Epilogue
THE PLACE WHERE Piggymaru was teleported into was a white space—white walls, white ceiling.
“Squee~?”
There’s nobody around. No footsteps—I have to find someone to group up with.
Piggymaru began squelching through the labyrinth.
…I feel so lonely.
Ever since joining Too-ka on his journey, Piggymaru had almost always been with someone else. The little slime knew how much it was being protected by others.
Too-ka, Seras, Eve… Lis, Slei, Nyaki and Munin… Just being alone feels so different.
Piggymaru was lost in anxiety for a moment.
“Squee!”
No!
The slime shook off those feelings and tried to cheer itself up.
I have to be able to save someone!
Piggymaru thought about trying to cry out but stopped itself from doing so.
I might draw enemies to myself. I’m surrounded by white walls. There are cobblestones below me sometimes, but not all the time. The buildings that used to be here are jutting out in weird ways. It looks like this used to be the middle of the city. Everyone should be heading for the castle, so I’m sure I’ll meet one of them somewhere. I must go to the castle too. Before we all entered, someone showed me a map and explained the way.
Piggymaru changed course, heading in that direction.
That building is probably that big one, so…this way?
“Squuh~.”
I’ll just hide in a building or somewhere if an enemy comes. I don’t think they’ll find me; I’m very small.
Suddenly, Piggymaru heard footsteps. The walls of the labyrinth muffled most of the sound, but it seemed as if some things were still audible once they came close enough. Piggymaru got ready to hide.
“Squee?”
Isn’t that…
Piggymaru called out to the person who had just appeared.
“Squeee!”
“Piggymaru?” It was Munin. Her face lit up. “Oh, thank heavens! I’m ever so glad to see someone! Are you well, Piggymaru?”
“Squee. ♪”
“Right, then, let’s go together shall we? ♪ Come now.”
After being invited to jump over, Piggymaru leaped into Munin’s pocket.
“Squee~ ♪”
“Heh heh, are you happy to see me? I’m happy to see you too.” Munin gave the little slime a wry smile. “I thought it might be safer if I turned into a crow, but after learning of what happened to Lis’s familiar from Too-ka…I’ve begun to think that doing so might be more dangerous.”
Vicius noticed Lis’s crow familiar and killed it. Flying around as a crow might cause one of our enemies to mistake Munin for a familiar and kill her too. Being in crow form would also leave her much less able to protect herself… I see.
A sudden wave of relief washed over Piggymaru. It was so happy just to be by somebody’s side again. Piggymaru poked its head out from Munin’s pocket, and she stroked it with a smile.
“Let’s go and look for everyone together, okay?”
“Squee~ ♪”
The two of them walked down the passage together, still keeping their guard up.
Unlike Too-ka and Seras, we aren’t suited to combat. And Munin has something important to do in this battle. I have to protect her for Too-ka’s sake.
Piggymaru also felt once more the barrier between it and other people.
I can’t express myself to her as well as I can to Too-ka. When I speak to him, it’s like if we’re having a regular conversation. Too-ka is really special.
It was as the two of them cautiously proceeded down the passage that they encountered it.
“…! It appears it has noticed us,” said Munin quietly, a grave look on her face. She tightened her grip on the staff in her hands—the weapon she was most used to wielding in battle.
The creature that stood before them was a mid-sized eucharist with an axe in one hand and a spear in the other. It seemed intent on blocking their path.
“Squee!” Piggymaru created a staff with one pointed end for stabbing, and Munin took that instead, thanking the little slime.
Whoosh!
The eucharist lunged at them with its spear. Munin watched the attack closely and deftly parried it with her staff.
“I didn’t spend all that time learning how to fight with Seras for nothing!”
She spun her staff in her hands, then launched several stabbing attacks at the eucharist, which blocked them with the flat of its axe.
“Kh…!”
In the meantime, the eucharist’s spear attacks kept coming. Piggymaru wrapped itself around Munin’s arm and spread out to form a shield. By hardening itself, the slime could stop the spear attacks from getting to Munin.
It does hurt a little, though.
“P-Piggymaru… Thank you!”
Munin stood resolute as she readjusted her stance to face the eucharist.
Should I let Munin escape alone?
Should we defeat this eucharist together?
She can fight. I can be her shield and maybe even form into a spear to strike at times. Maybe we can beat th—
“Kyah?!”
Munin fell backward onto her behind.
“Squee?!”
“Gah… P-Piggymaru, are you okay?”
Munin and Piggymaru tried to fend off the eucharist’s repeated attacks, but the monster was stronger and faster than both of them.
With that strength… I don’t think Munin is powerful enough to beat it.
“Squee…”
We might not be able to win this fight. But Munin has an important role to play… So I… So it’s come to this. I have to let her get away. I can make myself bigger and cling to that monster and buy time. Is that going to work?
No…I have to do this. This is for Munin and for him—the one who called me his partner.
The eucharist, which seemed to have been waiting for the right moment to strike, made its move.
…It’s okay, Too-ka. I won’t let Munin die. Not here. Not in a place like this. I’ll protect her, even if it costs me everything.
…When we first met, you didn’t just give me the courage to stand up to evil. You recognized the courage I already had inside of me. That’s why you didn’t make me your servant but your partner instead. That made me so happy. Really, so happy, Too-ka…
…I’m so glad I got to tell you that. So glad I got to tell my beloved partner…how grateful I am.
I’ve been so happy, and it’s all because of you, Too-ka. So I…
“Paralyze.”
The eucharist made to turn in the direction of the voice—then froze completely.
“Berserk.”
As the eucharist burst, a man wearing a Lord of the Flies mask walked out from behind it.
“…Sorry I’m late.”
If I could cry like a human, then I’m sure I would be crying now. I’m so happy to see him again. This person makes every part of me feel so at ease. He called me the best partner in the world…
“S-Squeee—!”
Too-ka!