Sairin Yuusha no Fukushuu Hanashi

Cutting through the sealed doors, Amatsu and Michelle came up from the basement to the upper floor.

Extending into Michelle's sight is the familiar view of the orphanage.

Now it felt like a different world.

Upstairs, the kids are still asleep knowing nothing.

…………

"We're the only ones running now."

"... yeah"

No matter how many amateurs you have, you can't fight with your own legs.

Now we should get out of the orphanage as soon as possible and go to the city for help.

Michelle convinced herself so and now decided to move on.

After the orphanage, the two stepped into the woods surrounding them.

The moonlight that plunges through the gaps of the trees shines thinly through the woods covered in darkness at night.

Michelle's health has already reached its limit, having come all the way here, and the two decided to get their breathing ready once in the woods.

It hangs on the tree and suppresses rough breathing and heartbeat.

"... weird"

Pottori and Amatsu, who was not held by a tree and was on guard around her, muttered.

The look on Amatsu's face, lit by the blue and white moonlight, is somewhat harsh.

"... what's wrong?

"From halfway underground, naturally, my pursuit hand became loose. Even now, there's no sign of anything around."

Michelle thought it would be a good thing.

Maybe Lily and the others have given up on the strength of the amatsu.

Yes. Ask Amazu,

"I don't think so."

That's what Amatsu replied with a rugged look.

"They're not the kind of people to give up after this."

"... Then why aren't you attacking me"

"I don't know...... Maybe I still have something to hide."

The escape from the woods will be complete, Amatsu said.

After you have breathed and recovered your strength, you will leave this forest with all your might.

Keep running into the nearby city and Michelle calls for help, and Amatsu returns to the orphanage to help Sheena and the others.

That's the kind of plan I made.

"... what would happen to me if I could get out of here"

I have no place to live and I don't know where my family is.

Even if we can help Sheena and the others, is there a place for us to take them?

Thinking about the future, my body shivers in horror.

"I wonder if I can live and go..."

"... it's okay"

On Michelle's head, Amatsu's warm hand was placed.

With a nagging, slightly hesitant gesture, Amatsu strokes his head.

Clumsy, but I felt tender.

"The outside world is wide. There must be a place where you can live."

"... I guess so"

"Yes. If you're a solid thing Michelle, you can do it outside."

In a gentle tone, Amatsu talks.

"And there's a lot more to orphanages than here."

…………?

Amatsu's tone changed unexpectedly.

It was as if I had seen it with those eyes, in that tone.

"Did your brother ever see the outside world?"

"- Huh?"

It was a disquieting look, as if he had been poked at by surprise.

"No.... hey... I wish"

In a bewildered way, Amatsu puts her hands on her face to trace her memory.

Soon afterwards, I looked up, "No."

"... the truth is, I've never been outside. Because inside that basement incubator was everything to me."

"So... this is your first day out there?"

"On second thought, you are. I was desperate to not realize... I've never seen the light of the moon, the wind, the swinging leaves."

It was my first experience, and Amatsu blew my face with joy.

At the same time, Michelle wanted that face to look sad.

"It's all new, and I don't know anything about it. It's me. There's only one thing I feel strongly about."

"... what?"

With a look that reminds me of a distant day, Amatsu told me.

"There's so much happiness in this world... that I was born to protect it."

"Brother... really, like a hero in gaga"

To Michelle's casual words, Amatsu glanced at her as she felt the pain.

"I'm... not like that. I'm not a hero."

Amatsu remembers someone's voice.

Words I've been listening to ever since I was born.

- Sounds like a failure this time too. Far from being a hero, it's just a failure.

- I can't believe you let all that material go to waste... trash that too. Shame on you.

- Yeah, this guy's a failure, huh? I don't know what you were born for, fake failures.

Yes, I keep getting told.

Amatsu/Homunculus is not a hero.

He said it was a fake, a loser, a worthless failure.

"... I can't be a real hero, I can't be a fake."

Fake. Can't do it.

Michelle tilted her neck to that word that fell zero out of Amatsu's mouth.

"Is your brother fake?"

"... yeah, I am"

Amatsu affirmed.

In contrast, Michelle asked.

- Is that a bad idea?

Oh, and the amatsu hardens.

To him without words, Michelle went on to say.

"Your brother helped me. Fake or something, I don't think it matters."

"... but I am"

"A heart that tries to help me, too, Nice Thing?"

