by Ao Jyumonji
“Well, okay.”
Choco turned a little to face me, smiling slightly, her eyes narrowing a little. “Hiro, you don’t lie.”
“Well, there’s a time and place for everything,” I said. “But I don’t lie to you... I think?”
“I know.”
I’m lying, though. It’s probably blatantly obvious, too.
Listen, I... For a long time now...
For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved you, and only you.
I can’t say it, though.
I’m sure I’ll go my whole life without ever sayi———
——————————————————————
Chapter 15: The Line of Death
———————I recalled something... I think.
He’d recalled many things. That was what it felt like. But he didn’t remember.
He had reached that place. There was no doubt about that. And yet, he didn’t remember anything.
Not now.
For a moment, it had been different. He had recalled everything.
But, as for what that “everything” had been, he didn’t know.
There was no way he shouldn’t know. He had known what it was. He had a strong sense of that, if nothing else.
There was something left behind.
Right here.
Deep inside his chest.
There had been something here.
It was gone now.
It had been gouged out, and now there was only a hole left where it once had been.
If he traced the shape of that hole, he could take a pretty good guess at what that was.
It’s Choco.
He had recalled Choco, then forgotten her. It was something about Choco.
Haruhiro had probably known Choco. They had been acquaintances. Or friends, or something.
Really, that was all he knew.
There was nothing else left. Not even a hint.
“—Haruhiro...!” Ranta was shaking him hard. “Hey, man! What are you spacing out on us for?! At a time like this! You can’t afford to be doing that...!”
“I—”
I know.
I know that. I do.
—I know that?
Really?
No, Ranta’s right. It’s just like he said. What am I letting my mind wander for? Keeper Zoran Zesh, his attendants, and the orcish sorcerers are unleashing their fury on the first floor of the fortress. There are volunteer soldiers dropping left and right. Choco. Ohh. Choco.
Choco and her party died, too. They’re dead. Mr. Pleasant, Laughing Man, Mr. Priest, Ms. Short Hair, and even Choco. What about Mr. Tall? He’s on the ground over by the wall. He’s not unharmed, that much I can tell. He’s taken a serious wound. They were all killed. By the orcs.
Choco was killed.
Yes, I’m shocked. But while I do feel some sadness, some sorrow, some pain, it’s not that bad.
Somehow, that doesn’t sit quite right with me. It’s like I’m wondering if this is all right. Of course I’m shocked. She was a volunteer soldier, like me. My junior. I’d spoken to her before, and I might have known her before I came here. Now she’s dead. But that’s not it.
It’s more, well... I feel like there should be more to it than this.
It should be far worse than this. Choco’s dead, yet this is all I feel? Isn’t that awful?
Not that I have any basis to think that.
Even if we knew each other, I don’t know what our relationship was. We might have just known each other and maybe talked before.
Regardless, now was not the time to dwell on it. Ranta was right. They were in a tense situation.
The surviving volunteer soldiers, including Renji and his group, were fighting a desperate battle against Zoran Zesh and his party. As for Renji himself, he was trading blows with Zoran. He was being pushed hard, too.
No, it was far worse than just that. Renji wasn’t even deflecting Zoran’s scimitar with his sword.
Can’t he do it? Haruhiro wondered.
Renji was dodging. He was desperately dodging. He was covered in blood. He didn’t seem to have taken a fatal blow, but he had a lot of cuts on his head.
“Dammit!” Ron shouted, rushing in to aid him.
But Renji yelled, “Don’t you dare come over here!” at him. “You’ll get in my way! Nobody come near us!”
It probably wasn’t because it was a one-on-one duel between men, or anything like that. It was because it was too dangerous.
Zoran’s long, fat arms. His thick shoulders and chest. Those movements. And finally, that scimitar. Zoran’s probably even more dangerous than Ish Dogran, the one who came and attacked Alterna. It’d only take one hit, I’m sure. If he got one solid hit in, it would be over in an instant.
Even his own attendants must have been afraid of getting hit, because they weren’t trying to get closer to Zoran.
As a result, Zoran and Renji were facing each other one-on-one, but there was a battle going on between the orc attendants and sorcerers and the volunteer soldiers, too.
