79 — Whereabouts of The King Fragment
～ Part 2 ～
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After the negotiation finished, the lady took Karasuma out of the dungeon. The same for the other foxes. Time had already changing to evening.
The lady never investigated anything in particular about the case she heard from Glen, instead, she asked Karasuma this:
“What do you want to do now?”
The foxes in the surroundings simultaneously looked at Karasuma.
“We’ll return to the youkai mountain. I do not know where you came from, but if you’re a crow tengu, you can live at the place of the holy priest. The holy priest is a bit haughty, but he’s a good natured man. You’ll learn swordsmanship and divine arts, then someday throw yourself into the battle with the evil god cult as a citizen of Seria, I don’t think it’s that bad a story.”
Why was she doing this much for an unfamiliar crow tengu? Karasuma didn’t quite understand.
Her gaze resembled sympathy, but it was different from pity. If he had to say, it would be close to nostalgia — a feeling of being friendly to ones who had a somewhat similar circumstances. It felt like the lady had that kind of thing.
But,
“I … I have something to do.”
Karasuma shook his head slightly.
“Really, so you guys want to return.”
“……”
Karasuma couldn’t reply to the lady’s calm words.
He wasn’t surprised that she knew his circumstance. At the same time, he had an «ahh, as I thought» feeling.
“We, about 200 years ago, were instigated by the blood clan and crossed over here. At that time, the world traveling technique was also incomplete. Quite a lot were rolled up in it. We gathered those with the same circumstance and stray ones to make this country Seria. We have no more lingering attachment to the land of the rising sun, but I do hope you can return. Safe travels.”
It was kind words. It pulled Karasuma’s back feather slightly, but still, his decision didn’t change.
Karasuma’s consciousness was greatly inclining toward the Demon King fragment. No, it had already completely inclined.
It wasn’t a problem that could be controlled with reason. Karasuma Yoshitsune had been simply cornered to the point of unable to recover his self-confidence unless he was to do this. This arrogant self-importance was evidently demon fate.
Parting withe the lady and the foxes, Karasuma hid at a place slightly away from the dungeon. The lady and the foxes said they were going to return to the youkai mountain. Their parting was reluctant yet surprisingly simple.
After waiting for a short while, Sink and Wombat returned, Glen then came out from the dungeon.
Sink and Glen exchanged a few words, then their gazed, for a moment, turned over here.
“…!!”
Karasuma hurriedly hid in the rock’s shadow. No way, did they noticed my action? From the shadow of the rock, Karasuma tried to check the dungeon again. When he tried to peek, his beak would jumped out so it didn’t readily went as he wished.
Finally, he gave up and looked at the dungeon while protruding his beak. It was exactly when the two people, Glen and Sink started moving to the west. There was no sign of Wombat.
They’re heading to the west now, which means, you don’t say, they’re going to attack Kyousuke and the others right now?
A Knight and a Bishop. They were powerful individuals, but Kyousuke and Rin had an experience of once defeating a Knight. Part of the reason was because the opponent didn’t resist, but it was an effortless instant kill.
Even without Karasuma hurriedly came back to warn them, if it was Kyousuke and Rin, they would easily repel the blood clan, no?
“(That’s right. Even if I return now…)”
He ground his teeth, or rather, gnashing his beak together.
As this rate, there would be no place for Karasuma Yoshitsune. He had to get stronger. He wanted enough achievement to recover from his low position right now.
Now, at the dungeon entrance, the lesser demons were nowhere to be found. There was no better time to attack than now. Karasuma spread his wings, and at once boosted his body to the air. The technique to manipulate wind, thus allowing that aerodynamically unsuitable to flying physical form to fly at high speed, was already an accustomed thing.
Black wings pounded the air, Karasuma soared through the sky. It took but a blink for him to reach the dungeon entrance. He was cautious of the dungeon interior, after confirming that there was no particular danger, he broke in.
“Kii?”
“Kikiii!!”
