Chapter 2: I Just Wanted to Make an Erotic Golem…!
Right then, Kazuma had made his vow, but now he racked his brain, wondering how to get out of this situation.
It was clear that Akatsuki had been instigated by someone. However, the troubling part was Akatsuki’s Gift, Levitation. His Gift allowed him to make objects float, but it shouldn’t possess this much power.
Most likely, whoever instigated Akatsuki had done some kind of tampering. Kazuma figured he had to question him about that first, so he opened his mouth.
“Akatsuki, I want to ask you something. Where did you get this power?”
Kazuma knew about Akatsuki’s Gift. He knew its capabilities.
However, he didn’t know about the power that was currently making himself float, and furthermore, levitating the entire venue grounds.
“You think I’d tell you?”
It was the answer he’d expected. Akatsuki, as one might expect, wasn’t an idiot. He knew that a careless statement would only bring him trouble. If he recalled Kazuma’s actions from moments ago, he would understand, whether he liked it or not.
“Well, yeah, figures. But I have a pretty good idea. You were probably shown that footage from earlier via an anonymous email or something, and they fed you a bunch of lies, didn’t they? And then, at the end, they probably gave you some suspicious drug, right?”
Kazuma might usually be an airhead, but he was by no means an idiot. From their earlier exchange, he had already surmised that Akatsuki was being manipulated by a third party. Moreover, he had a fair idea of how they had taken advantage of him.
“They most likely preyed on your inferiority complex or that kind of paranoia. Truly a dirty tactic. You’re being tricked by a swindler, you know.”
It was a blatant provocation. Kazuma had a hunch what would be done to him next. However, to draw Akatsuki’s attention to himself, he had no other choice. Even if it meant his friend would come to hate him, Kazuma would play the part Akatsuki imagined him to be, all to prevent Akatsuki from becoming a criminal.
Kazuma’s plan could be called a resounding success. Hearing Kazuma’s words, Akatsuki’s face flushed with rage, and he glared, grinding his teeth. He would probably make the exact move Kazuma predicted.
“Like you… like someone like you could ever understand how I feel!”
“Yeah, I don’t. I’m not you, and you’re not me. If people actually understood each other’s feelings, conflict wouldn’t happen.”
At those words, it seemed Akatsuki had completely lost his rationality as he raised his hand.
“I don’t care if you’re the Crimson Knight or not. Just die!”
Kazuma’s body, which had remained stationary until then, began to ascend rapidly. Akatsuki intended to kill Kazuma by making him float all the way to the stratosphere. Faced with the unstoppable ascent, Kazuma looked at Akatsuki with a panicked expression.
“Hahaha! What’s wrong? Where’s all that composure from earlier! Scared of dying after all, are you!”
“(Just as planned! Akatsuki is completely focused only on me! Now all that’s left is—)”
Having successfully fixed Akatsuki’s gaze upon himself, Kazuma activated his Space-Time Magic. Stopping Akatsuki’s perceived time, Kazuma activated the ultimate weapon he had meticulously prepared.
He had been secretly carving a Magic Circle while pretending to play with the children at the facility, all to avoid detection by the National Defense Force. And now, Kazuma decided it was time to unveil the Golem, into which he had poured all the techniques learned from Sage Ludwig without reservation.
“(Go, Gun—! No, no. That reference is a bit much.)”
Kazuma, about to shout a certain famous line rather than an incantation in his mind, stopped himself at the last second.
“(I want the chant to be cool, but honestly, it’s not necessary, so let’s just get it over with. Magic Circle, activate! Spell Formula, release! Mana Circuit, connect! Thought Circuit, synchronize! Now, it’s showtime!!!)”
Far, far away, in a small park in the Seventh Area, a geometric Magic Circle floated up, and at the same moment, the Crimson Knight materialized.
With no people around and no surveillance cameras in sight, the Crimson Knight took off from the park. Its destination: its master’s side. The summoned Crimson Knight flew towards the First Area, exceeding the speed of sound.
As Kazuma continued to gain altitude due to Akatsuki’s levitation, becoming the size of a bean from the ground, a flying object collided with him.
Everyone who witnessed the scene gasped in astonishment. Just as they stood there, dumbfounded, the Crimson Knight descended, holding Kazuma.
“The Crimson Knight!?”
Everyone present was shocked. First, the mysterious duo had appeared, and now, the Crimson Knight who had overwhelmingly crushed the Humanoid Ibinom had shown up. Everyone wondered just how many more surprises they were in for.
And Akatsuki, watching from above, was more shaken than anyone else.
“N-No way…? But… that person said Kazuma was the Crimson Knight! Why did the Crimson Knight save Kazuma! The Crimson Knight is supposed to be Kazuma! So why… I don’t get it!”
