Chapter 391: Dream or Reality
“Goshujin-sama, there you are~!”
Shouted the little maid girl who then raised both her arms overhead. I expected her to make a jump to my location, but reality couldn’t be more different.
“Anchor hand!”
She yelled with the p.r.o.nunciation slightly off, at which point, black wires shot out of her hands. It didn’t look like she had a grappling hook hidden on her. The wires really appeared as if by magic, or ESP or, or maybe she was actually a cyborg?
“And~ up!”
Before I could settle on any of those impossible explanations, the maid girl had come up to eye-level. The wires extending from her hands had instantly accelerated her to the second floor window.
Our eyes met with the gla.s.s window in between. Her sparkling dark eyes looked pure yet had a fiery pa.s.sion, which set alarm bells ringing in my head.
I followed my instincts and kicked the floor, making a fast jump backwards.
“Hayaa!”
And clearly that was the right course of action as, in the next moment, one of the maid’s black, enamel-polished shoes. .h.i.t the windowpane with incredible force.
One kick from her thin legs had completely shattered the window I was sticking fixedly to just moments ago.
“Wouaaah!?”
“Kyaaaaah!!”
The shards of gla.s.s a.s.saulted the other students who’d been bunched up close to the window. They all, of course, tried to dodge back, but just ended up tumbling on each other like falling dominoes.
As the high school boys and girls groaned in pain, all heaped up like spaghetti, the maid, who was the primary cause for their misery, landed elegantly onto the cla.s.sroom floor.
“Be at ease, Goshujin-sama, for I, your Hitsugi, shall save you at once!”
The maid, no―― the girl called Hitsugi was in fact pointing at me as she spoke that line of nonsense.
“Y-yo, Kurono, you uh, know this girl?”
Saika Youto, my bosom friend, said this from within the giant student dumpling. Him being able to throw in a quip in this kind of situation was just the sort of thing I loved about the guy.
“Nah, bro.”
No way I’d forget a girl with an ominous name like Hitsugi, in other words, coffin, if I ever met her.
“Goshujin-samaa! I can’t believe you’d forget about your Hitsugi!”
But she seemed to be acquainted with me. Actually, I was apparently her master too.
“This is quite unfortunate. But that simply means I have to wake you up, by force if I must!”
Hooted Hitsugi, coming up with a decision at her own discretion, her long black hair standing on end.
No, not just standing, that hair was moving. As if her hair had come alive, it split and wiggled eerily like a collection of snakes.
“This is f.u.c.ked up, we gotta run, Kurono!”
“You don’t have to tell me tw――!?”
But before I could take action, the medusa-head maid girl Hitsugi sprang straight at me. I was having doubts whether I could push her aside despite her physique being no different from that of a small girl. I couldn’t let those hair tentacles touch me no matter what. I had to avoid direct contact.
“s.h.i.t!!”
I grabbed the chair closest to me and launched it at her. This must be that fight-or-flight response since I was able to easily hurl the thing with one hand.
“Fugyaah!?”
Strike. The creepy tentacle maid landed on the floor with a thud.
But I couldn’t relax just yet. I turned on my heel and headed straight for the door leading out of the cla.s.sroom. Throwing the chair at her had only bought me enough time to get the door open.
The sliding door rattled loudly in my ears as I fell into the hallway.
“Mmggg! Stop running!!”
While her still young voice held a tone that was as if we were playing tag, I could only hear the call of a devil from h.e.l.l. I couldn’t afford to look back and check.
It was technically still cla.s.s time so the hallway was empty, making it easy for me to run the f.u.c.k away.
Oh right, there was a giant wolf monster right outside, wasn’t there? Could I even go out of the school? But then again, staying inside wasn’t exactly safe either.
Which way―― I hesitated, after having reached the staircase located at the center of the long hallway in 3 seconds.
Going upstairs will only leave me with less room. It was better to head down then.
I made a snap decision and was about to descend when,
“――Kurono-kun!”
I’d heard that sweet voice call out my name so many times this past week. No way would I mistake her voice for anyone else’s.
“Shirasaki-san, why are you――”
Shirasaki-san, with her long, flaxen hair, came out into the hallway from another 11th grade cla.s.sroom. She held a broom with a wide brush, giving it a T shape. Wait, was that supposed to be her weapon?
“Fooooh!” Hitsugi roared, “Goshujin-sama, you will not get away!”
I’d stopped dumbstruck at the edge of the stairs and Hitsugi had taken that lapse to close in. The deadly medusa head was almost on me, and this time, I had no chair to throw.
“It’s alright, Kurono-kun. I’ll protect you.”
