Chapter 17: The Strongest Onmyoji Changes His Mind

The next morning.

In Lakana, there was a commotion as if a beehive had been poked.

It seems that the first wave of monsters, which had been approaching during the night, was detected by the guards who had packed the city walls.

A report was made to the mayor, the force was increased,…… and by the time the sun began to rise, the fact of the stampede had spread throughout the city.

“…… it’s a terrible mess, this is.”

From the roof of the inn, I look down on the city of Lakana.

The city walls have not yet been breached.

The city is surrounded by a large number of monsters, making escape impossible, but the solid walls are barely holding back the hordes, and the city is defensible.

Nevertheless, the city was already infested with monsters.

Some of the winged monsters have jumped over the walls and invaded the city.

Citizens have taken refuge in the buildings, and adventurers are now going around exterminating the monsters attacking the city.

However, it seems that not a little damage has already been done, and there were screams coming from everywhere in Lakana.

The human side still has the upper hand just barely, but …… if even a portion of the monsters that are closing in outside the city walls are allowed to enter, that will be quickly overturned.

The scene outside the city at dawn was a hopeless one.

Monsters of all kinds were pouring into the city like a haze of disorderly clouds. Such a thing is truly a disaster. From the way they clung to the city walls, trampling on other monsters, one could sense only their fierce intent to devour the land where people live.

From the top of the city walls, the arrows and magic of the guards and adventurers still drop insect-shaped monsters that climb the walls.

The current equilibrium exists thanks to the early participation of the city’s adventurers in the defense, under the leadership of Mayor Silas. Zamlug and Lloyd would also be leading their parties in this defense.

However, I am not sure how long they will be able to keep it up.

If a part of the wall is breached …… or some subterranean monster creates an entry point, that will be the end.

They may not have the intelligence to open the gates, but they have a different kind of mass.

Reinforcements are not expected.

It is hard to believe that a human army could handle this disaster before the will of the empire.

Lakana would soon meet its demise.

I look back.

“Oh, all three of you. Are you ready?”

Amiyu, Ifa, and Mabel were coming up to the roof of the inn.

No monsters attacked this place.

As I was killing flying killer bats and chimeras with my “Lightning” and repelling gargoyles with my “Jinga”, there were no more monsters approaching me.

Then, I turned my head.

“Hey, where’s your luggage?”

“Seika….. what are you going to do now?”

Amiyu looks uneasy.

“I say with a reassuring smile.”

“Of course I’m running away.”

“Escape, how do we do that…”

“It doesn’t matter”

《Calling――――Koi Mizuchi》

Due to the distortion of space, a long blue body covered in scales appeared in the morning sky.

The three of them froze with wide-eyed eyes when they saw the dragon for the first time.

If possible, I didn’t want to show the appearance of the ayakashi, but it can’t be helped.

We’ve lost the opportunity to find another decent way to escape.

I smile at them against the backdrop of the giant dragon.

“I’ve been keeping quiet about it, but I’ve actually tamed a couple of monsters. Let’s fly with this one. It’s just as comfortable as a dragon. You remember Ifa, don’t you?”

“Se, Seika-kun, but this is… a dragon…”

“It’s a similar thing. Four people are fine, because it’s this big. Come on, get your luggage quickly. It’s troublesome if they find it and make a fuss… or not.”

Even if they are seen, they are people from a city that will perish anyway.

He doesn’t even have to keep his mouth shut.

“Wait a minute.”

At that time, Amiyu said in a stiff voice.

“Escape… just us?”

“Oh”

“Then… what will happen to everyone in this town?”

I erase my smile and shake my head.

“I can’t help it. The city of desire will perish because it’s too greedy. This must be fate.”

“No way…”

Amiyu says, her voice trembling.

“If you have a monster like this… you should do something about the stampede…”

“I might be able to do it.”

“Then”

“We can save this city. And even if we do, what are we going to do next?”

“e……?”

“If you really insist, I’ll listen to your request. So, to what extent should I save?　Unrelated to the stampede, which adventurers will be attacked by monsters?、Who will be attacked by thugs?　Outside the city? And what about merchants who are attacked by beasts and bandits? What about other villages that have run out of food? Or wars between people?”

“…”

“I can go anywhere. I can do most things…but I can’t do everything.”

Simply being the strongest will not save everyone.

“Where do you draw the line? Who will you save and who will you abandon?”

“…”

“If you leave it to my will, I will help those close to me. But I have no intention of taking care of strangers.”

“…”

“Did you get it? Then don’t say anything more insensitive. Hurry up and get your luggage…”

“They are not strangers!”

But.

Amiyu said yes in a strong tone.

“Because… Tio is here. What will happen to that child?”

Hearing those words, my eyes widened slightly and I froze.

Ifa and Mabel followed Amiyu.

“Ilia-san and Wallace-san are also working hard right now, aren’t they?”

“Nido and the others are in Eik.”

They were all names I knew.

Amiyu takes a step away from me.

“I’m not going. Even though everyone is fighting… if I escape here, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.”

“… Are you guys feeling the same?”

Ifa said hesitantly.

“I-I…if you say you want to run away, I’ll follow you.”

“what……”

“Seika”

Mabel looks at me and says.

“When Seika helped me…we weren’t really close.”

“That’s… the situation is different from when you were alone.”

“Situation doesn’t matter to Seika, right?”

“…”

“Seika what do you really want to do?”

After both of them said that, there was no sign of moving.

I’m irritated inside.

What do they want me to do…? I don’t care about that now.

Even if I stay in this city, It has no future. Even if she’s a hero, there’s no way the current weak Amiyu can do something about that horde of monsters.

In this situation, I have no choice but to take her by force…

“Seika-sama”

At that time, I heard Yuki whispering in my ear.

“Please forgive me for offering you such unsolicited advice again. Yuki…has an idea.”

Yuki said before i could ask.

“Why don’t you send all the people of this city to Hades yourself, Seika-sama?”

“huh…..?”

Yuki continues, regardless of my confusion.

“Seika-sama would be able to handle such a thing without any difficulty. They will have an easier end than if they were eaten alive by a monster. And if there are no more people to save, the girls will be able to give up. It’s a win-win situation.”

“….”

What Yuki said was perfectly reasonable.

However, ……,…

“Are you resistant to it?”

“…..”

“If that’s the case, even a crueler option than abandoning them wouldn’t be in line with Seika-sama’s heart. For Seika-sama, who used his power to help people in that world…if it weren’t for her, Let’s face the unacceptable things. Yuki thinks, you should do as you please. Just like in your previous life. After all, even the …… fortune-telling said so.”

However, the words I was about to say never came out of my mouth.

After a seemingly eternity of hesitation, I… looked back at Mizuchi and pointed at the door.

The dragon’s giant body was sucked into the distortion of space.

I gazed at the morning sky for a while after the demon’s majesty disappeared… I turned half of my body to them and told them.

“Only this time.”

“Wow, really!?”

I look at them with a stunned face as they rejoice.

What am I saying?

It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

Amiyu says as if she noticed.

“Ah, but it’s okay to send that dragon-like guy back? Are you not going to use it from now on…”

“I will not use Koi-Mizuchi, because he stands out too much….I don’t want to become subject of a rumor as much as possible.”

I feel like it’s already too late, but… as expected, it’s still too early to go crazy.

I say

“Even if i don’t rely on that kind of thing, I’ll do something about it.”

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