(I’m taking an embarrassing defeat…!)
While Karuda tried to run away, the monster’s tentacles stretched and grasped around her feet as if to pull her into its body. She grit her teeth and clung onto the edge of the flower bed.
Soon, something which would destroy everything like an iron hammer would come raining down from that boat from a parallel world. Soon enough, she too would be taken as collateral into the next world.
“You won’t escape… You won’t escape Rihyaldaaa! We’ll both fall to hell together!”
Many tentacles stretched forth from the monster’s real body, and clung onto her whole body. Karuda dug her nails into the dirt to resist, but she couldn’t bare it any longer. Is this it? is the type of feeling of giving up that swelled up inside her.
——And, she heard an explosion from the direction behind her. When Karuda looked, she could see the many tentacles blown to bits by the blast. The power pulling onto Karuda weakened. Impossible! She thought.
“Karuda-san!”
It was Kuze. He had thrown away the recoilless rifle which had run out of ammo and had thrown a grenade as he ran over to her.
“I have come to help you!”
Saying this, he took out the knife on his type 89 rifle—a bayonet—and cut off the tentacles still stubborn enough to cling to her.
“Shoot! Get off, you!”
He desperately was cutting off the tentacles from her legs, but they were tougher to get off than he expected, so it wasn’t going well. Karuda yelled.
“Stop, Kuze-dono! Leave me here! At this rate, you too will die!”
“Sorry. You may be fine with it, but I can’t do something like that!”
“Everyone will understand! The countrymen of Mariisua…”
“To abandon a beautiful woman like you and continue living and return to my world would cause me such great shame, I couldn’t possibly live with it!”
(EN: *bites lower lip* Well said… Even though you’re an Ikemen…!) (ED:i agree)
Kuze wryly smiled at Karuda, who didn’t grasp the meaning of his words and looked ahead dumbfounded. He didn’t want to accept any more deaths. After this, to sleep well at night, he couldn’t abandon her. There was no relation between the calm decision of a soldier and situations that couldn’t be helped.
“P-please, Kuze-dono! Don’t give me any more regrets! You…”
Karuda was bewildered that Kuze would be trying to save her so desperately.
“I don’t want you to die!”
Even she wondered at what she was saying. But, she meant it wholeheartedly. At this rate, two would be lost. She’d again lose a person like that. There was only that fear.
“I too don’t want you to die, really!”
Kuze shouted. Karuda didn’t say anything back. Because, as a knight, she’s tried to save others, she’s tried to protect others, so she’s never given much thought to herself needing to be saved. And, he said that, and that man from a parallel world… Somewhere, he resembles that man.
“Really, you are starting to look like a hypocrite just as that shougun said. To say you couldn’t bare to leave such a beautiful woman behind while you live on.”
“Th-this isn’t the time for such jokes…”“I wouldn’t risk my life for a joke, seriously!”
Kuze swung his bayonet downward with all of his body’s might. With a thick sound, he stood, and finally, Karuda was free of all the tentacles.
“Hurry!”
She reflexively grasped his outstretched hand. After using much strength and power to be spared, they ran away together. In the midst of this limit-pushing situation, she felt a faint sense of nostalgia.
The decided date of her wedding in the summer when she was 17. She ran out of her parents’ home and enjoyed a short time of freedom. Before the constraint of a political marriage, that tiny bit of freedom with no other partner but him was the glorious memory she had.
A couple who of a young man and a young girl who both knew not fear or the like… She realized she hasn’t moved a bit forward since that time. After the person she had decided to move forward and walk together with died, she hasn’t moved forward at all.
Like a mourning dress, she wrapped herself in her military uniform, having never stepped a single foot into a new life. Somewhere in her, she had desired a death on the battlefield.
Yes, she surely wanted something like this. To grasp that person’s hand, and run off together. She said Kuze was a hypocrite. And, above all, she was this way. It would have been good if she hadn’t prayed for the fortunes of war for the man going to the battlefield.
