- TLed from: https://www.wenku8.net/novel/2/2542/index.htm
- V6c0: https://pastebin.com/EWw4Wmuy
- V6c1v2: https://pastebin.pl/view/b38f34af
- Chapter 2: Surprise Assassins At The Sleepover!
- There was an uproar on the streets of the royal capital.
- "D-Dead bodies!"
- "What happened?"
- "Looks like two nobles got killed!"
- "Stay back! This place is under investigation!"
- There was a fountain in the middle of the street. There were two corpses strung up there.
- The people surrounded them while making a hubbub.
- "Are those poker cards stuck in their heads?"
- "Wasn't there news of a noble being killed several days ago?"
- "Oh, I know that one. Count Gete Mono got killed. My friend Horako was working as a maid over there..."
- "Wait, seriously?"
- "It's true! Horako said she saw the criminal! He was dressed like a clown!"
- "Why does it feel like she's lying..."
- "Didn't I tell you to back off!! Get lost!"
- The knights chased away the people who were gathering around.
- A beautiful red-haired girl moved through this crowd, which was quite large for the time of day.
- She was Christina.
- "Excuse me, let me through, please!"
- "Excuse me, you're..."
- "I am Christina Hope of the Hope ducal family. Please let me see the scene of the crime."
- "Ah, you're from the Hope family. This way, please..."
- The knight responsible for traffic control frowned in annoyance, but in the end he let Christina through.
- "This is..."
- Christina unconsciously held her breath as she saw the fountain.
- Two men were dangling from the fountain's central spout. Both their pale facers were very familiar.
- "It's Count Kuzaya and Baron Grehan..."
- Their faces were filled with shock and terror.
- "...Heh."
- There was a twisted smile on Christina's face.
- Two more parasites had been eliminated.
- "Three members of the Thirteen Night Swords have been killed. It's really hard to think of this as a coincidence."
- A voice spoke from behind her.
- Christina covered her smile before looking back.
- It was Chief Gray of the knights.
- "Chief Gray... What do you mean by that?"
- "I was simply sharing my frank opinion on the matter, Christina-ojousama."
- Gray chuckled, but his eyes were carefully studying Christina.
- "Three nobles were killed, one after another, and all belonging to the same organization too. Surely it would be too unnatural to treat this as a mere coincidence, right?"
- "Indeed."
- "And now, a noble who appears to have a dispute with that organization has turned up."
- "You seem pretty sure about that."
- "It's my job, after all."
- "How fortunate the knights must be to have such a hardworking chief of investigations. I trust this means the culprit will be caught soon enough, right?"
- "Of course I intend to do so. That being said, I'll be heading back to work now."
- Gray turned away, but he did not leave.
- "Is there anything else?"
- Upon being questioned, Gray turned a keen gaze Christina's way.
- "Speaking of which, Christina-ojousama, did something joyful happen recently?"
- "Hm?"
- "You see, I thought I saw you smiling just now."
- "...You must be imagining things."
- Christina lowered the hand she was using to cover her mouth.
- "I see, so I was mistaken, then."
- After saying so, Gray left.
- Christina exhaled a breath that condensed into a white cloud, and then she turned her eyes back to those two corpses.
- "Christina-san."
- "Alexia-hime..."
- She turned back in response to being addressed and found Alexia standing there.
- "I went to Count Kuzaya's residence."
- "You did?"
- "It seems the murders were not committed here. The criminal killed them both in a hidden room in Count Kuzaya's estate and then brought them here. Look, the knights are tracing the footprints now."
- "That does seem to be the case..."
- The knights were following the red footprints that led away from the fountain.
- "The manor house was just like the previous incident; all the guards were either killed or incapacitated, but the maids were fine, merely knocked out."
- "Marvelously done, I must say."
- "Yes, the culprit does seem quite experienced at this, given that he's repeatedly executed multiple highly difficult assassinations. Count Kuzaya and Baron Grehan were no fools either. Even though they were on alert, inside a hidden room..."
- Christina once again looked up to the corpses hanging from the fountain.
- They had poker cards sticking out of their throats and the backs of their heads respectively. That was the extent of their wounds that was visible from down there.
- "They were killed with a single blow from a poker card. It's exactly the same as the previous incident."
- "Count Kuzaya's maids also testified to seeing a bloodstained clown. Looks like the perpetrator's the same."
- "Just what on earth is he trying to do? His murder weapon, his clown outfit, the fact that he dragged the bodies to the fountain, all of them are highly unnatural."
- "Who knows? Still, there aren't many people who are as strong as hom. All the powerful experts in the capital are probably under investigation."
- "If only that would help us find the criminal..."
- "I think it's time we left. It won't be good to be seen here."
- "Good point. Oh yes, Alexia-hime, I need to tell you about something later..."
- Just as Christina was about to leave, however...
- "Huh, that’s weird."
- A deadpan voice echoed through the air.
- The speaker was a black-haired and black-eyed boy; Cid Kagenou.
- "Cid-kun, what are you doing here? Didn't I tell you to stay in the mansion?"
- "What did you mean by staying in the mansion?"
- Upon hearing Christina's words, Alexia responded with startling speed.
- "Uh, that's because..."
- Christina was briefly at a loss for how to explain herself and stumbled over her words.
- She was planning to tell Alexia about everything afterwards, Jack the Ripper included.
- "Lots of stuff happened."
- "What do you mean, "lots of stuff?"
- "Ah, I was actually planning to tell you about it later."
- "Well, it's already later, so how about now?"
- Christina felt strangely nervous and nodded.
- "Huh, that’s weird."
- Cid repeated his previous words, as though he was tired of waiting.
