“If your intention was to make me look like a real villain, it worked. Amazing, Doblin.”

“Unni. That’s not the Ymir virus, it’s just that you’re a shotacon too, right?”

“Don’t lump me in with Ji-eun unni.”

“Maybe she has a severe case, and you have a mild one.”

“…What a harsh thing to say. Mir, is this because I prepared mint chocolate for the chocolate I put on my chest last time?”

“……”

Well.

The color was typical brown, but it did taste like mint when licked.

“Whether you indirect kiss with mint chocolate or put mint chocolate on your tongue and kiss, that’s for later.”

I escaped from Seong Ji-eun and pointed to the tournament bracket hanging in the waiting room.

“Everyone win and come back. I’ll be waiting in the waiting room.”

The opening ceremony parade is now approaching its end.

The “opening match” has already begun, but that opening match marks the end of the opening ceremony and the beginning of this World Cup, like a torch of light.

[Ah! Look at this, everyone! A new technique—!!]

Along with the caster’s energetic voice, a golden bird spread its wings on the screen showing the stadium.

[That is Korea’s pride, the world’s strongest hero—Lord of Radiant Wings!!]

In the preliminary arena.

With just one spread of his wings, he showed his prowess by blowing away all the espers in the arena except himself.

[In Group A preliminaries, Lord of Radiant Wings advances in first place!!]

Lord of Radiant Wings proudly took first place with an amazing record of just 2.98 seconds.

S-rank preliminaries.

The first one.

[Who else can subdue “villains” faster than Lord of Radiant Wings!!]

It’s something to think about.

Although this World Cup is a festival of stars where S-ranks gather, it’s a “Hero World Cup.”

Everyone who goes up on the special stage in the arena is an esper and a hero, but limited to this World Cup competition.

[Next group, entering now! How many will remain within the time limit this time?! The match begins—!]

The losers become no different from villains.

Standing alone in the face of mass violence, subduing everyone without killing anyone—that’s the dignity of an “S-rank hero.”

“To get first place, you need to subdue espers composed of Sejong Academy students without serious injuries within 3 seconds, and even subdue other S-rank preliminary participants in there.”

If you’re S-rank, that’s what you should do.

“3 seconds… if you’re not just pushing them away with magic power like that, it’s a bit…”

“Doable.”

“I thought you said you weren’t a Rider. Weren’t you planning not to use time acceleration?”

“Hmph.”

Doblin has his ways.

* * *

Tae Jo, Nadeshiko, Battle God advance.

…

Armored Taejo, Cheok Jun-gyeong, Hayabusa advance.

…

And Group D.

“……”

About five S-ranks are assigned to each group.

Lord of Radiant Wings blew away four foreign S-ranks at the opening match to demonstrate his continued dominance, but usually more than two advance.

“Phew.”

Atalante lightly tapped her tense chest with her hand and scanned her surroundings.

“Is that really Atalante? Should I ask for her autograph later?”

“Hey. You don’t stand a chance. Unless you somehow land a hit on her.”

“If I land a hit, wouldn’t I be eliminated? Getting injured by A-ranks.”

“You’re the first A-rank to injure me. Maybe I could say that and ask to meet up?”

Students dressed like villains instead of in academy uniforms were openly whispering.

They seemed to be trying to appeal to Atalante by making sure she could hear them, but all of Atalante’s attention was focused on one place.

The center of the stage.

On the boy who was standing with his arms crossed, waiting for the bell to signal the start of the preliminaries, as if he had cast a barrier preventing others from approaching.

Only Atalante knew that boy was the Goblin.

The other S-ranks on the preliminary stage—[Roland], [Noir Bullet], [Bois Luiton], and other formidable individuals—were all wary of the boy, [Doblin].

Two Riders had already advanced from the preliminaries in first place, and the two American Riders waiting behind were also expected to pass the preliminaries in first place.

How strong would the one presumed to be “above” them, the one expected to be America’s pinnacle?

“……”

He said he would face her with full power, so there would be no leniency in the preliminaries just because she had cooperated with the Syndicate.

Atalante steeled herself.

And she checked if the magic skin she was wearing under her clothes, as learned in the underground stadium, was functioning properly.

No issues.

So—

[Group D, the match begins—!!]

The moment the bell rang.

“I.”

The boy said.

“Refuse.”

And.

“I want to be alone, so please leave everyone.”

With those words.

KWAAANG!!

A black explosion erupted in the arena.