AN: Serious-san has the principle of going home regularly.
My fingers moved by themselves……
The brilliant light enveloped the collapsed Moana and others in half-sphere state.
Their miasma stones that had the function of absorbing miasma that made it possible for human to act inside miasma for a period of time were dyed muddy black. The plexion of Moana and others went straight passed white and became ashen color.
Not just Moana and her people, Haumu and the other Arous., the mounted beasts also powerlessly splayed out their four limbs where they could only repeat breathing in short gasps.
They were only barely living. The blessing power inside the body of Moana and others were holding on to their life.
But, it was obvious that it wouldn't be long before the scythe of death god would touch them. Their time limit was near.
Kouki made Moana leaned on Haumu's body, and step by step he walked toward the lizardman who was the
that caused this situation. (TN: I changed the Black People into Dark Being cause it seemed those words could cause misunderstanding.)
The tip of the holy sword that was pointed to the ground was slightly trembling, and his breathing was ragged. The feeling of wanting to run away without choosing anything was clamoring inside himself like a locked beast that was trying to escape from its cage.
Kouki came to a stop after he got out and took a step away from the boundary of the highest class light element defensive magic . An angry yell was thrown to such Kouki once more.
『You-, I'm asking what the hell are you! What's that strange light! How the hell you are able to stand!?』
Sharp dragon eyes. Dragon scales that looked harder than even steel armor. His whole body was bulging with muscles, and his hands were readying a long and large spear.
It was clear just from confronting this Dark Being face to face like this. That he was a strong one that had achieved considerable military achievement.
Yes,
(He isn't a beast.)
This opponent was a warrior that possessed intelligence.
As though finding a ray of hope, Kouki thought of the six beings that didn't give any reaction to his
and asked back instead.
「……Weren't they, your rade?」
『What?』
The lizardman didn't seem to understand what Kouki was asking him for a moment and he let out a voice of dubiousness. But, he immediately guessed that Kouki was speaking about his six patriots that performed "suicide bombing" to scatter highly thick miasma by paying with their life as the pensation, and he answered with a snort.
『Obviously they were my underlings.』
「You, manded them to die?」
『……Just what are you asking? What are you talking about since some time ago?』
The scaled dragon specious didn't understand the intention of Kouki's question and was getting more and more suspicious.
He must never even imagined that Kouki was getting desperate in trying to find even a bit more reason to make his "choice".
Because this was a guy that abandoned his rades, because this was a guy that made light of life without any reason.
That was why, it should be fine to kill him, just like what he did all this time when facing against monster, something like that.
Kouki's expression distorted painfully while stringing his words together.
「If, this is only what if. What are you going to do if I say you can go to another world?」
『What?』
「If you can migrate together with flora and fauna too, to a new world that is filled with blessing power, and you can live there without fighting human……or it can also be the reverse, the human will be the one that move away. If you can live in a world without human, a world of only ――」
This was the last resort. Because this was a plan that pletely relied on that man, it was a proposal without any positive proof. But, if there was that man's pass and crystal key, then perhaps they would be able to find an inhabited world. In addition, securing enough of the necessary blessing power would also be possible.
'That guy is different than me, surely there is nothing impossible for him, that's why', Kouki thought.
The long battle that passed between Moana and her people against the .
Perhaps there wasn't any more ground for them to coexist together.
Perhaps there wasn't any more room to talk between them.
Then, was the only path left was where one of them conquered everything?
Was battle unavoidable, that one side had to be sunk into the abyss of despair?
Was there really no third path……
The suggestion of "separated living" by migrating to a new world.
That was an idea that was brought about from Kouki's pondering.
that possessed will and would go hungry if they didn't consume blessing power, and human that couldn't endure the miasma and unable to live without blessing power everywhere around them. That idea came because Kouki couldn't find a clearly correct "choice" like in a novel or drama where good was rewarded and evil was punished.
If it was about the pensation for that man, then he was determined to pay it in any kind of shape. That was the only thing that Kouki could decided promptly right now.
But, that desperate proposal of such Kouki was,
『Hah』
Kicked to the curb in rejection by a sneer and a violent "thrust".
Kouki caught his breath, but his reaction was quick. He parried the tip of the long spear using his holy sword. *gigigi* The sound of metals scraping each other resounded along with scattered sparks.
The lizardman immediately pulled back his long spear and launched repeated thrust like surging waves. Those thrusts that were controlled with immense physical strength and flexible muscle were unmon.
Kouki handled the attack while he raised his voice further.
「Wait, listen to me! I came from another world! The barrier behind me is the proof of that! Even without human and
fighting, perhaps there is a way for a future where both sides can live without annihilating the other! That's why――」
The holy sword blocked a sweep of the spear. *gan* Impact sound resounded and a slight numbness ran through Kouki's arm. It became a situation of sword locking contest. In that situation, the lizardman showed a scorn in his dragon eyes and said his piece.
『That's shocking-. I never thought this kind of coward still exist! Aah, I'' recognize it! You are really a human of another world. There is no way someone like you is a warrior of this country!』
*gou* Miasma spouted out from the lizardman. No, perhaps it should be said instead that he released the miasma. The miasma that was released to blow at Kouki became a physical impact that made Kouki's feet left the ground. When that happened, naturally Kouki got blown away to the side due to the pressure from the sword locking contest.
Kouki bounced several times on the sand before he barely performed ukemi and rearranged his balance to stand on his knee. When he returned his gaze to the dragon scaled species, he saw the figure of the enemy ignoring him while rushing toward .
The lizardman who was ignoring Kouki struck his long spear toward the barrier with a yell of fighting spirit.
『Chih! This hardness is really something!』
The lizardman spontaneously cursed seeing the shining barrier only giving off impact sound without even a scratch.
