Chapter 10
People don’t die easily.
For example, getting caught by a cult and having limbs torn off. Meeting bandits, getting stabbed, and having a hole punched in your stomach. An airship crashing and slamming into the ground.
You’d think those are sure ways to die?
No, I don’t die.
However, everyone except me dies.
I have resurrection magic, so I come back to life.
On the other hand, people without resurrection magic will all die.
Just like right now.
“Kyaaaaaaah!”
“The airship! The airship is crashing!”
“Help! Help me, Mommy!”
People screamed from everywhere.
It would be stranger not to scream when the airship is crashing.
Except for one person next to me.
Aranseol was making neither a scream nor a sound.
Whether she had nerves of steel or confidence in survival, she was hurriedly scanning her surroundings even as we fell.
This meant she was looking for something.
It meant she had a plan.
Ku-gu-gu-gung—
The airship began to plummet even faster.
Since it moved by magic, who knows how it works, but falling from this altitude means instant death for everyone.
The only small mercy was that the airship wasn’t falling at terminal velocity yet.
Airships are originally structures that float with helium.
This-world airships are probably filled with magic instead of helium, so it didn’t drop like a stone immediately.
But that was only a matter of time.
If an object this size crashes from the sky, the people inside won’t survive.
“Aranseol, tell me what you’re trying to do.”
“The airship has a magic safety device related to transportation. It’s a structure to evacuate passengers.”
Aranseol’s calmness finally made sense.
She had suppressed her panic and held onto her reason to survive.
“The explosion happened near the power source. The pilots and airship managers are in the power source section.”
“That explains why the airship crew hasn’t appeared in this situation.”
It means they are either in a situation where they can’t come here, or they are dead.
“Aranseol, I’ll go check over there. You handle the evacuation.”
Aranseol’s gaze landed on me.
“I’m a Holy Mage. Although my level is still low, I have healing abilities. If I can save even one crew member, it will be easier to resolve this situation.”
Aranseol looked at me for a moment.
Perhaps because I was calmer than she expected.
Unfortunately, death doesn’t confuse me.
The certainty that I won’t die was more useful for judging the situation than I thought.
Still, I hate pain enough to die, so I want to avoid the crash.
“I’ll leave it to you.”
Aranseol agreed without asking further.
While Aranseol looked for the escape magic device, I hurried down the airship corridor.
The people inside were in a panic, not knowing what to do.
There was never any pre-flight safety briefing when the airship took off.
In this world where losing one’s life is commonplace, Aranseol is the odd one; usually, it’s like this.
What a damn macho world where people treat their lives as disposable.
Pushing through the people and coming out of the corridor, a fierce wind battered me.
The forest was getting closer in real-time.
Grabbing the outer railing and heading toward the power source, I soon saw the collapsed engine room.
Smoke was billowing out; it didn’t look like anyone could be alive.
Furthermore, the corridor leading there was severed due to the explosion.
A distance that might be reachable with a desperate jump.
“Ha, shit, I really hate this.”
I just came to run an errand; what the hell is this situation?
I scratched my head furiously and slowly let go of the corridor railing.
Instead, I took a stance to run and jump.
Whether I crash like this or crash like that, the situation is the same.
If the result is the same, I have to try something.
“One, two.”
With a deep breath, I sprinted forward with all my might.
The wind battered my body, but I stomped on the end of the corridor and jumped.
“Three!”
My body leaped into the air, falling into a momentary state of weightlessness.
Kwuung!
At that moment, the airship shook violently and dropped a little further down.
Because of that, the landing point moved further away.
My body, still in mid-air, slowly descended.
My feet wouldn’t reach.
Death by falling means shattered bones and crushed organs.
I’ll come back to life if I die, but I didn’t want to die.
“Oh, shit!”
Along with a mouthful of curses, mana gathered at my fingertips.
What appeared in my hand was a golden rope.
Holy Magic I learned on the condition of becoming friends with Shishiroka.
Sacred Weapon.
The golden rope stretching from my hand bound the pillar on the opposite side.
At the same time, the rushing wind pushed me, and my body swung in a parabola.
As soon as the opposite corridor got close, I canceled the Sacred Weapon.
Momentum carried me, and I rolled onto the corridor, slamming into the wall.
“Kugh, ugh...!”
Pain shot through my back, making my body twist convulsively, but I barely managed to pull myself together.
Unfortunately, even the time spent in pain was precious.
“That scared the hell out of me.”
I got up and saw the door to the power source twisted shut.
I changed the form of the Sacred Weapon into a dagger and drove it in; it cut through smoothly.
I really did well to beg to learn this.
The form is still unstable, but as long as I can use it, it’s fine.
Bang!
I kicked the door open, and smoke billowed out instantly.
I quickly lowered my head and saw the situation inside.
Everything was smashed, and parts were on fire.
The source of the smoke was over there.
Covering my mouth and nose with my hand, I looked around for people and saw the shattered floor.
It looked like a bunch of the managers had fallen through down there.
A wasted trip?
As I was thinking that, I saw a person.
To be precise, a corpse.
A corpse with half its body blown away, seemingly caught in the explosion.
Judging by the outfit, similar to a stewardess, it was an airship attendant.
With only the upper body remaining, she must have died before she could even feel the pain.
A normal person would just give up and go back.
But for me, the story is different.
I can’t save a dying person, but I can save a dead person.
As I tried to lift her, I saw a small box on a shelf.
I lifted the box, checked what was written on it, and tucked it safely into my pocket.
Then I dragged the corpse, which was only the upper half, outside.
“Cough, hack.”
My throat was clogged from inhaling smoke, but there were no problems.
