Grimgal of Ashes and Illusion - Volume 17 - Chapter 11

11. Confrontation

It was decided that Orion would divide the Lich King’s scepter, crown, clothes, and shoes and carry them back. They were the proof that the team had slain the ancient king, as well as being valuable treasures in their own right. When the conquest of Mount Grief was complete, they would discuss how the spoils were to be divided among the Frontier Army and Volunteer Soldier Corps.

Matsuyagi and Kimura were cremated in the throne room. Orion had past experience with that, so it got done quickly. The two mages from Orion lit the pyre, then Adachi used Firewall to surround their fallen friends’ remains. Mimorin was about to join in and use Blast, but Haruhiro stopped her. That wouldn’t cremate the bodies, it would just blow them up.

Merry and Anna-san offered prayers that the departed would rest in peace. Tada was a priest too, but he simply stared into the flames, not praying. The usually boisterous Tokkis and a certain masked dread knight were respectfully quiet for once on this occasion.

“We buried Sassa on the Red Continent,” Ron said, out of nowhere. “The No-Life King’s curse doesn’t reach all the way across the sea. It felt wrong to burn her. Even dead, she was a fine woman, you know?”

Shinohara watched, almost without moving, until Kimura and Matsuyagi were reduced to no more than bones and ash. The way he kept his right fist clenched the whole time was particularly memorable.

The members of Orion collected their ashes. They would take them back to Alterna to be interred on the hill where so many other fallen volunteer soldiers had been laid to rest.

There were two doors in the throne room. When they were opened with synchronized unlocking, they led into the area Orion called the treasury.

The treasury was connected to the inside of the old castle at the summit of Mount Grief. It would not be easy to make it through the intricate maze of many small rooms that it comprised.

If the Lich King were still active, that is.

It would have been quite difficult to make it through a maze full of dead ends and forked passages while being attacked by pawns, specters, and phantoms. Orion had faced the challenge a number of times, so they had a more or less complete map of this section. Yet despite finding four different doors, they had never been able to figure out the conditions to do a synchronized unlocking of them.

However, now that the Lich King had been sent to his eternal rest, the treasury was just another maze. They could determine that the two doors that didn’t connect to the throne room must have been decoys or traps. The platoon easily broke through the maze, proceeding as far as the entrance beneath the old castle.

This entrance into the Graveyard had originally been sealed with a stone door. Long ago, Orion had smashed through it, then piled up rocks to block it off again.

When entering the Graveyard, they would move the rocks aside. Then, when they were finished, they would go to all the trouble of sealing the door up again. If other volunteer soldiers—experienced ones like Souma, for instance—were to swarm into the Graveyard and defeat the Lich King, it would have been a huge loss. Orion had done what they could to conceal the Graveyard’s existence as they explored it independently. Maybe it had been petty, but thanks to their decision, the orcs of the Southern Expedition now occupying the old castle didn’t know about the castle entrance. It was still blocked with rocks.

The detached force removed the stones blocking the entrance one by one. It wasn’t a great deal of work, so it barely took any time at all.

The old castle was not large by any means. There were seven towers on the summit connected by curtain walls and a stone building in the middle of them. This structure was where the ruler must have resided, but only the first two floors and parts of the third were still intact. The Volunteer Soldier Corps’ scouts reported that those parts of the third floor were currently being used to build a watchtower.

The castle entrance was in the basement of one of the seven towers. The one farthest from the castle gate. If you were to number the towers starting with the one closest to the gate and rotating clockwise, this would be tower #4. The gate was between tower #1 and tower #7.

The towers were maybe only four meters across on the inside, and had been designed primarily to allow access to the top of the walls using the internal stairs, with the top floor serving as a lookout point that could be used in defending the castle. However, the old castle on top of Mount Grief didn’t just have the prior undead inhabitants anymore; they had been supplemented by the orcs that had relocated from Deadhead Watching Keep and the kobolds that had fled after their defeat at Riverside Iron Fortress. There were reports that some fraction of the kobolds had since left Mount Grief, but the enemy still easily numbered more than a thousand.

Maybe there were enemies in the basement of the tower. That had been a concern, but it proved to be a needless one. The basement of tower #4 was apparently being used for storage. It was packed full of barrels, boxes, bundles of arrow shafts, and what were presumably dried foodstuffs.

Haruhiro, Inui, and Orion’s thief Tsuguta would now send the signal to the main force.

They didn’t know what the situation was like outside, but if the operation was proceeding as planned, then the main force—composed of nearly a hundred of the Frontier Army’s best troops led by Thomas Margo, as well as the Volunteer Soldier Corps’ Wild Angels, Iron Knuckle, and the Berserkers—would be stationed on the path up the mountain to the gates, keeping the enemies holed up within the old castle in check. In addition to them, the main force would have thieves waiting in all directions. No matter where Haruhiro and the others raised the signal, the main force would be notified immediately. Only one of the three needed to succeed. So long as they sent the signal, their job was done, even if they were discovered immediately afterward.

Haruhiro and the others split up once they were out of the basement. Though he’d lost his memories, working as a thief just felt right to Haruhiro. Tsuguta had a career of more than ten years in the same job. Inui was a hunter currently, but also had experience as a thief. There was no point in their kind traveling together. It was when they were on their own that they shined the brightest. Er, that is to say, thieves were at their best when trying not to stand out, and to accomplish their goals while running and hiding. They didn’t need to shine. Not in the slightest.

Tsuguta passed luminous rods to Inui and Haruhiro. If they pushed hard on one end and then removed the sheath-like cap, the rod would heat up and emit light for several minutes. Haruhiro had no idea how they worked, but they were apparently not relics, but an invention of the gnomes who lived beneath the Tenryu Mountains. The dwarves of the Kurogane Mountain Range were apparently producing replicas based on them too.

The plan was that Haruhiro and Inui would go to send the signal. Tsuguta would remain in hiding, watching them, and if they succeeded, he would relay that information to the rest of the detached force. If they failed, he would send the signal in their stead.

Whatever the case, once the signal went out to the main force, Shinohara would lead the detached force into action. Their primary task was to open the castle gates from the inside.

If they could assassinate commanders to disrupt the enemy, that would be good too, but they had no idea where to find them. The unit of orcs that had been garrisoned at Deadhead Watching Keep were likely leading the orcs here. But that was only an educated guess. They didn’t have much to go on.

First they would open the gate, allowing the main force to penetrate the old castle.

Before this, the Volunteer Soldier Corps had brilliantly retaken Riverside Iron Fortress, despite being massively outnumbered by the kobolds that had held it. The volunteer soldiers excelled in chaotic conditions, and if they could just get close to the enemy, they could bring their full potential to bear.

