I'm actually surprised. Not one 'noice' appeared in the comments for the last chapter.
Chapter Seventy: Reality Pill
- ENTRY #5 -
I still had my debt to pay. But instead of mindless ████████████, I ended up someplace even worse. Working a job that no person deserves to be forced into.
A ████████████.
I tried to find any other job I could at night. Literally, anything would have been better than that. But because I got blacklisted, nobody was willing to have me work for them. My talents as ████████████ were being squandered by a ████████████. No ████████████ would hire me, not even to ████████████.
On top of the debt that I owed those loan sharks, I was also fined heavily for almost ████████████. I guess I should have been grateful that they didn't ████████████. But then, at least that would have improved my situation. It would have made it impossible for those goons to demand money for a debt that kept growing bigger and bigger under their greedy influence.
I have no doubt that this was the exact reason why I wasn't ████████████. It'd make sense, with how corrupt ████████████ was.
As my debt grew, so did my apathy towards my situation. As my ████████████, I grew increasingly demoralized. I understood it then: nothing I could do would change or improve ████████████.
The only thing that I could still feel was my ████████████. For my fellow ████████████ who harassed me day in and day out. For every ounce of ████████████ that I was forced to endure in one form or another over the ████████████. For those who grouped together with ████████████ to push ████████████ like myself who ████████████, to the bottom heaps of society.
On my ████████████, only eight years after I'd graduated ████████████, I had been fired, or 'let go' as they liked to call it, again. The ████████████ was in bad shape, they said. It was not viable to keep ████████████ for such mundane tasks in the ████████████. A point of view that I would have normally shared, had I not been dependent on such jobs just to survive.
Regardless, those idiot loan sharks cornered me in an alleyway shortly after. Demanding that I pay them in full, or else.
I couldn't take their stupidity anymore. And I couldn't take being stepped on either. In my anger, I lashed out at the nearest one, trying to land a punch on his smug face.
I didn't even come close. Two more of their goons grabbed me from behind. They'd known I wouldn't be able to pay, and wanted me to sign an agreement to sell ████████████. And then, when I refused to comply, they proceeded to give me the beating of my life.
They laughed as they did so. They told me that if I pleaded for mercy, they'd let me live another day. I didn't give them the pleasure though. I continued to glare at them.
The look of glee in their eyes gradually disappeared, and they continued beating me until several of my bones had broken and I was covered in bruises.
They likely would have continued, killing me in the process, if not for the sound ████████████. They fled after that, and the ████████████ nearby.
Even after all that I'd been through, a small part of me thought that, maybe, I'd finally ████████████. That I'd be able to get ████████████. That I'd be able to escape my situation. That…
Well, the thought quickly died. The ████████████ didn't see me on the ground. Or maybe they saw me but didn't want to deal with me and ████████████. Leaving me there, broken, and ████████████.
I could not take the cruelty ████████████ anymore. I could not endure one more second of it. I tried to scream at the sky for every bad thing that'd ever happened to me, from the ████████████, to the people that stomped me down to the ground; only for it to hurt too much to take in that much air. I tried to cry in frustration and agony, only to find that hurt too.
I didn't move as the cold of the night came across ████████████. Those stupid loan sharks, while having done all that damage to my body, hadn't hurt me badly enough that I'd bleed out or anything before they fled. So I had to wait for the cold to do me in. Or for some thug to find me and finish the job they started.
Not like I cared. I was done with living. I didn't care about anything anymore.
And then…
… I met one of them.
I wish I could say more about that encounter. About the moment when ████████████ had been changed forever. About the ones who'd saved me that night. But I cannot. The contract that I signed with them back then, as part of our deal, included a nondisclosure agreement. And breaching it would spell total destruction of my soul on the spot.
I have seen the consequences of not respecting the contract firsthand when a fellow reincarnator who was a bit stupider than most, tried to talk about our employers while he was drunk. Something that I can only describe as a miniature black hole opened in the middle of his chest, where his heart was.
I saw every agonizing second of it.
I heard the poor bastard's screams as he was turned inside out before getting crushed, compressed, collapsed, and finally sucked into the black abyss with his body, soul, and everything. It was a type of destruction so complete that when it was all over, there was not even a sign left that he had ever existed.
Even if nobody else will see this, even if this is only meant for me to detail my life till now as a way of coming to terms with what happened to me, I'd rather be safe and sorry.
But what I can say is this: that night, 'they' gave me a choice. To either ████████████ in my ████████████ that did everything and anything to push me down. Or, I could wish for the power I most desired, and be reborn with it in another world. One where I'd be able to thrive, to do what I always wanted, and someday, even make it my own; as long as I would continue to fulfill my contractual obligations.
I'd already been abused by ████████████. I'd been surrounded by ████████████ for as long as I could remember. My ████████████ hadn't loved me. Nothing I ever did had garnered ████████████ from anyone. Not even my ████████████ wanted anything to do with me. My knowledge was wasted on the idiots ████████████.
In short, I had nothing left to live for.
Was it any wonder that I swallowed their bait hook, line, and sinker; and immediately agreed to the offer given to me?
By something that could only be described as a miracle, Kizuna did manage to get the other three Cardinal Heroes to agree to partake in a slumber party with her.
They were in her room since it was the cleanest and least cluttered. They were all dressed in their pajamas, but even though night had fallen, none of them felt tired enough to fall asleep yet.
But without Itsuki there… the Hunting Tools Hero almost felt awkward and out of place.
"So, does anyone else enjoy fishing?!"
Then again, this was Kizuna.
Being awkward and out of place was perfect for her.
"This again?" Akane rolled her eyes. "For the last time, no."
"Hmph. Well, your opinion doesn't matter." Kizuna pouted at the other heroine. "What about you, Hoshi?! Do you enjoy fishing?!"
"Um… I don't really know. I've never tried it." The mangaka Hero admitted.
"You should try it! It's really fun, and there are some really interesting fish you can pull from the water!" Kizuna said excitedly with stars sparkling in her eyes. "One time, I caught a fish that was as big as the boat I was on! It was able to feed all of my friends for a week!"
"Wait, that's it!" Daitan suddenly said excitedly before Hoshi could respond to Kizuna's comment. "If I pull out a bigger fish from the lake than that Bow Guy, that'd definitely prove that I'm the better man!"
"Dai, you're not going to beat him at anything," Akane spoke dryly. "That Bow Hero is way too Overpowered if his stats are anything to go by. It's frankly infuriating." She added under her breath at the end.
"Well, I can't just give up! This is a blow to my credibility as a man that I must overcome!" The Blunt Weapons Hero refuted.
"Now that's just funny. I'm pretty certain that you have no credibility and you're barely half of a man as it is." The redhead rolled her eyes.
The two dissolved into more bickering while Hoshi spared glances between them and Kizuna awkwardly.
The Hunting Tools Hero forced a smile even though her original topic had been thrown off.
At least they were talking a bit more than before. If only she could actually get them to take her more seriously.
"You know, Daitan, I'm somewhat of a master fisherwoman myself. If you want to try to challenge Itsuki in a contest like that, I could give you some really good advice," Kizuna tried to interrupt.
"One of these days, I'll get you to admit that I'm the epitome of manhood!" Daitan pointed a finger at Akane.
"Very unlikely, manlet." Akane crossed her arms in front of her.
