CH 110

Chapter 110: Dare To Draw Your Sword

TL: Akabane

***

I run through the crowd. As I run, I take a piece of Mashiba cellophane tape out of my pocket, shred it to a reasonable length, and wrap it around my hands and torso. This tape has tremendous defensive power, but apparently it's made to be weak against cutting. And I was probably not the only one who noticed it. I felt Suo's presence behind me. She was coming closer and closer to me with her tremendous speed. Then, she pulled up her hakama to her knees, put her hand inside, and took out a small sword in a scabbard.

"I'm not just good at shooting!"

Suo caught up with me and pulled out the small sword with her right hand in a beautiful, dancing iaijutsu. The slash came straight at me, trying to cut my torso in half. I caught it with my ten hands and entangled it with my hook. I wanted to break the sword in half. But...

"Amai!"

Suo gripped the scabbard with her left hand, slapped my hand with it, and pulled out the sword that had been clawed out of the hook. Then, gripping the sword with only her little finger, she put her right hand in her pocket and drew her gun. She then pulled the trigger of the gun while holding the sword with her little finger. I held my hands out in front of my face in a defensive posture.

"Ggh! What a grip! You're a mess!!!!"

Suo put one bullet in my stomach and one in my chest. I can't hide my surprise that the muzzle of the gun didn't jump up at all, even though she was gripping the sword with her little finger.

"I don't want to be told by you that you can handle my sword with a stick like that!

Suo swung her sword backhandedly at me as I was knocked down by the shot. I catch it with a jitte hook I held in both hands. But even though she was holding the sword with only her little finger, it was extremely heavy. Suo pushed the sword toward me. The people around us were making a lot of noise when they saw us standing around. But they seem to think it was a performance, not a fight to the death. Clapping and laughing sounded like they were having a good time. And at the same time, I saw several drones flying above them. Probably Hagiri is monitoring us. It makes me angry.

"You're so peaceful. I envy you. People in this country can sleep through the night without hearing gunshots. They can walk the streets without seeing dead bodies. They can grow up without knowing violence."

I could see the sadness in Suo's eyes. The pitiful tears of one struck down by unreason.

"Mirisha would never lend money to a little girl like me. I would rather be kidnapped, drugged, and sold off to a brothel. Hahaha! Do you get it now?"

"So Suo used her overwhelming violence to intimidate Milisha and get the money, didn't she?"

"That's right. Yes, she threatened them with violence and borrowed money from them. The rest is just love. They bought my skills and I paid them back by killing them. Corrupt politicians, corrupt officials, and gangsters. I killed them all. But deep down inside, Mirisha was afraid of me and didn't want me to be a part of their life. That's why they sold her bonds to Hagiri. To keep me away from Brazil."

"If she had that much power, she could have just wiped out her debts, couldn't she?"

"That's no good. No, Kanata. An honest person pays back what she borrows. I am. I am. I want to stay become human! I want to remain human! No matter how many horrible sins I commit! I wanted to remain human! I wanted to at least pretend to be human! I wanted to be with my family! And yet... and yet... and yet! Aaahhh!"

The strength with which I press down on the sword increases even more. The blade is almost at the edge of my forehead.

"I knew the punishment was coming! It's too soon! Hagiri is going to force my punishment on my darlings! I can't! I can't! I can't do that! I have no choice but to embrace my sins and disappear. Aaaaah!"

The words are not reaching Suo right now. No amount of persuasion would work. Hagiri has unleashed the darkness in this kid. I pity it too much.

"Then, I can't just disappear with him even more so. There's another evil that really should disappear! Hmph!"

The jitte has a certain characteristic. It can slide over the blade of a sword caught by the hook. I kick the ground with all my might. Then, sliding the hook onto the blade, I slide between Suo's legs.

"Thanks for the pants!"

"Kya?!"

I slipped under Suo's hakama. The color of the pants peeking out from the hem of her hakama was a pristine white. When I passed under her legs and stood up, Suo was shaking and embarrassed. We're in the middle of a grueling, murderous situation, and Suo is embarrassed by such a trivial thing. I think it's because Suo is human.

