Chapter 19: The Armored Man’s Debut

The original appearance, that of Zero, known to the world as the “Saintess of Salvation,” with white hair and crimson eyes, would undoubtedly spark rumors of her return if I were to emerge.

As I preferred to remain missing, I couldn’t use that form to engage the bandits.

Using Ken’s appearance was also out of the question. He was merely an ordinary male villager, utterly incapable of fighting.

Even if he possessed the courage to face bandits alone, he lacked the strength. Thus, purely from a “setting” perspective, I couldn’t use that form either.

So, what was I to do, ensuring victory while keeping my identity concealed? The answer, of course, lay in my third body.

Its stature was imposing, entirely enveloped in thick silver armor. Its mere presence exuded an aura of unyielding fortitude.

[999]

By inputting this command into the Prism, I could transform into this form. It consumed four energy units and was a combat-specific body designed for concealing my identity.

Compared to the Saintess’s appearance, which would be gendered as female unless specified otherwise, this body truly earned the title of a mighty warrior. This was the form one should assume for battle.

I wasn’t so naive as to believe that living an ordinary life meant an end to fighting, so I had prepared this body long ago.

“Who… who exactly are you?”

“You dare provoke us? You must have a death wish!”

“I’ve grown tired of those lines today. How about a change of script?”

I glared at the bandit shouting at me and spoke, my gaze causing them to flinch and take a step back. I had clearly startled them.

To be honest, this was my first time using this appearance in actual combat. For over a decade, my life had been remarkably peaceful; at most, I would secretly train in the forest at night, employing this body then.

Now, it was evident how truly intimidating it was.

I recalled battling the villains of an unknown organization on my journey to the Demon King’s castle, using my original form.

They had scoffed, calling me a mere child, rushing forward with disdain, only to be individually knocked to the ground.

Yet now, a mere glance was enough to instill fear in my opponents. Indeed, this level of deterrence was truly the proper bearing for a Hero like me.

“Hey, kid…”

A bandit, whose build was comparable to my current armored form, rose to his feet. With his back to the firelight, his face was obscured, but I could sense his fury and his murderous intent directed at me.

The other bandits watched him, clearing a path between us. It seemed this fellow was their leader.

“You dare harm my brothers? Do you know what fate awaits you?”

“You’re the leader, aren’t you?” I inquired, disregarding his threats.

“That’s right, I am the leader here. My name is…”

“Are these all your subordinates?”

Without waiting for him to state his name, I asked again. I had no interest in someone I was about to, or likely would, kill. It was enough to know he had ordered his men to abduct my daughter.

I needed to confirm their numbers, preventing any hidden attackers from ambushing me or using Nina as leverage. I hadn’t activated my scan; this body already consumed four units, so saving the remaining six for attacks was preferable.

“Hmph… quite bold, aren’t you, ignoring my words! I see you’re…”

[240]

Before he could finish, I input the “Instant High-Speed” command. I tossed the Prism upwards and began assaulting all the henchmen, ignoring the leader. I couldn’t be bothered with idle chatter; if he wouldn’t speak, I would act.

[5]

“Pfft!”

“Ugh!”

“Ah!”

Screams erupted in quick succession. The bandits were struck down before they could even grasp what was happening.

[4]

Twelve…

[3]

Twenty-one…

[2]

Four more remain…

[1]

…Only the leader is left.

[0]

I returned to my original position, raising my hand to catch the falling Prism just as the countdown ended. All bandits, save for the leader, lay unconscious on the ground.

I looked towards the leader. Though his expression remained obscured, his murderous intent had vanished, replaced by what seemed to be fear. He faced me, taking a step back.

“Quite capable, aren’t you, kid? You took down everyone. Could it be that you’re the rumored Armored Man?”

Armored Man? That was the first time I’d heard such a term. Couldn’t any man in armor be called that? Or was the “rumored” part referring to some formidable figure?

I didn’t know, nor did I feel the need to answer his question.

“Hmph, so be it! Since you dared to harm my brothers, your dog’s life ends today!”

He drew a great saber, assuming a stance, ready to fight me.

Was this truly the mark of a leader? To still possess the courage to fight me after witnessing my speed? Did that imply he had the strength to overcome my accelerated state?

Moreover, ‘everyone’ implied all his subordinates were present. “Are there no more subordinates?” I asked.

“Guess for yourself! Hmph!”

He didn’t charge at me. Instead, he gripped his great saber with both hands, muttered something, and then plunged the blade into the ground.

“!!”

