Chapter 25: Chapter 25

Chapter 25 “N…here, ah, you!” “You’re awake?” I approach the now awake Yui . “Do-don’t come any closer, ita, why are you here…” Her forehead is wrinkled; she seems to be in pain . This is what happens when you push yourself even when it hurts . I place a finger on her lips . -shhi, I tell her to be quiet . Yui sees my finger and looking at my face stops talking . “Good, listen to what I say quietly . Your foot, if you move it forcibly does it hurt?” Yui nods . “Now, I’ll explain the situation . First, the injury to your foot is from you fall from a cliff . A rock was imbedded in your stomach, and you also had a fever, so, you have been unconscious until now . ” Then I separate my finger from Yui’s lips . “I-” “-By the way, didn’t I jump from the cliff top and save you? So, your so called savior is this guy . ” Like a high-pressure salesman I talk . “I am . But, you don’t need to express you gratitude . ” Yui responds with an upset face . I will help you even if you hate it . I do it because I like it . “There is no need for thanks . ” “…what kind of thing?” Her expression does not change very much, but she looks suspicious . “It’s because I look you . Now rest in bed . ” Hearing me Yui’s eyebrows lower and she frowns slightly . Seeing that I continue talking . “So, I will nurse you until you recover with the head of this house . ” Hearing what I say, she smiles . “You, are you stupid?” “Ah, I’m stupid . Why did I help you after the last time? Because I have a question and want to continue the conversation . ” “Ask me . ” “…First of all, it’s about this place…the forest here is shrouded in thick fog . But, you can relax . For some reason there no monsters here . We’re now in a house on a slightly elevated hill . ” Yui then looks around the room . I continue talking without minding it . “…So, after you passed out I wandered around the forest filled with thick fog . Luckily I happened to tumble across someone living here and they agreed to help . ” “I see…” “By the way, I told the husband of the couple living here that you and I are lovers . ” “Wh-wh-why…” She seems to have become upset . Ma, that is how it is . I try to remind her . “You helped me, a professional killer . Why would you do something like that?” “Well, even if you ask…” “Do you understand?” A little forceful, I glare at her and talk . “…I…I don’t mind it . ” I do not know if my influence worked, but Yui seems to understand . And at that moment, the master of the house walks in wearing a robe . “Ah, your lover-san has come around . ” “Aah, uh, ya!” Speaking lively I hug Yui . I rest my cheek on her head too . Her cheeks seem to be a bit red, is it a coincidence? It looks like she is acting properly . “Haha, good, good . It looks like lover-san is able to eat now, but since she should stay in bed I’ll bring something to eat . ” “Ah, if it’s alright I’ll bring it . ” “Is that so? Then, please . ” After Danna-san lowers his head slightly he returns to the other room . “Then, I’ll bring you something to eat . ” She stays quiet with her head down . Ma, her attitude is cold but I think she will eat . I go to the next room to get food . Rollo follows next to me as well . The “noh mask” wife is in the next room, her posture is strait as a ruler, she is standing to the wide holding a wooden pedestal . (TL: Okay, creepy spooky . ) A wooden bowl and spoon are placed on the platter and the bowl is filled with a white soup . An appetizing smell is coming from the steaming bowl . The smell is making me hungry . But, the lady rather than the cooking . The purple flower looks nice on the beautiful woman, but… Her expression does not change, it is strange . I am also curious about the forehead mark on the bald Danna… This woman is far too unnatural . The Danna pretending to not notice the woman’s behavior is odd as well . After the noh mask wife pushes the meal into my chest she withdraws . I stand there and receive it in silence, but I am growing increasingly interested in her wooden behavior . Rollo begins to squint her eyes and gather her legs beneath her like she is going to chase after the wife’ retreating figure . The cat seems to sense “something” about the wife . She is definitely suspicious, but I should bring this food to Yui now . I take the food to the room Yui is waiting in . She seems to be trying to move her body a little, and when I bring in the meal she smiles . I place the meal on the bed . “Sorry . But, it’s until the day after tomorrow . After that much time has passed…my foot will be healed . ” She should recover soon . The potion was really effective . “…Ah, understood . Then, would Yui like me to feed her?” “Iii, the shoulder wound is okay . I can already use my arm . ” “Is that so, then I’ll go get my own food . I’d also like to ask about the area around here . ” I go to the next room and the Danna-san and noh mask wife and sitting on straw cushions near the hearth with meals in wooden bowls in one hand . Seeming to have been enticed by the smell, Rollo is sniffing around the kitchen area before walking over to the side of the hearth . “You journey . It’s not much but please sit down and eat . I also prepared something for the cat . Here you go . ” The meal I am given seems to be the same as Yui’s meal . In the big iron pan in the center of the hearth there are root vegetables like potatoes simmering . It looks heavy and appetizing . I accept Danna’s offer and take a seat on one of the free straw cushions . I comfortably sit cross legged . “Then thanks, itadakimasu . Rollo, you’ll eat too?” “Nnnnnn . ” She climbed onto my knee and making a weird sound in her throat seems to want to eat . “Theta, get another serving . ” Danna-san gives her wife an order . His wife expressionlessly takes out another wooden bowl for the soup . And, taking a ladle she scoops out some of the soup from the pot over the hearth and pours it into the bowl . “Thanks . ” There is a strange tension . Bringing the wooden bowl to my mouth I break of a portion of one of the potatoes and put the spoon in my mouth . Hot, hot . Although I feel uneasy, this soup is delicious . (TL: Shuya is weak to food . ) I quickly consume the think white soup filled with potatoes and white leaves . Although Rollo’s soup is hot too she laps the soup up with her tongue just fun . Even though she is a cat her tongue does not seem sensitive to heat . The Danna opens his mouth and exposes his white teeth . “Traveler-san, you seem to be okay with the meal . I apologize for Theta’s bluntness . ” “No, no, she is a beautiful person . ” (TL: Nah man, as long as she’s hot it’s all good -Shuya) His wife Theta’s expression changes for the first time . She laughs awkwardly . It is hard to describe, but I got goosebumps all over my skin after seeing her smile with that beautiful body . The reason is because the purple flower ornament in her hair is not very human . She is just like a “doll”… “Traveler, before you wandered into the magic fog and got lost, where were you going?” “…Hector . ” “I think that is southwest from here . It is difficult to tell because of the fog, but if you head west you should be able to find the highway . ” “Is that so . Good . ” Answering casually, Danna-san winks at his wife . Then, Theta-san suddenly stands up in the room that has fallen completely silent, and goes to another room on the other side of the kitchen . (TL: Okay, this is really creepy . She defs a zombie corpse . ) “Oya, Theta already seems to be full . She went back inside because she felt satisfied . Please eat much of the remaining potatoes as you want . ” “Yes . Itadakimasu . ” I continue diligently eating the potatoes while I watch Danna-san’s back recede further inside . This white leaf is good, but my tongue is a little tingly . Ma, since this is the first proper meal I have had in a while I will eat it . I wolf down what is left in the pan . Eating eating . Should I go check on Yui now? Feeling satisfied I return Rollo to my shoulder and go back to the storage shed . Once I returned Yui has also finished eating and is resting . “…Looks like she ate . She should recover well . ” Everything seems fine . Good, good . “…You’re here…” I open my mouth while smiling wryly . “Don’t worry about it . Right now you are my lover . Since you finished eating I’ll take the tray . ” “T, thank you . ” Rollo comes down from my shoulder and curls up next to Yui’s side like she is anxious about her . Her small face turns to Yui’s hand and she licks the back of one of her fingers . Ah, Yui expressed her gratitude . At least she seems to have become obedient . Fufu, I chuckle to myself…now, I guess I’ll clean up . I pick up the tray with the empty dishes and carry it to the nearby kitchen . In the big kitchen there’s a cutting board on the counter next to a sack of flower, bottles of oil, vegetables, and a barrel in which potatoes are piled up . Below there is water jug, an earthen oven built on the floor, and a heavy iron pot is already there . Several different frying pans are leaned up again the nearby wall . Should I put the dishes in the big jug…? While I a hesitating about where to put the dishes in someone else’s house I hear a voice from the bac room . (TL: Don’t investigate . This is how bad things happen . ) “Master, the remaining mana is below 30% . ” (TL: Master is in English . ) Activation limit approaching . ” “Understood . I will supply some now . ” A moment passes… “…How’s that?” “40% of Mana restoration completed…55% of Mana…restoration completed . ” (TL: Fill me up, master . ) “Ku, I’ll stop here . This is the limit of my Mana…” “I am sorry, Master . ” They seem to be using some