The first thing that came into Yoshida’s view when he arrived at the battlefield was the altered appearance of his childhood friend. The pattern scrawled like a curse on her skin, the lopsided shape of her right arm and shoulder, and the terrible sixteen rainbow-colored wings that had torn through the flesh of her back.
Aria...
He wanted to avert his eyes, but he stopped himself. The whole reason he’d come here was to face her.
“Yoshida? You’re really here?” Alan said.
Yoshida’s fellow hero stood up straight despite the grave injuries riddling his body, valor and resolution brightly burning in his eyes. Yoshida actually felt a little intimidated to be directly addressed by Alan, someone he considered a true hero and the polar opposite of himself.
“Yeah. I might only drag you guys down, but I’d like to fight alongside you,” Yoshida said, swallowing his fear and apprehension.
Alan silently stared into Yoshida’s eyes. If he told Yoshida to stay back because he wouldn’t be much help anyway, there was nothing Yoshida could say in response. After all, he’d only offered logistical support during the Titanomachy. During the final battle at the demon lord’s castle, he’d only stood guard at the supply base they’d built on the way there. His work had been simple, the sort anyone else could’ve taken care of. His only possible contribution in combat was below-average support magic.
“All right. That’s reassuring to hear.” Despite those reasons, Alan accepted Yoshida’s help with a smile.
“Are you sure? I’m a coward with no combat skill! I’ve only ever done logistical support that even a kid could manage,” Yoshida said.
“Ha! What kind of nonsense is that?” Alan looked Yoshida straight in the eyes as he spoke. “Sure, maybe you’re no good in a fight, and you can only take care of odd jobs, but so what? No one but you stuck with us until the end.”
Yoshida listened silently.
“Your courage and attentive support were always reassuring.”
Yoshida was at a complete loss for words. Alan wasn’t the kind of guy to offer idle flattery. Yoshida had no idea that the man he glorified thought so well of him.
“One more thing. If you regret running away from her and believe it’s because you’re weak-willed, then I can’t agree. If you really were a coward, as you said, you couldn’t have made it all the way to the decisive battle at the demon lord’s castle despite having zero combat ability.” Alan patted Yoshida on the shoulder. “You weren’t weak, just kind. You didn’t want to hurt the girl you love. You wanted her to keep living, right?”
“...”
“And I’m sure you came here because you want to help her. Or am I wrong?”
Oh man, why? Tears welled up in Yoshida’s eyes. How could the Champion understand people’s feelings so well despite being so strong?
“Yes, that’s exactly it. I wanted her to keep living,” Yoshida said. “I just wanted her to smile again. Like she used to.”
Wasn’t it natural? The reason he’d wanted to get stronger in the first place was in order to protect her, his first love.
“That’s why I have to grant her final wish. I can’t let such a sweet girl who hated hurting people keep existing as a destructive monster.” He took a moment to wipe his tears and looked straight ahead as he said, “I will use my kindness to release Aria from her suffering.”
Alan gave Yoshida a hearty slap on the back and said, “Then allow me to help, my brother-in-arms!”
Yoshida was so moved by Alan’s words he almost started crying again, but he didn’t have time for tears.
“You sure took your time, Yoshida,” Dora said as she stood next to him.
The remaining heroes also drew close and stood side by side with Yoshida. None of them looked displeased to see a “burden” joining their ranks. Instead, they were happy that a reliable ally had come to their aid, just as Alan had.
“I’m not the only one. Everyone here acknowledges you as a hero,” Alan said.
“I see. So, that’s what you really thought of me,” Yoshida said.
I’m blessed with such trustworthy comrades, he thought as he observed the other heroes lined up to his left and right, three on each side. His own weakness was but a trivial matter when he was surrounded by them. Uplifted, he turned away from them and faced forward once more.
The girl he had come for was silent as she stared off into space, the ominous noise leaking from every inch of her body. The density of Aria’s mana was already beyond human comprehension. Even if they gathered every last drop of mana in this world and tried to strike her with it, her Miasma of Rejection might come out on top. If the most powerful seal in the world shattered like glass before her strength, then defeating her was impossible.
“There might be a single way to win,” Yoshida told the other six. “Aria’s Miasma of Rejection protects her automatically and won’t let anything she sees covered in noise touch her. Conversely, someone not covered in noise can touch her. Before her entire world became consumed by noise, the one thing not covered in noise to the very end...was me.”
Yoshida lifted a knife from his breast pocket. It was an ornamental knife he’d never been able to let go of—the same one Aria had handed him on the day she’d asked him to kill her.
He continued. “There’s a chance that if I get close enough and call out to her, she’ll recognize me and the noise will dissipate. I can use that opportunity to stab her.”
“Interesting. I can understand the logic behind your plan, but what’s the chance of it succeeding? And on what basis?” Isabella asked, ever the realist.
“Er... The chance of success is...honestly? Pretty low. As for my basis, well, how about the love between childhood friends?” Yoshida replied, with a distinct lack of confidence. He still didn’t believe in himself much.
“Love? Listen here...” Isabella narrowed her eyes in exasperation.
“Love, huh? Yeah, that might work,” Derek said. Unexpectedly, he was the first one to approve of Yoshida’s plan. In his eyes, there was a sense of liberation weighted with sadness that he’d lacked before.
“Sounds fine to me. I don’t mind gambling on a plan like that,” Kevin said in a cheerful tone, despite the perilous situation.
“Now, wait just a second, you two. Give this a little more serious consideration, will you?” Isabella said.
“I’m also in,” Dora said.
“Even you, Dora?” Isabella asked.
“I like the face Yoshida’s wearing right now. I can put my faith in a man with that expression,” Dora replied.
Isabella breathed a sigh of frustration. “Well, we don’t exactly have any other options. Besides, he offered us his undying support in the Titanomachy. Very well, Yoshida. I will also help with your plan.”
“You’ll be totally badass if you pull this off, Yoshida. Get in there and give ’er hell,” Norman said, his arms crossed in a pompous manner. He’d returned to his old self—a little cringeworthy, but he was having a blast.
“Thanks, all of you,” Yoshida said.
“All right, we’re going with Yoshida’s plan. The six of us will somehow get you in front of Aria. The rest is up to you.”
With Alan summarizing the plan at the end, their course of action was decided. All that was left was executing it—with courage and determination, like always. The seven of them turned to once again face their final, most powerful enemy.
“This is pretty moving, you know,” Alan said softly. “Although I was always grateful for your logistical support, to tell you the truth, I wanted to fight alongside you one day, Yoshida.”
“You did? Really?” Yoshida asked.
Everyone called them the Seven Heroes, but he was forever on the sidelines, handling the support. This was the first time they would fight as one on the front line.
“Now, let’s go! To our first fight as all Seven Heroes!” Alan said proudly.