Chapter 291: The third time a city burns
TL: Hey guys! Reigokai here!
For all that still don’t know, I have decided on changing the title a bit so it is easier to differentiate between uploads of Tsuki and World Reformation.
And also, it is the beginning of the month, and I wanted to use this chance to thank all patrons in my Patreon. Thanks a lot! :DDDDD
Anyways, enjoy the chapter! (Next chapter of Tsuki will be released two days from now)
“Why is it that when Boss is involved, everywhere becomes a haunted city?!” (Lime)
The unrestrained shout of Lime reverberates in the corridors.
He was simply supposed to be waiting for the return of his superior in Kannaoi -no, in the super high-class hotel of Lorel that is famous for its safety.
It was a lot safer of an environment than the time when he came to this country on his own, and the only thing he had to do was babysitting.
For a sudden call, it wasn’t that hard of a job.
But right now…the Kuzunoha Company employee and spy, Lime Latte, was being exposed to even more danger than the time when he had come to this place, moreover, when he was camping at the forest.
It was an unit that was not only completely armed, the people that comprised it all had dangerous eyes like those of fanatics.
A group of people that were a lot more troublesome and dangerous than the run-off-the-mill mamonos.
It was a bit after dusk, at the time when the night activities were about to begin.
Thinking about the security of the city and thinking about the special nature of this hotel, the possibility of being attacked is practically none.
Lime that had gotten used to his job as spy judged as so, and was looking forward to his fried rice for dinner.
The quick mobilization of the Chihiro Manrai restaurant was great and succeeded in intercepting the attack, and their ability to evacuate the guests to safety was also perfect.
Then, why was Lime in such a tense state?
Because he noticed that the movements of the insurgents were clearly aiming at Lime’s group -more specifically, the party of Osakabe Iroha that was in the same room as him.
On top of that, there’s also the fact that the insurgents were comprised of strong people.
This was a night raid.
Meaning that, now that they have been intercepted, the attackers will become the ones in a disadvantage. That’s how it is supposed to be, and yet, the morale of the insurgents has not fallen.
The whole unit was reorganized swiftly, and with their morale still intact, there’s a unit that is trying to aim for the head of Iroha.
Lime wanting to hold his head in pain was understandable.
If it were just running away, it would be easy for him, but right now, he has to protect Iroha along with his colleagues.
It is of course difficult to command an escape with a group of people. There’s also several people intercepting them. The enemies are many.
Even if it’s the Kuzunoha Company, the situation is not good.
“Tch!! Those bastards have already caught wind of us!” (Lime)
His ability to sense presences that he polished as a spy have told him that several presences have begun to move as a group towards them.
He quickly made eye contact with his demi-human coworkers, had Iroha and the others go ahead as if drawing the attention to them, and with his hand, he communicates with signs and forms a rear guard.
“Until Boss returns, I won’t let a single one of them get injured!” (Lime)
“I don’t know what they are trying to do, but they got quite the guts to pick a fight with us!! If they are boring hyumans, I will crush them without reservation!”
The first one to respond to the shout of Lime was the only scylla in the Kuzunoha Company, Levi.
After being a failure at the snowy mountains, she polished her strength even more, and was internally happy that she had gotten a job.
For Levi, who has the prime objective of pursuing fights and power, this job that was everyday duty training for the people that leave to the outside of Asora was slightly boring.
The sudden call made her expectant about what it was about, so for her, this turn of events was right in her alley.
The two take a battle stance at the hostile presences that were swiftly approaching.
Since he made protecting the target and escaping the hotel as the highest priority, the only ones staying there were those two.
“…Ara, a miss. This is strange. I thought there was no mistake it was here though.”
(This is bad…) (Lime)
The clear voice of a woman.
A woman appeared from the door that turned into ashes without a single sound.
By the way, what was resounding in the area were the sounds of the activated traps that Lime and the Chihiro Manrai restaurant set up in the garden.
Lime, who had heard her voice and the sounds, had both his instincts and reason screaming of danger.
Having accumulated battle experience with Tomoe as his master, Lime had felt danger from this woman that was completely armed as military of the Lorel Union.
It felt the same as the time when he witnessed the power of the hero, or even more than that.
“Hey, unfamiliar people. My daughter Iroha, where is she?”
“…”
“…This woman is the best.” (Levi)
Lime stiffens his face.
If what she was releasing was the bloodthirst of a mother trying to take back her daughter, it would be something normal.
But that wasn’t the case.
The woman in front of them was releasing unrestrained bloodthirst and hostility towards Lime and Levi with love that was not for her child but for a different someone, while she was quietly laughing.
Putting it in other words, it is ugly.
That’s why Lime maintained silence and simply took a stance with his sword while holding the highest of cautiousness.
