640 Elf Ranger (1/2)

Hoshi told them everything that he could remember. Seiji and his friends exchanged awkward glances.

”We've been waiting here for you a bit more than three hours. Judging from the time that passed, and all the damage to your clothing, you must have gone through many things… You really can't remember anything else at all?”

Hoshi did his best to recall as he looked at his right hand.

The mysterious marking had now vanished. However, Hoshi could sense that its power was still within him. He then checked his pockets, only to find that all his red leaves were there as well, with not a single one missing.

He could faintly recall that he seemed to have met the golden-haired girl again, and that he was with her…

”I think that I might have been… saved by that golden-haired girl, and then I was together with her…” Hoshi muttered.

Everyone remained silent for a moment.

”That's all you can remember?” Seiji folded his arms. ”It would have been fine if you had only had a nice chat with her for three hours. However, the tatters on your clothing prove that you were doing otherwise. I highly doubt that some of those cut marks could have been caused by the sticky fluid monsters. You were probably fighting against something else inside as well. Perhaps you were fighting against other spiritual monsters, or even… humans.”

The atmosphere became somewhat heavy.

”I don't want to say this, but it looks like she was manipulating you, Hoshi.” Seiji sighed. ”It's quite obvious that you were fighting, and now you've lost your memory afterward. This is basically no different from her having taken advantage of a puppet.”

Hoshi fell silent for a moment.

”Team Leader, do you believe that she's an evil existence?”

”I didn't say that. Still, it's a possibility.” Seiji had a serious expression. ”She was the cause behind this incident. She brought much hardship upon you, and made you lose your memory… Do you still want to believe in her despite all this?”

Hoshi fell silent for an even longer period of time. He recalled what that girl looked like, as well as her singing…

”I… want to believe…” Hoshi spoke softly as he clenched his right hand.

Seiji looked at Hoshi's right hand.

”If there's a method to remove the marking that she put on your body, do you want to remove it?”

”…No.”

”Do you still want to see her again?”

”Yeah…” Hoshi nodded.

”Such an idiot.” Seiji sighed. ”But… I suppose that's just how you are, Hoshi Amami.”

Another period of silence fell over everyone.

------

Nirou Iwazaki was staring blankly at the ceiling.

That was because he was now dead. Despite the fact that he was an experienced Spiritual Ability user, he and more than ten other members of their ”organization” had all died within their base!

The other powerful individuals in the organization that rushed over to support everyone found that they were too late when they arrived.

There was only one lucky survivor, an Awakened by the name of Heita Nishizawa.

This gray-haired boy had been seriously injured and barely managed to survive. He told his rescuers what he had witnessed.

All of this death had been caused by a single person.

That person wore mystical-appearing attire that resembled something a stereotypical elf ranger from fantasy anime and manga would wear. This ”elf ranger” wore a magic runic hat, possessed an exquisite longbow, and had beautiful and androgynous features that made it difficult to determine the person's gender. This person was basically no different from a real elf!

He… or she summoned powerful spiritual monsters and shot powerful spiritual arrows that killed everyone! This person destroyed the organization's base in the Forest Palace all by themselves!!