Volume 6 - CH 3(2/3)
– Encourage shout..?
Wandering what it is, Hayato twists his head.
– Members of Warslan Company Motomatsu Base, Savage Interceptor Unit to sortie! Or perhaps that encouraging shout is not what you want?
– Uh huh, as Mirai said. With something like that, I think that it will motivate us.
– .. please say that, Hayato-kun
– Un-, understood.
When Mika prompted him, Hayato cleared his throat and continued.
– Well then, members of Warslan Company Motomatsu Base, Savage Interceptor Unit, to sortie!
And so his three subordinates, following that encouraging shout, flew into the sky together.
– All of you are fast... But, I won’t lose!
Hayato accelerated using?energy, following the girl who went ahead.
The direction that they are heading is the institution. It is about five minutes after they departed from Motomatsu Base. Then an incoming transmission from Sango who is ahead enters.
[Does everyone hear me? Oh, Kisaragi Hayato won’t hear me as I have him separated though]
– I do hear you!
Hayato tentatively gives an answer.
[.. Ooh, that’s right]
Sango broadcasted lightly, and continued.
[We are gradually approaching the predicted site where the Savage will fall masuwa. We will stop in thirty seconds masuwayo. Understood masuwane?]
– Roger!
– Roger!
– Roger!
Hayato stops, answering like the other two did. The four of them are staying in mid-air. There was a transmission from Mika in there.
[It seems like you have arrived at the standby point. We finally got information about the targets. Like I said before, the number of Savage planned to fall to this area are is five. Every one of them seems to be from five meters to ten meters]
– In other words, are they ‘the usual’?
Hayato thinks that it would not be a big deal if that was the case. Mirai said while seeing through that.
– Hayato-han, you are very composed.
– We, well, if the enemies are the regular ones, I’ve defeated them multiple times..
– So that’s how it is, as one would expect?.
– Wh-, why are you bluffing about something an ordinary thing like that!?
The voice of Sango who said so after Mirai was a little trembling.
(It’s her first battle, I guess she is just nervous..)
The way Sango pretends to be tough, perhaps her blunt attitude may come from nervousness and anxiety. Thinking it that way, she looks cute.
– Wh-, what are you laughing about desuno?
– It’s nothing.
– That somehow makes me angry masuwane.
Immediately after Sango said so. *TOーN*, *TOーN*, at a fixed interval an electronic beep began to ring from Hayato’s?Vital Ring
– This, is reacting to the Savage that are approaching, am I right?
[That’s right]
Mika replied to Hayato’s doubt.
(Sure, the sense of sound is shortened according to the distance of the Savage)
Hayato heard that yesterday. Being suspended in that spot, the four people are looking up at the sky, and immediately the feeling of the electronic sound gets shorter.
[After having come this far, I’ll leave the rest to you. I wish you good luck]
Together with that words, the communication with Mika ceased. Then it was Sango who raised her voice.
– Just now, I caught the objective with the?camera?of my HUD wayo. The first one to invade is, a regular Savage with a three meters in length, the defensive membrane is expanded to cover its body masuwa.
Studied in Little Garden, the defensive membrane is for loosening the impact when entering the atmosphere and when landing on the ground. Of course the three subordinates of Hayato also know that.
– The fall estimation point will be inside the forest masuwane. As there are no buildings in there, there is nothing wrong with dropping a Savage’s dead body, don’t you agree? Therefore, the objective is the destruction of the core―in that case, I will commence masuwa!
– Hey, Sango! Wait!
Without listening to Yumina’s stillness, Sango pierces the clouds and raises altitude further to the sky, approaching the Savage.
– Hayato-dono, what shall we do?
Yumina is the one who asked.
– What do we do you say, we can’t let that person go by herself, don’t you agree?
– That means that we are chasing after her, correct?
– Indeed.
Hayato answered while facing Yumina. Already the distance between Sango and the Savage is less than a hundred meters. It seemed that she could get closer in a matter of seconds.
The Savage, which was heading in the opposite direction to Sango, rose up from within the membrane, changed the direction of its body and opened its head.
– Bombardment is incoming!
– I know masuwayo, all of you are noisy desuwane!
