Ch 138.1
「What’s so funny? Are you laughing out of desperation because you realized you can’t win?」
「No, I’m laughing because I’m certain that I will win!」
「?!!」
With a loud shout the woman swung her sword. Kane received her strike, however her sword still managed to land on his shoulder.
The sound of the ripping flesh and the sight of the flowing blood shocked the woman for a moment. It was then that Kane abandoned his sword and embraced the woman.
「W-What are you?!!」
The woman was a bit embarrassed, however she soon noticed Kane’s aim.
Due to Kane’s Screen Point, her strengthening magic was beginning to disperse.
「…?!!T-To think that you would go this far…!」
「You were just too careless. This is the end.」
The woman tried to desperately get away, but due to her strengthening magic having disappeared, she couldn’t escape from Kane’s strong grip.
It was then that a person appeared from the shade of a rock near them.
「Good job Kane!」
It was Grain.
After praising Kane, Grain went behind the woman and thrust a dagger in her back.
「G-Grain?!!」
「Wow, you sure pulled out the stops in order to kill me?!Didn’t you Dispatch Magician-sama?!」
As he spoke Grain continuously dragged the dagger down the woman’s back.
Since her defensive magic had faded, Grain was able to carve her body over and over again.
「U..rgh?! AAAAAAHHHH?!! Damn it!! Y-YOU BASTARD!!」
Every time the woman screamed, Grain would laugh happily.
「Hyahahaha!! Die!! Dieee!!」
「U…rgh…」
Countless red streaks ran down the woman’s back. The blood that spewed from the wounds dyed her white coat red, and the woman finally collapsed to the ground.
Although she was still barely alive, the light in her eyes faded, and she didn’t even have the strength to stand up.
But even so, Grain still had no intention of stopping his blade.
Kane looked from the distance at Grain, who was swinging his dagger down like crazy.
「… Hmph, the bitch’s already dead. What a disappointment.」
Having had his fun with her, Grain finally stopped his hand, it was then that a powerful aura wrapped around his body.
「I’m sorry Kane. If you were with me the Dispatch Magicians wouldn’t be able to find me. So I needed you to leave for a bit.」
「I see. My Screen Point erases the magic that touched my body, and even eats up the magic around me to a degree… So in order to lure in the enemy you had to have me go out, right?」
「Most of the Unique Spells that the Dispatch Magicians possess can only be used when wearing this coat. So in order for me to use those, I had to at least lure one of those Dispatch Magicians and kill them…」 said Grain as he stepped on the woman’s dead body.
「By the way Grain-done, I saw Zeph and the others earlier.」
「Really?」
Grain seemed to be quite interested so Kane continued to explain what had happened to him.
「They probably came to the island because of a request or something. I happened to see him and his friends inside the forest.」
「That sure sounds interesting… You didn’t kill him right?」
「I did not. I also hold a grudge against him but I couldn’t disregard you Grain-dono.」
「Haha… You don’t have to be so respectful. You should know that I’m only using you because of my own benefits, correct?」
「Even so, that doesn’t change the fact that you saved me.」
The way Kane and Grain laughed casually as they spoke, would never lead one to think that they had just committed a hideous crime.
The two men who had met on Prison Island and cooperated to escape were now here.
Due to that a strange friendship had been born between them.
As they were talking the Sti Beetles began to gather around them, probably having been led by the smell of the dead body.
「Ops, I should take it before it gets eaten by the insects.」 saying the Grain robbed the woman of her coat, sword, and any other useful items she had.
The coat had its back dyed red, which seemed to represent Grain’s character quite well.
「It really didn’t feel right without this.」
「It suits you Grain-dono.」
「Since we killed a Dispatch Magician, they’ll probably come after us again… And this time it won’t be only one. Even if we won’t be able to deal with so many of them, it’s best if we leave this place as soon as possible.」
Grain folded his arm, closed his eyes and smiled.
「… But, it’s not like the pursuers will come immediately. Before escaping the island, we need to take care of Zeph and his friends.」
「… It’s a little bit noisy here so how about we talk over there?」 proposed Kane.
From a little while ago, the sound of meat being eaten had echoed in their surroundings.
There was a black mountain that was wriggling right next to them.
The Sti Beetles were continuously flocking to the corpse of the woman Grain had just killed.
Even after the two of them left, the insects continued to devour the corpse.
3
After calling Milly and the others through Telepathy, we all brought Shirushu back to the inn where we laid her on the bed, and took turns healing her all night long.
All the while, Claude held Shirushu’s hand and her tears flowed endlessly. She was probably still blaming herself.
The treatment continued all night, and in the morning everyone fell asleep from the exhaustion.
However, I still couldn’t allow myself to sleep. There was something I had to do.
After making sure that everyone was sleeping I slowly left the room so as not to wake them up.
When I sneaked out of the inn, the pleasant sea breeze brushed past my cheeks, which made me feel a little better.
I then turned my gaze north of the island, where Shirushu said she had smelled blood.
