ch61-ch80 · 066-ch65

Chapter 65: Ai = Shirakawa

"Ugh, guh..."

Though it might look like a flimsy shadow to an outsider, its constricting power was extraordinary.

The eiyō-armor, which boasted hardness incomparable to ordinary armor, was covered in cracks all over his body, and eiyōso was leaking out like steam from various places.

Rokuro looked down at Berdigri, who lay fallen and groaning in agony, without moving a single eyebrow.

"To have someone like you, who would even target the lives of comrades, lecture me about chivalry... that's truly outrageous."

"Guaaaah!!"

When Rokuro bent his thumb, the pressure on both legs from the black net intensified in tandem, easily breaking them.

'Th-this guy, the reason he lost his sword wasn't because he ran out of energy, but because he didn't even need it against someone like me...!'

Berdigri had initially thought that Rokuro had dismissed his 'Nurehaba-no-Katana' because he couldn't maintain the sword's form due to insufficient eiyōso.

Certainly, preserving his strength was part of it. And the reason that he didn't need it to defeat Berdigri wasn't wrong either.

But the biggest reason was that Chartreuse had fallen and the 'Emerald Crystal Palace' had disappeared. If he were to use the Black Knight's strongest technique, the 'Nurehaba-no-Katana,' in that state without the green wall, it would cause damage to the surroundings too. No matter how much he held back, there was a limit. So he didn't use it.

Not knowing this, Berdigri realized that he was considered far inferior to Chartreuse, and that this was in fact the case, and felt the pain of his shattered pride more than the pain in both legs.

"........"

Sensing that Berdigri, with his head hung low, had completely lost his will to fight, Rokuro expanded his awareness around him.

The kicked-up sand and smoke had finally settled, and visibility was improving.

Then he noticed that the person who should have been lying nearby was gone.

"...Charru's not here?"

　―　◆　―

Clouds of dust were billowing out from the park. Oh yeah, that... I really want to see that movie with the amazing CGI desert.

But I wasn't in such a carefree mood.

I was so, so worried about Papa, desperately holding myself back from about to rush out at any moment.

"Hey Ai~, looks like more onlookers are gathering"

Called out by Sumi, I turned my gaze, which had been fixed on the park, backward.

People had been gathering little by little on the road surrounding the park, but now there were about twice as many.

"Actually, I did see someone flying, you know"

At first, the onlookers had been keeping their distance, wondering if it was an explosion or something dangerous.

But as Kiriko said, you could see the knight from outside the park jumping at a level that was way beyond just a high jump, so the onlookers' interest seemed to be winning out.

Papa hasn't been spotted yet, but what if someone even enters the park... what should I do...

Just as I was thinking that, a figure emerged from the dust. No way, they were already inside the park??

"You all are..."

"Ah! A beautiful onee-san!"

"And, the bad woman who targeted Ai!"

Sumi, calling her a "bad woman" might be misleading.

...Well, she actually is bad, though!

"You still want to fight?"

Shudo-san stepped in smoothly, standing in front of us as if to protect us.

The black-haired onee-san who had been leaning on her shoulder separated from the beautiful blonde onee-san and took a stance, targeting Shudo-san.

But.

"Fuchsia, stop it!"

"!"

Stopped by the blonde onee-san, the black-haired onee-san lowered her hands.

The blonde onee-san, though stumbling a bit, pressed closer to the black-haired onee-san.

"What's the meaning of this? Why would you try to harm this young lady here?"

"Th-that's... orders from above..."

The way she clammed up, maybe she's not convinced herself?

But as the one being targeted, it's more dangerous to be killed when someone isn't properly convinced, you know.

"Above? What kind of order targets innocent civilians... what could they be thinking..."

"N-no, Lord Lime. She's not an innocent civilian, this girl is the Black Knight's daughter."

"Eeh!!!?"

The blonde onee-san let out a voice so absurd you'd wonder where it came from and turned toward me.

This isn't the time for this, but being stared at so intently by a beautiful woman... it's embarrassing.

"Rock's, daughter?"

"Yeah, that's right! If you lay a hand on her, her cool papa won't stay quiet!"

Sumi said with a face even more serious than her words suggested, glaring with furrowed brows.

Then, imitating her? Kiriko, and even Rei-chan glared too.

"That's right! If you use violence against Ai-chan, I shall not permit it!"

"Huh, violence? I absolutely won't allow that either!"

Kan-na-kun, who didn't quite grasp the situation, stood his ground and stepped forward too. As expected of a national judo tournament champion, he has quite a presence~

But I can't put these two unrelated people in danger for my sake.

"Both of you, it's dangerous, so get back!"

I tried to force my way forward, but Kan-na-kun, who had turned into a wall, wouldn't budge at all.

In between Shudo-san and Kan-na-kun, I was squirming and somehow trying to get out, but the beautiful woman was still staring at me.

"You resemble her..."

Huh, is it because of Papa?

I don't get told that often.... It makes me, a little happy.

"...Are you really, Rock's daughter?"

"That's what I've heard. Ai Shirakawa is the Black Knight's daughter."

"Shirakawa!?"

The blonde onee-san, who had been confirming with the black-haired onee-san, was surprised by the name.

Well, obviously, since she's the daughter of Shirakawa Rokuro, it has to be Shirakawa, right?

"...Why would Rock's daughter, go by the name of Lord Satchio!?"

...........Huh?