Chapter 4: Empress of Nakajima
[START]
Outside of the hospital, I checked my weapon and Lisa had luckily purchased supplies from Hiraga for my fight with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In addition, I also contacted Riko about the matter we had previously discussed and said:
「You’re almost up.」
It was almost 2300. In addition, it was also cold outside, and a fog hung over Tokyo.
On the Medical Institute campus there was a grove of trees like a public park– From there something like a long white cable stretched up into the foggy night sky. Although the fog made it hard to see, looking up into the sky… a new moon and full moon… 2 moons…?
「Kinji, it’s just a feeling, but I’m sure they are up on that moon. They might have gone up this white tether. I need to go get something. Wait here for 3 minutes.」
Aria indicated the full moon, then her pink twin tails fluttered as she left.
Because of the fog, it was impossible to see the entire stretch of cable, but it was likely that the supernatural onis were there on the moon. It’s like something out of『Jack and the Beanstalk』reaching to the top of the clouds, and it seemed that The Island of Onis really existed1, so I wasn’t surprised.
In any case, if they climbed the cable. I ran toward the low end of the cable where it was buried in the ground and I clicked my tongue. Looking at where it was fastened to the ground, it was impossible to unfasten.
Thinking that I would sever it–
It was something that Aria had told me about, a space elevator used for space exploration constructed of Kevlar fibre reinforced polyethylene. A special tool would be needed to sever it.
The cable stretched up into the sky for who knew how far– Based on the structure, if I cut it, following them would be impossible. So we will have to follow.
However, I could not see them because of the fog…
How exactly they climbed the tether, I am not sure, but they must have done so in a hurry.
As for me, facing the tether– I had no tools to scale it.
Even in Hysteria Mode, I couldn’t move my hands and feet fast enough to get up.
Furrowing my eyebrows, from behind me–
–*Whiiiiir!*–*Whoom!*–!
Something impacted my back, then my movement vector simultaneously changed abruptly from horizontal to a disorienting vertical. From the feeling, my speed had already crossed 8 kph.
I knew what had tackled me from the scent of gardenias…
「Hiraga-san created a new version of the YHS. She came to the hospital the other day to collect payment– They turned her away, but she left the package in the care of the hospital. Let’s get up there. Kinji, go ahead and fasten the waist harness.」
We tore upward through the fog, with the hover skirt Aria had donned.
With Aria carrying me with arms wrapped around me from behind, we ran parallel to tether, rising higher and higher.
You’re planning to head toward the moon right now, aren’t you?
As expected, my master’s is not overly restricted by the rules of common sense.
This is a far cry from my idea of ascending the tether like a Ranger.
「We’ll only be able to get up there once. Because the YHS is only designed for one person, it’s hybrid fuel will run out soon. I don’t know when I’ll have another attack, so I’ll get you to the moon, but after that, I’ll have to trust you.」
Not『leave it to you』but『trust you』– that was how Aria expressed her confidence in me… pleased and in Hysteria Mode, I replied:
「I like it when you’re forceful. Understood. The land of the oni must definitely be on the other side of the moon. There has got to be a lot of accumulated stolen goods over there, so I’ll be fine by myself.」
Rising at a furious rate as the wind whipped my bangs wildly, I half turned and smiled back. Afterwards:
「What stupid things are you saying!? Look up there Stupid Kinji–your target is coming up–!」
Turning entirely red and looking very cute, Aria rapped me lightly on the head.
In accordance with her order, however, I looked up– and I saw it.
Carrying Habi and Tsubaki in her arms, it was Yen.
With Tsubaki holding on to her boots, Yen was barefoot… and somehow, she grasped the tether with her toes, as we flew overhead like a rocket.
Using both feet, she covered large distances at great speed. Doing so nonchalantly.
What kind of suction power is this!? Do you have a nuclear power plant inside, or something?
Then as we continued to ascend and continued to draw closer, the full moon grew larger and filled our field of view.
–What was at the other end of the tether glittered and revealed its true quality–
A huge, white balloon.
A bright light shone out from inside of it, and it was almost entirely spherical… paper… like it was covered all over in washi paper.
「What… is that…?」
It wasn’t entirely impossible that Aria didn’t know what it was.
Is this a…『fire balloon』…?
I found it hard to accept just then but looking it over–that was definitely what it was.
It was a balloon bomber something developed by the former Imperial Japanese Army to be deployed against the United States– commonly known as fire balloons. But this was even bigger.
The fire balloons were huge balloon weapons with incendiary bombs dangling from them capable of rising into the troposphere, then being carried by the Jet Stream until they reached the US and drop their payload.
It looks like a cute commercial advertisement balloon, but even today, this historically first ICBM, holds the all-time record for weapons range.
The tether went up into the fire balloon through a wick-like opening.
That was where Yen and the rest hurried to and disappeared.
From there, another wire glittered and reached even higher–a smaller balloon with a strobing light floated there. What’s that…? Some kind of sign?
「Kinji, that’s a sky buoy! Aircraft at 9 o’clock–! This was their plan all along!」
Aria shouted as we rose up past the fire balloon and pointed at something somewhere between the border between fog and clouds.
Over there was…
Mixed in with the furious sound of the wind, there was a distinct approaching rumble of a large engine.
As it got closer, the low sound became louder and the vibrations resonated in my lower abdomen.
I saw an airplane. It was distant, but it was there. HUGE…!
「Kinji, it’s huge…! What is it? A B-36? Hmm… it’s not a silhouette I am familiar with…!」
Seeing it amidst the swirling clouds and fog… Aria had no idea what it was.
It has fixed, straight wings, 6 engines, and judging it by eye, it was longer than G-3’s Galleon…!
That’s what this is…!
「…It’s a fugaku…!」
「Fugaku?」
I thought that there was no way it could be, but this was another former Imperial Japanese Army research project, abandoned in the middle of development, the extra-large strategic bomber, the Nakajima G10N Fugaku. It was an unconventional military aircraft, planned to be much larger than the B-29 that tormented Japan in those days.
Now directly facing me, it was getting closer.
Bearing an alternate name for Japan’s greatest mountain, Mt. Fuji, the Fugaku–
45 metres long, with a 65-metre wingspan, a 20,000-kilo bomb bay capacity, and a cruising range of approximately 20,000 kilometres. This insanely large weapon was capable of going half-way around the globe without stopping.
Originally planned to take off from Japan–then cross the Atlantic and North America to bomb a major industrial or populated area in the United States such as Pittsburgh, Detroit, or New York–then land in allied Nazi territory. Then after being refuelled and re-armed with a full complement of bombs, it would bomb either English territory in India, China, or the USSR and returning to Japan… At least those were the nightmarish plans for the incredible trans-global bombing run.
Those technical requirements rival that of the modern B-52, but those specs were too much for the industrial base of contemporary Japan. What’s more, the individual cost was a problem, and the end of the war came too quickly to manufacture it…
「It seems in following these thieves, we’ve discovered something more dangerous. We’ll need to look into this.」
It is not widely known, but『briefly landing in Germany』had deeper implications…
Back then, Germany’s technical knowledge had almost reached the level capable of producing a new type of bomb–the ultimate goal was to load them with atomic bombs.
I’ll have to actually look into it and see if there is anything peculiar onboard.
「Aria, get me to that plane. Can you do it?」
「…I can. But if I do, I expect you to come back alright.」
「Quite naturally so. I want to see you again. I will always come back. There is no woman to whom I would make such a promise–Except Aria.」
「Id-!」
‘Idiot’ was probably what she wanted to say, but the noise of the wind and engine drowned out her voice–
Hanging down from the fugaku, there was a parachute shaped web of netting–all over its surface were hooks– it completely enclosed the blinking balloon.
Holding on to the wires attached to that balloon, Yen and the rest were swept away from the fire balloon.
Wh-what the heck? Is that form of transport even possible? It would snap a human body in half.
「Kinji, 15 more seconds! Then I’m out of fuel!」
Entering the turbulence caused by the fugaku, Aria attempted an approach of the wing.
The distance was– approximately 20 metres.
「Thank-you, Aria. I’ll see you later.」
Separating myself from the YHS harness by detaching the carabineer clip, I fired an Anchor bullet from my gun. Adding a lead to anticipate the movement, I aimed for the edge of the right wing.
With a thickness of 1 micrometre and a tensile strength of 200 kilograms, the diploid phase aramid fibre spread out as if flew through the air, pulling me away from Aria– and caught up in the winds, I was pulled along by the wire.
Then– taking an intense roll, I landed on the surface of the wing.
Deploying the talons from my Spike, I prevented myself from falling…then, looking behind me, I saw Aria and her descending with the Union Jack patterned parachute deployed from her YHS. The personnel from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are probably tracking us from the ground, so I’ll have to trust her ability to take care of herself.
…However…
The more I look at it, the more I am surprised by this gigantic bomber.
The propellers span was 5 metres in diameter. There were 3 side-by-side on either side for a total of 6, and there is nothing more spectacular. It was a veritable flying iron castle.
However, I experienced a small feeling of uneasiness… the wings were thick like the Soviet K-7.
Although they were about the same length as the original fugaku, but this wing’s thickness was greater than the historically recorded values. It appears that they have substituted this century’s most advanced materials into the design. The wing’s surface was also coated in carbon composite, imparting considerable stealth ability.
…They are flying in the clouds so that they cannot be detected by optical means.
I couldn’t see the edge of the wing due to the fog–
I looked for the Yen or the rest, but there was no sign of them. They must have gone inside.
If that’s the case, then I should create an opening for myself to enter… however, I soon realised that was unnecessary. There was an entrance hatch in the middle of the wing.
The hatch didn’t even have a lock that required a key. Turning the simple lever-operated mechanism, the hatch opened, and a gout of heavy, warm air from inside struck me.
Probably not worried about intruders, they didn’t think any kind of lock was necessary.
Easily entering, I found myself in the main wing cavity of the fugaku…in some kind of passageway. The floor was covered in fur pelts. Inside, the pressure was stabilised and heated. I’m grateful for this.
At the start, the passageway didn’t allow movement through it without stooping, but the ceiling gradually became higher until I could stand without bending over. I could now stand erect.
What was most surprising, though, was the fact that there was a door in the wall–that is to say that the wings were intended to house individual rooms.
I thought that it might be room to control or maintain each of the engines… but this is actually a living space.
This really is like a flying base. It’s very surprising.
Beretta in hand, I advanced further into the wing…
「…Scheduled report… fugaku 23XX… en route in flight to Kii no kuni…」
A woman in a small cubicle that appeared to be an instrument control room–probably an oni– said, her voice leaking out from the room.
Does she mean Kiikuni? The fugaku is headed east. We probably aren’t headed toward Mie Prefecture…
If I rush in recklessly, I’ll definitely be surrounded by onis.
I don’t even know how many onis with the same fighting power of Yen and Tsubaki there are.
I should start by hiding for a little while and observe their movements…
Thinking that, there were two rooms across from each other that seemed to be empty in the passageway–and after a moment’s hesitation–trusting to luck, I tried the door on the right.
However, my skill for misfortune activated at that moment.
Also lacking a lock or key, the door opened up to a 3-tatami mat sized room…
「…!…」
Huh? Wha-! Why are you here?
「…!」
Giving absolutely no sign of their presence…eating boiled broccoli, wide azure eyes stared back at me.
Typhoon Sarah!
Wearing a Japanese girls high school uniform and a chequered skirt– she was sitting on the floor with a deep bowl in her lap…!
She was the descendant of Robin Hood from a lineage of witches and a member of the remnants of GRENEDA. She cheatingly combined the skill of archery and the power to control the winds–she can also deflect bullets that are fired and make the impact wherever she wants. A truly formidable opponent.
But now her peacock feather fletched arrow in her quiver are set by the door, that is, next to me.
Her bow was also disassembled and seemed to be stored in chequered patterned case.
Taking stock of the situation in an instant, my body moved instinctively–
「Kyaa….!」
Putting my hand over her mouth to stifle any further cries and pressing my gun to the temple of her silver-haired head, I grabbed her from behind.
「I owe you a debt from the Netherlands, so please do not hold this against me. I believe that you are a clever girl, so I believe you understand that you should be quiet.」
I whispered closely into her ear, and Sarah replied:
「…The man fated to die. Kinji…」
She groaned with slightly more emotion than Reki, but with very little inflection.
「Don’t call me that. I did actually die, but I survived. What are you going to do?」
Taking the role of the villain, I asked her.
Shaking her head from side to side, she looked back at me over her shoulder.
「Because FEW is completed, I sought new employment.」
Merely human with a gun pressed to her head, she answered meekly. Well, I had a gun put to my head, but I was still shot.
「I see. So you summoned these storm clouds and fog, didn’t you?」
「Correct.」
The fact being that the onis are not capable of long-distance combat, I can see the reason that they would hire an archer…
「Why are you working for them as a mercenary?」
「Gold.」
While glaring at me her azure eyes, she delivered this simple response.
That is the case, but from being so close to the girl, I noticed something… it smelled good. Her hair that is. It smelled like lime. Was fuelling my Hysteria Mode a bit more?
「I know it is a bit rude to ask, but Sarah… are you having money trouble?」
Seizing upon the thread of opportunity to win her over, I inquired a bit further.
「Not at all. No matter how much money you gain, it will never be enough.」
「Ah… That is a noble sentiment. They do say that the person who is content with what they have is rich indeed…」
「Earning money to give to the poor is the calling of the Hood family. My fight will not end until there are no more poor. I am a professional. I do not inquire into the ideology of my employers. The most I take in payment is one pound, and it is my job to shoot nobles and clergy. You are a warrior. It must be the same for you.」
「…So that’s how it is…」
I was going to pontificate, but I was shut up in an instant by someone 5 years younger than me.
In Hysteria Mode, I was just as weak as ever with girls.
「Supposing, for argument’s sake, that I were to pay you more; would you follow me? As for payment, I suppose Aria would pay, but I would have to ask her to make sure. How much have you been paid?」
「I do not believe in money. Only 24k gold bullion. I have been paid 60 kilograms.」
「6-60 kilograms…!? That’s 200 million Yen.2 That’s about what an elite soccer player makes… That’s a bit high, don’t you think…?」
「You ignore world market. If I were to agree, I would be ruined. Even if you offered me 70 kilograms, I do not accept double-agent contracts. Reputation is more important than gold. I will not betray my client.」
「..My younger brother is a farmer. What if he raised a field of more premium broccoli than you could ever eat?」
Sarah stiffened.
「I will not betray my client.」
「Did you just have to think about it?」
「I cannot confirm the truth of your statement. I do not believe words. I only believe what I have seen for myself.」
I see… from her series of statements…
Sarah has her own particular brand of professionalism. She’s stubborn. There are many kinds of snipers.
