～ Part 1 ～

Read at translatedino.blogspot.com

“It has advanced considerably more than planned.”

When the sun had already set, Ryuzaki said that while overlooking the heavy cruiser deck. No, the name of heavy cruiser was already incorrect. Since the renovation had progressed so far, it would be more correct to call it a heavy land-wars.h.i.+p.

The renovation of the heavy cruiser was progressing at a pace greatly exceeding the original schedule. One of the reason being not only his cla.s.smates but the groups of monsters such as goblins and skeletons helped out as well, another was that the work was being done voluntarily in a harmonious atmosphere just like preparation for the cultural festival.

However, the best help was the large engine that Sak.u.ma group had found at the bottom of the dungeon.

In the lower part of the dungeon, many metal golems had inhabited. The metal that can be obtained from the remnants of those golems had always been regarded as important resources in the renovation of the heavy cruiser, but Sak.u.ma group discovered the power reactor of that golem. Its owner, the Golem, had already stopped functioning, but it seemed that it was quite large, and the size of its prime mover was also considerable.

In the first place, Kuremori seemed to be planning to install on the heavy cruiser a prime mover that was powered by these golems’ power reactors. Since it was obtained as it was in kind, the journey had advanced a lot. Although it required magical power as a power source, there were many students who could supply it.

The work was smooth.

At the moment, Kuremori was doing work to connect the installed prime mover to the shaft. In this area, the dexterous hands of Gofunkawahara and the goblins were borrowed, then some more students who were well-informed about machines to some extent had been gathered. Other students had returned to the base.

Once this work was completed, it seemed that the heavy cruiser would be able to «move» for the time being. Of course tasks such as reinforcing the strength of the entire s.h.i.+p were as much as a mountain, but as long as it was moved as it was, it wouldn’t take so long.

“Ryuzaki, the night is getting chilly debuu.”

Ok.u.mura came calling from behind, so Ryuzaki looked back.

“Well, that’s right. I, because I am a lizard-man, I thought that I was a cold-blooded animal but it seems somewhat like a warm-blooded animal.”

“Because it’s a dragon and not a lizard debu? It is said that dinosaurs were warm-blooded animals debu.”

“That is, even if they’re called reptiles, they’re closer to birds it seems.”

Ok.u.mura as well as Ryuzaki, were here as escort guards in case this heavy cruiser was attacked by monsters like wilderness worms. The same was true for Ok.u.mura’s good ogre Zeku.

“I wonder if Utsurogi group are doing well debuu?”

It was five days ago that Utsurogi Kyousuke left the base with Selena. Soon, they would arrive at Selena’s hometown and request for cooperation. However, going at this pace, it seemed that the renovation would have been done to some extent before reinforcements could arrived.

Nevertheless, because they needed the strength to fight that terrible «Red Winged Devil», the help request itself wasn’t wasted at all. If it was possible, he wanted to finish the renovation quickly and then joined up with Kyousuke group.

While Ryuzaki was looking at the night sky on the deck, suddenly, he saw some shadow flitting through the corner of his field of vision.

“Hmm&hel

lip;?”

Chasing the shadow with his eyes. That thing, it flew at a tremendous speed, heading for the rocky place where the bow pointed to.

That shadow was not the only one. It seemed to be bringing along a lot of flying things as well.

No way, there was that kind of feelings.

“Ryuzaki!”

Ok.u.mura shouted and jumped off from the deck.

“At last, they’ve come debuu!”

“d.a.m.n, at such timing…!”

It’s the red winged devil. No doubt. Right now, there are more than 30 students at the base. Ryuzaki also jumped from the deck and ran together with Ok.u.mura. Did he guess this incident, Zeku jumped off immediately and chased after them.

“The war potential of the base is…”

“Although there are Asuka and Sak.u.ma … but, the opponent is someone whom Sak.u.ma’s magic didn’t get through at all…!”

At least, please stay safe until we get there.

Grinding his teeth, Ryuzaki thought so and desperately ran across the wasteland.

“…Inugami-san, what happened?”

In the dining room, ∗pikuri∗ moving her ears with a twitch, Inugami Hibiki gazed toward the corridor, seeing her like that, Sak.u.ma asked. With her nose twitching ∗hiku hiku∗, her appearance that made a grim expression was exactly like a dog itself rather than a werewolf. Akai Asuka sitting little distance away, after gazing at Inugami’s state, 『Leave her alone』 muttered. Inugami glared back at such Akai.

