Surviving a Shounen Manga

The One They Call ‘Squatjaw’

I snatched up one of the shards of broken windows.

It was just glass.

Even without exerting any strong force, it snapped and broke.

"Hmm…"

According to the manager, this room had the most advanced security sensors installed in every corner, ensconced in tempered glass that wouldn’t budge with mere shock.

However, the scene unfolding right before my eyes was very different from such ‘stringent security’.

Although a full thirty seconds had passed since the intrusion, the alarm didn’t sound. No one came running, and even the lights in the room had gone out.

Either the intruders’ preparations were very thorough, or someone had disabled the room’s security systems. One of the two was the reason.

‘There’s no point trying to find out which one.’

Of course, this was something I’d expected from the moment I was invited to the VIP gathering.

I gently raised my head and turned my gaze towards the intruders in front of me.

‘They’re a little different, huh?’

Obviously, the atmosphere was quite different from the assassins ‘1’, ‘2’, and ‘3’ whom I’d met before. The bloodthirst that permeated the air was a little denser.

But the strangest part was their actions.

They didn’t start attacking me right away, didn’t ask for the princess’ location, and didn’t even take out their weapons.

The ten assassins were basically not being very professional, and it didn’t seem like they were simply ignoring me.

As I stood still, they were rather being wary of the ones next to them.

What’s this –

‘Really… are you guys trying to decide the order right now?’

Some of them were creeping forward and some taking a step back while exchanging glances.

It was both funny and absurd.

Of course, it wasn’t a bad thing for me, but strangely, I was feeling sick of all this.

After all, even if all of them jumped me together, they wouldn’t have a hope in hell[1].

So, I had to let them know.

"All of you come at once, or you’ll end up regretting it later. You guys aren’t at my level."

Then,

"Heh…"

"This guy’s bold as brass[2]."

"You suicidal or something?"

Some impatient people responded.

All of them were the ones who’d been the first to come forward.

It really seemed like it was all about skill level.

Those who came forward were the weak ones. And those guys who decided to watch from the back… were the weaker ones, I guess?

The funny thing was, I had no intention of going along with their tomfoolery. Regardless of whatever order they decided to attack in, I had no intention of dealing with them one by one in the first place.

I mimicked the unique ability I needed to deal with the current situation.

And immediately –

[Dance with Ghost Killer].

It was Yan’s ability.

Ghosts with big squat jaws, who looked exactly like me, began to pop up one after another.

Pop–.

Pop–.

Pop–.

⁝

There were nine in total.

"Oh, where is this?"

"Hey, long time no see. Do you remember me?"

"He’s the master! You’re a ghost! And I’m one too, I guess!"

"Am I fourth? Am I the fourth? Call me big bro, you little kids!"

⁝

The ghosts were being a rowdy bunch, as always.

"Quiet down, everyone. Can’t you see that you have work to do? Take care of these guys."

At my command, the ghosts rushed towards the assassins.

"Go down already!"

"This guy’s mine!"

"I’ll take this ugly bastard!"

"You’re mine, then, kid!"

And,

"Wh-, what are all these things?"

"My attacks aren’t working!"

The assassins began to panic.

In the meantime, I stared at the last assassin who wasn’t chosen by any of the ghosts.

A guy holding a weapon that looked like a chain scythe.

He also noticed my gaze and glanced at me, but his eyes had no fight in them. Perhaps because he was bewildered by the strange ghosts appearing, but his eyes were emphatically emphasizing that he didn’t have any intention to fight at all.

And I was the same.

I had no intention of fighting the one remaining assassin. Forget fighting, I didn’t even want to lift a finger.

This guy wasn’t mine.

Because the one to deal with the assassin with the chain scythe –

Bang–.

Would be the ‘captain’.

I looked at the gigantic squat-jawed ghost who’d appeared in front of me with excited eyes.

He was three times larger than the regular ghosts, who were my size. Even though the room was as large as it was luxurious, it was now looking a little cramped.

"… It’s small."

