Damn it.
I thought life would be easy once I delivered the divine sword to the hero, but the rate at which I'm getting dragged into life-threatening situations is only increasing.
And this time, I'm alone.
This is a first for me, except for the time I went looking for Shion.
I've overcome numerous crises to master the ultimate technique of "passing the buck," and now I can't use it.
I never thought my final secret technique would have such a fatal flaw.
Well, it's called "passing the buck," so it's natural that it becomes useless when I'm isolated.
"What about asking Instructor Cattleya and the others to come…"
"Only you and Shion can see me, so I can't guide them."
"There's got to be a way. Even if they can't see you, you could carry a flag or something to lead them…"
"I can only exist near the gemstone you're carrying or near the Holy Sword that Shion has."
"What if you yourself carried this gemstone…"
"How are you planning to transport a gemstone that can't pass through walls outside the dungeon?"
"What if Instructor Cattleya held the Holy Sword…"
"If the Holy Sword leaves Shion's possesshion, I weaken, and my ability to guide through the dungeon deteriorates."
It's over.My poor attempts at cunning have hit their limit.
"…"
When it comes down to it, there's only one thing to do.
Since my usual strategy of "passing the buck" isn't an option, the only way to survive is to escape this place with my own strength.
"Holly. I'm going to escape from here on my own."
"Is that really the only option...?"
Holly and I gaze together at the door located in the deepest part of the dungeon.
I never thought there would come a time when I'd be opening this door from the inside.
"Come on. I've survived hopeless situations before."
"That's true."
"As always, I'll somehow manage to stay alive."
"Haha. I'm with you, after all."
With that exchange, we open the door to the deepest part of the dungeon.
Outside the door, monstrously strong-looking monsters were roaming.
I immediately shut the door and returned inside, sitting down on the floor.
"Holly. Tell Shion that his brother will always be watching over him."
"Don't give up so easily! Don't say such foolish things!"
"It's absolutely impossible! There's no way to break through that horde of monsters and escape from here!"
The monsters outside looked incredibly strong.
There were ones in full plate armor similar to the Fiendish Sword of Amaranth, small dragon-like beings, and black humanoid monsters with wings like demons, all of them looking extremely powerful.
It was like facing a horde of formidable enemies you'd encounter in the final stages of a hero's journey.
"I understand. The monsters don't seem to want to enter this room for some reason, and I will now go and bring Shion here..."
As Holly attempted to pass through the dungeon walls,
"Wait, Holly!"
"Huh?"
I stop Holly with tears in my eyes.
"I can't stand being alone in such a dangerous place! Please stay with me!"
"Ugh! To hear you say something you usually wouldn't, especially at a time like this..."
Holly stopped phasing through the floor and blushed in front of me.
"So what do we do? There's no other choice but to escape on your own or wait here for Shion."
"If I'm going to die anyway, I don't want to die alone..."
"Hey! Why are you so ready to die? Where's your usual stubbornness?"
"…Will you stay with me until I die?"
"Ugh! To say such a sweet line with a straight face at a time like this...!"
Blushing, Holly slaps her face a few times, trying to return to her usual expresshion."Listen, Crow. Your life doesn't belong to just you."
"…Hey, Holly. Hearing that my life belongs to someone else when I don't have any special talents or qualities really brings down my spirits…"
"Be quiet and listen! I'm about to say something important!"
Holly yells at me but then immediately grabs my shoulders and looks at me seriously.
"Crow. Think about Shion, who cares about you more than anyone else. Do you think she would fight the Demon Lord in a world without you? What she wants to protect is not the world or humanity, but you, a single person. Your death would mean the end of the world to her. That's why you must never give up, no matter what."
"…"
If I die, Shion would lose her will to fight the Demon Lord.
And then, the unchecked Demon Lord might destroy the world.
So, I can't die.
I understand that logic, but
"…Honestly, I don't care what happens after I die."
"Whaaaaat!?"
When I express my honest opinion without any deceit, Holly recoils with a strange noise.
"Why do you never change your trashy and worthless ways, no matter how much time passes!? You're consistently terrible, in the worst way!"
"Why should I worry about what happens after I die? Life is already full of worries one after another, thinking about after death is just bothersome."
"That kind of talk is reserved for people who are actually working hard or studying!"
"Ah… It's at times like these, in the face of death, that you realize some things are inevitable. When you're weak, you can't choose how you live or how you die."
"Get a grip! Your self-deprecation is worse than ever!"
Holly, still holding my shoulders, looks at the room's door.
"It seems like the monsters aren't trying to enter this room, for some reason."
"For now, at least."
"I will go and call Shion. We'll bet everything on the monsters not entering this room and wait until Shion arrives."
"Um… I'm pretty sure I'll be killed by a monster breaking through that door…"
"I'll hurry as much as I can. Shion will exceed my expectations with her power to save you…"
At that moment, a monstrous roar and some kind of impact sound come from beyond the door.It seems like monsters are wreaking havoc on the other side of the door.
The noise is getting worse by the second.
"…Holly. Tell Shion that I was actually quite happy being called 'big brother' by her."
"Wait a minute! Why are you only leaving a message for Shion?! Don't you have any last words for me?"
"Eh? We're always talking, so there's nothing in particular left to say."
"Why are you ending this with a 'you should know without me saying' vibe like some old married couple?!"
"…"
Despite not knowing when the door might open and we could be slain by monsters, I was strangely calm.
Probably because I was with Holly.
We were having our usual silly arguments.
I didn't want to die, but it was good.
I don't understand why I'm in this place, and if there was a way to be saved, I'd want to be saved.
I can't say I'd die without any regrets; that's something I couldn't claim even in death.
But still, it was good to have talked to Holly before dying.
It was good to have her by my side until the end.
Though our time together was short, meeting Holly made me feel like I was no longer just "Villager A" or "Castle Guard B."
I really wanted to be a "hero," but I guess that's not how it works.
What you want to be and what you can be aren't always the same.
Thinking such thoughts, I watched the door being smashed open with a tremendous impact.
The door to the room where I was hiding was destroyed from the outside.
Holly braced herself, ready to possess me at any moment, but it would be futile.
Even if she enhanced my physical abilities, which were devoid of any weapon, let alone a divine sword, there was no way to escape from a horde of monsters.
With that in mind, I checked out the figure that had smashed open the room's door.
A woman dressed like a witch, wearing a triangular hat and a cloak.
A woman in a nun's habit, wearing a cross around her neck.
A witch and a nun, each holding a gigantic scythe and a huge axe.
"…!"
"…Cineraria and Jasmine…"
The ones who broke through the door and entered the room were not monsters.
It was the saintly sword wielders wielding the Underworld Sword and the Healing Sword.
"…So that's how it is…"
I smiled wryly at the two who entered the room, saw me, and widened their eyes in surprise.With this, I've avoided an immediate death without question.