The barrier was of the highest class. It wouldn't be broken that easily. But, the lizardman also didn't have the time to keep attacking it as he pleased.
Kouki charged forward while cloud of dust was left behind from his momentum and this time he was the one who blew away the lizardman.
Even while getting blown away, the lizardman killed the momentum by crawling on all four.
「Why are you rejecting a path where both sides might be able to survive……, why-, won't you choose the path of living!」
『Don't make me laugh-』
The lizardman easily cut down Kouki's pained appeal.
『You are telling me to recognize that the like of livestock, the like of food has the right to live freely? That's just crazy!』
You are nuts for trying to look for something that doesn't exist from us as though we are human.
Is that because you are a human of another world? That you have that kind of thinking?
The existence of other world, whether it really exist or not. Such thing doesn't matter.
I'll teach you. The truth of this world. Just what is the meaning of living!
The lizardman trampled forward hard *don* and stood up. He stepped firmly on the ground of sand like a large tree, and he threw out his chest without even an ounce of shame.
『Fight, steal, conquer, rule! Those are exactly the long-cherished desire of the living!』
Miasma was overflowing from the whole body of the lizardman. The thickness of the miasma was increasing in concert with his roar.
『We are turning human into livestock, to create a new world where the pain of hunger vanished! So that we,
can have an exceptional position! The head of the queen is indispensable!』
A pressure that was unseen by eye assaulted Kouki. That wasn't a distinctive power. It was a dominating aura, a mettle, the power of resolve that he dedicated for the future of the scaled dragon species he was looking at.
『Then, I'll reward my followers who staked their life! Listen-, you half-baked person who possessed strength beyond your position! My name is Ragal! The chief of !』
'Aah', Kouki thought. His heart leaked out a sigh of admiration and also despair.
Did this person ordered his rades to die? Perhaps, so, perhaps not. He didn't know the truth, but there was only one thing that he was certain about, those lizardmen who carried out the crazy surprise attack by freefalling from the sky and acplished their objective with their life as the payment, they too also possessed a definite resolve. They didn't perish inside grief and despair that they couldn't oppose and defy by any means!
『I'll kill you, and take――the queen's head!』
Sand pillar blew up. That sand pillar that looked as though it was piercing the sky was the mark of Ragal's step. He wore his miasma like armor and appeared instantly before Kouki's eyes with his long spear that he also covered in miasma.
Kouki evaded the sharp thrust that pierced through the wind by moving half his body to behind. The long spear's thrust instantly transformed into a sweep that ignored the inertia.
The pressure from that attack was far greater than before. It could be clearly seen that the strength inside the attack was ascending further. Kouki immediately used his holy sword as shield, but by doing that it felt like the sword would be thrown away along with his arm.
Kouki desperately braced his legs, but suddenly the pressure vanished and he unintentionally stumbled. The next moment, his feet floated lightly. The miasma that seemed to seep into the ground unnoticed stirred up the sand below Kouki's feet.
The long spear was swung once more at Kouki who lost his balance. Kouki averted the spear by slamming his palm on the flat side of the spear tip, but then the peculiar attack of scaled dragon species assaulted him.
The rotating Ragal launched a spinning kick followed by his sweeping dragon tail.
The upper and middle area was blocked like that. Dodging was impossible.
The claws of the legs were approaching, followed by dragon tail that became like a blade with the miasma enveloping it. Terror was rushing through Kouki's whole body instinctually. He backstepped desperately and only barely managed to dodge.
But, it seemed that Ragal had read the flow of offense and defense until that far. He showed not a shred of turmoil that his attack was evaded, he smoothly formed a throwing spear made from miasma. It was fired like a bullet from close range toward Kouki's head.
Excluding some case that was out of norm, the dynamic vision and reflexes of Kouki who boasted specs at the pinnacle had saved his life until now. When he shifted his body faster than his awareness, the miasma throwing spear passed through with only a scratch on Kouki's neck.
Kouki backstepped even further when his feet touched the ground and he widened the distance.
There was the sensation of warmth and something trickling on his neck.
Without averting his gaze from Ragal who readied his long spear once more, one of Kouki's hands slowly caressed his neck. His fingertip felt something wet, something with raw sensation.
「–」
It wasn't a fatal wound. It was only his skin that was cut. But, it was an attack toward his neck. A lump of ice slid down inside Kouki's heart.
Just now, he almost died……
Scary……
Death was scary.
Nothing convenient would occur. Death was right before his eyes. He wondered, how was he able to say something like「Everything is absolutely going to be okay」 before. Anyone would die when it was the time to die.
Amanogawa Kouki, could die easily.
Scary……terrifying……
Ragal was gradually closing the distance. He wasn't letting his guard down or getting self-conceited. He planned to kill Kouki carefully and then returned triumphantly with Moana's head. There was no turmoil or hesitation inside him.
Scary……
Killing was scary.
Severing the life of a being that possessed will, it was something that was really terrifying.
Killing Ragal. Became the ally of Moana and her people and then killed all of the
to the last.
Surely doing that meant killing the hope of the .
It meant crushing their dearest wish, severing their thread of life, and granting them despair.
Scary……
It felt scary to control the survival of someone.
Someone who might be able to live a proper life would get derailed by getting involved with him. Such thing was unbearably terrifying.
Something was moving at the corner of his sight. When he sent a glance that way while slowly taking distance away from Ragal, he saw the figure of the collapsed Moana there.
She was supposedly leaning on Haumu, but it seemed she stirred and fell on the ground. Or perhaps, she was getting weaker that she was unable to even maintain her leaning position.
Scary……
Death was scary.
Killing was scary.
Making mistake was scary.
But,
――Not being able to protect, was scarier. That was the only thing, that he couldn't endure.
So,
It was only the failure of "cannot choosing
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