Immediately after Sango replied, a bombardment was released from the mouth of the Savage. At the same time, Sango released the same yellowish green energy color of Claire from the?thruster?and then threw the gun in the sky, transforming it into four floating batteries.
– Let’s go,?Drag Red!
The floating batteries scattered around the body of the Savage and released shots successively, but none of them could penetrate the defensive membrane.
– If that’s the case, what about this desuno!
As the floating batteries were commencing the attack, Sango who was close to the side of the Savage return the four floating batteries back to?Buster Cannon?and aim at the Savage.
And so she could finally make a hole, although the size of the core of the Savage is around fifty centimeters.
[Now desuwayo, Yumina-san!]
– Acknowledged!
Answered Yumina who was rotating?Orochimaru?as its counterweight was doing *BUZZ* *BUZZ*. There is no obstacle between Yumina and the Savage, as Sango have risen to the sky.
– Here I go― haaa!
Yumina throws the counterweight with concentrated energy, aiming at the hole of the defensive membrane that started gradually to regenerate. It hit the defensive wall by magnificently slipping through the hole in the defensive membrane.
– As expected of Yumina-san, a perfect blow!
Mirai gives a voice of delight when seeing that the counterweight of?Orochimaru?destroyed not only the?shelter, but the core too.
A communication from Mika jumped in as the corpse dropped into the forest.
[Well done, you guys. But, it is bad to lose focus. The next raid is approaching]
– Of course we understand masuwayo.
Sango look towards up in the skies.
– I have just confirmed the next Savage with my HUD. It is slightly bigger than the one just before desuwane.
– Taichō-han. It is alright if I try it too?
– Uhm, well.. I guess so.
Hayato answered, being shaken by Mirai.
– Then, I will do it too.
As she said so, Mirai set the ice arrow that it suits the light blue color of her?energy?to the bow that she had in her hands.
– Alignment completed―go,?Hanamotsura!
The released ice arrow explodes at the same time it touches the defensive membrane of the Savage.
– How’s that!?
Just after muttering, Mirai narrowed her eyes.
– Mirai, run away! Bombardment is incoming!
Sango shouted. It seems that her HUD can perceive heat sources. That meant that the attack of Mirai couldn’t destroy the membrane.
– ..woah!
Mirai dodge’s the bombardment of the Savage by a hair’s breadth, and shoots her?Hanamotsura?again. It is a second attack on a weakened membrane. The ice arrow destroyed Savage’s membrane.
– Well done, Mirai. Then I will do it too!
Screaming, Yumina released the weight of?Orochimaru?toward the Savage. However, it is not aimed at the defensive membrane. She wreathed the chain of the?Kusarigama?around the arm of the Savage. Yumina then attracted the Savage’s body and aimed for the Savage’s core with the sickle.
– Incredible..
Again, it hits. The defensive barrier of the core is destroyed.
– As expected of Yumina desuwa! Kisaragi Hayato, you have done nothing at all!
– Certainly, that’s true..
*Hahaha*, he can only laugh. Certainly, he thinks to himself that he didn’t do nothing. And there was a transmission from Mika.
[It is ok to be excited but, the invasion has not ended yet!]
– I, I understand masuwayo!
Like being flustered, Sango answered with her face turned red.
[The next three will come at the same time. Among them, one is three kilometers away from this location.. no, this, it’s in the center of the city!]
– Wait what!
[That is the largest of the five, the Savage that’s approaching first. Estimated fall time is two minutes more― no, one minute! We should be able to confirm it by naked eye soon!]
When they heard those words, Hayato and the others looked up at the sky all together.
– It is that desuno?
– It’s really huge, huh?
Hayato muttered while confirming the falling Savage with his own eyes.
The total length will be about twice the normal type. Although it may not be less than ten meters, it is fine to say that it is a dreadnaught type.
– If such a thing falls into the city it will surely turn into a disaster masuwayo!
[Yeah, therefore, that’s why I need you to.. will you do it?]
– There’s no need to being told, as there’s no choice but to manage it somehow! Mirai, I will change the falling point by pushing the Savage with a full power bombardment of my?Buster Cannon?I hope you can destroy the defensive membrane with your?Hanamotsura.
