He who Protects the Transforming Heroines from The Shadows - Chapter 19 - The Kicking Strike of Spriggan

“What’s that…?”

Akatsuki was the first to notice it.

The middle-aged man, having been purified, collapsed face-forward unconscious. And then—something strange happened.

From the man’s back, a mass of black mist began to rise. It appeared as if that mist had been lying dormant inside the man all along, waiting to emerge.

“…Huh?”

Scarecrow also seemed to notice the strange black mist and let out a puzzled sound. Youka and Miya also caught on, reacting to Scarecrow’s voice.

“What is that?”
“A squid ink cluster?”

Miya muttered something oddly off-base. As Youka retorted, “Like hell it is,” the situation changed rapidly.

The black mist expanded in an instant, spreading outward from its center in a hemispherical dome.

“Wha—!?”

It happened in a flash. So quickly, in fact, that before the four of them could react, they were already trapped inside the dome.

“Damn it! What the hell is this!?”

Faced with this abnormal turn of events, Scarecrow’s demeanor returned to the serious, battle-ready mode he’d shown earlier. Acting like a proper Guardian, he moved in front of the Lightguide Princesses to shield them.

“No idea…! But there’s no question this is something unexpected!”
“Miya!”
“Youka!”

The three Lightguide Princesses clustered together, taking a defensive stance and scanning their surroundings with heightened alertness.

Upon closer observation, the dome—though only estimated by eye—seemed to have a radius of around 150 meters. It was fairly large.

“What is this thing, exactly?”
“I don’t know. But just looking at it, I’d say it’s some kind of barrier. One meant to trap us inside.”

Akatsuki responded to Youka’s question with her own interpretation. Still, this was her first time experiencing such a situation, and she couldn’t say for sure what this semi-dome truly was.

Standing in the middle of the main street, she cautiously surveyed the area. The outside was visible through the dome, albeit slightly blurred. But beyond that, they had no useful intel.

“You three. I want to try something—can you back away from me a little?”

When Akatsuki said this to Youka, Miya, and Scarecrow, they nodded silently in agreement.

“Thanks. Alright, here goes.”

Once they had stepped back, Akatsuki looked upward.

She focused on the apex of the black membrane-like dome—aiming high above the ground. With narrowed eyes, he concentrated.

“Wind Wayfarer—Sword Art, Three Wind Strikes.”

The air around her began to spiral. She drew her sword back at her waist and locked eyes on her target.

The purifying power of wind gathered around her blade. This move could only be used while in her Wind Wanderer form, enveloped in the cleansing wind.

“—Haaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

With a sharp battle cry, Akatsuki swung her sword in an upward diagonal arc.

From the tip of her blade, a slicing blast of wind was released.

The slash shot upward, straight for the dome’s apex—until it collided.

SHWAAAAAAANGGG!

The sound echoed dramatically as the slash struck the top of the dome. The four of them stared upward, hoping it had broken the barrier.

But nothing had changed. The dome’s apex remained firmly shut.

“…Sigh. Nope. Just as I thought—it’s designed not to be broken from the inside.”
“Your best move didn’t even budge it. What a pickle.”

Lowering her sword with a sigh, Akatsuki relaxed her stance. Scarecrow, similarly, gave a helpless shake of his head.

“Whoa… that was amazing. Humans can shoot sword beams now?”
“Normal humans can’t. Still, flying slashes… they’re so cool, aren’t they?”

Meanwhile, Youka and Miya were commenting on Akatsuki’s move—somewhat off-topic, but endearing in their way.

“But seriously, who would want us to be trapped in here? I don’t understand.”
“We’re enemies of Reizeroll. Plenty of possible reasons, but yeah, there’s no clear objective.”

As the two of them exchanged thoughts, trying to analyze the situation—A pitch-black hole suddenly opened up beside the collapsed man.

““““!?””””

The four of them immediately raised their weapons, startled by the new development.

“Now what?”
“Man, nothing but bad luck…!”