「Kane… I’ll never forgive him.」
I always thought he was a sneaky one ever since I met him, but to think that he’d do something like that so casually. The days he spent resenting Claude probably distorted his twisted personality even more. He probably doesn’t even know what sympathy feels like any more. The price for hurting my friends will be his death.
「Zeph-kun.」
Just as I determined myself I heard Claude call out to me from behind.
Just as I was about to turn back she embraced me from behind.
I could feel her body trembling slightly. She was holding on to my body with her hands in order to try and fight against it.
「Please take me with you. Even though he’s my brother I cannot forgive him for harming Shirushu-san!」
「No, you’ll stay here.」
「Is it because you plan on killing my brother?」
She managed to read through me.
It’d have been for the best if her instinct didn’t work in these kinds of situations… What a tactless fellow she is.
「That’s right. That’s why I can’t take you with me. You’re connected by blood aren’t you? There’s no need for yourself to dirty your hands with that blood. Me, alone, is enough to take care of someone like him. In this battle Claude, you’ll only be a hindrance.」
「Even so… I beg you!!」
I tried to persuade her but Claude wouldn’t let go of me.
As Claude put even more strength into her embrace I felt my magic power slowly being sucked out.
「… The wielders of Screen Point can extract the magic power of someone they touch. If you don’t take me with you Zeph-kun, I won’t let go until you have no magic power left!」
「Claude you…」
Screen Point certainly did extract the magic power of the person touching the caster. It also almost nullifies spells as well.
Come to think of it, Kane’s Screen Point from earlier seemed quite aggressive, like it was trying to rob my magic power away. On the other hand, Claude’s Screen Point does not negate all magic power, but rather it can absorb some spells such as strengthening magic and such. Claude’s Screen Point does not reject everything, but rather it only rejects that which it deems harmful to her. Although she’s desperately holding on to me, my magic power has not been drained all that much, probably due to me being her friend, and not having ill intentions.
「… Claude, that’s enough.」
I grabbed Claude’s hand and turned around. She looked like she was about to cry. I could clearly see her tears welling up.
「Zeph-kun…!」
As I wiped off her tears, she looked at me with a resolved look.
It felt like she was saying I’ll never give up.
Good grief, what a troublesome fellow.
「Okay, okay, you can come with me. But don’t do anything crazy.」 I said with a sigh, to which a gloomy face changed to one of excitement.
And this time, she hugged me from the front and even pushed me down with her.
「Thank you Zeph-kun!!」
「Hey! Let go of me!」
「Oh… I’m sorry…」 saying that Claude released her Screen Point.
No not that, move your arms. It hurts when your breastplate pushes into me.
In the end I had to choose but to forcefully move Claude off of me and get up.
「… Let’s go before everyone wakes up.」
「Okay!」
I didn’t want anyone else, especially Milly, to have such a blood fight. Of course that included Claude as well.
That’s why I was planning on being the one who would kill Kane.
Claude was also probably aware of my intentions as well.
… If possible I’d like her not to participate but oh well.
◆ ◆ ◆
We went inside the forest and proceeded smoothly while defeating monsters.
As we went deeper, the Sti Beetles more frequently dropped pieces of meat and cloth covered with blood.
Claude’s face twisted each time.
It seems like Kane is hunting adventurers who came here to hunt monsters. Considering he also slashed at Claude without any hesitation, it must mean that he’s already lost his humanity.
「… Shirushu-san said that the smell was coming for the north of the island, right? According to the map, the rocky mountain near the cape in the north is a small dungeon. I’m thinking that that place is a bit suspicious.」 said Claude.
「Let’s go check it out for now.」
Shirushu’s sense of smell worked by picking up on the smell of magic power.
She was apparently able to sense odors which had been permeated with magic power, and then follow those odors to find traces.
Kane’s Screen Point, which is able to erase magic power, can be said to be her archnemesis. That’s probably also why she wasn’t able to sense him getting close.
「Ain, come out.」
「Hey, hey!」
After casting Summon Servant, Ain appeared right next to me.
And after staring at Claude’s face for a while, she whispered to me.
「Gramps, Claude doesn’t seem to be doing too great.」
「Some stuff happened. And the place that we’re about to head to right now is going to be pretty tough as well.」
「…Hmmm.」
Ain moved away from me and shot straight for Claude’s face, as she hugged it.
「Hyaa?!A-Ain-chan?!」
「It’s gonna be okay Claude. After all I’m with you ♪」
「…Thank you.」
And like that Claude ended up cuddling with Ain for a while.
As I was looking at them, suddenly a Sti Beetle appeared in front of me.
「Ain.」
「What’s up?」
「I just remembered a thing that I wanted to test out.」
「Eh… You’re doing it now…? With this atmosphere?」
「The battle afterwards may turn out to be a fierce one. I want to try it while I still can.」
Hearing me say that, Ain’s face suddenly went pale.
「And the target just appeared right in front of us. So hurry up and turn into a sword.」
「Are you sure you want to use me against such a weak monster, to me it just seems like a waste…」
「Just turn into a sword, would you?」
「Tsch… Okay…」
Ain reluctantly turned into Divine Sword Ainbelle and landed in my hand.
「Let’s go Ain.」
「P-Please be gentle…」
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