BXBX NOVEL Chapter 65 - The Past and Present Me
Chapter 65: The Past and Present Me
“Can you leave this to us? We will surely bring Noir back, so you guys should consider what to say to that girl when she comes back.” (Sirius)
The ones who wanted to chase after the running away Noir were probably Noel and Dee.
But, there was a possibility that they would be asked the earlier question again, even if they chase her now,
From the point of their view as an attendant, it will be like choosing between me and Noir. I am fine if they openly choose Noir, but they cannot lie by condescending me, who they have received favors from. Is this the detrimental effect of being yearned for?
However, this is also a good opportunity to know the reality.
It is not a problem to think that her parents are amazing, but Noir must know that they are not absolute beings.
Whatever it is, this can’t be discussed unless they talk face-to-face, so I have to safely secure Noir.
Nonetheless, I think maybe one or two should go because she might be cautious if she get picked up by a group of four people.
I told Emilia and Reese to chase her, since they were on good terms with her. In the meantime, Reus would be the escort for Noel and Dee…
“Wait a second, Aniki!” (Reus)
He was standing in front of Emilia and Reese who tried to chase Noir.
Fundamentally, Reus doesn’t go against his sister, and he is a devoted man who accepts my instructions with an immediate reply. For Reus to stand in the way, and without following my instructions… is, somehow, an unusual sight.
“What is it, Reus? Move away from there quickly.” (Emilia)
“Yeah. Noir-chan doesn’t know how to fight, so we have to hurry.” (Reese)
“That’s not good, Nee-chan. I want you to wait a second, please. Say, Aniki, can you… leave Noir to me?” (Reus)
“…Explain.” (Sirius)
I didn’t intend to imply that he was being narrow-minded when he didn’t follow my instructions. Rather, I was pleased at Reus’ independency, but I decided to listen to his reason anyhow.
“Uhmmm… I feel that Noir resembles the past me. That’s why, I can, somehow, understand her feelings…” (Reus)
“Is that why you want to persuade her? The other side is a timid child. Are you confident that you can convince her?” (Sirius)
“…I don’t know. But, I think I can understand her feelings… so I’d like to say something to her.” (Reus)
Come to think of it, Reus hated me when he was small. The reason was caused by a jealousy at the one who picked his sister up, and at the moment, Noir was certainly similar to the past Reus.
Something similar… this might be a chance.
“Understood. I will leave it to you.” (Sirius)
“Is that alright?” (Emilia)
“Yeah, do whatever you want to do.” (Sirius)
“Aniki… thanks.” (Reus)
Reus deeply lowered his head, but it won’t be good if we didn’t ask her parents.
Apparently, they were somehow listening. When I looked back and met with their gaze, they nodded calmly, and entrusted everything to Reus while regaining themselves.
“Reus… please take care of Noir-chan.” (Noel)
“…Please.” (Dee)
“Leave it to me! Isn’t she Noel-nee and Dee-nii’s precious treasure? I will definitely bring her back!” (Reus)
The two, who understood Reus during that time, probably thought that he would understand Noir’s feelings. They entrusted Reus while smiling because of Reus’ absolute pledge to bring her back.
Reus was somehow pleased with their reliance, he awaited my instructions, while being motivated with some tension.
“Alright, Reus, go and pick Noir up. Emilia and Reese, stay here and guard these two. Hokuto and I will go and survey the surroundings.” (Sirius)
“Yes. Reus, please escort Noir properly.” (Emilia)
“Good luck, Reus.” (Reese)
“Yeah! Well then, I’m going!” (Reus)
After seeing Reus run off, I looked at a different direction from where Reus was heading to, while gently stroking the nearby Hokuto’s head. Whether Emilia guessed from that behavior, she approached me and whispered.
“Sirius-sama, is there something?” (Emilia)
“…There are some reactions of monsters over there, so I’m going to exterminate them for a bit.” (Sirius)
“If that’s the case, I will also…” (Emilia)
“No, you just have to worry those two here. It’s not a big deal, so just stay by their side.” (Sirius)
“…Understood. If there’s something, please feel free to contact me.” (Emilia)
Then, Emilia saw me off while caressing the magic stone attached to her choker.
