Chapter 94

With a flash, Ritsuko's gift, the mirror image, was released, and the four Ritsukos returned to one.

[Good job, good job! Well done, Ritsuko-chan! Next, next!]

Our party, led by Ritsuko, broke through the laboratory at high speed.

The enemy, Dr. Moromoro, frantically continued to release the otherworldly beings from the laboratory to block our path, but it was not even enough to buy time against Ritsuko and Arisu.

Ritsuko and Arisu mowed down the otherworldly beings like a vacuum cleaner.

The power of two S-rank individuals was tremendous.

I laughed as I watched them swiftly decapitate the otherworldly beings.

‘This is how you clear it.’

The frustrating plot twists from the original work are gone now.

In front of me, there is only soda!

Unlike the original protagonist who wandered around for a long time due to not knowing the structure of the underground laboratory, I had a reliable operator, or rather, a navigation system by my side.

[This is the laboratory where Rena-chan is sleeping.]

Naturally, we could reach our destination much faster and safer than in the original work.

A huge metal door that exuded a sense of importance stood right in front of us.

The large number 00 engraved on the metal door.

It was just like what I had seen in the animation.

“Rena...”

Senpai Kasumi called out her friend's name in a trembling voice.

She gripped the cane-type superweapon ‘Star Quarterstaff’ tightly with both hands.

Senpai Kasumi's combat mode full-body armor was in the form of a witch.

Kasumi, with her purple witch hat and purple witch robe fluttering, bit her lip.

“Just hold on a little longer. Senpai and I will save you.”

Senpai Kasumi muttered to herself in a small voice.

[System hacking complete. I'll open the door. Be careful, Dukseong-chan.]

The door creaked open with Saori's voice.

Beyond the door, a tree so large it could be mistaken for the World Tree was visible.

Rena, who had transformed into a plant form.

The vibrant green tree, full of life, looked quite ironic under the artificial lighting.

Numerous pipes were intricately connected to the tree trunk.

Extracting the raw materials for the amplification potion.

Senpai Kasumi's eyes trembled as she saw Rena in her tree form.

“It’s too much...”

Kasumi bit her lip.

She lifted her head.

A man with a gray head, wearing a white lab coat and glasses, with a despicable look on his face, was visible.

I could tell at a glance.

That's Dr. Moromoro.

“Are you Dr. Moromoro?”

Arisu took a step forward, pointing the tip of her spear at Dr. Moromoro.

Patsutsutsu.

Silver sparks danced around the spear tip.

“With your power, you can’t beat us. So don’t waste your time and just surrender. We find fighting annoying too.”

Ritsuko, turning her dagger in her hand, spoke in an annoyed tone.

[Yeah, yeah! Surrender, Dr. Moromoro! You’re finished!]

Just as Saori said excitedly,

“Ugh, hahaha, hahaha, hahaha, hahaha!”

Dr. Moromoro burst into maniacal laughter, pressing his hand to his forehead and leaning back.

Of course, who would think he’s not a light novel villain?

Here we go again.

Just look at his posturing.

I clicked my tongue and watched calmly.

“This is how foolish you are! How pitiful you are! You walked into a trap without even realizing it!”

My eyebrows twitched.

A trap?

It’s become meaningless now, but a different line from the original.

Did he really set a trap?

I was taken aback.

Looking around,

“YO. You’re right, Dr. Moromoro. They’ve fallen into the trap.”

A voice that shouldn’t be heard here rang in my ear.

“With two S-ranks, you thought you could beat Moromoro. If Master hadn’t ordered us two to be dispatched to eliminate you no matter what happens today, it would have been a big problem.”

Another man's voice.

Two men appeared from behind the tree trunk.

A black villain character wearing a gold chain necklace and a cap backwards.

The S-rank villain, Mr. Digger.

A white old man with a thick coat, a bowler hat, and a Kaiser mustache, wearing a monocle.

The S-rank villain, Architect.

Two more of the 13 Apostles had appeared.

“Damn it.”

A long time since I’ve cursed in Korean.

Both of them shouldn’t be here at this point.

Mr. Digger, Architect.

Both of them are supposed to appear in the final episode, the academy destruction, to be dealt with by the grown protagonist and the heroine.

But why are they here now?

Three S-ranks?

This can’t be.

No matter how much the original work is twisted, this is just wrong.

‘Messiah, you crazy bastard...’

Grinding my teeth.