It would seem that this girl cannot be converted to be an ally.
「Aren’t you the only one that was hired?」
「…」
「Answer me.」
「Yes.」
Thank goodness. If Bewitching Blade and Demon Sword were here too, I’d think I have a problem.
「–Kinji. You can release me.」
「What do you mean?」
「I have not received official orders to shoot you. I am a professional. I will do nothing without orders.」
Yen said the same thing at Dragon Harbour.
Their business-like manners must let them get on well. Sarah and the onis, that is.
「If you cannot trust me, then, I am sorry, but I have no choice but to return the favour. I cannot trust you.」
I settled my gun against Sarah’s silver hair, then I–
…this is a problem.
If I let her go, she might open the distance between us. Her bow is formidable. It might be hard to use inside the plane, but this representative soldier has overturned common sense.
Because of that, immediately, I–
Keeping my gut trained on Sarah, I reach out toward her chequered patterned case and with a *Click!* *Click!* opened it.
Inside, sure enough, was her disassembled longbow… It was a simple design of a bare bow without a rim for each side, and I picked up the rims.3
「Wh…what are you doing?」
Seeing what I had done, Sarah’s face, already very pale, drained of blood, and her azure eyes widened.
「Eh? Getting rid of them.」
Disposing of you enemy’s weapons to disarm them is an obvious thing to do, but when I gave this normal answer…
「Uwaaaaa!」
Sarah was moved to tears, despite being held at gunpoint.
Then *Pom!* *Pom!* *Pom!*
「Give it back! Give it back!」
Now red, she pummelled my chest repeatedly, but her punches had about 1/1000th the power of Aria’s.
********************************
********************************
Although she had been entirely cool and collected up until now, now she was frantic.
The bow must really be very important to her.
For some reason… I’m feeling… very bad.
「Oh, then we’ll do this. They are disposable and you can make more.」
The crying Sarah had become very pitiable, and I replaced the part of her bow in its case and took all of the arrows from her quiver.
Then Sarah…*Grrrr!*…
Her face regained its original ‘へ’ shape, and she muttered the single sound to express her dissatisfaction…
Opening the narrow window in the room slightly, I threw the arrows outside to get rid of them and ignored her.
「Now then, I have something else that you can do for me, if that is alright with you.」
Saying that and turning around, Sarah’s face registered shock–then flattened herself against the wall.
「I-If you try to do anything weird, I will bite..」
「That’s not it at all. I’m going to make you a hostage. Come on.」
Even if I take a mercenary as a hostage, the onis might just cut us down… but it will be better than not having one.
With that plan in mind, I motioned her with my gun to raise her hands–
Her clothes didn’t look bulletproof, and she cried out「Kya!」when I pushed my gun into her back.
Then…
「Oh yeah. Won’t you tell me one more thing?」
「What?」
「Does the shadow of death still hang over me?」
I asked, and Sarah replied–
「Because you have been mean, I will not tell you.」
Shaking her silver hair, she turned half around and pulled an akanbee at me.
*************************************************************************
Having acquired a hostage, we moved through the passage in the wing…
A door leading from the wins to the main fuselage of the fugaku stood before us.
The door was decorated with metal chasing–but the design was peculiar. Although the engraved oni was done in a Japanese Edo period woodblock style, the colouring and background was vaguely African.
But this was a door to Hell. The oni are over there. On the other side.
The sounds of laughter leaked out, and it had the same feeling of approaching the cage of a dangerous animal.
I’ve only ever had instruction in the practical theory of conducting a raid, but following it, I should enter the room with a load shout, using Sarah as a shield, and take stock of the enemies’ situation starting with number of enemies, weapons, and their respective positions… that’s it.
It was hard to picture the layout of the fuselage interior, but holding several possibilities in my mind–
I kicked in the door as hard as I could, shoved Sarah in front of me, then jumped in.
「–Don…!」
I meant to say, ‘Don’t move!’, but *Squish!*…! My face sunk into something soft, making a noise.
What’s this…?
My gun in my right hand, I closed my left hand around something as I pushed away–
「…!」
Th-th-this is a breast…! A woman’s breast!
What’s more, it is huge…!
Pushing my head off of it, I saw the tall figure of a female oni–
「?」
…Like I thought…!
Yen gazed down at me with a curious expression…! For some reason, she was wearing a blue trimmed white sailor suit blouse.
In my left hand, I was still gripping her right breast tightly.
But, despite the rude action, I now know for certain that she was a woman.
Despite how heavily muscled her body was, her breasts were soft. No matter how flat, having held Aria’s, a woman’s breasts are, above all things, always soft.
「…Tohyama?」
「S-sorry!」
Flustered and in shock, I stepped away from Yen, but… before I had realised it, Sarah was gone.
In the room where Sarah had escaped–
Approximately half the fugaku’s fuselage was taken up by a large banquet hall. There were no partitions until the cockpit section, and only a few columns to support the structural integrity.
Underfoot, there was a colourful African style woven reed matting in green, yellow, and red.
「T-T-Tohyama…! Y-you bastard…What kind of envi-… no rude things are you doing to Yen-nee-sama…!?」
Rising to protect Sarah, scowling at me with bloodshot eyes–Tsubaki stood.
Still wearing the same dark sailor suit uniform, her shoulders trembling in anger for some reason, she bared her fangs.
Still in contact with me, Yen-nee-sama…
「It is Tohyama! This is Tohyama, is it not? I saw him hanging like an unusually large tasset from Aria who was in flight… I could never, ever have expected him to board the fugaku. This is truly incredible! Wahaha!」
Slapping me vigorously on the shoulder… she laughed.
I thought that she was angry, but it seems that she is in a good mood.
I understood the reason very quickly. She reeked of alcohol. The entire room does.
There are several gold-leafed leather seating cushions scattered around the room, around them one-cup Ouzeki sake containers and Daigoro cartons were scattered. There were also huge vermillion sake drinking cups.
Those are things that Yen and the other onis must have drunk and discarded.
Tsubaki had a whiskey decanter under her arm, and as for the others– there was one more oni inside of a large earthenware pot with only half of her head and glasses showing… On the rim of the pot, there sat a bottle of brandy.
Were you having a drinking party… all of you?
In the two-seater cockpit, the twin pilot and co-pilot looked like middle school girls wearing short skirts turned around and had sake bottles held in their mouths. How awful! This fugaku is being operated while under the influence.
And further back– was Habi.
The tiny oni was set on a large demon lord-esque throne located near the tail section.
Waited upon by other oni serving the role of court ladies, the primary school looking oni wore a sailor suit uniform and lay on her back guzzling from a Daigijjou casked sake bottle… Behind her there was an axe and a huge globe emblazoned on the back of the chair.
Piercing and sticking out from the globe were two different flags–
On one was the stylised character「無」– within a Japanese family crest…?
It looked like a cross-section of a melon. But it wasn’t an ordinary cross-sectional crest, it was a five-segment version. It was a bit strange.4
「Our Lady’s taste in clothing is refined. It is her favourite clothing to walk the streets of Japan in guise as a student, and she hath bestowed this garb upon us. However… thou hast done so from the outset.」
Grinning, Yen studied my clothes at point-blank range.
「..Y-Yen-nee-sama! Please do not… draw your countenance near to such a man as this. Thou shalt be polluted.」
Nervous for some reason, Tsubaki called me polluting. How rude.
Truly the minds of these oni are inscrutable…
The whole party having drunk alcohol were pretty relaxed. They don’t seem to want to surround me.
What’s more, with all of them and only one of me, firing my gun isn’t a good idea.
I learned as a result of my preliminary trials in the Netherlands and the convenience store, if I clash directly with Yen for the third time and Tsubaki for the second, with the odds of 3 against 1, I will lose.
If I were to split them up, the chances of winning rise to about 22%, but together the odds paint a desperate picture. What’s more there are other oni around, and their leader Habi cannot be neglected. Although small, it would be a painful experience to make light of her as Son has experienced for herself.
And so, aiming to preserve this amicable mood, I said–
「Habi. I came to scold you a bit.」
–I tried to open negotiations for the important item they possessed that I could not retrieve by force.
「Huh?」
I was suspicious that my meaning was not clear, and Habi-chan…
I saw her scratch her reddish bronze hair that had fresh flowers arranged in it. She was drunk.
「It’s unacceptable. Stripping something from a woman’s body then running away.」
「Whatcha mean? Habi doesn’t get it.」
It seems that she didn’t understand. Her Japanese isn’t that good.
「I mean Aria’s karagane. Do you remember? It was October 1st last year, in Tokyo, on Empty Island that you stole it from Aria.」
「Hmm.」
Looking up and across, she touched a finger to her cherry pink lips in a pondering gesture…
「Oh!」
It seems she remembers.
Smiling and exposing her fangs, she turned toward me.
「Good, Habi. Aria is mine. That means that any part of Aria is mine as well. So you’ve stolen something from me.」
I said to establish a position of equality in the negotiations–
With a *Shing!* a katana with a bluish temper line was drawn. It happened too fast for me to have noticed.
「Despite the fact that this is a on open banquet, he presumes much. You are in the presence of Habi, the Demon Lord of the Sixth Heaven. Show the proper respect.」
In that moment, Tsubaki– drew her sword and positioning herself between myself and Yen.
But this kind of threat is an everyday occurrence at Butei High. I wasn’t unbalanced by it. Demon Lord of the whatsit? That sounds like some kind of grandiose, self-styled title from a bousouzoku gang.
「So then, Kinji. What are you going to do?」
Habi urged me again.
「Take back the karagane.」
I put forward my first demand.
Then…the court ladies who had been fanning Habi and massaging her limbs stiffened.
Although they did not seem to be fighting types like Yen or Tsubaki…
Each of them moved to shield Habi with their bodies.
「Tohyama. It is within Habi-sama, in her Onifukuro5. By your words, do you mean to say that you will harm Habi-sama?」
Yen lowered her voice, and all her good humour departed…
Something important just happened, but I can just leave this instant.
Yen had just given me some valuable information. So the karagane was inside Habi, huh?
I will push a little further. Even if I do not gain anything now, if I keep pushing the negotiation, I might just get closer to the heart of the matter that I can use.
「Onifukuro, Ikebukuro, I don’t know, but spit it out. It’s not food!」
I told the demon lord in front of me–
「–Habi-sama. Order me to subjugate him. His behaviour is intolerable.」
Like a student tattling to her teacher, Tsubaki implored Habi.
「Ah! Then Yen, fight. I don’t wanna see Tsubaki fight. That wouldn’t be fun for Habi.」
Habi issued that order, nominating Yen instead of Tsubaki.
「–As you will.」
Yen responded shortly, and her drunken mood disappeared.
「Yen-nee-sama…」
「Tsubaki, move back. If you were to fight Tohyama, you might be somewhat hurt. I do not wish to see that come to pass.」
Yen said and turned her good-looking face toward Tsubaki.
Then Tsubaki who had been trying to cut me down until now, seemingly entranced by Yen… replaced her sword, and moved quickly to kneel by the wall. As I thought, Yen holds a higher ranked position, and she listened to what Yen said.
「Yes! Yes! Yen, fight! Take Tohyama’s head. I wanna use it for a sake cup. Ahaha!」
Habi clapped her hands and stamped her feet to spur Yen on.
The closer I look at Habi…
She would be a difficult opponent to deal with. Riko and Jeanne, Vlad and Hilda, Patra, Sherlock, the Koko sisters, G-3… Each of them were different, from completely different cultures and species. They can’t read my thoughts.
My ultimate, overarching goal is simply to reclaim the karagane…
Ordinary methods will not suffice to reclaim it.
But now I have to deal with Yen in front of Habi. It is also a way to punish the principal offender in the robbery of the convenience store.
Thankfully, by facing them each individually, I have the opportunity to reduce their fighting strength.
What I do after defeating Yen–depends on what happens.
「–Whoever falls from the fugaku loses!」
Declaring a devilish rule, Habi the oni declared happily.
There is no plan here. If I lose, my skull will be emptied. That would be a problem.
「Understood. I accept. But if I win, you will return the karagane.」
Even if I do win, I don’t know if it will be easy to get back, but it seemed the best thing to put forward in this unilaterally disadvantaged situation–
Then, having kept an appropriate distance from me the whole time, Yen turned to face me, and I looked up at her–
Feeling like a character in a fighting game, surprisingly, the sailor suit uniform suited her well–
She’s huge. I think that, no matter how many times I’ve seen her. Including her horns, she’s 190 cm tall.
「–If thine wish is strong, it shall come to pass. Power is the only thing in the world that mattered.」
Yen asserted bluntly, knowing that I wanted the karagane back more than anything.
Is she an advocate of absolute power? I have held the opposite to be true against Hilda, but this seems to be the general rule among the oni.
Yen glared down at me, and I glared back.
It is staring challenge–
–Oh! She’s scary. I would expect that of an oni.
As if suddenly coming to some realisation, Yen raised an eyebrow.
「If I had to say that you reminded me of someone, it would be a provincial governor of Settsu… No, you are truly like him. Like two peas in a pod.」6
「Provincial governor?」
「My ancestor, Sakanomu-sama,7 was rival to Lord Yorimitsu of the Seiwa Genji8 Yes… you are like him. Couldst thou be a distant relation to Lord Tohyama Kinshirou Kagemoto?9」
「…Oh, do you think Kagemoto could be my ancestor?」
「Wahaha! Indeed. Lord Katou must have delivered Lord Yorimitsu’s secret child to Lord Yoriyoshi for protection, it would appear.」10
Yen had some kind of fixation on this one person… She just said『Lord Katou』… She must mean the general Katou Minamoto, the Tohyama Family ancestor from Kamakura in the Heian Period. I know the Minamoto clan fought for Genji, but is she saying that they were actually related?
「Yorimitsu warred against Sakanomu-sama and those who did not bow to the Yamato Emperor, and thou hast subjugated Dracuria and the Kowloon Monkey King.11 Although separated by a thousand year, the fate is the same. Truly the twinings of fate are strange.」
With a ring… Yen laughed–
「It starts with 2 parent, then becomes 4 grandparents. Then 8, 16, 32, 64– the number of ancestors grows exponentially. Going back a thousand years, the number becomes astronomical. I can’t help it if someone in that number was an enemy of your ancestors. What do you want me to say?」
「No. It is not so much a matter of words, as revenge. Right, everyone?」
Yen addressed the rest of the oni, and–
「Aye!」
「Yes!」
They cried, striking their sake bottles on tables and stamping their feet, causing a ruckus.
It seems that I’ve been cast as the villain in this scenario.
Even Sarah booed me from where she stood. That was probably unrelated, though.