There was noise somewhere in the distance.

The area around tower #4, where the castle entrance was placed, was relatively quiet. It seemed likely that the enemy had focused their forces near the gate. The rest of the place would be much less defended.

“Okay...” Shinohara looked from Haruhiro, to Inui, to Tsuguta. “I’m counting on you.”

The three of them each nodded in response. It was impossible to tell what an eccentric like Inui was thinking, and Tsuguta wasn’t the type to show his emotions either. Though they were all very different people, none of the three gave off the sense of being overly anxious. Maybe that was just how thieves were.

“Haru,” Merry called out to him.

What could it be? he wondered.

However, after calling his name, Merry didn’t say anything more. When she stared at him like that, it made him feel a little, uh, confused, maybe even kind of tense. Not that he wasn’t tense already.

“...?”

As Haruhiro let out a small grunt that couldn’t quite be categorized as either a “Huh?” or a “Hm?” and cocked his head to the side, Merry moved closer.

Huh?

What? What?

Wh-Wh-Wh-What is it?

“Whoa...?!” someone exclaimed. Kikkawa, maybe?

Haruhiro couldn’t say a word. He’d gotten all stiff. It had been so sudden. Of course he’d be surprised.

Merry’s face was so close her nose nearly grazed Haruhiro’s. Okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but she’d moved in so close and so fast that it felt that way. She didn’t make contact, of course.

Haruhiro’s left shoulder and Merry’s right, while not touching, were not very far from each other at all.

Their faces were right beside each other.

What is this?

What is she doing?

What’s going on here?

It wasn’t very thief-like to let events make him freeze up or panic. A thief needed to be bold. But, as far as he saw it, this didn’t really have anything to do with his job as a thief, so he was still in the clear. Uh, maybe? Was that really the problem here?

It felt like they stayed that way for a rather long while.

Or...maybe not. Yeah. That couldn’t be right. It must just have felt that way. Like time was standing still.

Obviously, time stands still for no one. His heart was beating too. At an incredibly fast rate. He could sense it. His heart rate, that is. Hear it, even. But he got caught in the illusion that it wasn’t his own pulse he was hearing, but Merry’s. He was so embarrassed to catch himself fantasizing like that.

“Be careful...” Merry whispered in his ear.

If he’d replied immediately, it would have come out slurred. A “yesh,” or maybe a “yuss,” and that would have been pathetic. Haruhiro made a wise decision. The best one, he’d like to think.

He held it in, pausing for a moment. Then, when the right moment came, he nodded.

“Yeah...”

He’d be careful, of course. That went without saying. Or rather, he didn’t need to be told. She didn’t have to tell him to. He was going to be very careful. It was the most basic, fundamental part of his job.

“I-I’m sorry, I...” Merry backed away. She hadn’t done anything that demanded an apology, so maybe she didn’t need to act so flustered. Still, Haruhiro was struggling to maintain an unaffected facade, so he couldn’t say anything.

Seriously, what was that just now? Haruhiro had no idea. He wished someone would tell him. It would be fastest to ask Merry herself, but it felt wrong. What was wrong about it? That, he couldn’t say. He really didn’t know.

“Mm!” Mimorin stepped forward. “Haruhiro.”

“Yes...?”

This seemed like it could get complicated, so he couldn’t help but be wary. Mimorin grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him close.

“I like you,” she said right into his ear. Well, that wasn’t so complicated. Actually, it was fairly clear and simple.

“Oh, yeah...?”

“I love you.” Mimorin pushed Haruhiro away, her face contorting as if she were fighting back tears. But she didn’t cry. “Be back soon.”

“I will...”

Haruhiro felt an urge to apologize, but that felt wrong. What was wrong about it? In the end, he couldn’t figure that out.

“Why, you!” Ranta suddenly whacked him on the back of the head.

“Ow! What was that for?!”

“Why are you so popular with the ladies all of a sudden?! Screw you, Parupiro! What is this? Foreshadowing for your death? Yeah, I’ll bet it is. Don’t go triggering death flags like that. You’re triggering ’em like crazy. You’re a dead man walking. Absolutely dead. It’s pretty much a done deal, all right? So be careful while you’re dying out there, okay?”

Haruhiro wanted to roll his eyes, but knew better than to actually do it. Ranta was the kind of trash he needed to ignore. Haruhiro wanted to sigh, but he held that in too.

“You’re ignoring me, huh?!”

Ranta stomped his feet in indignation. What was he, a child? Haruhiro wanted to quip about it, but had the courage to hold back. That was the most effective counter to Ranta.

“You’re ignoring me...?!”

“Ranta, you cryin’?” Yume didn’t just not make fun of Ranta, she was actively consoling him. Wasn’t that being too kind?

“I am not crying. As if I’d cry! But if I wanted to cry...would you lend me your chest?”

“Mewww. Dunno about that. That sounds really unpleasant.”

“Really unpleasant, huh?!”

“Let me ask you instead, what made you think Yume-san would ever let you cry on her chest?” Kuzaku interrupted.

“Oh, shove off, you beanpole. It was a moment of indecision...”

If anything, your real feelings just slipped out there, Haruhiro thought, but he kept his mouth shut. If he said anything, this would just turn into a headache. It was plain as day that Ranta felt a certain affection for Yume but didn’t want to admit it to himself. Not in front of others, at least.

Haruhiro glanced at Merry. She was looking down at the floor.

Affection?

Is that what that is?

Could it be...maybe?

“No, no, no...” Haruhiro mumbled to himself.

Come to think of it, there had been a conversation like that. Like, about what might have happened between Merry and him while Ranta and Yume had been away from the party.

Obviously, Haruhiro didn’t remember it. But that wasn’t true for Merry. When Yume asked her about it, Merry had been awfully flustered.

What if, unlikely as it seemed, something had happened between them?

What if Merry remembered it, but Haruhiro had forgotten?

What then? How did Merry feel? Haruhiro wasn’t particularly perceptive about that kind of thing, so he had trouble imagining it. But suppose, to use a concrete term, there were two lovers, A and B. A had forgotten the relationship, and only B remembered. Wouldn’t B feel terribly lonely?

Well, he couldn’t say for sure that anything had happened. Only Merry knew.

If she said something had happened, it had. If she said it hadn’t, it hadn’t.

To take that logic to its extreme, even if Merry lied about it, Haruhiro would never be able to tell, and neither would anyone else. There was only one truth but no way to tell what it was.

