◇[Eve Speed]◇
It happened a short while before Eve Speed encountered the petite human girl—
△
"Eve—what did you just say?"
The cave where Touka had instructed them to hide.
Eve and the others were concealed there as ordered.
Heavy rain pounded outside the cave.
At the entrance, raindrops fell like a torrent, striking the rock face.
"I am going after Touka."
Seras Ashrain's face showed she could not read his true intention.
Liz looked up at Eve with anxious eyes, staying silent.
Tension entered Seras's shoulders.
"But Touka-dono told us to wait here."
"Will you not let me go, Seras?"
Seras, sitting with her beautiful white legs neatly together, hardened her expression.
"Please tell me your reasoning."
"Hmm," Eve grunted.
"—That is unexpected. I thought you would be more stubborn. I expected you to scold me, saying it is Touka's order so we must obey it without question."
"Even so, I was once responsible for an entire knight order. A knight captain who ignores her comrades' opinions and denies them outright would not last long. We should at least consider it."
"Hah, I see. Then I will tell you my reasoning."
Eve shifted her gaze toward the stormy outdoors.
"To put it bluntly, there are simply too many enemies. There must be more than just one or two humanoid species."
"You think even Touka-dono's power makes survival difficult?"
"He may survive. He is not the kind of man who heads into battle without a chance of winning… but I do not think he can return from facing that many without any injuries."
At this point, Seras did not interrupt.
Eve narrowed her eyes.
"Above all, Touka's condition right now cannot be called perfect."
"He said there would be no problem because of the level correction, but…"
Even as she said it, Seras seemed to have her own suspicions.
"You seem to have noticed as well. For example, since entering the Demon Zone, Touka has slept less than any of us here."
"…Yes."
"He claimed it was just a side effect of making forbidden tools or experimenting to draw out Pigi-maru's power, but he was taking far more of the watch shifts himself. In fact, he even used [Sleep] on us on purpose to make us oversleep… That is how I see it."
Seras placed a slender finger on her cherry-colored lips in surprise.
"While we were sleeping, he cast [Sleep] on us again…"
"Indeed. The times when we overslept and woke up were close… but there was a slight discrepancy in our wake-up times. Touka is sharp. If we all woke up at exactly the same time, we would have suspected he used the skill. So he probably shifted the duration slightly. At first I thought we overslept simply because we were exhausted from the unfamiliar environment, but…"
"Touka-dono seemed to be constantly concerned about our mental fatigue."
Touka had regularly said,
"Make sure you get proper sleep. That is the best way to recover from mental exhaustion."
"Even so, peaceful sleep is difficult in this Demon Zone filled with monsters… So I believe Touka cast [Sleep] on us periodically to prevent shallow sleep. Well… after we got somewhat used to it, we did manage to sleep in the Demon Zone."
But why had they been able to sleep deeply in the early days after entering the Demon Zone?
That part alone remained unexplained.
"To keep us going, Touka-dono has been cutting into his own sleep time ever since we entered the Demon Zone…?"
"Most likely. And in fact, we have managed to reach this deep area."
For example, Liz.
She was clearly the least suited to the Demon Zone among them.
Even Liz had not fallen into sleep deprivation.
It was reasonable to assume he had secretly cast [Sleep] on them.
"Besides, Touka-dono…"
Seras started to say something but stopped.
"Hm? What is it?"
"…No, it is nothing. More importantly, let us hear your thoughts. If we are to decide, we should not waste time."
"—Understood."
Seras's calm composure was reassuring.
Eve continued.
"That is why, even with the level correction, Touka cannot be in perfect condition right now. Even he is not invincible. It is possible he could be heavily injured and unable to move."
Here too, Seras offered no objection.
Though there had been a slight hint that she wanted to.
"You intend to go alone?"
"The words I said when I pressed Touka were not a bluff. With my appearance, there is a good chance the monsters here will recognize me as one of their own and overlook me. Concealing my presence and moving through this kind of terrain are both within my expertise."
She glanced outside again.
"It will grow dark soon, but I have good night vision. There is no worry of light revealing my position to monsters. My hearing is also sharp."
"You are not lying without basis just to persuade me."
Seras stated it clearly.
Yes—she could tell whether someone was lying.
(In other words, if I keep attacking with truthful words, it will be easier to persuade her… I see. Just as Touka said.)
Impressed in her heart, Eve continued.
"And… if Touka or Slei are badly injured, I am the only one who can carry them on my shoulders."
Physical strength.
