The atmosphere becomes heavier as the man with spear heard me. I shouted his name, Shouta, one of the summoned heroes, an androgynous boy with a twin sister, Shouko and together, they trained with the other heroes.

However, the man in front of us right now is a taller, much muscular and a face that can only be defined as manly handsome with beautiful oriental features. Despite all of this, I recognize his particular hairstyle, mannerisms in using the spear and of course the clothes.

I stare at him with a stern and strong countenance.   His gaze, contrary to what I expected, didn’t falter as he keeps his hostility.

“That’s right. I am Shouta Murayama but in this form refer to me as Hasu.”

“Eh? Then why are you attacking us?! Did something happen?”

“You are not my enemy, Asagao. My target is Ichirou.”

CLANG!

The sound of metal colliding is heard again as Shouta, or rather, Hasu, rushed at Ichirou again. Ichirou in response instantaneously conjures two short swords to fend off the spear by sliding it.

“If you really are Shouta then, where is Shouko?! You two are inseparable after all, right!”

“That’s none of your business. Ichirou, all you have to do is to die! If you did, then you will be doing me a big favor.”

Shouta’s speed frighteningly increased again. His swings and thrusts become more violent as the attack faster. Ichirou’s chances of counterattack are extremely low as there is a considerable distance that doesn’t allow him to reach Shouta.

Among all kinds of weapon, sword will always be inferior. The only reason Ichirou changes to a dual sword is to fortify his evading maneuvers and to fully utilize the momentary blocks of Shouta’s whirlwind like assault. The span of the spear’s reach will never be beaten by a normal sword, what’s more, Shouta’s spear feels like it is packed with power unknown to me yet, also feels familiar.

With Shouta’s continuous attack, Ichirou’s swords started showing cracks and in the verge of crumbling if it collides again with Shouta’s spear. He cannot conjure new swords as the time lag will surely catch him off guard. Meanwhile, Shouta’s spear didn’t show any signs of breaking.

SHATTER!

At the moment that Ichirou’s swords broke to dozens of fragment before returning into a raw energy, Shouta’s spear glows intensely as he grabs the opening made my Ichirou’s carelessness.

WHOOSH!

The spear moves like a flash of light as it makes its way towards Ichirou. It was not clear for me as I cannot comprehend the attack he made as it is too fast for my eyes. Ichirou didn’t spare another second to create another weapon and just plainly use his right arm to block the attack, however…

CRASH!

“What--!?”

“That’s impossible…”

With widened eyes, words of astonishment escape from my lips. Even Ichirou gapes at what the spear did to him. His spiritech arm that boasts being unbreakable is now penetrated gruesomely as it goes through from Ichirou’s palm which he held out to catch the spear going out of his elbow.

Without mincing any more words, simply put, Hasu…was able to damage Ichirou’s mechanical arm.

“There’s nothing in this world I cannot pierce. Next will be your heart.”

Hasu immediately pulls the spear out of Ichirou’s arm as he kicks him in the stomach. Even though I assumed earlier that Hasu’s speed seems to be his top caliber and his strength is inferior to Ichirou, it doesn’t mean that a kick at that range wouldn’t hurt him.

Ichirou flew with Hasu’s kick. His back collided with a tree in which the tree immediately collapses backward. Ichirou receives a considerable amount of damage as his face shows painful expression while gritting his teeth.

He tried to immediately conjure something to defend his self with his left hand but Hasu didn’t hesitate to attack. He already pointed his spear to Ichirou as if to mark his target. Seeing this, I cannot simply watch anymore, my body moves before my mind can do anything thinking.

WHOOSH!

“Asagao!!”

“Wha--!?”

STAB!

My body becomes cold even though my stomach feels hot. Blood started dripping little by little as the spear goes through from my left abdomen to my lower back. I once experienced how to be stab like this, however, with how strong the attack is together with the energy packed in it, my guts seems like it got ruptured.

I caught Hasu’s attack with my own body…I know that my barrier won’t work on something like that. Maybe I subconsciously thought that Hasu would stop if he stabbed someone else.

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“Why?! I told you that you are not my enemy! Asagao!!”

His face is now distorted with confusion and remorse as he saw me bleeding from the attack he inflicted. I feel like my mind becomes a little hazy as blood continues to spill from my wound.