- “What are you doing here, Cid-kun? Didn’t I tell you to wait at home because it was very dangerous…”
- “Ah, I came because I was worried about you, Christina-san.”
- Cid delivered the line in a monotone.
- “The two of you seem to be getting along really well. Since when did the two of you become that close?”
- Alexia smiled brightly at them.
- “Cid-kun, what’s so weird?”
- “They’re poker cards.”
- “Well, yes, they are pretty strange…”
- “Anyone could tell it’s weird those poker cards are there. Good grief, I shouldn’t have expected anything out of you, Poochie.”
- Alexia grumbled to herself from the side.
- “If I’m not wrong, the first victim was the ace of spades, right?”
- “Huh, so it was.”
- “And now, these guys are the 2 and 3 of spades.”
- “So you’re saying the numbers are going up.”
- “Anyone could tell that, right?”
- Tsk, Alexia clicked her tongue in annoyance.
- “I’m not just talking about the numbers. All of them are spades. The killer must have chosen that suit for a reason, right?”
- “That’s true, but what special meaning could there be…”
- “The suits in a deck of cards all have a meaning of their own. Like, hearts represent love, diamonds represent traders, clubs represent knowledge, that sort of thing.”
- “That’s the first time I’ve heard something like that. So, what do spades represent?”
- “The first meaning is winter.”
- “Ah, yes, yes. It’s winter now, so he picked spades. Brilliant deduction, Poochie.”
- Alexia rolled her eyes as she said this.
- “That’s not the only meaning for spades, though. Others include the night, swords, and death.”
- “Night and swords?”
- “And death, you say…”
- Christina and Alexia exchanged looks.
- “There are thirteen spade-suit cards in a deck. Just enough for 13 people…”
- “Does he plan to kill all of the Thirteen Night Swords?!”
- “Isn’t that just too…”
- This was both a challenge to the Thirteen Night Swords and a declaration of war.
- “What on earth is he thinking? And he’s even announcing himself ahead of time. I wonder if he’s right in the head?”
- Alexia declared.
- “Still, the criminal has killed three targets, just like he promised. A simple madman couldn’t do that.”
- Christina pondered the matter again.
- “Well, I have no idea what the criminal is thinking. However, he left another important clue here.”
- There was a meaningful smile on Cid’s face.
- “What kind of important clue?”
- “Where is it…”
- Alexia and Christina looked around.
- “Over there.”
- As they looked where Cid was pointing, a hubbub rose from the gawking crowd.
- Before them were the two corpses, but at that moment, they were being moved away by the knights.
- That left a bloodstained fountain behind.
- “Don’t you think the blood there looks like words of some sort?”
- “Ehhhhh?!”
- “What’s—?”
- Alexia and Christina both noticed it at once.
- “What the heck, it looks like someone was writing in blood.”
- The onlookers only seem to have just noticed.
- “What is it, what is it, I can’t see from here. Jack… what?”
- “It says Jack the Ripper.”
- Cid’s words echo strangely through the air, and then the crowd picks it up and instantly amplifies it.
- “I think it says “Jack the Ripper” or something!”
- “Is that the name of the culprit?”
- “That’s right. It’s the serial killer Jack the Ripper!”
- “There’s a noble killer in the capital! He’s taunting the nobles!”
- The onlookers ran through the capital while shouting those things.
- “Looks like everyone in the capital is going to hear about this before noon.”
- Alexia said through gritted teeth.
- “Well, someone would have found out sooner or later.”
- Cid sighed, going “good grief” as he did.
- “Jack the Ripper…”
- Christina muttered the name quietly to herself.
- “Is something the matter, Christina-ojousama? Do you have any leads on this?”
- “No… I just have some things I want to say.”
- She replied with a frown on her face.
- ========================================================================
- Alexia was also frowning as she looked through the evidence which had been given to her.
- “I see. So this Jack the Ripper already made contact with you.”
- This was an unused classroom in the academy.”
- The only people here were Alexia, Christina and Cid.
- “If we could make good use of this evidence, we could corner the Darkaigan faction. However, we can’t take action so easily since we don’t yet know the true intentions of this Jack the Ripper character.”
- Christina had a grave look on her face as well.
- “We don’t know if he’s friend or foe, after all. While I think he might have wanted to show us this evidence, I have no idea how this Jack the Ripper would gain from it…”
- “Also, the origins of this document are unknown, which means there are very few places where it can be used.”
- “Actually, I have an idea about this. Can I hold on to this document for a while?”
- “Of course, but this is just a copy. What do you plan to do with it?”
- “I’m going to discuss the matter with my father.”
- “That’s reassuring to hear.”
- “Who knows…”
- After placing the bloodstained document into her bag, Alexia smiled forlornly.
- “Alexia-hime?”
- “It’s nothing. Speaking of which… How did you end up living with this guy?”
- Alexia grabbed Cid by the scruff of his neck and pushed him in front of Christina.
- “Ah, that was for his safety. He saw part of the information, and it would be very troublesome if the Darkaigans found out.”
- “And you seem to be sharing a room too.”
- “Well, gathering everyone in the same place is more efficient for security.”
- “While that’s true…”
- “Ah, come to think of it, you were pretending to go out with Cid-kun before, weren’t you?”
- “S-So what if I was?”
- “Did you actually end up dating? If that was the case, then it was my fault for not taking that into consideration.”
- “O-Of course not, there’s no way that could ever happen.”
- “Exactly. I’d rather die before dating Alexia.”
- “You shut up, Poochie!”
- Alexia savagely shook Cid by the neck.
- “So you haven’t been dating after all then, is that right?”
- “Of course. Going out with Poochie or whatnot would disgrace the royal family of Midgar.”
- “Which means there’s no problem, then.”
- “Eh?”
