Chapter 29 Narumi Honoka ⑯
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The sky was just beginning to bleed into a pale dawn by the time I made it back to camp. My solo trek into the Wyvern’s Valley had been productive. I’d torn through every wyvern that dared cross my path, feasting until I was gorged. Even my primary targets, the Flare and Frost Wyverns, had fallen without a struggle. Once I’d finished using Predation¹, I hauled ass back at full speed.
”Welcome back—” Lil said.
”Welcome back, Sir. Did you finish your business?” Honoka asked.
”I’m back. Yeah, it’s done. I cleared the path while I was at it,” I replied.
Narumi Honoka and Lil greeted me. Leki was still out cold, deep in sleep. A few Orc carcasses were scattered around the clearing. It looked like they’d tried to raid the camp thinking the women were easy prey, only to be slaughtered. I’d deal with them later; for now, I just tossed the bodies into my Item Box. While I was tidying up, Akiyama Ryunya and his crew crawled out of their tent.
”Morning. Anything happen while I was out?” I asked.
”Morning, Shin. Nothing special. Just a few Orcs trying their luck,” Akiyama replied.
”I see.”
”We need to eat fast. We’re about two hours out from the destination. We should be there by mid-morning,” Akiyama said.
”Oh, finally! Time to go for the throat. I’ll wrap this one up quick, just like always,” Koganei laughed.
”Koganei… don’t get c**ky,” Akiyama warned.
”Shut it. Stop acting like you’re the boss of me, Akiyama.”
”Hmph. Just because Honoka-chan chose to stick with me doesn’t mean you have to keep acting like a jilted lover. Then again, I guess it just proves you weren’t much of a man to begin with,” Akiyama sneered.
”You… you bastard!” Koganei hissed.
Koganei ground his teeth so hard I thought they might shatter. The rift between them wasn’t just a crack anymore; it was a canyon. The truth was, Akiyama Ryunya didn’t see anyone as an equal-we were all just props in his movie. He kept up a good front, but his own team loathed him. They only followed him because he had the raw power to back up his ego. Meanwhile, Oshiro was shooting daggers at Narumi Honoka. To her, Honoka was a ‘thief’ who’d snatched her boyfriend. Akiyama probably thought he was being a magnanimous king by keeping a harem, but it was all just pathetic vanity.
Too bad for them. Honoka was mine.
We set off toward our destination, the air between us thick enough to choke on.
* * *
We finally reached the Valley of the Flying Dragons. The valley sat at the jagged base of Dragon Peak Tempest. If you managed to survive the pass, you’d end up in Greedia, the hostile neighbor of Plaudix. But because the place was a breeding ground for Wyverns, only the suicidal or the exceptionally skilled ever took this route. Most travelers took the long way around the mountains.
We stood at the bottom of the gorge, a bleak trench of jagged rock. Not a single green thing grew here. There might have been a river once, but now it was just a parched bed of dust.
”What a hellhole,” Koganei muttered.
”Not exactly a vacation spot…” Oshiro sighed.
”Hey. Where are the Wyverns? You sure this is the right place? I don’t see a damn thing,” Koganei barked.
He was right, of course. The Wyverns were gone because I’d eaten them all. My stats were through the roof, and I’d even picked up Fire and Ice Breath. But it was time to stop playing house.
”Oh, this is the right place. It’s also your graveyard,” I said.
I drew my blade, the steel rasping against the scabbard. Beside me, Lil dropped into a low, predatory stance.
”Huh? What the hell are you talking about, Ryunya?” Akiyama asked.
”Is this a joke? Because it isn’t funny,” Oshiro said, her voice trembling.
”Do I look like I’m joking, you moron?” I asked.
I lunged. My blade whistled through the air, aimed straight for Akiyama’s throat. He barely reacted in time, scrambling backward with a panicked hop.
”Ryunya! Have you lost your mind?!” Akiyama screamed.
”Yeah! We’re way out of your league, kid. Stop acting tough!” Koganei shouted.
”Lost my mind? Out of my league? Is that what you really think?” I let a cold, dark laugh bubble up.
”Duh! You couldn’t even touch us in mock combat!” Oshiro spat.
