Arifureta Chapter 216

Arifureta Extra Compilation – From Abyssgate Lord of The World

Wai-, You Raised Too Many Flags!

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Part 1

The bodies of the berserkers who were surrounding a figure from four directions were slowly collapsing like a blooming flower.

The figure that appeared from behind the tough meat wall that lost their head was the lord whose body was wrapped in a black outfit with two jet black short swords held in reverse grip. The one-lens type sunglasses was reflecting light even under the cloudy sky; it glittered with a sparkle. Surely, it was an optional feature.

「GAAAAAAAAAAH!!!」

It was a dissonant sound of many overlapping roars. The roars of the berserkers shook the air.

Lord Abyssgate, who was cool at any time with his body kneeling on one knee and his short swords readied to the front and back, wasn’t perturbed by that shriek that stimulated human fear. He stood up silently while putting away one short sword.

And then, he took a half-body stance toward the berserkers who were tightening their encirclement and thrust one hand forward; his palm was facing up――*kui kui* he moved his fingertip. It was as though he was telling them ‘come at me’.

「Let me tell you this, this lord isn’t so soft that the like of mindless beasts can possibly win.」

It was as though that whisper became the signal because the berserkers roared and began charging from three directions. The vibration of their steps made it feel like the ground was shaking. Normal people would surely lose strength from their waist and feel their groin going cold from feeling that pressure. Just like Emily-chan the other day. Just like Emily-chan!

In contrast, the lord――vanished.

It happened in an instant. The berserkers that came from three directions were blown away all at once. They went back down the path they just advanced through with a fierce momentum as though they had just been hit by a dump truck. Naturally, the berserkers approaching from behind also got grandiosely dragged into it.

At the spot where the berserkers were just at, there was the lord in an unmoving pose――three of them.

「Abyss-style Assassination Martial Art – Phantom Attack Form――”Roukyouka”」(TN: Haze Frenzy Flower)

It seemed the lord was pleased with the naming of the Abyss-style. He looked pleased that he could unveil the numerous naming (centered on existing techniques, especially the martial art moves that weren’t named before this) he had thought up of through the whole night last night. The smile on his mouth indicated that.

By the way, what he did was only make clone bodies and simultaneously blew away the enemies that were coming from the three directions using palm heel. The ability of the lord’s lovely fingerless glove produced unrealistic power that could make huge bodies in the middle of charging forward to double back. Of course, the lord properly transmitted the impact to the brain, so he didn’t fail at dealing the fatal blow.

「aAAAAAAAAA-!!」

Three berserkers swung down their stout arms like a hammer from behind the three lords. In the next moment, the clones easily vanished along with a comical sound. The attack from two berserkers ended up striking the ground in vain.

And then, the true body of the lord――

The enlarged fist the berserker was attacking with was already larger than the lord’s head. That fist hid the figure of the lord and without stopping it plummeted toward the ground without compromise.

That was how it looked, but there weren’t any remains of the lord in the small crater. The lord that was supposed to be the real body shouldn’t be vanishing like a phantom. The berserker who lost his target moved his bloodshot eyes everywhere in search of the target.

「If you lost your reasoning power, then at least sense using instinct.」

「-」

A voice came. From below the berserker.

The berserker looked down at his own feet in shock. His figure that was peering at his own feet with his body leaning forward looked as though he was bowing. He looked really comical acting like that with his large build and the mad atmosphere he was giving off.

A short sword that stretched out from the ground, as though it had been growing there all along, attacked the berserker that was peering at his own feet. The short sword flew straight at the berserker’s head, pierced the eye of the berserker, destroyed his brain, split the skull, and flew out from the back of his head.

Light left the eyes of the berserker that received the lethal attack as his body tilted unsteadily, and at the same time, the other hand that was reaching out, similar to the short sword, grasped at the berserker’s hair and pulled it into the ground.

Using that recoil, the lord flew out beside the berserker that was buried in the ground, making it look like its upper body was prostrating. Of course, the lord flew out in the pose of a wild eagle!