This was something the physically weaker high elf could not do.
Seras lowered her long eyelashes and thought silently for a moment.
Even her thoughtful expression looked like a cut-out masterpiece.
Eve suddenly felt that way.
Seras's eyelashes fluttered up.
In her eyes, as clear as a fine morning sky, Liz was reflected.
"I cannot leave Liz alone. Touka-dono would not allow it either. Therefore—I will remain here with Liz and wait."
"Seras."
There was gratitude in Eve's voice as she called her name.
"But can you catch up to Touka-dono?"
"The forest leaves various marks. A high elf like you should know that."
Traces left by beasts,
wounded trunks,
torn leaves,
broken branches,
scattered soil,
chipped stones…
If observed carefully, the forest would show its "marks."
"With a migration that large, traces will remain even in this rain. If Touka engaged the monster swarm in battle, tracking him should become even easier."
"Touka-dono had Slei memorize our scent and use it as a guide to return. Will you be able to come back?"
Eve tapped her temple.
"The map and approximate distances are in here. I also plan to leave markers along the way."
Seras's expression softened slightly.
"Understood. I can see you are not acting solely on impatient feelings."
"I am grateful."
"…I am sorry."
"Hm?"
"Even so, I was entrusted with the role of 'vice-captain.' With Touka-dono absent, I believe it is my duty to judge what is best for the safety of our comrades… I am sorry for testing you like that."
"Hah."
Eve let out a small laugh in the back of her throat.
"You really do care for that man, don't you?"
"—Yes. He is the one to whom I have offered this body."
Offered her body.
Eve did not press further on what that meant.
In any case,
"That man cannot be lost here."
They should not even increase the probability of losing him.
There was no flawless logic behind that thought.
But her instincts told her so.
She placed a hand on Liz's small head, who had been listening silently.
"Listen carefully to what Seras says, Liz."
"Big sis…"
Liz took Eve's hand with both of hers and gripped it tightly.
Grip.
The small hands squeezed with surprising strength.
They were trembling faintly.
Her expression could not fully hide her anxiety…
It was the face of someone afraid of loss.
"Don't go."
It felt as if she could hear Liz's inner voice saying that.
"Please take care of Touka-sama."
"—————Liz."
In her heart, Liz wanted to hold her back.
Yet Liz deliberately spoke the words to send Eve off.
The desire to stop Eve.
The worry for Touka's safety.
Between those two conflicting feelings, Liz chose to respect Eve's own feelings.
Moreover—she also respected Seras's worry for Touka.
Eve felt apologetic for making Liz consider the adults' feelings.
"…I am sorry, Liz."
Liz gave a single nod.
With an expression that showed she understood everything.
With resolve in her heart, Eve stood up, gripping her sword.
She had two swords, including a spare.
Seras straightened her posture.
"Promise me. You will definitely return alive."
"—Understood. I leave Liz in your care once again, Seras."
"I will protect her with any means necessary."
Eve felt a slight surprise.
She had expected Seras to say something like "even at the cost of my life."
"Any means necessary."
"..."
(This too might be Touka's influence…)
▽
In the pounding rain, Eve Speed stepped out of the cave.
She could sense it.
They were not nearby, but creatures filled with brutal beastliness were roaming the area.
She sharpened all her senses.
She picked up sounds occurring beyond the curtain of rain.
Creak.
The muscles in her legs responded to the call.
Hot blood raced through her entire body.
Her will,
her body,
shifted into combat mode.
"…Grrrrrrrrrr."
Her own growl.
The "that" of the brutal beast dwelling inside her showed its face for the first time in a while.
(It reminds me of my blood fighter days.)
There had been things that should be called "beasts" there too.
(Then, once more…)
Raindrops slid off her rain-soaked fur as if washing something away.
She gripped the hilts of both swords tightly.
"Once more—let us return to being a beast."
▽
Whoosh!
She swung the greatsword held in one hand with all her strength.
The monster's body was sliced cleanly in two.
The corpse of the dead monster spun through the air like a drill.
Without paying attention to the spinning blood droplets, Eve kicked off with her heels and leaped.
She moved immediately because another monster was charging at her.
Right now, she was leaping above that monster's head.
She twisted the hilt with her wrist, turning the blade downward.
She fell straight down, driving the blade through the monster's skull.
Thud!
The blade sank deep into the crown of its head.
She pressed down on the monster's head with her foot and yanked the blade out forcefully.
The blood-soaked corpse.
