251. VS Vanguard – Ninja God Shuri (Part 3)

—I had been completely careless.

In terms of pure power, Momo’s Darkness Bullets are on a level comparable to Sora’s breath. Taking dozens of them head-on would be dangerous not just for me, but even for Libera-san or Schwarz. So, at the very least, she shouldn’t have been able to move immediately. That’s why I prioritized treating my wounds. If I hadn’t, I would have died.

And yet—

“—Die, monkey.”

I was overwhelmed by Shuri as she grabbed my ankle. By her spirit, her ghastly expression, and her voice so cold it felt like a winter chill. Evasion was impossible. While being held, fleeing into the shadows would have yielded the same result. Reflexively, I tried to cut off her hand with my ninja blade, but I wasn’t fast enough.

In the next moment, a massive explosion erupted with Shuri at the center.

I didn’t know this ninja art. It was likely a Super Ninja Art usable only by her—the original holder of the skill from the other world.

(Ah, dammit… Even after being told over and over not to let my guard down, I did this.)

I’m such a hopeless fool. To be taken out by a trivial mistake like this.

I watched the scene of the explosion’s epicenter, which had leveled all the surrounding buildings, from a slight distance. Taking a blast like that, no matter what, I should have been dead—

“…Eh?”

No, wait. Why? Why am I alive?

“Phew, I made it in time.”

A voice came from right beside me. Looking over, Libera-san was there.

“Uuu… Gaoh.”

Simultaneously, a giant beast emerged from the blast zone, scorched black. Libera-san’s summon—Behemoth. Behemoth collapsed as it was and vanished into particles of light.

“…Did you swap positions between me and your summon?”

“Correct.”

So she can swap things other than herself and her summons… Truly an outrageous skill.

“But why are you here…? Shouldn’t contacting everyone and preparing for battle have taken more time…?”

“It’s already finished. Well, more accurately, I left it to them. Mizumasa took over everything. That old man is a genius when it comes to moving people.”

Mizumasa…? Ah, she means Mayor Uesugi. I see, the Mayor took over… Because of that, Libera-san was able to arrive here far sooner than expected.

“Natsu will join up here shortly. Rikka and the other members are already in position, and reinforcements are heading toward Touka and the Wolf King. Shuram’s barrier is functioning perfectly, and as for the rest—”

Starting to say that, Libera-san stared ahead. From within the burning black smoke, a girl appeared.

“Geho… fhuu, fhuu…”

Her clothes were charred, and she suffered severe burns all over her body. As expected, that ninja art just now was a self-destruction technique. She was clearly in a near-death state. Even so, the fighting spirit in her eyes had not faded in the slightest.

“Haa… haa… Libe.”

“You’re quite well-done, Shuri. A change of image? It’s been a while.”

“…ra.”

“Hmm? What was that? I can’t hear you~”

“…Libera… RIIIIIIIIBEEEEEEERRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!”

With a scream, Shuri charged. Libera-san let out a sigh as if looking at something boring.

“What is an assassin doing charging from the front?”

Before I knew it, a staff was in her hand. Libera-san used the staff to poke Shuri’s leg, tripping her easily.

“Aguh…”

“Your duty is ‘Raid’ and ‘Assassination.’ If you are seen, you retreat immediately. Lurking in the opponent’s blind spot, watching for an opening, and finishing with a single blow is the theory. What do you think you’re doing, fighting in a way that chokes your own neck?”

“Agah… ogo… geh…”

Libera-san mercilessly thrust the tip of her staff into the throat of the face-up Shuri. Again and again. She struck not just the throat but the legs and arms. Dull sounds echoed, and limbs bent in directions they weren’t supposed to. In that intense pain, Shuri’s expression distorted in agony.

“Doesn’t look like a clone either. No… you don’t even have the power left to use ninja arts. You underestimated Kazuto—and the people of this world—far too much.”

“Shut… up…”

“Hmm?”

“Shut up, you traitor!”

Making strange wheezing sounds, Shuri glared at Libera-san. She gripped the tip of Libera-san’s staff so hard her blood seeped out.

“After betraying us! How can you say such things!”

“You guys were the ones who betrayed us first. Tampering with the system Master left behind for your own convenience. I’m the one whose guts are boiling here!”

Libera-san slammed her staff into Shuri’s solar plexus. A dull sound echoed quietly.

“Geho… don’t… screw with me… that’s my line!”

With her battered body, Shuri still glared back at Libera-san. In her eyes, hatred—no, it seemed like other emotions were swirling there too.

“You were a hero! You could have been the greatest hero who saved our world! Why did you have to become an enemy! You should have just accepted it as a necessary sacrifice! You should have just stayed with us forever! Why! Why!?”

“……”

“Value us more than the people of a world like this! I wanted to be together forever! I thought we were comrades! If you! If you wanted to save the people of this world too, then—”

“……”

This was not her previous resolute form as an assassin. It was the form of a girl much younger than she looked, just pouring out her emotions.

“If so, why… why didn’t you consult me… Libera-sama…”

“……”

“If you wished for it… I… I…”

There were no more words. She must have lost consciousness. She likely wasn’t dead, but she was in a critical state. Libera-san picked her up and held a finger to her forehead. A black diamond-shaped pattern appeared.

“…What is that?”

“A seal. A special one by Shuram. It makes skill usage impossible and significantly weakens stats. At the Vanguard level, I thought it would be a meaningless skill unless they were weakened this much, but I prepared it just in case. …Since she can’t move anyway, I’ll store her in my shadow.”

“Libera-san, that—”

“Don’t misunderstand. It’s just that she’s not even worth killing, a stupid girl like this…”

Libera-san looked down for a moment, and eventually stared at the distant sky.

“…Such a fool.”

Libera-san is an otherworlder. I don’t know how she lived or what kind of interactions she had in that other world. Even so, there were people who adored her, like the Sea King or Ivar. Or, like this Ninja God girl—Shuri—there were those who turned that affection into hatred precisely because they had adored her so much. She had cursed me as a monkey and such, but perhaps she couldn’t have fought otherwise. To fight Libera-san and the existence she tried to protect, that was the only way she could think.

“I’ll tell you just in case, don’t think all members of the Vanguard are like this girl. There will absolutely be no settling this with talk. We have to fight them.”

“Yeah, I know.”

There are still nine members of the Vanguard left. There’s no time to stop here.

“Shuram’s barrier is still holding. We’ll rendezvous with Natsu and head toward the Wolf King.”

“Yeah, I got it. The opponent is, if I recall…”

“‘Flame Emperor’ Glen. Randall’s aide just like Shuri. He won’t be an easy opponent either. After all—”

At that moment, a massive pillar of fire rose in the distance. Even from here, I could easily tell its firepower was dozens of times greater than the explosion I had just taken, scorching the sky.

“Wha…”

But that wasn’t what surprised me. It was the single monster launched into the sky along with the pillar of fire. Even within the black smoke, its form could be clearly captured—

“—Schwarz!”

It was the battered form of the strongest monster who had promised to fight alongside us, the Wolf King Schwarz.

End of 251