Disclaimer: I do not own Taimanin series.
Five Days Break - 07
[Service Unavailable]
Kotaro let out a sign and dropped his phone on the table. After Ingrid went back to her room, he'd been trying to make a call to Tokiko while taking another walk in the wood. He couldn't sleep, as if remnant of the excitement he felt over his win against Ingrid in their Go match was keeping him up.
Or maybe he was just kidding himself to take away a bit of this uneasy feeling. Kotaro was worried that he didn't properly tell Tokiko and others about his little trip outside Gosha. He was supposed to leave a note behind but he ended up bringing it with him by accident. Tokiko and Saika tent to worry a lot when they couldn't reach him.
It was dead quiet at night. No rustling from the tree. No wind, no bird's chirping or cricket's high-pitched singing.
Kotaro was taking the same path that connects the town and the bus stop on the other side of the wood, hoping to find a bit of reception to make a call back to the Fuuma Estate.
"Strange."
If he remembered correctly, it was supposed to be just a short trip over the dense tree lines. Sure, the trail was long. But it didn't take him half an hour to reach the town before.
"Am I moving in circles?"
There was the moon on the sky, dimly lit his surrounding. Kotaro could see well in the dark for the most part so going off track was not that much of an issue. He didn't think he would make that kind of mistake.
"Maybe a little bit further?"
He kept walking for a bit longer. However, the thick line of trees ahead didn't show anything that would give him the impression he was about to reach a clearing.
Finally, Kotaro stopped in his track. His left eye went wide at the other side of the long, narrowed path.
"Where did this come from….?"
He was staring at a dead end. The trail closed up by bushes and dried trees of the same ashen color, the ground cracked at their feet as if those trees just popped out from below the earth. Like a tall wall, the bodies of those trees stretched and blended itself into the forest. Kotaro had no other ways to pass through, maybe he was indeed going off track. He could climb up to see what was on the other side. Then again, lots of spikes around them. He wouldn't risk getting poked and earned himself some injuries in the middle of a vacation.
He turned back and searched for the right path. No way he was going to repeat this rookie mistake again.
...
An hour later.
Kotaro stood dumbfounded, looking all over the place as he got even more confused.
Again.
He arrived at the same spot again. This was the fourth time he made the trip back and forth. There was only one path existing, Kotaro was sure of it. He even used branches as a checkpoint along the way. What's with these trees and the giant thing in town, anyway? Ashen color and hardened surface despite its appearance similar to a dead tree. It took a lot of strength to bend even the tip of a tiny branch.
Yes, he tried, both hands and feet. A normal tree didn't have that kind of endurance. Kotaro's shoulders dropped. He gave up, better do the calling tomorrow morning than to continue making himself stuck in a loop.
The thought from this morning came up once more.
Something was definitely wrong with this place.
He made it back to the inn.
It was the same cobwebs by the entrance ceiling and the eerie silence that greeted him. This place would be even more deserted when Ingrid left. They shared many interesting interactions as companions, he admitted. Next morning, Kotaro can have the whole town for himself to enjoy a peacefully quiet break he's been looking forward to from the beginning.
Still, something was itching in his head. He couldn't point it out. Of course, he felt somewhat letdown since Ingrid would eventually face him as an enemy again. But that wasn't the case with the itching. This….this contradictory in his mind was entirely something else.
Entering the upper floor hallway, a gentle smell hit his nostril. Surprisingly, the inn owner was standing at the end of the corridor, outside his room. It was almost midnight, what was he doing?
"Ah! There you are, dearest customer." The old man seemed relieve to see him. He came over with a tray, head bowing down. "Please have this. For compensating our lack of service to you."
He raised a cup of tea to Kotaro's face. The man looked so humble unlike their last meeting. The change came so sudden.
"This is the finest tea we have. I apologize we couldn't give you a better experience. Please accept this!" He urged.
"O-Okay." Kotaro took the cup. His nervous expression reflected.
"You see. The lady who stays next to your room have sent me a complaint about the poor state of our management."
Ingrid did that?
"We also brought to her the same tea as an apology. I hope you will forgive this silly old man for not making his business live up to the customers' expectation."