Inugami Hibiki was a stray of a lone wolf among the cla.s.s. And incidentally, she could be said to be the only natural enemy of Akai Asuka. Actually, although there were a couple of students in the cla.s.s who could give opinions to Akai, apart from that, it was only Inugami that she clearly «avoided».

Sak.u.ma, a close friend of Akai, also honestly felt that matters relating to Inugami was difficult to deal with. However, when they sat next to each other on the field trip bus, she gave away her extra chewing gum, so Sak.u.ma also thought that she was in fact not that bad of a child. It’s time for our cla.s.s to unite now. I have to actively become friends with Inugami who is a stray, and add her to our circle. Thinking that way, she tried to have her meals as close as possible.

That Inugami, unusually was staring at the corridor with a grim expression.

“…Come.”

“C–come? What?”

“That guy’s, friends…!”

Saying so, Inugami unraveled the scarf of her sailor uniform.

“Eh, I–Inugami-san?”

The surrounding students also seemed to have noticed her strange actions. Although people were looking over here, Inugami didn’t care about it, and then her uniform, skirt, even her underwear, she mercilessly took them all off.

“EEEEEEH!? I–Inugami-sann!? H–here is no good! No good! Here’s the dining roomm!!”

As cheers and commotion were rising from the surroundings, Sak.u.ma picked up all the clothes that had been thrown away and ran up to her.

However, Inugami in her birthday suit put her hands on the floor becoming on all fours, and gave her a growl like a beast.

“GUUU~U~U~U~U~URURURURURU…!”

A beautiful coat of white silver grew from her whole body, the body of Inugami who was already slim to begin with, changed to an even more slender and supple shape. It was complete beast transformation. Inugami who became a silver wolf of about 2 meters in length, as it was, raised a roar, kicked off the desk of the dining room and the dishes, then went straight to the corridor. The cheers and commotion turned into screams in a blink of an eye.

“Inugami-san…”

Sak.u.ma murmured dumbfounded.

“I have been wondering if she didn’t tear her clothes every-time she performed complete beast transformation…. She has been diligently taking it off every-time…”

“No, Sachi, that’s not the point.”

∗Bis.h.i.+∗, and unusually Akai put in a tsukkomi.

“Go a little after me, because I’ll go after that guy.”

“Inugami-san?”

“Yeah. I said it. «Come»?”

In response to that word, Sak.u.ma was surprised. Last time, when the red winged devil was attacking, it was Inugami who jumped at the enemy first. It was unknown what her reason was, but she had a sense of smell capable enough to perceive the enemy’s attack.

However, Inugami who was a lone wolf and lacked coordination, usually listless and not showing any fragment of motivation, only during the attack of the red winged devil that she forgot herself (she still took off her clothes properly though) and just rushed out, it was incomprehensible to Sak.u.ma.

No, now such a thing is fine. The important thing is to help Inugami.

“Kagoi-kun! Kensaki-san! Also Uozumi-kun and Nekomiya-san come together with us! Everyone else, fortify the entrance of the dining room!”

For the time being, Sak.u.ma called out to the combat personnel and jumped out of the dining room following after Inugami.

If that red winged devil really came, will we be able to win?

“Satchan, it may be unnecessary care but.”

Even at such a time, Nekomiya talked in a pretentious way.

“Isn’t it better for us to escape to the heavy cruiser instead? Has it been able to move already?”

“Yeah, I’m also thinking about that…”

“Either way, that guy may already be in the corridor now, we cannot secure the escape route.”

Uozumi muttered really annoyed.

“For the time being, we have to do something about that bouncing wolf!”

“No but, it was a sight for sore eyes.”

Kensaki and Kagoi also expressed their opinions.

When they went straight to the entrance, Inugami was already in battle. The enemy was not just one. Numerous flying monsters like devils with small wings were flitting about. Among them, a man wearing a black armor with red wings was standing with his arms folded.

“What are these guys…?!”

“Imp … is it? They seem to have brought quite a number.”

Kensaki and Nekomiya made a voice full of tension. Kagoi and Uozumi’s line of sight was directing toward the red winged devil.

“That guy…. He is a little different from what we saw last time.”

“Is he a different person…?”

In response to that word, Sak.u.ma also turned her attention to the devil.

