Synopsis of the last chapter:
It’s the same place as the beginnings of chapters 1 and 8 .
The light rose to the surface of the deep darkness, and my consciousness descended to my body .
It felt like I’d been in that strange place for a long time, but it appeared I’d been unconscious for only a short time in the real world .
I could see Lily in the midst of reconstructing her human body in a panicked look over Silane, who was biting me with her face buried in the top of my shoulder .
“M-Master!” (Lily)
“……I’m fine . It went well, there were no problems . ” (Majima)
Lily looked relieved after I spoke to her .
Removing my gaze from her, I turned my attention towards Silane again .
Her body, apparently having unconsciously grabbed onto me when she attacked me, was powerless, and it looked like she was partly entrusting her body to me . If seen from the side, it might’ve looked like she was burying her face in her lover’s shoulder and they were hugging each other .
In reality, it didn’t look that s.e.xy as much as it looked bizarre since I was being bit into by her .
“Ow……rgh . ” (Majima)
I groaned a little .
Silane’s teeth, which had been eating into the flesh of my shoulder, were pulled out with a wet sound .
Of course, since we couldn’t separate if that didn’t happen, this was a necessary pain . I unwrapped my arms that were on Silane’s back .
“……?” (Majima)
And then, several seconds pa.s.sed . I tilted my head in my mind .
Silane, who should’ve separated her body from me soon, hadn’t moved .
Though she’d pulled out the teeth eating into me, her arms still held my body . She was holding onto me surprisingly tightly, so I couldn’t separate from her .
On the other hand, there was no signs of movement from Silane .
Silane stood stock still, her face buried in my shoulder .
“What should I do?”
When I wondered that, I felt something rough near the wound on my shoulder .
I heard a *lick lick* sound .
It was a slightly sticky, wet sound, like when a cat drank milk .
“……Eh?” (Majima)
I wonder whether the gooseb.u.mps I got down my spine were from the chills, or the pleasant feeling .
Her tongue was crawling on my skin, just like what intimate lovers did .
Carefully, as if she was teasing me .
With obscenity reminiscent of a harlot and yet the innocent enthusiasm of a pet, Silane’s tongue crawled on my skin . A *lick lick* sounded out . She pecked at me, savoured me, and licked me .
Yes . Silane was licking the blood flowing from my wound .
“——” (Majima)
Silane slowly separated from me, who’d frozen reflexively .
Slightly downward-cast eyes . Slightly parted lips . Silane’s face, her mouth wet with red blood, had an enchanted expression with none of her usual seriousness .
Her pale face felt slightly ominous, but at the same time it added a mysterious charm to her, a girl of marriageable age .
Her tongue traced her lips .
Her action of licking the blood sticking to them as though it was nectar was vivid .
“a, Fu……” (Silane)
A hollow voice creeped into my ear .
I wondered if even that was because she was feeling a little l.u.s.tful .
If her normal self was a sweet girl, the current her was a bewitching beauty . A sweet-smelling scent, and a transient, dangerous atmosphere . It seemed to be disappearing even now, which was why I couldn’t remove my eyes from that beauty .
“Fu, fufu……” (Silane)
She turned an intoxicated look towards me with her one and only pupil .
Our eyes met . And——something flipped inside Silane like a switch .
“……h…-uh?” (Silane)
She raised a perplexed voice .
I felt that she was returning to herself from both her expression and the path .
At the same time, my frozen time started to move . I finally realized that during that, I had been holding my breath .
“S-Silane? Have you……woken up?” (Majima)
In response to my call, Silane, still making eye contact, blinked once . Her lips, which had the blood completely licked off of them, trembled .
“Takahiwo…-dono?” (Silane)
Her reply had a lisp, and was a little childish .
But, at least she was now aware of me being me .
“He…-re is?” (Silane)
Silane’s expression turned steady very quickly .
She looked down at her extended hands, as if to make sure she was really here .
“……I’ve…really returned?” (Silane)
Her trembling lips spoke meaningful words .
I could see that the light of reason was back in her pupils .
The dangerous looking woman from before was no longer there .
“Thank G.o.d . You’ve woken up . ” (Majima)
I felt relieved .
It seemed she had been more or less influenced by her Ghoul-side as her consciousness had been fuzzy until a bit ago . It was a bit shocking, but for now, she seemed to be fine .
“Takahiro-dono!” (Silane)
Silane, staring fixedly at her own hand, raised her lowered face .
Her blue eye, reflecting me again, shone like a gem in this world . In a totally different sense from before, I was captivated by its radiance .
“Thank you very much, Takahiro-dono . ” (Silane)
My hands were tightly grasped .
When I dropped my gaze to the feeling of her terrifyingly cold fingers, at the end of her once chopped off arm there was a『ring with a red stone in it』 .
There was a Ghoul-determining function on the Knight Orders’ rings of proof . As Silane wasn’t a Ghoul, the color of her ring appeared to have changed .
The reason it hadn’t changed back to blue from yellow was because though she wasn’t a Ghoul, the fact she had become an undead monster didn’t change…probably .
“Now, I can fight again . I can protect the things I want to protect……!!” (Silane)
But even so, there was no doubt that the one here was Silane .
I finally really felt that I had recovered her mind . Naturally, my mouth twisted into a smile .
The feelings of the girl in front of me that I felt were important hadn’t ended up being lost . Right now, I could be glad .
“All of it, All of it, was thanks to you, Takahiro-dono . ” (Silane)
“……No . That’s not it . ” (Majima)
I shook my head at the words of thanks Silane spoke with an expression overcome with emotion .
Silane stared at me in wonder with her one eye full of tears . I threw some words at her .
“『This is the world where wishes come true』” (Majima)
“……?” (Silane)
“I think I’ve heard that before . If I’m not mistaken, those were the words the first hero left behind, weren’t they?” (Majima)
Those were the words the first hero had spoke . In times of darkness for humanity, he encouraged everyone,『Don’t abandon your wishes』 .
Of course, like Silane had said when she talked about those words, it was nothing more than one of many interpretations . The words were too simple, too old, and there was no longer a way to ascertain the real meaning that only the person themself knew .
However, it was certain that the gentle interpretation had continued supporting the single, strong-willed girl who’d kept fighting to protect .
That was why there were no words appropriate for this situation .
