NOVEL NEXT Chapter 24
Chapter 24. To Be a Brother
“Is it safe now that we’ve made it this far?”
Perched atop a massive tree, a kilometer away from the battlefield at Yugiri High, I scan my surroundings, staying on high alert.
The mission to ‘take down at least one opponent’ has been accomplished.
In fact, we wiped out an entire team.
There’s no need for me to get involved anymore. I can just stay hidden until the match ends.
“Oh? Is that… our team?”
About 800 meters away, I see a glowing arrow pierce the air.
That must be Nanase-senpai’s ability. Damn, the destructive power is insane—trees are falling left and right.
Her opponent seems strong as well, effortlessly deflecting all attacks with wind.
From here, I can’t see clearly, but that must be the tournament’s strongest contender:
Toudou Kazane from Unryu High.
If I remember right, her ability is [Tempest Rotation].
I could probably handle her if I had to, but I’d rather not.
Besides, something seems off—the power of her attacks doesn’t align with her stats.
Could it be those two standing near her?
If so, they’re likely reinforcement-type ability users. The records mentioned someone fitting the description.
“Huh? Speaking of which…”
Where are they?
Unryu High had split into two teams from the start.
The remaining three-man squad must be somewhere nearby.
I shift my focus to search the area,
but I don’t see them anywhere.
“Where could they have—?!”
Mid-thought, the ground beneath me shakes violently.
Barely managing to balance, I look toward the base of the tree.
“Ha! Found you!”
There, a man clings to the trunk, shaking it from its roots.
(He got this close?)
Even if I weren’t using my abilities, how did he get so near without alerting me?
Did I let my guard down? No, that can’t be.
There must be an ability user making this possible.
I mentally sift through the records for clues.
“Get down here already!”
But there’s no time for that. A powerful strike lands against the tree.
Unable to withstand the blow, the massive trunk snaps halfway.
And I plummet to the ground.
“Tch! At least give me time to think!”
As I fall, I shift my weight backward to reduce the impact.
Landing feet first, I roll once and immediately scan the surroundings.
One enemy is visible.
Where are the other two?
“Hey, hey! Where you looking? Don’t tell me you’re ignoring me?”
A hulking figure strides toward me, veins bulging with anger.
I’m not ignoring him—quite the opposite.
This is the person I’ve been most wary of.
The ability user with [Physical Enhancement]. I don’t remember his name, so let’s just call him Macho Guy.
“Of course I’m not ignoring you. But what about your friends?”
“Hah! I don’t need them to deal with you. I came alone because of that massive explosion earlier. Imagine my surprise when I find it’s just a powerless scrub like you. What’s going on here?”
He’s lying.
If he came because of the explosion, it’s more likely all three of them are here.
I have no intention of fighting Macho Guy head-on.
Retreat is my only option.
As I rise cautiously, keeping my eyes on him—
“Gah!”
Something slams into my right side.
Rolling across the ground, I glance toward the source,
but no one is there.
“Oh, now I remember.”
There was one more troublesome ability user.
This invisible attack must be their doing.
The one with the [Chameleon] ability—a user who can turn not just themselves but anything they touch invisible.
One of the rare over-10,000 stat holders.
So there are more of them! Macho Guy, you liar! Idiot! Virgin!
“Huff.”
I exhale lightly.
At least the Chameleon is easier to deal with than Macho Guy.
The ground in front of me shifts slightly.
In that instant, I tilt my torso right. A faint breeze brushes my cheek—just barely dodged it.
This ability makes the user invisible, but they can still be detected through other means.
If they could launch wide-range attacks, it’d be a different story, but they can’t.
“Don’t ignore me!”
Macho Guy charges at high speed,
too fast for me to fully dodge.
“Damn, this is rough!”
I block with my arms, but the force sends me flying backward.
“Huh? What’s this?”
Of course, I wouldn’t let myself be flung away without retaliation.
As I was launched, I dropped three grenades at his feet.
Moments later, they explode, engulfing him in flames.
“Got him!”
I strike a triumphant pose—a deliberate taunt to throw him off.
“You think something like this could stop me?”
“What?!”
Emerging unscathed from the flames, Macho Guy smirks confidently.
Impossible! He even broke the taunt!
And that entrance—he’s like a damn Terminator!
Joking aside, this is why I hate dealing with physical enhancement users.
Unlike others, their reinforced bodies make modern weapons almost useless.
Meaning, defeating Macho Guy head-on is impossible.
Even he has a weakness.
Their immense power makes fine control difficult, leading to self-destruction.
The more obstacles, the higher the chance of them tripping up.
Thankfully, this forest is full of trees.
The problem? The third member still hasn’t appeared.
They’re likely using [Chameleon] to stay hidden.
When will they strike?
I step back.
Thump.
Something hard presses against my back.
It’s not a tree. Nor does it feel human.
Turning, I see a transparent wall floating in the air.
It expands rapidly, forming a cube that encloses both Macho Guy and me.
“It’s over.”
No escape.
Three against one? That’s just unfair.
With this cage, I can’t use the environment, and fighting Macho Guy head-on is suicide.
Through the cube’s walls, I see two figures appear, their [Chameleon] effects fading.
Mocking smiles plastered on their faces.
“No matter the opponent, we always give it our all. Struggle all you like—it’ll only make it sweeter.”
Macho Guy sneers as he steps closer.
Well, I did my best—took down six of them, after all.
Facing three over 10,000 stat users? Even Nanase Senpai couldn’t pull that off.
I relax, bracing for the inevitable.
Macho Guy closes the gap and slams me to the ground with his monstrous strength.
But I’m not unconscious yet.
(He’s holding back.)
He presses his foot against my head, applying more and more pressure.
“This is what happens when a powerless nobody like you gets cocky! Hahaha!”
“Ugh…”
A sickening crack echoes in my head.
Just finish it already!
But no, he’d rather toy with me, landing kicks while I fade in and out of consciousness.
Amid the haze, I hear a familiar voice.
A voice I’ve heard every day.
[Onii-chan, don’t give up! You can beat them!]
A faint strength returns to my fingers,
but it’s fleeting.
I have no energy left to fight.
“You know her, don’t you? Your sister, Yanagi Aoi, right? Heh, must be tough for her, with a loser like you for a brother. She’s famous for always being alone at school—thanks to you. At least she’s not getting bullied. Guess she’s not as worthless as you.”
The words hit me like a punch to the gut.
Aoi… hasn’t been living a normal life? Because of me?
She always smiled.
Always worried about me.
Always stood by my side.
I relied on her far too much.
Claiming I’d protect my family, yet it was her smile protecting me.
I couldn’t even protect my own sister.
“You know what? I’ll take her off your hands. She’s supposed to be pretty cute, right? A powerless girl like her should be grateful.”
I won’t ask for forgiveness.
But this time, let me protect you.
If I can’t, I don’t deserve to call myself your brother.
………………
………..
…
So get up.
You’re still alive, aren’t you?
Your enemy’s right there, isn’t he?
Then—
Stand up!
“[Mars].”