Chapter 256

Natsuki is sobbing while holding the now cold Yakumo in her arms.

The four girls can do nothing but silently watch from afar.

『Well, what should we do next?....』

Beside Natsuki, Tiriel scratched her cheeks uncomfortably.

The other three girls also have a troubled look on their faces. Now that Yakumo capture plan has failed, the position of the girls has become more complicated.

Amidst all this, Ferris approached and bent down in front of Natsuki.

『Natsuki』

“You—-don’t come close to me！ You alien!!”

『You don’t need to cry』

“You shut your........”

『The kid, he’s not dead.』

There’s a question mark floating above Natsuki’s head as she breathed heavily.

“Natsuki, Let me.”

Abigail put her hand on Yakumo’s neck.

Yakumo is indeed cold and not breathing. However–.

“–No doupt, he’s in a state of suspended animation. Just like Shigeaki remember?”

“Suspen....”

“He got hit by diamond’s suspended animation poison, he’ll be in a state similar to hibernation.....so don’t worry....he’ll be fine, he’ll breathe after a while. Yakumo-kun is alive.”

“That’s........ really–?”

“Ko-ho.”

As Abigail said, Yakumo coughed.

Groggily, his eyelids opened.

Natsuki gasped as she looked into his face, which was rapidly regaining color.

“....uuuu........ugh....uuuaaaaaaa....”

Holding Yakumo tightly, Natsuki cries, her voice muffled. Ferris pats her head softly. Diamond, too, puts his hands together in an apologetic squat.

Rudra, who had been quietly watching the situation from a distance, rushes over to Yakumo and begins to examine him. All of the Foxes have received medical training.

“I’m sorry for scaring you.”

Abigail said apologetically.

“I needed Natsuki to act sincerely, so they wouldn’t know. Please forgive me.”

Abigail’s shoulders relaxed.

-also, I was relieved that it worked.

If he didn’t come back to life, it would have been the most awful ending, and it would have left me with one of the biggest disgraces in my life. You did a great job, Diamond, I’m going to promote you later.

“Thanks again, Gevaudan–....”

Abigail dazedly walks over to me and bumps her forehead against my arm, looking exhausted.

It’s been a tough day.

“You’re welcome. I’m amazed you thought of diamond power.”

“yeah....”

Abigail’s expression faded as if she was remembering something.

“I’m sorry about Niblo......”

“No need to worry, That guy was just doing his duty.”

That may have sounded a little cold.

–Maybe it’s just that I don’t really feel a feeling of loss.

Maybe it’s because I’m so used to seeing my friends die.

“–Now. I’m off to pay respects to Yasmin, but what about Abigail?”

“Do you know where she is?”

“Yeah. It’s probably an old weapon research facility. I think it’s an armory now, and I can get to it from the underground ring road.”

『We’ll take care of Abby, don’t worry!』

Lydia came up to me, giving me a thumbs up.

『I appreciate for protecting Abigail, but why?』

『I can’t let Abby die, can I?』

Lydia chuckled, with an air indicating that she is not going to tell me the reason.

『Well then, Lydia, can you keep Natsuki and Yakumo—-』

I was about to say more, but then I thought, I don’t want them to kidnap Yakumo again. What should I do?

–Suddenly, I felt a tug on my apron.

Yakumo was holding onto it.

“Hmm?”

He kept a tight grip on the edge of my apron and leaned closer to me.

“You mean you want to go with me? That’s extremely dangerous....”

“....In times like this, it’s better to do what Yakumo says.....”

Natsuki said, rubbing her tear-stained eyes.

“I’m coming too.”

“Eh..”

I looked to Abigail for help.

But she hesitated, then responded with a loud sigh.

“–Currently, no group is on our side. We’re safest near you. Including me.”

“Hah..... just came back to life.... you’re acting so energetic already.”

_.

I patted Yakumo’s head.

Then Diamond skitted down my arm. and settled into Yakumo’s arms again. Yakumo squeezed him and stayed quiet. He seems to like that position, too.

“Abigail!”

Rudra’s voice came from behind me.

“What’s this all about?”

He’s a member of Fox’s team and is completely hostile to the aliens. They are trained to pull the trigger when they see aliens. I don’t need him to spell out how he sees the current situation.

“Rudra, just calm down and listen to me.”

Abigail explained the current situation to him. Loud enough for me to hear.

In short, the four girls and I are the avengers sent from the alien world, and their target is the traitor Yasmin. That’s a lie of course.

