Vol 2 Chapter 6 (1/2)
Chapter 6: Captured ”heroine”
Running at full speed, I could see Kyouko’s apartment in less than five minutes
That’s really weird
If I’, I think I was a distance of 2-3 kilo point, but… This watch, could it be broken?
If I loseteam
I was starting to think about it
When I received mail from Kyouko on my cellphone―
If you value her life, coned point
I first thought it was spam mail
For starters, being that the contents were so so crazy, it made me think it hadn’t come from Kyouko
However, once I opened the attached file, I fell into the abyss of despair
“… What the heck This…”
Displayed on my cell’s screen, was Kyouko, unconscious and with blood oozing from her head
Tied to a tree with thick ropes, she could not even twitch a finger
“…Ku”
Who has done this terrible…
Tightly clutching e, I ed to keep myself in check
Let’s think it over cal
And besides―I have to first decide how to save Kyouko
For starters, what’s the aim of the sender of this mail?
Since he took Kyouko captive, and then expressly contacted me, it’s safe to think he’s somewhat related to monster tamers, but…
Who the heck is he? What’s his aim?
… Only one I happen to know about an incident like this one
The evil organization that abuses monsters―Black Tamers
If it’s those guys… Chances are high they could pull off an incident like this
Frouess Kyouko’s whereabouts
It’s a high place frousa city’s landscape―the best spot to watch fireworks from It was the place I’d dreamt of before
Well, what do I do?
I have two options to choose from
That is, do I give into the culprit’s deo back and ask for help from Zonmi and the rest?
If I think first about my own safety, undoubtedly the latter
However, is that really right?
I can’t rule out that Kyouko will be harard the culprit’s demands
Once it comes to it, I can also employ summon
It’s never too late to ask for help even if I get in a pinch Anyhow, right now Kyouko’s safety comes first
… I’ve more or less decided what to do
No proble to converse with the culprit, it’s si harm
This tirateful that my body is so far off from a human’s…
… I feel that the ht now can run even faster than when I came here
Loosening the grip on h place where Kyouko was being held captive
× × ×
That place was located after crossing over a not very well-known mountain path
The people who knew of it were few even a about people who used it, it waswalk course by the elderly
“… Good Are you unharmed?”
“Haru… Why are you…!?”
As soon as Kyouko saw ure, she opened wide her eyes in surprise, but, soon, once her gaze fell on ‘that’, she started tre with fear
“How pleasant♡ You’ve coreed”
“You? The one who sent the mail…”
“That’s correct My name is Noelle Noelle North Norm Feel free to call me Nono”
“…”
Surprising
The taht before looked like 5-6 years older than er than me
And, irl
Her features were like those of an exquisitely crafted antique doll, i by looks alone she’s an unbleirl, but… Why is it?
The iathered from that child was ‘eerie’
More like she lacked so any human should have… When I looked at that child, it’s like some baseless anxiety overwhelmed my chest
“My bad, but I don’t have the tiet acquainted with you, so I won’t call you by pet na scheduled for later”
At worst, if a battle starts, I’ll summon Zonmi and settle it in one swoop
“―Give Kyouko back”
Once I threatened her like that, Noelle burst into a theatrical uncanny laughter,
“Aha♪ You say ah this child is already mine?”
Those were very significant words she said
“…”
I felt uneasy about Noelle’s words, but I walked up to Kyouko
“?”
Surprising Certainly she should have summoned a monster, but contrary to
“Dust Pain[2]”
So She si near her mouth and chanted that in an indifferent tone
“Uuu… Ga!”
As soon as Noellein agony
“Oi You alright!?”
Suddenly from nowhere there appeared countless black particles that surrounded Kyouko
I tried to clear the my jacket, that I took off, but none of the particles that appeared one by one gave signs of disappearing
“Ku!”
Panicking, I tried to hit her in the back, but Kyouko’s seizure didn’t gave signs of getting better
“… Uu!… Gu!”
