Chapter 40: Like a Cirsium IX (1/2)

【56th day】

The date had changed.

In the alternate world, the standard they use is that it’s considered the next day after daybreak, but for my personal records, modern intervals and times are used.

Darkness covered the plain.

While being buffeted by the wind, I watched the information displayed on my glasses.

Many different numbers were fluctuating. It was like I was watching the life activities of the stars.

After I had seized Luxgaru’s message, I had written『I’m watching you, cowards』on it, tied it to an arrow, and then sent it to Varner.

I also wrote on the message a rough time and place to meet. In other words, it was a letter of challenge.

Will he show up brazenly, I wonder?

I needn’t have worried.

He had headed for the meeting place without any hesitation.

My opponent is a hero. He’ll crush head-on small fry like me who have a little something on him. He has the strength to do that. I’m guessing that this is something he has done routinely till now. There is no hesitation in his steps. Besides, this guy has the influence to easily cover up something like a simple murder.

The person that I have my doubts about, is Luxgaru.

Other than writing that message, that guy has done nothing. Initially, I had planned to defeat that guy first, but even now, he’s letting Varner come alone.

Is it just negligence? Or does he have plans that I don’t know about?

I stopped thinking about things that I don't have answers to for the moment.

Varner・Kalbezzo.

Faithful to his desires, soft on yet also tough on himself. He never skipped training, and the results of that could also be seen in his skill with the sword. In that moment when he had crossed blades with Otou-san, I had certainly felt threatened. I would have been cut down easily if I was by myself.

But I wonder why.

This guy’s sword doesn’t have the pride or the dignity that the swords of Shuna, Irvin, the Sanperie who had turned into a beast, Ryutetto and even Otou-san have. There is no sign of the resolve to use his skill to fight against everything.

It's almost like his skill is something that’s borrowed from someone else.

As to whether or not this has anything to do with the method he had used to assassinate Ryutetto’s party members……

……there isn’t enough information.

However, I can’t wait for everything to be perfect before taking action.

This guy is pointing an invisible blade at my party members. I’m pointing proof that will jeopardize his position at him.

We each have a blade at each other’s throats.

Ending it quickly is something that both the enemy and I want.

It’s clear from the documents that had been photographed secretly that these guys are being rushed to fulfill their task of keeping watch over Neomia. They must want to eliminate causes of concern before they set out on their dangerous mission.

As planned, Varner was standing in the vicinity of the ruined dungeon. That's the place where we had been dropped into this world.

His guard was up and he was showing no openings.

Right now, this guy would likely slash and kill whatever enters his field of view.

「Izora, I’m counting on you」

『Understood. Consolidating drone data, generating route』

Izora received and consolidated the data from the six high-altitude observation drones that had been deployed. She generated the route and displayed it on my glasses.

I nocked an arrow.

I called it an arrow, but it’s something that’s much too foreign to be described as one.

It’s a mechanical arrow that’s 3 meters long. At that size, it's pretty much a javelin.

Eight of these were stabbed into the ground around me. One was just about to be released.

I drew back the Lycan bow and built up tension.

The displayed route wasn’t stable. It was wriggling around like a snake.

『Optimizing the route. Counting down, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1』

The route that the arrow should travel was displayed.

I released the arrow that had all my might behind it onto the route displayed.

The mechanical arrow was swallowed up by the darkness of the night sky and disappeared.

「Start guidance」

『Understood』

The image from the camera of the mechanical arrow was displayed on my glasses.

It was like I was swimming in the midst of the high-altitude winds. It was like I was looking at the two moons up close.

A mechanism had been attached to the mechanical arrow. It was a guidance system made using a simple propeller and drone spare parts. Using that to control the arrow, Izora guided it to its destination.

The journey riding the winds through the sky was over.

It began its descent.

Varner, who was being targeted, looked small in the camera’s image.

『I’m counting on you for the trigger』

「Understood」

I placed my finger on a device that resembled a gun’s trigger. A.I.s couldn’t harm people directly. Providing assistance was the limit of what they could do. For that reason, I was entrusted with the final step.

The image closed in on Varner.

I could even see his facial expression clearly.

