"This is… Tsige? Did I… return?"
A woman's voice.
"A… A ha! I was saved! This air, this scent, there is no doubt! It's Tsige!"
At that moment, I found the girl.
At the place where I was following, I found her.
In a narrow back alley with no presence of other people.
That was the place where that girl just woke up in. I was surprised. That was truly one of the three people. The girl that acted like she was the leader.
She had terrible injuries in all her body.
They were serious injuries, to the point that it would be impossible for her to return alive if she were in the wasteland.
But well, this is the town. If she exits to the streets and calls out, she would be saved.
No matter how late in the night it is, the Tsige who has a lot of alleys in the brothels should have someone passing by.
The chance to meet a bad person is there. But if it's her, I feel like she would be splendidly saved by a good willed person.
That's right, if only she is able to exit the alley and call out.
The girl could have been saved.
If only it were a bit later in time, at a time where I didn't know such a thing happened.
Not even I know what happened to my body.
It was at the time when I was pondering about how to ask the collapsed girl about what happened while walking closer to her.
My magic power that was clinging to her body and the reason for her wounds were because of the disaster in Asora.
I wanted to know. That's for certain.
"… Tailing, ambrosia, hostile demi-humans, kill, ＃＄％＆, objective, hunt them down, mist town, Raidou, the enemy <>? Town, danger, conspirator, doubts, why did those two? （）＝～｜～＝, escape, success, Tsige, smash, kill, steal, snatch, right, fortune, Ando? Trash, foolish demi-human, night, treasure mountain, !"＃ ravine, a tracker, strongest weapon, trump card, good-for-nothing ring RTGH, exploding light"
Suddenly, a big amount of something began to flow into me.
I was being forcefully shown a high amount of images with high volume and speed, reading aloud sentences that didn't follow any logical connection, and the sudden letters continued like subtitles that didn't have any sense. Sometimes, I caught on a wave of sounds that were like noise which I couldn't catch their meaning and a richly colored stain-like pattern was mixed in.
Anyways, it made me want to puke. My head felt heavy, it stirred me heavily and even made me feel pain. To casually pour so much fragmented information without rearranging them, it made my head feel agony.
What in the world is this? The experience of someone else? Or maybe, memories?
The feeling of having a person's memories pouring inside of me is just terrible.
But…
This was not the first time I felt like wanting to puke. Her thoughts, and the contents of the latest memories I could read. Obviously, I couldn't remember all the memories' information that was poured. The last thought that flowed into me. That definitely remained in my head.
I was planning to heal her first when I was getting close to her.
Just how much time did it pass? The bodily sensation of time certainly felt long, but it may not have been that long.
But well, I had already deactivated [Sakai]. The intention to heal was lost entirely.
This is not all the hyumans right? This is only her way of thinking and experiences after all.
However, they may have a lot of common points between them. Thinking like that, when I saw beautiful people, I felt a strange sensation from this world, or more like a distortion.
The view of hyumans on the demi-humans, no, the way they view anything that's different from them. It may be an extreme case but I have seen one example of it here after all.
Anyways, this one is no good.
Wanting to vomit, disgust, and also anger. I felt a hatred that was close to being anger, on a level I haven't felt before.
Those kind of things were revolving inside my head. The want of shouting, screaming, was filling up in my throat.
The moment she understood this was Tsige and was letting out a voice of joy…
I dragged her inside the mist. Along with all in the circumference.
For her, it must have been like all was enveloped by mist suddenly.
The sudden change of the situation made her shake her head left and right in order to confirm her surroundings.
Inside the dense mist, I approach the girl that hasn't understood that she is in a different space.
"Who is it?!"
She must have confirmed that there was someone else from my silhouette, she shouts at the place where I was.
"You are… Raidou?!"
I didn't answer. Because there was no need to exchange our intentions.
"I see, so you chased after me. But it is already too late. This is Tsige. You, who are cooperating with demi-humans that attack hyumans, won't have comrades!"
"Cooperating? Ah~, in your memories that is the case huh. I don't have any intention of explaining it, so just think whatever you want" (Makoto)
It was not definite, but I feel like I saw an image of her comrades' circumstances and a conversation saying that the demi-humans were responsible.
I use the most fitting words in Japanese to tell her what I feel.
"What? What are you saying? Did you go crazy?"
Of course, she didn't have the blessing of the Goddess as an intermediary, so she couldn't understand Japanese. She must have felt uncomfortable by me who was saying words she couldn't get.
"I am seriously disgusted by myself. I now think from the bottom my heart that I should have killed you guys when I could. But since I was at my limit with just handling myself, somewhere inside me still measured the hyumans of this world as the ones in my own" (Makoto)
"I am telling you that I don't understand what you are saying! Talk with writing like you always do!"
I could tell that her voice was growing hysteric by the moment. She must want to hide her fear. It was the life she had finally saved after all. She must want to treasure it.
"For such a beautiful person to normally strike a conversation with someone like me, seriously, what a joke. Am I not the prime example of a man that would only be called out by a catch seller?" (Makoto)
"Raidou. Release this mist and free me. If it is now, I can still spare you. You may be incarcerated, but even if you are arrested it won't be a death sentence immediately"
She stood up by sliding on the alley's wall and prepares her weapon. Even though she should have seen my fighting, she still thinks that looking at the level is a believable value?
"Is that a bluff? Or are you serious? It is about you, there may be something. You are certainly more incredible compared to someone like me. You are blessed like a hero from stories" (Makoto)
I seriously thought that from the bottom of my heart.