“Just me having power wasn’t enough . Even if it was just my wish, it definitely wouldn’t have been fulfilled . The fact that my『wish came true』……was your own strong wish, Silane, and the wishes of those who tried to protect the fortress . ” (Majima)
The current Silane was here as a crystallization of our wishes—of everyone’s wishes . Had it been my own achievement, things might’ve been a little different .
“Ours…everyone’s wishes……” (Silane)
Hearing my words, Silane gently cast down her eyes .
Whatever she was thinking, she was staring at our connected hands .
“……That’s…right . ” (Silane)
Before long, a beautiful smile came to her mouth .
“This may be a miracle we all made happen . ……But, that’s why, Takahiro-dono . Thank you very much . ” (Silane)
Silane’s blue, gem-like eyes reflected my figure once more .
“Thank you very much, for picking up everyone’s wishes . ……For picking up my wishes . You may deny it, but at least, for me……” (Silane)
Trying to say something, Silane swallowed down the following words .
She shook her head . Turning towards me again, Silane’s face changed into the one of the knight who’d kept fighting to protect the world .
“For everyone’s wishes that you’ve recovered……and, for my own wish, I have to fight . Let’s go, Takahiro-dono . To our battlefield . ” (Silane)
The Knight Silane, still radiating her oath to protect those injured, was reborn here anew as an undead monster .
I had a desire to meet again .
I also had a desire to feel that I’d gotten her back for a bit longer .
But, the situation didn’t allow that .
“Yeah . Let’s fight . Do you need an explanation of the situation?” (Majima)
I checked with Silane, letting go of her hands which I was still holding onto .
“No . I’ve understood the gist of it . ” (Silane)
Silane shook her head, raising her eyes that were following my hand .
“While you were holding me in that strange world, Takahiro-dono, the details of the situation were transmitted to me . ” (Silane)
“……After all that, you remember that place?” (Majima)
“Yes . Though, it didn’t feel like I was dreaming……but, that wasn’t a dream at all, was it? So then, what I need to do has been decided . ” (Silane)
Turning her head, Silane looked at the end of the pa.s.sage .
Inside the background, hazy with dust and flames, I caught glimpse of the tall boy showily reducing the scattered spider’s thread to ashes with fire magic and trying to kill Gerbera .
Silane had been defeated once by Juumonji . A cruel defeat would scare people . Considering that being killed by your heart being penetrated wasn’t normally possible, I was worried about her all the more so .
But as far as I could see, her expression had no fear . Her gaze was strong, and she wasn’t shaking either . There appeared to be no problems with her crossing swords with Juumonji . After checking with her, I opened my mouth .
“As you can see, right now Gerbera……my family and the White Arachne, is fighting Juumonji . ” (Majima)
Gerbera, who could be seen from here, was fighting while frequently using her spider thread, which was weak before flame magic—Juumonji’s specialty .
This fight was something that had been arranged beforehand; the aim was to tempt Juumonji to use his fire magic . Juumonji wasn’t aware of our situation due to the rising flames . ……The pa.s.sage’s walls were starting to collapse, so it was a bit overkill, but she should’ve been doing fine .
But, that wouldn’t last forever .
“Even if she is the White Arachne, beating Juumonji will be difficult . If she keeps fighting like this, it’s possible that Juumonji will turn the tables on her . Sorry to be asking you this right after, but I want you to help her, Silane . ” (Majima)
“Okay . ” (Silane)
Silane nodded at my request, leaking a bitter smile .
“But, I never imagined that I’d fight alongside a monster in legend in my life… . Ah, wait . I’m already dead . ” (Silane)
“To me, she’s an important companion . She has some cute parts, too . ” (Majima)
“Cute……you say?” (Silane)
It appeared my words were surprising, Silane’s eyes went round . If you only looked at her ferocious yet beautiful appearance as the White Arachne, thinking that was understandable .
“Yeah . If you have the chance, you’ll get along with her, Silane . ” (Majima)
After smiling a little, I stiffened my expression . To make that chance, we had to fight now . I turned to the battlefield .
That was when it happened .
“H-…Huh……?” (Majima)
The world warped .
A horrible dizziness a.s.sailed me . No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stand up .
“Master!?” (Lily)
“Takahiro-dono!” (Silane)
While hearing the two’s screams, I fell on my backside .
A strange feeling of exhaustion attacked my whole body . I couldn’t stand up .
Rus.h.i.+ng over to me with a panicked look, Lily finally used recovery magic on me, despite me having been injured for quite some time now .
Blood stopped running from the bite on my left shoulder, and after a few seconds, the dizziness subsided .
“What in the world happened, Master……?” (Lily)
Lily looked at my face with a worried look .
“Ah, well . ……I guess I overdid it a bit . ” (Majima)
I recalled the cracked image of myself .
I didn’t know whether that was what it was, but there was no doubt that making Silane, someone different from normal, into my family put some kind of burden on my existence .
Or, maybe it was because my physical strength had fallen?
Remembering how much magical power I’d used was impossible, but I’d fought battles one after another, and I also had a shoulder injury and was bleeding . It hadn’t been strange for me to reach my limit .
Silane turned an anxious look towards me, who got up by borrowing Lily’s hand .
Takahiro-dono . Leave the rest to me, you are……” (Silane)
“No . I can’t stop here . ” (Majima)
Silane’s words were appreciated, but I shook my head .
It wasn’t like I was being stubborn .
Presently, the only ones who had the power to upfrontly oppose Juumonji were Silane and Gerbera . However, a little unease still remained in the cooperation of the hurriedly-made pair . It was absolutely necessary for someone to connect them .
“Rather than me, what about you, Silane? Can you fight properly?” (Majima)
Luckily, the dizziness seemed to be transient, and I was now able to stand by myself . Gently letting go of Lily’s hand, still worried about me, I checked with Silane .
“In various ways……I think our situations are different . ” (Silane)
“That’s true . ” (Lily)
Silane touched the scar of the cut on her left arm, and covered her cut wound that crushed her right eye .
She lowered her hand, and opened and closed both her hands several times .
When her fist *creak* creaked, she stopped doing so .
