by volume 1
“——Ha?”
There was no special effect, it could not even count as an attack, it was just an intimidating roar.
It was a roar that could only come from the instincts of a wild beast, but it deeply shook the very roots of my will to move, my actions was easily forcibly stopped.
I had completely entered a state of
“Hiiiiii”
The pressure from the Silverback was the real deal.
Facing the fierce roar this close had woken up my repressed memories that I once buried. What was awaken in my mind was the Minotaur.
The roars of that fierce cow suddenly arose, causing my ears to feel pain. My legs also continued to tremble.
(——)
Right now I was standing at a crossroad.
In front was a enemy. A monster that I could not shake off. Looking at it, I was reminded of the symbol of despair, the Minotaur. I really wanted to escape far far away.
Inside there was a person. An existence that I must protect. The hand that was separated from me was still waiting for me to hold onto it.
(Scary——)
Fear and Obligations, Imagination and Mission. The completely contrasting feelings and instincts constantly battled within my body.
(Scary——)
Facing this rebellious impulse, my weak sense of responsibility seemed to be simply conquered.
(Extremely scary, but ——)
Despite this.
(——I am still a
Because of the tiny will of being a man, I could not back away from this.
Go.
Go on.
Go Forward!
You must go on ahead right!?
You absolutely cannot leave a
“——UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!?”
This roar contained all the courage within myself.
It felt like as if I expelled all the fear away, and unexpectedly, strength surged through my body.
I stomped towards the Silverback.
“GAAAAAAAAAAAAAA”
The Silverback also went on attack.
The thick arms that was still attached to a chain, pierced through the sky and attacked. I could only rely on my body’s instincts to move.
Suddenly, I lowered my head and that exaggerated left fist passed through the top of my head.
I equipped my dagger on me, this was a golden opportunity.
As the enemy’s left chest approached my without any defenses, I also went head-on and used my strength to slash at it.
“Ha!?”
However.
What rang out was a metallic sound.
The dagger that I was swing on my left hand also felt a strong impact and completely crushed my entire arm.
The weapon bounced off. The dagger did not even pierce through that white, rough hair on its chest, and only leave a silverfish spot.
——The dagger shattered?
A lightning-like impact surged through my body. Looking at the scattered fragments of the blade, my cheeks unconsciously twitched.
My all-out attack did not even hurt the Silverback!!
I was completely stunned by the scene in front of my eyes, and could not speak. Then I felt myself floating in the air.
“Gi!?”
The Silverback used its two big hands and held me tightly, then pressed me directly to the wall.
I received an overwhelming impact as my back hit the wall. My breathing stopped for a moment, as I tried to open both my eyes.
“Guruuaa”
What was in front of me right now, was a ugly monster face.
How could this be? Just when I was thinking about this, the Silverback deliberately showed me its razor-like fangs and opened its bloody mouth. My face became completely distorted due to fear.
“Bell-kun!”
If this continues, then I will really be finished……!?
Listening to Kami-sama’s cry, I tried hard to twist my body, wanting to escape from the other’s binds——At this moment, my fingers seemed to have touched something.
I lowered my gaze, it was a Magic Stone Lamp that was installed onto the wall.
There was no room for thinking. I reached out and took the Magic Stone Chandelier from the wall. I single-handedly operated the fist-sized Magic Stone product, and turned on the light to the maximum.
Pressing the Magic Stone Chandelier, that was so bright that you could not open your eyes, directly to the monsters eyes from my hands.
“GIGEEEEEEEEEEEEE”
When it’s eyes received such an attack, the Silverback screamed. It guarded its eyes and took a few steps backwards.
The hand that was pressed onto my shoulder finally loosened up, and I fell onto the ground.
I struggled with the pain in my body. With a expression where I was about to cry, I ran over to Kami-sama. Before she could say what she wanted to say, I grabbed onto her hand and immediately began our journey to escape once again.
“Bell-kun……?”
“……!”
A unspeakable remorse filled my heart.
No matter how much courage I have, I could not protect Kami-sama.
I am so weak, I completely failed to protect the person in front of me.
Weak, Poor, Frail, Fragile, Delicate, Spineless, Flimsy, Powerless, Vulnerable and Lame me!
It felt that I had completely accepted these ridicule phrases. It surged through my mind, and caused a pain in my chest.
The voice of the beastman youth, even Wallenstein had heard of the phrases that describe that trash, once again echoed through my mind.
Exactly the same, the same as that time.
The weak me could only regret constantly.
“UUUUUOOOOOOOOOO”
“!”
It was a beast-like roar from afar.
The angry monster’s roar echoed through Daedalus Road.
The enemy will chase once again.
(If this continues on……!)
We will certainly be caught up, even if we were to be lucky, it will absolutely not happen a third time. What can I do……What should I do?