Maybe she couldn’t say? Whether something had happened, or nothing had happened, the moment she put it into words, it either became a fact or something he would doubt. If Haruhiro were in Merry’s position, he might keep his mouth shut too.

It might not just be about that; there could be any number of things Merry was keeping to herself that she wished she could say but couldn’t. If that were the case, the psychological toll on her might be higher than Haruhiro had been thinking.

“Heh...” Inui stood in front of Setora. The eye not covered by his eyepatch had a sinister light in it.

“Are you even human...?” Haruhiro said what he was thinking out loud, but Inui apparently didn’t hear him.

“If I manage to return alive,” Inui said, without a hint of shame, “I’d like you to bear my child.”

“I would never,” Setora replied immediately. That was to be expected. “Only one person needs to send the signal to the main force. You don’t need to come back. In fact, I hope you fail. Never show yourself before me again.”

“Heh... To think, even now, you would persist in hiding your embarrassment. How precious...”

“How can he be so nervy...?” Kuzaku shuddered.

“You showed her your fighting spirit.” Tokimune flashed his pearly whites and slapped Inui on the back.

“Farewell...” Inui said, then quickly departed.

“Oh... All right, bye, I’m gonna head out now too.” Haruhiro and Tsuguta set out as well. It was a bit rushed because of Inui, but there was no need to drag this out. Actually, it felt stupid to.

Haruhiro had nearly muted his footsteps as he climbed the stairs. It was quiet inside tower #4, as he’d expected. There were no enemies here. Inui was gone too.

The spiral staircase had been built into the inside of the cylindrical tower. Haruhiro could hear what sounded like footsteps, so were there enemies up above? Or was it Inui climbing the stairs? If so, he was being awfully bold, but this was Inui. There was no discounting any possibility with him.

Haruhiro and Tsuguta headed outside the tower. There was a faint light in the sky. It would soon be dawn. Tower #4 was directly opposite the castle gate. Just as he’d thought, there were no enemies here. There were lookouts on the top of the other towers and the walls, though. He could see their watch fires.

It wasn’t even five meters from the wall to the main building. The walls were maybe six to seven meters high.

He could hear jeering, mixed with barks that presumably came from the kobolds. It didn’t seem like there was a pitched battle underway. They were trying to provoke the humans that, despite displaying their intention to attack, weren’t getting any closer to the gate. Maybe that was it?

Haruhiro and Tsuguta nodded to one another.

The enemies would be packed into the area between tower #1 and tower #7. Haruhiro kept an eye on the top of the walls as he headed toward tower #3.

It was pretty bright past tower #3. Not only were there watch fires lit, the walls were packed with orcs, kobolds, and undead carrying torches. The space between the walls and the building was crowded too, with enemies going in and out of the towers, carrying supplies back and forth.

Haruhiro couldn’t go any farther. On the top of the wall between towers #4 and #3, there were watch fires every few meters, and orcs standing guard. Though that was “all,” it was still questionable whether he could get up on the wall without being detected. No matter how he looked at it, it wasn’t going to be simple. In fact, it would be incredibly difficult.

Well, he didn’t have any other choice. Tsuguta put a gentle hand on Haruhiro’s shoulder, as if to say, Give it your best shot. Haruhiro sighed and began clambering up the wall.

If he climbed here, he’d be halfway between two fires. Once he reached the top, he’d send the signal using the luminous rod before the guards near the fires could spot him, though lighting it up would probably get their attention right away. How could it not? But once the signal was sent, his job was done. He could flee. And if he couldn’t? Well, he’d cross that bridge when he came to it.

It wasn’t like he assumed things would just work out somehow. He’d send the signal. That much, he could manage. He was pretty pessimistic about what came next, but he’d do what he had to do first. For now, he would focus on the task at hand.

So Haruhiro thought, but just as he’d almost reached the top, it got noisy all around him.

Haruhiro nearly muttered, You’re kidding me. It wouldn’t have been that much of a problem if he had. The enemy was making a ton of noise. And who could blame them?

There was a light spinning around on top of tower #3.

It was a luminous rod. Someone was sending the signal.

Well, there was only one “someone” it could have been. It obviously wasn’t Haruhiro, and Tsuguta was down below, ruling him out too.

“Heh...!” It was Inui. “Gwah ha ha ha ha ha! The demon lord has descended!”

The enemies on top of the wall started loosing arrows at Inui.

“Hoo...! Hah...!”

Inui jumped and ducked to avoid the projectiles. If Haruhiro shouted, Enough of that, hurry up and run, the enemy would find him too. Haruhiro decided to leave Inui alone and hurriedly descended the wall he had just finished climbing. Tsuguta was nowhere to be seen. He’d already headed back to tower #4 where Shinohara and the others were waiting.

Haruhiro headed toward tower #4 too. The others were already coming out.

He heard what sounded like war cries in the distance. Not from orcs or kobolds. They were clearly human. The main force had seen the signal and begun the assault.

“Renji, Tokimune, take point!” Shinohara shouted. Renji and Tokimune stood at the front of the group. Tada, Ranta, Kuzaku, Kikkawa, and Shinohara followed. Haruhiro joined Yume, Mimorin, and Orion’s warriors and paladins behind the vanguard.

He instantly felt lighter. Merry had cast support magic on him.

“Go, go, yeah!”

Haruhiro couldn’t explain why, but hearing Anna-san’s voice was strangely uplifting at times like this.

“Rahhhhhh!”

“It’s on!”

Renji and Tokimune began tearing into their nearest targets. The enemies were packed in pretty tight, but the platoon pierced through them at an amazing speed. The orcs, kobolds, and undead were absolutely losing their heads. They had never imagined the invaders would attack from inside as well as outside.

Slaying enemies and stepping over their corpses, the detached force just kept on going. The vanguard was fighting, but Haruhiro hadn’t even had to use his weapons yet. He just followed the vanguard. There wasn’t much to do other than avoid falling enemies or hop over their corpses.

The gates are already in sight. This might work.

This might actually work.

Any time he started thinking that, it was bad news. Was this Haruhiro’s experience speaking? Could he use his experience, even without remembering it? Or was this his nature? Had he simply been born without the ability to get caught up in the moment?

“Ooooooossshhhhhhh...!”

Thanks to that, when he heard the incredibly loud voice echo throughout the compound, he wasn’t surprised. Here it comes, he thought.

Still, it was dramatic. After the first shout, the orcs responded in kind.

“Osh!”

“Osh!” “Osh!”

“Osh!” “Osh!” “Osh!”

“Osh!” “Osh!” “Osh!” “Osh!”

“Osh!” “Osh!” “Osh!” “Osh!” “Osh!”