「–We oni come of varied stock, and unlike humans, we do not account marriage into determining our relatives. Therefore, no one considers any one in particular to be their parent. We consider all those who came before to be parents, and all those who come after, children. In human terms, if someone fights our mutual parents, they are our fated enemy.」
「Well… I would like to ask then, for simply biologically academic purposes, how do the oni leave behind offspring? I see that you are all women here…」
「All red oni are born female. At 18, onis are considered adults, but after 18 years they do not change much over a long period of time until their later years. Only the oni particularly skilled in battle are able to change their sex and leave behind many children before dying.」
…I-Incredible! A protogynous species, huh?
I have seen that kind of survival strategy applied in a few instances before. I remember classes about it in fish like the wrasse, parrotfish, and sand smelt.
Looking at them, they might be a specialised branch of humanity…
Logically, it is a powerfulstrategy.
According to what was said earlier, only the ones with high fighting ability are able to become male and leave behind offspring.
This would ensure that only the strong genes carrying those traits were passed on, and after a number of cycles– the later generations would only continue to grow stronger. I realised that this system only allowed for families full of strong members.
I cannot be certain that the Sakanomu was Yen’s actual ancestor, because with such long-lived creatures in a promiscuous culture– when you don’t know who exactly your parent is, you respect all of your ancestors.
If they were truly killed by Yorimitsu, then they would see this confrontation between their descendants, in human terms, as a『fated trans-generational confrontation』. That is their culture.
「Under the ancient system of reckoning ages I was 5 years old, when I saw Lord Yorimitsu strike down Sakanomu-sama from the shade of a tree.」
With a *Whish!* Yen closed in–
The range was practically nil.
Then she threw out her chest, set her hands on her hips, squared shoulders, and set her feet apart in a bold stance.
「Lord Yorimitsu used two seldom-seen secret techniques to kill Sakanomu-sama.」
「Well, that makes it not seldom-seen, doesn’t it? If you saw it, and he left you alone.」
Practically looking straight up, I continued to hold my gaze on Yen.
「Nay. Catching Lord Yorimitsu’s technique by observation–was not possible for a child to understand.」
Huh. Even though he’s a superhuman that kills onis, Yorimitsu was once a child himself.
So he let an oni child go, huh? Thanks to that, centuries later, she became my huge problem.
「Having my life spared by a human has let me lead a lifetime of shame. Tonight, I will purge that shame.」
Her kanabou–Kongourokkaku was not in her hand.
It was abandoned near the spot that she had been sitting and drinking.
After surveying the area, I said:
「Oi, Yen! Hurry up!」
Drinking sake, Habi egged her on–
「As you wish.」
Returning those few words Yen
「–『Rakshasha』」12
No sooner had she said that–*Whooooomph!*–
From a dead stop, she struck an open palm strike.
She struck the dead centre of my chest with her palm with enough force to cave it in.
This was the first time she had ever given me a sign of a serious attack.
My Kikka lacked some of the speed necessary to avoid it–I–
–Uff–!
–I realised that for a brief moment, my heart stopped.
–My lungs did as well.
Heart and lungs stopping simultaneously.
But after that one blow, I am still standing.
…It would be sudden cardiac death…!
…!…
–*Thump!*–
Then using『Kaiten』13, I made a make-shift defibrillator–
…!…
「–Huff!…huff, huff…」
While falling backwards a step, I used the same technique that I had used in the Netherlands when I died to restart my heartbeat. Then my breathing returned to normal.
Th-that was dangerous.
In that instant, I died.
Just then… It was a on the receiving end of a one-hit kill technique.
Some children die suddenly during baseball proactive after being struck in the chest with a ball, because if a human chest is struck with a non-penetrating strike at a particular angle, range, and power–and the resultant shock causes a fatal heart arrhythmia to develop due to『concussive shock to the heart』suddenly stopping it.
–『Rakshasha』is a thrust attack that intentionally causes this effect.
Then as the excess energy dissipates throughout the abdomen, the lungs stop functioning.
Stated simply it is『a technique that stops your opponent’s cardiopulmonary system』.
It may look quite rough, but it actually requires considerable skill–it’s a literal insta-kill technique.
But this wasn’t the first time I had died.
If hit by an insta-kill technique though, there is no chance to be revived. Like a video game character, each time you are hit by it, it’s a Game Over.
However, likening myself to a video game character out of necessity, it was something I hated…
But I realised that I had developed into Hysteria Mode Agonizante.
Yen. You have killed your opponent. But if you keep killing me, I’ll only become stronger. So you really shouldn’t kill me anymore.
Seeing me revive, Yen’s eyes went wide, and after having stepped back, I now advanced–
「–Rakshasha–!」
My Hysteria Mode enhanced vision having fully understood the technique, I returned the imitated attack. Without providing any warning.
–*Thump!*–
I lashed out with my right palm, striking Yen’s breastbone, aiming the attack at reaching her heart…
The feeling though.
It was entirely different than striking human flesh. The hardness and weight were like that of striking a mammoth tyre like those on the gigantic mining trucks used to haul ore. An oni’s muscular fibres must be more densely pack than a human’s. Despite the fact that their breasts are so soft.
As I struck, it seemed that my strike was ineffective because Yen’s muscular armour protected her heart and lungs from being stopped–
「–Hmm…!」
In order to avoid vomiting the alcohol from her stomach, Yen tightened her mouth into a straight line and stepped back… 1 step, then 2.
Seeing that:
「Waa!」
「Yen-nee-sama!」
The other oni in the plane shouted–except for Habi who was laughing–and there was a surprised gasp. Tsubaki stood, covering both her hands with a scream.
It would appear to be an unusual thing to see truly Yen pressed back.
「What’s so surprising? Everyone gets pushed back.」
While glaring at Yen, I replied to the other oni who seemed unreasonably upset–
My Rakshasha was ineffective. Far from causing cardiopulmonary arrest, she didn’t even lose her wind.
Stamping her foot and settling her balance, Yen…
「You can do it, huh?」
「You can as well.」
We exchanged this brief conversation.
「…That Rakshasa, it was one of the techniques that Lord Yorimitsu used to slay Sakanomu-sama. Was it passed down to you?」
「No, I didn’t learn it. I guess that means I’m not a descendant of that person then, right?」
I had retreated one step, and Yen had retreated two after I had stolen that technique to try to finish the fight, but…
This was what had happened. Yen took up a stance once more and was full of energy. The other oni moved to ready themselves to support her.
It cannot be used against a human enemy, so that technique is useless. To comply with Butei Law.
In any case, I’ll badger you until you show me another technique I can use to win.
「–My next Rakshasa, will kill you. I just need to adjust the power behind it.」
I bluffed about using Rakshasha to take Yen down, but… in response to that threat:
「I do not fear death. There are many oni in hell.」
The threat was no threat at all.
「I see. Well then, I’m sorry. That was a bluff. I do not wish to harm a woman.」
「In truth, I do not enjoy the destruction of life. Despite the fact that it is the duty of oni to increase the numbers in hell. However, you are a different case. If your name were added to the Roster of the Dead, it would please those others here.」14
Ah!
It appears that they are head-hunters for hell that is simply another world. 15
From the start, Yen’s expression had been dark, but now, even darker, Yen–
「Now then… What was settled in the sea, let us do so in the heavens…!」
Then picking up her kanabou, Kongourokkaku, she held it at her right side.
She also splayed the claws on her left hand, opened that arm wide, pointed her horns at me, and raised her lips, baring her fangs.
Taking up that stance so far form anything in a human martial art–
Ready to rip with her claws, bite with her fangs, and thrust with her horns, it was an oni melee combat stance.
As for me, I pulled my ace Desert Eagle from my shoulder holster.
My automatic pistol that was returned from GRENEDA as a result of the ceasefire was loaded with my most powerful normal a .50AE ammunition. Hiraga-san had modified the 7-round double-action/single-action to shoot in full auto. Coincidentally nicknamed『The Demon Prosecutor』– This cheat gun was a memento from my father.
However, my opponent in herself was a cheat, being an oni. Just as if a gun would be used by a hunter to fight an elephant or brown bear, I did not feel it unfair to use a gun against Yen, an『oni with a kanabou』.
–*Pa!* Putting a dent into the floor as she pushed off, Yen flew forward–
*Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* I met her mid-air with the roar of a volley of .50AE bullets.
Using her kanabou to block them or dodging them entirely, none of them touched her.
The bullets ricocheting like a pinball within the plane, I took aim at the unbalanced Yen–
–*Whoosh!*
I gave an African influenced unarmed martial art capoeira helicopter kick–a technique aimed to cause the most damage to the human body, it is a kick carried out from a one-handed handstand.
It is an attack meant to drive straight into the enemy’s power–but–it was no good.
We have a discrepancy in body weight, but more than anything, I am outmatched in muscle.
In much the same way, no matter how clean your technique, you can’t defeat a tiger with the same kick you’d use with a cat. There is a difference in physicality between humans and oni.
A large calibre bullet gave me the best chance… but in the end, it came to nothing.
With a *Snick!* like the closing of a large hand tool, Yen bit down toward my leg.
Barely missing me, I dodged, but if she had, it would have obliterated my shin bone.
Then with a *Whipsh!*, she tossed her head like a raging bull–this time using her horns. However, the target was the same leg. Fundamentally less agile than me in Hysteria Mode, is Yen trying to restrict my movements?
However, in dodging, I still had to land within reach of Yen’s arms and legs.
「Fuhaha! I will devour thine warrior flesh!」
Then she followed up with another bite–! *Screech!* *Clang!* *Whoosh!* *Bang!*
Using Lion-dance like movements, she followed up with a series of bites and pickaxe-like swings of her horns and sharp claws…!
I was reduced to a one-sided evasion of the attacks, each of the 4 would have doubtlessly been a fatal blow.
I realised that Yen had gone outside the regular bounds of unarmed combat, proactively employing her unique oni specific techniques. She still hadn’t used her kanabou that would require a large sweeping motion. Is she trying to pin me down and set me up for a finishing below?
Even if I had accurately read Yen’s strategy–
Dodge, retreat, and dodging again was all that I could do.
I couldn’t grasp her timing to attack.
–The eyes…!
Out of desperation, I launched a spear hand attack with my right hand aiming for her eyes, but it was ineffective– in order to protect against Yen’s horn attack on my carotid artery, I had to turn my right arm in front of me.
With a *Clang!* I reflexively caught Yen’s arm with my right– *Cruuuuuunch!*
–Crap…!
She bit it…!
When a person uses a martial arts technique in the moment, they are calling upon their muscle memory. However, my memory does not contain experience facing an oni.
Accordingly–I made the mistake of meeting an onis arm with my own.
「…!」
「…?」
Biting down on the Orochi-kai armour within my sleeve, Yen expression seemed to indicate that she realised『Is there armour inside?』…but regardless of that revelation *Creeeeak!*…! She clamped down on my arm with the biting force of an alligator.
Although it was sintered nitrous titanium tungsten-cobalt carbide–she continued to bite down. Yen’s jaw was certainly capable of producing equivalent force to an industrial machinery. If this continues, it is only a matter of time until it is completely crushed. I won’t be using this hand anytime soon–
But before I could use my other hand, Yen forestalled me.
「…!」
She quickly grabbed my left hand.
She dug into my left hand Orochi with her claws. *Creak!* *Creak!* *Creak!* …. from those noises, I knew that Yen was capable of pulverising cobalt alloys. This is bad…!
Using a combination of biting and her left-hand claws, Yen had both my arms trapped–
–Leaving her right arm completely free. Kongourokkaku was in that hand… Dammit!–It’s coming!
*WHOOOOOOM!* With a roar like the Tiger I 88mm cannon, she unleashed her kanabou– I couldn’t even see it sweeping up from the bottom of my field of view, but it flew out with all her strength behind it. Knocking me back.
「–!」
With the sound of rending metal, I experienced a change in pressure–*Whoosh* Suddenly, I was lying face-down–clinging onto dark green sheets of steel. My breathing– suddenly became laboured.
Suddenly, I became aware of a huge propeller rotating with thunderous roar right next to me.
Being hit with a kanabou like a baseball bat, I had been knocked through the wall of the airframe, and I was now on top on the right wing.
My arms, my arms… w-were fine. My Orochi-kai were shredded, but my arms were still whole.
Disoriented, it took me a few seconds to realise this–
Shaking violently, the wing was curved like a large boat hull. It seemed like it was trying to shake me off.
…!…
With the additional airflow created by the propellers added to the slope– I began sliding down the wing.
Rolling like a glass marble at an Obon Festival, but thankfully, the fugaku wings were large…so I was able to stop my fall with the spikes in my shoes without tumbling off.
The oni pilots flew a violent course, they steered the plane into a violent stall, pitching the fuselage at a steep angle. The wings bowed a lot, *Creak!*… *Cr-cr-creak!*… strained noises came from several locations along them.
But we are in the clouds. Both the ground and stars are invisible.
My ear canals were subjected to strange pressures, making my sense of balance precarious.
However…
In the sky– I became used to being there on G-3’s Galleon and Katze’s zeppelin. I should make Yen come out here…!
While I clung on, stuck to the wing, in accordance with this plan of mine…
*Screech!* Yen stepped out, barefoot and using her claws.
She punctured holes in the wing as she crossed it.
「Truly, I am surprised. My Rakshasha did not kill you, neither did Kongourokkaku.」
No, I did die! And right now, I’m about to die again!
I wanted to say that, but I didn’t want to get hit with another Rakshasha or kanabou, so I just gave a forced smile.
Stabbing each toe into the wing, she crossed it, step-by-step–
Inside the plane, I saw the figures of the other onis with eager expressions cheering Yen on. Habi alone, with a sake bottle in hand was grinning as she watched.
「However, you are merely human. Your reaction confirms that you are all bark and no bite. How disappointing.」
「Is that what you think? I’m sorry then. I held back. You are somewhat like a woman enemy.」
Buffeted by the wind, I stood and began walking up the slope of the wing.
「Oh…Is that how it is?」
Yen chuckled slightly…
「Holding anything back is pointless. Come at me with your full power!」
Yen brandished Kongourokkaku as if preparing to hit a homerun. Well, I cannot make this a contest of strength, but…
But from now on, it will be a contest of wit and skill.
As can be seen from her fighting style and words–Yen is overconfident. And to be honest, the fault is one of a naively honest personality.
That being the case, the gaps in her technique will be easy to see.
Considering the situation, I formulated a simple plan…Wanting more distance between us, I reloaded my Desert Eagle while firing and retreated toward the wingtip.
Stopping the bullets with her kanabou and hand, Yen was kept in place…
Intending to move straight back, I was pushed on a diagonal by the flow of air. Good. I have enough distance.
