I just wanted to be someone who could help others. Like my great father who fought to make this world a better place. I didn't want to be a hero. I just wanted to be able to protect people.


"Hey!　Eureka!　You draw the enemy to you!
But there are so many of them!
'Forget it, you're doing it!　If we don't, we're all going to die!
Uh-huh.


　We were hunting demons outside the Warding City. But we didn't have to come this deep into the forest. But our leader, Dan, suggested that we come here, so we came.

''Alright you two let's just run away and leave Yulia behind.
Are you sure?　Are you going to die?
I'm sorry to see you die, too, but...
Come on. It's okay. He's got no parents and no one to worry about. And he's too weak. With or without them, all the same. He should be thanking me for bringing him to Dusk. Besides, we can find another one. I've brought that underdog to this point. That should be enough for you.
Yeah.
Well I guess I can't blame you.


　I thought I heard a voice like that. No, it must have been my imagination. He entrusted me with this place. Then I should do my duty well.


　But they never came back.



　◇



　A beep-beep-beep sound echoed through the room.

''Uuuuuuuuuuuuut I'm sleepy.''

　Early morning. I woke up as usual and hurriedly began to prepare for the day. When I open the window, twilight is spreading in the sky. Yes, this world is controlled by twilight.

　150 years ago, the human race was defeated by the demon race and driven into a localized area. Therefore, they built a kekkai city and trained masters to fight against the demons. In order to bring back the light in the sky one day.

　Currently, there are seven Kekai City in the world, and I live in the third Kekai City. The Boundary Cities are also divided into five districts. The North Ward has a military base, the East, Central, and West Wards are where people live and work, and the South Ward is a place called Plant, where agricultural products and industrial products are produced through magic.

　And in the ward city, there is an organization to oppose the demon race. The anti-magic academy is a training institution and the anti-magic army is literally a place to actually use the trained opponents. I attend the academy for the training of these opponents. The academy is a six-year school, and I'm in my second year. I'm still weak, but I want to become a great counterpart like my father one day.


I'm going to go, father. Mom.


　His father fought against the demons as an anti-magician and died when he was very young. My mother also passed away at about the same time due to illness. But I didn't miss her. Because I have a noble mission to become a demon counterpart.


''Then I'm off.''


　I said hello to the picture of the two of them and left the house.


　I headed to the academy. It's already been two weeks since I became a second year student. I'm pretty nervous now that I'm starting my actual classes at the academy. Going to this outside world is really dangerous. There are a lot of demons out there, and if you're a normal person, you'll be killed in the blink of an eye.


　When I first left the warded city, the twilight was overwhelming. But by joining forces with my party members, I was able to hunt the designated demons.

　What, it was surprisingly easy. That was my impression and everyone else's. Today, we're going to hunt outside again. Dan, the leader of the group, said that he got official permission to go, so we all decided to go together.


　It's okay, we'll do it...I thought so.



'Hey, Julia!　Today, please!
Yeah, okay!


　We were outside after school. It's the second time we've been here. The world outside seems to be more dense with twilight than the inside of the city, and the reddish-black light is overwhelming. But it doesn't affect the human body, so it's okay.


You're going to be able to get a good recovery, Julia, right?
Yes, I'm counting on Julia!


　Dan, the leader, and Rebecca, the sub-leader, are the vanguard. Behind them is Aria, who will be playing the game. And I, aka Julia, will be the magical support at the back. I'm not good at attack magic, but I'm good at healing magic, so I'm relied upon in the party.


It's a good idea to have a good time. Are you sure it's safe to come deep into the forest like this?
Yeah. We'll get it done.


　Dan doesn't stop walking and keeps going. Rebecca and Aria followed suit. Am I the only one worried?　But they're all on a firm footing.

　Yeah. I have to get my feet wet too.

　And we're about to run into a monster.


"Show me a white wolf.
Well....


　It was a pack of white wolves there. The demons were originally from the cold region, but after the twilight covered them, the demons had rapidly become stronger and appeared everywhere.


''Let's go!
Yeah...!


　We're gonna fight. We're gonna be okay. We'll be okay. But I would later learn that it was just wishful thinking.



"Huh ha ha ha ha...
Well, there's a lot of them...
What are we going to do?


　And with Dan's instructions, I was to hold the front line. I've heard that people are going to call for help. I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work. It's a good thing I'm happy to be told that I'm in charge of it. I've been in every party that I've been in, and I've always been looked down upon. But now it's different. I can work together with everyone else and fight.


''Ha... ha... ha... ha...''


　Has everyone been there yet?　I think it's already been an hour since I've been stuck here. No one's come. That's strange. I don't think it's strange that they should have come by now, but....


　I was already a wreck. There are cuts all over my body, and even if I used my healing magic, it was all I could do to stop the blood. And my magic power was about to run out.


　Still, you have to fight. I've been entrusted with the task.....


This is........the end........


　I finally defeated the last white wolf. Somehow, I was able to defeat it on my own. All I did was force myself to use my healing magic and keep fighting. It doesn't mean that I am strong.

"Let's go back...


　With a wobbly step I move forward. But something doesn't feel right.


'Warding?　And this place?


　Yes. For some reason, the wards have been put up and I can't get out. As I recall, Rebecca was good at warding magic, but what the hell........


　And I continued to wander through the forest. I kept walking and walking and walking. But I couldn't get out. Instead, I seemed to be falling further into the depths of the forest.


''U........I'm dizzy.......''


　The overuse of magic was causing me to have a deficiency. And I don't have enough blood. Just by blocking it up, you can't get back the blood that has been lost.


　I then decided to find a nearby watering hole and rest there for a while. That's when I finally started to calm down and remembered what I had said. Words spoken in a whisper. I pretended not to hear them at that time because of the excitement of the battle... but when I remembered them, there was still only one conclusion.


''Okay, both of you.......let's leave Yulia and run away.
Are you sure?　Are you going to die?
I'm sorry to see you die, too, but...
All right. I don't think so. He's too weak. Either he's there or he's not. We'll find another one. And you brought the underdog to this point. That's good enough for me.
Yeah.
Well I guess I can't blame you.


　Yes, they used me as bait to escape. That's a fact. More than anything else, it was a definite fact. I was the lowest-ranked student at the academy and an underachiever. No one would let me into the party. I was just a dropout. But Dan and the others accepted me I thought.


　But the truth is, this is how I was left behind.


　I wanted to be like my great father. But I'm probably going to die soon. There's no way I'm going to survive. But it's time to see how far I can go.


"I guess I'll just have to go...


　I muttered to myself with empty eyes and continued on into the depths of the forest.