Hey, even this guy’s voice was profoundly deep. As expected of a ‘boss’.

This was my first time actually summoning a captain ghost.

[Dance with Ghost Killer] has a structure where a captain ghost appears every tenth time, and the setting is that the captain possesses five times the power of a regular ghost.

The current regular ghosts had the same power as the current me, meaning the captain was a truly formidable monster.

The first time Yan had summoned this tenth ghost, the captain, in the original work, was at the height of the ‘Scramble for Ramirez’s Treasure’. The giant ghost suddenly appearing and wiping out all the enemies had been a very impressive sight.

And now my captain was stronger than Yan’s captain had been at that point.

I smiled and pointed towards the assassin with the chain scythe.

"Captain, see that guy over there? Take care of him. Don’t kill or pop him, though."

"Uhm… I don’t have a hobby of tormenting ants…"

Hearing our conversation, the chain-scythe’s face scrunched and distorted.

And then,

"H-, huuuughk!"

His waist was trapped between by the captain’s fingers as he screamed like a pig being butchered.

Well, maybe he was just that terrified. After all, if the captain twisted his fingers just a little, his spine would snap like a twig.

‘Still, if you start wailing like that… what about the rest of the assassins?’

It seemed that the rest also recognized the situation, and they were slowly trying to step backwards.

Seeing this, I shouted with vigour.

"Don’t miss a single one!"

Starting with the chain scythe guy, the assassins got quickly sorted out. They were already busy facing the regular ghosts, but when a great general appeared among the ghosts and killed (?) one of their compatriots with a flick of his fingers, their morale naturally went down the drain.

Of course, if they’d been more vigilant and prepared, they wouldn’t have collapsed so easily. Weren’t they premier assassins, hired to chase after the princess?

But there’s no do-over in life.

The guys who’d kept their cool made a few moves to try and target me directly, but that didn’t last long either.

Soon it was all over.

An easy ending.

But even after checking the status of the ten assassins lying on the floor, I didn’t immediately send the ghosts back.

Because there was still some stuff to sort out, hidden in one corner.

I spoke, looking at the curtains by the window.

"You going to come out anytime soon?"

…

After a while,

"… You’ve got good eyes."

"Did you find our traces?"

The two assassins slowly emerged.

One was very fat and the other was very thin.

The contrast even more pronounced when they stood together.

‘Hmmm… aren’t these guys pretty good?’

Even after the ten assassins fell, they didn’t jump out or run away. At least, seeing that they were trying to observe the situation until the end, it seemed right to consider them better than this rabble.

Finally,

"I’m telling you beforehand, we aren’t on the same level as these guys lying down here."

The fat one said confidently as if he’d read my thoughts.

"Well, that’s something we’ll find out right now."

I turned my gaze to the captain.

"Captain, can I ask for two more?"

"Catching ants… is a little tiring…"

"Ah, but one of them is a bit chubbier, right? Next time, I’ll find an even bigger one for you."

"… Well then."

Then, it was time for the captain ghost to sortie –

"… Wait a moment."

The thin one, who’d been silent so far, slowly spoke.

"The terror of assassins lies in their stealth and their tenacity. It’s not our style to attack openly."

"Oh, yeah?"

"We play the long game. There’s still one week left in the voyage. Don’t even think about having a single restful meal or sleep from now on. You’ll understand what it feels like to wither."

"…"

I scratched my head.

"But what if you get caught right now? Wouldn’t that spoil your plan?"

Then as I slowly tried to approach the window,

"Hehe… let’s just step back for today."

"Wait for it. I’ll make you cry, scream, and beg for help."

Both of them quickly jumped out.

"Heeh…"

They were indeed idiots.

If you’re going to run away in the end, why the need for all that back-and-forth?

"… I don’t feel good."

Thermis sighed softly as she looked at Chinuavi and Cocoa, who were sleeping peacefully as if they didn’t have any care in the world.

Although she’d heard that they wouldn’t be get noticed because of a silver screen or something, she couldn’t help but feel concerned.

