I Became the Childhood Friend Who Commits Suicide

Chapter 53

Blue Shark sighed.

“I didn’t expect to get tailed this soon. We have no choice. Let’s get out.”

“Get out of the car?”

“The road’s trashed, and it’s hard to fend off these kinds of attacks while driving.”

Though I was scared after seeing the explosion right in front of us, I decided to get out of the car without a fuss.

Once outside, it was clear that the road was too wrecked for the car to continue.

“Won’t it take too long if we walk?”

“It’s fine. We’re almost there.”

Then, a sharp sound cut through the air from far away, coming closer and closer. Something massive appeared over the horizon.

“Wow, they’re coming in strong from the start.”

Despite seeing the incoming missile, she remained calm.

With a single wave of her hand, a stream of blue water rose from the ground.

A wave surge upwards, forming a shield in front of us.

The wave and the missile collided.

The resulting explosion shook the surroundings.

I shut my eyes tightly, waiting for the shockwave to pass.

“Judging by how recklessly they’re firing, it looks like the old men have no intention of keeping you alive.”

“…Perhaps.”

“Well, be grateful I’m your guide. If nothing else, I’m confident about my defense.”

It wasn’t just a boast.

Blue Shark, a member of the Apostles—the strongest group in this world—had unmatched defensive abilities.

“Now that they’ve found our location, this barrage is just a greeting. Let’s move quickly before the hounds arrive.”

“Yes.”

My nerves refused to calm down.

I trusted her abilities, but if the academy was serious about this, even an Apostle would have a hard time.

“Hmm… It might be better to head that way.”

Blue Shark pointed in a direction off the road we were on.

Beyond it lay a faint view of city buildings.

“Into the city? Isn’t that dangerous?”

“It’s safer. They wouldn’t launch missiles there, right? If they have any sanity left, that is.”

“Hmm… Maybe.”

“Trust me! I’m the top brain in the Apostles, you know!”

As someone who’s read the original story, I know for sure.

That’s a blatant lie.

***

“These guys are insane. Crazy bastards.”

Even though Blue Shark sounded relaxed, she frowned behind her mask.

It seemed like they were serious.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Bullets rained down like a storm.

Without her wave barrier, the savior would surely be dead.

In the Apostles, only a few, like Lizard, specialized in protecting others.

The firepower was overwhelming.

And the worst part was that it was happening right in the middle of the city.

“I can’t tell who the real villains are here.”

There were no people on the streets, likely evacuated in advance, but the sheer number of bullets would inevitably cause casualties.

This wasn’t a typical military or police operation.

If it were, we would’ve seen at least a glimpse of the attackers.

“They’re hiding and shooting… scared or just stalling?”

The opponent didn’t fall for the provocation.

If this continued, getting through the city would be tough. And going back wasn’t an option either.

The situation had become quite challenging.

It seemed there was only one option.

Blue Shark extended her hand, and the wave that was blocking the bullets surged forward.

A massive tsunami tore through the city buildings, rushing in the direction of the gunfire.

“There you are.”

A shark made of water rose from the ground, hunting its prey.

The sniper, who had been hiding, fled his hiding spot.

Catching a glimpse of the shadow, Blue Shark smirked.

“Die, bastard.”

The ground beneath the sniper turned into a pit of water.

He was at risk of being swallowed by the water below.

Sharks swarmed, mouths wide open, ready to snatch the bait.

However, the sniper calmly flipped his body to face the pit.

Then, he fired wildly, using the recoil to rise against gravity.

Watching him ascend, Blue Shark sneered.

“Wow, seriously? That’s absurd.”

“……”

I didn’t respond, but watching the fight, I also felt it was surreal.

Then again, summoning a tsunami and sharks from concrete was fantasy too.

Through the exchange, the sniper had no choice but to reveal himself.

Ragged clothing, a scruffy beard, a worn-out hat, and a leather cape—he looked like a cowboy.

He carried a sniper rifle almost as large as himself.

“Of all people, it had to be an asshole like you.”

“Still as foul-mouthed as ever, Shark Head.”

“Shut up, you bastard.”

Of all people, she had encountered one of the worst possible opponents.

John Ford, an S-class hero.

Just being an S-class made him one of the strongest, but among S-class heroes, he was ranked lower.

