Revenge of the Fallen
Heiligh Kingdom Capital – After the Fall
"Poor thing looks like he really needs some help."
It had only been a week since the loss of Shizuku, the party's level-headed rock and the hero's party had already lost much. Without Shizuku's guidance and caution, the hero party quickly fell into disarray.
The result? Ryuutaro, the best friend, and stalwart companion of the Hero lay there dying. They were currently being treated by the Kingdom's best healers but she knew that without some kind of miracle, there would be no saving them.
Kouki was fundamentally a good person, but he was a guy with an inflated ego. Nothing ever went wrong for him in the old world. He always got things right. His 'Justice' was always right. If fate had been kind he should have had his ego deflated a couple of times before. But fate was often cruel to the delusional.
"If you accept our power, you would be able to preserve that smile of his…. He'd smile only for you."
"That's right with your power make the world that you long since desire!"
The coaxing of the darkness was simply a formality by this point.
"For the light that should only be mine!"
The girl left the room satisfied. She could play the long game after all she had been playing it for all of her life.
Two Days Since the Return to the Surface- On the Road to Heiligh
The trio had been on the road for a little over 2 days. Part of the problem had been that they had no clue where they would be teleported to. All they had was a crude map of this section of Tortus. Luckily they had encountered small villages along the way that pointed them in the general direction.
They were currently staying near the outskirts of one of these villages.
"We're within a week's ride of the capital city now."
The exit to the Grand Orcus Labyrinth was located in the far east of the Great Reisen Gorge. It meant that the party had to traverse vast tracts of land in a North Westerly direction to find themselves within Heiligh Kingdom territory.
The ride itself was made faster with one of Hajime's inventions – the Mana-powered motorcycle Steiff. Only those with the ability to manipulate mana without the use of circles could properly use this motorcycle. Its speed was dependent on the amount of mana that poured into its mana engine, making it perfect for the monsters with near-endless mana.
Their initial goal had been reaching Hourad, the town surrounding the entrance to the Grand Orcus Labyrinth but news had reached their ears that indicated that the heroes party and by extension Kaori was no longer based in the town of Hourad.
"By order of the King of Heiligh, all citizens are hereby ordered to attend a celebration for the heroes party clearing the Grand Orcus Labyrinth."
They were planning a week-long celebration for this event. From what they could gather by the rumours which had been circulating the Heiligh Kingdom was pulling out all the stops for this celebration. Even representatives from the Holscher Empire were set to make an appearance.
"This celebration seems awfully extravagant for a mere bunch of humans clearing the upper levels." Yue snorted.
The upper levels of the Labyrinth acted like a screening test for the true labyrinth. No one who could not clear the upper levels would never even be considered worthy of the Abyss.
"Are all humans as extravagant as this?" Yue wondered.
Hajime shook his head. This celebration had made things more difficult. Security for key spots would have likely increased as well. Yet the number of people that were streaming into the Kingdom would make entering the capital city a breeze and would make blending with the crowd easier than ever before.
While they could easily destroy anything that got in their way the trio decided that it was best for all parties to keep this operation as incognito as possible.
"If security was lighter, I would have favoured an immediate 'one day in – next day out approach" but since we are trying to keep casualties to a minimum we should spend at least some time trying to scout out the area." Shizuku decided.
Any delay to Shirasaki's rescue was a detriment to their success. Something was clearly off with the Heiligh Kingdom and staying in this Kingdom for any longer than necessary would be a foolhardy mistake.
The Kingdom is in the middle of their harvest, yet the King made an order forcing people to cram themselves into the capital city? It reeked of zealous stupidity or something utterly broken in the kingdom.
They decided that the plan would be conducted in two phases. The first: recon and information gathering portion. They currently had no specifics as to Kaori's status or her exact whereabouts. Determining her status and location was paramount. How long it would take for phase 1 to transition in phase 2 would be determined by the urgency of the situation. Phase two was the rescue mission itself and included the neutralization of potential obstacles.
A lone figure danced across the rooftops of the Human capital. He would not be noticed by anyone even if they were staring directly at him.
Kosuke Endou had often cursed his lack of presence but now more than ever, he appreciated his gifts. His gifts on top of his [Hide Presence] skill made him practically invisible to the naked eye.
He was a man with a mission.
Kaori Shirasaki was not someone that he interacted with back on Earth. They were like heaven and a shadow. But even so, she still seemed to be one of the people that noticed him more often. He appreciated that but it's not as if he had any particularly strong feelings for her at all.
Still, he needed to do this. What was happening did not simply disturb him. It was downright wrong. The heroes' party had changed since the fall of Hajime Nagumo and Shizuku Yaegashi.