It wasn’t a bluff. From where the blade pierced the earth, sections of ground rapidly erupted upwards at an angle, like a surging wave. Anyone struck by it would undoubtedly be flung towards him.

He likely used this method to bring opponents closer before delivering a fatal blow. Unfortunately for him, I wouldn’t fall for it. To use such a move after seeing my speed only proved he was nothing more than a foolish bandit.

However, I was utterly surprised that this crude fellow possessed magic. While it was merely a low-level Earth magic, Level 1 “Earth Wall,” it genuinely astonished me.

[240]

I activated “Instant High-Speed” again, tossing the Prism upwards. I dodged the incoming magic, lunged to his side, and prepared to attack.

“!!”

Yet, I had underestimated him. As I reached his vicinity, a magic circle appeared on the ground. Its patterns weren’t complex, but its activation speed surpassed mine. In an instant, two spiked rock walls erupted from my left and right, slamming together.

“Spiked Rock Wall”—another low-level Earth magic, Level 2. It was a dangerous trap, but my reaction was swift enough to retreat a step, narrowly avoiding being crushed into paste.

Simultaneously, four earthen walls rose around the leader, encasing him. He must have believed this defense could withstand me. I couldn’t see inside, meaning he could suddenly dispel the walls and launch a surprise attack.

However, such a rudimentary defense couldn’t possibly stop me. This body, this armor, was not merely for show; in terms of raw strength, few could compare!

“——!”

I unleashed a flurry of punches against the wall, the armored fists striking the rock. But the wall did not shatter.

Despite its touted power, my strength, however great, was still that of an exceptionally strong human fist. Without any abilities augmented by the Prism, I couldn’t possibly shatter rock with my bare hands.

3…2…1…0

The countdown ended, and I reverted to my normal speed. My punches continued relentlessly, yet the rock wall remained unyielding, though countless fist imprints now marred its surface. My arm began to ache.

“Is that all you’ve got, kid? It seems I overestimated you!”

“…”

I ignored him. As he mocked me, I surmised his attention was entirely focused on me, which meant the space directly above him was exposed!

I immediately leaped. The walls were only slightly taller than him, and even in armor, this body’s jumping power allowed me to easily clear them. I clenched my fist and swung it at the exposed leader below.

*Smack!*

My fist struck rock.

This fellow had used the four walls as a base, merging new rock walls above to block my attack. He was now completely sealed, making it impossible for me to strike him.

To prevent him from using the rock walls to cast more magic, I immediately jumped down, creating distance between us.

Now, I truly had no way to attack him from the outside. He was in a state of absolute external defense, which was… incredibly foolish.

If not from the outside, then from within.

[FULL CHARGE]

Faintly, I heard the sound of the Prism from within the rock wall. I raised my right fist, extended my index finger towards him, and then lifted my hand in a shooting motion, softly uttering:

“Boom.”

The next second, a massive explosion erupted within the rock wall, shaking the ground and shattering the barrier. Shrapnel flew outwards.

I turned sideways, swatting away the incoming rocks with my right hand, simultaneously catching the flying Prism.

As the smoke cleared, I looked towards the leader. Illuminated by the firelight, his charred corpse smoldered.

After all, enduring such a powerful explosion in such a confined space, it would have been a miracle for him to survive. The fact that his body wasn’t completely obliterated was itself a marvel.

To explain what happened, my earlier punches were purely to draw his attention, as was my leap upwards. This allowed the Prism, which I had tossed, to successfully land inside his rock wall, undetected by him, of course.

I had input not only [240] but also [382] for the explosion and [000] for the charge, totaling exactly ten units of consumption.

This plan had been conceived from the very beginning, yet I hadn’t expected it to proceed so smoothly. What surprised me even more was that he had sealed off the top as well.

Had he not done so, he would have, at most, been blasted away, falling and becoming paralyzed. He wouldn’t have died. One could only say he was incredibly unlucky.

Nevertheless, he deserved his fate. Leading a band of ruffians, he must have killed many people, even considering me his hundredth victim, taking pride in his kill count. Delivering justice to him was only right.

In any case, this incident was concluded. Even if there were still bandits hiding, I had no mind for them. My sole desire was to bring my daughter home.

However… I couldn’t find Nina. I had distinctly seen her tied to a horse just moments ago.

Could the horse have been startled by our battle and bolted into the forest? This would truly be troublesome. Still, without combat, I could use “scan” to search. I should find her quickly… I hoped so.

***

“Oh~ quite impressive, aren’t they?”

Not far away, someone watched Zero’s actions.

“Well, that’s enough for today.”