𝐑𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞 𝐕𝐒 𝐁𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐮𝐭 ① / 𝐑𝐞𝐝 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐦
Bahamut spat out green blood with a “peh”, then cracked her neck. After stretching both her arms and legs, she faced Ridelle.
ㅤ
“Alright then. If you’re gonna fight me, put your all into it. I’m one of the strongest summoned beasts from the other world.”
“. . . . . .So what? I won’t forgive you!”
ㅤ
The boosters on both of Ridelle’s legs fired, and her 『Buster Kick』 lodged itself into Bahamut’s abdomen.
A loud explosion sounded, but. . . . . .Ridelle’s eyes widened in surprise.
ㅤ
“Impressive. . . . . .”
“Wha. . . . . .You caught my kick?”
“Raaah!”
“Whaat?!”
ㅤ
Bahamut caught Ridelle’s front kick with both hands and flung her away with full force.
As Ridelle was thrown, she fired her booster units to regain her balance in mid-air.
But then, Bahamut, with a grin of madness, rushed at her with clenched fists.
ㅤ
“Hyaaahaa!”
“Guh?!”
ㅤ
Quickly, she opened 『Red Queen』’s armor and raised her leg.
Bahamut’s fist collided with the armor, causing a crack to form.
Ridelle grimaced in pain. Even if it was a metallic leg, it was still Ridelle’s, and she felt the pain.
Yet, she shook off the pain with sheer determination.
ㅤ
“Daaah!”
“?! “
ㅤ
Using the force from the punch, Ridelle spun around. Additionally, by firing her boosters, she combined the force of Bahamut’s punch with the speed of the booster’s thrust to unleash a spinning kick.
From defense to offense, it was a complete switch thanks to Ridelle’s combat sense.
Without using her abilities in close combat, Ridelle’s kick, which was even stronger than Albero’s, struck Bahamut’s exposed side.
ㅤ
“Agh!! Cough?!”
ㅤ
Bahamut spat out blood and rolled on the ground.
Quickly getting up and clutching her side, she coughed out some blood.
With her long white hair swinging, she glared at Ridelle with a grin.
ㅤ
“You’re good.”
“. . . . . .What kind of body do you have? That blow would’ve been fatal to a human.”
“I’m a summoned beast. It hurt, but. . . . . .that won’t kill me.”
“Then. . . . . .I’ll keep kicking until you’re dead!”
ㅤ
Firing the boosters on both her legs, Ridelle soared.
With a total of eight boosters, each controlled individually, she made complex aerial maneuvers with 『3D Maneuvering』, confusing Bahamut.
However, Bahamut just smirked.
ㅤ
“Forgot? I’m a summoned beast. . . . . .I have 『abilities』!!”
ㅤ
Summoned beasts have physical abilities far surpassing humans.
Bahamut opened her mouth wide and breathed out a blue breath towards the approaching Ridelle.
ㅤ
“━━Wha?!”
ㅤ
The blue breath struck Ridelle’s right leg, freezing it.
The booster froze, causing Ridelle to lose balance in the air. Just then. . . . . .Bahamut’s kick, which she saw coming, came at her.
With an almost miraculous control using only her left booster, Ridelle evaded Bahamut’s kick. However, she couldn’t completely dodge it and her left leg got grazed.
ㅤ
“Ah, aghhh?!”
“Tch! Don’t dodge!”
ㅤ
The left foot’s exhaust port shattered, with metal parts and gears falling everywhere. Part of the armor cracked, exposing the machinery underneath.
Ridelle fell to the ground, rolling multiple times. . . . . .She had bruises and abrasions, and blood oozed from exposed areas like her face and hands.
Then───Bahamut opened her mouth even wider.
Ridelle mustered her strength and rolled away.
But───it was too late.
ㅤ
“Gyaaaaaaaaaah?!”
ㅤ
She was electrocuted.
The moment the purple breath covered Ridelle’s body, she felt completely numb.
Sparks and purple lightning could be seen coming from Bahamut’s mouth.
ㅤ
“Feeling numb?”
