Chapter 4 (2/2)

Tobio believing that it would advantageous to strengthen his coordination with Natsume’s Griffon,

“That’s right, hey Minagawa-san For coordinating with Griffon——“

In that way he took the opportunity to estion

“——What’s this, that I’d cos are?”

Suddenly the voice of a third person resounded on the rooftop

Looking around for the source of the voice, he only saw silhouette of a person’s back standing in the open door to the rooftop nearby

——In an instant, with good looking features like those of a young girl, he saw that it was a young silver haired boy

Even though it was summer there was a scarf wrapped around his neck, yet nevertheless earing shorts down below, being dressed is a ht shoulder, there was a lovely white dragon (?) plush toy placed there In contrast to his , he was short, his voice was also sweet, and he see more than someone in the later years of elementary school……

“I cannot sense any aura at all from your body Hoeak”

This boy was strange However, he was a child wrapped in a mysterious atmosphere Perhaps, it would seem he was one of the residents of this condominium

Tobio asked while feeling puzzled

“……You are?”

However, as he watched Natsu the boy

“Just atold that you shouldn’t say such things out of the blue? You give off such a bad i someone, VALI!”

Natsume drew closer to the boy who only made a ‘humph’ sound with his nose

“Hu first impression the other party’s aura is essential Hie at best”

The boy made such an appraisal with half-closed eyes ……Perhaps, the so called cheeky brat Natsume and Samejima had spoken of was……

As Tobio thought that, Natsume introduced the boy

“This child is Vali See, he’s the cheeky brat in this condoree? That’s this child”

Aah, as expected, this was that child, wasn’t it? It was for certain, whether it was his cynicisht this child aroused the ie of what one would call a rather cheeky brat

The silver haired youth——Vali, boldly enquired while looking up at Tobio

“’Dog’-owner-kun, will you not fight with me?”

Froerent tone, containing fighting spirit In spite of having such a s potently spread from his body

Natsuer

“That’s enough, Vali! Since after this you’ll bethe Utsuseree that you should stop such quarrelsoht with Samejima-kun!”

While holding his hand to his flicked forehead, Vali gave a fearless smile

“Do I have to say it? In the case that we are going to join hands together, being aware of that person’s true power is a natural right At any rate, for someone to be a weak impediment has proven to be intolerable Well, Sa mark”

……Saether with this boy, had already battled? Understanding this much, he suddenly became interested

—— Introduce Ikuse to Vali He ht be a shi+tty cheeky brat, but when it comes to Sacred Gears, well, it seems that he passes

The words Samejima had spoken yesterday crossed his mind

Jin also turned his gaze upon Vali, ht to discern the entirety of the boy’s power

“……Understood While I don’t understand in ay this is satisfying to you……it’s a good ti style”

Tobio had accepted Vali’s challenge

It was unknohat kind of power this boy called Vali possessed, but Tobio had spent the entire night without once reaching his goal of achieving that one thing

That was——the aforementioned ‘blade from the shadows’

During that fight in the department store, Tobio’s desire had reached a peak, and Jin had manifested that blade fro since last evening there was no indication of it appearing Tobio had issued the order to Jin, focusing on that in his mind yet the puppy didn’t respond to it Tobio had focused the entirety of his thought upon it, so it should have been transmitted to Jin

Put simply, it was that Jin was not able to fulfil the conditions necessary to use that by himself, such hat Tobio in his bewilderment somehow or another sensed in his mind

By fighting with this silver haired youth, perhaps he would be fortunate enough to catch some clue as to what the conditions were Tobio purposefully accepted Vali’s hostility for the sake of acquiring the blade from the shadows

Froanization known as the ‘Utsuseency’, so that poould be absolutely necessary It’ll be no different when it co Sae

Yet within the next three days he must by all means become at least partially proficient in that power, that was his desire——

Regarding the conditions for invoking that pohether it was violent rage, or else perhaps terror, or……

The boy, Vali, stood before Tobio and Jin Watching theossip

“Isn’t it nice? It’s clad in such a nice aura Although it see spirit co from its body”

……Although he said that, Tobio didn’t see anything of the sort That ability, was it that he was able to see things that couldn’t be seen? Extremely incomprehensible, fro

From the side Natsume spoke

“……Be careful Sahly injured by this child After all, according to what Lavinia said, he’s that ‘Governor General’s’ golden child ——He’s strong”

……Sa the battle at the depart of his Sacred Gear, the white cat, was to the point of coe Utsusely ap to appear in his confidence

Yet that Samejima hadn’t won Was he in the sa due to the younger coht

“Attention! Jin!”

