Grimgar - vol9

1.    Set Free From Their Own Restraints

He squeezed his right hand. Opened it.

Squeezed again.

This was the hand, Haruhiro thought once again. The one that had hurt a comrade.

No, that was wrong. He wasn’t a comrade anymore. “...Ranta.”

When Haruhiro whispered the name, there was a bitterness deep in his chest. He shouldn’t have been able to taste anything there, though. Despite that, it was definitely bitter. It tightened, as if his ribs were being constricted, they creaked, and he felt a dull pain.

Ranta. That Ranta. Damn Ranta. That piece of shit.

He’d gotten behind the guy, and buried this stiletto into the guy’s right shoulder. The sensation he’d felt then was gone now. Which meant it had been just that ordinary to him. Just like every other time, as if it were a given that he’d do it, Haruhiro had stabbed him with his stiletto.

He could say that for that one thrust, he hadn’t hesitated at all. If he’d wavered in the slightest, he’d probably have been the one hit instead.

The guy had been serious. That was how it had looked. Haruhiro could only assume that was how it was.

Ranta had been strong. His RIPer had been sharp, and surprisingly weighty. Had Haruhiro been underestimating it? That might be true. He’d never been on the receiving end of that blade before, after all. He’d only watched it from up close.

He’d known it was fast. The guy was fast. Not like he’d been long ago.

He was a completely different person from the one who had struggled against

a single goblin.

That wasn’t true only of him, though. Everyone had grown. Even Haruhiro had. But perhaps he’d underestimated the guy, after all. Haruhiro hadn’t been properly aware of just how much the guy had grown.

If he’d known that properly, maybe there would have been more ways he could have dealt with the situation. Would he have managed to not have to resort to that?

He’d tried to kill the guy.

If it had gone any further, he’d have tried to jam his stiletto through the eyeholes in the guy’s helmet.

“Haru,” Merry called out.

Hearing her voice, Haruhiro came to his senses. Looking to the left, she was looking at him with a furrowed brow.

Just like back then. Merry had shouted, “Haru!” and hearing her call his name made Haruhiro stop just short of killing Ranta.

Merry had stopped Haruhiro, without a hint of doubt. He was glad she had.

“Yeah.” Haruhiro looked down. “What? Is something up?” Merry started to say something... but in the end, she only sighed. Outside, it was raining.

Haruhiro and Merry were inside a cave. It was the cave that was connected to the mountain where the fire dragon lived in Darunggar. They had been just by the entrance before, but it didn’t seem like the rain was about to let up anytime soon, so they’d taken shelter deeper in. They were still only about five meters from the entrance, though.

They were sitting together on the cool, firm ground, side-by-side, with their backs against the wall.

Together.

Yes.

They were alone together.

They couldn’t go to the hidden village, and this was about the only place that everyone more or less knew the location of, so they’d decided they would gather here if anything happened. That was what he’d decided after talking with Yume, Shihoru, and Kuzaku.

Haruhiro and Merry had arrived. Thanks to Kuro, the former hunter and current warrior who was a member of the Typhoon Rocks, having indicated

the direction for them, they had somehow managed to make it here even with getting a little lost along the way. And now, they were waiting for their comrades.

Everyone else was late, he felt. How much time had passed since then? He didn’t know precisely, but it felt like the sun was starting to set. Or had bad weather just made it get darker?

Impatience would do him no favors. They couldn’t move from here, after all. Even if they went out searching, the odds of them encountering Shihoru and the others out there were not high. Not only were they not high, they were low. No, it was best to assume they were incredibly close to nil.

Maybe Shihoru and the others couldn’t come here even if they wanted to.

They might have gotten lost along the way. Were they in a situation that made it so they couldn’t come? Had something happened?

How had the battle even ended? Ararara and the Rocks. Katsuharu. And Shihoru and the others. They were up against Forgan, led by that orc, Jumbo. When Haruhiro had headed out to rescue Merry, Rock and Arnold the undead warrior had been in the middle of a one-on-one duel. Who had even won that?

If Rock had lost, things had to have gone pretty badly. The Rocks would be wiped out. Obviously, Shihoru and the others would be, too.

Even if Rock had won, Forgan had the overwhelming numerical advantage. Which meant...

Weren’t they in trouble either way?

Shihoru. She’d put her hand behind her back, making a clenched fist, to give Haruhiro a sign of encouragement as he’d gone to rescue Merry.

Lately, he’d started to feel that he was no match for Shihoru. Shihoru was really watching her comrades, Haruhiro included, closely—and probably not just out of idle boredom, either. She was trying to understand them, which was why she could see through him.

Surely, Shihoru must have figured out that Haruhiro had special feelings for Merry. Haruhiro had denied it, and Shihoru had said she believed him.

That had to just be an act, though. He was sure that the truth was that Shihoru saw right through Haruhiro’s feelings.

At first, Shihoru had been hard to approach, and he’d never known how to talk to her when they were alone together. She’d been a precious comrade, but that was all. But, at some point, she’d become more important to him.

She was a comrade, a friend, and someone who understood him.

Am I never going to be able to see Shihoru again...? he wondered. No, I don’t want to think that. I couldn’t take it.

He couldn’t live without Shihoru. Or, at the very least, he couldn’t imagine carrying on without her. Shihoru was a necessity. Not to the party. She was completely indispensable to Haruhiro.

Of course, that was true of Yume, too. Oh, Yume. He’d held her hand many a time. They’d even hugged. Yume was a girl, and Haruhiro was a guy, so he’d be lying if he said he felt nothing for her. But so what? he thought from the bottom of his heart.

He liked Yume. Loved her. He’d love Yume even if she weren’t a girl.

She was like a younger or older sibling, maybe. It wasn’t like they were blood-related or anything, but he felt connected to Yume in some deep way. They had an inseverable bond, and he felt like they could maintain the same sort of relation they had now even into old age.

Not that he’d know. He couldn’t predict the future. There might be no future, you know? It could already have been lost to him. If Yume had been

—if she wasn’t all right—that was what it would mean.

Kuzaku.

If anything had happened to Yume or Shihoru, it would have happened to Kuzaku, too. Kuzaku would put his life on the line to defend the two of them, so he’d probably—no, definitely—be the first to fall. Haruhiro didn’t want to think that was what had happened.

If Yume was like a big or little sister, then Kuzaku, even considering how tall he was, was like a little brother. He was loyal, and serious, and he believed in Haruhiro to the point it was embarrassing, showing him great respect.

Did I make the wrong call? Haruhiro couldn’t help but doubt.

If he had, it was no small mistake. Had he made a mistake on an unimaginable scale?

Ranta and Merry had been taken prisoner by Forgan. Haruhiro had, through a meandering series of events, managed to reunite with Shihoru and Kuzaku. They’d learned that Ranta had apparently betrayed them to join Forgan. It had been unclear what’d happened to Merry. They’d been able to infer she was alive from the way Ranta talked about her. That was why Haruhiro had decided they’d save Merry.

Had that been okay?

Four people, himself included, had been fine. Ranta had betrayed them to save his own skin, or for some other reason.

Should Haruhiro have given up on Merry?

It was true that he’d managed to rescue her, but that something he could only see in hindsight. Ranta had seen through him, so Haruhiro had won by a paper-thin margin. It would have been completely unsurprising if he had failed.

If Haruhiro had considered Shihoru, Yume, and Kuzaku’s well beings, he should have abandoned Merry. If he had, he wouldn’t have lost any more comrades. This was another thing he could see in hindsight. If he had forgotten about Merry, and not gotten involved in the Rocks’ fight, it wouldn’t have been hard for the four of them to get away. With the four of them, they might have made it back to Alterna somehow. Even if Haruhiro and Merry survived alone, what good would that do? There was nothing they could do, was there?

“Haru.”

Hearing his name called again, he looked over and saw Merry hugging her knees with her head hanging.

“I wanted to talk... about Ranta.” “Ohh,” Haruhiro said. “...Yeah.”

“I don’t think you need to feel bad for... beating him.” “He stabbed us in the back, after all. So... yeah.”

“To be honest, even I’m not sure yet,” Merry admitted. “I don’t know what Ranta was actually thinking. Why did he go and do that?”

“I have no clue, either.” Haruhiro smiled just a little. Was he an unpleasant person, being able to smile at a time like this? “I kind of feel like I don’t even want to know. Was it just to survive? He’s kinda... impulsive, you could say. Like he’s acting on the spur of each moment. He’s got that sort of aspect to him. Like, maybe it was all he could do then. For him, at least? I wouldn’t understand.”

“It’s just...” Merry hugged her knees tight. “If Ranta hadn’t done that, I think... they probably would have done unspeakable things to me, things I never want to go through.”

“He did it to save you—is that what you think? It was a ruse?”

“That might have been it, or it might not... Honestly, I just don’t know.”

“...I see.”

“The truth is, I was told to join Forgan, too,” Merry said. “If I did, they’d welcome me as a comrade, he said. I declined, though.”

“What? Wasn’t that... kind of bad? Wasn’t that the critical moment?” “You’re right. I think that was.”

“Why did you refuse?” Haruhiro asked. “Though I suppose that’s a bit of an awkward question...”

“I couldn’t be a traitor. Couldn’t betray you. Betray everyone. Even if it was only on the surface, for the sake of expediency, I couldn’t do it.”

Heavy.

It had been that heavy.

For Merry, the weight of her responsibility toward Haruhiro and the others, her comrades, had been so heavy and important to her that protecting them had outweighed her own life and dignity.

If Haruhiro had been in Merry’s position, what would he have done? Could he say with certainty that he would have done like Merry and not betrayed the party? To be completely frank, he couldn’t. He didn’t want to be a traitor, but perhaps he’d have felt he had no choice but to pretend to stab them in the back. That was probably about how it would go.

Merry.

Merry.

Haruhiro understood. Merry might not say it often, but she cared deeply and strongly about her comrades. He was well aware of that. That was why losing Moguzo had hurt Merry incredibly deeply. She probably was still dragging that with her, and had sworn firmly not to let any more of her comrades die.

Damn it.

It really was impossible. Haruhiro could never have abandoned Merry.

There were things he could accept with cold logic. There were probably quite a few cases where he would have to. But people didn’t act based on reason alone, so when making decisions as leader, he shouldn’t rely purely on reason, either. In the end, nobody would follow a leader who only ever acted in a logical manner.

For instance, if Haruhiro had made the call to abandon Merry back then, what would have happened? If it had been the result of considerable thought on his part, Shihoru might have supported him. Yume would probably have

cried for Merry. Kuzaku might have been rejected by her, but he still held an affection for Merry. He wouldn’t have been able to accept the decision easily.

But then again, from the start, Shihoru, Yume, and Kuzaku must all have believed, without a shred of doubt, that Haruhiro wouldn’t abandon Merry. That was exactly how it had turned out, in fact.

Haruhiro wanted to be the best leader that he could for his comrades, his friends. He wanted to grow in every way that he could. In order to do that, he would exert every effort. But no matter where he went, Haruhiro was still Haruhiro, and nothing more.

He couldn’t become someone other than himself, and he was sure nobody wanted him to. He was the leader, so he bore responsibility for the results.

He’d reflect on those, too. However, reflecting and regretting were two different things. If regret would let him change the situation, he’d regret as much as it took, but unfortunately things didn’t work that way. Right now, Haruhiro was doing something meaningless.

Well, what should he be doing?

If he didn’t know, that was the place to start. He should think about that.

The situation. It was always the same. He had to get a handle on the situation, and use that as material to make a decision. To gather all the information he could. To just learn.

“Merry...” Haruhiro said. “Even though you did that, how were you spared? I’m sure you’d rather not have to hear this question, but...”

“No... I think I need to tell you this.” Merry finally raised her face. She still wouldn’t meet Haruhiro’s gaze. “It was something Ranta said. He said he’d wanted to make me his woman for a long time now. So he told everyone else not to lay a hand on me. If I adamantly refused to be his, then he said they could do as they pleased.”

“Uhh, so Ranta said that... to this Jumbo person? Er, not person, orc.” “Right. Jumbo accepted it surprisingly easily.”

“That’s kinda...” Haruhiro faltered. “I dunno. They’re pretty different, those Forgan guys. Maybe it’s just that orc, Jumbo, who’s different. No, maybe not so much different as bizarre...”

“I was surprised, too,” Merry said. “I’d thought... it was hopeless.” “You’ve got so much courage, Merry.”

“Not true. I was scared.” Even though she’d finally raised her face, Merry looked down again. Not just that. Her grip on her knees got a lot tighter. Her

shoulder, her back—even her voice was quivering. “I was really scared, to be honest.”

Was there something he should do here? Like put his arm around her shoulder, maybe? Or rub her back? Maybe it would be best to do something in this situation. He couldn’t do it, though, you know?

If it had been Yume he was dealing with, he probably would have. He wasn’t so sure about Shihoru, but it would probably be okay on a case-by- case basis. Like, if she started crying, he’d probably try to do something to comfort her.

Why couldn’t he do that with Merry? Was it because he’d have unwholesome thoughts?

It’s not the time to worry about that, he told himself. Forget about unwholesome thoughts and ulterior motives. Was he an idiot?

“...So, basically, Ranta saved you.”

“Probably.” Merry nodded her head slightly. “It’s Ranta, though. I couldn’t say for sure. It was a lie that he wanted to make me his woman. That much, I’m sure of.”

“Well, yeah...”

In that case, it meant Ranta’s betrayal was a ruse.

Takasagi. The one-armed, one-eyed middle aged man with a pipe in his mouth. Was he the one in charge of keeping an eye on Ranta? That was why he’d had to fight seriously against Haruhiro and the others. Because if he’d held back, Takasagi might have seen through him.

It all added up. There was even a part of Haruhiro that wanted it to be true.

Haruhiro sighed. “Anyway, let’s set the issue of Ranta aside for now. Before that, there are Shihoru and the others. Do we keep waiting here for them, or is it better if we move away from here? It’s questionable if this place is safe. Yeah... That’s right, huh. It’s not impossible that Forgan might come here. It’s best to assume they will, huh.”

“...I’m sorry.” “Huh? What for?”

“Not being of any use,” Merry said. “I’d hoped I could offer some good advice, but I’ve been shown quite clearly how inexperienced I am as a volunteer soldier.”

“Hey, listen. Could you stop? Don’t be like that.”

Merry turned her head to the side, glancing at Haruhiro. “...Stop?” “Yeah. I realize this may not sound that persuasive coming from me,

but...” Haruhiro lowered his eyes and scratched his head. “Being self-effacing like that, it’s pretty much my specialty. I think, right now, we’re facing a really hard situation. Maybe that’s all the more reason we’ve gotta cut it out. I’m not strong, and I mean that in a lot of ways. But I don’t want to use that weakness as an excuse. I can’t, you know. I mean, no matter how weak or how useless I am, the situation isn’t going to go any easier on me as a result. Honestly, I feel like I’m in no position to tell you this, but let’s stop looking down on ourselves. Both of us.”

“...You’re right.” Merry lifted her head, looking straight up. She gave another little, subdued smile. “It won’t be easy, but I’ve decided to stop. Blaming myself, that is. If you’ll do it, too, Haru.”

“You’re right, it may not be easy, but...” I mean, it’s pretty much baked into who I am, Haruhiro thought as he stood up. “I’m going to head over to the entrance and look outside. You rest.”

“No.” Merry stood up. “We agreed to do it together. Right?” “...We sure did.”

This is no time to start getting giddy, Haruhiro cautioned himself as he headed towards the entrance with Merry.

The rain didn’t seem like it would let up anytime soon.

2.    I Want to Protect You

Honestly, Kuzaku didn’t understand what was happening at first.

Everything had been intense, violent, and extreme. It was only after the Rock and Arnold the undead had started their incredible scuffle that Kuzaku had noticed.

Haruhiro was gone. Or rather...

Where Haruhiro had been standing before, now stood that Sakanami guy with the crazy eyes, the Typhoon Rocks’s thief.

On top of that, he was standing like Haruhiro. The way his shoulders were hunched slightly, his head was tilted forward a little, and his knees were slightly bent was identical. Kuzaku had no recollection of Sakanami ever standing like that, so he was probably imitating Haruhiro. He was a perfect copy of Haruhiro. Perhaps that was why Kuzaku hadn’t noticed when Haruhiro went missing.

Kuzaku sensed it wouldn’t be wise to make a fuss about it, so he asked Shihoru in a whisper, “Where’s Haruhiro?”

While keeping her eyes fixed on the battle unfolding between Rock and Arnold, Shihoru simply replied, “Getting Merry.”

Makes sense, thought Kuzaku, satisfied.

Haruhiro gone to save her. To save Merry, by himself.

Was he going to have trouble by himself? Nah, it was actually easier for him to move around when he was alone. Even if Kuzaku had gone with him, he’d only have been in the way. Haruhiro would pull this off. That was what Kuzaku wanted to think. Haruhiro had a rock-solid sense of responsibility.

He could get things done when it was time to get things done. Of course, that made you question whether there was ever a time not to get things done.