After brushing her head, I got on Hokuto’s back, who was already lying down, and left to exterminate the monsters in the surrounding area.
What, the number of monsters was around 50. With Hokuto and I, it would be easy to clean them up.
The main issue here was not me, but Reus.
Honestly, I wanted to let Emilia and Reese handle her because they were girls, but Reus asserted himself against my instructions.
Instead of a loving feeling, this perceptive guy clearly understood Noir’s feelings. I kept watching Reus’ growth, and I trusted him because I knew his character, so I decided to take the risk.
Moreover, it was a chance to return the favor of Noel and Dee taking care of him.
Respond to their trust, Reus.
— Reus —
After separating from Aniki, I ran into the forest, but it seemed my target, Noir, was still inside the forest.
I couldn’t perceive things like Aniki, but I would know immediately which way she went because of my nose. Since Noir’s smell resembled Noel-nee, I could find her even in such a gloomy forest. By the way, Nee-chan told me that she could sniff Aniki’s smell even from the other side of a mountain. It sounds unbelievable, but since it seems to be true, she is terrifying, you know.
I stopped many times on the way and kept chasing Noir, while confirming the smell. When I found that the smell was getting stronger, I knew I was getting closer to her.
Nevertheless, I was worried because the foothold was bad in this forest.
I was fine because I was used to it, but Noir was not trained around a forest like us. Since there were places where some of the earth was scooped out, there was a high possibility that Noir was stuck and fell.
She must certainly be disheartened after saying such things to Noel-nee and Dee-nii, running away and becoming alone after that.
Although Aniki said that there won’t be any danger, I had to find her soon.
After that, I found Noir after I ran from that place for a bit, but I kicked the ground before calling out to her.
Anyway, because of she tripped over a tree root, she was about to roll down a slope when I found her. I activated [Boost] earlier before I could think; I jumped while aiming for Noir and succeeded in catching her in the mid-air.
If I had dealt with this calmly, I probably would have had a hold on the ground while carrying Noir, but since I was in a hurry and jumped vigorously, I fell and rolled down on the slope.
I held her close to my body and protected her with my back while continuously rolling down. It seemed we were about to hit a tree on the way, but I repelled it forcibly with my legs and hand, and avoided a direct hit by smashing the tree.
I did not know how many times we rotated, but the momentum stopped when the place finally became flat, and then I quickly confirmed Noir’s condition.
“Are you alright, Noir?” (Reus)
“Onii…-chan?” (Noir)
“Yeah, it’s me. Are you hurt anywhere?” (Reus)
“It doesn’t hurt anywhere, but… you are going round and round…” (Noir)
After rolling so many times, Noir’s eyes seemed to be turning around, and she looked at me absentmindedly. I am fine because I had trained my semicircular canals from my training with Aniki many times.
It seemed she was conscious since she was calling me Onii-chan, and I unintentionally let out a relieved sigh, since I didn’t see any noticeable injuries.
“Don’t worry about it because you will feel better after a while. Look, you can sit down and wake your body…!?” (Reus)
“…What’s wrong?” (Noir)
“It’s nothing. Come, sit down on my lap and take a break.” (Reus)
“…Alright.” (Noir)
For the time being, I sat cross-legged, put Noir on my lap and let her rest.
In the meantime, I confirmed that my left hand was numb, or perhaps I should say, hurts, and I couldn’t move it. I thought it was probably due to smashing the tree with an unreasonable force, but I decided to keep silent about it because it looked like Noir would worry about it.
I would be healed if Reese-nee or Aniki was here, but they weren’t here at the moment. Fortunately, I am used to the pain because of the training with Aniki and Jii-chan.
If I transform, the recovery of the injuries will quicken because I do that once in awhile, but I will see nothing but enemies in that state and I will scare Noir, so it’s not good then. Anyway, let’s endure it until I return with her.
