/
“Hahaha, this is quite the enthusiastic welcome, isn’t it?”
Alexis laughed sarcastically at the overwhelming sight before him. Well, all you can do is laugh when you’re faced with something like this. No matter how serious they took us, there were thousands
 no, tens of thousands? It was beyond my expectation that they would prepare such a ridiculous force.
But, no doubt the effect would be phenomenal. Since ancient times, the power of numbers has been simple and strong. No matter how easy it was to defeat each individual enemy, the more we fight, the more we exhaust our physical and magical strength, and even the sharpness of our swords would dull. Even a hero capable of slaying a dragon could be crushed by a million goblins.
“What do you want to do, Alexis? Retreat?”
“Do you think they’ll let us escape?”
“Not a chance.”
At Gonzo’s words, Alexis smirked bitterly, and Rouge sighed. Maintaining such a force must be difficult, which means the enemy accurately predicted when we would leave the dangerous territory. We’re not foolish enough to think that they’ve prepared an escape route for us.
However, that’s under the assumption of “normal circumstances”. What about unconventional methods
 like a magic tool that allows you to escape through space?
“Ed, the teleportation crystal.”
“Alright
 wait, what’s this?”
When asked by Alexis, I took out the teleportation crystal from my bag, carefully removing the thick cloth it was wrapped in to prevent it from breaking. But for some reason, the crystal had turned a dull, dark color.
“What’s wrong, Ed?”
“Well, the teleportation crystal
”
“They got us
”
Looking at the teleportation crystal I held out, Rouge twisted her face in frustration. When we turned our gaze to her, wondering what she meant, she explained.
“A teleportation crystal is, after all, a magical tool. If there’s enough mana, it can be inhibited. Though in such an open place, I would think only the Demon King himself, or his top executives could do that
”
“Hmm? If there’s a general here, why don’t they announce themselves?”
“They’re not stupid. They know that if they die, the teleportation inhibition will disappear, so they’re hiding in the back.”
“Tch, troublesome opponent.”
Annoyed by their cunning, I can’t help but curse under my breath. If they were driven by their honor and revealed themselves, I could take their head during the conversation. But if they’re hiding deep in their ranks, there’s nothing we can do.
“So the choices are either to charge into the enemy ranks and take out the leaders, or retreat back into the cursed land
”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Suddenly, explosive sounds echoed from behind us, and we hastily turned around. Numerous balls of fire were being launched from within the cursed land. It’s a signal that couldn’t be any clearer.
“
It seems they’ve set up troops behind us too.”
“Well, of course.”
Contrary to Gonzo’s bitter expression, Rouge murmured as if it was to be expected. Ah, of course. An opponent who has prepared this thoroughly wouldn’t leave an escape route in the back. Surely, in the cursed land, there were forces specialized in ambush and surprise attacks, patiently waiting for their prey.
“
Phew. I wonder which is better, charging into a visible army or jumping into an unseen trap?”
“It’s settled then. If we have to choose, let’s take a step forward! That’s what it means to be a man.”
Gonzo, raising a ferocious smile, answered to Alexis, who shrugged. Resolving myself as well, Rouge, however, let out a big sigh,
.
“Sigh, men are really just a bunch of idiots. Fine, if you’re so eager to charge, why not go all the way to the end?”
“Rouge?”
“I’ll open the path. So
 you guys run all the way through.”
“What!?”
At her words, I exclaimed in surprise. But before I could say anything else, it was Gonzo who spoke first.
“Are you planning to die here? That’s a role for us old folks, you know.”
“R-right! If it’s come to this, the best person for the job is me, right? I’ll figure something out, so Rouge
”
“That’s why I say you guys are stupid! Gonzo, you should be ready to sacrifice yourself for Alexis, and Ed
 well, sorry to say, but even if you stay here, there’s not much you can do.”
“Uh! Well, yeah, but
”
As a swordsman, the number of enemies I can take down with a single swing is at most two or three. No matter how much I struggle against a large army, the number I can defeat is limited, and from the point of view of holding them off, I’m completely powerless. It wouldn’t make any difference whether I’m here or not.
“On the other hand, I’m good at wiping out a large area. So it makes most sense for me to stay here. Got it?”
“But if you do that, Rouge will
”
“So what? If we all stay here, we all die. But if I stay here alone, I can at least create a small gap for you guys to move forward. If I’m going to die anyway, I want it to mean something, you know?”
“But that
”
“Rouge
 are you sure?”
“What!? Hey, Alexis!?”
In response to Alexis, who made an outrageous statement with a serious face, I called his name, forgetting all formalities. But Alexis was looking straight at Rouge, who in turn turned her face away with a snort.
“There’s no good or bad. I’m simply suggesting the most meaningful use of my power. Now, don’t bother me, I’m starting my incantation. The enemy won’t wait forever.”
“

Understood.”
“Alexis! You

!”
“Enough!”
As I attempted to approach Alexis, Rouge yelled at me.
“Stop being so spoiled! You have your own job to do, so do it to the best of your ability!”
“Rouge
 I
”
“
Why are you making such a pitiful face? Unlike you, I’m a genius, so I’ll clean up these guys in no time and follow after you. So, you should just focus on getting Alexis
 the hero to the Demon King.”
“




”
At Rouge’s scolding, as if dealing with a disobedient child, I gritted my teeth hard. I had so many things I wanted to say, but the words were stuck in my chest and wouldn’t come out.
“I apologize, Rouge. I certainly can’t replace you.” Gonzo said,
“We will answer your dedication with the result of defeating the Demon King. Is that okay?”
“I’ve been telling you it’s okay. Now, get ready.”
“Understood. Gonzo, Ed, let’s go.”
“Indeed.”
“

Yes.”
Obeying Alexis’s words, I gathered my strength. To not waste Rouge’s determination, we must break through this army.
“Burn and sprout, transient life. Be born and buried again. My soul is forever in flame. Its burning heat――”
From behind me, I could hear an incantation I had never heard before. But I didn’t turn around.
――If I were stronger, could I have stayed here with Rouge?
――If I were stronger, could I have escaped this place without sacrificing my companions?
――If I were stronger, would there have been other futures I could have chosen?
Even if I think about it, I can’t find an answer. There’s no way I could. The time to increase the choices and overturn the tragedy was long past.
Perfection has already been lost, and we can no longer achieve the best. Therefore, at least, I will grasp the second best with everything I have!
“――I’ll show you the power of the forbidden magic that the Elves had been hiding! Burn everything to ashes! [Soul Flare Blaster]’!”
In an instant, a burning heat spread before my eyes. It was a magic I had seen before. But the incredibly intense flash that was incomparable to that time passed before my eyes, erasing everything enveloped in the light without a trace.
“Let’s go!”
With a slight delay, we started running. The path just passed by the light was unbelievably hot, just being there burns the skin, tears won’t stop, and the breath you take burns your throat.
But we can’t stop. There’s no way we can. If it’s a path that a companion made at the cost of her life, all we can do is move forward at the cost of our lives. While enveloped in the light of the healing magic that Gonzo used amidst the pain that numbed all other pain, we kept running.
“
Do your best as a commoner
 Ed.”
The whisper that should have been unheard reached me, surely a product of my desire. So, I sent a smile to my unseen companion without looking back, as tears streamed down my face.