Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 80: Arc Lab ②
The slums. It’s also the area where I live.
Though, my part is a residential zone, so the security isn’t that bad.
The worst part in terms of crime is probably the red-light district.
A maze of deliberately complex illegal buildings housing illegal brothels, shops, and gambling dens.
It’s a place where scoundrels make a living and constantly engage in turf wars.
Suddenly, one section of it exploded—black smoke rose into the air.
“Waaahhh! H-Hey, Wof!”
“Please don’t cling to my face. You smell like rabbit. I had a bad feeling about this…”
I pulled Haiyaan off me, exasperated.
It seemed the building that exploded was the headquarters of “Dragon Fang Row.”
Liv and the others had headed straight there.
They moved with no hesitation—so they must’ve known about it beforehand.
Without a word, they scattered the gathering men, stormed in… and then the explosion happened.
Why did it explode? In any case, we had to hurry.
At the entrance of the building—now a wreck from the explosion—Liv and Bid were fighting six men. The rest were already down.
A quick count showed there had been more than ten. That many?
“You call this an ambush!? Don’t screw with me!”
A shirtless man with dreadlocks and a distinctive wolf tattoo picked up a rock and hurled it at them.
It exploded.
“Whoa—what!?”
A shockwave and a cloud of dust shook the building.
“That’s… a Relic: [Explosion].”
Haiyaan said.
“You know it, Haiyaan?”
“It can turn anything it touches into an explosive. The larger the object, the more powerful the blast.”
“…Wait, just by touching it? That’s insanely dangerous.”
So if you touch something big, it makes a huge boom? That sounds like a top-tier ability.
“But the user also takes damage from the explosion. And the bigger the object, the quicker it detonates.”
“Uhh…”
Now I’m not sure if it’s strong or weak. Definitely rare, though.
Taking damage yourself? That’s rough.
And if it explodes almost instantly, it’s basically a suicide weapon.
Huh… maybe not that strong after all?
Also, small rock-sized blasts couldn’t even break through Liv’s green barrier.
When the barrier vanished, Bid disappeared from sight—then slashed an enemy who tried to flee diagonally.
Whoa, that’s a Relic: [Swift Step]—a technique that lets the user instantly move a short distance.
And the weapon that makes use of that Relic—“Swift Step Blade.” She’s got real skill with it.
“Damn it, quit darting around!”
“Boss, at this rate, we’re done for too!”
“Shut up!”
“Gahhh!!”
The dreadlocked man—apparently the boss—used Explosion on his own subordinate.
Brutal. So that’s the boss, huh?
A tall man with a prominent wolf tattoo. He looked strong, but his actions screamed “small-time thug leader.”
And he really was small-time. The classic trash who discards subordinates without a second thought.
“You… bastard!”
The boss pulled out a small bottle and poured it on his bloodied hand. The wound healed.
A potion, huh? So he really is taking damage. That must be tough to manage.
“B-Boss, what are you—?”
“Shut up. Bring me that. Or I’ll blow you up too!”
“Y-Yes, sir!”
That?
The man rushed over to a nearby wall and grabbed a jet-black rod.
The tip was covered with thick spikes. Some kind of club? Definitely made of metal.
The boss grabbed it, swung it, and lunged at Liv.
Since it was a blunt weapon, it wasn’t fast. Liv blocked it with her blade.
It exploded.
“Liv!”
“What the hell!?”
Bid cut down the guy who brought the weapon and turned around.
When the white smoke cleared—Liv was gone.
“Hah… that was close.”
She had instinctively leapt back.
Phew… thank goodness.
“That’s an OOPArts!”
Haiyaan suddenly shouted—right into my ear. Please don’t yell there.
“OOPArts?”
“Yes. That’s an OOPArts corresponding to the Relic Explosion. With it, the user takes no damage from blasts. Plus, the power increases based on swing force.”
“Swing force, huh.”
