Chapter 5
"Alright, everything's ready."
Eren, having received a call from someone, whispered softly several times before turning to us with a nonchalant expression.
"Then, please take care of things."
With that, he immediately drove off and disappeared, leaving us standing there bewildered, only then slowly surveying our surroundings.
The outskirts of the city, quite a distance from the center, or rather, an empty lot that was embarrassing to even call the outskirts.
"Looks like we've become complete bait, huh?"
"More accurately, we're bait that's already been bitten, Garrick."
At this point, the stage has probably been set for a long time, and it seems all that's needed are the figures to walk onto it.
Since everything we need has been fulfilled, it wouldn't be strange if the curtain rose at any moment, right?
Anyway, Discounters.
The major forces related to Deliverers are divided into three:
The Central Association, the Olleerd, and the Discounters.
Among these, the most powerful force is undoubtedly the Central Association.
Since even the Olleerd is an organization that assists the Central Association, it would be more accurate to see the situation as being divided between the Central Association and the Discounters.
It's said that this organization called the Discounters is almost the only entity that threatens the Central Association, but for me, who has only ever handled B-rank requests, they don't feel very real.
I've never had any contact with them.
"By the way, Yohan. Our client, they weren't really trying to lose the tail when they were driving, were they?"
"Yeah, since we were going to fight anyway, they probably just dumped us here so the city wouldn't get damaged."
I agreed with Garrick's belated understanding.
The citizens' group Olleerd is probably just continuously throwing Deliverers at the Discounters to defeat them.
While being extremely careful not to stir up public sentiment in the city, until that justice is delivered.
Garrick chuckled at my reply.
"But where did a citizens' group, whether it's Olive or Olleerd, get that much money? And Eren's driving skills were a bit suspicious too, weren't they?"
"Garrick, we're not detectives."
"I know, I'm just thinking out loud. It's fun, isn't it?"
Yeah, it is an interesting story.
That insight that sometimes comes out of Garrick's mouth is always surprising.
Anyway, the important thing is that we're now in a situation where we're about to face the Discounters, whom we've never had any contact with before….
"Nervous, Yohan?"
"It would be a lie to say I'm not."
"No need to be, they're all just vermin."
Unlike me, Garrick nonchalantly took out his equipment from his duffel bag.
It was a double-bladed axe with special markings engraved on it.
An item of 'near-masterpiece' quality that had come from the North.
It was something incomparable to the mass-produced items I possessed.
At that moment….
Ah, a sharp sensation ran through the center of my forehead.
Front.
Two.
I didn't expect them to approach so openly from the front.
“…Garrick, they’re coming.”
No sooner had I finished speaking than a presence cut between us.
"──!!"
Before we could even react, a man who had suddenly appeared between us swung his fist haphazardly at Garrick.
───Kwaang!
Garrick flew away with the explosive sound, and the man kicked off the ground in the direction Garrick had flown and disappeared.
It was something my dynamic visual acuity couldn't fully track,
But I quickly reconstructed the moment in my head and rapidly assessed the opponent.
The first sign of their presence was 200 meters away.
Yet, they covered that distance in 2… no, almost 3 seconds and plunged between us.
If so, they are at least A-rank in the Physical System.
I had only heard about it, but is this the average physique of a Discounter?
The reality of the Discounter's existence sent shivers down my spine.
Before me, the remaining opponent slowly approached and stopped in front of me.
A tall woman.
Dark red eye makeup.
"Hi? You're going to play with me."
＊ ＊ ＊
The punch thrown by an A-rank Physical System superhuman is no different in power from a specially made ballista or a single shot from a modern field gun.
As if to prove this.
Kwaang──Kwaang──
Garrick, who was directly hit by the man's fist and sent flying, had to roll for quite a while, smashing through structures in his path.
A moment later, Garrick, having barely stopped and regained his balance on both feet,
"Ooh, spicy."
He spat out blood-mixed saliva and gave a short, curt remark.
As if to object to that remark, the man immediately appeared right in front of Garrick.
"What, you're different from the previous ones? The last guy's brains splattered out with just one of my punches."
He sneered, revealing golden fangs, then lowered his upper body like a predatory beast showing aggression.
"Hey, let's introduce ourselves. I'm Terry."
He introduced himself with a swagger.
However, Garrick, instead of replying, simply stood there with a blank face.
"What's wrong, buddy? Did your soul fly away or something?"
Even so, Garrick remained still.
"You're no fun."
Terry revealed his killing intent and slipped brass knuckles onto his fingers.
Only then did Garrick speak with an innocent look, as if understanding.
"Oh, Physical System A-rank. Right?"
At this, Terry raised his arms forward, took a basic boxing stance, and nodded his head.
"What? You already took one hit, why are you asking again?"
"I was a bit unsure, you're too garbage for an A-rank."
Terry's eyes, thoroughly provoked by Garrick's taunt, turned coldly sharp.
"You're going to regret those words, you little shit."
Immediately, Terry stepped forward towards Garrick. Each time his foot touched the ground, the surrounding air belatedly turned white.
Physical System.
A simple and clear ability that could be considered the most basic archetype of a superhuman in people's minds.
Overwhelming power and durability emanating from the body.
Among that Physical System, an A-rank fist, belonging to the top 30%, was now tearing through the air, rushing towards Garrick.
Thwack—!
A short explosive sound, followed by a gust of wind a beat later.
Terry's fist pierced Garrick's left side.
However, despite the powerful shockwave the punch generated, Garrick's upper body remained unmoving.
"See? Garbage."
Garrick, raising one eyebrow and shooting a nonchalant look at Terry,
Then swung his fist straight towards Terry's chest.
Thwack───!
A merciless impact sound that could be heard at a construction site, and with it, a powerful gust of wind erupted centered on Terry.
