Chapter 153 – V9 Chapter 11. A Swordswoman Of One-Flash
We decided to raid the governor’s mansion to rescue Master Yasushi, and when I entered the room where Chester was located in, I found him locked up inside a cage.
—I don’t intend to forgive anyone for such transgression against Master, but Chester’s skill is perfect for a certain task.
“Can you do it, Ellen?”
Ellen replies quietly to the question.
“I can.”
Ellen steps forward to face Chester.
She seems pretty nervous, but I can tell that she’s also focused, so as her master, I can rest assured.
Chester’s eyes dart about, and he notices that we don’t intend to touch him.
At the same time, he looks at Ellen and observes the child in front of him cautiously.
“What’s the meaning of this?”
Ellen remains silent, so I decide to answer the question instead.
“My disciple hasn’t killed anyone before. As a swordswoman, this means she’s not fully-fledged yet. As such, I’m thinking of having her gain some experience through you. Now that we’ve managed to rescue Master, you’re worthless to us.”
I ask Rinho and Fuuka, who are staring at Chester with cold eyes, to act as witnesses.
“I’ll be showing my disciple to Master Yasushi. Rinho, Fuuka. You two will be the witnesses.”
Rinho shrugs her shoulders.
“Okay~”
Fuuka appears interested in how Ellen will fight.
“Ellen, make sure ya don’t tarnish the names of Master and Senior Brother.”
I turn towards Master Yasushi, who closes his eyes before slowing opening them again.
His eyes are locked on Ellen and Chester, who are in front of him.
For Master Yasushi, Ellen will be his grand-disciple.
I’ve had her undergo rigorous training, but I wonder how she looks in the eyes of Master.
I’m becoming nervous as well.
“Ellen, as you’re not familiar with the One-Flash, I forbid you from using it in this fight.”
Ellen remains calm and collected despite being told to kill her enemy without using the One-Flash.
She isn’t showing any signs of pulling out her sword either.
“Understood.”
She’s concentrating more and more, waiting for me to signal the start of battle.
Chester on the other hand isn’t ready at all.
“Cut the bullsh*t! I never agreed to fight with this kid! Guards! Guards!”
He shouts for his subordinates, who have presumably been waiting outside the room, but Kukuri appears from my shadow and begins to cackle.
“They’ve departed this world already, and are waiting for their governor to catch up to them.”
It’s really nice to have such a capable subordinate.
Also, unlike Tia and Marie, Kukuri won’t go and do anything crazy.
“Sorry for the trouble, Kukuri.”
“It is our honor to serve you.”
Kukuri bows respectfully, and Chester falls to the ground.
No one knows what’s going through his mind, but with both hands on the ground, he addresses me with a fawning voice.
“Let’s strike a deal, Count Banfield!”
I don’t give him any response, but Chester continues, assuming that I’m interested in what he has to say.
“Troops from my parents and surrounding lords are coming to this planet, and they number over 60,000. I-if you spare me, I wouldn’t mind helping you out.”
I let out a sigh after hearing Chester’s attempt to strike a deal with me with his quivering voice.
“Marie.”
A small window appears in front of me as soon as I call out her name, and Marie’s face is projected onto the screen.
‘Lord Liam, it’s true that a large fleet is heading for this place—L-Lord Liam?! All those wounds! I-immediate treatment—’
“Shut up, you’re being too noisy.”
Thinking he could negotiate; Chester stands up and points his finger at me.
Both he and his subordinates seem to love making deals.
“S-so what will you do, Count Banfield? Do you accept, or do you not?!”
He’s continuing the conversation all on his own, but there’s only ever been one answer.
“—Who do you think you’re speaking to? You and I making a deal? Impossible. Just shut up, and become experience for my disciple. Aren’t you honored to be the stepping stone of a true member of One-Flash?”
“Wha—?”
Chester seems dumbfounded, so I shake my head, and teach him a lesson.
“A fleet numbering 60,000 ships? So what?”
Marie, who’s been watching us through the small window, interrupts me.
‘Lord Liam, please escape immediately!’
“Don’t interrupt me.”
‘~!’
“—Marie, drop Avid down here.”
‘B-but!’
“Don’t make me repeat myself.”
‘M-my apologies.’
“If you so wish, you can leave first. I’ll catch up to you guys with Avid later on. It’d be a waste to lose subordinates for such a trivial matter after all.”
Marie’s expression becomes stern when she hears me telling them to run away before me.
‘I haven’t become so incompetent as to flee and leave my lord behind.’
After the communication gets cut off, I turn towards Chester, whose face is screaming “Unbelievable”.
To begin with, I doubt a small fry like him has the authority to let us go.
“—How long do you intend to sit around like that? Get back to your feet.”
I glare at him, making Chester’s mouth open and close repeatedly.
