Chapter 51: Their Respective “Ways”

"Grandpa! I caught some suspicious people in the forest!"

"Himeros! Where have you been?! ...Wait, you caught suspicious people?!"

"They were wandering around, so I caught them and brought them here! Look! This is my achievement! Everyone, come take a look!"

"What in the world are you...?!"

Lies and I were being dragged to the place where the elves had gathered, tied up from head to toe with rope... or, at least, that was what we were pretending.

As for the rest of our little tricks, all we had done was disguise ourselves by draping cloth over our heads like hoods to hide our faces. We hadn't even brought any weapons worth mentioning.

But that was fine.

Our objective wasn't to conceal our identities, nor was it to fight.

"Are you ready, Kizuna?"

"—Yeah. I'm ready."

Thanks to Himeros's performance, the gazes of a great many elves were gathering on us. In other words, the stage was set.

At that moment, I remembered Tierra's words.

"We stand together, transcending our races, our positions, and everything else that might divide us. Piska and Padron-kun were enemies, weren't they? And Tetoma was hostile toward us at first, too. Yet now, we're traveling and fighting together."

"All of this is the result of Kizuna-kun continuing to face everyone honestly and without reservation. I think that's something you should be proud of. And someone like you, Kizuna-kun, can surely move the hearts of the elves, too. That's what I believe."

That's right. It was. That was the kind of journey we'd been on all along.

A journey not meant to hurt anyone. Not a journey to wage war.

A journey to connect with others. To exchange words, share meals, and gradually expand the circle of people around us.

And so—

I drew in a slow, deep breath. I could feel the crisp air of the Great Forest filling my lungs.

All right. Let's do this.

"I'm! Harukawa Kizuna! I've come here to ask you—"

With nothing but honest, wholehearted feelings behind my words.

With every ounce of my voice.

"—TO HELP ME!!"

After chopping down tree soldiers left and right, I continued onward for a while.

I was in full-on rampage mode, wreaking environmental destruction in blatant defiance of the SDGs, ecology, and everything else along those lines... But whatever. This wasn't Earth. Besides, I was Mother Earth herself. Who was going to complain?

...Still, there had been surprisingly few of them. Perhaps they were tree soldiers assigned to patrol the area, constantly wandering around.

If so, there was a good chance the person controlling them had their attention drawn elsewhere.

With Rene and the others holding the line, it was hard to imagine they had failed to stop the mechanical soldiers. Which meant, nine times out of ten, Kizuna-kun was being the protagonist.

...That was true of the original scenario and all that, but this wasn't the kind of situation where that person would miscalculate. Kizuna-kun had been chosen—kidnapped—precisely because he was the kind of person who could pull off a moment like this.

In that case...

I had to hurry, too.

"...Seeing it up close really drives home just how enormous it is. If I keep looking up at it, I feel like my neck is going to hurt."

This was the World Tree. The core of the Great Forest World. The undisputed center of the world.

The laws of physics and common sense didn't apply to a tree like this.

For example, it reached all the way to the heavens, and at first glance, climbing it seemed utterly impossible. And yet, certain beings could reach its summit in an instant.

That's right. Certain beings. For example—

S-P-I-R-I-T-S.

"I ask for your aid in fulfilling my mission. Send this body to the summit."

I brought my spirit personality to the forefront for the first time in a while and softly recited the words that had surfaced in my mind.

And just like that, my body was enveloped in white light—

『Damn it! I thought we could hold out a little longer!』

『As expected, we cannot manage without Lady Tierra's healing arts!』

『It's all because some future lord is wasting time trying to look cool, nya!』

『HAAH?! It's because some barbarian over there isn't pulling their weight!』

『Nya?! I've taken down more of them than you have, nya!』

『Like hell you have! I've definitely taken down more than you!』

Even as they bickered, the group continued taking down the mechanical soldiers pouring toward them.

However, their injuries were gradually piling up, and more importantly, their movements were slowing, likely due to exhaustion.

—And someone was watching them from somewhere.

"Kuhahahaha! It's been a while since the healer left, and things are finally starting to look rough for you, aren't they?!"

At first glance, the observer appeared to be a young girl.

She had silver hair and heterochromia: a golden right eye and a purple left eye. She wore a black-and-white Gothic Lolita outfit, and held her right hand in front of her face, as if to conceal her purple eye.

In front of her, there was a hole about one meter in diameter, as though a piece of space itself had been cut away. Within it, the figures of those currently fighting desperately were being displayed.

『Then how many have you taken down, nya?!』

『Like hell I've been counting!』

『Then I win, nya!』

『What kind of logic is that?!』

『—Disclosure. Piska's mechanical soldier kill count: 156. Padron's mechanical soldier kill count: 164.』

『See?! I win, barbarian! Nice one, Tetoma!』

『No waaaay, nya?!』

『—Continuing disclosure. Rene's mechanical soldier kill count: 302.』

『WHAT?!』

『I win. V. You two's dinner... is mine.』

『What kind of logic is that?!』

『What kind of logic is that, nya?!』

『Truly, there is beauty in the bonds of friendship.』

『Nanashi, are your eyes painted on or something?!』

The boys, girls, and their assorted companions continued fighting as they traded words.

Watching them, the girl smirked and muttered to herself.

"They're still comfortable enough to joke around... Or rather, it's more accurate to say they're exchanging banter to keep their fighting spirit alive, even if only a little. It seems they're getting close to their limit."

Then, she produced a book from somewhere.

For no particular reason, she spun around once on the spot.

"Kuk! It seems the time has come for yours truly... the all-knowing chronicler, Akuru Irmphis, to make his appearance! Fuhahahahahahaha!!"