บท 4: DUEL WITH VALI LUCIFER'S TEAM PART 1
…
The night sky become darker, and many stars hung high in the night sky——
Citing danger as an excuse, Kuroka didn't take Le Fay with them. The couple continued their journey to a hill near the outskirts of Tokyo. Kuroka brought Reino to Akasaka Hikawa Shrine.
"This temple had been believed to be a temple for matchmaking because in this temple the god of couples and matchmaking. The shrine founded by Shogun Yoshimune Tokugawa, the 8th reign, has remained since the Edo period and is designated a cultural asset. Even though it is located in Akasaka which is the center of the city, this shrine has a lot of trees including the Ouicyou tree which is over 400 years old. We managed to borrow this place from the one concerned, so don't worry about the god in question getting angry. Also, who knows we will get a blessing from the god of the couple ~Nyaa. Even though it's still a tourist spot, it's a lot quieter than other places nearby." Kuroka said what was on her mind.
Maybe because it was past midnight, the surrounding atmosphere didn't seem strange.
"For a building that has been around for over 1500 years and still preserves its shape, you have to admire that."
Parts built of brick remain. Likewise for paths made of bricks.
Walking slowly amidst the ruins, Reino looked around, taking in the surrounding scenery.
If possible, he wished he could come during the day, but this parallel to a test of courage was also very exciting.
There were no street lights near them. even without the torch, the two of them walked naturally, because Kuroka and Reino both had night vision like an owl... this was also, because of the life or death situation he had been in for a while now, that he was able to obtain a superhuman body…
"Is that so? Ancient buildings like this can be found anywhere, can't they? For example, medieval temples and castles. I know Bali has quite a few too, right?"
"Your examples are from a completely different period. And besides, if you exclude things that are tourist attractions, they're hard to find."
Kuroka's opinion comes from those who see things from a Neolithic point of view.
First, most of the old buildings in Japanese cities, most of the buildings and their names come directly from the Edo period. And when you're talking about streets and cities as a whole, don't be fooled to claim more than half of them are historical relics.
"Reino, it been a long time since we're both spent our time together? Can't you stop talking about such unromantic things? This is a rare and brief encounter for lovers like us Nyaa~."
Kuroka suddenly approached.
She is getting closer to Reino and started whispering these words in his ear.
Facing an attractive girl, who showed her affection so aggressively, let alone a healthy high school boy, even a veteran playboy would blush and become nervous.
Reino is certainly no different. However…
"I've told you many times—please stop joking! We have to follow etiquette. build positive and healthy relationships!"
"I'm not kidding. It's just a confirmation of mutual love from lovers who have been separated for a long time."
Kuroka ignored Reino's answer and brought her face closer. Their cheeks almost touching, Kuroka leaned her body closer to his lips and started whispering sweet words like honey. Reino backed away desperately and continued to retreat with all his might.
"W-We're not lovers, so please stop now!"
"I just want you to accept my proposal as soon as possible Nyaa~ Which part of me are you dissatisfied with? My features, age, and body should be fine...unless you have some kind of special fetish?"
"Stop talking nonsense. I'm perfect and very normal! This has nothing to do with fetishes!"
Kuroka continued her efforts to cling to Reino, who backed away in a panic.
...To be honest, once you get used to her earnestness and stubbornness, you'll find her cute. even if he continued to be manipulated by her, he couldn't truly hate her.
That said, he still couldn't accept Kuroka's aggressive romantic style.
"I like Reino, and Reino feels the same for me too, right? See, there's absolutely no problem, and even after marriage, we'll get along well~Nya. We might even become the strongest couple in the world."
"And that's the problem! Stop carelessly deciding on things like marriage! I haven't even considered starting a family yet!"
Reino could imagine it: after accepting his love, he would be kidnapped and forced into a church for a wedding ceremony. If one assumed the normal age to be eighty, Reino hadn't reached about a quarter of that time yet. It's natural for someone to feel uncomfortable if he or she decides to become a lifelong partner with little life experience. But there is an even more pressing reason. Even though Kuroka proclaimed herself as Reino's lover loudly, she tended to think of certain plans.
"——Erm, Kuroka, please don't mess with me in a strange place, okay? I know that I owe you a lot, and even though you're causing me a lot of irritation, I still consider you a friend. I'll help you if you ask me normally, so please stop doing these shameful things."
Reino said this sincerely. It wasn't something to be happy about, but Reino knew that he wasn't the type to be popular with girls. Or at least that's how he judged himself.
Reino Barack wasn't a funny person, and there was no point in feeling other people's emotions. His sister often calls him stupid, or he talks too much. There was no way an attractive girl would like this kind of guy, much less Kuroka. With her beauty and intelligence, she can choose anyone.
