The “Numbers” sub-leader, Hazaki Tsutomu, belonged to the baseball club during his high school days.
Though they never reached the Koshien tournament, he led everyone as the vice-captain of a strong team that always came close, sweating for victory, sometimes strictly guiding his juniors, and pouring everything into winning.
Certainly, there might have been some slightly excessive guidance.
There might have been acts that could be called physical punishment, or maybe not.
But it was affection done out of necessity, justice executed to achieve the goal.
So, the fact that he died on his own was because his heart was particularly weak, and Hazaki was originally guiding him for the sake of the team.
Yet, as soon as it became public, people started gossiping, saying, “Hazaki did it,” or “That senior did it”…
Expelled from school and disowned by his family, Hazaki had nowhere to go.
He even caused a violent incident and troubled the police.
Simmering deep down was a desire for revenge against the scum rampant in society.
It’s not my fault.
It’s your weak hearts that are to blame, yet you put the blame solely on me.
Always shifting responsibility onto others, while you lot continue to nonchalantly suck the sweet nectar, you scum.
Hazaki chose the path of a streamer partly because Kujou invited him, but also—to denounce those guys at a press conference when he one day gained significant influence in society.
To prove that he was not wrong.
And now, that opportunity is right in front of him.
“Hazaki, get a grip!”
“Don’t screw with me, Kujou! Hey, Miroku, defensive magic, hurry up, you slowpoke!”
While instructing Miroku to cast a defense buff, he activates the recorder and turns on streaming mode.
Even Hazaki doesn’t think he can beat the Creature.
But the more he captures on video, the more impact the footage will have as it spreads around the world. Along with the name Hazaki Tsutomu.
Serves you right.
Finally, my time has come, I’ll show those guys what’s what this time—!
“Haha, hahahah…!”
Hazaki even feels gratitude towards the giant body shaking the earth.
He can’t stop laughing. This is the best moment of his life.
…Ah, that’s right, if you discover a new Monster, you get the naming rights.
“Hey Kujou, the discoverer gets to name new types of Monsters, right!? Then let’s name it. A huge, four-legged turtle bastard! How about Hazaki Dragoon Turtle? Four legs, plus the ‘eight’ from my name, it’s perfect!”
“Hazaki, run!”
“Don’t rush me, Kujou. Look at its legs. It’s got a lot of impact, but it’s too slow!”
Hazaki isn’t so careless as to be taken down by a mere wooden doll with a big body.
Its legs are clearly slow due to its massive size.
Taking advantage of that gap, until the very last moment.
Closer. Get closer.
“Hazaki!”
“Shut up! If you’re scared, tuck your tail and run away! I, I’ve finally seized my chance. Ah. I was born for this moment. I’ll capture this on video here, and I’ll become a hero…”
In front of Hazaki, who is laughing gleefully, light shines.
The Turtle-shaped Monster opens its mouth wide.
Immediately after, from its flame-filled mouth, it unleashes a flash containing immense heat—its speed leaving even sound behind.
“N-no way, so fast… I, I’m going to be a hero—”
I will become a hero.
Those were the last words of Hazaki Tsutomu, a pitiful man who aimed to be a hero.
*
“Tch, that idiot…!”
Kujou clicks his tongue. It’s common sense that Boss Monsters usually have special moves befitting their appearance.
Just a muscle-brained fool after all.
But thanks to him, I understand its characteristics.
A sluggish body with a super-giant frame, and a super-fast Heat Flash fired from its mouth.
Evading it is difficult, but there should be a Cooldown until the next shot. In that gap—
“H-hic… u-uwaaaaaah!”
Next to Kujou, Miroku was panicking.
He was crying and trying to escape in a hurry like a rolling pig, and then he tripped.
“T-that’s why I was against it, it’s not my fault! It’s those guys who invited me who are to blame!”
“Tch… Hey Miroku, Acceleration Skill! Escape from this place—”
“Shut up, shut up, shut up! I-it’s not my fault, it’s not my responsibility, no, it’s not! T-these guys are to blame, for tricking me into coming to a place like this! Besides, Papa shouldn’t have told me there was a Dungeon like this!”
“Shut up, Miroku, this is no time to be talking about that!”
“A-aaaaaaah!”
Miroku, with tears streaming down his face, raises his knees and runs away clumsily.
Perhaps annoyed by that voice. Or perhaps it saw the fleeing prey as its next target.
The sluggish turtle slowly turns its face, rustling its shell,
Doshuu!
Along with the Magical Power Release, countless brown needles shot out from its shell.
They flew towards the ceiling like the trajectory of a bow, and before Kujou could look up, they abruptly changed their angle.
In mid-air, where there should have been no choice but to fall naturally, they unnaturally changed direction with creaking sounds—piercing Miroku’s body.
Ah, the voice that leaked out, was it the last cry of his life?
Miroku collapsed easily and disappeared due to the complete loss of Magical Power.
“W-what… homing projectiles…!”
…He died.
Easily, two of his companions were blown away.
Hazaki, who he had known the longest in “The Numbers,” and Miroku, who had followed him despite being a newbie.
Those two disappeared so easily—
…Such things don’t matter to Kujou.
The problem is that its attack interval is too fast and there are no openings.
At this rate, I won’t survive!
“Damn it, this is no joke…!”
The enemy’s movements are sluggish. But the attack comes out too fast.
Besides, Bosses usually have multiple attack patterns.
What are the other attacks? Can I handle them?
Calm down. First, observe the enemy. Check calmly.
Kujou is a genius. Just a genius who wasn’t blessed with the right environment.
His skills are solid, and if he gets serious, he can surely dodge that level of attack with ease.
The Creature’s head slowly rises.
Reptilian eyes, like those of a reptile clinging to a rock, capture Kujou.
Its mouth opens, and Magical Power converges. Heat Flash is coming.
Evade it right before it fires. Time it right. I can do it. I can do it if it’s me.
Its mouth opens like a slow-motion video, and the sound of heat converging, jiji, can be heard. Wait. Get ready. A little more—now!
“…?”
His legs, won’t move.
Why. Why. Is it the enemy’s trap?
Feeling a chill, he looks down at his feet… and finally realizes.
Kujou’s legs—were pathetically trembling with fear, and he was barely able to stand.
“A… ah…”
He wasn’t calmly staring at the enemy.
Kujou was just standing still in terror, unable to move.
The heat converges. No. No. It shouldn’t end like this. I’m not the kind of person who ends up like this.
There must be something. A miracle. Divine grace.
Otherwise, my life would be too unfair—
“A, tch, damn it, damn it…!”
His body, entangled with anger and fear, doesn’t move.
Kujou still tries to escape, and tumbles ungracefully.
The Monster’s mouth finally opens, and the released Heat Flash engulfs the man’s entire body.
Or so it seemed.
“…?”
Kujou, who had been crouching, raises his face.
Just now, he certainly felt like he had taken the enemy’s attack…?
Such questions from Kujou are dismissed by,
“Really, beyond redemption.”
A cold voice from a man.
What appeared was a middle-aged man in a suit and glasses, who could be found anywhere in Japan.
Frowning nervously, glaring at the Monster with a troubled look, was a man Kujou knew well…
However, a man who shouldn’t be here.
An ordinary Salaryman who could be found anywhere.
Kageichi Futsuu was standing calmly against the Turtle Monster, pushing up his glasses as if annoyed.