Chapter 60
*
As I turned to face that masked thing, it abruptly stopped its muttering.
What was the content of its muttering—complaints about the world or its own circumstances? I could understand the meaning, but its voice lacked something crucial, sounding like a mechanical curse repeated endlessly, something I'd long since tuned out and didn't bother to remember.
No, there's no need to remember.
It won't be speaking much longer anyway.
As I thought this, I could tell it moved under the robe that enveloped its entire body.
It had mentioned a last resort before—one of their kind had attacked me once already, and anyone could guess what would happen a second time.
Don't think you can pull it off.
This time, I'll take your head before you even have a chance to change.
Honestly, the moment I stepped forward, I felt I'd already won.
My step was so perfect that I could feel every ounce of power coursing through my body.
Even though there was a distance nearly spanning the crater, no matter what the opponent tried, I could end it all before they could do anything.
That's what I naturally thought.
So, when my legs stopped halfway across the crater and my thoughts caught up, I was both surprised and couldn't help but curse myself out of frustration at my own carelessness.
That masked guy—what did Shara say about it?
Didn't she say something about how many comrades had died?
If that's the case, isn't it only natural for others to be here?
Isn't it only natural for there to be other comrades?
I tensed up at the presence approaching from my side, trying to flank me.
Stopping my feet because I failed to anticipate an ambush that should've been obvious—what a foolish mistake.
Which should I deal with first? My own stupidity in hesitating over such a decision is a sin in this situation.
Judging by the speed of the approach, their rank is 5 or 6—not an opponent I can ignore.
The one who helped me out of my hesitation was Erika.
With just a glance, she signaled to leave this to her, and Erika dashed toward the ambusher.
My hesitation cleared, but the time I lost was far too precious.
I could hear the sound of a crack forming in the mask.
I barely restrained myself from screaming in frustration at my own stupidity, biting it down with sheer willpower.
I lowered my stance to step forward again.
But after just two steps, my legs stopped moving once more.
The reason being——.
"Kyaa!"
A scream from Erika echoed from my side.
What... what an incredibly cute scream that was.
More than wanting to know what happened, the impulse to see Erika after letting out such a cute scream made me turn around.
The enemy in front of me, my anger at my own stupidity—all of it flew out of my mind.
Even I think I'm ridiculous for this, I really do, but I couldn't help it.
The option of not looking at Erika in such an ultra-rare state, letting out a scream that cute, simply didn't exist for me.
...No matter how seriously I try to justify it, I'm just creepy, aren't I?
But when I turned around, I couldn't help but let out a "Huh?" at the unexpected sight before me.
Erika—amazingly, that Erika Solnzari—had a genuinely shocked expression as if she'd seen something unthinkable, and she forcibly stopped her hand mid-swing, holding her sword up in a banzai pose.
What is this? It's so cute.
But what left me dumbfounded wasn't Erika.
Even I didn't think I could be this surprised by something other than Erika, but seeing Sister Shara covered in branches and leaves all over her body was enough to shock me.
Ahh, I totally messed up, didn't I?
*
Due to the difference in the intensity of physical enhancement, it must have seemed to Shara as if Erika appeared out of nowhere, and she froze in surprise just like we did.
Given the situation, it's unbelievably stupid, but with all three of us frozen in shock, the first to move was—though it's rude to say—unexpectedly Shara.
"You're here!"
Well, of course she is, I thought, but I swallowed the comment.
"I got punched and sent flying by Shin out of nowhere! I was all alone in the middle layers of the Demonlands! Soil and wood rained down on me from the sky! What is this?! What is this already?!"
Erika was the one who silenced Shara, who was screaming complaints disguised as questions demanding an explanation.
Clearly still having more to say (mostly to me), Shara took a breath to yell again, but Erika hugged her at that moment.
On an unrelated note, I realized Shara calls me Shin-san. Come to think of it, this might be the first time she's called me by name.
"Ueh?! Erika? Huh? What? Why are you hugging me?"
Shara, swallowing her scream, was thrown into confusion by Erika's sudden hug.
"I'm so glad... I'm really so glad..."
"If you were that worried, you shouldn't have let me get punched and sent flying in the first place!"
"That's not what I meant."
Erika gently pulled away.
Shara seemed a bit dejected, realizing she wasn't actually being worried about.
"It's all Shin's fault."
I could feel Shara's anger reignite at Erika's words.
I apologized before she could start yelling again.
"Sorry! I thought Shara had betrayed us!"
I tried apologizing casually, hoping it'd just blow over with a 'oh, I see,' but Shara's eyebrows shot up.
"What kind of reason could possibly——"
She probably wanted to ask why I thought she'd betrayed us, but I cut her off before she could finish.
Honestly, there's no more time to waste.
"Sorry again! I mistook you for that thing."
I pointed my thumb at the source of the growing dread behind me.
Shara's gaze darted to my back.
"Th-that's a demon, isn't it?!"
Ah, this girl didn't even notice anything but the target of her anger (me), did she?
I thought as I watched Shara scream.