I also grabbed some spare clothes hanging nearby on the way out.
They were dusty, but it would have to do.
I placed my hand on the corpse’s chest.
“I have to make physical contact to save you; do you agree?”
Unfortunately, there was no answer.
Please, don’t let this person wake up and sue me for sexual harassment.
I activated Resurrection, and a bright light enveloped her.
Watching her legs regenerate, I quickly dressed her in the skirt I had grabbed.
Since she wouldn’t wake up immediately during the resurrection time, there was enough leeway.
“Huuk, hah!”
Soon, she snapped her eyes open and coughed violently.
I quickly took my hand off her before she could get the wrong idea.
“Are you alright?”
“Uh, huu, wh-where...”
“It’s the airship. Do you remember when you lost consciousness?”
“S-something... there was an explosion...”
She stammered, her mind in chaos.
Fortunately, she didn’t seem to remember that her lower body had been blown off.
“I’m sorry to interrupt, but this is an emergency; the airship is crashing. Do you know how to activate the escape magic?”
“I-I know. It’s in the passenger zone.”
She stumbled as she stood up.
As expected of Resurrection.
It healed her perfectly.
A shitty magic that couldn’t save Shishiroka, but it saves a stewardess I’ve never seen before!
How reassuring.
“Let’s move immediately.”
Right now, moving was more important than getting her bearings.
I took her outside, and the severed corridor came into view again.
The attendant’s face turned pale.
“By any chance, are you good at jumping?”
I found out I’m not.
After returning with the attendant, who had done a somersault in the sky (thanks to me), the passenger cabin was in even greater chaos.
Some were praying to the Transcendentals, and others were even rioting.
And the person who had suppressed that riot was Aranseol. Suppressing a riot in this situation—she’s no ordinary person either.
“Aranseol.”
“Harua?”
Aranseol spotted the attendant standing next to me and finally looked relieved. Since she was at risk of dying too, she must have been just as tense.
Leaving me aside, her mental fortitude is amazing.
“Attendant, please.”
“Ah, yes, yes!”
The attendant hurriedly pushed through the passengers and began checking the escape magic.
Perhaps because Aranseol had swept through them, the people were relatively quiet.
“The escape magic works!”
After finishing the check, the attendant hurriedly stood up.
“R-really? We can escape?”
“We’re saved! We can go back!”
“Waaaaah!”
At the attendant’s shout, the people went wild with the hope of escape.
Both Aranseol and I breathed a sigh of relief.
Aranseol approached my side.
“Good work.”
“You too, Harua.”
Really, what a mess this was.
I need to deliver the letter and go back quickly.
As I was thinking that, I saw the attendant’s face slowly turning pale.
I have a bad feeling.
“Aranseol, wait a moment.”
Leaving Aranseol, I went to the attendant, and our eyes met.
I lowered my voice amidst the rejoicing people and asked.
“Is something wrong? Is the activation...”
“Ah, no. It works, but... well, that is...”
The attendant slowly lowered her head.
“It seems... the stored mana isn’t enough to transport everyone here.”
Accidents mostly arise from carelessness and greed.
Operating an airship costs a lot of money.
So, the corporation operating the airship wanted to cover the costs somehow.
Therefore, a while ago, they added seats beyond the regulated limit.
As a result, they could carry a large number of people at once.
No wonder the seats were so damn narrow.
And that was the problem.
They increased the seats to carry people but didn’t increase the capacity of the escape magic.
It was a complacent judgment: Would an accident really happen in that time?
The attendant’s eyes were shaking violently.
She was just an attendant, at best.
She wasn’t in a position to know all the internal affairs of the airship.
Even if she had known, she wasn’t someone who could change anything.
And the situation didn't allow for blaming her.
“The people operating the power source didn’t survive. Excluding them, can’t we make it work?”
“I’ll try... I’ll try my best somehow.”
We didn’t have the answer to resolve this.
Stored mana can only be replenished by the Magic Tower that inscribed the magic.
This was a unique method for the Magic Tower to monopolize magic.
Human selfishness and greed.
Those two things were driving this accident into a worst-case scenario.
Uncivilized This-world.
No.
In this instance, modern society isn’t much different.
“Everyone, please line up! Line up in order!”
At the attendant’s instruction, people lined up.
With Aranseol growling beside them, they lined up obediently.
They transported one by one.
Watching that, I approached Aranseol.
“Aranseol, go to the front.”
“...What do you mean, go to the front?”
“Not everyone might be able to escape. The stored mana for escape is insufficient.”
Aranseol realized the situation belatedly, and her eyes widened.
I am a person, too.
Before being a racist, Aranseol is someone I know.
I want to save someone I know rather than a stranger.
“Then, Harua, you too...”
“I’m fine. I can’t explain it, but I have an ability that lets me survive somehow.”
Aranseol knows I’m a Transferee.
Although I’ve never mentioned my ability, she knows I’m a No-Named.
She would know my words aren’t a lie.
Aranseol stared at me silently.
“...No.”
And she shook her head.
As I looked at her with bewildered eyes, Aranseol stared straight ahead.
“The reason I picked up the sword wasn’t to live longer than others.”
What kind of crazy talk is that?
But Aranseol’s eyes were sincere.
Ku-gung—
Even as the airship crashed further, Aranseol’s expression remained unchanged.
“Sounds full of romance.”
Picking up the sword to protect someone.
I don’t particularly believe in such heroic words.
Still, the decision Aranseol made in this moment was shining.
Saving others even at the cost of one’s own life is noble.
Before long, the number of people began to dwindle.
As expected, the sacrifice of the engine room crew was significant.
Since the airship hadn’t been at full capacity, the mana might just barely be enough.
But unfortunately, the attendant’s calculation was more accurate than we hoped.
After the last passenger left, the attendant’s fingertips trembled.
Now, only Aranseol, the attendant, and I remained.
“Next person, please come.”
I saw tears forming in her eyes.
Seeing that, I realized the meaning of those tears.
“Is this the last one?”

