Volume 2 Chapter 10 – Sacrifice 3

“We’re coming in!”

“Excuse me.”

We had arrived at Hatsushiba-san’s home. All the way here, Hatsushiba-san clung to the cuff of my jacket.

On the other side, Aika was digging her elbow into my side, as if to prod me. Cute.

“‘Nadepo’ or whatever.”

Haha,

“‘Choroin’ or whatever.”

Hahaha,

“‘Instant fall in two panels’ or whatever.”

Hahahaha,

“…You cheater.”

I wrapped my arm around her head and shoulders, holding her close in a way Aika liked.

“Umyu! I love it~…”

Crisis averted.

◆

Hatsushiba-san’s eyes were filled with worry and regret from the start. I’ve always been weak against regret. I immediately wanted to pat her on the head. And if I feel that way, I don’t hesitate.

After all, I was a hero.

As I patted her, I cast a gentle healing spell. She must’ve been carrying a lot of stress. Without any magic resistance, she had no choice but to accept it. I’m sorry. Even her damaged hair became glossy.

Come to think of it, back in elementary school, Aika used to call it “Nadepo, Nadepo…” Saying stuff like, “Oh, it’s Nadepo again,” or “You’re doing Nadepo again.” So, this is what it meant.

Nah, I didn’t have any magic back then, so no, that’s not it. It was just to comfort her.

Well, the intention was the same, I guess.

And besides, I wasn’t using any charm-based spells. Those spells require lies as offerings, so if I used them, I wouldn’t be able to cast magic anymore. That type of magic originated from the demons anyway.

So, here we are.

Our first time visiting a modern single-room apartment.

Hatsushiba-san’s apartment was a rented one-room place. As soon as you opened the entrance, there was a hallway that led to a room about eight tatami mats in size, apparently. I’m not really familiar with tatami measurements.

How big would that be? Like… ten sturdy warriors without their armor? Maybe around twelve? Slightly bigger than a cramped carriage, maybe? I spread my arms, trying to estimate based on memory.

The height…

Ah! A warrior in full plate armor would break through the ceiling! I knew it…

Since yesterday, I’d been glancing up at the ceiling, feeling a sort of oppressive weight. Back over there, we had guys over two meters tall all over the place, so the ceilings were high. Right, that’s it. The ceiling here is low.

“…What are you doing?”

“Oh, don’t worry about it.”

Hatsushiba-san put her bag down and offered me some tea. She apologized, saying it was instant.

But hey, it’s got plenty of aroma. It’s perfectly fine.

When I was summoned to that nasty lord’s place, it was a nightmare. He called it a tea party, but the tea never showed up, and when it did, it was just colored water. It was so bad, it was beyond words. It’s unfair to compare, but this is far better.

Another defeat for the otherworld by modern civilization.

“…You’re looking into the distance, you know.”

“…Ah, Kyo-chan, you’ve done that a few times today.”

“…Kyo-chan, huh?”

“Haha, yeah, Kyo-chan.”

“So, you were lying about not being interested.”

“Yep. I wanted you to be jealous, Kyo-chan. I put quite a bit of effort into it.”

“…Is it really okay to admit that in front of the person?”

“It’s fine, I made sure to make them understand.”

“?”

“I made them understand.”

“I don’t get it…”

Anyway, let’s get started. It’s judgment time.

“Well then, Hatsushiba-san. You’re… not actually a ‘gyaru,’ are you?”

“! …S-so what?! Yeah, I know it doesn’t suit me! What even is a ‘gyaru’ anyway?! A boyfriend? Give me a break! Don’t just add ‘pippi’ to everything! It’s confusing for tests! And don’t say ‘shuki’ for ‘love’! Use Japanese properly!”

“Oh?”

I thought she was just setting the mood, but she’s been holding all of this in, hasn’t she? Maybe once it got exposed, she just let it all out. Aika, who was nearby, was writhing.

“What are you doing?”

“What am I doing? Getting caught in the crossfire. Don’t worry about it.”

Why so formal?

“Now then. I’ve got a good idea of what you were aiming for with the video, but can I confirm? I haven’t actually watched it myself.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. But even without watching, it’s usually not hard to figure these things out.”

“Bold of you. Go ahead, then.”

“In essence. ‘Jump into my arms, Aika, I’m the only one who understands you,’ by Kuzukawa the Prince, right?”

“…That’s a cruel way to put it, but it’s not wrong.”

“It’s a typical self-serving strategy.”

“Well… when you put it like that, it does seem small-scale.”

That’s exactly it. All that trouble just for something like that. The question is, is there a reason he has to go that far, or is it just his nature? A hobby? That’s not the issue right now.

“However. This is only from Kuzukawa’s perspective. There’s one thing that I absolutely can’t overlook…”

I paused, infusing my words with magic.

“‘Someone tried to sacrifice me, knowing full well what kind of consequences it would bring, all for their own convenience.’”

I emphasized each word, letting the magic seep into them.

“‘That’s something I cannot tolerate. Do you have that resolve?’”

“I-I-I-I had the resolve! For Megumi’s sake, I swore I’d get revenge! But, but, but! I couldn’t help it! It was the only thing I could think of!”

Impressive. She’s speaking even without any resistance to magic. I stayed silent, increasing the pressure. She started crying. And she wet herself. But she kept speaking. …Incredible.

“For Megumi’s sake! Sniffle… That frustration! No matter how many years it takes! I’ll get those bastards… Waaaah…”

“Kyo-chan…”

Aika gently wrapped her arms around my head.

“Thank you for doing this for me. I’m fine. I’m sure Tomoka-chan is a good friend.”

“Aika, are you sure about this?”

“Yeah!”

If Aika is fine with it, then I am too.

Well, I’ve learned everything I needed to about Hatsushiba-san’s resolve.