Beowulf sunk into the muddy stream . It had suffered Daniela’s strongest hit and this concentrated avalanche of debris . What kind of monster would be able to survive…

“Is he…dead?”

Daniela asked as she came to stand next to me . However, that was a death flag . It was almost miraculously optimal that I just happened to brace myself .

Because before I knew it my body had broken through the wall behind .

“Hhha… . ggg…”

I couldn’t breathe . There was a high-pitched ringing in my ears . My vision was a blur of white fog . My body felt so heavy, it was overriding any other sensation .

“…gi…sagi…Asagi…!!”

I can hear Daniela screaming my name . Or at least, I think that I can . Surely there was no one else here that could call me .

“Asagi, huh . That was pretty impressive for a human b.a.s.t.a.r.d…”

Who, what…? The sudden voice brings me back to full consciousness immediately . The first thing that I see is the ceiling . Then a shadow . Then I’m a.s.saulted by the impact and weight of something on my chest .

“Ggggaah, ahh… . d.a.m.n…!”

“I must congratulate you on being able to hurt me to such a degree . ”

Beowulf said as he pressed me down with a single paw .

“d.a.m.n you, release Asagi!”

I see Daniela nock an arrow in the corner of my vision .

“Hold it . Your partner will die if you release that arrow . ”

“Agghhh…!”

Beowulf leaned more of his weight down onto me . It was so heavy I thought I was going die .

“Tsk…”

Daniela gritted her teeth and returned the arrow to its quiver . But she kept a hand at the sword on her hip .

“d.a.m.n it… What are you…”

“What did you expect? The numbers of my packs were dwindling . I had to come and see who was responsible . That is all . Ahh, do not get me wrong . I hold no enmity against you . ”

What did he mean? Was he saying that this wasn’t revenge for the forest wolves we had hunted?

“You are a.s.suming that this is a counterattack of some sort, are you not? It is not so, Asagi . I only had an interest because you were strong . My comrades died because they were weak . ”

“Then, do you mean to kill us as well…?”

“What a strange thing to say . Does one not kill because they are prepared to be killed in turn?”

Indeed . It would be wrong to turn coward when in danger; after we had killed so many forest wolves ourselves . The fact that they were monsters was no excuse . I didn’t know how to reply, and so I fell silent .

But then again, it was too pathetic to shut up and allow yourself to be killed as well .

“It was I who killed so many forest wolves and pushed you to this point . Kill me and me alone . ”

“Asagi…!?”

Daniela had helped me . She had invited me into a party . I wanted to help her somehow . I ignore her voice and stare hard at Beowulf .

“It seems that you are serious?”

“I can’t prepare myself to die as you say . But I don’t care about what happens to me if I can save her . ”

And I meant it . It wasn’t like any lecture by this guy could change the way I think . There was no way that I could calmly accept my own death .

But if dying would help save Daniela? That would change things . I had died once already . I would decide for myself, what this second life was worth .

Beowulf stared down at me and then smiled .

“Hahaha . There is no lie in your eyes . Very well then, I will give you a quick death . ”

“Asagiiii!!”

Daniela’s voice shook as she screamed . I prayed that Beowulf would stay true to his promise as I smile at her . Then I close my eyes and wait for death .

Ahh, at least my second death would not involve sinking within that feeling of heat and coldness . There won’t be any pain if my body was instantly crushed by this giant foot . Now that I think about it, I had a much more lively time in this world than I ever did in the old one .

It was lonely working alone in a time without the sun .

It was fun talking with Daniela in a time with the sun .

It was hard greeting every morning with a tired body .

It was exciting greeting every night with a tired body .

But now I would die . How good would it be if I were to awake once again on that mist covered hill?

With such fanciful hopes in my chest, I waited for the final blow .

“Or not . I think that I have changed my mind . ”

“?”

“?”

The weight on my chest lifted .

“What…? Aren’t you going to kill…?”

“I have told you, I had a change of heart . ”

A change of heart . I see . Well, I guess that couldn’t be helped then .

“b.a.s.t.a.r.d! I want my resolution bac…”

“Asagii!!!”

“Asagii!!!”

Daniela’s face was a tear-stained wreck as she wrapped her arms around me . I couldn’t see a thing as she covered me .

“Ah, I thought you were about to die…! Uuu…!”

“Daniela…”

She had cried so much on my behalf . I couldn’t help but feel happy . The trick was to hug girls at times like these . I say to myself, but my body does not move . The hit I had previously suffered still remained as damage .

“Why didn’t you kill me?”

“I will not say that you are stronger than me, but no one else has ever harmed me as much as you two have . It would be a waste to kill you . ”

Beowulf had apparently been born within this forest territory . In some point in his long life, he had gone from being a forest wolf to a being Beowulf . He said that he did know the reason for this change… But regardless, not once in his long existence had he suffered so much as he had tonight .

“Not even when I fought against a wyvern . Well, they are the most simplistic creatures . Your attack was most surprising . ”

“But this strategy could have been conceived by any human . There are many people in the world who are much stronger than me . ”

“That may be so . But this place is all that I know . That is why I am considering going on a journey to train . I must search for one who is stronger than I . ”

He said and then smiled . Somehow, that just made him even more frightening .

“Are you sure won’t kill me just to commemorate?”

“Do you want to die so much?”

“If you kill Asagi, I will kill you . Even if it is the last thing that I ever do . ”

Daniela’s voice echoed in the quiet ruins .

“I enjoy living . Perhaps I’ve seen enough danger for one day . ”

“Hmph…I do not know about that . ”

“I enjoy living . Perhaps I’ve seen enough danger for one day . ”

“Hmph…I do not know about that . ”

Daniela glared hard at Beowulf, but then she took a step back when I tapped her on the shoulder .

“Well, if you say that you’re not going to kill me, I will gladly accept that . It would be very inconvenient for Daniela if I were to die here . ”

“That is true . ”

And so the battle with Beowulf ended . …at least, that seemed to be the case?

“Hahhh… I’m relieved, but so much more tired now . ”

I exhaustedly looked up at the ceiling . It seemed that the previous blow from Beowulf had caused parts of the ceiling to collapse, letting the moonlight flood into the room . Perhaps the clouds had parted because the light seemed much brighter now .

Just then, a faint light shone through a fissure in the wall in the corner of the room . What was it? Was there a room on the other side? I leaned forward to get a closer look . Then Daniela raised her head .

“Asagi… What is it…?”

“…Look over there . There’s a light…”

“Hmm…so there is . ”

We both look hard at the crack .

“Ah, I can break it down if you wish . ”

Perhaps Beowulf was feeling considerate, he kicked a chunk of broken wall that was right next to my head with his leg . I hiss with surprise . I thought I was going to die .

The chunk of wall flies right into the fissure and with a thunderous crash, brings the wall to the ground . The once faint light combines with the light of the moon as it s.h.i.+nes on us . My body was finally able to move again, and so I stood up to inspect what was on the other side .