summerpeanut

The Raven Dark Hero 117

Chapter 117 : Overlapping Regrets

TL:SummerPeanut

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Kuroyume Headquaters

When the Phenom was defeated, the filth allied forces, with Kuroyume as their core, joined forces with the NDF, with whom they had a long history of hostility.

Kiryu and Zaizen. Although the decision was made by the leaders of the two forces, there were concerns about the coiled relationship between the two, but there were no problems, and the NDF, as well as the Allied Forces, smoothly fought together.

There were several foreshadowing lines that hinted Kiryu and Zaizen had spent a lot of time putting together.

Zaizen made it his mission to eliminate those in the NDF who had particularly contemptuous thoughts toward the filths and Kiryu also made it his mission to confront those who did not agree with his ideals and chose to not quit provoking behavior or who had uncontrollable hostility toward the NDF.

And then, as the decisive action, the bombing by Kagerou.

Due to the change in Kuroyume's policy, many of the filths from Kuroyume have joined Kagerou. However, this was also as Kiryu envisioned and they should be eliminated…… In order to cut off those who did not agree with his ideals, he gathered them into a rival organization against Kuroyume known as Kagerou and had them carry out terrorist attacks.

As a result, many filths were killed in the process and Bright’s assassination of the Prime Minister, Kagerou was completely painted to be an evil organization and was destroyed by Kuroyume.

The biggest collaborator in this plan was Kirisame, the boss of the Kagerou.

Kirisame was saved by Kiryu when he was in danger of dying a short time after manifesting his gift and leaving the orphanage where he grew up.

Kiryu, too, took a shine to Kirisame's rare gift and secretly developed him into a competent gift user along with Hakuda.

And then, he was sent as a spy to Kagerou, who at the time had a real hostile relationship with Kuroyume. He lurked within. And, after the war, he became the boss of the Kagerou and kept a moderately hostile relationship with Kuroyume ever since.

After learning all the facts, most of the Kuroyume numbers showed their understanding of Kiryu's actions, but there were some who couldn't accept it in their own way…….

“……Sigh.”

In the café booth at Kuroyume headquarters, Evil, who has been letting out sighs lately, was drooling in front of an iced coffee whose ice has melted an hour after he ordered it.

“Still the same as always…… How long are you going to keep that damp look on your face?”

“……me too.”

Then Teaser arrived, also in a tired mood.

After their mission in Germany, they landed at the airport, and what was waiting for them was Kiryu, whose whereabouts had been unknown due to a separate mission.

Kiryu said he had urgent business and only took Bright with him, and the next thing they knew, Bright had caused the biggest terrorist attack of all and was purged.

……But neither Evil nor Taser believed that Kiryu had purged Bright, and in fact Kiryu himself denied it.

Still, it was true that Bright had disappeared after that, and Kiryu and the rest of Kuroyume's comrades didn't know why that had happened. ……Except for Evil.

(It’s been half a year since then……. If what Kazur said in Germany is true, maybe Kouki has already lost his ego by now. ……Damn it, I couldn't do anything for him after all……)

Previously, Evil searched frantically for Bright but was unable to locate him. He had also contacted Kazur to see if he had gone to Germany, but to no avail.

“Line-san told me that the bill you've put forward is likely to be passed by the Assembly soon.”

“……Heh~, I see. Well, that’s good to hear.”

The two had a conversation while being distracted.

Teaser was also feeling indigestion inside herself.

She was aware of Bright's strange behavior, but in the end, she could do nothing about it. She could not even tell him her feeling for various reasons.

Vendetta came to the two of them, tormented by regret and lethargy.

“You two are the same as usual, I see. Seeing 2 of the Numbers like this, you both will be giving the other members bad influence, no?”

While bitterly complaining, Vendetta also didn't say anything too strongly, probably because she knew why these two were in such a state.

Kiryu's ploy was all for the sake of achieving his ideal. Vendetta herself swallowed everything with it.

However, with Bright gone, Jiren, who had once again become Number One of the Numbers, and Chronos, the oldest member of the Numbers, had become slightly suspicious of Kiryu.

The fact that Rosia, a former comrade of his, was among the forces of Kirisame's Shadow, made Chronos think that there might be a spy among them, but when he opened his eyes, he discovered that the spy was Kiryu, himself.

Even though he knew that Kirisame himself was originally connected to Kiryu, he still had a lot of questions…… Jiren, whose former lover Rosia was turned into a shadow army, can't help but think twice.

This was the reason why Vendetta couldn't say anything strongly to Evil or Teaser, because Jiren and Chronos, the core of the Numbers, were in such a state.

“By the way, I heard that your friend Fuuka-chan took a long vacation.”

“Fuuka?”

For Teaser, Fuuka was like a sister to her but she hadn't been in contact with her for more than half a year after Bright’s Purge.

Even after Kouki's death, Teaser still kept in touch with Fuka via e-mail and phone as Rumi, but they gradually drifted apart because Rumi thought it would be inconvenient if Fuuka were to find out that she was a member of Kuroyume.

“Yeah, apparently she's just left for a mission in Tohoku. It seems that she suddenly asked for time off and hasn't come back here either.”

“…………Vendetta-san, where is Tohoku?”

As if Evil had noticed something, he questioned Vendetta.

“Phenoms haven’t appeared in Sendai yet, right? That's why they sent a squad to check the area.”

Evil started thinking.

Fuuka is a general in the NDF. No matter how hard she had to endure, she had never taken a leave of absence in public.

But that Fuuka did take a leave of absence. Moreover, she might be staying in Tohoku, where she went on a mission.

The answers that could be drawn from this were not very likely. However, it was enough information for Evil to find his missing best friend.

As for Vendetta, she had dared to bring this information to him, knowing that Evil would come to that conclusion.

“Sendai area, right? Alright then……”

‘I’ll head there right away’. He stood up, but was stopped by a presence that appeared in front of him.

“Bo-boss, what’s the matter? You have a scary face……”

In front of Evil's eyes, Kiryu was standing with a calm but angry expression on his face.

“Evil…… bastard, there’s something you didn’t tell me about Bright, did you ?”

“Eh-……”

Something about Bright. Evil knew instantly that Kiryu was referring to the Revived Hunter that he hadn't been able to tell him about.

“Wha-……what are you- GOHARGH!?”

In the next moment, Evil was hit by Kiryu and fell down hard, crashing into the cafe table.

“This act that you did, shall be treated as a sign of betrayal to me……”

Kiryu then gave Evil a quick glare and left.

“Wait, you, what exactly did you do to the boss!?”

Teaser woke up the fallen Evil.

“Guh…… that hurts……”

It was painful. It was not only his cheek that was punched but also his heart that was condemned as a betrayal by Kiryu whom he respected.

The reason he couldn't say anything was for Bright's sake and Kiryu's sake as well.

But for Kiryu, he felt that he had never been trusted by Evil.

If he knew the secret of the Revived Hunters, Kiryu might kill Bright. It was true because he couldn't shake that fear in Evil.

“……Ah~a, what even am I doing……”

Everything was half-baked, and Evil now had one more regret to add to his list…….

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The Raven Dark Hero 116

Chapter 116 : Those Who Confront

TL:SummerPeanut

Tokyo

A top-class hotel in Tokyo. The BAR lounge on the top floor is usually a popular spot to enjoy the night view, but today it was a private party.

Sitting on a sofa by the window and looking down at the night view, is the boss of Kuroyume, Shinichiro Kiryu.

Even though his long-cherished wish was almost fulfilled, his expression was not good.

“You still haven't found the boy?”

Just then, the boss of Shiroyume, Hakuda, who is an old friend of Kiryu's, arrived.

“Yeah……. Good grief, I have no idea where on earth he has gone to.”

“And you’d arranged for him to be a real hero too.”

At Hakuda's words, Kiryu let out a sigh. Then……

“Wow, you old farts sure are fast, huh. Even though there’s still 30 minutes before the appointed time.”

The man who appeared was Ukyo Kirisame, the boss of Kagerou, who had been a longtime rival of Kuroyume.

“It's rude to call me old. I'm still active. If you can't see my appeal, then that just means you're still a little kid.”

“Heh~? What are you still active on, old lady?”

Kirisame gave a friendly smile to Hakuda. It's as if he were a real child or grandchild of Hakuda.

Then, the last person for this meeting arrived.

“I can understand Kiryu and Yuki-san, but I'm surprised you're here before the appointed time, Kirisame.”

The man who appeared was General Toshiaki Zaizen of the National Defense Force. He is one of the central figures in this country, and is in charge of not only the NDF, but even the dark side specialists who are still known as filths.

“Tsk, you're a pain in the ass. Just so you know, I'm not cooperating with you, so don't misunderstand me on that.”

Kirisame’s expression clouded over as he smiled calmly in front of Kiryu and Yuki.

“Don't worry. I don't trust you either, you hyena bastard.”

“What was that~?”

At Zaizen's sarcasm, Kirisame stood up with his battle aura. However, Kiryu controlled the situation and forced Kirisame to sit on the sofa.

“You're wasting your time in vain. Get to the point, Zaizen.”

“I know.”

Kiryu, Zaizen, Hakuda, and Kirisame.

Four of the top gifted in the country, with no exaggeration, were all gathered here.

“Now, in Japan, we have succeeded in suppressing the return of the first phenom as planned, and we are now sending reinforcements to other countries. The Assembly will soon pass a bill to create an equal society for people with gift and ordinary people which has been our long-held wish.”

“Oh? But some members of the ruling party are still opposed to it, let alone the opposition, aren't they?”

As Yuki said, the success of Zaizen, Kiryu, and Kirisame in defeating the phenom in the early stages of the war has tipped public opinion in the direction of supporting the passage of the bill.

However, only the Assembly that would decide the future of the country. Most of the members of the Assembly are non-gifteds.

“There are plenty of ways to do this. Tokugawa's approval rating is stable, and more than half of the ruling party now understands the need for the bill. When that happens, the opposition will be irrelevant.”

“……Good grief, it has been long, far too long. Getting to this point.”

Kiryu closed his eyes as he watched the night view.

Kiryu and Zaizen were two of the ten survivors of Armageddon twenty years ago.

Zaizen was not there for the direct confrontation with Unknown but Kiryu was one of those who witnessed the direct confrontation with it, along with Onijima and Elvin Kruger, the strongest specialist at that time, was killed in the line of duty together with the Unknown.

Kiryu thought that with the Unknown defeated and the vicious phenoms gone, a peaceful world where everyone could live in peace would come.

However, the non-gifted who feared that the gifted would become the center of the country, made laws to suppress them one after another to let them know that they were the ones controlling the gifted and they built an environment where they could keep the gifted under surveillance.

Of course, Kiryu and the others rebelled. However, they missed the opportunity because the non-gifted were too quick to act. In addition, the non-gifted people outnumbered the gifted.

Let's say that a war broke out between the gifted and the non-gifted in the country.

Even if the gifted have an overwhelming advantage in individual strength, the non-gifted have chemical weapons to make up for it.

Most chemical weapons were ineffective against phenoms of level 9 and above, but that’s not the case with humans. Even if it was a gifted in question.

Gifted at Kiryu and Onijima classes would be able to compete with the majority of soldiers with weapons but other gifted would never be able to compete with the power of numbers.

Knowing this, in order to prevent the blood of gifted other than his own from being spilled in vain, Onijima, who was known as a hero, chose to follow the path of being a member of such an organization.

However, Kiryu and Zaizen were not convinced.

Determined to change the world ruled by the non-gifted, Zaizen stayed in the NDF while Kiryu became a member of the filths. In order to change the world from the front and the back, everything they did was for that purpose alone.

“The bill is important, of course. But it will all be for nothing if the world is destroyed. The Unknown will be back soon……”

Kiryu's words changed the atmosphere of the place.

“According to the prophecy, we have six months before Unknown is unsealed. The resurgence of the phenom in various places proves it. This time, humanity will be able to hold out despite the sacrifices but if Unknown returns, it's going to be tough for our current forces……”

Kiryu had analyzed their current strength and believed that they would not be able to defeat the Unknown at this point.

Zaizen nodded at that analysis.

“The Unknown, huh……. 20 years ago, specialists from all over the world came together to form an elite group. All of them were comparable to general-level class in current NDF. And yet… out of 100 of them, only 10 survived.”

“I don't think I’ll lose to the Onijima in his prime back then. But if I were to ask myself if I've surpassed him now, I can't say with confidence that I have.”

Kiryu's words brought a surprised expression to Kirisame's face.

“Even old man Kiryu thinks he can't win, so how good is this Elvin Kruger guy?”

Elvin Krueger. The man was from the United States and would be of the same age as Kiryu if he were still alive.

His gift is the World Master, the highest recorded S in history, which Hiro manifested after his awakening. It was a gift so great that it could literally rule the world, depending on the holder’s proficiency.

“Sanada Hiro has also awakened World Master but he is still far less proficient than Kruger. At the rate he's growing now, he'll need at least another 10 years to reach Kruger's proficiency.”

Zaizen's analysis was accurate. Still, even at the current stage of Hiro's career, he was already probably one of the ten most powerful gifted in the world. In other words, he concluded that Hiro's current strength was inferior to what Kruger was at the time.

“……As of now, there's only one other person with the ability who could possibly be on par with Onijima and Kruger back then, besides me……”

“……Suou Kouki, Bright, huh.”

Kiryu and Zaizen both thought of Bright who possessed multiple high-ranked gifts by making use of the gift of Revived Hunter, a unique gift.

“I mean, Bright's been missing since he killed those old guys, hasn't he? Isn't he dead already? At least if there's a dead body, I can still lead him as a shadow.”

Kirisame muttered, and they all fell silent. Each of them had their own thoughts on the matter…….

Then, Zaizen glanced at Kirisame, thought about whether he should say something or not, and then opened his mouth…….

“This is the information I got from Dr. Strohm, who recently defected from Germany and I'm hiding him personally…… it’s better to forget about Bright.”

Dr. Reuter Strohm.

He was a mad scientist who was researching Revived Hunter in Germany.

He was chased out of the institute by Bright and fled across Germany, but Zaizen, who thought he might have something to do with Bright's disappearance, took him into custody a few days ago.

Forget about Bright. ……Kiryu wrinkled his brow at the words that could have been derived from Strohm's knowledge of Revived Hunter's secret.

“Forgot about Bright? What is this about, Toshiaki?”

“Especially you, Kiryu. For your sake, and maybe for Bright's too, who disappeared for your sake, it's better to forget about him……”

Zaizen then told them the secret of Revived Hunter that he got from Strohm.

The conditions for activating the ability and its harmful effects. If he doesn't kill Kiryu, Bright's ego will collapse and he will become a fighting machine.

When Hakuda heard this, tears welled up in her eyes.

“Is it really…… that’s why the boy……”

“So, he put Kiryu's old man before his own madness. It's a complicated choice, but one that I can understand. Actually, I owe a lot to my mom and dad, so I can understand how he feels…… Whoa-!?”

Then Kiryu, who had been silently looking down, smashed the table.

“……Bright…… that fucking idiot……”

Kiryu's expression was not one of sadness or confusion, but one of clear anger.

“Relax, Kiryu. No matter how much Bright's ability is comparable to yours, you and he have different levels of experience. The experience of having faced the Unknown once, you should know better. So, if he puts your life before his own, you should just shut up and do what he wants.”

Kiryu started thinking about Bright. And then……

“The experience of facing the Unknown, huh……. That's exactly why, there’s some things only I understand.”

Kiryu stood up and started to walk away.

“Hey, Kiryu! Could it be, you better not be thinking about something stupid!”

Zaizen grabbed Kiryu's shoulders at the bad feeling he was getting.

“Don’t worry. I'm not going to give my life away to save his. I just have to make sure he is safe.”

Kiryu and Zaizen stared at each other for a while.

Eventually……Zaizen removed his hand from Kiryu's shoulder.

“Our…… The longing of many comrades who sacrificed their lives for you and me will finally be fulfilled. If you die now, they will have died in vain. Don't you ever forget that, got it?”

Since the establishment of Kuroyume, many of his friends…… Many of his comrades had supported Kiryu's goals and had scattered away.

And Bright also made the decision to become one of those comrades. Kiryu understood this very, VERY well.

“I know this because I've confronted Unknown. That's why I'm going to do the best I can. ……Don't worry, I'm not going to die for nothing.”

After saying that, Kiryu left the bar…….

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The Raven Dark Hero 115

Chapter 115 : The Answer to the Question

TL:SummerPeanut

“!? This feeling is……”

When the Gaia Dragon appeared in front of Azusa and the others, Fuuka noticed the strange presence.

“What’s the matter?”

Fuuka, who had an excellent sense of presence, was able to notice it but Yoshida seemed unable to sense it.

“What is this…… It feels that a powerful entity has appeared. If somehow Azusa and the others have encountered……they're all in danger!”

Fuuka immediately started running in the direction of the presence, and Yoshida followed.

After running for a few minutes, Okubo was coming towards them from ahead.

“Okubo-san!”

“Oh thank god! It’s a disaster! A Gaia Dragon appeared, Azusa and the others are currently stalling it!”

Okubo was in tears. She was so frustrated that she was the only one who had to leave her friends behind.

“No way, a Gaia Dragon…….I’m not sure if there have been black holes in this area before, or if this is a new one. In any case, let's hurry up!”

It had already been more than ten minutes since Okubo, the fastest of the Hanagekitai, had left the scene. Even if she returned at full speed from here, it would still take ten minutes.

“Everyone, please be safe!”

Comparing the strength of Azusa etcs, and the strength of the level 9 phenom, although she had never seen it directly, Fuuka judged that the situation was time-sensitive and started running at full speed.

“Haa, Haa, Haa, what’s with this thing, this fucking lizard……”

Azusa was covered in blood and had wounds all over her body while Haruka had already fainted and collapsed.

In front of them was the Gaia Dragon, which seems to be in a relaxed mood. If Gaia Dragon wanted, Azusa and Haruka would be blown away in a few seconds.

It was truly a desperate situation.

In the back of Azusa's mind, she saw Fuuka's face.

(I see. I kept saying that Fuuka was cheating on Kouki and that she was hiding things from him but I was just jealous of Fuuka. In the end, I was just jealous of Fuuka who Kouki was in love with……)

“Fufufuh, I’m sorry, Fuuka. In the end, I guess I've made the same mistake I made with Kouki.”

Although Azusa was indeed taken in by Hiro's wooing, ultimately she did not believe Kouki. As a result, Kouki's death left a big scar on her heart.

And this time. Azusa couldn't believe in Fuuka. Even though she knew in her head, her heart could not hide her jealousy of Fuuka. As a result, she endangered not only herself but also her best friend and companions.

Azusa slipped an iron ball the size of a baseball into the chest of the fallen Haruka.

“This is my final Magnet Force!”

Then, she activated the magnetic force toward the distance and threw Haruka with the last of his strength.

Haruka flew as if she was being pulled along, and succeeded in moving to the point where the magnetic force was activated.

“I hope she didn't die from the impact, did she? But I'm at my wits' end……. I can't even move my fingertips……”

Azusa slumped down on the spot, but was slightly relieved from the fact that she could barely get Haruka away from herself.

(It's been almost 20 minutes since Kubo left this place. I'm sure Fuuka and the others will be here by now…… though, I probably won't be able to make it.)

At Azusa's action, the Gaia Dragon let out a boring sigh and opened its mouth wide. It was to put the finishing touches on the little animal that had lost the will to fight.

Azusa closed her eyes as if in contemplation.

(Ahh…… I wonder if I can see Kouki in the afterlife. I'll apologize to him for everything I've done, and if he forgives me, I'll be able to see him again like we used to……)

“BUUOAAAAAA…… BERAH!!”

The roar was cut off, and Azusa opened her eyes to the loud crashing sound she heard at the same time. There stood a man dressed in a tattered black cloak and bodysuit.

The mask that used to cover his face is now only covering his eyes. Even so, Azusa realized who this man was.

“Br…… Bright? You’re supposed to be dead……”

Bright looked at Azusa. The aura of overwhelming strength that drifted from his body pressured Azusa, and she was unable to move.

However, as she looked at Bright's face, where the mask was only around his eyes, she had a big question.

(He looks similar……to Kouki……. No, It couldn’t be……)

“GUGYAAAAAH!!”

Bright turned to look at the Gaia Dragon, who was shouting with a form of anger that was obvious to see. Then, with a freakish smile, he pounced on it.

“GOGYAAH!?”

When the hardened fist shot through the belly of the Gaia Dragon, the Gaia Dragon, that had been unfazed by Azusa's attack, let out a pitiful cry.

A flash shone. The wings of the Gaia Dragon were cut off.

“AGYAAAAH!?”

Jet-black flames enveloped the entire body of the Gaia Dragon.

“NOGYAAAAH!!”

The Gaia Dragon, which until just now had the air of an absolute powerhouse, could only scream pitifully like a frightened cat in the face of an even stronger opponent.

And then Bright grinned and jumped on the face of the Gaia Dragon……

“ORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAAAー!”

He slammed his fists countless times, and with the final blow, the Gaia Dragon's head was blown to pieces…….

With the Gaia Dragon's blood all over his body, he looked just like a demon. Azusa was stunned, forgetting any doubts she had just had…….

“This tremendous aura is!?”

Fuuka, who was heading for Azusa and the others at full speed, felt an overwhelming aura that was incomparable to that of the Gaia Dragon.

And it was the same for Yoshida and Okubo. There was something tremendous out there. This anxiety accelerated the legs of the three.

“……This, what the hell happened?”

When Yoshida arrived at the scene, he saw the corpse of a Gaia Dragon lying on its side with its head missing, and a jet-black man standing beside it.

“Azusa! Thank god you’re alright! Where are the other three?!”

Okubo ran up to Azusa.

“Eh? ……ahh, they’re not here, but they’re alive I think.”

She answered, but Azusa was still dumbfounded. Her eyes were still glued to Bright.

And…… Fuuka, who had been standing still in silence since the moment she arrived here, couldn't help but let out. ……his name.

“Kouki…… Kun?”

Those words were the answer to Azusa's doubts, though Yoshida and Okubo did not understand them.

“Kouki……. I see, that’s why Fuuka……”

The pieces of the puzzle fit together in Azusa's mind. Fuuka had never been a two-timing girl. And the truth of what she had been hiding, or what she had to hide.

“You are Bright!? You’re alive?!”

Bright, who had been said to be dead, suddenly appeared in front of her. Yoshida sensed danger and faced Bright in battle mode.

Perhaps this was the trigger but a vicious aura was released from Bright as he smirked at her in response.

“Th-this…………demon.”

‘I'm definitely no match for him’. Bright was so powerful that he made Yoshida felt that way in an instant.

“Wha-!?”

Bright disappeared. And in the next moment, Yoshida was blown away by Bright's back fist.

“HIIH-!?”

Okubo was unable to move. She was hit by Bright's hostility towards her.

“Kuhiih-…… little bastards……”

Bright smiled wryly in a tone that clearly made him feel like a freak. The next thing they knew, Okubo was on the ground with a front kick.

“How about you next?”

Bright looked at Azusa. But Azusa didn't move. She never took her gaze off Bright.

“UWAAAAAH!!”

From the side, Yoshida, who had activated Burning Blood and had become muscular, tackled Bright to the ground.

However, Bright caught Yoshida without moving an inch and stared at Yoshida's face intently.

“You, where did I see you?”

Yoshida also came to the same answer as Azusa, having seen Bright's face at a very close distance.

“No way…… but this…… BUFUGH!?”

“FUHYAHYAHYAH!”

Bright's fist slammed into Yoshida's stomach. No matter the steel body.

“BORING! BORINGBORINGBORINGBORING! AREN'T THERE ANYONE STRONGER!?”

Bright was screaming like a madman.

Anyone who saw him would think that Bright had lost his mind. They would not want to be in contact with him.

But, Fuuka was different.

As she slowly approached Bright, she tried to put her hand on his cheek, but……

“So, you're next?”

With invisible speed, Bright's hand struck Fuuka on the cheek.

But Fuuka was unfazed. She looked at Bright with an expression full of compassion, as if she were a holy mother. With large tears flowing from her eyes.

“Kouki-kun……. You’re alive……”

Bright's movements stopped at the sound of her voice. Then, he was embraced by Fuuka vulnerably.

“You’re alive……. That’s all I need……”

Fuuka buried her face in Bright's chest and started to cry.

Then, from Bright’s mouth……

“Fuu…… ka? ……Fuuka!”

Fuuka's name popped up.

Then he called out Fuuka's name as if he were a child.

“It’s Fuuka! It’s Fuuka!”

Bright hugged Fuuka like an innocent child, as if the vicious aura he had just shown her had been a lie.

Author’s Note:

It was a bit too rapid a turn of events at the beginning of the resumption.

In the next chapter, I will link the blank period to the present, so I hope you will wait for another update.

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The Raven Dark Hero 114

Chapter 114 : The Struggle

TL:SummerPeanut

“Ga…… Gaia Dragon?”

Kondo muttered in a dumb voice. However, the other members of the team were also frozen for a moment, stunned by the Gaia Dragon that appeared from the black hole.

The Gaia Dragon is a vicious phenom that ranks as a level 9 danger level phenom. Of course, the girls had never actually seen one before because even in the various battles that had been fought in the second coming of phenom, Hanagekitai had never been given a high-risk mission. So, for these young girls, level 9 danger level phenom could be said to be imaginary creatures.

“GOAAAAAAH!!”

The roar of the Gaia Dragon brought their consciousness back to life.

“Haruka! Contact Fuuka and the others right now! Nabe-chan, contact the HQ!”

Haruka and Watanabe did as Azusa asked and took out their devices, but their expressions became impatient.

“No, we can't contact them, it’s being jammed!”

They knew that when a massive black hole appeared, the area around it would be enveloped in a strange electromagnetic wave that would cause electrical equipment to malfunction, and it wasn't as if they hadn't been prepared for this to happen…….

In Japan, the second coming of the phenom had been suppressed and the fact that no black hole had ever been found in this location may have caught them off guard.

“That’s…… there’s no other way, I will try and get their attention, so escape as fast as you can!”

And the decision Azusa made was to run away. But she didn't just run away. If this Gaia Dragon was left unattended and headed for the residential area, how much of a catastrophe it will cause could easily be imagined.

The other four didn't have any objections to Azusa's idea and they immediately took action. In other words, they acknowledged that they would never win and decided that the best way was to run away.

“GOAAAAAAH!!”

The Gaia Dragon has wings, but cannot fly. However, the speed at which it moves across the ground exceeds 100 kilometers per hour.

Its huge body, more than 20 meters in length, rushed forward at breakneck speed, knocking down trees in the process.

“If-, if this keeps up, we won’t be able to escape!”

They are also specialists. Although there are individual differences, they were more than a match for the Gaia Dragon in terms of movement speed itself.

However, they had a slight disadvantage compared to the Gaia Dragon that was running straight ahead and knocking down trees without slowing down. They had to maneuver away from the trees.

So, Azusa stopped and took a stance to intercept it.

“Azusa !? What do you think you’re doing!?”

“Leave this to me, quickly join up with Fuuka and the others!”

If they had all acted together as Fuuka had said at that time, they wouldn't have been in this situation. At least, she thought that with Fuuka and Yoshida, the two strongest members of the Hanagekitai, they might not even lose to Gaia Dragon.

“My stubbornness has gotten us into this mess, so the least I can do is to hold it back for you all!”

Azusa was not prepared to die. She believed that she is not that bad of a fighter and if she really concentrates on stalling for time, she would be able to buy enough time for Fuuka and the others to join her.

“……such a handful person, if that’s the case two people is better than one.”

Then, standing next to Azusa, Haruka also took up a battle stance.

“Wai-, Haruka!”

“Let's ask Okubo-san, who has the highest mobility among us, to send the message and the rest of us to intercept that lizard.”

Watanabe and Kondo lined up next to Haruka. Their expressions were smiles of determination to fight.

“Everyone, I'll be right back. Don't die on me until then!”

Okubo was aware of her role and left the scene.

It was not that she wanted to run away. Even for her, it was deeply regrettable to leave her friends behind. However, as an organization, she prioritized what she had to do as the one with the highest mobility in the group over her feelings.

“GUOUAAAAH!!”

The Gaia dragon rushes forward with a roar.

“Disperse! Let’s do this!”

“Please leave it to me…… Homing Action!”

Everyone dispersed, and Haruka was the first to take out a small knife and throw it at the eye of the Gaia Dragon. The small knife was coated with an anesthetic, which was effective in stunting even an African elephant immediately. The small knife that was released boasted near absolute accuracy due to its homing action ability. However, just before the direct hit, the Gaia Dragon shook its head and the knife was knocked away. However, the tip of the knife nevertheless touched it firmly.

“Idiot. That little knife is coated with an anesthetic.”

“Magnet Force!”

Next, Azusa generated magnetism to stop the Gaia Dragon's movement.

As Azusa's magnet force became more proficient, she was able to not only attract objects but also attack them by generating magnetism at any location.

“I’m next! ConarchyJizz!!”

The Gaia Dragon which had stopped for a moment was caught by Watanabe by its back. When she activated her Gift Rank B ability, "Conarchy Jizz," Watanabe's weight exceeded 100 tons and Gaia Dragon slumped down, unable to bear the weight.

“Eat this! During~ that~ time~……THE WAVEEEE~!”

Then, with a firm tame, a pneumatic wave was released from both of Kondo's palms.

The gift of rank B, "Quigan Release''. Incidentally, the shout just now was borrowed from a blues singer that her grandmother loved but it had no meaning in particular.

The Quigan Release struck the Gaia Dragon near its chest, causing it to explode.

“Keep this up and stall it!”

No one thought that they had finished off the Gaia Dragon with just their attacks.

This was because they expected that Kondo's Quigan Release, while a destructive it is a destructive gift, would not be enough to finish off a level 9 phenom in one shot. Still, they were expecting some damage, though.

Watanabe's gift is the perfect ability for stalling. Currently weighing over 100 tons, and with a maximum limit of 300 tons. Combined with the weight of the Gaia Dragon itself, the Gaia Dragon's legs were completely sunk into the ground…… but.

“Come on, everyone, attack…… eh?”

“GUOARAAAAAAH!!”

Without regard to Watanabe's weight, the Gaia Dragon raised its upper body and shook Watanabe off.

“Kuh! Magnet Force!”

The magnetism that had momentarily blocked the Gaia Dragon's movement at first did not work on the Gaia Dragon, which had accustomed to the shock and sensation.

“It seems like, the anesthetic I prepared won't work on this lizard.”

And apparently, the anesthetic didn't work on the Gaia Dragon either.

“I knew it, a level 9 is just so different from the ordinary…… but, we need to do this no matter what!”

After that, all four of them attacked the Gaia Dragon while prioritizing evasion and making the most of their gifts but they didn't seem to be doing any damage to the Gaia Dragon!

