K -R:B- Chapter 8

8 (extract, pages 212-215)

<…>

“Hurry up. Don’t let them get away!”

Issuing this order over the intercom link, Awas.h.i.+ma broke into a sprint herself, headed to where Doumyouji was.

A moment later, she heard low rumbling of violent wind behind her.

Turning around, she saw a colossal pillar of flame shooting up higher than the nearby buildings. Her breath caught instinctively. It was the Red King’s, no doubt.

Using his tremendous power so recklessly. Laying waste and destruction just for fun. To Scepter 4, dedicated to the beauty of “order”, such a sight was unpardonable.

—Curse you…

But she ought to hurry.

With this thought, she was about to resume running when…

Overhead, a blue light twinkled.

“Eh?” She stared into the sky with wide open eyes.

A blue shooting star briefly crossed her sight at about the height of the nearby buildings. A crystal-shaped blue object, scattering showers of blue sparks in its wake, sailed whirling in spirals. At its tip there was a blue uniform clad young man, the blue aura coiling around him. The next instance, the man deftly twisted - the move that could make the observer think that there might have been erected a geometrically-shaped barrier across the sky - smoothly steering away from a giant rooftop billboard he was about to crash into and landing there instead. Then, moving along the outer wall of the building as if sliding, he dropped down onto the ground.

Coattails of his uniform swis.h.i.+ng, he landed on the road easily, as if such stunts were nothing.

It was Munakata.

Awas.h.i.+ma found herself dumbfounded. She came to her senses quickly though and, panicking, was about to rush to his side, but then…

Wham!

Not turning to her, Munakata forcefully slammed his left fist into the wall of the building behind him.

“What the h.e.l.l’s with that man?!”

In that moment, Awas.h.i.+ma forgot all about her duty, her position and the current situation and, just like an ordinary-in-every-way female student, bugged her eyes out and gaped her mouth open in a gasp.

It was only a natural reaction, however. Except for this one time, Awas.h.i.+ma Seri had never seen and would never ever see Munakata Reis.h.i.+ furious again.

A silence stretched between the two.

After what felt like a long while, Awas.h.i.+ma finally tentatively tried to speak up, “…Captain?”

Her tone wasn’t that of an adjutant of the organization’s leader addressing her superior officer, nor was it of a retainer seeking the attention of her beloved and respected king. If a comparison was to be drawn, it sounded close to how a girl, surprised but mature beyond her years making her capable of affecting the carefully balanced tone, characteristic of females, would call out to a boy from her cla.s.s who threw an unexpected childish tantrum.

Munakata unclenched his fist and slowly lowered his hand. “…I beg your pardon. I lost my composure.”

He quietly pushed up his gla.s.ses and strapped his saber, still sheathed, back to his hip. His voice and demeanor already completely returned to Munakata’s usual calm, composed manner.

…No.

Something still was just the tiniest bit off. On the surface, he kept up appearances flawlessly, but the fury boiling inside him could still be sensed seething under that carefully constructed facade.

It didn’t exactly feel like the previously perfect king came apart at the seams… More like the moment when a pupa, clad in a thick hard armor, was emerging out of it…

“Awas.h.i.+ma-kun. What is the situation on your end?”

“Awas.h.i.+ma-kun?”
“Ah, y-yes, sir! I just got a report that Yamata Daichi’s location was discovered! The 4th squad is in pursuit. The other squads are also heading there, except for the 1st and 2nd squads that encountered the Homura members and are currently engaging them. This is our current situation, sir!” Fl.u.s.tered, Awas.h.i.+ma tried to straighten herself and reported as asked.

Munakata nodded with a grave expression on his face. “Very well. I shall head there as well, then. Once Yamata Daichi is apprehended, recall the 1st and the 2nd squads and withdraw. Let us settle this quickly.”
“…Um, sir…” Awas.h.i.+ma wasn’t sure if it was appropriate to ask or not, but she just couldn’t leave it without a verification. “What about Suoh Mikoto?”

She steeled herself for the possibility of even getting yelled at, but Munakata didn’t crumble in the slightest anymore.

With a look as icy as a glacier, he replied, “No change to our battle strategy. As before, the Swordsmen corps are to concentrate on securing Yamata Daichi. I will hold off that man.”

T/N (spoilers! necessary to better understand the scene though): Munakata is furious with Suoh’s complete lack of reason (what else is new). After the last scene of chapter 6 I translated previously, the two did start fighting, but Munakata, not trying to actually take down Suoh, only to hold him off, like he said, didn’t draw his sword, because he abhorred to use more power than absolutely necessary considering how dangerous and destructive a king’s power is. But Suoh, uh, being Suoh, was unleas.h.i.+ng more and more of his until they’re both at the line where the next step would be either losing or manifesting the Sword of Damocles to draw more power. Munakata wasn’t going to cross that line, so he admitted defeat and announced to Suoh that he leaves Yamata and the strains to him and withdraws. But Suoh only laughed, angry, and attacked him again, unreasonable all the way.