Katahane no Riku

It was approaching.

The sea of demons was approaching.

Opening its mouth, the sea of madness waited for Rook and the princess to fall down into it. Once they were engulfed by it, it was clear to the eyes that not only Rook, but the princess, who couldn´t defend herself, would die in an instant.

There was a great amount of sweat on Rook´s forehead. Was this the end? Even though they were able to escape, would they get caught and immediately get the bad end? Was he going to become the cornerstone for the Demon Lord´s revival whilst harboring regret and without being able to have atonement? Could he simply accept all this without doing anything? No! The thought of giving up and believing this was his limit by itself was wrong.

Rook drew his sword, and as if to cheer up his fearful heart, he shouted.

“As if I am going to dieee!!”

Light gathered at the sword.

The pale light shrouded into a swirl at the center of the sword and became enveloped in light that would dazzle the eyes. In this deep night even the moonlight was dim, as to be expected, even demons… Rather, it was with how demons had good eyesight at night that the strong and sudden light blinded their eyes

“Gh, too bright.”

Rook didn´t let the fact that the sight of the demons became limited go by. By using this opening, perhaps he would be able to run away. Confirming his success, he raised the corners of his mouth. However, it didn´t end easily like that.

While there were merits in what he did, there were demerits.

It wasn´t only the demons that were surprised by the sudden light.

It had also shone onto the eyes of the horse Rook was riding on.

Of course, if it was the horse he was familiar to using, it wouldn´t happen because he had trained it so that it wouldn´t get surprised by this extent of illumination. However, the horse he was riding right now was one he borrowed from the demons. Having no training for getting used to the light, right when it was about to land, it highly raised up its front legs and fell down without being able to control its landing. Despite how its posture mid-air was already bad to begin with, the horse raised the front legs with all it had. Rook and the princess, who were riding on it, started to slip off the horse.

Rook was still fine. The problem was the princess, who was sitting behind him. Without putting any resistance against the gravity, the princess slowly fell off the horse.

“Tch, sorry!”

Rook grabbed the princess´ arm and embraced her. And then, he kicked the horse´s sides with all his strength. Using the force of the recoil, he jumped off the horse and landed onto the heads of the demons, who had got their eyes blinded and couldn´t move.

“Yotto!”(よっと！)

Rook lightly jumped onto the head of a demon and moved on to the next head.

As if he was crossing through islands, Rook was nimbly moving through above the demons. Because the demons were dazzled by the light, there was minimum resistance over being stepped on. By the time the attack would come, Rook would already be moving to the next foothold.

However, this kind of method wouldn´t last for long. Once the demons would get used to the light, it would be the end. After only a bit more Rook would be able to escape from this sea of demons. But right at that time, swords and spears were thrust at him, trying to pierce through him. He jumped away as to try to escape from them, but he couldn´t spot any demons that could serve as a foothold nearby anymore. All the demons had regrouped into their battle formation.

But even so, he would still be able to get out of this sea of demons after going for only a bit longer. Once they escaped from the demons, the rest would be easy. Once he took one of the horses, all Rook would need to do was to escape. Finding a demon that didn´t look like it would be able to retaliate, Rook was about to jump onto his horse.

However…

“Obediently give up, spiritualist!!”

At the next instant, a sword was pointed right in front of the demon he wanted to jump to. The demon that held the sword invited Rook to come closer to him.

“As if I am giving up!”

Taking off the wig with the hand he was using to hold his sword, Rook threw the wig at the demon with all his strength, aiming for the face. This action was to block the demon´s sight. That movement made the demon freeze for a moment. Weaving his way through this gap, Rook jumped onto the demon´s head and down to the ground again. Without stopping, he ran past the demon.

“I won´t let you run away!”

“You d.a.m.ned scoundrel that used major general Riku´s name!!”

Angry yells broke out from all sides.

While being showered by that swirl of killing intent, Rook continued to run. Aiming for that small gap he made in between all the demons, all he did was to keep running. Holding his sword on his right hand and the princess on his left, he ran away without even paying mind to the surroundings. Just like rain, many attacks showered upon him, but he deflected them with his sword for as much as he could. With his cheeks, his arms, clothes getting mangled, he bled in red.

Of course it hurted.

However, what meaning pain had at that point? Rook wasn´t soft to the point he would stop just because of this extent of pain.

Although gradually, he definitely could see he was reaching to an exit.

“Princess, only a bit more!”

Muttering next to the princess´ ears, Rook increased his speed. And then, when they finally got out from the encirclement of demons… Rook couldn´t help but doubt his eyes when he saw what was in front of him.

“Wha!?”

“You´ve taken quite long, Rook Barusak.”

Leivein Adlar was waiting for him.

He was looking straight to Rook while tapping his great sword onto his shoulder. Rook reflexively stopped his feet. He was supposed to have been able to escape after having used all his strength to break out of the encirclement. Why did he end up returning to the same place despite that? Rook couldn´t understand.

“You being a spiritualist that controls light is already a known fact. Did you think I wouldn´t have taken measures for that?”

Ridiculing the puzzled Rook, Leivein raised the corners of his mouth.

“Measures, you say?”

Protecting the princess, Rook readied his sword.

Behind him was a great number of demons; in front of him was a boss cla.s.s demon… A tiger at the front and a wolf behind. Regardless which way he was to run away to, the chances of victory were dim. Sweat was gradually acc.u.mulating in his hand.

“It is possible to see through the timings and the movement patterns of a light spiritualist. And so, all I need to do is to lead you to an advantageous position for me while you are still crawling on the ground.”

