Arifureta After III   Abyss Lord Arc Chapter 2   Prologue

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A voice could be heard.

Inside the darkness where one couldn't even see an inch ahead, a repulsive voice was resounding.

That voice felt slimy, like a sticky sludge.

It was already heard for several thousand, several tens of thousand times.

I also know about the development ahead of here. The same like the voice. I have seen it continuously repeating for several thousand, several tens of thousand times.

No. To be more accurate it wasn't seeing, yes, it was remembering.

A memory that couldn't possibly be forgotten. A memory that mustn't be forgotten.

The repulsive reason of me being alive. It was the earliest scene my heart remembered.

*Gou-* The wind was blowing.

Darkness that was like black ink which painted over anything it touched was swept away. What appeared in its place was crimson flame――the fire of hell.

Inside the world that was dyed red, "it" was there.

The figure that was like condensed darkness, or perhaps shadow. Red flame that was like blood was gushing out from the countless cracks running on its surface, frying the surrounding to ash without pause.

The two hands that were clad with hell fire were carelessly holding things that were once my parents, the eyes and mouth that were colored by flame warped like a mocking sneer.

"Its" mouth moved slightly.

A voice could be heard.

The voice of "it" that I had heard several thousand, several tens of thousand times.

I who could do nothing except trembling was impaled by "its" sneering laugh.

Flame was gushing out.

My important people were disappearing without even leaving ash behind, "its" hand was reaching forward.

The hand that was created from hell fire ad shadow completely filled my sight that was blurred by tears.

And then, hope and future, warm thing……as though to crush all of those things fully within its grasp――

–

–

–

「aAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH」

A scream echoed inside a bedroom at midnight.

The soft blanket was brushed aside, and a young woman around the age of twenty lifted up her body like a released spring.

Looking normally, she was a woman with good-looking and well-ordered appearance, but right now her expression was warped in grief with terror. Her blond hair that normally was wavy and looked soft got stuck on her cheeks and nape of the neck from sweat in an unsightly state.

There were only the sounds of rough breathing and rustling clothes resounding inside the room.

There, *knock knock* the room's door was knocked.

「Claudia-sama?」(TN: Do you guys think I should use Miss Claudia here or keep using Claudia-sama following the raw?)

「――」

A worried voice called at the name of her, the owner of this room――Claudia Barenberg. Her body twitched in surprise.

But, she immediately let out a large sigh, wiped the tears blurring her jade pupils with her sleeve, and then she calmed down her breathing with her hand on her chest before replying.

「I'm fine, Wynn. I only got a bit of nightmare. I'm sorry for the ruckus I caused.」

She endeavored to make her voice as calm and bright as she could. However, from the view point of the person guarding the room in front of the door, it was clear as day that the girl was only trying to not make other worried.

After all, this was something that had continued for several years. At the very least this would happen once or twice a week. It would even happen three or four times a week sometimes, when Claudia would spring up from her bed while screaming in midnight.

The cause was a common knowledge. Therefore, the people who idolized her also understood that it was something that couldn't be solved that easily.

That was why, "at the very least", the person who served as guard tonight spoke just like usual.

「If you like Claudia-sama, how about I brought something to drink for you? Luckily, Anna is brewing herb tea along with the change of shift, so how about Claudia-sama have some together?」

Surely that herb tea was also undoubtedly the kind that used a herb that would stimulate restful sleep.

Claudia made a warm smile at the consideration of them who were her guard, her comrade, and also her family. She felt like the coldness that was blanketing her heart, the emotion that she should reject were softening.

「It's a coincidence that my throat is dry right now. Please let me drink it if you will be so kind. Thank you, Wynn.」

「It's nothing.」

After that, Claudia put her disarrayed attire in order and lightly wiped her hair and sweat. Then she invited Wynn along with Anna who came at that timing to enter the room.