Then, the Gaia Dragon opened its mouth as if to say that it had had enough……

“BUUAAAAAAH!!”

With a roar, a mighty gust of wind was unleashed and engulfed Watanabe and Kondo.

The two were blown 100 meters into the air and knocked unconscious as they crashed into the trees, their bodies torn to pieces, unable to move.

“NABE-CHAN! KON-CHAN!”

Azusa could barely dodge the current gust of wind but her instincts told her that she wouldn't be able to dodge it again and again.

“Haruka, go save those two and get out of here.”

“What are you saying? I’ll stay too.”

Haruka rejected Azusa’s offer.

“Because this is my responsibility! You go with Fuuka and the others……”

“At first, you were just an obstacle in my way, but before I knew it, it became a matter of course for us to be together, and someone I could call as my best friend. So, I'll stay too. It's like we're all in this together kind of line.”

Azusa couldn't help but laugh at Haruka who also smiled at her despite being in a desperate pinch.

“I didn't like you at first either. But……before I knew it, you had become my best friend, too. No other way then, so I guess we're dying together then.”

“Yeah. But, I'm not going to die, you know? I'm just going to endure until Fuuka-san and Yoshida-san arrive.”

The Gaia Dragon was waiting for them with a relaxed atmosphere. It is said that some high-level phenoms have emotions, although they couldn’t understand language.

The Gaia Dragon also has emotions and recognizes that Azusa and Haruka are insignificant foes, so it was expecting them to show what they can do.

“Come on, let's show it what the Troubles are made of!”

“Yeah, at the risk…… of our own lives!”

Author’s Note:

Next chapter, the star of the show will finally appear!

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The Raven Dark Hero 113

Chapter 113 : Different Thoughts

TL:SummerPeanut

After landing at Sendai Airport, the Hanagakitai members were picked up by the NDF Tohoku Branch and headed for the mountains in the vicinity.

Two armored cars were prepared, one with Fuuka and Yoshida, and the other with Azusa, Haruka, Watanabe, Okubo, and Kondo.

In the car, Yoshida spoke to Fuuka, who was as sorrowful as ever.

“I know we're on a mission but I'm gonna stretch out a limb here and say it. Fuuka, will you please get over yourself? I don't know how painful your hallucination was but Vendetta herself, who showed you the hallucination, said that it was just a lie.”

Now that they were no longer adversaries due to the new legislation, Vendetta came to see Fuuka. She told her not to worry about it because it was just a hallucination.

Of course, the psychological damage caused by the Nightmare Lure had not completely healed. But the fact that Bright had been purged by Kiryu…… The death of Kouki, combined with the hallucination of Kouki, had still not allowed Fuuka to recover.

“……I understand. I understand, but……”

“Besides, you'd better clear up Azusa and the others' misunderstanding. It's not possible that you were two-timing Kouki-sama and Bright.”

Neither Yoshida nor any other member of the team knew that Kouki and Bright were the same person.

Azusa has a personality that requires her to say outright what she thinks. She kept quiet for a while because Fuuka was in shock from the hallucinations but when the phenom attack in Japan had settled down, she asked Fuuka about it.

“Fuuka, you didn't cheat on Kouki and go out with Bright or anything, did you?”

Fuuka did not say anything in response. She was too upset to confirm or deny. The fact that Kouki was Bright was kept confidential by the general, Zaizen.

After that, Azusa became visibly rebellious towards Fuuka. It was the same for the other members who had a fondness for Kouki, though not as strong as Azusa's, and now Yoshida was the only conduit between Fuuka and the other members.

“There is no way that you would fall in love with a man other than Kouki-sama. I know that it is impossible for you, not you who was wasted away, to have been two-timing.”

Yoshida encouraged Fuuka when she was depressed when it was announced that Kouki was dead. Although this was partly due to her regret for having only one-sided feelings for him.

“Of course I’m not…….. I’m in love with Kouki-kun, not Bright……”

Despite her words, Fuuka looked unsure of herself, which made Yoshida feel a little uneasy. Still, Yoshida wanted to believe in Fuuka. She believed that the tears Fuuka had shown when she was so haggard that time was not a lie.

“……I know you're hiding something. Something about Kouki-sama and Bright… But I also know that it's not a love affair. So go ahead and talk about it. We're friends, you know.”

At Yoshida's words, Fuuka felt the urge to tell them the secret. But if she told them, it might cause damage not only to herself but also to her friends.

If they found out that Bright was Kouki, how would her friends who had affection for Kouki feel? However, what worried her more was Zaizen.

Zaizen had been formally promoted to the position of head of the NDF, a marshal, when public opinion was leaning in favor of the bill.

However, after his promotion to marshal, Zaizen’s cold personality became more prominent and he began to exercise strong authority over his troops, not allowing them to be idle at all.

After Bright's death, Fuuka was reminded only once by Zaizen. He told her never to divulge anything about Kouki and Bright.

Considering the current Zaizen, she could not know what punishment she would receive if she leaked the secret, and the same would be true for those who found out the secret. As their captain……. Or rather, as their friend. she would never expose them to such danger and so she had decided that it should never be leaked.

“One day…… When the day comes when I can say it, I will. But I can't say it now.”

“……I see. I understand. But the more time that goes by, no, if we don't do something about it, the sooner Hanagekitai will fall apart, do you understand?”

The dissolution of the unit. It would be a big branding for Fuuka as a soldier. Fuuka had already failed in the Byakkotai once, so a second failure would be fatal.

Still, it was better than putting her friends in danger. In fact, she even wanted to throw everything away and be free.

In the meantime, the car arrived at its destination.

The foot of the mountain. From here, they would have to investigate on foot along the roadless path.

“Let's go. We don't know what's going to happen, so for now, let's all work together.”

Fuuka, the captain of the team, made a suggestion, but Azusa refuted it.

“That's not very efficient, is it? Shouldn't we at least split up into two groups?”

The expression on her face and the tone of her voice clearly showed her dissatisfaction with Fuuka.

“Azusa, this is an order from the general.”

Yoshida took it in stride but Azusa's frustrated expression remained unchanged.

“I don't want to be betrayed by anyone. If that's the case, it's better for us to go our separate ways so that we can carry out our mission in peace.”

The other four nodded their heads in agreement with Azusa.

“You all, would you just……”

“It’s fine. Then, let’s split up.”

Fuuka interrupted Yoshida who was about to yell at Azusa. She didn't want to get into any more barren conflicts.

“Captain…… but then it will definitely……”

“I said it's fine. Well then, let's split up as per the dispatch when we came in. Is that alright with you?”

Azusa was even more annoyed with Fuuka, who listened to her request without arguing back, but decided to accept it without saying a word.

“Then, let’s go, everyone.”

Haruka, Watanabe, Okubo, and Kondo followed behind Azusa and disappeared into the forest.

Fuuka watched them with a feeling of helplessness.

“……Sigh.. I said that just now, but this could likely be Hanagekitai’s final mission.”

Yoshida shrugged her shoulders in exasperation. Still, Fuuka couldn't say anything…….

One hour after the scouting started.

Azusa's mind was not calm.

She was annoyed with herself for behaving that way towards Fuuka and also with Fuuka for not responding to her.

“Azusa, you don't have to force yourself to look bad, okay?”

Haruka called out to Azusa.

“Because, you know, why didn't Fuuka deny it properly? No matter how I look at her, if her expression is like that, it clearly says that she and Bright…… whatever, I won’t think about it anymore. But it's obvious that Fuuka is hiding something.”

Azusa, as well as the other four, no longer believed that Fuuka was having a two-way relationship with Kouki and Bright. Still, they were angry at Fuuka for not responding clearly to their suspicions.

“I’m sure she has her reasons. When the time comes, she will properly confide in us.”

“I can't go on feeling like this! Kouki died right in front of our eyes, you know? If Fuuka doesn't deny it properly, I'll feel sorry for Kouki!”

In Azusa and Haruka's minds, the scene of Kouki's death in front of their eyes remained strong.

If only they had been a little more clever, would Kouki be alive? If they had been able to believe in Kouki all along without being deceived by Hiro, wouldn't the future have been different? Such regret was engraved in their heart.

That's why Azusa wanted Fuuka, who was the last person to have a heart-to-heart with Kouki, to at least cherish the memory of him.

But Fuuka didn’t even respond to her suspicion. She believes her but she can't help but doubt. That's how she felt.

“We of Hanagekitai are all classmates, and our connections are like a precious treasure to me, you know? But if this keeps up, I……”

That's when it happened. Suddenly, a large black hole appeared in front of the six of them.

“Wha-......!?”

A black hole that may be as large as 20 meters in diameter. At this size, it would not be surprising if a giant phenom of level 9 class appeared.

“Everyone keep your distance!”

At Azusa's shout, everyone instantly took a distance of about 50 meters from the black hole.

Then, a huge dragon appeared from the black hole…….

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The Raven Dark Hero 112.1

Chapter Idle Talk : The Phenom’s Return

TL:SummerPeanut

Author’s Note:

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience…… Maybe I've kept you waiting too long. …………Hmm? You already forgot about the series? I'm sorry but I'm going to start updating this page again from today, albeit irregularly, so please read it if you feel like it.

On January 1, 2072, the world once again learned of the horrors of the Phenom…….

Suddenly without notice, black holes appears all over the world, and phenoms exceeding the danger level of 7, which the existence has not been confirmed for 20 years, appears one after another and began to attack people.

In response to this, humanity, led by the specialists, moves to fight off the phenoms but there is an uneven distribution of forces among the countries, and more importantly, there is an overwhelming shortage of specialists who are capable of fighting the high level phenoms that are appearing everywhere. Some countries began to collapse as a result.

And in Japan…….

Three months before the return of the phenoms, Shinichiro Kiryu, the head of Kuroyume, the largest filths organization in Japan, purges Bright, who killed the Prime Minister and 19 others.

In addition, the bombing terror incident was said to have been carried out by Bright that had betrayed Kuroyume with collaboration of Kagerou, and Bright's name had completely fallen to the lowest ground.

Later, under the newly appointed prime minister, Konosuke Tokugawa, Toshiaki Zaimae, the actual head of the NDF, and Kiryu of Kuroyume, who purged Bright and calmed down the terrorist attacks, teamed up to submit a bill to the National Assembly that wipes out the discrimination and prejudice that existed between gifteds in Japan.

Naturally, there was a lot of opposition to this bill. The terrorist attack on Bright, who had gained fame as a hero for a while, had also affected public opinion. The opposition is slightly outweighing the proposition, but in the midst of this, the situation changed drastically with the return of the phenoms around the world.

The allied forces of the NDF and the gifteds who followed Kiryu, including Kuroyume, quickly eradicated the phenoms in Japan. Japan becomes the country with the least amount of damage from the reappearance of phenoms in the world. The people are forced to approve Tokugawa's bill, putting pressure on the legislators who were opposed to it.

With this, the goal that Kiryu had envisioned for so many years is now just waiting to be realized…….

Sendai City, Tohoku Region

Black holes have appeared all over Japan. However, no black holes were observed in the vicinity of Sendai City, the largest residential area in the Tohoku region, and there was no damage caused by the phenom. This is the only major residential area in Japan that is not affected.

The cause is not known. Besides, the government does not particularly want to look into it deeply at first. If there is no crisis, that’s for the better.

But a black hole has appeared. In the mountains a short distance from Sendai City. Like the phenoms that had appeared in other areas, they are of a high danger level.

If these phenoms had descended the mountain and attacked the residential area of Sendai City, the number of casualties would have been immeasurable. However, the phenoms never made it down the mountain……. No, they can not.

By the hands of a jet-black demon who has lost his ego and has become a beast that only fights and can only eradicate the enemies in front of him indiscriminately…….

April, 2072

The National Defense Force's Hanagekitai, which had already conquered the domestic phenom, was given the task of surveying the area around Sendai City.

Normally, a mission such as a neighborhood survey was not a mission that should be assigned to a squad that is active on the front lines like the Hanagekitai squad.

During the war between Kuroyume and Kagerou, the Hanagekitai were all wiped out in the exchange of fire, although they all survived. They lost a lot of reputation because they let the bomb explode in one place.

On top of that, Mizutani Fuuka, the captain of the team, had been damaged by the psychological attack by Kuroyume's Vendetta, and even now, more than half a year later, she was still somewhat out of shape. The fact that Bright had been purged also had an effect on her.

In addition, Azusa Asakura, a member of the squad, showed antipathy towards Fuuka, and the whole squad became awkward and was unable to perform as well as before.

A world that has changed…….

And from here, the story begins to accelerate towards the end.

Between mankind and the phenom, the second battle…… No, the final battle is about to begin.

Author’s Note:

m(__)m

I've cut out a lot of the content from chapter 6 but I plan to fill in and tell what happened in the future. I'll try to finish it somehow, so please look forward to it. m(__)m

And once again, the book is on sale now, so you can buy it if you want. (-)

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The Raven Dark Hero 112

Chapter 112 : The One who will Ruin The Country

TL:SummerPeanut

The members of Kuroyume Numbers, who had gathered at the Roppongi Hills rooftop from other locations, saw an unbelievable situation there…….

“No way…… Chronos is……”

Jiren was staring at Chronos' right leg, from the knee down…… lying on the ground with a look of disbelief on his face.

“Someone who's good enough to take down Chronos-sensei is in Kagerou? That's impossible…… He must have used some kind of underhanded trick!”

Even Vendetta who usually does not show her emotions had an expression of mixed anger and sadness on her face. That's how big Chronos's presence was for Kuroyume.

“No, if it's Kagerou's top, Kirisame...Maybe he can defeat Chronos. Rather, it's the only thing I can think of.”

“Kirisame? That guy, he’s rarely out in the open. Does he really have that much power?”

“……The boss once told me before that Kirisame would rarely come out in the open, but if I do encounter him, do not engage with him.”

He is so powerful that Kiryu is wary of him. Even then as long as you're a member of Kuroyume, you're probably not going to be able to keep your mouth shut if Chronos is killed.

“……UOOOOOH! After Gori, even Chronos-sensei…… unforgivable… I'll never forgive them!!”

Crow hit the ground with tears streaming down his face.

“Teacher…… We haven't done anything to repay you yet……”

Kirara also wiped the tears from her cheeks.

“Old man Chronos…… I hope you’ll at least ascend up there.”

Seven was also grieving over the death of Chronos with a mysterious look on his face.

“Despite our efforts, bombs exploded in three places, and we failed to impress the NDF that we weren't the main culprit in all of this. ……Good grief, if only the boss was here to help us.”

In the absence of Kiryu, Bright and Evil, Jiren felt responsible for the fact that they were completely outplayed.

(If Boss and Bright had been here, maybe none of this would have happened. If Evil had been here, he might have been able to read their intentions and figure out the best way to deal with them. ……damn it, what the hell have I been doing sitting on the number two position for so long for?)

“……Kagerou, we're going to annihilate every last one of them.”

Jiren said in a chilling voice, Crowd agreed with him.

“Damn right we will! That Kobe guy killed Gori, I will kill him!”

All the Numbers in the room vow to the dead Chronos that they would destroy Kagerou in earnest.

……Suddenly, a circle appeared on the ground.

The people who know that this circle is the gift of Chronos looked at each other.

“Hey, that’s, Chronos's......”

“Right. It's a portal to the subspace of Chronos's world dimension. So that means……”

The gift was activated. That means that Chronos is alive.

“Really!? I’m so glad~! Teacher, come on, show yourself!”

However, no matter how long they waited, there was no sign of Chronos coming out of subspace. Jiren thought that Chronos must be in a situation where he can't move.

“……I will enter. Perhaps, Chronos is in a state where he can’t move.”

“Eh? I thought Chronos-sensei's subspace is only accessible to him……”

“No. If I can get my whole body firmly inside the circle, I should be able to get there.”

As Jiren said, you can enter the subspace even if you are not Chronos himself. However, if the body accidentally touches the outside of the circle, only that part will remain…… In other words, it would be cut off.

“Well then, here goes.”

Jiren was sucked into the circle as his body went vertical and slipped into the circle.

Inside the subspace, it was dim and the air was thin. And in front of him was Chronos that was covered in wounds all over his body and had lost his right leg.

“Y-yo, Jiren. I made a bad move……”

“Chronos! Are you alright!?”

Jiren immediately picked up Chronos. The wound was bad but he must have done some first aid himself. If he was treated immediately, he would not be in any danger of death.

“I knew it, is it Kirisame?”

“……Yeah. It's frustrating, but I can understand Kiryu's caution towards him. You shouldn't fight him unless you're absolutely sure you can win.”

If they lost, they would just be adding to Kirisame’s army unnecessarily. That was also the reason why Kiryu had told Jiren not to fight Kirisame before.

“I was able to escape into this subspace with my life. I lost a leg in the process but I managed to prevent giving away my shadow.”

“The shadow?”

Chronos had escaped into subspace and was looking at the surface ground. There, he saw that Kirisame had left, staring ruefully at Chronos's right leg and looking overtly depressed.

Kirisame's gift, Shadow Deed, could not turn a living person into a shadow. It cannot pull out a shadow if the body is still alive, even if it is a part that has been separated from the body.

But as long as you are dead, it is possible to pull out a shadow, even from only a part of your body. Of course, a finger is too small, but if it is as big as a foot from the knee down, it is possible.

Chronos told Jiren about Kirisame's gift that he is aware of. Jiren more than understand the reason to be wary of Kirisame’s unusual gift, which was capable of bringing back shadows pulled from the dead as soldiers.

“The shadowy army he used for his gift included Onoda and…… Even Rosia was there.”

“Why would Rosia!? It was Onoda who killed Rosia, wasn't it? Kirisame wasn't a member of the Kagerou at that time!”

Five years ago, Jiren had participated in the decisive battle as a Numbers. So he knew that Kirisame was not a member of Kagerou at that point.

“Even if he didn't kill them himself, he could probably extract the shadows from their bodies. I don't know how he got in touch with Onoda's or Rosia's bodies, though.”

Rosia's body had been buried with great care by Kuroyume, and Onoda's body had been disposed of by Kuroyume. It was inconceivable that anyone other than the members of Kuroyume would have access to the two bodies, let alone Kirisame, an outsider.

“……Could it be, there’s a Kagerou’s spy among us?”

“I don't like to think about it, but I suppose it's not unlikely. Well, it's about to get dangerous for me. Let me out on top.”

Carrying Chronos, who was too badly injured to stand up by himself, Jiren jumped out of the circle.

Vendetta, Crow, Kirara, and Seven were delighted to see Chronos return to life.

“In any case, I’m glad you’re alive, Chronos.”

“Sorry. Good grief, I've shown my disciples a pathetic side of mine.”

Five hours had passed since the broadcast by Kagerou. As a result, two explosions were prevented, one explosion was prevented by the NDF, and three explosions were set off.

Looking at the results, it can be said that the Kuroyume side was unable to stop Kagerou’s movements.

“What's done is done. Bright, Evil, and the others will have returned by now. I've told them to wait for us at headquarters when they get back, so we'll go back to headquarters and plan our future countermeasures.”

As the Numbers were about to return to the headquarters, the ringtone of Jiren's black dream device rang out.

“What is it, Line……”

“No time to explain, I just sent the video to your terminal, so check it out, quick!”

From the panicked tone of the line on the phone, Jiren expected that there would be more trouble.

Then, everyone present checked the video that had been sent to the terminal.

The video was a live broadcast of a female reporter excitedly ranting in front of the National Assembly building.

『This is in front of the National Assembly Building! According to the information that has just come in, a man claiming to be Bright from Kuroyume has broken into the conference room where an emergency meeting on the Kuroyume bombing was being held, and has killed over a dozen high-ranking government officials, including the Prime Minister!』

“…………What?”

They all continued to watch the video, unable to grasp the situation.

『According to the surveillance video, a jet-black man suddenly appeared in the middle of the meeting and killed the Prime Minister. Then, in a wide-ranging attack, he killed dozens of members of the National Assembly. Finally, he muttered something to the surveillance camera and disappeared again. His voice couldn’t be heard but it is possible to make out what he said by the shape of his mouth.』

Since they were not allowed to broadcast the images of people being killed on TV, they could only imagine the situation from the reporter's voice.

Jiren hurriedly called the headquarters for confirmation. The other members were staring at the video with bated breath.

『This is what Bright was assumed to be saying. My name is Darkflash Bright, the light within darkness. I am the one who will ruin this country……』

“……What the hell? Evil and Teaser are back, but Bright isn’t? What the hell is going on!? In any case, I'm on my way to you right now!”

When Jiren hung up the phone roughly, the other members looked at him anxiously.

“……I just don’t get it. At any rate, we need to head towards the headquarters immediately. I want everyone to gather in one place. ……Let’s go.”

Jiren threw up the transfer stone right above him. Then light poured down, and in an instant, everyone was transported from the spot to the headquarters of Kuroyume.

In the headquarters conference room, Evil and Teaser that had returned and Line were waiting for Jiren and the others.

Chronos was badly injured and went straight to the infirmary.

“What is the meaning of this, Evil! Where the hell is Bright!?”

When questioned by Jiren, Evil kept his head down……and muttered quietly.

“Bright is…… retiring from Kuroyume……”

Author’s Note:

※From Ichijinsha,『The Raven Dark Hero~ I Longed to Be a Hero but Due to This and That I Became the Last Boss~?!』is now on sale to rave reviews! If you haven't read it yet, please do! Please read it!

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The Raven Dark Hero 111

Chapter 111 : Shadow Forces

TL:SummerPeanut

Roppongi Buildings - Rooftop

Chronos, the oldest of the Kuroyume Numbers and the number 3, the ruler of space, had come to Roppongi Hills, one of the locations where the bomb was placed.

Since there had been a bomb threat, the general public had already been evacuated but in exchange there were many police officers and military personnel.

However, Chronos is able to get past the many police and military personnel and reach the roof. And there……

“Could it be, I never thought I'd see you out on the stage……”

Kagerou’s boss, Kirisame, standing in front of him with his five minions behind, was looking down on the city from a rooftop sixty stories above the ground.

“It's high up here and it's a good vantage point. Still, I never thought that Chronos, the ruler of space who was once said to be more powerful than Kiryuu, would show up……Lucky me.”

Kirisame smiled with genuine joy. In his mind, all he could think about was to use Chronos as his shadow.

“Hoh, That's a lot of composure to show in front of me. No wonder you are the one in charge of the Kagerou. But……That margin of composure will quickly turn to despair.”

“Amazing~. Well then, why don't you take care of my members for now?”

Five of his minions braced themselves against Chronos.

“Now, you all, if you can defeat this old man, I'll select you as the new Four Heavenly Kings. Good luck.”

His words filled the minions with motivation. It had been five years since Chronos had left the headquarters. Since then, he hadn't been active in the public eye, and the younger members of Kagerou who were present had never heard of Chronos.

“Oh dear…… I've been underestimated, huh.”

All of Kirisame’s minions jumped towards Chronos at once.

Chronos turned his palm toward one of his minions, and a circle the size of a soccer ball appeared as if it were attached to his palm and touched the minion’s face. Then, only the face disappeared.

He continued to touch one of them on his robes and the other on his stomach with the circle, and only the touched part disappeared completely.

“Just by touching someone, it erased those parts……. I'm getting more and more excited. I can't wait to see you become my shadow.”

“That's a lot of composure. Don't think you'll make it out alive, please?”

“I'll return tit-for-tat exactly to you……”

Suddenly, thirty shadows appeared around Kirisame. Then, one of the shadows cut down the remaining minions as if they were in the way.

This time, the shadow soldiers were not the shadows sent to Kuroyume's branch but instead the most elite shadows in Kirisame's collection.

“……An army of shadows. I've heard the rumors, but this is a terrific gift. There is no other like it.”

Among the shadows, there were also the shadows of former powerful people that Chronos knew.

“Now, shadows, do everything you can to take him down.”

The shadows all jumped at Chronos at once.

“……Hmm, It's going to be a pain in the ass to take these numbers seriously……”

Chronos activated his gift, ‘World Dimension’. Then, a circle with a radius of one meter appeared at his feet, and when Chronos jumped into the circle, his body disappeared from the spot……No, he disappeared from the very space.

“He disappeared? So that’s Chronos’s gift, World Dimension……”

There was no sign of Chronos in the area. But when a circle appeared behind Kirisame, Chronos came out of it and……

“It’s over.”

He tried to touch Kirisame's neck with his palm which was covered with a circle.

“……Wha-?”

……However, the attack was blocked by a giant shadow. Naturally, the blocked arm disappears but the non-living shadow doesn't bleed or feel any pain, it just lost its arm and couldn’t be more unconcerned.

“Wow! As expected of the ruler of space! You'll really get your six taken before you know it!”

Kirisame smiled, unable to hide his excitement.

“Tsk, how many shadows can you cast, my friend?”

Chronos jumped into the circle again and disappeared.

The inside of the circle is a subspace and the ceiling is transparent to the situation on the ground.

World Dimension. This gift that bears the name world is a ranked S gift and boasts the ability to create a subspace that is slightly different from the actual world. This allows the holder to create small circles like the one before, which can be used as a powerful attack by sending the part touched by the circle into subspace, and larger circles that can be used to move in and out.

The subspace Chronos is capable of creating ranges up to one kilometer square under the ground. Since the subspace could only be entered through a circle, it could be considered a completely safe zone.

(Now, since there is a shadow that is exclusively guarding Kirisame himself, it'll be difficult to hit them with my attacks if I go about it normally. Hmm, Ukyo Kirisame……I've heard rumors about him, but he's a real pain in the ass.)

In addition to the usefulness of Kirisame's gift itself, there were several shadows that would be troublesome for Chronos to fight on his own. Considering he got the ability to use such powerful shadows at his will, one could determine that Kirisame is also one of the strongest.

(I could just let it play out and wait for reinforcements but we're on the back foot on this one. But if we destroy Kirisame here, Kagerou will collapse. All problems will end…… There’s no other way. I'll just have to be as careful as possible.)

There is no time limit in subspace. If Chronos wanted to, he could stay hidden as long as his stamina lasted. And in his perfect physical condition, he has enough stamina to stay in subspace for a whole day.

Normally, Chronos would have decided that it would be safer to avoid fighting Kirisame if there was even the slightest chance of losing. If he died, he would become a member of the shadows.

However, Kiryu was not around at the moment. On top of that, three of the Numbers, including Number One, were also absent. In some places, bombs had already detonated, and they were completely put at a disadvantage.

Chronos decided that it was up to him to change this situation.

“Eh~. Could it be, you couldn’t be running away now, would you~?  If so, I'll be very disappointed~…… I thought I was going to have a powerful friend. I guess getting old makes you a coward, huh~?”

On the ground, Kirisame was grumbling about how uninteresting the situation is, but Chronos didn’t care.

(Speak for yourself. I’m just going to do my job.)

“Mhm~, you’re a little more patient than I think. Hmm, what to do~. I think I'll just blow this place up and go home~”

Five minutes have passed since Chronos disappeared. After five minutes had passed, Kirisame finally noticed something strange.

“……The shadows, are decreasing?”

He looked around and saw that the number of shadows had decreased from thirty to twenty.

“I’ve been had…… Shadows! Watch your feet!”

Under Kirisame's direction, the shadows were also watching their steps. Some of the shadows were unable to react to the suddenly appearing circles and their bodies were dragged in one after another, but the shadows that were powerful before their deaths began to evade the circles.

(The number of them had considerably decreased, huh……. Alright.)

Finally, Chronos emerges from the circle. He created a circle in both hands.[1]

“So there's 10 shadows left……. Are you ready? Kirisame.”

“Fu fu fu, I knew you were the real deal. I can't wait for you to be mine!”

The remaining shadows were the elite of the elite. Among them, the one that caught Chronos' attention was the shadow of a tall woman in armor.

“Rosia…… I never thought I'd see you again in a place like this……”

The shadow called Rosia did not respond. It just shimmered.

Rosia is the former Kuroyume number eight, one of the founding members of Kuroyume along with Kiryu and Chronos.

Kirisame became the head of the Kagerou five years ago. Since then, Kuroyume and Kagerou had been enemies but had never fallen into a full-scale war. The battle for supremacy in the filths organization intensified when the former Kagerou’s boss was in charge. In the end, Kiryu defeated the former Kagerou boss in a final battle in which both sides suffered considerable casualties. The battle for supremacy was decided in favor of Kuroyume. Rosia lost her life during that battle.

“Feeling nostalgic yet? Well then, I'll give you another person you'll miss.”

Kirisame made a new shadow appear. This shadow must be Kirisame's trump card, since he had not shown it until now.

“……I see, so even you have become a shadow. Onoda Gouken……”

The shadow was the two-meter tall Onoda Gouken, the former boss of the Kagerou, who was known as the Gouken of Destruction before his death.

“Oh dear…… that is definitely a bad sign.”

“You say that, but it sounds like you're ready to fight it.”

Chronos let out a sigh. But his eyes, as Kirisame had said, were filled with fighting spirit…… or rather, it was filled with anger.

Anger at the fact that he had used his former comrade, Rosia, as his shadow.

And Onoda that had killed many of his comrades. He was angry because he remembered that.

Two rages swelled up, making Chronos lose his cool.

(I never thought I'd be dealing with Rosia and Onoda at the same time……. What are the chances of that? But……)

“You're just a shadow with no self-awareness!”

Unable to control his anger, Chronos rushed headlong into the remaining shadows, and Rosia came forward to intercept him.

Rosia's gift is the ability to materialize a spear, ‘Material Gungnir’. Her gift rank is A. It was even said that a spear fired from her hand would always hit its target.

Rosia thrusted the spear at Chronos, but Chronos swallowed it into a circle.

“I knew it, it was only a shadow. The trajectory of the real Rosia's spear was not this easy to read!”

As he was about to swallow Rosia's head in a circle, Onoda's fist flew at him from the side.

“TSK!”

Chronos immediately swallowed Onoda's right fist with his palm facing Rosia. But while Onoda's right hand was swallowed, he swung his free left fist.

“UOOOOOH!”

Chronos also blocked it with the circle of his other palm. It obliterated both of Onoda's fists. ……However, Rosia re-materialized the erased spear and pierced Chronos' stomach.

“GUFH……, th-the shadows feel no pain, huh!”

Despite being pierced in the stomach, Chronos spun on the spot and used his rotation to obliterate Rosia and Onoda's heads.

Chronos did not expect to win against these two unscathed from the start. That's why he chose a method that would ensure that he could take care of them even if he took heavy damage.

“Phew~. I suppose a shadow is just a shadow in the end. Their power has increased but they don't have the awareness to make full use of their past experiences. Even so, you were able to defeat those two in an instant. Well, it looks like you paid quite the big price though.”

“Hmph, I was just barely missing the kill shot. If it weren't for those two, the rest wouldn't be a problem.”

After defeating the two most troublesome ones, there were only nine shadows left.

Chronos didn’t know the fighting strength of Kirisame himself but he believed that he could defeat the remaining shadows.

