I Became the Cute One in the Troubleshooter Squad-Chapter 102: The Enigma Auction Showdown (3)

A gas that makes you lose reason and go berserk the moment you inhale it.

Was it something akin to rabies or a rage virus? Either way, it was a headache-inducing problem.

The people still trapped inside the Enigma Auction were individuals that needed to be protected.

This incident wasn’t tied to anything illegal—it had occurred in a perfectly legitimate auction house.

Everyone inside had been unwillingly dragged into this mess, making them nothing more than innocent victims.

However, the moment they inhaled the gas and started rampaging, they instantly turned into threats that had to be neutralized.

And not just any kind of threat—one that had to be subdued quickly, without harming them, and before the number of casualties increased. A painfully difficult condition.

“Ugh... Hurry! Get outside! You can’t breathe in any more of this gas!”

“Waaaah! Run away!”

“We’re all gonna die! We’re all gonna diiiiie!”

Alice swiftly subdued a rampaging man with a sleeper hold.

Without a moment to hesitate, she raised her voice and directed people toward the exit.

However, the chaos inside only continued to escalate, as more and more people lost their senses.

The situation, now fully ignited, wasn’t going to settle down easily, and the casualties were only rising.

“It’s dangerous! We need to help Alice right away...!”

Even from a distance, it was obvious how dire things were.

Sabrina, pale-faced and panicked, gasped before dashing toward Alice.

Or at least, she tried to.

If I hadn’t thrown myself at her waist, she would have already been running headfirst into danger.

“W-what are you doing, Yuria?! If this keeps up, Alice—!”

“...!”

Barely managing to keep her balance, Sabrina looked down at me in shock, clearly confused by my actions.

No matter how strong Alice was, once the crowd inside started rampaging, it would be overwhelming.

I understood her reasoning—if we wanted to bring the situation under control, we had to lend a hand.

But that was a reckless decision based on incomplete information.

Without saying a word, I pointed toward the fixers standing near Alice.

“Gah... Cough, cough....”

“My mask... I need a gas mask....”

“Hey, stay with me! Don’t pass out on me!”

“Wait... Are they also inhaling too much gas?!”

Some fixers had collapsed onto their knees, clutching their throats.

Others had fallen to the ground, holding their heads as if experiencing intense migraines.

Since they’d been stationed at the crowded exit, speaking continuously to keep people calm,

they had naturally been exposed to the gas seeping in from inside the auction hall.

Even fixers—who could resist most drugs and magic—were struggling to endure this.

There was no way Sabrina, who was tough but ultimately just physically strong, would be able to withstand it.

Perhaps she realized the same thing.

Her lips trembled as she bit down on them, cold sweat forming on her forehead.

“Damn it... Alice...!”

“....”

But she wasn’t wrong.

The gas was spreading from inside, robbing people of their reason and turning them aggressive.

And there were dozens—hundreds—of civilians trapped, all struggling to get through the narrow exit.

Relying solely on Alice in this dire situation was pushing our luck.

Even if Raven or Victor were here, they’d be struggling just as much.

Trying to subdue a group of panicked people who were attacking indiscriminately?

Only those with exceptional skill could even attempt to bring this disaster under control.

‘Well, if there’s any silver lining here... it’s that a gas-based attack isn’t actually a bad matchup for me.’

Alright. I had assessed the situation enough.

While no one was paying attention to me, I needed to move quickly and wrap this up.

Having made up my mind, I released my grip on Sabrina’s waist and stood up.

Raising my mask just slightly, I placed a finger over my lips, making sure only she could see.

Sabrina knew I could manipulate psychokinesis.

That gesture was a silent request—help me conceal my abilities, and keep any potential interference at bay.

“...Got it, Yuria! Hide behind my back!”

“...!”

Thankfully, she seemed to understand my intentions.

Sabrina nodded firmly, her expression making it clear that she got the message.

Then, acting as a shield, she positioned herself to block me from anyone’s line of sight, keeping watch over our surroundings.

This should prevent anyone from noticing anything suspicious.

After confirming that no one was looking this way, I focused and drew forth my psychokinesis properly for the first time in a while.

Reaching out with invisible hands connected to my body, I pulled the swirling gas down toward the ground.