He couldn't stop the inevitable from happening but he could at least try to save someone who was innocent.
Getting past the guards posted at Castle Heiligh's gate tower was easy for someone like him. He simply had to wait until someone came outside to replace the patrol and he would simply slip in.
From there it was a simple matter of waltzing into the keep proper. He knew that he wouldn't be caught.
The last leg of his inflirtation was decidedly more difficult. He could not access Shirasaki's tower room by marching in through the front door, that door was being guarded by a pair of Hiyama's cronies. He had to rely on makeshift climbing equipment to make sure that he was able to reach the open window of Shirasaki's room. It was not an easy task for a High School student, but he had braved far worse before.
At last, he made his way to the window sill. Deactivating his [Hide Presense] he knocked on the window sill in a patterned way before Shirasaki Kaori opened the window.
"Endou-kun... Why are you still coming here? Didn't I tell you to run already?" She whispered.
"I can't leave you. It wouldn't be right. Besides, they'll never catch me. They won't know that I'm here."
"But you can't hide me as well. If you take me outside they find us both instantly. We've been over this!" She reprimanded.
"I'm not going to stop trying! I'll find a way. I wanted you to know that at least." He insisted
"Go. Endou-kun. You have to survive at least."
One Week Later – Heiligh Kingdom Capital
The trio had put themselves in an inn as close to the military barracks as they could. They had already spent much of the day making general inquiries, confirming that the heroes party were lodging in the military barracks, making estimates as to how many guards they were, planning escape routes and fall back zones.
They managed to find several locals who excitedly talked about heroes party and sighting several of them, including Kaori in the military barracks, only a few days ago. Since then there had been no sightings of either Kaori or the heroes party. This was a concern.
"We'll need to exactly locate Kaori if we intend to cause the least amount of problems."
They had tried to activate hide presence, but the three of them were simply unable to completely erase their presence with so many humans.
"If only some drunk soldier was open to some persuasion…." Hajime sighed.
"Hmm, let's get out of the room for a bit. A bit of break is in order…."
The trio went out of the inn, covered by a simple brown cloak which was enough to hide their abnormal hair colour.
Hajime and Shizuku had no real desire to make a pleasure trip but ever since they had come back from their scouting operation, it felt as someone was observing them. Using hide presence in the crowd, both Hajime and Shizuku seemed to disappear.
And appeared right behind their amateur 'spy' on the rooftops near the inn.
"Your spying skills need work….." Hajime growled as he cocked his gun at their spy.
"Speak, or your night is going to be very unpleasant." Shizuku 'politely' suggested with the point of her sword.
"I'm not your enemy! I'm not your enemy! It's me…."
"We don't know any edgy-looking spies…."
"Who are you calling edgy! These are just the clothes they gave me! I'm Endou! Endou Kosuke!"
"That still doesn't explain why you are tailing us."
"I was scouting the area! And then I saw you two! You looked different, but I can recognize Yaegashi-san pretty well. And I thought if Yaegashi-san survived, then perhaps the person beside her was probably Nagumo-kun."
"And why were you scouting? Where are the others?"
"I'm not with them anymore. They forgot about me. I mean that's typical enough, but this time, I'm trying to use it."
"You're running away from them?"
"No! I'm trying to find a way to save Shirasaki!"
Noticing that they were confused, he elaborated on what had happened to the Heroes' party since the 'Fall'
"After you two fell, everything went wrong. No one could reign Kouki in anymore. There was a desperation to him. Who knows why, maybe he wanted to save Yagaeashi, maybe he wanted to get stronger faster, so he wouldn't fail again."
"He was totally rash, he made mistakes, and it cost us….. One time Ryuutaro got injured badly, protecting Kouki. We all bought him out of the Labyrinth, the blood gushing out of him. Everyone was inconsolable or completely sick of it."
"But Kouki somehow bought him back. We don't know how it happened, but Ryuutarou was back…. But he was different. He used to be filled with gusto and cheer… But he was just silent, he lacked presence. Sometimes he manages to sneak up on me. He jumped headfirst into battle from then on, but I could tell it was not bravery. He had the eyes of someone who didn't feel anything."
"Kouki didn't seem to notice. He declared that the god Ehit's blessing had come upon him and that he managed to bring Ryuutarou back."
"And it kept happening, more than half of the remaining hero party members got became like Ryuutarou. Then strange things happened around the palace. Meld-san started to act strangely and stopped looking after us. The king and the royal family became fanatics of Kouki and showered him with praise and power. People around the city went missing. Lots of vagrants and homeless disappeared every so often."
