Synopsis of the last chapter:

(Partial excerpt)

With the abrupt appearance of the girl, everyone swallowed their saliva.

Even though it happened within my sight, her attack on the Green Caterpillar wasn’t seen by me at all.

It was unbelievable.

“Although she is moving around in a skirt, it’s『not in sight』……!?” (Lily)

“Who said that just now!?” (Eno)

(This excerpt contains some fiction)ᴬ

At the same time, I raised my face and changed my thoughts, Lily quickly stood up.

“I’ll answer it.” (Lily)

Ayame jumped with a pyon, Lily hid her behind the clothes at her stomach. I hid Asarina and quickly replaced the cloth bandage on my left hand.

After confirming their preparations were in good order, Lily unlocked the door which had been locked and peeked at the other side of the door through the crack.

“Yes, who is it?” (Lily)

It’s was a natural thing to be on guard and cautiously interact. Lily was making it to where my figure couldn’t be seen by the visitors.

However, I didn’t know who had come for me as it had been done like that.ᴮUncertain if the hospitality was ready, I wondered if the man from some time ago had come to call me, and was on the brink of standing up in antic.i.p.ation.ᶜ

“Wh-, wha?” (???)

A disarrayed voice was heard for some reason.

It seemed that the visitor was male, how should I put it, the voice gave off a feeling like a boy’s. It was probably one of the students. ……No. However, as for this.

“I heard that Takahiro’s room was here, but why is Mizus.h.i.+ma-san here?” (Boy)

“That is……, ah, that? Are you certain……?” (Lily)

Something is strange. When I thought so, I had stood up. It was a familiar voice. I rushed over to the door, throwing it wide open. Lily turned her head while being astonished, and the male student outside of the door turned towards us.

He was a little bit shorter than me, but the boy wore school clothes and had a solidly built physique in proportion to that. His uncouth hair was ruffled. His eyes met with mine through the gla.s.ses he had put on.

“You……Mikihiko, is it?” (Majima)

He was an acquaintance.

If I had to say more, he was a cla.s.smate and a friend.

“Oh, Takahiro. It’s been a while.” (???->Mikihiko)

Floating a smile while laughing, the boy raised one hand. It appears that I hadn’t mistaken him for someone else.

“Above all else, Takahiro is safe. I was thinking things like not meeting my acquaintances again. Tahaha~. The clear difficulty of this world is too high. Or is there a mistake in the difficulty setting only for us? Almost all life in the castle is in hard mode.” (Mikihiko)

“Is it a game?” (Majima)

Despite the retort, I thought his proposal 『seemed』to be true. Because, I didn’t know anything regarding cheats, fantasy, or metastasis/transmigration into a parallel world, but a friend, Shumoku Mikihiko, was an otaku and informed and talked enthusiastically about such knowledge after coming to this parallel world.

He was in the same ‘Stay Behind Group’ as me at the colony and didn’t have a cheat ability. Certainly, I was convinced that he would die on the day the colony collapsed……

“Nah, but, it’s been a while, really.” (Mikihiko)

“……yeah. It really has been a while.” (Majima)

The tone that seems to be optimistic is the one I know from Mikihiko, and it eloquently tells me most of all that this person in my visio

n isn’t a ghost or imposter.

A real feeling surged that he is alive. Before it changed into some kind of emotion, Mikihiko opened his mouth.

“Well, that is that, Takihiro. I’d like to ask one thing. Why is Mizus.h.i.+ma-san here?” (Mikihiko)

“……for what reason?” (Majima)

“Isn’t this place Takahiro’s room? I came here to ask so.” (Mikihiko)

It’s impolite if you say it rudely, but it was a good question nevertheless, and Mikihiko’s expression was earnest. As we compared ourselves with our eyes and breathed out a deep sigh, he looked up at the sky with an exaggerated gesture, and my shoulders dropped when that was shown.

“Perhaps, this is such a thing? It’s like that, isn’t it? If it as a.s.sumed, I am somewhat shocked.” (Mikihiko)

“Ahaha. You’re still the same, Shumuko-kun.” (Lily)

Lily seemed to check out what kind of personality the man in my vision had from Miho Mizus.h.i.+ma’s memory, and bitterly smiled while she spoke.

“Oh, Mizus.h.i.+ma-san, do you know of me? You never talked to me, did you?” (Mikihiko)

“It wouldn’t be difficult to know about you if you’re making noise all the time. ” (Lily)

“Aitatata! Being severe doesn’t suit Mizus.h.i.+ma’s face.” (Mikihiko)

Mikihiko hit his head as he joked around. I unconsciously revealed a wry smile.

“You really haven’t changed……” (Majima)

He truly is still the same. In just a moment, this place had become a parallel world, and inside of the forest had the danger of being attacked by monsters; it seemingly made you forget the unusual things, like the room that was provided inside the fortress.

With a friend I thought I would never meet again, I was happy that I was able to live and exchange words like this. If that companion shows that one side of them hasn’t changed, it will naturally be even more so.