—
We stayed like that awhile, and when Noir finally calmed down, she looked up at me and spoke worriedly.
“Onii-chan. What about Otou-san… and Okaa-san?” (Noir)
“Yeah? Hmm…” (Reus)
“As I expected. That person is more important than me…” (Noir)
“There is no such thing! Noel-nee and Dee-nii absolutely don’t think that at all!” (Reus)
I had surprised Noir because my voice grew louder, but she calmed down when I stroked her head. I couldn’t do it as well as Aniki, but I was glad since that’s the only thing I could do.
“I just found Noir earlier. Noel-nee and Dee-nii are really worried about Noir.” (Reus)
“But I called Otou-san and Okaa-san stupid… they must be angry. After all, they will only see that person. That person ‘stole’ Otou-san and Okaa-san…” (Noir)
“Noir…” (Reus)
Oh man… she’s really like the past me.
Nee-chan and I were rescued by Aniki.
But, the me at that time didn’t understand the meaning of being rescued well, I really hated Aniki since he ‘stole’ Nee-chan.
Even when I ran away, and told him that I was no good since a cursed child was an existence that should be killed. I sulked because a part of Nee-chan was ‘stolen’ by Aniki. And I was only aware about it when I grew up.
That was why I wanted to talk to this child. It is true that Noel-nee and Dee-nii are yearning for Aniki, but by all means, they surely have Noir. My Nee-chan was engrossed with Aniki, but I was really worried and cried when I was stopped.
What I wanted her to know was that he is the benefactor of Noel-nee and Dee-nii’s child, and above all… I still hate myself now for misunderstanding my respected Aniki at that time.
“Look, Noir. When I was at Noir’s age, I really hated Aniki.” (Reus)
“Eh!? You mean that person?” (Noir)
“It’s true. At that time, I really hated Aniki and sometimes I would bite his hand, you know?” (Reus)
Noir’s eyes narrowed while muttering ‘unbelievable’ quietly. Noir met Aniki only for a few days, so it couldn’t be helped for her to believe me when I showed how much I respected Aniki so many times.
“Aah, you don’t believe me. Well, it may not be obvious, but I was exactly like Noir in the past. Nee-chan was engrossed with Aniki, and I thought that Aniki had taken her away. Because of that, Noir is thinking that Noel-nee and Dee-nii were taken away. See, am I right?” (Reus)
“It’s a lie! If you hate him, why do you keep saying he is amazing!? (Noir)
“Hehe, I normally think that too. But, Aniki was amazing from then on.” (Reus)
Subsequently, I told her about my past.
For me, it was an embarrassing and miserable past, but I thought the present Noir would understand it.
I ran away after thinking that Nee-chan was taken away, I was stopped and beaten by Aniki, and then I told Nee-chan that she was stupid while hugging her.
“That was how i got rescued by Aniki, and came to adore him. And I realized that Nee-chan was properly watching me. That is why Noel-nee and Dee-nii are not taken away; they are just watching how amazing Aniki is. There’s nothing about not looking at Noir at all, you know.” (Reus)
“…Really?” (Noir)
“Yes, of course. If I’m wrong, I’ll give you all of my puddings and cakes.” (Reus)
“…Alright, I will believe you.” (Noir)
It’s pointless to wage my desserts for such a matter because it definitely won’t happen. She is Noel-nee’s daughter, after all. She understands the importance of desserts very well.
“If you want to ask that, shall we go back? Not only Noel-nee and Dee-nii, but also Aniki and Nee-chan are worried.” (Reus)
“But, I said they were stupid… they must be angry.” (Noir)
“Noel-nee and Dee-nii won’t get mad and they don’t mind. If they are angry, I think that is because you have come to this place without permission.” (Reus)
“Will they be angry about that?” (Noir)
“Being angry means they care about Noir. They will surely forgive you if you apologize, so don’t worry about it and let’s go back… alright?” (Reus)
“…Alright.” (Noir)
I thought about what would happen at one point, but I was glad that Noir nodded.