Wynn――Wynn Keyman was a lean young man with swept back blond hair. His age was 28 years old. He had rare grey colored pupils, and his look was gallant and stern. His personality was also serious. From his way of living that prized virtue, he was called as "knight" by his comrades.

Anna who was brewing the tea――Anna Folk was a girl with chestnut braided hair as her trademark. Her age was fifteen years old. Her pupils that were similarly brown like her hair were always shining with liveliness as though to represent her personality.

For a while they were amusing themselves with idle talk where Anna would be the one who did most of the talking while Claudia and Wynn would throw in appropriate comment.

Feeling her heart warmed by the warm tea and the harmonious interaction with her comrades, Claudia felt her eyes getting drowsy.

In the first place her drooping eyes and gentle gaze were her characteristic, her personality and her look also didn't go against the impression as a gentle big sister that she gave off. Even her speaking tone was relaxed and calm, so when sleepiness was added there, it was even said that the synergy of her appearance and voice would exert special ability of powerful sleep encouragement.

When such girl got drowsy eyes, naturally anyone who saw it would understand 「Ah, she is sleepy」.

Right now it would be less than an hour before the sun rose, but Wynn and Anna recommended Claudia to sleep once more. After all looking closer, even Wynn and Anna who were her guard were also visited by sleepiness. She was plainly obstructing their duty.

Claudia was hesitating because when thinking of the morning prayer, then it felt like it would be better to keep awake like this. It was then, Wynn's mobile phone suddenly started vibrating to inform that it was receiving a call.

Whynn confirmed the caller before picking up the call.

「Wynn here.」

『……This is Aziz. Mission complete. I will board the plane after this.』

「Thanks for your hard work. Was there any problem?」

『……None.』

「I see. Tell me the detail after you come back, but from your tone it seem that the ruin and relic aren't it huh?」

『……Yes. But, it's dangerous. I sent you the data. Ask the management to deal with them.』

「Acknowledged. I'll report it as soon as I confirm the data.」

Hearing the safety of a comrade who went in a mission to steal information from a corporation in a certain country, not just Wynn, Claudia and Anna also let out a faint sigh of relieve.

Wynn's tone became somewhat gentle and he asked 「Is there anything else?」. There, the man who was called Aziz whose voice sounded like a young man faltered slightly in hesitation, then he spoke with low voice.

『……There was, the returnees' data.』

「! ……How much?」

『Members and their family structure. Also the detail from Britain.』

Wynn spontaneously groaned.

The previous information was an information that even Wynn's group had collected to a certain degree. But, regarding the latter, currently the information gathering wasn't really progressing due to the obstruction from the intelligence department of the country in question.

He didn't know how the aforementioned corporation obtained the information, but he guessed that it must be obtained from a route that was peculiar to corporation while inside his heart he rejoiced from being able to obtain the unanticipated data.

「Aziz, you did well. We are going to scrutinize the information here right away. Their strength and also the authenticity of it are unknown. Be very careful in your return.」

『Acknowledged.』

After that Wynn cut off the call after talking about two, three more matters.

「So we obtained the information about them……let's pray that this will lead us to a better future.」

Claudia muttered with her characteristic leisurely tone. An earnestness was hidden inside her tone.

After that commotion, it was an information that Claudia and others couldn't stop wanting. However, even after they poured all their strength, not only they were unable to disclose the whole picture, they couldn't even come into contact with them. Far from that, damage even reached their important comrades as the end result.

It became prohibited to come into contact with them until a definite measure could be obtained. And now they had obtained information about them. Claudia couldn't suppress her feeling of exaltation.

「Wynn. This is a most important subject. Please be very careful in handling the obtained information okay?」

「Understood. I will immediately report to the director. At the same time, I will also increase the alert level. We wholly don't know their hand. It's unknown when they will notice that this information has leaked. And after they know, if they followed it until even us……」

Wynn shook his head. He was recalling what happened to their comrades when attempting to come into contact with them. Anna was making the same expression as though she was feeling headache and continued.