- “Since you’re not dating, it should be fine for him to stay with me, right?”
- “Ah… I’m more worried about you, Christina. What if this man does something weird to you?”
- “As if.”
- “Are you worried about me? You don’t have to be, though. My magic swordsman skills are far better than Cid’s.”
- “While that’s true, Poochie occasionally manages to display some highly-polished swordsmanship. There just might be a one-in-a-million chance where…”
- “My, you’re so kind, Alexia-hime. I didn’t think you’d be so concerned about me. In that case, why not join us, Alexia-hime?”
- “Eh?”
- Alexia blinked.
- “Surely with you around, that one-in-a-million chance will never happen.”
- “Hell no. Just thinking about sharing a room with Alexia sends a chill down my spine…”
- “You shut up.”
- Alexia covered up Cid’s mouth.
- “That IS a good idea.”
- “Oh yes. Father will be delighted.”
- “Mfff–!”
- “I’ll need to adjust my schedule a little.”
- “Yes, we’ll have to prepare on our end too.”
- “Mff–! Mffffffff!!”
- “Alright, see you later, then.”
- After saying so, Alexia quickly strode off.
- “Now even Alexia’s coming over, how did this happen…”
- Cid said with a sorrowful expression.
- “How exciting.”
- “I’m heading back to the dorm.”
- “No can do.”
- “Sorry, but I can’t keep you company. I have stuff to do.”
- Just as Cid was about to say that…
- “What’s the meaning of this?!”
- A female student’s voice came from down the corridor.
- “That voice just now…!”
- “Hm?”
- “It was Eliza. Apparently something happened.”
- Christina and Cid hurried out into the hallway.
- ========================================================================
- Outside, Eliza and her lackeys were making a racket.
- “How dare you do this to me, are you looking down on me…”
- With one glare from Eliza, the crowd of onlookers immediately scattered to the four winds.
- After that, Eliza caught sight of Christina.
- “My my, if it isn’t Christina-san. To think the culprit herself would be standing in front of me. You must be feeling pretty confident.”
- “The culprit? What on earth are you talking about, Miss Eliza?”
- “Who else would send me something like this? You’re the only one, right?!”
- Saying so, Eliza brandished a letter written in blood.
- “Thirteen fat little piggies. The first little piggie tried to run away and died. The second little piggie sneered at others and died miserably. The third little piggie died of foolish arrogance. How will the next piggie die? - Jack the Ripper.”
- “This is… an advance warning. Where did you get this?”
- “It was shoved into my bag. You really are making light of me, aren’t you?”
- Eliza glared at her.
- “Thirteen fat little piggies. That’s referring to us, right?”
- “Well, I couldn’t say.”
- “Stop playing dumb. Jack the Ripper is an assassin on your payroll, isn’t he?”
- “No.”
- “Don’t think things are going to end so simply now that you’ve gone out of your way to do this.”
- “I told you, I didn’t do it.”
- A clear, crisp “smack” echoed through the hallway.
- It was the sound of Eliza slapping Christina across the face.
- “I wonder how much longer you can look so relaxed? Father is furious now, and I have no idea how things will turn out.”
- Christina responded with an icy glare.
- Suddenly, Cid was sent flying from behind her.
- “PEGYAAAAAHHHHH!”
- He sailed magnificently through the air, trailing blood from his nose.
- “Cid-kun?!”
- “Ahaha, what a loser!”
- One of Eliza’s lackeys had hit Cid.
- “What did you just do?! This has nothing to do with him!”
- “I don’t care. Anyone who goes against me will end up like that. Well done, Dekuno Bo,”
- The minion called Dekuno Bo smugly wiped the blood off his knuckles.
- “Hehe, I just gave him a little love tap.”
- “Still, that’s amazing, Dekuno. That little love tap of yours sent him all the way to the end of the corridor.”
- In other words, Dekuno managed to knock Cid fifty-odd meters through the air.
- “Meh, I’ve become stronger, right?”
- “How reliable, I like manly guys like you.”
- Eliza hugged Dekuno’s arm and ground her chest on it.
- “Uhehe, just leave it to me.”
- “But you’d better be careful, though. You might end up being the next victim.”
- “Hah, even if Jack the Ripper comes after me, I’ll show him what for!”
- “Ufufu, I’ll reward you well if you do that.”
- After flashing them a bewitching smile, Eliza left with her minions.
- ========================================================================
- I was being treated for my injuries by a sexy female doctor.
- “Alright, that’s it. Make sure you know your limits when you get into a fight, okay?”
- After saying that, she went off to do other work.
- “CId-kun, are you alright?”
- Christina-san looked at me with a worried expression on her face.
- “It was a good punch, but I managed to slip out from its way and cut the damage down by 3 percent, which is how I barely managed to survive.”
- I grinned while rubbing my swollen cheek.
- “You’d best stay in the sickbay for today. I’ll come get you after classes.”
- After saying that, Christina left the sickbay.
- I lay down on the bed and stretched.
- “Yo~”
- Suddenly, a petite girl popped out from under the bed. It was Nina-sempai.
- “Yo.”
- Thus, I returned her greeting.
- I knew she’d been listening in from the start.
- “What’s up?”
- “I’ve got a report to give about Claire.”
- “Oh, it’s about Nee-san, then.”
- “Yup. In any case, let’s head over to Claire’s room first.”
- Led by Nina-sempai, who was as tiny as ever, I headed over to Claire’s room.
- Nee-san’s room seemed different from last time.
- There was medical equipment there, along with magic items of unknown use. Meanwhile, Nee-san lay still on the bed.
- “...Nee-san.”
- Beep, beep, beep, beeeeeeeep–”
- One of the magical items beeped.
- I’d seen something like this before in the hospitals of my previous world.
