This was shortly after Ichijo and the others ran out of the hall and said.
In the middle of the field, the four of them were in the middle of the field.



''Master, don't do that.''

Vel said to me out of the blue.

"...what?

You know what I'm talking about, don't you?　What does that mean?'

....

Vel warns me.

"You're going to be swallowed up in the abyss again, aren't you?

You'll help me out then, won't you?

"Yeah but I'm just trying to help. And I can't help you, either, if you've gone too far. I've said it before.　That's a big thing for the master, isn't it?　You're going to have to answer very much against the Master's will.　Then this is unacceptable.

'What are you talking about?　Consumed? .....

Then, with a question mark on his face, Toa enters our conversation.

Then Vel glares at Toa.

The Toa chuckles, a little surprised.
Naturally, he doesn't seem to understand why he's being stared at.

But I do know.
Because Vel is half my body.

'Vel, stop it.'

I know what you're gonna say.

"No, I'm not stopping. I'm half his body. If I'm not doing my master any favors, I'm against it.　Young lady?　If you like the master, you won't drive him crazy, will you?

Eh....

Toa was having trouble answering, probably because of all the things that had been said at once.

'You know what I mean.　At least it's not the master's will. The master doesn't want to help humans. Because the master has a terrible grudge against human beings.

There's no way I'd understand if you said that out of the blue.

'Do you hold a grudge?　But ... Nito's human too, right?

'That's why. That's why my resentment is even deeper. And as for the products of other worlds, I love them beyond reason.''

It's half my body, so we talk. Is that what you're saying?

'Do you love me?　What do you mean...what do you mean...

Don't you get it?　It means exactly what it says.　That's why helping humans is very much against the Master's will. Are you okay with that, young lady?''

Good so what the hell are you trying to say?

"You're asking if it's okay for the master to lose his identity?

Lose... your... personality?

You can't stop me.
Vel will finish what he's saying.

"It's been that way since the Abyss came into the world. The people who are favoured by the abyss are usually the most sensitive. It takes a keen sense of perception to handle the abyss, you know?　But a high level of sensitivity makes it easy to let the darkness in. That's why the candidates in the past have always had a "stronghold in their hearts". All of them loved the ones they loved and sought to be loved. A "stronghold". Without it, the candidates could not endure the fence of the abyss, which is a powerful magical force. But the most troublesome thing about it is the love.

Will the Toa understand by saying that?
I understand what Vell is saying, but...

"Ready, little girl?　If you've been chosen as the candidate's crutch, you should know how to deal with people accordingly. If you don't have the luxury of being a selfish person, your master will soon be broken.　You're the only person in the Master's life right now. You can't change that fact anymore. There's only one king, but there are people who can lead us there. He doesn't look that important, but he can destroy the candidate if he gets it wrong. Can you imagine what happens to a candidate who loses his or her personality?

....

Toa didn't speak back.

'Vell, it's over. It's over. This time, I'm going to help whoever I can. I've made a promise. To violate it is to violate the Abyss, isn't it?　Betraying the Toa should have more of an impact already.

'Heh ... that's true too. But master, don't try to lie to yourself, okay?　Next time, it won't be more than a friend's arm, will it?

Yeah I know that.

I put the annoying Vel back in the dungeon.
I know you're doing this for my sake, but you're a bit persistent.
I'm sure he's thinking of doing something for my sake, but he's a bit persistent, and if I don't send him back to the dungeon now, that's against his will.
What's more, what did you call Vel for...?

Just then, I heard a scream from somewhere.
Is it beyond the entrance of the venue?
Apparently someone is being attacked.

'Well shall we go now?

When Toa made eye contact with me, he immediately looked away.

'Yes let's go.

Sufilia is also somewhat of an afterthought.
Is she angry that I said I would return her to the prophet?
Nem was squirming.





o





　"A wave of corrosive aura!

At the end of the cool corridor, there were multiple demons.
I quickly deployed my wave motion to invade them.

Then I saw a family cowering there.
One daughter.....

Are you okay?

Toa immediately ran to the three men.
They knew that the person who had saved them was the one who had just killed a student.
But it was Toa who ran to them.
Maybe that's why he seemed confused as to which one to thank.