"Shirasaki-san noticed that something was wrong when she tried to heal Ryuutarou once, but it didn't work….. Kouki stopped her and told her that he needed to be healed in a special way."
"But after that Shirasaki-san was confined to her room. And it's been that way ever since."
"After that, I ran away. No one noticed me. I tried to rescue Shirasaki-san but they had her locked. They keep some of the strongest hero party members guarding her. I managed to sneak in once when they were bringing in her food, but I couldn't take her with me. She told me to run away."
"I've been trying to find a way to rescue her….. That why I've been scouting. I've been trying to find an opening to rescue her."
"You two have to help me! Shirasaki-san needs to be rescued, they only kept her alive to ensure that they could keep people from being suspicious but when everyone becomes like Ryuutarou, then they won't need Shirasaki san anymore."
In their rage, Shizuku's and Hajime's contorted. Waves of anger emanated from their bodies, distorting the area around the two. Endou could have sworn that the roof was shaking.
"Oni?"
Terrified Kosuke Endou, lost his balance and scrambled anyway from the demons of the Abyss.
"Endou!" Hajime growled
"Haiiiiiiii!"
"You're coming with us," Shizuku commanded.
Even if gods of this world did not condemn them, they had incurred the wrath of beings far worse than monsters or demons. Guided by their own sense of justice, in their hearts, they had pronounced the sentence for their enemies.
Guilty, Guilty, Guilty!
Their plan was simple. No tricks, no hidden traps. This was an extermination mission. They would destroy their enemies and rescue the only person that mattered. Shizuku was responsible for clearing the way to Kaori, with Endou as her guide. Yue and Hajime were causing as much destruction as possible in the palace and bring as much as of their attention on them. They were hoping to gain the attention of the people counted as the most suspicious.
"Our main targets are the people that Endou has counted amongst the most suspicious. These are Amanogawa Kouki, Kitagawa Eri and Hiyama Daisuke, and his gang of friends. They are the ones most likely to have instigated and continued this terror."
"Do not hesitate, they are our enemies."
"We have no time to be careful, now that they've completed what they believe to be Orcus labyrinth, they will no longer need Kaori's healing powers. Consequences be damned. If this country falls as a result, then so be it."
"The plan begins tonight. Bring the wrath of the wronged on our enemies."
Three hours later.
Hajime was busily preparing his weapons for battle, ensuring that all his guns and armaments were clean. He had no way of knowing how strong his enemies would be, so he decided that if he was overprepared, this would be a much better approach. He was entirely focused and had not taken a break since their meeting.
"Hajime. Hajime."
The soft sweet voice of Yaegashi Shizuku coaxed her lover's focus off his weaponry. He had failed to notice, that Shizuku was behind him, bringing him a plate of beautifully made onigiri.
"You need to eat. Here I made you some onigiri."
"Rice?"
"Apparently, Ai-chan-sensei managed to cultivate it and it spread throughout the Kingdom when were away."
Hajime gratefully took the handmade cooking of his wife. The slightly salty flavour spread through his mouth. He quickly devoured his onigiri.
"Your cooking is great as always."
They sat there in silence enjoying each other's company.
"Are you ready Shizuku?"
"Yeah, I'm ready, I've sharpened my sword, and….."
"That's not it… We're fighting our classmates, at least what is left of them anyway. I never liked them much…. But you were at least friendly with them…. Amanogawa and the others were your friends, right? Are you ready to kill them?"
Shizuku frowned.
"You think that I can't do it?"
Shizuku was glaring at him at this point. Was he really questioning her resolve right now?
"I'm not saying that you can't do it. I'm just scared that if we do it. Do we lose ourselves even further…. Monsters are one thing, demons aren't even a question... But if I lop off Amanogawa's head, without hesitation. Should I even consider myself a human a more?"
Shizuku hugged him from behind. He let her warmth comfort him.
"We stopped being human, the moment fell into that Abyss. There is no denying that something is broken inside us" She remarked.
"We're monsters Hajime... But you're the one that told me that even monsters like us have the right to life and feel joy. You saved a monster like me because you still loved me, even though I'm just as monstrous."
"Your punishment for me is to stay with you until meet our end. Even if the rest of the World rejects us... I'll be satisfied if we stay together forever..." She declared as she laid her head on his broad and shivering back."
Hajime took her arms and firmly grasped them. At last, his hesitation disappeared. Becoming a monster may never sit right with him but what choice did he have? What choice did he have when they had faced that bear all those days ago? What choice did he have when he ate the monster meat? What choice did he have when he lost his eye to the Hydra's poison? He had none if he wanted to protect his beloved.
And if his beloved was ready to forgo their humanity to stay with him, then his hesitations could walk themselves right out of his heart. As long as they were together the world could burn, a thousand blades could pierce his body but nothing would ever stop him.
