Episode 64 — Royal Temptation
～ Part 1 ～
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When Kyousuke noticed that signal, they were running to the anchor place of the heavy cruiser branch school.
They who knocked down the vampire Toki at his residence on the south side of the island, were informed by Inugami that 5 vampires were heading to the heavy cruiser branch school. The branch school’s defense had Kaoruko and Harao, to further prepare for attack, Goubayashi and Sakuma should be heading there as well, but it was beyond their expectation that their number was 5. If there were Knights or Bishops mixed in there, the situation could be said to be the worst. They had to hurry.
At that time, the signal went up.
A black flame was launched high up in the air and exploded.
That was «Evil Flare». It was categorized as magic called chaos magic or darkness magic, in the class, only Sakuma Sachiko and Okama Kaoru could use it. This magic was lost among the humans and elves, only those related to the could use it.
It seemed that the appearance of monsters related to the Magic King was almost never confirmed on the continent. Even incubus and succubus were rare species. It was difficult to imagine that the relevant species was living on this island country.
«Hey…, that’s Saa-chan or Kaoruko-chan, isn’t it?»
Rin who was in a combined state with Kyousuke muttered so. Kyousuke also stopped his feet, he nodded.
“Both of them are supposed to be at the branch school. Yet magic was shot toward the sky over there, which means…”
“A signal flare. Apparently, the situation is getting quite troublesome.”
Akira’s voice was calm. Was that a rescue signal or something else different? Because they had expressly shot it to the sky, the aim was to notifying the location. Kyousuke turned his gaze as well as his body over there.
“Are we going? Kyousuke.”
“Right, I’m worried about the branch school as well but yeah.”
At the point that Sakuma who was supposed to be at the branch school shot a signal over there, the situation could no longer be resolved simply by going to the branch school.
“We don’t know if something has happened.”
“Even so, that’s not a reason not to go either.”
Akira’s words were cool as usual.
However, Kyousuke felt nostalgic to have this exchange with him.
“Well, it’s fine. It’s fine but you know. If we’re going anyway, it’ll be faster to fly. Kyousuke, Himemizu, please cancel Extreme.”
«Nn, very well.»
Rin readily said, Kyousuke’s figure was wrapped up in light. For just a moment, the surroundings got dazzling, when light settled, there was the appearance of a skeleton cladded in slime flesh, the usual Kyousuke and Rin. Rin lively gathered her body and concentrated to the right side of Kyousuke’s body. Kyousuke’s right arm got excessively heavy.
“Hino-kun, is this okay? I can still pack a little more?”
“Is my body a train seat or something?”
“It’s the best transportation system for me so you’re not wrong…. Ah, ouch ouch ouch! Don’t pinch me!”
It was a mystery whether her sense of pain worked when being pinched, but Rin twisted her body and screamed.
“I have no particular problem. Kyousuke, are you cool with the weight balance?”
So said Akira while surrounding flame on Kyousuke’s body, having come this far, he too, was accustomed to combining. Rin made an «ouch ouch» voice and evacuated further to the end.
“Nn…. The right arm is heavy but don’t worry too much. I think we can probably fly.”
“All right, let’s go then.”
“That’s fine and all but … Akira,”
Kyousuke sensed something different from Akira’s usual attitude. Being cold was the usual, but he couldn’t sense much heat value in the conversation.
“You really don’t try to stop me too much. Usually you’d say It’s dangerous, or something.”
“It’s dangerous, I still think that even now, but you know.”
As if he had already predicted those words of Kyousuke, Akira answered.
“Simply put, I can’t find as much as advantage as before to keep you away from danger. Because other classmates are also fighting, it’s no use even if I forcibly peel you off the fight. Besides.”
“Besides?”
“…No, it’s nothing.”
For Akira who always spoke clearly about any and everything, he was unusually evasive.
The act of hesitating to speak itself stems from fear of something. Those were the words of Akira himself.
“Anyway, let’s hurry. Fly, Kyousuke.”
“Right, I don’t know whether it was Sakuma or Kaoruko, but we should hurry.”
Thinking deeply was left for later. Right now, he had to cope with the impending crisis first.
Kyousuke spread wings of flames and soared to the sky.
And then, several minutes later.
In front of Sakuma Sachiko descended Utsurogi Kyousuke, cladded in flames. By combining with Hino Akira, he was in «Blaze Cross» state. There was Himemizu Rin attached to his right arm as well, so «Trinity Cross»? Because it wasn’t the perfect condition, it wasn’t «Trinity Full Cross».
“Utsurogi-kun, Asuka-chan is…!”
“Ahh, I roughly understand…. That guy is the King…!?”
Kyousuke planted his feet in an L-shape, one foot stepped forward, the other behind, his right fist situated in front of his belly, his right hand was put before his chin in an unclenched form.
Battle readied, Jeet Kune Do stance completed.
As she thought, Kyousuke had come. As the same time as relief, Sakuma felt an uplifting emotion. Was this what they called heart-throbbing? It doesn’t mean that he came to help specifically because Sakuma was here. Even if any other classmate was to similarly shoot a signal to the air, he would come running in the same way.
But still, it was unchanged that he had come running to her predicament.
Not just herself. There were Harui and Akai as well. Anyway, he had arrived in their crisis. That fact made her feel a little too happy.
Harui was sending an amazed gazed toward her, so Sakuma suddenly got embarrassed and drew back her body.
“I see, you’re the students in the report.”
Said the ‘King’ who had hijacked Akai Asuka’s body.
“It seems you’re the only one who reach Phase 3 in the class.”