She swallowed back her tears and lowered her head.

Kugugung—

The airship’s descent accelerated once more.
It was now impossible to stop the fall.
Everyone wants to live.
That was true for Transferees and This-worlders alike.
But the attendant was trying to give us her final chance.
I couldn’t tell if it was out of professional duty or as payment for saving her life.

“Aranseol.”

When I called her name, she stood perfectly still.
It was an unmoving stance that said she had absolutely no intention of leaving.
A sigh escaped my lips.
Soun sure raised one hell of a disciple.
She was stubborn.
I had learned that much over the past few days.
And there wasn't enough time to break her stubbornness.

“Attendant, you should go.”
“Wh-What?”
The attendant looked up, her eyes wide with shock.
A faint hope of survival mixed with guilt.
Both emotions coexisted on her face.
“We’ll be fine. We have a way.”
For the first time, I was grateful to have Resurrection.
“B-But…”
“Go,” Aranseol added, joining in.
The attendant hesitated, but the two of us remained firm.
“Th-Thank you. Truly, truly, thank you.”
Tears streamed down her face as the attendant activated the magic.
In the next moment, she vanished.
Only Aranseol and I were left on the airship.
Just as the attendant had said, the light on the escape magic device faded completely, and it shut down.

“Aranseol, you don’t regret this?”
She had just let her last chance to live slip away.
At my question, Aranseol slumped into a passenger seat.
“I regret it. Don’t ask something so obvious.”
Aranseol was human, too.
No one wants to die.
“But I would have regretted it even more if I had survived like that.”
And so, Aranseol had willingly stayed.
“That’s why you stayed, too, isn’t it?”
I watched her for a moment before getting up.
“Let me tell you some good news.”
I rummaged through my pocket and pulled out a small box.
The words “Escape Line” were written on it.
Aranseol’s eyes slowly widened.
“The airship captain must have known about the state of the escape magic and prepared this, just in case.”
He might not have cared about anyone else, but he’d made sure he could save himself.
“Stop moping and let’s go.”
I never planned on dying in the first place.
The only reason I let everyone else escape was because I figured the Escape Line would work more smoothly with fewer people.
I’m not the type to sacrifice myself for others.
“……Why didn’t you say something sooner?”
“Because if people were still here, you would have insisted we use it to save them.”
Aranseol stared at me, dumbfounded.
“……You have a terrible personality.”
Did she think I was some kind of saint for being willing to stay behind?
I have no intention of ever becoming one.
“And thanks to that, you get to live.”
I gave her a smirk. Aranseol let out a bitter sigh and rose to her feet.
“I don’t think we’ll ever get along.”
“We were always like that. What’s new?”
There’s a reason we’re polar opposites.
“Alright, time for our escape.”
A dramatic escape.
There’s no dopamine rush quite like it.