– Roger! Let’s go?Hanamotsura!
But then, it was impossible to destroy the defensive membrane.
– No good, it looks considerably hard because of that size!
– If so, then I, to each of its defensive membranes..!
It looks like the injection of?energy?to the?Buster Cannon?has ended.
– Full power bombardment― eat this!
Sango’s bombardment hits the defensive membrane of the Savage.
– You did it!?
Yumina shouts.
– Nope, it did nothing.
Mirai is the one who said so.
– Although it went through the defensive membrane, it’s no more than that. Moreover, the hole is not that big. And the regeneration has already begun.
– What do we do? If it keeps falling, it will be a very hard thing to deal with.
– All the more we should get down to ground level and snipe it―
– Then, I’ll go!
– “I’ll go”, what are you saying masuno! With your speed, you will not make in―
– I’ll manage it somehow!
*DOKUN*, Hayato’s heart beat fast.
(There’s no other choice!)
If he must use the power of the?Variant, then it can only be now. Hayato’s eyes changed to golden color.
– Here I gooooooooooooooo!!
Hayato who full throttled his?thrusters, aims for the Savage, rushing while pointing it with the tip of his sword.
– ..It’s a lie, right?
Sango muttered with her eyes wide open in amazement as she looks to Hayato who released?energy?from his whole body and shortened the distance with the Savage in a blink of an eye.
– As expected of Taichō-han. He is amazin?g
Continued Mirai who raised her voice.
Splendidly,?Hien?of Hayato not only penetrates the skin, it also breaks through the abdominal steel shell, rather than just the Savage’s defensive membrane.
– No, but that is far from ending there.
That’s what Yumina said with a grim look in her face.
– If the Savage Is knocked down as it is, when they fall together, it will cause damage to above ground.
– If, if that’s the case than what are going to do, Kisaragi Hayato!
– That’s― like this!
Along with that, a fierce?energy?was also emitted from the?Air Ride, pushing the Savage down to the mountain two kilometers ahead. That force was so tremendous, that it collided with the hill side of the mountain, the cloud of dust that raised was similar to a missile that was shot.
– Ow ow ow..
It was natural that the whole body of Hayato received the impact. His body hurts.
However, that doesn’t mean that he gave the final blow to the Savage with his sword. Hayato, who released the?Variant?state, pulled out the sword from the Savage’s body and stabbed the tip of?Hien?using?energy?in both hands towards the defensive barrier of the Savage that was in a state of shock after receiving the impact.
A fluorescent liquid spout out.
– Fuuu..
Hayato wiped the sweat off his forehead after confirming that the Savage was no longer moving.
– Amazing, Taichō-han,! You are amazin?g!
The voice reached directly into his ears. He looked up at the sky, and he saw the figure of Mirai.
On the contrary, while she was falling down, she clung to Hayato.
– Such incredible energy that you used in there, I was truly astonished!
– Mirai, get away from that man at once. You will get pregnant masuwayo!
Subsequently the voice that he heard, it was not through the use of the?Vital Ring. Looking at Sango and Yumina who also are coming down from the sky as if following Mirai, Hayato asked.
– You over there.. what about the remaining two Savages?
– Our priority is to check the safety of Taichō, so we have not dealt with them. The commander also acknowledged it.
Answered Yumina.
– In other words, the remaining two have fallen into the forest, correct?
– Therefore, Kisaragi-taichō, if there is no problems with your health, we should head to annihilate the Savages, don’t you agree?
– Right, let’s do that. Shinonome-san, can you hear me?
[Yes, I hear you]
– Thank you for worrying about me. I am alright now, so we will head to annihilate the Savage.
[Roger. Take care]
– Understood.
– Ok then, let’s go.
Yumina is the first to rise to the sky. Hayato and the others float in the sky shortly. The place where the Savage fell on the ground was seen as soon as he was floating in the sky. It is because the surrounding trees are collapsed and become like craters. Hayato descends to one side of them. The forest is surprisingly thick.
He is supposed to be by the side, but the figure of the Savage cannot be found.
– I’m going to check it from the sky masuwa. Depending on the situation, it may be perceived by HUD.
