Metal Slime 281.1
Chapter 281: Departure
TL : Cnine
ED/PF :
Part 1
At the very moment Rui and Yūuma crossed paths, the Flaming Sword struck the black monster’s back.
When the slash struck directly, a fierce explosion erupted, scattering flames all around. Yuūma halted and looked back over his shoulder.
「HAHAHAHA~~~！IT DOESN'T WORK AS LONG AS I PROTECTING MYSELF WITH "MAGICAL POWER OF WATER"!!」
When Yūuma raised his voice loudly, Rui responded with a smile.
「Then, shall we do a little test?」
「Eh?」
Hearing Rui spoke as if it was not a big deal, Yūuma felt a sense of dread. By the time he realised it, Rui had vanished, and slashes were flying at him from every direction.
Rui darted about at blinding speed.
Each time the sword struck, an explosion went off, and Yūuma couldn’t keep up with Rui's speed. He was reduced to being beaten one-sidedly.
「HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!」
Explosions burst from slashes all across his body. Enveloped in Magical Power of Water, he took no damage, but the shock knocked him onto his backside.
Shaking his head, he pushed himself upright, but unable to keep up with Rui’s super-fast movements, he was once again beaten down relentlessly.
「KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!」
Yūuma stomped his feet on the ground in frustration.
---Damn it! If I use Magical Power of Wind to try and keep up with his speed, I won’t be able to defend against Rui’s explosion magic.
---But if I use Magical Power of Water to boost my defence, then I won’t be able to keep up with his speed.
In short, Rui was a bad match for him. The finesse to swiftly switch between Wind and Water was something that Yuuma didn’t possess right now.
He continued the mock battle with Rui, but while he took over five hundred flaming slashes, not a single one of his own attacks landed on Rui.
What struck him once again was that when Rui’s flaming slashes were combined with the speed of the Donker Ritter (Black Knight), it became a force as overwhelming as giving a demon an iron club.
In the end, the mock combat ended without him landing a single blow, but those who had been watching honoured him with thunderous applause.
Having released his transformation, Yūuma scratched his head awkwardly,
---"Well, as long as it cheered them up, then I guess it’s fine,” He thought, pulling himself together.
◇◇◇
「Are you really going to head to UK?」
As the duo was about to leave after bidding farewell to the Germans, Felix suddenly spoke up with a question.
「Yeah, that's the plan. Unfortunately, we don't know the direction.」
Rui replied with a frown on his face. He and Yūuma were now in front of the underground district’s entrance, about to board their truck.
Around them were the people from the underground district who had come to see them off, along with Emilia, Müller, and Wolfgang.
「I see now. You wouldn’t have come to such a dangerous place just to help Germany. So there must be a greater purpose behind it.」
Emilia, who had been listening to the conversation, interrupted.
「Are you by chance... On the way to challenge the 【Blue King】?」
Yūuma scratched his nose with a finger, let out a thoughtful humm and then replied.
「It's not like our goal is to defeat the 【Blue King】... But it might end up that way. If it does, I’ll just give it everything I’ve got.」
The people around them raised a marvelled voice. To them, whether it was the 【Blue King】 or the Konglomerat, both were equally terrifying monsters.
But in reality, the 【Blue King】 was by far the more terrifying monster.
Understanding that, Müller adjusted his glasses and looked at Yūuma.
「Allow me to speak out of concern, but even for you, defeating the 【Blue King】 will not be an easy feat. For the sake of safety, it would be better not to go. Britain as it is now is a hell far worse than this place.」
Rui and Yūuma exchanged glances. Yūuma broke into a grin and looked back at Müller.
「Thank you, Müller-san. But it’s all right. We’ve already defeated the 【Red King】, and the 【Green King】 in India. Even if the 【Blue King】 stands in our way, what we have to do won’t change.」
Hearing Yūuma’s resolute words, Müller, Emilia, Felix, and the others gasped.
「I see... You've defeated two 【King】 along the way huh.」
Müller smiling lightly, closed his eyes, and shook his head.
