20. Endemic Skill (3)
Give it back.
Give it back.
Give it back.
I felt like I could hear Shizuku’s heart screaming. She is fighting as if she wants to take back what was taken from her.
「Master?」
「…No, it’s nothing.」
I couldn’t help but smile bitterly at my own thoughts.
I have only known Shizuku for a short time. I don’t know how she came to this town or what kind of life she has led. I was too conceited in thinking that I could understand what she was thinking.
「……HA!」
Shizuku’s roar, while running in a golden trajectory, reached us here as if tearing through the cold night air.
「Give it back!」
Shizuku mowed down all the mercenaries that tried to overwhelm her and advanced forward. She wants to take back everything from Guran, who has tormented her. She advanced forward as if tearing down the wall of humans that were protecting him one by one.
Give it back! Give it back! Shizuku shouted.
「Give it back!」
Her property.
「Give it back!!」
Her time.
「Give it back!!!」
Her dignity.
「Return everything that’s mine!!!」
Regret, anger, sadness, and hatred. I am a werewolf, a proud descendant of warriors – relying only on those thoughts, she must have hidden those emotions deep within her small body. With those emotions bursting from deep within, the girl was still furious even after sinking more than 30 mercenaries into the ground.
There was no room for us to intervene. However, there are still things we can do.
「Let’s go, Koe-san.」
「Yes, master.」
「[Space Jump], activate.」
The person we’re pursuing is the fat man who was running away by himself while using the mercenaries as a shield. Guran, the man who tried to exploit Shizuku through vicious means, can be said to be the culprit behind everything. I can predict where he would probably go.
We leapt through space and arrived at that place before him.
[Mana activity: 4064]
「E-Eek!」
「You’re late. Maybe you’re not getting enough exercise.」
Guran, who was waddling along, came to a halt when he saw us.
「Y-you guys are….」
「Is there something you need to do in the basement?」
「H…How did you…!?」
His face was covered in sweat. He was pale and shivering like it was the middle of winter.
We were in his office. The building cut in half stood out even in the darkness, but his purpose was not above ground.
「Your right arm, which I cut off during the day, was transferred to the basement… At that time, I noticed that there was a strange cavity underground.」
[Space Jump], which allows me to move the coordinates of an object, is a powerful skill, but if I go to the wrong destination, I could find myself literally “inside a stone”. Therefore, before using the skill, it is essential to scan the destination using sensing and perceptual skills.
According to those skills, there seems to be a small space in the basement of the office that can accommodate several people.
「I guess you were trying to hide in here…」
「Then, are you trying to get in my way!? You guys let loose a monster like that and won’t even let me escape! Don’t you have any humanity? You fiends!!」
No humanity? Fiends?
Hearing Guran’s words, I couldn’t help but look at Koe-san.
「Master, is that also a joke?」
「Yeah, I guess you can think of it that way.」
It’s a bad joke and it’s not funny. I don’t have time to entertain things like that.
Let’s quickly finish this matter.
「Listen. If you run underground, you will die. Whether it’s a stone room or an iron safe, if Shizuku catches up to you, it will be no different than a house made of straw. It will be blown away.」
「Eek…!」
「That’s not what I want.」
The mercenaries are professionals in their field and are well armed. They won’t die easily, and it is their job to get paid and fight. But this guy, Guran, is different.
Reluctantly speaking, this guy is a “good citizen”. If Shizuku kills this guy, it will be a crime. I can’t overturn that either.
「I have to prevent it.」
「Are you guys going to protect me!? You should have said that earlier! Seriously!!」
「Master, was that a…」
「You seem to like jokes a lot.」
「Huh?」
Guran froze at our exchange. I have only one instruction for Guran.
「Don’t move an inch from here. Not even a step.」
「But she’s almost here!」
「Have you forgotten? My skill can regenerate even a severed hand. No matter what condition you are in, I can definitely heal you.」
「E-Eeeeek!!!」
Guran made a pitiful noise, but it seems like he doesn’t have time to be frightened. There was the sound of something being blown up behind me, and a golden light approached from the darkness.
「–I found you.」
[Mana activity: 81937]
There was no more anger or hatred in those golden eyes. Those eyes had released all the pent up emotions and were looking to settle its past. They were looking directly at Guran.
「Eeeee! She’s coming! She’s coming! Please!! Please help meeeeeeee!!!」
「I’ll help you like I said. I won’t let you die.」
「That’s not– UWAAAAAAAAA!!」
A scream rang out in the dead of night.
RELEASE RATE
Skill Lender Get Back His Pride
Speed up schedule by 10 hours
Current schedule: Every 90 hours
MC to Guran. “But, did you die?”