kscans

Chapter 170 - And Still, the Boy Flies

As the lights of civilization vanished outside the window, the interior of the bullet train was illuminated once more.

"—service has been suspended due to a power outage. The entire Tokyo area is experiencing a blackout, and as for the restoration of service—"

The announcement played, but it was difficult to hear over the surrounding clamor.

Regardless, I knew what I had to do.

Inversely proportional to the chaos around me, I felt a strange sense of calm wash over me.

Calmly, I was going insane.

"Erina-san, can you open the bullet train doors from the inside?"

"Sure can. You going?"

"Yeah."

"OK! Leave it to me, brother!"

"Huh? Wha… huh?"

I glanced at the confused Mia-san as I handed my luggage to Erina-san.

"I'm sorry. My parents should already be in Tokyo. I'm going to rescue them."

"I-I see… but wait! This is Tokyo! The Self-Defense Force and the police will be here in no time—"

Mia-san’s voice faded behind me as I made my way down the aisle. A crowd had already formed near the doors.

A man who looked like the conductor was in some kind of argument.

"P-Please wait, sir! We are currently assessing the situation—"

"Like I can wait! There’s another outbreak, isn't there?!"

"I'm an Awakened Person, I can tell! There are monsters out there!"

"We have to get off and run. We'll be killed if we stay here!"

"Distance! We need to get as far away from the outbreak as possible!"

The voices echoed through the car, creating an even larger wave of people.

In an instant, the doors were forced open manually, and passengers began shoving past the conductor and climbing out one after another.

I’m sure this would have been unthinkable in Japan before the Day of Awakening. But this country has suffered far too much at the hands of those monsters.

Perhaps I should have felt something about that, but right now, I could only think of it as convenient.

I rode the wave of people and quickly stepped down onto the gravel, deploying my Arcane Gear.

"Aira-san, how much do you know about the situation?"

"Not a damn thing! Apparently, the power is out across all of Tokyo. Hospitals and the like seem to have backup generators running, but the city's infrastructure is paralyzed. They can't even issue a proper evacuation order! More importantly, is an outbreak the cause?!"

"The cause is unknown, but there's definitely an outbreak. I'm heading to my parents now."

"As the eldest here, I'll try to stop you just once. Don't do it. This is Tokyo. The SDF and police will be here to help soon. There's no need for you to go."

"Sorry. I'm going."

"Hahaha! It's like talking to a brick wall! Fine, if they're anywhere, it'll be around the central government complex in Kasumigaseki! The Walkers personnel are scheduled to gather there for the time being, according to social media. It's the place you went for the briefing!"

"Right. Thank you."

My voice came out surprisingly low.

Even though a passion that felt like my brain was bubbling was burning inside me. Even though an anxiety so intense it felt like my heart would burst was swirling within me.

My vision was clear, my breathing steady.

But I could tell I was in a hurry.

The SDF and police might be on their way, but I couldn't imagine them being able to use heavy firearms in the middle of the city. On top of that, the mana I had sensed was clearly B-Rank or higher.

I could have probably spit out some logical excuse from that, but I wasn't in the mood to bother.

Right now, I had to get to my family as quickly as possible…!

"Kyo-chan!"

The moment I started to run, a piece of 'cloth' was thrown from behind me, and I caught it instinctively.

When I turned around, Erina-san and the others were there, having also climbed down onto the tracks. It seemed she'd come to deliver the paulownia box I had entrusted to her Item Box.

"It's handmade by Shī-chan! If you're going, you'll use it, right?"

"Thanks. It's supposedly a prototype, but I'll trust her."

With that reply, I donned Ooyama-san's latest creation.

Swish. I draped the white cloth over my shoulders. No, whether it should be called cloth was debatable.

Its shape was a 'mantle.' Edged in black, it fastened at my chest with a clasp. It had a substantial weight, but the way it fluttered in the wind was like any ordinary cape.

However, I knew this was made of 'metal.'

A masterpiece crafted by combining metals from drop items, melting them in a furnace made with clay from the Dungeon of Utuq, and giving it the thinness and flexibility of cloth.

Its name was Flügel. I couldn't say it was as light as a feather, but it wasn't a burden. Her work was impeccable as always. The name's a little… cringey, though.

I knew its function from reading the manual. Now it was just a matter of how well it would perform according to her design… but I had no doubts. I could entrust my life to it without a problem.

More importantly, would Ooyama-san forgive me for using a prototype in a firefight like this?

I'll do whatever it takes when I get back, even if I have to grovel.

"Well then, I'm really going now."

"Wait, going is fine, but hold on a second?! First, we need to know what kind of monsters are on the rampage—"

"I'm launching a drone now, I'll attach Senpai's mirror to it!"

"I'll pilot it!"

"I understand your haste, but we need information—"

"I'm going ahead."

