Chapter 150

Volume 2

Chapter 129

That day, I did something because I let my heart get away by thinking too much.

「H, hey, Leone, where did you come from so quickly?」

「I’d like an explanation…」

「Seeing me like this looks bad, but I don’t know myself.」

During the school’s lunch break, I quit class and went to meet Spinne with Dan and Zank.

I didn’t even explain why, I just took the other three off campus.

「Neither Minnalis or Shuria came to class today.」

I spoke those few words as I started moving.

Lately, the days where I couldn’t read Minnalis’ actions continued, and I couldn’t come to grips with why.

However, today she didn’t come to school either.

Yes, just that, just that thing, made my worries increase more and more.

「Just that? I mean, it’s no big deal…」

「I just have a bad feeling about this. …when I feel like this, I mean…」

Spinne looked confused, and bit her lower lip.

「Heh heh, where are you going with an expression like that?」

Then, the person who invited me to that reality I could never return from suddenly came from outside the school.

「Shuria…chan.」

That smiling, innocent girl stood there, looking the same as usual.

But this time, she felt different. TOTALLY different and it unnerves me.

「Hmph…I knew it, you don’t want to just hear talk, hm? You’ve got some special guess or thought on your mind? Well, I’ll show you if you follow me.」

She had a light smile on her face that might be seen by others as scorn.

Her tanned skin that looked like a symbol of lighthearted cheer now seemed to absorb and darken the sunlight.

With Shuria’s skin setting off an impression like that, she suddenly spun and walked away.

「Um, what…are you doing?」

「Just as you said, Leone. I’ve got a bad feeling about something.」

「For now, all of you can just follow me.」

Shuria walked ahead of us, making sure she didn’t lose us.

She didn’t talk like she usually did as she lead us to a place with lesser people.

And then, we arrived at our destination. Although it was still afternoon, it was devoid of people.

In an area right before we entered the slum, there was a small place to eat.

「This place…has a silence barrier around it?」

「Just take a look…you’ll see.」

「No, let me take a look first.」

「I’m not talking to you, Zank. I’m talking to Leone.」

「…」

I said nothing, as Shuria’s voice faded.

I unconsciously used my 『Basking Pupil』to see the colors inside of the building.

Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, Purple, Light Red, Grey…all of the colors mixed together, but what seemed to highlight it all was that it was missing a color of the shadows.

Different types, a melting pot of many warped and ominous colors.

However, the color warping all the others was a color I had seen before again and again.

「…ah…」

The door that seemed to suck me in was finally opened by me and I saw…

…a world of evil magic filled with laughs and emotions corrupted and rusted over.

「…Minnalis…chan? Wha…t are…you doing?」

「Oh, Leone and friends. You were a bit too early. Are you skipping classes? Well, still good timing. I finished my first round, hee hee hee.」

Confusion filled our voices.

There were countless dead surrounding someone that had fallen to the ground.

Then, with the dead, Minnalis stood laughing bewitchingly, with her face covered in blood.

「W, who…who is that?!」

「What, what have you done, Minnalis?」

「It seemed that Leone was the most correct. The others in your group…」

「!! Answer us! What have you done!?!」

Our voices shouted out in a chorus of confused, mixed emotions.

「What did I, do? You can see for yourself. You’ve always come to stop me, right? Heh heh heh, HAH HAH HAH HAH!」

「Gyaaaahhhhh!」

Those quiet words suddenly transformed into a scream, as Minnalis shifted the sword in her hand to the other, and then stabbed it into a person lying on the ground without pause.

「Who are you…!? Is that person, Keril?! Why is he here?」

「You certainly have been unfair. You assumed that I’d think he was in Kikitto, when he was right here and you’d think I wouldn’t notice?!」

「Gigggah?! Agh! Ugh!」

She laughed, drunk at the sounds of his death, and whipped the sword back and forth again and again and again with a face covered in pleasure.

He was then surrounded by countless unknown entities, drunk on a wave of hate and rage.

「H, hey! Stop it all of you! He’s going to die!」

「Get ready, Leone, I’m about to put a stop to this.」

「…Minnalis-chan, forgive me if I’m too rough!」

(No matter what, we have to stop this violence!)

