Minerva, who was at the side, responded to Rona's murmurings.

''Do you know him, Rona?

　To Minerva's question, Rona replies appropriately, "Well, you know.　

　If it's here, but as far as Rona knows, there's no one over there who calls Ardis 'Al'.
　Also, most people would not have known that Rona called Ardis that.

　To begin with, Rona never conversed with Aldis in public.
　The only exception was Nere, but of course Minerva and Moore had never been there.
　So when Rona mentioned the name 'Al', Minerva probably had no idea who it was.

　For a moment, the thought of whether she should also explain to Minerva and the others flashed through Rona's mind, but she quickly waved the thought away for selfish reasons.

(Hassle no!)

　Even Rona doesn't know what's going on, and I don't have the confidence to explain it to them, and I don't have the right to do that.

I'm going to go out for a while. I'm not going to be able to get to the bottom of it. If you are in danger, shout out a warning, or run away quickly.

　Abandoning her accountability early, Rona began to walk as if she were going for a walk toward Aldis, who was still fighting the multitude of Neduros.

　The closer she got, the more clearly she could see Ardis' figure.
　The scarred body, the tattered armor, the sword that is no longer a blunt instrument because the blade has spilled so badly, and the face that is black and dirty.

　The expression on his face is one of frustration and hatred.
　It's a different person from Ardis, who until just a few days ago was smiling calmly at the twins.

　The most important difference would be that Ardis's figure is not a child.
　It is that he is showing the age-appropriate figure that Rona once knew, just before thirty, where the vigor of youth and the skillfulness of experience are coming into harmony.

(What does that mean?)

　It's been two days since I left Ardis in that form last, and then I went to the other world and met Ardis as a child for about five years.
　Now that I understand that apparently the speed of time flows differently here and over there, if Rona's guess is correct, seven days have passed in our time.

(Is that really Al?)

　If it's Aldis out of the corner of your eye, who the hell is Aldis on the other side?

(Fake ......, and it's pretty clear it's not.)

　No matter how much his body has been rejuvenated and his strength has been halved, Rona knows how to fight Aldis better than anyone else.
　Rona doesn't think her eyes are knotty enough to know the difference between a fake and the real one after five years of being by her side.

(Oh well. Just talk to Al in front of me first, then figure it out.)

　There were so many Neduros if you look at them, and only two more remained.
　For Aldis, the rest would be like a cooldown.
　His dark eyes flickered to Rona as he knocked Neduro off, and he returned to the fight as if nothing had happened.

(It's Al, after all.)

　Rona is convinced by the fact that he doesn't seem to regard us as either an enemy or a suspicious opponent, at least not at all.

　Then, about the time Rona has stepped on the earth ten times with all four feet, Aldis, who has put away all the neduros, comes down from above with an expression that is the furthest thing from cheerfulness on his face.

'Rona?'

　At the opening, Aldis says shortly.

　The conviction doesn't waver even as he gets closer to this distance.
　The person in front of him was unmistakably Rona's partner, Aldis.
　But on the other hand, Rona is struck by a strange sensation and twists her head.

　There is no basis for this.
　But even though Ardis, whom you should know very well, is right next to you, for some reason you have the impression that he has a strangely weak presence.

'What are you doing here, Al?

　Rona asks an unprovoked question while having a mountain of questions inside.
　Aldis's reaction to it is even more intense than expected.

　The expression of anguish, as if enduring something, is instantly broken, revealing anger like a fierce fire.
　As it was, he turned his stinging gaze to Rona and unleashed an angry voice as if to smack her.

''What do you mean what are you doing!

Hi!

　Rona's hair stood on end against her.
　I was blown away by the killing spirit that was about to slash at me, and I instinctively put up a defensive barrier.

'Of course you lost!　I'm fighting alone, in the middle of nowhere, looking this disgusting!　Do you think this looks like a battle cry for that woman!　You say it looks like we're celebrating!

　Pressured by Aldis, who was slamming words into her furiously, Rona shrank back with her tail between her legs and her ears flattened.

'Our movements were through the tubes!　She's dragging us in!　It's all in your hand!　Joanne, Darwat, and Lexi all got beaten up!　Even Grace has that wound: ......!　At least that's what I thought of that woman: ......!　But I can't reach it. I can't reach it!　I'm the only one, saved by Erion and Sark, and congratulations to you here: ......!

　Aldis' eyes bleed and turn red.