The World rue the day that it got between himself and his beloved.
Kosuke Endou was not used to getting too much attention. Yet here he was being stared at by the blonde-haired Princess. He did not know too much about her but she could tell that she was powerful.
"Uhhh. So your name is Yue, right?
"That is the name that they gave me." She responded.
"They? Is Yue, not your real name?" He asked awkwardly.
"It is my real name. It is the name that my family gave me. It is my true name even if it wasn't originally my name."
Kosuke had not really heard about what happened to Nagumo and Yaegashi in the Abyss. They were simply too busy to tell him. But he could tell that they had changed. He has always felt sorry for Nagumo, he was a victim of bullying and Kosuke understood that isolating feeling that came with being an outcast. But now his meekness was gone, now Nagumo strode with confidence and strength, he embodied someone who you wouldn't want to mess with.
Yaegashi was always a strong dependable person in his eyes and much of her strength and sense of purpose remained but he couldn't shake the feeling that something of her priorities had changed. Not many people recognized it, but Yaegashi clearly felt 'something' for Nagumo back on Earth. A lot of people made a big deal out of Shirasaki and Nagumo, but he could tell that it was Yaegashi that Nagumo was closest to. So they were always close, but not this close. It was as if Yaegashi's every word and action hinged on Nagumo's presence. She was still strong but something about her seemed broken to him
Summoning some courage he decided to broach the subject with Yue.
"What happened in that dungeon? Yaegashi and Nagumo haven't told me. What happened to them? Where did they find you?" He questioned.
Setting down her spoon and fork, she carefully stopped eating to give careful attention to his questions.
"That story is for themselves to tell. Whether or not they choose to reveal it is their prerogative."
"However, I will tell you something to make sure you don't accidentally find yourself dead in the middle of a ditch somewhere. Think of it as a couple of ground rules for dealing with Hajime and Shizuku."
Raising her index finger she began.
"First. Don't even think of trying to get with Shizuku. I don't know if you ever had a thing for her but she is Hajime's. Look at her funny and Hajime will kill you."
"I think we're safe on that front..." He muttered.
"Second. Do not even think about crossing Hajime. You'll find yourself at the end of Shizuku's blades. If Shizuku even slightly perceives you as someone that is in the way of Hajime, she will eliminate them."
"Don't do those two things and you're off to a good start," Yue concluded.
Kosuke, knew that something had changed with them. But now he was sensing that they were rather more twisted than imagined. Sensing his disturbance, Yue made one final remark.
"I wouldn't even think about running away. If they wanted you to help, then you will help them. Whether or not you're helping as a free man or strung up like a roasted chicken is your choice." She reminded him.
"Its not that I don't trust them but..."
"They're different to people that you use to know? The Abyss changed them, their priorities have changed, they only care about two things: their family and getting home. Morality or humanity no longer play a factor in their lives."
Kosuke shuddered. He prayed that he would never find himself on the wrong side of those two.
The entrance to Heligh Castle was surrounded by a waterlogged moat. One of the ways inside was through a drawbridge at the South gate. At night this drawbridge was raised. Not that it really mattered or anything.
"Cycotus"
The water inside the moat instantly froze over, allowing the four of them to cross over with ease.
"The moat froze over!?"
"It's an enemy attack!"
"Alert the castle! it's an enemy attack! They've frozen the moat, they must be preparing to cross."
"What are their numbers?" Asked the watch captain.
"Sir reporting! It's only three sir! Our forces manning the south gate have nearly been decimated!"
"Get the other men to the South gate!"
"Reporting Sir! They've blown gate clean!"
"Sir! They're saying something!
As they passed the blown-off front gate, Hajime bellowed at the soldiers.
"Runaway now and you will be spared! Attack us and we'll end you without mercy!"
Much of the men that were still alive after the initial assault fled. They weren't about to lose their lives when the devil offers a chance for a clean escape. Upon seeing the carnage and the decimated men fleeing the men sent as reinforcements quickly backed down. Only those too 'honourable' stayed behind. They pointed their weapons at the devils, staring intensely eyes burning with fury.
"I respect their courage. Their fierce loyalty to what they believe in is admirable."
Shizuku flashed her sword.
"As a warrior, the best I can do for them is to give them a clean death."
In a split second, the remaining men's heads flew clean off.
"[Shizuku style – Mercy of the Valkyries]. May your souls find peace."
"No one else has to die! Our only problem is with your heroes! If the heroes appear before us, then no one else will be harmed!"