While she wanted her own freedom, she wouldn’t throw away the dignity of being a noble. So, she warned him of being a knight. While wanting him to live…
That time, before he had to go to the battlefront. Why didn’t I cling to him? I was a coward. Would it have been good if only he had lived? If so, then why did I pray for the fortunes of war with a yearning face? Kuze’s old lover is a strong woman. If she really wants him to return home. If she wishes for the man she loves to live. What I first said needed to be said. That I didn’t want him to go.
“Shoot… Will we make it in time?!”
“Sorry…”
“It’s fine! Don’t worry about it!”
Her apology was not just to him. Yes, that is how it was. Karuda had realized it. The true reason she continued to wear this military uniform like mourning clothes. It was because she felt like she had killed that person. Her beloved man dying was the punishment for her foolish actions as she didn’t give up on the nobility part of herself.
There were no reasons for a person like Kuze to have to save her. But, he still moved to save her. And, even though she felt as though she was saved, she thought she was beyond help. Yet at the same time, she was so happy she could scream. She too was a hypocrite.
——And.
“Ah!?”
Suddenly, with a jerk, Kuze, who had been running, lost his balance and fell.
“Kuze-dono!?”
Karuda was in a hot haste to be saved, but it isn’t going too well.
“This…!?”
Upon seeing this, one tentacle caught a hold of his leg. That was the tenacity of the monster.
“Hahaahahaaa! You’re coming with me, monsters from another world! Summoned troops! Rune troopers!”
“Confound it…!”
Kuze tried kicking the tentacle with his boot, but it was holding on so tightly it didn’t budge at all. Karuda got out the bayonet Kuze had at his waist and tried to cut it. But, faster that that, countless tentacles came to attack the two.
“Waaaaagh!?”
The tentacles grasped them as if to pull them into its main body, and held Kuze and Karuda up.
“Karuda-san, this impossible nonsense!”
Seeing this as their end after everything, Kuze felt a sense of anger at his final end. At least, he wanted to save her. But, it was no longer a question of what to do. Those black tentacles would freely steal everything from them.
“Kuze-dono, ah…? Kuze-dono!!”
Karuda raised her woefully screaming voice. Feelings of impatience and guilt disturbed her heart. (Is this punishment? Punishment for letting him die? Oh gods!)
By her fault, her beloved was led into death, and again, now, this young man from a parallel world would die here. If this is a punishment from Heaven, it is cruel one.
“Please save just him!”
Karuda screamed in a fittingly fearful tone. She would go down to hell. She couldn’t go to the realm of the dead for soldiers. But, still, she didn’t want Kuze to die. After this, he’d save many other lives.
And, surely he’ll meet a good military woman to spend their lives together in happiness with. His death will be the misfortune of so many. So, not for my sake, but for all those who will meet him—those were the kind of pleas coming from Karuda at that time.
“… Ga… Ga… Commanding officer Kuze—!… Ga… Ga…”
The wireless communication device shouted.
“Is that Seargent Yaegashi?!”
While Kuze was murmuring, he heard someone’s voice. —And, in the middle of the darkness he saw a splendid light.
“Oh Light, illuminated the darkness. Oh Light, fill everything!”
He could hear an incantation. No way he thought, but they were trying to give Kuze a way to escape from the darkness. As though it was melting, the tentacles were shrinking away from him is what Kuze thought. It was Ryumi. Ryumi and company put forth all the power of the priest soldiers of the gods and used every kind of holy magic to cause this darkness to recede.
This is probably their last chance. Kuze looked for the desperate Karuda from inside the darkness. And, he once again grasped her hand and dragged her out. With the light making it as if there is an intense spotlight on them, Kuze held onto Karuda and rolled out.
“Kuze… San…?”
“Are you alright?”
Karuda stared at his face, which was covered with mud. In the middle of the light of the holy magic, the feeling she had when Kuze held her tight was suffocating. That feeling she had on that last happy day when she was held tight by that person was brought back. But, that wouldn’t last long. Yes, it was not over yet. They must live on. He must, as well as herself.
“Platoon Leader Kuze! Here!”
There was the shrill engine sound and the violent down wash in the courtyard. For an instant, Kuze didn’t understand what it was. This is!?