- “Her pulse has stopped. Is this the end for her…”
- I put my hands together and closed my eyes.
- Although I didn’t believe in anything like life after death, considering I had managed to transmigrate, Nee-san might have been reborn somewhere else too, if she were lucky.
- And so, I began to pray for Nee-san, in the hopes that she would not end up as a cockroach or flea or something.
- “I hope she becomes a rat, at least.”
- “She’s not dead yet.”
- Nina rolled her eyes at me.
- “But the magic item stopped making noise.”
- “That’s just the sound indicating that the mana detection period has ended.”
- The person who said this was not Nina-sempai, but the sexy female doctor.
- She had entered the room without betraying a single hint of her permission.
- “You… I saw you in the nurse’s room just now.”
- “Yes. Nina-san recommended me for this position, and now I am in charge of caring for Claire-san as well as serving as the school nurse. I am Mu.”
- After saying so, she bowed deeply.
- Her skin was dark and her lips were full and sexy. I could see hints of pointy ears protruding through the strands of her silver hair.
- She was a dark elf.
- “You’re too kind. I’m Cid Kagenou. I’m the little brother of the girl lying there, at least for now.”
- “Naturally, I am aware of this. I will be in your care from now on.”
- “Nah, that should be me.”
- “No, no, I should be the one saying that.”
- I answered politeness with politeness.
- The two of us bowed nonstop to each other in deference.
- Speaking of which, why was Mu-san being so humble, even though she was a doctor?
- Granted, she was kind of rare, but were dark elf doctors that uncommon?
- After the bowing, she began operating the instruments to inspect Nee-san’s mana. I was deeply impressed by Mu-san’s skilful control of mana.
- Were there actually people of her level who were willing to be school nurses?
- She was pretty good.
- Both her presence-concealment methods seemed very natural. School doctors these days were awesome…
- In that case, it would be better for someone like her to do this, compared to someone like me who had no medical knowledge.
- “I can’t believe Nina-sempai actually knew such an amazing doctor. Your friend is amazing.”
- “Nyahaha.”
- Nina-sempai seemed to be mildly embarrassed as she laughed.
- “So, how is Nee-san doing?”
- “Her life is not in danger and she will eventually awaken. As for the reason behind her condition, that would be related to the fluctuations in her mana and the new magic crest on her right hand…”
- I reached out and interrupted Mu-san before she could launch into a spirited explanation.
- “Alright, alright, I got it. It’s okay as long as her life isn’t in danger.”
- “I, I sincerely apologize for overstepping my bounds.”
- “I told you it’s fine. More importantly, when will she wake up?”
- If possible, I’d like her to get some rest.
- “It might take several weeks or months before she wakes up by herself. That will depend on Claire-san’s magical aptitude.”
- “I see.”
- “Of course, we could wake her up by force, but that would leave aftereffects on her mana pathways…”
- “That’s true. we’d best not underestimate the power of these fluctuations. Perhaps we should prioritize caring for her health…
- I let Mu-san’s explanation go in one ear and out the other. I looked down at Nee-san, who was quietly snoring, and muttered to myself.
- “Nee-san should just sleep here forever.”
- She was a pain, after all.
- Just as I said those words, the air around me seemed to freeze.
- Nina-senpai's eyes went wide and Mu-san held her breath.
- “Is that truly your will…”
- Nina-sempai spoke in a deep voice, as though she was announcing the end of the world.
- “His mighty will gazes upon the distant future. Let us abide by it, no matter what the future holds, until our lives run out…”
- Mu-san fell to her knees, like she was resolving herself for something.
- “Ah…”
- What the heck was this mood in the air?
- I was overcome by this strange tension and reflexively backed a step up.
- “I, I was just kidding…”
- Like seriously, it’s also upsetting for me when you take it so seriously.
- “What the heck, so it was just a joke…”
- “You’re so mean. I thought my heart was going to stop.”
- In the blink of an eye, the mood lightened up and the two of them smiled.
- But then why had Nina-senpai gone all serious just now…
- “Ah, I, ah, I’ll leave Nee-san to you guys.”
- I practically fled the room.
- What the hell was with that mood in the air just now?
- Maybe that had really been a bad time to joke around. I decided to reflect on what I’d done.
- Still, if I had to explain, I’d have to say that it was because Nee-san had been really stubborn since she was a kid.
- She was born with a really strong regenerative power.
- It was to the point where you could joke around even if she passed out and didn’t wake up. It was that strong.
- ========================================================================
- After having dinner, I played Old Maid with Christina-san and Kanade.
- “Uuu~ Is Eliza-sama still mad? I’m dead, I’m totally dead.”
- Kanade sobbed as she took a card from me.
- Ah, she drew the old maid.
- “It’ll be fine. This house is highly secure. Plus, I’ll be around if anything happens.”
- “But, but, isn’t there that big guy among Eliza-sama’s minions?”
- “Oh yeah, him.”
- He was probably the student playing bodyguard by Eliza’s side. And he also sent me flying earlier.
- “Dekuno Bo, right?”
- “Yeah yeah. Supposedly, Dekuno Bo’s dad is involved with organized crime and he used illegal police forces to bury lots of people in the darkness. After killing people, they sell off their organs, mince their flesh to bits, and melt their bones in slime. That way they can get rid of people without a trace remaining… Ah, it’s over.”
- “You’re talking about Count Oyano Bou, right? While he IS surrounded by bad rumors, I wonder if he actually has the courage to step onto this estate?”
- “I win.”
- I used the card I took from Christina-san to clear my hand.
- “Cid-kun, you traitor– If we get attacked, I’m using you as a human shield.”
- “Okay, okay.”
- “Ah, I’m done too.”
- “Ehhh– Why can’t I win?”
