「Damn it, stop messing around…!」
This was the first thing the boy, Kunihito Kengo, said after losing his “pistol.”
He ran away as soon as he saw us. “Huh, why is he running away!?”
“Umm… Maybe because he doesn’t have good memories with the phantoms.” Shion answered to Shouko’s surprise.
”…Outside the range of tranquility. We need to get closer.” Senyuu muttered.
“Can’t we just leave him alone…?”
“N-no! If we calm down and talk to him, he’ll understand!”
Luminas-sensei reacted to the sluggish voice of the Dream World. “Kousuke-san”
Deep Ho looked at me as if asking for instructions.
“Let’s chase him. We’ll go to the top of him with a micron. Then Senyuu will calm him down.” “Okay. Understood.”
If it were a straight line, we could catch up to him immediately, but since Kunihito was running through a dense forest, even with a micron, we couldn’t close the distance instantly.
Still, it was just a matter of time before we caught up. “Within range—tranquility”
Tsunai’s body faintly glowed, and he gradually slowed down.
”…Why was I so scared?”
Indeed, it seemed that he had been frightened by Mashiro and Mikuron and had run away.
It appeared that he had stopped because his fear had subsided.
“Tsuna-kun, can you listen to me?”
Rumina-sensei called out to Tsunai while still riding on the black dragon, Mikuron.
“Huh? Isn’t that Rumina-chan? Why are you on that black dragon…?”
“Y-Yes, please, Mr. Tanka. But more importantly, there’s something important I need to tell you.”
“Wait, Sensei. Before you talk, let’s leave this place first.” I interrupted Sensei’s words.
Several of our comrades had already entered a combat-ready stance upon realizing the situation.
“Koji-kun? What’s wrong?”
Sensei was focused on Tsunai and hadn’t noticed. “Sensei, this place is—a water area.”
Currently, there are two types of monstrous creatures—monsters—on this desert island: Arvanc and Trent.
Both of them live in water.
And before their eyes was a large body of water that could be called a lake.
Eleven people, including Tsutsui, had come there.
There was no way they wouldn’t provoke the monsters.
Even though there was no wind, the trees around them rustled, and splashes rose on the water’s surface.
The trees pulled their roots from the ground and moved them like legs.
The branches wriggled like tentacles, and human-like faces appeared on the trunks.
The Arvanc also crawled out onto the ground, but there were far too many of them.
They filled the entire field of vision. “A, a, a…”
“Tsutsui, come up here!” I reached out to Tsutsui.
But his legs gave out, and he fell on his butt and didn’t move. “Chiyu! Give me a boost!”
That said, I jumped off Mikuron.
“Sou-kun…!? ‘Strength Enhancement’!”
Even as she sounded unusually anxious, my childhood friend cast the enhancement spell on me without a moment’s hesitation.
My entire body glowed faintly, and I felt my strength surge.
I picked up Tsukui and threw him onto Mikuron’s back.
“Teacher, please hold him down so he doesn’t fall off.”
“H-hai…! K-Kouno-kun, hurry up too!”
Mikuron and Kuroryuu Miyoko could fly away, but Fenrir’s Mashiro was in danger.
The countless Trents had already moved to block our escape route. Hesitation.
For now, let’s have the dream world’s barrier encircle us.
Then, from a safe distance, we can continue attacking the monsters with deep magic until they’re all gone.
That’s right. With this team, there’s no need to panic.
But reality doesn’t always go according to plan.
The black dragon, Kuro Ryuu, who was worried about the girls on Mashiro, hadn’t gained altitude.
A Trent extended a branch and wrapped it around its tail.
Kuro Ryuu, surprised by this, tried to free himself by twisting his body, but the branch snapped. But— “Ah!”
Shoubu and Shion, riding on Kuro Ryuu, tried to cling to him tightly, but their reaction was too slow.
She almost dropped her tablet and reached for it.
Because of this, she couldn’t hold onto Kuro Ryuu anymore—and fell.
If that was all, it would have been fine.
Unfortunately, she was further pushed away by another branch from the Trent. Her body flew through the air.
Worst of all, she was pushed toward the group of Arvanks. The others cried out in alarm.
“I’ll go! You guys take care of the monsters from inside the barrier!”
I only relayed the initial plan and then sprinted toward the group of Arvanks.
I look at the ones who might get in my way until I reach the dream world and place something from my Inventory. ――It’s hot water.
Hot water boiled vigorously with the fire attribute magic of the deep arts.