A battle we’re losing, Haruhiro thought. One we’re losing badly.
Ron’s locked blades with an orc attendant, but looks like he’s having a hard time. Chibi-chan, Sassa, and Adachi have been pushed back up against the wall. How many volunteer soldiers are actually fighting on even footing with the orc attendants? Very few. The rest could go down at any moment, or are going down already.
“Sorcerer!” Shihoru shouted.
Haruhiro looked and saw there was an orc who seemed to be a sorcerer coming in their direction from near the bottom of the stairs.
“Hungahh...!” Moguzo shouted.
When Moguzo moved up, the sorcerer stopped walking and lifted up the pot hanging from his waist, opening the lid on it. Something was coming out of the pot.
Bugs, Haruhiro thought. Bugs, huh. It’s probably bugs. A swarm of bugs.
“Ow?!” Moguzo cried out in confusion as the bugs swarmed over his head. He was wearing a helmet, but the bugs were tiny. It looked like they were getting in through the opening. “—Gwahhhhhh....!”
Moguzo screamed in agony, looking like he was going to sit down.
That’s dangerous, Haruhiro thought. He can’t.
“Don’t sit down!” Haruhiro shouted, reacting immediately. “Moguzo, don’t sit down! You can’t stop!”
“Hungh!” Moguzo shouted, swinging his sword around unsteadily. “Hwahhhhh...!”
“Damn you and your petty tricks!” Ranta shouted, but as he was running forward, he froze in a bizarre pose.
“...Guh, nghhhhhhh....” Ranta muttered.
“What...?!” Haruhiro gasped. Could this be sorcery, too?
The sorcerer who had unleashed the bugs on Moguzo now had his palm pointing towards Ranta.
“Is it psychokinesis?!” Haruhiro cried.
“Nyeh!” Yume shouted, readying her bow and firing an arrow.
The sorcerer leapt backwards to dodge the arrow, but it looked like Ranta was able to move now.
That’s great, but her arrow grazed Ron’s face, Haruhiro thought.
“Watch it! Hey!” Ron shouted.
“Wah! S-Sorry!” Yume cried.
“You can’t use your bow, Yume!” Haruhiro called. “This is a melee!”
“Right, yeah, got it!”
“Ohm, rel, ect, palam, darsh!” Shihoru called.
A shadow elemental fired out of the tip of Shihoru’s staff. The shadow elemental flew in a spiral, hitting the sorcerer and then forcing its way into his body through his nose and mouth.
It was Shadow Complex.
Did she get him? Haruhiro wondered.
The sorcerer stumbled for a moment, then shook his head. But that was all.
Shihoru clenched her teeth. “He resisted it!”
“Leave this to me!” Ranta shouted. “Hatred...!”
Ranta took a sharp step towards him, but the sorcerer had seen it coming. He leapt back nimbly, with Orc Attendant A moving up to
take his place.
Orc Attendant A’s gahari and Ranta’s longsword collided.
Their blades locked.
“Hah! Reject!” Ranta immediately pushed him away, trying to put some distance between them, but Orc Attendant A pushed back into him.
“Ooosh...!” the orc grunted.
“—Nwah!” Ranta shouted.
Ranta’s losing his balance, Haruhiro thought. This is really bad. He’s gonna get taken out. I’ve gotta support him. Can I do it? Haruhiro asked himself. I’m going to do it.
When Haruhiro tried to leap in, Orc Attendant B moved up and blocked his path.
He’s really intimidating, Haruhiro thought. I’m breaking into a cold sweat. Do I really have to do this? This is nuts.
“Osh! Osh! Osh! Osh!” the orc called.
“Ah! Ah...! Ah! Ah...!” Haruhiro gasped out.
Swat. Swat. Swat. Swat.
This is bad. My hands are going numb. My eyes are spinning. I’m scared. Way too scared. I can’t do this. He’s strong. He’s got power.
I’m gonna get killed.
“Smash!” Merry’s timing was perfect. She whacked Orc Attendant B with her priest’s staff.
No, it wasn’t good enough, huh? Haruhiro realized.