『Now』

I pulled the trigger.

The mechanical arrow split apart and a metal arrow that was one size smaller was released from inside it. That smaller arrow pierced through Varner's right knee.

The observation drones picked up a scream.

The parts of the mechanical arrow that had split apart fell and rolled near him.

Varner swung his sword haphazardly. No matter how much he slashed at the darkness, he only looked ridiculous.

It was an ultra long-distance sniping using a bow from 5 km away.

I’ve absolutely no intention of crossing swords with this guy. I won’t let him show off his strength at all. I’ll riddle him with holes ceaselessly from a distance and shoot him until he stops moving.

If you say that I’m being cowardly, I’ll laugh in response.

That's right, I’ll reply.

「Next」

『Understood. Optimizing route』

Mindlessly, I released an arrow.

Guidance.

Signal.

Trigger.

His left knee was also pierced through.

Varner screamed when he tried to pull the arrow out. It was futile. 5 layers of barbs had been built into the arrow. If he tried to pull it out, Makina’s thorough work would stab his flesh, dig into his bones, and make him go through hell.

Unless he cut off his legs and regrew them, never again would he walk on his own two legs.

Varner, when you showed contempt for small fry and underestimated their wisdom, you had already lost.

Fighting head-on is not the only way people fought.

「Next」

『Optimizing route』

His arms were next, and then he would be deprived of the use of all of his limbs.

There was no way for Varner to retaliate against this sniping.

I watched the camera’s image intently and placed my finger on the trigger. For the third time, an arrow closed in on Varner. His expression was caught by the camera.

His mouth moved.

『Agathion』

That was what it sounded like.

The image from the arrow’s camera was cut off.

「Wha—」

『It was intercepted』

「Display the image from the observation drones!」

A shudder passed over me.

My advantage over him had wavered in an instant.

The high-altitude bird’s eye view image of Varner that was displayed……

『Observation drone destroyed』

……was cut off immediately.

『Proximity warning, it’s a flying object. Estimated speed is 720 km/h, it’s moving at ultra-high speed』

You’re kidding me.

「Turn the sensors up to full power. Don't overlook even a bug」

『Understood. Sensors at full power』

Far into the distance, I saw a tiny spark. Another observation drone had been destroyed.

That thing, what is it?

『Captured. Image of the object has been captured』

Displayed on my glasses was the image of a sword. It was Varner’s sword, the one that Otou-san had stopped.

Is this……

Is this what killed Ryutetto’s party members?

Something like a flying sword…… What is this, fantasy?

More sparks flashed in the sky. The high-altitude drones were getting destroyed one after another.

『It’s no longer possible to optimize the route. It’s approaching, it’s here. Evade』

I heard the dull sound of something tearing through the wind.

I immediately crouched down just like an ungainly frog.

In that moment, all of the mechanical arrows that had been stabbed into the ground were destroyed.

With that, I had lost both my eyes and my means of attacking.

『You’re being targeted by the flying object. Intercept it』

「The power of the hero」

Burning my meager magic power, I released an arrow with the power of Lumidia. The arrow was the Deep Emperor Bone.

The trajectory of the sword, which had closed to 2 meters, was deflected.

The Deep Emperor Bone arrow went down somewhere that was too far for me to possibly go pick it up.

That mass couldn’t be deflected by a normal arrow. The power of Lumidia had also run out. My magic power was as good as chaff. One arrow was the extent of the miracles I could perform with my magic power.

In the first place, it was only when protecting her own blood did the power of Lumidia show its true worth. It wouldn’t be much help in a personal dispute like this.

The sword made a big turn and closed in on me.

From the depths of the darkness, like a deep-sea shark.

Next move…

My next move is……

Oh, is it checkmate?

『Team member Souya』

Of her own accord, Izora separated herself from my waist. Her lights flashed haphazardly and loud sound effects blared from her speakers.

『Please remember the conversation with Zenobia-sama. In it lies the only move that——』

Izora's mini-pod was stabbed through the middle by the sword and shattered into pieces.

My thoughts were completely blotted out by distress and despair.

The sword made another big turn.

I no longer had any way to defend against it.

