Episode 65 — From the Throne
～ Part 1 ～
Read at
“Did, did we … win?”
Looking at Akai Asuka dejected drooped her head, Sakuma Sachiko timidly asked.
Obtaining Kyousuke’s power of «Characteristics Amplification», Sakuma’s «Temptation» had finally destroy the ‘King’‘s domination. For a short while, he continued to try to creep back in Akai’s consciousness somehow, but at the end of a few minutes of silent battle, even that had finally ceased.
He ran out of time. All the Pawn’s factors that the King could trace, had probably been annihilated inside Akai. Akai Asuka had finally been released from the ‘King’‘s repulsive domination.
Akai who fainted was caught inside Rin’s usual slime body. However, she slowly, gently handed Akai over to Sakuma. Sakuma silently accepted Akai.
“Asuka-chan…”
Sakuma quietly called her name, Harui also peer in from the side.
“Asuka…”
Having her name called by those two, Akai stirred slightly, opened her eyes slightly.
At this time, Sakuma suddenly noticed an embarrassing fact. All this while, she had continued to apply «Temptation» on Akai. She had meant to limit her power as much as possible, but in the end, she was forced to use all her power to push aside the ‘King’‘s domination.
Akai Asuka hated being forced anything by anyone. At the point that Sakuma had trampled on her free will, perhaps, Sakuma wasn’t that much different from that ‘King’, was she?
Suppose that «Temptation» was powerful enough to make Akai forget such a thing, what would she do then?
For example, if that grown-up and cool Akai — that Akai who she was friends with since childhood, was to approach her while blushing slightly? As Akai’s best friend, she didn’t know how to cope with that at all. The one who used «Temptation» was herself, so should she take responsibility?
Sakuma’s thinking process started spinning around and around that one thing.
“Asuka, you okay? Can you get up?”
Harui Yuka asked in slightly gentle tone that was completely different from so far.
“Nn…. I’m okay…”
Akai finally responded to that.
“Really? You’re not falling in love with Sakuma or anything?”
“Ha, Harui-san?”
Harui’s too frank manner of speaking made Sakuma falter.
Now, what would she do if Akai was to say «In fact, I do».
«I’m already in love in the first place» was also troubling.
It’s not troublesome but troubling.
Akai slowly opened her eyes, she had a blank look for a little while, but as she finally understood, she muttered «Ahh». And then, the shocking … well, it was enough to call it shocking, but she said a fact that was surprising in it own way for Sakuma.
“There’s no way «Temptation» has that kind of power. At best, it can only make people conscious of you.”
“Ehh, ah, is, is that so?”
“That’s right. Well, it’ll make people stupefied for a little while, but it won’t last you know…”
Speaking of which, she felt that Kaoru had also mentioned that the effective time wasn’t that long.
Sakuma suddenly got ashamed of herself who was thinking about some kind of outrageous thing about «Temptation». Behind her, Utsurogi Kyousuke crossed his arms, and was grumbling.
“But you know, this time, I didn’t have any good part…”
“What this? Kyousuke, has you finally learned to worry about your screen time?”
“This is a good trend–, Kyousuke-kun. Well, let’s yield (the credit) to Saa-chan this time.”
By his side, Hino Akira and Himemizu Rin were teasingly poking him.
No, however, regardless of how much its effective time was short, or its influence was not great, as expected, she wasn’t going to use it on Kyousuke. Naturally, not just Kyousuke. Making sure not to use it on any of her classmates, she was going to firmly seal the power of «Temptation». As expected, she couldn’t become unrestraint about this ability like Kaoru.
“By the way, Akai.”
Kyousuke called out to Akai who were limply in Sakuma’s arms.
“How’s your body? It seems he also wasted lots of your factors.”
“Honestly, I’m quite tired…”
Answered the Queen in the usual low-tension.
“I feel like I won’t last another day…”
“Understood. We’ll go ask Ryuzaki.”
Saying so, Kyousuke exchanged looks with Rin and Akira. Rin hopped and fused with Kyousuke, lining up with Akira, they started running deeper into the forest. Hidden between the trees, they soon disappeared.
Akai muttered:
“Are they being tactful…”
“To whom!”
Harui calmly retorted.
Akai Asuka raised her face and look at that Harui. Stared by those handsome almond eyes, Harui Yuka the harpy somewhat awkwardly averted her eyes.
“Errr, Harui. You know.”
“What?”
Coldly turning away, Harui curtly said.
Akai didn’t have a frank personality, but Harui was much the same. Just a little bit, Sakuma smiled bitterly.
“For me, both Harui, and Hebitsuka, um…. Are friends.”
“…Ou.”
At Akai’s words, Harui was going scratch her nose. But naturally, she had become armless bird-winged, so it ended with only feathers brushing her nose. As it were, Harui unintentionally sneezed.