"Wha—"

There was no time. Ignoring Aira-san's words, I kicked up gravel and broke into a run.

In a single bound, I cleared the fence beside the tracks and leaped, stepping on the wind. I gained altitude as I headed for my destination.

When I looked down, a horrifying scene unfolded below.

Amidst the flames, where screams and angry shouts mingled, stood a blue giant.

Its blue skin was like the surface of a frozen lake, something no ordinary creature possessed. It had hair like clinging ice and a beard like a bundle of icicles.

It wore a steel helmet with horns and a cuirass that looked like it was made from animal hide. And in its hands, it held swords and spears.

They were about six meters tall. These giants were killing people meticulously and mercilessly.

A truck, desperately trying to escape, slammed head-on into the blade of a giant that jumped in front of it and was torn apart.

A wave of people running for their lives down the sidewalk was engulfed by a blast of cold air from a giant's massive mouth. In an instant, their faces, frozen into statues of ice, were contorted in terror and agony.

A giant climbed onto the roof of a building where people had fled, stabbing its spear down from above again and again. Debris scattered, and eventually, the building collapsed, along with the people inside.

Death was spreading. Screams, shrieks, and wails were spreading.

Unconsciously, I clenched my jaw. Immediately after, my Spirit Eye reacted. At the same time, Aira-san's voice echoed from my earring.

"Those are 'Jötunn'! Based on their stats, I estimate them as B-Rank, but given their size—"

I didn't have time to hear the rest of her words. Twisting my body, I drew my sword. The moment I gripped it with both hands, it was right in front of me.

A giant. A monster of towering size, breathing icy vapor from the corners of its mouth, was flying through the air.

No, it hadn't flown. It had jumped.

"Their true potential is A-Rank! You must not fight them!!"

A roar echoed through the heavens.

The size difference was so vast that the one-and-a-half-handed sword I gripped looked like a needle. It collided with the greatsword wielded by the giant, and an impact like every bone in my body was shattering assaulted me.

"Guh…!"

That one blow was undoubtedly on par with the Minotaur. The same monster that had overwhelmed me when I was alone, leaving me helpless.

'Big' is 'strong.' As long as we're bound by the laws of physics, that is an absolute rule, even in this world where the supernatural has blended in.

The massive slash, which would have overwhelmed even the Utuq or the Nue, had struck me in mid-air. There was no way I could emerge unscathed.

If not for the wings she had given me.

—Gichigichigichi…!

A sound like twisting bundles of leather straps echoed from behind me. In that instant, a tornado pushed my body forward.

"■■■…!?"

The giant's eyes widened, and it let out a groan. In the brief moment our blades were locked, I flicked my sword upward.

Then, I spun sideways at full speed. Faster than its sword could be completely knocked away, I slammed a slash into the flat of its blade.

With a high-pitched sound like a massive amount of glass shattering at once, the giant sword broke apart. I flew through the scattering metal fragments and closed the distance. I drove the tip of my sword into the giant's solar plexus and poured in all the wind and fire I could muster.

As I flew, slicing its torso horizontally, the residual wind and fire erupted as if in an explosion. The burning Jötunn's body transformed into white crystals before it even reached the ground.

I glanced at the giant, now a pile of salt of equal mass, and let my mantle flutter in the wind.

"I can do this. With this Flügel…!"

"Are you serious, kid…!"

Sage's Nucleus.

It grants my own heart the same power as the Philosopher's Stone, the ultimate treasure sought by alchemists. And the ideal in alchemy is none other than 'perfection.'

Therefore, the concept of running out of mana does not exist. There is simply a limit to how much can be drawn at once from the sea of power that could be called infinite. With just myself as a vessel, soaring through the sky would consume most of my resources.

But, what if another vessel for drawing mana was available?

"Kyo-chan! We're gonna advance on the ground, so you go nuts up there!"

A little surprised, I heard Erina-san's voice from the earring.

"No, you two should just head back—"

"Don't be a stranger, Kyo-chan! A party is a community of fate, so to speak! We rely on each other, protect each other, and—"

"I will fight too! You fought for me when I was being stubborn, and when my sister was captured. I will repay that debt!"

"Y-You heard them. Fly as you please. I'll be your navigator and communications officer."

"Tch… thank you, all of you!"

"A party is like siblings! A party is family!"

"I'm charging in! Good luck!"

"Yes! Let's go, Erina-san!"

"You got it!"

I must say, I've found myself some good companions.

I kicked off the wind and accelerated. Releasing wind from the Flügel as well, I flew towards where my parents should be.

"Tch…"

I adjusted with my feet as I started to fly off in the wrong direction. It was tough without any practice. The only reason I could fly at all was thanks to the creator's skill. I offered another silent thanks to Ooyama-san for making it so intuitive to use.