“My left arm was severed once, but there aren’t any difficulties in moving . In regards to my drastic rise in physical strength, my body strength appears to be the same . It’s a little bit unbalanced, but if I move similarly to how I was when I was being helped by the four small spirits, I think I can manage . But, I believe I should avoid using magic……especially my power as a spirit user . The quality of my magic power has changed . I don’t know what will happen now . ” (Silane)
“……Can you fight?” (Majima)
When I asked, my anxiety increasing a little, Silane suddenly smiled .
“Of course I can . I came back from the abyss of death with your help to do that, Takahiro-dono . ” (Silane)
It appeared I’d asked something stupid . Silane turned her smile towards me .
“Please leave it to me . ——No . That’s wrong . Let’s fight together, Takahiro-dono . ” (Silane)
“……Got it . Let’s end the tragedy here, Silane . ” (Majima)
I nodded .
A lot of things had been lost in this turmoil, starting from the large invasion of monsters . Juumonji, the ringleader, had to be stopped here . To do that, we’d muster our strength one last time .
This was the final battle .
“Well, here I go . ” (Silane)
Running out, Silane picked up her sword, lying on the floor, and kept running through the pa.s.sage .
Her aim was the battlefield between a boy swinging his straight sword… . and the leaping white spider .
Quickly noticing her approach and that she was the same as her, a part of the family, Gerbera smiled shallowly .
“So you’ve come, la.s.s?” (Gerbera)
“I’ll a.s.sist you!” (Silane)
Silane sent a slash attack at Juumonji, who was fighting Gerbera, from his flank .
As she herself said earlier, from when she stepped in to when she swung her sword downward, there were no gaps in her movement . She swung her sword without being swung around by her drastically risen physical strength .
Juumonji stopped this blow, and his eyes went wide with shock .
“Wh……Y-You!? But earlier you were…!!?” (Juumonji)
“Yes . My body is already dead, but I will do my best to stop your riotous actions!” (Silane)
“What the h.e.l.l . Why is a Ghoul……No way!” (Juumonji)
Groaning, Juumonji realized that I was standing a little bit away .
“You……Takahiro Majima! The spider barging in was to buy time for this!?” (Juumonji)
I had no obligation to care about the words of someone so annoying . I raised my voice .
“Gerbera! Leave the front to Silane!” (Majima)
“……Mu . If it’s for your life, milord, then it can’t be helped . ” (Gerbera)
Albeit reluctantly, Gerbera obediently followed my words and pulled back . She left Silane with some small words .
“Muster your courage, la.s.s . You’re the leading role in this battlefield . ” (Gerbera)
“That needn’t be said!” (Silane)
Silane cut at Juumonji, getting increasingly violent .
The foot she stepped in with cracked the bricks, and her sword raised overhead raged as if to cut up even the world .
Her physical strength would have been better when she was a Ghoul, but her inhuman physical strength still far surpa.s.sed that of when she was alive . The unreasonable specs difference between Juumonji and her had shrunk .
The change hadn’t caught up to her delicate sword technique, and she seemed to have not recovered, but at least she was handling her sword better than Juumonji was .
In addition, Silane only held one advantage over Juumonji .
It was her recovery ability towards wounds .
As an undead monster, Silane had an exceptional recovery ability .
Juumonji, on the other hand, had his dominant arm bitten into and was injured while he fought Silane as a Ghoul . And, he had several other injuries . Juumonji, a Warrior, may have not been unable to use recovery magic, but it appeared it wasn’t good enough to heal himself during battle .
In the first place, Juumonji, someone who eliminated Watanabe, must’ve not expected to have been fought against this much .
In addition to people who could bear the fact that a hero betrayed them being almost none, those capable enough to stand against his foul-play power were rare as well . Unfortunately for him, and hopeful for us, he met two of such people .
“HAAAaAAAaa!” (Silane)
The current Silane could fight even upfront with Juumonji, who was slightly weakened . She was tenaciously facing him with all her might, but that was fine . After all, now…she wasn’t alone .
“Mess him up, Gerbera!” (Majima)
“Okay . Leave it to me, milord . ” (Gerbera)
Gerbera responded to my words .
The white tyranny of the Deep Part of the Sea of Trees . The White Arachne, an existence admired even in legends, could keep up with this level of battle . Gerbera, who was better than anyone else in this place at performing simplistic movements with her spider legs, attacked Juumonji from the wall and the ceiling .
This was the reason I’d left the front to Silane and had Gerbera pull back .
No matter how much of a cheat user you were, it was difficult to attack Gerbera, who attacked from all directions, while Silane attacked him from the front .
“Guu……d.a.m.n!” (Juumonji)
Unable to bear this, Juumonji took some distance from the two .
Silane avoided carelessly chasing him and prepared to use her sword without carelessness . Clinging to the ceiling, Gerbera turned around and got down next to her .
The two confronted Juumonji shoulder to shoulder .
On one hand, the best knight in the northern part of the Sea of Trees who had continued fighting monsters to protect the world of humanity . And on the other, the large, white spider who boasted that she was the strongest in the Deep Part of the Sea of Trees . Given their history, it was undoubtedly a united force that would be impossible normally .
And, connecting the two with words and the path, and to make this impossible scene possible, was my job .
I was the only one who could control Gerbera, who fought fiercely, without killing her momentum . I was also able to build a connection of trust with Silane .
As a result, the two currently had no gaps . They were soundly cornering Juumonji .
……That wasn’t something pleasant for Juumonji .
“What the h.e.l.l, you guys!” (Juumonji)
Exploding in anger, Juumonji struck the floor with his straight sword .
“You’re small fry not even fit to be experience points for me to gain power! Monsters here to raise my reputation as a hero!” (Juumonji)
The tip of the sword he lifted pointed at Silane, and then Gerbera .
“So then, why are you going against me!?” (Juumonji)
And finally, Juumonji glared at me, who was standing close to Lily .
“In the end, you’ll turn into experience points for me to live and return to that world!” (Juumonji)
The same as before, in Juumonji’s eyes, we were seen as nothing but things .
……That underlying thing…was probably jealousy towards everything around him .
Even though he had all this power, Juumonji appeared to have a sense of crisis towards the environment .
Lost in a world like this, wondering how long he’d live . That was a extremely natural feeling .
And then, the thing known as “anxiety” started building up . Not everyone was like that, but even so, not everyone could reduce their anxiety, either . And then, when he looked around, driven by anxiety, everything appeared to be something that would kill him… . it wasn’t unreasonable to think that .
