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Arifureta Chapter 314Arifureta After IIIAbyss Lord Arc Chapter 2Do-or-Die Battle (?)–

「……Are you alright, Claire?」

Kousuke’s slightly convulsing voice resounded

The location was the outskirt of a s from Omnibus’s private plane at an airport that was also exclusive for O this day was sinking toward the west

The sky had beautifulwas cool And then, the saint as pressing on her butt with teary eyes below the ramp looked really painful

「He, hehe, just as you can see, I’h」

‘Ehehe’, that shy smile that emitted loveliness――wasn’t there anymore If he had to say what kind of s an expression like a person who got carried away easily saying 「Heheh, sorry boss」 to cover up one’s own mistake

She stood up while her hand was holding her butt, then she lifted up the Holy Cross and supported it with effort She was dressed in a neat and clean appearance of a long-sleeved dress hite as the base color, but the outfit was slightly dirty all over

It wasn’t like he was slipping up just now on the ramp and slid down on her butt She also wasn’t attacked by de back froot involved into a fierce battle

The cause was just one

The nuenerated until they reached here

After getting out of the security bureau, Kousuke and others first joined up with two exorcists ere dispatched to Britain, but even until then, well, Claudia self-destructed

When she clied by the cross and stu hit hard, and when she went down a stair instead, her balance would cruht She would misstep and slid down on her butt

She would stuot pinned under the Holy Cross She would look the other way and crashed onto wall or pillar and fell, and got pinned under the Holy Cross as expected She even got co door in the airport

Inside the private plane, she would wear eye le 「I, it’s pitch black! Did so around And then she would fell off froh nuave screah that looked cute, but fro into a voice without any coih」 or 「hebuu」, and at this point even her e really disappointing

「No no, Kousuke-saht, it’s really mysterious」

‘This saint, could it be she is the same kind like Bernard?’ he tilted his head with such doubt Just like he was holding doubt that Bernard oddess of fortune at the same tiod of cluod who protected her from the self-destructions at the same time She was a saint after all

Claudia-sama made a banzai pose to appeal that she was unharo, the Holy Cross-san lost its support and bared its fang toward its‘heheh’――

「That’s why, are you doing that purposefully!?」

「Ah!」

Just before it hit, Kousuke leaped forward and stopped the violence of the Holy Cross-san He supported the Holy Cross with one hand where Claudia was sandwiched between him and the cross

It was a posture where she was practically hugged on his chest The sudden approach of the opposite sex, furtherainst caused her cheeks to be dyed red While that was happening, Kousuke looked behind hiive her a bittoo!」

In respond to that voice, Wynn, Anna, and then the other two exorcists ere carrying down the luggage stopped their hand and turned their gaze to Kousuke simultaneously

And then,

「Kousuke-dono We too」

「Have a lot」

「Of work」

「If it’s Claudia-saht」」」」

What coordination What strength of bond The connecting speech as though it had been arranged beforehand was excellent

Norave follow-up for Claudia, but right now there was Kousuke as doing that, so they left it to hiely dead eyes at her co a bit at the exorcists ere doing their work briskly with serious face

「Ah Right, somehow sorry Thank you for your hard work Also, Claire, stop it with that smile yeah? Somehow, I cannot bear to look any, ht, like that」

「Ehehe……」

He couldn’t bear to look at either anyway

Like that, Kousuke was supporting Claudia ung around by the Holy Cross sothat perhaps the Holy Cross was hating her?, while the group got into a private car and departed toward Vatican

The distance from the airport was close The wall of Vatican came into view in just around ten minutes

「Come to think of it, that place that was like a secret base, the second library got exploded and there was a hole opened but, are we heading there now? It still hasn’t been repaired right?」

Kousuke suddenly recalled and asked

Claudia was going to drink at that time, but she then tried to answer

「Ah, about that Actually――AA!?」

Bump The car shook The drink flew The destination? Of course, the face of the saint

Anna quickly said 「Here Claudia-sa out a handkerchief to wipe Claudia’s face During that ti 「Really, it’s worse than usual……h~ in Claudia’s place

「Just as Kousuke-dono said, the repair hasn’t finished Right noe are using the old headquarters We are heading there right now」

「Old headquarters?」

「Yeah, Oround facility isn’t just there That place was a new facility that was created around ten years ago with various conveniences taken into consideration by the power of the current director」

「Hee, certainly, there was a lot of passages there I thought that the underground space is really vast but, so I’noring Claudia ere frowning sadly at the orange juice color leaving spots on her white clothes, the car entered an underground parking lot of a building that was slightly at the outskirt of Vatican

「H directly to inside Vatican?」

「Yeah Our existence is generally kept secret even to the people inside the city If we show ourselves too much, then people will have question like ‘which depart to?’ That’s why, the co of Oe from outside the city」

「I see」

Actually, ‘the horound is harsh……’, that was the opinion of a director several generations ago, so Omnibus’s office also existed inside Vatican palace and the hidden roole building outside Vatican that holly used as O, the car parked on the space at the corner that seeht that they would walk froht after that, a round was sinking along with the car Kousuke raised a surprised voice 「Oo!?」

Wynn and others smiled a bit happily at Kousuke’s surprise

「If you previously infiltrated by tailing Aziz, then you surely used the passage that isThis is an exclusive passage for car We can go until inside Vatican riding the car」(TN: Previously it was Madam Maya in chapter 302, but here it’s Marie I don’t know if the author anization that exist since the ancient tienre iscoly Kousuke s back, the iinated from the data that Aziz pulled out froround passage and the car advanced They then reached a vast underground parking lot They got out of the car, Claudia bumped her head on the roof part, and then they headed toward a metallic door deeper inside that had a cross carved on it

When the door was unlocked by biometrics authentication and they entered inside, they caround space that was far older than the previous underground facility he saw before, but it boasted the same spaciousness

At the same time, it seemed that the exorcists had contacted beforehand There was that oldcassock with absurd pressure there His face that had a lot of wrinkles was frowning even ave a dreadfulness that would make children cried 「De that book which was made from metal, so surely there wouldn’t be any battle He wished that there wouldn’t be The oldto attack hi 「You bastard, I’ll kill you!」 anyti

「Claire, also Wynn and others, good work Looks like you all have concluded the talk safely」

「Yes, director Then, this person is――」

Claudia jogged toward the director happily and she was going to introduce Kousuke But, the director stopped her with his hand and sloalked forward Just by doing that, he gave off a pressure that h the surface area of his face becaer

「I am Omnibus’s director, Patrick Dime Mr Endou I had acted rudely in the previous incident My subordinates……they are like h, one ofpossessed by demon and my inability to keep my calm, all of them were incurred by ive」

There was no lie in his eyes that were staring fixedly on Kousuke At the very least, that hat he thought

And so, he concluded that the director’s eye glint that seele you to death!」 even while saying his apology was just his feeling Kousuke shook his head with a soy I have been asked by Anna-san and Wynn-san for forgiveness in exchange of their life If I received an apology with such resolve, then I’ll have no intention to put any blame to anyone anyaze of Director Dime snapped wide open Kousuke twitched, but the brunt of that eye glint that seeether!」 was pointed to Wynn and Anna

The two of theth It see their life as they pleased It looked like it was true that he was treasuring his subordinates like his own children

Though it didn’t look like that at all seeing at only his eyes

「Punish natural It’s not narrow-ratitude toward that disposition」

Director Di for a handshake of reconciliation Naturally, Kousuke also responded The terribly hard and rugged palylint that seemed to want to say 「I’ll twist and crush your hand you bastard!」, Kousuke kept twitching

Beside the really happy was thethe place’s atmosphere

As expected frohtly attached with that title, but inside his heart he was sending applause saying 「You are a saint just as I thought!」

But, the s the flow of event slightly

Kousuke was going to let go of the handshake, but for sorip was like a vise

‘Eh?’ Kousuke thought Director Dime’s words caratitude for taking back Claire fro you want, then I wish to accoht, your welcoth entered Director Dilint of his eye seemed to say 「Shut your mouth If not I’ll annihilate you!」

「However, in the end it’s only as much as possible It will be helpful if I can ask you to please refrain fro that cross the li, you understand !?」

‘Really, just what is this oldtoo hard! My hand issound! The pressure is toothat noClaudia as flustered and panicked with bright red face, Director Di even sharper It was already a sharpness that seemed to say 「Curse you world, I’ll kill you!」!

「I, I won’t wish for so, like that?」

Now he understood Director Diht noasn’t a director He was just a stupid parent! He was just a stupid parent as giving his everything to put a check on the opposite sex that his daughter the saint was harboring interest to for the first tiht, the dejected Claudia, Wynn and others ere holding their head, and then thetheir gaze to him Kousuke let out cold sweat

But, Kousuke was a man who could learn He wouldn’t do the sa unable to speak out would result in scene of carnage (lol), the experience of bothering the airport staffs once was enough!