- That’s because your face shows 100% of what you think.
- Well, I thought that, but I’d never say it.
- “Is it really fun to play Old Maid with just three people?”
- “Yup! It’s super fun”
- Kanade’s eyes sparkled as she responded immediately.
- “Ah, I see.”
- Everyone had their own interests, after all.
- “In that case, I’ll go bathe first.”
- “Ehhh—”
- “Didn’t we agree that the winner would go first?”
- “But I was totally going to turn the situation around.”
- I ignored Kanade’s look of mild annoyance as I headed to the bathroom.
- “Kanade, want to play Old Maid, just the two of us?”
- “Yup yup!”
- An unsettling noise came from behind me.
- If it was Christina’s turn to bathe next, then I would be alone with Kanade.
- No, even she would realize that the two of us playing Old Maid would be pointless.
- ========================================================================
- After that, I still ended up playing Old Maid with her.
- ========================================================================
- Late at night.
- Several figures were moving through the silent Hope Estate.
- Their faces were covered and their weapons were drawn, waiting for the right moment to strike.
- “Still not yet, Dad?”
- “Calm down, Dekuno.”
- Dekuno Bo and Oyano Bo whispered to each other.
- “But the lights are off.”
- “Viscount Shinobi is scouting things. Wait for his signal.”
- “Alright, Dad.”
- Dekuno Bo sounded somewhat unhappy in his reply.
- “Don’t worry, Dekuno. I’ll give you the credit for this attack.”
- “Really?!”
- “I’m getting old. Once you graduate from the Academy, I’ll pass my place on the Night Swords to you.”
- “Hehe, I’m going to chop that Christina to bits. How dare she look down on us.”
- “We have two targets, Christina and Kanade. As for Duke Hope… He’s got the evidence ready and waiting for us.”
- “What a pitiful woman. To think her own father sold her out.”
- Dekuno’s laugh came out like a sneer.
- “It was a wise choice. He’d be doomed if he allowed his family to be destroyed because of his stupid daughter. Remember, our arrangement for getting the evidence is letting Duke Hope go. Don’t kill the wrong person.”
- “Hehe, got it…”
- “Just be careful. Oh yes, there’s a male student in the same room as the targets. If I’m not wrong, his name is… Cid Kagenou or something.”
- “Ah, that mook hanging around Christina. What should we do about him?”
- “It doesn’t matter. Still, being spotted would be troublesome, so just take him out as well.”
- “Got it.”
- “Alright, don’t get careless. Viscount Shinobi will be doing reconnaissance while the Bo family will handle the attack. Meanwhile, Marquis Jet is maintaining a perimeter around this mansion.”
- “In other words, there’s no escape for them.”
- “Yup. Once anything happens, the scout and encirclement teams will move out too. We have killers from the Lawless City in the attack team. The encirclement team has magic swordsmen who made their debut in the Bushin Festival, as well as that expert “Kenki” who was expelled from the Byakko-ryuu for being too savage. It’s foolproof.”
- “Hehe, that really is your style, dad. Victory is decided before the battle even begins. An absolute victory is the most enjoyable; that’s what you’ve always said.”
- “Kuku, indeed.”
- Oyano Bo’s mouth twisted into a grin.
- “Dad, that’s the signal from the scout team.”
- “Is it? Let’s go.”
- After that, the shadowy figures entered the mansion.
- ========================================================================
- Christina lay on her bed, looking at the ceiling.
- She could hear Kanade snoring and Cid breathing.
- She couldn’t sleep…
- It wasn’t because of Kanade’s snoring, but the incident this morning.
- Upon seeing those two bloodstained corpses hanging above the fountain, she couldn’t help but feel heartache. These two people, who had spent their lives living by violence, had been mercilessly slaughtered by someone more powerful than them.
- Power.
- Pure power that could overcome everything.
- Be it laws, or ethics or authority, they were all equally worthless in the face of pure power.
- “Hehe…”
- She raised a hand to the ceiling and laughed.
- And then, she heard the quiet sound of rustling cloth.
- “Is someone up?”
- Nobody responded.
- “Kanade? Cid-kun?”
- Kanade’s snoring and Cid’s breathing were still there.
- “Am I imagining things…”
- Just then, there was a click.
- It was the sound of the door opening.
- “...Who’s that?”
- Just as she said that, the door froze halfway.
- There was a quiet sigh from beyond the ajar door.
- “Is something the matter?”
- Saying so, Christina picked up her sword from beside her bed.
- If the opposition was someone from the manor, they ought to have answered right away.
- Speaking of which, it was strange that the door guards weren’t answering.
- Soon, the only sound left in the room was Kanade’s snoring.
- And then–
- “Kill them.”
- The moment the command was given, a horde of black-clad men stormed into the room like an avalanche.
- “Everyone, wake up!!”
- Christina yelled at the top of her and threw Kanade’s blanket at the intruders.
- “Gugooohh… What?! Eh? W-What’s going on?”
- Christina tossed a sword to Kanade, who was still dazed and confused.
- “We’re under attack!”
- Just as she gave her answer, Christina blocked a swing from a large-sized intruder.
- She gently exerted force to test his strength.
- He was very strong.
- He was a skilled opponent.
- And so, she shifted the angle of her sword to neutralize his attack.
- However, she could still beat him.
- Right after that, Christina stabbed her off-balance opponent through the shoulder.
- “Guh! You bitch, you actually stabbed me!”
- That thuggish voice sounded familiar.
- Just as Christina was about to follow up, five attackers held her off.
- “Didn’t I tell you not to be careless?! Fall back!”
- “But, but daaaaad–”
- “Shut up!!”
- The man called “dad” pushed the big guy away and moved in front of Christina. He was probably the leader of this group.
