Chapter 43

A dazzlingly bright human figure wrapped in flame is attacking the water elemental spirit, despite the highly disadvantageous battlefield. The water elemental spirit is startled and scurries to escape. Fed up, I cast a fire protection spell on myself before kicking off the ground and charging at the fiery apparition. Why was I the one summoned? When Toudou first came to this world, she turned those words over in her mind so many times, and now, they twist their way into her consciousness once again. The girl named Naotsugu Toudou is exceptional in every sense of the word. She always got good grades in school. She loved learning, either from books or experiences, and she was athletic, too. She had a lot of friends and led a productive life. From an objective standpoint, she was a head above the average person her age. Her only complaint was that the world was unfair. Evil flourishes and it preys upon the weak. That’s always bothered her. Whereas the average person would just resign themselves to that fact, Toudou is the type who instead fights back against it. When Toudou was summoned to this world and told the reason for this, she felt a sense of destiny. Even if she hadn’t been asked to, Toudou would have likely set out to defeat the Demon Lord anyway. In Cloudburst, at the inn, Toudou gazes at her shield on the table, full of massive cracks and fissures. It’s the Shield of Radiance, an armament that was bestowed upon Toudou when she was chosen as the hero, and it’s kept her safe thus far. It became cracked from her fight with Gregorio, and it somehow made it through her battles in Golem Valley, but Heljarl’s water spear has caused the cracks to spread so much that they’re now clearly more like deep fissures. She doubts it will be useful any longer. Rather, it’s a miracle that this shield was able to defend against magic from one of the Demon Lord Army’s elite in the state it was in. Even aside from the cracks, the shining blue shield’s surface is full of damage. Toudou rubs her finger across it and exhales a sentimental sigh. She looks at the holy sword Ex and holy armor Fried leaning against the wall next to her. They are mere armaments, but in this world, they serve as Toudou’s valuable companions. “…Not enough…” Toudou looks again at the sword, which was incapable of piercing Heljarl’s armor. The holy sword Ex. The Holy Warrior’s blade, said to be capable of slicing through anything in the universe. When Toudou attacked Heljarl, she was fully convinced her attack would succeed. No… Even in the Great Tomb—in Purif—when Gregorio blocked her attack with his trunk, she thought so… It’s not that the blade is dull. The holy sword Ex can cut through anything in the universe, and it’s imbued with divine protection. Toudou is blessed, and for this reason, she can find only one answer. “I’m so…weak…” Her hoarse voice echoes vacantly through the empty room. Toudou feels absolutely powerless. She needs the strength to protect the people she wants to protect. She clenches her fists tightly. Her level has definitely gone up, but how much has she really changed? The Demon Lord Army’s upper ranks were more powerful than she could have imagined. Then there was that terrifying merman on the ocean floor. And Rabi’s hidden strength—breathtaking. Toudou feels empty. Right now, her own level of strength won’t help her do a single thing. She can’t even feel frustration. Back then, and even now, the world is just too rife with futility. Toudou closes her eyes and mulls over these words and the reality staring her in the face. No tears form in her eyes—she has no tears left to cry. So she whispers a little something to herself. Toudou repeats the words, engraving them deep into her heart, as she has done so many times already. “I will get stronger. I will save the world. I am…the hero.” Why was Toudou the one summoned? To tell the truth, none of that matters to her. She’s not afraid of death. Well, actually, she is—but that’s not much of an obstacle for her. That’s because Naotsugu Toudou has already died once. She died in desperation, but she received a second chance at life. This isn’t the world she was born into, but she has to save it, through any means possible. She has to do what is right. Even if it’s all meaningless in the end. Even if it doesn’t bring her an ounce of personal reward. Even if she can’t use the armaments of the Holy Warrior, she’ll use any means necessary to continue her pursuit of righteousness. Toudou whispers again, more emphatic this time. She’s not saying it to anyone—it’s a proclamation to herself. “Desperation will only make me stronger. Next time, I won’t lose!” Toudou clenches her fists and bites her lip. Her jet-black eyes, filled with powerful conviction, are reflected in the shattered face of her shield. “…We’re back.” “Welcome back. That was quick—did it go well?” Aria and Limis have just gotten back, and seeing the expressions on their faces, Toudou frowns. They look beyond tired, practically emaciated, like they’ve just witnessed a nightmare. “Uh, y-yeah, I guess. So much happened… I don’t even know where to start.” Limis sighs deeply and tosses herself wildly into a chair like a rag doll. Her eyes are dead. Aria looks pretty sluggish herself. Glacia’s sullen expression is Toudou’s only respite. “Oh, okay. You can tell me later, after you rest…” “Yeah… I think that’s what I’ll do. By the way, Nao, how about you? Are you feeling better?” It’s Toudou’s turn to sigh next. She forces out a bitter smile and shakes her head. “…It’s no use. I can’t…wear the holy armor Fried…anymore… It’s too tight across the chest, and I just can’t get it on. I tried every trick in the book, but I can’t do it anymore. I’ll have to stick to just the holy sword Ex from now on.”