Kuzaku had a bad habit of losing focus—no, of letting his mind relax

sometimes. He hadn’t noticed it until he’d been in Haruhiro’s party for some time. Watching Haruhiro, he’d realized how easily he’d been taking things.

Even with his sleepy eyes, Haruhiro was always alert. If anything, the more focused he became, the sleepier his eyes looked. Haruhiro wouldn’t lose focus at a key moment. He’d always have sleepy eyes, alert, using his head, and acting on behalf of his comrades.

Kuzaku always wished he could be like that, too, and he tried, but then he’d catch himself relaxing all of a sudden. Even in the middle of an intense battle, there were times when he felt like he couldn’t quite focus.

Maybe it’s because I’m so dependent, thought Kuzaku.

In the end, he tended to leave things to others. Somewhere in his heart, he was always relying on someone else. He was trying to adopt the mindset that he had to handle things himself, but he just couldn’t do it.

I’m hopeless, Kuzaku thought. It was frustrating, too. He had this big body, but what was he using it for? If he couldn’t shoulder any of the burden, it was meaningless.

I’ll bet Moguzo wasn’t like this.

Kuzaku had only seen the guy fighting that one time. The battle at Deadhead Watching Keep. He’d been big. Kuzaku was probably the taller one, but Moguzo had been thick, solid. He’d seemed so clearly reliable.

The sight of Moguzo’s Rage Blow cutting down an orc was still seared into Kuzaku’s eyes. He didn’t know what to call it other than amazing.

In the Dusk Realm, Akira-san had showed off his Punishment for them. His skill had been like a crystallization of the highest level of technique, and it was hard to imagine how it was even possible to reach that level. Kuzaku had only been able to look on in awe.

Moguzo’s Rage Blow, on the other hand, hadn’t been like that. It wasn’t that Kuzaku thought, Hey, even I could do that, but if it was possible, he wanted to learn to use his own sword that way.

The position of Kuzaku’s hips was too high. It was unstable. He realized that, so he was trying to fix it. Even so, when he checked on himself occasionally, his hips were too high most of the time. He wasn’t the flexible sort, and his arms and legs were long, making finer movements more difficult, so compared to Haruhiro and... yeah, that stupid traitor, Ranta, as well as Yume who was both a hunter and a girl, he was slow.

He knew he surely had a lot of points to improve on. He wanted to get rid

of them one by one. He had strong points, like how big he was, too, so putting those to effective use was also important.

Shihoru had cautioned him to not let things weigh on him too much, but what else was he supposed to do? Kuzaku was the tank.

Haruhiro had said to him, “But now—Kuzaku, you’re our party’s tank, and I think you’re the only one who can be.”

He remembered it precisely. He’d never forget those words. Whenever he thought back to them, his heart shivered.

I’ve gotta do it, he’d think. I’m gonna do it.

I swear I’m gonna make myself into a great tank.

It was a good thing he’d had his heart broken. Now, without any distractions, he could focus wholly on a single goal.

I’m still worried about Merry... -san, though.

Well, of course he was. He was beside himself with worry, to be honest.

Like, what were they doing to her? Those sorts of worries cropped up, of course. Even if he knew it was futile thinking about it, that didn’t help one bit.

If he could have taken her place, he would have. She was a girl, after all.

It was tougher on her.

That was all the more reason why he couldn’t forgive that moron, Ranta. “...Huh?” Kuzaku blinked and took another look. “Huh? Hold on. That’s

weird. Whaa...?”

There was a small hill across from them, and on top of it there was a goblin riding a giant wolf, and a smallish orc who was apparently called Jumbo. Down at the base of the hill there was a mass of orcs, undead, and more races lined up—but there was no sign of that guy.

“Isn’t Ranta kinda missing?” Kuzaku whispered.

“Looks like he took off somewhere. Just now,” Yume said quietly. “Oh, that one human went and disappeared when Ranta did, too. They took some others along with them.”

“Whoa. I totally missed that...” Kuzaku sighed. “Damn Ranta. Where’d he go?”

“He figured it out.” Shihoru bit her lip. “Maybe. About Haruhiro-kun, I mean...”

“That’s... kinda bad, isn’t it?” Kuzaku asked with trepidation. Yume groaned.

“It’s bad, but...” Shihoru shook her head slightly. “There’s nothing we can do. Even if we went on the move... I don’t think we could catch up to Haruhiro-kun now. We might get lost, too... For now, we have to trust in Haruhiro-kun.”

“Seriously...?” Kuzaku was speechless.

“Trust in Haruhiro.” For Kuzaku, that was easy. He was certain that Haruhiro would pull this off, and if Haruhiro couldn’t, then there was just no helping that. But trusting in Haruhiro and leaving it to him basically meant making Haruhiro shoulder all of the burden.

Once again, like always, everything fell to Haruhiro. It made Kuzaku want to laugh. Mockingly, at himself. I’m too powerless.

“Not an issue,” the self-proclaimed strongest dread knight in active service, Moyugi of the Typhoon Rocks, said, pressing on the bridge of his glasses with the middle finger of his right hand. “I’ve prepared for this.”

“Prepared?” Kuzaku moved his throat to swallow his spit, but there was none left in his mouth to swallow. “How?”

Looking smug, Moyugi didn’t answer.

Kuzaku didn’t know if the guy was smart, or a tactician, or whatever, but he was smarmy, self-important, acted like he was mocking others, and was a generally detestable man.

The priest with the buzz cut, Tsuga, was smiling. This guy reminded him of something. That thing, you know. That. A Jizo. Yeah. He was like a Jizo.

But what was a Jizo again? He didn’t know what it was, but he could bring its shape to mind. This bald little statue made of stone. Tsuga was like a Jizo.

Kajita, the one who wore sunglasses, who had been lying there spread- eagled ever since he’d been sent flying in from behind them and landed there with a loud thud, suddenly shouted “Oop!” and jumped to his feet.

What’s oop supposed to mean? Kuzaku wondered. Sakanami was still imitating Haruhiro.

You can give it up already, thought Kuzaku. It seems like they’re already on to us.

Rock laughed loudly as he grabbed Arnold, or as he was pushed back and grabbed instead, punched and was punched, kicked and was kicked, headbutted and was headbutted, over and over. Is he on drugs? Kuzaku

wondered. They were all a bunch of weirdos.

Well, it wasn’t just the Typhoon Rocks. Whether it was Akira-san’s group, Soma’s group, or the Tokkis, they were all pretty weird.

I can’t keep up with these people, was Kuzaku’s honest opinion.

In that respect, Haruhiro’s party was different. Very different. They were normal, you could say. Comforting. He was sure he could get along with them.

That didn’t mean everything would work out fine, but he’d learn to like his comrades, and to respect them. Even if Ranta was the one huge exception to that, there were exceptions to everything, so he could tolerate that much.

He had to.

It had been a big shock when Merry had shot him down, but neither of them were children. Merry was an adult, so she had let it slide, strange as it was to say it that way. They’d been able to go on as comrades, as if it had never happened, respecting one another, and moving forward. Even though he’d thought it was impossible at one point, they’d escaped from Darunggar and managed to make it back to Grimgar. Alterna felt far away, but he was sure they’d get there somehow.

Or so he had thought.

What’s up with this? Kuzaku thought. Why do things keep going so wrong? Is that just life? Even if it is, aren’t we being put through too many trials?

I can’t accept this.

If this was reality, he had to take it as it was. Even Kuzaku understood that. He just wanted to complain.

He’d found himself in Grimgar all of a sudden, he’d had no choice but to become a volunteer soldier, he’d seen all his comrades die—all of them except for him. Still, he had managed to try to stay positive and do his best. He was doggedly persistent, and thanks to that, he’d been admitted to Haruhiro’s party. Kuzaku felt he’d done the best he could there.

And for all that, this is what I get? A little harsh, don’t you think?

I dunno... I think I deserve a little more.

Is that naive of me? My heart feels ready to break.

He couldn’t let it. Haruhiro was still hanging in there, trying to do something. Kuzaku was just watching. How could he let his heart break?

Pull yourself together. Be strong.

But his legs felt weak, and he wanted to just sit down.

What about Shihoru and Yume? They clearly weren’t doing so hot, but they didn’t look like they’d given in to despair, either. How was he supposed to keep himself together at a time like this? He wanted someone to tell him how. He wanted to ask Shihoru or Yume. No, that wasn’t it... He wanted them to support him.

“...Damn it.” Kuzaku spat out those words and tucked in his chin. That wasn’t how it should be. He shouldn’t be getting them to support him; he had to support them. That was the kind of guy he wanted to be. Ideally, he wanted to be like another leg for Haruhiro—No, that wasn’t quite it.

Yeah, no, it wasn’t. That seemed open to misinterpretation.

It was like, well, Shihoru was probably supporting Haruhiro mentally and spiritually. Kuzaku wasn’t clever or cool-headed like her, so he’d do it with his body. Yeah, as a tank, he’d support Haruhiro like a wall, or a pillar, physically. That was it. He had an image of it, so now he just needed to make it a reality.

If Haruhiro made it back safely... that was. Merry, too, of course.

That piece of shit Ranta had betrayed them. They had lost a comrade, and in a way none of them had expected. If they lost any more, the damage would be too great.

He wanted to cry. Because, for all that he wanted to do something, Kuzaku couldn’t do anything. He could just stand here, doing nothing. Kuzaku ground his teeth.

“Let’s end this already,” Rock called from the battlefield before them. Rock mounted Arnold, raining fists down on his face, shouting, “Dah!

Dah! Dah! Dah!” Every blow was a heavy one.

Arnold was a double-arm with four arms, but Rock had cut off one of his left arms, and his remaining left arm and one of his right ones were both heavily injured. That said, Arnold was acting like it didn’t even matter, using his two right arms and remaining left arm to defend himself. But Rock’s fierce attack broke through that, too. Was this fight just about decided now?

“Dah! Dah! Dah! Dah! Dah! Dah! Dah! Dah! Dah!”

Rock’s fist was hitting Arnold right in this face. There were groans from the onlooking members of Forgan. If he kept taking hits like that, he wasn’t going to last. If an undead’s head was crushed, that was supposed to be

enough to destroy them.

He could do it. Just like that. Arnold couldn’t even defend himself anymore. Rock had won. No question.

Without meaning to, Kuzaku shouted, “Finish him!” Then it happened. “KYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY.”

Arnold let out a terrifying shriek and leapt straight up, taking Rock with him.

How had he done that? Arnold had been on his back, with Rock on his stomach, mounting him. In that position, how could he have sprung straight upwards?

If you thought about it normally, it was impossible. The undead, however, were not normal. Was that it?

Arnold, with Rock on his belly, had managed to jump what looked like three meters in the air.

Rock gasped in surprise, and tried to get away, but Arnold was having none of that, and he used his three remaining limbs to seize Rock. No, not just to seize him. Arnold had changed position in midair. He’d flipped over.

Arnold was on top, and Rock was on the bottom.

What was more, Arnold had used his three arms and both legs to point Rock’s head straight down.

Isn’t this bad? Kuzaku thought frantically. Won’t he land on his head? “Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!” “SYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY.”

“Rock!” Arara, who had been watching the fight in a half-dazed state up until that point, shouted her champion’s name.

The bad feeling Kuzaku had turned out to be right. Rock slammed into the ground head-first.

Is he gonna be all right after that? I dunno.

Arnold immediately jumped off Rock, then kicked him.

Kick. Kick. Kick. Kick. Kick. Kick. Kick. He kicked, and kicked, and kicked Rock some more. Rock wasn’t even trying to defend himself. He was getting kicked as much as he possibly could.

The members of Forgan started to cheer.

Rock’s comrades didn’t move. Not Moyugi, not Tsuga, not Kajita, and not Gettsu, the tiger-striped mirumi that rock was keeping as a pet.

Shihoru turned away, unable to watch any longer. Yume wasn’t looking away, but her cheeks were puffed up with a ridiculous amount of air.

Kuzaku muttered, “Awww... ”

No, awww wasn’t thing to be saying right now, it wasn’t, but awww was the only thing he could get to come out.

They were going to lose? Or was it more like they’d already lost? Like, almost certainly? If Rock lost, what was going to happen here? Who knew?

Kuzaku didn’t. His entire mind was going blank. This might be what it meant to be weak. In the end, no matter what happened, strong people probably never thought they were going to lose, or that it was hopeless. If not for that, it would be impossible to turn things around. And, probably, his comrades must have believed in him.

Arnold went to kick Rock again. Rock wrapped himself around that leg.

He moved almost like a snake. Even though he’d seemed like he might already be dead.

Was that not it? Had he been faking it? The whole time that Arnold was kicking him, Rock had been waiting for his chance to strike back?

If he had, that took some serious endurance. How tough was he? He was way too gutsy. There had to be something wrong with him.

Rock tried to pull Arnold to the ground. Arnold was using his left leg to try to kick Rock off of him, but it wasn’t going so well.

Rock shouted, “Yahhh! Take this!” Was he attacking his joints, maybe?

Like his knee, or his ankle? He was trying to break them.

Arnold, not about to let him do that, screamed, “KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!” He twisted his body around, used his three arms, and tried all sorts of things. But Rock didn’t let go of his right leg. He wouldn’t let go.

The two of them fell over. Fell and rolled.

“KU. !”

Suddenly, Arnold had stopped resisting.

Just before he did, Kuzaku felt like he’d heard a loud crunch. Was it his leg? His right leg. Had Rock finally finished off Arnold’s right leg? That must have been it.

Rock released Arnold’s leg of his own volition, rolled backwards to put some distance between them, then assumed a low posture.

Arnold got up, too, but he was lifting his right leg. There was no doubt about it. Arnold couldn’t use his right leg anymore. Could he still fight even with one leg busted?

Kuzaku sure couldn’t. First of all, he wouldn’t be able to move around properly. Or dig his heels in, either. He wouldn’t be able to do much of anything.

Rock wasn’t unharmed, either. His face was all swollen up, and was even bleeding. With the kicking he’d taken, it would be completely unsurprising if he had a broken bone or two, but it looked like his arms and legs were fine for now. Even if he had gotten off without any broken bones, he was definitely bruised all over.

Yet the way he moved made it look like he didn’t even feel it.

Rock slid in close to Arnold, letting loose a punch. It was a left jab. With a quick combo, jab, jab, jab, he hit Arnold in the face.

Arnold may have tried to avoid it, but he wasn’t able to. That three-jab combo was followed by a right straight, a left hook, and another right straight that all landed, then a left uppercut and body blow, a right straight to the jaw, followed by a right uppercut to the same, a left hook to the side of his face, and an immediate right straight to follow.

“Look at that. There’s no way he won’t do something...” Kuzaku didn’t quite know what he was talking about, but he could tell that Rock’s attacks weren’t random. It had to be a martial art or something. Rock knew how to fight with his fists. He was no amateur. “Boxing...”

Yeah. That’s it. Boxing.

He knew what it was. It was only for an instant, but an image appeared in Kuzaku’s head. Two men in short pants, wearing thick gloves on their hands, hitting one another.

That. That was boxing. He’d seen a boxing match—but where, and when...?

He didn’t know. He couldn’t recall. The image that had appeared so clearly in his mind was completely gone now.

Boxing. The word remained. Rock was a boxer. A fighter.

Kuzaku felt a sudden sense of urgency. Boxing. Boxer. Those words, the concept, he needed to carve them into his mind now, or he’d forget them. He felt like he’d forgotten many things this way. Lost them.

Rock went on the attack. It was one-sided. He was showering Arnold with

carefully aimed punches.

This wasn’t a fight. His footwork was on another level. There was too great of a gap.

Looking closer, though, Arnold was still moving. Or trying to, at least. But Rock always circled around in front of him. When Arnold tried to run, Rock always headed in that direction. Then, he hit him with a punch.

Even when Arnold stumbled, looking like he might fall, Rock hit him with a punch to stop it. Arnold couldn’t even fall over.

Kuzaku sort of got why. It was because Rock was a boxer. Rock was at his best when he was on his feet, punching. Fighting from the ground, which was to say using pinning techniques and taking the mount position and then landing blows on his opponent, was not Rock’s forte.

His fists. Rock planned to settle this with his fists. He was confident in them.

“Rockyyyyyy!” Kuzaku was surprised when Sakanami suddenly started twisting his body around and shouting. “Four! Rocky two! Three! Four!”

What was he on about? Was he off in the head? He certainly didn’t look sane. However, as if Sakanami’s bizarre shouting had triggered it somehow, Rock got visibly faster.

“Whoa...” Kuzaku couldn’t help but let out a groan of admiration.

Whether he tried opening his eyes wide, or blinking, he couldn’t see him properly. Fast. He was too fast. Rock’s punches were too fast for his eyes to follow.

Whatever he was doing with them, Arnold couldn’t block, or parry, or slip, or duck, or weave, or sway. Every single one of Rock’s punches was hitting Arnold. They were all clean hits. At this point, Arnold was no more than an undead doll, there to take Rock’s punches. No, not a doll, an undead punching bag.

