Day 21
...
After that, we decided to continue our hunt through the ruins of the city.
We waited for Haruhiro, who had gone out scouting.
Standing among the ruins, all we could do was wait. Whether that meant chatting with each other or simply staring blankly into the distance.
Eventually, Haruhiro returned from his scouting mission.
He walked over to us.
When he arrived, I gave him a small smile.
"So, how was it?" I asked, wondering what he had found.
He nodded.
"Bad news. There are only two of them, but one is huge. Almost as tall as we are."
A large goblin?
Then it had to be...
"A hobgoblin," I said.
Manato nodded.
"Yeah. That's probably what it is."
Then Manato explained what a hobgoblin was, since not everyone seemed to know.
"If you don't know, a hobgoblin is a species of goblin. They're larger and stronger than ordinary goblins. They look savage, but they're not particularly intelligent. Sometimes, other goblins even use them as servants."
I already had a certain understanding of monsters in this world, thanks to all the fantasy anime I had watched before coming here.
Even so, whether they were goblins or hobgoblins, they always seemed to be beginner monsters no matter what world they appeared in.
Goblin Slayer gave them a huge buff, sure, but that didn't change the fact that they were still among the most commonly slaughtered monsters around.
"If a goblin has a servant, then he must be pretty rich. Which means he's probably carrying some valuables," Ranta said.
"Maybe. The goblin is wearing armor, and the hobgoblin is wearing armor and a helmet. Though the helmet looks way too big for any of us to wear."
Thinking about it, Ranta might have been right.
If we defeated them, maybe we'd get some decent loot.
That was what I thought at the time.
"Two goblins..." Manato lowered his gaze.
"If there are only two, Yume thinks we can take them down easily," Yume said while looking up at the sky.
"If I can seal one of them with my magic... it shouldn't be difficult after that," Shihoru added.
"Yume will try attacking with bow too. Even if Yume misses a lot, Yume's arrows should still get the goblin's attention."
It sounded like everyone had already decided to fight them.
To me, it felt a little impulsive.
Not everything was guaranteed to go well.
Still, I was going to follow them in the end.
Well, we were a team, after all.
I looked toward Manato.
"So? Are we fighting them?"
That was what I asked.
Manato remained silent for a few moments before finally answering.
"Let's do it."
Well, if Manato had decided, then I'd follow him.
After that, we quickly formed a plan.
Yume and Shihoru would attack from a distance first. Once the enemies noticed the attack, Manato, Mogzo, and I would move to the front line.
Mogzo and I would handle the hobgoblin, while Manato would engage the armored goblin.
Haruhiro, Ranta, and Yume would pressure them from the sides, while Shihoru supported us with magic from afar.
We formed a circle and stacked our hands together in the center.
"Fight!"
Manato shouted in a low voice.
The rest of the party answered in unison.
"All or nothing!"
Also in low voices.
It was some kind of ritual we'd somehow adopted.
Honestly, shouting things like that felt a little embarrassing to me.
"I don't know why... but somehow, that kind of cheer doesn't feel unfamiliar," Shihoru said, tilting her head.
I looked at her and felt a small pang of guilt.
Everyone here had lost their memories.
"Yume feels the same way," Yume said.
"But Yume doesn't know why. Weird, right?"
Then we began carrying out the plan.
Led by Haruhiro, Yume and Shihoru moved ahead to launch the first attack, while Manato, Mogzo, Ranta, and I followed about twenty feet behind.
When they stopped, we stopped as well, waiting for the attack to begin.
From this distance, I could see Yume preparing an arrow and Shihoru readying her magic.
Then—
"They've spotted us!" Haruhiro shouted.
"Let's move!" Manato ordered.
We immediately rushed forward.
Before long, we split into two groups.
Manato and Ranta headed for the armored goblin.
Mogzo and I would deal with the hobgoblin.
The moment we stood before it, a small sense of fear crept into me.
I'd never faced an opponent this large before.
And honestly, that felt perfectly normal.
Looking at the hobgoblin, I spoke.
"Ready, Mogzo?"
I had a feeling this fight was going to be difficult.
A confident answer came back.
"Yeah."
I glanced at Mogzo before looking back at the hobgoblin.
"Then let's do this."
I stepped forward.
The hobgoblin merely watched us at first.
