The Mob Noble Who Got Reincarnated in a World Where Men Are Naturally Protected—So I Trained Like Crazy to Protect Girls Instead, But Their Love Got Way Too Heavy - Chapter 55 & 56

Chapter 55: Tect’s Full-On Rage—Fortress Destruction RTA

After escaping, the first thing I did was guide Fifth sis to a small room so we could recover her confiscated gear.

I had already marked a spot that felt suspicious beforehand—and my guess was spot-on. Fifth sis quickly gathered her equipment, saying, “Yeah, this one’s mine.”

Then, while sorting through her things, she pulled out a stone slab and handed it to me.

“Fifth sis… this is…”

“Yep, a sunstone slab. You wanted it, right?”

I took it from her.

Sunstone was a porous stone that emitted a unique glow when exposed to light. Even like this, it looked perfectly usable.

“Alright.”

I took out the night vision goggles I had brought and fitted the sunstone slab into the filter section. Then I extinguished the nearby torch, inserted a magic stone into the goggles, and put them on.

The moment I did—

My vision lit up like it was broad daylight.

“Fifth sis, it’s still dark around us, right?”

“Yeah. It’s pitch black.”

Hearing that, I grinned.

“Nice. Night vision goggles—complete. Crystal clear.”

“Ufufu. Congrats, Tec.”

She gave me a small round of applause.

I nodded, then made a request.

“Alright, Fifth sis—get out of here and regroup with the others hiding in the bushes. Then, when I give the signal, come back to me.”

“Huh? You’re staying here alone? That’s—”

“Trust me. And besides, I won’t really be alone, so don’t worry about that.”

“S-So that’s how it is…? Then what are you planning?”

I gently brushed her temple.

A bruise.

Then I bared my teeth in a fierce grin and answered—

“I’ll make that bandit crew experience hell for hurting Fifth sis.”

At that time, one of the female bandits from the Blue Leopard gang was drinking.

“Fuu~ but really, that brat from yesterday was hilarious.”

Inside the great hall of the fortress they had taken over, she drank with her comrades under the dim torchlight after sunset.

“Going on a long trip all alone while being that weak—and right near our base too!”

She laughed at how stupid it was, but another bandit tilted her head.

“Was she really that weak? The moment you take your eyes off her, she disappears—and before you know it, one of us is down. Even after we figured out she was just climbing trees and ambushing us, she still took out a few more.”

“Huh? But the ones who beat her said she was nothing when you faced her head-on.”

“If that’s true, then what about the veterans who got taken down?”

“Still, just looking at her, she seemed weak. Nothing special! Gyahaha!”

They mocked her and laughed.

The other bandits just shrugged and kept drinking.

Then—

A thunderous explosion rang out.

—DOOOOOM!!

Everyone in the hall froze.

It sounded like a cannon had slammed straight into the fortress—an overwhelming, destructive blast.

“W-What the hell!? An attack!? We didn’t get any info about an army!”

“Hey! It’s that kid! That girl just threw that thing!”

Drawn by their comrade’s shout, the bandits rushed to the window. Looking down from the second floor toward the entrance—

There stood something strange.

Small.

Extremely small—an armored figure.

And in front of it, embedded into the ground, was a massive hammer—so huge it didn’t even look like something a human could lift—completely smashing the fortress gate.

“Haah!? W-What the hell is that!? That’s creepy!”

“Damn it! You think you can mess with us!? Hey, you lot! Grab your weapons! That little brat’s going up for sale tomo—”

—PAGOOOOOOON!!

A bizarre explosion cut her off mid-sentence.

The fortress shook.

Dust and debris trickled down from the ceiling.

“W-What now!? What’s happening—”

—PAGOOOOOOOOOOON!!

“—!?”

Another explosion.

The entire fortress trembled again.

Chunks of rock—once part of the ceiling—came crashing down, and everyone gasped.

“W-What the hell is going on!? Are we under bombardment!?”

“No way! If an army with cannons was nearby, we would’ve gotten reports! This isn’t artillery!”

“Then what is it!? Without cannons, there’s no way the fortress would end up like—”

—PAGOOOOOOOOOOOOON!!

