Assassins Pride - Volume 1 - Chapter 5

Assassin Pride Volume 1 Chapter 5
　　　LESSON：V　～To Beyond Critical Point～
──Sir Mordrew ! What is that old goat thinking!

While running through the pathway wrapped in darkness silentlFy, Kufa cursed in his heart.

The lots that kidnapped Melida and other was, apparently self introduced as Troops of Tomfoolery Dawn (Guild Grimhuis).

That was, the name of the terror organization that took root in Flandre’s dark side. Although it was name Tomfoolery Troops, but the Light cavalry regiment (Guild Phoenix) that had the mission of protecting mankind, or the White Knight cavalry regiment (Guild Jack Raven) that Kufa belonged to was definitely the exact opposite nature. Generally, it could be called a「Criminal Guild」 a dangerous group.

Its origin could be said to be longer than Flandre’s history, existing as the oldest most ominous secret society. The politicians from ancient times that had lost their power, the nobles that had fallen due to various reasons, on top of that the large number of Lycanthrope added. With their slogan of elimination of the current nobility system they had repeatedly done terrorist acts. ──In short, they were a bunch of idiots that wanted to return to their seat of power.

However, exactly because the nature of the organization was to make bitter enemies out of mana capable ones, that the human body mechanism research was 《this side》more than one or two times being completely devoted themselves to, had been heard. Although he had heard rumor about the surgery to change class into something else but, the danger degree couldn’t be compared to the mana transplant that Kufa had done to Melida before. The success rate wasn’t up to 1%, the survivors suffered mental illness, never again could they return to normal life had been said.

In short 「it’s fine if she is a bedridden cripple so maker her a Paladin」 as he said right. Perhaps at the public tournament a few days ago Melida’s class had been exposed. With that he was driven by impatience that he could understand but, just because of it he cling to the bunch indiscriminately……just how senile you are you old goat.

Violent emotion transmitted across his body, unconsciously the sounds of footstep echoed.

Anyhow, because since Melida’s real situation had been known he couldn’t let them do as they please.

All the kidnappers──I have to seal their mouths!

He jumped over the final distance in one go. If passing through the 8th area, before it there was a huge entrance hall. In the atrium up to the second floor, thick column supported the high roof.

In front of the front entrance, at the middle of the open hall he could see the outer coat figure of the humanoid shadow. The tattered bandages were lingering at the hem. On his hand, it was holding a glass case as big as a head.

「I won’t let you escape」

As Kufa shortened the distance from behind, the bandage man「Nn?」 turned to look back

「Well, what’s this. You don’t need to chase me since I’ll give it back shortly」

「……That presence (Anima). As expected it’s you」

Thus coming face to face with him Kufa confirmed. He could feel it like that distant day, the secret information gathering mission at Giffney Elsnes’s residence. At that reading room where Kufa slashed the black coat men. Furthermore at the day of the public tournament, the one who exchanged secret talk with sir Mordrew was definitely him.

Kufa place the black sword on his waist, in a stance which he could draw his sword any time.

「I won’t let you meddle with our ojou-sama anymore than this」

In response Jin, 「Fuu」let out a sigh.

「……though I don’t know much about the circumstances, in the first place wasn’t that because you as the predecessor slacked off that we were recruited right? Why leaving Melida-chan as is even though she isn’t a Paladin?」

「That has nothing to do with you」

「Right」

Saying so, he lightly broke the glass case in his hand. The green liquid scattered around, the object contained inside it dropped to the palm of his hand.

He saw something that was like human brain. A plump of meat. Creepily it was pulsing.

「This guy is our trump card. When an irregular like this happened, enemy together with everything and anything destroy it all《turn to nothing》for the sake of that I brought it, the ultimate biological weapon」

Taking out the syringe filled with mysterious liquid, he injected it to the plump of meat. Right after, it conspicuously Bikun! rumbled hard, turned and swelled up.

The plump of meat that fell from Jin’s hand onto the floor was, immediately after, explosively made a giant change

The scene was completely just like a seedling rapidly grew. From the inside endless meat bulged, with dreadful speed its volume increased. Something appeared to be forelimbs, back limbs protruded out, while body fluid scattered around it struck the stone floor. The body trunk expanded, the belly bulged, from the long neck stretched out a head like that of a devil, it almost touched the nearly 20 meters roof.

At its legs while keeping a noh mask face, Jin said

「Artificial Lycanthrope《Haunted Chimera》. The development concept is『human surely is no match for this monster』. That secret teaching is, all of the statuses reach the boundary (Counter stop)」

「Counter stop……!！」

「HP, attack, defense……All numbers point to human limits.  Although the problem of size so his agility stopped at 300 as a defective, no matter what whoever before it is all like bugs」

Suddenly, from the corner of the bandage while releasing killing intent, Jin pronounced.