"Based on the direction triangulated from Erina-kun's mirror, you should head in the ten o'clock direction from your perspective. At that speed, you should be there in no time, but…"

"That is, if there's no interference!"

Spears of ice, fired from almost directly below. I swerved left to evade the barrage that came like machine-gun fire.

Looking down, I saw five Jötunn looking up at me.

The moment I saw their raised right fists being covered in icy thorns, they were fired at high speed. A flurry of 'cannonballs' that, while not reaching the speed of sound, came close.

I rapidly accelerated sideways, then dove almost vertically towards them. They immediately took aim and met me with a barrage of ice bullets, but I evaded them with a spiral trajectory and wall jumps without slowing down.

Seeing me close in rapidly, the Jötunn abandoned their ice and drew the swords hanging at their waists. But it was too late.

"Ooooh!"

Maintaining my momentum, I plunged my sword into the forehead of the nearest one. It pierced its helmet, shattered its skull, and I poured wind and fire inside.

"■, ■■■…!"

I pulled my sword out, slicing horizontally, and moved to the next target. A Jötunn swung its blade upward with the momentum of drawing its sword, but I barrel-rolled under the slash and charged. I slammed a diagonal slash at its neck, tearing through its snow-cold skin and shredding the flesh beneath.

Three left! I'll finish this quickly!

"■■■■■—!!"

"■■, ■■■■!!"

An unknown language, or perhaps just a battle cry. The giant warriors leaped at me with weapons in hand.

With each step, the asphalt cracked, and their weight turned abandoned cars into scrap metal. I soared upward to evade the two blades swung from that mass.

Just as I escaped upward, another one, which had climbed onto a building's roof unnoticed, unleashed a chaotic volley from its ice machine gun.

Their aim is sloppy. Slower than the Manticore's needles!

I threw off their aim with a sudden deceleration followed by rapid acceleration, and in that opening, I climbed higher before diving steeply.

I pulled off the dizzying, reckless maneuver relying on my skills. Its arm couldn't track me in time, and as it fired wildly in the wrong direction, I assaulted the Jötunn, swinging my sword as I passed from its left shoulder to its left flank.

With the explosion of the fire and wind left in the wound at my back, I flew towards the ground. I changed direction almost ninety degrees and closed the distance on the remaining Jötunn, parallel to the road.

One of the two remaining giants fired its machine gun while the other, covered by its ally, charged at me with a sword.

"■■■■■■!!"

As the blade swung down, I flew just above the ground, raised my torso, and dragged the sole of my left foot on the road.

Sparks flew as the asphalt shattered. I broke through the cloud of dust kicked up by the passing giant blade, pivoting on one foot and spinning horizontally.

I slammed my sword into the massive shin that came into view on my path, shattering the bone.

A trail of fire followed as the giant's blood danced in the air. I passed under the Jötunn's legs and on to the next one.

"■■■■■■!?"

As it fired a volley of ice, I approached in a weaving, snake-like trajectory. I kicked off the ground and leaped, slicing the inside of its outstretched right arm.

Staggering from the wound to its inner elbow, the Jötunn thrust the sword held in its left hand.

But the difference in size was clear. If their advantage was strength and toughness, mine was agility, and I would exploit that difference to the fullest.

I circled around the tip of its sword, running along the inside of its arm to accelerate. I plunged my sword into the giant's eye and poured in all the fire and wind I had.

Kicking off the giant's body as it fell back screaming, I flew diagonally backward. Immediately after, the ice machine gun's fire pierced the spot where I had been.

"■■■■■■—!!"

It was the one-legged individual, now on one knee, attacking its dying comrade along with me.

As the Jötunn tried to stand using its sword as a cane, I charged forward without dodging, using my mantle as a shield.

Ice shattered on impact as I pushed through. The giant swung its sword as it fell, and I met its blade with my own.

As the shockwave shattered the windows of nearby buildings, I released wind from both my feet and the Flügel at maximum output.

"Haaaaaaaaa!"

"■■■■■■—!?"

I forcefully pushed through, delivering a horizontal slash to its throat. As the wind and fire left by the slash created an explosion, the fifth Jötunn collapsed.

"Now, I just have to…!"

Just as I muttered that, a rain of ice machine-gun fire assaulted me.

I instantly escaped upward, only to lock eyes with a swarm of Jötunn glaring at me.

There were about thirty of them. They must have been drawn by the sound of the previous battle, or perhaps they followed the scent of my mana.

Either way, there were far too many.

"Get out…"

The anger searing my mind, the anxiety swirling in my chest, finally rose to the surface.

The monsters trampling over people and the city. The safety of my parents, caught in the middle of it all. Emotion welled up in my throat.

"OF MY WAAAAAAY!!"

"■■■■■■■—!!"

My own roar collided with the battle cries of the giants.