「GAAAAAAAH」

The approaching berserker leapt at the lord in midair. Using their charging momentum, they threw their body into the air like a cannonball to shoot down the lord.

「How unfortunate. That’s an illusion.」

The body of the berserker passed through the lord’s body without hindrance. The one jumping was the clone body of the lord, which didn’t have any substance.

Then, where was the real body?

Of course, the lord was normally right beside it with his painfully thin presence. Even now, he was closely nestling beside the berserker-san. However,

「Be embraced by the dark hellfire――”Katon – Enryuuga(Annihilating all creation – The abyss’s world-destroying conflagration)”」(TN: Fire Escape – Flame Dragon Fang)

*von* A unique sound resounded. The true shape of that sound was by the body of the lord that was dancing midair beside the berserker, the flaming short sword that appeared in the lord’s hand without anyone noticing――it was the sound of “Heaven Destroying Sword of Lightning Flame” cutting through the wind.

―― Katon – Enryuuga(Annihilating all creation – The abyss’s world-destroying conflagration)

The highest class of fire elemental magic “Azure Sky”――that magic was in a compressed state enveloping the short sword. The sword that was clad in the super-hot blue fire cut and melted the target. It made a unique sound *von* when it was swung. Because it was a sword that was filled with magic power, it could repel magic attacks.

Yes, it was a peerless sword that melted and cut every obstacle while leaving a beautiful trail of light behind in midair――so to speak, it was a lig○ saber!

When this ability was first unveiled, it went without saying how the creator and the lord wordlessly exchanged high-fives. And then, unable to contain themselves, the two did make-believe of a certain knight. It was a little bit of a black history for the two of them when they received a lukewarm gaze from the two rabbit-ears witnessing their act.

The berserker whose neck was melted and cut by the light sword rolled on the ground right after. Berserkers were attacking the landing lord one after another.

「It’s hard to move with that large body, right? I’ll make it lighter for you――”Demolish Yoke”」

The lord made a sonorous finger snap. Right after that, the surrounding berserkers were blown away into the sky.

――Gravity magic “Demolish Yoke”

The magic that Miledy Raisen once used at the legendary decisive battle, a magic that forcefully liberated the target from the wedge of gravity. The berserkers who lost the shackle of gravity were thrown into the air helplessly due to a reason that couldn’t be resolved using physical strength.

And then, if someone looked far above the sky, there were two lords standing back to back in bilateral symmetry, as though looking at the mirror reflection. They both were taking a stance with half their body shifted to the back, and both of them were holding kunai between their five fingers while displaying a throwing stance.

「「Thy art judged by the dark god――”Juuton – Saika no Seitsui(Inescapable Judgment of Abyss)”」」(TN: Gravity Escape – Star Fall of Calamity Judgment)

What was launched was a downpour of kunai that multiplied in weight until they reached several tons.

The dozens of berserkers became helpless due to the restriction that was zero gravity in midair. The only thing that they could do was to use their hands instinctually to cover their head. Even so, perhaps they could possibly defend using those thick arms that looked like logs.

Although, in the first place, Juuton – Saika no Seitsui(Inescapable Judgment of Abyss) wasn’t a technique for piercing the target. This was an attack that was labeled as judgment. And then, from time to time, judgment was carried on by reaping the head.

The result,

「At least have a peaceful life in the next world.」

Surrounding the lord on the ground, a sudden squall poured down on the berserkers, where their heads were separated from their torsos like a joke.

The cause was one thing. The rain of kunai was something to reap the head from the beginning. The super heavy kunai falling to the ground had super-fine steel string tied to each other. Yes, so to speak, the steel string was like a guillotine falling down from the sky.

White smoke was rising from here and there. The ability of【Berserk】was trying to keep the berserkers alive by repeating super-regeneration, but there was no way it could regenerate the whole body from the head, and it was also impossible to regenerate the brain from the torso. Before long the bodies reached their limit and withered as though in resignation.

