Later than the schedule.
Well, I lost motivation when I read Karasuma’s rambling so it can’t be help. Yes.
Episode 80 — Evil Flare
～ Part 1 ～
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“Everyone, what kind of gathering are you?”
The midst of searching for Karasuma, one of the adventures, Filhana Grandburner asked.
The sun had already set, the area was dim. The light of Filhana’s oracle magic substituted for torch.
The search being carried out from the hill aiming toward the west side of the Time World Desert where the mysterious foxfires occurred. They partied up by mixing adventurers and students of the class. By Rezbon’s suggestion, those parties were distributed perfectly so that each had short-range, long-range attack, and healer. The number of magicians were insufficient so only Rezbon’s team had more people to make up for it, increasing the number of short-range fighters.
Himemizu Rin was in Filhana’s team. She was the easiest to talk to among the adventurers so it was carefree.
While going over the sand, Rin thought about how to answer. Every time Rin crawled, the sand of the Time World Desert subtly sunk into her body, it felt unpleasant. That unpleasantness hindered her thought a tiny bit.
Eh, umm, what was it again? Right, what kind of gathering are we?
This party composed of Filhana, Rin and another one — Yukinoshita Suzuka. Yukinoshita didn’t talk too assertively so the conversation was mostly between Rin and Filhana.
“Umm–. Filhana-san, do you know what school is?”
“School. I know. It’s a place children gather to study.”
“We, well, are a gathering of those students.”
Speaking of this world’s school, as expected, it was school where only the young masters and young ladies of some nobles house could attend. She had heard that there was a knight training school in Granderio Knight Kingdom that you can enroll as long you can fulfill the conditions. Only, it didn’t mean all children could go to school.
Thinking so, Filhana crossed her arms, «I see», she nodded.
“According to many trippers, the other world’s schools allow all to attend regardless of wealth, so it’s because of that, huh.”
“It depends on the country, you know…”
By other world it could only meant this world and their world, for Rin, she couldn’t help but find it strange, this story was as if only humans of developed countries were teleported, strange as expected. Speaking of earth population, the possibility of people of developing countries tripping here seemed higher.
I mean, even if it’s tripping from our world, there’s no need for it to be an earthling, even an alien will do.
“I see, school students … is it? Then, everyone is still young, yes?”
“We’re about 16 or 17. How about Filhana-san?”
“If we’re talking about age, I’m also not much different from you, but…”
I guess, Rin thought. At a glance, Filhana was a girl at an age not much different than themselves.
“Ne~.”
Suddenly, Yukinoshita’s voice came from behind them.
“The foxfires from yesterday … is a little different, isn’t it?”
“Nn–?”
Looking at the direction Yukinoshita pointed, they saw crimson light brilliantly shining in the darkness.
The distance was considerable. But the clearly visible flame was there. For a moment, a rising flame column burned the sky, then it immediately settled.
The flame — as Yukinoshita said — was completely different from the foxfires they saw yesterday. Unlike the hazy suspicious light, it looked like an ignition phenomenon packed with certain thermal power.
“(Hino-kun…?)”
For a moment, Rin recalled about her classmate who had the technique to set his body ablaze.
There was no information that Hino Akira was warped to this New Continent. But he wasn’t that far way when it happened, so it wouldn’t be strange even if he was warped here. But anyway, there was no proof.
“Even if it’s not Hino-kun, it’s possible that a battle is happening there.”
Yukinoshita crossed her arm and said so, a subtle tension in he words.
“Filhana-san, can you contact the others?”
“Conversing is impossible. But I memorized my comrades’ thought wave frequency, if it’s this distance, I can intercept it with telepathy…”
Filhana pressed her ears, shut her eyes for a short while, then she suddenly opened he eyes.
“U, Utsurogi-san and Inugami-san started running, from Wogan’s party…”
“Uh oh–.”
“I knew it.”
Rin and Yukinoshita’s respective reaction.
Well, they fully acknowledged that this might happen but still purposely have Rin and Kyousuke acted independently though.
“Inugami-san starts running, you say, that means the blood clan, huh.”
“Then does Kyousuke-kun think that that flame is Hino-kun?”
Meanwhile, Filhana was intercepting her comrades thought with communication magic.
“It seems the group of Rezbon, Hakuba-san and the others also started moving. I’ll send a light signal so we’ll be joining up on the way with that sign.”
“What about Wogan-san? Certainly, Azu-nyan is still there, right?”
“Wogan seems to chase after Utsurogi-san in a hurry. And then…”
As she started saying, Filhana bit her lips and quietly shook her head.
“It’s nothing. Let’s go.”
The adventurers had another comrade. If she had memorized their thought wave something, depend on the distance, she might have picked up his thought as well.
But she had said it’s nothing, it wouldn’t be Rin to investigate that, and neither would Yukinoshita.
