Tsuyokute New Saga (LN)

Book 7: Chapter 13

Once everyone was sound asleep at night, Urza swiftly started gathering her belongings. She thanked Lieze, who was pretending to sleep next to her, and then swiftly left the room. Here in this town, there was actually a strict curfew for the nights, but using spirit magic, escaping the town wouldnt be impossible. She turned around once to glance at the inn and imagined Kyles face in her head. When he came home earlier, he seemed somewhat above the clouds. Thankfully, he didnt realize that Urza and Lieze were acting off, but it also made her full of regret.

Thanks for everything, Urza shook her head to get rid of her lingering attachment and started thinking about the one thing only she could do.

To prepare for the upcoming war, she would first return to her hometown. Remembering it did give her some weird feelings, but that was her only choice. She was about to step away from the inn, when

Huh?!

All her world turned upside down.

***

As for Kyle, it was already midnight and yet he couldnt get a wink of sleep. Naturally, he was still thinking about the same thing as he was slowly getting frustrated because of Serans loud snoring. He was about to knock himself out in order to sleep, but then

?!

He felt a wave of hostility, which made him, as well as Seran, jump up from their beds in unison. They were ready for combat in an instant, jumping down the window instead of rushing down the stairs. Outside the inn, they met a familiar face.

Souga

The old man smiled innocently, completely contradicting his status of being the worlds second-greatest assassin. Shortly after, the girls came rushing down, too. Minagi was evidently shaken.

It has been a while.

Facing Souga, Kyle felt something important missing. Before he could figure out the origin of this sensation, however, he first caught the object Souga threw at him. The moment he understood what this object was, an immense wave of killing intent emitted from his whole body.

Whoa?!

Let alone Souga, the target of this hatred, even Seran jumped a step away from Kyle. The object in Kyles handwas the charm with the green crystal he had given Urza as a present. The feeling that something important was missingwas that Urza was nowhere to be seen.

HohNot bad, not bad. Souga tried to play it cool, but even he was on edge witnessing Kyle like that.

He couldnt remember the last time he was met with such murderous intent, or if he even experienced anything of this level before.

I got a message from Cordi. Meet him at the Mera temple above ground. Alone, of course. That elf gals gonna be there.

And Urzas safe, right? Kyles voice reaching absolute zero temperature even made Souga whimper.

Cordis wish is to have a conversation with you without being interrupted. As long as you come to see him, she wont suffer any harm. He promised me this when I accepted this request.

Youve got guts saying this kind of crap after abducting Urza, Kyle cursed Sougas nonchalant statement, but he knew that talking with him any more than this was pointless, so he turned around and was about to dash off.

Youre not actually gonna go there all by your lonesome, right? Seran stopped him.

If Cordi simply wished to talk with Kyle, then Seran wouldnt have any issue with itbut now that Urzas safety was on the line, he had no intention of just sitting back and waiting.

I expected nothing less. That is why I prepared myself beforehand with some necessitiesTwo steps of keeping the rest at bay.

Necessities?

Together with Kyles question, Souga took out a familiar objecta magic stone.

This one is a [Poison Cloud] magic stone. I also have [Explosion] stones at the temple for Cairys-sama, and they will both activate once the sun rises.

If a magic stone like that were to activate in a crowded place like this town, it would create countless casualties. Not to mention that Cairys temple was always the spot most popular early in the morning.

If you can take care of them now, youll make it in timeBut you will need two to three people.

He had no remorse for keeping faithful followers of Cairys hostage all to slow down Kyle and his party. Plus, someone other than Souga must have set up those stones, so questioning him here wouldnt do them any good, either.

And one more thingIm also here to keep you guys busyand I wouldnt mind enjoying a one versus one, Souga said as he glanced over at Minagi.

She accepted this gaze, seeming more determined than ever.

Then lets split up into three groups! Kyle gave an immediate decision.

The first group consisted of just Kyle, whod head over to meet Cordi and save Urza. The second group will have to head to Cairys temple to get rid of the magic stones, designated to be Seran and Shildonia. And finally, the third group

Minagi, keep Souga at bay here. Liezes gonna help you.

That sounds best. Lets go.

Oh for the love of

Seran and Shildonia took off.

That sounds like a plan. Im the best bet to deal with Souga, Minagis face was pale, but she seemed determined.

