I felt like I'd just seen a very nostalgic dream. One of innocent children, my childhood, when we all played without a care…

No, I get it. It wasn't my body that was tired, it was my heart.

“Yeah”

“I'm fine, cla.s.s rep. I'll go wash my face”

First, I needed to freshen up. I splashed my face not with the usual cold fountain water, but with water from a luke warm well.

At the moment, we were in the middle of clearing a new zone of the dungeon. Unfortunately, or perhaps because the difficulty had been raised, we failed to find a fairy square by the end of the first day's exploring. So reluctantly, we decided on a night watch, and camped out.

“…”

She lay in a pool of blood, while he, Momokawa, stood to her side, holding a knife coated in fresh blood. I just couldn't get that scene out of my head, it was seared into my eyes.

I was such an idiot, letting them go just like that. After the blinding fog cleared, we did chase after them. We didn't find them. Neither Momokawa and Futabsan who ran off with him, nor Reina's body.

There should've been another way, a better way to go about this… No, not that, I, why wasn't I on time? Why the h.e.l.l couldn't I come in time to save Reina…

I can't forgive Momokawa for killing her. But I can't forgive myself even more, I wasn't able to protect her.

With this Job called Hero, I had fought all this time and had become strong. Stronger that the past me, stronger than the me yesterday, and I continue to get stronger―― But it wasn't enough. I wasn't nearly strong enough to even hope to protect Reina.

Hiroki, my friend, my buddy, even he was killed… Wasn't I supposed to let no one else die? Not just Sakura or cla.s.s rep, or the girls with me now, everyone, wasn't I supposed to strive for the strength to protect each and every one of them?

This naivete of mine must've put a lot of weight on Futabsan. Starting from the four-armed gogma, I relied heavily on her strength to achieve our victories.

I just, couldn't understand what that girl was thinking. I've heard how she was indebted to Momokawa for saving her life.

I know. The fact that Momokawa was the one who killed Reina was something like a coincidence. Some thing like the worst possible thing happening at the worst possible timing.

She was, just a normal girl, after all. Reina hadn't changed at all from all the way back when we first met. She was always that pure, innocent girl.

It just so happened that Momokawa ended up with that role. He was yelling out that it was self-defense, but rather than an excuse, that might've been what he really believed.

That's why I had to protect her. From monsters that'd have her as food, from cla.s.smates who'd kill her for personal gain, and from Momokawa, who was someone who could kill with valid reason―― From anyone. If only I was there, if I was there at her side, I could've saved her!

I could think all I want, but I'd always end up back at the same regret.

I couldn't keep staying like this. I knew that. I realized that, but couldn't bring myself to do it, I could only regret.

I jumped at the sudden call, looking towards the caller. Then I remembered that my face right now wasn't something I could show others, so I, very unnaturally, faced away.

“You're, still thinking about Reina”

The words stung as they left my mouth. I ended up saying it to my sister. I was hopeless, pathetic.

“It's fine, nii-san. You don't need to be that way, at least, in front of me”

“No, I wasn't-”

Of course I didn't talk about it. I'm a man so, no, before that, there's also the fact that if I became unreliable, it'd bear heavily on the others. We were still trapped in the dungeon, I didn't have the time nor energy to spare, to mourn Reina's death.

“Sakura… I'm, sorry, I worried you again”

“Please, nii-san, please just don't try to carry everything on your own. I don't want to be simply protected by you. Let me be your strength, I promise I'll be reliable. I'll become stronger, much stronger as a Saintess” “Yeah, I will. We'll get stronger. Right now, that's the only thing we can do”

Reina was killed because I wasn't strong enough.

“That's right. We should all strive to return alive”

This didn't mean I'd accepted Reina's death. All this grief, all this regret, I'd never forget any of it.

I'll do it. I'll beat this dungeon, I'll find a way to return everyone home, no matter what. We were in a dark, deserted town. The buildings here had complex architecture, made of metals and stone, they resembled sight-seeing spots in Europe. The town exuded a sort of finesse.

The place didn't look too old and there were few collapsed buildings. But no one lived inside, there wasn't a single sign of people having lived in those buildings.

“――!! Werewolves incoming!”

And at the same time, I heard the familiar ‘AWOOO!', a ferocious werewolf's howl, along with piercing bloodl.u.s.t. They'd noticed us and were ready for a fight.

“Got it”

I was beside Natsukawsan in less than 3 seconds, but the werewolves were also fast. Those bloodthirsty creatures with crazed, red eyes had already come to striking distance.