"Even if I am injured, I am a level 96 adventurer. I won't fall behind a merchant"
"By chance we were staying in Asora at the same time as the forest ogres, so it was in a state where they didn't pay much attention to us, and we were lodged in a place close to the dwarfs' disposal storage. They didn't have that much sense of danger, so we were able to steal an equipment, even if it seemed of inferior quality. We got our hands on a damaged Draupnir and when we were discovered I ran to the mist gate that we had passed through before, and was able to push aside the pursuers with the ring that I threw and exploded by chance. Just in case, I used the tool called Clay Aegis or something like that and while being the weakest three, one of us survived. By chance, there was a wave of magic power that was similar and was able to wrench open the mist gate, which I used to return to town"
Just what kind of joke is this? Just how many miracles had to happen in order for this to happen? Will of the heavens? Or maybe unconventional luck? This is already not on that level right?
The connection I did from the scene I got, may have been a bit wrong. There is a chance that a certain percent of it may have been her own desires. And also, it is not certain that those were actually her memories. That's right, even if I try seeing the current situation objectively, I see her luck as abnormal.
Certainly, what we did carried a big problem. Suggestion and strain.
It is at the level of a junior high school student opening a cafe at a culture festival trying to actually sell food and drinks. There are a mountain of problems. Of course, you did a lot of it mostly because you were in the festival mood, and you noticed just now, meaning, you noticed too late.
Once again I say it, these people had way too much luck. No, in the end here I am confronting them, so maybe she is unlucky? The other two seem to have already died after all.
"This is the last time, I know that this weird mist was something you made. Release it"
My right hand held the grip of the Athame and unsheathe it.
She must have understood my answer. I heard a low sound of someone gulping their breath.
I am glad I brought this dagger with me. There is no better weapon to take care of someone like this.
What I understood with the guy's death.
The highland orcs that were accompanying these three. While they were running, these thrash did that to Tomoe's body portion, the Arke and the guy who was close to them.
The two of them informed him of the abnormal event, told him to step back, and even with that, he, who was trying to capture those three… How foolish. He should have stepped back. Tomoe's body portion tried to reduce the force by placing herself in the front and the barrier was destroyed along with her, and then, the Arke that was behind walked through the steps of death. And the highland orc that was there… even though it was something a highland orc would not be able to resist…
If he were not controlled by the sense of responsibility and had obediently stepped back, he could have been saved.
But his actions and the death afterwards, I don't want to blame him for that. At least he tried in his own way to desperately take them back after all. And it is also the truth that he died while trying to do it.
That's why, he may have been wrong, but I think his actions are worthy of respect. With the dagger that I have received from you guys, I have taken revenge for him, is what I will tell Ema and the other highland orcs. At least I hope this will help out somewhat.
With a cold and calm thinking, I thought about the things that will happen hereafter.
"This is the dagger that's been handed down by the orc who died because of your useless struggle" (Makoto)
The girl doesn't say anything more to the fact that I wasn't speaking with her in writing.
While pouring jeers onto me who was getting closer, she pointed the tip of her long sword to me.
Without caring about the cries that were coming out from her mouth, the sword looked like it was waiting for me to get closer. No, maybe she plans on notifying the surroundings by letting out a loud voice. If this was Tsige, it could have been successful with her luck.
I already know that because of her body's injuries she is not in the state where she can charge at me. She is seriously injured after all. Of course, she should know what can happen if she turns her back to me.
The distance between us slowly disappears.
It may be obvious but the one who gets the first strike is her. The range between a long sword and a dagger is different.
Her eyes told me that it was time to release the spring that was charged. Our distance was close enough to confirm our faces inside this mist.
Her aim… seems to be my throat. A thrust huh.
The point of the sword that carried all her might, makes a high-pitched sound just before reaching my face. [Sakai] barrier. It was a sound like the mutual clash of swords. Her body was also washed away like when one gets pushed back by a sword, both of her arms going upwards.
I didn't have any hesitation.
Doing one step to the front, I hit both of the arms of her with my Athame. The dagger that was swung in reverse made a deep blue line and I disposed of both of her arms and the long sword at the same time.
There was no resistance. I didn't feel much resistance when I did this with the black spider as well. There is no way the thin arms of this woman would prove any obstacle.
In return, a small amount of blood stuck onto me. How annoying. I kick the girl, who still hasn't made a cry and had only begun coloring her face in fright, in the abdomen. The space between her and me once again widens.
Blown away and mixed in the mist, her silhouette screams. What is up with her?
Ah, what a pain in the ears.
Didn't you kill as well? With that worthless sense of value of yours, thinking that hyumans are supreme. For me, Tomoe's body portion and the orc were also in the same, no, their lives were heavier than yours.
I approach without any hurry to the shadow that was writhing in agony. It was just as I imagined me taking the life of someone. No, it was even more than that. I may be a selfish and arrogant person.
I don't know what would happen if it had nothing to do with me. I may be a disgusting existence.
Even though I am going to murder someone who has the same form as me, I didn't feel any sort of guilt. Only anger and killing intent. I was being spurred on by the impulse that I should do this.
"… Hii!!!"
She must have noticed my approach. She rolled over and turned, like a caterpillar that was trying to hide in the ground. From her mouth, fear was leaking out.
It would have been fine if you just squirmed there in pain and blood. Because there is no way the result would change anyways.
"Then, sayonara" (Makoto)
"Sa-SAVE ME~!!! I will do anything, any-"
There was no need to hear until the end her boring pleads.
Just like how she aimed for my throat, I also pierce my dagger at her neck. For a short while, she convulsed, from her wrist, neck and mouth, blood flowed.
Until the end, we didn't exchange a single "conversation".
My knees lose strength.
Maybe because I had done a murder, or it might be because I wasn't able to stop the rampage of those three and was unable to save the orc…
I cried.