The Spearmaster and the Black Cat

Chapter 198: The Night when the Chosen Bloodkin Got Angry

“I wonder whether he’s alright. It’s already been two days.” Rebecca asked anxiously.

“Nn, he’s fine. Shuuya has contacted us with blood messages, hasn’t he?” Eva soothed her.

“Yeah.” Rebecca affirmed.

Rebecca and Eva had finished a merry girls shopping date and were now walking along the streets of the Martial Arts District on their way back home.

“He met with the Religious Organization Halfmalida, he mentioned.” Rebecca said.

“Nn, there are various gods even in the underground world. It’s the first time for me to hear of them.” Eva answered.

“Yeah, he seems to be heading towards an underground city, but he said there are many monsters, and that spirit-sama is complaining quite a bit after coming out because it’s hot.” Rebecca recounted what she heard from Shuuya.

“Nn…” At that point Eva lowered her eyes and lightly bit her lower lip.

“…Eva. Shuuya is Shuuya, okay? Right now the situation might not be good enough to use a gate. But! Enjoying the underground world with only spirit-sama at his side, that’s unfair!” Rebecca read Eva’s emotions from her face and expressed her displeasure in her own way, but…her feelings were transmitted to Eva who was obviously suffering.

Eva understood Rebecca’s emotions even without using < Purple Demonic Mind Achievement >.

“…Agree. Let’s go help the dark guild?” Eva asked.

“E-Eva…your eyes are unusually scary.” Rebecca was startled.

“Nn, there are times when I get irritated, too.” Eva replied curtly.

“R-Right. I feel the same. It might be a good way to distract ourselves. I will contact Yui and Kaldo through a blood message.” Rebecca said.

Eva and Rebecca nodded at each other with piercing looks.

Rebecca manipulated her blood and let it flow out of her index finger. Creating a message with blood letters in midair, she made use of her power as < Head Servant Leader >.

『Rebecca, since we are currently acting together with Benett-san, a member of the dark guild, meet us in front of the southern gate on the Third Ring Road, if you’re going to join. We will head together to our safe house from there.』

Yui’s blood message floated in front of her eyes.

『Understood, we’re coming over right away.』

Rebecca sent as a reply.

“Eva, you saw, didn’t you? Let’s go.” Rebecca told her close friend.

“Nn, in front of the southern gate.” Eva confirmed.

The eyes of the two became bloodshot as if serving as testimony of their powers as Light Demon Lucival. Blood veins appeared on their skin’s surface from the outer corners of their eyes up to close to their ears. Those veins throbbed in waves.

Eva formed the smile of a death goddess on her lips, “Fufu.”

“Ahaha.” Rebecca answered with the smile of an imp.

The two laughed loudly as the chosen bloodkin of a Light Demon Lucival.

◇◆◇◆

At the same time, in the Warehouse District.

A longsword user drew an arc with his sword’s point in the air. The longsword user, who kicked the roof while causing a metallic clinging, approached Paulsen. He swung down his sword at Paulsen once he got in range.

The aim of the slash was the tip of Paulsen’s shoulder, no, the trajectory changed towards the torso. Paulsen lifted his blood-smeared, one-handed ax with a calm expression, dealing with the longsword’s trajectory. He received the longsword with the slanted blade of his ax, and after letting the sword’s blade slide off to the side, he thrust out a bloodstained stake which he made appear in his left hand, trying to stab the chest of the longsword user.

The longsword user lightly twisted his body, jumped towards the wall while dodging the pointed stake at paper-thin distance, and kicked that wall with the sole of his feet. After taking some distance from Paulsen with a triangular jump, he landed at a place slightly away.

However, the longsword user had no openings even when landing. Even though he revealed a frustrated expression, he swung his longsword on the spot.

――He drew a Z with the point and back of his sword in the air.

“――Baron Mustache, as expected, you’re really strong.” He said.

“You are quite skilled yourself as well.” Paulsen answered with a grim tone.

In that instant a single shadow ray approached Paulsen. He completely perceived that shadow blade with his piercing look.

“――I won’t fall for such surprise attacks any longer.” Paulsen stated and dealt with the shadow blade closing in on his face with his stake. And then he drew a circle with the stake as if coiling the shadow blade around it, and repelled it.

“Over there――” It was Angie’s yell.

She thrust out her sword alongside a bell-like sound towards the place to where the shadow blade, which had been repelled by Paulsen, was pulled back. The point of her sword, which caused the bell sound, looked as though it had stabbed into the shadow, but, a shadow is a shadow.

Physical attacks apparently didn’t work against the shadow. The shadow wriggled while making eerie slithering sounds, and moved deeper into the alley with movements that looked like mucus.

What appeared inside the alley was a woman clad in a shadow, a black shadow that was emitted from her body like smoke.

While glaring at that woman, Paulsen said, “Something like that won’t work.”

“――Papa, it’s her again, Shadow User Yomi.” Angie said while running up to Paulsen.

“Hmm, we are also different compared to back then,” at the same time as Paulsen hinted at something with those words, neck-sweeping sword flashes by tiny girls were visible behind Yomi.

“――Oh, my!” The shadow muttered, vanishing like mist and adding, “…What a splendid, unknown swordsmanship. It’s been a while since my shadow had been directly cut and dispersed.”

The owner of the voice talking in a joyful tone while clapping her hands was the shadow-clad woman.

She wasn’t in the alley…but sat on the edge of a roof located right above the alley. Letting her long legs dangle from the overhang, she stared at the Massacre Sisters, Angie, and Paulsen below, and then smiled.

As if to show off her own power, she emitted a strangely squirming shadow from her body.

Her hair was cut shortly, colored with a glossy black. A small crow tattoo was visible on her forehead. Her eyebrows formed thin lines, and her eyes were shining in silver. With her lips having a silver color as well, she had a slightly unique, Asia-styled look.

“Lala, that woman needs special attention. And, the longsword man is coming this way.” Lulu said to her sister.

“Oki, Lulu. But, we nailed the previous 『Ruling Sweep』 of the Peerless Sword Style nicely.” Lala answered.

The Massacre Sisters crossed the swords in their hands while smiling at each other.

“Uh huh, yours was sharper than mine. Well done, Lala.” Lulu praised.

“No, the extension of Lulu’s sword line was the same as mine,” returned Lala.

They talked merrily after causing faint metallic clanking with their two blades.

“You might be women, but I will come at you without holding back――” While throwing those words at them, the longsword user brandished his sword at the Massacre Sisters.

“I won’t let you.” It was the two-handed sword master, Robalt.

He held up his two-handed sword in order to protect Lala of the Massacre Sisters.

The blade of the longsword user was magnificently blocked by Robalt’s sword. Sparks scattered at the places where the two swords clashed.

“Robalt, thanks.” Lala said.

“Don’t worry about it. Focus on this guy for now.” Robalt cautioned her while having a power struggle with the longsword user as both their swords were locked.

“Your face and words are nice. What a handsome man.” Even the longsword user had a very well-shaped, flat face, but he apparently addressed Robalt on purpose.

Paulsen used his ax with < Throwing > at that moment.

The longsword user reacted by repelling Robalt’s two-handed sword upwards with his body shining in rainbow colors. And then he swiftly distanced himself with a peculiar swordsmanship method.

The longsword user, who didn’t show any openings even while separating, grumbled, “Tsk, so it followed me,” and swung the longsword in his hands.

The sword took a trajectory as if drawing a circle in front of him. The thrown ax collided with the circling sword, and was flicked away.

Then the longsword user jumped as if to demonstrate the height of his physical abilities, landing on top of the roof.

“――Even though Mustache Baron and the blue-haired one are already troublesome, to also have a handsome two-handed sword user and some weird sisters as opponents…Yomi, can you take on all of these guys?”

Hearing the voice of the longsword user, Shadow User Yomi stood up and answered, “It may be a bit tough since there’s many of them. < Shadow Body > completely disappeared back then too…”

“If that’s what you say, we’re withdrawing. I suppose we have to content ourselves with just having obtained the weird thing you had mentioned before. Well, it will stay unsettled, but we’re going to run away at this point.” The longsword user said.