The rising white smoke looked like the soul of the people that were liberated from the【Berserk】transformation.

The lord standing in the middle of the white smoke shifted his sunglasses slightly and offered a silent prayer to the white smoke, and then his eyes narrowed quietly toward the remaining berserkers.

Around him were floating kunai that were connected to each other with steel string. *step* The two clones landed down on both sides of the lord. The lord swung the short sword clad in azure flame while it made a *von* sound, and then the clones also started swinging similar swords of azure flame.

「Now then, let’s end this quickly. ……This futile fighting.」

The lord muttered, and at the same time, his presence got drastically thinner. Even though he was right in front of them, the berserkers looked around in puzzlement.

Right after that, the lord rushed out.

Five minutes.

That was the amount of time the mindless beasts who were given the name of the legendary mad warrior were able to survive in front of the abyss lord.

 

Part 2

「……Impossible. What the hell is that……just what in the world is happening……」

A man’s voice that sounded shaken was resounding in a dim monitor room located in the corner of the research facility. What that person clad in a lab coat looking like a researcher was looking fixedly at with an intense concentration was the image from the security camera that was facing toward the heliport.

It had been anticipated that someday the security bureau, or the army, would come to assault this place; therefore, the closest place that a helicopter could land at and the path that could be passed through by car were all monitored. When a communication came from the lumber mill, the people here only thought「Aa, they are coming here really early, huh」.

As long as they had groups of berserkers, they didn’t need to fear most armed groups. It wasn’t like they needed to hold the place and carry out do-or-die resistance. The berserker group was simply for buying time. While the attacker was spending their time dealing with the monsters, they would carry the research data and escape using the prepared method. After that, they would continue research at another research facility.

If they kept repeating that method later, then they wouldn’t be able to be captured that easily. That was what they were thinking.

Yet despite so,

「Impossible. This is impossible-. Just what is that brat-. This is ridiculous! It’s like a poorly made American comic-. Who can accept that such a thing exists in reality-」

「……Ingram.」

Beside the man, an armed man with an air that seemed used to battle punched down on the desk loudly while shouting.

The armed man――his name was Weiss Ingram. He was a guard that Kaysis put in charge of for the security for this research facility. Narcotic smuggling, human trafficking, inducing war, arms trade, and so on, he was a leader of a mercenary group that would do anything as long as it produced him money.

Weiss had a large scar running from his cheek to his right ear. His face was distorting as though that scar was twitching while he gave some kind of instruction to his subordinate through a wireless device. And then, his gaze turned toward the man in the lab coat.

「Oi, what the hell are you doing staring idly like that? Finish your preparation to skedaddle right away. I don’t wanna die fighting that kind of incomprehensible American comic bastard here. We are going to use all the remaining berserkers and “that” to buy time. We are going to leave this place in five minutes.」

「A, aa, got it. No, wait a second. You are going to use “that” too?」

「Aa? Isn’t that obvious? We cannot bring that kind of thing with us anyway. We only need the data of the result of the experiment; there won’t be any problem releasing that to send it to those guys.」

「That’s……certainly, you are right. Got it, I’ll prepare――」

The man in the lab coat was nodding while he was going to say「I’ll prepare right away」, but his words stopped in the middle. Weiss turned dubious, and his gaze moved to the man, where he saw the man in the lab coat had his gaze fixed on the monitor.

In the monitor was reflected the picture of the helicopter landing on the heliport that had been safely secured, the troops of the security bureau’s special force quickly getting down from the helicopter, and then a girl with blonde hair tied into a side-tail getting down with the help from the man who annihilated the berserker group using supernatural skills.

The man in the lab coat opened his eyes wide while muttering「Why, in this place……」. Weiss got irritated seeing the man in the lab coat acting like that and called「Oi-」with a rough voice. The man in the lab coat seemed to come to his senses from that, and with a ‘hah’ he took his gaze off the monitor and shook his head once before saying「I’ll prepare myself」while exiting the room.

