Chapter 128: Accelerator August looks down at me without a word.
Are you mad? Is that it? I felt the same way when you told me to play 1:100 Death Tag. How does it feel to have the shoe on the other foot?
By the way, I didn't know you could actually pause the Illusion Space.
It's not that people have stopped moving, but there's this eerie sensation that the world itself has come to a standstill.
Debris from a building I was hit by earlier is suspended in mid-air. When I wave my hand through the empty space, the air feels fixed in place, offering a strange resistance.
It's a very surreal feeling.
"I will be preventing any further acts of self-harm."
"How? If I commit suicide, who gets the points?"
"No. Physically, you are now unable to harm yourself."
…Does that mean my own attacks won't deal damage to me?
As a test, I pick up the Etiquette Infuser I'd dropped and tap myself on the head. My mana barrier doesn't budge.
"I apologize for the interruption in the proceedings."
"So, can we just start beating the crap out of Yeon-woo now?"
Look at Park Yu-jeong, all excited to ask that.
However, our true mentor, August, shakes his head.
"Resuming right here would only throw the Exchange Meet into further chaos."
Hear, hear! Very fair!
Because of my suicide stunt, time was stalled, and the current students and transfer students are all mixed together.
If we started again right here, it would be a total bloodbath.
"Ehh~ We almost had him. Isn't this a loss for us then?"
"In the end, you failed to catch him."
"That's because we're losing out due to your flimsy rules."
"I admit the rules were flawed. However, I cannot grant you any special favors."
As August speaks firmly, Park Yu-jeong shrugs and backs off, realizing she can't push him any further.
"I will relocate the target before we begin."
As August addresses the crowd, he reaches out toward me, and my vision shifts instantly.
Since this uses the Illusion Space's system, it feels different from actual teleportation.
Actually, is 'different' even the right word? I blinked, and the location just changed. There wasn't even enough of a sensation to describe.
Where the hell am I?
I look around the interior of the building and walk to the window. I can see people in the distance.
It would've been nice if he'd sent me to the edge of the city, but he didn't send me as far as I'd hoped.
Boom—!
"Oh..."
I don't know who it is, but someone's actually using their brain.
The moment August disappeared, someone attacked the person standing next to them.
Exactly. Everyone's guard is down; now's the best time to thin out the opposition's numbers.
I look closer to see who the smart one is, and I immediately grimace.
It's that Under-the-Bed bastard.
The guy who steals heroines in NTR plots is attacking Akito.
That guy and I are thinking on the same wavelength? I hate that.
But are you going to be okay? The kid you're messing with is a human butcher who eventually becomes the strongest man alive, sleeps with all the women, and slaughters all the men.
Naturally, Akito—who already proved he's number one at Yggdrasil during the tournament—easily parries the surprise attack and corners Under-the-Bed in an instant.
Pwahaha! Look at that panicked face.
Listen, you brat, that's exactly what Akito's going to do to you later if you try to steal his heroines.
Anyway, once Under-the-Bed pulled that cowardly sneak attack, the current and transfer students started wailing on each other, and the whole place turned into a madhouse.
Ahahaha—sorry about that, August.
But I didn't do it. Under-the-Bed was just being a cheap bastard, and you shouldn't have bunched them all up like that.
I'll just leave them to fight amongst themselves and skip away merrily.
"It seems there are at least a few humans with some spirit."
"… …"
Hearing a voice that sounds beautiful but incredibly arrogant, I slowly turn around.
That Kkanp bitch... why is she here?
"Hmm? For a human, you have an appearance that could almost rival a noble elf."
"No, that can't be right."
"Heh, humans consider humility a virtue, but it's really just a way to package a fragile ego and a lack of self-confidence."
"What are you talking about? It's not that I 'rival' you; I have a world-class face."
"…Hmph, fine. Having lived among ugly humans with that face, it's no wonder your vanity pierces the heavens. But remember, there is always a sky above the sky."
What is she even saying? I'm better looking than all of you.
The Kkanp looks at me with a disgusting smirk and raises her stick.
"Since the underlings have worked so hard, I suppose I should grant them a reward. That is the duty of those who stand above."
"…You talk about standing above, but aren't you the second daughter? You don't even have succession rights."
"… …"
"Isn't your older sister way more talented? You get compared to her every time you go home, don't you?"
"… …"
I always think this, but 'fact violence' really is effective at making people feel like shit.
The Kkanp's face contorts into a terrifying expression, and an immense aura begins to flow from her body.
I really should stop running my mouth.
KABOOM—!