「I don't want to do it anymore you know? Work like returning the sanity of our comrades who were working hard to dig up well in a developed country, or changing job into mercenary as killing maniac who was obsessed with murdering terrorist, or joining some animal protection group and running around to search for anyone to adopt stray dogs, then bringing them back here. I thought I would get mad myself doing that.」

Anna was scrunching her face with an expression that looked like she was really hating it, or perhaps dreading it was more accurate. Her words naturally caused Claudia and Wynn to also get a faraway look from recalling their comrades who were overflowing with volunteer spirit and sense of justice in various senses at that time.

Claudia drank the herb tea to calm down her heart, then she opened her mouth 「Even so」 with a sorrowful face.

「Recently, the movement of "them" is getting increasingly active. That's why it's necessary for us to ascertain it. Just who are they. And then, whether they are the "same" with us. Perhaps there is some meaning that we obtained their information in this timing. That's what I believe. Perhaps……」

Claudia smiled faintly and spoke.

――this might be the guidance of the Lord you know?

She said.

'Perhaps that might be so', Wynn and Anna also nodded with a smile.

In the end, at that day her sleepiness was cleared up. Claudia dressed up herself, then together with the other two she began her activity in order to accomplish her duty today.

Without knowing, that unexpectedly one of "them" had already started moving.

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A really normal house in Japan. It was a residential area, so there were a lot of similar house at the surrounding. The two vehicles lined up on the parking place in front of the house were a family car and a compact car of the types that were often seen.

That house didn't have anything particularly standing out, so it was blending well with the scenery of the residential area. However, regarding the house's residents, there was something a bit peculiar about them.

Or more accurately, it was the family's second son.

The family name written on the nameplate was――Endo.

Yes, it was the house of one of the returnees, the man who was praised by his comrades with various saying like "nonchalantly one the mankind's strongest", "recently automatic door won't react at all against that guy seriously", "you bastard, even though you already got a rabbit eared Onee-san lover, what are you doing laying your hand to a blond haired beautiful girl too huuuh, I'm gonna kill you", and so on――the home of Endo Kousuke.

Currently Kousuke was inside his room at the second floor. He was stuffing his travel baggage into his favorite rucksack that he received at the same time when he enrolled into middle school.

His personality wasn't particularly methodical, so he was only carelessly tossing in things like change of clothes and so on without folding them first.

「Ee~rr, something like this I guess? The rest can just be entered into Treasure Warehouse.」

Kousuke talked to himself while showing a thinking gesture for a bit.

The important luggage could be entered into the Treasure Warehouse that Hajime gave him, so originally he didn't even need the rucksack, but it would be odd if he was empty handed despite going abroad. There was no doubt he would get stared suspiciously by the airport staff when in the emigration and immigration check like that.

He would also need to be careful of the surrounding's attention when getting out the item he wanted from the Treasure Warehouse, so it was necessary to put some things into a rucksack to a certain degree.

「Even so, Vatican huh……first I'll enter Italia's Rome, but it will be the first time I go there, I'm feeling a bit excited.」

He recalled several things that he forgot and tossed them into his rucksack carelessly again.

「It helps that I won't meet language barrier when going abroad but……I want to go sightseeing if I'm going there anyway. ……With Rana.」

Thinking of his older lover who was an adorable rabbit eared beauty, Kousuke's expression broke into a wide grin slovenly.

Instantly, he felt a chill and his body shivered. At the end of the view that he shared with his clone, the figure of Emily-chan staring unblinking at him with pupils of just monochrome color was……

「Cough-. Now then! I finished my preparation already! Let's depart!」

He cut! Cut! CUUT! the shared field of vision. I didn't see anything at all!

Under the thinking 「Kou-kun who is the right hand man of boss also need at least seven wives who are somewhere around the world!」 of the first wife (according to the person) Rana Hauria, Emily-chan was more or less put into the position of the second wive. Such Emily-chan was really troubled sometimes.