The demons were taller and had better builds than Rook. Being in the middle of all those demons, he couldn´t be aware of the situation outside. Besides, because Rook was so much in hurry, he only focused on escaping. Gradually having his sense of direction shifted, Rook was led to another place just like Leivein had planned.

To Leivein, fooling Rook into believing the entrance was the exit was something very simple.

“…So it means I was too focused on running away?”

Rook showed a wry smile.

All he did was nothing more than to run around the cage Leivein built. When thinking of it like that, a very depressing feeling of regret welled up deep in his chest.

“Well, it´s fine. In that case, things are simple.”

Rook slightly lowered his stance. Pointing his sword straight to Leivein, he carefully decided where to aim at.

Rook didn´t see any demons behind Leivein. In other words, if he was able to break through Leivein, it would be possible for him to escape.

Riku wasn´t here, Zerrik had already died, and he didn´t see Gortoberuk anywhere around. In other words, the one in command of the army was only Leivein, and if he was able to defeat him, it would be possible to buy time until the Demon Lord was resurrected, or perhaps it might be even possible to stop the scheme of the Demon Lord resurrection itself.

“I… will defeat you!!”

Firming his hold on the princess, Rook put his right foot forward and moved his left foot behind. Readying himself into a stance he would be able to charge forward from at any time, Rook was carefully gauging Leivein´s strength.

Leivein Adlar´s strength changed depending on the scenario in the game.

Normally, he would be at the level of a mid-boss. However, in case the protagonist got into relationship with Charlotte, his difficulty level would skyrocket.

…In that case, how strong would he be right now? Rook didn´t get into a relationship with Charlotte, but in terms of development, the route was similar to the one he would.

Regardless, being careful about Leivein would be for the best.

Infusing light into the sword, Rook strongly kicked the ground with his right foot.

Despite how Rook was approaching, Leivein didn´t ready his stance. All he did was to spread out his big black wings in a bored manner. Just by the wings being spread out, a whirlwind was brought forward. A dust cloud rose to the sky, and the gust of wind headed towards Rook.

No, cute words such as [whirlwind] or [gust of wind] weren´t enough to describe it.

What happened was a tempest.

The overpowering wind that could cut the body was about to engulf Rook. Before, he was charging forward, but with the tempest that seemed it could send him flying, Rook had to stop.

“…There is no way…”

However, there was no way he could give up at this point.

Going against the wind pressure, Rook raised his sword overhead. Heat concentrated at the point of the sword tinged with light.

“…I am dying…”

Gathering light at the sword, the brightness reached at its apex in a blink of an eye.

In the future ages, Rook Barusak would get referred in a certain nickname… Cladding up in a shine worthy of the name [silver white], Rook rose his silver sword.

“…in a place like this!!”

Mustering all the power he had, he swung the sword down, putting his body weight onto the blow.

A silvery slash was shot from the tip of the sword. That shockwave slash was the flash that pierced through darkness. As the silvery flash raised a howl, it filled the ground with deep crevices. Undaunted by the wind pressure that seemed to blow away all, the flash pushed on against the overwhelming tempest. In an instant, the flash cut through the wind and bared its fangs against Leivein.

“!”

Now was the first time Leivein´s expression changed.

After seeing the flood of silvery light approaching him, he drew his great sword. And then, he swung the sword, quickly warding off the flash. Dragging the surrounding air along, Leivein´s slash faced the shockwave.

The silvery flash crashed into the pressure made by the stroke of sword. Together with the shockwave, dust clouds spread to all sides. With the sight being covered by the dust, it wasn´t possible to see what was in front of the eyes.

Rook reflexively used his right arm to protect his face from the strong shockwave. It was at times like this that it was necessary to be wary of the enemy´s attack. Just by softening your guard by an instant, your life would be taken. Even if the enemy would charge at him only in one out of a thousand chances, Rook still spared part of his attention to his surroundings so that he could immediately react to any attack.

It happened at that instant.

“…Kuhah!?”

The dust cloud was suddenly repelled by a gust of wind. Together with the air inside his lungs, fresh blood came out of his mouth.

And then, at the next instant…. The world was turned upside down.

The night sky became downwards and the ground became upwards.

Only after a delay of a few seconds did Rook realize the pain and the fact that he had been hit at his stomach and sent flying. He got hit by a fist head-on and was sent flying to the air. Right before he hit the ground, he somehow was able to take a landing. Because of the ukemi, the impact was lessened, but the pain at his stomach only increased.

As to be expected, he couldn´t help but twist his face.

“…Urgh… Such strength.”

Leivein seemed to go beyond the impressions Rook had of him in the game, but after having experienced it personally, Rook could now see there was actually a world´s difference.

Thrusting his sword onto the ground and using it as a support, Rook stood up. However, Leivein didn´t give Rook the spare time for him to think on his next move.

“This is the end, Rook Barusak.”

Leivein´s kick hit Rook at his stomach. (TL note: I don´t know what this would mean ->吸い込まれるように<>

Rook couldn´t defend himself from it, nor could he resist against it. The kick of a dragon demon was something Rook had never felt until now. As reference, it could be said it was close to the impact of being sent flying by a truck. Even when taking a defensive stance, without any of the impact being mitigated, a human would only easily be blown away.

Receiving the strong impact, Rook once again was sent flying to the sky.

It surpa.s.sed the standards of what it could be described as [pain].

Silvery particles scattered around in his view. Starting from the sides, his sight was becoming colored in black just like curtains closing.

And then…