The Neighborhood High School Girl, Miss Isezaki, Is the Great Saintess Returned from Another World~ And I, Suddenly Awakened as Her Exclusive Mana Supply Uncle, Travel Between Earth and Another World with Time-Space Magic~ - 154. Counterattack
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- Counterattack
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“Uncle!”
Isezaki-san’s figure disappeared before my eyes, and Colin, who had jumped onto the roof, supported my unsteady body.
My abdomen aches from Maristel’s kick. But it’s not severe enough to be life-threatening. Fortunately, it didn’t have the power to punch holes in my body, even though she’s a demon. But――
“Sorry, I’m okay.”
Pressing on my throbbing stomach, I manage to stand up on my own two feet.
―― Isezaki-san has been taken away.
Despite prioritizing her safety, the lifeline of the interdimensional barrier was easily overcome by [Leap Warp].
In the first place, the interdimensional barrier can’t protect against heat or cold, and if physically bypassed, it’s just a wall. It’s only now that I realize how foolish it was to place full trust in it.
While Isezaki-san wanted to go along, I should have protected her, but I’m in a pathetic state.
Regret, self-blame, and the pain in my stomach make me feel nauseous. As I bend over in nausea, I notice Colin looking straight at me.
With tears in her eyes, Colin’s voice trembles.
“I-I, as the one responsible for protecting you both, have committed such a failure…”
“No, Colin-chan, it’s not your fault.”
It’s entirely my fault. But Colin shakes her head and takes out a knife from her pocket.
“No, this is a situation caused by my incompetence! Big Sis also said, ‘Protecting the target at the risk of your life is the duty of a guard!’ But I couldn’t protect Miss Isezaki… I’m disqualified as a guard! I’m prepared to accept any punishment! Please, tell me to die right now!”
Colin closes her eyes and presses the knife against her neck. She seems ready to stab herself if told to die.
“…No, no, Colin-chan, calm down. Isezaki-san hasn’t died yet.”
Her determination is too frightening. But strangely, seeing a child more panicked than myself makes me feel calmer. I’m grateful to Colin…
I gently take the knife from Colin and store it in my [Storage Storage], then take a deep breath.
…That’s right. I can still make up for this.
Even though such a small child feels responsible, it’s not the time for me, an old man, to be discouraged.
If I fail, I can just make up for it. Isn’t that what I always told Aihara, who only made mistakes during rookie training?
“B-But, Master Isezaki has been taken by the demons…”
“She said she was going to the mines, right? So, we’ll go there and bring her back. See, it’s simple, right?”
Saying so, I ruffle Colin’s hair. Colin touches her head where I ruffled it, nodding slightly.
“That’s right… I’ll follow Master Matsunaga’s orders!”
“Yeah, will you do that?”
Colin wipes her teary eyes and raises her voice cheerfully. It seems she’s temporarily escaped from self-sacrifice. That’s a relief.
I ruffle Colin’s head once more and look down from the rooftop at “Stinger” and the Living Dead.
Seriphos is facing off against the Orc King Zombie, with Regina providing support. Gandor and Notos are busy intercepting the group of Living Dead.
Even if I continue to watch, I don’t know if they’ll win. And above all, there’s not much time to spare.
It’s best not to think about how annoying it would be if an amateur like me interfered.
If an amateur like me disrupts teamwork, then maybe I should just handle things on my own.
Returning to the ground with [Leap Warp], I focus on Gandor and Notos, who are dealing with the Living Dead.
They’re indeed members of an A-rank adventurer party. Even though Seriphos is fully occupied with the Orc King Zombie, they’re effectively keeping the group of Living Dead at bay.
But the odds are against them. Especially Gandor, the vanguard, seems to be under heavy strain. I turn to Colin, who has jumped down from the roof.
“Colin-chan, help them out.”
“But…”
Colin looks up at me with worry. She must be concerned about me.
“I’ll be fine, so go ahead. Okay?”
Colin also knows that I defeated the Earth Dragon. After thinking for a moment, she clenched her fists tightly.
“Yes, I’ll go! Charge!”
Colin dashes forward and, as soon as she reaches the frontline, kicks up the Living Dead. Their heads fly like soccer balls, and Colin ends up next to Gandor.
Alright, they should be fine over there. The first thing to deal with is indeed the Orc King Zombie.
“Uooooh!”
Suddenly, a sharp cry rang out. Seriphos, having increased his attack, was about to deliver a decisive blow, avoiding the large axe swung by the Orc King Zombie.
“True Vacuum Slash!”
It’s a technique with an unfortunate rhyme of “true” repeated twice. But its power seems considerable.
(Note:「真・真空斬っ！！」.You can see for yourself what it means)
The green aura emanating from the tip of the sword cuts through the ground and heads straight for the Orc King Zombie, hitting it directly with a thunderous roar.
“Did it work!?”
Seriphos shouts amidst the swirling dust and dirt. That line doesn’t sound good.
And after the dust settles, as expected, the tattered clothes on it are torn, but the unscathed Orc King Zombie stands there.
“Whaaat!? It’s way too tough!”
Seeing that, Regina shouts, and Seriphos steps back with a backstep. I speak to the two of them.
“Um, since I’ll be dealing with that thing, could you both please step back a bit?”
Seriphos turns around, still holding his sword.
“I understand that you’re distressed about your wife being abducted. But please, calm down now――”
“I’m calm. Anyway, if you don’t want to get involved, please step back.”
“What are you talking about!? Mr. Matsunaga, leave the fighting to us and get to a safe place now!”
Seriphos’ expression is serious. He probably thinks I’ve lost it after Isezaki-san was abducted and am contemplating a reckless act of revenge.
Well, I can’t blame him for thinking that. But if I continue like this, it won’t solve anything…
“Mr. Matsunaga! It’s true that your wife is incredibly beautiful, to the point where it’s unfair for you, and I wondered why it wasn’t me who’s with her! But, as long as you’re alive, there will be more encounters in the future! …That’s it, why don’t we start looking for partners together after we overcome this crisis!? Of course, after we’re done with this――”
…Hmm. Should I just use Dimensional Teleport to dump Seriphos somewhere…?
As I begin to consider this, Regina speaks up.
“…Mr. Matsunaga. You’ve got a plan, don’t you? You’ve got that look on your face.”
“Uh, well… yes.”
I can’t say I was thinking about ditching Seriphos.
“I know how amazing Mr. Matsunaga’s temporal magic is, and I could tell that thing was feeling cornered. I want to cling to any straw I can find… Mr. Matsunaga, are you really capable?”
“Of course.”
I nod confidently. I don’t have any guarantees either, but there’s no point in being timid now.
“Then I’ll go along with Mr. Matsunaga’s plan. I’ll step back immediately, okay? But if it gets dangerous, I’ll provide support …Come on, stupid Seriphos, listen to the target of protection and step back already!”
“Y-yeah…”
Seems like he’s weak against Regina’s words, as Seriphos reluctantly steps back behind me.
“Thank you.”
I express my gratitude while facing forward.
In front of me, the Orc King Zombie approaches, as if chasing after Seriphos. It doesn’t seem to care about me.
“Vwooooh!”
Growling, the giant monster approaches rapidly.
In a situation unimaginable in Japan, it feels oddly artificial. It’s not as scary as I thought.
I extend my palm towards the Orc King Zombie.
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