“Didn’t I say it? She’s already my property If you value that child’s life, it’d be better that you didn’t get closer Too y could kill her♡”
On Noelle's er; who showed a triu I’ve seen somewhere
That ring… It’s so that forcibly enslaves a ainst its will
Enforce Ring
Also, taking a closer look at the rope Kyouko was bound with, it was the same kind Iris was captured with before
But a monster tamers, possession of these items was forbidden―
This girl… Is a Black Tamer?
“…Could it be!?”
A very bad premonition crossed my mind
When I slowly directedas Noelle
“You… Could it be, a contract with Kyouko…”
“Kyah♪ Do you understand with this? The Enforce Ring lets me have power over an enslavedher pain like this, ill happen to her?… Can you picture it?”
“…”
It seems that what Noelle has just said could be true
In any case Even if I suppose Enforce Rings don’t have a function to take lives, after seeing Kyouko’s suffering a while ago, that had enough weight as a threat
“Haru… I’m sorry”
Astonished by the unbelievable development, Kyouko, with a meek expression, muttered in a thin voice
“Don’t worry You have no reason to apologize”
“… Nope That’s wrong This, you know? It’s divine punishment”
“…Divine punishment?”
Parroting her words as a question, Kyouko’s eyes became red and swollen,
“I… It was said by dad… I’d be introduced to a new contract partner
However, I wouldn’t like to make a contract with someone other than Haru… So as to not say that, I tried to snatch away the ghoul’s contract I intended to say it yesterday night, but… I… It scares me to be hated by you”
“… I see”
So recently, Kyouko seee because of that
I don’t kno snatching a contract andme her panties can relate to each other, but… In Kyouko’s way, her behavior should be well thought of
Since to take advantage of someone who's cornered requires coldness
“I had decided that my first contract was reserved for Haru… Why did this need to happen, I wonder…”
“… Don’t worry Enforce is not a proper contract I’ll rescue you in a flash”
Well What do I do?
Until I came here, I―felt that I had to take Kyouko back, even if by force
However, it doesn’t look like this could be so easily resolved
It’s no wonder Since Noelle has power over Kyouko’s life and death, I can’t eood mood, she doesn’t need a reason to kill Kyouko
Here with, I the only way is this one trump card Even summon, it’s very likely it’s not allowed (!)
“Have you finished with your last chat? I have gotten tired of waiting”
“―Sorry foryou wait We’ve just finished”
Nevertheless
Even if the situation is heavily unfavorable, I wouldn’t say there is no hope
“Then… What do I have to do to free Kyouko?”
I had a reason to ask with so much confidence
Let’s think about it
Had Noelle’s ai my life, she needn’t do it in such a roundabout way
Her ai
In that case, I
“Aha♪ It’s a relief you seem so perceptive~”
Noelle laughed with innocence while glaring with cruelty,
“M―, that’s right If so, what about this? Fro the monsters I’ll summon”
“…?”
This girl… What the heck it’s now…?
“Ah, Of course, it’s forbidden to use summon to call for monsters It’s a proive you this child back”
“Have you lost your ular human can defeat―”
“If it’s you, you can Or rather, if you cannot win, it will be troublesome”
As soon as Noelle said thatwith her face shrouded in darkness, she loudly shouted towards her ring,
“Summon―Killer Mantis[3]”
And, the next instant
Froth of 7 meters[4]
… No, looking closer it was not a regular mantis
That s & 8 eyes, like a cross-breed between aappearance
Haha… Is this a joke?
There’s no way a flesh-and-blood huainst thi…
“Uo!?”
…It seeet lost in despair
The e scythe-like hands toward my head
That was dangerous Had I reacted a bit later, my head would have been severed from my body
BROOOOOOOOOOM!
And, right after avoiding the attack
From behind
“What… This…”
As I tried looking over my shoulder, the attack the mantis had released became a shock wave and the trees behind had been mowed down
Unconsciously, I let out a bitter smile
Haha… In addition to being in a desperate situation… The worst thing is that ed attacks
Well, what do I do?
