The console hit the enemy’s wrist and bounced off vigorously.
Retainer A, who was startled by the console that came flying toward her, took her hand off Ojou and moved back. Immediately, I caught Ojou in my arms, and performed Sokuto while spinning, which beautifully hit her solar plexus.
“Ogh?!”
And then, I catch Kuki Masamune that I previously threw above the head of the crouching retainer. At the same time, sword attacks are also approaching me from behind.
“Oi oi, you are coming in a group, huh… well then, customers, do you have permission to board?”
The comrades of the retainer girl whom I kicked came out one after another. A, B, C, D, E, F, G… I moved my eyes and counted the number of the enemies, while holding the girl who seems to be on the verge of fainting even now.
“Y-you…!!”
No matter how much power you put in both hands, it is useless if you don’t use the strength of your legs too, you know?
Blades on blades continued to struggle for supremacy. The retainer B, who tried her hardest to make me surrender, continued to put power into her arms with a bright red face.
Now, what should I do? A group of retainers who are likely made up of girls the same age as me are holding mass-produced claymore… or should I say, claymore-shaped magic devices, and were lightly holding them, probably because they had already triggered physical strengthening magic.
“…”
I’ve already incapacitated the retainer A, while the retainer B isn’t that powerful.
Speaking of the original game, the retainers participating in this assault event should be the lowest class retainers 『Black Cat』 (Retainers are, in fact, also called familiars, and they’re ranked by the name of the monsters, spirits, and animals controlled by the demons).
If that’s the case, then they’re not really a difficult opponent… even so, if I don’t want them to touch Ojou, not even a finger, I’d be quite troubled since they have numbers, so I will refrain from dealing with them properly.
In the middle of a stylish cafe, I think about how to easily solve this while glaring and comparing strength with the retainers between the chairs and tables.
Honestly, it’s troublesome. Let’s just run, I guess.
“Yotto.”
Suddenly, I released the tension from my muscle, and parried the claymore of the retainer B.
“Eh… wa-wa… wait…!”
Then, using the momentum, I pushed the back of the retainer and put my foot out.
After confirming that she had fallen down, I politely held Ojou up in my arms.
“Excuse me, Ojou-sama.”
“Hya!”
While holding Ojou with both of my hands– I poured my magic power into my legs, and– boom!!!
I rushed forward, while destroying the flooring.
“T-they ran!! Follow them!!”
The retainers then hurriedly started to chase us.
“Sliding, sliding, sliding!! Jump, jump!!”
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!”
I slid and jumped over the table at tremendous speed, to the point that the surrounding scenery disappeared like lines in my eyes. And as I ran in a zigzag, I could see the pool jacuzzi ahead.
“Is Ojou amphibious?!”
“Hah?! What the hell are you talking— gabobobobobo!!!!”
Without waiting for her reply, I jumped into the pool jacuzzi with Ojou in my arms.
A large amount of bubbles covered my field of vision, and warm water enveloped my whole body. While dragging Ojou into the water, I stared at the surface of the water for several tens of seconds and waited for a suitable time before–
“Buhaa!!”
— I raised my face.
Perhaps not thinking that we would jump into the pool jacuzzi, the retainers who were following us had disappeared, and I could hear some footsteps from another direction, moving away from us.
“Ojou, are you okay? That was dangerous. Looks like we somehow managed to shake them off–
“…”
“S-she is dead…”
In panic, I pulled her up and pushed her chest with both hands. Then, like a scene in a manga, Ojou spit water from her mouth, and suddenly raised her body.
“Y-you, do you want to kill me?! I’ve never held my breath in the water for more than a second in my life, you know?!”
“S-sorry… but I think even kindergarten kids can hold their breath for about 3 seconds… (subconsciously stirring her up)”
“In the first place, can you give a warning first if we’re going to hide in the water–”
Suddenly, with a bright red face, Ojou hid her breast with her hands.
“What’s wrong? Did you suddenly want to hug yourself?”
“N-nothing… S-shut up…!”
Looking at her transparent shirt, I take off my jacket and put it on her.
“Ah…”
She gently looked up at my face and… vigorously turned her face away.
“F-fun! L-looks like you’re at least a bit thoughtful. But compared to that person’s kindness, the difference was like heaven and earth, or Margeline family and the others, though.”
“Well, thanks. Let’s stop with the chit-chat and move. It’s a hassle if they come back here. And I also have to hide Ojou somewhere before I go help Tsukiori, Rei, and Lapis.”
With that, I started walking and Ojou followed me with small steps.
Maybe because she suddenly went into the jacuzzi, Ojou, who couldn’t maintain her proud vertical roll, transformed into a beautiful blonde girl.
Her hair was pretty long, but that was natural since she could even make it into blonde vertical rolls. Thus, Ojou now had her long hair extended to her waist. The figure of her who pulled my jacket in front of her chest and walked slowly was really like a different person.
“W-what…. why are you suddenly staring at me… look ahead when you walk… it’s rude, you know…”
“No, it’s just, now when I look at you properly, you sure are beautiful.”
"
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“Ha?!”
With her face bright red, Ojou shouted.
“Even if a man said that to me, I’m not happy at all!! I-I’ve always been told that I was 『Beautiful』 in high-class social events, after all!! B-besides, I have a person whom I swore my heart to– mmpphh!!”
Covering Ojou’s mouth, I whispered to her, “Sstt.”
I then pointed at the corner with my index finger. A group of three retainers surrounded the tied-up Otori academy’s students and pointed their claymore at them.
“What is it? (peek)”
“Don’t peek!!!”
Without hesitation, I caught Ojou who jumped to the corner and dragged her back with all my might.
“Nn?”
