Grimgal of Ashes and Illusion - Volume 16 - Chapter SS

#1 The Wolf and the Masked Man, Under the Moonlight

“Damn it, damn it, damn it! It’s started already...!” The masked man sprinted. Racing as fast as he could, despite being out of breath.

He was headed towards an Alterna in flames. The masked man had returned, finally, to Alterna. It wasn’t an emotional moment. He didn’t have time to get sentimental now.

The walls were already breached. Ladders leaned against them, and the guys from Forgan were climbing up one after another. He could kill every single one of them still within reach, and it wouldn’t make a shred of difference. It would be suicide, too. There were a lot of skilled fighters in Forgan, even if not all of them were up to that same level. If he ended up against a bunch of the more talented ones at the same time, not even the masked man could get out of that alive. The masked man was bold, but not reckless.

His feet slowed, but didn’t stop. As he was jogging along, he caught his breath. When you get to the masked man’s level, you can even nap while walking. Without being able to force himself to rest like that, he wouldn’t have been able to survive. It just goes to show you how harsh his situation had been.

“Personal Skill, Flickering Body, Severing Space.”

He moved quickly, blending in with the guys from Forgan as they climbed the ladders. Even once he reached the other side, they didn’t realize the masked man was not one of them. For a time, he had been, after all.

Flames rose from buildings all over town. However, many of the buildings, especially here in the North District, were made of stone. It wouldn’t turn into an inferno. Forgan didn’t mean to raze Alterna to the ground. They intended to sow chaos by setting fires, then go to work.

For Forgan, that was all this was: work. Jumbo, their leader, might have been an orc, but he was different from other orcs. He, at least, didn’t discriminate based on race. Forgan’s ethics turned on one thing: whether a person was with them, or not. To them, comrades were family. Forgan was their ultimate home.

That said, even if they had chosen Forgan as their place to die, the homelands they were born into were a different matter. Not all of them were orphans. If they had living relatives, they wouldn’t just forget them. In particular, despite having long since grown into a kingdom, the orcish race placed tremendous value in their old tribes. Even if they had to abandon the village of their birth for some reason, no small number of them still had an unbreakable bond with those of their flesh and blood.

That was exactly what had dragged Forgan into this battle.

The masked man had gone to the trouble of capturing one of Forgan’s orcs to question him. Dif Gogun, king of the orcs, was generous to those who obeyed him. But he had no mercy for defiance. Abductions, threats, and torture were specialties of his. Taking someone’s relatives hostage to make them do his bidding was a common tactic for him. King Dif even maintained a massive camp just for those hostages.

No small number of Forgan’s orcs had fallen victim to these underhanded methods. Would he join King Dif? Or would he abandon his comrades’ families — which was to say his family’s families — to die? That was the bitter decision Jumbo had been faced with.

This isn’t like him, the masked man thought, but he wasn’t a member of Forgan, so it wasn’t his place to say so.

The masked man was wise, and so he was well aware that he didn’t have the power to stop Forgan.

So... What am I doing? What do I want to do? What is the point?

For some reason, the orcs and undead of Forgan were gathering at the end of the road that led from the north gate. Was someone there taking them on?

It had to be a volunteer soldier.

Could it be? thought the masked man. Could it be what? Someone he knew? It wasn’t impossible. But so what? What did it matter if he knew them?

What, can’t I be curious?

He could push his way through the members of Forgan to get there. That would be a stupid plan. So, what was he going to do instead?

The buildings on this street weren’t burning. He didn’t hesitate. The masked man raced up the wall of one of the buildings. Looking out over the area from the roof — there they were.

A volunteer soldier. With long hair. It was a woman.

“...!”

The masked man clawed at his chest. If he could have reached his heart, he might have clutched it and squeezed.

He nearly called out her name. Only barely managed to stop himself. She wasn’t the only person below him. There was another. A human, not an orc, nor an undead.