「I, I! Have a lover! I know that your daughter, is a really char woman but! I have a lover so I absolutely won’t lay my hand on her!」

「……Oh Is that so? Oh dear, I ju old is a fearful thing」

The idiot parent Director Patrick Di down to a mere 「You bastard, I’ll send you to hospital!」

「……Lover……lover…………rover?」

「Cla, Claudia-saaze to empty air ‘hoe~’ while she was there in body but not in spirit Anna guessed various things while calling out to her

The people of O wryly They sighed in relieve and turned a coaze toward Kousuke……

In any case, it was really clear that Claudia was loved by everyone

Most likely, after the atte a fervent speech about Kousuke And then, there was no doubt that she was also unprecedentedly angry at that tiot involved in ro interest to aabout hi the fact that the man was one of the returnees, there was no doubt that they were paying attention to Kousuke in various

But, when the lid was opened, it was like this The saint sunk instantly before the ro still wasn’t so so clear that she would wish for such relationship, so in a sense, it was good that the existence of Kousuke’s lover was exposed here but……

「O lord, please grant punishment to this deeply sinful me! My heart is encroached by dark cloud, heavy thunder roared inside, it is raging violently like a hail of ice! Please, bestow a tribulation to me who has lost my pure heart! O lord-!」

「Cla, Claudia-sa to do by activating the Holy Cross!? Ah, no, it’s just going out of control? Anyway please calm do~~wn!」

The place became chaos

Anna desperately tried to od to return to her senses The other people also rushed toward her in panic

「……Err, director Perhaps it will be better to give a tour to Endou……sama about this facility? The preparation for the Obelisk and also the saint barrier is also still continuing」

「Hive you a tour inside Omnibus If you don’t need it, we have prepared a room so you can build up your readiness there We have also prepared n Aziz for your assistance, so if you need so you can tell Aziz」

「Ye, yeah, thank you for that」

He was thinking whether it would be fine to disregard that saint, but for so passionately, so Kousuke quickly averted his gaze

And then, Director Di away the gathering O that

「Endou……sama I a me, and also Nee-san……」

「Ah, Aziz-kun You were seriously injured but, are you fine already?」

「……I won’t mind if you call me Aziz without honorific My injury, yes, thanks to the medicine that Endou, sareat Well, Wynn-san and others too, although they should be injured quite seriously too, they look like they are co like healing type ht? Yeah, look like you guys here also have soht be a needless aid Ah, also don’t call me with “sama” It’s fine if you call me Kousuke you know? It looks like it’s difficult to call me like that after all」

「……I’m sorry, then I’ll call you Kousuke-san」

Aziz seemed like he had expressionless face as his default state, but the look of his eyes relaxed slightly at Kousuke’s words

Frolance, he looked like he had difficult personality, but his at his life and taking back Claudia in respond to his wish reat iuessed, there was also exorcist at O It was that exorcist who healed Wynn and others A male exorcist as called by others as “elder sister”

「……So, what do you want to do, Kousuke-san? Do you want to have a tour or taking rest in your roos like Obelisk or the saint barrier Besides, there is also so I want to ask for a bit away from here」

「? Understood」

Aziz nodded and he led hiaze froround headquarters

It looked like that Aziz was so the way But, it seelances to him

They rode an old elevator that connected to upper floor while Kousuke opened his mouth in the place of Aziz as a poor talker

「By the way, Oht? I will be too nervous to ht, perhaps I should at least give a greeting?」

「……I think it’s impossible for now That person is our face at the surface Certainly he is our supre theto Director Di pressed to deal with the bo incident For the person himself, he certainly wished to talk with the returnees no matter what, but from the view point of the people around him who didn’t know about the circuroup with unknown background

If they were going to meet, it inevitably needed to be behind closed door Also, the pope of Ro everything in regard to de would have to be after they overcaood time……that was hoould be

「……Now that the plaza would be turned into battlefield, it will also be troubling if there other people who aren’t O to not let people at the surface to get closer until the time the fate of the world is decided」

「I see」

It wasn’t like there would not be anyone inside the Vatican, like staffs or clergyet closer to the plaza And then, when the saint barrier by 140 statues was activated, no one would be able to notice as going on inside the plaza Sound and sight would be intercepted, and an ie of peaceful plaza would be projected to the outside world

「Aziz will also be in the assault team?」

「……Yes There will be Claudia-sama, me, Wynn-san and Anna Other than them, ill also send 80 percent of our whole force」

