LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 7
Before the Grim Reaper showed up to get revenge on the dessert, in a remote place,
30 Solvers had gathered there.
They were Solvers assembled to hunt down the Crime Organization. Sometimes, they temporarily teamed up with each other to carry out requests.
The organization they were going to hunt was the ‘Three-Headed Dragon.’
It was quite a notorious organization.
“Three-Headed Dragon. According to the data, it’s led by the Lizardman triplets who claim to be descendants of dragon kin. They were born as mutants with superior physical abilities compared to their kin and have a ferocious temperament, causing trouble wherever they go. Each brother carries a danger level of A. If the triplets are together, the risk level rises to equivalent to S.”
Red listened quietly to the explanation from her orc companion, Stal.
She was looking up at the night sky while puffing on a cigarette. However, her consciousness was elsewhere.
After a moment, Red spoke softly.
“I can handle this alone.”
“I know. You could take them down and still have time to spare.”
Stal chuckled lightly at Red’s confident demeanor.
He pulled out a thick cigarette and began to smoke as well.
The Solvers gathered here had been called together considering the threat level of the Three-Headed Dragon.
Each had considerable skills, but they were insufficient to confront the Three-Headed Dragon.
Even with everyone together, they were still barely under-equipped.
But Red was different.
For her, taking down the Three-Headed Dragon would be easier than eating porridge.
She might finish everything before she even burned through her cigarette.
Stal took a drag from his cigarette and exhaled slowly.
The white smoke scattered in the air.
“That said, if you move, the hostage might be in danger.”
In fact, Red was not supposed to participate in this hunt.
The reason she was here was that one child from the orphanage she sponsored had been kidnapped by the members of the Three-Headed Dragon.
The reason was unknown.
Revenge? Money? Whatever it was, Stal thought it was foolish to touch the orphanage Red supported.
But he believed there must be a reason behind it.
“We won’t act recklessly either. If we stick to the plan, the kid will be safe, so don’t make any unnecessary movements and cause a ruckus.”
“…I’ve understood, so stop talking. That was already the tenth time.”
“It wouldn’t be strange for you to suddenly dart out based on your personality, so I’m reminding you.”
“Why are you talking about old stuff? I’m not the same as I used to be.”
“Yeah, yeah. Just to repeat….”
“I got it!”
As time passed, just when they were about to move to their positions for the operation, everyone felt a huge pressure.
The winds blowing in were not normal, and chills ran down their spines.
The Solvers were sweating nervously, their faces tense at the unexpected change.
They all understood what this sensation meant.
It was the feeling of death that one experiences at least once while working as a Solver.
And as they recognized the cause of this change, panicked voices started to erupt here and there.
“Wait a minute! This is a different story. A Grim Reaper?! I didn’t sign up for this!”
“Crap. We need to cancel now….”
“Who the hell is crazy enough to face that?!”
Among them, even the most seasoned Stal showed signs of panic.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Is this for real? Why is that thing showing up here….”
A harbinger of death.
While everyone was flustered by the appearance of the Grim Reaper, only one person remained calm.
Red tossed her cigarette to the ground and stamped out the embers.
“Hey, Red! Where are you going?”
“I’ll handle the Grim Reaper somehow. You go save the kid in the meantime.”
After those words, Red dashed forward.
As she increased her speed, deafening booms erupted around her.
The ground shuddered in fear.
Red’s heart raced. It was a sensation she hadn’t felt in a long while.
Jumping headfirst into a place where death was rampant. However, sometimes in life, you are forced to deal with things you cannot avoid.
And now was that moment.
To buy time to save the child.
Red’s legs didn’t slow down at all.
*
Crash!
Red and I both jumped back simultaneously, creating distance.
I knew the Solvers were nearby.
Whether they were aiming at the organization or came for another request, I didn’t know, but I figured they would definitely rush over if a commotion broke out.
I tried to hurry back before they could arrive.
But to think it would happen this quickly.
Especially with Red just running around.
I never imagined she would show up in this place.
What a small world.
To meet again like this, especially while I’m in my Grim Reaper Form.
“It’s fine. No need to panic. My identity hasn’t been revealed, and if I subdue her, it’ll be over.”
I could knock her out and vanish afterward.
I had done well with others I didn’t want to harm, and I had handled competent Solvers too.
There shouldn’t be a problem this time either.
The only worry was not knowing exactly how strong Red truly was.
“…Grim Reaper. You’ve certainly made a scene. What’s your intention? Why are you appearing in a place like this?”
Intention? Well, I came for revenge for the dessert.
I figured there was no point in answering a serious question with a ridiculous one, so it didn’t matter that I couldn’t talk.
As I remained silent, she pulled her gloves tighter.
Then she prepared for battle.
“I’m not expecting an answer anyway.”
She didn’t seem to be thinking of backing down.
My goal had already been achieved, and I didn’t want to clash with the innocent. The best outcome would be resolving this without a fight.
To convey my intention of not wanting to fight, I plunged my sword into the ground.