The floating Sango declared so. Hayato and company roam with their eyes looking around restlessly the surroundings overhead. And then, she stopped naturally at a certain point.
– The Savage, was here.
Said Sango, falling and putting her feet on the ground.
– That direction. It’s around 500 meters from here desuwa.
And so Sango points with her finger in the direction where the Savage is. At the same time that he turned his face in that direction, Hayato’s face became particularly stiff. The reason is that the Savage was rushing vigorously towards them.
– Impossible, it had noticed us―.
– Everyone, dodge it!
– Even if you don’t say it, I know that masuwayo!
Hayato and the rest scattered and dodged it, they immediately recovered their stance and changed to offensive.
–?Hamanotsura!
The one who started to attack first was Mirai. But the ice arrows scattered as they hit the defensive barrier.
– My turn!
Sango fires a shot and then changes her?Buster Cannon?into four floating batteries surrounding her body. However, it seems that wasn’t enough. Although the defensive barrier contains a crack, the destruction was not effective.
– That being the case, I..!
The Savage reverses the body. Hayato was concentrating?energy?in his feet, presuming that the next attack would be probably a bombardment. The Savage launches the bombardment, trying to set off an attack aiming at the gap just before that. As expected, the Savage raised its body and opened its head.
(Now!)
In order to accelerate, Hayato tried to detonate the?energy?that had in his feet.
In that same instant.
– Haaaaaaaaaaaaa!
A girl wearing a kendo uniform and with miraculous eyes, emerged from the forest while shaking the ponytail of her flame-like hair, approaching directly to the location of the Savage, without hesitation. Immediately afterwards, she swung down the sword from the upper left corner to its abdomen.
– Wha..!?
Hayato doubted his eyes. That would be natural as well.
– What, what is Touka doing in here!?
Certainly, it is incomprehensible.
– Take this― Kenzaki Secret Style?Zaneizan!!
The body of the Savage was sent flying in the back by the power of the sword that was swung down.
(That just now..)
There’s no doubt.
The technique created by Ryūsei, his Shishō, to use against the Savage. It is a sword technique that uses natural vibration to swell the ordinary attack more than twice. The Savage, which was blown backwards while bringing down many trees, is in a forward-bent posture. As now this is a chance, Touka instantly went after that big body and decided to aim to the defensive barrier of the head.
– Look! Even if I can’t expand a Hundred, I can still fight the Savage!
She jumps in front of the Savage, and Touka started to attack the Savage’s defensive barrier. The first blow is an ordinary slash. However, the second strike that was released shortly afterwards, stands vertically and the sword rotates abruptly in her hands. That also was a slash using natural vibration, the sword destroyed the defensive barrier and stabbed the core of the Savage. The movement of the Savage is interrupted.
Touka pulls out the sword and to not be bathed in the overflowing fluorescent liquid, she landed on the ground after rolling over the Savage’s dead body.
– You saw that, Shinshishō!? Moreover, those people are Slayers! I wonder if they have realized that I have the power to become a member of Little Garden!
Touka who stood up turned the tip of the sword towards Hayato and snort her nose proudly.
– Well, umm..
Hayato thinks?what’s the deal with this?
First of all, what should I ask, I wonder?
– Taichō-han, do you know her?
Hayato answers with a bitter smile to Mirai who asked.
. Yeah, kind of.
– ..ah, that! There is something behind that girl masuwayo!
The one who shouted was Sango. Hayato too notices that something is running after Touka from the back.
– Touka, move away!
Due to Hayato’s voice, Touka also noticed that being, but it was a bit late to start moving. That something grazes the right shoulder of Touka who tried to avoid it.
– ―agh!!
Touka crouches, and holds down the wound on her shoulder.
What is it that attacked her at the speed like a released arrow? As it landed on the ground, Hayato and the others understood.
―― It’s a wild dog.
Those are the claws of the paw that grazed Touka’s shoulder. But, he knew at first glance that it was not just a common wild dog.
*DARADARA*, Saliva is spilling from its mouth, and its eyes are dyed with a shining fluorescent color.
– Is that a Savage, I think?
– But I have never heard of a Savage that looked like a dog!
