Chapter 48

Lost in chaos

 

 

As we walked away from the square, the people around us became more and more agitated... It was so weird.

Not just the townspeople, the people in our group also had gloomy expressions on their faces. Between that and the rush we were in to leave, it felt like we were running from something...

It's not like we're the killers! Make no mistake, he was the guy of the chains, everyone saw it, even the bailiffs.

I would have liked to ask Argent-san why we left so urgently, but I decided to leave it for when everything calmed down. It wasn't like we could keep up for long, although I could, the signs of weariness in the others were evident.

As we ran, I could see a woman trip and fall among the people running around us. We should help her, I thought.

"A-Arge..."

"Don't stop now, we're getting close to the outer edge of the city."

Argent-san barely had breath to answer, he was one of the most tired in the group... I often forget that Argent-san has a weak body. For my part, I was far from exhausted. I realized that perhaps I should be more considerate about it.

"¡¡KKYYYYYAAAHH!!"

I immediately turned in the direction of the scream, just in time to see a woman being robbed by a scrawny man, who quickly disappeared into the hysterical crowd.

The implications of what I had just seen were terrifying. I felt an urge to help, but the mob and chaos behaved almost like a living thing. The crowd had a will of its own, a will that prevented me from reacting the way I wanted.

"¡WWWAAAAHH!"

Now what?!

Suddenly the ground shook for an instant and we stopped running.

Argent-san began to look in different directions, until he focused his attention on the sky.

"Watch out!"

But what the-?!

Rocks and wood began to fall everywhere. Some small pieces like gravel, some big enough to kill someone if they hit them in the wrong spot.

I must protect them!

Taking advantage of my superior speed, I turned my attention to blocking and deflecting anything that came our way. Thankfully, once again the world around me slowed down and what seemed like a ridiculous feat became possible.

Although my perception of time was a bit fuzzy, I thought it was only 20 seconds before the last rock fell.

"I did it. Is everyone okay?"

"That's right. Good job, Ryuuji. You reacted before I could say anything."

"It was thanks to Argent-san's alert that I was able to get it."

"I'm glad. Now we must continue before something else happens."

"Sure... But what exactly happened?"

"I'll explain when we're safe, now let's go."

So we weren't safe? W-What was that supposed to be? An avalanche?

My doubts only kept growing. But the situation seemed to be pressing, so I decided not to bother Argent-san anymore.

And I thought we had solved all the problems...

As we ran to get away from the place that had been buried under the rubble, I managed to make out that not everyone around us managed to avoid being hit... Is that man bleeding? It doesn't look like he was going to get up...

"A..."

As soon as I opened my mouth, I felt the urgency of everyone while running with all their might, and decided to silence the voice of my conscience.

I'm not abandoning these people, I'm giving priority to my friends. Surely it's the same as what Argent-san thinks.

One after another, we traversed the streets of the city. I really had no idea where we were, but I was confident we weren't lost.

*BCKRAACCKK*

Suddenly there was another tremor. More intense this time, and it was accompanied by a thunderous sound.

I quickly put myself on guard and watched the sky waiting for the avalanche to repeat itself, and it did.

As I intercepted as much as I could, I heard the screams of men, women, and children alike. This time there were a greater number of large rocks, some enough to pierce the roofs of houses, or cause their walls to crack when they crashed into them. Any one of those could kill someone.

Even if I tried, defending the area where we were was the most I could do.

When the avalanche stopped, I could perceive something different, it was a much lighter tremor than the previous two, but this one stopped for a moment and then continued, and it was accompanied by a sound. Para pan, para pan, parra pan, para pan... It sounds almost rhythmic.

You are reading story Okane o Subete Sekai e Chikara – Money is Power in any World at novel35.com

Then everything was calm. No more shaking, no more sound. Until we were hit by a strong wind pressure, coming from the same direction as the sound, and with it something that looked like a voice.

Although it sounded like words, it felt like the roar of a beast. So much so that I almost fell backwards from the shock. Still, I managed to stay firmly on my feet.

I hoped that Argent-san and Zera-san hadn't seen me waver, but when I looked back, I noticed that everyone around me was on the ground. In fact, I saw the precise moment when Argent-san got down on his knees like the others.

