Chapter 12: Dodging the QuestionChapter 11: Eternally Little
Chapter 13: Code name: Shirokiyami
「Let me go! 」
The father had greasy sweat dribbling down his forehead as he tried to shake his hands from Taiyou’s grip.
Taiyou had a chilling glare directed towards the father. He wanted to crush the fathers hand just like he did with the apple, but the father managed to slip away before he got a chance.
「You insolent brat……..What is your intentions ? 」
The father’s voice was trembling, his fist turned so white it looked painful and even his whole body was shaking.
On the other hand, Taiyou was extremely calm and composed.
「In retrospect, I should have crushed your fist the instant you attacked me」
「Wha…..」
The father became speechless. Seeing this scene, Sakura gracefully begins to talk.
「I see, you aren’t all about “talking big”」(She’s saying he can actually walk the talk)
「Sorry, I’m just a high school student so I don’t understand that particular expression you just used」(“talking big” is the unconventional expression she used)
「Did you know? I, favour a man like you, instead of boiling up in anger when he’s under pressure, he can instantly cool down his mind, I think that this kind of disposition is really desirable」
「Instead of “dodging the question”, and answering with another question why don’t we start communicating more effectively?」
「I believe my conversational skills are logical enough. Well enough about that. More importantly, I will take your actions to mean that you are the ally of the girl’s, will this be the correct a.s.sumption?」
「What is certain, is that I am not an ally of justice」
「Even more than me, aren’t you the one having fun, by trying to “dodge” the conversation/question?」
Sakura covers her mouth, as she lets out a slight laughter.
「However, I understand. It seems there is no other way, even though I wanted to resolve this in a peaceful manner」
After saying that, she raised her hands into the air and clicked her fingers together.
「—-Tsu!」 (surprised)
In that moment, the blood in Taiyou’s whole body froze as if he was in some sort of hallucination. A shiver ran up his spine and without thinking he took a step back in retreat.
He soon realised why he was shivering. In compliance with Sakura’s summoning, groups of men wearing black clothing started to appear in succession as if out of thin air.
That is, twenty men dressed in black appeared from the yonder and surrounded Taiyou from three different directions.
Seeing such a Taiyou, Sakura turned towards the father and gave a look of confirmation.
「It’s about to get a little rough, this should not be a problem for you right? 」
「The things that was promised to me, they will be delivered on time right? 」
「It most certainly will, that’s because your honourable-daughters have the hopes and dreams of all the women in the world on the line. Taking that into consideration, a price that corresponds with its high value will surely be rewarded to you」
「Hehehehehehe」
After hearing Sakura’s words, the father of the girls had a satisfied smile and laughed in a vulgar manner.
The conversation between the two was about such a vulgar/disgusting topic that Taiyou suspected Sakura’s ulterior motives for letting him hear it.
「I can’t believe that there really is a father that would sell their own daughter…..」
「Huhhh, you brat—–」
Hayakawa’s father whom was abo
ut to curse at Taiyou, was stopped by Sakura when she signalled him to stop with her hand.
「The act of selling’s one daughter you can just think of it as a disreputable part time job that one takes in desperate times」
「…….」
Taiyou was silent, for the first time in his life, a horrible feeling that he could not imagine began to rise in his heart.
His anger was like magma, he felt it bubbling and boiling from within the depths of his heart——–However, the violent emotion was not reflected in his face at all, that was the kind of young man Natsuno Taiyou was.
On the contrary, his mind began to cool down rapidly. In an instant his heart went cold and calculative, it was as if his fury took him below the freezing point and he reached the pinnacle of absolute zero.
He looked around the vicinity.
Behind him was a concrete wall, and in front was the blacked clothed men surrounding him from three directions. It was a situation where he and the three sisters were completely enclosed with no way to escape.
In order to break out of this situation——he began to think for a little, and without turning his head around he started to talk to the three sisters.
「I will open a path, When the opportunity arises, please use that chance to escape」
「What about you Taiyou-san? 」
He heard them speaking, but he could not really pin point which of the three sisters was speaking. Because there was no room for him to make a mistake by turning his head around.
「Don’t worry about me, I will make it out somehow」
「But—-」
「Please just go」
Taiyou calmly reb.u.t.ted whatever they were going to say without giving them a chance to continue.
「The most I can do for you guys is to create a path of retreat. With this many enemies surrounding us, it will be too difficult to protect you guys at the same time. You understand don’t you? 」
「I understand. Suzu-chan and Kaza-chan you guys are fine with this as well right? 」
「Yeah! 」
「We’ll run to the best of our abilities」
「Alright, that’s good then…….」
Taiyou nods his head and refocusses his full attention on the black clothed men.
During the time period in which Taiyou was communicating with the girls, Sakura gave multiple instructions out and the men in black clothing started to converge and take position to engage. Even if he could create a diversion to open a gap in between them, the hole would soon close up again.
The plan Taiyou discussed with the girls was seemingly the correct course of action to take, however…
「Let’s go! UOOOO!」
Taiyou let out a war cry—-and turned his face to look behind him. And he went straight towards the concrete wall and started to hit it!
