Ichika stood in the forest as she looked around in confusion.
Ichika: [What just... happened?]
She looked around, trying to find her bearings, when she fell backward upon seeing a ground dragon, as it suddenly roared at her. She wasn't scared, but it had caught her off guard, shocking her for a good second.
Ichika: [Some kind of giant lizard?]
Ichika looked at it curiously. She felt that if it had been Kiyotaka, he would have been able to tell the emotions of the creature with ease, but Ichika couldn't tell anything apart from the most obvious behavioural tells.
Ichika: [Was I transported to another world?]
Then Ichika saw a man with purple hair walk over.
???: [I'm so sorry, ma'am.
??? turned to the ground dragon.
???: [Shaknar doesn't just run off like that. He's trained better than that. Might you be in some trouble, young miss?]
Ichika: [I guess that I am.]
???: [Allow me to help you then.]
??? offered his hand as she took it, and he helped her up.
???: [My name is Julius Juukulius.]
Ichika: [Julius-Kun huh?]
Julius: [Might I ask your name?]
Ichika: [Amasawa Ichika. Can I ask you some things?]
Julius: [Hm? Well, alright.]
Ichika: [Where am I? Like what country?]
Julius: [Hm? You're currently in Lugunica... how could you not know that?]
Julius sighed.
Julius: [It's alright. More importantly, your garments are covered in mud. Come with me and we'll get you cleaned up.]
Ichika nodded.
Ichika: [Alright. You're quite the gentleman.]
Julius: [Why, thank you.]
Julius patted his ground dragon as they headed off.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
Julius sat down with a slightly disappointed expression.
Julius: [I was really hoping you would join me and Anastasia-Sama.]
Ichika: [Why? Are you going to miss me?]
She said this with a smirk.
Julius: [Yes.]
Ichika looked surprised but smiled.
Ichika: [Julius. I just think being in Lady Pricilla's camp will be more fun. Besides, she has everything that's necessary for being a ruler.]
Julius: [So does Anastasia-sama.]
Ichika: [Julius. You have your judgment, and I have my own. Well, I'll see you later. Let's have a good competition, okay, Julius?]
Julius sighed but nodded.
Julius: [I'll respect your decision.]
Ichika left.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
Ichika sighed as she dodged an attack from a Guiltylowe.
Ichika: [El Fura.]
The Guiltylowe lost its leg as it fell to the floor.
Meili: [No! No! No!]
Ichika: [I'm getting kind of sick of this.]
Meili: [You annoying Onee-san! Just die! Die!]
Ichika: [Ul Shiha!]
Ichika cast a quick spray of water that pushed Meili into a tree, hitting her head as she fell unconscious.
Ichika: [... that was the most boring fight ever.]
Ichika looked around at the Mabeasts that seemed to have snapped out of it, running away from the scene, understanding the difference in their strength compared to Ichika's.
Ichika: [I mean, I get what Senpai meant, giving me this job. I don't go easy on kids and I don't get all mushy about hurting them, and my magic makes it easy to deal with the Mabeasts, but woah, this was too easy.]
Ichika sighed and then kicked a rock as it skidded on the ground.
Ichika: [So boring. I wonder what Senpai is up to...]
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
In the Forbidden Library, Beatrice sat there, shocked.
Beatrice: [Get me out... of my forbidden Library? Who do you think you are, Human!?]
Kiyotaka: [Someone who's experienced the feeling of being trapped in a place without a path for escape.]
Beatrice looked into his eyes, able to confirm the truth of his words.
Beatrice: [Then... kill me, I suppose.]
Kiyotaka: [I refuse.]
Beatrice: [You should understand, so kill me!]
Kiyotaka: [While I was trapped, not once did I think of ending my own life.]
Beatrice: [Wasn't it painful? Terrifying?]
Kiyotaka: [It was at first.]
Beatrice: [I don't understand then. Why?]
Kiyotaka: [Because I stopped being able to feel anything. I devoted my whole essence to winning because it was what determined life and death. I didn't want to die. Not because I wanted to live, but because I didn't like the idea of dying.]
Beatrice: [I don't understand. Why do you care about me so much?]
Kiyotaka: [I was dealt a lucky hand. I'm fortunate, but you've been stuck here for 400 years without a proper path. I want to give you that path.]
Kiyotaka: (She must be terrified that any person she leaves with will leave her behind like Ryuzu Meyer, or like her "Mother".)
Kiyotaka: [I want to save you, Beatrice. Let me save you and show you what I've seen since experiencing this world. Form a contract with me.]
Beatrice: [You want to... save me!? Then why! Why did you take so long? It's been 400 years that I've been stuck here! Why appear now when I no longer have the will to live!?]
