29.LITTLE GIRL CUTS IN PIECES

Though the leader of the mercenary company Deyunan Ordosold had once been a knight, he had a decline in the politics, and had his knight title revoked.

Since then, he became a mercenary through the intermediation of the people he met in the time of his many battles. And then, going through many battlefields along with his machiini [Zahanain], he build up a mercenary group.

It has been just a month ago. He was appointed by the general Koujin to participate in the territorial battle for the Diliard mountain range. He owed a lot to the general, and since he also believed defeat was impossible if the general was there, he quickly agreed to it.

It seems there were various problems in Paroma´s governance. Though it seems that the general Koujin had been driven out from the royal capital and was sent to this place, Deyunan knew well about his strength. It was Deyunan resolve for him to win this war so that the general Koujin could once again ascend a second time.

And so, Deyunan continued to fight this war. He captured the fort at the foot of the mountain range on Ruuin´s side of the mountain, and also recaptured the mining town. Besides that, he got in his hands information from his spies that told Ruuin was gathering reinforcements and was planning to attack the fort.

After hearing that, the general Koujin thought up of a surprise attack by impersonating themselves to be the reinforcements, giving the task to Deyunan. Although it was a dangerous mission, the general Koujin knew of Deyunan´s strength. Because of that, he believed he had more than enough chances of victory and sent him. In fact, Deyunan´s crew succeeded in their surprise to the point of surprise.

The place Deyunan aimed for was for the most part the encampment the nobles were staying at.

Although there were a great amount of knight model machiinis, it seemed that they were the same as Paroma on the point that most of the people piloting them were weaklings. In the end, they were decoration. Deyunan and his mercenaries prioritized destroying the machiinis so that they wouldn´t get surrounded. On the other hand, Ruuin focused on stopping their attack that was aimed onto lord, restraining the movement of Deyunan´s crew.

That wasn´t a fight anymore. It wouldn´t be a problem to describe this as a hunt.

It was very chaotic, and many died. Besides that, there were soldiers coming from Paroma´s fort. If both troops were to merge, Ruuin´s front line wouldn´t escape annihilation. At the same time, Ruuin would lose the strength to recapture the mine.

Or so was it supposed to happen.

The plan was going well. But that was until that existence came into the war.

[Hyahya]

Presently, before Deyunan´s [Zahanain] stood a red machiini.

[Isn´t that nice?]

The young machiini holding a war hammer and that had picked up the strange sword was calmly looking at Deyunan. And then, cold sweat started running on Deyunan´s back.

“”What… is that thing?””

Deyunan felt the gaze coming from inside the other machiini.

The gaze being shot at him before his eyes told him he wasn´t being recognized as an enemy. The first thing it came to Deyunan´s mind when he thought what was being he seen as by his opponent was that he was just a practice dummy for training.

Deyunan used to use a wooden doll whose armor should now be beyond repair for practicing in his childhood, when he was still part of the nobility. For some reason, that practice doll, that ragged training dummy he would cut and thrust under the guidance of his father, who was on active duty at the time, became his role.

There was only one thing it could mean.

[Do you think you can play around with me, you bastard!?]

Denying that assessment of him with all his strength, Deyunan charged.

There was no way he could accept that. Rather than an enemy, the opponent before his eyes only thought of him as anything but a nice target for practice. His pride as a warrior, and his honor as a machiini pilot were being sullied. That was the way he felt.

Because of that, he needed to refute the bigmouth with his own sword.

[Hyahyahyah]

Seeing Deyunan angry, a strange laugh leaked out from the red machiini. Dyunan felt that voice was just like that of a child. He received the impression of a clown laughing in a high-pitched voice it was impossible to know whether it was of a man of a woman.

[Clown. I will kill you in one strike.]

As if to cut those illusions, Deyunan thrust his claymore with all his might.

[Chesssst!]

[Hya!]

Sparks scattered.

“”Impossible!?””

The red machiini [Iron Dinna] deflected upwards the head-on thrust of the claymore of [Zahanain] with its war hammer.

[Gh]

Deyunan clenched his teeth due to the impact. Then, he started thinking about his current situation.

His sword hadn´t been even blocked. Instead, the war hammer hit the incoming blade. It had such a terrifying and minute precision to the point even Bal, who was watching the battle, had his eyes wide-open in surprise.

“”Very skilled. But it can´t be helped if you are using a machiini like that!””

[Kuooooooh!]

Clenching his teeth, Deyunan held the control stick, and brought his sword that had been sent upward back under his control. Then, stepping onto the foot pedal, he fixed the stance of his machiini, getting ready for his next attack.

[Go to hell!]

Stepping forward, he swung down his claymore.

[It gotta be like that after all.]

This time, Bela, the pilot of the red machiini, blocked the attack with the chainsaw as she laughed. Stepping forward herself, she hit the claymore with her chainsaw before Deyunan could swing his sword.

“”Didn´t put up enough strength?””

It was an attack coming from an impossible position. Not having enough might, the attack ended up being completely blocked despite the smaller build of the opposing machiini. However, Deyunan´s [Zahanain] was still in a position where he could press onto Bela´s [Iron Dinna];

[But I still have the uphand in power!]

Dyunan asserted. No matter how much skill one had, if one was to enter in a competition of strength, the deciding element would be the difference in the output of the machiinis. There shouldn´t be any factor that would cause [Zahanain] to lose to [Iron Dinna]. Despite that, laugh leaked from the opponent.

[Hyahya, I guess I will be using it now.]

Once Bela released the war hammer at the right hand, the sound of a trigger came from the left hand. By the time Deyunan noticed the sound of an engine working up, the claymore was suddenly cut. That strange sound resounded.

[What!?]

It couldn´t be helped that Dyunan shouted like that. The tiny blades tinged by the red heat that were lined up at the chainsaw were in a high-speed rotation. This had completely broken the blade of the claymore.

[Really stupid. For you to be thinking about directly going against a gimmick weapon is really stupid.]

And then, that sword that raised a roar similar to a greater beast pierced Dyunan´s [Zehanain] at the left shoulder. Terrifying sparks surged up, widening the hole of the cut, and completely cutting off the shoulder.

[That´s!](TL note:->いいところだよッ！<- Not sure what she is talking about there -.- If she is talking about the chainsaw being good at cutting or so, then I think it would still be a weird way of putting it)

[Guaaah!?]

Having the shoulder region cut through, sparks started to fill the cockpit. Being showered by that, Dyunan screamed due to the heat.

“”Tch, that´s bad.””

Realising he was at disadvantage, Dyunan stepped on the foot pedal and tried to step back. However, Bela laughed and stepped forward in response.

[Yes, it´s good. This thing is really good.]

A very satisfied voice leaked from the red machiini. Holding the grip of the chainsaw with its two hands, Bela´s [Iron Dinna] charged at [Zahanain].

[Damn it!]

Dyunan defended himself with his broken claymore. However, the blade became even more destroyed after Bela´s chainsaw hit it. Having the chest region of his machiini shallowly torn and the hatch inside it destroyed, light suddenly shone upon his eyes.

“”Gh, the front got open. Well, it´s fine. All it did was making it easier to see.””

So was what Dyunan was thinking in his mind as he was becoming more desperate. Throwing away the claymore that had only the handle left, he drew the dagger that was at the waist in his right hand. And then, he called out for his allies, directing his voice to behind him.

[We are pulling back. Give me a hand here.]

[Hyahyahya]

Hearing that, Bela laughed.

[Who are you going to get your hand from?]

The voice answering him was one he wasn´t familiar with, but one he had heard moments ago. When he looked behind, he saw the black knight model machiini, who had cut the two machiinis that were following him in the battle, standing there. Its left shoulder was a bit dropped down. Apparently, it had received a strong slash at that place. Despite that, both his comrades weren´t moving anymore.

[What, they got you? Really incompetent.]

[Sorry.]

In response to Bela´s comment, Bal´s weakly voice resounded. Actually, he got hit only because he was focusing his attention on Bela´s fight. However, because Bal would only be embarrassing himself even more if he was to argue on that, he kept his mouth shut. Hearing their conversation, Deyunan´s face became pale. The other machiini squads were away from there still fighting. In other words, there was nobody that could save Deyunan.

[Well, it´s fine. Now, let´s get back to our fight, shall we?]

Deyunan realised he was completely cornered.

[Wait. I surr…]

After noticing the sound of something snapping, he then heard the sound of something falling. The head of his machiini had been sent flying by the chainsaw.

“…surrender…”

His voice didn´t come out from the sound amplification device. It didn´t resound. His voice reached only his own ears fruitlessly. If his machiini didn´t have the head, it would be impossible to communicate. Deyunan couldn´t even surrender.

[I can´t hear you. Now, let´s do it.] (TL note:The kanji for killing was used ^^ for “do”)

Deyunan realised he had only a single choice remaining simply by hearing the voice of his opponent.

Whilst that gaze was telling him they should go kill each other, Deyunan charged forward. Deyunan realised that he would be killed there if he didn´t act as a proper training dummy just as first intended. Because of that, Deyunan had no choice but to fight.

Bela greeted that action with a smile. She still hadn´t completely tested out the cutting power of the chainsaw.

How well could it grind through? To what extend could it cut through? Which angle is it better to cut from? How long can it keep up? Using the poor man in order to find out all those things, Bela started playing around with him.

If he stopped, she would make him move, and if he didn´t move anymore, she would go kill him. In such manner, Bela continued to cut at Deyunan while laughing. Deyunan could only continue to dance as if he was being controlled by the demon. Until his heart broken, the waltz with the demon was going to carry on.