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Chapter 57 Part 4 – One of the Seven Phantoms, Addis the Faceless in hot pursuit!! Oh no, you pervert!! As we are cornered by invisible attacks, that guy appears before us for the first time in a long time.

「…… Come on, this way, go to the direction where there is the sound of clapping. I even specially stand still here for you. I’m waiting for you with a special bloody service, and yet you don’t even attack me. Just look at that stupid expression you guys have.」

Addis clapped his hands and cackled.
The imperial guards did react. But there was no way to attack upward with a jousting spear. It was too heavy to raise overhead. Unless that person has the gorilla-like muscular strength of Matzo, the captain of the Imperial Guard, that weight is not something that can easily be handled by a human.

「…… How is that possible ……!! …… A human being suspended in mid-air ……」

In the midst of the imperial guards who were looking up at Addis in confusion and disarray, Addis held down his top hat with one hand and flew down with ease.

「Nuahahaha!! If it was the other members of the seven phantoms, they would have already launched dozens of attacks on me. The famous imperial guards actually only have this level of skill. Get lost.」

Just like the people of the〈Lawless Crew〉, all the members of the Imperial Guard were blown away and fell from their horses before they could even raise their voices. All of them became unconscious. They were wearing sturdy body armors, from which smoke and sparks could be seen. There was a series of fierce crashing sounds. It was as if an invisible giant with iron arms had struck the entire area.

「…… I-Is that also a technique of the〈Lawless Crew〉?」

「…… No!! I don’t know that kind of technique either. It’s too powerful for a dark ability, who the hell is that guy?」

In the short time it took for Bradd and I to land on the ground, all of the fierce competitors have suffered a crushing defeat.

Then, mother landed beside us.
Like us, Mr. Queer Witch had pulled her in with his vines.

「…… Run away!! Hurry!! I’ll buy you some time with my cage of thorns!! Don’t have the foolish idea of fighting against the seven phantoms!! Unless you have 「Dark Illusion」 or 「Evil Eye」, you’ll end up getting tortured to death!!」

「Dark Illusion? Evil Eye? What is that?」

I glanced at Bradd, who was also acting as a battle commentator, but he didn’t seem to know it either.

「You can figure that out later on!! Don’t just stand there, hurry up and run away!!」

Mr. Queer Witch was hurrying us along.
Looking at him again from close up, I realize that he is quite short.
Or should I say his possessed body?
He is wrapped in a robe and hood, so it is hard to tell for sure, but he clearly has a smaller build than Bradd.
However, his back seemed exceedingly dependable.

But Addis easily stopped us from escaping with one terrifying sentence.

「…… Are you sick of playing tag already? If you run away, I’ll crush the heads of the people lying around here.」

Adis lightly kicked the unconscious〈Lawless Crew〉and the imperial guards with his feet.

「…… You bastard ……!!」

「You coward ……!!」

「Nuahaha!! This mask has neither eyes nor ears. I will neither see nor lend an ear to what you’re saying. Besides I don’t want to be called a traitor.」

Bradd grunted in anger, and Mr. Queer Witch gnashed his teeth, but Addis scoffed and lifted his jaw that was covered by his mask.

「…… Then shut up, because you are wearing a mask with no mouth. I’ll lock you up in here and make sure you can’t do anything bad!! Young boy, leave this place to me!! …… Haaaaa!!」

As Bradd was about to leap out in a fit of anger, he was restrained by Mr. Queer Witch, who stuck out his hands in a spirited gesture. The vines in the vicinity of Addis, which had been spread out in the previous battle, began to move and twined themselves around the tree trunks and becoming like a small barbed-wire birdcage, quickly isolating Addis alone.

「…… I’m going to have to put a troublesome guy like you to sleep!!」

Vines covered the outside of the thorny cage and bud all at once.
Mr. Queer Witch is going to wrap it up with his signature sleep attack using the pollen!!

Addis sighed and removed the stuffed cat attached to his shoulder.

「…… Good grief, I was just having a little fun, and this is what I get!? In the end, I can’t be friends with anyone, unless they are one of the seven phantoms. You’re so horrible to try to put me to sleep even though it’s in the middle of the day. It’s such a shame, but I’m going to have to sacrifice my pet in order to keep me awake. Farewell. Cat-kitty. I hope you can forgive me.」

He grasped the head and body of the stuffed animal, held it above his head, and made it nod.

「…… No!! I will never forgive you!! I will curse you until the end of time, meowwww!!」

「Nuahahaha, I’m so happy. Love and hate are two sides of the same coin. The bond between us will last forever!?」

He performed a skit with a sickening ventriloquism and laughed loudly.
Then he twisted the stuffed cat’s torso in half.
The cotton that had been thoroughly dyed in the color of blood began to overflow from it.
It looked like real intestines and was extremely unpleasant. I nearly threw up.

This guy’s behavior is really revolting ……

There was a sound of air whirling.

「…… Nuahahaha!! Special technique!! Zaku Zaku Slash!!」

Along with the remnants of the stuffed animal that had been carelessly tossed away, the thorns and vines that surrounded Addis were instantly cut into tiny pieces and the flower buds scattered in a flash.

「…… Ugh, the flower haven’t bloomed ……!! This won’t let the sleeping pollen fly.」

Mr. Queer Witch turned pale.

「…… Tch, how about this ……!!」

The fans thrown by Bradd attacked Addis from all directions without a pause, but they were all torn apart in exactly the same way and scattered in pieces. In addition, the pieces of the fans bounced around in the air as if they were being whipped from all directions.

「Hey hey ……」

Bradd’s face stiffened.

Another different type of attack again!? I don’t get it!! What the hell is this guy!?

「…… Have you run out of moves? Well then, it’ll be my turn now. It’s now the long-awaited entrance of the bride. Everyone, please welcome the bride with applause. Panhahaha!? Panhahahaha!? Panhaha, panhaha …… ♫」

Humming an irritating wedding march-like tune with an off-tune melody, Addis walked toward us with an air of composure. He’s making fun of us. He knows that any attack by anyone here will not work on him.

「Trample on the kitty. I stepped on the kitty, so now it’s dead. Puchuuuu.」

With his toes, he happily trampled on the piece of the stuffed cat that barely retains the shape of its face.

I had a bitter realization why Bradd had suddenly tried to escape.
This guy is definitely not an opponent that we should be fighting against.

「…… No ……!! I’m not strong enough to stop Addis the Faceless ……!!」

Mr. Queer Witch shuddered in despair.

「…… Kuh!! I haven’t run out of arrows yet ……!!」

「Mother!! Don’t!!」

I desperately tried to stop my mother who was about to attack Addis with her archery technique.

Even if there was a possibility of her arrows being returned back at her, she would not hesitate to protect me, her daughter.
However, the situation was different from the time when I had the support of the〈Lawless Crew〉earlier.
I must not let her release the arrow.
If Addis returned the arrow, she would be killed this time.

…… But what should I do ……!!
I bit my thumbnail. My whole body is soaked with cold sweat.

「…… At this rate, we’ll be in a stalemate ……!! What should I do ……!!」

There is no time. If we don’t do something, we will all be trampled down by this monster.
Don’t give up!! Think of a way to get over Addis’ invisible attack ……!!　
In order for everyone to survive ……!!

「…… Well, I do have a move.」

A voice suddenly called out from behind us and we nearly jumped up.