As if they'd been previously human, most werewolves had some form of clothing on them. Though these clothes were ripped, torn, and didn't function as any sort of covering anymore. Some of them even wore random pieces of armor.

“UOOGAAAAHH!!”

But this werewolf wasn't a simple beast that solely used it's claws and fangs. It held its own weapon, and brandished that weapon in a practiced manner.

These monsters also hunted in groups, and we'd encounter those at quite a high frequency at that. Their presence alone raised the bar very high in this part of the dungeon.

“Eh, but-”

“Okay, will do!”

As for me, I had to become stronger than anyone, I needed to be a lot stronger than I am now.

In contrast to the heated emotions in my heart, my sword was calm, quick, and focused.

“UOAAHH!!”

I'd finished the first of them in one strike and immediately moved to intercept the second.

My next challenger had its upper body crammed in muscle. It had arms as thick as logs and carried a large warhammer. This one seemed to be particularly focused on strength.

“GRRRAAAHHH!!”

If I focus on one, the other gets me. Meaning, I simply had to take down both at the same time.

I can't use the Hero's finis.h.i.+ng move every time if I hope to grow.

“ Force Boost ”

Sword Storage: Dimension magic of the light element, used to call forth weapons. An alice blue magic circle quickly formed on my left hand, which is when I visualized my desired blade.

“ Sword Storage, SELECT, Blue Lightning Blade ”

As the description says, this skill employs a magic that manipulates s.p.a.ce, dimension magic. My Sword Storage couldn't store anything and everything, it was limited to bladed weapons under a set size and quant.i.ty.

Now, the weapon I called from my Sword Storage this time was Blue Lightning Blade, one of the magic swords Takanas.h.i.+-san had created with her upgrade ability before we'd gone into the goma's pyramid castle.

I made a thrusting motion with my single edged sword of lightning directed at the spear wielding werewolf swooping down from above.

But that didn't mean I had to display 3 times or more skill in my sword to beat the longer spear. The solution was much easier, more accurate, a sure method to beat the spear user.

My magic, Line Curis Sagitta, caused an intense, blue crackle of lightning, skewering the swift monster.

I observed the spear werewolf, its pitch black fur singed and shredded, as it fell limply to the ground, out of the corner of my eyes, while brandis.h.i.+ng my sword against the musclebound werewolf that'd come striking distance to me and was about to swing down its steel warhammer.

“HAAA!!”

And the one to be blown away was the one who lacked in strength; in this case, the werewolf.

As both a pract.i.tioner of the Souma style of swordplay and as a Hero, I wasn't necessarily a power fighter. But monsters didn't follow rules, the creatures of this dungeon didn't play fair, and there were lots of instances where the extra strength can mean the difference between life and death. Many monsters moved in groups, packs or swarms, which would lead to situations where evading their attacks would mean that my companions behind me would get hurt.

If a simple Force Boost amplified my strength so much, I could expect the buff spells from Sakura and the others to push it much higher.

With Blue Lightning Blade in my left hand and the Paladin's Sword in my right, I used both weapons at once to finish off the now out-of-balance hammer wolf.

This was a technique combining the dual wielding battle art of dual severing, Blazer, and the innate power of the Blue Lightning Blade. The azure lightning from the latter could copy over to its paired blade, doubling the power as Voltec Blazer.

Although, most of the time it wasn't that I plan on using these techniques, but it just happens that I have the weapons on hand to utilize them. Even this time, it was only because I judged that I'd need Blue Lightning Blade to defeat the spear user and ended up with this combo of blades.

Seeing the corpse, which had become nothing more than burned black pieces of meat, I thought it was a bit overkill and I should reflect on it. Not on the cruelty, but the fact that using unnecessarily powerful techniques like this wasted a lot of energy. The fight never lets up. So it was imperative that I be as efficient as possible in order to clear the dungeon.

“…. Nope, looks like we're in the clear”

Somehow, we've been very lucky to have Natsukawsan and her adeptness at detecting enemies.

“No, I wanted it like that. Please don't worry”

“Nii-san, we should continue. We really need to find a fairy square by today”

“Yeah, we should. Alright, let's get going Natsukawsan”

For some reason, Natsukawsan made a dispirited expression as she pa.s.sed by me, and with her in front, we began walking again. Natsukawsan, if you're tired, I can switch with you… Are you sure you're alright?