The two continued arguing. Kizuna's gaze moved to Hoshi again. "If you want, maybe I could teach you how to fish instead? New experiences like that can be a good source of inspiration from what I heard. It could help with the manga you are drawing maybe?"
"I'm… I'm good. I'm not much of a fan of water anyway." The guy spoke awkwardly.
He wasn't much of a fan of anything from what Kizuna had seen.
The Hunting Hero's gaze briefly fell again while she blocked out what was going on around her.
This hardly made any sense. They weren't pushing her away. Hell, it'd been a surprise for even one to agree to a slumber party with her after the way dinner went. But for all three to agree?
In retrospect, it honestly hadn't been that hard. She hadn't even gotten to begging them or anything. So it seemed obvious even to her that they wanted her around. But then… why did they not want to open up to her?
"Do you want me to put you through a wall again?" Akane asked angrily.
"Ha! Me breaking the stone without a scratch on my body will just continue to prove how manly I am!" Daitan smirked victoriously.
"Or it'll show how much of a wimp you are that a 'girl' can beat you so easily," Akane said in a darker tone.
"Hey, um, maybe let's 'not' fight in my room, please." Kizuna suddenly interjected. "As much as Corrin likes me, I don't think he'd enjoy fixing any more property damage than he's already had to do these last few days."
…
"Right… I'm sorry." Akane's gaze turned away, but Kizuna and Daitan still heard the apology.
"Yeah, sorry about that." Daitan rubbed the back of his neck. "We didn't think about how we're not in our own homes right now."
"It does get annoying paying for the damage that you two cause to my cafe with every visit," Hoshi admitted awkwardly.
Kizuna took turns looking at every member of the trio. Her confusion was only growing. "So you do care that we're in Corrin's castle?" She asked.
…
Again, she saw their faces become uneasy. But then, the three began to force smiles once again. "Y-Yeah, messing around with the game environments and NPC's… that's a bad thing to do. R-Right guys?" Hoshi asked the other two.
"Of course."
"Yea, I don't want to get banned or anything."
…
Kizuna stared at the group of three.
The sinking feeling in her gut returned. The last few days and all of their interactions came to mind. It seemed too familiar to her to just be a coincidence.
But then, before she could piece any of it together, the door to her room flew open with a slam.
"Eep!" Hoshi jumped up in fright as everyone else quickly turned towards the doors. The sudden tension quickly disappeared though as they recognized who'd just walked in. "Oh, Itsuki. You're finally joining us?"
The Bow Hero stood in the doorway. He hastily walked in after closing the door behind him. But his hood was up, obscuring his face in shadow, and a pale-white cloak covered the rest of his body. The only reason Kizuna could tell it was Itsuki was because of the Bow on his back. Which was currently in its Demon Elephant Bow form.
"That's… that's Itsuki, right?" Hoshi asked Kizuna as the Bow Hero approached without saying a word.
"Yeah, it is," Kizuna said unsurely. Her hand rested on her weapon, just in case he revealed himself to be another mimic.
However, it didn't feel like that was the case. "Did your walk outside of the capital go well, Itsuki?" She chose to ask instead.
Itsuki paused next to Kizuna, looking down at the other three Heroes. They'd begun to shift around in their seats as they tried to decipher the look on the Bow Hero's obscured face. Itsuki completely ignored the question Kizuna had asked him.
…
"Do you think that this is a game?"
Itsuki's voice seemed to bring them out of their reverie. "What?" Daitan asked confusedly.
"Do you… think… that you're in a game?" Itsuki repeated in a slower and calmer tone.
"Yeah! Of course!" Daitan responded heatedly. "Right guys?!"
"Well, I wasn't really a gamer… but yeah, this looks a lot like one." Hoshi hesitantly agreed.
"We've already told you this before." Akane crossed her arms again with a bored look on her face. "Do you really think we'll just change our minds if you keep pressing us about it?"
…
"Perhaps not… but we'll see."
Kicked from Bow Hero's party!
Kizuna suddenly received a notification that she'd been kicked out of the party. "Wha- Itsuki-"
"Transport Bow!"
A bright light flashed off the Bow Hero, and Kizuna covered her eyes at the sudden use of the portal skill.
After a moment when the bright spots in her vision faded, the Hunting Hero was able to see again and looked around the room.
Itsuki and the other Cardinal heroes were gone.
"What the- WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?!"
The bright light that enveloped the group of three quickly faded, leaving them dazed and disoriented.
"What!?"
"Where are we?!"
"What did he just do?!"
The other three Cardinal heroes looked around in surprise and fear. They could see some tall trees in the distance, but the group was surrounded by several dilapidated buildings in an abandoned village. And the smell…
Hoshi put a hand to his mouth, trying to keep himself from vomiting. Akane and Daitan looked around, their eyes widening, but this time in anger.
"What the hell dude! Did you freaking teleport us here?!" Daitan asked.
"Yes, I did."
They looked up at the source of the voice.
Itsuki's outline was visible thanks to the light of the moon up above. He was kneeling on the roof of one of the buildings. Looking down at them with his hood still up.
"How?! You can't just teleport anywhere you want! You need an hourglass to travel!" Akane yelled up at him.
"Really?" Daitan asked confusedly.
"You- you don't even know that much, you numbskull?!" Akane yelled at her fellow Hero.
"Hey! It's been a while since I've done it, ok?! We unregistered ourselves from the Dragon Hourglasses after that one Wave so you can't expect me to remember all of Ken-sensei's lessons!" Daitan argued back.
"To answer your question." Itsuki interrupted in a cold voice. "In my world, us Heroes are able to teleport to saved locations. We don't need an hourglass to assist us for that.
"Also, my world is not a game." Itsuki's head turned to face Akane as he said that. "You would be wise not to call it such in the future."
"W-W-Why did you bring us here?" Akane managed to respond despite the fear in her voice making her stutter. "Aren't you supposed to keep us safe?"
"Yes, that is what I'm supposed to be doing," Itsuki answered grimly. "But now, I'm not so sure, and besides, I've gotten quite tired of protecting idiots who're too weak to stand up for themselves. And I'm especially tired of those who are quick to trivialize everything that is going on around them as some sort of event in a video game they played before coming to this world."
"HEY! SCREW YOU! I'M NOT AN IDIOT!" Daitan roared.
His loud voice carried over the whole village.
It was met with the groans of monsters.
The sounds made all three Heroes freeze.
"Shining Jewel!"
Akane threw a bright white gem from her hand into the air, shining a bright light over the area around them.
The light revealed the rotting wood of the nearby buildings. Shattered panes of glass on the ground. Destroyed wagons and barrels lining cratered streets and the clear scene of a losing battle.
And then there was the undead.
Lots and lots of undead coming from buildings all around them and creeping towards their position.
"No, you are," Itsuki spoke out quietly in response to Daitan's earlier outburst.
Zombie: Lv: 65
Skeleton Warrior: Lv: 75
"Oh… oh &^%$," Daitan muttered as he brandished his mace.
"Come on, Hoshi! Get that ofuda of yours ready!" Akane commanded.
"B-But why? W-we don't have to fight them! Itsuki could do it!" He pointed up at the Bow Hero. "Hell, he could get us out of here!"
The three looked up at him desperately. However, Itsuki continued to stare coldly down at them.
"P-Please! Teleport us back!" Akane pleaded.