Shirasaki-san said as she swiftly snuck in to defend me. In the same movement, she fiercely thrust the broom in her left hand at Hitsugi.
“Gephh!?”
She used the non-brush end and struck Hitsugi hard on the pit of her stomach.
Her weapon, with its cheap wooden shaft and rounded, blue handle cap had practically no offensive ability, her apparent skill in wielding it made the cleaning utility into the perfect defensive weapon.
The small maid was easily blown away, and landed pitifully on the linoleum flooring.
“Kurono-kun, are you hurt?”
“Oh, uh, I’m alright.”
I felt a bit pathetic having to be saved by her, what with this large body I had at my disposal. No, I couldn’t possibly make moves like she displayed just now, Shirasaki-san was amazing.
“Did you have like, high level training in the naginata or something?”
“Uh, no? What makes you think that?”
I, couldn’t respond. I strongly felt that I shouldn’t ask any further.
“K-kuh… d.a.m.ned seductress! Get away from my Goshujin-samaaa!!”
Maid girl Hitsugi howled as she got on her feet. Her hair was reforming into wiggly tentacles, now even more agitated. Actually, it kind of looked like there were a lot more of them now.
It was like she’d taken no damage at all from that strike just now. Tough little girl.
“You get back, Kurono-kun. I’ll defeat that monster.”
Shirasaki-san moved further forward, saying a rather heroic one-liner. I felt hesitant to stop her too, after seeing her dish out that pole-arm punishment just now.
She looked like she could actually do it too, she could beat that tentacle maid with just a broom.
“No, wait, that’s crazy! We need to run――”
“Don’t worry, Kurono-kun, I won’t let them take you.”
Shirasaki-san spoke without turning back. She would hear none of my pleas, only showing me her back, poised for battle.
Was I supposed to just leave it all to her.
I… wasn’t I, supposed to, protect?
“I will save my Goshujin-sama! Take this, bind arts!!”
“I won’t hand over Kurono-kun.”
Hitsugi and Shirasaki-san both sprung into action, their respective weapons ready to strike.
Hitsugi made the first move. Once she yelled ‘bind arts’, which I a.s.sumed was an offensive technique, her hair, that had formed into tentacles, transformed even further. They’d become jet black chains. Seeing these dark, seemingly metallic chains made me instinctively feel as if they were made so as to allow no escape.
That was not all there was to these chains. The binding weapons were each tipped with razor sharp claws. Claws that could surely shred a woman’s delicate skin into ribbons.
The chain claws numbered a total of ten.
And with them all originating from Hitsugi’s hair, she looked to have complete control over their movements.
All of them headed for Shirasaki-san. Five of the chains went at her straight, forming a vertical line, 2 pairs went at her from the left and right, and the final one arced up to the hallway ceiling before diving straight towards her head.
It looked humanly impossible for her to dodge something like this. The chain claws were moving so fast they looked like they’d cause whiplashes. She’d have to be superhuman to be able to dodge just one.
And yet, I just couldn’t picture the scene of Shirasaki-san being hopelessly killed by that deadly attack.
I was sure it wouldn’t happen. She can and will overcome this multi-directional a.s.sault―― just like a certain girl in white.
“―― huh!?”
And she did it.
With one powerful swing downwards, Shirasaki-san repelled all 5 death claws coming at her from ahead. However, that move also caused the cheaply made broom to break.
In the same movement―― in the exact same timing as her one handed broom attack, she shot out the weapons in her previously empty right hand, dealing with the 4 claws encroaching from her left and right.
I hadn’t even seen her take those out. Shirasaki-san had, stuck between her fingers, 4 different writing utensils.
Starting from the s.p.a.ce between her thumb and index finder, a sharpie, a black ball point pen, a red ball point pen, and a felt-tip pen. I only saw them after they hit the chains, so I could only conjecture that she’d thrown them.
Two on the left and two on the right. With one motion of her hand, she’d struck 2 pairs of attacks coming from two different vectors. What was amazing was the fact that all these pens. .h.i.t dead on the mark and, though they couldn’t parry away the bulky chains, they did succeed in redirecting their aim just enough to let Shirasaki-san squeeze out of the way.
Only the chain from above remained now.
And, as if to demonstrate that she could deal with merely a single chain with ease, she easily dodged it with a slight shuffle of her legs.
Her marine uniform had not one scratch as the chain claw missed its mark, striking dumbly on the floor.
Shirasaki-san then started once again approaching Hitsugi, the maid girl finding herself wide-eyed at the feat she’d just been shown.
“You little! I am not done yet! Pile――!”
Hitsugi howled, gripping her right hand into a fist and getting ready to make a large swing. At the same time, all 10 of her chain claws were released from her hair, scattering all over the hallway. Some even slid up to my feet.
