Chapter 17: Do You Think Someone Like You Can

The enemy’s numbers still put them in an overwhelming disadvantage.

Thinking normally, it wouldn’t be easy for Flamm to go toe-to-toe with five Church Knights.
However…oddly enough, she didn’t feel like losing.

Crash!

The Prana she collected together formed an attack and struck the side of the plate armor. The force punched through the steel plate and the shock runs through and destroyed the internal organs of the knight, sending him flying. As the man falls down to the ground, he laid motionless with blood coming out of his mouth.
Immediately afterwards, a spear came thrusting towards the right side of her head.
Flamm bends herself backwards, the spearhead grazing past the tip of her nose, but afterwards, another sharp thrust assaulted the girl who was left in an unstable posture.
We got her!—thought the five knights collectively, but at that time, Flamm erased her Soul Eater, kicked the ground and evaded with a somersault.
It was a rash decision given that she had exhausted her stamina, but she was still able to do so by infusing Prana into her legs.
She evaded another attack targeted at her when she lands with a back step. Once more, she pulled out her sword, exhaled, and resupplies her Prana.

On the other hand, Gadio fearlessly faced the approaching adventurers and eyeballs.
Swinging his sword on the air, the vast amount of Prana burst out, destroying everything in front of his eyes like a storm.

“Focus your power in a thrust and pierce through!” said the man strongly.

What he did perhaps was an example.
Taking his words to heart, she faced the knight and unleashed a “thrust”, releasing Prana that has been concentrated at the very tip of her sword.
—Cavalier Arts: Prana Sting¹
The narrow, sharp strike pierced through the knight’s thick armor and skewered the knight.
A hole of several centimeters opened on the man’s chest. He tried to put his hand on his chest and apply pressure, but instead he fell flat on the ground.
Three left.
The remaining knights shared their agitation, briefly stopping on their tracks.
Flamm used that opportunity to regulate her breathing.

“Fuhh…by the way, why are you here, Gadio-san?”
“It’s as you can see,”

Gadio points toward the the growing number of Eyeballs with a gesture of his head.

“W-were you chasing after them?”
“You could say that”, Gadio replied with a self-ridiculing smile.

Looking closely, his expression betrays a sense of exhaustion.
He must have been chasing after them for days without sleep.
However, dead tired as he is, he was still able to ferociously knock numerous adventurers off their feet.

Leaving detailed story before their reunion for later, Flamm braced herself again and faced the three remaining enemies.

The fight afterwards seemed like a training.

Gadio sends a shockwave on the ground with one swing of his sword, and Flamm immediately imitated his move to knock down the knights.

Gadio swung his sword crosswise, creating a solid retaining wall out of Prana, and Flamm followed suit by drawing a cross with the tip of her sword and created a shield to block the spells cast by the knights.

Once she’s gotten the knack of refining her Prana, she could infuse that refined Prana into her Soul Eater, allowing her to cut through the plate armor like butter.

“Last one!!”

Now that it’s one-on-one, there’s no way for her to lose.
Flamm swung down the jet-black sword she held overhead.
The last knight was split into two, armor and all, and the two separated parts fell individually.
The wound freezes over, stopping the man’s blood and internal organs from spilling out.

Flamm stows away her sword and turned to look at Gadio, and—

“HAAAAAA!!!”

His vigor alone crushed the eyeballs and petrifies his opponent, and one swing of his sword turned his opponent in a comical sight.
She was supposed to have understood Gadio’s raw strength, but it seemed to be more prominent now that she sees him fighting humans.
Despite that, he still didn’t disrespect Flamm who were useless, and with his straightforward personality, he still took Flamm under his care, so Flamm could only look up to him for it.

“Seems like you’re done on your end too.”
“Yes, somehow. Thank you for saving me, Gadio-san. I couldn’t think of what would happen if you didn’t come to my aid.”
“Phew. It’s not just thanks to my power,” Gadio showed a gentle smile. With a warm voice, he continued; “You’ve grown stronger, Flamm.”

She received a recognition from the Hero.
Flamm felt so happy that she could break out dancing, but she soon scolds herself to not get it over her head.
…She’s still weak, for she still couldn’t save anyone.

“A lot happened today, so I have a lot to talk about, but…for now, I—”

“Alright, let’s go.”

There’s no stopping the eyeballs; they would still appear from somewhere and chase after the two.
Looking to resolve the current situation, Flamm and Gadio ran in the direction Dain went to.