Clack… clack… Footsteps echoed from within the dark hole—something approaching.

“D-don’t tell me… is it a ghost?”
“No way, Red Shine. Ghosts don’t have feet.”
“…Haha. You girls really are something else.”

Scarecrow gave a half-exasperated comment at the rookie Lightguide Princesses. Even someone as flippant as him couldn’t joke around in a moment like this.

Clack… clack… clack… clack… The footsteps drew closer.

“…What do you think is coming out? A snake? A demon?”

Akatsuki’s lips curled faintly in a smirk.

And then, the figure that made those steps finally emerged from the other side of the dark hole.

“……”

She had white hair, and wore a Western-style black mourning dress. All four of them widened their eyes.

“What the hell…! You gotta be kidding me…!
“Haha… I’d prefer a demon or a cobra over her…!”

Akatsuki and Scarecrow both broke into a cold sweat.
Youka and Miya, now facing the adversary they’d only met once before, called her name:

““Reizeroll…!””

What had appeared… was the worst possible person they could imagine.

♦

『…!? Is that…!?』
“What now, Soleil?”

Eito spoke to Soleil while gazing down at the scene below.

The battle with the evolved Dark Thrall had ended, and as Eito continued to observe the aftermath, a dome of darkness had suddenly appeared, trapping the four inside it.

Even Soleil, who was apparently sharing Eito’s vision at the time, was visibly thrown off by the sudden event. And Eito himself had no idea what was going on.

To make matters worse, he couldn’t see inside the dome from the outside—there was no way to know what was happening within.

As he and Soleil were discussing how to respond, Soleil suddenly noticed something.

『It’s Reizeroll! Reizeroll has appeared inside that dome!』
“…What did you just say?”

Cold sweat ran down Eito’s face as he turned a sharp gaze toward the dome, now shrouded in darkness and mystery.

『I was sharing Lightguide Princess Akatsuki’s vision when the dome formed. And then, out of a dark hole inside it, Reizeroll suddenly emerged. …Could it have been teleportation? Does she still have that kind of power—?』
“Got it. So what do I do?”

Eito cut off Soleil’s muttering, wanting clear instructions. In the end, what was he supposed to do right now?

『…You’re right. We don’t know Reizeroll’s intentions yet. So it’s risky, but we’ll observe for a little while longer.』

After a brief pause, Soleil conveyed her decision. But unlike Soleil, Eito couldn’t see what was happening inside, and he voiced his disagreement.

“That’s way too optimistic, isn’t it? We’re talking about that Reizeroll. I don’t know exactly how powerful she is, but if she’s the leader of the enemy forces, she’s gotta be strong, right? So I should just charge in—”
『I understand how you feel. But first, we need to determine Reizeroll’s objective. Since this is an emergency, I’ll unlock not just vision-sharing, but auditory-sharing as well. This way, I’ll be able to hear Reizeroll’s voice through Akatsuki too—』
“That’s not what I’m talking about—!”

Eito tried to interrupt, his voice tinged with frustration, but Soleil continued in a firmer tone.

『I said I understand, Eito. If Reizeroll had started attacking the Lightguide Princesses or the Guardian, I would’ve immediately told you to move in. But so far, she hasn’t taken any hostile actions. That’s why I said we should watch for now—even if it’s risky.』
“…Then say that from the start. I can’t see what’s going on in there, remember?”
『Ah… You’re right. My apologies, Eito.』

With a sigh, Eito looked again at the dome, now nothing more than a black box to him. Not being able to see was a frustrating handicap.

“…If something happens, tell me right away.”
『I will. Thank you.』

♦

“…Not here, huh.”

Reizeroll muttered as she looked slowly around her.

It was unclear who exactly she meant, but evidently, she was searching for someone.

Akatsuki tried to glean more from her words, but there was nothing else to go on.

“What do you want from us, Reizeroll!?”
“Did you come here just to fight us?”

Youka and Miya addressed her boldly, without flinching.

(These two really are something else…)

Scarecrow, watching the two from nearby, thought this from the bottom of his heart.