In order to protect Kami-sama, In order to help her, what should I do……!
“————“
As these thoughts flashed through my mind, a simple answer appeared.
It was the conclusion after finally thinking it over. It was a method that even the weak me was capable of doing.
There was no need to protect her.
If it was to help Kami-sama, then it was enough.
“Hey, Bell-kun, What……?”
Looks like I finally understood, the complicated feelings that were on my face also disappeared, Kami-sama gasped while she asked me. It feels like she was worried about what was going to happen.
I completely ignored Kami-sama’s question and turned to the right in the crossroad.
In front, there was a long, but not a steep slope, after running through this dirty and black stone road, was a tunnel—— A narrow sewer appeared, looking inside, you could see the faint sunlight. If we pass through this place, it should reach the residential area nearby.
I did not say anything to Kami-sama, and directly threw Kami-sama inside. Kami-sama, who was thrown inside, had a surprised expression and turned her head to look at me.
Then, I slowly shut the iron fence that was located near the entrance.
“Bell-kun!?”
“……Sorry, Kami-sama”
After completely closing the iron fence, the atmosphere between Kami-sama and I became cold.
My face had a painful expression, and I struggled to apologize using my own mouth.
“Kami-sama, please continue to head on straight.”
“I……What are you planning to do!?”
“……I’ll distract the monster and buy some time.”
To the weak me, who was unable to protect this person, it was the only method to help her.
Being the bait.<
br />
While I divert the monster away, I can allow Kami-sama to run to a safe place and hide.
Perhaps she understood my real intentions, Kami-sama had a shocked face and stood there stunned.
“Y…You…Why are you saying such stupid things!???”
“Please, Kami-sama. Be quiet and please listen to my words!”
“No! I disagree! I will absolutely not agree to such a thing! Immediately open this, Bell-kun!”
“Kami-sama……”
Kami-sama shook her head intensely and completely denied my wish.
That small body clinged onto the unmovable iron fence, trying to push it forward, and the same time yelled loudly to me.
Facing the feelings that had led me, I felt happy, but at the same time, I felt said.
There was no time. I kneel and looked at Kami-sama face to face, and sincerely said.
“Kami-sama……I…do not want to lose my family again!”
“……!”
Persuading her, this difficult thing was impossible to me.
So I can only follow my own heart and say the words that laid deep in my heart.
That was something that happened before. Before I came to Orario, Before I met Kami-sama.
I lost my grandfather, the only one relative in the world to me.
My grandfather was killed by a monster. Because he was attacked while he left the village for business, at that time, I was not there, there was nothing I could do. I could only hear the news about his death from the villager’s mouth, nothing more.
At that time, the feeling of losing something was deeply engraved into my heart. So, from the depths of my heart, the concept of family was precious.
“I am extremely afraid about losing my family……I could not protect anyone, that was what I was most scared of.”
Coming to Orario to have a fateful encounter was absolutely not a lie. As if it was to confirm the bonds between my grandfather, in order to protect these bonds so it would not be broken off, I listened to this person’s words, and went to search for that fateful encounter.
However, I believe that besides from that, somewhere in my heart, I was also expecting something else. That is the warmth of a family.
The gods were able to give, that was the bonds of a family.
I…Wanted family members.
“So, Please, Allow me to protect Kami-sama, this family member!”
I knew that I could not protect her, yet I still said these words. No, it should be because I could not protect her, so that’s why I said this wish out loud.
While in this short period of time, she listened to me, Kami-sama opened her cute eyes and stared at me, her face has also become increasingly bitter.
“……Please quickly leave here and go seek for help!”
“……Bell-kun!”
After I said this final sentence, I stood up.
Kami-sama’s eyebrows creased, her face was filled with sadness. She raised her head to look at me.
“……There’s no problem. The speed of my
In the end, I still strongly smiled at Kami-sama.
Then I took a step back, turned around, and ran.
Hearing Kami-sama constantly calling me from behind, but I did not look back.
This happened because of my own weakness of not being able to accomplish anything. Sorry! I used my trembling voice and apologized once again.
“……!”
I ran while I kept using my hand to rub my face, then I followed back the road we came from and returned to the crossroad.
The monster still had not come. While I paid attention to the movements above my head, I put my hand into the pouch on my leg. The potion that had
My fatigue was reduced. My stamina has also recovered, it felt that my strength surged upwards.
The pain in my entire body had completely become relieved.
The Silverback ran out from the end of the path.
This time I ran into the path directly opposite and turned my head around.
“Uuuu……?”
“Come, over here!”
The monster noticed Kami-sama was not around, and looked left and right. But I loudly provoked it.
“GAAAAAAAAAAAAAA”
(Okay!)
After confirming that the monster was running over towards me, I also began to run.
