= [Chapter 06] =
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Inside the royal castle of Melromarc, a very dangerous game of tag has been conducted without the notice of the other two Heroes.
Barak! Berak!
The sound of the "it's" fist hitting the walls keeps popping here and there. Crashing the walls as the person jumps from wall to wall.
"Run! Run! Spear Hero! Run!" The maniac chanting of the person, Heiber, has been very loud and clear all the time yet not a single guard or any person with similar authority had come out and helped.
The target then suddenly rolls to the side, entering across the room. Hiding from the Heiber's view.
"Ah~h! You won't get away from me, Heroes! Kukukuku!" Heiber proclaimed before taking down the pillar that was in the way.
But the prey wasn't there. Not even blood was seen.
"Tsk!"
He then runs towards the closest door. Never noticing that some part of the wall was not even and has a door scratch mark on the floor.
An eye then peaks out between the gap of the walls.
"He's gone... He's gone. Oh, thank God he's gone!" Motoyasu Kitamura, the Spear Hero whispered out in relief. Hand over his chest as he forces himself to calm down.
He then fully locked the secret door.
Checking the room out, he wonders how did Iruma know about this room. The place is very wide and has a lot of important-looking stuff and some jewelry.
(Well... he did say that he was playing a VR. So, there might have been something like this in the game.) He thought, running his hand across the statues.
He then walked towards a corner and kneel to a now eyeless Shield Hero.
The urge to throw out his intestines intensifies when he carefully checks the now downed hero.
Ragged breathing and weakened heartbeat. The only reason why the Shield Hero's still alive is because of his resilience and his recovered EP or Energy Boost, which is passively helping him.
Plus, the Shield Hero's, well, Shield's ability 'Trust' is boosting all of him, including his recovery speed. Even though only Motoyasu and Shirou are the only ones boosting this feature, it's still a big help.
"Mou...! Why did something like this had to happen! This is getting more and more real than what I want!"
This wasn't how being isekai'd as a hero was supposed to be! This doesn't follow the sequence of progressions!
(This is all messed up!)
He wants to cry and just continue complaining about the cruel thing happening, but he's all dried up with it. Fear, panic, adrenaline, and the burden of a life in his hand made it do so.
While complaining, he busies himself in bandaging up Iruma. Wrapping some torn-out clothes around his head and cleaning out his wounds.
"H-Hey! You're going to be oh-ok! You're going to be ok! Don't die on me, Iruma!"
His hands tremble whenever his patient wheezed and heaves a breath.
This repeated a few more times in 27 minutes. Motoyasu making sure Iruma was breathing and taking out blood that starts to clogged his nose and throat.
Even though he's only been up for an hour or so, Motoyasu felt like it had been days since he followed Iruma's scream after finishing his business with the call of nature.
Leading him to a gruesome torture slash butchering scene.
He had let out a squeak in fear, stopping the monster from taking away Iruma's tongue.
He would forever remember the eyes of both the monster and Iruma's. Blazing with gleeful murderous intent, while two eyeballs stuck in a transparent tube were made as necklaces around his neck.
He was frozen scared at that moment and was only able to bring his mind back when he heard Iruma saying "Run..." in a very weakened voice.
Now that he thinks about it, how was he able to hear him that far and with that weak of a voice?
He didn't get the chance to analyze what had happened, but when he finally gets primary mind in control he was already inside a very big vase, enough to fit him in and still has enough room for a child.
He later got out and tried waking up the others, but they didn't. Which led to him witnessing that monster dragging Iruma by the hair while tracking him.
In a rage, he recklessly swings and thrusts his spear, but he was played and got himself a few nicks and hole in his body.
He had abused the loyalty features of the spear and repeatedly strike the monster. Which he easily parries and dodged.
He gave up on the attack and just manhandle Iruma and run away!
The guy was amused and let them be for a minute and then started his hunt. And it's not even a serious one as that monster keeps purposely slowing down and popping out of nowhere!
"... Man... A real-life horror..." He murmured, slump down on the wall.
"Cough! Ko-cough!"
Iruma's coughing brought him out of his mind. Although tired, he performed his duty and help the poor guy out.