Ellen, who’s been silent until now, opens her mouth to speak.
“Although you’re an evil man, it doesn’t sit well with me to kill someone who shows no sign of resistance. At the very least, please show me your pride as a swordsman.”
Being told off by a girl younger than him, Chester stands back up and unsheathes his sword.
“How dare you look down on me! Putting aside Liam, killing a brat like you should pose no problem to me!”
—A mere governor addressed me without honorifics.
I almost kill him right there and then, but I suppress my urge.
After all, Chester really is the best opponent for Ellen.
I stare at Chester before laying the charges.
“Addressing me without honorifics is a capital offense, but I’ll let it go for now. You’re just the right person for Ellen to train against. Not only have you abused your position, you’ve oppressed the people and held ambitions that far exceed your capabilities. The biggest offense, however, is that you kidnapped Master Yasushi.”
Chester looks at me, and smiles fearlessly.
“So, you can’t condone my action of oppressing the people? I heard you were a pushover, and it seems the rumors are right! That’s what it means to rule over others! Despite all your flowery words, how are you any different from me? At the end of the day, all you’re doing is putting up a front.”
Me? Same as him? Disgusting.
“Don’t lump me in the same group as the likes of you. We’re fundamentally different. It’s an insult to even compare us. —Whatever, we don’t have all day to talk. Just begin the fight.”
Even audacity has its limit. To think a small-time villain would compare himself to a super villain like me.
“Say all you want; you guys are done. After killing this brat, I’ll—!”
Chester unleashes a One-Flash before I signal the start of the fight.
It flies straight toward where Ellen’s neck is, but she deflects it.
“T-take this! And this!”
Chester continuously shoots One-Flash after One-Flash at her direction, but she blocks them all with her sword.
Rinho appears exasperated.
“He’s calling that a One-Flash? What an insult.”
Fuuka’s interest in the fight has waned.
“He’s just shooting off blades. How unsightly.”
I watch Ellen’s fight with my arms crossed.
Chester’s truly the ideal opponent for her, not to mention he fits in perfectly with the stereotypical image of an evil governor that oppresses the people.
Ellen puts her sword back in her scabbard in front of Chester, who’s short on breath.
Seeing this, Chester assumes he’s off the hook.
“’Y-you’re willing to spare me? T-thank you— Is that what you thought I’d say? Die, idiot!”
He tries to take advantage of the opportunity to unleash a One-Flash, but Ellen bends down and jumps toward him, quickly approaching Chester and pulling out her sword.
She flies past Chester, pulls out her sword like an iai—and slashes.
Chester falls to the ground, and Ellen stares down at him while swinging her sword to remove the blood from the blade.
“No one is allowed to insult Master.”
Rinho and Fuuka, who’ve been watching the fight, give her unenthusiastic claps.
“With this Ellen is also considered fully-fledged.”
“She might be able to spar with us in a few decades.”
I walk up to Ellen.
Her fingers are clasped tightly around her sword, and she’s looking at Chester, who she’s just killed.
Her breathing is rough, and her legs are trembling.
I put my hand over Ellen’s clenched fingers, imitating what Amagi did for me when I was young.
As I take her fingers off one at a time, Ellen looks up at me as if she has something she wants to say.
Her face has become pale.
“Since you’ve decided to tread the path of a swordswoman, this is something you can’t avoid. I’m sure you’re aware of this as well.”
Killing people naturally accompanies being a swordsman.
It’d be absurd to have a member of One-Flash that can’t kill.
Ellen appears dejected.
“I apologize for my lack of ability.”
I shouldn’t be so cold towards my disciple, who’s just taken a big step forward.
“No, you’ve done much better than I did when I was young.”
Ellen raises her face in surprise, but I head towards Master Yasushi’s cell without saying anything else.
Kukuri carefully dismantles the cage, and Master stands up.
“You’ve really grown.”
“It’s all thanks to Master’s teachings.”
I kneel down, and lower my head.
Master speaks to me in a bright voice that would make one question whether he was truly imprisoned.
“You may stand. Liam-dono is already a splendid swordsman. Now that you have a disciple, you must stand proud before others.”
I get back on my feet, and turn towards Ellen.
“Master, this is Ellen, my disciple. How is she from Master’s perspective?”
Master strokes his stubbled chin with his hand.
“She’s a talented swordswoman.”
I’m both relieved and proud to have my dear disciple praised by Master.
“Thank you for the praise. She’s my first disciple.”
◇
Yasushi was freaking out in front of Liam.
(Their numbers have increased!!!)
Before he knew it, he’d gotten a grand-disciple named Ellen, and Yasushi was feeling terrified.
Of course, Liam was scary in his own right, but Yasushi knew that Ellen was better with the sword than he.
