CHAPTER 23 – RUNAWAY

TL: Shasu, E: Kruncs

“Let’s go!” (Hifumi)

Approaching the town’s exit, Hifumi called out sharply while holding his katana and galloping on his horse.

“Just a moment!” (Kasha)

Kasha, who was the coachman, raised the speed of the carriage in a hurry but it wasn’t a speed that could catch up to Hifumi no matter how.
In an instant they were separated. Hifumi vanished into the darkness in front. One of the heads of the three soldiers in front of the gate was severed. In the act of passing each other, it was cut and sent flying.
While using the momentum of killing him, Hifumi turned around and once again hurried on his horse. Slashing his katana from atop of the horseback, he killed yet another person.
Just one single soldier was left now. As the carriage arrived, the soldier was at last being successful in drawing his sword, the carriage arrived.

“Alyssa, get off.” (Hifumi)

Hifumi dismounted from the horse and pointed his katana into the direction of the soldier to keep him in check. Without shifting his attention he addressed Alyssa.
At once Alyssa jumped down from the carriage.
Immediately following after the forceful healing with restorative medicines, she didn’t seem to have any problems with movement.

“I am lending this to you.” (Hifumi)

Coming close to Alyssa, Hifumi passed on his katana to her.

“Huh? …” (Alyssa)

Though the soldier came slashing at them, he was easily forced back with a front kick causing him to be thrown down.

“Kill this guy with this.” (Hifumi)

“Th-that is …” (Alyssa)

Although Alyssa received the katana, she was hesitating upon being told to kill the soldier.
Maybe she recognized his face.
Once more throwing himself upon them, the soldier approached. Having a short blade driven into the inner side of his sword arm’s wrist, the soldier dropped his sword. Hifumi grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him down.
Immediately trying to get up again, Hifumi firmly stepped down on his elbow. Due to the build of a human being, the soldier wasn’t able to get up any more.

“From now on you will kill a lot of opponents. The person you just yesterday had a friendly chat with, might have to be killed today. First off, kill this guy. Kill the opponent that tried to kill you, in order to completely separate from this place.” (Hifumi)

Without any hesitation, Hifumi spoke those words. Catching her breath, Alyssa set up the katana without losing any time.

“That’s fine. Up until this morning he was your colleague, but now that he betrayed and tried to kill you he is an enemy. If you won’t kill him, he will kill you.” (Hifumi)

Although those were clichéd words, they were effective on Alyssa who had experienced it by herself.
Upon lifting her head, there was no trace of indecision left within Alyssa’s eyes.

“I am borrowing this sword.” (Alyssa)

Alyssa thrust the katana at the soldier who was still continuing to struggle.
The sharpened point of the katana penetrated with a smooth, unhindered motion into the back of his head ending his life simply like that.

“… I have done it.” (Alyssa)

“You did well. Next we move to the national border.” (Hifumi)

Hifumi gently took the katana from Alyssa’s hands and replaced it with the sword of the dead soldier. Turning his back on her, he went towards the horse.

“Hifumi-san, I, did I do something good with this?” (Alyssa)

“… There is no good or bad. I told you what you should do and you decided yourself to do so. That’s all there is to it.” (Hifumi)

Wearing an expression that showed she didn’t quite understand, Alyssa went back to the carriage trudging with the sword in her hand.
The first step went smoothly, Hifumi thought.
Only after killing a person from Vichy for the first time, I was going to decide the future depending on Alyssa’s reaction.
If her spirit was broken by this, I would have chosen a suitable place to leave her behind afterwards. 
However, beyond my expectations, Alyssa regarded the Vichy soldier with a powerful hostile spirit.
Although she might have been conflicted within her heart, when the attack came this way earlier, she resolved herself and put her heart into balance.
Not parting with the sword that was stolen from the killed opponent is a proof that she hasn’t abandoned her will to fight on yet. 
Although there was a chance that she might bare his fangs at him, that in itself would be enjoyable as well. While laughing to himself, Hifumi returned atop the horse and they left the town behind by passing through the unmanned gate.

– National Border –

On Orsongrande’s side and Vichy’s side, both somehow managed to allocate soldiers taking charge to a certain degree within a few days.
From now on, all that was left was to increase the number of personnel coming here as it is. They would be divided back into their original unit upon returning.
On the Orsongrande’s border side, besides soldiers coming there was one more person, a knight.
It was Pajou.
In order to fully investigate the abnormal situation, she intended to stay here as visitor for a few days.
Currently, the corpse of the criminal who made his appearance here first and the corpse of Gothras, who was slain by Hifumi, were to be examined, as she was in the process of writing down the report.

“After all Vichy hasn’t formed an alliance with Horant yet, I wonder if they are not simply being used? The number of personnel loitering on their side of the border is identical to ours, was it only to experiment on the magic tool? But why? Acting in such way would make them enemies of two countries at the same time …”(Pajou)

As it is extremely unlikely to think about matters coherently with a worn out mind, I have to soon take a rest, Pajou thought, just as a scream reached her ears from a distance.
It seemed like there was someone fighting on the other side of the border.

“Good grief, there is no time to take a rest at all.” (Pajou)

While cursing, Pajou quickly equipped her armor and sword and rushed out of her own room.

The light of the dim torch only illuminated the necessary minimum of the location.
Basically the border wasn’t passed at night.
It was possible to fail to notice things in the darkness and judgement grew dull, too.
Rarely there were merchants and such who arrived at night due to ending up making a mistake in their planning. They pass the time by camping a little bit away before devoting themselves to passing through the border in the morning.
Today it wasn’t such a idiotic merchant but an assailant appearing.

“Listen! Annihilate the soldiers on the Vichy side! Do not leave one person alive!” (Hifumi)

While riding the horse, Hifumi swung the fundou of the kusarigama (T/N: If you don’t know what that means, reread the earlier chapters.