Read Novel Full Chapter 385 (Self Edited) – Having Determination
Chapter 385 (Self Edited) – Having Determination
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Under the descending veil of night, Soma sprinted. Ahead in his line of sight crawled something entirely clad in black as if emerging from the darkness. In an instant, he closed the distance with what could only be described as a monster, and at that moment, his arm swung into action. What remained were faint traces and the monster being cut in half and vanishing without a trace.
“Hmm… well, that’s about it.” (Soma)
After a few swings to confirm the sensation, he sheathed his sword at his waist. A faint, clear sound resonated amidst the quiet night.
“…I don’t have a role to play at all. Or rather, I don’t think I’m needed at all.” (Aina)
A voice tinged with disbelief reached his ears, prompting him to turn around. Before him stood Aina who had a similarly bewildered expression. Around her body hovered four small clusters of flames. It was meant to be handled in a moment of crisis, but indeed, today there was no call for it. Still, as Soma gazed at the flickering flames, he shrugged his shoulders.
“Well, if it weren’t for you, Aina, I wouldn’t have known where those things were lurking, so aren’t you necessary?” (Soma)
“Even though I had some confidence in my abilities… you treat me just like a detection tool, right?” (Aina)
He hadn’t intended that, but indeed, that was how it had turned out. The flames around Aina responded not only to attacks but also to the presence of those unsought entities, and it had been employed for that purpose since earlier. Soma found it quite difficult to detect the presence of such entities himself, so he was genuinely grateful… though for Aina, it was probably far from ideal. From her perspective, Soma was the one receiving assistance, which was perhaps to be expected.
Now, while it might be a bit late to mention it, Soma was in this nocturnal cityscape with Aina to combat those unsought entities, lending a hand to Aina in that regard. According to their parting words, he left home at night and found Aina waiting outside, where they joined forces. And thus, despite the somewhat haphazard feeling of their cooperation, he had received a clear request to assist. Of course, there was no reason to refuse, and thus they defeated those ‘ones who resist’.
“Well, with this being the third one already… are they really this common?” (Soma)
“No, normally it’d be about once a week, maybe every two or three days in this city. Though, for the past year, it seems they’ve been appearing almost daily, but Sheila usually took care of them swiftly, so it wasn’t an issue… It seems the situation’s worse than I anticipated. I said it earlier, but I’m really grateful for your help. I probably wouldn’t have been able to handle it alone.” (Aina)
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“Well, since it’s primarily close-quarters combat style opponents, it certainly would’ve been tough for Aina alone. By the way, is Sheila alright?” (Soma)
Sheila wasn’t present here… as usual, she seemed to be with Felicia today. Those entities typically manifested around the area where Felicia was present. That made it easiest to handle them near her, and that was how they had been dealing with them until now. However, while Sheila had spotted them yesterday as usual, she apparently let them slip away, and today Soma and Aina had already encountered three. It was only natural to wonder if Sheila was alright. Soma and the others had arrived in this world just yesterday. So, what Aina and Sheila were saying might just be part of the setup, it was.
“I don’t really know the details, but I think she’s okay. There’s an emergency contact system in case of danger. Sheila still refers to us as her former colleagues, so I believe she’s still actively monitoring.” (Aina)
“I see, she’s doing that sort of thing.” (Soma)
Whether it was due to someone’s influence or perhaps a machine, it did worry him a little… but more importantly, he should focus on this situation right now. According to Hildegard, those entities were a sign of the collapse of this world. Since they should not appear, it couldn’t be said for sure whether or not they would give unexpected effects. It should be dealt with as quickly as possible. It should be dealt with as quickly as possible.
“By the way, how long do you think we should continue with this? It’s not necessarily the end with three. Could it be all night?” (Soma)
“No, it shouldn’t be necessary. Since they’ve already manifested, we should just check this area… at least, that’s the plan. There’s no precedent for multiple manifestations at the same time, so I can’t say for sure though…” (Aina)
“Hmm… just to be safe, should we keep patrolling all night? We don’t need to be on alert all day long, right?” (Soma)
“No, definitely not. For some reason, those entities only appear at night… well, that’s based on the lack of precedent, though.” (Aina)
‘Well, surely it’ll be okay there. I want to believe it’s okay and that everything will be fine.’
If it was just this level of an opponent, it wouldn’t be a problem to deal with them for several days straight, but… after all, there was peace in this world. Moreover, that peace was wished for Soma’s sake. So, at least during the daytime, he wanted to thoroughly enjoy that peace.
“Well, for now, let’s just check around here thoroughly.” (Soma)
“Yeah. We’ve only covered about half, so far. Encountering three entities by the halfway point is a bit disheartening… it just shows how bad the situation is. What Eleonora was saying seems to be true.” (Soma)
Aina was saying that Felicia’s physical limits were nearing. Although Eleonora didn’t specify a precise number of days, Aina seemed to feel that the time was closer than anticipated. He remembered what the Devil said, three days later, and it seems he was right.
“Well, regardless, our task remains unchanged.” (Soma)
“Well, yeah, but…” (Aina)
“…Something wrong?” (Soma)
Soma tilted his head as Aina stared fixedly at him. There was a puzzling expression on her face.
“I’ve had a feeling for a while now… You seem to have gotten over something. When we parted at school, you looked troubled.” (Aina)
“Hmm, I wasn’t aware… Well, perhaps you’re right. I’ve come to understand what I must do.” (Soma)
“…That’s about Felicia, isn’t it?” (Aina)
“Yes.” (Soma)
Soma nodded, and Aina lowered her gaze quietly. Though her face wasn’t clear, the sight of her biting her lip suggested she was holding something back. Naturally, the image of the principal’s office came to mind, but before Soma could say anything, Aina spoke.
“…I’m sorry.” (Aina)
“What for?” (Soma)
“Even though it’s true that we need your strength in this world, it’s not your concern. And because of that, you’ve been… involved with your childhood friend…”
Soma wasn’t sure if Aina could see his face, but he gave a wry smile and shrugged his shoulders at her words. Far from not having any connection, he was actually one of the parties involved. Aina didn’t need to worry at all. And even if he hadn’t been involved, it probably wouldn’t have changed anything.
“It’s no problem. There’s no need to think you’ve dragged me into anything. This is something I’ve decided on my own.” (Soma)
Indeed, he had already made up his mind. That was after hearing from Hildegarde and that Devil. He had made his decision.
“Oh, but now, it seems there’s something we need to do?” (Soma)
“Eh? Ah… Another reaction…!?” (Aina)
Although Aina initially responded slowly to Soma’s observation she soon noticed that there was a reaction from the flames floating around her. Judging from the reaction, the entities were probably in the northeast direction from here.
“I’ll go ahead then.” (Soma)
“Yes, please. I’ll catch up soon.” (Aina)
With Aina’s words behind him, Soma dashed away. By then, his hand was already resting on the hilt of his sword. This sword had been handed to him by Aina when they reunited tonight. It looked familiar. It was the beloved sword he had possessed before coming here. He gripped its familiar handle tightly.
Three days from now. Soma would kill Felicia. If that was the only option, then there was no other way to do it, and with that resolve, Soma ran through the night city.
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