Chapter 168: The Weak of Light (4)

Even so if humans are ones who pile success and failure and go forward, this success will surely become vitality for the new transformation heroine named Sacred Knuckle to go forward.

"Ou, good work Arrow. Sorry, leaving this and that."

Drawing a victory picture, trying to convey words of thanks to Arrow who gave Knuckle confidence, I involuntarily stumbled over words.

Putting on a suffering expression, tightly gripping the hem of the skirt, that figure. Seeing that I hesitated how I should call.

Arrow’s gaze remains directed straight at Knuckle.

Seeping admiration in the gaze she continues staring at the older junior rejoicing innocently.

"...Aa, Atel. Good work, you also did well."

Faster than I spit words Arrow notices my gaze and immediately keeps up the expression.

Truly Sacred are good at that kind of thing and troublesome. So as not to worry everyone, so as not to trouble, thinking that is by no means wrong, but because everyone everyone is that kind of vibe once it starts breaking it completely does not mesh.

What Sacred need is absolutely not powerful comrades but the likes of a counselor, when I involuntarily let out a sigh I notice Arrow’s gaze.

"...What?"

Not a suffering expression like just now, not a kept-up smile, seeing that expression apparently relieved from the heart I think suspicious.

Frankly not a human who should be directed that kind of gaze. Even thinking from Arrow’s position at most evaluation of an ordinary tentacle bastard with special knowledge, I think.

"Atel. As I thought you are weak."

"No well fact, but saying that at the timing of praising Knuckle guts get gouged so stop?"

I have awareness but take damage from the drop.

Of course I think can I not support a bit better, but toward me dropping shoulders Arrow shook her head aa sorry.

"It is not that I am saying you are not active. Only there is a thing I inevitably mind."

The last restraint was splendid, Arrow who smiled immediately tightens her expression.

"...I only know your ability from hearsay and footage so I had been thinking maybe you can fight more, but really you only have power of a degree smashed without question if alone."

"Well that, not a sports club or anything, and what changed is tentacles... or rather why did you think I can fight?"

My soft and tentacle hard are poor, of course weak. Abasing too much I think how, but this is pure fact.

Or rather that kind of thing Knuckle of course, even Saber with the most feeling of trusting me has noticed. Even if said weak and such at this timing it is too late.

At my question Arrow stares straight at my eyes and asks.

"Why did Alter try to kill that weak you with that roundabout imitation?"

?

I do not understand the meaning of that question well.

"I understand you have become everyone’s spiritual pillar, and I can understand trying to collapse that. But the reason he isolated low-combat-ability you and chose a means of killing taking time... I cannot understand that."

"That... because that guy is a guy good at that kind of means?"

The man named Alter Native was that kind of human character from the original.

Of course since a game there are various play styles. I feel there were super-play videos of defeating all Sacred with head-on fights on video sites, but quite a special example.

Basically Alter’s specs are not high compared to other named. Precisely because of that he clears the story with trapping hands and Sacred dropped to darkness made pieces.

"Even if good at trapping hands there is no way he only does that. You, if it became fighting one ant, do you run plots this and that? Normally crush with a foot and end."

But that is strange, Arrow says.

That he is good at trapping hands I can understand, precisely because of that even though an existence of darkness he could corner Sacred.

But good at trapping hands and can only use trapping hands are similar yet different things.

Since Atel Octo is weak there is probably no reason to deliberately shut down.

I started opening my mouth what, that kind of thing.

Eh? Why?

Certainly strange.

"...No, but he seemed trying to somehow do Knuckle together with me."

"He was about to completely win against Knuckle too, and that not with magic his specialty but with fists."

In other words.

If he held Saber and Knight, Alter can defeat me and Knuckle with a head-on fight.

Information manipulation? Scattering bad reputation?

Those are certainly things he did in the original too, but is it a thing to do even deliberately shutting down me who can be easily defeated? Dropping Knuckle to darkness and suitably making her kill people is far bigger bad reputation.

"If I were Alter. Yes, after killing you first so the prototype remains I make delinquents holding a grudge kick the corpse, and intrude Knuckle there. While making it look like the delinquents killed. Then Knuckle would go mad with anger and beat the bunch to death, and a sensational picture of Sacred beating innocent ordinary people to death can be taken."

