“Ms. Rebecca…?”

I looked up at her blankly. Apart from her hair having faded a little and the stale smell of cigarettes wafting from her, she looked astonishingly the same as before. As if she alone had somehow escaped the backdraft of destruction.

But that wasn’t the only reason I was surprised. I had naturally assumed she had left the island long ago with the professors. She was the most veteran among the security guards, so I figured she’d be anyone’s first choice for someone to entrust their safety to.

“Why are you here…”

I voiced that question blankly. She shook her head and reached out her hand to me.

“I saw a light coming from the Academy side, so I came to check. Thought maybe there’d been an explosion like last time. Turns out it was your doing.”

“That’s…”

“Save the explanation for tomorrow. First, get up. I took care of the ones I could see, but there’s no telling what else is out there.”

“Ah… yes.”

There was no arguing with that stern tone. Especially with her suggestion to save all the talk for tomorrow. I eventually conceded and reached out my hand.

Her hand, which I grasped for the first time, was incredibly hard. Hard enough to make me think it wasn’t quite human. Barely managing to pull myself up, I turned my gaze toward Saya.

“Saya. We have to go. Before anyone else comes after us.”

“…”

“Can you stand?”

“…Yeah.”

Saya barely managed a nod, then uncharacteristically rose to her feet with sluggish movements. Anyone could see she was exhausted and drained. Worried, I asked gently.

“Saya. Can you walk?”

“Yeah. I’m fine.”

“You don’t need to push yourself…!”

But it was my own lower body that gave out first. My legs went limp in an instant, and if Ms. Rebecca hadn’t caught me, I would have collapsed right there. 

“Ugh…”

“Watch yourself. From where I’m standing, you’re the one who looks worse off.”

“I know. But…”

“…And elves are a race that don’t need your concern to begin with.”

“…”

I fell silent at those words. She glanced at me, then sighed and spoke.

“Right. There’s so much you need to talk about, isn’t there?”

“Yes.”

“Tomorrow. Let’s save it for tomorrow. Do you have somewhere to go? If not, I can take you there.”

“No… I have somewhere to go. I can walk, so follow me.”

I gritted my teeth and pulled myself up once more. Then I began walking forward, slowly. Every step felt like my entire body would crumble apart, but I couldn’t just stand still.

“…Lope.”

Then Saya suddenly clung to my arm. She gripped one of my arms tightly and rested her head against it.

“Lean on me. I’ll walk with you.”

“I’m fine, Saya. You don’t need to do that.”

“Please, Lope. Don’t refuse me.”

“I told you, I’m fine.”

“…I’m the one who’s not fine.”

“…”

With those words, Saya clung to my arm with all her strength. It was as if she couldn’t endure it unless she leaned on me. Only then did I realize her words hadn’t been offered merely to support me.

In the end, we began walking into the darkness, holding each other up. Behind us, the heavy metallic clank of Ms. Rebecca’s footsteps echoed. Every time that sound reached her ears, Saya burrowed deeper into my embrace.

Naturally, the soft fragrance of forget-me-nots covered the pervasive stench of blood. The scent I encountered after the long battle felt inexplicably nostalgic and welcome. Listening to the rhythmic sound of footsteps, drowsiness gradually crept over me.

“Lope?”

“Yeah…”

Saya, perhaps sensing something off, called my name. I answered instinctively, but my eyes eventually closed. Soon, my entire body went limp in a calm that felt like death.

But it was too early to die. So even as I buried myself in the darkness, I kept moving my feet. The night, in which the dead and the dying had been mingled, finally ended at the edge of that threshold. The dawn sky I had failed to meet was cold and gentle.

“Lope.”

“…”

“Wake up. Lope.”

“…Ms. Rebecca.”

I must have actually fallen asleep. When I came to, I was standing near the second hideout. Beyond the overgrown bushes, the silhouette of a large house loomed.

“Yes… this is it. Just go into the house up ahead.”

“I’d like to do that too, but I can’t.”

“Is something wrong?”

“Look over there.”

I cast my gaze in the direction she pointed. In the deepened darkness, a faint shadow caught my eye. After frowning at it for a long while, I realized what it was and spoke.

“Haru…”

“Don’t move.”

But what came back the next moment was an utterly frigid voice. She spoke again in a tone I had never heard from her before.

“I don’t know what you’re holding, but put everything down. And send Senior and Saya over here.”

“There seems to be some misunderstanding. I’m just…”

“I’m going to count to three.”