There were several imps inside, Karasuma took out his leaf fan and swung once. The generated wind blade instantly tore up the little devils.
I can’t be satisfied with strength of this degree. Stronger. I have to be stronger.
He headed further in to search for the room where he saw the king fragment sometime ago. On the way, he was discovered by several ghouls — all of which were quickly cut down. He found the room and stepped inside.
“……!!”
There, Karasuma saw ‘that guy’ again.
“You…!!”
“Tch…”
Clicking his tongue was one of the adventurers, Wombat. That guy was also trying to obtain the box with the king fragment.
“What are you doing here…!”
“Can’t tell by looking? Same as you.”
“Did you acting in secret from your comrades!? Why did you teach those guys the place of my friends!”
“Like I said, same as you.”
Wombat’s voice contained a faint irritation, but the intonation itself was even.
Same as you. Wombat wasn’t going to explain his reason anymore than that, but seeing Karasuma speechless, he quietly snorted.
“You and I are the same, we want to recover our position. Am I right?”
It was bullseyes. Words wouldn’t come out.
“With my arbitrary decision, I attacked you guys, leading to Wogan being captured. To recover even a little…”
“Even if you do this, you will just cause unnecessary troubles for those guys! If it’s known that information leaked from you, the adventurers’ position will just worsen!”
Right after saying it, Karasuma knew that those words boomeranged back at him exactly as it were.
Whether he wanted to recover his position, or to triumph over them, this arbitrary action would cause far greater harm than good to his comrades. This was only a self-satisfying action induced by his rampaging self-importance.
He should have understand that. He should have.
Still holding the box in his hand, Wombat looked back at Karasuma and shouted.
“Rezbon lost an arm and eye! In that fight with you guys! I don’t even know if he can be an adventurer anymore. I have to get some kinda profitable results even if it’s just one!”
“And by that you mean the king fragment thingy?”
“The empire is collecting them. Listen up, they put up an enormous reward. With that much money, we can make special ordered magic arm and eye, or if he want to start another trade, it would serve as plenty enough funds. If we can just bring back the king fragment, Rezbon’s fame would go up as well. Therefore…”
His eyes were dead serious. What moving Wombat was no doubt a kind of ambition. But he, in his own way, was worrying about his comrades of the same adventurer party. Therefore he went so far as to break the promise to try to kidnap Azuki, and now pretended to cooperate with the blood clan in order to steal the king fragment.
Narrow minded.
Simply narrow minded.
You see nothing of the situation.
Despite it will just worsen Rezbon’s situation if you do such a thing.
But Karasuma didn’t have it in him to loudly reprimand and correct that. After all, Karasuma was trying to do the exact same thing as Wombat. No, for the part of thinking only about his self-interest, Karasuma could hardly say he was a better man.
“(Shit!)”
Karasuma cursed in his heart.
Now, keep arguing with Wombat or snatch the king fragment from him? Karasuma didn’t have enough will power for either. Then, hurriedly break out and escape would be the maximum priority, wouldn’t it? But in case he escape with Wombat, he wouldn’t be able catch up to Glen and Sink.
“Ne~, Glen. Isn’t it just like I said?”
At that time, a heart chilling voice came from behind them.
“It’s true. Unexpectedly both of them aim for the king fragment, huh?”
Following a woman’s voice, Karasuma could heard a man’s voice
When he turned around, two vampires were standing there, leaning back against the doorway. Bishop Glen and Knight Sink. The two should have left the dungeon for the west some time ago. He never thought they would return.
From the start, these two had planned to do this. Sink noticed the suspicious attitude of Wombat who said he would cooperate, and perhaps, she noticed Karasuma’s attitude as well. So she laid a trap: If we leave the dungeon, they would invade to steal the king fragment.
Wombat kept the box in his hands, he wasn’t trembling. He glared at Glen and Sink, then eyed Karasuma a bit.
Sink, while spinning the deep red spear, entered the room.
