Suddenly, a mass of heat appeared that seemed to burn my cheeks.
　The sorcerer's (sorcerer) attack spell, the "fire penalty" (burned stake). A heat so hot that it pales in comparison to the magic of Rundel House, the pressure of which surged through even the layers of air, knocking its victim, the Steel-Tailed Pterodactyl (wyvern), out of the sky. Touya shields his eyes with his left arm from the hot air, which is mingled with crushed stone and dust. Checking to the side, Minori, Roe 2, and Selara were protected by the faint glow of a barrier spell. Touya was satisfied with that, and sharply flashed his right arm in a flash.
　Activated without a weapon, the became a whirlwind and sliced through Touya's front. In my cleared vision, I can see the group of and retreating at once.
(Why!
　The words came out of his mouth without a second thought, almost like a shout.
　In order to limit the damage to the town, it should be necessary to advance and fight. Didn't the Knights of the Odyssey know that, which is why they were fighting at a distance from the outskirts of town?　Earlier, the battle was supposed to be evenly matched. I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this as well. It's a war of attrition, and that's why Touya and the others were watching the battle with their backs to the city, even though their hands were sweating.
　However, such an equilibrium seems to have fragilely crumbled in the moment when they were distracted by the conversation between Minori and Roe 2.
　The Steel-tailed Dragon glided low with a creature's undulating windswept sound, unlike an aircraft or a helicopter. I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make the most of your time in the city.
　It may be much lower in rank to the Odyssey Knights, but to Touya, it's a party-ranked monster of the same rank. It's not an opponent that can be defeated in a single blow. That said, it was too turbulent to gather hate.
''Run oh!
　The steel flying dragon stabbed into the base of the abandoned building like a giant throwing axe, just as Touya cried out for his throat to be torn open. The building itself trembled from the impact and tilted like an old tree.
　If the Daichijin were hiding inside that building, there must have been some casualties. Their eyes widened in horror as the Daichijin emerged from the surrounding buildings. I don't know if there were people hiding in the collapsing buildings, but there were still Daichijin in this area.

"Touya-chan, there it is!
　There was a black shadow at the end of Serara's finger. The Servants of the Dark Spirits. In the midst of this battle, Touya had no idea why they were here, but that wasn't the important thing. But that wasn't the point. The one that several of the Squires of the Dark Spirit were holding up and slamming into the ground was the Mobile Temple of the North Wind (Boreas).
　It was clear that it had caused the Odyssey Knights' front line to collapse.
''Ha!　I'm out.
'Oh, Touya-chan!　Oh, wow. I'm out too!　Wolfie!
　The Touya that started to run accelerates at once.
　The Ikkitarou is a special skill that greatly increases the movement speed of the warrior (Touya) for a short time. Normally, this is a skill that you would use to adjust the rear guard's auxiliary spells. If combined with Lightning Fire, it can even leave your companions far behind. But Touya brushed aside that hesitation and thrust into the Dark Spirit's Squire.
　With a concentration that seemed to limit his vision, he left the sound of the wind cutting across the Floating Boat. Soujiro didn't teach me any offensive techniques, only a persistent walk. I sank my body into the water with his stride and remembered to prepare myself for the Naotsugu training. You must see through the enemy's placement and occupy your place in the center of the enemy.
　Twist your body into the small space. I sprinted as if to lick the ground and unleashed my sword at once. I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this in the comments below.
"Touya-chan!
　Serara, who has been chasing Touya with a scream-like voice, applies (Heartbeat) to Touya, even though she is out of breath. As the scrapes fade, Touya glares at the Dark Spirit's Squire with blazing eyes.
　The Mobile Temple at his feet would no longer be available.
　With a low rumbling sound, electric light spurts from time to time as if it were bursting. It was clear that magic power (mana) was leaking out of the destroyed area.
　The Odyssey Knights of the Odyssey must have been guarding three or four mobile temples, even if Touya had only seen them. So it's unlikely that they would be wiped out just because one of them was broken, and perhaps there would be a spare.
　But even so, there is no doubt that this Mobile Temple is the key to the Order's success. The Dark Spirit Squire is backing away, as if he is following Touya's gaze. The movement was strangely human and eerie. Touya saw malice in it. It was an insidious intent to disrupt the battlefield and spread chaos.

　But even that "Dark Spirit Squire" was crushed by a huge blow that struck it from the side. The two-meter-long, tool-like blows were aimed aimlessly and crushed the group. Its owner, the Adventurer, was wavering, spilling tar-red blood from a chink in his armor.
　The adventurer, who wears knight's armor, is probably a major player in the Odyssey Order. The ninety levels of destruction he saw before him made Touya gulp down his breath. He knew it, but it had a bullshit power. The circularly caved-in earth represented an impact more like that of a building machine than a human being.
　The knight that Touya found with awe and alarm, however, didn't seem to ignore Touya, or even notice him. As he turned his body to the main street with his wavering and uncertain feet, he raised a loud voice.

