Chapter 67

Chapter 67 \n\nShrouded inside the light of the transfer magic, Kenzaki Asuna thought about her duel –– her worst and most disgraceful memory, it all flashed back inside her brain.

 

“Ah, a…”

 

She stared at her hands.

The feeling of pushing off Kotarou was still fresh on her palms.

The light from the transfer magic had faded quickly, but her mind still felt white.

The sight before her was all too familiar, one that could be found dotted all over, a fairy square. But, it couldn’t be said to be a place where safety was absolutely guaranteed.

 

“Aiee –– ”

 

Asuna felt, like she had fallen into hell.

Because right in front of her, stood the Berserker, mad as an ogre.

 

“KenzAKIIII, ASUNAAAAAAAAA!!”

 

Among the individuals there, Futaba Meiko was likely the only one who knew what had transpired just moments ago. Only that Berserker, screaming in wrathful rage, knew.

The transfer magic had activated as expected. However, on the verge of their return to safety, Kenzaki Asuna had pushed Momokawa Kotarou out of the circle.

And thus, aside from Kotarou, everyone had arrived at the new fairy square.

This was in no way an accident. Kenzaki Asuna had the clear intention and willingly knocked away Momokawa Kotarou.

And being shown the crime in such an obvious display, it was no wonder that Futaba Meiko was furious.

 

“AIEEEE, N-NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!”

 

It wasn’t Takanashi Kotori, the most cowardly member of the party, that raised that horrified scream. It was Kenzaki Asuna.

That, could be expected though, considering that Futaba Meiko symbolized absolute fear for the girl. The incarnation of unreasonable violence. Her ultimate trauma.

Kenzaki Asuna was not only petrified, she almost downright fainted from taking the blast of bloodlust directed towards her.

And, towards the frightened and helpless Asuna, the mad berserker swung her fist with all her ––

 

“Stop, Futaba-san!”

 

The explosive sound that reverberated in the fairy square, was accompanied by a huge shockwave.

Souma Yuuto took on her punch, no, the Berserker’s Pile Bunker that had the characteristic crimson aura, directly on his palms.

The destructive power burst out, causing bloody cracks to appear on Yuuto’s palms. Although he braced himself, he was still pushed back, his heels digging into the ground, because of the impact. If he’d taken that punch half-heartedly, it’d be quite the sight, seeing him sent flying. It was that powerful.

Imagining what if this burning red fist had directly hit the face of the defenseless Asuna… He couldn’t help but shudder.

 

“Could you move, Souma-kun”

 

He shuddered further from her voice. To him, Futaba Meiko sounded like the grudge-filled sound from his sword before it was purified of its curse… No, hers was much worse.

 

“I can’t do that. Please, Futaba-san, just stop”

 

However, no matter how frightening it was, no, exactly because the opponent was scary enough that she could kill someone, Souma Yuuto couldn’t back down. He couldn’t stand to back down.

This was the first time he’d seen Kenzaki Asuna cry. At this time, he hadn’t perfectly grasped the whole situation. However, he would still protect Kenzaki Asuna. His body radiated such determination .

 

“… Oh”

 

Meiko’s eyes sharply looked around her.

Shit. Souma Yuuto thought as he instinctively understood her intention. Futaba Meiko already saw everyone there as her enemy. She had attacked Kenzaki Asuna fully understanding that.\nSurely, the rest too could feel her abnormal level of enmity.

Souma Sakura had her bow ready, and Natsukawa Minami, despite looking terribly nervous and alarmed, had her knife drawn.

 

“Damn… Futaba-san, please, for now, just forgi–– ”

“Asuna!! Why the hell did you do that, you imbicile!!”

 

A hysterical scream, along with the sound of a slap, drowned away Yuuto’s words.

Everyone saw it. The moment their class rep, Kisaragi Ryouko, had mercilessly thrashed Asuna’s cheek.

 

“Ah, Ryouko..”

“You idiot, idiot! How could, you do that!”

 

Twice, three times, class rep repeatedly struck Asuna’s face. Sakura and Minami who were momentarily dumbstruck, then quickly reacted.

 

“Stop, stop it, Ryouko!”

“Ryouko-chan!”

 

The two quickly rushed towards Ryouko and Asuna, separating the attacker.

The mage had hit quite seriously. Asuna’s cheeks had turned red, and the individual herself looked quite dumbfounded at the turn of events.

 

“Class, rep, why did, you… ”

 

Still blocking Meiko’s path, Yuuto turned back to ask Ryoko who was being held back.

 

“It was the fact that Asuna did something totally inhumane! She pushed off Momokawa-kun before the transfer”

“That… Wasn’t it an accident? It’s true that it looked like she did that, but there’s no reason for Asuna to––”

“If you want a reason, then I have it”

 

Although he’d rushed in to save the party from the insect horde, Souma Yuuto didn’t know what happened after he’d gotten separated from his party. Of the events along the way, of their meeting up with Momokawa Kotarou and Futaba Meiko, and of the incidents that happened thereafter.