The one to find her had been none other than Tamar, the representative of the ‘war-hawk faction’ in the Skull Empire.

Apart from the talk about marriage, he didn’t even like the people of the Mainin family, including herself. No, it’d be more accurate to say that he regarded them as enemies. He was a bastard who only knew how to quarrel and fight with them at every meeting of the coalition government.

He was basically a man who thought of ‘conquest’ as the spirit of the Skull Empire.

It was unknown whether Tamar had been the culprit who’d sent the assassins, but he didn’t seem the sort to just sit still even after seeing her face. No matter what, he’d try to do something about her right away.

So, she’d been slowly heading to the next room. She’d wondered if that squat-jawed guy had any new information.

But then,

"Hey, what the hell…"

The sight Thermis had seen was astonishing.

Ghosts that looked like Squatjaw were fighting black-masked assassins. To be precise, it was more of a one-sided beatdown.

In particular, there had been a giant Squatjaw, thrice the size of the rest. The assassin caught in the giant ghost’s hand had a pitiful look on his face that’d even made her sympathize with his situation for a moment. It was like watching an ant being crushed.

After making sure that the last assassin had been sorted out, Thermis had returned to her room.

She was thinking about the existence they called ‘Squatjaw’.

‘Who the hell is that guy?’

She’d known from the beginning that he was unusual. To be precise, from the moment she’d gotten kidnapped.

First of all, that amazing strength was hard to see as that of a human being.

For Thermis, who’d never even seen somebody with strength comparable to hers in the first place, his existence had come as nothing but a shock.

And on top of that, his perseverance.

No matter even if the Adventurers’ Association might stand behind them, adventurers also have no choice but to lower their heads facing the authorities of each continent, country, and city. In the end, it depends on the number of troops those people can mobilize.

Among them, Minister Tamar had the biggest stick among the powers of the huge nation called the Skull Empire. No matter how famous and well-known adventurers were, they tended to bow their heads before him.

However, Squatjaw had pushed back. Even if he didn’t know Tamar’s true identity, verbally pressing him like that in front of more than twenty VIPs couldn’t have been easy. Not when everybody else had been bowing and scraping so deferentially.

But it was Tamar who’d looked like he was being pressured, instead.

And finally, that ability.

Frankly, she’d thought before that his power itself might be his innate ability. Because it was at a level that could only be barely accepted by thinking like that.

But the appearance of those ghosts… Considering how enormous destructive power each one had, it had to have been a unique ability. In particular, that gigantic ghost alone had been equivalent to three of the cavalry corps, that were called the pride of the empire.

The more she thought of it, the more surprising it was.

Was this a ‘real’ adventurer?

Thanks to this, her perception of adventurers had completely changed. She’d seen a lot of braggarts who called themselves adventurers, but this was her first time seeing a ‘real’ one like Squatjaw. He didn’t get first place in the qualification test for nothing.

And, if there was one last question –

‘But really, what’s his goal?’

A different question, not related to his abilities, had arisen.

Why the hell is he doing all this for me?

Clearly, he was a person who’d received orders, and was moving for a certain purpose. He’d said so himself.

But Thermis thought that somehow his purpose might not be very rational. It just felt that way. It seemed that his purpose kept changing according to his feelings. And she didn’t know why… but it even felt as if his purpose was Thermis herself.

‘Why…’

That was then –

– Don’t worry about it anymore. That guy is mine.

"Ah!"

For a moment, Thermis gave a shriek of surprise.

It’d been a long time since he reappeared so quickly after disappearing.

It was Bayar Khan.

Thermis strongly objected.

"Ahh, not now! Get out, old man!"

– Is that how you talk to me? You cheeky bitch.

Then he said something very surprising.

– Your body, I have no intention of taking it.

"… What? Really?"

– Because I can’t even use it for long. It’s been four years, but you’re still so weak. It wasn’t for long, but I had to leave so quickly. You still can’t properly endure my presence. Understand?

"Yeah, well… I haven’t eaten well for a few days."

– Whatever the reason, it’s not good. You can’t stay like this.