On the other hand, Levi had a dangerous smile surface on her face at the strong aura of that woman and evaluated her as the best opponent to fight against.
Scyllas hate hyumans instinctively.
‘It is similar to how some people can’t physiologically stand the letter G’, is how Makoto described it, but it is probably something that is at least several times more than that.
It is not a repudiation that makes them want to avoid them, it is a repudiation that makes them want to kill them all, so it is quite the instinctive reaction.
In the case of the current Levi, it is limited to only hyumans that have the label of ‘strong’, but the instinct itself is still kicking in her.
And in front of her, there’s a suitable enemy.
With a woman that is worth killing right in front of her, Lime was looking at the Levi that had a smile he hadn’t seen before.
(Whichever the dice rolls huh. Well, in terms of numbers, there’s several tens of them, but everyone aside from that woman seems to not be that big of a deal, and on our side there’s the two of us. If it comes to worst, we just have to wait for Boss to return and things should settle one way or another.) (Lime)
Lime looks at the situation positively.
There’s no need to pointlessly kill the enemy.
‘We should make them reveal as many playing cards they have while buying time’, is what Lime thought as he arranged his thoughts when…
“Uugh?!” (Levi)
“Levi?!” (Lime)
“Slender arms just as it looks. It is like brushing away a bamboo branch. You, what’s your battle experience?”
“You—!!” (Levi)
The right arm of Levi flew away.
It was cut off.
The figure of the woman was still in the sight of Lime.
He couldn’t see any movements aside from her mouth moving.
Levi distorted her face in pain for an instant, but soon let out an angry roar and rushed towards the woman with an expression of joy.
She has probably forgotten about Lime.
While thinking of a possibility as he looked at the expression of his coworker, Lime begins his follow-up.
Increase the power of Levi as much as possible, analyze the enemy, and push the state of the battle to their advantage.
It is the usual work he has.
(There’s no signs of her using a skill. But she did something with the weapon in her hand. If I remember correctly, that’s…a naginata. There’s no doubt that she cut off the arm of Levi with it. It is slight, but I can tell that there’s scylla blood on it. Meaning that the seed of that sleight of hand was her excellent technique and body strength. In other words, it wasn’t actually a sleight of hand, but high-class technique. Wait, that’s of no importance. It simply means that this is baaad.) (Lime)
Fortunately, Lime has experienced a bit of a similar technique.
At the time when his superior Tomoe was training in Iai, he has seen similar spectacles like this several times.
(It is frightening how this woman’s ability is sharper and more silent than Sis’. She is without doubt an expert…… But in the first place, Sis being able to swing around a katana so sharply in that way without the guidance of anyone is pretty weird in itself. The weapon is different, but this woman is really a troublesome opponent. Damn it!) (Lime)
First, make the enemy move.
At any rate, smash the enemy.
Lime and Levi head towards the same enemy, but their thoughts were practically water and oil.
“Ara ara, can’t even introduce yourselves? Okay then. If you are going to repent with your lives, that’s also fine with me. No matter the opponent, it wouldn’t be good if I don’t show respect after all.”
With her instincts going at full-throttle, Levi’s hyuman lower half had returned to 8 pitch black octopus legs, and she was pulling a fierce attack only possible with that kind of body.
Matching her rhythm, Lime joins the fight with perfectly coordinated magic and sword techniques.
The woman slightly widened her narrowed eyes as she repelled the attacks of the two and unleashing sharp attacks of her own. And with a voice that leisure can be felt, she continued speaking.
“I am the Osakabe household’s, Kasumi Haruka. I am the woman that in the close future will be presenting this city and country to my true love when I arrive to his side.” (Haruka)
“Levi! The name of the one who will crush you! Remember it!” (Levi)
“Be at peace, monster. Depending on how it is used, even someone like you can be accepted by Tomoki-sama.” (Haruka)
“Tch!!”
The katana of Lime was skillfully deviated by Haruka’s shoulder protector.
And when that happened, the blade of the naginata missed Lime by a hair’s breadth, he tried to pull a follow-up attack, but was repelled by the returning naginata.
“You are pretty strong. However, you don’t know how to use a katana. You don’t have a proper master. Could it be a self-taught style?” (Haruka)
“Something wrong with that? Sorry to say that I am a newbie with the katana.” (Lime)
“No no, when you have become a comrade serving under Tomoki-sama, I will teach you the basics. Be relieved, you have plenty enough talent.” (Haruka)
“Too bad but, I already have a master I serve under, so I am good.” (Lime)
“Fufufu, everyone says something similar to that at first. But after a few days, they have a complete change of heart. Our master is that much of a great one after all.” (Haruka)
“…How about you come to our side? If it’s with that monster-like strength of yours, you would be plenty useful even in our place. Even that far too gone head of yours! If it’s our Boss, he can clean it nice!” (Lime)
“…What did you say?” (Haruka)
“As I said, instead of serving under a small fry like the Empire hero that would easily be wiped on the floor by our Boss, how about serving our master, Raidou?! Wow?!” (Lime)
An invisible blade sends the katana of Lime flying.