“Yeah.” Yomi answered.

At that moment, Angie jumped lightly and landed on the roof.

“You think I’ll let you get away――” Angie yelled and swiftly ran atop the eaves.

Then she swung down her light blue magic sword Leagfun which was ringing like a bell.

Yomi didn’t even twitch. However, in the milliseconds of swinging down the sword, she created a shadow sphere in front of her. That shadow sphere formed an anvil-like shadow object, stretched upwards, and wrapped itself around the light blue magic sword approaching from the front.

“What!” Angie shouted in surprise as her blow, which she believed to hit, was blocked completely.

And, Yomi moved instantly behind Angie as if creating a clone of her body while maintaining that anvil-like shadow sphere.

“――Eh!? She vanished?” Angie was startled.

The instant Yomi turned up behind Angie, something like a shadow blade that had been thrust out from the wriggling shadow sphere protruded out of Angie’s chest.

“Guaah――” Angie suffered a surprise attack. While staring at the bloody shadow blade jutting out of her own chest, she fell towards the alley below.

“Angie!!” Paulsen rushed over to the place where his < Servant > Angie had fallen.

“Ah, the blue-haired sis was done in.” Lulu commented.

“But, she’s alive.” Lala added.

“You’re really tough.” Robalt praised Angie.

All three drew near the injured Angie.

“Humph! Don’t kill me off on your own accord. I’m immortal.” Saying so, Angie got up while rotating around, obviously making use of her abdominal muscles.

The round hole at her bloodstained clothes had regenerated.

“To take Angie so easily by surprise…” Paulsen was astonished.

“Papa, I’m sorry.” Angie apologized.

“No, it’s fine. Rather than that, those guys managed to run away again.” Paulsen observed.

“Yeah, we have to report to the new guild master.” Lulu said happily.

“Papa…if I only was stronger…” Angie said dejectedly.

“Don’t be so discouraged. If it’s around this much, 【Nose of the Big Bird】might just have scouted out the forces stationed here for invading the turf in this area. It’s as Lulu says, we have to inform Shuuya-sama…” Paulsen answered.

◇◆◇◆

A few hours later, in some house in the south of Labyrinth City Pelneet.

“It was confirmed that Zabusa of the Demonic Blood Creation and Zef the Darkness Beheading Thread User of 【Skull Ogre】 turned a store around here into their base of operations. Just as I explained before, they apparently brought along quite a few soldiers, too.” Benett explained

“What kind of store?” Rebecca inquired.

“…A brothel.” Benett answered Rebecca who seemed slightly embarrassed.

“Ah, such a place…” Rebecca commented timidly.

“Also, since we couldn’t confirm the presence of Assashin of Crimson and Goday the Blizzard, there might be another base of operations. I think they have grasped…our side’s movements to some extent.” Vice guild master of 【Remains of the Moon】, Mel supplemented while folding her arms next to Benett.

“…Vice guild master, I want to fight Zabusa and Zef first.” Kazun interjected.

“Kazun, I don’t really know about your fateful connection with them, but you’re forbidden to be impatient.” Mel replied.

“…Yeah, I know.” Kazun smiled while showing his leopard-like fangs.

His appearance wasn’t that of a cook. Instead he wore an exclusive armor which had many black leather patches sewn together with special golden and silver threads, just like the ones of Mel, Benett, and Veronica.

“…It looks like Guild Master’s bloodkin are going to assist with this time’s job as well, but just as I explained moment’s ago, we want to annihilate the enemy’s leaders who are staying in the brothel. Is that alright?” Mel timidly addressed the guild master’s bloodkin, Rebecca, Eva, Yui, and Kaldo, pressing them for a confirmation.

“As it’s different from going on patrols, I will simply obey your instructions.” Yui answered Mel while leaning her body against a wall.

“Nn, same.” Eva said.

“Me too. Ah, if possible, I think a place where it’s easy to aim at them with my blue fireballs would be nice.” Rebecca added.

“The number of soldiers led by the enemy leaders amounts to around 30 as you said before, right?” Kaldo, who stood next to Yui, tossed a question at Mel in return.