Though the circ.u.mstances I had were different, I’d been too on-guard ever since I’d come to the fortress . So I understood, but that was a cruel situation that cut down your mind bit by bit .
But even so, I had Lily . I had Ayame and Asarina, too . While I was with them, someone I could trust, I could feel at ease .
But, what if I didn’t have someone like that?
I didn’t even want to imagine it . If I didn’t, this world would surely be h.e.l.l . Under circ.u.mstances like that, I too might’ve been unable to remain sane unless I saw other people as nothing but things .
……Of course, that was just my guess .
Juumonji might’ve had this nature from the start, or maybe it was different . I…no, no one could talk to Tatsuya Juumonji .
Besides, whatever circ.u.mstances he had, the fact that a large amount of victims came from Juumonji’s conceited actions wouldn’t change . His crime couldn’t be forgiven . In this world, he’d been reduced to an existence much too dangerous .
But, when I looked at Juumonji now, I couldn’t help but think one thing .
“……Maybe…it would’ve been better for you to not have that power . ” (Majima)
Looking puzzled, Juumonji scowled at the words I spilled with a sigh .
Soon, that expression was replaced by one of scorn .
“What are you saying now . It’ll be like that…for you . ” (Juumonji)
“No, it’s for you too, Juumonji . You may not know, but……” (Majima)
For me, this power was one full of feelings and bonds with my family .
But, not having any feelings might’ve been the cause of such unhappiness . For the people around me……and maybe even him, too .
Because if there weren’t any “cheat abilities”, Juumonji wouldn’t have become a demon . It was the same for when the colony collapsed . It couldn’t be said that the reason why the boys, inexperienced at best, had easily made hasty decisions had nothing to do with them having rash power .
What…was this power?
Shouldn’t we have deepened our understanding about this power more?
……No matter what I said, it was already too late .
“It’s over, Juumonji . ” (Majima)
Juumonji opened his eyes wide in anger at my words .
“D-……Don’t f.u.c.k with me! In such a place, in such a place! I’ll be finished!?” (Juumonji)
He shouted, sending spit flying .
“I’ll survive by myself . If I deal with you small fry, I can return to that world! With this power I have, it should be possible . This…is a power for that! So then that means you were dropped into this world along with me to be defeated by me, were you not!?” (Juumonji)
There wasn’t the face of a composed『hero』on him, who was shouting some reason that was logical only to him .
“You should just obediently become my food!” (Juumonji)
Straight sword in hand, Juumonji began running .
His aim……perhaps I should say it was just as I thought? It was me .
A red magic circle constructed . It was 3rd rank fire magic . After confirming that, I narrowed my eyes .
Juumonji’s attack was following the exact same pattern as before . Anger was making his attacks monotonous .
“Intercept it, Lily . ” (Majima)
Following my instructions, Lily, who had been waiting for it, started her magic .
Countless amounts of fireb.a.l.l.s exploded, and blades of wind danced in the air . The magics offset each other, breaking and cutting one another .
It was the same scene as before . But now, there was someone attacking Juumonji as he drew near .
“Gerbera!” (Majima)
“SHAAaAAAAAa!” (Gerbera)
The white spider attacked Juumonji, ignoring the area where fireb.a.l.l.s and wind blades were sweeping over . Her behavior of disregarding the few injuries she received confused Juumonji, making him drop his guard .
However, what made him still respond was his cheat ability’s battle ability .
“Guu, you’re in the way, monster!” (Juumonji)
Steel roaring, he attacked Gerbera, who broke through the flames and attacked him .
An ear-splitting *Clang* noise was made, and one of her spider legs was broken .
Pushed back, Gerbera lost her balance and struck the floor . But even so, her mouth, which I caught a glimpse of through her disheveled white hair, was smiling in satisfaction .
“Uguu……!!? Y-You……” (Juumonji)
Juumonji, who pushed her back, screamed . The kick which Gerbera had risked her life to pull off, without caring about her broken leg, managed to wrest away the straight sword from Juumonji’s injured hands .
Juumonji’s straight sword danced in the air where the fire and wind magic had weakened——and from there, Silane appeared .
Compared to Juumonji and Gerbera, her elven girl body was too fragile . For her, a fixed area being overrun by exploding fireb.a.l.l.s and wind blades was something she had to avoid; all the more so since she wasn’t able to use magic now, so she didn’t even have a way to deal with it .
That was why her entering the battle had to be at this time .
The attack she sent out a little after Gerbera’s had completely captured Juumonji . There was no way for him to avoid this .
“HAAaAAAA!” (Silane)
Silane’s sword, swung in a horizontal arc, cut off the arm Juumonji turned to defend himself .
But, that slowed down the speed of her sword a little . A little more, and the tip of her sword would have pa.s.sed through 3 centimeters of Juumonji’s throat .
“Aa, aAAAH!? aAAAAaAAH!?” (Juumonji)
Juumonji screamed at the loss of his arm and the severe pain, and Silane immediately slashed back with her sword .
“It’s over!” (Silane)
“You think I’ll lET YOU!?” (Juumonji)
Along with an angry voice, Juumonji’s foot sprung up .
The tip of Juumonji’s shoe sunk into Silane’s abdomen as she tried to swing her sword a second time . Normally, that should’ve been nothing but a desperate attack, but the power of a cheat holder turned it into a brutal, unparalleled blow .
Her armor was crushed, and Silane’s abdomen caved in .
Silane choked out a breath, her knees bent, and the blood she vomited out ran down her chin and stained the floor .
Juumonji smiled, seeing her like that, and reached for the straight sword he had repelled from him .
Silane, now an undead monster, wouldn’t become unable to move from this degree of damage . But, it took a bit of time for her to make her next move . And during that, Juumonji would grab his sword and kill her——
“……Ah?” (Juumonji)
——That future…was entangled by a stretched vine .
Juumonji’s hand that was trying to grab his sword grabbed empty air .
Juumonji’s eyes ran down the stretched out vine to its end .
“Y-You……!!?” (Juumonji)
I met his eyes, which ran down the parasitic vine, Asarina . Up until his last moments, his eyes hadn’t seen me as a human being, the same as him .
“NOWWWWW!” (Majima)
I shouted before Juumonji, who was trying to scream something .
