Chapter 52 (2/2)
―― But, in the end, it was only for s.h.i.+zuru himself. The half-masked woman's downward swing was repelled before it even reached him.
”Ugya…”
Just a second before blade's tip pierced through s.h.i.+zuru's chest, a small shadow jumped out from his side. It was Mary; she kicked the scythe. With a weight proportional to its appearance, when its center of gravity s.h.i.+fted, it greatly disturbed the half-masked woman's balance and made her stumble a few steps.
”You… Just now, what did you do to mother… WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO TO MOTHEEERRR!!!!!”
She held her knife with a backhanded grip and took a crawling stance on the floor. Her white hair that s.h.i.+zuru had washed carefully every day so it becomes soft stood on its end and her growl with her fangs showing made her resemble a ferocious wildcat.
Her pupils had dilated to their limits. Mary felt like her vision was turning b.l.o.o.d.y red from her immense wrath.
He could have been dead. If she blocked it a little late, the big scythe would have pierced s.h.i.+zuru's heart and he would have definitely died.
”Did you tried, to steal mother, from me…? MY, MY, ONE AND ONLY, MOTHER…!!!!
Mary's tone was trembling with her erupting anger; she kept scowling at the woman that she recognized as an enemy on all fours.
”… Right… You also, disturb the tryst between him and I, aren't you? Ahh――How detestable.”
The woman's expression and way of speaking were like a ghost; they couldn't feel any vitality from her. Even if she was alive, she had an aura like a deadman.
”Detestable… keeping the beautiful him away from me… however, aah, I'm powerless. Not only the opportunity to strangle Boss was stolen from me, Casca's neck, Lady's neck, Elizabeth's neck, in the end, I couldn't take it…”
*swoosh swoosh.* While wielding the big scythe that seemed close to several dozen kilos like a baton, the woman quietly shed tears from her right eye that was uncovered by the mask without even changing her expression.
”At this point, only after killing myself after killing the beautiful you with my own hands could we escape the fate that won't let us be together. But nevertheless, even you keep trampling down on this wish of mine… Alright. In that case, I'll demonstrate it to your immature neck, the so-called Grim Reaper's neck-hunting technique.”
”Shut up… I'LL TURN YOU INTO MINCE MEAT…!!”
The woman who shedding tears, Mary who boiled with hatred. The place was filled with a tense atmosphere.
But, the confrontation between the two―― was halted suddenly by an unexpected interruption.
”Ack…!?”
Suddenly, a chain with a weighted tip flew from behind the half-masked woman. It silently coiled around her torso and in a blink of eye shackled her movement.
”Guh… Wha, this…!”
The half-masked woman desperately tried to shake off her restraints, but the chain had no sign of loosening. Before long, the big scythe fell off with a clanging sound from its heavy blade.
Mary saw it as a chance so she leaped at the woman who couldn't move and tried to thrust her knife, however;
”You can't kill her, Mary.”
She stopped completely when s.h.i.+zuru's voice reached her ear from behind.
”I'm alright. See?”
A gentle hand stroked her head before she could turn around. Just by that gesture, all bloodl.u.s.t and wrath had been released from her without any trace and she turned back to hug s.h.i.+zuru.
”Mother.”
”Here, good girl, good girl. Thanks for saving me, it's the first time I was caught off guard in a long time.”
Mary who buried her face in s.h.i.+zuru's chest didn't realize it, but there was a thin cold sweat on his cheek. The half-masked woman who saw it directly opened her eyes and tried to say something.
However, just before that, she collapsed.
”Gah… Ack…”
The half-masked lady was in a daze; whilst groaning in a daze, air escaped from inside her throat.
Black eyes and black hair kept in a ponytail. Contrary to being a hue that melted into the night.
She was clad in a suit fit for a man and wore a dark blue scarf that concealed her mouth. In the hand opposite of her sword hand was a chain that held the half-masked lady with a chain wound on the opposite end.
”… What the heck is this…”
Ludmilla, who couldn't keep up with the excessively abrupt development, finally let out a mumble. For the time being, she could only comprehend two things of what had happened.
One, that the half-masked lady was stopped by the scarfed woman. And, another thing.