“Yes, that’s right.” Mel confirmed.

“In that case, let’s use the L corner located in the alley in front of the brothel to ambush and attack them from right, left, front, and back. It will allow us to completely eradicate them without leaving a single one alive.” Kaldo fluently proposed.

His eyes were bloodshot, and two vampire-like fangs grew out of his mouth.

“…As expected. No wonder that guild master spoke of you so highly.” Mel looked at Kaldo’s grim face, and praised him.

“No, not at all. That’s out of the question. He just valued me for my experience of having fought on battlefields in the past.” Kaldo appeased Mel modestly.

“Dad, it was back when you led a platoon as 【Anbu’s Right Hand】, wasn’t it?” Seemingly happy that her father had been praised, Yui acted bashful.

“You didn’t take command, Yui?” Kaldo asked.

“No, we did the work in teams of three, but I was on the side of receiving instructions.” Yui replied.

“Was that so?” Kaldo asked back.

Yui and Kaldo began a parent-child-conversation.

“…Yui-san, you have a wonderful father. With the scarce information provided just now, Kaldo-san reached the same idea I had. I had also just reached the conclusion to lure them into that L-shaped place, and have them attacked and rounded up from all directions.” Mel formed a smile that made one sense her deep intelligence, and looked respectfully at Kaldo.

“Dad is dad, after all.” Yui stated.

“…Mel-san, you’re sharp and capable as well. I’m sure that my great lord has also been considering turning you into a chosen bloodkin as either < Head Servant Leader > or < Servant Leader >…” Kaldo said.

“Eh!? Just a minute!” The shrill voice of a girl resounded.

It was Veronica who was sitting on a tall chair.

Once she roughly placed the goblet filled with blood in her small hands on top of the table, she yelled, “――I haven’t heard anything about that! Mel?”

She approached Mel with vampire-like, bloodshot eyes.

“Even I don’t know anything about that. It’s just Kaldo-san who thinks so, right?” Mel soothed Veronica.

“Yes, indeed. It is as you say.” Kaldo bowed his head politely.

“Whaaat, then it’s fine. I want to become guild master’s, Shuuya’s < Servant >….but I can’t…” Veronica enviously glared at the < Head Servant Leaders > while being on the verge of tears.

“Uh, even if you look at us like that, it’s just troubling.” Rebecca looked back awkwardly.

“Nn, Veronica-senpai, your eyes are scary, but pretty…” Eva’s violet eyes sparkled. She looked into the eyes of the vampire girl while donning a gentle, smiling expression in silence.

“T-Thanks, Eva-san? You also possess very beautiful, violet eyes. They draw you in…” Veronica’s mood improved immediately, apparently because she was happy over being praised. She stared into Eva’s eyes while being entranced.

“Well then, Kazun looks as if he can’t wait any longer. I will explain the strategy. The initial luring duty, in short the ambush task, will be handled by Kazun and me. Next, Veronica, Benett, and Guild Master’s esteemed bloodkin will assault the enemy’s leaders and soldiers from the front, behind, right, and left. Are you okay with this?” Mel inquired.

“Humph! Sure!” Kazun agreed while snorting.

“Ayes~” Veronica released blood from her whole body. Once she drew a blood red rose mark on her black armor, she said so while happily whirling around on the spot.

“I don’t mind.” Benett told Mel while watching Veronica’s behavior with a smile.

“Nn, we also agree.” Eva said to Mel, seemingly intending to act as representative of the < Head Servant Leaders >, while moving her wheelchair in front.

Rebecca, Yui, and Kaldo nodded silently.

“Let’s go then.” Mel ordered.

Taking advantage of the darkness, 【Remains of the Moon】 and the < Head Servant Leaders > headed to the alley where the brothel was located.

The bright light of the two moons illuminated their backs as if to bless them.

◇◇◇◇

Many footsteps echoed throughout the L alley. The owners of those footsteps became apparent through the moonlight peeking through the clouds.

