Shrouded inside the light of the transfer magic, Kenzaki Asuna thought about her duel ââ her worst and most disgraceful memory, it all flashed back inside her brain.
âAh, aâ¦â
She stared at her hands.
The feeling of pushing off Kotarou was still fresh on her palms.
The light from the transfer magic had faded quickly, but her mind still felt white.
The sight before her was all too familiar, one that could be found dotted all over, a fairy square. But, it couldnât be said to be a place where safety was absolutely guaranteed.
âAiee ââ â
Asuna felt, like she had fallen into hell.
Because right in front of her, stood the Berserker, mad as an ogre.
âKenzAKIIII, ASUNAAAAAAAAA!!â
Among the individuals there, Futaba Meiko was likely the only one who knew what had transpired just moments ago. Only that Berserker, screaming in wrathful rage, knew.
The transfer magic had activated as expected. However, on the verge of their return to safety, Kenzaki Asuna had pushed Momokawa Kotarou out of the circle.
And thus, aside from Kotarou, everyone had arrived at the new fairy square.
This was in no way an accident. Kenzaki Asuna had the clear intention and willingly knocked away Momokawa Kotarou.
And being shown the crime in such an obvious display, it was no wonder that Futaba Meiko was furious.
âAIEEEE, N-NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!â
It wasnât Takanashi Kotori, the most cowardly member of the party, that raised that horrified scream. It was Kenzaki Asuna.
That, could be expected though, considering that Futaba Meiko symbolized absolute fear for the girl. The incarnation of unreasonable violence. Her ultimate trauma.
Kenzaki Asuna was not only petrified, she almost downright fainted from taking the blast of bloodlust directed towards her.
And, towards the frightened and helpless Asuna, the mad berserker swung her fist with all her ââ
âStop, Futaba-san!â
The explosive sound that reverberated in the fairy square, was accompanied by a huge shockwave.
Souma Yuuto took on her punch, no, the BerserkerâsPile Bunker that had the characteristic crimson aura, directly on his palms.
The destructive power burst out, causing bloody cracks to appear on Yuutoâs palms. Although he braced himself, he was still pushed back, his heels digging into the ground, because of the impact. If heâd taken that punch half-heartedly, itâd be quite the sight, seeing him sent flying. It was that powerful.
Imagining what if this burning red fist had directly hit the face of the defenseless Asuna⦠He couldnât help but shudder.
âCould you move, Souma-kunâ
He shuddered further from her voice. To him, Futaba Meiko sounded like the grudge-filled sound from his sword before it was purified of its curse⦠No, hers was much worse.
âI canât do that. Please, Futaba-san, just stopâ
However, no matter how frightening it was, no, exactly because the opponent was scary enough that she could kill someone, Souma Yuuto couldnât back down. He couldnât stand to back down.
This was the first time heâd seen Kenzaki Asuna cry. At this time, he hadnât perfectly grasped the whole situation. However, he would still protect Kenzaki Asuna. His body radiated such determination .
â⦠Ohâ
Meikoâs eyes sharply looked around her.
Shit. Souma Yuuto thought as he instinctively understood her intention. Futaba Meiko already saw everyone there as her enemy. She had attacked Kenzaki Asuna fully understanding that.
Surely, the rest too could feel her abnormal level of enmity.
Souma Sakura had her bow ready, and Natsukawa Minami, despite looking terribly nervous and alarmed, had her knife drawn.
âDamn... Futaba-san, please, for now, just forgiââ â
âAsuna!! Why the hell did you do that, you imbicile!!â
A hysterical scream, along with the sound of a slap, drowned away Yuutoâs words.
Everyone saw it. The moment their class rep, Kisaragi Ryouko, had mercilessly thrashed Asunaâs cheek.
âAh, Ryouko..â
âYou idiot, idiot! How could, you do that!â
Twice, three times, class rep repeatedly struck Asunaâs face. Sakura and Minami who were momentarily dumbstruck, then quickly reacted.
âStop, stop it, Ryouko!â
âRyouko-chan!â
The two quickly rushed towards Ryouko and Asuna, separating the attacker.
The mage had hit quite seriously. Asunaâs cheeks had turned red, and the individual herself looked quite dumbfounded at the turn of events.
âClass, rep, why did, you⦠â
Still blocking Meikoâs path, Yuuto turned back to ask Ryoko who was being held back.
âIt was the fact that Asuna did something totally inhumane! She pushed off Momokawa-kun before the transferâ
âThat... Wasnât it an accident? Itâs true that it looked like she did that, but thereâs no reason for Asuna toâââ
âIf you want a reason, then I have itâ
Although heâd rushed in to save the party from the insect horde, Souma Yuuto didnât know what happened after heâd gotten separated from his party. Of the events along the way, of their meeting up with Momokawa Kotarou and Futaba Meiko, and of the incidents that happened thereafter.
