To Be a Power in the Shadows!

Chapter 35: The Romance of Looking Down From a Rooftop

I am now on a roof, looking out over the entire academy.

I can see everybody in the school being shepherded towards the auditorium. The auditorium is so huge that it can easily fit everybody. The school entrance ceremony is always held there, and sometimes there are plays or speakers or whatnot that are also held there.

I can see many knights crowding around outside the academy, drawn here by all the noise. But they are maintaining a certain distance away, probably because that’s the boundary beyond which magic is sealed.

There are almost no more presences within the rest of the school grounds. There’s only men in black scouring the rooms for any students who are still hiding.

While looking at the state of the academy, a laugh escapes my lips.

I’ve always wanted to do this.

School under attack, students under capture, mysterious terrorist organization, and me, looking over it all from a rooftop.

I got to check off one item on my to-do list.

“Me looking down from a rooftop.”

Been there, done that.

Well then, what should I play to occupy my time until night falls?

Actually, I’ve had a thought ever since those men in black rushed into my classroom.

That these terrorists have zero sense of esthetics.

It is now afternoon. The sun is shining brightly, the sky is clear with not a cloud in sight, and there’s a refreshing wind blowing. Then there’s these guys, wearing black longcoats.

How ridiculous.

They have made a crucial mistake.

That is...... they have underestimated TPO.

Everyone is free to choose their own fashion, but disregarding TPO would turn it into mistaken fashion.

As such, now, they just look dumb. Black longcoats are only for night time, duh.

But well, I want to enjoy this for a while longer, so it’s not a problem that they’re taking their time. What a waste it would be for this to end quickly.

I have decided on Operation Take-My-Time-Till-Night.

While looking over the academy with such thoughts in my head, I spy two men in black walking down a hallway.

Yep, black longcoats in broad daylight really do look dumb.

Hey, let’s play sniper.

I cut out a thumb-sized piece of slime from my slime suit.

I roll it into a ball and imbue it with magic, lie down on the rooftop, then take a finger flick pose.

“You fool, you’re in my line of fire.”

So muttering, I flick.

Psshun.

Leaving behind the sound of something slicing through air, the slime ball pierces through the man’s forehead.

“Ah......”

Then the slime ball also pierces the other man’s heart.

To think that I’d get the One Shot Two Kills achievement here.

Come on, I wanted to shoot one more time.

“Oh well, let’s look for another target then.”

I ready another slime ball, then close one eye and curl my fingers over my other eye, as if I’m looking through a scope.

I spy a defenseless idiot walking around the school building that I’m facing.

“Target confirmed, pink-haired girl...... eh?”

Isn’t that Sherry?

What is she doing. She’s walking around while restlessly looking all around, but she’s actually already been found.

“Sherry-chan, they’ve noticed you.”

I see a man in black rapidly approaching Sherry from behind her.

I take aim...... then flick.

Psshun.

The man’s head bursts.

“Mission complete.”

Sherry continues walking on, oblivious to what had happened, until she turns a corner and leaves my sight.

Fumu, she’s involved with all this.

My mob sensor is telling me, with utmost certainty, that the main scenario is proceeding right now.

When the main scenario finally reaches the climax, then I appear gallantly as a power from the shadows...... noice.

Alright.

I gather magic in my legs, confirm that no one is looking, then jump.

“Tou!”

(T/N: In sentai shows, jumping while saying ‘tou’ somehow makes it cooler lol.)

I land on the roof of that other building.

Then I slip into the building through an open window on the top floor.

I proceed down the hallway and...... spotted.

That pink hair looking around restlessly like a suspicious person.

“As I said, they’ve noticed you.”

There is another man in black behind Sherry.

Right before he grabs her, I move at top speed.

◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇

“Eh?”

Feeling some movement behind her, Sherry turns around.

She thinks she also heard the sound of something cutting through the air, but there’s no one there.

The quiet, empty hallway stretches on into the distance.

“Just my imagination......?”

Carefully checking her surrounds, Sherry continues walking on with her flapping shoes, clutching the artifact tightly to her chest.

The knight had said back then that magic cannot be used.

If his words were real, then Sherry thinks she knows what’s going on. It’s related to her.

And then, this artifact is also......

Sherry hugs the artifact even closer.

“I have to do something about this......!”

The figures of the two knights who fought to let her escape resurface in her mind.

She cannot let their deaths go to waste.

With such thoughts whirling around in her head, she turns the corner.

“Ah!”

There’s a man in black there! Sherry quickly hides back behind the corner.

What to do, it seems that their eyes had met!

There’s that sound again, of something cutting through the air.

“It’s fine, I wasn’t spotted, I wasn’t spotted......”

So praying, she slowly peeks around the corner......

“Oh whew, he didn’t see me......”

The man in black is gone.

Resolving to focus more, Sherry resumes her flapping steps while carefully observing her surroundings.

“Ah!”

There’s a man in black in a classroom who is looking out at the hallway!

Sherry hurriedly hides herself, but it’s too late.

The classroom door is opened, and the man in black comes out.

“Hii.”

Sherry clutches her head, and clenches her eyes shut.

......

............

Again there’s the sound of something cutting through air.

“Eh?”

Sherry opens her eyes with trepidation, and realizes that the man in black has disappeared.

“Oh wheeewww, I wasn’t spotted......”

Sherry focuses even more, then flaps on.

She checks all corners, the inside of all classrooms, and even behind her.

Looking here, looking there, looking everywhere.

Having to confirm everything in her surroundings naturally means that her process becomes extremely slow.

“Ah!”

She trips.

Falling flat on the ground, she watches the artifact flying through midair.

The artifact falls on the ground...... or not. Right before it does, it is caught by someone.

Looking upwards, she sees her recently-made friend standing there.

“Sid-kun......!”

However, he is covered with blood.

“Eh, are you alright?! You’re hurt......”

“I’m alright. By some miraculous stroke of luck, I managed to pull through. So don’t worry about it.”

For some reason, he seems really tired, and is looking at Sherry with a half-opened eye.

“There is a lot that I want to say. Firstly, please stop walking while immersed in your thoughts. Secondly, please stop talking to yourself out loud. Thirdly, please pay attention to the ground.”

Then he sighs deeply.

“But before anything else, please take off your really noisy flapping loafers, alright?”

Sherry nods.