It was a unique group wearing skull ogre masks with two horns on their heads. The one standing at their head was a small dwarf. He wore a black cloak that had a white fur attached at its neck part. Several blood-smeared, bound books with decorative, golden rivets hung down from his waist belt which he wore above a red leather armor. He didn’t hold any weapons.

Contrasting the short dwarf was a largely built person standing next to him. He likewise wore a red skull ogre mask. White, long hair, which stood out due to the reflection of the moonlight, fluttered on his back, and something similar to dark threads was coiled all around his body. Thick, dark threads were hanging down from both his hands.

That unique group turned around a corner, seemingly planning to head to the brothel.

The one who suddenly appeared from within the shadows ahead of the corner was Kazun. Next, Mel the Flash showed up behind him.

“…Zabusa, Zef, it’s been a while.” With those words of Kazun, the masked group came to a halt.

The dwarf, who had been walking at the front, stepped forward and said, “What? That beast face, a leopard beastman’s…no way, Kazun, huh?”

“Hah! For you to have survived.” The large man standing behind the dwarf said while laughing scornfully, making the dark thread-like wires expand and contract by handling them like yoyos.

“Yeah, thanks to you. I’m doing fine.” Kazun laughed full of sarcasm, showing his leopardish fangs.

“I’m sure you want to have a nice chat after finally having reunited, but allow me to interrupt. Shorty-san, bean pole-san, and you guys behind them, why did you come to this city?” Mel’s words were stated with a hard, tense voice.

From her expression, one could feel the peculiar dignity owned by a dweller of the world of darkness, which she struggled to attain through her experience as former leader of 【Remains of the Moon】.

Upon the solemn words of Mel, the masked dwarf accumulated mana in his eyes and glanced at her.

“…That tone, and this level of Magic Combat Style…a leader of 【Remains of the Moon】, huh? Were you picked up by them, Kazun?” The dwarf asked.

“According to the information, 【Owl’s Fangs】 was apparently annihilated. Zabusa, let me have this woman?” Zef said.

“Haah, you’re sure a pervert. ――You lot, get ready for combat.” The dwarf took a blood-smeared book and ordered those behind him.

At that moment a blue light shone behind the dwarf, bursting and scattering his comrades.

“W-What was that?”

At that point an arrow with a black luster pierced the leg of the man who released black threads from his whole body.

“――Guooh, an ambush, eh?” The tall man manipulated his threads, had them entwine the stabbed arrow, and pulled it out in an instant. Then he emitted mana, displaying a terrific quality of skill.

The black threads, which were clad in mana, enveloped his body, forming a unique armor.

He started to jump lightly, showing a footwork with a peculiar tapping rhythm with his toes.

“Tsk, I will contact guild master, guaah!” The dwarf tried to do something by lifting the book in his hand.

However, a sharp sword dripping with blood pierced through the dwarf’s small arm, hindering his movements.

“There’s no way we’re going to allow you that contact or whatever, right?” The one talking with a high, clear voice was a small vampire girl.

She had transformed the blood released from both arms into slender swords. Countless bloody swords.

That big number of blood swords was floating as if possessing an independent will. Veronica approached the masked dwarf as if performing a dance with the floating blood swords.

In the meanwhile, the survivors of the masked soldiers, who had been blown away by blue fireballs, were cut apart and killed by Yui and Kaldo.

The head of a Skull Ogre soldier, which was cut off in a single stroke, flew through the air in the alley. According to the inertia of falling, the head slowly rolled around on the ground, losing the mask and thus exposing its face. It wasn’t the face of a human. It was the face of a monster which had a special, red triangle figure carved onto its forehead.

Yes, they were monsters with slightly low intelligence.

“These guys aren’t human, eh?” Yui observed.

“Seems so. Goblins and ogre types, huh?” Kaldo added.

Yui and Kaldo looked at the faces of the monsters while cleaning their bloodied blades.

“W-What!? In an instant…the soldiers…” The dwarf showed his discomposure.

He had gradually retreated backwards, and now his back hit the wall, stopping him in his tracks.

“Huh? It’s already over?” Rebecca asked in surprise.

“Nn, the leaders are still left.” Eva pointed out.

