NOVEL WEB Chapter 59
Chapter 59. Cheers of Victory
“””Oooooooohhhhhh!!!!”””
Cheers resounded in celebration of my victory.
I had single-handedly overturned a desperate situation against four S-rank monsters. Seeing a hero up close, their excitement knew no bounds. Some wept and embraced one another, while others let out triumphant roars.
(…Um, could someone help me out here?)
I looked at them with a deadpan expression.
“I-I can’t move.”
Undoing my ability was fine, but the backlash was overwhelming.
My entire body was numb, and even slight movements were agonizing.
“To think I had to resort to [Takemikazuchi]… I’ve got a long way to go.”
Perhaps I had become complacent somewhere in my heart.
Pathetic. Even against S-rank monsters, to be injured this badly—if my mom finds out, she’ll definitely go into angry mode.
“Urgh!”
Blood spilled from my mouth.
My insides were utterly shredded. Honestly, it’s a mystery how I’m still conscious.
For now, I should contact Sairenji-san and have her bring Kirisaka-senpai.
“Phone… phone…”
I fumbled through my pockets to find my phone.
Feeling something familiar in my right hand, I pulled it out.
“…Oh my god.”
My phone had been pulverized into a pile of fragments, a shadow of its former self.
My trembling hands wouldn’t stop.
Inside that phone… it contained the first email address I’d ever gotten from a girl (Hattori-san)…
“Damn it all!! Gahhhh!”
As I screamed in frustration, blood gushed out of my wounds.
“Yanagi-san?!”
Igai-san shouted as he ran toward me. Behind him, for some reason, were the bodyguards and even the young ladies.
Wait, why?
There’s still a chance of enemies nearby; I wanted the young ladies to stay inside the facility.
“Are you alright, Yanagi-san?!”
Igai-san supported my body, while Runa-sama grasped my hand with teary eyes. Haruka-sama, who was holding Runa-sama, turned pale at my injuries, covering her mouth with her hand.
By the way, how does Igai-san know my name? Oh, right, I introduced myself before the battle began.
“Onii-chan, don’t die!!”
“…Don’t worry. I’m immortal, after all.”
Ah, I made her cry.
Large teardrops fell, soaking my hand.
Failing to protect the smile of the person I was guarding… I’m unfit as a bodyguard.
Her tears are the result of my poor judgment. I assumed it would be fine to create some distance. I thought it wouldn’t matter if I got hurt a bit.
But now I’ve learned.
There won’t be a next time—not for the enemy, and not for me.
I’ll leave them no room for hope, slaughter the enemy, and return unscathed.
Though, first I need to heal these injuries, or I’ll die.
“Igai-san, can I borrow your phone?”
“My phone? Sure, no problem.”
I borrowed his phone and called Sairenji-san.
What? How do I know her number? All members of the Special Response Unit are given each other’s numbers upon joining. I definitely didn’t beg on my knees for it or anything, so rest assured.
“Yesss~ Who might this be?”
“Senpai, it’s me. Yanagi.”
“Yanagi-kun? Did your phone break?”
“Yeah, it seems to have gotten caught up in the battle. More importantly, I’m a bit injured, so if it’s not too much trouble, could you bring Kirisaka-senpai here?”
“Of course! Actually, I’m out shopping with Moeka-chan right now, so just send me your coordinates and we’ll be right there!”
“That’s great. I’ll send them over.”
A few seconds after ending the call…
“Ta-dah! We’re here~”
“Honestly, this kouhai is so troublesome. Injured again—”
Kirisaka-senpai and Sairenji-san froze.
Their eyes scanned the ruined town, the four slaughtered monsters, and me.
They blinked repeatedly, confused by the catastrophic scene, as if mistaking it for a meteor impact. Finally, their gazes settled on me.
“””KYAAAAAAA!!!!”””
They screamed at the half-splattered state I was in.
Is it really that bad, seeing me like this? I guess it’s surprising I’m not dead.
“Why is my kouhai on the brink of death?!”
Kirisaka-senpai rushed over to begin healing me immediately.
“An S-rank monster appeared. I somehow managed to win, but it was close.”
“S-rank?!”
“Wait, WHAT?! Let me see!”
The two looked at the four monstrous corpses and asked which one was the S-rank.
“All of them.”
“””…”””
At my answer, their brains seemed to stall. They turned back to the monsters, counting them with their fingers.
“I see. It looks like there are four corpses, but maybe they were all part of one monster?”
“No, it was four separate monsters.”
“I’ve got it! You just mistook them for S-rank monsters when they were actually A-rank, right?!”
With absolute confidence, Kirisaka-senpai declared this and glanced around as if seeking agreement.
Naturally, everyone knew they weren’t A-rank, and their awkward smiles said as much.
The two finally realized from the others’ expressions that I was telling the truth. Their faces shifted from skepticism to shock as they stared at me in disbelief.
“Sorry… I know this is a big deal, but it’s so unreal I can’t process it.”
“My kouhai is ridiculously strong!”
Sairenji-san, who also participated in battle with me before, seemed to grasp how bizarre the situation was. Kirisaka-senpai, on the other hand, looked a bit lost.
Well, it’s understandable.
In recent years, aside from the tree-like monster, S-rank creatures hadn’t been seen for decades. For four of them to suddenly appear together in an organized attack, who would believe it? And then, to have a single person defeat them—it’s beyond belief.
If I heard it secondhand, I wouldn’t believe it either.
Knowing the power of S-rank monsters, I understand. My victory was only possible because of the anomaly that I am. Without such a variable, we’d have been completely annihilated. The Takamiya family head owes Kongou-san a debt of gratitude—if not for his orders, I wouldn’t have participated in this mission.
“Man, I’m exhausted.”
“Wait, kouhai! You shouldn’t move!”
Smack! A dainty hand lightly slapped me.
Senpai, that just reopened my wounds…
Considering my achievements this time, I’d like a break for a few weeks—or maybe a month.
Summer vacation for students is coming up. Maybe I’ll ask for some time off. A trip might be nice. And this time, I’ll definitely visit a shrine. Maybe if I offer 5,000 yen, the gods will bless me and ward off bad luck.
“Hey!”
In the distance, I saw dozens of figures approaching.
They were likely the reinforcements Igai-san mentioned.
My job here is done.
“Senpai, I’ll leave the rest to you.”
“Huh? What’s wrong?”
After saying what I needed to, I gradually let go of my consciousness.
I’m out of blood.
“Yanagi-kun?!”
“Kouhai?!”
“Hey!”
Senpai and the other voices were the last things I heard before I completely blacked out.
Maybe I’ll meet an angelic nurse this time…
How many times have I passed out like this now?