“I’m home.”
Schnee ended the hug with Shin after hearing these words.
There were no tears anymore in her eyes. It was the usual calm expression, that Shin knew well.
“I thought you wouldn’t come home anymore.”
“…Indeed. I also thought that I wouldn’t meet you again.”
He had understood this at the time he left the shop. If the death game was cleared, the data for both Tsuki no Hokora and the support characters would be deleted. He would never be able to meet Schnee, or her real side again if that had happened. (TL note: Real side means when Schnee gained her sentience or something like that)(Editor’s note: When the game turned reality)
Even though NPC’s could only receive it in the program as an example, Shin felt that it was the parting that was painful.
It was very difficult to express it in words.
No love and affection. The friendship would also be different.
More data, it could be said she was less than a human being. It was too complex, and personally Shin didn’t properly understand it either.
“Kyuu~”
A cry that lost strength, for the two people, resounded in the serious atmosphere. When Shin turned his eyes upward, he saw the figure of an exhausted Yuzuha above his head.
Apparently, by keeping the barrier up, it seemed to have reached its limit somehow. The barrier shattered, and they noticed the Skull Faces pouring in toward them.
“Though there is a lot to talk about, let’s get this situation under control for the time being.”
“Well. I had forgotten about it a little because of our reunion after such a long time.”
“Kuu~”
While smiling wryly at Yuzuha’s bark that said, “I will leave the rest to you~”, the two people faced the Skull Faces.
“The first blow. I want to execute something big.”
“Let’s do it. Now is just the right time.”
Shin said with a broad grin, and Schnee, with a pleasant smile, laughed. Then they held their hands up toward the sky.
“The manifestation for one to become pure.”
“The manifestation for one that becomes eternal.”
They invoked a magic system skill that was exclusive to cooperation.
Only 2 or more players, or support characters, were able to use it.
The name was ――――
“Sanctuary!!”
The chant melted the darkness.
And immediately the effect was visible in the sky above the whole area of the plains.
An enormous magic formation was drawn in the night sky.
Shin and Schnee. It could be said that no one in this world could rival these two people’s cooperation skills. That effect was more than enough to exceed the usage of skills of ordinary skill users by far.
Before the Skull Faces reached Shin, light shined from the heavens.
It cut the darkness, illuminated the earth, and the light cleared away the world’s impurity in the plains as the ones that were wriggling were purified without mercy. That light spread temporarily even into the veil of night, and it shone upon the whole plains as if the sun had suddenly appeared.
“AAaaaaa――――…”
Although various individual Skull Faces were hit by the light, most became sparkling demon essences and vanished. But as expected, the Lord wasn’t killed it seems. Though the unpleasant voice resounded throughout the plains, the moment the Skull Faces sprang out from the ground, they were exposed to the light of purification and disappeared instantly.
The two people’s magic power, which fueled the magic formation, kept pouring out as it was maintained for several seconds without fading away, it continued shining upon the ground with a powerful and gentle light. Under such conditions, it seemed that the Skull Faces couldn’t even act properly. The red markers that were swept away from the map were reflected in Shin’s field of vision, and a beautiful field was able to be perceived.
“Now then, since the nuisances are all gone, let’s move onto the elimination of the main culprit.”
“Does Master know the cause of this phenomenon?”
“Ah, it was caused by the monster named Lord Skull Face. Though I saw it for the first time just now, do you know anything about it?”
“…No, I too just heard of it now for the first time.”
Shin thought Schnee, who spent a long time in this world, would know something, but Schnee didn’t have any idea someway or another.
Since the Skull Faces disappeared, there was nothing that blocked the way to the Lord anymore.
They checked their equipment quickly and ran toward the target. Yuzuha had become completely energetic due to the recovery effect of 【Sanctuary】, and watched their surroundings while on top of Shin’s head.
Shin would have liked to hand over 『Blue Moon』 to Schnee, but it was already given over to Tiera, so instead a powerful anti-Lord ninja katana and dagger were handed over. Though the main job of Schnee was a Kunoichi(a female version of a ninja), she was able to equip any weapon she liked such as a ninja katana and dagger, because there was no equipment restriction on weapons due to her job. Most players were satisfied if their support character could use at most 2 or 3 types. However, Schnee was the support character of Shin, so unfortunately only 2 or 3 types of weapon mastery was out of the question.