But the moment it saw me approaching, it suddenly charged.
Its massive spiked club swung toward me.
I jumped backward to avoid the attack.
My heart pounded.
Even though I had dodged it successfully, it was still terrifying.
Seeing that the hobgoblin's attention was fixed on me, I shouted.
"Mogzo!"
"Y-Yeah!"
Mogzo charged forward.
The hobgoblin turned toward him, but it was already too late.
Mogzo's sword crashed into the creature.
"Got you!"
A loud metallic impact echoed out as the giant blade struck the hobgoblin's shoulder armor.
My eyes widened.
The hobgoblin didn't move at all.
It didn't even seem to feel the hit.
My expression hardened.
Now I understood what kind of monster we were facing.
Huh.
This was going to be a very difficult fight.
Could the two of us really handle this thing?
"Sirus!"
Mogzo's shout snapped me out of my thoughts.
When I looked back, the hobgoblin was already preparing another attack.
Crap.
Instinctively, I raised my shield.
The club slammed into it.
A sharp metallic crash rang out.
Then I was sent flying backward.
My sword slipped from my hand.
My left arm went numb from the impact.
My entire body hurt.
My head spun.
My vision blurred.
Even so, I forced myself to stand.
Mogzo was still fighting.
I had to help him.
When I got back on my feet, I discarded my shield and sprinted toward the hobgoblin from behind.
Then I leapt.
Grabbing onto its neck with my right hand, I hung from its massive body.
My free left hand searched across its head until it reached one of its eye sockets.
Then, using every bit of strength I had—
I dug my fingers into its left eye and ripped it out.
The hobgoblin struggled violently, making it difficult, but I still managed to tear the eyeball free.
At that exact moment, the hobgoblin caught my right arm.
Then it yanked me away and slammed me into the ground.
...
I couldn't stand.
My ears rang.
My vision was fading completely now.
Ah...
Was I going to die?
In the distance, I could vaguely hear the sounds of battle.
Then I heard Manato's voice.
"Sirus, are you alright?"
That pulled me back to reality.
I forced myself awake.
"Y-Yeah, Manato... I'm fine."
Every part of my body hurt.
But somehow, I could still stand.
Maybe it was the adrenaline.
Or maybe...
I simply didn't want to die yet.
"Good. I'll heal you."
Green light gathered in Manato's hands.
Within moments, I already felt much better.
"Thanks, Manato. That really helped."
"No. It's my responsibility as the party's healer."
...
I stood back up and looked around at the chaotic situation unfolding before me.
Mogzo was struggling against the hobgoblin, even with Haruhiro helping him.
Meanwhile, Ranta and Yume were holding off the armored goblin while Shihoru supported them from afar.
Things were not looking good.
The hobgoblin kicked Mogzo, sending him crashing to the ground.
Then it began raining blow after blow with its spiked club.
Mogzo could only block desperately with his sword.
"Sirus, distract it while I heal Mogzo!" Manato ordered.
"Right!"
I immediately rushed toward the hobgoblin, picking up my fallen sword along the way.
Coming up from behind, I slammed the blade against its helmet.
It probably didn't hurt at all.
Still, at least I got its attention.
The hobgoblin roared and swung its club at me.
I jumped backward and thrust my sword forward.
But attacking it was practically pointless.
The thing was covered in armor.
My blade simply slid off whenever it struck.
"Haruhiro!"
I called out to him.
At the very least, dealing with this monster would be easier with his help.
The hobgoblin attacked again.
I blocked with my sword.
The impact nearly rattled my arm apart.
I shook my right hand experimentally.
Thankfully, although it hurt, it still worked.
While I caught my breath, Haruhiro took over distracting the hobgoblin.
I was panting heavily.
Just watching him dodge attack after attack was exhausting.
Once I felt slightly better, I stepped forward again.
"Haruhiro, switch!"
"Got it."
He retreated to catch his breath.
Now it was my turn again.
I charged.
And, as expected, the hobgoblin greeted me with its club.
Dodging it wasn't difficult.
I shifted my body to the side.
Then I followed up with a kick straight into its stomach.
Nothing happened.
The hobgoblin didn't even budge.
Instead, my foot started hurting.
Damn.
It was tough.
After that useless kick, I jumped backward and widened the distance between us.
There was no way I could defeat this thing.