A changed venue.
Blood was everywhere on the walls.
Fragments of flesh are also scattered. But there is no corpse.
The more I imagine why there are no corpses, the more I can only think of something cruel.
The smell of blood, which smells like metal, infiltrates the area, but its expression is distorted by the smell of dead meat.
The good ventilation is backfiring.

For that matter, was it ever this windy here?
There was supposed to be no wind here.
Maybe somewhere has collapsed and the wind is coming in from there.

'Let's go...'

I ignored the humans and headed straight to the next location.

The Toa had explained to the three of them to follow me.

Relying on my magic and stirring emotions, I proceeded down the passage.
Then, at the bend, there were two more people who had failed to escape.
Toa called out to them again and told them to follow him from behind.

Two more ... and three more. They found one survivor after another, and the next, they found themselves in a line there.

Then we reach the entrance room.

The entrance doorway you can see from there.
If you pass through there, you're already outside.
But there were multiple signs outside.

''You're outside...''

Small magic power and big magic power.
Then I felt the magic power disappear, one by one.
Perhaps someone is fighting outside.
And the one being killed is a human being.

I looked back once there.
Scared people. Everyone is shaking, shoulders huddled together.

I sigh.
Vel was right. This isn't very good.
I'm helping people without any benefit to them.
That alone makes me feel sick. I feel like I'm going to spit it out now.

But I can't help what I've said.

I didn't say anything and opened the doorway as it was.

''【Magic Bullet (Magura)!

The magic chanting that can be heard as soon as it opens.

Could it be the teachers at the school?
Everyone is wearing a uniform.

The teachers were fighting with the demon tribe while sheltering their students and civilians.

One demon tribe, two demon tribe, three demon tribe................maybe ten people in all?
I didn't know I had to kill these guys too but I don't have time to get lost.

''Bloodletting and visceral rage (Bloody Res)!

I reversed the "Fire" magic and released a spell.

Then a dimensional crack appeared in the sky, and a woman wearing what looked like a white nurse's uniform fell from there.
The woman's head was wrapped in bandages that covered only her eyes, and her arms were tied behind her back.
Her feet were bare, and the rest of her was white skin and straight black hair, just like the young woman.
She had no tongue, or she couldn't speak, and she was making some kind of snarling noise.

The woman stood up and turned towards the demon race as if she had noticed.
Then suddenly, she turned her body, emitting a strange sound that made her want to cover her ears.

At that moment, the incision was made from the belly to the neck through the chest, and the intestines and other internal organs flew out from inside, and a large amount of blood was scattered all over the area.
That's an unusual amount for one person.
The intestines stretched upwards from the belly as if dancing, undulating weirdly.

And that's when the magic kicks in.

--The fresh blood that was splattered stops in the air, and it is like a fireball that is unleashed all at once on the demon race.

As if in response to that, the intestines and the woman dancing madly with a wiggling motion.
The blood responded to my will and shot all the demons that were around me.

And when the cleaning was over and there were no more enemies around, the woman's movement stopped unnaturally.
The woman then fell without bending her knees in front of her, but the moment her body touched the ground, the woman instantly turned to blood.
It was stuck to the ground and had a mark on it that looked like a water balloon had been smashed against it.
But inside it was blood.

''Well let's move on.

Even the teacher and the adventurer who seemed to be in the audience were twitching at the sight of it.

I walked past them without a care in the world.
I'm not doing this to be thanked.
You can stop talking to me if you want.

It was still Toa who called out to me.
Trying to explain to them to follow me and save everyone.

And when he was looking at Toa, he shifted his eyes for a moment, and his eyes met with Sufilia's.
But Sufilia doesn't look away and stares at me.
Nemu follows with a worried look on his face.

I know what you mean. But it's for the best.
Everyone needs to get away from me and go where they belong.
Otherwise, we'll all die.

I didn't answer any questions, but continued on toward the town.

I hadn't thought about what to do with Nem, by the way.
Nem was still small, and unlike the two of us, I didn't know where he was from.
The story is that he is an orphan, and when he was even younger than he is now, he lived with his father and mother, but Nem himself doesn't remember where his home is.
But Nem himself does not remember where he lived.

In the meantime, the town of the past comes into view.

--The entire town was burned down.