Caught in a massive explosion, I'm sent flying out of the building.
"You insolent human... you won't be allowed a peaceful death."
"It's a match where you're supposed to kill me anyway, so what does 'peaceful' even matter?"
True to her elven nature, magic comes flying at me with incredible power.
In terms of pure mana quantity, Angelica is higher, but her ability to manipulate magic? Her skill at finely controlling those massive clumps of mana is insane.
Usually, the more mana a spell contains, the harder it is to control, but she's changing their direction at will right in front of my eyes.
And it's not just one; she's controlling countless spells simultaneously.
I swing the Etiquette Infuser to swat them away, but they drop down as if they have a mind of their own and fly back up like they're aiming an uppercut at my stomach.
Seriously, these are a pain in the ass to block. No wonder her accuracy stat was so high in the game.
"If you apologize for the insults from your filthy mouth, I will kill you painlessly right now."
"I'm dead either way!"
The Kkanp's dazzlingly mobile magic hits my body without missing a single shot.
However, while I might struggle if I'm being ganged up on, it's hard for her to whittle down my mana barrier one-on-one.
I could be attacked all day, and the Kkanp would run out of mana before my barrier broke.
The problem, though, is that because I'm getting flashy-hit, other students are starting to gather.
Are you guys done fighting each other already? You could've gone on a bit longer.
It looks like about a third of them have been eliminated.
Since the numbers have dwindled, it should be easier... wait, there's no way it'll be easier.
The weaklings have been filtered out; only the elites remain.
Akito, the heroines, the rivals, and even those extras who are weirdly skilled—even a final boss raid wouldn't have this much firepower.
With no low-tier students getting in the way, this terrifying group closes in instantly, looking to swallow me whole.
The only saving grace is that the current students and transfer students are still keeping an eye on each other.
"Die!"
"Hey! I can understand those guys, but why are you being so vicious to me?! We're friends!"
I'll give the Akito fanboys a pass.
But I was a model student! Does it make sense for the guys I used to laugh and joke with at Yggdrasil to be coming at me with such venom?
"That was then! This is now! I haven't forgotten what happened on the deserted island!"
"Try blowing yourself up again! Do you know how much shit I took after getting caught in that?!"
…Ah, it's karma.
I suppose I did go a bit overboard during every test.
Should I be thankful they were friendly at school despite holding a grudge, or should I call them petty for still being hung up on it?
While dodging the guys filled with malice... actually, I just get pummeled and slammed into a building by the impact.
Ow... I have a mana barrier, but getting hit constantly like this makes my whole body ache.
"I've got an opening!"
Is it a requirement to shout something before a sneak attack? A girl screams as she smashes through a window to attack me.
Oh? You're...
I quickly give up on defense, grab a coin, and toss it to the side.
"Take th—! Hgyaaaah!"
Even as she's attacking me, the brown-haired girl's head snaps toward the coin. It's like her will is split in two—her lower body is charging at me, but her upper body is chasing the coin.
Unable to overcome her own momentum, she tumbles over like a cartoon character and slides right past me.
"Just so you know, this is the Illusion Space, so you can't actually keep that if you pick it up."
"I-I know that!"
The brown-haired girl shouts, her face turning beet red from embarrassment.
Classic Pauper.
She's a heroine too. More of a gag character, I guess? She's always strapped for cash, so she has a lot of episodes related to that.
I really do love how distinct the Heroine DLC characters are.
Anyway, I don't have time to leisurely watch the Pauper.
People are smashing through the windows like a SWAT team and jumping me all at once.
"Ahahaha! Take more! Suffer more!"
"You enjoyed being popular with the girls, didn't you? In here, I'm going to turn your face into a mashed potato!"
Excuse me? I feel like your malice is coming from a different place than the others.
Dear, dear. Being handsome is such a burden.
"Unfortunately, no matter how much I'm hurt, my face stays handsome."
"… …"
"Die!"
Tell them the truth, and they still get pissed.
The transfer students must have noticed my trait too, because they stop competing with the current students and focus entirely on attacking me until my mana barrier breaks.
That Kkanp going berserk is also a nuisance.
I'm not sure why, but maybe I'm still alive because Akito isn't being very proactive.
Shizuka isn't participating in this unreasonable dogpile either, but that's probably just because of her personality.
And Yukina, Angelica, and Takeo are only pretending to help without actually joining in.
Meanwhile, the Samurai is having the time of his life beating me up while rambling about the way of the warrior.
Fucking fake samurai.
Wow—come to think of it, I've actually developed the ability to observe my surroundings in the middle of a fight. I'm really growing.
