As one would expect, I pressed my shoulders up against the wall when I returned to the wet underground seventh floor, where the underground water flowed.
Once I entered the room where Enoshigaos had been, I took a swig of water from the fountain. Since my throat was scorching in the scorching heat of the underground eighth floor, even the null water felt delicious on my tongue.
“I also have to eat some food.” (Shinjō)
Possibly due to my extreme fatigue, I had no appetite.
Even so, my body needed nutrition. I fished through my rucksack, and ate the seaserpent’s meat.
Things like flavor didn’t matter, I regained nourishment anyway, and after, I’d sleep for a little bit.
The boss room was like a closed door. It was specified that other monsters couldn’t enter normally, so I could rest assured and sleep.
In the current situation where formidable enemies were drawing near from a lower floor, time was more valuable than gold coins, but that was why I had to rest when I could.
When I *thud* collapsed onto the large throne, my consciousness dropped, and I dozed off.
“……Fuuu.” (Shinjō)
My sense of time was amiss, so although I couldn’t say for sure, I probably didn’t sleep for that long.
I feared I would sleep soundly as is if I slept on the floor, so I took it upon myself to sleep sitting up, but I still slept soundly.
“I don’t think I sleep too much.” (Shinjō)
Despite doping potions of ability rising, against an opponent many ranks above me, battles to the death would continue if done poorly.
Though my body’s muscles were creaking, I knew they were getting stronger. Originally, I would have liked to have a more natural rest, but that was supplemented for by the recovery due to the keep-yourself-awake gems and all sorts of potions.
“Well, let’s go I guess.” (Shinjō)
I quickly went back to the seventh floor’s wet passage.
As I took a direct route aiming for the stairs to the sixth floor while utterly defeating several mermen, the voices of bustling people were heard from ahead.
Just as I arrived in the large room near the entrance.
The group of Nanami and others arrived.
I didn’t think about avoiding or running away from them anymore, so I awaited them in the center of the large room.
“Yo……, you guys cleared the sixth floor’s boss, huh?” (Shinjō)
“Shinjō Wataru-kun!” (Nanami)
Nanami calling me by my full name felt nostalgic.
The『Invasion』of the black death knights would probably extend to the upper floors again. If it was like that, then I thought they needed to be warned because they were also in danger.
“Wataru-kun!” “Danna-sama desu!” (Kumiko) (Ussah)
“Hey, calm down.” (Shinjō)
Kujō Kumiko and Ussah clung to my arms.
You guys, don’t block both my arms in a dungeon.
Ussah aside, I never had thought Kumiko would cling to me.
If it was the Kumiko during school, she didn’t behave like this or anything in the presence of the general public, but perhaps it was a change in mental state?
Now wasn’t the time to be keeping these guys company carefreely.
The『Invasion』of black death knights was approaching from the lower floors. They were opponents that couldn’t be cut through even by me unless I made a serious effort, so they were too dangerous for these guys.
“Sorry, but I’ll have a little chat with you.” (Nanami)
“What is it, Nanami?” (Shinjō)
The one who had something to tell was me, but from Nanami’s threatening attitude, ‘little’ was out of the question. His attitude changed, and my shoulders were grabbed strongly.
I thought that he might *hug* embrace me like this, like Kumiko and Ussah, and was surprised for a second.
Even Kumiko and Ussah, who’d normally make a fuss noisily, were pushed back by Nanami’s overwhelming spirit, and stepped back a step.
Nanami, who rushed up to me that forcefully, was pressuring.
“Shinjō-kun, you were with Kazuha, weren’t you? She disappeared from the town, there was someone who said that they saw her shopping with you at the end, that you……” (Nanami)
“Aah? If it’s Rindou Kazuha, I hid her because she was starving to death in the city.” (Shinjō)
“She was about to die!? No, rather than that, is Kazuha safe? Where is she now!” (Nanami)
“Nanami, by chance, did you come here chasing Rindou?” (Shinjō)
From Nanami’s appearance, it felt like it didn’t even need to be asked.
I had never thought Nanami would seriously move the eliteparty of the student council for a person reason of ‘I want to search for my childhood friend’ and come chasing her until here.
I had thought that he was a guy who properly established the difference between public and private matters.
I thought that because he was a guy like that, he hadn’t noticed that Kazuha was being driven into a wall…….
Although Nanami was the leader, how far would the Nanami girls and athletes cooperate in the goal of searching for Kazuha?
On the official stance, it was under the pretext of ‘advancing the capture’, and as Nanami’s true feelings, it was probably ‘he came to search for me, who took Kazuha’.
But, the fact that I was observed when I was in the store with Kazuha was inopportune. Kazuha disappeared immediately following that, so no matter what rumor was started, it wasn’t strange.
The fact that I hadn’t been aware of the surrounding student’s eyes was careless as well.
“Is Kazuha safe, hey, HEY, Shinjooō!” (Nanami)
“Don’t panic, she’s in a safe place, and she’s fine. Which reminds me, I’m holding onto a letter to you from Rindou.” (Shinjō)
I took out Rindou’s letter which had『to Nanami-kun』written on it from my rucksack, and handed it over.
I was saved since a letter was prepared. If he read this, he should also understand the situation.
Nanami hurriedly broke the seal, and read the letter.
As he read down the letter, his hands quivered. Before long, his shoulders shook a lot, as if they were cramping.
“It’s a lie……a letter like this is……” (Nanami)
“Hey, Nana……” (Shinjō)
When I saw Nanami’s face, I lost my words for a second.
I saw the instant his always eloquent honor student maskpersona *peel* peeled off and dropped.
Who…was this guy……
The man standing there wasn’t the Shuichi Nanami we knew until now. His wide open eyes were bloodshot, and the distortion of his mouth was full of hatred. Just like the expression of an Asura.
If he read the letter from Kazuha, Nanami would feel relieved, wouldn’t he?
I regretted that I believed the words ‘Kazuha will explain it’, and hadn’t checked the contents of the letter.
At times like this, my well-bredness became my enemy, huh? No, seeing another person’s private message was similar to stepping into another person’s territory, and that was just unpleasant. Let’s reflect that that part was a mistake.
However, this wasn’t as expected. Kazuha, what did you write in that letter!
This wasn’t natural.
The important letter that Kazuha wrote, Nanami *crinkle* crushed it with his hands.
Even at that nonchalant action, I was frightened. It felt strange, like he was possessed by something, so to speak. This guy…was dangerous.
“Where is Kazuha……Shinjō. Let me talk to Kazuha right now……” (Nanami)
“Wait Nanami, calm down first, and listen to the story! Even if you say ‘let me talk to her right now’, it’s impossible. She’s hiding in another place.” (Shinjō)
“Then, say it! Where that is!” (Nanami)
“I can’t say that, you should understand the reason if you read the letter, right? Rindou was the target of bullying, so she……” (Shinjō)
“Shinjō……as I thought, you, you kidnapped Kazuha, didn’t you!” (Nanami)
“Hey, what do you mean ‘as I thought’?” (Shinjō)
This reaction, did someone say I ‘kidnapped Kazuha’?
In front of my eyes, Nanami threw away his『Large Shield of Holy Iron』……and drew his sword.
Nanami drew out the『Blacksteel Sword』he wore on his back and drew near me. I couldn’t believe the things he did before my eyes.
