Chapter 33: The Villainous Aristocrat Stops Thinking

I pulled the trigger.

In that instant, an immense shock, as if my arm was about to shatter, struck me, and a deafening roar echoed through the forest.

Drrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!

Thousands of bullets were unleashed every minute, effortlessly piercing through and devastating the enemy.

The bullets being fired were not ordinary.

Each bullet was a special one that not only pierced through the flesh of monsters but also triggered a massive explosion upon impact.

Every shot sent a shockwave through my entire body, making my muscles scream in protest despite the enhancement from body strengthening magic.

I had pushed my physical limits, but handling this weapon, crafted in the excitement of the late night, wasn’t going to be easy.

I hadn’t even decided on a name for it yet.

However, what awaited the enemies in the line of fire was nothing but shredded, immediate, and inevitable death.

The monsters under Kito’s command were no exception.

“W-What’s happening, nya…? Tiny metal balls…?”

Kito showed her first signs of confusion as the monsters that were supposed to attack me turned into shreds and vanished.

I seemed surprised that she could visually track the bullets, but she also appeared astonished at the dense barrage.

Meanwhile, I pondered a bit.

“It’s powerful, but still quite heavy. If I lighten it, the durability would decrease, and it would be difficult to improve.”

The overwhelming weight of the gatling gun was finally manageable with my full-body strengthening magic at its peak.

The ammunition belt was directly connected to the magic bag, and it was a brilliant idea, even if I say so myself, not to let the enemies realize the remaining ammo count.

Well, it was a bluff that wouldn’t be necessary if the opponents didn’t understand the existence and mechanics of firearms.

“It’s your turn next.”

“P-Please, s-save me! Protect me!!”

When I aimed the six barrels at Kito, countless monsters intervened to protect her.

However, a wall of flesh was meaningless, futile.

Pulling the trigger turned dozens of monsters into scattered corpses rolling on the ground with just one shot. 

Blood splattered in the air like mist, and the thick smell of blood filled the surroundings.

Seeing this, Kito immediately made her next move. She turned her back to me and started to flee.

Kito didn’t understand the mechanics of the gun.

However, she grasped the overwhelming barrage of bullets that left no room for evasion.

For creatures, partial understanding can sometimes be as terrifying as the unknown.

Honestly, if Kito had chosen to exploit the forest’s terrain for a lightning-fast close-quarter combat, it would have been troublesome. However, she opted to run.

Her chances of winning were now completely gone.

But that didn’t mean I was merciful enough to just let her escape.

“Hold on a second. You think you can nearly kill someone’s sister and walk away alive?”

Absolutely not letting her escape.

But despite my murderous intent, the Gatling gun, when I pulled the trigger, became unresponsive.

“…Tch. Already reached its operational limit, huh?”

Looking, the barrels of the Gatling gun were red hot from the heat, some parts even melting.

It might look impressive, but unlike the gun I used for bird hunting, it was ultimately a weapon created in the heat of the moment during late-night excitement.

Both its material and structure were subpar, which meant that after a certain amount of use, it would self-destruct.

“Now nya! Kill him!!”

It seems Kito sensed something abnormal happening with the Gatling gun, prompting her to unleash the remaining monsters.

However, Kito appears unfazed and intends to escape without changing her course.

Perhaps she’s still wary, suspecting I might be hiding something, especially after retrieving the Gatling gun from the magic bag.

It’s not surprising, considering Kito was a character in the game who would flee upon realizing the disadvantage.

It was a bit pitiful to see the monsters coming towards me at full speed while the person who gave the order was running away with all their might.

“I don’t feel sorry for you.”

I drew a magic sword from my magic bag and slew the monsters in close combat.

I’m not bragging, but I was trained by Martha, who is as strong as a monster, back in my homeland, the Dorana territory.

One or two monsters, ten or twenty, were not enough to make me afraid.

When I finished off all the monsters, Kito’s presence was in a distant place.

It seemed like she managed to escape somehow.

“I’ll say it again. Did you think you’d make it home alive?”

I put away my magic sword and took out a prototype weapon from my magic bag, similar to a Gatling gun in its experimental stage.

Its provisional name: ultra-long-range sniper rifle.

It’s more appropriate to call it a small cannon rather than a gun. 

The bullets can only be loaded from the rear of the barrel, and the barrel dissolves after a single shot, making it almost disposable.

However, its destructive power has become unparalleled in this world.

The secret lies in both the barrel and the bullet.

Electromagnetic acceleration through lightning magic applied to the barrel, triple explosive magic imbued in the bullets.

It’s kind of like a pseudo railgun.

“Who would’ve thought a joke weapon made in the dead of night would come in handy? You never know how the world works, huh?”

Both this and the Gatling gun were products of tired minds, conceived during late-night sessions of making invisible tents, born from spur-of-the-moment ideas and the energy of the moment.

Railguns do have that certain romantic appeal, don’t they? It can’t be helped.

Whether it’s a Gatling gun or a railgun, back when I was in the Drana territory, the surroundings were all forests, perfect for endless test firings.

The firepower is more than enough.

With those thoughts in mind, I put my finger on the trigger.