「Well then, finally shall we continue.──My name is William Jin. My Lycanthrop race is 《Human Corpse Demon (Ghoul)》. With the mysterious power (Anime) if controlling bandage that I don’t have to teach you gain right?」

「……!」

「Stop using that cool way to talk, assassin. Exactly right now, I’ll, kill you」

Immediately after, the paranormal monster Haunted Chimera let out an ear bursting shriek.

Swinging its front leg, it mowed down. Even though it was a simple action, but he didn’t think it would be that fast. While gouging out the stone floor, it approached with its overwhelming mass, Kufa for a moment released his mana and kicked the floor.

On mid air he gasped the hilt of the black sword, he pulled it out like that with one slash. It clashed with Jin’s arm whose was approaching from behind. His evasion route had been read as he moved ahead of it.

「As always you’re fast」

「Same to you」

Exchanging a few words, together with the sound of metal clashing they took their distance. As if cutting into this midway, the Haunted Chimera’s strong arm slammed down from above. Pulverizing the stone floor, and the museum vibrated as if the end of the world was coming.

Landing at the distance, without changing his expression Jin muttered.

「As expected, your speed is impressive……seems my bandage movement couldn’t catch you」

On the other hand, Kufa too who was gliding on the floor and stood still, aimed his sharp sight in front of him.

「Those bandages are troublesome……If that body is protected then normal attack couldn’t deal any damage」

In that case, Kufa poised the black sword in front of his eyes. The Haunted Chimera was surely a dreadful threat but, in the end the one he should hunt was Jin. Concentrating mana on his legs, as he raised his agility, suddenly he kicked the floor.

The air was Gabin! trembling, Kufa’s figure disappeared. Jin opened his eyes wide, turned back and barely able to throw up his hand. From behind the blade mowed down, he stopped it before his eyes.

「Nice response but──」

That was a fake, a soundless sentence. Kufa blew the fist he concealed in his bust, then a kick. Pushing Jin’s body which was heavier than its appearance to the air.

Immediately after “chin”, he returned the sword, his body too kicked the floor and soared.

「《Ultimate Sword Draw……」

Explosive blue flame emitted, all of that went to the sword in his hip in an instance. Too much compressed mana underwent a resonance, Kiiii──! high pitch tone color resounded.

「《Shining Night Battle Storm》!!」

The technique of drawing the sword at great speed let out a roar.

The slashing attack used by pushing agility to the utmost limit was, from the blackened scabbard continued to be unleashed. Reaching total 47 consecutive chaotic super speed attack skill (Assault). Because even speed too was separated from common sense, the slashing sounds almost overlapped and became one to the ear. As if the space had been severed together with a repulsive tone color, the meteor shower like sword flash storm rushed to Jin.

Unbreakable sword slash attack was showering down on his body, Jin was trembling with intense fear.

──I can’t gasp it with my eyes!!

One the other hand, without a pause Kufa continued to flash his arm as he bit his teeth.

──So tough!!

After that final blow, the strength in his whole body had been slapped down, Jin outer coat figure had been blown away. He bounced on the floor a few time, crashed into the column as dirt blown up.

He took enough damage to fill half of the column, Jin was「Goho!」spitted out blood. As expected he seemed to be a little exhausted as he wiped his mouth, he grumbled in annoyance.

「What a monster……!! He has the nerve to kill the time lag until the preliminary movement of the skill……!」

He groaned with a screwed face, “yare yare” he pulled his body up. Shaking off the stone pieces on his outer coat.

「Fuu……. But, unable to settle it with that attack (Assault) skill just now must be out of plan」

「──」

Kufa who was falling midway, “Ha” quickly took his breath.

「Although it might not be much of a problem if it was one on one, at the moment carelessly jumping like that is a bad move right?」

Immediately after, with the ultimate speed as if a train pressure, mowing down on Kufa who was still in midair waiting to engulf him. It was the Haunted Chimera’s strong arm. A blow that began to hit the maximum attack power hit Kufa directly, like a bullet he was sent flying.

Crashed onto the column, and went through it, furthermore the force didn’t stop there, the moment he was slammed into the wall, a few meters cracks ran radial. Dirt got pushed up just like cloud, the stone fragments fell as if dancing.

「Arara……. With one shot I wonder if his hp got blown away?」

No, immediately Jin denied it in his thought.

On the air, there was a line of light running shiningly. It was a wire. Perhaps before the crash it flew behind, he surely had used it to kill a bit of the power. It was really a terrible reflection speed.

As if to back up his guess, at the dust cleared wall’s smashed part, there was no sign of Kufa.

Immediately after that fresh blood splattered. The Haunted Chimera’s feet were cut up in a straight line.