Then I…*Tap!* *Tap!*
Pushing my left knee forward, I pulled the bitten right leg backwards.
Holding both fists at centre level and putting my right fist back deep as if to hide it, my empty left hand was forward.
I ended up with my body bent forward and my eyes fixed on Yen–
It was the ancient sprinting posture, the one G-3 took up in order to demonstrate『Meteor』. That is, the ready position for『Ouka』.
My Orochi-kai were partially ruined, but they could handle one Ouka.
Yen seemed to grasp that the posture was one for a charging attack, but… She could never imagine what I would do in the next instant.
Furrowing my eyebrows, I looked down toward the nose of the aircraft. I looked away from Yen, on purpose.
But there is nothing there.
Just a whirling swirl of clouds.
Unless you were Mutou or Aria, you would be caught up in the line of sight…
「…?」
The simple Yen was caught up easily.
Entrapped by me and where my gaze was pointed.
I inserted myself into that opening–*Whoosh!* The forearm armour of my right hand Orochi-kai flew forward–
*Thrum!* The entire right wing trembled as I began my dash and Ouka began to pick up speed.
The large wing provides enough of an approach distance. Reaching a supersonic speed, this can be called a proper Ouka strike.
Realising that she had been tricked, Yen turned back in surprised, but she could not avoid it.
Having begun I could not stop the Ouka. I was moving to strike along a straight line.
Hysteria mode united my skeletomuscular system, linking them together into the sprint, and there was no way I could stop myself.
Realising that there was no time to dodge and no time to counter-attack–
Yen then moved her kanabou into a boujutsu stance.16 There was nothing else she could do.
In the space of a fraction of a second–I took in the entire situation.
Did she… regain her balance?
Yen settled her body and centred her centre of gravity.
That stance–
–Zetsurou–!?
I don’t even need to ask.
That must have been the other seldom-seen technique that Yorimitsu used to strike down Sakanomu…
The counter『Zetsurou』passed down through the Tohyama Family.
No good!
This is just like the situation as the one on top of the Galleon’s wing–
I am replicating G-3’s role.
At that time, G-3 struck with Meteor, and I returned it back on him with Zetsurou.
But now I am on the other side and the one in his place using Ouka.
I have generated my own power for Zetsurou to use to kill myself. But there is no way I can stop it! I can’t stop Ouka! What should I do–!?
–Ouka–
My arm held out in front and armoured Orochi-kai fingers extended
*Whish!*
Droplets of water scattered from the vapour cone like cherry petals at the end of their life–
*Claaaaaang!*
My Orochi-kai collided with Yen’s Kongourokkaku sending up a shower of sparks, and a flash of light like the Sun sparked in the space between us. With a *Craaaaaaack!*, my Ouka shaved a layer off Kongourokkaku then cut through it– passing by on the left.
Her golden pillar coloured eyes glowed like a blast furnace…then in Hysteria Mode, I watch in super slow motion as Yen spun. Like a revolving door.
…It was Zetsurou after all…!
Spinning 90 degrees–she turned sideways while moving gracefully like a dancer and discarding the destroyed Kongourokkaku. She floated lightly mid-air.
Turning 120 degrees–I understand. She is accumulating enough power in her right leg to reverse the attack–! She plans to spin 180 degrees in the air and drive back in with a reverse flying roundhouse kick.
A rolling kickboxing attack harnessing the entire power of Ouka drew near.
This was an Ouka kick. There was no way to dodge. It would absolutely hit.
All the power in her entire body… was about to hit somewhere. Absolutely.
Turning 150 degrees. her right foot began to extend in a kicking motion, and I trace its path. It was aimed at my head. The upper third. If struck there, it will shave off the top, sending my brain flying.
Yen seems to want to shave off the top of my head. To use as a sake cup.
「–!」
Turning 180 degrees. In the next instant, Yen’s large foot would impact my skull–
–『Zetsurou』–!
I reversed Yen’s Zetsurou with Zetsurou
Receiving the strike to my head, I channelled that energy from a flying backflip into– a somersault kick–!
In that space of time, Yen had already turned 300 degrees and was almost directly in front of me.
–Yen.
The original power of Ouka was mine. And I turned it back on her.
–*Whoooooooooooooooooooom!*–
Continuing my kick upward, I fractured one of Yen’s horns that had cause me a continual series of problems. I mixed in a bit of a sub-sonic Kikka.
This Zetsurou reversal with Zetsurou was a double counter technique. If I had to give it a name, it would be『Zekka』. Starting with Ouka and ending with Kikka, using the Ouka to destroy the enemy–my new technique.
「–Ah!–」
Exclaiming, Yen bent far back, and blood spurted from the hard skin fold covering the base of the horn–
Pushed back from the force of the impact, Yen moved away from me…for the first time, she went down.
Clutching her head in intense pain, Yen rolled down the wing of the fugaku, pushed by the air current kicked up by the huge propellers. Then bouncing off the flap:
「Yen-nee-sama–!」
Leaning out from the fuselage of the airplane, Tsubaki cried out then fell. Outside the fugaku.
I also fell down the wing, but catching myself–
「–Yen, grab on!」
*Bang!*
In an instant I quick drew my gun, combat loaded an ANCHOR bullet, and shot it toward the falling Yen.
The next second, she caught hold of it. The tough synthetic wire spread out as the bullet followed after her. Then they met. Eyes wide as she floated in the empty space behind the wing, Yen realised it was a lifeline… a grasped it.
However…
「–Humph!」
Yen yanked on it vigorously. Almost like a tug-of-war.
Do you want us to die together? Are you trying to kill me as well? Yen–
Totally unprepared for that movement, the grip of my shoe spikes in the wings were lost…
…!
Suddenly I fell.
Tumbling from the fugaku wing.
「Fuahaha… Hahahahaha–!」
Yen laughed boisterously as she kept a hold of the bullet strand, and I lost my grip and fell.
The air flowed over me, coiling around as we fell, twisting and turning as if in a washing machine.
Amidst the flow of air and darkness–I lost sight of Yen. She was carried off somewhere else.
「–…!」
Beneath me, I could see Tokyo.
Judging from the flight time I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that we flew over Chiba and the Pacific, then in that absurd manoeuvre intended to shake me off, we must have doubled back.
In total free fall, I could feel myself accelerating.
By the sensation of speed, I could tell when I reached stable terminal velocity at 200 KPH–
Back when I fell from the ICBM with Aria, I had reached this same speed…!
Adopting a skydiving posture… I aimed myself for Bunkyou Ward and, caught by the wind, I loaded my Beretta again.
Then–as is being expanded in Google Maps, the late-night Korakuen Gardens drew closer–
Completely comfortable in falling, I fired my gun held beside my waist with a *Bang!*
It was a good thing that I had bought some of Hiraga-san’s homemade airbag bullets. As I was just above the ground, the bullet struck some kind of structure I couldn’t identify, and *Whoosh!* A 1 metre diameter and 0.8 metre high air bag instantly inflated, and my body hit it with a *Thump!* then *Wham!*
「OUCH…!」
It was made of super-high strength silicone resin… and it was said to be able to take up to 38 tonnes of force, but it was a bit over hyped. My entire body actually slammed into the ground. I’m submitting a complaint after this.
However, thanks to that, I didn’t end up dead… Shakily, I came to my feet.
「–Kyaa!」
I heard high-pitch female shrikes coming from all directions.
「…!」
Looking around, what is this?
It was strangely humid, warm, and n-n-naked…
A world of naked women’s flesh surrounded me.
I thought I had died and woken up in heaven–no, for Hysteria Mode, I had fallen into hell!
Somehow that strange thought crept into my mind. Shrieking, the group of female office workers scattered like a group of baby spiders. The floodlight lit surroundings revealed both large a small baths.
This is… a LaQua spa…!
A kind of large bath house and spa affiliated with Korakuen Gardens.
Somehow, I had managed to fall into the open-air baths.
My usual bad luck had somehow asserted itself. That is to say, this bath house was a recent addition.
Taking a deep breath to calm myself, something hit me with a *Thwack!* on top of my head.
A grossly fat OL hit me over the head with a bathing tub then ran off.
*************************************************************************
As expected, Yen escaped harm even after falling from the sky.
Even though I lost sight of her, I heard the sounds of an impact some distance to the south… Scrambling over the open-air bath wall in a desperate escape, I headed toward the Tokyo Dome City attractions.
Feigning ignorance, I flashed my Butei license and entered the park after hours… Intending to offer up a prayer for her if I found her corpse, I looked for Yen.
Nearing the area where playground equipment stood, I discovered a small crater– In the centre of it was Yen, arms folded and staring into the sky. Probably watching the flying fugaku.
Uh…
I don’t see any kind of parachute, but… she seems to have pulled off a normal landing.
Well, I guess that means I didn’t have to save her when she fell from the fugaku wing.
Everything worked out alright in the end, though.
I would have probably been beaten to a pulp by some the onis left on the plane, anyway.
「–The person who falls from the fugaku loses. That was Habi’s rule, right Yen? Both of us fell though, so I guess we should call this a draw, huh?」
I said that, and Yen turned to face me.
She had lost one of her horns on her head, but her mood was not hostile.
「You are… an incredibly stalwart man. While men such as thou remain, The Land of the Sun shall be at peace.」
She said to me in a tone carrying slight admiration.
Of all things in the world– Yen had said that power was the only thing that mattered and having fought her to a draw in a contest of strength, she appears to be acknowledging me as an equal.
「Yen. That technique you just used. It was Zetsurou, wasn’t it?」
「It is as you say. It was one of the techniques used by Lord Yorimitsu upon Sakanomu-sama.」
…Hmmm, then maybe he was my ancestor after all. Yorimitsu, that is.
Rakshasha must have been a technique sealed at some time in the past, or maybe my Nii-san knew of it.
From eavesdropping on my Grandfather and Grandmother, I knew something my Nii-san didn’t–
100 Tohyama Family secret techniques were passed down to my father, and he passed them on to his children based on their personality… 48 offensive techniques had been taught to my brother, and 52 defensive countering techniques were taught to me.
「By the way… did you fall on purpose, Yen? Did you know that I would jump off and follow you to try and save you?」
I proposed my theory, but Yen remained silent. However, that was not a denial.
「I don’t want to make you angry by asking, but when I reversed the Zetsurou– You must have considered the possibility of being defeated. In that case, then your protégée still on the fugaku would be in danger.」
「…」
「By taking me out of bounds and forcing a draw, they would be safe. That is my theory. How close am I?」
I gave her a wink and Yen, who had already stopped the blood flow from her broken horn replied:
「…If that is what you think. You can believe what you wish.」
While picking the scab, she did not deny it, as I thought.
「Well, they do say that even an oni can be moved to tears, huh?」
Slapping Yen on the shoulder–
Embarrassed at having her surprisingly caring nature for her comrades exposed, Yen turned her face away.
Then she stood and walked away.
Then walking lightly toward the garden entrance on the footpath toward Hakusan Avenue… with me walking alongside her.
「What are you going to do now?」
I asked.
「Go to Ki no Kuni. I’ll swim. No need for concern. I have heard reports that there are some of my tribe there.」
Yen replied.
I didn’t really understand where Kii no Kuni was, but… If she’s going to swim to some island country, then that’s where I have to give up following. For now, I’m going to have to give up on the attack.
With no real grasp on the workings of modern society, if I left Yen alone, she’d probably rob or mug someone again–
So I accompanied her in the dark and bought some onigiri and sake from a 7-11 for her.
When the part-timer working the late shift at the shop saw Yen and I… he must have assumed I was the younger boyfriend of some kind of female pro wrestler, and he sold me the sake.
「–Why do you give to one you faced in battle? Do not be worried. I shall not sate my hunger with thine flesh.」
Yen said as she took the plastic bag from me.
「Just eat if you are hungry. The fight is over, and now there are no friends or foes. Or is it that in the world of oni, a man giving a woman a gift has some other meaning?」
My Hysteria Mode boosted by the experience in the spa, I said this with a smile to conceal my true intentions.
「…」
「I am not trying to bribe you, and you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but– I want the karagane that Habi possesses If I leave is alone, Aria will become the Scarlet Goddess.」
「I would not find that objectionable.」
「…I see. Then we have an irreconcilable difference of opinion.」
「So it would seem」
I learned one more thing.
The oni want Aria to become the Scarlet Goddess. However, I do not know why.
That must be why they came to Japan uninvited; they must thought it had already happened.
That being the case– the time for negotiation is over.
We will have no choice but to fight. Yen and I.
Then the peculiar Habi as well.
「It is getting pretty late to show a woman around, and I have some matters to attend to–So I will take my leave for the night. I did have one final question, however… Between Habi and yourself, which is stronger?」
Pretending to have suddenly remembered something, I attempted to elicit one more bit of intel from the rustic Yen.
But when she turned her back on the Tokyo Dome and faced me with her beautiful face…
It was not the answer I had hoped for.
「What a foolish question. In the entire world–an oni’s rank is determined by power. Placed above me, Habi-sama is inevitably stronger than I. Even if there were seven of me opposed to her, it would be no matter for Habi-sama.」
She’s… 7 times more powerful than Yen?
Realising how unfathomably strong she was–I was depressed.
To say that there are no such things as oni in the world would be a bold-faced lie.
In my world, there are nothing but onis. And they are terribly strong
[END]
*********************************
1. Onigashima (Megishima) in the original.
2. 1.86 million USD and 1.69 million Euro
3. Apparently collapsible bows are a thing in archery. The bear bow is the handle and thick part in the centre that is pretty straight. The rims are the mostly curved parts on either end, and they connect to the bear bow.
4. Visual Link
5. Demon Pouch. Assuming it’s some kind of internal storage It’s a made-up word.
6. Settsu is an old province encompassing Oosaka and Hyogo
7.Oni are typically named after vices. Literal meaning, ‘Drunkard’.
8. Well-known member of the Minamoto clan who did a lot of their dirty work but due to the peril involved, gained a lot of notoriety and fame.
9. This is the ancient formal court name of Tohyama no Kin-san, the crusader of justice who fought corruption in the government in Japanese tales.
10. This is all Sengoku Era warriors and generals. Don’t try to follow it.
11. Dracuria is the Japanese Kanji name for Hilda.
12. Man-eating devils in Hindu-Buddhist mythology.
13. Literally, Change the World, or Rotate the Heavens. Kind of means ‘Spin’
14. Book listing those who are dead, curated by Enma Dai, ruler of the underworld.
15. YES! Hell == Isekai is what the OG text said! LOLOLOLOLOLOLLOLOOL!
16. Boujutsu is the style of techniques relating to the use of a staff (bou)
Chapter 4: Empress of Nakajima
[START]
Outside of the hospital, I checked my weapon and Lisa had luckily purchased supplies from Hiraga for my fight with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In addition, I also contacted Riko about the matter we had previously discussed and said:
「You’re almost up.」
It was almost 2300. In addition, it was also cold outside, and a fog hung over Tokyo.