''We will now move the battlefield to the city center!
　A terrifying voice made Serara gasp in the background.
'The Squire of the Dark Spirit is out!　Kill them all!　The Steel-Tailed Pterodactyl is only a target if it acts on the ground. Lure them into a building and kill them.　All of them, don't let one of them get away, kill, kill, and die!
　An unvoiced response was conveyed to the Knights.
　Something about Touya's arrogance finally burst out of him.
　The staggering and simmering emotions that had been hoarded since crossing the Boksult's Pass overflowed like a dam, and were reversed with a force that even Touya himself could not contain.
'Touya-chan!
　The fist that struck the knight armor was chilled and numb.
　I didn't care and hit him again.
　It looked like he had hit him with a dump truck as expected. It was doubtful that the other party was even aware of it.
'Hey!'
　I yelled at him. Although he was aware that his limbs were as thin as split chopsticks in front of the greatness of his opponent who looked up at him, Touya didn't stop.
''Oi!''
　I couldn't control my emotional, cracked voice. A fist cracked and bled as it pounded heavily, and it was soothed by the dancing glow of the Pulse Recovery.
'Hey!'
　With a third shout, the finally noticed and shrank slightly. Touya couldn't make out the helmeted gaze, but he could feel it.
'Why. Why would you do that?　Why ... why ... why are you doing that to everyone?　The Squire of the Dark Spirit, the Steel-Tailed Pterodactyl, and the Odyssey Knights of the Odyssey.
　The emotions were too strong to speak as they burst into his chest.
　It was so painful that Touya squeezed his chest with his unarmed left hand, a gesture he had repeated many times on the wheelchair. It was a gesture he repeated over and over again on the wheelchair. But it's different from the one where he was staring at the ground. I'm sure you'll be able to find a great deal more to say about it.
'Why are you so selfish!　We all live here.
We don't live here.
　It was a gravelly reply.
　His words made him so angry that he felt like he was going crazy.
　But at the same time, Touya knew that he had made a mistake. That wasn't the best thing he wanted to do. It's true that the city of the Daichijin is important. But it was something else that Touya was feeling.
It's not that. Why would you want to........there's more to it than that, right?　There's another way to fight, a more proper way to fight.
"Don't let the kids interfere.
Why are you doing such a suicidal thing? You brothers could have done better....
　That was what it came down to.
　What Touya felt was unreasonable.
　These people should be able to do something else. Other ways.
　These people are adults at the ninety level. If they are adults, they should be able to do better, shouldn't they? They're just children.
　The pain he bit into in the Hameln was something Touya had been experiencing for a long time.
　The only thing he could do was to be quiet so as not to bother his family. He had to learn to be meek so as not to worry them. Her anger at the unreasonableness that had been holding her back for so long was blown up. Touya had cursed herself for a long time for being a child. As an adult, she could make decisions about her life, but Touya couldn't.
　She remembered Dariela's white fingertips with pain.
　The softness of the soft touch that scraped the bangs from Touya's forehead.
　The fist that slammed into this knightly man is the one that continues from the past. Touya is indeed a child. But this adventurer, who called Touya a "child," should show us something else, then. If he is a proper adult, he should be able to show us the answers that he can't give us.
　Otherwise, Touya's heart will be crushed.

'It's none of your business,'
I didn't mean that!
　The man catches the fist that slams into his chest in a steel cage and tightens it just barely. When Touya didn't take a step back, the man leaned forward a bit and spoke to him in a curse-like voice.
'This is not suicide. There is no death in this world. That's why there is no such thing as suicide. We just want to go home. --We want to go home. When we die, we see our families. Did you know that?　When you die, you can see a little bit of your old world. I can dream about the other world. I'm sure it's all connected over there.
　It was a voice that sounded like it was coming from the administrative ward in the middle of the night.
　It sounded like the pale blue lights of a ward full of long-term patients who rarely had visitors, with nowhere to go.
I was planning to get married in the summer. I was going to stop playing this game when I got married. I even went to a condo show. I'm going to get a wife. I can't continue to play this childish game. I'm going back over there.
　The man adjusted the angle of his helmet (helm) to look into Touya's face.
　However, Touya felt that the man's gaze seemed to be looking at him and not at anything else. The knight in front of him was no longer looking at the world.
'I'm moving out just in time for my next rent renewal. She's a pain in the ass, she's complaining every day that she wants to get out of her parents' house. She wants to move out of her parents' house and complains about it every day, so we should get together and take her in as soon as possible. She's mentally fragile and I have to take care of her. You know, over here. You don't want this travesty either, do you?
　I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to leave.
　It wasn't that he didn't have patience.
　But Touya knew. There are things that are "unspeakable". Touya may be a child, but he is a man. There are words a man has to swallow. It used to be, "I want to play football. He was used to swallowing. It's much better when everyone laughs at you.
　Why can't this man understand that?
　Touya was crying as his passion began to spill out.
"| The world is always real《...,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.... There are a lot of people living important lives!
　Touya barked.
　He spat it out, despairing at himself for being able to say it.
'Don't be silly. This world can't be real. Even if you die, you can't die, there's no such thing as real. When you die, you have to die. When you die, you have to be quiet, that's just a game. It's because people like you don't die that you're always alive, because you've been coaxed into being adventurers and so on, and because everyone else isn't dying, we can't get out of this world.
'No, it's not. I don't know how my brothers feel about it, but this world--

　I had something to say.
　The knightly young man was wrong.
　I wanted to scream that it's not that important to die or not die.
　In general, I wanted to ask if my brother had ever died in his former world. You can't be dead. If you had, you wouldn't be playing The Elder Tale. I wanted to yell at her, telling her that dying was real and not dying was a game.
　I remember bouncing off the ground like a joke, the asphalt scraping away at me like a grated radish. She saw with her own eyes the whiteness of the bones in her legs, and more importantly, she saw the strange angle of her clipped hips.
　Touya had seen death. It was the end of the world. In the bed next to the life-saving room, the driver who had involved Touya in a car accident had lost his life. After a long and painful rehabilitation, Touya recovered enough to live in a wheelchair, but the driver did not survive the night of the accident.
　The university hospital where Touya was hospitalized was a place halfway to the underworld.
　In the midnight hours of the night, the ward was as quiet as the bottom of the grave, in the midst of a pain-clogged vision. Every day someone disappeared and a patient was brought in who could not speak. The nurses, with their professional gentleness, held a weary serenity. Touya's doctor was a man with a somber expression on his face. As far as Touya knew, the hospital was a gateway to another world, and the people who were swallowed up in it were something between the dead and the living.
　Touya could see that. I'm sure you'll be able to see that, because Touya hadn't been the living for some time.
　So I wanted to say. That's not the right solution.
　If you want to return to the world of death so badly, if you are serious about death, then you shouldn't do something like suicide. There was no way we could fight a battle where everyone in the Earth People might die. That's what I wanted to scream.