“““GAAAAAAAH!!”””

Another blast echoed—

And this time, screams followed.

Part of the ceiling collapsed, crushing several bandits under the falling rubble.

“Hiie—! W-What is this!? What the hell is going on!? What’s happening!? What’s—”

The bandit was on the verge of tears as she shouted.

At that exact moment—

A red magic circle spread out beneath her feet.

“Huh—?”

Before she could react, crimson thorns burst out and wrapped around her legs, slamming her to the ground.

“Gyaah! W-What is this!? What the hell is this!? H-Hey—this—!”

The red thorns dug in, drawing blood from her legs.

As the blood dripped onto the ground, new magic circles formed from it.

One for each person caught by the thorns.

Those magic circles began sliding across the floor, searching for their next victims.

“W-What… what is—!?”

The bandit had completely panicked.

She tried to rip the bloody thorns off with brute force, putting everything she had into it—

But they were thick and unyielding.

It felt like trying to push over a tree.

And then—

A voice rang out.

“You all alright!?”

“Boss!”

Their leader dashed in swiftly.

With her sharp claws, she tore apart the blood-red thorns and shattered the surrounding rock, freeing several of them.

“What happened!? I don’t have a grasp on the situation yet! Fill me in!”

“B-Boss! There’s some weird kid at the entrance—she smashed the gate, and then these strange explosions started going off all over the place—and now this weird magic is binding our legs—!”

“I see… so we’re dealing with a small, elite group, huh—”

She cut herself off.

“—What the hell is that!?”

The leader pointed ahead.

Following her finger, they spotted a shadow darting around outside the window.

A human.

And not just that—a man.

His eyes were covered by some strange mask, and he was swinging around the fortress using a stretchable cord.

The bizarre sight left everyone shaken.

Then—

The man suddenly leapt inside, spinning mid-air.

He pulled back his fist—

And flew straight toward the wall in their line of sight—

“Break… apart alreadyyyyyy!”

—PAGOOOOOOOOOOOOON!!

A blinding explosion burst out, overwhelming eyes that had grown used to the dark.

The wall was blown apart with ease.

The shockwave slammed into the bandits, knocking several unconscious as they were sent rolling across the floor.

And just like that—

The man stepped into the fortress.

A well-built body with lean, defined muscles.

A top-tier man.

The kind that made your lower stomach twitch just from looking at him—

The kind you’d pin down without hesitation if you spotted him in a dark alley.

But in this situation—

There wasn’t anyone stupid enough to be ruled by lust—

“You’re the one who did this, hah!? You better be ready to get fucked!!”

There was.

One of the female bandits, completely driven by lust, lunged at him.

“Oi—wait! That guy’s—!”

Someone tried to stop her, but it was too late.

Out of nowhere, a translucent knight—like a phantom—appeared beside the man.

With a single swing of its sword, it cut her down and subdued her instantly.

And it didn’t stop there.

The knight moved on, taking down the other bandits one after another.

The bandit leader gritted her teeth.

What do we do? What is happening? I don’t get it. I don’t get any of this—

But one thing was clear.

This man was the source of it all.

“Yoooou bastard! Don’t mess with me just because you’re a man—!”

Another bandit roared and charged at him.

But the man didn’t even try to defend.

And yet—

Her weapon never reached him.

“Don’t touch my partner.”

“Gah—!?”

A cold voice came from behind.

A sharp impact struck her neck.

The bandit collapsed, groaning.

“Y-You’re… that brat from yesterday—ghaa!”

“Just stay down. Tec! Are you okay!?”

The girl she had mocked—

Brought her foot down on her head.

The impact knocked her out cold.

Chapter 56: Blue Leopard

The plan I proposed after rescuing Fifth sis—

Was total fortress destruction.

“Like last time?”

“Yeah. Just like last time.”

When I nodded at Aegis, she pressed her temples and let out a deep sigh.

But this time, the fortress was an active base used by real bandits.

So it wasn’t something that would collapse just by breaking a few supports.

Which meant—

We went all out.

First, we sealed the entrance with Aegis’s hammer.