“Ah, uh, ah. . . . . .”
“This is my power, 『Dragon King Flame』. I can freely emit flames of various attributes. Whether it’s simple burning, freezing, or even electrocution.”
“Wha, what is that. . . . . .?”
“Hmph. Enough of the explanations. . . . . .you were strong, so I won’t kill you easily.”
“Ahguh. . . . . .”
ㅤ
Bahamut grabbed Ridelle’s hair and lifted her.
Then, with force, she crushed her frozen right leg.
ㅤ
“Ee, Aaaaaah?!”
“Oh? Even though it’s a metal leg, it hurts? Is this skin? It’s completely shattered.”
ㅤ
The right leg was shattered below the knee.
It was the second time in her life she lost a limb. With her left leg also immobile, Ridelle was now disarmed.
And then, Bahamut smirked.
ㅤ
“I’ll finish you off last. I’ll show you. . . . . .how I thoroughly destroy the village. You’ll pay for the injuries you caused me.”
“Sto, stop. . . . . .”
“Too bad.”
ㅤ
Bahamut started dragging Ridelle away.
ㅤ
◇◇◇◇◇◇
ㅤ
“Huh?. . . . . .Seriously, what’s this? Did we overlap?”
ㅤ
As soon as she entered the village, she noticed something amiss.
The village looked like a scene straight out of hell.
A horde of demon beasts was swarming in from the outskirts.
ㅤ
“Tsk. . . . . .Midgardsorm, huh? Attacking the same village. . . . . .Damn it, this is the village I marked.”
“. . . . . .”
“Oh? Is that one of your friends? They’re wearing something similar in black. . . . . .Oh, Midgardsorm is fighting.”
ㅤ
Ridelle saw it too.
A young man called Midgardsorm was confronting Albero.
Kid was nowhere to be seen. The demon beasts that had invaded the village were being dealt with by Ashe and Esterize.
And then. . . . . .what she feared the most happened.
ㅤ
“Oh?. . . . . .Look, the villagers are running this way. Ah, they’re trying to escape from Midgardsorm’s demon beasts and are aiming for where the beasts aren’t.”
ㅤ
The villagers could be seen coming in their direction.
A mother carrying a baby, elderly couples, children led by their fathers, boys, and girls… all of them were running towards where Ridelle and Bahamut stood.
ㅤ
“No, No. . . . . .DON’T COME THIS WAY!” “Shut up!” “Huh?!”
ㅤ
Bahamut smirked and stepped on Ridelle’s head.
Then she crouched down, covering Ridelle’s mouth and gripping her face.
“What would you prefer? Being roasted whole, frozen, electrocuted, dismembered by my sickle weasel, drowned, crushed? I can do anything.”
“Stop it, stop it, please stoooooooooop!! I beg you!!”
ㅤ
And then. . . . . .the villagers arrived.
Stopping in their tracks, they looked at Bahamut. . . . . .at Ridelle.
A young boy shouted as he looked at Ridelle.
ㅤ
“Onee-chan!! Hey you, don’t do anything bad to Onee-chan!!”
ㅤ
It was the boy who had become close to Ridelle since she came to the village.
Bahamut sneered.
ㅤ
“Don’t worry. I won’t hurt her. . . . . .because you all are the ones who will be hurt!!”
“Stop it!!”
“Sssssssss. . . BLAAAAAHHH!!”
ㅤ
Flames spewed from Bahamut’s mouth, scorching the fleeing villagers.
ㅤ
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!”
“It burns!!” “Help!!”
“Mommy!!” “Ouchhhhh!!”
ㅤ
She intentionally held back her firepower.
Instead of turning them instantly into charcoal, the villagers writhed with their entire bodies burnt.
ㅤ
“A. . . . . .ah. . . . . .”
“Hehehe! Look at them, wriggling on the ground like they’re dancing.”
ㅤ
Ridelle saw.
She saw the boy who tried to protect her, reaching out with his charred hand.
Ridelle tried to grab that hand. . . . . .but couldn’t reach.