Certainly, the one who attacked the base last time, that devil who drove Kyousuke group powerless at that time, had a slightly different face. Another person, is it a different individual? Could it be there are still other enemies with that kind of combat ability?

Inugami shook off the clinging imps, tore, bit and ran straight to the red winged devil.

“GURU~U~O~OOU~!!”

The red winged devil held one hand toward Inugami without changing his expression one bit. Instantly, black light formed a barrier and deflected Inugami who was jumping.

“Gyan…!”

Adjusting her posture in the air, Inugami landed on the floor with four feet. Taking advantage of that gap, the imps rushed at her body.

“《Shadow Square》!”

In accordance with the magic Nekomiya chanted, a black rectangular blade ripped through the imps who flocked to Inugami.

“Because you flocked to the girl you like in that manner, I do not like it.”

Still a pretentious girl as usual. She’s a cat now though.

Then, while Kagoi, Kensaki and Uozumi was advancing and kicking around the imps, Inugami and the devil glared at each other. Unlike the individual the other day, the devil this time was quite inexpressive. He looked down at Inugami with cold eyes, then further over here, he turned his eyes to Sak.u.ma group and said this.

“I see, it is as reported…. The survivor of the lowly wolf is mixed in. That is no use at all.”

Sak.u.ma couldn’t figure out what the man was talking about.

Lowly wolf, what is it? Survivor, what does he mean by that? Use, what kind of use is he planning? The meaning of the words that the man said, she could not understand. All I can say is that the man in front of us has clear murderous intent at least against Inugami Hibiki.

Inugami leaped at the man with a roar. The man grabbed the scruff of her neck and strongly slammed her against the wall.

“UOOOOH!”

Kensaki raised her sword and slashed at the red winged devil. The man took on the sword with his free hand and attacked Kensaki with a kick to her stomach.

“Guu…!”

“Don’t rampage so much…. Our aim isn’t to kill you guys…”

“What…!”

Even while saying so, the man didn’t stop his hand gripping Inugami’s throat. Again, only her treatment is obviously different. Sak.u.ma prepared the chant and released an attack magic at the same timing as Nekomiya.

“《Evil Flare》!”

“《Shadow Bind》!”

However, it didn’t go through to the red winged devil. The devil forcibly tore the restrains of Nekomiya’s 《Shadow Bind》 to shreds, and just like that erased the 《Evil Flare》 with one hand. The unceasing attacks of Uozumi and Kagoi also didn’t come close at all, they were sent flying with overwhelming force.

“Once again. I have no intention to kill you guys. What is this strange resistance … hmm?”

The man then suddenly raised his face. Throwing Inugami’s body with all his might, he glared at the end of the corridor. Kagoi caught Inugami’s body.

It is the same as that time. Sak.u.ma thought. Even the devil who appeared last time also glared at the back of the corridor and spoke to «someone». It seems that the one who appeared this time is an individual different from the previous one, but, as before, he is aware of the existence of «someone» in the same way. The man raised his lips grinningly.

“I see, did you feel like responding? It’s fine.”

An instruction was given to the imps, and the man tried to cross the corridor. From behind, Kagoi and Uozumi tried to stop him by tackling, but the man easily shook them off. Sak.u.ma again quickly chanted her magic, glaring at the red winged devil.

“《Evil》…”

“Fu!”

Faster than Sak.u.ma could fire her magic, the man turned around and fire a black wave toward her. The magical power she spun spontaneously exploded and all the damage came back over here.

“Kyaa…!”

“Sak.u.ma!”

Kensaki received Sak.u.ma who screamed as she was blown away. A large amount of imps blocked their way, protecting the man proceeding forward in the corridor.

“This is bad, ahead of there is the dining room.”

Nekomiya gave out a voice containing unusual irritation. Kensaki set up her sword with both hands.

“For now, we will throw off the imps in front of us and quickly make way to the dining room! Inugami is also fine with this!?”

“……!!”

Inugami only growled low and didn’t make any other intention.

Is it really the dining room that the red winged devil is aiming for? Or is it the dungeon in the back? She didn’t know, but since the dining room was at the aisle where he went, she couldn’t leave it alone. Then again, it is difficult to face that man. We have to to prepare some means of escape.

He said that he had no intention to kill us. However, it doesn’t seem likely for that guy to become friendly. Inugami was actually about to be killed.

When she was feeling frustrated that the number of imps didn’t go down at all, from the dining room echoed the screams of the students.