"I can't use that skill for another hour." Itsuki deadpanned. "And even if I could, I won't.
"It's time for you all to face reality."
Hoshi opened his mouth to try and plead some more.
"First Strike!" An energy mace extended from Daitan as he swung, smashing into the skull of a zombie just before it could grip onto the Ofuda Hero. While it howled in pain, it hadn't died from the strike.
"Forget him! The three of us are more than strong enough to take on these trash mobs!" Daitan yelled. "Let's do this!"
"O-Okay!" Hoshi stuttered again but pulled an ofuda from the box on his side. "F-Formation One: Gale Tag!"
A large gust of wind came from the mangaka's ofuda, blowing away some of the zombies around him. However, they were hardly damaged and simply got back up to lumber towards him again.
"Sapphire's Fury!" Akane threw a blue gemstone that appeared in her hand, which unleashed a wave of ice that covered the zombies. Their health bars dropped and they froze in place, much to Hoshi's relief.
"Power Charge!" Daitan rushed forward, energy covering him as he swung his mace with all his strength.
The ice was torn asunder, and the undead trapped within were shattered to pieces as their health bars hit zero. The sandy brown-haired manlet let out a loud whoop of victory. "Ha! That was easy!"
"Those were only the weak ones." Akane pointed out grimly.
Indeed, behind the Zombies came the Skeleton Warriors. They were not only stronger than their counterparts, but they were also wearing armor. And wielding long, rusted, but deadly-looking swords.
With a grimace on his face, Daitan rushed the warriors while Akane and Hoshi did their best to back him up.
Itsuki continued to observe the battle from his perch. Despite these monsters still being considered a 'trash mob', the three Heroes struggled with taking them down. This was, thanks in part, due to the nature of monsters in their world being far stronger than normal monsters in Itsuki's world.
The other problem that quickly became apparent, besides their lower stats, was the group's inability to work together effectively.
"Ack! Akane, where's my supporting fire!" Daitan barely avoided being skewered on one of the skeleton's blades. Only to be backhanded by another one, causing him to stumble back.
"A little busy here." The Jewel Heroine had erected a barrier around herself and Hoshi. Several Skeleton Warriors were battering down on it. It cracked a little but held.
"C-Chain Lightning!" Hoshi's shaky voice called out.
Arcs of lightning came from another ofuda he'd pulled from his box, striking each skeleton around them. But their health bars didn't drop at all, and the monsters were only stunned for a few seconds.
"I-I'm too weak." The monochrome hero muttered helplessly.
The few seconds at least gave Akane an opening to use another skill that required her to throw another gem as it appeared from her Cardinal Weapon. "Emerald Force!"
The monsters all around were blown off their feet, taking a little bit of damage from the attack. While they struggled to get up, Daitan closed the distance and bellowed one skill after another.
"First Strike! Second Strike! Third Strike! Flurry of Blows! Lightning Strike!" The various attacks whittled down the group's health bars. Hoshi could only watch as none of his attacks would be useful here. Whereas Akane couldn't use an attack for fear of hitting her fellow Hero.
It'd been so long since she fought beside anyone else that she'd forgotten that her attacks were just like Jewel Magic. In that, they wouldn't harm her allies.
"Shooting Star Blow!" Daitan swung his mace forward one last time, and a flurry of stars came off it, striking all of the Skeleton Warriors repeatedly.
They finally fell to the ground in a clatter of bones and armor.
The three Cardinal Heroes were left breathing heavily. They'd won the battle, but they felt worn out.
It'd been a while since any of them had fought like this.
"Growwr." And the worst part was, they could tell it wasn't over yet.
Great Zombie Captain: Lv: 85
It was a hulking beast of a creature that lumbered onto the road from behind a house. It stood at least eight feet tall, with armor covering its torso and limbs. It held a greatsword in one hand and a large shield in the other. While its immense size made it move slower than its compatriots, it almost seemed to radiate power.
The three heroes trembled, seeing the creature coming towards them with a purple health bar over its head.
"D-Daitan, you're its level, right? Y-You can take it on." Hoshi said nervously.
"S-Sure thing." Daitan visibly sweatdropped. He'd used up almost all of his soul power taking down all the skeletons, but maybe he could whittle down its health in a war of attrition?
Akane got her Jewel ready for another skill.
At least it was only one. And Daitan was its level, so theoretically, he should have been able to face it…
But then, three more monsters stepped out from behind other buildings.
Death Knight Captain: LV: 93
Great Zombie General: LV: 95
Great Skeleton General: LV 97
The color drained from all of their faces.
"I-I don't think I can handle that kind of power!" Daitan yelled in terror.
They turned around to look for a path to flee. Only to see something far more terrifying.
Even more undead zombies and skeletons had moved behind the group. Cutting off any possible avenues for retreat. And among the regular undead, something else was creeping forward through the air.
Soul Eater: Lv: 85.
Soul Eater: Lv: 90.
And behind them was a monster that Itsuki recognized. Just without the Interdimensional title attached to it.
Soul Eater Boss: Lv: ?
The trio's eyes widened in terror, seeing the question marks in place of the level. Itsuki though could see that it was level 110.
"G-Guys! What do we do!?" Hoshi screamed in terror.
The monsters began to close in on them from all sides. Instead of fighting back, the three Heroes began to back themselves into the wall of the home the Bow Hero was still sitting on. Looking down at them with an unreadable expression on his features.
"I-Itsuki! Please, help us!" Akane pleaded.
"Why should I bother?" Itsuki asked. "You'll just respawn after this, right?"
The coldness in his voice hit them like a slap across the face. "This is all just a game to you, right? The Waves. The fate of the world. It doesn't matter when entire villages like this one get wiped off the map and turned into a place of death and decay like this.
"We're only what, a few miles away from the lake surrounding Lazuli? I bet you were able to see the cracks in the sky from there. Yet you didn't come here to help. The people here died waiting for their 'Heroes' to come to rescue them. And this is what became of them."
The monsters moved closer. On closer inspection, some of the zombies had gems in their foreheads, while the skeletons had gems embedded in their sternums. Even the larger variants had gems embedded in their bodies.
The three Heroes pressed their backs against the wall, terror shining in their eyes.
The boss monsters were in the lead. Their weapons and armor reflected moonlight, making them appear even more ominous.
Itsuki kept on watching though. Waiting to see what they'd do. How they'd react. If it'd be just like him, or Ren, or Motoyasu, or…
"It's just a game… it's just a game…"
Daitan's voice cut Itsuki's hopes short.
No…
"We'll just respawn… we'll just respawn…" Akane said next to her fellow Hero.
"It's not real… it's not real…" Hoshi began to say after her.
There… there was no way…
Even in the face of certain death. Even after he revealed to them what Itsuki had learned about this village. About how undead were formed in Glass's world… THEY WERE STILL IN DENIAL!?
THEY WERE STILL WILLING TO TREAT ALL OF THIS AS A GAME!?
Before the monsters were able to get within range of the cowering Heroes, Itsuki finally acted.
"St. Arrow's Rain!"
A cascade of arrows fell in the area all around the Bow Hero. Small explosions tore open the ground. Zombies and skeletons were thrown everywhere. Fires began consuming all the surrounding buildings.
And all the monsters, every last one, except the Soul Eater Boss, were killed in the attack.
