It was a result worthy of being called a defeat.

　Even Kyousuke and Rin, who were in fact the strongest forces in the war, were easily kicked out. The presence of Ei, who had sided with the Empire, and Koganei, who had sided with the bloodline, had also confused them.
　In the end, instead of bringing back Ei and Koganei, they ended up having their friends, whom they had worked so hard to gather, taken away by the Empire and the Blood Clan. The students who escaped with their lives and managed to escape the difficulty to join each other. Both Lesbon and Rain's adventurers also managed to escape, and that's where Kyousuke and Rin, as well as Inugami, Gozashiki, and Kabeano were all there, including the members of the group. Hakuba, Yukinoshita, Karasumaru, and apparently Azuki had been captured by either the Blood Clan or the Empire.

　So it was a result that was worthy of being called a defeat, though.

　Choosing to flee here seems to have been the right choice in itself.
　The choice was the right one, because the enemy would only catch you if you were stubborn and stuck it out. And I would have to thank Rin for suggesting that choice. Because she tried to pull back Kyousuke, who was on the verge of becoming hot, he has managed to stay safe, somehow.

　Be that as it may.

　Kyousuke isn't convinced.

　And about Ei. Or Koganei.
　Since his classmates have been captured by the Empire and the Blood Clan, their positions have their own meaning. By Ei and Koganei obeying their superiors, the safety of their classmates is guaranteed. By presenting themselves, they will save their classmates. For that reason, he will accept the slander of a traitor.
　Admirable. Quite a feat. Perhaps, if Kyousuke had been in the same position, he would have chosen the same path.

　Be that as it may.

　You're not convinced.

　He is not convinced.

　That night, Kyousuke quietly walked out.
　They were based in one of the small warehouses rented by Lesvon Barque in the Adventurer's Autonomous Territory of Zelneus. In the corner of the room, Wallno was leaning against it, and Gozashiki was breathing in his sleep. Inugami was still in his beastly form, and Rin was also slumbering in a bucket of sludge.
　After glancing at those friends, Kyousuke went outside.

　The night in the other world was bright. It was because the moon and stars shone on it. But in this Adventurer's Autonomous Territory, magical streetlights lined up everywhere, eating away at the starlight.

　The nights in the Autonomous Community of Adventurers never sleep. Since many adventurers are active at night, there are still not a few people crossing the streets. Many adventurers guffawed at the sight of Kyousuke, the skeleton, but when we bailed first, they passed by without saying anything either.
　As for Kyousuke's left arm, we have yet to find a replacement. Lesbon had said that if it was in this city, there was a distribution of demonic materials, so it would be easy to find a skeleton arm bone or so. Either way, the search for that area would start tomorrow.

　As Kyousuke left the warehouse, he held the sword in his remaining right hand. It was the Scorching Flame Sword (Heat Weaver) that he got from Lesbon. In the end, this sword is still not well used, either.
　As it is, he heads to the small stone field on the back side of the warehouse.
　Kyousuke is already in Phase 3. I can't expect him to grow any further. In this situation, which could be said to be a real headache, Kyousuke still had to become strong. The only thing he could think of left to do was to improve his skills to the point where he could chomp up his skills. That's why Kyousuke had come here with the intention of practicing his striking at the Ishiba.

　Gripping the hilt with only his right hand, he faced an affordable stone. As he twisted the magic from his slender body, the sword's body turned blistering red hot. Kyousuke adjusted his posture, breathed, and then took a big step towards the stone.

''Haaaaah!
Shut up, you moron.
"Yikes!

　He unintentionally dropped the Burning Flame Sword.

　When I turned around, I saw a silver-haired girl with bad eyesight, sitting on a stone with a bird bone in her mouth. She seemed to be wearing only one raggedy leather cloak. Neither ears nor tail were hidden. His golden eyes shone as they reflected the light from a street lamp.
　It's Inugami Hibiki. I thought he was asleep, but he was actually awake.

