Ken yo, kaku katariki – 81

24 – After a Predicament


Why did this happen?
I…we… Just wanted to be happy.
But reality mercilessly tore that hope away.

“Move…!”

“Sorry, miss. But this is my job.”

He lightly deflected her spear attack and then fired his pistol.
She turned her body, dodging…and then spinning out of the way of the knife that was thrust towards her.

…He was strong. That short exchange was enough to see that.
Not so much the other men.

“I do feel bad for you.”

He said, pointing his pistol at her with one hand and twirling the knight in his other.

“But you know now. So there’s been a change in plans.”

He put a hand to his ear. An earpiece?

“Hey, Plan C. …Huh? Ah, that plan was heard. Such stupidity.”

“…Plan C?”

He lowered his hand and grinned.

“Yes. What do you think it is?”

What they would do if they were overheard? Reinforcements?

“We’re going to take away your little sister.”

“Wha…!”

“And kill you. And then both of you would have gone missing.”

“…Why would you do that?”

“Who knows.”

After all, if Aize died here.
Mimi would surely try to find out the reason. And she would surely figure out that Mikhail was involved in her disappearance.

“But if we take her, then there are ways to control a person. Magic arts…potions… You can even erase a person’s memory.”

All for money.
It was madness.

“Well, Mr. Mikhail has gone. So there is nothing you can do now. Just allow me to give you a quick and painless death…”

“AIZE!!!”

Suddenly. From above…red light rained down.
However, the man cut them down with his blade.

“AAaaaahhhhh!!”

It was Tor who jumped in.
But his sword was not directed at the man.
It cut through the air and slammed into the ground. There was a shake, and dust rose into the air.

“Aize, this way!”

Jay pulled her by the hand in the dust cloud.
She heard gunfire on the other side. But dust became a screen that hid her.

“______!!”

Work that she could not describe. Layered, but she had no idea if they meant anything.

Blue light danced, and a geometric pattern was drawn on the ground.
A gust of wind blew from it, and blew away the dust… But there was no one there.

When Aize opened her eyes, she was in the forest.
Likely, still in the same mountain.
Jay was at her feet, his face was pale.

“…What was that?”

“Ah…yeah. It’s called holy arts…”

It was a secret art that those of the church were supposed to learn. But she had never seen it being done before.

“Are you alright? Hey.”

She looked around and saw Tor and Enya as well. Tor had his sword on his shoulder and was looking down at them.
Enya was inspecting their surroundings.

“Still, you can actually warp…that’s amazing.”

While people knew that it was possible, warping was not something that had ever been done with magic arts. However, she had heard rumors of priests being able to do it.

“It’s not that impressive. I’m not capable of much distance yet. We shouldn’t be more than a hundred meters away.”

Indeed, they could hear faint voices and footsteps already.

“We have to get away…”

“Aize.”

Suddenly Enya extended her hand to her. Aize accepted it and got up to her feet.

“Go. Now.”

“Huh?”

“I will stop them here. And you can get away.”

“Why? We have to go together…”

“Sorry. But I can’t do that.”

She looked down…her clothes were torn and soaked with blood.

“Was it…the bullet?”

“It’s just a scratch. Regardless, I won’t be able to keep up with you.”

Leave her? Here? She could never.

(This is my fault.)

Because I brought them here.
Because I charged in.
And I…was too weak.

“Aize.”

Enya put both her hands on Aize’s shoulders.

“You want to help your sister, don’t you?”

—Ah, that was right.
Even now, her sister was in danger.
However…

“Look, Aize. There’s something I always wanted to tell you.”

“…Enya?”

Her voice was shaking.
Not with fear, but as if to hold something back.

“I’m sorry, Aize.”

She said as she embraced Aize.

“I…when you ran away from home…I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t help you.”

“Enya. You’re wrong. I did that on my own.”

“We were friends. But I didn’t understand your pain and the troubles you were going through…”

She had been like an older sister to Aize, always fussing about how she was. So perhaps she had harbored regrets about it this whole time.
Enya softly enveloped Aize’s hands in her.
Her eyes welled with tears.

“And so you go. Let me protect you…this time.”

“I think you mean, ‘us.’”

Tor placed his hands on top of hers.

“Yes. Me as well.”

Jay added his hand.

“As I said before…I don’t want to have regrets when this is over.”

◆ ◇ ◆

“Is she gone?”

Tor asked quietly.
It was just the three of them now.

“I didn’t know that you were thinking that way.”

“I guess you were more angry than anything.”

“Yeah…”

He was too weak to be relied on.
Tor had been upset. Enya blamed herself. Jay became depressed.

“After that, it became awkward for me. Meeting you two.”

Jay admitted as he helped treat Enya’s wound.

They had all been affected by her disappearance.
But they didn’t blame her. They understood why she didn’t want them to get involved.

“Well, it’s all resolved now.”

“Don’t lower your guard.”

“I wouldn’t. Besides, this mountain is our backyard.”

Tor smiled as he sensed the enemy approaching.
They had the advantage of terrain. And would have to bet on it.

“We’ll do it.”

“Yes. At the very least, we’ll cause a scene and be a nuisance.”

Enya stood back up and wiped her eyes and made a fist.
But then…

“…Sorry. Do you have a minute?”

Another voice suddenly rang.
In shock, they all turned around. But they had not sensed anyone there before.

Still.
There he was. A single man.

Next Chapter

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