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Act 2-19 : Striges’ Tower ４
Shirone’s eyes were locked on the Strigoi before her.
She knew that her opponent was stronger than the undead she fought before.
（I won’t lose! I’ll use this chance to vent my ongoing frustration after my crushing defeat against the Dark Knight!）
Shirone raised her sword, its transparent blade emitting a faint light.
This was the Azure Sky Wings Sword, a weapon adorned with wings on its hilt and Shirone’s beloved sword.
「Here I come! O MIASMA WIND! SCRAPE MINE OPPONENT’S BODY!」
The Strigoi recited his magic’s aria, the Flesh Maiming Wind. It was a miasma wind that would peeled off the flesh and bones of anyone who came into contact with it.
If the user of this spell had extremely powerful magic powers, it would only take a second for that person to tear off their target’s flesh and bones till nothing but their ashes remained behind.
Naturally, Shirone wouldn’t kick the bucket with just this level of magic.
「WIND WALL!!!」
Shirone invoked her defense magic without much difficulty.
The shockwave from the Strigoi’s spell, which was corroding even the stone floor, was kept at bay by the wind wall.
「Ho, not bad.」
Seeing his magic stopping midway, the Strigoi couldn’t help but praise Shirone.
「I wonder how long you can keep that composed face of yours! TAKE THIS!!!」
Shirone slashed towards the Strigoi with her flame clad blade.
「Shadow Beast!!」
「Eh?」
As soon as the Strigoi shouted, Shirone saw something come out from the shadows beneath the Strigoi’s feet. She immediately pulled back her sword and retreated, trying to avoid its attack. Once at a distance, Shirone could clearly see what came out of the Strigoi’s silhouette, it was a shadow wolf.
However, unlike normal wolves, the shadow wolf’s size was as big as a cattle and its fangs were as sharp as the sharpest knife. Just like its owner, ruby like eyes penetrated its dark silhouette, and although no growl or snarl could be seen from this shadow animal, Shirone could still feel the thick killing intent.
「Hoo, so you can dodge that one too, huh. Kukuku, do you really think that I didn’t prepare any extra countermeasures against swordsmen? It’s too soon for you to feel at ease! COME FORTH, UPYRS!!」
Something came out from the gap on the ceiling with the Strigoi’s call. At a glance, it looked like a giant bat. But, what was different was that it had a human face.
「W-WHAT THE HECK IS THAT??!」
Shirone looked at those human faced giant bats with a dumbfounded look on her face. There were twelve of them in total, their size humongous, almost twice the size of even the biggest and tallest of humans. Unlike the Strigoi, their eyes were a very dim grey and lifeless, it felt as if they didn’t feel anything.
「THEY’RE UPYRS! THE PEOPLE WHO REINCARNATED AS GODS OF DEATH AND WHO ONLY REVERED MY SISTERS AND MOTHER! AND, JUST LIKE ME, THEY WERE ALSO PUT TO SLEEP BY THOSE WOMEN! NOW THEN, UPYRS, SING!」
The Upyrs opened their mouths as soon as Strigoi commanded them.
And then cried.
Their barrage of ultrasonic songs assailed Shirone and the others’ hearing.
「GUAAAAAAAA!」
「AAAH!」
Rember and the rest of the soldiers, who were immobilized by the paralysis curse, couldn’t escape from the excruciating attack.
「Now then, go mad and die by these soundwaves!」
Shirone, unlike the others, kept dashing forward since she wasn’t affected by the soundwaves. Upon seeing that she wasn’t affected and was still approaching him, the Strigoi started to get flustered.
「Is that all? It’s my turn then.」
After Shirone indifferently uttered these words, a pair of shining wings spread out from her back.
Her wings resembled that of an angel’s.
Shirone and the others had all awakened special powers when they came to this world.
Chiyuki had powerful magic powers, Rino had the power to communicate with spirits.
As for Shirone, those glimmering wings on her back were the special power she gained. Once she used her wings, she could move even faster than Nao. But, her wings were rather cumbersome to use in enclosed spaces, such as this room.
It was also for that same reason that Shirone didn’t use her wings during her fight against the Dark Knight.
But, such a hindrance wasn’t enough to stop Shirone from taking care of the Strigoi and Upyrs in front of her.
Shirone flapped her wings, firing several feathers like arrows, shooting down all the Upyrs.
「Impossible, how can you kill all these Upyrs so easily?! Moreover, what are these wings?! Are you an angel?!」
The Strigoi was visibly alarmed now.
「Uhm. I’m not an angel, I… well, it’s too bothersome to explain anyway.」
After replying to her opponent, Shirone sent a glance to the back. Rember and the others had stopped screaming in pain right after she annihilated the Upyrs. But, some of them were frothing from their mouths.
（Maybe we should go back as soon as possible.）
""
Shirone touched the transfer crystal in her pocket. She had gotten it from Chiyuki. Using it would allow her to go back to Rox Kingdom in an instant.
「Well then, playtime is over. Prepare yourself.」
Shirone spread her wings as she approached the Strigoi.
「DAMMIT! SHADOW BEAST!!」
In his desperation, the Strigoi sent forth the shadow beast towards Shirone.