kind of magic . “Because I can take that Mana recovery potion, I’m fine . But, I’m still inexperienced . Despite the Magic technology being similar to the Magic Wogan Doll, it is difficult for me to synchronize my mind with the ‘Spirit Absorption . '” “No, master is a genius . You made me, and even led Sabido by the nose . ” “I won’t fall behind the Magic Clan . I was ousted from the clan, but I am an owner of a demon emblem mark . I am the eldest son of the Gustave Family . I am also the successor of the skill handed down generation to generation in my family . The people with the secret enchanting type skill amongst magic craftsman are few . ” “Yes . Master’s skill cannot be imitated by others . ” “That’s right . It’s probably because of my younger sister in the clan . Although the Magic Wogan Doll is made, despite this there are probably a massive amount of people that possess the required magic ore casting skill “Master’s family? I have not met them . ” “Ah, it’s in the past . I have you now, so I don’t need anything else . ” “Yes . Master . I am happy . ” It seems like they’re flirting . But what is this related to the magic clan? “However, if I was the maker of the magic wogan doll I might be able to use it on you…” “But, Wogans are scrap iron after all . Unlike me, the master must always be nearby, it will only function if it is supplied . ” (TL: The master here is 主人 or “shujin” which can mean head of household, proprietor, employer, or master, depending on the context . It feels more possessive . ) “That’s right, the strong point is Theta’s magic essence conversion ratio . If the core of a berbaky and oil of a chimera to ragazer powder and the scales of an ancient dragon…” “Yes . Surely, if it is that then output will rise 85% . ” “Ma, it will take time to collect those items . Right now there are two ‘souls’ that can be used . So let’s be patient . Theta’s magic essence tolerance should increase markedly if I incorporate those . I can’t wait . ” “The soul sacrifice, that young man, is always looking at me . ” “Yeah . I cannot allow those eyes . But, Theta is a beautiful woman . A young man like that will get all wound up . ” What… “Hai . ” “But, the young man and woman are important sacrifices and will give power to your ‘Spirit Absorption . ’ It is important that they remain healthy so the two souls can be safely transfer to ‘here . ’ Because, first they are paralyzed . About this time…the medicine should be taking affect and they will be collapsing . ” “Hai . Master . ” Spirit Absorption? Paralysis? These are really dangerous words… This time is a dangerous magician . Right now we are suckers coming along just begging to be parted from their money? (TL: 鴨がねぎを背負って来る) That explains why this person lives in such a remote place . We should run away quickly . Ah, Yui…I hurry to the nearby room . “What’s wrong? Why do you look like that?” “Damn it . We already ate the meal; the man here seems to be a dangerous magician . I overheard them talking about “souls” and “sacrifice” and giving us paralyzing medicine . We need to escape fast, can you more?” “Ah, my…ah, my arm is numb…” The paralysis is already setting in . “Rollo, go outside and be prepared to fight at any moment . ” “Nya . ” Rollo responds and then vigorously runs outside . “Gu, so, sorry . Numbness…” I should have been more careful . “Mou, the medicine is already taking affect . ” “…You, are you okay? I can move my mouth…but my arms are shaking, and there’s no strength in my legs…although this feels kind of funny…it must be a special narcotic…” “I’m fine . I just move the food…I didn’t eat it . ” “There’s no helping it now . ” “Understood . Let’s leave here first . I’ll carry you . ” I carry Yui . “Kya!” “What is it lover? I’ll help . Don’t worry . ” Yui nods and falls quiet . “Oya…are you going somewhere?” Crap, we were caught . I must deceive him . “Ah, Yui wants to go outside for a little while, feel the wind, look at the stars…” “Is that so, ha, I guess our lies are mutually transparent . I can’t let you leave like this . Theta . Block the exit . ” “Yes . Master . ” She came too . Theta is blocking the warehouse’s exit . “Rollo!” At my signal, Rollo springs on Theta . “-W, what?” The bald old man cries out behind me, but I’ll ignore him for now . I hold onto Yui and rush outside . I run to where the popobumu is . I put Yui of the popobumu’s saddle a bit roughly . “Run ahead like this . ” Then I should slap the popobumu’s rear . “Wait . ” Yui calls out . Is she worried? But I must hurry . “It’s all right . Believe in me . I will not let them kill you . I’m also worried about the forest, but that couple comes first . Hurry up and escape on the popobumu . I will call you back right away once I kill the couple . ” “Wait, you absolutely can’t die . If you do I will kill you-” I ignore Yui