Chapter 327: A Skilled Opponent

"Ugh... oh, oh, oh, oh..."

Quickly scanning my eyes left and right, checking my surroundings.

The area around the shop was already being surrounded by "zombies" who had noticed the fresh meat—namely, me.

And right in front of me stood Hamaeda Kensuke, smugly displaying his superiority while protected by a drone.

I needed to calmly assess the situation before anything else.

I never expected an attack using Thunder Magic Level 3 to be this powerful.

Still, with a zombie approaching, I couldn’t afford to be cautious.

Reluctantly, I chose the most straightforward technique among my options—the Fire Magic Level 5.

"——Flame Column!"

As I shouted, a pattern resembling a magic circle appeared at Hanada's feet—and he effortlessly leapt aside, light on his feet.

'Not gonna hit me. I was a player once, you know.'

I ignored his taunt. The Flame Column was never meant to land a blow—it was only a distraction.

Immediately after, I chanted the Lightning Magic Level 2.

"——Lightning Sphere"

Summoned multiple lightning orbs around the surroundings and targeted six drones with all of them.

Those flickering lights drifted lazily for an instant, then shot forward at lightning speed, slicing through the drone's propeller blades and bringing it down.

"Oh...!?"

Without giving him a chance to react, I dashed forward.

With unwavering resolve, determined to finish it next.

"——'Thunder Hand'!"

As I spoke those words, my right hand was enveloped in a blinding light.

With my hand enhanced by lightning, I had full confidence in being able to instantly kill even a "Hunger Person."

Incidentally, the cards I cut weren't just those.

My favorite——

"Uurraaaahhhhhhhhhh!"

Roar

This way,

Guh... nnn...

Deliver the finishing blow to the trembling Hamada—

"!?!"

The very next moment, I thought.

I felt something odd beneath my feet and fell forward right there.

"Wha—gack!"

I flipped over like a clumsy maid, landing flat on my back, and realized my feet were strangely slippery.

—Was something like lubricant spilled around?

Thinking that, I looked up and locked eyes with countless toy-like objects peeking out from all around.

It seemed they were just like the robots displayed at an electronics store.

The scene alone evoked memories of 'Tō○ Story'—

—Could these be the perpetrators?

Realizing this, I temporarily deactivated my 'Thunder Hand,' remaining in my reclined position, and shouted,

"Hey, —'Thunder Strike'!"

I launched the fast-acting 'Thunder Magic IV' directly at Hamada-san.

But by the time I noticed, he had already vanished from the burger shop, and the "Lightning Strike" spell—useless if he wasn't within sight—only ended up burning the register inside the store dramatically.

"Damn it!"

Muttering curses, I tried to stand up—only to realize, without noticing, that the robots I'd seen earlier had gathered around my feet.

Though they were meant for children, they were clearly assembled with far more power than their intended output—

"—Gah!"

Suddenly, they flared up with terrifying intensity, scorching both of my feet.

"Wha—wha—wha—what?! Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch!"

I think I've never felt pain like this before.

My bare feet, exposed like that, had completely backfired.

Instinctively realizing that enduring any more of this attack would leave me unable to walk for a while, I shouted,

"――《Water Ball》!"

Since water cools heat, I cast《Water Magic II》.

A wobbling mass of water formed on my palm, which I then pressed against the red-glowing toys.

"――――――――――!"

A thick, white mist erupted with a hissing sound, enveloping the surrounding area.

Water Magic II can take any form you wish, depending on how you use it.

I used its power like a glove, carefully peeling off the robots one by one.

"Uuu... Ouch, ouch, ouch..."

By the time I'd healed the burns with Healing Magic, the zombies were already greeting me with "How are you doing?"

That's when I realized, for the first time.

It seems Hashida-san is using remote-controlled toys to somewhat control the movements of the "zombies."

That’s why he can move freely even inside the mall where he invited the "zombies."

『Uuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhh……』

I’m hesitating on how to deal with these "zombies" blocking my path...

"Anonymous-chan! Are you okay!?"

With a voice calling out, the "zombies" surrounding the hamburger shop one by one have their heads knocked off with a series of sharp sounds—pon pon pon pōn.

"...Mayoi-san. Where's Hamada-san?"

"Nanami and Ran are chasing after him."

"…………!"

No good.

They're probably leading them on purpose.

To be honest, I might have underestimated Hamada-san a little.

A "Hungered" who fights with such skill is rare, even counting his past life.

Or perhaps... all of that "incompetent adult" act of his was just part of his tactics all along.

His words echo in my mind once more.

——Sorry, but I prefer to do thorough preparations.