Chapter 136: The Situation
“Damn it, what on earth is going on!!!”
In the dense forest shrouded by strange mist, the young girl, covered in wounds and bloodstains, moved frantically through the jungle, trying to escape the tall figure pursuing her from behind.
Kazumi’s current condition was not good. A visible large wound on her thigh was still bleeding profusely with every strenuous movement, even after being hastily treated.
Her left hand hung limply at her side in a peculiar angle. Based on Kazumi’s own judgment, it was likely fractured, rendering it useless. She could only rely on her right hand to maintain her body’s balance.
Her dark green combat suit was tattered, with countless traces of being pierced by sharp objects. The smaller wounds on her body were innumerable, but Kazumi likely had no time to tend to the minor injuries that weren’t immediately life-threatening.
The enhancement from her ability had given her a greater tolerance for pain and a calm mind even in panic. However, the current situation was far from optimistic, no matter how she analyzed it.
Kazumi was being hunted.
It might be hard to believe, but the professional hero, Kimori Kage, who was serving as an examiner for this survival test, was currently pursuing Kazumi in this dense forest!!
The moment her thigh was pierced by a wooden spike, Kazumi immediately felt an unsettling atmosphere.
For a professional hero, such an attack would be impossible to inflict any damage. Otherwise, the incendiary bomb, which clearly had a counteracting effect, wouldn’t have been so brazenly placed in the exchange area.
But even if her attack had worked and caused a subconscious surge of anger, a professional hero would never attack a civilian under any circumstances, never!
Perhaps coming from the impetuous society of her previous life, Kazumi didn’t hold such strong beliefs in this regard. However, having gradually learned about the history and customs of the new world, Kazumi also knew how important the so-called hero faith was in the hearts of these people.
Heroes who possessed the qualifications to become heroes and stood openly to protect people would never easily attack civilians.
Therefore, the first time Kazumi felt the wooden spike pierce her thigh, she immediately realized something was wrong: Kimori Kage in front of her was definitely problematic!!
It was impossible for them, as professional heroes, to attack her due to a loss of emotional control. The only explanation was that he was genuinely attacking her with the intent to kill.
Leaning her body weakly against a nearby tree, Kazumi gasped for air. At this point, she couldn’t afford to worry about such large movements exposing her position, only hoping to recover to a state where she could move normally in the shortest time possible.
[What on earth is going on? Why would Mr. Kimura directly attack me? Is he a disguised enemy? But that exactly the same capability cannot be explained by impersonation!]
[Hired by someone? As an ordinary student like me, what could be so valuable that someone would want to hire an assassin to kill me? Could it be something left behind by my previous parents?]
[But Kimori Kage, being a hero, wouldn’t be bought off by such things, right? Does someone hold leverage over him? Or is he a pawn planted by an opposing organization? Or is he completely controlled by someone else??]
One question after another flashed rapidly through Kazumi’s mind, only to be quickly dismissed.
The pain in her injured right leg and left hand pulsed intermittently. Due to her ability, it was still within an acceptable range, but Kazumi was already feeling the weakness in her right leg. Even if the pain could be dulled, the lack of mobility due to tissue damage was completely unavoidable.
“Hoo— That little trick to mislead them should still buy me a little time. Let’s sort out the current situation first.”
Taking a deep breath, she exhaled the heat in her chest, and the familiar coolness returned to her brain. As her body slowly cooled down, that exceptionally calm state gradually returned.
“First, let’s see if the wristband still works, or find a way to contact the school staff.”
Reaching out and removing the shattered exterior of her left hand, Kazumi tried pressing the red button on it, but it yielded no response.
Indeed, the enemy had also considered the possibility of rescue. After impairing Kazumi’s mobility, the second attack was aimed directly at her left hand, and the girl’s left hand was injured precisely to protect this device that transmitted the rescue signal.
“No, it should be a signal-blocking ability. Otherwise, even if it was damaged, it could still be detected from the outside!”
Looking up at a nearly invisible mist floating above her, Kazumi’s brow furrowed deeper.
[In that case, this is an organized and purposeful action, but what is the ultimate purpose? If the goal was just to kill me, wouldn’t it be better to do it elsewhere? Why act within Shikoku?]
Kazumi didn’t want to waste any more brain cells guessing Kimori Kage’s identity. Regardless, the Kimori Kage currently hunting her was undoubtedly standing on the opposing side.
But the more important point now was what exactly the other party was after. Was it a show of force by an opposing organization against the Heroes Association, choosing to slaughter students at Shikoku, the cradle of professional heroes?
This was probably the most plausible reason Kazumi could think of. Otherwise, to specifically chase and kill her, coming to Shikoku Academy, which was heavily guarded by police and heroes, and going on a killing spree would be the most idiotic assassination plan imaginable.
[The biggest problem now is how to escape and how to send out a signal. If there were a large-scale massacre within the examination area, the teachers would definitely react quickly. Even with abilities that can block perception, it should only be a matter of time before they notice clues from monitoring the footage.]
With this thought, Kazumi struggled to stand up. In the forest, she could play hide-and-seek with Kimori Kage by relying on her own faint biological information, but if she stayed in the same place for too long, she would definitely be discovered.
[Should I use my ability? But if my ability is exposed then…..]
The young girl mustered her strength and started to run, her mind still grappling with whether or not to use her final trump card.
Not to mention whether using her ability would allow her to escape, but if her current ability were to be exposed to the teachers at the academy, she would almost certainly be apprehended. Therefore, Kazumi was unwilling to use her ability to escape unless it was a last resort.
The young girl’s shadow grew smaller in the depths of the dense forest, eventually disappearing into the darkness.
And behind the tree trunk where the girl had just rested, a tall, slender figure slowly emerged from the tree’s shadow. Its lifeless appearance made it impossible to imagine that a person had once stood there.
Above the wooden mask was an incredibly eerie smile. The figure that had disappeared into the distance slowly raised the communication device in its left hand, its low, hoarse, grating voice echoing through the dense forest.
“Phase one complete. Unit two preparing to go online.”
