kscans

Chapter 171 - Versus the Giants

"■■■■■■—!!"

Weaving through the barrage of ice bullets with barrel rolls and wall jumps, I closed in on the enemy group.

As I rapidly shortened the distance, the Jötunn who had been attacking like machine guns fell back. In their place, giants armed with swords and spears for close combat stepped forward.

So, they're intelligent!

"■■, ■■■■■—!"

I dodged a thrusting spear by dropping down, only for another spear to immediately press in. I evaded it to the left, and there was a building's glass window.

No people inside. Then!

I smashed through the glass with my body, entering some office. As I dashed through the room, filled with desks, computers, and documents, a giant sword thrust in in pursuit.

With the sweeping blade at my back, I sprinted. I leaped over desks, dodged piles of paper, and used them to accelerate.

I kicked off the concrete wall that loomed before me, forcing a change in direction, and headed straight for a window. Before the sword could complete its swing, I leaped outside again.

At the same time, I pulled the Flügel around me, completely concealing my body.

The materials Ooyama-san had put into this weren't just my own.

Invisibility.

A single moment of concealment was all I needed. Amidst the shattering glass, the giant's sword, which had been trying to capture me, sliced through empty air.

Once I was in its guard, it was all mine!

As I deactivated the invisibility, I redirected all of the Flügel's resources into acceleration. With the momentum of my charge, I drove my sword into the Jötunn's neck and channeled fire and wind into it.

I kicked off its massive shoulder to accelerate and swung my sword. Using the magical explosion that erupted behind me to gain even more speed, I slashed at another one.

"■■■■■■…!"

The enemy's reaction was swift. It pulled back its ready sword to defend its neck and head.

But it was too slow. I kicked off the wind with Concept Interference, slightly altering my trajectory. I sliced off the fingers gripping the hilt and descended in a spiral. In the process, I slashed its side and the back of its knee, then slid my feet along the asphalt to gain altitude again.

A Jötunn pushed aside its screaming comrade and thrust a spear at my back. I could 'see' it without looking. I evaded with a barrel roll and headed for the machine-gun squad that had fallen back.

It readied its icy thorns, but an ally is in its line of fire!

"■■■■■■!!"

"You're still going to shoot?!"

I used my mantle as a shield against the volley that ignored friendly fire. Glancing back for a second, I saw the injured one that had lost its fingers being used as a shield by another.

It's logical, but I don't like their methods.

As I forced my way closer, the Jötunn, realizing it was too slow to draw their swords, tried to grab me with their bare hands.

Dodging them, I dove into the center of the enemy group. Enemies on all sides. As the blue-skinned giants all turned to look at me, I gripped my sword at my waist.

"Rrrraaaagh…!"

All my mana into the blade and the Ring of the Flame Horse…!

For an instant, the flames enveloping the blade swelled into a sphere. As giant arms tipped with icy claws thrust out from all directions, I twisted my entire body and swung my sword.

—SHRRIIIIIIEK!!

The released flames became a heat ray, tearing through the surroundings. The crimson blade melted the ice claws, bisected the giants' bodies, and melted the curtain wall of the building beyond.

A half-second later, the Jötunn, now engulfed in flames, slowly collapsed as their torsos separated.

The remaining enemy troops immediately switched from swords and spears to icy thorns and attacked, but I ignored them and pressed forward.

Flying with the wind from the Flügel, I predicted the attacks from behind with my Spirit Eye. I dodged and weaved, moving my body left and right, up and down, to evade the pursuit and shake off the Jötunn.

As their numbers dwindled, the density of the barrage naturally decreased. I wove through the now much wider gaps and flew towards my destination.

"Aira-san! I know it's just from the earring, but do you know my current location?!"

"I'd like to say 'how should I know,' but I'm a genius! Go straight through the gap between the buildings! You should see a pedestrian bridge, turn right there!"

"Roger!"

If I flew too high, I'd be targeted again.

In the corner of my vision, I witnessed a helicopter—maybe from a TV station, or perhaps trying to evacuate—being shot down by an icy cannonball.

Rescue is… too late. Besides, the people inside were probably… at the moment of impact…

"Tch…!"

"I know this is late, but don't do anything reckless. You only have two arms and one head. Don't think you can save everyone."

"I know…!"

I clenched my teeth and accelerated.

I spotted the pedestrian bridge, and at the intersection, I kicked the wind and turned right.

In that moment, a road clogged with a massive number of cars and filled with people flooded my vision.

"Wh-…!"

It was obvious if I thought about it, but it was supposed to be summer vacation. It was only natural for the city to be crowded, and even more so in Tokyo.

There had been a major outbreak in the city a while ago, but the sheer number of people was on a different level compared to other prefectures.

But seeing it visualized like this was overwhelming. This many people still haven't evacuated…?!