Two black hawk transport helicopters were flying there. It was the helicopter the ground squad had to take off with.
It had finished being replenished and had returned. To save their mates. Ryumi and company who continued with their holy magic aria had sent out the magic light to help board the helicopter. The other helicopter set up to land.
“There is no time! Get us from the side!”
“Yaegashiii!”
Kuze screamed and moved forward with Karuda with her holding onto his shoulder. They both had wounds all over their body. With the side door fully open, the black hawk approached them. Yaegashi and company added to the cover of fire being aimed at the monster. The wind became fierce. The black hawk moved in front the two of them and hovered there.
“Karuda-san, ahead of me!”
Kuze pushed Karuda into the cabin ahead of him, using force. And, he also moved to ride as well. But…
“Ugh!?”
“Nhghooooooh—! Rune trooopeeeeeeers!”
The monster which had been inflicted with so much damage now stretched a tentacle and caught Kuze by the leg.
“Kuze-dono!”
Karuda moved to get out of the helicopter but was stopped by Yaegashi. Kuze desperately clung to the helicopter, but the tentacles moved to bring the whole helicopter down. But, in the next moment, the tentacle holding onto Kuze was torn to pieces. Kuze was taken aback. He couldn’t hear a gunshot. No, as he thought that, he heard the delayed gunshot sound. It was a long-range sniper!
“Yes, it hit!”
“Yeah!-”
Ichinose and Rarona, in the minaret, mutually clapped each others’ hands together in celebration.
Getting on to ride the helicopter, Kuze laughed. He may be a stupid, cheeky brat, but he’s a good subordinate. The pilot yelled.
“We will rise in altitude. Hold on tight!”
“There’s not much time until the tomahawk!”
“Here it comes!”
The black hawk at once raised in altitude so it could flee from the impact point.
At the same time, the monster’s anger at the thing from a parallel world they are riding in also rose.
“Nooooooooo! You accursed rune trooopeeeeers! You outsiders that got mixed with this wooooorld!”
(I’m taking an embarrassing defeat…!)
While Karuda tried to run away, the monster’s tentacles stretched and grasped around her feet as if to pull her into its body. She grit her teeth and clung onto the edge of the flower bed.
Soon, something which would destroy everything like an iron hammer would come raining down from that boat from a parallel world. Soon enough, she too would be taken as collateral into the next world.
“You won’t escape… You won’t escape Rihyaldaaa! We’ll both fall to hell together!”
Many tentacles stretched forth from the monster’s real body, and clung onto her whole body. Karuda dug her nails into the dirt to resist, but she couldn’t bare it any longer. Is this it? is the type of feeling of giving up that swelled up inside her.
——And, she heard an explosion from the direction behind her. When Karuda looked, she could see the many tentacles blown to bits by the blast. The power pulling onto Karuda weakened. Impossible! She thought.
“Karuda-san!”
It was Kuze. He had thrown away the recoilless rifle which had run out of ammo and had thrown a grenade as he ran over to her.
“I have come to help you!”
Saying this, he took out the knife on his type 89 rifle—a bayonet—and cut off the tentacles still stubborn enough to cling to her.
“Shoot! Get off, you!”
He desperately was cutting off the tentacles from her legs, but they were tougher to get off than he expected, so it wasn’t going well. Karuda yelled.
“Stop, Kuze-dono! Leave me here! At this rate, you too will die!”
“Sorry. You may be fine with it, but I can’t do something like that!”
“Everyone will understand! The countrymen of Mariisua…”
“To abandon a beautiful woman like you and continue living and return to my world would cause me such great shame, I couldn’t possibly live with it!”
(EN: *bites lower lip* Well said… Even though you’re an Ikemen…!) (ED:i agree)
Kuze wryly smiled at Karuda, who didn’t grasp the meaning of his words and looked ahead dumbfounded. He didn’t want to accept any more deaths. After this, to sleep well at night, he couldn’t abandon her. There was no relation between the calm decision of a soldier and situations that couldn’t be helped.