(Considering how he can control this many shadows. There's no reason for him to have high personal combat strength. Moreover, his stamina must be on the verge of being quenched.)

“You got a point, it's going to be tough to deal with an old man like you without those two. That’s why…… here.”

At the same time as Kirisame’s words, the shadows of Rosia and Onoda reappeared.

(What's going on? Doesn't a shadow controller need stamina, or is his stamina bottomless?)

“I know what you're thinking, old man. So I'll answer you……”

Shadows appeared one after another. The next thing he knew, an army of shadows surrounded Chronos, filling the rooftop of Roppongi Bills.

“Strangely enough, I don't need any stamina to have the shadows appear. So the shadows will appear again and again until I die.”

“……I see. It's no wonder that Kiryuu would give a second glance to this monster.”

As he said so, he created an opening to make a circle appear under his feet. Chronos was not reckless enough to choose to fight in this situation……But just as he was about to jump into the circle, one of the shadows hit him with great speed.

“GURGH……!?”

“What do you think? The shadow had the gift of Speed Star before he died. According to him, he was a very good soldier in the NDF but he was discharged because of his bad behavior.”

Chronos had no way of knowing but the shadow was that same Kurosaki who had caused Kouki to manifest his gift.

Bleeding away from a stab wound in the side may not be fatal but it can be deadly if prolonged.

(……But that's not the point. Was losing my cool to the shadows of Rosia and Onoda the reason for my defeat…… No, I guess I made a mistake when I chose to attack Kirisame. It's a pity, I've been away from the front lines for so long that my instincts have been dulled……)

“Now, shadows. Use all your strength to defeat Chronos, the ruler of space……”

Led by Rosia and Onoda, the army of shadows attacked Chronos at once.

“Good grief…… To think that of all people, I would…in a place like this……”

Chronos looked up to the heavens, and then, as if exerting his last ounce of strength, he went to face the army of shadows…….

Author’s Note:

The book version of "The Raven Dark Hero" is now on sale, though I'm not sure if it's well-received or not! If you haven't bought one already, please do!

And the next update will be in three days. At last, it’s Bright’s turn to shine, please look forward to it!

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TL’s note:

1. We Dr. Strange now?

The Raven Dark Hero 110

Chapter 110 : Partner Forever

TL:SummerPeanut

Author’s Note:

※The book version of『The Raven Dark Hero………』is now on sale at Ichijinsha! If you haven't already, please read it!

“……You're not going to regret this, are you?”

“AAH? What regret?”

Crow stifled his emotions, bit his lip, and strained his words.

“The regret of dying here, asshole!”

The shields that surrounded Gorindaman were all concentrated on Gorindaman in the center.

“GUOH!?”

The impact of the collision from all directions with the transparent shield. In addition, the pressure that seemed to be crushing him made it impossible for Gorindaman to move.

Crow's sister, Kirara, had declared that Crow's gift was a defensive specialization, and that it would not work against the Bright-class powerhouse in terms of pure offense but that was only with comparison to Bright, Kiryu, and Numbers-class superlatives. It was a powerful enough offensive tool for others.

“GUGIGIGIH…… It's not fair.. You and I both manifested our gifts at the same time. And yet, my gift is so small, while yours is so powerful. That's why you were chosen as the Numbers.”

“It’s not like I hate your gift but you are the one who one-sidedly think my gift is a cheat! I trusted you to be my forever partner, you know? I never thought of you as higher or lower based on your gift!”

The pressure on his internal organs made Gorindaman spit out blood. Still, he did not stop speaking.

“Th-That's what's so annoying about you. In the end, your way of thinking is nothing but the pity of those who have, for those who do not……AGAGH!?“

Suddenly, Gorindaman lets out a muffled scream. He seemed to have received some kind of shock, but the next moment, he rebounded the pressure of the shield with force.

“……!?”

Crow could not hide his surprise at this. He knew that Gorindaman's power would not allow him to escape his gift. At the same time, he realized that when he had actually thought so, he might have been looking down on Gorindaman without knowing it.

“GUGAGAH……you, What the fuck did you do……KOBEE-!?”

Kobe jumped down from above and made a spectacular landing.

“Well~, I thought it would be a shame to let him die like this. I'll control Gori-kun from here on out. Maybe I'm better at handling you than yourself, a muscle brain.”

Kobe's gift ‘Force Puppeter’ is a rank B ability. It can manipulate the target at will, and also forcibly multiplies the target's physical ability several times.

Crow was also surprised by Kobe's sudden appearance.

“Wha-, You are, the Four Heavenly Kings of Kagerou?”

“That’s right. I’m Kobe, one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Kagerou. Good day to you.”

“Good day to us? You think I'm going to let you live?!”

Crow attacked Kobe but was tackled and blown away by Gorindaman that jumped out from the side.

However, Gorindaman's face was filled with anguish.

“GUGIGIGIH……Kobe……you asshole, you’re manipulating me?”

“That’s right? Ah, how is it? My gift, it gives you more energy than usual, doesn't it?”

Gorindaman tried desperately to resist the body that moved without his will but he could not move even a fingertip properly.

“HAHAHAH. I'm sorry but your will won’t be transmitted to your body until I deactivate the gift or your body is destroyed, Gori-kun.”

Suddenly, the shield that Crow had released appeared in front of Kobe……But again, the manipulated Gorindaman stepped in between and pushed the shield away with a powerful fist.

“My shield……You sure are powered up, man. Hey Gori, can't you do something about it!”

“Guh……it’s no use! It's as if my head and body have become separate! GUWAH!?”

Ignoring Gorindaman's intentions, his body lunges toward Crow.

“Seriously……Invisible Shield!”

A shield appeared in his direction……but Gorindaman easily bounced off the shield and punched Crow in the stomach like a bomb.

“GOHAah!? Y-you, aren’t you…… powering u-up a bit too much!?”

Kobe replied on behalf of Gorindaman.

“What do you think? This is my gift. I didn't think I'd be able to overpower a member of Numbers so much. Gori-kun, you actually have a lot of potential, don't you?”

“Sh…… shut up, you, four eyes……. You can't fight on your own, anyway…… you're just a skinny guy, GAGAh!?”

Gorindaman couldn't resist his own body and punched himself in the face.

“Excuse me. I'm not a skinny guy, I'm a slim macho type. If you ask me, you're an ugly over-muscled gorilla.”

“Hey, Gori! Can't you do something about this!?”

“If……I can, I would’ve already done it!!”

“AHAHAHAH. I told you before, didn't I? Once my gift is activated, it cannot be released except either by my own will……or until you die. Now, hurry up and give your old friend a proper send-off!”

“GURH…… AAAH!”

He used his shield to block a punch from Gorindaman. However, the shield was cracked by a single blow.

“You, seriously way too overpowered, you know!”

After that, Gorindaman continued to attack. Each time his shield was destroyed, he made a new one appear.

(This ridiculous gift, raising the target's power too high?)

“ORAAAAAAAAH!”

A powerful spinning kick from Gorindaman destroyed Crow's shield, which had previously sustained several hits.

“OH SHIT!?”

Crow, who was in the middle of thinking and didn't expect his shield to be destroyed by a single blow, was a moment too late to make the next shield appear.

“THIS IS IIIITTTTT!!”

“Ghhhh!?”

A powerful megaton punch caught Crow in the side of the head. The impact blew Crow away, sending him spinning three times in the air as he flew into the audience.

“Phew~! That's awesome! Wouldn’t this thing going to beat a Numbers at this rate!?”

Kobe got excited. But Gorindaman was staring intently at the fallen Crow……with a smile on his face.

Crow…… noticed something strange about Gorindaman as he got up.

“You bastard, since when? How long have you been moving on your own?”

At these words, Kobe gave him a curious look and Gorindaman gave him a big smile.

“I’ve been found……. KUhKUhKUh, I hate to say it's because I borrowed someone's power but this thing is awesome. It packs a lot of power.”

Kobe couldn't make sense of the conversation unfolding in front of him.

“Hey…… what are you going on about? Moving on your own? That’s impossible…… BUh!?”

The back fist of Gorindaman slammed into Kobe's face, and he lost consciousness.

“HAhHAhHAh! Apparently, I've got more power than you can control now! I'll let you off with a single backhanded blow in return.”

Gorindaman had broken free of Kobe's control by his own power.

Kobe's gift, Force Puppeteer, cannot dominate an opponent whose power is far beyond his control from the beginning. However, even if the opponent is of a higher rank, depending on the opponent's mental state, he can still dominate them similar to Vendetta’s gift. However, since the people he had under his control had never exceeded his control before, he didn't expect Gorindaman to be able to break his control.

“Well, since I've got the power now. Let’s enjoy it, former partner.”

“Seriously…… wait a minute.”

Crow's Kuroyume terminal buzzed. It seems like he got mail.

“Like I will wait for you!!”

Gorindaman lunged at him but Crow covered all sides with double shields. In the meantime, he quickly checked his mail.

“Don’t you fuck with me!!”

The shields were destroyed again. At this point, Crow took a large distance away.

“Let's not fight. Jiren will be here soon. It's not too late, so come with me……”

Crow had no intention of fighting Gorindaman seriously. But Gorindaman was……

“I'm telling you to stop fucking around!! Finally, I've finally got the strength to fight you on equal ground, but you still, stop talking down on me like you’re some high shit!!”

……He shouted with more anger than Crow ever had seen in his life.

“I get it, okay……. Somewhere along the line, there was a growing gap in power between us. You got more and more recognition, and eventually you made it to the Numbers. But you still treated me as your partner. But you know what……That was humiliating for me!”

“That’s, I’m……”

Crow tried to deny it but stopped short of saying it. Did he ever look down on Gorindaman without realizing it himself, just as Gorindaman had said? He'd like to think not, but no matter his becoming part of the Numbers, he always thought of Gorindaman as his partner. That's what made him wonder if that exactly was the proof that he was indeed looking down on Gorindaman.

“This doping-like power. It will be lost once the skinny guy regains consciousness. So… while I still have this power, I'll make you recognize my power!”

“……Hahh. Fine, I understand……. Then, I'll buy your fight!"

The fully determined Gorindaman and Crow, who had made up their mind to accept his feelings, resumed their fight with a natural smile on his face.

Their attacks intersected with each other. Crow, who no longer could receive attacks head-on by the dramatically powered up Gorindaman, skillfully avoided the attacks and counter-attacked. And the Gorindaman that rushed in without any regard to that.

At some point, the feeling of quarrelling all the time when they first met was revived in their minds.

However, the blissful time for the two of them came to an abrupt end.

Suddenly, Gorindaman's power was taken away from him.

(GUh……, That scrawny little bastard regained…… consciousness at this kind of timing.)

But Crow hadn't realized that yet.

“ORAAAH! Don't you fucking stop!!”

Looking around, Gorindaman noticed that Kobe was nowhere to be found. He then imagined what kind of development that would lead to.

(That scrawny-skinned bastard…… If you're going to do something like this, you should at least throw some lines first……)

The next moment, the whole studio was flooded with blinding light, and a loud explosion was heard after a short delay…….

“I didn't make it in time, huh……”

Jiren arrived at Studio A, which had been reduced to a pile of rubble after the bomb exploded.

(That Crow…… he didn't get caught in the explosion, did he?)

As Jiren looked at the rubble, some of it jumped up, and there stood Crow, holding Gorindaman in his arms.

“……Well, it seems I was worried for nothing. Hmm? Is that Gorindaman? Don't tell me, was the assassin from Kagerou at this place?”

Jiren, of course, knew about their relationship. On top of that, if Gorindaman was here as Kagerou’s ally, he would not be lenient enough to show mercy.

……However, Crow put down Gorindaman, who was in his arms, and began to shout as if in distraught.

“You fucking idiot…… Why did you cover me!? Hey, wake the hell up!”

At the moment of the explosion, Gorindaman covered Crow and protected him from the impact of the explosion. Even though he was supposed to be the enemy now, his body naturally moved in front of Crow, who had been his partner for many years, and this was the result.

“……Heh, it's only natural for the stronger~ to protect the weaker~……”

Gorindaman was a hateful man but the amount of blood he lost could be considered fatal.

“Hey…… HEY! Don't you dare die on me like this!?”

When he came to, Crow cried out with large tears in his eyes.

“……That's so unlike you. I told you a long time ago, a man should not cry……how shameful~”

“Don't talk anymore……I'll t-take you to Asami's place at headquarters right now……”

Gorindaman, who was no longer able to speak, laid his palm on Crow's chest. The palm then glowed, stabilizing Crow's spirit.

“You're so agitated. KUhKUhKUh…… Never thought the last time I used my gift was on you……but it’s……not……bad……”

With the last of his strength, Gorindaman activated his gift ’Cure Mind’ and drew his last breath with a smile on his face…….

“You fucking idiot…… You hated your gift so much but you still used it in your last moment……”

Gorindaman's gift, 'Cure Mind', is the ability to recover from a target's mental abnormality state. It had a gift rank of B but it is a rare and valuable gift for mental recovery.

But such a useful gift was only a disgrace to the gorilla-like combat style of Gorindaman, and he had somehow sealed it away.

“I knew it, you were the best, and will always be my partner, always…… You idiot.”

With his mind stable. He was no longer distraught. Still, Crow couldn't stop the tears from flowing…….

Author’s Note:

Kirisame, the head of Kagerou VS Kronos ,the demon sergeant of Kuroyume. Another battle to determine the strongest is about to begin!

Next chapter, 『Shadow Forces』

“Good grief…… To think that of all people, I would…in a place like this……”

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The Raven Dark Hero 109

Chapter 109 : A Fight You Want, A Fight You Get

TL:SummerPeanut

Shinjuku, Studio A

Shinjuku Studio A was used every day for TV recordings until a few years ago, but the building has become decrepit and is no longer in use.

The anti-bomb squad of the NDF, who were the first to discover the bomb that had been placed in the theater, began to dismantle the bomb.

And from the stage lighting system, one of the four heavenly kings of Kagerou, Kobe, looked down on such situation.

(Anyway, we've been getting reports from other bomb sites but why is the NDF moving so quickly? I may have underestimated the intelligence network of the national organization……)

Kobe's ideal situation was for the NDF to come and engage the Kuroyume side while Kuroyume sides were disarming the bomb. And at that time, Kobe that was hiding would incite Kuroyume and the NDF.

Up to this point, the plan was proceeding accordingly. Using Skull and Joker, he succeeded in giving the impression to the public and the NDF that this terrorist attack was the work of Kuroyume and so the war between Kuroyume and the NDF had broken out in various places.

(And yet, Kameyama's muscle brains gave in to his desires and started battling Jiren before the NDF arrived…… Well, I guess it's okay. One idiot like him getting killed won't hinder the plan.)

In the meantime, the NDF was almost finished with the bomb.

(Hmm, I wasn't expecting the bomb to be defused before Kuroyume arrived. ……I'll have to intervene a bit.)

“Okay, it’s time. Let’s go do our job.”

The man lurking behind Kobe leaned forward.

“Tsk, finally. I was so bored I thought I'd go off on my own.”

This macho man with an unattractive appearance was a former member of Kuroyume that boasted the fastest fight picker in the company, ‘Gorindaman’. He was one of the best in Kuroyume in terms of strength.

As a former member of Kuroyume, his role was to let people know that Kuroyume was the main culprit behind the terrorist attack.

“So, am I allowed to kill them?”

“……One or two would be fine, but what's the point if you kill them all? Shouldn’t it be obvious enough?”

As far as Kobe was concerned, Gorindaman was an extremely difficult man to deal with. After all, he was only interested in rampaging with his strength.

“Huh? You shit, who the hell you think you’re talking to? HUH?”

Kobe wanted to press his head with his hands as Gorindaman didn't care if the other party was a senior officer of his organization. However, he suppressed his anger, thinking that there was no point in getting into trouble.

“……sorry sorry, I was a little out of line. Anyway, don't kill all of them, okay? Keep it in moderation.”

“Tsk, just because you're an executive doesn't mean you can get away with everything, you know?”

If it were possible, Kobe would have preferred not to include Gorindaman in the operation. However, among the filths who had left Kuroyume and joined Kagerou: Skull, Joker, and Gorindaman were overwhelmingly well known, so much so that the NDF could immediately recognize these three as members of Kuroyume.

“No other way, let's see if we can't get some of the NDF mobs to vanish.”

“Yeah…… please do.”

There were ten soldiers from the NDF side. Then, just as they were about to dismantle the bomb, a soldier who was disposing of the bomb was suddenly crushed in the head by Gorindaman who jumped down from above him.

“Wha-! Enemy attack!”

“Huh-!? You are, Gorindaman from Kuroyume! Is Kuroyume really the one who’s responsible for the attack!?”

Gorindaman counted the fingers and looked around with a grin on his face.

“One~two~three~four~five~……In the meantime, I will just kill five of you. I am the chief brawler of Kuroyume, Gorindaman! Whoever wants to die first, come and get me!”

One of the soldiers attacked Gorindaman with his enhanced physical abilities. However, the soldier was knocked headfirst to the ground after three full revolutions in the air by one of Gorindaman's lariats.

“Ok, next!”

The four soldiers attacked simultaneously from front, back, left and right. Each of them was using some kind of gift to attack at the same time, but Gorindaman quickly beat them down.

“It’s already six people? That's not enough~. I guess I'll just have to kill them all, leaving just one behind then.”

The remaining soldiers were stuck staring at Gorindaman like frogs staring at a snake.

“What is it? You're not coming~? Then I'm coming for you!”

Gorindaman's fist striked the soldier. It was so powerful that it could burst his head with a single blow.

However, Gorindaman's fist was flipped by a transparent shield that suddenly appeared in front of him.

“This is…… It's you lil’ shit, Crow.”

There, at the entrance of the theater, stood Kuroyume's number eight, Crow.

“Long time no see, Gori. I haven't seen you for a while~ You're looking uglier and uglier, aren't you?”

Crow slowly walked towards Gorindaman. At the sight of the numbered Crow coming out after Gorindaman, the soldiers of the NDF were completely demoralized.

“Hey, you guys. This is not the work of Kuroyume. He's no longer a member of Kuroyume, he's a member of Kagerou now.”

Crow said to the NDF soldiers but they could not understand the situation.

“……tsk, and you call yourself a soldier that defends your country? Well, I don't want to hear about it anymore, so get out of here. Now then, Gori…… You were a traitor to me the moment you left Kuroyume but to join Kagerou of all people, and then to be complicit in such an act of betrayal. Where's the debt of gratitude you owe to the boss who picked up a punk like us and accepted us?”

“Keh, I don't like the idea of being a specialist or a civilian. Filths are filths, and they do as they please. That's my motto.”

Crow and Gorindaman were furiously firing guns at each other. The existence of the NDF had already become a pebble on the side road to them.

“So, you asshole come here for a chat only?”

“Keh, When I came here to stop the shitty Kagerou schemes, I didn't expect my ex-partner to be here. I'm sure it’s understandable that you'll want to talk a little, right?”

Crow and Gorindaman. Their first encounter with each other dated back to middle school.

Both of them were known for their bad temper and problems, so it was only natural that they clashed with each other. After six months of quarreling every three days, they had come to accept each other as best friends.

The two of them awakened to their gifts at about the same time. Since both gifts were useful, they were recommended to join the NDF after graduating from high school but as delinquents, they wanted to defy the government so they refused to join.

Then, someone made an attempt to eliminate them both. This man is one class above the two who have just awakened to their abilities and thus the two were prepared to die.
……However, it was Kiryu who saved them and brought them to Kuroyume.

“I'm grateful to boss. This is how we got out of Kuroyume and are now free. But why do we, the filth, now have to wag our tails at the specialists and ordinary people who persecuted us? Is that okay with you guys?”

“……I'm just following my boss. I owe that man a debt of gratitude I can never repay back in a lifetime.”

“Keh, a fucking coward like you, getting picked as the numbers……”

Gorindaman clenched his fists tightly. That was the signal.

“You've said enough. From now on, we talk with our fists! Feckless ex-partner!”

“You think I'm feckless? Go ahead, try to tell me what I'm feckless for!!”

Gorindaman started to run towards Crow, but his path was blocked by an invisible shield.

“Tsk, get out of my way!"

Gorindaman understood the hardness of the shield. So instead of trying to break it, he moved to the side, where Crow was already waiting, and punched Gorindaman hard in the face.

“ORAAA! Not a bad first punch is it, huh!?”

“Tsk, you are in a really good mood, huh!!”

Gorindaman dodged Crow's blow and returned a hit to Crow in the stomach.

“GOFH!? ……this ridiculous power!”

“AAH!? Come at me, you shit!”

The exchange of attacks continued, with both sides abandoning their defenses. Kobe smiled bitterly as he watched the scene.

“Sigh~. They're just as brainless as Kameyama. What a bunch of idiots~. It's a world I'll never understand. I mean, how long are they going to keep beating each other up.”

“UOOOOOOH!”

“RAAAAAAAH!”

They continued to beat each other for ten minutes. Both of them had blood on their faces but they still had a lot of energy left.

“Hahh, hahh, what’s the matter? After you left Kuroyume, aren’t you getting weaker?”

“Hahh, hahh, you fucker, after you become a number, you've become quite a softy, ain’t ya?”

“Shut up. ……Enough with the beatings. I'm taking you back to Kuroyume.”

“HUH? What bulls are you shitting you……Wha-!?”

Suddenly, an invisible shield appeared in front of Gorindaman. Then, one after another, the shields appeared to surround Gorindaman, and finally trapped him completely.

“……hey, what are you doing?”

In the enclosed space, Gorindaman complained to Crow.

“……I'll bow down to the boss with you, let’s go back to Kuroyume again.”

Crow was thinking of bringing Gorindaman back to Kuroyume, even though Gorindaman had been complicit in this terrorist attack.

“HUHH? You fucker, are you going crazy or something? I left Kuroyume of my own free will, remember?”

“You fucker don't know what you're talking about! This time, we're not going to let anyone who's involved in terrorism, whether they're of Kagerou or not, live! But you're my ex-partner. So, if I go bow for you…”

DONGGG!! ……the sound of Gorindaman hitting Crow’s shield rang out.

“HAAHHH? Don’t you look down on me……. You shit, don’t you fucking look down on me!”

Over and over again, Gorindaman slammed his fist into the shield.

“What are you saying? I’m not looking down……”

“I don't like it! We joined Kuroyume at the same time, went on the same rampage, and before we knew it, you were one of the numbers! Ever since then, you've been looking down on me!”

“What are you talking about? I've never fucking looked at you like that before……”

A powerful blow from Gorindaman cracked one of the shields.

“Oh, God…… Just leave me alone. I have no regrets about dying as long as I can rampage as I please. I don't have any lofty ideals like you or the boss……”

A shield was destroyed. However, Crow's gift, ‘Invisible Shield’ is a rank A ability. It's in the same system as Invisible Slash, and the gift holder can make it appear as much as he wants as long as your proficiency is high enough. In spite of this, Crow never made the shield appear again.

“What's with you? You didn't even consult me when you left Kuroyume. Were you sulking over such a trivial matter? What nonsense!”

“Sulk? You're wrong. It’s me who gave up on you. You've become a spoiled brat.”

Crow really thought that if he could talk to him up front, maybe Gorindaman would come back to him. When he came here, he was surprised to see that Gorindaman was there. Because if he didn't do anything, he would have to get rid of that guy as a traitor. But at the same time, he thought it was an opportunity.

In the end, though, his expectation was in vain…….

Author’s Note:

Next episode, the raven dark brawler, 『Partner Forever』

“……Heh, it's only natural for the stronger~ to protect the weaker~……”

※Here is the final part of the interview to commemorate the publication of the book.

Takahiko: “Finally, the raven dark hero book version is out today~! Don Don Puff Puff~!”

Kouki: “You're old-fashioned in your expressions, my dear friend.”

Takahiko: “And so, this is the last interview to celebrate the publication of the book! So, I asked the main character, Kouki, to visit us again~”

Kouki: “Well, I don't get to play in the main story at all right now. I still feel uneasy if I'm not in it. By the way, do you still have chapters in stock?”

Takahiko: “Now now, there are still 2~3 more chapters……”

Kouki: “That's hardly any!”

Takahiko: “Yeah, but he said that when he's done with the current stock, he's going to make it all about you.”

Kouki: “Is that so? I knew it would be suicide for the main character to not appear for so many chapters.”

Takahiko: “……it sounds like you're gonna have a very dark story to experience though.”

Kouki: “Eh~? That's the pattern that won't stop readers from leaving ‘ain’t it.”

Takahiko: “Well, that's just the way it is! Now, back to the book version, which is finally out! Is that how you should be feeling right now?”

Kouki: “Yeah, there's no point in getting jittery when I've come this far. If it's interesting, they'll read it. If it's not, they just won't.”

Takahiko: “What are you trying to be cool about? You're not affected by the negative effects of Revived here, are you?”

Kouki: “………………That's right. Please~, guys~, buy it~, read it~, give me good feedback~, give me high ratings~!”

Takahiko: “Suddenly you're so honest about your desires……. But that's more like you, buddy!”

Kouki: “With that, please continue to enjoy this work as well as the book version. Also, the author is mumbling something on the activity report page, so please take a peek if you like!”

Takahiko: “I guess so! Well then, this is the end of my long-running marketing appeal for the book publication! In fact, there's only a few chapters in stock left but let’s keep up the good work~!”

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TL: Finally done with all these ‘interviews’.

The Raven Dark Hero 108

Chapter 108 : A Sprouting Suspicion

TL:SummerPeanut

“Now, drown in your sins……forever!”

Bright's arms swing down to Fuuka's neck.

“STOP IT! VENDETTA!”

Suddenly, Seven shouted. At the same time, like a puppet with a broken string, Fuuka fainted…….

From behind Seven, not Bright, but the Number Four, Vendetta, showed herself.

“It was an opportunity to completely destroy the NDF general’s spirit. Why did you stop me?”

The scene that Fuuka had seen after she had risen from the explosion and how Bright had appeared was all a hallucination caused by Vendetta’s Nightmare Lure.

All of Nightmare Lure's hallucinations were a world created by Vendetta. Therefore, Seven had no idea what Fuuka had seen. Even so, he decided that it was too dangerous for Fuuka any longer and stopped Vendetta.

“You can't kill this young lady. I don't know why but this is for my own well being as well.”

Lucky Seven's last seven seconds of great luck. Fuuka had survived this great luck. That led Seven to conclude that Fuuka's death here would be a great loss to Seven in the future.

“You do know that this is the granddaughter of Onijima and one of the strongest fighters in NDF, don’t you? The only reason my gift worked was because she was mentally deranged from fighting you. Normally she’s too powerful for it to work.”

“I've actually fought her, and I know it better than anyone. This young lady may eventually rival the boss and Bright. I mean, what kind of vision did you show this young lady that drove her until like this?”

While saying that it was only a possibility ultimately, Seven analyzed the situation.

“Well, various things. I didn't think it would work as well as it did…… She's got a lot on her mind, doesn't she? But it's true that she's one of the most powerful people in the NDF. I knew it, maybe it is better for us to kill her spirit completely here, no?”

“……A hunch. The intuition of a man loved by God. A divine nudge, if you will.”

He hadn't told anyone about the details of the Lucky Seven except Kiryu, and there was no way to explain, so he forced his logic through.

……then, someone was watching the scene from the shadows. It was Azusa Asakura who had come to see the source of the sudden explosion.

(What is going on? That Fuuka…… She went on a rampage all by herself, then……she shouted Bright's name, showed such a weak expression……and fainted by herself?)

To Azusa who was not seeing the hallucination, it seemed that Fuuka had repeatedly attacked in the wrong direction by herself, and then suddenly collapsed in grief on her own.

Regardless, she had indeed collapsed. She wanted to go rescue them right away but she’s definitely no match for those two. So, Azusa decided to watch them until the last second and listened to their conversation.

“A hunch……. I don't know if you're serious or joking as usual but I suppose believing what you say at times like this is the correct choice. Besides, she's Bright's ex-girlfriend, Bright might resent us if we kill her.”

“……Eh? Bright’s?”

In Seven's mind, the pieces of the puzzle fit together.

(Maybe the young lady survived because if I had killed this young lady here, I might have been killed by Bright!? It's quite possible……)

……In fact, different factors were at work, but Seven concluded that was the case.

“Well, it seems that they settled their relationship over a year ago, and now Bright is our number one, so I'm sure he won't do anything strange. Well, that's what I'm trying to test this time.”

“……No, it will probably go in a weird direction. Maybe.”

Azusa, who was listening to the conversation, was surprised at the relationship between Fuuka and Bright.

(Fuuka is Bright's ex-girlfriend? What the hell is going on? I haven't heard a single word about that from Fuuka……moreover, that was over a year ago……)

‘What if Vendetta's words were true?’ Then, Kouki's face appeared in Azusa's mind.

(No, there just no way Fuuka could be two-timing Kouki and Bright……But then again, there was a back and front world to Fuuka back then……No, there’s no way a romance would bud between the filths and NDF in the first place……)

The more she thought about it, the harder it was for her to reach an answer. Still, what if Fuuka really was two-timing him? Azusa felt so sorry for Kouki that it made her heart ache.

“Anyway, Vendetta, I see you're getting things done pretty quickly on your side.”

“Yeah. I had to deal with Kagerou and NDF first but I got them all to kill each other later so I could take out the bomb while they go at it.”

Killing each other was, of course, a hallucination with Nightmare Lure.

“Ho~, you’re really capable. As expected of the queen of Kuroyume. ……AH! I forgot about Shirley!”

“I'm appalled. She’s your own subordinate, isn't she? You should quickly find her…………well, dear oh dear me. To think I would only notice so slow. Come on out!”

At this point, Vendetta, noticing Azusa's presence, shouted. Seven, however, was still unaware.

(Not good, I’ve been found!? If that’s the case then…………)

“What's with all the shouting……eh, what?”

Suddenly, Seven felt a strange weight on his hip.

“Why are you being so easygoing? There’s an enemy, Seven.”

Vendetta's gaze met Azusa'spreparing for any actions that the other side might take.

“HAAAH-!”

Realizing that she had been spotted, Azusa immediately activated her gift Magnet Force. She affixed the magnetism to Seven's buttocks and administered the small knife in her hand.

“EEEEP, that’s a close one…………”

They were about 20 meters apart. Seven jumped to the side to dodge the knife, but it changed its trajectory and plunged into Seven's buttocks as if it had been sucked in.

“NGYAAAAAAAH! My ass, I've got a hole in my ass, AAAHHHHHHH!”

Vendetta looked down at Seven, who was flailing about in an exaggerated manner, in disgust.

“Sigh…… sometimes I'm not sure if you're really that strong. Well, sweetheart. Both of us are Kuroyume's Numbers, but we have no intention of fighting. So why don't you put that knife in your hand?”

"How am I supposed to believe someone who just told me that she's had the NDF and Kagerou kill each other elsewhere?”