The members of Forgan were quiet. They sensed Arnold’s impending defeat, too. No, they didn’t just sense it, they must have more or less accepted it.

The fight was decided. Rock just wasn’t trying to end it. If Rock stopped attacking, Arnold would crumple. Why didn’t Rock do that?

Whatever the reason, Rock kept up the chain of blows. Arnold wasn’t groggy yet, either. Was that what Rock was thinking? It turned out that was exactly it. Rock unleashed his umpteenth right straight. It didn’t look like

he’d gone in for the finish, and his movements as he prepared to throw the punch had become larger, resulting in a so-called telegraphed punch. It was a normal one, too fast, and to Kuzaku it had looked like a perfect straight.

Then Arnold stopped it with his mouth.

He opened his mouth so wide that it looked like he’d dislocated his jaw, and was going to tear his cheeks, and Rock’s fist went straight inside. That was how it looked.

Naturally, Rock immediately tried to retract his fist, but Arnold took his chance to bite down and stop him. His upper and lower teeth sank into Rock’s arm, biting him hard.

With a gasp of alarm, Rock slugged Arnold in the gut and temples with his left fist. They were sharp punches, and powerful, no doubt, but not like Rock. Rock was disturbed.

Arnold, on the other hand, still seemed to be calm.

Arnold acted like Rock’s punches meant nothing to him. He grabbed Rock’s head with a left and right hand.

Kuzaku let out an “Ah!” despite himself.

His thumbs. Arnold’s thumbs were in Rock’s eyes. He was putting out both of his eyes at once with his left and right thumbs. If he only hurt the eyes a little, it would be fine, but if it was more than that, Rock’s career as a boxer would be...

No, that wasn’t the issue here! “Enough!” someone shouted.

When that loud voice resounded through the area, it felt as if all the fog had cleared from Thousand Valley. Not that it would ever happen. But it felt like it could blow the fog away. It wasn’t just loud; it was an incredibly clear voice, too.

“Jumbo,” someone said. Probably one of Forgan’s members. It led to a chain of people calling out that name.

“Jumbo.”

“Jumbo!”

“Jumbo.”

“Jumbo!”

“Jumbo.”

“Jumbo!”

“Jumbo.”

“Jumbo!” Jumbo.

That orc was standing atop the hill, and had been watching over Rock and Arnold’s showdown in silence up until now.

Was it him? Had he said it? Enough. Had he stopped them? Either way, what an orc.

For Kuzaku, when he thought of orcs, the strongest impression he had was of the ones he’d fought at Deadhead Watching Keep. The ones living in Waluandin in Darunggar came next.

In both cases, they were of larger build than humans, had roughly human- level intelligence, and were a little rough, like you’d expect them to be grunting. He’d assumed that orcs, as a race, were all like that. But that orc didn’t fit into his image of orcs at all. He was a breed apart.

For a start, what was that robe that opened at the front that he was wearing? It was deep blue, with a silver flower pattern. Kuzaku hadn’t seen a piece of clothing that beautiful anywhere he’d been in Grimgar or Darunggar. Had the orc made that? If he had, it was ridiculously detailed work.

His flowing black hair might have looked like he’d just let it grow, but it didn’t give off the slightest impression that it was dirty at all. He probably at least combed it.

Then there was his face. His nose was low and wide, like it was smushed. Very orc-like. He had tusk-like teeth peeking out from the corners of his lips. This was typical of orcs, too. He was clearly an orc, but he wasn’t orc-like.

When Kuzaku had first seen an orc’s face, honestly, he’d thought they were ugly. There was no way you could have gotten him to say they were cool. Like, orc women, they were probably hideous? No better than goblins in that regard.

Yeah. They were like big, tough goblins. Basically, that was the image of orcs that Kuzaku had.

Jumbo was different. Maybe he was just a little orc-like, but actually belonged to a different race. Like some sort of super orc. Those orange eyes, they weren’t normal. Higher. That was it. Higher. He was some sort of higher form of being.

Though, that said, even if they didn’t take it to the same degree, all of the orcs in Forgan had some of that same atmosphere that Jumbo gave off. They might have been trying to imitate Jumbo’s dress and demeanor. Or, perhaps,

just like there was so much variety between different humans, orcs came in all sorts, too, and there were orcs like that out there.

The one who might have been their representative, Jumbo, came down from the hill. He didn’t exactly jump. Or run. He came down at a surprisingly easy pace, just walking.

“Your battle...” Jumbo placed a hand on Arnold and Rock’s shoulders. “...will be decided by me.”

“Huh...?” Rock said, looking dumbfounded. “Ih...?”

Rock and Arnold had apparently tried to turn and look at Jumbo. But Rock had Arnold’s thumbs in his eyes, and Arnold had Rock’s right arm in his mouth, making it difficult for him to move his head properly. Even if it weren’t for that, they were both beaten and bruised all over. They were quite a sight to behold, but Jumbo seemed perfectly fine with it. He was cool and composed to a degree that seemed out of place.

“If this continues, you will both die. Arnold, my companion, and you, the human volunteer soldier—Rock, was it? I feel it would be a shame for either of you to die here. Therefore, I declare your match a tie.”

“No, man... You can’t just decide that,” Rock snapped. “Oh... Fuh...”

“Hey, Arnold, you can’t accept this either, can you?” “Uh...”

“Oh. You can’t talk like this, huh? I’ll pull out my fist now. That’s okay, yeah?”

“Nu...”

“I’m pulling it out. Also, my eyes hurt, so pull out your thumbs, too,”

It looked like Arnold had loosened his jaw. Rock pulled his right arm out of Arnold’s mouth.

“I said, that hurts! Get your hands off me already, Arnold!” “Mu...” Arnold cautiously released Rock’s head.

“Damn it!” Rock jumped back, rubbing his eyes with his eyelids closed. “I can’t see a thing. If I go blind, it’s not gonna be funny. What’re you gonna do if I can never see Arara’s face again?”

Tsuga muttered, “It could go either way...” Like it had nothing to do with him. Okay, it might not strictly have been his problem, but they were comrades, weren’t they?

“A tie, is it?” Moyugi stepped forward. “I don’t care what you call it, but I’d like things made a little more clear. You’re Jumbo, right? How, precisely, do you plan to settle this?”

There was an uneasy buzz from the members of Forgan. It was easy to see where they were coming from. Moyugi’s attitude was awfully insolent. Even Kuzaku, who was ostensibly his ally, wanted to be offended by it, so the members of Forgan had to be downright livid.

Is Jumbo going to snap? he wondered. It didn’t look like he was.

“To be precise...” Jumbo turned to face Moyugi like a leaf fluttering in the wind. “If you people withdraw now, I will not lay a hand on you. You may strike at us again another day. You may choose to forget us. From here on, you will be free to do as you choose.”

“I see.” Moyugi gave a haughty nod. “And if we don’t agree?”

“...No, hold on, Moyugi.” Rock looked around. He didn’t seem to be able to see, but was he looking for someone? “Arnold! Are you okay with that?! This was our fight! I dunno if this guy is your commander, or what, but are you just going to willingly let him get in our way?!”

“Kuu...” Arnold looked to Jumbo.

“He’s not understanding,” Tsuga said in a whisper, grinning. “Our language.”

Kuzaku felt his face twitching. This Jizo, he seems like he’s a good guy with common sense, but maybe he’s actually got a nasty personality?

“This game is draw,” Jumbo said to Arnold. “Backout, eachother.”

He was probably saying it in some other language that Arnold the undead would understand.

Arnold sat down “I... gari.”

I agree. That was what it sounded like Arnold was saying.

“The hell!” Rock kicked the ground, and looked pretty unhappy, but... this wasn’t a bad development. In fact, it might be a better opportunity than they could have hoped for.

Kuzaku quickly glanced over at Shihoru and Yume. They understood without any need to talk. They were of the same mind as Kuzaku.

Rock and his group had planned this strike for revenge because Arnold had killed Arara’s fiancé Tatsuru, but, cold as it was to say this, Kuzaku and the other two had never had any investment in that whatsoever. The reason

they’d decided to give Rock a hand was maybe ten to twenty percent out of a sense of obligation, but the remaining eighty to ninety percent was to save their comrade, Merry.

What had happened with Haruhiro? Was Merry safe? That wasn’t clear now, but Kuzaku and the other two naturally needed to consider their own safety. If Rock and the others would call off their revenge and retreat, be that for now or forever, Kuzaku and the other two could escape from here. From there, they’d head to the meet up point and wait for Haruhiro.

If Haruhiro came back with Merry, would it be going too far to call that the best possible outcome? If Haruhiro didn’t appear—well, Kuzaku didn’t want to consider the possibility, but if it came to that, they’d think of something when it did.

“So?” Moyugi pressed the middle finger of his left hand against the bridge of his glasses. His right hand was on the hilt of his sword. “If we choose not to retreat, what do you intend to do?”

“I,” Jumbo said in a tone he might just as easily have used to say he was going to take an afternoon nap, “will annihilate you people, personally.”

“...Huh?” Moyugi said.

It seemed even Moyugi hadn’t anticipated this. Naturally, Kuzaku hadn’t either.

Hold on, Kuzaku thought slowly. What did he just say?

Huh? What, what? Personally? Like, Jumbo personally? You people? Basically, Rock and his group, likely Arara and Katsuharu, too, and then probably Kuzaku, Shihoru, and Yume.

Annihilate?

Not just wipe out?

Well, they’re kind of similar, I guess. So, basically... He’s gonna kill us all?

Kuzaku did all he could to sort it out in his head.

“Get lost, or I’ll kill you.” That seemed to be what Jumbo was saying. “The wind that blows in the darkness whispers to me...” Sakanami was biting his nails intensely. His whole body was quivering, and he was doing

both hands, too. “The dark history invites me beyond the abyss... The reason

for solitude, the false season plays out a prelude to destruction that questions the meaning of our existence. ”

What was with this guy?

“Big talk.” The Jizo... er, Tsuga... looked angry.

Arara was the picture of indignation. “Just how much do you have to belittle us before you’re satisfied?!”

“Damn, I’m pissed,” Kajita muttered.

And then Kajita, the big man wearing sunglasses, hoisted his sword which looked like a thin slice of a massive mushroom, and charged forward.

Whoa, whoa, you’re flying off on your own?! At least discuss it first!

That’s reckless! You’re going off half-cocked! That’s bad. Bad. I’m pretty sure this is bad. Man, Kajita means business. He’s totally flipped. Flipped right the hell out.

Kajita charged towards Jumbo with incredible vigor, not looking aside. “Uehhhhhh, hahhhhhhhhhh!”

Why didn’t Rock and the others stop him? Couldn’t they?

Well, Kuzaku didn’t know Kajita all that well, but he was a member of the Typhoon Rocks, he looked like bad news, and though he was a man of few words, everything he said was weird. Not as weird as Sakanami, though. Regardless, he didn’t seem like the type who would obediently listen if someone told him to do something. Though, that said, stopping him by brute force seemed like it’d be even more difficult, maybe almost impossible.

Kuzaku, at least, had no desire to try it. He felt like he’d be blown away easily. Was he the type that even his comrades couldn’t stop once he got like that? Maybe?

Whatever the case, negotiations were a bust now.

This is the worst. Kajita.

Screw you.

What are you even thinking, Kajita?

Then Kuzaku burst out, “Kajita, you— Wha...?!”

Kuzaku saw it. Kajita swung down his massive mushroom sword from a distance that would normally make you think, Seriously, from there? It’ll never reach.

Normally, you’d be right, and it absolutely wouldn’t, but for Kajita that was killing range. Kajita wasn’t just a super-powered moron. At long range he used his sword, and at short and medium range he used his kicks, switching deftly between the two. And for Kajita, long range was long.

Stretching out and using the length of his massive mushroom sword, his

long arms, and that big body of his, he might even be able to cut an enemy who was close to three meters away in half.

The moment Kajita had Jumbo in killing range, he swung his massive mushroom sword at him.

Jumbo seemed to have predicted this, but he didn’t move backwards, or to the left or right to evade it. Instead—he disappeared. To Kuzaku, it looked like Jumbo vanished for an instant.

The moment that he thought, He’s not there. He’s gone, Jumbo reappeared above them. He’d jumped.

It seemed that Jumbo had leaped to avoid Kajita’s massive mushroom sword. But what was with the way he was moving?

It seemed like a contradiction, but Jumbo was standing in midair.

Naturally, Jumbo only stopped in midair for an instant. Even so, it wasn’t the stance that could easily be seen as that of someone who had jumped up to get there. Jumbo was relaxed. That was how he looked to Kuzaku.

However, he’d only evaded the first blow. Kajita still had his kicks as a weapon.

Using the momentum he had from swinging his massive mushroom sword, Kajita unleashed a reverse roundhouse kick with his left leg. Being in midair, Jumbo had to fall. That was what Kajita was aiming for.

There was no way to dodge this. Jumbo didn’t try to dodge it, either.

When Kajita’s kick came in, he used it as a stepping stone to leap yet again. More than that, it looked like he was walking through the air.

Jumbo landed behind Kajita.

The way that Kajita immediately shouted, “Keyah!” and performed a reverse roundhouse kick with his right leg showed he was no ordinary guy. It wasn’t a single attack, either. He did a left reverse roundhouse and a right forward kick. Then he bent his right knee and did a three-kick combo of high, middle, and low kicks. After two kicks with his left leg, he made it look like he was going for a kick with his right, then instead went for another two-kick combo with his left.

It wouldn’t have been an exaggeration to call the combination of kicks Kajita displayed magnificent. He’d completely let go of his massive mushroom sword. With how big his body was, it was impressive he could move like that. To look at him, Kajita didn’t seem at all like he’d be so quick.

But Jumbo didn’t have so much as a scratch on him.

Jumbo had evaded all of Kajita’s kicks, then finally went on a counteroffensive. That much was clear. Kuzaku also saw what Jumbo did to Kajita.

Jumbo used his right hand to jab at Kajita’s chest—or rather, to push it.

That was all he did. That was all, but Kajita flipped over with his legs going up in the air, then landed head-first, striking his neck hard on the ground.

“I don’t see any way to win,” Kuzaku heard Moyugi mutter. He almost certainly didn’t just mean that the strongest dread knight in active service couldn’t beat Jumbo. Even if all of the Rocks, Moyugi included, were to gang up on Jumbo alone, they would be no match for him.

If Moyugi had made that call, he was probably right. In a fortunate coincidence, you might say, Kuzaku had just been thinking the same thing, and he didn’t disagree in the least.

“The way you are now,” Jumbo said in a tone no different than before, “you cannot even make me take a knee. However, you still have much ahead of you. Your room for growth is greater than my own. This is because while few in this vast world are greater than I, you yet have enemies to face. If you are able to best them, you will grow stronger yet.”

He said incredible things like they were nothing. Jumbo had declared that while he might not be the strongest person in the world, there was hardly anyone out there who could beat him.

No matter what, that had to be him getting ahead of himself. Though Kuzaku thought that, at the same time, if Jumbo wasn’t at the highest level, just what sort of creature did he have to imagine was above him?

That thing, maybe? The fire dragon in Darunggar? Even Jumbo probably couldn’t beat that thing. It could spit fire, after all. That thing was just too big. At the very least, he couldn’t take it alone.

Even he wouldn’t be able to... I think.

“Go.” Jumbo made a slight gesture with his chin. “At once. If you will not go, there will be no tomorrow for any of you. I will waste no more words.

Live, or die. The choice is yours.”

“For our part,” Rock responded immediately, “we’re backing off. Arara, I’m sorry I couldn’t grant your wish. I won’t ask you to let it slide. I failed to do what I set out to do. I’m seriously the worst.”

Arara slumped her shoulders and hung her head. “...I wouldn’t say that.”

Because Kajita decided to get rough, I didn’t know how things were going to turn out for a moment there, but it looks like this is going to go fine.

Kuzaku let out a sigh.

It overlapped with Shihoru’s sigh, so they looked at one another and smiled wryly.

Yume blinked repeatedly and then shook her head. Even in this situation, it was an expression and gesture that made you want to smile. Yume was kind of mascot-like, you could say. She had something that wasn’t a girlish cuteness, but was cute nonetheless.

“We’re leaving.” Rock started to walk— Wait, why was he walking towards Jumbo?

Jumbo gently stopped Rock, then turned him back in the other direction. “Take care as you go.”

“...Yeah. Sorry about that.” Rock scratched his head.

Oh, right. Because Arnold had thrust his thumbs into his eyes, Rock couldn’t see right now.

“...We’re leaving. Is this the way? This way’s good, right...?”

“Rock.” Arara rushed over and took Rock’s hand. “Let me do this for you, at least. This was all my fault to begin with.”

“Hmm. I don’t really think that’s true. Though, for my part, I’m just happy I get to hold your hand.”

“This way.” Katsuharu beckoned to Arara. The Jizo was casually picking up Rock’s sword. That guy didn’t miss anything.

Moyugi was trying to drag Kajita to his feet. “...You’re heavy. I don’t think I can lift you up, after all. Get up on your own, please.”

