Chapter 6
Chapter 6
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: Black Badger
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It felt like my organs were floating.
I hadn't had a chance to look at the city in broad daylight. My throat tightened, and my eyes reflexively shut. A fierce wind whipped past my body. The sensation of falling. I would plummet endlessly. All the way to the ground....
A strong force yanked me back from behind.
When I opened my eyes, green eyes stared back at me.
"Got you."
Riccardo grinned as he pulled me close.
"Thought I was gonna drop you~."
I blankly looked up.
Riccardo was gripping a wire with one hand. The wire's end trailed back to the window of the floor I'd fallen from. The towering building stretched upward, its smooth windows gleaming.
The grotesque creature still clung to the window wall.
Ami had climbed on top of it.
I gaped, still held tight by Riccardo.
"Ami...."
"She's fine~. Looks like that, but she's a survivor from the 1st and 2nd Wars...."
The man gripped me even tighter.
A cool woody scent wafted from him. The moment I noticed it, our hovering bodies plunged downward. I gasped reflexively and clutched at Riccardo's arm.
Riccardo descended at tremendous speed, still holding the wire.
The ground rushed closer. Screaming people fled from the building. The gray asphalt loomed larger.
The gray asphalt hurtling toward us!
Uwaaa! We're gonna crash!
The asphalt surged up toward me.
Riccardo yanked me tight and rolled across the ground in a smooth arc.
"Th-thank you."
"When landing, don't look at the ground~."
Riccardo stood, offering me his hand.
He pulled me up with a gentle smile.
"If you ever have to land again, look as far away as possible...."
*I hope I never have to land again.*
But I didn't have time to say it aloud. Riccardo shoved my back as I rose from the asphalt.
"Run."
His voice was ice-cold.
"Away from that thing."
I wasn't dumb enough to argue.
The man climbing up the wire. The woman slicing at the creature's head with her blade.
The sound of blade biting into flesh, followed by black blood splattering onto the asphalt.
I nodded and spun around.
"Thank you!"
No reply came.
I ran without looking back. Terrified screams pierced my ears. It had been so peaceful just moments ago.
People in business casual and white coats. Employees sprinting under the blazing sun. All of them fled in fear toward one direction.
Where should I go?
The grounds were wider than I'd thought. The open space was good, but I had no idea which way to head.
The others seemed to know, scattering in different directions.
I....
Had no clue, so I just needed to get as far away as possible.
As far from *that* as I could.
I poured strength into my legs and picked up speed. A cool wind pleasantly scratched my cheeks.
Ah.
As I ran, I spotted the edge of the grounds. A road where cars honked wildly. Some people had leaped from their vehicles and were sprinting to the opposite side.
I should head there too....
Boom!
The asphalt trembled beneath me.
A heavy thud echoed from behind. I stumbled, losing balance. I didn't dare look back. I quickly planted my foot firmly and steadied myself.
Argh, the screams grew louder as something collapsed.
A child who'd been running ahead tumbled violently onto the asphalt.
"Ow!"
It hurt just watching the harsh fall.
I ignored the presence bearing down from behind and rushed to the child.
"You okay? Can you run?"
The moment I knelt beside them, a shadow engulfed us.
My insides went cold. I grabbed the child's arm reflexively and looked up.
I faced something new.
Different from the last one. This was bigger, with wings.
Faded gray-blue wings, tattered like ancient rags. It evoked a gothic dress-wearing figure. Thick tentacles sprouted where limbs should be, and what looked like dress hems writhed with fur.
Five tentacle strands gripped a massive bone sword.
The instant it raised the sword, I scooped up the child and rolled away.
Boom!
The asphalt cracked.
I dodged by a hair's breadth. Clutching the child, I opened my eyes to see the bone sword.
The blade that had split the asphalt like a cookie.
"Mommy!"
The child burst into wails.
I scrambled up, steadying myself, but the ground shook. It was slowly withdrawing the sword from the asphalt fissure.
I changed direction and bolted.
Now that it'd spotted me, I couldn't head for the main road.
I ran along the wall separating the grounds from the road. The child sobbed exhaustively, but I had no time to comfort them.
What the hell are these things!
I didn't remember Earth having stuff like this!
I sprinted at full speed, legs burning. Boom! Boom! Sword strikes hammered behind me, but I didn't look.
The forceful wind shoving my back and the shredding road told me the blade was right on my tail.
If I can't dodge the sword, just smash it straight into my head! Instant death, no pain.
I staggered onward.
A corner appeared in the wall as I ran. Clutching the exhausted, crying child, I rounded the corner of the plain building.