Rebecca approached from the edge of the roof above, whereas Eva got closer from the other side of Veronica; both talking to the dwarf and the darkness thread user.

Black arrows headed towards the darkness thread user in succession, but the threads collided with the arrows at an amazing speed, easily bisecting the arrows vertically starting from the arrowhead part.

“…As might be expected from one calling himself a Darkness Beheading Thread Master. Surprise attacks won’t work any longer, huh?” Benett appeared while putting away her bow.

She got down behind Eva in a stance allowing her to throw the daggers in her hands at any time.

“A Shadow Archer, eh? And there are some damned, strange shits mixed in as well――” The thread user glared while cursing like that.

“Nn, that steel-like thread penetrates everything.” Eva caused a group of many, green metal blades, which were clad by her own, violet mana, to appear as if to exhibit her own powers.

It was such a quantity that it formed a wall in the alley. A quantity unbeknown to her comrades.

Eva’s < Thought Force >, her unique power to manipulate metal had definitely grown.

“Haha, I’ll be damned, Zabusa. I haven’t heard a word about someone like that being here.” Zef said.

“…Even I had no clue.” Zabusa answered.

“It’s not the time to look away. Die and scatter your blood.” Veronica yelled.

As if they were agitated by the swarm of green blades, a ranged onslaught by the blood swords started from the left side. The dwarf had his mask cut apart, revealing his fretful face. He frantically moved and squirmed along the wall, trying to dodge the bloody swords, but the number of swords was too big.

Being late in reacting to the dance-like movements of the swords, the dwarf had his whole body chopped up. With his body covered all over in gashes, the dwarf stopped dodging, and then screamed, “I won’t let ya toy with me as ya please!”

But, immediately following that, his neck was cut deeply by a blood sword.

――Blood surged out of the wound.

However, a strong spirit dwelt in the eyes of the dwarf. He opened his blood-smeared book. At that instant, the large quantity of blood that had gushed out of his neck was sucked up by that book.

Probably as an effect of absorbing the blood, many crimson runes with a luster appeared on the opened page, and then the pages started to turn over at a terrific rate while shining reddish brown. Moreover, a huge, crimson hand suddenly manifested from within the book.

What then crawled out of the book was a giant with a height of three meters. A gigantic, reddish brown monster with its whole body covered by a dazzling, silver membrane.

The blood sword swarm, which unleashed a sword dance around the dwarf, was completely repelled by the field magic which was cast by the giant.

“Gubooaaaaahhh.”

“…Indius, get rid of those guys.” The dwarf instructed while leaning back against the wall.

The wound at his neck had been healed by a potion.

“That book is one of the prohibited books, eh…?” Mel muttered while looking up to the giant.

“It came out, huh? Let me deal with it.” Kazun made the fur on his back swell.

It was proof of him being a mutant. He transformed into a far bigger leopard beastman.

“I’m Kazun of 【Remains of the Moon】! Zabusa and giant, I will have you allow me to clear my grudge from long ago! Nuoooooooh――”

While raising a war cry, Kazun charged and started to directly pummel the giant. Spiked claws extended from the fists of both his hands.

Several seconds later, Eva’s metal blade swarm swooped down on the thread user.

“Tsk! Zabusa, I ain’t able to back you up.” Zef yelled.

While looking at Zef’s face from the side, Zabusa curtly replied with a pale face, “…I know.”

Zef hurriedly manipulated a crowd of threads which he released from his whole body. He sent them towards the swarm of metallic blades while making them flap their crow-like wings. However, the green metal swarm easily cut through the crowd of darkness threads.

“――The hell!? My threads that cut even through steel!” Those words became the last ones of the Darkness Beheading Thread User.

As if his body had turned into the target of a throwing game played by several people…it was cruelly crammed with green blades. Zef collapsed to the ground without uttering a single word anymore.

The darkness threads, which covered his body, curled up, obviously having lost their steel-like strength, and vanished after turning into dust.

“W-What…Zef…in an instant…” Zabusa revealed a shocked expression behind the giant who had a fist fight with Kazun.

“Eva, you rock. I had planned to go into close combat with my blue flame fists, but it looks like it’s unnecessary now.” Rebecca said.

