*

　Fene and the others ran in single file down a dimly lit alleyway.
　Fene is the first, then Liv, then Laura, and then Fuzzyka at the end of the line.

I knew it was the right choice to go down the alleyway.

　Fane clenched his fists as he ran.
　It was only one alleyway and it was lying quiet.

'Well, you're right, though,'
'You haven't encountered a single undead person, so what's your beef with them?'
It's not cool to be sneaky.

　Liv blurted out.

'This is why I have a problem with brainiacs!　Now is the time to sneak around to help Chris-sama!
Yeah, but...

　After all, Liv is not happy.
　Fene can't understand why he is dissatisfied at all.
　It's a feeling unique to the Bison Horn tribe, but...

''How can you be a mercenary like that?
Mercenaries are supposed to stand out.
What are you going to do to stand out?
We need to stand out or they won't appreciate us.

　Liv said in a tone of voice that said, "What are you talking about?
　If you ask me, I think you have a point--'

''What if we're surrounded by enemies?''
Why don't you just take it down?
Brainiacs, by the way.
It's not like I'm bothering anyone.
But I think you're not doing a very good job with all that.

　Some requests may require you to act covertly.

I'm not going to take a job that looks like a chore.
Who do you think you are to pick and choose which job to do?
There's no point in taking a job that doesn't match your aptitude for it. It's part of your job to decide if it's right for you or not.
Ugh, I hate Bison Horns.

　Fene grunted.
　What pisses me off is that Liv was highly regarded as a mercenary with such a chaotic lifestyle.

'The world is not fair.'
That's just the way it is.
I'm just saying.

　I know all too well that the world is unfair.
　We have to bemoan our lack of ability, but we have to make do with it.

'Please both of you slow down,'
What's going on?
Mr. Fujica is running a little behind.

　Fene slowed down and stopped.
　After a while--.

''Mi, mi, mi, mi, everyone's feet are so fast and...''

　Fujica caught up with him.
　His breathing was ragged and his legs were shaking.
　Even a newborn fawn would be more solid.

"I think I've adjusted my running, though.
You have no stamina.
Here, here, here, here, and here, well, you know, the average girl's time is just wow, better than the average time.

　I don't know, but I guess I'm trying to tell you that I'm as strong as humanly possible.

'Oh, and on top of that, I can't see my feet very well.
Is that right?

　Fene tilted her head.

'What about you, Laura?'
I can handle this one.
I grew up in the city.
In case you're wondering, I grew up in the city too...

　Laura grunted.

'Fleeting resistance, isn't it?'
I know that, sir.

　Laura hung her head disappointedly and let out a deep sigh.
　She suddenly remembered the feel of Fujica's hands.
　They felt like soft, freshly baked white bread.
　As he says, Fujica is a young lady.
　Laura is a knight - and a country knight at that.
　I don't wonder why she's trying to compete with him when it's only going to get harder.

'What do we do?'
We'll take it slow from here.
I'm still hot.
What the hell happened to him?
Ugh.....

　Fujika grunted softly.

'It's part of my ability to figure out what I can do and what I can't.
You know what I'm talking about.

　Liv said with a grin.

'It's a different matter of picking and choosing your work.
No, I'm just trying to figure out in my own way what I can do and what I can't do.
Is that right?
Yes,

　Liv said, sounding miffed.

'I get the feeling that Liv is going to say she's not in the mood or something and turn down the job.
It happens.
Isn't that a problem?
No, no, no, I've got my own set of problems.
What's the story?

　I'm sure it's not a big reason, but I'll check it out just in case.

My client was pissed off.
What do you think?
He's an honest-to-God mercenary and adventurer.

　Liv said proudly.

'This is why I hate the Bison Horns. It makes me feel like an idiot for taking them seriously.'
Hmm?　You've been so serious in your life?
Of course.

　Fane puffed out his chest.
　He had been crowned with an adventurer's relics in the dungeon, but he would keep quiet.

'You know how your ears droop when you spout lies?
"It doesn't sag.
What, you're not getting it?

　Liv said indignantly.

'You should think harder if you're going to hook me up, a**h*le.
Well, it's a pain in the ass.
I don't see why we should bother.
I'm not really looking to get all worked up about it.
Brainiacs, by the way.
It's not as bad as trying to hook up with your buddies and formulating ideas.
Who tried to trap me in the street?
So he didn't really mean it.
Really?
Let's go.

