Chapter 88: Epilogue (1)

[A/N: Epilogues in this book will usually mean the ending of an arc, not the entire book!]

"...Peaceful."

In the middle of lunch break I muttered while face-down on my desk.

The boys were making a fuss that a beautiful girl had transferred into third year, but I did not have the energy to mix into that conversation right now.

About a week had passed since the Black Knight and Gain’s attack.

After that hectic day ended, calm days had continued, and I involuntarily yawned.

The Monster Villain uproar had not happened much since then either. They appeared sporadically, but that was probably the result of seeds implanted a little earlier germinating.

Because Gain, the strongest of the queen’s close aides, had been defeated, were the other Diabolics being cautious?

Well, it was like crushing the strongest of the Four Heavenly Kings from the opening move.

Kukuku, he was the strongest among the Four Heavenly Kings, to be defeated by the likes of humans... eh? He was actually defeated? Wh-what do we do. Maybe they were having a conversation like that.

Imagining the conversation content was surreal and made me want to laugh, but in reality there was no way I could feel at ease.

After all, since the school attack the original protagonist Alter had shown no movement. Was he being cowardly, afraid of the Sacred’s strength? No way. Rather, the stronger they were the more he would laugh wickedly that they were useful as a trump card against the queen. That was the protagonist named Alter Native.

Therefore that guy should be observing the Black Knight fight and the Gain fight and devising the next move.

...That was unbearably frightening.

Alter’s combat skill had a huge gap pasted on it by Sacred Saber, but in schemes he was an existence who could defeat all the Sacred, drop them into darkness, and use them as pieces.

Right now things were going well, but imagining Alter going all-out only felt like a castle on sand.

I wish he would come from the front with no schemes, saying I am the strongest, prostrate yourselves women.

Then I could leave it to the Sacred and feel at ease. I could not. This would definitely be some kind of trap.

I let out a sigh for the who-knows-how-many-th time. Frankly, even if I could see a vision of winning tactically, I could not see a vision of winning strategically at all.

Of course I was not only thinking of beating him as Niekawa had said.

I was also thinking whether I could persuade him somehow, but I thought it was quite a stretch. Even if I could persuade him, I could not remotely imagine the Sacred recognizing as a comrade the Diabolic who had attacked their homeland a year ago.

"You have been sighing a lot lately, Furezawa."

Perhaps because I had been worrying like that, Niekawa stood in front of my seat as if concerned, asking what was wrong.

"Ah? Yeah, there is a lot to think about. Whether this was all right."

Since becoming a Vigilante in April it had already been a month and a little. No, I should say still only a little over a month.

Even though I had only been active for that short a period, it had already begun greatly diverging from the story I knew.

Was I really heading in a good direction? Was I doing it properly? Was I saving Sacred Saber?

I had no confidence in any of it.

Sometimes I thought I was only doing unnecessary things, that I was hopelessly meddlesome.

But even so, once I decided to do it I intended to keep up appearances until the end. Even so, anxiety was anxiety.

Seeing me like that, Niekawa softened his cheeks.

"...What. I am worrying pretty seriously over here."

"Sorry, sorry. But I was not particularly joking."

While laughing heartily he borrowed a nearby chair and sat facing me.

"You become anxious precisely because you are seriously looking at the future. Look at the lot secretly meeting behind the school building. They are lining up complaints that their hideout became vacant land and piling irritation toward the Sacred. They have not even thought about what happens if you leave an existence that turns ruins into vacant land."

That is foolish, but from one aspect it is a happy way of living. That cannot be denied, Niekawa said with a face like he had crushed a bitter bug.

Certainly, if you only line up complaints without thinking why it became that way, it is probably very easy. You do not need to take responsibility, and you can settle your stomach by taking it out on the Sacred.

Humans are basically more at ease when they do not think about this and that. Before I recalled my previous life’s memories I lived a life of lazily taking class, going home, surfing the net, and sleeping, so I thought that even more.

"...But you do not want that kind of life at this point, do you? Otherwise you would not worry that seriously."

"That is, well, yeah."

Even if from now I pretended I saw nothing and huddled up there would be no danger, I did not think I could choose that option.

To run to self-preservation like that, I had already gotten too involved with the Sacred. Emotionally I could not abandon them.

"Then that is like growing pains. You have no choice but to accept it. ...Though if it is too hard no matter what, call out. I will listen to consultation, and help within the range I can."

"That is, well, appreciated, but..."

Why go that far?

He had probably correctly understood the words I did not put into words. Niekawa quietly narrowed his eyes, nii.

"It is obvious. A friend is seriously working hard and continuing to worry for that. Do I need another reason to lend a hand?"

"...You can seriously say that kind of sticky thing, huh."

"Unfortunately I am a man who can only live that way."

Toward the friend who made his glasses glitter and laughed kaka, a smile naturally rose on my mouth too.

I did not have a fragment of confidence I was doing well, but him being alive was surely a plus.

I would surely still worry, but even so I thought I could at least be proud of this achievement.

"My bad. I feel a little lighter."

"That is splendid. It was worth calling out on this side too."

I parted from Niekawa who smiled as if relieved and headed for the toilet.

No matter how much the body leaves being human, if you eat you go. It cannot be helped.

Come to think of it, Nezumi-san, why did you give me this kind of service?

While thinking it strange I checked the uniform I was currently wearing.

It was not tentacle clothes like before, but a real uniform. The day after defeating the Black Knight and Gain I had gone to buy lunch, and at that time I had been presented with a full set.

’Teririree. Nezumi-san’s affection went up, that kind of feeling. I also put one extra cutlet in the bento.’

What was that really. Since then Nezumi Mama, or rather Nezumi-san, had become strangely kind.

Did that mean I was useful for Nezumi-san’s goal?