It seemed that report had already arrived at the King’s place. Probably by Bishop Akeno. Kyousuke didn’t answer, he was glaring at the ‘King’ while keeping his stance.
“But you must have used Asuka’s blood to reach Phase 3. You have come here after much trouble, but you should step back here for your own good, no?”
The meaning of his words, Sakuma understood it a few beats later.
The students of 2nd year class 4 could invoke Phase 3 ability by the activation of vampire factors, but on the other hand, they needed to receive blood from Akai. And then, the bearer of that factor would carry the shackles that they could never go against the original.
There was an irresistible reason why Kyousuke had obtained Akai’s blood. But as a result, it brought about the situation where «Kyousuke couldn’t resist if Akai was to give him an other».
Akai now had her body hijacked by the King.
To speak further, it should be possible for the ‘King’ himself, who was the commander-in-chief of the vampire factors Akai had, to take over Kyousuke’s body and move it.
Kyousuke confronted Akai who was taken over by that ‘King’, but could he really go against him?
“That’s a bluff.”
Clearly spoke Akira.
“You are only remote-controlling Akai’s body. It doesn’t mean you’re manipulating even Akai’s will itself. There’s no way you can give ‘order’ to Kyousuke via Akai.”
“……”
“And right here right now, you cannot use your power as the King of the blood clan to make Kyousuke submit either. If that is possible, you would’ve use the assassin Pawns you sent in as the relay points to make Akai obey, there were many chances to do that before this. Isn’t that right?”
Akai Asuka’s expression remained empty. Sakuma couldn’t perceive what the ‘King’ was thinking when he was listening to Akira’s words. But that silent attitude of his was exactly telling the correct answer.
Without canceling his stance, Kyousuke slowly approached. As if to indicate his fighting spirit itself, the flames wrapping his body were flaring up.
“I’ll have you return Akai’s body.”
“……”
Akai’s body being dominated by the ‘King’ had signs of moving.
Blood claws extended from the tip of her fingers which was in spear hand form. But the ‘King’ showed no sign of coming to fight right away and seemed to be looking for a chance to leave this place. The ‘King’ who took over Akai’s body had a time limit. Unless the Pawn who had fled with Akai’s blood was to deliver that blood to the ‘King’‘s true body, his plan couldn’t be accomplished.
Kaoruko and the others had gone ahead to destroy their ship.
To prevent that, the ‘King’ wanted to leave this place.
Perhaps, Kyousuke group couldn’t grasp that far. They didn’t know the exact status Akai was currently in. However, if Kyousuke was to pin down Akai, they might be able to skillfully wait for time-out.
“Haah!”
Kyousuke vigorously approached, a flame-cladded fist thrust out.
But Akai’s body gently averted her upper body, it caught his fist with one hand. The unpleasant smell of burning flesh seeped inside the forest.
“I told you. You should have stepped back for your own good…!”
Faint irritation concealed in the voice spilled from Akai’s throat. Her skirt bounced, the slender leg kicked toward Kyousuke’s abdomen. The leather shoe broke through the flame body and struck his spine. Utsurogi Kyousuke was lightly blown away.
“Kuh…!”
The bone body slammed against a tree trunk, sparks scattered. Fire spread to grasses, grasses were smothered and digested by Rin who stretched out from the right arm.
“Hino-kun, substitute with me!”
“…I understand!”
Hino Akira’s fire power was difficult to use in this cramped forest. Akira separated from Kyousuke’s body, his body was covered again by Rin’s slime body. Using one arm to erase the tornado that had arise surrounding his body, Extreme Cross emerged from inside.
Kyousuke sprung at the ‘King’ again and swung his fist. But as expected, Akai’s body caught that and sent its spear hand to his face. ∗Pashaan∗, sound of water bursting open echoed. Kyousuke whose neck had disappeared temporarily, pushed the ‘King’‘s body against a tree trunk and immobilized it.
Akai Asuka who was pressed against a wall, still had a vacant face without a single atom of emotion.
Even with Kyousuke’s power, it still couldn’t surpass the physical ability Akai Asuka had. The ‘King’ was only manipulating Akai’s body like a doll. Naturally, if the ‘King’ himself willed it, he could make her push herself as much as he wanted.
“Guh…”
A voice of anguish leaked from Kyousuke’s mouth. There were sounds of bones creaking.
The origin of that sound was none other than Akai’s arm. Muscles were pressuring bones, Akai Asuka’s entire body started screaming. At this rate, her body was going to break first.
Moreover, changes were also happening to Kyousuke side. Including clothes, the surface part that was keeping up an outward appearance similar to human, had started melting and dripping down. The melted and dropped parts were changing to the same color as Himemizu Rin’s slime body.
With the factors returning to ground states, his Phase 3 ability was approaching its activity limit. He probably had already finished a battle in Extreme Cross once.
As expected, this situation couldn’t hold for long like this.
“Hino-kun!”
Sakuma called the floating wisp.
“Sakuma, Harui, tell me the situation.”
Unusually for Akira, he had asked so from his side.
“Anyway, Asuka is taken over by that guy. And then, I don’t understand well, but she returned to normal for a moment…”
“Return…?”
“Ah, yup. Umm, with my power…”
A little reserved, Sakuma raised her hand. It was because she thought that using «Temptation» on her friends was, as expected, not a praiseworthy act regardless of the circumstances. In fact, its effectiveness was too naive and the control was effortlessly stolen back by the ‘King’.
Akira glanced at Kyousuke who was desperately pinning down Akai, he said:
“Understood. Let’s go with that once more.”
To be continued…
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