I Can’t Let You Die

Kikori and Orphe’s combination steadily brought down wyverns, and the surviving fairies began joining up with Kikori and the others.

“Ice Arrow!”

“Mega Bolt!”

“Air Cutter!”

“Mjolnir!”

If the fairies’ magic and Kikori’s axes charged with Mjolnir targeted a single Flame Wyvern from all sides, even the Flame Wyvern could not dodge everything, and it would be hit by one of them and fall to the ground.

But even so, there were still many wyverns.

The mana that had been charged into the armor beforehand… strangely enough, still showed no sign of running out.

Rather, it was being replenished every time an attack landed.

(…Could it be, this axe…?)

The axes were absorbed into the armor, so it would not be strange if they also had a function to absorb mana.

Somehow grasping that through instinct, Kikori ran through the burning forest with the fairies.

Suppressing the rising exhilaration that grew each time mana was charged, Kikori realized how unfavorable the battle situation was.

The enemy was more than twenty Flame Wyverns, with reinforcements continuing to arrive. He did not know what they were after, but they were also extremely hostile toward the fairies.

If they launched a simultaneous attack the way Kikori’s side did, the ones who would not last were Kikori and the others.

“…Orphe. I think this is the limit.”

“Kikori! Are you saying we should just leave those bastards alone!?”

“At this rate, we’ll be wiped out. You know that, don’t you?”

“…!”

“Let’s gather the surviving fairies and pull out.”

“There aren’t any.”

At the words of one of the fairies, Kikori let out a startled, “Huh?”

“I can’t feel the mana of the others anymore. They all died.”

“…I-Is that so.”

When Kikori turned toward Orphe, Orphe was clenching her fists in frustration.

Orphe understood it too, probably. At this rate, the fairies in this area would be wiped out.

“…Where exactly are we supposed to run?”

“Outside the spatial distortion. There’s a forest there.”

“…”

“Orphe.”

“Shut up! I…!”

“Orphe, it’s over.”

“Let’s go, Orphe.”

When he looked up at the sky, the wyverns were drawing closer while burning the forest.

But Orphe did not react even to the words of the other fairies.

Seeing the fairies panicking, Kikori made up his mind and grabbed Orphe.

“Wha—”

“Let’s go, everyone!”

The fairies followed the running Kikori, but Orphe, still held in Kikori’s grip, shouted,

“Let go! Let go, idiot!”

“No! I can’t let you die!”

“Why not!? We’re going to kill those bastards! And there’s not just those ones either!”

“There are still that many of them! And there might be even more!”

“So what! Let go—!”

“No!”

Held fast in Kikori’s hand, Orphe struggled wildly.

And then, when she finally stopped struggling,

“…Damn it, damn it…”

Orphe was crying in frustration.

Without saying anything, Kikori ran on and leapt into the spatial distortion with the mere ten fairies, Orphe among them.