267 - - price of liberation

After a day's rest, Thor and his team had returned to the abandoned underground prison.

Normally, they would have left a little more time, but there was something that was holding them back.

The look on Chiru's face before he left was one of determination.

As she hurriedly reached the tenth floor, she saw five figures on the stairs.

Thor, while patting his chest, immediately sensed something strange.

Normally, before approaching the bars, the twins would pull the chain to open them for him.

However, both of them are still lying on their bunks, staring at the dimly lit ceiling and not moving.

Chiru, who is giving me a sharp look and a smile, is sitting on the stairs with her back to the top step, leaning against her sister, who is not looking back at me.

Moldamo is the only one who seems to have not changed his appearance, as usual.

"Kee-kee, Mee-kee-kee! Moo is here!"

Moo, who did not care much about the atmosphere of the place, immediately rushed in to talk to the twins.

Kikiriri remained silent as he roughly scratched the children's heads, who happily slapped him on the thighs and buttocks.

"Ya, Kaminoke, you're making my skin crawl!"

The child gleefully grabbed Kikiriri's hand, which had touched his curly hair, and pulled it away.

She tries to force him up, but his twin sister refuses to move at all.

Mu tilts his head a little, but then continues to speak with a smile on his face, as if he has an idea of the reason.

"Oh, are you guys asleep?　I'm sorry, but adults aren't allowed to stay up late.

Kikiriri's cheeks relax slightly at this gesture, as if children are allowed to stay up late at night.

The hand that had been touching Moe's hair slowly traces his cheek, and when it reaches the bottom of his chin, it begins to tickle him.

Immediately the child clears his throat in comfort.

Around this time, Nnemimi, who was lying on the bunk below, woke up with a start.

She approaches from behind without a sound, quickly picks Moo up in her arms, and falls down next to her sister.

The child, stuck between the two of them, giggles from his cramped position.

The three of them play happily with each other, like the gestures of a mother cat hiding her young from a dangerous presence.

The atmosphere was so different from usual that Thor and the children looked at each other.

Thora nodded her head in agreement and took a few steps down the stairs.

"Chita-san, are you all right?"

At the girl's question, the Suiba woman finally looked up.

She turned her head and looked at Thor and the others.

Then she replied with a puzzled look on her face.

Um, hello?

"Yes, hello. What's going on?"　

"How's ......?"

Although his somewhat stilted tone could easily be misunderstood, there was always a bright light in Chita's eyes that saw things clearly.

Now, however, they are hazy and hazy.

The woman looked up at Sora curiously, and words began to escape from her mouth as if she were muttering.

"What do you mean, what do you mean? Well, where is this place in the first place?　I didn't understand the explanation. ....... I wonder why I am here. And since you seem to know me, I guess we know each other, but, may I ask your name?

Chita gave an embarrassed and troubled look to Sora, who was surprised by the unexpected question.

Then, in a small voice, she added an apology.

............I don't remember anything. I am so sorry."

This time, Sola was completely speechless.

Thor descends the stairs without a pause before an awkward silence.

He put his hand on his brother's shoulder, who had not said a word since a few moments before.

When Chiru turned around, the usual sharpness in his eyes was gone without a trace.

"Will you tell me what happened?"

The words of the archer who nodded slowly were beyond the imagination of Thor and the others.

The five members of the Heavenly Storm Alliance had challenged the master of the labyrinth who guarded the fifteenth floor.

The purpose of the challenge was not to overthrow Zoldamarg, but to liberate him.

And that although we were able to accomplish our mission without incident, the use of the relic had brought about Chita's current state.

The twins who could not move properly due to the recoil of the upper branch martial arts and the exhaustion of their magical power, and Chiru who also recoiled.

The group has just managed to return to this safe zone while protecting them and Chita, who is in a shell.

"Is there a difference between this liberation and a normal defeat?"

"It's a whole other thing."

Zoldamarg is a dragon that was forcibly captured and brought back by the soldiers of the Central Kingdom when Reginalia was still called a frontier.

The dragon was confined underground where no light could reach, used for various experiments, and assigned the role of executing prisoners.

The spectacle was so well received that the notoriety of the dragon became famous throughout the country.

And even though the dragon died and the country was destroyed, only his name remains.

As I have said before, dragons and dragons are special creatures. As I have said before, dragons and dragons are special creatures, and therefore, giving them an abominable name can lead to a terrible disaster.

"Zoldamarg said the same thing."

"The problem is that the soul of a dragon that has been given an abominable name is stuck there. Being called by name and feared for its existence, the dragon will rise again and again as a horrifying corpse. Can you forgive them?　The act of inflicting such near-permanent suffering..."

I see. And the way to deal with it is to liberate it.

Yes, but at what cost?

In order to remove the name from the dragon's memory, it must first be restored to its pre-birth state.

We knew that this would be done by the life eye, the last of the eight painful eyes that manifest in the frenzied phase.

Once the twins had persisted to that state, it was time for Chita's remembrance grass.

This relic is said to be able to emit a wind that makes the target forget its own existence.

Of course, there was a price to be paid for its tremendous power.

It is the memory of its owner.

"What?"

When the girl hears this fact, she compares the faces of her brother and sister with a stunned look on her face.

"Oh no. ....... Did you really lose your memory?"

"Yeah, about a decade or so, but it's all been cleaned up."

"You don't remember anything?　Mr. Chita."

Chita apologizes with a puzzled look on his face at Sora's impetuous swearing.

"I'm sorry. I can't remember anything at all.

"Don't apologize, Mr. Chita. ....... There is nothing to apologize for. Not a single ...... thing. ......

Chiru exhaled deeply as he looked at the girl who was choking on her words.

"This is another unforgivable act."

Moe, who had been sleeping in his bed, wakes up with a start at the sorrowful atmosphere created by the adults.

The child jumped down from his bunk and ran up to Chita.

You don't seem to be in good spirits today, Ne-chan," he said. Are you hungry?

"No, I'm probably not hungry. I'm sorry, I'm not sure. What's your name, by the way?"

"Muu. Did you forget Moo's name?

"Hmm, you must be Moo. Nice to meet you.

Suddenly, drops of water begin to trickle down Chita's cheeks.

Moe was surprised to see Chita's tears streaming down her cheeks.

"What's wrong!　Where do you want to be?"

"No. I felt so sad when I found out you didn't remember me. ....... I'm sorry.

Chita apologizes with a muffled voice, perhaps realizing that she has finally lost her memory by being in contact with a young child.

Moe silently reached out his hand and gently hugged the tearful woman's face.

Chita's shoulders trembled as she was enveloped by the soft touch.

Moore's purple eyes began to tear up as well.

Kikiriri, who had been lying motionless on the bunk, spoke up in reproach at the sight of the sobbing couple.

"That's why you shouldn't bring children to a place like this.

"I see."

"Yes, you may be strong enough to protect your friends, but they are not. There are definitely worse ways to go.

"Maybe."

"Then!"

Thor shook his head silently at Kikiriri, who was getting a little testy with his words.

"Even if that's the case, how can you avoid it? There's no such thing as a fast or slow parting. Besides, I'm sure Mu will be fine."

You've probably had worse goodbyes before, when you were alone in an alleyway.

The little boy looked up, pulled a feather from Chita's head, and said matter-of-factly, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

"Well, I don't care if I forgot. I'll remember it again!

Chita looked up at those words and smiled awkwardly.

"Yeah, I guess so. Thank you for ......, Moo-chan."