「I’ve said playtime is over right!」
Shirone dodged the shadow beast’s attack and bisected its body with a simple slash.
As soon as he saw her kill the Shadow Beast in a flash, without putting much effort, the Strigoi turned around and started fleeing for his life.
「I won’t let you to escape!!!」
Shirone dashed at a high speed, overtaking the Strigoi.
The Strigoi’s face warped in fear upon seeing the ominous figure overtake him. The carefree look had long since been gone from his face.
「If sunlight can’t reach your body due to your night cloth, then I just need to drive it right into your body! Now prepare yourself!」
Her sword shone after she enchanted it with sunlight magic.
「W-WAIT!!」
The Strigoi screamed with a panicked voice.
Naturally, Shirone just flat out ignored his pleas.
「ITTOURYOUDAN!!!」[TL : Bisection Strike]
「GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!」
Shirone raised her sword, and slashed the Strigoi’s body.
The Strigoi raised an agonizing screech as the sunlight burned his body from the inside.
「GAAAH… Why is there an angel… in such a pla-…」
Black smoke rose from the cut Shirone’s sword made as his body vanished little by little.
Shirone failed to catch the Strigoi’s dying words.
「Not even that strong… is the so called familiar more powerful than him?」
Shirone heaved a sigh.
（I thought he could do better than that but, I guess he was just talking big. This can’t even serve as a comparison to the Dark Knight.)
When Shirone, who had yet to feel refreshed, looked at Rember and the others, she saw that some people had already stood up.
It seems they had regained their freedom again after she annihilated the Strigoi.
「Wings…」
「A-… Angel.」
「Such beauty.」
The Freedom Fighters let out awed voices upon seeing the wings on Shirone’s back, many of them falling to their charm.
Though she was happy with her wings being praised like that, Shirone still chose to retract her wings. She didn’t wish for her wings to become some sort of exhibition.
「Are you all okay?」
When Shirone looked at the Freedom Fighters, she noticed that a person was missing.
The one who was missing was the person who hid his face with a hood.
That person should’ve fallen along with his comrades when the Strigoi attacked.
「Eh? It seems we’re missing someone.」
「Eh, really?」
Upon hearing Shirone’s statement, Rember and co started looking around amongst themselves.
「No, it seems we have everyone with us.」
「Eh? Really?」
Shirone looked at Rember and the rest again.
This time, no one was missing.
She now also saw the man who hid his face with a hood in the middle of nursing the others.
（Eh… He was missing just a second ago, right? Is it really just my imagination?）
Seeing the other Freedom Fighters’ puzzled looks, even Shirone couldn’t help but think that it might just be her imagination.
「Well, all’s good then. You over there, I’ll leave the ones who can’t stand up in your care. The others who are already strong enough to stand on their own follow me. We’re heading to this tower’s top floor.」
After Shirone entrusted the other Freedom Fighters to the hooded man, she continued the inspection along with Rember, Gallios and co.
A few minutes later, they finally arrived at the top floor, the former den of the Striges. This was their living area, and it looked like an open air cave as it didn’t have a ceiling. It was made that way in order to allow the Striges to have an easier time flying in and out.
「It seems there’s nothing inside, huh…」
Their ranger, Stor reported his finding.
Shirone also felt the same thing.
「Shirone-sama. Do you think that Strigoi was lying to us?」
Rember asked Shirone.
「Uhm… he didn’t seem to be lying though.」
Shirone didn’t think that the Strigoi lied to them, she felt he was too dimwitted for any trickeries. But, she still couldn’t confirm if he was lying or not since he was already dead and the living quarter was empty.
「Though there’s traces of something living here all over this place, it isn’t here right now.」
Some people nodded upon hearing Stor’s words.
「Did it just hide itself? Ugh, just when I got an extremely important clue, too bad Nao-chan didn’t come with me…」
But, there was no use crying over spilled milk.
「It really can’t be helped, Shirone-sama. Let’s go back to Rox Kingdom.」
Sure enough, Shirone also agreed with Rember, there really was nothing to search for in this place anymore.
「Can’t be helped… even though it was a rare chance to fight a dragon…」
Shirone muttered with a disappointed look on her face as she decided to go back to Rox Kingdom.
◆
Kuroki was thinking about Glorious while nursing his fallen comrades.
（Sorry for inconveniencing you, Glorious…）
Glorious was hiding in the forest near the tower.
He decided to move Glorious out of the top floor to prevent the latter being killed by Shirone.
（Glorious should be able to remain unnoticed with that necklace.）
When he examined the item left by Rena, he discovered that the necklace she left behind could block perception magic. Thus, Kuroki tied that necklace to Glorious’ right horn. The trees of the forest were far from enough to hide Glorious’ huge frame, so this necklace was definitely necessary. It was enough to make Glorious remain unnoticed till the end.
（It can become an amazing weapon if used properly.）
The necklace’s only fault was the fact that it inhibited its user’s perception abilities too.
One mistake might turn into a disaster for its user.
（Why did Rena leave such a precious item?）
Kuroki pondered over that matter, unable to understand that Goddess’ train of thought.