The sound of metal clanging, rung out from the main keep. A group of men in full plate armour appeared. They were supported by the rear by people who were clearly magicians. In the centre stood a man set apart from the rest. He directed his sword at the trio.
"Invaders….. Prepare to … Meet our blades"
The Knight Captain spoke in a raspy, ghoulish voice. But Shizuku, Hajime, and Endou recognised the voice.
"Meld-san. What happened to you?"
With the speed and agility unlike full armoured knights, they quickly bridged the gap between the invaders and swung their swords in unison. The trio quickly evaded, with a quick half step.
Immediately, Hajime shot the first two knights using [Donner & Schlag]. The force of the shot blew them several metres away. But two knights rose back up. The bullet had created a wound that was at least 50 centimetres in diameter but there was no blood.
"Necromancy….. and it is very powerful. These undead exhibit power far beyond their mortal abilities." Yue observed.
"To defeat them, you must…"
"Incinerate them"
Yue issued a strong burst of intense flame that enveloped five of the knights. All that remained was a mass of liquified steel and ashes.
"Or render them immobile."
"[Yaegashi-Style, Iaijutsu – Boundary of the Horizon].
A further five zombie knights were cut in half, unable to rise again after being slashed in two.
Not to be outdone, Hajime, instantly shot off the limbs of another three knights.
"Now it's your turn Meld-san."
The Knight Captain Meld Loggins charged forward.
"Those… that defy her… will die…."
Activating [Lightning Field], Hajime prepared a railgun shot from [Donner & Schlagen]. Both shots tore through Meld's zombified arms. Seemingly ignoring that it had lost its limbs, the zombie kept charging, until Hajime, shot off both legs as well.
"Meld-san was kind of me even though I was weak. He does deserve any of this."
"It's worse than you imagine. This kind of necromancy was used by the undead kings that our Vampire kingdom fought against. They used weakened, near dying individuals to turn them into powerful puppets."
"The soul is the source of magic and mana-based skills, hence the user of this magic has effectively trapped the souls of these people into dead husks with the power that they used in their old life."
Meld Loggin's body was still groaning, uselessly struggling, wriggling as pieces of flesh fell off the corpse.
Sighing heavily, Hajime gave the final order.
"End them, May their souls find peace."
Yue incinerated their corpses whilst the others strengthened their resolve. There was no longer any doubt as to who was responsible.
"Eri Nakamura must be neutralised immediately."
Heilegh Kingdom Throne Room.
"Nagumo is alive?"
"Yes, Kouki-kun. Somehow he managed to live."
"And what about Shizuku?" Amanogawa asked eagerly.
Eri Nakamura's face slightly twitched.
"She is alive too."
A wave of happiness fell over the face of Kouki Amanogawa.
"But it's likely that she's been corrupted by Nagumo. She appears to be a willing participant in his attack."
"That Bastard! He probably used some kind of magic to twist Shizuku's mind! There no way she'd normally agree to a plot like this!"
"I need to confront him immediately!" He shouted heroically.
"Kouki-kun, there is no need for that! We should leave it to our classmates! It'll be a good test for them. After all, they haven't been able to fight since we conquered the dungeon."
Eri cast her dark spell, around Kouki clouding his mind once more.
"Yeah, that's a great plan Eri! You always know the right thing to do."
"Send out Ryuutarou and Suzu. They'll be powerful enough to stop them."
Amanogawa Kouki deployed his best friends and wished them good luck. He expressed his wish to bring them back alive. They did not respond and simply trudged to where they were needed.
Eri had no delusions about their victory. She had briefly shared the sight of her zombie familiars and she could tell that whatever crawled out of the Abyss couldn't be challenged by her classmates At best they could only delay their advance.
Biting her thumb, Eri worried over her next move.
A ghastly voice filled Nakamura's head. Eri gagged as the dark voice constricted her mind
"Are you in trouble, Human child?"
"If so, shall I send an advance force to help?"
Unable to speak, as the dark voice constricted her ability to speak, Eri nodded.
"Good. Try not to die before then, child"
The voice released its grip on Eri's mind. Eri grimaced, she had her plan, no matter the terrible cost.
In her memories, Ryuutarou Sakagami was an idiot. A complete muscle-bound idiot. But maybe because he was self-aware of his idiocy he was always a loyal friend. The figure that now stood before her no longer resembled the bright and happy fool that she knew.
He was now dead, his heart no longer beat, no blood flowed in his veins. All that could be heard from his once boisterous mouth was guttural growls. His eyes, which once greet Shizuku's presence with playfulness and brightness were now stone-cold and dull. "It" was simply now a husk, trapping the soul of Ryuutarou.
She did not know much about Taniguchi-san. They were often in different cliches. But she knew who her best friend was… And the sight of that betrayal enraged her further.