Filhana didn’t say anything now probably meant it wasn’t information disadvantageous to them.
“Let’s go.”
Filhana repeated. Rin and Yukinoshita also started going after her toward the direction of the flame.
After all, who was that flame demon? Karasuma walked alone in the desert while enduring sharp pain.
Pain gradually spread to his entire body from the gouged wings. He still properly held the king fragment box under his arm.
The night desert was cold, he felt his body heat rapidly stolen away.
Can I truly maintain my consciousness until I return to Utsurogi and the others?
And even if I did return, can I smoothly blend in with them? Can I endure this miserable figure of mine within that crowd?
I———,
The desperate thought to endure the pain and maintain his consciousness. In the midst of it, he heard a voice calling him.
“Karasuma!!”
He raised his face. Illuminated by the awfully bright moonlight, the man he never wanted to meet right now was running.
Utsurogi Kyousuke. The man himself was just a blockhead doll made of seedy bones.
But Karasuma now didn’t have the confidence to exchange words with him face to face.
Not just Kyousuke. Inugami was also together. What exactly was their landmark? They ran in a straight line toward Karasuma from the other side of the desert.
“Are you okay, Karasuma. Are you all right!?”
Kyousuke rushed up Karasuma first, while lending Karasuma a shoulder, he asked.
“Your wings is hurt. Sorry, but it’s just me and Inugami. Can you endure until Hakuba, Mitarai or perhaps the adventurer Filhana come?”
Why?
While averting his gaze, Karasuma pushed down his simmering emotion.
Why aren’t blaming me? Why aren’t you angry? The one who caused troubles is me. If you’re incompetent, be obedient like the incompetent you are, why won’t you say that to me? It’s always like this with this guy. Why are you acting like you’re only worrying about me.
It’s foolish. You can’t call this good-natured. It’s just foolish.
“Karasuma,”
The minute his head was filled with thought, Kyousuke said:
“Karasuma, do you hate me?”
“……–!!”
Karasuma didn’t have the correct answer for that question.
“If being jealous is the same as hate…”
Therefore, he could only frankly said the words in his heart.
“…then I, perhaps, hate you, Utsurogi.”
He admitted that he was narrow minded.
He admitted that he didn’t make any effort.
For such a person to curse the world, how shameful. How absurd it is. He was an arrogant, little man who didn’t accomplish anything until the end. But still, that man, Utsurogi Kyousuke was enviable, he couldn’t stomach it, that feeling certainly existed.
“Karasuma…”
“No one can be like you…. Hey, do you understand? Utsurogi.”
Bit by bit, Karasuma spat out the simmering emotion inside him.
“Perhaps, you have a lots of circumstances I don’t know of, I don’t know what kind of suffering you may have experienced, I don’t know what kind of hardship you went through. But still, you’re blessed. Because you have enough strength to overcome it, don’t you? It’s enviable, too enviable.”
“Karasuma.”
“What am I even saying.”
Karasuma tried smiling a little. But his solid-hard beak didn’t allow that.
“I won’t console you, Karasuma.”
Still lending his shoulder, Kyousuke clearly said.
“I won’t console you, I won’t criticize you either. Even if you tell me to get angry, I won’t.”
Those words awfully stabbed Karasuma’s innermost feelings. Perhaps, Kyousuke knew it. The fact that harshly scolding, criticizing, blaming Karasuma here would be giving an escape path to him at the same time.
“Perhaps you’re right to say that I’m blessed. But even I have times when I’m helpless by myself, at that time, I want everyone to lend me your strength. That includes you too, Karasuma.”
“…Shit!”
Karasuma unintentionally cursed. What are you tell me to do? This guy.
As expected, Karasuma couldn’t come to like Kyousuke no matter what.
But, the one who was inferior to that Kyousuke in all aspects was himself. Including that reality as well, Karasuma couldn’t help but find it frustrating. What more frustrating than anything was the spoiled existence of he himself who was only jealous of Kyousuke yet didn’t even feel like challenging him.
“I———“
Even with his answer still not decided yet, Karasuma opened his mouth. At that time.
“Lie down, Karasuma!!”
Black bullet released from behind tore Karasuma’s wings.
“……–!”
Again, Karasuma sunk his body onto the desert. Kyousuke pushed him down.
When he looked back, there was the appearance of Glen slowly walking over under the moonlight. Not just him. Sink was also together. The appearance of the flame demon was nowhere to be found, and naturally, neither was Wombat.
The moon illuminating the 2 pursuers was brighter than usual.
No, the pursuers weren’t just 2. Behind them followed the ghouls and wight kings. He couldn’t see any imps or lesser demons. Probably because the king fragment was in his hand.
“Inugami, can I leave it to you for a bit!”
In response to Kyousuke’s voice Inugami laughed, and stepped forward.
To be continued…
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