Kumo Desu ga, Nani ka? (LN) - Volume 16 - Chapter 6

Kusama

Aww, man.

Why did things have to turn out like this?

To be totally honest, the fate of the world and all that junk feels a liiittle over-the-top. Like, I kinda wish they’d just figure stuff out without dragging us into it.

Then again, I guess we’ve been dragged into it from the moment we got reincarnated into this world. So maybe this is par for the course…

Especially when you’re a reincarnation who’s born into working for the Word of God religion.

My dad was kind of a big deal in the black ops of the church, it turns out.

For better or worse, that means they figured out I’m a reincarnation when I was still a baby, and the ol’ pontiff took me under his wing real quick after that.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve complained about being forced to do special agent training because of that.

Their training sucks, dammit!

But after hearing what some of the other reincarnations went through, I guess maybe I should be grateful that I didn’t have it worse.

If I hadn’t been under the church’s protection, the elves woulda captured me, right?

Hard pass.

“So yeah, I do owe the old man for all that. And I really don’t wanna get mixed up in this fate of the world biz, but I figure I can’t just take off without repaying him and stuff, y’know?”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah, totally. So I kinda can’t let you go after him, you feel me?”

“Well then, I’ll just have to get past you by force.”

With that, the chick in the white robes tosses a round blade thingy—it’s called a chakram, I think?—right at my face.

Man, why’s it gotta be like this?

Okay, I guess I already know it’s ’cause the old man picked a fight with Wakaba’s side.

That’s why I’m out here attacking her henchmen.

It’s great that they gave me a ride in this huge UFO-looking thing from the elf village to the continent of Daztrudia or whatever, right?

But then, just while I was trying to figure out what to do next, some familiar faces from the black ops call out to me, and of course I’m gonna follow ’em.

Especially ’cause my fellow reincarnations are all sooo mean to me.

I mean, I guess since I wasn’t stuck in the elf village, I’m already not part of their little group, which I get and all. But it’s a total bummer when peeps I was kinda close with in our old lives start treating me like a stranger, y’know?

So can you really blame me for feeling so awkward that I dipped out and sided with the black ops instead?

Then, next thing you know, they’re getting a whole army together to attack the Great Elroe Labyrinth.

And now these white-robed guys are coming after the pontiff’s makeshift headquarters bringing up the rear of our little army, basically.

I dodge the chakram flying toward me.

I might not look it, but I did train to be a secret agent, and I’ve got a reincarnation’s signature Cheat skill to boot.

I’m pretty confident that I won’t lose to your average rando, even if my secret skill is not as impressive as the ones people like Wakaba and Kyou got.

The problem is that my current opponents aren’t just randos.

They’re Wakaba’s personal subordinates, the Tenth Demon Army.

Elite demons handpicked and trained by Wakaba herself.

Aka a buncha freaks who wear matching white robes.

They’re probably attacking our HQ because they know the old man, the Word of God pontiff, is inside.

Isn’t Wakaba’s side on the defensive?

How come they’re invading us like this, then?

The whole reason I volunteered to guard the headquarters is ’cause I didn’t wanna get into the big fateful battle at the Great Elroe Labyrinth.

Dammit, I bet the old man knew this would happen, too, didn’t he?

No wonder he was so quick to allow me to stay here as a guard.

It was so easy, I knew he musta had some reason, and now here it is.

Most of our forces are well on their way to the labyrinth already.

The only people here at the headquarters are basically some bigwigs from a bunch of nations who won’t go out on the front lines, and their guards.

And then the others who stayed behind, like me.

That group also includes a decent chunk of the black ops squad, such as my father.

Now the black ops agents and the bigwigs’ guards are working together to fight the white-robed invaders.

As for how it’s going, I’d rather you didn’t ask…

Yeah, there’s no way we can win this one.

Each of the white-robes is just too damn strong.

The secret agents of the Word of God are elite fighters, fiercely trained from a tender age.

And the white-robes are an even match with those elites, if not stronger.

On top of that, they totally outnumber us.

We might be able to handle them one-on-one, but since they’ve also got more guys, we’re basically screwed.

Plus the bigwigs’ guards fighting with us aren’t much help. Even the ones that are decently strong still have to worry about protecting their employers first…

I mean, they’re doing their best. But it’s still only a matter of time.

Ha-ha. Guess this is what they call fighting a losing battle, huh?

…Nah, I know this is no joke.

Time for me to use my super-cheat ability to turn things around!

Yeah, if only it were that easy…

But the chick I’m fighting, who seems to be the white-robes’ leader, is too damn strong.

The chakram crashes into the shuriken I threw to counter it.

At the same time, I try to close in and attack with my ninja sword, only to be blocked by the chakram she’s got on her arm.

Even when I use a fire jutsu to shoot flames out of my mouth, she cancels it out with some kind of Dark Magic.

So far, it seems like we’re just about on the same level of strength.

Ouch, my pride.

I mean, seriously, I’ve been through all kinds of extra training since I was a baby, on account of being a reincarnation.

I figured I was decently strong, even if I can’t compete with folks like Wakaba and Kyou, who’ve been fighting for survival and getting stronger their whole lives.

Guess it’s true what they say about pride and a fall and all that.

“You are a reincarnation. If you tell us where the pontiff is, we won’t hurt you.”

The chick keeps a close eye on me as she talks.

She and I are pretty evenly matched.

If we really go at it, there’s no telling who would win.

Not to mention, there’s no guarantee the winner would come out on the other side unharmed, never mind the loser.

Their side has the upper hand.

If we take too long, I bet their backup will arrive, too.

So she doesn’t really need to push it too much.

That’s probably why she’s being more cautious than necessary—she knows they’re gonna win as long as she doesn’t royally screw up.

From her point of view, it makes sense for us to surrender.

“Yeah, I’d really love to take you up on that, buuut…”

I glance to the side.

Not far away, my dad is fighting off three white-robes at once.

Before the battle started, he told me this:

“If you want to run away, that’s fine.”

After all, the old man isn’t even here.

Sorry, white-robes, but you’re wasting your time.

But by stalling them here, we can keep Wakaba’s forces spread thin.

The more we buy time, the longer it’ll take for them to get back to the front lines.

Then again, just keeping them distracted is good enough to buy time, even if we don’t slow them down much.

So we don’t need to put our lives on the line in this fight.

I know all that, except…

“I dunno, I figure I gotta at least fight hard enough to make up for what they’ve done for me, or I’m gonna look super uncool.”

I can’t turn my back and run while my father is fighting for all he’s worth.

And the Word of God religion has kept me fed all this time, y’know?

“Go easy on me, okay, lady?”

“I see. Then I’ll try to make your death quick and painless.”

“How is that ‘going easy’?!”

Aww, man.

Why’s it gotta be like this…?