Heroine-Saving System: Reborn In A Third-Rate Manga As The Protagonist-Chapter 62: Vs Numb

Tetsuya staggered a bit and Numb blinked.

"What...? Are you scared?" Numb asked. "Everyone knows weapon users are wimps after all. You’re not even an interesting person to fight."

Tetsuya didn’t falter, instead he cocked his fist back and charged it with mana, reaching mana mode instantly.

While red-liners could use mana mode, it wouldn’t be that powerful as the one a blue-liner could use... then he threw it forward, throwing caution into the wind once more.

"You’d think if something happens the first time, you’ll learn your lesson." Numb said as he caught Tetsuya’s attack once more and shifted his hand.

There was a cracking sound and even the sound of skin tearing as Tetsuya’s hand was completely shifted in the opposite direction, crooked as if it was a hanger.

He threw the screaming man off the roof and Tetsuya tried to roll to steady himself mid-air however there was a punch mark on his stomach.

’When did that—’

BOOM!

Tetsuya was sent crashing into the ground in a bloody crater and Numb looked at the rest of the Professors.

"You guys will serve as a very good warm-up before she gets here... though I wonder what’s taking Pale Sword so long?" He asked and another Professor stepped forward. On the roof there was only enough space for one to fight at a time... they couldn’t simply jump him and even if they did, it was unclear who would win.

’I don’t understand his abilities.’ The Professor thought. He had not only been able to stop the momentum of Tetsuya’s attack but also delay his own momentum for a strike.

The Professor wondered if his abilities had something to do with shifting momentum or all that. He really couldn’t see anything else.

"I’ve analyzed your ability... you’re finished." The Professor said while placing a hand on his head and his crest began glowing.

’Professor Nishimura is one of those rare cases... a Psionic.’ Shion thought. They were a whole different class of magic awakened and were not easy to be defeated.

Numb merely grinned as he looked at the older man.

"You have analyzed my ability? I see." Numb said and moved forward, closing the distance within half a second.

Most if not all of the Professors and students could not keep up with his insane speed. However as he punched through the Professor, Numb realized something... this Professor that he had punched through wasn’t real.

He faded away and the real Professor floated up above the rooftop, putting his hands in a certain position.

"Heaven’s... Retribution." He let out and the area around Numb began glowing before being shot down by a beam that came from the heavens.

It eviscerated the whole platform of the roof and even beamed down into the academy ground, destroying the staircase and even the ground.

Steam flowed around the whole location however Numb walked out of it, much to everyone’s surprise. Particles of that beam collapsed into nothingness around him and he looked at the man.

"That was quite an attack, shall I give you mine?" He said and made a come signal with his hand. Immediately the man was pulled from the air and right into Numb’s waiting fist.

He gave him a hit so strong that it dislocated the man’s jaw and sent him bouncing to the ground.

"The hell... maybe I should have attacked when the strong ones were around. You guys are pretty underwhelming." He said. He looked at the Professors and then looked up.

On the roof itself, there was another cube-like structure that trailed up a bit. Nobody knew what it was but it was part of the aesthetics truly.

"And I’ve finally found you... Come here." He said and made another come motion. Koya immediately shot out from the top of the cube and into his hand.

Numb pressed Koya by the neck as soon as he caught him, alarming several of the people at the back.

"So you’re the one that has been killing all my Captains... do you know how hard it is to get new competent members in the Order?" Numb continued pressing his neck however he didn’t elicit much of a reaction from the man he was holding.

"I really said you guys were running low on membershi—"

Numb slammed Koya into the ground with such force that cracks spread over at the impact point and Koya spat out saliva.

Numb let go of him and stood back up.

"You’re just a four-liner so I’ll teac—" He looked at a small red spot on his hand. It seemed he had been pricked with something. "Oh, you poisoned me?"

Koya used that opportunity to move back and join up with the Professors. He was afraid for sure however that fear was overshadowed by the clear bounty on this man’s head.

「Name: Numb」

「Bounty: 100,000 FP」

He wanted to claim it so bad.

’System, I hope you’ve finished the analysis on how to dodge his ability.’