The incident that occurred just a little while ago――the Berserk incident.

The girl who walked the path of research wholeheartedly since her childhood until now as a genius unintentionally caused that incident that was related with monster. Through that incident, the girl harbored a strong emotion of love toward Kousuke. Furthermore it was her first love.

Her feeling was strong and undoubtedly the real thing.

Thus, even after it came to light that the target of her first love Kousuke had a lover named Rana, in the end she was unable to give up. There was also how Rana herself welcomed her, and how Kousuke's clone was living together with her in the Grant family home to protect her, where the interaction between the two was deepening. Day by day her feeling was growing stronger and deeper.

The level of her worry was also increasing in proportion to that.

There was also the self-proclaimed third wife, perhaps there would really be seven people in the end……thinking a bit of his own future that he had never even imagined, Kousuke shivered slightly.

He had no self-confidence at all that it would go well like a certain demon king.

Though that demon king told him 「You can make clone, so rather you will all right even more than me right?」 while laughing loudly at him.

Kousuke thought. 'That bastard, it's completely no good to consult about love relationship to him'.

「Now then, there is also the flight schedule, let's depart soon.」

He shouldered his rucksack and exited his room. Then, at that moment,

「Wah!? Kou-nii, you were there!?」

A thin petite girl jumped from surprise.

「I'm here. I have been here all the time since morning. We ate breakfast together just now right?」

「? Did we? Well, doesn't matter.」

The petite girl who finished the talk with a practiced gesture――Endo Manami. She was Kousuke's little sister who was wearing glass with her hair worn in braids. Her age was thirteen. A first year middle schooler and a member of literary club.

While she gave off a plain impression, she was a lively girl who would talk briskly.

「Or rather, Kou-nii. What's with that luggage?」

「Aa, I'm thinking to go to Italia for a bit.」

「Aa, that's so. To Italia――wait why!? Why Italia!? Isn't that too far to say it in that tone as though you are only going for a bit to mini market!? Isn't it too sudden!?」

Manami-chan made a splendid tsukkomi while fixing her glasses' position.

There, the door of a nearby room opened and the face of a glasses young man popped out.

「Manami? What are you doing getting noisy by yourself?」

「She ain't alone. I'm here. I'll punch you, you know, Anikibig brother.」

'Ah, so you're there……' The one who was making a face like that was Endo Sousuke. The big brother of Kousuke who came of age this year. A university student who belonged to law school.

When going in a family trip or the like, Endo family was often thought to only have an older brother and a younger sister, but that was surely the fault of the  glassess without a doubt, Kousuke thought.

As a test, Kousuke tried buying fashion glasses from a 100-yen store and put it on, and it wasn't like he didn't feel that the rate of him getting perceived by the surrounding was higher than usual. But he was loudly laughed by his little sister that the glasses absolutely didn't suit him in destructive level, so since then he stopped wearing it.

Kousuke's little sister and big brother were conversing 「Kou-nii said that he is going to Italia!」「Eh? When?」「Now!」「Haa!? That's too far when the mood is like 'I'm going to mini market for a bit!' isn't it!? Isn't that too sudden!?」 that caused déjà vu feeling to appear. Kousuke was listening to it while coming down to the living room.

「Tou-san, you've time?」

「H~mm♪ Hm hm~m♪」

A middle-aged man was lining up a set of fishing rod on the floor of the living room while maintaining them in a good mood――Kousuke Eiji. His age was 49 years old. A father who was working at the city hall's population department. By the way, his hobby was fishing, and he had suntan like a certain swarthy actor ○suo-san who got mentioned a lot in a certain gag. (TN: I don't get the gag reference at all here. But about the actor, search Tatsuo Umemiya)

Tatsu○-san――not, Eiji didn't even notice he was called by his son and continued to diligently maintenance his fishing rod.