“You've been here that long? Do you have some kind of covert skills? That's impressive.”

Azusa felt that there was a gap between Vendetta and Azusa that she would never be able to overcome.

(If I fight here, I will die in vain. Then what choice do I have but to do as she says……?)

It was not that Azusa doesn't feel anything about her friends being killed. That's why, for the sake of even the slightest possibility, she decided that it would be better to follow Vendetta's advice here to avoid harming the rest of her friends.

“I understand. I don't want to die in vain, either. But let me ask you one thing.”

“Ara, thank you so much. So, what do you want to ask?”

Azusa wondered if she should ask the question that arose in her. After all that was just a personal matter.

“Earlier……You said that Fuuka was Bright's ex-girlfriend. When did they start dating?”

Vendetta pondered the intent of this question. Why would this girl want to know about their relationship?

(……Anyway, I wonder if I'll invite Bright's wrath later if I say too many unnecessary things? ……Well, that would be interesting in itself.)

“It was while Mizutani Fuuka was in high school, I think?”

“When she was in high school……!?”

Azusa's bad premonition had come true. If Vendetta was right, then Fuuka would certainly have been involved with both Kouki and Bright for a period of time.

For Azusa……even if she had been seduced by Hiro, she had once taken the bad attitude against Kouki. And the moment she found out that it was a misunderstanding, Kouki died in front of her eyes.

At the same time that her childhood longing for Kouki came back to her, the mistakes she had made swelled up inside her and she spent her days regretting them. She thought that he was not even qualified to grieve Kouki's death so she covered up her feelings and joined the Hanagekitai to atone for Kouki to Fuuka who had believed in and loved him until the end.

That thought, however, was shaken by Vendetta's words…….

“Anyway, we're leaving now. I'd appreciate it if you'd believe me but the teror attack was the work of the Kagerou. We'd better go back to disposing of the bombs. See you later, good-lil-behaved-girl-san.”

Vendetta kicked the sprawled Seven to get him up and then went off to find Shirley.

Azusa…… looking at the fainted Fuuka. The expression on her face was complicated, a mixture of sadness and anger.

Author’s Note:

Thank you very much for reading『The Raven Dark Hero, I Longed to Be a Hero but Due to This and That I Became the Last Boss~』for a long time!

Tomorrow,『The Raven Dark Brawler~A Man Must Speak with His Fists~』will begin, so stay tuned!

※It's a lie. Here's an interview to celebrate the publication of the book

Takahiko: “Here we go! The book is finally coming out tomorrow! Today's guest for such an important day is Kai Masayoshi-san, Director of the Police Department's for Filths Task Force!”

Kai: “Nice to meet you. ……Or rather, it's really nice to meet you. Is it alright that I'm here?”

Takahiko: “Well~, Kai-san is an original character from the book, so this interview is really his first appearance~”

Kai: “Exactly why my question, the people that are reading this right now probably don't know anything about me, no?”

Takahiko: “Regarding Kai-san, when they did a questionnaire about side stories in the previous activity report, several people said they'd like to see one, so while the author was thinking about the story, he decided to put it in the book, and that's how you came to be!”

Kai: “It seems like it. So, for the sake of the story integrity, there are no plans for me to appear in the web version in the future, right?”

Takahiko: “No, there was also a character who was also related to Kai……but it is still a secret right now!”

Kai: “Oh well. In case you're wondering, I've been given a rather important position in the book, so I'd appreciate it if you'd pick it up and read it.”

Takahiko: “Amazing, I didn't know you could make an appeal for the book publication before I ask for it! Sounds like a grown man to me!"

Kai: “Isn’t that the reason you're doing this interview?”

Takahiko: “Well, you’re not wrong. So, if you're interested in what Kai-san has been up to, be sure to read the book version, which goes on sale tomorrow, July 2nd! See you tomorrow~!"

Kai: “Well then, I look forward to seeing you in the book version. Later.”

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TL: Bad news, we are catching up to the author already and I decided to stop at chp.121. There are another 17 chapters or so after chp.121 in raws but I think this arc will be a good place to stop. For patrons, I will be releasing leftover chapters, if any, in advance so you don’t need to pay any extra money. Thank you for your support and feel free to DM me any interesting webnovels you'd like to see in english.

The Raven Dark Hero 107

Chapter 107 : Denied Feelings

TL:SummerPeanut

Fuuka walked towards Seven with a carefree and expressionless face. Her outfit was tattered from the impact of the explosion but there she suffered no definitive damage. Standing there, Fuuka exuded the aura of an absolute powerhouse.

With Fuuka in front of him, Seven was trying desperately to sort out the events that had just occurred.

(No way? I can't believe my great luck has been activated and she’s still alive. No, don't tell me that this young lady…… not dying here is a stroke of great luck for me?)

“What's the matter? If you don't come, I'll attack first, okay?”

Fuuka's face was expressionless. She showed no expression but Seven knew that her anger meter was completely off the charts.

“W-well, hold on a moment. If you keep this up, you will be throwing your life away in vain, you know? Princess.”

“I will die in vain, you say? Don't worry, I'll make sure to take you down first.”

(She’s not gonna listen to reason anymore!? ……hmm? That’s…… I-I’m saved!)

In desperation, Seven was relieved to find that someone had come to his aid.

“You seem to have a lot of composure to spare. Then I will…………eh?”

Fuuka was about to launch an attack but her gaze was caught by a figure that appeared behind Seven.

“Kou………… Br-Bright?”

It was the jet-black demon Bright, the number one of the Kuroyume Numbers that appeared.

“Wh…… why? I was informed that he is not yet back from Germany……”

“……It has been a long time, General Mizutani.”

Fuuka had always recognized Bright as an enemy. Or at least she had tried to. Ever since that day when Kouki said goodbye to her and left.

Even so, she was shocked to hear Bright's voice that sounded like a stranger calling out to her.

“……To cause such an indiscriminate terrorist attack, were the words you said that day, about having things to do, is actually referring to this outrageous action?”

Fuuka also criticized Bright in an upset but calm tone.

“I don't care how you look at it. It's just that…… Now that we're here, I'm not going to show any mercy even if it's for someone I once loved.”

Bright's figure disappeared. However, Fuuka immediately created a tornado around her and caused Bright to stop right in front of the tornado and become visible again.

“What do you think? With this, you won’t be able to get near me!”

Fuuka had always simulated it. For the time when she would fight Bright.

Bright is fast. He is so fast that she can't follow him with her eyes. So, first of all, she needs to wrap her whole body with a tornado barrier that can damage him if he does touch it.

“Then, how about this?”

Bright braced himself. The Invisible Slash ignores the tornado and generates a slash directly underneath Fuuka, making the barrier a meaningless move, but…….

“I won’t let you! Water Arrow!”

The more Bright try to increase the power of Invisible Slash, the more obvious the preliminary movement is when he releases it. That is why she repeatedly attacked so that he would not have a chance to release the Invisible Slash.

Water arrows with the power to easily pierce a steel pillar with a single blow were fired at a rate of 100 shots in 10 seconds. In this case, Bright could not fire the invisible slash that required a preliminary movement.

The machine gun-like water arrows would be fatal if it struck any normal opponent but Bright's quick movements did not allow a direct hit.

“Got you! Wind Cutter!”

Fuuka had trained bloody hard in anticipation of a fight with Bright. She had a firm grasp of Bright's movements. She read his movements and deployed her wind blade over a wide area…… That blade struck Bright's body and tore his body in half.

“AH-!?”

The one who was surprised by this was Fuuka, the one who had attacked him.

She had confidence in her attack. She thought that she might be able to hit Bright. However, she did not expect that she would be able to kill Bright so easily.

Bright, whose upper and lower bodies were torn apart, collapsed to the ground.

Then Fuuka found herself running to Bright's side…….

“WHY!? Why didn't you avoid it? That kind of attack. If it’s you, you should be able to avoid that!?”

With tears in her eyes, Fuuka picked Bright up in her arms. But Bright was already dead…….

“……It’s a lie, right? It's a lie, isn’t it? This……This easily, you're not going to die this easily, are you?”

Bright did not reply. He no longer twitched.

Fuuka had been muttering to herself that one day, without fail, she would defeat Bright. However, there was a part of her that truly felt that no matter how much she trained, she would never be able to defeat Bright.

And now that she had finally achieved that, her heart was filled with sadness and regret.

It was also proof that, somewhere in her heart, she still hadn't been able to let go of her feelings for Bright or Kouki.

“This is……no, not yet……please, don’t leave me……”

Fuuka buried her face in Bright's chest, tears streaming down her face. Her appearance was no longer that of the powerful general she had been just a moment ago, but simply a girl drown in sorrow.

“……how’s that? How does it feel to kill the one you once loved with your own hands?”

Then Bright, who was supposed to be dead, opened his mouth.

“……Eh? You’re alive……”

She looked up and saw Bright's face. There, indeed, was Bright, breathing again, eyes firmly open.

“How could you do this to me……. But now I know. You're a ruthless woman who can kill a shred of hesitation even if the target is someone you once loved.”

As a general in the NDF, what Bright said to her is something matter of course. There is nothing to be ashamed of.

However, the current Fuuka had already forgotten her role as a general and was stunned by the words that were spoken.

“Hmm? No? ……or maybe you didn't have much affection for me in the past? If you have, you wouldn't have killed me so brutally, would you?"

Bright then placed his hand on his half-cut stomach and flaunted his bloodied hand to Fuuka.

“Ahh……I-I’m……”

“It hurts…… It hurts so much…… Fuuka…… I, I don’t want to die……”

Bright suddenly became weak and growled in pain.

“Ah…… ahh…… th- the hospital, we need……”

“It’s too late now! GYAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!”

This time, Bright started to laugh exaggeratedly. Fuuka could not comprehend the situation and could only felt dumbfounded.

Then…… Bright, whose lower body had somehow returned to normal, stood up and placed his hardened arms along Fuuka's neck.

“Well then, let’s stop playing around now. You tried to kill me. So that means you were ready to be killed by me too, right?”

“I’m…… I’m……”

Her face was pale. Fuuka was mentally trapped to the point where she could no longer speak properly.

Determination to kill……. Now that she thought about it, there was no such thing.

And being prepared to be killed by others……. In hindsight, she wasn't either.

Also……

“As a woman, you don’t deserve my love and you're no good as a general if you're so easily swayed like this. Do you even have any value in living anymore? That is why I'm going to kill you in one fell swoop.”

Her everything had been denied. By the man she had been in love with for so long.

“I…… I’m……”

Fuuka no longer had the ability to think about anything.

“Now, drown in your own sins……forever!”

Bright's arms swung down to Fuuka's neck………….

Author’s Note:

Fuuka’s weakness is exposed in front of Bright. And ‘he’ watched the scene with a complicated expression where Fuuka drowned in the mixture of sadness and anger.[1]

Next chapter:『A Sprouting Suspicion』

※Apologies. This time Takahiko had diarrhea, so we are canceling the interview.

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TL’s Note:

1. 'He' here is gender-neutral.

The Raven Dark Hero 106

Chapter 106 : Seven Seconds of Good Luck

TL:SummerPeanut

At the time when Seven was completely intimidated by Fuuka, Yoshida and Shirley were engaged in a fierce battle and found themselves moving at least 100 meters away from Fuuka and the rest.

“Tsk, You monstrous bitch! Isn’t it about time for you to throw in the towel!”

“I'm not a monstrous woman! You're the one to talk, you cat monster?!”

Yoshida's speed was superior to Shirley's but she had everything else going against her. The more time passed, the more the balance was tilted.

“Naru! Our opponent is slowing down a lot!”

Without even Azusa's advice, Yoshida knew that the end was near. With her victory, of course.

Shirley's attacks had inflicted wounds all over Yoshida's strong body. Each time, Yoshida used her gift to coagulate the blood and prevent the bleeding but it was fate.

“SHAAAAH! DIE, YOU MONSTER WOMAN!!”

“……This is the end!”

The moment Shirley approached Yoshida, a blade hardened with blood flew out from the countless wounds on Yoshida's body and skewered Shirley…….

“Agargh……”

Perhaps it was Shirley's instinct? She barely dodged the fatal areas but her whole body was pierced by the blade of blood and she was rendered incapable to fight anymore.

“Phew. I've used up a little too much blood……. I'm gonna go to Ruyuan today and eat an elephant……”

As she said this, Yoshida also collapsed from anemia…….

Meanwhile, Seven was overwhelmed by the absolute strength aura that overflowing from Fuuka.

(This is bad……. This girl is no joke.)

In Seven's eyes, the floating Fuuka that was wrapped in a tornado looked like a demon.

(Shirley……luckily she's not here. If she had been, she would have been killed instantly. I guess……I'll just have to rely on my luck on this.)

Determined, Seven's brain raced to create a situation in which his luck would be maximized.

“I still feel that there is something uncanny about you. It seems that to fully concentrate on attacking or to go on the defensive would be a bad idea against you……. Then, I'll use offense and defense in unison, and slowly hunt you down.”

“Heh…… Attacking and defending at the same time gives me the shivers……”

(Did this girl, just by instinct, find the most disgusting way to deal with my Lucky Seven?)

The longer the distance between them, the less chance Seven has to make a move. In addition, if he took his time, the time limit of seven minutes would pass.

Three minutes had already passed since Lucky Seven had been activated. With only four minutes left, he had to defeat Fuuka the absolute strongest foe here.

(Think, think……To make sure this girl goes down, I'll do what I can!)

Fuuka closed the distance and unleashed a series of water arrows. Seven continued to avoid them, using his intuition in certain sense.

(It's too fast! If I take a single hit, I’ll die! I can't see a future where I can win against an attack like this!)

Seven panicked and fled to an abandoned hardware store.

“What's wrong? You can't just run away.”

(Haa, haa, haa, with the power of those water arrows, it would be easy to penetrate a concrete wall, so I’m screwed either way?)

But Seven saw potential in the fact that the place he had quickly fled to was a hardware store.

(Something I can use……something……)

“Oh? This is……”

“There's no point in hiding. If you're stronger than Bright, then come at me fair and square.”

Fuuka's challenge went unanswered by Seven. Then, she resorted to a strategy to reverse the situation.

“Hey, look over here!”

“That’s……Could it be!?”

When Seven came out of the hardware store, he held in his hand a burlap sack that held grain and other items that might have something inside.

“Yes, that's the bomb you're looking for! This bomb contains a powerful explosive that, when detonated, will create a sea of fire within a 100-meter radius. If you're not careful, it will detonate immediately!”

Fuuka alone could have easily avoided the explosion. But there were the unconscious Okubo, Watanabe, and Kondo, and Yoshida plus Azusa who were probably still fighting nearby. No matter how well trained they were, if they were caught in the explosion unprotected, they would not be able to escape unharmed.

“Kuh, coward……”

Fuuka felt uncomfortable with the actions Seven had taken. Why would he choose such a despicable move when he was so supposed to be more capable than Bright?

If Seven is a true powerhouse, he should be able to beat her fair and square. But from the beginning, Seven acted as if he had no intention of fighting.

And the answer she came up with. Could it be that this man is...

“……To be honest, I was disappointed. From the first time I saw you, I didn't feel the aura of a powerhouse. Even when you defeated the three of them with such ease, I didn't feel anything from your own movements. You...... are actually weak, aren't you?”

Seven's expression became blatantly filled with impatience from Fuuka's words that seemed to have reached a certain conviction. Seeing his reaction, Fuuka was convinced.

“So, it’s true……. Even so, you defeated those three, so there's no doubt that you possess some kind of useful gift.”

“M-me, weak? That's crazy, man. But that doesn't change the fact that I'm the one with the bomb, right?”

“You have a point……. Well then……”

When Fuuka said that, the tornado on her body disappeared and she landed on the ground. She then generated a tornado at the same time for each of the three people where they were lying, rolled them up, carried them to her side, and wrapped herself and the three people in the tornado again.

“If it explodes now, it won't be a problem. Unless that bomb can break down my defenses although that’s probably not possible. Besides, the general population is already out of the neighborhood due to the evacuation order and Yoshida-san will be fine.”

In certain sense, the advantage from the hostages was gone. Still, Seven was not in a hurry.

(Treating a tornado like her own limbs, what the heck? Well, fine. So far, so good.)

“Heh, then, I’ll give you a taste. The taste of the best and most effective tactics in a battle! That is……”

Seven threw the bomb at Fuuka. Fuuka's eyes turned to the bomb. He took that opportunity and……ran away.

“That is, running away~~! Farewell, lil princess!”

As she felt surprised from Seven choosing to run away, Fuuka carefully wrapped the bomb in the wind and caught it, then checked the contents of the burlap sack. There was no bomb, only a kettle, a ladle, and other hardwares.

“……That guy……”

The normally mild-mannered Fuuka's temples were covered with blue streaks of anger.

“Don’t you dare!!”

Fuuka's face turned bright red as she chased after Seven. However, Seven, who had always been confident in his ability to run away, blended into the back alleys of the shopping district and continued to run away.

“So quick…… Stop running!”

“You're the one who's persistent! No one will like a woman who keeps chasing after a man who ran away.”

Fuuka's anger went up another notch with those words. It was the most painful thing for her to hear.

“This’s the first time I've really wanted to kill someone……”

Fuuka's angelic face changed to that of a Hannya. When Seven glanced behind as he fled, he stopped when he saw an angry Fuuka.[1]

“You've finally given up……. I won't forgive you even if you apologize now, though……”

Fuuka also stopped and glared at Seven while releasing a vicious aura.

(……Ten seconds left with Lucky Seven. I've managed to escape this far. Let's try one last provocation.)

“HAhHAhHAh! By the looks of you, you've had some bitter experiences with men in the past, haven't you? GYAHAHAH!”

If she had been calm…… She would have been able to notice that Seven was blatantly provoking her repeatedly. But for the current Fuuka, it was impossible to remain calm after hearing that.

“That mouth of yours…… I’ll close it for you!!!!”

Fuuka dashed towards Seven.

(Seven seconds left! Special time activate!!)

Lucky Seven has a time limit of seven minutes. In the last seven seconds of the game, Seven will be showered with more luck beyond it.

(As expected, although this young lady looks calm, she's still a child in the inside. I knew she'd try a direct attack instead of a long-distance one after all that provocation! Now it's up to the luck of the draw!)

Fuuka rushed forward wearing a tornado that spontaneously generates countless wind blades. Since it was a narrow alleyway, houses touched by the tornado were slashed to pieces.

(Come on! What kind of great fortune will come my way!? How are you going to save me from this crisis!!)

“PLEASE DIE!!!!”

When Fuuka came within five meters of him, he had a stroke of luck…….

“!? Wha-......”

The real bomb that Kagero had planted, which had touched Fuuka's tornado, detonated and struck Fuuka.

(That’s! No way, the bomb that Kagero planted is my great fortune!?)

The bomb was half as powerful as the bullshits Seven had just told her. It blew up the fifty-meter radius.

………….

A destroyed cityscape. What was once a shopping district was no longer there.

In the midst of this, Seven stood up from the rubble.

“FUHA-H! I had no idea that Kagero’s bomb would detonate. And even though I was caught in the blast at close range, the rubble from the house that the young lady destroyed served as a shield, so I took no damage! That's some serious luck!”

Seven's last seven seconds of luck. If the opponent doesn't know anything and only during this period of time, Seven might be invincible without doubt.

“The quarry was hit by this explosion, and that young lady would have been finished. I felt a little sorry for her but this was a kill or be killed scenario. No hard feelings, right? Now, let's find lil Shirley and get the hell out of here.”

Certainly, the last seven seconds is unbeatable. But the downside of the Lucky Seven ….

Some of the rubble was blown away by a sudden explosion. There, Fuuka with her clothes in tatters, her hair in disarray, and her face stained, a Hannya was standing on her knees…….

“……That's an interesting move……. Now, let's continue our killing game, shall we?”

Seven later commented on Fuuka's grin as she said that.

That her comment was precisely a ‘smile of an angelic devil’…….

Author’s Note:

The Lucky Seven ends, and a helper appears behind the desperate Seven. The appearance of this person caused a big shock to Fuuka and……

Next chapter:『Denied Feelings』

“As a woman, you don’t deserve my love and you're no good as a general if you're so easily swayed like this. Do you even have any value in living anymore? That is why I'm going to kill you in one fell swoop.”

“I……I am……”

※Here's an interview to celebrate the publication of the book.

Takahiko: “Ta-da! I'm out of ideas for guests here! So, everyone, if you have a guest you'd like to see appear, please leave a comment in the comments section!”

Seven: “Hey hey, Evil. Does that mean I'm just a throwaway to fill in the gaps?”

Takahiko: “Ohh! What are you talking about? How could I ever treat the guy loved by God (LOL) as a pawn!? With that being said, today’s guest is Seven-san!”

Seven: “I mean, why am I, a brand new character, being interviewed for the book? If I were to appear, it would have to be in volume 3 or 4, right?”

Takahiko: “Well~, somehow, it seems that the author liked Seven when he was drawing him.”

Seven: “It’s that so? Well…… Speaking of the author, he's the God who created this work. I guess I am loved by God after all……”

Takahiko: “Now that Kouki has gone to the dark path, the only gag factor in this work is me and Seven. You may have more appearances in the future, you know?”

Seven: “What's the gag factor? I'm Kuroyume’s strongest, remember?”

Takahiko: “……Seven-san. Do you think boss is the only one who knows about your gift?”

Seven: “Eep!? Wh-What are you even talking about? Wh-what’s up with my gift?”

Takahiko: “……You can't fool my eyes, you know. But anyway, it's still a foul gift, isn't it? If you go gambling, you could live your life forever, right?”

Seven: “You really seem to know your stuff……. Then fine. You know, sometimes my gift of luck is that I've been lucky in the long run. This is my interpretation, but I think that if I keep winning at gambling, I'm going to get corrupted and live a bad life. That's why I keep losing at gambling because the gift takes that into account……Sigh.”

Takahiko: “That’s…… so useless, huh~”

Seven: “WHAT!? Other than that, I’m very lucky, you know!? If you eat 10 homu ice bars, there's always one that hits the spot!”[2]

Takahiko: “Well, the odds of that are slim to none……. Oops, it's about time! See you all tomorrow~”

Seven: “Isn’t my treatment too cruel!?”

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TL’s Notes:

The Raven Dark Hero 105

Chapter 105 : Lucky Seven

TL:SummerPeanut

“Captain! Let us handle this!”

“Yeah! We will avenge Okubo!”

Watanabe of judo and Kondo of karate stepped forward to avenge their comrade, Okubo. Fuuka, however, approached them with concern.

“Our opponent is one of the Numbers, you know? Besides, that unpredictable movement…… if it's the three of us, I’m sure……”

“Come on, look here. Captain Mizutani, you are the captain of the Hanagekitai, and I keep telling you that you can't take such a gentle tone when you're on the job, didn’t I?”

The Hanagekitai is a special kind of squad where all the members are high school classmates and also women. This is why they have a rule that they can treat each other as friends in private, but when we are on duty, they must observe the hierarchical relationship. This would normally be a normal thing but it was a rule that had to be made because Fuuka is their captain.

For Fuuka, until she went to high school, all her close peers were older than her. In addition, everyone was male except for herself when she was in the Byakkotai so she was able to maintain a strict attitude as a captain. Perhaps it was also partly due to the fact that her time in the unit was so short.

However, all the members of the Hanagekitai were her first friends of the same age that she had made. She was happy of course, but more than that, somewhere deep down she didn't want to be disliked so she refused to be strict as a captain. The other members of the team took a dim view of this and forced Fuuka to at least keep a clear hierarchy during missions.

At Watanabe's words, Fuuka muttered with a troubled expression.

“Uuh……but, we're dealing with an unpredictable gift user here……”

“That’s exactly why, if you, as our captain, feel that it is out of our control, only then you should step in. You're the captain. You've got to stand your ground.”

“Yes, that’s right, It's cooler and more boss-ish that way!”

Watanabe and Kondo then smiled at Fuuka.

Fuuka was happy to see such reliable subordinates and friends.

(After I broke up with Kouki-kun…… I gave up on everything for a period of time. It was Yoshida-san and everyone who saved me from that. Living up to everyone's expectations. That is my role now.)

“I understand. Well then, please keep your guard up and fight.”

Although she was still speaking politely, her expression and tone were dignified as a captain.

“Roger-! Okay, I'll set it up first!”

“Okay-! Let’s do this like usual!”

The golden combo of Watanabe and Kondo. First, the karate woman Kondo attacks, and when his opponent is frightened, Watanabe uses judo to block the movement. So far, only Fuuka and Yoshida have been able to escape this pattern. But……

“Fufufuh, No matter how you plan it, it's all for naught in front of my strong luck.”

Kondo attacked with sharp blows trained in karate. In response, Seven swung an overhand right hook (cat punch) without even aiming. He looked like he had plenty of leeways, but he actually got scared and closed his eyes in response.

Normally, there was no way he could have hit her with such a large swing. And on top of that, his opponent was Kondo, a fierce karate fighter.

……However, Seven's cat punch became a counter and caught Kondo in the jaw, causing her to fall down without saying a word.

Of course, he hadn't aimed for it. It was just that the luck of Seven's gift gave the cat punch the power to pierce the needle-like gap with excellent timing.

“Na-……Nacchan (Kondo)!? YOU BASTARD!!”

“Wait, Watanabe-san! I knew it, that man is dangerous……”

Fuuka was unable to stop her in time, and Watanabe unintentionally grabbed Seven by the collar.

“Hoh, I'm used to being hugged by women……but I think you're being a little pushy, no?”

“SHUDDUUUPPPPP!!”

Watanabe went straight to work on Seven with a back throw! ……But he was sweating so hard from the strain, and the coconut oil he had originally applied caused a chemical reaction, and only his clothes slipped off.

“Eh-!? GUGYAAH!?”

Watanabe took the momentum and plunged head first into the ground, knocking herself out.

Both Watanabe and Kondo were beaten. Fuuka, once again, felt something unfathomable about Seven.

(What is up with this man……. I can't believe he managed to beat Watanabe-san and Kondo-san in just a few seconds.)

“Fufufuh, I-, I'm embarrassed so I'll get dressed now.”

(Damn it, I forgot to trim my chest hair today! If I was going to be seen naked by such a beautiful girl, I would have shaved it off, gosh I'm so embarrassed!)

“I don't understand……. You don't look very strong, and in fact, your movements are just mediocre. But you defeated each of those three in an instant. Just who are you?”

“I already told you a while ago, didn’t I? I am Seven, the most powerful man in the Numbers, the man loved by God!”

The strongest in Numbers. In fact, that in itself is not an exaggeration. Once Lucky Seven is activated, he is invincible in a sense for seven minutes. His opponent's attacks will not hit him. Even without regard to the gift holder’s intention, he will be able to avoid any attacks automatically. And yet, no matter how bad his attacks are, the attacks will land because of his luck.

However, if they knew the true nature of Lucky Seven's ability beforehand, they might be able to deal with it. In fact, if there is a considerable difference in strength, there are many ways to do it, as long as you remain vigilant. No matter how strong his luck is, it is difficult to overturn the absolute power gap.

However, Kiryu is the only person other than Seven himself who knows the true nature of this gift. So, Seven is recognized by all the Numbers, including Jiren, as a person who is usually apathetic but is quite capable when push comes to shove.

And hearing that he is ‘the strongest Numbers’, Fuuka showed violent reaction.

“The strongest Numbers? So by that…… Are you saying you're stronger than that Bright?”

The current number one is Bright. Number one is the proof of Kuroyume's strength. And for Fuuka, it is her ultimate goal.

“Bright, huh. Well, He's number one because I turned it down, but I'm sure I'd be stronger than him if we fought.”

(……Actually, I've never even met Bright. He's not the kind of guy you can get lucky with. He'd probably killed me instantly before I could use my luck..)

Seven knows that there is a level of strength beyond the power of his gift. And that knowledge is the greatest asset of all.

If Seven hadn't met Kiryuu, he might have been killed by the top-class NDF soldiers or filths due to being overconfident in his own power.

Meeting Kiryu and being exposed to the real thing had made him realize that neither his gift nor himself was invincible. It was because of this that Seven felt that he was no match for Bright, even though they had not met.

By the time Bright became number one, Seven was already firmly entrenched in the Okinawa branch and rarely bothered to show up at headquarters, so Bright and Seven were not acquainted.

Besides, he said he turned it down but even if he actually did get the chance, there's no one who'd recommend the usually lethargic Seven as number one. And even if someone did, Kiryu wouldn't approve of a guy who's actually just lucky to be number one.

Basically, Seven just wanted to look good in front of Fuuka.

But……little does he know that his vanity will bring him hell.

“I see……so you're stronger than Bright, huh. Well then…… I'll have to use my strength to the fullest.”

At that moment Fuuka’s aura turned serious, Seven's danger detection meter exceeded the maximum.

(Wha-what is up with this woman!? The atmosphere suddenly changes?)

Fuuka was lifted into the air as the mighty tornado enveloped her.

“I…… have to defeat Bright someday. So if you're stronger than Bright, then I can't lose!”

A humongous water sphere was released from Fuuka.

(OH SHI-!? I can’t handle this at all!?)

Seven barely avoided the water ball and it crashed into a telephone pole.

(……Oh? A chance!)

“Hahahah! You can't defeat me with that kind of attack! Now it's my turn!”

Seeing an opportunity, Seven set out to attract Fuuka's gaze.

“Ka~me~ha~……“

He struck an exaggerated pose to get Fuuka's attention. Behind Fuuka, a telephone pole that had been broken by the water sphere collision earlier was falling down towards her.

(As long as that thing crashed into her it’ll be my victory! I'm so lucky!)

“……Me~……HAAAaah!!”

(Timing's perfect! Come on, hit!)

The telephone pole approached Fuuka………… However, the pole was shattered by the tornado that Fuuka conjured.

(! ? ! ? The hell? That tornado, has automatic defense!? Or more importantly, if I get attacked by that thing, I'll really die!?)

Seven's eyes almost popped out of his head in surprise.

“Kamehameha? ……but, nothing happened……Are you joking with me?”

“Ah……well~, I don't mean to joke with you……ahaha……”

Seven knows that there are powerful people whose gifts are beyond the power of his own.

And he was beginning to realize that the girl in front of him was one of those powerful people…….

Author’s Note:

The confrontation between Seven, the self-proclaimed strongest Numbers, and the serious mode Fuuka come to an unexpected end…….

Next chapter:『Seven Seconds of Great Luck』

※Here's an interview to celebrate the publication of the book.

Takahiko: “Sigh……Boss took a lot of the guts momentum away from me……. But, let's get back on track and get going! Today's guest is Miss Vendetta, the Queen of Kuroyume!”

Vendetta: “Bonjour, everyone. Anyway, isn’t today’s guest supposed to be Jiren?”

Takahiko: “Erm……. Well, if it were Jiren, I assumed I would be lectured again……”

Vendetta: “That's already your character, so can’t you just accept the fact?”

