Chapter 57: Turning Point

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“Hey, tell me. What’s your name?”

It was quite the struggle, but finally I can take a break.

However, I can’t take it easy.

There are still a lot of these guys.

There’s no telling what Mr. Aka might be going through.

“Hold on, Mr. Aka. I’ll be right there!”

“Hey, wait a minute! Let’s talk, I’ll listen! So please, don’t go!”

And, when I started running to Aka’s house, Shinobu, who should have been down, got up and ran around me.

What the hell, she’s still fine, her clothes got shredded by my shockwave, some shame would be nice, but now is not the time.

“【Great Demon Goose Step】”

“Hey!?”

I took a goose step to avoid colliding with Shinobu, who stood in the way, and ran.

“Hey, just, I said wait!”

“Daaaaaah~, don’t order me around! Also, a lot of your figure is exposed as it is, your clothes are in tatters because of the effects of the shock wave, so if you don’t mind! Hide your panties!”

“Not really, they’re made to be seen without issue! Beside, in that case you can look to your heart’s content, go on!”

“Like there are panties in this world that it’s fine to see from the onset. I get excited to see it because you shouldn’t look at it!”

Shinobu is chasing right after me. The crazy nuisance. So annoying.

“【Great Demon Swab】”

“Eh, huh!?”

While moving straight, proceed to change direction so as to draw a circle outward.

I’ll shake her off at this rate.

“Come on, I’m listening to you, aren’t I? You’re seriously saying that ogre is a friend!”

“Now is the time! Your companions may be doing something to Mr. Aka, and don’t suddenly turn around and offer your hand!”

“Can’t you trust me? Yes, we don’t know anything about each other. Then you can run, and listen to me!”

What? It’s the other way around, right? These guys told me to listen to them yet had no ears to listen to me, and now they tell me to listen, but I’m reluctant to talk and kept on running.

The only difference, I’m refusing but Shinobu kept screaming without a care.

“I’m 15 years old from The Kingdom of Japone, the eldest daughter of the Stoke family. A genius ninja who was called Yojijukugo and a child prodigy. What’s more, my skills at playing Go won me the Japone under 18 tournament championship. The type of man I like is… how should I put it, the man I’m interested in right now is… No, I don’t have to say anymore, do I? Right? Right? Totally infatuated! The bloodlust from our battle, it’s now an exceedingly wonderful, heart throbbing memorial!” 1[S1] 

“I-Infatuated, n-no woman says that so easily!”

Not good. She’s beautiful, and she said I’m her type, but she’s kind of annoying.

I’m flattered, but I may not want to be intimate.

Or why are you so energetic? You lost to me.

If I take her to Mr. Aka’s place like this, wouldn’t it be dangerous?

“But, it’s the reason we can talk like this, also if you need to stop my brother, in that case I’ll help you!”

“That’s why I didn’t have the time to talk to you. How long has it been since your brother went to Mr. Aka? Then, I’ll be faster if it’ll be one second earlier, too bad for you but I’ll blow your big brother away with haste!”

I face forward, my cheeks and skin get cut by branches on the way, and proceed regardless.

I glanced back, but Shinobu was fine and she had no problem with…

『Tis the perfect parkour… as expected of a Jounin.』

“Tre’ainar?”

『I would like you to show me such movement』

“Shut up! It’s been a while now! And I’m worried about Mr. Aka!”

『Surely that ogre will be fine… Well, to be certain I am concerned, but…… it cannot be helped. Shall I offer a little assistance?』

Then, Tre’ainar was by my side thinking a little as he observed the situation while whispering into my ear.

『Well? Child. From now on, I shall direct you on the ‘route to run’. Follow my instructions. I will inform you on the best route to avoid obstacles.』

“Wh-What? You can do that?”

『Hmm. Instead, try not to miss the route, will you? There are several route instructions. Memorize them at once.』

That’s how Tre’ainar explains the route to me. About short words and their basis.

“Hey? You’ve been talking to yourself for a while? Hey, hey!”

Ignoring the chasing Shinobu, I concentrate on remembering Tre’ainar’s words.

Then, as I enter the deep, wooded area, I increase my concentration.

“Are you all right?”

『It looks like this, and there is no doubt about the instructions from the one once said to be the best commander in history!』

“I don’t know, but I asked!”

『Let us proceed…. ‘Slant’』

Slant. Meaning the route cuts into an angle diagonally after running straight.

I just barely avoid a large tree.

『Corner』

Corner. The instruction is to cut diagonally to the right after running straight for a while.

『Straight』

As the name implies, keep running straight. There’s nothing to hinder me for a while, and I can run through non-stop.

“Hey, what? How did he? A swifter running course…can’t catch up!”