- “Ueeehhh?! What’s going on? Am I dead?! Am I going to die here?!”
- Kanade was screaming her head off as she tried to keep herself safe from her two attackers.
- As for Cid Kagenou…
- He was preparing to sneak out through the window.
- “Ah…”
- After meeting Christina’s gaze, he smiled awkwardly at her.
- “That’s just how it is!”
- And then he vanished out the window.
- “You, you traitor!! I’m going to curse you!! I’ll make sure I curse you even if I dieeeeeee!!”
- Kanade yelled.
- “Dammit, don’t let him get away! After him!”
- At a command from the leader, three of the men went after Cid.
- “...Thanks for the assist.”
- Christina muttered to herself.
- Now, Cid would be handling three of the attackers.
- There were still six left.
- One of them had a deep wound on his shoulder.
- Although the situation was still bad, it wasn’t completely hopeless. As long as they could hold out, the guards would notice the disturbance here and rush over.
- “Looks like you’re placing your hopes on being rescued.”
- The leader said.
- “Am I? Who knows?”
- “There’s no point trying to hide it. I know you spent a lord to hire more guards, but unfortunately, they won’t be coming to rescue you. Right now, we have another force taking care of them.”
- “How thoughtful of you. It seems the Night Swords are going all out on this.”
- “This was probably not a lie.”
- That would mean their chances of surviving this were greatly reduced. She hadn’t expected the Night Swords to launch such a serious offensive.
- “Don’t look down on us. The Night Swords are as unshakeable as ever. This was simply a father’s concern for his son.”
- “You’re Count Oyano Bo, aren’t you? I recognized your son’s voice.”
- “Who are you talking about?”
- Oyano Bo pretended he didn’t know what Christina was talking about, then signaled to his men.
- “Kill them.”
- And then, the black-clad men rushed them all at once.
- The man in the lead swung down on Christina.
- “Guh.”
- But Christina had not given up.
- She parried the man’s strike and tried to move over to Kanade before she was surrounded.
- However, that plan fell apart before her dumbfounded eyes.
- There was a wet sound as the black-clad man’s body slid to one side.
- “Ah? What’s going on aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!”
- The man had been cut in two mid-scream.
- “Ahhhh, h-help me…”
- The man gasped weakly as he reached out to his comrades, but there was no helping him.
- “You bitch, what the hell did you do?! He was one of the best magic swordsmen in the kingdom.”
- Oyano Bo glared at Christina.
- The other men in black warily kept their distance.
- “No, it wasn’t me.”
- The truth is, Christina had not done anything. She had simply intended to parry his strike.
- However, he had already been cut in half by then.
- There was no way Christina could duplicate that feat of cutting apart a top-notch magic swordsman without anyone noticing.
- “Who else could there be?! Or are you saying you had someone else hiding–”
- Oyano Bo’s eyes went wide while he was speaking.
- Both the magic swordsmen facing Kanade had also been bisected.
- “Eh? Ehhhh? Have I awakened? Did my secret power finally blossom?!”
- Kanade sounded a little excited as she said this.
- “But how did you… No, wait. That sword…”
- Oyano Bo noticed something. He stared at Kanade’s sword.
- “Why, why is there no blood on the sword?”
- “Huh, it’s true.”
- Kanade’s sword was spotless.
- It was obvious to anyone that she couldn’t have done it.
- Just then, the sound of rustling cloth came from behind them.
- Everyone’s attention was drawn towards it.
- It came from Cid Kagenou’s bed. However, he had long since fled.
- The person standing there was someone they had never seen before.
- He was fast asleep, his back illuminated by the moonlight.
- “It’s, it’s the bloodsoaked clown…”
- Nobody knew who had muttered it first.
- And then, the clown turned audibly to face them.
- There was a smile on the clown’s red-dyed mask.
- “Aiiieeeee…”
- Dekuno Bo took a step back.
- “You must be Jack the Ripper.”
- In contrast, Oyano Bo was very calm.
- He gestured to his men, and then turned to face the bloodsoaked clown.
- “It’s as though you were expecting this. As I thought, he’s a hired killer working for you.”
- “No, he isn’t! The Hope family doesn’t hire assassins!”
- Oyano Bo immediately denied Oyanao Bo’s words. However, he was no longer listening to her.
- “How much did she pay you? Looks like she got her money’s worth. Thanks to you, we’ve taken a lot of losses.”
- Oyano Bo glances at the corpses of the brutally slaughtered magic swordsmen.
- “They’re all famous magic swordsmen from the underworld. It might be had to believe, but this is reality…”
- Oyano Bo sighed. He sounded tired.
- The bloodsoaked clown remained lying on the bed. His mask was still smiling.
- “I need to acknowledge reality. We realize that making an enemy of you is not wise. At this rate, if we keep fighting, we’ll take huge losses even if we win. The same applies to you. If you’ve decided to take on the Night Swords, don’t expect things to end so simply.”
- The bloodsoaked clown’s shoulders twitched with laughter.”
- “Taking a step back is the wisest choice for both of us, is it not? I’ll pay you triple. You won’t need to surrender, you just need to not make a move. We’ll also make sure your reputation isn’t harmed. How about that?”
- The bloodsoaked clown’s shoulders shuddered.
- He was holding back his laughter.
- “...What’s so funny?”
- Suddenly, he froze.
- And then, the clown slowly stood up and extended a finger.
- Slowly, slowly, the clown’s pointed to the attackers. He seemed to be choosing something.
- And then, the finger stopped in front of one of them.
- “What are you–”
- The attacker tilted his head in confusion.
- Meanwhile, the clown gently snapped his finger.
- In the next moment, the attacker’s head flew off.
