Arifureta Vol 7 Chapter 3 (2/2)

Maybe because Yue had also guessed the enemy escaped, she called Hajime with a voice which contained impatience unlike the usual.

Hajime put Donner back into the holster, and ran up to s.h.i.+a without even looking at the collapsed s.h.i.+mizu. s.h.i.+a was faced-up as she was rested on Yue’s laps and her expression warped in pain. Aiko beside her also showed similar expression as she was embraced by Yue.

“Ha-Hajime-san… ukh… I… am… okay… p-please, sensei-san was… grazed by the poisonous needle…”

There was a hole with three centimeters in diameter in s.h.i.+a’s flank. Even though the bleeding was suppressed by body strengthening, it could be understood that she was in considerable pain from the amount of sweat flowed in her face. However, she floated a forced smile and told to give priority to Aiko with a shaking voice.

When he saw Aiko, her complexion was completely paled, and her limbs began to convulse. Maybe because she heard s.h.i.+a and Hajime’s conversation, Aiko desperately shook her neck, appealing to let s.h.i.+a treated first. She couldn’t let out any word because the poison had already spreaded. If s.h.i.+mizu’s words were correct, she only had several minutes, no, it’d be less than a minute looking from Aiko’s appearance. She didn’t want to make more trouble as it was already too late.

Hajime averted his gaze away from Aiko and unhesitatingly nodded at s.h.i.+a, then he let out a vial from “Treasure Box.” At that time, the surrounding people finally ran up towards Hajime and the others with uneasy expressions as they let out cries from their mouths. The students, David, and the Knights were particularly shaken, they were half in panic. They were asking Hajime about her safety, stepped back when they saw her appearance, and tried to cast recovery magic which was ineffective… towards such people, Hajime’s one word, “Silence,” with killing pressure made them stepped back and keep silent.

Even Hajime was slightly surprised by what he had said. His anger because s.h.i.+a’s injury was more than he expected. Apparently, without him noticing it, he had recognized her as an important companion deep in his heart. Therefore, he was unbearably angry towards the Demon race that came in contact with s.h.i.+mizu and himself who had forgotten the possibility of him still nearby.

If he do something to Aiko and the others when Hajime’s party went to the frontline, the possibility it become a chaos was high. However, because he actually didn’t do anything, he was convinced that he didn’t want to do it directly, without any basis to it.

As a matter of fact, that demon race person have thought to a.s.sa.s.sinate Aiko when s.h.i.+mizu was on rampage, but he lost the chance because he was stupefied by Hajime’s party which was out of the normal. Afterwards, as he was looking for a chance, the talk between s.h.i.+mizu and Aiko started. Thus he thought to leave killing Aiko to s.h.i.+mizu as he looked from the distance, but he guessed that Aiko would be recaptured in the last moment by the unstandard Hajime, so he cast a magic which specialized in penetration to pierce s.h.i.+mizu and Aiko.

However, even though the Demon race was quick to see that opportunity, there was one miscalculation. That was, if thing went well the trajectory would make it hit Hajime and the others, erasing those risk factors at the same time, but s.h.i.+a’s peculiar magic was activated. That was “Foresight.” s.h.i.+a who was behind Hajime naturally would be hit by the trajectory along with s.h.i.+mizu, Aiko, and Hajime, so she dashed out to “break” the future she saw.

Thanks to that, the future where the attack went through Aiko’s head and she immediately died was avoided. s.h.i.+a had put her body in the line to change that future. Even though he was doubtful on why she put her life for Aiko who wasn’t not intimate with her, Hajime would not treat an important companion who had worked her best coldly. Therefore, he unhesitatingly used the scarce “Holy Water” for Aiko. Because there was no time, it was the most certain thing to use.

Hajime held Aiko who was supported by Yue, put the vial in her mouth and poured the holy water little by little. Aiko looked at Hajime who didn’t take s.h.i.+a as the top priority with criticizing glare, but ignored by Hajime. Currently, he prioritized s.h.i.+a’s will than Aiko’s or his own intention. That’s why he just poured the holy water as discussion wasn’t necessary. However, Aikos’ whole body began to convulse and couldn’t be moved as she desired, so she couldn’t swallow the water. Rather, it was possible to enter the lungs and made her vomit.