Gradually, the gap from Shinobu’s feet, which trainer called the perfect parkour, was expanding.

『Jig Out』

Incredible. As I ran, I pondered, ‘Which way should I run?’ and I thought about it, but my idea was completely different from Tre’ainar’s instructions.

I realize my judgment still needs work.

But thanks to that, I gained some distance from the disturbed woman…

“You’re truly amazing. I respect you! But that’s why you have to wait! You say you’ll blow my brother away, but…… no matter what you do in the first place, you can’t beat Nii-san!”

At that time, the words I heard from behind made me a little angry.

“Nii-san is much stronger than I am. Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, Experience, all top-class talent even among the Jounin. A genius shinobi who was recognized for his ability by the Seven Heroes of legend, and ‘prized’ as the pride of the Japone Kingdom!”

“Oh~, yeah yeah, genius prodigy, I’m boundlessly envious. Me, I’ve never been recognized by the Seven Heroes even once, so I dropped out.”

However, the Great Demon King who was the nemesis of the Seven Heroes recognized me.

And, never mind that …

『You are close.』

I finally approached a familiar place.

Yes, I met the shooting star family and Mr. Aka around here.

And if you leave here, you’ll soon be in Aka’s lair…? what?

“Hey, Tre’ainar! There’s some smoke…And, uh…Is it burning?”

『Most Likely.』

Probably not. No doubt. The smoke is spreading, and the air is gradually getting hot.

And, it comes into view. The house I spent last night in. That is……

“Ah…”

It’s burning… Aka’s house… the devastation… Aka’s field…

“Ah…Ah…”

The surrounding trees are destroyed, the ground is devastated, and it was no longer a place where anyone could live…

『Do not ask how…』

But what caught my eye wasn’t the burning, the devastation, or ‘their extent’.

The blood spread abundantly on the ground.

Kunai and shuriken stuck all over the place.

An audible groan.

And, a dying figure, so weak that it seems about to expire at any time.

I wanted to doubt the sight before me as simply a dream.

But all the air I feel on my skin tells me that this is real.

『…… Phew…… Dear me…… as I said…』

Tre’ainar alone is not so surprised. He is calm as if he expected, ‘this outcome isn’t anything strange’.

“What… so?”

That was the only thing I could squeeze out.

“I’ve caught up. Eh? …… eh!? This is…”

When Shinobu finally caught up, she was surprised at the sight which spread before her.

It is only natural.

Because these are Shinobu’s friends… And, and Shinobu’s big brother may be among them, too.

Shinobu’s friends and Shinobu’s big brother.

They’re…

Bloodstained, lying flat down and on the verge of dying.

“Ni, nii-san…”

And, there is one figure looking down on the people laying prostrate.

『To touch the dragon’s reverse scale. To step on the tiger’s tail. I say truly… they provoked the ogre’s horn…… they are at fault.』

It was big, thick, had many shuriken, kunai, swords, sickles, and other weapons stuck to its body, and a lot of blood was shed.

However, the existence does not seem to show pain to the injury either.

The whole body is dyed in a scorching color, hair standing upright as it was on the verge of boiling with rage, and horns that extend majestically.

He looked exactly like a monster.

『No matter how kind of a person, anger has a tipping point. Even among you humans, there are those who when pushed, kill even their blood-relatives. So….. naturally the ogre was pushed, too. And, an enraged ogre becomes a blood-stained beast’ next, and loses all control of their emotions and self-restraint. Right…… that ogre… tis no devil, but…… tis definitely an ogre.』

What am I looking at now?

――I do… one person at a time… making friends… having fun, playing games, having them over for a meal… ah, like that..

“Uh…Urgaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!! Ha, ha, ha, ha, Humaaannns!! Unforgivabuuuuullllee!!!!”

The house where he lived in and the fields he tended have all been ruined.

I’m sure all the works that were in the house were burned up.

There’s no one who wouldn’t get angry.

Even I would flip out.

Much more, if you’re attacked unprovoked, there isn’t the slightest problem with striking back.

I’ve come this far by kicking Shinobu out of the way.

So it doesn’t matter.

It can’t be helped.

But yet I couldn’t say that right away.

『This is the turning point, child… your solution once again…. show me as well.』

And, Tre’ainar talked as if he had seen through my heart.

That is, though my friend Mr. Aka is screaming with that much bloodlust, I must once again try to reach him with words.

[S1]Yojijukugo, 才色兼備, is a four character compound which refers to (a woman) being gifted with both intelligence and beauty​. A lady of Wit and Beauty if you will. I considered using Diva or Idol but that just makes her out like a singer. Also a note to dat Princess, this is how you raise your appeal as a heroine. Though Shinobu is coming on Pretty strong.