Chapter 291: 【Adventurer Mitran】The Setting Sun on the Ruins' Remains

Chapter 291: 【Adventurer Mitran】The Setting Sun on the Ruins' Remains 【Adventurer Mitran】The Setting Sun on the Ruins’ Remains

* * *

Zuzuzuzuzuzuzu...

With a loud rumbling sound from the surroundings, the forest, which seemed to have the ‘Ahate River Upstream Ruins’ underground, was being buried as if swallowed up by the ground.

When the ground subsidence finally settled... it was already evening.

“Ah... Aah...”

With the bright red setting sun on my back, I knelt at the edge of the depression where the ruins had completely collapsed and dropped my shoulders in dejection.

Why?

Because Emi-chan... had finally not emerged from the underground of the ruins.

“............”

Leseida-san was also looking down silently.

Due to the deep-brimmed hat and the backlight of the setting sun, I couldn’t see his expression.

Now that the rumbling had stopped, the surrounding forest was enveloped in a frightening stillness.

Because the birds, beasts, and insects had all fled somewhere, wary of the large-scale terrain changes.

So, the only ones here now were Leseida-san and me.

Pathetically, unable to save a single girl, we had escaped from underground by the skin of our teeth... only us.

* * *

“Division of roles.”

Before parting ways in the deepest part of the underground ruins, she said that to me.

“An escort is necessary to bring Leseida-san to the surface. One of us will escape first as the escort, and the other will defeat that man.”

“That’s why I’m saying I’ll fight...!”

Emi-chan sneered at me, who was insisting desperately.

“You can’t kill people, can you?”

“......!!”

...I... couldn’t make any counterargument.

“That’s why I said it. I will kill him. He’s not someone who can be stopped without killing.”

“But.”

“Shut up.”

Emi-chan released her 【Intimidation】 at me, who was trying to make a baseless objection, forcibly silencing me.

“Besides, I’m a cursed child. You know? Cursed children have bad luck. If I carry Leseida-san, he will definitely be unlucky and die crushed by falling rocks.”

No, there’s no way that would happen, I wanted to retort.

But her eyes were too serious.

It didn’t seem to be a joke.

And the collapses were starting one after another around us.

There was no more time for questions and answers.

“I understand... I understand!”

I looked at Emi-chan’s face and nodded deeply.

Ah, no good.

The tears, the tears won’t stop.

“Definitely... definitely don’t lose to a guy like that... don’t die!”

“Of course. There’s no way I would die. Die.”

“Now’s not the time for that tsundere act! You shouldn’t tell people to ‘die’ or ‘kill’!”

With that conversation as the last, I turned on my heel and, without allowing any objections, lifted Leseida-san onto my shoulders and started running towards the surface with all my might!

“Wha... Mitran-kun!? Are you going to leave Emi-kun alone here!?”

“Be quiet, Leseida-san! You’ll bite your tongue!”

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It seemed a large rock had fallen behind where I had run through.

A loud sound echoed.

But I didn’t even look back.

I single-mindedly ran up the stairs, which I thought the villains had used, towards the surface.

* * *

And having somehow reached the surface, we waited.

For Emi-chan to defeat that man and return to the surface.

But... it was no use.

While we were waiting, the ruins kept collapsing, the surroundings gradually became a depression, and the entrance to the ruins was completely buried.

“Ugh... Uuh...”

No good, my vision is blurring again.

The image of Emi-chan, who had explored the ruins together with us for a short time, comes to mind.

Expressionless, somehow scary.

But probably, surely, not a bad kid.

While shouting loudly like that!

The one who had been sticking its arms out of the ground!

With all its might... it jumped out onto the ground!

The force was so tremendous that the small shadow that had jumped out from underground leaped about 5 meters high.

And while spinning around... it landed on two feet.

On the ground!

“Huh...!?”

At that moment, the first thing that filled my heart was surprise.

“Huh...!!”

And then, joy!

Because!

Because the small shadow that had jumped out from underground was!

“EMI-CHAAAN!!!”

It was my precious friend... whom I thought I had lost!!

“...What, you guys are still here?”

“Hebu!?”

Emi-chan smoothly dodged me, who was about to jump at her, with the bare minimum movement.

I fell face-first onto the ground.

But I don’t mind at all!

“Emi-chan! You were alive! I’m so happy... I’m so glad!”

I shouted with joy, even with my face covered in sand!

“Of course. I won’t die just from being buried alive. I’ll ki... I’ll punch you.”

Emi-chan avoided eye contact with me and brushed off the dirt all over her body, saying that to hide her embarrassment.

I see, that’s right!

There’s no way Emi-chan would die just from being buried alive!

She must have smashed through the rocks, dug through the soil, and made her way back here... wait, there’s no way she could do that... but now’s not the time for such retorts, if it’s Emi-chan, she can do it, that’s good enough!

Anyway!

“Emi-chan!”

I swiftly extended my right hand.

It was a hand for a handshake.

“Thank you for being alive... thank you for being alive! Good job!”

“............”

Emi-chan.

Emi-chan stared at my right hand.

While being silent... she scratched her cheek a few times.

Then she matched her gaze with my eyes.

And extended “her left hand” forward.

And then.

“Huh?”

She grabbed my right hand with that hand and pulled it forcefully.

Losing my balance, I stumbled one step, two steps forward.

And towards my defenseless belly.

Emi-chan.

“...Rah!!”

She unleashed a powerful punch!

“Ogoeh!?”

The pain made me curl up on the spot!

Looking down at me like that, Emi-chan snorted.

“...Well, I’ll let you off with this much.”

Saying such incomprehensible words.

She ran off somewhere... at an incredible speed...

“Huh, huh, huh?”

A few dozen seconds later, enduring the pain, I somehow turned my face in the direction Emi-chan had run off to.

Then what entered my vision was the bright red setting sun sinking and the forest painted black by the shadows.

Of course, but.

Emi-chan was nowhere to be seen.

Really, until the very end...

Emi-chan was an incomprehensible, mysterious child...

The next few chapters will be the epilogue.