Knowing that he’d be killed if they sparred, Yasushi was terrified.
What’s more—the problem was with Ellen’s eyes.
(I-is this kid suspicious of me?!)
Liam, Rinho, and Fuuka’s eyes were sparkling without any hint of doubt.
That was scary as well, but the scariest of them all was Ellen, who was probably suspicious of him.
“Ahem!”
After clearing his throat in an exaggerated manner, Yasushi tried to think of how he should escape this situation.
If he stayed, his lie would eventually be exposed, and he imagined a future where he was slaughtered like Chester.
“I’m glad to see that everyone has matured. Now then, it’s time for me to move on to the next—”
It was then.
Liam looked up at the ceiling.
“We have some rude guests.”
Just as Yasushi was wondering what was going on, a number of windows appeared around Liam, projecting images within them.
The garrison’s weapons, in charge of the planet’s security, were pointed at them and surrounded the entire mansion.
“Arrest the criminals that assassinated the Lord Governor! If it’s deemed impossible, eliminate them!”
They could even see battleships stationed outside.
Sirens were ringing, and residents nearby were being forced to evacuate.
(A-are they going to blow the entire mansion away?!)
Even the armed soldiers that followed Governor Chester were here, and they were all directing their killing intent at Yasushi and his group.
However, all Liam did was let out a small sigh.
“—Avid, do it.”
Immediately after he said those words, the ground near the governor’s mansion shook violently. The guards and armed soldiers were pierced by lasers, swept away by beams, and set ablaze by missiles.
The image on the window displayed a single mobile knight with eerie, shining eyes, its figure illuminated by the flames around it.
(Huh?!)
Yasushi was stupefied, but managed to somehow keep his voice from leaking out.
He was shocked when he saw the mobile knight in the video.
(Eh? Isn’t that the mobile knight from way back? How was this second-hand mech so strong?!)
The mansion’s ceiling shook. In response, Rinho and Fuuka blew the ceiling away with their One-Flash, which revealed the figure of Avid, who slowly descended from above.
“We’re going to board Avid, and evacuate from the planet,” Liam said.
Fuuka had her hands behind her head.
“Eh~ we’re gonna run away?”
“Of course not. We’ll reorganize, and return to crush our enemies.”
Yasushi had to resist the urge to shake after hearing Liam’s response.
(Why would you come back to fight a fleet of 60,000 ships?! We should be running away, idiot!)
He thought the plan was idiotic, but he couldn’t say it out loud.
After all, he was a person of a small caliber.
He wouldn’t speak up against Liam, who was stronger than him.
Simply put, he had no courage.
However, an existence that could bring salvation to Yasushi arrived the next moment.
To put it mildly, the existence was terrifying.
Though its body was that of a businessman in a suit, its head was that of an octopus with all its legs.
Its head was dyed red, and its eight tentacles were shaking in anger.
“—Your very existence is unforgivable. Unforgiveable!”
For a moment, Yasushi thought help had arrived, but he soon realized that its killing intent was directed at him as well.
(Huh? Wha—?! What’s going on?!)
Steam was coming out from the mouth of the octopus, almost like a kettle.
Even the faint sound of a whistle could be heard.
“One-Flash isn’t necessary to this world. It shouldn’t exist in this world—I’ll make sure to erase even your existence today!”
Its head swelled, and its humanoid body from his neck-down was swallowed up, turning into one big octopus.
The steam which came out from its mouth became black, impairing the visibility of their surroundings.
Facing such a bizarre enemy, Rinho and Fuuka readied their swords.
“W-what’s up with this guy?!”
“F-from a while ago, I couldn’t stop shivering.”
The two were visibly shaken.
Ellen, on the other hand, had slumped to the ground, too afraid to move.
Based on his instinct, Yasushi arrived at a certain conclusion.
(—Yup, we’re dead.)
The enemy before them had such overwhelming presence that he was stunned silent.
However, Liam was looking at the scene skeptically with one eyebrow raised.
————————————————————————————————–
Brian (´；ω；｀): “Ellen-dono has become fully-fledged. Brian has mixed feelings about that. That said, Lord Liam has so many enemies. It’s painful.”
Wakagi-chan (；゜Д゜): “If only our Rion-chan was as daring—never mind. I’d most likely be cut down if that were the case.”
Wakagi-chan ( ゜∀゜): “Leaving that aside, have your readers managed to get ahold of the collaboration SS between Evil Lord and Heretic? Volume 2 of ‘I’m the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire’ has already been released, but Volume 7 of ‘The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs’ is scheduled to go on sale next month, so please look forward to that!”
Wakagi-chan ( ゜д゜): “Evil Lord was originally written to promote Mob Seka... Why am I promoting Evil Lord as well? —It’s painful.”