Raising the Lowest-Ranked Adventurer, the Heroic Girl – Wasn’t I Just a Substitute Old Man?

Raising the Lowest-Ranked Adventurer, the Heroic Girl – Wasn’t I Just a Substitute Old Man?

Volume 2  Chapter 28   Assault

“Wha-! What’s happening!?”

However, even in the midst of a situation where even the instructors couldn’t comprehend what was going on, Miyano seemed to have sensed the hostility just like me and swiftly moved away from the spot.

And it wasn’t just Miyano, but the other team members reacted in the same manner.

“Stay alert! Unknown enemy! Consider anyone approaching as an enemy!”

An attack from outside the arena during a match was clearly abnormal.

I had heard from Saeki-san about the group that had been targeting Miyano for some time now. Saeki-san worked for a government agency, and I trusted that the information he provided wasn’t mistaken.

If my assumption was wrong, and this was an attempt to embarrass or seek revenge against Miyano and the others, then so be it.

However, if that wasn’t the case, then what was about to unfold would be…

“Ughhhh!?”

Just as I was contemplating the situation, screams echoed from a different direction than where the previous attack had come from.

Turning my head instinctively towards the sound, I witnessed students attacking each other.

It seemed there really were enemies present, infiltrating the school regardless of whether they were students or teachers. There was no way it was just those two attackers.

With that thought in mind, another assailant emerged from among the teachers, and magic spells were launched from outside the building.

“It’s an assault by the Salvation Army!”

While I didn’t have concrete evidence, I had heard rumors about their imminent activities in Japan, so it was highly likely.

Although I couldn’t confirm if they were indeed the Salvation Army, it was crucial to establish the fact that there were clear “enemies” present, even if I turned out to be mistaken. With this understanding, I shouted loudly for everyone present to hear.

“It’s troublesome to have infiltrators among the teachers…”

While it might be acceptable for infiltrators to be among the students, it was a different story when it came to the teachers.

If there were traitors among the teachers, the situation became uncertain. We wouldn’t know who to trust or if we could trust anyone at all. In such a state of confusion, we would be easy prey, just hunted down one by one.

“Enemies have infiltrated among the students and teachers! Everyone, keep your distance from other teams and regroup! Consider anyone approaching without caution as an enemy, even if they are acquaintances!”

With that, I shouted as a precautionary measure. Regardless of whether they believed it or not, having instructions made a difference.

At the very least, I trusted myself, which made it slightly easier to assess the situation ahead of me.

There would inevitably be those who wouldn’t follow these instructions, but I couldn’t oversee each and every individual.

After shouting, I reached for my phone and made a call.

“What’s going on?” came the voice on the other end.

“Saeki-san, the school is under attack. Can you please provide assistance?”

The person I called was Saeki-san, a member of a government organization and acquaintance. I figured it would be smoother to communicate with them rather than involving the police.

However…

“Are you also facing an attack? I’m sorry, but we are under attack here too!” came the hurried voice of Saeki-san from the other end of the line.

“Is it happening there too? What about…? If they were here, even with some damage, it wouldn’t take much time, right? We might miss a few stragglers, but hunting down the remnants…”

“No, they’re not here! They’re currently dealing with a Class S Gate and not in Japan!”

“Not here?… Is it impossible to send reinforcements?”

The facility where Saeki-san worked was a government institution, and given its location, it had the appropriate defense capabilities. Most of it was to prevent internal information from leaking outside, but naturally, it was also designed to keep external threats from entering.

It was an unlikely place for an attack to occur.

However, it had been attacked.

The fact that a place that shouldn’t have been attacked was under siege meant that the attackers had meticulously planned their actions. With such formidable opposition, and considering the absence of that person, it would undoubtedly take time.

“I apologize. We’ve contacted other nearby facilities, and the country itself should be aware of the situation, so reinforcements should arrive soon. But it will probably take at least an hour, if not more…”

“An hour…”

Moreover, that was the best-case scenario assuming no issues occurred elsewhere.

As Saeki-san’s voice trailed off, if attacks were happening in other locations, it would take even longer.

…In the worst-case scenario, we should prepare ourselves for at least a full day.

“Understood. We’ll wait for reinforcements as quickly as possible.”

With those words, I ended the call without waiting for a response and returned my phone to my pocket.

As I surveyed the surroundings to assess the situation, I noticed Miyano looking at me with a worried expression.

“Could this possibly… I, I…”

“No, it’s different. Besides, something seems off. For now, let’s head to an open area.”

I couldn’t say for sure if it was truly different.

But acknowledging it here and now would affect Miyano’s actions. So even if it went against the truth, it would be better to deny it.

“An open area? Can’t we stay within the training grounds?”

“W-Well, that’s true. This place is built to withstand training, so fortifying our defenses here…”

Asada and Kitahara questioned my words, but I shook my head in response.

“Sure, this place is sturdy, but the enemy is determined to kill us. Even this building could be destroyed efficiently with explosives, even by someone like me at Level 3. In the worst-case scenario, we’d be crushed if the entire building collapses. It’s better to get outside than to risk that.”

However, if we consider which option is truly better, it depends on the situation.

But right now, there are other factors to consider besides the possibility of the building being destroyed.

Earlier, there were attacks from outside the building. That means we’re already in the enemy’s hands.

In that case, I don’t think staying here would change the level of danger.

Rather, we can exclude the possibility of being buried alive in the building, and if we assume that everyone around us is an enemy and that attacks can come from anywhere at any time, it might even feel safer to think that way.

“An open area… If we go to the group training grounds, there may still be enemy attacks, but we won’t be at risk of sudden collapses.”

The worst thing to be cautious of is being buried alive in the building.

Even if we manage to survive that, it would be dangerous if we couldn’t move even for a short period.

So it’s better to be targeted outside. That’s the judgment I’ve made.

If we were to endure for several hours, it would be safer to be in a sheltered location. However, if it’s only three to four hours, I believe these guys can defend without losing focus even in an open area without cover.

Furthermore, for Miyano and Abe, it would be less stressful to fight without worrying about the damage around them and just unleash their abilities freely.

If we hold on for a little longer and reinforcements still haven’t arrived, we can consider relocating depending on the situation at that time.