I see him. I see him.


Crowe stopped abruptly and pointed a bit ahead.
Between the trees in the distance stood a splendid three-story building, clean for having been abandoned decades ago.
Its outer walls were painted green to blend in with the trees in the forest, but the white color was used in places to give the exterior a somewhat tasteful look.
It's such a splendid structure that I would have missed it if Crow hadn't told me.
I imagined the building to be more old-fashioned and crumbling at any moment, but I felt betrayed in a good way.


...... Master Crowe, how are you doing?


Leah looked into Crowe's face with concern as she saw him not move from his spot as he pointed to the building.
Crowe's eyebrows were knit together and his eyes were not on the safe house building, but the surrounding area.
With a grim face, he glared at the gaps in the trees and the ground.
I searched for signs of the surroundings to see if it was an enemy attack, but there was no sign of a demon nearby.
If it's not a demon, why is Crow frowning so much?
The only thing that came to mind was Crow's mother, which was only recently, but she must have lived somewhere other than here.
Yeah, but I have a bad feeling about this.


'Hey, Crowe?'


When I waved my hand in front of him, it was caught with a strong force.
It seems that he was conscious at least.
This forest is crawling with nasty demons.
I'd like to see you not react in a confusing way.


...... Nothing. Let's go.


It doesn't sound like nothing at all from the sound of his voice, and if you're going to say it's nothing, you need to look like it's nothing.
This guy really doesn't have a lot of words for it.
It's the second coming of Frustration Crow.


'What are you going to do, Akira?'


Amelia whispers to me when she sees Crowe, who is clearly acting strangely.
I shrug.


'I can't help it. It's not like he's going to listen to me honestly.''


Saying that, he followed Crow, who walked briskly and without warning.
If he was the kind of guy who listened to people's words honestly in the first place, he wouldn't have sulked with his family and Leah so much.
He really is the embodiment of the kind of guy who has lost half his life because of his personality.


'...... has arrived, what is it?'


Amaryllis muttered with a stunned expression.
A moment ago there was a reasonable distance between them, but now that they were close, they could see its entire exterior.
As I thought, the passage of time is no match for the passage of time, but the decaying outer wall, which was not visible from a distance, is tangled with ivy, and I feel that the expression "ghost house" somehow fits.


''Akira! You're safe!


When my name is called, I look up and see a brave man peeking out of a window-like area on the second floor.
I honestly raise my hand at his heartfelt and relieved expression.


''Oh. Aren't you guys missing it too?


The brave man's face clouded up a bit at my words.
My heart jumped with a thud.
Has someone been missing?
Who on earth?


I'm coming to you anyway! And I think it's quicker to look at .......


My ears caught the words murmured in a blur, and my ears caught them accurately.
What do you mean?


'Oh! You've arrived, good job.


The large door at the entrance opens and Nanase comes out, as if she's a hero.
After confirming our appearance, a scowl breaks out on his face.


'Oh. You're tired too. What's wrong with ......?


Its face, which had passed through the death line, had clearly changed since the last time I saw it.
But more than that, it was slender, with a face that looked like it was about to die.
It's not so much hunger as it is fatigue.


'...... No, well, I think it's faster to see.'


Nanase staggered to the back of the building, saying the same thing as the brave man and Nanase staggered to the back of the building.
The brave man and I followed Nanase as he emerged from the building.


'Look, look, what's going on! Is that what you guys are!

'Ggh! Gah!


There was a thud and the ground gouged.
Then a human body hovered in the air.
I have an idea of a high-pitched voice that doesn't belong here, or rather, the owner of that voice has just turned Crow into a clunker.
Or rather, Crow has just been turned into a clunker by the owner of that voice.
How could I forget?


'Why the hell are you here ......'


She didn't even hear the low voice that seemed to emanate from the back of her throat, and after momentarily reaping Kyousuke's awareness of the weapon with her bare hands, she finally turned to us as if she'd noticed.


'Oh, you're too late, foolishness. I've trained the brave men of this generation. I don't mind paying my gratuity in this building.


Mother Crowe chuckled suspiciously at that, as if she hadn't noticed that Crowe was about to kill her at any moment.
She's too free and doesn't answer Crow's question at all.
And now she turns to face us.


I haven't introduced myself to you yet. My name is Noah. I'm the mother of the Crow. From now on, it's a pleasure to work with you.


The girl in hard-to-move gothic clothes and with hair the same color as Crow's in twin tails was clearly her sister rather than her mother, but she was the girl in the forest who had been casting a spell on Leah.
Nanase and the heroes carry Kyousuke, who lost consciousness in front of our stunned eyes, into the building with Nanase and the heroes carrying him in their arms.
I can see that this situation was repeated quite a few times in the work that was apparently so familiar.
That allowed me to understand Nanase and Yuuja's tiredness and the reason for their somewhat relieved expressions and clouded faces.


''Well, so much for greetings. If you want to go to the demon territory after this, let's have you defeat me first.


He says a line like some villain, and the girl - and Noah - grins.
It's the beginning of hell.