Episode 38 — Surarin, Do Your Best
～ Part 1 ～
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The students joined up with the reincarnated ogre and repelled the Valley Hydra. This situation was disappointing.
Knight Suou, while roughly scratching his head, sat down on the sofa. Recently here, Akeno had been impulsive like that so he was acting as a pseudo-BRAIN, but there was a limit to putting on airs like a staff officer. He was after all a yankee with low academic score.
Nonetheless, that wouldn’t be a reason for him not to do his best. Before a directive came down from the King, there was no choice but to do everything possible by themselves.
The 2nd year class 4’s land warship was passing straight through the valley, aiming at the ruin of this kingdom. Their arrival was only a matter of time, he thought.
With the present situation, what Suou and Akeno should do was to reconcile with the students who had transform into monsters by passing through the Transference Denaturation Gate.
Originally, the Queen was supposed to gather the class at the Promised Cemetery and join up with this side over here, but then her betrayal was almost a settled matter. Although Kogane Yoshiki had already been won over as an ally but aside from that, everything was completely unknown.
About the reconciliation, the number one bottleneck was the fact that Akeno killed the Gryphon. This, he had yet to talk to Kogane.
“Suou-sama, we have captured the Valley Hydra as your command.”
One of the Pawn came and reported that.
“Ahh, I have put you through trouble.”
Since it couldn’t do its part as a watchdog as expected, there was no longer any reason to leave it uncontrolled. It had been decided that this old would be abandoned sooner or later. In that case, they should quickly caught it and have that girl Akeno tamper with it. With the present situation where he couldn’t take in the reincarnated monsters as war potential, there was no choices but to compensate by other means. Fortunately, it ended without taking much efforts in order to capture the hydra that was beaten up to the point of having only one head left.
Thereupon, Suou noticed the line of sight of the Pawn who remained on the spot without withdrawing.
That guy was grinning disgustingly while looking at Suou.
“…What?”
This Pawn was a newcomer. Nonetheless, it had already been one and a half month since he joined.
“No, Akai-sama betrayed us after all, and…”
The Pawn’s gesture of caressing his awfully flabby chin wasn’t something very pleasant to look at.
The Pawns’ common equipment, the black armor was something carefully made by Akeno. It compensated for the weak defensive power, allowed the usage of black energy and gave physical ability. Since it was a made-to-order item to match with the physique of each Pawn, it fitted them perfectly.
Whether this middle aged Pawn was living a very unhealthy life on earth, his black armor’s size was considerably misshapen.
“You, did you know? I think it was at the Queen’s school trip. Did you talk about something?”
“No, not at all. Because I am faithful a Pawn, I just fulfilled my mission. I couldn’t simply talk with Akai-sama…”
It’s fine then, said Suou, he lay down on the sofa and looked up at the ceiling.
“That Queen who was loyal to the King, betrayed…”
“I wonder if she was really loyal. Even if she has rebellious thoughts in her heart, it is difficult to oppose the King because of his power.”
“Well, that’s right.”
Suou similarly didn’t adore the King from the bottom of his heart. Just that as part of the household, the power of the King was absolute to him. He was bound by constraints of blood that could never be resisted.
So he was here at this moment. There was also other reason beside that though.
“Come to think of it, what’s Akeno doing?”
“With the first stage of maintenance of the chimera completed, she is currently tampering with her own head.”
“Ahh…. It was pretty bad…”
If the situation worsened that much, she should have let them go a little earlier. Because every-time the re-maintenance of the cranial nerves system was repeated, it would become frayed somewhere so she didn’t want to do it too much. Still, once she did it, she should have never killed the Gryphon.
“Well, it’s fine. You can withdraw.”
“Yes.”
The middle aged Pawn bowed with a courteous attitude and left the hall. As if to change place with him, Kogane entered. The moment Kogane passed by the Pawn, he lightly bowed and stood still as he was, seeing off that back for a short while.
“Yo, Kogane. What’s wrong?”
“No, that person resembles the bus driver-san at the school trip…”
“It’s your imagination. I mean, you don’t remember him very well.”
Suou started doing something like sit-ups on the sofa.
“But that toad-like smile…. I remember talking with Utsurogi saying that he looks like a corrupt noble appeared in ero manga. The guys that seem to buy elves and make them slaves.”