That Shuichi Nanami, a flawless superman honor student, was taking such frivolous actions without checking the situation…….
“Calm down!” (Shinjō)
I felt a chilly thirst for blood, and jumped back faster than I planned to.
His black sword *whoosh* passed through the place I was originally.
That just and fair Nanami, forget me, swung his sword at a student of the same school.
Both Everyone in the surroundings, and Kumiko and Ussah, who were nearby, were shocked, and couldn’t move. It was a scene they could hardly believe.
“Haha~, that’s right. No one said that Kazuha was being bullied. Furthermore that it’s because of me, such a thing is impossible. Going as far as to make a polite letter of lies like this……I won’t be trickeddd!” (Nanami)
“Wait, eeii!” (Shinjō)
Seeing as Nanami drew near holding a sword in his hand, I had no choice but to draw『Solitude』as well.
It was a reflexive defensive action, but it provocated Nanami even more.
“It’s as I thought! You took Kazuha forcibly, you did, didn’t you!” (Nanami)
“No, why do you think that!” (Shinjō)
I wonder, was Shuichi Nanami such a tawdry man?
Even if ‘I kidnapped Kazuha’ was said by someone, and she wrote ‘save me because I was kidnapped by him’, even then, he wasn’t a man who would swing their sword without checking the situation.
To go this far, Nanami was crazy; what the hell was written in that letter?
Nanami, with a facial expression like a ghost, was losing his sanity. Why was this serious a sword coming out from the body of Nanami, who was frail and tired?
“Return, KazuhaAAAA!” (Nanami)
“You intend to seriously do it!?” (Shinjō)
I caught the blow that Nanami launched with hatred with『Solitude』.
The black sword was covered in a silver effect. Holy Blast. In other words, Nanami’s occupation was the high-ranking job ‘Holy Knight’.
Speaking in just the rank, he was on par with Kumiko and I, I guess.
No, not just the rank, but both the speed and weight of his thrusts had no shortcomings. Shuichi Nanami, was strong.
“Shinjō, you bastarddd!” (Nanami)
“Nanamiii!” (Shinjō)
It was not the time to be admiring it, I attacked the traces of silver that were driven in one by one with all my might. Each blow was heavy, and even for me, turning them aside took all my strength.
It resulted in performing a locking of swords with that Shuichi Nanami, and despite it being a situation like this, I was pleased with the strength of Nanami’s sword.¹
I wasn’t the only one who trained themselves in the blood-smeared dungeon.
This guy was a formidable enemy. Nanami, the same as me, also swung his sword in the dungeon without rest for a while.
The weight of the attacks I received was like that.
I was fighting for myself, but Nanami had continued to fight on the foremost line as a shield for more people.
Strength in Genocide Reality didn’t lie.
Whether that incentive was good or evil, only those who continued swinging their sword could become stronger, and fight against an opponent with a strong will.
That, was an isolated and sad strength. Had Nanami cornered himself until he acquired this much strength?
While receiving Nanami’s black sword that was covered in a silver effect, it seemed that, even if Nanami went mad with this, it wouldn’t be strange.
“Kazuha, wouldn’t, leave, meeEEE!” (Nanami)
Shuichi Nanami wasn’t a blessed honors studentelite, or anything like that. He was covered in mud, covered in blood, kept at it, kept at it, and went for it, but even so, Nanami hadn’t been rewarded with even one thing.
The reason why Nanami was attacking me, who spoke to him, was the twisted lie that was said by someone, but the wicked sword packed with countless curses that he was swinging downward while making heavy sounds was still straight.
Nanami probably like Kazuha, his childhood friend, quite a bit. So much so that he attacked me with an unreasonable anger, that he exposed such an unsightly appearance.
He tried to protect everyone, but instead, due to that, the one important to him was hurt. And, when he noticed that, she was in a place out of his reach already.
There wasn’t something like a perfect good guy anywhere. Rather, the man blessed with as many qualities as Shuichi Nanami didn’t reach her, despite mustering desperate efforts until here.
The regret that he lost the person most important to him due to prioritizing other people.
The shining silver of Nanami, who crossed the gloomy dungeon, and my white sword. Through the gaps of our swords which violently clashed with each other, Nanami’s voice of malice like he was vomiting blood was heard.
Shuichi Nanami, who lost his childhood friend and became like a ghost, was stirred up by a dark impulse that couldn’t be stopped even by me, and chased me deep into the dungeon like this.
“Shinjō, you, youuuuu, uuAAAAHHHH!” (Nanami)
While shouting as if he was cursing my name, Nanami, who blindly assaulted me with his sword with all his power, had anxiety, irritation, bitterness, anger, hatred……and, sadness and despair.
I understood more by exchanging swords than exchanging words. Nanami’s shouts, were wails.
“What is it……” (Shinjō)
If the flawless superman maskcharacter he imposed on himself was broken, then Shuichi Nanami was also the same brat as us, wasn’t he?
Just about everything didn’t go how he wanted it to, and he cried; he was a brat who became desperate and had an outburst of anger.
Then, I’ll treat a brat like a brat!
I thrust Nanami away with all my strength, and cut down with all my strength.
“GUAAAHHH!” (Nanami)
“Did you snap out of it, Nanamiii!” (Shinjō)
I didn’t plan on killing him. But, Nanami was too strong to be held down uninjured.
After all, unless he died, he’d heal with recovery potions; I didn’t go as far as killing him, but I deeply cut the wrist of his right arm so he couldn’t hold his sword.
“SHINJŌ, SHINJOOOOŌ!!” (Nanami)
“You’ll still comeee!?” (Shinjō)
Perhaps, Nanami’s dominant arm might have been his left hand.
Even if came to one hand, he switched the way he held his sword, and came to assault me with it. I didn’t dislike that perseverance, but he was only hurting himself.
“ooOOOOOOOH!” (Nanami)
“Don’t blame me.” (Shinjō)
Sorry, but I’m not adult enough to kindly take your despair.
I bisected his left wrist holding the sword with all my strength. While spewing blood from the cross-section of his arm, Nanami finally tumbled down.
“UAAAAH……” (Nanami)
“It’s over with this! Hey, Mikami. I’ll tie his hands, so please help me.” (Shinjō)
“Eehh, aahh……” (Mikami)
Just like the surrounding group, Mikami Naotsugu had a bewildered face, but my intention of ‘heal Nanami with a recovery potion’ seemed to have been transmitted, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
Since Mikami turned to help me, the strained atmosphere before our sudden duel also calmed down a bit.
In this situation where Nanami and I fought, every one of Nanami’s party might have turned into an enemy if I did it poorly.
Well, it’d be whatever if it was me alone, but if Kumiko and Ussah turned to my side, us killing each other might have happened.
An environment where you could easily kill each other by just a slight misunderstanding and difference of feelings.
That, was also the dreadfullness of Genocide Reality.
Only this time wasn’t the case to be saying ‘human relationships are troublesome’ or things like that.
I managed to tie his hands, so I left nursing Nanami, who lost blood and was limp, to Mikami, picked up Kazuha’s letter, which Nanami had grabbed and thrown away, and quickly read it.
“This is……” (Shinjō)
Indeed, the contents were harsh.
I could understand why Nanami went mad. That was why women were unpleasant. Damn Rindou Kazuha, I’ll pay the debt with you later.
That aside, the settling of the immediate situation was ahead.²
For Nanami’s treatment, Mikami’s athlete corps were surrounding him. It was because the five girls of the Nanami Girls Special Team, who nursed Nanami first usually, were going crazy.
Since their important Nanami was injured, the girls were throwing abusive language at me and showing a stance like they were trying to attack me.
A composition of Kumiko holding back an angry Ussah, who was trying to kill with her fists the girls who displayed an intention to attack me, and restraining both parties.
Kujo Kumiko, who had influence over all the girls, was working well.
Even when Nanami was clashing with me, she probably had restrained Ussah so that she didn’t rush out.
The serious killing intent of Ussah, who beared her fangs, surpassed the madness of the girls, Kumiko forced her way into there, and the balance was barely being kept.
If the barely holding on balance crumbled, it’d really result in them killing each other. It was a critical and terrible situation.
It would be settled if Nanami returned to the girls, but that couldn’t be done.
To Nanami, I was a criminal who said ‘I kidnapped Kazuha’.
I thought that it might have been a trap of Jinguuji, who tried to remove me—a hindrance, but even for that guy, Nanami was an important person, so it seemed that he wouldn’t do something like use him to kill me.
Then, the suspicious ones were the girls. Yeah, because it was an ad hoc groundless rumor, it seemed to have been done by a girl without thinking.
It would be troublesome if Nanami, who was like an empty shell because he was exhausted after acting violently, was conveniently guided by the girls again.
For me, the girls were an enemy, and I had to tear them off from Nanami.
While feeling frustration that I couldn’t catch hold of the clue that could break the deadlock in the situation, I was observing the situation of the surroundings.
As the boss of the Nanami Girls was shouting wildly, appreciated words were emitted.
“Why did Nanami-kun have to be hurt because of a girl like Kazuhaa!” (Boss Girl)
For the person herself, they were probably a few words that nonchalantly leaked out.
However, those words gave a powerful shock to Nanami, who knew the letter which said『Rindou Kazuha was bullied because Nanami was viewed specially』was the truth.
That’s right, Nanami. The criminal who bullied your important Kazuha was in the immediate vicinity.
I whispered words containing drops of poison to Nanami, who warped their mouth in pain.
“Hey, Nanami, it’s that girl. The ringleader who bullied Rindou Kazuha and tried to kill her……” (Shinjō)
I pointed my finger at the boss of the girls, and told him. When he heard my words, Nanami was astonished.
That’s right, the bad one was neither Nanami or me, but these girls.
“Wha, what are you saying! No it’s not, it’s differenttt!” (Boss Girl)
The boss of the Nanami Girls denied it while violently shaking her curled hair, but she didn’t realize. That just now was my bluff, but perhaps it was close.
It wasn’t the case where she had no clue about it.
Because those of the Nanami girls were the ones who had guarded it so Nanami wasn’t informed that Kazuha, cast out from the students, was crumbling.
Whether or not they were directly involved in the bullying aside, their actions had clear ill will towards Kazuha.
“Itt, it’s a lie……Nanami-kun. That’s a lie, I didn’t bully her or anything like that.” (Boss Girl)
Though she explained, she couldn’t hide the trembling in her quivering lips. It was as if she was confessing the crime. Since there were idiots like them, I was saved.
The boss of the Nanami Girls was a somewhat showy and beautiful person, but I didn’t know her name.
Her well-ordered appearance was suitable enough for her to be serving as Shuichi Nanami’s support, but how was she maintaining it in the dungeon? Her curled hair was glossy, and her arrogant-like slanted eyes were severe; she really did look like a seemingly malicious villainess.
Indeed, she was a woman who『did it』. She was just right to be made out to be the offender of the bullying.
“She’s someone who ‘let slip the secret’. She means ‘I『didn’t do it directly』’, those guys conspired as a group, cornered Rindou Kazuha, and tried to kill her, isn’t that right!” (Shinjō)
“No I didn’t, that’s groundless! Nanami-kun, please believe me……” (Boss Girl)
Look, the more violently you deny it, the more suspicious it becomes.
There were no problems with things like ‘how the truth is’ now. It was what Nanami, the keyman, believed.
When he heard the ugly excuses of the girls, Nanami, who had been beaten up, strongly held down the inner corners of his eyes, shook his shoulders, and murmured in a low voice.
What leaked out was words of regret.
Nanami was believing the words I spat out.
In Nanami’s leaked murmuring, he leaked out things like “Sorry, Shinjō-kun, even though I knew it……”, as well as some tiny words of apology to me.
Nanami’s current heart, having had his resentment amassed until now explode, was empty.
His head cooled down more or less, and he also probably felt sorry that he attacked me in a misunderstanding. The ideal timing to guide his thoughts.
That’s right, Shuichi Nanami was the leader who controlled these students who only caused trouble.
There wasn’t a rule like ‘you mustn’t conveniently use Shuichi Nanami, like the Nanami Girls and Jinguuji’.
Even I was roughly reading books of psychology, from Sigmund Freud to Alfred Adler.
Analyzing one’s state of mind was galling for a school teacher, so I intensively read books on psychoanalysis and child psychology.
I probably didn’t compare to the tricky glasses guys who did mental manipulation of that kind everyday, though.
But if it was just guiding the softhearted, simple Shuichi Nanami in a convenient direction, it wasn’t like I couldn’t do it.
The plan was decided. Now that it had come to this, the girls needed to be cut loose from Nanami. Since Nanami was exhausted, the first priority was having Mikami and others become his support.
I decided to ask Mikami so he’d help me.
First, dividing the work. In order to isolate the girls that fell into the position of the villain that bullied Kazuha, the Athlete Corps would become my allies.
From my observations so far, I knew that Mikami and others didn’t get along with the girls from the beginning. They were just with them because Nanami was the heart of the groupparty.
I didn’t know why, but Mikami listened to my words. It was a short relationship, but he didn’t seem to have any animosity towards me.
My instant judgement of ‘first have Mikami Naotsugu become my ally’ was correct, even if I logically thought about it.
In the Nanami group, the Athlete Corps had the biggest numbers, and Mikami was the one who led it.
In the situation where the leader Nanami was dejected, the sub-leader of that groupparty was Mikami.
“Mikami, please let me talk with Nanami, just us two, for just a bit..” (Shinjō)
“But……” (Mikami)
“Please, if Nanami retires, everyone will be troubled. I think that, if it’s me, I can speak to Nanami and make him pull himself together. If you leave him to the girls, Nanami will still be strange!” (Shinjō)
“……Got it. We’ll hold back the girls.” (Mikami)
Mikami and others went around to hold back the fussy Nanami Girls.
Now then, I had to settle the matter with Nanami after they took distance and it was just the two of us.
“Did you sleep a bit more, Nanami? You lost a lot of blood.” (Shinjō)
“Sorry……” (Nanami)
Anyway, kindly, and gently, I let loose cajolery.
I had quite a lot of resistance in doing it to a man, but I let Nanami’s head lay on my lap. Nanami, who was exhausted, didn’t resist.
By stepping into a person’s personal space, a feeling of intimacy was produced.
A scene where a friendship between men—who quarrelled and fought with each other—budded, which happened often in old manga and things like that, would occur with an effect like this.
By getting into a close proximity with another party, you’d have a heart to heart talk.
