He who Protects the Transforming Heroines from The Shadows - Chapter 18 - Joint Battle

“Come on, can you start calling me by my actual name already? Huh, Akatsuki-san?”

Even in the middle of battle with a Dark Thrall, the Guardian Scarecrow, dressed in mostly gray, spoke in a relaxed voice, completely devoid of tension, with a foolish grin on his face.

“I’ve told you a million times, it’s just a hassle. Besides, it means the same thing, doesn’t it? Kakashi.”
“You really don’t get it, huh…”

Kakashi let out a big sigh.

As Akatsuki exchanged her usual banter with Scarecrow—whom she had already met before—Youka and Miya, while keeping their attention on the Dark Thrall, threw questions at Akatsuki.

“Um, Akatsuki-san, do you know this person?”
“He looks like a Guardian, but…”

Akatsuki gave a light reply to the two.

“Yeah. This guy’s name is Kakashi. He’s a Guardian, and a ranked one at that. He’s capable.”
“It’s S-C-A-R-E-C-R-O-W, okay? Nice to meet you two. I’d like to chat a bit more, but… let’s save that for later.”

Spinning his slightly-short spear in one hand, Scarecrow kept his lightweight smile as he stepped forward in front of the Lightguide Princess.

“———!”

Perhaps realizing that its feather attacks were ineffective, the chimera-like Dark Thrall began to approach them.

“It’s coming!”
“I know…!”

Akatsuki responded to Kakashi’s warning.

With its two legs stomping the ground, the Dark Thrall came in for another claw attack, just like in the beginning.

“Alright.”

Kakashi blocked the attack with his spear, handling it like a true Guardian.

Using that opening, Akatsuki moved to the Dark Thrall’s rear.

“Blue Shine! I want you to hang back and support us from range! Red Shine, stay close and fight with us!”

Acting like a proper senior Lightguide Princess, Akatsuki issued commands to Youka and Miya while slashing her sword into the back of the beastman-type chimera Dark Thrall. The Dark Thrall staggered slightly from the pain.

““Understood!””

The two immediately followed her instructions.

“Haaaah!”

Miya dashed back to get distance, while Youka struck the Dark Thrall with her gauntlet-covered fists.

“—!”

The Dark Thrall, hit with the power of purification, stumbled just like it had with Akatsuki’s attack. Kakashi took that opportunity to drive his spear into the Dark Thrall’s leg.

“Gotcha.”

Grinning, Kakashi quickly pulled out his spear and dodged as the Dark Thrall swung its arm in a wide arc.

Lit by the streetlights of the main road, black fluid began to leak from where the spear had pierced. Among Lightguide Princess and Guardians, it was common knowledge that this black, bl00d-like fluid was the source of the Dark Thrall’s strength, and spilling it weakened them.

“This is your chance, ladies.”

But unlike Lightguide Princesses, Guardians couldn’t purify Dark Thralls. What they could do was weaken them through attacks or shield the Lightguide Princess with their lives.

“Right! Thank you!”
“Thanks, Kakashi!”

Youka and Satori expressed their gratitude to Scarecrow and launched into a fierce assault on the Dark Thrall.

“—!”

The creature let out a scream-like cry as it was bombarded by slashes and blows imbued with purifying power.

Trying to escape the onslaught, it flailed its single wing and sharp claws wildly.

“Whoa there! That’s dangerous!”
“Ugh… no way we can get close like this!”

Satori and Youka backed off to gain distance. Scarecrow also retreated, evading the attacks just like them.

“It’s like a tantrum-throwing child… but for those of us in melee, we can’t get close now.”

Scarecrow made a troubled expression. Akatsuki glanced at him and gave him a suspicious look, as if seeing something shady.

(Is it just my bias, or does he not look worried at all…?)

This was mostly Akatsuki’s personal perception—but still, she just couldn’t see Kakashi as being seriously troubled. Though he was right: in its current state, the Dark Thrall was indeed hard to approach.

Still, there was something else about him. Maybe it was his frivolous demeanor, but it felt like there was something unknowably deep about Kakashi…

“—You’re forgetting about me.”

Miya muttered with a slight tone of irritation and extended five water-whip-like tendrils toward the Dark Thrall. As they wrapped around the creature, it became restrained.

“—!”

The Dark Thrall, which had been wildly flailing until now, was forced to stop.

“Nicely done.”

Scarecrow casually waved his hand at Miya, seemingly to thank her.