――As for the fourth squad guys…it was hard to say.
”Also, thank you too, Oboro. You saved me.”
After calling out a few calming words in order to evade a situation like a bloodshed due to the visit earlier, he said that. From such words from s.h.i.+zuru, the black haired woman called Oboro nodded lightly.
After that, she drew close to s.h.i.+zuru's side and softly spoke into his ear through the scarf covering her mouth. That being said, her voice was extremely small.
”I see… Yup, I understand. Thanks.”
”……”
A soft smile was directed at her from nearby. Oboro's eyes opened wide, and her cheeks became flushed; she embarra.s.singly pulled up the scarf hiding her mouth to conceal more than half of her face. Next, she placed the fainted half masked lady over his shoulder like a sack and quickly brought her to someplace else.
”You two. It seems the fourth squad's captain is in the parlor on the second floor, so let's go.”
s.h.i.+zuru faced Ludmilla and Mary and informed them; perhaps he had been reported such. The cold sweat on his check was already nowhere to be seen. Despite the fact that he was just about to be killed, contrary to his appearance then, this young man had firm guts.
”… That child just now, is a member of the fourth squad, right?”
As they climbed the stairs which were laid with a red carpet, s.h.i.+zuru began to explain with a wry smile.
”The one who was wearing the red dress was Carmilla. A former executioner with a prominent ability to decapitate.”
”…I don't like her. She tried to kill mother!”
It seems she still had a hard time stomaching the things earlier. Mary tightly grasped s.h.i.+zuru's hand and raised her voice. s.h.i.+zuru used his free hand to gently rub her head to soothe her recurrence of anger.
”How do I say this… Carmilla has something like an aspiration for double suicide. Oh, and she will try to kill me if she gets the opportunity; it feels like my footsteps have become heavy from coming here… it feels like the prejudice form me is too strong but I can't really put it well.”
But according to s.h.i.+zuru, when it didn't involve with him, she was a rational woman. Love is distorted and oppressing.
”And, the other one is Oboro. She originates from a hidden far eastern island nation, a s.h.i.+n.o.bi… to put it simply, she was born in a household that has a side business in intelligence and a.s.sa.s.sination. There are various reasons as to why she doesn't stay in her birthplace, but in regards to when she came onto the continent and reached within the royal city, she was scouted by Richelieu. She's quite strong.”
”… Now you say it, I didn't feel her presence at all until the moment she appeared.”
”Well, she's a s.h.i.+n.o.bi after all. If she were to get serious, I think you wouldn't notice her even if stood right behind you.”
While her combat power was inferior compared to Casca and Lady, she was undoubtedly in the top ranks of Black Maria. However, she was extremely shy, so she developed a habit of speaking close to other's ear quietly like just now.
”Oboro's voice is very adorable. It's like a small bird crying out.”
While it was kind of ambiguous, it seems s.h.i.+zuru liked Oboro's voice. Suddenly, Mary clung to his arm while he was giggling.
”…Uh-”
”Hm? Ah, what's wrong Mary, did you become jealous? It's okay since Mary is also cute.”
Mary was childishly possessive; she hated it when s.h.i.+zuru showed great interest in people other than herself. However, when he gently patted her head her mood improved immediately. Seeing this Ludmilla muttered in disgust.
”… What a non-discriminating womanizer.”
”Ahaha… I can't really deny that when you throw it directly to my face, can I. Err, there is one more person in the fourth squad, it's a kid named Il… Ilze, but right now she is helping the fifth squad away from the royal capital so she is unavailable. That's why, let's put that introduction away for another time.”
Laughing as if to change the topic, s.h.i.+zuru walked for a while in the corridor ahead of the stairs and then stopped. A luxurious door stood before his eyes.
This place seemed to be the parlor.
”… Oh yeah. I forgot to mention one thing; when you want to talk to the fourth squad's captain, make sure you tell me. Please.”
”Yup, I understand, mother.”
”Hah? Haaah… Well, I understand.”
Mary obediently nodded to his words; and, while still being confused, Ludmilla followed suit. After he smiled, satisfied with their replies, s.h.i.+zuru knocked the parlor's door.
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