âFutaba-san, Iâm sorry... I know this isnât something that can be forgiven with a simple apology, but from now on, we will help you find Momokawa-kun, cooperating with us on this should be the best option. I wonât ask you to forgive Asuna, but we will surely set things right!â
Ryouko, who practically begged, caused Meiko to turn a cold eye ââ no, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and quietly said,
âFine, Iâll hear youâ
To those words, everyone let out a breath of relief. At least for now, Meiko had fought down the intense urge to murder Asuna right then and there, and stifled her rage.
âFirst, Yuuto-kun, let me tell you what happened between us and Momokawa-kunââ â
Ryouko calmly kept at her story, even as Yuuto showed shock at the delicate yet complicated, bitter and mistrustful relationship amongst them.
âI, I never knew⦠â
Ryouko finished her explanation and Yuuto finally understood the situation. No, from his perspective, the whole thing was still quite hard to believe.
First, about the fact that they simply couldnât function as a party even with Sakura and Class Rep with them⦠But more importantly, that the gentle Futaba-san he knew had challenged THE Kenzaki Asuna to a duel, and moreover, that the former had won after beating the latter to a pulp.
Because he had himself once fought Asuna seriously, he understood how powerful she was. However, after taking the blow from earlier, Yuuto also understood how powerful a Berserker was.
The high school girl called Futaba Meiko, in her entirety, had totally changed. This changed girl had in turn changed Asuna... Subjecting her to pure violence, completely destroying her pride as a swordswoman.
It was unbelievable. No, it was more correct to say, he didnât want to believe it.
Nevertheless, since Asuna was in fact behaving like she was in a nightmare, he had no choice but to accept that truth. That for Kenzaki Asuna, Futaba Meiko was the object of her absolute fear.
âAsuna thought that Futaba-san was brainwashed by a curse from Momokawa-kun. So, she thought that if she got rid of himâââ
âTh-thatâs not! I just, wanted to⦠â
âHow was it not like that, Asuna? You caved in to your fear and tried to⦠To murder Momokawa-kunâ
Asuna hugged her head as if she thought it was the apocalypse, and Ryouko stared her down, bitterness slightly tinting her expression.
She understood that the girl was traumatized. She wanted to be on her side, comfort her if possible. But Asuna had in fact committed a grave crime.
It was probably meaningless to debate good and evil in the dungeon. But Ryouko herself had committed a similar crime. That was exactly why she couldnât forgive it. She never wanted to feel that helplessness again, and she wouldnât let anyone else.
âH-hey, class rep, isnât this a bit much?â
âThatâs right, Ryouko. Think about how Asuna feels, sheââ â
âStop, Yuuto-kun, Sakura. Please, do not say any more in Asunaâs defenseâ
Being so sharply reprimanded, the Souma siblings could do nothing but stay silent.
This problem wasnât one to be resolved with a half-hearted apology. For Ryouko, it was because Asuna was such an irreplaceable and important friend, that she had to face her sins.
Most importantly, this was the only way in order to save Kenzaki Asunaâs life. Kisaragi Ryouko keenly knew this.
âAsuna, just for the sake of it, letâs hear your side. Why did you do it?â
There was practically no meaning in listening to Asunaâs side of the story, since she was already a broken mess. But still, if they didnât hear it, there couldnât be true acceptance. Not for Meiko, not for Class Rep herself, but for the friends who believed in Asuna.
âM-Momokawa⦠Itâs all his fault⦠Everything, because of himâ¦â
âAnd what did Momokawa-kun do wrong exactly?â
âEver since we met him, everythingâs gone strange!â
Asuna yelled. That Momokawa Kotarou was an evil man who commanded curses.
That he no doubt stared lewdly at the girls when they slept, with how he had masturbated in the same place. That Kotarou, who had fortunately joined a party consisting of beautiful girls, secretly planned to make them all his own. And that, just like Futaba Meiko, with her abnormal degree of loyalty towards him, he conspired to put a brainwashing curse on them as well.
âAsuna, stop being delusionalâ
âNo Iâm NOT! Iâm not delusional! If thatâs true, then why was I⦠Why did I getâ¦â
Asuna tried to deny it.
That It was because of the evil brainwashing curse, that Futaba Meiko had brutally assaulted her. She wasnât normal, nor was she sane. âFor Kotarou-kunâ, sheâd kept repeating. There was no way Asuna could see her as sane.
â⦠Hey, was it really that bad of an injury?â
Everyone could assent to Yuutoâs question. The only reason the scars on Asunaâs face disappeared so cleanly was due to Sakuraâs healing magic and Kotarouâs ointments that accelerated natural recovery.