　But Touya was unable to say a single word about that feeling.
　The young man's eyes, peeking out of his helmet, were cloudy and familiar. They were the same color as Touya's, the same color he had been told he would never walk again. Those were not the eyes of the living.
'If you've got a problem with that, report it to management. If I'm bad, you'll be banned. Otherwise, you'll die too.
　Pushing away, Touya looked up at the world through the rubble.
　The battle around them was getting more intense by the minute, and the world of death was spreading.



　◆



　The steel vehicle's sharp silhouette, and with one light toe tapping on it, Nyanta leapt from the sky with a Unicorn Jump without killing the momentum of the fall. The lightning step is a quick step through the tree trunks and into the direction of the fall, with a trajectory that would have been possible only in an imaginary world when I was in my former world.
　These moves are commonly referred to as locomotion skills, and in the Elder Tail era they were used to make characters move at high speeds and perform special actions. It was not a part of the game's development, but rather a part of Elder Tail as the speed of the network increased, making it more of an action-oriented game.

　Using the superhuman abilities in his body, Nyanta accelerated through the greenery of the buzzing trees.
　There was a sadness and rage that burned the depths of his stomach.
　He slashed at the black spirit-type monsters that invaded the forest below him with all the momentum he could muster. The tip of the sword stuck to the heavy body fluids and could not be finished off with a single blow. It seems that even if the thief's signature ranged attack was accompanied by all the damage increasing specialties, it wasn't going to result in instant death.
　Of course, if they continued to fight, they could win. Nyanta is ninety levels, and the Dark Spirit Squire in front of him is only forty levels and then some. But there were a lot of them. Nyanta silently sifted his fine sword (rapier) twice, knocking down the shadows that were trying to get past his sides, and then called out to the sorcerer on his horse.
'Rondark,'
Ho...... We meet here?
　The distance between them was about ten meters.
　The forest was warped by magic, a strange square, and the sorcerer, with a gloomy look on his face, responded to Nyanta.
　They were no strangers to each other. For Nyanta, they had seen each other from afar a few times in the player town of Susukino, and they had almost confronted each other over the matter of rescuing Serara. Rondaq must have remembered that, too, as he looked at her in a way that was neither irritated nor hostile.
　However, Nyanta didn't have the time for such sentiments from Rondark.
　On the surface, he didn't lose his usual calm style, but it was Nyanta who could not help but feel a strong resentment. If it was possible, he wanted to use his fine sword to cut through all the dark spirits around him.
''What are you doing here? ''Rondark, what are you doing here? What is that line of vehicles? What is this black shadow and what does it want with Saphir!　What's going on here, Rondark?
　Nyanta held his crossed swords at the ready and thrust them at Rondark.
　It was more of a choking tone than a question.

　Nyanta has an approximate, recognizable degree of circumstance.
　On behalf of the Horizons of Record, he has been watching over Minori and the others here with the Eagle Lion to follow up on them. We now know that the town of Saphir, about 20 kilometers straight from here, is being attacked by the Steel-Tailed Dragon, and that this is the result of the Dark Spirit's retinue's siege of the town, which could be described as a mountain hunt. They had discovered this vehicle after scouting upstream from Saphir town to investigate the cause of the disturbance, and had learned of it.
　That's why Nyanta is angry.
　That's why NYANTA is angry, because his mind is screaming out that this is an unbelievable, impossible folly.

'Rondark!'
Ha-ha.
　Londerk let out a terribly shallow laugh at Nyanta's reprimand.
　Ironically, one cheek twisted up in a sarcastic manner, Ronderk looked like a different person than he had when he was in Susukino. He looked terribly flimsy, irresponsible, distraught and self-defeating. His laughter was hardly a sign of composure.
'If you ask me what I do here, I'm a hired hand. Escorting and leading the vehicles. As you can see, this line of vehicles is a magical carriage. These black shadows are the Servants of the Dark Spirit, summoned creatures. I have no intention of hurting Safir. Not to me. What's going on?　--It's none of my business.
　Rondark didn't seem to have any intention of hiding anything.
　He didn't even find it worth mending, it seemed to Nyanta.
　And yet the answer did not include a single thing that Nyanta wanted to know. Rondaq's answer didn't indicate anything more than what Nyanta knew, which is to say, what he could see.
'Don't look so scared,' he said, 'I'm not going to fight you. "Don't look so scared," he said, "I'm not going to fight you. I'm not going to fight you, are you?　I didn't do anything. I'm just escorting people when they ask me to. What happened in Susquino - yes, I regret what happened in Susquino. Getting your hands dirty with the landowner was a bad idea. Is that all right?　Get out of my way, cat swordsman.
　Rondark laughed softly, sighing and answering Nyanta wearily as he dangled his wand from its holder on his horse and pulled it from his hip holder.
　It was throwaway, appropriate, and as if it didn't matter.
'You know what you're doing, don't you, Nyota?　Rondark.
　Nyanta took a step closer, snickering at the rondark.
'I know, I know. I'm getting paid to do my job.
Well, let's talk about the consequences. Rondark!
　Londerk gave a stiff laugh at Nyantha's question.
'That's not in my manual.' --I didn't get it, so it's not surprising.
　The words were, to all intents and purposes, something else. It pierced the deepest part of Nyanta.
　It wasn't because Rondark's words or the future they pointed to were a surprise. Rather, it was because it was a word he feared so much that he was under the illusion that he had heard it somewhere before. It was a word that Nyanta had hoped not to hear.

　The leader of D.D.D., Krusty had asked Shiroe at the meeting where the Roundtable was to be established. "Is there a possibility of war with the Daichijin? And. To which Shiroe replied, "I understand that's not what I'm thinking about now, but what the Roundtable is thinking about.
　I wonder how many people at the meeting could have understood the meaning of that reply?　Nyanta recalled that from time to time. Krusty certainly seemed to get the message. He was trying to help Shiroe in his twisted way. But how much of that had gotten through to the rest of the young people, Nyantas didn't know.
　Shiroe's words were a prophecy, a warning, a
　That reply is neither an affirmation nor a denial of the possibility of war. It is not a question of whether there is a war or not, but rather the message that we are in a world where war is likely to occur, and that each individual living in that world must find an answer to how they should deal with the possibility of war.
　More than anyone else, Shiroe was the one who tried to confront this message. Nyanta knows that Shiroe has suffered more than most people can imagine. In this matter, or perhaps, it had occurred to Nyanta that he himself might be closer to Shiroe than the younger, more optimistic Naotsugu or Akatsuki, who had longed for Shiroe.
　Nyanta had a lot of respect for that sincere friend, who was only half his age. He understood that having a friend that young was a rare treat for an old person. Nyanta himself has been dealing with Shiroe's point.

　A war between the "adventurers" of Yamato. Shiroe and Nyanta thought it was too early to ignore that possibility. The Japanese have always had a strong aversion to war. Particularly when it comes to Japanese people, they have a psychological deterrent. There may be heinous incidents or suicidal crimes due to stress, but the likelihood of an all-out war is low. This is true even today, when the Yamato Adventurers are divided into the Round Table and Plant hwyaden.
　As for the war between the Adventurers and the Dirtbags, it's more likely than not. Especially if there are too many adventurers who do not recognize the Daichians as human, this could lead to a great deal of trouble. However, while the likelihood of this happening was higher than that of a war between two adventurers, it was not as likely as it could be, because their fighting abilities were so different. The reason for this is that they are too different in their ability to fight. The possibility of domination and conquest was much greater than that of war.
　In this rugged world, the Adventurers and the Earthmen are complementary to each other. They support each other in every aspect of production and consumption. Nyanta believes that the Round Table has done an infinitely greater job in making this fact known to the public at an early stage.
　There was only one option left: a war between the Daichijinshi, and neither Nyanta nor Shiroe had an answer to that question.
　Neither of them are Daichi-jin. They had been educated to believe that war was bad, and of course, they had an aversion to it. However, if the Earthlings decided to go to war with each other, they would have to question whether they had the right to stop the war. If they are told that they have sovereignty, then theoretically, they have the right to do so.
　Moreover, given the current state of affairs and the technological developments since the catastrophe, there was a fear that if the Daichijinshi were to go to war, they would be instrumental in expanding the scale of the war, even if the Adventurers themselves did not take an active role in it. He hadn't spoken with Shiroe about it, but perhaps that was part of the future Shiroe had been staring at.

'Rondark, are you trying to spread warfare across this world?'
It's not like that. The only person who might be thinking about it is the earthling who issued me the quest.
　With those words, the battle resumed.

　Repeatedly thrusting (furnt), Nyanta closed the distance.
　The flames burning inside Nyanta were raging to the point of being pale.
'You've got a hand in it, nyah!
So what?
　With a wave of his hand, Rondag spawned five light balls. The Impatience Bolt, which floats a small arc of lightning lightning, moves to interrupt the space between the sorcerer and Nyanta. This spell is the sorcerer's defensive technique to automatically counterattack when attacked by a melee attack. It is a spell of little importance to the sorcerer, who does not normally go to the front lines, but its power is so great that it can be used as a starting point for PvP tactics.
　Nyanta's left arm is flicked off and goes numb.
　Normally I would have been able to duck it, but I couldn't control the impulse to move it.
"So many Daichijin will be destroyed!
It's what they want. It's what they want.
We can prevent that from happening.
I never saw that quest, Swackler.
　Both Rondark's Frost Spear and Barndrake squashed their cues. The Twin Rapier's technique of detecting the attack and interrupting the chanting is a specialty of the Nyanta, who is one of the fastest thieving swordsmen in the world. At the same time, however, Nyanta's big move is also blocked. Rondaq uses Astral Bind to block Kyanta's mobility, making it impossible for him to perform large moves.
　Nevertheless, if he were a normal Nyanta, he would have been able to use his calm and nimble counterattack to his advantage. Unable to do so, Nyanta felt bitterly young. There was a fury inside him that he hadn't felt in a long time.

'You can't do it without a quest, Ronda Kuhn!
"Shut up, hypocrite. I'm not, I'm not... I didn't invite you into my world.
　A mournful voice rang out.