「…I see. Now I finally understand what you meant when you said you wouldn’t lose to monsters of this level after seeing the Konglomerat. I’ve nothing left to say then, go, and Godspeed.」
Seeing Müller stretch his hand for a handshake, both Rui and Yuuma accepted that strong handshake.
After that, they exchanged handshakes with Emilia and Wolfgang too, and when Yuuma held out his hand to Felix, Felix raised an eyebrow and said, “Hey now.”
「What's that for, it's not like you guys are going to go by yourselves!」
「「Eh?」」
Rui and Yuuma raised their voices at the same time. Felix scratched his head roughly with a “Good grief…”
「Let me ask you then, how on earth do you lot plan on getting to UK!? It’s not like going by air or sea is that easy, you know?」
「For now, we’re thinking of taking a ship from Hamburg port…」
Rui replied timidly, and Felix’s gaze grew even harsher upon hearing that reply.
「Do you think it's that simple!? Even if you get hold of a ship, how are you going to sail it? Do you even have a licence!?」
Yuuma and Rui could only mumble “Uuh…” without being able to retort. They realized that they underestimated the problem of transportation and only thinking optimistically that they'd be able to manage it somehow.
「I used to live in Hamburg, so I'm pretty familiar with the city. And Werner’s got a boating licence. If we come along, we can send you guys to UK.」
「Eh? So that means...」
Rui stared at Felix in shock.
「Yeah, Werner and I will go with you. Think of it as a small token of gratitude from us. We’ll take responsibility until you arrive in UK.」
「B-But… There are still the evacuations for the people here. Wouldn’t it be bad if you and the others weren’t around, Felix?」
Even if they could leave Berlin, reaching somewhere safe wouldn’t be easy. There were monsters outside Berlin as well.
Normally, they should have escorted the people to a safe place. Instead, Yuuma and Rui chose to focus on their original goal since they were running against time.
And yet, the people of Germany accepted their decision and saw them off with smiles.
They knew that Yuuma and Rui had already done more than enough for them. After all, Felix and Werner were the guides that Yuuma and Rui needed the most right now.
「We’re leaving these folks in Emilia’s care. There’s also Müller-san and Wolfgang. They might look like a weak bunch to you, but they’ve survived even in a world like this. Don’t underestimate them.」
When Felix gave a sharp grin, a boy came running, pushing his way through the crowd.
「Felix! I’m here too. I’ll protect everyone from the monsters!」
It was Louise who made the bold declaration. When Yuuma glanced over, he saw that pistol hanging at Louise’s waist, holstered at his side.
Felix chuckled softly, crouched down, and ruffled Louise’s hair.
「That’s right. I’m counting on you, Louise. Make sure everyone gets evacuated safely.」
「Got it. Likewise Felix, make sure you get those people safely to UK too.」
「Yeah, leave it to me!」
Felix stood up and looked at Yuuma and the others.
「Well, that’s how it is. Even if you don’t like it, I’m coming with you. I’m the sort who can’t rest easy without paying back what I owe. Werner’s the same, right?」
「Ah, you're right.」
The bald-headed Werner also broke into a grin. Realising there was no way of refusing, Rui and Yuuma exchanged glances and gave wry smiles.
In the end, the four of them decided to go, and began preparing for departure.
Rui handed over part of the food from the container to Emilia and the others, then stepped on the accelerator and set the truck in motion.
Waving goodbye to Emilia, Müller, Wolfgang, people of Zar community, and the people of the underground district, the truck rumbled along the rough road.
「Let me know if you get tired. I’ll take over the driving.」
Hearing Felix’s words from the cramped back seat, Rui expressed his gratitude with “Thank you very much.”
Even for a truck, squeezing four people in was rather a tight fit. Felix was asked to sit in the back seat, as for Werner, he had to put up with riding in the container.
On the one hand, Yūuma wondered, “Is it really all right to bring ordinary people along?” Yet on the other, he also felt reassured by having Felix and the others with him.
The truck rattled and shook as it sped on towards the 『Harbour City』 of Hamburg.