A one-armed man was fighting her. Was it a duel?

The woman only had two large knives. Meanwhile, the one-armed man was wielding a katana.

“That bastard...”

What did he think he was doing? His opponent was just a woman. No, but that old man wasn’t into tormenting women. Actually, while he might not show empathy to the weak, he never went out of his way to harm them. He must have decided that, woman or not, she was good enough that she needed to be cut down. Even if the one-armed man also had only one eye, he was a good judge of people.

“Does that mean she got stronger? But still...”

She threw her knives away. Was that deliberate? What could she do barehanded? As she moved in, the old man started to move his katana.

“Behold my secret technique.”

Not even the masked man knew about this. What was with the way that his katana was moving?

It was dancing. Or perhaps scattering, even.

“Fall Haze.”

She charged the old man, as if lured in. No, she was actually being lured in. The old man’s katana had mesmerized her.

What the hell are you doing? What are you doing to her?

At this rate, she’s going to get killed. No, even that old pervert wouldn’t go that far. Yeah, no. He would. He could. Not that I’ll let him.

“Personal Skill!” The masked man drew his katana and leapt. He fell straight at the old man.

“Great Foul Waterfall...!” The masked man’s katana struck the old man’s blade hard.

“Ngh...!”

The old man lived up to his reputation, managing to keep his grip on the katana even as it was almost thrown from his hand, and still take a swing, even if it was an awkward one, at the masked man.

“Why you...!”

“You’re losing it, old man!”

The masked man twisted out of the way of the old man’s blade and took a swing of his own. Old man Takasagi managed to block it somehow, but not in a good enough position. He was falling apart.

“Orah, orah, orah, orahhh...!”

With attack, after attack, after attack, the masked man pushed, and pushed, and pushed. But even with such a massive disadvantage from the start, Takasagi wasn’t just any old man. He was blocking, even if imperfectly. Dodging by a hair’s breadth. He hung in there, endured, and looked for an opening no larger than the eye of a needle to attack.

I know you, thought the masked man. How many times do you think we’ve fought?

Takasagi was weak against attacks that came in from his lower left, and responded to them a little more slowly. Even so, if the masked man only targeted there, he would adapt to it in no time. Takasagi was only a little worse at handling attacks from that angle. It wasn’t a fatal weakness. So, the masked man needed to mix in other attacks, too. Feint like he was going to attack that weak point, then not do it. Then, when Takasagi thought, What, you’re not going for it? he would.

“Damn... it...!”

Takasagi backed away. He wasn’t launching a counterattack. No, it was more than that. He couldn’t. The masked man had Takasagi on the ropes.

“Oorah!” He aimed for the lower left.

“Tch!” Takasagi deflected it with his katana. No, that wasn’t it. He’d been forced to do it.

The masked man held his katana with both hands.

“Personal Skill! Flying Lightning God...!”

It was a two-handed thrust. How many of them could he do?

Don’t think about it. I’m gonna surpass my limits.

Give it to him.

“Ohhh?! Ohhhh...?!”

Takasagi instantly released his limiters, too. The masked man could tell. If he didn’t do it, he was finished. That was what Takasagi had decided.

Whoa.

Just how many defensive actions had Takasagi performed in that one compressed instant? The masked man unleashed eight thrusts. His katana connected with Takasagi’s a total of four times. He had severed two hairs on Takasagi’s head. Takasagi had one scratch on his right cheek.

That was all.

The masked man had sincerely been going in for the kill. To end this here. That was what he’d meant to do.

And this was the result.

Takasagi fell flat on his ass.

And yet the bastard was smiling.

He knew that if he took off his mask, he would be, too. The masked man had goosebumps. He rested the flat side of his katana on his shoulder.

“Get up, old man.”

Takasagi rose without putting on airs. He cleared his throat, and laughed out loud, like he was having a blast, not embarrassed in the slightest.

