The spider arrived
at a cave deep in the forest.
No, it's a big rock
when I look at it "normally".
The necromancer must
have hidden the entrance with some sort of blinding technique.
But it won't work on
me.
――Your eyes are really useful, aren't it? I screamed when Spider-chan
tried to run into the wall.
Marina's voice
echoed in my brain.
It seems that Marina
and the others are already inside the cave.
When they entered
the cave, their "eyes" saw only a rock wall, and they were surprised
to see the spider running into the wall.
I guess Marina is a
human child, after all.
――T, that's rude! I'm just a normal girl!?
A normal girl.
How can you say
that?
The spider carrying
us slipped through the rock wall and entered the cave.
A dark space with no
light.
It was dark in the
forest, but in the cave it was very dark. Perhaps he was using magic to block
the light from entering.
It's a good way to
intercept the enemy when they enter.
"Normally",
I wouldn't be able to see anything, but my ability to "see" space
doesn't require light.
"Master"
Rikka kneels down
next to me and shouts while sharpening her nerves.
She's not as good as
Kazehana, but Rikka has five senses that far exceed those of normal people.
"This feeling is strange."
Rikka, who seems to
have sensed something, mutters.
"It's okay. I can see
everything."
I replied to Rikka.
The cause of the
strange sensation Rikka felt was probably that.
Everywhere on the
walls of the cave, there are letters that look like earthworms have crawled on
them, and there are things that look like magic circles.
It looks like a technique used by Tamamushi.
When Tamamushi used
her magic, I "saw" emerald light. I could see a similar light in the barriers.
When the technique
is activated, my eyes can probably see the light. But I can't see the light on
things like the letters on the wall or the magic circle.
It doesn't seem to
be functioning, but perhaps Rikka sensed some kind of smell left behind by the
sorcerer.
――It seems to be a system that automatically intercepts the enemy. As
with barrier, it seems that even if the sorcerer dies or loses his ability, it
will continue to function until the given power is consumed up.
Marina's voice
echoed in my brain.
It continues to
function even after losing its ability?
The necromancer has
forgotten how to handle his ability due to Yuka's mantra. However, if Marina is
right, the interception system should not die until it consumes all the power
it has been given.
So why isn't it
working?
――The first ones to arrive here were Tamamushi-chan and
Nanafushi-chan. The interceptor system was deactivated by Tamamushi-chan.
Tamamushi
deactivated it? I see. Tamamushi is really stupid, but very capable.
Anyway, if Tamamushi
and Nanafushi are here, that means they've captured the main body of the
necromancer. You're working fast.
――Yes, yyes, well, in a manner of speaking, yes.
Marina's tone is
poor. Was there a problem?
――Oh, no, I mean, there's a problem.......See for yourself.
See with my own
eyes?
It's not an urgent
situation, judging from Marina's voice, but I have a bad feeling about it.
The cave was quite
deep and complicated like a maze, but the spider didn't get lost.
A thread-like emerald
light extends from the spider.
It seems that
Tamamushi have already arrived. She seems to be guiding the spider.
After a while, I
"saw" a transparent membrane in front of me.
The same technique
as the blindfold at the entrance of the cave. It seemed to be a way to make
ordinary people, even those with abilities, see a dead end, but it didn't work
for my eyes.
"Rikka, it's going to get
brighter."
When I told Rikka,
she nodded silently and closed her eyes.
After all, I can see
the end.
The moment the
spider slipped through the transparent membrane, the surroundings suddenly
became brighter.
It wasn't just a
little bright. It was as bright as daytime. And we are at a huge dome.
"I don't know if he's an old lady
or an old man, but his taste is rather young."
A huge dome-shaped
space that could be called a plaza. In the center of the dome stands a strange
fairy-tale house.
It is a lovely house
that looks like something out of from fairy tale.
In addition, the
house was surrounded by various flowers and even butterflies.
The Necromancer is
acquainted with Kudan, and Kudan is older than Nanafushi, who was created three
hundred years ago.
The necromancer was
using the corpse of a beast girl who was Yukina's friend, so her voice was that
of a young girl. But the way he spoke made his sound old and crafty.
I had thought he was
an old woman or an old man.
It's no wonder that
Marina's voice was so choppy.......
The spider stops
moving in front of a strange fairy tale house.
