Evil Avalon

Chapter 152 Sorel's Mad Dog

(TL:By Rafael,valhallatls.blogspot.com)

— Kirigaya Sousuke’s Perspective —

— I hated him. That father of mine, who strutted around just because he was an adventurer.

Every day, I lived in fear, bracing myself for his violent outbursts, constantly watching his mood. Yet, despite how invincible he seemed, even he would bow his head and grovel before adventurers stronger than him—just like I did.

In the end, it all comes down to violence.

People easily submit to violence. With it, I can crush anyone who pisses me off and climb as high as I want. That was the only thing I ever learned from that bastard of a father—but…

*・・*・・*・・*・・*・・*

(— Ugh… Was I unconscious…?)

A small stone hitting my head jolts me back to consciousness. It seems I was dreaming about my wretched childhood, leaving me in an utterly foul mood.

I try to lift my body while assessing my surroundings, but the sharp pain in my ribs forces me to abandon the attempt. On top of that, several of my molars are broken, filling my mouth with blood. My ankle is swollen, making it impossible to walk without support. As I attempt to recall how I ended up in this state, bitter memories flood my mind, making me hang my head in frustration.

(That damn four-eyed bastard…)

Sanada Yukikage, the Number Two of "Colors." Ever since that traitor landed a powerful kick to my temple, I have no memory of what happened next. Clenching my dirt- and blood-covered hands, my frustration and hatred swell inside me.

How much time has passed since then? Rolling up my sleeve to check my watch, I sigh in relief—it hasn’t been too long. Yet at the same time, the thought that Kuki's old man and my comrades might already be dead fills me with a suffocating sense of helplessness.

I screwed up—big time.

I had gathered a bunch of thugs as underlings and created the raiding clan "Sorel," crushing my rivals and amassing wealth. I planned to use that as a stepping stone to climb to the top. But despite all that, the higher-ups of Kinrankai refused to acknowledge me, and I remained stuck in obscurity.

But the gods hadn't abandoned me.

By sheer luck, I stumbled upon the "New Area" and the "Teleportation Device"—a fortune beyond imagination. Using that as leverage, I carved out a position within Kinrankai, poured my fortune into expanding my crew, and negotiated with both Kuki's old man and Sanada. Following a delicate web of connections, I even managed to reach a position where I could negotiate with the Holy Empire.

I thought that once I sealed a lucrative deal, even a seat among the Colors' executives would be within reach… But I had made one fatal mistake—I had forgotten about "violence."

There was no way an equal negotiation could work when dealing with the Holy Empire, the world's most dominant force. With the teleportation device—a treasure trove of untold wealth—right before their eyes, they had no reason to sit and negotiate. They could simply take it by force.

On top of that, I completely misjudged Sanada's hatred for Colors. I knew he and Kuki were bitter enemies, but I never imagined he would go so far as to weaponize the Holy Empire against Kinrankai, aiming for total annihilation. That bastard’s completely unhinged…

I had planned to exploit the Holy Empire, squeezing them for wealth and intel, but instead, I was the one being played by Sanada. This is pathetic.

(But still… what the hell is going on? Why am I still alive?)

My brain is still sluggish, but I cautiously scan my surroundings while pretending to be unconscious. In the distance, I see a small group engaged in conversation.

Those are Holy Empire members—Kafka and Svetlana. The woman in full plate armor has her face hidden, so I can't identify her, but I recognize the other two. Among Mihailo’s subordinates, they rank among the most dangerous. There's also someone unfamiliar standing with them.

(Who’s that…? They’re not one of ours from Kinrankai.)

Dressed in a black suit with a bowtie, he looks like an invited guest… or perhaps a noble involved in business dealings. He’s short, chubby, and appears to be a teenager. With his brows lowered and a servile smile, he seems to be begging for his life. But why the hell is a brat like him on this rooftop?

Either way, the moment they spot me, it's over. They aren’t the kind to show mercy, and even if that kid pleads for his life, there's no way they’d let him go. A slow, painful death awaits him.

But if their attention is on him, that means it’s my chance to escape. Gritting my teeth against the pain, I start crawling—

(What the… what is that?)

The fat man begins drawing something in the air. The swirling mana, the complex circular patterns… It’s a magic circle. Normally, creating one requires finely crushed high-grade magic stones, rare catalysts dropped by monsters, and multiple mages providing mana. Yet, he’s drawing one effortlessly.

Forgetting my escape, I focus on his technique, hoping to steal something useful. Suddenly, an immense surge of mana erupts. His once-flabby belly tightens slightly, and his entire presence transforms into that of a seasoned warrior. I had assumed he was just a helpless kid, but he’s an adventurer.

That said, his opponents—the Holy Empire operatives—are battle-hardened warriors who have fought across European warzones. They were deployed in active war zones until just recently. No matter how strong that kid’s abilities are, there's no way he can win.

