Chapter 69: The Black Knight and the Growth Monster (1)

Tomioka New Town was a cutting-edge city built after the large corporation Tomioka Motors bought up the land.

The buildings in front of the station were brand-new, and the technology introduced was all state-of-the-art.

A smart city where everything was neatly arranged—but there were exceptions.

First, the restaurants near the school, and the temple on the mountain.

Old shops continuing from the Showa era had refused to evacuate, and as for the temple, there had been no need to cut down the mountain, so it still existed as before.

Those two were still understandable, but there was one structure that stood out.

An abandoned factory on the outskirts of town—there was a No Trespassing sign, yet it was a rust-red building left without any maintenance.

Originally, demolition work should have been done first of all and the land put to effective use.

But—that factory, which was said to have existed since before the war, had lost documents and records amid the postwar chaos. At present, the owner of the land and building was unknown, so even if they wanted to demolish it they could not.

"—Here, isn’t it."

It was not as if Sacred Knight knew that kind of reasoning.

She only felt relief that here, at least, others would not be involved.

Illuminated by the evening light were ruins that had apparently once been workers’ lodging, and a former materials warehouse whose walls had peeled.

At her feet, burnt remnants of fireworks, empty cans, plastic bottles and the like were discarded messily. Unlike the building, these were things thrown away in the last few years. Someone was probably using this place where no one came as a hangout.

(Why a place like this...?)

For an instant she wondered, but Knight immediately drove that thought from her head and dashed toward the rust-red abandoned factory.

—She did not know.

What kind of people loitered in places like this.

Not far from town, with individual rooms even if dilapidated, and no people—that this place was optimal for bringing women in to perform "acts without consent."

She herself, as well—in the original game, when she was defeated by the protagonist Alter and could no longer move, those types had joyfully brought her here.

She could not even imagine it.

Of course. She was a correct human, and it was not as if she could see the future.

"I have come, Oni...—kh, Black Knight! You at least call yourself a knight in some form; why not show yourself openly!?"

Therefore she stepped boldly into the interior of the abandoned factory. Consciously loading impatience into her voice.

She would not let her guard down.

There was neither arrogance nor impatience now.

Sacred Knight carefully searched the surroundings, then leaped in from the front while pretending to be flustered.

(—I am not equipped for surprise attacks.)

Arrow could do it for certain, or perhaps even Saber—but a heavily armed Knight stood out too much.

Then she would charge from the front and rescue her younger brother.

Even if a hostage was taken it was no problem. The scorching heat granted by the Flame Spirit would not permit such atrocity; it was the power that protected the people who must be protected.

(But the Black Knight should understand that as well.)

Even so, he had been her older brother.

He should understand what kind of abilities Sacred Knight possessed without being told. He would surely not let her recapture easily.

Whether he was keeping him nearby or imprisoning him somewhere else she did not know—but he would use it at a timing fatal for Knight.

(If he is nearby, of course I will save him with these hands. If he is far—I will leave it to Saber and the others.)

In the middle of combat she would send flame outside the factory and scorch letters into the ground.

It was only a technique she had done as play long ago to teach Saber the importance of magic control. Her older brother should not know it, and Saber would notice.

Once the location was understood, with Saber’s speed and breakthrough ability, rescuing her younger brother would be easy.

(For that as well—I must make the Black Knight grow arrogant.)

She would lead him as if licking his lips before cornered prey.

Monster Villains were monsters of desire. Seeing the hostage operation succeed according to his plan, he should be holding dark joy.

She would strike there.

"I’ll come right away without being told. But, ah—"

Kashan.

Hard footsteps rang.

From the collapsed ceiling, evening light poured down like a spotlight—and there, jet black appeared.

Clad in matte black armor as if darkness had been packed solid, a blood-colored inner suit visible through the gaps in the armor.

The Black Knight who appeared holding a greatsword wrapped in purplish darkness in his right hand put on a gentle smile that did not suit that equipment.

"—You won’t call me ’Onii-sama’ anymore? Well, you’ve become more adult compared to a year ago, so perhaps graduating from childish ways of calling is it—but as an older brother it’s a little lonely."

"Kh...!"

Toward her older brother who began speaking in a kind tone as if the fact of abducting their younger brother, as if the events of one year ago, had never happened, Knight twisted her expression in anger—and sorrow.

Because the smile he put on was the same as long ago.

Because she had ended up holding a fantasy as sweet as candy—that perhaps he had truly regained his reason and come to see her.

"I have no intention of exchanging words. Black Knight, where is Gahel?"

She shook off the sweet, sweet fantasy she wanted to savor slowly, and pointed her sword tip at the Black Knight.

No voice seeking help could be heard.

But breathing alone faintly resounded.

For an instant she thought it was her younger brother’s—then immediately realized it was not, and was disappointed.

Haa, haa, haa—that sound ringing like an excited dog did not seem like her younger brother’s. A large excited man with no technique for hiding presence. Knight was certain of that.

(An ambush—no, a decoy?)

Because it was far too easy to understand.

If he intended a surprise attack, the owner of that presence was far below failing grade. Even if he were an ordinary person who had not received combat training, that breathing might give away his location.

Then, by placing an enemy that was too easy to understand, he would turn her consciousness that way and divert it from the real surprise-attack personnel? Even so, it felt too blatant.

"—Either is fine."

Who cares; I will burn everything.

Flame raged with Sacred Knight at the center. The abandoned factory, the rubble, the scrap, the junk—without burning any of that, she released flame at the Black Knight and the hidden someone.

The Black Knight used the dark greatsword as a shield, and the existence in the shadows—direct hit. Through the flame she manipulated, the sensation of whoever was lurking in the shadows burning was transmitted.

(No other sensation of burning... don’t tell me that was really all?)

If so, he was looking down on her too much—no.

Because he had imprisoned Gahel somewhere else, the numbers on this side might be few.

"That’s cruel. I said let’s talk as a whole family. Is this what they call a rebellious phase?"

"Then would you bring our younger brother? If you say as a whole family!"

"Certainly, there is some reason in what you say."

Fumu.

He nodded deliberately.

"But there is something I must do first—come, ’Growth Monster Villain.’"

Zushin.

Heavy footsteps rang.

The abandoned factory shook, the aged roof began to collapse, and it was slammed onto the existence that appeared from the shadows.

But as if not feeling pain or itch from that impact—no, did it even have a sense of pain—it slowly exposed its form this way.