Manowa Chapter 209

◎ Great Dragon Palace, In Front of God Dragon Emperor's Throne Room

「Guaaaaaaa!!!」

Jinrai's scream resounded. There was no longer a right arm beyond his shoulder.

「...Ma, master.」

Naoki woke up spitting up blood and groaned as he watched Jinrai's state. Lamenting that Jinrai's right arm was missing... was not what he was doing.

「Are you kidding me?」

The young boy's voice changed to fear. The battle situation had changed. It had become a unilateral battle. Yes, it had changed to Jinrai's『overwhelming offensive』.

「OooOh!!」

That shout wasn't due to pain. It wasn't due to fear. It was a war cry. The current Jinrai didn't stop. He couldn't be stopped.

(It's no more than a single arm, right?)

Up until now he was simply lucky. In a battlefield, losing something like a『right arm』was a natural thing that could happen at any time. So Jinrai didn't regret it.

(More importantly, now...)

He could see. Everything about the devil in front of him.

The surprise attack that ate his right arm was splendid. But he had also counterattacked. He had kicked up the spear that was stabbed into the devil's torse and cut it up. Moreover, he had already『seen』the big mouth that ate his arm. When the big mouth was used against him again, he sliced it to pieces with his dragon fang spear.

「What are you? What is this!?」

Jinrai understood after seeing his frightened eyes. In front of him was an ordinary child. A devil with both the purity and cruelty of a child. That knife handling was probably not his own. There was no reason a master would lose against a person who was simply capable. 

Therefore, he couldn't deal with the several feints and was sliced up.

Right arm sent flying, left hand cut off at the wrist, right foot joint crushed, head cut off; but he didn't die. However, it seemed he was taking damage. Naturally. The dragon fang spear could damage even an Astral Body.

(If that's the case, increase the number of attacks?)

「Hii!?」

Tears were floating in the boy's eyes, but that simply made Jinrai laugh. He was filled with an「it serves you right!」cheerful feeling. And with a ferocious smile, he turned his gaze filled with murderous intent towards the devil.

What was subsequently fired at him were simple continuous thrusts, but all of them were the fastest, most powerful spear technique『Flash』that was taught to Yumika. The ultimate rushing version called『Thousand Flashes』. They reliably sliced up the boy, destroyed the souls inside him, and in the end, when it was about to destroy everything...

Jinrai collapsed.

「Master Jinrai?」

Naoki was filled with disbelief when he saw that.

Jinrai had such a large advantage, so why?... Naoki thought, but it was understandable. Jinrai had lost too much blood from his torn right shoulder and could no longer move. His limit as a human being had come.

「Ha, hahahaha.」

While the boy had succumbed to fear and was watching with wide eyes, he roared with laughter.

「Amazing. This person is amazing. Ahahahaha, I was scared for the first time in a long time! He was truly amazing!」

That was probably pure praise. But the following words were:

「Well then, shall I eat?」

The moment he heard those words, dread ran through Naoki. And when he picked up his Operator magic sword, he maneuvered all his magic swords at once and aimed them at the boy.

「Oh, Onii-chan. You were still conscious?」

The boy's eyes twitched as he said that, but that wasn't towards Naoki. He simply couldn't get Jinrai's previous attack out of his head. There was no way the likes of Naoki's current magic swords could defeat a top-ranking devil.

(Skewer!!)

In accordance with Naoki's thought, all the magic swords pierced the boy. Naoki reflexively said「All right!」but the boy looked at Naoki with a stagnant smile. Then he said「Bu」as he put forth effort, and all the magic swords he was stabbed with were destroyed. Uneventfully, entirely destroyed.

「Such a...」

Naoki became speechless at that situation.

「You're stupid, aren't you? Even though you're so weak. Even though you're a player.」

While saying so, the boy jumped to Naoki's side and immediately kicked him.

「Gu!?」

He crossed his arms and managed to protect his stomach, but his arm bones creaked, and Naoki rolled across the ground from the momentum.

「Weak. Really weak. Isn't you being with that Ojii-san stupid? A simple burden? Baggage?」

He was kicked once again. Naoki's consciousness almost flew. His body bounced as he was thrown down the passage.

「Gu.....u」

There was pain. But his consciousness slightly returned. So while groaning, he was about to stand up

「Age......finished?」

When with his faint consciousness, those words reached Naoki's ears.

「Yeah, Yukito Onii-chan, I'm also finished here. I had an unexpectedly hard time.」

「Remaining Magic Power, low… those dragons. Set aside.... eat.」

「You're a thoughtful Onii-chan.」

The boy called Age was no longer conscious of him. Naoki felt like it was already over after those words. Pathetic. I was so weak. I couldn't prevent my sister's tears. Naoki's heart was deeply sinking.

「Sorry, Aneki...」

With that mutter, Naoki closed his eyes

And was suddenly hugged tightly.

**********

It was heard. She could hear it.

The weak voice of the younger brother apologizing to his older sister arrived.

It reached Kazane's ear.

And Kazane hugged the collapsed younger brother in front of her. A smile like it was filled with all the affection in the world was pointed at Naoki as she strongly, strongly hugged him. From his body heat, she could sense he was still alive, and Kazane knew she had made it in time. She wiped his face sloppy with tears and mucus with her Indestructible Cloak and caressed his head, and Naoki smiled with relief and lost consciousness. Kazane was glad. She was really glad he was alive.

