Ch.132132. Senia, and ■■■ (1)

My vision suddenly turned red.

My eyes half-closed involuntarily, and after wiping my face with one hand, I finally realized my forehead was stinging.

“…Blood, is it?”

The hand that had reached for my forehead was now stained red. Just moments ago, these hands were blackened from rolling on the ground, but now they’ve turned this red from a single touch?

Well…

I’ve lost quite a bit.

—QUEEEEEK!!!

BANG, BANG.

It’s moving so violently.

The Shanveresu, which had been crashing against the walls in starvation despite having prey right in front of it, began to rampage in a frenzy as soon as two of its meals disappeared.

It charged forward with a horrific shriek, eyes blazing, determined not to let the last one escape.

It grew more desperate.

The giant rat, prevented from feeding by the Sirens until now, was driven solely by the desire to satisfy its immediate hunger.

As a result, its movements became even more erratic.

—KEEEEE…!

One strike from a blind spot I created. A full-force blow using all the mana from Blushuar Arc hit the Shanveresu’s side.

Yet, despite being an attack wrapped in so much mana, it was my fist that felt numb from the impact. Moreover, having put all my strength into that attack, I left myself open.

The Shanveresu’s long tail whipped across my abdomen, sending my human body flying helplessly into the wall.

“Kuhak…!”

I quickly assumed a defensive posture, but the impact was so great that it barely helped.

The same liquid that had been flowing from my torn forehead now gushed from my mouth.

“Kugh…!”

Facing the Shanveresu alone.

It’s impossible. I didn’t need to think much to know it was like hitting a rock with an egg.

But still, I had to face it alone.

What if Kain arrives?

What if the Sirens arrive?

At first, they said if humans joined forces, there would be prospects for a successful raid… but would that really be the case?

Judging by how ineffective my attacks have been despite landing several solid hits, this would require the entire main force, not just an isolated unit.

This creature boasted a completely different caliber from the Shanveresu of the previous regression.

But so what?

“I already knew this was something I had to resolve on my own!!!”

I came prepared. From the moment Senia arrived here? No. From the moment I faced the Shanveresu again.

The humans were already infected with the Lemtert plague,

The Sirens were in danger of being trampled by that Shanveresu,

And no one could help me here.

Even Senia, right beside me, would certainly push herself too hard.

I anticipated all this and deliberately sent Senia away from here.

Because I simply couldn’t give up.

That’s the kind of person Senia is.

On the surface, she seems fussy and quick-witted, the type who would criticize with harsh words if things aren’t done properly, a meritocrat who would only take capable people with her.

That’s how most people perceive her.

But.

-‘Who’s there… Oh? Senia?’

-‘Ah, damn…’

Yes. In reality, she’s not like that at all.

She’s the type who quietly visits in the middle of the night to secretly give you her favorite drink, only to make a mistake and get caught,

Someone who, despite appearing intelligent, shows her humanity in small ways. And that’s not all.

-‘…You knew? That I practice here every night?’

-‘When I see faint traces of mana every night, how could I not know, you idiot.’

-‘Why bother with someone like me? You should be looking after Charlotte or Kain instead…’

-‘Hey, I don’t want to look at people with such clouded eyes, with such a wrong perspective.’

A meritocrat who only takes capable people? Nonsense.

Far from showing such coldness and heartlessness, Senia is the opposite—someone who grumbles but quietly looks after others, respecting people with a warm heart.

And…

When everyone blamed and pointed fingers at my incompetence, she was one of the few precious friends who stood up for me first.

What did that Senia say?

-‘…Leave me and run. Junon.’

She said she would sacrifice herself, telling me to escape in the meantime.

What nonsense.

I didn’t want her to sacrifice herself.

I didn’t want to leave her to die.

I wanted to see her alive and well in this life.

I absolutely didn’t want to see a friend who had been with me since my previous life die in this one!

That’s why I’m doing this. This ridiculous act of hitting a rock with an egg.

My fists, lacking mana against something as hard as a mountain, can’t even make an impact.

But even if it’s like hitting with cotton, repeated blows to the same spot will eventually open wounds, cause bruises, and ultimately tear through tender flesh, spilling blood.

I’ll muster all the determination I need to target the deep cut already made by Senia’s attack.

—KIEEEK!!!

But I’m too weak.

It’s nowhere near enough.

Just once.

I want to land one blow to prevent that thing from chasing after my precious friend.

“If I could just bring you down, if I could just break your body’s strength by any means necessary…! I’d gladly take the backlash of mana that would follow!!!”

I draw out all the mana in my body, even if it’s unrefined, overloading my mana circuits in this brief moment.

Into this arm, this hand.

Into the hand that had only ever held a shield, just once.

I desperately wished for a mana weapon that could pierce the Shanveresu’s throat.

And, as if reflecting his will, mana surged within his body that should have been depleted.

A weapon.

What I need is not armor but a weapon.

The surging mana gradually takes shape.

It reveals its completed form, gleaming with light.

“This is…”

A brightly shining mana spear. For a moment, countless thoughts flashed through my mind, but I let them pass.

“Yes. This will do… A spear like this should be more than enough to pierce through your heart.”

The mana spear, created by squeezing out every last bit of my power, flies toward the Shanveresu as it charges with a horrific shriek.