As I flew over them, I felt many eyes on me from below.

Some had just happened to look up, others looked up as if pleading. Among them were children young enough to still be carried by their parents.

"Tch…! Aira-san, the SDF is—"

"Of course, they're heading out from every base, but it's difficult to have a firefight in a city. We don't even know where they're fighting."

"I see…"

The fire department and police seemed to be guiding people, but it was too slow. At this rate, this place was just a hunting ground.

As expected, screams erupted from the evacuating citizens. Jötunn had appeared on a building rooftop.

"■■■■■■—!"

The giants roared and pointed their icy thorns at the fleeing residents. In their path were an old man leaning on a cane and a baby on its mother's back.

"Damn it!"

I dove into the line of fire, intercepting with fire and wind. I swept away the raining ice bullets with a horizontal slash and flew towards the giants.

"Changed your priorities, have you?"

"It's on the way!"

Unfortunately, I'm not seasoned enough nor rational enough to make such cold calculations instantly.

I'm just pretending to be calm while going insane! Who could come to a battlefield like this sober?!

Burning away even the stray ice bullets as I gained altitude, I forced them to raise their angle of fire.

With the darkening sky at my back, I dove. Converting the flames cloaking my sword into propulsion, I broke through the storm of ice bullets.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

A beastly roar escaped my throat.

Ice cannonballs grazed my helmet and my shoulder. I swayed just enough to avoid direct hits, and using the momentum of my fall, I cleaved a Jötunn's skull with a downward strike.

The blade went all the way down to its crotch. An attack from another one came from the side, but I moved diagonally upward to avoid it, using the first giant, now turning to salt, as a shield.

For a split second, their line of fire and line of sight were broken. I burst through the crumbling salt at maximum output.

The volley of ice bullets resumed immediately, but it was 0.2 seconds too late.

"Too slow!"

Maintaining my momentum, I drove a thrust into its eye, leaving behind wind and fire as I twisted and pulled it out.

Without a moment's pause, I kicked its brow to change direction and accelerate, leaping to the next target. As that one drew its sword to engage in close combat, I too raised my own.

The two blades clashed. Amidst the deafening roar, its footing crumbled, unable to withstand the impact.

"■■, ■■■■!?"

One of the Jötunn's legs sank into the floor below. I kicked its chin to force its head up and plunged the tip of my sword into its throat.

I tore through skin and flesh, channeling fire and wind into the passage beyond.

There was no time to waste pulling out the sword. I pushed off the pommel to ascend, just as the Jötunn's neck exploded.

"Hah… hah…"

I reformed my one-and-a-half-handed sword in the scabbard at my waist and drew it, re-gripping the weapon in my right hand as I steadied my ragged breath.

My recovery couldn't keep up with my stamina consumption. The enemy's strength, the unfamiliarity of aerial combat, and perhaps most of all, the effect of the Flügel.

It's useful, but it seems to be quite a glutton. It's doing its job, but this is a little tough.

"Sorry, the route from here…!"

"Don't apologize. I happen to like that part of you, just a little. The direction those evacuees are fleeing is towards the government complex. Just follow their flow and you'll be fine."

"Yes!"

"But don't forget. You're more important to me than some strangers I don't even know. Don't you dare die saving some random person. I'll haunt you for sure if you do."

"Understood…"

My breathing steadied, and I let out a small laugh.

She's an oddball, a nuisance, and a bit of a letdown in many ways… but she's a good woman.

As I reaffirmed that fact and was about to take flight again, I spotted a car plowing into the crowd of evacuees.

My eyes widened in confusion as I saw a Jötunn chasing after the car. The evacuees must have noticed too, because screams echoed once more.

"Oh, come on…!"

The giant stopped and enveloped its right arm in icy thorns. The ice bullets it fired destroyed the car's right rear tire, and the vehicle scraped against the guardrail with a shower of sparks.

The Jötunn's attack didn't stop there. It continued to spray its cannon fire, turning its arm towards the evacuees.

"I won't let you!"

I dove in just before the ice chunk hit the rear of the crowd, blowing it away with wind and fire. I then channeled all my mana into both arms and extended a blazing tornado towards the enemy.

"■■■■■■—!?"

Engulfed in flames, the Jötunn flailed its arms. I closed the distance in an instant and pierced its solar plexus with my sword.

I then sliced diagonally upward, and with a spectacular spray of blood, the giant's body fell backward. Seeing its blue skin turn white—literally—I let out a small sigh.

"Just how many of them are there…!"

I wiped the sweat dripping from my chin with my palm, but the gauntlet only made it more unpleasant. I shook my head to reset my thoughts and ran towards the car that had crashed into the guardrail.

