Liz stood in front of me as if to protect me, and picked up a stone that had been lying on the ground.

She looked across the river, deep into the trees. I look too, but I can see nothing but thick darkness.

I couldn't see what was going on, but I was sure that something was happening.
A disturbing presence that even I, with my dulled hunter's intuition, could clearly understand. In my experience, there are only a limited number of problems that can occur in this kind of situation.

Demons or illusions. And judging from the expression on Liz's face, it's probably the type that's not very good at physical attacks, which Liz is not very good at.

Even high-level hunters with extraterrestrial powers have their strengths and weaknesses. To compensate for this, there are parties.

'............ God! I'm not sure what to say.

I'm not sure what to say. It's not my fault, but it makes me feel a little bad.

It's not my fault, but it makes me feel a little bad. The fact that Liz doesn't immediately jump at him suggests that he's a tough opponent.
I didn't come here on a mission. It's not like she's going to be dealing with a demon she doesn't like with my disadvantage on her back.

What's more, this time, unusually, I wasn't surrounded.

It's a good idea to keep your eyes on the forest and your ears open.

'...... Lies, I'm running. There's nothing to fight about.

I have a 'safe ring', but Liz doesn't.
The warding finger basically only protects the user. In fact, if you push yourself, you can extend the range of the warding, but even then, you need to be in close contact with others in order to protect them.

'You can escape, right?'

'Er, ......, isn't it violent if you're dealing with demons?'

It's not my fault that the ...... demons came out. I'm sure Liz understands that, but her emotions don't agree with it. Apparently, she was very upset that her mood was disturbed.


I'm sure you'll be able to figure out how to do it.

'............ It's too late to explain now, you know!

Liz swung wide and threw a stone.

The stone flies. I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but it's a good idea. The stone, thrown from the slender arms of a high-level hunter, drew a straight line and hit a tree growing on the opposite bank.
The tree, which was not particularly thin, snapped and fell. If it was against an ordinary demon, it would be a viable means of attack.

Are you going to fight ......?


'...... Well, if that's what Crye says, why don't we run? I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it'll be fine.

Can we manage ......?

'Come on, let's go. That thing won't even slow us down.'

Liz walked next to me, looking nonchalant. I caught her right hand.
She stops walking. She must have been in the water a moment ago, but her skin is smooth and hot. He squeezes it with all his strength, and Liz squeezes it back with a little more force.

The rustling of the trees does not cease. Even though there is no wind, you don't hear the cries of the demons, only the intense pressure.

'Cry-chan, ......'

'What?'

'...... My right hand will be used to run away, can you hold my left hand?'

'......Okay.'

I change the hand I hold. I can feel your body heat. Don't worry, I've got Lise. I have warding fingers.
As usual, I start praying to God without showing my face, and Liz finally smiles slightly and pulls my hand and runs off.





'Haha, haha...... ah, I feel like I've been pulled like this before...'

'...... What's wrong? Suddenly!

I was in the middle of escaping reality when I heard the sound of trees falling and the shock of the ground shaking. I've been in the middle of escaping reality, and Liz grabbed my hand and laughed, her eyes shining.

After we ran, there was nothing left. The only thing left was a pile of trees that had been cruelly cut down, forming a simple barricade.
It wasn't a demon that had cut them down, it was Liz. I don't know how useful it is, but it's better than nothing.
Every time I make a big swing of my right arm, a small object crosses my path and the trees on either side of me fall in a heap.

It had been a long time since I'd seen him use it. And I've seen it many times - even at close range, it's as if he's using magic.

In fact, Liz's "Highest Roots" is not a weapon. Her weapon is on her right arm.

'This kind of thing can be surprisingly thrilling and fun! Usually, you can just run away!

It's true that if Liz were alone, she could have escaped by simply running.
I'm dragging my feet. There was no sound of pursuit from behind, but the presence was still there.

I'm not sure if there's anything I can do. ...... At that moment, the Mirage Form that I had on my right hand connected to Liz's came into my eyes.
It's a treasure that I just acquired that allows me to freely create illusions within a meter of my body. It won't be useful in battle, but it might be useful for stopping people. No, it's better than nothing. It could at least distract them.