Eve grabbed it with one hand and,
Whoosh!
hurled it with all her might.
The corpse slammed into a tree trunk some distance away.
She used the impact sound and the smell of blood as bait for the other monsters.
Buying time.
Eve moved her gaze busily.
She missed nothing.
There were far more monsters in the area than she had imagined.
They were probably the ones that had given up chasing Touka.
With this many, she could not hide and let them all pass.
She had expected some fighting would be unavoidable.
So far, however, she had only encountered medium-sized ones at most.
She had not run into any large ones yet.
Even from a distance, she avoided approaching them.
There was no time to rest.
Eve lowered her body.
She began moving quickly in a posture close to quadrupedal.
Catching up to Touka was not difficult.
The scars of fierce battle.
They laid out guideposts leading toward Touka.
The traces were not in a straight line.
From the battle marks she passed, it was clear he had not won easily.
The direction of the traces also branched off midway.
Which trace should she follow?
(—I will check them all.)
She relied on sound and presence.
(There should be a moment somewhere while chasing where those grow stronger…)
She focused on a presence that had been drawing closer for a while.
The presence of a monster.
Just as expected, a monster leaped out from the bushes at the predicted moment.
Matching its leap, she swung her blade.
The monster was sliced in two with a single stroke.
It looked as if it had been destined to be cut from the beginning.
Eve continued without pause,
Hyun!
Using the momentum of her swing, she threw her spare sword.
"—Ge!? HyogorueeeeEEEEE—!? U, ge…"
The thrown blade reached the other monster hiding on the other side of the bushes.
Without delay, she dashed toward the scream.
As she ran past, she pulled the blade from the dead monster and retrieved her spare sword.
She kept running, kicking up mud.
Even in the driving rain, her speed did not drop.
Ahead—on a thick tree branch, a spider-type monster.
She threw her spare sword again.
Then, another monster leaped out from the side.
Without slowing down, she cut it down with a single stroke.
Leap.
Her target was the thick branch ahead.
She pulled the blade from the spider-type monster it had pierced—landing.
Zzaaaaa!
Then, sliding across the mud,
Gah!
She dug her heel into the hard ground beneath the mud and accelerated once more.
As long as they were not humanoid species or large ones, she could handle them.
She had become stronger than when she had fled back before.
Her days as a blood fighter had fostered her growth as a warrior.
"——————"
Another monster presence.
But,
(…What is this?)
There was one presence that felt different.
(Touka? But while Pigi-maru's presence is hard to detect, I cannot sense Slei's at all…)
She had to check.
She increased her speed further.
Along the way, she dispatched a beetle-like monster that was spreading its wings with a single flash.
The problem was what lay ahead.
She lowered her chin and concealed her presence as much as possible.
(What is this presence? It is not a monster… but it is also somehow different from Touka—)
What came through was a presence of fear.
A non-golden-eyed monster?
If so, that was rare.
Ordinary monsters were rarely encountered here.
But they were not nonexistent.
(This level of fear… If I reveal my form and intimidate it with an aggressive growl, it might leave.)
Eve stepped out from the bushes.
Rustle.
"Grrrrrrrrrrrr…"
"————Ah."
Her eyes widened.
"…What? A human… in a place like this?"
Looking up with eyes filled with terror was a petite human girl.
Her cowering figure.
For a moment, it overlapped with Liz.
Reflexively, Eve reached out her hand.
When calming Liz, she would place a hand on her head or shoulder.
The girl, soaked to the bone, looked terribly frail.
So the motion came almost like a habit—
"[Lightning Shifter—the one who circulates lightning here]—[Unlock One]."
—Crackle, snap, crackle—
Sparks of electricity raced through the air in an instant.
A path of intertwining lightning was laid down in a flash.
In less than a single breath, "it" closed the distance.
What "it" unleashed was—
A thrust like a bee's stinger.
But Eve barely managed to deflect the stab with her blade.
The moment their blades met, the electrified "it" let out a short gasp of surprise.
"—This guy not only reacted but actually blocked it!? What the hell is this thing…!? Big sis said the only ones who could react to my stuff were the Goddess, famous people from other countries, or S-rank heroes…!? But at this distance—"
"So—"
"[Unlock Two]."
—Crackle, snap—
"Guoh!? "
"You can't escape my lightning anymore."
Violent lightning raced across Eve's entire body.
"Gu… ga… ah… —!?"
Her throat would not respond.
Words would not come out.
"Sorry~… Big sis's orders. I can't let Kashima get killed."