Both Mirai and Sango show disturbed faces. At that time, through the mind of Hayato passed by his classmate Alphonse and his Hundred Tamer type. But the appearance of the dog in front of his eyes and the?Silver Blitz?of Alphonse are not alike at all. Be that as it may, the color of the dogs’ skin is black and it looks like Savage’s steel shell, hair is growing in tufts, and the skin looks soft as well. It is very different from?Silver Blitz?which is hard to the touch and has no hair.
– ..if it comes to the end, it is possible, but you can eat pieces of Savage’s core that have fallen in the vicinity and mistakenly eat them as food. Because of that, I have heard that there is a possibility of an atrocious transformation.
– In other words, that wild dog is possibly infected with the Savage virus..
– I think that possibility is high.
Immediately Mirai responded to Hayato’s doubt.
*FUH**FUH*, the wild dog bares its fangs, and with an agitated breathing kicks off the ground and attacks Touka again, jumping.
This time it had a big mouth open. If she gets hurt, it will be a serious thing.
– Taichō, please leave this to me.
Yumina said that to Hayato who is trying to help. She quickly released the weight of the sickle and chain at the wild dog. That was magnificent, the weight hits the body of the wild dog.
– Kyaunh!
The wild dog screamed and collapsed completely.
– ..I’m sorry.
Yumina headed where the wild dog is lying, to give it the finishing blow with the sickle. *BIKUBIKU*, its body is twitching over the clump of bushes where it fell over.
–? Poor thing, it can’t be helped..
Muttered Mirai.
She piles her left and right palms in front of her chest and prays in a Yamato style.
– If we leave it as it is, there is a possibility that the infection will spread further, we must cover it perfectly for the sake of mourning it. Sango, make a hole with your floating batteries.
– Understood.
Sango makes a hole in the ground with a shot, and Yumina buries the corpse. In the middle of that, Hayato approaches where Touka is and asks her.
– Are you okay?
– I’m okay.. aghh..
Touka replies seemingly that way, but she didn’t look like that. It is because Touka is pressing her shoulder and has a painful facial expression.
– Show me the wound.
– I’m telling you that there is no problem, okay!?
Touka stands up, thrusting away the body of Hayato who was approaching. And then-.
– Shinshishō, look over there.
The place to where Touka’s eyes are looking at. They can see the remaining Savage in a small place, which is located two hundred meters away.
– I’m going to show you exactly as I’m telling you that I’m okay!
– Hey, wait!
Shaking free from the restraints of Hayato, Touka begins to run.
But the pain in her shoulder seems to be higher than what she thought.
– ..kh, aaghh..!
Instantly she raised her voice, moaning and crumbling on the ground as if she was cowering.
The Savage probably noticed Touka who emits hostility towards itself.? Starting with the sense of touch―.
Then it turned its body and merely opened its head. It is the posture for bombardment.
– This is bad!
If this keeps this way, Touka will receive a direct hit. In a hurry Hayato accelerated using the?thruster?of his?Air Ride?and headed for rescue. The bombardment was released. There’s no enough time to deploy an?E barrier?to block it. But still, Hayato was able to rescue Touka at the last minute. However, he couldn’t completely dodge the beam that was as far as in front of his eyes―.
– Guh!
The beam touched the starboard of the?Air Ride. Pushed by that power, the body of Hayato rolled over, leaping to the surface of the ground.
(Is Touka, is Touka alright?)
At the same time that stops his movement, Hayato confirms the condition of Touka in his arms. Apart from the shoulder wound done by a wild dog that seemed to be in frenzy by the Variant Virus, it looks that there’s no other injuries.? Hayato has only injuries to the degree of scratches, Touka that’s within his arms continues to release hot long breaths accompanied by a painful look.
– Taichō-han, are you okay?
It was Mirai who asked the question.
– I’m okay, but..
Hayato direct his eyes to Touka. What resounded there was the voice of Sango.
– Kisaragi Hayato! Standing there doing nothing, a bombardment of a Savage will come again masuwayo!
– I know.
Answering, Hayato turns his glance to where the Savage is.
(First of all, I can’t leave her like this..)
Hayato directed his eyes to Mirai who was on the side.
– Mirai-san, may I entrust you with Touka?
– Absolutely.