“P-please, Kuze-dono! Don’t give me any more regrets! You…”
Karuda was bewildered that Kuze would be trying to save her so desperately.
“I don’t want you to die!”
Even she wondered at what she was saying. But, she meant it wholeheartedly. At this rate, two would be lost. She’d again lose a person like that. There was only that fear.
“I too don’t want you to die, really!”
Kuze shouted. Karuda didn’t say anything back. Because, as a knight, she’s tried to save others, she’s tried to protect others, so she’s never given much thought to herself needing to be saved. And, he said that, and that man from a parallel world… Somewhere, he resembles that man.
“Really, you are starting to look like a hypocrite just as that shougun said. To say you couldn’t bare to leave such a beautiful woman behind while you live on.”
“Th-this isn’t the time for such jokes…”“I wouldn’t risk my life for a joke, seriously!”
Kuze swung his bayonet downward with all of his body’s might. With a thick sound, he stood, and finally, Karuda was free of all the tentacles.
“Hurry!”
She reflexively grasped his outstretched hand. After using much strength and power to be spared, they ran away together. In the midst of this limit-pushing situation, she felt a faint sense of nostalgia.
The decided date of her wedding in the summer when she was 17. She ran out of her parents’ home and enjoyed a short time of freedom. Before the constraint of a political marriage, that tiny bit of freedom with no other partner but him was the glorious memory she had.
A couple who of a young man and a young girl who both knew not fear or the like… She realized she hasn’t moved a bit forward since that time. After the person she had decided to move forward and walk together with died, she hasn’t moved forward at all.
Like a mourning dress, she wrapped herself in her military uniform, having never stepped a single foot into a new life. Somewhere in her, she had desired a death on the battlefield.
Yes, she surely wanted something like this. To grasp that person’s hand, and run off together. She said Kuze was a hypocrite. And, above all, she was this way. It would have been good if she hadn’t prayed for the fortunes of war for the man going to the battlefield.
While she wanted her own freedom, she wouldn’t throw away the dignity of being a noble. So, she warned him of being a knight. While wanting him to live…
That time, before he had to go to the battlefront. Why didn’t I cling to him? I was a coward. Would it have been good if only he had lived? If so, then why did I pray for the fortunes of war with a yearning face? Kuze’s old lover is a strong woman. If she really wants him to return home. If she wishes for the man she loves to live. What I first said needed to be said. That I didn’t want him to go.
“Shoot… Will we make it in time?!”
“Sorry…”
“It’s fine! Don’t worry about it!”
Her apology was not just to him. Yes, that is how it was. Karuda had realized it. The true reason she continued to wear this military uniform like mourning clothes. It was because she felt like she had killed that person. Her beloved man dying was the punishment for her foolish actions as she didn’t give up on the nobility part of herself.
There were no reasons for a person like Kuze to have to save her. But, he still moved to save her. And, even though she felt as though she was saved, she thought she was beyond help. Yet at the same time, she was so happy she could scream. She too was a hypocrite.
——And.
“Ah!?”
Suddenly, with a jerk, Kuze, who had been running, lost his balance and fell.
“Kuze-dono!?”
Karuda was in a hot haste to be saved, but it isn’t going too well.
“This…!?”
Upon seeing this, one tentacle caught a hold of his leg. That was the tenacity of the monster.
“Hahaahahaaa! You’re coming with me, monsters from another world! Summoned troops! Rune troopers!”
“Confound it…!”
Kuze tried kicking the tentacle with his boot, but it was holding on so tightly it didn’t budge at all. Karuda got out the bayonet Kuze had at his waist and tried to cut it. But, faster that that, countless tentacles came to attack the two.
“Waaaaagh!?”
The tentacles grasped them as if to pull them into its main body, and held Kuze and Karuda up.
“Karuda-san, this impossible nonsense!”
Seeing this as their end after everything, Kuze felt a sense of anger at his final end. At least, he wanted to save her. But, it was no longer a question of what to do. Those black tentacles would freely steal everything from them.
“Kuze-dono, ah…? Kuze-dono!!”
