Chapter 383 - The White Journey Unburdened, Part Seven
The vermilion monster collapsed with a ground-shaking thud a few minutes after my intervention. It seemed they had been on the verge of defeat but were somehow managing to turn the tide.
As expected of my two great seniors—wait, sorry, I'm at my limit. Give me thirty seconds to rest…!
"Hah…! This is rough… I can't…!"
I started to fall backward from exhaustion… only for my avatar to be caught by someone. Irori—that would have been nice, but the rarely-seen-tired Blonde Samurai was three meters in front of me.
Therefore, the soft sensation supporting me… well, I'm sure I'll be forgiven. After working this hard, I'd like to plead for extenuating circumstances if found guilty.
"…You really saved us. Thank you, Haru-kun."
"It's nothing… I'm just sorry I can't say for sure if I made it in time."
I managed to get here just in time to support these two, but when I jumped into this 'Boundary,' the other nine members were already gone.
Unfortunately, that meant they had been defeated by that monster—
"—You were on time. No doubt about it. Thanks."
"Whoa… that's rare. I'll take it."
Just then, Irori walked up to me and offered a fist bump with a sincere smile. I returned it, but… it was so embarrassing I wished he'd go back to being his usual Blonde Samurai self.
"The fact that you're here means that's how the mechanic works—how many is that now?"
"This one makes three… Ashe is probably faster. She might have already finished over half of them."
"You two split up?"
"After we blitzed the first one, three holes opened up. So, Ashe, the remaining nine, and I each jumped into one."
"…With you and her, it's more effective to act alone, I suppose. What about the second location?"
"It was a squad skewed toward the rear guard, with Tetra and the others, so I had them all go into one portal. Seeing as they managed to survive using group stealth until I got there, I figured the other rear guard members would be safer with him—anyway, we don't have time to chat."
I thanked Hinase-san for supporting my back as I sat and then stood up. I'd caught my breath somewhat, but this was no time to be standing still.
"There are two holes here. What's the plan?"
"—Let's split up."
It was Hinase-san who answered my question without a moment's hesitation.
"It feels strange to say it myself, but… we were unlucky. If our group had been more balanced, with other rankers, I don't think we would have struggled this much against that opponent."
"…The fact that I was out of gas was a big factor, too. You're probably right."
Are these two okay? They seem more down than I thought—
"They should at least be holding their ground… In that case, it's better to split our forces and ensure reinforcements reach every battlefield. We should be able to tip the scales in one go."
Just like someone did here, she added with a dazzling wink. To my surprise, my head automatically turned away. The destructive power was apparently too high.
"Then I'll take this one. Haru, I'm counting on you to escort Hinase."
"Got it. …Irori."
"What—"
Considering our affinities, it was a conclusion I couldn't argue with. I called out to the samurai as he started walking toward the crack in the 'Boundary'.
I stopped him—and pressed a sword, sheath and all, into his chest.
"That dual-wielding style of yours is probably out of commission for a while. Show them your true strength, Lord [Peerless]."
"Tch… Hey, you, this is—"
"Treat. It. With. Care."
I knew full well he was about to lecture me, so I didn't listen.
Even I, though I had no hesitation in doing so, felt a slight pang of reluctance… but it's fine. If it's for you, I'm sure the master would forgive me.
"…—Haru!"
I gently pushed Hinase-san—who was watching the two of us with a knowing, amused smile—and headed straight for the crack on the opposite side.
Partway there, a voice called out to my back, and I turned my head just enough to look back.
"—, —"
Whether the words that escaped his slightly moving lips were thanks or a retort, I couldn't tell.
Irori, who had slung the received [Samidorizuki] next to his [Frostblade Shirosou], was once again holding out his fist toward me. You really like doing that.
Not that I dislike it, though.
"—Another debt I owe you."
It's short, but please forgive me as I wanted a clean break. Also, please forgive the unexpected cut; the dance with the older sister is reserved for another stage.