On the Medical Institute campus there was a grove of trees like a public park– From there something like a long white cable stretched up into the foggy night sky. Although the fog made it hard to see, looking up into the sky… a new moon and full moon… 2 moons…?
「Kinji, it’s just a feeling, but I’m sure they are up on that moon. They might have gone up this white tether. I need to go get something. Wait here for 3 minutes.」
Aria indicated the full moon, then her pink twin tails fluttered as she left.
Because of the fog, it was impossible to see the entire stretch of cable, but it was likely that the supernatural onis were there on the moon. It’s like something out of『Jack and the Beanstalk』reaching to the top of the clouds, and it seemed that The Island of Onis really existed1, so I wasn’t surprised.
In any case, if they climbed the cable. I ran toward the low end of the cable where it was buried in the ground and I clicked my tongue. Looking at where it was fastened to the ground, it was impossible to unfasten.
Thinking that I would sever it–
It was something that Aria had told me about, a space elevator used for space exploration constructed of Kevlar fibre reinforced polyethylene. A special tool would be needed to sever it.
The cable stretched up into the sky for who knew how far– Based on the structure, if I cut it, following them would be impossible. So we will have to follow.
However, I could not see them because of the fog…
How exactly they climbed the tether, I am not sure, but they must have done so in a hurry.
As for me, facing the tether– I had no tools to scale it.
Even in Hysteria Mode, I couldn’t move my hands and feet fast enough to get up.
Furrowing my eyebrows, from behind me–
–*Whiiiiir!*–*Whoom!*–!
Something impacted my back, then my movement vector simultaneously changed abruptly from horizontal to a disorienting vertical. From the feeling, my speed had already crossed 8 kph.
I knew what had tackled me from the scent of gardenias…
「Hiraga-san created a new version of the YHS. She came to the hospital the other day to collect payment– They turned her away, but she left the package in the care of the hospital. Let’s get up there. Kinji, go ahead and fasten the waist harness.」
We tore upward through the fog, with the hover skirt Aria had donned.
With Aria carrying me with arms wrapped around me from behind, we ran parallel to tether, rising higher and higher.
You’re planning to head toward the moon right now, aren’t you?
As expected, my master’s is not overly restricted by the rules of common sense.
This is a far cry from my idea of ascending the tether like a Ranger.
「We’ll only be able to get up there once. Because the YHS is only designed for one person, it’s hybrid fuel will run out soon. I don’t know when I’ll have another attack, so I’ll get you to the moon, but after that, I’ll have to trust you.」
Not『leave it to you』but『trust you』– that was how Aria expressed her confidence in me… pleased and in Hysteria Mode, I replied:
「I like it when you’re forceful. Understood. The land of the oni must definitely be on the other side of the moon. There has got to be a lot of accumulated stolen goods over there, so I’ll be fine by myself.」
Rising at a furious rate as the wind whipped my bangs wildly, I half turned and smiled back. Afterwards:
「What stupid things are you saying!? Look up there Stupid Kinji–your target is coming up–!」
Turning entirely red and looking very cute, Aria rapped me lightly on the head.
In accordance with her order, however, I looked up– and I saw it.
Carrying Habi and Tsubaki in her arms, it was Yen.
With Tsubaki holding on to her boots, Yen was barefoot… and somehow, she grasped the tether with her toes, as we flew overhead like a rocket.
Using both feet, she covered large distances at great speed. Doing so nonchalantly.
What kind of suction power is this!? Do you have a nuclear power plant inside, or something?
Then as we continued to ascend and continued to draw closer, the full moon grew larger and filled our field of view.
–What was at the other end of the tether glittered and revealed its true quality–
A huge, white balloon.
A bright light shone out from inside of it, and it was almost entirely spherical… paper… like it was covered all over in washi paper.
「What… is that…?」
It wasn’t entirely impossible that Aria didn’t know what it was.
Is this a…『fire balloon』…?
I found it hard to accept just then but looking it over–that was definitely what it was.
It was a balloon bomber something developed by the former Imperial Japanese Army to be deployed against the United States– commonly known as fire balloons. But this was even bigger.
The fire balloons were huge balloon weapons with incendiary bombs dangling from them capable of rising into the troposphere, then being carried by the Jet Stream until they reached the US and drop their payload.
It looks like a cute commercial advertisement balloon, but even today, this historically first ICBM, holds the all-time record for weapons range.
The tether went up into the fire balloon through a wick-like opening.
That was where Yen and the rest hurried to and disappeared.
From there, another wire glittered and reached even higher–a smaller balloon with a strobing light floated there. What’s that…? Some kind of sign?
「Kinji, that’s a sky buoy! Aircraft at 9 o’clock–! This was their plan all along!」
Aria shouted as we rose up past the fire balloon and pointed at something somewhere between the border between fog and clouds.
Over there was…
Mixed in with the furious sound of the wind, there was a distinct approaching rumble of a large engine.
As it got closer, the low sound became louder and the vibrations resonated in my lower abdomen.
I saw an airplane. It was distant, but it was there. HUGE…!
「Kinji, it’s huge…! What is it? A B-36? Hmm… it’s not a silhouette I am familiar with…!」
Seeing it amidst the swirling clouds and fog… Aria had no idea what it was.
It has fixed, straight wings, 6 engines, and judging it by eye, it was longer than G-3’s Galleon…!
That’s what this is…!
「…It’s a fugaku…!」
「Fugaku?」
I thought that there was no way it could be, but this was another former Imperial Japanese Army research project, abandoned in the middle of development, the extra-large strategic bomber, the Nakajima G10N Fugaku. It was an unconventional military aircraft, planned to be much larger than the B-29 that tormented Japan in those days.
Now directly facing me, it was getting closer.
Bearing an alternate name for Japan’s greatest mountain, Mt. Fuji, the Fugaku–
45 metres long, with a 65-metre wingspan, a 20,000-kilo bomb bay capacity, and a cruising range of approximately 20,000 kilometres. This insanely large weapon was capable of going half-way around the globe without stopping.
Originally planned to take off from Japan–then cross the Atlantic and North America to bomb a major industrial or populated area in the United States such as Pittsburgh, Detroit, or New York–then land in allied Nazi territory. Then after being refuelled and re-armed with a full complement of bombs, it would bomb either English territory in India, China, or the USSR and returning to Japan… At least those were the nightmarish plans for the incredible trans-global bombing run.
Those technical requirements rival that of the modern B-52, but those specs were too much for the industrial base of contemporary Japan. What’s more, the individual cost was a problem, and the end of the war came too quickly to manufacture it…
「It seems in following these thieves, we’ve discovered something more dangerous. We’ll need to look into this.」
It is not widely known, but『briefly landing in Germany』had deeper implications…
Back then, Germany’s technical knowledge had almost reached the level capable of producing a new type of bomb–the ultimate goal was to load them with atomic bombs.
I’ll have to actually look into it and see if there is anything peculiar onboard.
「Aria, get me to that plane. Can you do it?」
「…I can. But if I do, I expect you to come back alright.」
「Quite naturally so. I want to see you again. I will always come back. There is no woman to whom I would make such a promise–Except Aria.」
「Id-!」
‘Idiot’ was probably what she wanted to say, but the noise of the wind and engine drowned out her voice–
Hanging down from the fugaku, there was a parachute shaped web of netting–all over its surface were hooks– it completely enclosed the blinking balloon.
Holding on to the wires attached to that balloon, Yen and the rest were swept away from the fire balloon.
Wh-what the heck? Is that form of transport even possible? It would snap a human body in half.
「Kinji, 15 more seconds! Then I’m out of fuel!」
Entering the turbulence caused by the fugaku, Aria attempted an approach of the wing.
The distance was– approximately 20 metres.
「Thank-you, Aria. I’ll see you later.」
Separating myself from the YHS harness by detaching the carabineer clip, I fired an Anchor bullet from my gun. Adding a lead to anticipate the movement, I aimed for the edge of the right wing.
With a thickness of 1 micrometre and a tensile strength of 200 kilograms, the diploid phase aramid fibre spread out as if flew through the air, pulling me away from Aria– and caught up in the winds, I was pulled along by the wire.
Then– taking an intense roll, I landed on the surface of the wing.
Deploying the talons from my Spike, I prevented myself from falling…then, looking behind me, I saw Aria and her descending with the Union Jack patterned parachute deployed from her YHS. The personnel from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are probably tracking us from the ground, so I’ll have to trust her ability to take care of herself.
…However…
The more I look at it, the more I am surprised by this gigantic bomber.
The propellers span was 5 metres in diameter. There were 3 side-by-side on either side for a total of 6, and there is nothing more spectacular. It was a veritable flying iron castle.
However, I experienced a small feeling of uneasiness… the wings were thick like the Soviet K-7.
Although they were about the same length as the original fugaku, but this wing’s thickness was greater than the historically recorded values. It appears that they have substituted this century’s most advanced materials into the design. The wing’s surface was also coated in carbon composite, imparting considerable stealth ability.
…They are flying in the clouds so that they cannot be detected by optical means.
I couldn’t see the edge of the wing due to the fog–
I looked for the Yen or the rest, but there was no sign of them. They must have gone inside.
If that’s the case, then I should create an opening for myself to enter… however, I soon realised that was unnecessary. There was an entrance hatch in the middle of the wing.
The hatch didn’t even have a lock that required a key. Turning the simple lever-operated mechanism, the hatch opened, and a gout of heavy, warm air from inside struck me.
Probably not worried about intruders, they didn’t think any kind of lock was necessary.
Easily entering, I found myself in the main wing cavity of the fugaku…in some kind of passageway. The floor was covered in fur pelts. Inside, the pressure was stabilised and heated. I’m grateful for this.
At the start, the passageway didn’t allow movement through it without stooping, but the ceiling gradually became higher until I could stand without bending over. I could now stand erect.
What was most surprising, though, was the fact that there was a door in the wall–that is to say that the wings were intended to house individual rooms.
I thought that it might be room to control or maintain each of the engines… but this is actually a living space.
This really is like a flying base. It’s very surprising.
Beretta in hand, I advanced further into the wing…
「…Scheduled report… fugaku 23XX… en route in flight to Kii no kuni…」
A woman in a small cubicle that appeared to be an instrument control room–probably an oni– said, her voice leaking out from the room.
Does she mean Kiikuni? The fugaku is headed east. We probably aren’t headed toward Mie Prefecture…
If I rush in recklessly, I’ll definitely be surrounded by onis.
I don’t even know how many onis with the same fighting power of Yen and Tsubaki there are.
I should start by hiding for a little while and observe their movements…
Thinking that, there were two rooms across from each other that seemed to be empty in the passageway–and after a moment’s hesitation–trusting to luck, I tried the door on the right.
However, my skill for misfortune activated at that moment.
Also lacking a lock or key, the door opened up to a 3-tatami mat sized room…
「…!…」
Huh? Wha-! Why are you here?
「…!」
Giving absolutely no sign of their presence…eating boiled broccoli, wide azure eyes stared back at me.
Typhoon Sarah!
Wearing a Japanese girls high school uniform and a chequered skirt– she was sitting on the floor with a deep bowl in her lap…!
She was the descendant of Robin Hood from a lineage of witches and a member of the remnants of GRENEDA. She cheatingly combined the skill of archery and the power to control the winds–she can also deflect bullets that are fired and make the impact wherever she wants. A truly formidable opponent.
But now her peacock feather fletched arrow in her quiver are set by the door, that is, next to me.
Her bow was also disassembled and seemed to be stored in chequered patterned case.
Taking stock of the situation in an instant, my body moved instinctively–
「Kyaa….!」
Putting my hand over her mouth to stifle any further cries and pressing my gun to the temple of her silver-haired head, I grabbed her from behind.
「I owe you a debt from the Netherlands, so please do not hold this against me. I believe that you are a clever girl, so I believe you understand that you should be quiet.」
I whispered closely into her ear, and Sarah replied:
「…The man fated to die. Kinji…」
She groaned with slightly more emotion than Reki, but with very little inflection.
「Don’t call me that. I did actually die, but I survived. What are you going to do?」
Taking the role of the villain, I asked her.
Shaking her head from side to side, she looked back at me over her shoulder.
「Because FEW is completed, I sought new employment.」
Merely human with a gun pressed to her head, she answered meekly. Well, I had a gun put to my head, but I was still shot.
「I see. So you summoned these storm clouds and fog, didn’t you?」
「Correct.」
The fact being that the onis are not capable of long-distance combat, I can see the reason that they would hire an archer…
「Why are you working for them as a mercenary?」
「Gold.」
While glaring at me her azure eyes, she delivered this simple response.
That is the case, but from being so close to the girl, I noticed something… it smelled good. Her hair that is. It smelled like lime. Was fuelling my Hysteria Mode a bit more?
「I know it is a bit rude to ask, but Sarah… are you having money trouble?」
Seizing upon the thread of opportunity to win her over, I inquired a bit further.
「Not at all. No matter how much money you gain, it will never be enough.」
「Ah… That is a noble sentiment. They do say that the person who is content with what they have is rich indeed…」
「Earning money to give to the poor is the calling of the Hood family. My fight will not end until there are no more poor. I am a professional. I do not inquire into the ideology of my employers. The most I take in payment is one pound, and it is my job to shoot nobles and clergy. You are a warrior. It must be the same for you.」
「…So that’s how it is…」
I was going to pontificate, but I was shut up in an instant by someone 5 years younger than me.
In Hysteria Mode, I was just as weak as ever with girls.
「Supposing, for argument’s sake, that I were to pay you more; would you follow me? As for payment, I suppose Aria would pay, but I would have to ask her to make sure. How much have you been paid?」
「I do not believe in money. Only 24k gold bullion. I have been paid 60 kilograms.」
「6-60 kilograms…!? That’s 200 million Yen.2 That’s about what an elite soccer player makes… That’s a bit high, don’t you think…?」
「You ignore world market. If I were to agree, I would be ruined. Even if you offered me 70 kilograms, I do not accept double-agent contracts. Reputation is more important than gold. I will not betray my client.」
「..My younger brother is a farmer. What if he raised a field of more premium broccoli than you could ever eat?」
Sarah stiffened.
「I will not betray my client.」
「Did you just have to think about it?」
「I cannot confirm the truth of your statement. I do not believe words. I only believe what I have seen for myself.」
I see… from her series of statements…
Sarah has her own particular brand of professionalism. She’s stubborn. There are many kinds of snipers.