DOKA! GARAGARAGARA. (*punch* *crumble* rocks falling)
The concrete wall crumbled to dust and a cloud of sand raised from the ground.
「A, amazing…..as expected of Taiyou-san」
「Is this the time to be impressed?! Quickly get away」
He was speaking loudly and trying to urge them to escape. When he did the three sisters were shocked to action and began to make their way towards the other side of the hole. The three sisters were unwilling to part with Taiyou and they looked at him one last time before making their escape together.
They were taking advantage of the fact that Sakura was taken aback with amazement and using it as an opportunity to escape through the hole, Taiyou had the aura of a mighty warrior and was standing in a daunting pose.
Sakura whom was late to react had a bitter smile on her face.
「I didn’t expect that you would be able to open a hole in that concrete wall」
「Did you think I would go towards the black clothed men? If that’s the case then it’s regrettable. To be completely caught off guard, how does it feel? 」
「You need to say that kind of dialog more sinisterly, otherwise it won’t be effective」
「If a person is good natured, my way of talking is also acceptable」
「Ara (oh), But it seems that you have a wicked heart」
Sakura was standing on guard, ufufufu, and on the contrary, she began to laugh as if she was enjoying the challenge.
「Oi, what are you just standing there, quickly chase after them」
Hayakawa’s father was shouting at the men in black and tried to get them to move. They were unable to comprehend the event that occurred because it was beyond their expectations, so instead of taking action they seemed to have looked towards Sakura and waited for the next set of instructions.
「It would appear that instead of taking a detour, it would be faster to just push onwards. There is no other choice, please subdue that child」
「Yes! 」
One of the men clothed in black responded to the order, and he extended a hand which looked tough and muscular towards Taiyou.
Taiyou casually grasps the man’s hand, and returned a punch of his own.
The man in black tried to guard against it, however—–.
「Gu…….Haa…..」
Taiyou easily broke past the man’s guard, and his fist landed straight in the belly of the man. In an instant, the man’s body was raised from the ground, and his body blown backwards and flew like the way you would write the く j.a.panese character.
「…….You, are you for real? 」
The complexion of Sakura’s face changed. It was an expression that was filled with astonishment looking at how powerful Taiyou was.
「I’m just an average kid, that is crazy about games」
「Is that so? 」
Sakura erased her surprised expression and jerked her chin, when she did the men in black all moved at once and went towards Taiyou.
Taiyou took a step back and went inside the hole in the wall. He went from a position in which he could be attacked from three directions to where it was only possible to attack him from the front.
It was the kind of knowledge he applied from the SRPG he used to play back when he was leveling up in his games. (Strategical Role Playing Games)
Taiyou began to punch the incoming black men and knock them away one at a time.
It was an overwhelming amount of power, all he needed was one punch in order to defeat his opponents.
After all, that strength was a power which exceeded common sense……..It was a power he obtained from leveling up and reaching 30 strength. However, his other stats were mediocre and because of this, Taiyou were unable to dodge or deflect the attacks coming from the men in black and he actually received plenty of strikes from his opponents as well.
The men in black came at him one after another, and he received numerous blows to his body, and the damage was piling up.
Even so, Taiyou’s punches did not seem to get any weaker in strength. He was continuously defeating the black clothed men in one punch.
「What kind of M, Monster are you? 」 (Hayakawa’s father)
「……tsu」
He wiped the corners of his mouth where fresh blood was seeping out with the back of his hand. He completely ignored Hayakawa’s father who was frightened by him, and looked towards Sakura whom had a sour face right now. Hayakawa’s father was only a small issue, the main problem was all caused by Sakura.
「These bunch of good-for-nothing, fellows」 (Taiyou speaking)
Taiyou was grinning and laughing, because the result seemed to be apparent, his next move was to make a bluff.
「…….These guys and I have worked together for a very long time, I know best the extent of their true abilities. They are definitely not one to get beaten by high school student」
Sakura gave Taiyou a piercing gaze.
「You, who are you really? 」
「Like I said……I’m just your regular high school kid that is crazy about his games」
「Since you are not willing to answer, does this mean that if I want to find out, I’ll have to use brute strength to pry it out of you? 」 (Sakura speaking)
「Who knows, we shall see」
Taiyou responds in a light hearted manner.
Suddenly, an uncomfortable feeling welled in him.
At first he didn’t know what gave him that uncomfortable feeling, so he started to look around to find out what it was.
However when he realised what it was, his heart grew even more worried, and it was like a large bell was being wrung loudly in his head.
——ZOKU! (*tremble*)
The hot sweat which came out as he was battling, turned to cold sweat in an instant. The scary chill which ran up his spine returned again.
It was the instant, in which Sakura raised up her hand, in which he felt this feeling. However, he was mistaken when he thought that what would appear would be another bunch of men in black.
Taiyou instinctively made a step back.
An extreme explosion of killing intent was released, and without thinking, Taiyou was reacting with his instincts.