~ Toa's Side ~
Was that truly reality?
It would be accurate to say that that day was a big turning point in my life.
We made a party of five, it wasn't that we took a job, we just left to explore the wasteland.
Forests, valleys, caves.
No one has been able to travel to this places.
The medium layers have been explored but the deepest parts have only been narrowly scraped and there are a lot of places that have not been touched at all.
Recently, it has been discovered that after travelling for a length of 7 to 10 days you will be able to arrive at a volcano belt that probably has elder dwarfs.
Its just that the party that found that place was soon attacked by the Black Calamity Spider and had to escape, so the details are not known.
If this is actually true then it was a big happening, as it could be an exploration point that could provide them with the highest grade weapons and armors.
Aside from the merchants, for adventurers like us, there was nothing as pleasant as obtaining outstanding weapons and armors.
Well, if we were able to go there then we would have been able to join in with the big scale exploration group of 100 people, the chances are none though.
The actual situation is that the average of this group is level 120 and the places we can go from the base are tru~ly close places only.
And in those places we obtain various materials and fight the mamonos that we can face, then we sell the parts that can be sold. In that way we are able to barely maintain our livelihood.
Actually, a party of level 120 would normally place in the high spots of the 4 great powers. We would be able to handle most of the dungeons and suppressions.
And in reality we are one of the parties that has its name known in the empire.
But in this place we are greenhorns. We can even be called total novices.
We came to the 'last base' with our pride and confidence.
In the first exploration we did when we arrived, two died.
At the third, one died.
As we were breaking we were also able to replenish the people but, the other day, finally one of the group decided to return and withdrew.
From the 5 people that came here only I remained, everyone else disappeared.
And in the previous exploration. We failed in a subjugation commission of the black 2-headed dog, Liz. I lost the 4 companions in an instant and without gaining anything, I returned with only my life.
That I planned on taking a loan thinking I would be able to pay it with results, was a fatal mistake.
As if it was only natural, I couldn't pay the moneylender and was forced to pay with manual labor.
When this happens there is no way to comeback, it meant retirement.
No matter what they did to me I wouldn't be able to go against the people that had bodyguards of a level that were too different from mine.
My journey came to an end.
As I was a woman, the type of manual labor differed from the men but manual labor where they used drugs, my body couldn't handle it much longer.
Finally, in order to make me unable to resist, I was shot with a drug for body relaxation and also a drug of thought dispersing, and was brought to a room where I would wait for my turn to be used for human body experiments.
It was a journey where I only wanted one thing. The moment I was able to obtain it I had the intention of ending it but in that place I lost everything.
My little sister is probably no good as well. She was my only relative and was still young so I used my own funding and somehow managed to have her transported to this base.
For a kid to survive in this place is impossible. My little sister is not even an adventurer after all.
It was mortifying but I could do nothing about it.
As expected, it was impossible for me.
In the past, when my ancestors still managed the rituals in the spirit temples.
One of my ancestors that had the strongest power, joined a party and challenged dragon extermination.
It seems to be a supreme existence that had the nickname of "invincible". Its said to be sleeping in the deepest parts of the borders.
Everyone believed in the success of it but, it was a failure.
Not a single one returned. Total annihilation.
From what I have heard, the average for the parties in those times was 600. And it was supposed to be a fight with chances of winning.
Because the ones participating was said to be more than 100.
But not a single one of them returned.
And after that, my household lost the dagger that was said to be a sacred treasure because of the acts of that one person, faced with slander they were chased out of the temple.
Reaching a town, they blended in, living the life of a commoner and over and over they changed towns, and it was the same even in my generation.
That's why.
For me.
It became a clear objective, to come to this borders and obtain the dagger that has been told to me all the time.
Becoming an adventurer I trained my skills and waited for that chance, and then, finally, I was able to reach the borders… and yet.
I couldn't obtain any information about the dragon or about the dagger.
Even those kind of thoughts were crumbling because of the drugs and left me absentminded, at that time, a miracle happened to me.
"It seems to be this girl-ja no"
"Yeah, I am glad. It looks like she is still alive"
I can hear the voice of someone. But even if I knew that, I wasn't able to do anything. I couldn't move and couldn't talk after all.