Therefore, I reset my thoughts of until now about Nanami for now, and slowly guided him to this convenient direction.
“I knew that Rindou Kazuha was being bullied, and that her life was at risk.” (Shinjō)
“That’s right……, you just tried to help Kazuha, didn’t you? If I thought about it calmly, I should have understood that the letter wasn’t a lie. So that I properly understood it, Kazuha wrote it. And yet, I didn’t believe it……I believed in a trifling rumor……all of it, is my fault.” (Nanami)
“Rindou being bullied wasn’t Nanami’s fault only, I know you did as much as you could. Truthfully, I should have put in a warning, even if only a few words, beforehand, but at that time, the situation was stringent, and it couldn’t be helped.” (Shinjō)
“It’s my fault, I’m sorry. Really, I also did terrible things to you……I don’t know how I should apologize.” (Nanami)
Though the one who attacked first was Nanami, because he could apologize to me without ill feelings immediately after having his arm cut off, he was a great person.
It should be the fault of the one who breathed that worthless lie of ‘I kidnapped Kazuha’ or something like that, but he apologized that ‘he was in the wrong’ without blaming anyone; Nanami was probably a good person at his very core.
If so, it was a story which became him also attacking me, but his child-like jealousy which was convinced that his childhood friend Kazuha was taken by me was probably the root of that. Nanami himself didn’t seem to have noticed the malice which stagnated within him.
Assuming that, I had to solve that misunderstanding first.
“Nanami, I intended to temporarily protect Rindou as a substitute for you. I as well have someone important in the town, so I well understand the feelings of you, who worries about Rindou.” (Shinjō)
“An important person……is it Kumiko-kun?” (Nanami)
It was different, but perhaps it’d be easier for him to understand if he made that misunderstanding. I liked Kumiko, and wasn’t interested in his childhood friend.
By letting him think so, he’d have sympathy as a man who had a girl he wanted to protect. That’s right, how about I try talking similar to the ‘setting one’s teeth on edge’ style that Nanami liked?
“Nanami, how about we make a gentlemen’s agreement? In the current situation, only I can protect your important Rindou, and only you can protect my important person, right? I also want you to help me, we can cooperate with each other. It was you who said so, wasn’t it?” (Shinjō)
“You’re strong……. But, what should I do now……” (Nanami)
“Don’t give up! If it’s about Rindou……she was also in grave danger. I think that because she just about starved to death and her heart was weakened, she hadn’t gotten around to as far as sympathizing with you, Nanami.” (Shinjō)
“She…did…?” (Nanami)
“That’s right, hey, Nanami! That letter probably isn’t Rindou’s true feelings! This situation is bad, just endure it for now. Once we clear Genocide Reality and return to the school, everyone will be as before.” (Shinjō)
“Will be…as before…?” (Nanami)
“Aah, of course, both you and Kazuha……because it’s such a situation currently, it will be difficult to let you meet each other, but you’ll properly talk again.” (Shinjō)
“But she…doesn’t want to meet me anymore.” (Nanami)
“Such a thing is a temporary delusion. What will you do if you can’t believe in your important childhood friend? Once Rindou’s feelings settle, you’ll be able to talk to each other again. There’s an item like a TV phone called『Distant Viewing Crystal』, so I promise you that you’ll be able to talk to her with that.” (Shinjō)
“Really?” (Nanami)
Alright, he bit at it.
From the start, he had been in desperation. Relax, Nanami. Rindou Kazuha would return to your side eventually.
“If you make a promise like that, you should do your best, survive with everyone, and clear it. Then, everything will be as before.” (Shinjō)
“I……see……Aaaahhh……” (Nanami)
Nanami began to leak sobs. Oh boy, the cool guy was ruined. It was a face he hadn’t shown to anyone at all. Not only were there tears, but he was crying aloud while mucus dribbled.
He was just pretending to be tough because he had to be everyone’s leader, it appeared that Nanami had been extremely troubled.
In the tough situation in which students were injured and died one after another under his responsibility, the one who supported Nanami’s heart may have only been Kazuha—his childhood friend.
Kazuha vaguely knew about that too, didn’t she? Originally, shouldn’t she have helped him and encouraged him?
Despite this, after thrusting the truth that her being bullied was Nanami’s fault in front of him, she took drastic measures by sending a polite farewell letter, or something like that; Kazuha-san, you’re quite extreme.
No, well, Kazuha had a ‘what to do’ situation, but thank you for pushing the cleaning up of your damn troublesome childhood friend onto me of all people, I’ll have you return it triple-fold later.
Oh yeah, should I control Nanami by using Kazuha?
I was burdened with troubles until now, it should be fine to do that, to that woman.
“Nanami……” (Shinjō)
“When Kazuha was little, she said that I was like a hero.” (Nanami)
What had this guy began talking about? I laughed reflexively as it was too abrupt.
I was troubled even if he told me things like such a heartwarming episode between such childhood friends, but I couldn’t say ‘f**king annoying’, so I made an agreeable response.
“Oh? A hero, huh?” (Shinjō)
“That’s why I wanted to be a hero……Uuuu, aaahhhh, but, I wonder where I was mistaken. All of it is my fault……” (Nanami)
I wonder, did I understand?
If Nanami was mistaken, then I was mistaken about a hundred times. Each and every time I was troubled by something like this, it seemed like I hadn’t realized the setback.
Even in Genocide Reality, Nanami’s unreasonable way of trying to stick to the hero he believed in failed, and the person himself was crushed as well.
But, I didn’t want to say ‘that’s a stupid behavior’ either. Because Nanami desperately fought for what he believed in.
There were no ‘flawless people’, and there was no ‘perfect righteousness’ anywhere. Even though he made mistakes in some places, even though he wasn’t rewarded, Nanami still kept trying his best for everyone.
Even if that strength and kindness were nothing more than a false mask, him being a hope for many students was a fact.
“Nanami, you can do it over again, even if you made a mistake. I will cooperate. Both you, and Rindou, are still alive. If you survive until the end, everything—without exception—can be as before.” (Shinjō)
“That’s right, yeah……a gentlemen’s agreement, huh? Wataru Shinjō-kun, thank you. I want to atone somehow for what I did. Both to you, and to Kazuha……I vow to keep that promise.” (Nanami)
Shuichi Nanami was regaining his original shrewdness. It seemed he had recovered; I breathed a sigh of relief.
My style of escaping from troubling things was gradually becoming something that didn’t work out, so let’s go with the style where I crush it beforehand this time.
Nanami, who experienced a setback, would become much stronger. There were things that only Nanami could do for Nanami, and in the future after this, I should also find myself in my role.
I also had an important friend in the town, so we must cooperate in any way we could to repulse the black death knights.
In any case, if it was involved with the student council, Nanami and other’s party would be the easiest to use.
After clearing the current『Invasion』, it’d be nice if Kumiko and Ussah took care of Nanami like this, but I wonder, how would a gentlemen’s agreement like that turn out…….
If so, I could return to solo-play as well.
Well, let’s decide to consider it.
Translator’s Notes
¹ – Not sure about this sentence. ‘あの七海修一と鍔迫り合いを演じることになるとは、こんな状況なのに俺は七海の剣の強度に嬉しくなってしまう。’
² – Sorry, didn’t quite get this one either. ‘それはそうと、眼の前の事態収拾が先だった。’
As one would expect, I pressed my shoulders up against the wall when I returned to the wet underground seventh floor, where the underground water flowed.
