Chapter for this week. Next one may be delayed due to RL things, but should be sometime next week. Finis.h.i.+ng Daydreamer part 4 and 5 will take precedence though.
Also, Is it just me getting slightly annoyed at how the author has to chew down every little sentence for the characters to finally understand the all-too-obvious meaning behind it?

In any case, enjoy.

Chapter 316 – Cruel Explosion

"You two, he is most probably part of the Patterned Black-robed."

Hearing Halvrid's words, both Crouch and Ionis looked at him as if to ask how he reached that conclusion.

"Because… there's a pattern on the back of the black robe that's fallen over there."

Following the direction he was pointing at, they saw the black robe that the man took off on top of the checkpoint being carried towards them by the wind. As it fell on the ground, they spotted a star pattern drawn on it.

"So it's true nya!?"

"Most likely, they aren't dead like Nigg but a living being instead."

"I-Indeed, that can't possibly be a dead person nya…"

"Yeah, he is overflowing with so much vitality it's irritating…"

"Ahaha! Come on, look! My beauty knows no ends~"

Seeing how his expression and actions were full of energy unthinkable for a dead person, the three judged that he definitely did not belong to the dead.

"Still, what should we do? Our path of retreat has been cut off."

Before them was a giant, ominous flower and BeJohnny. Behind them, the bubbles he created, blocking their way like a wall.

"B-But why doesn't it have any effect on us nya?"

Crouch's question was natural. At this point, most of their soldiers were collapsed on the ground because of the inhaled gas.

"Let me give you a beautiful answer to that question!"

"You nya? Then get to it already nya."

"Sure thing~! Now listen, this flower is ugly, so ugly, so hopelessly ugly…"

"Aren't you saying a bit too many 'ugly' there nya…"

"But the nectar it produces contains poison you see~!"

"Then furr what reason does it not work on us nya?"

"Hnng~ This poison doesn't work on people beyond a set strength~"

"…Hmm? Then why are you protecting yourself with that bubble? If you are one of the Patterned Black-robed, then you should have enough strength to back it up, right?"

"That's simple~," he said and spun around, then did a sudden stop and pointed his finger at them and added, "my clothes would get dirty if it touched me, wouldn't they!"

………………………………?

"…T-That's it?"

Indeed, it was quite possible that the pure white clothes BeJohnny wore would get stained if the evaporated gas of the poisonous, green fluids touched them, however, the three did not expect that to be the reason for it.

After that, BeJohnny started floating up in the air while clad in that bubble.

"Aah~Looking down on these plain and foolish beings like this makes me look so…beautiful…"

While BeJohnny was busy having a selfgasm, there was someone who saw it as a chance.

"I'll first do something about that flower!"

It was Halvrid. He looked up at BeJohnny who rose up to the sky and made a dash towards the flower to get rid of it somehow while there was an opening between the two.

"Shadow Axe!"

A giant axe coloured after the very darkness itself manifested in his hands. The Darkness Magic he excelled at could produce various such weapons at his will.

The swords from earlier were likewise produced with magic. Giving a big swing to that axe, he slashed the giant flower of around 10 meters in height from the side.

Slaaaas.h.!.+

As was expected from a captain that led the army, Halvrid successfully managed to sever the giant stalk.

"Alright! Now it won't…"

He thought that it would no longer produce that fluid once it died, but his expectations were betrayed.

"Ah, I forgot to mention~ Do know that the flower has more to offer!"

BeJohnny's shout from above reached Halvrid's ears. That said, he could not understand what he meant by those words, but the next moment everything became clear.

The flower that should have been bisected had turned into liquid in an instant and attacked him. As he was shaken due to the unexpected situation he ended up being covered in that liquid from head to toes.

"Gaaaaaaaah!?"

Suddenly, smoke rose from him and his armour started to melt.

"Ahaha! Didn't you hear me~! I said that the liquid was poison. When it's vaporized it affects those weak and ugly fellows, but in its liquid form it seems to work on just about anyone~"

Halvrid had his entire body covered in the green liquid, riding painful screams as he rolled on the ground.

"Halvrid!"

Ionis was about to rush at his side, but she suddenly stopped in her tracks. Because that same Halvrid had raised his trembling hand and gestured her not to come.

Certainly, it could turn into a secondary disaster—or perhaps secondary infection, in this case—if he was carelessly approached, and if she touched him and Ionis was poisoned as well, it would make yet another person unable to fight any longer.

