Episode 62 — Dyeing the Blue Sea Crimson (III)
～ Part 2 ～
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“FUOOOOOOO–!!”
“Tch–…!”
Okumura’s full body ramming attack crashed into the heavily wounded Pawn.
The opponent was wounded. This side won in number. Even under those conditions, the war potential was rivaling. There was just that much difference in combat ability between the students who had yet to wake up to Phase 2 and a vampire Pawn. The Pawn had a fist-sized hole opened in his chest, but he caught Okumura’s tackle with both arms and held him down with brute force.
“You’re foolhardy, but at this degree…!”
“Gaaah–!”
Black lightning ran from the Pawn’s two arms. Okumura screamed, he kneeled down.
“……–!”
That moment, from exactly a blindspot of the Pawn, a sphere was shot, drawing an arc. That was Ozashiki Dousuke’s presence erasing killing shoot, but the Pawn showed a faint smile and slightly diverted his body. The kemari didn’t crashed into the Pawn, and only slightly grazed him.
“Impatient? You didn’t completely kill your bloodlust.”
“No, this is good debu.”
However, the one to laugh was Okumura.
“What…”
At the place the Pawn was gazing at, was a wall that wasn’t supposed to exist until just now. That wall that had been slowly sliding, repelled the kemari just like a battledore, the repelled ball head toward a treasure chest put in a corner of the deck. The lid of the chest vigorously sprung up, launching the ball up high.
That was Kabeno Chihaya the nurikabe (wiki) and Hakoiri Youko the mimic. Still didn’t know what they were trying to do, however, in order to obstruct that plan, the Pawn thrust Okumura away.
“You’re not going anywhere!”
Extending spider threads entwined the Pawn’s arm. The threads Kumosaki the arachne took out, were strengthened by «Weaving» power of Kikino the kikimora (wiki). In that moment, Mitarai Azuki performed liquid coating with water attribute magic to the launching ball.
“This thing…!!”
The Pawn laid bare his irritation, he pulled the threads coiling around his arm. The two powerless girls screamed and were about to be dragged along, but Zeku the ogre joined in the tug of war, all the while growling. The power was rivaling for a little while.
“Hakuba, gooo–!”
“ORYAAAAAAAA–!!”
Kicking the deck floor, Hakuba, with Kensaki onboard, ran past. The unicorn horn that was said to stab to death even elephant, stabbed toward the arm of the Pawn who was trying to tore off Kumosaki’s thread with the other arm. Kensaki’s sword was swung down from the opposite side, sandwiching the Pawn’s arm from both side.
“DEEEEEI–!!”
Sure enough, the duo’s attack aiming for the joint of the armor, succeeded in knocking down one arm of the Pawn.
“Guh, y–you bastards–…!”
“Do it nooww! Yukinoshita!!”
Withdrew from the Pawn’s attack range, Kensaki shouted.
Aiming for the ball that was launched high in the air, a volleyball club member the hot-blooded snow woman jumped. The cold air in her surroundings received sunlight and glittered, it froze the water coating the ball.
“Burster Smash!!”
Yukinoshita released a full power smash. But the Pawn avoided it again. The ball — coated with water and cold air — impacted on the deck right next to his feet. Seeing that and landed on the deck, Yukinoshita — even while being half melted — crossed her arms, and showed a daring smile.
“It’s minus 1 trillion and 20 million degree freezing ray, don’t you know what will happen!?”
“That temperature doesn’t exist!”
“Moreover, what halfhearted number!”
Even while being retorted, truly as Yukinoshita had declared, the impacted ball exploded cold air and froze the Pawn’s feet in one go.
“What–…!”
The Pawn’s voice was filled with surprise. A silver snow world was suddenly summoned to this tropical maritime nation. Ice covered till over his knee, the Pawn became completely immobilized.
“All right, now’s the time, avoid it everyone!!”
In response to Gofunkawahara’s shout, the students who were fighting that Pawn immediately evacuated in all direction.
Gofunkawahara and the goblin unit under his command were at the gun turrets. Machine gun muzzles pointed at the immobilized Pawn from all directions. After confirming that everyone had already evacuated the shooting line, Gofunkawahara swung down his raised arm.
“Fireee———–!!”
The 25 mm machine guns lined up on the deck simultaneously spat out bullets. The bullets came to be the final finishing blow to the Pawn’s black armor that was cracked in the fierce battle. Soon, the armor broke, bullets rushed to his heart that had been protected by the thick armor.
Even his death agony was drown out by the roaring sound, during that time, some students averted their eyes, some ascertained till the end while grimacing.
“Stop!”
With Gofunkawahara’s instruction, the shooting exactly stopped. Wrapped up in ice, the Pawn’s body had already returned to ashes at some point in time.
“…We, we won…? With our power…”
Kensaki timidly muttered, Hakuba also nodded.
“It appeared that way.”
“Victory of friendship is wonderful!”
With clenched fists and a fearless smile, Yukinoshita’s body had already became syrupy.
“Oi Gofunkawahara, you’re firing bullets to the deck! Thanks to that, the floor is all tatter isn’t it!?”
“My bad, my bad, Kuremori, I could only do it that way…”
Looking at the situation, both Goubayashi and Harao seemed to have just finished defeating their respective Pawn opponent. Of the Pawns who had attacked the branch school, 3 had been successfully crushed. Though 2 of them were wounded, this could still be said as a brilliant achievement.
The students, for now, started hooraying. However, Kensaki grimly looked up at the sky.
Indeed, the branch school defense had succeeded. But it would be completely meaningless if Akai’s person was taken away.