「Affirmative... Loading Method」

"How very resourceful. I don’t know where you got the blood of a Silver class monster from." He said. "However, something like that won’t be enough to kill someone like me unless it’s a peak Silver class. Your plan has failed and I’ll use you to pass the time before she comes."

According to the System’s analysis, Numb was nearing the peak blue crest which meant the guy was going to silver... however he had an over-reliance on his ability which Koya had studied was the ability to shift momentum of both himself and his target.

That didn’t mean he was useless without them. He had been trained as an Assassin from the Order so he was naturally strong.

"Let’s go at it." He said and Numb smiled as well though Koya wouldn’t be able to see it from his mask.

’I’ll deal as much damage as I can before Mio gets here, and then once she’s about to kill him... I’ll steal the kill.’ He thought.

"Amagi Koya! You should not challeng—" Itsuki started.

"Shut it." A punch mark appeared on his face and then the momentum followed, sending Itsuki shooting to the railing.

He bent the railing from the force behind the punch and Miyuki began crying again. "Now where were we... Come at me."

Koya began running, however he entered Mana mode instantly and forced the mana into his eye sockets while simultaneously activating Sensory... that was what the System recommended for dealing with this.

With Sensory and both his eyes enhanced, Numb threw a punch at him.

Normally it looked like the punch would just appear but in truth, it was just moving so quickly that it felt like an instant.

The mark was the predetermined direction and the impact was the punch.

A punch mark had formed on his chest however he could see the force of the punch incoming and he swerved his body out of the way, missing the force of the punch at the last possible second with the help of Blood Convergence which was pumping the blood in his body wildly.

It impacted with a wall and Numb’s eyes widened.

’A fluke...?’

A fellow blue-liner could not see his attack. How was a four-liner actually seeing it? Several punch marks appeared over Koya’s body and he bit his lower lip as the force came.

He side-stepped the first, twisted away from the second, pushed away from the railing in a flip on the third, shifted his body back a bit for the fourth and then he used Pain Resistance to tank the fifth as he was right in front of Numb’s face.

Mana flowed into his leg, powered by his skills and even Blood Convergence as well as Fighting Spirit.

He landed a kick on Numb’s cheek and sent the man barreling through the air onto the ground of the Academy, however he stopped the force before crashing down and stood straight.

Koya landed on the ground too and took a deep breath as Numb massaged his own face.

"I got hit... by someone that’s not mother or Pale Sword?" He couldn’t believe it. His technique was as fast as the eye could see.

Did that mean this four-liner was moving faster than the eye could see? Or was he sensing him somehow?

His cheek was scratched and a little bit of blood trickled out from the wound.

"Very good. I want you to come at me with everything you have." Numb said while a slim sword appeared in his hand from his storage ring while Koya summoned his own sword. "In turn, I’ll do the same."

A burst of momentum left him and soared to Koya. It was the same thing he used on that Professor who he had broken the jaw of... forcing the person’s momentum to change.

Koya could sense it with Sensory. It was a similar burst of force however it moved slower than the punch and he quickly moved to the right.

However Numb was already there, boosting his own momentum and moving his sword downward with speed.

Koya parried and the force behind it sent him flipping backward several times on end before landing on the ground with both feet and shaky hands, however Heal was already working... for his eye muscles, leg muscles and especially his hand muscles.

’Hubby!’

’Don’t worry about me Tori... wait for the perfect time. We have to steal the kill.’ Koya thought as Numb began moving.

Numb closed the distance in an instant and swung his blade horizontally. Koya ducked under it and thrust his sword upward toward Numb’s ribs but a punch mark appeared on his shoulder mid-strike.

He twisted hard to the left and the momentum of the punch grazed past him, tearing through his sleeve and carving a shallow cut across his arm.

Blood dripped but Koya didn’t stop.

He pushed off the ground with Blood Convergence at maximum output and his legs burned from the effort. He slashed diagonally at Numb’s neck and Numb leaned back just enough that the blade passed a hair’s width from his throat.

Then Numb grinned and made a pulling motion with his free hand.

Koya felt it immediately... his own forward momentum being yanked toward Numb faster than he’d been moving.

