638 I’m unable to bring him ou (2/2)

”What if he can't find her!? How is he supposed to leave that place!?”

Kazuko remained silent.

”Can you teleport me back in?” Seiji then looked back at Kazuko.

Kazuko shook her head. ”I used up a great deal of my power. I need to enter a hibernation state very soon.”

”…How long will you be in a deep sleep for?”

”I'm not sure myself. A few days at the shortest, but it might be a few weeks at the longest.”

”Is there any way I can help you to recover quicker?” Seiji looked directly at her.

”There isn't.” Kazuko chuckled. ”Just wait for me to wake up.”

Right after this, a blinding red glow flashed over her body. She then transformed into a jacketed boy.

”Good evening, Ooike-kun.” Seiji sighed.

”Good evening, Harano-kun.” Kazufuru adjusted his eyeglasses.

Kazuko had now entered a deep sleep. Clutching at his last hope, Seiji asked Yomi if she was capable of teleporting him back to that dimension. However, she was also unable to do so.

'It's so idiotic of Hoshi to stay there by himself!'

Seiji now had only two choices left. He could load back to the past, or stay here in the present and wait for Hoshi.

Waiting would mean trusting Hoshi that he would be able to return safely. Loading would be akin to not trusting him.

Although Seiji was quite angry at his idiotic junior for making his own decision like that, Seiji still wanted to trust Hoshi—Seiji wanted to trust that the Fourth Knight would return safely!

And so, Seiji decided to wait.

However, he wouldn't wait around indefinitely. Seiji decided that he would load if Hoshi still hadn't returned safely by tomorrow morning.

”Hoshi, hurry and return… when you return before me again, I'm going to teach you a really good lesson!”

”Achoo!” Hoshi suddenly sneezed.

He didn't even need to think to figure out that Seiji was probably angry at him right now.

Actually, he had wanted to say ”I'm sorry” to Seiji just now, but he knew that Seiji didn't like to hear apologies. That was why Hoshi thanked him instead.

Hoshi knew that staying here by himself was a foolish choice to make.

However, he still felt that he had made the correct decision. There was no need to drag his companions into danger by having them stay behind here. It was far more likely that he'd be able to meet that golden-haired girl again if he was by himself.

No… not more likely, he would definitely see her again! He had to meet her again.

Although he had resolved himself, he definitely didn't want to die.

Hoshi looked at the marking on his palm.

”You gave this to me… I don't think that you want me to die here by myself…”

Even if that girl was the existence who caused the entire series of events that happened in here, Hoshi still wanted to believe that she wasn't an evil existence. He wanted to believe that she would reappear before him.

He also knew that this was an incredibly naïve way of thinking. But… he was unable to give up on this naivety.

At this moment, he suddenly heard the faint sound of singing.

'It's her!'

Hoshi listened closely and determined the direction that the singing came from.

After determining the direction, he placed his right hand on the crystal pillar to absorb as much energy as he possibly could. After he could no longer absorb any more energy, Hoshi set out.

Sticky fluid monsters soon appeared everywhere and started chasing behind him.

Hoshi continuously ran in the direction of the singing. He only slowed down to fire arrows whenever the sticky fluid monsters were about to catch up to him.

After running for an unknown length of time, the singing he heard finally became much clearer.

Yet, he suddenly saw a giant stone door before him! This stone door was identical to the one he saw earlier with his companions.

The singing was coming from behind the stone door.

Countless sticky fluid figures were catching up to him. More such monsters were also appearing in this district.

Hoshi only had a tiny portion of power remaining that he absorbed from the crystal. And he didn't see a single new crystal on his way here at all.

A stone door was blocking his path, while large numbers of monsters were behind him.

He was all by himself and lacked a way of fighting.

This was unmistakably a brink that he was facing… Hoshi felt despair when he realized this.

”AhhhhHHH!!!”