After leaving the A rank party, I aim for the deep part of the labyrinth with my former students
“Marina!”
“Yuke!”
Marina turned around and launched herself at me in a running hug.
Catching her familiar momentum, I wrapped my arms tightly around her.
“Welcome back, Marina.”
“I’m home, Yuke… I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. Just having you back here like this is more than enough.”
I let out a breath of relief as I stroked her head.
More than anything, I was just happy she’d come back safely and in good spirits.
“…So, um. What should I do?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean… I’m from the ‘Seventh Order’—the ones who messed up Finis so badly. And I’m not even human. Wouldn’t it be better if I didn’t stay with you?”
As if bracing for my response, Marina trembled slightly in my arms.
I couldn’t help but feel a little down—was her trust in me really that low?
So, I hugged her even tighter and answered softly, right into her ear.
…So she’d hear me loud and clear.
“It’d be lonely without you, Marina.”
“Yuke…!”
“I couldn’t care less who or what you are. Hate to break it to you, but nothing you say will make me let go of your hand.”
“But…”
“No buts. Besides, worrying about stuff like that won’t help. I mean, look at me—I’m a former ‘Shadow Stalker,’ an apostle of the evil god, and heir to the ‘Amber Culling.’”
At that, Marina let out a soft, teary laugh.
“Yuke, you have the strangest way of encouraging people.”
“Do I?”
“You do.”
Releasing the embrace, Marina stepped back and took a deep breath.
Then, with a sharp, determined look in her eyes, she spoke:
“I’m Marina. I was made by a very bad organization as a special [Homunculus], but… I want to stop this disaster. Do you know of a wonderful party—strong, warm, and fun—who would accept even someone like me?”
“Then how about our party?”
I threw her own words back at her—the very words she’d once said to me when I was on the verge of retiring as an adventurer.
Words that, for me—and for Clover—could be called the very beginning of everything.
Marina grasped the hand I offered her.
In that moment, our companions came rushing over.
…Maybe I’d worried them a bit too much.
“Welcome back, Marina. Is your body alright?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I was made a little extra sturdy, after all.”
Marina beamed at Silk’s words, and our companions let out small, wry smiles.
It felt almost too normal—it was a little anticlimactic.
“Don’t go making us worry like that again!”
“I’m sorry, Jamie. I won’t go anywhere anymore.”
“You’d better not. Next time, talk to us about it right away, okay?”
Jamie wiped a few tears from her cheeks as she patted Marina’s shoulder.
She’d been worrying about Marina all along—just like I had.
“But really, I’m so glad you came back! I just can’t seem to get in the groove when you’re not around, Marina!”
“Sorry, Nene. From here on out, I’ll be with you… I’ll do my best!”
“Yeah! I’m counting on that awesome move from earlier!”
At Nene’s excited words, Rain tilted her head slightly.
“That amazing move… what was it? It looked… like magic.”
“Uh, well… when I thought ‘I can do this,’ somehow I just could. I kind of feel like someone taught me, but maybe I just forgot… I’m not really sure.”
“I see… it felt kind of like Yuke’s power.”
“Yeah, I sensed a vibe like the ‘Culling.’ You probably shouldn’t overuse it, though.”
Not to sound like a patronizing senior, but powers like that always came with some kind of price.
Marina already had a tendency to burn herself out with her ‘Magic Sword’ form, so I hoped she’d be careful.
“Then… maybe I’ll let you decide when I should use it, Yuke.”
“But it’s your power, Marina. Why me?”
“Uh… because I belong to you, I guess?”
Marina placed a fingertip to her chin and tilted her head.
For her to put herself down just because she was a [homunculus]… that really wasn’t like Marina at all.
“Marina, I don’t see you as some kind of object, you know.”
“That’s not what I meant. Ah… right, I guess I forgot just how dense you can be, Yuke.”
Marina slumped her shoulders in exasperation, and this time I tilted my head.
“Hopeless. You really don’t get it.”
“Mhm. Yuke is dense.”
“Way beyond just dense, honestly.”
“We really need to do something about you, Sensei.”
One by one, my companions threw those remarks at me, and I froze, feeling a chill of realization.
Apparently, I’d made some unanimous mistake here.
As I stood there troubled, Marina turned back to me and gave a small smile.
“What I mean is—I’m your family and your girlfriend, so when I said you can decide, it meant I’ll give you everything. Do you understand now?”
“…I get it. But still, I think it’s a little different for me to be the one deciding. You’re a full-fledged adventurer and a fine swordswoman. That power belongs to you alone, and you should be the one to wield it responsibly.”
“I see… yeah, you’re right. It’d be pretty embarrassing if I kept making you act like my teacher forever.”
Marina nodded vigorously, answering in a slightly playful tone.
Bright, honest, and just by being here, she could lighten everyone’s hearts—she was like the sun.
The weight of who Marina was really hit me in that moment.
Then Marina clapped her hands and turned to face all of us.
“Alright then, let’s go. ‘Papa’ should be on the floor above.”
“Yeah. Let’s stop him… and put an end to this ‘Culling.’”
I nodded back at Marina, her resolve blazing, and looked ahead—to the stairway stretching into the darkness beyond ‘Mama’s’ corpse.
We’d brought Marina back.
All that remained was to end this so-called ‘Festival’ of the ‘Seventh Order.’
I turned to my companions and spoke.
“Let’s do this—as Clover!”
My companions all gave strong, resolute nods in reply.
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