Although she immediately used the sword and sheath as shields, Ahatd’s fist crushed Shizuku’s partner and hit her shoulder. Having blown parallel to the ground, forcefully crashing, and continued skidding on the ground, Shizuku laid down helplessly. The arm on her right shoulder was bent into an impossible angle. It was completely crushed. And because the impact was passed into her body, she sometimes coughed up blood.
“Shizuku-chan!”
Kaori called Shizuku with tone overflowed with uneasiness, but Shizuku could not move at all even as she gripped the handle of her broken sword while crouching.
At that time, the things about her comrades, formation, and her exhausted magic power, there was be no meaning for her to come to Shizuku’s side, but other logical reasons had completely disappeared from her mind. Kaori’s only thought was she “must go to her important best friend’s side.”
Kaori dashed out due to impulse. Her body was swaying and her feet weren’t steady because she hardly had any magic power. Although there were voices behind that tried to stop her, they did not reach Kaori’s ears. She was only trying her best to recklessly rush towards Shizuku. Naturally, the demonic beasts did not overlook the defenseless Kaori, and merciless attacks poured towards her.
However, all of those attacks were received by shining shields. Moreover, the numerous shields were standing just like a passage between Kaori and Shizuku.
“Ehehe. As expected, being alone is unpleasant.”
Suzu said with a pale expression. She held out her right hand straight towards Shizuku, and used all of her shields to make a beeline between Kaori and Shizuku. A faint smile floated on her face.
Suzu had realized it herself. Realized they could not survive at all. That’s why, she thought of using her magic to allow her to be together with the best friends she loved even in the last moment. Naturally, the defense on the other comrades had become thinner as the effect… so Suzu, “I am sorry,” apologized in her mind, and continued to put up her shields for Kaori and Shizuku.
With Suzu’s shields, Kaori reached Shizuku with only few wounds. Then, she embraced Shizuku’s body tightly.
“K-Kaori… what are you doing… Get back, hurry. It’s dangerous here.”
“Uun. It is the same anywhere. That’s why, it’s okay for me to be by Shizuku-chan’s side.”
“… I am sorry. I can’t win.”
“Me, too, I am sorry I can’t really do anything. I have hardly any magic power.”
Supporting Shizuku, Kaori was frowning while smiling while using her magic to lessen Shizuku’s pain. Shizuku on the other hand, used her solid right arm to grasp the hand Kaori was using to support her, and sported a troubled smile.
A shadow appeared before the two. It was Ahatd. With bloodshot eyes, it approached and looked down at Kaori and Shizuku. “RoOoOaR!!,” it raised its characteristic roar and swung its thick arm.
Unbeknownst to them, Suzu’s shields had been put between Ahatd, and Kaori and Shizuku to interrupt it from coming any closer. However, it just ignore such barriers. It was probably because it was convinced that its swung fist would easily destroy the shields just like papers and use the shockwave to crush Kaori and Shizuku.
Currently, with the iron hammer of death swinging before them, various scenes passed through Kaori’s mind. “Ah, I wonder is this the revolving lantern?,” and she strangely calmed down, but Kaori who was flooded with memories had her heart shaken by the latest scene that appeared.
It was the tea party under the moonlight. The memories of the two conversing. The night when she said a vow. The disappeared him who made a troubled smile. How she began to realize her “love” once he disappeared. How she chased after him, believing in his survival.
However, those would also end here. “In the end, I was once again unable to hold up my promise,” thinking so, tears flowed on Kaori’s cheeks before she was aware of it.
First, I want to call out to him if we ever meet again, Kaori thought so. With such a wish, at the very least, I will call his name at the end… and she naturally said.
“… Hajime-kun.”
At that moment.
KABOoOoOM!!
The ceiling above Ahatd fell with a roaring sound, and at the same time, a huge, jet-black stake flew out with an extreme power cladded in red thunder.
Raising sparks, the jet-black stake pierced through Ahatd as though it was a tofu, and it then pierced and was stuck on the ground.
With length around 120 centimeters, the huge stake buried itself into the ground while releasing red sparks. Flesh and blood scattered from the center where Ahatd’s remains were with its original form nowhere to be seen. The spectacle made Kaori, Shizuku, and of course Kouki’s party, the demonic beasts attacking them, and the Demon Race woman stiffened.
A silent unbecoming of a battlefield ruled the room. No one, not even a thing understood what had happened as they stood in bewilderment. Suddenly, a shadow jumped down from the opened ceiling. The person landed and lightly trampled down on the Ahatd’s remains with his back before Kaori and Shizuku, and when he got off it, the person glared at the surroundings.
When he looked over his shoulder, he saw Kaori and Shizuku who were embracing each other.
The moment the person turned around, their eyes met, and a lightning ran through Kaori’s body. Her heart had been cold accompanied by sorrow, no, probably it was freezing since the day her important person disappeared, but a sudden fire lighted it and heated it up Thu-thump, thu-thump. Her heart began to throb intensely.
“…Your relationship is good as usual, you two.”
The person said with a wry smile, and Kaori’s mind was filled with delight even before she could think about it.
The hair color was different, the aura was different, the tone was different, and the appearance was different. However, she knew. It is him. It is he whose survival she believed in while she looked for him.
That’s right,
“Hajime-kun!”