A normal person, when face-to-face with Reizeroll, would behave like Akatsuki or himself—utterly on guard, choosing not to speak unless necessary.

But these two didn’t show even a hint of fear. Whether that was courage or recklessness was unclear, but it wasn’t something just anyone could do.

“…I have no business with you today. And I have no obligation to explain why I’m here.”

With an icy stare, Reizeroll responded to Youka and Miya.

“Then, if you don’t mind me asking… Why trap us inside this barrier? If you don’t need us, then let us out already.”

Akatsuki joined in. She knew from their last encounter that they couldn’t possibly defeat Reizeroll with just this group. She was slightly worried whether her words might provoke her—but fortunately, that fear was unfounded.

“…That’s not possible. You are the bait to lure him out.”
“Him? Who do you mean?”

Akatsuki’s heart was pounding hard in her chest, but she forced herself to keep the conversation going and gather information. Reizeroll’s goal was now clear: she was using them as bait to lure someone.

“You don’t need to know. But, very well—I’ll wait five minutes. If he doesn’t show up by then, I’ll kill you.”
“!!”

All four of them instinctively tensed up at her sudden declaration, slipping into combat readiness. Reizeroll glanced at them disinterestedly and continued.

“If you attack me during that time, I’ll kill you immediately. …However, I’ll make a vow. If you do nothing for the next five minutes, neither will I. Your time begins now.”

It was a bizarre proposition. None of the four—Youka, Miya, Akatsuki, or Scarecrow—could figure out Reizeroll’s intentions.

(…She’s waiting for someone to show up? But who…?)

Akatsuki kept thinking. She understood the general outline of Reizeroll’s plan, but not who she was waiting for.

There was still another question. The barrier—they’d already confirmed earlier that it couldn’t be broken from the inside. Reizeroll could likely dispel it herself, of course.

So the question was whether it could be broken from the outside.

If she was trying to lure someone in, that person would have to come from outside. That implied the barrier was, at least in theory, breakable or passable from the outside.

(Since I, along with Asamiya and Tsukishita, are Lightguide Princesses, the warding effect that keeps civilians away is still active. Obviously, whoever Reizeroll is waiting for isn’t just a normal person.)

The answer was now within reach: Reizeroll was waiting for someone with a special power—somebody like a Lightguide Princess or a Guardian.

(Think. She said we’re bait. So there has to be a reason why we specifically would serve as bait.)

Time was ticking since Reizeroll had given her the five-minute warning. Akatsuki and Scarecrow knew better than to attack rashly—if they did, she would surely kill them.

Youka and Miya, too, only glared at her without moving. Akatsuki figured that was the right call.

Question is, why would they become good bait? As far as Akatsuki was concerned, she couldn’t think of a single reason Reizeroll would want her to be bait. So she ruled herself out.

That left Scarecrow, Youka, and Miya. Reizeroll must be targeting one of them.

(But who? I don’t know anything about Kakashi. And all I know about those two is that they’re rookie Lightguide Princesses who were attacked by Feliet and…)

And then something clicked.

(They fought Feliet. What other details were attached to that…?)

She recalled the conversation they’d had at the riverbank with Kouji. And what Scarecrow had said to her the last time they met.

(Could it be—!)

At last, Akatsuki had an idea of who Reizeroll was trying to draw out.

“…Reizeroll. Your real target is Spriggan, isn’t it?”

The other three looked shocked—but not only shocked. Their expressions also carried a hint of understanding, as if they were silently asking, “Why?”

“……Who knows. —Time’s up. I’ll be taking your lives now.”

Murderous intent flickered in Reizeroll’s eyes. The four braced themselves, ready to act—

CRASHHHHHHHH!

—with a shattering sound, the top of the barrier was violently destroyed.

♦

『――Eito, I’ve figured out Reizeroll’s objective. It’s you—she wants you.』

Sharing Akatsuki’s vision and hearing, Soleil arrived at the answer even faster than Akatsuki.