Orc Attendant B easily knocked her staff back with his shield, and then, with his body still turned towards Haruhiro, he looked towards Merry.
—It was good enough, Haruhiro thought. Now.
Haruhiro charged towards Orc Attendant B with all his strength.
Orc Attendant B may have been trying to bash Haruhiro with his shield, but Haruhiro slipped past it.
As he went by, he copied Sassa’s trick and rammed his dagger into Orc Attendant B’s neck.
I almost had him.
“Gwah...?!” Haruhiro yelped.
Bugs. It’s bugs.
Haruhiro immediately closed his mouth, shut his eyes, and lowered his posture.
Bugs. It’s bugs. The sorcerer. When? Where was he? Bugs. The bugs.
“Get back, Haru!” a voice yelled.
That’s Merry. She’s telling me to get back, but where do I back off to? Wait, there are bugs in my mouth. I want to spit them out, but if I open my mouth, I think more will get in. I can’t open my eyes, either. What’s going on? I have no clue. This is bad. Seriously bad.
I’m gonna die.
There might be an orc trying to kill Haruhiro right now. He could die at any moment.
“Haru-kun, this way!” someone shouted, grabbing him by the arm and pulling.
Yume, huh? he thought.
Suddenly, something occurred to him.
Water. Use water.
Haruhiro pulled out his canteen, pouring its contents all over himself. He rinsed off his face and spat out the bugs.
I can see. I can breathe, too.
“—It’s okay now!” Yume called.
No, this is not okay at all, Haruhiro thought. Ranta’s being overwhelmed by Orc Attendant A. He could go down at any moment. Maybe it’s because of the bugs, but Moguzo looks like he’s just barely managing to handle Orc Attendant B. Merry’s putting up a good fight to protect Shihoru from Orc Attendant C, but it’s looking dicey. I’ve gotta do something.
As for Team Renji, Renji’s still being chased around by Zoran, and the other four look like they’re stuck on the defensive and just barely holding out.
How many volunteer soldiers are still alive?
Wiped out.
Those words just came to mind.
Like I’d let that happen, Haruhiro thought. Us getting wiped out. Don’t be ridiculous.
“Yume, look after Merry!” he shouted.
Haruhiro sent Yume over to Merry and decided to help Ranta himself. The problem was, how would he help him? If he tried to get behind Orc Attendant A, he worried another orc would get behind him.
I saw a sword, he thought. It’s on the ground. A sword. Whose is it? Doesn’t matter.
Haruhiro picked up the sword and threw it at Orc Attendant A. It was a desperate move, but Orc Attendant A used his shield to block the incoming sword and backed off slightly. It looked like that had let Ranta catch his breath for a moment.
“Damn, I can’t keep this up...!” Ranta panted. “Seriously! Seriously...!”
“What happened to Zodiac-kun?!” Haruhiro yelled.
“He got taken out!” Ranta shouted. “In one blow! That idiot’s weak! Anger...!”
If Ranta was turning to go on the offensive even in this situation, he might be pretty impressive. However, Orc Attendant A was even better. He swept Ranta’s longsword aside like it was nothing. Orc Attendant A used his riposte to strike Ranta in the head.
His head, Haruhiro thought. That was his head.
“Ow!” Ranta moaned.
Sure, he’s wearing a helmet, but the head is dangerous.
Ranta staggered.
“I’m not gonna let you kill him!” Haruhiro charged at Orc Attendant A with reckless abandon—or that was what he made it look like, before falling into a defensive stance when Orc Attendant A turned to face him.
Bring it. Come attack me. Here he comes. Swat, swat, swat.
“Pull yourself back together, Ranta!” he called.
“I don’t need you to tell me that! Ohhhhhhhh! One Hundred Rending Slashes of Repentance!”
There’s no skill called that, Haruhiro thought. He’s spouting nonsense.
Ranta was using his longsword to unleash a flurry of blows on Orc Attendant A.
Well, they’re all getting blocked, though. Still, Orc Attendant A is going on the defensive.
I know. I’ll attack.
