Rather, poison mist!? Moreover, that’s a heartless way of thinking! What an evil intention! However, I was the only one not affected. Was it because I was harbouring Ddraig in me? I didn’t really understand the reason very well. Buchou began to fire magic bullets from beside me! Don! The attack hit onee-san completely! Her body vanished! We got her…or not. Buchou didn’t seem to feel any resistance from her attack. “That was a good attack. But it’s useless, useless. I can easily make a clone of myself with the essentials of genjutsu.”
Onee-san’s voice echoed through the forest. S-Suddenly, silhouettes were born one after another within the mist and all of there were women wearing kimonos! They were Koneko-chan’s onee-san! Clones!? So this was an illusion! They all looked real, and I couldn’t tell them apart! All these onee-sans were wearing the same auras over their bodies! “…If you can’t read the flow of spirit, you can’t deal with genjutsu used by skilled practitioners.”
Koneko-chan said that while falling to all fours. She seemed to be in pain! If there was some kind of counteraction method…Could Asia do something if she were here? No, leaving aside injuries, I don’t know whether it would be effective on this kind of poison! “Boosted Gear!”
I made the red gauntlet appear on my left arm, but wasn’t the sound just now different from usual? When I looked, the light in the jewel wasn’t a lot and it had become blackish! What was this!? […Partner, the Sacred Gear won’t move.] What do you mean, Ddraig!? Why is it like this at such a crucial time!? [The Sacred Gear has entered an ambiguous state.] Ambiguous!? Why had it become like that? [With that training, you reached a crossroad. I think the Sacred Gear will change with one more push, but I don’t know whether that change will be a normal power-up, or Balance Breaker.] In other words, my Sacred Gear has stopped before a crossroads, and is wavering between a normal power-up and Balance Breaker? [If you put it simply, yes. In a situation where the choices have multiplied, the Boosted Gear’s own system is confused on which option to follow.] So both the normal power-up and Balance Breaker look good to it? [Yeah. If it does a normal power-up, you may be able to achieve victory in a flash, but if a dramatic change isn’t born inside you, you won’t be able to attain Balance Breaker. But remember this. Right now, you only have a chance to attain Balance Breaker. The rest depends on you.] Even if you tell me such a thing! What should I do…? I don’t know what to do even if you suddenly say that I need to go through a dramatic change! What do I have to do to attain Balance Breaker!? Damn it! If I knew it was going to be like this, I should have asked Kiba what kind of feeling he had when he did it! Hey, Ddraig. Is it bad if I go for the power-up and leave Balance Breaker for next time? [You won’t be able to grasp this state again whenever you want. It may be months or years before the chance comes again.] Then, I’ve been given a very important chance right now! It would be wasteful to use it for a normal power-up! What do I need to do to attain it? I don’t knooooooooooow! “Arara, is Sekiryuutei-chan unable to activate his Sacred Gear? But, I’m going to shoot-nyan♪”
One of the onee-san illusions stuck out its hand—began to shoot what looked like magic bullets at Buchou and Koneko-chan who were suffering from the poison! Don’t joke with me! I dashed forward and rushed to become a shield for them! Dooooooooooooooooooooooon! “Guhah!”
I was hit by blasts full of destructive power! It hurts! Damn it! It really huuuuuuuurts! I got hit by one shot right in the front! My uniform was also blown away from a direct hit! Thanks to that, my front was naked! …A place on my chest burst open a little and blood flowed out. “Ise…”
Buchou tried to move forward, but because of the pain, she couldn’t stand up well! “Buchou! Please don’t move! The poison will spread through your body! Don’t worry, an attack like this is noth—”
Doggoooooooooon! Before I could finish speaking, I was hit by another magic bullet! Guhhah…! Because it was a surprise attack that I had received before I was ready, the pain was intense…! From just that second attack, I fell to my knees…This is bad. If it’s like this, I won’t be able to endure five more shots…
“So weak. This is Vali’s rival? Did you really drive away Vali?”
Onee-san simply sneered at me…Hehehe, truly, just how much more will I continue to be ridiculed like this…I’m pitiful. I won’t show my power in a pinch. —I’m always like this. I can’t show my power at critical times. Did I save Asia? Did I rescue Buchou? Everyone had praised me, but in truth it wasn’t like that. It wasn’t like that! —Asia died once. —Buchou cried once. Because I couldn’t do anything at either of those times, it turned out like that. Power that can’t be put to use to prevent others from being hurt…That’s just wrong! I was once again trying to repeat the same thing again…
—I can’t rescue Koneko-chan right here and now. I made the people I loved experience sorrowful feelings before because my power wasn’t enough. After each time, I was given a second chance to save them thanks to the help of others. With just that. It was meaningless like that! —What kind of legendary dragon can’t save people the first time!? “…I won’t let you touch Buchou and Koneko-chaaaaaaaaan!”
Dooooooooo! I was hit by another blast. I was blown backwards by its power and my back crashed into a huge tree! Idiot…A blow to the back…My consciousness faded for an instant from the great pain…Damn it, my body won’t move…! My body had stopped functioning more from the shock of impact to my back than the pain…Though I’m still conscious…
“Damn it…”
I—stood up. I was so clumsy and pitiful that tears flowed from my eyes. It wasn’t from the pain. —It’s mortifying. To not be able to display my power when driven into a corner…Even though I didn’t want anyone to get hurt. Even though I wanted to save everyone. My power couldn’t stop people from being hurt again…
While crying, I crawled on the ground and approached where Buchou and Koneko-chan were. When I came in front of the two of them, I pushed fighting spirit into my body. “Nuuuuuuuuu!”
I held down the pain somehow and stood up on trembling legs…Alright, I can still stand. However, the frustrating tears wouldn’t stop. “You may be Koneko-chan’s onee-san, but…I won’t forgive you for making Koneko-chan cry…”
I said this openly and frankly, but onee-san just laughed. “For such a weak guy like you to say such a thing…Shirone is also serious. It’s one thing if a cooler-looking and strong prince with a sword says that, but when someone like you says it while having blood clinging to your body, girls will only draw back-nyan♪. How disgusting.”
“…Ise-senpai.”
Koneko-chan whispered to me. I spoke while smiling bitterly.