　If rage were to turn into a destructive force, a fierce emotion that would become a fang and a blade that would shatter everything around it.
　There was an object called a human being that felt as dangerous as a sword blade, as if it would be cut to pieces if touched carelessly.

　The magic power of Ardis that leaked out from the rage interfered with the magic power in the atmosphere, making the air vibrate eerily.
　It was no illusion that the surrounding landscape looked distorted like a mirage.

　A few moments that felt very long.

　It was only after counting three breaths that Rona, almost crushed by the unspoken pressure, was finally released.

...... sorry. I don't blame you for this, do I?

　Ardis apologized for her disapproval with a weak voice, a change from the previous one.
　The magic power that was leaking out of his body has subsided and his breathing has regained its calmness.

　But to Rona, it looked as if she was forcing a whirlwind of emotions to be suppressed by reason.

I'm sure you'll be able to find your way around. Do you know where you are?

I don't know. I'm just trying to find my way home, too. Don't you know where to find ...... and Al?

　Rona, finally comfortable with the lack of intimidation from Aldis, replied fearfully.

...... I don't know. I've been walking for seven days now. I've been walking around for seven days now and I've heard that Erion skipped me, but ....... If that bastard has a trump card like that, he should have sent me to that woman from the start .......

　As she stared at the lone Aldis with a twisted face, Rona tried to get her head around the situation in full swing.

(I guess it's after ...... he challenged that crazy woman and lost.)

　Rona surmises, combining the state of Aldis with the history she had heard from the man himself in the other world.

(From that point on, it's been seven days here, which means it's been seven years over there. I guess the math works out. But then what's strange is that Al was here and there at the same time?　(Hmmm, I don't really know.)

　For starters, Rona tries to name the person on the other side who is related to Aldis.

'Hey Al. Do you remember the name Nere?

Who's that?

Ever heard of Phylicia or Liana or Cyril?

Is that the new guy's name?　I'm sorry, but I didn't know much about it until the new guy. I couldn't afford it, and I didn't take any of the younger guys with me on this one, either.

　Aldis' reaction was that he really had no idea who he was talking about.

　Of course, there is no need for Aldis to lie to Rona or play dumb in this situation right now.
　So that means.

(Different from Al over there?)　(No, it can't be.)

　There is no way that Rona would mistake Al for someone else.
　No matter how different their species are, and how different they are as living beings, the bond between them is not so shallow.

(They're both Al. They're both Al, but they're not the same. ......)

　While I was convinced that both were the real Ardis, I still couldn't quite believe that the Ardis in front of me and the Ardis on the other side were completely the same entity.
　From the conversation, one could infer that this Aldis broke up with Rona seven days ago, and that she knows nothing about the world on the other side.

　For a moment, Rona thought about revealing the whole situation to Ardis here, but she quickly stopped herself from doing so.
　If you say that now, there is a high possibility that you will be taken as too goofy.

　If that happens, it will be a waste of time.
　You don't know what kind of action Ardis, who is showing an urgent need, will take when she shows her anger.

　To be honest, I was scared.

'The last time me and Al met was seven days ago ......, right?

　Rona chose her words carefully as she looked at Aldis.

''Yeah, because after I left you, I went straight to defeat you.

　Then, Rona asks.

Do you mind if we go with you until we find a home and a city road?

"We?

Yeah, the two of them and me.

　Rona turned her head back to face Minerva and the others.

'What are those two?'

　When Ardis saw the appearance of Minerva and the others, he showed a doubtful expression.

　Of course he knew that they existed, but to him, a person who cannot use a single magic trick is nothing more than a stone on the side of the road.
　It's not just a matter of time before you get to the point where you'll be able to get your hands on a new one.

Hmm ....... It's a little difficult to explain, but someone asked me to take care of a girl. I can't just leave them alone, can I?

　I don't care about the man, Rona added at last.

　It was awkward, as if he was using Ardis, but when he explained the situation, what he would probably get was a refusal.
　I'm not sure if it's in the other world, but in this world, confronting a wilderness demon while carrying two of its limbs in this world is reckless, even for Rona as expected.
　It's a good thing that you're not the only one who's been asked to protect Minerva, so you won't be punished for your cooperation.

(It's probably a different Al than the one in front of me, though.

　Ardis, who couldn't possibly know Rona's inner thoughts, says bluntly.

''I don't mind if you can keep up with me, but I'm not going to slow down to match the kid's feet.

I know.

(Well, Al over here would say that.)

　Rona agreed in her mind, but pondered what she could do to keep those two from dropping out.