Volume 5 Chapter 5: Encounter Part 1
Volume 5 Chapter 5: Encounter Part 1
Leaving the magic research institute we once again returned to the main street.
「Now, Cattleya gave us many recommendations for hot springs, but first, we have to find an inn. 」
「Roger, Master.」
「This is the area where many hotels are located, so how about checking a few? Some of them have their own hot springs as well. 」
「Yeah, that sounds good.」
It’s not like I have a specific place where I’d like to stay in mind.
So it might be a good idea to stay at the inn with a hot spring which are said to be a specialty of this town.
……After all, this is the real pleasure of traveling.
And as I was thinking that—
「……My friend. There is something weird about the crowd. 」
Daisy suddenly said such a thing.
Hearing that, I followed Daisy’s gaze which was pointed at the stream of people walking through the main street. But, just as she said, compared to earlier, there indeed was something off about it.
「Yes, it’s like they are avoiding something. 」
「You think so too? Is there something there?」
「It doesn’t seem like a monster wandered inside the town…」
If a monster was roaming the streets, there would’ve been more panic and urgency. It should’ve been accompanied by more of an uproar, meanwhile, at the moment there is more of a small commotion.
…Some sort of an event?
And while I thought this, the crowd split, revealing the area ahead.
There, I saw him.
「……」
A large man with two horns growing from his head.
On top of that, his head, face, and torso were all smeared in dark red blood.
Silently, he stood in the middle of the street, giving off an incredibly bizarre aura.
Probably because others saw him as well, but murmurs began near me as well.
「H-hey. Is that Oni alright? He is all covered in blood…?」
「Ah, which reminds me, you came to this town just recently. Lately, that is quite a common sight, no problem at all.」
「R-really? Well, the townsfolk do seem to be trying to avoid getting too close to him, but no one is making too much of a fuss… But, is that really alright…?」
Such an exchange reached my ears.
Hearing that, I asked Daisy and Saki, who walked beside me.
「Are blood-covered onis appearing on the streets a common event for the City of Spirits…?」
It’s not their first time here, maybe they know something? Or so I thought, but—
「Beats me. When I stayed here there was no such thing.」
「I didn’t hear of anything of this sort as well. Or rather, I can’t see much of a necessity in sending a blood-covered oni to roam the streets.」
Looks like neither Daisy nor Saki know anything.
Thinking normally, it is just as they say.
There is no way there can be such an event, I thought, looking at the bloody oni again.
From his face to his body, all sorts of places were stained with blood, making for quite a painful sight. But—
「……Hmm?」
Suddenly, I noticed something.
「……Hey, hey, Master. Isn’t that……」
Looks like Berzelia noticed that as well.
「You are right. It’s probably someone we know.」
And as I replied to Berzelia—
「……Mhm……You there……」
The blood-smeared man looked our way.
Then, without any hesitation he walked up to us, shortening the distance to just a few meters.
「…Dragon Knight Axel…?」
He asked in a low, hoarse voice.
The voice was familiar. I heard it quite a lot in the old days. Thinking back on the old days, I reply back.
「I’m not a dragon knight anymore though. And you are… Gale, aren’t you?」
「As I thought, it’s【Hero of the Fist】. Long time no see.」
The man to whom Berzelia and I replied, was an associate from my days as a hero, Gale, nodded.
「……You know me, so you are Axel. ……But before we get to the real talk…… Take a stance…… Let’s do the usual.」
Gale said, looking me straight in the eyes.
Which reminds me, he always had this calm and quiet manner of speaking, I thought, recalling the old days. And also, what we were often doing back then.
「The usual… You mean, that, huh. Okay.」
As soon as I replied, Gale slightly lowered his stance.
「――Huah……!」
With an exhale, he emitted fighting spirit.
The next moment, a fist-shaped burst of mana flew from Gale’s right hand.
But that’s not all.
A transparent clone appeared, its hand emerging from his right arm.
Holding fist in front of it, the clone flew at me in a straight line.
Matching that, I also thrust one hand forward.
――Smash!
Producing such a sound I stopped the clone’s fist with the palm of my hand.
The shock wave created by the clone’s fist stirred a wind around me.
However, it immediately died down, and by the time the wind dissipated the clone disappeared as well.
Looking at that and then the palm of my hand with which I stopped the clone, I nodded to myself.
「It’s been a while since I faced it the last time, but your fist is as fast as ever.」
I waved my hand to emphasize that.
To which he also nodded.
「……Being able to catch it at this speed… I see, so you are not an imposter or a fraud… You are the real Axel that I know.」
He took a few steps closer, sounding somewhat convinced.
「Yeah. Of course, I am Gale. Or rather, were you still using this confirmation method on people that were using my name? I got so used to this that I didn’t even think about this at first.」
He has been using this method to confirm if I’m the real one or not since the old days.
Comment (0)