Can You Abandon Her?

We fought with the advantage against the goat head.

It was difficult to pin the goat head down with the poor damage that Nyankoromochi and I could deal, but—

“Take this!”

Misha’s strike could not be ignored.

The goat head took the white arrow to the chest, screamed, and staggered grandly.

Aiming for that moment, we pressed in,

“Heavy Strike!”

“Nyan!”

And gradually accumulated damage.

Thanks to Misha becoming the axis of our offense, our movements had gained room to breathe.

However, as expected—

Things did not go that easily.

“Ioooooooos!”

Misha called my name with all the strength she had.

“I don’t have much time left controlling the Four Elements! Sorry, with my strength—I’m already at my limit…!”

Ragged breaths spilled between the ends of Misha’s words.

When I glanced back, she was breathing hard with her shoulders, and her complexion was bad too. The magic circle underfoot was also flickering.

Misha’s face twisted apologetically. She looked pained. With eyes that seemed to blame herself for no longer being able to contribute as a fighting force—

Ah, don’t make that face, Misha.

It was because we had your power that we had been able to fight until now.

Without you, we could not even have swept away the wolves.

I could not let Misha make that kind of face.

So I said it as if it were nothing.

“It’s all right! Leave the rest to us!”

While praying that Misha’s heart would become even a little lighter.

“Nishishishi! I’m counting on you, then!”

Misha immediately tightened her voice and continued.

“I want to slam everything I have into it at the end! Make it happen somehow!”

“Got it!”

Nyankoromochi and I pushed the goat head back. The instant its posture collapsed, we leaped left and right.

“I’m counting on you, Misha!”

With enough momentum to release all her magic power, Misha fired white arrows in succession.

“Guooooooooogaaaaaaaaaaaah!?”

The goat head was hit one after another without even a chance to resist. It was pushed, pushed, and pushed until it was slammed into the wall.

The air shook from the exploding impacts and flowed across my cheek.

Eventually—

The sound stopped.

“…Hah, hah, hah, hah…”

Only Misha’s breathing could be heard. Perhaps she had exhausted every last bit of her strength, because Misha rounded her back and breathed roughly.

Then, the magic circle that had lost its light completely vanished. The white radiance clinging to her staff also unraveled and scattered.

She probably could not even support her own body anymore.

Misha sank down with a thump.

Now—we could no longer expect support from Misha. Our gazes turned toward the goat head.

The goat head did not move, as if it had been nailed to the wall.

Don’t move, don’t move, don’t move.

Just die like that—

Sadly, our dark prayer did not reach it. The goat head began to move. However, compared to before, its movements were sluggish. At the very least, Misha’s fierce barrage had dealt it considerable damage.

Just a little more!

If we could just close it out a little more—!

Nyankoromochi and I ferociously attacked the goat head. But faster than that—

“Guoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh!”

The goat head roared. A magic circle emerged underfoot.

Th-This is bad!

If new wolves are summoned now—

Nyankoromochi and I were already covered in wounds. We had no room to deal with new monsters.

However, the wall of distance was cruel.

Damn it!

Just as I thought that,

Gipaan!

With a sound like glass shattering, the magic circle beneath the goat head’s feet cracked and broke apart. The goat head lost its balance.

…So it has no room to spare either!

There would be no more reinforcements!

“Let’s go, Nyankoromochi!”

“Nyan!”

Nyankoromochi and I launched a furious offensive against the goat head.

This was the final chance to attack.

All we could do was attack with everything we had!

However, the goat head was not only going to be pushed back. With a voice of anger, it slammed its fist toward my stomach.

Outrageous intense pain. But—

“I can’t end this yet!”

I activated Heavy Strike Lv3 and slashed.

I could not afford to fall here. The front line was only barely being supported by the two of us, me and Nyankoromochi.

If either of us fell, it would be over.

“Guoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh!”

The goat head roared again.

Was it trying to summon?

You know you can’t do it anymore, don’t you!

The instant Nyankoromochi and I were about to attack—

It was truly at the same time.

A single black shadow appeared from the passage connected to the room.

…Huh?

It ran past our unguarded sides and flew like an arrow straight behind us—toward Misha.

It was a black wolf.

It should not be able to call any more, and yet?

No!

It had not called it.

It had hidden one of the wolves it had summoned in large numbers on the other side of the path.

