Clang! Chaaang! Kaang!
"Oh? If you don’t put a little more force into it, you’re going to die, you know?"
"Tch..."
Gyutaro knew it instinctively. He could not beat this man. He had only exchanged a few blows, but that was enough to tell.
Strong. Impossible to win. Those words flashed through Gyutaro’s mind.
But...
"So what...?"
He was fighting to protect Ume. That alone was enough reason for Gyutaro to throw himself at the bastard again and again.
Tap!
Gyutaro charged the man once more. Then, in an instant, he leaped up, twisted his body, and drove the sickle he was holding straight into the man’s forehead.
"...Huh?"
The man collapsed with that one word, and Gyutaro, breathing hard, said, "Haa... haa... What was that about oni being so... What a load of crap..."
Just as Gyutaro was about to sneer at the man and keep talking, his vision suddenly shifted.
'...What is this...?'
He couldn’t feel his body. His legs had gone slightly numb. It felt like he was floating.
KWAANG!!
Drip, drip...
"Hee~? You let me hit you, and that’s still impressive! What a waste to kill you, really~?"
The man was slowly walking toward Gyutaro. Even as his whole body screamed in pain, Gyutaro forced himself back up and took a stance. At that sight, Doma broke into a broad smile.
"You’ve got quite the toughness, and your will is strong too! Ah~ what a shame... But don’t worry! I’ll save both you and your little sister, too?"
"...C...razy... bastard..."
Gyutaro could barely stay on his feet now. His whole body was cold. Whether it was because of those damned eyes or the strange technique that bastard used, he could no longer judge things properly.
Step... step...
The man kept closing in on Gyutaro. I can’t hold out. I can’t win. As those thoughts grew stronger...
"Big brother!!"
"...Ume...?"
Ume. His little sister was shouting from over there. And she was throwing stones at the man while she did it...
"You bastard! What are you doing to my big brother! Die!"
Maybe she had lost her fear, or maybe she was terrified but doing it anyway to protect Gyutaro.
"Ah~ How touching, such sibling love~"
Grab!
The man seized Gyutaro by the neck and lifted him clean off the ground.
"!! Let go of me, you bastard!"
"Ghk... khh..."
"Heh~ Don’t worry. After this one, it’ll be your turn?"
As he said that, the man slowly began tightening his grip.
Thud.
"? Who are yo..."
Before the man could even finish his question, a massive fist flew straight into his face.
KWAAAANG!!!
With a thunderous crash, most of the house was destroyed, and the man’s upper body was completely wrecked.
"Kkh... cough cough!... You are..."
As soon as Gyutaro was released from the man’s hand, he looked at the figure standing in front of him.
"...Damn it... You’re... too... late..."
Thud.
"! Big brother!"
As Gyutaro collapsed as if he had fainted, Ume rushed over and checked on him.
"You held out longer than I expected. I shall praise you for it."
Escanor offered praise to another person, a truly rare occurrence.
"Still... the feel of the blows is a little different. It seems I’ve finally found a proper opponent after quite some time."
As he said that, Escanor looked toward where the man had been sent flying. Just as expected, the man was already walking back with his upper body fully restored.
"Impossible... You’re fine after taking that...?"
"You can’t compare a normal human to an oni~ Still, to send me flying with pure strength alone—barehanded, no less—and even obliterate my upper body... Are you an oni too?"
"Ho ho ho. To compare me with those insects that crawl out only at night... I am human. However..."
Escanor raised a finger high toward the sky.
"I also stand at the summit of all races."
"Hee~..."
"Escanor...?"
Even Ume shrank back at the change in atmosphere. In a word, it felt like a herbivore facing a predator.
"I am one of the Seven Deadly Sins. The Sin of Pride. Escanor, the Lion Sin."
Comments (0)
Please log in to leave a comment. Login or Register