As you run, you think desperately about what you should say.
A demon is a living thing, it won't attack something stronger than itself.
Both Liz and I are on the slender side. Often, that's why we get attacked. This attacker might not have attacked you if it was Ansem.

There is a limit to the size of the illusion you can create. In a spur of the moment, I created the most frightening thing I've seen in a while - a vision of Arnold.

A vision of an angry Arnold emerges in the night.
Liz, who was running while checking her back, opened her eyes at the vision that appeared without warning.




I'm not sure what to do. I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's a good idea. It's crazy, Cry-chan! It's perfect!

'Haha, haha, ...... it was so sudden, I could only remember your face.'



It was Arnold's head that was projected into the darkness of the night. And perhaps because the horrible face was the most memorable, only the first half of the head was precisely made, with no hair on the back half.
It seems that I am still lacking in training. ...... Eva and Lizzie and the others were able to recreate it immediately.

Arnold's head floating in the darkness of the night was a horror story in itself, but there was no action from the other side. No squeal, no sign of stopping.
As he ran, he turned his head and turned his face toward them. Lizzie is laughing hysterically as she runs.

'...... Is he shy? I think it's pretty well done.'

At least the face is well done. The body. .......

'Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha. Yeah, that's true. That's perfect! I'll show it to you next time I see you, okay? I'm sure he'd love it!

'...... No way.'

I can see how you'd react. Why should I go out of my way to provoke anger?



Thanks to my frantic running, I reach the camp without being overtaken.
My heart was beating wildly. It had been a long time since I had run so hard.

Sitri greets me with a gentle smile. The luggage that I had left on the ground earlier had disappeared, and only the fire was glowing brightly.
The horses tied to the carriage began to neigh, as if they sensed the presence of a demon.

I apologize for bringing trouble to you, even though I only went to fetch water.

'Huh, huh, sorry, Sitri. I have to run.'

'It's been a while, but I'm ready. I'm ready to go. Oh, thank you for the water. I'll take your water bottle.'

You take the canteen from my hand and climb into the carriage.
If you think your luggage is missing, you've sensed trouble from this far away. ...... As usual.

The first thing I saw was a large, black, and white picture of a man and a woman.
The first thing I saw was Tino, who was standing up and looking at me with black and white eyes. Apparently, the noise had woken him up.

Instead of going inside the carriage, Liz climbed on top of it and shouted.

'Sito, your favorite "Pote Drakos"! Did you call me here to make your prediction?

'Please let me out. I didn't call him! If I did, it would be you, Kry!

Neither did I. .......

The carriage starts to move at a brisk pace.
Citri leans out of the window, pulls a potion from his waist, unscrews the cap, and throws it into the fire.

The potion bottle spun around and into the fire, spraying the liquid around.
For a moment, the sound faded. The impact shakes the entire carriage, and for a moment your body lifts off the ground. You hold Sitri as he falls down from the impact.

The darkness clears and hot air comes in. You wake him up and hurriedly look out the window.

The forest is on fire. The flames from the bonfire engulfed the sparse trees around it, and a large amount of white smoke drifted into the sky.
The fire was so strong that it could not be contained naturally. It was clearly overkill. It would be a crime to be caught. But it won't.

Tino looks at me in fear, as if he's clinging to me.

'What's going on, sir? ......'

'It's an exploitation potion. It's a good check.

I frowned at the unpleasant words.

A check? Did you just say 'check'? Does this mean it's only a check?

Sitri continued with a cool face. I envy you for always being so calm.

''Without Lucia, I'm still lacking in offensive power at times like this. I can't help it.

'Can you escape?'

'Yes, ...... if the demon is a "Pote Dracos" as your sister said, there are two ways to do it: a straightforward way and a risky way.

I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but I think it's a good idea.

I'm not sure if the horse is desperate or not, but the carriage is moving forward at a tremendous pace. However, the footholds are not good and the horses are pulling heavy loads, so their speed and stamina must be limited. I really regret that I didn't take the platinum horse carriage that Eva had prepared for us.

Of course, it is the right thing to do. There's no point in taking a risk.