"Ryuutarou…. Taniguchi-san."
"I knew from Endou's account that this had happened… Seeing it in person disgusts me."
"When they're like this there is no going back, right?"
Yue shook her head.
"Then for their sakes, we need to end their suffering. Let this be an act of mercy."
"I'll handle Tanguichi. I'll leave Sakagami to you. Endou get out of here. Yue conserve your mana, strike if there an opening." Hajime commanded.
They did not know how strong they had become so both Shizuku and Hajime, opted to overwhelm them by a barrage of quick hits.
[Instant Flash] propelled Shizuku and allowed her to slam Ryuutarou away. His strength ferocious strength held back Shizuku's kodachi. Ryuutarou was blown back but quickly recovered with a backflip. He was no more than 3 metres away from his initial spot.
Using [Riftwalk] Hajime bounded around the hallway to confuse their targets and to sent bullets from any and all angles. Surprised by the speed of the attack Zombie-guchi, was a step too late in setting up her barrier. Bullets tore through her waist and thigh. No shots were decisive. Her barrier held up against the barrage.
"Ch! That barrier seems a lot stronger than I thought. Taniguchi-san's barrier use to break all the time!"
Taniguchi was often frightened and lacked the focus necessary to keep a strong barrier. Stripped of all emotion, her barrier was much more durable and worse yet, her mana seemed to be healing any damage to the barrier. The barrier was expanding towards Ryuutarou. Using his eye he noticed how much mana she was expended.
"So, it's a battle of mana endurance huh? Let's test how strong that barrier really is."
Activating his treasure trove, Hajime pulled out his Gatling gun. Affectionately named "Metzelei" the Gatling gun was capable of firing several thousand electromagnetically enhanced bullets. It was a beauty that even Shizuku didn't even know about.
"Let's go Metzelei! Time for your test run! Kehahahahahahahahah!"
In the face of a barrage by a Gatling gun, the barrier began to crack. Taniguchi no could longer focus on expanding the barrier. Instead, she decided to compress the barrier closer and closer to herself.
"Trying to conserve your mana? Smart move. Although…."
"Schlagen!"
Pulling out his anti-material rifle, he instantly fired three shots, one after the other in the spot as far away from where Taniguchi's mana was trying to mend the damage. A spot completely shattered. Using [Rift Walk] he instant bridged the gap and fired several of his arm missiles into the gap.
Each of them exploded point-blank at Taniguchi san's face. Each explosion tore into her. All that remained was splatters of blood and the smell of burnt flesh.
Shizuku sighed. She really needed to talk to Hajime about that display. And about that gun. All the while, she was calmly blocking Ryuutarou's rush attack, with her own barehanded technique.
"Hmmm, he's a lot faster than I remember."
"That's enough testing the waters."
In an amazing display of flexibility and speed, Shizuku used a gap in his blows dodge underneath him, like she was playing a game of limbo. She grabbed hold of his abdomen and crushed it with her vice grip, causing the zombie to momentarily stop. Using this chance, she performed a German suplex on the zombie, the blow snapping its neck
She quickly detangled herself from the zombie and prepared her last move. As Ryuutarou picked himself back up on to feet, Shizuku was ready in her sword drawing stance. Focusing intensely, she drew her blade in one single, swift motion.
[Shizuku-style – The Mercy of Heaven].
She instantly decapitated Ryuutarou. Instantly Yue sent out a bolt of searing flame to immolate Ryuutarou's body.
"Please rest in peace, Ryuutarou."
She walked up to Hajime and pinched his ear. She sighed disappointedly.
"Ha-ji-me-kun. What. Was. That?"
"Ouch, ouch. It was a secret project of mine Shizuku! I've always wanted a Gatling gun!"
Shizuku sighed deeply again. At this point, it was probably inevitable that Hajime's Chunni- ness would spread throughout his creations.
"Could you at least stop laughing like a maniac? I thought I told you to treat these enemies with respect."
At the very least he looked somewhat remorseful. Deciding that this was not the best place to correct his attitude, she let go of his ears and directed the party to head to the likely location of the Eri and Kouki.
Heliegh Kingdom Throne Room
After several minutes, and several encounters with Eri's puppets, they finally made their way to the throne room. The four of them nodded to each other, this is where they would have to split up.
As if anticipating their next move the doors to the throne room burst open. An endless flood of Knight zombies crashed on top of the party and split them apart.
In a booming magically enhanced voice, they heard the voice of Eri.
"So you've finally managed to come here! I congratulate you for making it this far! I know why you're here! The reliable Yaegashi Shizuku and the brave Nagumo Hajime would never abandon their friends. You're after Kaori right?"