“Fufufu…. I guess it’s useless to ask so I won’t tell you to return it. Instead, please resist the best you can, okay?”
“Sink, the crow tengu over there is one of the targets.”
“Yes, I’ll be careful then. But well, it can’t be help if it resist, can it?”
The corner of Sink’s mouth bewitchingly lifted up. The deep red brilliance was muddy with dark brightness.
“Crow tengu, that’s not any significance species. It’s not compatible with the king fragment, and is just a little fast, a miss, yes?” (Sink)
“Certainly, it has little prospect for future growth, huh. I guess it’s not enough to desperately catch it.”
Those words deeply gouged Karasuma’s heart. But his gouged heart — to his own surprise — was calm.
After all, that’s just how it is. I’m originally human.
I reincarnated as a crow tengu, frolicked and grew arrogant, but this is the end. My flying speed is just a little faster than others. I’m not a big deal, not any significance existence. I can’t be a strong, splendid man like Kyousuke.
“If I don’t resist, you’ll capture me?”
“…Well, I suppose.”
Expression distorted in slight reluctance, Sink answered.
“To the place Kogane … Kumosaki and the others are held…?”
“Yes, we’ll take you there. It’ll take 2 or 3 days. It won’t be a pleasant voyage though.”
As expected, they were brought to somewhere not this continent. That would be the blood clan’s stronghold. Karasuma was convinced.
In addition, they had the navigation technique to go from the New Continent back to the Old Continent in just 2 or 3 days.
Information get. And after getting was to not getting caught.
“UOOORYAA!!”
Passing by the thinking Karasuma, Wombat ran. In his hand gripped a small knife. Simultaneously, the king fragment box he had been holding until just now rolled on the floor.
“That’s the spirit!!”
Sink beamingly smiled, she readied her spear and thrust it straight ahead. While running, Wombat tried to take evasive movement, but Sink’s spear didn’t let him go. The trajectory of the thrust wasn’t a straight line.
As if drawing an illusionary path, the trajectory of the thrust changed. The pointed spearhead accurately got Wombat’s arm at the place he avoided to.
Fresh blood scattered. Meat gouged, bones blew off, Karasuma firmly understood it.
Despite an arm was blown off, Wombat sent his gaze to Karasuma.
What did that gaze mean? He didn’t even have time to think it over.
Sink, in less than 30 seconds, would will Wombat. And next would be Karasuma’s turn. If he was nonresistant, he would be caught, if he resisted, he would be killed. Karasuma picked up the king fragment box Wombat dropped on the floor.
He felt his feet frozen in fear. But still, he had to forcibly worked his body.
“(Am I an idiot!!)”
Holding the box under his arm, Karasuma flew toward the passage where Sink and Glen was waiting.
“Fuu…”
A little smile made it way on Glen’s mouth, black lightning generated on his right arm. That was a magic to seal monster’s movement. He couldn’t afford to eat that, but currently, the only way out was to jumped in.
When Karasuma resolved himself, from his side flew a single knife.
The knife stabbed into Glen’s arm, for a moment, the generated lightning popped off.
“Kuh…”
“Glen!!”
In the moment Glen faltered, Karasuma came out to the corridor.
In the corridor, imps, lesser demons, and ghouls were clamoring. Glen immediately recovered, and chased after Karasuma to the corridor. Glen compressed the black lightning generated in his right arm, then shot it like a bullet.
“Gah…!”
The bullet gouged a big hole in Karasuma’s wings. His flying balanced was off, he bounced against the wall and floor.
Behind him, Glen leisurely caught up.
Karasuma opened the king fragment box in his arm. Inside stored the ominous crystal which shined an uncanny light as ever. The moment that light illuminated the corridor, the imps, the lesser demons stopped moving.
“Attack that guy!!”
Shined upon by that light, the imps and demons momentarily stood upright as if losing themselves, then in concert with Karasuma’s words, they turned around to Glen. Karasuma stood up while protecting his bored wings and aimed for the dungeon entrance.
No matter how much strength he put in, he couldn’t fly. Karasuma’s only and greatest feature was sealed.
“Why … in a place like this…!!”
When Karasuma somehow reached the dungeon entrance, the area was already getting dark. The moonlight was shining blue on the desert.
Inside the passage echoed many explosion sounds. Surprised, he turned back. The narrow passage was filled with black burnt smoke. Karasuma retreated 2, 3 steps on the sand, before him, ‘something’ charred was tossed.
It was a corpse of a lesser demon burnt pitch black. From inside the smoke walked out a pleasantly smiling Glen with black lightning cladded on his right arm. There was no room for guess. Karasuma turned back and wholeheartedly ran. The 2nd black bullet gouged Karasuma’s back this time. He twisted his body in pain, but he still tried to go forward.
“(Am I an idiot?)”
The result of acting arrogantly, never reflecting until now, is this.
I, right now, am working the hardest I’ve ever been in my life. Desperately struggle, suffer, yet have no choice but to move forward. Why the hell would anyone be grateful and respect this kind of thing?
The footstep of death slowly approached.
Apparently, his first ever «effort» in life was going end without being rewarded.
“NOO!!”
Karasuma Yoshitsune shouted. Immediately after that, ‘something’ vigorously dropped down from the sky. That something vigorously struck against Glen.
“–…!?”
The impact pushed Karasuma body from behind. He, while desperately holding on so that the king fragment wouldn’t dropped, rolled on the sand. The grains of sand of the Time World Desert entered between his feathers, and it was painful. But still, he somehow propped one hand, rose up and looked back.
There behind him stood a dazzlingly burning flame modeling on a human form.
That figure lighting up the darkness was exactly Ifrit itself.
“Hi, Hino…?”
Karasuma had an idea of that figure. However, there was no information that his classmate Hino Akira was teleported to this New Continent. Even if he did, it was hard to imagine him taking a human form like this.
Ifrit took a glance at Karasuma, it stretched arm, pointing to the west.
Even without a single word uttered, Karasuma could still understand it was telling him to escape.
“You…!!”
Standing up, Glen bled anger into his voice.
“What’s your intention! Doing something like this…! This is undeniably an alienating action!”
What was Glen saying? Karasuma didn’t understand. But this was a chance.
He didn’t know what this Ifrit was planning, but it certainly seemed friendly to him. He had to escape while it was earning time. Still holding the king fragment, Karasuma broke into a sprint on the desert.
After Karasuma Yoshitsune ran to the desert, Glen strongly glared at the man before him.
“What’s your intention. You nonchalantly appear this late, then let the monster who hold the king fragment escape!?”
The man didn’t answer. Still, Glen continued while exposing his anger.
“All our actions are being monitored by the King. Did you even think that you won’t be not…. Ahh, shit. Really…!”
Looking at the night sky, Glen cursed.
“But you can’t take this kind of arbitrary actions anymore. I guess you understand. Once we return, I’ll report this case to the King.”
“That’s,”
Thereupon, the man opened his mouth for the first time.
“The story if you return alive.”
Glen again strongly glared at the man. He was feeling around for the true meaning of the words the man muttered.
“As Glen said, I’ll be obedient. It seems it’ll be exposed to the King if I rampage anymore than this.”
“Don’t put on airs, damn newcomer. Once we return, I’ll report this case first and foremost ——— that’s the end for you!”
After grabbing the man’s collars and threatened, Glen returned to the dungeon. He planned to depart again together with Sink.
The man looked up at the night sky. Precisely because this much favorable conditions were aligned that he could fool the King this far, but it might have been a considerable gamble. Right now was a period where trust was more important than anything. He managed to save Karasuma, but as expected, anymore assistance was impossible.
Only,
Only, it was just a little, a little refreshing that he made a blow on Glen whose words and actions seemed to ridicule Suou.
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