Chapter 6 (1/2)

Angel Beats Track Zero Chapter 6: By My Side

”What now!? Have you got some secret martial arts ability?”

Right now, we had descended to the very bottom 30-somethingth underground level of this dungeon, and the Boss there had just closed in on us.

”Are you an ally of Tens.h.i.+, no, the student council president also?  What are you doing in a place like this?  Just to attack pa.s.sers-by?  How do you tell between friend and foe?”

”I know what you want to say.  That's right, exactly as you think.  Join with us.”

Whoos.h.!.+

However, with great difficulty I had managed to barely dodge.

”No way… Looks like there's no chance for a peaceful resolution… we'll have to beat her.”

”Use some skill or other.”

”Anything will do.”

”AH! My ears will go deaf!”

”Though perhaps she was just bluffing, and maybe she's actually pretty weak.  Let's test her out with a surprise attack.”

”Ha!”

The woman's cloak swayed a little.  The blade glimmered.

Pow!  Yurippe tumbled head over heels.

That was no hesitation at all… if Yurippe had continued her attack, her stomach surely would have been sliced open….

Yurippe received 100 points of damage!

This is bad!

A thrust.

Nearly had my toe cut off there.

However, the distance between Yurippe and me had increased further.

”Over here!  Look over here!  I'm the one who's got business with you!” I yelled, as I regained my posture.

”Hey! Can't you see I'm trying to be the bait?”

”How am I supposed to do that?”

”I got it!”

OK, time to say…

What kind of role have I taken?

”OK, <come on=””>.”

”That angry face of yours is really wonderful… quite great… get even angrier… haha…,” I said as I backed up.

”Did you wash yourself well?  Ah, I think I smell something…. haha….”

”And who told me to act this way!?”

Good.  I'll attract her attention and retreat just like this, and this way, Yurippe should come to no harm.

That's right… we'll wait for our allies to arrive.

If this were fiction, at this moment, the perspective would fly out, and describe Ooyama and everyone hurrying over and bringing Noda, equipped with his weapon.

The strongest five in this world.

Cras.h.!.+

Though the woman was still standing facing over here, her outstretched blade was dripping with blood.

My right leg started to become drenched in something warm.

Hey, wait a sec….

I need to incite her… need to keep her attack focused on me….

Hurry and say something… what should I say….

The woman turned back around.

I dodged it.  She must have only hit clothing.

Again!

She struck again and again at me.

She must have only hit clothing.

”…. How shallow-minded.”

Maybe that's her way of expressing praise?

”Don't you know that you don't even look like a human anymore!!??  Hurry and fall down already!!”

I'm still OK, right?

I'll keep this b.i.t.c.h occupied.

How's that possible….

Don't joke with me…. I've still got a lot of lines to use….

Yurippe, I say!

Cras.h.!.+

I can't see from my left eye.

Yurippe, it's all because I wanted to say something to you.

What an incredibly long movement.  Where did the speed she had up till now go?

Bring it on.

Pow, the sound of a blow landing, and the world is enveloped in darkness.

What happened, did I fail to dodge it?

My body was being dragged.

Hey, what happened?

Rustle…. rustle….

Rustle…. Rustle….

Is that you dragging me, Yurippe?  Hurry and run away by yourself.

However, I could only move the part up to my elbow.  What happened to my arm from the elbow down?  Is it paralyzed?

”What is it….?”

I replied with ”Hah-- hah--”

Rustle…. rustle….

If she's so fast, you should run away alone.

”If only… if only I'd known it would be such a disaster…. I wouldn't have brought you along…. I'm such a terrible leader… always thinking myself infallible, thinking that I'm taking care of you guys…. isn't this just like that time…..”

Hurry and run, she's too dangerous.

”However… I won't let you die…. won't let your corpse be buried here… I must bring you back…..”

Hah-- hah--

Plop.

Plop.

She must have been stabbed from behind.

I knew that she was very close to me.

Ahh, if only I could speak.

And, pat her on the head.

Carrying a useless corpse like me and running away…….

You'll surely be killed like this.

So, don't cry anymore.

Our outstanding Ms. Leader.

I'm in a dream.

Sitting across from me, currently halfway in the air is Yurippe.

I want to reach out for her, but I can't reach.

Hurry and push, Yurippe says in a tone of voice from the past.

Now Yurippe's staring at the ground.  We've exchanged positions.

Who are you asking?  I'm a high school student, you know.

Creak, thump. Creak, thump.

Eh? Me?

But, Yurippe continued to speak.

She put on her Yurippe-style smile and laughed.

That's what powers her, only this, and entirely this.

If being by her side, I still don't smile…

I stand on the narrow plank of the seesaw.

I'll go over now.

The ground disappeared.  And the seesaw became the tightrope connecting life to death.

Yurippe opened her eyes in amazement and her hand……

I was gripping Yurippe's hand.  Truly.

And I could speak now.