âFutaba-san, why would you go so farâ
âBecause Kenzaki-san wouldnât yield, you see. Also, it was Kenzaki-san who punched Kotarou-kun first. I canât forgive her for thatâ
âJust, just for thatâââ
âDidnât I tell you, Yuuto-kun? To Futaba-san, Momokawa-kun is her savior. Momokawa-kun saved her life, where I had abandoned herâ
What was more important? Her savior, Momokawa Kotarou, or the girl who had cruelly abandoned her and her merry band of friends? It was a no brainer.
âAs for the result of that duel, no one has any right to complain. Still, I regret not being able to do anything to stop it⦠However, Asuna and Futaba-san both fought with mutual determination and consent. Yuuto, you of all people, donât you think itâs undue for someone unrelated to complain?â
â⦠Yeah, thatâs right, youâre right, Class rep. If Asuna fought by her own will, then no matter the outcome, I have no right to blameâ
Although Yuuto said that, Ryouko thought, that he likely wouldnât hold true to it had he seen the state Asuna was in after the outcome. He could show understanding only because the incident was gone and passed.
Which meant that in conclusion, Kenzaki Asuna was the only one for whom that duel from the near past had not ended. The fear, the pain, it all stayed with her, the trauma eating into her.
âWhether Asuna truly thinks that Momokawa-kun can do brainwashing, or whether itâs just her way of coping from the trauma... Thatâs not the point we should focus onâ
She could show no sympathy towards her important friend.
âNow, everyone please listen. Sure, we had our doubts about Momokawa-kun, we never did fully trust him. But remember, he hadnât in fact done anything to us, while we on the other hand, one-sidedly deemed him suspicious and went so far as to get rid of him. As a human being, as a fellow classmate, that mode of conduct is simply wrongâ
Ryouko argued once more. What started it all was themselves getting disgusted by Momokawa Kotarouâs actions and blaming him. Then, when they had to work together regardless of the strained situation, his every action aroused suspicion.
âBefore that duel, I said this, remember? What if our suspicions were all misplaced? What would we do then?â
It was a proven fact that Kotarou didnât have any brainwashing magic thanks to Kotoriâs Eye of Veracity. And in reality, Kotarou hadnât behaved suspiciously at all, his feud with Sakura was only natural considering the sort of situation heâd been pushed into.
âWhatever the excuses are, Asuna was, without a doubt, first to raise her hand. She pushed him out of the transfer circle, an act practically synonymous to murder. You all should know thatâ
Asuna had simply pushed Kotarou. She hadnât done anything like stabbing him with a knife. But that action was the same as pushing him in front of a moving train.
Subjecting him to face the dungeon alone, how would that not be the same as attempting to murder him. Anyone whoâd experienced the dungeon first hand should know.
âSo, howâs she going to atone for this try at murder of hers?â
Meiko asked class rep the most important question, getting to the crux of the matter.
âWe must, save Momokawa-kunâ
âHow?â
âWe will⦠Continue exploring the dungeon. Since weâve already teleported, we canât turn backâ
âYou mean youâre not going to search?â
âSince everyoneâs destination is the same, the only reliable way of finding him is to keep going, and Momokawa-kun knows that too, donât you think?â
It was extremely doubtful whether Kotarou could actually manage to survive in the dungeon alone. And there was no way to know his whereabouts, and it was unimaginable that he would do something as hopeless as passively waiting for rescue at a nearby fairy square. After all, heâd want to proceed through the dungeon if he had any hope to survive.
â⦠Fine. But we have to thoroughly proceed through the dungeon to search for himâ
âYes, we should extend our scope of exploration from now onâ
The normal strategy was to proceed following their compass, but if they were looking for someone, they would have to take a longer, more in depth route. Even if they couldnât find him in their current zone, there was the possibility of finding clues. The dungeon was complicated, filled with countless zones and paths, so even if Kotarou was in the same zone as them, he might be directed in a different path.
That said, looking through the vast area of the dungeon was a foolâs errand. Everyoneâs goal was to get through this dungeon, so if they missed the opportunity to meet up, then hopefully, Kotarou had already gone further past them.
âSo, youâre saying you wonât be punishing Kenzaki-san at all?â
âFutaba-san, I understand youâre angry⦠But we definitely need Asunaâs strength, whether it be for the search or simply fighting monsters in the dungeonâ
There was the adage of strength in numbers, but most importantly, there was the fact that Asuna was a Dualwielder, making her an important asset to their battle prowess.
âI do understand that, but isnât that too naive? She tried to kill someone, you know? Do you really think that itâs okay to leave her be?â
âW-well thatâsâ¦â
âBesides, I just canât trust Kenzaki-san, you know? I canât fight with this crazy murder lady behind me, itâd be better if we left her here. Actually, thatâs a good idea. After we save Kotarou-kun, weâll come get herâ
âWha!?â
Wasnât that just like making her a hostage?
However, it was reasonable for Meiko to propose such an arrangement.
