Chapter 1422 – 1422. Savior Of The Academy
“Team! Are you kidding me right now? I didn’t pay you a fortune to hear that kind of talk!”
Clara shouted. Her voice, filled with rage, made the surrounding space tremble. Her powers were reacting to her emotions.
The man called Team couldn’t withstand the force and stumbled backward.
“C-Clara, please calm down and hear me out.”
Clara raised a hand and grabbed her forehead.
“…I’m calm. I’ll listen to your explanation slowly. But let’s make this clear. You’re a broker who took a three million dollar down payment from me. A month ago, you swore you’d make Hampson Hemmingford give up on me.”
Team pulled a white handkerchief from his suit pocket and wiped his hands. He didn’t wipe his sweaty face. It seemed to be a habit or a nervous tic.
“Yes, yes. I did. A three million dollar down payment and a twenty million dollar bonus… I haven’t forgotten. It was only a month ago.”
“And now you’re saying you can’t do it? Are you joking?”
“It’s not that I can’t do it. Nor is it a failure. It’s a half-success… I suppose you could say. I know it’s not what you wanted, Clara… Of course, it’s not entirely my fault. I’ll only take a five million dollar bonus.”
“…You’re very different from when I saw you a month ago. You were so confident back then.”
“There are many powerful people in the United States who dislike the Hemmingford family. They sometimes band together to keep the Hemmingfords in check. Even the Hemmingford family can’t completely control the United States. I planned to use them to make Hampson Hemmingford give up on you.”
“Yes. It was a pretty good plan. I liked it too. But now you’re saying it won’t work? What else is this if not a joke?”
“…I judged that Hampson Hemmingford would give up on you. There was no need for the family to suffer huge losses over just one woman. I sat at the negotiating table with him. So far, so good.”
Team sighed. The handkerchief in his hand crumpled.
“But when I met Hampson Hemmingford in person, he was more insane than I imagined. Hampson Hemmingford had no intention of giving up on you. He even accepted the family’s losses and turned the people I’d recruited against me. Those he couldn’t recruit… disappeared.”
“……”
Clara frowned. Disappeared. They were only called disappeared because their bodies hadn’t been found.
“The only good thing is that the US government and the Hero Association stepped in to sanction the Hemmingford family. If they hadn’t, Hampson Hemmingford would have gone even more wild.”
“…Sanctions. What level are we talking about? Are they even meaningful?”
“They are. The Hemmingford family’s businesses are expected to take a hit, losing at least two hundred million dollars. Even for the Hemmingford family, two hundred million dollars is not a small amount.”
“I understand that your plan failed. But I still don’t get it. Why do I have to go back to the US to meet Hemmingford?”
“Hampson Hemmingford gave me his word. He said he wants to talk to you calmly and develop the relationship step by step. He regrets what happened in the past and wants to meet you in person to apologize.”
“Ha, haha.”
Clara laughed. It was a hollow laugh of disbelief. Unlike the curve of her lips, her blue eyes were burning with anger.
“Team. Do you believe that guy?”
“…Hampson Hemmingford suffered a huge loss.”
“It’s probably nothing for the Hemmingford family. And what I want is not a conversation with that bastard. I don’t even want to hear his voice, let alone see his face. That bastard apologizes and develops a relationship step by step? Stop talking nonsense. Do you think he’d do that? And what I want is for that bastard to completely lose interest in me!”
Clara’s voice grew louder, and Team unfolded the crumpled handkerchief again and wiped his hands.
“…Don’t you know why Hampson Hemmingford is so obsessed with you? It’s because you’re defying him. If you had just obeyed him… he would have forgotten about you soon enough. And you would have lived a life of luxury, envied by all.”
“……Team. Are you saying that kind of thing in front of me? I wasn’t born to be that bastard’s plaything.”
“Yes, yes. I suppose not.”
Team seemed to have given up on something and became detached.
Clara felt uneasy about Team and took a small step back.
“Team. The contract is over. You broke the contract first, so there’s no bonus. Don’t ever show your face in front of me again.”
“……Fifty million dollars.”
“……?”
“That’s the money Hampson Hemmingford promised me. I can get that money just by taking you to the US.”
“This piece of trash…!”
“Yes. I’m trash. But what can I do when I love money so much? Ah, of course, it’s not like there’s no risk for me. If I fail… I’ll die. If I could, I’d give you half the bonus just to take you to the US… but you wouldn’t sell yourself for just twenty-five million dollars, would you?”
Feeling a sense of crisis from his unusual attitude, Clara frowned and pulled out the stick she had hanging from her waist. On closer inspection, it wasn’t just a stick, but a flute.
I narrowed my eyes and gauged the timing.
‘That Team guy. He’s obviously prepared something. I need to step in when Clara’s in danger.’
I used my Heavenly Eye to scan the surroundings. I was looking for hidden enemies… but there was no one. Still, I didn’t let my guard down and kept my eyes on Team.