Takahiko: “Uhh~, I won’t be convinced. Anyway, just in case, I'll ask you ‘what do you think of the book."

Vendetta: “No feedback, no nothing, since I'm not in the first book at all. I'll look forward to the next volume.”

Takahiko: “Figures~. Well then, maybe if I'll just illustrate the erotic body of Miss……”

Vendetta: “Fufufuh. I'd be happy if that's the reason people bought the first volume.”

Takahiko: “Aw right! Let's get Missy to do the cover of the next volume! Then maybe all the pervert bastards will buy it……”

Vendetta: “Well, That's not for us to decide, though, and it probably won’t be allowed. Okay, well, call me again if there's another volume.”

Takahiko: “Ah, right. I guess if the guests are not in book publication, we won’t get much of a reaction. Anyway, see you tomorrow!”

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The Raven Dark Hero 104

Chapter 104 : The Man Loved by God

TL:SummerPeanut

――Sugamo Shopping Street

The Sugamo shopping street, where elderly people usually stroll, is empty due to the bomb threat.

Seven, a.k.a. Kuroyume's number seven, had come to the shopping arcade.

“It's peaceful~. They're really too devilish to set off bombs here. Don't you think so, ‘Shirley?”

“That’s right. But still, Seven, you stink, don't you?”

The sweet coconut scent coming from Seven was so strong that Shirley couldn't help but cover her nose.

“Hmm? Smells sweet, doesn't it~?”

Seven, who has dry skin, always applies oil to his body to keep it moisturized, and today what he used was coconut oil.

“Now, let's find the bomb and recover it quickly.”

The woman called Shirley is Seven's partner and is practically acting as the head of the Okinawa branch since Seven, the original head of the branch, doesn't do anything.

Although she is small in stature, she works hard and looks like a pretty girl with a short cut hair but she is highly regarded in both combat and clerical work and it is said that if it weren't for her certain habit, Shirley would be more suitable for the position of Numbers rather than Seven himself.

In contrast to Shirley who had begun a frenzied search for the bomb, Seven snatched a tomato from a deserted grocery store and bit into it.

“Nnn~, juicy~. Shirley-san, do you want to eat some too~?”

“No, I'm fine. Anyway, aren't there any Kagerou’s people here? I heard reports of guard dogs at the other spots.”

So far, there's no sign of anyone but the two of them.

“Aren't we lucky? There are no enemies here, so let's take our time.”

For Seven, who did not want any trouble, the absence of enemies was only convenient for him.

Then, one of the armored vehicles of the NDF came to a stop in front of Seven.

A tall beautiful woman in military uniform and an active-looking woman with a ponytail got out of the first car.

“You're Seven and Shirley of the Kuroyume Numbers, right? I knew it. The terrorist attack was the work of Kuroyume, just as the Byakkotai had reported……”

Narumi Yoshida, the strongest woman in the primate human family of the NDF's Hanagekitai, glared at Seven.

“Eh? No no, It's a misunderstanding. We're just being set up, and it's all Kagerou’s……”

“I didn't want to believe the information coming from Byakkotai, but it's no use when there were actually Kuroyume's Numbers on the scene……”

Azusa Asakura, a member of the NDF's Hanagekitai, didn't want to believe the information that Kuroyume was the main culprit of the terrorist attack because of her distrust of Hiro, the captain of the Byakkotai, but she decided to believe the information when she actually saw Kuroyume, and her Numbers, at the scene.

“Hmmmm? Wait a minute, we from Kuroyume are dealing with Kagerou’s……”

Wanting to avoid unnecessary conflict, Seven tried to persuade them but his partner would not be quiet.

“The NDF! It’s been hundreds of years since we’ve met, prepare yourself!”

“HEEEEHHH!? WAI-, What are you talking about, Shirley-chan!?”

The moment she saw NDF, Shirley switched to her combat mode and ignored Seven who didn’t want to get into trouble if possible.

……The previously said only flaw in the honest Shirley. That was her excessive hostility towards NDF.

In the past, this hostility towards the NDF had caused her to lose her cool and get into trouble more than once but that was because of her gift.

“URAAAAAAH!”

Shirley turned her body into a beast with the gift of ‘Panther Lessersion’ and attacked Yoshida.

Many gifted of beastmen transformation-type have powerful fighting capabilities. However, there are no such gifted within NDF. It's not clear whether it's the country's intention or the military's, but beast transformation-type gifted are disliked by the NDF and are not allowed to join. In other words, they were not treated as human beings.

Shirley also hated the National Defense Force because of the pain she had suffered in the past.

Yoshida blocked Shirley's claw blow head-on and caught her in the upper half of her body……

“URUOAAAAH!”

She tossed Shirley as hard as she could toward the fruit stand.

“EEEH!? Shirley-chan, are you alright!?”

In his haste to rush to Shirley's side, Seven tripped over a pebble and fell. ……The next moment, a murderous tornado erupted in front of him.

“Ah……that was dangerous~. Lucky that I fell.”

The person who created the tornado was Mizutani Fuuka, the commander of the NDF's Hanagekitai, that had just gotten out of the second car that had arrived before anyone knew it.

“……You're not just a number from Kuroyume for nothing. You sensed my surprise attack and avoided it.”

The truth was that he just fell down, but in this situation full of beautiful women, Seven's good-natured switch got turned on.

“Hmph…… Ladies, I'm not going to say anything bad. Let's just settle this peacefully before I get serious.”

An unearthly aura emanated from Seven as he slowly stood up and made a determined face.

“Peacefully…… I see. But if you're willing to do that, we'd like to see a peaceful resolution too, but unfortunately, your partner doesn't seem to be willing to do that.”

Shirley was huffing and puffing, chomping on a banana with tomatoes all over her body.

“The NDF are enemies. I'll kill them all!!”

Shirley's eyes were in full battle mode as she threw away the banana peel she had finished eating.

“Wai-, Shirley-chan!?”

Shirley's bad habits had Seven scratching his head. He knew that there was nothing he could do to stop Shirley from doing this.

“Interesting……. Then I'll take good care of you.”

Yoshida bared his will to fight against Shirley.

“Naru, this person’s movement, is pretty fast. I'll support you.”

Azusa also recognized Shirley as a complete enemy.

“Hey hey hey~! Everyone, do you understand what I'm saying? Let's be peaceful here……”

Three more strong girls, Watanabe, Okubo, and Kondo, got out of the second car and lined up behind Fuka.

“You think we can't even match you when you're serious? Then feel free to try us.”

Fuuka also went into battle mode. It was Kuroyume’s Numbers in front of her. In fact, the surprise attack that she thought was a bit cowardly was easily dodged, so she had to eliminate any carelessness.

“No, I-, fight with me? Yo-you don't want to do that, okay? You might even get pregnant, you know?”

Seven muttered something unintelligible in a tone that was a mixture of impatience and strength, but this in turn got Fuuka on her nerves.

“We're no match for you guys…… Is that what you're saying? Well, then you'll just have us learn about it firsthand.”

She gave him an icy stare, and a cold sweat ran down her spine.

(GYAAAH! This is BAD! Will I, die!?)

Despite Seven's efforts, Shirley, on the other side, had Yoshida and Azusa at her mercy with her speed.

“Tsk, her speed is tricky.”

“I can't get a clear shot with this thing!”

Shirley's attack was focused on Yoshida. Was it because the beast's instincts were sniffing out which of them was the stronger? Azusa also tried to provide cover fire, but she was unable to catch the beast-like Shirley.

“What’s the matter, NDF!? I knew it, you're just a bunch of cowards who can only take on the weak, right!?”

Shirley's claws sliced through Yoshida's cheek.

“Kuh!?”

“Naru, are you alright!?”

Yoshida told off a worried Azusa that she was fine by waving her hand. She then scooped the blood from her cheek with hand, licked it off and grinned.

“You made me bleed……apparently, you want to die.”

Yoshida's mood changed. Shirley, too, instinctively sensed this and stopped moving.

“I was really hoping I could get away without using my gift…… But I guess I can't say that now.”

Yoshida's body reddened and steam began to boil. Then, her muscles swelled up and her appearance changed to the muscular and bony form that she had when she was called the strongest female in the primate family.

“Fushururururuu~~. Now, come at me, little kitten.”

Yoshida's gift, ‘Burning Blood’, is a rank B gift.

She can control her own blood, doubling the strength of her physical abilities, and can even use her blood to attack.

With this amount of control, she is usually able to maintain a well-proportioned figure, but when she enters full combat mode, she reverts to her previous form.

“Kitten, you say? Don’t you fuck with me!”

Shirley distracted her with speed and attacked Yoshida from behind.

“I can see you!”

Yoshida, however, reacted to Shirley's movement and blocked the attack.

“Tsk, the government is..aaaAaAaAAAAH!”

Shirley and Yoshida engaged in a fierce battle. Seven watched the scene in stunned silence.

(I was going to ask Shirley to help me, but what the hell is that monster? I mean, how can you fight on even ground with Shirley, who's one step away from Numbers’ level!?)

“I can't believe you're looking away, you have a lot of leeway on your hands it seems.”

“Eh? Ah, OWAH-!?”

As Seven jumped back in panic, a kamaitachi arose where Seven had previously been standing and tore up the ground.

“Come, Kuroyume Number 7. You can’t play around forever, get serious.”

(I'm pretty sure I'd lose in three seconds even if I really tried)

“Then you'll have to deal with me this time!”

When Okubo, a fierce women's boxer, swung her fist at him from ten meters away, Seven was hit in the nose and fell.

(BUHA-!? Why am I punched when I’m so far away? No way, it's a gift!?)

Okubo's gift, ‘Mach Fist’, is ranked at B- that allows her to send shock waves with her extremely fast punches.

“? ……Are you looking down on me? Get serious.”

Seven went down with a thud, and Fuuka thought he was joking and she felt she was being mocked. But……

(HIIH, HIIH, I'm getting killed! These people, they're so strong despite being women!)

The number 7 of Kuroyume, Seven. It is not an exaggeration to say that his fighting ability is that of......a small fry, to put it bluntly.

But then, why is he the Number 7 of Kuroyume? That’s because……

“Shit~, you got some nerve! Here I come, ’Lucky Seven’ activate!!”

Seven activated his gift. However, there was no change in his body. He then picked up an iron pipe that had fallen on the spot in distress and started running towards Okubo.

“What? That’s too defenseless, right? As if I will let you come near me!”

As Seven approached, Okubo lashed out with a Mach Punch, and countless shock waves approached Seven.

(HIIIIIH! I AM SCAREDDDDDD!!)

“……eh, wha-?”

At that very moment, Seven's foot slipped on the banana peel that Shirley had just thrown away and he lost his balance, thus avoiding the shockwave. However, he was unable to stop the momentum and approached Okubo, still off balance……

“Wha-! GYAAAH!”

Seven had fallen forward but the iron pipe that he swung down hit Okubo cleanly on the brain. Okubo was knocked unconscious.

Fuuka, watching the scene, once again strengthened her vigilance against Seven.

(That move was completely unpredictable……. Normally, there would always be a preliminary movement, whether it's to avoid or to counter, but……)

Seven took a spectacular fall but he was relieved that he defeated Okubo without incident, and stood up in a cool manner.

“Hmph, what’s the matter, NDF? Is this what you're capable of? How can you expect me to take you seriously?!”

“Kuh……”

Fuuka bit her lip, Watanabe and Kondo also became angry and frustrated from seeing Okubo beaten.

Seven's gift, Lucky Seven, was an unparalleled gift, ranked at X. The benefits of this gift made Seven a little luckier than others even when he wasn't activating his gift but the effects of this gift would be realized when he activated it.

During the first seven minutes of the Gift's activation, an unbelievable amount of luck descends upon Seven. He doesn't know if this is a bad thing or not, but it seems that for a while after the gift is activated, his luck will go down (according to him).

(Now that I've activated the gift, I'll have to settle this as fast as I can……)

“Now, bring it on, girls! This handsome man, beloved by God, will show you what it is to be a real man!”

Incidentally, Seven's appearance is only mediocre, for better or worse.

Author’s Note:

Fuuka is struck by an inexplicable and strange feeling in the face of the unfathomable Seven.

Next chapter:『Lucky Seven』

※Here's the sixth interview to celebrate the publication of the book.

Takahiko: "It's been less than a week since the book was released! So today we have a special guest, the boss of Kuroyume, Shinichirou Kiryu~!”

Kiryu: "Yo.”

Takahiko: "Ah, no, boss. Don't just say, ‘Yo’ here. You should introduce yourself.”

Kiryu: "You already did my part, no?”

Takahiko: "Well, yes, but ...... Oh well. So let's get some feedback on the book version, shall we?”

Kiryu: "Book publishing, huh……. Ever since you announced that your work is going to be published as a book, it seems that your updates on Narou have been delayed for quite some time. Don't you think this is disrespectful to the readers who have been reading this work since the beginning?”[1]

Takahiko: "UG-!? ……that, well…… I'm sure there’s a lot of work to prepare for a book publication, isn’t it?”

Kiryu: "I see. So you're more interested in making money from the book sales than the fans who are reading and yet to abandon this series?”

Takahiko: "NONONO! There’s no such thing! I'm sure the author is very grateful to his fans. He is trying to update as much as possible……wait, why am I speaking up for the author!?”

Kiryu: "It's certainly a great thing to have your work published. However, I'm sure you've seen works in the past that stopped being updated on Narou the moment they were published. How did you feel whenever you encountered such works?”

Takahiko: "That's, well…… ‘Just because your work is published, are you going to heck care your free work in Narou?’, I WOULD think like that.”

Kiryu: "Then, I have one thing to say. Even if your work is published, don’t be tardy. That's it. Bye.”

Takahiko: "…………He has always been a boss that likes to give sermons~……Sigh. Well then, tomorrow's guest is……I don't care who it is, as long as it's not boss.”

<<Prev 

Next>> 

TL’s Note:

1. Narou is short name for syosetsu from syosetsuka ni narou which literally means let’s become a (light) novelist.

The Raven Dark Hero 103

Chapter 103 : The Man Who Broke the Wall

TL:SummerPeanut

“GUGYAAAAAAH!!”

In Shibuya, Kameyama was wrapped in the magma of Jiren, screaming in desperation.

“Do you understand now? This is the difference in power between us, Kuroyume Numbers, and you, the four heavenly kings of Kagerou.”

Jiren was bewildered by Kameyama's unpredictable moves in the beginning but he quickly responded and stopped Kameyama with ease.

“God dammit~……as expected. I'll admit defeat……. But, this war, we, the Kagerou……will win……”

With the last of his strength, Kameyama pulled out a switch from the inside of his shell and pressed the button.

“Kh! Shit!”

At the same time that Jiren instantly put up a barrier of flame on his body, a large explosion occurred.

The bomb exploded on the seventh floor of the sixteen-story Rosean Building and was powerful enough to collapse the building from the seventh floor up.

The shock of the explosion subsided……. Jiren, unharmed, jumped over to the next building and looked at the crumbling Rosean Building.

“……I've made a bad move. I didn't think he would be able to detonate it……”

Then, several police cars and armored vehicles of the NDF arrived and surrounded the building.

“This is bad. If I stay here any longer, I’ll be made the bomb terrorist.”

Jiren left while the NDF was distracted by the exploding building.

(There's no point in regretting it. Let's go to the next place.)

――Skytree Ruins

A bomb threat had caused panic in Shinto Kyoto. The armored vehicles of the NDF arrived at one of the bomb sites, the former Skytree in Roppongi, as if to go against the crowd of people trying to escape the city center as quickly as possible.

The skytree was snapped off from XX meters above the ground during the 2X2X phenom attack, and remained like that until today.

“A bombing in Tokyo……”

One hundred and sixty soldiers get out of the armored car. The last one to disembark was Hiro Sanada, commander of the NDF's Byakkotai.

“Captain, there's a lot of mixed information about this case but do you really think it's the work of Kuroyume?”

Sagara, the second-in-command of the Byakkotai, asked Hiro.

“I wonder……. Kuroyume has been appealing to society's good books lately. I don't think there's much merit to this bombing, normally speaking.”

“So, is it really a case of Kagerou trying to undermine Kuroyume?”

Hiro looked up at the Sky Tree.

“We'll know that when we get there.”

The elevator was already out of service so someone was looking down on the Byakkotai from the upper floors of the Skytree as they began to ascend the stairs.

“Tsk, I was waiting for Kuroyume but the NDF got here first. That's troublesome.”

“That's right. Why don't we just detonate the bomb and get out of here?”

Skull and Joker. Formerly members of Kuroyume, now of Kagerou, the Dangerous Duo were entrusted with the task of placing bombs in Roppongi.

“……Hmm? Hey, Joker, that guy, doesn't he look familiar?”

“Hmm? ……Ahh, that guy, the one from that time……”

Skull and Joker remembered Hiro, who had given them a hard time along with a mysterious man that day during the attack on the shopping mall.

“Kukukuh, It's a good opportunity. I failed to kill him that time. Time to make it up.”

In Skull's mind, Hiro was only the reputed young soldier with insufficient skills as long as he’s alone. But Joker…

“……That guy, somehow I feel like he’s wearing a different atmosphere now. I have a bad feeling about this……”

Joker had noticed a change in Hiro. Hiro was no ordinary young man of the NDF but he had acquired an aura that only the fiercest warriors of the past could have…….

“What are you scared of? Then let's give it a try. Hey, you guys, let's give them a fancy welcome.”

On Skull's orders, twenty Kagerou soldiers attacked the Byakkotai.

“Incoming! It's the filths!”

The Byakkotai, which had been climbing inside the Sky Tree, reacted quickly to Kagerou soldiers’ attacks under Sagara's command.

Although Kagerou’s troops outnumbered members of Byakkotai, they were no match to the squad that had received strict training under Sagara’s command. One by one, they were being subdued.

Then, countless thorns were unleashed. The thorns attacked friend and foe indiscriminately, piercing several of the shimmering soldiers.

“Everyone, on alert!”

When Sagara gave the order, all the members of the team took defensive stances and looked in the direction of the flying thorns.

“Welcome, trash of NDF!”

It was Skull who appeared. He was clearly different from the rest of Kagerou soldiers, with his strong presence.

Looking at the Skull, Hiro was also reminded of that day.

“You are…… from that time.”

“Yo, newbie!  It's been a long time……I'm not gonna let you live this time, okay?”

At that point in time, Skull was so powerful that Hiro could never match. He was also the one who had reminded him of the bitter experience of himself causing Kouki's existence to die because of his own uselessness.

“If you guys are here, does that mean that Kuroyume was the one who led this attack?”

In Hiro's mind, Skull and Joker were still considered members of Kuroyume.

“So it IS Kuroyume…… alright, all teams, spread out and surround the enemy…… what!?”

As Sagara tried to surround the Skull, he realized that his legs were entangled in the sticky liquid and he could not move. The same was true for the rest of the Byakkotai.

From behind a pillar, the Joker emerged.

“Welcome to the world of Devil Illusion.”

“Kuh!? What is this green liquid?!”

The green sticky liquid was also clinging to Hiro's legs. He had seen this ability before but this time there was no sense of panic in him at all.

“World・Master……”

In the next moment, the liquid disappeared in an instant and the restraints on the troopers were released.

“Heyheyhey, what are you doing, Joker!?”

“What? How could my illusion……”

Hiro smiled at Skull and Joker who were both upset by the sudden turn of events.

“I’ve seen this technique before. Looks like I’m being severely underestimated. Do you think the same move will work over and over again?”

“Tsk, so it’s you, newbie~”

“Wait, I knew it, he's not the same guy as before. I think we should retreat here……”

But Skull didn't listen to Joker's warning and started running towards Hiro.

“I'll show you your place!!”

Countless thorns were shot at Hiro. But……

“My place, huh……. It's true that if I had known my own worth back then, the future might have been different……. But unfortunately, the you right now don’t have the right to do so.”

When Hiro held out his hand towards the thorns, they changed direction and all went back towards Skull.

“WHA-!? UGYAAAAH!!”

Skull was……cruelly skewered all over his body by the thorns he had released and collapsed.

“Skull!? What the hell happened, just now!”

Joker shouted incomprehensibly as Skull had fallen due to his own ability.

“Now then, next is your turn, illusionist.”

Joker realized that his bad premonition had come true. Hiro was no longer the recruit he had been back then. He has become much more powerful than he could have been in a year.

(Are you kidding me? That new recruit according to my gut feeling…… it’s telling me that he's on par with Kiryu or Bright.)

At this point, the originally apathetic Joker might have chosen to flee at once. But Joker did not choose to run away at this moment.

(To get out of this situation, just running away is a bad idea. Even if I tried to escape normally, I wouldn't be able to escape from that new recruit anyway. Then…)

“Hmm……I know it's not in character, but there’s no other way. This Joker will show you the illusion of life.”

The Joker took out ten knives from his chest. Then, tossed them at once towards Hiro.

“You want to go through what your partner went through?”

Hiro dominated Joker's attack and pointed the knives back at Joker, just like he did to Skull earlier. But the Joker pulled out a cloak from his chest and covered his entire body. Then……

“He disappeared?”

A knife sliced through the unmanned cloak and passed through. Joker had disappeared from the scene.

Then suddenly Joker appeared behind Hiro and swung the knife down.

(You’re dead!)

He swung the knife down with conviction. But Hiro, too, had vanished from the scene…….

“……Wha-? He disappeared!?”

When Hiro disappeared and his attack came up empty, Hiro, who has been behind him for some time, mutters in the ear of the astonished Joker.

“I just did the same thing back. It’s just that, with a different process, I guess.”

The Joker felt a chill run down his spine. He thought he might die.

Joker used the Devil Illusion to make himself disappear using his invisibility cloak. The effect lasted about five seconds so he dashed around behind Hiro, but Hiro used World Master to stop time.

(Stopping time is difficult and most importantly, inefficient. But as long as I can stop it for just one second, I can change the course of the war.)

The World Master is the ability to literally control every object in the world……even the very situation itself. However, depending on what you control, the stamina consumption will vary, as will the duration, and the effects.

For example, it doesn't take much stamina to dominate a gift or an object that is less skilled than you.

When it comes to controlling humans, controlling those with high combat ability and mental strength is more difficult and less effective.

And controlling a situation is the most difficult, with a limit of one second to stop time.

Stopping time, depending on the training, the duration could be extended. However, Hiro had decided that it would be more efficient to develop his other powers if he was going to spend the effort on that.

(One second of stopping time would not be enough to break down Bright's defenses. It would take five years of training alone to extend by even one second longer. So I’ll have to strengthen other parts more.)

“Well then, so long, illusionist.”

Hiro's hand blade struck the Joker in the neck. Joker collapsed like a puppet with broken strings.

However, Hiro felt something strange about the fallen Joker and put his hand on it to check……

“……Hmm? This, it's really a doll!?”

“What do you think of my Devil's Illusion?”

When he responded to the voice from above, he saw Skull and Joker standing there.

“Wha-, you shits, I thought you killed yourself earlier with your own attack……”

Indeed, Skull had fallen under his own attack by Hiro's gift. So Sagara shouted in surprise at the unharmed Skull.

“It's my gift. I can erase it as quickly as I can! You amateurs! I'm gonna kill all of you!”

Skull was cunningly looking for an opening, luring him off guard by showing him that his thorns had pierced him.

Joker had prepared to die, but only for a moment, and while Hiro was about to stop the time, he had created his own substitute.

As a result, Hiro became impressed with Skull and Joker who were still unharmed. And……

“……Most Dangerous, huh. At that time, I thought I was just inexperienced, but I see what they mean. You guys aren't just a bunch of ruffians. I should change my evaluation of you two……”

Hiro's eyes, which up until now had exuded the composure; the characteristic of the strong, though he had not been caught off guard, completely changed to the eyes of a hunter. At that moment, Joker pulled on Skull and leaped into the air, riding away on the flying surfboard he had pulled out of his chest…….

While flying, the unconvinced Skull questioned Joker.

“Joker, you shit! Why are we running away?!”

In contrast to the angry Skull, Joker was shivering from the cold sweat running down his body.

“Skull, you should be thanking me. If we'd escaped even one second later……We'd all be dead right now.”

“Huh? What are you saying, you fucker. Sure, that new recruit was getting frighteningly strong, but……”

Joker didn't hide his annoyance at Skull, who although acknowledged Hiro, still didn't feel threatened by him.

“Know your place, Skull. There are two people in this world that I would never want to fight. That's the boss…… Kiryu, and THAT Bright. They are ‘man who broke the wall’ that no one else could ever reach. But today…… another guy managed to get on to the list.”

Joker was so different from his usual self that even Skull changed his opinion of Hiro.

“Is, is he really……”

“It is better to think that we were perhaps the one percent winners to have survived. From now on, that new recruit……Or was it Sanada? If we run into that guy, we'll run away without a single word.”

Hiro, on the other hand, was inwardly furious at himself for letting Skull and Joker go. He was angry at himself for being so disappointing.

“……It can't help what I’ve let them go away. As soon as we find the bomb, we'll be on our way to the next location.”

But he didn't show any of his emotions as he took command. For he was the captain of the squad right then, and if he gets upset, it will affect the whole squad.

……Kirara, the number 9 of the Kuroyume Numbers, was observing this scene with her own gift.

(That guy…… he’s bad news. I don't think I'll be able to beat him. ……But he's pretty good-looking.)

While targeting Hiro in many ways, Kirara was also moving to another location.

Author’s Note:

Number 7, ‘Seven’ is finally unveiled. The one to intercept them is the Hanagekitai led by Fuuka!

Next time:『The Man Loved by God』

※Here's the fifth interview to celebrate the publication of the book.

Takahiko: “Yo, Hiro. Long time no see.”

Hiro: “Ahh, indeed.”

Takahiko: “Regardless of everything, thanks to you the comment section has always been chaotic, don’t you think~?”

Hiro: “Urgh…You're really going for it.”

Takahiko: “I mean, even in this chapter you're really giving off the aura of a powerful guy in this story. Even though you were such a scumbag character.”

Hiro: “……somehow, I’m sorry.”

Takahiko: “I'm tired of making announcements all the time, so today I've made a special effort to ask the author how Hiro ended up in his current position in this series.”

Hiro: “Eh? That’s quite curious. I've always wondered that myself. If they're going to make me a rival, why was I such a jerk in the beginning?”

Takahiko: “That's the thing, though. When the author was writing the first chapter, he hadn't thought about what he was going to do with you yet. That's why he was trying to make you a perfect role that could turn out to be both righteous and evil.”

Hiro: “Was that the case? No, it turned out to be righteous but the criticism came because it was subtle, not exquisite……”

Takahiko: “Don't say that. The author regrets it too. In fact, at the time of the meeting with Bright in Shiroyume, at the beginning of the story, he was even thinking of having Hiro die. He seriously considered about it.”

Hiro: “Ahh…That's when I went a little crazy…”

Takahiko: “Yeah. But, he said that when he finished writing it, it turned out that way. You did a great job in your own way.”

Hiro: “There, I was just…, I was so self-conscious…”

Takahiko: “Well, You yourself were just barely able to hold on to your rival's position. I've heard that if the second volume ever makes it into print, your character will be heavily revised.”

Hiro: “Oh, then I'll definitely have to read the second volume!”

Takahiko: “To that end! As I'm sure you've all figured out by now, sales of the first volume are crucial!”

Hiro: “Please! Make me a rival who isn't a scum!”

Takahiko: “With that~being said, if you haven't made a reservation yet, do it now! So, tomorrow's guest... who will it be? See you tomorrow!”

Hiro: “I'm hoping the web version will eventually fix my description…”

Takahiko: “Ah, about that, he said he'll think about it when the book is canceled.”

Hiro: “Ugh…That makes me feel even more complicated! Then the me in web version can stay as a piece of crap!”

Takahiko: “He's also showing off the book's cover illustration on Twitter, so if you'd like do follow him, please do! The account is silver@17678125! See you tomorrow~!”

<<Prev 

Next>> 

The Raven Dark Hero 102

Chapter 102 : The Summit Battle Begins

TL:SummerPeanut

『……Regarding the bombing terror happening, Kuroyume has not interfered in any way. The whole thing is an act of Kagerou's own making and an act to humiliate us, Kuroyume. We, the filths, cannot allow this despicable act to go unpunished. Currently, our members are on their way to disarm bombs in various places……』

In response to the Kagerou, a statement was also issued from the Kuroyume side.

However, the opponents, who had been overwhelmed by the supporters of Kuroyume, now began to loudly proclaim how harmful the filths were through SNS and the media.

“Kukukuh, after all, the people are stupid. I never thought they'd be so easily provoked.”

――Shibuya. Kameyama, one of the four heavenly kings, was waiting for Kuroyume's arrival in front of the bomb with five of his own soldiers while calling Kanbe, another member of the four heavenly kings.

As for Kagero, they had thought that the statement in this terrorist attack would only be profitable if it caused even a slight loss of trust in Kuroyume, so the current public opinion movement was more than they had expected.

……Of course, from the shimmering side, Kanbe took the lead in sending out opinions on social media to discredit Kuroyume and encourage public opinion.

『That's right. But considering the extent of the damage to their credibility, then maybe Kuroyume's campaign to improve their image wasn't really that effective. Did I overestimate them too much?』

On the other end of the phone, Kanbe, the man who came up with the media control strategy, was satisfied that the strategy was more effective than he had imagined.

“Now then, I wonder where they’ll show up first~, those Kuroyume-san. If Jiren would just show up, my arms would be ringing in joy.”

『The only number currently in New Tokyo is Jiren. But he's probably going to spread his forces across all the bomb sites, so there's no guarantee that he'll come to you. But even if he does, we'll have to wait and see, right?』

“Don't be a cheapskate. Will Jiren come~ or not~……eh, whoa!?”

Suddenly, a ball of flame hit Kameyama.

“They’re here! Looks like I hit the jackpot. I'm hanging up the phone!!”

Jiren appeared in front of Kameyama's eyes.

“The four heavenly kings, Kameyama……. I'm sorry but I'm gonna have to kill you instantly.”

As soon as he said that, Jiren wrapped his fists in flames and started running towards Kameyama.

“I couldn’t ask for more! Come at me!!”

Kameyama's appearance changed. His body became larger, his whole body turned green, and he carried a huge shell on his back. Kameyama, who had become a man-turtle, used the shell to firmly guard Jiren's fist.

“……Tsk. As expected, it’s hard.”

“GAHAHAHAHAH! Let’s see if you can break down my ironclad defense!”

Kameyama's gift, the ‘Phantom Turtle’. It's a rank B gift that allows one to transform his body into a turtle.

Kameyama jumped up, retracted his neck and limbs into its shell in midair, and attacked Jiren with a sharp sideways turn.

“Tsk, you're faster than I thought.”

Jiren evaded the shell but the turtle shell continued to fly in all directions. The power of the blow was greater than that of a dump truck hitting you at a speed of 100 km/h. If he took it directly, even Jiren would take a lot of damage.