That monster, wounded as it was, turned around to flee. But Itsuki fired several arrows from his Demon Elephant Bow. They all turned into elephant tusks in midair, impaling the monster and nailing it to the ground as each one registered as a critical hit.
The monster perished then.
…
It took a moment, but the three Heroes eventually opened their eyes and looked around them.
Buildings had been destroyed or ripped open. All of them were on fire, causing smoke to fill the air. The pothole-filled roads were now littered with craters.
But all the monsters that'd been about to kill them were gone.
"He… he really killed all of them…" Hoshi said in disbelief.
…
Itsuki landed amidst the burning ground before them. The flames shrunk back and faltered as if in fear of the Bow Hero. His hood was still over his head, casting his face in shadow. But his intimidating presence wasn't enough to keep Daitan from yelling at him as he approached.
"What the hell was that for!? First, we fight for our lives! Then, you make us think we're going to be TPK'd before swooping in and destroying all those monsters with just one skill!?"
"Daitan." Akane suddenly said in a very nervous voice. "I don't think approaching him is a very good idea right now-"
"WHY!? THIS &^%$&^ LITERALLY JUST ACTED LIKE HE WAS GOING TO LET US DIE THERE! AND THEN HE SHOWS OFF EVEN MORE OF HIS CHEATING GOD-LIKE STRENGTH!? HA! I DOUBT HE WAS EVER GOING TO LET US DIE! HE KNOWS HOW MUCH IT'D TICK OFF THE NPC'S AND-"
Itsuki's hand reached forward, cutting off the Blunt Weapons Hero as it wrapped around his throat.
Akane and Hoshi both cried out at that. And Daitan choked as he was lifted off the ground with one hand.
Itsuki looked up. The fire around him finally illuminated his face, which was contorted with several emotions. One of the most prevalent was rage.
The Bow at his side was slowly losing its color.
After the last few days. After the events of the Conference and almost using it again and again. Itsuki had finally gone over the edge.
"You're right… why would I allow some stupid 'trash mob' to kill you?" He growled out. "When I can easily do it myself."
"A… Ah…" Daitan tried to speak, but his windpipe was being crushed by the Bow Hero's hand.
"If not even these monsters will do the job… then allow me to be the one that force feeds you your reality pill."
With one motion, Itsuki threw Daitan through the air, impacting the other two Heroes and sending them crashing back through the house behind them.
The shockwave from it brought the old rotting structure crashing down to the ground. Bringing a large cloud of dust and other debris into the air.
"*cough cough* Dai!" Hoshi yelled.
"Urgh…" The Blunt Weapons Hero groaned on the ground. There was a massive bruise forming around his throat, and his health bar had dropped to below half.
"B-Bandage Ofuda!" Hoshi stuttered out. Pressing an ofuda from his box to the Blunt Hero's throat like a bandaid.
"Ruby's Warmth!" Akane cried out immediately after as a ruby appeared in her hand.
Light from both skills covered the Blunt Weapons Hero. The bruise around his throat faded, but he was still coughing, and his voice was hoarse as he was helped up.
"What's… what's gotten into him…" Daitan muttered, his voice filled with fear.
The dust began to settle, revealing Itsuki slowly walking towards them out of the inferno.
His hood was thrown back. And the Bow at his side no longer had any color to speak of whatsoever. Slowly, but surely, symbols were beginning to appear on it.
His eyes glowed only a light violet. Signifying he was in control at the moment. But there was no doubt.
The Bow Hero had just equipped his Cursed Series.
"R̶̺̞̾̉͒̕͠u̷͉̗̦̤͒̆͜n̵̡͈͓̠̹̄͌."
The other three didn't need to be told twice.
Holding Daitan up, Hoshi and Akane ran with him out of the ruined gate of the village to the forest outskirts.
Itsuki allowed them to get a headstart on him.
It'd be easy. To easy, to track them down.
After giving them a minute, he blazed into the forest after them.
Kizuna dashed across the rooftops of Lazuli, unseen by the people below thanks to the hiding skill she was using to conceal herself.
'Damn it Itsuki! Why did you have to do this?!'
She'd run around the castle at first, trying to locate the Bow Hero and the others with no success.
At the very least, Kizuna did know where Itsuki wasn't.
His portal skill could only save up to three locations, just like Naofumi's. One location had been Sickle. Contacting Glass back home had revealed that Itsuki hadn't appeared there. Crossing that off the list.
The second location was the castle. Checking the area and talking with the soldiers there had revealed that Itsuki hadn't appeared there either.
While she would have had to figure out the third location, one of the guards she questioned had talked to the Bow Hero earlier before his appearance in Kizuna's room. The Bow Hero had asked him all about a village deep in the forest that'd been destroyed by one of the previous waves.
This led Kizuna to theorize that this was where he'd saved his third spot. Which would make sense, given that Itsuki had been outside of the Capital relieving his frustration of their situation.
But the really strange thing was that the soldiers in the halls hadn't spotted Itsuki after that. No one had seen him coming towards her room.
Meaning that he'd used a hiding skill to get past them.
'I… I really should have talked with Itsuki more. Made sure that he was doing ok and everything.'
She couldn't help but blame herself for Itsuki's actions. Only to shake her head and jump across a street onto another building. Her skill was hiding the sound of her footfalls from those below.
'Whether I could have done something or not, I need to make sure Itsuki and the other Cardinal Heroes remain ok!'
She eventually reached the main drawbridge that connected Lazuli to the mainland. The mile-long bridge was, fortunately, up to allow a caravan of merchants to enter the city.
It was an impressive feat of engineering. It used the power of jewels embedded all along its underside to raise and lower itself into the water. But Kizuna did not have time to marvel at such wonders. And all she could do was be thankful that it was up at all.
It took a few minutes of running, but she eventually reached the mainland, with forests stretching out from the road on either side. Storm clouds were beginning to gather in the sky. She looked down at the ground before her and focused.
"Territory of the Predator."
Her senses became enhanced. She was suddenly able to make out the sets of many footprints going up and down the road. As well as the smells of pack animals and people of all kinds.
She looked around, and then her eyes narrowed on a set of boot prints heading into the forest. Mountains rose up in that direction at the foot of the gathering storm. And from them, she could see smoke rising up into the air.
It looked like she'd found her trail. But that smoke was giving her a very bad feeling. She pulled an ofuda from her side.
"Chris, come on out!"
"Pen!" The shikigami cheered at finally being called out after spending the last few days stored away.
"I'm tracking Itsuki. Something happened and he kicked me out of the party… I'm going to need your protection in case anything happens." Kizuna said seriously at the end.
"Pen!" Chris gave her a salute as a serious look plastered itself onto his face.
"Thanks!" Kizuna gave him a head pat for good measure, and then the duo ran into the forest. Following the tracks towards the burning village and what lay beyond.
The three Heroes were beginning to wonder if they had fallen asleep back in Kizuna's room.
Because that was the only thing they could think of to explain the nightmare they were experiencing.
"W-We need to get back to Lazuli!" Akane shouted nervously. She held a jewel in her hand lighting the way before them.
"Do we know how to get back from here?!" Hoshi asked fearfully.
They were surrounded by tall trees. Their branches overhead were so thick that the trio couldn't see the stars above. It was only thanks to Akane's light skill that they could see where they were going at all.
"That village was at the base of the mountains. Meaning we have to go southwest to get back to Lazuli." Daitan managed to say despite his voice still being hoarse.
