Chapter 74
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「You’re that coward who hid behind the young lady and ran away with Anon.」
Saga sneers, flashing a sinister grin to provoke me. As if on cue, all the gang members chime in.
「Coward!」 「Momma’s boy!」 「Crybaby!」 「He looks like he’s about to cry, give it a rest!」 「Yeah, that’s right!」 「Go on, cry like a baby!」
Cheap provocation.
For someone like me who’s endured so much, this level of taunting is like a gentle breeze. However, just a little—
「You know, I think that kind of behavior is quite rude.」
Saga tilts his head, a question mark practically floating above it. 「Huh?」
「I have a question for Berserga Leader Saga.」
Depending on his answer, I might need to reconsider my approach. The gang members, as if set ablaze by my words, start shouting:
「You ain’t got the right to talk to him so casually!」
「Who do you think you are, talking to the boss like that? You cheeky brat!」
「You’re dead meat, you little shit!」
「You wanna get dragged around, huh?!」
The Berserga members hurl unbearable insults at me.
But so what?
「Shut up, all of you!」
Saga’s commanding voice, laced with intimidation, silences the members’ abuse in an instant.
Heh… interesting.
「You little punk…」
Saga snorts, then says,
「Alright, go ahead and speak.」
I almost snort in response.
「You know, they say the weakest dogs bark the loudest—turns out that’s true. And by the way, ‘go ahead and speak’? I was going to talk whether you gave me permission or not.」
A murderous aura rises from the gang members.
Saga raises his hand to suppress the anger that’s about to erupt again.
「Did you provoke me to test my strength and resolve? Or do you genuinely want to fight me?」
「I like it. You’re completely calm. I don’t hate brats like you who keep their cool.」
Saga says, his rugged face breaking into a grin.
「If you understand, then this’ll go quicker!」
Saga’s smile deepens.
「Now, you and I—」
Just as he’s about to say something to me, one of the gang members shouts,
「Die, you brat!」 and throws a wooden skewer from the barbecue they were enjoying earlier.
It comes from my blind spot at a speed that could cause serious injury if it hits.
But the fact that I’m aware of it means—
I pluck the skewer out of the air with my fingers and hold it out for Saga to see. Why am I showing him a skewer I caught with my fingers, you ask? No, that’s not it—the skewer no longer exists in this world.
Neither the gang members nor even Saga should have seen the moment I made the skewer disappear.
Maybe that’s why the gang member who threw it shouts,
「What the hell! He just got lucky and it missed!」
Provoked by this, several others start charging at me, yelling, 「Get him!」
But it doesn’t matter.
「I’m ready.」
Partial ultra-acceleration—first the brain—stretching out my thinking time—in a world where everything has stopped—and then,
「Autostrada del Sole.」
Step by step, I reach a state beyond light speed.
The guy who threw the skewer and the four who charged at me—five in total—I deliver one punch each to their stomachs, the most durable part of their bodies.
「That should do it.」
As I release the beyond-light-speed state, six men arc through the air, propelled by the force of my gut punches.
「I held back, you know.」
With this, I’ve demonstrated a fraction of my power.
If Saga doesn’t realize what I’ve done or says it’s not enough, he’s nothing but a naked emperor. In that case, I’d need to consider additional firepower.
As I observe Saga to gauge his reaction, he freezes, then his eyes widen and he starts trembling.
「What the hell was that?!」
He roars, his voice resonating with shock from the depths of his belly.
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The technique I used to catch the flying skewer and make it vanish in an instant was a partial activation of Autostrada del Sole, limited to just my arm. Similarly, the technique to stretch out my thinking time was a partial activation focused on my brain.
You might wonder if the activation was too fast, even for a partial activation. You’re absolutely right. Not bad, huh?
Yes, the technique of partially activating Autostrada del Sole on just a part of my body, and doing it instantaneously—that’s one of the skills I acquired after being rigorously trained by Sena and Sensei when I reached Hermit Mountain.
The main technique for instant activation was taught to me by Sensei. It’s called 「Division of Body, Speech, Mind, and Ornament.」
This is completely different from the shortened activation through incantation cancellation that I used in the Claidheamh Soluis battle in Blade Dungeon, where I forcibly activated it by pouring in a ridiculous amount of mana.
