I remember the spring of that day.
"The stars are rising before our eyes."
"It’s fine to indulge in sentiment, but we should be on our feet soon."
"Mm, understood. Meursault, do you feel something?"
The moonlit night was still, and the forest carried the heavy calm that precedes a storm.
"Iron... and the metallic tang of blood. Prepare yourselves."
Given his keen sense of smell, his words were beyond doubt.
"Charge! Cut down every villain! Ride, Rocinante!!!!"
"On an eve like this, the most important thing is to maintain silence," Faust noted.
"He’s already gone. You’re merely speaking to the echo."
Aside from Otis, who remained to guard the children, everyone had already moved out. I had no fears regarding the perimeter, but I couldn't shake the worry that I might stumble.
"All right, then. I’ll head up first. I’ll be right behind you."
"Understood. If I’m late, I may have to claim your share as well—should that happen, do not blame me."
My Arts is a conditional Movement Art that allows me to briefly borrow the shadows to move freely.
"They’re gone. We’d best hurry as well."
"Very well. Let’s move."
"Don Quixote, why have you halted?"
"Look over there!"
At the spot her small hand indicated stood several remnants of the Black Cloud Society—and one particularly odd woman.
"So you intend to join us and launch a sudden assault? Admirable."
"Hmm? I only stopped because I thought making an entrance together would look better," she replied.
If that was her reasoning, so be it—and it was a relief. The short-haired woman looked formidable even from a distance. Moreover, she wielded two blades. We would have to stay alert.
"Hey, come out. Mo.bun.ida."
"Huh, miss? Who is there? And what on earth is 'Mo.bun.ida'?"
"Don’t shorten Rocinante. The children won’t understand."
"Al.bba."
Anyway, hey, you—come out!
"It seems we’ve been spotted. I’ll go on ahead."
Swoosh!
"Hey! Hogging all the cool stuff for yourself!! That’s so cheap!!!"
"What?! Are they a Movement Arts user?"
"Everyone, maintain formation!!"
Such a commotion. We hadn’t even drawn our blades, yet it was as loud as an apple falling on Terra.
"Thud. An apple has fallen."
"What the... are you out of your mind?"
"I won’t deny it. Now, answer my question: why have you come up this mountain at night?"
"What the hell are you? Can you even understand us?"
"I’ve studied the Far Eastern tongue. But I only wish to hear your answer."
"Ha! So.chaj!"
"So.chaj...?"
"It means 'to seek cattle'~☆"
An oddly cheerful youth—and those eyes were something else entirely.
"Cattle, you say... do you mean the one whose leg was cut off?"
He spoke of cattle as if he didn't even know what a cow was.
"Hey, why are your eyes looking so narrow?"
"No, it’s just a draft wafting through."
"Is that really an assassin?"
"Hey, pull yourself together. Do you even know how many of our men he’s slaughtered?"
"Nae.sa.eo.meo."
"Wouldn’t such abbreviations obscure the language’s intent?"
"Man.dan.ji.ye."
"Condensing everything is the highest art... am I really expected to carry a deputy chief and translate your gibberish as well?!!"
"Then what does 'Nae.sa.eo.meo' mean?"
"It means 'Where’s my prey, you idiot.'"
"Hmm... my apologies. That prey... one of our men must have cut it down."
"Huh?"
"You let your prey loose at another’s doorstep—imagine how startled we were."
"And you even left a marker behind..."
"Nae.ye.bang.juk."
"Interfering with my art... are you saying you want me to kill you?"
"Jeong.dap."
"Oh! That’s correct. Hey, any prize for that?"
"Mo.bun.ida."
"Charge in! He’s alone!!!"
"Don’t chicken out! He’s just a madman!"
Hmm... apparently I was underestimated. That’s a significant scratch on my pride.
"Tell me, Lee Sang, what do you think?"
"What kind of bullshit—!"
Pi-bi-bi-bi-bik!!
"A dozen men... with one slash...?"
"Yes... no need for an answer. That is a problem you must carry alone."
"Hyaah!! Where are the villains! I’ve come to cut them all down!!!"
"You’re about twelve seconds late to the scheduled arrival time."
"My apologies, Lee Sang."
"Don’t worry about it. A humble meal shared tastes better than a lavish spread eaten alone, doesn’t it?"
"Hey. Everyone, watch out for that man in the straw hat."
"I’ll show you what art really is...!!"
"Can I choose whom I face?"
"Killing our men with one slash—that was impressive, brother!"
"If those were truly your precious children, you shouldn’t have brought them into these mountains."
In this deep night, one could see the battlefield as clearly as a crow surveying the world from above.
"Support him, brother!"
"—You idiot!! Now’s the time to jump in on a proper opponent!"
A crimson aura rippled across the blade and—
"I will carve your sin."
With a perfect thrust, she punched a wind-hole through the intruder’s brow and then dodged the deputy chief’s blade without leaving a single opening.
"Are sword users all insane, I wonder?"
"A child said that to me three months ago."
She cleaved the head cleanly in two, withdrew her blade, and in one fluid motion deflected Deputy Chief Gregor’s blade that came flying from behind.
"Wow~ you’re incredibly quick, aren’t you?"
"And you, young master! Huh! You’re no pushover yourself!"
Purple jealousy filled her blade, and the two who rushed forward were—
"Hmm! That was a distinctly clean slice!"
She sliced them neatly in two. Blood and entrails gushed out, yet the two stood staring as if unimpressed.