That's the word I had in mind at first.
The stalls and bars that should have been there this morning are no longer there.
It's like looking at a pile of charcoal and smears.
Several hotels stand unnaturally still there.
But it, too, seems to be falling down.

The ruins of a town that has been turned into an open space by the razing of the shops and lodges that were crowded together.
Everywhere there is a battle going on.
Are they adventurers?
From the way he's dressed, he's probably a guest who came to watch the game against the school.
Behind them, I can see a group of people frozen in place, as if they are frightened.
Apparently they are fighting while protecting their rescuers.
Such a scene is spread everywhere.


--And then, suddenly, the earth shook.

The shaking, which had been faint, increased in magnitude and the evacuees were tripped up.
They crouched down on the spot without thinking.
But I soon realized it wasn't an earthquake.

--A horde.

A vast grassland area beyond the devastated town.
I'm not going to be the only one, but I'm going to be the only one.
I'm not sure what they are, but I could tell immediately from their alien magical power.

--It's the demon tribe.

It's the demon tribe.

It's not just a matter of time before you'll be able to get the right one.
After confirming the safety of the surrounding area, they sent the evacuees to wait for the spot, and then, lo and behold, they ran towards the horde in the distance.

What a brave bunch.
I guess that's what they call heroes.
But when I saw them, I thought for a moment.

--I'm not going to be able to get the best out of him.

You can't afford to be reckless.
I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to find out what's going on in the world.
Perhaps the adrenaline is pumping through me and I'm losing my mind.

But so am I.
I promised Toa that I would be a hero, only this time I'm a hero.
Everywhere I go, I have to play the hero until this fight is over.

Then I saw most of the people I could see from here heading towards that horde without hesitation.
To be clear, if they could think of defeating it, they could have thought of escaping, couldn't they?
You've been able to evacuate, and I think you should be able to run away now, but why not?
Is it your wizard's nature or something?
If we took him to the schoolhouse in Heilkwaite and toned him down in transition, we'd have a shot.
But apparently not a single one of them was thinking about that.

But as I slowly shifted my gaze to the right, to the right, I saw a certain group of people there.
Those guys didn't even fight with the mages, they just stood there.

--Brave man, you and your group....

I can see Saeki in the lead.
Let's just go for now..........

'I think we're done here, right?　The enemy is only on one side. We should be safe here.

I suggest to Toa.

Just then, the evacuees scattered around us find a line and come running up.
You want to be with as many people as possible.
But in such a case, I would think that it would be safer to be alone.
You can hide if you are alone, but you can't hide if there are so many of them. It's the end of the world if they find us.

The Toa took me up on my offer and sent the evacuees we had brought with us to stand by.
I confirm this and immediately head to where Saeki and the others are.
Then I felt the presence of three people behind me.

"...Are you following me?　Maybe we'll get into a clash with the demon race from here?

I'd like to see three of them stay here, if possible.
It would be nothing more than a slaughter from here.
It wouldn't be particularly good for the three of us to be here.
I don't want to show them too much.

When I asked them that, they stared hard into my eyes.

''I.......do not intend to leave Nito-sama's side for even a moment until the time this life ends. Please. Please don't abandon me. Please ... let me stay by your side.

Sufilia appealed to me with tears in her eyes.
I'm honestly glad. There was no one who would say this to me before, even as a prank.
But that's why........because you wanted to be with me like this, and because you felt that way, I want to do what is best for Sufilia.

''Nem is already.....Master's!　Nem's master is the only master!　Nem will not leave!　Ever!　He's with his master!

Nem appeals to me, wiping away tears over and over again.
So does Nem.
Nemu is like my daughter now.
So I don't really want to leave her.
But a part of me thinks it's better to be away from me when I think about Nemours.

'Nito, you don't have to worry about that, do you?　Because I love you more than anyone else. No matter what you do in the future, I will continue to love you and you alone...

Toa smiled at me.

'Guys...'

I couldn't help but feel something spill out of me.


.........


Hmm?

Do you continue to love her? .........

I stared at Toa with a belated sense of discomfort.

''....Hmm?　What's going on, Nito?

The Toa is just there, smiling gently.
But I only felt that smile was uncomfortable.
It's an uncanny smile, as if it's an act of kindness.

