Gang of Yuusha

Chapter 10

– 10 – The Merciless Flag Approaches

Shouji popped the cork lid off of the speed potion with his thumb, and drank it in a single breath.

As an A-cla.s.s magician, and on top of that someone a.s.signed to a defense detail, this magic user had definitely received combat training.

In other words, she was the protecting knight dispatched by the magicians" a.s.sociation.

Only those who possessed martial abilities could become defense magicians.

It would be safe to think of her as being worlds apart from the blue-collar magicians who were only able to do research.

And if that was the case, then he should finish this in a single stroke.

If possible he should end her life before she had the chance to show off any of her skills.

The wave of blood l.u.s.t he released became a gust of wind blowing outwards. Holly"s hair scattered about behind her because of the wind pressure. With a sullen face and narrowed eyes, she stared at Shouji"s revealed face.

"Hmm… How scary. A blood l.u.s.t similar to a hot desert wind. By the way, did we perhaps meet somewhere? For some reason I feel like I know you. As I remember it you wore a scarlet formal dress… What is your family name?"

Shouji"s body began shaking slightly. The insides of his eyes began to burn brightly. A mysterious power had been released inside of him.

He had no interest in his opponent"s tedious talk. There was a chance they might have met in the past, but after this they would never meet again. There was no need for him to remember.

There was no point in the lamentations of the dead. They were as meaningless as a dying man"s screams of agony.

As Shouji looked at her gallant and graceful face, no excess emotions came to him. An enemy was an enemy. That was how he was taught. Actually no, he had been good at this sort of clean division from the beginning.

As he wiped his wet mouth with his sleeve, the test tube he had pinched fell towards the ground. The strength of his legs was being enhanced extraordinarily. The speed of responses in his voluntary nervous system kept increasing.

The empty bottle struck the stone ground and shattered into pieces.

As if that clear sound was the signal, Shouji disappeared from where he had been.

He had vanished like a ghost.

At least, that was how it looked to Holly, whose eyes widened in shock.

"What!"

Sensing the presence from right beside her was a stroke of luck for Holly. It allowed her to get into a defensive stance in an instant. Shouji, who had seemingly disappeared, had moved diagonally forwards, moving out of his opponents field of vision, and then, with a movement that seemed to make a perfect right angle, he approached Holly.

His stored fist was thrown out. Even though they tried to intercept him, the devilish hunting dogs did not make it in time. Holly quickly guarded herself with her arms, but she was unable to get rid of the impact force.

As if blown away by an explosion, her slender body was thrown into the air.

Easily flying close to ten meters she struck the window on the second floor of a wooden oil storage building with a zinc plated roof.

"Go!"

Shouji shouted to Doldo.

Doldo, who had thought the situation to be favorable, became fl.u.s.tered by the suddenness of the action, but he seemed to read something in Shouji"s strained expression and ran into the darkness.

Magicians had their own characteristic type of bulwark.

It could be a barrier of pure magic power, or layers of highly condensed air, or perhaps a membrane of water, but what Shouji had struck felt very different.

He looked at the fist he was so confident in.

What he had struck felt like a sandbag.

The three hunting dogs remembered their duty and began moving. They a.s.saulted him in a combination.

He was able to dodge the first one by turning his body halfway to the side. The one coming from the right he was also able to repel with a high kick. But the one coming from behind managed to bite on to his waist.

His clothes were torn. The sharp fangs broke his skin and blood seeped, in its fury, the dog put all its strength into its jaws. He threw his elbow down onto its head, but it did not let go.

Irritated, Shouji grabbed the dog’s neck and broke it with a fierce ripping motion.

The cracking sensation gave the feeling of having killed it completely. He tore the dog off of him and threw it away.

But, the hunting dog, whose neck should have been broken, stood up on its limbs like nothing had happened. The broken neck started oozing and as he looked at it, it went back to its former shape.

It was an ominous spectacle that caused his face to warp.

He was seized by the feeling of being up against zombie dogs.

The dog he had kicked aside repaired its broken ribs as well. It opened its mouth wide and drooled as it sought a gap in Shouji"s movements.

He thought about going forwards and dealing them a blow, but if they were summoned beasts then they should go away if he dealt with the summoner.

The sound of someone"s throat swallowing was heard. Drinking a High Potion, Holly stood up, she jumped from the second floor overhang and landed on the ground.

She wiped her dust-covered outfit with her hand.

Seeming in pain, she languidly stroked the elbow of her unmoving left arm.

"Keh… drousiness nearly got me. My bone has been broken over here… It really hurts. If it had been something sharper, like a blade, then I would have probably died just now. Can I interpret your bare-handed attack as a sign of kindness?"

"I don"t mind if you run off crying and screaming."

It had been a while since he had felt such disgrace.

The fist he had released was intended to have dealt a fatal blow, and should have contained sufficient strength to do it. And yet the enemy was alive. Being unable to kill a frail magician with a single blow was a disgrace.

