The Raven Dark Hero 44

Chapter 44 : The Pride of an Elite

TL:SummerPeanut

-A few minutes ago.

While Kouki and Fuuka were enjoying their date, the NDF started an event on the mall's special stage, and Hiro was also standing on the stage.

"...Now then, I'd like to introduce to you a rookie from this port area who will be the future pillar of the NDF! This is Private Sanada Hiro, an active high school student at a local high school here!”

Hiro was greeted with loud cheers and applause.

(This is really not the time to be doing this…. Damn, if only I hadn't met Bright, I would have been happily showing myself here…)

Bright's presence took away Hiro's self-confidence, and although he normally loved this kind of event, he wasn’t able to enjoy it at all.

On top of that, there were Azusa and Haruka in the audience. They had been forced by Hiro to come this time.

(Yesterday, I lost my cool and made a mistake… I can't believe Kouki noticed...

Aaah! Why are all these bad things happening at once!?)

"Private Sanada is still a high school student, but his reputation is unparalleled among the new recruits! He has already been assigned to missions and has contributed greatly to the arrest of the many filth organizations!”

(...When you say arresting and destroying the filth organizations, you're not talking about those large scale organizations like Kuroyume, but a small number of weak organizations. If you say I'm making a great contribution to such a mission, it only sounds superficial…)

...And so the event proceeded without a hitch, with Major General Sokushi, who was also the deputy chief of the port area, giving an impassioned speech about the necessity of the NDF.

“The NDF will continue to work together with the people of .......”

?!

At that moment, there was a huge explosion.

“What's going on?!”

On the stage, Major General Sokushi was in a panic. Then, two new men landed on the stage.

"Hahahaha! What's with the big shit about NDF! You're just a bunch of useless people! Don’t you think so too, Joker!”

"Skull, you don't have to blow everything up…”

The two members of Kuroyume, Skull and Joker, were standing there with their arms around each other.

(E,enemy attack!?)

Hiro couldn't even move his body at the suddenness of it. But at least it wasn't Bright, and he was relieved. His Bright phobia is pretty serious.

The NDF soldiers in the back quickly began to evacuate the civilians.

"The mission is to kill you... Major General Sokushi.”

"Hmm... and also sabotage the event.”

“Kuh…!? What are you…guha!?”

As he tried to fight back, a spike the size of a plastic bottle pierced the heart of Major General Sokushi.

“Oh, come on, even a Major General is this weak?”

“You bastards... you're doing this…” …Crack!

As he was about to make his last stand, the Joker shot a playing card that pierced the head of Major General Sokushi.

"So mission number one is complete.”

“That's right. Yes, that was easy... hmm?”

The Joker noticed that Hiro was the only one left on the stage.

“What is it? Oh, a newbie boy.”

Putting aside the fact that Major General’s gift is not combat-oriented, he was still done in so easily. This reminded him of Bright.

(These guys are not the same filths I've been dealing with for the past week!)

"W-who are you people?”

"Oh, aren’t you cute, shaking in fear like that. We're Skull and Joker, the deadliest duo in Kuroyume that would shut up even crying kids just with our names.”

(Kuroyume!? Bright's organization!?)

Hiro's trembling worsen from fear.

"Hey Skull, I know the mission said to kill only one person, but are we allowed to kill those that gets in our way?”

"Yeah, that's right. But I don't have to kill this little guy, do I? He's so scared, he can’t even hamper us. Hee-hee-hee!”

For a moment, Hiro was more relieved than frustrated. That he didn't have to be killed, as he understood he was completely outclassed by them.

...which further hurt Hiro's own pride.

In the meantime, the soldiers of the NDF surrounded the stage.

"You criminals! Don't think you'll make it out alive!”

One of the soldiers stepped forward. He is Deochi, a 38-year-old still single second-lieutenant.[1]

"Hyahaha! Going home alive? From the moment we accepted the mission, we are more than prepared for that! Right, Joker?!”

"Hmm? I have no intention of dying though.”

“Second-lieutenant! These two are Skull and Joker from Kuroyume!”

“What? The ‘Most Dangerous’?!”

Skull and Joker.

They are known by NDF as the most troublesome combination even amongst other members of Kuroyume.

Skull's gift, ‘Sonic Hedgehog’, can create steel spikes all over his body, which can be fired outward. The launch speed is equivalent to that of a bullet, and he can fire as many as 100 spines in all directions at once.

The Joker's gift, ‘Devil Illusion’, is the ability to materialize any prop used in magic, from knives to fire to water to doves and turn them into weapons.

When working together, Joker stalls the target while Skull finishes him off, which is their golden attack pattern, but Joker's flexible gift allows him to perform a variety of combination attack.

Second-lieutenant Deochi, who knew the information about Skull and Joker's gift ability, hurriedly instructed the others.

"Everyone spread out! Get away from these people right now…”

“It's too late. It's too late, the illusion has already started.”

The soldiers noticed that a sticky liquid was crawling under their feet.

"And the end. Sonic hedgehog!”

Skull fired countless spikes at the soldiers surrounding him.

"Aaah!?”

“Agh!?”

“Aah!?”

...In no time at all, in front of Skull and Joker, soldiers with countless holes in their bodies were falling and moaning.

“This is too easy...? What!?”

"Hmm? ...Whoa!?”

Skull noticed something and jumped back. But Joker was too slow to react and was crushed by something.

“Joker! ...I let you go because you’re just a little boy, but you're getting carried away now!”

In the direction of Skull's gaze, there was Hiro, who had activated the Area Master and had taken apart and manipulated the frameworks of the stage that had been temporarily set up for the event.

(I'll do it... I'm, I'm an elite!)

Right in front of Hiro's eyes, his comrades were killed in an instant. Joker's illusion was only triggered frontwards, and Hiro whose movements were not constrained could only stare at his comrades’ death previously.

Skull's sonic hedgehog pierced not only the soldiers but also the civilians who had failed to escape. Azusa and Haruka seemed to be okay and fled to a corner of the hall, but it was obvious to anyone who saw the situation that it was a disaster.

Hiro was about to lose sight of the meaning of his existence. His current self was only enthusiastic about weak opponents yet cower from the strong ones. He thought, ‘Isn't that a far cry from the hero I've always been with since I was a kid?’.

A hero always stands up to his opponents, no matter how much stronger they are, and helps the weak. Even if it hurts them, they always get up again and again and always win in the end. That was the image of his childhood friend that Hiro was so jealous of, but also strongly admired.

The words that his childhood friend had said to him yesterday had been sarcasm, but as the sarcasm said, he is now an elite with a promising future, far beyond that person he had admired.

"Area Master!”

Hiro's gift ability has become so proficient that he is able to control not only objects but to some extent even the gift of others.

Hiro took control of the sticky liquid that the Joker had released beneath his feet. The liquid began to converge towards Skull.

“What?! What the hell is this!”

Skull was bewildered as the liquid entangles his whole body and he lost his freedom.

"Fuck you!”

He then took control of the iron objects in the area and shot a mass of bent iron pipes, signs, and other sharp objects at the Skull. If it hits directly, an ordinary person would have been killed.

“This is the power of an elite!”

Author’s Note:

※Be... be○ta!?[2]

...I'm also tweeting the activity report, so please take a peek if you like...(^_^;)

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TL’s note:

1. Author please… His name basically means someone who would be laughing stock the moment he appears. >.>. That Sokushi can be read as instant death too btw.
2. I’m not too sure what reference the author is making. Ve-ge-ta?