Mission:013 Yamato

Nero ignored what he said, turned around, and lunged straight for the broken blade in the center of the room.

Agnus screamed, his voice even louder than when Nero had broken free of her restraints. "Yamato!!!"

He showed no more mercy. He ordered the two Sword Wings behind him to dive straight for Nero's back, while he himself transformed in a flash of white light into a giant insect with a halo above his head, beating his membranous wings as he charged at Nero.

Seeing the enemy's reaction, Nero felt a burst of secret delight. She reached out and tightly gripped the two broken halves of the blade floating in the Pillar of Light.

Clutching the blade, she rolled, dodging the incoming Sword Wing, then swung the broken weapon and split the other one in two before getting up and running toward the rear door of the laboratory.

But heaven did not grant her wish. Two armored knights hovering in the air, one to the left and one to the right, dropped down from behind the ceiling and blocked the door.

They were also demons created by Agnus, Silver Knights driven by human souls stuffed into suits of armor.

It was bad luck, but all she could do was give it everything she had.

Nero tightened her grip on the Yamato, hoping it would draw out the power inside her, while twisting her body and using the momentum to drive the broken blade in her hand into the Silver Knight's body.

The spear and shield in the Silver Knight's hands clattered to the floor.

"Did I get it?"

Nero breathed a sigh of relief and prepared to use the Silver Knight before her as a shield to break out of the room. But in the next instant, two cold iron hands clamped tightly around both her arms.

"?!"

She jolted and tried to retreat, but it was already too late.

As Nero was held in place by the Silver Knight that had abandoned its weapon, the other Silver Knight had already circled behind her with its weapon in hand. A low, heavy sound of air being split rang out, and a familiar, searing pain struck her chest once more.

"Puhah!"

Whether it was her lung or her windpipe that had been injured, Nero spat out a mouthful of blood on the spot, her limbs drooping weakly.

Seriously, "Family Tradition" again... Hanging from the spear, she thought mockingly to herself.

For a demon, this did not count as any serious injury, but that was only if Nero could still escape.

The spear that came from behind pierced Nero, pierced the Silver Knight holding Nero, and nailed them both to the wall face-to-face.

"D-d-d-damn Credo!"

Agnus, having revealed his true demonic form, landed beside Nero and cursed endlessly, "He actually tricked me and said th-th-this was an obedient little b-b-brat!"

Just from the frequency of his stutter, it was clear how furious this guy was. He raised the longsword transformed from the demon in his hand and, with utter rage, stabbed it into Nero's side.

"Urgh!"

Nero let out a pained groan and her head drooped.

Agnus took a deep breath, waved for the empty-handed Silver Knight beside him to pick up the fallen Yamato, and said in a voice suppressing his anger, "How foolish. Originally, you could have lived, witnessed it with your own eyes, and accepted the glory of becoming one with the Savior."

So that really was their plan?

While Nero was still thinking fairly calmly, Agnus seemed not to have vented enough. He twisted the sword in his hand twice more. "This is all your fault. E-e-everything is ruined."

Another scream rang out. Nero's thoughts were cut off. Blood gushed from the wound, soaking through her white Habit and dripping onto the floor.

Agnus stepped back and admired the Girl before him, dyed red with blood, in satisfaction. "Fortunately, that fool, that idiot Credo is very easy to deceive. Don't worry, I'll make good use of your body, especially that marvelous heart. I can hardly imagine what kind of powerful demon will be born from your body..."

Nero turned her head and silently watched the Silver Knight pick up the bloodstained Yamato and turn to walk toward the place where it had originally been set. This weapon, which should have submitted to her, was still so quiet at this moment.

"Are you still not... going to wake up..."

Nero's weak voice did not reach Agnus clearly. The demon researcher, having regained his composure, leaned his head in front of Nero and blocked her line of sight.

"Do you seem to have some last words?" He took out paper and pen and, in the spirit of "when a man is about to die," asked her earnestly, "If you have any opinions about the demon you are about to nurture, I will take them into careful consideration."

Nero raised her Eyelids, glanced at him, and moved her lips twice.

"What did you say? Your voice is a little low." Agnus leaned a little closer.

The Girl tugged at the Corner of the Mouth in a smile and spat a mouthful of bloody saliva onto his fly-like, ugly face.

"Oh!" Agnus hurriedly pulled back and raised a hand to wipe his face.

Only then did Nero struggle to open her mouth and curse, "Who the hell wants to give birth to some damn demon?"

After wiping his face, Agnus was not angry. He merely shrugged and said, "That is not up to you. I only hope they will be as beautiful as you."

He turned and left, gesturing for the Sword Wings circling in the air to transform into flying swords and take aim at Nero.

Why?

Nero's gaze passed through Agnus and fell upon the Yamato held in the Silver Knight's hands.

Why is there still no reaction?

She questioned it silently.

Why won't you obey this Bloodline of Sparda?

Ignoring the demons aiming for her life, she asked the Yamato.

The Yamato, which in the original work had clearly sensed the bloodline of Sparda and repaired itself on its own, remained silent now.

"How am I... any worse than that person?"

Nero's lips opened and closed soundlessly, questioning everything in sight.

She wanted to say: I'm of the Bloodline of Sparda too. I have family I want to protect too. I've awakened the power of a devil too, so—

All that resentment rose and roared like flame, becoming a deafening, furious demand:

"Answer me, Yamato!!!"

And then, light burst forth.

The Silver Knight holding Yamato was instantly blasted into dust by the erupting shockwave. Agnus was sent flying before he could make a sound, and the Sword Wings hovering on standby slammed into the ceiling one after another. Nero stretched out her hand in delight, welcoming Yamato as it flew toward her in a streak of light.

That light cut the two weapons piercing Nero's body into powder and sank into her chest. The wounds across her body swiftly healed right after.

"You—you—you—you absorbed Yamato?!"

Agnus had only just steadied himself after being blown away when he saw what, to him, was an utterly terrifying sight. "You bastard!"

Nero felt power welling up inside her again and glanced at the enraged Agnus. She badly wanted to beat the guy up right now, but Yamato had burrowed into her body, and she had no idea how to take it out at the moment. Unarmed, Nero rationally suppressed the thought.

It was time to run. Agnus would pay the price sooner or later anyway.

No one had time to stop her. Nero smashed through the door right beside her, leaped out, and melted into the night.

A moment later, the flustered and furious Agnus returned to human form and poked his head out of the laboratory. He looked around and found the rooftop before him already empty, then let out an angry roar.

"After her!"