An intermittent slash attack ran across, and the Chimera let out a scream, but the crucial enemy figure could not be seen. Jumping here and there on the stone floor, the wind growled fiercely. Jin’s dynamic vision could only catch the after image.

「I see……It’s not  purely attack power, are you riding on your agility to raise up the sharpness?」

But regrettably, he said. As if putting on his flickering aura, Jin showed his arms and legs spread wide.

「You’ll be in trouble if you forget about me you know」

Immediately after, from the arm hole of the coat bundle of bandage scattered. Each of them as if having different minds drew irregular orbits, rushed to Kufa from every direction. Gazing the hem of his military uniform, slightly gouged his cheek. As if to avoid the bandage aiming at his feet Kufa kicked the floor, that moment was targeted by Chimera.

At the gap of that instance the gigantic forearm came mowing down, grabbing Kufa who was midair. From his body that bend in to the character く, snap, snap, break! disgusting bone fracturing sounds echoed.

「Guu……!!」

Almost the same time, the bandage from the Ghoul caught up and entangled his right hand’s wrist.

「Yes, finally there’s a weak spot. With this your status is half. Can you withstand it?」

It was not just able to withstand, as he was still sent flying, once again he was slammed into the wall like an arrow.

Mixing with the stone fragments falling like dancing, as blood spray splattered around there was something fluttered on the air, then fell to the floor.

The tip from the shoulder of the military uniform had been cut off, it was the left arm.

「A～a, it came off huh, your arm that is. Human is really……」

When Jin was about to say that, from another direction too blood sprays came up.

The Haunted Chimera let out a shriek. Its right front leg had been cut in half. The cut off plump of meat fell flat on the stone floor.

「……Did he inflict one attack before he was sent flying?」

At the same time Jin snorted as if he was bored, Kufa walked out from the settled dust. He had already become a one-arm man with wounds all over his body. Moreover with Jin’s mysterious power his current mana was halved. Even so his right hand was tightly holding the black sword, his bluish pupil that didn’t have one bit of gloom were flicking with killing intent.

Jin scratched his cheek, looked down on his tumbled left arm which smeared with dust.

「You too are a top class knight of the human, how unfortunate. With this your future is cut off. Is《that one》worth protecting to this extend?」

「──Of course」

Kufa answered with a plain tone, stared at Jin with an arrow like look.

「You also get it right, their bottomless potential. That hunch is correct. Ojou-sama will soon surpass me, defeat all the fearless fighters, stand in the summit of this Flandor. The noble figure of the girl once called《talentless》will, became the hope of all the people living in unrewarded situation」

Thrusting the tip of the sword straight ahead, Kufa declared.

「Therefore I am here. To show that I’ll wage my life nurturing her」

「……I wonder if I could agree to such understanding」

Jin raised the palm of his hand, sending signal to the Chimera.

「All of you──right or wrong I’ll have to crush right here」

Haunted Chimera let out a gigantic roar, charged and aimed at Kufa. He immediately put his body on guard but, his overall agility had dropped below a quarter didn’t it.

In other word, he was slower than the Haunted Chimera. That meant he could not avoid it.

The heavy as hammer front leg slammed down, it crushed Kufa from right above. Intense shock pierced the floor, at the crack like crater that had ran across all direction, was intense dirt.

Extraordinary thunderous roar and shock which was, one clap later trembling the entrance.

While sweeping away the dirt with annoyance, Jin murmured.

「……In the end you couldn’t move. Well, you fought very bravely against the Haunted Chimera right? Perhaps you shaved off around 500 HP I think.」

The returned voice was, of course none. Fuu, he breathed out, and turned his heel.

「Now then, my mind is clear. Should I go kill Melida-chan next」

Gou! at the middle of his sentence dust flew up.

Wind was coiling into vortex, at the middle of it was the exposed figure of the young man standing.

Kufa with just his right arm, stopped the Haunted Chimera’s attack.

「……Ha?」

Jin leaked out a dumbfounded voice, immediately after.

The Haunted Chimera’s front leg was on the contrary sent flying, its giant body were turned upside down. The pushed up shockwave shook the floor, Jin while bracing his leg came to his sense.

「……What the? Was too weak? Go for another attack!! Full power!」

Taking the order, Haunted Chimera turned its body, taking the posture of a charge attack. If you were already crushed by this kind of ultra heavy weight then physically it was impossible──

However, once again Jin’s belief was overturned. The Haunted Chimera that kicked and crushed the floor in a charge was, of all things as Kufa without using his sword, stopped right in front of his palm.

At Kufa’s feet the floor was forcefully smashed. But, his body was not giving an inch. On the contrary the Haunted Chimera was bent to the limit, from here and there on its body blood was spouting out.

