The Crisis World XX

Chap. 91: Oita-san's sacrifice

"For now, one problem can be solved."

"You're right."

I and the others managed to destroy one meteor made by Astaroth. And I also just realized that the two meteors that Oita-san was holding back had also been destroyed with no remnants, even though I don't know where Oita-san is now.

Zwuusshh…

Suddenly something fell very quickly near us and created a high dust that blocked our view. As the dust disappeared, I could then clearly see there were two others there. They are Oita-san and Astaroth.

"O-Oita-san …."

"Don't move from there."

"Eh? Bbt …."

"I told you not to move!"

The warning seems not only to me, but to all who are here. He said so out of concern for us that he could not protect us from the enemy in front of him.

But I don't care about it for now, because all I care about right now is Oita-san.

My eyes widened as I looked at the current state of his body. I wanted to scream and immediately move towards him, but unfortunately I couldn't do it. In the upper part of the heart until it penetrates to the back, there is a large enough hole.

Both of Oita-san's hands were also covered with her own blood. I could also see a slight trembling of the fingers in his hand.

"Huh .. hah .. hah …."

Blood was dripping incessantly from inside there which made Oita-san's suit almost completely covered by her own blood. I couldn't see his face because Oita-san was behind me at the moment, but I could hear from the breath he let out, he was already gasping for exhaustion.

**

*Some Time Before*

While the fight of Oita-san and Astaroth was still going on in the air, Astaroth had made three meteors of his power which overwhelmed Oita-san. He then dropped the meteors simultaneously to the surface.

"Dead."

"Curf! You crazy man!"

Zruutt…

Oita-san removes the Invisible Hands around her body and transforms them into two giant Invisible Hands that she made to hold the two meteors at once.

When he wanted to make the third Invisible Hands, Astaroth immediately darted quickly because he saw there was a gap that could be utilized. While Oita-san was busy with the meteor, Astaroth immediately attacked Oita-san with his bare hands right at the head of his heart.

Craaass…

"Hngh …!"

Astaroth's hand pierced through Oita-san's heart until it pierced her back. The hand of Astaroth that passed through the back was covered by the blood of Oita-san. But Oita-san did not just stand still and attacked Astaroth's shoulder which made the arm part until Astaroth's shoulder broke off and left on Oita-san's body.

"Take this!"

Oita-san undoes her intention to hold back the third meteor as it was attacked by Astaroth. He restrains Astaroth's movements by catching him with his Invisible Hands.

Oita-san is worried that the meteor she can't withstand could destroy Kyoto city until she looks down and doesn't focus on Astaroth. But his worries were instantly gone when he saw someone heading down the meteor.

"Herlin-chan?!"

He smiled at Herlin who started to move. Although her mouth kept bleeding from Astaroth's previous attacks, Oita-san didn't care much about it. Because the most important thing today is the city of Kyoto and the safety of its friends.

Seeing Oita-san laughing made Astaroth confused as well as annoyed. Moreover, he felt that he was not cared about at all from earlier by Oita-san.

"What are you laughing at?! You're dying now, you know?!"

"I knew. But even so …."

"Hmm?"

"… I'm proud of them!"

Kraaakk…

Oita-san with all her might smashed the two large meteors while restraining Astaroth's movement. While Astaroth himself who saw his other failed plans became even more furious.

He managed to destroy the Invisible Hands with his physical abilities alone. And darted straight towards Oita-san, this time Oita-san was more prepared and managed to resist Astaroth's attack.

Although he was aware that his Invisible Hands had become much weaker due to himself being severely injured, but that did not stop him from fighting on a balanced basis against Astaroth.

Buuggh…

Astaroth managed to direct his punch right into Oita-san's cheek. He managed to break through and destroy the Invisible Hands that tried to protect Oita-san, it made Oita-san bounce far down and Astaroth wanted to beat him even further.

"Here you are!"

"One is called one!"

Kraaakk…

Oita-san replied to Astaroth's punch earlier with a kick towards his head. Although he managed to hold it back with his arm, Oita-san's kick was too strong that it broke Astaroth's bone and stalk and sent him to the ground first before Oita-san.

Zwuusshh…

And it was on landing that Oita-san saw that there was Iraya and the others behind her. They also managed to destroy one meteor that was not destroyed by Oita-san.