”Then come and get some. Lil, stay out of this. They’re mine,” I said.
Lil backed away silently. I beckoned them forward with a flick of my fingers. Their egos did the rest.
”Fine! I don’t care what your problem is-you swung first. Don’t regret it when we break you!” Akiyama yelled.
They moved into their textbook formation. Koganei provided the speed, Oshiro provided the magical cover, and Akiyama moved in for the kill. Back then, it was enough to leave me helpless. But I wasn’t that person anymore.
Koganei blurred toward me, a speed that would have been invisible to a normal human. To me, he looked like he was wading through molasses. I parried his strike and smashed the heavy hilt of my claymore directly into his face.
CRACK!
Koganei was sent spiraling through the air like a broken doll. Akiyama didn’t wait-he activated his Magic Sword, the blade glowing with lethal light as he swung.
”Too slow. Snatch²,” I muttered.
I stepped inside his guard and buried my fist in his gut. The air left his lungs in a wet wheeze. As he buckled, I triggered the skill. I felt the connection to his precious Magic Sword and I ripped it away. Snatch didn’t just take items; it could tear away Unique Skills themselves. I grabbed him by the throat and tossed him like a sack of garbage over to where Koganei was groveling.
”Ryunya! You… damn you! Stone Bullet!” Oshiro shrieked.
I simply batted the stones out of the air with the flat of my blade.
”What?!” she gasped.
Honoka stood to the side, her staff raised, but she didn’t move. She was just watching.
”Ugh… damn it… Who are you? You’re not the Shin I know. He couldn’t swing a greatsword with one hand… he didn’t have this kind of monstrous strength. Who the hell are you?!” Akiyama groaned.
”I’m Shin. Who else would I be?” I asked.
”No! Shin was a weakling! You’re something else! Why are you doing this?!” Akiyama demanded.
”Heh… hehehe. Well, if you really want to know, I suppose I can tell you. Consider it a gift for the road to hell,” I said.
I let the mimicry dissolve. My features bled away, and the illusion of ‘Ryunya’ vanished. I stood before them in my true form-Sasaki Natsumi.
”No… way…” Akiyama whispered.
”You’re… you’re alive…” Oshiro stammered.
”Sasaki-kun…” Honoka murmured.
”What’s the matter? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” I sneered.
”Of course we have! You died! We saw it!” Koganei yelled.
”Did you? Did you actually check for a pulse?” I asked.
”Well… no, but…” Koganei faltered.
”I did die, in a way. And now for your second question: why? It’s simple, really. Vengeance³. For me, and for the boy named Shin,” I said.
”Vengeance? For both of you?” Akiyama asked.
”That’s right. He made a deal with me. He gave me everything-his body, his soul, his rage-just to ensure you lot paid the price. I took him in while he was dying in that hole you left him in,” I explained.
”Took him in? What does that even mean?!” Koganei shouted.
”It means he’s gone, Oshiro. He’s a part of me now,” I said.
”So… you’re doing this… for Luck, too?” Akiyama asked.
”Luck? No. Even Shin knew Luck couldn’t be helped. This is for us. For the two boys you abandoned to the dark. For the two lives you threw away because you were too scared to fight!” I roared.
I let my killing intent flare. Behind them, Lil glided into position, cutting off their only exit.
”Don’t give me that bullshit! You’re the one who killed him! You’re just looking for someone to blame!” Akiyama screamed.
”Yeah! Don’t pin your crimes on us!” Oshiro added.
”He was dead the moment you ran. He was bleeding out, and you had a chance to win, but you turned tail and ran. That’s why you’re dying here,” I said coldly.
I leveled my blade at them.
”Sasaki-kun. We won’t let you kill us for such a petty reason,” Honoka said.
She stepped forward, her staff glowing. Her face was a mask of determination, but her eyes were shining with excitement.
”Honoka… you…” Akiyama gasped.
”It’s okay. It’s just Sasaki-kun. He’s not that tough. I’ll create an opening-when I do, everyone hit him with everything you’ve got. We can do this!” Honoka shouted.
”Honoka… thank you. I’m sorry we doubted you,” Akiyama said.