A sense of powerlessness settled in.

We can’t win.

We have two S-ranks, they have three.

Even if the sky splits, winning is impossible.

We need to retreat quickly and plan for the next move...

“...We’ve been caught.”

“Unbelievable.”

Arisu’s face showed defeat, and Ritsuko bit her lip.

[Calculation failed. Dukseong-chan! Critical situation! Danger! Danger!]

Saori’s warning message rang in my ear.

“Let’s run...”

Just as I was about to give the order to retreat,

“Are you trying to find a way out?”

With a foreboding crack in the air, the old man with the monocle fell to the ground.

“Damn.”

The curse slipped out again.

Architect.

Why is he here again?

“There’s no need. I’ve personally come to deal with you.”

Suru.

Architect pulled a sword from his cane.

The superweapon, Gopti Aga, in the form of a sword cane, was revealed.

I quickly recalled the information about Architect in my head.

Architect is the weakest among the 13 Apostles.

While maintaining Labyrinth, he cannot use his gift, ability, or true name release.

Is there a chance?

Woooom.

Durandal shook violently.

Clenching my teeth, I raised Durandal.

I don’t know.

“Farewell, Kim Dukseong.”

The bald old man, Architect, swung his sword cane with a blank expression.

“Rock Sword Style, First Form: Rocky Boulder!”

The moment he loudly called out the skill name,

A blinding white magical light transformed into bizarre rock shapes and rained down like meteors.

I had no energy to curse this crazy light novel world, no spirit to mock the skill names.

It was instinct.

I couldn’t block it.

No matter how much I used synchronization and the Black Stone, I was just imitating.

I can’t win against a real S-rank.

“...Damn...”

I cursed again, not knowing how many times.

Defeat is certain.

I want to run, to escape.

But there’s no way out.

Is this how soldiers feel when they have to fight a battle they know they can’t win?

I raised Durandal.

Woooom!!

Durandal’s blade shook.

Through my combat experience, I knew without borrowing the Black Prince’s talent,

Even if I block it, I’ll die in the next turn.

“I don’t want to die...”

“Don’t hurt my junior!!”

At that moment,

Senpai Kasumi stood in front of me.

Chirururur.

Scales sprouted all over her body, and her eyes slit vertically.

Transforming into a dragon person, Senpai Kasumi slammed her cane and chanted a spell.

“Dragon Speech Magic── Draconic Shield.”

Flash.

A purple crystal glowed, and a magic circle appeared in the air.

Multiple translucent purple shields stacked up.

Dragon Speech Magic.

The secret high-level magic that Senpai Kasumi, a magician and hero, hides, which can only be used by those with dragon blood.

I know.

She hates revealing her dragon person form to others.

Senpai Kasumi looked at me with her vertically slit eyes and shouted.

Tears streamed down her face.

“Junior, run. I’ll try to hold them off, you can’t die. Junior, you’re a bad guy and a black beast, but I...”

A situation that could only happen in a light novel.

My lips trembled.

But it’s futile.

An S-rank villain’s attack is not something she can block.

“Stop wasting time...”

Just as I was about to answer her,

A deafening roar echoed.

The white rock masses pierced through the stacked shields like paper and struck Senpai Kasumi directly.

“Aaaaaaaah!!”

Senpai Kasumi screamed in agony and fell.

Senpai Kasumi, now covered in blood, spat blood from her mouth.

“Junior... You must live... Junior...”

My hands trembled.

What can I do?

I felt powerless.

A quintessentially light novel situation.

The protagonist, caught off guard by an unexpected turn of events, facing an overwhelmingly powerful enemy that appears suddenly, an ally who can’t win.

The heroine, struck down by the enemy’s attack, and the protagonist, who goes berserk in anger and ultimately fails.

A section that should never appear in a web novel that pursues soda, causing countless readers to drop the story.

This scene is unfolding in front of me.

If this were a paid web novel, the sales would halve here, followed by a tearful announcement and a sudden drop in popularity.

“Senpai Kasumi...”

I stood there like a fool.

I was only thinking about running.

What the hell was that finger promise, believing in such nonsense.

Why are you getting worked up over an opponent you can’t beat?

Stupidly.

I’m angry.

I don’t like it.

“...”

This damn light novel world where emotions always come before reason.

All the stupid heroines with their heads full of flowers.

This overly kind world.

Even Senpai Kasumi, who tried to protect me, the cool and selfish soda-pass holder.