K-Kyle! Im coming with you! Its my fault that Urza leftI couldnt stop her Lieze pleaded, her face messy from all the tears she had shed.

She seemed to blame herself for all of this happening.

Have faith in me. Ill bring her back home safely. So please, I need you to stay hereand look after Minagi, Kyle smiled at Lieze to give her a bit of relief and then started running so that he wouldnt even lose a second.

Left behind, Souga and Minagi looked at each other. Each of them held a small dagger in their hands. Lieze wiped her tears away and then watched over their fight.

Cant believe the day would come when Id have to fight you, Souga.

Do you think you can beat me?

And then, the fight between shinobi master and pupil began quietly.

***

Because of the curfew of the town, not a single person was outside to witness Seran carry Shildonia through the streets.

Still, to think Urza was attackedWell, I understand she must have left so that Kyle wouldnt suffer any harm, Shildonia grumbled to herself as she crossed her arms.

Yeah. I just wonder how she got attacked with such great timing. Im sure she was careful of her surroundings, but she must have gotten attacked the second she was aloneSomeones leaking information about it, Seran said with confidence.

I was thinking someone must have been watching us, but if you havent realized with your inhumane instincts

It didnt make sense for Cordi to just wander inside the inn, either. I thought I was being careful there.

Agreed. That means, our prime suspect would beDalia?

Yeah. Theres a good chance she was working with CordiDang it, I knew something was off.

Seran had always been wary of Dalia, but after the meeting with the Goddess, his mind was somewhere else entirely and he wasnt as careful as he usually would be. He regretted not being more aggressive.

HmmBut we need more workers, Shildonia said and munched on the sweets she took out.

Hey! Dont eat something while Im carrying you! The crumbs are going to get my hair dirty!

What else am I supposed to do? I need food to be able to work. I need to supply myself with energy.

According to her, she needed to eat to supply her magic, so she continued to munch on her food.

I should be able to figure out the location of the magic stones. But if I have to disarm all of themDo we even know how many there are?

Shildonia questioned if they could even realistically pull this off, looking at the numbers.

What else are we supposed to do? We cant even trust that old hag of mine right nowDang it.

Since Seran didnt know who he could trust now that the Mera cult was involved, he couldnt ask any official organization for help, either.

We can only try to disable as many as we can findWuh?!

Seran suddenly came to a halt and stared into the darkness.

Whats wrong?

Butthis couldnt be possible Seran didnt answer Shildonias question, as he twisted his head.

I attempted to hide my presence, but I can see your senses have only sharpened.

The voice responding to Serans bewildered murmurs was one he was very familiar with. She was neither friend nor foe, not showing any caution. In fact, they already fought together before. The silhouette appearing from the shadows was a woman wearing a hoodie with a coat to hide her body. What stood out the most despite all of that, however, was the single horn growing from her head.

Why the hell are you hereYuriga?

For better or worse, Seran often had dealt with this demon.

I finally found youCant you stay in one place for longer than two days? Though I guess it was good luck that I just got here a while ago. Yuriga didnt answer Serans question and instead complained.

Demons like her could sneak into human society through the help of influential people like Marco from the business association.

I came to report something. Where is Kyle?

Ohh! Perfect timing! The Goddess smiles upon us! Shildonia clapped her hands together.

Huh? Youre gonna have her help?

Theres nobody better! Because we know for sure she isnt part of the Mera cult!

Well, thats to be expected. And I know how strong she can be.

Wait a second, what are you talking about? I just came here to report the progress of our operations. Im not your convenient partner.

Shildonia and Seran were plotting amongst each other, giving Yuriga awfully weird vibes.

Also, my mission comes first. This is a letter from Luiza-sama for you.

Yuriga took out a scroll that looked like a letter which looked rather light at first, but Seran felt its gravity once he grabbed it.

Youre not going to tell me you wont read it, right?

No, I willBut, later. Once I have the time.

I was told to hear your response, so get to it.

Hearing that, Seran groaned to himself, but he remained strong.

Ill fill you in on the details later, but we need your help!

How are you people always wrapped up in some sort of trouble?

Please save your complaints for Kyle later!

Not knowing what was happening, Yuriga couldnt stop herself from giving Seran a dubious look. At the very least, she understood she got wrapped up in a mess.

Okay, Yuriga reluctantly agreed.

Seran was genuinely surprised at that. He knew he was asking for a lot, but he thought hed have to fight harder for this.