"How do you know that?" Akane asked in surprise.
"I said before that I was planning on facing the monsters there when I was strong enough, didn't I?" Daitan swallowed hard.
Before anything else could be said, an arrow sailed through the air, shattering their only light source and enveloping them in darkness.
"Ack-!" Hoshi suddenly cried out, only for his voice to disappear.
"Wha- Hos-" Akane began to speak, only for her voice to disappear too.
…
"Guys?" Daitan weakly croaked out.
…
A moment of silence passed. He didn't get a response. He reached out in the darkness, but his two friends were no longer standing there.
"... this is fine… this is totally fine… this is just a dream. I'll wake up in Kizuna's room in a moment, and-" Daitan tried to reassure himself.
Crack!
A twig snapped nearby, and an arrow grazed his cheek.
Daitan screamed as he ran into the dark forest.
Somewhere else, Hoshi was running through the forest too. And thanks to the flaming ofuda held in his hand like a makeshift torch, it was easy to see how terrified he looked.
"It's just a dream it's just a dream it's just a-"
He tripped over a tripwire trap, and several darts impaled his arm as he landed on the ground. His eyes widened not only at the pain, but at the notification on his HUD that he'd just been poisoned.
"Are you sure that this is just a dream?" Itsuki's voice called out from the dark forest.
"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" Hoshi got back up and ran screaming blindly into the forest as arrows hit the ground around him.
In another location, Akane finished climbing out of a hole she'd fallen into. The spikes at the bottom, while not having the stats to be fatal, had been tipped with paralytic venom. Her arm was held to her side, and her legs were barely functioning. Another light gem was gripped in her hand, desperately trying to light the way before her.
It was only thanks to pure fear and adrenaline that she hadn't folded and collapsed to the effects.
"R-Ruby's Warmth."
The damage she'd taken was healed, but the paralytic effect remained.
"Hoshi! D-Daitan!" She called out fearfully. "Where are you two?!"
She didn't get a response. She couldn't hear anything in the forest around her. It was so eerie.
She continued screaming for her two friends as she ran. Instead of them, however, she almost got impaled by several arrows that came from above. One went through her hand, shattering her only source of light once again.
"Ack-" She jumped to the side, only to barrel into a tree. She groaned as she gripped her head, only to feel blood running down her hand from the arrow that disappeared.
Fear gripped her, and she tried to use her healing skill again, only to find that she was out of soul power.
She couldn't heal the damage. And she couldn't summon another light source either. As she tried to pull out a healing crystal from her weapon's gemstone, another arrow shattered it before she could use it.
"Not on my watch." A voice seemed to whisper in her ear.
Her breaths quickened, and another arrow embedded itself into the trunk next to her head. Close enough that she could see it in the darkness.
"AHHHHHHHHHH!" Screaming in terror, Akane continued running blindly through the forest. Running into one tree after the other while bleeding from several wounds.
Hoshi wasn't doing much better in the portion of the forest he'd been dropped into.
The already cowardly boy was going through his worst nightmare. A sea of darkness surrounded him and it was so thick that he couldn't see the branches cutting at his arms or the trees he kept on running into.
The pain hardly registered for him though. His mind was utterly consumed with panic, and his flight response had been triggered to the max. He couldn't even focus enough to get another flame ofuda out to light his way.
He heard thunder from an approaching storm. And it only made the situation even worse.
Daitan wasn't doing well either. Unlike his compatriots, he had no skills that'd allow him to light his way. The monster he remembered from his game that gave the weapon form holding his flame skill lived in the mountains.
"H-Hoshi. Akane." He coughed out through his still sore throat while he ran.
He ran into another tree, and as he wavered, his foot caught onto a tripwire and he fell onto his back.
Arrows impaled the trees around him. With eyes wide with terror, he got up and continued running through the forest as best as he could.
And up above, observing it all and moving through the trees like a ninja amongst each target, Itsuki observed them all.
He was still in control. But part of him couldn't deny how much he was enjoying this. How he used his skill to silently move around them, setting up quick traps that they triggered in their fear of him. Aiming his arrows just close enough to either scare them or graze them and keep them running.
He was the predator here. And he was going to enjoy this until they finally broke. Until they admitted he was right. When they'd paid for all their years of inaction in this world and…
Itsuki briefly paused to shake his head. No, he had to remember why he was doing this. He was only doing this so they'd wake up and protect their world. So they'd come back with him and Kizuna to Sickle so he could help Naofumi again. So he could be there for his friends to protect them, and…
He pulled the Emerald Flower from his Bow, studying it intently.
No matter what, he had to remain focused. Not for himself, but for her sake. He couldn't lose control and become a monster. He didn't want a repeat of what happened when he lost control that first time.
He never wanted to hurt her again.
He put the gem flower away but carried the thought with him as he continued preying on the other three Heroes.
This went on for minutes. With the three Heroes running through darkness. Crying and screaming out for one another while at times having to avoid Itsuki when he put attention on them.
The scrapes and injuries they garnered accumulated from each arrow. From each tree they ran into. For every trap that they set off.
Their voices grew hoarse from yelling. And the energy supplied by adrenaline gradually faded, leaving them tired, afraid, and afflicted with various status conditions. And yet, they continued fleeing. Trying to escape the nightmare they'd been thrust into.
Finally, they ran into each other. Quite literally.
All three heard the sound of a rushing river and ran towards it hoping for a place to hide from this insanity. Only to run into one another and fall to the ground in a pile of limbs.
Up above, thick storm clouds filled the sky. More thunder rumbled, but the rain wasn't falling yet.
"D-Don't hurt me!" Hoshi cried out fearfully.
"H-Hoshi? Is that you?" Daitan asked in a similar tone of voice.
"Hoshi, Dai!?" Akane shouted in a tone of barely contained joy and relief.
Their fear finally gave way to confusion, and then relief as Hoshi finally managed to summon a flame ofuda to light up the faces of his friends. Seeing them, he almost began crying in relief.
"W-Why did you two leave me alone?" He tearfully asked.
"I-" Daitan began to respond.
A series of arrows came from above.
"Ah!" Daitan cried out as several of the arrows grazed his body in multiple places.
"Daitan!" Akane cried out.
Itsuki jumped from the branches onto the ground.
His eyes continued glowing a light violet. But he was still in control.
He was still in control…
Akane and Hoshi stared fearfully at him. But Itsuki paid them no mind.
With a rush of speed, he grabbed Daitan and threw him down facefirst into the river. As the Blunt Weapons Hero struggled to get up, Itsuki's foot pushed his head back down under the water.
"Blblblb!" Air bubbles came up from around the young Hero as he tried to get up. Only, he couldn't thanks to Itsuki's foot, which pressed down as if with the force of a mountain, sinking Daitan's head into the riverbed.
"Dai… Daitan…" Hoshi murmured in fear.
He wanted to run… he wanted to run so badly while Itsuki's attention was on his friend…
"Formation One: Gale Force!"
But, something in his brain kept him from running, and instead, he tried to save one of the only friends he'd made in this world.
The skill sputtered out of existence after hitting Itsuki. Akane would have assisted, if not for being out of soul power.
"Is that truly the best you can do?" Itsuki asked in a mocking tone.
The two Heroes tried to charge him, hoping to tackle them off of their friend. But Itsuki easily backhanded the pair away.