He was dragged into range and Numb’s fist was already waiting. A punch mark bloomed on Koya’s stomach and he saw the impact coming but he was too close, moving too fast to dodge completely.

He angled his body at the last second and the punch clipped his side instead of caving in his ribs.

The force still launched him backward and he hit the ground hard, rolling twice before catching himself on one knee.

’He’s mixing it. Momentum pull to close distance, then instant punches when I’m in range.’ Koya thought while breathing hard.

His side was screaming and Heal was working overtime but it wasn’t enough to keep up with the damage.

Numb didn’t give him time to recover. Three punch marks appeared simultaneously... on his chest, throat, and left knee. Koya forced his eyes to track all three impacts as they shot toward him.

He threw himself to the right to avoid the chest blow, tucked his chin to let the throat punch whistle past his ear, and pulled his knee up just in time so the third punch hit empty air.

But Numb had already shifted his own momentum mid-approach and was coming in from Koya’s blind side with his sword raised.

Koya barely got his blade up in time and steel screamed against steel as the impact rattled his bones.

Numb followed with a kick to Koya’s ribs and Koya took it, using the momentum to create distance.

He landed several meters away, coughing. Blood was leaking from the corner of his mouth now.

’I can’t keep this up forever. Heal is burning through my stamina and he’s not slowing down at all.’

Numb tilted his head. "You’re lasting longer than I expected. But you’re on the defensive. How long can you keep dodging?"

Koya didn’t answer. He shifted his grip on his sword and watched Numb’s body language. The way he moved his hands and the subtle shifts in his stance before he used momentum manipulation.

Numb moved again. This time he opened with a momentum shift aimed at Koya’s feet... trying to pull him forward into another trap. Koya felt the tug and instead of resisting it, he let it pull him in but angled his trajectory.

He came in low and fast with his sword extended like a spear.

Numb’s eyes widened slightly and he twisted his body to avoid the thrust. The blade carved through the side of his mask and split the skin beneath. Blood welled up and Numb hissed.

But Koya had overcommitted. Numb’s hand shot out and grabbed Koya’s wrist mid-swing, then yanked downward while simultaneously shifting Koya’s forward momentum into a downward spiral.

Koya slammed face-first into the ground with enough force to crack the stone. His vision went white for half a second and when it cleared, Numb’s boot was coming down toward his head.

Koya rolled hard to the left and the boot cratered the stone where his skull had been. He pushed off the ground and swung wildly at Numb’s legs. Numb hopped back and sent another punch mark at Koya’s exposed back.

Koya saw it with Sensory and twisted his spine at an unnatural angle, letting the force pass through the space where his body had been a moment before then he lunged forward and drove his sword at Numb’s face.

Numb shifted his head to the side but Koya had expected that. He abandoned the thrust halfway through and converted it into a slash, dragging the blade horizontally across Numb’s face.

The edge bit deep and carved through Numb’s left eye, sending blood spraying across the ground.

Numb staggered back with a choked sound, his hand flying to his ruined eye. "You—"

Koya didn’t let him finish. He pressed forward with a overhead slash aimed at Numb’s neck but Numb was still faster.

Even half-blind and bleeding, his instincts were honed by years of assassin training. He shifted Koya’s feet mid-swing to just a few inches to the left and Koya’s balance broke. The slash went wide and Koya stumbled forward.

Numb capitalized immediately. He drove his sword toward Koya’s exposed ribs but Koya threw himself into a desperate roll.

The blade grazed his side, opening a long cut that bled freely, but it wasn’t fatal.

Koya came up on his feet and immediately had to dodge three more punch marks that converged on him from different angles.

He sidestepped the first, ducked under the second, and took the third on his shoulder because there was nowhere left to go. His shoulder went numb instantly and his sword arm dropped.

’Shit—’

Numb was already moving. He closed the distance with a momentum-enhanced dash and swung his blade in a wide arc meant to take Koya’s head off.

Koya dropped flat and the sword passed overhead close enough that he felt the wind from it, then he kicked upward from the ground, aiming for Numb’s chin.