 

 

An unbalanced pair consisting of a man clad in huge armor and a lightly-equipped petite girl ran through the streets in the night, still unable to find Dain.
While continuing their search, Gadio and Flamm exchanged information.

“So you’re saying that this Ink girl produces these eyeballs.”
“Yes, that would be the case.”
“She’s one of the Spiral Children, huh.”
“Is that Spiral-something a product of the church’s experiment too?”
“You also thought it’s the church’s doing, huh? That’s right. They removed newborn babies’ hearts and replaced them with Origin Cores. Twisted experiment, right?”
“Origin Core…and replacing their hearts, even…”

In other words, if the core is destroyed, Ink would also die.
However, as long as she still had that core implanted within her, it’s unlikely that her power of producing these eyeballs would disappear, and they would still continue to chase after those who could threaten the church.

“What’s your relationship with Ink?”
“I just happened to save her when she fell down. After that, she stayed together at my house for several days.”
“I see. Basically, you want to save the girl, right?”
“…yes.”

Flamm shifts her gaze downwards.
If it’s possible; if only there’s a way to remove the Origin Core…she wants to save her.
However, Flamm also understood the difficulty she needs to go through to do so.

“Sorry, but I couldn’t think of any way to do that either. I know that it would be too inconvenient to let Dain hand her over to the church though.”
“You know Dain too?”
“I’m also an adventurer. I’ve heard about a guy who’s doing whatever he likes in the West District.”
“He’s sold his friends and his soul to the church.”
“He’s a lost cause. He just threw away his most respectable assets after getting lured by short-term profit” Gadio spat out.

The two approaches a T-junction. Relaxing their tension, the two headed right.
Massive amount of eyeballs came raining down from the rooftops of the buildings from both of their sides.
The two cut through the darkness of the night, sending the eyeballs dancing in the air, scattered.

“By the way, it’s just an assumption, but was it you that threw knives over to our house?”
“Yeah. Was it hard to figure out?”

Flamm dropped her shoulders, disappointed.

“Of course I wouldn’t figure it out. You didn’t write your name in it and your handwriting was messy!”
“My bad, I had no time.”

Perhaps it was a memo he wrote when he was still running away from the eyeballs.
In the first place, it must have been very difficult for him to find out where Flamm lives in the middle of all that.

“I could understand if it’s because you were running away from them, but at first I thought it was Dain messing around.”
“Either way, it doesn’t seem like it resulted in anything, huh.”
“I’m already involved in this matter, so it’s a bit too late to tell me not to go outside.”
“Involved?”
“It seems like that Origin or whatever is after me. From the start, don’t you think it’s weird that a weakling like me would be chosen to participate in subjugating the demon lord. Humph!”

Flamm jumped to avoid some eyeballs that came emerging from the ground.
There’s another intersection up ahead, but this time, the two don’t slow down and turned left.

“I didn’t know why. Maybe it’s because they’re aiming for my attribute.”
“Inverse, huh.”
“Yes. Uhh…about the Origin Core you told me about earlier. I think those things can’t usually be destroyed,” said Flamm, remembering Neigass’ response during their encounter in the research facility.

“You’re right. It seems like you can’t destroy it by any normal means.”

Gadio was investigating the church before he was chased, so he was able to obtain that much information.

“I’ve managed to break one though. That time…I’ve fought a monster that used the power of those cores.”

“Seems like you got involved in something a lot deeper than I expected.”
“Well…yes. At that time, I was desperate, so I tried to break it with everything, be it Prana or spells.”
“And your spell was the key?”
“If Origin is using the power of the Vortex, perhaps my Inverse attribute would allow me to reverse that flow and something might happen…”
“I don’t understand the reason behind it, but since you said you’ve destroyed one before, then that might be it. If Prana was the reason then someone must’ve destroyed one of them before.”
“It’s something only I can do…that’s why, I’ll—”

Flamm looks at her palms.
Even if she couldn’t save anyone, at least there is a hope that she could stop the tragedy.
However…would that be enough?

“What!?”

Suddenly, Gadio raised his voice.
His gaze met Flamm’s, and he reflexively evaded.

“Don’t stop, Flamm!”

Despite still unsure of what just happened, Flamm desperately ran past him.

A thunderous roar engulfed the silent road.

“Nn-guh…UUOOOOOHHHH…!”

The two walls on their side moved in to squash the two, but Gadio stopped the wall with his arms.
His jet-black gauntlets sink into the walls.
It was apparent by how his arms trembled that despite his herculean strength is; holding the walls apart was no easy feat for him.
On top of that, the eyeballs are approaching his feet.
Flamm was hesitant to be apart from him in this situation, but—
Perhaps deciding otherwise, Gadio relaxed his arms and ran the opposite direction from where Flamm was facing.
As he did, the two walls closed in shut, and the two are separate once more.