She couldn’t get on my back since I was carrying a greatsword, so I let Noir sit on my right arm and carried her, and then I looked up at the hill slope.
—
Apparently, I had rolled down a considerable distance, and it seemed difficult to get back directly from here. This place was an open space without trees. When I was walking, looking for a way to climb somewhere, I noticed that Noir was staring at me.
“What is it? Is there something on my face? (Reus)
“Hmmm, I think that Onii-chan is amazing. You lifted me up by chance, and I am not hurt since you protected me even when we fell from such a place.” (Noir)
“That is because I was trained by Aniki. But if it was Aniki, he will not only rescue you, he also wouldn’t fall down.” (Reus)
“Muuu…” (Noir)
Aah… crap. I unintentionally talked about Aniki’s splendor. I was late to notice it as Noir already puffed her cheeks up and was watching me in a bad mood.
“Say, Onii-chan. Why does everyone say that person, Sirius…-sama, is amazing? Although Otou-san and Okaa-san are amazing…” (Noir)
“…Yeah, Noir-chan is right, Noel-nee and Dee-nii are amazing.” (Reus)
“I know, right?! Otou-san’s homemade meals are amazing, and Okaa-san uses awesome magic! Absolutely, definitely! Otou-san and Okaa-san are more amazing!” (Noir)
Noir was having a lot of fun when she talked about Noel-nee and Dee-nii. They were really like parents and a child. However, that was the feeling when Noel-nee and Dee-nii talked about Aniki.
“As for you, Noir, Noel-nee and Dee-nii are the most amazing. But, how about Noel-nee and Dee-nii altogether?” (Reus)
“Altogether? What do you mean by that?” (Noir)
“As you have said, Noel-nee and Dee-nii are amazing, but for them, Aniki… Sirius-sama is the most amazing. So, I couldn’t say what Noir wanted me to say.” (Reus)
“But… Otou-san and Okaa-san are the best.” (Noir)
“Look, Noir. They are surely the best. But there are a lot more amazing people other than them and Aniki, you know? Didn’t you say I was amazing earlier?” (Reus)
“Aah…” (Noir)
“I have met various people until now and I have seen many amazing people. But, no matter how many people I have seen, no matter how much experience I get, for me, Aniki is still the best.” (Reus)
I was hugged by Erina, who was like a mother, and I was taught about swordsmanship by Jii-chan. However… the biggest of all was Aniki. I think that alone would not change.
“Who the most amazing person is depends on each person. That’s why, for you Noir, aren’t the most amazing people Noel-nee and Dee-nii? Although others are amazing, the most amazing people for you won’t change, right?” (Reus)
“My most…” (Noir)
“Yeah. Noir’s number one will not change. Therefore, tell Aniki about your current feelings. You should tell him what you want to say, like don’t take away your Otou-san.” (Reus)
“He will get angry if I say that!” (Noir)
“Aniki is not that childish. Even if you say that he is stupid, he won’t get angry.” (Reus)
“…Really?” (Noir)
“Whatever you do, I’ll be by your side. So, you can say whatever you want to say, Noir. If it is Noel-nee, she will say it properly.” (Reus)
“…Alright, I got it.” (Noir)
“Good! Let’s return quickly…” (Reus)
The moment I thought about rushing up the slope at once with [Boost] without changing my mind, I noticed the presence of monsters from the surroundings.
Damn it… I was careless.
I was too absorbed with the conversation, and it was too late to notice when the enemies were closing in. This was a failure I couldn’t show to Aniki.
But, this was not a worrying situation. When I regained myself and sensed their presences better, the number was about thirty.
It seemed no big sized enemy from their presence, so I thought that there won’t be any problems to defeat them. I was properly taught about how to deal with ambushes.
But…
“What’s wrong Onii-chan?” (Noir)
How should I protect Noir…
I saved a woman who was kidnapped by goblins in the past, but the enemies at that time were weak-headed goblins. There was no need to protect the woman because when they charged at me, they ran away after I threatened them.
