Chapter 84 - Battle City (4)

An ordinary bus was roughly thirteen meters long or less. The distance between Yohan and Ioannis was shorter still, making for an even smaller arena.

Grizzly closed that gap in an instant and swung an arm.

Though Ioannis could not see it, he felt the air quiver. He stamped his foot and swung his greatsword.

'Thousand-Pound Weight.'

He anchored his center of gravity.

KABOOM!

The rippling pattern on the enchanted sword cleaved the night as the blade struck empty air.

KABOOM!

The impact spread, rocking the bus violently.

THUD! BOOM!

Caught off guard by the sudden impact, the bus passengers screamed, with no idea what was happening.

"Huh? Aaaaaah!"

"Oh, goodness!"

"A-an accident?"

Even then, the battle continued. Grizzly lashed out with both arms, one after another.

"Graaah!"

Ioannis used his footwork to narrowly evade the blows he had to dodge, then raised his greatsword overhead and set his stance. Spinning with the force of his body and centrifugal momentum, he blocked the attacks.

BANG! BANG! BOOM!

In a few brief seconds, they exchanged several blows amid flashes of light.

CLANG!

Yet Ioannis was steadily driven back, like a boxer being maneuvered into a corner.

"—!"

His muscles and bones trembled and screamed. Jumping off the moving bus would be better than facing this monster, but...

Ioannis swiftly stepped sideways. A hole opened in the bus roof where he had stood a moment before.

KABOOM!

The passengers' screams rang out.

"Aaaaaaaaah!"

Ioannis gritted his teeth at the thrill of that narrow escape, his eyes crinkling in a smile.

... But wouldn't that be boring?

'Besides...'

As the bus sped along, the city's glittering imitation starlight unfolded around them. People screamed.

"S-stop the bus!"

The surrounding cars blared their horns urgently.

HOOONK! HONK! HONK!

Savoring the moment, Ioannis looked at Yohan beyond the invisible monster.

A rectangular moving stage for just the two of them.

He raised his sword and took his stance. Besides, his partner had prepared such a wonderful place for their date. Backing out would be unmanly.

"Whew..."

... The only problem was that, at this rate, he would ultimately be overpowered and killed.

WHOOOSH!

The winter wind brushed his face as the bus sped along. With the wind blowing against him from his current position, Greek fire would be awkward to use.

Grizzly thrust out an arm again. So Ioannis kicked off the bus and leaped high into the air.

THUMP!

"Graa?"

Vaulting over Grizzly into the night sky, he twisted in midair and landed at the front of the bus roof. Now he faced Yohan with nothing in his way.

Target the magician controlling the summon. It was the basic way to deal with a powerful summoned creature.

And the instant he landed, an unexpected blow met him.

"—!"

A silver blade thrust toward him, and he blocked it with the flat of his sword.

CLANG!

The silver sword in Yohan's hand gleamed in the darkness. Alphonse's silver sword—recovered after his death, and now belonging to Yohan—swung through the air.

Ioannis knocked aside the surprisingly powerful thrust. Seeing Yohan with a grimoire in one hand and a sword in the other, he cried out in delight.

"Haha! Are you a seventeenth-century university student?"

Without answering, I quickly bent my knees and ducked.

The moment I saw Ioannis jump, I had drawn the one-handed sword hidden beneath my coat, turned around, and attacked without hesitation. Of course, I didn't think a little physical enhancement from breathing techniques would let me beat a swordmaster vampire in close combat. I had simply thrust first, before he could ambush me.

Which was why...

'I'm counting on you, Grizzly.'

"Graaah!"

Grizzly lashed out over my ducked head.

But seeing Yohan duck, Ioannis bent one knee at the same time and evaded the blow in exactly the same way.

"~."

"..."

Glittering blue eyes and calm black eyes tinged with irritation glared at each other.

A very brief standoff.

VROOOM!

Then the hyenas that had caught the scent joined in.

Mercenaries in helmets and riding suits approached the bus on motorcycles, ignoring every traffic rule.

RAT-TAT-TAT!

They aimed pistols at Yohan and Ioannis and opened fire.

RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!

Stray bullets skimmed over the bus roof.

It was an apocalyptic bus ride, plain and simple.

Pedestrians gaped at the sight, unable to believe their eyes.

"... What the hell?"

"They're filming a movie? No, right?"

Of course not.

Team Leader Park of the Special Response Section scowled at the magicians and mercenaries wreaking havoc in plain sight.

"Those crazy bastards!"

The other operatives were equally dismayed by the speeding bus. They had been moving through the streets, affixing talismans to prepare a people-repelling spell—a variation on their uncanny-repelling spell that kept civilians out by making them feel uneasy.

Lee Hyeeun, a female operative on Special Response Section Team Three, spoke in alarm.

"W-what do we do, Team Leader Sion!?"

At this rate, those bikers would keep toying with the poor bus as it got farther away.

Then Sion spotted Yohan in his white coat atop the bus.

"... Yohan? I'll open fire."

She made her decision quickly and took a firing stance.

"What? At the bus?"

Hyeeun asked in shock. Following Sion's lead, Team Leader Park fired his pistol at the tires of the mercenaries' motorcycles and shouted to her.

"The motorcycles!"

BANG! BANG! CRASH! BANG!