It would seem that this girl cannot be converted to be an ally.
「Aren’t you the only one that was hired?」
「…」
「Answer me.」
「Yes.」
Thank goodness. If Bewitching Blade and Demon Sword were here too, I’d think I have a problem.
「–Kinji. You can release me.」
「What do you mean?」
「I have not received official orders to shoot you. I am a professional. I will do nothing without orders.」
Yen said the same thing at Dragon Harbour.
Their business-like manners must let them get on well. Sarah and the onis, that is.
「If you cannot trust me, then, I am sorry, but I have no choice but to return the favour. I cannot trust you.」
I settled my gun against Sarah’s silver hair, then I–
…this is a problem.
If I let her go, she might open the distance between us. Her bow is formidable. It might be hard to use inside the plane, but this representative soldier has overturned common sense.
Because of that, immediately, I–
Keeping my gut trained on Sarah, I reach out toward her chequered patterned case and with a *Click!* *Click!* opened it.
Inside, sure enough, was her disassembled longbow… It was a simple design of a bare bow without a rim for each side, and I picked up the rims.3
「Wh…what are you doing?」
Seeing what I had done, Sarah’s face, already very pale, drained of blood, and her azure eyes widened.
「Eh? Getting rid of them.」
Disposing of you enemy’s weapons to disarm them is an obvious thing to do, but when I gave this normal answer…
「Uwaaaaa!」
Sarah was moved to tears, despite being held at gunpoint.
Then *Pom!* *Pom!* *Pom!*
「Give it back! Give it back!」
Now red, she pummelled my chest repeatedly, but her punches had about 1/1000th the power of Aria’s.
********************************
********************************
Although she had been entirely cool and collected up until now, now she was frantic.
The bow must really be very important to her.
For some reason… I’m feeling… very bad.
「Oh, then we’ll do this. They are disposable and you can make more.」
The crying Sarah had become very pitiable, and I replaced the part of her bow in its case and took all of the arrows from her quiver.
Then Sarah…*Grrrr!*…
Her face regained its original ‘へ’ shape, and she muttered the single sound to express her dissatisfaction…
Opening the narrow window in the room slightly, I threw the arrows outside to get rid of them and ignored her.
「Now then, I have something else that you can do for me, if that is alright with you.」
Saying that and turning around, Sarah’s face registered shock–then flattened herself against the wall.
「I-If you try to do anything weird, I will bite..」
「That’s not it at all. I’m going to make you a hostage. Come on.」
Even if I take a mercenary as a hostage, the onis might just cut us down… but it will be better than not having one.
With that plan in mind, I motioned her with my gun to raise her hands–
Her clothes didn’t look bulletproof, and she cried out「Kya!」when I pushed my gun into her back.
Then…
「Oh yeah. Won’t you tell me one more thing?」
「What?」
「Does the shadow of death still hang over me?」
I asked, and Sarah replied–
「Because you have been mean, I will not tell you.」
Shaking her silver hair, she turned half around and pulled an akanbee at me.
*************************************************************************
Having acquired a hostage, we moved through the passage in the wing…
A door leading from the wins to the main fuselage of the fugaku stood before us.
The door was decorated with metal chasing–but the design was peculiar. Although the engraved oni was done in a Japanese Edo period woodblock style, the colouring and background was vaguely African.
But this was a door to Hell. The oni are over there. On the other side.
The sounds of laughter leaked out, and it had the same feeling of approaching the cage of a dangerous animal.
I’ve only ever had instruction in the practical theory of conducting a raid, but following it, I should enter the room with a load shout, using Sarah as a shield, and take stock of the enemies’ situation starting with number of enemies, weapons, and their respective positions… that’s it.
It was hard to picture the layout of the fuselage interior, but holding several possibilities in my mind–
I kicked in the door as hard as I could, shoved Sarah in front of me, then jumped in.
「–Don…!」
I meant to say, ‘Don’t move!’, but *Squish!*…! My face sunk into something soft, making a noise.
What’s this…?
My gun in my right hand, I closed my left hand around something as I pushed away–
「…!」
Th-th-this is a breast…! A woman’s breast!
What’s more, it is huge…!
Pushing my head off of it, I saw the tall figure of a female oni–
「?」
…Like I thought…!
Yen gazed down at me with a curious expression…! For some reason, she was wearing a blue trimmed white sailor suit blouse.
In my left hand, I was still gripping her right breast tightly.
But, despite the rude action, I now know for certain that she was a woman.
Despite how heavily muscled her body was, her breasts were soft. No matter how flat, having held Aria’s, a woman’s breasts are, above all things, always soft.
「…Tohyama?」
「S-sorry!」
Flustered and in shock, I stepped away from Yen, but… before I had realised it, Sarah was gone.
In the room where Sarah had escaped–
Approximately half the fugaku’s fuselage was taken up by a large banquet hall. There were no partitions until the cockpit section, and only a few columns to support the structural integrity.
Underfoot, there was a colourful African style woven reed matting in green, yellow, and red.
「T-T-Tohyama…! Y-you bastard…What kind of envi-… no rude things are you doing to Yen-nee-sama…!?」
Rising to protect Sarah, scowling at me with bloodshot eyes–Tsubaki stood.
Still wearing the same dark sailor suit uniform, her shoulders trembling in anger for some reason, she bared her fangs.
Still in contact with me, Yen-nee-sama…
「It is Tohyama! This is Tohyama, is it not? I saw him hanging like an unusually large tasset from Aria who was in flight… I could never, ever have expected him to board the fugaku. This is truly incredible! Wahaha!」
Slapping me vigorously on the shoulder… she laughed.
I thought that she was angry, but it seems that she is in a good mood.
I understood the reason very quickly. She reeked of alcohol. The entire room does.
There are several gold-leafed leather seating cushions scattered around the room, around them one-cup Ouzeki sake containers and Daigoro cartons were scattered. There were also huge vermillion sake drinking cups.
Those are things that Yen and the other onis must have drunk and discarded.
Tsubaki had a whiskey decanter under her arm, and as for the others– there was one more oni inside of a large earthenware pot with only half of her head and glasses showing… On the rim of the pot, there sat a bottle of brandy.
Were you having a drinking party… all of you?
In the two-seater cockpit, the twin pilot and co-pilot looked like middle school girls wearing short skirts turned around and had sake bottles held in their mouths. How awful! This fugaku is being operated while under the influence.
And further back– was Habi.
The tiny oni was set on a large demon lord-esque throne located near the tail section.
Waited upon by other oni serving the role of court ladies, the primary school looking oni wore a sailor suit uniform and lay on her back guzzling from a Daigijjou casked sake bottle… Behind her there was an axe and a huge globe emblazoned on the back of the chair.
Piercing and sticking out from the globe were two different flags–
On one was the stylised character「無」– within a Japanese family crest…?
It looked like a cross-section of a melon. But it wasn’t an ordinary cross-sectional crest, it was a five-segment version. It was a bit strange.4
「Our Lady’s taste in clothing is refined. It is her favourite clothing to walk the streets of Japan in guise as a student, and she hath bestowed this garb upon us. However… thou hast done so from the outset.」
Grinning, Yen studied my clothes at point-blank range.
「..Y-Yen-nee-sama! Please do not… draw your countenance near to such a man as this. Thou shalt be polluted.」
Nervous for some reason, Tsubaki called me polluting. How rude.
Truly the minds of these oni are inscrutable…
The whole party having drunk alcohol were pretty relaxed. They don’t seem to want to surround me.
What’s more, with all of them and only one of me, firing my gun isn’t a good idea.
I learned as a result of my preliminary trials in the Netherlands and the convenience store, if I clash directly with Yen for the third time and Tsubaki for the second, with the odds of 3 against 1, I will lose.
If I were to split them up, the chances of winning rise to about 22%, but together the odds paint a desperate picture. What’s more there are other oni around, and their leader Habi cannot be neglected. Although small, it would be a painful experience to make light of her as Son has experienced for herself.
And so, aiming to preserve this amicable mood, I said–
「Habi. I came to scold you a bit.」
–I tried to open negotiations for the important item they possessed that I could not retrieve by force.
「Huh?」
I was suspicious that my meaning was not clear, and Habi-chan…
I saw her scratch her reddish bronze hair that had fresh flowers arranged in it. She was drunk.
「It’s unacceptable. Stripping something from a woman’s body then running away.」
「Whatcha mean? Habi doesn’t get it.」
It seems that she didn’t understand. Her Japanese isn’t that good.
「I mean Aria’s karagane. Do you remember? It was October 1st last year, in Tokyo, on Empty Island that you stole it from Aria.」
「Hmm.」
Looking up and across, she touched a finger to her cherry pink lips in a pondering gesture…
「Oh!」
It seems she remembers.
Smiling and exposing her fangs, she turned toward me.
「Good, Habi. Aria is mine. That means that any part of Aria is mine as well. So you’ve stolen something from me.」
I said to establish a position of equality in the negotiations–
With a *Shing!* a katana with a bluish temper line was drawn. It happened too fast for me to have noticed.
「Despite the fact that this is a on open banquet, he presumes much. You are in the presence of Habi, the Demon Lord of the Sixth Heaven. Show the proper respect.」
In that moment, Tsubaki– drew her sword and positioning herself between myself and Yen.
But this kind of threat is an everyday occurrence at Butei High. I wasn’t unbalanced by it. Demon Lord of the whatsit? That sounds like some kind of grandiose, self-styled title from a bousouzoku gang.
「So then, Kinji. What are you going to do?」
Habi urged me again.
「Take back the karagane.」
I put forward my first demand.
Then…the court ladies who had been fanning Habi and massaging her limbs stiffened.
Although they did not seem to be fighting types like Yen or Tsubaki…
Each of them moved to shield Habi with their bodies.
「Tohyama. It is within Habi-sama, in her Onifukuro5. By your words, do you mean to say that you will harm Habi-sama?」
Yen lowered her voice, and all her good humour departed…
Something important just happened, but I can just leave this instant.
Yen had just given me some valuable information. So the karagane was inside Habi, huh?
I will push a little further. Even if I do not gain anything now, if I keep pushing the negotiation, I might just get closer to the heart of the matter that I can use.
「Onifukuro, Ikebukuro, I don’t know, but spit it out. It’s not food!」
I told the demon lord in front of me–
「–Habi-sama. Order me to subjugate him. His behaviour is intolerable.」
Like a student tattling to her teacher, Tsubaki implored Habi.
「Ah! Then Yen, fight. I don’t wanna see Tsubaki fight. That wouldn’t be fun for Habi.」
Habi issued that order, nominating Yen instead of Tsubaki.
「–As you will.」
Yen responded shortly, and her drunken mood disappeared.
「Yen-nee-sama…」
「Tsubaki, move back. If you were to fight Tohyama, you might be somewhat hurt. I do not wish to see that come to pass.」
Yen said and turned her good-looking face toward Tsubaki.
Then Tsubaki who had been trying to cut me down until now, seemingly entranced by Yen… replaced her sword, and moved quickly to kneel by the wall. As I thought, Yen holds a higher ranked position, and she listened to what Yen said.
「Yes! Yes! Yen, fight! Take Tohyama’s head. I wanna use it for a sake cup. Ahaha!」
Habi clapped her hands and stamped her feet to spur Yen on.
The closer I look at Habi…
She would be a difficult opponent to deal with. Riko and Jeanne, Vlad and Hilda, Patra, Sherlock, the Koko sisters, G-3… Each of them were different, from completely different cultures and species. They can’t read my thoughts.
My ultimate, overarching goal is simply to reclaim the karagane…
Ordinary methods will not suffice to reclaim it.
But now I have to deal with Yen in front of Habi. It is also a way to punish the principal offender in the robbery of the convenience store.
Thankfully, by facing them each individually, I have the opportunity to reduce their fighting strength.
What I do after defeating Yen–depends on what happens.
「–Whoever falls from the fugaku loses!」
Declaring a devilish rule, Habi the oni declared happily.
There is no plan here. If I lose, my skull will be emptied. That would be a problem.
「Understood. I accept. But if I win, you will return the karagane.」
Even if I do win, I don’t know if it will be easy to get back, but it seemed the best thing to put forward in this unilaterally disadvantaged situation–
Then, having kept an appropriate distance from me the whole time, Yen turned to face me, and I looked up at her–
Feeling like a character in a fighting game, surprisingly, the sailor suit uniform suited her well–
She’s huge. I think that, no matter how many times I’ve seen her. Including her horns, she’s 190 cm tall.
「–If thine wish is strong, it shall come to pass. Power is the only thing in the world that mattered.」
Yen asserted bluntly, knowing that I wanted the karagane back more than anything.
Is she an advocate of absolute power? I have held the opposite to be true against Hilda, but this seems to be the general rule among the oni.
Yen glared down at me, and I glared back.
It is staring challenge–
–Oh! She’s scary. I would expect that of an oni.
As if suddenly coming to some realisation, Yen raised an eyebrow.
「If I had to say that you reminded me of someone, it would be a provincial governor of Settsu… No, you are truly like him. Like two peas in a pod.」6
「Provincial governor?」
「My ancestor, Sakanomu-sama,7 was rival to Lord Yorimitsu of the Seiwa Genji8 Yes… you are like him. Couldst thou be a distant relation to Lord Tohyama Kinshirou Kagemoto?9」
「…Oh, do you think Kagemoto could be my ancestor?」
「Wahaha! Indeed. Lord Katou must have delivered Lord Yorimitsu’s secret child to Lord Yoriyoshi for protection, it would appear.」10
Yen had some kind of fixation on this one person… She just said『Lord Katou』… She must mean the general Katou Minamoto, the Tohyama Family ancestor from Kamakura in the Heian Period. I know the Minamoto clan fought for Genji, but is she saying that they were actually related?
「Yorimitsu warred against Sakanomu-sama and those who did not bow to the Yamato Emperor, and thou hast subjugated Dracuria and the Kowloon Monkey King.11 Although separated by a thousand year, the fate is the same. Truly the twinings of fate are strange.」
With a ring… Yen laughed–
「It starts with 2 parent, then becomes 4 grandparents. Then 8, 16, 32, 64– the number of ancestors grows exponentially. Going back a thousand years, the number becomes astronomical. I can’t help it if someone in that number was an enemy of your ancestors. What do you want me to say?」
「No. It is not so much a matter of words, as revenge. Right, everyone?」
Yen addressed the rest of the oni, and–
「Aye!」
「Yes!」
They cried, striking their sake bottles on tables and stamping their feet, causing a ruckus.
It seems that I’ve been cast as the villain in this scenario.
Even Sarah booed me from where she stood. That was probably unrelated, though.
