Chapter 150 Shura The Crimson Lotus
"Come on, give me a break. I'm completely worn out from stress and fatigue. I had this wonderful plan to take a hot bath and enjoy some chilled sake on my way back. But now, here I am, dealing with unnecessary trouble again. I better get some special allowance for this; it's not worth it otherwise."
"Ugh. Mista Iggy (Mr.), you're as gloomy as ever. Your whole way of living is just exhausting, isn't it?"
"Shut it. A life without waves and troubles is the best kind. You wouldn't understand that, you crazy person."
As soon as he appeared, Hiiro was taken aback by the strange banter between the two. The man called Iggy by Zetsu seemed to be a mix of wild joy and cautiousness.
They had completely opposite temperaments, but it was easy to see they were in a cooperative relationship. In other words, he had just gained more enemies at this point. "Give me a break" was Hiiro's line.
"What's up? Did you jump in just to lecture us while this Zetsu and darling were having their little moment? Huh?"
"Whoa, don't get all scary on me... What's with that nickname you keep using?"
"What do you mean? This Zetsu has totally fallen for that guy. Isn't he just wonderful?"
"Ahhh. If you're falling for him, that means he's the 'worst kind of guy,' right? Tch, what terrible luck to pull such a bad card at the very end."
"ou think that cheap line was gonna work on me, ya mugs? Calling me out like that? Well, guess what, 'cause you ain't seen nothin' yet. Prepare to be thrown in the jail!"
They were a pair of presumed criminals. Even if the situation wasn't great and he wasn't dressed as knights, he couldn't back down as long as he was knight. With his eyes gleaming fiercely, Hiiro's tone made Iggy's face twitch again.
"Jail? Are you a knight or what? That changes things a bit... Hey, don't underestimate me. I'm ready to take you down. I've got a hot bath and cold liquor waiting for me."
"Huh? Mista Iggy, are you really planning to interrupt this Zetsu and darling? I really gonna slice you up, know?"
"That's scary. Think about the situation. Your crazy attitude is getting out of hand──."
""Cut the crap, ya hear?!!"
Having his counterattack cut off and being warned not to drag it out by Ruthless, Hiiro, determined to silence them quickly, charged at the two with a fiery spirit.
* * *
The sound of life being reaped cuts through the dark night.
The deadly scarlet scythe, when consumed by the body, is a lethal weapon. Coupled with the ferocity of its wielder, even the trajectory alone forebodes death. Thus, Zetsu wears a look of delight, while Iggy is drenched in cold sweat.
"Take this!"
"Ugh, this brat..."
A nasty creak echoes from Iggy's knee. Just receiving a blow from the extraordinary strength with his small scythe causes a groan of agony to escape his lips.
"Don't look away, darling."
"Tch."
Zetsu quickly intervenes. Despite having one arm injured, her sword strikes are sharp, forcing Hiiro to retreat. But that was part of Hiiro's strategy.
In the midst of a backstep, he skillfully slashes his arm with the blade of the scythe, causing a torrent of fresh blood to dance before Zetsu.
"You gonna be as full of holes as a swiss cheese, ya hear?"
"!"
With Hiiro's shout, the blood hardens and rains down on Zetsu like a barrage of bullets. However, Zetsu is well aware that Hiiro's blood is a deadly weapon. In an instant, she cloaks her sword in shadow, spinning her body like a top to deflect the incoming blood projectiles, effortlessly knocking them away.
To defend against an extraordinary attack with extraordinary skill. Witnessing that scene, Iggy couldn't help but murmur in regret.
"...I should have just waited quietly, damn it."
The truth was, he couldn't keep up. Zetsu, the partner in this assassination of a key figure, was also something alien to Iggy. It was off. Not just in personality and behavior, but above all, in strength. He both feared and trusted Zetsu, who was among the best in the underworld.
"This is fun, darling!"
"Shut yer trap!"
Then what about that man who seemed to have injured the Licking Shadow? The bizarre clash of shadows and blood. The sword saint and the demon locked in a struggle. To Iggy's eyes, Hiiro now appeared as nothing less than a monster. This was no joke. He had been the one to intrude, but he was already regretting that decision.
Yet, leaving Zetsu behind and retreating alone was also a problem. As a Veles, he had to determine when to attack and when to withdraw. Occasionally launching surprise attacks, Iggy was biding his time.
(Damn it, and this is just with one arm...!)
On the other hand, Hiiro was also feeling anxious.
He couldn't fully attack Zetsu, who he thought she had restrained with one arm. Zetsu's swordsmanship and shadow manipulation were only getting deeper. Had injuring her actually sharpened Zetsu's skills? Or was the Zetsu from just a moment ago merely playing around?
"Ruthless!"
(Hey, hey. Hmm, that hooded guy really knows how to pick his spots, huh?)
(Now my chances are shot thanks to him. I wanna take him down first, but...)
(No way, no way. If you did that, a jealous girl would stab you in the back for sure.)
(...Ugh. What a hassle...)
On top of that, Iggy's surprise attacks were incredibly troublesome. Just when it seemed like he could bring Zetsu into a power struggle, a weighted object came flying in. Iggy's movements were cunning, accurately thwarting his plans, and he had to rely on Ruthless for predicting ambushes and blood manipulation to stand a chance.
The frustration of being unable to push through while being in a life-or-death situation was palpable. However, the signs that this stalemate was about to break had already begun to appear.
"Hah, hah, damn it..."
(Ugh. This is bad. What's going on? My breathing has been... really off since a while ago...)
Something strange was happening to Hiiro.
He was drenched in cold sweat and gasping for breath. His body wasn't moving well. The sluggishness was even affecting his thoughts. He wondered if Zetsu or Iggy had inflicted some kind of bad status on him.
(Hmm, this might be a bit serious.)
(Did those guys mess with my head or somethin'?)
(Maybe not. It's probably a simpler reason... "stamina depletion.")
(...S-stamina depletion!? W-why is that? What's that supposed to mean? My ticker's still poundin', ain't it?)
(Even if I can keep making Magi, I can't heal your stamina. I might have overestimated Master's stamina. Today was already a brutal day, and then adding in that demon mode... I guess Master's stamina really hit rock bottom...)
(...)
Ruthless's explanation, which was unusually lacking in composure, left Hiiro flustered and at a loss. But when he thought about it calmly, it made perfect sense. It was precisely because Hiiro had an abnormal level of mental fortitude and resilience that he could almost ignore the various burdens brought on by Ruthless. However, physical stamina was a different story.
Of course, it wasn't that Hiiro lacked stamina. In fact, due to his daily intense training, his stamina was likely far beyond that of an average person.
However, during the day, the toll from his fierce battle against the Holy Crown Beast was greater than he had anticipated. On top of that, he had faced off against a strong opponent named Zetsu. The powerful yet unfamiliar Demon Mode took its toll. It was only natural that his physical strength would run out.
In this case, his overly tough mental state might have been a factor as well. The resilience of his mind, which could withstand unimaginable pain and suffering, also meant that he was quite insensitive. In fact, he hadn't even realized his own physical limits until Ruthless pointed it out.
(...Hey. So what you're sayin' is...)
(Yeah. Right now, we might really be in a pinch.)
As soon as he was told this, Hiiro fell to his knees. No matter how desperately he tried to move, he couldn't muster any strength. His body reached its limit before his mind did.
He was truly in a dire situation. Far beyond any protagonist bias or unique misunderstandings he usually imagined, Hiiro was at the end of his rope.
"...Huh? D-Darling? What's wrong?"
Noticing his unusual state, those facing him also came to a complete stop.
Zetsu, who had been in a state of ecstasy until now, was flustered as if the bliss had been a lie. For her, it felt like a bucket of cold water had been thrown over her. She didn't even try to hide her agitation and reached out her hand, which had previously swung at him multiple times, now extending toward Hiiro.
"I don't know what's going on, but... this is a chance!"
"Mista Iggy?"
However, to Iggy, it only looked like an incredible opportunity. Considering his position as an assassin, he couldn't welcome any unnecessary delays. An opportunity to remove that hindrance had just fallen into his lap. He was the first to take action.
"...Kuroto Kage."
But Iggy's quick decision was likely a grave mistake. In a way, Hiiro was a prey that had driven Licking Shadow into an unprecedented frenzy. That obsession was likely extraordinary as well.
Zetsu emitted an extraordinary killing intent, gripping her black blade with the face of a cold-blooded killer. It goes without saying that the target of her blade was not Hiiro, but Iggy.
"────What the hell is that?"
However,
the luckiest one in this situation was Iggy.
If Zetsu hadn't injured her arm and was in perfect condition...
If Zetsu hadn't regained a sliver of reason due to Hiiro's anomaly...
If Zetsu's gaze hadn't been delayed in catching the 'massive flame sword strike' flying from the depths of darkness...
"As if following the fate that was meant to be," Iggy would have been cut down by Zetsu.
"Wh-what!?"
As a result, Iggy did not become a corpse.
Moreover, that deadly hand never reached Hiiro.
The massive flame sword strike that Zetsu saw split the ground, standing as a wall of fire to block Hiiro right in front of him.
"W-what was that? Did a fire-breathing dragon beast just show up!?"
"........."
While Iggy fell into a slight panic at the sight of the unreal massive flame blade, Zetsu's gaze was sharply fixed on the base of the flames.
Eventually, as the fire calmed and the darkness regained its silence, a dignified maiden's voice echoed around.
"To think you'd compare me to a beast of all things. That alone is worth a thousand deaths."
A crimson sword burned fiercely, as if to slay the night.
Silvery hair sparkled even in the dark, as if to dispel the shadows.
She appeared like a shooting star, a beautiful and noble figure──the Ash Valkyrie.
Not a fire-breathing dragon, but undoubtedly, she had touched the dragon's reverse scale.
".........I... I can't let that guy die, no matter what. So, you all──I'll turn you to ash, just as you wish."
The Valkyrie's declaration surpassed even the roar of a dragon.
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