Luiza-sama asked me to help you to the best of my abilityand I have a debt to repay, too.

Yuriga seemed to have resigned herself and accepted the fate she couldnt run from.

Jumping into the temple for the Goddess Cairys, Seran and the other two began looking for the magic stones with Shildonias strong perception and began collecting them. Below a chair, behind the altar, going through all sorts of places, they collected a total of 20 magic stones. If they had exploded, it would have caused a great calamity.

There are usually two ways of activating a magic stone. First, setting up a timeror if it receives some sort of stimulus to activate. And since were dealing with a time-sensitive one, the best way to resolve things is to destroy it.

So like this?

Listening to Shildonias explanation, Yuriga crushed a magic stone in her hands, and then she scattered the shards around. Only sand remained in her hand. This kind of raw strength is on an entirely different level from what humans could do.

Thats some hefty plottingBut, youve got some strength packing, eh?

This much is nothing unusual. In fact, Im shocked you humans cant even do this much.

Both parties realized the gap between their two races.

Keep your voice down. It might be the middle of the night, but people will eventually show up.

If a believer happened to spot them, they would be the prime suspects for having set up the magic stones.

I know, I knowWere those all of them?

I can feel one more presenceBut the location is a bit complicated.

Shildonias eyes narrowed as she glanced over at a pillar in the corner.

This one, right?

Since Yuriga stood close to it, she swiftly spotted the magic stone and reached for it. However

Wait! That one will activate based on touch! Dont stimulate it! Shildonia warned her, but it was too late.

Yuriga reflexively pulled back her hand, but in doing so dropped the magic stone. It was imbued with a touch-based activation formula amidst all the previous ones that were merely time-based. Paired with that, it was set up in a place much harder to find to ensure whoever was looking for them would drop their guard at the very end. Truly, a nasty way of setting up a trap like this. And Yuriga fell for that beautifully. If she were to get hit with a close-range [Explosion] spell, not even her defenses as a demon would save her. With no time to escape, the magic stonesurprisingly didnt explode.

That was a bit too close for my taste. Be a bit more careful, yeah?

The moment Seran heard this magic stone was different, he stepped forward without hesitation and grabbed the magic stone. Realizing that she had been saved by Seran, who risked his life to save her, Yuriga was bewildered. Shildonia rushed over in a hurry, chanting a line of ancient magic language, or something like a curse, to which the magic stone dispersed into particles of light.

All right, that should be all of them.

Hearing that confirmation, Seran sighed in relief, but Yuriga still looked bothered.

How many more times will you end up saving my life She grumbled to herself.

Seran didnt remember saving her life at all, but he had a few ideas as to what she could be referring to.

Are you talking about that thing with Ganias? You dont have to be hung up on that. And with Targ, we were even fighting together.

With the incident at the mining town, Seran did, to some degree, save Yuriga back then, but that was more of a coincidence than anything. In fact, he even tried to kill her himself. And when they fought the demon Targ in Eddos, Seran was mostly just using Yuriga to gain an advantage. And this time, he just didnt want her to end up hurt after basically forcing her to help. Thats why he only felt more guilty when being thanked like this.

As a demon, I havent forgotten my pride, nor do I feel the need to repay a humanBut, I cant exactly ignore the debt Ive built up, soalthough I dont like to admit ityoure one hell of a man, Seran.

H-Huh?

Seran was completely thrown off by this sudden compliment. Granted, they had been on good terms ever since they fought together, but Seran never intended for them to become friends or anything of the like.

That said, things change now that youre a possible candidate for Luiza-sama. I have to confirm with my own eyes if you are a worthy man of her.

Stop jumping to conclusions!

You definitely are strong, and as one of the people who defeated Three-Arms, you have made yourself a name amongst the ranks of demons.

Hold on a damn second! What are you talking about?

Seran picked up a comment hed rather not have heard.

If youre strong, youre bound to attract attention. As the man who defeated the previous Demon Lord, Randolf received much hatred from my fellow demons, but they also treated him with respect. Three-Arms was a hero in his own right, so there is no way to stop your rise to glory.

Stop it please?!

Apologies, but Luiza-sama is only fuelling this herself.

Why would she do that?!

Also, we have been receiving notice of many demons aiming to challenge you.

I dont wanna!

