Chapter 96 – The Start of War [Part-2]
…
……
………
Shock knelt onto the ground.
He held the Gospel in his right hand and clutched his lungs with his left.
“You look like you’re in pain. Is this the first time you experienced the backlash of your curse being broken?“
“Nwoh… great. I don’t know who it is, but I didn’t think anyone could break my curses. I’m not an expert in curse-reversal, so this was a good lesson for me. –Ha!“
He leapt to his feet and struck Alto with his Gospel.
“Hmph!“
Alto countered with his great sword, and a violent metallic sound rung out as the force they exerted collided.
“Whoa!“
“Hakuto-kun! Go back!”
The steel covering made the Gospel a powerful blunt weapon, and the power Shock wielded was equal to that of Alto’s, which frightened the nearby Hakuto.
“A little early, but – let’s begin the operation!“
Right when Alto swung his sword a second time, Shock leapt back, spun around a hidden door in the garden, and fled.
“Follow him! Don’t let him get away!”
“Huh?! We’re with Alto-sama! You guys take that road on the left! Don’t let him get away!“
While chasing after Alto, Hakuto and the others who were running, Kelvin passed instructions to the entire group.
“……”
The blue-haired beastman on the rooftop also moved within a blink of an eye.
“……”
“Your Highness, you can not go there. You are only allowed to observe from inside the carriage.“
“I know that…”
At the advice of the female knight sitting on the opposite side of the carriage, she once again looked at the knights who were busy moving around outside of the window with a pout.
“Ahhh, I’m stronger than Hakuto and the others, why am I the only one left behind-”
“……?”
Erika suddenly stopped speaking, and the female knight, who felt suspicion creeping in, was about to ask her-
“——-“
“Your Highness!“
Erika jumped out of the carriage.
“Gaaaah!“
Soon after, the knights took on the mission to track Shock, and a scream was heard from the distant corridor, which had thinned out.
A figure, splattered in blood, emerged from the corridor as if to lure Erika in.
“…Kelly.”
♢♢♢♢
Shock took advantage of his location and took the shortest and most deceptive route out to the riverside street.
Then, he easily slipped through the morning crowds to the main bridge to the entertainment district.
“What the hell, Father? What are you–”
“Oh! Lana! I need your help!”
Shock, who was looking quite unusual, was met by Lana, who was dressed as a dealer.
Shock had a strange and ominous atmosphere around him, and Lana, frightened, backed away.
“I don’t understand, what are you talking about?“
He knocked her out and held her in his arms, as if he knew what he was doing.
“Hey! What are you doing!“
Alto and Hakuto caught up with him.
And then–
“……”
Oswald’s eyes widened.
It was the exact same scene as that day.
The same as the day he had lost his loved one.
His heartbeat accelerated.
All the sounds around him disappeared, and blood drained from his head.
He wondered if this was what was called trauma. His mind went blank as he suddenly found himself thinking about such things.
“Oh?!”
“What?”
Shock met Alto’s slash with his steel Gospel as he leapt high into the air.
“Nugaaaa! –Goo!“
Shock, who seemed better at hand-to-hand combat than Alto, parried his great sword and ran away, over the bridge to the entertainment district.
“Wait! Let go of Lana!“
“Moths love rushing into the fire, don’t they? (1)”
“Gosh!”
A knight who was patrolling and was halfway across the bridge tried to stop Shock, but was hit by the Gospel towards Alto.
“–!”
Alto stopped in his tracks and easily caught the knight with one hand.
“Wait!“
Hakuto overtook Alto and followed Shock.
“Hakuto-kun!“
Oswald rushed after him.
At that moment…
“–”
Alto saw a smile on Shock’s face.
“Wait!“
–Between Hakuto and Artoo, the Heavenly Sentinel descended.
An orc with the attributes of a dragon.
“……”
Alto and the knights who had caught up with him widened their eyes in astonishment, and looked up at the Heavenly Sentinel in stunned amazement.
In had a great axe in one of it’s hands. The axe was so large that even a man with great strength would not be able to lift it, even with both of his hands.
And the armor that covered it’s entire body.
It looked like a real devil which had come down to destroy the city.
With eyes filled with hatred, it looked down on the puny mortals.
“…Damn it, wait!“
It was clear that Alto and the others could not ignore that thing, and Hakuto knew that they were the only ones who could pursue and handle Shock.
“Huh?”
“You’re the one who has to wait!“
“Oh?”
As they crossed the bridge, Oswald finally caught up with Hakuto and stopped him.
“What, what’s the matter…?”
“He’s obviously trying to lure you, Hakuto-kun! Look at him!”
Oswald points to Shock, who was tapping his foot and waiting for Hakuto and the others.
He was openly glancing at Hakuto.
“…That’s true… No, but he has a hostage.”
“We should wait for reinforcements! If they’re trying to lure you, Hakuto, he wouldn’t do anything rash!“
“I’m not so sure about that~”
“Shut up!”
Oswald’s words became rough, like he had become a different person, as he responded to Shock, who was listening from a distance.
“…Oswald. I’ve thought a lot about it since then.”
“……”
“I… can’t pass up the chance to help a person I can help in the present. It’s now or never.“
“Hakuto-kun…”
Although they had known each other for a short time, Oswald knew Hakuto would never bend the claims he makes when he was in such situations.
Oswald who drooped down, grabbed onto Hakuto but his hand was removed by Hakuto himself.
“I’m sorry I didn’t keep my promise….. But if I overlook this now, even if I get stronger later, I will never be able to call myself a hero with pride….”
The sound of him running towards the direction of Shock faded away.
Oswald didn’t think he could hold back the determined Hakuto, even if he tried to stop him with his magic eye.
“….!“
Oswald, with a new determination, started to run, too.
However, the direction he was running in was not the one that Hakuto had run towards.
“Hu! Hu! Hu!”
If him and Hakuto couldn’t win by themselves, they should call someone who could win (・・・・・・) for sure.
There was that man nearby.
The man who knew his strength better than anyone else and whom Oswald admired more than anyone else.
The building had changed, but he knew that it’s location hadn’t.
Around the corner.
“-GUH!”
As soon as he turned the corner, he crashed into a wall.
“Damn, that hurts….“
“I saw a guy with a pathetic looking face… but I didn’t think… it was you…”
His voice was the same as it was back then.
A low voice that made Oswald feel strangely at ease.
“For all your bravado, you sound just the same as when you ran out on us.”
“…father.”
There stood Gerald, covered in scars.
Translator’s Note:
(1) This was ‘Summer bugs love running into the fire.’ which is the same as ‘Moths love rushing into the fire.’
This was said by Gerald, and what he’s trying to say is ‘You guys love rushing into your doom.’
And with this, Chapter 96 has been concluded.
I’ll be back with a new chapter!