"If you're aware of that, then it's fine. I understand."
"Thank you. Truly, thank you!" He grabbed Kotaro's hand and shook.
For a moment, Kotaro startled. The old man's grip was abnormally strong, he had a firm squeeze that almost caused him to let out a whine. Despite the coming of age, the inn owner still reserved this kind of strength within him.
"Please enjoy the tea!"
"Alright, I'll do that in my room."
Finally letting go of his hand, the inn owner stepped aside for Kotaro to pass through. He sent the owner a good night sleep with a polite bow and quickly moved along. He could feel an intense gaze remained fixed on his back. Kotaro entered the room, locked the door and glanced at his hand, which spared by an absurd strength and became almost numb from the knuckle joints to the tip of his fingers.
The instance he turned off the light by the door, the wooden floor outside creaked by each discreet footstep that Kotaro's hearing picked up. Cold sweats slowly damped his forehead, he carefully approached and looked through the door viewer.
"!?"
Kotaro pressed his lip together and pinched his breath as he saw the owner staring back at the hole. He was standing on the other side of the door, gazing intensely at the door with a blank expression. Kotaro's right eye pulsed lightly, his whole being was comprehending an imminent threat.
"….."
"….."
The inn owner didn't utter a word, he just kept staring while Kotaro stood still and continued to observe the situation. Both hands formed into fists, he was ready for whatever that is about to happen.
Creak!
Abruptly, the old man turned his head and walked out of sight. Kotaro exhaled once the echo of footsteps were gone for good. He had been holding in his breath for about a minute.
Okay! That's it! Things escalated from one to ten, and he's only been here for two days! The old man's action just now popped up so many red flags! He's already known the owner was full of suspicions but this is definitely overdoing it! This is what's wrong this place! This has got to be source of that itchy feeling in his head!
"Apologize for the lack of service my foot! He definitely did something to the tea, didn't he!?"
Without an ounce of hesitation, Kotaro splashed everything inside the cup out the window. Forget about bad manner with food and drink. There was a tree outside, it took all the hits and it wasn't like someone else will get wet anyway! He was not going to stick around, sip a taste and find out if there was something else in the tea!
Ack! The old man said he also brought the same thing to Ingrid. Kotaro really hoped she hadn't touched it. He needed to warn her. FAST!
Thumb!
A noise came from the room next door. It sounded like a body just fell flat to the ground.
"No way…Ingrid?"
The worst case scenario flashed through his mind. Kotaro dashed out the room and repeatedly knocked on her door.
"Ingrid! Ingrid, open up! Don't touch the tea!"
There was no respond from the other side.
Swift!
Lights in the hallway suddenly cut off, leaving Kotaro bewildered in the dark. Then, as his head slowly turned to a figure by the staircase, Kotaro could feel his blood run cold. The inn owner was standing there, watching everything. The dim lit moonlight from the window was barely enough to show half of the old man's face. Was he….was he smiling!?
"Dearest customer, have you drank the tea?" He began in a playful yet chilling tone.
"Ingrid! Ingrid, are you okay in there!?"
Kotaro continued to bash on the door with his fists.
"The time has come for the next flowers to bloom."
The owner spoke up, almost chanted something meaningfully to only himself. Kotaro didn't care, everything that came next from the old man's mouth was gibberish to his ears.
"With another flesh, the great tree will be one step closer to becoming whole agan. Our spring will come."
Kotaro turned the handle only to find out it was locked. Good! Better leave it this way!
"Young man, you must accept this."
The owner began his approach. Kotaro didn't waste time listening and retreated back into his own room, locked the door, pushed the shoe stand and barricaded the narrowed doorway. He won't risk getting anywhere near the owner, who seemed to have turned into a mad man. Right now, checking on his companion was the priority.
Knock Knock!
Kotaro quickly backed away as the old man was knocking. He pulled out his luggage from the closet and opened it up, searched for the gap in-between the expandable compartment and flipped a switch.
Flick!