It was always like this, so Kousuke shook his father's shoulder and called to him once more.

「Oou!? What is――wait, Kousuke huh. What's up, why are you carrying luggage like that? Are you going out?」

Even though he twitched from surprise, seeing his son standing beside him, Eiji tilted his head in puzzlement as though nothing happened.

Kousuke also didn't really say anything about it in a practiced response and continued his words normally.

「Yep. I'll go until Italia for a bit, so I want Tou-san to take me until airport by car.」

「Aa, until Italia huh. Got it, got it. Wait a bit――wait, really wait!? Italia!? You mean Italia, that country with delicious pizza!? Isn't it too far when your tone feel like you are just going to mini market!?」

The father got into the talk following the mood the longest, but the content of his tsukkomi also caused déjà vu.

Hearing Eiji's voice, the mother of Kousuke who was glaring at the household account book on the dining table――Endo Misato raised her face abruptly.

「Dear, don't speak loudly so suddenly like that. You will cause me to make a mistake in calculation here. Something like Italia or pizza……something like pizza is no good. Even just medium size is more than 2000 yen you know? Recently there is a lot of promo of buy one get two, but even so I won't allow such luxury in an ordinary day where we aren't celebrating anything!」

Misato-okaasan (49 years old) sharply pushed on her glasses while showing a firm rejection. She was working in the municipal tax of the city hall. She was strict with money.

「That's not it, Misato. It's Kousuke you see, he said that he is going to Italia right now.」

「Eh? Kousuke? Rather, Italia!? Right now!? What are you saying as though you are just going to a nearby mini market!? It's just too sudden right!?」

Perhaps Endo family had extraordinary interest to mini market.

Around that time Sousuke and Manami also came down to the living room. The whole family pressed the question of what Kousuke was planning to do.

Kousuke often got forgotten, but his family's love to him was genuine. Even though they were getting used of him repeatedly going afar unexpectedly, but he had already got missing once in the past. They would worry of him no matter what.

Kousuke smiled wryly whily explaining that he would go to investigate something for a bit because of the demon king――Hajime's request. Like usual, the request fee had already transferred to him to a certain degree, no, for Kousuke who had the sensibility of a common folk, it was an amount that made him shuddered. Anyway, he told his family that there was no worry about the travel expense.

「Nuu, so it's Nagumo-senpai again……」

Manami let out a conflicted groan with a somewhat conflicted expression. For her, the demon king Hajime was her sworn enemy.

Why?

Changing the topic slightly, Amanogawa Kouki had a little sister. She was close with Shizuku since her childhood. She was idolizing Shizuku very much.

In other words, she was a soul sister.

And then, that little sister was the same age with Manami. They were friend that went to the same school.

In other word, she was a soul sister.

But, why was Manami only showing a conflicted expression instead of a clear hostility like a certain kouhai-chan? That was because she had seen the sight of that certain kouhai-chan recklessly charging at the demon king Hajime when he would be thoroughly getting affectionate with her before carelessly tossing her away like an empty can or tying her on something.

……It was a secret that she felt her heart beating slightly faster seeing such sight. Manami-chan of Endo family might had the same disposition like a certain disappointing dragon.

Sousuke was also making similar conflicted expression like Manami and spoke.

「……That's, will you be all right? Before this too, there was a major disaster at Britain right?」

「Yes, well, it was terrible though. At that time because of Nagumo's request I destroyed an occult organization that tried to lay their hand on us. But after that I poked my nose into Berserk incident by my own decision, so it was me reaping what I sow about the terrible experience.」

「But still. ……Tou-san is grateful to Nagumo-kun but……even if this is his request……Kousuke, even though you finally came home safely, aren't you getting involved with dangerous things a bit too much?」

As a father, such opinion was only natural. Although she wasn't saying anything, it was clear from her expression that Misato was also thinking of the same thing.

