Eiko had no idea what 2V was plotting.
“Find some reason to bring Yuko Hattori to the command tent,” Eiko told the messenger. Then she ended the call and smiled. “Alright, Junko Hattori, time for you to do your job!”
○
“What...?” Junko had no idea what to say.
She couldn’t believe the order she’d been given. She’d been told to kill the Student Council President.
“I’ve heard rumors that you killed your father. This isn’t your way of trying to bury the truth, is it?”
On the surface, Junko was still calm, but her lips were shaking. She’d heard the rumors a moment ago.
“Do I seem like the kind of girl who’d do something like that? We’re in the middle of an operation. Shut your mouth.”
—You do! That’s why I said it!
But Junko only thought those words, she didn’t say them. Instead she answered in a trembling voice...
“Yes, it’s not something I should be saying where others can hear me,” Junko said. “But I can’t do this without a reason. The Student Council President isn’t part of the Demon King’s armies.”
“I’m not asking for your opinion on this. Before I called you, I ordered Yuko the idol sent to my tent. I told the media, too. They’re happy that they’ll get a safe place to interview her.”
“Wh-What are you trying to say?”
Junko hurriedly looked around her. Yuko was gone, and so were the reporter and cameraman.
“I don’t know what’s got the Student Council President so riled up, but wouldn’t it be beautiful if the idol got hurt trying to protect her commander on the battlefield?”
“Eiko Teruya!” Junko screamed.
—Is she willing to go that far?!
At this point, it was clear that she’d killed her father to become high priest. From the way she was acting and the way the battle was going, there was no doubt about it. That would explain Akuto’s anger, too.
—So the honor of the high priest means nothing now? No, somebody must be using the system for evil ends. I’d heard bad rumors about the head of the Teruya clan, but I didn’t think they’d go this far...! This whole war was just to advance Eiko’s position! No, all the battles that have happened so far happened because of the Teruyas! I can’t even imagine how many people died... I heard the dark rumors, too. I tried to convince myself that this was necessary to keep order. But...
“Everyone! Your new orders are to stop anyone heading for the command tent!”
But now she had no choice but to stop Lily.
—I’m an idiot. I’m working to uphold a system where the high priest rules...
Junko gave her orders to the Hattori ninjas. The ninjas gave up on fighting the demon beasts and started to move, with Junko in the lead.
—So Akuto Sai was right all along? It was his fault that all this happened. But it could also be said that he’s brought the dark secrets of the Teruya to light. Did he know about them, and that’s why he’s so mad?
She wanted to talk to him... But...
When she’d seen the Genkaku crash into Akuto and Peterhausen and ram them into the school building, she’d been overcome by despair. But it was Yuko who’d saved her. If the demon beast blood was still pulsing within Yuko, it meant that Akuto was still alive.
—If you’re alive, then prove you’re the Demon King! Prove that you’re unstoppable, that you can overturn this rotten system in a single strike!
“What am I supposed to be doing here?”
Yuko was surprised that she’d been summoned to the command tent. She could understand that she was supposed to be kept away from the demon beasts, but she didn’t understand why there was nothing for her to do but give interviews.
“Do you think that peace has returned now that the Demon King is gone?”
The reporter, clearly relieved to be back in the safe area, was pointing the microphone at her. It seemed like they hadn’t noticed Lily’s approach. Maybe they didn’t think that Lily was important enough to matter, or maybe they just didn’t understand what was going on.
“The battle’s still going on. We can’t let our guard down.”
But Yuko understood the flow of the battle. Something didn’t make sense. Even this place didn’t feel safe to her at all. More than anything, there was one thing that she knew and nobody else did.
“And what’s more, the Demon King is still alive.”
The people around her began to murmur.
“Wh-What do you mean?” the reporter asked.
“It’s just intuition, but I can tell. Oh...!”
Suddenly she stopped talking and looked out in the distance. The Hattori forces had started to face off against Lily.
