BXBX NOVEL Chapter 62: First Encounter
Chapter 62: First Encounter
Translator: ShiroiKaze/Soyokaze Translations
Hiya! So, probably a little know tidbit: Kaburagi Haruka has a third story in the same world as Hakai Me no Yuuri and Half-Dragon Slave Life. It’s called… Well, rough translation: And I’ve been binge-reading it lately.
Probably going to translate it in the future, but if someone else wants to take a crack at it, I wouldn’t complain ;D The author mentions that it’s supposed to be written in a way that doesn’t require knowing the previous stories to enjoy it. It has some major immediate Yuuri spoilers, but the only major Half-Dragon spoiler I noticed so far was from an author’s note at the end of one of the chapters.
Why am I mentioning this? I don’t know. Excuses for not releasing faster. And just because rambling. Enjoy some Yuuri below!
While the information gathering bore no fruit, the day turned to night.
Tonight, along with getting used to the city at night, I decided to go on a watch.
It’s quite late; late enough that only the more amorous establishments are still open.
To mix in with the darkness and avoid the eyes of others, I’m wearing a black mini dress and my magic power supply mantle, dyed in the same color. My legs are equipped with black knee socks, so my whole body is swathed in a black outfit.
On my head is a pointed hat, and my face is covered with a scarf, giving me a perfect set of equipment!
Yig is flying beside me almost like he’s a magical girl’s mascot character.
I’m wearing a hat today, which is why he can’t ride on my head.
“… It’s hot.”
This is not an outfit to wear in the summer… My sweat is in a constant drip.
The mantle and scarf in particular were mistakes. They’re trapping the heat and making it stuffy.
My skin is exposed only on the upper half of my face (with glasses), and the absolute territory. It’s less exposure than usual, but for some reason I sensed danger from Haster’s gaze.
I shouldn’t have tried a different magical girl appearance from the usual… He was about to rush straight into our nighttime warfare.
As such, since I didn’t know when Haster would begin his assault, I physically made him stay put. By wrapping him up in a rug.
“Anyway, let’s find a place where we’ve got a good view of the city. Maybe somewhere higher up will be a bit cooler?”
“Agya!”
A tall church for World Tree worship. I used [Flight] to run straight up to the top of its bell tower.
While gripping the spear-like pointed roof, I bathe in the night breeze and have all my trapped heat—
“—Not blown away at all. What the heck is with this lukewarm wind?!”
Come to think of it, this is a port city. In a city like this, the humidity and sea breeze are nothing to scoff at.
The sticky, lukewarm breeze coils about as it blows past, further increasing my discomfort.
“I lived further inland in my previous life, so this is my first time experiencing this feeling.”
“Mugyu~”
“Yig, you can’t blow cold breath or something, can you?”
“Ugyugyu!”
He shakes his head in denial, as if telling me not to ask the impossible.
This means I’ll have to think up a costume with better ventilation.
After entertaining myself through some light chit-chat with Yig, I began surveying the city.
First, with my normal eyesight, I get a general overview of the city.
The soldiers arrange torches at the street corners, so it’s not like the city is in total darkness, but there sure are plenty of streets sunk in darkness, where it would be hard to catch sight of someone.
Aside from the main road there are also a lot of complicated side roads, which means finding escape routes doesn’t look like it would be a problem.
“From the perspective of the one running away, this city is probably built in a way that makes escaping easy.”
Sound reverberated more loudly than I expected in the city at night, to the point where I could still hear the bustle from the red-light district.
So noise travels this far, huh… It would be hard to believe in the Japanese cities full of hustle and bustle.
Next I cast [Far Sight], and view the street corners in detail.
Most windows were closed, as might be expected at night, and there don’t seem to be many prying eyes.
Moreover, I didn’t notice it in the afternoon, but this city is constructed with more ups and downs than I expected, creating many blind spots.
“Hmmm, if chasing after someone here, the one doing the chasing is at a real disadvantage. Yig, it looks like your sky surveillance will be necessary for our success.”
“Agya!”
Yig puffs out his chest as if saying leave it to him. While flying, at that. How many tricks is this kid going to have?
Anyway, work comes first. I take out a map of the city I bought this afternoon, and roughly mark down the blind spots and dark areas.
“Wow, you’re so enthusiastic in your work, little lady.”
Startled by the sudden voice from behind me, I let my notes fall.
—I’m on top of the bell tower, and yet someone’s behind me?!
When I turned around, a woman was standing there in midair.
Her age was maybe about 14 or 15, like me? Er, could we please look past my outward appearance?
At first glance she had a charming appearance I think, with black clothing that suited her body perfectly.
Yeah… That is very much what I “think” I saw.
She is very clearly right in front of me. And yet I can’t get a grasp on her face. I can’t read her expression.
“An always-active [Recognition Blocking] spell, is it? Phantom thief Livyatan.”
“Close, but unfortunately not quite.”
“It’s not? Then are you actively using it? Is it a sustained long-lasting effect type?”
“Wrong again. The answer is… I don’t wanna tell you. More importantly, that little guy. He’s a bit scary; could you have him back off?”
In response to the unknown factor that suddenly appeared, Yig took an alert stance, and is now ready to fire off a breath at any time.
I don’t mind if he attacks right now, but… I’m interested in this magic that’s neither sustained, nor always-activated. I would like to talk a bit more.
“Yig, hold back for now. There are things I want to hear from her.”
“Shagya”
Responding to my intentions, Yig relaxes his breath preparation stance. In its stead, he jumps into my chest, and holds on to me.
If it comes down to it, he’ll act as my shield; that’s probably what he’s saying. He’s a brave child.
“First of all, I suppose I should say nice to meet you.”