Kousuke loosened his expression slightly seeing his parents worrying for him. However, he spoke with a determined tone.

「Certainly, I also thought just what I'm doing after I finally came home and have even decided my future aim. But, I have learned from Tortus. ――The unreasonableness won't give a second thought about our convenience or anything. If you want to have your own way in your own convenience, you mustn't back away.」

「Kousuke……」

While he was their own child, Eiji and Misato were always worrying about Kousuke whose inconspicuousness and thin presence reached to a pitiful degree, thinking 「Why?」 their son had to be like that.

Even them, his own family would sometimes put him outside of their own awareness. For a time they wondered if it was something like a curse and even made Kousuke to receive exorcism. They were grasping at straws then.

But, when they were looking at the figure of their child who was gazing at them with a strong gaze that caused them to spontaneously hold their breath, it caused them to think that perhaps Kousuke was already independent from his parents.

No, actually, they had understood it since he came home.

That the fierce experience in another world had turned their son into an adult. Even if it was something that their hand couldn't reach, Kousuke alone, or perhaps together with his comrades had already became able to accomplish anything.

Eiji and Misato's atmosphere became somewhat solemn. And then, seeing his big brother would go far away, Manami who was making a slightly lonely expression closed her mouth. The living room became quiet, however, the eldest son broke the silence 「Keh」 somehow peevishly.

「It doesn't really matter anyway where will Kousuke go and what he do. After all he is just going to cajole some beautiful girl or woman again anywy!」

「A, aniki? Are you, sulking?」

「Shut up! Don't you understand your Nii-chan's feeling!? My feeling when my little brother introduced to me his lover, a transcendentally beautiful Onee-san and a genuine bunny girl! What's more this bastard! A few months after that introduction, the next time it were a younger blond haired beautiful girl and a cool beauty who is an active duty investigator!? Is it harem!? It's harem isn't it, this bastard!」

「N, no, Emily and Vanessa are, still not like……」

「Still! You said still just now, this damn asshole-. Even this time, it will be just like Rana-san said anyway, you are going to get one of your seven wives who are somewhere in the world right!? Nii-chan will breakdown mentally if I don't prepare my heart beforehand, so you can leave and don't go home for at least half a year!」

The glasses university student Sousuke-niisan who even now looked like he was going to cry with tears of blood.

Due to Kousuke and Rana's request, before this Hajime had called Rana to earth several times when it was time for "gate opening".

In preparation for the meeting with Kousuke's family, Rana learned Hauria-style secret skill "The - Normal Behavior That is Typically Japanese" with desperation and she safely got herself accepted as the fiancée of Endo family's second son, but……

To be to the point, Rana was a beauty. She had a style that was genuinely well-proportioned (body 8 times longer than head), she had splendid twin hills, and while she had the look of a beautiful woman, she also possessed the cuteness of someone playful, and then there was her wagging rabbit ears and rabbit tail.

Her age was 22 years old, so even from Sousuke's view point Rana was a "rabbit eared Onee-san",

Such girl was repressing her Hauria's nature (chuunibyoueighth grade syndrome) and greeted Kousuke's family with a graceful atmosphere like a Yamato Nadeshiko.

Naturally,

「The history of not having girlfriend = the age. Sou-nii is jelly.」

「You shut up there, little sis!」

「Last week too he confessed to a senpai in his circle and met honorable defeat. How sad~」

「How did you know!?」

Like that Sousuke-niisan sunk into jealousy and sadness.

Of course, he understood that his little brother reached where he was as the result of a fierce experience. He properly felt happy for his brother.

But, however, still.

If it was just a rabbit eared Onee-san as a lover, he could still bear it.

But of all things, his little brother, the damned bastard further brought home a blonde haired beautiful girl and a cool beauty, and in the end even the rabbit eared Onee-san also recognized the two as second and third wives.

