Story 4-9: 『Survivor』

Story 4-9: 『Survivor』

“Shit…!”

The atmosphere became tense after I heard Selen’s high-pitched scream.

As usual, we went into gear and flew towards our home.

“Calm down, Hero-sama!”

“I know!”

In battle mode, Leadred clung to my back as she tried to calm me down, but my pulse wouldn’t settle down.

It was because when I opened Shuri’s and Yuina’s statuses to check on them, their stamina was decreasing. It’s been cut down to half from their almost complete recovery earlier.

“Hero-sama! There!”

Leadred pointed ahead to where a roaring sound tore out from as trees collapsed.

And now, Shuri’s stamina was being shaved off again. Her special ability, 『Auto Heal』, wasn’t enough…!

“Lily! Put me there!”

“Alright! Don’t die till I get there!”

Revolving mid-air, Lily kicked my back to send me flying.

“Wind Burst!”

Adding speed to my speed, I approached the center of the battlefield at a dash. I recognized the man in the middle of it by sight.

The person who pushed me down, who beat me up, my fated opponent that I killed in revenge.

I remember. His screams were branded into my mind. The feeling of killing him. The sensation of ripping him apart, thick and heavy.

However, that guy was standing on his own feet.

“It’s a lie…”

How, why are you here.

“Samejimaaaaaaaaa!!”

Crying out the name of my worst enemy, I drew my sword and put force to kill into it. To take advantage of that, Leadred also rushed out.

“Line Drive!”

Tearing the sky, a slashing wave soared in a straight line from her war sword towards Samejima. Facing him, I came from below. Samejima was already in motion to drop the 『Line Drive』, he can’t stop this!

“Raaaah!”

Scattered blood came into view. Samejima’s arm went flying somewhere.

Naturally, I didn’t stay my hands.

Closing my stance, I took one hand from the handle of my blade and struck him with a back fist to his side.

“…-!”

Unable to endure the blow, Samejima was blown away, rolling away in tatters.

I took the chance to run over to Shuri’s group that was badly injured.

“Is everyone okay!?”

“Y-yeah. Since I have 『Auto Heal』. But, Selen-san is…”

Shuri looked towards the figures of Arianne and Yuina giving emergency treatment to Selen, who had been cut diagonally across her upper body.

The the opening of the wound was frozen and bandaged the pained moans didn’t abate at all.

This is bad…!

What is he doing here!

“Oi, Sajima! Hurry up and heal Selen with ma-… gic…”

I was at a loss for words from the shock of what I saw.

Our greatest recovery technique user, who we got just the other day, was healing Samejima.

The right arm that I’d cut off was slowly regenerating.

“What are you doing, Nanamin! Hurry up and come here to heal her!”

“It’s futile, Shuri-chan! Whatever you say now to that girl is pointless!”

Yuina called out, but there was still no response. She continued to recover him.

It’s troublesome Samejima revived, but right now healing Selen’s wounds comes first.

However, ironically for us to heal Selen’s wounds we had no choice but to wait and bring her back.

“Yuina. How is Selen fairing?”

“Not good. The cut is deep. Even with constant treatment it’s hard to say… But, apart from that…”

“… Yeah, how is that guy here…?”

“Isn’t it the same as you, Demon King-kun?”

The whisper close to my ears sent a chill down my back.

I immediately swung with my sword, but it only cut air.

“That’s dangerous you know? Suddenly cutting like that.”

Facing towards the voice, Samejima that had already recovered was standing there.

Then, stranger than anything else, Sajima stood next to him.

“Thanks, Nanami. As you’d expect of healing techniques.”

“Yes, Terias-sama…”

When Samejima stroked Sajima’s head, she blushed red.

No, more importantly. Just now, what did she say?

She just called Samejima 『Terias-sama』…

… Could it be? Something like that…?

“What’s troubling you, Demon King-kun?”

With a sarcastic smile glued to his face, Samejima inquired that.

He guessed my thoughts. And called me the Demon King.

Though I had trouble believing it, it happened right in front of me.