It was probably the same as when the arm of Levi was cut off.
By the way, the arm of Levi has already regenerated. Covered in tough scales that serve as weapon and armor, she was freely moving that arm around.
So it finally regenerated.
Lime felt a slight sense of accomplishment as his provocation was worth.
And right now, it is not exactly the same situation as before.
This time, it was slight, but he could see her hand blur for a moment.
Motion and speed; it was a feat as if this were the epitome of those. It was a speed that was impossible to catch by the naked eye, is what Lime judged.
Even so, this is the first time he has seen something like this, and it is not realistic to try to have his eyes get used to it in actual combat.
That’s why, by gathering information of Haruka’s whole body movements and her habits, he has to read the trajectory and range.
Being able to bring out one of Haruka’s cards with words was big.
(It is still a complete mystery how she is able to manage such movement with a naginata that doesn’t have something like a scabbard though. Somehow managed to make one step forward huh. Now then, I am counting on you brats. If you lead the guests to Boss, our win will be settled….Wa?) (Lime)
The mistake of Lime was by no means a blunder caused by him alone.
Insulting Tomoki, bringing out the name of Raidou, stimulating disatisfaction; it was close to impossible for him to understand the meaning of that at this point in time after all.
The eyes of Haruka were showing anger.
In the blink of an eye, that anger became hatred, on top of that, she glares at Lime with something close to that of grudge.
“!!”
Levi, who was absorbed in the fight, took distance at the extraordinary aura that came out.
Lime was dumbfounded for an instant at the change of Haruka, but reprimanded himself for stiffening and soon followed after Levi.
“Raidou is better than Tomoki-sama, you say?” (Haruka)
“…At the very least, our Boss doesn’t use drugs to recruit people.” (Lime)
“It is simply a necessary tool to efficiently teach others about the charms of Tomoki-sama. Not having his subordinates use the most efficient technique is proof that Raidou is incompetent as a superior.” (Haruka)
“Leaving aside whether Waka-sama is incompetent or not…” (Levi)
(Oi Levi, you are not supposed to say ‘leaving aside’ there.) (Lime)
The voice of Lime’s heart almost leaked out.
The reason why he managed to safely stop it was because the aura that Haruka was releasing was steadily entering into a dangerous territory. It was one of the few blessings that this tension was providing.
“From what I have heard, he left the Empire hero half-dead. It is certain that Waka-sama is the stronger one. If I am going to be following someone, I prefer the stronger one. That’s why this Tomoki-sama is out of the question. Understand?” (Levi)
“…Half…dead?” (Haruka)
That was the switch.
Those were the words that even Haruka herself didn’t know in all of her life that would bring out her true anger.
Her anger to herself for mistaking the man to love, her anger for sleeping with that man that wore the mask of a husband, her anger for the many times she has whispered her love to him, the anger she directed at the father of Iroha; those were all small sparks compared to this.
Those words that state they have injured the man that fate designated as her true love. The reality that not only were they in an antagonistic relation, they have already directly hurt him.
It is not something that can be forgiven.
Raidou and the Kuzunoha Company are not simply the enemies of Tomoki anymore; inside Haruka, they have changed to being sworn enemies.
“…”
“…”
The left hand of Haruka was placed on top of the naginata.
Lime who had a simple thought like ‘she will be using both hands now’ was left speechless.
The naginata splitted.
The left hand returns to its previous location with the same motion —with another naginata in hand.
Dual wielding naginatas.
From the black and white naginatas, magic power of their respective color was wafting from them.
An unfamiliar weapon, and on top of that, an unknown fighting style.
Lime remembered something. At a turning point in his life that already feels like it happened long in the past already. The figure of his superior that released a fire that managed to instantly turn the wave of mamonos that appeared in the wasteland into charcoal as she laughed with a refreshing smile.
“I don’t care about the man anymore. I will kill him. About the monster, I will tear off the arms and legs before educating her. The wait-and-see phase for recruitment is over now. We haven’t retrieved Iroha yet after all.” (Haruka)
“Wait, Lime. For a moment now, I was reminded of Mio-sama.” (Levi)
“Same here. I was reminded of Sis Tomoe.” (Lime)
Even if the person they were reminded of is different, they were still the two tops of Asora.
To think that just by it being related to Makoto, this Lorel that they would easily be able to come alone would become such a dangerous.