The black puppy, having received the order, grew a blade-like protuberance froh speed Before Jin who had turned into a black bullet, the boy——didn’t soto avoid it

Even if he was that strong, one would think that, considering the sharpness of the grown katana, Jin’s attack fro fatal injuries Whether he ought to stop or whether he ought to continue, Tobio was racking his brains, but before he could make a decision Jin leapt at Vali!

It was a hit! No, just on the verge of being hit, using only the slightesthis body to the side! There was no wasted movement! Yet Jin, who had just been avoided, iave pursuit! However, Vali was evading with ease!

Jinnuonally slashi+ng with the katana on his forehead! This was so! Jin had been chiefly trained to cohtforwardto the side

However, Jin didn’t fail to notice Understanding that he was avoiding entirely bysideways, at this point he iiving chase! Even though Tobio was amazed by that reaction speed, the attack which landed a precise hit on that location ended in futility

——In front of Vali, Jin’s attack had been stopped due to hi held by the scruff of his neck

Only just short of being struck, a direct hit had been avoided Jin had been corabbed

Vali, while holding Jin’s neck, suddenly leaked out

“……With this, it has become clear”

Muttering no htly juh provoking hi that, Jin rushed forward——

“——!”

Before Tobio’s eyes, so unexpected occurred The youth, all of a sudden, vanished Although he’d been following him with his eyes up until just now, in the instant that he had blinked the silver haired youth had disappeared! Astonished Tobio looked around……

“——!?”

……Tobio noticed a presence behind hi his palm at him In his hand——a suspicious silver radiance was forer could be felt Transling sensation

As his hand was glowing, Vali spoke

“Regarding independent avatar type Sacred Gears, they are beasts that serve as alter egos that are caused to act in accordance with the intentions of the possessor The greatest merit is that you can establish distance froree? By issuing instructions froe you can defeat your opponent But, the demerit——no, the weakness is easy to understand”

In an instant, his body receives a strong i bloay With a pain in his abdo sensation……

“GUWA!”

Having been launched backwards, crashi+ng to the floor of the rooftop, Tobio raised a screa up at the corner of the rooftop

……What was fired from the silver haired youth’s palm……had that been a Sacred Gear ability? Or else was it soic? In any case, it was certain that, with the i that head on had completely blown him away

Vali slowly approached while speaking

“In the case where the main body of the independent avatar type is weak they can be frequently overwhelmed You just have to close the distance”

For the sake of protecting his ain evaded without a care No matter how many times he bravely leapt at him, not one of them ever struck Vali

Vali caht up in front of Tobio, crouched down and spoke with a fearless smile

“The sa happened when Saainst ether with his other self”

……Is that so, so Sa it into a lance that winds around his ar to?

By using a weapons for the sake of protecting himself, his style is one that can make use of the cat for both attack and defense simultaneously—— Indeed, Sa Sa a bad experience with this youth, in this case it was now possible to properly understand what he meant

——That is to say, bearing in mind the merits and demerits of independent avatar types, he did as much

……Even understanding this point, there was no indication that he’d to able to counterattack this youth

It appears that, regarding this sher rank than hi he could do That was definitely for sure even given Samejima’s present condition

Natsume as well had covered her face with an “Achah” (TN: Expression of annoyed surprise or shock) Her reaction was as if to say, “As before, it’s become like this huh”

……He ground his teeth at the bitterness of his disappointment

——But, his present feelings were the opposite of the youth’s, as directing his gaze to the side with a pleasant expression on his face

“……Indeed, but, it see around”

Tobio followed his gaze——there, generating so black frohly dangerous gleaainst Vali It was obvious, Jin was full of fury

DOKUN

……Suddenly there was a pulsing throb Tobio noticed that his own body was exuding so black as well ……This was the sa the battle in the depart up covering the entire rooftop ——It was the blade from the shadows

What was the switch that invoked it? Jin’s fury? His er? Or perhaps both? Tobio was as yet unable to guess however, bathed in the indescribable pressure springing forth frohted smile

“Excellent This is a frags like the forehead blade are ree? Come, strike!”

Spreading both hands, Vali took on a posture to e blade was thrust up! Vali i a direct hit! However, blades repeatedly sprang forth from the shadows formed wherever he landed! Vali evaded even so while enraptured using Taisaba! (TN: Martial arts ter to defensive maneuvers)

With the exception of the directed attacks against Vali the rooftop was co In such a situation, the entirety of the rooftop had been co objects While the silver haired youth was contented with the developing scene of the blades attacking from the shadows, Tobio decided to shout out while the situation had yet to develop beyond recovery

“JIN! STOP!”