Abigail learned the truth from the other side and is temporarily cooperating with the four girls in order to defeat Yasmin. At least I and the four girls are on Abigail’s side, only now we are not enemies of humanity, nor are we on the side of that masked guy. That was the story. Of course, it was a lie too. Abigail, you lie so much. As expected from a spy.....

In the case of Yakumo, he was targeted because his existence was revealed to the other side by the mysterious spy. Natsuki and Yakumo happened to be friends. And I have rebelled against Highland Zephyr’s underhanded attempt to kidnap Yakumo, so they helped me out. This is true.

“I see.”

Rudra had no questions about the somewhat convenient storyline.

“So, do you believe it?”

Abigail questioned my thoughts, the lack of response was indeed making her uneasy.

He looked at me and said, “You’re not enemy. You saved me”

How understanding. I knew he was young and malleable.

“I can see that the vampire who kidnapped Yakumo is hostile to the butcher, but I’d like to talk more about it later when things calm down..”

“Rudra..Thank you.....”

Abigail thanked him and kissed him on the cheek.

When we had concluded our talk, I turned to the four girls.

『I will take Abigail, Natsuki, and Yakumo to kill the target. What about you?』

『Me! me! I’ll go too！』Lydia said, grabbing my arm.

『We’ll go with you』Ferris followed.

『–Eh? then I will...wait, we!??』

Tiriel shook her head.

『Wait a minute. Gevaudan is going to attack the very heart of the subhuman base. Then doesn’t that mean that we are going to be in the middle of the war zone?? just us, students in the middle of a subhuman stronghold?? That’s something we shouldn’t....』

『That’s exactly what we’re going to do.』

Arshella put a firm arm around her shoulders as she stepped behind her. It’s the face of a Yankee messing with an honor student.

『We’re currently sabotaging Zephyr’s mission, If we don’t come back with at least a good score for taking down the subhuman leader, we’ll be punished. I even confronted Papameyan face-on.』

『.... unn.... how did this all happen....』

Tiriel looked up to the heavens with a pained look on her face.

As she did, she put her fingers in her mouth and whistled.

Then, from behind a building, an owl landed soundlessly on her shoulder.

『Oh, a scops owl.』

『It’s my messenger, you can’t eat it. Hah..now.....』

Tiriel rolled her shoulders and straightened up, then got serious, grabbed my apron with both hands, and leaned in close.

『–let’s definitely, definitely!! finish off the commander of this fortress!!』

It’s like a switch has been flipped. I thought she was unusually timid and ladylike for an alien, but I guess she’s no coward.

The path is cleared by the monsters I’ve scattered, so don’t worry. However, you know that if you try to turn Yakumo over to Papameyan, you will be considered my enemies as well.

『n-absolutly not！ why should we do that...right!?』

Tiriel looked back at Ferris in a cold sweat.

『Yes. I won’t do it again. I’m sorry, Jibodan. It was all my idea.』

『I’m sorry I ruined your whole setup. And Ferris, that time you didn’t tell them that Yakumo was still alive.』

『Because Jibodan didn’t seem to be pleased with my plan. Was I troubling you?』

『It reminded me of a lot of things. I can’t bear the thought of Yakumo and Natsuki having to go through the same thing I did.』

『Fufufu』

Ferris giggled pleasantly. Her ears twitched.

『–As always, Jibodan is really cool.』

『I know right?』

Although I am a butcher, I am still a little happy when I get praise.

『I remember you can use resurrection magic right? I wonder why Papamayian gave up on Yakumo so easily』

『The body of a subhuman cannot be resurrected. Resurrection isn’t perfect either. Besides, I don’t have the power to use it freely yet. The last one was like the ultimate fight or flight.』

『I see. got it.』

『Hey, let’s go, Gevaudan! Zephyr might take all of our credits at this rate!!』

Arshella urged, swinging her spear. Her wings flapped and her tail wagged. Like a dog begging to be walked.

“Abigail, everyone is going together, but don’t let your guard down.”

“Okay.”

“Natsuki, keep your hands on Yakumo. Abigail and the others will be with you.”

“Got it.”historical

Natsuki and Yakumo hold hands tightly after being told by me. Oh, it’s so dazzling.

“....”

Abigail, who was staring at the two of them, suddenly grabbed my finger.

“What’s wrong?”

“–Nothing. Sometimes it’s nice to do it, right?”

She said and winked at me.

–I wish she would let go of me because it will slow me down in case of an attack.....

Unable to say anything to break the mood, I jumped into the sinkhole and entered the underground ring road, with both my hands grabbed by Abigail and Lydia.

The underground armory is on the other side of the fort. Let’s grab a car nearby and hurry.