But the enemies this time didn’t seem to be similar.
“Damn… for these guys to show up at this time.” (Reus)
“Hiii!?” (Noir)
The figures of the monsters that slowly appeared from the surrounding trees were black wolves that were no taller than half my height. They’re monsters called Dyna Wolves, which were characterized by hunting in groups. As a single enemy, they’re not strong, but it’s troublesome when taking the assaults from the herds’ cooperation.
To make matters worse, they are troublesome monsters that move quickly, but are not difficult enemies for the present me to beat. The problem is the characteristics of the Dyna Wolves.
I was told by Aniki, based on the book he read, that Dyna Wolves seemed to aim instinctively for weak opponents. And the weakest one in this place was Noir, and no matter how much I stood in their way and threatened them, they were likely to continue aiming for her.
On top of that, this place was free of trees, so to lean against a tree was nearly impossible, and the situation was bad since my left hand’s numbness still remained.
But… I have to do it.
When I put Noir down as I had become determined, she grabbed my clothes while trembling, and looked up at me.
“Onii-chan…” (Noir)
That’s right… this girl is the priceless treasure of my two benefactors.
I will protect her by any means!
I took off the mantle that I wore; I put it on Noir and smiled.
“It’s alright Noir. I will absolutely protect you, so put this mantle on and stay put.” (Reus)
“B-but! This many…” (Noir)
“It’s not a problem, no matter how many of these monsters gather together. Anyhow, I’m going to swing my sword, so please let go of my hand. However, never ever leave my side.” (Reus)
“Y-yeah!” (Noir)
Although Noir should be scared, she slowly let go of my hand, and she was watching me while shedding tears.
I covered her with the hood of the mantle so her head and her lovely red hair won’t get dirty with blood.
“Close your eyes and ears and start counting numbers. It will be over when I poke your shoulder.” (Reus)
“Yeah, got it. Uhmm… One, two…” (Noir)
“…Good girl.” (Reus)
After rearranging my mind, I turned my eyes towards the monsters growling around me. It was too late to hold down my bloodlust when it was already at its limit.
It seemed that these monsters did not have any long range attacks, so let’s do preemptive strikes to reduce their numbers. I pulled out the sword and struck the ground, and created some flames in my right hand.
“[Flame Knuckle]… Shot!” (Reus)
It would be the usual [Flame Knuckle] if I hit with it as it is, but with an image of [Flame Lance], this could become a long range attack. When I made a huge swing and threw the flame, it caused an explosion the moment it landed. I thought two or three of them were defeated with that.
However, as if that became the commencement of the battle, the surrounding wolves were all attacking at the same time as the explosion. Heh… bring it on.
“Come at me!” (Reus)
There was no other choice but to use my partner, the greatsword… [Silver Fang] with one arm since I couldn’t used my left arm.
I was glad since it could be done with my dominant hand, but it was still somewhat heavy to use with only one hand. But, since I was trained and taught by Aniki to use it with one hand at times of emergency, there would be no problem to use it like that for a short moment.
At the same time I pulled out the sword that was stuck in the ground, I slashed the monsters that approached from the front in half, and when I used the same force to swing it sideways, I sliced the monsters that were coming from the side.
“Eleven… Twelve…” (Noir)
“Oryaaa!” (Reus)
I also knew the monsters that were aiming for me were decoys. There were five wolves aiming for Noir, who was sitting down, from the rear, and they didn’t miss the chance to jump at the same time to attack.
“If you want to attack, it will be impossible unless you have more than six!” (Reus)
‘Single Strike Ultimate Destruction Style’ – [Shattering], a technique of slashing eight times in one breath.
I still couldn’t do six slashes yet, but it was good enough with five slashes if I did it once. The wolves that couldn’t move in the air were shredded with my sword and blood was splashing around. I was bathed with blood grandly, but there was no problem because Noir was under the mantle.
Even so, the burden was huge with one arm, and I sensed that the arm, which held the sword, was making creaking sounds, but there were nearly twenty enemies left.