Karuda raised her woefully screaming voice. Feelings of impatience and guilt disturbed her heart. (Is this punishment? Punishment for letting him die? Oh gods!)
By her fault, her beloved was led into death, and again, now, this young man from a parallel world would die here. If this is a punishment from Heaven, it is cruel one.
“Please save just him!”
Karuda screamed in a fittingly fearful tone. She would go down to hell. She couldn’t go to the realm of the dead for soldiers. But, still, she didn’t want Kuze to die. After this, he’d save many other lives.
And, surely he’ll meet a good military woman to spend their lives together in happiness with. His death will be the misfortune of so many. So, not for my sake, but for all those who will meet him—those were the kind of pleas coming from Karuda at that time.
“… Ga… Ga… Commanding officer Kuze—!… Ga… Ga…”
The wireless communication device shouted.
“Is that Seargent Yaegashi?!”
While Kuze was murmuring, he heard someone’s voice. —And, in the middle of the darkness he saw a splendid light.
“Oh Light, illuminated the darkness. Oh Light, fill everything!”
He could hear an incantation. No way he thought, but they were trying to give Kuze a way to escape from the darkness. As though it was melting, the tentacles were shrinking away from him is what Kuze thought. It was Ryumi. Ryumi and company put forth all the power of the priest soldiers of the gods and used every kind of holy magic to cause this darkness to recede.
This is probably their last chance. Kuze looked for the desperate Karuda from inside the darkness. And, he once again grasped her hand and dragged her out. With the light making it as if there is an intense spotlight on them, Kuze held onto Karuda and rolled out.
“Kuze… San…?”
“Are you alright?”
Karuda stared at his face, which was covered with mud. In the middle of the light of the holy magic, the feeling she had when Kuze held her tight was suffocating. That feeling she had on that last happy day when she was held tight by that person was brought back. But, that wouldn’t last long. Yes, it was not over yet. They must live on. He must, as well as herself.
“Platoon Leader Kuze! Here!”
There was the shrill engine sound and the violent down wash in the courtyard. For an instant, Kuze didn’t understand what it was. This is!?
Two black hawk transport helicopters were flying there. It was the helicopter the ground squad had to take off with.
It had finished being replenished and had returned. To save their mates. Ryumi and company who continued with their holy magic aria had sent out the magic light to help board the helicopter. The other helicopter set up to land.
“There is no time! Get us from the side!”
“Yaegashiii!”
Kuze screamed and moved forward with Karuda with her holding onto his shoulder. They both had wounds all over their body. With the side door fully open, the black hawk approached them. Yaegashi and company added to the cover of fire being aimed at the monster. The wind became fierce. The black hawk moved in front the two of them and hovered there.
“Karuda-san, ahead of me!”
Kuze pushed Karuda into the cabin ahead of him, using force. And, he also moved to ride as well. But…
“Ugh!?”
“Nhghooooooh—! Rune trooopeeeeeeers!”
The monster which had been inflicted with so much damage now stretched a tentacle and caught Kuze by the leg.
“Kuze-dono!”
Karuda moved to get out of the helicopter but was stopped by Yaegashi. Kuze desperately clung to the helicopter, but the tentacles moved to bring the whole helicopter down. But, in the next moment, the tentacle holding onto Kuze was torn to pieces. Kuze was taken aback. He couldn’t hear a gunshot. No, as he thought that, he heard the delayed gunshot sound. It was a long-range sniper!
“Yes, it hit!”
“Yeah!-”
Ichinose and Rarona, in the minaret, mutually clapped each others’ hands together in celebration.
Getting on to ride the helicopter, Kuze laughed. He may be a stupid, cheeky brat, but he’s a good subordinate. The pilot yelled.
“We will rise in altitude. Hold on tight!”
“There’s not much time until the tomahawk!”
“Here it comes!”
The black hawk at once raised in altitude so it could flee from the impact point.
At the same time, the monster’s anger at the thing from a parallel world they are riding in also rose.
“Nooooooooo! You accursed rune trooopeeeeers! You outsiders that got mixed with this wooooorld!”