"What?"

– Didn’t you say that you’d walk the Warrior’s Path as soon as you get off this ship? To do that, you have to become much stronger. Even more than how you originally were.

It seemed that he already knew.

"… Did you hear me talking? You’ve got sharp ears. Even though you were pretending to be uninterested in my business."

– The Path was created by me. Even if I don’t want to hear, my ears would naturally perk up when somebody mentions it. Anyway, it won’t be easy to get through that with your body as it is now. Also, a woman walking the Path? People will be lining up everywhere to sabotage you. The empire’s gotten filled with small-minded pricks these days. Ugly bastards.

"… So, what’re you saying?"

– Unique ability. You have to unlock it. You might really die this time otherwise.

Thermis felt irritated by same talk that she’s heard time after time.

This old man always kept talking about it. Unique ability. How she had to make it happen.

But she’d failed every time so far. What could she do, when she couldn’t even be sure if she actually had one?

In fact, because of that, the old man’s visits were starting to become less frequent. Because he was disappointed with her.

"It’s not that I don’t want to… But how easy do you think it is?"

– When a unique ability manifests is different for each, but there are generally several categories. First, those guys who’re just born with it. The blessed ones. And second, where there’s an emotional trigger. Intense emotional changes such as anger, despair, euphoria, etc. But this isn’t applicable in your case. In all my life, I’ve never seen a girl as angry as you. The fact that it didn’t show up despite you running around like that all day… means you can’t take that route.

"I know…"

– And the last type. It’s to get help from someone who can bring it out.

Bayar Khan’s voice, for some reason, had a faint tremble in it.

This was the first time something like that had happened.

"Can anyone bring it out?"

– A strong force attracts another. I think that Squatjaw might be the key. Try sticking right next to him.

"… Squatjaw?"

– You have talent. Your hard and strong body is just a receptacle for accepting your ability. Of course, you may never be able to access it. But if you can make it manifest… your dream might no longer be a faraway fantasy.

"… My dream."

Thermis reflexively recalled her lifelong dream at Bayar Khan’s words.

To become a general of the empire.

Thermis, engulfed in that dreamlike illusion, didn’t hear Bayar Khan’s last murmur.

– Or maybe you can fly even higher than that. Just like I had.

The morning of the eighth day of the voyage.

"Hmm."

I stared intently at the words displayed on the hologram.

[Adventure King serialization resumed]

[Chapter 20 – The Huntington Bandits (1)]

It was probably going to start slowly. The advent of my weakening.

If the previous ’18’ and ’19’ were interlude chapters, this was one was where a new arc would begin in earnest.

‘It’s fun’, ‘it’s not fun’, those reviews would come in, the longing for past characters would disappear for a while, and the readers’ attention would begin to focus on Leo’s actions. The time had come for me to be slowly forgotten.

Of course, there was still no sign of weakness. But maybe it’d start soon?

‘… I can’t be impatient.’

I turned and gazed at the scenery of Eastland through the window.

Even though the continental mainland had gotten close enough to see, the ship was quiet. The fat and thin duo hadn’t been seen since that day, and the VIP side was also calm.

After the assault of the assassins, every day had been quiet without any major incidents.

But, of course, there was no way that the voyage would just end like this. Because the ‘secret boss’ in that VIP arena won’t stand still.

The news would probably come soon. And this brief silent interlude would soon be over.

A storm was coming.

While I was sorting out my thoughts –

Suddenly,

Thump–.

Someone knocked on the door.

It was the manager.

"To commemorate our arrival at Eastland, a special banquet for the VIPs will be held this evening. Would you like to attend? The organizers are requesting your presence."

As for who the organizer was, I could roughly guess. It had to be that black-haired guy.

I replied with a smile.

"Yeah, I’ve been waiting for this. Tell them I’ll be there."

Editor’s Notes:

[1] 모자를 판에 (lit. sell hats), be very unlikely to achieve something.

[2] 간이 배 밖으로 나온 (lit. guts coming out his stomach), be brave to the point of fearlessness.