"Guh—!"
Shiori's magic hits me in the back, breaking my stance, and the Samurai's sword accurately slashes across my neck.
The mana barrier didn't break, but the shock transmitted to my neck hurts.
"For a 'warrior,' you sure do love a good ganging-up, don't you?"
"This isn't bullying the weak. One must know when to bend their convictions. Not that a despicable man like you would understand."
"Yeah, yeah~ I heard you loud and clear, Mr. Loser-Who-Talks-Big-About-Convictions-But-Caves-To-Reality~"
"You bastard..."
As the Samurai starts lashing out in a rage, it becomes harder for others to get close.
And while taking his attacks, I stab an accelerator into my neck.
Stab—
"Kuaaaa... that feels good..."
They said this was a type of narcotic, right?
It's a drug that temporarily boosts the body's reaction speed but carries a heavy backlash.
Once the duration ends, the user is completely incapacitated by the side effects. Combat mages carry them, but it's known that they rarely use them unless it's a life-or-death crisis.
In the game, the items have weak effects, and because your stats drop by 50% a few turns later, they're rarely used except for a pathetic last stand at the very end.
The one I got from August is the most potent accelerator among them.
The world slows down as if someone pressed a 0.25x speed button, and I leisurely walk through the slowed-down world.
"S-S-Sandevistan!!"
"Urgh!"
The Samurai, having been kicked, grimaces as he's sent flying, and I quickly sprint through a gap in the encirclement.
"Chase him! The backlash will hit him soon!"
"Ahahahat! Catch me if you can! You bastards are so slow I'm starting to yawn! Ahahaha!!"
I don't know if it's the drugs or the experience of being the only one moving normally in a slowed-down world, but I feel like I'm flying. I burst out laughing.
Countless spells and people chase after me. The situation feels like a poster for a 1:100 adult video, and I'm loving it.
"Ugh—"
My good mood is short-lived.
My legs give out, and I faceplant.
Isn't the duration on this thing way too short?
"Huff, huff... finally caught you."
"Your body's tingling, right? Feels like you've lost sensation in your hands and feet? That's the signal that you're about to get the shit beaten out of you."
Ignoring the guys gloating excitedly, I bring my trembling hand to my neck.
Stab—
"I'm fast as fuck, boy!"
As the accelerator surges through my body, I bolt upright and start running, only to stop, turn back, and deliver a dropkick to the faces of the two who were just talking.
Magic pours toward me as I fall with them, but I am currently the fastest man alive.
I scramble up and bolt, and the magic rains down on the guys who fell with me.
Wuhahaha, this feels great!
Is that a rainbow? No, it's a dragon! The teachers really put some effort into this Illusion Space!
But why is it an Oriental dragon? Those don't exist here, do they? It's so shiny! Oh, a woman with huge tits!
"Uhihihihik— Tits, hihihik—"
"This guy... has he lost his mind?"
"He used high-toxicity accelerators back-to-back. Get ready; the real chance is when the effect wears off this time."
I hear them muttering something, but why aren't they looking at the tits?!
Can't they see those giant, bouncy breasts wedged between the buildings?! How can they just talk normally while looking at that?
The world is spinning. Awesome, I didn't know the Illusion Space could do this—
"Guegh—"
"Now!"
"Urgh-cha!"
As I fall, the current students rush toward me, looking worried.
Wait, even the transfer students are worried about me? I'm touched~
Don't fight~ No matter how handsome I am, there's no need to fight. If you fight like that, I'll just get up before you can help me, and the chance will be gone.
"That smirk on your face is as unpleasant as ever."
Having pushed through the chaos, Shizuka looks down at me coldly with her red eyes.
Ahhh~ don't be so mad. When my favorite character looks at me like that, it makes me want to die.
Should I die? Die?
Stab—
As another accelerator is plunged into my neck, my consciousness fades.
"Good heavens..."
"Suicide again..."
The teachers watching the Exchange Meet hang their heads in despair.
They had blocked him from attacking himself, so this time he committed suicide using the toxicity of the accelerators.
If there had been even one student present, they would have mocked them, saying, 'Now you know how it feels, right?' but fortunately, there were only teachers here.
'Let's all go down together.'
Recalling Yeon-woo's words, August lets out a small sigh.
Usually, 'all together' refers to the participants within the match, doesn't it?
Yeon-woo had included the teachers who organized the Exchange Meet and backed him into this corner.
'So you'll pay us back one way or another? You never cease to amaze me.'
With a bitter smile, August executes the second forced termination.
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