　Liv wagged Fene's head and started to walk away.

'We'll be the first to go.
I know.

　Fene led the way to the Count's mansion.

*

　Lilia was running down the main street with her brother's hand in tow.
　Her throat hurt, the smell of iron filling her mouth.
　Still, he couldn't slow down.
　A clinking sound echoes from behind me.
　It's the sound the skeletons are making.
　I look at the shoulder of the road for a moment, wondering if they've caught up with me.
　There was a dead body there.
　It's not just here.
　There are corpses lying all over Rockwell.
　It's like a nightmare I had as a child.
　It's a dream of being chased by a monster.
　No, I don't know if I was chased by a monster.
　I didn't see the monster in my dream.
　But I was motivated by an indescribable fear, the thought that it would be the end of me if it caught up with me, and I ran.
　I wish it were a dream.
　If it's a dream, I won't die if it catches up with me.
　You would jump out of bed and say, "Oh, I was scared," and that would be the end of it.
　But this is real.
　If they catch up with you, they'll kill you.
　If you just get killed, you'll still be trapped under the Immortal King's spell and unable to reincarnate.
　And they will continue to kill people as the Immortal King's spire.

''Ah!''

　A high-pitched voice rang out, and my hands grew light.
　Her brother had fallen.
　Lilia reflexively turned around and almost screamed.
　Countless - countless skeletons were closing in on us.
　He had to go help his brother.
　I must run to him and make him stand.
　My legs cowered even though I knew that in my head.
　Run away, someone whispered to me.
　If you're willing to put your life before your own, you should run.
　He ran out of the church to check on his family's safety, but did he have to?
　Lilia's family is poor.
　It became even poorer when her brother was born.
　Her parents tried, but eventually - Lilia ended up working in the church.
　It's better than being a prostitute, but it's still an abandonment.
　Life in the church is hard and demanding.
　The reason she had to live such a life is because she has a younger brother.
　If it weren't for my brother, I wouldn't have been abandoned.
　It might be a limited amount of time, but I could monopolize my parents' love.
　Oh, Lilia pouted.
　How could it be?
　They had loved her, they should have loved her, but she couldn't remember that memory.
　All I can remember are the bad memories.
　All I can recall are the ugly feelings that come up.

'Sis!'
Oh, no!

　My brother screamed and Lilia screamed.
　She ran to her brother--.

''Oh........''

　A small murmur.
　The swarm of skeletons was close at hand.
　Impossible. I can't escape.

'....or God.

　Please just save my brother, Lilia said, clutching the necklace.
　That's when.

'Wind Blitz!

　An interesting voice sounded and a gust of wind rushed in from behind.
　The green light hit and the skeleton fell down.
　But what in the world would be the point of just defeating it?
　The next moment when I thought that, someone passed over my head.
　When I noticed, a man - a boy - was standing there, protecting Lilia and the others.
　The jet black coat, the embroidery of flames on his back.
　The flame--the symbol of the strongest adventuring team.
　A flock of skeletons, clicking their teeth together, rushes to the boy.
　The boy does not panic.
　He doesn't even make a fuss.
　He exhales in a small, audible sigh.

'Ignition (ignition)!'

　The jet-black flame that was the origin of the team erupted from his right arm.
　The seven evils - the spirits that control the spirit.
　The calamity produced by people.
　The next moment when the boy randomly flashed his arm, the skeleton in the front row burst into flames.
　In an instant, they turned to dust.
　However, the sensibility to fear it has long since been lost.
　The skeletons attacked the boy.

''Are you okay?''

　I looked up and saw a girl with silver-rimmed glasses standing there.

''Oh, um, about us...''
I don't need your help.

　The girl said in a light tone.

'But ...'
Sis, that's great.

　His brother muttered and looked ahead. Then the boy overwhelmed the crowd of skeletons.
　The skeletons turned to dust with a swing of his right arm, shattering with punches and kicks.
　A touch of armor-sleeve would be what they would call it.
　Lilia gripped the necklace and looked at the boy - the leader of the black flames, Mako.



Well that's definitely weird.