“You just pop up everywhere I go now, don’t you? You sure can run your mouth now, Ranta.”

“You...! Don’t say it! I’m hiding my face for a reason...!”

“It’s obvious, and you know it.”

“N-No, it’s not!”

Ranta glanced behind him. She was looking at him.

Her face looked awful.

It was a mess, covered in scratches, filthy with blood and sweat, and, to top it all off... she looked like she was crying, too.

Ranta immediately looked away, facing forward again.

“You can move, right?

“...Y-Yeah.”

“Good. Then come with me.”

“‘Come with me’...?” Takasagi pointed his katana at Ranta incredulously. “You’re running away, Ranta? That’s taking me way too lightly. Do you seriously think you can get away in this situation?”

“No, you’re underestimating me.”

Under his mask, Ranta smirked, sheathing his katana. He grabbed as many of the knives, razors, nails, stones, and more that he kept under his cloak as he could.

“Personal Skill, Violent Wind of War Debris...!”

He leaped, spinning, throwing the knives, razors, nails, and stones at Takasagi, the orcs, and the undead. It was easy to describe, but actually doing it was pretty tough. Ranta had been convinced that someday the time would come to use this technique, so he had practiced hard. This was the payoff.

“Wha— Damn it...!” Takasagi batted a knife away.

By that point, Ranta had landed, and was running.

During his Violent Wind of War Debris, Ranta had found a weak point in their encirclement. He dashed between and past two orcs. Drawing his katana again, he made it look like he was going to slash the undead now in front of him, but instead got up close and pushed it over. He didn’t need to turn back and check. Yume was following him. Better than that, she was beside him kicking over orcs and undead, or tripping them. Damn, that woman could do some nasty legwork.

“You’re the best...!”

“Nuhh?! What’s that you say?!”

“Nothing!”

“Ranta, you...!”

Takasagi howled like a beaten dog. He sounded just a little happy.

You’re creeping me out, old man. Don’t worry. I’ll snuff you out myself one of these days. That’s what you want, right? You wouldn’t want to go senile and not see death coming, to die after being weakened by a long time sick, or to just not wake up one day. I know that sort of easy death isn’t for you.

In the end, you want to be satisfied that, yeah, this is what’s gonna kill me.

If possible, you want it to be at the hands of a guy you trained.

Were people prone to thinking that way when they felt themselves going into decline? Ranta wouldn’t know yet. But when the time came, he’d give Takasagi the death he wanted. Not now. That was still yet to come. It might well be tomorrow, but it wasn’t today.

Once Ranta totally broke through Forgan’s encirclement, he went down an alleyway.

“You’re not winded, are you?!”

“What about you?!”

“You seem fine. We’re getting out of Alterna for now!”

He wanted to look around Alterna, get a grip on the situation. It wasn’t like he couldn’t afford to take the time. But Ranta’s instincts were already telling him this was a lost battle. Alterna would fall. Staying in the city would only be dangerous. Ranta could manage on his own. He’d be able to figure things out. But... Yume was here, too.

The north gate must have been broken through, but there would be guys there to target anyone trying to escape. Meanwhile, the walls weren’t the main battleground anymore, and there was hardly any fighting going on there. From the inside, there were a number of staircases and ladders that could get them up on the walls, and once they were up there, it was easy to get down to the other side.

Ranta and Yume headed toward the forest in the north. Just before going in, Yume turned to look back at Alterna.

“Let’s go,” Ranta said, pulling Yume by the arm. She didn’t resist.

The deep darkness of the forest was Ranta’s ally. Though he fought entirely using his own unique style, he was still a dread knight to the core. Darkness was his friend. Suddenly, he had a thought. What had happened to the lords of the dread knights’ guild? Knowing them, they’d fight to the end, even if the battle was sure to be unwinnable. They would go into Skullhell’s arms, having fought to their hearts’ content.

Ranta realized he was still holding Yume’s hand, having never let go of it. No, it wasn’t that he forgot to. He’d never forget.