“Osh!” “Osh!” “Osh!” “Osh!” “Osh...!”

Soon, the kobolds began barking and howling.

“Awooo!”

“Woof!”

“Bow!” “Wow!”

“Awooo!” “Bow!”

“Woof!” “Woof!” “Woof!”

“Awooo!” “Awoooooooooo...!”

Then the undead joined them, hollering something or another.

Was every orc, kobold, and undead in the old castle raising their voice now? It wasn’t just that. The roar of stomping feet and weapons banging on shields shook the whole castle.

Renji, Tokimune, and the others in the vanguard tried to keep going, but they had clearly slowed. The enemy had been going down without much of a fight until now, but that had changed. They were fighting back in desperation.

“They’re coming from behind us too!” Setora shouted. The detached force had made their way past tower #3 and #2, and were closing in on #1. The gate was between #1 and #7. It looked like a group of enemies from up on the wall had come down through towers #2 and #3 to attack the detached force from behind.

“Delm, hel, en, balk, zel, arve...!” Mimorin turned and fired off a Blast. It sent some kobolds flying, but the enemy didn’t falter.

“Bullshit! This looking bad, yeah?!” Anna-san was running around. Setora, Merry, Yume, and the members of Orion were fighting defensively, but they couldn’t advance at the same time as they were fighting the enemies behind them.

“Shinohara-san, let’s stop for a moment! If we keep going, we’re going to get split up!” Haruhiro warned.

“No, we can’t...!” Shinohara instantly shouted in response. “We can’t stop until the gate’s open! Everyone, fight your hardest! You are not allowed to die! Don’t let any of your comrades die either!”

His orders were harsh. But they couldn’t show weakness now. It would turn into a vicious cycle, and they’d lose. That must have been what Shinohara had decided.

Mimorin, Adachi, and the Orion mages let loose with their magic. Magic was incredibly powerful, but because of the time it took to chant their spells, there were inevitably openings. Haruhiro and the others needed to step in and fill them. Nobody worried about some minor injuries. If someone went down with a major wound, Merry, Chibi-chan, or Anna-san would be right there to heal them. There was no time to waste on slow healing, so they stuck to using Sacrament, which would heal anything, even otherwise fatal wounds, in an instant, no matter how inefficient it was. Haruhiro just focused on trying his best to defend the mages and priests. In the current situation, he couldn’t do everything. As he’d worried, Renji, Tokimune, and Tada were pushing ahead. Everyone else was getting left behind, but there was nothing to be done about that at this point. He had to do what he could within the limits of his own abilities.

“Ooooooossshhhhhhh...!”

That voice again.

It was coming down.

Something was.

From the building? The second floor. Or maybe higher.

Was that an orc? With white hair streaming behind him and a big sword in each hand, he landed on the ground near the gate. Wasn’t that where the vanguard was? Or rather, hadn’t that orc jumped off the building to get in reach of them?

As soon as the orc landed, he was crossing blades with Renji.

“Urgh...!” Renji grunted.

“Human warrior!”

Was that the orc’s voice? Had he just spoken? Using human words?

“Whoa?!”

“Tch!”

Tokimune and Ron backed away from Renji and the orc to begin taking on other opponents. They couldn’t help him. They knew that. What would happen if they got close to Renji and the orc now? It was hard to imagine exactly, but it seemed likely they’d get in Renji’s way. The two who were facing off both used large weapons, so they were able to deal lethal strikes from a good distance. If the others didn’t keep away, they would likely get caught in the crossfire. Basically, it was dangerous and terrifying to be near them.

If those two were going to fight a duel, everyone else would have to wait for it to run its course. Haruhiro didn’t have time to worry about it either. That orc wasn’t the only enemy here. They were surrounded on practically all sides. It was nothing but enemies, enemies, and more enemies.

Haruhiro was still guarding the mages and priests, tripping enemies that got too close and letting his allies finish them, or hitting them with Backstab himself.

More enemies kept swarming in, and his comrades fought them off valiantly. Despite that, no one, friend or foe alike, seemed able to focus. They weren’t dazed, just distracted by the duel between Renji and that orc. It was almost impossible to ignore.

The orc’s pure white hair flapped about wildly, his two swords swinging again and again. Renji deflected them with his greatsword, or dodged and counterattacked. The white-haired orc didn’t avoid Renji’s slashes. He always guarded. Their swords were about the same length. They probably weighed about the same too. Even the shapes were similar. But Renji held his in two hands while his opponent was dual-wielding them. Renji should have been able to put more power into each of his swings, but the orc wasn’t giving any ground. There was a height difference. Renji was tall, but that was only by human standards. Orcs, as a race, were larger than humans. That white-haired orc was probably large even by orcish standards, though not tremendously so. It wasn’t as if he was overwhelming Renji. In fact, Renji probably had the advantage in flexibility and agility. But not by much.

Renji and the orc were at a stalemate. That’s how it looked.

Each was probing the other for weaknesses.

“Osh!”

The orcs on top of the wall were cheering.

“Osh!” “Osh!”

“Osh!” “Osh!” “Osh!”

“Osh!” “Osh!” “Osh!” “Osh!”

“Oooooosh...!”

For the first time, the white-haired orc dodged instead of parrying Renji’s greatsword. The orc probably swung his swords in from both sides right after that. There was an intense screech of metal on metal, so had Renji blocked them with his greatsword? Haruhiro hadn’t been able to see it, but Renji hopped backward, then immediately stepped in again.

In that moment, the orc’s twin blades struck at Renji’s knees and head at the same time.

Renji jumped. But what did he do next? Haruhiro couldn’t tell. He couldn’t follow it with his eyes.

Renji’s greatsword collided with his foe’s twin swords a number of times, and then both backed away.

“My name is Don...” the white-haired orc moved slowly as he gave his name. “No... Zan Dogran. Human warrior. You use that sword knowing it is Mozzo?”

“It belonged to an orc who attacked Alterna.” Renji held the greatsword in a diagonal stance and did not move. No, while his voice remained level, his shoulders were rising and falling slightly. “That was way back. His name was Ish Dogran.”

“Ish Dogran...!” Was the white-haired orc smiling? Or was he angry? It was hard to read an orc’s expressions, but Haruhiro thought it looked like he was smiling.

“He was my brother! Fierce human warrior!”

“The name’s Renji, Zan Dogran.”

Renji lowered his stance. It was as if he was tensing his entire body, storing up energy.

“Gwah hah...!”

Yeah, the orc, Zan Dogran, was definitely smiling. Renji had killed his brother. That made Renji someone he needed to take revenge on. What was so fun about that? Did orcs feel differently than humans about these things?

