The silence is so
intense that it hurts my ears.
Every single one of
the countless insects that were about to leap towards us had stopped moving and
had turned back into mere corpses.
And the gray-haired
girl on the floor had also returned to being just a corpse.
The small blue light
that was "visible" inside the girl's body has disappeared.
What the heck is
going on here?
――Oh, I was impatient.
Marina's voice
echoed in my brain.
Are you okay?
――I was on the edge, I swear. A lot of bugs suddenly attacked us.
Thanks to Tamamushi-chan, I became resistant to bugs, so I didn't panic.
Marina blurted out
in my brain.
Just in time... Was
it Marina who stopped the insects from moving? How?
――Was it the necromancer? The number of corpses he uses indicates that
he has tremendous power. According to Nanafushi-chan's information, his
category is A, which means he's the highest level of ability. However, the
compatibility with my ability was the worst.
His compatibility
with Marina was the worst?
――My guess that the sorcerer and the corpse are connected. And I try
to "see" it through Suzuhara-san's eyes.
Ah.
――You seem to have understood. That's right. Through Suzuhara-san's
eyes, I was able to see inside the gray-haired girl. From there, I was able to
reach the sorcerer, and――
Yuka's mantra?
――That's what it is.
I see. Marina's
ability requires her to "see" the target. And she was able to do that
by using my "eyes". But the only thing she could see was a girl with
gray hair. Normally, she could only use Denshin on the gray-haired girl.
However, the other
party was a sorcerer who used corpses.
The main body hid
itself and attacked with the corpse it was using, which was an extremely
troublesome ability, but it turned out to be a bad thing.
In other words, the
sorcerer is connected to the corpse by magic. And with Marina's ability, she
can trace the connection.
It's a terrible
match.
Moreover, once you
reach the main body, what awaits you is a complete brainwashing by Yuka's
mantra.
I thought that the
combo of Marina and Yuka was invincible, but I never thought that they would be
able to easily neutralize a person with A-class abilities, which is the highest
category.
That's scary.
Anyway, how did she
neutralize him? Yuka's ability is not supposed to be used for killing.
Maybe she put him to
sleep?
――You're half right.
Half? Then what
about the other half?
――I made him forget how to use his ability. If I just put him to
sleep, he'll use his abilities if he wake them up, right? I wanted to ask him
some questions, so I made him forget how to use his ability.
I see. If he forget
how to use his ability, then he's powerless.
――But he really is an amazing sorcerer, isn't he? The main body is
about a hundred kilometers away from there. And yet, he's able to use that many
dead insects.
Who is the one who
neutralized that amazing sorcerer in an instant?
"As expected of Marina-sama."
Rikka, who is
standing next to me, is trembling with tears in her eyes.
It seems that Rikka
heard our conversation, but she was frightened by Marina's terror.
――D, don't be scared, Rikka-chan! It's thanks to Suzuhara-san's
"eyes" that I was able to reach the main body, and Yuka-san's mantra
that I was able to neutralize it, and I can't do much on my own!
Marina was shocked
to be frightened by Rikka, but she was desperately trying to make excuses.
Marina, it's not
your ability that's frightening Rokka. It's your quick thinking, the way you
came up with a countermeasure in an instant and neutralized the enemy.
To be honest, I'm
scared too.
――Oh my god, even Suzuhara-san! I thought you were going to praise me!
Don't bother. Don't
yell at me in my head.
Anyway, thank you
for saving my life.
But――
"The beastman girl is......"
The gray-haired girl
on the floor has a completely stopped heart.
My eyes can see the
inside of a human body with great accuracy. If she was "freshly"
dead, I might have been able to revive her by giving her a heart massage.
I couldn't get a
good look at her earlier because I didn't have enough time, but no. It seems
that the body has been dead for a long time. The blood has solidified and
decomposition has begun.
She seemed to be a
friend of Yukina's, so I wanted to help her if I could.
"Master, what should we do with the
girl?"
Rikka, who was
holding the unconscious Yukina and Lolihina by her sides, asked me.
