EP.15 Field Battle -4
EP.15 Field Battle -4
I had made a mistake.
Opting for a prolonged battle against this Divine Beast had been the wrong choice.
Low risk, low return?
No. Everything I had done so far had turned into high risk, low return.
No matter how many wounds I inflicted, Taotie would flee and recover by devouring wild animals.
Even when I tried every obstruction imaginable to stop its attempts to feed, I lacked the strength to hold the creature back.
The Segmented Whip Sword, my hidden card, had only worked at the start. It was no longer effective now.
In fact, extending the blade and swinging it had become dangerous. The moment the creature grabbed the wire, I broke into a cold sweat.
And more decisively, there was an overwhelming gap between the creature's stamina and my own.
Bicorn was handling the running, so our legs were effectively equal, but when it came to the arms doing the swinging, there was a weight-class difference.
Even if Fatal Light was on the lighter side, a sword was still a sword.
The more I swung it, the more exhausted I became, and blisters formed on my palms, stinging sharply.
"Ngh...!"
"Are you alright, Master?"
"Yeah..."
That wasn't the only problem.
Even if Bicorn's protection shielded me from all impacts, simply riding on horseback for an extended period was straining my hips and lower back.
As these adverse factors piled on top of each other, my body grew steadily more fatigued.
"What's wrong? The depth of your attacks has gotten shallower than before, human!"
"Agh...!!"
In close combat, I was at an overwhelming disadvantage.
But that didn't mean I held the advantage at range, either.
Taotie, having found a countermeasure, kept hurling small stones at me, and I was forced to deflect them head-on.
In the process, a stone that glanced off my blade tore the skin on my forehead, causing blood to seep out.
What was I supposed to do? I couldn't fight up close. I couldn't fight at range. On top of that, I was running out of stamina.
If I had known it would come to this, I should have risked everything on a decisive gambit, danger be damned.
Now, utterly exhausted, attempting any such gambit would be nothing short of suicide.
"This won't do! I'll execute a temporary retreat for now, Master!"
"Can we shake that thing off?"
"Fortunately, Taotie left a path open without thinking ahead. If we use it and run at full speed, I believe we can break away."
"Is that so...? Then I'll leave it to you."
"Yes!"
A temporary retreat. Judging that continuing the fight would bring us no benefit, we chose to flee.
The moment Baina resolved to retreat, she unleashed her maximum possible speed.
She demonstrated a velocity so extreme the surrounding scenery looked as though it were being torn apart.
At this speed, even Taotie wouldn't be able to follow.
It was humiliating, but my heart was settling down at the fact that we had retreated.
Even as the enemy stood right there, bold as brass...
I was truly pathetic.
But what could I do? I was human, so my body reached its limits. Because I was human, I grew exhausted.
Regrettably, at this moment, I could do nothing but justify my need for rest.
"Sorry about this, Baina, but would it be alright if I lie down against your back for a little while?"
"Yes. As long as you keep a firm hold on the reins, you may do so."
"Thank you..."
"Think nothing of it."
Let me rest for a bit...
***
"You've worked hard, dear husband. Here, drink this."
"This is that stuff we drank at the inn, right?"
"That's right. It's the Unicorn's Lake Water."
"Mm..."
"Are you so exhausted you don't even have the strength to drink? If so, shall I deliver it directly, mouth to mouth?"
"Ah, no! I'll drink it myself!!"
It felt unsettling, but at this point, I didn't think I could fight Taotie without it.
So I popped open the flask's lid and poured the contents into my mouth.
"Ugh...!"
The faintly bitter taste remained the same. I didn't like it, but the sensation of my lost energy returning felt good.
With this, I would be able to fight Taotie again. However...
"The situation has gotten worse than before."
"It has. By now, Taotie will have fully recovered by devouring wild animals."
"Ambushes won't work anymore. Every trap I laid has been destroyed. And even the Segmented Whip Sword has become unusable."
"Because Taotie has figured out how to deal with it."
"It seems I really can't bring that creature down with my strength alone."
The problem wasn't the sword Yata had made for me. If anything, the sword was nothing short of superb.
It didn't break even when it met Taotie's fist, and it sliced through the creature's hide like cutting tofu.
But the problem was the person wielding such a fine blade: me.
"Wouldn't it be better to get help from the other Companion Divine Beasts now?"
"No. If I wake them up and bring them here now, Taotie will already have run far away."
"Is that so...?"
"We have two hours left until sunrise. In that time, we have to stake everything, dear husband."
"But how? All the plans we prepared have been rendered pointless because of me..."
Yata's strategy had been truly flawless.
But because of my lack of strength, I had failed to land a fatal blow on Taotie at every turn.
In the end, all the effort Yata had put into preparing so many things behind the scenes had been completely wasted because of me alone.
If I had at least taken some interest in swordsmanship and honed it even a little...
Then the outcome might have been different.
"Please don't blame yourself, dear husband. Everyone starts with failure at first. And no matter how many failures you repeat, a day will come when you succeed."
"Will it, really?"
"Yes. I, the crow who sees the future, guarantee it!"
"Alright, I'll trust you. There's nothing more trustworthy than a guarantee you provide."
"Right?"
Yata's comfort washed away all my anxieties in an instant.
The biggest problem—my own mental state—cleared up, and my condition completely returned to normal.
"Anyway, we've used up all the plans we prepared, and there isn't much time left until sunrise. Do you have any next strategy in mind?"
"No. At this point, no matter what strategy we prepare, it won't be very effective against that creature."
"Then what should we do?"
"What else? The three of us here have no choice but to combine our strength and fight an all-out battle."
"Huh? Does that mean you're going to fight too, Yata?"
"Unfortunately, my physical abilities are weak compared to Taotie as well. If I stepped in, I would only be a hindrance."
"Then?"
Instead of answering my question, Yata tossed a black object at me with a flick.
I caught it cleanly and checked it. It was a radio in the form of an earpiece, the kind bodyguards commonly use.
The fact that she gave me this in our current situation meant...
"I'll predict every single one of Taotie's attacks and relay them to you verbally! So all you have to do is listen to my words and follow them, dear husband!"
"Uh... S-so, you're telling me to fight that Taotie creature in extreme close quarters...?"
"Yes! With my perfect instructions, I'll make you victorious amid a blood-spattered battle!"
"Getting into extreme close quarters with a monster like that is still pretty terrifying, though?"
"You don't want to win?"
"Oh, uh, no. I'll do it..."
My crow, properly wielding both carrot and stick against me.
How could I have forgotten? The fact that she was the charismatic leader of a religious order.
Yata, who had no equal when it came to handling people, was already fully adopting the demeanor of an instructor.
There was no turning back now. No going back on it. If I couldn't do it, I would have to be made capable.
The words of a strict instructor... Would I survive safely and live to see the sunrise?
I didn't know. For now, it seemed I had to just hold on tight to my sanity, which felt like it was about to slip away...
***
"I thought you'd come back, but it's surprising that you aren't going for that fancy ambush of yours."
Taotie, still tearing apart animal carcasses and eating, had a gluttonous appetite that was no joke, just as its reputation suggested.
Even though its wounds had already completely healed, the pungent stench of blood wafted intensely from its body as it endlessly ate and ate.
"Why are you standing still? Don't tell me you're still scared stiff?"
Taotie constantly displayed a derisive attitude, mocking me at every turn.
Looking at it, I took one deep breath, then let it out alongside a shout.
"Let's throw down, you motherfucker!!"
My yell rang out loudly, echoing throughout the entire forest.
At this, Taotie began to make a dumbfounded expression, and from inside my earpiece, I could hear the sound of loud, unrestrained laughter.
"Ahaha!! I did tell you to provoke it, but 'throw down'...!! Ahahaha!! Truly, that was a legendary line! Dear husband!!"
"Ugh, the sudden self-loathing...!!"
"You were truly full of force, Master. If the opportunity arises next time, I would like you to verbally abuse me with that loud voice, if you would..."
I'm never doing that again, even if it kills me.
One dark history is enough.
Not twice. Absolutely never.
"So you've finally gone mad, human... Well, fine. If it's a one-on-one duel you want, I'll oblige."
Taotie tossed the animal carcass it had been feeding on behind it and began to loosen up.
An immense pressure transmitted itself to me.
Can I do it? I was worried. But behind me, I had Yata's predictions, and beneath me, I had Bicorn.
If these two Divine Beasts were backing me up, then even a dangerous gamble was sufficiently worth attempting.
"Let's go!!"
"Yes!"
Having decided to no longer keep my distance from Taotie, I charged in a straight line.
"Dear husband! A straight punch is coming from the upper left!"
"Right!"
I ducked down to the lower right and easily evaded Taotie's fist.