Albiet not ready and still crouching, Silane prepared to use her sword .
“YAAaAaAAAAH!” (Silane)
While getting up, she swung .
Her sword, running in an upwards, diagonal arc, cut very deeply into Juumonji’s body .
Chapter 32 – What Breaks Hollow StrengthSynopsis of the last chapter:.
It’s the same place as the beginnings of chapters 1 and 8
The light rose to the surface of the deep darkness, and my consciousness descended to my body
It felt like I’d been in that strange place for a long time, but it appeared I’d been unconscious for only a short time in the real world
I could see Lily in the midst of reconstructing her human body in a panicked look over Silane, who was biting me with her face buried in the top of my shoulder
“M-Master!” (Lily).
“……I’m fine . It went well, there were no problems . ” (Majima).
Lily looked relieved after I spoke to her
Removing my gaze from her, I turned my attention towards Silane again
Her body, apparently having unconsciously grabbed onto me when she attacked me, was powerless, and it looked like she was partly entrusting her body to me . If seen from the side, it might’ve looked like she was burying her face in her lover’s shoulder and they were hugging each other
In reality, it didn’t look that s.e.xy as much as it looked bizarre since I was being bit into by her
“Ow……rgh . ” (Majima).
I groaned a little
Silane’s teeth, which had been eating into the flesh of my shoulder, were pulled out with a wet sound
Of course, since we couldn’t separate if that didn’t happen, this was a necessary pain . I unwrapped my arms that were on Silane’s back
“……?” (Majima).
And then, several seconds pa.s.sed . I tilted my head in my mind
Silane, who should’ve separated her body from me soon, hadn’t moved
Though she’d pulled out the teeth eating into me, her arms still held my body . She was holding onto me surprisingly tightly, so I couldn’t separate from her
On the other hand, there was no signs of movement from Silane
Silane stood stock still, her face buried in my shoulder
“What should I do?”.
When I wondered that, I felt something rough near the wound on my shoulder
I heard a *lick lick* sound
It was a slightly sticky, wet sound, like when a cat drank milk
“……Eh?” (Majima).
I wonder whether the gooseb.u.mps I got down my spine were from the chills, or the pleasant feeling
Her tongue was crawling on my skin, just like what intimate lovers did
Carefully, as if she was teasing me
With obscenity reminiscent of a harlot and yet the innocent enthusiasm of a pet, Silane’s tongue crawled on my skin . A *lick lick* sounded out . She pecked at me, savoured me, and licked me
Yes . Silane was licking the blood flowing from my wound
“——” (Majima).
Silane slowly separated from me, who’d frozen reflexively
Slightly downward-cast eyes . Slightly parted lips . Silane’s face, her mouth wet with red blood, had an enchanted expression with none of her usual seriousness
Her pale face felt slightly ominous, but at the same time it added a mysterious charm to her, a girl of marriageable age
Her tongue traced her lips
Her action of licking the blood sticking to them as though it was nectar was vivid
“a, Fu……” (Silane).
A hollow voice creeped into my ear
I wondered if even that was because she was feeling a little l.u.s.tful
If her normal self was a sweet girl, the current her was a bewitching beauty . A sweet-smelling scent, and a transient, dangerous atmosphere . It seemed to be disappearing even now, which was why I couldn’t remove my eyes from that beauty
“Fu, fufu……” (Silane).
She turned an intoxicated look towards me with her one and only pupil
Our eyes met . And——something flipped inside Silane like a switch
“……h…-uh?” (Silane).
She raised a perplexed voice
I felt that she was returning to herself from both her expression and the path
At the same time, my frozen time started to move . I finally realized that during that, I had been holding my breath
“S-Silane? Have you……woken up?” (Majima).
In response to my call, Silane, still making eye contact, blinked once . Her lips, which had the blood completely licked off of them, trembled
“Takahiwo…-dono?” (Silane).
Her reply had a lisp, and was a little childish
But, at least she was now aware of me being me
“He…-re is?” (Silane).
Silane’s expression turned steady very quickly
She looked down at her extended hands, as if to make sure she was really here
“……I’ve…really returned?” (Silane).
Her trembling lips spoke meaningful words
I could see that the light of reason was back in her pupils
The dangerous looking woman from before was no longer there
“Thank G.o.d . You’ve woken up . ” (Majima).
I felt relieved
It seemed she had been more or less influenced by her Ghoul-side as her consciousness had been fuzzy until a bit ago . It was a bit shocking, but for now, she seemed to be fine
“Takahiro-dono!” (Silane).
Silane, staring fixedly at her own hand, raised her lowered face
Her blue eye, reflecting me again, shone like a gem in this world . In a totally different sense from before, I was captivated by its radiance
“Thank you very much, Takahiro-dono . ” (Silane).
My hands were tightly grasped
When I dropped my gaze to the feeling of her terrifyingly cold fingers, at the end of her once chopped off arm there was a『ring with a red stone in it』
There was a Ghoul-determining function on the Knight Orders’ rings of proof . As Silane wasn’t a Ghoul, the color of her ring appeared to have changed
The reason it hadn’t changed back to blue from yellow was because though she wasn’t a Ghoul, the fact she had become an undead monster didn’t change…probably
“Now, I can fight again . I can protect the things I want to protect……!!” (Silane).
But even so, there was no doubt that the one here was Silane
I finally really felt that I had recovered her mind . Naturally, my mouth twisted into a smile
The feelings of the girl in front of me that I felt were important hadn’t ended up being lost . Right now, I could be glad
“All of it, All of it, was thanks to you, Takahiro-dono . ” (Silane).
“……No . That’s not it . ” (Majima).
I shook my head at the words of thanks Silane spoke with an expression overcome with emotion
Silane stared at me in wonder with her one eye full of tears . I threw some words at her
“『This is the world where wishes come true』” (Majima).
“……?” (Silane).
“I think I’ve heard that before . If I’m not mistaken, those were the words the first hero left behind, weren’t they?” (Majima).
Those were the words the first hero had spoke . In times of darkness for humanity, he encouraged everyone,『Don’t abandon your wishes』
Of course, like Silane had said when she talked about those words, it was nothing more than one of many interpretations . The words were too simple, too old, and there was no longer a way to ascertain the real meaning that only the person themself knew
However, it was certain that the gentle interpretation had continued supporting the single, strong-willed girl who’d kept fighting to protect
That was why there were no words appropriate for this situation
“Just me having power wasn’t enough . Even if it was just my wish, it definitely wouldn’t have been fulfilled . The fact that my『wish came true』……was your own strong wish, Silane, and the wishes of those who tried to protect the fortress . ” (Majima).
