kscans

Chapter 259 - The Siege of Miglutt and the Senpai She Admires

A single bead of sweat trickled down Mizuki's cheek. She pursed her lips slightly and let out a long breath, emptying her lungs.

"I heard you were running around naked, so I thought you'd be easy to find," Mizuki said, catching me in the corner of her eye.

"Damn it, you too, Mizuki? I'm a gentleman! Have you forgotten you tried to ruin my life with a false accusation of groping?!"

"Hmph, now that I think about it, I'm starting to believe I was right all along…"

"Hey! I was so happy you guys came that I was about to cry! Give me back that touching moment!" My words brought a slight smile to Mizuki's lips.

"I'm glad we found you. And I'm glad we got here before you two started fighting." Mizuki shifted her gaze to Yuuki. I took the opportunity to look behind me and check on Cecily and Aira. They were supposed to be staying at the magic academy. Famu and Mizuki must have gone there, thinking I would head for two people whose location was known. Cecily gripped her staff, her sharp gaze peering out from under the wide brim of her hat as she surveyed Clovis and his group. Aira stood ready with her mace, positioning herself to protect the two mages, Cecily and Mo.

"The city is in total chaos. Why are you in the middle of it all, fighting?" Cecily asked, her brow furrowed in displeasure as she shot me a sidelong glance.

"I know you won't believe me, but I woke up this morning, got summoned by Mo's mother, went to her mansion, and this happened…" I wanted to explain everything properly to Cecily and Aira, who had rushed to our aid, but there was no time. For now, they'd have to make do with whatever information they'd gotten from Famu and the others on the way here.

"What are you smirking about?! You're going to explain everything properly later!" I hadn't meant to, but my cheeks had relaxed seeing them here. I quickly tightened my expression. Cecily, too, composed herself and aimed her staff at the members of Messiah.

"So, which one is Mizuki's ex-boyfriend?"

"He's not my ex! We haven't even…" Mizuki protested at Cecily's words.

The sun was rising, attempting to burn away the fog that ruled the city. But the fog, catching the light, seemed to scatter it in all directions, growing even thicker and further obscuring our vision. It looked like Hyakka's group had begun their fight. The figures of Morse and Corne, the vanguards, clashing swords with the enemy warriors, appeared as dark silhouettes in the whitening world. The nomads couldn't use their arrows in this visibility. They had close-combat weapons, but they weren't moving. Perhaps they were leaving this small-scale fight to me. Levante now had seven members with Famu and the others joining, while Messiah had four. We had the numbers, but I didn't know how skilled they were. Just then, someone came tumbling down the steps of the pedestal. It was the transmigrator called Oi.

"You forgot something," an adventurer's voice echoed from above. Oi looked up at the pedestal resentfully, then pulled her hood down lower. I could see her slender white arms and small hands. She looked as young as Reeni. It seemed she had no intention of joining the fight; she turned her back to us and crouched down, her small frame trembling.

She protects her allies from projectiles and magic with a powerful defensive barrier. The fact that Famu's kunai reached Yuuki earlier must have been because he was outside the range of her special skill.

"Mizuki…" Yuuki called out to her. His eyes were wide, unblinking, as if trying to draw her in completely. I instinctively reached out to pull Mizuki closer, but she moved away, avoiding my grasp.

"Senpai… on my journey here, I heard stories about someone named Yuuki killing other transmigrators and their companions. Did you really kill Ito, and Hyakka's friends…? I don't want to believe it!"

"It's not like I enjoyed fighting. We have to survive in a world like this. You understand, don't you?"

"I… I don't understand." Mizuki shook her head.

"You took up a weapon too, Mizuki. You've lived as an adventurer in this world. Surely you've had to do things like that?"

"That's…" Mizuki's grip on her sword loosened. For a moment, she glanced at me before turning her gaze back to Yuuki.

"That's not wrong. It's for survival. The only way is to become stronger. I have to become the strongest in this world."

"I just hope for a day when we can do club activities together, walk home together, talk on chat or calls, or go out somewhere again. Do you plan to do the same things you're doing here even if you go back to our world, Senpai?" The tip of Mizuki's sword wavered. She looked down, her long eyelashes casting a shadow over her eyes. That shadow, too, seemed to tremble slightly. I didn't want to watch her make such a face for another man for even a second. I wanted to call out to her, to stop this conversation immediately. I hated that Yuuki could so casually call her Mizuki. I wanted to smash whatever was between them to pieces. But what could I say to her? If I acted on that impulse, Mizuki might leave me. That fear held me fast.

"Mizuki… I've been in this world for six years. I can't do anything even if I go back to our old world now. In that case, with the power I've gained in this world…" Yuuki clenched his fist tightly, staring at it. He let out a sigh, then unclenched his fist and offered his hand to Mizuki.

"Come with me, Mizuki. I want you to be my companion. Let's… continue where we left off, just the two of us." For a moment, it felt as if Mizuki's body was being drawn toward his hand. But in reality, she remained standing where she was.

"Not just the two of us. Let's all go back, and all of us can continue." Yuuki slowly shook his head at Mizuki's words.

"You can only save those you can scoop up with your own hands."

"That's not right. It's just you. Don't count the people you've forced into submission," I couldn't help but interject, earning a glare from Mizuki. Annoyed, I glared back, only to be met with an even fiercer look. Defeated, I took a step back and let Mizuki handle it. I glanced at Clovis. It bothered me that they weren't attacking. They were holding their weapons, but not in a ready stance. They were waiting for Mizuki and Yuuki's conversation to end. What was the point of this lover's quarrel? Did they have a reason to stall for time, too? Still, I was all for buying as much time as possible. Soon, I'd be able to use Goddess Summon. I could use Laciel's power to subdue everyone here.

