◇[Ayaka Sogou]◇
The royal capital of Alion, Eno.
Heading north from Eno leads to a mountainous region.
It takes about half a day by carriage.
Within that mountainous area lies one ruin.
The Ancient Dragon Ruins.
It is said to be a ruin where a legendary dragon once dwelled long ago.
The dragon's name was the Blue-Eyed Dragon.
However, that Blue-Eyed Dragon is said to be gone now.
The 2-C heroes were visiting the Ancient Dragon Ruins.
"Hah!"
*Zaku!*
A monster's dying scream.
Ayaka Sogou's spear had pierced straight through the monster's heart.
The monster vomited blood and convulsed.
After a short while, it stopped moving.
Ayaka took a brief moment to steady her breathing.
She turned to look behind her.
"Everyone, are you all right?"
Seven students.
Those who had failed to clear the goddess's trial.
The "dropouts" entrusted to Ayaka.
Five girls.
Two boys.
"Y-Yeah…"
"You're amazing, Sogou-san."
They too held weapons in their hands.
Yet there was almost no trace of blood on those weapons.
Their armor remained practically brand new.
The only piece showing obvious signs of use was a shield.
"You don't have to force yourselves to kill monsters yet. For now, focus on protecting yourselves."
One girl was huddled up, trembling and crying.
"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry, Ayaka-chan. My legs are shaking… I couldn't even move…"
Ayaka smiled and gently stroked the trembling girl's cheek.
"It's okay, Minami Minamino-san. I'm the one who should apologize for suddenly dragging you all to a place like this."
"No, it's fine."
Minami Moe, her cheek being stroked, shook her head.
"If anything, we should be the ones thanking you… We were about to be discarded, right? *sob*… But Ayaka-chan asked the goddess to stop it, didn't she? That's what the goddess told us."
Apparently, the goddess had deliberately explained the circumstances to them.
Ayaka couldn't help wondering what ulterior motive lay behind it.
(It's exhausting having to suspect even the goddess, who's supposed to be on our side…)
"We'll do our best… *sob*… Even if we end up dragging you down, Ayaka-chan…"
Ayaka shifted her focus.
"It's fine. I'll protect all of you. If monsters appear, leave them to me."
(If possible, I don't want to let any more classmates die.)
Already, deaths had occurred among 2-C.
Touka Mimori.
She hadn't been able to save him.
"…"
(If S-class heroes possess such incredible power, then maybe with enough effort on my part, I could defeat the Great Demon Emperor.)
She gripped her spear tightly.
(If I defeat the Great Demon Emperor, we can return to our original world… and then—)
She would not let them die.
Not until the Great Demon Emperor was defeated.
At the very least, she would protect these seven with everything she had.
(And Kashima-san too…)
Defeat the Great Demon Emperor.
(For that, I need to level up… I have to kill golden-eyed monsters.)
"Suou-san."
"…Yes."
Ayaka called out to the bob-cut girl wearing glasses.
"When I can't respond immediately, could you hold the monsters back? Just buying time is fine… I need you to ensure everyone's safety above all."
"...Yes."
The flat, emotionless reply came from Suou Kaya-ko.
Among the seven students' weapons, almost none showed signs of use.
However, Kaya-ko's sword bore traces of blood.
A little earlier, Ayaka had asked everyone on a whim.
Was there anyone who wanted to deliver the finishing blow and level up?
A monster weakened by her spear lay on the ground at the time.
Only one person raised their hand.
That had been Suou Kaya-ko.
In the previous world, she had always given off a somewhat shadowy impression.
Ayaka rarely saw her talking with others.
In a different way from Kashima Kobato, she had been unobtrusive.
Yet surprisingly, she seemed to have considerable nerve.
Still, that made it odd for her to be among the dropouts…
The other students looked apologetic.
"Sorry we couldn't be of any help, Sogou-san."
"Sorry I'm so pathetic even though I'm a guy."
"But it was really scary…"
"…Killing living things is just physiologically impossible for me."
Ayaka returned a smile.
"Don't apologize. Everyone has different ways of thinking and different sensitivities. It's only natural that some things are possible for one person and not for another."
You can't expect everyone to be capable of the same things.
People have their own aptitudes and roles.
They just need to do what they can.
"I've heard there's magic in this world that powers up people who are fighting. Eventually, some of you might awaken skills like that. There are also convenient tools called magical implements… So you don't have to force yourselves to confront monsters. For now, just focus on protecting yourselves properly. And if you ever have any leeway, I'd be happy if you could support me in battle. So… please don't feel too guilty about it. Okay?"
She clenched her fist.
"Let's defeat the Great Demon Emperor and all go back to our original world together."
Hope flickered across the faces of the six students—everyone except Kaya-ko.
"Sogou-san…!"
"I'm so glad I'm in Ayaka-chan's group…"
"We'll do whatever we can too!"
"Please keep relying on us from now on, Sogou-san!"
They were all kind-hearted at their core.
That was precisely why Ayaka had to protect them.
▽
The goddess had given the heroes one condition.
Defeat a monster called the Flesh Dragon and bring back its eyeball.
It was apparently a one-eyed creature.
As they advanced, Ayaka and her group reached a wide open area.
She checked the map provided by the goddess.
*Slide*
Kaya-ko illuminated it with a lantern.
"Thank you, Suou-san."
The Flesh Dragon's habitat was close.
"Oh? If it isn't Ayaka."
A group emerged from another passage.
The boy at the front called Ayaka's name.
"…Yasushi-kun."
Yasushi Tomohiro.
He had changed.
(No… perhaps he was already like this back then—)
As Ayaka recalled the past, Yasushi approached.