Once I entered the room where Enoshigaos had been, I took a swig of water from the fountain. Since my throat was scorching in the scorching heat of the underground eighth floor, even the null water felt delicious on my tongue.
“I also have to eat some food.” (Shinjō)
Possibly due to my extreme fatigue, I had no appetite.
Even so, my body needed nutrition. I fished through my rucksack, and ate the seaserpent’s meat.
Things like flavor didn’t matter, I regained nourishment anyway, and after, I’d sleep for a little bit.
The boss room was like a closed door. It was specified that other monsters couldn’t enter normally, so I could rest assured and sleep.
In the current situation where formidable enemies were drawing near from a lower floor, time was more valuable than gold coins, but that was why I had to rest when I could.
When I *thud* collapsed onto the large throne, my consciousness dropped, and I dozed off.
“……Fuuu.” (Shinjō)
My sense of time was amiss, so although I couldn’t say for sure, I probably didn’t sleep for that long.
I feared I would sleep soundly as is if I slept on the floor, so I took it upon myself to sleep sitting up, but I still slept soundly.
“I don’t think I sleep too much.” (Shinjō)
Despite doping potions of ability rising, against an opponent many ranks above me, battles to the death would continue if done poorly.
Though my body’s muscles were creaking, I knew they were getting stronger. Originally, I would have liked to have a more natural rest, but that was supplemented for by the recovery due to the keep-yourself-awake gems and all sorts of potions.
“Well, let’s go I guess.” (Shinjō)
I quickly went back to the seventh floor’s wet passage.
As I took a direct route aiming for the stairs to the sixth floor while utterly defeating several mermen, the voices of bustling people were heard from ahead.
Just as I arrived in the large room near the entrance.
The group of Nanami and others arrived.
I didn’t think about avoiding or running away from them anymore, so I awaited them in the center of the large room.
“Yo……, you guys cleared the sixth floor’s boss, huh?” (Shinjō)
“Shinjō Wataru-kun!” (Nanami)
Nanami calling me by my full name felt nostalgic.
The『Invasion』of the black death knights would probably extend to the upper floors again. If it was like that, then I thought they needed to be warned because they were also in danger.
“Wataru-kun!” “Danna-sama desu!” (Kumiko) (Ussah)
“Hey, calm down.” (Shinjō)
Kujō Kumiko and Ussah clung to my arms.
You guys, don’t block both my arms in a dungeon.
Ussah aside, I never had thought Kumiko would cling to me.
If it was the Kumiko during school, she didn’t behave like this or anything in the presence of the general public, but perhaps it was a change in mental state?
Now wasn’t the time to be keeping these guys company carefreely.
The『Invasion』of black death knights was approaching from the lower floors. They were opponents that couldn’t be cut through even by me unless I made a serious effort, so they were too dangerous for these guys.
“Sorry, but I’ll have a little chat with you.” (Nanami)
“What is it, Nanami?” (Shinjō)
The one who had something to tell was me, but from Nanami’s threatening attitude, ‘little’ was out of the question. His attitude changed, and my shoulders were grabbed strongly.
I thought that he might *hug* embrace me like this, like Kumiko and Ussah, and was surprised for a second.
Even Kumiko and Ussah, who’d normally make a fuss noisily, were pushed back by Nanami’s overwhelming spirit, and stepped back a step.
Nanami, who rushed up to me that forcefully, was pressuring.
“Shinjō-kun, you were with Kazuha, weren’t you? She disappeared from the town, there was someone who said that they saw her shopping with you at the end, that you……” (Nanami)
“Aah? If it’s Rindou Kazuha, I hid her because she was starving to death in the city.” (Shinjō)
“She was about to die!? No, rather than that, is Kazuha safe? Where is she now!” (Nanami)
“Nanami, by chance, did you come here chasing Rindou?” (Shinjō)
From Nanami’s appearance, it felt like it didn’t even need to be asked.
I had never thought Nanami would seriously move the eliteparty of the student council for a person reason of ‘I want to search for my childhood friend’ and come chasing her until here.
I had thought that he was a guy who properly established the difference between public and private matters.
I thought that because he was a guy like that, he hadn’t noticed that Kazuha was being driven into a wall…….
Although Nanami was the leader, how far would the Nanami girls and athletes cooperate in the goal of searching for Kazuha?
On the official stance, it was under the pretext of ‘advancing the capture’, and as Nanami’s true feelings, it was probably ‘he came to search for me, who took Kazuha’.
But, the fact that I was observed when I was in the store with Kazuha was inopportune. Kazuha disappeared immediately following that, so no matter what rumor was started, it wasn’t strange.
The fact that I hadn’t been aware of the surrounding student’s eyes was careless as well.
“Is Kazuha safe, hey, HEY, Shinjooō!” (Nanami)
“Don’t panic, she’s in a safe place, and she’s fine. Which reminds me, I’m holding onto a letter to you from Rindou.” (Shinjō)
I took out Rindou’s letter which had『to Nanami-kun』written on it from my rucksack, and handed it over.
I was saved since a letter was prepared. If he read this, he should also understand the situation.
Nanami hurriedly broke the seal, and read the letter.
As he read down the letter, his hands quivered. Before long, his shoulders shook a lot, as if they were cramping.
“It’s a lie……a letter like this is……” (Nanami)
“Hey, Nana……” (Shinjō)
When I saw Nanami’s face, I lost my words for a second.
I saw the instant his always eloquent honor student maskpersona *peel* peeled off and dropped.
Who…was this guy……
The man standing there wasn’t the Shuichi Nanami we knew until now. His wide open eyes were bloodshot, and the distortion of his mouth was full of hatred. Just like the expression of an Asura.
If he read the letter from Kazuha, Nanami would feel relieved, wouldn’t he?
I regretted that I believed the words ‘Kazuha will explain it’, and hadn’t checked the contents of the letter.
At times like this, my well-bredness became my enemy, huh? No, seeing another person’s private message was similar to stepping into another person’s territory, and that was just unpleasant. Let’s reflect that that part was a mistake.
However, this wasn’t as expected. Kazuha, what did you write in that letter!
This wasn’t natural.
The important letter that Kazuha wrote, Nanami *crinkle* crushed it with his hands.
Even at that nonchalant action, I was frightened. It felt strange, like he was possessed by something, so to speak. This guy…was dangerous.
“Where is Kazuha……Shinjō. Let me talk to Kazuha right now……” (Nanami)
“Wait Nanami, calm down first, and listen to the story! Even if you say ‘let me talk to her right now’, it’s impossible. She’s hiding in another place.” (Shinjō)
“Then, say it! Where that is!” (Nanami)
“I can’t say that, you should understand the reason if you read the letter, right? Rindou was the target of bullying, so she……” (Shinjō)
“Shinjō……as I thought, you, you kidnapped Kazuha, didn’t you!” (Nanami)
“Hey, what do you mean ‘as I thought’?” (Shinjō)
This reaction, did someone say I ‘kidnapped Kazuha’?
In front of my eyes, Nanami threw away his『Large Shield of Holy Iron』……and drew his sword.
Nanami drew out the『Blacksteel Sword』he wore on his back and drew near me. I couldn’t believe the things he did before my eyes.
