kscans

Chapter 23 - A Way Forward

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh───!!"

A beast-like roar clawed its way out of my throat.

As I charged forward on pure emotion, a spear shot toward the space between my eyes. No, at almost the same instant, my Spirit Eye had shown me a vision of my own skull being split open.

Gritting my teeth, I tilted my head to dodge. Sparks flew from the side of my helmet, and the impact slowed me down.

Immediately after, without a moment's pause, it unleashed a thrust aimed at my throat. I avoided it with a sidestep, only to be pursued by a horizontal sweep.

"Guh!!"

I managed to get my sword between us at the last second and block.

I matched its strength by releasing a burst of wind, then slid my blade along the spear's shaft. As I stepped in, intending to slice off its fingers, my Spirit Eye issued another warning.

I hastily pulled my sword away from the spear's shaft, just as the Orc Champion's knee cut through empty air. If I had kept going, I would have eaten a knee-strike counter.

Carrying the momentum, I circled to its side and immediately drew back my sword, thrusting at its flank. But it was knocked down by an elbow, and a sweeping blow from the spear smashed the asphalt, aiming for me.

I forcefully pulled my sword back and defended just before impact. I tried to block it, but my body was sent flying with ease.

My raw strength, even with the wind, is only on par… the size difference is…!

The champion's massive frame was at least three meters tall. As I was thrown into the air, reaching its eye level for a moment, it unleashed a high-speed three-strike combo.

If any of them hit, I'd die. That was obvious even without foresight.

"O-Ooooh!"

I twisted my body to dodge the first strike, struck the second from the side with my pommel, and used the recoil to escape the third.

As I landed, sliding on the rain-slicked ground, the Orc Champion pursued relentlessly. Thud. Its footsteps echoed as it swung its spear down in a diagonal slash.

I instinctively used wind to dodge sideways, and the ground where I had just been exploded.

The asphalt was easily shattered. Seeing the spear embedded in the ground, I tried to move forward, but at that moment, the tip was flicked upward.

Shrapnel-like fragments of the road flew at me.

"Hk…!"

I couldn't dodge. The wind mitigated some of the impact, but I couldn't block it all, and the shock hit me through my armor.

There was no pain, but my body was 'swept away.' The Orc Champion, not missing this opening, charged in again.

A left fist, delivered in an upward scooping motion from its massive body. My own left hand barely made it in time, and I blocked it with my gauntlet.

A heavy impact resounded. My body was sent flying, and I landed stumbling. A strange sound echoed from my limbs, but before the pain could register, the Orc Champion was right in front of me.

I ducked under a wide horizontal swing. In that instant, I saw that the path to its solar plexus was wide open.

I can kill it! Avenge my parents!!

With one hand, I drew back my sword and—

I saw a vision of my own skull being crushed.

"───"

My Spirit Eye foretold the future.

The corner of the Orc Champion's mouth, twitching into a grin.

And its massive spear, pivoting around its thick neck.

A feint…?!

I used a reverse blast of wind to emergency-stop my forward momentum. At the same time, I leaped backward with all my might.

But a moment later, I realized my mistake. I shouldn't have retreated. I should have gone forward and pierced its side.

This distance was the reach of a polearm.

The spear's trajectory shifted slightly and caught up to me. To defy the foreseen future, I raised my left arm to my temple.

Mekiii…!

The moment I heard something shatter, my body was sent flying like a baseball.

As my vision spun, my Spirit Eye showed me the moving scenery.

I had bounced in an empty parking lot, flown over broken glass, and been slammed into a ravaged storefront.

"Gah, iiih…!!"

I couldn't catch my breath. It hurts, it hurts, it hurts…!!

Letting out a meaningless groan of agony, I tried to stand up, putting a hand on my knee, but my left arm momentarily gave out and I failed.

As I placed my hand on the cracked floor, something red dripped down with a plop, plop.

Is this, blood? Whose… mine?

My head felt light, and with a soft sound, my helmet… what used to be my helmet… fell to the floor along with some blood. My left arm, too, had lost its gauntlet plating, revealing bare skin.

I somehow managed to stagger to my feet, but my knees were trembling.

It wasn't because of the damage. That had already healed.

This was… fear.

"D-Damn it…!"

I cursed myself for flinching in front of my enemy. How pathetic. To fall for a trap so easily, and then this…!

Outside the store, the Orc Champion waited for me to come out. Assuming it was being cocky, I gritted my teeth.

Fueling myself with that anger, I forced my retreating feet forward.

'──y! Hey! Can you hear me, Kyo-chan-kun! Yagawa Kyouta!!'

"Aira-san…"

'Finally got through… Report your situation. Where are you? The mirror on your earring is showing scattered clothing with price tags on them.'

"Where… a used clothing store, I think."

Keeping my sword pointed at the Orc Champion, I glanced around the store for a moment.

Toppled hanger racks everywhere, clothes of all sizes. A sign hanging from the ceiling that said, '20% OFF SALE.'

But the store was too ravaged to be explained by just me being thrown into it, and the ceiling lights were shattered. The sale sign was hanging by only one string.

Ah, this place is….

"The shop the Orc Champion came out of."

Then, my parents and Erina-san were here…

'What's there? No, could it be that Erina-kun is—'

"There's nothing. No sign of anyone, nothing."

I couldn't imagine the three of them being under the scattered clothes.

They must have been eaten by that monster. My grip on my sword tightened.

The moment I tried to focus on reconstructing my armor, my Spirit Eye screamed a warning.

"Kuh!"

The Orc Champion had ripped out a nearby road sign and thrown it.

I dodged instinctively, and it completely destroyed the already broken door at the back of the store.

Next, it pried up a manhole cover with the butt of its spear, grabbed it with one hand, and threw it like a frisbee.

A chunk of metal weighing as much as a person came flying at me, and I couldn't dodge. It's too cramped in here!

I somehow managed to block it with my sword before leaping out of the store.

'Nothing? You didn't see any people?'

"That's right… so I'm going to kill this thing right now."

Perhaps because the blood had drained from my head, or because the fear was working in a good way, I was able to face my foe with relative composure.

Beneath the rain, we aimed our weapons at each other, the Orc Champion slowly readying its spear.

Calmly, certainly, swiftly.

"I'll slaughter you…!"

'…Kyo-chan-kun.'

"Don't try to stop me. This one, and this one only, I absolutely will…!!"

'Erina-kun and your parents are alive. …Maybe.'

"───Huh?"

Despite the situation, an idiotic sound escaped my lips. No, it wasn't just my voice. The strength left my shoulders, and the tip of my sword dropped.

The Orc Champion didn't miss the opening and thrust at me. I avoided it with a backstep, but flying debris grazed my cheek.

With my helmet and left gauntlet gone, even the aftershock of an attack like this could be fatal.

If it hit my eye, my heart would be pierced before it could regenerate. If it hit my head and knocked me out, I'd be eaten alive.

Even as I instinctively understood the danger, I couldn't help but latch onto her last statement.

"Alive?! What do you mean?! Are they still in its stomach?!"

'No. There's no time to explain. Just defeat it. If you show it your back, you'll be killed.'

"Hk… If you're lying, I'll never forgive you!"

'Hurry, or the truth will become a lie. There's no one in its stomach, so you can tear it apart.'

"Roger!!"

They're alive. My parents. Erina-san.

I don't know why Aira-san thinks so. But I want to believe her. I want it to be true.

And to confirm it right away…

'Buooooooh!!'

"You're in my way!!"

With a war cry, the Orc Champion thrust its spear from above. I dodged to the side and changed my stance.

From a suicidal charge to a half-sword grip, holding the middle of the blade with my left hand… the basic form of the 'Viper's Stance.'

My gauntlet was broken, but my hand was still there. I could still grip the blade.

With a defense-oriented stance, I focused on responding to its attacks. I needed to hurry, but I had to finish this for sure.

As I dealt with the fierce onslaught, a question popped into my head.

Why didn't it come into the store? If it had pressed its advantage right after sending me flying, it could have killed me.

…Ah, I see.

'Buo! Buoooh!!'

I received a ferocious downward swing and deflected it to the side. Immediately after, the Orc Champion tried to retreat.

I pressed my pursuit.

The monster gritted its teeth and pulled its spear back, attacking me again. I continued to defend.

This thing has no stamina.

That body, with its combination of fat and muscle, is like a sumo wrestler's—good for short, explosive bursts of combat, but not suited for a prolonged fight.

The Orc Champion didn't come in, not because it chose not to, but because it couldn't. It needed even a moment to catch its breath.

Furthermore, that shop is too cramped for its body.

The interior had cracks running all the way to the ceiling. Did it try to force its way in and get a painful counterattack from someone?