Perhaps realizing my decision from the look on my face, Citly clapped his hands and said to the ceiling.

'Sis, drop Mr. Highlander! I'll use him as bait!

'Oui. Good night, if you're still alive, see you later!

'? What are you...?

What?

Before I could stop myself, the sound of something being kicked down was combined with a scream. The carriage became lighter, and its speed increased slightly.
In the event you're not sure what you're looking for, there are a few things you can do.

You can find a lot of people who are looking for the best way to get the most out of their life. In the villages near the habitat of the 'Pote Drakos', there are always fairy tales that demand sacrifice. Interesting, right?

Not funny at all.
My heart started palpitating and I felt very dizzy.

'Citri! How dare you--'

'What, ......? No, no, no, don't worry. Risking their lives is part of their job.



I'm sure you'll be able to understand that I'm not the only one.

I'm sure you'll be able to find a few things that you can do to make your life easier. I'm sure you'll agree that it's a great idea.
I'm sure you'll find a lot of people who'd like to know more about this. I'm not a saint.

I'm no saint either. If I had to choose between my childhood friend's life and the bodyguard I just hired in a pinch, I would choose the former without hesitation.
But the expression on Citly's face right now was too devoid of guilt.

The carriage was moving forward even as I was doing this.

I know that Citri is not a bad kid, but this is just too much.
It is said that among top hunters, there are often those who lose their humanity in proportion to their strength.
It's good to be strong, but you shouldn't lose what's important as a human being. And as a leader, I had a duty to make sure that Sitri didn't become a bastard.

'I wish you had used a straightforward method.'

'? Let's see, ...... now that's the straight way. ....... 'Don't worry, there are two more decoys.

'............ Then let's choose the riskier method. Stop the carriage. I'll stop the carriage and go pick up Mr. Hailo.'

I didn't want you to be the kind of person who would cut down a man without hesitation, even if it meant taking a risk. I can't face their parents, who believed in me and allowed me to become a hunter.

Citry's eyes widened at my serious words. Her irises, the same color as Lizzie's, flashed for a moment with a hint of agitation, but then her eyes became kind and gentle as usual.
Without asking any questions, she looks up at the ceiling of the carriage and says quickly.

'Sis, I'm sorry! I misjudged, I knew you should go pick up Mr. Hiichiro!

'Eh, it's too small here with him,......, it's too much trouble,.......'

While complaining, Liz jumped from the carriage.
It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're doing. It's possible that the demon has already eaten him, but Liz would never make a bad decision.

No matter how many times I've tasted it, my mind gets confused when unexpected things happen in succession like this. You lose your sense of reality. It's as if I'm having a nightmare.
Sitri bows his head and apologizes in a quiet voice.

'I'm sorry, Mr. Cry. I thought that ...... was a very good move, with almost no disadvantages. ......'

I know. Citri's not a bad kid. He just can't afford it. He's been on the battlefield as a hunter for so long - no matter how talented he is, it must have been enough of a burden to wear his mind down.

'Sitri, it's okay. I'm not going to scold you. ...... I'm not the one who can say that. But I want you to remember that ...... human life is precious--heavier than most risks.'

'Yes, sir. I'm sure you knew how difficult it was to replenish the human population--I'm sorry. I thought if there are three of us, at least one of us is good enough. ......'

I wonder if what I'm saying is really reaching Sitri's heart?
I'm not talking about the difficulty of replenishment. ...... What is replenishment?
I'm not sure what to make of it. Apparently, they were able to retrieve it safely. I'm glad. ...... I'm really glad.

When Citry confirmed this, he smiled shyly.

I'll be careful.

I'm ...... not allowed to be with me?
............ No, I can't think straight. I'll think about the ethics of Citri later. Maybe if he eats good food and takes a hot spring bath, he might return to his old self.

'In the meantime, what's the higher-risk means of ......?'

'Let's see,......, we use demons as bait instead of people. You can't control the demon, so you can't be sure. ...... There are a lot of demons living here, so I think you'll be fine.

Decoy demons,......, is it really safe? It's better than cutting off the humans.
In the event you're not sure what you're looking for, there are a number of things you can do.