Extra's Path To No Harem-Chapter 207: The Last Bomb [1]

As if everything that had happened until now had been some kind of elaborate joke, Signut suddenly began radiating an aura from an entirely different dimension.

The pressure alone made my skin prickle.

...Yeah. We’re in trouble.

A lot of trouble.

My thoughts spiraled as I stared at him—then a voice cut through the chaos.

"Do you trust me?"

I blinked and looked down. Anna was still in my arms, her expression calm—too calm for someone caught between a furious monster and an imminent explosion.

"Um..." I hesitated. "Not entirely? But I don’t think I have much of a choice right now."

She laughed softly. "Even now, you don’t sugarcoat things."

That was exactly what scared me.

She showed no sign of panic. No tension. No fear.

Of course, Signut couldn’t attack recklessly—not while Anna and I were pressed so close together. One wrong move, and she’d be caught in it.

But still...

I couldn’t understand how she could stay this composed with a ticking bomb behind us and a furious Signut in front of us, glaring like he wanted to rip me apart molecule by molecule.

"Louis."

"Yes? What is it?"

"Could you lower your head for a moment?"

...What?

Now?

This was definitely not the time for whatever mysterious plan she had in mind.

Signut’s killing intent was spiking by the second. I could practically feel his gaze digging into my skull. And behind us, somewhere in the armory, the bomb’s countdown was continuing without mercy.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

And yet—

Despite my confusion, despite every instinct screaming at me not to look away, I lowered my head just as she asked.

The moment I did, Anna leaned closer. I felt her breath brush against my ear.

"Don’t move," she whispered. "And whatever happens next... don’t let go of me."

My heart skipped.

After a brief moment of hesitation,

she slowly reached up and lifted my helmet just enough—

—and pressed her lips gently against my cheek.

Smooch.

"—!"

A soft warmth lingered where she touched me, vanishing almost as quickly as it came.

My mind went completely blank.

My body froze, every thought short-circuiting at once.

"W-What was that all of a sudden...?!"

Startled, I hurriedly stepped back from Anna, my hand instinctively flying to my cheek.

What just happened?

I never—never—expected her to do something like that.

Before I could even process the situation—

"Y-you...!! Thunder-struck scoundrel!!"

A furious roar exploded from behind me.

I snapped back to my senses and turned around.

Signut.

His entire body was shrouded in a violent blue aura, mana flaring so intensely that the air around him distorted. His face was twisted with rage, veins bulging at his temples.

The moment he saw that I’d moved away from Anna, his fury only intensified.

He drew his sword in a single smooth motion and raised it high above his head.

"Pay for your sins with your life!!"

—Hold on.

I was standing still.

Anna was the one who leaned in.

And yet, somehow, I was the one sentenced to death.

This guy didn’t even bother with logic anymore.

"Die!!"

With a feral roar, Signut unleashed his aura, the pressure crashing down like a tidal wave.

And then—

Anna was suddenly there.

She rushed forward and wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into her without hesitation.

"Oh no...!"

Only then did Signut realize her presence.

His eyes widened in shock, and at the last possible moment, he forcibly twisted the trajectory of his sword. The motion was awkward—desperate.

The aura meant for us tore past our side instead—

CRASH!

—slamming into the armory door behind us.

The explosion of force shattered it instantly. Metal screeched, stone cracked, and fragments flew as the once-solid door split cleanly in two. Smoke and dust billowed into the hallway, filling the air with the sharp scent of ozone.

For a brief moment, everything went silent.

As the dust slowly settled, the ruined remains of the door came into view.

...That was close.

No—too close.

I felt Anna’s grip tighten for just a second before she pulled back slightly, still standing protectively in front of me.

"...Was this her plan?"

The thought struck me all at once.

She had deliberately closed the distance. Deliberately used physical contact—skinship—to provoke Signut.

And it worked.

Caught off guard by her sudden appearance, he’d lost control of his emotions. His killing intent flared, his aura surged—

And in that instant, he exposed himself.

Everything unfolded exactly as Anna had planned.

"Let’s get inside. Now."

"Ah—yes!"

Her sharp voice snapped me out of my daze. Before I could even gather my thoughts, Anna grabbed my wrist and pulled me forward. We sprinted straight into the armory, our footsteps echoing loudly against the stone floor.

This wasn’t the time to hesitate.

There wasn’t much time left.

The armory was packed wall to wall with weapons, armor, and sealed crates, the metallic scent of oil thick in the air. We split up immediately, scanning every corner, every rack, every shadow.

Then—

"There," Anna said. "That has to be it."

After a brief but frantic search, we found it—the last remaining bomb.

But the moment Anna crouched down in front of it, her expression changed.

"...It’s different."

"What?" I asked, quickly moving beside her.

"This bomb isn’t like the others," she said, her voice tight.

I swallowed and leaned closer.

She was right.

At a glance, it was obvious. Unlike the previous two bombs, which shared the same structure and magical layout, this one looked entirely alien. The casing was darker, the surface etched with unfamiliar symbols that pulsed faintly, like a living thing breathing.

"The magic pattern," Anna muttered, tracing the air just above it without touching, "it’s completely different."

Even the components were wrong. Where the other bombs had used standardized mana cores, this one was layered with multiple circuits, overlapping and intertwining in a way that made my head hurt just looking at it.

"This isn’t something made in a rush," I said quietly. "It’s... deliberate."

Anna nodded grimly. "Someone prepared this one separately."

A chill ran down my spine.

If the previous bombs were meant to cause chaos, then this one felt like it was designed to ensure something went wrong.

I glanced at her. "How long do you think it’ll take to disarm?"

She didn’t answer right away. Her eyes moved rapidly, analyzing the runes, the flow of mana, the unstable core at the center.

"...I don’t know," she finally said. "At least ten minutes. Maybe more."

My heart sank.

Ten minutes was an eternity right now.