That Shuichi Nanami, a flawless superman honor student, was taking such frivolous actions without checking the situation…….
“Calm down!” (Shinjō)
I felt a chilly thirst for blood, and jumped back faster than I planned to.
His black sword *whoosh* passed through the place I was originally.
That just and fair Nanami, forget me, swung his sword at a student of the same school.
Both Everyone in the surroundings, and Kumiko and Ussah, who were nearby, were shocked, and couldn’t move. It was a scene they could hardly believe.
“Haha~, that’s right. No one said that Kazuha was being bullied. Furthermore that it’s because of me, such a thing is impossible. Going as far as to make a polite letter of lies like this……I won’t be trickeddd!” (Nanami)
“Wait, eeii!” (Shinjō)
Seeing as Nanami drew near holding a sword in his hand, I had no choice but to draw『Solitude』as well.
It was a reflexive defensive action, but it provocated Nanami even more.
“It’s as I thought! You took Kazuha forcibly, you did, didn’t you!” (Nanami)
“No, why do you think that!” (Shinjō)
I wonder, was Shuichi Nanami such a tawdry man?
Even if ‘I kidnapped Kazuha’ was said by someone, and she wrote ‘save me because I was kidnapped by him’, even then, he wasn’t a man who would swing their sword without checking the situation.
To go this far, Nanami was crazy; what the hell was written in that letter?
Nanami, with a facial expression like a ghost, was losing his sanity. Why was this serious a sword coming out from the body of Nanami, who was frail and tired?
“Return, KazuhaAAAA!” (Nanami)
“You intend to seriously do it!?” (Shinjō)
I caught the blow that Nanami launched with hatred with『Solitude』.
The black sword was covered in a silver effect. Holy Blast. In other words, Nanami’s occupation was the high-ranking job ‘Holy Knight’.
Speaking in just the rank, he was on par with Kumiko and I, I guess.
No, not just the rank, but both the speed and weight of his thrusts had no shortcomings. Shuichi Nanami, was strong.
“Shinjō, you bastarddd!” (Nanami)
“Nanamiii!” (Shinjō)
It was not the time to be admiring it, I attacked the traces of silver that were driven in one by one with all my might. Each blow was heavy, and even for me, turning them aside took all my strength.
It resulted in performing a locking of swords with that Shuichi Nanami, and despite it being a situation like this, I was pleased with the strength of Nanami’s sword.¹
I wasn’t the only one who trained themselves in the blood-smeared dungeon.
This guy was a formidable enemy. Nanami, the same as me, also swung his sword in the dungeon without rest for a while.
The weight of the attacks I received was like that.
I was fighting for myself, but Nanami had continued to fight on the foremost line as a shield for more people.
Strength in Genocide Reality didn’t lie.
Whether that incentive was good or evil, only those who continued swinging their sword could become stronger, and fight against an opponent with a strong will.
That, was an isolated and sad strength. Had Nanami cornered himself until he acquired this much strength?
While receiving Nanami’s black sword that was covered in a silver effect, it seemed that, even if Nanami went mad with this, it wouldn’t be strange.
“Kazuha, wouldn’t, leave, meeEEE!” (Nanami)
Shuichi Nanami wasn’t a blessed honors studentelite, or anything like that. He was covered in mud, covered in blood, kept at it, kept at it, and went for it, but even so, Nanami hadn’t been rewarded with even one thing.
The reason why Nanami was attacking me, who spoke to him, was the twisted lie that was said by someone, but the wicked sword packed with countless curses that he was swinging downward while making heavy sounds was still straight.
Nanami probably like Kazuha, his childhood friend, quite a bit. So much so that he attacked me with an unreasonable anger, that he exposed such an unsightly appearance.
He tried to protect everyone, but instead, due to that, the one important to him was hurt. And, when he noticed that, she was in a place out of his reach already.
There wasn’t something like a perfect good guy anywhere. Rather, the man blessed with as many qualities as Shuichi Nanami didn’t reach her, despite mustering desperate efforts until here.
The regret that he lost the person most important to him due to prioritizing other people.
The shining silver of Nanami, who crossed the gloomy dungeon, and my white sword. Through the gaps of our swords which violently clashed with each other, Nanami’s voice of malice like he was vomiting blood was heard.
Shuichi Nanami, who lost his childhood friend and became like a ghost, was stirred up by a dark impulse that couldn’t be stopped even by me, and chased me deep into the dungeon like this.
“Shinjō, you, youuuuu, uuAAAAHHHH!” (Nanami)
While shouting as if he was cursing my name, Nanami, who blindly assaulted me with his sword with all his power, had anxiety, irritation, bitterness, anger, hatred……and, sadness and despair.
I understood more by exchanging swords than exchanging words. Nanami’s shouts, were wails.
“What is it……” (Shinjō)
If the flawless superman maskcharacter he imposed on himself was broken, then Shuichi Nanami was also the same brat as us, wasn’t he?
Just about everything didn’t go how he wanted it to, and he cried; he was a brat who became desperate and had an outburst of anger.
Then, I’ll treat a brat like a brat!
I thrust Nanami away with all my strength, and cut down with all my strength.
“GUAAAHHH!” (Nanami)
“Did you snap out of it, Nanamiii!” (Shinjō)
I didn’t plan on killing him. But, Nanami was too strong to be held down uninjured.
After all, unless he died, he’d heal with recovery potions; I didn’t go as far as killing him, but I deeply cut the wrist of his right arm so he couldn’t hold his sword.
“SHINJŌ, SHINJOOOOŌ!!” (Nanami)
“You’ll still comeee!?” (Shinjō)
Perhaps, Nanami’s dominant arm might have been his left hand.
Even if came to one hand, he switched the way he held his sword, and came to assault me with it. I didn’t dislike that perseverance, but he was only hurting himself.
“ooOOOOOOOH!” (Nanami)
“Don’t blame me.” (Shinjō)
Sorry, but I’m not adult enough to kindly take your despair.
I bisected his left wrist holding the sword with all my strength. While spewing blood from the cross-section of his arm, Nanami finally tumbled down.
“UAAAAH……” (Nanami)
“It’s over with this! Hey, Mikami. I’ll tie his hands, so please help me.” (Shinjō)
“Eehh, aahh……” (Mikami)
Just like the surrounding group, Mikami Naotsugu had a bewildered face, but my intention of ‘heal Nanami with a recovery potion’ seemed to have been transmitted, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
Since Mikami turned to help me, the strained atmosphere before our sudden duel also calmed down a bit.
In this situation where Nanami and I fought, every one of Nanami’s party might have turned into an enemy if I did it poorly.
Well, it’d be whatever if it was me alone, but if Kumiko and Ussah turned to my side, us killing each other might have happened.
An environment where you could easily kill each other by just a slight misunderstanding and difference of feelings.
That, was also the dreadfullness of Genocide Reality.
Only this time wasn’t the case to be saying ‘human relationships are troublesome’ or things like that.
I managed to tie his hands, so I left nursing Nanami, who lost blood and was limp, to Mikami, picked up Kazuha’s letter, which Nanami had grabbed and thrown away, and quickly read it.
“This is……” (Shinjō)
Indeed, the contents were harsh.
I could understand why Nanami went mad. That was why women were unpleasant. Damn Rindou Kazuha, I’ll pay the debt with you later.