“GUHAHAHAHAH! What’s the matter? If you keep running, the bomb's gonna go off!”

Jiren pondered while avoiding.

(This movement, it looks like maybe he’s not in control of it. But that's why it's so hard to read. It's hard to hit it with an attack and it looks pretty solid……Well, maybe not as hard as the boss.)

The Phantom Turtle is a Gift ranked at B but it must have been very suitable with Kameyama. With a steady increase in proficiency, it had grown into a very useful gift.

“HEYHEYHEYHEYーH! If you don't avoid it, you're deadー!”

“……Tsk, don't get too conceited, this muscle-for-brain.”

――Kuroyume North Kanto Branch

“Tsk……What's with all these shadows!”

In the North Kanto branch of Kuroyume one of the Numbers, Vendetta, was struggling against attacks by Kirisame’s Shadow Soldiers.

“Sheesh~! My gift won't work against shadows! What a terrible match!”

Vendetta's gift, the Nightmare Lure, is the ability to create illusions in a target but since the target is a shadow; not even a living being. It was impossible to create an illusion in a shadow.

“Hahaha! Even the mighty Vendetta seems to be helpless against the shadow army the boss has created!”

As Vendetta struggled, ‘Zarko’, a member of the Kagerou who had been following as the shadows’ escort, shouted in triumph.[1]

“……you really know how to move your tongue. Although, my gift wasn't the only thing that made me a Numbers.”

Vendetta's expression changed. Like a cold-blooded queen…….

A shadow attacked Vendetta who was standing motionless. This shadow was a man who had been a major in the NDF before his death, a man of considerable combat prowess and excellence.

“Hmph!!”

However, the shadow disappeared after being hit by Vendetta's spinning kick.

“Even if I can't use illusions, I'm probably not far from Jiren when it comes to physical combat without using gift”

Zarko was astonished by Vendetta's ability to assassinate the shadow.

“Wha-! That shadow was a pretty good one too……”

“Fufufuh, have you forgotten who you've been fighting with? We're Kuroyume, remember? Take a look around you.”

When Zarko was told, he looked around and saw that all the shadows had disappeared and several members of Kuroyume were standing there instead.

“Wha-……wi, wiped out?”

"Within Kuroyume, there are a lot of people who are as good as your four heavenly kings. It's not just the Numbers. Do you understand now?”

“Uugh…… DAMMIT!!”

Zako started to flee immediately. There were only enough transfer stones for a one-way trip, so he had to escape on his own.

(What a mess……! The four heavenly kings said that the boss's shadow would be a good match against her but they're no match at all! What bullshit!)

“!?”

Suddenly, Zarko's legs became heavy. When he looked down at his feet, he saw that the shadows that had been erased were holding onto Zarko's legs.

“What the hell!?”

“……NO ESCAPE……Put it down……COWARD……”

The shadow, which should not be speaking, spoke to Zako with a grudge.

“HIIH! What the hell is wrong with these shadows!”

Zako tried to shake off the shadow with all his might, but it kept disappearing and reappearing, clinging to his legs and refusing to leave.

“GIVE ME YOUR BODY!!”

“Wha-……GYAAAAAH!!”

A shadow entered Zarko's body through his mouth. One shadow, and then two shadows……

“AGOGOGOGORGH……”

As a result, Zarko fell down with the whites of his eyes…….

Vendetta comes under the fallen Zarko.

“What an idiot. Even if my gift doesn't work on shadows, it works on you. What do you think? In your eyes, did I look like I was struggling at first?”

Vendetta's initial struggle with the shadows was also a vision that Zarko had dreamed. As a result, the other members of Kuroyume were able to defeat the shadow without Zarko noticing but even if Vendetta hadn't used her gift on Zarko, the result would have been the same.

“It doesn't change the fact that even if my gift doesn't work on shadows. And since you're the only one I've given a nightmare to, you should be grateful.”

The members of Kuroyume gathered under Vendetta.

“Anyway, I'll fly to headquarters right away. You guys can defend this place just in case.”

She then took out a transfer stone from her chest and threw it into the air.

(Kagero seems to be serious this time, so we can't be too careful……)

ーーKuroyume Headquarters

When Vendetta transitioned to the headquarters, the Numbers that had already scattered to the other branches to fight off the shadows that had attacked their respective branches were already gathered there.

“Aren’t you too slow, Vendetta-GUGEH!?”

When Crow, who was the first to arrive out of the Numbers said so with much pride, Kirara's iron fist flew at him from the side and he was violently blown away.

“Don’t talk to dearest sister like that, I’ll hit you.”

But she'd already hit him……No one said anything. Ignoring him, Chronos, the number three, approached Vendetta.

“You were fooling around again, weren't you? Good grief……”

Chronos was forty-nine years old, older than Jiren in terms of age. However, he still looked to be around 30, and he wore his fluffy hair in a ponytail. Now that Kiryu had left, he was the oldest amongst Numbers.

“Was it that obvious? Anyway, it's been a long time, Chronos-sensei. I've been worried about you since you rarely poke out of Hokkaido.”

“Hahaha, I'm not so far gone for you to be worried about me, you know?”

Before Chronos was stationed in Hokkaido, he was the one who was supposed to be the educator of the Kuroyume members. That’s why Vendetta respected him so much that he was the only one other than Kiryu that she uses honorifics towards.

“Geez~ Those Kagerou bunches, trying to pick a fight with us in earnest now, what a pain in the ass~”

Numbers Seven, ‘Seven’……a man with wheat-colored skin and a careless hairstyle that extended to his chest, muttered absently.

“It's been a long time, Seven. I've heard you've been spending your days lazying in the tropicals.”

“Hmm? That’s rude. Even if I'm not here, the other members of the Okinawa branch are very strong. And there's also less trouble than on the mainland.”

Vendetta looked at Seven and thought that having a boss who can't do anything is probably the most important factor in an employee's growth.

“Now that we have all the Numbers in the country, I'll have you guys head out to disarm the bomb YO.”

After saying thus, Line put a purple cloth bag in his hand.

“The dimensional bag……. That's where you put the bomb.”

“That's the thing. You're not professionals so you can't disarm the bomb on the spot, right? If you put something in this bag, it'll stop its time temporarily.”

A dimensional bag. The inside of this bag is cut off from the outside world, and all flow of time is stopped. The size of the bag is that of a supermarket plastic bag but it can be expanded and contracted to a certain extent to accommodate a single human being.

Incidentally, the bags are made using Chronos's gift.

“Right now Jiren is already on his way to the scene, so you guys better get moving YO.”

“Dear me, to think that we are being put on the back foot by the likes of Kagero. Should I return to headquarters? After this is over, I'll give you guys a good beating from the bottom up all over again.”

At Chronos's words, everyone in the room turned pale.

“……We-well, that can wait until we see the results of this case, can't it? Hey, Seven.”

“Oh, I'm going back to Okinawa as soon as this matter is settled!”

“Chronos-sensei’s lessons……I definitely won’t let that happen!”

“Ouch ouch ouch……. Oh! Chronos-sensei, I'll take any kind of punishment you can throw at me!”

Only one of them seemed to have regained his nerve, but the rest of the team vowed to avoid the lessons and headed towards the scene.

Author’s Note:

The NDF is on the move to put down the bombing. Hiro heads to the ruins of the Sky Tree, one of the terror scenes, and is reunited with the two men he has a history with…….

Next time:『The Man Who Broke the Wall』

※Here is the fourth interview to commemorate the book launch.

Takahiko: “I'm here! Today marks the fourth interview in celebration of the book release. Today's guest is the main heroine's opponent, Teaser!”

Teaser: “Wait, what do you mean, ‘main heroine’? I'm not trying to be one though?”

Takahiko: “You're not being honest~. Now then, in the first volume of the book, it seems that you're getting a lot more showtime than me, right?”

Teaser: “That's right. I don't care what you think about me, but expect to see more of Yoger and Mist.”

Takahiko: “Those two were good characters, weren't they? I'm glad to see you're getting more time with them.”

Teaser: “Ara? We didn't have much contact with you, did we? Even I only started talking to you after you became partners with Bright-kun.”

Takahiko: “Please don’t care about the tiny details! Anyway, I haven’t gotten to the important question. What do you think of the book version?”

Teaser: “Thoughts, huh…. I'm only a supporting character, and unlike Kouki and Fuuka, I don't have really have the right to voice my thoughts.”

Takahiko: “Well…If you just look at the first volume, Teaser has more showtime than Fuuka, so readers who just read this will think Teaser is the main heroine, right? It seems like they're adding that kind of description.”

Teaser: “Nonsense, I'm a supporting cast. I know my place.”

Takahiko: “There are a lot of works where the character who says that goes on a giant-killing against the main heroine in the end~”

Teaser: “Fufufu…well, whatever will be will be.”

Takahiko: (This woman, It's not all bad, huh?)

Teaser: “Anyway, it's great that the book is being published. I hope as many people as possible will actually pick it up and read it!”

Takahiko: “I know, I know. As I said the other day, the author’s really adding a lot of new stuff. I think you'll enjoy it even if you don't change the axis of the story and then reread it all over again from the beginning.”

Teaser: “Is that so? If that's the case, I'm guessing Volume 2 will have a lot of additions as well.”

Takahiko: “Of course! But for that to happen, the sales of the first volume are crucial. So, the first volume of The Raven Dark Hero can already be pre-ordered online at various sites, so please buy it where you can! Of course, if you see it at your local bookstore, get it immediately! ......Huh? I think this is the first time I've been able to promote it properly.”

Teaser: “A good supporting cast never misses the point.”

Takahiko: “Hohh…As expected of a capable woman, how different from the norm!”

Teaser: “Well, my work here is done, good bye~”

Takahiko: “Oh-owh…… A good woman hates waste. Tomorrow's guest, who you probably don't want to see, will be our protagonist rival, Sanada Hiro! Looking forward to working with you”

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TL’s note:

1. A homonym for scrubs in japanese.

The Raven Dark Hero 101

Chapter 101 : Bomb Terror

TL:SummerPeanut

Author’s Note:

※This is the celebrated 100th chapter of the series![1]

There are six branches of Kuroyume in addition to the headquarters. Hokkaido, Miyagi, Ibaraki, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Okinawa, but the Sendai branch in Miyagi Prefecture has already been destroyed.

The remaining five branches have their own Numbers deployed and are preparing for the attack by Kagerou.

In Hokkaido, there is the number three, Chronos, who is also known as the "Ruler of the dimension."

At the North Kanto branch in Ibaraki Prefecture was the number 4, Vendetta, and the number 6, Evil, who was scheduled to join them upon his return.

At the Kansai Branch in Osaka Prefecture is Number 8’s usual home base, Crow, and Number 10, Teaser, who was scheduled to join them when she returns.

Number 9’s home base, Kirara, is at the Kyushu Branch in Fukuoka Prefecture.

Number 7, Seven, also known as ‘The Man Loved by God’ is stationed at the Okinawa branch in Okinawa Prefecture.

Number 2, Jiren, who is stationed at the headquarters, and Number 1, Bright, was scheduled to join him after returning to Japan.

Although they are scattered in different places, they plan to immediately transfer to the attacked area by maintaining communication with each other.

This was an advantage of Kuroyume’s, as they were the only ones in Japan who could freely use this transfer capability, which even the NDF did not have at their disposal.

――Kagerou Headquarters

In the room of the boss, Kirisame with the four heavenly kings, the pride of Kagerou, were all there.

Kaburagi Takashi, the leader of the four heavenly kings and the second in line to Kirisame.

‘The Destroyer’,『Kameyama Yasufumi』.

‘The Savant’『Kanbe Mitsuhiro』.

‘The Assassin’『Kai Hiromi』.

“The time has come!!”

The other members of the four heavenly kings nodded vigorously as Kaburagi shouted to inspire them.

“Finally, we can kill all those nuisances of Kuroyume!”

Kameyama, a muscular man, exclaimed happily.

“I've been disgusted at their recent behavior……. But it was a fortuitous event for us where our members increased thanks to them. As expected the filths have to act like the filths.”

Kanbe, exuding intellectual air, smiled with a freakishly as he adjusted his glasses.

“……I guess we can finally beat the damned Kuroyume……. It's a pity Bright isn't here but it would be interesting to show him how the organization was destroyed when he came back.”

Kai, as an assassin should, said her piece without any change in her expression. She seemed to have a special animosity towards Bright.

“We'll move according to plan. The preparations are already made, all we have to do is pull the trigger. If things go according to our plan, Kuroyume's side will surely fall behind, but be careful. Boss, please.”

“……Ahh, as planned, I'll send 10 of my shadows to each of Kuroyume's branches. I'm sure this will disperse Kuroyume's forces a bit.”

As he said this, Kirisame opened a box at his feet and took out countless transfer stones from it.

“These transfer stones are still in the experimental stage by the NDF but it's already been tested and cleared, so it should be fine. Now, I want you all to head out to the battlefield.”

Kuroyume is able to mass-produce transfer stones due to the fact that they have transfer-type gifted but since transfer-type gifted are rare, other organizations are greatly inferior to Kuroyume in terms of mobility.

However, the NDF has conducted its own research and succeeded in creating a transfer stone. The created transfer stone has already passed several tests and was used by Gonda in the campaign to defeat Shiroyume a year ago.

“It’s finally here, isn’t it……boss.”

Kaburagi's expression tightened even more.

This operation had been planned for half a year. With the change in Kuroyume, the position of the filths had changed too, and the public was beginning to believe that the filths were not all outlaws.

However, Kagerou objected to this change in Kuroyume. The filths should do whatever they want, and the filths must remain filths to keep the underworld running smoothly, or so Kagerou argued.

Still, they were up against one of the most powerful organizations in the world, Kuroyume. The boss Kiryu alone was a big nuisance and now there was even a monster named Bright. The other numbers of Kuroyume were all very accomplished in their own rights and they could not be simply disregarded.

The situation changed when the filths who did not agree with Kiryu's ideas left Kuroyume, and most of them drifted to Kagerou, making them even in terms of numbers.

From then on, the timing was everything. Even if they were evenly matched in terms of numbers, Kuroyume's individual abilities were probably still superior. At the very least, when Kiryu and Bright weren't around, they were looking for that opportunity.

“We, the Kagerou, will repaint over this world where we can't even do what we want……”

Kaburagi muttered, emitting a green aura from his palm.

“I'm going to destroy everything!”

Kameyama clasped his fists together and get into the spirit.

“Well, well, well. Let's be smart here and take control of this country.”

Kobe smiled nihilistically as he crossed his arms.

“Who is the best assassin…… I will show them clearly.”

Kai's face was expressionless, but her eyes are filled with murderous intent.

“It's showtime.”

With Kirisame's voice, countless humanoid and phenom shadows appeared behind him.

“Kuroyume will be effectively destroyed today. Well then, I wish you all good luck.”

At Kirisame's command, the shadows all at once, the Kagerou finally begin to move.

――Kuroyume Headquarters.

Line, who was checking the radar monitors in the operation control room, was surprised to see one of the monitors, a corner of an office building in the central area of Tokyo, explode.

“This is…… A terror!? Could it be, Kagerou…… but why? Those guys, are they not trying to attack us!?”

The monitors are capturing a total of one hundred locations all over the country. Naturally, in preparation for the Kagerou's attack, they had been checking for any changes, but they hadn't expected to find anything unusual in a place that had nothing to do with either their headquarters or branch offices.

Then, the monitor showed that the surface broadcasting signal was hijacked and Kaburagi, the number two of the Kagerou appeared on it.

『Good day, citizens of New Tokyo. This is Kaburagi of Kagerou speaking……』

Jiren, who was looking at the monitor as well as the line, clicked his tongue as if he sensed something.

“Kaburagi……What the hell is he doing? It's not like a Kagerou executive to reveal his true face in such a public manner.”

Naturally, Kagerou was a filths organization. Although the filths' social status was being re-evaluated due to the activities of Kuroyume, to many ordinary citizens, however, the filths are still vicious criminals, and when it comes to Kagerou, Kuroyume's rival organization, it was never a good idea to expose one’s true face.

『According to our information, the explosion in the central area was caused by Kuroyume. They have also placed similar bombs in five other locations in Tokyo. We are currently working hard to disarm the bombs, but we do not know when they will explode.』

“What the hell!? The bombs are set by Kuroyume YO!?”

Line and Jiren, who had no recollection of such action, looked dumbfounded at Kaburagi's accusation.

『……The bombs have been placed in Shinjuku Studio A, Shibuya Rosean Building, Sugamo Shopping District, Roppongi Building, and Skytree Ruins. If you are in the vicinity, please evacuate immediately. I repeat……』

Jiren slammed the table down angrily.

“SHIT! They're going to launch a major terrorist attack in Tokyo and put the blame on us!”

“……I see. So instead of attacking us directly, they're trying to lure us out by creating a terrorist attack. I don't get it, though. I thought Kagerou was against the filths being accepted as citizens. It's not like they're trying to improve their public image on behalf of Kuroyume YO. If that's the case, the only thing I can think of is……”

“They just want to bring us down……No, ultimately, they want to bring down the filths as a whole. That way, they can destroy the reputation that the filths have built up over the years.”

Jiren thought that the purpose of Kagerou was to discredit Kuroyume in this case and that they never wanted the good filths to stand in for Kuroyume.

“In the end, they just want to riot……. It really leaves a bad taste in the mouth. Ultimately, they want the world to think that the filths are just filths. Let's bring back the Numbers that are scattered throughout our branches right now.”

Then urgent reports came in from all the branches.

“Eh!? All the branches are under attack by the Kagerou boss, Kirisame’s shadows YO!?”

“I see……They've been very thorough in their preparations. So the reason they attacked the Sendai branch in the first place was to make us more cautious and it was all a stepping stone to a smooth terrorist attack in Tokyo. Hmm, so it's all going according to their plan. Now then, what's the best course of action?”

If Kuroyume went to disarm the bombs, they would be met with resistance from the Kagerou. Alternatively, the bombs might be detonated when they arrived at the scene, and they might be made the culprit without question.

If they don't move, the bad publicity will continue to spread. Even if they declared their innocence afterward, they would be criticized for not disarming the bombs.

“……Tsk, The general public is not interested with the truth and they would say whatever they want.”

“……That is the will of the people YO. It's unreasonable to think that the reputation amongst people, which we've worked so hard to bring about in a positive direction, might be erased in an instant YO.”

Jiren pondered. He wondered what Kiryu would think and how he would act.

Inwardly, he believed that if Kuroyume's image will inevitably be damaged whether he moves or not, then it is better not to move so that the damage will be less.

But if it's Kiryu. If Kiryu wants to continue the dream that he has been seeking for so long, how will he move?

“Hmm. The numbers from each branch will return to headquarters as soon as they have repelled the attack. After that, send them to disarm the bomb.”

Jiren with the look as if he was saying ‘good grief’ gave his instructions to Line.

“We're moving. All right, it might be just throwing a bit of water to flaming stone but let's prepare and deliver a rebuttal statement from the Kuroyume side, just in case.”

“Right. Even if this destroys the image we've built up so far, we'll take the opportunity to completely destroy the Kagerou in return……”

As he left the command center, Jiren's face showed a mixture of anger and madness that no one had ever seen before…….

Author’s Note:

The Numbers on the Kuroyume side gathered to confront Kagerou's carefully planned move.

Next chapter:『The Summit Battle Begins!』

※↓Here is the third special interview to commemorate the book release.

Takahiko: “Thank you for waiting! Our third guest is the main heroine (supposedly), Fuuka Mizutani!”

Fuuka: “Nice to meet you all. Erm, I'm Mizutani Fuuka. I look forward to working with you.”

Takahiko: “Fuuka is as calm as ever. If she doesn't come on strong, not only will she not be able to get out of her (supposedly) position, but her position as the main heroine will be in jeopardy.”

Fuuka: “……I'll be careful. Huh? Takahiko-kun, your feet are frozen, you know?”

Takahiko: “Awawawa……I’m sorry, General Mizutani-sama.”

Fuuka: “General? Whatever could you mean?”

Takahiko: “Eeee! I can't talk like this! Okay, first question! As the main heroine(supposedly), what are your thoughts on the book adaptation!”

Fuuka: “Right, well…… I'm very happy, but like Takahiko-kun, I don't have many active scenes in this first volume, so I'd be happy if the second volume could be released. Huh? Takahiko-kun, you're frozen up to your waist, you know?”

Takahiko: “So……so cold. But, I can't believe you naturally threw in a marketing appeal…… as expected of the main heroine!”

Fuuka: “Oh, you dropped the (supposedly)! Thank you very much. Here, I will specially melt some of the ice for you.”

Takahiko: “……You're that obsessed with being the main heroine?……”

Fuuka: “……Eh? Your feet are freezing again, you know?”

Takahiko: “Ta-ha! Fuuka is the main heroine! Definitely! Now the next question! The illustration of Fuuka was released, how does it feel to see yourself as an illustration?”

Fuuka: “Well, I am so happy to have such a cute drawing. Thank you very much, illustrator-san!”

Takahiko: “Professionals are really different, aren't they? It's a good thing I deleted the illustration the author drew earlier. Even though we've got this guest, it's true that Fuuka, similarly like me, is only going to have more of a role in the second volume, so I don't have much to ask her this time.”

Fuuka: “That's right. I knew it. I have to ask all of you to help in the release of the second volume, no matter the costs……”

Takahiko: “You’re going really aggressive now. I guess you'll be graduating from (supposedly) some time soon?”

Fuuka: “Takahiko, you're actually a nice guy, aren't you? I've changed my mind.”

Takahiko: “I know right~? Well then, it’s about time. Tomorrow's guest is going to be Teaser!”

Fuuka: “Teaser… who is she? She couldn’t be…… a rival, is she…?”

Takahiko: “Please stop. Don’t look at me with that icy-cold stare. Teaser is…… a member of the Kuroyume. Yup. Not a rival for the main heroine at all.”

Fuuka: “……I,is it alright for me to come again tomorrow?”

Takahiko: “NO WAY! Because when there are three people, the text gets all over the place! Okay, well then, everyone, see you tomorrow~!”

Fuuka: “Wa-, Wait, please! It’s okay for me to come again tomorrow right? Right……?”

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TL’s note:

1. Based on the author’s count. Ignoring idle talks, and intro.

The Raven Dark Hero 100

Chapter 100 : The Beginning of a Long Day

TL:SummerPeanut

――Kuroyume Headquarters, Operation Control Room

The Sendai branch of Kuroyume was destroyed in an attack by the Kagerou.

This was completely unexpected, even for Kuroyume, and Line was in turmoil. This was because the incident occurred while Kiryu, Kuroyume's boss, was away.

At the same time as Bright and the others left for Germany, Kiryu left a message saying that he, too, ‘was going out for a while’ and disappeared.

In the past, Kiryu had always disappeared suddenly, and there was always a reason for his disappearance, so Line had resigned himself to the fact that this was the usual case.

But things have changed. One of the branches had been destroyed. He wanted to report it to Kiryu right away but he would not be able to contact him at all during his disappearance.

On top of that, three of the Numbers, Number 1 Bright, Number 6 Evil, and Number 10 Teaser, were absent.

The situation was becoming very difficult.

“At a time like this, the boss is still out of touch, and even Bright and the others are YO……”

“Take it easy, Line. First, let's get the Sendai’s report straight.”

-Kuroyume Headquarters, Operations Control Room.

The five members of the team, including the General Manager Line, Number 2 Jiren, Number 4 Vendetta, Number 8 Crow aka ‘Fierce Gold Wolf’ and Number 9 Kirara aka ‘Diva of Darkness’ gathered to the emergency meeting. The five of them gathered for an emergency executive meeting.

“……I understand, Jiren. Three hours ago, the Sendai branch of Kuroyume was almost completely destroyed by Kagerou’s attack. As of now, there are nine confirmed dead and twenty-nine seriously injured. Number 5, Hydro, is in a critical condition, currently unconscious, and has been transferred to the headquarters infirmary where he is undergoing treatment.”

“I didn't expect Hydro to be downed……. I guess Kagerou is finally getting serious about starting a war.”

Vendetta muttered; her tone calm but with obvious anger on her expression.

“This time, Kagerou raiding party consisted of the main Kagerou force, led by the number two, Kaburagi, as well as thirty members, including those who had left our company, and…… ten of Ukyo's Shadows. Although it wasn’t within our expectation, to think they would move that amount of force.”

“That's 30 people, including the ones who left us, and 10 of Ukyou’s shadows…… Shit, that's why I didn't want to allow anyone to leave!”

Due to the change in direction of Kuroyume's activities, many members who found it hard to fit into the new line of work chose to leave the band.

Jiren had suggested to Kiryu to not allow the members to leave the group, fearing that the members who left would become enemies but Kiryu gave priority to the members' autonomy.

“There's no point in talking about things that have already happened. The boss's operation is coming to a close……I'm sure all the numbers know that. If they get in the way here, there's a chance the operation will be blown out of the water so we have to do something about it ourselves.”

“That’s right. The boss is probably working to get that last piece, so even if we can't get in touch with him, we'll have to do something on our own.”

As the conversation continued in a relatively calm manner, a man who could not remain silent in the atmosphere pounded on the table.

“If that's the case, why don't we just attack Kagerou’s headquarters?! Huh!?”

Number 8 Crow barked. His blond, regent hair emphasized his wicked character.

“But even so, there's always the possibility that if we raid their headquarters, it'll be a trap as they target our headquarters which is already been stretched thin. We should prioritize information now, and wait until you have enough strength to split into two groups YO.”

“Enough strength? I say our strength is more than enough!”

Line was calm, but Crow was not.

“No, let's at least wait for Bright-kun's return. I've sent an urgent email to Evil, and he'll be back from Germany tomorrow……”

“Bright? HAH! Even without that newcomer, I can still kick Kagerou's ass!”

Looking at Crow’s lively place, Vendetta replied in amusement.

“……Who was it that was always picking fights with Bright and getting beaten back each time?”

“Gurgh…… I still haven’t lost yetー! I'm still on my way to winning!”

Crow had fought Bright a total of twenty times in the past year. And the mock fights that took place at the training grounds(?). All of which ended with Bright's victory. By the way, Bright always seems to be annoyed with Crow.

“That bastard is a coward! He disappears, he uses invisible attacks, he's fast, he's hard, he's the impersonation of foul play!”

“Oh? Don’t you get it? That kind of strength is exactly what we need right now, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Erghh……”

No matter how many times he lost, Crow never acknowledged Bright. Because above all, he hated Bright.

The reasons were that he was strong (although Crow himself refused to admit it), had an aura of handsomeness (although Crow himself didn't know his true face), and most importantly, he didn't like the fact that he was always with Teaser whom he secretly had feelings for.

“Line, Bright, and the others are finishing their mission in Germany, aren't they? Can't you get them to come back a little earlier?”

“Mhn~. The instantaneous transfer is out of range overseas after all. So they have to rely on air transport until they reached Japan. So it'll be tomorrow at the earliest YO.”

Jiren pondered for a while over Line's words. Maybe……No, he was sure that Kagerou was aiming for this timing.

If so, there was a great possibility that he will make another move before Bright could return.

“With the exception of Bright and the others, we and the Numbers stationed at various locations will defend this headquarters and the remaining branches in a distributed manner. We'll keep in close contact with each other, and if anything happens, we'll be able to rush to others via transfer, we'll have to focus on defending ourselves first.”

“Huh!? Is the almighty Jiren letting this scare the hell out of him!? Don't take the long way around. Let's just attack them!”

Crow, who doesn't speak respectfully to anyone but the boss, bit at Jiren.

As Jiren, Line, and Vendetta felt troubled about how to respond to Crow’s antics, the previously quiet number 9, Kirara, opened her mouth.

“There’s truth in what Jiren-san said, don’t you think? Putting aside how you've always been all talk and losing to Bright-san, I believe it will be better if you moderate your words.”

Kirara is usually quiet and demure. Her tone of voice is that of a demure young lady. With her gift’s characteristics, she made her debut as a singer and as a part of Kuroyume's strategy, she quickly rose to stardom; becoming an advertising tower for Kuroyume on par with Bright.

That Kirara shows such a strong attitude only towards Crow. Reason being…

“GuGuGuh……, big sis, as usual, you say the harshest thing……”

Crow and Kirara. They are biological siblings.

“Not to mention, your gift is completely defensive and thus you are clearly on the support role, isn't it? What can you do on your own? Ah, if you have some ideas, why don't you share with me?”

[Invisible Shield]. Gift rank at A-. It's the ability in the same tree as Invisible Slash. In spite of his personality and aggressive appearance, Crow's gift is a defensive type.

The maximum length of the shield is five meters while the width is three meters (adjustable), and it can withstand several of Kiryu's attacks. Even if it is shattered, it can be quickly restored. The shield can appear anywhere in a 30-meter radius, so it was completely a rear support type gift.

“GuGuGuGuh……I can…. Beat someone with my shield…”

“That kind of method would only work up to above-average opponents, right? That’s why your attacks were unable to even touch a top-notch gifted like Bright-san at all, isn’t it?”

“No, that's because he's too fast……. If it’s other people, I can……”

A blue streak appeared on Kirara's face as if she had grown numb to Crow's whining excuses.

“……Ah? So you're saying it'll work on me? Come on, try it.”

The expression and tone of Kirara's face, which was like that of an innocent idol, changed to that of a delinquent, just like Crow. They are, after all, sister and brother.

“Kirara, your bad habits are showing again, you know? Come on, just like I taught you, smile smile smile.”

“Ha-!? What did I just…… I am terribly sorry, dearest sister.”

When Kirara first joined Kuroyume, she had been even rougher than Crow but Vendetta had corrected her and she had come to worship her as her big sister.

“Anyway, if my prediction is right, there's not a moment to lose. Let's get to work.”

At the sound of Jiren's voice, everyone in the place stood up at once and went to their assigned tasks.

From that moment on, the longest day of Kuroyume's life was about to begin.

Author’s Note:

Kuroyume and Kagerou. The top executives of both sides are gathered and the decisive battle is about to begin……

Next time: "Bomb Terror”

※↓ Below is the second interview to celebrate the book launch.

Takahiko: “Good evening. This is everyone's idol, The God's Eye, Matoba……”

Kouki: “You said that yesterday. Ah, I'm Suou Kouki, the main character. Nice to meet you.”

Takahiko: “You fucker, you're also naming yourself!! ……Now that we've got that out of the way, what are the major additions made to the book?”

Kouki: “Oh, the continuation of yesterday's story. As for the additions, well, I guess they're making more appearances for non-main characters.”

Takahiko: “Except for the main characters. Such as?”

Kouki: “For example, Yoger and Mist will have more screen time, and the highlight is the introduction of a new character from the book.”

Takahiko: “A new character!? Eh? Who is it??”

Kouki: “That is……well, I hope you will read the book!”

