Chapter 149 (1/2)

・ ・ Chapter 149: The Underealic dream One of innocent children, my childhood, e all played without a care…

It was a good dreaative about it, but once I woke up, I felt very groggy I should've had enough sleep by now, but ue

No, I get it It wasn't my body that was tired, it was my heart

“Oh, you're up, Yuuto-kun”

“Yeah”

“You don't look so good How're you holding up?”

“I'lad the first person who saw me aas her Class rep orried for me, but didn't pry deeper than that Thank you, I need soht now

First, I needed to freshen up I splashed my face not with the usual cold fountain water, but ater from a luke ell

We weren't at a fairy square All around us were the ruins of brickwork buildings

At thea new zone of the dungeon Unfortunately, or perhaps because the difficulty had been raised, we failed to find a fairy square by the end of the first day's exploring So reluctantly, we decided on a night watch, and camped out

We drew straws for the watch, and I, who had my turn after class rep, was also the last on watch duty It was currently 3 in the irls wake up

“…”

I hoped to do it properly, but once I was the only one awake in the silence, the raain Why, hy did Reina have to die

She lay in a pool of blood, while he, Mo a knife coated in fresh blood I just couldn't get that scene out of my head, it was seared into my eyes

He was like the devil himself He killed Reina, but didn't just stop there, he even puppeteered her corpse and used that as a hostage

I was such an idiot, letting the cleared, we did chase after them We didn't find them Neither Momokawa and Futabsan who ran off with hirave for her, I'd even let her killer get aithout the slightest retribution

There should've been another way, a better way to go about this… No, not that, I, asn't I on time? Why the hell couldn't I come in time to save Reina…

“shi+t, it's my fault… It's because I'ive Moive myself even more, I wasn't able to protect her

I believed that I was always doing eon I'd coic, battle arts, skills, I'd otten the sort of real battle experience I couldn't even dreaendlessly without liht all this tier than the er―― But it wasn't enough I wasn't nearly strong enough to even hope to protect Reina

What was that ‘best' then I only ‘believed' I was doing my best, when the results clearly showed I wasn't

Hiroki, my friend, my buddy, even he was killed… Wasn't I supposed to let no one else die? Not just Sakura or class rep, or the girls with th to protect each and every one of them?

I was naive

This naivete offroth to achieve our victories

But that Berserker who could stood shoulder to shoulder with ainst us

I just, couldn't understand what that girl was thinking I've heard how she was indebted to Moation towards her savior worth protecting him after he'd committed such a clear crime, after he'd killed Reina Was it like what Sakura said, that she was being controlled by one of Mo deeper that none of us would know―― I didn't have a clue But the point wasn't that she became his ally

I know The fact that Mo like a coincidence So at the worst possible tieon, death was always near Unlike Sakura or I, Reina had none of the fortitude, be it physical or mental, and none of the necessary skills to survive in this harsh, life or death, psychologically grueling life

She was, just a nored at all from all the way back e first irl

She wasn't built for a place like this Whether it be thearound everywhere, or even other kids from our own class desperate for survival, any of those could've brought about her end

It just so happened that Mo out that it was self-defense, but rather than an excuse, that ht've been what he really believed

I couldn't think of any reason for Momokawa to want to kill her purely for the sake of it, he wasn't that sort of person in school He didn't kill her because he wanted to, is what I wanted to believe

That's why I had to protect her From monsters that'd have her as food, froain, and from Momokaas someone who could kill with valid reason―― From anyone If only I was there, if I was there at her side, I could've saved her!

“damn, dammit… hy didn't I make it…”

I could think all I want, but I'd always end up back at the saret

I could despair and cry all day, but I couldn't turn back tilessly, regret

I couldn't keep staying like this I knew that I realized that, but couldn't bring ret

“Nii-san”

I ju towards the caller Then I re I could show others, so I, very unnaturally, faced away

“Oh, uh, Sakura… It's, a bit early to be getting up, don't you think?”

“You're, still thinking about Reina”

“I a as they leftit to my sister I was hopeless, pathetic

“… Don't worry I knoe still have to fight, the eneuard down, especially when――”

“It's fine, nii-san You don't need to be that way, at least, in front of htly leaning her body on mine

“No, I wasn't-”

“Yes, you were You don't say anything, not tobottled up”

Of course I didn't talk about it I'm a man so, no, before that, there's also the fact that if I became unreliable, it'd bear heavily on the others We were still trapped in the dungeon, I didn't have the tiy to spare, to mourn Reina's death

“Nii-san, I know it's not easy, and I respect your decision to hold strong But please, can't you rely on me, just a little, can't you letyou like this”

“Sakura… I'ht, of course Of course Sakura kne stubborn I was being She was rown up with my whole life

“Please, nii-san, please just don't try to carry everything on your own I don't want to be sith, I proer as a Saintess” “Yeah, I will We'll get stronger Right now, that's the only thing we can do”

Reina was killed because I wasn't strong enough

But I still had people I needed to protect Sakura, and everyone, I had to protect everyone And for that I needed strength I needed power, more power than anyone―― The power of a true Hero

“That's right We should all strive to return alive”

“Yeah, I won't be letting anyone else die”

This didn't ret, I'd never forget any of it

But I still had others, people very i in order to keep them safe I still had Sakura I swore to my parents that I'd always protect her, my most precious person, eon, I'll find a way to return everyone home, no s here had complex architecture,spots in Europe The town exuded a sort of finesse

The place didn't look too old and there were few collapsed buildings But no one lived inside, there wasn't a single sign of people having lived in those buildings

The air here felt stagnant, and there was the faint srowls of creatures that were surely not people

“――!! Werewolves inco!”

Natsukawsan, who took point as the party's Thief, yelled sharply