The fire department and police were there, but they seemed overwhelmed with guiding the evacuation. The civilians didn't seem to have the luxury of helping others either.

I don't have time for this…!

"Are you okay?! I'm opening the door now!"

Trying not to let my voice get rough with impatience, I hurried to the driver's side… ah, wrong side. This looks like a foreign car.

The driver's seat was on the left, and a large man in a black suit was getting out. The evacuees, who had been glancing over as they moved, gave him an even wider berth. He was that intimidating.

He was a man with brown hair, looking the part in a black suit and sunglasses. But his hair and clothes were too neat for a common thug.

As I was slightly taken aback, he spoke to me in slightly broken Japanese.

"Thank you for rescue. Are you, a C-Rank Adventurer?"

"Uh, yes. Sort of."

I'm a 'B-Rank Candidate,' but on paper, I'm still C-Rank. It's not a lie.

Besides, why ask something like that in this situation? I'm in a hurry. As I answered the man, I tried to look inside the car.

But he blocked my view with his large body. Why? Is he transporting something illicit?

"I want to hire you, as a bodyguard."

"Impossible. Ask the police."

"I will pay you. How about 300 million?"

"I don't care. The ones in the back are a woman and an old man, right? Sir, can you walk?"

Through his sunglasses, I sensed the man flinch at my question. He could block my sight, but he couldn't hide the flow of his mana.

I forcefully ripped open the back seat door. I wouldn't normally do this, but it's an emergency.

Truthfully, I want to go save my parents rather than deal with strangers. After that, I need to regroup with my friends and escape… The more I think about it, the more my impatience grows. I don't have time to deal with these people.

"I don't know your circumstances, but please evacuate for now. Let the police protect—"

"W-…! A-…! F-ing…!"

"What was that?"

The nervous-looking old man started shouting something at me the moment he saw me, and the other person, a strikingly sensual woman, just stared at me with her mouth agape, looking stunned.

What is this, some evil scientist and his secretary straight out of a movie?

I could sense irritation and hostility from the old man, and fear from the woman. But why? I'm the one who saved them, you know?

"…! D-…!!"

"Aira-san, what is this person saying?"

"He's being incredibly arrogant, introducing himself as Doctor Tesla."

"Huh? As in, the Tesla coil?"

"He's saying something about being its rightful successor."

"Right. If there are no external injuries, I'm handing you over to the police or fire department, whichever is closer."

I squeezed into the back seat and grabbed the old man and the secretary-like woman under my arms.

They were yelling something, but I ignored them. As I started to move, the man in black grabbed my shoulder.

Then, I felt something hard pressed into a gap in my breastplate.

"What is it?"

"This person is a VIP. If you don't want to cause international incident, you will follow my instructions."

"Didn't I say I don't care?"

This is probably a gun. But it's probably just an airsoft gun again.

Because this guy can't hide his panic. He's so mentally cornered, it's hard to believe he's seen any real action.

His stance is a bit like Erina-san's, so I think he has a black belt in some martial art. But I saw on TV that even thugs these days can be former boxers.

After fighting monsters, I'm not about to be scared by something like that. Most importantly, I have to save my parents. I don't know if he's some kind of courier or what, but I can't waste any more time on these people.

What's with all this 'VIP' and 'international incident' talk, anyway? If you're going to lie, at least make it a better one.

Thinking that, I tried to force my way forward, but my Spirit Eye reacted again.

"One thing after another!"

Apologizing internally, I dropped the woman I was carrying in my right hand and raised my sword. Screams erupted from where I pointed the tip, but they weren't directed at me.

A Jötunn was running through the gap between two buildings. It let out a battle cry and raised its weapon.

Seeing it, the old man and the man in black screamed. The woman started to smell faintly of ammonia. Oh, for crying out loud! This is getting so annoying!

Just as I was about to leap over the evacuees and attack the giant, another source of mana stopped the descending blade.

"Nnnngh!"

A pitch-black suit of full plate armor. The tower shield it held had perfectly blocked the giant's sword.

"Sword Break!"

The moment the mana unnaturally reversed its flow, the Jötunn's sword shattered into pieces from the point of contact with the shield.

As the giant lost its balance, another Awakened Person had, at some point, leaped onto its shoulder. A white kimono, black hakama pants, and a Japanese sword held at the waist.

"Secret Sword… Kamikirimushi!"

The blade was swung at high speed. A two-hit combo, which even my eyes could barely follow, sliced off the giant's head.

The first strike cut the flesh, and the second, swung without a moment's delay, precisely severed the gap between the bones… I think.

What a swordsman, no, a samurai. And that shield user too, these two are strong…!

Though surprised, they were likely allies given the situation. They turned to face me, and our eyes met.

…Hmm? I feel like I've seen their mana before.

