Chapter 137
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I lay out my cloak and place the unconscious Eris on it, waiting for Sensei to make her move. Though Sensei has her eyes closed in meditation(?), I know she’s not one to do meaningless things.
Still, waiting for Sensei to start moving feels agonizingly slow, even if it’s just a minute or a second.
In the tense waiting time, various worries cross my mind. About the separated members. About the state of the Sealed Dungeon.
And then—
Just as my thoughts reach that point, Sensei’s closed eyes open.
「The preparations are complete. Shall we go, son-in-law?」
I can’t be blamed for wondering, 「Go where?」
Sensei stands up straight, turns her body towards the Sealed Dungeon, and says,
「Shikimimuro.」
As she chants something, she uses the sword – the Scarlet Fan – that’s somehow appeared in her right hand to draw a rectangular shape about two meters high in the air.
「What?!」
My surprise is understandable.
The place where Sensei traced with the Scarlet Fan has become a black hole. You might ask, 「A hole? What’s that?」 But that’s the only way to describe the pitch-black space that appeared before my eyes.
「It’s alright, son-in-law. Come along.」
Even if you tell me it’s alright…! While I’m hesitating, internally freaking out, Sensei steps into the hole.
「Oh well! Here goes nothing!」
I hoist Eris onto my back again and, making up my mind, jump in.
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We’re in the wasteland where I had defeated No-Skill earlier, with the starry sky visible above.
I see Sensei, who led the way. Facing her are Angelica and Ash on their knees – with Mika cradled in Ash’s arms.
My heart pounds furiously.
The worst premonition occupies my mind.
「What happened to Mika?」
I regret asking as soon as the words leave my mouth.
Both Ashley and Angelica have swollen eyes.
Their tear-filled voices are barely intelligible.
And more than anything—
「We were one step too late, it seems…」
Sensei announces.
Not only that, but I can’t sense the ‘ki’ that’s usually felt from all living creatures coming from Mika.
「Ah–」
Big emotions like 「ah」 or 「uh」 can’t be put into words immediately.
As I look up at the sky, Ashley calls out to me.
「I’m sorry, Low. It’s my fault.」
Ashley says through her tears, barely audible. She’s already at her limit.
「She – Saint Mika – she shielded me and took the boss monster’s final blow.」
I don’t know what words I should say.
「Ash, some things can’t be helped.」
Can’t be helped. Can’t be helped. Can’t be helped.
What trite words. They’re not appropriate for me, who doesn’t know anything, to say. But there are things that can’t be helped.
Even I—
「Low, Saint Mika had some last words for you.」
「Last words…?」
「Saint Mika’s final words were, ‘I’m sorry, Ichiro.’ She was apologizing to you.」
What the hell is that—
It feels like everything in front of me has turned white.
「She fought to protect us, sacrificing her life. In the end, she took my place— no, that’s not right. She definitely protected me. But she said…」
I wait for her next words.
「『Ichiro, are you alright… I’m glad you’re safe.』 Probably, in that final moment, she was worried about you.」
I feel the strength leave my knees.
My mind overflows, and tears start falling unbidden.
「Even if she says ‘I’m sorry,’ I can’t forgive her.
The pain I felt back then won’t disappear with just those words. Mika, I hate you. But you didn’t have to go and die…」
I look at Mika again. Blood is stuck to her face, which has no color left in it. I trace it with my finger.
「Let me tell you directly that ‘I won’t forgive you.’ So please, don’t die. Please. Please.」
Her body is cold.
Tears overflow. The overflowing tears roll down her cheeks.
Just as I said, I hate Mika. But for some reason, I naturally remember those six months I spent with her, that period I had stopped thinking about.
The old me was desperate to throw away those memories.
I spat on that life, saying it was just a fragile thing built on her whims.
That became possible, finally, because of my life with Sena.
Or so it should have been… and yet—
「Low…」
I hear Ash calling me.
I know. I should stop crying.
But I just can’t help remembering my memories with her.
There’s nothing I can do anymore.
Every time Mika called me 「Ichiro,」 I realized I wasn’t alone in this world. I was immature, timid, and about to scream from anxiety, but I managed to get by because she was there.
Without her, I wouldn’t be alive.
「Ah, ah, ah」
I can’t stop my voice or my tears.
She was, impossibly, just an ordinary girl.
Her smile was shown only to me, it was mine alone.
I was vain enough to think that I must be special to her, the usually cool-faced girl, when she smiled at me.
「Mika, please. Open your eyes.」
The usually expressionless girl stuffed her cheeks with delicious-looking pancakes.
When she heard the word 「amber candy,」 her ears perked up, her eyes sparkled, and she bowed her head, asking me to make some.
Sometimes at night, she would visit my room and beg for stories.
All of these actually happened.
I should have seen her holding me tight and crying, trying to heal me as quickly as possible when I was dazed after being pierced by a poisoned spear.
『Ichiro! Hang in there, Ichiro!』
It was her who called my name over and over, concerned for my well-being.
「Son-in-law.」
Mika changed after conquering the dungeon.
Through my interactions with Purume and Eris, I now understand.
She didn’t change – she was changed by Ryūgūin.
I should have believed in her.
「Mika…」
If I had been with them— no, the members were separated by the will of the dungeon. There was nothing I could have done. Then, should I have made them go back when we met in the dungeon? But my words probably wouldn’t have reached her.
What could I have done to change her fate?
I should have admonished them after all.
By that point, it wouldn’t have mattered what they said to me. I thought I was already hated as much as I could be.
What was I afraid of?
Thoughts that shouldn’t lead anywhere keep swirling round and round in my head.
And then, I arrive at one answer.
Everyone, I’m sorry—
「Low?」
Ash raises a questioning voice at my behavior.
I take that thing out of my magic bag.
I hold it up to the light.
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