*bara-bara-bara-bara-* The peculiar sound of rotor was reverberating.
Under the cloudy sky of early morning, the things that were spreading such noise were three large helicopters. The three were forming a triangle formation and pushed on through the cloudy sky in a straight line.
Each of those helicopters was boarded by a fully armed special forces of the security bureau, in addition Kousuke, Emily, Vanessa, and Allen who was wafting off a pathetic aura were boarding one of the helicopters.
「O, oi, Allen. Are you okay?」
Riding on the same helicopter was the commander of the special force who was also the captain of Alpha squad, Bernard Pays. He asked Allen with some hesitation. He belonged under security bureau’s assault section, so he was quite acquainted with Allen who was working as analyst in the surface where they often shared information.
Even though they weren’t quite friend, but their relationship with each other was at the level of close coworker at least. Therefore, when he saw Allen who was usually acting flippant with light atmosphere was now sitting on the bench in a style as though he was a certain boxer who had burned out into pure white, he couldn’t help but called out to him.
「Aa, Pays-san. Thanks for your concern. If I have to say whether I’m fine or not, I’m not fine, so it’s fine.」
「No, that reply is already not fine there.」
Bernard made an expression that didn’t know what to say at Allen whose face was still changed into mummy man.
「You see, Pays-san. I’m specialized in killing secretly. My job is to stealthily and quietly go ‘pshuu’. Yet despite so, I was told to steal, spurred on to become bodyguard, made to beaten viciously by a demonic young man, sentenced with the caving in of my face by a beautiful girl, and on top of all that, I was told ‘go fight a war against monsters’ you know? Even though this is the order from the chief that I respected so much, I’ll still feel tired from it. I’m just a step away from getting burned out. It’s nice isn’t it, for Pays-san and others. All of you received healing. As for me, my molars or inside my nose are still feeling throbbing with pain……head-on fighting isn’t my territory you know? Yet despite so, I’m being sent out in this state, I’ll die for sure this time.」
‘Heheh’ Allen chuckled while his gaze was getting distant and his mutter getting sluggish. Bernard’s cheeks couldn’t stop twitching seeing such an Allen. Inside his heart he was thinking. 「This is bad. This guy, he is seriously getting cornered」, like that.
Allen’s figure was like a salary man who had become worn-out from continuously working in a black company, sitting melancholically on a bench of a public park while visioning an impossible dream of changing job. The final blow was dealt on Allen who was exposing such appearance.
「That’s depressing, Mr. K (lol). Even though it will be the final decisive battle after this, what are you doing getting low spirits like that. I’ll gouge you out you know?」
「Scary-. What do you mean gouging!? Where are you going to gouge!? Or rather, what did you add just now when you said Mr. K?」
The cold words that came from Vanessa who was sitting beside Allen had gone passed being sharp and inspired terror instead. Allen was shivering while talking back.
「Please read the mood a little. Right now is a serious time. A lot of lives are hanging on this, and we have to fight an army of berserker after this you know? Please don’t make that kind of funny face and act seriously.」
「The one turning my face into funny one like this is particularly because of the fault of you guys though! Besides, I don’t want to be told to act seriously by Vanessa――」
「Oi, who said you can call my name casually like that. You want me to turn your face into something that will inevitably invite roar of laughter?」
「I, I’m sorry. But, even if you aren’t so angry that your tone change……a, it hurts-. It really hurts I said! Please don’t grind on my injury! Please forgive me, Paradis-san.」
When Allen casually called Vanessa’s name, he was given back with indignation that surpassed the imagination. His injury was getting grinded from above the bandage which caused Allen to scream while writhing around.
Certainly, Allen was the perpetrator that scattered around Berserk in the research building. But, in the first place it was the chief that ordered the theft, then unexpected situation happened on top of another unexpected situation, so to speak what happened was something like an accident.
Allen too pretty much felt guilt about the tragedy that occurred at the research building, and he was also feeling apologetic toward Emily, but because his habitual frivolous attitude was ingrained deeply in his self, he didn’t look like he was reflecting in a glance which invited biting attitude from other no matter what he did.