and slap the popobumu’s rear . With her on top of the saddle the popobumu takes off and disappears into the darkness . It shouldn’t go too far . …It will return when I call for it . Now, I will return . I return to the shed where Rollo is fighting . When I run up the short hill to the front of the hut Rollo and Theta are in the middle of an intense fight . The jacket around Theta’s shoulder is torn and black blood is pouring from her right shoulder . But, her quick movements show that she isn’t bothered by the injury . Seeing the figure receiving, I am rooted to the spot . Theta’s arm transformed to a point like a sword . When the word arm collides intensely with Rollo’s feeler swords they make a hard sound as they are repelled and the collide again . They have each other in check . The purple flower ornament in Theta’s hair is shaking as she moves around . Rollo shows a glimpse of the divine beast . Powerful, throbbing limbs . Four claws scratch the ground and a cloud of dust rises . Sharpened claws swing at Theta’s feet . Theta receives a big cut above her knee, but doesn’t seem to feel any pain . She quickly counter attacks with her sword arms and tarts running after Rollo . Rollo calms down and dexterously avoids Theta’s attack . Theta runs after Rollo who runs away . The fight shifts from the entrance of the hut into a large garden . I can see the fight from the little light leaking out of the shed, since it is night outside, when the fight shifts to a dark place, I can no longer see the fighting figures of Theta and Rollo, I can only hear the sound of a bone sword colliding with a sword . I activate and ensure my vision . The fight between Rollo and Theta seems to be equal . There, “What on earth are you?” The bald man approaches shouting with a torch in his hand . “No, what, you mean…” “You ate a lot of the food with the special medicine in it . Yet you can still more easily…Are you not human?” “Whaaaat?” (TL: Whaaaat? Pft, watch chu talkin’ ’bout man . ) Ma, he is right . “Besides, that black beast injured my wife, Theta . ” What? This old skin head in a robe… His expression gradually changes . Did too much blood rise to his head? And then did I anger him? “Theta, that? Your wife…isn’t she just a doll?” (TL: That wasn’t a smart thing to say, Shuya . ) When the skin head man hears my provocation his face distorts and a blood vessel on his face pops out . It attracts attention to the unchanging mark on his forehead…he leans his head forward, and bares his teeth with a growing light of insanity . “Aaaaah? What did you say!? My wife Theta, isn’t a doll!!” He speaks in a rough voice while spitting saliva . “Is that so . Then that means, Theta isn’t human . ” “Joke later-” The bald skin head man mutters angrily and throws his torch into the nearby garden . A small light source is created in the darkness . The light of the torch casts the bald man in creepy shadows . The right hand of the bald man is held out, and touches a fingertip to a ring on his left hand . At that moment, the ring reacts . The helmeted black skull ring shines, flickering between black and red as two strings appear from its eye sockets . The threads extend into the ground, and the ground it touches suddenly begins to melt? Before long the ground begins to make a sound like boiling lava and the air begins to fill with a black and red smoke . What appears from the smoking ground is two skeletons, one of red bones and the other of black bones . He summoned these guys, skeleton knights . The skeletons are only made of bones, but their formed ribs are large and their forms look like a soldier or knight . They have a long sword that shines with a black luster in one hand and a shield in the other . The two skeleton knights seem conscious . Though their bones creak, they move to protect the skin head who summoned them . -I look with magic observing eye . They seem to have come from the ring . The ring contains mana . The thread coming from the ring seems to be mana . They are connected to the skeletons . There also seem to be rings that hold mana on his other fingers, shining faintly . The bald man is wearing a lot of magic tool rings . As I am looking a strong voice comes from behind the bone knights . “…Bone knights, protect me and attack when you see a chance! I don’t care if his soul isn’t captured!” As the bald skin head man issues out his order with a burning heart he appears before one of the bone knights, letting his robe billow . He turns a hand to me and points . N, he’s storing mana in his hand? From a ring shaped like a beast a fireball is suddenly created . -Swiftly . I quickly drop down and the fire ball flies over my head . The fire ball hits the ground where I was and explodes . The darkness suddenly becomes bright . That moment- A blade of mana comes from a different