That aside, the settling of the immediate situation was ahead.²
For Nanami’s treatment, Mikami’s athlete corps were surrounding him. It was because the five girls of the Nanami Girls Special Team, who nursed Nanami first usually, were going crazy.
Since their important Nanami was injured, the girls were throwing abusive language at me and showing a stance like they were trying to attack me.
A composition of Kumiko holding back an angry Ussah, who was trying to kill with her fists the girls who displayed an intention to attack me, and restraining both parties.
Kujo Kumiko, who had influence over all the girls, was working well.
Even when Nanami was clashing with me, she probably had restrained Ussah so that she didn’t rush out.
The serious killing intent of Ussah, who beared her fangs, surpassed the madness of the girls, Kumiko forced her way into there, and the balance was barely being kept.
If the barely holding on balance crumbled, it’d really result in them killing each other. It was a critical and terrible situation.
It would be settled if Nanami returned to the girls, but that couldn’t be done.
To Nanami, I was a criminal who said ‘I kidnapped Kazuha’.
I thought that it might have been a trap of Jinguuji, who tried to remove me—a hindrance, but even for that guy, Nanami was an important person, so it seemed that he wouldn’t do something like use him to kill me.
Then, the suspicious ones were the girls. Yeah, because it was an ad hoc groundless rumor, it seemed to have been done by a girl without thinking.
It would be troublesome if Nanami, who was like an empty shell because he was exhausted after acting violently, was conveniently guided by the girls again.
For me, the girls were an enemy, and I had to tear them off from Nanami.
While feeling frustration that I couldn’t catch hold of the clue that could break the deadlock in the situation, I was observing the situation of the surroundings.
As the boss of the Nanami Girls was shouting wildly, appreciated words were emitted.
“Why did Nanami-kun have to be hurt because of a girl like Kazuhaa!” (Boss Girl)
For the person herself, they were probably a few words that nonchalantly leaked out.
However, those words gave a powerful shock to Nanami, who knew the letter which said『Rindou Kazuha was bullied because Nanami was viewed specially』was the truth.
That’s right, Nanami. The criminal who bullied your important Kazuha was in the immediate vicinity.
I whispered words containing drops of poison to Nanami, who warped their mouth in pain.
“Hey, Nanami, it’s that girl. The ringleader who bullied Rindou Kazuha and tried to kill her……” (Shinjō)
I pointed my finger at the boss of the girls, and told him. When he heard my words, Nanami was astonished.
That’s right, the bad one was neither Nanami or me, but these girls.
“Wha, what are you saying! No it’s not, it’s differenttt!” (Boss Girl)
The boss of the Nanami Girls denied it while violently shaking her curled hair, but she didn’t realize. That just now was my bluff, but perhaps it was close.
It wasn’t the case where she had no clue about it.
Because those of the Nanami girls were the ones who had guarded it so Nanami wasn’t informed that Kazuha, cast out from the students, was crumbling.
Whether or not they were directly involved in the bullying aside, their actions had clear ill will towards Kazuha.
“Itt, it’s a lie……Nanami-kun. That’s a lie, I didn’t bully her or anything like that.” (Boss Girl)
Though she explained, she couldn’t hide the trembling in her quivering lips. It was as if she was confessing the crime. Since there were idiots like them, I was saved.
The boss of the Nanami Girls was a somewhat showy and beautiful person, but I didn’t know her name.
Her well-ordered appearance was suitable enough for her to be serving as Shuichi Nanami’s support, but how was she maintaining it in the dungeon? Her curled hair was glossy, and her arrogant-like slanted eyes were severe; she really did look like a seemingly malicious villainess.
Indeed, she was a woman who『did it』. She was just right to be made out to be the offender of the bullying.
“She’s someone who ‘let slip the secret’. She means ‘I『didn’t do it directly』’, those guys conspired as a group, cornered Rindou Kazuha, and tried to kill her, isn’t that right!” (Shinjō)
“No I didn’t, that’s groundless! Nanami-kun, please believe me……” (Boss Girl)
Look, the more violently you deny it, the more suspicious it becomes.
There were no problems with things like ‘how the truth is’ now. It was what Nanami, the keyman, believed.
When he heard the ugly excuses of the girls, Nanami, who had been beaten up, strongly held down the inner corners of his eyes, shook his shoulders, and murmured in a low voice.
What leaked out was words of regret.
Nanami was believing the words I spat out.
In Nanami’s leaked murmuring, he leaked out things like “Sorry, Shinjō-kun, even though I knew it……”, as well as some tiny words of apology to me.
Nanami’s current heart, having had his resentment amassed until now explode, was empty.
His head cooled down more or less, and he also probably felt sorry that he attacked me in a misunderstanding. The ideal timing to guide his thoughts.
That’s right, Shuichi Nanami was the leader who controlled these students who only caused trouble.
There wasn’t a rule like ‘you mustn’t conveniently use Shuichi Nanami, like the Nanami Girls and Jinguuji’.
Even I was roughly reading books of psychology, from Sigmund Freud to Alfred Adler.
Analyzing one’s state of mind was galling for a school teacher, so I intensively read books on psychoanalysis and child psychology.
I probably didn’t compare to the tricky glasses guys who did mental manipulation of that kind everyday, though.
But if it was just guiding the softhearted, simple Shuichi Nanami in a convenient direction, it wasn’t like I couldn’t do it.
The plan was decided. Now that it had come to this, the girls needed to be cut loose from Nanami. Since Nanami was exhausted, the first priority was having Mikami and others become his support.
I decided to ask Mikami so he’d help me.
First, dividing the work. In order to isolate the girls that fell into the position of the villain that bullied Kazuha, the Athlete Corps would become my allies.
From my observations so far, I knew that Mikami and others didn’t get along with the girls from the beginning. They were just with them because Nanami was the heart of the groupparty.
I didn’t know why, but Mikami listened to my words. It was a short relationship, but he didn’t seem to have any animosity towards me.
My instant judgement of ‘first have Mikami Naotsugu become my ally’ was correct, even if I logically thought about it.
In the Nanami group, the Athlete Corps had the biggest numbers, and Mikami was the one who led it.
In the situation where the leader Nanami was dejected, the sub-leader of that groupparty was Mikami.
“Mikami, please let me talk with Nanami, just us two, for just a bit..” (Shinjō)
“But……” (Mikami)
“Please, if Nanami retires, everyone will be troubled. I think that, if it’s me, I can speak to Nanami and make him pull himself together. If you leave him to the girls, Nanami will still be strange!” (Shinjō)
“……Got it. We’ll hold back the girls.” (Mikami)
Mikami and others went around to hold back the fussy Nanami Girls.
Now then, I had to settle the matter with Nanami after they took distance and it was just the two of us.
“Did you sleep a bit more, Nanami? You lost a lot of blood.” (Shinjō)
“Sorry……” (Nanami)
Anyway, kindly, and gently, I let loose cajolery.
I had quite a lot of resistance in doing it to a man, but I let Nanami’s head lay on my lap. Nanami, who was exhausted, didn’t resist.
By stepping into a person’s personal space, a feeling of intimacy was produced.
A scene where a friendship between men—who quarrelled and fought with each other—budded, which happened often in old manga and things like that, would occur with an effect like this.
By getting into a close proximity with another party, you’d have a heart to heart talk.
