Volume 2 Chapter 1 (1/2)

”Good , Hibiki”

He returnedterribly precious

I had been sleeping beneath the countless thin branches of an old tree that sagged doard like ears of rice

I languidly got up, thewithin rey sky cut off the sunlight and ere surrounded by deformed trees that had lost all of their leaves There were thin cracks along the dried-up earth Noto signal the new in with, I could hardlybesides us

I blinked several tirow clear

——That's right, this isn't the peaceful ”japan” I grew up in

This was a land called Evelier from another dimension that had been endlessly ruined I idly let myself become lost in my memories

This world and the world I had lived in were apparently as close as two sides of a coin and influenced each other If I could turn the people of Evelier, who had been transfigured into terrifying revenants called Reims, back ”human” and stop the destruction of the world, the distortions that were spreading inlike that

”Hibiki, you don't need to force yourself to get up I want you to rest a little longer”

A gentle voice bri with consideration reached aze to the owner of the voice Next toht on one knee like a servant There was a reserved s earnestly for me to react

His eyes, which reflected back ments of the moon itself He had radiant platinurew shy upon seeing his shapely figure

”Louie”

Gooda conscious effort to sound cheerful

Louie narrowed his eyes in a bashful manner and looked down a bit with a hint of a smile Even if it had been on purpose, he looked a little embarrassed at how happy he was

And it was heartrending

Louie was the first person I had met in this lonely world on the brink of destruction

He was a knight as also the sole survivor of a kingdom called Queen Gallè

”It'll be about three or four hours until we arrive at Urs?”

It was after our lunch break I whispered to myself with my head tilted to the side as I saw Louie prepare for travel out of the corner ofEru's face when he snuggled closer

Urs was the na to stop by

And, Eru was a sacred beast with steel-colored fur and a scary face He was a large, lion-like beast who assistedthe world of Evelier and he didn't give an inch even when solad you came here with me, Eru I'll have to thank Olin later”

There were two Gods that I had come to knohen I was suddenly faced with an unexpected and fantastical fate They were Olin, a God of ith crimson hair, and Silvai, the beautiful God of wind

I brought ain while recalling their figures

”I want to see Olin and Silvai again I'll do my best so that you can return to heaven too, Eru”

Eru was clever enough that I was sure he could understand hu”

Eru growled happily when I lightly scratched the area around his throat with both of ood, and rubbed the side of his head hard against , so I feelatround, I couldn't help but naturally sood of a mood Eru was in and I didn't have it in me to stop him Animal therapy was apparently just that effective

”We were actually supposed to arrive yesterday, though……”

Eru was alhed

I had seen soe yesterday where the stone ic dinner table——a shi+ ”haze” had projected the world where ered in the land had distorted space and had teo back But I didn't want to keep running away as I've been doing until now”

Eru, who thought I was talking to him, licked me on the nose as if to ask, ”what?”

I s around his mouth

I missed my parents and wanted to see thes would overflow from my heart even now But even still, in the end, I chose to stay in Evelier, the ruined world on the brink of destruction, and continue my travels with Louie

But, just as I'd decided this, ere met with an unexpected disaster

I don't know if they had anything to do with each other, but a swarm of monsters had shown up after we broke the stone monuments and erased the traces of sorcery left within the way around to Urs despite how close ere because of this

”We'll be heading for a town called Lavann next after we secure food and drinking water at Urs”

I reconfir to Louie, there was a temple in Lavann, which was to the south of Urs, and ould be able to translocate to the royal capital froo to Lavann so we could increase the nu the princes who could wield divine swords back ”human” our first priority

”I haven't seen a Reim for ht it ht be better to turn even one Rei out of our way to go to the capital

We needed a base where we could sleep safely, supplies, and coh, had different apprehensions in his head

”He wants to keepthe divine sword asto do with the resurrection of the Reihosts, maybe? Or maybe they're more like monsters? ……Or maybe it's because I look so weak and unreliable that he doesn't want to entrust their resurrection to me? What do you think, Eru?”