“Nn, same toughness as monsters.” Eva smiled beautifully.

But, it wasn’t the smile of an angel, but one that allowed others to understand a part of why she was called death goddess by the adventurers who opposed her in the past.

“Well, that makes sense. The evil beast was powerful. But, the giant over there seems to be a challenge.” Rebecca replied.

The two < Head Servant Leader > talked cheerfully with looks as if to say it was very natural. At this moment a thought crossed Mel’s mind, who had been looking at them from the side: They are scarier than guild master. I mustn’t get on the wrong side of these people, no matter what I have to do.

“…Mel, I think we should build a good, permanent relationship with guild master’s family from now on.” Benett commented.

“Benett, I think so, too… Now then, leaving that aside, exterminating the monster that came out of the prohibited book is still left. Please assist Kazun.” Mel instructed.

“Roger.” Benett jumped with a movement that seemed to be a skill, and vanished into the shadows.

And then sharp black arrows, which appeared to be shot by Benett from within the shadows, stabbed into the face, shoulder, and foot of the giant who was fighting against Kazun. However, they didn’t work against the giant.

“Soldier Indius of the Ten-layered Hell, smash the Sebaka mutant and his friends!” The dwarf ordered while hiding himself like a fox borrowing the power of a tiger, the strength of a giant.

The magically constructed book, which was called prohibited and was dripping with blood, in the small, thick hand of the dwarf shone as it was apparently linked with the giant.

“Ugoooooh――” The giant roared.

At that point Kazun’s roundhouse kick cleanly hit the giant’s solar plexus after a right hook. But, the giant didn’t budge at all, even after receiving a kick.

“It was a good kick――” The giant said roughly with a low voice, and swiftly joined both hands in front of its face.

It raised those joined hands above its head ― and swung that two-handed fist downwards ― hitting the head of Kazun.

Kazun had his head jolted as if it had been struck by a hammer.

“――Guuaah.” Kazun went down on his knees with his legs obviously having buckled.

Moreover, the giant thrust out his fist. The power knuckle, which seemed to cut through the air, directly hit Kazun’s chest.

“Gaaaah――” Kazun was blown away deeper inside the alley while spinning around.

“Kazun!” Veronica hurried over to Kazun and sprinkled a potion over him.

“It looks like he’s struggling.” Yui said.

While slowly walking atop the wall…she looked keen like a hunting dog that was about to bring down its prey.

It was her characteristic power, < Eyes of Baycala >. In order to specify the giant as assassination target, his large frame had a red border added to it.

Yui grasped the special, magic katana in her left and right hand. With every step she made atop the wall, those two katana swayed slowly back and forth. To the untrained eye it might look as though the katana’s blades were thirsting for blood.

As if following Yui, Kaldo walked along the alley below the wall.

“Two, two, six.” Kaldo gave instructions through an original cryptogram to Yui.

“Understood, I’m off.” Yui leaped down upon the giant first.

Her magic katana drew a trajectory that made it obvious that she planned to mow down at the giant’s flank.

――A speedy, scything katana slash.

Next Kaldo set out. Running, no, jumping towards the other side of the giant, he dyed the blade of his sword with blood, starting from the sword’s point. He seized the flank of the giant, and cut it up, just to land on the exactly opposite side of Yui.

Following the flow without any break, Kaldo sliced the right foot of the giant once more with his katana which he was pulling back.

Next, Yui, who had activated her < Eyes of Baycala >, brandished her magic katana while crossing with Kaldo. Yui’s katana cut the backside of the giant’s left knee.

The two continued their blade dance with superb timings.

In a flash, the giant had its ankle, the backside of its knee, and its shin deeply cut. Being covered in wounds all over, the giant went down on his knees.

However, the spirit world’s giant swung its big arms, trying to catch Yui and Kaldo with its big hands as it got confused by their cooperative sword techniques, but the power of the < Head Servant Leader > and < Servant Leader >, who had both inherited the blood of a light demon, was mighty. The giant was unable to prevent the sword dance rally of the two former assassins.

The giant continued to have its lower body half endlessly chopped up, and then lost its feet completely.

