Kanna no Kanna Volume 2 Chapter 14

h.e.l.lo everyone! Sorry for releasing this a little bit late. I got a bit too hooked into games this week, so it took me a while to get everything ready. I hope you didn’t mind waiting a few extra days for this. Enjoy the chapter and see you in two weeks again!

Tl: Jun

ED: Jun

Chapter 14 Aren't axe wielding protagonists kind of rare?

This is not a development where I can get it over with by just shrugging my shoulders lightly and go "Good grief".

The five people furthest in the back are dressed in robes unlike the others that are wearing light armor. The explosion just before must be the magic those guys released. There's no evidence, but it's easier if I conclude that from this situation.

"Hey, are you hurt anywhere?"

"Eh? Ah, no I'm fine."

I rushed up to miss Redhead and helped her get up. Has the girl still not realized that her life was in danger just then; that thought hasn't settled in me from the impact of the explosion.

"Say mister servant. Are you acquainted with those masked men?"

"N- no, not at all though……"

They were quicker to recover from the chaos than their head. While the servants nodded to my words, they put their guards up against the intruders.

"Shall we put off our dispute for now?"

" ……… We have no objections to that."

It doesn't look like I'll have to worry about them swaying between the head's selfishness and their safety. Their mental att.i.tude as a servant was perfect.

I hid her in the back.

……… I got into this position from the course of events, but this is a knight-like position where I would protect miss Redhead, isn't it? I certainly became the one in charge of miss Redhead didn't I? I intercepted the magic that was released towards miss Redhead, so it's already too late, huh.

I get it now. So that Yuuzuki constantly gets rolled up into incidents with this kind of feeling.

When I had a faraway look, the masked people silently drew out a sword from their bosom and attacked all at once. There's no use in arguing about it.

Their target is without a doubt miss Redhead. From the entry of the masked men until now, I can feel that the killing intent those guys are releasing are all gathered on her.

Before I even tried taking on a fighting stance at once, the servants started running towards their enemies.

"I entrust milady to you sir!"

"You say entrust, but I'm really an outsider though!"

My "Are you sure about entrusting her to a youngster on your first meeting!?" retort was fruitless and the Servant team vs Mask team battle broke out.

The masked men silently brandished the sword and were stopped resolutely by the sword held by the servants, scattering sparks. I don't know if it's thanks to them being swordsmen similar to Real, but I know the blows exchanged between the guards and the masked guys are fast, though they're not as good as Real. They're more extraordinary than those hoodlums from last night. The four servants faces the four masked men they're crossing swords without being inferior to them.

Wait, four?

In addition to the four masked men they're crossing swords with, one masked man in robes was standing at a place further away from their allies. I could sense the presence of magic from that guy.

"You think I'll let you!?"

While I jumped from this place, I produced a cone shaped ice with spirit magic and threw it towards the masked man who is manipulating their magic power. If I stood on the ground while doing that, I may hit one of the servants who are crossing swords in front of me, you see.

I wonder if it's because he's concentrating on controlling the magic. I mean, the time the robed man noticed the ice cone I released was when it approached right before his eyes. Of course, him avoiding those cones didn't happen and they pierce into his thighs.

The screams of the robed figure echoed through the alley.

Before I could even do a fist pump and say "Yes!”, a bloodthirst came from above this time. From above?

When I looked up as I felt it, a single masked man instantly jumped down from the roof of the house whose walls enclosed the alley. Carrying in his hand is also a sword and at the spot he is dropping down to is miss Redhead.

I don't have the confidence in being able to hit the dropping body. When I judged so, I create the weapon that pulverized the golem in that sacred mountain–a great axe of ice.

"Miss Redhead, get down!"

Miss Redhead ducked by reflex from my sharp voice and I swung the st.u.r.dy axe towards the a.s.sa.s.sin approaching from above.

A blow that swept away the wind horizontally silently sunk into the masked man's flank and he was blown away, thrown onto the walls of the alley.

Continuously from the background. When I looked over my shoulder, one masked person was approaching us and even further away was a servant crouching down with blood flowing from his arm. So they broke through.

The approaching masked man opened his eyes wide from my large axe that suddenly (from another person's perspective) materialized and his steps became disordered. Without missing that opening, I also sent him flying to the walls of the alley with a sweep of the great axe.

