“Ahhhh!!!”

 

Suddenly, a bloody incident occurred in the shopping mall.

The surrounding ordinary people screamed and ran around in panic.

 

“Ah, ah…! Please, help us…”

 

The flashy guys fall on their butts.

Three foreigners suddenly appear, looking no different from ordinary people.

However, undeniable madness lurked in the depths of their eyes.

 

As if nothing happened, they brandish their swords at the panicking guys.

Their swords, seemingly devoid of any emotional attachment to killing, are swung straight down.

 

But I won’t let that happen. I intercept the attack and yell.

 

“Run!!!”

 

“Ah, ah…!”

 

The guys start to run away.

The ordinary people around also flee in confusion, and the mall’s plaza, which was full of people a moment ago, becomes instantly deserted.

 

But from afar, there are still some people holding up their smartphones. Japanese people uploading videos of dead bodies on social media out of mere curiosity.

 

『Considering the situation just now… should we stop now… Surely being unranked is a lie. 』

 

A foreigner, perhaps? The man speaks in a language I can’t understand.

 

“Who are you? Foreigners… I can’t understand your language. Why did you kill innocent people?”

 

『We are… The God-Destruction Church. There is meaning in killing, it is our resistance. But our main goal today is to kill you. And the woman behind you too. 』

 

“Kai-san! It seems they are from the God-Destruction Cult!”

 

It seemed like Aya behind me translated for us.

That’s the young lady for you. Whether it’s English or not, I don’t know but it seems she’s really fluent in it.

 

“I see… then!”

 

I forcefully deflect their swords.

 

“Ngh!?”

 

“There are lots of things I want to ask you guys.”

 

I direct my sword forward.

 

“Kai-san! I will fight too! I can do it!”

 

“No, Aya. It’s okay… I have this sword, and you’re not a warrior.”

 

“But…”

 

“And besides…”

 

My eyes should be shining gold.

I stared at the status of the three men.

 

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

Name: Lan Agrid

Status: Fanatic

Job: Swordsman 【Beginner】

Skill(s): Provocation

Magic Power: 8,500

Attack Power: Reflection rate▶ 50% = 4,250

Defense Power: Reflection rate▶ 50% = 4,250

Agility: Reflection rate▶ 25% = 2,125

Intelligence: Reflection rate▶ 25% = 2,125

 

Equipment:

・Black Elephant Tusk Long Sword = Attack Power +1000

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

 

(……Upper B-Rank, all of them… B-Rank is quite rare though……)

 

Looking at the statuses of the three men, I understood that all of them were B-Rank.

And they were a swordsman, a magician, and an assassin.

 

Strangely enough, this situation resembled the class upgrade dungeon from before.

 

The difference is, now I am overwhelmingly…

 

“I alone am enough… Mirage.”

 

The concept of strength.

 

『He disappeared!? Everyone, guard your backs──Gahh! 』

 

Immediately after, I appeared in front of them, and the leader-looking man fell, coughing up all the air from his lungs due to my clenched fist.

 

『Agrit-san! Damn it! Use Illusi──!? 』

 

“If there’s no swordsman to guard you, it’s impossible for the witch to cast magic, right?”

 

With a right straight powerful enough to shatter jaws, it seemed like he was trying to cast an illusion magic.

Looking at his status, he might have been the one controlling the flashy guys.

 

They were manipulated into distracting us for a moment.

The witch who got punched by me shook his brain with a squishy sound and fell to the ground with one hit.

 

『Die, damn it!! 』

 

“You don’t need to see through the Eye of God to realize that. Being silent isn’t very useful when it’s this bright, huh…”

 

『Wha, what!? Who the hell are you… 』

 

The assassin from behind tried to stab a sword into my back.

However, without even looking, I caught his hand, and he couldn’t escape.

 

“Hmph!”

 

I slammed him to the ground with just enough force not to kill him.

 

『Guha! 』

 

The assassin smashed onto the concrete ground hard enough to cause cracks causing them to pass out then and there.

The combat lasted only about 5 seconds, in which I incapacitated three B-Ranked individuals, a tier considered to be among the top in this world.

 

◇

 

“Aya, contact Kagetora-san. The God-Destruction Cult has shown up.”

 

“…Amazing.”

 

Aya was mesmerized.

She wasn’t particularly a battle fanatic, but that brief clash was incredibly beautiful.

He was powerful and that alone made him cool, she thought.

 

She couldn’t yet put a name to the feelings she had been experiencing since that day, but she noticed that she couldn’t help but watch him.