Halvrid was thinking of his comrades even as he endured the heat and pain. The choice he made was correct here.

However, even if the situation wouldn't grow worse, at this rate they would end up watching as the poison would melt him.

Everyone could clearly hear the sound of the smoke rising from his entire body and they could see his body gradually turning darker.

It was unknown whether he was still holding onto his consciousness as he lay flat there. He was twitching from time to time, but it was clear to everyone that those were like dying breaths.

However, thanks to the fact that he managed to cut that flower down, the vaporising poison was no more and the sufferings also stopped for the soldiers. Ironically enough, he managed to protect his soldiers with his body.

"Ah~ So ugly your body has become… saddening, so saddening this is… Before that happened, you were looking at me with your serious, below-average face, even if you couldn't reach me… And now that it happened… there's no longer any meaning to your life, is there?"

With those words, Halvrid was wrapped in a bubble and rose up into the sky just like BeJohnny.

"W-What are you doing!" Ionis screamed.

"Return him nya!" Crouch also shouted at him with her finger facing him.

However, BeJohnny showed an ecstatic smile and answered, "I will let you witness it too… this truly beautiful moment!"

Halvrid was taken higher into the sky. And then, BeJohnny declared as if giving a signal.

"This is… the momentary beauty!"

The next instant, the bubble covering Halvrid shone with a brilliant light ――――――――――――――――――and exploded.

"Ah…..aah….ah…"

Ionis trembled all over as she stared up at the fumes of the explosion. There was no sign of Halvid falling down no matter how long pa.s.sed. Instead, what fell was the red liquid… and the scorched something.

"T-This can't be nya… Was he really killed just like that nya…?" Crouch still couldn't believe it and was staring at the sky just like Ionis.

Halvrid's men yelled his name but there naturally was no answer their calls; no matter how long they waited, even after the smoke had cleared up, all that greeted them was pure emptiness.

"Yup, as expected, nothing compares to the beauty of the fleeting moment."

Seeing BeJohnny talk like he was not involved made Ionis to finally snap. She leapt up with a scream.

"AAAAAAAaaaaaaaaahhh!"

She wielded the «Kaijin» she held in each hand and attacked the floating BeJohnny with frightening force. However, bubbles emerged yet again in their paths repelled them through explosions.

"I won't forgive you!"

Ionis looked at him with her normally expressionless face dyed in pure rage, one she rarely showed, however, BeJohnny overlooked her in exasperation and shrugged his shoulders.

"Getting angry like that… makes you look ugly. That's why you fail to notice it. You are already―――――――――checkmated."

Ionis, who had jumped up, had been surrounded by bubble without realising it.

"Oh n-!?"

Indeed, she had failed to keep BeJohnny's range of attack in mind, one that Halvrid approximated at great troubles, and had carelessly approached his range.

"So you too… farewell~"

Ionis stiffened in place as if someone froze time itself, watching as she would become prey to the bubbles with no way out of the situation.

She stood there in regret for losing herself to rage and wasting Halvrid's advice; that far from avenging him, she would also be facing her end soon.

(…I'm sorry…everyone…)

And thus, she stopped grinding her teeth in frustration and gave up on her life――――――――――――――――――but then…

"«Thunder Void»!"

The moment that high-pitched yell reached her ears, all the surrounding bubbles were covered in different, bluish-white bubbles. Albeit she was still surprised, she guessed that something must have happened as the explosions were not occurring, so she faced towards BeJohnny and let loose her «Kaijin» once again.

BeJohnny also seemed to have not understood what was happening and tried to avoid the «Kaijin» with a bewildered expression, however, he was far too slow to accomplish that and the «Kaijin» successfully pierced through his bubble, cutting his cheek and his hair in the process.

"Kuh!"

Having his posture broken, BeJohnny rotated his body with a desperate expression and somehow landed on the ground. And then, different from his joking behaviour from before, he gazed at Ionis with his eyes dyed with seriousness.

Ionis also managed to safely land on the ground, but she looked just as surprised that the bubbles did not explode. And then, her eyes caught a nostalgic figure of someone.

"…Muir…?"

"Io-chan!"

Indeed, it was Muir Castrea, the comrade in arms with whom she once duelled and, through the clash of their might, reached the mutual understanding.