“My sister...” Yuko pointed towards the direction of the battle.
Eiko saw that things were coming to a head, and had the cameraman and reporter leave.
“I’m sorry. This place might be dangerous soon. Can you leave us for a while?”
Eiko chased the media away, and then stood behind Yuko as she watched Lily and Junko with glee.
Lily had stopped when she’d seen this new, powerful foe appear. She was starting to run out of strength. Normal soldiers, she could handle, but she didn’t have the strength to face the Hattori ninjas. She came to a halt when she blocked one of the ninja’s attacks, and then she saw Junko taking command.
“You’re one of our students,” Lily said, motioning for the enraged Kanna to stay put. “Why are you stopping me? You don’t believe a word Eiko Teruya says, do you?”
Junko grimaced as she turned towards the tent. She said nothing, but Lily understood what she meant.
“Oh, she took a hostage, huh? But even without that, your family wouldn’t let you disobey the Teruya, would they?”
When she heard the sarcasm in Lily’s voice, Junko finally let her emotions show.
“If you know, then why are you even asking?!”
“Hmph. That’s a good question. Because I want to bully you.” Lily grinned.
“I may not hurt you, but my clan’s ninjas are very short-tempered. I can’t guarantee you’ll survive!”
As if Junko’s words were a signal, the Hattori ninjas all rushed at Lily at once.
“Iga Ninja Technique: Five Pointed Magic Circle!”
The technique hadn’t worked on Akuto, but when the five ninjas leapt at the exhausted Lily, she was only able to down two before the other three got close. Kanna ran between them and Lily, but she was only able to block the next two. The last ninja got behind her and attacked with his katana.
“Gaah!” Lily dropped to her knees. She swung her fist backwards as she fell, but the ninja was already out of reach. Then she spat, “You used the dull edge of the blade... I guess you must not think I’m much of a threat. I don’t like it... when people show me pity.”
“Stop this, President. We might still be able to work this out.”
Junko had calmed down a little, it seemed, because she was now trying to reason with Lily. But of course, Lily wasn’t interested.
“Fool. How can you be so naive? If you think you’re right about something, then just do it. Forget about your family. Forget about other people. If somebody is aiding something that’s wrong, whether they’re a good person, a weak person, or a friend of yours, they still deserve to die.” Lily stood up.
“Tch...” Junko grimaced. If she gave the order, the Hattori ninjas would attack without hesitation.
“Do it...”
Eiko smiled as she put her hand into her jacket. Yuko was sitting right in front of her — all she had to do was draw the blade in her jacket and strike, and she could cut off Yuko’s head. Eiko knew that Junko was constantly watching her.
2V observed the scene calmly.
—I suppose it’s time.
He quietly focused his mind, his expression remaining unchanged. His dolls began to move.
Junko closed her eyes and brought down her hand to give the order.
The
Hattori ninjas leapt.
“Iga Ninja Technique: Five Pointed Magic Circle!”
But their technique was never finished.
“Gwah!”
“Uwah!”
The ninjas screamed and fell.
“What happened?” Junko looked around her.
Shockingly enough, the ninjas had been felled by ordinary soldiers.
“...What’s going on?” Junko didn’t understand what had just happened.
Five soldiers with rifles were standing in front of Lily and Kanna. There was smoke rising from the barrels of their guns. They were the ones who had shot the ninjas down as they attacked.
But even if they’d caught the ninjas off guard, it was almost impossible for normal soldiers without magic to hit a moving ninja.
Lily knew that as well.
“Who are you people...?” She looked suspiciously at the soldiers who’d protected her.
“People who believe that Eiko Teruya killed her father,” one of the soldiers responded.
Then the soldiers started to move. Three advanced quickly, while the remaining two provided cover fire. Amazingly, their teamwork and speed were superior to the ninjas’.
“Impossible!” Junko was baffled at what was unfolding before her very eyes. The five soldiers began to take down one ninja after another.