Hajime judged it was impossible for Aiko to swallow the holy water by herself, he put the remaining holy water inside his mouth, and he unhesitatingly poured it directly into Aiko’s mouth.

“Kh!?”

Aiko opened her eyes wide. Next, screams and angry voices raised by everyone in Hajime’s surrounding. However, Hajime ignored all of those and he twined his tongue that invaded Aiko’s mouth, then he forcefully poured the holy water. Hajime’s expression didn’t contain any shame or guilt, there was only seriousness about doing what had to be done.

Before long, Aiko’s throat moved as to swallow and the holy water flowed inside her body. Following that, the pain which attacking her body and the cold feeling as her life was going to be washed away were blown away as if a fire was lighted in her core and started to spread around. Aiko remembered the feeling of being soaked inside the hot spring in the cold winter, and her body shook. It was just as expected of the holy water. It was a miraculous water that prevent his body broken from eating the flesh and blood of demonic beasts. The effect was preeminent.

Not long after, the mouth to mouth ended just in the blink of time, and Hajime separated his mouth from Aiko’s. Silver colored string appeared between the two. Hajime observed Aiko. His purpose was to ascertain that she had escaped from the crisis. On the other side, Aiko was still looking at Hajime blankly as her eyes were unfocused.

“Sensei.”

“…”

“Sensei?”

“…”

“Oi! Sensei!”

“Fue!?”

Hajime called Aiko to ask her condition, but Aiko keep blankly looked at him and unmoving. Hajime was irritated, so he lightly slapped her cheek and raised his volume, then she raised an indescribably lovely voice and regained her senses.

“How’s your body? Are there any sense of incompatibility?”

“Heh? A, um, that’s, I am o-o-o-okay. There is no abnormality, rather I feel good… wait, th-that’s wrong! By no mean that, th-that thing feel good, what I mean was the medicine’s effect-”

“I see. Then, that’s good.”

Hajime looked as if he’d lose his temper, and answered simply towards Aiko who said there was no abnormality in her physical condition, then he simply removed the hand which supported Aiko and moved towards s.h.i.+a.

Although she was stupefied by Hajime’s att.i.tude, Aiko didn’t stay in that spot and she had run towards s.h.i.+a before she aware of it.

Hajime took out another holy water and poured half of it directly into s.h.i.+a’s wound, and the other half was brought close to s.h.i.+a’s mouth to let her drink it. The injured parts make a small shuu- sound and recovered rapidly, but somehow s.h.i.+a didn’t want to drink the holy water and shook her head.

“Ha-Hajime-san…”

“s.h.i.+a, wha-…”

“Me too… it’ll be better… guh… to do it mouth to mouth…”

“Y-you are always like this…”

As she was drenched in sweat because of the pain, s.h.i.+a leaked out her desire. Even if I am rolled around, I won’t get up until you do that!, she said those kind of demand, and even Hajime was amazed by this. As expected, there’s no need to purposely do mouth to mouth because it was unnecessary, so he ignored the silent complaint from Yue who was nice to s.h.i.+a recently and thrust the vial into s.h.i.+a’s mouth.

“Muguh!? … gulp gulp… puhah… Uu~, Hajime-san is unfair… I am jealous of sensei-san…”

“Hajime… bad.”

“Fue!? Sh-s.h.i.+a-san, you’re wrong! That’s a lifesaving action! It is different from what s.h.i.+a-san want! I am a teacher after all!”

She received sulky gaze and words from s.h.i.+a and scolding from Yue to read the mood, but Aiko whose face redden purposely made excuses, and Hajime could only let out, “Haa~”, a profound sigh which contained both relief and amazement.