Why? Why isn’t she getting upset, and telling me to let go?! If she won’t do it, I can’t let go. Have some common sense. Not that common sense ever had anything to do with me.

Come on, say something.

All he could hear, aside from the chirping insects, was Yume’s breathing, and both of their footsteps.

“...Hm?” Ranta came to a stop.

“Ah!” Yume gulped. They heard something immediately after. Was it a dog?

Or a wolf, maybe?

Awooooo... It was a weak howl. It was the first time Ranta had heard one like this, but the same was apparently not true for Yume.

“Master! Is that you, Master?! It’s Yume!”

“Ohh! I knew it was you!” He heard the man’s voice in the distance.

“Who?” Ranta asked as Yume effortlessly shook free from his hand.

“Yume’s master from the hunters’ guild! His name’s Itsukushima!”

“...O-Oh, yeah? Hold on, aren’t you getting a bit too excited?”

“Well, that’s ’cause Yume’s happy!”

Ranta was confused to find himself a little irritated by this. He didn’t know this Itsukushima guy, but he’d been aware that Yume was pretty attached to her master at the guild. Of course she’d be happy to find out he was all right.

It’s nothing to get pissed off over, he thought. Yeah. Not for a super tolerant guy like me.

Soon, a bearded hunter appeared with eight wolf dogs in tow.

“Master!”

Yume gave Itsukushima a tackle hug, and though he staggered backwards as he caught her, the guy went and hugged her back.

“O-Oh, Yume, I’m glad. I’m so glad you’re okay...”

“We got split up, y’know? Yume was gettin’ real worried.”

“I was worried about you, too, of course, but I had these little guys to think about. So I got out of Alterna for a while...”

“You’re talkin’ about the wolf dogs, right? They’re all here, huh?”

“O-Okay! Enough already! You two can stop getting all clingy with each other now!”

Unable to take it anymore, Ranta pulled Yume and Itsukushima apart despite himself. Yume wasn’t happy about it, but it seemed like Itsukushima felt Ranta had just done him a favor.

“Listen, Yume. I was planning to search for you before making any other moves, but it looks like I don’t have to anymore. I’m going to the Kurogane Mountains.”

“Hoh?” Yume cocked her head to the side. “Crocodile Maw Dens...?”

“It doesn’t even sound like that!” Ranta didn’t know whether to laugh or be irritated. “It’s the Kurogane Mountains, not the Crocodile Maw Dens!”

“Well, that’s what it was soundin’ like to Yume.”

“...The dwarves’ Ironblood Kingdom is in the Kurogane Mountains.”

Ranta didn’t need Itsukushima to tell him that.

“So? You know a dwarf there, or something?”

“One of my few friends, yes. Gottheld. He can be difficult, but he’s a good guy.”

“It sounds like you’ve got more in mind than rekindling old friendships.”

“Yeah. The way I see it, Alterna is going to fall. I’m sure the elven capital, Arnotu, must have been taken out like the rumors were saying, too.”

“You can take it from me, it was.” Ranta grumbled. “...Not that I want to be the bearer of bad news. I was in the Shadow Forest the day Arnotu was attacked.”

“...Oh, yeah? In that case, the Ironblood Kingdom will be next. The Kurogane Mountains may be our last refuge.”

“You’re going there to warn them, then?”

“There was a time when man and dwarf fought to the death together. Obviously, it’s not my problem, but... I wouldn’t want to just take this lying down.” Itsukushima looked at Yume. “What do you want to do? Will you come with me?”

“Yume...” She hesitated, as if unsure, then looked straight at Itsukushima and shook her head. “...won’t go. Ranta’s with her, after all. Besides, there’re more comrades we’re gonna be wantin’ to meet up with still.”

“Is that so?” Itsukushima looked disappointed, but also relieved. He was probably both. The man was forthright with his feelings.