「–We oni come of varied stock, and unlike humans, we do not account marriage into determining our relatives. Therefore, no one considers any one in particular to be their parent. We consider all those who came before to be parents, and all those who come after, children. In human terms, if someone fights our mutual parents, they are our fated enemy.」
「Well… I would like to ask then, for simply biologically academic purposes, how do the oni leave behind offspring? I see that you are all women here…」
「All red oni are born female. At 18, onis are considered adults, but after 18 years they do not change much over a long period of time until their later years. Only the oni particularly skilled in battle are able to change their sex and leave behind many children before dying.」
…I-Incredible! A protogynous species, huh?
I have seen that kind of survival strategy applied in a few instances before. I remember classes about it in fish like the wrasse, parrotfish, and sand smelt.
Looking at them, they might be a specialised branch of humanity…
Logically, it is a powerfulstrategy.
According to what was said earlier, only the ones with high fighting ability are able to become male and leave behind offspring.
This would ensure that only the strong genes carrying those traits were passed on, and after a number of cycles– the later generations would only continue to grow stronger. I realised that this system only allowed for families full of strong members.
I cannot be certain that the Sakanomu was Yen’s actual ancestor, because with such long-lived creatures in a promiscuous culture– when you don’t know who exactly your parent is, you respect all of your ancestors.
If they were truly killed by Yorimitsu, then they would see this confrontation between their descendants, in human terms, as a『fated trans-generational confrontation』. That is their culture.
「Under the ancient system of reckoning ages I was 5 years old, when I saw Lord Yorimitsu strike down Sakanomu-sama from the shade of a tree.」
With a *Whish!* Yen closed in–
The range was practically nil.
Then she threw out her chest, set her hands on her hips, squared shoulders, and set her feet apart in a bold stance.
「Lord Yorimitsu used two seldom-seen secret techniques to kill Sakanomu-sama.」
「Well, that makes it not seldom-seen, doesn’t it? If you saw it, and he left you alone.」
Practically looking straight up, I continued to hold my gaze on Yen.
「Nay. Catching Lord Yorimitsu’s technique by observation–was not possible for a child to understand.」
Huh. Even though he’s a superhuman that kills onis, Yorimitsu was once a child himself.
So he let an oni child go, huh? Thanks to that, centuries later, she became my huge problem.
「Having my life spared by a human has let me lead a lifetime of shame. Tonight, I will purge that shame.」
Her kanabou–Kongourokkaku was not in her hand.
It was abandoned near the spot that she had been sitting and drinking.
After surveying the area, I said:
「Oi, Yen! Hurry up!」
Drinking sake, Habi egged her on–
「As you wish.」
Returning those few words Yen
「–『Rakshasha』」12
No sooner had she said that–*Whooooomph!*–
From a dead stop, she struck an open palm strike.
She struck the dead centre of my chest with her palm with enough force to cave it in.
This was the first time she had ever given me a sign of a serious attack.
My Kikka lacked some of the speed necessary to avoid it–I–
–Uff–!
–I realised that for a brief moment, my heart stopped.
–My lungs did as well.
Heart and lungs stopping simultaneously.
But after that one blow, I am still standing.
…It would be sudden cardiac death…!
…!…
–*Thump!*–
Then using『Kaiten』13, I made a make-shift defibrillator–
…!…
「–Huff!…huff, huff…」
While falling backwards a step, I used the same technique that I had used in the Netherlands when I died to restart my heartbeat. Then my breathing returned to normal.
Th-that was dangerous.
In that instant, I died.
Just then… It was a on the receiving end of a one-hit kill technique.
Some children die suddenly during baseball proactive after being struck in the chest with a ball, because if a human chest is struck with a non-penetrating strike at a particular angle, range, and power–and the resultant shock causes a fatal heart arrhythmia to develop due to『concussive shock to the heart』suddenly stopping it.
–『Rakshasha』is a thrust attack that intentionally causes this effect.
Then as the excess energy dissipates throughout the abdomen, the lungs stop functioning.
Stated simply it is『a technique that stops your opponent’s cardiopulmonary system』.
It may look quite rough, but it actually requires considerable skill–it’s a literal insta-kill technique.
But this wasn’t the first time I had died.
If hit by an insta-kill technique though, there is no chance to be revived. Like a video game character, each time you are hit by it, it’s a Game Over.
However, likening myself to a video game character out of necessity, it was something I hated…
But I realised that I had developed into Hysteria Mode Agonizante.
Yen. You have killed your opponent. But if you keep killing me, I’ll only become stronger. So you really shouldn’t kill me anymore.
Seeing me revive, Yen’s eyes went wide, and after having stepped back, I now advanced–
「–Rakshasha–!」
My Hysteria Mode enhanced vision having fully understood the technique, I returned the imitated attack. Without providing any warning.
–*Thump!*–
I lashed out with my right palm, striking Yen’s breastbone, aiming the attack at reaching her heart…
The feeling though.
It was entirely different than striking human flesh. The hardness and weight were like that of striking a mammoth tyre like those on the gigantic mining trucks used to haul ore. An oni’s muscular fibres must be more densely pack than a human’s. Despite the fact that their breasts are so soft.
As I struck, it seemed that my strike was ineffective because Yen’s muscular armour protected her heart and lungs from being stopped–
「–Hmm…!」
In order to avoid vomiting the alcohol from her stomach, Yen tightened her mouth into a straight line and stepped back… 1 step, then 2.
Seeing that:
「Waa!」
「Yen-nee-sama!」
The other oni in the plane shouted–except for Habi who was laughing–and there was a surprised gasp. Tsubaki stood, covering both her hands with a scream.
It would appear to be an unusual thing to see truly Yen pressed back.
「What’s so surprising? Everyone gets pushed back.」
While glaring at Yen, I replied to the other oni who seemed unreasonably upset–
My Rakshasha was ineffective. Far from causing cardiopulmonary arrest, she didn’t even lose her wind.
Stamping her foot and settling her balance, Yen…
「You can do it, huh?」
「You can as well.」
We exchanged this brief conversation.
「…That Rakshasa, it was one of the techniques that Lord Yorimitsu used to slay Sakanomu-sama. Was it passed down to you?」
「No, I didn’t learn it. I guess that means I’m not a descendant of that person then, right?」
I had retreated one step, and Yen had retreated two after I had stolen that technique to try to finish the fight, but…
This was what had happened. Yen took up a stance once more and was full of energy. The other oni moved to ready themselves to support her.
It cannot be used against a human enemy, so that technique is useless. To comply with Butei Law.
In any case, I’ll badger you until you show me another technique I can use to win.
「–My next Rakshasa, will kill you. I just need to adjust the power behind it.」
I bluffed about using Rakshasha to take Yen down, but… in response to that threat:
「I do not fear death. There are many oni in hell.」
The threat was no threat at all.
「I see. Well then, I’m sorry. That was a bluff. I do not wish to harm a woman.」
「In truth, I do not enjoy the destruction of life. Despite the fact that it is the duty of oni to increase the numbers in hell. However, you are a different case. If your name were added to the Roster of the Dead, it would please those others here.」14
Ah!
It appears that they are head-hunters for hell that is simply another world. 15
From the start, Yen’s expression had been dark, but now, even darker, Yen–
「Now then… What was settled in the sea, let us do so in the heavens…!」
Then picking up her kanabou, Kongourokkaku, she held it at her right side.
She also splayed the claws on her left hand, opened that arm wide, pointed her horns at me, and raised her lips, baring her fangs.
Taking up that stance so far form anything in a human martial art–
Ready to rip with her claws, bite with her fangs, and thrust with her horns, it was an oni melee combat stance.
As for me, I pulled my ace Desert Eagle from my shoulder holster.
My automatic pistol that was returned from GRENEDA as a result of the ceasefire was loaded with my most powerful normal a .50AE ammunition. Hiraga-san had modified the 7-round double-action/single-action to shoot in full auto. Coincidentally nicknamed『The Demon Prosecutor』– This cheat gun was a memento from my father.
However, my opponent in herself was a cheat, being an oni. Just as if a gun would be used by a hunter to fight an elephant or brown bear, I did not feel it unfair to use a gun against Yen, an『oni with a kanabou』.
–*Pa!* Putting a dent into the floor as she pushed off, Yen flew forward–
*Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* I met her mid-air with the roar of a volley of .50AE bullets.
Using her kanabou to block them or dodging them entirely, none of them touched her.
The bullets ricocheting like a pinball within the plane, I took aim at the unbalanced Yen–
–*Whoosh!*
I gave an African influenced unarmed martial art capoeira helicopter kick–a technique aimed to cause the most damage to the human body, it is a kick carried out from a one-handed handstand.
It is an attack meant to drive straight into the enemy’s power–but–it was no good.
We have a discrepancy in body weight, but more than anything, I am outmatched in muscle.
In much the same way, no matter how clean your technique, you can’t defeat a tiger with the same kick you’d use with a cat. There is a difference in physicality between humans and oni.
A large calibre bullet gave me the best chance… but in the end, it came to nothing.
With a *Snick!* like the closing of a large hand tool, Yen bit down toward my leg.
Barely missing me, I dodged, but if she had, it would have obliterated my shin bone.
Then with a *Whipsh!*, she tossed her head like a raging bull–this time using her horns. However, the target was the same leg. Fundamentally less agile than me in Hysteria Mode, is Yen trying to restrict my movements?
However, in dodging, I still had to land within reach of Yen’s arms and legs.
「Fuhaha! I will devour thine warrior flesh!」
Then she followed up with another bite–! *Screech!* *Clang!* *Whoosh!* *Bang!*
Using Lion-dance like movements, she followed up with a series of bites and pickaxe-like swings of her horns and sharp claws…!
I was reduced to a one-sided evasion of the attacks, each of the 4 would have doubtlessly been a fatal blow.
I realised that Yen had gone outside the regular bounds of unarmed combat, proactively employing her unique oni specific techniques. She still hadn’t used her kanabou that would require a large sweeping motion. Is she trying to pin me down and set me up for a finishing below?
Even if I had accurately read Yen’s strategy–
Dodge, retreat, and dodging again was all that I could do.
I couldn’t grasp her timing to attack.
–The eyes…!
Out of desperation, I launched a spear hand attack with my right hand aiming for her eyes, but it was ineffective– in order to protect against Yen’s horn attack on my carotid artery, I had to turn my right arm in front of me.
With a *Clang!* I reflexively caught Yen’s arm with my right– *Cruuuuuunch!*
–Crap…!
She bit it…!
When a person uses a martial arts technique in the moment, they are calling upon their muscle memory. However, my memory does not contain experience facing an oni.
Accordingly–I made the mistake of meeting an onis arm with my own.
「…!」
「…?」
Biting down on the Orochi-kai armour within my sleeve, Yen expression seemed to indicate that she realised『Is there armour inside?』…but regardless of that revelation *Creeeeak!*…! She clamped down on my arm with the biting force of an alligator.
Although it was sintered nitrous titanium tungsten-cobalt carbide–she continued to bite down. Yen’s jaw was certainly capable of producing equivalent force to an industrial machinery. If this continues, it is only a matter of time until it is completely crushed. I won’t be using this hand anytime soon–
But before I could use my other hand, Yen forestalled me.
「…!」
She quickly grabbed my left hand.
She dug into my left hand Orochi with her claws. *Creak!* *Creak!* *Creak!* …. from those noises, I knew that Yen was capable of pulverising cobalt alloys. This is bad…!
Using a combination of biting and her left-hand claws, Yen had both my arms trapped–
–Leaving her right arm completely free. Kongourokkaku was in that hand… Dammit!–It’s coming!
*WHOOOOOOM!* With a roar like the Tiger I 88mm cannon, she unleashed her kanabou– I couldn’t even see it sweeping up from the bottom of my field of view, but it flew out with all her strength behind it. Knocking me back.
「–!」
With the sound of rending metal, I experienced a change in pressure–*Whoosh* Suddenly, I was lying face-down–clinging onto dark green sheets of steel. My breathing– suddenly became laboured.
Suddenly, I became aware of a huge propeller rotating with thunderous roar right next to me.
Being hit with a kanabou like a baseball bat, I had been knocked through the wall of the airframe, and I was now on top on the right wing.
My arms, my arms… w-were fine. My Orochi-kai were shredded, but my arms were still whole.
Disoriented, it took me a few seconds to realise this–
Shaking violently, the wing was curved like a large boat hull. It seemed like it was trying to shake me off.
…!…
With the additional airflow created by the propellers added to the slope– I began sliding down the wing.
Rolling like a glass marble at an Obon Festival, but thankfully, the fugaku wings were large…so I was able to stop my fall with the spikes in my shoes without tumbling off.
The oni pilots flew a violent course, they steered the plane into a violent stall, pitching the fuselage at a steep angle. The wings bowed a lot, *Creak!*… *Cr-cr-creak!*… strained noises came from several locations along them.
But we are in the clouds. Both the ground and stars are invisible.
My ear canals were subjected to strange pressures, making my sense of balance precarious.
However…
In the sky– I became used to being there on G-3’s Galleon and Katze’s zeppelin. I should make Yen come out here…!
While I clung on, stuck to the wing, in accordance with this plan of mine…
*Screech!* Yen stepped out, barefoot and using her claws.
She punctured holes in the wing as she crossed it.
「Truly, I am surprised. My Rakshasha did not kill you, neither did Kongourokkaku.」
No, I did die! And right now, I’m about to die again!
I wanted to say that, but I didn’t want to get hit with another Rakshasha or kanabou, so I just gave a forced smile.
Stabbing each toe into the wing, she crossed it, step-by-step–
Inside the plane, I saw the figures of the other onis with eager expressions cheering Yen on. Habi alone, with a sake bottle in hand was grinning as she watched.
「However, you are merely human. Your reaction confirms that you are all bark and no bite. How disappointing.」
「Is that what you think? I’m sorry then. I held back. You are somewhat like a woman enemy.」
Buffeted by the wind, I stood and began walking up the slope of the wing.
「Oh…Is that how it is?」
Yen chuckled slightly…
「Holding anything back is pointless. Come at me with your full power!」
Yen brandished Kongourokkaku as if preparing to hit a homerun. Well, I cannot make this a contest of strength, but…
But from now on, it will be a contest of wit and skill.
As can be seen from her fighting style and words–Yen is overconfident. And to be honest, the fault is one of a naively honest personality.
That being the case, the gaps in her technique will be easy to see.
Considering the situation, I formulated a simple plan…Wanting more distance between us, I reloaded my Desert Eagle while firing and retreated toward the wingtip.
Stopping the bullets with her kanabou and hand, Yen was kept in place…
Intending to move straight back, I was pushed on a diagonal by the flow of air. Good. I have enough distance.