After that drop Knuckle is fine.

Even if Saber and Knight win and head to rescue Knuckle, if he quickly defeated me there should have been enough time room.

And yet Alter chose to shut me down.

"Alter Native is wary of you. Probably even now. Therefore I think he chose not an easy method but deliberately shutting down, so as not to be countered... hey, is there no part that comes to mind?"

"Even if said that kind of thing..."

Honestly I do not understand at all.

Probably at that time we faced in the back alley my bottom was seen through. That I am an ordinary person, not a type whose head turns much.

Of course there is probably a question why that kind of me maneuvered well at the April school raid, but as Arrow said just now for Alter quickly killing me then making Knuckle furious and mincing one or two delinquents is more convenient. The more I think the more there is no reason to shut me down.

If this were Sacred, so as not to awaken, that kind of reason there is.

"...That is right, that guy."

I notice wrongness.

Because close to original lines I let it pass, but that guy said words not fitting toward me.

’I will not let counterattack, nor awakening from adversity.’

In the original a line Alter spits toward Sacred.

Words he says when he shut down and defeated Sacred overwhelmingly higher rank than himself.

"Why did that guy talk on the premise if I corner you you awaken?"

Awakening. That itself is a system existing in the original too.

Shaving Sacred’s HP, when he thought finally defeated, for everyone I should protect I cannot fall in this kind of place! Together with a production of changing BGM to the OP instrumental he powers up and revives. If clumsily awakening he might be wiped in an instant, but as he loops many times and gets used to the game he deliberately awakens because he wants to see the picture of a transformation heroine who awakened with the OP song in the back yet pathetically defeated and violated.

Yes. The awakening system is a thing the light side uses, in the original substantially a Sacred-exclusive function.

And in this world too this power called awakening exists. Saber of the Gain fight is precisely that.

Taking a heavy blow, stirring the heart and standing again and swinging a sword. Not that BGM flows like the original, but that was certainly awakening.

Alter being wary of awakening is natural. Because in the previous work he was defeated by Saber’s awakening.

Kidnapping the princess, perfecting the base’s defense assuming Sacred come to rescue, actually cornering Saber who came to rescue, and everything overturned by awakening.

Even when he tried to kill Knuckle and me together.

That guy had confirmed I became unable to move properly from damage, even if I awaken and power up I can kill before counterattacking.

Alter convinced if he corners me I awaken, and precisely because of that shut down with the same means as Sacred. Because he thought if he corners with a head-on fight it is troublesome.

Thinking that I can get convinced, but a new question wells up.

"Does Alter know a possibility of me I do not know...?"

Though calling myself a Vigilante, only keeping reason and the rest all the same as a Monster Villain. I had been thinking that.

Probably that guy knows about my body more than me.

Before challenging a fight he observed me, investigated, and judged Atel Octo awakens like Sacred.

But why he made that kind of judgment I do not understand.

Because original Monster Villains do not have an awakening system.

"If I understand that reason, if I can utilize well, is there still a thing I can do...?"

The original collapsed long ago, and even knowledge full of holes has become useless.

My existence long ago became a small fry fitting real ability, and a means of overturning the current state does not come to mind at all.

But if I can obtain power above now.

Would it not become one means of overturning the current state?

Gently pressing a palm against my own chest, but the seed of desire in the body answers nothing.

"...Even worrying about things I do not understand cannot be helped, more than that."

Arrow cuts words and averts her gaze.

No, wrong. She visually confirmed a group approaching.

Probably she had perceived from further before. Toward her bowing without surprise a middle-aged man surrounded by black clothes steps forward one step.

"Long time no see, Sacred Arrow. And in that state nice to meet you. Sacred Knuckle, and Vigilante Atel Octo."

Tomioka Seijiro.

The chairman of Tomioka Motors who put out the urban development plan called Tomioka New Town and even now continues large investment.

And the man supporting Sacred puts on a smile with a hale and hearty bearing that does not make one feel old age.

◇

That state one leech was watching.

That which hid and lurked in rubble looked at Sacred and the Vigilante praising victory and sneered kukaka.