“…Me?”

Told that he was the target, Eito, not understanding, echoed the question back.

『Yes. Reizeroll called the four of them bait. Among them, the ones who could serve as bait for Reizeroll are Youka and Miya, who were rescued by Spriggan twice in the past.』
“…So this is a trap to lure me out, huh.”

Clicking his tongue, Spriggan sounded annoyed.

His job is to protect those girls. If he, acting from the shadows to protect them, ends up being the cause of them being used by Reizeroll’s plot, it would be putting the cart before the horse. If this situation is because of him, it’s only natural that he’s irritated.

『And things have gotten worse. Reizeroll said that if you don’t show up within five minutes, she’ll kill the four of them…』
“Lead me with that, damn you! Then I’ll bust through that thing right now—”

Raising his voice at that information, Eito tried to act immediately, but Soleil called out to stop him.

『Wait, Eito! No matter how strong you are, it’s dangerous! It’s Reizeroll you’re going to fight—you’ll die!』

That was the first time Eito heard Soleil cry out in desperation. It wasn’t her usual playful tone, nor her voice full of compassion. It was her raw emotion.

『I can’t afford to lose you! You’ll be killed if you fight Reizeroll! Even weakened, she still has that much power! So—!』
“—’So don’t go?’”
『!?』

Eito placed his foot on the rooftop railing. If he lost balance even slightly, he’d fall—but his enhanced physical abilities meant his balance was also strengthened, so unless something extreme happened, he wouldn’t fall.

“Then what do we do? You want to summon the other Lightguide Princesses now? Or contact the God of the Guardians and get some Guardians here? No chance. Even if you teleport someone, there’s not enough time left.”

It was a calm analysis—and an undeniable fact.

Even so, Soleil tried to argue.

『I know! I know that! But even so, this is a trap meant to lure you out! If you go, you’ll—!』
“Still, it’s my job to go. …You’re the one who gave me this power.”

Speaking slowly as if to reassure Soleil, Eito continued. He let a faint smile touch his lips and went on.

“Even if I die, don’t worry about it. That’d be a mistake on my part. …Well, dying’s not in my to-do list, of course. I’ll find a way to save them.”

Looking up with golden eyes, he gazed at the moon floating in the sky. Speaking to Soleil as he stared at that moon, he said his final words.

“…I’ve got nothing to back it, but I want you to believe in me. So let me go, Soleil.”
『…You really are unfair, you know.』

After a moment of silence, Soleil spoke.

“Sorry, that’s just the way I am.”
『Fufu, I know. ……So I can believe in you?』
“…Count on it.”

In response to Soleil’s confirmation, Eito answered calmly—but with an unshakable will in his voice.

『…Understood. I’ll believe in you. Kijou Eito—no, Spriggan. Just one piece of advice. That barrier should break if it takes a certain amount of force from the outside.』
“Got it. Then I’m off.”
『And one more thing. Thank you. For you, this is probably nothing but misfortune, but I’m glad I chose you. I truly mean that.』

That was Soleil’s true feeling. For Eito, in the middle of his adolescence, such a sincere declaration made him blush a little, and he replied bluntly.

“…Tch, I still wanna quit this risky job even now.”

Using all of Spriggan’s physical abilities, Eito leapt into the night sky.

Soaring through the air, when he reached the peak of his trajectory, he flipped upside down.

“—O’ Pane of Darkness.”

He created a dark, board-like construct beneath his feet—even though he was in midair—and kicked it hard with both feet.

Fueled by that momentum, Eito accelerated dramatically and shot toward the barrier.

“Heh…！”

Wearing a half-crazed grin, Eito rotated once in the air. With this, his body would crash feet-first into the top of the barrier.

That was his plan.

“O’ Darkness! Clad my leg!”

Pitch-black darkness, even deeper than the night, converged on the sole of his outstretched right foot.

A spontaneous attack powered by an improvised image. A kick strike—that was the method Eito chose to deliver the required impact.

And Eito’s strike shattered the barrier.