That being the case, Hayato stands up, leaving the body of Touka to Mirai. The?Air Ride?on the back is tattered by having received Savage’s bombardment and rolling on the ground. He tried to use the?thruster?but does not work properly and in this state it is unlikely to shoot a beam or a missile. In that case then it would be just a hindrance to carry it, so Hayato purged the?Air Ride, and got in a state of lightness. In there, he heard far away the voice of Yumina.
– Kisaragi-taichō, a Savage’s bombardment is coming again!
– I will block it masuwa!
– No, that’s fine. Leave it to me.
Saying that to Sango, who was creating a gun with the four floating batteries and tried to launch an attack, Hayato lays?Hien?to the side and puts an?E barrier?in front of him. After defending the Savage’s bombardment, he immediately turned to attack.
– Uooooooooh!
Using?energy, accelerated all at once and jumped. He struck with?Hien, which pours energy into the head of the Savage, and destroyed not only the defensive barrier, but also the core at once.
Yumina who was watching the situation had her breath taken away and muttered.
– Like before, Kisaragi-taichō?is amazing.. one blow, and he destroyed the core of the Savage..
– How is the state of Touka?
Hayato who released his armament by confirming that the movement of the Savage stopped, goes walking towards Mirai who holds the body of Touka.
– I- I’m fine..
The one who answered was not Mirai, but Touka.
Touka, looking to Hayato, separates herself from the arms of Mirai, and tries to stand up with her own legs. However, her feet are not settled.
– Hey, you are still not good, Touka-han!
Staggering, Mirai holds with her arms once again the body of Touka who is about to collapse. Approaching there, Hayato looked right to the face of Touka.
– Show me your wound a little.
– What are you doing, Shinshishō! That’s not necessary!
– Listen up and stay still!
Hayato loosened the torso of Touka and exposed the scratched shoulder from the neck.
– Ah..!
Looking at the scar and the skin around it dyed in a pale tone, *DOKUN*! Hayato’s heart began to beat fast in a big way.
– Taichō-han, what in the world is this..?
– This is caused by the Savage’s virus..
Like a mutter, Hayato replied. His mind goes through the memories of ten years ago―.
The wound done by the Savage’s scissors that left a scar on Emilia’s chest.
(What to do, what should I do?)
As for the scar itself, the range where the virus erodes and changes color, although it is smaller than Emilia, the discoloration gradually spreads. At that time, Hayato sucked into the wound and accepted the virus inside his body, so that he wandered around the edge of life and death.
(..but, as a result, I became a Variant, and now that power can be controlled)
If it is now, it should not be like the same at that time. He cannot leave it as it is, nor is it the place to hesitate.
– I’ll manage it somehow. So, stay still.
With that said, Hayato sucked on the right shoulder of the wounded Touka.
– Nah, Shinshishō.. what areh.. kuunh..!!
– I told you, don’t move! In this way, I saved a fellow who was wounded by the attack of a Savage.
Struggling to hold down the body of Touka who’s trying to escape, Hayato sucked into the wound again.
(As usual, it is bitter..)
Bitter sense mixed with the taste of iron. His body gets hot, and his eyes are dazed. But still Hayato kept sucking and spitting out the Variant Virus. By repeating that, he can see that the discolored parts of the skin are getting smaller.
– Fuuh.. uh.. Shin, shishō.. haah, your head, has turned white.. n uh.. curiously, it seems to be getting..
– All right, it’s already over.
Hayato muttered by keeping his face away from the wound.
The discolored places are almost gone.
– Mirai, can I request to you to hold Touka?
– Taichō-han, what on earth was..?
Hayato repeatedly breaths roughly and said while turning his eyes to where the Savage is within the forest.
– I will defeat the remaining Savage.
If he doesn’t do that, it is unlikely to suppress the ferocious virus that is rampaging inside his body.
He wants to fight.
He wants to go rampage.
Such feelings are overflowing from the bottom of his heart.
It may be the effect of overdosing with the virus. To begin, Hayato picked up the sword that had fallen on the ground. Continuing, he touched the case attached to the neck of his Variable Suit and took out another Hundred from there.
– <<Double Deployment>>?Dual Act!
When Hayato cried, the w-->>