Chapter 13: They were even bigger idiots than I thought.

It was darkness.

An empty void, where I felt something tightening around me.

This must’ve been what happened after being swallowed by <Nation Devourer>—assimilated into the shadows.

Those monsters were supposed to be the Evil God’s minions, but no one really knew where they came from.

Maybe they crawled out of a place like this.

...But that’s not the point right now.

"—Hey."

"What’s up, Rina?"

I glared up at the blond bastard, Yous, who was clinging to me like a damn limpet.

"The hell are you doing here!?"

Damn it, the height difference made me look like a kid! We’re the same age, you ass!

I wanted to complain about unfair growth spurts, but that wasn’t the issue right now.

"Well, you noticed something and moved, didn’t you?"

"Yeah, didn’t have time to warn anyone."

"Then my body just moved on its own."

"What kind of human reflex is that!?"

I was shocked, but...

Now that I thought about it, I wasn’t any better.

Right after the leader got swallowed, Yous called out to me—but I’d already started moving before he even finished.

Same thing.

We’d been together so long that we acted before the other could even think.

What the hell? That’s kinda creepy!

"—Still, seems like it saved us."

"How so?"

"This thing’s trying to digest us. But it’s failing."

When it swallowed the leader, it was the same—this thing’s built to handle one person at a time.

But Yous barged in and got us both swallowed whole, so now it’s glitching.

"Meaning we’ve got some time to spare."

"So we figure out what to do with it?"

"—No."

For some reason, Yous rejected my words.

"Hah? It’s chaos out there! And who knows how long this ‘time’ even lasts?"

"It’s. Fine. They’ll definitely come save us."

"...Hell of a confidence you got there."

So what, we just sit tight and wait for rescue?

If that actually worked, it’d be a damn relief.

"That’s why we should use this time wisely."

—Suddenly, Yous’s voice shifted.

No longer the reassuring tone he used to calm me down—now it was serious.

Darker. Quiet, but full of resolve.

"Here, no one’s watching. Not even the god who blessed you can see inside the Evil God’s shadow."

"—You mean..."

It was also a voice seeking an answer.

To the question that had been buried deep inside me all this time.

"—Let’s finish that conversation from back then, Rina."

---

Back then.

I didn’t need him to explain—I knew exactly what he meant.

The first time I used my Alternative Skill.

Well, technically, the first awakening was in the flower field under the night sky, but the first time I consciously activated it was during my B-rank promotion.

The exact moment I’d just been reminiscing about.

Back then, this bastard told me:

"You don’t have to answer yet."

—That’s what he said.

About how I’m cursed to bring misfortune to others.

How that makes me want to push everyone away.

But he told me to shelve it—that I didn’t need to decide yet.

What a joke.

And yet, after that, I kept causing trouble, making people happy, giving them trials...

But I never lost anyone.

If someone had died, I would’ve had to face it then.

It was an irresponsible way to think—

But I got away with it.

Because I kept protecting them.

I kept postponing it.

And now, Yous was saying we’d settle it here.

What the hell had I even told him that night?

Had I reached a conclusion back then?

But I was drunk—no rationality left in me.

It was probably just spur-of-the-moment nonsense.

This wasn’t the same.

"—I..."

I tried to force the words out, failed, and bit my tongue.

Stuck. Yous waited silently, but nothing came.

Damn it.

Even if I thought I’d moved forward, I’m still like this, huh?

...No.

There was one thing I couldn’t say back then—one thing only the current me could say.

"...I’m scared."

Yeah, scared.

A stupidly simple, painfully pure emotion—just fear.

"I’m scared of hurting someone. Scared of the things I’ll cause. And most of all—"

I looked up.

"—I’m scared of losing you."

To my surprise, the words slipped out of my mouth almost effortlessly.

…What the hell? Was it always this easy to say?

If I’d realized sooner, I wouldn’t have struggled for so damn long.

Right now, I’m just… glad he’s holding me.

Glad his warmth is proof that we’re still alive.

But stronger than that relief is the fear clawing at my chest.

Pathetic. I sound like some lovesick girl.

I’m twenty—hell, if you count my past life, I’m practically an old lady by now.

…Wait, since when do I even think of myself like that?

It’s like I’m being forced to admit how far I’ve come from who I used to be.

"Then it’s simple."

Yous tightened his embrace, his gaze lifting toward the void above us.

What’s he looking at? I squinted but saw nothing—just haze, thick as the fog in my own heart.

But of course he could see it. His eyes were always sharper than anyone else’s.

"I know a way to wipe that fear away."

"…How?"

"It’s—"

A knowing smile curled on his lips.

And then—

————And then—

---

"—Leader! They got swallowed—!"

"Calm down! I know! They’re not dead yet, so stop panicking!"

The leader’s shout cut through the party’s chaos. Whether to reassure them or herself, she clung to the certainty that Yous and Rina still lived.

