CH 18

The man’s eyes widened in surprise as he hit the brakes hard. He was staring at it with a smirk. At the same time, I could feel the barrier that was being broken by the knights outside being rapidly repaired and restored. When I turned around, I saw Kyaran sticking a small charm to the Kyuubi.

TL: Nine-tailed Fox = Kyuubi

Ah, it’s over.

“I thought something was strange… it was you, wasn’t it, [Hal]?”

“Don’t call me by that name anymore. It’s nice to see [Beth].”

A transfer magic that should not be able to be used even if it’s a five-high. A barrier that only lets young women pass through. Kyaran, who should not have such a personality to kidnap, and with a blank expression, not saying a word.

The man I met on [Spring] day. It’s nostalgic how overly familiar he is. He’s wearing the Academy uniform just like the first day we met.

This event in the [summer] should have nothing to do with him. Why does he always change the scenario and appear like this?

“Are you really in it for the fun?”

“Well, I don’t know. At least it’s a fact that I’m enjoying myself now.”

He talked casually while desperately turning his head. Of course, the theme is how to get out of this situation.

Emilia was worriedly watching the state of the Kyuubi while keeping a distance from me. The Kyuubi must be sealed with magic and unable to move for another 30 minutes. Kyaran was standing blankly, with the only entrance behind this man. The barrier must also have been set by him. Barrier magic allows for free entry and exit for the user regardless of the conditions. It seems unlikely that the barrier will be broken from the outside as long as this man is here.

In other words, our opponents are a man who excels in using advanced magic, has a physical body that is immune to attacks, and a lady who has been turned into a puppet, and also excels in magic. On our side, there is a girl who can only use healing magic and I, who am skilled with a sword.

I know what this is. My mother said it. [We’re in trouble].

TL: [詰んでる]?

For now, let’s try to figure out our opponent’s goal while buying time.

“What do you plan to do with us?”

“I want that healing magic user to revive my body. Rebecca…hm… doesn’t need to do anything.”

“Can you please let us go?”

“No way.”

[Hal] continued as if he was biting and swallowing something.

“Just stay by my side and don’t do anything.”

…What?

I was surprised. Is it just my imagination that I feel something special in that? There seems to be an unknown emotion in the depths of [Hal]’s narrowed eyes… No, speaking of eyes.

“Why are your hair and eyes red compared to before?”

“Hmm? This is, when I store up a lot of magic power, it becomes a vivid red. When we first met, it was more of a brownish color, right?”

That’s right. [Hal]’s hair was not the sparrow color(brownish color) when we first met, but a bright red like blood. If it was this red when we first met, I would have realized that [Hal] was Ouka. It was written in the strategy book that his hair was bright red, so I suspected that he was a handsome target, but I couldn’t remember.

“I’ve been behaving myself for a few months, I’ve accumulated a lot. For example, I could transfer the three of us, you, me, and Emilia, to a foreign country.”

“…what.”

Emilia made a sound from behind.

Because the force of the scenario was too strong, I seemed to have relied on it unconsciously. Could this man who broke the scenario really take us far away?

At least I tried to resist, and reached for the short sword in my skirt.

But I stopped.

“You’re not thinking of doing something like that, are you?”

I said it without much certainty, but [Hal] stopped smirking, so it must have been the right thing to say.

Even I myself find it strange, but I can’t seem to feel any sense of danger or caution towards this man since earlier. If he really had such intentions, he would have talked about it slowly instead of just acting on it right away.

I faced him head on and looked into his eyes, trying to find out the true identity of the mysterious emotion I saw earlier.

It wasn’t love, or emotion, or even obsession.

It was a protective, loving feeling(compassionate love).

“…Bingo. I am——”

[Hal] softly spoke as the color he had been trying to hide couldn’t be hidden anymore,

Crackling, Crackling, breaking.

The barrier shattered simultaneously. Magic sparkled as it descended in small particles, visible to the eye.

[Hal] stepped back to make way as the door opened and someone came in. It was a person who suited the excessive shower of light that enveloped the surroundings.

“——I was just waiting for him to come.”

Why?

That’s all that dominates me. You shouldn’t have been able to come. You shouldn’t have come.

You were the one person I didn’t want to be Emilia’s partner.

[And so, the target of the attack who comes to the rescue is the final love interest of the protagonist is…]

“Rebecca, are you okay?”

I’m not okay at all. Because, Your Highness, you came.