「Sink in the earth with stone, 『Titan’s Bed!』」

「「「「Guwaaaah!」」」」

As soon as all of us drew our weapons, the weight of the resentment in her voice seemed to stop us dead in our tracks.

「Too bad, you’ve got no place performing in this beginning act. When the real thing is over I have to put you behind the scenes again.」

Ukei-kun’s figure appeared with a flourish of a sword and with a jet black coat appeared imbued with a thick magical power.

A double edged sword with one wavy blade that shifted from white at the point to a dark brown near the hilt and one straight edge.

A feeling of mercilessness crept into our hearts as we gazed upon him, exuding an aura of someone who had fought an uphill battle and barely won.

「Bad children get punished! Bathe in the rumbling,『Wet Thunder Flash!』」

「『Heavy Wall / Hammer Maelstrom!!』」

「No way?! What are you doing?」

Spinne brought out a thunderous water and struck the earth with a monsterous unseen hammer.

「Agh, Gah…there’s no time for me to give up…agh…『Demon Transform!』」

「I’ll support. 『Force Up』,『Physical Up!』」

As proof of Dan’s unique skill, white horns emerged from his forehead, and his skin turned red.

That red, steamy body now stood, as Zank’s strengthening magic glimmered through the steam.

In a state like that, even in lacking experience compared to his future, he received enough strength to destroy a stone golem with a punch. However…

「Bind, burn, the weight of their proven sins. 『Giant’s Falling Hammer!』」

「Guwaaah! Agh!」

Dan was unable to stand again and unleash his merciless power after again being crushed.

「Sorry, I had just finished a kind of tough training myself. I’ve been getting my power back since the last time I got done in. There’s no way any of you could touch me. Now time to leave. You will leave here and become our party behind the scenes again. I know the three days will be tough…well, you won’t die…maybe.」

He appeared out of nowhere covered in a huge amount of magic with a indigo transparent jeweled sword.

The sword looked more like decoration than a weapon, as Ukei-kun thrust it into the ground.

The magic stream spreading from the sword was the same color, a shimmering green and indigo.

「Well, Minnalis. Since Shuria and I have been laying the groundwork, when you’re done, let us know.」

「Yes, Master.」

「Hmph! I wanted to threaten them a little bit myself too!」

「I’ll leave it at that. I’m not going after these people or that crap kid over there. You really kicked his butt, Minnalis. If I can’t use these folks, I’m going to have trouble.」

「I know, Master. Hee hee, heh heh…」

Suddenly Minnalis and those around Keril mixed together, and Shuria used her slung back knife to dig out the meat of Keril’s legs.

Minnalis and Shuria seemed to take joy in being cruel.

Almost as if they were quickly surrounded by a heavy darkness.

The motionless body lay on the floor, with its arm stretched towards us.

Even he knew he couldn’t escape, he still had stretched his arm as if to deny the inevitable.

「S, stop with this revenge! Minnalis, just stop!」

My vision covered in tears, I cried out to her.

「I won’t…never.」

Those words were her only reply.

With no other words to say, in a blinding light, Minnalis’ figure disappeared.

The last thing I saw in her, somehow, was the image of a small, wailing child.

☆

With master’s use of the 【Heavenly Spinning Sword]against Leone and the others, I disappeared into the light of transportation.

「Yes, it started long ago, and rolled, and rolled, and kept rolling, and now we’ve finally arrived.」

Yes, the day my world was broken was a cold winter day.

The day my mother died just like a string being cut.

Then, I decided for revenge, with no rest until it was complete.

「Well, let’s continue, Keril. We still have so much time.」

「Wha, aghh, ugh…GIGIGGGAGGGG?!」

I dropped two potions over him, and then stomped his face.

「I’m going to have so much fun with you… the reason why is because tomorrow I’ll have to forget all this and go back to my life.」

I whispered the last part, and then get the others to surround him to attack again.

「Guwahh, Gahh, aghg! Stop…someone…help, aghh!」

「Do you know how much it costs to repay me for your sins? Hey, Keril, stick with me okay? Until your world is broken over and over, heh hah hah, HAHAHAHAHAH!!!」

Dark, with all my heart in the depths of the shadows, I laughed.

Laughed, sneered, mocked, mocked, mocked, and mocked.

In that place painted over in hatred and iniquity, from the bottom of my heart, I continued laughing.