A situation that could only be said as tough luck, and behavior that didn’t convey the inside of his heart. If it was said that it was him sowing what he sow then that would be the end of it but……
Starting with Bernard, the squad members boarding the same helicopter couldn’t help but sending gaze of sympathy toward Allen who was still screaming while his face was getting grinded by Vanessa.
Vanessa and others were unfolding a scene that could be seen as comedic in a sense. The one who was seeing them acting like that with a faint smile on her face was Emily. But, there was a gloom in that smile.
Vanessa stole a glance at Emily while grinding on Allen. From that it could be understood that the dialogue to some extent was also to clear up Emily’s feeling.
「Emily. Are you okay……I won’t ask you that. There is no way you are okay. It’s just like what Vanessa said, right now is the critical moment that will be the turning point. That’s why, keep standing firm. We are with you.」
「……Yes. Thank you Kousuke. Also Vanessa too. I was saying selfish thing to come along with you all. So I won’t run away with tail between my legs in the middle.」
There wasn’t any change with the gloom in her smile, but the strength dwelling in her eyes wasn’t withering. Kousuke nodded at Emily before quietly peeking outside from the window.
At the outside, there was cloudy sky spreading looking as though rain might pour anytime. While thinking that the sky currently was like Emily’s heart, Kousuke put his mind in order about the operation that was currently unfolding.
After destroying all the data and drug of Berserk they found in【Gamma Pharmaceutical】, Kousuke and others scrutinized the flashdisk they confiscated from Kaysis once more. Inside that flashdisk, the data that listed the multiple research facilities where Berserk’s data were transferred to was saved in it.
Most of them were research facilities inside a corporation that was unrelated with typical medicine manufacture, but there were several places among them that couldn’t be ignored. Those places were dam or water purification plant. Every one of those places was facility that was related to Hydra in some kind of shape, and it seemed there was also a research facility inside them.
It was a terrifying story after they knew about Kaysis’s plan.
Naturally, for the security bureau it was urgent to suppress those irrigation-related facilities. Improved version of Berserk still didn’t exist, but in the small chance that the existing Berserk was spilled, it would create a tragedy that would be unbearable to witness.
And so, because the number of facilities was a lot, it was insufficient with just the manpower of the security bureau, they also cooperated with the army and currently a simultaneous suppression operation was currently unfolding toward those multiple research facilities.
「O, oi, Paradis. Don’t go further than that. Even like this, he is more or less a precious fighting strength. We really aren’t planning to lose, but the opponent is an army of berserker. We had prepared the best equipment, but it’s still an unfavorable comparison compared to the army.」
「Muh. I can only draw back if Captain Pays told me that. Mr. K, you narrowly escaped death.」
「U, uu. Is there, any girl that will be gentle to me somewhere in this world……」
Allen broke down crying as though he had been assaulted by a hoodlum. Gazes of sympathy were focused toward him. Bernard was sighing deeply toward that state of Allen before he moved his gaze toward Kousuke.
Inside Kaysis’s flashdisk, it included the list of the many people that were transferred to the research facilities. There were many people who were unrelated with research work in it……there was no way they wouldn’t understand what was the meaning of that. Most likely, they were for human experiment, and also to be put around as senseless fighting strength in addition.
A group of berserker that would continue to fight without knowing pain and fear, and they would recover instantly as long as their head wasn’t destroyed……putting it bluntly, this was completely outside of the security bureau’s domain. This was obviously a scene where the army should move out.
But, it was undesirable for both Chief Magdanese and also Kousuke to have Kousuke’s true identity became exposed to a group that didn’t belong under security bureau. Therefore, the special forces of the army were heading to other facilities, but the facility that they were currently heading toward had to be dealt somehow with only the special force of the security bureau and Kousuke and co.
Bernard had the resolve. He wouldn’t hesitate to offer his life anytime if it was for the country’s safety. But, even so, he couldn’t avoid from his hand getting sweaty. He was planning to be meticulous in putting countermeasure and vigilance, but depending on the situation, there was also the possibility that he would have to shoot his comrade that was turned into berserker.