With a feeling of wanting to gaze at the sky, Lime makes preparations to clash against Haruka with all the skills and techniques he has.
“I am a former adventurer that was polished in the wasteland. Don’t think you will kill me easily.” (Lime)
“Of course. Don’t even think that you will be dying an easy death.” (Haruka)
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
The city is writhing in pain.
The smoke that is rising from the many areas and the screams that can be heard from afar had given me that impression.
This is the third time I have seen a big settlement caught up in a fight in this way huh.
Academy Town, Limia capital, and here.
Now that I think about it, I feel like no matter which of those it was, my heart didn’t waver much.
I am in the place where it is occurring, and I am feeling the wind directly in my skin, and yet, what am I thinking…when facing a settlement that has turned into a battlefield?
Even when my mood goes down, it was because of other reasons. Also, in this time’s case, just a few moments ago, I was in a place that was basically the world of the death.
As long as we are alive, we will of course die one day.
That obviously doesn’t mean that you would just abandon someone because of it. It is just that…it is true that I have begun feeling that it is not that pressing of a matter to lose your life.
No…was I feeling that way from the very beginning?
From what I can remember, I don’t think…no, there’s no way, right?
The hyuman woman that was my first kill, I…
“Waka?”
“…Hm?”
Tomoe suddenly called me.
It looks like she received a power from Futsu called Dragon Mother, but her looks have not changed. Her internal power has splendidly increased though.
Rather than calling it an enhancement of the body, it is more like a boost in magic power and skill… For Tomoe, who is aiming to become a samurai, this might not be to her taste though.
Well, in Tomoe’s case, her body strength is already quite high anyways. It is only a matter of how to use it, and that’s something that can only be gained by experience and training, or so I think.
“It looks like this avenue is burning but, what should we do first?” (Tomoe)
“Waka-sama, I think we should prioritize the protection of the soy sauce stores, miso stores, and the ingredient market.” (Mio)
“Mio… Fumu, leaving aside the market, the soy sauce and miso can serve to make Sake. If we were to get their favor, it would make negotiations in the future easier. Waka, I think Mio’s proposal is good. What do you think?” (Tomoe)
“…It is true that the more samples the better huh. Fine. Mio will go to the warehouses and then the market. Tomoe will…” (Makoto)
“…I was thinking about dealing with the small fries after confirming my power and showing it off. I would be grateful if Waka were to accompany me.” (Tomoe)
“I’m fine with that. Then, the other two, cooperate with Rokuya-san and Rose Garden in the evacuation of the citizens.” (Makoto)
““Yes!!””
Beren and Hokuto nod with strength.
Shii was in a weird state, so I had her return to Asora. Tamaki is looking after her, so there’s no problem with the emergency treatment. Even if something were to happen and she is unable to manage, she can just ask Shiki.
And so, I will be dealing with the people that have been affected by the drug of Tomoki and are rampaging around huh.
Well, this is my third time dealing with something like this, so it should be fine.
I use [Sakai] to get a rough idea of the situation.
Hm, the hotel is being attacked.
I am glad I increased the number of personnel there as insurance.
…Eh?
There’s one around the hotel that is pretty strong.
The ones there with that strong one are Lime and Levi.
They are quite injured.
“Tomoe, sorry. Lime and Levi are in trouble at the hotel. Can you go there?” (Makoto)
“Hoh~, those guys huh. Understood. I hope it is a samurai that I can enjoy my time with. Well then, I will be taking my leave now.” (Tomoe)
“Okay.” (Makoto)
After having Tomoe head to the hotel, I go back to confirming the situation more deeply.
There’s still no casualties yet at the warehouses that Mio has gone to.
The mercenary group, Picnic Rosegarden, and Rokuya-san were here with me just a few moments ago, but when they confirmed the state of the city, they immediately separated and began acting.
It looks like they will be prioritizing the escape of the citizens.
There’s around three hundred attacking the city. The levels are all pretty high, but the numbers are low.
Thinking about that after comparing it with the scale of the other situations I have been in, I try expanding ‘Sakai’ to the outsides of the city as well.
Oh.
There’s several armed people heading to Kannaoi.
It would be nice if they were allies but…oh, they are enemies huh.
Ooh, Kannoi is truly in trouble.
There’s a group of people heading to this city from the south; numbers total around a thousand. The levels are around the same as the ones attacking here; average of 200.
Kannaoi was about to be destroyed.
But.
We are here.
First of all, let’s regroup with Iroha-chan and the others.
Now then, where is she—
“…Wa?!!!”
Once I got the location of Iroha-chan, I involuntarily let out my voice.
Why…
Why are you here, Izumo?! Or more like, you guys!
I change my coat to red and teleport to the closest place of the group of people.
No really, give me a break, Rotsgard Children!