“Haru. It’s not like that.”

“One. Two.”

“Wait… hold on a second.”

If I left her be, she really would charge at me swinging her sword. I hurriedly waved my hands at Haru, even though I knew she couldn’t see them.

“She’s someone I know. I’ve known her for a long time.”

“That doesn’t matter. Hurry and come over here with Saya.”

“Alright. I get it, so just calm down.”

But even after I approached closer, Haru didn’t lower her sword. From the way her entire body was a mess of leaves and foliage, it seemed Haru had been searching for me for quite some time. She still gripped her sword tightly, sniffing in my direction with soft snuffling sounds.

“You must be hurt badly. The smell of blood is no joke.”

“It was a brutal night. And she’s okay. Put down your weapon now.”

“I’m not so sure about that.”

“…Haru.”

“So back off. Even if my eyes are useless, slicing you open won’t be a problem.”

“…”

Uncharacteristically, Haru even laced her words with crude profanity, displaying her wariness. Ms. Rebecca watched her for a moment, then nodded.

“Fair enough. I understand. It’s only natural to be suspicious.”

“…”

“Go inside and rest for now, Lope. Like I said earlier, let’s save the talk for tomorrow.”

“…Ms. Rebecca.”

“Because there’s so much to talk about.”

“Let’s go. Senior.”

At her words, Haru unceremoniously shoved my back. Without the strength to resist, I stumbled forward toward the house. Ms. Rebecca stood still, watching us go.

But Haru wouldn’t even allow eye contact with her. She kept pushing our backs until she wrenched the door open with a rough hand.

“…Ugh.”

The moment the door opened, a rush of warm air swept over us. My head spun, and my legs gave out beneath me. The relief of finally reaching the hideout must have drained the last of my strength.

“Haa…”

“Must have been a really brutal day, Senior.”

Even so, Haru slammed the door shut and locked the bolt. She continued keeping watch by the door.

“Stupid question, but are you hurt anywhere? The smell of blood is serious.”

“I’ve got plenty of injuries. But they’re nothing serious. I just need some rest.”

“What about Saya?”

“Saya…”

I looked at Saya, who was still nestled in my embrace. Only then did she pull away slightly and give a timid nod.

“…I’m okay too.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I’m fine.”

“That’s a relief. Though neither of you looks fine at all.”

Her words were biting, but Haru’s assessment hit the mark. She stood by the door for a long while before letting out a deep sigh.

“I want to hear what happened too, but I’ll save it for tomorrow. Just rest for now, Senior.”

“Thank you. Haru.”

“Don’t mention it. It’s what I should do.”

“Still… where are you going?”

Haru suddenly opened the door and raised her sword once more. Then she stepped outside without hesitation.

“No matter how I think about it, I can’t trust that woman. I’ll stand guard outside the door, so you and Saya get some rest.”

“There’s no need for that, Haru. She’s really someone I know. And she saved us today.”

“The people who tried to kill me at the Annex that day were all people I knew too. You know full well how worthless past connections can be, Senior.”

“That’s… you’re right.”

“And above all, there’s a smell. A strange smell, literally.”

That last remark was grave and heavy. As before, when it came to smells, Haru’s words weren’t something I could simply dismiss. 

Even so, a flicker of defiance rose within me. Even knowing that Haru was right both logically and situationally, I kept wanting to deny it. Why? Was it because she was, for all intents and purposes, the only mentor I had?

Or was it because she was the only person who had saved me since the world fell into this state?

…

No.

The truth is, someone else had saved me.

I turned my head toward Saya. Her hand was still trembling faintly. I wanted to hold it, but I couldn’t bring myself to, for fear that I would stain her hand with blood as well.

“…Anyway, I’m going outside, Senior. Get some sleep now. You too, Saya.”

“Alright. Don’t push yourself too hard either.”

“Wow. That’s the first time you’ve spoken to me so kindly. I can go out feeling good about it.”

Was it? For the first time, Haru let out a quiet *hiss* of a laugh and turned to leave. But just before stepping outside, she paused briefly and added one more thing.

“Oh right. And Senior.”

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry. For not coming to help you.”

“…It’s fine.”

Before my words could even reach her, the door closed. I leaned my head against it and let out a long, collapsing breath.

“Haaaa…”

Warmth gathered in the breath I exhaled. I glanced over to see the fireplace devouring burning logs. Above it, a mounted deer head stared at me with faded eyes.

