“...I only ever saw a sword like this once in my previous life...”
Haruta searched through the memories of his past life and eventually deduced what the sword was. Even though it was a blade he had created unconsciously, its durability and sharpness were easy enough to infer. Haruta was pleased that it managed to capture both qualities.
“...Should I start now?”
He held the sword straight in his left hand and gripped the katana in reverse in his right.
Ordinarily, it was a motion impossible without enough strength, but Haruta could do it. He could overcome it with brute force alone.
“...Now it begins.”
He tightened his grip on the sword and poured more force into it.
Veins stood out on the back of his hand as he drove the katana into his right hand.
Then he shifted the [Durandal] from his left hand to his right.
“...Right. I should use it once in a while...”
Whoosh!
Boom!
The iron bars split apart and broke into four pieces.
“...Chaos has escaped! Request reinforcements from SRT and Valkyrie!!”
“Wow... that’s a pretty fierce welcome.”
In front of him, correctional officers stood in a line all the way down the corridor.
“All right, let’s do this!”
Fshh!
The sword unleashed such destructive force that it seemed to carry the wind itself.
Feeling that [Durandal] was still light in his hand, Haruta drew a hammer in his left hand.
“The enemy has no firearms! Don’t engage at close range—fight them from a distance!”
Bullets flew toward him. They were so slow he could see them with his eyes. Even if they hit, they probably wouldn’t hurt...
Clang!
“...No way. Did he just split a bullet with a sword?”
Whoosh...!
Haruta closed the distance at high speed and shattered their formation with the hammer.
Boom! Bang!
“Guh...”
In the end, the force that couldn’t hold out was cut down and scattered.
“...Is that all?”
Haruta touched his forehead and confirmed that not a single drop of sweat had formed.
“...Yeah, this should be enough... SRT will be here soon too.”
At Haruta’s words, the students of SRT FOX Squad broke in through the window.
“...? Hey. Don’t you remember me? I smashed you during my probation period.”
The moment she recognized his face, Niko Yukino froze.
“...What, you’re here to arrest me again?”
“...”
“Right. Even if you’re special forces, you shouldn’t be getting thrown off by something like this.”
“Shut up.”
“Oh, I do like being scolded, but not right now.”
Haruta smiled playfully and looked at Niko.
“...What, is there no one in SRT stronger than you?”
“...”
“I’m talking about you, FOX2 Niko.”
“...? How did you...?”
“Well, I know that much...”
Haruta glanced toward the window the FOX Squad members had broken through.
And where his gaze landed, Otogi was waiting with a sniper rifle.
“...”
In an instant, Haruta vanished, then reappeared a moment later.
Thud!
The impact was strong enough to crack the floor.
“An ambush in the nearby mountains, huh... I’ll give you credit for that.”
“...Put FOX4 down right now.”
“...Why are you being so prickly?”
“That’s an order! If you don’t release her immediately, I’ll open fire at once.”
“...I do like foxes, but this is annoying.”
Haruta grabbed Otogi by the head.
“Now! If I put just a little force here, she’ll faint... or maybe something worse?”
Yukino stared at Haruta in silence, pouring out her hatred through her eyes.
“...Sorry, Otogi.”
Haruta let Otogi go and spoke his true thoughts.
“...What are you do—”
“Can’t you tell? I’m just going back.”
Yukino slowly raised her gun.
“...Before you draw your gun... think first.”
Haruta turned and looked back at Yukino.
Whoosh
“Tch.”
Clang!
The wind split apart. Yukino reacted in time and blocked it, but Haruta sliced through the gun as well and pressed his sword to her throat.
“...”
“Haa... I really don’t want to do this...”
Haruta slowly leveled the blade and stared straight at Yukino.
“...Kill me.”
“That’s a line I’ve heard before...”
“Then as you wish.”
Haruta withdrew the blade, then raised it high. He tightened his grip, ready to drive it down into her body and finish the job for good.
“Kuh...”
Yukino’s eyes squeezed shut. Her face was frozen in fear.
As though he had expected that reaction, Haruta lowered the sword again.
“...Right. You don’t want to die yet, do you?”
“...I see... My apologies.”
“Then live a long time.”
“...”
Without another word, Haruta turned around and went back into the correctional facility.
“Hm... I’d like to put the FOX Squad on a leash too, but I’ll do it later.”
Haruta confirmed that all the guards in the correctional facility had been taken down and that reinforcements were on the way, then returned to his room and went to sleep.
--------------------------------
“...He tried to escape... and then just went back?”
Kaya asked FOX Squad.
“Yes... He returned to his room without saying a word and went to sleep.”
“...That man was right on the verge of escaping from a correctional facility that even the Seven Beasts couldn’t dream of breaking out of... and he just walked out calmly?”
“Yes... He just went back to his room and slept as if nothing had happened...”
“And you call that an answer, Squad Leader Yukino!?”
Kaya shouted.
“...I have no excuse.”
“...For now, there’s nothing we can do. It was my mistake for thinking I could work with Kaiser and control Chaos...”
“You may leave now.”
Yukino left the room.
-----------------------------------------
“Rin, did he really escape?”