When I made a painful expression, one of the wolves that crawled on the ground jumped in.
“Don’t you touch Noir!” (Reus)
I couldn’t bring my sword back in time, and my left hand… was not moving. Since that’s the case, I’ll use my body.
The wolf opened its mouth wide trying to bite, but since I intercepted it with my whole body and raised my right arm, it reflexively bit that arm. The wolf put strength into its jaws to crunch my arm, but I swung the arm before it could do that, and it mowed down on the other wolves. One of its fangs came out since I swung with full force, and the blood started to flow out of my arm.
It was painful, but I had no time to complain because the wolves were still getting closer.
Damn it, if I could use my left arm, I wouldn’t be having such a hard time fighting these guys.
If it became like this, should I call for help with the choker’s magic stone which I got from Aniki? No, even if I called him now, would I able to meet with him?
In the first place, it was not strange for Aniki to notice this, but he was probably testing me out or there was a reason why he couldn’t come.
I thought there was a low possibility of testing me out when judging from the situation I was in and about Noir’s safety, so there was a high possibility he had a reason for not coming.
“Alright, let’s do this!” (Reus)
Noir was about to be attacked again while I was in the middle of thinking, so I had to swing the sword to repel them away. My left shoulder was bitten during that gap, and the skin was immediately peeled off as I fell to the ground.
Damn it, even if I was used to it, it still hurts. I felt that the hand holding the sword was getting starting to lose its grip due to the pain.
This is bad… Noir will be in serious danger if this keeps going like this.
Unlike me, it will be a fatal wound if this child receives even a single blow. If she is bitten once, or wounded… I will not only betray Noir, but also Noel-nee and Dee-nii. If that happens, I am not qualified to call myself Aniki’s disciple, and I absolutely cannot forgive myself.
This is not the time to hesitate.
“Onii-chan!” (Noir)
When I noticed that sudden voice, seven wolves were jumping at the same time.
Damn it! I can’t do the [Shattering], and it’s no good if I can only swing five times right now.
Although I was planning to use ‘that’, why weren’t you still closing your eyes!?
When I looked back while awakening to the anger, Noir was cheering me hard while shedding tears.
There was something in those innocent eyes that I felt from her gaze, her belief in me.
At that time… I had decided.
Even if those eyes turned into fear, I will protect you!
The same as Aniki… I will protect those who I want to protect.
“Uuu… oooo!” (Reus)
I finished transforming in an instant.
As something resounded from within my body, my body became a little bit bigger, it was fully covered with silvery hair and the blood flow stopped all at the same time.
The pain was still there but since I could move my left arm, I grabbed the sword with both hands and used [Shattering], slicing seven times, and slurring all seven wolves.
Two wolves were quickly approaching me; one was cut with the sword while the other was grabbed by its head, and I crushed its bones. Together with a dull sound, I repelled the annihilated wolves, and then I swung the sword onto the ground and released [Wave Slash], a wide range of shock waves that blew away several wolves.
Aah… It was a tough struggle until a while ago.
Wouldn’t this be quick if I used it out front rather than holding the enemies?
Yes, before…
“It’s not that!” (Reus)
Noir would be in danger if I went ahead.
I transformed in order to protect her. This is not for defeating the enemy!
While keeping the urge to kill the enemies, I continued slashing the wolves that were attacking without coordination.
I didn’t only cut them, I also beat them down sometimes, grabbed their bodies and smashed them. The urge to kill the monsters was getting stronger.
Yeah… this is for killing.
No! It is for protecting!
Won’t I save her if I defeat them?
That’s not it! The one who is behind me is a child who can’t fight!
I… am no good if I can’t protect her!
Yeah… I… I…
“I… became stronger to protect… arrghh!” (Reus)
To protect the small existence that I felt behind me…
I kept on swinging… in order to get closer to the back of the one that I yearned for.
And what reflected in my eyes when things became calmed was the figure of the remaining wolves running away, and Noir, who was staring at me dumbfoundedly.