Hearing hisupon Vali, immediately halted his movements

Jin restored the forehead sword, still si that, Vali pouted at thatwith boredom

……It was clear that it had been a great battle

To start with, it was necessary to have a technique to protect himself as the master In order to declare this fact, the youth himself had directly approached his adversary to end it Ikuse Tobio, who had been an ordinary high school student, did not possess outstanding physical abilities

……The ability released that tiave rise to temporarily improved physical abilities, but presently they were not present Even though the blade from the shadows had become usable, that did not necessarily th

Thus, the blade froard to that, it’s possible that that ability becomes expressible when the consciousness of both himself the master and Jin were simultaneously stimulated For exa at risk, with the ether with Jin’s fury, when these two things coincided not too long ago, was that was lead to witnessing the invocation?

While rising on the spot, Tobio held Jin in his ar its tail ……As of yet the complete nature of that ability had yet to be seen, a disappoint exposed both hier

……Furthermore, it was absolutely necessary to co the battle with Vali, there were nus to learn

Having recovered his mood, Vali inquired

“You, your name is?”

“It’s Ikuse Tobio”

With Tobio having stated his na with self-confidence and stated

“Fuu, I’) Lucifer I’on——the one who bears the one and only Vanishi+ng Dragon {White Dragon}”

…………

……………………

……M-Maou? Lucifer? D-dragon? The one……and only?

Tobio inclined his neck Without warning, he was saying things like “Maou” Moreover, so such supernatural phenomenon as part of his personal history, as one would expect with such beyond extraordinary teron”, he couldn’t help but to stymied

Tobio, in some way or another,

“……A-aah, is that so?”

All he could do was respond as such and smile

The afore on airs with a posed expression while nodding in accent

“Fuu, for someone like you as an ordinary person until just the other day it’s still too early for such talk”

……And with that that being said, Tobio was simply left in suspense

Regarding this……wouldn’t it be good to check with the youth’s knowledge? Natsume suddenly approached and whispered in his ear

(He’s afflicted with the so called “2nd year of junior high school sickness” that’s typical of his age In any case though, he is serving as our companion)

Ah, indeed, Tobio thought as he struck his palm in comprehension

Given that, when he had been a junior high school student hi from a similar condition, it was easy to understand the youth’s speech and behavior

It seemed certain that he was perhaps in possession of a Sacred Gear or could use ical power Furthermore he was froendary dragon

Possessing such supernatural power at his age, Tobio understood that such symptoms couldn’t be helped

——And, while looking over at the aloud to himself

“……Right, I understand This is all for this ti”

With that highly interested observation, noticing their gaze, he spoke with pretension

“Your ‘dog’ responds to the dragon that is within me”

“……’The dragon that is within me’……?”

In response to Tobio’s inquiry Vali spoke while pointing his thumb at his chest

“Didn’t I say it? I carry a legendary dragon within uy already”

……Indeed, he had talked about that huh That……can’t be helped It seee, Tobio had to force his

Natsu him

(That kind of setting, it’s probable Co how it seeh school sickness”)

“……Y-yeah, now, it would be good if we could speak with this dragon”

While forcing his face into a smile, Tobio replied as such

“Fufu, isn’t that inexcusably superficial? I aht”

He shouldn’t des are transient It was acceptable to just observe until he recovered, not because forcibly repudiating it with reality was unreasonable, but rather because it would have a corowth

——Then, Lavinia appeared on the rooftop before anyone could realize it Acquainted with Vali, she stroked his head

“Good boy good boy, Va-kun”

Vali shook of her hand

“D-don’t stroke me! I’m not a child!”

Ooh, now this way of getting e His tone was h sickness”-like behavior until now see on airs

In this short tis about this boy named Vali

Lavinia spoke

“It is time for breakfast Let us all eat Shark has just woken up”

——Well, that said it was he hi that he had consented to repeatedly be in charge of preparing food going forward

Vali spoke while stroking his chin

“Oi, Ikuse Tobio It’ll be rewarding if you accoive you days-worth of the phosphorus food ‘Welsh Onion Miso Ramen’ It’s special”

…………How condescending of this young boy to treat soh it was not at all possible to say that, and since it seeood intentions, he had no intention of denying him

“A-ah, let’s eat”

Further for five people……

“Geez, can you not resist soreat as cup noodles?”

While Natsu to Vali, the person himself——

“Whatever enters the sto water into cup noodles only takes three ards to situations where one seeks to i else better suited”

Merely replied as such The youth had an apparently quite peculiar life theory However, as Natsuood that preparing breakfast was his duty Tobio thought to himself

Natsuh, left her shoulders droop

“In any case, let’s tidy up Even though there are no residents in this condominium other than us, I feel the condition of this place is much too poor”

Tobio was especially embarrassed by the disastrous scene of the rooftop The rooftop had been filled with distorted blades Well, ould they do about this……

Sleepily, Jin as beside him yawned