It made a quiet sound. To Kotaro, that was a sure sign the hidden interior was unlocked. The zip line shoved all the way to the end, revealing another compartment containing his signature katana and the Taimanin gears. The situation was urgent, Kotaro wouldn't have enough time to put on the gears. He could only take the sword and the utility belt with him.
There was a small root outside the window, and it connected with the window of Ingrid's room. When done, Kotaro climbed over the window and rushed to the nearest one he could see. The wind started picking up, curtain flew from inside her room. Ingrid left that thing opened.
"!?"
Kotaro's left eye went wide as he found his neighbor slumped against the floor. The cup of tea offered by the mad man spilled all over the mattress and the corner of Ingrid's lip. Damn it! He was too late!
"Ingrid!"
He jumped inside, reaching for the Hell Knight. Immediately, Kotaro caught a tiny spark in the air, his arm retracted by instinct as soon as a dark flame burst around Ingrid, forming a thin barrier.
Grunt!
She was still conscious. Shaking slightly, Ingrid tried to get up but she found no strength to gather in her weakened body. Yet, her mind remained intact to call forth the flame to defend herself.
"W-Who is it!?" In a hoarse voice, she demanded while placing a hand on her head.
"It's me!" Kotaro replied. "Fuuma Kotaro!"
"Fuu...ma….I heard….you."
The flame vanished, allowing Kotaro to approach her safely and offer a hand.
"The…...the tea….." Ingrid muttered. "I….feel dizzy….."
"I know. I almost fell for his trap, too. Can you move?"
Receiving a nod of her head, Kotaro hung one of her arms over his shoulder and supported her up with his arm circled around the back. Ingrid staggered as her balance refused to listen. For a high-ranked demon like her to end up in this state. It could be either an incredibly strong dose of sedative or something else that could neutralize parts of her nervous system.
"The….audacity…."
Kotaro flinched at a deep voice coming from Ingrid. By the seconds, the air surrounding them heated up.
"That man…..will answer for this!"
He was relieve her current state of emotion didn't direct at him. But that anger probably won't help with the situation, and his well-being, and this whole place.
"Leave me be." Ingrid said, still struggled to stand. "I will be fine in a couple minutes."
Kotaro was not going to waste more time retorting to that.
"He's up to something, we can't stay here."
"I will not flee from that cowardice!"
Ingrid was determined to fight back.
"Look, we'll find a way for you to settle this matter later. I won't stop you from punishing him, Ingrid. For now, it's best we get out of here and stay away from him until you recovered."
Click!
The sound startled them both. The knob slowly turned clockwise and moved along with the door. Ingrid gritted her teeth and Kotaro frowned once the culprit made his way into the room. The spare key stayed on the doorknob.
"It's been years since we welcomed visitors so I humbly apologize for this action. I must abide by the will of the Great Ashen Tree, you see. The hunger can hardly make it efficiently produce another flower."
Hunger? The Great Ashen Tree? That giant thing's real name? Either this old man was telling the truth or he had gone insane for some reason.
"No. No, dear customer!" The old man faked his surprise as the suspicion were all over Kotaro's face. "I am not a mad man. I simply live for the wonderful existence that this body will eventually become."
"You're not making sense! Why are you doing this!?"
"I need flesh. Then comes flowers. Then myself." He patted on his chest. "For so long, I've been waiting for this moment. My existence will be fulfilled thanks to you and especially the beautiful lady over there. We were rarely visited by a pure blood demon like her, a Hell Knight at that."
Kotaro glanced at Ingrid, who's expression changed to a fierce one. The old man knew her identity.
"In that case, you're also aware of who I am." Kotaro said.
"Hm?" The man raised an eyebrow, totally confused by his words. "I'm afraid I have no idea who you are, young man. I just knew that you are a curious one, and very rude to the great tree."
A hand rested under his chin, the man closed his eyes in thought.
"How should I describe this? You are…...yes, I don't feel anything worthy from you. You're nothing like the lady next to you. I can sense the delicious smell of demon blood flowing inside her veins, but you! You, young man, you don't give out such an expression even though that right eye of yours is a bit smelly. Either way, you are not worthy enough to become whole with the tree. Unfortunately, we cannot be picky about what we can have."