There was already no room to doubt.

“… You’re noisy. Out of everyone a f*cker like you should know the best, Terias!”

When I roared that, he laughed with a ridiculing cackle.

“Correct. My name is Terias Duke. Though it doesn’t feel like I died, it seems I’m called a legendary hero. And now, your enemy. My regards.”

Not being vulgar and with a gentlemanly behavior, he introduced himself without looking down on people like Samejima tended to.

His body was Samejima’s, but it contained something entirely different. If it’s like that, there’s just one person I could think of.

Terias Duke himself.

But how is the dead hero of legend here?

Something like that doesn’t matter. I’ve experienced the act of deviating from mankind many time too, and it wasn’t amusing to think that Claria’s side was like that too.

Until now I’d been under the impression that only this side could revive whenever.

Above all, it’s likely it’ll be settled when I kill this guy.

The troublesome problem was Sajima Nanami standing next to him.

“Nanamin? The heck are you saying… you’ve been strange since a bit ago you know?”

When our gazes of suspicion focused on her, she smiled and laughed towards Shuri who should have been her close friend.

“No, I’m the usual me. From the start, I haven’t been different since I met Shuri-chan. I’ve moved for the sake of one purpose.”

“N-not different…”

“… Yeah. Now that I think about it, I haven’t told Shuri-chan and Yuina-chan it yet.”

“… Haven’t told us? What?”

“The name of my favorite person and my identity.”

When Yuina urged her to continue, Sajima snuggled up to him, locking arms with him before saying–

“My real name is Nanami Riseia. He–my love, Terias-sama–saved me, a survivor of the demi-human tribe that the devil Messiah abandoned.”

“—-”

It’s often said that one’s brain freezes when unexpected things happen one after another, but I think that the me right now fits that saying to a T. I couldn’t process the information I was being given.

Inside that, I subconsciously picked out the most striking thing from Sajima’s words.

“… Abandoned?”

“That’s right. The battlefield where the demi-human tribe was. It’s because of that person’s instructions right? It was an empty fight and everyone was killed…!”

I felt hatred from her words. To the point that I, who take pride in my desire for revenge, could sympathize with.

“Won’t you wait a moment? Messia-sama definitely sent reinforcements in order to save the demi-human tribe. The beastmen tribe’s unit was lead by Lily.”

Knowing about the time, Yuuma broke into the conversation and explained. Sajima’s anger still wasn’t suppressed though.

“Yeah, that’s right. I came to help. But we were obstructed. In the end, we fought Terias-sama to the last for the sake of the demi-human tribe… It had nothing to do with you guys. Since we already had mutual enemies.”

“Wait a minute, Nanamin! Something like that is strange!”

“… What is?”

Her tone was terrifyingly cold. However, Shuri didn’t give up and continued to talk to persuade her close friend.

“Because, in the that, that man… killed Nanamin’s comrades you know? But why are you taking his side now?”

“Because I decided Messiah was the cause. Terias-sama tried to save us… Besides… Terias-sama inherited everyone’s wills and mine. I vowed to walk alongside him. That alone is enough for me.”

Terias stroked Sajima’s head as she praised him. She seemed happy and smiled.

Completely fallen.

“… Well then, that’s the reason. The time to talk seems to be over, will you obstructive demons play with me?”

“…-!”

When Terias took a step forward, everyone readied their weapons. That guy had on a fearless smile.

“… What, all of you… want to fight me?”

“Naturally. We’ll defeat you, then take Sajima back.”

“You two close friends don’t intend on taking to heart Nanami’s wish?”

“Even so. If you die, we can get back Nanamin and save her. Isn’t that two birds, one stone?”

“… My my. I got it, I got it… Then, shall we have a go?”

Terias shrugged his shoulders with a sigh. Resulting in a small chance.

It was too unnatural and I understood he was provoking us.

Perhaps everyone understood that, taking it as the signal to start the fight.

『Aaaaaah!!』

Leadred, Shuri, Yuuma, and I all jumped forward at once, swinging our swords and fists.