Chapter 174: Snowball Effect (3)
"Professor, are you alright?"
Her head bowed and hand covering her mouth, the professor started coughing up blood-streaked phlegm. Seeing her like that, Adler asked with a worried tinge in his voice.
"Don't push yourself too hard."
"... Yeah."
Suddenly, the professor smiled and shook her head.
"But Adler, how can you look so worried?"
"... What?"
"You were just forcibly raped by me, weren't you? You should be showing me a terrified look, not one of concern.”
"Oh..."
Hearing her, Adler glanced around and started faking a cough."Ahem, ahem..."
"Adler, could you help me out here..."
"... He-Heeek."
In seconds, Adler changed his expression to one of fright and terror.
"What are you doing? Come over here and stand by my side."
"Pro-Professor, but..."
"Come to my side."
The professor extended her hand toward him, making sure to give off a cold glare./
- Click...
Just then,
- Bang!!!
A gunshot was fired from the nearby bushes.
"... Didn't I tell you to look for a better opportunity!!?"
"So, you want me to just stand by and watch?"
"Tsk..."
At the same time, Gia Lestrade, emerging from within the bushes with a stone-cold look, reprimanded Watson for firing the gun and then pulled her police baton before rushing forward.
- Fzzzzzzt...!!!
Soon, Professor Moriarty, who blocked the bullet with her mana, albeit precariously, was struck forcefully by her.
"While your body nullifies supernatural abilities, even my own, I can handle natural energy through the manipulation of internal energy to a certain extent…”
"Argh..."
"To put it another way, it means I can land an effective hit on you with my internal energy."
Drawing a deep breath, the professor whispered to her as she staggered back, a slight smile curling the corners of her mouth.
"And sorry, but I, a university professor, am older than you."
"........."
"Even if you have trained your internal strength all your life, you can't beat me in hand-to-hand combat."
Hearing this, a pale-faced Lestrade began to sweat profusely from her forehead.
"... Even so."
But despite the situation, glancing at Adler who was held by Moriarty's side, she clenched her teeth and continued.
"There are times when you know you'll lose, but you can't back down..."
"U-Uhh..."
".......!"
But just then, a new voice entered the fray, just ahead of her and Professor Moriarty.
"What are you doing blocking the way...?"
"... Tch, it's getting late."
Thus, the eyes of everyone shifted in unison toward the two women, presumed to be pedestrians.
"You mustn't come this way!!"
"Both of you, stop! You could be taken hostage!"
As the professor, who seemed quite injured from a struggle with Charlotte, wore a wicked grin, Lestrade and Watson, realising that the situation was turning out of hand, urgently shouted towards the women.
"What are you talking about in broad daylight..."
"Hey, do you own this road?"
However, the pedestrians, seemingly unaware of the situation, continued to walk towards them.
"No!!"
"This is truly regrettable..."
In such an explosive situation, when Professor Moriarty quietly reached out her hand towards these pedestrians, Lestrade was about to rush forward, risking her life to save them, but,
"... Stop."
".......!?"
Suddenly, someone grabbed the inspector’s shoulder.
"Miss Holmes...?"
"Do these people look like ordinary pedestrians to you...?"
Charlotte, bleeding from her mouth, struggled to her feet and whispered in a subdued voice.
"What are you..."
At that moment, as Lestrade murmured in surprise,
- Clank...!
A sound of chains clashing came from up ahead.
- Creeeak...
"Your disguise was quite perfect. Even I couldn't find a flaw."
The professor, summoning grey chains from the ground to quickly bind the pedestrians, looked at them with a cold gaze and spoke.
"But you see, it’s not the disguise that matters.”
"".........""
“What matters is that the entirety of Cornwall is frozen still, locked away from the world with my magic.”
"... What?"
Hearing her words, Adler stood gaping in shock next to her.
"Right now, the residents of Cornwall are either asleep or intoxicated with the pink scent I prepared for a special time with my disciple, spending passionate moments with their loved ones..."
"Professor, what are you..."
"Well, some might be spending passionate times with someone they don't love, but that's not the point..."
Meanwhile, the pedestrians, understanding her words, started viciously glaring at the professor.
"... Right now, within Cornwall, no one else should be able to wander around, unless someone is under my command."
"Yeah, well, instead of bothering with this cumbersome act, we should just pounce on them..."
"This is the first time my preliminary research has been so lacking..."
And then, in the next moment.