Putting aside the cool beauty who was a bit strange, the lovable and wholehearted appeal 「I love Kousuke!」 of the blond haired beautiful girl, and the appeal of her wish to be accepted by Kousuke's family too……

Surely that girl was desperately learning Japanese language, she was desperately appealing with Japanese language that was still choppy and awkward, in the middle she would also add body gesture and hand gesture with great fluster, however, she would get teary eye because she felt that what she wanted to say didn't really get conveyed to the other party, even so, she wouldn't give up and bravely continued. For Sousuke-niisan, such girl was exactly in his strike zone.

Naturally, the source of motivation for such effort of the girl was wholly because of the depth of her feeling toward her little brother Kousuke though.

Because of that, the honest and unvarnished feeling of the university student who was unable to make a girlfriend would be 「DAMN IT ALLLLLLLLL-, I'M DEATHLY JEALOUS HEREEEEEEE-」 in respond.

By the way, Eiji and Misato were possessor of extremely normal Japanese sensibility where it was hard to accept something like having multiple lovers. In addition they were also extremely pleased with Rana, so it was thought that they would surely show disapproval toward the existence of Emily (+Vanessa), but……

It seemed Emily's panicked figure that was desperately appealing to Kousuke's parents shot them right in the heart, and at the end they completely accepted her.

Of course, Manami was also accepting the situation. For Manami who loved reading book and light novel and could be somewhat categorized as an otaku, the real harem of her actual big brother seemed to be a target of her excitement.

She was especially attached with Vanessa who was an active duty investigator of the national security bureau. It seemed she felt sympathy and admiration to her.

Kousuke would feel a touch anxious when he saw the figure of his little sister whose eyes would sparkle brightly for some reason each time Vanessa whispered sneakily into her ear. If by any chance his little sister received bad influence from DanessaNo good-Vanessa……he was resolved with the preparedness to use even the "Staking the Pride of Villager".

Back to the topic.

Kousuke was smiling wryly at the conversation of his big brother and little sister. He then turned his gaze back to Eiji.

「Well, anyway, it'll be great if Nagumo take care of everything, but if that guy told me "do it", furthermore if it's something related to me and my friends, then I've gotta act.」

Kousuke acted like it really couldn't be helped, but pride and self-confidence could be peeked somewhere in his expression.

――The right hand man of the demon king

It was unknown who was the one who started saying that, but it was one of the title that his comrades fixed on Kousuke. The man who that Nagumo Hajime relied on the most other than his wive~s, because in reality, no matter what kind of situation it was he would came out with result before anyone knew it.

The trust from his comrades and the achievement he accomplished himself gave self-confidence and pride to Kousuke. His face was without a doubt not that of a child but the face of a competent man.

With a small voice Manami muttered 「If Sou-nii can also make that kind of face, he would be able to make at least a girlfriend, and yeet」, 「I can hear you, you know? ……Whe, when I become a working adult, even I can」 while Sousuke muttered such thing. Eiji and Misato glanced at the two briefly before they looked at each other with a wry smile. They then nodded to each other.

「Got it. Airport right? Let's go right away. You already got a plane?」

「I ordered from internet already. There are still three hours, so we will make it if we depart now.」

Eiji asked while tidying up his fishing set. Kousuke thanked his father while answering.

「If that's the case then Okaa-san will also go to see you off.」

「Ah, then me too! Kou-nii is going to Italia alone, so let's go somewhere too when we go home!」

「Kousuke. Give some pocket money to your pitiful Nii-chan.」

Misato and Manami immediately started preparing. And then, Sousuke-niisan who immediately threw away his pride and pestered for a pocket money.

Kousuke had already left some money for his family from the payment he earned from the demon king's request, so he ignored his big brother.

Like that, Endo family that finished their preparation together boarded their family car that the loan they still hadn't finished paying, then……

*kyuru kyuru kyuru kyuru-*

「Eh? Strange……」

The engine of Endo family car wouldn't start. Sousuke-niisan pondered and spoke.