Then I moved around nonstop, firing pile bunkers into the fortress walls from every angle.

Normally, using a grappling hook for 3D movement at night was dangerous—

But this time, it didn’t matter.

Because I had night vision goggles.

Luckily, I had plenty of magic stones, so there was no need to hold back.

I just kept blasting—bam, bam, bam.

Thanks to that, the fortress was riddled with holes, parts of it had collapsed, and most of the bandits were already down.

Yes—

Most of them.

“…Impressive. What exactly are you people?”

The second-floor great hall—

Half-collapsed, riddled with holes, and littered with rubble.

At the center of it stood a beastkin.

“I figured you were a small elite group… but I didn’t expect it to be just a handful of students. And yet you’ve wrecked the entire fortress like this.”

—“Haha.” The beastkin laughed.

The torches crackled.

“This fortress is done for. You’ve caused quite a bit of damage. So—how are you planning to take responsibility for this?”

“Responsibility? You’re already paying for it.”

I answered coldly.

“You kidnapped my sister.”

“Fu… hahaha.”

The beastkin stepped forward.

“Hey, you. Coming out into a mess like this—pretty gutsy for a male. Come on, let me see your face. Step out of the shadows.”

Prompted by her, I stepped forward and lifted my night vision goggles.

Fifth sis grabbed my arm to stop me—but I signaled her to stay back.

The beastkin stepped forward as well.

And just like that, we faced each other under the same moonlight.

—The leader of the Blue Leopard bandits, just like before—

A massive, sleek, beautiful woman.

Her deep blue fur and beast ears shone under the moonlight.

Her large chest stood out boldly, impossible to ignore.

And yet, her upper body carried a refined beauty, like a black panther.

Her lower half was still wrapped in torn, hole-filled tights.

The leopard-like pattern only made her beauty stand out even more.

But—

She was the enemy.

Just as I was about to take my stance, the beastkin spoke.

“…You’re a fine man, aren’t you…”

“…Hm?”

Looking closer—

Even in the moonlight, her face was flushed red.

Then she bared her fangs and laughed.

“Hah… I’ve never let a male roam free before… and I’ve never fallen in love at first sight either. But you—I’ve fallen for you. A strong, manly human. I want to have your child.”

“…O-Oh…”

Her confession was way too bold—

It actually made me freeze.

And then—

At that exact moment, the Knight Commander struck from behind.

At the same time, Wiz’s red magic circle slid beneath the beastkin’s feet, activating the blood thorns.

But—

It was useless.

Without even turning around, the beastkin caught the Knight Commander’s blade with her bare hand—

And hurled both the sword and the knight away, neutralizing him instantly.

At the same time, she dodged the rising blood thorns with ease—

Then stomped them down and crushed them.

Overwhelming.

In terms of pure physical ability—

Speed, toughness, raw power—

She crushed the ambush with nothing but brute strength.

—This wasn’t someone I could beat head-on.

After all, the Knight Commander was on par with me in a direct fight.

Cold sweat ran down my back.

But the beastkin never once took her eyes off me.

“I’ve decided, human boy. I’m going to make you mine.”

She licked her lips, staring straight at me.

“State your name. I’m the leader of the Blue Leopard bandits—Pantera, the ‘Blue Leopard.’”

“…Protelclus Garland. Eldest son of the Garland family. People call me Tect.”

“Tect, Tect, Tect…”

She repeated it, savoring the name.

“Got it. Tect—my male. I’ll take you down, then deal with the other girls too. The women look strong, so I’ll make them my subordinates… And you— I’ll have my way with you all night.”

We both took our stances.

I didn’t want to use the pile bunker against a person—

But against someone like her, it had to be an option.

She was far too skilled for a mere bandit.

This fight—

Would be decided in an instant.

I took a deep breath.

And then—

The cursed sword at my waist began to rattle.

Like it was urging me to use it.

I gave a small wry smile and pressed it down.

“I’m not using you. She doesn’t seem bad enough to kill.”

Honestly, do you even have a will of your own?

Left alone, you change shape, and instantly kill anything you adapt to… seriously, what even are you?

…Well, it didn’t matter right now.

The moment I tightened my fist—

Pantera burst forward.

“—!”

It was barely within the range my eyes could track—

But my body reacted.

I threw a punch.

The pile bunker was already burning from within.

All that was left—

Was to release it.

“Pile—BUNKERAAAAAA!!”

“Too obvious, Tect!”

—PAGOOON!

The stake fired.

Flames exploded.

But Pantera dodged it effortlessly.

Seeing that—

I grinned.

“Yeah, of course you would! I knew you’d dodge!”

Even in this pitch-black night—

Even taking that blast head-on wouldn’t have blinded her.

Her eyes were different.

Looking closely, her pupils had narrowed into sharp, vertical slits—like a cat’s.

That close.

That tight of a distance.

If I couldn’t turn things around in this very moment—

I’d lose.

Pantera’s fist came rushing in.

With no magical defense, one hit from that—

Was a guaranteed knockout.

So—

I simply took off my night vision goggles—

And threw them behind me.

“Sorry. This fight’s already over.”

Fwoosh—

All the torch flames went out at once.

The entire place was swallowed by darkness.

The grappling hook I fired along with the pile bunker had taken out every single torch.

“—!?”

Pantera flinched.

As a feline beastkin, she was used to the dark.

But right after seeing the pile bunker explode right in front of her—

Being suddenly plunged into complete darkness threw her off.

And where I had thrown the goggles—

Fifth sis was already waiting in the shadows.

She caught them, put them on, and dashed forward.

“Pantera. Thanks for recognizing my strength. But—”

She flipped her blade, holding the back edge instead.

Then, in one clean motion, she struck.

“Sorry. I’m Tec’s big sister—and his partner. I can’t team up with you.”

Thud.

A dull sound echoed.

Pantera collapsed flat on her back.

Looks like she took a hit to the head.

Even though it was a blunt strike meant to avoid killing—

Fifth sis didn’t hold back.

As her consciousness faded, Pantera forced out a few words.

“…I see… so you’re his sister… no wonder… he’s such a fine man…”

Her eyes closed.

After confirming that, the two of us spoke.

“D-Did we win, Tec?”

“Don’t say that—that’s a flag.”

Even as I said that, Fifth sis just tilted her head in confusion.

Damn it—Japanese meme didn’t land!

While that was happening—

Wiz, Aegis, and Shia finally made their way inside—

And joined us.

“Are you alright!? We came to help—…huh?”

“What’s this? I rushed over after hearing Illucia’s knight got taken down, and it’s already over?”

“…Tect’s sister… you actually defeated her…”

All three of them stared at Fifth sis with wide eyes.

Noticing their gaze, Fifth sis blinked a few times, then pointed at herself while glancing at me.

“Yeah. Fifth sis is the one who beat her, right?”

I gave her a light push on the back.

“Eh—ah, uh—”

She stumbled over her words for a moment, then puffed up her chest.

“O-Of course! I mean, I’m Tec’s big sister, you know! I can at least do this much~!”

But then—

She continued.

“Though, everyone’s support was amazing too! Thanks to you, we got out safely, and taking down the bandit boss went smoothly. Thank you, everyone~!”

Hearing that, the three girls lit up with excitement.

I just stood in the back with my arms crossed, shrugging like a typical younger brother.

What Fifth sis and those three needed—

Was mutual acknowledgment.

Fifth sis couldn’t honestly recognize them because of her inferiority complex.

And since she wouldn’t acknowledge them, the three girls grew stubborn in return.

It was a plan I came up with on the way here—

And it seemed to have worked perfectly.

Just as I was about to turn away, Fifth sis spoke again.

“But still, the MVP this time is definitely Tec~! Thanks for coming to save me~♡”

She hugged me from behind.

And the other three—

Just watched with expressions like, “Well… we’ll allow it this time.”

“…Cut it out, this is embarrassing.”

“Ehh~? Tec, you’re such a shy boy~♡”

Still hugging me from behind, Fifth sis started poking my cheek.

I tried to play it off.

“A-Anyway—let’s go check out the treasure those bandits were hoarding.”

And just like that, I started walking ahead.