Then, I crossed my arms and looked up at the sky.
This should communicate my desire to leave. Did my thoughts reach her?
“You’re going nowhere. You have to stay here with me.”
Well, there it was.
I mean, I’m from the underworld, and she’s a Solver. We’re bound to clash.
Plus, she’s rumored to be ruthless against those from the underworld.
It can’t be helped.
Then, I’ll just have to faint her and escape from here.
‘It’s going to hurt a lot, but hang in there.’
I tore up a piece of the ground and hurled it at her.
The large concrete chunk came crashing down, as expected. But that was just a distraction to draw attention.
At the same moment I threw the debris, I pushed off the ground and closed the distance in an instant.
Through the shattered bits, I put all my strength into my swing to knock her out.
‘Tch.’
But she blocked it with a punch.
If it doesn’t work once, I’ll just keep attacking until it does.
I twisted my hand and swung my sword at a different angle, and she threw another punch to counter it.
Thus began our tit-for-tat skirmish.
Every time blue trajectories and fists collided, the space screamed, tearing the air apart.
The ground beneath us cracked, and the air exploded, sending debris flying.
‘Can fists really block swords? No, it’s not impossible in this world. But still, it’s my sword. It isn’t an ordinary blade.’
What made it even more troublesome was that Red wasn’t just charging in blindly.
Red sidestepped and twisted her body, dodging what she could. Then, she seized the opportunity to land a strong punch.
Her hands didn’t rest. They were incredibly fast and precise.
Judging that merely relying on strength wouldn’t be enough, I tried blending my sword moves with some martial arts tricks. Yet,
she countered as well, matching my movement.
Fortunately, only my armor absorbed the shocks; if it were bare skin, I would have been in big trouble.
‘She really is as strong as the rumors say. Honestly, I didn’t expect her to be this tough.’
While my strength was superior, her skill was overwhelming.
I wasn’t backed into a corner, but I also wasn’t in a favorable position.
‘This is really annoying. She’s exactly the kind of opponent I hate most.’
I didn’t want to kill her, but she was way too strong to subdue.
Caught in such a precarious situation, my consciousness unexpectedly drifted elsewhere.
Red didn’t miss that opportunity.
A big smile spread across her face.
In the eyes of a predator that has successfully caught its prey, a chill ran down my spine, making me shudder.
I tried to refocus on her too late.
“Found the opening.”
Red used her leg as a pivot, spinning to deliver a high kick.
The impact made me lose my grip on my sword, sending it flying away.
Seeing this as the perfect opportunity, she closed in on me and unleashed a relentless barrage of attacks.
I couldn’t defend or retaliate.
Face it. There was no way I could escape with my learned fighting techniques, and I found no opening.
At least my armor soaked up the shocks, but
I couldn’t just keep taking hits like this.
If my martial arts were weak, I had to resort to other methods.
Gathering my magic into one spot, I exploded it.
Maybe she realized the danger; she abruptly halted her assault and leaped back.
In that moment, I called my sword back quickly.
I aimed a horizontal slash at her as she landed.
The blue sword energy sliced through the air fiercely, and Red sharply bent backward, narrowly avoiding it.
A long line was carved into the wall where the blade had struck.
Moments later, the upper part of the building began to crumble.
‘This isn’t going to end in a draw. I need to increase my output? But what if I end up dead?’
No, no way.
Increasing my power wouldn’t easily lead to death.
Strangely enough, it seems she hadn’t revealed her full potential either.
How much strength should I exert to subdue her? It was hard to measure.
At least I noticed one lucky thing.
‘She also seems to be distracted from the fight for some reason. I wonder what that could be?’
I realized this while fighting.
Just as I focused on escaping and subduing, she too seemed to have her mind elsewhere.
At least she didn’t intend to take me out.
It felt like she was trying to take me captive instead. That worked in my favor.
An idea sparked in my mind, and I transitioned into action immediately.
I infused my sword with magic and stabbed it into the ground.
It began to emit a loud noise.
Blue flames erupted from the sword, and the flames began to take shape.
It transformed into a Flame Giant, comparable in size to a five-story building.
“This is… no way!”
Red dashed towards me, realizing my intention, but the Flame Giant intervened.
“Grim Reaper! Where do you think you’re running off to?! Stay right there!”
Sorry, but I don’t want to.
I’m playing with that thing. I’m leaving now.
Bye-bye.
Without hesitation, I took my leave.
*
I arrived at a place where there were no signs of life and took a moment to catch my breath.
‘The crime killer, that title was no joke. Ugh. Scary. I never want to meet again while in Grim Reaper Form.’
Crack.
‘Ah. My armor’s cracked. Just how strong was that punch?’
I released my Grim Reaper Form, and the armor dispersed like mist.
As I tried to cover my face with a mask and hood,
rustling. Suddenly sensing a presence, I hurriedly turned my head.
My eyes nearly popped out.
“Wow~ An Angel!”
There stood a wide-eyed, yellow-haired little girl.