Trails with Cuddle-Cuddle Osbon
Translator: Tsukii
Editor: Helen
Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!
Author Note:
I wrote this during breaktime, but I just couldn’t stop, so I decided to upload it.
The power of motivation is amazing~!
However, Beryl feels like a transcended witch somehow…
Chapter 007 – Fufufu, son. I Wasn’t Expecting This
“Crimson Slash!”
“Crescent Flash!”
“Gale!”
“Helix!”
Each of Rean’s attacks defeated monsters without fail, allowing the four to proceed through the basement of the old schoolhouse without much problem.
Rean had trained his body through training with Old Master and daily marathons, and his mind through Osbon’s training to control power of ogre, and earned the rank of intermediate in Eight Leaves One Blade school of swordsmanship, martial arts that utilized tachi, so for him, the monsters in the old schoolhouse were insignificant opponents.
In the first place, even if he didn’t use Craft (a combat technique), a single swing of his arm or thrust of his foot was enough to deal with them.
“Fatal Crimson Slash!”
“Fatal Crescent Flash!”
“Arcane Gale!”
“Fatal Helix!”
However, Rean was enthusiastic. He was very excited.
His power of ogre was on full display without being hidden whatsoever.
After all, this was a collaboration with another person who could see Osbon, her pet, a person who might able to see Osbon, and a person who believed in Osbon’s existence despite not being able to see it.
To put it bluntly, Rean was in the state of a child playing and having fun with his friends.
“Isn’t it okay to just leave all monsters for him to deal with?”
“Don’t say that, Celine. I won’t deny it, though.”
As Celine said that out of amazement due to Rean’s abnormal combat ability, Emma chided her familiar.
Considering that the two of them had heard about the nature of power of ogre beforehand, they were less surprised about Rean’s transformation and accepted it with understanding.
“Ufufu, it’s originally a request for Class VII and we can only do it this once, so why not think of it as taking a young lady’s graceful walk while being protected by an escort?”
Beryl, who didn’t show any particular response to the fact that Celine spoke as if she had already thought this was something obvious, was looking at the basement of the old schoolhouse with interest.
She was the only one who didn’t seem to bring any weapons with her, and the only thing she had was the crystal ball held up in her hand.
She seriously came to the old schoolhouse with the mood of taking a walk.
“But Rean-san looks like he is having so much fun, don’t you find yourself smiling as well?”
From Rosine’s perspective, who used to take care of children when helping out at church, the current Rean was practically like a child.
Rosine had her bowgun in hand in case of an unexpected event so she could follow-up, but Rosine herself understood that based on the current situation, her worries were unfounded.
[“Fufufu, son. You seem to be having a good time, but you shouldn’t leave them behind. Besides, did you notice?”]
“Aah. The underground structure seems completely different.”
Having exterminated all the monsters around him, Rean suppressed his excited mind and returned to seriousness.
He was the only one who thought he looked serious with his handsome face, while the other three people and one cat had wry smiles as they recalled his actions from earlier.
“Rean-san, what do you mean it seems completely different?”
“Back then during the entrance ceremony, Class VII, including Emma and I, used this place for orientation, but the entrance we entered at that time was much larger.”
“You’re right, the entrance was twice as big compared to this time and there was no door we had to pass through. Besides……”
Beyond Emma’s line of sight, there was a wide space and a pedestal-like thing sitting in the center of it.
Of course, there was no such thing there last time.
In addition, there was some kind of device placed there.
“That looks like a lift. The edition is different, but I’ve seen something similar.”
Unlike the other three who weren’t familiar with machines, Rosine appraised the device placed on the pedestal.
A nun and a machine were a strange combination, but considering the girl seemed to have prior experience of being involved with people with strange power, just like Rean, Osbon, and his power of ogre, Rean just considered that was just part of what Rosine had experienced.
[“Fufufu, son. Could you please put me on the pedestal?”]
“? Aah, what are you going to do?”
As he said that, Rean removed Osbon from his left arm and placed it on the pedestal.
Emma and Celine, who could see it, had the same reaction as Rean when Osbon left Rean for the first time, said “So it can actually be taken off…”
As Rean smiled wrily, the pedestal Osbon was placed on began to emit light, and the surrounding area was filled with spiritual energy.
A solemn atmosphere filled the room as spiritual energy filled it up.
The sudden impact and momentum that felt like it would cause an explosion and the three people and cat, except for Beryl, instinctively stepped back.
“Dad! What are you…”
[“Fufufu, considering your and their abilities, there’s no need for a pre-trial. I’ll just proceed with a slight omission.”]
“Omission…?”
“Ufufu, I see. So this is the Ashen’s Trial…”
“Beryl-san.”
Emma reacted to Beryl’s murmur.
The voice was unlike the usual Emma’s, as Rean felt it contained danger.
No, rather than danger, it’s more of a hostile warning?
Rean naturally stood between Emma and Beryl.
It felt like Emma’s eyes gave off a suspicious light beneath her glasses, but Rean ignored that and tried to calm her down.
However, it was Osbon who told them to wait.
[“Miss Emma, there’s nothing to be afraid of. I’m also curious about who Miss Beryl actually is, but what’s important now is that you have to guide one of you as the candidate for activation.”]
Emma was astonished at Osbon’s words, and Celine looked alternatively at Rean and Emma in turn out of confusion.
“Osbon-san… what are you…”
[“Fufufu, my daughter-in-law candidate.”]
“Shut up.”
Rean grabbed Osbon on the pedestal and slammed it to the ground as if trying to not let it say any more nonsense.
The next moment, it cuddled on Rean’s left arm as if that was the most natural thing to do, but Rean succeeded in stopping it from speaking.
“Sorry about that, Emma. Dad said some weird stuff.”
“Ah~, eh~, um…”
“Ufufu, it seems like something interesting is happening.”
“It feels frustrating since I can’t see or hear it, but I can imagine that Osbon-san is teasing Rean-san.”
“Rather than teasing me, it just causes trouble for Emma. I’d like to explain it to Rosine and Beryl, but… Emma, Celine. What do dad’s words mean? Um… I also intended to wait until Emma said it herself, but as expected, I can’t stay silent now it comes to this.”
Although Rean excitedly defeated the monsters and almost left the group behind earlier, Rean had excellent insight and eye for observation to begin with.
There was the earlier phenomenon, and he must have realized that the fact a facility like this existed in the basement of an ordinary academy was clearly weird.
Rosine spoke up, as if to buy time for Emma who remained silent.
“Although I don’t know if it’s correct, it’s probably from the Great Collapse… maybe some sort of legacy from the Dark Age?”
Rosine supplemented.
Her gaze was serious, but Rean felt the atmosphere that Rosine seemed “used to places like this” from her appearance.
Although Rosine was not a witch like Emma, she wasn’t an ordinary person at the very least.
This was the moment when Rean stopped considering Rosine as an ordinary commoner student.
But for now, Rean decided to ask questions about the phenomenon rather than raise questions of her origin.
“But this academy was built by Emperor Dreichels, right? No matter how early, this academy could only be 200 years old at most.”
“No, on the contrary, perhaps Emperor Dreichels established Thors Military Academy on top of this place because he knew of its existence.”
[“Fufufu, my son and Miss Rosine. I commend you for not stopping to speculate in front of the answer, but it’s better to wait for the person who knows the correct answer to make up her resolve.”]
“You’re going to explain this later, okay dad?”
[“Fufufu, this will be your homework —— or so I’d like to say, but well, it’s better to wait for her first.”]
“A planet intersected with a star of fate, huh. Ufufu.” 1
Everyone’s eyes focused on Emma.
Her body trembled at the gazes, and Celine, seeing her master like that, began to speak in Emma’s place, intending to reveal the true nature of this place.
