Chapter 40 Aren'T You Ashamed To Be Alone Against Me?!
"――Aaron Gale."
A man, different from the one holding a knife to Chloe's neck, stepped forward as the representative and called out my name.
The 5 men who had brought me here had somehow joined forces with a group waiting in the wilderness, keeping a certain distance and surrounding us in a fan-shaped formation.
A fan-shaped formation.
This semi-encirclement was a tactic to prevent friendly fire when using long-range shooting skills.
It was an overly obvious response, and I quickly understood what they were planning to do.
I wanted to laugh at how predictable it was, but unfortunately, this wasn't a situation to be taken lightly.
"If you don't want this girl to die, follow our instructions."
I nodded silently in response to the emotionless words.
"Good. First, store the sword at your waist in your Storage Ring. If you have any other weapons, store those too."
"......"
I slowly drew out Black Radiance, which was hanging from my sword belt, and stored it in my Storage Ring, trying not to provoke the men. I performed the actions slowly and carefully.
"...I've stored it. I don't have any other weapons. Want to check?"
"I'll have you checked."
The man nodded immediately in response to my words and gave instructions to one of his companions, "Check him."
I raised both arms to show I wouldn't resist, and the man who was instructed approached me. He carefully searched my body, then reported back to the leader-like man, "He doesn't seem to have any other weapons."
"Good," the leader nodded, and gave further instructions.
"Retrieve his Storage Ring."
The instructed man removed the Storage Ring from my right arm and retrieved it. The leader nodded again, satisfied, and continued to give instructions.
"Have him wear the Anti-Magic Ring."
"――Wait a minute!!"
I couldn't help but shout and take a step back.
I just couldn't stay silent.
I was panicked. I was extremely panicked. I was ridiculously panicked.
It goes without saying, but the "Anti-Magic Ring" is a restraint device that disrupts the magical energy within the target's body, hindering magical energy manipulation and conversion to an aura. It's the same one we used to restrain Judas and the others.
Anyone who wears this will be rendered powerless, even if they have combat-oriented Jobs.
I raised both hands, still reacting to the men's killing intent, and shouted in a loud voice.
"That's going too far, don't you think!? You've taken my weapons and hostages, and you outnumber me! Is it really necessary to go that far?"
I'm getting anxious. I'm getting anxious. I'm getting anxious.
"Whether or not it's necessary is for us to decide. ...If you don't value the life of a woman, then we don't care either. We'll just kill her and then surround and kill you."
The man's sharp gaze pierces through me as he speaks.
Since they've taken Chloe hostage, I have no choice but to listen to them. I know that. But even so, I couldn't help but try to persuade them, holding onto a glimmer of hope.
"Isn't it embarrassing to be doing this to just one person?! You're warriors, aren't you?! Have you lost your warrior's pride?!"
Please!! I beg of you, please be noble warriors with a sense of pride...
I'm praying to God with all my might, even though I don't believe it myself.
"Don't get it wrong. We're not warriors. We're just mercenaries."
But it seems God didn't hear my prayer. Why...?!
"Our job this time is to kill you for sure. We'll take any means necessary to do so."
This is ridiculous!
Are you serious?! You're really going to kill me?! What did I do to deserve this?!
I'm getting anxious. I'm getting anxious. I'm getting anxious.
――It's not over yet!!
It's a delicate operation, like walking on a tightrope, where one misstep could mean instant death.
I'm sweating coldly, my face twisted in anxiety, as I continue to plead.
"If you're going to kill me, then you'll kill Chloe too, won't you!!"
"Eh, eeh!? So, that's how it is!!?"
Chloe's face contorted in despair as she shouted, but the man didn't flinch.
"If that's the case, I'm just a worthless sacrifice, aren't I!! As long as Chloe's safety isn't guaranteed, I won't wear the 'Anti-Magic Ring' no matter what!!"
The man let out a deep sigh, looking troubled.
"How can you prove that to someone who's about to die?"
"Before you kill me, release Chloe and let her go...!!"
"You know that's not going to happen, right?"
Yes, I knew that.
The man glared at me, his eyes blazing with killing intent, as if he was issuing an ultimatum.
