"Yue, it ...sounds great. l-I like it" said Yue.
Even while she talked her expression did not change. In other words, she had long forgotten how to talk and express herself with other people properly. She had spent a long time in this darkness all by herself. Betrayed by the people she trusted. The girl did well in not going insane. Maybe it was because of her automatic regeneration. However, it could be considered a torture with it. Because it did not allow her to go mad, she had to experience everything and remember it.
"I think so too and how about Tsuki for your common name. It means crimson moon from where am from. Your crimson eyes and moon like hair".
"Yue and...tsuki... thank you"
' it will soon be irrelevant anyways since everyone around you will be calling Yue for the foreseeable future'
"Yeah, now what will you do?"
".....I have no idea... or anywhere to go"
"Don't worry too much, I will think of something."
"Thank you..."
"Anytime, now more importantly put this on. I can't have running around butt naked as am not alone".
Ken puts down his backpack and takes a shirt that reaches Yue's knees when she took it with a blush. He sew it out of his parachute with her in mind.
'She's about 140cm. She's small and cute for a three hundred years vampire'
"You're.....thinking of something.....rude aren't you?. Kenshiro you perv"
Ken chuckles and turns his back to Yue even though it really didn't matter as far as he was concerned. He looks around the room as he feels like he's forgotten something important.
"YUE! WATCH OUT"
Ken flash steps to Yue and shields her with his body from the shower of thorns that rains down on them.
"Kenshiro!! Are you okay?..... you saved.... me?"
' Ouch!!How could I forget
this monster. I had plans for it before. Luckily I had [Steel skin] or I would have been impaled'
"Yeah am okay. drink this sacred water and help me with the thorns in my back"
The room shakes violently as the monster drops from the ceiling of the room.The monster's body was about 10m in length. It had 4 huge-long-shear-like arms and 8 legs rustling around. A sharp needle was present on its two tails. Scorpions would be the best comparison to them. As for the two tails, it would be wise to assume it is poisonous. Ken felt that compared to all the other demons he had faced so far, this one was clearly a strong beast.
Yue comes beside Ken after removing the thorns.He set his glance to the girl beside him. She was earnestly watching Ken, and not minding the scorpion. Her eyes were like a calm water surface; resolving herself. The eyes that conveyed her feelings with eloquence. Yue had entrusted her fate to Ken.
The moment their eyes met, the corners of his mouth rose, and his usual fearless smile came into being and thought.
'Well I had planned to kill it anyway but this feels good '
"Have you recovered some of your vitality and strength "
*Nodding*
Ken moved Yue from his side to his back with his hand. Her feet were still weak, but it would recover soon. He did not want to fight while having to protect her.
"Hold on tight! Yue!"
Her body was far from recovered, but she used the power that returned to hold on tight to Ken's body with her limbs.
Ken flash steps away from his previous location to escape another thorn attack but the ground kept forming spikes wherever he passed. The monster as if acknowledging Ken agility switches attack to catch him off guard.
A purple liquid jetted from the needle on the scorpion's tail. Ken jumped aside and into the air at once. The floor started to dissolve when the purple liquid splashed onto it. Seemed it was an acid.
'I know that my mini railgun would not work on it's shell. And my plasma beam won't work either because of the huge difference in mana, then let me try it's eyes'
After he looked around and confirmed his surroundings, Ken discharged his gun.
*Bang*
The mini railgun was shot with maximum power. A bullet going 3.9km per second smashed into the scorpion's eyes and exploded. The passenger on his back was shocked. She had never seen such a weapon; a weapon that could attack at a flash. There wasn't even any sign of magic. Some static could be felt around his right hand but there was no incantation or magic formula. Yue noticed that Ken was the same as her. He was able to directly manipulate magic. The same as her and somehow he was in this abyss. She wasn't sure if that was the case, but she had tuned out the scorpion and Ken.
The attack was unsuccessful as the monster had a hard eyelid but felt pain from the shock as it was thin. It could block it with it's claws as the attack was fast. Ken quickly shot another bullet at maximum at the beast's joints as an idea came to him but the bullet didn't have enough penetration power.
Ken was continuously moving around with his [Air Steps]. On his face was a grim expression he never had before. The monster was furious with Ken attempt to find it's weakness. To this prove to him, the needle on one of the tail aimed towards Ken. The tail enlarged for just an instant and the needle was shot with a tremendous speed. When Ken was about to dodge, the needle exploded in mid air and turned into a buckshot.
"Ku!"
"Kenshiro!!. Are you okay?!"
Yue called to Ken anxiously. Her expressionless was gone; she was ready to burst into tears.
"I'm fine, *groan*"
"Even with.....all this you didn't leave....why didn't you leave."
(It's not like I can. The door magically closes when this monster awakes and I'm sure the pathway I created closed too, so I can't escape or expect Nagumo either)
"What are saying?. I never ran in the face of danger, that's a weakling's deed" said Ken with truth in his eyes as Yue stares at him.
"Kenshiro.... please trust me"
Ken felt pain at his neck. There was a discomforting feeling as he felt power being extracted from him. At that feeling, he tried to shake free, but he remembered that Yue was a vampire.
Yue bites Ken's neck and proceeds to suck his blood. Ken stops moving and hides behind one of the pillars as to buy Yue time. Ken just gave a wry smile and supported Yue by embracing her. For a moment, Yue trembled but soon she buried her face into his nape and hugged back more tightly. Maybe it was just his imagination but he thought she was delighted.
The roar of the scorpion echoed as it searched for them briefly and found them.Probably this was its Special Magic, the ability to manipulate surrounding terrain.
Yue finally released her mouth from his neck. She licked her lips with a delirious expression. He felt fascinated though she had a childish figure. Her skin that was previously haggard completely disappeared and now her skin was glossy like white porcelain. Colored returned to her cheeks, and it looked dreamy rose red. Crimson eyes emitted a warm light. Her thin-small hands caressed Ken's cheeks.
"…Delightful."
She slowly rose her hand towards the scorpion.
One word was muttered.
""Azure Sky""
A pillar of bluish-white flame 10m in diameter formed overhead of the scorpion.
Just from being around it the scorpion screamed as it was being burned and retreated. However, this Vampire Queen of the Abyss wouldn't allow it. A beautiful finger extended gracefully like a baton. The pillar of flame carried out its conductor's instruction without fail. It pursued the escaping scorpion then…a direct hit.
A never heard before scream escaped from the scorpion. Agony filled the scream. The pillar exploded into a flash of light and everything was blinded by it. Ken just looked at the sublime magic in utter amazement while he protected his eyes with his arms.
Soon, the flames disappeared and the magic was finished. There in the center was the figure of the scorpion in an anguish pose with its outer shell melted from the flames but still alive.
Ken supports Yue's weakened body by leaning her against the pillar. He flash steps to his backpack and towards the still crying monster. Ken force feeds the monster with his explosives and moves away. The scorpion's internals explode leaving it's body still intact.
"Are you okay using such strong magic"
Ken with a worried look inquires from Yue.
"I'm fine. I wou..."
"Kenshiro, are you alive!!?"
Yue is interrupted by Nagumo who comes rushing through the now opened door. Ken answers with a pained smile.
"I'm fine. I even found lunch and dinner"