That was mainly because his abilities didn’t fully shine in gate raids, which were humanity’s priority.

Most monsters appeared from gates.

His optimal battlefield was long-range and ambush.

If he could snipe from a hidden position, breaking his barrier would be nearly impossible.

Of course, if we only considered the nature of their abilities, Blue Shark would laugh it off.

No matter how great a sniper, she could always block with her waves.

But now it wasn’t a normal situation.

She had to lead the savior to the sanctuary.

And unfortunately, the sanctuary lay beyond the sniper’s barricade.

If she could simply fight it out, that would be great.

But the girl beside her was as fragile as a hamster—one graze from a bullet could be fatal.

Was this all part of their plan?

If so, those old geezers had completely anticipated her moves.

Anger flared within her.

Meanwhile, the sniper, casually smoking, asked,

“I’m not fond of fighting, so how about handing over that cutie next to you? The higher-ups in the association seem desperate for some reason.”

“Seriously? You don’t even know who she is?”

“Being a hero is a sad job. Outwardly, we seem like defenders of humanity, but we’re just puppets moving as the association dictates.”

“Humans. I’ll never understand why you live like that. Idiots.”

“I actually agree with that.”

At least she gained some useful information.

It seemed that even S-class heroes weren’t aware of Messiah’s true identity.

Does the association know?

Who knows. They might just be puppets of the academy board too.

If only she knew the true intentions of those cunning old men.

“So, will you surrender her peacefully?”

“Bite me.”

“A shame. Then this conversation is over. I don’t enjoy chatting with filthy demons.”

The sniper immediately turned hostile, aiming his rifle at her.

The moment he pulled the trigger, bullets rained down.

That damn ability.

Each bullet was a magically enhanced projectile.

Even a physically enhanced fighter wouldn’t stand a chance against these.

Summoning waves in haste to block the bullets, she thought.

The guy isn’t truly fighting. His goal is clearly to stall for time.

Reinforcements must be on the way.

If that happened, their situation would only get worse.

She needed to turn the situation around somehow.

“Huff…”

With a sigh, Blue Shark blew out a breath.

A bubble floated from her mouth, drifting towards the girl.

“Ah.”

The bubble expanded, enveloping the girl.

Its surface became coated with water, forming a large water bubble to protect her.

This should shield her from the gunfire, giving her time to focus on the battle.

“I’ll hold him off. You run.”

“…Run? Where to?”

“Not back. The hounds are probably following that way.”

“Then where…”

She turned to the hesitating girl.

“Keep going left from here, and you’ll reach a gate. Go through it.”

“A gate? But I… I can’t fight monsters.”

“It should be safe. Besides, if you stay here, you’re dead either way.”

After a moment’s hesitation, the girl nodded.

“…Alright.”

“Good. I’ll give you a signal, then hide behind that building. After that, just run like hell. Got it?”

“Yes.”

“Now… run!!”

At her signal, the girl sprinted toward the side of the building.

The sniper spotted her and fired, but the bubble absorbed the bullets.

The target vanished behind the building.

The sniper clicked his tongue, trying to reposition himself.

Blue Shark wasn’t about to let him.

“Where do you think you’re going? Play with me.”

“Sorry, but I’m not into clingy women.”

“Too bad, because I hate smokers.”

The woman charged fiercely, her attack pattern shifting.

No longer content with holding her position, she went in for close combat.

The sniper coolly swapped to a handgun, retreating as he fired.

Bang!

“…What the?”

He frowned.

The opponent didn’t even attempt to block and let the shot hit her.

Bloodstains spread on her abdomen beneath her cloak.

It was a solid hit, but something felt off.

Why didn’t she use her defensive powers?

Either way, with that kind of wound, she wouldn’t be moving easily.

Victory seemed assured.

Clutching her abdomen, her head hung low, and her body trembled.

She was laughing.

“Heh heh… Thanks.”

“What did you do?”

“Oh, nothing much. Just a little scratch.”

A scratch?

He finally noticed a small cut on his hand.

Just a faint scratch, barely drawing a single drop of blood.

The moment that drop hit the ground…

She took a ragged breath, her body writhing.

When she finally raised her head,

Her blood-red eyes fixated on her prey.

“Aah… It’s been so

long since I smelled such sweet blood.”

TL Note: Rate us on NOVEL UPDATES