''It's heartbreaking, Inugami........''
You don't have a heart.
'Yes, but......... What do you want?

　'Hmm,' sniffed Inugami.

'It's late. Go to bed now.'
Huh?

　As he picks up his sword, Kyousuke can't help but ask back. Did he bother to crawl out of his bed to say such a thing?

'I'm trying to tell you to chill out, no-missile. I want to tell you to chill out. Do you understand, Utsurogi?
I don't have a brain.
There's no need for that kind of nonsense.

　I told you first," said Kyousuke, while Inugami continued with a mortified face, not even getting off the stone.

It's not like you can just go in there and get strong overnight.
Maybe, but it's better than nothing...
Yeah, well, I won't stop you.

　He was about to say, and Inugami glanced over and swept his gaze over. Kyousuke looked at Inugami, then at the stone for striking, and then thrust his sword into the ground.

'Inugami, you don't have to answer me if you don't want to,'
Huh?
What can you tell me about the Inugami Clan?

　I knew it was a delicate matter, but I stepped in. Inugami's eyes narrowed slightly.

　Inugami Hibiki was an individual who existed as a werewolf from the original world. However, her clan was eventually destroyed, as her bloodline was hostile to her because of the deadly effects of her saliva on the factor. The last survivor of that was, in other words, the Inugami here.

''I don't want to answer that question.''
Okay.
Why are you asking me that?
I just thought it must be hard to lose people.

　Kyousuke looks up at the starless night sky.

　He still remembers what happened when Washio died. What Kyousuke remembered back then was the tremendous sense of loss and helplessness. It's not hard to imagine that Inugami must have experienced that.
　But that shouldn't be the only thing. Did he pity her? Or did he hate her? Kyousuke had already simulated the feeling of losing his friends one by one. As a result, he couldn't hold onto anything in his heart. That's why Kyousuke can't help but do something.

'If I had more power, the enemy wouldn't have been able to take away Hakuba or Karasuma, and I might have been able to get Ei or Koganei back. But I didn't have the power. Not only that, but I was really, really pissed off about it. I know I'm talking to myself. I know that because of Ei and Koganei, my classmates who were trapped by the enemy are safe. I also know that those guys are more powerful than me right now. So maybe this is the right thing to do. But it's different. I don't get it.

　Like a dam, words poured out of Kyousuke's mouth. It's a list of emotions that surprised even Kyousuke himself, wondering if he was really so prolific.

　Yes, I can't agree. He couldn't be convinced.

　Kyousuke didn't know why. But anyway, what Ei and Koganei were doing didn't convince Kyousuke. No, it's not that he didn't understand. It's a feeling bordering on homophobia. And most of all, perhaps, the regret of not being able to stop them made it all the stronger.
　The emotions swirling within Kyousuke were slowly beginning to accelerate. That man, who had been rattled up until now, had no way to control what was rising from the depths of his heart. The uncontrolled emotions were now about to pour out of the mouth of a vessel that had not been filled in a long time.

'About....'

　Kyousuke didn't look at Inugami, who would have been listening silently.
　It was because he was aware that what he was about to say was a terribly disgusting word.

''What's the matter?　I've been doing the best I can, too!　They're here!　When everyone was in trouble in the first dungeon, I went to help!　I know, I didn't want anything in return!　But I've helped everyone in this class so many times before, and I've done everything I could to help!　Of course I've had help from everyone else, and for that I'm grateful!　But, well, what the hell!　I'm not here to talk behind your back as much as I'd like because I'm not here, but you know, like Karasuma, or snowflake!　I'll admit I'm not a good talker and a communicator, and I know I'm not a leader!　What the hell are they doing?　I've worked so hard on this!　They're coming!　And that's what this is all about!　That's just not acceptable to me!

　Kyousuke clenches his right fist and strikes the stone at hand as hard as he can.

　If you're not trying hard enough, I'll admit it.
　If you're not trying hard enough, I'll do as much as I can.