My thoughts raced as I looked at the Orc Champion's slightly reddened pig-snout.

───Ah, really. You're an incredible person.

'Buaaaaaaaah!!'

A thrust that lacked its initial sharpness, merely fast.

I met it near the crossguard of my sword and deflected it to the right as I stepped in. By supporting the blade with my left hand, I could drive the point of my sword accurately into its stomach.

But it was blocked by its body armor. The champion immediately threw a roundhouse kick, which I blocked with my pommel.

I was pushed out of range by the impact but managed to hold my ground.

My adrenaline must be pumping. My body was screaming, but the pain was dull.

I was pushed back into the spear's range, but I stepped in again. I wouldn't give it a moment to rest.

I relentlessly took its attacks, deflecting and dodging. And through it all, I slowly, steadily closed the distance.

Was it a minute, or two? It couldn't have been three minutes.

The Orc Champion's breath was coming out in white puffs, and its face was covered in droplets that weren't from the rain.

'Bu, gaaaaaah!!'

A powerful strike from the butt of its spear exploded on the ground. It wasn't a miss; it had deliberately shattered the ground at my feet.

I was forced to retreat, shielding my face with my arm from the flying fragments of wet asphalt.

At the same time, the Orc Champion also jumped back.

A retreat? No. Those eyes were filled with rage toward me.

'Buuuuooooooo…!!'

Thump.

The Orc Champion's belly swelled as it took a huge breath.

Just like the other Orcs I'd seen, it was preparing a fireball!

'That sound! Watch out, it's planning to burn a wide area!'

Aira-san's warning and my Spirit Eye's vision of the future came at almost the same time.

In response───I charged forward.

'Bugaaaaaaaahhhh!!'

A fan-shaped torrent of red flames erupted from its mouth. A raging inferno spread out as if to lick the very ground clean.

I couldn't evade. I couldn't stop it in time. And I couldn't endure it.

In that case…

Concept Interference.

I'll throw it back!!

I mimicked the movements of someone I had once seen with the same skill.

I met the oncoming flames with my blade, interfering. I 'entangled' the mana composing it with my sword and wound it up with all my might.

"Oooooooh!"

I twisted my body as if doing a shoulder throw, then spun once more.

I swung my sword at the monster that had unleashed the flames.

The captured fire assaulted the pig-headed beast.

'Pi, gyaaaaaaaaaah!!??'

Its entire body engulfed in flames, the Orc Champion let out a shriek.

Even so, its fighting spirit wasn't broken. It glared at me with bloodshot eyes, baring its teeth and roaring.

'Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!'

It was exhausted and engulfed in flames, with surely little breath left. Yet the blow it unleashed was aimed precisely at my skull.

Which made it easy to dodge.

"Hk…!"

Losing a few strands of hair, I moved forward again.

I raised my foot to its burning body, kicked its knee, and stepped on its bulging stomach.

'───A thrust, you see, is a finishing move!'

I plunged my two-handed sword into the monster's throat.

The blade tore through thick hide and flesh, grazed bone, and pierced through its neck. Using its shoulder as a foothold, I spun my entire body.

Twisting the still-embedded blade, I released my sword and landed.

Splat. With that sound, the Orc Champion's massive body pitched forward and collapsed.

"Huuuuuh…"

Vigilance. I pointed my sword at the thing rolling at my feet for a few seconds. When it turned to white salt, I let out a breath of relief and touched my earring.

"Aira-san, the enemy is dead! Where are my parents and Erina-san?!"

'They most likely escaped through the back of that store! I can't imagine anyone would bother to hide bodies under a bunch of clothes! If there are no bodies in the used clothing store, then that's what it means!'

"Roger!"

The moment Aira-san said 'escaped through the back,' I turned toward the store and was about to run.

But two shadows emerged from a nearby alley.

'Buo, buo.'

'Bufuuu…'

"Not now of all times…!"

Two Orcs, one with a spear and one with an axe.

Were they drawn by the sound of the fight, or did they follow me here? Either way, I don't have time for this.

"Get out of the…"

My words were cut off.

A lone girl, her body coursing with mana, leaped down from the roof of the store.

With a ninja sword held in a reverse grip, she sliced the spear-wielder's neck, then forcefully pulled the blade out, showering the other Orc in a spray of blood.

As the creature flinched with a short scream, her blade flashed. Its neck was deeply cut, and the Orc staggered before collapsing.