"Heh. You're so weak. If I wasn't holding back, you all would be dead ten times over." His eyes, unbeknownst to him, began glowing a deeper violet.
His foot finally moved off of Daitan's head, and the Hero desperately came up for air. As he was still coughing though, Itsuki forced him back under again.
"P-Please, let him go!" Akane screamed.
"Stop doing this!" Hoshi pleaded. "We have to live no matter what!"
"Oh? What happened to your respawn rhetoric from earlier?" Itsuki lifted Daitan's head out of the water this time. The Hero barely looked conscious, and hardly had the time to breathe before Itsuki forced him down again.
"Why should you three idiots live when all you do is mooch off of Corrin's kindness and revel in your sloth? You haven't done a thing to help your world. And you act as if everything is a game when it's not."
"It's stupid and pathetic. None of you deserve to live." Itsuki's eyes fell into another layer of violet.
Yeah. He was beginning to lose control.
Hoshi and Akane both tried to charge and latch on to Itsuki again, to pull him away from the short Hero that he was drowning. But it was no use, it was like trying to physically move a mountain.
Daitan's limbs were barely flailing in the water at this point. Itsuki couldn't see that he was going too far. He was reveling in the sounds of their pained and agonized screams. Hoshi tried one skill after another, only for all of them to not even register on Itsuki's radar.
"Let him go! PLEASE!" Akane screamed desperately as she fell to her knees in the running water and pleaded for mercy for her friend.
He was already much stronger than them. But his Cursed Series put him in a tier above even that.
Their struggle was futile. Nothing could touch him. And making them pay for their mistakes would be the cherry on top when-
"Pen!"
Kapow!
A small flipper punched Itsuki in the face. Shocked, he was launched out of the river and through a tree. Sending the massive oak crashing down in splinters.
Daitan barely managed to pull his head out, breathing in deep gasps of air.
"Pen." Chris helped to keep his head up. And Daitan couldn't even weakly nod to the small monster or register it as he was so out of it.
"Daitan, are you okay!? Speak to us!" Akane pleaded frantically.
"Wh-What is that?" Hoshi pointed at the little penguin in confusion.
"That's my shikigami! His name's Chris!" Kizuna answered as she burst out of the treeline. "Good job reaching them before me!"
"Pen!" The shikigami posed proudly for his Hero.
"K-Kizuna-" Hoshi began to say in both shock and relief.
"Urghhhhhhhhhhhh." The Bow Hero growled as he came out of the wreckage of the tree. The cuts he'd sustained were already healed over. Kizuna's eyes widened, seeing the cloud of malice surrounding her friend as well as his glowing eyes.
It'd been much worse than she'd thought. And seeing the injuries covering the others, she immediately knew she had to act.
Itsuki pulled back his bowstring to launch a skill at Chris as he stood in front of the three cowering Heroes to protect them.
Fine. If the little monster wanted to get in his way. He'd just have to get rid of it too.
Before he could though, a blade dripping with miasma appeared at his throat. Its sudden appearance made Itsuki look along its length at the Heroine wielding it.
"Stop it, Itsuki," Kizuna demanded in an apathetic tone. Her eyes were glowing a light orange color. "I have no idea why you're doing this. But you've gone far enough."
The Bow Hero growled again. His eyes shimmered a little brighter violet. "You can't hurt me, Kizuna. Your weapon prevents you from doing that."
"Maybe with my other weapon forms… but not with this." Kizuna lazily ran the tip of her blade across Itsuki's cheek, lightly cutting it.
Itsuki pulled back with a surprised hiss of pain. Not only was the wound slow to heal over, but the miasma coming off of not only Kizuna's blade, but her whole body was lowering his stats. Making him feel more tired, more lethargic.
Ironically, it was this feeling instead of the surprise pain that finally seemed to pull him back from the brink. And his eyes began to glow less than before.
Rain lightly began to patter down around them. A streak of lightning moved across the sky, lighting the dark scene around them for a moment before consuming them in darkness. Leaving only the light of their cursed eyes to see by.
"Please… holding this blade really takes a lot out of me. I'd rather not do any more fighting tonight. Or ever…" Kizuna's head almost began to lull and the usual shine in her eyes faded, leaving them disturbingly empty, but at the soft crying of those behind her, her eyes refocused. "Unequip that series now before I'm consumed by mine trying to stop you."
…
The glow from Itsuki's eyes faded entirely. Yet, he still spoke in a pained voice. "They have to face reality, Kizuna… Naofumi said it best. They need to be convinced that they aren't in a game! That's the only way to get them to help! To come back with us so I can…"
The glow faded from Kizuna's eyes as well and her cursed form began to disappear. "... was trauma really the only way that you could think of?" She sadly asked.
Itsuki sputtered, but his cursed bow was still fading. And Kizuna's lingering miasma caused him to stumble backward as he collapsed from the sudden loss of energy.
Kizuna's own Cursed Weapon fully disappeared, being replaced with her Beginner's Tuna Knife. Unlike Itsuki, she looked a little more energized. Though she still looked tired as well. The rain from the sky above began to pelt them all harder.
"But… but it was trauma that helped the four of us in our world." Itsuki finally said. "It was what helped me and the others to see that we weren't playing a game. That it was real. That our actions had consequences, and…"
"Yes, it might have helped you… but it wasn't what made me stop seeing this place as a game." Kizuna said empathetically.
"Wh… what…?" Itsuki looked so confused.
"Yeah, it took several months. During which I wasted a lot of my time. But it wasn't a traumatic experience that convinced me in the end. It wasn't the subtle differences this world had from the game I was going to play.
"It was thanks to traveling with my friends. Seeing how much they cared for me. Seeing how they were willing to support me in any way possible, no matter what. They were what convinced me that this was real… and that this world was something worth fighting for."
She rested a hand on his shoulder. Looking him in the eyes as he trembled.
"And besides… I have a feeling that they already know that this isn't a game."
…
Itsuki was left speechless at that. But Kizuna walked past him, leaving Chris to stand next to the Bow Hero as she approached the other Three Heroes. Daitan was still sitting on the ground, soaking wet from his experience in the river. But he thankfully looked more alert than he had before. Actually, all of them were soaked through by the rain at this point. Lightning darted across the sky again, lighting their faces for a brief moment so they could see Kizuna's empathic look.
"Don't you?" Kizuna asked the three Heroes. "You've known that this is all real for a long time now."
"... I… we don't know what…" Hoshi began to mutter, only to pause.
There wasn't any anger or disappointment in Kizuna's gaze. Only a sense of warmth and empathy for them.
"Let me explain something. The friend who told me to ask you guys that question from before… that friend was Kenshiro.
"His spirit appeared before a friend of mine after we got back to Sickle shortly after we brought his murderer to justice. He spoke with his old friend, the Scythe King, L'Arc Berg. Kenshiro told him to ask you the question from before. About why you had to live… Sorry I didn't lead with that before."
The three gasped. And, steadily, tears began to fill their eyes.
"He said there was more to why you weren't fighting. That there was a reason for why you had to keep on living. I didn't notice before, but I had a feeling… and I think you all are doing the same thing I did before when I was mentally trying to convince myself during my first few months that I was in a game. So I could live in this world without having to worry about my sisters and those I'd left behind.
"So please… tell me why… why were you pretending that this was a game when you know it's not?" Kizuna asked gently.