「What about the director?」

「The director, he will act as fighting force along with several reainst the deot the feeling that the director alone will be enough……」

Younga distant look for some reason

When Kousuke asked, it seeest exorcist who held the title of “Holy Apostle” Because the previous director died, he was in his current position as replaceest in the aspect of being a fortified gun battery, it seeest solely in physical aspect Even nohen his age had gone past 70

「Eh, wait a second That person, didn’t he carry a ht he would draw spell or so that to cause miracle from the rear」

「……You must mean the “Book of Sacred Destruction” Certainly, it’s a sacred vessel of the highest class that can use five thening」

「Ain’t that right」

「……But, the director used it solely as blunt weapon」

「H to Aziz, just like how a teacher would use book to hit a sleeping student awake, it seemed the director directly used that metal book to hit demon Orelse he would wrapped chain around it and used it as flail, or else he would hold it up as shield, sometimes he would throw it to shot down the ene Priest”, “Desecrator of Book”, “That guy, he actually got no fait at all ain’t he?”, Absolute Demon Killerman”, “Physical Miracle User”, and so on

「……He is a person who had created ends In the past, there were four de at the same time He chased them away alone, and he also mounted the last one and then beat it up black and blue It was still talked even now It’s also written in our teaching material, that we absolutely mustn’t try to copy that」

The exorcist co to the scene of battle at that ti “Book of Sacred Destruction” expressionlessly and for a ht he was the deht

「Seriously? If it’s like that, isn’t it better to send the director to attack hell instead……」

「……No, to kill Unknown, the “King Class” with certainty, it has to be Claudia-sama no matter what There was no user of Holy Cross for decades There is no sacred vessel that surpass it」

‘Besides’, Aziz continued According to hi aside when he was in this world, Director Dime was old, so he wouldn’t be able to endure the “Wind of Laainst it?」

「……Yes It’s by using holy water If we consume it, ill be able to hold out for around one hour」

「One hour……」

‘Short’, Kousuke thought It ht not be a probleht after entering hell, but although they understood the location, it would be a battle after investigating the vast hell He couldn’t help but thought that it was a really severe limitation

「……In any case, not everyone will be able to reach Unknown More than half will become sacrificial pawn in order to send Claudia-sama to reach the Unknown I said one hour because it’s the possible survival time for a person in case the holy water is divided equally」

「――tsu」

Fro no one intended to have everyone returned alive fro about the path to return ho the Unknown

「Hey, Aziz To be frank, I think it’s pointless When Yue-san get serious, there is no being who can win against her What’s more Shirasaki and others will also be with her, even I will join in No matter hoerful a de overconfident or being optioing to hell’, Kousuke spoke i the words that could be taken as huhtforwardly at hiry at all

「……Even so, we are exorcist」

That e couldn’t just watch Even if there wasn’t even a one in thousand chance, there ht be a one in hundred million chance the worst could happen That hy, even if it was pointless they would risk their life

「……Besides?」

「Besides?」

Seeing the exorcist as younger than hihtforward gaze in respond

But, the continuation of the words that Aziz was going to say didn’t come out It see he shouldn’t say

Aziz didn’t open hiswhile walking, they came out into a rooh a passage inside a wall once more, and they unexpectedly came out to the rooftop of Vatican Palace

They could take an unbroken view of St Peter’s Plaza fro the beautiful plaza It was really sad Thearound the plaza There were also a lot of saint statues at the surrounding They were praying to the statues, or placing so on the situation, it would becole one of them looked desperate

Here, Bernard and others would also arrive in a few more hours

Kousuke stared at the plaza for a while, and then he brought up the important subject to Aziz

「About the continuation of “besides” that you said before, is it about Claire?」

「!」

It seemed he hit the bull’s eye Aziz’s face seemed to ask how did he know

「When Yue-san said to leave it to us, Claire, sheHer expression immediately returned to normal but……Wynn-san said that Claire’s clu that perhaps, it wasn’t just her being freed from her tension after the discussion ended, that perhaps her focus was on other things and she was distracted」

「That’s……」

「I’ but, Claire, does she want to defeat Unknown by her own hand?」

「tsu……Kousuke-san, you, how far you……」

「I don’t know anything about Claire’s circueted by Unknown to become a o” when that guy was confiraze that was directed to the plaza glanced at Aziz Aziz reflexively averted his gaze quickly

「……」

Aziz fell silent He could be seen hesitating He wanted to talk But, it wasn’t so that he should say Kousuke could clearly understand that Aziz was thinking like that

