The voice was right, not that it did not rise, but that it could not.
　Because all that was on Noel's mind was confusion and doubt.

　Sure, he could have woken up.
　But then he should have been awake in the daytime.
　It doesn't make sense that he didn't wake up then, but he's awake now.

　Or is it that they instinctively knew that they could be hurt?

......

　Then, in a sense, it would be worthwhile to go here, but it didn't matter.

　As I said before.
　Confirmation is just a pretext.
　What good is it if you can't hold a sword in your hand?

　But even so, Noel's body did not move.
　It was as if its eyes had been fixed on him.

　Perhaps it was instinctual.
　It instinctively knew that if it moved even a little, it would die.
　Half-unconsciously, he gulped down a mouthful of spit.

　But if he would have stood on his haunches or fled immediately, surely Noel would not have come here in the first place.
　Screwing up your frightened mind, you step forward and take the sword that was still in your hand when you took a step--

"--kaha!

　For a moment, I didn't know what happened.
　All I knew was that my vision was different from the one just before and that I felt a pressure on my back.

　And.

.

　I couldn't even writhe from the pain that came so late, that it felt as if my whole body had fallen apart.

　But that, I should say, is when I finally understood the situation.
　It seems that Noel had been beaten away.

...... kohoho

　The clots of blood that came out with the coughing also indicated that the inside of the body was also damaged.
　In fact, it could have been worse on the outside, but I was too scared to check.
　Perhaps it's because the body didn't move in a different way than before.

......

　It was only one blow, this .
　It was shameful, and I didn't want to give up, but I couldn't do anything about it if I didn't ...... move my body.

　I'm sure you'll be happy to know that there's nothing in Noel's hand.
　I'm sure you dropped it in the middle of your flight, and out of the corner of your eye Noel's sword is lying there.
　It seemed a long way from here to get up, take it, and stand in front of that monster again.

　And that's when I heard the sound.
　It was the sound of a person walking on the ground, not like a demon walking.
　That someone was coming closer and closer to Noel.

　I'd be lying if I said I wasn't expecting it.
　It's true that the moment I heard the sound, I thought it might be.

Hmm ...... I see, this is quite a beautiful piece of work. Yes, this certainly could have hurt the thing.

　The one who came up to Noel's sword and picked it up was a familiar figure.
　But at the same time, he wasn't the one I was expecting.

　The inappropriately dressed man in a silk hat and tailcoat was the one I'd just met that day.
　He was the man who was on his way to this forest with Allen.

　The man was looking at his sword sullenly, murmuring in admiration--

It was just a precaution, but I guess it was worth it, right?　I'm sure he wasn't going to be killed, but he would have suffered some wounds. It was somewhat uninteresting in this situation.

　I had no idea who the man was.
　It's not that you can't see it, but if you listen to the words, it's not impossible to predict.
　No ...... perhaps that murmur was intended to let Noel know about it in the first place.

　You'll be able to get a better idea of what you're looking for, and you'll also be able to get a better idea of what you're looking for.

...... you, haha ......!
"Oh, I wonder if I can talk?　This was a bit surprising: ...... I thought I was doing the best I could just to stay conscious, and I told him (・・・・・・・) to get away with it.

　Immediately afterwards, I knew what the words meant.
　Behind the man, a giant being appeared without a sound.

　It was definitely that demon.

　But despite the appearance of such a thing, the man is not even in a hurry and continues to stand there at ease.
　You'll be able to see that it's a very good thing that you're able to get the best out of it.

　It's as if ...... was definitely an act of reverence.

There's absolutely no ....... The thing worked better than expected and this one only works less than expected. Well, it seems to have done the least amount of work, so we'll let it go. You know what will happen if you do the same thing next time: ......

　The demon visibly trembled, though it was never in a strong tone.
　Maybe it was due to fear, and the ...... lifted eyes were turned to me.
　Its intentions were clear.

It's not so much a matter of being cautious as it is a matter of just in case. Including the fact that we didn't expect you to come to us.
"......?　What's that, what's that ......
What does it mean and what does it mean?　Do you think the reason for preparing this thing was to attack and destroy that city?　No way. What would be in it for me?　My goal has been you (...) all along.
"......?



　I didn't understand.
　I didn't think I had a reason for someone to come after me, ......, but if that's the case.
　And that time...

......, then that guy came to ...... three years ago!
"Hmm?　Three years ago?　It is true that I moved this one three years ago, but ...... was aimed at dwarves then, right?　If I'd let it go, it would have been a threat in more ways than one.
"I knew it was ...... ......!
"Hmm?　If you were there, were you there?　...... Well, it's true that on closer inspection, the workmanship of this sword looks vaguely familiar. It's not just a matter of time before you'll be able to get your hands on it.　If so, then ...... is a very strange coincidence. I didn't think that this would kill us all.
"......!

　I wanted to get my sword back and slash through it right now.
　I wanted to at least strike you with one blow.

　But with my body still immobile, I could only stare at it.

But this sword is really quite brilliant. It's too good to be true. I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this in the future.　You can't necessarily do the same thing with your head (・・・・), but we should play it safe, because if it's not done right, it will increase their strength. If we're not careful, we'll end up increasing their strength.

　Ignoring Noel, the man was muttering words that made no sense to him, but he didn't want or need to understand their contents.
　It's not that I don't understand what the man was thinking and saying, it's because Noel only has one thing on his mind.

I'm sure it's just as well that I'm going to get it.　You can say that you swallowed it by mistake. If you give them that one, they won't complain.

　With those words, the man turned his gaze toward Noel.
　The smile on his face is so out of place that it is out of place.

Therefore, ...... would you like to be mine?
"......?　What to say ......
"I won't do anything bad, okay?　I still have a reputation for paying my workers well. And you have nothing to worry about. There's already one just like you.
...... Does that mean I'm supposed to be one of you?
Well, that's about as close as you can get. Oh, you don't have to worry about this, do you?　We won't treat you any lower because you came later. I will promise to treat you as an equal.

　It was probably not a bad story.

　If it went on like this, Noel was sure to die.
　It's not that Noel wants to die, but he'd rather be alive.
　Any way is better than death, at least if I can live.

If you need time to think, I'll give you the time you need to think, okay?
You don't need ...... to know the answer. The answer is already known.
"Huh?　Well?
"...... Yeah.

　--However, there are exceptions to the rule.
　There are exceptions to everything.

I'll pray from the other side that you suffer and die.

　If I could spit, I would have, but I hated my body for not being able to do so, but I still only swore.

...... I see. That's a shame. I was hoping you would make a smarter choice.
What are you talking about, of course?　How could I be one of those people who killed my mother...?
"Hmmm. ...... I see?　Well, I guess we'll just have to do it. --Fenrir.
"------！！！！！！

　The man snapped his fingers as he said it, and the demon opened its big mouth at about the same time.
　There was a huge scream and ...... still, Noel never looked away.

　There is nothing you can do, but at least you can--.

"Here's your bait. Eat it.

　The next thing you know, the mouth is right in front of you.

　But I didn't look away, I didn't run away, I kept my mouth shut.
　I knew there was no point in being stubborn, but I wanted to resist to the end, just like that man who resisted to the end.

　You will be able to get a good idea of what you are looking for.

...... Huh?

　Immediately afterwards, the vision opened up and I saw the man's eyes widen in surprise.

　Then.

"Sorry I'm a little late,

　A familiar voice reached my ears.