“Indeed.” Kajita nimbly jumped to his feet.

He’s still in pretty good shape...

Sakanami was twisting his entire body around, performing a bizarre dance.

Creepy...

Come to think of it, Kuro was missing. How long had he been gone for?

Who cares...

Kuzaku loosened his knees, raising his shoulders up and down. Honestly, I seriously have no idea what to think of these people anymore. I don’t want anything to do with them.

He hoped this would be the last time. He just wanted to get all of his comrades back together quickly, and then to get out of Thousand Valley. Though, by “all of his comrades,” he meant five people, not six.

Let’s not to think about that. Thinking about it’s not going to do any good.

Try to forget.

“Let’s go,” said Shihoru.

Kuzaku and Yume each nodded, then they turned their backs to Jumbo. In front of them were the massive orc Godo Agaja and the members of Forgan. However, they had parted to make a path for them. Kuzaku and the others would be heading for the meeting point once they went through there.

Based on where they were standing, Kuzaku, Shihoru and Yume would have to be the first to walk through the crowd of Forgan members. That made him feel pretty tense, but he also urgently wanted to get done with it.

Kuzaku led the way, with Shihoru and Yume side-by-side behind him. The wind was weak, and the fog was neither thick nor thin.

When he passed by Godo Agaja, Kuzaku looked up despite himself. He’s huge. Too huge.

Godo Agaja glared at him, as if to say, “What?”

Kuzaku quickly looked back ahead, and hurried on his way.

Oh, crap.

His bad habit had struck again. It wasn’t a situation where it was safe to let his guard down, but he’d had to go and think about things he didn’t have to.

Focus, focus. I’ve got to focus. I miss Alterna.

It’s six hundred, seven hundred kilometers from here. That’s far... So damn far.

Can we actually make it back...?

Come on. Now’s not the time to think about that.

“Wait...!”

Suddenly, a man’s voice echoed through the area, and Kuzaku came to a stop.

No, maybe I should run, not stop. That was the sense he got, but he didn’t have the guts to take off running.

“Commander! Jumbo! Don’t let them go!” “Kuzaku-kun!” Shihoru called his name.

When he turned back, the one-armed man was on top of the hill. Takasagi.

Had he gone somewhere, then come back? What about Ranta?

Jumbo turned to face Takasagi. “What is it, Takasagi?” “One of them took the woman and ran! They got Ranta!”

“Huh?” Kuzaku was flabbergasted. “Haruhiro... killed Ranta... -kun?” Shihoru gulped.

“No...” Yume was speechless.

“I won’t let you say it was all the youngster’s doing, and it had nothing to do with you.” Takasagi drew his katana with his left hand, pointing it in their direction. “Even if Jumbo is willing to overlook this, I won’t. I can’t stand being made a fool of.”

“If they withdraw, I will not lay a hand on them,” Jumbo said. “I made that promise. I intend to abide by it.”

“Well, you do that then, commander. I’ll do as I please, too. My job in Forgan is to do what needs doing, after all.”

“That is who you are. Do as you please, Takasagi.”

“I don’t need you to tell me that, Jumbo. Gudua!” Takasagi raised his katana aloft, shouting in some unknown language. Orcish, huh? “Ashuruha, udanzai! Ilda!”

“Osh!”

“Osh!”

“Kiu!”

“Kiuem!”

“Osh!”

“Osh!”

No, no, this was no good. This was bad, way too bad, seriously bad.

Kuzaku tried to say something, but no words came out.

Let’s go. We’ve gotta go. We have to go. Running’s the only option. He swung his arm to communicate what he wanted to say as he took off.

Yume took off at a dash, carrying Shihoru with her. They had been in the middle of cautiously going down the path Godo Agaja and his men had opened for them. If they had just gotten to the other side, it wouldn’t have been so bad. They were almost there. Thanks to that, the orcs and undead were coming at them from both sides. It was a pincer attack.

This is hopeless. There’s no getting away. I mean, what is this? Jumbo. Screw you, Jumbo. You said if we withdrew, you and your people wouldn’t

lay a hand on us. What happened to that? Wait, am I wrong? Did he only say I, not we? Which was it? I dunno. I feel like I heard we, but I can’t remember. What the hell?

“Rah...!” Kuzaku used Bash to make an orc coming in from the left back off, then kicked him down. He needed to send Yume and Shihoru on ahead. But if he slowed his pace, the enemies would swarm around him even more. He had to keep running or things were going to get worse.

Behind him he could hear shouts and the sounds of flesh, metal, and other things colliding. He wasn’t at leisure to turn back and take a look, but it was probably the Typhoon Rocks.

Really let loose on them, he silently begged. If they didn’t, he was in trouble.

There was an undead coming at him from the right hand side, so Kuzaku used his black blade to keep him in check while also using his shield to perform a Block on an orc’s sword that came at him from the left.

Not much further, he thought. In a few more meters, we’ll have broken through. We’re almost there—but is this gonna be too tough? Will Yume and Shihoru be okay? I don’t hear screams, so I think they’re fine. But, honestly, I don’t know. I don’t have a handle on the situation. There’s no way I could.

Orcs rose up in front of him. Not just one, two.

Ah. This—this is gonna kill me.

If it had just been one, there would be things he could do. It might’ve been possible to open a path if he’d thrown his own safety to the wind, but with two, even that was going to be tough. Forgan’s orcs were skilled, after all.

No, don’t get dispirited. I have no choice but to try. Even if I try to muster my courage, I can’t. I’m hopeless!

“Nooooooooooooooooooooo.”

Then there was a frightening voice, and one of the orcs fell over backwards. Naturally, he hadn’t collapsed on his own due to a preexisting condition. The orc had been brought down. By the demon Moira, who looked like a long-haired woman, but was clearly no human woman, and carried a frightful scissor-like bladed weapon.

“Nooooooooooo. Noooooo. Noooooooooooooooo.”

Moira wrapped her legs around the orc’s torso, reached around his neck with one arm, and stabbed the hell out of him with her scissor-like blade.

That looked like it spooked the other orc.

Yeah, I know, thought Kuzaku. That’s creepy. Moira-san’s serious. It’s a good thing Moira-san’s super scary. That really saved us. Thanks, Moira- san.

“Zahh!” Kuzaku swung his black blade down diagonally at the other orc.

The truth was, continuing to defend himself with his shield as he used it wasn’t the only thing that was different about Punishment. Unlike the warrior’s Rage Blow, because he kept some of his attention on defense and didn’t swing as hard as he possibly could, it was easier to chain it into the next attack.

His first Punishment had only indented the orc’s shoulder guard, but the Bash that followed immediately after it struck his face. He slammed a Thrust into the base of the orc’s throat, then another Bash, continuing to close the distance, and when he placed his foot on the orc’s knee and kicked, he succeeded in throwing him completely off balance.

Kuzaku put all his strength into elbowing the orc to knock him down.

Then, rather than move forward, he made a deliberate decision to stop where he was. “Yume-san, Shihoru-san! Go on ahead!”

“Meowger!”

“Okay!” Shihoru called.

In times like this, Shihoru-san tends to say “Okay.” I’ve always kind of liked that.

Yume and Shihoru ran past Kuzaku. Kuzaku used Block on the sword of the orc that chased them past him, made him lean back with a Thrust, and then used Bash to deflect another undead’s curved sword.

Are my hips too high? They are. Lower them. Don’t strain myself. Make big swings with my sword, but use my shield more tightly.

There.

This is the feeling.

No matter how many enemies there were, no matter how many came at him, he wasn’t afraid. He could see clearly, and block. He struck back solely for defensive purposes. That, and to convince his enemies he wouldn’t only be defending, he could attack, too. Though, in the end, it was all defensive.

Defend them. Defend them. Defend them.

Defend.

I’m going to defend them. I can defend.

Moira jumped around, not finishing off enemies one-by-one, but using her bizarre and creepy moves and scissor-like blade to mess with the enemy.

What about the Rocks? Kuzaku had been able to confirm that Kajita was swinging his massive mushroom sword around and fighting Godo Agaja. He wasn’t sure about the rest, but knowing them, they wouldn’t go down easily. Though, even if they did, he didn’t care.

What was important were his comrades. Shihoru. Yume. Haruhiro. Merry. Ranta.

Had Haruhiro killed him?

“Nuwah...!” Kuzaku used his shield to knock away two orcs at once, then turned and ran the other way.

I can go now, or rather, I need to get going, he thought.

He couldn’t see Yume and Shihoru. The fog had grown thicker again at some point. They might get split up, but the two of them would probably be fine. That was the important thing.

Kuzaku ran at top speed. “Ahh...!”

Suddenly, he stopped being able to see anything at all.

3.    What is Bravery?

“Kuzaku-kun?!” Yume turned back without stopping and shouted. “Kuzaku-kun?! Kuzaku-kun?! Shihoruuu, Kuzaku-kun’s not followin’ us anymore!”

“No, Yume, you can’t stop!” Shihoru cried. “Y-Yeah, but still!”

“First, we need to avoid capture by the enemy! That’s our first priority!

I’m sure Kuzaku-kun will be fine!”

Was that really okay? Yume wasn’t sure. It didn’t seem like Shihoru was unworried. But for now, like Shihoru was saying, they had to avoid being caught by the enemy. Instead of fighting, they had to run. Then they could join back up with Haruhiro and Merry.

She should do that, and try not to think about Ranta. If she thought about him, she wouldn’t be able to move. That’d be no good.

Run. She had to run.

It felt like it had suddenly gotten darker. The fog was awfully thick. And that wasn’t all.

“It’s rainin’!” Yume shouted.

Heavy rain, at that. The drops were small, but the rate they were falling at picked up and got more intense in no time. It was like countless, hair-thin lances were falling to the earth.

Muffled by the rain, the noise of the battle sounded awfully far away. Their range of vision was extremely short, too. It was almost as if the rain had formed a wall, standing in their way.

This would make it hard for the enemy to find them. However, if the enemy did approach, it would be hard to detect them, too.

But rather than the enemy, what about Kuzaku?

Yume and Shihoru couldn’t spot Kuzaku, and Kuzaku didn’t know where Yume and Shihoru were, either. That being the case, they might stay separated.

Up ahead, the ground on the left hand side was higher and thick with trees. Yume thought they were trees, at least. They weren’t humans or orcs.

“Shihoru! Go that way for now!” Yume called. “...Okay!”

When they got closer, there was just enough foliage for them to hide in. Yume went into the bushes with Shihoru, and they crouched down together.

Shihoru was breathing heavily. She was a mage, after all, and didn’t have a lot of stamina, but she also wasn’t the type to start complaining easily.

She’d been that way for a while now, but Shihoru had also gotten stronger. Back when they had just started, she’d been crying all the time.

“What now?” Yume asked. “Shihoru, what do you think Yume and you should do?”

“Haruhiro rescued Merry.”

“That old guy from Fonkon? He was sayin’ that, yeah.” “You mean Forgan...”

“Ohh,” Yume said. “Sorry ’bout that. Yume, she’s always gettin’ stuff like that wrong.”

“It’s fine. You’re fine the way you are, Yume. I’m the one who should apologize. Sorry for always correcting you.”

“Yume’s grateful to have you correctin’ her. That means she can fix it.” “...I guess that’s right.” Shihoru smiled just a little. “Since that Takasagi

guy came back, I think that must mean Haruhiro and Merry got away. If they did, they’ll have headed for the rendezvous point.”

“Yeah,” Yume agreed. “That sounds about right.”

“The best thing would be for you, me, and Kuzaku-kun, all three of us, to head to the rendezvous point together, but...”

“But Kuzakkun’s gone missin’, yeah...”

“It wouldn’t be good to search for him...” Shihoru added. “For now, let’s wait here...”

“Y’know, it’s really hard,” Yume said. “Just waitin’.”

“Yeah...” Shihoru put a hand on Yume’s lower back. “I’ll be here with you, though.”

“That’s right, huh.” Yume smiled. She felt like she should smile, even if

she had to force herself to. “Thinkin’ about it, Shihoru and Yume are pretty much always together.”

“I think that’s because you’re always willing to put up with someone like me.”

“That’s not true at all,” Yume protested. “You’re cute, Shihoru, and... you’re cute. You’re cute, okay?”

Shihoru giggled. “...You’re just repeating yourself.”

“Nngh, if only Yume could come up with more to say. Even when a word comes to mind, it’s not quite right.”

“I understand. Your feelings are getting through to me just fine, so... I think I understand.”

“You do?” Yume asked.

Why was that? What had been the trigger for it?

For a moment, her mind went blank. Then something seemed to seep inside her empty head and fill it up. It grew by the moment, eventually overflowing, and pouring out through her eyes.

“...Yume?” Shihoru peered at Yume’s face. “What’s... the matter?” “What... is the matter, huh?” Yume shut her eyes tight. “Yume’s not sure

of that herself.”

“...Is it Ranta-kun?”

Now that Shihoru said it, Yume realized it was. Ranta.

She’d been trying not to think about him, and thought she hadn’t been.

Thinking about it wasn’t going to solve anything. She’d just get mad. Ranta was always that way. He always had been.

How can anyone be so unpleasant?

That had been her first impression of him. And the amazing thing about Ranta was that he never changed.

Of course, there were times when Ranta might say something that was good, for Ranta, or he might act cute or cool, for Ranta, or he might even be reliable, for Ranta. But that was only occasionally, and it never lasted more than a moment. He couldn’t keep it up.

Still, he was a comrade. Even if he was one she hated. Ranta had taught her over and over again that, Oh, this is what it’s like to hate someone.

She loathed him. But, for all her complaints, they had been in this party together since the beginning. He was a valued comrade.

There was no question that she hated him, but he was a friend.

No, that wasn’t it. Rather than a friend, there was a more suitable word. Family.

Yes. To Yume, the party was like her family. Ranta was a member, too. “Yume... Shihoru, Yume, she...”

“Mm-hm...” Shihoru murmured. “What?”

“We were a family. Yume, and everyone... The whole party was like a family to Yume.”

Yume opened her eyes. She wiped her eyes with one hand. But wipe them away as she might, her tears, just like the rain, refused to let up. Even so, she kept wiping them away. She couldn’t keep her eyes closed forever, after all.

“In the beginning, there was Haru-kun, and there was Shihoru, and there was Moguzo—and there was Manato, and there was Ranta, yeah. And there was Yume, too. Then we lost Manato, and Merry joined the family. Then Moguzo ended up like he did, and Kuzakkun joined... For Yume, everyone was a member of her family. Like, before comin’ to Grimgar, probably, Yume thinks she must’ve had a mom and a dad. If she didn’t, Yume’d never’ve been born, after all. But, Yume, she doesn’t remember them, y’know? It’s the same for you, too, right, Shihoru? It’s the same for all of us. That’s why we’re all family. Love, hate, we’ve got all sorts of feelings for each other, but family is family. Right?”

“...Yeah, I think so,” Shihoru agreed. “A family. That’s what we are.”

“But Yume’s thinkin’, even with a family, there are times when people go their separate ways. Like, Yume might never be able to see her mom and dad again. Though, not rememberin’ them, she doesn’t feel all that sad about it.

Just a little bit lonely... But still. Still...”

“Yume...” Shihoru hugged Yume close, rubbing their heads together. “I don’t know what to say, but I...”

“With things like this...” Yume let out a slow, deliberate breath. “You can never predict they’ll happen... Not even Ranta could. When you think we might never meet again... Yeah, Yume doesn’t want that.”

“Yume...” Shihoru rubbed Yume’s back firmly. “We still don’t know what happened... or how things turned out. Not exactly. Right?”

“...Yeah.”

“Well then, when we only have a hazy grasp of the facts... it’s best not to let them influence how you think or feel too much.”

“First of all... Well, anyway, we’ve got to meet up with Haru-kun, huh?” Yume asked.

“That’s right. Let’s take it one thing at a time.”

“One thing at a time, huh.” Yume nodded, pressing her index finger to her lips.

There was someone coming. No, not someone—this was... a beast.

The big black wolf. There was a goblin riding on its back. Yume recalled his name was Onsa. The goblin beastmaster.

It wasn’t just the one big black wolf that he was riding—he had a number of other black wolves following him, too.

When she saw those black wolves, she couldn’t help but think of the Black God Rigel. For those hunters who called the White God Elhit their protector, black wolves were ominous beasts that they were supposed to hate. The White God Elhit and the Black God Rigel were actually siblings, but Rigel had eaten their mother Carmia soon after being born, and that had caused the siblings to part ways.

Elhit’s kin, the white wolves, were proud creatures, forming groups that consisted only of a mated pair and their children. They were always hunting beasts that were bigger than them. But Rigel’s kin, the black wolves, formed large packs to chase down and kill their prey. They would attack human and orc alike, eating the children first, and that was why they were so hated and feared.

Onsa had tamed those black wolves.

It was amazing—but Yume knew now wasn’t the time to be impressed. It wasn’t just black wolves; wolves in general wouldn’t submit to members of another species. They never grew close to them.