As the result, Jin raised his voiced.

「Impossible!! Its status reached the boundary (Counter Stop)! Human could not match it!!」

「Reached the boundary (Counter Stop) huh?……」

The answer voice was, as if echoing from hell extremely cold.

「Unfortunately but here I am──」

Kufa’s face which was hidden was, slowly raised up.

The pupils that were staring at Jin was, Bou! surged with azure flame.

「Breaking through the limit (Limit Break)」

He gasped his fingertips tightly. The fierce grip strength transmitted to the Haunted Chimera’s giant body in an instance, immediately after, it exploded from the inside. Vast amount of blood scattered, the death agony shriek echoed across the entrance.

A piece of meat splattered on his cheeks, Jin shrunk back without even being aware of it.

「Wha……What……!?」

With gait that couldn’t really feel like he was injured Kufa crossed the hall, he picked up his own left arm that was tumbling there. When the cut section met with his shoulder, faint light wrapped with the open wound──

After a moment, there was the figure of him calmly swinging his left arm around.

「……!?」

Jin looked him in the eyes as if finally he couldn’t believe it anymore, however that wasn’t the end of it.

After that Kufa gasped Jin’s bandage that was coiling on right hand wrist with the restored left hand, although it had strong magic put into it, he ripped it of like it was waste paper or something.

With the status that crossed over human boundary, immortality and something liked the power of regeneration. With overwhelming mana that ignored Jin’s magical power (anima) which was that of a high ranking Lycanthrope ────No.

「No way, your power is……!!」

Jin finally realized that possibility, after that.

Kufa’s hair was from its root to the hair ends were dyed in pure white, stretch up to his shoulders.

Like tusk his canines became sharp, thrust out from his red lips.

And then both his eyeballs let out light, as if from a fierce animal killing intent became two arrows, piercing Jin.

「Unbelievable……, Why……!」

From the military uniform’s whole body blue flame like purgatory was blowing violently, the creeping absolute zero degree breath at his feet was freezing the hall. On the contrary the two conflicting power was, giving birth to fierce pressure at the middle point.

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Shuddering at that true form, Jin shrunk 2, 3 steps back.

「《Blood Sucker (Vampire)》!! Why is the strongest Lycanthrope race appeared here!!」

「……we are of equal status in this regard, right human corpse demon (Ghoul)」

With the voice as if bent rusting iron, Kufa answered.

「I am also half human. An incomplete one like you」

「Ho, how……」

「My mother origins from the dark world.  At the time when she ran to Flandor for dear life, she was holding the very young me. I don’t know my father face. The rest you should understand without saying right」

「……Half Vampire!!」

Now then, Kufa said uninterested and walked out. Step by step, blue flame that looked like it would melt even the gates of hell spouted out, Jin’s whole body was trembling.

「Don’t worry, I won’t kill you. We’re fellow comrade, why don’t we get a long」

「Wha, what……?」

「You tried to do the mysterious surgery of changing the class for the kidnapped Melida Angel. However right before that, was it her defense instinct activated, it manifested very faintly a power appeared to be of Paladin. Herewith, you’re sure that Melida Angel had roughly a blood relationship with the knight duke house」

「……!?」

「After consulting with Kufa Vampir who was previously on the mission, you arrived at the judgment for the mission’s objective. You reached the conclusion that the chance of death coming with the mysterious class changing surgery was too high so it should be shelved. As for your client, Melida Angel’s life and death would have some kind of effect on his position right, after enough consideration according to that please consider the course of action from here on now……」

He “Gu” gripped Jin’s head, as he closed his own to near.

「You will tell that to your client. Is that good?」

「……I, I get it」

「Good」

Letting go of his hand, after he turned aside adroitly, Kufa undid the blood sucker form. His outward appearance returned to normal, his status too fell down to the realm of human. The killing intent in his heart slowly calmed down.

Fuu, while pouring with cold sweat he took a breath. With that huge power and that conversation he felt as if his own self was swallowed, he didn’t like being in the vampire figure that much.

「…… I don’t understand」

From behind, a somewhat stiff voice resounded.

Because of the torrent of blue flame of mana and the space freezing anima, as that pressure dispersed finally Jin who regained his composure was, with a bitter expression floating up on his face.

「You, do you truly plan to raise Melida into the strongest knight……Despite you’re a Lycanthrope. If that girl grew up, the one being hunted might be you right!」

「At that time, I’ll gladly hold out my neck」

He answered with a non-excited tone of voice, Kufa picked up the black sword and scabbard lying on the floor.

Sooner or later when she grew up she would kill me? Or before that will I cast her away?

I’ll accept either outcome. Because──

「Because it is my, assassin home tutor’s covenant (Assassin Pride)」

Kufa elegantly swung back, declared with a smile.