　Mako stared at the bone-strewn ground.
　The bones turned black and turned to dust in an instant.
　If it was an enemy defeated by jet-black flames, it would still be an enemy defeated normally, but it would also turn to dust.
　It's just a rule of thumb, but it's obviously strange.
　Well, I didn't even notice it until Yuka pointed it out to me.

''Mako, what are you doing?''
Sorry.

　Makoto turned to Yuka.
　The two children - apparently sister and brother - were squatting beside her.
　The older sister was somewhere--.

'Ah, the church receptionist?'
You remember me.
Well, yeah.

　I didn't realize it right away, but I should keep my mouth shut here.

'Then why are you in the city?
I just wanted to make sure my family was okay.
I see.

　The fact that he only had a brother means that his parents must have been killed.

If I'd acted a little sooner, I might have been able to save them.
No, please don't blame yourself.
Yeah.

　Mako nodded after a moment's pause.
　He hadn't been wrong to put Shelly first.
　But when someone he knew told him that his parents were dead, he felt guilty.
　I think it was selfish of me.

'I'll walk you to church.'
Oh, thank you. But...
Never mind that I was originally going to take the residents to the church after I saved them.

　Even if I told them to go to the church on their own, they would be killed by skeletons on the way.
　It would be less efficient, but it would be better for Makoto and the others to send them there.

''And.........''

　Mako took off her coat and offered it to the receptionist.

'Explain your reasons properly,'
I don't know what's gonna happen. You never know what might happen." "I'll give you my coat. It's made of fire-rat leather, so it'll come in handy for a bit.
Oh, thank you.

　When Makoto explained why, the receptionist took the coat and turned her attention to her brother.

''........Yuka.''
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know.

　Yuka took off her cape and put it over the receptionist's brother.

'You're a good listener,'
Because I'm on the right side of things now.

　'Hmm,' sniffed Yuka.

'Let's get going,'
Can you stand?

　'Yes,' the receptionist nodded and stood up with her brother.

'I'll take the lead, and Yuka will be the lord.
Okay.

　Yuka lightly cowered her shoulders and Mako started running towards the church.
　Even if I say run, I'm adding and subtracting.
　If I didn't add or subtract, I'd leave the receptionists behind.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find the right one.
　There are a few dead bodies lying here and there, but the damage is less than I imagined.

''Well the guards said that a bunch of undead suddenly appeared.
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes...

　The receptionist coughed lightly.
　I was running quite slowly, but it was a bit too much.
　After running in silence for a while, the church came into view.
　The street in front of the church was filled with people, as if they had escaped from the undead.
　No--.

''........It's amazing.

　Mako stopped and muttered.
　It was a skeleton that he thought was human.

'Such a church...'

　The receptionist mutters in dismay.
　Mako doesn't feel anything, but it would be a nightmarish sight for the faithful.

'Looks like you made it in time,'

　Yuka stood next to Makoto.

'Where?'
Hey, Mako, calm down and observe a bit more.
I'm trying to be cool, okay?
So your eyes are knotty.
....

　Makoto looked again at the street in front of the church.
　It's filled with skeletons, but--'

'You're not attacking them, are you?
That's what I mean.

　Hmph, Yuka sniffed.
　The street in front of the church was filled with skeletons, but the church hadn't been attacked.
　Apparently, skeletons can't get near the church beyond a certain point.
　I don't know if it's the priest's power or God's blessing.

'What are we going to do?'
We're on the right side of things now, aren't we?
Oh, I forgot. Yeah, well, we're on the same side now.
Can't we just blow them up with a bang?
That doesn't sound like a justifiable thing to say.

　Yuka said with a mixture of sighs and hung her head in disappointment.

'You disagree?'
I'm sorry, but I agree. But we need to get these two out of here before we blow them up.

　Yuka turned her attention to the receptionist and her brother.
　Immediately after, the door to the building opened.
　The one who opened the door was a middle-aged woman.

''Well you guys, come on in.

　The middle-aged woman said in a stifled voice and beckoned him to join her.

'Just in time. Take care of you two.'
What are you guys going to do?
We're not...

　Makoto turned his attention to Skelton.

'I thought I'd take those guys down.
Are you guys crazy?
I'm sane.
I thought you were with him.
I'm your partner, but I don't want you to think of me as a poor kid.

　With that, Yuka ruffled her hair.

'Anyway, take care of these two.'
All right. Come on, get in there.

　The middle-aged woman spat and invited the receptionists into the house.