The current Silane was here as a crystallization of our wishes—of everyone’s wishes . Had it been my own achievement, things might’ve been a little different
“Ours…everyone’s wishes……” (Silane).
Hearing my words, Silane gently cast down her eyes
Whatever she was thinking, she was staring at our connected hands
“……That’s…right . ” (Silane).
Before long, a beautiful smile came to her mouth
“This may be a miracle we all made happen . ……But, that’s why, Takahiro-dono . Thank you very much . ” (Silane).
Silane’s blue, gem-like eyes reflected my figure once more
“Thank you very much, for picking up everyone’s wishes . ……For picking up my wishes . You may deny it, but at least, for me……” (Silane).
Trying to say something, Silane swallowed down the following words
She shook her head . Turning towards me again, Silane’s face changed into the one of the knight who’d kept fighting to protect the world
“For everyone’s wishes that you’ve recovered……and, for my own wish, I have to fight . Let’s go, Takahiro-dono . To our battlefield . ” (Silane).
The Knight Silane, still radiating her oath to protect those injured, was reborn here anew as an undead monster
I had a desire to meet again
I also had a desire to feel that I’d gotten her back for a bit longer
But, the situation didn’t allow that
“Yeah . Let’s fight . Do you need an explanation of the situation?” (Majima).
I checked with Silane, letting go of her hands which I was still holding onto
“No . I’ve understood the gist of it . ” (Silane).
Silane shook her head, raising her eyes that were following my hand
“While you were holding me in that strange world, Takahiro-dono, the details of the situation were transmitted to me . ” (Silane).
“……After all that, you remember that place?” (Majima).
“Yes . Though, it didn’t feel like I was dreaming……but, that wasn’t a dream at all, was it? So then, what I need to do has been decided . ” (Silane).
Turning her head, Silane looked at the end of the pa.s.sage
Inside the background, hazy with dust and flames, I caught glimpse of the tall boy showily reducing the scattered spider’s thread to ashes with fire magic and trying to kill Gerbera
Silane had been defeated once by Juumonji . A cruel defeat would scare people . Considering that being killed by your heart being penetrated wasn’t normally possible, I was worried about her all the more so
But as far as I could see, her expression had no fear . Her gaze was strong, and she wasn’t shaking either . There appeared to be no problems with her crossing swords with Juumonji . After checking with her, I opened my mouth
“As you can see, right now Gerbera……my family and the White Arachne, is fighting Juumonji . ” (Majima).
Gerbera, who could be seen from here, was fighting while frequently using her spider thread, which was weak before flame magic—Juumonji’s specialty
This fight was something that had been arranged beforehand; the aim was to tempt Juumonji to use his fire magic . Juumonji wasn’t aware of our situation due to the rising flames . ……The pa.s.sage’s walls were starting to collapse, so it was a bit overkill, but she should’ve been doing fine
But, that wouldn’t last forever
“Even if she is the White Arachne, beating Juumonji will be difficult . If she keeps fighting like this, it’s possible that Juumonji will turn the tables on her . Sorry to be asking you this right after, but I want you to help her, Silane . ” (Majima).
“Okay . ” (Silane).
Silane nodded at my request, leaking a bitter smile
“But, I never imagined that I’d fight alongside a monster in legend in my life… . Ah, wait . I’m already dead . ” (Silane).
“To me, she’s an important companion . She has some cute parts, too . ” (Majima).
“Cute……you say?” (Silane).
It appeared my words were surprising, Silane’s eyes went round . If you only looked at her ferocious yet beautiful appearance as the White Arachne, thinking that was understandable
“Yeah . If you have the chance, you’ll get along with her, Silane . ” (Majima).
After smiling a little, I stiffened my expression . To make that chance, we had to fight now . I turned to the battlefield
That was when it happened
“H-…Huh……?” (Majima).
The world warped
A horrible dizziness a.s.sailed me . No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stand up
“Master!?” (Lily).
“Takahiro-dono!” (Silane).
While hearing the two’s screams, I fell on my backside
A strange feeling of exhaustion attacked my whole body . I couldn’t stand up
Rus.h.i.+ng over to me with a panicked look, Lily finally used recovery magic on me, despite me having been injured for quite some time now
Blood stopped running from the bite on my left shoulder, and after a few seconds, the dizziness subsided
“What in the world happened, Master……?” (Lily).
Lily looked at my face with a worried look
“Ah, well . ……I guess I overdid it a bit . ” (Majima).
I recalled the cracked image of myself
I didn’t know whether that was what it was, but there was no doubt that making Silane, someone different from normal, into my family put some kind of burden on my existence
Or, maybe it was because my physical strength had fallen?.
Remembering how much magical power I’d used was impossible, but I’d fought battles one after another, and I also had a shoulder injury and was bleeding . It hadn’t been strange for me to reach my limit
Silane turned an anxious look towards me, who got up by borrowing Lily’s hand
Takahiro-dono . Leave the rest to me, you are……” (Silane).
“No . I can’t stop here . ” (Majima).
Silane’s words were appreciated, but I shook my head
It wasn’t like I was being stubborn
Presently, the only ones who had the power to upfrontly oppose Juumonji were Silane and Gerbera . However, a little unease still remained in the cooperation of the hurriedly-made pair . It was absolutely necessary for someone to connect them
“Rather than me, what about you, Silane? Can you fight properly?” (Majima).
Luckily, the dizziness seemed to be transient, and I was now able to stand by myself . Gently letting go of Lily’s hand, still worried about me, I checked with Silane
“In various ways……I think our situations are different . ” (Silane).
“That’s true . ” (Lily).
Silane touched the scar of the cut on her left arm, and covered her cut wound that crushed her right eye
She lowered her hand, and opened and closed both her hands several times
When her fist *creak* creaked, she stopped doing so
“My left arm was severed once, but there aren’t any difficulties in moving . In regards to my drastic rise in physical strength, my body strength appears to be the same . It’s a little bit unbalanced, but if I move similarly to how I was when I was being helped by the four small spirits, I think I can manage . But, I believe I should avoid using magic……especially my power as a spirit user . The quality of my magic power has changed . I don’t know what will happen now . ” (Silane).