'I wasn't invited into this world. I'm useless. Do you want to go to another world, yes or no, do you choose?　What about you? --I didn't choose you. I was brought into this world without asking. I had no choice, and I wasn't invited. You were invited, weren't you?　That's why you can keep drinking like that!
No. No, we didn't have an invitation. We didn't have an invitation at all.
I don't care if you are or not. But at least I wasn't invited in. I was brought to this world independently of my will. I was brought to this world independently of my will, and this world wanted me to have its way with it. So I'm going to give the world the benefit of the doubt. Am I wrong, Thief Swordsman?
　A fireball was born. It splits in two and then it splits into four more, coming at Nyanta with a snarling bark. The kyanta intercepts the attack spell with a throwing card from his pocket. A silver iron piece punches through the fireball, preventing up to three of them, but the remaining one closes in on Nyanta's fine sword, wounding him.

　Wrong.
　I should have said so. Nyanta maneuvered the fine sword with a crushing thought. He slashed and bounced off the weeping Rondag's magic, and was far from settling a fight that he was sure to win.
　The Rondag was not wrong. At least in Rondag's world, Rondag is not wrong. Nyanta was angry, but he still found that out. That was why Nyanta was torn.
　Rondag's anger and wailing was justified. Rondag was a victim, and the situation should be made right. Any Adventurer who wishes to return to his or her home world should be granted their wish and repaid quickly.
　Of course, no other individual should be harmed or have their rights violated in order to feel better about his or her own wishes. That is the rule of society. But the society itself does not invite laundering. At least the Laundergue did not sign a contract to join the society. The Rondag is an outsider. All of them are outsiders.
　What there is is a state of war between the Rondag and this world. As a state of war, the Rondag thinks it can do whatever it wants to this world, and that's not wrong. It is easy to say that humanity should be protected even in the face of war. But if you ask whether the Catastrophe protected humanity against the Londag, all you will find is that it did not. After all, the Rondag's revenge is justified.
　They are the ones that the city of Akiva has turned a blind eye to, and there are many other adventurers in this world who share their pain. Rondaq's pain is one that Nyanta once felt, and one that all people have felt, and that anger is justified and virtually impossible to refute.
　If there was a human being on earth with that kind of ideology in society, a being who considered himself an individual at war with society, then society would be able to suppress that individual by force. It could seize, detain, and detain them with police forces. In some cases, the military might even be deployed. Because their revenge is now in the realm of terrorism.
　In that way, some punishment can be meted out. But that is, in other words, removal. It is not possible because society is the one with absolute justice. In almost every case, society has more people and can only remove individuals with violence simply because they are stronger and more capable of fighting.
　It does not solve the world's sin of forcing individuals to be unreasonable without their consent.

''Well that's true of all people.
　As Nyanta lowered his sword, Rondaq's turbulence magic attacked him.
　Frightened and desperate, Rondaq's attack cut the kyanta to pieces.
　But the kyanta no longer felt like blocking it or cutting back.
　The anger that Nyanta had been feeling hadn't gone away, but the only thing that remained was a crushing pain in his chest, wrapped up in a grief that was beyond that.
　Nyanta couldn't solve Rondark's problems.
　Perhaps no one can solve it.
　The only thing that could be done was to eliminate the victim, Rondark, with violence, and Nyanta didn't think that was the right thing to do.
　Saving Serara was worth it. It was probably fortunate that he was able to confront while defending Serara in that Susukino. Nyanta and his friends didn't have to face the rondag. Even now, Nyanta has the friends of the Horizon of Records at his back. I know that, but Nyanta's sword doesn't move.
　But a sense of helplessness bound him.



　◆





I'm out, too!　Wolfie!
　Minori looked up at Roe 2 without even a glance at Serara, who ran off with such a cry. Touya and Serara galloped off to the battlefield, and although she glanced at the idea that she might need her backup when she should have, she chose to stand her ground.
　The conversation with Roe 2 was important, and she had a hunch that there was probably no other time like the present.

　The vision quickly increased in precision, and a premonition continued to whisper in Minori's ear. It was the same trepidation I felt when I rushed to the defense of the Green Imp (goblins) in the town of Chowsi, or the Growers Guild Liaison Association. Or when he decided to support Shiroe at the Growers' Guild Liaison Committee.
　Now something came over Minori and presented her with a choice. Minori caught his breath and chose a big leap in his mind. He might make a mistake, he might regret it. But you have to choose. With eyes wide open. The belief that you can't do anything is the chain that binds you. That's what Minori learned at the Hameln. It was expensive. That's why I'll never forget it.
　I will never forget it. It may not be the same battlefield, but there is no way that Minori will not be there.
　And the person who Minori had a hunch was the most important to her, and was now looking at Minori with interest.
'Are you sure?　Minori wasn't heading that way.
　Minori swallowed her saliva and nodded persistently.
'I see. That's the second time you've asked that question.
　Nodding again, Minori stared at Roe 2.
　The eyes behind the round glasses were intelligent, and Minori stared at her own reflection in their glow. Maybe it was the eyes that made him think Roe 2 looked like Shiroe. The color of her eyes and the shape of her eyebrows were very similar to Shiroe's.
''........''
....
　They stared at each other.
　Even though the tension was building, Minori was not at all afraid of it.
　It was very strange, and Minori wondered why. She was a stranger, an adventurer, whom he had only met for a few days. She has a friendly tone, so she's easy to relate to, but considering what she said earlier, even if you take it in a positive light, you can't help but describe her as unidentified.
　He should have been more afraid of such a woman and should have felt a sense of danger, but Minori was nervous, but she couldn't feel that way. Minori remembered her own mind with interest.