“Hm? Oh right, I guess so. Nice to meet you, Yuuri.”
Wha—she knows my name? Where? From who?
“Looks like I don’t need to introduce myself. Who did you hear about me from?”
“You sure have a lot of questions. But well, I guess that’s a secret too? Right, like I’m protecting my source’s privacy I guess you could say.”
I send a glare of suspicion towards her. Of course, this glare is a fake.
While pretending to send my exasperation through my gaze, I use “Appraisal”.
—Name: Livyatan Age:16 Gender: Female Job: Phantom Thief
Gifts: Recognition Blocking (Can be disabled), Peerless Magic (Can be disabled), Trap Disabling
She’s a gift holder! And she has three. Moreover she has the same “Peerless Magic” as I have?
But really… I see, so the “Recognition Blocking” wasn’t from magic, but a gift’s effect?
I suppose that solves one mystery. Even so, though she’s a phantom thief, she doesn’t seem to have concealment or something of the sort.
“You surprised me by coming to meet me personally. What business might you have?”
“Right. I’m passing this to you.”
She took a single sealed letter from her pocket, and threw it to me.
I received it with unsteady hands, and checked the contents—
“Yig is going to be your…”
“Yes. He is my next trophy! A wyvern’s child is super rare!”
“He’s my family. I’m never handing him over to you!”
“Everyone says that. But you can’t run from my clutches.”
To think she would steal Yig… I’m not letting that happen!
“I won’t let you… Ever.”
“Well, I’m just giving you advance notice today. The real fun is in one week. You should probably make some good memories while you can.”
“If I catch you now, then there won’t be a next week for you, will there?”
“Hmmm, that’s pretty scary. Yup, too scary; I’ll run for today!”
“I won’t let you get away!”
I deploy a magic circle instantaneously. I jump towards the currently in [Flight] Livyatan.
Instead of dodging, she canceled [Flight], and fled toward the ground.
“You…!”
I draw Third Eye from my waist. While maintaining [Flight], I activate [Body Reinforcement] and begin bombarding from the sky.
Brutal explosive sounds burst from each impact as I made several craters in the ground.
—If I hit her, she’ll die? I don’t give a damn!
Anyone who would lay a hand of my family should go ahead and die!
“UuhHyahAaWAAaah?! You’re way too merciless!”
Livyatan made strange cries while dodging the arrows. Using that opening, I also got close to the ground and began the chase.
She ran down the stairs, which continued on from the higher elevation, as if she was running on flat land; she didn’t look anything like a klutzy phantom thief.
If it was me, I would undoubtedly fall and tumble down them, so without releasing [Flight], I continued my pursuit at a low altitude.
In addition, since I know her next target is Yig, letting him out of my sight would be dangerous, so I had him stick to my back.
“Hold still and let me hit you!”
“I’ll die if one of those hit me though?!”
She continues running as she turns around this way. Does she have a habit of turning around when she’s called out to?
But really, she’s unbelievably quick on her feet. She’s the field athletics type.
Speed-wise I’m faster, but I’m using [Flight] to avoid tripping, so I can’t make any sharp turns.
While running left and right in evasive maneuvers, Livyatan rushes into an alley.
—Th-that’s…!
Ahead of where she’s running I notice “a certain something,” and call out to her.
It’s a bit cliché, but if she’s clumsy, then she’ll probably fall for it.
“Livyatan, I’m telling you to stop!”
“Not a single villain would stop when told to~”
Sure enough, she turned around in response to my call…
“Eh? HYAWAaaaaaa—?!”
Sure enough, she fell into the open lidded gutter. She really is an idiot.
Reacting to her extreme idiocy, I stopped thinking for a moment.
I landed to apprehend her, and in that moment—
I slipped on some garbage that was on the ground, and magnificently toppled over… Onto the back of my head.
Gigantic stars scattered before my eyes. My vision turned pure white, and then my consciousness went to total blackness.
~*~
When I came to, Livyatan was nowhere to be found.
The damaged back of my head had bandages wrapped around it for some reason, and the fact that she gave me proper first aid… Made me hate her even more!
Damn yoooou!
~*~
“Oh, Yuuri. Welcome back.”
“Glad to be back, Haster.”
I respond to his greeting while he’s still wrapped up on the bed, and enter into the room.
The bandages would worry him, so I removed them.
“How did the city look?”
“I got a general look at it. There was a problem though.”
“Problem? Did something happen?”
“Livyatan appeared. She says Yig is the next target.”
I threw the letter I received from her onto the table, and removed my mantle and scarf.
There’s a quickly made “Air conditioner” I installed in the room, so it’s very cool.
“Hey, I hope you didn’t do anything dangerous!”
“I didn’t. I did make a short chase though…”
“As long as you’re fine… So, what were the results?”
“Ugh, let’s just call it a draw.”
“If she got away, then wouldn’t that be a loss?”
I neutralized her! I just made a mistake in dealing with her afterward.
“I don’t want to talk about it. I’m taking a bath; I sweat way too much.”
“Hey, could you undo this?”
“No can do. You turn into a wild animal at bath time. You can just be my body pillow tonight.”
“Aw come on, you’re torturing me here!”
“Restraining yourself sometimes is good for the body you know?”
“I have never heard that.”
Well, I’ll talk about it in detail with mister Oreas included in the discussion, and that can wait until tomorrow.
My mind is filled with anger right now, so I can’t make any calm decisions.
And so, when I got out of the bath, I used Haster as a body pillow to soothe myself as much as I needed, and fell asleep.
At dawn, his patience reached its limit, he ripped apart the ropes with [Body Reinforcement], and it goes without saying that he turned into a complete beast.