Chapter 17: Teasing (Patreon)

"Aaaa—!"

The girl who had been in his arms let out a short scream as, completely unprepared, she began free-falling toward the ground.

And it looked like she was going face-first.

If she were at full strength, this height would be nothing to her.

Even the fiery ruins below wouldn't be an issue. But in her current drained state, Erika couldn't react in time and was utterly powerless.

As the ground rushed toward her, her sharp vision could even make out the scorched earth, the rubble, and the various fragments littering the ground from the Divine Beast's destruction.

In this critical moment, Erika had no time to be angry or plan revenge on Haru.

She could only hurriedly protect her face. For her, getting injured was one thing,

but if her looks were ruined? That was utterly unacceptable!

Thud~

But the expected impact never came. Erika found herself back in that familiar, warm embrace.

And now, the despicable Haru was looking down at her with an infuriating, knowing smirk.

This guy!

"So? Was that fun? Want to go again?"

Just as Haru had thought earlier, this proud, coldly elegant girl needed to be taken down a peg and taught a lesson.

She had become a bit too arrogant, and aside from his own people, he wasn't one to indulge others.

"You..."

"Didn't you tell me to let go?"

Erika, with her competitive nature, had just steadied her emotions, only to recall how Haru had treated her. Furious, she was about to retort.

Though her strength was depleted, the girl was determined to regain the upper hand somehow.

Then she saw Haru smiling as he leaped into the air with her in his arms. In a few flashes, they reached the top of a building. He glanced down at the ground below, subtly hinting that he might let her go again.

"..."

And as if the previous dropping spot wasn't perfect enough, Haru shifted slightly to the side this time, positioning them directly over a patch of fiercely burning ruins.

He was really going to drop her this time!

Instantly, even though she knew Haru would likely catch her at the last second, that terrifying feeling of freefall was something Erika had no desire to experience again.

And the flames below were so intense—who knew if she might accidentally get burned?

So, faced with Haru’s "threat," the proud, even arrogant girl chose to back down.

But being fiercely competitive, she wasn't about to forgive him or admit defeat. Instead, she fell silent, turning her head away and refusing to acknowledge him.

When two dominant personalities clash, one must yield. Clearly, in this case, Erika was the one who had to yield!

"That's more like it. I take it you don't want to play anymore? Then just keep me company and watch the show."

"Hmph~"

A wind began to blow. It started as a cool breeze but quickly intensified into a strong gust, soon swirling into a tornado.

"...The wind!? Oh no, this is no time to be idle!"

She had been so caught up in her "interaction" with Haru that Erika had almost forgotten about the Divine Beast still running rampant through the town.

"Relax, your intervention isn't needed anymore. Look! It's here."

Seeing the girl, despite her extreme weakness, still trying to break free from his embrace to deal with the new development,

Haru gently reassured her while subtly gesturing ahead.

Erika was still held in a princess carry by Haru on the rooftop, so her view was completely unobstructed.

On the other side of the collapsed cathedral, the giant boar that had charged over there was now facing a sudden new threat.

With the tornado's arrival, the situation had transformed into a battle between the whirlwind and the colossal beast.

Many ancient buildings around the cathedral square lay in ruins.

Amidst these historical structures, the newly formed tornado lifted the giant boar into the air, sending it tumbling wildly through the sky.

It was easy to imagine the sheer force of this tornado!

Swallowed by the spiraling storm, the giant boar roared, suspended mid-air.

Around it, Erika witnessed sudden flashes of golden light—sharp, swift arcs slicing through the boar's body.

For a moment, the girl was utterly stunned.

She was so stunned that she forgot her own situation, simply leaning against Haru's shoulder in a daze as she watched.

"ROAR ROAR ROAR—"

The giant boar's roar echoed—a sound like its final death cry.

Its massive black body, now unsupported, crashed to the ground with a deafening impact, toppling one building after another.

Falling stone fragments flew in all directions, destroying numerous surrounding houses.

Then, the boar's body slowly crumbled into sand.

The tornado, the very culprit that had lifted it, gradually stilled, transforming into a strong gust that swept away the sand the boar had become. Finally, everything settled.

All that remained was a street transformed into hell.

And the severely damaged environment—the still-raging pier fire and the panicked people.

Some focused only on their own escape, others stood frozen, some prayed to God, while others wept, raged, trembled in fear, lay injured, or sighed in despair...

Amidst these crowds, Haru, standing high above, spotted Kusanagi Godou staggering alone through the ruins.

Unnoticed, the sun had set, casting a golden glow over the small town.