"I guess this is a good time as any to execute her! Even if turns out to be a massive fuss, I can always blame it on the demons! I can just see the headlines! [The Goddess of Healing – Murdered by Demons!]."
"You better run! If you run fast enough, maybe you'll still be able to save a scrap of her from being torn to shreds!" She mocked.
In an eruption of steel and flesh, Shizuku Yaegashi cut her way towards the direction where Kaori was being held!
"Nakamura! I swear! Once I save Kaori, I'll tear you limb from limb, you sick fuck!"
"Don't count on it Shizuku! Yue and I will wipe the floor with this burnable trash army, her burnable trash face, and the burnable trash she calls a hero!"
"At least come back before I incinerate them all !" Yue declared!
Yue and Hajime began to charge into the throne room, with pillars of flame and high-intensity explosions incinerating dozens of zombies at a time. They created a path towards Nakamura and Amanogawa to end them.
But as some fell, two more took their place, from what seemed to be a shadow portal, in the centre of the throne room.
"Don't think it will be that easy… I've gotten strong too you know? How do you like my endless gauntlet of zombies?" Eri laughed.
As if to signal their mistake the doors of the throne room shut tightly on command.
Trusting in her lover, Shizuku continued cutting a bloody path to reach her best friend in time.
The Tower
Ever since she was locked up in this tower, Kaori Shirasaki had resigned herself to her own end. The last thing she expected was the disturbance that could be heard even from the most isolated tower in the castle.
"Kaori! Move out of the way! I've come to save you!"
It was a voice that she loved. A voice that she did not expect to hear ever again. And with it, her hope came back.
The Shizuku Yaegashi that burst cut open the door in a single strike was different from the one she remembered. Gone was her distinctive black hair, replaced a shimmering white hair that was overgrown. Her best friend's eyes were always red, but then now shone with a deep red glow and matched her fierce countenance. She half believed that this was some monster masquerading as Shizuku
"Are you Shizuku-chan?"
Shizuku's fierce look immediately dissipated. Her eyes begun to tear up. There was no longer a doubt. Of course, this was Shizuku. This was her best friend, back from the dead.
"Of course it's me, Kaori!"
Shizuku embraced her best friend, gripping her tightly like she never wanted to let her go. Shizuku kept hugging until Shizuku started to feel uncomfortable. The tears in Kaori's own eyes began to well up.
"Shizuku-chan, you're really alive…. But how?"
"I wouldn't let a shitty labyrinth get in the way between me and my best friend. " She smiled confidently.
Releasing Kaori from her death hug, Shizuku began to lead her out of the room. It was obvious to Kaori, that Shizuku was desperate to run away as soon as possible. In response, Kaori, retrieved her priest's staff, dusted herself off, and followed her best friend.
"Let's get out of here Kaori, Hajime is dealing with the others. We need to escape as soon as possible."
"Hajime?" Kaori muttered under her breath.
Clearly, Hajime had also survived the fall. But clearly, something else had changed with her best friend. Kaori was no idiot, she knew that her best friend had secretly fallen in love with Hajime. Back in their original world, Shizuku likely didn't even admit in her own heart that she liked Hajime, but Kaori knew.
The way that 'Hajime' slipped of her best friend's tongue would be impossible for the Shizuku of old. The blushing maiden of her memories would never be able to say the given name of the boy she loved, much less admit that she loved him. Something had clearly happened between the two of them.
Shizuku's face darkened slightly.
"I've got a lot of explaining to do…. But we can talk about that later… Come on Kaori let's go."
"Endou! I know you're there lead us back to the throne room! We need to link back up with Hajime and Yue."
Endou appeared and nodded. He began to lead them back to the throne room
The rescue party moved their way back to the throne room. Kaori observed all the carnage and destruction around them. Piles of cut flesh and caved-in skulls covered the way back.
"Shizuku-chan was this…."
"They were Eri's puppets. I had to…." She explained darkly.
Shizuku's eyes looked dull. Kaori could only wonder what burdens her friend went through. She wanted to ask, she wanted to know what her friend was burdening herself with but she knew that this wasn't the time.
"You!" Her friend screamed.
In a flash, Shizuku Yaegashi disappeared. She reappeared about 50 metres ahead, lifting and strangling a familiar red-headed boy with one arm. She swung around and slammed him to the nearest wall. This left part of the castle wall broken.
"Hiyama-kun!" Kaori exclaimed.
Shizuku let him go. He collapsed with his skulled was nearly caved in.
"Kaori. Heal him." She spat.