Weiss’s gaze returned to the monitor, and he narrowed his eyes, staring at the girl who, for some reason, seemed to embrace the young man, or rather, she somehow looked like she was clinging to the young man.

「A girl on the battlefield, huh. Well, she is wearing a lab coat, which might mean that she is someone like that.」

Weiss pondered something before a wide grin that looked disgusting appeared on his face. He then followed after the man in the lab coat and exited the room. He did that while giving instructions to his subordinate through a wireless device.

 

Part 3

The research facility had a white outer wall. Alpha squad was lining up along that wall in an orderly formation. Bernard, who was in the lead, had his gaze fixed on the door that his subordinate was trying to break.

The other squads, Beta squad and Gamma squad, were trying to infiltrate from other entrances. Each of those squads was accompanied by a clone of Kousuke.

Kousuke was vigilantly sensing his surroundings at the back of that formation while being aware of Emily who kept glancing at him with a complicated look.

「……Emily. I’m really not bothered, so Emily too don’t get bothered by it. Rather than that, focus your mind for now. Even though we are protecting you, that doesn’t mean it’s okay for you to not be careful, okay?」

「Ye, yes. I’m sorry Kousuke.」

Actually, Emily thought that because she almost called Kousuke as Abyssgate just before he was about to jump from the helicopter, Kousuke accidentally fell out of the helicopter. Because of that, she was a little down thinking that she had held the other back right away from the beginning.

Emily apologized right away when she got down from the helicopter, but Kousuke, who had offhand knowledge that it was the easiest to get aimed at the moment when a helicopter was taking off or landing, was being busy acting vigilant toward the surrounding, so he only replied「Aa, yeah, it’s fine」that sounded really curt.

Of course, he also really didn’t mind, so his words sounded light coupled with that factor too, but from Emily’s point of view, she felt that Kousuke’s words had a different nuance. So to speak, for her it sounded like「Emily is the same as the other guys, huh? Well, it doesn’t really matter though.」.

As a result, Emily leapt at Kousuke. Kousuke was startled, and he drew back, but Emily kept clinging to him while yelling things like「You are misunderstanding Kousuke! The bad one is the idiot soldiers of the security bureau! I just got unconsciously carried away by them, I actually wanted to call you by your name properly! Please, believe me, Kousuke!」

On site of a recent battle where a curb stomp had just been performed, in a situation where they were surrounded by the special force troops around them, furthermore, in a time where they were going to march into the enemy’s base after this, Emily-chan clung while imploring「Don’t hate me!」unashamedly. It seemed that her nerves had unexpectedly become thick and sturdy through the case this time.

「Oi, Aby. We are going to charge in. Keep your flirting with your girlfriend for later.」

Bernard warned with an exasperated voice seeing the love comedy of the two that was completely lacking in tension (seen from the side) just before they broke in.

「Oi, captain-san. The way you call me got even friendlier huh. If you want to get along with me that much, it’s fine to call me Kousuke you know?」

「Is that so? Then you can also call me by my name you know, Aby.」

「……I’m absolutely not going to.」

The ignoring phenomenon occurred really naturally. It wasn’t like it was caused because of sarcasm, ill will, or teasing. In fact, Bernard calling Kousuke as Aby with so much naturalness that it felt like a leaf that would fly if it was blown by the wind.

Beside Kousuke who was making a sour look, Emily, who was called as “girlfriend”, had red cheeks while her mouth was smiling broadly. She was also throwing a gaze that was mixed with slight jealousy to Bernard who called Kousuke with the pet name Aby even though it was Kousuke’s alias. She was busy with various things.

「……How envious. How jealous. Flirting with a cute girl in this kind of situation……damn Abyssgate.」

「Who do you think you are addressing without any honorifics just now? I’m going to get rid of you while dressing it up as an accident you know?」

Allen had a handkerchief that he took out from somewhere and bit on it while going ‘mukii!’. It seemed that he was considerably broken. In response to such an Allen, Vanessa was giving a warning with a voice that didn’t sound like a joke……as for her, surely, she was already at a point of no return.