“Yeah? I hope that’s true. That part of Takahiro has changed a little bit.” (Mikihiko)

“Is that so. I didn’t properly realize it myself.” (Majima)

“I don’t know how to say it well, fearless? You’ve become…. manly? A feeling like that or something.” (Mikihiko)

I touched my face with my hand, and Mikihiko laughed at that.

“Mizus.h.i.+ma-san has become a more beautiful woman than before. Both of you have become mature……hey, what profound relations.h.i.+p is attached to you two!” (Mikihiko)

“……What are you saying?” (Majima)

Although, it is true that Lily and I are in that sort of relations.h.i.+p, so what Mikihiko is saying is correct. Only if you exclude the part of Lily being mistaken for Miho Mizus.h.i.+ma, however.

“Don’t say absurd things, well, come inside.” (Majima)

I gave him the long awaited ‘come in’. It was difficult to stand around whilst talking. I invited Mikihiko into my room. To that, Mikihiko waved his hand in front of his body.

“Ah, no. I came here to call Takahiro. It seems the warm reception setup has been completed. I heard that Takahiro was here, I came to see if that’s the case.ᴰ“ (Mikihiko)¹

“Ah. So, it was like that.” (Majima)

“Follow me, I’ll guide you.” (Mikihiko)

There’s no reason to refuse. I obediently followed Mikihiko as he guided me. We left the room and advanced through the brick pa.s.sageway. Mikihiko lead us while half-stepping, and Lily and I followed his figure.

On the walking Mikihiko’s waist, there are 2 daggers each on his left and right sides with the same knight design, and when the scabbards b.u.mp into each other, a clink-clink is heard. On my unchanged friend’s outfit, that was the only difference from before.

“Walking with your shoulders together and walking close in general are among things that a pair of lovers do, d.a.m.n it. Are you that close? Tsu, I had a feeling when there weren’t any traces of one of the beds being used when I glanced at it some time ago, so this is why.” (Mikihiko)

“Don’t keep an eye the minute details, you……” (Majima)

I let out a sigh while being amazed and refocused my mind, throwing a remark at Mikihiko as I walked between him and Lily.

“You were amongst the survivors that came out from the forest before us, weren’t you Mikihiko?” (Majima)

“Ah, you realized it.” (Mikihiko)

“Well, it was just elimination.” (Majima)

Mikihiko wasn’t amongst the students that had been protected by Silane and the other knights, but on the other hand, he wasn’t a member of the ‘Scouting Corps’ either. From that, the possibilities were narrowed down.

Nonetheless, the possibility itself is hard to believe in suddenly.

“You properly survived.” (Majima)

It wasn’t obvious, but the sound of praise may have unintentionally been in my voice.

Surviving the chaos of the colony and walking through and leaving the forest with rampaging monsters wasn’t a something you could do half-heartedly.Certainly, he was lucky too, but even if it is only said he continued to walk through the forest without giving up, his will-power deserves praise.

He wasn’t a man who was only s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g around. With this.

“Well, I was close to dying countless amounts of times. But it’s the same as Takahiro, isn’t it?” (Mikihiko)²

“……I guess so.” (Majima)

Besides, I wasn’t alone up till now.” (Mikihiko)

My reply was delayed and somewhat strained, but luckily, it seems Mikihiko didn’t notice it.

“It was like that, running away from the colony while in a state of confusion, and at the time where I thought I would seriously die in vain soon like that, I was picked up by leader-san of the alliance of knights.” (Mikihiko)

“We are somewhat similar. It was the vice chief for us.” (Majima)

“Ah, Silane-san. She said she wanted to talk later. She promised to explain variously after she got back to the fortress with Takahiro. ” (Mikihiko)

“Now that you mention it, she did say something like that.” (Majima)

I think that such things should be done by their subordinates, but it seems that Silane doesn’t betray her impression, it appears that she has an honest character.

“I heard that she wants to discuss something right now.” (Majima)

“Yup. About this time, she should be talking about the rescue operation of the surviving students.” (Mikihiko)

I nodded with a nod, and Mikihiko opened his mouth.³

“This time, Silane-san and the others visited several places, but only because it was a part of the base in the end. She can’t protect a lot of students, and long activities in the sea of trees are dangerous. Therefore, Silane-san is now discussing how the second group will continue. Even though the ‘Scouting Corps’ came this way, perhaps it ended with the knights appearing. ” (Mikihiko)

“Wai-, wait a minute, Mikihiko.” (Majima)

I stopped Mikihiko from talking so I could talk at my own pace. This part of him hasn’t changed……or rather, it seems like he hasn’t fixed it.

“I’m sorry, but I was unable to follow the pace of the conversation. Can I have an explanation from start to finish?” (Majima)

“Is that so? Takahiro and others haven’t heard the entire story yet. Okay. I’ll have to summarize it, but don’t be concerned about that.” (Mikihiko)

Mikihiko had arrived at the fortress a short time before we had, but apparently it seems that he suitably understood the circ.u.mstances here.

This is a chance. Although it was short as it was on the way, I concentrated on hearing Mikihiko’s story.