Kotaro's left eye twitched at the remark. To this man, the main target here wasn't him. It was Ingrid. However, his intention was clear. If they don't do something, none of them will be able to escape from this place.
This person, he wasn't an ordinary human after all.
"Oh, but the lady. Well, we need the demon lady. Her flesh, her pure blood and her soul are just the right additional ingredients to bring us back to the glorious time of our spring."
The inn owner took out a glass cylinder from the long sleeve of his yukata. Inside, the flower with an ashen color was stored. Kotaro recognized it was the one the old man harvested atop the tree.
"I hereby declare this moment will mark the next step of our birthright in this world!"
The cap fell to the ground. He moved the flower out gently and caressed it like a precious egg. Then, his happy smile showed teeth, mouth opened wide like a child ready to eat his favorite food.
All of sudden, Kotaro felt a burn on his right hand, which he was using to support Ingrid. The Hell Knight sword formed out of the intensity of a sparking dark flame. Ingrid grabbed the handle firmly and with little strength regained in her arm, she swung. The blade cut through the air, created a sharp gust of wind shooting across the room.
Kotaro closed his eye and turned away once the sound of flesh tearing echoed on impact and hit the floor.
Without hesitation, without questioning and without waiting for something to happen, she cut down the old man right where he stood.
"Pardon my action, Fuuma." Ingrid softly spoke. "I wouldn't want to stay still and let him finish whatever he was about to do like a mad man."
Letting out a sigh, Kotaro stared at that lifeless body now split in half. Maybe this was the right choice. They didn't know his intention. But who knew what would happen once he consumed the flower. He was unfazed in front of Ingrid, one of the strongest Hell Knight. That was a risk, they wouldn't want to know what more he could be capable of. There was not a single thing that's right with him anymore.
"Can you stand?" He asked.
"Loosen your grip."
Kotaro pulled away, momentarily let go of Ingrid. She swayed slightly on her feet, struggled to get back her balance altogether.
"Urk!"
Not having enough strength in her leg, Ingrid fell backward, into Kotaro's arms. He won't comment anything about how soft her body is under the sweater.
"For me to be this careless…..how shameful…."
Hearing Ingrid muttered such under her breath, Kotaro would want to put it in a different way. They were here for a vacation, not to expect someone to scheme behind their backs. Who would have thought the owner of the inn where they were staying turned out to be a crazy person fell too deep inside his own delusion. And not to mention the unhealthy obsession toward a giant tree no one's ever heard of.
"We're both careless. I mean, I should have raised suspicion in the first place."
Whatever the case, it was done. The man is dead, there was nothing else they could do here. But even so, Kotaro had to wonder. Why wasn't there any blood leaking from his wound?
"LOOK AT WHAT YOU'VE DONE!"
They jolted at a loud shriek. Kotaro's left eye shifted to the upper half of the old man's body. To his shock, the chest was rapidly bumping up and down. Both arms started wiggling, bended and moved in an absurd direction. Using the elbows, the man's torso rose up and a face, filled with disdain and upset, glared back at them.
"YOU INSOLENT FOOLS! LOOK AT WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO MY PRECIOUS FLOWER!"
If it wasn't for the training, Kotaro believed his eardrums would burst by the raving howl. As he was staring wide-eyed at the inn owner, who was actually alive despite losing the other half of his body, Kotaro had a feeling that at one point, this person had thrown away any last bit of his humanity and became something worst.
"Ahh! Ahhhh! The tree's sweetest gift to me!"
The old man continued to screech, pushed himself up and lied on his stomach. He desperately crawled with his arms towards the flower, its petals already tattered due to the Hell Knight's previous strike. Ingrid raised her sword once more to stop him. However, Kotaro could see her entire arm was shaking. Her movements seemed weaker, the thing that man slipped into his tea began to take its effect.
Quickly, Kotaro grabbed a kunai from his belt. The moment he was about to throw it, the whole place shook.
"What the!?"
The sudden earthquake robbed Kotaro off his balance. He managed to catch Ingrid before they both hit the mattress. The dim moonlight outside the window shoved over by darkness. Something big was moving, it surrounded the building and closed off their one and only escape route. It looked like the giant root of a tree with the same ashen color.