“Thanks, Blue Shine. Now we can get in close.”
“Thanks, Mi—Blue Shine!”

Youka nearly called her by name out of habit but caught herself just in time. The three resumed their attack on the Dark Thrall.

“…I know this already, but I really am just support and rear guard, huh. Lately I’ve been stuck doing nothing but restraining Dark Thrall.”

Watching the three fight from behind, Miya spoke her grumbling thoughts aloud.

She understood how important the rear guard position was. But she, too, grew up on that Sunday morning magical girl show. If possible, she wanted to smash enemies up close like Youka.

“Well, I guess that’s just the role fate gave me.”

Trying to act a little cool, Miya twirled her staff—only to drop it with a dramatic fumble. This was one of the reasons people called her a klutz or an airhead, despite her cool and beautiful appearance.

As she frantically picked up her staff, Youka, Satori, and Kakashi continued their attacks—sometimes getting hit, sometimes dodging—as they fought the Dark Thrall.

“Hey Akatsuki, don’t you think it’s about time to finish this?”

Scarecrow glanced at the Dark Thrall, now bleeding black fluid from various spots, and called out to Akatsuki. Naturally, all those wounds came from her and Scarecrow’s weapons.

“Yeah, you’re right. Time for the finale!”

Akatsuki took a backstep to gain distance, then pointed her sword forward.

“—Wind of purification, dwell within my blade.”

At her chant, purifying wind concentrated around her beautiful sword. With that sacred weapon, she dashed toward the Dark Thrall.

“—!”

Sensing danger, the Dark Thrall locked its focus on her. But Kakashi and Youka weren’t about to let that opportunity slip by.

“Eyes forward, beast.”

“Got you!”

Kakashi struck more wounds to draw out more of the black fluid, weakening it further, while Youka delivered a purifying punch.

“—! —!”

Letting out a scream, the Dark Thrall turned its focus to them.

“Gale—!”

In that opening, Akatsuki swung her sword in a finishing blow.

The attack purified the Dark Thrall—or so it seemed.

“———!”

But then, something unexpected occurred. The Dark Thrall suddenly let out a roar, and from around its waist, a tail covered in hard shell-like armor sprouted.

“What!?”

Akatsuki’s finishing blow was deflected by the tail.

“Oh hell, this thing…!”
“No way…! Tch, everyone fall back!”

That wasn’t all. The previously single wing split into two, giving it a full set, and its claws extended further, becoming even more deadly.

Seeing the transformation, Scarecrow broke into a cold sweat, and Akatsuki shouted instructions.

“——!!”

Its head grew a third eye on its forehead, adding to the two it already had, and its carnivorous mouth split open even wider.

What stood before them now was truly a monster.

And the beast—no, the transformed Dark Thrall—let out a reborn, more ominous roar than before.

“This is the worst…! Damn thing evolved into a second phase!”
“Crap…! Red Shine, Blue Shine! Stay sharp! That thing’s nothing like before!”

Scarecrow and Akatsuki now wore serious expressions, glaring at the Dark Thrall with unbroken focus.

“—!? Y-Yes!”
“What the hell just happened…!?”

Youka and Miya didn’t understand what was going on, but they knew from Scarecrow and Akatsuki’s behavior that now was not the time to ask questions.

“——! ——!”

As if signaling the start of round two, the Dark Thrall charged at all four of them.

♦

“…What the hell is that?”

From the rooftop of a slightly larger building facing the main street, Eito, who had transformed into Spriggan, voiced his bewilderment.

When he received the telepathic message from Soleil about the appearance of a Dark Thrall, he’d thought, “Again?” and rushed over since it was close to his house. However, the location turned out to be the main street—a place with few hiding spots and not ideal for observing unnoticed—so, just like last time, he opted to observe from a high vantage point. And certainly not because he had some dumb fondness for high places.

He found it odd that the Guardian involved wasn’t Kouji, but some unknown person. According to Soleil, however, “Ralva said there happened to be a Guardian nearby, so they sent that one to the scene.” Originally, Soleil had hoped that Kouji, a top-rank Guardian, would accompany the mission again, but since a ranked Lightguide Princess was also present this time, she judged that it would be fine.

Eito had been watching the battle between the four and the Dark Thrall for a while and had decided there was no need for him to intervene—Soleil had agreed. But when the Dark Thrall suddenly transformed, an unprecedented occurrence, Eito found himself unsure of what to do.