Then I…*Tap!* *Tap!*
Pushing my left knee forward, I pulled the bitten right leg backwards.
Holding both fists at centre level and putting my right fist back deep as if to hide it, my empty left hand was forward.
I ended up with my body bent forward and my eyes fixed on Yen–
It was the ancient sprinting posture, the one G-3 took up in order to demonstrate『Meteor』. That is, the ready position for『Ouka』.
My Orochi-kai were partially ruined, but they could handle one Ouka.
Yen seemed to grasp that the posture was one for a charging attack, but… She could never imagine what I would do in the next instant.
Furrowing my eyebrows, I looked down toward the nose of the aircraft. I looked away from Yen, on purpose.
But there is nothing there.
Just a whirling swirl of clouds.
Unless you were Mutou or Aria, you would be caught up in the line of sight…
「…?」
The simple Yen was caught up easily.
Entrapped by me and where my gaze was pointed.
I inserted myself into that opening–*Whoosh!* The forearm armour of my right hand Orochi-kai flew forward–
*Thrum!* The entire right wing trembled as I began my dash and Ouka began to pick up speed.
The large wing provides enough of an approach distance. Reaching a supersonic speed, this can be called a proper Ouka strike.
Realising that she had been tricked, Yen turned back in surprised, but she could not avoid it.
Having begun I could not stop the Ouka. I was moving to strike along a straight line.
Hysteria mode united my skeletomuscular system, linking them together into the sprint, and there was no way I could stop myself.
Realising that there was no time to dodge and no time to counter-attack–
Yen then moved her kanabou into a boujutsu stance.16 There was nothing else she could do.
In the space of a fraction of a second–I took in the entire situation.
Did she… regain her balance?
Yen settled her body and centred her centre of gravity.
That stance–
–Zetsurou–!?
I don’t even need to ask.
That must have been the other seldom-seen technique that Yorimitsu used to strike down Sakanomu…
The counter『Zetsurou』passed down through the Tohyama Family.
No good!
This is just like the situation as the one on top of the Galleon’s wing–
I am replicating G-3’s role.
At that time, G-3 struck with Meteor, and I returned it back on him with Zetsurou.
But now I am on the other side and the one in his place using Ouka.
I have generated my own power for Zetsurou to use to kill myself. But there is no way I can stop it! I can’t stop Ouka! What should I do–!?
–Ouka–
My arm held out in front and armoured Orochi-kai fingers extended
*Whish!*
Droplets of water scattered from the vapour cone like cherry petals at the end of their life–
*Claaaaaang!*
My Orochi-kai collided with Yen’s Kongourokkaku sending up a shower of sparks, and a flash of light like the Sun sparked in the space between us. With a *Craaaaaaack!*, my Ouka shaved a layer off Kongourokkaku then cut through it– passing by on the left.
Her golden pillar coloured eyes glowed like a blast furnace…then in Hysteria Mode, I watch in super slow motion as Yen spun. Like a revolving door.
…It was Zetsurou after all…!
Spinning 90 degrees–she turned sideways while moving gracefully like a dancer and discarding the destroyed Kongourokkaku. She floated lightly mid-air.
Turning 120 degrees–I understand. She is accumulating enough power in her right leg to reverse the attack–! She plans to spin 180 degrees in the air and drive back in with a reverse flying roundhouse kick.
A rolling kickboxing attack harnessing the entire power of Ouka drew near.
This was an Ouka kick. There was no way to dodge. It would absolutely hit.
All the power in her entire body… was about to hit somewhere. Absolutely.
Turning 150 degrees. her right foot began to extend in a kicking motion, and I trace its path. It was aimed at my head. The upper third. If struck there, it will shave off the top, sending my brain flying.
Yen seems to want to shave off the top of my head. To use as a sake cup.
「–!」
Turning 180 degrees. In the next instant, Yen’s large foot would impact my skull–
–『Zetsurou』–!
I reversed Yen’s Zetsurou with Zetsurou
Receiving the strike to my head, I channelled that energy from a flying backflip into– a somersault kick–!
In that space of time, Yen had already turned 300 degrees and was almost directly in front of me.
–Yen.
The original power of Ouka was mine. And I turned it back on her.
–*Whoooooooooooooooooooom!*–
Continuing my kick upward, I fractured one of Yen’s horns that had cause me a continual series of problems. I mixed in a bit of a sub-sonic Kikka.
This Zetsurou reversal with Zetsurou was a double counter technique. If I had to give it a name, it would be『Zekka』. Starting with Ouka and ending with Kikka, using the Ouka to destroy the enemy–my new technique.
「–Ah!–」
Exclaiming, Yen bent far back, and blood spurted from the hard skin fold covering the base of the horn–
Pushed back from the force of the impact, Yen moved away from me…for the first time, she went down.
Clutching her head in intense pain, Yen rolled down the wing of the fugaku, pushed by the air current kicked up by the huge propellers. Then bouncing off the flap:
「Yen-nee-sama–!」
Leaning out from the fuselage of the airplane, Tsubaki cried out then fell. Outside the fugaku.
I also fell down the wing, but catching myself–
「–Yen, grab on!」
*Bang!*
In an instant I quick drew my gun, combat loaded an ANCHOR bullet, and shot it toward the falling Yen.
The next second, she caught hold of it. The tough synthetic wire spread out as the bullet followed after her. Then they met. Eyes wide as she floated in the empty space behind the wing, Yen realised it was a lifeline… a grasped it.
However…
「–Humph!」
Yen yanked on it vigorously. Almost like a tug-of-war.
Do you want us to die together? Are you trying to kill me as well? Yen–
Totally unprepared for that movement, the grip of my shoe spikes in the wings were lost…
…!
Suddenly I fell.
Tumbling from the fugaku wing.
「Fuahaha… Hahahahaha–!」
Yen laughed boisterously as she kept a hold of the bullet strand, and I lost my grip and fell.
The air flowed over me, coiling around as we fell, twisting and turning as if in a washing machine.
Amidst the flow of air and darkness–I lost sight of Yen. She was carried off somewhere else.
「–…!」
Beneath me, I could see Tokyo.
Judging from the flight time I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that we flew over Chiba and the Pacific, then in that absurd manoeuvre intended to shake me off, we must have doubled back.
In total free fall, I could feel myself accelerating.
By the sensation of speed, I could tell when I reached stable terminal velocity at 200 KPH–
Back when I fell from the ICBM with Aria, I had reached this same speed…!
Adopting a skydiving posture… I aimed myself for Bunkyou Ward and, caught by the wind, I loaded my Beretta again.
Then–as is being expanded in Google Maps, the late-night Korakuen Gardens drew closer–
Completely comfortable in falling, I fired my gun held beside my waist with a *Bang!*
It was a good thing that I had bought some of Hiraga-san’s homemade airbag bullets. As I was just above the ground, the bullet struck some kind of structure I couldn’t identify, and *Whoosh!* A 1 metre diameter and 0.8 metre high air bag instantly inflated, and my body hit it with a *Thump!* then *Wham!*
「OUCH…!」
It was made of super-high strength silicone resin… and it was said to be able to take up to 38 tonnes of force, but it was a bit over hyped. My entire body actually slammed into the ground. I’m submitting a complaint after this.
However, thanks to that, I didn’t end up dead… Shakily, I came to my feet.
「–Kyaa!」
I heard high-pitch female shrikes coming from all directions.
「…!」
Looking around, what is this?
It was strangely humid, warm, and n-n-naked…
A world of naked women’s flesh surrounded me.
I thought I had died and woken up in heaven–no, for Hysteria Mode, I had fallen into hell!
Somehow that strange thought crept into my mind. Shrieking, the group of female office workers scattered like a group of baby spiders. The floodlight lit surroundings revealed both large a small baths.
This is… a LaQua spa…!
A kind of large bath house and spa affiliated with Korakuen Gardens.
Somehow, I had managed to fall into the open-air baths.
My usual bad luck had somehow asserted itself. That is to say, this bath house was a recent addition.
Taking a deep breath to calm myself, something hit me with a *Thwack!* on top of my head.
A grossly fat OL hit me over the head with a bathing tub then ran off.
*************************************************************************
As expected, Yen escaped harm even after falling from the sky.
Even though I lost sight of her, I heard the sounds of an impact some distance to the south… Scrambling over the open-air bath wall in a desperate escape, I headed toward the Tokyo Dome City attractions.
Feigning ignorance, I flashed my Butei license and entered the park after hours… Intending to offer up a prayer for her if I found her corpse, I looked for Yen.
Nearing the area where playground equipment stood, I discovered a small crater– In the centre of it was Yen, arms folded and staring into the sky. Probably watching the flying fugaku.
Uh…
I don’t see any kind of parachute, but… she seems to have pulled off a normal landing.
Well, I guess that means I didn’t have to save her when she fell from the fugaku wing.
Everything worked out alright in the end, though.
I would have probably been beaten to a pulp by some the onis left on the plane, anyway.
「–The person who falls from the fugaku loses. That was Habi’s rule, right Yen? Both of us fell though, so I guess we should call this a draw, huh?」
I said that, and Yen turned to face me.
She had lost one of her horns on her head, but her mood was not hostile.
「You are… an incredibly stalwart man. While men such as thou remain, The Land of the Sun shall be at peace.」
She said to me in a tone carrying slight admiration.
Of all things in the world– Yen had said that power was the only thing that mattered and having fought her to a draw in a contest of strength, she appears to be acknowledging me as an equal.
「Yen. That technique you just used. It was Zetsurou, wasn’t it?」
「It is as you say. It was one of the techniques used by Lord Yorimitsu upon Sakanomu-sama.」
…Hmmm, then maybe he was my ancestor after all. Yorimitsu, that is.
Rakshasha must have been a technique sealed at some time in the past, or maybe my Nii-san knew of it.
From eavesdropping on my Grandfather and Grandmother, I knew something my Nii-san didn’t–
100 Tohyama Family secret techniques were passed down to my father, and he passed them on to his children based on their personality… 48 offensive techniques had been taught to my brother, and 52 defensive countering techniques were taught to me.
「By the way… did you fall on purpose, Yen? Did you know that I would jump off and follow you to try and save you?」
I proposed my theory, but Yen remained silent. However, that was not a denial.
「I don’t want to make you angry by asking, but when I reversed the Zetsurou– You must have considered the possibility of being defeated. In that case, then your protégée still on the fugaku would be in danger.」
「…」
「By taking me out of bounds and forcing a draw, they would be safe. That is my theory. How close am I?」
I gave her a wink and Yen, who had already stopped the blood flow from her broken horn replied:
「…If that is what you think. You can believe what you wish.」
While picking the scab, she did not deny it, as I thought.
「Well, they do say that even an oni can be moved to tears, huh?」
Slapping Yen on the shoulder–
Embarrassed at having her surprisingly caring nature for her comrades exposed, Yen turned her face away.
Then she stood and walked away.
Then walking lightly toward the garden entrance on the footpath toward Hakusan Avenue… with me walking alongside her.
「What are you going to do now?」
I asked.
「Go to Ki no Kuni. I’ll swim. No need for concern. I have heard reports that there are some of my tribe there.」
Yen replied.
I didn’t really understand where Kii no Kuni was, but… If she’s going to swim to some island country, then that’s where I have to give up following. For now, I’m going to have to give up on the attack.
With no real grasp on the workings of modern society, if I left Yen alone, she’d probably rob or mug someone again–
So I accompanied her in the dark and bought some onigiri and sake from a 7-11 for her.
When the part-timer working the late shift at the shop saw Yen and I… he must have assumed I was the younger boyfriend of some kind of female pro wrestler, and he sold me the sake.
「–Why do you give to one you faced in battle? Do not be worried. I shall not sate my hunger with thine flesh.」
Yen said as she took the plastic bag from me.
「Just eat if you are hungry. The fight is over, and now there are no friends or foes. Or is it that in the world of oni, a man giving a woman a gift has some other meaning?」
My Hysteria Mode boosted by the experience in the spa, I said this with a smile to conceal my true intentions.
「…」
「I am not trying to bribe you, and you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but– I want the karagane that Habi possesses If I leave is alone, Aria will become the Scarlet Goddess.」
「I would not find that objectionable.」
「…I see. Then we have an irreconcilable difference of opinion.」
「So it would seem」
I learned one more thing.
The oni want Aria to become the Scarlet Goddess. However, I do not know why.
That must be why they came to Japan uninvited; they must thought it had already happened.
That being the case– the time for negotiation is over.
We will have no choice but to fight. Yen and I.
Then the peculiar Habi as well.
「It is getting pretty late to show a woman around, and I have some matters to attend to–So I will take my leave for the night. I did have one final question, however… Between Habi and yourself, which is stronger?」
Pretending to have suddenly remembered something, I attempted to elicit one more bit of intel from the rustic Yen.
But when she turned her back on the Tokyo Dome and faced me with her beautiful face…
It was not the answer I had hoped for.
「What a foolish question. In the entire world–an oni’s rank is determined by power. Placed above me, Habi-sama is inevitably stronger than I. Even if there were seven of me opposed to her, it would be no matter for Habi-sama.」
She’s… 7 times more powerful than Yen?
Realising how unfathomably strong she was–I was depressed.
To say that there are no such things as oni in the world would be a bold-faced lie.
In my world, there are nothing but onis. And they are terribly strong
[END]
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1. Onigashima (Megishima) in the original.
2. 1.86 million USD and 1.69 million Euro
3. Apparently collapsible bows are a thing in archery. The bear bow is the handle and thick part in the centre that is pretty straight. The rims are the mostly curved parts on either end, and they connect to the bear bow.
4. Visual Link
5. Demon Pouch. Assuming it’s some kind of internal storage It’s a made-up word.
6. Settsu is an old province encompassing Oosaka and Hyogo
7.Oni are typically named after vices. Literal meaning, ‘Drunkard’.
8. Well-known member of the Minamoto clan who did a lot of their dirty work but due to the peril involved, gained a lot of notoriety and fame.
9. This is the ancient formal court name of Tohyama no Kin-san, the crusader of justice who fought corruption in the government in Japanese tales.
10. This is all Sengoku Era warriors and generals. Don’t try to follow it.
11. Dracuria is the Japanese Kanji name for Hilda.
12. Man-eating devils in Hindu-Buddhist mythology.
13. Literally, Change the World, or Rotate the Heavens. Kind of means ‘Spin’
14. Book listing those who are dead, curated by Enma Dai, ruler of the underworld.
15. YES! Hell == Isekai is what the OG text said! LOLOLOLOLOLOLLOLOOL!
16. Boujutsu is the style of techniques relating to the use of a staff (bou)