ㅤ
“Ah, ahhh. . . . . . ah, ahh.”
ㅤ
Tears streamed down.
Ridelle couldn’t save him again.
Even though she had strength. Even though she had always tried her best.
ㅤ
“Whew. . . . . .Guess that’s it. Well, I need to go complain to Midgardsorm. Bye now.”
“━━Gulp.”
ㅤ
Bahamut’s claw pierced through Ridelle’s back.
ㅤ
◇◇◇◇◇◇
ㅤ
ㅤ
『Ridelle!』
ㅤ
ㅤ
◇◇◇◇◇◇
ㅤ
A sweet girl’s voice echoed.
Ridelle, who had been crouching down, looked up.
And there she saw. . . . . .
ㅤ
『Ridelle!』
“━━Pink.”
ㅤ
A cute pink tiny spider, Ridelle’s summoned beast Pink, was there.
Pink had become translucent. Ridelle tried to touch her but couldn’t.
ㅤ
“Pink. . . . . .”
『Ridelle. . . . . .I’m sorry』
“Huh?”
『I thought you might hate me. . . . . .I wanted you to live, so I gave you all of me. You’ve been burdened with a power you didn’t need. . . . . .and now you suffer like this.』
“Pink. . . . . .”
『I want you to live. I love you, Ridelle. I love you so much.』
“Pink, I love you too.”
『. . . . . .Eh?』
“I don’t hate you. I’m alive because of the power you gave me. You know, I have made friends. I don’t have a family anymore and you aren’t here, but I have important friends and allies.”
『Really? Aren’t you lonely, Ridelle?』
“I’m a bit lonely without Pink. . . . . .but I’m okay. I haven’t forgotten my dream. I’m doing my best.”
ㅤ
Ridelle reached out to touch Pink.
She couldn’t touch the translucent body, but she still felt Pink’s warmth.
『My beloved Ridelle. I’m so glad. . . . . .truly glad. . . . . .』
“. . . . . .Pink?”
ㅤ
Pink’s body gently floated up.
And then, it began to shine brightly.
ㅤ
『Ridelle. Don’t give up. . . . . .If it’s Ridelle, I’m sure you’ll be okay. I, in the truest sense, become one with Ridelle. Ridelle. . . . . .Don’t give up.』
“Pink. . . . . .Yeah! I won’t lose! I’ll try even harder from now on! I’ll make my dreams come true too! So. . . . . .let’s do our best together!”
『Yes!』
ㅤ
Pink turned into particles and was absorbed into Ridelle’s body━━.
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◇◇◇◇◇◇
ㅤ
Bahamut, pulling her claws from Ridelle’s back, began walking toward Midgardsorm to complain.
Then. . . . . .she realized.
ㅤ
“Huh? . . . . . .You’re still alive?”
“. . . . . .”
ㅤ
Ridelle was standing.
Standing only on her broken left leg, her face was downcast and thus unseen.
ㅤ
“Seriously, so tenacious. . . . . .”
ㅤ
The moment Ridelle looked up, a chill ran down Bahamut’s spine.
Ridelle’s eyes shone brighter than ever before.
ㅤ
“Pink━━let’s go.”
ㅤ
Ridelle smiled, held her chest. . . . . .and laughed.
ㅤ
“『Total Assimilation』.”
ㅤ
The moment Ridelle muttered, her legs instantly regenerated.
Not just regeneration. Their shape changed and grew larger. The assimilation progressed further, and not just her legs but her entire body was covered in red armor.
She stood about two meters tall, in crimson full-body armor.
The lower half expanded like a lady’s skirt, and the upper half was slender with a feminine silhouette. The face area looked like a woman wearing a mask, somewhat mechanical in appearance, with pink hair extending down to her waist from the back of her head.
Bahamut, broke into a sweat.
“No way. . . . . .You merged again?”
ㅤ
Ridelle, in her Total Assimilation state, took a stance.
ㅤ
“Here we go, 『Red Queen』. . . . . .I’m going to crush you for real!!”
ㅤ
The battle between Bahamut and Ridelle began once more.
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