That was why hunters had chosen to mate wolves and dogs to create a new breed of wolf dogs. Wolf dogs had the loyalty of a dog with the toughness and ferocity of a wolf.

Generally, wolves were stronger than dogs. Even among wolves, black wolves were abnormally stubborn and cunning, with incredibly sharp senses.

Onsa was going to find them. That was the safe assumption. Even if it was raining, the black wolves weren’t going to miss Yume and Shihoru. It wouldn’t be long before one of the black wolves sniffed out Yume and Shihoru in the bushes. Then it would howl and plunge in after them. The other black wolves would follow. If that happened, there would be no hope for them. They had to act first. That was the only option.

Yume readied her bow and nocked an arrow. Shihoru might have been surprised, but she stayed put, not saying a word. She was putting her faith in Yume.

Near here. But not too far, thought Yume.

Black wolves were clever, but not in the same way as humans. If they noticed an arrow, they’d look in the direction it went.

Yume loosed her arrow.

Like she’d expected, a number of the black wolves let out short howls, then headed in the direction the arrow had gone. Even without Yume having to tell her to, Shihoru was already getting ready to go. They jumped out of the bushes together, then went racing up the slope.

“Hyahhh!” Onsa let out a high-pitched shout. That was fast. They’d been noticed already.

It wasn’t that steep of a slope, but it was thick with trees, and they couldn’t climb in a straight line. Shihoru, who was ahead of Yume, looked pretty exhausted.

Turning back, a number of the black wolves had closed into a distance of less than ten meters. They’d catch them in no time like this.

It wasn’t just wolves: many carnivores showed no mercy to their fleeing prey. But if the prey turned on them and showed they were prepared to fight, they suddenly became wary of them. Predators were fundamentally cautious.

If Yume had been alone, it might not have been impossible for her to get away. But Shihoru was here. Leaving Shihoru to the wolves was out of the question.

She had to do it.

It was hard to see her winning this one, but, well, if she accepted she had no other choice, it was a lot easier to take.

“Sorry, Shihoru! Runnin’ isn’t gonna work!” she called.

“...Got it!” As Shihoru turned, she cried out, “Dark!” and opened the door.

Yume wasn’t a mage, so she couldn’t see that door with her eyes. But it was definitely there. It had actually opened. Black threads came out from some other world, wrapping themselves into a spiral shape, and taking on a completely human form.

Dark the elemental.

He was so darn cute. But then, Shihoru’s Dark was more than just cute.

Yume came to a stop and fired an arrow. She fired and fired again. She fired off shots one after another.

Rapid Fire.

She didn’t have to hit the black wolves. It was okay if the arrows hit the trees. She fired scattered shots.

When they learned that Yume and Shihoru weren’t timid prey, the black wolves grew cautious. And when the arrows came at them one after another, they faltered a little.

“Disturb them!” Shihoru ordered. Dark flew towards the black wolves.

Vwoooooooooluuuuuuuuuuuu!

What was that noise? It was like the signature sound of Shadow Bat, only a little different. It was Dark. Dark was emitting a strange sound as he flew between the black wolves.

It was effective. The black wolves fell into a state of total panic, yelping pitifully as they fled in disarray.

“Dark-kun’s sure amazin’!” Yume cried. “Yume, the big one’s coming!”

“Of course!” Yume took a deep breath, so as to let the air spread throughout her whole body, then let the focus of her eyes shift from near to far.

She heard her master’s voice. Yume, listen. You’re going to hit. Hit...

You’re going to hit.

Stop Eye.

She could see it. The big black wolf that Onsa was riding, almost as if it was right in front of her.

The big black wolf’s right eye was crushed. It hadn’t been that long since Kuro’s arrow had hit it. It should have had other wounds, too, but it seemed to be doing just fine.

If she were to pick a target—Onsa. Yume loosed her arrow.

It was good.

When a shot was going to land, Yume knew the moment she released her bowstring.

Yume’s arrow stabbed into Onsa’s chest. But it was a little to the right. Onsa was knocked back a little, but he lowered his upper torso and clung to the big black wolf.

By that point, Yume was already loosing her second arrow. This arrow just grazed the big black wolf’s head and didn’t hit.

“Yume!” Shihoru had her staff pointed up ahead. “I’m going to try it!” Try what?

That became clear instantly. “Dark, spread out!”

To Yume’s eyes it looked like Dark, who had been intimidating the black wolves with his strange sounds and movements, suddenly went boom. He exploded, scattering all over. Like Shihoru had said to, Dark had spread out.

The rain and white fog were eaten away at by a black fog. What was more, that black fog was far thicker than the white one. The black wolves, which had already been confused, howled as if they had gone mad. They were unquestionably terrified. As the black fog spread, so too did the terror, and it grew.

This was one of the weaknesses of a pack. The individual members of the pack couldn’t help but be influenced by the others.

The problem was that big black wolf. The expanded Dark was having a dramatic effect that well exceeded that of a mere smokescreen. However, he didn’t seem to have the effect that caused them injury or pain. That being the case, Yume didn’t think it would work on the big black wolf.

Shihoru could only send out one Dark at a time. That meant she couldn’t do anything while the diffused Dark was interfering with the black wolves.

Yume had to do something. She would.

Discarding her bow, Yume drew her curved sword, Wan-chan. She wasn’t scared.

Way back when, Manato had said, “I think Yume may well be the bravest of us all.” He’d also said, “I’m glad that Yume might be there to help if anything happens.”

She’d never thought of herself as brave before, so she’d been really proud of that. Proud that she might be able to help her comrades. At least, that was how Manato had felt.

She hadn’t been able to, though. She hadn’t been able to save Manato or Moguzo. She could still count the number of times she’d actually helped a comrade. But what Manato had said back then, that she was brave, was still carved deep into her heart.

It was strange, but even when things were so scary she didn’t know what to do, she was able to think, I’m not scared. Because she was brave. So, even if it was scary, she wasn’t scared.

The big black wolf carrying Onsa appeared from beyond the black fog. It was charging in.

It was super scary, but she wasn’t scared one bit. “You’re on!” Yume screamed.

She had no intention of backing down. She wouldn’t dodge to the left or right to avoid it, either. When the big black wolf charged at her—Yume jumped on it.

Raging Tiger.

Using a somersault to launch a powerful attack on the enemy. Of all the machete techniques she knew, this was Yume’s favorite skill.

The big black wolf wasn’t frightened, and kept charging—and that was when something funny happened. When she spun around, for some reason she’d ended up sitting on the big black wolf’s neck.

“Roh...?” Onsa said, startled.

Right there, literally in front of her nose, was Onsa. Yume herself had never imagined this would happen. It was a surprise. Onsa was shocked, too.

When a gobbie gets that surprised look on his face, it’s kinda cute, huh?

she thought.

“Well, yeah, it is, but...!”

They were enemies. Yume wrapped her legs tight around the big black

wolf’s neck, and tried to slam Wan-chan into Onsa. However, Onsa obviously wasn’t just going to let that happen.

Onsa grabbed Yume’s right arm with his right hand, pulling tight on the big black wolf’s fur with his left. The big black wolf turned its body, trying to throw Yume off. Yume tightened her legs, and feeling like that wasn’t enough on its own, she grabbed onto Onsa’s right arm with her left.

“Yume!” She heard Shihoru’s shout. She couldn’t quite afford to respond that she was okay.

Onsa was shouting something in goblin-speak. He went for a weapon of some sort with his left hand. She wasn’t letting that happen.

“Meowwww!”

Yume held onto Onsa as tight as she could. Unlike orcs, most goblins were smaller than humans, and that was the case with Onsa, too. In a competition of strength, she wouldn’t lose.

“If Yume falls, you’re coming with her!” she cried. “&%+#*%?!”

She didn’t know what he was saying, but Onsa seemed really panicked.

The big black wolf twisted its body around and jumped as it raced up the slope.

“%*#+@!”

“You can say that all you want, but Yume’s not lettin’ go!” “*+$@%&&?!”

“Yume’s doesn’t understand what you’re sayin’!” “%&#**!”

“Yeah, well same to you!” “******!”

“Yume’s a ponyfide goblin slayer, you know!” “$$#&&&&%?!”

Onsa was trying to do something. What was he planning? Onsa’s body lifted up. In that moment, Yume figured it out.

“Yume’s not lettin’ go of you!”

Yume had been grappling with Onsa, and Onsa was clinging onto the big black wolf’s back. Onsa had tried desperately to throw Yume off, but now he’d finally given up on that. That was why he’d let go of the running wolf, taking Yume with him.

They were going to fall.

Or more like be sent flying.

Yume wouldn’t let go of Onsa. If she let go, Onsa would probably brace himself for the landing, get up, and then immediately mount the big black wolf again.

If Yume didn’t separate from him, what would Onsa do? He’d try to land on top of Yume. Yume wanted to do the opposite, and to slam Onsa into the ground.

Who would end up on top?

But, before it came to that, there was a tree. Yes, a tree.

Yume and Onsa collided in midair with a tree.

It was the left side of her head, her left shoulder, her left hip, her left thigh, or something like that. Yume hit the tree hard.

For a moment, she nearly let go of Onsa, but for a brief moment Ranta’s contemptible face flashed through her mind, and she thought, No way is Yume lettin’ that happen. Stupid Ranta.

She and Onsa rolled together. They were tumbling down the slope. They stopped.

In that moment, Onsa opened his mouth right in front of Yume’s eyes. He was trying to bite her. Trying to bite Yume’s face. That shocked her, and she got scared despite herself, kicking Onsa away from her.

It frustrated her. Wasn’t she supposed to be brave?

Onsa got up, fleeing in what was close to a crawl. Yume jumped up. She got dizzy, and stumbled. Was it because she’d collided with the tree just now? Had she hit somewhere bad?

“Hold up! No runnin’ away!” she screamed.

Yume was stumbling as she gave chase, but the fleeing Onsa was just as unsteady on his feet. They were both tottering along, so they were even.

Her body hurt all over.

Where’d Wan-chan go? Yume wondered. Had she dropped it?

Yume pulled out a knife. Star Piercer. She tried to throw it, but for some reason it had fallen at her feet instead.

“No...”

It was no good.

She had to chase after him. She had to catch him.

Onsa tried to turn and look back. He tripped. Rather than get up, he crawled onward.

Yume finally smiled. Onsa was hurt worse than she was. She could catch up to him.

Where is this? she suddenly wondered. It didn’t matter. She had bigger concerns.

Onsa crawled up the slope. Though she occasionally had to put a hand on the ground, Yume was managing to walk fine.

Then, she suddenly lost sight of Onsa. Was it because of the fog? The fog certainly was thick. The rain was still coming down, too.

Yume was flustered and hurried to catch up. Oh, I see, she thought. The upward slope had come to an end. From here, it leveled out. That was why she’d lost sight of him. Where was Onsa...?

There.

To the left.

Onsa was crawling.

Yume tried to close in on Onsa, then came to a sudden realization.

How was she going to kill Onsa? And what good would killing Onsa even do? Would it change anything?

Awooooo... one of the black wolves howled. No, it was probably the big black wolf. From down below. It was coming. The big black wolf was racing up the slope.

Onsa faced the big black wolf and whistled. He was calling it. He intended to ride the big black wolf and run away. Like she was going to let him.

Yume kept her feet moving forward. Her vision was swaying strangely.

Was she tired? She shouldn’t have been. That probably wasn’t the problem.

Onsa didn’t move from where he was. He was probably waiting for the big black wolf. Thanks to that, Yume was able to make it to where Onsa was. She grabbed at him—or rather, Yume fell down on top of Onsa.

The big black wolf rushed in. Trying to bite Yume. Yume clung on to Onsa and rolled, somehow managing to avoid the big black wolf’s fangs.

Onsa shouted something and reached out. Was he saying, Come, save me!

or something like that?

The big black wolf tried to attack Yume again. Yume shouted, “Wauh!”

howling at the big black wolf. That startled it.

Onsa tried to get away. She wouldn’t let him. “...Yume already told you!”

“$#+&%%...!”

She’d never let him get away. The two of them rolled together. She hadn’t noticed it at all.

It seemed that the opposite side, the one Yume and Onsa hadn’t climbed, was steeper, like a cliff.

They were on the cliff’s edge now. No, worse than that, Yume and Onsa were hanging over it.

“Whah— We’ll fall—”

With an odd bark, the big black wolf leaned out over the edge of the cliff.

Onsa grabbed the fluffy scruff if its neck. Reflexively, Yume did, too.

The big black wolf tried to dig its heels in.

No good, huh, thought Yume.

The big black wolf’s feet slipped over the edge. It’d fall. At this rate, it was going to fall off.

If that happened, Onsa would, too. And Yume, of course. “Shihoruuuu...!” she screamed.

Haru-kun.

Kuzakkun.

Merry-chan.

Everyone, be okay, she thought. Please. If you aren’t—

Hold on, what about you? She felt like she heard someone say that to her.

...What?

Shut up, you dummy. Ranta.

You’re just stupid Ranta.

This, after you betrayed Yume and everyone. We may never see each other again!

Ranta was the one person she didn’t want to hear that from. She got angry, and that motivated her. Yume gritted her teeth. For now, Onsa didn’t matter; she just held on to the big black wolf. The big black wolf spun around once, then twice, then slid down the cliff while scratching at it with its fore

and hind paws. They didn’t fall, they slid. It looked like a sheer cliff, but maybe it wasn’t actually that steep. Maybe they could make it to the bottom safely like this—or so Yume started to think, but then the big black wolf hit a snag in the cliff and they were launched into the air.

They were falling. Spinning and falling. Is Yume gonna die...?

She’d almost died once in Darunggar. That’d been a close call. They’d gotten her throat and blood had been everywhere. So much blood, she hadn’t even been able to breathe. Huh, this could be bad, Yume might be a goner, she’d thought. This’s just how it goes, huh. It happened so easily...

Her consciousness had faded—but then Merry’s magic had worked, and she’d been able to come back.

That time, Haru-kun, he was cryin’. He hugged Yume real tight.

That’d made her happy, but... Yume doesn’t know why, but she was a little embarrassed, too.

...Oh, she realized.

It was because everyone had been there. That was why she hadn’t been scared.

She didn’t like being alone. She didn’t want to die alone like this.

This big black wolf didn’t want to die, either. It was desperate. Onsa, who was clinging on to the big black wolf just like Yume, was, too.

The big black wolf caught the slope with its front legs again.

Keep tryin’, big black wolf—Wolf-tan, you can do it. If you can’t, everyone’s gonna die.

From there she had a vague recollection that they rolled vertically, horizontally, and diagonally, hitting things, and she felt like she might lose her grip, but then grabbed on even tighter, but it was all a haze.

The rain continued to fall quietly.

The hanging fog seemed gentle, somehow.

It was a little cold, so she buried her face in the big black wolf’s fur. It was warm, and she felt its pulse. The big black wolf was breathing. At some point she didn’t remember, Yume had snuggled up to the big black wolf’s belly. It was questionable whether it had realized or not. Yume didn’t know.

But if he realized it, he wouldn’t like it, she thought. We’re enemies and

all.

Still, Yume didn’t mind. She didn’t even think of the big black wolf was an enemy anymore.

He’s alive, too. Maybe we can call it all off. That was how she felt. How would Garo, who was plastered to the big black wolf’s back, feel? Onsa pushed up with difficulty and said something. Probably “Garo.”

The big black wolf let out a weak bark. Maybe Garo was the big black wolf’s name. It wasn’t Wolf-tan, apparently. Well, of course not.

Garo.

“...Garon.” Yume petted Garo. She didn’t have the strength to stand yet, but she could move her hand to pet him, at least. “...You okay, Garon?”

Garo’s whole body shuddered. Maybe he was trying to shake off Yume’s hand because he didn’t like it. Or maybe it was Garo’s way of responding.

Onsa placed a hand on Garo’s neck while looking at Yume. Onsa was greatly weakened, too. Though he’d gotten up, his back was hunched, and his shoulders were heaving.

“Onsan, hey, what are you gonna do...?” Yume smiled. It wasn’t that she had tried to smile, she just did. “Yume, she doesn’t want to fight with you, or Garo no more... If you’re gonna insist on fightin’, Yume’ll fight, too, but only ’cause she has to... But, to be honest, Yume doesn’t want to fight.”

Onsa averted his eyes. Yume took that to mean he had no intention of fighting.

For now, at least.

4.    Reward

I saw everything up until the point where Yume jumped onto the big black wolf, thought Shihoru.

What had happened after that? She didn’t know.

Had that big black wolf run off somewhere with Yume and Onsa riding on its back? The one thing that was certain was that they weren’t around here, and she had no way of confirming where they’d gone. More than that, though, Shihoru had to maintain Dark, whom she’d dispersed to confuse the black wolves.

Shihoru sensed that she and Dark were connected by a single string. And that string wasn’t tied particularly tightly. Shihoru was just holding on to it with her hand at this point. She’d gotten the knack for using that string to control Dark, but if she relaxed, she’d easily lose hold of it. If she lost her feel for the string, Dark would suddenly disappear.