“Hm... It wasn’t really an escape. It seems he just stayed out front for a bit, then went back to the correctional facility.”
“...For now, keep this as quiet as possible and tell them to lock him in the lowest level of the correctional facility with chains.”
“? Student Council President? There’s no need to go that far.”
“No... I got a text today... I don’t know how he sent it.”
“...Then... was that what he asked for?”
“Yeah... probably?”
“Haa... I really have no idea what he’s thinking.”
“Well... maybe he could end up on the Student Council’s side later?”
“Haa....”
-----------------------------------------
“Is someone talking about me?”
Haruta was bored out of his mind.
“Tch. I’ve got nothing to do anymore.”
“...Come out.”
“? Was that an order just now?”
“...”
“No, no, I’m kidding.”
“So? Guard? Why did you call me?”
“Your transfer to a different detention facility has been confirmed.”
“Hm... okay. Let’s go.”
“Oh! This is it?”
“...”
“Hm, this is much better than I expected.”
Haruta adjusted to the new room and simply lay down.
“Hands.”
“Yes, yes.”
Chains were wrapped around Haruta’s hands, feet, and neck.
“...What is this? This level of restraint won’t hold me.”
“...”
The guard simply left.
“...”
“Then... Akashi?”
“Yes!”
“About that dimension-shifting thing you mentioned before, and the ability connected to it.”
“You mean the dimension shift you mentioned before?”
“Yeah. Did you find the book?”
“No... not yet.”
“Hm... got it.”
Haruta thought of Hoshino and spoke inwardly.
‘Hey, Hoshino. Can you hear me?’
“What is this now?”
“Huh? What’s wrong, Hoshino?”
“Ah... no, it’s nothing.”
‘Are you okay right now?’
‘Do I look okay to you?’
‘I’m just bored being alone in prison...’
‘What? Prison?’
‘Yeah, I turned myself in.’
‘...So the news hasn’t gotten out yet...’
‘Yeah... looks like Yume-senpai doesn’t know either.’
‘Fine. Tell her Haruta went on a trip.’
‘Yeah...’
‘Then I’m going back.’
----------------------------------
“Haa... I have to do this for the next two years?”
Haruta had to stay locked up for two years.
During those two years, aside from the Student Council President visiting a few times and exchanging jokes with him for a bit, there was nothing to do but sit inside the [Akashic Records].
----------------------------------
Two years later
“...Akashi? The Student Council President hasn’t come to visit.”
“...? I’m not sure either.”
“What is this?”
Boom!
“? What? Who is it?”
“Are you ‘Chaos’?”
“Yeah, and?”
The person standing guard in front of him unlocked the chains.
“...What is this?”
“Come out. Let’s escape together.”
“Ah, you’re Shintani Kai, right?”
“...Yes. I’m one of the Seven Beasts, Shintani Kai.”
“Then I guess it’s about time I got to work now that the Student Council President has gone missing?”
Haruta got to his feet, forcing strength into the chains still wrapped around his body.
Crack!
Creak
Clang!
The chains snapped with only a little force.
“...Are you... human?”
“Nope. I’m Takashi Haruta, Kivotos’s worst criminal.”
“...Right now, the Seven Beasts besides us are split into two teams. One is me, the Disaster Fox, and the Benevolent Phantom Thief—three in total. The rest of the Seven Beasts have already escaped.”
“...Hm... got it.”
Haruta rose to his feet and drew the [Durandal] he had made two years ago.
“...Yeah. I missed this feeling.”
Haruta felt the sword settle into his hand and looked down at his gun.
“...A handgun... I should buy a revolver and a shotgun later.”
After a moment’s thought, Haruta looked up at the ceiling.
“...So where are Wakamo and the Benevolent Phantom Thief now?”
“They’re supposed to be coming here.”
“Then let’s get out right away.”
Haruta sliced through the air and drew out his spear.
“...That is...?”
“The strongest weapon I have right now.”
Haruta raised the spear high and aimed it at the sky.
“Right... should I get started?”
Veins stood out on the back of Haruta’s hand, and his arm was dyed black.
“Then the other Seven Beasts are all here now?”
At that moment, Wakamo and Akira entered through the door at the same time.
“...I didn’t know there was a place like this...”
“I agree. To think such a huge detention facility existed... and they used it to isolate Chaos...”
“What are you waiting for? Hurry up and get on.”
Wakamo looked at Haruta’s face, blushed slightly, and stared at him.
“...”
Akira also looked at Haruta, blushed for a moment, and then clung to his shoulder.
“Well then... shall we go?”
Haruta lifted the spear high and aimed it at the heavens.
“...”
Whoosh!
A shockwave struck faster than sound.
Boom!
“Wow... incredible...”
“...Are you sure he’s human?”
“As you can see, I’m a demon.”
“...”
Only after everyone had frozen in place and Haruta had carried them out one by one could they finally make it to Schale.
“...By the way, Wakamo, why did you come all the way here?”
“Fufu... I was told to come to Schale... and destroy something...”
“By whom?”
“I don’t know the details either.”
“Right. Then the prologue begins!!!”
Comments (0)
Please log in to leave a comment. Login or Register