Sakuma’s instruction showed concern about the escaping Pawn. That is to say, even if Sakuma and the others took back Akai here, it would still be meaningless if that Pawn could escape this Delf Island.
Of course, battles of this scale had already occurred, so Ryuzaki group also needed to somehow win the trust of chieftain Bergel and the islanders.
“(The battle is not over yet, is it…?)”
Kensaki bit her lips and prayed for the success of her classmates.
Was it possible to catch up with Akai’s escaping speed? Sakuma was anxious about that, but her back was getting bigger. Possibly, her physical ability performance itself might have started to declined due to Blood Crave Illness. If it was left alone like this, it might even exert big influence to her life activity itself.
Sakuma Sachiko and Harui Yuka, were chasing after Akai Asuka’s body which was being manipulated by the ‘King’.
Akai’s body itself would return to normal after 30 minutes. The problem was when the ‘King’ used that body to join force with the Pawn that had escaped ahead. If the ‘King’ joined him, then Kaoru, Uozumi and the others would be helpless to oppose them. Even if they were to succeed in taking back Akai’s blood in some form, if the ‘King’ was there, the vampires could just extract it again.
Sakuma didn’t know how long it would take for that ‘30 minutes’ to pass. For this reason, she and Harui had to detain the ‘King’ so that he wouldn’t get any further than this.
“UOOOOOo–!”
Harui spread her wings and vigorously accelerated. It wasn’t as much as Kaminari, but her maximum flying speed was considerably fast.
“Return Asukaaaa!”
The ‘King’ received Harui’s flying tackle, however, he was unfazed. Instead, he decelerated slightly and strongly grabbed Harui’s neck, raising her up.
“Gauu…”
“Don’t get in the way…!”
“«Evil Flare»!!”
Sakuma recited the spell and threw black flame at the ‘King’. Unable to completely avoid that, the King let go of Harui’s neck. Harui tackled again and knocked Akai’s body to the ground. Smashing down tree branches, Akai Asuka’s body fell to jungle area of Delf Island.
As expected, her physical ability was gradually declining. Akai’s body was also approaching its limit. The fact that she was weakening itself was good news, but they couldn’t afford to let the ‘King’ use Akai’s power anymore than this. Sakuma and Harui chased after the falling ‘King’ and descended to the dense forest.
“You guys are very persistent…”
So said the ‘King’ while brushing away the dirt stuck on Akai’s sailor uniform.
“We won’t let you go any further. I’ll have you return Asuka-chan.”
Sakuma said in a resolute attitude, but Akai’s body expressionlessly snorted.
“She’s not your property.”
“As if she’s yours either!”
“No, she’s mine.”
The ‘King’ scoffed at the angry Harui.
“Asuka is my property. I don’t want to let you do as you wish anymore than this.”
“You–…!”
Leaving it to anger, Harui spread her wings. She who was trying to attacked, was reproved by Sakuma.
“Wait, Harui-san!”
But, it was too late. Before Sakuma could stop her, Harui had already leaped at the ‘King’.
“Fufu, just like a boar…”
Manipulated by the ‘King’, Akai’s body slowly raised her arm. Immediately, black energy was born under Akai’s feet. That which was seen many times over when other vampires used it, created the form of an ominous crest. The ‘King’ further pushed his arms forward, the crest that was born underfoot, pressed on Harui’s body.
“UAa–…!”
Again, Harui screamed.
Even if it was the same black energy, his usage was remarkably different. That crest which was created using Akai’s body, fixed Harui’s body in a form similar to crucifying. The ‘King’ forcefully pulled back his arm, the crucified Harui flew toward the ‘King’ like being attracted by a magnet.
“Fuu–…!”
“Gaah–…!”
As Harui flew toward him, the ‘King’ mercilessly kicked her body. Again, Harui crashed into the crest wall. The ‘King’ briskly walked up to the crucified Harui, he grabbed her hair and pulled up her drooping head, then he further drove in a knee strike to her defenseless stomach.
“Goa–…!”
Harui spread her eyes wide. Sakuma unintentionally shouted.
“Stop!”
The ‘King’ snorted with Akai’s body.
“It’s your fault to have chased after me. Your worry is unnecessary. I’ll give them a beating but I’m not going to kill…”
“If you use anymore power than that, even Asuka-chan’s body will be affected, isn’t it?”
Akai was suffering from Blood Crave Illness. If the factors were to return to ground state by the usage of power, its symptoms were going to rapidly worsen. And that would eventually affect the vampire’s life activity itself.
“What, even if some after-effect remains, it’ll be hemiplegia, I guess. Preferably it does come to that, then the risk of Asuka escaping from my place will decrease so it’s a good thing, don’t you think?”
Manipulated by the ‘King’, Akai’s fingers slowly traced her body line. It was a discomforting scene. To save Harui, as well as Akai, Sakuma started chanting attack magic.
There was a way to save Akai. But to do that, she had to take back Akai’s consciousness from the ‘King’‘s domination even if it was but a moment. Trying that without any preparations or rehearsals was much too risky. She was going to prepare as perfect as possible and challenge it, the chance was only once. First thing first was to rescue Harui.
However,
Even if she was to help out Harui here, would they really be able to get any opening from the ‘King’?
The ‘King’, regardless of whatever was to happen to Akai’s body, didn’t look like he was going to slacken that power. He would never try to save power according to progress of Blood Crave Illness, therefore, clashing against him head on was dangerous. That was a miscalculation.
In that case,
“«Evil Flare»!!”
Sakuma released magic toward the sky. The black flame passed through between the trees, reached the blue sky, and popped open in heaven.
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