After that, I swung my sword toward the arm of Taotie, whose attack had swung through empty air.
Unfortunately, the creature immediately pulled its arm back, so I only managed to slice off about two knuckles' worth.
"What's next?"
"Bicorn will dodge everything, so stand by for a moment. Don't try to get in even a little more attack."
"Got it."
Baina's dazzling movements evaded the arms reaching out for me this way and that.
The more I watched, the more amazed I was. It almost felt as if I, riding on top of her, had become a Divine Beast as well.
"We're about to go in under the creature! Tear open its abdomen!"
"Okay!"
Baina successfully evaded even Taotie's final attack and, just as Yata had said, entered the space beneath Taotie's lower abdomen.
At this, I raised my arm high, plunged my sword into Taotie's stomach, and then, using Baina's mobility as momentum, scraped across the creature's mass of flesh.
A single, huge, straight line was carved across the entirety of Taotie's belly.
"Graaahh!!"
Along with a fierce scream, blood began to pour from Taotie's stomach like a waterfall.
It was a sight that convinced me this attack had dealt considerable damage.
"It's going to try to run away now so it can recover! Cut off even one leg to stop it!"
Yata's predictions were always accurate, and by acting according to her orders, we achieved results.
It was going smoothly. At this rate, we could win.
Just as that thought crossed my mind, my flaw surfaced once more.
"Ah! Sorry! The cut was too shallow!"
"It's alright. We can just slowly try again."
It wasn't just swordsmanship. My inexperience in mounted combat was also a weakness.
What should have been cutting off one of Taotie's legs entirely ended with only minor damage.
In the end, I had once again given the creature room to recover.
It was infuriating.
"Should I launch the Segmented Whip Sword and give it a try?"
"It's dangerous, so it's best to stop. More importantly, dear husband, there is something I need to tell you in advance from my side."
"What is it?"
"You haven't forgotten the promise we made before, have you?"
"Ah... Yeah."
"Soon, there will be a future I cannot speak of, and a choice that will be presented to you. When that time comes, I hope you will make a wise decision."
"Yata? What do you mean by that..."
"Duck! Dear husband!!"
"Urk!!"
Unable to finish the question I desperately wanted to ask, I had to resume the fight.
Dammit!! What the hell was it!!
Why did she have to say it in such a wistful way!!
It was frustrating. The whole situation was so frustrating it drove me mad.
How wonderful would it have been if just telling me didn't cause the future to change?
If that were possible, I could have heard all the facts and fought with a calm heart.
A future affair that Yata knew but I did not. I felt like I was going crazy from the desire to know.
"Fuuuck!!"
Left with no choice, I resolved to vent all this pent-up fury on Taotie.
After dodging one of Taotie's attacks, I immediately repaid it by carving a large wound into the creature's arm.
"Human...!!"
Taotie glared at me as if I were contemptible.
It didn't matter. I was so pissed off myself right now that even its murderous glare no longer frightened me.
If anything, it was like pouring oil on the fire of my rage.
I moved according to the instructions that reached my ears and inflicted wounds on Taotie with the strength drawn up by my fury.
Head cool, heart hot. I fought according to that famous maxim.
Believing that we were not far from thoroughly bringing Taotie down.
"Master, what should we do now?"
"Ah..."
Time passed, and we had no choice but to halt temporarily before a certain area.
It was the deep interior of the forest where the wounded Taotie had fled. A place so dark and gloomy, thick with trees, that the sky was not visible.
I hesitated here because the radio through which Yata had been relaying instructions might cut out.
"Yata, what should we do?"
"..."
"Yata?"
No matter how many times I called her name, the other side of the earpiece remained silent.
Could this be the future Yata had said she couldn't tell me about?
If so, then I had to make a choice here.
Give up the pursuit because it might be too dangerous, or press on in and fight without Yata's help.
There was roughly one hour left until sunrise.
If I let Taotie slip away like this, an unwanted future might come upon us.
In that case, ultimately...
"Let's go."
"Will it be alright?"
"Yeah."
Losing one trusted source of assistance was certainly a frightening thing.
But the fact that a future might come where all my Companion Divine Beasts would die gruesome deaths was far more frightening to me.
Living each day, praying that such a day would never arrive—that was what I feared.
I would never wish for such a future.
"Anyway, there's nothing here but trees."
"This is a place where light cannot reach, so ordinary lifeforms cannot grow here."
"But it seems some creatures still live here."
"Yes."
From far away, I could hear the sound of bone and flesh being chewed.
It meant that Taotie, which had entered the deep interior first, was recovering by using the wild animals.
Was this how a hero felt in the final battle, hanging on with potions, or how the final boss felt having to watch such a hero?
Constantly eating and self-healing, the creature was truly tenacious.
"Master, it's coming!"
"Right!"
The ground began to shake once more. The densely packed trees began to topple, one by one.
Taotie had finished its meal and was coming to fight us again.
How would it attack this time?
A straight punch? Or a backhanded strike? Or maybe it would reach out to grab me?
I had to prepare to deal with whatever it was...
"Ah...?!"
From the left, Taotie's fist came flying toward me.
Normally, I could have just ducked my upper body to avoid it, but this time was different.
It was an attack I absolutely could not dodge.
"God damn it!!"
"Brace for impact, Master!!"
As if he no longer cared about the Divine Beast Rules, Taotie had swung his fist at an angle meant to smash Bicorn along with me in one blow.
At that, Baina instantly tilted her body sideways, making sure all the damage would fall on her alone.
She thought it would be dangerous if I took even one of his attacks, so she sacrificed herself in my stead.
However, my body, which had been riding on top of her, was sent flying into the air as well.
"Agh...!!"
Soon, a shock struck my back as I hit the ground.
It hurt. Maybe the impact had reached my lungs, too, because I couldn't even breathe properly.
But more than the immediate pain, I was worried about Bicorn, who had sacrificed herself for me.
"Cough...! Cough...!! B-Baina, are you okay?!"
"I-I'm all right, Master... guh!!"
Unlike me, who had tumbled across the ground, Bicorn had been slammed into a tree.
Fortunately, it didn't look life-threatening.
But seeing her severely twisted leg and the blood flowing from her mouth, further combat seemed impossible.
"How does it feel, human? Now that the one leg you were counting on is gone?"
"Taotie...!! Do you think you can just break the Divine Beast Rules?"
"Ahh, about that... now that I think about it, I don't really care."
"What?"
"I just have to devour that little foal here and steal her ability! Then I'll eat up every Divine Beast around and take their powers, and I'll become so strong that no one can stop me!!"
"You think I'm going to hand Baina over to you quietly?"
"Hmm? I can't really hear what a weak little loser like you is saying."
"Tch!! You fucking bastard...!"
If only I had Yata's help...
No, stop lamenting. This was the path I chose, so I had to take responsibility and fight.
I gripped my sword tightly once more, ready to charge at him. That was the moment.
Someone's arm wrapped around my chest and held me back.
"You can stop now, husband."
"Yata?"
"If you fight any more than this, you will certainly die."
"But...!!"
"I know. You don't want Bicorn, who's fought alongside us until now, to die, right?"
"Of course not! She fought for us. It's insane that she should have to die because of us."
"I know how you feel. That's why I came now—to use the only method that can save her and save you, too."
"Me and Bicorn...?"
"Yes, and as a bonus, it's a way to kill that bastard, too."
As expected of Yata.
A smile came to my face unbidden at her foresight, which had prepared the best possible move right up to the very end.
With this, I could put an end to this fight once and for all.
"Tell me. What's the method?"
"Right now, my body is equipped with a bomb."
"Uhh...?"
A bomb? Why would Yata attach something like that to her body?
"I'm going to let that bastard swallow me on purpose, and then I'll detonate the bomb inside him."
"W-Wait, Yata!! Then you...? What happens to you?"
"...Once the bomb goes off, you finish it by cutting off his head."
"Don't change the subject!!"
"...Obviously, I'll die."
"Then it's completely meaningless!"
"It's not meaningless. This is the only option left to us now."
"No!! Even so, sacrificing you is...!!"
"Husband, you made a promise with me, didn't you...?"
The promise that, no matter what happened, I was not to worry about Yata and was to prioritize my own life.
Yata had foreseen this situation and said that.
"So that's what this was...? You knew from the beginning that this situation would come, and that's why you made me make that promise, isn't it?!"
"Yes."
"Yata, I...!"
"How long are you two planning to stand there whispering to each other? Don't you need to look after that foal?"
Taotie's sudden interruption cut off my words before they could reach Yata.
As if she knew there was no more time for a leisurely conversation, Yata pushed my body far away and approached Taotie.
"Taotie, let's make a deal."
"A deal?"
"Yes. Instead of eating me, spare those two."
"And who are you to come saying that?"