But I wasn’t paying attention to these minor details. I couldn’t take my eyes off of the mortal duel happening before my eyes.
I was on edge―― No, excited, perhaps even thrilled. Because I knew what Hitsugi was about to do next. I think, maybe. Before I noticed, I’d also gripped my own right hand into a tight fist.
“Bunkeerrrr!!”
A torrent of swirling black formed with Hitsugi’s hair. The raging black hair enveloped the maid girl’s small fist, forming into a piercing, penetrating drill.
This ‘Pile Bunker’ attack appeared to be a single, straight forward yet extreme punch.
The mana held within this punch far surpa.s.ses the amount in Bind Arts. A pin-point concentration of Black mana that is released on impact. Simple, yet it’s that simplicity that makes it the fastest to use. That, is the first Black Magic. That, is Pile Bunker―― Wait, what am I doing making stuff up…? No, this wasn’t that. This wasn’t one of my wild fantasies again, it was something, something deeper, something that resonated in me, something etched into my head, my body… something.
I, wasn’t I forgetting something? Something very important?
Wasn’t I supposed to use that to protect? With that Pile Bunker, with that power?
“―― Nh!!”
It was then that I realized that Shirasaki-san had been struck. That punch must’ve had incredible force to send her flying like that.
“Shirasaki-san!?”
She was coming towards me. I hurriedly attempted to cushion her small body―― but it seems that wasn’t necessary.
I could hardly believe it. Shirasaki-san rotated in mid-air and smoothly landed on the hallway floor. Her rubber sole shoes lacked in grip so she still slid backwards from the momentum but her posture remained firm all the while. This was clearly beyond the realm of what even the sportiest high school girl should be capable of.
With this show of acrobatics done, she’d now ended up in her original position in front of me again.
“It’s fine. I just got a small scratch.”
Said Shirasaki-san, smiling as she looked back towards me. She casually gave a wave of her right hand to show me that it was in fact not serious and had only turned a bit red. To think she could get away with just that after receiving the Pile Bunker… by countering with an inverse rotation of White mana―― once again, just like her.
“Kurono-kun, please don’t worry about anything. You don’t need to concern yourself with this. Leave it to me. Just leave everything to me.”
It was the same, lovely expression I’ve been falling in love with all throughout this past week. But now, now that smile invoked a sense of dread. Why?
Was she really the Shirasaki-san I knew? ―― The moment I bore that doubt, there was a quaking roar.
Graaaaaaaaaah!!!
Suddenly, the floor in front of me burst upwards, revealing a dark monster. Smoke and cement dust fogged the hallway and I could see this giant monster’s head looking right at me.
Its black skin had a radiance of polished metal. Its upwards pointing ears and even its teeth had this pitch black quality. It almost looked as if the beast had been born from a shadow, but black wasn’t the only color on its palette. On the inside of its open maw, I could see red, a deep red like intense flames. This fiery crimson also appeared in its eyes that glowed dangerously.
“Wait, this is the wolf from outside!?”
This was that same wolf without a doubt. It was the same black color, and since it’d gotten a lot bigger after it started eating the students, the size matched too.
But holy c.r.a.p was it huge. Even just its head reached all the way up to the ceiling. It could easily swallow my unusually tall, 190 cm body with a single bite.
Wait, but then, what’s going on with the first floor where its body is supposed to be…? No, this wasn’t the time to be thinking about that.
The wolf chomped on the air 2-3 times, giving off intimidation.
“What the h.e.l.l!?”
And then, the giant red and black maw began coming towards us. The relentless force of destruction easily chomped through the floor as it advanced.
And it wasn’t doing this slowly. By my estimate, it could very well turn us into mince meat by the time we ran 3 steps backwards.
And despair―― was not on the menu. I put one foot forward.
“Shirasaki-san, run!!”
It was because she was still in front of me. Which meant that she’d be eaten first. And I’d be eaten right after her, but… but still, the one thing I didn’t want was seeing my lovely girlfriend cruelly devoured right in front of me.
“Uooooooh!!!”
I roared to dispel any lingering fear and regret as I recklessly charged at the encroaching doom.
I will protect Shirasaki-san. I might not even last a second. This might all be just for my own satisfaction. But my body, no, my soul ordered me to act. To do everything I can to protect her.
My Power would be used to protect.
It was when those dark fangs and crimson mouth were only inches away that I finally remembered that simple truth.
“―― Kurono-kun!?”
The fact that I could hear her shocked scream was probably proof that I was still alive.
“Ugh… hurts, like h.e.l.l…”
Me choosing to move by instinct had led me to the action of grabbing the beast’s open maw with my bare hands. My right hand held its upper jaw while my left hand held the lower one, stopping its destructive advance.