"If I kill you, I won't kill this girl. She might be useful as a card against the [Four Great Families of the Seals]. But, prioritizing your death is more important. If you don't follow my orders, she's a hindrance, and I'll kill her right here."
So, my death takes priority over obtaining a card against the [Four Great Families of the Seals]?
Oh, oh, oh, I'm flattered by your high evaluation of me. Thank you for the excessive praise, but I'm not exactly thrilled about it.
These guys, they're way too obsessed with killing Aaron Gale, it's almost laughable. They're taking it too far.
――But.
The man's words were contradictory, saying that if he killed me, Chloe would be spared as a valuable card against the [Four Great Families of the Seals].
This was different from the initial promise to return Chloe safely, but I never thought they would keep their word so naively.
"......!!"
I twisted my face in a mixture of anger and desperation, my voice trembling as I glared at the man.
I glared at the man. Time was passing.
"A-Aaron-san...!!"
Chloe's face was pale and trembling, her eyes brimming with tears as she begged for help.
I glared at the man. Time was passing.
The guy clicked his tongue and pointed the knife at Chloe.
"Hey, that's enough. Kill that girl."
"――Wait!!"
I hastily stopped him.
Then, with a reluctant tone, I forced out the words to the guy.
"I-I understand... I'll put on the 'Anti-Magic Ring'..."
"Hmph, you should've said that from the start. ――Hey, put on the ring."
The guy instructed by the leader put the "Anti-Magic Ring" on my neck.
Suddenly, I realized that my magical energy couldn't be converted into an aura anymore.
This was my first time wearing it, but it felt just like I thought it would... like being stripped of my clothes and left in a freezing cold place, giving me a sense of unease. The higher the Job rank, the stronger this feeling would be, I suppose.
"Get back."
The guy who put the ring on me backed away, returning to the semi-circle formation.
"Aaron Gale, don't move from there. If you make even a slight strange move, we'll kill the girl right away."
The guys said that, and everyone took out the red potion from their Storage Rings, which I had seen before.
I mean, do they all normally carry Storage Rings?
"This is too much...!!"
I muttered under my breath, and right before my eyes, the guys gulped down the red potion.
Suddenly, excluding the guy restraining Chloe, the magical energy of 29 people surged, and an intense pressure filled the wilderness. The color of the guys' eyes changed to gold, and they began to exude an extraordinary aura.
I no longer felt like I was facing humans. It was as if 29 labyrinth guardians had gathered, giving off an abnormal aura.
Each of these guys could easily kill me, who was wearing the "Anti-Magic Ring", and yet they didn't show the slightest hint of carelessness or negligence.
They were determined to kill me.
As if to embody that intention, everyone drew their weapons, and each of them began to concentrate their auras and magical energy.
And after they finished preparing for battle, the guy gave his final instruction.
"Aaron Gale. I'll say it first. Don't even think about avoiding it. If you even think about avoiding it, I'll kill the woman, regardless of your life or death."
"......"
They're still warning me, even after I've been weakened to a normal person's level. What are they, so cautious?
It's already a comedy at this point.
Going this far just for one person is way too much!!
"...Can I say something before the end?"
I floated a half-hearted smile, as if I'd given up on everything, and said to the man.
"You guys are too scared of me. Don't you feel a little pathetic? Or are you just trying to pick a fight because you can't do it normally?"
These were words meant to provoke them.
Normally, they should be getting angry, but they didn't take the bait. Instead, they just smiled coldly and affirmed my words.
"That's right. We're afraid of you. That's why we're going to kill you for sure. You should be proud of making us go this far, in the afterlife. ――――Do it!!"
And then, immediately after, 29 people drew their weapons at once.
A massive amount of skills filled with overwhelming magical energy, and destructive magic that could destroy everything, were fired at me, filling my vision.
The power was unlike anything I'd experienced, even in the 45th floor, when Judas's group attacked me.
Without a doubt, a massive crater would be created in the wilderness, and my body would be torn apart, not leaving a single piece of flesh, and then evaporate.
――There was no way to avoid it.
――I couldn't even convert magical energy into aura.
――And conveniently, no one would come to help me.
It was a desperate situation, and anyone could see that my fate was sealed.
So I looked at the numerous skills and magic that filled my vision, and I was grateful for their excessive, persistent, and obsessive attack method.
Honestly, I was saved....
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