He decided that his next strike would be faster, sharper and heavier. The shape of his pupils disappeared from his eyes. His bloodshot eyes seemed to glow like phosph.o.r.escence.

His head became hot. His nerves became clear. His swelling muscles rippled. He bent his knees, lowered his head and put his right leg forwards.

It was an a.s.sault stance that had discarded defense.

Even a heavily armored knight, protected by steel and defensive magic, would be ripped limb from limb if struck dead on by his next strike.

"Then, will you allow me to run? It certainly does not look like it."

"You can go ahead and try."

"I will pa.s.s on that."

"Then be torn apart."

Shouji"s body aimlessly jolted once. Then his figure vanished. This time Holly jumped backwards.

He kicked the ground forcefully as he moved in zigzag. The concrete could not handle the forces involved, and foot shaped holes opened scattering stone fragments. He approached with breathtaking speed.

Holly could not believe it when after he had struck the ground too forcefully he seemed to barely begin floating. It seemed like a black ma.s.s with red eyes was flying.

Perhaps realizing that he had been seen through, or perhaps because he hated the hunting dogs, Shouji took flight.

Tyranny fell from the sky. A fist of fury containing inexhaustible power was struck out.

This time would be a much more dreadful impact.

Death seemed to draw near.

Understanding this, Holly composedly hummed the chant of her summoning magic.

In her hands dwelled a dull mud-colored light.

While her expression was stiffened in stubbornness her shirt was wet with cold sweat and stuck to her body, her thighs and the inside of her crotch were both overcome with an unpleasant sensation.

Having to cover up her fear and fight wore on her nerves.

She desperately withstood her desire to flee. She did not even want to consider what would happen if she showed him her back. In all probability she would die an atrocious, but quick, death.

Holly"s dry mouth smoothly manifested her protective barrier, one of her most treasured magics.

As Doldo reached the location of the cart, Stark and Bando were standing there waiting.

While short of breath he handed over a single bag. With the minimum duty required of him completed, he put his hands on his knees and attempted to get his breathing under control.

This bag was the one with the majority of the money in it. The other bag containing the potions he had left in the shadows on the way. It had sadly been too heavy for Doldo to be able to bring it while running.

It stood on a bend in the road, so Shouji should be able to pick it up when he came running towards them. Even if they lost it, they would not have suffered a great loss.

"Where"s Shouji?"

"Ra, ran into an enemy, he"s still there."

Silence descended. They had expected to cross paths with the summoner, but there was no time left to give.

In the dark confined room the men had to make a decision.

Do we go to help, or do we wait for Shouji?

Or perhaps… leave him and run.

The moment stretched on and on. All of the loot was here. n.o.body said it, but there was a chance that Shouji would climb the wall and run from another position. If that happened then they would be waiting in vain.

With a dark face Bando told the truth.

"We have placed bombs at three positions in this place. They"re a small liquid explosive type and are going to explode in about five minutes. The explosion is going to be pretty extensive. They will be able to bring down the restored magic power circuitry.

"The gives us a bit of a time extension. Will that disable them from contacting the outside?"

"Unless they have a military use communication stone, their connection should be severed."

Stark"s question had been addressed at the planning meeting, and Bando responded with confidence.

Going to help Shouji would be simple. But against an opponent that Shouji had troubles dealing with, there was the chance that they would only get in the way. Maybe they should bring the money to the boat, and wait there for Shouji to come running.

"For argument"s sake, if Shouji gets caught, we"re going to need bail money."

Bando"s compromising decision made Doldo feel unspeakable guilt.

They could have fought the magician together, but he alone had run away. If he thought about it, weapons had been lying around in the area. Just throwing a rock at the summoner would have been a help, and distracting at least one of the hunting dogs should at least have been within his ability to do.

"As long as he had the guts", having such thoughts he could no longer tolerate it.

"I, I… Sorry!"

"He, hey Doldo!"

Was there a need to run like that? We would have let you go to see the state of affairs.

Having called out in an attempt to restrain him, Bando thought to try to stop him, but decided otherwise. Doldo"s footsteps became distant and his retreating figure dissolved into the shadows.

With a "no other way about it" face, Bando turned to Stark.

"We should do what we came here to do. Taking the money and getting out of here is important."

"… Sure."

The one who wanted to go help Shouji the most was perhaps Stark.

That was Bando"s guess. Stark"s expression of self-blame told him as much.

Killing the feeling that had started to well up, Bando put his hand on the device that absorbed magic power and got the cart moving.

As he thought that they could get out of this place without having to walk, he felt like he had narrowly escaped death.

It would be helpful if the rails were undamaged, but circ.u.mstances might require them to get off the rails.

With a rattle the wheels started turning and they were invited on a comparatively safe aerial trip.