“Haigodoh! Zasshahehg! Zawaggah Dogran...!” Zan Dogran must have been saying something in the orcish language. The orcs in the old castle shouted.

“Zawaggah Dogran!”

“Zawaggah Dogran...!”

“Zawaggah! Dogran...!”

“Zehn sidah!” Zan Dogran said something again. The enemies grew far more menacing, and the human platoon was forced onto the defensive, so was that an attack order?

Haruhiro was busy grappling with a particularly large kobold that was about to pounce on Merry. He slit its throat, then circled around behind an orc who was charging with his sword already in motion, hitting him with a Backstab. He didn’t have time to focus on Renji and Dogran.

Merry was fine. He knew because he was still able to invest time in keeping track of her. She was a priest, and therefore defending her was a top priority. Yume and Setora were always defending the priests and mages, so he naturally ended up taking note of them too.

He hadn’t seen Kuzaku and Ranta in some time. He wanted to look around and check that they were all right, but there was no getting around the fact that they were a lower priority.

Mimorin was with Anna-san almost constantly. He couldn’t see Chibi-chan. Was she with the vanguard? He didn’t even know who was who when it came to the members of Orion.

In addition to Zan Dogran, there were many other white-haired orcs. They probably bleached their hair. Was that meant to imitate him? They used similar single-edged swords too. These guys were especially strong. Not so much individually, but as a group. They frequently barked orders to one another, encouraging and covering for their allies. When one got injured, other orcs would drag him away and retreat.

“Dogran!”

“Zawaggah Dogran!”

“Dogran!” “Dogran!” “Dogran!” “Dogran!”

“Dograaan!”

The orcs were hooting and hollering. It was a strange atmosphere. The intensity, or perhaps the kind, of fervor on display was unlike anything they’d seen before.

“Renji...!” Ron shouted. He glanced, if only for a moment, at Haruhiro.

Zan Dogran, endlessly trading blows with Renji, was different from before. He’d grown a size larger. No, that was absurd. But that was how it looked. His hair was unreal. It stood on end, crackling with static electricity. What was with that? And not just his hair. That static discharge seemed to come from Zan Dogran’s entire body.

“Diiiieeeeiiii...!” Zan Dogran let out some sort of orcish battle cry and brought his twin swords down like he was playing a taiko drum. It couldn’t be normal for anyone to be able to use two swords of that size so easily. Renji was on the wrong end of a one-sided beatdown. But somehow, he’d managed not to get chopped to bits. It made no sense. How in the world could he block that flurry of blows? Haruhiro had to assume it was impossible. Wasn’t that beyond even Renji?

Purple electricity raced along Renji’s greatsword. The single-edged orcish sword that had once been possessed by Zan Dogran’s elder brother, Ish Dogran, was wreathed in violet light. Thanks to a relic.

Renji had used his trump card. The power of Aragarfald.

Now he can turn the tables...right?

The sword of Ish Dogran grew sharper, and Renji became faster and more fierce. No doubt about that.

But it wouldn’t last long. If he kept using that power, it might kill him. Impressive as he was, after just a minute or two under its effects, he needed to stop and rest for a while. He wasn’t going to be able to rest and recover in the middle of a duel with Zan Dogran.

Renji had no choice but to take down the orc while the effect lasted.

Well, no, it would be great if slaying Zan Dogran were the end of things, but was it, really? He wasn’t the only enemy here. Zan Dogran seemed to be a charismatic enemy leader. Losing him might cause the others to lose their will to fight, but it might also send them into a rage as they fought to avenge him. Renji had to know that. He’d no doubt wanted to avoid using Aragarfald if he could.

Zan Dogran had forced his hand. Renji had no choice but to rely on it. He stood no chance of winning otherwise. That was why he’d reluctantly fallen back on the relic.

“Urgh...!”

Setora was up against the ropes facing two orcs when her spear snapped. She immediately discarded it and drew her sword, but was unable to fully defend herself and took a number of slashes.

“Rah...!” Mimorin swung her two longswords, keeping the orcs that were trying to finish off Setora at bay.

“Merry!” Haruhiro left Setora to Merry and raced between the orcs. He tried to land a Backstab on them as he passed, but another orc sprang at him, forcing him to roll out of the way, and then yet another orc kicked him.

“Haru-kun...! Twa-tah!” Yume came flying in with a mysterious battle cry and sent an orc flying with a tackle. Impressive, considering the weight difference between them. Not that Haruhiro had the time to be in awe of her. He jumped to his feet and used Stealth. He hadn’t consciously planned to. That was just what he found himself doing.

Enemies. Enemies. Enemies. There were a lot of orcs in particular. Maybe eighty percent of the enemies in this area were white-haired orcs. He could see his allies, dotted around in the middle of the mob of orcs. Merry, Setora, Anna-san, and Orion’s hunter and female paladin were clustered together, but pretty much all the others were on their own. Everyone must have been trying their best not to get separated, and so was Haruhiro, for that matter. But it had still happened at some point.

Ranta was coming this way. He might have been worried about Yume. Kuzaku was working with Tokimune, Kikkawa, Ron, and Chibi-chan, each working to fill in the others’ blind spots as they handled the onrushing orcs. Where were Shinohara and Tada? Haruhiro figured they would be trying to open the gate, but he didn’t know quite how.

Zan Dogran’s duel with Renji was up in the air. No, Zan Dogran still had the clear advantage. Having used the power of Aragarfald, Renji needed a clean win. And it needed to come as soon as possible. If Renji couldn’t manage that, he—no, the entire detached force would die here.

If they couldn’t open the gate from the inside, the main force couldn’t attack and take the old castle.

The operation would fail.

We’re screwed, aren’t we?

They hadn’t reached the end of the road yet, but there was only one path. There was no turning back now either. They had to move forward.

There was a sheer cliff ahead of them.

No matter what they did now, the outcome wouldn’t change. All they could do was struggle in vain.

But was that really true?

Sure, there was only one path. It was a road leading to nowhere. It was a dead end. The operation had failed. Hard as it was to accept, there was no redeeming themselves now. But was it true that they couldn’t turn back?

Couldn’t they get away?

If they retreated to tower #4 and into the Graveyard, then the treasury was a maze. Even if the enemy followed them, wouldn’t they be able to lose their pursuers? If they fled all the way through the Graveyard to the foothill entrance, then maybe.

It wouldn’t be simple. They wouldn’t all make it. Renji, in particular, would have to fight Zan Dogran until he reached his limit. Someone would have to play the role of rear guard, holding off their pursuers. They’d lose several people along the way. So that the others might live.