"Ah! Those were the very people who joined us for dinner only yesterday~~~"
"Hmm? What were you eating?"
"There’s a place nearby that grills meat well. It was pretty good, though I wasn’t all that keen on it~"
"Meat—!! Did you say meat just now? A criminal syndicate dining better than we do!! Ugh!! The path of a hero is so unforgiving!!"
"Ugh... ughngh!!"
"What the hell."
"I’m sorry... it’s just... this battlefield... ugh..."
Thwang!!
"You, too, are Mo.bun.ida. Consider yourself fortunate it was finished as art."
"That person... isn’t she a comrade?"
"Huh? I don’t need such a feeble creature."
"Whoa! That woman’s got an amazing figure!!"
"Before we kill her, let’s get a taste!"
"Scoundrels. You really are incorrigible."
Aiming my blade at such filth... perhaps I should show them my own form of art.
"Hooh..."
Six burly men charged with blades drawn, yet none even grazed her collar. With one swing, a syndicate member’s neck was severed, and blood spouted like a fountain.
"Aaah! My eye!!"
This blade found another, and two more fell to the third sword...
The dance of blades never ceased, and like a performer she bloomed brilliantly—each spray of blood cast like petals of crimson plum blossoms.
"My apologies. My gaze wandered before our blades could even meet."
"Sang.eop.neo.choe.jae."
"I’ll take that to mean you have no objections."
That one, that one, and especially the straw hat—perfect materials for art.
The opponent belongs to the Oni clan. I must not underestimate them.
At the instant the moon retreated behind clouds, the world dimmed, and then a storm of blades emerged.
Two silver blades hurtled toward each other. A verdant aura sliced through where the Oni once stood, but—
"Mo.bul.a.wi. (To burn everything to ashes for beauty)"
"Ah, is that Arts?"
That rear sword wasn’t mere ornament but an Arts catalyst—flames flickered like tongues as they engulfed Faust.
"Hmm. That was dangerous, Faust."
"Thank you, Lee Sang. I predicted you’d come flying in," Faust said.
"Kkol.gap."
"Are you injured anywhere?!!"
"Oh~ have I been abandoned? How tragic~"
"That monster... how did he manage to take him down without getting hit once?"
"You thought blades like that could ever touch me?"
"Brother!! Brother!! Withdraw!! We must retreat!! Now!!!"
"Why, you fool. This is the best part."
"Do you think I want to be called? The eldest brother summoned us! We’ve got word he’s clashing with a big player from Ursus!!"
"In.jeong."
"See! Even Rocinante conceded it!!"
"What is it, Rocinante? Bailing out only at times like this?"
"No. That abbreviation just now implied, ‘Do you really want to end your life?’"
"Heh. Not bad."
"Wow~ to fully grasp that abbreviation~ you’re remarkable~"
"Naturally. Faust excels in almost every respect."
"Is that so? Then it can’t be helped. All units, retreat! Run for your lives~"
"I won’t allow the villains to flee!!"
"No, let them go. Considering possible ambushes and other variables, egressing this battlefield is our priority."
"Don’t do that—let me give chase!!!"
"No."
"Waaa~ let me do it~!!"
"No. Lee Sang."
"Hm? Did you call, you?"
"You will lead Don Quixote. That's all, Lee Sang."
"Ugh... you’re too cruel."
"I had predicted this would happen," Faust said.
On that battlefield, where blood poured and intestines dripped, vibrating with a metallic tang, the final conversation was nothing short of petty.
"Three months have passed since then... has it already been that long? I’m still curious who that big shot from Ursus was."
"Ursus encompasses countless broker organizations, mafia splintered from Siracusa, and numerous armed groups. It’s extremely difficult to narrow down a single organization."
"Faust, do you understand anything? Didn’t you say you know everything?!"
"I only know the information within my own knowledge," Faust replied.
"So in the end, you’re saying you don’t know!!!"
"I suppose you could look at it that way."
"More to the point, Meursault—why did you send the children in so hastily? It’s for real combat experience, right?"
"I agree. As long as those monsters remain connected to the Black Cloud Society..."
"Hmm?"
"I didn’t call you."
"Uh... yes, I understand. Please, continue."
"In any event, given the monsters’ ties to the Black Cloud Society, it was determined that the children’s development is of the utmost importance."
"Then... what about our pursuit?"
"That matter... I will address it personally when we return."
"Ah... that was a good meal~"
"I’d heard Columbia-style pizza was on the scene... yet it still felt quite foreign."
"What? If it was delicious, isn’t that all that matters?"
If Otis or Moejang had been here, they’d be nagging about how heavy food isn’t appropriate—but they’re not around now~
"Alright~ now back to that... that... whatever it’s called."
"Finding the organization. Haah... where do we even begin?"
"Seriously, don’t we have any more to go on?"
"I said there’s nothing! I’m serious!!"
"Su... Sua, calm down now..."
"Hey, why are you such a coward, damn it!!"
"Hmm? What’s this commotion?"
I heard two voices around our age from the alley behind, along with several rougher voices murmuring.
"Just because it’s a city doesn’t mean the back alleys are secure... let’s stop. We’ll get caught up in something..."
"Hey, you two!"
"Huh? Us?"
"Yeah, you two. Get over here, quick!!"
"Oh... hey, let’s go. I could use a post-meal stroll anyways."
True. If you’ve eaten something heavy, you simply have to move accordingly.
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