Or so I thought—until he drew another magic circle.

(It's a useless struggle…)

Or so I believed—until I saw the difference.

A suffocating amount of mana filled the air, rapidly condensing before exploding into a blinding, rainbow-colored radiance that engulfed everything around it.

His muscles swelled so dramatically that they were visible even through his suit. With a deep growl, he unleashed a crimson-black aura that shot skyward. The sheer density and power of his mana were beyond anything I had ever witnessed. Even from dozens of meters away, I felt the primal fear of being stared down by a colossal predator. His magic was on par with the Holy Empire's monsters.

Even Svetlana’s shocked expression confirmed that this was far from ordinary. Despite being surrounded by three warriors, the man gripped his twin swords, eyes sharp and unwavering.

I had assumed no fight would break out. But now, a battle unlike any I had ever seen was about to begin. I wanted to flee immediately, but with my battered body, all I could do was press myself to the ground and remain motionless.

Then, the world fell silent—eerily so—before the tranquility was shattered by an earth-shaking impact.

A single step cracked the concrete beneath his feet, closing the distance in an instant. The clash of weapons resounded like an explosion, sending shockwaves through the air and crumbling the ground with each strike.

It was a relentless exchange of blows between monsters far beyond ordinary combatants.

But even among them, the way that bowtie-wearing man fought was beyond anything I could comprehend…

He was enveloped in an unbelievable amount of fighting spirit, precisely deflecting powerful slashes and magic bullets coming from his blind spots. His movements were almost godlike, as if he had eyes on the back of his head. Even while surrounded by the Holy Empire's warriors, he wasn’t being pushed back at all.

How many life-or-death battles had he survived to develop such a fighting style? Or was this also the effect of some kind of skill? More importantly, was this really the same weak-willed, servile man from earlier?

I squinted, trying to confirm his true identity, and saw him baring his fangs in a demonic expression, taking on Kafka and the fully armored knight head-on with immense killing intent. His previously stocky build had become sharp and defined, and his overwhelming presence made him seem like a completely different person. But his clothing, facial structure, and overall aura remained the same—

(Shit… that was close!)

Suddenly, a chunk of concrete the size of my head flew toward me. I quickly rolled to the side, barely avoiding it. The pain in my ribs nearly made me cry out, but I managed to suppress it. Letting my guard down in the middle of this monstrous battle would be suicidal.

I wanted to escape as soon as possible, but the only exit was beyond the battlefield where the monsters were clashing, making it impossible. Instead, I cautiously moved in the opposite direction, trying to put some distance between myself and the chaos. Meanwhile, the deafening sounds of destruction and violent tremors grew even more intense. It seemed like they were about to settle things once and for all.

The armored knight initiated the exchange with a weapon skill that sliced through the air, followed by a barrage of powerful techniques that turned the entire area into a wasteland. Killing intent and magic swirled together, debris flew at insane speeds, and visibility worsened.

There was no way he could withstand attacks from three sides at once. The fight was over—at least, that’s what I thought. But then, the man leaped through the air at an inhuman speed, moving like a flash of light.

In an instant, Svetlana and the armored knight spewed blood and were slammed to the ground. But the man didn’t stop. He kept darting around midair like a bullet, mercilessly slashing Kafka from every direction.

Even from a distance, I could barely comprehend what was happening. If I were watching from up close, even warriors of the Holy Empire would be powerless against him.

A powerful skill. A combat style unlike anything I had ever seen. A body, mind, and technique strong enough to withstand it all. Everything was masterfully combined and refined into overwhelming violence.

This… this was the ideal I had been striving for.

Kafka collapsed forward as his magical energy faded. At the same time, the man sank to his knees, exhausted. He seemed annoyed by how tattered his formal suit had become, but considering the superhuman movements he had just performed, it was only natural that normal clothing wouldn’t hold up.

(Now, what should I do…? If he spots me, this could get really troublesome.)

After witnessing so many hidden skills, there was a chance I’d be silenced just to keep things secret. Pretending to be unconscious was probably the safest option. However, with multiple powerful magic circles still active in this building, there wasn’t much time left to escape.

As I desperately prayed for him to leave, suppressing my growing anxiety—another person arrived. Just great. Another headache to deal with.

Was he another reinforcement from the Holy Empire? Frustrated, I shifted my eyes slightly to get a better look.

He was a young man, seemingly the same age as the bowtie-wearing fighter. Unlike him, though, this new arrival was dressed in a hakama. Was he an ally? It was unclear. Without hesitation, he walked across the devastated rooftop, stepping over the remnants of battle.

"Bravo! That was amazing! What kind of skill was that? I’m seriously impressed! Here, I brought you a souvenir!"

His cheerful voice echoed across the ruined rooftop as he looked around with excitement. At first glance, he seemed like a carefree fool.

But then I noticed what he was casually carrying in his hand—

And in that moment, I knew.

