What came back to my mind then was the image of my first encounter with Narsena a few years ago.
It was the memory of the battle with the goblins that I thought I had forgotten.

It was a terribly blurred, noisy, blood-red memory.
I had jumped at the goblin in desperation, and I had been easily defeated.
No, I was easily defeated, and I may have fought a good fight to say so.
It's a good thing that I didn't have any skills and didn't have any great armor, but I was able to buy a few dozen minutes of time against a pack of goblins that sometimes killed even mid-level adventurers.
Considering the fact that the man who was supposed to have possessed the skills to enhance his physical abilities, the man who was supposed to be my escort had fallen down a dozen minutes earlier, it's not an exaggeration to say that it worked well enough.

Even if ...... had risked their lives that hard to hold the goblin back, it wasn't possible for me to stay on my feet until help arrived.

Eventually I collapsed to the ground, physically and spiritually exhausted.
With my ears ringing horribly and even the feel of the dirt against my cheek felt somewhat distant, my head was dominated by a helplessness that I couldn't help but feel.

I understand the reason for trying to protect the girl, and I know that it is not something to be admired.
But I still risked my life to save the girl.
Literally, with everything I had.

...... but still I couldn't save anything.

I'm not sure if the girl's death is as good as confirmed now that there is no one else who can fight.
The situation in which I was doing everything in my power, I was confronted with my own limitations.

In that moment, my heart was completely broken.

I can hear my party members, who were being killed by hobgoblins, taunting and abusing me.

You're a flawed human being," they said.

That's why you can't save anyone.

That we were going to die for your helplessness.

Whaaaah!

I let out a voiceless scream at the hallucination and pleaded with the goblin to die a peaceful death.
I was certain that the girl I had tried to save was looking at me like she was looking at the dust.

That is how others have reacted to the person I am until now.

...... korohite, oneeyi,

So I desperately move my mouth, which can't speak satisfactorily, and plead.

'Oh,'

And as if in response to my own plea, I laughed as I felt the presence of someone standing in front of me.
'This is going to free me,' I thought.


'It's all right now,'


Yeah?


......... But the next moment the words that came into my ears made me realize that it wasn't a goblin standing in front of me.

As I struggled to move my head, which couldn't move freely, I managed to open my eyes and saw the little back of a girl.
In the midst of a reddened world due to the blood in my eyes, the girl stood there with her little arms outstretched to protect me.
The girl's whole body was rattling and shaking as she stood in front of a large number of goblins.
As if to mock the girl's efforts to clench her teeth and stop shaking desperately.

'I'll take care of the rest.'

But even in such a state, when the girl realized that I was watching her, she laughed desperately, her strong face twisted into a desperate smile.

It's not just me and you, but also these goblins, who can't be beaten.

The girl's words, which she announced with a desperate laugh, were obviously pronounced funny due to her extreme fear.


But the girl's words, in spite of her severe tinnitus, sounded extremely clear.


The girl who told her that was still trembling.
Rattling, as if she couldn't contain her fear.
But her eyes were fixed on me, and there was trust in me.


The moment I realized that, something hot spread in my chest.


''Hiru! I'll heal! Heel!


The moment I understood the heat in his chest, I impulsively activated the 《Heel》 in succession.

''Ha,''

And although I managed to get back on my feet, my body was far from at its best.
Because I used too much Heal, my head didn't move very well, and my body was only a little bit away from dying even if I used that much Heal.

But in the end, it didn't matter to me.
But the heat in my chest may have driven my brain crazy, as I thought that I had no time to buy time against a large number of goblins.
And for some reason, I didn't doubt anything it said at the time.

My body was in shambles, and I didn't know how long it would take for help to arrive.
Still, I was convinced that I was now a winner.

'Ah, ......'

As if buoyed by the heat in my still-burning chest, I control the girl with my hand and step forward.

'Raaaaaaaaah!

And in the next moment, screaming at the goblins in my hazy vision, I stepped out with only a broken dagger and the confidence of victory in my hand: .........




◇ ◇ ◇.




...... I don't know how he could have done that.

A limited memory that suddenly resurfaced in my head.
I chuckled at that, and I couldn't help but take such a plunge.
Due to my lack of memory from there, I don't remember how long after that help came and what state I was in in in the end.
Still, I understood that I had survived that goblin pack with that wound, and that was a miracle that would never happen again.



'So why do I feel like this?


But for some reason I'm convinced that I can make that miracle happen again, even though I understand that it won't happen again.

No, what I'm about to bring about now isn't just a miracle.
You can't compare the level of threat between a Hydra mutant and a pack of goblins.
Even if we were a little stronger, compared to the mutated Hydra, that is just a margin of error.
If we are able to defeat the Hydra, it will be impossible unless something incomparable happens, such as a miracle.

But after understanding that, I was confident that the phenomenon could happen.

The Narsena, looking at me, was still trembling.
The trust in me in her eyes did not disappear.
For some reason, she is unconditionally convinced that she and I can beat Hydra.


The sight of Narsena made me feel the same warmth in my chest as at that time.


The fear of Hydra, the fear of Hydra that had almost made me fall into a slump, was no longer in me.
The heat that had flooded out of my chest flowed out to my entire body, apparently pushing the fear out of me before I knew it.
And with my back to that something, I opened my mouth.


'Narcena, can I say something a little stupid?'

Eh, .......

Narsena blinked a couple of eyes at my abstract words.
But she immediately laughed as if she understood everything.

You don't need to listen to that. I said it. I told you that your brother and I would be fine and there was no need to be afraid of a snake like that.

I know that Narsena understands all that is said, and I smile the same way Narsena does.

With a roar and a hostility that makes my skin tingle, I realize that Hydra is almost there.

'Shall we go?'

Yes!

But me and Narsena turned to Hydra so as to welcome the disaster.
And in the next moment, we both ran out to greet Hydra.

''Fuuuuuuuuuuuu!''

Its huge body and the roar that shakes the atmosphere make me understand the power of the enemy, even after all this time.
But even though I felt its might, the conviction of victory did not disappear from me.

''It's not that I think I'm stronger than you,''

I say this to Hydra, who turns to me with hostility in her 12 yellow eyes.

"But I'm with Narsena, I'm not going to lose to your level!

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!

Hydra roared in response to my yell.

And the next moment, the battle began.