“Guuoooooh…” Once the giant lost its feet, it screamed in pain for the first time, and muttered, “You are like spirit world knights or dead sea knights…”

Once he praised the two former assassins by comparing them with the spirit world knights owned by Tyrannical King Boshiado who was envied by the spirit world’s lords, he covered his still unhurt head with both arms in order to protect it, adopting a defensive stance.

“Hii…Indius!” Zabusa screamed.

“Zabusa, you’re wide open――” The instant Mel pointed this out with a low voice and a stabbing look, she drew close to Zabusa, who was hidden behind the giant, with lightning speed.

She delivered a one-legged kick accompanied by a flash to the dwarf’s neck.

“Guuooh.” Zabusa cried.

Mel deliberately lowered the power of her kick. As if stabbing the dwarf’s neck with her smoothly extended, long leg, she lifted his body up. Zabusa was raised with such a force that he got dragged along the wall.

Mel’s toes pierced into his throat.

“Fufu――” Once Mel giggled, she raised her long leg even further as if to stab her toes deeper into the dwarf’s throat.

With her clothing opening up, Mel’s thigh was exposed.

“…Guuaaah, let me go!” Zabusa tapped Mel’s foot, which was stuck in his throat, with his hands, trying to somehow make her stop.

However, Mel looked as if she wanted to see this.

And yet, her eyes immediately became sharp.

“So that’s how far you go――” Mel declared coldly.

Black wings sprout from the ankle of the leg pinning up the dwarf’s neck. Just like that she performed such a quick, rotational kick that it was accompanied by a black flash.

Zabusa’s head and neck were bisected vertically by the black wings.

Large amounts of blood were sprayed on the blood-smeared book in his hand. However, mysteriously Zabusa’s blood didn’t encroach the surroundings of the book. It maintained its former state as a blood-smeared book.

The summoned giant, who could be suspected to be connected with the book, remained then and there. He was still adopting a defensive stance. However, that stance lasted only for a moment.

Rebecca’s blue fireball hit the giant’s arms which were protecting its head. Its arms were flicked open in a grand manner. The giant got basked in blue flames. The skin of its arms festered, and its flesh and blood were seething.

The sword techniques of Yui and Kaldo, which scythed down on the now defenseles thick neck of the giant, magnificently connected. In an instant, its huge head caused a sliding sound, and slowly fell to the ground.

Once it hit the floor, an eerie sound reverberated. A mysterious tear opened up on the ground, and countless, distorted hands appeared from within, extending their fingers towards the giant’s head.

Countless hands grabbed the giant’s head, apparently crushing it. Moreover, they also seized the giant’s torso. As the hands turned head and torso into lumps of meat overflowing with blood by compressing and smashing them apart, all of the giant’s remains alongside the countless hands were sucked into the crevice.

The tear closed up automatically, returning the ground into its former state of a normal alley. It looked as though the tear hadn’t existed in the first place.

The members of Remains of the Moon gathered at that spot. Next the Lucival’s bloodkin also gathered at an abnormal speed.

Kazun shook his head while being propped up by Veronica. They walked over to where Mel was standing.

“What was that just now?” Rebecca asked.

“The dead of the spirit world?” Yui proposed an answer.

“I wonder…” Rebecca mused.

“Nn, there were many monster hands…” Eva commented.

As the chosen bloodkin were exchanging their opinions about the mysterious tear, Mel congratulated and gave a report to everyone, “…Everybody, good work. We succeeded in obliterating two leaders and their soldiers.”

“Those guys died, huh…? I wanted to take my revenge, but…well, whatever.” Kazun said while smiling happily.

“Kazun, isn’t that a nice smile you have going there? I wish you could have shown this kind of smile a long time ago now, if you can smile like this.” Benett said emotionally.

“I guess.” Kazun smiled, obviously overflowing with emotions.

“Kazun, did you recover your smile because your head got hit?” Veronica asked next to him while laughing.

“How terrible. However, right now I feel good…” Kazun looked into the far distance.

The members of 【Remains of the Moon】 comprehended that his eyes were filled with feelings towards his former friends.