Seran and Yuriga were screaming at each other, when Shildonia interrupted them.

You foolsTheres a time and place to flirt around like this. Shildonia seemingly picked up the presence of people arriving soon.

They must have caused too much noise.

CrapIm worried about Minagi, so lets hurry on back, Seran put Shildonia on his back again as he started running, with Yuriga following after him.

That reminds me, the people in Galgan also value strength over everythingThis poor soul sure is loved by those who love the strong. Fate is a cruel mistress

Shildonia looked at Serans head as these thoughts raced through her mind, munching on some more sweets.

***

The battle between Minagi and Souga couldnt have been more one-sided. The difference in strength between the elderly Souga and young Minagi put the girl in an absolute advantage. However, Sougas raw skill forced Minagi to dance to his tune. Experience trumped raw power over everything. His movement with his dagger, skilled enough to create mirages, his body moving in ways that shouldnt even be possible. It almost made you doubt if Souga was really as old as he seemed.

But its not just that

Lieze watched this battle unfold, quickly realizing that Minagis movement was much more dull compared to what she was used to seeing. And that, in a way, was also expected. He was the one who taught her, so she must have been filled with some hesitation. At the same time, Souga was fighting like he would any other battle. And from that, he governed the fight.

Ugh!

Another one of Sougas swings connected with Minagis body, leaving a rather deep wound. She tried to retaliate, but Sougas body disappeared.

?!

But in reality, Souga simply crouched down. His small stature made it look like it vanished, sweeping Minagi off her feet with a swift roundhouse kick. The first thing that greeted Minagi when she landed on her back was Sougas sole.

Grk!

She managed to ready her blade and just barely block off the attack. It was a harsh kick paired with Sougas weight and momentum, so if she had been too late for even a moment, it could have proven fatal. Souga jumped backward, turning in the air and landed on his feet as Minagi got up. She took her distance from Souga, but she was heavily gasping for air, whereas Souga didnt even break a sweat. The situation spoke for itself.

Minagi!

Unable to sit still, Lieze tried to lend her a hand.

Dont! Minagi screamed. This is my job, and my fight. If I were to borrow your strength now, I would stop being myselfStop being a shinobi! She said, her voice mixed with identity and self, respect and self-diligence, as she pushed Lieze away.

NayThe way I see it, youre plenty a failure of a shinobi.

?!

For exampleIf you went all out right now, you could definitely hold your ground against me. Even defeat me. But, your heart is in disarray. All because youre fighting the man who raised you? Sougas words inflicted another mental wound. This shows that youre still not ready. Over the past half a year, your heart has grown weaker.

He was referring to the time she had been traveling with Kyle. And Souga was saying that he made her weaker.

If you want to succeed as a shinobi, you have to kill me. Right here, right now.

Wha

Let me say it againKill me. If not, I will be forced to kill you myself, Souga calmly exclaimed, as he continued attacking Minagi. I was the one who trained your body, trained your skill. But only your heart is your ownSo, obtain control. Calm down, and cast aside your moral values. If so, you can continue to grow. Sougas words latched right onto Minagis weakness, as she was thrown off even further.

II

Her hands and voice were shaking. Suddenly, Minagi understood it all. This is what it meant to inherit Sougas teachings. And at the same time, she realized that this was Sougas wish all along. But right as she wanted to make up her determination to pull through with it

ThenThen you can just quit being a shinobi! Lieze screamed.

What type of fool are youHuh?

Souga took this as the ramblings of a crazy person, but Minagis reaction left him silent.

Quitbeing a shinobi?

If Sougas voice slowly but gently took grasp of Minagis heart, then Liezes voice struck her whole body like lightning. All the images filling her head depicted Kyle and his friends, the memories she had spent with them over the past half year.

Minagi! Lieze screamed once again, which made Minagi run at full speed.

It was nothing like she had done before, aiming directly at Souga.

Krh!

With his movement sealed, Souga was trying to fight back, but it was too late. Minagis dagger was stabbed right into his shoulder.

Lieze! Help me!

Got it!

L-Let go of me!

Lieze was gunning right for Minagis back. It was the very same move she used on Kyle two days ago, the armor-breaker. The impact would go straight through Minagi and hit Souga instead. It was an attack without any hesitation, even though Minagi was in the way.

AghHagh!