The soldiers, including the captain, who were emitting nervousness from preparing themselves with the possibility that they themselves might get infected with【Berserk】exchanged looks at each other wry smiles seeing the exchanges of Kousuke and co.

「Captain, we can proceed.」

Bernard received the report from the soldier that succeeded in unlocking the door and used his radio. Both Beta squad and Gamma squad also returned affirmative signals for their breaking-in preparation.

Bernard started counting. Inside the tightly tense atmosphere, the count――turned to zero.

「GO-!」

The soldiers were invading the facility with a fluentness akin to flowing water starting from Bernard’s signal.

Emily was desperately following in the middle of the soldiers while being surrounded from three directions by Kousuke, Vanessa, and also Allen.

The safety confirmation「Clear」reported back through the radio from each squad.

The corridor was dim. It seemed that the place was only installed with fluorescence lamps for emergency use. The existence of Kousuke and co was known from the battle on the helicopter landing pad. Therefore, the facility personnel must have already turned off the facility’s function and started to escape.

The squad’s objective ranged from capturing to erasing the essential personnel that were important even among the staffs of this facility. And then, their most important duty was to not let the water supply be polluted by【Berserk】no matter what happened. There wouldn’t be any advantage for the enemy to spill the current version of【Berserk】, but the possibility of what these cornered people might do……it couldn’t be viewed optimistically.

Therefore, now that they had been detected, they had to suppress the whole facility swiftly. The soldiers were confirming their current position with a device in hand while advancing without hesitation inside the ominous facility without any human presence.

They could see the end of the corridor ahead. It seemed that the path became a T-junction there.

It was at that time,

「Enemy-. At the front, they’re armed!」

「Spread out!」

Kousuke’s yell reverberated. Bernard gave out instructions swiftly in a flash. The soldiers parted to the left and right in a second and took cover behind pillars or room entrances. Kousuke also hugged Emily and dived behind a pillar.

Almost at the same time as that, *dadadadadada-* consecutive gunshots were reverberating. Muzzle flashes blinked in the corridor ahead, and in the next moment, impacts ran on the walls and pillars where Kousuke and others were hiding and smashed up the surface.

It seemed that it was an ambush by humans.

The reaction of the soldiers was also swift. They aimed toward the spot where the muzzle flashes were visible and began firing with polished accuracy.

「We cannot waste time in this kind of place! Jazz-, grenade!」

「Yes sir―!」

The soldier called Jazz pointed the grenade launcher attached under his rifle muzzle and fired deep into the corridor. Right after that, a heat wave blew through along with a fierce roaring sound.

「Go-, Go-, Go-!!」

Bernard’s command resounded while the wave of the explosion hadn’t ended yet. The soldiers were firing simultaneously while rushing deeper into the corridor. Their gun points were directed ahead at where the corridor was divided to the left and right. At that moment, they could see the figure of a man running away toward the corridor turn.

The following soldiers saw men collapsing on the ground; perhaps they were late to escape from the grenade explosion and crouched down. The men were groaning in pain, but right after that, they started to convulse. At that moment,

*tan-tan-tan-*

Gunshots echoed. The soldiers drilled the head of the men without hesitation.

「Clear」

「Clear」

The soldiers reported the confirmation of safety with calm voices. And then, as though nothing happened, the soldiers advanced forward once more with a flowing movement toward the direction where they saw men escaping to just before.

(……As expected, the real deal special force is amazing huh.)

Kousuke reflexively sent praise with a small voice. Vanessa beside him showed her affirmation with an expression that looked slightly proud.

(Naturally. They aren’t anything overwhelming like Kousuke-san, but the assault force of the security bureau is unmistakably elites. As long as their opponent isn’t a mass of absurdity, they wouldn’t fall behind that easily.)

As though to prove those words of Vanessa, Alpha squad, led by Bernard, was exterminating the armed groups lurking everywhere inside the facility to buy time, as though they were facing children. The squad kept advancing without stopping.

