Chapter 146
Minamino Moe began timidly approaching me .
[S- Sorry, Ayaka-chan... If only we were able to help...]
They werenât able to send a helping hand when Yasu spouted foul words towards me .
It appears that they were apologizing for that .
I tried keeping my composure as I smiled .
[Itâs alright . Even just the thought of helping me makes me glad . ]
[Ayaka-chan...]
At that time...
[Uwwaaaahhhh... That looked quite dangerous, wasnât it? Whether itâs Kirihara or Yasu-kun . As I thought, us good girls canât be friends with them~]
[Asagi-san...]
The girl suddenly entered our conversation .
The person who possesses an excellent inherent skill even when sheâs a B-Rank Hero, Ikusaba Asagi .
She dislikes being called by her surname .
Therefore, you have to call her by her given name .
Then, one of Asagiâs group members came out of the thickets .
[Asagiâ-]
[Ohâ]
[As expected, I canât find Poppo . ]
[Eh~ Seriously~]
[Seriousreally . ]
I checked out Asagiâs group .
......Sheâs not here .
I canât find Kashima Kobato along with them .
[Asagi-san! DId something happen to Kashima-san!?]
Unintentionally, I looked like Iâm questioning her .
Asagi glanced at Mamiya Shouko .
Her glance looks like sheâs inciting her to be the one to explain .
Looking a bit displeased, Mamiya languidly opened her mouth .
[Some of our members strayed off too far when that large parade of kaijus appeared earlier... And, Kobato said that sheâs going to run after a lost child and started searching for them but...]
Mamiya turned towards her friend, Kanou Isuzu .
Itâs as if telling this story had turned into a bucket relay as they passed the speaker from one person to another .
Passing the story telling towards Kanou, she showed a facile smile .
[Ahâ I wonder? I already loudly called out the name of the lost child, so I thought that it should have been enough... And making Poppo the decoy, I stealthy sneaked away and escaped⪠Tehe~âª]
Kanou stuck out her tongue .
[Whaâ-]
Kashima Kobato went looking for our classmate .
Kanou ignored her and left Kobato behind .
On the contrary, she made her a decoy just to save herself .
Before I could even say anything, Kanouâs expression quickly changed .
[I- I mean, the monsters were scary! There were even some large ones loitering around! Eh!? What!? President... Are you blaming me!? What th... I kind of donât like this!? Youâre mean! Ueehhhh...... Sniff... Youâre mean... Youâre mean, Ayaka... Hnnn~ Seikooo...]
Crying, Kanou leaped towards Mamiyaâs breasts .
The atmosphere suddenly flowed into the Asagi group condemning me .
[Hey, arenât you too cruel, Ayaka?]
[Everyone would obviously prioritize their own life!]
[Isuzu-chi isnât mistaken with her decision!]
[Everyone, wait! Listen to me! Ayaka, who has been greatly blessed ever since she was born, wouldnât know what we feel!]
I firmly endured and listened to what she said .
This isnât the time to fuss about this .
[Asagi-san . ]
[Yah?]
Following through the story, Asagi is the one who brings them together .
[Letâs go find Kashima-san . ]
[We understand . Good luck~]
[Eh? No, umm... Together with Asagi-san and the others...]
[Eh? Well, umm~ See, The Four Revered Saints should be coming back by now after searching earlier~ . As expected, wouldnât going deeply involved be dangerous? If you think about it realistically, I mean . ]
[H- However, Isnât Kashima-sanâ Asagi-san and the othersâ friend!?]
[Ah, and in exchange for the off-chance that the others might die?]
Suddenly, with a look of rejection in her eyes...
Without any emotions...
Indifferent...
I could feel it from those few words .
However, she immediately returns to her easygoing atmosphere .
[Nyahaha~ That was just a joke! Donât be so serious~ My bad, okay!? Ah, that bad mood of yours just now looks like at that time with Goddess-chan, donât you think? How should I say this... Ayaka is the only one the Goddess-chan is treating harshly~! If your relationship with Goddess-chan becomes really bitter, you could consult me, okay? I could help even if itâs just listening to some idle complaints~]
[P- Putting that aside, we need to search Kashima-sanâ-]
[Well, umm~ if you think about it realistically, thatâs too difficult for us . Honestly, it would be difficult for me to lose Kobato~ . See, isnât this like a disaster? And you know, getting deeply involved may also be dangerous for the rescuers?]
[However, if we move now, we should still be able to savâ-]
[Kobatoâs safety alone or the safety of the other people who would have to face dangers just to search for her, if I were to ask where the scales weigh heavier... Well, I will have to give up trying to search for her~ . Ah, if it were just my thoughts personally, I want to search for her, you know? However... If you calmly think about it for some time, rather than towards me who was just beginning to understand the world, donât you think you should entrust this towards the Four Revered Saints or to Nyantan~? Ah, but thatâs just my opinion, okay? Itâs alright, I donât intend to push my opinions to you . Pushing your opinions to others is bad after all . ]
[..................... . . ]
I canât refute at all .
After all, I canât think of anything I could refute with .
(In that case, even if itâs just me alone that would search for her...... . )
However, the Four Revered Saints rejected me .
From what I heard from them, it appears that the Takao Sisters were also missing...
No, I feel like I havenât seen the sisters way before than the great march of monsters appeared .
Speaking of which, where could those two girls be?
Kashima Kobato .
Takao Sisters .