I knew all too well that I was lacking in the iood at fantastical topics

Magic and sorcery existed in Evelier, and dangerous iven

It was already surprising to me that a world like this even existed, and, above all else, I still found it difficult to believe that I was traveling in said world with Louie and Eru with a sword in hand

”I wonder if I can't calotten used to this world yet Andweirdly fast whenever I see Louie, too”

I heard Louie approach in a hurry when I sighed while I was being pinned under a fawning Eru

”Hibiki!? Are you alright?”

He see me

I smiled back at him from underneath Eru to show him that I was okay and Louie pulled me out in a hurry

Eru, as incredibly shy, scrunched up his nose and glared at Louie

It looked like it'd be a while yet before Eru got emotionally attached to him

Louie, too, looked like he secretly worried that Eru was beingnow?”

”Yeah”

I couldn't help but s wary of each other

I stretched lightly on my tiptoes Then, I placed a hand above my brow and looked out into the distance

The hilly wasteland I couldn't even see the outer edge of the village of Urs from here

”I'd be nice if we could finally make it to Urs today”

I braced rey scenery as we set forth

We walked without talking much To someone like me, as from another di with s that I wanted to ask Louie, butout It wasn't even as if I was trying to preservebefore my eyes that was the problem

——It's so quiet it's scary There really isn't anyone here……

That thought brought about a faint chill with it

The land made its extreme devastation all the clearer as we continued to walk on

The ground was as dry and hard as stone It was also discolored, like a potted plant that so time It was like that as far as I could see

”I can barely feel the wind I feel like we'll be crushed by the sky”

Clouds of dust had settled into the countless thin cracks that ran across the ground's surface I felt like things were at least a little better near the forests

”The air's really dusty too Maybe it's because I can't feel any moisture at all”

The look on Louie's, who stubbornly refused to face any direction other than forward, profile passed beyond pain and fear and only looked emotionless

I found nitude of loneliness he had suffered

I was sure that the aords floating around in

Would I have been able to get closer to Louie's heart if I'd had a ination and better consideration?

”Hibiki?”

I think I'd been staring at hiaze, Louie turned around with a mystified expression on his face

”There aren't any demonbeasts in this area, so you needn't worry There's no food for them here We'll have to be careful in a bit because we'll be closer to the village……but I won't let them harm a hair on your head no ht that I was being anxious He spoke as if to cheer htest actions are stirring up Louie's emotions?

He always looked dazzled whenever he looked at ed in water

My heart squeezed tight when I realized this

”I want to fluff you up all over, Louie, like I do with Eru”

”……What are you talking about?”

The ever-serious Louie asked courteously even though he looked a little shaken

”I'm frustrated at myself I sort of understand that there's a better way to act in certain situations and certain things have certain e to asserthesitant Does this have to do with how ement?”

Louie tilted his head to the side, perplexed

”I really want to gain more confidence soon You'd feel ht? Hey, won't you hit h to ht clear up after I wake up from that”

”That's preposterous”

”I want you to take it as a necessary forh love and hit e way Louie drew back considerably as I looked at hiht and he covered up his mouth as a joyful smile appeared on his face He said,

”I think you're very extreallant, from time to time”

I flatly shook my head at his words

”I don't believe you People who are actually gallant don't have such tihts”

”Everyone is at least a little hesitant And you aren't trying to mature to overcohtly of you, the way you try to offer yourself to others”

Unlike when he was coldly gazing at our surroundings, I could tell that there arm emotions hidden within Louie's moon-colored eyes That ht

”I'll do it I'll becoht”

”No, wait I don't think you need to actually try to becoh for me”

”Why not? I''s not the issue here”

”I'll get strong enough to exterminate beasts and deet a cool nicknaht, that makes the whole world treot it co for that”

I stubbornly swore that I'd becorown pale, and continued forward in high spirits

Eventually, the air began to grow colder It was hard to accurately tell what ti the sky blocked out the sun Still, it seeularly sized building finally appeared from far away as we continued to ithout rest

The silhouettes of the buildings were hazy as if they were a part of a painting with fading colors

”Is that Urs?”