She did as her friend commanded. Glancing at her friend, she could tell that a switch had been flipped, she was now radiating pure fury and hatred. Her crimson mana surged manifesting as red electrical sparks which now covered her body.
When Kaori was done, Shizuku proceeded to drag Hiyama into an uncluttered clearing. She stomped on his ribcage and until he was forced awake by the sheer force of her blows.
"DAISUKE HIYAMA!"
"Yaegashi! No, it can't be! You…. You….." He screamed as he spat blood and convulsed.
"Fell? Is that the word that you were going to use? It's true, you didn't push me…. BUT STOP ACTING INNOCENTLY YOU PIECE OF CRAP!"
She straddled the injured man and pulled out one of her sheaths. She slammed the point on his left shoulder and instantly dislocated it. In the face of this brutality, Hiyama could only scream in pain.
"It was an accident!" He cried out sobbing.
"You traitorous scumbag! That bolt of fire was aimed at him! Accident?!" Shizuku screamed her rage increasing.
She raised the sheath again and dislocated the other shoulder. He howled again, his face twisted with pain and utter, absolute fear at the monster that appeared before him.
"I don't need any more words from you to judge you guilty. But I want to know! Why did you do it?!"
"IT WAS ERI! She convinced me to do it! She told me that if I got rid of Nagumo, I could have Shirasaki! And she knew that if I pushed him, you'd follow. She always knew how much you loved him! So I did! To have her all to my- "
With an intense howl, Shizuku began to repeatedly bring her sheath down on Hiyama.
"YOU!"
His forearm shattered to pieces.
"WILL"
Every bone in each of hands crumbled to dust.
"NEVER"
His ribcage caved in.
"HURT"
His neck broke.
"HIM"
Face instantly became unrecognisable.
"AGAIN!"
Even though his body was nothing more than a corpse, she still hammered at this body, with maniac frenzy, like a mad hound who brayed for blood. Her furious deep red eyes flashed at Kaori.
"HEAL HIM!"
She kept battering at the corpse.
"HEAL HIM!"
"Shizuku-chan! He's dead! I can't heal him!"
"He can't die! This coward hasn't even experienced a fraction of the pain and fear that he went through in that hell! He can't die until he's paid back everything that Hajime went through!"
"He is dead Shizuku-chan! Can't you see that?
Kaori grabbed her friend's arms tried to hold her back from continuing her blows.
"Stop Shizuku-chan. Please stop!" Kaori pleaded as begun to lose against the frenzied Shizuku.
"Hajime wouldn't want you to do this!" She reasoned.
"No…. No… I need to be his sword! I need to cut down everything that causes him suffering. He suffers from terrible nightmares every day! He suffered the worse pain imaginable because I was too weak to protect him. He lost his right arm and his left eye, all to protect me!"
"Are you going to stand in my way as well, Kaori?!" She threatened.
She forcefully shrugged Kaori off her back. Kaori collapsed to the floor.
Without hesitation unsheathed her blade and aimed it at Kaori.
"What would you know about Hajime?!" Shizuku snarled as she edged the point closer to her neck.
Endou tried to stop what Shizuku was doing, but he found himself flung across the room with the point of Shizuku's sheath.
"Stay out of this, Endou!" She commanded.
Turning her attention back to the shriveling mess that was Kaori.
"What would you know you blind oblivious bitch?!" Shizuku threatened.
Kaori's face turned white.
"You don't know anything about him! Back on Earth, did you ever stop to consider your actions?! How much the class hated him because you acted the way you did?! How much he suffered each and every day? How often he had to scrub his desk and throw away the trash they piled into his belongings? He acts strong but inside he was crying. All he wanted was the be left alone, to enjoy his hobbies in peace! He didn't need you to make him a spectacle!"
"Do you know how many times, he was on the verge of breaking down but he still refused my help because he wanted to protect me? How much suffering he kept hidden because unlike you, he knew how to protect the things he loved?!"
"Don't you dare talk about knowing Hajime!" She screamed.
"How could you understand anything about who he is?! How could you understand the suffering that he went through? The lengths he went through to save someone like me?! How much pain he went through to prove that he still loves someone some as unforgivable as me?!"
"I won't let anyone stand in his way anymore! Even if you were my best friend, that means crap if you stand in his way."
"So I'm asking you again. And answer carefully. ARE YOU STANDING IN HIS WAY?!"
Throne Room.
"I commend you for pushing us this far interloper. But this is over….."
Before Yue and Hajime, stood two figures. They were not human.
"Demons….." He grimaced.
That is chapter four done! Sorry, that is taken so long! I've been distracted by finding work. I've also been completing another side project fanfiction for Arifureta which will be coming out soon as well so look forward to it!
Thanks once again for all the views and reviews.