ring? But it flies . I hurry and swing down the black spear at the mana blade . The mana blade is broken by the black spear, divided-the wind blade goes to the left and right . A trace of a sword cut marks to ground to the left and right and a cloud of dust is kicked up . Yes . I was able to cut the mana blade . “What!? To move so fast, to see the wind blade in this dark night…you, after all you aren’t an ordinary person . Perhaps the guild?” So it really was a wind blade . Because it shines with magic observing eye I can still see it at night . Besides, what guild? “…No, I’m just a traveler . ” Unlike the question that appeared in my heart, I answer normally . “Fu, maa-” Ue, another fire ball . Like that, I continue avoiding flying fireballs and wind blades . He shoots the magic continuously so I have to be careful . They are endless . I move and knock down wind blades . Since it has come to this should I use ? The bald man saw that I stopped moving, and thinking it is a chance, the corners of his mouth lift in a smile . He holds up a different ring . Then with a *pika* and a blinding light and intense pain runs through my body like my heart is freezing . Ita- There’s a rumbling sound in my ears and the smell of burnt meat flesh reaches my nose . I am also surrounded by smoke . There is a black scar spread from my stomach to my chest . It buuurns, that guy, he used lightning this time . Too fast, all the rings on his hand seems to be magic rings . Not needing an aria is too inconvenient . Indeed, I can smell my flesh burning… Making a crackling sound, some of the leather clothing has been burned to cinders, and part of my body seared black is visible . But, despite how it looks, the condition of the burn was healed in an instant . Only the black tiger leather jacket I received from Shisho is intact . “I did it, I did it, I did it . Pitch black . ” The bald man is hopping from foot to foot turning about in a dance . (TL: Okay, now he just seems sad and pathetic . ) His face is pale, and because his lips are discolored abnormally red, with the corners of his mouth pulled back he looks just like a clown . This man is a crazy bald clown . Without delay- I yell out . In response the robe wearing man’s expression collapses and he lets out an ugly “Uiiiii!” I will kill him with one blow . I eagerly thrust out my black spear . -A metallic sound . My stab is blocked by a shield . The shield the black bone knight is using . “-Ooh, quickly, bone knight!” The bald man cries out as his expression shifts . As he recovers he puts on a weird smile while he spits out saliva . I smile back . Decent reflexes- I move to the next action while thinking such praise . First, I activate . I make a fist with “distorted mana hand” and hit the red bone knight . With the red bone knight unable to hold up its sword after the sudden blow from the mana fist it retreats . I activate on my left hand at the same time- the chain first goes for the black bone knight that prevented my stab with its excellent reflexes . The black bone knight cannot keep up with the chain’s speed . The chain drills through the black bone knight’s jaw faster than a bullet, shattering it . Like that, I change the trajectory to smash through the head of the black bone knight and then destroy the neck and spine one after the other . On the other hand, the red bone knight struck by the big mana fist from has an indent in its chest, touching one knee it is downed . Big mana fist . It is strong . The red bone knight with the caved in chest somehow rises, and approaches while holding its shield . I send the Kukri sword to such a red bone knight . But, since the red bone knight was injured so much already, I turn it into training and hold the kukri sword with . I swing I move the kukri sword over to the red bone knight with a shaky sword attack . The red bone knight holds up its shield and it turns into a defensive fight . Now then . Without overlooking the gab in its defense I point the black spear at its lower body and fire of ! The twisting black blade penetrates through the thick foot bone, destroying it . -Next I destroy the thigh bone . Then I destroy the back bone followed by the sternum . The red bone knight immediately collapses . Its knees give out and it falls to the ground . Furthermore, the chain that destroyed the black bone knight goes around and around to the red bone knight and penetrates its head . (TL: This is what I wanted to see the chain do . I feel really satisfied . ) I crush the bones into pieces . The kukri sword, together with the chain and spear smash all of the red bone knight’s bones with synchronized attacks . Finally, the bones pieces are crush and strewn about . After having beaten the bone knights in only several seconds the bald man raises a frightened voice, and with a dumfounded