”……Yeah”

I looked closely at the village in front of e was dark, as if a drop of ink had been dropped onto only the sky above it

It gavei wind blew on it

”There's a sranary too We probably could've seen beautiful countryside fields around here,”

Louie whispered regretfully

The atmosphere around the area reranaries and barns with triangular roofs You could see them all over the wide, level wastelands that were apparently cultivated fields once

We pushed our way through a small trench that looked like a footpath between the fields until we arrived at a place where the buildings were densely packed together There was a continuous fence and a tall stone gate erected in front of it It was ht it would be I wonder if it was prepared for tiate was a watchtoith a large copper drunal for eencies

”We've finally arrived”

I looked up at the copper druhed

I was only elooain The village was enveloped by silence without a trace of the energetic hustle and bustle that should've been here As always, I couldn't feel the presence of other people

”The residential houses are deeper inside Coed ates to the nearest building I took a peek at it as we passed by and there was long building that looked like so next to it It looked like it'd had earthen walls at one point

”I wonder what kind of building that's supposed to be Was it an assehters or soe I'd visited I wanted to have a chance to take my time and look around

But, my wishes were vetoed by Louie, who looked around at our surroundings with sharp eyes

”It'll be sunset soon We have to hurry”

”……Okay”

I sed down the little bit of dissatisfaction I felt and followed after hi for a short while There were a lot of different buildings ooden signs hanging froine it was so the square were box-like buildings that looked to be residential houses

It was quite a surprise to ined ain houses with thatch roofs To be honest, I'd gotten the iion was tranquil, so I felt even e is pretty large”

”It's because the land here is owned by the state”

”H that looks like a shrine”

There were even large buildings that looked like there were s that looked like shops, too, were ether They were pretty dusty, but if I took a closer look I could tell that the buildings were all composed of a variety of different colors, like copper-red, milk-white, or blue

”I know about this It's sis are held together only by the tension in the materials theht? I re about that on TV”

”What?”

I dodged the puzzled Louie's question with a smile

”The residential houses are made half ood and half with stone A lot of them are broken down”

”……That's likely because there isn't anybody left to s had deteriorated and had holes in them or were slanted to the side and they were all covered in rubbish I tried brushi+ng ht onto it

As for the bath that I'd secretly been hoping for……there was a building with a line of columns that looked like the remains of a bathhouse, but I didn't need to check inside to know that it was complete dry

”Oh, there's a well over there!”

I jumped off of Eru's back and ran over to it, only to be disappointed There was a yellowish-brown bucket attached to a frayed rope hanging liuess even the rivers were dried up too Baths aside, what are we gonna do about drinking water? I' e as I felt Louie and Eru cos were placed in properly calculated blocks

My breath suddenly caught I was really in a fantasy world It was like I'd tias or electricity

”My heart won't calm down for some reason……, is it because I can't see anyone here?”

I let slip as I furrowed htly over ht this earlier too, but, unlike there area with the fields, there wasn't really a simple atmosphere here inside of the stone walls Instead, it had a strangely stiff impression about it Should I say it was plain?

There were a lot erated a bit I'd even say that it seemed a bit e”

I climbed back on Eru and tilted s to see and absorb that I'd forgotten about Louie's warnings to hurry along and ended up wandering around

Each time I did, Louie would look troubled and would patiently ad sidetracked

Eru looked like he agreed with hiuard eet on o here and there whenever I gently pat at the area around his ears

I nonchalantly had Eru walk around even as I felt Louie's gaze on s

”Is this also a granary? Did all of the villagers share it together? There are even logs placed around here”

Louie, alking a little ahead ofwhile I was ad the tall, tower-like storehouse He had stopped in front of a rectangular building that was built with copper-red blocks Only its arched doors were made from wood

The as heavily rotten and looked like they would easily fall over froer than a japanese single house A chi?”

