Kumo Desu ga, Nani ka?

293 – Elf Village Battle ③

「You are Wakaba-san, right? Just what is going on here!? What was done to Shun!?」

Ooshima-kun yells that out, but I’m just about to put the screws on the likely suspect who did something to Yamada-kun, so please wait a moment.

「Shiro-san, we truly haven’t done anything.」

Just as I had seized vampire girl by the scruff of her neck and was about to make her confess everything, there’s an unexpected defense motion from oni-kun!

「Shun did something to the half-elf who is collapsed over there, and then suddenly he was in pain. Based on the situation, isn’t it likely that Shun used some skill and then experienced a side-effect from that?」

To oni-kun’s calm analysis, vampire girl nodded her head quickly in support. Suspicious. That vampire girl’s eyes are swimming a bit, is extremely suspicious.

「Well, the one who caused the situation that forced Shun to use a skill was Sophia-san though.」

Never expecting oni-kun’s support to be reversed so quickly, vampire girl turns to look at oni-kun with such force that you can practically hear a “vwhip” sound effect. Her face totally has “I don’t believe this guy, why the fuck did he expose it!” written on it. As expected, the perpetrator is YOU isn’t it!

「The zombies that Sophia-san is controlling fatally shot the half-elf over there. Shun did the medical treatment, but the next moment Shun was in pain. That’s about how it looked from my perspective.」

Oni-kun concisely explains the situation. Yup, easy to understand indeed. Hm? He did treatment then was in pain?

「By the way, unless I’m mistaken, it shouldn’t have been possible to treat that half-elf in time. It was a fatal wound to all appearances after all. No matter how good Shun’s magic abilities might be, there’s no way she could be saved in time.」

Hmm? Huh? In other words, the half-elf who is unconscious right next to Yamada-kun had actually died? However, she’s breathing normally for a start and is basically just unconscious right? Which means that Yamada-kun used his Kindness skill to resurrect the dead then?

「Is what Shun did resurrecting the dead? Well, for such an ability, there’s no way such a thing should be possible without compensation, right? I don’t know what kind of compensation there might be, but considering how much Shun was suffering it seems about right. Kanata, I’d rather you don’t blame us for that okay.」

As if spitting it out, oni-kun said so to Ooshima-kun, who is still holding up her sword firmly. Even though her eyes are showing confusion, there is the light of reason in her eyes as she tries to sort out the situation. It seems she’s desperately thinking about whether it’s possible to break through this situation.

However, I can’t afford to worry about that right now. I’m dripping in cold sweat. Isn’t the reason for Yamada-kun’s collapse, my fault in a way? After all, for him to collapse after using Kindness, that absolutely has to be because his Taboo level was max’d, right? The compensation for using Kindness is for Taboo to go up a level. If it was just that then there’s no pain or anything. Not unless Taboo’s level is max’d. I’ve experienced that myself as well, but even now I still can’t forget that revolting experience. Yep. It’s no surprise for him to lose consciousness.

And so, it just happens that the perpetrator behind the previous incidents to raise Yamada-kun’s Taboo level by deliberately causing people to die in front of him, is right here. It’s me! Indeed, it’s my fault that Yamada-kun’s Taboo level has max’d! The final straw was due to vampire girl’s actions, but it’s still a fact that I had been causing it to pile up previously. Ack, I can’t blame vampire girl now.

「Besides all that, Kanata. Didn’t you make rather too much fuss over Shun merely losing consciousness?」

While I’m pondering how to conceal to truth, oni-kun conveniently changes the subject.

「Shun is still alive. He’s not dead. Also, this is a battlefield. It’s not unusual to die here. Despite all that, why did you get into such a panic over something as minor as him losing consciousness? I hope I’m wrong, but surely you are not standing here with neither the resolution to die, nor the resolution to lose others, right?」

A sense of intimidation surges out from oni-kun, like an electric shock. Perhaps they were overwhelmed by the intimidation, as the Imperial Army and elven army fighting a short distance away stop moving. Even the zombies that are already lifeless seem to have stopped moving out of dread. Ooshima-kun, who is faced with taking that intimidation head on, has a torrent of sweat running down her while quivering. As if she had had a bucket of water thrown over her, a ridiculous amount of sweat is pouring off her. Her body is visibly shaking in fear. It’s to the degree that you wonder how she can even be still standing.

「If you are standing here with such half-hearted resolution, then I am disappointed. Without knowing the truth, without having the resolution, yet you are convinced that you are on the side of justice or something? That’s so not funny that it could inspire rage. When I think that my former friend has become such a fool, it’s repellent in the extreme.」

Oni-kun, unusually for him, is hurling abuse at someone without even trying to conceal his disgust. That rage, perhaps being overlooked amongst all the intimidation, somehow feels fishy. Well, since his former friend is his opponent he might be thinking about various things. That opponent, known as Ooshima-kun, is only half-conscious due to being overpowered by oni-kun.

「Kanata. This is your first and last warning. Lower your weapon and surrender. Otherwise, even though we were once friends, I will cut you down. That’s what it means to be resolved.」

I’m sure he actually has no intention of doing so, but oni-kun declares that with plenty of intimidation. That was the clincher. Ooshima-kun goes weak at the knees, and sinks to the ground right there. Having already comprehend the gap in strength between them so much so that it hurts, she yielded by instinct rather than by reason. Well, that’s when you go “it’s impossible” after all. The despair that Ooshima-kun is feeling now, would probably be similar to what I had felt in the past when I met Alaba for the first time, I guess? That it’s impossible to win, just from feeling the other’s presence. That’s just how much of a difference in strength there was.

Ooshima-kun loses the will to fight and retires. Yamada-kun, sensei and the half-elf are unconscious. Only Hyrinth, Kuro, is left. Yep. I guess I can leave this place to oni-kun and vampire girl already.