The moment the mana spear leaves my hand, my body, unable to withstand the mana drain, collapses to the ground with a thud.

Through my slowly closing eyes, drained of mana, I catch a final glimpse of the Shanveresu being lifted into the air.

Soon, unpleasant liquids begin to drip down onto Junon, who can’t move a finger.

But he raises the corners of his mouth in relief as he extinguishes the spark in his eyes.

***

“Hurry… hurry… We need to break through with tools or whatever we can find!!”

“Senia. I understand your urgency, but we simply cannot break through here in such a short time…”

Senia was frantically pressuring the innocent Sirens.

Though they understood her feelings a hundred times over, the Sirens themselves lacked the strength needed.

The bedrock of the tunnel that the Shanveresu had broken through had collapsed, and despite many people gathering, they had made no progress for several minutes.

“Besides, you must think of your own body. How can you keep walking around when you’ve been diagnosed with a completely broken left leg?”

“My leg isn’t the issue here!!”

“I know. However, given how much time has passed, you must accept the reality!”

How could Junon, left alone with the Shanveresu, possibly survive?

All the Sirens had fought against the Devourer, the Shanveresu, but they had been forced to retreat repeatedly, eventually ending up here.

“Sometimes one must know when to give up. The living must continue to live.”

The elder, though regretful, was telling her to give up, assuming Junon’s breath had already ceased.

“Fine! Even if it’s just stone, if I keep cutting away, a path will open!”

As she drew her sword, determined to force her way through the entrance—

-Chirr!

Chirr suddenly appeared and tugged at Senia’s collar.

“Chirr…?”

“Why is that child here…? Did Nella lose track of it again?”

But was it really that Nella had lost track? Considering that she didn’t think of Chirr as merely a pet, she would have hugged it close and fled from the Devourers.

Moreover, Senia had even seen Nella’s mother herself, so she could guess that Chirr had escaped on its own.

However, it didn’t seem to be begging for mana like before.

-Chirr, chirr-chirr!

Its movements seemed somewhat urgent, pointing in various directions.

“Chirr. Are you asking me to follow?”

-Chirr.

“Alright. I’ll follow… ugh!”

“Senior!”

Her injured leg was giving her trouble. She couldn’t move like this. In that case.

“Kain… follow Chirr.”

“What?”

“It’s more clever than it looks. It was always so fond of Junon, so it must be trying to do something. As you can see, my leg is in this state…”

Senia clenched her fist in frustration as she asked Kain, who was supporting her.

“Then, I’ll go ahead and follow it.”

“Please. That guy…”

“You don’t need to say more. The master is important to me too, so don’t worry.”

She wanted to rush off immediately, but her injured left leg that wouldn’t move was frustrating.

She desperately hoped he was still alive.

But as Kain followed Chirr into the maze-like rat tunnels, he soon couldn’t believe his own eyes.

“What… is this…”

If he was still holding out against the Shanveresu in that state, it would be a miracle in itself.

Of course, part of him thought it was possible given what Junon had shown before. He hoped reality would be so kind.

But was this really reality?

The Shanveresu lay in pieces, its body unrecognizable except for the head, filling various parts of the pit.

“No, that’s not the issue right now… The master…”

-Chirr!

Chirr moved past the cold head of the Shanveresu.

Beyond it, leaning against one wall, was Junon, unconscious after spitting out a handful of blood.

***

It was a time when battles with magical beasts had become a daily occurrence.

A time when the entire principality had been reduced to wasteland, leaving nowhere to flee.

With many key figures of the principality either dead or fallen into mysterious slumber, Junon now sat in the commander’s position.

“Hey, Junon. Do you even know what we’ve lost this time?”

“Aris, we can’t hold out in the capital anyway. There was nothing left…”

“Shut your mouth!! It was wrong from the start that someone like you, who can’t do anything, became the commander!! How can we trust and follow you in this situation?!”

“…”

Erika also spoke without hesitation.

“Not Schütt or Algenib… What? Sirah? Do you even know what we lost because of your absurd strategy?”

In such dire circumstances, Junon’s suggestion to move their base to Sirah, the most difficult location to utilize, was impossible to accept.

But what they truly couldn’t tolerate was something else.

“Everything else aside… shouldn’t you at least say something? Why don’t you say anything at all?!”

“…”

“Senia disappeared because of you, and how can you be so calm about it…? Just how…”

“You piece of trash… To think we called someone like you a comrade all this time…”

It was because they had lost Senia while carrying out a reckless operation.

It wasn’t just because she was capable, but because their comrade had disappeared, yet his reaction was far too composed.

He didn’t even suggest forming a search party, saying it might not be too late.

No hope that Senia would be alright, no worry about not hearing news from elsewhere.

He didn’t even shed tears at the thought that she might have died.

Only when Michelle arrived amid the commotion did the two leave, and Junon, touching his cheek that stung from Aris’s sharp slap, unfolded the map again.

“Senia…”

Senia had definitely been fine before this base relocation operation. Junon was the only one who had witnessed her sudden action right before his eyes.

“I don’t know why you left the unit midway… but you must have had your reasons?”

Junon alone had to respect and follow Senia’s words that there was something she couldn’t tell anyone.