Louie didn't answer and kicked the door open instead after carefully turning his gaze to his surroundings The door opened with a dry sound like someone had kicked sand

”Hibiki, you stay——”

I swiftly jumped off of Eru's back before I heard the rest of Louie's sentence

I didn't need hi after I saw the expression on his face

He was probably about to tell be to stay on standby with Eru here

”I' with you I don't have to confidence to stay in one place if I'm left to my own devices As for Eru……I think it'll be difficult for you to enter the building because of your size, so you stay in front of the door, okay?”

I slipped past Louie's, who had opened his mouth with a fastidious look on his face, side and went in

It was horribly dusty inside of the building and the air was stagnant There s, but it was still pretty dark because all of them were covered in dust without exception

I blinked a few tiot used to it and slowly observed the area

”It looks kinda like a general store Aer will strike Please, I want you to stay with the sacred beast”

”I want to be together with you, Louie I want to see you and hear your voice from close by”

Louie was at a loss for words when I turned around and said this to him I continued,

”but, I'll listen to what you tella bother to you I still can't really tell how dangerous things are I definitely don't want you to get hurt because I ith you”

Louie's eyes wavered as he suddenly turned away and took a step backward He had strange expression on his face that was heartrending but also so at him before I knew it and realized that there was a block of wood fallen by his feet I panicked He ht trip if he stepped on it

”Louie, watch out There's a——”

My balance collapsed the moment I shortened the distance between us as I called out to warn hi close attention to as at ht on a piece of floorboard that was raised up a little and pitched forward

”Hibiki!”

Louie extended both of his arhtto cling on to and wrapped my arms around his waist

My face crashed into his chest head-on

I stifled my embarrassment and sha down at me as well He had the same face as before He looked like he was in pain on one hand, but his cheeks were also flushed

I found myself unable to keep my composure because it was a special kind of face that you wouldn't normally show your faentle elation that was accorabbed Louie's waist tighter in an effort to ignore that strange feeling

”Louie, you have a really nice body”

He was tall and looked slender, but the area around his waist was actually quite sturdy I understood that this was the reason why he was able to carry around such a heavy sword and still move so nimbly

”How should I put this, but you have a pretty thick waist? You'd look a if you took your clothes off”

He had no excess fat I was so jealous! I subconsciously stroked his sides ininappropriate I was just thinking that it'd be nice if I could be like that too

Finally, I realized that it was strange how Louie had absolutely no reaction to any of this

I wholeheartedly regretted the fact that I should have at least said that he had a nice 'physique,' not a nice 'body' ……Though I guess it doesn't reallythat you're really cool and had an ideal body type, and…”

I didn't kno to describe the expression I saw on Louie's face when I looked up at him

”——Hibiki You are so……”

Louie furrowed his brows in a heartrending rabbed ently pulled me away

”You need to be a little more cautious And you need to be s”

I flinched at his strict tone Was he angry?

The elation suddenly vanished and I felt like my body tes

I guess that ht?

”……Okay I'o back to where Eru is”

He grabbeddepressed

”That's not it You misunderstoodto push you away”

We stared at each other for several seconds The place he was grabbingfaster

”I don't think of you as a bother ……You don't have to go back”

I, as calculating as ever, was revitalized upon hearing his words

”I can stay with you?”

”Yeah But don't leave ave me his brief permission in a conflicted manner

I suddenly felt ticklish, like I was embarrassed, for some reason that I couldn't explain I slippedand asked hi that had been on my mind for a while now

”Hey, Louie? Is there a reason why the colors on the building walls are all different?”

”The building's color indicates what properties it has This house, for exas to a s, bathhouses, eateries, and the like all have a certain set of colors they're able to use”

”Is that how it is? It's nice and easy to understand”