 

“Futaba-san, I’m sorry… I know this isn’t something that can be forgiven with a simple apology, but from now on, we will help you find Momokawa-kun, cooperating with us on this should be the best option. I won’t ask you to forgive Asuna, but we will surely set things right!”

 

Ryouko, who practically begged, caused Meiko to turn a cold eye –– no, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and quietly said,

 

“Fine, I’ll hear you”

 

To those words, everyone let out a breath of relief. At least for now, Meiko had fought down the intense urge to murder Asuna right then and there, and stifled her rage.

 

“First, Yuuto-kun, let me tell you what happened between us and Momokawa-kun–– ”

 

Ryouko calmly kept at her story, even as Yuuto showed shock at the delicate yet complicated, bitter and mistrustful relationship amongst them. 

 

“I, I never knew… ”

 

Ryouko finished her explanation and Yuuto finally understood the situation. No, from his perspective, the whole thing was still quite hard to believe.

First, about the fact that they simply couldn’t function as a party even with Sakura and Class Rep with them… But more importantly, that the gentle Futaba-san he knew had challenged THE Kenzaki Asuna to a duel, and moreover, that the former had won after beating the latter to a pulp.

Because he had himself once fought Asuna seriously, he understood how powerful she was. However, after taking the blow from earlier, Yuuto also understood how powerful a Berserker was.

The high school girl called Futaba Meiko, in her entirety, had totally changed. This changed girl had in turn changed Asuna… Subjecting her to pure violence, completely destroying her pride as a swordswoman.\nIt was unbelievable. No, it was more correct to say, he didn’t want to believe it.

Nevertheless, since Asuna was in fact behaving like she was in a nightmare, he had no choice but to accept that truth. That for Kenzaki Asuna, Futaba Meiko was the object of her absolute fear.

 

“Asuna thought that Futaba-san was brainwashed by a curse from Momokawa-kun. So, she thought that if she got rid of him––”

“Th-that’s not! I just, wanted to… ”

“How was it not like that, Asuna? You caved in to your fear and tried to… To murder Momokawa-kun”

 

Asuna hugged her head as if she thought it was the apocalypse, and Ryouko stared her down, bitterness slightly tinting her expression.

She understood that the girl was traumatized. She wanted to be on her side, comfort her if possible. But Asuna had in fact committed a grave crime.

It was probably meaningless to debate good and evil in the dungeon. But Ryouko herself had committed a similar crime. That was exactly why she couldn’t forgive it. She never wanted to feel that helplessness again, and she wouldn’t let anyone else.

 

“H-hey, class rep, isn’t this a bit much?”

“That’s right, Ryouko. Think about how Asuna feels, she–– ”

“Stop, Yuuto-kun, Sakura. Please, do not say any more in Asuna’s defense”

 

Being so sharply reprimanded, the Souma siblings could do nothing but stay silent.

This problem wasn’t one to be resolved with a half-hearted apology. For Ryouko, it was because Asuna was such an irreplaceable and important friend, that she had to face her sins.

Most importantly, this was the only way in order to save Kenzaki Asuna’s life. Kisaragi Ryouko keenly knew this.

 

“Asuna, just for the sake of it, let’s hear your side. Why did you do it?”

 

There was practically no meaning in listening to Asuna’s side of the story, since she was already a broken mess. But still, if they didn’t hear it, there couldn’t be true acceptance. Not for Meiko, not for Class Rep herself, but for the friends who believed in Asuna.

 

“M-Momokawa… It’s all his fault… Everything, because of him…”

“And what did Momokawa-kun do wrong exactly?”

“Ever since we met him, everything’s gone strange!”

 

Asuna yelled. That Momokawa Kotarou was an evil man who commanded curses.

That he no doubt stared lewdly at the girls when they slept, with how he had masturbated in the same place. That Kotarou, who had fortunately joined a party consisting of beautiful girls, secretly planned to make them all his own. And that, just like Futaba Meiko, with her abnormal degree of loyalty towards him, he conspired to put a brainwashing curse on them as well.

 

“Asuna, stop being delusional”

“No I’m NOT! I’m not delusional! If that’s true, then why was I… Why did I get…”

 

Asuna tried to deny it.

That It was because of the evil brainwashing curse, that Futaba Meiko had brutally assaulted her. She wasn’t normal, nor was she sane. ‘For Kotarou-kun’, she’d kept repeating. There was no way Asuna could see her as sane.

 

“… Hey, was it really that bad of an injury?”

 

Everyone could assent to Yuuto’s question. The only reason the scars on Asuna’s face disappeared so cleanly was due to Sakura’s healing magic and Kotarou’s ointments that accelerated natural recovery.

 

“Futaba-san, why would you go so far”

“Because Kenzaki-san wouldn’t yield, you see. Also, it was Kenzaki-san who punched Kotarou-kun first. I can’t forgive her for that”

“Just, just for that––”

“Didn’t I tell you, Yuuto-kun? To Futaba-san, Momokawa-kun is her savior. Momokawa-kun saved her life, where I had abandoned her”

 

What was more important? Her savior, Momokawa Kotarou, or the girl who had cruelly abandoned her and her merry band of friends? It was a no brainer.