I simply wasn't strong enough.
For some reason, whenever I was needed most...
I always failed to do what was required.
Ah.
Maybe I would always be useless.
As I stared at the hobgoblin, something unexpected happened.
Manato struck the back of its head with his staff.
Despite the helmet, the hobgoblin actually seemed to react.
Which meant Manato's attack was somehow more effective than mine.
"Run! Everyone, run!" Manato shouted.
"What about you?" Haruhiro asked from beside me.
"Of course I'll catch up! Hurry and go first!"
That's what Manato said.
Even so, I didn't want to leave him behind.
What if something unexpected happened?
"Come on, Sirus," Haruhiro urged.
"...Yeah."
We turned and started running.
When we had gotten some distance away, I looked back.
"Manato! Hurry up and catch up!"
"I know!"
Manato answered.
Then he struck the hobgoblin several more times, making it stagger.
Using that opening, he turned and ran.
But then I saw the armored goblin sheath its sword.
It pulled out another weapon.
From this distance, I couldn't tell what it was.
Then it threw it.
Straight at Manato.
And it looked like it hit him.
"Manato!" Haruhiro shouted.
"I'm fine!" Manato replied.
But even from here, I could tell he was struggling to run.
I gritted my teeth and kept moving.
For a while, we continued running until it became clear that nothing was chasing us anymore.
The first person to stop running was Manato.
Then he collapsed.
Everyone stared at him.
Their faces were filled with concern.
Mine included.
"M-Man..." Haruhiro began.
Then we saw it.
A knife protruded from Manato's back.
The weapon thrown by the armored goblin.
"...Manato."
I muttered his name.
"I thought... it would be okay... if you all... went ahead..."
Every word seemed painful for him.
"Manato... Your wound... Healing magic! Use healing magic on yourself!" Haruhiro shouted.
He sounded panicked.
—Not everyone was panicking.
I simply didn't know what I was supposed to do.
"R-Right..."
His right hand rose toward his forehead.
Then it lost strength and dropped back to the ground.
"My magic... I can't... use it..."
The moment he said that, every bit of hope I had disappeared.
Thoughts flooded my mind.
Will he survive?
Can he still be saved?
"Don't talk!" Ranta yelled.
"Just stay calm! Don't try to speak! What do we do now?!"
I lowered my gaze.
Staring at the empty ground beneath my feet.
I couldn't bear to watch this.
Voices broke apart in the background.
"W-What... what should we do?" Yume asked.
"W-What do you mean?" Haruhiro replied.
I let out a long breath.
Then I looked up again.
And walked toward Manato.
Kneeling beside him, I forced the best smile I could manage.
"Hey, Manato..."
That was all I could think of to say.
Before I realized it, something was falling from my eyes.
Tears.
They blurred my vision.
Trying to suppress the strange feeling inside me, I clenched my teeth.
"S-Sirus... are you... there?"
Manato called out.
"Yeah... Manato."
"Please... protect everyone... I'm begging you."
"W-What do you mean, Manato?" I didn't understand.
But he didn't answer.
"E-Everyone... I'm... sorry..."
"Sorry for what?" Haruhiro asked.
"I... can't... everyone... Haru... hiro... please..."
"Please? Please what? What do you want me to do? No... No, don't say things like that, Manato..."
"I... can't... see... Is everyone... here...?"
"Yeah! We're all here! Manato, everyone's here! So don't go!"
Manato slowly let out a breath.
"No! Don't go! Manato! You can't go! Don't go, Manato! Please... don't go..."
Manato inhaled once more.
Then exhaled.
And at that moment, his eyes became strangely glass-like.
"His heart stopped..."
Shihoru whispered after checking him.
"Rescue breathing! Give him rescue breathing!" Ranta shouted.
They immediately tried.
No.
They simply couldn't accept it.
Even so...
I wasn't the right person to say that.
I stood up.
Then raised my head toward the sky.
The sky was beautiful today.
I wiped my eyes with my sleeve.
Then I thought about what Manato had asked of me.
He wanted someone who couldn't even protect himself...
to protect everyone else?
Wouldn't that just mean everyone would die?
In the end...
I really was useless.
...
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K: I have to admit this is the hardest chapter I've ever written, it took me a few days just to get this result. I don't know if this chapter is good or not, but I've tried my best for this chapter.