Following that, the outfielders who had guessed thing had settled began to make noise again because, everyone probably recalled the pitiful existence which had been forgotten. It was particularly important for Aiko. So Aiko probably didn’t forget him and just didn’t understand what had happened all of a sudden.

Hajime called out to a guard Knight who was nearest to s.h.i.+mizu.

“… You, is s.h.i.+mizu still alive?”

With those words, everyone went “Ah,” with expressions as if they just remembered about him and they looked at the collapsed s.h.i.+mizu. Only Aiko displayed a perplexed look and said, “Eh? Eh?,” as she looked around, she might’ve recalled the situation when s.h.i.+a s.n.a.t.c.hed her. With mixed complexion, she panicky run towards s.h.i.+mizu.

“s.h.i.+mizu-kun! Aa, this is… so cruel.”

In s.h.i.+mizu’s chest was a hole similar to s.h.i.+a’s. The bleeding was intense, and there was a big pool of blood… he probably only had a few minutes left.

“I-I don’t want to die… h-help… if it’s like this… no… I can’t believe it…”

s.h.i.+mizu spoke to Aiko who held his hand by his side, it was just monologue of words which couldn’t be understood in a muttering whisper. Aiko looked at the surrounding for help, but all of them averted their eyes. It was already hopeless. Moreover, the expressions of not wanting to help vividly appeared on them.

Aiko clinged to the last straw as she looked back and shouted to the Hajime who was there.

“Nagumo-kun! That medicine from before! If it is now-! Please!”

Hajime had expected Aiko’s words and muttered, “It really came to this…,” along with a sigh, then he moved towards Aiko and s.h.i.+mizu. Following that, he questioned Aiko even though he know what the answer would be.

“Do you want to help him, sensei? He was going to kill you, you know? I think it had crossed the limit no matter how much a “teacher” you are.”

He was someone who tried to kill her, but she protected him just because he was her student, just how many people could became a “teacher” like her in such desperation. She might already be at an abnormal level for a “teacher.” Aiko accurately read the meaning behind his question, her eyes shaken for a moment, then she answered in a firm expression.

“Certainly, it might be as you had said. No, it is surely as you had said. However, I just want to be that (…) kind of teacher. I will be the students’ ally no matter what happen, I have vowed to become that kind of teacher. Therefore, Nagumo-kun-…”

Hajime became ill-humored as he scratched his head because the answer just as he expected, and he sighed in reluctance because that’s just how Aiko-sensei was. Following that, he looked at the sky as he thought of something for a while, he took one deep breath and went towards s.h.i.+mizu’s side with a resolute expression.

“s.h.i.+mizu. Can you hear me? I have something that can save you.”

“!”

“However, there’s something I want to ask first.”

“…”

Hearing the words he could be saved, s.h.i.+mizu responded by stopping his mutters and his wandering eyes were staring at Hajime. In a beat, Hajime asked a simple question.

“… Are you… an enemy?”

s.h.i.+mizu immediately shook his head without any hesitation. Following that, he floated a smile of abjection and began to plead for his life.

“I-I am not your enemy… I-I won’t do… anything… I will do whatever you want… so help me, I-I’ll even give you an army… and even… brainwash the women… I-I swear… I swear to be loyal… I’ll do anything… so help me…”

With those words, Hajime became expressionless. Following that, he could be seen looking into s.h.i.+mizu’s eyes quietly as if trying to confirm his real intention. s.h.i.+mizu who thought he was seeing the depth of his heart immediately looked away. However, Hajime was able to confirm it. There’s darkness and impurity more than before inside s.h.i.+mizu’s eyes. They were saturated by hatred, anger, envy, desire, and other negative feelings, they were just like the deep sea where the light did not reach.

Hajime was convinced. Aiko’s words didn’t even reach s.h.i.+mizu’s mind. Therefore s.h.i.+mizu would surely become their enemy. He had determined that. For a moment, his gaze matched Aiko’s. Aiko was also looking at Hajime and their gaze met. Following that, Aiko was immediately able to guess what Hajime was going to do. Her expression changed and she jumped out to stop Hajime.

