Chapter 3 - Lion Hunting
I whispered softly and displayed the window.
Instantly, a translucent rectangle jumped into my field of vision.
Inside, the detailed specs of the boy glaring at me were listed.
Name: King Leo Saito
Level: 1
Class: High School Boy
HP: 100
MP: 0
Attack: 115
Defense: 110
Agility: 100
Magic Attack: 0
Magic Defense: 80
Skill: None
Remarks: Became a delinquent because he was too concerned about his sparkly name. He goes berserk if called by his given name.
You... did you end up like this because of your name?
I sympathize, but this is laughable.
By the way, for an average adult male, the ability values are around 100.
Considering that, this boy could be said to have some physical strength for a modern Japanese person.
Even so, he picked the wrong opponent to pick a fight with.
Not to brag, but this is my status.
Name: Keisuke Nakamoto
Level: 227
Class: Hero / Ramen Shop Clerk
HP: 55060
MP: 42110
Attack: 52390
Defense: 45680
Agility: 45000
Magic Attack: 51940
Magic Defense: 51770
Skill: [Skill: Language Comprehension], [Skill: Status Appraisal], [Skill: Divine Sword], [Skill: Double Action], [Skill: Mind's Eye], [Skill: Sorcery], [Skill: Fatherhood]
Remarks: A Hero who once saved another world at a great cost. He is trapped by a sense of guilt.
Far from feeling like I could lose, I wanted to ask how much I should hold back to avoid killing him.
This difference in performance was already like comparing an ant to a dinosaur.
The basic specs as a living being were too different; I'd have my hands full just trying not to trample him.
"Gross. He's laughing to himself."
I noticed after being pointed out by the kid with the lion name.
Apparently, the corners of my mouth had loosened. An unconscious smile. Perhaps my body was craving conflict.
Fine, I was just feeling frustrated anyway.
When I use my nerves to avoid breaking plates, I sometimes feel an intense urge to go wild.
I was reaching my limit.
I left the game center while being surrounded by the group of high schoolers.
It was like an escort.
It was nothing but ridiculous for the hunter to be guarded by the hunted.
"How far do I have to follow you?"
King Leo and the others ignored my words and continued walking silently. The high school girl called Rio-chan was also silent.
Leo and Rio, huh.
Come to think of it, both are lion-like names. I wondered if they were dating.
And so, I must have walked for about two minutes by my internal clock.
Under the elevated tracks, in a corner surrounded by wire mesh.
Right around the back entrance of the arcade, the brats' feet stopped.
This was the lion's territory.
As I looked around and observed the surroundings, the boy King Leo, who was walking at the front, turned around toward me.
"So, how much can you put out?"
Taking secret photos of a high school girl isn't a joke, he threatened while thrusting his hands into his pockets.
"If you'll be a regular ATM for us from now on, I'll hold off on telling the police, though."
There were various things I wanted to point out.
First of all, I don't have any money, I didn't take any secret photos, and I'm not particularly afraid of the police.
And this is the most important part, but your name is so funny that no sense of tension comes out.
I felt like shouting "No worries about the police!" in a musical style.
"Do you always make pocket money like this? Is it wisdom for living in the savanna?"
"Ah?"
"King Leo-kun, you're quite diligent about hunting despite being a male."
"...Hey, who told him my name! Was it you, Rio?!"
Rio-chan, who was suddenly shouted at, trembled her shoulders with a start.
With this kind of treatment, they might not be in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship.
Whatever, though. It just slightly reduces my pangs of conscience.
Because from now on, I intend to destroy this high school boy's face.
" I'm gonna kill you."
While saying that, King Leo grabbed my collar.
Really, just looking at these words, it's like fighting a monster.
It's nothing but ridiculous.
Both his name and myself, who had fallen so far as to be picked on by a brat in a place like this, were nothing but absurd.
"Don't laugh!"
I was given a knee strike to the stomach.
Good. Now it's a legitimate act of self-defense. It's wonderful that he made the first move.
As expected, no matter what power I wield, a justification is necessary.
Like, to save the world.
"This is to protect myself. Got it?"
"Hah?"
"I was subjected to violence by you all. So I have no choice but to fight back."