Their path had both ups and downs, on the highs they were able to look out over the sea. Bending down on the cart running along the rails, Bando very much wanted to return to his home.

To secure the rolls of money, he had left behind his partners.

I am sorry, I really need money.

To support my family, to keep them alive, money is needed.

He had three starving younger brothers waiting for him in a rundown house with flea infested futons.

Apologizing in his heart was empty. It was nothing but the excuses of a desperate man.

He asked for forgiveness. All he could think about was his family.

In Bando"s life, when his parents died from disease had been the start of misfortune.

Illiterate people like him, who only possessed half-baked knowledge, could never earn anything but small change.

He had endeavored to support his family, but he had a short temper. Unable to throw away his trifling pride, his employments never went well.

To support his younger brothers required money. Warm beds and hygienic food required money.

In his head he knew all this, but he was unable to endure honest work. He was unable to live as he wanted.

Speaking ill of himself, there was no chance he would suddenly become an honest man.

— His greatest shock had happened a few days before.

It had been when he saw his seven-year-old brother steal a fruit from the market and give it to his five-year-old brother.

There was no way his seven-year-old brother was not also starving.

And yet, he had given it away with a strict expression. As if accomplishing a duty that had been entrusted onto him.

Bando had the feeling that he had seen something both sacred and sorrowful.

He wanted to be able to feed them nutritious food and tell them to never do such a thing again.

Tell them that stealing was by no means allowed. He at least wanted his brothers to be able to face society with their heads high.

"What the f.u.c.k…"

At Stark"s murmur, the praying Bando turned his attention towards him.

As he looked at one point out on the sea, Stark"s face was pale. With his magical power drying up and fatigue causing movement to become troublesome, Bando became curious and glanced in the same direction.

There should have been a black sea. There was not. The scenery had changed.

Near the seash.o.r.e were numerous burning yellow torches.

In the darkness they brightly a.s.serted their existence. Gathered together in one place they formed a vague round point.

The yellow lights reflected off of the cross beams of four masts.

The sailship dropped its anchor and the sailors furled the sails, working to stop the ship.

Their combat preparations had already been completed. On the sharp line of the gunwale the cannon holes had been opened and the gun barrels were pointed towards the cliff.

The outlooks stood up and with faces of concentrated anger they searched the coast for the shadows of people.

On the sailship"s other side a longboat was being lowered into the water from a crane.

Numerous crew members boarded the longboat to go and gain control of the factory.

With the size of that enormous ship, it surely accommodated at least a hundred sailors.

At the top of the mast a military flag was fluttering. In the wind it heroically symbolized their existence.

The navy! As he dimly recognized this, and he came to this understanding, Bando"s heart froze.

The trained sailors carried rifles loaded with gunpowder and skillfully sharpened cutla.s.ses.

All of them were professionals of war. As he strained his eyes, he seemed to recall that black flag.

It was the merciless and famous admiral Slash"s elite ship.

He was the a.s.sa.s.sin of the Errorknife navy base. He was a n.o.ble with a peerage, and the sailors he employed were genuine heroes who sunk enemy ships one after another.

They… They were only pilfering some tens of millions.

For this to be the reaction to such low-scale theft was unthinkable. Any way you thought about it, this was an overreaction. And their mobilization was also excessively rapid.

There should have been no way the enemy could get here so fast and with such good timing.

But these guys were different.

They were on another level compared to the military police who only bullied hoodlums in the town.

Fighting them had no chance for victory. Everything was outside of expectations.

This kind of encirclement was unreasonable in the extreme.

But, this was the reality they faced.

"f.u.c.k. f.u.c.k!! Why?! Why the f.u.c.k?! How the h.e.l.l did it come to this?! Don"t f.u.c.k with me! G.o.d above! What did I do to deserve this?!"

In his fury, Bando was recklessly kicking the side wall of the cart.

His unsightly screams headed towards the heavens and disappeared.

Everything was over. The money, his future, his younger brothers, everything was headed for h.e.l.l.

The gliding cart sluggishly came to a stop because Bando"s control had been disconnected.

"If the sea is out… we"re gonna have to break through the main gate."

Stark gloomily and quietly proposed this with his arms crossed.

To break out of this hopeless situation, that was their only choice. Bando knew how foolish the path in front of them was. It was as good as a given that the soldiers would come from the land side as well.

And yet, they had to wager on it.

They would have to give up on the magic water hidden at the reef, but they still had the money on them.

If all went well, they might be able to take advantage of the darkness and make a run for it.

"Stark, I, I…"

"Buddy. Calm down. If it comes to it, I will make sure you can make a run for it with the money."

Seeing through Bando"s thoughts, there was no falsehood in Stark"s att.i.tude.

He had hardened his unrefined determination. It contained a rough sympathy.

The deflated Bando"s face was wet with tears, but before long the focus in his eyes became fixed and he gathered his manliness.

"No way. Lets go back. We"re all getting out of here."
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