“DON’T!”

However, Hajime was much faster.

DOPANh! DOPANh!

“Kh!?”

The sound where a breath was taken away. It wasn’t known who let that out. One in the head and one in the heart. The bullets which accurately shot made s.h.i.+mizu’s body jumped for a moment, and they awarded him with death.

Inside the lingering gunshot, no one let out a word, and they could only watch Hajime silently looking at the corpse with a gun in one hand that raised white smoke, in blank surprise. Silence ruled their vicinity, within those who could not move, a mutter was leaked.

“… Why?”

It was Aiko. In a blank surprise, she watched the remains of s.h.i.+mizu who had began his travel to the death, and she raised that question. Hajime looked away from s.h.i.+mizu and he looked at Aiko. At the same time, Aiko matched Hajime’s gaze again. Inside her eyes, anger, sadness, distrust and others feelings were raised and disappeared, then they raised and disappeared once again.

“He is an enemy after all.”

Hajime’s answer towards Aiko’s question was truly simple.

“That! s.h.i.+mizu-kun is-…”

“Reforming? Sorry to burst your bubble, I am not so good natured to believe that, above all my eyes aren’t clouded at all.”

When he asked the last question, s.h.i.+mizu’s eyes was telling him that he had “fall.” Before death, his mind still moved towards killing Aiko, Hajime thought s.h.i.+mizu could slightly change his way of life because just like the time when Hajime almost fell, there’s Yue’s existence that was capable of holding and retaining him, so… he questioned s.h.i.+mizu with that thought in mind. If that was so, he had consider to give s.h.i.+mizu a chance by putting into him a collar and letting Aiko take custody of him. However, even before death, s.h.i.+mizu’s eyes didn’t even show such sign.

Aiko should also feel that. However, Aiko was the “teacher,” by no means could she abandon him. She just couldn’t do that.

“Therefore, rather than killing him-! If he is kept inside the royal palace, and returned together with us to j.a.pan, possibly… there’s the possibility-!”

“… Even if I tried to give you a reason, I know sensei won’t agree to it at all. I have killed sensei’s important student. It’s okay for sensei to decide whatever you want to do about me.”

“… Such a thing is-”

“‘A lonely way of life.’ I’ve thought of various things because of sensei’s words. However, in this world where a person’s life is cruelly light, I thought of not showing any mercy towards my enemy… and I won’t change that. I don’t think I want to change that. I have no time for that.”

“Nagumo-kun…”

“I’ll do the same thing from now on. At the times I think it is necessary… I’ll pull the trigger no matter how many times it’ll be. If you thought I was mistaken… sensei only has to do what you want… however, I want you to remember one thing. Even if it’s sensei or the other cla.s.smates… I’ll pull the trigger if you become my enemy…”

Aiko looked down as she bit her lip. It was no one but Aiko who said, “Having heard my talk, I won’t refute whatever your decision is.” No more word coming out. Hajime looked at such Aiko and he turned his feet because the things needed to be done here had finished. Yue and s.h.i.+a quietly nestled close to him. Accompanied with Pressure, Hajime looked at Will, Aiko, and the other’s appearances, and because there’s also the matter of post treatment, they silently followed Hajime in painful reluctance.

The town leaders and Knights’ had a purpose to detain Hajime and his artifacts, but because of the overflowing “Pressure” and remembering the previous monster-like fight, they withdrew their hands and swords.

“Nagumo-kun!… Sensei is… sensei is…”

Even if her words weren’t continued, he called out Hajime’s name because of her pride as a “teacher.” Hajime stopped for a while and spoke to Aiko over his shoulder.

“… Sensei’s ideal is already a fantasy. However, we are glad that sensei remains as our teacher even if the world had changed… if possible, please don’t give up.”

Following that, this time he didn’t stop and came off from the surrounding circle, he took out magic-driven four-wheeler and escaped from there when everyone had boarded it.

Afterwards, what remained was the clamor from the town that was joyed for their survival and the the indescribably subtle mood.

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