I can’t get into close range I can’t get out to long range
… Beco it down
Attacking fro―that is, a surprise attack
Of course I fully realize that it’s not so easy, but I have no time to spare
As a result of thinking it out, I turned on my heels and dashed at full throttle
WOOSH
Thesound, but I closely evaded it by bending my body at the same time the sound was made
“A―ah I expected soirl behind―?”
Despite Noelle babbling that, there’s no way I was fleeing without thinking it out
I’e in the copse, which had bad visibility
As much as possible… So as to survive… A bit deeper…!!
Luckily, it seems I can win inside here thanks to my mobility
After running for a while and getting out of sight of ed to put some distance in between us
Hiding in the shade of the bushes, I laid in wait for
BROOOOM! There was noise of trees being mowed down
… As I thought It see h the copse
Hiding inside the copse was the correct decision
It won't be easy taking it by surprise
Once it gets careless, I’ll throw a single hit with full strength
…
……
Wait a minute
Can I really cause any dath?
I’ve heard about it on the net or somewhere
According to it It seeainst a chihs 30 kilos[5]
I think that ht
If, by any chance, I ive it a lethal hit?
Perhaps… No, totally impossible
If I attack it, chances are good that the situation will be reversed against me
So, what do I do? Should I only keep holding my breath like this…
Mm, Wait…?
Thatflashed in my mind
To begin with, the thing about a hu incapable to defeat another ani unarmed
That’s why, I may be able to win
If I could get familiar with that mantis’s powerful weapon that leaves you silent with its impotence―
“Talking about weapons… There’s only this one”
I’d say I only have a single chance
I’ Extremely scared
I don’t have a uy… He’s in a life-or-death situation and he still laughs!?” or the like
My li with force
However, here ends the running from place to place
That day,childhood friend said thus:
―If I keep trying without giving up, surely a ill open itself
During yesterday’s evening shower, didn’t rays fall?
I lifted the perfect spoils from that―a fallen tree with a bit sharp pointy end
It weighted about… 50 kilograms[6] or so
Should I look for soh my mind, but I think that a bit heavier than this one and I’ll conversely losemy time to search for a weapon, I couldn't let myself be discovered by the enemy
The sound of falling trees showed me the enemy’s position
I took a step another step I got closer to the source of the noise
“Ouch…!!”
Luckily, the monster mantis didn’t notice me
Without turning its eyes in my direction, it mowed down the trees that hampered its movements
Just when thedoards its arm to cut down the next tree
Gathering eted my opponents bosom and broke into a run
―I’d say, not even a second after I started my run
The mantis composite eyes, TURN, turned in my direction
crap, it noticed me
However, due to thestarted to run, I can’t turn back
The dice had been cast
“Ku…”
Weird I should have charged with considerable impetus, but―it didn’t look like it
That’s no wonder Since my weapon was deflected by the mantis’s arm and was thrown far away
…
……
The first attack has ended in failure, I’ve even lost my weapon… It fits inside the plan, but it’s the worst pattern
“Uoh!?”
In no ti attacks at ht limbs
Totally centered on evading, I barely ed to avoid its attacks
“Eeh You seeood reaction speed However, can you keep evading like that?”
Appearing froly with admiration
“… Shut your trap Co still”
Despite
For starters, it’s clearly obvious that it’s beco its slashes
Is ?
When I took a glance at Noelle, she was staring with ecstatic eyes
A sadist… is it? By gradually rising the speed,me to death
“…Ah”
And, earlier than expected, ‘that’ happened
Before realizing it,fresh blood
Aah Well That hurt Incredibly so
However, more than the physical pain, the fact of ‘I’ve lost an arm’ orse to endure
Why is that so?
Could it be because the right arm that has accompanied me for sixteen years was suddenly amputated?
No matter how much inhuman resilienceback like a lizard’s tail
It could be the shock or it could be the stupefaction
For a short while, I lost the willpower to even think
“Kyaha♪ It’s check it, but… I couldn’t endure it♡”
Noelle started to breath roughly
“That’s why, please Get killed♪”