It seemed that the other squads were also the same from the report coming through the radio. There also wasn’t any report of someone being injured. Kousuke, who was sharing information through his clone bodies, also understood how his clone bodies didn’t really need to do anything, so he once again felt for real the strength of the special force.

While they were advancing like that, Kousuke and co arrived in a spacious room. According to Kaysis’s data that they had downloaded before, this room should be the main research room.

As though to show that, there were several types of machinery that seemed to be for research use, incomprehensible items left around on a desk, and several personal computers here and there.

「Captain-san.」

「Aa, I know.」

Kousuke called with a small voice, to which Bernard nodded. He already finished giving out hand signs and the troops also aimed their guns to cover all blind spots.

「Yoo yoo, ain’t this the great elites of the security bureau. Just what are you doing, standing around silently in this kind of place?」

The one who was saying such a thing with a joking mood was a frivolous man with a large scar on his cheek as his peculiarity, Weiss. Perhaps as the expression of his composure, he didn’t even touch the light machine gun hanging on his shoulder by a strap. Both his hands were raised up as though to show his surrender.

「……Weiss Ingram. I never thought that you were in this kind of place.」

Allen sighed with his gun pointed. When Vanessa asked with her gaze「Who?」, Allen said that he was an inhuman mercenary who some time ago was failed to be caught by Agent L from the JD Agency and then went missing after that.

Hearing that, Bernard’s motivation to leave the man alive turned zero, and he was about to give the erasure order in a snap.

「O, oi oi, wait a second. If you kill me, something disastrous will――」

「Fire-!」

Weiss was about to say something, but Bernard was merciless. He signaled the men to fire without compromise. Weiss jumped to the side without delay, and countless bullets passed through the spot where he was just at a few moments ago.

Weiss hid behind a desk while cursing「This is why I hate the spoiled elites-」and sent instructions through his radio. The subordinates of Weiss who were hiding everywhere inside the room pulled their triggers toward the troops right away.

The troops immediately scattered to positions where they could cover each other and began firing back at every direction. Kousuke was also starting his half Abyssgate transformation in the off chance some stray bullet would go to Emily while suppressing the enemy force.

「Shit-. That Kaysis bastard. The pay is not worth it at all for something like this! Oi-, old man! Not yet!? We cannot hold on any longer here!」

「――」

Weiss threw an angry yell while firing back with his light machine gun. Right after that, a man was crawling out on all fours from the shadow of a desk located deeper in the room. It seemed that the man was crouching because he couldn’t move due to the intensity of the gunfight.

Weiss who saw that clicked his tongue and took out a smartphone from his breast pocket, and without hesitation, he pushed on one of the buttons lighting the screen. When he did that, a scream immediately surged.

「My bad. Die for my sake a bit.」

The button Weiss pushed was the detonator for the【Berserk】that he made his subordinates drink.

Naturally, Weiss’s subordinates knew the true nature of the thing they were made to drink. They knew yet they still drank that kind of thing. If they were asked why they did it, then it wasn’t because of loyalty but because of fear. Simply because if they didn’t drink it, then they would be killed by their boss Weiss. That fear allowed them to take the drug even knowing the true identity of the drug.

Because in Weiss’s mind he didn’t think that he would be able to escape while leading all his subordinates, he made this inhumanly ruthless decision. He made everyone except his close aides and useful subordinates take the drug.

「Chih. All troops, concentrate on the berserkers! Don’t get hit by any residual splash!」

Bernard’s order was given, and at the same time, Kousuke began to deal with the berserkers. He didn’t neglect to guard Emily, but there were Vanessa and Allen beside her. It was Danessa-san who recently only showed her unfortunate side, but her strength was an authentic one.

After all, by herself, she protected Emily from the dozens of pursuers led by Kimberly while being isolated and helpless; she was a formidable fighter that could overcome even a berserker if it was a one-on-one with leeway to spare.