“—So what the hell is that, Soleil?”

Thus, he posed the question.

『That is what we call Phase Evolution. It occurs when a person with exceptionally strong negative emotions—a deep darkness of heart—undergoes a transformation. Simply put, the Dark Thrall’s power spikes dramatically.』
“…So it’s serious, huh.”

Eito gave a blunt assessment of Soleil’s explanation.

While he continued watching from the rooftop, Youka, Miya, and the unknown Lightguide Princess and Guardian were all engaged in battle with the now-evolved Dark Thrall.

『Indeed, this version would be too much for Youka and Miya to handle as they are now. I honestly didn’t expect that Dark Thrall to undergo phase evolution.』
“Then should I jump in…?”

Eito held onto his hat and posed the question to Soleil, who wasn’t physically present. If those two girls were in trouble, he would help them—that was his job as Spriggan.

『…No. Fortunately, this one hasn’t become a Darkian. While its power is close, it’s still just a Dark Thrall. Not to mention, Akatsuki and the Guardian are with them. So for now, let’s let those two fight—it will help them grow.』

Soleil’s decision was unexpected—different from what Eito had anticipated.

“…Didn’t think I’d hear that from you. I figured you were more of the overprotective type.”
『Only when necessary. Youka and Miya need to face opponents stronger than themselves now and then, or they won’t grow. So please, Eito, don’t interfere.』

Though Soleil was in the divine realm and couldn’t be seen, Eito could sense the serious expression on her unseen face.

“…Got it.”

That was all he said.

『…I am a coldhearted goddess. Even though those girls are facing a more dangerous enemy than ever before, I’m deliberately choosing to push them away.』

Why was Soleil focused only on Youka and Miya? Partly because they were her trump cards—but more importantly, their strength was still lacking for a higher-stage fight like this.

Akatsuki was ranked 25th among the Lightguide Princesses. She had fought Darkian before, and Soleil had no doubts about her ability. With her strength, she could purify the Dark Thrall.

As for the Guardian, Soleil had been watching through Eito’s perspective and judged that he was capable as well.

However, both Akatsuki and the Guardian were fighting while keeping an eye on Youka and Miya. As a result, they still hadn’t landed a decisive blow on the evolved Dark Thrall.

“…That’s not it.”

Eito had guessed as much and deliberately voiced his rebuttal.

『Not it? What do you mean?』
“You got all excited just to invite me out for tea—there’s no way someone like you is coldhearted. Those girls chose to take this fight. Even if they get hurt, that’s their own responsibility. And since being a Lightguide Princess carries real risk—they could actually die, for one—then just like you said, getting stronger is what’ll keep them alive in the end. You thought all that through. That’s why you made the call. So no… you’re not coldhearted at all.”

Eito spoke with a matter-of-fact tone, dismissing Soleil’s claim of being heartless.

Hearing that, Soleil fell silent for a few seconds, almost as if stunned.

『…You really are… thank you. Thank you for encouraging me.』
“Don’t get the wrong idea. I’m not encouraging you. I’m just stating facts. …And besides, you’re the one who forced me into this job, remember? So that whole ‘self-responsibility’ thing doesn’t apply to me. If anything happens to me, it’s on you.”

Embarrassed, Eito rattled off his response quickly, trying to downplay her gratitude.

『Hehe, I understand… Eito, if things truly do get dangerous—』

As Soleil began to give him a command in her usual calm tone, Eito cut her off and spoke the rest of the sentence himself.

“—‘Do what you always do. Save them,’ right?”
『Yes. I’m counting on you.』

With those golden hawk-like eyes, Eito continued to silently watch the battle unfold.

♦

“Ahhh, this is seriously such a pain! That damn small-fry Dark Thrall went and underwent phase evolution!”
“Shut up, Kakashi! Just be grateful it didn’t evolve into a Darkian!”

Meanwhile, the battle with the phase-evolved Dark Thrall had become fierce.

With its wings, the Dark Thrall could now fly at low altitudes, and that scorpion-like tail protrusion was extremely troublesome. On top of that, the addition of a third eye made it even more difficult to deal with.

“Still, this thing’s as troublesome as a Darkian. What do we do, Akatsuki?”
“You and I will draw its attention, and the two of them will purify it. That’s the best plan based on our skill levels.”
“Got it.”

While parrying the Dark Thrall’s attacks on the front lines, Akatsuki and Scarecrow discussed how they would purify it.