''Well, Makoto-sama, good luck to you!

　Shortly after the receptionist said that, the door closed.

''Well you didn't give me my coat and cape back.
Can I have it back now?
That's a bit of a stretch.

　Now the matoes are on the side of justice.
　I don't want to make things worse.

What's the plan?
How about I cast a spell and you run into it?
What do you do then?
I'm going to keep shooting magic and Mako is going to keep flailing away.
You sure you don't want to be involved?
I'll use the tracking rounds, if you'll excuse me.

　Yuka said, sounding miffed.

'And, no weird gods, right?
I don't think I need to deal with skeletons, but why?

　When you change your god, you'll be in extreme pain and your consciousness will be clouded, but you can greatly increase your fighting power.
　I think it should be a trump card.

''Because .......................I'm scared.
What?
That's why I'm scared.
What?　Scared?
Yes, I'm scared!

　Yuka said, her face turning red.

'You may not understand this because you're on the side of the altered god, but I'm so scared!　I'm on a level of incontinence!
She was involuntarily incontinent.

　What a contradiction in terms.

That's how scary it is. I'm pretty sure it's some kind of demonic force.
Well, he's the seventh evil.

　As I recall, each of the seven deadly sins had a demon set up to control the sin.
　With that in mind, I feel that the expression "demonic power" is not wrong.

''There must be some kind of penalty for that.
I don't think you should be too worried about it.
I don't care. When you die, who's going to send me back to the world?
You're talking about yourself?
'Yes. If Mako dies or becomes crippled or loses an arm or a leg or something, you wouldn't be happy to go back to your world.

　Yuka's cheeks flushed red with embarrassment.

''I'm not going to die or become a cripple or lose an arm or a leg.
You almost died in the Skeleton King's dungeon.

　Yuka's lips twitched in a sultry manner.

'Surprising.'
What?
'I thought Yuka was the type of person who didn't care about that sort of thing.
I'm not as ungrateful as you think I am.
Really?
Yes!

　Yuka raised her voice.

'For now, I'll take good care of you so that you don't turn into a changeling.
You promise you'll do it.
I can't make any promises.

　If the other seven evils appear, you'll have to change your god.

'Refrain from doing so as much as you can.
Yeah, I promise you that.

　Yuka blurted out and Makoto nodded.
　It's a cute place to be, my partner.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this in the future.

It's a good idea.
Yeah.
'I'll run into you as soon as Yuka unleashes her magic.
Okay.

　Yuka readied her staff.

'Skill and magic maximization (Maximization), parallel activation (Multitasking) x 100! Luno Kesta Agata!　O Periolis the Imperishable--

　A spell echoes through the air, but the skeleton refuses to move from the front of the church.
　A magic circle unfolds, and sparks bounce off of it.

'Chase, chase, like a hound, be the hound that chases my enemy!　Reveal, homing bullets!

　Light radiated out from the magic circle, branching out in countless ways.
　The light covered the sky and fell like a meteor.
　Penetrated by the light, the skeleton turns to dust.

'Ignition!'

　Mako wore jet-black fire on her right arm and plunged into the swarm of skeletons.
　The skeletons came rushing in, clicking and clacking their teeth.
　Although the numbers are overwhelming, they are still skeletons.
　They are easily shattered by the thrusts and kicks unleashed carelessly and turn to dust.

''Re-chant (repeat)!

　Yuka's voice rang out, and the light poured down.
　The skeleton turns to dust, but it keeps rushing in.

''........there's no end in sight.

　Makoto blurted out as he crushed the skeletons' skulls.
　The number of skeletons doesn't decrease at all, no matter how many he defeats.
　It shouldn't be an illusion, but it's somewhat inconclusive.
　I should probably check it out, just to make sure.

''Ignition!''

　Mako screamed and swung her legs down.
　A crack ran across the stone pavement and jet black flames erupted.
　The skeleton that surrounded Makoto instantly turned to dust--.

''Ignite!''

　The jet-black flames flared up violently, and Makoto slammed his right fist into the stone pavement.
　The cobblestone shatters and the ground caves in significantly.
　The jet-black flames slid across the ground and erupted directly above.
　The skeletons that had filled the street in front of the church turned to dust, and Mako returned to the ground beneath Yuka.
　The flames were still burning.