"The Divine Beast Three-Legged Crow. Commonly called the future-seeing crow. I have the power of foresight."
"So?"
"You know how powerful the ability to see the future is, don't you? Don't you want it?"
"Of course I want it, if I can have it."
"If you promise to let those two go peacefully, you can eat me."
"Hmm... Fine! Bird meat's tastier than foal meat anyway, so I'll accept your deal."
Taotie picked up Yata's unresisting body.
Slowly, he brought her up to his mouth.
"I don't like pain, so would you swallow me whole?"
"I'll grant you that much, as a special favor. However..."
"Ughh...!!"
"To make sure you aren't scheming anything else, I'll steal your ability first."
-Crunch, crunch!
Along with the sound of bones being crushed, Yata's face contorted.
He was trying to break Yata's body in order to steal her ability.
Shit. If Yata's ability was stolen, even our last hidden move would be predicted and rendered meaningless.
Had Yata not expected this situation would come...? No, there was no way.
Then why had she willingly offered her body...
"What are you doing...! Husband!! Hurry, run... get away! Aghh...!!"
From the radio earpiece I had forgotten about, Yata's voice, steeped in agony, flowed through.
Only then did I grasp her true intention.
She had come to sacrifice herself willingly in order to buy time for me and Bicorn to escape.
Even knowing that the last resort would fail, for my sake...
Then I had to grab Bicorn quickly and run as far away as possible.
I had to treasure every single second Yata was buying for me.
So that her sacrifice wouldn't be in vain...
-Crunch!!
I clenched my teeth hard enough to break them, and poured out my true feelings.
"Yata, you damn crow!! There's no way in hell I'd run away and leave you behind...!!"
In my head, I understood. Running away was the rational choice.
But I could not allow myself to run. Run away? When I'd been fighting all this time for a happy future with my companion Divine Beasts?
I bit my lip until blood seeped out and charged forward.
I might die. No, I would definitely die.
But I didn't care anymore! I'd die as many times as it took!!
-Pshuuush!!
The familiar feel of the button and the sound of gas releasing.
I extended the sword long in advance.
"Please, let this reach...!!"
And just like that, I swung the segmented whip sword at the right arm of Taotie, which was holding Yata.
The sword's wire wrapped tightly around his right arm, pulling taut.
In that state, I pressed the button again, making the sword shred his arm to ribbons as it returned.
"Ghuk!! You vermin, how dare you!!"
The returning blade fragments tore through his flesh and kept cutting. They were gradually turning it into a tattered rag.
-Clank!
A moment later, even the last fragment returned to its original form. And at the same time, Taotie's mangled arm dropped limply to the ground.
As a bonus, Yata's body, which had been held, too.
Just as a triumphant smile was about to cross my face—
"You wretched human!!"
"Guhk!!"
Taotie struck me with his remaining hand.
Because I had sensed the killing intent, I barely managed to use my sword as a shield and block it, but unable to withstand the shock, my body went flying and slammed into a tree.
In a single blow, my spinal joints screamed. Every knuckle of my bones began to creak.
But I had no time to lament the pain.
Taotie, rushing toward me quickly, was already pulling his left arm back.
Seeing it and dodging wouldn't work. I needed to predict it.
Yata's help was gone now. I had to predict and dodge all on my own.
I recalled the patterns I had seen so far, read even into his psychology, and figured out in advance where he would attack.
The spots that could kill me for sure right now... were only the head or the heart.
-Boom!
I darted my body diagonally to the left, dodging Taotie's attack.
His fist, full of killing intent, had missed and hit the tree behind me. An opportunity had come.
"Haaap!!"
I raised my longsword and cut off Taotie's left arm just like that.
With a slicing sound, blood spurted from the clean-cut cross-section of the arm.
"Graaagh!! Human! Human! Huuumaaan!!"
The arms that had served as his weapons until now were gone.
But it wasn't over yet. Without arms, what would his next move be?
Think. I thought endlessly, over and over, as I moved my body.
Without arms, what remained were his four legs. He would definitely attack with those.
"Die!! Human!!"
Taotie raised his front leg and took a stance to stomp down.
If I got crushed under the foot of that massive body, my body would surely be squashed flat and I'd die.
But I had already anticipated it. I swiftly rolled my body forward, evading the stomping foot by a hair's breadth.
Having succeeded in evading, the right to attack returned to me.
"Hraaaah!!"