”Here I come! Hyaaaaaah!” Honoka cried.
Honoka charged at me. To Akiyama and the others, it looked like a desperate suicide run. To me, she looked like a puppy running to greet its master. The moment she reached me and blocked their line of sight, the trio did exactly what I expected. They turned tail and bolted.
”Gyaaaah!” Koganei screamed.
A bolt of magic struck Koganei square in the back. Honoka hadn’t even looked back as she fired the spell while throwing her arms around my neck. It didn’t kill him, but it opened a jagged, bloody furrow across his spine.
”Urgh!”
”When did she-?!” Akiyama gasped.
”You aren’t going anywhere. You die here,” Lil said, stepping out of the shadows.
”Hahaha! Hahahaha! Did you really think you could just run?” I laughed.
”Uwah. I knew you were losers, but following the exact same script as my dream? That’s just pathetic,” Honoka said, pulling back to look at them with disgust.
Then she turned back to me, her eyes wide. “Master, Master! Did I do good? Praise me! Please!”
”You did perfect, Honoka. I’ll give you your reward later,” I said.
”You… you bitch! You betrayed us!” Koganei hissed.
”Betrayed you? Remind me… who was the one running away while I was ‘sacrificing’ myself? Oh, right. All of you,” Honoka smiled.
Koganei’s scream of pure rage echoed through the silent valley.
—
Summary:
Sasaki Natsumi returns from a solo hunt and leads the hero party into a desolate valley. There, he reveals his true identity and overwhelming power, easily defeating them. The chapter ends with Honoka’s betrayal of the party, confirming her total devotion to Sasaki.
—
Trivia:
- Sasaki has been using ‘Mimicry’ to pose as a weaker version of himself named Shin.
- He absorbed the soul of a boy named Shin, who was left for dead by the hero party.
- Honoka’s ‘sacrifice’ was a pre-arranged ruse between her and Sasaki.
- Sasaki stole Akiyama’s ‘Magic Sword’ skill using the ‘Snatch’ ability
—
Character Insight:
Akiyama’s fragile leadership collapses under real pressure, while Honoka reveals a twisted, obsessive loyalty that goes beyond mere assistance, finding pleasure in the betrayal of her former ‘friends’.
—
Behind the Scenes:
This chapter subverts the classic ‘hero party’ trope by exposing the internal rot and cowardice of the group when faced with an actual threat.
—
TL Notes:
Notes:
• Lil – One of the heroines. Height 166 cm, B-W-H: 90-56-90. She is a top-tier beauty with long indigo hair down to her waist, a large scar on her abdomen and sharp golden eyes. She has wolf ears and a tail.
• Honoka – A member of the relief team with healing magic. Despite her cute, short, ‘transistor glamour’ appearance, she is cold-hearted and mocks Sasaki.
• Narumi – Narumi Honoka. A member of the relief team with healing magic. Despite her cute, short, ‘transistor glamour’ appearance, she is cold-hearted and mocks Sasaki. Black hair, black eyes.
• Ryunya – Height 177 cm, weight 70 kg. Oshiro Yuuko’s boyfriend. A hot-blooded, handsome guy with a buzz cut. Member of the baseball club.
• Leki – Lil’s daughter. Height: 140 cm, B-W-H: 70, 54, 69. She looks more like a Siberian Husky puppy than a wolf. Honestly, she just looks like a stuffed toy.
• Shin – A level 18 greatsword user and Hunter from Rubia. Jade rank.
• Koganei – Height 166 cm, weight 56 kg. A mood-maker in the baseball club. He was only after Honoka’s body and worked with Oshiro to steal her from Akiyama.
• Natsumi – The protagonist. Height 168 to 171 cm, weight 57 to 59 kg. He has a baby face, but he hides his eyes with his bangs. He was bullied by the Sugita gang just because his name sounded like a girl’s name.
• Sasaki – The protagonist. Height 168 to 171 cm, weight 57 to 59 kg. He has a baby face, but he hides his eyes with his bangs. He was bullied by the Sugita gang just because his name sounded like a girl’s name.
• Luck – Shin’s partner and a wind magic user. Hunter from Rubia. Deceased.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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