　Roe 2 suddenly raised his gaze and looked towards the battlefield.
　Minori followed his gaze and witnessed the ugly battle. The crumbling battle lines no longer made what had been an orderly battle impossible. The members of the Odyssey Knights of the Odyssey, who may have been resurrected at the Mobile Temple, although we don't know where they are, charged in without distinguishing between the Squire of the Dark Spirit and the Steel-tailed Dragon.
　It's a good thing that they are not only a great deal of fun, but also a great deal of fun. And they don't even think about demonstrating it. They are not concerned about hate management by warriors or state management by recovering professionals, but they are blindly attacking, defeating, and being defeated.
　It's a chaotic war of attrition, an insane battlefield.
　A confusion unlike anything Minori and the others had ever seen, not only in the peaceful original world, but even in this other world, was spreading before their eyes.
''It's terrible,''
　After nodding, Minori realized that was what Roe 2 had said.
'It's an utterly awful state of affairs. I've never been there, but maybe this is what hell is all about. There is nothing to be gained here. ─ I don't think it's very risky or beneficial to be involved in this. I have no idea why they're doing it. Not that I particularly want to know. I just don't see the cost of doing it being recouped.
　Roe2 continued to mumble in a low voice for a woman.
　The content was not entirely clear, but the tone of voice seemed to Minori to be somewhat similar to Shiroe's.
　Roe 2 and Minori watched the battlefield for a while.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this as well.

''It's not so. It's not like that........what else is there?　There's another way to fight, a more proper way to fight.
　I heard Touya's mournful cry. It was a cry of defiance.
　The voice reached Minori and Roe 2 via the party chat. Minori felt a sense of urgency as her back was seared by the shouting, but Minori still continued to stare at Roe 2 as if she were biting down.

　Lately, the distance between them had gradually grown, and he was increasingly unsure of Touya's feelings and thoughts, which had been like the superimposed spoon before. But I understand Touya's resentment now. Touya's unspeakable wail is a lament for their own helplessness. It is a pure white anger at themselves for being nothing more than children. Minori, the twin, understands this.
　The world was too powerful. It was too unreasonable, too overwhelming, and it didn't care what Minori and Touya felt. Everything was like a massive factory machine. They carried Minori and the others like a conveyor belt, taking them into the future, whether they wanted to or not. That future was a future that could only be small and coy. To Minori and her friends, the world was like that.
　At school, at home, and on the streets, there was so little they could do on their own.
　They could choose the color of their sneakers, for example. They could choose the pattern of their notebooks. They could even request the occasional dinner menu. But I didn't have the freedom to do any of the important things. Or that I changed schools. Or that I wanted to be with my parents on my birthday. I could get Touya's feet back on track.
　Minori knows that Touya, who had been playing the role of a good-listening child, hated his helplessness more than anyone else. It was because he was helpless that he was trying to stand a little taller. It was precisely because they were powerless that they dreamed of their own power and fell into the trap of the Hamelin.
　Because of the understanding of Touya's sorrow, Minori looked at Roe 2 without wiping away the tears that spilled from her eyes.

I'm sure you'll be able to see that Touya is crying out. Serara is randomly pouring Heartbeat Healing on all of the Daichijin. Isuzu and Rundell House are also advancing toward this direction, protecting the townspeople. --But even so, there's nothing you can do about this.
　Roe 2 waved his right hand in a theatrical gesture, pointing out everything on the battlefield. Minori nodded at his words. It's just a fact. It's a fact, no matter how much it makes your heart ache.
　Roe 2 confirmed that and asked Minori the opposite.
'You ask questions in a place like this. I'd love to hear Minori's answer.'
What?
'Since you're asking such a question, Minori must have the answer, right?　Who is Minori?　And who am I?　Where do you come from and where do you go?
　Roe 2's question stopped the world.
　The shouting of the battlefield quickly became distant in his consciousness and was replaced by a background sound like white noise.
　Minori pondered the meaning of the question.
　Minori had no idea who Roe 2 was. As one of the best players on the Yamato server, he was no stranger to the Elder Tail, and Shiroe might be an acquaintance of his. Or maybe she could use her superior deductive skills to solve the mystery surrounding Roe 2. But Minori can't do it. There was something secret, but Minori had no idea what it was. Roe 2 felt like it came from very far away. That's about all I can say about it.
　Still, Minori stared at Roe 2 and tried to find the answer in his eyes.
　It wasn't the question itself, which was like an ommu-return, but the intent of the question. I thought about the meaning of Roe 2's intelligent smile. I thought about what she wanted.
　And in that questioning, Minori met herself.
　The question of Roe 2 was not a visit to Minori's insight into Roe 2. Who is Roe 2?　What is the truth?　Even that was diminished in importance at this moment.
　Minori knew what her composure was. Minori liked Roe 2. He had felt a familiarity with it from the beginning. He wanted to hear about it, and he wanted to know what she thought. So I wasn't afraid. I wanted to be close to Roe 2. It was a strange emotional move.

'It's not true. I don't know how my brothers feel about it, but this world--'
"There's no such thing. We're always--
　Music descended with the cries of two people heard over the party chat.
　In a world where the steel-tailed pterodactyl fell from the sky and went into slow motion, a nostalgic melody could be heard. It was Isuzu's singing voice, desperately gathering and spinning up thoughts that were about to be torn to shreds.
　It's not because I found out everything about the other party (Roe 2) that I wanted to become close to them.
　He wanted to know who he was after he wanted to get close to him.
　Minori met herself, that is, she wanted to be herself. Roe 2 asked Minori what she wanted in the form of what she wanted. Maybe even this speculation that he "listened" was just Minori's desire. But just thinking that saved Minori.
　The time for solving the riddle was over now.
　All Minori had to do was to speak her wish straight out.
　So Minori told Roe 2 the only answer she had to say right now.