"Toa?　You ... there's something wrong with you, isn't there?

'What?　Crazy? ... what?

But when I ask, Toa says he doesn't understand what I'm saying.

What is it?　Toa is smiling at me.

'Are you mad at me?　Or.....

Are you mad at me?　Me? I'm not mad at you, okay?　Because I love you. How can I be mad at you?

Do you love her? .........

Normally Toa wouldn't say something like that.
Or rather, it must have been the first time Toa had ever said something like that to me.
After all, had I said something inappropriate?
No, I killed Kyogoku.
He's probably still angry about it.
Nem said he still wants to follow me, but that doesn't mean he's not going to follow Toa as well.
Plus, there's Vel's sermon.
There's no end to the reasons why Toa is angry, if you look for them.


With Toa at my side, I shift my gaze to Saeki and the others.
I didn't dare to say anything back to the three of them, nor did I deny that they were following me.
And without replying, I headed straight for the brave men.



　When I arrived, the first person to notice me was Saeki.

''You........''

When Saeki noticed me, he immediately glared at me with hostility.

''........''

What the hell do you want to do here?　This is no place for a murderer like you.

He can't forgive himself for killing Kyogoku.
You cursed me and killed me, so how can you have such feelings?
You killed me, so why do you lament the death of others is a contradiction in terms.

"You can't defeat the demons by yourselves. Let me help you.

Helping out?　What's going on here?　You killed Kyogoku for no reason!　What the hell do you think you can do?　Get your hands dirty!　Who the hell can you help?!

Saeki curses at him.
After all, this guy hasn't changed.
He's got a short temper, and when he's angry he can say whatever he wants.

And........how can you say that while leaving me to die?
You're the one who's dirty, aren't you?
You killed him for no reason.
And that's twice.

'Then why are you here?　Why don't you fight with them?

....

My nose twitches at my pursuit.

'Like I said, it didn't work, did it?　Saeki-san.

Saeki is no longer mollified.

'No matter how much you scream, that's just the way it is in the end.

"Stop using that fancy honorific, you don't respect anybody, do you?

....

I ignore Saeki and walk past him.

'Nito-san!'

Then there was another person who called out to me.

A little bird.

"...Yes?

I slowly turn around.

'You're going to help us ... help us, aren't you?

West Castle?

Saeki gives a question mark to the little birdie's question.
It wasn't just Saeki.
All the students there had doubts.
In other words, they all have the same intentions as Saeki.
Although it seems that Kotori is different.

''Saijo-san, you shouldn't do that.

Then Kamii is trying to stop the little birds in some way.

'If we decide that they are enough, we won't do anything. But if it's too close to call, we'll join them.

The little bird was staring at me.
I didn't look away.

'Then ... please ... Please help the doctor.

'Mr. Saijo!　I don't need this guy to help me!　It's not a crap shoot anyway!



But the little bird still looks at me.

''Leave it to me..............And no matter how little power you have, there are things you guys can do, right?　Instead of staying here, why don't you at least help the evacuees around you?

I say just that and leave without turning around anymore.
The Toa, Nem and Sufiria follow at a trot behind me.

I tell them I'm going to help them. I told them I would help them, and that I would.
But the disgust I can still feel from Saeki and the others is still there.
I can feel it more clearly than the magic surge.
To those guys, even that truant punk was a friend.
That's why they can't forgive me.

''Huh........''

Oddly enough they were rather bad for being united.

There's a reason why I laughed.
I don't know what I was thinking about, but for a moment I thought, "There's no place for me there anymore," and that's a nonsensical thought.
It's a really funny story.
Whatever the momentary emotion, you want to tweak yourself and wonder what you're thinking.
"I don't know why I muttered something like 'there's no place for me there'.
That's already an argument to begin with, and it goes without saying. It's out of the question.
It is tempting to deny that you have muttered such a thing many times, even if it was in your mind.
But the more you deny it, the more you want to deny your thoughts, and as a result, it becomes a vicious circle.
Nonsensical expressions like "place" just make me want to vomit.
There is no such thing. Well, you know it's not supposed to be.

The bodies of people who didn't get away.
The bodies of people they tried to help.
They are no longer discernible.

In the midst of the stench that stings my nose and the smell of burning, I proceeded to the battlefield.