“As expected, that maid was really set up by you. Or should I say, you sent someone to watch me because you know it would be bad if I found out about this secret dinner.”
Without knowing her reply, I could somehow understand the whole story. That white-haired maid … Snow, was sent by someone to watch over me. But of course, since she works on the Sanjou family’s villa, her master must be someone from the Sanjou Family.
There is a possibility that the person who sent her is someone who wanted to kill Hiiro in the Esco Word, such as the main family of Sanjou Family, or maybe the next head of the family, Sanjou Rei herself… However, there are some occasions where that maid deliberately shows herself when watching me.
In that case, I can easily guess the reason. That is because she wanted me to find out that Sanjou Rei was her master.
Not only that, she was probably also sent to make sure of my change. That could be seen from how she didn’t hide her intention to watch over me when she followed me to the dungeon and tried to see how I would react.
Then she gave me a direct request to rescue Rei… by giving me the membership card of this restaurant. Because normally, a maid wouldn’t look that serious when her master asks her to recommend a place for lunch. The fact that the place is a restaurant of the Sanjou Group also has been in my mind.
In the end, my guess was correct. Rei Sanjou, who should have been laughing happily next to her destined girl, the protagonist, now was crying surrounded by these bastards.
There is no way I can forgive them.
Do you know why?
Because, I am— the protector of Yuri.
“Oi you fucking old hags. Was it fun encircling and harassing a girl in a group….? I don’t really understand, but I’d love to hear your thoughts.”
When I said that to the higher-ups of the Sanjou Family, they became discomposed in an understandable manner.
“Hiiro… Do you know who you are talking to?”
“Do YOU guys know who you made cry!?”
Saying that, I hit the table with my heels.
*Bang*
With a huge noise, the plates and tableware bounced, then landed in their original position. Then, while folding my hands behind my head, I grinned.
“A-are you crazy, Hiiro!?”
“Choose your words wisely, fucking hag. We’re currently eating with the whole family. Be more polite. Oi.”
I called the bodyguard who was aiming at me from behind. Hearing that, she was startled and tried to move to swing her sword-shaped magic device.
“You better stop. If you kill me while there are other customers, the Sanjou Family is over.”
“Ugh… M-my presence…?”
“Sit there. It will be over soon.”
Like that, I dominated the place while creating the atmosphere of an expert. But to be honest… cold sweat poured all over my body.
Presence? There is no way I can read something like that. Your action was just reflected on a spoon, so I just bluffed.
It is impossible to take this number of people alone, after all. If it’s just one or two bodyguards, I might be able to do something, but if they attack me at the same time, I will definitely die.
Although I subconsciously rushed in with momentum after knowing that they’re trying to dirty the Yuri…. what should I do with this situation….
I stealthily wiped the sweat from my forehead, so they didn’t notice it.
As if to put salt in my wound, I just finished training with my master, so I have almost no magic power remaining. My body is tattered, and I can’t even swing my sword.
But, well, unfortunately…
My priority is Yuri>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Me>>> Others.
I will gladly burn this life. For the future of Yuri. Besides, as long as I don’t get killed until my trump card arrives, it’s my win… I guess, let’s do this!! (Positive thinking)
“Rei.”
“…Yes”
“What happened? I want to hear it from your mouth.”
“T-that’s…”
“Do not worry.”
Saying that, I smiled at her.
“No matter what, I will protect you. Well, I know it is hard to believe me after all those times, though.”
“The S-Sanjou family is–”
“Rei!! If you say it, you are done!! Do you understand!? Oi, you guys!!”
With bloody eyes, the hag called the bodyguards.
“This building is owned by the Sanjou Group!! You can do anything here!! Get rid of him quickly!!”
With that, pale magic power oozed from them and– they pulled the trigger at the same time, generating a black mist that covered us.
Oi oi, you serious!? All of them activating Shut Out (Darkness attribute magic)!? Are they seriously going to kill me here!?
At the same time, the Sanjou Family waiters were brilliantly moving the guests to the outside.
Without hesitation, I flipped the table and held Rei in my arms.
“Kya!”
“My bad. I can’t do anything about this. You can say ‘what a creep’ once… Oops!?”
*Sling*
Breaking through the mist, a black Katana slashed toward us. Fortunately, I can see— Nn? Are?
I lightly took a step back to avoid it.
“Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!”
Following that, holding overhead position, the bodyguard was slashing at me while shouting.
Yes, in other words, they are giving away their positions by shouting, which completely erases their advantage after hindering my sight. Moreover, perhaps so that they didn’t attack each other because of Shut Out, those bodyguards attacked me one by one.
Come to think of it, I think the AI of the Sanjou Family’s bodyguards who fought in the Rei route were indeed small fries… But, this time they’re not AI and…. they fundamentally should be difficult opponents for Hiiro, though.
Of course, I also have pulled my trigger.
『Generate: Layer of Magic Power』, 『Alter: Optic Nerve』, 『Alter: Musculoskeletal』…. Yes, it is the usual body strengthening set, but something is still weird.
“Dieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!”
Aren’t these guys too slow…?