"Can't we all work together? If it's to return to our world, I'm sure I, Mash, Hyakka, and everyone else would cooperate."

"Of course, I'll have you cooperate. I need the lives of all the other transmigrators to activate the Ark."

"Doesn't that include your life too, Senpai…?"

"If we're short, we can just summon more from the original world. I'll make the goddess do it."

"What…" Mizuki was speechless.

"The things needed to activate the Ark are the 'Jar of Holy Oil,' the 'Two Stone Tablets,' and the 'Scepter of Dominion' held by the former Emperor. The one who wields the special skills of the three sacred artifacts, the skills that are born in conjunction with those special skills. And the transmigrators… the blood of the descendants of the prophet who built the Ark…" Yuuki's words weren't far from my own predictions. I had just thought they were items needed to defeat the Demon Lord, as Laciel had said. But Yuuki—or more likely, Clovis—seemed to believe the Ark was a power to rule the world.

"Are you saying you think I'm the one who can wield the special skills of the three sacred artifacts, Senpai? But I'm not."

"I know. A man named Toratsuna was using a special skill called 'Yasakani no Magatama.' Unfortunately, Toratsuna will have to die. I'll either take his special skill, or I'll have a newly summoned transmigrator learn it."

"Then what am I for…?"

"Mizuki." After calling her name, Yuuki took a deep breath, his chest expanding.

"I love you."

Mizuki's eyes widened at Yuuki's words, and he lowered his own gaze slightly.

"Senpai. I have someone I love. I want to be with him." It was a small murmur. But she said it clearly. Mizuki's words made Yuuki's face contort. Then he glared at me.

"That man? What's so good about a man like that?"

"I know, right…" a sigh-filled whisper came from behind me. I quickly turned and shot a glare at Aira.

"In the first place, two people who get transported to another world together are supposed to be bound by a strong fate. Mizuki was supposed to be summoned with me!"

"Wait a minute, you have a partner too, don't you?! Someone you had a stronger connection with than Mizuki!" I couldn't help but butt into their conversation.

"Hmph, you mean this thing?" Yuuki turned and kicked the girl crouching with her back to us. A dull thud echoed.

"I didn't even know her name. I just grabbed her hand and stopped her when she was about to jump out into traffic without looking."

"…A guy who would grab a strange girl's hand to save her is doing stuff like this?" My mind was in turmoil. Was the summoning of me and Mizuki really a mistake? But right now, the one dating Mizuki was me, not Yuuki. I tried to convince myself of that. But every time I tried to engrave that thought into my mind, my confidence chipped away. There was a history between Mizuki and Yuuki that I knew nothing about.

"I could be wrong, but I don't think it was a coincidence that Laciel summoned you and me, Mash," Mizuki said.

"Why? Why do you think that?" My question made Mizuki's face turn beet red, and she averted her gaze.

"I don't know. I said 'I think,' didn't I?" I couldn't understand Mizuki's reaction. Did she really like me? Or was she just trying to convince herself that she liked me? As I was pondering this, Mizuki cleared her throat and turned back to Yuuki.

"Anyway, I want to find a way to live in this world with Mash and everyone, or a way to return to our original world. You should think of a way for everyone to be saved too, Senpai, instead of such a cruel method." Yuuki shook his head at Mizuki's appeal.

"I've been in this world for six years. I don't have that kind of time left. Besides, that man knows how to return to the original world. He's hiding it from you, Mizuki." Mizuki's movements froze. Then, with the jerky motions of a wind-up doll, she turned to me.

"Mash, what's he talking about?"

"No, I wasn't planning on hiding it. I'll tell you properly later."

"…Why didn't you tell me?"

"There's no reason. I just didn't have time to explain after I thought of it." Mizuki's gaze was fixed on me, unblinking. Her greatest wish was to return to her original world. I wasn't trying to deceive her. I really just hadn't had the chance. But explaining that now would just sound like a hollow lie. Still, the only way to clear up the misunderstanding was to talk. I had to say something. I was about to open my mouth, but Yuuki spoke first.

"Don't you want to return to your original world? What do you think about only being able to live for ten years in this one? Are you planning a lover's suicide with Mizuki?"

"No! We're going to fulfill Laciel's true wish. As a reward, she'll remove that curse. Aren't you in the same boat? You said you'd rule both worlds. But you can't live more than ten years here. That means you can't rule this world, at the very least."

"The Ark holds an immense amount of magical power. If I can activate it, anything is possible."

"…Clovis's idea? That man right next to you said, 'This world belongs to us, the ones who live in it.' That's different from a world ruled by you. He's the one holding the important information. You're just being played. You're going to die dreaming that you can rule everything." Clovis, with his characteristically elven, handsome features, listened to my words without so much as a twitch of his eyebrow. I couldn't read any emotion from him at all. He just glanced sideways at Yuuki.

"So he says. What will you do?"

"It's too late. There's no turning back now," Clovis and Yuuki exchanged brief words.

"Shouldn't we get on with it?" Clovis prompted, and Yuuki nodded.

"Mizuki, this is your last chance. I want you to come with me." Yuuki spread his arms as if to embrace Mizuki. But she took a step back and shook her head.

"Senpai…" The tear that now traced its way down Mizuki's cheek was her own.