- “How could that–”
- Blood gushed like a fountain and the attacker’s headless body collapsed to the ground.
- “Aiyeeeeaagh! D-Dad! I don’t want to die!”
- Dekuno Bo’s legs turned to jelly and he crumpled to the ground.
- However, the bloodsoaked clown’s finger was already searching for another target. It moved past Dekuno Bo and stopped in front of the attacker beside him.
- “W-Wait!”
- He was already moving to evade despite his panicked scream; a move truly befitting of a veteran magic swordsman.
- But with a snap of the clown’s fingers, the top of his face was abruptly sent flying.
- His mouth, which still remained attached to his body, was moving as though it wanted to say something, but the only thing that came out was blood-flecked foam.
- And then, the bloodsoaked clown pointed at Kanade again.
- “Ehhh? Me? Why me?! Ueeeeehhhhhhh!”
- His finger stopped for a moment, then quickly moved over her, before snapping in the direction of an attacker deeper within the room.
- “Ah…”
- And with that, his head detached from his body.
- This left the father and son Oyano Bo and Dekuno Bo.
- “Aiiieeee, Dad, dad, let’s run!”
- Dekuno Bo clung to his father’s leg.
- Oyano Bo could not hide his shock as he looked down at the bodies of the four magic swordsmen who had been instantly murdered.
- “Negotiations have broken down, is it… No. You spared me to display your strength, to lead the discussion in a favorable direction. It seems we still have room for discussion.”
- The bloodsoaked clown did not react to Oyano Bo’s words in any way.
- “First of all, allow me to apologize. I confess we did underestimate your strength. While I don’t know how you did it, I didn’t expect it to be so…”
- Cold sweat dripped down Dekuno Bo’s face.
- “However, we have this mansion surrounded. I’ve also sent a signal to my people and the forces encircling this area will be here soon. That includes the elites from Marquis Jet and Viscount Shinobi’s forces, and the master swordsman Kenki of the Byakko-ryuu. However skilled you are, escaping under the circumstances is–”
- The bloodsoaked clown moved, as though to interrupt Oyano Bo’s words.
- He was reaching around under the blanket.
- At a closer look, the blanket was already stained an unnatural reddish-black.
- The clown took out two freshly-severed heads.
- “What–”
- The heads belonged to a pair of people whom Oyano Bo knew very well.
- “Viscount Shinobi… and even Marquis Jet…”
- The heads had the 4 and 5 of spades embedded in them respectively.
- “Do you mean you wiped out the entire encirclement team… But how, you’re just one man!”
- Oyano Bo lost his cool.
- “What the hell are you?! What are you going to do?! What do you want?!
- His spittle was flying as he broke down into screaming.
- The bloodsoaked clown slowly produced a card from his pocket.
- It was the 6 of spades.
- “Aiiieee, aieeeeyeeeaagh!”
- Oyano Bo instantly realized who the card was meant for.
- He immediately hid himself behind his immobile son, using him as a shield.
- “Dad, Dad are you serious?! Let go, let go of meeeee!”
- “Aiiieee…”
- Dekuno Bo tried to shove his father away. The clown raised his hand, preparing to cut him to bits with the 6 of spades.
- Just then, the sound of breaking glass filled the air and a tall magic swordsman showed up.
- “Kukuku… So there you are, Jack the Ripper.”
- His voice was calm, unnaturally so, given the surroundings.
- The uchigatana he drew from its sheath gleamed in the moonlight.
- “You, you’re… aren’t you Kenki?! Are you still alive?”
- Life returned to Oyano Bo’s voice.
- He grinned from behind Dekuno Bo.
- And here I thought I could enjoy a good old-fashioned slaughter to get my heart pounding again. Who would have thought that you’d run off after only killing the surrounding mooks? What a disappointment.”
- Despite that, Kenki’s eyes were fixed on the bloodsoaked clown.
- He already understood.
- This clown was an entity on par with himself…
- “What is this Kenki person…”
- Even Christina was terrified by his churning mana.
- There was no doubt that he was a top-class magic swordsman.
- “It’s no wonder you don’t know. This man is a bugeisha from the distant land of Wagoku.”
- “A bugeisha…?!”
- Christina had heard of them before.
- It was a land on the other side of the ocean, a country of battle maniacs known as Wagoku, filled with people who sought the zenith of the fighting arts In that country, it was not magic swordsmen but the entities called bugeisha who ruled it as avatars of martial combat.
- Practically nothing was known about Wagoku due to their sealed borders, but the occasional bugeisha came here on a warrior’s pilgrimage.
- Each and every one of them was in a league of their own.
- “Also, he belongs to one of Wagoku’s four great schools. He made his debut in the Byakko-ryuu and there were hopes that he would become the youngest master of the school. But unfortunately, he was expelled for slaughtering nine of his fellow disciples in the pursuit of strength.”
- “Whew… Now that’s a story from a long time ago. While I’d felt a little bored after coming to this country, I didn’t expect to actually be able to cross blades with an unusual bugeisha like you…”
- Saying so, Kenki raised his sword.
- “Fuhahaahha, Jack the Ripper! You fled because you were afraid of Kenki, weren’t you?! Where’s your confidence now?!”
- Oyano Bo laughed loudly.
- “Here I come.”
- Kenki lowered his stance.
- “Gulp.”
- Kanade swallowed.
- And then, the clown snapped his fingers.
- Just then, Kenki’s body seemed to flicker, and then a hole appeared in the wall behind him.
- “So it’s that fingersnap, hm… It has so much power, yet nothing gives it away… I’m pretty sure that would have been it for anyone else but me.”
- Kenki muttered happily to himself.
- Jack the Ripper seemed a little surprised too. He studied Kenki, as though gauging his strength.