“……Can you fight?” (Majima).
When I asked, my anxiety increasing a little, Silane suddenly smiled
“Of course I can . I came back from the abyss of death with your help to do that, Takahiro-dono . ” (Silane).
It appeared I’d asked something stupid . Silane turned her smile towards me
“Please leave it to me . ——No . That’s wrong . Let’s fight together, Takahiro-dono . ” (Silane).
“……Got it . Let’s end the tragedy here, Silane . ” (Majima).
I nodded
A lot of things had been lost in this turmoil, starting from the large invasion of monsters . Juumonji, the ringleader, had to be stopped here . To do that, we’d muster our strength one last time
This was the final battle
“Well, here I go . ” (Silane).
Running out, Silane picked up her sword, lying on the floor, and kept running through the pa.s.sage
Her aim was the battlefield between a boy swinging his straight sword… . and the leaping white spider
Quickly noticing her approach and that she was the same as her, a part of the family, Gerbera smiled shallowly
“So you’ve come, la.s.s?” (Gerbera).
“I’ll a.s.sist you!” (Silane).
Silane sent a slash attack at Juumonji, who was fighting Gerbera, from his flank
As she herself said earlier, from when she stepped in to when she swung her sword downward, there were no gaps in her movement . She swung her sword without being swung around by her drastically risen physical strength
Juumonji stopped this blow, and his eyes went wide with shock
“Wh……Y-You!? But earlier you were…!!?” (Juumonji).
“Yes . My body is already dead, but I will do my best to stop your riotous actions!” (Silane).
“What the h.e.l.l . Why is a Ghoul……No way!” (Juumonji).
Groaning, Juumonji realized that I was standing a little bit away
“You……Takahiro Majima! The spider barging in was to buy time for this!?” (Juumonji).
I had no obligation to care about the words of someone so annoying . I raised my voice
“Gerbera! Leave the front to Silane!” (Majima).
“……Mu . If it’s for your life, milord, then it can’t be helped . ” (Gerbera).
Albeit reluctantly, Gerbera obediently followed my words and pulled back . She left Silane with some small words
“Muster your courage, la.s.s . You’re the leading role in this battlefield . ” (Gerbera).
“That needn’t be said!” (Silane).
Silane cut at Juumonji, getting increasingly violent
The foot she stepped in with cracked the bricks, and her sword raised overhead raged as if to cut up even the world
Her physical strength would have been better when she was a Ghoul, but her inhuman physical strength still far surpa.s.sed that of when she was alive . The unreasonable specs difference between Juumonji and her had shrunk
The change hadn’t caught up to her delicate sword technique, and she seemed to have not recovered, but at least she was handling her sword better than Juumonji was
In addition, Silane only held one advantage over Juumonji
It was her recovery ability towards wounds
As an undead monster, Silane had an exceptional recovery ability
Juumonji, on the other hand, had his dominant arm bitten into and was injured while he fought Silane as a Ghoul . And, he had several other injuries . Juumonji, a Warrior, may have not been unable to use recovery magic, but it appeared it wasn’t good enough to heal himself during battle
In the first place, Juumonji, someone who eliminated Watanabe, must’ve not expected to have been fought against this much
In addition to people who could bear the fact that a hero betrayed them being almost none, those capable enough to stand against his foul-play power were rare as well . Unfortunately for him, and hopeful for us, he met two of such people
“HAAAaAAAaa!” (Silane).
The current Silane could fight even upfront with Juumonji, who was slightly weakened . She was tenaciously facing him with all her might, but that was fine . After all, now…she wasn’t alone
“Mess him up, Gerbera!” (Majima).
“Okay . Leave it to me, milord . ” (Gerbera).
Gerbera responded to my words
The white tyranny of the Deep Part of the Sea of Trees . The White Arachne, an existence admired even in legends, could keep up with this level of battle . Gerbera, who was better than anyone else in this place at performing simplistic movements with her spider legs, attacked Juumonji from the wall and the ceiling
This was the reason I’d left the front to Silane and had Gerbera pull back
No matter how much of a cheat user you were, it was difficult to attack Gerbera, who attacked from all directions, while Silane attacked him from the front
“Guu……d.a.m.n!” (Juumonji).
Unable to bear this, Juumonji took some distance from the two
Silane avoided carelessly chasing him and prepared to use her sword without carelessness . Clinging to the ceiling, Gerbera turned around and got down next to her
The two confronted Juumonji shoulder to shoulder
On one hand, the best knight in the northern part of the Sea of Trees who had continued fighting monsters to protect the world of humanity . And on the other, the large, white spider who boasted that she was the strongest in the Deep Part of the Sea of Trees . Given their history, it was undoubtedly a united force that would be impossible normally
And, connecting the two with words and the path, and to make this impossible scene possible, was my job
I was the only one who could control Gerbera, who fought fiercely, without killing her momentum . I was also able to build a connection of trust with Silane
As a result, the two currently had no gaps . They were soundly cornering Juumonji
……That wasn’t something pleasant for Juumonji
“What the h.e.l.l, you guys!” (Juumonji).
Exploding in anger, Juumonji struck the floor with his straight sword
“You’re small fry not even fit to be experience points for me to gain power! Monsters here to raise my reputation as a hero!” (Juumonji).
The tip of the sword he lifted pointed at Silane, and then Gerbera
“So then, why are you going against me!?” (Juumonji).
And finally, Juumonji glared at me, who was standing close to Lily
“In the end, you’ll turn into experience points for me to live and return to that world!” (Juumonji).
The same as before, in Juumonji’s eyes, we were seen as nothing but things
……That underlying thing…was probably jealousy towards everything around him
Even though he had all this power, Juumonji appeared to have a sense of crisis towards the environment
Lost in a world like this, wondering how long he’d live . That was a extremely natural feeling
And then, the thing known as “anxiety” started building up . Not everyone was like that, but even so, not everyone could reduce their anxiety, either . And then, when he looked around, driven by anxiety, everything appeared to be something that would kill him… . it wasn’t unreasonable to think that
Though the circ.u.mstances I had were different, I’d been too on-guard ever since I’d come to the fortress . So I understood, but that was a cruel situation that cut down your mind bit by bit
But even so, I had Lily . I had Ayame and Asarina, too . While I was with them, someone I could trust, I could feel at ease
But, what if I didn’t have someone like that?.
