Chapter 12: Tragedy and Comedy
“That Holy Sword… Could it be… Are you, no, could it be that you are the Hero-sama?”
The girl clad in a battle dress and circlet asked. Facing her was a tall, handsome man who declared with all his might,
“Yes! I am— I am the Hero Ryuguin, the savior of the nation!”
The tall man with striking blue eyes—Hero Ryuguin—extended his hand toward her.
“I need your strength, Sword Saint Elise Gladius. Will you join me in saving this world?”
He earnestly pleaded with her.
“Hero-sama, is it truly alright for someone like me to accompany you? Your party includes the renowned Saintess Mika, known as the Divine Reflection, and Angelica, who is rumored to be a Sage beyond all Sages. I am merely an unremarkable swordsman… Are you sure I can truly join you?”
The girl poured out her feelings with a heavy heart, bowing her head and clutching her chest in distress.
“Is that all it is?”
Hero Ryuguin smiled lightly, brushing his hair back.
“So, you lack confidence?”
The girl nodded solemnly, her head bobbing slightly.
“Don’t worry! You possess a talent for the sword that no one else can match! I can see that!”
She looked directly at Ryuguin, and he continued with fervor.
“I have recognized your talent! I will be your mentor until you fully realize it!”
The scene shifted to darkness.
“Yes, yes, faster!”
“Yes, Master!”
Ryuguin instructed, and the girl diligently followed his guidance.
“Faster! More! More, more! Yes! That’s it!”
Ryuguin’s enthusiasm intensified as he coached her.
“Yes!”
“That’s it! Now!”
“Yes!!”
Thanks to his instruction, the girl grasped something and swung her sword with a whoosh!
In that moment, she awakened.
The scene shifted to darkness.
“I’m scared to fight! I don’t want to die!”
A chubby man shouted, tears welling in his eyes.
“But if we don’t fight, who will?” Hero Ryuguin raised his voice, refusing to tolerate laziness or cowardice for the sake of this world, pressing the chubby man further.
“Are you saying you would be fine with this world perishing?”
“This world has nothing to do with me! As long as I’m safe, that’s all that matters!”
The chubby man retorted defiantly, clumsily running away from the scene.
Ryuguin’s expression turned sorrowful.
“Why can’t you understand how I feel…?”
He muttered, almost as if throwing it out into the air.
“How can you say you don’t care what happens to this world—”
His face twisted in pain as he whispered,
“—Yamada.”
The scene shifted to darkness.
“Elise, you will defeat the Dragonbone Knight.”
“Yes. Leave it to me.”
The woman in the battle dress replied confidently, while the two women beside her smiled and nodded.
“That’s a good response. We’ll handle the boss monster of the Treasure Sword! Let’s go! Ange! Mika!”
“Yes!!”
The two women—one in a typical Sister’s outfit and the other wearing a black hat—responded energetically to Ryuguin’s encouragement.
“Hero-sama, I will protect you from all attacks.”
“I will crush the enemies with the magic you have bestowed upon me.”
Hero. Saintess. Mage. Sword Saint.
The heroes had gathered. Oh, how reassuring it was…! No matter how fearsome the boss monster of this notoriously high-difficulty dungeon was, they felt not a shred of fear.
The scene shifted to darkness.
“I will fight too! I am a Holy Knight! I am Yamada the Holy Knight! Dragonbone Swordsman! Prepare yourself!”
In a bid to overshadow the determination of the hero party, the chubby man stepped forward, disregarding the girl in the battle dress.
“Buuhihihihih!!”
He let out a boisterous battle cry, but as he struggled to wield his sword, he was swiftly cut down by the Dragonbone Swordsman without even landing a blow.
“Yamada, how could you, having never trained, think you could—”
Ryuguin whispered sadly, then directed Mika.
“Please save Yamada.”
“But my mana is running low!”
The woman in the Sister’s outfit, looking pale, hesitated to comply.
“Don’t worry! Even if this battle becomes unfavorable because I heal Yamada, I will— we will not lose!!”
“Now! Ange!”
“Understood, Ryuguin-sama! Chain Flare!!!”
The Mage unleashed her spell, but once again, the chubby man jumped into the line of fire.
“I’ll take the bounty! I’ll get the girls! I’ll eat delicious food! I’ll drink fine wine! Buuhihihih!”
“Ange!! Cancel the spell! Yamada will die!!”
“But Ryuguin-sama, if we miss this chance—!”
“Don’t worry! I will manage somehow!!”
The scene shifted to darkness.
Holding the Holy Sword, Ryuguin stood firm. The women in the battle dress, Sister’s outfit, and black hat placed their hands atop his.
“This is our bond!!”
With a fierce shout, a mysterious beam shot forth from the Holy Sword in his hand. The enigmatic Bond Beam engulfed the Treasure Sword monster and vanished into the starry sky.
“Now it’s just you!” the girl in the battle dress called out.
“Elise, I leave the rest to you!”
“Yes!!” she replied, raising her voice in response to Ryuguin’s trust.
“This is the technique I mastered during my training with my master! Dual Engine!!”
With her mysterious technique, an inexplicable effect occurred, and the Dragonbone Swordsman left behind a “Well done” before vanishing into thin air.
“That was a dangerous exploration! There will be more dangers ahead! But with us! No matter what dungeon it is! No matter what boss monster we face! We will never lose!!”
The Ryuguin party emerged from the dungeon, rallying around him and congratulating one another.
Just then, the woman in the Sister’s outfit exclaimed, “Ryuguin-sama, Holy Knight Yamada is missing! He was definitely with us just a moment ago!”
In response to Mika’s panic, Ryuguin declared,
“Don’t worry! He is one we must protect! Even if he is not here! Even if he has become a fugitive! Our duty remains unchanged!”
His words, considering even the weak— even the fugitive as people to protect, brought tears to all.
Though their exchanges seemed to continue, I simply told Milan beside me, “I’m tired,” and left the theater.