“I can’t say I like this at all...”
Lily began to walk towards Junko. The ninjas were too busy dealing with the soldiers, so the only thing standing between Lily and Eiko’s tent was Junko.
“...What the heck is going on here?!” Junko asked in confusion.
“One of the members of C-MID8 is supposed to be able to control dolls. He’s probably in the command tent. Now, I feel bad for your sister, and I’ll save her if I can, but don’t hate me if I fail.” Lily took another silent step towards Junko.
“Tch...” Junko finally understood what was going on. Eiko was at fault for everything. But there was nothing she could do.
—I have to fight!
She steadied herself for battle.
“Iga Ninja Technique: Distorted Moonshadow!”
Junko created a clone of herself, and the two Junkos attacked Lily at once.
“Hmph. I’ve got two arms, you know.” Lily laughed, and she punched each clone with a different arm.
—N-No! I can’t lose this easily!
Junko kept blocking the punches, but as the blows rattled her brain she realized that it was losing its ability to give orders to her body.
—She’s far too strong...
Junko and the clone both collapsed, and the clone disappeared.
The Student Council President had defeated her easily once before. But this time, she felt far more powerless than she had before. This time, it was different. If she wasn’t strong, she couldn’t protect anything.
—D-Damn it...
She moved her unsteady hand down towards the Sohaya no Tsurugi. But she couldn’t draw it.
—My feelings are strong... Is that not good enough?
Junko wept tears of frustration.
“Eiko Teruya!” Lily leapt at Eiko.
“Y-You fool! Don’t you care what happens to her...?!” Eiko put an arm around Yuko’s neck and drew her dagger, but Lily didn’t even flinch.
“I don’t care! I can have vengeance quickly by killing you!”
“Aaah!”
Eiko swung her dagger.
“Kyaaah!” Yuko screamed.
But—
“What?!”
“Uwwooah!”
“Kyaaah!”
Lily, Eiko, and Yuko all screamed at once.
A gust of wind had blown between them.
○
Lily’s fist had landed on his back.
Eiko’s dagger was stopped by his left hand.
And in his right arm, he was holding Yuko.
“I’m keeping my promise,” Brave whispered to Yuko.
“Brave!” Yuko shouted with joy.
“I’m going to go away for a little, but it’ll be okay, alright?” Brave said as he left the tent and flew up into the sky.
It all happened too fast for Lily, Eiko, or 2V to react.
Boichiro was in the sky above them, standing on top of his giant sword, which seemed to have flying powers. Hiroshi stood next to him, still holding Yuko. Boichiro was holding a girl as well — Keena.
“Is that who you wanted to save?” Boichiro asked. Hiroshi nodded.
“That’s why I wanted the suit back. That’s why I’m helping you,” Hiroshi replied.
“You don’t need to truly sympathize with me. But I will ask for your cooperation for a while,” Boichiro said, and the two of them left the battlefield.
○
“I don’t know what just happened, but I’m glad it did!” Lily smiled cruelly.
Eiko realized there was nothing left to protect her, and her face twisted in fear. She’d seen how quickly Junko had gone down, and she and Junko were at about the same level of strength. She wasn’t stupid enough that she failed to recognize Lily’s power.
“2V!” Eiko turned towards 2V for help. But he was simply sitting in his chair and smiling.
“Prepare to die!” Lily howled.
Eiko went down in a hail of punches.
“Dorryaaaah!”
Lily kept punching even after she fell. Even after Eiko stopped moving on the floor, Lily kept punching.
“Dorryaaaaaaah!”
Lily could hear snapping sounds as she kept punching.
“P-President! Stop!” Kanna said when she finally caught up.
“Hmm?” Lily realized what was wrong and stopped.
“Crap...!”
Lily had been punching a wooden log that was wearing Eiko’s jacket.
“An escape technique! Running away is the one thing she’s good at...!” Lily hissed as she grit her teeth.