'You did it with quite a flourish.
Not as much as Yuka.

　He clapped lightly and stared at the flames.
　The flames disappeared, and the air flickered.
　Then, a skeleton appeared as if oozing out of space.

''........At last....
Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, here's the trick.

　Yuka said as she spat.

'What are we going to do?'
At times like this...
Well, I thought I'd complain about getting woken up, but I never thought I'd meet my peers.

　A sticky voice interrupted Makoto's words.

'I thought it was always a good idea to beat the mastermind, but this is how it's supposed to turn out.

　I turned around and saw a beastman woman standing about twenty meters away.
　She was dressed in an extravagant kimono, and her hair was adorned with a glittering comb that she had tied up beautifully.
　I've never seen the real thing, but it reminds me of a flower girl.
　If there are a hundred of them, a hundred would say she's a beautiful woman, and she has good looks.
　However, that's only the right half.
　The left half of the skull is bare.
　Darkness rattles in the eye sockets, and a blue flame flickers in the center of it.

'I'm not a beast, and I'm not undead.
I didn't expect it to work out that way. How's that?

　When the woman pointed her index finger upwards, a jet black flame lit up.

''I knew it, Seven Evil, huh?''
''That's right. I have one of the seven evils in my life........Kuzuha.
You're not jadeite?
Well, I don't know anyone who does.

　The woman--Kuzuha laughed roundly.

''Will you step aside for the good of the seven evils?
Mako!

　Yuka slaps Makoto's second arm with the back of her hand.

'What?'
I don't think he's going to back down, do we?
There's a word for it: no and original.

　It's not very hopeful, since they're even attacking us out of the blue, but it would be a blessing if they retreated.

"Hmm, I'm awake, and I'm in a bad mood, but...

　Kuzuha took out a fan out of nowhere.
　I don't have a good feeling about this.
　Kuzuha vigorously opened the fan and Makoto cowered.

'There's no need to be so frightened. Here, look behind you.''

　Kuzuha folded his fan and pointed behind him with the tip of it.
　I looked behind me over my shoulder and saw that the skeleton had disappeared.

''Thanks.''
"For the seventh son of a b*tc*.
And if you don't mind me saying this, why don't you go back to where you came from and live in peace without us knowing about it?
It's coming fast and furious.

　Kuzuha said in a dumbfounded manner.
　I think I'm being selfish, but it's no good and original.
　If I don't have to fight it, that's better.

''But I'll decline.''
Why?
I am an undead man. She is made to eat the living.
What's wrong with animals?
That's not very efficient. Besides....
And?

　When Makoto muttered to himself to parrot, Kuzuha lifted the corners of his mouth in a nyi.
　I have a bad feeling about this.

'I'm jealous of humans. I envy your warm bodies, I envy that you breathe, you eat good food, you shit, you sleep... I'm so jealous of you people, I can't stand it!
I don't think eating people is going to hurt us.

　After all, Kuzuha is dead.
　Jealousy won't help you.

But I'll be d*mned.
It's out in the open.
'Right. What's wrong with taking it out on the people who have what the mistress has lost?　You're just like me, aren't you?
It's not...

　I couldn't say "neeeeeee".
　When I was struggling to pay off my debt, I envied the people around me.
　I hated them for the fact that I was suffering.
　Mako was helpless at that time, and she couldn't even be desperate enough to throw it all away.
　If he had the strength, if he had been desperate, he would have taken it out on her.

'Well, yes,'
Hey, Makoto!

　Yuka slapped Makoto's second arm with the back of her hand.

'I see your point. And I'll admit I'm pretty much the same way.
Yeah, right.

　Kuzuha laughed in amusement, but his eyes were not smiling.

''On top of that I'm not going to let a guy who wants to hurt something I care about get away with it.
"Ha!　That's the seventh evil!

　As Makoto held up his fist, Kuzuha held up his fan.
　How do you fight with a fan?
　As he was thinking about this, a tail appeared behind Kuzuha.
　There were nine of them.

''Before we fight, let me ask you something?''
What is it?
Are you him?
I don't know, but if you mean he betrayed his country, then yes, he did. He was pursued by many soldiers and died in this place.

　The legendary himself, Mako clicked her tongue.

Have you answered the question?
Yeah, but that doesn't change things.
Goodbye.

　Kuzuha laughed again.