Beatrice began sobbing as Kiyotaka kneeled down, wiping her tears with his fingertips.
Kiyotaka: [I don't know why I appeared now of all times, but... I won't leave you here.]
Beatrice: [Are you... 『That Person?』]
Kiyotaka: [No. I am Ayanokoji Kiyotaka. The aggravating man who always sees through your door-crossing magic. I want to form a contract with you. In exchange for being by my side and seeing the world, I'll cherish you till the day I die. And after I die, I'll cherish you in your memories and in any other way I can. I'll show you the world and you'll never feel alone again. Beatrice... form a contract with me.]
Beatrice had tears dripping from her eyes as she looked at Kiyotaka.
Kiyotaka: [Make this contract with me and I'll treat you as if you were my own child.]
Kiyotaka smiled, shocking Beatrice as they reached out to each other's hands
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
Garf blocked an attack as he was flung out of the building.
Garf: [Da fuck? This bitch is so fuckign strong.]
Garf then remembered.
Garf: [Right. She said she trained so she could have more fun fighting with Boss.]
Elsa rushed in when suddenly a piece of rock flew right in the middle of them.
???: [『Transfer』.]
The next second, Elsa was sent flying into the wall of the mansion as Kiyotaka stood in front of Garf with Beatrice on his back, clinging to him.
Garf: [Boss!]
Kiyotaka: [Good job. Let's handle this together from here.]
Garf: [Sorry, Boss.]
Kiyotaka: [It's fine. I did tell you to keep her busy and stall her, and you did just that. Now we can take care of her as a group.]
Kiyotaka let Beatrice down to the ground.
Kiyotaka: [Just stay off to the side, alright? Stick to cover fire. I don't want to put you on the front lines.]
Kiyotaka patted her head.
Beatrice: [Betty knows already, I suppose.]
Kiyotaka turned to Garf.
Kiyotaka: [You remember what I told you, right?]
Garf: [Yeah. She won't die unless ya burn her injuries, right?]
Kiyotaka: [Exactly.]
Elsa walked over.
Elsa: [That was a good kick, but you should have used your blade.]
Kiyotaka extended his hand.
Kiyotaka: [Earth Smith Arts!]
Kiyotaka created a Khopesh in each of his hands as he and Garf rushed towards Elsa.
Kiyotaka: (Cutting off her head won't be easy. Honestly, if she didn't have that regenerative factor, I'm sure I could kill her, but that factor is what makes it so troublesome.)
Kiyotaka blocked an attack as he moved it to the side to give Garf an opening to attack, as Garf punched her, sending her back.
Elsa: [You two are such a lovely duo. I'll enjoy gutting both of you.]
Elsa charged at them with incredible speed.
Beatrice: [You're forgetting about someone, I suppose.]
Beatrice raised her hands as purple shards of magic appeared above her.
Beatrice: [Minya!]
Beatrice unleashed an attack of shadow magic that hit Elsa several times as she backed off, regenerating the holes in her body.
Elsa: [Oh, wow. That's amazing.]
Kiyotaka gave Beatrice a thumbs-up.
Kiyotaka: [Nice work.]
Kiyotaka turned to Garf.
Kiyotaka: [Just deal damage where you can. Once I get a good enough opening, everything will be set.]
Garf: [Got it, Boss.]
Kiyotaka and Garf rushed in, going into an exchange of blows as Kiyotaka caught one of Elsa's arms. Elsa went for Garf's gut, but Kiyotaka threw up his blade and pulled Garf closer to Elsa, making it so that he was hit by her arm instead of her blade as Garf stumbled back for a second. Kiyotaka caught his blade, imbuing it with Yang and Fire Magic as he stabbed Elsa in the gut. Kiyotaka then slashed her legs and jumped back towards Garf, checking on him.
Kiyotaka: [Are you alright?]
Garf: [I'm fine, Boss. She just nailed me in the liver.]
Kiyotaka: [I suspected as much. I apologise. There wasn't a better way to minimise the damage without risking your death.]
Garf: [All good, Boss.]
Elsa looked at her gut.
Elsa: [It's almost spilling out...]
Garf: [She ain't healin'. You were right, Boss.]
Elsa then looked at Kiyotaka in ecstasy.
Elsa: [Kiyotaka... that was amazing. Now again! Gut me like a fish!]
Kiyotaka: [...]
Garf: [That's so fucked up.]
Beatrice: [How disgusting, I suppose.]
Kiyotaka: (I cut her muscle fibres, but it didn't cauterize properly. It should give me about 10 seconds to kill her.)
Kiyotaka: [Dona!]
