As the Hero slowly descended the crimson spiral staircase, I immediately activated Clairvoyance. If we were about to fight, I wasn’t about to let my guard down.
But then—
| DON’T LOOK WITHOUT PERMISSION, YOU DUMBASS. |
“…You’ve got to be kidding me.”
That was all I saw.
Instead of his status screen, all Clairvoyance returned was a blunt message telling me not to look. I couldn’t glean a single detail about his abilities.
“So old man’s appraisal skill is called Clairvoyance, huh?”
The Hero’s first words after stepping off the staircase caught me completely off guard.
He knew…
He knew I’d just activated Clairvoyance. He even knew exactly how the skill worked.
Satsuki-chan told him?
Or… had he been watching every second of my livestream from the shadows all along?
“Preparation is everything, old man. I’ve already crammed every last detail about your abilities and skills into my head.”
He tapped his temple with a finger, eyes opened wide in an exaggerated, taunting grin.
However he’d done it, one thing was clear. He hadn’t come here blindly. He had thoroughly investigated everything about me beforehand and had entered this confrontation armed with a frightening amount of information.
His attitude, though… it was less “Hero” and more career criminal.
Annoyingly enough, he looked every bit the part of a handsome young man—smooth blue hair, sharp features, and the kind of refreshing appearance that could’ve made him the protagonist of any fantasy story. But the aura surrounding him was pure malice.
There wasn’t a single thing about him that deserved the title of Hero.
| > So that’s the Hero… > First time I’ve ever seen him in person. > His name is Soma, right? > Oh, that’s his name? > Add a couple of marks to it and it sounds like “Great Demon King.” LOL > Honestly, what he’s done is even crueler than a Demon King. > Looks like Clairvoyance didn’t work on him. > He’s definitely taken serious countermeasures. > Could it have something to do with this being the Guild Headquarters? > At this point it’s not a trick anymore—it’s a full-blown setup. > A meticulously prepared trap. > So he came here to settle things personally. > Maybe the Hero’s more cornered than he lets on. > Think he’s actually scared of the old man? |
“I’m not scared, damn it! Shut up, you antisocial basement-dwellers! I’ll wipe every last one of you out!”
“…Eh?”
…Wait. Don’t tell me…
Was he reading the same chat feed?
Now that I thought about it, his eyes had been flicking toward the upper left every so often. He wasn’t zoning out. He’d been checking the floating livestream comments.
…What an unbelievably obnoxious opponent.
| > Huh?! What’d you say, you damn Hero?! > Quit picking fights with us, idiot. > Like you’re not a loser yourself. > All you ever do is hide behind dirty tricks. > You’re just jealous because the old man’s stronger than you. > What the hell have you been plotting behind the Guild Headquarters’ back? > More importantly, give Satsuki back, you bastard! > Otin was a good guy… > You’ve got no chance against the old man. > Acting tough just because 4.5 million people are watching? > This guy’s just an attention-seeking monster. > Hurry up and get flattened by the old man already, scrub. > Where’s Satsuki-taaan?! > Go ahead and tremble in fear. |
…Wow.
That bastard Hero had somehow managed to draw every ounce of the viewers’ hatred onto himself.
Wasn’t this basically a full-blown online dogpile?
“You weak little losers are the pathetic ones! Shut up and watch, you pieces of trash!”
…Actually… wasn’t he taking those insults a little personally?
His face was bright red with rage. If the comments were making him that angry, why keep reading them?
More importantly. His status could wait. First, I had to find Satsuki-chan.
She wasn’t anywhere nearby…
So where is she?
“Hey! Give me back my friend, now!”
Mina-chan shouted, stepping up beside Shion-san.
She opened with the most direct demand imaginable.
But… come on. There was no way he’d answer something that straightforward.
“I don’t know anything about your*friend. But if you’re talking about Satsuki…”
Without taking his eyes off us, the Hero casually pointed upward.
“…She’s up there.”
H-he actually answered?
Even while keeping us squarely in his sights, he raised a finger toward the ceiling.
Yeah, right. Like I was going to fall for that.
The second I looked up, he’d use the opening to attack. Nice try. Not happening.
“Ah… Satsuki…”
“I see. So that’s what it is…”
Since I never took my eyes off the Hero, Mina-chan and Shion-san looked up in my place. Their reactions couldn’t have been more different. Mina-chan’s voice was filled with despair. Shion-san’s carried the tone of someone who’d just solved a puzzle.
Which told me absolutely nothing!
Could somebody please be a little more specific?
Satsuki-chan is… above us?
But how? What exactly were they seeing?
| > Wait… those are suicide talismans. > She’s completely wrapped up… > Is Satsuki unconscious? > This Hero is the worst of the worst. > So if anyone fights, she’ll explode? > About what we expected, honestly. > Can’t the old man’s speed do something here? > Better assume he’s already prepared for that too. > Hey, Hero. Fight fair for once. |
The viewers’ comments painted a grim enough picture.
Whatever state Satsuki-chan was in… it was anything but normal.
The Hero scoffed.
“Fight fair? That was my intention from the start. Hey, you damn priest.”
“What is it, you damn Hero?”
“How about you and me settle this one-on-one?”
…This guy. Did he honestly believe this counted as a fair fight?
At that moment, I was angrier than I’d ever been in my entire life. Angrier than the time back in my office-worker days when my department manager’s colossal screw-up had somehow been pinned entirely on me, earning me a disciplinary pay cut.
That rage didn’t even come close.
“…You’ve got Satsuki-chan held hostage. Don’t you think calling this a fair fight is a bit much?”
“Hahaha… Yeah, you’ve got a point.”
“…”
He actually admitted it.
“But that’s just insurance in case something unexpected happens. I don’t intend to kill her. She’s still useful to me after all. Losing her here wouldn’t benefit me either.”
“Then—!”
“So relax. While you and I are fighting, I won’t activate it.”
His smile vanished.
“But if anyone tries to rescue her…”
His gaze shifted briefly toward Mina-chan and Shion-san behind me.
“…or if those two decide to interfere…”
He shrugged as though discussing the weather.
“Then it’s over. She blows up immediately.”
“…”
The room fell deathly silent.
I didn’t believe a single word he said. Not for a second. But as things stood, I couldn’t think of any reliable way to rescue Satsuki-chan.
For now, the only option left was to accept his proposal and fight him one-on-one. At the very least, I needed to buy us some time. While I kept the Hero occupied, maybe Mina-chan and Shion-san would come up with a way to save her.
It was a slim hope. Painfully slim. But it was the only hope we had.
“…Fine.”
“I’ll take you on one-on-one, you damn Hero.”
The Hero’s lips curled into a savage grin.
“Good.”
“Try not to bore me, you damn priest!”
A death match. Priest versus Hero.
Each prepared to stake his life on the outcome. The curtain finally rose on their decisive battle.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeneijiworks.com
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