This guy was a monster, too.

"…I don’t need it. Mamiya-san, so you’re alive. Is that head from the Holy Empire?"

"That’s right! I worked hard, you know? It was a spur-of-the-moment decision, but the division of roles went well, so all’s good. By the way, why do you look so skinny?"

The man in the bowtie brushed the dust off his suit with a bitter expression and replied, somewhat resentfully, "I got thinner thanks to you dumping those two troublesome opponents on me."

Does he have some strange constitution where fighting makes him lose weight? …No, that’s not the part I should be focusing on.

The ones who came from the Holy Empire to Japan were undoubtedly elites. That was obvious just from their levels and backgrounds. Some of them, like Kafka, were so famous that their names were known even in far-off Japan.

There were barely any adventurers, even among large-scale raid clans, who could stand against them. And to not just fight but win against multiple opponents would require a level of skill representative of Japan’s top adventurers.

And yet, these damn kids are taking down adventurers from the Holy Empire one after another… What the hell is going on?

That guy in the hakama—was his name Mamiya? I don’t recognize his face, but is he part of a special forces unit? I’ve heard rumors that the military secretly trains combatants to counter foreign adventurers… but to think they’ve raised warriors of this caliber. At this rate, adventurer clans will be left in the dust.

"Hey, hey, Narumi-kun. That guy over there is watching us—what do we do?"

"Huh? Oh, really?"

(Tch…)

As I was analyzing them from the corner of my eye, Mamiya suddenly pointed at me and started heading over with the bowtie guy—Narumi. As their footsteps drew closer, my heartbeat pounded in my ears. I needed to think fast about how to handle this.

Should I pretend I just regained consciousness?

"Ugh… Where am I? What the hell happened…?"

"Huh? But you were watching us the whole time, weren’t you?"

"……"

Damn, this Mamiya guy—he’s sharper than he looks. Looks like I’ll have to wing it.

"Sorry, but could you give me a hand? My legs are busted, and I’m in bad shape."

"You really got messed up, huh? Here, you can have this."

"Ah… Thanks. I should probably call my party’s Priest—wait, what the hell?!"

I sat up, pretending to be friendly, and Narumi handed me a bottle filled with red liquid. This… is an HP potion, right? Judging by its deep color, it’s extremely pure. He wants me to drink it?

I cautiously opened the lid and took a sip. A thick, syrupy sweetness slid down my throat. The moment it hit my stomach, white steam rose from my wounds, and the swelling and pain disappeared in seconds. Even my broken molar regenerated as if something were pushing it up from beneath the gumline.

This level of potency and instant effect—this thing has to be worth at least a million yen. What the hell are they thinking, giving me something like this?

These guys are literal monsters. It’s impossible to fully grasp their intentions, but if they aren’t planning to kill me, then I have no choice but to use them. The question is, how do I steer this situation in my favor? First, I need to close the distance between us.

"I owe you one. Since you’re here, does that mean you want to do something about the magic circle? If so, we should share information. My name’s Kirigaya Sousuke, and—"

"I am the champion of justice, the second coming of Inferno Blaze Maru!"

"Then I’ll be… Poo-tan."

"…Mamiya. Narumi. Let’s get on with this."

Mamiya struck a dramatic pose, shouting some kind of superhero alias, while Narumi, as if humoring him, made a halfhearted attempt at a pose himself. Are they screwing with me?

But I don’t have time to argue. The biggest threat is the Explosion Magic Circle supposedly created by the Saintess from Eastern Europe. I’d initially given up on stopping it and prioritized escaping, but if these guys can actually take down the Holy Empire’s warriors, then the situation changes. If there’s a chance to save my allies, I have to bring them into this fight.

Just as I was about to share what I knew about the magic circles, a strong tremor shook the ground beneath me. A massive beam of light shot up from the lower floors, piercing straight through the night sky.

"What the hell was that?"

"Looks like Mikhail has started rampaging. What should we do?"

"Huh? Hmm… what to do, indeed?"

The light illuminated the entire area and blasted a hole through the clouds above. That level of energy output—it had to be a high-tier destructive spell.

If Mikhail is fighting, that means…

Sanada had planned to use everyone in this building as test subjects for new jobs and combat training. Naturally, that meant they’d be up against the adventurers here, but I figured they wouldn’t stand a chance and would be wiped out instantly by the Holy Empire’s overwhelming force.

But if Mikhail himself is taking action, it means the Holy Empire is struggling more than expected. Maybe Kuki’s old man and the others are holding their ground better than I thought.

If that’s the case, then we still have a chance. To turn this fight around, we need to deal with the magic circles first and eliminate any lingering threats.

It pisses me off to have to bow my head to these brats, but this isn’t something I can handle alone. If I don’t act fast, we’re all dead.

"We don’t have time. I’ll tell you everything I know—just work with me!"

TL Note- Interesting developments....

Next

Prev