"The Shadow Serpent stopped moving after eating them. That means it can’t digest them! I’ve been inside that thing—I’d know!"

"S-so… what do we do?"

Sonaria gripped her staff, poised to act despite her limited combat skills. A mage’s instincts, but useless here.

"Options: attack now, or analyze for weaknesses."

"…We’re not equipped for this."

"The two who are got eaten, genius."

This was an A-rank party—the pinnacle of adventurers. No one here was a fool. If anything, they were quicker thinkers than most.

But in raw analytical prowess? No one matched Rina and Yuse.

Yous’s intuition bordered on preternatural. Rina, for all her brashness, dissected problems with surgical precision. The leader knew Rina’s noble upbringing played a part, but there was something else lurking beneath—something even she couldn’t define.

"Time’s running out…"

The <Nation Devourer> had defied Rina’s predictions. Legends spoke of its shifting form, but this felt different. Would such a drastic change leave no records? Worse, it had moved after absorbing their skills. Nothing should’ve survived that.

Is it nearing S-rank?

If so—the next call would carry consequences. The leader knew. And so, without hesitation, she made her choice.

But—

———A single idiot moved faster.

"—‘O Infernal Flame—’!"

Before the leader could speak, Anna finished her incantation. A firestorm erupted from her palms.

"Anna!?"

She must’ve started chanting the moment they were swallowed. No hesitation. No room for doubt.

"Leader! What’s there to debate!? They’re trapped in there!"

"R-right! All units—prepare to attack! We’re getting them out, risks be damned!"

———Without their strategists, brute force was their only option. The leader had stalled to steady the party.

Anna hadn’t.

Their choices weren’t at odds—just their resolve.

"…I’ll admit, I don’t understand what Rina and Yuse carry."

Anna’s voice was eerily calm as she began another chant. True masters needed no silence to focus—her mind was already a blade.

"But I know they’re different. And I don’t care. They’re my best friends."

"Anna…"

"They took a leap forward together. Maybe Rina didn’t think it through, but Yuse? He chose this. That takes guts."

A single sentence laid bare how she saw them—and how fiercely she trusted them. The party listened, weapons ready.

"Then it’s our turn now!"

Her next spell ignited.

"—‘O Blade of Wind—’!"

A cyclone of razor-edged air tore through the darkness.

"If Rina’s cursed luck is the problem, we’ll be her safety net! If someone gets hurt because of it, we’ll protect them! Alone, she might fail one day—but!"

Her glare sharpened.

Her heart burned.

"She’s not alone. As long as we’re here—no one lets Rina bear that weight again!"

That was an absurdly simple resolution.

A statement that might seem like pure fantasy—and yet.

"If that good fortune would hurt Lina herself, then I’ll protect her no matter what! So that Lina can keep smiling forever… so she can stay with Yuuth forever!!"

And then—

"——Alternative Skill!"

She activated her trump card here and now.

"——You all heard her. Any objections to Anna’s words? …None? Good! Then from this moment on, we—!"

With a booming voice, the leader declared with a radiant smile.

"—are resolved to stand by and protect Linalia and Yuuslid, no matter what!"

And in an instant, the situation began to shift.

---

——The words from above reached us loud and clear.

Anna’s voice, the leader’s declaration, the faces of our comrades worrying over us—

All of it got through.

"…Tch, what a buncha damn idiots. That’s beyond just empty dreams."

"What’s wrong with being idiots? You don’t hate fun idiots, do you?"

"S’pose not."

——Right after, a violent tremor shook the shadows.

"Whoa—?!"

"Anna really went all out, huh…"

In terms of sheer destructive power, Anna’s Alternative Skill was undeniably the strongest in the party.

And now it had pierced straight through the shadows—the writhing agony of <Nation Devourer>’s emotions surged into us.

Or rather—

"Quit hugging me like you’re annoyed, dammit!"

"Well, letting go in this mess would be worse, wouldn’t it?"

"Yeah, but still… I’ve got my own feelings and stuff to deal with here…"

Grumbling.

"Then let me say this instead."

"W-what now?"

Before I knew it, he pulled his face closer to mine.

The hell?!

"——You’ve never once listened to how I feel, have you?"

"……Hah?"

"You think you dragged me into this against my will. That it’s your fault I ended up like this."

…Y-yeah.

That’s exactly it.

If it weren’t for me, this guy wouldn’t have gotten tangled up in my mess, wouldn’t be on the verge of dying like this.

Yous’s a genius—with skills like his, he could’ve made it anywhere.

That’s what I’d always thought.

But then—

"Then hear me out. Isn’t that part of your responsibility too?"

He pressed in, relentless.

Ah, damn it all—

"…………Yeah."

This time, I couldn’t refuse.

Couldn’t even run away.

"…Nn—"

——His arms around me tightened just a little more.

And before I could stop it—a frail, trembling sigh escaped me, tinged with just the faintest hint of happiness and nerves.