As Kotaro tried to throw his kunai at the man, the wall cracked, indent as if being slowly crushed. All this rumbling made it impossible for him to get a sturdy aim.
Having no choice, Kotaro pushed his feet back and launched himself forward. He held the kunai backwards and smashed it right into the owner's hand, pinned it to the floor. Another inhuman growl emitted, it didn't look like the man was in pain, this only made him become more aggressive. The man's other hand moved, Kotaro snatched the flower away before it reaches.
"GIVE IT BACK!"
That flower was the only thing he cared about in the world. The old man leaped at him. His whole torso shot up in the air. His hand, pinned by the kunai, torn off from the floor. Kotaro didn't anticipate such act of reckless violence.
As Kotaro wasn't able to dodge out the way in time, half of the old man's weight crashed into him. The ground being shaking didn't help, his back smashed against the mattress. The man was light but Kotaro's serious concern lied at a different matter. The unreal strength displayed afterward was an actual threat.
"Gurk!" Kotaro choked.
He got him by the throat. His neck and head nailed into one place on the floor by the man's absurd power. Kotaro wanted to push him away, he had many chances to do it. But the pain coming from his strangling cervix made it literally impossible for Kotaro to muster enough strength. The old man's grip was so freaking strong he couldn't breath, the air in his lung stuck without a way to circulate.
Kotaro grinded his teeth, reserving the leftover air in his lung as he rolled over. The man still won't let go even when Kotaro sat up and dragged them both towards the table. Despite the floor shaking, he kept his footing together.
"GIVE IT BACK!"
The man screamed into his ears, death stare promised a painful snap of the neck. But Kotaro didn't care, he rose up and the man's back was facing the table in front of them.
One jump and one flip from above to below. Kotaro wrestled the mad man into the table, breaking it apart. The tatami mattress bended their shapes and a cracking noise came from below, it was too faint in the middle of a big tremor. Kotaro mustered enough strength to caused a dent in the floor.
That did something. The man's grip around Kotaro's neck loosened, his mouth opened wide as if the pain finally registered to his senses. Kotaro shoved his arms away and lied flat on the floor, coughing heavily. He turned to Ingrid, who was supporting herself up by stabbing the floor with her sword and leaned against it. Her leg hadn't gotten any better.
The trembling became more intense, he could hear the earth crack and trees falling in the distance. None of this was over. The old man had his eyes fixed to the ceiling, unresponded. Not taking risk of getting a surprise attack, Kotaro moved away and stopped by the window, now locked by a giant root.
Using his sword, he struck it. The blade bounded back much to Kotaro's frustration. The thing was incredibly hard, like it outer layer was wearing an armor.
"No good. Can't get out this way, we have to use the entrance."
Before the old man starts moving again like an actual zombie, they would better be hurry.
"Fuuma….the flower." She pointed at the tattered existence which drew so much craving from the former inn owner.
"Right."
After picking it up and grabbing the kunai on the way, Kotaro examined the flower closely. It was missing a few petals. They didn't have enough time to search and gather it, hopefully that won't be an issue. He placed it in one of the pouches on his belt and carried Ingrid out the room. Strangely, she didn't voice her discomfort or say anything about being helped by a weakest Taimanin like him. She could have said something.
"You're okay?" Kotaro asked to be sure.
Nod.
She replied with a simple gesture. Her face looked drained. Where had all that anger from before gone to? Was this also the sedative effect at work? If that was the case, this would be a big problem.
The entire building shook again, Kotaro's shoulder hit the wall as he tripped over. Grunting, he kept moving forward with Ingrid who was taking small steps by his side. Once they reached the end of the staircase, Kotaro froze in place.
"Something's there!?"
Just when things could get better, one more trouble emerged. In the dark, multiple silhouettes were lurking in the lower floor. Humanoids, there was no mistaking it. However, their movements were slow, lumbering, uneven steps after one another. Seeing this reminded Kotaro of the zombie creatures he encountered in Venam. But he doubted he would be seeing them here again. These creatures were far from that identity. Those ashen skins and faceless heads spoke volumes about the differences.