　I'm not going to give up, and I can't. But the fact is that I've worked very hard. More often than not, it backfired, and more often than not, I didn't serve a useful purpose. And yet, we have worked hard.
　Even in the battles we fought, we never achieved a single thing on our own. I always needed Rin and Ei's help. That's why I'm not going to get up in arms about it. But that doesn't mean that Kyousuke has never once cut corners on anything. He should have always done his best, trying to do his best.

　And this is the result.

　We couldn't beat Nameless, Luke, Ei, or Koganei. The King's piece was taken away from us, and our friends cannot be protected.

　What more can we do? What should we focus our efforts on?
　If we are required to be strong, we will be strong. There may be a limit to the power of a skeleton, though. Even so, I will still train. I think I've done this until now. It's not just a matter of time before you'll be able to get your hands on a new one. If that isn't enough, this time I'll do it alone.

"...Sorry, Inugami.

　Stifling his emotions as best he could, Kyousuke muttered in a shaky voice. He slowly pulled his fist back.
　The pettiness that bubbled up from the depths of his heart made his body feel like he could handle it.

''I didn't mean to say this...''
No, you're doing great. Utsurogi.

　What came back was a surprise.

'And you saved my life in Albadamba, thanks to you. Did I say thank you? Well, either way, I don't care. Thanks.

　When I turned around fearfully, Inugami Hibiki was sitting cross-legged on a stone with a somewhat good-natured smile on his face.

'Well, what is it? It's empty, but it doesn't look like it has any holes in it. What piles up, piles up. It's better to let it out when that happens. It's just that both Yukinoshita and Karasuma are like that, you know. I'm sure they are grateful to you.
"Inugami....
"But you're a moron.

　Then Inugami suddenly cracked a smile and returned to a straight face.

You can't do anything about it even if you're the only one who tries. I've been thinking about avenging my family for a long time, but I don't see how it's possible. This moon is no match for a pawn.

　The moon floating in the sky is a crescent moon. The power of the Inugami varies with the phases of the moon. When the moon is full, it has enough power to overwhelm even Bishop and Knight, but with this crescent moon, it would certainly be tough to fight a pawn.

The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that it's not a bad idea to have a good time. It's refreshing.
What do you think I should do?

　Kyousuke asked Inugami, even though he knew it would be difficult to answer.

'I do want to save my friends who have been captured by the Empire and the Blood Clan, I think. But I also wanted to do something about Ei and Koganei. Especially Ei. He's the type of guy who gets nervous when he's alone, so I'm worried about him. I wonder if we're doing something reckless.
Well, not if the moron says so.
I'm pretty serious about this...

　Inugami gave a small smile, 'I know,' and then looked up at the night sky.

''Never thought the word "lone wolf" was cool?''
What?

　What are they going to say all of a sudden, Kyousuke thought.
　A lone wolf. A lone wolf. Certainly, there's no denying that it's a cool word with a cool image. A solitary existence that brings to mind a silhouette that roars from the top of a cliff to the moon in the evening darkness. That's the vibe.

"Wolves are a pack. The lone wolf is an individual who has grown up and left the pack. I'm sure you'll be able to find a great deal more to say about this.
Why, Inugami, you're such an exciting animal doctor...
Listen. A lone wolf is not a solitary being who can do everything by himself. A lone wolf is a young man who's just left the pack and has to do everything by himself, and it's not a big deal for a lone wolf to do everything by himself. So, Utsurogi.

　Golden eyes look into the eye sockets again.

'You need to rely on your mate more. You can count on me, or anyone else. If you ask, you can ask any of your classmates to help you out. You see, Utsurogi, that's all you've ever done, all you've ever done. That's all you've ever done, my friend.

　Inugami's words were never mendacious, and Inugami's eyes were never lying to her.
　She was at least telling the truth to her.

'So go to bed. What you've done is not in vain. We're all watching you. So don't worry about it. And don't do anything rash by yourself. Like you said, it's hard to lose people.