「Perhaps the battery ran out? It got used a lot for the light and heating when fishing yesterday.」

「H~m, I think that it should be fine though.」

The engine wouldn't start no matter how many times Eiji tried to turn the key. Eiji came down from the car and opened the car hood. Manami who also came down suddenly turned her gaze up after hearing a sound that pierced the ear and she got taken aback.

*Kaaa! Kaaa! Kaaa!*

「Wai-, isn't there a lot of crows there? It's scary……」

「Uwah, it's unpleasant.」

When Kousuke also looked up like the others, he saw there a lot of crows flying around. Even though the weather wasn't cloudy and it also still wasn't evening, but the sky looked somewhat gloomy.

「Hey, dear. How about trying to charge the battery from my car?」

「I guess……. Wait for a bit. I'll bring the cable now.」

Eiji walked to behind the Endo family car to take out the tool box. There, when he was traversing there……

*Nyaa~~*

「……A black cat.」

A black cat was staring fixedly at Endo papa, then it purred once more before running away.

「Say, how about we just go using Kaa-san's car? It will be a bit cramped but, I won't be there at the return trip anyway.」

Kousuke did his best to calm his heart while giving suggestion to depart quickly.

Thinking that his suggestion had merit, Eiji looked toward Misato. Misato nodded and put her hand on the door of her compact car. And then,

「Eh? No way-, the wheel is deflated!」

Looking closer, one of the front wheels had become flat. It seemed it had stepped on something and throughout last night the air was coming out from it.

「Ee……wait a second. Why are all our transportation methods are getting total annihilation――」

'At this timing!' Surely Kousuke was going to say that.

However, his words were interrupted.

By the sound of *snap-*.

Everyone's gazes were directed at the source of the sound――at the feet of Kousuke.

They splendidly snapped. The shoe strings. Both of the shoes.

「「「「「……」」」」」

――*Kaaaa! Kaaaa! Kaaaa!*

――*Nyaaa~~*

Manami spoke to Kousuke with a relatively grave expression.

「……Kou-nii. Are you going to die?」

If Kousuke departed like this…

Cold sweat was trickling from Kousuke's forehead.

Eiji, Misato, and then Sousuke too, they were sending him expression that seemed to want to say 「As expected, just cancel it!」.

Kousuke silently made his Treasure Warehouse shined. What came out were his spare shoes. This time it wasn't the type that used shoestring, but belt type shoes.

「Hey, Kousuke――」

「Don't say it, Tou-san. Unreasonableness, has to be fought without backing away!」

――*Kaaaa! Kaaaa! Kaaaa!*

――*Nyaaa~~*

――*Gurururururu-*

No, this wasn't a talk about unreasonableness anymore……

Ignoring his family who seemed to want to say that, Kousuke straddled Misato's granny bike with a severe expression.

And then,

「Then, I'm going!」

Kousuke dashed on granny bike while doing a wheelie from the momentum. While the countless crows and black cats, and then some stray dogs that were there when they noticed were crying out, a strangely sticky wind was blowing with Kousuke's departure.

Most likely, by making use of his thin shadow that wouldn't be perceived by anyone, midway Kousuke would surely rampage by doing "E.T" and the like, so even though he wasn't using car he would make it just barely in time to the airport.

「Kou-nii, will he be really fine?」

The hero who started his excessively ominous journey on a granny bike……

In respond to Manami's anxious voice, Eiji and Misato and Sousuke nodded in agreement.

–

AN: Thank you very much for reading this every time.

Thank you very much too for the thoughts, opinions, and reports about misspelling and omitted words.

This is the beginning of Abyss Lord's Vatican chapter.

Although, honestly I have no confidence that I will be able to write it strongly like the previous times.

And so, I'm thinking to write the story about ten chapters in the shape of a long part within the After.

Best regards!