“Gadio-san!?”
“It’s alright. Doesn’t look like we can go the same way from here though.”

In front of Gadio stood a boy who looks barely 10 years old, wearing something that looked like what Ink did the first time Flamm met her; a plain, white shirt.
—He’s hostile.
It’s likely that he’s one of the Spiral Children.
Without minding that his opponent is a child, Gadio brandishes his sword.

“Oh, right, there’s something I forgot to tell you, Flamm. It’s a word from someone you know”, Gadio said from beyond the wall.

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“From who!?”

Her voice was tinged with impatience.
She, too, had eyeballs closing in on her; she doesn’t have the time to stay for long.
She had to make a run for it immediately after hearing the message.

“It’s from that girl Sarah. She said she’d like you to know that she’s fine.”

However—Flamm couldn’t help but to rejoice at that news.

“Sarah-chan…!”

Her vision blurs as tears well up on her eyes.
A reunion with Gadio, and the confirmation of Sarah’s safety…the hope she thought was lost appears once more.

“She’s…alive…I see…I see…!”

If she’s alive, then Milkit and Eterna must also still be fine.
That hope reignites the flames in Flamm’s heart, bringing back the lights in her eyes once more.

Flamm yelled; “Thank you very much, Gadio-san”, and ran away immediately.

She passed through the gaps between the eyeballs chasing her, and as she forgot her fatigue, she ran faster than she had ever did today.
Gadio leaned his back towards the wall and smiled as he heaved a sigh.

“It’s not the time to break out smiling, old man.”
“No, it definitely is.”

The boy pouts in displeasure hearing Gadio’s immediate answer.
He lifts up the bangs of his smooth blue hair that was long enough to hide his ears and sent a cold gaze towards Gadio, examining him closely.

“Besides that…you let her go because you know I’m one of the Spiral Children, don’t you?”

Despite Gadio being way older than he is, the boy’s cocky manner of speaking did not cease.

“Your assumption would be correct.”
“Nect Linkage. That’s my name. I’m a second generation Spiral Child. The power Origin-sama blessed me with, is…”

Nect flashed a cold smile. He brought his palm up and reached his arm forward.
His arm gradually warped, and just like Ink when she turned into a monster, it transformed to a red vortex.
Cautious, Gadio gripped his sword and advanced one step forward.
Clearly inhuman, Nect closed his open palm and squeezed it shut.

“Connection.”

His voice came from somewhere on his face. His throat quivered, and his figure disappeared with his voice.
He’s moving in a speed that even the hero’s eyes couldn’t follow.
No—that wouldn’t be possible.
He’s not moving; he’s phasing out.
Gadio felt a presence behind him, so he swung his sword as he turned around.

“Whoops. Connection.”

Nect disappeared once more, though this time, he returned to where he was.
He closed his palm three times over.

“Come on! Connect!”

His voice was filled with strength. The vortex of flesh pulses, its massive power shaking the air around it.
As he did, the houses next to Gadio are connected, and the walls closed in to squash him.
They were then connected to another place; a stone-built house was phased in from the top, falling down to Gadio.

“Ahhaha! Even heroes are so disappointing!” laughed Nect, confident that he came out a victor.

However—

“Cavalier Arts: Expansion—²”

Gadio was in a crisis with no escape.
However, he was still able to stay calm and collected with his rhythm of breathing unaffected as he showed off his own skills.
He’s got more to show than just Prana.
The man’s attribute is Earth.
His arm infuses Mana into his great sword, and stones start to wrap its blade.
The sword was already as long as a person’s height, but now its size is 2 or even 3 times it was before.
Its weight would make it impossible for him to even hold it if he wasn’t using his Prana.
On top of that, the large sword, pointing high up in the sky, was also packed full of Prana. With that, Gadio unleashed his move.
It was a Cavalier Art made by him and for him only.

“TITAN BLADE!³”

As he swung his gigantic blade, it feels like time stopped as all sound disappeared for a very brief moment.
The next moment—
Along with a shrill sound of collision, the walls and the building that was falling onto him was destroyed to pieces.
He just literally turned Nect’s attack against himself.
However, amidst the downpour of debris, the boy’s vortex warps as he flashed a grin.

