“We’ll Definitely Come Back to Save You!” — It’s Been Three Years Since I Was Left in the Most Difficult Dungeon, Isn’t It About Time for Help to Arrive...? - 74-75

Chapter 74: Until I Turn to Ash

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

I leaned my back against the two of them and stepped forward toward the crouching Ripley. Even with her voice hoarse, she kept uttering words of contrition, and with her swollen guilt and the true feelings glimpsed beneath it, she looked as if she might break at any moment.

“I’m sorry for being weak… For being useless… I’m sorry I couldn’t save you… Athos… Athos… Athos… Uuuaaahhhh!!!”

As if her body were being ruled by a torrent of emotion that bordered on madness, Ripley attacked indiscriminately at whatever came into view. I hammered every hollow word she mouthed into my ears. Not to accept an apology from her, but to become aware of the existence that had driven her to this madness: myself.

Ever since I had begun living as an adventurer, I had thought it was enough if I could protect my comrades. If my companions were safe, I was convinced my own existence didn’t even need to be placed on the scales. If I ceased to be an adventurer, I probably wouldn’t even be able to fall to the ground properly anyway. 

But that wasn’t right. The weight had to be placed correctly. For every bit of satisfaction I felt in having been “saving” them, Ripley would be forced to live cursed by the fact that she had been “saved” by my sacrifice.

“…I’m sorry, Ripley. I thought it was enough if you all lived… No, I thought it was enough that you were alive. I never once considered what kind of torment you would bear, living on because of my sacrifice…”

Bearing the sin I had finally been able to acknowledge, I drew my sword in front of Ripley.

“…I’ll definitely save you. So you—also—with all your strength—wake me up.”

“Uuuuu… Uuaaaahhhh—!!!”

Whether my voice reached her or not, Ripley ignored everything else and struck at me with a kick that had transformed into a crimson flash.

BAM!!

Even with my arms crossed to receive it, I couldn’t fully absorb the power of the kick, and the penetrating impact shook my organs. For the past three years, she must have honed that kick relentlessly, driven by guilt from the lie that had been implanted in her head for some reason. The lie that she hadn’t been able to come help me. 

Had I not grown stronger in Niflheim, I wouldn’t be able to withstand the force of her kick. While I tried to regain my footing, Ripley didn’t let up; lightning-fast glints left brilliant tails as she closed in.

This time I tracked her movement with my eyes, braced my sword, and planted my toes to take the impact. No matter how many times she created distance, no matter how often she lunged, I would catch every blow.

Gradually the blade became scoured with scratches, my body filled with dull aches, and my breathing grew harsh. Still, the resolve “I won’t back down” supported both of my legs.

As my sword and body inched toward their limits, the luminous trails Ripley produced also began to lose their brilliance. No wonder—she wasn’t holding anything back. If anything, she was attacking with an abandon that threw her very life away. Drawing more power than her limits allowed meant her stamina would be consumed at an extraordinary rate.

If I could just endure like this, eventually Ripley’s stamina would run out and her movements would stop. But before her limit came, surely… At that next instant, Ripley’s presence shifted. Though she still flailed her body, pouring strength into both legs, a crimson thunder began to wrap her limbs.

The ground quaked, and lightning raced across the area. The whole cave seemed to tremble in fear at the strike that was about to be released. I readjusted my broken sword and met Ripley head-on. For an instant, a leg streaking with thunder—accompanied by a roar and flash—launched like an invisible arrow and tore through the very fabric of space.

“—Come!”

I flashed the maximum force I had, colliding my sword with the thunder-wreathed kick. Fierce sparks and power engulfed the cave in white light.

“—!!!” “—!!!”

Evenly matched. Opposing forces. The shower of flying sparks repeatedly burned my sight anew, and the roar split my ears. Neither side gave an inch. They burned their lives down to ash—4.7 seconds in total, an extremely short span that nevertheless felt maddeningly long—until finally—

SHIIIIIIIIIIIIING!

With a shrill crack, one sword shattered.

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

Chapter 75: May He Always Be Himself

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

Countless fragments danced in the air. Steel, lit by flashes of lightning, glittered a pale blue like stardust coloring the night sky. At the center of that fantastical scene, Ripley had collapsed where she stood, having exhausted her strength in a clash with a sword — and I stood there, having discarded the shattered sword hilt and holding her in my arms.

“Hah… Hah…”

Ripley’s all-out blow — its shock and the lightning it unleashed — still surged violently through my body, randomly cutting off my consciousness.

“…Ripley”

There was no answer. The crimson lightning that had clothed her had dispersed, and she lay completely silent. Feeling the definite weight on both my hands, I somehow kept my awareness tethered and began walking toward the exit while carrying her.

*　*　*

A slight sense of release flowed through my chest, as if eyes that had been forcefully shut were granted a little freedom. My consciousness was still hazy; I didn’t even know for certain where I was. But even in this situation — precisely because of this situation — I understood that I had lost the fight against him.

“…………”

How many defeats was this now? In the end, no matter how I struggled, was I never able to surpass Athos?

For a moment my vision cleared. What appeared was him, his face marked with many wounds and burns. I didn’t recall clearly, but from the numbness in my limbs I should have slammed my full strength into Athos… and yet this man rose calmly to his feet and walked with care so as not to cause even the slightest jolt with his still-aching body.

『…Why is he so sturdy… Geez…』

Despite my grumbling and resentment, I surrendered my spirit to the warmth that enveloped my body and gently closed my eyes.

Athos is dead.

『…But he’s right here in front of me now…』

He was killed by monsters in Niflheim and became the Demon Lord.

『…No. The one I admired would never lose to any monster…』

The man before me is an impostor, not Athos.

『…Because this warmth is surely…』

Soothed by a comfort I hadn’t felt in a long time, I quietly wished for a small, fragile hope.

『I hope… This is really him…』

*　*　*

“I broke the sword again… And it was brand new…”

I sighed as I looked at the hollow where the sword had been slung at my waist.

No weapon, and my hands are tied up. If that monster attacked again in this state… what should we do?

I believed Midi and Lazuli were handling things well, but if I tried to imagine the worst, I could conjure countless unpleasant scenarios.

“…They really aren’t around, right?”

Still unsettled, I kept my guard up and continued forward, checking for safety again and again — after about ten or so minutes, we finally made it outside the cave.

“KURURAAAAAA!!!!!”

The welcome was, to say the least, extravagant. Half of the Domagros — the voracious demon-birds we had seen in this cave — formed two rows to left and right and kept letting out those vacant cries in time with my return.

“Ah… You’re back… Athos, are you okay…？”

As a girl appeared between the huge bodies, the Domagros’ howls abruptly stopped.

“—M-Midi… Hah, you scared me…”

Relieved that I hadn’t been ambushed by monsters as I had feared, the tension I’d been clutching melted away. For now, I laid Ripley down on a patch of soft ground nearby.

“Welcome back… Athos. I’m glad you managed to bring Ripley back…”

“Yeah… Did you control these? Amazing…”

“—!”

As I lightly pecked at the face of a Domagros that wasn’t breathing, Midi suddenly rushed up to me.

“Praise me… Praise me more…!”

“Huh？”

Midi, whose manner and assertions were usually restrained and whose expressions rarely appeared, pushed her head forward like she was showing me off in a rush of words. Startled by the sudden change, I followed her cue and patted her head.

“You really  helped us a lot. Thank you.”

“Nnngh~♡”

The mysterious young magic-user whose demeanor was usually so reserved… Seeing her melt-into-a-daze face blew my mental image of Midi to smithereens, and my thoughts completely stalled.

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー