The Virgin Hero Who Fought in the Dungeon for 20 Years Returned to the Surface Only to Find the Population of the World Has Dropped Drastically, with a Male-to-Female Ratio of 1:1000 - 40

Chapter 40: The End of Peace

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The sky was clear without any clouds in sight, as if reflecting Ryuuto’s mood. Looking up at the cloudless blue sky, Ryuuto glanced at Sayaka’s calm face, who was sitting next to him. The Land Rover Defender 110 slowly navigated through the crowded streets of central Tokyo. Ryuuto doubted his own consciousness, wondering if what had happened earlier was real after seeing Sayaka, who had already retouched her makeup. 

To think this beautiful girl did all of that with me… Does that mean… She actually like me?

“What’s the matter, Ryuuto-sama?”

“N-nothing. It’s nothing.”

“Ryuuto-sama is so weird.”

At that, Sayaka gave Ryuuto a small, amused smile. There was a unique familiarity shared by a man and woman who had crossed a certain line, but Ryuuto didn’t seem to notice this change. Sayaka’s feelings for Ryuuto couldn’t be described by the word ‘like’ anymore. She loved him… No. Her feelings for him grew deep. She practically revered him. Through forming a physical contact with Ryuuto, Sayaka had begun to harbor an abnormal level of ‘affection,’ toward him. Sayaka herself didn’t know about this feeling. Of course, it was an undeniable fact that the role of a male protection officer was partly established with the assumption that this kind of relationship might develop between the protector and the protected. However, Sayaka’s feelings for Ryuuto simply couldn’t be described by a single word. Her feelings were bubbling, maturing and growing. 

“Mmnnh!”

“My apologies. Are you hurt, Ryuuto-sama?”

“No, I’m fine. What’s going on?”

Distracted by his idle thoughts, Ryuuto nearly bit his tongue when the vehicle came to a sudden stop. However, Ryuuto managed to stifle his embarrassment by asking what was going on. 

“Looks like there’s a traffic jam.”

Without him realizing it, the car was stuck in a traffic jam in the middle of the city. They were in the heart of Shinjuku. Ryuuto hummed to himself, but something seemed off about the surroundings. People were running in panic on the sidewalks and horns were blaring from the stopped vehicles.

“Let’s get out.”

As a trained bodyguard, Sayaka quickly made her decision. Ryuuto unbuckled his seatbelt and leaped out of the vehicle. Sayaka was gripping a Glock 17 pistol in his hand. This automatic pistol, developed by the Austrian firearms manufacturer Glock, was favored by male protection officers for its durability and ease of use.

Intense killing intent was directed at them and there was more than one. Sensing the malicious aura, Ryuuto tensed up. The panic among the people was escalating. Sayaka, having gotten out of the driver’s seat, couldn’t suppress her frustration and shouted. 

“Over here, quickly!”

“Looks like we’re already too late.”

From the exit of the underground stairs leading to the station, numerous small monsters were coming out one by one. Each of these small goblins was no taller than 120 centimeters, but their numbers were staggering. All of them were equipped with daggers or bows and they were attacking the fleeing citizens indiscriminately. The defenseless women being attacked by the goblins couldn’t stand a chance. Men were almost non-existent in the street. Even those with explorer qualifications couldn’t fight back. Their superhuman skills and magic that they had received from the blessing of the spirit. These limitations applied even to Ryuuto, despite being a mage. He had no weapon either. Carrying a blade without permission on the surface was a violation of Swords and Firearms Control Law. 

But there’s no way in hell I can just stand by and watch.

“Ryuuto-sama?!”

Ryuuto lunged at the goblin that had pinned down a female student and was tearing her blazer apart.

“Take this!”

With a loud shout, he drove the tip of his foot into the goblin’s side. The small goblin was sent flying like a soccer ball, crashing into a show window—but the glass didn’t even crack.

You’ve gotta be kidding me. Normally, that one hit would’ve shattered the glass to pieces.

That was because the magic Ryuuto used to reinforce his physical strength only worked inside the dungeon. While Ryuuto still possessed a superhuman strength on the surface, the divine blessings that allowed him to crush rocks with bare hands and slice through steel like paper had been stripped away. 

“Come on, can you stand?”

“Huh? Ah… A man?”

Even in this situation, the girl—who looked like a high school student—was breathtakingly beautiful. It was disorienting. Everyone around him was stunning, making him feel like he had stepped into a movie.

“I was so scared!”

“Whoa-!”

Seizing the moment, she threw herself into his arms, clinging to him tightly. Her ample chest pressed against his face and Ryuuto, who had been crouching, nearly lost his balance and toppled over.

“Argh! This is not the time for—”

“Kyaah!”

A sharp scream came from the female high schooler. When Ryuuto looked up, he saw Sayaka standing there with a gun in hand. Her face was as scary as a demon.

“Ryuuto-sama, we need to evacuate immediately. The police will be dealing with the monsters. They will be here soon and… You. Step away from him.”

Shifting his gaze, he saw the high school girl sprawled on the ground, having been shoved aside by Sayaka. She was glaring at Sayaka with eyes full of resentment. The fear of the goblins couldn’t be seen in her eyes. Instead, there was something far darker, a grudge so deep that Ryuuto couldn’t even begin to understand it.

“I-I understand. Anyway, you need to get out of here too! Quickly!”

“Ahh, at least tell me your name, your address, and your contact inf—guh!”

Sayaka’s foot struck the girl’s face. With a dull thud, she collapsed onto her side. Without hesitation, Sayaka fired her Glock one-handed, unleashing a rapid barrage of gunfire. The deafening explosions echoed through the area, muzzle flashes lighting up the scene. Three goblins nearby had their skulls blown apart. Their lifeless bodies crumpling to the ground.

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