There was also the option of taking just his comrades and getting away as quickly as they could.

I couldn’t do that, he thought. He wasn’t that heartless, or that much of a coward. Even if he could cast his conscience aside, it probably wouldn’t work out that well. Though their team had lost Kimura and Matsuyagi in the Graveyard, they hadn’t lost a single person yet inside the old castle. It might have been a miracle, but it was because they were all fighting as one, doing their very best. If someone did something to disrupt that unity, the platoon would collapse in no time. Haruhiro could escape alone, but there would be no point. Not if he was the only one.

What was Tsuguta doing now? Or Inui? He didn’t know. Were they using Stealth like he was?

Being able to vanish in the middle of a chaotic melee like this was something only a thief was capable of.

If Haruhiro were on his own, he might have been able to pull off some pretty ballsy moves.

Opening the gate. That was their mission. It would be bolted, so there was the issue of whether Haruhiro could lift or destroy the gate bar. Tada or Shinohara probably could. That was likely their goal.

Haruhiro needed to forget about his comrades for now and get the gate open, destroying or removing the gate bar if necessary. If Tada or Shinohara were moving in that direction, he could support them.

There was no time to be indecisive.

It pained him to do it, and he felt like he was being ripped apart, but Haruhiro tore himself away from his team and headed for the gate. Him leaving might mean his comrades would die. It was a realistic possibility. Either way, if the gate didn’t open, the operation couldn’t succeed, and the detached force would be finished. That included Haruhiro’s comrades. This was his only choice. But even knowing he had no other option, it was hard to accept. He wished he could tear himself in two, leaving one half with them and sending the other half to the gate.

But he needed to cut off his emotions for now. He kept his Stealth going as he passed by Renji and Zan Dogran’s duel to the death. Shinohara and Tada really were pressing toward the gate. That said, the white-haired orcs near them didn’t just have those single-edged swords, they had sturdy-looking shields too. Even Shinohara, who had a relic, and Tada, who was like a mass of destructive energy, wouldn’t get through them easily. Haruhiro alone might be able to slip past and reach the gate. The orcs had their backs to it. He could probably get there and lay his hands on the gate bar. Could he lift it, when it was so large he could barely wrap his arms around it? It might not be impossible. But it would be really hard work. Tada would be able to smash it with his warhammer. That was impossible for Haruhiro.

No, he couldn’t remove the gate bar. Haruhiro couldn’t do it, but Tada could do it alone.

Tada. He needed to get Tada to the gate. To make it happen, he’d need to disrupt the orcs guarding it. He’d slip into the middle of their formation and Backstab one or two. Maybe make a show of trying to lift the gate bar, even if he couldn’t. They’d notice him immediately, of course. He just had to raise some hell once they did.

It was going to be pretty dangerous. He’d be risking his life, but he had no other moves available to him. None that he could think of, at least. He’d rather die doing something than nothing. Even if he died, if the gate opened and the main force breached the old castle, it could lead to the operation succeeding. That might let his comrades survive.

What chance did he have of succeeding? It was pretty low. It was a gamble. He knew that.

Haruhiro was a pessimist by nature. He wasn’t going to turn into an optimist at this late stage of the game. Still, even if he thought it was hopeless, if he was going to do it, he was better off convincing himself it was possible. That one percent chance might become one-and-a-half. Half of a percent might seem like next to nothing, but it wasn’t zero. Since he was going to be risking his life on such slim odds, he wanted to make them as good as possible.

Haruhiro followed the wall as he approached the white-haired orcs in front of the gate, but their shields were up. No matter where he looked, there was no gap a person could slip through. Why had he thought there would be? He’d been analyzing the situation with a clear head, hadn’t he? This was hopeless.

Is it hopeless?

The way things were, he’d have to push his way between the orcs and their shields. No way was Stealth going to get him through that.

What the hell? One-and-a-half percent? Who was I kidding?

It’s zero, isn’t it?

Haruhiro stood there in a daze. It only lasted a moment. But he absolutely let his guard down.

The nearest orc looked at him, looked away, and looked again.

“Ngh...?!”

He saw me.

Haruhiro couldn’t shrug this off with an “Oops.” What was he doing? They’d noticed him.

“Zigassa!” The white-haired orc raised his single-edged sword to intimidate Haruhiro. But he didn’t leave his post. His job was to guard the gate even if it meant his death.

“Hahhhh!” Tada slammed his warhammer into one of the orcs on the front line. It pulverized the orc’s shield, but another orc stepped up to take the place of the orc whose shield had been destroyed, and thrust his weapon at Tada, who was forced to back off temporarily.

“...!” Shinohara charged in to take Tada’s place, jostling against two or three orcs with his relic shield held in front of him, knocking them off balance. Shinohara’s shield flashed, and he slashed away at the orcs’ single-edged swords and shields. Tada came in again with a forward flip to hit them with a Somersault Bomb, smashing one white-haired orc’s head into pulp. But when one went down, another stepped in without missing a beat, immediately filling the hole in their formation.

What now? What should I do?

The white-haired orc from before still had his eyes on Haruhiro, growling to let him know he’d be run through if he came any closer.

Do I charge in?

If he charged in like a death-crazed lunatic, he might take one or two orcs down with him. But what good was that? There was no benefit to it.

It was pathetic, pitiful, and embarrassing, but Haruhiro was pinned with his back to the castle wall, unable to do anything. Well, no, he could breathe. He just couldn’t escape the guilt he felt over the fact that his heart was still beating, and he was still breathing. Maybe he ought to charge in like an enraged bull, heedless of the consequences, and die. But, before that, was there anything he could do? He couldn’t imagine there was. There was nothing he could do. It was already over. That was how Haruhiro felt, to be honest. The thin sliver of hope he had clung to was completely gone now.

That was why what happened next stunned him.

“Grahhhhhh!”

The gate. Someone was grabbing the gate bar, trying to remove it.

“I am the demon lord! My! Time! Is! Noooow!”

Inui. It was Inui! Had his eyepatch come off? Had he taken it off himself? His ponytail had come undone, and his hair hung loose and wild.

“Weagasshah!” One of the white-haired orcs near the gate turned around and slashed at the madman.

“Nwoh-hohh...!” Inui let out a bizarre cry, leaping into the air like a demonic bird and dodging the strike. That caused him to let go of the gate bar, but Inui instantly grappled with another orc and slit his throat.

“Hyeh-arah!”