Since the two of them sometimes fought actual Darkian, they still had some leeway.

“Kuh…!?”

However, for Youka, who was also on the front lines, there was no room to breathe. With Miya’s support, she was just barely holding out against the Dark Thrall’s attacks—but had no time to counterattack.

“Ice bullets!”

Miya fired ice bullets imbued with the power of purification. The Dark Thrall spotted them with its third eye and deflected them using its tail.

“Alright, now—”
“Red Shine! Fall back!”

Just as Youka was finally about to go on the offensive, Akatsuki gave her an order.

“Eh, why!?”
“I want you and Blue Shine to focus on purifying the Dark Thrall! We’ll create the opening!”

Akatsuki slashed at the Dark Thrall with swift movements aided by the power of wind. As the Dark Thrall tried to stab Akatsuki with its tail, Scarecrow deflected the attack with his spear.

“So, can we count on you, Red Shine-chan? We can’t move properly if we’re worried about you.”
“…Understood!”

Scarecrow’s words were essentially saying you’re in the way. It was frustrating beyond belief—but also a fact. With Youka there, the two couldn’t fight freely.

Even while accepting that painful truth, Youka knew what she had to do now—just as Akatsuki had said: wait for the chance to purify the Dark Thrall with Miya.

Youka spun on her heel and ran toward Miya.

“Wasn’t that a bit harsh?”
“It’s the truth. She understands that. Why else would she have withdrawn right away?”
“You remind me of a friend—totally lacking in delicacy!”

Though they seemed to be exchanging light banter, in reality, the two were watching intently for an opening in the Dark Thrall. But the phase-evolved Dark Thrall wasn’t giving them one easily.

In the meantime, Youka relayed Akatsuki’s instructions to Miya, and they prepared to purify the Dark Thrall at any moment. Now it was up to Akatsuki and Scarecrow.

“Kakashi, I’ll draw its attention. You go for that eye on its forehead. That thing’s a pain.”
“You make it sound easy. Well, I know your skills, so I’ll take the job.”

“Thanks. Then it’s time to get a little serious—Wind Wayfarer.”

As Akatsuki whispered that, wind swirled violently around her. Then he charged at the Dark Thrall even faster than before.

The Dark Thrall tried to counter Akatsuki with its tail and claws, but none of the attacks landed. Akatsuki was moving at a completely different speed than before.

The Dark Thrall attempted to track Akatsuki with not only its two eyes but also the third—but it couldn’t keep up. A gap opened in that instant.

“—Eat some of this.”

In that opening, Scarecrow leaped by springing off the Dark Thrall’s knee.

He drove his spear into the eye on the Dark Thrall’s forehead.

“――!? ――!?”

The Dark Thrall clutched its smashed eye with both hands and let out something like a groan.

Reflexively, it flapped its wings and tried to escape into the sky—but Akatsuki didn’t miss the chance.

“I won’t let you!”

Akatsuki sliced through the base of one wing with his sword. With a spray of dark fluid, the wing fell to the ground. With only one wing left, the Dark Thrall could no longer fly.

“Now, both of you!”

Akatsuki shouted to Youka and Miya as the Dark Thrall finally exposed a fatal opening.

Youka and Miya nodded and chanted in unison:

““We shall guide your darkness into our light.””

Youka thrust her right hand forward.

“Let the raging flame be turned into light—”

“Let the mystic water be turned into light—”

Miya followed suit, thrusting her left hand forward.

Youka’s gauntlet and Miya’s staff turned into light, the power dwelling in their hands.

The two of them unleashed their finishing strike at the Dark Thrall.

“Purifying Light—Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!”

A torrent of light surged toward the Dark Thrall. Already weakened by Akatsuki and Scarecrow, the Dark Thrall was swallowed by it.

“Whoa, the two of them are purifying it together? That’s a rare move. I guess their purification power is doubled, huh? Still—hey, Akatsuki, couldn’t you have used that from the start? Thanks to that, this took way longer than it needed to.”
“Using Wind Wayfarer guarantees I’ll have muscle pain tomorrow. A delicate maiden like me prefers not to overdo it—that’s just how a maiden’s heart works.”
“You? A maiden? You’re kidding, right?”
“Say that again, and I’ll punch you.”

As the two bantered while watching the light of purification, the Dark Thrall was completely cleansed, and the figure of a middle-aged man emerged from within the light.

“Good job, both of you. Now let’s get this guy some help—huh?”

Just then, something strange happened.