My choice of a great axe has been decided to be my default equipment at the end of the training and discussion with Real. My defensive and offensive abilities rose with the armguards and legguards, but I understood how much fighting strength and the like I, who had lived in modern j.a.pan, have with those on. I can move better than an ordinary person, but you can't really expect me to pa.s.s as an opponent against the pros of this world — the people whose livelihood is fighting. Therefore, the way of fighting I chose is a blunt and extreme logic that is "overwhelming them with long distance support and a weapon with huge power."

In that case, why not a sword is what I think you're going to ask, but an axe is easier to imagine than a sword when I'm creating a weapon. This is also why an axe was the first thing I created using spirit magic. I'm not sure myself why that was what I made at the beginning. Like I've mentioned before, as long as I have the divine protection of the spirits, the axe's weight that I feel is optimised for swinging around. It's unusually effective if you can handle this large lump of ma.s.s the same way you can with a normal sword.

ーーーーNo, there is even someone who can wield a greatsword of their height at will through pure physical strength. Someone like an elf eared, huge breasted swordswoman.

It came to the extent of receiving Real's authorisation who said "If it's regular adversaries, this should be enough to fight with for now I suppose."

Unrest runs through the masked men whose three comrades were incapacitated in the twinkling of an eye. The five that appeared in the beginning were a decoy and the last person that attacked from the roof was in fact the deciding factor.  Would it perhaps be fine if the robed people's powerful magic I intercepted with ice would blow us away?  There's no point in asking since something like this happened.

Here we have one injured, but five people including me. Miss Redhead is for the moment outside of the fighting power I calculated. As for the masked men, there are three remaining. It's obvious which side has an advantage in both the difference in number of people and fighting power.

Above all else, what the masked men didn't expect was my existence. Or actually, that I myself brought about this situation was too unexpected. The one who knocked the three enemies out was me. If I wasn't here, the surprise magic attack at the beginning would've ended everything.

Realizing the failure of their attack, the masked men separated from the servants they were crossing swords with without any words and rushed to the side of the robed figure whose blood is spilling from his legs.

One of the masked men took out a sphere like something and held it up.

"You—"

"—-think we'll let you escape!?"

Taking over the words of one of the servants, I let go of the axe, and stuck my hand in front of me. I concentrate all my consciousness to the s.p.a.ce that continues from the hand I held out.

What is necessary for spirit magic is a precise image. What you desire, what you intend to do. You address the spirits with a firm enough will and materialize it to reality. It's fortunate that the masked bunch are gathered in one place.

What I'm imagining is a 『Cage』. Gripping my right hand, my left hand was open with something broad and flat on top of it. Placing my imagination on my right hand and my left hand choosing the ground.

"Or rather an instant jail!"

I struck the bottom of my right hand on my left hand. When the sound of a slap resounded, a wall appeared, enclosing the masked men. The cube of ice cleanly imprisoned those guys just before they escaped.

The semi transparent wall that appeared couldn't stop the momentum of the swinging arm though. The ball that was released by the masked man struck the ground and exploded, gus.h.i.+ng out a very thick white smoke.

ーーーーinside the s.p.a.ce that is made airtight by the wall.

……………………Is this where I should start laughing?

No, as far as the masked men are concerned, this must be a state of emergency. If they used a smoke bomb meant for escape, it'll only fill the cage that locked them up without them noticing. Our vision here is good enough, but the vision in there has pretty much become zero.

They seem to be hitting the wall of ice from the inside, but it's not moving an inch. The strength of the ice I make with spirit magic is influenced by the image I put into it and the distance. The maximum strength when it's near me is so strong it takes all of Real's power to be able to destroy it. If it's separated from me, it would dampen and at the same time precise modelling becomes difficult as well. Because the distance between me and the ice cage is short, it's not a difficult thing to create, but if it had that simple structure and you hold a strong image, it will hold a considerable st.u.r.diness. Moreover, the ice I make with spirit magic is 『linked』 with me as long as the influence of the spirits aren't severed. As long as my consciousness isn't separated from 『that』, it won't break from a small amount of impact

Phew, I calmed down for now. There's neither bloodl.u.s.t I can feel nor movement in magic power. The two masked men I threw onto the wall also lost their consciousness. That one time I struck with the axe, I felt that several bones broke, but he didn't die. I may have ended up overenthusiastically breaking his spinal cord, but let's just leave it at them getting their just desserts.

"Miss Redhead"

" ………………………………eh?"

Even when I called out, Miss Redhead was being absentminded.

"I know those masked men aren't your acquaintances, but did you happen to know they were aiming for your life?"