Even though they’re coming from all directions…
*Sling* *Sling* *Shuu* *Shuu*
I managed to evade the slashes that came to me while holding Rei in my arms. Moreover, perhaps because the number of slashing patterns is smaller compared to Master’s, I gradually get used to it and can avoid them with a slight movement. Yes, through an actual battle, I came to understand.
Ah, I see. Looks like I made a mistake in how I handle my magic power until now.
All this time, I have been pointlessly using almost all of my magic power, so I was exhausted immediately, and I couldn’t even save them. Since I have only been fighting with my magic power in full condition, I had never thought about the way I released my magic power and how it was distributed.
And now, by fighting with almost no magic power, I was able to consciously notice it.
Even when I do my daily magic enhancement running, I pour all my magic power around my lower limbs and completely ignore the other parts. Thus, even though the total amount of my magic power indeed increased, I rarely learned how to utilize it perfectly. Master even said, ‘I couldn’t even understand how you could become stronger with that magic power enhancement running of yours’.
I see. I finally understand the meaning of Master’s words.
Which means, the next thing I have to learn is… how to utilize my magic power and the application of magic through consoles.
“O-Onii-sama…”
Astonished, Rei widened her eyes.
“B-before I knew it… You have become this strong…”
I walked through the sea of slashes, evaded them, and then dropped Rei in a safe place.
By no means I am superior in the terms of swordsmanship with the bodyguards. If I tried to cross my swords with them in this condition, I would be the one killed. The magic power that was used to strengthen my body is also about to run out.
I have no choice but to finish this fight in the next move.
With that in mind, I changed my consoles. I gently pulled my sword and pointed the muzzle at the bodyguards.
And perhaps because they also have been wasting their magic power, they were out of breath…. While the hags were hiding behind the table, screamed.
“Quickly do something about that failure!! This world doesn’t need a ‘man’ who inherited the blood of Sanjou the most!!”
“What is not necessary for this world is–”
Laughing, I screamed.
“Someone like you bastards who tried to destroy Yuri!! Including Sanjou Hiiro, I’ll make sure you take the responsibility for it!!”
Then, with all my power– I pulled the trigger.
With tremendous momentum, the magic power gushing out from my body traced the consoles in the sheath, and connected them.
Connect–『Attribute: light』, 『Generate: Ball』.
“Blow away.”
At that moment, the inside of the restaurant was surrounded by pale blue light and–
I continued to maintain the magic power I poured into the magic.
And then they flew. The light ball that burst was divided into thousands of small bullets and hit the body of those bodyguards. With a dull sound, the bodyguards then screamed and fell down. Not only them, there were holes in the table where those hags were hiding, and a high-pitched scream echoed throughout the room.
After that, everything was wrapped in silence.
Until with a loud plosive sound, the hanging chandelier fell, scattering glass on the floor.
In the middle of that, with a hoarse laughing voice, I kneeled.
“As expected… that move emptied my magic power…”
“Onii-sama!”
Rei ran and supported me who had collapsed.
“Why did you… do something this rash…”
“Date a girl…. Date a girl…. Date a girl… (Dying will).”
Perhaps because relieved, Rei smiled— if a hag didn’t point a pistol-shaped magic device at us.
Looking at that, Rei’s smile froze.
“Grandaunt-sama… Why did you bring your magic device to the dinner party…!”
“It’s called a trump card. My age is not just a number, you brats. Rei, your last hope 『Kagerou』 is not in your hands right now, right?”
The hag then shook her ring-filled hand annoyingly.
“Get away. If you do that, I’ll let you off. You are the important girl who will inherit the Sanjou Name, after all.”
“….”
Hearing that, Rei hugged me tightly to protect me.
“Is that your answer?”
“Snow… the maid that I trusted the most said.”
She raised her face and declared.
“『Sanjou Hiiro has been reborn』… I believe those words… No, I believe in this person who fought hard to protect me. That’s why, I will never comply with you guys who are trying to kill Onii-sama.”
“Says someone who had been crying until a while ago when she heard that discussion.”
The thick makeup hag then smiled sarcastically.
“Very regrettable, Rei.”
Then she slowly pulled the trigger– until a blade placed in her neck.
“When I thought my cute disciple had finally invited me for lunch…”
With her blade placed in the hag’s neck, Astemil smiled.
“In Japan, do some people eat with a magic device instead of chopsticks?”
“A-Astemil Klue La Lumet… Why is the monster of Alfheim in this kind of place…”
“That’s it.”
Quietly, Lapis appears in front of us.
“I only watched because I was told to not do anything, but… I’m already at my limit. Although I’m not interested in your house turmoil, if you tried to do something to my friend, that’s a different matter.”
Her eyes, after having taken off her baseball cap and untied her golden hair, shined really brightly.
“If you want to continue, I’ll be your opponent.”
“L-lapis Klue La Lumet…?!”
Big names came out of her mouth one after another. And the hag finally realized who set up their appearance in this place.
While shivering, the hag glared at me.
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“Hiiro, you…!”
“The real trump card is… something that will appear at the very end when your opponent has lost all their cards, you know…. Idiot…”
While being held by Rei, I raised my middle finger with my trembling hand.
“Let me tell you… my age is also not a number, old hag…. our brain circulation… is different…”