“……This is a trial ground. It’s the place of one of Great Power that Emma and other witches have been watching over since ancient times——”
“Celine. You don’t have to continue. I’ll speak.”
“Emma…………”
“I’m sorry, everyone. It just happened so suddenly that I wasn’t prepared. Once again, I’m one from the Hexen Clan. Let me explain. This place is——”
——Unidentified hacking detected.
——Following the program code——vuvuvuvuvuvuvuvu———
——Manifesting the Gray Power——
In an instant, the world changed.
The scenery turned in an instant, from the basement of an old schoolhouse to a totally different space.
Rean instantly unsheathed his tachi and awakened his power of ogre so he could intercept attacks from any direction.
Rean’s black hair turned gray, and he emitted a reddish-black aura, and in response, the battlefield turned into a gray color and trembled.
Rosine reacted later but also took out her bowgun, and Beryl looked at the world filled with countless weapons with a smile.
“What is… this place…?”
——You WHO came WITHOUT trials——
Just then, a huge shadow appeared.
A being surrounded in shimmering black steam made the people present think it might be at least around 10 arges(meters) in size.
It looked like a dragon with four wings.
There was a flickering light floating above what was probably its head, carved like a pattern.
The aura surrounding that shadow was very similar to the power of ogre that Rean emitted.
“That… has a similar feeling to Rean-san’s… the source of power of ogre…?”
“No, that’s the guardian of the trial ground. It’s a gatekeeper that protects the Power that lies ahead. But right now, it is a vanguard to eliminate us who came without a trial——”
“Ufufu, it’s not on the level of a student having a cheat sheet on an exam, but having the teacher to solve the exam in their stead after all. Of course they would be angry.”
“This is not the time to be carefree, you know!”
——An Intervenor is found. And there are another five present, all WILL BE eliminated——
“Intervenor, and then it said five members…”
“Ufufu, I guess intervenor refers to Osbon-san, and the five includes Celine.”
“It seems that battle is inevitable.”
“What’s with that, I never heard that there’s something like this!”
While Emma and others were talking about the huge shadow, Rean was filled with fighting spirit.
Celine noticed that and made a fuss, but rather than that, Rean had something more important to ask.
“Do you actually see dad?”
Rean raised his left arm as if to show off Osbon.
The shadow dutifully answered.
——Positive. AND the Intervenor SHALL be annihilated——
After hearing those words, Rean’s mind was set.
“Dad, I have something I want to consult.”
“Rean-san…?!”
Emma was astonished for the nth time today.
Of all things he could have done, Rean actually approached the huge shadow alone.
Emma and others reprimanded him for that, but Rean held out his hands as if to tell them to stay still.
“Thanks, Rosine. If that’s really the source of the power of ogre, then there’s something I’d like to try.”
“N-no. There’s no guarantee your guess is——?!”
[“No, Miss Rosine. That would be the correct answer.”]
“This voice… could it be, are you Osbon-san?!”
Rean’s mouth twisted as he heard Rosine’s surprised voice.
He had no idea about the current situation at all, but there was one thing he understood.
This was the situation where Osbon’s voice could reach Rosine’s ear, and without a doubt, it was caused by the shadow in front of him.
In that case.
In that case.
In that case.
——If I absorb that, wouldn’t it make other people be able to see dad as well…?
It was an outrageous thought.
However, all that was on Rean’s mind was how to implement this possibility.
Once upon a time, Osbon made a nonsensical argument about the power of ogre, saying it could interfere with it because they were both something that could be seen yet couldn’t.
Perhaps the reality wasn’t actually like that, but Rean thought that if they were based on the same power, it meant that he might be able to do the same.
Therefore, Rean drew out even more of the power of ogre.
“Oooooooooohhhhhhhhhhh………… OOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH!!!!”
As he drew out more power, Rean was immersed with the power overflowing from his own heart.
His eyes were dyed crimson, and his pupils carried a sinister light that shone with gold color and seemingly eroding Rean.
“Hiih…”
Even though she was a familiar, Celine, who took the form of a cat, was terrified of Rean’s “ogre” due to her animal instinct.
Emma gripped her magic staff, and Rosine instinctively wielded her bowgun without concealing her tremor.
Beryl’s faint smile disappeared, and for the first time, her eyes colored with wariness.
“Sorry for scaring you. But I’m fine… I still have my sanity. I have no choice but to apologize about the appearance that suggests otherwise, though.”
Upon hearing the calm voice which was the complete opposite of the crushing, intimidating atmosphere he exuded, the girls’ tension eased a little.
Even so, while Rean’s voice vibrated because of the power of ogre, he spoke in his normal, casual tone.
“Emma, Celine.”
“Y-yes!”
“W-what…”
“I’m thinking of absorbing that thing, can you help me with that?”
““——————————EH?””
Emma and Celine’s voices overlapped.
The space that had been filled with so much tension now filled with silence.
As for the shadow that was looking down at Rean and others… It might be just my imagination, but it looks confused, thought Rosine.
“Beryl. Can you foresee whether that is possible?”
“Ufufu, no matter what I say, your resolve won’t change. I don’t even need to foresee that. Yet you’re still asking me?”
“Hahah, I guess I was a little worried… Rosine, if you see me go berserk, use your bowgun and shoot my heart. I think that will stop me. That would be the second time my heart got pierced, so I think I won’t die because of that, so don’t worry and feel free to shoot.”
“That doesn’t sound okay at all! Please don’t say that so carefreely…”
While making a short apology to Rosine, who screamed in agony, Rean still didn’t stop moving.
Upon seeing the unwavering determination from his back, Emma and others decided to support him, half out of desperation.
“Ufufu, it might not be a big help… but Rosine-san. Follow my instructions for the timing of shooting.”
“But can I, who doesn’t have much strength, accomplish it?”
“Ufufu, the thing that will be done from now on doesn’t require the use of ‘Stigma’ so rest assured.”
“…………I’ll do it.”
Beryl and Rosine voiced their insurance.
Rean was able to place his bet with a peace of mind.
The power of ogre shook the battlefield. Putting all of that into a single swordb, Rean leapt toward the shadow to unleash the greatest Craft he currently had.
The shadow swung its giant claw down as if to clash.
The tachi and fist collide.
The claw of shadow tore Rean apart, cutting him in half—— however, the Rean that was torn was a clone of himself, made of a mass of energy refined with the power of ogre, not his real body.
Seeing that, the shadow thrust its other fist toward Rean, but it was deflected by Rosine’s bowgun arrow.
The one who was the most surprised by that result was Rosine, the very person who shot the arrow.
It was because she didn’t think the bowgun she shot had the power to deflect the shadow’s fist.
However, the first thing that the bowgun arrow touched was Rean’s clone, which was pierced according to Beryl’s instruction.
The power of ogre that refined the clone covered the arrow, enveloping it, and produced a power that Rosine hadn’t expected.
That was the reason why Rosine’s arrow managed to stop the shadow’s fist.
Rean’s main body, upon receiving the support of his allies, used everything he had to unleash his power in order to absorb the shadow.
“Ashen—— Mortal Leaves!” 2
The blade released with all its strength sliced the shadow from the top of its head to its crotch in a single blow.
The bisected guardian—— the Gray Power, Loa Erebonius, was absorbed into Rean Schwarzer’s heart by Emma and Celine’s spell.
This was a prepared program and a technique wielded by one’s own will and soul.
The decisive battle of the two, in which the overwhelming difference in mass was overcome by the skill that had been honed with the spirit that unleashed them, caused the trial ground to collapse.
Author Note:
Rean
“It’s about becoming the trial itself.”3
Valimar
“Perhaps NOBODY will ride ME in THIS era…”
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