“So, I decided to use that twenty-five million dollars to capture you. Fortunately, there’s a group in Japan that’s willing to respond to my requests.”
“…You hired villains?”
“Yes. You’re quick on the uptake.”
Clara immediately put the flute to her lips. But Team’s handkerchief glowed faster than that. Team threw the handkerchief on the floor. The light from the handkerchief on the floor formed a pentagram. Then, the light exploded.
Kukukukung!
In place of the exploded light, eight people appeared. They were all carrying Japanese swords. The most impressive of them was the man in the center. Wearing only a navy blue yukata, he scratched his goatee and looked at Clara.
“This woman?”
Team immediately nodded.
“Yes. Clara Fayred. A student at Maruhan Academy in Korea and a famous singer. Yayo, as I told you beforehand, you must not inflict serious injuries.”
“Hmm, I know. It’s a shame I can’t have any fun… but I got paid, so I have to do it. Boys, surround her.”
“Yayo-sama. We will restrain her.”
“This wench, Yayo-sama doesn’t even need to step in.”
“Didn’t I say not to injure this woman? I’ll step in. You just make sure she doesn’t escape.”
Yayo drew his Japanese sword from his waist and stepped forward.
My eyes widened in surprise.
Yayo.
‘He’s a member of the same Magic Order as Hattori. I didn’t expect him to show up here. I had something to ask him, so this is good.’
Clara didn’t hesitate and played the flute. The clear sound of the flute flowed on the wind. It was probably the kind of sound that would shake the listener’s mind. But no one here was affected. I was fine because I had Absolute Spirit, but those guys…
Clara took the flute from her lips and glared at Yayo.
“Why are you okay?”
“I heard you use sound-based powers. So, of course, I prepared for it.”
Yayo answered nonchalantly.
Looking at his samurai-like appearance, you might think he was a real samurai, but that was a fake. Yayo was a mage, not a samurai. He had just used some kind of magic to nullify Clara’s powers.
“Don’t make things difficult and give up. You’ll be treated well.”
“……”
Clara put the flute to her lips again with a stiff expression.
“You’re being annoying.”
Yayo raised his Japanese sword and approached Clara.
‘Now!’
I reverse-summoned my cloak and ran towards Yayo. Everyone’s eyes turned to me at the sudden appearance. I felt a thrill at their surprised expressions. Especially, I liked Clara’s eyes.
‘Machina, summon Stormbreaker!’
Stormbreaker appeared in the form of a greatsword, broke apart, and became my armor, and Machina, following my will, seeped into the armor in an ethereal state. The shape of the armor changed in an instant. The color turned red, and the helmet became like a demon. The armor also clung to my body, giving it the feel of a futuristic combat suit. Considering its performance, that wasn’t exactly wrong.
‘Jet engine.’
-Jet engine activated!
The back opened, and flames were emitted from the jet engine. The propulsion became stronger. I clenched my fist and rushed towards Yayo. No, I flew.
Kwaaaang!
My fist collided with Yayo’s barrier. Yayo frowned.
“You, I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere… I remember. You’re a Korean villain. Was your name Red Light? Why are you here?”
“That’s what I want to ask you. Why is a member of the Magic Order here? Did you come to attack Arashi Academy again?”
“You’ll know if you watch. Our goal isn’t Arashi Academy, but that woman. Get out of here, and I’ll pretend I didn’t see you.”
“Hehe. You saw my face, didn’t you? Do you know why I showed you my face?”
“You mean you’re going to kill me, us. You’ll be the one to die.”
Kiiiiiiing!
Before I could break his barrier, the Japanese sword in his hand wailed. Small magic circles were densely engraved on the blade.
-Warning! Warning! That’s dangerous! How much magic did he engrave on that sword?!
‘I know without you telling me. I’ll jump up.’
I dodged the sword Yayo swung and flew into the sky. He was terrible at using the sword. It didn’t seem like he had ever learned swordsmanship. But the way he insisted on using the sword was quite funny.
Ting ting!
Something flew and bounced off my armor. It was a shuriken. The guys who were surrounding Clara had thrown daggers and throwing knives at me.
-These bugs! Throwing those kinds of weapons at me?! Eugene! Let me attack them! I can’t just sit here and take it!
‘Okay, I allow it.’
A large amount of mana flowed into the armor.
Immediately after, small parts of the armor opened, and gun barrels popped out.
-Destruction beam!
Dozens of red laser beams were fired at all the enemies except Clara. Only Yayo blocked the beams with a barrier. Team, the broker, also died.
‘…Hey. What do you mean by killing them all?’
-What are you talking about? We always kill them all.
‘I had something to ask them.’
-There’s still one guy left over there!
I clicked my tongue and clenched my fist.
Clack! A blade popped out of the gauntlet.