"What have you been on about since—geboah?"
A dry 'pang' sound.
When I threw a backfist with my left hand, a large amount of white pebbles scattered.
The true identity of the pebbles was the boy King Leo's teeth.
A well-aimed clean hit struck his lower jaw directly. The inside of his mouth must be a wreck.
Even though he was given a name like a lion, he won't be able to eat tough meat for a while.
"A... ga... gebo, gebo, gobobo."
What would the other guys think of their companion crouching while holding his mouth?
Would they help? Would they bravely pounce on me?
There were still four males left, and three females including Rio-chan.
In terms of numbers, your side is at an advantage, right? I asked in a light tone.
The provocation was successful.
Two blonde boys pounced on me.
I concentrated my consciousness and activated a skill.
A horizontal window and a string of text appeared in my field of vision.
[Hero Keisuke activated the Mind's Eye skill. Evasion rate and accuracy increased by 50%]
[While the skill is in use, 2 MP will be consumed per second]
Instantly, the world went into slow motion.
It's not that I'm manipulating time.
My dynamic visual acuity and cognitive abilities were being accelerated.
Slow fists approaching from the left and right.
I extended both hands to catch them and twisted their wrists.
With a 'bagin' sound, the boys' arms bent in unnatural directions.
"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
While listening to the screams, I ended the skill. The flow of time returned.
That was just a basic technique in the other world, though.
When I do this in the real world, it feels like I'm the only one being fast-forwarded and sent a few seconds into the future.
"Still want to go?"
The answer I wanted did not come back to my question.
Instead, what came out of the brats' mouths were pathetic whines.
"...This is bad. This guy probably does martial arts or something."
"Hey, let's run, let's run!"
"He's coming this way. ...D-Don't come! Don't come! H-H-Hiaaaaaaaaaa!"
The swarm of high schoolers scattered like baby spiders.
Remaining were King Leo, who had lost consciousness and collapsed, and Rio-chan, who was trembling on her backside.
"...So delinquents being thick as thieves was just fiction."
They unhesitatingly left behind their injured friend and a girl.
Even in the other world, those who acted tough usually were the most unreliable in an emergency.
It seems it's the same everywhere.
I approached King Leo, who was convulsing face down, and cast the automatic recovery magic [Skill: 『Regeneration』] on him.
With this, as time passes, the wounds will gradually close.
I made it 'gradually' because I thought it would be better for him to experience some pain.
It wouldn't be for his sake if I healed him immediately.
In about a week, new teeth should grow in.
Until then, he should spend his time reflecting.
It's not that I'm soft because I'm a former Hero...
I judged that leaving too deep an aftereffect could lead to a serious situation.
In short, it was destruction of evidence.
Even if I don't fear the police, I do find them troublesome.
"What about you?"
Since the first aid was done, I turned my eyes to Rio-chan.
She had lost the strength in her legs with her legs wide open, and the contents of her skirt were completely exposed.
Moreover, between her thighs, a small puddle had formed. A sharp smell of ammonia hit my nose.
"...Don't come... don't come..."
Watching her try to escape using only the strength of her arms, I even felt pity.
I silently took out my smartphone and tapped the gallery item.
All the images I had taken or saved so far were stored here.
Rio-chan had a face that didn't understand what was about to begin, but while showing her the screen, I explained calmly.
"Are you looking? There are only photos of the nearby scenery and game screenshots. Is there an image of your panties?"
"There isn't," Rio-chan whispered softly.
"It's a misunderstanding. I'm not a voyeur. Understood?"
"..."
"Understood?"
The high school girl nodded her head up and down while half-crying.
It felt as if I were the one who had attacked her.
It was a fight with a bad aftertaste.
[Keisuke Nakamoto won the battle!]
[Gained 2 EXP]
[Gained 1 Skill Point]
"Shut up," I closed the insensitive window and turned around.
What's the point of getting any stronger than this? When there are no enemies to defeat.
Trash-like experience points, the unpleasant sensation remaining in my fist, the tears of a high school girl who looked just like the woman I loved.
This wasn't what I wanted.
Let's go home for today.
There's nothing in this city that would make me happy.