Kenzaki Asuna, with the intent to commit murder, had pushed Momokawa Kotarou away from the transfer circle. Regardless of whether Kotarou-kun lived or died, it was a crime nonetheless, and a crime mustnât go unpunished.
Meiko, in other words, had proposed to imprison Asuna in that fairy square. Imprison her there until Kotarou was rescued. If Kotarou turned out dead, then Asunaâs attempted murder would change to actual homicide⦠and her punishment would change to life imprisonment. Practically speaking, a death penalty.
âWait, Futaba-san! please reconsiderâ
âIâm the only one who wants to help Kotarou-kun. In fact, every one of you donât care, youâd feel better if he was dead⦠Isnât that what youâre thinking? How about you tell me, Souma-san?â
âI, I have not had any such thoughts!â
âBut, you donât feel like helping, right? Isnât it a pain? Youâve finally reunited with Souma-kun so who cares about anyone else, right?â
âIâve never considered such selfishness. So, of course Iâm willing to cooperating in saving Momokawa-kunâ
âCooperate? Ahaha, cooperate she says, class rep. Souma-san, havenât youâve been listening?â
Ryouko reacted like a frog being stared at by a snake when Meiko eyed her in a dry chuckle. She was starting to resent Souma Sakuraâs fastidious personality.
âCooperating, donât you mean, itâs your duty?â
âUm, Yes.... Thatâs right, Futaba-sanâ
Ryouko consented with a trembling reply.
Cooperation, in the end, only amounted to much if both sides actually had good intentions. Letâs help Kotarou to make amends for Asuna. To Souma Sakura, thatâs exactly it. What she cared about was her friend, Asuna. Kotarouâs life or whatever, it would be the last thing in her list of priorities. In her head, it was only, âIâll cooperate in order to resolve my friendâs problemâ, not âI have to go help! Because my classmateâs life is in dangerâ.
Whether Souma Sakura realized that she was weighing the life of a person against her friendâs feelings, there was no way for Ryouko to know. However she could quite easily see that to Futaba Meiko, her friendâs priority on justice and friendship and what not could only be seen as ill intent.
âSee, thatâs how it is, Class Rep. Kotarou-kunâs life doesnât matter to you all⦠So wouldnât putting up Kenzaki-sanâs life for his make you guys seriously search for him too?â
If, right at that moment, they actually fought against Futaba Meiko, how many of them would die?
She could preemptively attack her with an Eis Sagitta, scoring an instant head shot⦠No, not possible. Meiko had Evade and looking at her fighting against monsters, sheâd grown proficient in her natural reflexes even without the skill. If she tried shooting magic at her now, she could easily see a future where the girl would swiftly dodge and her own neck would be crushed the next instant.
If that happened, itâd be pandemonium. Most likely, Souma Yuuto would be the only survivor. Since he was a Hero, he could even defeat this Berserker⦠At the cost of everyone else sinking into an ocean of blood.
They couldnât afford to turn Futaba Meiko into an enemy.
Ryouko desperately repeated to herself: Donât give up. Thereâs still hope.
âPlease, Futaba-san... Iâll tell everyone to properly search, so... Please donât let me lose anymore of my friendsâ
Finally, tears started to fall from Ryoukoâs sharp eyes. With shoulders trembling and voice quivering, she was desperately trying to plead for the safety of her friends.
âFine, since youâve gone to that extent. There will probably be plenty of monsters and strong bosses on the way so, Kenzaki-san will have to work hard as penance, wonât she?â
Meiko said, eyeing the desperate class rep coldly.
âBut please know, that Kenzaki-sanâs life wonât be guaranteed without Kotarou-kunâsâ
With Kisaragi Ryoukoâs hard-fought pleading, they were able to appease this berserker with no blood spilled.
However, the insane contract where they would exchange one personâs life with anotherâs had created a deep, forlorn rift among the party members. Starting with the suspicions towards Momokawa Kotarou, to Futaba Meiko who had changed, turning into the symbol of fear and trauma for Kenzaki Asuna⦠It was as if a curse had been placed on the party to slowly drive them mad.
âKenzaki-san, you should thank class rep, she just saved youâ
With a smile, Meiko said such words. In response, Asunaâs shoulders started to tremble and she began sobbing in bitterness.
âWait for me, Kotarou-kun. Iâll definitely, save you⦠â
With Asunaâs audible sobbing and her many friends consoling her, happening as a backdrop, Meiko vowed to save Momokawa Kotarou in her heart.
The translator for the in-order translation got a bit busy, so we're changing the schedule to once a week for the next month. In other news, CLICK NEXT TO GO TO CHAPTER 68. I capitalized that so it's harder to miss. This is likely Lion Mask's last contribution to this series and was posted as an april fool's joke. I've checked through it and it's an actual translation so we won't be bothering with it.
CHAPTER 69 should follow this link when it's done next week.