This happened because of my own weakness of not being able to accomplish anything. Sorry! I used my trembling voice and apologized once again.
While I was escaping, my sight was attracted to the bright right lines on the wall. It was a guidepost. The residents living here probably painted it. It looks like if you head in the direction of the arrow, you can escape from the Labyrinth Street. If Kami-sama saw these signs, then it should be easy for her to escape.
Thinking about it backwards, if I head in the opposite direction of the arrow, I should be able to reach the depths of Daedalus Road. If I lead it over there, then it will further ensure the safety of Kami-sama.
I, who found the directions, immediately headed to the opposite direction of the guided signs.
(……)
Numerous gazes were looking at us.
From the shadows of the nearby streets, from the small windows in their houses, many eyes were constantly gasping. In a variety of places, they were observing the movements of me and the monster.
However, the residents were extremely fearful of the monster.
(Who, in the end, who was it?)
Most of the gazes were blameful gazes to me, who brought this trouble over here. However, there was a completely different gaze that I could not ignore, a gaze with a strong feeling.
It was completely different than the fearful gaze, it felt like a carefree and relaxed gaze.
For awhile now, this person has been watching me. It was a feeling of déjà vu, where it felt like it was licking my skin. Although the feeling was uncomfortable, my consciousness was still attracted to it.
Targeted, no, it felt more like being completely observed……
Words cannot fully describe the faint chill that emerged in my throat. I used my hand to cover my mouth.
“Gruuaa!”
“Kuuu!”
Just when I was about to run out from this path, I could not completely dodge the attack above from the Silverback. I was thrown onto the stone road. I could only roll around on the floor and finally rolled into a slightly wide, oval space.
Although it looked rather rough, a sprinkler that was spouting a water pillar was in the center. Here, numerous roads connected to this space. The area had an atmosphere that felt like it was for a resting area.
“GRAAAAAA”
“!?”
From nearby, you could tell that the Silverback was abnormally excited. Its attacks on me gradually became more intense, and maybe it was because it could not find Kami-sama.
I do not know how, but even the two chains on its wrist also began to swing around like a whip.
The ground was shattered, the walls were cut apart, it was just like as if a tragic storm had passed by.
Because of the irritating sound of the air, being pierced through by the monstrous power, constantly attacked me. The unavoidable sounds made me unable to concentrate.
And the chains that were controlled by the strong wrist continued to let off a ferocious attack over and over again.
“~~~~~~~~~~~~!?”
Finally, I was caught.
It was an attack aimed at the head.
Accompanied by a sharp, high-pitched roar, the chains were also straighten up, and tightly bounded me.
Although because I had placed my dagger to guard my head, I successfully blocked the attack, but the massive impact still spread through my entire body.
Red sparks flashed through my eyes, followed by my body flying away.
“Ahh, kuuu……!?�
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I used my trembling arm to support my upper body that was glued onto the ground and desperately tried to stand up. I did not care about my body’s reaction to resist it, but it still failed.
As expected, I was completely unmatched. There was absolutely no way to win this.
My line of sight froze at the stone street, and the pain and remorse intertwined within my body.
I slowly raised my head. I saw the Silverback was spraying its saliva as it roared in a deep voice, as if it wanted to end me in the next attack. The chain that my hand was holding onto issued a metallic rattling sound.
I don’t want to die. I really do not want to die within my heart. However, but it seemed like my body and mind had already given up.
My body could not use any power, but my mind was still conscious. My mind was still worried.
Kami-sama, did you escape safely? Right now my heart was also worried about that one thing.
(If that’s the case, then at that time……)
It was this feeling.
The moment that person ran over to help me.
The moment that Wallenstein lent me a helping hand.
However, this time there was no hope that she would run over here and help me again. Because my heart still had this childish thinking of wanting to meet her once again, but at the same time, it was also because of this thinking that caused me to feel tangled.
This shameful posture, I do not want her to see it a second time.
I had already some confusion with the current and the past scene, and bowed my head as if I accepted my fate.
“Bell-kun!”
“——“
The time stopped for a moment.
That voice that called out to me brought my back from my blank consciousness, but my heart was severely affected by it as well.
Lifting up my head, my vision had recovered. But the scene in front of my eyes, I could not help but be stunned.
There was a person that came to help. It wasn’t that person, but it was a person very important to me.
I saw the gasping Kami-sama, Hestia-sama.
How? Why? Why ——are you here?
Complex emotions surged through my incomprehensible body, not even a single sentence could be forced within my mind.
“Uggghhhhh……”
“——“
If this continues, then the situation will develop in the worst possible direction.
The Silverback that finally found the presence of the existence it was searching for, it feels like the color in its eyes had changed, and the target it locked onto changed from me to Kami-sama.