Yukina is Alice's
adopted daughter and is related to the protection organization. The beastman's
daughter is probably also related to the protection organization.
The men who were
erased to the bone from the necromancer are probably the underlings of Kudan's
organization, no need to think about it.
And the Necromancer,
he mentioned the names Makiri and Kudan. I'm pretty sure he's related to Kudan,
but he did call Kudan an asshole. There is no proof that they are affiliated.
Marina, what about
the body of the necromancer?
――I have Tamamushi-chan and Nanafushi-chan on their way to capture the
main body of the Necromancer. I don't think it will take much time for those
two. They're fast runners.
I see. I thought it
was a bad idea to separate Tamamushi and Nanafushi from Marina and the others,
but it turned out to be a good idea.
But Marina, the key
to our team is you and Yuka, who specialize in providing support from the rear.
No matter what the situation is, you and Yuka need to put your own safety
first.
Hey Marina, are you
listening to me? Hey!
She's ignoring me.
Damn it, I'll give
you a lecture with my dick in your pussy later.
Anyway, Yukina and
the gray-haired girl are from the Protection Agency, and the men who
disappeared to the bone are from Kudan's side.
But there is a
possibility that some of those who haven't, the ones on the General's side,
will sense something is wrong and come here.
I'm planning to make
contact with the General's side sooner or later, but if Kudan's people come
here and start a battle, it'll be troublesome. It would be better to leave
immediately.
And the girl with
the gray hair――
"I'll take her. I'll carry
her."
I replied to Rikka
and walked up to the girl's body.
The less baggage,
the better. Besides, it was the necromancer who killed the men. If we dare to
leave traces of the necromancer's presence here, we might be able to distract
the enemy. That's why it's better to leave the girl's body behind.
But――
"I want to say goodbye. Hey,
Yukina."
When I muttered
while looking sideways at the Yukina that Rikka was carrying, I carried the
corpse of the girl on my back.
Rikka holds Yukina
and Lolihina by her sides and runs in front of me.
Even though she is
small, she isn't out of breath even though she is carrying two girls.
I, on the other
hand, was somehow running with one of the girls' bodies on my back.
I'm completely
dragging Rikka down with me.
At a time like this,
"mere mortals" are truly powerless.
I walked out of the
school building and headed for the school gate. On the way, I caught a barrier
within the range of my abilities.
The men were dead
and the necromancer had lost his power. But the barrier is still intact.
――According to Tamamushi-chan, even if the sorcerer dies or loses his
power, the barrier once constructed does not seem to disappear until the given
power is fully consumed.
Marina's voice
echoed in my brain.
I see. Barrier is a
tricky thing.
――It's okay. I've already found the starting point through
Suzuhara-san's "eyes". Rikka-chan can destroy it immediately.
Marina's voice
echoed in my brain, and I couldn't help but stare at her.
Barrier is tricky,
but Marina's ability is even more tricky.
I tremble to think
of her as an enemy.
As I walked out of
the school gate after destroying the barriers without difficulty, a huge spider
appeared without a sound, just as it had been waiting for me.
It was Tamamushi's
pet.
――I'm not going back to Tamamushi-chan's house. We will continue to
head to our new base.
Marina's voice
echoed in my brain.
Are you guys already
on your way to the new base?
――Yes. I've already collected Asahina-san and Hizuki-san.
Copy that. You're
really good at this.
"Master, may you take care of
them?"
I got on the back of
the giant spider and laid the gray haired girl down, then Rikka asked me.
"Ou."
I nodded and
received Yukina and Lolihina from Rikka who jumped on the spider.
"I'll run on my own."
Rikka jumped down
from the spider and raised her voice.
Rikka seems to be
trying to run alongside the spider while hiding herself.
There might be an
enemy attack.
My "X-ray"
and Marina's "Denshin". If Rikka hides herself and runs alongside the
spider, even if it attacks, she can use mine and Marina's abilities to counter
the enemy.
Rikka's idea is
correct. Correct, but.......
"Rikka should ride the spider
too."