“…Well, seems like I have to eat my words. Heroes are awesome.”
“I don’t have to be worried about involving others now. I won’t hold back anymore.”
“Go right ahead, I couldn’t ask for anything better! Afterwards don’t come crying if it turns out that we’re better than you heroes!”

 

 

Away from Gadio, the the tremendous sounds of the clashing powers could be heard.
Is he really okay?—Flamm wondered. Holding back her desire to turn back, she pressed on forward.
She had no clue to as of where Dain is, but judging from the direction he went to, chances are, he’s going to the West District church, as expected.
Now that every other people should be asleep, the main building should be empty as the living quarters for the nuns and priests should be on a separate building.
Even if someone was to sneak out at night and meet up with someone, the main building isn’t a suitable place to do so.

“They’re so persistent…!”

Flamm kept running as she tried to kick the eyeballs away.

If she pays attention closely to herself, she’ll feel her fatigue.
She had searched for Milkit and Eterna, saw Ink’s transformation, fought Dain’s underlings and recklessly unleashed her Cavalier Arts, and now she’s still running around to catch after Dain.
As a matter of fact, she felt that it was weird that she was still able to move after all that; is it perhaps because of her equipment?
However…if she didn’t meet Gadio at that time and never got to hear about Sarah, she wouldn’t have gotten this far.
She might have given up long ago.
Despite that, right now, she was filled with the willpower to fight him.

She passed through the gate and the garden and pushed open the large wooden door.
The chamber was filled with darkness. The front side of the room was decorated by a statue with the image of Origin, while the floor is filled with long benches set side-by-side.
In the front row, there was a single man sitting arrogantly, putting one leg on top of the other.
Closing the door behind her, Flamm pulled out her weapon and walked closer to the man.
She had no intention to even conceal her footsteps for it was already obvious that the man had heard her open the door.
Just as she had advanced to the middle point of the carpet, the man spoke without looking at Flamm.

“‘Bout time you arrive. That persistence of yours is something, ya’ know? Is it like your rule of thumb or something? I know that much at least. I’ve been an adventurer for a long time, I’ve gotten the skills to sense this sorta thing.”

His voice sounds just like usual; a truly unpleasant noise that would rub people the wrong way.
Flamm doesn’t even feel like listening to him at all.
There was no use arguing about it; she just planned to get close to him and take his head.
For now, the eyeballs doesn’t seem to be entering the main hall, perhaps because she closed the entrance.
However, it was just a matter of time before they managed to get in, so she need to be done with him before the situation turned disadvantageous, though Flamm herself knows that it would not be that easy.

“A bit of a miscalculation on my part that you came before I get to see my employer though. Man I suck, I should just get into a hole and bury myself.”

Flamm continued walking silently.

“Oh right, that Ink brat is in the back room. I promised that piece of shit brat Nect so I didn’t hurt her. Don’t know when she’ll pass out and turn into another monster though, Flamm-chan.”

Claiming the opportunity, Flamm brandished her Soul Eater and swung it towards the man’s neck.

“Whoops!”

Dain saw through that obvious attack and evaded it by leaning forward before standing up.—
The two then faced each other.
Flamm glared at her opponent with killing intent in her eyes while Dain showed his usual vulgar smile.
The thought process of the two were far apart, each of them being on different extreme ends; no matter how much time has passed, even if they were given eternity, they won’t ever come to an understanding.

“You look different. Something good happened?”
“…Unfortunately for you, it did.”
“Hah…A’ight, whatever.”

Dain holds his crossbow and faced flamm.

“You’re gonna die here anyways.”

Despite seeing the sharp tip of the crossbow bolt he loaded and pointed at her, she did not feel any sense of dread.
With her fighting spirit unaffected, she gripped the handle of her Soul Eater with both hands.

“No. You’re the one who’s going to die, Dain!”

Flamm uttered those fiery words before kicking the floor and dashed forward.
Dain’s smile worsened as the corners of his mouth rose and he put more strength to the finger laid on the trigger of his crossbow.
The bolt he shot was aimed straight for Flamm’s heart.
Flamm didn’t try to block the attack and let the broadhead hit her torso.

And then—

“REVERSAL!”

She cast her Reversal spell, but Dain avoided the arrow sent back towards his head by tilting it.
Despite that, the arrowhead grazed his cheek, and opened a small cut.
Flamm kept her speed and closed in and swung her greatsword with her right hand.
Once again, Dain dodged her strike with a grin.
Flamm, on the other hand, bared her fangs and glared at him with rage.
The Just and the Cunning; two people who are the exact opposite—their eyes briefly met.

The fight has just begun.

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