"Keugh!"
With a short groan, Terry was immediately flung away like a bullet.
"If you're a Discounter, don't you usually get information about the Deliverer you're going up against beforehand?"
Garrick casually cracked his neck and took a step towards the flying Terry.
"Or did you think you could just win without any of that?"
"You… bastard! Shut up!"
Terry, who had suddenly stood up from the rubble behind him at Garrick's nagging, retorted with a yell. At the same time, he quietly examined his chest.
A deep indentation right in the center of his chest, as if a steel ball had been dropped onto a snowfield.
His muscles and bones, each as strong as bridge reinforcing steel, were frozen, unable to recover from the impact.
It meant he had received an impact that even a body that could regenerate from most penetrating wounds within 5 minutes couldn't handle.
Garrick, observing Terry's state, sneered with a bright expression.
"How about it? Even you think my punch looks like a real A-rank punch, right?"
"You're going to die by my hands today."
Terry, readjusting his stance, lowered his upper body and lunged towards Garrick.
Dazzling footwork that left afterimages, unpredictable and erratic upper body movements.
His appearance, having shifted up another gear from before, made Garrick silently lift one foot and,
Thump───!
Stomp down on the ground.
The entire ground shook, and the recoil caused Terry, who had been performing flashy footwork, to lose his balance.
"A-ranks these days are quite a sight, huh?"
Garrick's subsequent grumble even contained genuine pity.
"You little shit…!"
Then, Terry shifted up another gear. His whole body turned red as if his blood was boiling, and the muscles throughout his body expanded explosively.
Immediately after, taking a step forward with his fist from that distance far from Garrick—
Crack───!
The shockwave that erupted from the tip of his fist grazed Garrick's cheek.
Blood soon flowed from the grazed cheek,
"Hah… ha! Hahaha!"
Seeing that blood, Terry laughed maniacally.
"This is just the beginning, try and block this."
Terry, readjusting his stance once more, soon composed his breathing and now unleashed the very essence he had mastered without restraint.
Physical System A Phenomenal System B
Gatling Combination
Pabababak─────!
A terrifying speed that made it seem as if dozens of fists were being thrown simultaneously.
Jab, body blow, blow, straight.
The brutal physical force befitting an A-rank in the Physical System, manifested as B-rank shockwaves, concentrated and poured down on the single point that was Garrick.
The shockwaves might be weaker than the physical force of the body itself, but considering the unilateral violence unleashed without the constraint of distance, the total amount of power would be overwhelming.
As if proving this, the ground beneath Garrick's feet caved in, unable to withstand the mass of the continuously pouring down shockwaves.
"Dieeee!"
Terry screamed, squeezing every last bit of strength from his muscles to continue his attack.
The air pressure created by the exploding shockwaves he unleashed turned the surroundings into a muddy mess and covered everything in thick smoke.
＊ ＊ ＊
Truly exquisite.
It was on a different level from the toys she had played with until now.
At this moment, Emilia had to tremble with repeated ecstasy as she looked at the person before her.
Durability that was just right for playing with, blood that gushed out when she simply tore into them.
And despite being dyed red with blood, an unwavering determination.
Even their appearance made that determination sparkle.
Above all, what drove Emilia mad was the feeling of a certain unease that should have been impossible to sense from such a weak opponent.
It was like a cat feeling that the cornered mouse might give a sharp bite, perhaps?
But there was no way that could happen.
Therefore, Emilia was merely enjoying the tingling awakening effect that the unease provided.
Phenomenal System A
Decem of Scalpello (Ten Scalpels)
Ten violet streaks emitted through the medium of her ten fingernails.
It was the crystallization of a terrifyingness manifested in conjunction with her innate sadistic nature.
She had dismantled so many toys with those ten streaks that easily sliced through steel.
But today was different.
"From now on, I'll go for your ligaments, you've already bled so much, darling♡"
Just by flicking her fingers from afar, that beautiful toy was already painted red.
There was no way she could end this exquisite game so anticlimactically in this state.
"Should I start with the knee ligaments? I've suddenly wanted to see you kneel on one knee! I'll keep the strength, elasticity, and tearing texture of those ligaments in my mind forever!"
Becoming more excited, Emilia now began to perceive this not as a fight but as some kind of game.
She was even telling the existence she was openly toying with the location of the next attack.
Just as she was about to flick her fingers again,
Emilia felt that faint unease, which she had thought so insignificant, began to constrict her entire body.
But just as that constriction was about to turn into wariness,
"Hmm?"
───Kwaang!
A distant explosion erupted with a deafening roar, and the very ground here momentarily swayed.
Ah, Terry.
Did he get excited again like last time?
Still, the opponent must have been quite something?
For Terry to get this worked up.
"Sorry, looks like your friend is dead."
Emilia turned her head back to her opponent.
"I'm sorry, I should have focused on you! Don't worry. I'm not interested in ugly things! Especially bald ones!"
That pale, moonlight-like skin where not a single ray of sunlight seemed to touch, the blood flowing between it.
As expected, it was this one that excited her.
"A pretty face like yours feels so much better to cut, haah♡"
"Hey, watch your mouth."
To answer so nonchalantly even though their body was already riddled with wounds and tattered.
But all they were holding was a cheap sword.
"You're so… cute♡!!!!"
"Garrick isn't bald, he's just balding."
"Aish… hey, let's just talk about us from now on, okay?"
Emilia's sadism began to sharpen as the toy replied with words unrelated to the situation.
"Balding, half-bald, it's the same thing, isn't it?!"
Just as she openly aimed for the toy's left knee,
This time, the opponent also adopted an offensive stance and said,
"You better be grateful Garrick didn't hear you say that."