For a time like this!

“Oh no—!”

I turned my gaze behind me.

The perceptive Misha understood everything. And then, she smiled. Then, she took her gaze away from me and looked at the wolf running toward her.

With her staff in her hand.

I could understand what Misha was thinking as clearly as if I were holding it in my own hand.

Misha was telling us this.

I’ll somehow do my best, so you and Nyankoromochi defeat that thing—

Certainly, there was no other way.

There was no option for either of us two to go save Misha. Right now, we did not have enough strength left to protect Misha while fighting.

What was the role of Misha, who was dead weight?

Only to become a sacrificial pawn and buy time.

Now, the choice was thrust before us.

Will you save her? Will you not save her?

If you abandon her, your survival probability will rise a little! Just a little, just a little, just a little. Enough to believe in a miracle.

Then, if I did not abandon her?

We would all die together.

What a simple and easy choice. It was a choice that did not even need agonizing over.

The answer was decided.

It was better for only one person to die than for all three to die.

The clever Misha understood that instantly. That was why she subtracted her own life.

That was right.

That was the natural thing.

On the brink between life and death. Throw away anyone who could not be a fighting force.

Ah, thank you, Misha. For dying for us—

“As if I could ever say that!”

I turned my back to the goat head and broke into a run.

Abandon Misha!?

Don’t be stupid!

As if that option existed!

—Ha ha ha! I slipped out of Grail’s place! I thought I’d follow you, Ios!

The one who did not abandon me after I was expelled and chased after me was Misha, wasn’t it!

—You always rush over first when monsters attack me, don’t you? If I’m going to form a party with someone, I want a companion with that kind of kindness!

The one who recognized the worth of me, who had been nothing but useless, was Misha, wasn’t it!

—If I’m going to travel together with someone, it should be you, the person I owe so much to! Not abandoning you after you were thrown out is my way!

The one who believed in me when I was at rock bottom was Misha, wasn’t it!

How could I abandon that Misha! How could I throw away the companion who gave me kindness and a debt I could never repay!

The one who picked me up when I was beaten down back then was Misha!

Misha dying—

Was decided to be after me!

Misha was pinned down by the wolf and looked like she was about to be crushed beneath its huge body at any moment. She was somehow rejecting the saliva-covered fangs and claws with a single staff.

“Move! You’re in the way!”

My Heavy Strike flashed, and I knocked the wolf far away with a single blow.

“Misha, are you all right!”

Misha looked up at me in surprise.

“Wh-Why—Ios!?”

“Don’t decide to die on your own! I won’t accept that kind of thinking!”

“B-But—!”

“It’s impossible. Abandoning you—”

I pulled Misha up as she tried to argue.

“You said it, didn’t you? When you came with me, you said you would come because I always came to help when monsters attacked you.”

I grinned and continued like this.

“So give up. You’re together with that kind of guy. I’ll always rush over. I’m not the kind of person who abandons you when you’re in trouble and runs away!”

“I-Ioooooooos!”

Tears spilled from Misha’s eyes.

My resolve was set.

There was no turning back now.

I returned my gaze to the goat head.

“—!?”

What entered my field of vision was Nyankoromochi being punched down by the goat head.

“Nyau!?”

With a scream, Nyankoromochi’s small body flew through the air and rolled on the ground. She did not move a twitch.

“Nyankoromochi!”

I tried to rush over, but before that, a shadow attacked me.

It was the wolf that had been blown away by my Heavy Strike.

“Don’t underestimate me!”

I cut the wolf in two with a sweep.

At that moment—

“Guoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh!”

The goat head swung its right arm along with a roar. There was quite a distance between us. But feeling a bad premonition, I picked Misha up in my arms and turned my back to the goat head.

Immediately afterward, a shockwave attacked Misha and me.

“Guaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!?”

We were sent flying like leaves and rolled across the ground.

The goat head came toward us while letting out an intimidating roar.

The situation was the worst.

Nyankoromochi was down, and Misha had run out of gas.

I was the only one who could fight, and even my stamina was already close to its limit. If I took even one good hit, I would probably cross beyond even the zone where I could support myself with guts.

However—

I did not feel like I would lose.

The reason was simple. I knew my level had risen. To level 27.

Most likely, defeating the wolves had given me experience.

That was fine.

What mattered was—the scene that Schrödinger’s Cat displayed.