Where did they come from!?
Katana readied, Kotaro struck the closest one that tried to grab him. The blade went through its torso and made a clean cut. The body separate like a piece of log chopped off to ignite a fireplace. It was not the sound of flesh being torn, it sounded exactly like a tree being cut. These things were made of wood!?
What else then!? The giant tree was actually a demon from another world or one of the old malevolent Gods!? What other crazy things does this town has to throw at him!?
While Ingrid couldn't use her sword, Kotaro continued to swing his and cleared a path for them to get out of the inn by the entrance. The creatures were easily fenced off due to their slow nature.
Outside, enormous branches wrapped around the buildings in sight. And it stretched as far as Kotaro's left eye can see. Underneath those branches were big cracks, those literally rose from the underground and split the earth!
And…
And…
It all connected to the existence the old man worshipped like a deity, the "Great Ashen Tree."
"Wood creatures, you say…"
At this time, Ingrid spoke up. Her tone was low, but it still held the might of a proud Hell Knight.
"In that case, my flame is enough wipe them out."
She was recovering. Her feeling was boiling and surely it would reach the point of no-return.
"You can't! You'll burn down the entire forest!"
"Do you have a better idea, Fuuma?"
Kotaro couldn't make eye contact with Ingrid's stern gaze. What she planned to do was not the ideal solution. But Kotaro couldn't think of anything else to help them out of this situation.
How did things escalate to this? What does that old man wants with Ingrid's pure demon blood and the flower bloomed on top that tree? What is the actual end goal here?
Boom!
An explosion happened right above their heads. A hole was made on the wall of the upper floor. Within the smoke, something shot out and landed in front of them. It was the upper half of the old man. He crawled up using both arms and glared at them. Despite the given bloodshot eyes, he was grinning from ear to ear.
Kotaro realized the man was holding something between his teeth. Petals from the tattered flower.
"If I can't take it whole, we'll do it step by step!" The old man declared.
Then, he swallowed them.
The change took immediate affect. His human-like skin turned pale, spotting the same color like the rest of the wood creatures. His arms and faces grew veins like a tree planting its root across the surface and hardened. At the joint where his body was split by Ingrid's strike, something stretched out, grouping and slithered like tiny roots. They formed and replaced the missing lower half.
While his body was undergoing transformation, the old man had a deranged expression. That was enough for Kotaro to believe he was never a human to begin with. The more he watched him, the more cold sweat trickled down his forehead.
Run.
That one word appeared in his mind. It was the only choice available for them.
"The rest of the flower. GIVE ME!"
The inn owner who turned himself into a monster started running at them. That deranged face was inches from Kotaro's in the blink of an eye. The sudden closing in distance froze Kotaro in place, he couldn't react in time.
Fortunately, Ingrid was used to the kind of speed ordinary eyes couldn't follow. By a swift raise of her trusty weapon, the wood monster was stopped before the tip of its fingers even touch Kotaro. The Hell Knight sword pierced through that thing chest and hung it in the air.
"Perish. By Grenier's Flame."
Trailing along the body of her sword, dark blue flames burst out and engulfed their enemy. Ingrid twisted the blade, she flung the body to the side and left it there to burn. The ground stopped shaking at the same time.
Still, the creatures surrounding them continued to stand there. As if they were observing and waiting for an order. This isn't over!
Crack!
Kotaro's head snapped to the wood creature lumbering a distance away. A large fracture appeared on its chest. The line kept expanding further. Then, two arms shot out. Next, a leg, a torso and a head.
Kotaro watched the sight in disbelief. It was the old man who turned himself into a monster. He stepped out of that wood creature like it was some sort of coccoon.
"YES! YES! This is it! This is what I've been waiting for!" The man looked at himself, wholeheartedly happy. "Thank you, Great Ashen Tree! I've finally getting rid of that mortal body and become myself again! Just a little bit more, our birthrights in this world will be finalized!"
What was going on!? The man was already burned to a crisp, Kotaro did looked back to check. How was he coming out from one of the creatures and appeared unscratched!?