 

However, she had been twisted by 18 years of agony and thus couldn’t understand these feelings as romantic.

She had also grown tired of men approaching her purely because of her looks.

 

“Aya? Are you okay? Did you get hurt?”

 

“Eh?! Ah, n-no, I’m fine. I’ll contact him right away.”

 

◇

 

Soon after, a group of men dressed in black arrived in response to Aya’s call.

Leading them was a woman with black hair tied in a neat bun, walking confidently.

 

One glance and it was clear she was strong and likely their leader.

Her stern eyes were intense enough to make you look away.

 

But she was also overwhelmingly beautiful.

 

“Dungeon Association, Awakened Crime Response Division…”

 

They were like police for the upper echelon of the awakened, dispatched by the country’s Dungeon Association.

This organization was created to counter awakened criminals ranking B and above.

The local police could only handle those ranking C and below.

Hence, the Dungeon Association’s Awakened Crime Response Division was tasked with handling B ranks and above.

 

The woman in the lead was briskly issuing instructions to her subordinates as she approached us.

 

“Aya-san, are you injured? … Immediately process that corpse. It seems there are no other injured…”

 

“I’m fine, Tsubaki-san. But more importantly…”

 

Aya subtly indicated me and the three fallen members of the God-Destruction Cult.

 

“… Nice to meet you, I’m Tsubaki Sayuri from the Dungeon Association, Awakened Crime Response Division. … You’re the one who took down these three?”

 

“Yes, that’s right.”

 

“Excuse me, but… what is your name? I heard they were B-Ranks of the God-Destruction Cult, but those capable of taking down three awakened individuals of that level are few and far between in my memory. And this is the first time I’m seeing you. Could it be that you’re from overseas?”

 

“… No, I am Kai Amachi, a Japanese. So about…”

 

Aya jumped in when I seemed to struggle with my reply.

 

“Tsubaki-san, please ask my grandfather for the details. We were just attacked.”

 

Tsubaki-san made a curious face but finally sighed and nodded in acquiescence.

 

“…Understood. Then, we’ll take these three into custody. I am an A-rank, so rest assured.”

 

“I see.”

 

I had been looking at Tsubaki-san’s status. To be blunt, she was a top-tier A-rank, stronger than Tanaka-san.

 

In terms of magic power, she was superior to my current state. A balanced, top-tier A-Rank just shy of S-Rank.

 

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

Name: Sayuri Tsubaki

Status: Good

Job: Paladin 【Advanced】

Skill(s): Provocation, Protective Barrier

Magic Power: 74,000

Attack Power: Reflection rate▶ 50% = 37,000

Defense Power: Reflection rate▶ 50% = 37,000

Agility: Reflection rate▶ 50% = 37,000

Intelligence: Reflection rate▶ 25% = 13,500

 

Equipment:

・None

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

 

“…”

 

Tsubaki-san looked back at me as I stared at her status.

A moment of silence ensued, but she let out a soft sigh and had the three men loaded into a transport vehicle.

 

“Ordinarily, we would ask you to accompany us to take a statement… But we’ll excuse ourselves for today. Let’s meet again, Amachi-san. It seems we’ll be interacting a lot in the future.”

 

“Yes.”

 

We then parted ways with the members of the Awakened Crime Response Division.

They handled all the follow-up procedures, which would typically involve taking statements from us, but we were immediately released.

Probably due to Aya being the granddaughter of the chairman.

 

“Well, it turned out to be a hectic day, but let’s call it a day.”

 

“Yes, thank you for today. As for artifact creation, my skills will improve, and my accuracy will increase as I make more. If you find a better magic stone, please bring it.”

 

“Eh? So, you’ll make more!?”

 

“Yes, I’ll be waiting. I have to become stronger myself, so I want to try as much as possible. Also…”

 

Aya glanced at my finger with a slightly embarrassed look.

 

“If it’s Kai-san’s… anytime…”

 

While slightly puzzled, I acknowledged her.

After dropping her off at her home, I decided to grab some dinner and then head home.

As I was contemplating, a black luxury car pulled up next to me just as I was walking out of the gate of her opulent mansion.

 

I tensed a little, and then the window opened and the face appearing from inside was…

 

“Kai-san, good. Just in time.”

 

“Ah, Kagetora-san. It’s been a while.”

 

“I know it’s sudden, but there’s something I want to discuss. Let’s talk inside. And stay over tonight.”

 

I was caught in the grip of the macho man.