Chapter 145 (1/2)
<Sogou Ayaka’s POV>
Suddenly, it happened.
A large amount of monsters cried out.
They roared.
They clamorously surged forward, piling upon each other as they drew closer and closer.
I could hear the unceasing amount of footsteps stomping and crawling on the ground.
I could feel tremors vibrating beneath my shoes.
Mowing down the trees on its path, the figure of a gigantic monster appeared.
[Iiiiiggggggiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—————!]
There were also medium and small-sized monsters following behind it.
I then understood.
These monsters weren’t here because of our existence in this place.
I could also hear flocks of monsters moving about even in the distant places.
What in the world happened?
The monsters that appeared out of nowhere earlier— appears to be aiming somewhere else.
Some of the monsters stopped when they noticed us.
However, most of them appear to be drawn in by “something”.
They were aiming towards “somewhere” that they didn’t even look at our direction…
That’s right… It’s as if they’re being called forth.
In that case—-
Wouldn’t it be possible to just hide and let them pass?
I pointed towards a certain direction.
[Everyone, make haste and run towards there! Suou-san! I leave the vanguard to you!]
I relayed my instructions towards my friends.
Currently, our first priority is getting away from those monsters.
It would be dangerous if they were to notice us.
As a result, my decision paid off.
Some of the monsters noticed and attacked us.
However, I easily put them down.
Like that, the storm-like parade of monsters passed by.
All the members of my group were safe.
However…
[———No… way…]
Drip… drop…
I blankly called out.
Two people died.
Both of the people who died were 2-C’s male students.
One of them was crushed by a large-sized monster.
The other was killed by a medium-sized monster who noticed his presence and attacked him.
The two people who died were members of Yasu Tomohiro’s group.
I bit my lips.
I ran over towards the corpse and stood next to Yasu.
[Yasu-kun……]
[Hmm? Ah, Ayaka huh.]
Yasu calmly replied.
The corpses were lined up and covered with cloth.
I don’t have—- any courage to confirm their faces.
If I were to check them… I might not be able to endure this really depressing reality.
My classmates’ death.
Somewhere within my heart, I was still making light of our situation.
At that time back when Mimori Touka died, I still couldn’t feel that it’s real.
I didn’t even see the moment when he transferred with my own eyes.
I just knew that— he died.
Suppressing the unrest, I said.
[Hirooka-kun and Sakuma-kun… didn’t manage to run away?]
[That might be so.]
[——Eh? Yasu-kun… weren’t they with you?]
[Your own body, you should protect them yourself. My first priority would be ensuring the safety of the high-ranking hero, me. Thinking about a decision that works for the time being, I have made the best decision. If we were to think about the future, it couldn’t be helped if we were to lose some people for the sake for the fewer higher-ranking heroes.]
Yasu looked down at the two corpses of our classmates.
“Good grief…”, he shook his head.
[It goes without saying that these two were to blame why they weren’t able to escape.]
Their deaths didn’t make any impression on him.
His reaction to their deaths were too meager.
I looked towards the other heroes in Yasu’s group.
I could see that everyone had received varying amounts of shock from seeing their deaths.
However, the leader Yasu treats this event as if it’s like someone else’s problem—
[I- It should have been needless for me to say this to you… Aren’t those two part of Yasu-kun’s group? Back when that flock of monsters appeared, why didn’t you do anything!?]
[…………What are you trying to say, Ayaka?]
[Y- You’re an A-Rank…]
[Yeah. What of it?]
I pressed him for answers.
[Didn’t you ever think that it’s your responsibility to protect your classmates that were in your group!?]
As I’m saying that…
“That’s really something an honor student would say.”
…is what I thought.
For some reason, I strangely felt vexed.
However, I couldn’t hold back this stream of words I wanted to say that’s overflowing within me.
[The children in your group were relying on you, Yasu-kun… Therefore, you have to protect them…]
The students who didn’t join neither Kirihara nor Asagi’s group.
If they were to join Sogou Ayaka’s group, they would be the enemies in the eyes of the goddess and Kirihara’s group.
The students who feared this had to join Yasu’s group.
However—- Is it really correct for me to blame Yasu Tomohiro here?
I keep asking those questions to myself.
The students who joined Yasu Tomohiro’s group not because they wished to join, but by going through the process of elimination.
It doesn’t seem right to blame Yasu Tomohiro for this.
However, even if that’s so—-
I wanted him to protect the others.
These people who didn’t approach even when I called out to them.
Therefore…
[You were the only person who could protect them, Yasu-kun…]
Yes, I have to say that.
Then, Yasu suddenly placed his hands on my shoulders.
Looking down, he spoke.
[Sha- sha- sha—-]
[Yasu-kun……?]
His grip on my shoulders were painfully strong.
[SHUT UUUUUUUPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP! SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UUUUUPPPP! S-H-U-T UUUUPPPPPPPP AYAKAAAAAAAAAAA!]
(………Eh?)
[W- What’s with you!? Haaahhh!? Why the heck are you still looking at me like you’re higher than me!? Why do you think you’re higher than me!? Are you even aware about the hierarchy now!? Realize it already!]
Swooshh!
Yasu raised his face.
[There’s hardly any difference between us anymore!]
[W- What—- What are you talking about…….?]
I’m really perplexed.
[It came out, it appeared, it f*cking appeared! It’s this! Sogou Ayaka is really like this! This attitude of yours that looks like you’re always completely unaware of! A natural! A natural when it comes to looking down on people! That’s what Sogou Ayaka is!]
[Could you please wait? W- What are you really talking about? I was just telling you earlier that you should have been protecting them—–]
[I KNOW ABOUT THAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTT! I ALSO KNOW THAT SASAOKA AND SAKUMA DIIIEEEEEEEDDDDDDDDD! HAAAAHHHH!? I mean, why the heck do I need to save these guys!? I survived because I’m strong! They died because they’re weak! That should have been something simple that anyone could understand!]
[It’s the responsibility of those possessing power to protect the people who doesn’t—-]
[AAAAAAAAAHHHHH! IN WHICH LAW DOES IT STATE SOMETHING LIKE TTTTTHHHHHHHAAAAAAATTTTTTT!? ….Ah, look at that! Ayaka had just naturally placed herself on “those who possess power”! That’s the kind of person Ayaka is! She had the face of a saint while unconsciously looking down on others! She would show others the difference between the hierarchy without even a hint of gaudiness! That kind of talking as if it’s natural for you… STOP F*CKING DOING THAAAATTTT!]
[I- I’m not particularly trying to be a saint nor am I looking down on you, Yasu-kun… It’s just Yasu-kun’s misunderstanding! There’s also something that I don’t possess! Therefore… The others were filling in with the deficiencies that I don’t have… That’s how we support each other…]
I sincerely appealed.
[There are things that I can do, the things that Yasu-kun can do… There are also things that the others can do! And there should have been something you could have done as a higher-ranking hero… Therefore…]
[Yeah, yeah—- In the first place, I think the both of them, Sasaoka and Sakuma were better off dead! It’s something you’re not aware because you’re knocked out by the goddess… but back when that f*cking small fry Mimori were sent off to hell, but these b*stards were in really high spirits as they disparaged him, you know!? These b*stards were also sneaking around as they treated me for a fool! Retribution—– Fuhahahaha, these must be the world’s retribution! Other than that, what more do you want to say!? That the class president who was born and raised in a rich household and a blessed environment, would have compassion even towards b*stards like these!?]
[Yasu-kun may certainly think that way… However… Nevertheless, I don’t think there’s anyone who’s better off dead. After all, I—-]