‘I don’t need to solve every problem. As long as people stop inhaling the gas, they’ll be able to escape on their own.’

The worsening chaos was entirely due to more people breathing in the gas and losing their senses.

If I could suppress it, then new casualties could be prevented, and that alone would significantly reduce the damage.

It didn’t take long for those managing the evacuation to notice the change.

Alice, who had been struggling to control the situation, widened her eyes and snapped her head around in different directions.

She had been trying to deal with the gas dispersing everywhere, only for it to suddenly sink to the floor in an instant.

It was natural for her to be suspicious—someone had obviously done something.

Luckily, she didn’t seem to realize it was me.

Perhaps recognizing that there was no time to figure out the cause,

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Alice turned toward the panicked crowd and raised her voice.

“Everyone, calm down! The gas is settling! It’s safe now! Follow the instructions and exit in an orderly manner!”

Hearing her, people finally noticed the thick gas lying low on the floor.

Those who had been aggressively shoving others in their desperation to escape slowly regained some composure and began exiting more orderly.

Fortunately, there didn’t seem to be any more major obstacles.

With the fixers regaining their focus, the flow of evacuating people was finally reaching its end.

At this rate, everyone still in their right mind should be ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ able to get out soon.

As I continued pushing the dense gas out through the windows,

a sudden scream rang out from inside, followed by a dark figure bursting through the scrambling crowd.

“Graaaah! I need... blood!!!”

“Ugh?! W-what the hell?! This person—”

The figure was a girl with long black hair cascading down to her waist.

She looked around high school age, but with her eyes rolled back and saliva dripping from her mouth, she was anything but normal.

Like a wild wolf, she lunged at Alice.

Alice barely managed to lift her arms to block, the impact forcing her to roll backward.

“Alice!”

“Guh... I’m fine! Fixers, get the remaining civilians out of here!”

“Grrrr...!”

Alice reassured Sabrina, raising her voice to keep her calm.

At the same time, she held down the feral girl with brute strength.

She really was on another level physically, even among her peers.

No matter how sudden the attack was, if it came down to raw strength, there was no way Alice would lose.

But as I continued suppressing the gas, I realized something.

I had never seen the black-haired girl in person, but her face was oddly familiar.

She was a character from the original story.

‘Wait... isn’t she the Disciplinary Chief of the Academy?’

That made sense—after all, the Academy’s student council president, Tamamo, was here at the auction.

It wouldn’t be strange for the Disciplinary Chief to be part of her entourage.

But hold on—if she had lost her mind like this...

Did that mean the genius mage Tamamo was in the same state?

That would be... a serious problem.

As I processed the implications, the Disciplinary Chief, pinned beneath Alice, snarled and lashed out with razor-sharp claws.

“Kyahhh!”

“Shit...! Seriously?! Why is someone who can use magic affected by a gas like this?!”

The black-glowing claws weren’t normal—they were magic.

They looked searingly hot, but they weren’t. Instead, they were a type of dark magic, specialized for cutting.

Alice flinched and kicked the Disciplinary Chief away, putting some distance between them.

Her claws, now without a target, slashed through the floor and walls, leaving deep, precise cuts.

As expected of the Disciplinary Chief from the international Academy,

a school that gathered the most talented students worldwide.

Even though she was rampaging due to the gas, she was still a formidable opponent—one Alice couldn’t afford to underestimate.

If Alice had her twin swords, she’d have the upper hand.

But right now, only the other side had access to magic, making this a much tougher fight for her.

‘Should I help Alice? No, if I stop suppressing the gas, the situation will get even worse.

It’s better to focus on pushing the gas out of the building first.

For now... I’ll have to trust Alice to handle this.’

Deciding on my course of action, I concentrated on expelling the gas through the windows as quickly as possible.

Once that was done, I could figure out how to help Alice.

I silently cheered for the fixers who were now facing off against the staggering civilians, some of whom had lost their minds.

Among them were non-human races and even some fixers who had succumbed to the gas.

‘Do your best, guys... I’m counting on you.’

But really...

What the hell is this gas?

And where are the others when all of this is happening?

This whole situation was beyond frustrating.