Chapter 79

Nikera's operation to sweep through the mixed-use building was proceeding smoothly.

"Everyone has completely lost consciousness..."

The colorless and odorless sleeping gas. Nikera had entered the building beforehand and installed the gas-emitting devices in various locations inside.

"It's going too smoothly. It's unusual."

While heading towards the bar where Yayoi was likely to be, Nikera muttered this, glancing at the unconscious guards and Yayoi's subordinates.

"Lady Nikera, we've just received a report from the team that entered through the roof. They say that everyone guarding the upper floors has also lost consciousness."

"Understood. Tell them to continue descending the floors."

In response to the report from her subordinate standing behind her, Nikera replied, feeling a slight sense of unease. She had thought that the gas would be less effective on the ground floor and the roof due to better ventilation, but her concerns turned out to be unfounded, and the plan was proceeding too smoothly, which made her suspicious.

"No one is conscious. If this continues, the success rate will be 100%... It's clearly wrong."

A strange feeling, as if she were being manipulated by someone. Without grasping the cause of this unease, Nikera continued to advance through the building with her subordinates.

"Lady Nikera, at this shop... ah!"

The subordinate who was about to open the door to the bar Yayoi operated let out a cry of surprise with a pained expression. His hand bore burn marks, indicating the high temperature of the doorknob he had touched.

"Such a childish trick. Open it quickly."

"Yes, ma'am...! The door is frozen."

The subordinate, who had wrapped a cloth around the doorknob and tried to force it open, shouted in surprise at the resistance, which was not due to a lock, and the cold air seeping through the gaps in the door.

"Oh, I thought it was just a simple trick, but it's quite an interesting trap. Proceed anyway."

Nikera gave this order to her two subordinates. Currently, four subordinates who had infiltrated from the ground floor were with Nikera. She judged that even if two of them became combat-incapacitated, it would not hinder the suppression of the bar, so she ordered the two to forcibly enter.

"Lady Nikera, the floor is flooded...!?"

"My body is freezing!"

The cries of the subordinates who had entered the dimly lit bar echoed.

"Quite an interesting trap."

In less than a minute, the two subordinates were completely covered in ice, unable to move. Nikera, who had observed this process from outside the bar, was intrigued by the phenomenon she had never seen before, but she also heightened her alertness towards the opponent waiting inside.

"Can you escape from the ice?"

"I'm sorry, it's difficult to escape."

"I can't either."

The subordinates trapped in the ice had only their faces not frozen, so they were not in danger of losing their lives. However, without tools to break the ice, escape was impossible.

"It would have been easier if we could have restrained them all at once."

"Ah, were you the one who set this trap? I'll allow the use of firearms. If it's difficult to suppress them, you can kill them."

"Understood!"

Nikera's subordinates drew their pistols and began firing at the source of the voice. The bullets aimed at the limbs to immobilize the target were blocked by a wall of ice that appeared instantly and did not reach the target.

"Firearms are just fast spears... Yayoi's words were useful right away."

The voice's owner, Soji, whispered this quietly and glared at the two Nikera's subordinates who were about to enter.

"There's no time to use grappling techniques."

Soji whispered this and immediately generated a large amount of steam using 'Cold Heat.'

"Smoke screen!? No, it's steam!"

"Taught by Yuki, the gender-equal fist!"

"Ugh..."

In the steam, Soji approached one of Nikera's subordinates and struck under the jaw, knocking him unconscious and causing him to collapse.

"Get out of the store, the terrain is not in your favor."

"Understood."

"Not letting you escape!"

Soji approached the other subordinate who was trying to escape from the bar and struck him.

"Too slow."

"Damn!"

However, the punch was immediately caught, and Soji was restrained, unable to move.

"That's too slow! 'Cold Heat'!"

"Ugh!"

Soji, realizing that the gun was aimed at him and his ally, released the heat stored in his legs to create a small steam explosion, breaking free and hiding behind the bar counter.

"Can you move?"

"I'm sorry. It's not life-threatening, but I've damaged my limbs. I can't continue fighting."

"Understood. Stay there."

Nikera, while saying this, took out a remote bomb she had made.

"Using a device to control heat is quite interesting. If you drop it and surrender, I won't continue the fight. What do you say?"

"Controlling heat... I've thought about getting rid of it, but it's not something I can easily discard. Besides, I can't trust your words. I have no intention of surrendering."

After this whisper, Nikera threw the remote bomb towards the door next to the bar counter.

"Damn! 'Cold Heat'!"

Soji, realizing that Yayoi and her subordinates were sleeping behind that door, tried to freeze the bomb to prevent it from exploding. However—

"Don't take your eyes off the enemy."

—Nikera, who had anticipated this move, moved to Soji's blind spot and mercilessly fired bullets.

"Let's make sure to cause an explosion as well."

While muttering this, Nikera pressed the detonation button, but was puzzled when the explosion did not occur.

"Could the battery have been frozen, preventing the generation of electricity? I thought it was liquid nitrogen or something, but it seems to have a cooling power far beyond that. I should have asked for the secret before killing you."

While muttering this, Nikera, who was about to confirm Soji's body, noticed something amiss and quickly moved away.

"Damn, you noticed."

"...Why are you still alive? I thought I shot you in the head and heart... Come to think of it, your clothes are tattered, but there are no wounds from the explosion."

"Who knows? Maybe it's just luck."

Seeing Soji stand up calmly, Nikera felt her heart race.

(Could it be that I'm uncovering the secret of that important person here!)

Nikera, who had failed to assassinate the only invincible important person in her life, stood up and walked away, even when shot in vital points, and remained unharmed even after being poisoned and subjected to a devastating explosion. She had accepted this mission with the condition of obtaining the secret of that important person as a reward.

(The assassination of that important person was a job I did in another country. I never expected to obtain this information during this mission!)

While suppressing her excitement, Nikera looked at the young man standing up in front of her.

"A body that doesn't die even when shot in vital points. Is the heat and cold you used earlier due to some mysterious power?"

"Who knows? I have no obligation to tell you."

"Hehehe, my subordinates who entered through the roof will be here soon. I can't handle you alone, but can you protect the people behind that door while dealing with multiple opponents?"

"...Probably not with just me."

While looking at Nikera's confident smile, Soji calmly replied.

"You seem quite confident. You must have something up your sleeve, but it will be too late once my subordinates arrive. I'll make you talk about the secret of your power, whether you like it or not!"

"Unfortunately, that's impossible."

"What!?"

Nikera, unable to even see the source of the voice, lost consciousness.

---

Thank you for waiting!

Following Juspa, Nikera has also concluded. Toujou will be a bit longer.