- Tssssss...
As their disguises melted away like flowing water, Jill the Ripper and the Phantom Thief Lupin, with their chilly expressions, were revealed to everyone.
"H-How did you two get here...!?"
"... Lupin, didn’t you get arrested by Inspector Ganimard?"
As Watson and Lestrade recognised their identities, they exclaimed in shock, raising their voices while the two oddities muttered in an annoyed tone.
"I didn't want to come here this time either... To kill that crazy woman, I needed to be better prepared..."
"... I, too, was planning to enjoy a thorough rest in prison for a while."
Then, they shifted their gaze to Adler, who, standing beside the professor, started genuinely trembling this time around.
"Don't worry, Adler... I'll definitely save you from that lizard and kill the bitch..."
"Hmm... Did I use formal or informal speech with you last time? My identity changes so often I tend to forget how I talk."
"... That's interesting. I feel the same."
"Ugh. Ew, ew, ew. It's kind of disgusting to relate with the worst serial killer in history..."
As they surveyed their target and exchanged animated conversation with one another, they suddenly noticed the gun barrels of Watson and Celestia Moran aimed at them and smirked.
"Are you trying to attack us?"
"It's a bit of a blow to our pride, but focusing on us should be doing if you want to leave this place alive..."
"Yeah, how about we all join forces first to take down that dragon?"
"Nonsense!"
Jill the Ripper's suggestion was immediately rejected by Gia Lestrade with a raised voice.
"I will never join hands with a criminal, especially not a ruthless murderer like you!"
"Really? But you did marry a criminal whose reputation is as bad as mine..."
"At least Adler isn't a disgusting murderer like you are!!"
At her fiery voice, Jill the Ripper shook her head and muttered.
"Well, then... Guess there’s no choice but to throw ourselves into the chaos."
""".........."""
As soon as those words ended, the surrounding atmosphere was instantly engulfed in silence.
"I personally welcome it. No sides, just stabbing and slaughtering everyone... It's a total murder party, isn't it?"
"... Um, I'm actually one of your teammates."
"Let's do it! A bloody, gory slaughterfest!!"
In that chilling atmosphere, Jill the Reaper wildly swung her shadowed knife around, screaming at the top of her lungs.
"... If only I had my sniper rifle."
"Don't get cocky, kid. Get behind me."
"Grrrrrrr..."
In that situation, quietly, Isaac Adler's three henchmen distributed themselves, aiming their weapons at the professor and the oddities.
"This… could turn out to be quite the challenge."
"... I've never been this tense, not even when I had to carry wounded soldiers every day in the middle of a battlefield."
"........"
Similarly, Lestrade, Watson, and Charlotte Holmes prepared for battle, fixating their gaze on the professor and the supernatural entities.
"Well, this is a chance to trample everything that's been bothering me."
Without a specific target, Professor Moriarty enveloped Adler with his protective shield, aiming ethereal grey spears at everyone.
"Slaughter! Slaughter!!"
"... Sigh."
Jill the Reaper began to swing her knife at everyone, while Lupin sighed and began to ponder how to capture Adler in the upcoming chaos.
"........."
And, although it was unclear when it had arrived, the Hound of the Baskervilles was now crouched in the nearby bushes, intently observing everything.
- Gooooooooo...
In that situation, which was like a ticking time bomb where the slightest movement could ignite the fuse,
"... Khuukk, ghaaa!"
Suddenly, the instigator of the chaotic situation began making choking noises.
"Ugh..."
And then, spitting out some red liquid, which may have been blood, Adler collapsed right where he was.
"... Uh, hmm."
Seeing that all eyes were fixed on him, he let his head thud to the ground.
"... Thud."
And with that ridiculous noise, Adler quietly closed his eyes.
"""..........."""
A profound silence then began to flow among everyone gathered around him.
.
.
.
.
.
- Swoosh...
An unknown amount of time later,
"Ugh..."
I, who had been feigning unconsciousness, opened my eyes to find myself in a space so reeking of disinfectant. Just a single whiff, and just about anyone could tell that I was in a hospital room.
"........."
And the first thing I saw upon opening my eyes in that space was the women – each and every one of them staring down at me expressionlessly – who had just moments ago been surrounding me, ready to engage in a blood-spattered slaughter.
… Miss System, help me!!!
What can I possibly do?
I quickly shut my eyes tight again and fervently prayed for the system’s help, but it was evidently a futile effort.
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