02-14: What’s wrong with Fujima Tohru being the worst?

Rain, it’s raining.

I have to put it away.

……..

When I woke up, I didn’t understand the situation.

A beautiful woman with a face that could not be described as pretty, a face that could be described as beautiful, was looking at me.

Ashima.

Akari Reina.

Lydia.

The three of them, are looking down at me.

The rain clouds were Ashima’s and Akari’s eyes.

“Hmm …”

What the hell!, What kind of situation is this?

“Uk … Hick …!”(hiccups)

“Fujima-kun … Fujima-kun …”

“Tohru no baka”

My room in Arcadia.

Room 201, Jade Pavilion, Tomariki.

Aside from Ashima and Lydia, why is even Akari here?

“Fujima-kun: ……”

In the middle of the room are Kedoin, Takagi, and even the top caste Bitch B.

“Fujima-kun, I’m really sorry I couldn’t protect you. …… We would have definitely been wiped out too if Lydia hadn’t come along.”

Why are Kedoin and the others here, bowing to me? And why does Kedoin know about Lydia?

“Uh, …….”

Anyway, can I have a second nap?

“Don’t you remember?”

“We had it hard too, you know, Even though not as bad as Fujima-kun, still …….”

Takagi and Bitch B…… in Ashima’s story, I think  Suzuhara…… come into my view, shaking her short, fluffy brown hair.

“Mmm …….”

“No, you need to wake up.”

Takagi sighed out of the corner of my eye. I can’t help it, you know, I’m weak when I wake up.

I mean, why are both Ashima and Akari crying? ……

“Fujima-kun, do you remember running on the beach while being chased by Kobolds?”

A Kobold?　　Me?

…….

………..

Ah.

That’s right.

I’m dead.

That’s right.

I think I confirmed that the old man had escaped to the south gate, and I took the two Kobolds and headed east of the city to the beach.

_____

“Gaaaahhh!”

With a hair-raising roar at my back, I ran across the sandy ground.

I chose the beach as a place to escape…

“Ha, ha, ha. ……!　　How’s that ……!　Barefoot, the sandy beach is too tough for you guys……!”

It was only mid-morning, so the sand wasn’t too hot. But there’s glass shards all over the place and it’ll sting the soles of your feet!

“Gaaauu!”

But damn it…..! They’ve got thick skin on their soles, and they’re still chasing me. ……!

We’re only five minutes away from the East Gate of Eschmerde…..?　　Can you last that long?　My feet…..!

“Fujima-kun!”

Exhausted, and in a daze, I see the four people I’ve been avoiding – Kedoin, Akari, Takagi, and Suzuhara – coming down the beach from the city.

Why are these guys here ……!　　Oh no, I’ll lead the monsters to them if it goes on like this ……!

“Fujiki!　Jump to the left or the right!”

“What the…?”

I told you it was Fujima!

There was no way I could afford to say such words to Takagi in the distance, so I made a dive to the left as hard as I could, surprising the hunters. Just before my face was buried in the sand.

“Gahhh!”

“Eh!”

I saw Takagi and Suzuhara shooting arrows from their Western-style bows…

“Ahhhhh …!”

As if to dodge, I plunged face first into the sand with great force. I felt a sharp pain in the bridge of my nose, and by the time I realized it, the burning pain had spread to my entire face.

“Fujima-kun, stand up!”

Kedoin, who had rushed over to me, helped me up and shielded me on his own back.

Ouch. ……!　　A sensation like a stuffy nose. The next thing I knew, something slimy and warm was wetting my mouth. It was a …… nosebleed.

“Guau……!”

Both Kobolds were holding their chests and moaning.

“A fire arrow that pierces the enemy! Fire arrow fire bolt!”

A red, high-speed arrow whizzed past in front of me, scorching one of the Kobolds and turning it into a green light.

“Let’s go, ……!”

Kedoin restrained me with his hand, telling me to stay where I was, and boldly plunged into the remaining Kobold.

Kedoin uses his left shield to block the Kobold’s spear. His sidestepping sword is dodged back, but he bravely closes in and maintains close range, not allowing Kobold to launch his spear. He has completely killed the advantage of the spear in terms of reach.