With the monsters turning to salt behind her, the ninja-clad girl turned to me.

"Hey, Kyo-chan! I heard a noise so I came back!"

"Erina-san…!"

Smiling her usual carefree smile, she made a peace sign with the hand holding her sword.

Her left arm was gone from the mid-forearm down.

'Is that Erina-kun's voice! Tch, it's hard to see with this mirror! Are you alright?!'

"Ah, Paisen. Sorry, I broke the mirror I was holding. It got smashed to bits along with my left arm! Gushaa!"

'Your left arm?! How bad is the injury?!'

"It got torn off!"

'Torn…'

I couldn't say anything as Erina-san spoke so casually.

I just stood there, stunned, at the sight of my acquaintance having lost an arm.

"Ah, Kyo-chan. I have your parents waiting behind that shop right now. You should go get them!"

"Erina-san, your arm…"

"Yeah! This thing…"

Sway. Her body wavered, and her slender frame seemed about to fall backward.

"Erina-san!"

I instinctively caught her, but she was terrifyingly light. More than that, her already pale skin was even paler, almost like a corpse's.

Her rain-soaked body was cold, and blood was slowly trickling from the wound, which was tightly bound with cloth.

The red stained the puddle on the road.

"Looks like I lost too much blood. My vision's getting a little blurry."

'Damn it! A hospital… no, I doubt any are functioning right now…! With Kyo-chan-kun's speed, how far can he carry her… what's his speed? No, with his parents in tow, he won't make it in time…!!'

Aira-san's frantic voice came through the earring.

Of course. Anyone would panic in this situation.

"Why are you smiling…?"

Erina-san was smiling, just like always.

"Hmm? Well, everyone dies eventually. And before that, I was able to save them."

"Save what…"

"My friend's family."

This person, who called herself a ninja…

"Families should stick together, you know."

…she said, on the verge of death, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

………Ah, damn it.

"Please."

After hearing something like that, after being smiled at like that…

"What is it?"

…there's no way I could be heartless enough to abandon a friend.

"Keep this a secret, okay…!!"

'Yagawa Kyouta! Stop the bleeding, now! Any more—'

"A secret about what?"

Ignoring their voices, I touched her wound.

I focused on my own heart. In time with its beat, I drew out my mana.

From my chest, to my shoulder, to my arm, and then to my palm. A crimson light overflowed, pouring into her severed arm.

The brilliant light, bright enough to envelop our surroundings, subsided after a few seconds. In its place, a slender, white arm had grown.

The hand that should have been lost was back to normal.

"…Haaaaah."

I let out a huge sigh and went limp.

Seriously, what is it with today? Too much has happened in one day. I'm at my mental limit. The only saving grace is that my body and mana are perfectly fine.

"Whoa, whoa, whoaaaaaaa!"

'What was that light! Was it an enemy?!'

"Paisen! My arm grew back!!"

'Are you hallucinating now?! Damn it, we need to get you to a hospital immediately!!'

"I can play rock-paper-scissors!!"

'Right now?!'

It was too much of a pain to explain, so I took off the earring and pushed it into Erina-san's hand.

"Is the wound okay?"

"Yup! Perfectly fine!!"

She stood up and started jumping up and down, then even did a backflip.

She's got a little too much energy now, I thought with exasperation as I headed toward the back of the store.

On the way, a pungent smell hit my nose. Ah, I see. So she threw something spicy at the Orc Champion's nose, huh?

Anyway, beyond the destroyed door, through a short hallway, and past another door.

"Mom, Dad."

"Kyouta…?!"

Seeing my parents, a smile naturally spread across my face.

The moment I felt a profound sense of relief that they were both in one piece…

"What are you doing in a place like this!"

"Whoa?!"

"W-Wait, Mom?!"

I narrowly dodged a slap from my mother.

Then, she grabbed my shoulders and started shaking me back and forth.

"Coming to such a dangerous place! Why aren't you at home?!"

"Uh, well, to rescue you."

"It's dangerous!!"

"Honey, calm down."

My dad tried to somehow placate my mother, who seemed beyond reason.

Then, my mother pressed her forehead against my chest plate.

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry, Kyouta…"

"…Let's go home."

I didn't know what to say myself.

Should I be happy they were safe? Should I be angry for being yelled at? Or should I apologize?

I can figure that out later.

"Let's go home."

"…You're right."

"Yeah."