'I am Shiroe's disciple. Roe 2 is our sister. I've come from far away and will be far away, but now I'm here, here, with you.
　Roe 2's eyes widened in surprise.
　It still looked a lot like Minori's favorite person.



　◆



Elegant Act!
　Isuzu, who had sent the Dark Spirit Squire flying with a close-in attack technique, sensed the counterattack with delicate waves that wrapped her body like a cape, and dodged as she spun around.
　A single line of fire was drawn on the projectile line that was opened by that evasive action, and the already wounded "Squire of the Dark Spirit" disappeared as a rainbow colored soap bubble after a moment of stagnation.
''What the hell are these guys?
I don't know. It just came out of nowhere.
　Isuzu and Rundell House were heading to the outskirts of town where Minori and the others were waiting. However, they were taking Minori's word that the battle was still far away, and because they were helping to evacuate the city, they were completely late to the party. In the meantime, the north side of the city seemed to be plunging into a state of warfare for some reason.
　I'm not sure how many enemies there are and how few big ones there are, so for now, the two of us can manage it.
　The combination of the Bard and Sorcerer was not a bad combination of offensive power if you are committed to defeating them individually.
　Rundelhaus, who was in a good mood after seeing Isuzu's face, was more enthusiastic than ever. As for Isuzu, she couldn't help but feel unwilling to have her disgusting face swollen with tears, but she decided to banish that kind of shame from her mind. There's too much to think about, and we're in the middle of a battle right now.
　To tell the truth, Isuzu wasn't prepared for it at all, although I tried to hit Rundell House in frustration. It's clear that she's been blown away and she feels lighter, but the questioning that Isuzu suffered through all night is not so light. For Isuzu, this is the first "real problem" in her life. Even if you ask for an answer, it won't come out.
　That's why I can't leave it alone. Really, I was seriously troubled. A number of wishes came and went in her mind, and Isuzu was being stirred up in a mess. The truth is, even Isuzu has the desire to take a step forward.
　She is afraid to admit it to herself.
　Even now, when I am fighting this battle, I feel like screaming when I turn my attention to it.
　In short, Isuzu is just an ordinary high school girl.
　She is a supporting role that can be found anywhere.
　She knows that if she does something big, she will be laughed at. The thin, pipe-like limbs, the stubborn hair, and the freckles that don't go away even if you take care of them, seemed to be advising Isuzu to mind her own business.

''Oh, no more trouble.''
What's going on?　Miss Isuzu
　Rundelhaus, who had been ahead of me because I'd accidentally let out a whiny mumble, turned around.
'Nope, nothing. Wow!'
Hmm?
Watch it, Rudy. Over here!
　Isuzu pulls Rundelhaus' arm and pulls him to an abandoned building at the side. I noticed that Rundelhaus' MP was down to about 30%. Looking cautiously to the left and right, the two of them entered the greenery-covered ruins and sat down with their backs to the rubble of the second floor, which was reduced to just a pillar and lost its walls.
'Is it all right?'
There's no sign of the Dark Spirit around the building. I think we should be okay for a while.
　Rundelhaus, who pinched the tip of his chin with a finger, replied with a thoughtful look on his face.
　Of the twelve main professions in the Elder Tail, the sorcerer has the greatest firepower. But in exchange, the MP consumption is so high that it cannot be called fuel efficient. Even if you ignore the disadvantage of increased hate, the more you seek offensive power, the more MP is used up like hot water, so you'll need to take short breaks between battles.
　With Isuzu's backup song, Rundel House's MP would recover in five minutes. However, even if it's only a few minutes, this kind of break is quite difficult. The sounds of battle can attract monsters. If they find you, you may have to fight a series of battles, and if that happens, your MP may run out and you may be wiped out. Even if you take a break for a few minutes, it is preferable to avoid corridors with a clear view, and if possible, go into the shadows where you can monitor the surroundings.
　Thanks to the fact that we've done a lot of work in the coordination training, we don't have to be sloppy in that area.
'Miss Isuzu, is everything all right?　Are you out of breath?
Hm. Hmm. You're fine.
　Having said that, Rundelhaus' breathing gradually quieted down. Despite his appearance, he is a competitive man. Isuzu knows that he's even doing personal training on top of basic training.
　Explosions and popping sounds could be heard in the distance. It's a unique sound of large-scale magic.
　The two of them listened closely to it. It was the sound of a battlefield.
　It seemed to have turned into a complete melee. Aside from the sea side, the north side of the city was full of pillars of fire or echoes of steel. The servants of the Dark Spirit, due to their human size, are capable of breaking through the front lines, and the Steel Tailed Dragons use their flying ability to lay waste to the battlefield. It could only be said that defense was impossible from the start.

　I heard Touya's cry via the party chat.
''We all live here!''
　I found that Rundelhaus clenched his fists at the sound of Touya's voice. That's right, this Saphir is the town of the Earthmen, and many of the Earthmen live here.
　Rundelhaus had become an adventurer, but that didn't mean he was no longer an earthling. Isuzu knew that. At the time of the battle to defend Choshi, Isuzu didn't understand that. She knew it, but she didn't understand it.
　At that time, Isuzu had only worried about trying to save the life of Rundell House. He had even thought that Rundelhaus, who was about to jump out of the room without looking in his direction, was a thoughtless young man. But this was not the case. Rundelhaus was trying to protect the Daichijin, his fellow countrymen. He was not a fool who was not afraid to risk his life, but a brave man who was not afraid to risk his life to fight. That is exactly the kind of "adventurer" that Rundelhaus was aiming for. In the town of Choshi, Rundelhaus was an adventurer even before he signed the contract with Shiroe.
"Disperse!　'Shield the building!'
"Why aren't the knights our protectors?
Shut up!
　The cries on the main street were too horrific. The Odyssey Knights seemed to have finally abandoned even their pose of defending the town. When the battle is this turbulent, you know you can't afford to defend your rear.
　I couldn't tell them to defend it. The Knights of the Odyssey are not paid to carry out protective duties. They just happen to be staying in this town and here and there. Isuzu doesn't know, but they must have their own agenda. You can't ask them to protect you by reckoning and expecting them to do so without permission. Even if the Adventurer is immortal.
　Isuzu's fists were shaking next to Isuzu's, but Rundelhaus' fists were shaking. I'm not going to be able to get it right.