I don’t want them to fight like this. I want to understand the situation and why Hasu attacked us. What is his motive for doing it? Even though air has been pushed out of my lungs, I try my best to speak words towards him…

“Please…talk…to us…! We…are your…friends…right?”

“What are you…?! Asagao…! I’m sorry!”

Hasu slowly pulls the spear out of my body. Still, blood didn’t fail to find its way out of my system. The ground is now a pool of my own red blood. I fall to my knees as my body feels weak from lack of blood. My breathing becomes ragged as I try to keep awake despite my consciousness fading in and out. I did my best to smile at Hasu in hopes that he will understand my plea.

“Asagao…let me treat you!”

Hasu runs over to me with a worried expression mixed with anxiety. However, at that very moment, the man behind me whom I shielded from Hasu’s attack exudes a blood chilling blood thirst.

“DON’T TOUCH ASAGAO!”

As I look back to Ichirou, I saw his eyes filled with rage. The spiritech limbs fix itself with astounding speed like a clockwork, however, its form changes to a more frightening one as sharp nails protrude from it and the color becomes like obsidian. He step up in front of me and stretches his right arm sideward.

“[MOUNTAIN CLEAVER - HUNDRED METER SWORD!]

From his right hand appears the gigantic mountain cleaver mowing down the trees in its way. The color of the sword, however, is not metallic silver like how I remembered it. Right now, it’s obsidian in color in which it is stained with such deep and lustrous darkness.

Hasu immediately realizes what Ichirou is going to do with such large sword. He leaps back several meters and exudes a large amount of his own energy.

“GRAAAAHHHH!”

“UURRKKK!”

TSSSSS!

The sound of metal scraping with each other resounds. Ichirou swings the humungous sword sideward towards Hasu. In its wake, it mowed down more trees in its way and it created a large gust of wind that even the trees that weren’t on its path was blown away from its root. Hasu planted his feet on the ground and held his spear diagonally to catch Ichirou’s sword and threw its course away.

As Ichirou’s sword made contact with Hasu’s, it drags Hasu with its massive weight leaving trails of Hasu’s raking feet in the ground. As Hasu manages to stop Ichirou’s mountain cleaver, he holds his spear with two hands on the body of the spear and smacks the sword upward which sends it to the sky.

Why? He could have just dodged that quite easily considering how fast and nimble he is.

“Ack!”

“I AM NOT DONE YET!”

Another mountain cleaver appears from the sky. Hasu used all of his strength by catching the previously mountain cleaver and now, he looks battered and tired. Despite his condition, Hasu didn’t budge a little and furthermore, steps forward with his spear held horizontally above his head.

My eyes wander momentarily to the place where Hasu came from. Behind Hasu is the wooden house where he made the preemptive attack towards Ichirou. It seems like he is desperately protecting the house…

Don’t tell me…

“DIE!!”

“Ichirou! Stop! Shouko is inside that house!”

Ichirou is already blinded with rage. I don’t even know if Hasu can endure this one and…I am in no condition as my regeneration just only started kicking in a few while ago. It is still repairing the massive amount of guts that was ruptured earlier. Just breathing was already hard for me…

Damn…

Suddenly, a tap came to my shoulder. As I turn my head towards the direction where the tap came from, I saw Mimi running towards Hasu while whispering something to me.

“I will make you indebted to me.”

She proceeds to block the attack together with Hasu which surprised me, even Hasu is. She only blocks with her bare arms crossed above her head. As the sword landed, Hasu together with Mimi caught the impact of the sword.

“GUH!”

“NIYAHAHAHAHA! MORE, BIG BOY!”

The impact was so powerful that Hasu and Mimi’s feet got buried a few inches in the ground. The mountain cleaver’s weight together with Ichirou’s strength created a large windfall that made a strong shockwave that it immediately sends me flying.

Ack!

The wound is opening up…! I am about to collide with a tree too… This will hurt a lot…

“Dios mio…what happened here?”

A familiar voice came to my ears. Before my body slams to the three, I was caught by someone. I open my closed eyes because I was preparing for the painful collision with the tree and saw that familiar man.

A blond man with his hair neatly brushed backwards complimented with a splendid and elegant moustache. He wears a suit with coattail that it immediately gave away that he is a noble. What eerie about him is that he is unlike other demons because he exudes aura with noble authority which sometimes overshadowed by his comedic acts.