2V laughed. Lily turned to glare at him. He muttered a soft apology and then pointed to the horizon. They could see her running towards the Teruya army.
“I came all this way and I have to start over?!” Lily howled.
“Yes, it’s a shame. Good work, though,” 2V said.
Lily glared at him again, but he just shrugged.
“You’ve succeeded in destroying her ambitions of leadership. You seem to have evidence she killed her father, too. So there’s no need to be so upset.”
“Are you the one they call 2V?”
“Don’t look so angry. I’m not here to fight. For now, why don’t we cooperate? C-MID8 wants the same thing you do.” 2V’s voice remained cheerful as he continued, “We want the Demon King defeated, and the Teruyas removed from power. And it looks like we’re about to get both of these things. You give me the information I need, and I’ll make sure it’s put to the best use it can be. That will solve everything.”
“I don’t like you. I don’t like you at all,” Lily said. Her voice was low.
She understood what he was saying. If she did what 2V wanted, whether the Demon King was alive or dead, Eiko was finished. If Eiko was stripped of command, authority would go to the next person down the chain, presumably the commander of the Genkaku. That would be all it took to calm things down.
But...
“I’m not here to fight for peace, or to put an end to all this,” Lily said firmly. “I’ve been looking into this for a long time. I’ve been trying to find out if C-MID8 is trying to overthrow the empire. If maybe they’ve even turned on their leader, and are trying to use his mysterious ambitions for their own ends.”
2V laughed as if he found that funny.
“Hahaha! You found all that out, huh? I’m impressed! Even we were shocked when we heard what Boichiro was after. But then we started to think there might be some things even he hadn’t noticed. And we couldn’t believe what wonderful things we found! He was lying to us about who he is and what he wants. So there’s no reason for us to help him, unless it benefits us!”
“Then tell me what it is that
you want. What’s more important in this country than the battle between the gods and the Demon King?”
“I told you, relax. If you help us, I’ll tell you our secret.”
“Shut up. I’m a little too stubborn for that.”
“Oh dear. I see you’re a tough, tiny little girl.”
“Tiny... You’re dead, you know that?” Lily’s voice dropped low as 2V laughed.
She put her hand up to the hat she was wearing, and then pulled it to the side to turn the brim around. The smiley face on the hat turned to an angry face. It was a sign she made when her anger was beyond her control.
“There’s nothing for you to gain by fighting me!” 2V complained.
The dolls who had been fighting the Hattori clan instantly returned, and charged at Lily.
“President!” Kanna screamed in warning.
Lily had very little strength left. She knew it, too.
“Shut up! I need to use my best technique, or I just won’t feel right!”
Lily stretched out her arms, and flailed them around her body. But they weren’t hitting anything. The stretched out arms wrapped around and around her body tightly. She was building up power.
2V’s dolls all attacked her at once, but Lily jumped upwards, her arms still wrapped around her body, to dodge. And then she released the power she’d built up towards 2V, who was still sitting in his chair.
“Go! My ultimate big punch! I call it... THE BIG PUNCH!”
Lily’s body spun and her right fist struck out with incredible speed. The fist broke the sound barrier, and a sonic boom shook the tent.
One of 2V’s dolls ran between him and her fist.
“Second stage... accelerator!”
Lily unwrapped the other arm from her body and used it to spin faster. As it advanced, the punching fist left a ring of pale steam behind it. The air in front of the fist was being compressed so hard that the moisture within it solidified as it passed.
2V’s dolls felt no pain, so they could be shields in a way that humans couldn’t. But Lily’s fist went right through the doll’s stomach.
“What?!” Even 2V was shocked at this.
He moved more dolls in front of himself, but Lily’s fist ripped through them all.
“Uwah!” 2V’s eyes opened wide. Lily’s fist had smashed into his stomach. For a moment he froze, before collapsing into his chair.
Demon King Daimaou: Volume 5 Page 8