“Pay your respects, boys.”

When Itsukushima gave the order, the eight wolf dogs gathered around Yume. They licked her face, and sniffed and pawed at her all over, but Yume seemed really happy about it.

“Mrrowr. Take care, wolf doggies. Nyeheheh, see you later, Poochie.”

“Hey,” Itsukushima addressed Ranta. “Take care of Yume, would you?”

“I’d do it without you telling me to.”

“...Try to think how I must feel, having to act all serious when I’m saying this to some weirdo who’s hiding his face behind a mask.”

“Heh.” Ranta shifted his mask up to his forehead. “Just relax, and head off to the Kurogane Mountains, or wherever. ...And take care of yourself, man. Yume’d be sad if you died in a ditch somewhere.”

“Yeah. I’m good at surviving.”

Itsukushima barked a short order at the wolf dogs and gestured for them to get in a line. The largest, and probably oldest, of the dogs was the first to go, vanishing into the dark woods.

“Poochie...” Yume seemed to want to say something, but reconsidered, deciding she shouldn’t get in the wolf dog’s way.

The wolf dogs kept going, and Itsukushima followed. It had to be deliberate that he didn’t say goodbye. When Ranta thought about Itsukushima’s feelings, he felt something clutch in his chest. Yume respected and adored that bearded man. Ranta might not have liked the fact that she did, but he knew Itsukushima must not be a bad guy. He couldn’t bring himself to hate him.

Yume was silent, even once Itsukushima and the wolf dogs had completely vanished. Ranta considered asking, Was that okay? but decided against it. He didn’t have to check. Yume had stayed because she was okay with it. She’d chosen to be with him. Well, it wasn’t like Ranta couldn’t have gone along with them, but he and Yume had other things they needed to do.

“...The question is, what now?” Ranta mumbled to himself, and Yume laughed.

“Yume’s thinkin’ it’ll all work out somehow. She managed to meet up with you, after all.”

“Heh...”

He was about to reply, You’ve got that right, when the reality that he was alone in the dark with Yume hit him, and he started to feel real antsy.

“Wh-... What should we do? Alterna’s, well, you know, and it may not be a good idea to try and do anything right away... Besides, you’re injured, and probably tired, too...”

“Yeah. It’s gettin’ dark out. And it’s night, too, you know? Maybe we should rest a little.”

“S-Sure. That makes sense. Yeah. M-Me, too. I’m not exhausted or anything. I mean, I’m a tough guy, so I’m fine, but resting can be important. Yeah...”

“Guess we’re sleepin’, then,” Yume said, and immediately lay down.

“H-Here?! So suddenly?!”

“Ahhh. Yume, she can sleep anywhere. The ground’s not too hard here, either.”

“...W-Well, I can sleep anywhere, too. I’m a real man of steel, you know...”

Ranta lay down on the ground, too. He’d slept on windswept cliffs while exposed to the rain. Compared to that, this was like a comfy bed.

“You, uh...”

“Nuh?”

“...Nah. Forget it.”

He had loads of things he wanted to say, but if he started asking questions now, there’d be no end to it. Wasn’t he going to rest? Yeah. He needed to recover a bit. Both body and soul. That was his first priority. What were they going to do next? He could think about that later.

“Ranta.”

“...Hm?”

“It’s kinda...”

“Yeah. ...What is it?”

“Your paw.”

“...Huh?”

“Oh, oops, your hand.”

“What about my hand...?”

“Hnnngh.” Yume’s hand brushed Ranta’s. Then she grabbed it. “Yume was hopin’ she could hold it like this. ...That okay?”

“It’s—” Ranta stopped breathing for a second. Then he took a short, deep breath. “...It’s fine by me. No big deal.”

“Oh, yeah? Thank goodness...”

Yume looked awfully sleepy.

Ranta was wide awake.

Hey, now.

Come on...

Doing this? In this situation? There’s no way I could sleep, right...?