The door of the
house opened and Marina and Yuka came out.
"Welcome back!"
Marina raises her
voice when she sees me on the spider.
"Welcome home! Mota-kun!"
Next, Yuka raised
her voice.
Welcome back, huh?
But――
This is the first
time I've been here.
I'll never be able
to go back to Tamamushi's house again. I felt as if a hole had opened up in my
heart, but not at all.
The mere fact that
they said "Welcome home" sealed the hole in my heart.
I see.
I guess it's not the
place but the person that's important.
"I'm back!"
Aside from me
scratching my head with a frown, Rikka replied with a smile and jumped down
from the spider with Yukina and Lolihina by her side.
I carried the body
of the gray-haired girl on my back and climbed down from the spider.
Marina smiled and
patted Rikka's head, but when she saw me, her expression turned bitter.
"How do you explain this to
Yukina-chan?"
"I'll explain it to Yukina."
Marina's words were
interrupted and Yuka raised her voice.
"When Mota-kun arrived at the
scene, the child was already......"
Yuka muttered in a
sad voice.
Yeah, that's right.
When I arrived at the scene, the gray-haired girl was already dead.
Yukina had signs of
having fought.
Did she fight to
protect the girl, but couldn't? Or was the girl dead before that?
I don't know, but
there is no doubt that she could not protect her.
"Yuka, can you do me a favor?"
"No."
Before I could
finish my sentence, Yuka refused.
"You are going to ask me to use my
mantra to brainwash Yukina-chan, right?"
I scratched my head
at Yuka's question.
"The girl was "alive"
when Yukina was fighting. It was only after Mota-kun arrived that she died. The
one who couldn't protect her was not Yukina, but Mota. She died because
Mota-kun couldn't protect her. You were going to ask me to brainwash her like
that, right?"
Yuka looked straight
at me as she spoke.
I couldn't help but
look away.
――I guess I get the point.
Marina's voice
echoed in my brain.
Shut up. Oh yeah,
it's a good point.
"Yukina is strong but still young.
She is too young to bear the death of others."
"But that doesn't mean you have to
be the villain, Mota-kun."
Yuka interrupted me
and hugged me.
"You're really clumsy."
Yuka mumbled in a
shaky voice as she hugged me.
Clumsy, huh? That's
the first time I've heard that.
I've been living a
dexterous life using my abilities, but now I'm clumsy?
I don't know about
myself, but if that's what Yuka says, then it must be true.
"I'm sure Yukina-chan will be fine.
Because she is your 'brother'."
I sighed at Marina's
words.
My little brother.
I'm not sure what to say.
"I understand. I'll tell Yukina
about it. After all, she's my little brother."
When I said this to
Marina, she smiled and nodded.
All in all, I'm not
sure what happened to Alice. I don't see Alice within the range of my
abilities, but she came here with you, didn't she?
"Alice is in the basement with
Tamamushi-chan and the others. We have a necromancer in custody in the
basement, and Alice has knowledge of his abilities and organization."
Marina, who seems to
have "seen" my mind, answers.
I see.
What about Asahina
and Hizuki?
――Ah, yeah, well, they're here, but do you want to hear it?
Marina asks me
without saying it out "loud".
No, that's okay. I
could almost guess from your reaction.
You've been fighting
with each other for a long time anyway, right?
Ah, no, it's not
really a fight, it's more like Hizuki is getting beaten up by Asahina all the
time.
――Ah, haha. W, we, well, yes.
Marina smiles
bitterly as she talks in my brain.
Asahina's an idiot,
so it's okay, but Hizuki's just as bad. I can imagine Kazehana cringing with
tears in her eyes.
"A, anyway, let's give the girl,
Mai Konohana, a rest."
Marina said this aloud
as she started to walk, stopped in front of the door of the house and opened
it.
Let her rest, huh?
Yes, that's right. I
have to give her a break.
Yuka, who had been
hugging me, gently pulled away from me and looked at Mai Konohana, the girl I
was carrying on my back.
"And she's a girl. You have to keep
her clean."
And so, she said.
Clean, huh?
Yeah, that's right.
I have to clean her up for the last time.
With that thought in
mind, I entered the house with Mai Konohana on my back.
_________________________
Edited by Kanaa-senpai
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