"What's the reason why you're trying to seduce me because of some kind of order from your corps? I understand that, so there's no need to show off, and I don't want you to tell this kind of lie—— hey, listen?"
"I heard you... you are really very slow. A beautiful flower appears in front of you, even asking you to pick it... you don't understand Nya~?"
Kuroka, who was still clinging to Reino, sighed. This sigh was a rare and sincere expression of her concern.
"I wasn't ordered by my superiors to choose a lover. I can't believe that you can't even understand this simple thing—really, what a loser Nyaa~."
Kuroka finally let go of her hand. As she began to relax, he leaned over and kissed her. And this is not a kiss on the cheek, but a gentle kiss on the lips.
"This is your punishment for always being so cold to me... forget it, I'm willing to spend more time so that you will finally understand my love Nya~. So for now, prepare yourself for that time Nya~!"
Kuroka, smiling gently, looked very dazzling. If this continued, he might start to have some strange ideas, so Reino quickly changed the subject.
"Right, I have something to ask you about Le Fay."
"Un, Le Fay honest and generous, is not she a great kid?"
Hearing the tone of her voice, Reino's face started to feel blurry.
"I want to ask something more important. Tell me honestly, did you purposely ask Le Fay to show me around?"
"...Wow, you really got into Le Fay's car. You really have the courage of a dragon, no! Garuda is the most suitable word for you. Such great courage."
Facing Reino's direct gaze, Kuroka replied carelessly. It seems she won't give a serious answer.
"If you're planning on using such a suspicious answer, at least, you can do is look me in the eye. So it really was your scheme—did you know that I nearly died?"
"Calling that scheme is outrageous. I was just saying, if she took you around on an outing, you might feel happier... Le Fay really is a good kid."
The two chatted casually as they walked. Suddenly the scene widened in front of them, and they arrived at a vast location.
"We have arrived. This will be our battleground. The dungeons of this shrine"
In front of his eyes was a large and wide wall, probably once an ancient fortress.
All around were round columns, lying on the ground. Only a few are still standing. Surrounded by all these things was a green expanse of moss where four figures were standing, waiting for him. The three young men and Le Fay he had met earlier. They were probably Vali, Bikou, and Artur that Kuroka mentioned.
"Nice to meet you Reino-sama, introduce I'm Artur Pendragon, Le Fay's older brother." a man in full suit bowed slightly and introduced himself.
In reply to Artur's formal remark, Reino bowed his head in reply.
"Hello, I'm Reino Barack. Although I have obtained this special physique for some reason, you don't need to treat me with too much respect. Please treat me like any normal person."
"...You are too humble; one could tell that you are not a simple human from what you just said?"
"He was right. It was just [Mille Lingua] —— 'a magic that could only be watched patiently for a long period of time. And even then, those who were proficient at it had to understand the secrets of the language before they could learn the skill. using this technique at such a young age, like you, must be a rare sight."
The two pendragons praised him, one after another. Ever since Reino became a Campione, he had never encountered any problems communicating with strangers. After associating with them for three days, he was naturally able to understand and speak their language. He had always thought it was a very convenient ability, but it was also very pathetic. Who knew it actually had such a story behind it…
Just as Reino was at a loss to say something, Kuroka, who was standing beside him, raised her voice and said, "Right, since all the actors are here, let's start the main event. Le Fay, Bikou will you please prepare the barrier?"
"No problem" Le Fay and a man wearing Chinese armor jumped out. The figures of the couple immediately began to fade, and in an instant, there was no trace of where they were. The barrier that seemed to have been prepared in advance was then activated.
"They really disappeared, how amazing."
"In your current state, it can't be amazing magic Nyaa~ They're just hiding their bodies while watching from a distance. Don't be bothered by that, from here on, it's a stage for just us Nya~"
Kuroka, leaving the suddenly nervous Reino, stood at a distance of about 5 meters.
From there, he called out to his two accomplices who were left out.
"Please prepare, don't hold back. Especially you Vali."
Even though Reino didn't feel any fighting spirit at all, he reluctantly turned his body to face Kuroka.
Kuroka had changed her clothes before the match started. She was now wearing Hayama with the same accent as her kimono earlier. Reino still remembered how she had proudly boasted earlier, that black and gold obi could only be worn by a great nekushou.
"Balance Breaker" the silver-haired man started his spell a white armor with a dragon aura suddenly covered his body. Behind him came out wings that gave off patches of white light.
Arthur had also taken his sword Caliburn. Reino was a little surprised to see this.
"Wow what a sword. It was the Excalibur used by the first king Arthur pendragon. I am right?"
"Yeah I feel honored Reino recognized my sword"
Kuroka started an unnatural spell as her weapon, writing the kanji Youjutsu in the air clearly as if making calligraphy.
The spell or 'command spell' that people spoke of, was the ability to bend magic power according to one's will.
Kuroka produces a poisonous mist that is effective against certain races such as Youkai and Devils but is ineffective against Dragons or Dragon-type Sacred Gear possessors, such as Issei Hyouodu due to his possession of the Boosted Gear. But after meeting Reino, Kuroka had perfected her poison ability, and by using Bikou as a guinea pig; she is able to create a special poison mist that was effective even against Sun Wukong; a former Youkai who became a Buddha, even after he had dispelled it with his magic.
The use of Youjustsu has also demonstrated the ability to create illusions to confuse opponents. Due to their unique nature, the average opponent would not be able to distinguish the real from the fake because they took on the user's physical appearance. Both of Kuroka's hands, which were completely empty a moment ago were now burning with white flames that could burn Yasha's soul.
"Proceed!!" seeing her comrades who had finished their preparations, Kuroka started instructing her comrades to come forward and attack Reino with full force
Arthur's favorite sword, Caliburn, also known as Collbrande, is one of the Four Holy Swords and is known as the Sword of the Holy King and the Sword in the Rock. Caliburn has a fairly long handle that appears as a two-handed sword with a rounded tip at the tip, a shield-shaped like a large cross, and a long blade with a gold tip. But Reino knew very well that this was a demon sword, which could easily cut through swords made of steel.
——Immediately, Arthur closed the gap between them.
"Hey! Wait a minute!"
Caliburn flashed like a flash of lightning, aiming to pierce Reino's chest. Reino throwing himself to the side, he had barely managed to dodge it. Arthur didn't retract his sword but swept it horizontally as if to chase after Reino, who dodged his attack. For the person who had just escaped, he couldn't help but feel the chill of death's journey down his spine. The indeterminate change from the thrust of the sweep is beautifully done.
Reino took a few steps back and regained his balance but Kuroka was already in front of him, hitting him with the Yaksa, a powerful fire that was said to burn souls. Reino kicked Kuroka away before her attack hit him.
Kuroka bounced a few meters before stopping from hitting Arthur. Vali who was left behind decided to attack, pounced towards Reino at high speed. Reino managed to dodge a short distance then threw a left hook at Vali, making him take a few steps back and destroying the armor in his heart.
"You're really trying to kill me, aren't you?! And you" Reino pointed at Arthur who was wielding a calibrun. "Attack me recklessly with a real sword!"
"This is a duel, using a real sword is completely natural." Arthur shrugged his shoulders, denying Reino's underhanded accusations.
"Don't use that! If I get cut by that thing, I'll definitely die. Didn't you use this same sword to slash through the concrete before? My body will be chopped like tofu!"
"Tofu it's a material made from soybeans Nya~ Don't worry! you're much stronger than that Nya~. Even after being hit by Gram Siegfried's demon sword, weren't you still holding on? After witnessing that battle, I couldn't help but admire your endurance amazing, and I wonder what will happen if you get hurt by me ——"
"...Kuroka, instead of deciding to duel with me, don't you guys just want to test your weapon on my body?"
"Don't be silly. But this is definitely a rare opportunity nya~, and we don't want to miss it."
"..."
Arthur, as someone who wields a sword, opens the attack. He lightly touched his wrist, and Caliburn lashed out like a whip at Reino's neck —— this was probably an attack on his carotid artery.
He was completely unable to predict the natural movements of his attacks, and besides, they were extremely fast. Reino couldn't even see it coming perfectly. Depending on his intuition, he swung his head. At least he got away with that one.
"How impressive… there are only a few people who can dodge Arthur's sword strikes perfectly in that small distance—— Ah! I forgot Reino is only partially human, so it's still within his expectations~"
"For someone who keeps calling himself my lover, you must not hold back from killing me! it was even more inconceivable "
"But that's only because my lover and my opponent happen to be the same person. There's nothing strange about that, and besides, I never wanted to kill you… though a little accident could still happen."
Kuroka elegantly returned to her senses, while her expression was sweet, like a poisoned flower. Her flirtatious manner was too seductive.
"I'm sorry for the disturbance, but I will ask you both to break your habit for a moment. While I sympathize with the need for passionate lovers to express their desires to one another, I must remind you that this duel is sacred."
After hearing Vali's instructions, Reino couldn't help but reply, "If you think we're flirting, you must be blind. Or maybe your eyes are just decorations?"
All of these people were the kind of people who considered betting someone is a game; and a way to show respect, of course, included Kuroka.
"Alright—let's enjoy our love tonight, Reino. Right now, you must show your full courage!"
Apart from his parents, there was basically no one else who spoke to Reino personally by name. And to be more specific, there is only one person in this world, who sometimes whispers his name with overflowing tenderness, and other times calls it in a firm and confident manner. And that person is Kuroka.
...The thing was, while she used his name very affectionately in public, she didn't feel any problem attacking Reino with Toiki and Yaksa viciously.
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