While 「Division of Body, Speech, Mind, and Ornament」 might sound grandiose and intimidating, the theory itself is quite simple. It involves dividing the process necessary for magic activation into four parts:
「Body」 – Constructing the magic formula through physical means like hand seals or certain dances.
「Speech」 – Constructing the magic formula through verbal means like incantations.
「Mind」 – Constructing the magic formula by accurately and firmly forming the necessary image for magic activation in one’s mind.
「Ornament」 – Constructing the magic formula by preparing activation mediums in advance through specific decorative items or auxiliary media.
By dividing one process into these four parts, it’s possible to speed up magic activation by four times in simple calculation.
I’d like to explain this technique in more detail someday, along with the hellish training to master it and Sensei’s demonic instructor persona.
By mastering this technique, the instantaneous partial activation of Autostrada del Sole evolved from the incomplete technique I improvised during the Reverse Dead battle into a highly refined and stable skill.
If I were to name it, I’d call it 「Autobahn: Instant Movement.」
But wait, more importantly, the issue now is—
The expression of shock on Berserga Leader Saga Assaultbody’s face has now completely transformed into a smile.
A smile—though with eyes narrowed to threads and mouth corners pulled up to the extreme, it reminds me not of the monsters I’ve hunted countless times in this world’s dungeons, but of the fierce and terrifying oni I often saw in old tales and fiction back in Japan, symbols of malevolent supernatural beings.
I have a vision of the air around Saga distorting, as if ultra-high temperature magma were oozing and melting the ground.
His face is truly a weapon, with enough intimidation to make me feel like it could shatter bulletproof glass with just a look.
「I said something rude. My apologies.」
Saga unexpectedly apologizes to me.
I had pegged him as a man unfamiliar with apologies.
「My young gang members have been extremely discourteous to you, boy—no, Low, was it?」
His reaction, different from what I expected, catches me off guard.
「You who just did that, come forward!」 Saga bellows.
At Saga’s angry shout, a young man, still reeling from the gut punch, staggers forward.
「First, Jab. Come here.」
As soon as the young man reaches Saga, he smashes his rock-like fist into the young man’s face.
The young man’s nose is crushed, blood and most of his front teeth scatter from his mouth, and if that wasn’t enough, his eyes overflow as he’s spectacularly blown away.
Not satisfied with just that, Saga threatens,
「The remaining four! I saw you. If you won’t come out on your own, I’ll—」
His words, chilling to the bone, prompt four pale-faced men to shuffle in front of Saga.
「This is punishment for acting without thinking!」
I mutter, 「Isn’t it punishment for being disrespectful…?」 but the men in front of me receive fists to their faces, powerful enough to destroy them just like Jab. They all collapse, twitching without exception.
「I held back. They won’t die. Camus! Gather the seventh squad and heal them!」
Camus is the person standing next to Saga.
He’s the only gang member who doesn’t look like he belongs in Berserga—tall, intellectual, a cool glasses-wearing pretty boy.
He responds with a 「Yes, sir!」 and carries away the battered Jab and others with the help of several people.
「I’ve also punished those who carried it out. As you can see.」
Saga says, bowing his head to me.
Yikes…!!
This is totally yakuza behavior!
What just happened in front of me was a tactic used when needing to apologize to someone. By inflicting brutal punishment on the supposed perpetrators in front of the person owed an apology, it shows sincerity while also inflicting psychological damage on the witness, ensuring they accept the apology.
I let out a sigh and say, 「It’s fine. I accept your apology.」
Saga slicks back his hair with both hands and says,
「Just punishing those guys probably isn’t enough, so I’ll add one more apology.
Of course, we’ll accept the request regarding this Sealed Domain. On top of that, Low, I’ll lend you some of my capable men.」
Huh, what’s with this change… This is totally the kind of thing where they later say, 「In exchange, come to my bed tonight.」
「Naturally, the test of Low’s abilities is already over,」 Saga adds.
「Huh?」 I can’t help but voice my surprise.
「What? Is it strange?」
「No, it’s not exactly strange—」
「If you have something to say, spit it out clearly!!」
「No, I just thought we might have to fight, Saga.」
「Ah, is that all?」
Saga answers with a smile.
「If the two of us fought, it wouldn’t end until one of us died, you know?」
Saga laughs again and says, 「I get it, you’re that type too, aren’t you?」
Yikes!!
I’ve had enough! What’s with this guy?!
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