“I’ve got you.”

I spot Kito running deep into the forest with my naked eyes.

“Die.”

The railgun explodes.

No, the bullet was fired with a force that seemed like an explosion, aimed directly at Kito.

The forest is dense with trees.

However, the bullet closes in on Kito, knocking down all the trees in its path.

Dust and smoke swirl, and whether it hit or not is unclear.

“But there’s no way she’s unharmed for sure.”

I walk towards the direction Kito fled.

Why do I know she’s not safe even though I’m not sure if the shot hit?

That’s because the railgun’s bullets, like the bullets from the Gatling gun, explode upon impact if they hit.

It’s more like a side effect, or perhaps I should say an additional ability that came with increasing the firepower.

The explosive bullets from the Gatling gun were originally inspired by the bursting bullets of the railgun.

“Hey, where do you think you’re going?”

“Eek!”

As expected, I found Kito unable to move at the destination.

Either her leg had taken a direct hit from the explosion, or she was torn apart by flying debris in its aftermath. Her famed speed was completely sealed off.

I press the muzzle of the gun, once used for bird hunting, against Kito’s forehead.

“Wait, please! If you kill me, Lord Wendel will come to kill you!”

“So?”

“…Huh?”

Kito must have thought she was uttering the ultimate threat by mentioning the name of a boss character.

So, what’s your point?”

“Let him come if he wants. By that time, the weapons I create will be even better.”

I, who has almost no involvement in the main scenario, am overwhelming Kitto, who should be a formidable opponent for the protagonists in the story.

No matter the opponent, killing them is not impossible.

The development of weapons is something I started to protect the peace and tranquility of me and my family.

For that purpose, I will do whatever it takes.

“I won’t hesitate to exterminate all demons.”

What I always seek is a life of peace, safety, and modernity.

That will never change.

“Ar-are you insane?”

How rude.

“It’s a perfectly rational decision.”

I was about to pull the trigger—

“Wait, Kunou-kun.”

I was stopped by the pale-faced, seemingly on the verge of death, Felsy.

Without taking my eyes off Kito, I addressed Felsy.

“Please don’t move. What I did for you onee-sama was just a makeshift solution. The wound might reopen if you’re not careful.”

“I’ll be fine. More importantly, you can’t kill it. Kunou-kun, that doesn’t suit you.”

“What do you mean, ‘it doesn’t suit me’?”

Whether it suits me or not doesn’t matter when it comes to dealing with enemies and pesky obstacles.

“Kunou-kun, you’re always creating amazing things and always seem so happy. That’s much better.”

“…”

“Leave those things to the adults. It’s not something you should handle on your own.”

But I am an adult on the inside. And if you’re an adult, you should handle it with your own hands.

…Damn it.

Once I calmed down, my hands started shaking.

It’s not hesitation about killing, I don’t think. It’s more like worrying if someone got hurt from the stray bullets of the Gatling gun or the railgun, that’s the first concern that came to mind.

No, it’s too late now.

I’ve killed quite a number of monsters and animals, and I’ve even run over people with my bike.

That’s why I don’t really mind. I can accept it as a necessary sacrifice.

So, I won’t hesitate to kill Kitto either.

But when I ran over the kidnapper Kelbek with my bike, it was a complete accident.

I didn’t kill him intentionally.

“…Whether it’s my will or not, huh?”

Killing Kito here is undoubtedly my decision.

If I kill someone of my own volition, it feels like something fundamentally changes.

But then, what was my idea of peace and safety?

It was living a modern and comfortable life. Making whatever I liked as much as I wanted.

That’s right. That’s the life I desire.

If I kill Kito here, I won’t stop until I’ve exterminated all demons.

That’s already the way of savages.

I am a peaceful and exemplary Japanese person. A human who believes in ‘peaceful is best’.

Killing, it really is a bad idea.

“…Phew. You narrowly escaped death. You should be thankful to onee-sama.”

“Y-you’re not going to kill me?”

“Yeah. I won’t kill you.”

Seeing Kitto display a sense of relief, I continued, 

“But you did stab my sister. You should experience an appropriate amount of excruciating pain, shouldn’t you?”

“Huh?”

I pulled out something resembling a baton from my magic bag.

“W-what’s that? It’s making crackling noises!”

“Tere-teretere, a super high-voltage stun gun. Don’t worry, it has just enough power to keep you alive.”

“W-wait—-“

I sent a strong electric shock through Kito.

“Gyiyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!”

A clear victory for me, indeed.

“Is this enough, onee-sama?”

“Hehe. It’s a bit different, but yes. It’s enough.”

I shared a laugh with Felsy.

Later, the teachers, who had belatedly noticed the disturbance, arrived and captured Kito.

It seemed they were going to interrogate him to find out his motives.

There were no other students harmed by my railgun or Gatling gun, fortunately.

All’s well that ends well.

“Kunou von Dorana. I grant you the title of Baron!!”

“…I appreciate it, Your Majesty…”

The Queen, also known as Freya, who I hadn’t seen in a long time, said with genuine delight.

How did it come to this…?

Seriously, how did it come to this!?

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