She had to spread Dark out. To disperse him.

She’d had the idea in her head for a little while now. She never would have imagined that she’d be trying it out in actual combat, but when driven by necessity to do so, she’d thought it was the perfect opportunity.

The source of magic was not just in the mage’s magic power, a representation of their spiritual vitality, but also their imagination. Compelling and detailed imaginings that approached the level of truth were what caused magic to materialize.

The magic they were taught in the guild had already been materialized by those who’d come before them. The elemental sigils were a magic materialization system created by their predecessors in order to give magic form.

Shihoru’s Dark wasn’t like that. Dark was a product of her own imagination. If Shihoru didn’t strongly envision him, he’d dissipate in no time. His form was fixed by her having a clear image. Yet even if his form deviated from that, so long as Shihoru’s image of him wasn’t destroyed, Dark would continue to be Dark.

Even diffused, Dark was always Dark. It was only another form of his.

Dark in mist form. Dark Mist, you might call it.

Having tried it, she understood. Even dispersed, Dark was a single Dark.

He wasn’t split into many smaller ones. That was why there was only one string. Shihoru just had to keep a proper grip on that invisible string.

But... this is...

Exhausting.

Due to his dispersion, Dark was covering a wide area. Each time she led Dark, trying to get him to move and succeeding, Shihoru’s mind was shaken. It felt like she might be dragged around. Even just staying where she was required mentally bracing her feet against the ground.

It hadn’t worked on that big black wolf, but the other black wolves were panicking quite nicely. There were no black wolves trying to penetrate the Dark Mist and attack Shihoru. Not currently, at least. She couldn’t be sure that would continue.

Also, she probably couldn’t keep this up for long. If she dragged it out to the limit and exhausted herself, she wouldn’t have a next move to play.

Magic. No, Dark. Shihoru only had Dark. If she lost the ability to send out Dark, she wouldn’t even be able to defend herself.

Shihoru was alone.

She’d need to make the switch somewhere. Let go of Dark, end the Dark Mist, then immediately call him again. Should she hide first? Or get away from here?

Run away. Would it be tough to do that while maintaining the Dark Mist?

In that case, she needed to prepare.

I’m pretty calm, she thought.

She couldn’t let herself die. Honestly, Shihoru didn’t have that strong of an attachment to her life. But her living or dying wouldn’t only affect her.

She’d experienced the loss of losing a comrade, so Shihoru was well aware of that. She couldn’t just go and die.

She didn’t want to make her comrades, her friends, sad. That pain, that

suffering... she didn’t want to make those she cared about feel them. So she wouldn’t die.

I won’t die just yet.

Not while she still had strength to spare.

Shihoru deliberately advanced through the Dark Mist. It was just as she’d expected. She’d had a vague feeling it would be. Going inside Dark actually made it easier to grasp the string.

This black mist was Dark. Dark was doing as Shihoru told him to. He was like a friend to her. Dark wouldn’t block Shihoru’s eyes.

She could see properly. Clearly. In fact, with the fog and rain, it was actually harder to see outside.

The black wolves were running around and barking with their heads kept low. There were black wolves backing away, too. That black wolf over there had tucked its tail under its belly, and was whimpering like a puppy.

How many black wolves were there? She didn’t have time to count.

Shihoru walked through the Dark Mist. Running was obviously not going to be possible. If she tripped on something, she might lose her grip on the string.

Don’t be afraid, she told herself. Keep going, and don’t be intimidated.

Shihoru went back the way she had come. As she moved, the Dark Mist continued to be dragged along with her. It kept on moving. She hadn’t directed him to, but Dark was following her.

It’s fine. If she willed him not to, or tried to stop him, it would expend some of her magical power. Shihoru pushed herself forward, focusing only on maintaining the Dark Mist.

At some point, there stopped being black wolves ahead of her.

Here.

When she let go and started running, the Dark Mist vanished in no time. “Dark!” Shihoru immediately summoned him. Dark perched himself on

Shihoru’s shoulder in his usual humanoid form.

To be honest, when Shihoru had first materialized Dark, the image she’d used was a starfish. Even though she had never been to the sea in Grimgar, Shihoru knew the sea. Starfish were sea creatures. They were shaped more like a person’s hand than they were like a person. Shihoru had seen a starfish somewhere. Once she imagined a starfish, she stopped being able to replace it with anything else. For some reason, Shihoru liked starfish.

The black wolves were barking. A number of them were chasing after her. Shihoru stopped and turned back. “Go, Dark!”

Dark emitted a sound that was high-pitch or low-pitch, it was hard to tell which. Vwooooooooluuuuuuuuuuuuu! He flew forward.

There were three back wolves chasing Shihoru. Dark flew over their heads. The wolves must have really hated that sound or something, because they stopped short in fear.

But a few more were coming in from behind them. No, not a few. Two.

No. Three from up ahead, and another from the right.

The first thing she did was have Dark confuse those four. While he was doing that, one of the initial three tried to come at Shihoru.

“Hit it!” she called.

When Dark tackled that one, he was blasted away, his entire body convulsing.

Should she call him again? Her chest hurt.

Shihoru ran. Her pulse was racing like mad. No, her heart was throbbing.

Her throat grew tight, and it was hard to breathe.

She could still hear barking.

She didn’t even need to look back. The black wolves were at her heels. Something grazed her right shin.

A black wolf’s fangs, she was sure of it.

Next it would bite her and drag her to the ground. “Dark!” Shihoru turned and called him. “Ahh!”

It was at precisely that moment that a black wolf sprang at her.

If Dark hadn’t struck the black wolf, it would surely have sunk its fangs into Shihoru’s throat and bit down hard. Thanks to Dark, the black wolf’s entire body convulsed. But, because it was a weak hit, she couldn’t send it flying.

The black wolf collided with Shihoru, head first. Shihoru was knocked down. When she pushed the black wolf off of her and tried to get up, another black wolf sunk its fangs into her right leg.

Rather than let out a scream, Shihoru shouted, “Dark!” Dark sent that black wolf flying.

Her right leg didn’t hurt so bad, but it wouldn’t move properly. As Shihoru tried to crawl away, the black wolves rushed her.

Dark.

She tried to call his name, but her voice wouldn’t come out.

Her body was bitten all over. The fangs sunk in deep, and she was shaken around violently. If they kept doing that, her flesh would be torn loose.

Oh...

I...

I’m going to get eaten. I tried my hardest.

Did everything I could. But, no... not yet...

“O, listener listen in the night!” She heard someone’s voice.

There was no way she could have anticipated this. She’d hoped for it just a little, though.

The voice shouted, “Bwahaha! Bwah! Pigs! You filthy pigs! You dimwits! You imbecilic fools, you nitwitted nincompoops, you mummified perverted sadomasochistic bitches! I’ll make you publicly profess penance for everything you’ve done, you mangy wolves! You’re beasts in wolves’ clothing! Helpless! Help me! Help, help, help, heeeeeeelp!”

Ohh. Why, of all people, did it have to be him?

That thief was wriggling his body around as he swung his two blades around. His wild, unorthodox movements were bizarre. It was hard to describe, but they lacked humanity... no, they lacked so much as a trace of the reason, wisdom, and self-restraint that any sentient being ought to have. Also, none of the words he spewed made any sense.

“Facts are made up of naught but fiction. Facts are fiction. Fiction is fact. The big dick makes preexisting technologies act aloooof! Open the anti-anti- anti-lock on my heart, lady! Heartful, heartful, these are our dark days together, baby!”

Sakanami. He was clearly insane. It seemed even the black wolves could tell something was wrong with him, because they were totally intimidated. The black wolves tried to run away. Some managed to, but he chased down and carved up some of the less fortunate ones.

There had been so many black wolves messily trying to devour Shihoru.

There were none left now.

Sakanami screamed, “Amandaaaaaaaaaaa!” for no apparent reason as he

chased the black wolves off into the distance.

Scary. That guy was really scary. But...

He saved me...?

Could she really say that, though? Her body wouldn’t move. Or, to be more precise, she was afraid of what would happen if she tried to move it, so she couldn’t. She felt like she might fall to pieces if she moved so much as one finger the wrong way.

She was alive. No doubt about that. Breathing, and conscious. Barely.

She didn’t know how bad it hurt. She might be in such a bad state she couldn’t even feel pain properly.

I tried calculating it, at least, she told herself. I thought if I went here, the Typhoon Rocks might come. But maybe... I never stood a chance. In situations like this, mages have it tough... huh. Because we can’t... do anything alone.

Being unable to do anything... That’s the one thing I don’t want.

Really... Even if I have to rely on others, somehow... I want to survive. I want to see everyone. I don’t want to be alone.

I don’t want to face the end... all alone.

I wonder how... Manato-kun and Moguzo-kun felt. We were able to be with them... so that might have been the one good thing about it.

The rain... Oh, the rain... It doesn’t feel cold, or like anything. I don’t want... to go out like this.

Like this... all alone. I don’t want... to die.

I wish... someone had been at my side.

I wonder... if Yume’s okay. If she is... I’m glad. I don’t want Yume to die... like this.

Let me be the only one. Be the only one... to face an end like this. I hate this.

I’m so lonely.

But... the time I spent with everyone... it wasn’t in vain. That’s... what I want to think.

Because I should be able... to take everyone’s voices... to take those memories with me...

I...

I did my best, right...?

Manato-kun.

I... I didn’t lose.

Will Moguzo-kun... come to pick me up, maybe...? If he does... I’ll know... that I’m not alone...

“Oh, this looks pretty bad,” a voice said.

I can’t see. So dark. Just the sound of rain. And that voice. That’s all.

“You did well.”

Yeah. I did well. Someone acknowledged it.

“O Light, may Lumiaris’s divine protection be upon you. Sacrament.”

No way! I...

The light shone in. From here and from there. It poured into her from everywhere. It spread out, filling her. She became the light itself.

Warm.

It pulled her back.

Lifting her up, higher and higher. “Ah...!”

Shihoru’s eyes opened.

There was a person with a buzz cut, with a look on their face like they had reached some sort of enlightenment, looking down at her.

“Hey. Glad to see you made it. That was kind of a close one.” “Tsuga-san...”

“Where are the other kids? I don’t see them around here. You get separated?”

“Huh? ...Uh, yeah. Along the way...”

“I see,” said Tsuga. “Well, our group is in more or less the same situation.

Nothing new there, though.”

Tsuga didn’t tell her, So it’s going to be fine. But she did feel better.

Shihoru had thought for herself and then taken the best course of action she could. She’d risked it all on a thin sliver of hope, and it could be said that she’d won her bet.

In the end, she hadn’t gotten out of the situation with her own strength, so she wouldn’t take pride in it. Even so, she didn’t need to feel ashamed. No matter how it happened, she’d survived. As long as she was alive, she could work something out. As long as she was alive, the possibility existed.

“Um...” she said, “thank you... very much.”

“Think nothing of it.” Tsuga’s turned his eyes towards Shihoru’s chest. “I can heal your wounds, but I can’t mend your clothes.”

“My clothes...” Shihoru lifted her head and looked her body over. “Ah!” Hurriedly getting up, she pressed her right arm against her chest. Pulling down the hem of her torn outfit, she did her best to cover up her lower half.

This was bad. Having been torn up by the black wolves, her clothes were in a sorry state.

When she looked at Tsuga, he had turned to the side. The look on his face was relaxed, as if he was enjoying looking at the scenery.

“I-I’m sorry you had to see that...” Shihoru stammered. “It was quite the sight, though.”

“Huh...?”

“I only saw a little, so don’t let it bother you.” “...It bothers me.”

“Yeah, that figures. Oh, right.” Tsuga put down his backpack and took something out from inside it. “Here, this is a cloak designed to protect against the cold. If you don’t mind using mine...”

“...I’ll borrow it.”

“It’s yours. If you don’t need it anymore, just throw it away.” “Sorry,” Shihoru said. “For all the trouble.”

The gray cloak that Tsuga handed her was probably wool, and it was lined with fur. It was too big for her, and a little heavy, but it covered her body completely. She was happy to see it could be done up at the front, too.

She couldn’t find her hat, but her staff was laying on the ground nearby. Now that Dark was her only magic, Shihoru didn’t particularly need a staff. But she felt uneasy walking around barehanded. It was better to have a staff than not to have one.

“Where are the others...?” she ventured.

“Who knows. I heard Sakanami’s voice, though.” “Sakanami-san was the one who saved me.”

“Oh, yeah? I don’t know about the others, but I’m sure Moyugi will sort that all out just fine. Even if we get messed up pretty bad, that guy tends to make it all balance out in the end.”

“...You really trust him.”

“I don’t trust him, okay?” Tsuga said plainly. “It’s just been that way up until now, that’s all.”

Didn’t that mean he trusted him? Shihoru couldn’t help but think that, but she just gave a vague nod rather than digging into it any deeper.

Everyone was different. It was natural for there to be gulfs between them, or for them to be on different levels, and forcefully trying to fill in those gulfs or level things out to make everyone equal wasn’t necessary. Tsuga was her senior, and in the same clan, and had saved her. It seemed he’d taken a bit of a look at her, too, but they weren’t friends.

“...What do you plan to do next, Tsuga-san?” she asked.

“I figure I’ll run around wherever until Moyugi comes to collect me.

You?”

“I... have to find my comrades.”

“Kuzaku the tall guy, and Yume the hunter?”

“...Them, and Haruhiro-kun and Merry, too. We have a meeting point decided on. I think everyone will be heading there.”

“That cave, right?” “Right.”

“Can they make it? Seems tough. Though, can you even make it there yourself?”

“...I have to go.”

“An appeal to force of will, huh.” Tsuga shouldered his pack. “I don’t think it’ll do you much good. Not a big fan of that, myself.”

“Power...” Shihoru bit her lip, looking down. “I lack the power. I know that. Even if I’m not good enough... I have to do it. There are times when you just have to do it. For me... For me... that time is now.”

“Aren’t you thinking about this the wrong way?” “...Am I?”

“You’re being naive.” Shihoru raised her face.

It would have been fair to call Tsuga expressionless, but his eyes and mouth seemed to drip with compassion. On the other hand, he also seemed indifferent, or perhaps like he might be scheming something, or perhaps like he wasn’t thinking anything at all. Basically, she didn’t get him.

“You’re going to do it, even though you lack the power to? Isn’t that like a guaranteed recipe for failure? I think it’s meaningless. Do you just want to be able to say ‘I did my best’ for your own satisfaction?”

“That’s... not it,” Shihoru protested.

“Then you really are just making an appeal to willpower.”

“Think... or say whatever you want. I don’t care. I’ll overcome this.” “You’re a stubborn one, I see.”

“...Maybe.”

“I think you’re putting yourself at a disadvantage, being like that.” “Excuse me, Tsuga-san, but... I can’t imagine that you, or anyone in your

group, is acting based on what’s most advantageous to them,” she said.

“Agh.” Tsuga slapped his forehead. “You got me there. Yeah. You’re absolutely right.”

“Um...” Shihoru bowed her head deeply. “Thank you again for healing my wounds. I won’t forget this debt of gratitude... Eventually, I’ll pay you back... if I’m able to, that is.”

“Hey, listen.”

“...Yes?” Shihoru looked up.

“You’re not expecting that I’ll help you without you having to say a word, or anything like that, are you?”

“No... I’m not, really. Huh...? Why do you ask that...?”

“I figured. I don’t like that kind of stuff.” Tsuga sighed as he took a look around the area. He seemed a little irritated somehow. “Oh, whatever. Fine. Come on, let’s go.”

“...Go? Where?”

“Looking for your comrades. I don’t have much of anything to do until Moyugi comes to get me, so I’ll help.”

Shihoru blinked repeatedly.

Tsuga was looking off to the side and rubbing his buzz cut head. He had a relatively solid body, and though his expression was soft, he had a normal, masculine face. Even though his hair was cut so short, too, he didn’t come across as very manly.

Maybe that was why Shihoru didn’t mind Tsuga. Maybe because she didn’t want to fall in love now, Shihoru had trouble with people who made her too conscious of the fact that they were of the opposite sex. Tsuga wasn’t like that.

Still, could it be—Tsuga was feeling shy right now?

He’s kind of cute, she thought, despite herself. Shihoru hurriedly hid her smile. “...Thank you.” “How many times are you going to say that?” “H-How many times have I said it now?”

“Well, I don’t mind. Also, don’t worry about paying me back later.” Tsuga started walking, then added in a quieter voice, “I got a real good look, after all.”

“...Tsuga.”

“Huh? Did you just address me without an honorific?” “I think you must have misheard.”

“Did I?”

“Absolutely, yes.”

Shihoru refocused herself as she followed after Tsuga. In the end, were all men the same?

She couldn’t let her guard down. That was what this had to mean.

5.    A Condition for You

Had the rain let up a bit, maybe?

Haruhiro was posed with both hands on his right knee, with his left knee raised, looking out from inside the cave. He was barely moving at all, aside from adjusting the direction of his face. His concentration was incredible.