"It's..."

That's - no.

No, it should be.

Behind the vague will, Amatsu's heart shouted differently.

"Then I think that's fine"

――――

Amatsu was stunned by Michelle's words with a small smile on her face.

Then,

"... thanks. Michelle."

Yes, thank you.

"That's weird. It's strange that your brother should thank you."

"No, it's not weird."

"Yeah, weird. Weird. Weird outfit at last. Almost naked."

"And I don't have a choice. When I ran away, I broke my curtain and clothed myself..."

"Lots of exposure. Your brother's a pervert."

"... say that much?"

It was, in a hell of a place, a conversation that was certainly exchanged.

◆

The two men, who breathed ready, began their journey.

Dark night lanes, Amatsu goes on without hesitation.

The roots of the trees and other places with exposed scaffolding run through without any problems.

Michelle will be able to keep up thanks to Amatsu running slowly.

When Michelle asked him why he was going down the night lane, he replied, "I was born".

Amatsu seems to be a homunculus created to recreate "heroic amatsu".

Because of this, the physical function is high from the beginning, and the eyes work at night.

"... magic can only be used a little bit though"

"Hero Amatsu" said he could use several powerful magic tricks, but only two can be used for amatsu.

"Transformation" and "hardening".

Apparently, it's just the magic that deforms the body and the magic that makes it hard.

A magic mastered because man is a homunculus of different structure.

Amatsu said to mock herself, saying that she was more like a demon or a demon than a hero.

"Still, your brother is amazing enough"

"... right?"

"That's right. With that magic, you can be an adventurer or a cathedral knight."

"Adventurer..., Cathedral Knight..."

Running, Amatsu thinks into Michelle's words.

"... if you help all the kids, you might want to try it."

Don't, Michelle nodded.

Amatsu will make you famous no matter where you say it.

You'll save a lot of people.

If I became an adventurer, I might even get up to A-rank.

"... that's how I want to try and help a lot of people when I get out there"

Amatsu shrugged so she could bite him off.

"…! Michelle, I'm coming!"

Shortly afterwards, a giant human form emerged from the shadow of the tree.

It's not what I saw underground, it's a circular dirt giant (golem).

The earthly giant pushes over, shaking the ground small enough to surround the two of them from all over.

"... that's not good. Michelle, this way."

Seeing that number, Amatsu decided it was unfavourable and immediately began to leave.

Leaving Michelle's hand behind, she dives through the gap in the earthly giant's siege net and advances.

From behind, I heard a ton of dirt giants coming after me.

――――

Transforming his arm, Amatsu wrapped up the trees behind him and slashed them.

Falling trees clash against earthly giants and loosen their footsteps.

"... All right, just a little later"

Amatsu has never been outside.

Still, the structure around this orphanage has been taught by Lily and the others.

Lighting up memories and terrain, Amatsu proceeds through the woods.

The encounter with the earthly giant was also within the assumed range, and the escaped route was the closest thing to the exit on the path through.

"Ha... ha..."

Michelle's face, running with her hands drawn, is bright red, sweating like a bead.

Breathing was rough and the limit was close to sight.

"Michelle, we're almost there. Good luck...!"

"Ugh, yeah......"

Just a few more words, Michelle puts her strength on her feet, which she's about to loosen.

Step over the wet feet, jump over the exposed roots of the trees, and the two advance through the woods.

"Okay, less -"

Yes, before spinning words, a tree that was nearby exploded.

Immediately afterwards, Amazu's right arm was severed from his shoulder and he danced through the universe.

"Ugh... ugh"

"Brother!?"

Exploring his surroundings in pain, Amatsu understood.

Shattered trees, they didn't explode.

He couldn't resist the shock used for the scaffolding, so he bounced and flew.

"Whoa, whoa, you're reacting too late!"

Down from the head, the voice of a young man.

Michelle sounded familiar to the voice.

Because it's...

From the top of the tree, someone comes down.

The person who has crushed the ground and fallen.

Moonlight and glow, gray hair.

Slurdy long, fiercely distorted, pitch-black eyes.

"Are you..."

"... your brother, the other one!?"

He was one young man, just like Amatsu and a living copy.

"- Okay, I can't"

But the look he brings to mind doesn't resemble Amatsu.

His eyes, anointed with malice and hostility, are like beasts.

The young man said as he peeled out his canine teeth.

"Here comes the hero?"