"Suo. Even if one commits a crime, there is always a chance to start over. I know that. That's why I won't let you get killed here. I will stop you for sure!"

I know this because I am a time leaper. There is always a second chance. I will prove it.

[Hagiri's POV]

We rented out a restaurant in a hotel in Shibuya, and Tomoe and I watched Kanahisa Tokiwa and Edileza Reichi kill each other over a monitor. When he was shot by Reichi, it was so exciting. But when he got up immediately after that, I felt horrified as if I was watching a horror movie. It must have been the same for my women in Tsukuba and Izumo, who were also watching via the transmission. However, among them, only Tomoe looked somewhat relieved. Soon after that, everyone immediately knew what was going on.

||  "Tomo-chi, did you release that tape that Tokiwa is using? Does that mean you betrayed us and made it for him?"

||  "Betrayal? Punishment. Seek. Rage. Anger!"

Tomoe said in a terse tone in response to their pursuit.

"Well? Didn't he steal it from our lab in Hongo? We don't know."

Tomoe turns her head away. She seems to be playing it cool, but that tape is under tight control. There is no way he could have stolen it. She definitely passed the tape on to someone else. She was trying to prevent me from killing Kanahisa Tokiwa. But this was a problem. Tomoe must be punished in some way, but she is irreplaceable. There was no way I could purge her at this point. On the other hand, if we overlook the betrayal, we will not be able to show the other women what we have done. It was an unexpected situation. It was at that time.

"Excuse me, sir."

A waiter from the restaurant came up to us.

"What? I thought I told you not to talk to us."

"I'm sorry, sir. But Milan-sama and her companion have requested to see Hagiri-sama. They are waiting outside, how should I do?"

Hearing that name, I, Tomoe, and the two people on the other side of the monitor were startled.

"Let them through right away!"

"Yes, sir."

Immediately the waiter brought two people, Milan Izumi and Yuzuriha Momiji. Milan was smiling at me, but Yuzuriha Momiji was staring at me with a blank expression.

"I didn't think you would come to me! This means you'll accept my example, right?!"

I couldn't help but smile. The fact that Izumi and Momiji came to see me now that Kanahisa Tokiwa was not around was a clear statement of their intention to cut him off and join me. Victory had just rolled in under my nose. How could I not be happy? With this, the chance to challenge "Other Side" on the other side of Amanoiwato has come around. My dream will come true soon. It finally comes true!

"Hahaha. I'm so happy to see you happy when you're see my face. That means you need me so much, doesn't it? I'm honored."

"That's right! You are indispensable! You are irreplaceable and unique! So welcome! I can make your dreams come true! So help us! To rebuild the framework that will redeem human civilization!"

So at last. At last I can step into a realm that has been nothing more than a dream. Everything is for that reason alone. Izumi will lead us to the "Other side". At last, at last, at last, my dream will come true!

"I see! You must be dreaming a very grand, big, huge dream. And for that, you said that I am indispensable. I see. Well then. Will you do me a favor?"

"Hmm? You want me to beg? Say whatever you want. I'll get you whatever you want."

"Yeah. Then, let's see. I want you to sell the debt of Suo's debt to Kanata. I also demand that you destroy the evidence of the story that threatens Suo. I don't want you to threaten Suo again."

"...Huh? I'm sorry. What? I'm a little confused about what you're saying. Didn't you guys cut off Kanahisa Tokiwa and join my side?"

Izumi is smiling somewhat contemptuously as she looks at me confused.

"I never said anything like that and I have no intention of doing so. I'm a single-minded clown. I won't flatter another king."

Momiji nodded deeply at these words.

"Wait! Then why did you guys come here?!"

"It's a deal. To save Kanata."

Saying that, she took out a sword from her bag. The gesture was very beautiful, with an outwardly beautiful touch. Izumi then pulled the sword from it's sheath and gently touched it's blade to her own face.

"Hey, hey! Stop it! You'll hurt your face if you pull the sword out like that! It will be so bad that it will leave a mark!"