If this day was accompanied by strange things, this was not far behind. With the exception of me, all the people I could see were on their knees and it seemed like they could barely keep their body from completely collapsing to the ground.

Why had they all fallen? Was it because of the scream from earlier? Why did they not get up?

"Argent-san, what's wrong? Why is everyone on the ground?"

"Don't you know? Didn't you hear the voice?"

"A voice? You mean the scream from earlier? Is that it? What did it say?"

At this time Argent-san paused for a moment to think and then answered.

"Get down for now. Imitate the others or you'll draw attention if you're the only one standing."

Suddenly I had a strange feeling. As if something stirred in the bottom of my stomach, a slight discomfort, but indescribable...

Then the powerful voice from before rumbled again, and the expression on the people's faces had a noticeable change. Before it seemed that they would make an effort not to fall... Now they were terrified. Their bodies trembled and their teeth rattled uncontrollably.

And a slight tremor was felt, while the sound from before began again, this time so clear as to distinguish what it was... They were footsteps. Hundreds of steps taken at once.

"It's an army that has invaded the city. Get down before they see you!"

"...An army?...I see. So that's what it was all about."

I may not be a smart guy, but I'm definitely not so stupid that I don't understand the situation knowing that there is an army invading the city.

The chaos, the people in panic, the overwhelming urge to flee despite the tremors and the wounded.

"If you understand then just get down, it's not a sure fact that they're going to hurt anyone, it's best for now not to attract attention, listen to me!"

Pay attention to him? Bow down and ask for mercy like the others?

I don't think so.

You aren't sure they're going to hurt anyone? Did he want me to ignore everyone who had been injured up until now?

Not only because of the chaos caused. Those rocks and wood that looked like an avalanche. They were actually projectiles right? Dropped by that army.

I wasn't going to blame Argent-san for avoiding the risks, after all he was weaker even than a normal person... But I was different.

I had been naive to think that I had done my part by stopping those knights in the morning, I let a man die before my eyes after all. I even did it again when we were in the square. I felt my hands were tied not being able to defend people from those projectiles despite the strength and speed that I have.

No matter what, I wasn't going to let bad things continue to happen in front of my eyes without doing anything, even if I had to disobey Argent-san.

Looking back, I think that was the first time I consciously disobeyed Argent-san. Until then I had been like a child diligently doing his homework. But this was something I had to do, even if It earned his disapproval.

Ignoring Argent-san's voice behind me, I looked in the direction of the footsteps, as a bunch of men dressed in red armor approached.

I knew I should be afraid, but at most I was nervous.

Until now, I had never experienced exhaustion, never shed a drop of sweat or blood. I was beginning to doubt it was even possible to hurt me. Plus there was that strength that made me feel like I could do anything.

I remembered the fight with Garonte, that giant of more than two meters, whom I sent flying more than ten meters with a single hit, as if he were a ball that does not weight half a kilogram.

Then I held my sword like that time then moved just like that morning, and before the first of the soldiers could do anything, I swung hard, making him fly until he crashed into a wall where he embedded himself with a crash.

... It was weird, it felt different that time with Garonte. The soldier also reacted in time to cover himself with his spear and avoid a direct hit to his side, but there was something different. I couldn't find out what.

Seeing what I did, the other soldiers stopped their march, but instead of trying to get closer or surround me, they stayed in place and began pounding the ground with their spears. There was something in their looks that made me nervous.

They weren't scared, they weren't even surprised. As if it was rehearsed, everyone just stared at me as they hit the ground in unison.

Then I noticed movement in their ranks. The soldiers stopped hitting the ground and started moving sideways, making way for someone.

Then I saw it.

A Soldier completely different from the others. His armor was also red, but it wasn't just the color, rather it seemed as if he was bleeding, as if the armor was beating to the rhythm of a heart. I couldn't make out the person's face behind the aberrant helmet, from which sprouted two prominent red and black horns with stained tips.

In his hand a black blade that looked like the heinous claw of the monster that someone saw in his worst nightmare. From which emanated a sinister dark glow that seemed like the shadow of the night.

 

 

Note: And we get to the climax!  next chapter: "In the presence of the tyrant".