Kousuke shrugged and spoke with a wry smile

「My bad, I don’t think it will trouble you thatabout what you know of the incident twelve years ago while you are giving me a tour……it seems, it’s not a story that can be talked that easily huh」

「No……」

Silence filled the place for a while There was only the hustling and bustling of people reaching their ears

Before long, Kousuke was going to suggest for them to return back But before he could, Aziz opened his mouth

「……I, I don’t want Nee-san to die」

「……Yes」

「As an exorcist, it’s out of the question to be holding one’s life dear before a battle against demon But, even so, I want Nee-san to live She is the person who saved s, it was Nee-san who gave them all to me」

「……」

Aziz Stein, He was born between parents orshipped dereater deht years old, he didn’t even have his oill He wasn’t allowed to That was only natural There was no need at all to grant humanity to a child ould be sacrificed someday

General education and the minimum skill to interact with other people were cra Even so in the end that was just an acting that he wasa robot to take action A if action B was taken against hi like a child, he didn’t even have human-like emotion Aziz was like a puppet It was Director Dime who adopted him because he had the quality to becoht him humanity from zero

That hy, it was only Aziz asn’t Claudia’s subordinate or comrade, but a little brother

「The truth is, if the returnees will end everything, I don’t want Nee-san to go to hell If I have power, I want to defeat Unknown」

But,

「But, that’s not Nee-san’s wish…… I don’t want to let Nee-san go to her death but, I also want to grant her wish just as aze toward Kousuke glaringly A drop of tear was gathering at the corner of his eye

「I thought it was a miracle It was already hopeless, I understood that I’ll be dead, reality is always cruel, that hy, I thought that it was over already And yet, you appeared Like a miracle, you smashed even the cold reality For od」

Aziz turned his body along to fully face him Kousuke also turned fully toward hiht that it was a wish that was only convenient for hi, ‘no way miracle can happen thathis oeakness that couldn’t help but cling on other while helplessly trying to grasp the string of salvation that was hanging before his eyes……

‘Aa, surely this is how those cultists think’, Aziz thought He as born as their child and understood their feeling was disqualified as an exorcist, and as a servant of god Surely he wouldn’t be welcoently and caressed Aziz’s front hair His look that peeked outhe hen seen from nearby It could be seen froo of the family that he finally obtained

For a little while, Kousuke stared fixedly at Aziz aiting for answer Before long he scratched his head With a s 「This is bad, really bad,on the case, it will be a bit of deathly situation even before facing the dehly stroked Aziz’s head that was tilted in confusion And then, he so to where Claire is」

Saying that, he turned on his heel 「Ah……」 Aziz’s voice slipped out Kousuke turned to look across his shoulder while adding more words

「Well, it ork out somehow」

Aziz was dumbfounded And then, the nextand he deeply bowed his head

He kept doing so until that back which looked extre vanished from view

–

–

–

Inside the church There was so prayer It was Claudia

Her bright atround facility didn’t re the silence But, seeing how the two hands that were clasped together in front of her chest were turning white, it was clear how hard she was tightly clenching her hands It shed light how her mind wasn’t calm by any mean

Suddenly, Claudia lifted her face And then she turned around

「Oo, you noticeht and gentle s noticed

「How did you notice?」

「Why do you think that I won’t notice?」

Both of the like they ondering froether at the funny situation

「What are you praying for?」

「For everyone’s safety, and for the people’s peace」

「H so Claudia’s eyes twitched for an instant

「This is a dangerous time for the world Isn’t such prayer only natural?」

「No, I coirl for betterod! Or rather, it irl!」

As expected, it seeod She pointed straight with her index finger looking like a big sister scolding 「Bad!」 to a naughty kid She was glaring at Kousuke But, as expected her appearance and at in pressure

That kind of aspect was really like the is like whether Claire’s vocation was souess it was a joke that isn’t suitable for a clergy But well, it’s also a fact that it didn’t look like that your prayer holeheartedly for the peace of the world」

「Eh?」

Claudia spontaneously held her breath Kousuke stood at her side and stared at the large cross that was hung up in the church

「Why are you going to hell?」

It was a question that could be considered as philosophical question, but Claudia guessed theaccurately

「Of course, it’s because that is the mission of us exorcists ……From the view point of Kousuke-sama and others, perhaps you think that we are unreliable or that it will be less but……」

‘That’s not true’, he couldn’t say that

In fact, Kousuke thought that it was less Inside Kousuke, Hajiest without any rooht them harod They were transcendental people who could possibly do that