Meanwhile, during Rin and Cain’s battle…
Above ground, Claire cursed her own uselessness.
How is this protecting anything?
She’d vowed to protect everything and everyone, so how was she here? Her hands clenched into fists so hard, her fingernails drew blood from her palms. The cuts healed over in seconds.
Curious onlookers had gathered to gawk at the dungeon that spawned out of nowhere. Claire stood like a captain at the helm of the crowd. They were all perplexed at the one inexplicable feature—or lack thereof. Like any dungeon, this one should’ve had a Gate, but it didn’t. It simply wasn’t there. No matter how strong the adventurer, no one could get inside.
Claire couldn’t.
Unable to follow the desire inside her to save everyone, she stood, burning with frustration. What had happened minutes before, when the light of the teleportation spell enveloped her, played on a loop in her head.
In that fraction of a moment, she’d tried to defeat Cain before the spell fully activated. She’d failed. Her original plan was to reenter and reach him again. The grim flaw to that plan was…everyone else would be dead by the time she reached the boss room a second time.
From where she stood in the present, stuck on the surface, one part of the memory rose in her mind.
She’d defeated the ifrit and turned around, meeting Rin’s eyes. He hadn’t looked resentful or angry. She could tell he regretted his powerlessness, his helplessness, but he’d still had light in his eyes.
Seeing that perseverance in him, she’d chosen a different option. Instead of the plan where she bore everything herself, she’d entrusted the rest of the fight to him and left Cursed behind, counting on him to protect the others.
After that, the teleportation spell had taken her aboveground, away from the thick of battle.
Now, the dungeon had no Gate. If she’d chosen her first plan, the outcome would’ve been unthinkable. Though leaving Cursed with Rin was the better choice, the decision didn’t sit right with her. She’d sworn to protect everything on her own, but that better choice put her here on the sidelines.
I failed to protect anything again…
A vulnerable, pained expression overtook her face, but her melancholy was interrupted when someone in the crowd shouted.
“Hey, somebody came back!”
She gasped and looked up, where she saw Rin swaying, battered and beaten. He crumpled as if he’d just lost consciousness.
“Amane-san!”
She dashed for him and caught him before he hit the ground.
Why was he alone? Her heart leapt with fear, but quickly settled in her chest. As he leaned against her, his face broke into a satisfied smile. She didn’t know what had happened inside, but she understood the meaning of that smile. He’d successfully protected everyone.
“Thank you,” she murmured.
She cast healing magic on his wounded body. She was glad to see his wounds heal, though having him slumped against her like this was an ungainly burden. She couldn’t lay him on the hard ground either.
Well, she supposed she didn’t mind letting him rest with his head on her lap. Slowly, she lowered him into position and stroked his head, hoping he felt her gratitude.
“You did well, Amane-san,” she said gently.
She wasn’t sure if she imagined his small smile.
Several minutes later, the dungeon collapsed, and those still trapped inside at last returned to the surface. It marked the end of a long, long day.