ch1-ch20 · 018-ch18

Chapter 18: Deadly Strike

"Ai, it's dangerous, so stay back!"

"W-wait a second! Didn't you say you came here chasing the escaped bandits!?"

I snap back, trying to divert my dad's attention.

But Melkid just sneers through his nose.

"Hmph, did you actually believe that nonsense? Did you really think these small-fry could escape the kingdom's maximum-security prison on their own? We let them escape. We told them, 'If you eliminate the Black Knight who fled to another world, we'll grant you amnesty.' ...Well, granting amnesty to bandits is absurd to begin with."

They were working together all along---!

I guess I kind of suspected that from a while ago, though.

"For all that they're heinous bandits, I can't believe a knight would deceive and exploit a heart clinging to such faint hope."

Dad steps forward as if to shield me. He's still definitely angry.

"To hear that from a major criminal like you is outrageous. ...Well, whatever, these guys are irrelevant anyway."

Major criminal... Just for transferring from another world, is it really that bad?

Dad stays silent and walks toward Melkid. Seeing his back, I suddenly feel uneasy.

"You're coming right at me? You're quite confident. I don't know how you've trained, but I was surprised you defeated these thugs without using eiyōso. But that level is no match for me at all."

Melkid says this with a smirk while gradually backing away.

"You're backing away, young knight."

"Hmph, I'm just trying not to involve anyone besides you. I won't let my guard down! My opponent is the Black Knight, after all! I'll go all out!"

Melkid takes out something like a long, thin cylinder from his pocket. Maybe about half the length of a relay race baton.

The cylinder is transparent, but there's an orange-colored liquid inside it.

"Don't tell me you're actually serious here!?"

"That 'don't tell me' is exactly right. Despair---'Equip'!!"

Raising the cylinder high, Melkid crushes it with force.

Immediately, the orange liquid overflows, spreading down his arm and enveloping his entire body. It's like an amoeba, so gross. Then again, isn't there too much liquid? It's obviously multiplied many times over from what was in the cylinder.

"Transformation time? Th-that's not cool at all!"

Before Kiriko could finish complaining, the liquid solidified.

Before I knew it, in just two or three seconds, Melkid was clad in yellow-orange armor.

Yeah, until just now he was wearing a hemp-like shirt with cotton pants and didn't feel knightly at all, but this looks properly knightly.

"Fuha ha ha ha! You should know this too---a knight clad in eiyō-armor has their power multiplied several times over! Even the Black Knight can't hope to match me in his bare body!"

"Damn!"

"Here I go!"

I thought Melkid was taking a fighting stance, but then Dad was rolling on the ground.

He hit Dad at a speed too fast to see!

"Papa!!"

I tried to run toward Dad, who had finally stopped after rolling several times, but...

"Don't come! Don't come... it's bad... guh..."

Stopping me, Dad somehow manages to stand up while pressing his stomach with his right hand.

"G-gah..."

"Papa!!"

There's nothing I can do for Dad as he coughs painfully.

What do I do? If this keeps up, Dad's really going to get killed!

"To take that hit and still stand up... impressive. Truly impressive. But you're all beaten up already. I'll finish you with the second strike!"

Melkid took his stance again. Wait, that's a little different from before... Don't tell me you're just striking a cool pose...

But he's fast, that hasn't changed. The moment I thought Melkid dashed forward, Dad went flying again.

"Papaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!"

"Ai's Papaaaa!!"

Me and Kiriko's screams echoed through the shrine grounds.

Perhaps reacting to the clamor, Dad slowly gets up again.

"K-uuuuh..."

"Papa!"

While placing his hands on his knees, Dad stands firm, and the creepy smile from Melkid disappears from his face.

"...What's going on? There's no way you can still move after taking two hits bare-handed, but..."

Grabbing something rod-like extending from the back of his armor, Melkid swings it up forcefully.

What appeared after detaching from his back was a large axe, the kind a woodcutter in a fairy tale might carry.

"Just to be sure, maybe I should crush your skull."

"Ew, scary."

Imagining the axe being swung down, Kiriko starts trembling.

Melkid hoists the axe onto his shoulder and stomps toward Dad.

"Papa, run away---!!"

But Dad is covered in wounds. It looks like just standing there is all he can manage.

I want to run over, but my legs are trembling too, and I can't move.

"I'll cut you right in two!"

Melkid stands before Dad, who still has his hands on his knees, and swings the axe up high to take aim.

"This time it's the end, Black Kniiight!!"

"No! Stoppppppppppppppp!!"

My wish in vain, just when I thought the axe would swing down mercilessly...

"---You're wide open!"

Suddenly moving with agility, Dad kicks up his right foot before the axe can descend... landing a direct hit on Melkid's groin. Oh no.

"Gbooooh..."

Melkid's anguished scream was muffled and didn't echo through the shrine grounds.