expression his teeth chatter . That face, I am going to punch it . I ran at such a bald man . Leading with my left shoulder, I hold the black spear in my right hand and deliver a shoulder tackle with a shout . “Hiia . ” As expected, the bald man is a magician . Raising a ring with a scream he releases a fireball to counter attack . While advancing I use to break through the middle of the fire ball with the black spear . I dispel the fireball by destroying its core with thrusting . To the bald man, from the fireball he just released, my left shoulder appears . -It is over with this . Once again, taking strong steps, I at the chest of the bald man . That moment, “-Master,” Theta leaps in from the side to the bald man . The sound of meat tearing echoes out, and together through Theta’s back, I go through the heart of the bald man . The two skewered people fall down like marionettes with their string cut . “Ma, st, er…” “Shi, shi, Theta…gufu . ” He is trying to talk but blood over flows from his mouth . “…So . Zoru . D, dear…it’s enough . ” Then, the purple flower next to Theta’s ear falls next to Zoru’s face . “This violet?” “Gua, th, that’s right . A purple flower…eh, w, well, remember, Theta?” The Zoru that is spitting up blood opens his eyes wide when he sees the face of his wife, Theta . “Oh well…fufu, maybe this is the whim of god?” “It’s you . It’s you…Theta . Her beauty is one that doesn’t fade away like a purple flower…” (TL: I really pity these two . ) “Zoru always says that, you gave me the violet…” (TL: They should also be really dead, not having their final words . ) Are you serious? I sneak around and look at Theta’s face . Then, the face of Theta which had looked like a doll face had turned into the face of a really beautiful woman . Ooh, that’s amazing . Theta has had her chest penetrate by the black spear, yet she is smiling without showing any signs of pain, looking over her husband Zoru affectionately . From the wound in her chest, black blood flows out unceasingly . The black blood pours down the black spear then over Zoru’s robe and mixes with his in the mud, at last the black blood even ran down the affectionate eyes . Theta’s black tears mix together the tears on Zoru’s cheeks, the darkening tears flow over his cheeks, along the ground, and finally dyes the fallen violet black . (TL: Oh . ) “…Theta . I wanted…gu . ” Blood pours out of Zoru’s mouth again . “Zoru . ” Theta shakes her head to Zoru’s words . To bring her body closer to her husband’s, she pushes herself along the black spear stuck in her chest, so that they may hug while each other’s blood pools . When Zoru is hugged by Theta, and evil spirit slips out, and his insane expression changes to a gentle one . “Zoru . Remember how we always strolled along the riverside of the Haym?” “Ah…I remember well . ” “Fufu, me too . …my last moments are good . ” Theta drops her neck, and closes her eyes weakly . As blood flows from Zoru’s mouth, he blinks gently, and looks at me . “Theta . -There is…more…traveling . ” Patching together those words…he dies with his eyes still open . He died… Rollo also seems to have noticed and turns her red eyes questioningly . After a short moment, while trudging along feeling empty, she rubs face head against by head, back and forth . Ah, Yui… Taking care of Rollo under my feet, I return to the place where I separated from Yui . Whistling, I look for the popobumu . I whistle over and over again and search . Then the popobumu returns while snorting “bubobubo” “Yui! Are you all right?” “…I’m okay . My body is numb and I can’t move…but you’re all right . ” “N? Were you worried about me?” “Baka…if you’re like that, should I kill you?” Again, she says something like that . She needs punishment, I sentence her to a bottom massage . (TL: No, stahp, my feelings aren’t ready . ) “Kya, he, hentai!” “Hahaha, when you say something like that, aren’t you supposed to say I can never be a bride?” Her face turns beet-red . “Yui, your body shivers when I hold you . ” “Aan . Baka . ” It might be a result of the battle ending, but I repeatedly rub and massage Yui’s buttock . Pulling myself together, I ask about how she is feeling . “Which remind me, Yui’s important swords . I left them here . I made sure to recover them . ” “Un…” “Well then, take a rest, I’ll take care of the bodies in the garden . ” “Understood . ” I take all of the valuable rings from the corpse’s fingers . There was no ring with the water attribute, but there was a ring with the darkness attribute . I will test this ring later . I dig a hole in the ground, and make a simple grave for Zoru and Theta . I put a ring on the gravestone, and place the violet dyed black with blood as an offering . Even though I killed you… Seeing these two at the end affect my heart some . I go to my knees, and pray Japanese style .