But he did not have time to appreciate them at this time because their condition was desperate.

**

Going back to the present, I don't know what happened to Oita-san until her condition is severe like this, but I definitely can't stand watching her get hurt.

I tried to think of something I could do to help Oita-san. Tetsu's sword is currently safe inside its sheath, should I take it out just in case. Or I just need to use Cecilia's help.

All sorts of thoughts created my head but I didn't know the exact thing I could do to help, until Cecilia then spoke inside my head.

"Iraya."

"What's wrong?"

"For now you follow his orders."

"What's? You want me to see Oita-san just get slaughtered?"

"Not so, I'm sure that he has a plan that none of us can think of."

"Plan? With her body like that?"

"I know how worried you are right now, Iraya. But he is someone who certainly has a plan even in trouble like anything."

Cecilia tried to calm me down and told me to obey Oita-san. Although I initially rejected it, but after I thought carefully, he was the one who made those three big meteors. Fighting it head-on might be the same as suicide.

Herlin was also unconscious, and other conditions were not fit. I moved my teeth and then took a deep breath. All right, this time I'll follow her words.

While the leader of the Assassins was—Astaroth aware of my existence behind Oita-san. The condition is also as severe as Oita-san, where the right hand to the shoulder is broken most likely due to Oita-san's attack.

"You made it out? What did the boy really do?"

It seems his words refer to Caramel. Although I don't deny that I wouldn't have come out without his help. And now I will keep my promise to her, just look at it later!

"Let it be, after this is all over I just have to catch you again and do the experiment again. Then you two …."

This time Astaroth's gaze turned towards Nimis and Ardenter. He saw a strange sight there where me and them could get along with each other.

"… You are betraying? I expected that, I should have destroyed you before."

"If that is my intention. Japanese people like you better just die."

Again he displayed a cold look and wanted to kill. I don't know what makes him that hateful to the Japanese, even his own subordinates.

Astaroth then refocused on Oita-san who allowed her to speak, while she was still breathing heavily from her injuries. He did not move from earlier and only noticed Astaroth's movements.

"You're done, Murasaki Oita. Your wounds can no longer be healed. While I'm …."

Zrr.t…

In just a blink of an eye the hand that had been broken and injured immediately healed as if nothing had ever happened. Astaroth also showed off his healed hand to Oita-san.

"… Look at this, like new. Then what can you do now? Your heart has been hollow, some of your ribs have been broken, you must also feel cold because a lot came out of your body, right?"

"O-Oita-san, let me …."

"Don't move! This is my direct order!"

But Oita-san still insists on refusing my help. Shit, I know I can't help her, but doing nothing hurts more. It's like back then, when I saw my mom who was already stiffened and I couldn't do anything about it. Damnit damnit!

Then Oita-san started talking to Astaroth this time.

"I don't know if I can beat you or not, but I definitely hate you. For years I carried this hatred with me and continued to be strong, and I must not die at this time. Because if I die, I know you'll do anything to them. To my city, my family, and other innocent people.

And even if I die against you later …."

Baaaarrr…

An enormous aura explosion occurred on Oita-san's body. The light was so bright that me and the others had to block the excess light from it. Even with her current body condition, Oita-san can still give off such a huge aura.

"He's pushing himself too much!" cecilia shouted suddenly.

"What?!"

"His body was already too weak to contain such a large force, he forced himself to exceed his limits."

"Damn it! Oita-san!"

I shouted to call Oita-san by name. But he did not reply, he just looked a little at me while letting out the sincere smile he used to put out earlier.

Degh's…

That smile. At first glance I looked at my mother's face when I saw the smile that Oita-san put out. Unknowingly tears fell down my cheeks accompanied by Oita-san who refocused on Astaroth.

"… Even if I die fighting you, I will take you with me, Astaroth!"

"Try it, Oita!"

Roxeaaarrr…

The huge explosion again occurred as they pitted against each other for strength. His speed could not be followed by my eyes even as I added the aura of Cecilia within. This fight is completely beyond my level.

Craaass…

Oita-san in a split second again took out the Invisible Hands and cut Astaroth's hands off, but that didn't make Astaroth tremble in the least. He kicked back Oita-san's left rib that had been broken.

Kraaakk…

"Yahakhh !!!"

