#29 – Steel of Death
“…That’s enough! The winner is…Aize Lilieth!”
Iria shouted, and a relaxed air came over the audience.
Mimi crumbled to the ground with tears. It was clear she had been holding it in all of this time.
The baron also sank into his chair with a sigh of relief.
Sherry and Iria rushed towards Aize. They were probably going to treat her injuries. As for the man…he was breathing, but gravely injured.
“I…”
“Baron Lilieth.”
His eyes turned to Yukito.
Now that Yukito thought about it, this was the first time the baron had really looked him in the eye.
“I don’t have any parents. …Though, there was this person who raised me.”
No one in this world really understood what he meant.
No parents… In his previous life as well.
When he was five, both of his parents had died in a traffic accident… Though, he did not like to think of it as an accident.
He only had fragments of memories now. Beautified.
Still, those memories had deep roots and were still within him.
“I felt lost when they died. And I wanted to follow them. Just to meet them again.”
What helped him then had been a teacher at the orphanage. Though, he had never been able to repay the debt.
“When you’re a child, parents are all that you have.”
And then his wife turned to him as well.
“I suppose you both had your reasons. But look now…”
They turned to the clearing.
The sight of Mimi as she cried and hugged Aize.
“Watch them now, if nothing else.”
She had fought and prayed, risking her life.
“Ridiculous….”
A voice suddenly rang.
Mikhail Fravault. He was clenching his fists and his lips quivered.
“This can’t be…! What is the meaning of this, Zero! I thought he could win!”
“…Yes.”
“Nevermind! Zero! You go instead! Kill her right now!”
“Why do you think that would be allowed?”
Came an icy voice. It was Iria. She and Sherry were helping Aize walk.
“The duel is finished. There will be no wedding. The matter is decided.”
“He…hehe…”
He shook and laughed. There was a madness in his smile.
“I see… So the Count decided to aid one side, resulting in an absurd result… Even going as far to bribe the company I hired to protect me… I have been trapped…”
“What…”
“Well, it looks like I have no choice then!”
He took something out of his pocket..
It looked like a transceiver.
“Do it!”
Suddenly, there was a loud boom, and the mansion shook.
(That is a…)
On the other side of the hill.
It appeared, little by little.
A black mass of steel.
The optimized form for killing.
It knocked down trees, crushed plants, its metal creaking as it drew near.
A tank.
Two of them.
And then the roar of the cannons.
A moment later, the dueling ground was blown into rubble.
Dust rose into the air and rocks rained down.
Thankfully, no one was hurt. Even the man who had fallen was taken away by the others.
Iria looked at Mikhail with disbelief.
He had brought such a thing out?
“What are you…”
“It is obvious!! If this were to come out…it would be the end. Well…I must have you all killed then!”
“Master…no, Mikhail. You…”
“Don’t move, Zero. Or you and the others will get blown away too! Everyone here will die as I skip town…”
“…That’s enough.”
A chilling voice rang.
It was Yukito.
Even he was surprised by how cold his voice sounded.
“Ms. Iria. You said that the duel was finished?”
“Uh, yes…”
The man with the mad laugh froze when he saw Yukito.
“Take one step and I’ll kill you. And the pistol you’re hiding won’t make a difference.”
“What…! I have tanks! What do you think you can do!”
With katana in hand, Yukito took a step forward.
“Teacher…”
Aize sounded worried, but he smiled and patted her on the head.
“I’ll deal with the rest.”
here we go