As for Allen, it went without saying that he was a murder specialist that could take on, at the same time, several berserkers that were the primary source of infection who had been dashed with the undiluted solution of【Berserk】. Even now, he wasn’t letting any enemy get nearby by means of martial arts that looked like Gun-Kata using two handguns resembling a certain demon king.

But, even so, in this kind of situation where they were surrounded by berserkers from all directions, and it was at a range this close, it couldn’t help that the attention would be directed that way……

「Ah」

Emily unconsciously raised her voice. Ahead of her gaze, there was Weiss who was trying to get out of the room quickly where right now he was opening the door, and a man in a lab coat who got his collar grabbed by Weiss before he got thrown into the place behind the door.

Kousuke lopped off the head of a berserker, and then he was about to set forth to capture Weiss――but just before he could do that,

「Then, sayonara everyone. Please enjoy your welcoming party until the end no matter what.」

Weiss then pushed the smartphone button, and the solid door closed loudly.

It was unclear just what his reason for pushing the button was, but that reason was immediately turned clear.

「Guruurururururu」

A low growling voice resounded between the gunshots.

「Captain-san! The door deeper inside!」

「-, oi oi, what’s that……」

Kousuke was pointing ahead. There, the door that was on the wall on the opposite side of the door Weiss and others went through was being opened before they knew it. And then, Bernard stiffened reflexively when he saw the thing coming out from there.

The thing coming out from there was a large body that might reach two meters in length――a beast. Its appearance looked like a cat. It had lean limbs and a tail swaying relaxedly. However, it had a large body that couldn’t be found anywhere on earth. Its eyes were bloodshot, and saliva was dripping down from its mouth.

From behind that beast, there were also things that weren’t cats, but they were also enlarged beasts that looked hungry without any sanity. There were dogs, mice, and also monkeys. Every one of them was literally a monster.

「I see. There is no reason to not use【Berserk】on animals. And this place is a research facility. It would be stranger instead if there were no animals for guinea pigs……」

Bernard muttered that with a disgusted expression. He then gave instructions to his subordinates, and they rearranged their formation. But, at the same time, there were angry yells resounding from the radio. It came from Beta squad and Gamma squad. It seemed that at their side they also encountered berserk animals.

Thanks to Kousuke’s clone, currently, there wasn’t any soldier who became unable to fight, but they didn’t seem to be in a situation where they could link up with each other soon.

「It can’t be helped. We don’t know how many of this things there are, but I’ll clear――」

「No, Aby. You go chase Ingram and others together with Doctor Grant.」

Kousuke who was in his Abyssgate transformation once more was about to take on the berserk animals――the Berserk Beasts. But Bernard stopped him.

Kousuke reflexively turned an expression of disbelief「Are you sane?」to Bernard. Bernard gave a glance to Kousuke before throwing a flashbang and tear-gas grenade. If they were animals, then even if they were turned mad, they might falter a bit in front of objects that intensely stimulated their sight and smell. That was Bernard’s thinking but……

Unexpectedly, it seemed that his thinking was right on the mark, the Berserk Beasts didn’t falter, but they leapt back greatly.

Bernard included that useful information into the tactic inside his head while he spoke to Kousuke using the time he bought.

「Both Ingram and that man he took away are both prey that cannot be allowed to escape. We don’t know what kind of escape method they have prepared, on top of that, we cannot let them buy any more time. Besides, there won’t be any meaning of you taking the girl here if they get away, right?」

Bernard said that with a smile. His gaze turned toward Emily who was desperately looking at the situation around even while she was turning small with both her hands holding her head.

It was exactly as Bernard said. The reason they picked this place from among the places that should be suppressed was for Emily’s sake. Emily herself knew that she was asking for something selfish, but even so, she earnestly requested and arrived here. It wasn’t for the sake of the world, or even for the sake of the security bureau. It was for the sake of Emily that he came here. It was none other than Kousuke who declared that.

Kousuke looked at Bernard once again. The berserkers around had mostly been dealt with by the soldiers, but even so, if they had to face the Berserk Beasts, then it would be a struggle between life and death for them.