“(It’s case closed with this … isn’t it?)”
Looking at the exchange of the not-being-honest two, Sakuma showed a bitter smile.
There were still parts that was difficult to say case-closed here. But the battle had finished. They had overcome that ridge. Now, she wanted to feel relieved about her best friend’s safety for a bit, and give a little help to reconciling those not-being-honest friends.
“Friends … is good.”
While making his way through the thickets, Kyousuke said so. Akira gave a startled voice.
“What’s so suddenly? Kyousuke…. Certainly, I also think friendship is wonderful though.”
“There’s no deep meanings, but you know. Hey, Rin…. Friendship is good, isn’t it?”
“Ehh, you turn the topic to me there!? What kind of answer do you want!?”
The reason he left that place was naturally because he worried about Akai and Harui. He knew about Harui’s complicated friendship toward Akai, so he thought Akai should also had things to convey to Harui about that. It would be difficult to talk if themselves were at that place, thinking so, Kyousuke chose to leave.
From Utsurogi Kyousuke who was clueless about human’s heart, to Utsurogi Kyousuke who wasn’t.
Even Kyousuke was trying to grow in his own way.
“Yup yup, Kyousuke-kun is splendid.”
Rin read his thought that was leaking quite a lots due to the combined state.
“I’ll also try my best to reconcile.”
“With Kogane-kun?”
“Yup.”
That might not be as beautiful as Akai and Harui’s friendship, even so, Kyousuke couldn’t hate Kogane. The feelings that Kogane was his friend still remained. There were also words Washio had left as well. It was his goal to reunite with Kogane and reconcile.
“You’re the same as ever…”
Said Akira in a slightly soft tone.
This was quite a big different if one was to think about how until just a while ago, his attitude was hardened to fiery anger just by mentioning Kogane’s name. Just as Kyousuke was hesitating whether he should retort or not, the forest ended and they came out to the village.
There were already several students gathering there. Apparently, the meeting had also finished, around chieftain Bergel’s house were the chieftains of other islands who were looking at each others with difficult looks.
“Ah, Utsurogi-kun.”
Several members of Inugami Rescue Unit were also here. The one who noticed Kyousuke first and called out to him was Hanazono.
“Hanazono, how was it on Ryuzaki’s side?”
“Unn…. Well, case closed, I wonder?”
When Kyousuke asked, Hanazono made a slightly difficult face and answered.
Ryuzaki should have participated in the discussion in order to gain the trust of this Albadanba citizens, as well as to have them share blood for Akai. That Ryuzaki and the chieftain of this Delf Island, Bergel-shi were no where to be found. Because she said case close, he probably was able to get a favorable answer.
“As expected, that vampire Toki seems to be a person of this island.”
“……”
Receiving those words, Kyousuke also didn’t know what he should say.
Rin also similarly fell silent. After all, the ones who finished off that vampire was none other than Kyousuke and Rin.
“However, that man is a vampire.”
In chilling tone, Akira clearly said. Hanazono also meekly nodded.
“Yup. It seems they have believed that. There isn’t any positive proof, but lots of circumstantial evidences come out.”
She was probably talking about the human bones mountain in the aforementioned underground cavern.
Hanazono continued the story. She said, with these evidences, chieftain Bergel and the others had come believed that the man who gave his name as Toki … Tokihara was a vampire, as well as the existence who tricked the chieftain and snatched away many children’s life on this island.
But it was a fact that, a very intimate neighbor was a monstrosity, that the monstrosity had laid its and on many lives, and that he confined Inugami and was defeated by Kyousuke’s hand in the end. It was impossible for him to process all of those rationally from the start.
His trust was obtained.
Their suspicion was dispelled.
The trade fair would safely be held, 2nd year class 4 could participate as well. Not to mention, he even properly apologized to 2nd year class 4 who was troubled by Tokihara’s action.
But even so, chieftain Bergel would need some time to sort out his feelings, said Hanazono.
“……”
Finished listening to the story, Kyousuke looked at his own hands.
“…Kyousuke-kun is not bad?”
“In this case, we’re forced to do this. Otherwise, the one who died would have been Inugami.”
“…Nn, right.”
Kyousuke quietly nodded to Rin and Akira’s words.
But he also thought about the time he killed Suou. He, certainly, had killed a conscious, logical and intelligence human-shaped being. He had killed a human-shaped being who wasn’t an absolutely incompatible existence, perhaps, he might even be friends. He knew, if he didn’t do that, he himself, or someone important to him would have died, but he killed, killed a human-shaped being who had made many friends in place he didn’t know of.
And yet, why was he able to do that so calmly?
He felt that something was a little strange.
But no matter how much he gazed, there was no answer on his fleshless hand.
Comments
Post a Comment