“Dammit!” shouted another voice. Looking over, it was Tsuguta of Orion, pouncing on the orc closest to Haruhiro. Had he been in Stealth nearby, watching? He must have been stuck, unable to make a move, just like Haruhiro. But now it was sink or swim. There was little hope of getting the gate open anymore. Yeah, there was none. They could all struggle to the last, and that zero still might not even turn into point-one percent. But hopeless or not, it was preferable to sitting around, waiting for death.

Haruhiro made it look like he was charging in, then dove at a white-haired orc’s feet. He penetrated their formation, quickly slipped behind their second row and clambered up an orc’s back to slit his throat with a dagger. Haruhiro then immediately stabbed the orc beside that one in the eye, tearing the blade free before grabbing him. A shield bashed into him, nearly knocking him out cold, but he still managed to grab the next orc’s white hair with his left hand. He wasn’t going to get thrown off. He summoned every last bit of strength he had in reserve and jammed his dagger into the back of the orc’s neck.

“Nghahhhh...!”

Right after that, he took another hit from a shield and may have actually lost consciousness. But if he did, it was for a few seconds at most.

“Ow...”

When the pain brought him back to his senses, he was being stomped and kicked by the orcs. He was right in the middle of their formation in front of the gate, crawling on the ground, or rather lying there like an old dishrag.

But it seemed the orcs weren’t kicking and stomping him intentionally. They weren’t even looking down. Their eyes were raised, looking at something more important as they shouted loudly.

Something. What could it be? Had something happened? Was something happening now? What? Haruhiro didn’t know. How could he know?

Haruhiro crawled forward. He took several kicks as he went. His head and back ached, but his left arm and right leg were even worse. They wouldn’t move properly. But in spite of that, he kept crawling between the orcs’ legs.

Finally, he managed to get out of the formation. When he crawled out between the feet of the orcs on the front line and looked up, Haruhiro saw the something, but he had no idea what it was, or what was happening. Was it because his eyes were a bit blurry? No, probably not. Anyway, the thing was flying. A flying object. No, maybe floating was more accurate. It wasn’t directly over Haruhiro, but above him diagonally, floating there between the gate and the building. Is it a kite? he wondered. The kite-like flying or floating object was pretty big. Oh, and there was something riding on top of it. Well, not so much something as someone. Probably human, or a humanoid creature. The creature was holding a lantern of some sort. Whatever it was, the flying thing didn’t emit light itself, but he could see light, so he assumed the lantern was where it came from.

“Go, Shihorun...!” the creature atop the object cried loudly. The voice was familiar. Haruhiro might have been misremembering, but if he was right, it was a female voice belonging to someone he had met in the time between awaking beneath the Forbidden Tower and now.

I think that’s Io’s voice, Haruhiro suddenly realized. They had only been together for a very short time, so he couldn’t be confident. But there was one thing he was certain of. The woman who might have been Io had spoken a name.

Shihorun.

That was close to a name Haruhiro knew. Very close. He couldn’t imagine it was unrelated. The similarity was too great.

Something, someone leaned out over the edge of the flying, or maybe floating, object. She was pale. Pale-skinned. She. It was a woman. Definitely a human woman. And he was shocked to see that she wasn’t wearing anything fit to be called clothes. No, maybe she did have some kind of clothes on. They just weren’t very thick. As wispy as they were, she was wearing something, of a pale, whitish color too.

“Dark,” she said.

Something black appeared. It wrapped itself around the woman in an instant. She leapt from the flying or floating object in the embrace of that blackness. The kobolds barked at her. The orcs shouted. The undead did too. And so did Haruhiro and the other humans. No one could remain calm, witnessing this. What was that thing? What did it all mean?

The girl wrapped in darkness fluttered to the ground. Slowly.

Too slowly to be falling.

Was that black cloud doing something, curbing her descent? It had to be. The dark thing wrapped around her grew larger by the second. Dark tentacles sprouted from it one after another, and they grew. In length and in thickness. The thing was clearly sinister. No one, regardless of their race, thought otherwise.

That thing is terrifying. I’d better not touch it. I’d better not let it touch me.

I should run. That thing is decidedly not good.

There was still time before she touched down. But one of the black tentacles lashed out at a white-haired orc.

“Gah...?!”

The black tentacle curled around him, easily popping the orc’s head off.

“Shihoru!” Yume shouted. Merry called out her name at almost the exact same time.

Yeah. Shihoru. That’s Shihoru. Shihoru. It’s Shihoru. Dark. That’s Dark. Shihoru’s magic. That bizarre nshooooo sound. I’ve heard it before. That’s Shihoru’s magic.

That’s really her magic?

That black thing, with those black tentacles plucking the arms and heads off orcs, kobolds, and undead as if it were pulling weeds, is Shihoru’s magic?

“Ough...! Ooughh...!” Zan Dogran’s shout echoed. He had been winning his duel with Renji. Victory was right in front of him. But that didn’t even matter now. No one, friend or foe, could afford to keep fighting.

“The hell?!”

“Sh-Shihoru-san...!”

“Seriously?!”

“Jesus!”

Ranta, Kuzaku, Kikkawa, and Anna-san ran around at random along with the enemy, or ducked and tried to take cover.

“Hahhhh!” Tokimune twirled his longsword and took a swing at Zan Dogran.

“Ngh!” Zan Dogran deflected Tokimune’s longsword with the single-edged sword in his left hand, then countered with the one in his right. Tokimune blocked with his shield, then not so much jumped back as was forced to retreat by Zan Dogran’s superior strength. He stepped back in to attack, even though he stood no chance. Tokimune must have known that, but there was Renji behind him. Had the effect of Aragarfald worn off? Renji was squatting.

Had he used up his power? He wasn’t moving. Ron, Chibi-chan, and Adachi rushed to his side. Until they could evacuate him, Tokimune needed to buy time against Zan Dogran.

“Ahh!” Haruhiro was trying to get up. He felt he had to do something, and he wanted to.

Shihoru. No.

Shihoru’s Dark whirled, and those caught in the vortex never escaped. They were chopped up before they could. Torn to pieces. Arms, legs, heads, torsos cut into rings, and bodily fluids flew about wildly. Was it only enemies? Or were there allies, comrades, in there too? Who could say? Haruhiro didn’t know. In the center of the inky black vortex, Shihoru, her face just barely visible, was about to touch down on the ground. That horrifying dark eddy filled nearly the entire gap between the wall and the building. If any of their comrades were in there, there was no saving them.

“Hoo-rahhhh...!”

There was an incredible sound coming from the gate. Tada. Tada was slamming his warhammer into the gate bar, and it gave way under the first blow. The white-haired orcs in front were in a panic, and there was no sign of the impenetrable defensive formation they’d been in before. Tada and Shinohara hadn’t missed the opportunity. They’d eliminated whatever orcs still tried to stand in their way, and finally reached their goal. And then Tada had demolished the only thing holding the gate shut.

“I’m opening it!” Shinohara slammed his shield into the gate and pushed.

“Dammiiiit!” Tada put his right foot on the gate. He pushed like hell.

It was opening.

The gate was opening.

“Zongadda...! Zaaaajih...!” Zan Dogran shouted while deflecting Tokimune with his twin swords. That had to be Orcish. Haruhiro obviously didn’t know what it meant, but it was probably some sort of order. The white-haired orcs started pushing on the gate with Tada and Shinohara. Had Zan Dogran ordered them to do that? They were trying to get it open. That was the only possible conclusion.

“Wha...?!”

“The hell’s with these guys...?!”

Shinohara and Tada were confused. Even as they tried to understand what was happening around them, the gate swung outward. It didn’t take long for the gate to open wide enough for a number of people to pass through. Once it did, the white-haired orcs started pouring out.

“Huh...?”

Something jumped over Haruhiro. He still couldn’t stand, and his left arm and right leg wouldn’t move as he wanted them to, so he couldn’t even get up on all fours. He twisted around, trying to see what had jumped over him, and it was Zan Dogran, on his way out the gate.

Oh.

“He’s running...?”

So that’s it.

The detached force and Shihoru were in the old castle. And now that the gate was open too, the main force would come rushing in. Their defenses were already broken. They couldn’t defend this stronghold. That was what Zan Dogran had decided. Instead of fighting to the last man, until only one side or the other remained, he ordered all his forces to retreat.

The enemy fled as fast as they could. All rushing outside. Where were they going to go once they got out?

“Shihoru...”

What did it matter where they went? Haruhiro didn’t care. Once the enemy ran away, they were not his problem.

The black vortex stopped stretching its tentacles out in all directions and began to contract. There were no enemies left anywhere near it. Or allies. No limbs, heads, or chopped-up bodies with their fluids flying around. There was only that black thing, and Shihoru, wrapped in Dark. Had Shihoru already landed? Dark was covering most of her body, so it was hard to say anything for certain. It felt like her face was a little high up for her feet to be on the ground.

Haruhiro crawled. He shouldn’t get any closer. It was dangerous. Something inside Haruhiro, his reason or instinct, was sounding the alarm bells. So it’s not like he wasn’t scared. Dark’s tentacles were still reaching, and if one so much as brushed Haruhiro, the results would no doubt end him.

But would Shihoru do a thing like that?

If she really was Shihoru, that is.

Her face was Shihoru’s.

Dark.

That was Shihoru’s magic.

Her unique magic.

Had it always been so horrifying?

At some point, Haruhiro had stopped crawling forward. It was the pain. He ached all over. He probably had broken bones and severed tendons. That was why. Not because Shihoru scared him. Or that Shihoru might kill him. Those thoughts didn’t cross his mind.

She was his comrade, after all.

It was impossible. Shihoru, kill him? She would never.

“Shihoru?”

She had been looking down at him since before Haruhiro called her name. Her eyes were turned to face him, but they were unfocused.

“Shihoru?” Haruhiro called her name one more time. He started to question if maybe he was wrong. Maybe it was another person who just looked the same and happened to be able to use Shihoru’s magic. Was this a case of mistaken identity?

It was an absurd thought. She looked so much like her. Too much like her. But something was wrong. She didn’t respond to his call.

If, by some remote chance, she wasn’t Shihoru, that would obviously mean she wasn’t his comrade.

The Dark wrapped around her suddenly spread his wings like a massive black bird about to take flight. Dark turned into countless thin, black tentacles that whirled into another vortex, and a part of it brushed against Haruhiro’s face. He knew it had gouged through his nose and cheeks, as well as the skin of his forehead, and even the bone beneath.

I’m dead, thought Haruhiro. I’ll be killed.

If Haruhiro were in top condition, he’d have leapt to his feet immediately and run for it. But that was beyond his abilities right now. He felt weak. His body wouldn’t move like he told it to.

“Shihoru?”

She’s not Shihoru. Not my comrade. Shihoru wouldn’t do this. Wouldn’t kill me. There’s no way she’s Shihoru.

But even as he thought that, the only thing Haruhiro could do was call her name.

“You...” She spoke.

He watched as Dark withdrew. Coiling around her body, shrinking toward her back. Dark was vanishing. More and more of her appeared. She was wearing a thin outfit that was almost white. It covered her from her chest to halfway down her thighs, hanging by strings over her shoulders, almost like underwear.

Dark finally vanished. Or so Haruhiro thought, before a black, humanoid thing flew out from behind her. It stopped to perch on her shoulder.

“Do...you...know...me?” she asked. Asked Haruhiro. With empty eyes. In the voice of his comrade, Shihoru, which he knew so well.

I know you.

That’s what he should reply.

Shihoru.

He should just say her name again.

Shihoru. You’re Shihoru, right? It’s me. It’s Haruhiro. Don’t you recognize me, Shihoru?

Why couldn’t he say it? He couldn’t even nod.

“Shihorun.”

Something was coming down. It was that object. The one that floated like a kite—no, that flew. The flying object descended, and he could see who was on it.

“We’re done here. Time to head home.”

It was Io.

But not just Io. There were two others with her. One of them was dressed all in black and had a scary face, and the other had terribly long bangs. Gomi and Tasukete. Gomi was carrying the lantern.

“Come on.” Tasukete offered her his hand.

Shihoru stared vacantly at it. As if she had no idea what it was.

“You want to go home, right?”

At Io’s urging, Shihoru extended her right hand to Tasukete. Tasukete took it, and pulled her up onto the flying object.

“Wait...”

It wasn’t until the flying object began to rise that Haruhiro finally tried to stop her.

“Wait, Shihoru, it’s me! Shihoru! It’s me...! Shihoru...!”

Shihoru sat on the flying object that was probably a relic and looked down at Haruhiro. Her brow furrowed, as if she were mystified. She cocked her head to the side, unable to understand. Haruhiro searched her expression and gestures for any hints. Proof that she was Shihoru. He thought she was. If she was Shihoru—if she was Haruhiro’s comrade—then obviously she would know him. How could she not? So why? Why did she react like she was wondering who this random person calling her name was? She was Shihoru, and yet for some reason, she didn’t know Haruhiro.

She doesn’t remember.

Shihoru had forgotten Haruhiro.

It’s her memories.

They’ve been erased.

Shihoru’s memories had been stolen again.