No matter how he was a veteran leader of the assault section and someone that was appointed as the captain of the special force, it still couldn’t be helped that he would unconsciously send gaze of expectation and prayer toward the being(Kousuke) that wielded supernatural power.
Perhaps noticing the gaze of such Bernard, Kousuke who was gazing outside through a small window suddenly returned his gaze and looked at Bernard.
「What’s the matter, captain-san?」
Bernard reflexively smiled wryly seeing that light attitude where he couldn’t feel any particular fervor from it.
「No, I’m thinking that you are really calm there. I think there is nothing as terrifying as you as an enemy, but when I think that you are fighting together with us as ally, there is nothing as reliable as this.」
「Well, even though you said that they are lying in wait for us, but they are just a muscle-brain group after all. I feel regretful for the people who were simply tricked and turned into berserker, but based from the data, it seems that the majority is underworld people, so I don’t feel that much guilt. They also have a clear weak point. Even if it’s just captain-san and others, I think if you fight calmly, you will manage it somehow you know?」
「You are saying that really lightly. It’s like you are a warrior that has gone through many bloodshed even more than me. Do you have experience fighting similar thing like this?」
Bernard’s wry smile was increasingly getting deeper from hearing Kousuke’s light tone. He suddenly asked something like that. The other squad members were directing their gaze at Kousuke with deep curiosity. It seemed that they were thinking that it might be a reference for the battle after this depending on the situation. But more than half of that interest was just out of curiosity though.
Kousuke returned a wry smile at Bernard’s question. When Emily and Vanessa were also directing gaze of deep interest at Kousuke, Kousuke answered while getting a faraway look.
「Well, I actually have, if it’s a battle against warriors of god. Although, those guys weren’t cute bunches like berserker.」
「Ber, berserker is cute?」
「That’s right. Their face was super beautiful, but their fighting ability was bad news on top of bad news. They were moving so fast they didn’t even leave behind afterimage, flying freely in the sky, disintegrated everything while ignoring something like defensive power, they neutralized all attack using twin swords and wings, furthermore they were gushing out like cockroaches……I made do somehow by dealing one hit kill from behind invisibility, but if I fought them right from the front, honestly, whether I can survive or not is……yep, thinking back, it’s a miracle we could survive.」
「「「「「……」」」」」
The troops including Bernard turned wordless hearing Kousuke’s reminiscence that was said with a bitter smile. Inside their heart, all of them were fiercely retorting「What is that joke-like existence!? It’s a joke right? Right?」, but no one said it out loud.
At the same time, a faint confidence「Compared to that, we can win can’t we?」was welling up inside them. Unexpectedly, it seemed that their morale was raising from the question of Bernard who was wondering of how to encourage the troops.
「We will arrive at the point soon! Start preparing!」
The helicopter pilot gave his report. Bernard nodded to that and gave instruction to the troops. The expression of Emily and Vanessa was also containing nervousness.
The place where they would land at was a lumber storehouse that was slightly distanced from the water purification plant. The water purification plant was in a riverside that was surrounded by forest. It seemed that the research facility was jointly established with that water purification plant.
As for their plan, they would land at a lumber storehouse that was slightly far from the water purification plant, and from there they would advance through land route and suppressed the facility while the enemy wasn’t aware of their presence. The biggest point was to raid them with full secrecy and made the related research facility to not realize the attack.
They would silently and swiftly suppress the area without even giving the enemy the chance to activate Berserk. That was their greatest objective ideally.
They would attempt to land at a vacant land that was a temporary storage site for lumber that was lumbered from the forest, then approached the water purification plant from an angle that was completely the opposite side. Even if they couldn’t land, there would be no problem if the helicopter descended down until a height where they could drop down using rope.
But, it seemed that the matter couldn’t progress that easily……
「-, wait a second pilot-san! There are people inside the forest! There are more than ten!」
「Wha-. Don’t tell me」
Kousuke threw a warning at the pilot who was making the helicopter descending for the landing. Bernard rushed toward the cockpit and Kousuke’s side.
「Mister Abyssgate. You don’t think those people are worker of the lumbering site?」
「It’s Kousuke. Certainly there is possibility that they are lumbering worker. But, even though a helicopter is approaching, they are moving inside the forest as though to surround the lumbering site……do you think that lumbering worker will surround the landing point when they see helicopter?」
「……I see. I don’t want to see that kind of woodcutter.」
Bernard’s expression turned bitter from the information he was given. Obviously the enemy was on guard against an approach from the lumbering site and placed their personnel here. Inside the list, there were also people who were formerly police or member of a violent organization, Every single one of them was criminal that had dirtied their hand thickly in crime and backed into corner. They were useful resources to be ordered to act like this.
Most likely they themselves didn’t even imagine that they could be changed into monster. However, they were undoubtedly lured by money and told to eliminate approaching enemy.
「Most likely they have reported our approach too……」
「That’s likely. The plan to silently suppress them is meaningless already now.」
「Aa, we can only assault them hard.」
When the grim-faced Bernard instructed the pilot, the pilot made the helicopter climbed back to head directly toward the water purification plant. The next moment, one of the troops who was looking at the situation below from a window made a report that sounded like a shout.
「Missile-! Evade!」
「-, Bastard-」
The pilot cursed while tilting the helicopter greatly to the side. Emily screamed from the radical motion while a portable surface-to-air missile was flying out from inside the forest and approached them in a straight line. The pilot’s reaction was splendid, but in the end it was doubtful whether they would be able to evade or not.
The color of resolution dyed the face of Bernard and the troops, in the middle of that,
「――”Black Vortex”」
The moment Kousuke muttered those words with one of his hand on the floor, the helicopter lowered its altitude drastically with a jerk. It was unnatural as though something grasped it from below and dragged it down.
――Gravity magic “Black Vortex”
It was the gravitational field generation magic that Kousuke specialized the most at. If a gravitational field was generated at the selected spot, then he could stand on the ceiling or perform pseudo flight in the sky by “falling”. It was a technique that could be said as the basic of the basic of gravitation magic, a magic that could be used without chant right from the start by someone like Yue.
Due to the gravitational field that was suddenly generated, the helicopter received gravity that was several times the normal and it descended down drastically. In a moment, the missile was passing through above the helicopter.
「Wha, what!? Just now, what happened!?」
The pilot raised a bewildered voice, but surely it was the group on the ground that was looking at the situation who wanted to say that. After all, the helicopter shifted with a jerk to below just before the missile hit and it was in the middle of swiveling widely. That maneuver could only be said as abnormal.
「I won’t let you fire that for the second time.」
Kousuke unraveled the gravitational field and took a glance at the pilot who was recovering the helicopter control while he muttered so with his hand forming seal. He formed a seal even though it had no meaning!
Right after that, with a *poof* a clone body of Kousuke popped out outside the cockpit screen. The clone could be called out within the radius of three meter with the real body as the center, so it was possible to perform pseudo wall slip by using that.
The pilot was busy screaming from seeing a person materializing outside the window. The troops also went「It, it came ouutt!」, they were screaming as though they had encountered a ghost. It seemed that multiple Kousuke had became a considerable trauma for them.
The existence that was barely still Kousuke silently put on a sunglasses outside the window, and then he leaped down while deploying twelve kunais around him like satellites. The next moment,
「I won’t ask for forgiveness. Die while resenting me as much as you want. ――”Zekkou Senjin – Hikuusen”」(TN: Hikuusen = Flying Devouring Flash)
The twelve kunais floating around Kousuke flew out all at once. Each of them was heading to a different target like a streak of flash. It went without saying what their targets were.
Including the person who somehow recovered from the shock of witnessing the abnormal maneuver of the helicopter and now was in the middle of preparing the second shot, all the latent berserkers lurking inside the forest immediately got their head’s crown pierced in unison and breathed their last.
Kousuke stood midair with black ripples spreading below himw while making floating kunais flying freely. Bernard gave a lukewarm gaze at the pilot who was flustered from seeing such sight while giving him instruction to haste toward the water purification plant.
The pilot cursed「What the hell this is, shit」in small voice, however, he still controlled the helicopter without faltering as fitting for a veteran pilot.
Before long, they could see an open space. The water purification plant and a joined white building that in a glance was unclear what its purpose was, were coming into view. They could also see water supply facility at the downstream slight distance away. The whole water purification plant was surrounded by two layers of fence with barbed wire on top of them in addition. It seemed that traveling using helicopter was also taken into account from the start, they caught sight of a large open space and a heliport.
「Chih. They had called in just as expected. They are coming one after another. ……Doesn’t seem like they are a normal security huh.」
Using a binocular, Bernard saw a great number of people coming out in groups from the joint building toward the open space that was in front of the water purification plant. His face frowned. Most of the people didn’t look like honest people, they were people with air that was obviously thuggish in a glance, but among them there were also the figures of slim young man, female, and also old man.
「Oi oi, you mean all those people are going to get turned into monsters? What now Captain Pays? If we descend until an altitude where you can drop down using rope, we are going to get shot down if we are hit by a rock that is thrown by a berserker’s power you know?」
「Can’t be helped. We can only use sniping or grenade from slight distance away to decrease their number as much as……」
The heliport was already crowded with latent berserkers. The pilot’s had a point with his worry, so Bernard decided their tactic with a bitter expression. It was at that timing that Kousuke told them to wait.
「Captain-san. I’ll go there. Please open the hatch when we arrive above them. I’ll secure the landing place.」
「Don’t tell me, you are going there alone? The opponent is a monster group that can only be killed by destroying their brain you know?」
「Yes. But, sniping won’t work unless you go through the trouble of making headshot from a flying helicopter, while it’s uncertain if grenade can destroy their brain reliably even if it can blow them away. The more time passed, the more the berserkers will come out one after another and we won’t be able to take control. There is also the possibility that the crucial targets will run away during that time.」
「That’s……certainly, it’s just as you say. That was why we decided to land at the lumbering site five kilometers away from here so that the enemy won’t notice us.」
Bernard scratched his head roughly. They got their start spoiled right from the very beginning, and now to make up for that they would make Kousuke who originally should be an unrelated person with this case to clear up the problem. Surely this matter was something shameful for him as a member of security bureau’s assault section.
Kousuke who seemed to see through that sentiment of Bernard, clapped on his shoulder thinking that it was unexpected.
「Please don’t think that I’m unrelated or anything. Rather, this is my battle. I’ll eliminate those who stand in Emily’s way, protect her, and lead her to where her hand is reaching at. Rather, it’s captain-san and others who are our cooperator here.」
「Mister Abyssgate……」
「It’s Kousuke. Well, that’s how it is, so everyone, please give me covering okay? Aa, also just to make sure, I’m Kousuke.」
The words of Kousuke that were said with a fearless smile naturally caused Emily’s eyes to grow moist from feeling moved, while Vanessa was making a triumphant look for some reason. And then, because the troops knew about Kousuke’s monstrous power, they felt cheered up and sense of trust in their heart.
All of them saluted with a crisp expression and responded to Kousuke’s instruction.
「「「「「YES-, ABYSSGATE-!!」」」」」
「That’s why-, I told you already that I’m Kousuke-!! Is this intentional!? You are doing this intentionally!?」
「Mister Abyssgate-! We are going to arrive above them before long! It’s really okay that I don’t lower the altitude isn’t it!?」
「Aargh-, pilot! So you too-! The altitude is fine as it is, damn it all-!」
「Abyss! Those guys are starting to turn berserk!」
「Captaiiin! What’s with that friendly call name! You want me to punish you with compulsory rope-less bungee jump!? There are about twenty berserkers there huh, son of a bitch!」
「Abyssgate-san! I’m opening the hatch! Good luck!」
「Thank you for the perfect salute! But I’ll punch you later! Then, I’ll go become the vanguard now!」
「Come all of you! Fix your eyes without blinking! This is the descend of Abyssgate-sama!」
「Danessa. I’ll turn you into a lovely villager later you bastaaard! Prepare yourself!」
「Abys――Kousuke-. Do your best!」
「Oi oi oi oi, Emily-chan. You almost called me Abyssgate just now aren’t you!? What’s the meaning of this!? That’s quite shocking though!?」
Even while making fierce retorts, Kousuke leaned out his body from the opened hatch with his head turning toward Emily. Emily was averting her eyes toward the direction of the day after tomorrow. It seemed that she was plainly gotten carried away by the troops saying Abyssgate on and on.
But at the next moment, the helicopter tilted greatly. It seemed that one of the berserkers had thrown a block with a force like a cannon and the pilot took emergency evasion.
As the result,
「Aa」
Kousuke whose guard was down with his head turned toward Emily left behind that kind of stupid voice and got thrown out of the hatch. The troops went「Aa」in unison while staring at Kousuke who was getting smaller away.
「Ko, KOUSUKEEEEEE-」
While Emily’s voice was echoing, Kousuke was freefalling face-up while his shoulders skillfully dropped in dejection. To fall like this from the helicopter by incident was really a sloppy way to start a fight.
「Well, I’m this kind of character after all. Surely.」
Kousuke muttered that with a sigh, then with a twirl he rotated midair and looked down to the ground. There, berserkers who were already nearly twenty in number roared while waiting impatiently for the prey.
With those terrifying monsters below, Kousuke took out a sunglasses from his breast pocket and calmly put it on. Right after that, the corner of his lips grinned widely. That was the mark of the descent of the abyss.
「Good work with the welcome. As thanks, I’ll present you with a magnificent headhunting!」
He kicked on the air. One of the berserkers waiting on the ground reflexively waved up his hand around like a child seeing the falling prey suddenly changing direction.
Lord Abyssgate shifted his landing point. It wasn’t because he wanted to avoid getting surrounded by berserkers. Rather, it was the opposite. He flew toward right in the middle of a spot with the highest concentration of berserkers without hesitation.
And then, just before the landing, *shan-* a clear sound resounded while two short swords were drawn out, his body rotated like a spinning top. Jet black sword flash that could be mistaken as spiral gale was blowing violently, caressing the thick neck of the berserkers that looked like a log.
*step*, while a light landing sound that was unthinkable coming from a high-altitude descent resounded, the lord stayed unmoving in a chuuni pose. He was kneeling on one knee, the two short swords were held in reverse grip, one at the front and the other one at the back.
At the next moment, four sounds *goto-* resounded behind the four berserkers surrounding the lord. Those sounds unmistakably came from the neck of the berserkers. Looking again, all the four berserkers had cleanly lost everything above their neck. The wounds might be burned or frozen, because no blood spurted out.
The terrifying monsters lost their head that was their only weak point. It was done so easily as though the berserkers were toy that had interchangeable head. *dou-* They fell down while raising such noise.
The lord stood up quietly. Of course he didn’t forget to sharply push up his sunglasses with one hand while making cool pose of half his body to the back. Seeing the lord like that, the berserkers growled while throwing their killing intent.
The lord took it stride while going「fuh」before he introduced himself.
「A battle is killing each other with strength and will. You all who are lacking will, you won’t be able to stop this abyss. Now, let’s pull down the curtain. ――Kousuke E Abyssgate, has arrived!!」
AN: Thank you very much for reading this every time.
Thank you very much too for the thoughts, opinions, and reports about misspelling and omitted words.
I caught a cold……
When I went to buy cold medicine, my bicycle’s wheel punctured……
When I was ironing my suits, I noticed that a part was torn……
It couldn’t be helped, so I drunk the cold medicine and Nico Douga.
John Wick’s Udonge is super cute……
Shootout Dream and Battle of Koumakan are lovely.
The next update is planned at 6 P.M Saturday too.