"It seems they have done something to her"
"It looks like they have used drugs-desu"
"Hmph, if that's true then, even if we take her away she will die"
"Please wait for a second… This is, not that kind of type, it seems to be something that snatches her ability to resist"
"Ho~, do you have knowledge in medicine? I didn't know that. And, how is it? Are you able to do something about it?"
"Fufufu, of course. Something like this…"
A hand is held out in front of me. The senses in my body return in a second. And then my thoughts rearrange.
"Ho~ that's pretty impressive-ja na"
"And… a little extra-desu wa"
The girl with black hair used the darkness to swallow the door that was locked and reinforced with special materials, and destroyed it.
"Wa?!"
What an unbelievable thing. For a magic that has been activated with no aria to be this powerful.
"You are Toa-ja na?"
The blue haired girl that has been crossing her hands looks down at me.
What is it, what is happening? Will I be saved?
"Y-Yeah. I am Toa but…"
"How is your body-ja? Nothing wrong with it?"
Is she worrying about me? So that means she is not an enemy right?
With this, maybe…
"I feel a bit dull but I can move"
"That is splendid. Okay, then Mio"
"Yeah, let's retreat at once Tomoe-san" (Mio)
"Umu, ah, no wait. That was close that was close, we were about to be tricked by waka" (Tomoe)
The girl called Tomoe suddenly returned the leg that was headed to the door.
"By waka-sama? What is wrong-desu ka?" (Mio)
"Listen here Mio. Waka ordered us to rescue this girl. Right?" (Tomoe)
"Yeah, and as you can see she is safe isn't she?" (Mio)
"Naïve! You are too naïve!" (Tomoe)
"Eh?! What is-desu?" (Mio)
For these girls this should be the center of enemy territory and yet, they are talking without even lowering their volume.
I should have stopped that but, since this was such an out of the standards situation, I wasn't able to maintain a calm reasoning.
"Waka, seeing that we have only rescued this girl and left, he will say this 'Tomoe, Mio, and? What about the others?'" (Tomoe)
"… ha!!" (Mio)
"It seems you understood-ja na. In other words, if we only take this girl and return…" (Tomoe)
"Waka-sama will get angry?!" (Mio)
The girl called Mio screamed with a bitter face.
"That's right-ja" (Tomoe)
The girl called Tomoe nodded with a self-satisfied look.
"That means, the action we should be taking is…" (Tomoe)
"It's troublesome but, the correct answer is to save everyone and take them with us, right-desu wa ne?" (Mio)
"Yeah. Aside from this girl, we can leave the other ones wherever we please. They won't fit in the room after all" (Tomoe)
"I see, I have learned" (Mio)
The two of them shook their head in understanding. But, is this the time to be so leisure?
"I am sorry but this is as far as you go, intruders-san"
Saying 'Ah~' I hold my head. This is the obvious happening.
Not only did they destroy the door that was locked, they were also talking so loudly, there is no way they didn't notice someone had trespassed.
Moreover, this is the worst.
This voice is that person. The highest level in this base, Ace.
It's the guy that, instead of going to explorations, decided to be a bodyguard for the rich guys and gain easy gold.
But, in terms of ability, he is without a doubt the top in this place. The difference in level between the Number 2 is too much.
It was my long awaited chance but, with this…
"So they discovered us huh" (Tomoe)
"Ara ara, they have come" (Mio)
But the two of them didn't falter at all.
The enemy is a level 444*. He could even be counted as one of the most prominent adventurers in the world.
"Hm? These fellows… Hey!"
"Ha!!"
"Aren't these the two odd people that you mentioned?"
Ace said that and began talking to one of his companions.
"Yeah, that's right. These are the fellows, Ace-san"
"Hmph~. You guys said that they were monsters with four digits right? This is, we have truly met in a strange place" (Ace)
4 digit… what?
"What, so you already knew about us. The word travels fast huh" (Tomoe)
"Just like waka-sama said, it was correct to act as fast as we could" (Mio)
Ace makes a vulgar face while appraising the two of them.
I couldn't follow the conversation. At any rate, I felt like I will fall in panic trying to figure out what is happening.
"Hoho~?" (Ace)
"What is it-desu?" (Mio)
"Don't play dumb, 'the way for level alteration and misrecognition' right? Anyways, you guys went overboard, level 1320 and 1500 you say? Hihahahahahahah!" (Ace)
Level, alteration? Misrecognition?! What is Ace saying?
"I also learned it by coincidence. I didn't expect the body fluids to have such an effect. I thought that was my exclusive secret" (Ace)
"I also heard it from Ace-san and was able to understand. I went, 'So that's how it was'. 4 digits is obviously a fraud"
Tomoe, Mio, the two girls that were called like that, I clearly heard them sighing.
"I don't care about what you bastards think but…" (Tomoe)
It was in the moment that Tomoe opened her mouth with a tired look.
"Hi~a, what. Did you guys not know? Then I let my words slip out. That means you had one accomplice prepared right?" (Ace)
A *click.
The atmosphere of the two slightly changed. After the laughing words of Ace.
"Aren't you guys quite the fraudsters?! And the story about a certain company's kid also smells like a lie right?!" (Ace)
Ace and his colleagues began to grow boisterous. It was a merriness that made you wonder if they were under the effects of sake.
After all, they have the absolute number advantage.
But, what is it? For a while now I haven't been able to stop my chills. This is not something that comes from a hostile situation. Just what is the world is this?
"Even though he is a man, he has a pink ring and talks with writing and walks with a mask! Is this a masquerade venue~?!"
Ah~ this is.
Anger. I don't know the reason why but, the tiredness…
Changed into anger.
"I am sure that behind that mask you will find a goblin that can think, there is no doubt that he is an inhuman ugly-kun! Hyahahahaahhaa!!"
Dogoooon!!!
I suddenly heard something striking hard.
On Ace's face I could see a fist, and on his body, a mass of darkness.
But both of them were stopped just in front of him. This is.
"… Clay Aegis"
The voice that felt like it was absentminded, I noticed a little later that it was mine.
That is what they call Clay Aegis, it's a product that is made from various materials and can only be obtained in this base.
It's manufactured by using various rare materials and it's an anti-magic physic barrier equipment. It comes with a limit of use but I heard that it's quite strong.
So that sound was the attack of the two of them being stopped. An attack that could even create a gust of wind that reached to where I was, those two did something like that.
"Oh~ Oh~ so you have a decent amount of power. It's great that you came prepared. But too bad for you…" (Mio)
"Oi, Mio. You should go clear out the drugs from the other people. I* will handle this" (Tomoe)
"Will you please stop joking? To say such abusive remarks to waka-sama. I will take responsibility on cleaning up every single hair of these guys. By the way Tomoe-san, didn't you say you would use 'washi'* at another time?" (Mio)
The words of the two of them didn't seem to carry any worries about Ace blocking their attack, it was like a quarrel to take each other's prey.
"Listen to what I am saying…"
"You must have already noticed-ja. You can just join in when you finish with the drug clear out. It will be a good exercise for the body. At any rate, I will be punching this guy" (Tomoe)
"Hmph, if you don't leave any for me I will not forgive you okay? Especially the face, I will be slapping them after all" (Mio)
"Understood-ja. At this occasion I will try to hold back" (Tomoe)
Ignoring the words of Ace, the conversation ended.
And then…
Mio-san did the same clear out to several others like me. And they were all done with no aria, as if it were only natural.
Level 1320? 1500?
E?
Eh?
Tomoe-san looks at Ace again.
"Then-ja, I will not be going with the knuckles but with the fist. For the sake of Mio, don't die with one hit okay?" (Tomoe)
She draws back the stretched out hand and…
*Gusha
The second fist that was pushed out, in a second, it destroyed the Clay Aegis barrier mechanism and hit the face of Ace.
Nailed into the wall, Ace wasn't even able to let out a sound. The strongest in the base…
"Now now, quickly come at me one after the other!" (Tomoe)
Saying that, without even touching the sword that was on her waist, she danced between the numerous edged weapons that the mercenaries had.
Hitting the sword with her fist, the out of common sense scenario of a sword crumbling, the young girl punched the brawny men into submission.
In a totally refreshing manner.
"Wait a minute! Let me in too!" (Mio)
Mio-san that had already finished with the clearing out, slipped into the fray. Is what I thought but, she grabs the Ace-san that was nailed in the wall by the collar and…
Shipapapapapappapapa…
She began a barrage of slaps that made her right hand look like a blur. Without even having to wait, the face of Ace turned a perfect circle shape at that instant.
"Fu~" (Mio)
With that out of the way, this time for sure, she joined the fray.
"Oh~?! So you have come Mio! Listen well, learn to hold back the best you can and leave them ba~rely alive!" (Tomoe)
"With this many I will learn it. Easy-peasy-desu. The other guy also most likely didn't die!" (Mio)
"Then, let's make this spacious" (Tomoe)
"Desu wa ne*, this place is a bit cramped to rampage after all" (Mio)
Tomoe-san unsheathes the sword-looking thing out of its scabbard. Mio-san, without a sound, with those slim and white hands, she calls the darkness.
The sword flashes and the wall collapses, the darkness that was stretching out sinks the floor.
The building that was supposed to be solid, in a split second it was destroyed and became a wide-space.
Is this, a dream?
The two of them say 'Okay' and put away the sword and darkness, to make their movements easier they roll up their clothes.
The two girls hit, kick, throw, chase, the people that were close to level 200, like they were scattering some small spiders.
I… began believing that they were level 1320 and 1500.
This scene had that much of an impact.
That's why I was watching.
Not only me. Everyone that had been captured, their hearts had been snatched, they let their bodies be driven by that shock.
It was almost over. In just a few minutes.
The 'only' thing left was the room where we were.
The large estate building that was in the outsides of the town, already became pieces of rubble.
"Fu~ dafafarasyougof*!!"
All of a sudden I felt a cold sensation on my neck.
From my neck, something edged was hitting it and someone was lifting his voice.
I was caught off guard. This was Ace. His swelled up face and the voice he released, it could instill pity in anyone.
Because he, most likely, tried to say 'that's as far as you go'.
Tomoe-san and Mio, however, seemed like they didn't notice and were finding the last remaining ones and hitting them. Incredible.
"daf af..!" (Ace)
In the moment he tried to say it once more.
At my sides, the two of them were there. At my left, Tomoe-san. At my right, Mio-san. It was only an instant.
When I check once more, I see that the two of them were not at their previous location.
"Shut uuup!"
Receiving the kick of Tomoe-san and the fist of Mio-san.
Ace-san was send flying somewhere. This is the first time in my life I have seen a person becoming a star from a punch.
"Fumu, this will suffice. Well, I think we overdid it a bit huh" (Tomoe)
"No no, impoliteness to our waka-sama deserves death" (Mio)
"Yeah, in the end, I had more half-dead people than you right? Ufufufufu~♪" (Mio)
The laughing of Tomoe-san took place.
Eh? The fight already ended right? What is this dangerous atmosphere?
"Are you half-asleep? It's true that Mio worked hard but I had 3 more than you" (Tomoe)
"Ara ara, were you weak at calculating? I had 2 more than you-desu wa" (Mio)
"Ho~ I am amazed that you can't do a 1+1. Listen here, its certain that I had more than you-ja" (Tomoe)
"No, it was me-desu" (Mio)
The two of them began quarrelling between me. Scary. Because even with only their pinky finger, they are absolutely stronger than me.
"U, um… How about you leave that for later?"
Without dismay, I interpose. I don't want my live that has been finally saved, to be lost in the quarrel of these two.
"Like we can leave it!" (Tomoe)
"We can't leave it!" (Mio)
"Hihi?!"
Tomoe-san answers me immediately and looks at me seriously. What is it? What will they do to me?
"Girl, you said your name was Toa right? I am able to do something like this-ja. You think that I am the one who defeated the most right?" (Tomoe)
Saying that, she unsheathes her sword and swings it once.
The high wall that was enclosing the outsides of the estate, made a thunderous sound and began to collapse. Eh, that, just now?
With fear taking over me, I shake my head up and down.
I think that's the normal reaction.
"Wa?! Hey~ Toa-san… If I wanted to, ei… see? I was the one who did the most right?" (Mio)
A number of buildings in the town that you could see after the thin road, in a second, they were swallowed by the darkness and disappeared. From this distance, and without a single word?!
I once again was taken over by fear and shake my head up and down.
I think that's the normal reaction.
"?! Ho~ so you are going to make it a competition no matter what?" (Tomoe)
"Ara, I was just asking the opinion of a third party-desu wa" (Mio)
"Wawawawa"
"Ufufufufu"
*Bachibachibachi!
Their gazes were releasing bluish sparks.
I had an incredibly bad presentiment. I had but, well, I didn't have the will to stop them.
"Hey, Toa! It was me right?!" (Tomoe)
"No… Toa-san! It should have been me!" (Mio)
Saying that, the two unknown people, to the base that had lasted for many years…
They showed me how they destroyed it while I laughed in tears.
And that was without resistance. Without a single word.
Everyone that tried to oppose had become a star in the sky, and practically every building was turned into rubble.
In there you could only see a number of craters and rubble.
And then, for some reason, just one inn that is considered the most luxurious in town, was left standing.
At that point, the two of them made a strange smile and did a firm handshake.
The storm passed.
Swallowing everything with it.
We were in the entrance of the inn, saved by some kind of miracle, with my little sister by my side.
And I faced the man called 'waka-sama' that the two of them served.
~ Makoto's side ~
"Not happening Not happening Not happening!!" (Makoto)
After hearing everything, I bolted to the window and look outside.
There is nothing! Really nothing!!
It became the remains of a battlefield!!
I left the room.
I see a number of people sitting down but I don't pay them attention and enter the room at the opposite side!
Window, scenery, both of them!
*Dadadadada!
I return to the room!
I look at the two of them!
They don't look at me in the eye!
My feelings of shouting like crazy are filled up. But for some strange reason I had a part of me that was calm and I desist.
I look at my surroundings.
Rinon! I see, so that's why she had that face!
Anyways, I look at her.
[I am glad you are okay] (Makoto)
When I show her those words, Rinon hugs me and cries herself out.
That's… a given right?
Even if it was a blessing that they were in the inn, they were shown how the town disappeared in front of them, she was taken by the two of them and her sister and returned here.
After a while, she fell asleep. The tension she had must have gone.
Even though I was calm, I was filled with anger. If what was gone from Rinon was the tension then for me it was my self-restraint.
So…
From my belongings I take out one arrow that was specially made for me by the dwarfs.
I hold the good enough bow that was given to me by the orcs. Open the window.
In the feather part of the arrow I tie 2 strings.
I tie both ends onto Mio and Tomoe's clothes.
Silence, it was just silence.
And then with the bow…
"W-Wait a minute waka…?" (Tomoe)
"U-Um isn't this dange…?" (Mio)
The two of them tried to say something but, it was already too late.
"Fly and reflect on what you have done!!!!" (Makoto)
"Fuoooooo?!!!"
"Wakiaaaaaaaa?!!!"
With a *bling, the two of them flew away.
The rumor that I had gone through all the trouble of spreading, they ruined it all!
What should I do from now on?!
'My clothes a kimono!" is what I probably heard but I ignored it.
This is no good, at this rate it's definitely not good! Someday I will become a terrorist! No, I already am! If this gets out I won't be able to hide it, what should I do?! Aaaaah! My Japanese is weird!
Tomoe, for now I will let her do what she wants. For the sake of reaching the difference of level with Mio she will probably ask me something like that. She seems to be the type that likes warrior training after all. I will order something random to her, I will do that.
Mio, compared to Tomoe, is still in the docile part. There is nothing she can't handle and she is able to understand when she is going wild so it's easier to control. Making her my bodyguard I will go fast, at any rate I will hurry and go to the town called Tsige.
The bases that are in the middle of the way, I will try my best to run past them. If Tomoe is not there then we won't have that many troubles, probably.
That's right, let's do that. Let's hurry, to a safe land!
I will gather the people that are somehow okay.
And the me who has managed to maintain calm.
Was finally able to write words.
[I will escort you guys to the next town]
Is what I said.
… We have done it now!!!