"Yes! Ah!?"

As they fired at the motorcycles to hold the mercenaries at bay, Hyeeun's bullet struck the bus's rear tire dead-on.

SCREEEECH!

The bus lurched.

The driver had been trying desperately to pull over near the sidewalk, flustered by the motorcycles crowding around him. When even his tire blew out, he shouted.

"You! You! What the hell is wrong with these lunatics!?"

He slammed on the brakes. The swaying bus came to an abrupt halt.

"—!"

Yohan and Ioannis were flung off its roof.

Ioannis couldn't contain his laughter.

"Hahaha! What a complete mess!"

WHOOSH!

"Aaaaaaaaah!"

Feeling as though I was riding a roller coaster without a safety bar, I screamed as I flew through the air.

"Gya-gya!"

Grizzly hastily snatched up his master, cradled me in his arms, and curled into a ball.

WHOOOSH! CRASH! SMASH! THUD!

We flew straight through a shopping mall's storefront window and tumbled over and over into the mall.

Ioannis spun in midair and landed with flair. Soon afterward, Mia caught up with the other vampires, his face expressing worry and curses simultaneously.

"Master!"

"Save the scolding for later, in bed."

Soothing his worried, adorable lover, Ioannis headed toward the mall.

"D-don't say things like that!"

Mia blushed and followed, directing the vampires.

"Yohan!"

Sion cried out in alarm and tried to run toward him, but—

BANG!

The mercenaries got to their feet. They might have ignored road safety rules, but their helmets and protective gear had kept them safe. They returned fire at the Special Response Section.

"Aaaaaah!"

Panicked pedestrians fled. Through the bus windows, Sion could see the frightened civilians inside.

For now, evacuating the civilians here was the Special Response Section's duty.

Her black eyes wavered for a moment before narrowing calmly.

"I'm engaging now. Please evacuate the civilians."

She spoke to Team Leader Park and Hyeeun, then requested support over the radio.

"... And I've located Ioannis, head of the Madas clan. Director, requesting your support."

Thinking of Yohan tumbling away, she called for the strongest reinforcement available: Shin Doryong.

Then, without hesitation—or to finish things quickly—she acted.

CLANG!

Drawing the Four-Tiger Sword in one hand, Sion charged, deflecting bullets and subduing the mercenaries.

SLASH!

Subduing them or not, this was no time to pull her punches. She showed no mercy to those who resisted, cutting them down with her sword or—

BANG! BANG!

—dropping them with her pistol.

* * *

A spacious, well-appointed shopping mall hall.

"Gyaa..."

With Grizzly licking my cheek, I rose from his embrace.

"... Thanks. I'm okay."

I quickly turned my head, taking stock of my surroundings. Apparently, the bus's sudden stop had sent us flying into the mall. There was nobody else around; perhaps they had already heard the commotion and fled.

"..."

... That vampire, Ioannis, must have landed elsewhere. But I didn't think being thrown apart like this would somehow bring the fight to an end. He had gone out of his way to follow me onto a bus. He would see this through.

And just as expected...

RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!

A hail of bullets shattered the mall's glass doors, and the vampires entered.

Standing at their head, Ioannis snapped his fingers. Arrows of ominous green flame flew toward us, setting the mall ablaze.

"—?!"

Grizzly and I scrambled out of the way, but lines of flame sprang up from the floor as well, cutting off our retreat.

I narrowed my eyes. Conjuring fire was impressive, but...

This was a large shopping mall.

The fire alarm soon sounded, and the sprinklers activated.

SHHHHH!

Water sprayed down from overhead.

... But then I realized something was wrong. The flames weren't weakening. Amid the pouring streams of water, the green fire surged even more brilliantly.

WHOOOSH!

Ioannis's relaxed voice rang out.

"Water won't put out Greek fire."

The green flames spread and splashed upon contact with the water, landing on my coat.

"—!?"

FWOOSH!

The tiny ember instantly swelled, climbing greedily upward.

My eyes widened as my mind raced.

'It won't go out? How? First, take off my coat—then what? How do I deal with it?'

Then the gnomes' voices rang out.

"Eeeek! Spray the extinguisher! Gnome!"

"Gnome! Waaah!"

Startled by the fire, two gnomes scurried off and brought back a fire extinguisher from the mall hall. One held the canister while the other gripped the nozzle and sprayed white powder.

SHHHHHHH!

The snow-white powder spread, extinguishing the Greek fire on my coat.

The gnomes rejoiced, their eyes sparkling at the sight.

"Gnomes put out fire! Gnomes saved Master!"

"Now gnomes are first-class firefighters too, gnome!"

Apart from the delighted gnomes, an awkward silence settled over everyone.

"..."

Well, it really was a relief, but...

I looked at Ioannis and spoke, still somewhat dazed.

"... It went out, though?"

"Fire needs heat, fuel, and oxygen to burn... Fire extinguishers work by cutting off the oxygen."

Ioannis's eyes lowered.

"People tend to underestimate fire extinguishers... but they're a product of modern science, created by learned scientists putting their heads together to figure out how to put out fires."

My eyes lowered too.

Enemy or not, as a fellow magician, I couldn't help feeling a little somber.

Greek fire... Even its name was cool, and a fire extinguisher had shut it down.

Modern science was way too strong.