Receiving this blow at full-force, Souga was blown-off even from Minagis arms. He rolled along the ground two to three times and then remained still on the ground. He tried to get up again, but the damage he took right to his core left him unable to even move a single finger.

Im glad that my practice with Kyle worked outBut I dont like the idea of punching my allies.

Lieze remembered the time she punched Kyle in the back during his battle against Three-Arms, which she doesnt like.

And I knew that, so I used this reckless method. If not, I would never have my allies attack me.

Minagi had faith in this strategy because she knew how much Lieze had practiced.

WellThanks for believing inWait, let me treat that injury of yours! Lieze rushed over, but Minagi first made her way to Souga.

In terms of skill as a shinobi, Souga is definitely stronger. But, I can fight battles that arent meant for shinobi. Ive learned about all of this over the past half a year.

So it seemsAnd I cant do any of that, I bet.

Souga may have worked with other people before, but hes never fought side-by-side with others that he could trust with his life. Ironically enough, the only person he could put this much trust in was Minagi herself.

Even though I taught youthe only way for you to live is to be a shinobi Collapsed on the floor, Souga grumbled to himself. But of course, I wont call this cowardice. Using whatever necessary to defeat your opponent means youre the winner. Nowfinish the job. Souga said it like it was the expected result.

Minagi responded with a pained expression as she took a step forward.

Huh? Why? You already won! Lieze couldnt believe what was going on so she broke between the two.

Dont get in the way. This is our problem. Souga glared at Lieze, but she didnt back down.

And its my problem, too! I was the one who defeated you, and Im Minagis friend! Lieze said with zero hesitation, leaving Minagi flustered.

F-Friend?

But Lieze didnt mind that comment and continued.

And to be honestDid you two even have to fight?

Huh?

Liezes comment threw off Minagi and made her wonder why she even had to fight Souga. Minagi was hired by Kyle, and Souga was hired by Cordi. This situation alone made it obvious that they would stand on opposite ends, and thus, they fought. Minagi accepted this as the natural course of events.

I dont like it at allBut its necessary for us shinobi to Minagi said, as if she wanted to convince herself.

But why do you have to abide by some rules? Is there a punishment?

Um, no, but

There was no such thing, but because she had followed this principle for so long, it became engraved in her soul, and breaking this principle would make her a failure of a shinobi.

I just told you, right? You can just quit being a shinobi. Why do you continue doing something you dont like?

A reason why she would continue thisIn reality, she never even thought about it.

And why dont you look at the bigger picture? Weve got gods and the end of the world on the line, so why should you bother with the small details?

S-Small details?

Having her whole ideals and lifestyle questioned and rendered a small detail completely threw Minagi off. That said, when the fate of the world was on the line, some ideals or long history of shinobi seemed rather insignificant.

A lifestyle that doesnt follow the way of the shinobiCan I really do that? Minagi thought to herself.

Lieze observed this with a dubious look, but she realized that she at least stopped Minagi from finishing off Souga. And since there was no ending to his life today, Sougas body relaxed as he collapsed.

Anyway, I should attend to your injuries, Lieze said and had her drink high-tier healing medicine.

Although it wasnt a fatal injury, the wound was still rather deep, so this wasnt enough to completely heal it. As always, medicine like this was extremely useful, but using it too much would scrape off the individuals vitality, so it was much better to leave the rest to a natural healing process.

And now its your turn, Souga-san.

Seeing that Minagi was taken care of, Lieze moved on to treating Souga.

Whyare you helping me?

Why? I mean, why wouldnt I?

I was the one who abducted that elf girl.

Yup. Thats why youve gotta apologize to her later. Theyll probably be back soon.

MinagiYou have found yourself some rather peculiar allies.

YeahAnd theyre all like this.

The shinobi master and pupil both shared a wry smile.

***

Were back.

Around the time Lieze finished taking care of Souga, an exhausted Seran returned.

Ah, good to see youreWait, Yuriga?! Why are you here? Lieze happily trotted her way over to Seran, only to find Yuriga with him.

She had an expression of resignation on her face as she explained the circumstances.

I seeOh well, Kyle and Urza will be back soon. Lieze said without a worry in the world.

And not just her. Everyone else believed that Kyle would be back in no time. Meanwhile, Souga was rather bewildered to see Minagi, his own daughter in a sense, show such a genuine smile. He didnt understand his own feelings too much, but it definitely wasnt a bad sensation.