It’s Gria Hellbeing…

“Mi niño, Hasu, I did tell you to give them a warm welcome but not this kind of welcome…”

“Gria…”

“Ohohohoh! Well, long time no see, Asagao. Still as cute as a button I see.”

After the atmosphere settles, Ichirou stops his attack from Gria’s arrival and in that very moment, he regains his sanity. Gria puts me down and faces Hasu and Ichirou.

“[Fear Strike]”

Like they were struck by a thunder, Ichirou and Hasu froze on the spot. I don’t sense anything from Gria but as I look at the two’s countenance, I immediately realize that Gria is putting a huge pressure on both of them.

I know that from my memory, Gria loses to Alstroemeria but that doesn’t mean that Gria is any less weak than anyone. In fact, I just realized that of course, Gria would never take Alstroemeria seriously at that time but I also know the fact that Gria did underestimate Alstroemeria.

Right here, right now, Gria displays his power that immediately controlled the situation.

“These niños…how troublesome. Youth is something you could enjoy though…”

“Umu! I agree! Niyahahaha!”

Mimi commented on Gria’s remark and made a thumb up towards him. Gria, in return, gave back a thumb up.

“Anyways, you two should settle down on making too much noise. Mi niño Hasu, your twin is already awake. Actually, she is already here.”

My attention was grabbed by the beauty with black silky hair and fair white skin. Her blunt bangs being the charming point and her unmatched oriental beauty. She is a little short but that didn’t hinder from exuding her beauty.

Shouko came walking towards Hasu. Hasu in response has a grim countenance as Shouko stares at him.

“…Hey…”

“……”

“Shouta…”

“?!”

“You don’t need…to hide it from me. I’ve known from the start that that is your true form.”

“Shouko!”

“Shouta…what’s happening? Please, don’t make a fool out of me.”

Hasu’s face becomes painted with guilt and shame. He grits his teeth and clenches his fist. He made a glance towards Ichirou with dampened expression. Ichirou keeps his mouth shut as we witness Shouko confronting her twin brother.

Shouko looks unnaturally pale but Hasu matches her paleness as strong feelings of remorse attacks him.

“Shouta, don’t even think I am going to hate you. Tell me.”

With a weakened sigh, Hasu drops his spear and faces Ichirou. Ichirou’s expression becomes neutral as of to hide any unneeded emotions. Though, Gria’s presence still controls their outward behavior.

“Shouko, your soul…was stolen…”

“Un…what’s next?”

“Gria, that blond man over there found us in the middle of snowy plains and helped the both of us.”

“I will extend my gratitude to him later.”

“And so, in order to prolong your life and cure you of any illness that your body contacted because of your weakened immune system, I set out to bring anything that could help you.”

“Continue…”

“I met a man named Kran. I fought with him and killed him. I got a Yggdrasil sap and together with it is…”

“Don’t leave us hanging.”

“I found…Ichirou’s soul…Gria and I used it as a substitute for the soul you lack.”

“And now, this fight happens?”

“Yes…”

Unbelievable…

This is the height of what Shouta is willing to do for Shouko. He didn’t mind the results of his own actions as long as Shouko is safe. Also, it seems Kran died at Hasu’s hand and…that stolen Yggdrasil sap was already used…

“You thought that if Ichirou dies, I can keep his soul, right?”

“That is all correct.”

“Then…”

Shouko then walk past Hasu with a blank countenance. She then walks towards Ichirou.

“Ichirou, long time no see! Everyone thought you died. I am glad you didn’t perish.”

“Thanks for the concern.”

“As you’ve heard, right now, I have your soul.”

“Yes.”

“Then, I shall ask you, do you want to take your soul back or would you let me keep it? I prefer if you let me keep it as…I have dreams together with Shouta.”

Shouko falls to her knees and curls her body down in a deep bow. Hasu’s eyes widen but Ichirou kept the same cool and collected face despite he was the one raging earlier. Gria only watches the scene while stroking his moustache and Mimi becomes a complete audience.

As for me, my wound is almost close so there is not many issues about it now. Ichirou’s lips suddenly open as his face immediately becomes stern.

“I heard you. My answer to your question is…I want my soul back.”