Takahiko: “Such a good marketing! A new character…… Ah, I’m so curious~. Maybe that's why I'm not in the story as much?”

Kouki: “Eh? What are you saying? I mentioned the book’s up to volume two, right?”

Takahiko: “Yup, you did say that………… eh, AAH!! There's not much for me to do in Chapter 2!!”

Kouki: “That's right. Well, depending on how well the first the book sells, there might be talks about the second one and that's where you come in.”

Takahiko: “Please! Everyone, buy the book! And then, let me play a part in volume two, please!!”

Kouki: “Such a good marketing (LOL)”

Takahiko: “So, in order to get everyone to buy the first volume, I'm going to start buying and promoting it tomorrow!”

Kouki: “My true feelings (LOL), but the author has made a lot of changes to the book. I'm sure that the book version will be a fresh and new experience for everyone who has read the web version. Please give it a read if you like! Oh, and Takahiko. I've heard that the author added a story about you as an afterword, just because he felt sorry for you.”

Takahiko: “Eh…… REALLY? YEUSH! Okay then, everyone! Looks like I'm in, so you'll definitely have to read it!”

Kouki: “Best regards~”

Takahiko: “Well then, tomorrow's guest is Mizutani Fuuka! See you later, Kouki!”

Kouki: “Owh! Well then, everyone, thank you very much!”

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The Raven Dark Hero 99

Chapter 99 : Kirisame Ukyou

TL:SummerPeanut

Author’s Note:

To celebrate the release of the book, we would like to introduce some of the highlights of the book version with Takahiko as an interviewer in the afterword as a special bonus for the book release starting today.

※I find the excessive book-buying appeal annoying! If you're not a fan of this book, just go through the postscript!

He's been alone ever since he was born…….

He has no memory of his parents and was raised in an orphanage before he could remember.

He was usually quiet and expressionless. On top of that, he was bullied because he was smaller than other children his age. But he didn't think anything of it.

No matter how much he was beaten, how much he was abused, how much he was disgusted, he was emotionless. He was expressionless, mumbling to himself, talking to his shadow about the events he experienced.

He did not realize what it meant to be alive. Therefore, he was not interested in death either.

Another day is over. He was beaten. It hurt. But that's all. He told his shadow the day's report and tomorrow would come again after that. Every day was such repetition.

His expressionless face and lack of words gradually began to creep out the adults.

But he didn't care. He didn't think that it’s hard for him.

When he turned eight years old, a sudden turning point came.

As usual, he was playing with the children outside the orphanage...... no, to be accurate he was being abused. They encountered a dog-shaped phenom.

The orphanage was located a short distance from the city center so it was not unusual for phenoms to wander into the orphanage. It is the role of the National Defense Force and the police to take down such phenoms but there are times when they are unable to keep an eye on them. The annual death toll exceeds several thousand.

This time also, if this continues, several children will fall victim to the phenom.

But, that didn’t happen.

The children used him as bait to escape.

He was left alone in front of the phenom, but he felt no fear. He could imagine that if he was bitten, he would die, but he knew it would be just that. Yes, he’ll just simply die…

But the moment the phenom bit him on the arm, something popped inside him.

Fierce pain. A real pain that would lead directly to death, incomparable to the pain he had felt when he was abused, and it instilled in him the feeling of fear.

“He-, Help!”

They were the first words he had ever uttered out loud in his entire life and the first time he had ever asked anyone for help. It doesn’t matter whether it is an adult who was creeped out by him, children who looked down on him, or just anyone. As long as they extended their help to him.

……But, there was no one else around.

The canine-shaped phenom tormented him slowly as if it were tormenting prey. The expression on its face seemed to be smiling.

It’s scary. But more than anything, it’s frustrating……. That was the second emotion that grew in him after fear. Frustrating…… Frustrating…… A strong desire to kill this thing who treated him like a toy and was trying to kill him.

There was no one around him. But there was a presence that was always there for him to talk to. He shouted to that presence.

“Kill…… THAT!!”

In the next moment, the words rang in his brain.

『……Conditions have been met, “Shadow Memory” has evolved into ‘Shadow Deed”.』

Then it jumped out of his shadow……The shadow split into two human forms, one in the form of a man seized the phenom, and the other in the form of a woman thrust out a thick, thorn-like arm and skewered it…….

He realized who the figures were. Strangely enough, he understood immediately.

“……Father, mother?”

The figures didn't speak, only silently staring at him. However, although he didn’t know why, the shadows seemed to be smiling at him. Even though they were a shadow with no visible expression…….

Why did the shadows of his parents who he didn't even remember appear? He didn't know the answer at the time, but he realized that he wasn't alone.

Then the figure that seemed to be his father pointed at the fallen dog-shaped phenom.

Shadow Deed. The gift has the ability to place the dead under the user control as a shadow. The gift's rank is S.

But this time, the voice in his head told him that he had evolved from Shadow Memory to Shadow Deed. In other words, he had manifested his gift at an early age, which he didn't even remember happening, and he had awakened when he was in crisis.

Of course, he didn't know this but Shadow Memory is a gift that allows one to remember those who have died in front of the user and appear as his shadow; ranked at B. Up to three memories of the dead can be stored at one time and they possess the same abilities they had before they died. However, not just anyone can be turned into a shadow. Only if the target is favorable to the user. This meant that his parents died in front of him even though he didn't remember such.

However, the number of dead that can be memorized by a shadow deed increases with proficiency, and there are no conditions to do so. In other words, even hero-class dead people can be memorized by absorbing their shadows within a few minutes of their death, and when they were called upon, their combat power will be further increased.

He held out his hand to the phenom and activated his gift. Then a shadow was sucked out of the corpse of the phenom and into his palm. The Shadow Deed can remember not only humans but also phenoms.

“ ……KuhKuhKuh……AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHH! I'm not alone. I was never alone.”

10 days later…… When the orphanage was visited by someone who was suspicious of the lack of communication with the orphanage, countless corpses were found lying there with wounds as if they had been bitten by animals.

The dead numbered fifteen. All of them, adults and children, died with horror on their faces. The police determined that the phenom had wandered into the orphanage and attacked the orphanage, and it was never pursued after. However, there was no sign of him among the dead…….

――20 years later

“Boss, as per our information, three of the Numbers, including Bright, and also Kiryu are currently away from the headquarters in Kuroyume.”

In the mountains of the former Nagano Prefecture, in an area that is now off-limits to the public, lies the headquarters hideout of one of Japan's largest filth organizations, Kagerou, second only to Kuroyume.

The inside of the hideout is not as well maintained as Kuroyume's headquarters, and there are countless rooms in the cave. The ‘poisoner’, Kaburagi Takashi, the number two of the Kagerou, comes to the Kagerou boss's room in the innermost part of the cave to report on Kuroyume's situation.

“Hmm~, so we don’t have the nuisance Kiryu and the newcomer Bright in our way, huh……”

“Yes. For starters, we will raid the Tohoku branch of Kuroyume and launch a preemptive strike. Your permission, please.”

The boss of Kagerou, ‘Kirisame Ukyou’, nodded with a blank expression.

“Alright~. Then, I'll lend you 10 of my shadows. I'll include some of my favorite shadows, that’ll be enough right?”

“Thank you very much! Sendai is home to Kuroyume's number 5, the ‘Hydro’, and with this, we are sure to take him out.”

Hydro. He is the number five of the Kuroyume Numbers, and is second only to Bright and Jiren in terms of combat ability.

“Some of the filths left Kuroyume and drifted to Kagerou. Finally, the time has come for us, Kagerou, to rule the underworld on behalf of Kuroyume!”

“That’s right~. I don't know what's wrong with Kuroyume these days, but they're annoying. Filths should be filths and do what they want. Well then, I'll see you later.”

As Kaburagi bowed and left the room, Kirisame stood up. He wore a large robe, was not very tall, his voice sounded like it hadn't changed and a pretty face that would make one think he is a girl at first glance. However, he was a gifted that not even Kiryu could ignore.

Kirisame muttered as he stared at his shadow.

“Father, mother, watch over me. Finally, the world is about to change. So I'm going to become the king of the new world. You'll be happy to hear that, won't you? Fufufufufuh…… AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHH!!”

Two days later, the Sendai branch of Kuroyume was destroyed by Kagerou’s attack.

This was the start of an all-out war between Kuroyume and Kagero, and even the National Defense Force joined in, as the battle for the top of the filths was about to begin.

Author’s Note:

Kagerou has finally made its move. Kuroyume is forced to deal with the situation in the absence of his boss Kiryu and the number one Bright.

Next time: "The Beginning of a Long Day”

※↓Here is a special interview to commemorate the first edition of the book.

Takahiko: "Good evening. I'm everyone's idol, God-Eye, Takahiko Matoba. From this point on, I'd like to make excessive appeals by buying the official book to commemorate its publication!"

Kouki: "Don’t you think it’s quite pitiful to call yourself an idol?"

Takahiko: “……Well then, today, as the first guest, we have the main character and my partner, Suou Kouki aka Darkflash Bright! Yay!”

Kouki: “He completely ignored my point. Oh, good afternoon. ……Somehow I'm a little nervous.”

Takahiko: “I don't care if you're nervous or not. By the way, we started surrendering every day since the other day, and it looks like we won't be around for a while, starting today.”

Kouki: “Eh? Is it really okay if I don't appear? For this work.”

Takahiko: “Yup~, In the past, it seems that the reaction to episodes where Kouki-Bright didn't appear wasn't great, but it's a story that needs to be told, so it can't be helped, right? But it looks like many of the other members of the Numbers and new characters from the enemy organization are going to show up, so I hope people enjoy reading this.”

Kouki: “I’m a bit worried……. If there are too many characters, the readers may get confused……”

Takahiko: “Well, well, well! We don't have much time, so let’s start with the questions!”

Kouki: “That was very random……”

Takahiko: “First of all, how does it feel to have a novel about you published in book form?”

Kouki: “Eh? Er~well, At first I was embarrassed, but then I realized that being published in a book is something to be grateful for, and in turn, something to be proud of. So now I think there's nothing to be embarrassed about at all.”

Takahiko: “Yes, yes, I think you are speaking on behalf of the author as well. As expected of the protagonist! Next question! What are the differences and appeals of the publication version compared to the web version?”

Kouki: “Oh about that~. The first volume of the publication contains the second volume of the web version of the story, but it's been heavily revised. It’s to the point that I feel it’s a shame that the author started to add so much in the middle of the book.”

Takahiko: “I see, I see. What specific additions have been made?”

Kouki: “As far as revisions go, there are more fleshing out the overall description and re-explaining the various settings and such. Also, the change in Hiro's character a bit.”

Takahiko: “Hiro? Well, he is one of the most hated characters in the whole series.”

Kouki: “However, there are no major changes in the progress of the story, but it looks like they're adding some psychological descriptions for Hiro and revising it so that it won't be uncomfortable if they eventually become rivals. Also, as for the other additions……”

Takahiko: “Oh! I'm afraid it's time to go! As for the additions, you'll have to answer that tomorrow!”

Kouki: “Eh? Isn’t this a bit too short?”

Takahiko: “Idiot, You won't last ten days if you don't start small…… Okay, well then everyone, we'll see you all tomorrow!”

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The Raven Dark Hero 98.1

Introduction of Main Characters 3

TL:SummerPeanut

Suou Kouki

Age / 18 years old

Alias / Darkflash Bright

Gender / Male♂

Height・Weight / 177cm・70kg

Gift / Revived Hunter(?) & 7 others

The Main Character.

Upon his death, his gift manifested itself and he obtained the Revived Hunter gift which allows him to acquire the gifts of those who have killed him.

He becomes the number one of the Kuroyume Numbers and is recognized as a dark hero worldwide but in Germany he learns the secret of Revived Hunter and realizes that if he doesn't kill his boss, Kiryu, his ego will collapse.

How will he cope with the crisis of the organization as his emotions are becoming less and less prominent?

Sanada Hiro

Age / 18 years old

Rank / Captain of the NDF Air Force

Gender / Male♂

Height・Weight / 175cm・70kg

Gift / World Master (S+)

Kouki's childhood friend.

After a mortal battle with Bright, he awakened to the highest rank of Gift. After that, he, which was once nothing but a burden, overcame his previous weaknesses, survived the strict training of the retired Onijima, and became the captain of the Byakkotai.

As Bright's rival, he trains hard every day in order to one day compete with him fairly and squarely.

He has grown rapidly and is moving forward with the goal of defeating Bright.

Kiryu Shinichiro

Age / 53 years old

Alias / The Demon King of Kuroyume

Gender / Male♂

Height・Weight / 191cm・94kg

Gift / Lonsdaleite (S)

The boss of Kuroyume.

In order to achieve Kuroyume's ideals, he is working not as Numbers, but as the boss of the organization.

Mizutani Fuuka

Age / 18 years old

Rank / Lieutenant General of the Wehrmacht Army

Gender / Female♀

Height・Weight / 170cm・? kg

Gift/ World of Windham (S-), Water Master (A+)

The main heroine(supposedly) who is also the youngest to become a Major General in the National Defense Army.

She lost her will to live for a while after Kouki said goodbye to her but with the support of Azusa and others, she is back. She is the captain of the Hanagekitai, which is a squad composed of only female members and is unique in the NDF.

She is forcing herself to see Bright as an enemy, but is she……?

Matoba Takahiko

Age / 18 years old

Alias / Evil, the Twin-Eyed Evil God

Gender / Male♂

Height・Weight / 174cm・63kg

Gift / None?

Bright's partner and Kouki's best friend.

After learning the secret of the Revived Hunters, he is torn between Kouki and Kiryuu as to what to do, but he is looking for a way to save Kouki.

Caught between his best friend and benefactor, what decision will he make as he reaches the end of his struggles?

Amami Rumi

Age / 19 years old

Alias / Weather Master, Teaser

Gender / Female♀

Height・Weight / 171cm・? kg

Gift / Weather Control (A)

Like Evil, she works with Bright in Kuroyume.

Although she is worried about the changes in Kouki, she keeps a good balance during their interactions. She is also aware of her own feelings for him but is unable to take the first step because she considers Fuuka like a sister.

She is deeply saddened by the fact that Kouki has completely changed and abandoned her.

What will happen to her relationship with Kouki as Numbers and as Rumi?

Jiren

Age / 35 years old

Alias / Jiren the Molten Flame

Gender / Male♂

Height・Weight / 183cm・84kg

Gift / Burning Fire (A+)

Number 2 of Kuroyume Numbers.

He is a nice guy who is overwhelmingly powerful in battle and is treated by many as big brother because he takes good care of others. He personally supported Bright's spot as the new number one.

Like Bright, he uses his fighting skills to help improve Kuroyume's image.

In the absence of Kiryu and Bright, Kagero comes in for a decisive battle, and his skills as the number two of Kuroyume is put to the test.

Vendetta

Age / ?

Alias / The Enchantress

Gender / Female♀

Height・Weight / 175cm・? kg

Gift / Nightmare Lure (A)

Number 4 of Kuroyume Numbers.

A beautiful witch who manipulates illusions.

Her good looks have made her popular in the campaign to improve Kuroyume's image.

Like Jiren, she is the central figure of Kuroyume and will be confronting the organization's crisis.

Author’s Note:

The main story finally starts tomorrow, the new story begins!

I'm worried that Bright (Kouki) won't be around for a while, but there are a lot of new characters coming up, so keep an eye out for them!

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The Raven Dark Hero 98

Chapter 98 : Unconveyed Feelings

TL:SummerPeanut

Author’s Note:

※It's been a while, everyone. I'm going to start posting every day from here until my stock runs out, so even if you've forgotten about me, please look forward to this work!

『The Sendai branch of Kuroyume was destroyed in an attack by ‘Kagerou’. Return immediately.』

Suddenly, an email was sent to their terminals which had shocked Kouki and Takahiko.

“Destroyed? You're kidding. The Sendai branch is where the number five, ‘Hydro’ is supposed to be. With him around, there's no way they can destroy us……”

Kuroyume Numbers, Number 5 Hydro.

Because of his aversion to the limelight, he was usually stationed at the Sendai branch instead of the headquarters, so Bright had only seen him a few times but he had heard that he was a very capable person.

The Sendai branch guarded by that Hydro had been destroyed by the rival organization, Kagerou.

Kagerou. The second most powerful filths organization in Japan after Kuroyume.

For many years, the two organizations had been adversaries but since losing to Kuroyume five years ago in what was known as the battle of the apex, there had been no direct conflict.

The reason for this was that the power relationship between the two organizations became more clearly differentiated after that decisive battle.

However, in the recent past year, the power relationship between the two which had been maintained in perfect balance for five years began to collapse.

This was due to the fact that filths that left Kuroyume drifted to Kagerou.

Kuroyume's efforts to improve the image of the filths and to gain human rights so that they would be recognized by the general public differed greatly from Kagerou's guiding principle where the filths should act like the filths, and the filths who left Kuroyume and sought freedom had placed themselves within Kagerou.

“Oh man……At a time like this.”

In Takahiko's mind, the destruction of the Sendai branch was of course a serious matter. But now, more than that, his mind was occupied with Kouki.

From an organizational standpoint, Bright's, now the face of Kuroyume, retiring from the organization would be a much more serious blow compared to the destruction of a branch. Depending on how you look at it and more than anything as the first friend Takahiko ever made, he couldn't let Kouki go down the path of destruction.

“What are you worried about? We're going back to Japan.”

However, even though Kouki had just said that he was leaving Kuroyume, he tried to take action to save the organization as if it’s a matter of course.

“Ah, yeah. You’re right, It's not like the number one guy in Kuroyume is going to be gone when the branch is about to be destroyed.”

“My intention to leave has not changed. I just want to do what I can to help the organization one last time before I leave.”

As expected, Kouki's intention had not changed.

“Once we've solved the problem, I'll leave immediately. ……If I meet the boss, he'll ask me why after all and more importantly if I can't control my desire to kill him, that’s putting the cart before the horse, so I'll just disappear without a word.”

“……I see.”

Takahiko had no choice but to nod. At this point, he had no idea what he could do for Kouki.

But it gave him a reprieve, albeit a short one. A period of time to look for some way to solve the problem.

In order to do so, we believe that the help of someone who is familiar with Revived Hunter's abilities is essential.

“Alright. I have a suggestion for you. I know I sounded like I was trying to refuse you, but if you don't mind, would you like to go to Japan with us, Kazur?”

In order to eliminate the negative effects of Revived Hunters, it was only natural to ask Kazur, who had the most knowledge of Revived Hunters, to help out.

“……I'm sorry, I can't leave right now. I know what you're up to. And there are things I can do for you here, so when I’m done, I’ll head to Japan.”

Kazur was also thinking about what he could do for Kouki. And then he remembered something that could help him but it had to be here in Germany.

“I know that you really want to help Kouki. So I'll be heading to Japan as soon as I'm ready. So wait for me until then. Kouki, you as well, okay?”

Kazur looked at Kouki. Kouki let out a sigh of relief due to the pressure from Kazur’s gaze.

“Alright, alright. If you're ever in Japan, just let me know. But……if I feel I can't control my impulses then I'll disappear, cutting off all communication and information from the outside world.”

The current Kouki is not afraid of death which was strange to him.

It could be that he became used to it because he had died many times before, but this time, it would be a mental death and he would cease to be himself.

At this point, Kazur talked to Takahiko only.

“The current state of Kouki is that he's losing his feelings about things due to the lack of emotions caused by the gift’s side effects. In a sense, this is one step ahead of the terminal stage, and in a few more weeks, he will lose his ego and eventually go insane……. So you don't have much time left.”

“……Yeah. But still, you sure know a lot about it. As expected of a Revived Hunter.”

“……It’s nothing if it's not a bittersweet memory, but then again, I've been through this terminal illness once myself.”

All the words were from his own experience. This, more than anything else, was proof that his information was solid. At the same time, Takahiko could not say anything to Kazur who had probably spent many painful days as an experimental subject.

“Okay. I'll be waiting for you, Kazur. Also, I'm sorry about earlier. I took my chances to see what you were thinking……”

“That's fine. I'm sure you're doing all of this for Kouki's sake. Kouki is like family to me. Our interests are aligned, and I'll spare no effort to help.”

Finally, Kazur smiled at Takahiko. It was also a sign that he had reset the past troubles.

“Kouki, as a fellow Revived Hunter, you're my only comrade as well. Don't let the harm come to you. Hopefully, when the time comes, you can choose your own path of survival. I'll stand by your side, no matter how it turns out.”

“……We've only known each other for a few minutes, and we were killing each other just a few minutes ago, but surprisingly, we seem to get along huh. Well, what will be will be.”

After saying that, Kouki and Kazur brought their fists together.

Takahiko looked at the scene with a certain complexity in his heart.

He is Kouki's best friend and partner. He felt incomparably pathetic that he couldn't say the line that Kazur had just said.

After Kazur left, Kouki and Takahiko also returned and met up with Rumi and the others waiting at the hotel.

While returning home, Takahiko asked Kouki what was he going to do about Rumi.

Rumi was an ally who had spent as much time with him in Kuroyume as he had with Takahiko. Even if he were to leave Kuroyume, he felt it would be unconscionable to do so without telling her, and if there was any future where he survives, he would certainly be scolded, so he decided to spend some time alone together until their flight could be arranged.

ーーHotel Rooftop

“That's unusual. I never thought you would invite me to a place like this.”

“Well, true. Isn’t it fine once in a while?”

Below them was the night view of Munich. However, it was not a glittering night view like in Tokyo, but a serene night view of a city with a rich history.

Since this mission was commissioned by the German government, the hotel was one of the best in Munich.

“Still, I can't believe the Sendai Branch, where Hydro-san lives was destroyed……. Kagerou's guys have done quite a job, haven't they?”

“Right. I'm sure Jiren and the others are on the move by now. As soon as the plane's ready, we'll have to head out to join them.”

As he spoke without hesitation, Rumi overlap the old childish Kouki on top of him, and realized that he has changed.

Kouki wanted to get right to the point but he was still hesitant to tell her the full story of Revived Hunter.

The harm that has befallen him. And the path he was about to walk. He knew that if he told Rumi about both of these things, it would definitely make her feel uneasy.

(……I knew it, it’s better to not say anything to Rumi. That's the safest thing to do.)

Having made that decision, Kouki changed his stance to simply waiting for the time here to pass.

“……You're looking at the night view without saying a word. I thought you wanted to talk to me about something, no?”

However, Rumi, with her keen intuition, did not go along with Kouki's plan.

“No, it's not a big story, so I decided not to.”

“Say it. That may not be a big deal to Kouki right now, but it's probably a big deal to me, right?”

Rumi suddenly gave him a serious look, and Kouki flinched a little. Still, he decided that it's nothing serious for Rumi.

(Well, Rumi has always had a caring nature……)

“No, it really doesn't matter. So don't look at me so worried.”

“Kouki……you've noticed, right? Lately, more than ever…… you’re losing your emotions. Takahiko and you have been acting strange since we went to the lab yesterday. Something's wrong, isn't it?”

If he told her that something happened here, he might have to tell her everything.

The old Kouki would have been seriously troubled by Rumi's question. ‘Should I tell her or not?’ However, the current Kouki had decided not to tell the secret anymore. He wouldn’t care about Rumi's feelings.

“I'm number one of the Kuroyume Numbers. I can't stay naive forever. So I haven't changed, I've just grown up.”

Even now that he knew that he would lose his senses and emotions due to the adverse effects of Revived Hunter, he did not feel uncomfortable with the fact that he had changed. That is what tells us that Kouki's condition is nearing its end.

Just then, Kouki's cell phone rang. It was from Takahiko. Apparently, the flight was ready.

“……yeah, got it. We’ll head to the lobby immediately. It looks like the plane is ready, so let's go.”

Rumi, although her expression had not changed, was now red-faced and furious. And yet, Kouki walked towards the lobby as if nothing had happened.

Vision……. Right now Kouki had also lost the ability to distinguish colors.

“Stop, wait! Was I really such an unreliable comrade to you, Kouki?!”

“No, Rumi. You are a dependable comrade. That's why I don't want to make you feel uneasy with unnecessary things.”

Rumi walked quickly towards Kouki and gave him a slap on the cheek…… However, Kouki easily grabbed Rumi's wrist and blocked the slap.

“The organization's in crisis right now. You don't have time to be distracted by anything else. Keep this up and you are disqualified as numbers.”

If Takahiko had been there, he would have scolded Kouki. Because he was ignoring Rumi's feelings far too much.

However, the current Kouki did not have any concern for Rumi's feelings, and just said what he thought.

“Anyway, let’s go. We are the Numbers.”

As she watched Kouki leave without waiting for her, Rumi felt her tears drop.

“Kouki……are you even the real Kouki……?”

As she squeezed out her voice, there was nobody there to listen…

Author’s Note:

It's been a bit of a rush, but we've finally finished volume 5 which had a lot of dark developments…….

Tomorrow, I'll be introducing each character for the first time in a while, so I hope you'll be ready for the new chapter starting the day after tomorrow.

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The Raven Dark Hero 97

Chapter 97 : The Real Harm

TL:SummerPeanut

Author’s Note:

It's been a while. I'm sorry for being very late!

“Takahiko? It's rare to see you rush to me so early.”

Usually, Takahiko rarely rushed to the aid of Kouki no matter where he is fighting. Reason being he believed that there was no chance that Kouki would even be in danger but it was a little surprising to Kouki that Takahiko had come rushing this time and he’s even out of breath.

“Isn’t it obvious just from seeing my state? Because I came running. And you can start introducing me to the guy next to you since he looks like he's confused.”

As he was about to reply to Kouki, Takahiko shifted his gaze to Kazur.

“Ahh……”

When Kouki looked back at Kazur, he definitely had a troubled expression on his face. He seemed to be wondering if it was okay to tell him that he was a Revived Hunter.

“Takahiko is one of the few partners who know that I'm a Revived Hunter. You can rest assured.”

Then Kazur……

“I see. My name is Kazur. I'm a survivor of the Revived Hunters that manifested amongst the experimental subjects under Strohm who escaped two years ago.”

Takahiko's expression hardened when he heard that Kazur was a survivor of the Revived Hunters. Why did he rush to Kouki this time? It was because he had a bad feeling about it. The first thing that came to mind was the secret that he had not told Kouki.

“Revived Hunter’s……”

“That's what I'm talking about. It seems that Kazur had been getting information about every single thing that was going on at the institute so that one day he could take revenge on Strohm. So he came to see me after I destroyed the institute.”

Kouki felt it would be troublesome to tell everything so he didn't say that Kazur had come to kill Kouki at first.

“……I see. But, How did Kazur-san know that Kouki is a Revived Hunter?”

“……Mm, I suppose it’s because we're both Revived Hunters. I was convinced when I saw Kouki use multiple gifts when he fought Exideth and Chimera.”

Although Kazur had been able to find out what was going on in the laboratory, his ability was not accurate enough to see the battle in detail. So it was only a short while ago that Kazur found out that Kouki was also a Revived Hunter but he followed Kouki's example and told a small lie to save time for the explanation.

Takahiko believed him easily because there was nothing suspicious in the conversation between Kouki and Kazur, but that was not the problem. The question was whether or not Kazur had already told him the secret that he had been keeping from Kouki.

“You're quite fluent in Japanese by the way…… oh well. Kazur-San, have you told Kouki about the harm of not killing those who have killed him yet?”

Takahiko asked Kazur a question that was straightforward, but as barely not letting Kouki find out his intentions. But instead, Kouki tried to answer the question.

“He’s fluent with the language. And we were just about to get to that point……”

Ignoring Kouki's reply, Takahiko's eyes glowed gold.

……But he couldn't get any information out of Kazur.

(What? No way, it got resisted!?)

In order to resist the God's Eye, you have to be aware that it is an ability to read minds. Even though he didn't know that, he was able to resist the God's Eye.

“……Look at how surprised you are…… You have bad taste. To think you're trying to look into mind of people you met for the first time. If it wasn't for you being Kouki's partner, you'd be in for a world of hurt……”

“Takahiko~ You, stop activating the God's Eye on everyone. I'm sorry, Kazur."

"It's just a hobby of his. No offense. ……by the way, how were you able to resist it the first time you saw it? ……Could it be, a gift?”

“No, I was drilled in the knowledge of all kinds of gifts in the lab. One of them was the gift of reading people's minds and the activation conditions were similar and when I responded…”[1]

Kouki soothed Kazur. It was probably a good thing if he hadn't been found out up until now but being able to read someone's mind would have been a very disgusting thing to do. In fact, Kazur stared at Takahiko with eyes full of suspicion.

However, Takahiko was more surprised that his God’s Eye was resisted despite the fact that the other party had never seen it before.

“……No way, you were able to resist my gift with just some knowledge?”

“The moment your eyes lit up, I thought, ‘What if...?’”

Kazur grinned at him but his gaze on Takahiko was the still same, full of suspicion.

(Oh man……I've lost my credibility. I don't know if he’ll even answer my honest questions anymore.)

Amidst the delicate atmosphere, Kouki made a proposal to Takahiko.

“Hey, Takahiko. Shouldn't we ask Kazur to join Kuroyume?”

“Eh? ……That’s, you mean letting him enter Kuroyume?”

Kazur joining Kuroyume……. Takahiko had already lost Kazur's trust and with the secret he had been hiding, it was an impossible proposition for him.

(……As a fellow Revived Hunter, I'm sure that Kazur will be a good friend to Kouki. But he will definitely tell Kouki the information I've been hiding. And at that time, he will definitely be on Kouki's side……)

Takahiko thought for a moment and then shook his head.

“……I'm sorry to tell you this, but I can't make that decision on my own. We are in sensitive period right now, we need to ask the boss first.”

“I'll convince him. Boss surely knows how much the Revived Hunters can do for the organization, won’t he? I've done my fair share of work, and this Kazur has more gifts than I have.”

While Kouki possessed many gifts that are mainly specialized in combat, Kazur has various gifts, to begin with. Just like what the person said himself, he had obtained multiple gifts from mind-reading type gifts and other types. So he will be a great asset to the organization.

Takahiko knew that too. Even so, he couldn't just admit it outright.

“I'm not saying he can't. I'll talk to the boss when I get back to Japan. In the meantime, I want you to wait here in Germany.”

He understood what Takahiko was trying to say, but still, Kouki was not convinced.

“Then why don't we just take him to Japan? The boss would never say no.”

“I agree but let's still go through the steps. Kazur is also related to Core, who is probably the main suspect in this kidnapping case. If the press gets wind of this, it could be a problem for the organization……”

“……You, what are you hiding since a while ago?”

Kazur suddenly interrupted the conversation between Kouki and Takahiko. His eyes showed that he was sure that Takahiko was hiding something from him.

“Wha-, what are you saying?”

“I can't read other people's thoughts with my gift like you can, but I can detect some emotions through facial expressions and voice. What you're feeling right now is……the sense of urgency to hide something……Is that it?”

Takahiko had never imagined that he, who had read countless people's minds, would become the one being read.

