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Vampire Princess Chapter 3 Episode 3
Lion’s Roar
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This time Hiyuki has no lines.
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My body was dominated by pain. All parts of my body were riddled with lacerations and the wet feeling spread out under my light leather armour.
In my vision I saw red which was unlike that of a flame. However, who cares about that--!
That man beat the smiling girl near him, and brought her away while smiling like a low-life.
Of course I won’t allow it!!
I’ll beat him, who looks down on me and talks rubbish, then I’ll take back Hiyuki!
I was only thinking that as I swung my sword downward, but his fist approached in front my eyes ahead of time.
Even I don’t need to look at the disastrous scene around me to know that if I receive that punch, everything above my neck will burst open like a pomegranate.
However, I won’t close my eyes. I will pour my power into this one strike even if it costs me my life, till the very end.
However, belying Joey’s determination, Hiyuki’s sword in his hand “Sinner of Rose (Gilles de Reis)” passed through empty air.
--so it’s useless. I am sorry Hiyuki.
Even though Joey resolved himself, through his eyes that he kept open in his determination, in an instant he saw that man’s body fly into the sky like an old rag.
The dumbfounded Joey stood while keeping his posture of swinging the sword downward.
Before anyone noticed, in front of him he saw someone’s back stand tall like a wall.
…Who?
He frantically blinked with his blurry eyes, looking at the owner of that back.
That man—or perhaps I should say old man—wore dark blue robes, his height was more than 2m and he had white hair. His severe looking face was decorated with a white bread, a therianthrope who could only be described as a lion. He looked at Animaru with a dangerous glint in his eyes, and handed over Hiyuki—who he took from Animaru who knows when—to Joey gently.
Flustered, Joey dropped “Sinner of Rose (Gilles de Reis)” and received Hiyuki with both arms.
“…I understand, the boy who threw the sword and took the girl. –You’re really a man.”
In the old man’s severe face appeared a favourable smile for the first time.
“Who are you bastard?! Don’t you dare mess with me!”
While standing up and getting out of the debris, Animaru snarled at him with an expression that burned in wrath.
Once again the face of that old man changed, and looked at him with a cool expression.
“So this is the vermin.”
“…What? Don’t you know who I am, you bastard?”
“I don’t want to know and I don’t need to know.”
In an instant that old man closed the gap and drove his fist toward Animaru’s face.
“Hmph, that kind slow attack wo---GAAHHH!?!”
In the place where Animaru talked with composure, as if there was a missing frame from a movie, in an instant the old man’s fist exploded.
Though his face smashed into the ground and even bouncing back, through his endurance and stamina, he quickly got up and put distance between that old man.
“Die!”
He dashed and rained a barrage of punches “Banishing” through the old man’s body, however the old man who should have been in front of him suddenly disappeared.
“Wha!?”
Losing his target, his fist swung fruitlessly. At that time, the old man unknowingly appeared in his blind spot—the flank, and drove a kick toward Animaru’s pivotal leg, then smashed his unprotected temple with his elbow with all his might.
Together with a thunderous roar, half of Animaru’s body caved in toward the ground.
“Ga…Hag…!”
Though he can somehow stand up, because of a cerebral concussion his feet were unsteady.
“No way, I should have an overwhelming advantage in numerical value…but, this old man.”
Without even driving the final blow, that old man said this with uninterested voice.
“Hmm… even from the fight before I can see that you have strong power, yet you’re still far from being strong.”
“What did you say…!?”
“Your fighting style is just pushing down your opponent through overwhelming power. The reason it always worked till now is perhaps because you fight in conditions where it’s convenient for you, or because you only harassed those who were weaker than you. Because you never experienced a fight against someone stronger or a fight where you risk your life, when you confront someone stronger than you, you don’t know how you should fight. In short, you have no creativity in fighting. Am I right?”
Even while feeling awed and having his vision drawn by him, Animaru spat the blood and saliva in his mouth to the ground.
“—so you say that you’re that ‘stronger person’? Who are you?”
“Well, I have thrown away my name. However people call me “The Beast King”.”
Hearing that while still carrying Hiyuki, from Joey’s throat there resound a muffled groan.
--Beast King!? Isn’t he one of the only five SSS rank in the world?!
Animaru raised his eyebrows.
“HAAHH?! Beast King? That would be me!”
“Wrong, a hoodlum the likes of you pretending to be a King is ridiculous.”
It seems his physical condition was finally back, Animaru readied himself once again.
“Then I will beat you until you die, and teach you who’s the real one!”
***
In the suburb of capital city Arra’s prairie, there was a group of people who ran vigorously, creating a cloud of dust.
“What’s the meaning of this?! I can’t contact the princess!?”
Tengai, who was is in his dragon-man form, was running with such momentum that he would trample anyone who hindered his path be it humans, monsters, or even God. He asked the white haired boy with clear irritation on his face--Ikaruga who ran beside him (to be precise it’s Ikaruga’s true self “Yog Sothoth” clone).
“Unknown. Almost everyone who stood around to watch were taken down with no resistance.”
“No resistance?! No way, though those who keep watch this time were more suited for intelligence than fighting, they’re still elites from our country! There’s no way they would be taken out by this country’s humans with no resistance…...”
Hearing Tengai groaning words, Ikaruga fell deep into thought for awhile. While doubting himself, he said in addition.
“Certainly if it’s the people from this country then that would be impossible. –However if it’s a technique used by a transcendental person (players) then that would be...”
“Transcendental person (player)?! That’s im---“
However the possibility is not zero. On the contrary, when he talked with Hiyuki before about the lost coins and Lost Era that topic also come up.
--I should have investigated it more seriously. No, even though I must face Princess’s oppositions I should have been there myself!