"Ah……………… uhm………err………"

A voice comes out of her mouth, but it got stuck in her throat. An inarticulate sound came out choppy. Feeling confused by the change in the hectic state of affairs?

"Say mister servants"

And they're keeping quiet huh. Except that, their eyes that are watching the masked men that were caged by the ice and are now unconscious is very grim. I could read from their facial expressions that they weren't aware of it whatsoever. Since she looked like a rich lady, I imagined it to be her connection with her parents or ransom and whatnot, but I'm not even supposed to be able to imagine the personal history of the other party whom I didn't even meet until about an hour ago.

But, what am I going to do now? Whether I'm close to it or not, it takes too much effort to keep objects formed under my control. If I'm going to keep maintaining the cage, I won't be able to move sufficiently while maintaining it.

Shall I lower the temperature inside the cage until it's below zero and have that seal the movement of the masked men for now? If I do that, I don't have to worry about them running away even if I release the cage.

I was about to try and change my image.

—-A vivid sensation pierced through my skin.

I feel an excess movement of magic power which I can even remember the pain from.

The ice cage burst before I could identify the source of that magic power.

–gh, gaaaah!"

Intense pain runs through my right hand I'm using to solidify the image of the cage.

Even if tears are collecting in the corner of my eye, I bit my teeth and glared in front of me. The ice cage was smashed to pieces all the same and the white smoke that was filled inside spread and intercepted my vision.

I couldn't see it from my eyes, but I can feel the four presences trying to separate from that place. Moreover, even those guys I sent flying started to move because of this opportunity. Can they actually move with those injuries? Even though there's supposed to be quite some damage to several of their ribs and their internal organs even if they're not dead. The movement of the two masked men who are holding their side and running away are so fast you wouldn't think they were injured at all and neither me nor the servants could reach our hands right away.

"Not so—-fast!"

The feeling in my right arm doesn't return. I create ice on my remaining left hand and kicked off with all my strength. I'll have the spirit compensate for my half-hearted aim. An ice pebble that's flying at a high speed is approaching one of the men that are trying to run away.

While a boom sound of explosion arose, a crimson pillar stretches into the sky. The ice pebble was sucked into that pillar of flames and evaporated with just a sound.

—-gh, what's with that guy!?

I was astonished by the 『quality』 of the magic power that pillar of flames is composed of.

It's a magic power similar to my destroyed ice. However, it's different in quality compared to any human I've seen until now. It's so rich in quality that I'm doubting if that person is human.

The ice pebble vanished, the fingertips of my left hand is tingling numb. Even though it wasn't made that strong as a result of creating it off the cuff, it returned to my body. In other words, it means that that pillar of flames was that extremely hot.

The flame pillar continued to burn at that place for a while and eventually extinguished after a good three minutes. The portion of the paving that is at the base of the fire pillar has melted. What an extreme heat. The masked men disappeared from there without a trace. I looked around for their presence, but there was nothing within the range I can feel. So they escaped.

We didn't catch him, but it ended with the a.s.sailants failing their criminal act. There's no killing intent in this place anymore. We came out with one injured, but judging from appearance it's to the extent of his arm being cut off. In this world, there is something convenient called healing magic. In the case your arm didn't become a stump, it can be healed without difficulties if you show it to a professional I think.

" …………We're grateful for your a.s.sistance. It may have been dangerous with just us.

One of the servants thanked me while sheathing his sword into the scabbard.

"I'd prefer 『some money』 as thanks instead of words you know. It's a fact that I essentially have neither a relations.h.i.+p nor obligation with that lady you guys are serving. You won't face punishment even if I receive an inconvenience fee, right?

When I tell them while making a halo with my finger, the servants made a smile although they were astonished.

"Certainly, there is no doubt we involved you in this. I understand, your desired renumeration is–not what we can give you, but let us pay you at least the market price for a merchant requesting an escort."

"Negotiation's complete then I guess. Ah, I'm a country b.u.mpkin, so I don't really know the actual market price. Can I call over my guardian? Since she should probably be well informed in that."

"We do not mind, of course."

"Then for the time being, let's go to the inn we're staying at and–"

—-my vision shook violently.

" …………………… Huh……… what?"

Strength left my feet and I fell on my back at that spot. An intense fatigue surged from inside my head. I remember this feeling.

"He- hey, are you alright!?"

"Aah, this looks impossible I guess"

My consciousness is about to break off.

"My bad, but hey……… can you call my guardian please?

I somehow mustered up the last of my strength and after I told them the location of the inn Real is staying in, I collapsed in this place.