Everyone has been gathered by the Four Revered Saint and Nyantan, except for these three .
âBefore the day ends, the Four Revered Saints would search for them again . â
The decision maker of the Four Revered Saints, Agito said to everyone .
However, thereâs something strange going on in the Demon Zone .
Therefore, this expedition will end today .
Nyantan joined along with them .
Making up my mind, I also volunteered to search for the others .
However, as I thought, that was also rejected .
I pondered about the words that the eldest daughter of the Four Revered Saints said .
âItâs simply because we are stronger than you . Ah... Iâm sorry but, should I say it more clearly? The way you are now, you would just drag down our feet . You still have some way to grow... You need to take better care of your life . â
Remembering the frustration that I felt, I leaned my back on the trunk of a tree .
Low groans began resounding from the clouds in the sky .
It started to rain .
[............ . . Status Open . ]
Lv 143
HP: +1935
MP: +3178
Attack: +20483
Defense: +2862
Physical strength: +3331
Speed: +1611 (+500)
Wisdom: +1712
The Status Display clearly shows even under the rain .
I absentmindedly looked at it .
(Iâm still weak...... Therefore......)
Hanging my head down, I tightly hold my spear on my embrace .
The words of the powerless wouldnât be able to reach anyone .
Yes...
They wonât be able to reach them .
(I must become stronger...... More than anyone...... More, more, more, more, more, more, more...... For everyone...... So that I could protect everyone...... Stronger......ââââ)
[âââAhhhaaaaa...... Haaaahhhhhh...... . Fuuu!]
I had been running through the violent rain .
I could hear loud sounds around me as the heavy rain crashed down on the branches and leaves from the surrounding trees .
Now though, even that sound strikes fear deep within my heart .
Placing my hands on my knees, I stopped running and looked behind my back .
[Huffââ Huff, huff......!]
(Did I manage to escape......!?)
On the way, I encountered some monsters several times .
However, I somehow managed to escape from them .
However, I had been too focused on escaping from the monsters that I lost my way back .
I look towards the dagger on my waist .
(I should have been making landmarks along the way but......)
At first, I was searching while making sure that I would mark the nearby trees I passed by with a cross .
But after encountering those monsters, I couldnât afford to do so .
I tightly close my eyes .
(I wonder if Kanou-san is safe...)
I want to go back to our previous world safely together with everyone .
Sogou Ayaka said so .
I also wanted to cooperate with what Ayaka wanted to do .
Without missing anyone, everybody would return to our previous world .
(Thanks to Goddess-sama, Sakura-sanâs wrist seems to have been connected with her arm...... No one in our class has died yet... No oneâs died yet... Thereforeââ)
[Ah . ]
I reflexively placed my hands on my mouth .
[Thatâs wrong......]
Yes .
Someone has already died .
Mimori Touka .
Howeverâ we havenât intensely felt his death .
Itâs probably not because we hardly had any impression of him from back then .
After all, it must be because no one had watched when he died .
Everyone just saw him being transferred to the Disposal Ruins .
Therefore, his death doesnât feel real for us......
[..................]
The reason why I reflexively ran after Kanou Isuzu .
I thought about it .
(When Mimori-kun was sent to the Disposal Ruins, I couldnât do anything... . . I just curled away in fear...)
Every passing day, I could feel the guilt tormenting me .
I canât forgive it .
My weak self .
(But, however...)
Even now, my chest is still filled with fear .
And for some reason... I could also feel a sense of frustration welling up from within me at the same time .
I have to come back soon .
I have to go back to them soon .
Or Iâll die .
(I will die...)
I couldnât resist my fear of death as I could feel my will being crushed .
The monsters from the Golden Demon Zone .
I saw them up-close and I was vividly shocked .
I could feel a sense of despair looking at the storm-like march of monsters .
The intimidating feeling that appears with each of their ferocious roars .
I truly wanted to just cover my ears and crouch down on the spot .
But if I were to stay there, I would surely die in that place...
Most of the monsters in that great march have already disappeared somewhere .
However, there were still some monsters that strayed off from their great march .
Those monsters were still loitering around somewhere .
(I wonder if someone is coming to look for me... I guess it would be better if I donât move around in that case... As I thought, Iâm just useless......)
Dispersing those thoughts away, I feel dejected with myself .
(I knew it... Iâm different from Sogou-san... However, I want to be useful... Even at terrible times like these, I wanted to be of use for the considerate Sogou-sanâ-)
Suddenly...
I feel like Iâve heard a low, muffled growl .
ââââââââShudder .
I could feel my body shivering .
My legs were cowering, I couldnât take a single step .
Thatâs obviously not a humanâs growl .
Itâs a beast .
Such a frightening growl .
Moreover...
Even within these rain that seemed to wash away everythingââ
I could smell blood coming from the beast .
(!!! I â I have to hide.........! Hurryâ)
Rustle...
[Gururururururuuuuuuuuu......... . . ]
That beingâs bloodstained appearance came out of the thickets .
Itâs near .
Itâs already come close to me .
I couldnât even feel its presence .
Dropping down on my knees, I tried lowering my body as much as I could .
Slowly and timidly... I raised my face .
[âââ-Ah . ]
Facing reality right in the front, I could feel despair directly assaulting me .
Standing in front of me...
[......What the? In a place like thisââ A human?]
A humanoid monster with the head of a leopard and has the ability to speak the human language .