Numb caught the kick with his free hand and grinned behind his broken mask and then he shifted the momentum of Koya’s entire body, sending him spinning through the air like a ragdoll.

Koya hit the ground hard and his sword flew from his numb hand, skittering across the ground and out of reach.

’No—’

Numb advanced slowly now, savoring it. Blood was still leaking from his ruined eye but he didn’t seem to care. "You’ve done well. Better than most blue-liners, honestly. But you’re out of tricks."

Koya forced himself to his feet. His shoulder was useless, his side was bleeding, and his sword was gone but he still had his legs.

’If I can’t use a sword, I’ll just beat him to death.’

He was willing to do this much for that SP...

Numb lunged with his blade extended and Koya threw himself to the side, then immediately pivoted and drove his knee into Numb’s ribs.

Numb grunted and tried to create distance but Koya stayed on him. He followed with a spinning kick to Numb’s head that Numb barely blocked with his forearm.

Then Koya planted his good foot and launched into a jumping roundhouse kick aimed at the same spot where he’d carved out Numb’s eye. Numb ducked under it and Koya landed hard, immediately transitioning into a low sweep kick.

Numb jumped over the sweep and countered with a downward sword slash. Koya rolled backward and the blade sparked against stone.

He came up and immediately launched himself forward with Blood Convergence pushed past its safe limit.

His vision was starting to tunnel and his muscles were screaming but he didn’t stop. He drove his fist into Numb’s stomach, followed by an elbow to the jaw, then a knee to the ribs.

The three-hit combo connected cleanly and Numb staggered backward, blood leaking from his mouth.

But then Numb smiled.

"Got you."

Koya felt it too late... a massive shift in momentum focused entirely on his left leg, it was not a pull or a push but a complete reversal of all the force he’d been generating with Blood Convergence.

His femur shattered.

The sound was wet and horrible and Koya’s scream tore through the air as he collapsed. His leg bent at an angle that legs weren’t supposed to bend and white-hot agony shot through his entire body.

’HUBBY!’

Koya hit the ground and his vision went gray at the edges. He tried to move, tried to activate Heal, but the pain was too much and his mana was nearly gone.

Numb stood over him, breathing hard, and his ruined eye still leaking blood but he was grinning.

"You made me work for it. I’ll give you that." He raised his sword above his head, both hands on the hilt. "Any last words?"

Koya looked up at him and tried to speak but only blood came out.

Numb brought the sword down... and his arm came off at the shoulder.

The blade clattered to the ground still gripped in a severed hand and Numb stared in shock at the stump that was now spraying blood across the Academy ground.

He leaped backward multiple times while Koya pushed onto one knee.

He focused his Heal onto the leg however he coughed out blood as Heal stopped working on the other parts that had been damaged and all the accumulated injuries came crashing down at once.

"G-good of you to finally show yourself." Numb said while grinning despite his stump of an arm bleeding.

Pale Sword or rather Mio when the avatar was in control of her was wearing her assassin uniform and had even fuller breasts than Mio normally had. Her silver hair blew in the air and her eyes were purple.

’Impossible... a Vessel? In this day and age?’ Victoria thought and Koya gritted his teeth.

’What’s a Vessel?’

’They existed in our times... I forgot what exactly they were but it was like some remnants of gods or something like that. It seems that the assassin girl is a vessel and is sharing her body with a fragment of a god.’ Victoria thought.

"I’ll deal with you later." She said as she turned to face Koya and carried him up in her arms.

Koya looked at the silver-haired woman with different eyes and suddenly he didn’t feel too safe.

"You’ve done a lot of good work here, despite your low rank. You managed to fend off someone who’s almost at the peak of the blue crest so I’ve decided that you’ve become the property of I, Pale Sword... which essentially means you belong to me now."

Mio pulled at Pale Sword’s hair in her astral form with red cheeks.

"That’s not how you flirt! You just straight up claimed him!"

’Calm down and trust the process... you can’t know more about men than me.’ Pale Sword thought as she looked at Koya.

"And to commemorate that..." She brought her lips down and took Koya’s lips. ’A kiss... It’s my first kiss too Mio.’