“Hiding something? ……Takahiko, what is it that you want to hide?”

“……Ergh……”

Takahiko swallowed down his words; thinking that he couldn't hide it anymore now that Kazur was there.

(If Kouki finds out the secret……no matter how I see it, I don't see a good future for us. I knew it, I can't say it!)

Kazur cornered Takahiko to the limit with his stubborn attitude.

“……You were wondering earlier about the downside of Revived Hunter not killing the killer? ……Does Kouki know about the downside?”

Takahiko's expression changed from impatience. He knew that if he didn't do anything, Kouki would surely find out about his secret.

Takahiko decided to take a gamble.

“Wa-, wait!  It's true that there are parts about Revived Hunter that I haven't told Kouki yet. But that's because I decided that I shouldn't tell him yet!”

Takahiko gave his reasons for not being honest. But Kouki was speechless when he heard that there was a secret he was keeping from him. And Kazur did not remain silent.

“That's a very selfish thing to say. You're not a Revived Hunter, are you? As a Revived Hunter, Kouki has the right to know and you have no right to hide that information from him.”

“I know! I get it, ok! But, even still, it's better that he doesn't know about it now!”

Takahiko may look carefree most of the time, but he's actually the calmest guy in the room. This Takahiko was raising his voice in a way unusual from him.

Seeing this scene, Kouki realized that the hidden secret was definitely something detrimental to him.

“As I said, that's not for you to decide. Our gift, the Revived Hunter, has a number of downsides that can kill you if you don't know about them. That's the secret you're hiding, isn't it?”

Kazur had completely lost faith in Takahiko. So he could only see him as a man who was detrimental to Kouki.

“If you still refuse to tell him, then I'll do it myself. Kouki is the only comrade I've ever had. No matter how much of a partner you are, if you're going to interfere……I'll shut you up with force”

A deadly energy flowed out of Kazur. The aura was so strong that Takahiko could tell at once that Kazur is very strong.

Takahiko and Kazur stared eye to eye at their spot. Both of them have something they can’t forgo. There was a tingling tension between them……but Kouki broke the atmosphere.

“Hey, Takahiko. If you don't want to tell me, then it must be really bad for me, right? No, that secret probably wouldn’t just affect me, it affects everyone around me, doesn't it?”

As Kouki's words got to the heart of the matter, Takahiko fell silent.

“You've never been wrong in any critical situation before, so you're probably not wrong this time either. But I still want to know. I want to know the secret of my Revived Hunter.”

With that, Kouki put his hand on Takahiko's shoulder and looked at Kazur.

“Kazur, maybe you see Takahiko as a liar…… No, he's definitely one I guess? But I'm buddies with him because he's this kind of guy. If he's hiding a secret, it's definitely something I'd rather not hear. So please forgive him.”

“……I see. I have no choice. Then, right here and now, he will tell you the secret he has been keeping. That's the deal.”

Takahiko……as if he had given up, opened his mouth…….

“……I, yesterday, I told you that if the Revived Hunters don't go on…… I mean, if you don't die, you'll eventually go insane, right?”

“Yeah. That’s why the problem is that I can't die even if I want to....... Isn't that right?”

“……You don't have to die to salvage your condition. The other condition…… in other words, you'll have to kill the person who killed you...no exception. That's, the real condition……”

Takahiko's words were very slurred and difficult to understand, even more so considering that he was an eloquent man by nature. But even so, Kouki realized why he had refused to reveal this secret to him.

“……I see. Indeed……Maybe I didn't want to know about this……”

Kouki gave a bitter smile. Seeing Kouki like that, Takahiko……

“To me, you're my only best friend and my most important partner. But for me, Boss is the one who gave me a purpose in life, he's like a father to me. I couldn't just pick one or the other!”

Takahiko was hiding a secret. The secret that Takahiko has been hiding is that the condition to stop the gradual loss of sensation and ego is not that the Revived Hunter must be activated but rather he needs to kill the person who killed him.

In other words, if Kouki didn't kill Kiryu, he would eventually become an empty shell.

However, thanks to Takahiko, who seemed to be more seriously troubled than he was, he was able to accept the information without being too agitated.

In addition to that, he was aware of his murderous intent every time he saw Kiryu, which was why he had been keeping his distance from him lately. Thus everything somehow made sense to him.

Above all…… Takahiko must have worried himself to death for his sake. When he thought about it, he was strangely able to come to decision on what action he should take.

“I understand. Boss is a man I look up to. I understand what you're going through. I'm sorry. For making you so worried.”

“Kouki…… You……”

“Kazur. Is there nothing I can do about this?”

“……So far, the only way to solve this problem is to kill the person that killed you. Are you saying that you don't want to kill that person even if it means giving up your own life?”

Kouki nodded silently. Kazur was about to press Kouki to change his mind but stopped when he saw his expression.

Kouki told Takahiko with a look of determination on his face.

“I……will retire from Kuroyume.. I'll never show my face in front of boss again.”

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Takahiko had expected that Kouki would say that when he found out about this but he lifted his head up when he heard those words.

“Retire from Kuroyume…… then, you're not going to kill boss?”

“Yeah. I won’t.”

Kouki spoke so matter-of-factly that Kazur couldn't keep quiet.

“What are you saying? You're going to lose your ego, you know? In a way, you're as good as dead, do you get it!?”

“I guess. Still, I can't kill the boss. He's the one who gave me a place to live.”

For Kouki that manifested gift and promptly antagonized a huge entity, the NDF, Kuroyume was the only place where he could live. The person who gave him that place was Kiryu.

When he thought about whether he wanted to live even if he had to kill Kiryu, he came to a decision. He decided that going to such lengths to survive was not the course of action forgivable to the remaining meager sense of justice within him.

“I'm afraid of losing my ego, to be honest, but I can't die even if I wanted to because of White’s curse. What should I do……? If there's a place that's absolutely inescapable, that would be convenient…… GUH!?”

Takahiko punched Kouki who began to ponder with difficult face.

“WHAT BULLSHITS ARE YOU SPEWING ABOUT!? You, do you even know what you're getting yourself into…… Do you even get what the fuck you are saying right now!?”

“……that hurts. We don't have a choice, do we? Are you saying that I should just kill boss? You don't want to do that, do you? It's best if I disappear. Takahiko, you're contradicting yourself right now, you know?"

“I know…… I know that but still, it made me angry to see you talking like you'd throw away your life so easily!”

Kouki looked at the always calm Takahiko showing his emotions in a rare way as if he were someone else. Probably for his own sake.

Even at a time like this, Kouki can still remain calm. Kouki didn't realize that this was the downside of the Revived Hunter acting up. Not killing the person that killed him, thus gradually causing him to lose his emotions.

“……Don't give up so easily! Someday, I'll find a way to……Hmm?”

At that moment, the emergency email notification sounded on Kouki and Takahiko's Kuroyume terminals.

“Shit, what is it, during this time……”

“It's an emergency text. We can't just ignore it, can we?”

Takahiko clicked his tongue and looked at the terminal. He immediately looked up and made eye contact with Kouki, who had also checked the terminal.

The content of the mail is……

『The Sendai branch of Kuroyume was destroyed in an attack by ‘Kagerou’. Return immediately.』

……That was the message.

Author’s Note:

Tip: As will be explained in the next article, Kagerou is a rival organization to Kuroyume.

I'm sorry for the delay in the update, but I will be taking a break for a while again. I'll give you more details in the activity report, but I've also decided to delay the release of the book by about a month, so please check out the activity report if you'd like to know more about that.m(__)m

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TL’s note:

1. I know you guys gonna ask then why didn’t Strohm resist it. I have no idea.

The Raven Dark Hero 96

Chapter 96 : The Other Revived Hunter

TL:SummerPeanut

Author’s Note:

※I'm sorry for the delay in the updates. The official book is scheduled to be released on June 2nd by Ichijinsha. Also, although it's not finished yet, 真空-sama will be drawing the illustrations. It's going to be a really cool illustration, so please keep your eyes peeled![1]

“Because….. I am a Revived Hunter too.”

The mysterious man revealed to Kouki that he too was a Revived Hunter.

“ …………Revived Hunter? What’s that?”

Kouki had never admitted to Strohm that he was a Revived Hunter until the very end. So, he decided that he wasn't going to bother sympathizing with this guy either, and so he feigned ignorance…….

“For the record, it's been five years since my Revived Hunter manifested. It's been two years since I escaped from that laboratory after being subjected to various experiments, but even after I escaped, I had access to all of the experiments that were being conducted there and I was able to use my gift to understand what was going on in that laboratory. I know that you killed the Revived Hunter Exideth…… Darkflash Bright.”

At first, Kouki thought this man revealed himself because he found out that Kouki is the same as him but apparently he was wrong. He realized that the man was only aware that Kouki was Bright and that he was the one who killed Exideth.

“……Then there's no point in hiding it. I am Bright, the person who killed that Exideth guy. But that's because he was a piece of shit who deserved to be killed.”

They had the same Revived Hunter gift. If Exideth was a decent person, Kouki would have rescued him and made him one of his comrades. But Exideth was the kind of person who despised human life and a fool who didn't think twice. That's why he chose to kill him instead.

“ ……He used to be a mild-mannered guy. But the hellish experiments changed that. Anyone would go crazy if they were killed every day. That's why I escaped from the lab in the first place.”

A Revived Hunter who escaped that laboratory. Indeed, Kouki recalled that Strohm had also said that one of the experimental subjects had escaped.

“Hell, huh. Then why'd you run off by yourself? Shouldn't you have taken that idiot with you?”

“I couldn't do it, gift-wise. That's why I was looking for an opportunity. I've been looking for an opportunity to kill Strohm and…… my fellow Revived Hunters, the changed Exideth, with my own hands. ……It was supposed to happen tomorrow. And then you ruined everything.”

“I don't care what you say. If that's the case, why didn't you just go ahead and do it right away when you could? That's just venting at the wrong person. I mean, you were going to kill him anyway, so isn’t it fine result-wise?”

The man's expression changed. It was as if he genuinely recognized Kouki as a deeply hated enemy.

“Venting is fine. Not like I’ve got anything left. I lost my family while I was being held in the lab and all of my comrades, even if they were rotten, are already dead. I wanted to at least bury Exideth with my own hand as the sole escapee from that lab. So… I'm sorry for you to be my venting target, but I'm going to have you die.”

The bloodthirst that overflowed from the man again became the gong for the battle.

“I don't want to have to deal with your unreasonable obsession…… You know I'm Bright, and you're still challenging me to a fight. I'm not sure if you're just an idiot or a suicidal maniac.”

“Only two choices? Unfortunately, I choose the third option……”

The man jumped right in front of Kouki’s bosom with a step that surprised even him, and unleashed a sharp punch at Kouki's face. He barely had time to guard it but the impact on his guard arm made him realize that he had misjudged the man's capabilities.

“The choice that honors me is to be the one that will slaughter the Darkflash Bright.”

“Heh~, you are stronger than expected. I rarely ask but I'll take your name just in case.”

“Kazur……. That’s the name of the person who will kill you!”

Both sides kept their distance and waited for the other to make a move.

(He's not a Speed Star or Flash user, but he has acceleration-type gift. And if he's a Revived Hunter, then he definitely has more than one gift……. It's a shame we're both the users of the same gift, but I guess I'll have to kill him……)

In a battle between the same user of a gift, the stronger one doesn't always win. In the past, Kouki himself has experienced many painful experiences due to his conceit, so he had developed a habit of killing without hesitation if he can.

Kouki activated Silent Stealth. From here, he can either use Invisible Slash or activate Flash and use Lonsdaleite to stop him. In fact, no one has ever been able to escape this combination of attack.

This time, Kouki felt something unpredictable about the man and chose to attack with Invisible Slash, a pattern that would be safer for him.

(If he's a Revived Hunter, I'll have to kill him twice. Let's kill him with a long range attack first!)

An Invisible Slash slash appeared on Kazur's body.

……But Kazur did not avoid it. The slash did indeed cut through his body. However, his body was unharmed.

(What happened? I'm sure the slash overlapped with his body. And yet, it's as if it slipped through his body…… is that also another one of his gifts?)

“What’s wrong? With an attack like that, you won't even scratch me, you know?”

Kazur said so while smiling wryly in a strange direction.

(I don't know what kind of gift that is, but I'm guessing he can’t recognize me while I’m in Silent Stealth. Then……)

He activated Flash. He started to move to kill him at once with another of his solid combo, an attack with the Lonsdaleite in close proximity, but then……

“You fool!”

Kouki was about to attack Kazur from behind, but suddenly Kazur turned around and intercepted Kouki's attack with his arm that turned into a blade!

“Tsk, He must have seen through me!?”

A ringing metallic sound. Kazur's blade and his arm, hardened by the glittering Lonsdaleite, collided with each other.

“I've got you fooled. I've got no blind spot!”

(The gift that disabled Invisible Slash, the gift that turned his arm into a blade, and that blade that is hard enough to block a blow from Lonsdaleite, and the gift that detects presence? It seems that this guy is not like that idiot(Exideth)...)

“What’s the matter? Darkflash. Is that all you're capable of? Apparently, you're not as strong as your reputation it seems.”

The first time that Kouki was not able to fight freely against human opponents was back in the day when he fought Hiro, Fuuka and etcs. After that fight, there was no one who could resist his overwhelming strength. In other words, Kouki hadn’t been fighting death match that risked both sides’ lives.

But this time, he showed no carelessness nor hesitance. It was simply that Kazur was a strong foe.

“Don't get carried away just because you blocked two of my attacks.”

Once he cooled down, he focused all his attention on the fight. Then, he reaffirmed Kazur as a powerful enemy in the class of Kiryu and Onijima.

“The show from hell for you starts here……”

Flash activated. If Kazur could detect his presence, Silent Stealth was no longer useful so he deactivated the gift.

Fast and strong. Kouki chose to fight head on.

“GURGH!!”

It was a very unremarkable strategy, but every single one of Kouki's blows was an attack that could be fatal. Kazur could only barely cope with the rush.

There are three different gifts that Kazur had used so far.

First, the gift that disabled Invisible Slash, ‘Trans Parency’[1]. This gift is ranked at B+ that makes one's body invisible for a few seconds. It looks like the same type of gift as Silent Stealth but it is actually a different kind of gift.

The difference is that Silent Stealth makes your body and sounds disappear but only visually, and others can still touch the user even when it's activated, while Trans Parency doesn't just make the user disappear visually but actually makes the body transparent and allows the user to pass through all materials.

The duration of the effect is short, only about three seconds, but using this gift, Kazur escaped the laboratory.

Next, the gift that sensed the presence ‘Precursory Radar’. This is ranked at B that allows the user to detect any sign of life within a five meter radius.

And the gift ‘Madder Arm’ that intercepted Kouki. It's a gift ranked at B- ability that turns one’s arm into a hard blade. It is very similar to the blade that Kouki uses in Lonsdaleite, but Madder Arm is a gift that turns only the arm into a blade.

All of them have a gift rank of less than A. However, due to Revived Hunter's characteristic of proficiency correction by killing the original gift holder, all of his gifts are at high proficiency and have grown to be gifts that are comparable to normal gift of rank A by themselves.

“Don’t you look down on me!”

Suddenly, a green mist was generated from Kazur's body. Bright reacted to the mist and took some distance from it however he inhaled a little of the mist.

“GUH!? GAHARGH…… Poison!?”

Kouki vomited blood and fell to his knees.

It's a rank C gift but with high proficiency, its deadliness and range of effects have increased, and once inhaled, it can paralyze the opponent and if exposed to the poisonous fog for a long period of time, it can cause death, making it Kazur's trump card.

“A gift that uses poison……!? A…… A gift with this much toxicity, it never existed in this world before…… GAHARGH!”

Kazur approached Kouki who was on his knees and muttering in pain.

“This is a characteristic of the Revived Hunter. The proficiency of the gifts you gain will increase many times faster than normal! You were a bit disappointing but it's over now, Bright!!”

The Madder Arm was swung down……but, at that moment, Kouki laughed.

“ …… Now you’re the one being duped.”

The blade of Lonsdaleite pierced through Kazur's abdomen……but just before it reached his organs, he barely activated his Trans Parency and Kazur jumped back significantly.

“GUH…… You fucker, is the poison not effective!?”

Kouki’s blade did not reach Kazur's organs, but it still caused significant damage to his abdomen.

In contrast, Kouki stood up as if he hadn't been damaged by the poison.

“My body is able to forcibly burn away all wounds and foreign objects. Nevertheless, you managed to survive that attack with just a paper-thin margin……You're quite the strong foe after all. I'm impressed.”

“A restorative gift, you said……Hey, wait a minute. How many gifts do you have…… Could it be, are you a Revived Hunter, too?”

Kouki kept his cool and assessed Kazur. And then……

“ ……Hmm, it’s not like I’ll be troubled if you know about it. Exactly, I'm also a Revived Hunter. You got a problem with that?”

If Kazur was right, Exideth was already drowning in his own power as far as Kouki concerned; regardless if he was originally a good man or not.

However, Kazur didn't seem to be drowning in that power despite the fact that he had obtained power that was incomparable to Exideth.

He is also a Revived Hunter, so wouldn’t it be alright to talk with him. That's what Kouki thought. If Kazur was also a scoundrel like Exideth, he decided that he could just kill him.

“……Then why didn't you just say so in the first place?”

“You didn't ask me about it. Well, even if you had asked me in the first place, I wouldn't have admitted to it.”

The murderous energy that had been pouring out of Kazur dissipated. The expression on his face changed from one of avenger’s to one of relief at having found a new comrade.

“ ……what a unreasonable person. If you're a Revived Hunter like me, you're a comrade to me. There's no reason to fight anymore…… At least not on my part.”

With that, Kazur looked at Kouki with a somewhat pleased expression.

“What the hell? Don't you want me to kill you for taking away your purpose?"

“……I'm one who thinks a living comrade worth more than a dead one. Let me introduce myself again. My name is Kazur. I'm one of the four Revived Hunters manifested from Strohm's experiments. Now that you've killed Exideth, you and I are the only two Revived Hunters left, as far as I know.”

“……even if you were going to kill him anyway, don’t you think you are being a little too indifferent? What a heartless bastard. Also, when I’m in this form, you can call me Kouki.”

Kouki also released the aura of battle mode from his body.

“Kouki, huh, got it. About Exideth, to be honest, I wasn't sure whether to kill him or rescue him, because he was so drunk with power that he changed. That's why I delayed my decision.”

“I see. It's true that no one would benefit from a fool like that being released into the world. Originally, I would have liked to get to know him as fellow Revived Hunter, but there’s no way with that idiot.”

As he said this, Kouki placed his palm on Kazur's injured stomach. Then, before anyone noticed it, the wound closed up and the injury was healed.

“How the hell did you even learn the healing-type gift? Isn’t it physically impossible to be killed by healing-type gift?”

“This gift can be used for restoration and killing. In a sense, this gift is like a curse.”

After the treatment was finished and the wound was completely gone, Kazur sat down on a nearby bench with a gesture of relief.

“Kouki…… How long has it been since you manifested Revived Hunter?”

“Since I manifested…… I’d say it's been about a year and a half.”

“What the hell!? You're telling me that you've gained that much strength in just a year and a half? I'm honestly surprised. So much so that when I see the gifts you've mastered, I could imagine just how close to death you’ve been.”

Kazur's words came from someone who experienced death. It was something that only he understood alone until now.

“A comrade……. You're right. Only someone who's been there can understand the pain.”

Kouki also sat down next to Kazur.

“During the battle, you have used at least five gifts. If you don't want to tell me, that's fine, but how many gifts have you obtained?”

There is a big difference between knowing the performance of the gift and not knowing the performance of the gift when actually fighting. It would have been an unthinkable action to tell others about matters that would risk his life-and-death, but……

“I'm not going to go into details, but there are seven in total, not including the Revived Hunter. All of them are gift rank of A or higher……or rather, most of them are S.”

“All are higher than A…… what’s more, S ranks!?”

Knowing well the nature of Revived Hunter, Kazur thought it was a miracle that Kouki had been able to survive until now. As Strohm had said, Revived Hunter is an ability with really strict conditions and restrictions.

“ ……No wonder you're so strong. You’ve been through so many battles with so many powerful people. In the end, it was only with Strohm's support that I was able to survive. To have that much power without anyone's support……the odds are truly miraculous, you know?”

“Well, maybe it was indeed a miracle. Now that I think about it, it wouldn’t have been weird if I died in any of the past happenings. So, how many gifts do you have?”

“Mine, huh……. I haven't obtained as many high-ranked gifts as you. However, I have 29 gifts of various ranks.”

Twenty-nine. It meant that Kazur had about four times the gift of Kouki.

This surprised Kouki inwardly. In fact, even with seven of them, there are still times when he didn’t use them effectively. He wondered if he would be able to even use twenty-nine of them properly.

“Of course, some of the gifts aren't as useful as others, so usually I end up with a limited number of gifts to use as my main cards. But at least it proves that Revived Hunter can get up to twenty-nine new gifts. Isn’t it great that you learned one more thing about this gift?”

“Twenty nine……. Then, it would mean that you had died and revived twenty nine times……”

For Kouki, the number of deaths Kazur had experienced was too frightening to imagine. This is because the phenomenon of dying is so painful that it cannot be expressed in words.

“Now then I want to ask something, just in case. You have to kill the gifted that killed you. Are you aware of this information?”

Suddenly, Kazur waved the information that Kouki wanted to know the most.

“You have to kill the person who killed you. Killing them will increase the speed at which your gift proficiency increases, right?”

“That's right. You don't happen to have anyone that killed you but you have yet to off’ed them, do you?”

Kouki stayed quiet. That in itself answered the question.

“You dumbass! ......how long has it been since that guy killed you?”

Suddenly, Kazur closed in on Kouki with a tremendous momentum.

“……What are you on so suddenly. Fine, it's been over a year and a half……”

“What…… that is…… How is that even possible?”

A year and a half. The words stunned Kazur, and as he searched for his next words……

“‘I'll be right there’…… Partner, I hurried over as soon as I heard it and I found two guys chatting on a bench instead.”

Just right then, Takahiko arrived out of breath.

Author’s Note:

With the appearance of new comrade Kazur, the information that Takahiko hid from Kouki is in danger of being exposed.

……And so, the decision made by Kouki is……

Next chapter: ‘The Real Peril’

“I……will retire from Kuroyume.”

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TL’s note:

1. Amazon link to author’s raw book.
2. The name of the gift is literally 2 words Trans Parency. So I think it’s the author’s mistake. Should be Transparency or something similar.

The Raven Dark Hero 95

Chapter 95 : The Man Who Appeared

TL:SummerPeanut

Guided by Anna, Kouki, Takahiko, Rumi, and Hannah first visited Marienplatz in the center of Munich.

Munich's streets are so rich in history that you will feel as if you have slipped back in time to medieval Europe.

“…...Hey, you guys, to tell you guys the truth, I'm a hero who was reincarnated from another world into this world……”

Takahiko suddenly confessed with a straight face. However, the women didn't bite at all and Kouki just smiled bitterly.

“What’s the hell! Your reactions are no way to start a story! It ended in the prologue wtf!”

“All right, just stop ruining your own image….partner.”

“U~, I'm sure the old you would have been more than happy to play along. You've changed after all!”

“Shut up. Don't judge me by that.”

Kouki refuted Takahiko who was deliberately drooping down his shoulders. As for Takahiko, he thought he could ease the burden on Kouki's mind by playing like this.

In order to get rid of your complexes, you need to stop thinking of them as complexes. If your pride gets in the way, just get rid of it.[1]

This is something that Takahiko, who can read people's minds, is always aware of in order to maintain his own mentality.

“So first, let's go to St. Peter's Church! At there, I and Kouki-sama will make eternal love……”

“Big sis. That's a bit of a turnoff no matter what. See, Kouki's face turned expressionless.”

Even with Anna on Kouki's left arm and Hannah on his right; with the two beautiful sisters sandwiched between him, Kouki found himself unable to feel his heart skipping a beat.

(I thought... After I broke up with Fuuka, I had no right to love women anymore. I believed that's the reason why my heart wasn't moved by any woman but maybe this is another harmful effect of Revived Hunter…….)

Kouki's mind was filled with doubt and fear, wondering if all of these were the result of Revived Hunter.

(Then...I can just force myself to act like my old self. The old me…...the old me, how was I again?)

Anna and Hannah also noticed that Kouki's expression became increasingly grim as he tried to remember, but could not.

“Ah…… I’m sorry. I knew it was presumptuous of us.”

“Kouki…… I’m sorry.”

(No, I was just thinking about something else…….. I somehow made them feel uncomfortable it seems.)

“......It's not that I don't like being surrounded by beautiful sisters like you two. I guess I'm the one who made you feel uncomfortable. …...Alright, let's go to Peter's Church, shall we?”

Rumi felt unnatural as she smiled at him, but she decided that it was not the right place to point it out.

After that, Anna took them to various historical buildings in the suburbs. At first, Kouki thought that it would be boring to go around the buildings but when he actually went around, he found it quite interesting and even started to listen to Anna's guide seriously. Obviously, with the simultaneous translation function of his terminal in hand.

On the other hand, Takahiko was forcing himself to act cheerful but since Anna and Hannah were more involved with Kouki than he was, he decided to leave Kouki to them and go his separate ways. This was partly because he was relieved that Kouki seemed to be enjoying himself and partly because he still hadn't sorted out yesterday's incident in his mind.

And Rumi was…. For some reason, she went with Takahiko and questioned him about what happened to Kouki in the lab.

Nearby cafe. Rumi and Takahiko were seated face to face.

“…….That, I can't tell youー. Not even you, Rumi-chan.”

“Why? Kouki's behavior has been obviously strange since yesterday. Something's wrong, isn't it?”

Takahiko was once again impressed by Rumi's intuition. She could tell from the slightest hint that something was wrong with Kouki.

(Well, she can’t be honest with herself because Fuuka-chan but I'm sure Rumi-chan only noticed because she likes Kouki.)

Rumi is…… Rather, there are only a few people, including Kiryu, who know about Kouki's Revived Hunter ability.

(If the two of them had a deeper relationship, I'm sure Kouki would have talked to Rumi-chan…… but I can't exactly blabber on and on.)

As for Takahiko, he doesn't dislike Fuuka, but she is already a member of a rival organization. If Kouki were to go out with someone, Takahiko would definitely choose Rumi over Fuuka.

(Rumi is the type of person who will do anything for you and take good care of you. I'm sure she's the perfect partner for Kouki right now not to mention she can read the situation properly too….)

Since then, Kouki had stopped paying any attention to his love relationship. Takahiko also thought that this was due to him losing his first love with Fuuka but things have changed.

(If his gradual loss of feelings was the downside of Revived Hunter's, then it's hard to imagine a relationship developing in the first place.)

“Hey, Takahiko. I too, as a member of the Numbers, and a fellow comrade, I'm worried about Kouki. If something happened to Kouki, I would like to help him, and of course, so would you. Both of you have been acting strange since yesterday.”

Takahiko didn't think that Rumi was even aware of what was wrong with him. This was because he prided himself on being an expert at misdirecting people. He thought he was doing a good job of hiding the turmoil of being the only one that knows the true secret of Revived Hunter.

(Was it so unnatural to pretend not to worry about it? But, as expected of myself. My eyes were not wrong to recommend Rumi as one of the Numbers.)

But still, he can't tell her what happened yesterday. No matter how he goes about it, it would always return to Revived Hunter in the end.

So, Takahiko decided to deceive her with a mixture of falsehood and reality.

“I've been thinking about the recent changes in Kouki. ...... Kouki has finally noticed them. And it's bothering him.

You see, he's killed hundreds of villains since he suddenly became Numbers’ number one and he chose to throw away his naivety due to various reasons. But he used to be someone who hesitates to kill even a single person. That's why he's a little confused about his change.

That's why we need to be there for him… If he makes a bad decision, we have to warn him and if he starts to lose confidence, we should encourage him. That's what I was thinking. I guess I was thinking too much as well.”

“ …...I see. I knew it, I'm sure there are certain pressures that only Kouki himself can understand.”

Rumi seemed to have taken Takahiko's words in stride.

“I didn't think that Bright's name would become so widely known around the world either~. People think of him as an ally of justice, but what he does is purging the bad guys. There's no way that a person who yearned so much to be on the side of justice wouldn't suffer from that gap. In order to alleviate his suffering, his mind has built a bulwark to prevent him from thinking too deeply about things, so his emotional ups and downs have become less intense.”

This was the hypothesis of Kouki's change that Takahiko arrived at until yesterday. But this was shaken by the new information about Revived Hunter.

“You have a point, It's like he is carrying Kuroyume's logo on his back. Yes, I have to….. help Kouki in any way I can. Because Kouki is…... like a little brother to me.”

Rumi smiled bitterly at him, and Takahiko felt a little bit miserable seeing that.

(I'm sure she's already aware of her own feelings. To Rumi, Fuuka is like a sister to her even if she's an enemy now. That's why she's hesitant to show her feelings towards Kouki.

…….oh dear, you really are a sinful man~, partner! If it were up to me, I would have welcomed Rumi-chan with open arms!)

“Alright! I think I'm getting hungry! Let's get something to eat, Rumi-chan! I'll buy you a drink!”

“I suppose so. But I don't want to owe you anything, so let’s split.”

“So not cute~! You're not going to get the guy you like to turn to you like that, are you?”

“Wha-!? You don't have to worry about me, I'll let the man I love spoil me lots, thank you very much~!”

(…….spoiling not.)

“Ugh, I don't care anymore! Excuse me, please bring me some jumbo sausages, please!”

――At that time, Kouki had just finished looking at all the historical buildings and was feeling somewhat refreshed.

“How do you like it, Kouki-sama.”

“Well~, surprisingly I enjoyed it a lot. I never knew I had such an interest in historical buildings.”

“Fu fu fu, that’s good to hear!”

(I knew I shouldn't stay in my shell just because I'm not in the mood~. Yeah, it was definitely a nice change of pace………….Hmm!?)

Suddenly, he felt a wind blowing. It was a wind that carried a very special and dangerous presence.

(What is this!? Could it be, an enemy?)

Anna and Hannah were unaware of it. But Kouki certainly felt it. It was the first time in a long time that he had felt the presence of an absolute powerhouse.

He looked in the direction from which the aura had drifted. There, on top of a small hill, stood a lone figure that looked like a man.

( …...He’s obviously inviting me out…….)

“Anna, Hannah, I'm sorry but could you please go ahead and join Rumi? ‘I'll be there in a bit.’ and give Takahiko my message.”

I’ll be there in a bit…. is, a code between Kouki and Takahiko that meant ‘I've got an enemy, going to deal with them.’

“Eh? Kouki-sama?”

After saying that, Kouki activated World of Windham and jumped towards the top of the hill.

“Instead of running away, you chose to wait for me here…… What do you want from me?”