Gripping the sword with both hands, I rotated my hips and cut through one of his legs with a swing as if striking it.
And this time, I didn't stop there. I cut off the rear leg behind it all at once as well.
"Kuhahk!!"
With both legs on one side severed simultaneously, Taotie's balance completely collapsed.
His body gradually tilted toward the side of the severed legs, and finally, his body crashed to the ground.
"Haa...! Haa...!!"
My body was hot. It was burning up.
Because of the elation of having knocked him down? Because of the satisfaction of having saved Yata?
Neither.
Not yet... my body was screaming at me to move, to finish off the bastard who wasn't dead yet.
The sure method to kill Taotie.
I intended to cut off his head—the target I hadn't been able to land a clean blow on from the start, which had left me with lingering regret.
It was time to deliver the finishing blow I hadn't been able to land all this time. I ran toward Taotie's neck.
If I brought my sword down on that defenseless neck just like this, this fight would be my victory...
"No...!! Husband!!"
"Yata...?"
-Crunch!
That was the moment I thought I had won it all.
Along with Yata's scream-like cry, I heard the sound of flesh being pierced.
And especially, my abdomen began to grow unusually hot.
"Keuhuk...?!"
I spat out the blood that had welled up in my throat.
What? Why did blood suddenly...?
At the sudden question, I looked down. A single hard, sharp horn had pierced through my abdomen.
"...Hauk!!"
"Did you think I'd just sit there and take it, human!"
A ram's horn that had been hidden among his thick fur.
I had never expected that even his chin would have a horn attached.
It was my mistake for not exercising caution to the very end.
"I'll skewer you and kill you just like this! And then I'll chew your corpse to bits, recover, and devour the other two Divine Beasts as well!!"
Die? Me?
Not yet. If I pulled out the horn quickly and got treatment...
...No, why was I afraid of death?
Hadn't I already resolved myself? Hadn't I made up my mind to die while saving Yata?
And now I was struggling to live? It was so ridiculous it made me want to cry...
"Wh-What is it?!"
-Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!
The hole in my abdomen gradually grew larger. Blood surged violently up through my mouth and nose.
It hurt. It hurt so much I felt like I was going insane. On top of that, I couldn't even breathe properly because of the blood welling up.
But I moved forward.
If I pulled out the horn anyway, all that awaited me was death. Then I would at least achieve my goal before I died.
"Human!! What the hell are you doing?!"
It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts.
Ignore the pain. Focus only on what I deeply wished for in my heart.
Without yielding to the agony of the horn gouging my flesh, I advanced slowly, step by step.
"Human, don't tell me...? Don't tell me in that state, you're aiming for my neck?! You insane bastard!!"
Kill, kill, kill...
I repeated only that thought in my head. I drew up hatred. I put every ounce of strength into the hand gripping the sword.
I didn't need much. Just enough strength to cut the neck of the bastard who was getting closer and closer.
"S-Stop it!! Human!!"
That was enough. I had gotten close enough.
So I raised my arm. I raised it as high as I possibly could.
I couldn't afford a second try. In one blow... in just one blow...!!
"I'll kill you!!"
-Boom!!
The longsword slammed down into the ground.
Aside from hitting the ground at the very end, I felt no sensation in my hand at all...
Truly a damnably sharp sword.
From the cleanly bisected neck of Taotie, blood flowed out, and I heard the sound of air leaking.
I hadn't felt it in my hand, but I could tell that I had cut it cleanly.
I had finally won. I had achieved victory!
"Kehuk!! Kuheok! Kuheohuk...!!"
I wanted to laugh out loud, haha. I had won, so I wanted to laugh heartily.
But because of the blood filling my mouth, I couldn't even make that simple laughing sound.
Tears streamed from my eyes. I was happy. I was happy because I had won. So there was no lie in the emotion of being very happy.
But the fact that I could no longer share this joy with anyone was unbearably sad.
It was so sad, so terribly sad... the tears wouldn't stop. My vision slowly blurred from the tears.
-Clang!
The sound of the sword rolling on the ground. I could no longer put strength into my hands.
The pain, the tears, the joy—I was gradually losing the ability to feel any of it.
Ahh, this was the end. I really was going to die...
Even my consciousness was fading little by little.
It was fine. I had no lingering attachments anymore, so I could die with a clear heart.
...No. There was one lingering attachment after all.
One lingering attachment I wished for deep in my heart.
One last time, if it was possible, truly one last time...
...
...
I wanted to see my companion animals.