 

“As for the result of that duel, no one has any right to complain. Still, I regret not being able to do anything to stop it… However, Asuna and Futaba-san both fought with mutual determination and consent. Yuuto, you of all people, don’t you think it’s undue for someone unrelated to complain?”

“… Yeah, that’s right, you’re right, Class rep. If Asuna fought by her own will, then no matter the outcome, I have no right to blame”

\nWasn’t that just like making her a hostage?

However, it was reasonable for Meiko to propose such an arrangement.

Kenzaki Asuna, with the intent to commit murder, had pushed Momokawa Kotarou away from the transfer circle. Regardless of whether Kotarou-kun lived or died, it was a crime nonetheless, and a crime mustn’t go unpunished.

Meiko, in other words, had proposed to imprison Asuna in that fairy square. Imprison her there until Kotarou was rescued. If Kotarou turned out dead, then Asuna’s attempted murder would change to actual homicide… and her punishment would change to life imprisonment. Practically speaking, a death penalty.

 

“Wait, Futaba-san! please reconsider”

“I’m the only one who wants to help Kotarou-kun. In fact, every one of you don’t care, you’d feel better if he was dead… Isn’t that what you’re thinking? How about you tell me, Souma-san?”

“I, I have not had any such thoughts!”

“But, you don’t feel like helping, right? Isn’t it a pain? You’ve finally reunited with Souma-kun so who cares about anyone else, right?”

“I’ve never considered such selfishness. So, of course I’m willing to cooperating in saving Momokawa-kun”

“Cooperate? Ahaha, cooperate she says, class rep. Souma-san, haven’t you’ve been listening?”

 

Ryouko reacted like a frog being stared at by a snake when Meiko eyed her in a dry chuckle. She was starting to resent Souma Sakura’s fastidious personality.

 

“Cooperating, don’t you mean, it’s your duty?”

“Um, Yes…. That’s right, Futaba-san”

 

Ryouko consented with a trembling reply.

Cooperation, in the end, only amounted to much if both sides actually had good intentions. Let’s help Kotarou to make amends for Asuna. To Souma Sakura, that’s exactly it. What she cared about was her friend, Asuna. Kotarou’s life or whatever, it would be the last thing in her list of priorities. In her head, it was only, ‘I’ll cooperate in order to resolve my friend’s problem’, not ‘I have to go help! Because my classmate’s life is in danger’.

Whether Souma Sakura realized that she was weighing the life of a person against her friend’s feelings, there was no way for Ryouko to know. However she could quite easily see that to Futaba Meiko, her friend’s priority on justice and friendship and what not could only be seen as ill intent.

 

“See, that’s how it is, Class Rep. Kotarou-kun’s life doesn’t matter to you all… So wouldn’t putting up Kenzaki-san’s life for his make you guys seriously search for him too?”

 

If, right at that moment, they actually fought against Futaba Meiko, how many of them would die?

She could preemptively attack her with an Eis Sagitta, scoring an instant head shot… No, not possible. Meiko had Evade and looking at her fighting against monsters, she’d grown proficient in her natural reflexes even without the skill. If she tried shooting magic at her now, she could easily see a future where the girl would swiftly dodge and her own neck would be crushed the next instant.

If that happened, it’d be pandemonium. Most likely, Souma Yuuto would be the only survivor. Since he was a Hero, he could even defeat this Berserker… At the cost of everyone else sinking into an ocean of blood.

They couldn’t afford to turn Futaba Meiko into an enemy.

Ryouko desperately repeated to herself: Don’t give up. There’s still hope.

 

“Please, Futaba-san… I’ll tell everyone to properly search, so… Please don’t let me lose anymore of my friends”

 

Finally, tears started to fall from Ryouko’s sharp eyes. With shoulders trembling and voice quivering, she was desperately trying to plead for the safety of her friends.

 

“Fine, since you’ve gone to that extent. There will probably be plenty of monsters and strong bosses on the way so, Kenzaki-san will have to work hard as penance, won’t she?”

 

Meiko said, eyeing the desperate class rep coldly.

 

“But please know, that Kenzaki-san’s life won’t be guaranteed without Kotarou-kun’s”

 

With Kisaragi Ryouko’s hard-fought pleading, they were able to appease this berserker with no blood spilled.

However, the insane contract where they would exchange one person’s life with another’s had created a deep, forlorn rift among the party members. Starting with the suspicions towards Momokawa Kotarou, to Futaba Meiko who had changed, turning into the symbol of fear and trauma for Kenzaki Asuna… It was as if a curse had been placed on the party to slowly drive them mad.

 

“Kenzaki-san, you should thank class rep, she just saved you”

 

With a smile, Meiko said such words. In response, Asuna’s shoulders started to tremble and she began sobbing in bitterness.

 

“Wait for me, Kotarou-kun. I’ll definitely, save you… ”

 

With Asuna’s audible sobbing and her many friends consoling her, happening as a backdrop, Meiko vowed to save Momokawa Kotarou in her heart.