--It's not suicide. No one dies in this world. That's why there is no such thing as suicide. We want to go home.
　Isuzu heard that cry over the telepathic communication.
　It was a man's cry that seemed to pierce his heart. It was a confession of nostalgia, wishing only to return to the original world. Isuzu wanted to make it come true. But at the same time, she wondered what a terrible thing to say. There are indeed people who are dying in this world.
　Isuzu suppressed her heart as she remembered the night of the concert.
　Isuzu remembered the night of the concert, and she wondered if the hand that was waving at her song belonged to the Daichijin.
　What was the owner of that hand's sparkling eyes trying to tell Isuzu?

'Miss Isuzu,'
Rudy?
　The words that escaped his clenched mouth were strong and seemed to hold something back, but
Still, we're not...
　Rundelhaus' words were cut off.

　Isuzu didn't know if he was trying to say that we are still alive, or if he was trying to say that we are still here. Perhaps Rundelhaus himself must not have understood either.
　His eyes, which were wide open as he stared beyond the battlefield, were filled with tears that he could not hide.
　Rundelhaus, who had held out his chest in the midst of the fight to the death and had smiled a small smile even at that moment when he was about to be taken up to heaven, was gritting his teeth to hold back his tears. The tears were not shed for him. They were tears for the earthlings to endure the unreasonable. Attacked by a disasterous monster, relying on a band of adventurers, and abandoned and wounded by their fellow countrymen. And that's not all. The Knights of the Odyssey may not consider the Daichians to be the same people.
　The clenched fist of Rundelhaus' fist expresses the same disconnect as "And yet we are". It is an anger that leads nowhere. There is no one to encounter unreasonableness and not even someone to lodge a complaint about it.
　Rundelhaus became an adventurer to fight against unreason, but that does not guarantee victory. How many more times will Rundelhaus feel this way?　That number is probably uncountable.
　But still, Rundel House wants to be proud of it.
　It was the wish of all the Daichijin, Isuzu thought.

(Oh. That's right.)
Me. I was lucky. I was lucky to be born on Earth, a daughter of my dad.
(In times of sadness and pain, there were so many songs.)
　Isuzu squeezed her eyes shut and checked her chest.
　The thoughts that had been raging all night last night and suppressed were finally pouring out.

　Isuzu had been saved.
　She has always been saved.
　When she was sad, there was a sad song.
　When she was happy, there were happy songs.
　When it's brave, it has brave songs.
　They were all around Isuzu.

(It's awful. It's awful here.)
(I have to complain to God, absolutely not, it's not this bad. There's no song. I can't believe they only have forty-two. (I can't stand that.)
　I had never imagined such a place existed.
　It's been so commonplace since I was born, so close to me, that I didn't even realize the blessing of it.
(There's no such thing as not being able to sing when you want to cry.)
(It's just too sad to not have a song when you're angry.)
(It's not fair that I don't have a song to say to God.)

　The morning glow, the blue sky at noon, the reddish-red dusk, and the starry night. In every place where Isuzu walked, in every moment she spent, there was an overflowing amount of music.
　It was filled with countless, sparkling sounds like stars.

(You don't have that kind of music, do you?
　Isuzu threw down the spear it was carrying. It's not a good idea to pay attention to it as it rolls away with a metallic sound, and I held up the lute that I was carrying on my back, the Flying Dolphin of the Spiritual Game. I rubbed up the tears that robbed my vision with my sleeve as hard as I could and wildly strummed the strings.
　Isuzu's beloved instrument made a threatening sound.
　He must feel the same way Isuzu did.
　It's unpleasant. Nothing like this. It's wrong.
　It's wrong to have your thoughts betrayed, to not be able to file a complaint unreasonably, to not be able to smile, to not have music, it's wrong. Isuzu is just a high school girl, but what is wrong is wrong. Whether Isuzu is a fake or not, it doesn't matter anymore.

'Miss Isuzu...?'
Rudy, I'm coming, okay?
"Huh?
　My heart was on fire. I would never forgive him, I thought.
　I would go sell a fight to the gods who had thrown this world out of their hands after writing just a few songs. That decision was the biggest one Isuzu had ever made. It made a mockery of something Isuzu loved and cherished. I will never stop until God or Isuzu falls down in a heap, but no, I will never stop until God cries and apologizes. Isuzu vowed.
　There was no need for Rundelhaus to clench his fists and be speechless.

'To the fight,'
In a fight?
　Isuzu looked down the main street from the crumbling floor of the abandoned building to ignore Rundelhaus, who returned the oomph in surprise. It was irritating to even take the stairs any longer.
　The first stroke was a C chord.
'Miss Isuzu!
　Like a glissando sliding down a string, Isuzu leapt into the dusty air.
　Rundelhaus, Touya, Minori, and Serara.
　Even Isuzu herself.
　There was not a single reason why she should be gazing down.