"We've both got it rough, huh?"
"Huh?"
"No need to play dumb. You're dragging around a bunch of dead weight too, relying on the convenient power of a high-rank hero, aren't you?"
*Pat*
He slapped her shoulder.
"Yeah, it's a real pain, isn't it? Being stuck with the role of the strong one."
He pointed toward the students he had brought along.
They wore vague smiles.
"I don't think of my companions as dead weight."
Yasushi shrugged.
"That's such a classic Ayaka answer. Exactly the 'correct' one. Pure righteousness, huh? Amazing. You practically shine. You're nothing like those idiots. How about it, Ayaka? Why don't you team up with just me from now on?"
"Don't say weird things out of nowhere. Besides, I don't think I could work well with you."
"Ugh… In the end, you're the type who gets conveniently used, aren't you, Ayaka? Such a waste when you're so capable. Heh heh heh."
Whether she could cooperate with his group was unclear.
But it seemed unlikely.
Yasushi gestured grandly toward his companions.
"Did you hear what the goddess calls those B-rank and below heroes?"
"Calls them?"
"She lumps all the B-rank and lower ones together as the 'Pale Heroes'! Do you get what that means, Ayaka?"
Yasushi spread both arms wide.
"They're just background mob characters! Pale and colorless! Mob mob mob!"
"No, they're not just background characters. Every single one is a classmate with their own face and name—"
At that moment,
"Gugaaaah—!!"
Several monsters burst out from the far passage.
(All golden-eyed monsters…)
"Everyone, fall back!"
Ayaka stepped in front of her companions and readied her spear.
Yasushi's group screamed.
"Y-Yasushi-san!"
"Please!"
"Use your A-rank power to save us!"
Yasushi's eyes bulged with battle fervor.
A manic grin spread across his face.
"Burn them to ash—"
He thrust his hand toward the monsters.
"[Sword-Eye Black Flame – Laevatein]!!"
Black flames erupted fiercely from Yasushi's hand.
Like a beast unleashed from chains.
Looking closely, a glowing sword pattern floated in his pupils.
The surging black flames engulfed the monsters.
They screamed as they were consumed in an instant.
(So that's Yasushi-kun's unique skill…?)
Yasushi's group showered him with praise one after another.
"Am-Amazing… As expected of Yasushi-san!"
"Yasushi-san is incredible! Incredible!"
"That flame has to be one of the strongest among all the heroes!"
"We'll follow you forever!"
Their eyes held no real emotion.
Were they just flattering him?
"Good grief."
Yasushi gave a self-deprecating smile as he stared at his palm.
"I didn't intend to show off this power…"
▽
Ayaka and her group parted ways with Yasushi's group and continued forward.
(Yasushi-kun has decided that lower-ranked heroes are nothing but dead weight…)
He didn't seem like someone she could join hands with.
Everything was changing.
Everything.
As they pressed on, Ayaka and her group reached an area littered with monster corpses.
It was off the main path.
But a large number of monster death cries had come from this direction earlier.
So she had been curious.
Perhaps Takao and the others?
She peeked out from cover.
Two girls came into view.
The Takao sisters.
Hijiri was rubbing her kneeling younger sister's back.
Vomit was visible in front of Itsuki.
"Are you all right?"
"Sorry, Nee-san… Being surrounded by this many corpses is starting to make me feel sick…"
"It's fine. You're still a person shaped by Japanese society. That reaction isn't strange at all."
"Are you okay with it, Nee-san?"
"If I shut down part of my imagination, it's no problem. All mental issues are illusions born from imagination."
"That's so complicated I don't get it at all, but you're seriously amazing, Nee-san…"
"Even so, I can't shut down the smell of the corpses. But if I think of this stench as the odor emitted by living microorganisms, it becomes much less of an issue. It isn't truly the smell of 'death.'"
"…Sorry, I still don't get it."
"It's fine."
Monster corpses were scattered around the sisters.
About a third were charred black.
The rest had been bisected cleanly through the torso.
"…"
The cut surfaces looked unnaturally clean.
Probably the result of the sisters' unique skills.
If so—
(Among the S-class heroes, I'm the only one who still hasn't awakened a unique skill…)
Her level had risen since before.
Yet Ayaka's unique skill remained locked.
Hijiri picked up a small pouch at her side.
"We've secured the Flesh Dragon's eyeball. That fulfills the condition for this ruin."
One Flesh Dragon eyeball was enough for five people.
So for Ayaka's group of eight, they needed two.
"And also—"
Without turning, Hijiri spoke.
"You can come out now. We won't eat you, Sogou-san."
She had been noticed after all.
Ayaka stepped out from cover.
"Sorry… I heard a lot of monster death cries coming from this direction, so I got curious."
Hijiri's gaze slid past Ayaka to the people behind her.
"I see you've gained some companions."
"Yes."
The sisters approached.
As they passed by Ayaka's side, Hijiri paused.
"Are you all right?"
"Huh? M-Me?"
"Yes."
Ayaka gave a wry smile.
"I'm managing to do my best in my own way, at least…"
Hijiri let out a small sigh.
"You don't seem all right."
"Huh?"
"You looked away when you answered."
"Ah—"
"You should learn to take better care of yourself."
Hijiri walked away.
Itsuki placed a hand on Ayaka's shoulder.
"Well… don't push yourself too hard, Class Rep."
"…Th-Thank you."
"Nee-san actually seems to like you quite a bit, you know."
"Huh?"
"Let's go, Itsuki."
At Hijiri's call, Itsuki hurried after her sister.
"Takao-san, just now—"
"I won't deny it."
The Takao sisters disappeared briskly into the darkness.