Though he knew that, regretting now won’t solve anything, it still came to him as he bit his back teeth.
In the first place, rather than running along the ground slowly like this, he really want to quickly soar in the sky. However since there’s a patch between Imperial Crimson and Amitia, other than not being able to fly and land near the main city, if he forcefully breaks it, it’s almost like smearing mud in the Princess’s face.
While suppressing his gradually building exhaustion, Tengai put more power toward running with his legs.
Either way, with this pace he should reach Arra within 1 minute, after that—
“Quick, Ladies and Gentlemen! We will confirm Princess’s safety and secure her! Don’t go easy on anyone who stands in our way! Destroy anyone who stands in our way! I don’t mind even if you destroy everything in Arra and kill everyone!!”
100% serious encouragement. The surging group gave a war cry.
However, there, standing in the direction of their charge was a man with gaudy armour and a mantle with red lining, a knight-like man could be seen. Since he is facing downwards his face was out of view.
Even while thinking that the figure was nostalgic,
“Get out of my way! Move!!”
Tengai yelled, however that man didn’t even twitch let alone move from that place.
“Move—!”
One man in their group, Manticore with a face of a human and body of a lion, spread his bat-like wings and hopped toward the man.
In an instant, the great sword in the hand of that man flashed and cut the Manticore.
“Gahaa--?!”
Having his whole body cut, the Manticore fell to the ground.
It was still barely breathing, however if left alone it would surely die.
In a fluster, a pixie with healing abilities flew to it and healed it.
The Manticore is actually a pretty high level monster, furthermore this individual has experienced reincarnation three times, thus it should have the strength equal to the Seven Beasts of Calamity.
To be able to defeat it that easily…!
Unconsciously all of them stopped running and felt fear in their bodies.
On the other side, the man spoke with admiration.
“Oh, splendid, to think that it didn’t die after receiving that attack.”
That man swung his greatsword once and stored it by his wait, then raised his face.
Seeing that face, cold water poured toward the frenzied group.
That said, those who changed their expressions were only high level members of Imperial Crimson.
The one who knew that man the most, Tengai, opened his eyes wide to confirm it.
“Lubbock-sama.”
That golden haired youth that seemed to be in his twenties answered with a slight snort.
“Yeah. Though it seems you’ve gone through self evolution, the ally identification code seems to be still working.”
“Hey, who is he?”
Oblivious to it, Ogre Princess Sophia, who stared at that youth while catching her breath like Tengai, pulled Ikaruga and asked.
With that Ikaruga seemed to calm down a bit, and answered with a perplexed expression on his face.
“That person is one of the heaven people like the Princess, a transcendental person (player) Lubbock-sama.”
“? I don’t quite understand, but since he’s standing in the way won’t we need to bring him down?”
“We can’t!” Ikaruga answer is resolute as he shakes his head. “That person is Princess’ aide, the next person we—everyone from Imperial Crimson must obey after the princess, of course we can’t point our blade toward him.”
“Yep, it’s like that.”
Perhaps hearing their conversations, Lubbock shrugged his shoulders and nodded.
“Lubbock-sama, right now there’s a possibility that Princess is facing a serious situation. Can you step aside?”
Toward Tengai’s impatient request, Lubbock shook his head apologetically.
“I’m sorry, since I’ve been in Hiyuki’s care before I do wish for us to be on the same side. But I’ve received order to stop you guys here.”
“—order? You’re Princess’ aide, however the Princess hasn’t ordered you even once. Whose order is it?”
“You’re quite sharp. …How should I say it, this world’s God or something like that.”
Lubbock answered it with a self mocking expression.
If they can’t attack their own people, then it’s all on us… thought Sophia and the rest, however Ikaruga who noticed it quickly stopped them.
“Stop it! Don’t throw away your lives uselessly.”
“Our opponent is human. We won’t know before we even try right?”
“The result is obvious! Just like how the Princess has another name “Elegant Princess of the Sky”, that person also has another name “One Man Army”. He’s the only one who was capable of defeating my main body by himself. The strongest man among the heaven people.”
All of them were dumbfounded after hearing that.
Everyone here saw the power of Ikaruga’s main body in the last war. He defeated ‘that’ alone!?
“--He seems to be fun.”
At that time, one man walked out from the group slowly and advanced toward Lubbock.
“…Who are you?”
Facing Lubbock who was full of doubt and knitted his brows, that man—Maroudo grasped his sword.
“Princess’s kin and one of her retainers, Maroudo. Well, I am a newcomer.”
“Hmm, her kin huh. Do you think someone who’s only a cheap version of Hiyuki like you, can win against me who is stronger than Hiyuki?”
Lubbock drew the sword at his waist as he said that.
“Well, I need to at least try to be sure.”
Maroudo’s face had not even a shred of eagerness.
“Maroudo—“
Perhaps trying to stop him, Maroudo threw a glance toward Tengai.
“Lubbock-sama’s sword it’s even stronger than Princess’s “Sinner of Rose (Gilles de Reis)”. Your sword, Orgre Stroke, won’t last long. Be careful.”
Though he can’t oppose Lubbock’s command, he must confirm Hiyuki’s safety.
Therefore, that’s the limit of what his determination can do.
Toward Tengai, who showed the colour of suffering on his face, Maroudo grinned and raised his thumb toward him.
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Because I wanted to create a refined adult character I made the Lion Beast King. The fundamental reason only that (Oi!)
Even with the ally identification code, if Hiyuki said “Lubbock-san? You can kill him just fine ☆“ it would be cancelled, but at the present time they can’t attack him. Against Tengai in serious mode, I think Lubbock would also be defeated, but the country might be destroyed.