She was also barely in time for Jinrai's excessive blood loss. Kazane used High Heal on Naoki, then with the Aim Bracelet she also used High Heal on Jinrai through Yuuko-nee and Crystallized his wounds to stop the blood loss. Then she looked toward the God Dragon Emperor throne room.

「Ah, Kazane-chan?」

Before her was the black haired, dark-eyed young boy. She had heard earlier he was called Age.

「......」

Without opening her mouth to respond to Age, Kazane glared at him with bloodlust-filled eyes. A creaking sound could be heard from her feet. The Dragon Ogre Greaves evolved in response to Kazane's bloodlust.

(Ah, you also want to come out. That's good)

And Kazane nodded to the voice resounding from her feet.

On the other side, Age was overawed for a moment by the berserk feeling from Kazane's eyes, but his composed smile didn't crumble. He had certainly suffered damage from Jinrai just now and had felt fear. But Yukito was behind Age. The opponent was at most a single player. There was no reason to be frightened. But that composure collapsed after only a few seconds.

「Kill, 『Berserk Ogre』」

A black fist suddenly thrust out from under Age.

「Eh!?」

I don't understand. While so thinking, he noticed he had been knocked into the air.

「Pierce, Yuuko-nee!」

Then Age saw a monster cat approaching from above with a white bone-like sword in its mouth.

「Hii!?」

Age was sliced just after, and his scream resounded. The wound hurt. It didn't regenerate.

「The Magic Killing Sword is effective as expected, isn't that right?」

And Age felt fear at the voice of the girl leaping toward him.

(What is that monstrous leg armor!?)

It was obviously different from when he saw it as Benzel, and that made him more terrified.

Then Age resigned himself to dying there, but death didn't come.

Age thought he heard a striking sound, and he was being held by someone.

「Tch」

Kazane was sent flying from that place, and after one turn in the air she landed on the floor. To her left and right was a giant monster cat and a huge black Ogre with dragon-like claws on his hands and feet.

「That guy made my brother cry. Could you not hinder my punishment?」

Kazane was grinding her teeth as she talked.

「This guy, for me... like younger brother. Punishment, no good.」

Yukito facing her was holding Age. The right arm that received Kazane's kick was billowing smoke.

「Yukito Onii-chan, that?」

「Dozens of souls dissolved... that, dangerous.」

Yukito pointed at Kazane. The dragon claws on Kazane's leg armor were shining with white light. That was the light of『Soul Breaking Blade』. That radiance was the embodiment of an old man's final wrath at being deceived by a devil.

『Kazane?... You came?』

A voice could be heard from the interior. God Dragon Emperor Naga was there, collapsed with a tragic appearance.

「I'm more or less your wife. Are you okay?」

『No, my Heart has already been broken. I probably won't be able to move soon.』

Kazane's expression warped after those words.

『Kazane, the child... you, at least our child...』

Kazane looked at Naga's left arm. Even though it was probably a fierce battle, that left arm remained clean. It was covered with light, protecting an egg.

Kazane's greaves creaked and continued to change. Her rage didn't stop.

「Leave it to me.」

With that short statement, Kazane ran.

Name: Yuihama Kazane

Occupation: Magic Swordswoman

Title: Ogre Killer, Dragon Slayer, High Beast Summoner, Rea King

Equipment: Staff 『White Blaze』, Two Handed Sword『Black Fang』, Adhesion Sword『Gum』, Spell Dagger, Dragonscale Breastplate, Drake Gauntlets, Silver Sheep Clothes, Sylphyn Skirt, Plasma Pants, Dragon Eating Ogre King's Greaves, Indestructible Cloak, Mysterious Pouch, Crimson Saint Coffin, Heroic Spirit Summoning Ring, Circlet of Wisdom, Aim Bracelet, Magic Accumulator, White Magic Accumulator

Level : 32

Health: 124

Magic Power: 235+420

Strength: 55+20

Agility: 50+14

Endurance: 32

Wisdom : 62

Dexterity : 39

Spell : 『Fly』『Torch』『Fire』『Heal』『Firestorm』『Healer Ray』『High Heal』

Skill : 『Kick Devil』『Warrior's Memory』『Night Vision』『Crushing Blow』『Dog's Sense of Smell: Lv2』『Golem Maker: Lv3』『Rush』『Fire Principle: Third Chapter』『Healing Principle: Fourth Chapter』『Air Jump: Lv2』『Killing Leg: Lv3』『Fear Voice』『Invisible』『Tiger Eye』『Wall Walking』『Intuition』『Cheat Death』『Nimble』『Charge』『Material Shield: Lv2』『Information Link』『Optical Camouflage』『Dash』『Bloodsucking Blade』『Dragonization: Lv2「Dragon」』『Regenerate』『Soul Breaking Blade』『Stealthy Placement』『Thunder Chariot: Lv2』『Sturdier Teeth: Lv2「Dragon」』『Crystallization: Lv2「Dragon」』『Fabricated Coercion』『Stone Minotaur』『Mega Beam: Lv2』『Space Expansion』『Pseudo-silver Creation』『Poison Claw』『Fireball「Dragon」』『Cuticle「Dragon」』

Yumika:「Berserk Ogre?」

Kazane:「The incarnation of black muscles! Muscular beauty like my heart's desires personified!! Magnificent muscles!!! Viva muscles!!!!」

Yumika:「No, you don't have to keep talking about the muscles.」

Kazane:「Well, if I don't frivolously brag like that I'll be overcome with rage.」

Chapter end