Volume 3 Chapter 28

Volume 3 Chapter 28: True Colors V

Translator: “Pink Tea” Editor: ”Ryunakama”

The rakshasa tilted his head to my words and furrowed his brows.

「Oh, you, a measly carrier, are challenging me?」

「Yeah. I challenge you.」

「Is that a ploy to let those behind escape by using yourself, who is no longer a dragon knight, as a sacrifice? This is fine by me, in its own way. That is, if they can escape from those black tigers.」

「Nothing of that sort. Rakshasa Bane. I just decided that I’ll do this.」

Those words caused the rakshasa to explode into a fit of laughter.

「Hahaha, are you sure about this? Leaving it to a single carrier who is just a tad bit stronger and quicker than a normal carrier? I’m fine with all of you attacking me at once.」

Is it a provocation or he just looks down on us this much?

I don’t know which is it, but to be honest, I don’t really care at this point.

As I embraced such thoughts, Saki approached.

「Axel… I also…」

She is probably going to say that she will fight.

But, there is no need for that. Soー

「It’s fine. Saki… My goal is set. Please take care of Berzelia and others.」

「…Understood.」

When asked to defend the rear, Saki nodded with a serious expression, completely devoid of her usual smile.

If she’s like this, she surely will manage to protect Berzelia and others.

While I thought so, a laughing voice once again reached my ears.

「Kuku…… So you are really planning to let him attack me alone. Are you sure about this, hero of magic, approving such suicide.」

「It’s fine. You are already in the hands of the god of death.」

Saki gave the Rakshasa those words with a cold look.

「Hmm? Are you begging your gods now? Well, eventually we will annihilate all of the gods as well, so it doesn’t matter. …… Enough of this farce, come already, Carrier Axel. You keep eyeing me all this time, so you surely want to attack? But do you have guts for that?」

「Sure. …Then, let’s do this, rakshasa.」

While saying this, I used the power of my current job to transport a bit of the past.

However, I didn’t transport the power alone.

I also got from the past my previous spirit.

The mindset I had when I fought majin, my movements, emotions, I drag everything from the past and implant it in my heart.

Until now, I was a carrier. My job and actions didn’t differ.

ーHowever, for now only, I will tackle this with the same spirit I had in the old days.

Clenching my teeth hard enough for them to creak and regaining a bit of my calm I take a stance with the sword in my right hand and the spear in my left. That’s the way I fought in the past.

「……Yes. I as the former dragon knight Axel will deliver you, rakshasa Bane to death……!」

●

「……tch」

Saki immediately noticed that Axel in front of her began emitting a much stronger bloodthirst.

「So it turned out like this after all. It’s a problem, really…」

「In-indeed, the strength of that rakshasa is a huge problem.」

Sidonius tried to voice his agreement, but he completely misunderstood me.

I wasn’t speaking about the strength that this rakshasa possessed.

「It’s not what I meant. I was talking about Axel.」

「Eh?」

「For the first time in a while, he is truly angry……」

The one to agree with those words was Berzelia, who was lying on the grown nearby.

She also knew Axel well.

「…Ye…ah. It’s Master from the times when he was really scary…」

「Since he became like that there is no stopping him.」

「No stopping…?」

「Literally. Until he achieves his goal…… Until he wins, he will keep going. Until death.」

「What…」

Probably quite surprised by my words, Sidonius kept flapping his mouth for a few seconds.

And when he was finally able to speakー

「That’s just thoughtless……」

He said those dumbfounded words.

「Right now, he isn’t a dragon knight…… There is no way for him to prevail over the majin that fused with an ancient beast…」

Sidonius was aware of Axel’s job. And it’s because he knew how strong Axel’s previous job was that he spoke like this.

Saki understood what he was trying to say. Howeverー

「Master… Will win…」

「Right… If it’s my friend, then he would do it.」

Berzelia and Daisy were of a different opinion to Sidonius. Of course, the same applied to me.

「Be-Berzelia-dono? Daisy-dono? W-what is the basis for that……?!」

Sidonius asked with wide-open eyes to which Berzelia replied in a voice that was feeble yet filled with confidence.

「There is a basis. I am Master’s partner… after all… I know Master’s power…!」

「Yeah, and I’m Axel’s close friend. And as his friend, I know his power to push forward no matter what…!!」

Daisy was the same.

「Those… Are just emotions… They can’t serve as a reason……! That reasoning will leave him dead……!」

Sidonius raised his voice, refuting them.

I guess to him it looked like Axel is entering a fight without any prospects of victory. In a way, it was indeed soー

「Yes, yes. You are pretty much on a verge of death, so cut your arguing at this.」

Saki said, clapping.

That’s enough. There is no point in talking any further. Some things can’t be understood unless you see the actual thing. Thereforeー

「Hydra, Cosmos, and captain as well. You are poisoned. Until Axel defeats that thing focus on preventing the needless spread of the poison and recovering your strength.」

「Saki-dono…」

「Well, and I just didn’t want him to get injured, that’s why I said that this is a problem. Since my husband decided that he will do it, it’s only natural that he will win. So I’m not worried at all. Let’s just say that this is all of the reason you need to hear.」

As the poisoned began to get agitated she remonstrated them, and—

「Grr……」

Black tigers that distanced themselves from Axel, once again turned this way.

Circling around they moved with intentions to surround us.

「Now, let’s see. …In order to welcome Axel no matter the injuries with which he returns I have to properly defend this area.」

Saki equipped Ice Greaves, and thenー

「Mghuuuh…… I will…… Fight too…」

With flames burning on her hands, Berzelia tried to force herself to stand up.

However, those flames were very weak, as if they would go out any moment nowー

「Please don’t move, Hydra. The poison will spread, you can’t fight like this.」

「Bu-but……」

「Go lie down, you can’t move properly anyway. I will deal with what’s coming.」

Gently touching Berzelia’s forehead, Saki pushed her back to the ground.

「Well, protecting the place to return to is also a wife’s job. This I can easily do. 」

While Saki said that, the look in her eyes became sharper.

Even the smile usually plastered on her face disappeared, that kind of expression.

「Even so, what I’m about to do is a bit unrelated to wife’s duties……」

Saki examined the surroundings.

A lot of black tigers were closing on them.

It was pretty clear that all of them aimed for the weakened Berzelia and Daisy.

As such, Saki stood up and took a pose with one of her legs stretched out and spun once.

With that alone, a circle of ice appeared around them.

The radius is somewhat over a dozen meters. Pointing to it, Saki said.

「……Don’t think that you can get over that line.」

Without any care about those words, one of the tigers stepped on the edge of the circle. That instantー

*――Clink*

That tiger turned to ice.

Completely frozen it no longer made any movements.

Probably frightened by that sight, the black tigers first took a few steps back, but thenー

「……!」

After exchanging glances and looking at the two lying behind Saki, they resumed their advance. As they approached, a few of them turned into ice, but others attempted to close the distance anyway, even if that meant walking over the bodies of their frozen comrades.

「They should have enough intellect to understand speech. I see, so you are approaching anyway? …That’s some nerve you got.」

As she observed that scene, a black chill began oozing from Saki, followed by further changes in her expression.

Now, the fiery rage was practically visible in her eyes.

Naturally, after all, Axel wasn’t the only one enraged by the injuries that his friends suffered.

「ーーYou bastards, don’t think that you’ll get to lay even one finger on my friends…!」