“Exactly, but—”
“I see. Not that threatening then. Against Liv, that’s not much.”
“Oh?”
Liv seemed to have realized it too.
She dodged and dodged, and the boss mistook it as him having the upper hand. He probably thought she had no counter.
But Liv stepped forward—gripping her blade with both hands and raised it high.
“…Sky Form… Subaru… Electra Blade…”
The blade began to shine white—then sliced through the black metal club cleanly.
“Wh-what!?”
A humming sound echoed.
“Wha!?”
“What the hell!?”
No way. That was… that was… a laser blade!?
“A sword of light!”
Bid finished off the last enemy and shouted.
I knew it! A space-age weapon! A cosmic weapon!
The boss reeled back, completely shaken—but it was already over.
“…Justice is served.”
Liv burned and severed the man’s head.
That… felt somehow off.
“Terrifying…”
“…”
I didn’t get a chance to do anything.
Just like that, the clan Dragon Fang Row was annihilated.
It ended so anticlimactically.
No one survived.
Bid-san made sure to finish them all off.
But calling that cruel or merciless doesn’t quite fit this world.
You can’t get away with such things in public areas, but in places like this, killing is practically the norm.
Also, those guys clearly underestimated the two of them because they were women.
Maybe it was because their target was among them, but they seemed more focused on capturing them than killing them.
They must’ve thought strength didn’t matter.
But what would they have done to those women if they had captured them?
If you can even vaguely imagine that, then wiping them all out is understandable.
Bid-san muttered softly:
“Man, that was kind of a letdown.”
“Mm… Bid… you’ve gotten really strong… especially with Swift Step… it’s wild.”
“You think so? Well, if that’s true, I’ve got Wof-kun to thank!”
She gave me a big smile and flashed a peace sign.
The cheerful, energetic girl’s radiant smile made me blush.
“Grr… so jealous…”
Please don’t sulk on top of my head.
Despite the brutal scene, a strange peacefulness settled over us.
“Alright, next is the inside of the building.”
“Mm… documents… seize them…”
“And maybe we’ll find treasure while we’re at it.”
“You’re going to steal it?”
“Heh… it’s ‘lost and found’…”
Well, whatever. Doesn’t seem like there’d be anything valuable anyway.
Just in case, I’ll use the Relic: Wheel of Fortune.
It was then—
“Well now, looks like you all did a fine job here.”
“How utterly disgraceful.”
We turned around.
There was a maid.
Yes, a maid.
Short, tidy golden hair.
Sharp blue eyes that pierced like arrows under slim brows.
A dignified and beautiful face.
She wore a crisp black and white maid outfit, not a wrinkle in sight.
She was tall, and even through the loose outfit, her figure was unmistakably curvaceous.
Even without seeing everything, it was clear her body was strikingly attractive as a woman.
Her icy beauty and elegant presence made her seem like a finely crafted doll.
But in this scene of carnage, she stood out as absurdly out of place.
And beside her… was a drunk guy.
Yes, a drunkard.
Hunched back, unkempt hair, a scruffy beard—just some older guy.
He held a silver hip flask.
He gave off a vibe like he’d given up on life in general.
His clothes were plain: just a shirt and pants.
He had round animal ears and a distinctive fluffy tail—he was a squirrel beastman.
He was nearly 190 cm tall. Standing next to the maid, they looked like the light and dark sides of life.
I know this man.
“Ohh! A splendid cool beauty—and a maid to boot. Yes. Full marks.”
Haiyaan, sitting on my head, praised her in a tone I couldn’t place.
Could you please get off my head, you rabbit?
“Mm… who…? She seems… incredibly strong…”
“…She’s no ordinary person.”
I felt it too.
That cool maid was far stronger than the boss Liv just fought.
And that guy standing next to her—why are you with her?
“Leod-san.”
“Yo. Fancy meeting you here.”
He gave a wry smile.
Leod, an explorer affiliated with Coon Hunt.