I also recognized the face of the old swordsman, who had one side of his kimono shrugged off to expose his right shoulder. Hmm, where have I met him before?

"Hm. Could you be one of the Invisible Ninjas?"

"Uh, where did you hear that name?"

The man in the full plate armor raised his visor and looked at me.

The fact that he knows that embarrassing party name means there's a high chance we've met somewhere. Then again, that self-proclaimed ninja shouts it at the Dungeon Store all the time, so that's also a possibility.

"Your companion was handing out business cards, so I remember it well. I thought, 'another strong but weird one has shown up.'"

"What?"

…No way.

"Perhaps you don't recognize me in this attire."

"It can't be helped. We were too normal, we stood out in that place."

"Wa—"

Before I could stop them, the pair dispelled their Arcane Gear.

And what appeared was—skin-colored.

"Maybe you'll recognize me in the same outfit as last time?"

Put on some clothes.

"I've dressed up a bit, you see. I might have left an impression."

Don't think subtracting things makes you fashionable.

One was an old guy in a cowboy hat, a necktie, and Stars and Stripes boomerang briefs. A thick mat of chest hair, with star-shaped pasties covering the tips.

The other, from the neck up, was a handsome old man who must have been quite the lady-killer in his youth. From the neck down, he was a vagrant in nothing but a red loincloth and geta sandals. For some reason, he was also wearing black heart-shaped pasties.

They were a walking shocking video. I remembered. Or rather, I didn't want to remember.

As the monsters I had sealed in the depths of my memory and pretended to forget reappeared, my face went blank beneath my helmet.

"It's been a while, Invisible Ninjas."

"Ah, yes. Hello. To get straight to the point, could you please take this old man?"

There were many things I wanted to comment on, but right now, I didn't care. I was worried about my parents.

For their sake, I couldn't care less what happened to this rude old man, as long as he didn't die.

"Crazy! …! …! Monster!!"

I couldn't understand everything he was saying, but I caught 'crazy' and 'monster'.

It seems that even though we were born in different countries, we share a common understanding when it comes to these perverts. I felt a little sorry for him, but I'll have him accept that it's better than dying.

"My, he seems to be delirious. Leave it to me. I may not look it, but I'm half-Japanese, half-American. I'm quite fluent in English, you see."

The Stars and Stripes Boomerang Man flashed a brilliant smile.

"Please. Also, over there are a man in a black suit with sunglasses holding an airsoft gun, and a woman in a state of shock."

"Indeed. We must head there at once. There should be a police car nearby, so we'll take them there. Those two must be confused in this situation as well."

The loincloth-clad old man with long black hair tied back nodded deeply.

"I'm sorry to ask this of you so suddenly. My parents are in Tokyo. I have to find them."

"Your parents… I understand. Leave this to us!"

"Ah. A filial young man. I wish you good luck in battle."

"Thank you. Excuse me."

I thanked the two men, who were perfect gentlemen aside from their attire, took a few steps back, and leaped. Then, I gained altitude with the Flügel.

"…! …! Help! Help!!"

"He's terribly frightened… Is it the terror of being attacked by giants? It can't be helped. Bury your face in my chest so you don't have to look. You can even suck on my nipple if you need to."

"The delirious man and woman are over there, I see. Rest assured! You're safe now! Here, have some water and calm down. Oh, and I'll be taking this toy off your hands."

The Boomerang Man pressed the old man's face into his thick chest hair, rocking him as if he were a baby. The loincloth-clad geezer produced a water bottle from his loincloth and swapped it for the airsoft gun in an instant.

I spared the scene a single glance before flying towards the government complex.

"Say, Kyo-chan. Those guys—"

"I have my priorities."

"R-Right."

Come to think of it, that old man was clutching a briefcase as if his life depended on it. I wonder what's inside? …Well, that doesn't matter either.

In any case, if they've joined the evacuees, they should have plenty of protection.

I have no worries about their combat strength. I headed for my destination at top speed. The area around the Central Government Complex seemed to have become a temporary shelter. The police were guiding people from the vicinity.

No, it wasn't just the police.

"Everyone, please remain calm! Evacuate in an orderly fashion!"

"This shelter is being protected by the Walkers, the Self-Defense Force, and the B-Rank Candidates!"

"SDF relief units have already left their bases, so help will be here soon!"

Walkers.

The adventurer organization my parents had recently joined was helping the police with the evacuation.

The sight of it almost made the thread of tension I'd been holding onto snap. But not yet. I couldn't relax until I saw my parents.

As I desperately scanned the area….

"Is that…"

I spotted a familiar face and my eyes widened.

I approached the person who was guiding the evacuation with a megaphone from the top of a truck, descending from above, if a bit rudely.

"Yamashita-san!"

"…Huh?"

The guild master of the Walkers, Yamashita Hiroshi, was there.