But the gaze that Bernard returned to Kousuke contained not even a shred of hesitation or fear. He would give his all for the sake of doing what must be done. There was only the resolve as a professional in his gaze.

「I’ll send my clones here quickly when they finish taking care of the guys in the other places. Don’t be reckless and focus on buying time.」

「That’s really reassuring. If it’s just buying time, then it will be too simple that I might let my guard down unconsciously.」

Bernard smiled fearlessly. Kousuke also returned back a fearless smile while he helped Emily stand up.

「Bernard. You are a good guy.」

「You noticed it this late? You are unexpectedly slow huh, Aby.」

Kousuke and Bernard thrust their fist at each other. For some reason, Vanessa’s eyes were sparkling at the exchange of manly smiles between the two, but they ignored it for now.

Kousuke pulled on Emily’s hand and broke into a run right away. Vanessa and Allen were also following behind.

At the same time, the Berserk Beasts instinctually hate letting their prey get away more than feeling disgusted toward the tear gas, so they all rushed off toward the four.

「Don’t let them hinder Aby and the others-!」

The soldiers laid out a barrage following Bernard’s order. The Berserk Beasts were blown away to the side were unable to stop the charge of Kousuke and co.

Using that opening, Kousuke was able to reach the door where Weiss went into. Kousuke opened the door while he looked at Bernard and the soldiers who were facing the Berserk Beasts who had changed targets.

Seeing Kousuke and the others stop moving and looking here, Bernard yelled angrily.

「Don’t mind us, just go quickly-! Heh, no need to worry, we are going to catch up with you guys soon.」

「Wai-, stupid-! Just why did you say that just now!?」

The speech of Bernard that was said with a fearless smile caused Kousuke to make a retort. Just how could Bernard say that kind of lovely speech in this critical hour? There was no way Bernard, who wasn’t an otaku, was running a joke here, which made that speech sound excessively ominous.

But in a perfect form, Bernard added a more lovely flag as though he was being possessed in this critical hour.

「Aby! Let’s get some beer when this case is over!」

「Stop it already! In the battlefield,『When I go home~』type of speech is something that mustn’t be said the most!」

Of course, Kousuke’s words were ignored so naturally, it was unnatural as usual.

「Doctor Grant! There is one thing I want to say to you along with my subordinates if we can meet again later! Will you hear it then!?」

「Eh? Ye, yes! It’s a promise!」

「That’s why stop ittt! Emily too don’t reply back! It’s seriously not funny at allll!」

‘As expected, perhaps it was better that I remain here.’ Kousuke thought so, but right after that, one of the Berserk Beasts approached Kousuke and co. Because Allen pulled the other three through the door to the other side while saying「Please hurry!」, the beast didn’t manage to get near.

The solid door was closed, and in the end, the sight of Bernard giving them a thumbs up with a nice smile was seared into their brain.

The door was dented then from the tackle of the Berserk Beast, and after that, the sound of gunshot resounded *gan gan gan*.

「Now, let’ stop standing idly here and proceed!」

Vanessa and Emily stood up from Allen’s words. Kousuke also stood up with a speechless expression.

Like that, Kousuke and co started running deeper into the corridor. Vanessa suddenly whispered.

「What a sorrowful affair.」

「You are annoying!」

Kousuke’s retort exploded toward that extremely imprudent line. *bachikon* Vanessa’s head was struck with such a sound while Emily and Allen were bewildered at that incomprehensible act of the two. Kousuke then prayed.

「Bernard. I’ll send help there as soon as possible so seriously, don’t die.」

For some reason, the figure of Bernard giving a thumbs up with a nice smile couldn’t vanish from Kousuke’s mind.

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AN: Thank you very much for reading this every time.

Thank you very much too for the thoughts, opinions, and reports about misspelling and omitted words.

I don’t have any writing time at all with 7 days of continuous working, but this chapter made it in time somehow with just a little bit of lateness……but I’m sorry for the lateness.

Next chapter will be the climax.

The next update will be for 6 P.M Saturday too.

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