The sound of his crushed ribs being ignored just like that by Oita-san and not stopping his consecutive attacks. Astaroth's two severed hands regenerated and tried to attack Oita-san's face with a crushing blow, but it could still be avoided with a slight movement by her.

Craaassh…

It was precisely this time that Oita-san returned to attack, that Invisible Hands caught Astaroth's hand trying to hit Oita-san. He dealt a blow to Astaroth's face this time.

With an aura to his fist, he aimed it right at the middle of Astaroth's eyes and his punch pierced his face all the way to the back of his head, piercing through his hard skull.

Brain fragments, skull bones, and blood were still left on Oita-san's fist at the moment, but that still did not make Astaroth die. He even held back Oita-san's fist so as not to come out from inside his head.

Sraakkh…

With his Elemental abilities, Astaroth tried to make a medium-sized earth thorn which he slashed towards Oita-san's heart. But deftly, Oita-san can still hold it even though her arms and palms are victimized. Although it managed to pierce through Oita-san's hand, but the earth thorn was stuck there and Oita-san's heart was still safe for now.

Feeling that his plan had failed, Astaroth looked for another way as he tried to regenerate his head. He let go of the hand that held Oita-san's fist earlier and the regeneration of his head began to run.

Oita-san's body was getting weaker and Astaroth could feel that, so he didn't waste any more time and attacked again. This time he made a sharp thorn behind his body in Oita-san's blind spot and prepared to slash it.

While Oita-san who realized that her opponent was very difficult to kill finally chose the last way she could. His body could not last much longer and this was the last way he thought of it.

Oita-san brandished her two index and middle fingers and prepared to pierce something with it. A big attack is not effective, an attack on a vital organ can't be, so this is the last resort.

"Dead you!"

"No, you're dead!"

Craaassh…

Both are successful in their respective opponents. Oita-san's two fingers managed to get right into Astaroth's heart, while Astaroth's artificial earth thorn also managed to pierce Oita-san's heart all the way to his back.

The fierce fight finally stopped. Although it felt long for the two of them, but in fact their fight only happened for 10 seconds. The dazzling rays and dust flying from the fight they both slowly disappeared and I finally could clearly see the end result.

My eyes widened when I saw the final result. My tears were rushing out as a ground thorn struck right in his heart. I also let out a loud shout while the two of them were still silent to each other.

"No ... OITA-SAAAANN !!!"

Oita-san slowly pulled out two of her fingers from within Astaroth's heart and staggered back near us. He was still trying to protect us despite his present circumstances.

Srkk…

The earth thorn that perforated Oita-san's chest slowly disappeared into the grains of soil and left a sizable hole in his chest. He who had originally mounted his horses also finally let go of his horses and his hands fell limp, as did his bowed gaze.

No one dared to move from where he was standing at the moment as he was still trying to obey orders from Oita-san. My legs were shaking from the moment I wanted to move and help him, my hands were also ready to draw the sword. But it was as if something was holding back my movements from earlier that made me unable to move.

While Astaroth who was in his state was no less chaotic than Oita-san just stood still with a flat expression. He made sure that he was the one who won this fight, but suddenly his eyes widened as Oita-san raised her head and looked directly at him.

With a badly injured body, the energy was drained away, the holes in some parts of his body, then the mouth and nose that were spitting out blood and breath gasping for breath, he could still make Astaroth surprised by the expression shown by him.

"Why ... can you still smile?"

"Huh .. hah .. hah …. Want as hard as you can make it. .. in the end .. The victory remains in our hands."

"You …."

Zii…

That unreasonable answer made Astaroth both annoyed and angry. He then made a sphere of plasma energy that was as big as his body, although not as big as the meteor but still his strength was not playful.

"… Die with your hope."

Astaroth then released a plasma ball directly towards Oita-san. He who has no energy to avoid can only face death that is already in front of his eyes.

Before being hit by that plasma ball, Oita-san looked back and spoke to me. Although I couldn't hear her voice but I could read her lip movements. And the last words spoken by Oita-san that I can read are ….

"The rest I leave to you."

"OITA-SAAAAN !!!"

Duuuuaarrr…

The explosion was huge and I could see a glimpse of a black hand protecting us all from the effects of the explosion.

Seriate