Think.
In answer to the boy’s words, the wyvern opened its mouth.
The world seemed to move slowly as the air grew warm.
Think.
Fire that could turn Heroes into ash in an instant. He would be dead if hit by it.
He was holding a sword and standing on the golem’s head. How could he avoid the attack?
Think!
He needed a place to stand. So he could dodge the attack and kill the monster.
His arms lowered, the tip of the sword pointed down, and pierced into the head of the golem.
Sheto’s foot stepped on the handle.
“Gah!”
Just before the flames burst out, Sheto used all of the strength he could muster in order to launch himself up into the air.
The wyvern turned its head, its eyes set on Sheto.
And the flames that burned everything blazed once again.
“Oh.”
While feeling the intense anger, Sheto’s body moved without thinking.
He nocked the arrow, drew, and added the goddess’s blessing.
And unleashed with a scream.
It slammed into the wyvern’s head with a burst of flames.
“Ahhhh! Wyvern!”
In front of Satoru’s eyes, the giant monster fell to the ground.
It should have been able to burn the kobold with its Fire Breath. And yet, the wyvern had hesitated.
As if scared of the little monster.
“No!”
The kobold was falling in the air as well. However, it then moved, as if to prevent itself from hitting the ground.
“Gaaah!”
Its hand reached out towards the blade that pierced the golem’s head.
“N-no!”
His strength and the momentum of the fall helped him pull down the sword.
“STOOOOOOP!”
The blade flashed as it ran down, splitting open half of the giant’s face. And then the crack began to spread.
Satoru’s eyes were filled with tears. The headless wyvern crashed to the ground, and the impact knocked away the kobold. As for the golem, it remained with a deep wound in its face.
“Ah…ah… No… It can’t be…”
He took out an elixir from his bag.
No, he attempted to.
“Guto.”
A voice seemed to echo from deep within the ground, and he froze.
The kobold then stood up from the fragments of the golem.
“Ah…”
The dog-like face was glaring at him.
They were a similar size. Maybe the kobold was a little shorter.
But all he sensed from the expression was a painful pressure.
“Ah…”
“Don’t, let Hero use potion.”
He must have been injured during the fall. Blood ran from his right shoulder and face.
Still, he scanned the area and then picked up the sword from off of the ground.
“St-stop! The golem will…!”
“What are you saying, Hero?”
He said, as if the wound did not bother him at all.
“This is, a duel. It ends, when one wins.”
Satoru had never seen such a face. Not even when his father and mother were angry with him.
He was so scared that he could barely stand. His body shook and his throat was dry.
‘Satoru! Ignore him and use the elixir! Hurry!’
“…Uh, yeah.”
He tried to move his shaking hand. He tried.
But the kobold’s face…
“If you want to, do it.”
“Ah…”
“And then, I’ll break even more.”
The kobold said quietly.
“I, want to live. So I will kill you and all monsters.”
“Oh…”
‘It’s a bluff! Satoru, I’m counting on you…’
“I’m scared… I’m scared!”
This was not MonColo. This was a horror game!
‘Satoru!’
“No. I don’t…want to do this anymore…!”
The kobold turned away and raised his sword.
“Stop…please.”
“I’m sorry.”
And then the blade…
“UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
The last howl shook him to his core.
After the wyvern fell, it was as if a film had covered the world. But suddenly, color and sound returned to him.
“Ah…”
Sheto dropped the sword and looked around.
A boy was crying. And a short distance away, Fi looked at him with a stunned expression.
Then Guto walked over to the boy.
“Y-you… Are you…Shiro?”
“…Kun.”
He licked the child’s face and rubbed against him consolingly.
“I think, he was, searching for you.”
“…Huh?”
“He was, in the forest near the road. There, he helped me. Afterwards, he came here. Helped me along the way.”
“Shi-Shiro…”
“He was…looking for you.”
As he saw the sorrow in the boy’s face, all the excitement and strength left him.
“…You lied.”
The child muttered.
‘Evacus. You lied to me.’
Satoru said bluntly.
“Wh-what about…”
‘You said that Shiro wouldn’t remember me! That I wouldn’t meet the same monster after separating!’
What was he on about? Evacus wanted to move away. Move away from that mirror.
However, he was stuck in his throne now, and could not escape the child’s anger.
‘You said this would be just like MonColo! Nothing to be afraid of! But it was all a lie!’
“Sa-Satoru…!”
‘Liar! I hate you! I hate this! I don’t want to be here anymore! I want to go home! Being a Hero sucks!’
“St-stop this!”
He could not say that. He must not say it. He had tried so hard to keep him away from anything that was not like the game.
But this child’s heart was no longer in it at all.
‘I QUIT!’
“SATORUUU!”
Just as he shouted the words, the cold clock staff began to tick to a different rhythm.
When he said it, Satoru felt as if something had fallen out of his heart.
“Shiro…Shiro…”
As his right hand stretched out to that soft fur, it began to disperse into golden light.
“Huh!? Wh-why!? What!”
As he shouted, his feet and the rest of his body followed.
“Because you said that you wanted to quit being a Hero.”
The small dragon said sadly.
“If you die, accomplish your calling, or ask to quit, then you are able to return to your world.”
“N-no! But I was finally able to meet Shiro again! Shiro! Shiro!”
“Kuuun…”
Shiro stretched out and tried to lick Satoru’s face.
But the body was already gone. And then so was the mouth.
“Shiro! I’m so…”
I’m sorry for making you wait so long. I’m so sorry.
That’s what he had wanted to say.
And like that, Satoru Yagami’s vision faded to black.