Vampire Princess Chapter 3 Episode 3
Lion’s Roar
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This time Hiyuki has no lines.
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My body was dominated by pain. All parts of my body were riddled with lacerations and the wet feeling spread out under my light leather armour.
In my vision I saw red which was unlike that of a flame. However, who cares about that--!
That man beat the smiling girl near him, and brought her away while smiling like a low-life.
Of course I won’t allow it!!
I’ll beat him, who looks down on me and talks rubbish, then I’ll take back Hiyuki!
I was only thinking that as I swung my sword downward, but his fist approached in front my eyes ahead of time.
Even I don’t need to look at the disastrous scene around me to know that if I receive that punch, everything above my neck will burst open like a pomegranate.
However, I won’t close my eyes. I will pour my power into this one strike even if it costs me my life, till the very end.
However, belying Joey’s determination, Hiyuki’s sword in his hand “Sinner of Rose (Gilles de Reis)” passed through empty air.
--so it’s useless. I am sorry Hiyuki.
Even though Joey resolved himself, through his eyes that he kept open in his determination, in an instant he saw that man’s body fly into the sky like an old rag.
The dumbfounded Joey stood while keeping his posture of swinging the sword downward.
Before anyone noticed, in front of him he saw someone’s back stand tall like a wall.
…Who?
He frantically blinked with his blurry eyes, looking at the owner of that back.
That man—or perhaps I should say old man—wore dark blue robes, his height was more than 2m and he had white hair. His severe looking face was decorated with a white bread, a therianthrope who could only be described as a lion. He looked at Animaru with a dangerous glint in his eyes, and handed over Hiyuki—who he took from Animaru who knows when—to Joey gently.
Flustered, Joey dropped “Sinner of Rose (Gilles de Reis)” and received Hiyuki with both arms.
“…I understand, the boy who threw the sword and took the girl. –You’re really a man.”
In the old man’s severe face appeared a favourable smile for the first time.
“Who are you bastard?! Don’t you dare mess with me!”
While standing up and getting out of the debris, Animaru snarled at him with an expression that burned in wrath.
Once again the face of that old man changed, and looked at him with a cool expression.
“So this is the vermin.”
“…What? Don’t you know who I am, you bastard?”
“I don’t want to know and I don’t need to know.”
In an instant that old man closed the gap and drove his fist toward Animaru’s face.
“Hmph, that kind slow attack wo---GAAHHH!?!”
In the place where Animaru talked with composure, as if there was a missing frame from a movie, in an instant the old man’s fist exploded.
Though his face smashed into the ground and even bouncing back, through his endurance and stamina, he quickly got up and put distance between that old man.
“Die!”
He dashed and rained a barrage of punches “Banishing” through the old man’s body, however the old man who should have been in front of him suddenly disappeared.
“Wha!?”
Losing his target, his fist swung fruitlessly. At that time, the old man unknowingly appeared in his blind spot—the flank, and drove a kick toward Animaru’s pivotal leg, then smashed his unprotected temple with his elbow with all his might.
Together with a thunderous roar, half of Animaru’s body caved in toward the ground.
“Ga…Hag…!”
Though he can somehow stand up, because of a cerebral concussion his feet were unsteady.
“No way, I should have an overwhelming advantage in numerical value…but, this old man.”
Without even driving the final blow, that old man said this with uninterested voice.
“Hmm… even from the fight before I can see that you have strong power, yet you’re still far from being strong.”
“What did you say…!?”
“Your fighting style is just pushing down your opponent through overwhelming power. The reason it always worked till now is perhaps because you fight in conditions where it’s convenient for you, or because you only harassed those who were weaker than you. Because you never experienced a fight against someone stronger or a fight where you risk your life, when you confront someone stronger than you, you don’t know how you should fight. In short, you have no creativity in fighting. Am I right?”
Even while feeling awed and having his vision drawn by him, Animaru spat the blood and saliva in his mouth to the ground.
“—so you say that you’re that ‘stronger person’? Who are you?”
“Well, I have thrown away my name. However people call me “The Beast King”.”
Hearing that while still carrying Hiyuki, from Joey’s throat there resound a muffled groan.
--Beast King!? Isn’t he one of the only five SSS rank in the world?!
Animaru raised his eyebrows.
“HAAHH?! Beast King? That would be me!”
“Wrong, a hoodlum the likes of you pretending to be a King is ridiculous.”
It seems his physical condition was finally back, Animaru readied himself on