"But"
Rikka persisted with
my words.
It's not like that.
It's not like me. I should be ready to respond immediately in case the enemy
attacks.
But.......
"I want you to be near me. I want
you to touch me. Please, Rikka. This is not an order, but a request."
Rikka's eyes widened
at my words.
Even if Rikka acted
while hiding, my ability would be able to capture her image.
There's nothing to
worry about.
But that's not the
case. It's not like that.
The girl with gray
hair who lost her life.
The girl, Yukina's
friend, will never be able to talk to Yukina again.
She will never be
able to laugh, get angry, or cry again.
I'm running out of
time. In the near future, I will suffer the same fate as the girl with the gray
hair.
I will never be able
to praise Rikka again. I'll never be able to see her smile again. I would never
be able to feel her warmth again.
Before that happens,
I want to feel Rikka's warmth as much as possible.
Such an
uncharacteristic feeling comes up to me.
I'm sure I'm scared.
I'm sure I'm afraid
of losing the "family" I've finally got.
"Yes, sir."
Rikka, whose eyes
had been wide open, narrowed her eyes and quietly answered.
Rikka's presence has
become so scarce that it's hard to tell if she's really there.
In preparation for
an enemy attack, she must have killed any sign of her presence so as not to
alarm the enemy.
But the absolute
will lights up from her red eyes.
She's going to get
rid of anyone who has a grudge against me.
That's what she's
silently telling me.
Rikka kicked the
ground without a sound, and landed in front of me without another sound.
She was on one knee
in front of me, trying to sharpen her senses to the utmost to keep an eye on
her surroundings, when I lifted her up in a heap.
"Huh?"
Rikka's voice
sounded dumb.
When she sat down in
front of me, I hugged her tightly.
"Ma, master! I'll be late to
intercept them if you're hugging me!"
Rikka, who seemed to
be in a hurry, tried to release my hand from the embrace. But her strength is
weak.
If Rikka wanted to,
she could easily escape. But she doesn't.
"No, please don't......."
This is the
"first" time I've ever seen such a thing.
"No, please don't. Please don't do
this, Master. It's as if master left me somewhere far away...... very far
away......."
With a trembling
voice, Rikka desperately but gently tries to untie my hand, her slender young
shoulders shaking, and she sobs slightly.
A warm drop falls
onto my hand.
It's so hot, Rikka.
Your tears are so hot, I feel like I'm going to burn.
Oh, shit, I don't
want to die.
――Yes, yes, you two. It's bad time to get sentimental. But can you go
to the new base immediately?
Marina's voice
echoed in my brain.
Chills run up my
spine.
"What's with the light talk?"
Rikka quietly raises
her voice. From such a young body of Rikka, an abnormal amount of killing
intent is overflowing.
"You know everything, don't you!
You know everything, and yet you talk so lightly about it!"
Rikka's shout echoed
in the dark night.
Rikka is angry.
She's angry for me.
Oh, that's right.
This is what family is all about.
――Mufufu, Rikka-chan. Be patient, the moment you hear my word, you'll
shout, I "love" you, Marina-sama.
Ah? What the hell is
this guy talking about?
――My ability is "Denshin", so to speak, I'm an expert in the
mind. I invaded the mind to neutralize the necromancer. That's where I got the
information. What is that information?
I gulped at Marina's
words.
"No way."
"No way."
Our mutterings were
in perfect harmony.
――I'm not sure what I saw on the surface of his mind, but it's
happened. There was a way to prolong the life of a person with the ability of
the earth's eye. The necromancer knows how to do that.
At Marina's words,
my heart skipped a beat.
A way to extend the
life span.
Can I, can I not
die? Will I be able to live with Rikka and my "family"?
"I love you, Marina-sama!"
Rikka's joyful cry
echoed in the dark night.
――Mufufu, my prediction was correct.
I can't see Marina,
but I can see that she's proud of her breasts.
The only thing she
has going for her is her tits.
I'm so pissed off
I'm going to make her squeal later.
_______________________
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading
