Chapter 43 (2/2)
Before they could all turn around, bam! It slammed shut. It was probably locked so that it could only be opened from the outside.
Surprised, Leopard rushed the door, throwing himself bodily into it, but as I predicted, it didn’t give an inch.
I’d screwed up. If I’d realized it just a bit earlier, Leon would’ve been able to make it out. Even if he were the only one.
As I ground my teeth, the voice of Maddox, executioner, echoed out.
“Oh, will ya look at that? It’s not what I came for, but it looks like I’ve hooked a big fish… Mad Dog — no, it should be Rupert the Hound now, huh?”
“…Maddox… Why the h.e.l.l are you here…!”
The sight of the man left Rupert at a rare loss for words.
But for only a moment.
Dropping into a slight crouch, he drew a dagger and shortsword and moved in front of us.
“Rupert! He’s — !”
“I know… Get back!”
To stand before Maddox — in my eyes, it was the height of insanity. I screamed at him in warning.
And Rupert said that he knew. From their exchange earlier, it seemed impossible for him not to.
Yet one of them was taking it easy. The other squared off against him, glaring.
“Miss Chris, fall back.”
“Ah, yeah… Palmira!”
Tearing my feet away from where they’d seemed stuck to the floor, I called out to Palmira as I slowly edged backward.
Warily keeping her sword up, Palmira retreated the same way. It seemed like she naturally understood that she’d be in the way.
I backed up until I was standing in front of Leon. He put his hand on my shoulder, then stepped forward a bit, so that we were s.h.i.+elded behind him.
I softly bit my lip. I get it, I’m the same way, but the one who’s really in danger here is Leon. Even so, I honestly do find it rea.s.suring.
I can’t deny that as I am right now, I have no combat power. But I have people I want to protect.
Aira, Palmira. And Leon, too.
It’s just my feelings, but they take priority.
“Chris.”
As I clenched my teeth, Irene pressed two things into my hand.
One, a knife in a plain black sheath. The other — an invocation stone.
Inhaling sharply, I looked at Irene.
“The things Master told me to give you. I don’t know why, but I think it’s now or never…”
I didn’t know the nature of the intentions behind these gifts. But I was more than happy to take them.
The invocation stone.
With this, I might be able to retaliate. Even if it turns out I can’t, I might be able to defend the people here, at least.
The truth is, all I feel towards invocation stones is repulsion. But right now, I’m thankful for their existence.
The one I got from Regnum before had disappeared.
So this one’s all I’ve got.
It’s going to be my ace in the hole.
On the other hand, if Rupert takes out Maddox, those thoughts will end as baseless fears.
I riffled through my memories of fighting the two.
No matter how much I stack the deck against him, I have to declare Maddox the winner.
But I want Rupert to win all the same. Easy for me to say, right? But I can’t help but hope for his victory with all my heart.
Even now, the two stared each other down without moving. Were they looking for an opening?
Whomp!
The tremor, the most violent so far, a.s.saulted us.
“Kyaa — !”
Holding screaming, shaking Aira close to me, I still kept my eyes fixed on Rupert and Maddox.
Pieces of the collapsing ceiling started to fall. Just as a chunk was about to fall between them, they both sprang into action. That’s how it looked to me.
Ching.
With a tremendous clash, sparks went flying in the s.p.a.ce between them. It was so loud that Aira foolishly clapped her hands over her ears. Even Palmira dropped her sword to follow suit.
“GAAAH — !”
But of course, that wouldn’t be enough to stop Rupert. Twisting, his body seemed to glide across the ground as he let loose a b.e.s.t.i.a.l howl and closed in on Maddox.
Even Maddox had to use his sword to take him on. Again, the metallic clash of their blades rang out. Like so, Rupert twisted his body even further, his leg las.h.i.+ng out in a kick.
That combination, oddly enough, was the one Palmira had used against Rupert himself during that night of sparring. But it was executed with extraordinary speed and sharpness. Even my eyes could barely follow it.
” — tch!”
In the end, just like the other, that kick failed to reach Maddox. More precisely, Rupert broke away and put some distance between them before it could connect.
I couldn’t even tell what had happened, but there was blood running down the leg he kicked out. At some point in time, Maddox had switched to a two-handed grip on his sword, changing his stance.
“Uhahaha! As expected of the Mad Dog, pus.h.i.+ng me this far. Even on this boring job, I can have some fun!”
As if to return the favor, Maddox’s sword flashed. He brought it down right on top of a motionless Rupert.
A direct overhead strike.
The huge blade struck the ground, raising a spectacular cloud of dust — more like a rolling surge of stone fragments– that hid Rupert’s fate from me.
The small chunks of stone came flying at me. In response, Leopard stepped forward and knocked them aside with his s.h.i.+eld.
What happened to Rupert? Had he been cut clean in two? Crushed into the ground?
Just as those ugly thoughts crossed my mind, the cloud of debris dispersed to reveal Rupert, standing on the back of the sword Maddox had slammed into the ground.
He was too skilled. And the scene was beyond impossible.
“Hah–!”
Before Maddox could make a move, Rupert launched himself from the blade, rotating in the air as he flew over Maddox.
His dual blades sliced toward the back of Maddox’s head, but it was like the man had eyes back there — he ducked out of the way.
And turning to look over his shoulder, he targeted the place Rupert would land with a horizontal sweep.
I wondered if that sword would cut Rupert in two this time, but Rupert had turned in the air to take on the attack blade-first. Deflecting the recoil, he landed on the floor.
He’s strong.
I’d caught a glimpse of Rupert’s real strength during that incident at the guild, but it didn’t seem like he’d hit full power yet. At the very least, Rupert was proving the caliber of his offense and defense.
Incredible speed paired with an exceedingly tricky style of combat.
And above all else, he was facing Maddox, but he hadn’t given up an inch of ground.
At this rate, will he win?
But no matter how I try, I can’t bring myself to have faith in Rupert’s victory.
Maddox’s strength was seared that deeply into my mind.
Is my terror blowing things out of proportion?
Is that really it?
The invocation stone in my hand.
I won’t have to use it if Rupert wins. My grip around it tightened.
Author’s Notes
Even better, the protagonist is sitting out this fight scene.
Footnotes
1. Ah… I guessed. 全く歯牙にもかけていないのか ↵
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