After bumping fists with my dad, I led them both outside the store.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. Really, Erina-san, I don't know how to thank you."

"Kyo-chan! Let's burn this store down right now!!"

"What is she talking about?"

I gave a deadpan reply to the self-proclaimed ninja, who was holding up a plastic container with a smug look on her face. Where did she even get that?

Seriously, where did she get it from.

"It'll be a problem later if my arm is just lying around! They'll definitely make a clone ninja army!!"

"Don't just burn down a store on a whim."

"Aww. Well then, I'll just burn it on the street. Wonder if it'll catch in the rain."

What is, what is this?

The self-proclaimed ninja tossed her arm and a blood-soaked towel onto the ground and started pouring gasoline all over them.

"Oh, I wiped up your blood inside the store too, Kyo-chan! I'll burn it with this!!"

"O-Okay."

"We have to prevent the creation of a clone Kyo-chan army!!!"

"That's not going to happen."

What kind of sci-fi novel is this?

"Ignition!!"

Wow, it's burning well, even in the rain.

The lighter Erina-san threw ignited the gasoline, and flames began to consume the arm and towel.

"Alright, let's go home!! A triumphant return!!"

"…Um, Kyouta. Is she always like this…?"

"Yeah… she's a good person, though."

I wanted to tell her to give me back my moment of deep emotion and gratitude, but she's my great benefactor, so I held it in.

Ignoring my completely bewildered parents, Erina-san sidled up close to me.

Whoa, your face is close?!

"Um, why are you so close…"

"Because I can't hear Paisen's voice otherwise, duh."

"W-Well, that may be true, but…"

'Hey there, Kyo-chan-kun! Sorry to interrupt your very virgin-like reaction, but let's share some intel!!'

"Ah, yes, please. Also, I'm punching you later."

'Isn't that a bit harsh?! Ahem. It seems Erina-kun has made a full recovery through some mysterious power, but she's out of mana. So she can't use teleportation. You'll have to come back on foot.'

"Okay. What about the SDF or the police?"

'There was just a report that the stampede in the Kanto region is starting to be suppressed. The SDF should be coming to your location, which is currently just being cordoned off by the police, soon. But it won't be immediate.'

"Understood."

I focused my consciousness on my Arcane Gear, reconstructing my helmet and gauntlet. While I was at it, I also unsummoned my warped and chipped sword and replaced it with a brand-new one.

'Oh, and one more thing.'

"Yes?"

'You did run through the streets quite spectacularly, didn't you?'

"Thanks to that, I didn't run into any enemies on the way, except for the Orc Champion!"

'And the fight with that Orc Champion made quite a bit of noise, you see.'

I could hear a dry laugh from the earring.

'I think a horde of Orcs is probably heading your way.'

"COULDN'T YOU HAVE SAID THAT FIRST!!??"

Is this really the time for a casual chat?!

'Ehh, it's a party that came all this way just to see you, you know?'

"You'd better take responsibility, Kyo-chaaan."

"M-My deepest apologies…!!"

It was my idea to force my way through because there was no time to fight, and I was the one who insisted on saving my parents in the first place.

All I could do was apologize. These two were originally uninvolved in this whole mess.

"So, we're making a run for it, Kyo-chan! There are cars around we can use!"

"Is that really okay…"

'Oh, it's an emergency evacuation. If we leave them here, they'll just get wrecked anyway. If we get in trouble for it, my university will apologize to the owner later!'

"Haaah… Dad! You have your driver's license, right?!"

I picked up my mom's bag and ran over to my parents.

───A day where far, far too many things happened.

I panicked, ran, fought, fought, fought, and healed.

In the midst of this turbulent day that was making my head spin, I averted my eyes from my dad, who was gripping the steering wheel of a stranger's car with a strained look on his face.

And quietly, I looked up at the sky.

"What're you doing, Kyo-chan! Time is money! Let's bounce!"

"Yeah, yeah…"

The sky, where black smoke had risen and rain had poured down…

…was slowly, beginning to show patches of blue.

"Alright! Papa-san, full throttle! Let's become the wind!!"

'This is your chance, Kyo-chan-kun. They say if you stick your hand out of a speeding car, you can feel what breasts are like!'

"Um, before I even stick my hand out, we're the only ones on the roof… For interception? Yes, that's right. But Erina-san, you're too close!!"

It was a noisy trip home. We ended up fighting quite a few monsters along the way, throwing swords and knives at them.

But we all made it home safely.