Kiyotaka summoned spikes of earth impaling Elsa through her stomach, arms and legs, holding her in place.
Elsa: [Ah! Yes. Again.]
Kiyotaka: [Beatrice. Now!]
Beatrice: [Shamak!]
Beatrice cast a Shamak, making it so Elsa couldn't see. Elsa began trying to walk forward in an attempt to rip her own body in half, knowing she could regenerate from the injuries.
Kiyotaka: (Perfect.)
Kiyotaka: [Dona.]
Kiyotaka extended his hand forward and clicked his fingers, as a hole appeared in Elsa's head straight through her brain.
Elsa: [Huh... Aawh...]
Kiyotaka: [『Transfer』.]
Kiyotaka then appeared behind her, his blade still infused with Fire and Yang Magic as he decapitated her. What he had done was form a condensed Earth pellet in his hand and click his fingers to propel it through her brain. Kiyotaka had then swapped places with the pellet, dematerialising it right after. He could tell her position thanks to his Mana String Ability.
Kiyotaka: (If not for Garf and... ugh!)
Kiyotaka felt a sharp pain as he could feel the『Witch Of Envy's』miasma more strongly. Thankfully, the Shamak dissipated soon after.
Garf: [He dealt with her swiftly... he killed her without battin' an eye like he was punishin' her for her doin' evil shit... if that ain't some kinda Demonic Retribution then I'm stronger than Reinhard.]
Garf paused for a second.
Garf: [But the way he did it... Lookin' at him fight is like lookin' at some kinda demon. I'd never wanna fight Boss... He's like a...『Knight Of Demonic Retribution』.]
Kiyotaka looked at Elsa's corpse.
Kiyotaka: [It's over...]
Kiyotaka then raised his hand over her corpse.
Kiyotaka: [Earth Smith Arts.]
Kiyotaka formed a box of earth around her corpse with an earth spike jabbing every crevice inside, piercing her body in a way no human would be able to move even a muscle.
Kiyotaka: (No shame in being completely sure.)
Kiyotaka suddenly winced in pain.
Kiyotaka: (Ugh, there's some kind of... ugh! I'm getting a raging headache. I don't think I can use『Transfer』for a while.)
Ichika walked over carrying Meili by her shirt as Meili thrashed about. With her were Frederica and Petra with Rem, who'd regained consciousness.
Meili: [I hate you! I hate you!]
Meili then looked to see Elsa.
Meili: [... Elsa... No! No! No!]
Frederica: [She's really dead?]
Kiyotaka: [It was a troublesome fight, but we managed. But without Garf or Beatrice, I'd be dead.]
Garf: [Huh? Boss?]
Kiyotaka patted his and Beatrice's head.
Kiyotaka: [Good job, you two.]
Ichika: [Oni-Sama!]
Suddenly, Kiyotaka fell to the floor as Ichika had jumped on him and was hugging him.
Garf: [Huh? The hell ya doin'?]
Frederica: [Oh? You had a younger sister, Kiyotaka-Sama?]
Rem: [So... Ichika-San was it? Thank you for all your help.]
Rem tried to curtsey, but she was still too weak from sickness.
Ichika: [It's no worry. After all, Oni-Sama promised me something in return.]
Kiyotaka patted her head.
Kiyotaka: [You did well.]
Ichika smiled.
Ichika: [Then...]
Kiyotaka: [Not now, Ichika. I still have to deal with something.]
Ichika pouted.
Frederica: [You're always so focused, Kiyotaka-Sama.]
Garf: [That's the boss for ya.]
Ichika: [I think that's something very charming about my Oni-Sama.]
Rem then looked to Ichika with a smile. Rem seemed to be thinking something along the lines of "I like this girl. I wanna glaze my Onee-Sama while she glazes Kiyotaka-Kun." AN: I'm not joking. This is basically what she was thinking. She fr wanted to be a little sister duo, glazing their older siblings to each other.
Kiyotaka: [Alright. Since everyone is accounted for, lock that girl up and get some rest. Beatrice and I will be heading to the Sanctuary.]
Garf: [Um, Boss. What about me?]
Kiyotaka: [Beatrice is essential for the battle ahead, and in case those two had any more traps or tricks up their sleeves, I want you to stay here and deal with it. If it's something that needs punching, there's no one I can depend on more than you.]
Kiyotaka patted his shoulder as Garf smiled.
Garf: [Ya got it, Boss. Punch what needs punchin'.]
Kiyotaka looked at Beatrice with a smile.
Kiyotaka: [Let's get going.]
Beatrice nodded as they headed off to mount Haku and rode off towards the Sanctuary.
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To Be Continued
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Rating Out Of 10 For This Part:
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