- “However, it’s no use against me. Even if I can’t see it, your ki will tell me everything…”
- With that, Kenki closed his eyes and took a stance.
- “Come then, Jack the Ripper. You have no way of…”
- Just then, there was a pomf sound that left everyone staring speechlessly.
- “Eh…”
- Kenki’s head flew off.
- Without his head, the rest of his body slowly collapsed, spraying blood from his neck.
- Kenki’s freshly-severed head fell to the ground, looking dumbly at Jack the Ripper for a moment.
- “Hah…”
- With a quiet sigh, the clown once again raised the 6 of spades.
- “But, but how…”
- Oyano Bo scrambled back.
- “Aiiiieeeee, wait wait wait please wait! We have a powerful force backing us! The Diabl–”
- Oyano Bo’s words were interrupted by the 6 of spades piercing into his skull.
- “Ah… why…”
- And then, Dekuno Bo died too.
- After the bloodsoaked clown verified this fact, he shifted his gaze to Christina and Kanade.
- A strange tension filled the air amidst the silence.
- “Is he going to kill us… we’re witnesses so he’s going to kill us, right…”
- Kanade trembled like a newborn deer.
- But contrary to her expectations, the bloodstained clown left with a pichapicha sound.
- “Wait!!”
- Christina called out to him.
- She was in awe of that nigh-divine might which surpassed everything she knew.
- “What, what on earth are you trying to do?! You gave me the document from Gete Mono, right?!”
- Upon hearing that, the bloodsoaked clown stopped.
- “Why me? What do you want me to do?”
- The bloodsoaked clown did not reply.
- His smiling mask stared straight at Christina.
- “Kuku…”
- The clown chuckled quietly.
- And then, he flung a card over.
- Christina reflexively made to block it with her sword.
- However, the card whizzed past Christina’s face before sticking in Kanade’s temple.
- “Ueeehhhhhh?!”
- “Kanade?!”
- Kanade collapsed, bleeding from her head.
- “Kukuku…”
- The clown leaped out the window.
- However, Christina could not chase him
- “Are you alright?! Kanade, talk to me!”
- That was because Kanade was in mortal danger.
- She was a friend that she could talk to freely, without worrying about her family background.
- This was the first time she had had such a relationship.
- “Kanade, Kanade!”
- She was still breathing, she still had a heartbeat. If she could just stop the bleeding…!
- “Ugh… Christina-san…”
- “Kanade, hang in there!”
- Kanade placed a trembling hand on top of Christina’s.
- “It’s okay, I’m… I’m too far gone…”
- “That’s impossible!”
- “I know my own body the best…”
- “No, no, Kanade, you don’t understand. You’ll be fine. I’ll save you, I promise!!”
- “So I hope… you’ll hear my last words…”
- “You don’t have to say that…!”
- “Please, Christina.”
- Kanade looked Christina in the eyes with a serious expression on her face.
- “Alright. You don’t need to say any last words, but if it’ll calm you down, I’ll listen to them. If there’s anything you need to say, tell me and I’ll pass them on to your parents in your hometown.”
- “Thank you, Christina… But I have nothing to say to my folks.”
- “Huh…?”
- “My last words are…!”
- Kanade’s eyes went wide.
- “Cid Kagenou, you dirty traitor! I will NEVER forgive you! I’m going to curse you to death so you’d better be ready for it!”
- And then, Kanade slowly closed her eyes.
- “Kanade, Kanade, please open your eyes!!”
- But she was no longer moving.
- “Look, we need to clean the place up after this, things are going to be really troublesome if you fall asleep here!”
- Christina vigorously wrenched the card from Kanade’s head.
- “Ow.”
- “This is just fake blood.”
- “Eh…? I’m still alive?”
- At a loss for words, Kanade patted her head.
- “Relax, you’re unhurt, Kanade.”
- “Eh? But the card stuck in my head…”
- “It was just stuck on with fake blood.”
- “D-dammit…That damn Jack the Ripper…”
- She jumped up, her face bright red.
- “Wait a minute, there’s something written on it.”
- “Huh? What is it, what is it?
- Christina studied the verses written in blood on the back of the card.
- “O shameless Night Swords
- All bad guys will be slain
- While I’m just counting up
- I play around like this sometimes”
- “What does this mean?”
- “There must be some special meaning to this, right…”
- Just then, the room door slowly opened.
- “Yo, guys, you’re all okay!”
- The ordinary black-haired boy who ran over with a fake smile on his face was Cid Kagenou.
- “I’m glad you’re fine too.”
- Christina breathed a sigh of relief.
- “Yoyo, Cid-kun yo! You’ve got a lot of guts to be showing your face here after running off, you dirty traitor!”
- Kanade, on the other hand, addressed him like a street punk.
- “Nonono, I barely managed to survive myself.”
- “You barely survived? I almost DIED because you ran off, you know? And I WOULD have died if not for Jack the Ripper-sempai.”
- “Eh, did Jack the Ripper show up?”
- “Yeah, he did! He made a stylish entrance and went pew pew pew! It was so scary!”
- At some point, Kanade had reverted to her original state.
- “Huh, that’s good then.”
- “Yup yup. And then, that bugeisha from Wagoku got oneshotted… Wait a minute! This is about YOU, Cid Kagenou!”
- “Ah, okay.”
- “I’ll never forgive you, you traitor! How dare you abandon me and run off by myself!”
- “I’m very sorry.”
- “Sorry’s not enough. I’m going to punish you in the way you deserve… with a good bonking!”
- Kanade tangled up Cid’s legs before getting into a full mount on top of him and pounding his face.
- “How about that?! Do you give?!”
- “Uwaah– Dooon’t–”
- His bonking proceeded for a good long time.