Was this an ability similar to Cicada Shell? He studied about it in Gosha Library, it was an unique art belonged to the former head of the ill-fated Koukawa clan. Could this be another form of it!?
Moving her sword once more as Grenier's flame soared, Ingrid slashed the air. A wave of flame shot towards the target. The old man didn't dodge, he stared at the upcoming strike and the smile on his face never gone away. He expected it.
Struck by the slash, both the man and the broken vessel crashed down and ignited.
Crack!
It became a familiar sound. But this time, it hit Kotaro with a terrifying cold chill.
"No way." Was everything Kotaro could utter while watching the old man climbed out from another wood creature. "He did it again."
This was something beyond their comprehension. The fact that the old man who forsook his humanity was in possession of this power made their situation even worst than before.
"Fuuma. Let go." Ingrid's calm voice snapped Kotaro out of shock. She looked into his left eye and gave a nod. "I feel like I can move my body normally now."
"A-Alright."
Kotaro was impressed by how collected she was in respond to the chaotic surrounding. As he stepped back,
"Such theatrical trick. I won't be intimidated by your flamboyant display." Ingrid pointed her sword at the old man who was laughing hysterically. "You are just a coward who relied on petty schemes to get what he wants. Prepare to be obliterated."
Her strength was not yet fully recovered. However, Ingrid was one of the strongest Hell Knights. A portion of the strength she used to uphold that reputation would be enough of an assurance. Ingrid's long pink hair flew as dark flame rose from her feet and covered her body. Within that rushing wave of flame, the sweater and blue jean were gone, replaced by the signature black clothes and red cape. The usual combat outfit not only left a lasting impression on her enemies but also struck fear on the battlefield.
In that place where the night sky illuminated the earth-shattering town and the Great Ashen Tree came to life by an overly obsession of one man, Ingrid has declared her battle stage.
And there was Kotaro, who had no other choice but to stay and watch by the sideline.
"No, there's still something I can do."
Kotaro stepped forward, swiped his katana by the elbow crease and took a stance.
They exchanged a glance before looking back at the one who started all this. Now, a Noble Demon and a Taimanin had shared a common enemy.
"Are you sure? He's aiming for the flower on your belt." Ingrid asked Kotaro who stood next to her. "Have you came up with any tactic for this?"
The whole place was a mess. Those wood creatures were everywhere. Giant branches growing from beneath the ground completely blocked off most of the paths.
"Not so much. You deal with him and I'll take care of those things. We'll see if there's any change in his ability if the number is reduced." Kotaro said.
"We'll handle this using my flame then. If you have a better idea, I'm listening."
"Yeah, yours good enough. Just don't go overboard."
"Rest assure. However, I will not take responsibility if you either get caught in it or in the way of my sword."
"I get it. I'll try not to be a burden." Kotaro forced a smile. It felt like she was taking the chance to poke another dried joke at him.
"You know, this is one unexpected occasion."
"?"
"I can't believe I'm fighting with you by my side. But you better keep up. With that man's ability, this battle won't be an easy one, even for me."
"I figured that much."
Despite her experience as a Hell Knight, this was perhaps Ingrid's first time dealing with this type of enemy. Kotaro could see that from the previous shocking look on her face when the old man first used his power. And Kotaro realized he was no better. He couldn't analyze his enemy if he couldn't understand the concept of ability they were using.
A direct confrontation is inevitable.
Which is why, through this battle, he will get to know more about the opponent's ability. He would use that knowledge to flip the table against the bizarre existence that is the Great Ashen Tree.
"By the way, Ingrid."
"Hm?"
"I'm glad to be your companion during this short vacation."
She turned to him with a raise of her eyebrow.
"You really are a strange fellow."
Regardless of those words, she still smiled. Kotaro wasn't sure if that was a compliment or another witty jab at him. The genuine expression was gone as quick as her attention shifted back to the fight at hand.
"Fuuma, are you ready?"
Kotaro briefly glanced at the time on his watch. The clock pointed at one in the morning, still a long way before sunrise.
"Let's do this."
In a flash, Ingrid was inches before the old man and brought down her longsword. Dark flame exploded together with the war cry of the young Taimanin.
/