3 bar menu

Nanana’s Buried Treasure Volume 8 Chapter 4.4

He dodged it, but the arrow grazed his arm, sending a tingling pain through him.

「But it’s not just monsters that it can kill. It can kill people too.」

Feeling the threat of the bow, I immediately look around. Whatever the case, it’s not good to be in the center of this room. It’ll just make me an easy target.

I quickly dragged Tetsu-kun, who was lying on the floor, to a nearby hallway to hide.

「Juugo… sword…」

「Oh, that’s right.」

After Tetsu-kun groaned and pointed it out, I placed the <<sword of Nanana>> that was lying nearby on top of him and dragging both of them, somehow made it to the shadows of the passageway.

Then I took a breath to clear my mind.

Wait a minute, why is this happening? I was feeling great just a moment ago, and now I’m in big trouble.

It was the completely unexpected appearance of the Nanana collection <<bow of light>>, which can even shoot and kill people. It’s Hiiyo Ikusaba-san’s last resort, and even when they fought before over the <<sword of Nanana>> he hadn’t shown any signs of using it. I don’t know where he got it or how he managed to hide it, but there’s no way he wouldn’t have used it to this point! It was completely unexpected.

Ikusaba-san holding the <<bow of light>>, approached cautiously, keeping a wary eye on us. There was nothing in the empty room that could serve as a shield. The mysterious Nanana collection was so scary because even if I rushed in unexpectedly, I would be shot on sight.

So what? I can’t just stay silent after my friend got shot right in front of me! I’ll never forgive him!

As I was about to jump out, someone grabbed my arm.

「Juugo, stay calm.」

「But!」

Tetsu-kun’s breathing is rough.

「Juugo, go ahead.」

Tetsu-kun said this as he managed to sit up with a pained voice.

「What are you talking about, Tetsu-kun? You are injured…」

「I’m fine, the wound isn’t deep. But… my body is numb and I don’t think I’ll be able to move for a while.」

「That’s even more reason to…」

「I want to help Yun.」

So, stay calm.

「Juugo, what you need to do to achieve that isn’t to push yourself too much and try to defeat Hiiyo Ikusaba in an unfavorable situation. You need to show the <<sword of Nanana>>  to M. He’ll definitely pursue you. So for now, you need to run away and buy yourself some time.」

Apparently, the blood had completely rushed to his head.

That’s right. The plan hasn’t failed. It isn’t over. I knew that even if I could get Ageha-ojousama and Tetsu-kun on board with this plan, I wouldn’t be able to get Ikusaba-san on board. So in a sense, Ikusaba-san’s existence was the only thing that made me nervous. So I tried to separate him and exclude him to buy myself some time to negotiate with Tetsu-kun.

It was going very well up until a certain point. I had managed to make amends with Tetsu-kun. But that was it. Then, the worst case scenario happened, even worse than I could imagine. My plans were interrupted by the new Nanana collection that had been hiding. But that’s not all. Tetsu-kun, the key person in this plan, was just injured.

There’s still plenty of time to recover. I try to stay calm, but the anger bubbling up in my stomach won’t subside.

Even though I know I’m at a great disadvantage in this situation, I still feel like jumping him.

Then, a memory suddenly crossed my mind. The <<ruin>> at South Red Mall, when Ikusaba tried to retreat. He attacked again, and I fell miserably to the floor.

That’s why I take a deep breath and tell myself, don’t give up. If you act recklessly here, everything will be ruined. I was the one who said I’d do it. I was the one who made everyone believe in me. It is my resolve and responsibility to follow through on what I said. That’s the happy ending I want, where everyone gets what they want and we all laugh together.

「I’ll hang around the Great Hall or somewhere around there and buy some time until Tetsu-kun arrives.」

「Yes, of course.」

As I checked on Ikusaba-san, who was approaching me, I put the <<sword of Nanana>> on my back again.