…
…
…
…
…
"Ken… Ken-sensei…" Tears fell from Daitan's eyes.
Hoshi didn't speak. He was softly crying as his body trembled. And Akane…
…
…
"It's the last order that he gave us… that we had to survive… no matter what." Akane finally answered.
"Now, listen up! From this day forward, I'll be in charge of training you three pathetic wastes of space, so you can properly learn how to defend our world from the Waves of Catastrophe! You will not laugh. You will not cry. And you will not do anything to detract from this task!" Kenshiro's voice boomed over the Heroes who'd only been summoned two days before.
"What do you mean we can't do anything else? That'd be boring-" Daitan tried to complain, only for Kenshiro to suddenly appear right in front of his face, startling him.
"Oh, already bored now, are we? Don't you worry, son, I'll be filling in your days with so many 'fun' activities that by nighttime, you'll barely have the energy left to crawl into your beds! Mark my words, I will make the three of you strong, no matter what I have to do to get you welps to get there!" He harshly rebuked the younger boy. His intimidating size caused Daitan to shrink in terror.
"U-Um, Kenshiro sir, i-if you d-don't mind me asking, w-w-why is it i-important f-for us to b-b-become strong?" Hoshi asked fearfully.
He expected another rebuttal from their new drill sergeant figure. Only, the Katana Hero gave him a straight face as he answered. "You have to become strong so you won't die. With… the Hunting Tools Hero, with Kizuna missing, if you were to die then there'd be no hope left for our world.
"We wouldn't be able to summon more Heroes. And the Waves would become so strong that none of us would be able to handle them, and us and our world would be destroyed.
"At least, those are the consequences according to the legends passed down from before."
The three new Heroes gulped at the bit of lore given to them. But Kenshiro's serious posture returned. "Now, let's get started."
Some time passed as they trained under Kenshiro and raised their levels.
"Hmph. You're not the welps you were when I first met you. But you still have a ways to go yet." The Katana Hero gave them begrudging encouragement.
"K-Ken-sensei?! Can I please go see my friend Kuro-chan!?" Hoshi pleaded.
"Y-Yeah. We could use a break with our party members." Daitan said limply in exhaustion.
He was all for working out. But even he was exhausted from all the training they'd been doing!
"Your friends are training with the Scythe and Fan Heroes today. And even if they were available, I'd still have to say no." The scarred Katana Hero said in his threatening drill sergeant voice.
"Please… can't we at least see it? The world that we're going to be fighting for?" Akane asked pleadingly.
…
"Train hard for me, and maybe I'll see about taking you brats on a field trip somewhere." Kenshiro relented.
"Whoa…" The other Heroes let out gasps of awe as they walked out of the castle into Lazuli proper for the first time.
"I… thought it was just the inside of the castle that had all the gemstones." Akane breathed out in awe.
The Katana Hero smirked at the looks on their faces. "Come on. There's plenty for you to see here."
The Heroes and their companions traveled together through the city. Seeing many of the wonders it was known for and meeting many different people, some of whom Kenshiro personally knew.
At one point, Hoshi, who'd been quiet the whole time, let out a scream of delight when his partner Kuro-Chan showed them her home. And greeted the rest of her cat family in her cat form.
"THEY'RE SO ADORABLE I'M GOING TO DIE!" Hoshi was literally crying. He suddenly looked to Kenshiro. "M-May I?" He meekly asked.
"Do whatever you want. You are on leave today." The grizzled samurai responded with a wave of his hand.
With a squeal of delight, Hoshi ran to the cat family and began petting as many of the cats as he could.
Lazuli wasn't the only place they visited.
They got to see Sickle's Capital. Mikikage's Capital. Label's Capital. And several other cities around the world. Each one was interesting or unique in its own way.
In them, they met lots of nice people. Struggling through their day-to-day lives, their eyes filled with hope whenever they saw the Heroes. And they went on with their business, just a little bit more of a skip in their step than there was before.
"You see, that is what you all are fighting for," Kenshiro said after visiting his country with them. "You three are the hope of our world.
"As long as you're alive, people will be able to sleep soundly with the certainty that they will get to live another day at least."
The other Heroes were left in awe by what their teacher had said. And, deep inside themselves, a spark they hadn't noticed before was finally lit under their souls.
Another month passed. The trio was standing in their newly minted armor and gear before their teacher.
"How will you act during the Wave?" Kenshiro asked.
"AS HEROES, SIR!" The three responded simultaneously.
"Where will you be during the Wave?"
"RIGHT NEXT TO YOU SIR!"
"And what will you do?"
"WE'LL STAY BACK AND ASSIST THE PEOPLE, SIR!"
"And why will you do that?"
"BECAUSE IF WE DIE THE WORLD WILL END SIR!" They answered confidently.
"That's right." Kenshiro gifted them with a small, but proud smile. "You're still too green to fight properly for my liking, but at least you three won't die instantly if something goes sour. So consider this your first proper field training exercise.
"You'll be seeing what the waves are like and how to act properly during them. You'll help to evacuate the civilians, learn which type of enemies to prioritize, and how to fight as a team. We won't engage the Wave Boss directly until L'Arc and Glass are there to assist for that reason."
"WE'LL FOLLOW YOUR ORDERS, SIR!" The three said with proud smiles on their faces.
"Heh, I know you will…"
The next day came, and it was terrifying.
It'd been a few Waves since the trio had been summoned. But they'd trained for all that time so they could help out at last.
Only, they were already in the fight of their lives.
"First Strike!" Daitan's skill slammed into the side of the giant Minotaur's face. Only for it to growl and swing a large blade at him.
It was only thanks to Kenshiro parrying the strike off his katana that the Blunt Weapons Hero wasn't eviscerated by the Wave Boss.
"Stand back! This thing is much too strong for any of you!" Kenshiro yelled back at the three of them.
"Isn't that the Wave Boss though?!" Hoshi asked fearfully. "Aren't we supposed to defeat it to end the Wave?!"
"Isn't it here a bit early!? I thought they only appeared after some time had passed! We only just finished evacuating the people in this area!" Akane yelled after that.
Kenshiro didn't answer as he not only shoved the beast back but used a skill to instantly slash into its gut. The minotaur let out a loud bellow but brought a fist down to smash Kenshiro into the ground. The Hero barely jumped back in time to avoid the attack.
He felt sluggish for some reason. He couldn't already be tired this early into the Wave, could he? The instant skill hadn't done much damage to the boss either, meaning he'd have to use more powerful skills to deal with it.
"Glass and L'Arc will be here soon! I'll just need to hold this thing's attention until then!" Kenshiro growled. "Deal with the fodder for now!"
He then proceeded to unleash an array of different skills on the large monster. The minotaur roared as it twisted this way and that, trying to land a strike. But Kenshiro always seemed to be one step ahead of it. Easily flowing around his attacks like a river stream.
The three Heroes dealt with the lesser monsters while the Boss and Katana Hero fought with one another. But it was clear to everyone who the stronger of the duo was.
When Kenshiro's blade disarmed the minotaur and sent its large blade flying away, the other three couldn't help but pause and stare in awe at the sight.
Akane, upon seeing that, started to cheer enthusiastically. "Woooo! Go Ken-sensei!"
"Yeah! Show that stupid bull who the real boss of this wave is!" Daitan began cheering as well. Even Hoshi was smiling widely seeing their sensei at work.