Even if it means being a little reckless, I need to attack. I’ve got to reduce the number of enemies, even if it’s just by one, or we’re not going to get anywhere.
Behind him. Get behind Orc Attendant A. Take him down with a single Backstab. I’ll do it. I’m doing this.
It happened the moment Haruhiro made his decision.
“Myeek!” somebody screamed.
It’s Yume, Haruhiro thought. That scream is Yume. She’s fallen to the ground. Or rather, she must have been sent flying.
She was covered in blood from her shoulder to her breast.
Did she get hit? he thought. By Orc Attendant C?
Orc Attendant C went to attack Yume. Merry tried to stand in his way, swinging her priest’s staff around, but, cruelly, Orc Attendant C was able to easily deflect it with his shield.
“Oh, crap!” Haruhiro dashed. I might not make it.
Yume, however, did everything she could. She tossed a throwing knife. “Star Piercer!”
Orc Attendant C took a step back, dodging the throwing knife.
Even if that only bought a few seconds, it looks like I’ll make it in time, Haruhiro thought. I don’t care what happens to me now.
Haruhiro was planning to grapple Orc Attendant C.
But what’s that? he thought. There’s something coming from the side. A presence to my left.
Despite himself, he looked. It was a good thing he did. It was the sorcerer. He had inhaled deeply, and looked like he was about to spit something.
What is it? Coming out of his mouth— “Fire...!”
Inhaling sharply in surprise, Haruhiro quickly threw himself to the ground.
I just barely managed to avoid taking a fire bath, but it’s hot, he thought. Man, it’s hot. Wait, I’m on fire. My cloak is. But before that, Yume.
It’s over.
Orc Attendant C was about to swing his sword down on her.
It was over. Yume was going to get taken out.
No.
“Hungahh...!”
It wasn’t over. Moguzo was here. Haruhiro and the others had Moguzo.
Moguzo slammed himself into Orc Attendant C, knocking the orc away. But there was still the sorcerer. The sorcerer was coming again. Using that flamethrower. He spewed flames, turning Moguzo into a ball of fire. The sorcerer ran away, perhaps scared by Moguzo’s intensity as he seemed to shr
ug that off, swinging The Chopper around wildly.
“Retreat!” Haruhiro screamed, thinking that was their only option.
It’s too much. We can’t win this. We’ll die. At this rate, all of us will die. I don’t want to die. Not because I’m afraid of death, but because I don’t want to let my comrades die. I don’t want them to die. They can’t. I won’t let them die.
“Let’s pull back!” he called. “To the watchtower we were in before!”
But... can we do it?
Chapter 16: Last Stand
—To answer that question, yes, they managed it.
Haruhiro remembered pulling off his burning cloak and throwing it over a nearby orc, then pulling Yume to her feet and making her run. Honestly, he didn’t remember what happened after that. It was all a blur.
There had been a party that hadn’t gone down to the first floor who’d been staying on the watchtower stairs to wait and see what happened. After taking their places, or forcing them out, Haruhiro and the others were now taking a short rest.
Merry had treated Yume’s serious injuries first, and she had now moved on to treating Moguzo. His armor and helmet were intact, but having taken a direct hit from that flamethrower attack, he must have been burned.
Was he okay? No, there was no way he could be totally okay.
“Thanks, Moguzo,” Yume said, sitting down next to Moguzo. “Moguzo, if you hadn’t come, Yume thinks she would have died.”
“N-Nah,” Moguzo said. “Uh... but what are comrades for?”
“Oh, yeah,” Yume said. “That’s right, huh.”
Ranta was sitting on the stairs, holding his knees. He was being awfully quiet. Merry wasn’t doing much talking, and Shihoru had fallen silent. Haruhiro didn’t want to speak, either.
This is bad, he thought.
That was seriously dangerous. It’s a wonder that everyone is still alive. A miracle. If we had made one mistake anywhere—no, we did make mistakes. Lots of them, probably. Then again, regardless of whether we made mistakes or not, if our luck had gone bad, someone would have died. Once one person died, it would all have fallen apart from there. A second and a third would have died, and in no time, we’d have been wiped out. It was luck. We got lucky. That’s all.
Retreating.