I didn’t even want to imagine it . If I didn’t, this world would surely be h.e.l.l . Under circ.u.mstances like that, I too might’ve been unable to remain sane unless I saw other people as nothing but things
……Of course, that was just my guess
Juumonji might’ve had this nature from the start, or maybe it was different . I…no, no one could talk to Tatsuya Juumonji
Besides, whatever circ.u.mstances he had, the fact that a large amount of victims came from Juumonji’s conceited actions wouldn’t change . His crime couldn’t be forgiven . In this world, he’d been reduced to an existence much too dangerous
But, when I looked at Juumonji now, I couldn’t help but think one thing
“……Maybe…it would’ve been better for you to not have that power . ” (Majima).
Looking puzzled, Juumonji scowled at the words I spilled with a sigh
Soon, that expression was replaced by one of scorn
“What are you saying now . It’ll be like that…for you . ” (Juumonji).
“No, it’s for you too, Juumonji . You may not know, but……” (Majima).
For me, this power was one full of feelings and bonds with my family
But, not having any feelings might’ve been the cause of such unhappiness . For the people around me……and maybe even him, too
Because if there weren’t any “cheat abilities”, Juumonji wouldn’t have become a demon . It was the same for when the colony collapsed . It couldn’t be said that the reason why the boys, inexperienced at best, had easily made hasty decisions had nothing to do with them having rash power
What…was this power?.
Shouldn’t we have deepened our understanding about this power more?.
……No matter what I said, it was already too late
“It’s over, Juumonji . ” (Majima).
Juumonji opened his eyes wide in anger at my words
“D-……Don’t f.u.c.k with me! In such a place, in such a place! I’ll be finished!?” (Juumonji).
He shouted, sending spit flying
“I’ll survive by myself . If I deal with you small fry, I can return to that world! With this power I have, it should be possible . This…is a power for that! So then that means you were dropped into this world along with me to be defeated by me, were you not!?” (Juumonji).
There wasn’t the face of a composed『hero』on him, who was shouting some reason that was logical only to him
“You should just obediently become my food!” (Juumonji).
Straight sword in hand, Juumonji began running
His aim……perhaps I should say it was just as I thought? It was me
A red magic circle constructed . It was 3rd rank fire magic . After confirming that, I narrowed my eyes
Juumonji’s attack was following the exact same pattern as before . Anger was making his attacks monotonous
“Intercept it, Lily . ” (Majima).
Following my instructions, Lily, who had been waiting for it, started her magic
Countless amounts of fireb.a.l.l.s exploded, and blades of wind danced in the air . The magics offset each other, breaking and cutting one another
It was the same scene as before . But now, there was someone attacking Juumonji as he drew near
“Gerbera!” (Majima).
“SHAAaAAAAAa!” (Gerbera).
The white spider attacked Juumonji, ignoring the area where fireb.a.l.l.s and wind blades were sweeping over . Her behavior of disregarding the few injuries she received confused Juumonji, making him drop his guard
However, what made him still respond was his cheat ability’s battle ability
“Guu, you’re in the way, monster!” (Juumonji).
Steel roaring, he attacked Gerbera, who broke through the flames and attacked him
An ear-splitting *Clang* noise was made, and one of her spider legs was broken
Pushed back, Gerbera lost her balance and struck the floor . But even so, her mouth, which I caught a glimpse of through her disheveled white hair, was smiling in satisfaction
“Uguu……!!? Y-You……” (Juumonji).
Juumonji, who pushed her back, screamed . The kick which Gerbera had risked her life to pull off, without caring about her broken leg, managed to wrest away the straight sword from Juumonji’s injured hands
Juumonji’s straight sword danced in the air where the fire and wind magic had weakened——and from there, Silane appeared
Compared to Juumonji and Gerbera, her elven girl body was too fragile . For her, a fixed area being overrun by exploding fireb.a.l.l.s and wind blades was something she had to avoid; all the more so since she wasn’t able to use magic now, so she didn’t even have a way to deal with it
That was why her entering the battle had to be at this time
The attack she sent out a little after Gerbera’s had completely captured Juumonji . There was no way for him to avoid this
“HAAaAAAA!” (Silane).
Silane’s sword, swung in a horizontal arc, cut off the arm Juumonji turned to defend himself
But, that slowed down the speed of her sword a little . A little more, and the tip of her sword would have pa.s.sed through 3 centimeters of Juumonji’s throat
“Aa, aAAAH!? aAAAAaAAH!?” (Juumonji).
Juumonji screamed at the loss of his arm and the severe pain, and Silane immediately slashed back with her sword
“It’s over!” (Silane).
“You think I’ll lET YOU!?” (Juumonji).
Along with an angry voice, Juumonji’s foot sprung up
The tip of Juumonji’s shoe sunk into Silane’s abdomen as she tried to swing her sword a second time . Normally, that should’ve been nothing but a desperate attack, but the power of a cheat holder turned it into a brutal, unparalleled blow
Her armor was crushed, and Silane’s abdomen caved in
Silane choked out a breath, her knees bent, and the blood she vomited out ran down her chin and stained the floor
Juumonji smiled, seeing her like that, and reached for the straight sword he had repelled from him
Silane, now an undead monster, wouldn’t become unable to move from this degree of damage . But, it took a bit of time for her to make her next move . And during that, Juumonji would grab his sword and kill her——.
“……Ah?” (Juumonji).
——That future…was entangled by a stretched vine
Juumonji’s hand that was trying to grab his sword grabbed empty air
Juumonji’s eyes ran down the stretched out vine to its end
“Y-You……!!?” (Juumonji).
I met his eyes, which ran down the parasitic vine, Asarina . Up until his last moments, his eyes hadn’t seen me as a human being, the same as him
“NOWWWWW!” (Majima).
I shouted before Juumonji, who was trying to scream something
Albiet not ready and still crouching, Silane prepared to use her sword
“YAAaAaAAAAH!” (Silane).
While getting up, she swung
Her sword, running in an upwards, diagonal arc, cut very deeply into Juumonji’s body