Probably sensing something, the retainers looked at our direction for a while.
And Ojou, whose both hands and feet were Nelson hold1-ed by me, are struggling on me while talking indistinctly. After I told her to speak in a small voice, I let her hand go.
“T-the body of a lady is not something that can be touched thoughtlessly…!!”
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“Sorry, sorry, but don’t peek. We’re on a stealth mission.”
“I-I know… O-of course it was just a joke…!!”
Then, with half of her body protruding, Ojou peeked from the corner.
“…”
After squinting her eyes and looking at the enemy, Ojou returned to my side energetically.
“Oohohoho! (In a modest voice) This is the ability of someone from the Margeline family to be 『Graceful at any time.』!! (Hoarse voice)”
It’s perfect, Ojou (moved to tears).
“So, what are we going to do? It is my duty, as a lady, to save them.”
“Please leave this to me, your faithful servant. This is not the scene for Ojou to appear yet.”
“That’s true… truth to be told, since I was young, I’ve been called 『Star Performer』, 『Secret weapon』, 『Hidden Card』, and 『A pinch hitter who can only stand at the bat when it was two outs, base loaded』. Okaa-sama even told me not to go too far to the front.”
As expected of a mama, she completely understands how to deal with Ojou.
“But once in a while, if I don’t use my arms, they will rust… so, we should form a team (with very good English pronunciation) and defeat them all at once.”
“A-are you serious… Ojou, what kind of consoles do you have right now…?”
“I brought many. For example, this. Isn’t it beautiful?”
Ojou, that’s just a marble (smiley).
“Then, I’ll be the vanguard so… err, please support me… and, absolutely….! Absolutely, don’t go too far ahead–”
Without waiting for my words to finish, Ojou rushed out into the corridor.
“My name is Ophelia von Margeline!! (bang!!) Prostrate, you villains!! (Bangg!!) Even if the heavens and earth forgive you, I will never forgive you!! (Bang bang bang!!)”
She is really the best (shaking).
Seeing Ojou, the three retainers pulled out their claymores and charged toward her at once– and the confident Ojou, held her necklace (magic device).
“Eat this!! You villains!!”
Console, connected– 『Attribute: Light』.
*Cling*
And Ojou’s necklace gives a faint glow and ends soon after that.
“Ara?”
“Funnuraba2!!”
I received all the sword attacks of the three people launched toward Ojou.
“Come to think of it, the condition of this magic device wasn’t good from the morning… I wonder if it’s out of battery…”
“Ugi… ihii…!! (Crying)”
Again, I blocked all the three swords’ attacks while wrapping my hands around Ojou’s neck– then I poured magic power into both of my arms and– released it at once.
“””Kyaa!!”””
As the three fell backwards, I grabbed Ojou’s shoulders and turned her around.
“…”
“Can you not pat my head? Do you know manners?”
I then swung Kuki Masamune– trigger– created a Lux (light sword) and held it low.
“Now, it’s time for punishment. Are you ready? Our Ojou said she doesn’t forgive evil after all, so I just have to obey it.”
“S-sanjou Hiiro… A person whom we need to be careful of beside Tsukiori Sakura…!”
“Don’t panic! We have hostages here!!”
“Don’t move!! If you don’t want anything to happen to–”
*Huu*
Having taken a deep breath, I submerged myself in concentration, shortened my distance to the three at once and hit their claymores– making the three claymores pierce the ceiling at the same time.
“Eh… ha…?”
“A-are? Our swords?”
“H-how could he… be that fast…?!”
“Remember this well,”
I thrust the tip of my sword against the retainer in the front and curved the edge of my mouth.
“The name of the enemy who defeated you. That name is–”
“Ophelia von Margeline!!”
I really can’t win against her (abandon the game).
At any rate, I released the hostage girls and detained the retainers instead.
Then, while giving a backward glance at Ojou who declared her victory to the retainers with a shiny necklace, I told the hostage girls to go outside the cruise.
“There is an emergency boat. It has automatic driving, and the staff should be guiding the evacuation by now, so you guys can just follow their instructions. By the way, are there any of you who fell in love after experiencing danger together? I’ll give you a gift later, so please come forward.”
After saying that, I told them the safe route and sent them off.
“Go with them, Ojou. It’s better to get off this ship than hiding. There might be carnage after this, after all.”
“What about you?”
“Eh? Are you worried about me?”
With her arms crossed, Ojou turned away.
“Fun, who would worry about a man. Can you not misunderstand? Abandoning someone who saved me and running away by myself is not something that someone from the brave Margeline family can do.”
“Yes, yes, Ojou. I will be fine, so please go together with them–”
At that moment, I sensed a torrent of tremendous magic power that made my spine freeze, and I looked up at the ceiling.
Oi, oi… what the heck is coming here… what’s with this magic power…. it’s on a different level from the retainers… What a thing… I can’t even sense how much magic power it has… the only thing I know is that its magic power is higher than mine… but, that is precisely why, I felt no sense of crisis…
“W-what is that?”
While trembling, Ojou grabbed the hem of my clothes.
“What is that thing….”
“Ojou, quickly get off the ship. Understand? Immediately.”
With cold sweat dripping from my back, the edge of my mouth was curved.
This is probably impossible even for Tsukiori… the enemy is probably a high-ranking magician level… Can I win… no, I have to go… Tsukiori is probably already in the middle of a boss fight underneath… which means, the only one who can fight this one right now is me… I have no choice but to go….
“Everyone, get off the ship right now!! You, please take care of this girl!! Bring these retainer girls too!! Get away from this ship as fast as possible!! Understand?!”
“Ah, wait?!”
After leaving Ojou with one of the girls– I went to the top of the ship.