　After saying that much, Inugami gave a small yawn, ''Fluffy.......''

I'm getting sleepy from all this gibberish...

　Kyousuke ruminated on Inugami's words.

　I'm empty. I'm a man lacking in human power. I even feel that no matter how much I tried to help everyone else, there were more times when I had to make a fool of myself. Even the power to fight now is not my own. Just like Inugami said, there's not much I can do alone.
　Even so, I think I've been doing my best until now.
　I never thought it would make me so happy to have someone who recognized my efforts.

　No, there was someone who would admit it. But to be told that by Inugami here gives a different meaning to Kyousuke.

'Alright, Inugami. Thanks.''

　Kyousuke said, pulling the scorching flame sword out of the ground.

''Also, that thing you yelled at me earlier, that thing...''
Yeah, I don't care. I don't care. I just need to vent.
No, no, it's not that, it's just...

　Somewhat awkwardly, Kyousuke scratches his cheek.

''Can you keep your mouth shut for the rest of them...?　Especially for that, Rin....
Huh?

　Inugami turns around with a sleepy look in his eyes and looks at Kyousuke.

　The list of emotions that poked out of his mouth unintentionally earlier. To be honest, that wasn't a good one, and more importantly, it was incoherent. I just spit out the emotions that have been pent up in my heart, and that's all I did.
　How awkward it is to be heard by Rin, but how awkward it is to be ruthlessly awkward. It's a little embarrassing.

''Aye. You're a jerk, aren't you?

　Inugami muttered dumbly and turned away.

''It's a waste of princess water for Utsurugi...''
I think so too, but...
Don't just joke around.

　Inugami attached the bird bone, still in his mouth, directly to Kyousuke's left shoulder.

'It's a replacement for a new arm. Keep it.
No, this is indeed too small.... It does move, though.

　Kyousuke's skeleton body recognizes the bird's bones as a new part, and the bones growing out of his shoulder twitch. Inugami goes straight back to the warehouse. Seeing his tail waving from side to side, he seemed to be in a reasonably good mood.
　Kyousuke followed Inugami with his sword and returned to the warehouse.

　Then.

...oh...

　There was a puffy, inflated water balloon there.

　No, it wasn't. It was Rin.

''Kyousuke-kun........''
Eh, ah, yes. Ri, Rin....?
I was up halfway through and I heard...
Oh, uh... oh?

　When I glanced at Inugami, I saw that she had returned to her beastly form before I knew it and was lying on her body, sleeping peacefully.

''Which part...?''
"Around the 'What's that?'

　It was a don't want to be heard in a split second.

You're angry, Rin-san?

　Fearfully, Kyousuke asks. This is how much he's puffed up. There's no way he's not angry.
　But Rin blurted out in an uncharacteristically low voice.

''I haven't been yelled at yet.''
Yes?
I've never been yelled at by Kyousuke before!　That's not fair!　That's not fair, Inugami-san!
'Eh, yeah...'

　It wasn't there, or that I yelled at him. And so on, but Kyousuke quickly shook his head.
　That's not what it was about. It's probably more like this, Rin is unhappy that she's never been able to take her na-mah feelings out on Kyousuke. He wants that disgusting line that Kyousuke least wants Rin to hear.

　Rin stretched out with her swollen body and circled around Kyousuke.

'Hey, hey, Kyousuke-kun. You're not going to be able to say that line again to me?　Right?　I'll be able to comfort you just like Hibiki, okay?　Kyousuke-kun, hey Kyousuke-kun, One More Set!

　I could see that Inugami's body was trembling a little. That bastard, he's laughing at me. He's a raccoon, even for a wolf.

　In the end, Rin was insistent, and Kyousuke had to smear that petty, embarrassing line to Rin once more, hazily remembering it.
　Rin was extremely comforting.