I still didn’t fully understand the true nature of this place. Despite being in a remote location, it was quite sizable and equipped with plumbing and other facilities, leading me to vaguely suspect it might be the Headmaster’s villa. 

The reason such a well-equipped place had been abandoned was simple. It was too large for one person to manage alone, yet lacked proper security measures, making it disadvantageous for defense. But now that our group had grown, staying here might actually be safer.

But there was no proper medical facility here either. In the end, the only useful thing in our current situation was the running water. Or rather, even that wasn’t certain. It was unclear whether the Magitech Equipment in this place was fully operational.

For now, there was nothing I could do. I dragged my heavy body toward the bed. Saya supported me the entire way.

“Saya. I’m fine now. You go rest too.”

“…”

Saya didn’t even answer, simply guiding me to the bed. I gave up resisting and lay down on top of the covers. The guilt of staining the white sheets crept down my spine like a cold wind.

Even so, I had no intention of washing up. I had already spent every last ounce of energy. All I could do was borrow against today and entrust my body to tomorrow.

My skin began to melt into the warmth I hadn’t felt in so long. Sweat, not blood, seeped into the covers over me. It felt like coming down with a fever. My mind was hazy, and my body was as languid as if I’d soaked in hot water. If I stayed still, I could almost feel the hands of a family that didn’t even exist brushing across my forehead.

The figure of the small elf girl still flickered before my eyes. She still couldn’t bring herself to leave my side.

“Saya.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m going to sleep first. You should rest too. There’s a bed in the next room.”

“…Yeah.”

An uncertain answer settled at my bedside. I turned away and burrowed deeper into the covers. The cradle my body sank into reeked of a foul, coppery stench.

Soon, the lights went out, and a blue glow scattered from the ceiling with a soft hiss. So there were still lamps here powered by mana. A passing cynicism gave way to the familiar aftertaste of darkness. A lonely drowsiness washed over me like a wave.

And at the same time, the faces of the people who had crossed my path today surfaced one by one. Erika. Roselia. Duke. And the decapitated corpse. The problems I wanted to postpone until tomorrow kept pressing themselves against me.

I hadn’t even fallen asleep yet, but my mind was already replaying the day’s events of its own accord. If only I could crack open my own skull, I’d tear out the little lump of gray matter inside and mash it into a mess. 

Of course, that was impossible. I didn’t even have the strength to move a finger, so I had no choice but to lie there at the mercy of whatever nightmares came for me.

Perhaps I would be wandering through nightmares for a long time tonight.

“…”

But then something slipped under the covers and tapped against my back with a soft *tap*. The sensation was familiar enough that I didn’t need to turn around. Instead, I hunched my shoulders slightly and called her name.

“Saya. You can go to the next room.”

“…”

“Saya?”

“Sorry for bothering you.”

She apologized first, as always. Then she gulped and continued.

“But still… could I stay like this for just a little while?”

“…Yeah. Alright.”

“I’ll stay like this for just one hour.”

“You can stay longer than that.”

“Thank you.”

Her hushed whisper still carried the weight of what had happened earlier. Knowing she couldn’t easily shake it off, I simply nodded.

Ever so slightly, Saya pressed her back closer to mine. Then she asked in a voice that trembled terribly.

“Lope.”

“Yeah?”

“Could you… maybe hold my hand too…?”

It was a request like a child’s, but I didn’t smile at all. I could understand completely. So I nodded once more.

“Alright.”

Then the covers lifted slightly, and slender fingers reached toward me. Like a winter branch, they looked as if they would snap at any moment if I didn’t hold them.

I carefully raised my arm to take her hand. But then something caught my eye. I pressed my lips tight and quietly stared at the back of her hand.

A vivid blue glow softly illuminated the dark room. Through the torn glove, the elven mark was now fully exposed. 

When had it torn? I couldn’t say for certain. The first fall. Or perhaps from the second fall onward. 

The only thing I could say for sure was that it must have been like this when we met Ms. Rebecca.

Anxiety washed over me. Without thinking, I urgently clasped Saya’s hand. She twitched her fingers, perhaps startled, but then interlaced them with mine and held on tight.

Naturally, our bodies drew closer, and her warm body heat pressed against mine. At this point, it was essentially the same as an embrace. If there was any difference at all, it was only that I couldn’t feel a heartbeat pounding against my chest.

Even so, holding hands like this, we could feel each other’s pulse. It was still faint and small, but if I stayed still, I could feel it with perfect clarity.