"HoZ-ger...?" Iruma tried saying something but it's almost gibberish.
"Whoa! Whoa! Easy... It's me Motoyasu. It's ok, we're in that hidden room you had told me about."
"Whro?"
"MO.TO.YA.SU. Motoyasu!"
Iruma didn't hear what he had said though. As he has relapsed and had gone back to unconsciousness.
The Spear Hero let out a breath of helpless and disappointment.
"Ohm...! What are we going to do...?"
If only the others are here, they could take that guy like a true Hero's party. Even if they don't get any exp in the process. Better survive than worry about levels...
"Oh my God! Shirou! Itsuki!"
The sudden realization that the two Heroes of personal Justice are still sleeping causes him to bolt up and run out of the hidden room.
"Shit! Shit! Shit!"
As he left, he never realized how important his presence was in this room.
[HP - 14]!
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[HP - 11]!
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.... X ....
Motoyasu isn't having a great night. Well, it had started badly so it should end badly, right? Not what he wants though.
"My, my, my, Little Hero coming back for his two friends."
A knife was placed on the, still sleeping, Shirou's. Both Heroes are being held by the Assassin in the hallway.
"Ou? Where's the other one? Don't tell me he had died already? What a shame, I thought he would have fared much longer."
"Ha! You wished! All four of us will be coming out of this alive!" Motoyasu then spans his spear and takes a stance. "And you are going down!" He growled, fully intending to take this guy out.
In all honesty, he felt like a protagonist of a dark fantasy story. Minus the plot armor powers.
"Hah... Well, this isn't part of the contract but... Meh, what's one more hero in the list." He shrugged and tossed the two away before charging at Motoyasu!
Pwang! Shang!
Heiber took a step back before jumping and spinning midair, adding momentum force to the slash.
The three-consecutive slash was blocked by the Spear's shaft. But the force made Motoyasu kneel and have his arms numb and shaking.
A dagger descended to his head but anticipating this he rolled to the side and aimlessly slash his spear at the villain... Hey, if he commits to the act of being a dark fantasy protagonist then his opponent should be the villain!
"Whoa!?" The villain let out, hands place on his thigh. "Did your Spear get sharper?"
He didn't answer with a word but with the tip of his spear! But sadly, it was avoided this time. Heiber is wary of the base Spear's power.
And yes, the Spear did get sharper... no, it had become better. Thanks to its core power-up method, Familiarity.
The more he uses a Weapon the better it'll become. Of course, there are limits. Like potential growth and real mastery of the weapon. The situation of using the base spear till it reaches the realm of legends is not possible. That's why Spear's other power-up method supplement this shortcoming. But those are out of Motoyasu's reach at the moment.
"Ooh... feisty! Not liking what I had done to your friend I see!"
That made Motoyasu's face turn ugly in anger!
"Won't you shut up and die already!" He roared and took a big swing, cutting a hair out of the bastard!
"Tsk!"
He quickly followed it with a one-two thrust and a slash from below! Making the maniac smile grew bigger.
"You are a hero, such a big leap in growth in such a small time. Jihihi, hi, hihi!"
Motoyasu and the maniac knew that he can't actually beat him or even kill him. The difference between levels is just too big even if he was a hero. But that didn't stop him from trying!
And who knows? With all this guy playing him around, he might slip and give him a chance to land a deadly blow.
"But sadly, for you... I have to finish things up now." With that declaration, Motoyasu's temple was smack by the butt end of Heiber's dagger.
Stunned and mind disorganized, he didn't saw the knee that crush his stomach! It's was then followed by an elbow drop!
"K-Kahn...!?"
Blood comes out of his mouth and his face turned stone frozen, the pain too fast and painful for his brain to even comprehend enough to give a reaction. He staggered back, fell on his butt, and before even his back hit the floor, two knives flown and got stabbed at his body.
Blood coated the area around him, that's an even greater amount than what Iruma had shed.
And before darkness can claim him, the sight of a spinning dagger slowly closing its way towards him was the last thing he saw...
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[Zzztzz!]
.... [Zzztztztt!]
"Not yet..."