「Juugo.」

I turned around hearing him say my name. Tetsu-kun looked a little embarrassed as he said, 「Thank you.」

A variety of emotions welled up inside me.

I took off, determined to see it through.

「Bring it on!」

I ran out of the hallway and crossed the room, running into another hallway, to act as a decoy and to draw Ikusaba-san’s attention to myself.

4

I’m not sure whether it’s appropriate to use vague terms like fate or premonition, but I think I probably felt this from a fairly early stage.

Who will be the final person left standing in tonight’s <<game>>? As expected, Hiiyo Ikusba is the biggest obstacle in the end. He has unleashed the Nanana collection that he’d had hidden. That alone turns my calm plans around and puts me in big trouble.

Dodging the arrows of light that occasionally came flying from behind, I ran through the passages and up the stairs.

「Okay, I can see the exit!」

Fleeing Ikusaba-san’s pursuit, I finally reached the entrance to the <<ruin>> and ran straight into the castle. I came out into a storage room filled with brand new shelves and neatly organized cardboard boxes. There were no windows or anything, so I didn’t know where in the castle I was. I hurried to block the entrance to the <<ruin>> I just came out of with shelves, then covered it with heavy cardboard boxes, creating a barricade. Hopefully this would buy me some time…

Thump

Just as I was hoping this, the makeshift barricade shook.

「What a waste.」

Ikusaba-san’s voice echoed from the other side of the bookshelf.

I had a bad feeling about this. I turned on my heels and ran out of the storeroom door into the hallway.

Bam

At almost the same time, there was an explosion and a shock wave, and I fell forward. I stood up and turned around to see the barricade blown to pieces, and Ikusaba-san appearing in the storeroom littered with debris, with his <<bow of light>> deployed.

「Geez, are you serious?」

An arrow of light… No, it’s more like a cannon of light. Ikusba-san’s trump card, <<bow of light>>, is no joke.

Anyway, the only thing I can do now is run away. As I run down the wide corridor of the royal castle, I first check my current location. After running for a while, I spot a row of windows in the corridor. It seems that this is the edge of the first floor. So, I’ll head up for now…

「I repeat! We have no intention of harming you! Please stop resisting and follow our instructions!」

The sudden loud volume from the megaphone startles me. I realize then that I can hear gunshots, shouting, and screaming. And most of all, something strange is happening outside.

「What the heck?」

What I saw was an armed group, and from the logo on their shoulders they were the Nanaejima General Security. The problem is that these soldiers are fighting someone. And the people they are fighting are none other than the participants of the <<game>> who were with them before they entered the <<ruin>>. These students are fighting back using their Nanana collection.

I was speechless. What on earth happened while we were in the underground <<ruin>>?

「Eeeyyaaaaa!!」

Someone came running from the other end of the hallway with that panicked voice. He looked like he was about to cry at any moment, and I was sure he was one of the participants. I quickly blocked his path and grabbed his arm.

「Hey, what the hell is going on? What’s with those guys outside?」

「It’s the Nanaejima General Security! They’ve come to arrest us!」

「Arrest… why?」

「I don’t know! That’s enough, let me go! Those guys are coming for me!」

「Those guys?  Do you mean the guys from outside?」

「No!」

The man looked back down the hallway he had come from. There was something there. He immediately knew what it was. A mysterious pitch black humanoid that came crawling out of the cloak worn by M.

「Ahhhhh!」

When the pitch black humanoid appeared, the man shook out of my hand and ran away. And so, I was left alone there, while the humanoid stared at me with a blank expression.

What?

And then…

「Kishaaaaaa!」

Suddenly, the face of the monster splits open to reveal a row of fangs. I’m not kidding, it’s super scary. And it went right at me.

「Are you serious?」

I hold the <<sword of Nanana>> I was carrying on my back, sheath and all, directly in front of me. Just as the pitch black humanoid was about to pounce, I draw it back and swing with all my might to deliver a heavy blow. It hits the humanoid in the face and it lets out a yell and rolls to the floor. It quickly tries to get up.