At mid-range, the spear would have the advantage. That’s why Kedoin will approach, but if he gets into a super infighting situation, he will be hit by the Kobold’s sharp fangs.

Kedoin understood the strangeness of the area. The week that I was out collecting, Kedoin would have been fighting like this.

He slashes at it. He uses his shield to catch the spear that is swung in frustration.

He slashes in the opposite direction once, but Kobold is only a little scared, and he kicks with ferocity in his eyes again.

Fierce attack and defense.

If anything, Kedoin is pushing it. Damn, I want to at least seal the Kobold’s legs!

That’s what I thought when I tried to get behind the Kobold. ……

I see it.

I could see it.

Trees in the distance. Trees on the opposite side of the beach.

There, something silvery shimmered.

A pack of dog faces lurked in the shadows of the trees behind my gaze.

Of course, they had their bows at the ready.

Which is it?

Which one are you aiming for?

…… That way?

Kedoin and the three girls.

I’m sure the “boy” in me jumped to protect the “girl”.

An arrow came flying at me.

And it’s not just one.

Impact on the face.

“Kyaaaaaaaa!?”

“Fujima-kun? Fujima-kun!”

That’s when I lost consciousness.

I was so hot that I didn’t even know where the arrow had gone.

“That’s right, yes. I’m dead. What, I died from an arrow?  Where did that arrow go in?”

“You want to hear it?　It’ll hurt.”

“I want to know”

“You were defending us with your hands out …….”

I’m not aware that I was protecting them. I just thought that someone with no fighting skills should be the shield, and that’s what I did.

“There are …… probably about ten places, one in each hand and foot, two in the chest, two in the throat, and three in the right eye. …… Some of them penetrated…”

“Oh, I’m sorry, you’re right. It’s starting to hurt.”

What the hell is that? What kind of gross image is that? …… Three sticks in the eyes ……, my eyes hurt just thinking about it ……. I’m glad I was able to die quickly.

As I sit up halfway, Akari cries and shakes beside me. Maybe girls become like this , when they see a grotesque thing nearby.

“We were unharmed. I don’t know what kind of miracle it is, but Fujima-kun caught all those arrows.”

“Oh, yeah. In the end, all the arrows were stuck in Fujima-kun ……., and none of them came to us.”

I was relieved to hear that.

The fact that they’re here means that no one died. If anyone had died, I’d be a major war criminal for leading the monsters their way.

“But there were a lot of arrows flying at us, which means there were a lot of monsters, right?　How did you manage to escape?”

“With those numbers it seemed impossible indeed. I was wondering what to do, and Lydia came to us.”

“I couldn’t save Toru again.”

Lydia?

…… Why is Lydia …?

“A Hobbit was screaming in the streets, ‘The gloomy, brave boy is going to die in my place. That boy can’t fight. Somebody please help him. I immediately thought it was Toru, so I went to the south gate. But Toru was not there.”

Lydia’s voice has no intonation, but I know that it’s Dan Benjiri Ossan. So he called tfor help …

“I left the south gate immediately and walked around to the east gate. The south gate, far from the city, is dangerous. There is no way Toru would have run that way knowing that.”

“Around the same time, we heard him screaming, too. We saw some adventurers heading for the south gate, and Reina said, ‘We’ll start at the east gate,’ and she ran, and it worked………….”

“I’m sorry, Fujima-kun…….!　　I wanted to help you, but…. I was saved again …… I …..!”

Ah…….

It wasn’t a coincidence that these guys were there. ……

They were trying to help me, …….

Me, like this.

Not trusting anyone, keeping them away, hurting them.

The only way to believe in yourself is to doubt others.

I don’t know what’s going on anymore.

Can I trust them?

Can I believe these tears?

To believe in these tears.

“Akari”

Scratching, writhing, struggling, and fighting back.

I finally admitted that I was twisted, twisted, and just twisted.

“Akari … my bad. I was the worst. I’m sorry.”

I was at the bottom of the barrel, but I was still the worst.

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