Tomoe stood up and asked Izumi to stop her. But Izumi didn't take the sword away from her face. She opened her mouth with a terribly beautiful smile.

"You have to accept the conditions I just told you right now. Otherwise, I'll pull my sword."

That's not good. If I leave an ugly scar on Izumi's face, it could be a fatal blow to my plan. At the very least, my chances of approaching the "Other side" would be terribly remote. But how is that possible? Would a woman hurt her own face to save a man's? It's unthinkable.

"Haha. No, let's not joke about it. That kind of joke is not funny. Izumi. Let's talk about it properly. I'm sure we can come to some mutually agreeable terms. So put down your sword."

"Yes. You think I'm lying? You think I'm bluffing? Don't be so naive. I'm not like the women you know. I'm ready to dishonor myself to be of use to the king. You, the fake king, may not understand!"

My eyes met Izumi's. There seemed to be some emotion swirling in those red eyes that I couldn't read. I don't understand. Was she serious? Is she bluffing? I don't know.

"Hagiri! It's not good! Milan is serious! I know it! She's definitely serious!"

Tomoe's face turned pale. Her advice has been useful so far. But it's not realistic to make threats like this.

"You think a girl would go this far and still lie? You're a little man! ...Gohon. I'll give a helping hand for such a small man like you. If you accept my terms now, Milan will accept a dancing job in Izumo. In addition, I can help you with the research you need, even if only partially. ...This is the line of compromise we can make. So please choose. The value of your dream."

The conditions offered instead have an appeal. We originally needed Izumi's dance in Izumo, and we also wanted Momiji's cooperation in our research. But there is no guarantee that this is not a blank check. But if I say no and Izumi really does cut off her face, the success of my plan will be far from certain. What should I do? I am faced with an incredibly unreasonable choice between two options.

"Well. Come on, Hagiri. Do you believe me? Or you don't? Show me what you're made of."

Izumi whispered to me in a sweet voice filled with madness. I couldn't help but feel the heat of seriousness there.

"Guuuuuuuhhhh... Damn. ...I'll do it. I'll take that as a condition, so put the sword down..."

"...Haha! Ahahaha! That's funny! You think you're a king, but you're so weak that you'll break just because a girl is a little bit selfish!"

Izumi took the sword away from my face. But what she just said is unforgivable.

"I'm not pretentious. I am the king."

"Really? Are you really a king? I think a king should obey those who don't do what he wants, even if it's by force! Hahaha!"

Izumi then thrust the sword she was holding into the floor.

"Hagiri. You are not fit to be king. My Kanata is the real king."

"I will not be provoked by the immediate provocations of others. That's not what a king does."

"You are not a king by being so clever. You have been insulted. Insulting a king is tantamount to insulting even the country he rules. When you are insulted, your followers are insulted. You are such a weak man that you would even let an insult to those who follow you slide?"

"That's just sophistry."

"Then cut off the cheeky woman who is playing sophistry with the king right now. Come on, pull out that sword and cut me down!"

For a moment I almost reached for it. But I quickly calm down and retract my hand. I can never crush my own dreams here by myself.

"I see. You can't even draw your sword.... That shadow I feared was just an illusion. Huh. Then fulfill your condition right now. Even if you're not the king, if you're a man, at least keep your word."

Izumi looked at me with condescending eyes and let out a sigh. That gesture made me feel a sense of humiliation greater than anything I had ever experienced in my life.

***Author's musings***

I am afraid of Milan's threats.

Is she a yandere?

I mean, romantic comedy...!

Arthur became king by pulling out a sword stuck in a rock. Arthur was then cursed by the goddess.

Hagiri has gained the upper hand in future plans through this negotiation. However, the author feels that he certainly lost something by doing so.

You don't have to draw your sword to call yourself a king. But the goddess will not hold your hand.

The goddess is waiting. She waits for the man who has the courage to draw his sword.

A bridegroom worthy of surrender.

Let us offer our crowns on the far shore.

The next round of the battle against Edileza will be complete.

Oh, and we're still looking for summer subjects!

See you soon.