Merry, who was beside him looking at the outside, too, had nowhere near Haruhiro’s level of concentration. More than that, it would have been more accurate to say that she was so distracted that there was no comparison between them.

They were right next to the cave entrance. Close enough that the rain from outside could reach them. Getting wet bothered them, and it felt cold on their skin, too. But, besides that—honestly, the lack of anything changing was tough.

The scenery around them, locked in rain and fog, was like a painting. While looking outside and listening to the sound of the rain, it made one wonder if there was any meaning in what they were doing. Well, of course there was. They were going to meet up with their comrades here. Merry and Haruhiro were waiting for their comrades. It was possible that the enemy might come instead. That was why they were watching. Of course there was meaning in it. Obviously.

Despite that, Merry found herself glancing at Haruhiro.

Maybe I should say something, she kept thinking.

There was no need to stay completely silent. Talking in whispers would be fine. What should she talk about? She didn’t really know, but she felt like there were things they could discuss. There had to be any number of them.

It had been a while since they’d gone on watch here. Just now, her eyes met with Haruhiro’s for the first time.

“...Ah.” Haruhiro immediately turned to look forward. “S-Sorry.” “Huh?” Merry started to hang her head—

No, now’s not the time. She thought better of it, and looked outside. “Wh-Why are you apologizing?”

“Uh... Just because?” he said. “...I see.”

“No one’s coming... huh.”

“Yeah... You’re right.”

“You’re not cold, are you?” Haruhiro asked. “Not that cold.”

“You mean you’re a little cold, then? Yeah, that figures.” “It’s only a little. I’m fine.”

“I don’t want you to push yourself to hard...”

“I’m a priest.” Merry touched her lips. “That has nothing to do with it, does it?”

“Maybe not.” Haruhiro laughed just a little. “You can’t cure colds, can you?”

“I’m surprisingly unhelpful.”

“Now that’s not true. You’re—priests are like a lifeline. For me... For us.

Basically, for the whole party.”

“That’s what I want to be,” Merry said.

“I think of you that way. No, not just me—everyone does.” “I’m doing my best... not to grow weak.”

“Oh, yeah?” Haruhiro asked. “Yeah.”

“It’s fine, though.” “What is?”

“If you feel weak. We all have times like that. I can... I dunno? Uh, I can support you. Yeah. Like... That’s what teamwork’s for?”

“You already—” Merry took a deep breath. “You’re already doing so much to support me.”

Haruhiro raised his chin. He let out an “...Ah.” The whole time, he kept looking outside.

He’s...

When she felt something welling up inside her, Merry was flustered.

Her first impression when she’d met him, for better or for worse, was that

he was a boy, not a man. Even if he was just getting his start, he’d been too childish to be a volunteer soldier. He’d had sleepy eyes, dragged his feet, he’d been unreliable, and he hadn’t seemed to have any vision for the future. In a way, that might have been appropriate for his age. He’d been a normal boy—but in no way equipped to live in this place.

Back then, Merry had been a hired healer, not refusing any group that invited her. She felt that sort of work suited her best.

But maybe I should stop doing this, she remembered thinking back then.

That was why she’d taken their offer.

Looking back, at that time, Merry’d had two conflicting feelings inside her.

The first was that if someone didn’t help these kids, they were going to end up dead. Now that she had been asked to take the job, she’d have trouble sleeping at night if she abandoned them. It’d been a feeling similar to pity.

Not genuine pity, though. For instance, if a dying mother entrusted her baby to them, few people would be able to throw it away. Even if it was a nuisance, they’d protect it for the time being. If it ended up being too much trouble, and they had no idea what to do, they would try to get someone else to take the burden. By leaving it in front of the Temple of Lumiaris, or something like that. That had to be better than it dying, at least.

That was the sort of irresponsible pity she’d felt.

The other feeling was wanting to board that sinking ship. That was the sort of self-destructive desire she’d had back then.

Even once she had joined the party, she hadn’t imagined those kids having any sort of future. “Everyone was like that as a beginner,” she’d consoled them, which wasn’t true. If anyone was going to console those kids like that, there absolutely had to be some sort of malice behind it. To be frank, there probably weren’t many volunteer soldier trainees that were as bad as they’d been. They’d done nothing but make their priest feel uneasy. They’d been a frighteningly underdeveloped party.

She never would have imagined they’d be together this long.

She never would have imagined a day would come when she’d be relying on the boy she’d met back then.

Haruhiro had grown. As a thief, and as a leader. She didn’t think that was because he had any sort of aptitude for it, either.

Haruhiro had experienced so many things that it couldn’t be written off

with that easy explanation. More than that, it wasn’t like Haruhiro had sought them out for himself. He’d probably been reluctant. He’d been forced into the position, and had no choice but to accept. The situation had left him no place to run.

He had been forced to walk a tightrope, and when he thought he’d finally gotten to the other side, he’d found himself forced to walk along a cliff’s edge. The winds had been strong, and it’d been all he could do just to cling to the ground, but he’d had to move forward. If Haruhiro, who was leading the way, didn’t move forward, no one else could move, so he’d had no choice but to.

He’d been through that again and again.

Merry hadn’t grown half—no, maybe not even a third as much as Haruhiro.

Back then, Merry had been walking far ahead of the rest of them on the path of the volunteer soldier. At some point they’d passed her, and now she was chasing after them.

She wanted to be stronger. She hated chasing after them.

She wanted to walk alongside them, at least.

She wanted to walk beside him. To be able to puff her chest out, and walk proud.

It might be because she’d been doing nothing but looking down for so long that she’d forgotten how to do that. Out of fear. Fear that she might lose sight of the path she’d found at last.

Never knowing when the ground might crumble beneath her. In her own way, she’d been desperate. Afraid at all times.

I have to change myself, she thought, determined. I want to change.

The way things are going, I’m going to regret it. I have enough regrets already.

“Haru,” she said slowly.

“...Huh?” Haruhiro looked at Merry for just a moment. “Uh, right. What is it?”

“Do you want to move a bit further inside? We need to avoid letting ourselves get too cold.”

“Oh, that’s right... But still...”

“Move back to where the rain won’t touch us.”

“...Okay.”

“I may have said that too firmly,” she added. “I’m not mad, okay? This is how I am. How I am now... and probably the real me.”

“Yeah.” Haruhiro smiled, and he pulled back about thirty centimeters. “I don’t know how to say this, but if you’re able to feel that way, Merry... No, how do I say this? If this is a place where you can be you, I’m glad.”

Merry moved back just as much as Haruhiro had. “The party, you mean?” “Maybe?”

“Maybe it’s because we were in Darunggar for so long, but we’re kind of like a family.”

“Ohh... Yeah. You’re right. A family... huh.” “Are you the father, Haru?” Merry asked.

“Me? No way. That’s not it. Hmm, well, I am the leader, so... I’m the eldest brother, maybe? At best... As for the mother, I wonder who that would be. If I had to choose... Shihoru, maybe?”

“She’s got it together, so maybe she does fit the role.” “But having a mother with no father...” Haruhiro added.

“Maybe there are no parents? In that case, you’re the eldest brother, and Shihoru is the eldest sister?”

“Three sisters, Shihoru, Merry, and Yume, huh.”

“For the brothers, it’d be you, Kuzaku, and... I’m sorry.”

“Well, you know Ranta.” Haruhiro’s voice was strangely dry. “He’s not one to be anyone’s little brother.”

“...True.”

“I can say it now, but we were equals. He and I. I think he probably wanted to be my equal, too. We never held back with one another. I don’t like the guy, but he was always honest and forthcoming. ‘I hate this,’ ‘That pisses me off,’ ‘You’re wrong’... he’d come right out and argue with me over those things, whether it was serious or just stupid. We didn’t lie to one another. There was no need... I feel like, probably, it’s hard to find people you can be like that with.”

“You were... friends?” Merry asked.

“No.” Haruhiro grimaced just a little. “That’s not it. Definitely not. Not a chance. He’s not my friend... though we might have become something else, if we’d had more time together. I dunno. He could never be my friend, but maybe that was actually for the best. It meant we didn’t hold back with each

other. —Strangely, part of me still trusts him. Yeah... I probably believed in him.”

“In what way?”

“I thought we’d always be the same way, not getting closer, or drifting apart. For me... My comrades, I love all of you, and you’re important to me. I can’t help but go easy on you. There’s that aspect to our relationship. But I didn’t have that with him. That balanced things out, you could say.”

“He was special to you.”

“Not exactly in a good way, though.” “No one can take his place.”

“He’s not the only one that goes for,” said Haruhiro. “It’s true of all of us.”

“Haru...” “Yeah?”

“Do you really think he betrayed us?” “I don’t.”

Merry almost couldn’t help herself from smiling. Haru had replied instantly. He’d denied it without a moment’s hesitation.

He believed in him. That was how much he trusted Ranta. Merry didn’t find it any mystery why he would.

In fact, she found it hard to believe Ranta had honestly betrayed them. Whatever might happen, Ranta wouldn’t betray his comrades. She’d have long since given up on Ranta if she hadn’t believed that.

“Merry, there’s one thing I wanted to ask,” said Haruhiro. “Okay. What?”

“Have you seen Zodiac-kun since Ranta ended up doing what he did?” “...No.” Merry shook her head, then thought back. She couldn’t say it with

absolute certainty, but she hadn’t seen the demon. That was the feeling she had. “I don’t think I have. Though that’s limited to what I, personally, witnessed.”

“I figured.” Haruhiro looked around as he nodded. “It’s weird. Even though he’s a dread knight. Despite all his complaining, he really does love Zodiac-kun. He uses that demon as his emotional support. I’m pretty sure that’s part of it.”

“True. No matter how much abuse he takes from Zodiac-kun, he summons that demon every chance he gets.”

“That’s exactly the reason why it stuck out to me,” said Haru. “He must have something he’s hiding. Not from us, but from the guys in Forgan. His not calling Zodiac-kun is emblematic of that. He might be thinking of it as a trump card of sorts. Stupid as that is, it’s the kind of thing he’d think of.”

“It really is...”

“He never harmed you directly,” Haruhiro added. “If anything, I think he was trying to protect you, in his own way. At the very least, it’s not impossible to think of it that way.”

“Yeah. You’re right.”

“When he fought me, he was probably serious. It’s just, that’s because it was me he was facing, you know.”

“...The person he wants to be equal to.”

“Well, if you say it like that, it’s letting him look too cool,” Haru said. “If he’d taken a swing at Yume, and she’d gotten hurt, it’d be a different matter, you know? But it was me. This is a bit extreme, but even if he’d killed me... Well, even he might have felt just a little twinge of guilt. He’d have been like, Don’t blame me, Haruhiro, I had no choice, or something like that, with a forced smirk, don’t you think?”

“...He’d do it. He totally would. I can imagine the look on his face...” “I know, right?” Haruhiro said with a chuckle.

The rain had let up a fair amount, to the point that it was indistinguishable from the fog. Wasn’t the sun going down? It didn’t feel like it had gotten darker.

It felt like she’d been here with Haruhiro, waiting for their comrades to return, for an awfully long time now. But maybe it hadn’t actually been that long.

Off in the distance, something moved. Was it just the fog thinning out? No, that wasn’t it.

“Merry,” Haruhiro called out to her in a quiet voice.

She glanced over, and Haruhiro was pointing out in front of them with the index finger of his left hand. That sign meant, Something’s over there.

Merry held her breath and squinted.

It was small. And it probably wasn’t alone. Which meant it wasn’t their comrades.

It was hard to eliminate the feeling of disappointment, but she didn’t have time to let it get her down. It was coming straight at the cave.

Even before she saw the creature, she had a sense of what it might be. She was right.

“That’s...” Haruhiro said. “You know it...?”

“Yeah, I know it. Or I’ve seen it before, I guess.”

The creature resembled a cat. However, its head was large relative to its body. Thanks to that, even though its body was the same size as, or slightly larger than, a cat’s, it looked a little like a kitten.

Nyaas were four-legged beasts, but they could walk on two legs, too.

That gray nyaa was tottering along on its hind legs. One major difference between their legs and cats’ legs was that they had long fingers, and were nimble enough to grasp objects firmly. They looked just like a cat’s paws at first glance, though, and when walking on its hind legs, the nyaa crossed its arm-like legs and craned its head to the side. How cat-like.

It’s so cute... Merry caught herself as she was about to break into a smile, pulled her lips taut, and made a small cough.

“...It’s not one of Forgan’s nyaas, then?”

“Probably not,” said Haruhiro. “There’s this person called Shuro Setora- san who lives in the village. The House of Shuro is apparently a family of necromancers, but Shuro Setora-san is a nyaa lover and started to raise them. If I recall, though, the village’s nyaas are normally raised by... the House of Katsurai, was it? They’re the village’s onmitsu spies.”

“...Hmm.”

Nyaa.

This creature was just so captivating for some reason. While Merry was held captive by Forgan, seeing the nyaas had been her only respite.

“Onmitsu...” she murmured thoughtfully.

“Yeah. So, in order to suppress Forgan’s nyaas, we got the village’s nyaa lover to cooperate with us. If I’m not misremembering... that’s probably one of Shuro Stora-san’s nyaas.”

Most of what Haruhiro said went in one ear and out the other.

It’s a nyaa.

The nyaa that was soaked in the rain was coming closer...

Merry almost said, Come here, despite herself. She wanted to click her tongue and wave it over. No, she couldn’t.

Can’t... I? If it’s not an enemy, it should be fine, shouldn’t it? Or not a

problem, at least.

In the end, she restrained herself.

Soon after entering the cave, the nyaa shook itself, splashing water everywhere. Then, tilting its head slightly, it let out a “Nyaa.”

“It’s cu—” Merry clasped her mouth shut at the last moment, and swallowed her words.

“Cu?” Haruhiro asked. “...I-It’s nothing.”

“Hmm...?” Haruhiro blinked, then put his hand on the nyaa’s head. “Hey, nyaa. Where’s your master at?”

Was that okay?! Was it a touchable nyaa, maybe? “In that case...” Merry clenched her hand into a fist. He’d touched it. She wanted to touch it herself.

Maybe it’s still not too late?

Was this a situation where it was okay to touch it? Maybe she’d be allowed to pat its head? Was this her chance to pet it?

But, at the moment, Haruhiro’s hand was resting on the nyaa’s head. For Merry to be able to pet that nyaa’s head, she’d need to get Haruhiro to move his hand.

She’d get him to move it. How? What was she going to do? Did she have to ask? How? Maybe...

Haru, let me try petting it, too.

This was... too direct, no matter how she thought about it. Couldn’t she find a more indirect way to say it?

Haru, let me try petting it, too?

Rising intonation on the last word. How was that? It felt a bit softer... maybe. Though she had the feeling it didn’t change it that much. Well, how was this, then?

I’d like to try petting the nyaa, too, you know?

Indirect. That “You know?” at the end was so roundabout. It felt irritating. If someone asked Merry for something that way, she might respond, “And?” Haruhiro might think, So what? What’s the problem? What do you want to do? Come out and say it already.

That was right.

If she wanted something, she should tell him, not try to avoid saying it. In that case, this was what she’d say:

Haru, I want to pet the nyaa. Let me pet it.

That.

That was it.

Say it. Say it!

She could predict Haruhiro’s response. “...Oh. I see. Sure. Go ahead.” That was about it.

He wouldn’t think, Don’t say weird things, or anything like that. Haruhiro wasn’t that kind of person. He didn’t go around mocking other people.

So say it.

She should just say it. What was there to be embarrassed about? Embarrassed. Yes. It was embarrassing. She was intensely embarrassed.

It was a mystery even to her why she felt so embarrassed over this, but she couldn’t help herself.

Why? Is it pride? What kind of pride? Am I trying to act cool? I’m not cool at all, so what good is that going to do me? What’s the point? Didn’t I want to change? In that case, what am I going to do if I can’t even manage this? I want to pet the nyaa. I want to pet it so badly, so I will. It’s a really small step. I need to take it. If I can’t manage this much, I’ll never be able to change.

Say it on the count of one, two. No, one, two, is too short. Let’s make it one, two, three................... I’ll count to five. If I do that, I’m sure I can do it.

“Merry?” Haruhiro asked. “Oh! Huh. ?”

“Is something up?” “N-N-Nothing’s up.”

“You sure?” Haruhiro look out beyond the fog. “Ah. ”

Again. There was something else approaching.

This time, it probably wasn’t a nyaa. It was much too big for that. Was it human?

Mixed in with the sound of rain, she could hear footsteps. It was apparently two people.

A group of two.

Even if they were big, that only meant they weren’t as small as a nyaa, and not that they were especially tall for a human. One of them, at least, wasn’t any larger than Merry. The other seemed to be larger than Merry....................................... no,

larger than Haruhiro.

It would have been fair to call them bizarre in appearance. They were each wrapped in various colors of cloth that covered their whole bodies, and even their faces.

Haruhiro looked a little hesitant about what to do, then sighed. “...Urgh.

I’d forgotten about that. Well, not actually... That’s right.” “Forgotten? What?”

Haruhiro just said, “Yeah...” and gave a vague nod, then picked up the gray nyaa.