“You read such things? Creepy otaku.”
Kogane was lightly abused, but he didn’t appear to feel hurt in particular, saying 『no, well』, and scratched his head.
“Hey, when are we going to see everyone in the class?”
To the words of Kogane, Suou stopped the sit-ups.
“…Please wait a bit more. Now is not a good time.”
“Is that so? I understand.”
Kogane nodded without any doubts. Yes, now is not a good time. However, it would be faster for this side and that side to come into contact than for it to become a good time.
It shouldn’t take more than a few days before the land warship arrived at this ruined kingdom.
“Kogane, supposing I say that everyone in the class won’t take this side, what will you do?”
“Ehh, that is worrisome…”
Kogane frankly grimaced and scratched his head.
“People like Akeno-san are scary but Suou is a good guy. But Utsurogi and the others are also good guys…. I don’t know what to do at that time.”
That good guy may be gone the next time you meet though.
Suou swallowed the words coming up inside his mouth. In the process of accomplishing his mission as a kin, he would only be doing things that ran counter to Kogane’s will. That was decided from the beginning but it still felt disgusting.
I don’t know what to do at that time. That was certainly true.
Suou determinedly cleared his thoughts and restarted doing sit-ups.
“I will talk about the reason why everyone took those forms from now.”
Standing in front of the class, but still taking care not to turn her back toward Washio’s buddhist altar, Akai Asuka made her statement. A commotion spread among the students lining up on the deck. Ryuzaki and Goubayashi also opened their eyes wide in surprise.
Washio’s funeral ended and an atmosphere of taking a break was flowing inside the class, so she also had hesitation to say such a thing.
But it was also true that there was no reason to delay the timing anymore than this.
It seemed that Inugami had already noticed, but there were always signs of Pawns who seems to be watchdogs in the surroundings of this heavy cruiser branch school. The relay station of those guy was probably close. Akai’s betrayal should have also been sensed. She should talk to everyone before that.
Akai steadied her breathing. She could see Sakuma clenching her fists at her seat as if to say 『do your best!』.
“First of all, this transference to a different world and reincarnating as monsters isn’t an accident. What I mean is that it was orchestrated.”
Inside the commotion of the class that still didn’t settle, Akai continued.
“Next, I think there are also those who are vaguely aware of it but the ones who orchestrated that was the lot called Blood of Red Moon.”
She understood that Ryuzaki crossed his arms and nodded. Apart from him, some students also showed attitude as if they had been expecting those words.
There was no figure of Utsurogi Kyousuke in this funeral. That guy should have started noticing it too. But it wasn’t the time to worry about it at the moment.
“The blood clan is originally vampires from our world. And then———,”
Here, she paused a beat.
She intended to keep as much distance from the bunch in the class as possible. She tried not to become attached to them as much as possible.
Nevertheless, she needed some courage to say these decisive words.
“I am a comrade of those vampires.”
Instantly, the class fell deadly silent. Gazes like ice were direct at Akai.
Akai indifferently continued. The vampires who were chased out of their dwelling in the former words, formulated a plan to migrate to a different world. In the process, they started a project to transform humans to monster in order to replenish the war potential. Through some test cases, it was said that the «Queen», Akai’s classmates were chosen for the first mass transference.
The project itself was started three years ago. The blood clan sent some of its kins to the high-school that Akai had entered as staff members, and they put the students that were comparatively easy to draw a «hit» in the same class as her.
At the rocky wasteland that was to be the transference destination, they established a dungeon called the Promised Cemetery. The purpose of this was to put a crack in the unity of the class by driving them in a critical situation, and then Akai herself would put them in order again, winning over the class in its entirety to the blood clan.
The fact that cookwares and household goods that became the bare minimum living necessity were prepared in the upper part of the dungeon, that the golems holding materials and the magic reactor which can be used for various thing were arranged in the lower part, everything was to anticipate such a survival.
However, according to what could be understood from the story so far, Akai at this time continued to go against the will of the blood clan.
The fact that this clear betrayal being transmitted to the King as well, was probably just a matter of time.
“What, was it as expected.”
The one who declared so inside the deadly silent class, was Ryuzaki.
To him who nodded ∗yup yup∗ with his arms folded, Akai unintentionally asked back.
“———Ha?”