Akatsuki had been convinced that Kazuma was the Crimson Knight. However, right now, in Akatsuki’s field of vision, was the sight of Kazuma being rescued by the Crimson Knight.
He couldn’t make out what they were saying, but that didn’t matter. The important thing was that Kazuma was not the Crimson Knight.
“No way… So, that person was lying? Kazuma was telling the truth, and that person was a liar… That’s… that’s just…”
Confused, Akatsuki clutched his head, distraught. It was understandable. Since what he had believed in turned out to be a blatant lie, the shock must have been immeasurable.
Moreover, he bore a sense of guilt. He knew that what he was currently doing was wrong. But even so, an uncontrollable anger had dominated him, making him impulsive.
“Ah, ahhh… AHHHHHHHHHH!!!”
Realizing he had been completely mistaken and had reached a point of no return, Akatsuki lost himself and began to rampage. Just as his Levitation Gift went berserk, about to lift the entire surrounding area, the Crimson Knight instantly closed in on Akatsuki and knocked him unconscious in a flash.
“(And that’s case closed! Now, if I just use magic to slowly lower the levitating venue grounds without anyone noticing, it’ll be perfect!)”
Having splendidly suppressed the situation with zero casualties, Kazuma was internally striking a victory pose. What’s more, as a bonus, he had managed to make it known that he was not the Crimson Knight. Two birds with one stone, he was thoroughly satisfied.
However, this man had completely forgotten.
A worldwide simultaneous terrorist attack was currently underway, and furthermore, the internet was down due to the Ibinom assault.
In other words, no one outside this very scene could know, and everyone still believed Kazuma to be the Crimson Knight.
That said, there were likely some people recording with cameras. Once things settled down, it would probably be determined that the Crimson Knight and Kazuma were separate individuals.
However, Kazuma had already displayed such tremendous power in the Academy Battle Tournament. Even if he wasn’t the Crimson Knight, the scouts would by no means stop pursuing him.
Completely unaware of this fact, Kazuma was reveling in his victory in his mind.
“(Gahahahaha!!! A great victory~!!!)”
As the saying goes, “ignorance is bliss”; because he was an airhead, he was happy.
◇◇◇◇
In America, many Gifted were swamped responding to Ibinom that had suddenly appeared late at night, and the city was in utter chaos.
Among them, naturally, was the Witch Alicia. She was twisting Ibinom apart, crushing them to death, pulverizing them, and trampling them with her Telekinesis.
“What the heck! Showing up suddenly at a time like this! And the internet’s down! This is the worst!!!”
Alicia saved fleeing civilians with her Telekinesis, and as if it were merely an afterthought, defeated Ibinom. Everyone trembled at the sight. Many were deeply relieved that she wasn’t an enemy.
Occasionally, Alicia would block incoming attacks with a Barrier, then turn her face towards the direction the attack came from. Upon spotting her prey, she would tear it apart with Telekinesis.
The Ibinom were reduced to gruesome sights. However, there wasn’t a shred of sympathy for them.
Ibinom were merely monsters that repeated slaughter. They were detested like vermin.
“Don’t defy me, you small fry, will you?”
Alicia, who had been about to call Kazuma, thinking his match would be over by now, was showing her anger towards the suddenly appearing Ibinom.
She rampaged about like a child throwing a tantrum.
“Aaargh, this is so annoying!!!”
Dancing freely in the air, annihilating every Ibinom in her path, she was truly worthy of the name Witch.
Having殲滅 (annihilated) the surrounding Ibinom, she called Stephen.
The internet was currently unusable, but the terminal she possessed was a special device that could be used even in emergencies. A result of scientific progress.
“Stephen. I’m done over here.”
“Sorry, but could you head to the next scene?”
“Yeah, yeah. Where should I go?”
“East. King is handling the west.”
“King is taking care of the super-large one?”
“He’s probably the only one who can handle something as huge as a battleship.”
“That’s not true. We have the Crimson Knight now, don’t we?”
“That’s true. Well, he’s another matter entirely. Regardless, we need to deal with this situation right now.”
“I agree. Those damn bastards are probably behind this whole mess, aren’t they…”
“Most likely. Seriously, the occult is just full of troublesome types.”
“That’s right,” Alicia agreed, then hung up the phone.
Where she turned her gaze, to the east, flames surged and black smoke billowed into the air.
Even now, the military was struggling to rescue civilians and fight against the Ibinom.
Alicia, knowing she had to provide aid as quickly as possible, hurried to the scene.
The devastation wasn’t confined to America. In France, Great Britain, Germany, Russia, China, and countries all over the world, Ibinom were on a rampage. The Gifted in every country were swamped dealing with the Ibinom, and the world was plunged into chaos.