Though this obviously meant that my hands were placed along lines of razor sharp teeth. Both my palms were pierced by the knife-like fangs and a stream of blood flowed down from them.
It hurt like crazy, but I could bear it. I didn’t relax the strength in my arms even slightly. I’d overcome the monster’s powerful biting force head on.
I was battling an unearthly creature by somehow also using unearthly strength. It was as if I was in a dream where I could perform awesome feats of strength―― But reality might burst in any moment now.
I’d stopped it for now, but I wasn’t exactly confident that I could do it for long. No really, I’m not kidding here… maybe another 10 seconds, nope…
“What do you think you’re doing, you stupid mutt!!”
That shrill and annoying yelling had to be from Hitsugi. I knew because I was so used to hearing it, wasn’t I? The pressure on my hands lessened once I finished that thought.
Black chains came flying in. They wrapped themselves around the wolf’s head as if to punish it for misbehaviour.
But the mad beast rebelled anyway. As if it didn’t want to let its prey escape, it struggled fiercely against its chains.
Anyway, this should buy enough time for Shirasaki-san to escape. Thanks a bunch, Hitsugi.
“Shirasaki-san, you gotta run, now!”
“… Why?”
“What do you mean why!? We have no time, just run already!!”
But my desperate pleas only fell on deaf ears.
A sudden warmth on my back. She had embraced me, as if declaring that in no circ.u.mstances would she leave me.
“Kurono-kun why, why didn’t you run?”
“And leave you here!? I’d never do that!!”
“Sure you can, just leave me and run. Easy right? I can stop this monster here, so you just need to run away.”
“I’m saying I can’t!”
“Yes you can. Even if I die, I’m sure you can get an even prettier girlfriend. You need to live, only you need to live on. I just want you to be happy, and only be happy.”
What the h.e.l.l was she saying? I was completely unable to understand how she could say something so inhuman―― but a moment later, I started to. I began to understand what she wanted, I was made to understand.
A will flowed into me.
This will demanded I obey.
Be happy, be blissful. Happiness exists for you, and only you.
The world will bring you happiness. The whole world is for you.
Therefore, no matter how many are sacrificed, you must still remain happy.
So you’ve lost one woman? Let’s give you two. A cute fairy and a lovely witch. If that still doesn’t satisfy you, let’s include a beautiful princess. And her, and her, and even her. You can have anyone, how ever many you desire――
“No! I never wanted that!”
“Why not? You don’t need to suffer any more, Kurono-kun. Just forget about all the painful, hurtful things, alright?”
“I’m not doing this because I want to!”
“Then just don’t, it’s fine, so just stop. You don’t need to work hard, to endure. You don’t need to put in any effort at all. Everything will go exactly the way you want. And it will make you happy, Kurono-kun. It will feel wonderful, I guarantee. It will feel so, so good.”
Exactly as I want. If I only wish it, I could mete all my base desires, of power, of beauty, of l.u.s.t, anything.
The perfect life. Everyone dreamed of it, and I was no exception.
I was supposed to spend the night together with Shirasaki-san. I was really looking forward to it.
“Yes, that’s right. You’ll feel so good once you have s.e.x with me. I promise I’ll satisfy you. Now, and forevermore. I will satisfy your every desire――”
“… But, none of this is real.”
Her slender arms around my waist felt awfully cold.
“Why…”
The warmth on my back was now completely gone. It felt like a block of ice was pressing into me.
“Why, why are you saying that! This isn’t a dream, this isn’t fake, it’s all real, all of it, all of this is real, believe me!”
“Just, stop already. I, remember everything now.”
Everything around me started becoming black. Far away, I could make out something that must’ve been the hallway. It was as if the darkness was swallowing all of creation. The world was dyed in an explosion of black.
But some things were still there. Namely, the wild wolf that was still trying to tear into my hands, Hitsugi who was trying her best to stop it, and on my back, Shirasaki-san―― or at least, the something that took her form.
I fully realized that it wasn’t her, but I still had to say it.
“Thank you. It was a good dream――”
“Kurono-kun, noooooooooo!”
I knew a very easy way to wake up from this dream. I just needed to give the order.
“―― do it, EvilEater.”
I relinquished the strength in my arms.
The last thing I saw was the inside of the mouth that ate up anything and everything in this world. b.l.o.o.d.y, fiery crimson like I was falling into the depths of h.e.l.l. The whole scene could be described as incredibly scary.
But my heart was the picture of calm. I felt as if I’d just slept in a little extra on the weekend. I had my fill of happy dreams. I’d gotten more than enough.
It was now time to go back―― back to reality.