He picked it up? Merry thought in shock. No way. That’s absurd. Tell me it’s a lie. No way. You can pick it up, too? Hold on, Haru. What are you picking up that nyaa so easily for...?

“Setora-san.” Haruhiro gave a slight bow. Holding the nyaa as he did, of course. “Is that what I should be calling you? Or... do you prefer Shuro-san?”

“Setora is fine,” the smaller of the two said curtly, without stopping. It was a woman’s voice.

Shuro Setora. The keeper of the nyaas. She was a woman? Setora dragged the big person into the cave with her.

Merry took a long time to realize it, but she now saw that Setora’s companion probably wasn’t human. The companion looked human at first glance, but those armored arms were too long. The hands were big, too.

Haruhiro had mentioned Setora had been born into a house of necromancers. Did that mean her companion was a golem?

“It seems they’ve scattered,” Setora said, then removed the cloth covering her face, as it seemed to be getting in her way. “What do you people plan to do?”

Haruhiro gulped and his eyes went wide. Merry was a little surprised, too. It would have been hard to imagine this face from her voice and appearance.

She was a girl, not a woman. Her black hair was in a bob cut, her eyes were so large they seemed like they might fall out, and yet she was still a girl who leaned more towards cute than beautiful.

“...What?” Setora glared at Haruhiro and Merry in turn. From the way she looked at them, she was offended. But because her face was so adorable, she wasn’t intimidating. “You people are not of the village, so it’s not like you find it odd that my hair is short, is it?”

“Oh, no...” Haruhiro rubbed the gray nyaa’s belly. “Haha...” He let out an awkward laugh. “Not particularly. Oh, right. The women in the village grow

their hair out. You were saying something about that before, now that you mention it.”

“That’s an awfully familiar tone you’re taking with me,” Setora said coldly.

“Urkh. S-Sorry... I apologize. I dunno, when I saw your face, it felt familiar. Familiar? No, that’s not quite it................. ”

“It’s in my blood, you see. The members of the House of Shuro have had childlike faces for generations. That is also part of why I do not like to reveal my face.”

“I don’t think it’s anything to hide,” Haruhiro said. “Well, that’s just what I think.”

“Don’t act like you would know, outsider.” Setora seized the gray nyaa from Haruhiro’s arms, and let it loose. “Well, it seems I will be leaving the village, too.”

The gray nyaa sat at the mouth of the cave and began grooming its fur. It was licking itself. Diligently licking its body all over with that little pink tongue.

So cute.

Merry still wanted to hug it. But if she interrupted it while it was grooming, it wouldn’t like her.

Merry tore her eyes away from the gray nyaa, then looked back and forth from Haruhiro to Setora. What was going on here? Haruhiro was acting a little strange. He seemed intimidated.

Well, when meeting with people he didn’t know that well, Haruhiro tended to be that way. He wasn’t the type who always looked people in the eye when he talked. Even so, the way he hung his head, looking at Setora with upturned eyes and trying to gauge her mood, was a little strange.

“You’re leaving the village, huh. ” Haruhiro said.

“Well, yes. I’ve no lingering attachment to the village. Our paths were due to part ways eventually. That just happened to be now.”

“. Um, what about Arara-san?”

“Did I not tell you? They’ve all scattered. I have my nyaas keeping watch, but even I can’t keep track of where everyone is on a moment-to-moment basis. There are those the nyaas have lost track of, too, I’m sure. It’s cruel to expect so much of the nyaas.”

“Yeah, I suppose. ”

“It seems that you are fine.” Setora gave a sideways glance to Merry. “This is the woman you went to such trouble to save? Did they not use her to relieve themselves?”

“That...” Merry hesitated for a moment, unsure how to respond. “...didn’t happen.”

“You were fortunate, then.” “Yeah. You may be right.”

“Uh, hey.” For some reason, Haruhiro hastily pointed Setora and the gray nyaa with gestures and a glance. “The truth is, that nyaa showed me the way to where you were. If not for that nyaa... in other words, if not for Setora- san’s help, I don’t know if I could have made it to you by myself.”

“Oh... So that was it.” Merry turned back to Setora, bending at the hip and giving her a deep, polite bow. “Thank you... very much.”

“No need for thanks. I’ll be receiving my compensation, after all.”

“Of course you will...” Haruhiro closed only his left eye, and repeatedly rubbed his eyelid with his hand. Was it itchy?

Setora narrowed her eyes as she looked at Haruhiro, her lips forming a slight smile. It was kind of creepy. Or rather...

She reminds me of someone...? Merry thought, puzzled.

It might have been a miracle that it occurred to her so quickly. After all, she’d probably never even talked to her. It wasn’t like she remembered her face clearly. Her hair style, her big eyes, and how simple and quiet she was. That was about all that came to mind.

This girl gave off the same impression as that girl who had been in Kuzaku’s former party. If Merry recalled, she’d been a thief, like Haruhiro. Her name had been...

Choco.

Yes. Choco.

When she’d fallen at Deadhead Watching Keep, Haruhiro had cried out.

Merry had thought, Did he know her?

He had known her. No doubt about it. He’d known her name, after all.

Besides, there had been something clearly strange about Haruhiro that time. Merry didn’t remember the exact details, but he’d been just acting weird.

Maybe that Choco girl had been more than just an acquaintance to Haruhiro.

And so what if she was?

Setora resembled Choco, who had died right before his eyes. Was that

why Haruhiro seemed so shaken?

“Now, then.” Setora crossed her arms.

Haruhiro sat down where he was, for some reason. “...Yeah. I know.” Merry tilted her head to the side. “Huh? What do you know?”

“My compensation.” Setora gave a low snort. “I’ve held up my end of the bargain. Now, I’ll have what is rightfully mine.”

“Oh, but...” Haruhiro looked up to Merry, a pained smile on his face. “Actually, maybe it’s a good thing Merry is here. She can... treat me, right afterwards.”

“Treat you? For what?” Merry asked.

“It was decided that I’d provide... material.” “Huh? Provide material? For what?” “Erm... For a flesh golem.”

“Flesh—”

“I will be taking his eye.” Setora approached Haruhiro and crouched down. “You wanted me to spare your dominant eye, so it’s the left I’ll be taking, yes?”

“His left eye?!”

“...Uh, yeah.” Haruhiro looked down and scratched his head. “Sorry.” “What are you apologizing for, Haru?!”

“Nah, I just sort of felt I should...”

“You’re providing your eye?! Like, taking it out, and giving it to her?!” “I don’t know so much about how that’s gonna work, but... I guess?”

“If you do that, I can’t heal it, even with Sacrament! You understand that, right?!”

“...Well, more or less.”

“What do you mean, more or—”

“You, woman.” Setora glared at Merry. “What are you so angry about? This man made the deal with me because he needed my nyaas in order to rescue you.”

“I-I’m not angry...” Merry stammered. “Then silence yourself.”

“There’s no way I could keep quiet! It’s because of me that—” Merry covered her mouth.

That was right.

He did it for me.

Because of me, Haruhiro’s being forced to give up his eye to this woman.

“...Sorry.” Haruhiro rubbed the back of his head and neck. “I kind of didn’t want it to go this way. The timing, I mean. Doing it in front of you, it’s just... I doubt you want to see it, and honestly, I don’t want to let you. So, sorry, could you... leave us? Oh, but I’ll need you to heal me with magic when it’s over, so maybe it’s all the same in the end...”

“Enough of that. Raise your face and let me get a good look.” Setora grabbed Haruhiro’s chin between the index finger and thumb of her right hand, and pulled it up. “Hmph. A fresh looking eyeball, indeed.”

“Well, yeah, I’m not a corpse. I’m alive...”

“I suppose you are.” Setora brushed back Haruhiro’s hair with her left hand, and brought her face close to his. Was there any need to get so close? Well, Setora was planning to take Haruhiro’s left eye, so maybe there was. It was hard to say. Whatever the case, Haruhiro was docile, like he had accepted that he was obligated to allow this.

Neither Haruhiro nor Setora could possibly be serious about this, though.

That was what Merry wanted to think. But, whatever Setora was thinking, that wasn’t true of Haruhiro. Haruhiro was dead serious.

It was hard to call him resolute, but Haruhiro could be strangely committed. Like how he would never abandon a comrade. Haruhiro was always sacrificing himself.

It wasn’t that Merry didn’t understand that. It was better to get hurt than to see her comrades hurt. Between losing a comrade, and dying themselves, if they were forced into a situation where they had to choose one or the other, Haruhiro would surely choose the later, and so would Merry.

That said, there was no way she could accept this.

“I’ll do it!” Merry interposed herself between Haruhiro and Setora.

When she did, Setora immediately, and bluntly, stopped her with a cold stare. “That will not do.”

“...Wh-Why not?!”

“You are not the one I made a deal with. It was this man, and him alone. And my condition was that I would receive this man’s left eye. It is no place of yours to demand I change the terms.”

“Okay... Maybe you’re right, but...” “Moreover, I’ve no interest in your eyes.”

“...You’re saying you are interested in Haru’s, then?”

“Did it not sound that way?” asked Setora.

“I-I’ve got good vision, and mine aren’t sleepy-looking like Haru’s...” “Merry... That’s got nothing to do with my eyeballs, I’m pretty sure it’s

the shape of my eyelids...”

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that...”

Setora let out an exasperated sigh. “Your blathering will do you no good, woman.”

“W-Woman?!”

You’re a woman, too. Merry almost said it, but she kept her mouth closed.

This is no good. My emotions are running too high. Calm down. I should calm down first. Think it over with a clear head.

“Then I’ll provide you something more valuable than Haruhiro’s left eye!” she blurted out.

“No.”

“Even if it’s an arm or a leg, I won’t mind!” “I’ve no need of those.”

“Well, what do you want, then?!”

Haruhiro opened his mouth to try and say something. But Setora suddenly grasped Haruhiro’s head and jaw with both hands and pulled him towards her.

Wait. What are you doing? Merry thought frantically. Treating Haru like an object.

“Wai...!” she cried.

“I’ve taken an interest in this man,” said Setora. “Huh?”

“Rather than the eye of a woman I care nothing for, it should be obvious that the eye of a man who interests me holds far greater value.”

“I don’t understand that reasoning at all!” Merry cried.

“I do not ask you to understand. Incidentally—” Setora began rubbing Haruhiro’s face with both hands. “I do not think there is any need to hurry in collecting his left eye. It doesn’t have to be now. I’ll have his left eye when I want it. Until then—Haruhiro.”

“...Y-Yes?”

“Your left eye is mine, but I leave it in your care.”

“Y-Yay...? That’s... good? Is it okay for me to be happy about that?” “You’re unlike the men of the village. There’s something fresh about

you.”

“...I-Is there?”

“Haru,” Merry said in a sharp tone, then realized she was acting upset. “What are you grinning for?”

“I’m... not grinning, okay?! I mean, this is not time for grinning, right?!” “Oh, yeah?” Merry looked the other way. “You seemed a little happy, for

some reason.”

“I’m not happy at all, though!” “Incidentally, Haruhiro,” Setora said.

“Yes?! Wh-What...? Um, Setora-san, c-could you let go of me... please?” “Do you think you are in any position to ask favors of me?” Setora asked

coldly.

“I’d say that’s one thing, but this is another.” “A fair argument.”

“I-I know, right...?”

“Though that does not necessarily mean I will accept it. You may not know this, but I was known for being a difficult person, even back in the village.”

“Oh, I get that! P-Please, let me go!” Haruhiro shook free from Setora’s grasp and stood up. “It was a promise, so I’ll give you my left eye anytime you want it! But I don’t owe you anything else!”

“Oh-ho,” Setora said, opening her eyes wide in an exaggerated fashion. “In other words, you no longer require my assistance? In that case, I will have all my nyaas pull out at once. I’ll have your left eye now, too. If we part here, we may never meet again, after all.”

Haruhiro hung his head. “That would be...”

A problem. Merry didn’t want to admit it, but she had to.

The fact was, Haruhiro and Merry were just waiting here for their comrades to show up. They’d wracked their brains about whether to do this, or whether to try that, but in the end there was nothing else they could do.

There were no moves they could make.

“Though I cannot do it immediately...” Setora bent her knees and looked up at Haruhiro’s face from below. “If I were to have my nyaas concentrate on finding your comrades, I am sure they would be able to do it, too. My nyaas

know this area even better than I do myself. What of you people? If you’re familiar with the lay of the land, perhaps you don’t need my help? I predict that the tomorrow will be an uncommonly clear day, so visibility will be good. There are other troubles that present themselves on days when the fog is not out in Thousand Valley. What will you do? Search the hardest you can?”

This woman. Shuro Setora.

She seems to like Haruhiro, but despite that, she’s harassing him, making him suffer, and enjoying it. She said she was a difficult person, but it’s more that she’s just nasty.

I shouldn’t be thinking this after she rescued me, and she keeps such cute nyaas, so I don’t want to think badly of her.

Still, I can’t bring myself to like her. I might really hate her.

Even if she did hate Setora, it would be immature to drive her off because of that, and realistically speaking it was a bad idea. A very bad idea.

However, was Setora going to help them just because Merry bowed her head to her? Not likely.

Haruhiro. Setora was probably crouching low because she wanted to see Haruhiro ask her for help. Moreover, she wanted to make him submit to her. She wanted to make him obey her, didn’t she? And Haruhiro knew what he ought to do as leader of the party. For Merry—for one of his comrades—he had already offered up his left eye. He might very well throw his life away.

“Setora-san.” Haruhiro bent over to the point his head was almost at knee level. “...Please. Help us find our comrades.”

“Very well.” Setora said haughtily. Then added, so quickly it was hard to react, “But I have a condition.”

I expected as much.

Just what sort of condition would she offer? Merry gritted her teeth. If Setora said anything weird, Merry would want to stop Haruhiro, but she couldn’t. Unless it was something really big—no, even if it was—Haruhiro would probably accept it. Setora had seen through him, so she might say something truly outrageous.

“What is it?” Haruhiro kept his head bowed, looking at Setora with upturned eyes. “The condition.”

“Before that, I have one question.” “Oh, sure... Go right ahead.”

“Are you and that woman in love?”

“Huh?!” Haruhiro shouted, and Merry said, “What are you—” before going silent, at a loss for words.

“I don’t think the question is anything to act so surprised about,” Setora said, arching her eyebrows offendedly. “You two are comrades, yes? If two people who are together day in and day out happened to develop that sort of relationship, surely that would be nothing unusual. In the village, those from the lower houses generally marry those they are close to and have children with them. Furthermore, Haruhiro, you were prepared to die to rescue that woman. Is it not normal to think you are more than simple comrades?”

“N-No...” Haruhiro turned towards Merry, immediately averted his eyes, and then shook not so much his head as his entire body back and forth. “That’s not it, okay?! We don’t have anything like that, we’re just really good comrades! Comrades, okay?! O-Okay...?! We’re comrades!”

Setora fixed her eyes on Merry for some reason. “Is this true?”

“Of course!” Merry swallowed her breath, and almost ended up coughing. “...Comrades. That’s what Haru and I are. Nothing more, and nothing more.”

“Is there some reason why you said more twice?”

“N-No?! W-We’re nothing more, nothing less, and nothing else! That’s

it!”

“I see.” Setora gave two slight nods of her head. “Then there should no

problem, Haruhiro.” “Wh-What... is it?”

“Haru.” When Setora corrected herself, Merry felt a throbbing in her temple, and a slight pain.

What’s with her? She’s acting way too familiar with him.

Then it suddenly hit her. If that was true, then Merry was acting overly familiar with Haruhiro by calling him Haru, too.

Originally, when trying to close the distance between her and her comrades, it had occurred her to change the way she addressed them, as a show of the kind of relationship she aspired to have with them. She’d debated back and forth with herself about what to do. Deciding to start with the leader, the first inoffensive option that came to mind had been adding a -kun to his name. Though it felt easy to get used to, and she liked it, Haruhiro-kun was a little long. If she used Haru-kun, she’d be overlapping with Yume.

Besides, while it was cute for a girl like Yume to call him Haru-kun,

wouldn’t it be off-putting if Merry did it? Using -san would have been weird, or rather it seemed likely that it would make it feel like she was being overly formal. In that case... how about Harupin? No way, not a chance. It made no sense. Harurin, then? Haruriron? Harumero? Go all out, and call him Haruharu? Haruchin? No, no, that was clearly too much...

After much wavering, she had chosen the short, easy-to-use Haru. She’d settled for something safe. She’d figured that would probably work.

However, when it had come time to actually call him that, she’d hesitated.

Let’s not do this, after all. She’d been half way to rethinking her decision, but when she’d gone with the flow and tried addressing him that way once, it had been surprisingly okay. That was how it had felt to Merry, at least, but maybe she’d been acting overly familiar?

But, that aside, why had this woman suddenly started addressing Haruhiro as Haru?

“Haru.” Setora called him that again, then smiled slightly. “Until I grow bored of it, and tell you to do otherwise, you will act as if you’re my lover. That is the condition.”