When I take a bath, I usually dilute it with water, but I didn’t bother this time.
The Arvanks who are hit with the hot water scream in agony and thrash about.
I use my enhanced body to bounce them off and time it just right to jump.
I soar high in the air like a superhero and leap down to the dream world. “Deliver it…!”
I catch the dream body in mid-air and fall.
The Arvanks around us scatter to avoid us, creating a small empty space. That’s where I land.
The impact was so strong that my shoes sank halfway into the ground, but my enhanced body kept me from getting hurt.
“Hah… hah… eh, K, Kouya…?”
The dream world looks like it can’t believe I actually made it. “Are you okay?”
For a moment, her face turns pale with regret for her mistake. “Ah, I’m sorry…!”
She doesn’t seem like herself, probably because she’s shaken up.
But I didn’t have time to comfort her.
“Two dream worlds, two barriers. One to enclose our friends and—” At that moment.
The Arvancs surrounding us all pounced at once.
And just as they were about to bite us, they were repelled by something invisible.
”…Yeah, I get it. We’re surrounded, but it’s just us.” As expected of the dream world.
She quickly recovered from the confusion and seemed to understand the situation.
This way, no matter how large the swarm, it wouldn’t be a problem.
Our friends could attack the monsters from outside the barrier, and
Dream World and I could hold out inside this small barrier.
“Are you okay? Dream World, did you get hurt?”
“N-no. My arms and everything still move. Maybe it’s just adrenaline.”
You might not notice an injury right away, and it could start to hurt later.
I hope I can meet up with Senyuu before the adrenaline wears off.
It seems like there are no serious injuries, which is a relief.
I was worried for a moment, but now I’m relieved.
My friends will know that the barrier around the dream world is working, so they’ll know that I and the dream world are safe.
The barrier lets you see from the inside out, but not the other way around.
We can’t see our friends who are inside different barriers, and they can’t see us either.
We’re definitely safe, so there’s no need to worry. ”…Hey, Kouno.”
At first, I could hear the Arvank’s cry, but then it suddenly stopped.
Maybe the dream world rejected the sound. “What’s wrong?”
“Why did you do something so reckless? What if I passed out or died?”
I don’t want to think about my friends dying, but if she had fainted, I would have had to carry her back to the others.
I formed the stones in my Inventory into large rocks and dropped them around us, crushing Arvanc while I moved across them with my enhanced body to meet up with my comrades.
The Trent blocking our escape was taken down by Deep Magic and Mr. Lumina’s magic, securing a path for Mashiro to run through.
It was dangerous and I’m sure she got hurt, but fortunately, we have Chiyou who can use healing magic.
I would have thought of such an idea now, but back then, I was desperate.
Besides, the Dream World doesn’t want to hear about such plans right now. “I just acted on instinct.” So, I only tell the facts. “Ah!” The body in the Dream World shudders.
Then, I realized I was still carrying her princess-style. “Sorry, I’ll put you down now.”
She stands there but doesn’t move away from me.
In fact, she leans closer.
I hadn’t paid attention to it before, but now that I do, I can feel her warmth and breathing strongly. ”…Dream World?” She looks at me.
Her face is flushed red, and her eyes are moist. “Well, what should I do?”
Her voice sounds feverish, is that just my imagination?
“I can’t rest until I’ve paid back my debts. But how do I repay a debt like saving my life?”
By the way, Yuuga was that kind of person. ”…Don’t worry about it.”
“I can’t. Up until now, I’ve been in debt, and now that you’ve saved my life… I can only repay it with the rest of my life, right?”
If that voice had a shape, it would be heavy, like it had absorbed water.
Her words were so soft that it felt like they were dripping with determination.
Yuuga slowly moved her face closer.
Was she, the aloof classmate, seeking me out now? “Yu… Yuuga…”
Even though this was a safe situation, my throat still made a gulping sound.
“I don’t have anything to do until everyone else finishes off the monsters. Let me repay my debt.”
And then, she looked worried.
“Or is it… not okay if it’s me?”
Though at different speeds, all the kids who joined them become close to Souta.
Next time will be a long-awaited Wisdom chapter.
-------A Request to Our Readers------- If you feel that reading this book has made you even slightly think,
“I love the heroine’s cute reactions when she’s down…""I’m hooked, I want more!""Write more!!!!” please consider adding it to your bookmarks.
・Under the “Support the author by putting in points” section at the bottom of the page
☆☆☆☆☆button to ★★★★★if you could support me
It will be a great encouragement for future updates!!!! Please!!!!