　At the foot of the Great Beast King Volcano, there is a safe house for the blood family. Luke's Shakko was there.
　From here, around the west along the Beast King mountain range, there was a clash with the Empire once. The attempt to take the king piece failed. The demons who were candidates for the Bloodline Clan could not be said to have had a good success, as only two of them had been successfully captured. Akeno, Cyclops, and the High Elves had returned to the base, but Shakko was still in charge of the next operation.

　It's extremely difficult to retake the king piece. And since it is, Shakko is ordered to capture the other bloodline candidates.

　The immediate objective is that skeleton. That thing has already reached Phase 3. With a skeleton that was originally a frail skeleton, the extent of its ability to reach Phase 3 is unknown, but even so, replenishing a handful of pieces that can be made to listen to the king's orders unconditionally is extremely useful. Besides, there's something to be said for using it.
　Although the "Perfect Fusion" will select a certain amount of opponents, with the proper preparations, it can rival Luke's power. On the other hand, if you're not prepared for it, it can only do what it did the other day. They are vulnerable to surprise attacks.

　That's why this time, after letting them swim to some extent, they will attack at once.

　The preparations for this are being prepared.

"Oh, these guys?

　Shakko muttered with satisfaction as he looked at the multiple giants tethered outside the safe house.

　A two-legged lizard, its entire body covered in scales and shell. A large reptile with huge wing membranes on its forelimbs. Its appearance resembles that of a dragon, but technically it is a different species of life form. As soon as the monsters spotted Shakko, they rampaged with the force of ripping off its chains.

　The Beast King's Great Volcano is inhabited by monsters such as griffons and behemoths. Right now, one of those large monsters, a wyvern, was lined up in front of Shakko's eyes. This is no mere wyvern. It has large fangs peeking out of its mouth, as well as glittering blood-colored eyes.
　One of the pawns nodded in response to Shakko's words.

''It will be the prototype of the Six-Blooded Beast (Zexbreed), prepared by Bishop Akeno.
'I don't mean to sound all high and mighty, but you're just a demon who's been turned into a blood-eating creature.

　The individuals rattling around in chains are all individuals who have been infused with the blood race factor.
　In the blood clan, individuals who have been injected with the blood clan factor into the demons, including cyclops and high elves, are being replenished as a new battle force. To be precise, we have been preparing this force for quite some time, but now that the bishops and knights have been defeated, we are in the process of gathering up the faces that we have scattered around the world.
　The wyverns here are a test case of Bishop's Akeno's attempt to create a blood clan as a prelude to the creation of such a fighting force. Although they have been upgraded in overall specs and are more ferocious than normal wyverns, they are all individuals who have been turned into blood relatives using Shakko's factor and are therefore subject to his rule.

　It takes two or three parties to take out one wyvern. The threat is far more obvious than that of a pawn, and the damage it causes is also more obvious and enormous.

　It is the perfect force to create a commotion and smoke out the target. Shakko thinks of it that way.

　Even though he put his mission as a blood clan first, the previous battle was quite frustrating. For once, it would be okay to enjoy the hunt. These wyverns are like hounds for that purpose.

''So when can we get them out?''
'In the meantime, we are currently in the process of capturing a wild Wyvern to replenish the blood supply. Tomorrow, well, I'm hoping that the replenishment will be finished and we'll be able to move it.

　Pawn answers, radio in hand. It's tricky to say the least, because when you make them blood-kin, you have to make them replenish their own blood, which is tricky. On that note, humans are, well, close at hand.

All right. I'll get you out tomorrow.
Uh, uh... yes.
You got a problem with that?

　When Shakko glared at him, the pawn shrugged and shook his head. You're right. I'm not going to complain. This is my job. Besides, Shakko is a rook. It's part of his job to riot in moderation and show the power of his bloodline.



　For those fleeing skeletons, tonight would be the last night they would spend with their freedom.
　Looking at the rattling and rampaging wyverns, Luke's Shakko nodded once more in satisfaction.