The cheers only annoyed Kenshiro, however. And it became more annoying when he slashed a shadow harpy that tried to attack him from the side. He angrily turned towards them. "Did you forget the part where I said to deal with the lesser monsters-"
Suddenly, the boss's large fist backhanded Kenshiro away.
The three Heroes' eyes widened in terror. "Ken-sensei!"
The Katana Hero groaned as he got up, but he still gripped his weapon tightly as the Minotaur lowered its head and charged toward him. Two smaller Greek monsters tried to jump Kenshiro at that moment, but his blade flashed through the air, cutting both of them in half.
This next part would be simple too. He just had to jump over the boss and then he would behead the creature in one fell swoop and-
As he moved to jump, his body seized up.
The Katana Hero's eyes widened, and he suddenly found himself unable to speak.
Why… why was he unable to move…?
The minotaur's single remaining horn impaled his chest, and then he was thrown off with a shake of its head at the feet of the three shocked Heroes.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" L' Arc's blood-curdling scream rang over the battlefield as he and Glass arrived just in time to see their friend get eviscerated.
The Minotaur was pushed back by the combined skills behind their attacks. And they pressed down on the Wave Boss as it stuttered back against their combined might.
However, the three other Heroes hardly acknowledged it. They were kneeling around Kenshiro, who was bleeding out from the giant gaping hole in his chest.
"B-Bandage Ofuda!" Hoshi cried out desperately.
"R-Ruby's Warmth."
Daitan pulled out a Healing Crystal from his weapon's gemstone. But nothing they did was working.
"P-Please! Why isn't anything working?!" Akane cried out in desperation.
"You three… urgh..."
"Ken-sensei! Please save your strength! We'll get you healed, I swear!" Hoshi cried as he gripped his hand tightly.
"Akane! Use that healing skill of yours again!" Daitan demanded.
"I-I'm trying!" Akane cried out as she tried using it again.
A glow covered the Katana Hero's scarred body, but the damage didn't heal over. Tears began to fall rapidly from the Jewel Heroine's eyes. "Please, no, no no no no! You can't die! YOU CAN'T DIE!" She began to plead.
It was too much.
She was too weak.
They were all too weak.
…
"Run… you fools."
The three crying heroes looked down at their dying teacher. Even as his lifeblood flowed from the open wound, his eyes focused on them.
"No… no matter what… you must live." He managed to grunt out. Even as his damaged heart kept trying to beat.
"Ken-sensei! W-We'll figure out something!" Hoshi pleaded.
"Don't leave us sir! Please!" Daitan begged.
"As long… as you're alive… our world… stands a chance…"
The Jewel Hero could only stare breathlessly. Kenshiro gritted his teeth and coughed up blood. The taste of sake filled his mouth, and it was only then that he realized what'd happened.
"No matter what… you have to… live…" His eyes lost all life, and his body slacked against the ground.
"Ken… KENSHIRO!" Akane cried out.
But the Katana Hero didn't move. His eyes stared lifelessly past her.
"A-Akane! We have to go!" Hoshi said fearfully, seeing the lesser Greek-inspired monsters beginning to surround them.
"N-No! We can't leave him here!" Akane gripped tightly to their teacher's body, refusing to let him go.
Daitan, however, grabbed the taller girl and forced her off with strength that surprised her. "You heard him… we have to live."
"Let me down! LET ME DOWN!" Akane screamed angrily while beating her fists uselessly against him.
Daitan flung her over his shoulder, and he and Hoshi fought through the lesser monsters in their way.
All the while, Akane continued to scream as Glass and L'Arc began closing in for the kill against the Wave Boss.
Only a few minutes later, the Heroes' first and only Wave came to an end.
Akane was crying into her hands as she finished the story.
Even though it was dark, Kizuna could see well enough to see the look of agony on her features.
"It was our fault… it was all our fault… if we hadn't distracted him with our cheering… if we'd only been stronger back then... he… he…"
Kizuna's arms wrapped around the taller heroine, making her pause in her speech.
"It wasn't your fault.
"You guys weren't the ones that slipped the paralytic into his sake."
…
Akane began to bawl harder as she gripped tightly to the Hunting Tools Hero.
"Pen…" With a sad look on his face, Chris wobbled forward and wrapped his flippers around the redhead's leg in a comforting hug.
Of the three of them, the girl had taken the loss of their teacher the hardest. Not only because he'd been one of the first people to believe in her, but… because she might have genuinely liked him.
More than anyone else from her old world.
Even though he'd been so tough, and would have been considered ugly due to his scars… he'd truly cared for them. And had done everything he could to help them to be able to survive.
"So the reason why you guys weren't participating in the Waves… was because the past Katana Hero told you to survive no matter what," Itsuki said in realization.
"That… about sums it up," Daitan replied. His voice was still hoarse, but there was an odd lack of his usual faux masculine tone behind it. "We tried to convince ourselves that it'd be for the best if we didn't fight any more Waves. Not only because we found that we were too weak to face the Boss… but because… we didn't want anyone else dying to save us."
"Others… around the world might have still died from our inaction…" Hoshi said somberly. "But if we'd died… how much worse off would the world have been? With the Waves becoming even stronger than they already were?"
The two male Heroes were looking at the ground defeatedly.
Itsuki had no idea what to say to that. And his sense of guilt only deepened over what he'd done.
They… really were just like him.
He had known it wasn't a game after that little girl's death… and yet, he'd still denied it up to a point. Refusing to acknowledge the game was real because doing so would be too painful to bear.
He was stupid… he was so stupid to have not seen it earlier…
It was a few minutes later when Akane finally cried herself out. She stayed kneeling on the ground in front of Kizuna, alongside her two friends, who stayed kneeling dejectedly as well.
…
"I'm sorry. I truly wish I had more time to help you three through this… but the threat of Kyo against our world is very real." Kizuna spoke out again after a pause. "There is no event flag or anything that'll keep him from acting against me or my friends. And this isn't a seasonal event that'll pass over in a week or a month."
"They're preparing to fight him in Sickle. And… me and Itsuki can't afford to be stuck here. When the people I care about are preparing to fight for their lives."
"I might not be useful in a fight against people. But I can still trip them up. I can still hit them with damage multipliers and assist my friends however I can, especially if Kyo sends monsters to attack us, and that isn't even comparable to what Itsuki can do… we really want to help them. But we can't if we're stuck here protecting the three of you.
"So please, if you come to Sickle, I can promise that you'll be kept safe. That you'll have the best of the best to protect you just like they protect me… and… if you still think you're weak, they can help you to grow strong. Just like I did."
Kizuna gave them a soft, friendly smile. "I can even show you my favorite fishing spot. Next to the house I built for myself and my friends. You don't have to interact with anyone if you don't want to. Just… come with us so we can help our friends against Kyo…"
…
"Please."
…
…
…
Rain continued to fall around them. Filling the silence with the sound of drops hitting the river and the ground around them.
…
…
…
"Alright…"
Akane spoke for the three of them at last. As broken and sad as her voice sounded.
"We're sorry for the trouble we caused you… we will go with you to Sickle, Kizuna."
Author's Notes:
I don't have many words after this chapter. It was enjoyable, but this does end the focus on Itsuki for the most part.
Ain't it funny how you think you can know everything about something, only to find you've barely scratched the surface of who they are?
Till Next Time
Allen