And I knew I'd messed up.
A long straight path stretched ahead, but it dead-ended at a wall. The wall's side was blocked by this drab building.
We're done.
I hadn't imagined it ending this quickly.
Is there any way to save at least the kid?
Despair sank my heart, but I didn't stop running. I'd think once I hit the dead end.
I bit my lip and kept going, praying for some escape route I hadn't seen at the end.
A tiny gap too far to notice....
Kwang!
A shockwave blasted from behind, sending me tumbling forward.
White-hot pain wrapped around my ankle.
"...Run in there."
The creature's wing had sliced my left ankle. Burning pain crossed it. Amid the tumble, I shoved the unsteady child with my hand.
There was a small gap under an apartment balcony.
"Get in and stay quiet, no noise."
The bone sword halted mid-air.
The child crawled away on all fours without looking back. I was relieved.
Confirming the child huddled under the balcony, I slowly turned my head.
The sky came into view.
A vast, clear blue sky.
Blocked by the massive bone sword.
Bluish-gray wings.
The worn wings flapped a few times then stilled. The tentacle raising the bone blade hung motionless. The blade's tip aimed precisely at my face.
Ah. Short, but it was a pretty good life.
I thought blankly as my right forearm was sliced by the wingtip.
Full of inexplicable things and shockingly brief, but I got lucky. Met kind people, received so much from them....
Vivid sensations of life. Confusing, but not bad times.
Small favors given and received.
*Gotta love humans, after all.*
A voice pulled from memory overlapped with my inner thoughts.
At the same time, the bone blade plunged down.
Clang!
Something blocked it.
I stared blankly at the person who'd parried the blade.
A plain white shirt and black suit pants. Sleeves rolled to the forearms, barefoot. Like he'd rushed out mid-getting-ready-for-work, but he wielded a massive spear. Sunlight backlit the spear and man.
Blinking, I noticed his distinctive look.
Flowing braided hair.
"I'll take the second creature."
He spoke to someone.
The black spear tore into a wing. The creature shrieked in agony, a chilling sound. Inky black blood sprayed, and the two-story-tall body staggered.
The long wail from a living thing.
Black blood and noise poured over me; I squinted, frowning.
"I'll finish it quick, just hang on a bit."
The braided-hair man spoke without looking down at me. I tried to reply, but the racket drowned me out.
He swung the spear heavily, deflecting the bone blade. The white blade flew, smashing loudly into the wall.
Bang!
As I startled at the noise, the spear shredded the other wing.
Saliva burst out, soaking his shirt and my body.
Ignoring pains and stickiness everywhere, I muttered.
"Really thank y—"
"Hey! Light it up!"
A building window flew open, and Ro emerged.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat! Continuous gunfire drowned everything. Even the creature's screams vanished cleanly. No reply could be heard.
Ro rested his gun barrel on the balcony and unleashed merciless fire.
The monster shredded like rags under shelling.
The spear wielder hopped back, out of sight.
Someone crouched by my head.
Soon, his arm slid under my armpits. I relaxed into the hands dragging me backward.
"Sorry."
His voice dripped with regret and self-reproach.
"This is what we're supposed to prevent.... And we let you go through it."
"Not at all."
I replied with a hollow smile. Forearm and ankle throbbed relentlessly. But relief from surviving overwhelmed the pain.
*Thought that was the end.*
Relief surged as the dragging pulled me from the monster.
Gazing at the blue sky in my vision, I exhaled long. Tilting my chin up, I looked upside-down at the man pulling me.
A handsome face full of apology. Wind-tossed braided hair, white shirt stained black. Silver piercing glinting on his earlobe.
A pleasant breeze swept over me.
*I really survived.*
I grinned, meeting his eyes. Gratitude welled from deep inside.
"Thank you for saving me."
His lips curved into a sincere smile.
"You're welcome."
He whispered lightly.
"Thank you for saving the child. Truly brave."
"No."
*It was just the right thing.*
I lay blankly, staring at the sky.
I didn't move. Not until Ro tossed his empty gun and climbed atop the creature, swinging a hammer. Not until Riccardo and Ami arrived. Not until Ami gaped wide-eyed, screaming *Hilde! Wounds!*
The braided-hair man freaked out.
"Enhanced Body, but why isn't it healing?"
Riccardo rushed over and hoisted me onto his back.
I was carted to the infirmary. Dangling limply on Riccardo's back. With the braided-hair guy hastily tearing his shirt to bandage my arm, and Ami calling the infirmary.
*After treatment, we can go back for brunch, right?*
Surrounded by frantic people, that's what I thought.