“I knew, Asuka. You talked a lot.”
It’s a lie. Akai intuitively understood. She could understand from looking at Goubayashi’s attitude behind him.
Ryuzaki too, would have been guessing to a certain extent. But as expected, things such as 『I knew』 shouldn’t be possible. At once, Akai retorted with her usual cold attitude, 『what are you saying?』,… she almost did but she held her tongue.
This was Ryuzaki’s consideration.
However much Akai intended to oppose the blood clan, it was an undeniable fact that she was the cause which put the class in this situation. And as a result of that, Washio had been killed. Unmistakably, anger would be directed toward Akai.
By declaring 『I knew it all along』 under these circumstances, Ryuzaki was implicitly saying that he forgave her.
This guy is an idiot, Akai thought. This guy is an idiot, isn’t he? Goubayashi’s face was saying so.
But,
“Oi, wait. I can’t accept this.”
A stinging voice was heard from the direction of the students. It was Hakuba.
“Then what. Washio died because of Akai’s fault? If Akai has said something sooner, wouldn’t it end without Washio’s dying?”
“Wait Hakuba, even Asuka wouldn’t think that they would appear at that place…”
“You shut up Ryuzaki!”
Hakuba barked and turned his eyes toward Akai.
“Even I would question whether to say such a thing at the funeral. But I can’t accept this! Oi, Akai, do you have anything to say for yourself!”
“……”
Akai closed her eyes. I guess I will be told that, she had that premonition.
Justifications, she could make as much as she wanted. But she didn’t think she could make them understand it. It’s fine even if they wouldn’t forgive her.
Such a thing is only deception. Thinking about this class, she should beg for forgiveness even if she had to abandon her pride as the Queen.
“…I’m sorry.”
Akai politely lower her head. Her velvet hair sway like a dropped curtain.
Again, the class fell silent.
“I say, Asuka.”
A girl’s voice raised among the seats. It was one of her follower, Harui the Harpy.
“I want to ask one thing, from Akai’s viewpoint, is there a way to change back to humans and return home?”
“I cannot say it’s certain but,”
Akai raised her face.
“Because the one Utsurogi and Washio came in contact with, that is to say, Akeno is the developer of the Transference Denaturation Gate. It depends on whether or not can you get a clue regarding that, and how much that sage guy can understand it.”
“Fun. There is certainly a clue. It should be fine then.”
Harui nodded as if convinced somewhere.
Since the clue to return become more solid, let’s reconcile for now, that certain atmosphere was in the process of being completed. But as Hakuba alone didn’t seem to be convinced, he was intently glaring at Akai.
No, it wasn’t Hakuba alone. Some of the students should be aware of the fundamental problem hidden in the content that Akai had told.
“Everyone, I think you all have something you want to say to Asuka, however.”
Ryuzaki clapped his hands and said.
“Our stomach will become empty soon, so let’s go have our meals for now. Since we know that Asuka isn’t our enemy, and in any case, the transference to this world has already happened. So I want to think in the direction of making the best use of the information obtained from Asuka in the future.”
A relieved mood flowed within the class. Everyone would hate to be on edge any further than this.
It could be summed up as swinging among the grudging feelings against Akai, the unpleasant atmosphere, and the feeling of forgiving, wavering which direction it will steer to. Except for some students, most classmates stood up as urged by Ryuzaki.
“Asuka, about «that», let’s open a class meeting and discuss about it next time.”
In the middle of starting to move to the dining room, Ryuzaki softly whispered to Akai.
“What Asuka talked about, «the clue to return to our world», and the «identity of the enemy». That’s enough for now.”
“Ahh, yeah…”
“There are also other worrisome matters. Like about Utsurogi.”
Akai had a grim look at the mention of Utsurogi Kyousuke’s name.
Should I tell the story of Phase 2, Phase 3 to Ryuzaki? No, I also need to tell this to the whole class before long.
About Ryuzaki and Goubayashi, they should be able to instantly reach Phase 3 if she was to give them blood now. However, she didn’t intend to give her blood to her classmates anymore. To reach Phase 3 by forcibly turning them into her kins was too risky.
As long as Akai kept this policy, the one who could awaken to Phase 3 in the class, was Utsurogi Kyousuke alone.
She would be troubled unless she got him back to his feet at any cost.
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