Therefore, I reset my thoughts of until now about Nanami for now, and slowly guided him to this convenient direction.
“I knew that Rindou Kazuha was being bullied, and that her life was at risk.” (Shinjō)
“That’s right……, you just tried to help Kazuha, didn’t you? If I thought about it calmly, I should have understood that the letter wasn’t a lie. So that I properly understood it, Kazuha wrote it. And yet, I didn’t believe it……I believed in a trifling rumor……all of it, is my fault.” (Nanami)
“Rindou being bullied wasn’t Nanami’s fault only, I know you did as much as you could. Truthfully, I should have put in a warning, even if only a few words, beforehand, but at that time, the situation was stringent, and it couldn’t be helped.” (Shinjō)
“It’s my fault, I’m sorry. Really, I also did terrible things to you……I don’t know how I should apologize.” (Nanami)
Though the one who attacked first was Nanami, because he could apologize to me without ill feelings immediately after having his arm cut off, he was a great person.
It should be the fault of the one who breathed that worthless lie of ‘I kidnapped Kazuha’ or something like that, but he apologized that ‘he was in the wrong’ without blaming anyone; Nanami was probably a good person at his very core.
If so, it was a story which became him also attacking me, but his child-like jealousy which was convinced that his childhood friend Kazuha was taken by me was probably the root of that. Nanami himself didn’t seem to have noticed the malice which stagnated within him.
Assuming that, I had to solve that misunderstanding first.
“Nanami, I intended to temporarily protect Rindou as a substitute for you. I as well have someone important in the town, so I well understand the feelings of you, who worries about Rindou.” (Shinjō)
“An important person……is it Kumiko-kun?” (Nanami)
It was different, but perhaps it’d be easier for him to understand if he made that misunderstanding. I liked Kumiko, and wasn’t interested in his childhood friend.
By letting him think so, he’d have sympathy as a man who had a girl he wanted to protect. That’s right, how about I try talking similar to the ‘setting one’s teeth on edge’ style that Nanami liked?
“Nanami, how about we make a gentlemen’s agreement? In the current situation, only I can protect your important Rindou, and only you can protect my important person, right? I also want you to help me, we can cooperate with each other. It was you who said so, wasn’t it?” (Shinjō)
“You’re strong……. But, what should I do now……” (Nanami)
“Don’t give up! If it’s about Rindou……she was also in grave danger. I think that because she just about starved to death and her heart was weakened, she hadn’t gotten around to as far as sympathizing with you, Nanami.” (Shinjō)
“She…did…?” (Nanami)
“That’s right, hey, Nanami! That letter probably isn’t Rindou’s true feelings! This situation is bad, just endure it for now. Once we clear Genocide Reality and return to the school, everyone will be as before.” (Shinjō)
“Will be…as before…?” (Nanami)
“Aah, of course, both you and Kazuha……because it’s such a situation currently, it will be difficult to let you meet each other, but you’ll properly talk again.” (Shinjō)
“But she…doesn’t want to meet me anymore.” (Nanami)
“Such a thing is a temporary delusion. What will you do if you can’t believe in your important childhood friend? Once Rindou’s feelings settle, you’ll be able to talk to each other again. There’s an item like a TV phone called『Distant Viewing Crystal』, so I promise you that you’ll be able to talk to her with that.” (Shinjō)
“Really?” (Nanami)
Alright, he bit at it.
From the start, he had been in desperation. Relax, Nanami. Rindou Kazuha would return to your side eventually.
“If you make a promise like that, you should do your best, survive with everyone, and clear it. Then, everything will be as before.” (Shinjō)
“I……see……Aaaahhh……” (Nanami)
Nanami began to leak sobs. Oh boy, the cool guy was ruined. It was a face he hadn’t shown to anyone at all. Not only were there tears, but he was crying aloud while mucus dribbled.
He was just pretending to be tough because he had to be everyone’s leader, it appeared that Nanami had been extremely troubled.
In the tough situation in which students were injured and died one after another under his responsibility, the one who supported Nanami’s heart may have only been Kazuha—his childhood friend.
Kazuha vaguely knew about that too, didn’t she? Originally, shouldn’t she have helped him and encouraged him?
Despite this, after thrusting the truth that her being bullied was Nanami’s fault in front of him, she took drastic measures by sending a polite farewell letter, or something like that; Kazuha-san, you’re quite extreme.
No, well, Kazuha had a ‘what to do’ situation, but thank you for pushing the cleaning up of your damn troublesome childhood friend onto me of all people, I’ll have you return it triple-fold later.
Oh yeah, should I control Nanami by using Kazuha?
I was burdened with troubles until now, it should be fine to do that, to that woman.
“Nanami……” (Shinjō)
“When Kazuha was little, she said that I was like a hero.” (Nanami)
What had this guy began talking about? I laughed reflexively as it was too abrupt.
I was troubled even if he told me things like such a heartwarming episode between such childhood friends, but I couldn’t say ‘f**king annoying’, so I made an agreeable response.
“Oh? A hero, huh?” (Shinjō)
“That’s why I wanted to be a hero……Uuuu, aaahhhh, but, I wonder where I was mistaken. All of it is my fault……” (Nanami)
I wonder, did I understand?
If Nanami was mistaken, then I was mistaken about a hundred times. Each and every time I was troubled by something like this, it seemed like I hadn’t realized the setback.
Even in Genocide Reality, Nanami’s unreasonable way of trying to stick to the hero he believed in failed, and the person himself was crushed as well.
But, I didn’t want to say ‘that’s a stupid behavior’ either. Because Nanami desperately fought for what he believed in.
There were no ‘flawless people’, and there was no ‘perfect righteousness’ anywhere. Even though he made mistakes in some places, even though he wasn’t rewarded, Nanami still kept trying his best for everyone.
Even if that strength and kindness were nothing more than a false mask, him being a hope for many students was a fact.
“Nanami, you can do it over again, even if you made a mistake. I will cooperate. Both you, and Rindou, are still alive. If you survive until the end, everything—without exception—can be as before.” (Shinjō)
“That’s right, yeah……a gentlemen’s agreement, huh? Wataru Shinjō-kun, thank you. I want to atone somehow for what I did. Both to you, and to Kazuha……I vow to keep that promise.” (Nanami)
Shuichi Nanami was regaining his original shrewdness. It seemed he had recovered; I breathed a sigh of relief.
My style of escaping from troubling things was gradually becoming something that didn’t work out, so let’s go with the style where I crush it beforehand this time.
Nanami, who experienced a setback, would become much stronger. There were things that only Nanami could do for Nanami, and in the future after this, I should also find myself in my role.
I also had an important friend in the town, so we must cooperate in any way we could to repulse the black death knights.
In any case, if it was involved with the student council, Nanami and other’s party would be the easiest to use.
After clearing the current『Invasion』, it’d be nice if Kumiko and Ussah took care of Nanami like this, but I wonder, how would a gentlemen’s agreement like that turn out…….
If so, I could return to solo-play as well.
Well, let’s decide to consider it.
Translator’s Notes
¹ – Not sure about this sentence. ‘あの七海修一と鍔迫り合いを演じることになるとは、こんな状況なのに俺は七海の剣の強度に嬉しくなってしまう。’
² – Sorry, didn’t quite get this one either. ‘それはそうと、眼の前の事態収拾が先だった。’