In this situation where my life was flashing before my eyes,

Following Izora's advice,

I remembered the conversation with Zenobia.

For some reason, like it had been waiting in the wings, it came to my mind very clearly.

「Ra・Varuzu・Duin・Gargantua」

That was the name of the King of Beast Hunters.

What passed my lips next, was the name of the King of Beasts.

Ra・Guzuri・Duin・Oruosuouru

「We, hate for eternity, the origin of the blood, of old」

The words that I spoke were translated by Babel and became a sentence with meaning.

It was triggered when the false names were recited in succession.

Both sound and color disappeared, my senses were sharpened and time stopped.

That was the true name of the King of Beast Hunters.

But his name harbored a curse because of the resentment of his descendants that he had left behind.

Born as the heroes of the human world, the children were taught a glorious history, and so that they themselves could become like that as well, they trained, fought, fought, fought, and then, in their dying moments, they came to know despair.

The crass beasts that they loathed the most resided in their own blood. Having overthrown the old beastkin, oppressed the remaining beastkin, and were taught while growing up that it was absolutely normal to do so, they lived, prospered, and then, at the end of their lives, they came to know that they themselves were beasts that were lower than them.

They probably cursed him.

The man who was the beginning of everything.

Those desires gave birth to evil. A curse that, oddly enough, was no different from the abominable blood…….no, perhaps the curse of the abominable blood might have encroached upon his name.

What Zenobia had said was not a lie. Certainly, something much scarier than cutting off an ear had occurred. The resentful voices of hundreds of years of descendants flowed into my brain.

My left eye and ear were crushed.

It was a curse of death that crushed the flesh and wrecked the insides of those who came into contact with it.

But,

Lured by that, the beast inside me woke up.

A beast whose favorite food is evil. A beast that favors things like the concentrated resentment of people above all else. A beast of the moon of misfortune that devours all poisons birthed by people.

Time started to flow.

With a burning sensation, my crushed eyes and ears regenerated. The regeneration point hanging from my neck was boiling.

I was filled with the power of the Lycans. Using the bow, I sent the approaching sword flying. Sparks flew and a metallic clang reverberated through the air.

The wind sounded loud to my ears. All of my senses had been heightened to the limit.

My right arm wriggled. It felt like there was a snake crawling under my skin.

I looked at the sword, which had turned and was building up momentum.

I caught it with my bare hands when it closed in on my face. Hideous claws had grown out from all of my fingers. The blade tore my skin and flesh, but they regenerated and stopped it before it could reach the bone.

I nocked the magic sword to the bow.

Suppressing its attempts to resist using the power welling up inside me, I drew the bow. Pain shot through my whole body. I endured it by gritting my bared teeth together. The Lycan bow, which had absorbed the overflowing curse, changed shape.

Bigger and bigger it became, until it was thick and taller than me. It flexed, building up an incredible amount of tension.

I caught sight of Varner, whom I shouldn’t have been able to see. I could even hear him breathe.

「I’m giving it back」

I released the sword.

The air exploded as it broke through the sound barrier. My body was pushed back by the force of it.

The Lycan bow broke.

Its string, which had come loose, hit the plain.

Nevertheless, the sword shot unwaveringly towards where its owner was. With more than twice the speed at which it had closed in on me.

As if a part of my senses had possessed it, I could see from the sword’s perspective.

The sword closed in on Varner. Like a beast. Though it harbored other intentions, it pierced through the hero’s chest.

「Uugh」

I vomited blood.

For an instant, I had blacked out.

The regeneration couldn’t keep up with the destruction of the curse. The container was still boiling, but that didn’t necessarily mean that it would last for long. The Lycan bow had broke. There was a chance that even the contract might have been broken.

He’s right there. Run.

It’s just 5 km.

「Ah」

I had fallen.

A curtain of blood fell viscously over my sight. Digging my claws into the ground, I crawled.

Even by a little, no, I’ll definitely get there. My work isn’t done yet. With only this, I haven’t accomplished anything yet.

Resting is for after I've settled everything.

At any rate, if I die, I'll be able to rest as much as I want.

Move forward.

Even if I die, move forward.