Chapter 65 - . Bounty Head and Awakening [8]

65. Bounty Head and Awakening [8]

Ria, who was shocked by the unexpected development, spoke slowly.

「Y-You… What are you doing? Weren’t you comrades?」

「Nn… I don’t need a rotten man who puts his hand on a restrained little girl as a comrade…」

Saying that, Zack took a gulp of the sake in the glass.

And then,

「-Oi, big oaf! What the hell happened!?」

Thor, who heard the death wail, rushed to the scene in panic.

「Nothing much, just a little fire. Only the researcher was reduced to ashes.」

「Wha!? You… IDIOT! He was a valuable researcher, do you even understand!?」

「Sorry, forgive me! He was an unbearable man to see!」

Zack apologized while scratching his head.

Thor sighed loudly seeing that.

「Good grief, there is no medicine that can cure foolishness… I’ll have to report it to the “top” just in case, got it?」

「Aa, do as you like.」

In the midst of a somewhat tense air flowing between the two of them,

「…I’m not going to thank you.」

Ria murmured.

「Zahahaha! Obviously! Who on earth would thank their kidnapper?」

Zack, who was sober, laughed while holding his belly in his arms, and brought the glass to his lips again.

「Ngungunggu… Puha… ! A”a… Anyway, Ria. That sparkly one – Allen still isn’t here yet?」

The one who answered the question was Thor, whose face was distorted in agitation.

「Oi, simpleton… We’re hiding this laboratory in my barrier, you know? Who the hell can find this place? Ee?」

She was pissed as her barrier was made light of.

This time, Ria butted into the conversation.

「-No matter how good the barrier is, Allen will find it soon.」

「What’d you say, you fugly…!」

「I-I’m not fugly! You’ve been calling me that for a while, how rude…! Aren’t you a shorty then!」

「You bitch…! Did your parents not teach you not to make fun of other people’s appearances…!?」

「You were the one who called me fugly first…!」

And when Thor and Ria continue to argue nonsense,

「-By the way, Ria. What kind of relationship do you two have? Allen was quite obsessive with you, ya know?」

A slightly drunk Zack, raises questions one by one.

Ria, who was greatly shaken by the unexpected question,

「No, right now we’re still… Well, it has nothing to do with you!」

Her face blushing red.

「Zahahahahaha! Youth! Well, if I had any advice to give you as the senior in life – that guy will shine! He will surely shine brilliantly! Hold tightly onto him so you don’t lose him!」

「S-So annoying! It doesn’t have anything to do with you!」

When they were talking about that,

「…Oi, simpleton. Don’t talk about things that would give too much hope. We’re sending this one to “home country”. She’ll never see that『unknown beast』again.」

Saying that, Thor turned a pitiful gaze towards Ria.

「Zahaha! Thinking about it normally, that would be the most likely scenario! However, the other party is an『extraordinary sparkle』! Under that warm but dazzling light, many people who have been charmed by it gather! There is a chance that he would come, you know…?」

「Fuun, what a stupid thing…!」

The moment Thor laughed scornfully.

A sound as though a huge glass has been shattered, pierced their ears and resounded throughout the laboratory.

「I-Impossible… My barrier has been broken!?」

「Zahahahahaha! So you came after all! Allen Rodore – The sparkling gem!」

「Allen…!」

As all three people reacted differently to the sound, Thor quickly started to move.

「Damn… Why are you looking so happy, you fool! Quickly move to your position!」

「Zahaha! I’m looking forward to it!」

Thor, who was frustrated, and Zack with a warlike smile, went upstairs to welcome the uninvited guests.

■

When we broke into the laboratory, we went down a corridor that was winding like a maze.

(This is probably a part of the countermeasure to deal with intruders.)

The corridor was dimly lit, and visibility was extremely poor.

We needed to be wary of traps and ambushes, so we had to slow down our speed.

After that, we went down the corridor for a while – and arrived at a small room.

In that room,

「U”u… it’s the intruders…」

「L-Let’s do it… If we beat them, we’ll be… free…!」

「Sorry, but…. Please die here!」

There were seven swordsmen who glared at us with bloodshot eyes, almost giving the feeling of a revenant.

Their right hand gripped a strange, unstable soul dress, and they were severely short of breath even though we haven’t fought yet.

If I remember correctly… I fought against similar guys at the summer camp.

(This case seems to be deeply connected…)

I immediately pulled out my sword and assumed Seigan no Kamae – and noticed a small change.

(…Their soul dress is more stable than the ones from summer camp?)

The soul dress which was forcibly manifested by spirit pills should have been more unstable and distorted in shape.

And then,

「So you guys are enhanced soldiers who are dosed with spirit pills, huh… However, to think that you can manifest such a『stable soul dress』… This did not come up in any of the reports…」

As Leia-sensei murmured annoyedly.

「U”u… GAAAAAAAAA…!」

One swordsman roared and hit the wall.

At that moment, a huge hole was made in the laboratory.

「「「Wha!?」」」

The guys in the summer camp also boasted fearsome physical abilities, but… the enemy in front of us was far beyond that.

As we kept our guard up,

「Let’s go…! 」

「UOOOOOOO! 」

「GAAAAAAAAAA 」

All of them charged at us simultaneously.

「Ku… Allen, Rose! Step back! I’ll take ca-」

I turned towards the swordsmen who brandished their soul dress recklessly,

「Don’t get in my way!」

I unleashed a side sweep.

「Ga-ha…!?」

The blow that surpassed the speed of sound, easily destroyed their soul dress – slashing them all down without a decrease in momentum.

(I wonder why… my body movement is…!)

It was not filled with the mysterious power like before.

Even so, my body was light as if I had been reborn.

(Allen, when did you get so strong…?)

(I wonder if he adapted to that guy’s power during the『regeneration』earlier… !? But it’s much faster than expected…!)

I repelled the first wave of enemies and,

「-Let’s hurry forward. Ria is waiting.」

I advanced to the inner part of the laboratory.