The beast tamer exiled from the hero’s party and the cat eared girl from the strongest race meet
“Freeze Shield!”
Out of nowhere, an icy shield appeared and blocked Altera’s flames.
The one who had cast the spell was—
“Al-san!?”
“I have arrived!”
The space itself wavered, and a door of light took shape.
Stepping out from it was Al-san.
She must have connected a gate here from the spirit folk’s village, but…
Why?
“It’s a simple matter.”
As if she had read the question on my face, Al-san spoke proudly.
“I was asked to do a small favor. Someone was very worried about Rain and asked me to let them know if anything happened. So this time—though it may sound bad—I was keeping watch.”
“Keeping watch…?”
“Do not worry. I was not constantly monitoring Rain and the others. When you dove into that strange ruin, I couldn’t really tell what was going on. But once you came back to the surface like this, I could see clearly again—and I noticed you were in danger.”
“I see… by the way, who asked you?”
I more or less knew the answer—there weren’t any other candidates—but I asked anyway.
“These ones.”
“Rain—!!!”
“Woah!”
Kanade burst out first from the spirit folk’s gate.
She leapt straight at me and hugged me with full force; I couldn’t stop myself and ended up falling over.
“Oww…”
“Ah—s-sorry! I was just so happy to see you, Rain, I couldn’t help myself…”
“No, it’s fine. I’m happy to see you too, Kanade.”
“Rain… you’re badly hurt!? You’re injured all over!? Huh? There are only scars—no actual wounds? Nyah…?”
Flustered, Kanade scrambled off me, panicking.
“Well, as expected, Rain-sama’s been overdoing it again like always.”
“Mm. That’s Rain.”
“Haha, yeah, that makes sense.”
Next, Tina and Rifa appeared.
Tina was in her doll form, perched neatly on top of Rifa’s head.
Was Nina not coming?
Just as I wondered that, Nina appeared—being carried by Nokia-san.
She seemed to still be in clingy mode, so for now Tina couldn’t sit on Nina’s head.
“Rain… are you… okay?”
“You’re hurt so badly…”
“I’ll manage somehow. More importantly, if you two are here, then…”
“I-I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry! I’m sorry someone like me came!”
“On!”
Finally, Finia and Sakura appeared.
“Pyaa!? R-Rain-san and Yuki-san, you’re so badly injured… a-ah, ahh, w-what should I do!? Th-this is when I should get the first-aid kit!?”
“Ofu.”
“Huh!? R-right, Sakura-chan. Not a first-aid kit—potions come first!”
“Why though?”
Unable to hold back, Tina jumped in with a sharp retort.
“I understand your panic, but honestly… aren’t you a phoenixkin? Come now, use that power you’re so proud of and heal them.”
“Ah—r-right! Um, um… e-excuse me!”
Finia held out her hands, and warm flames rose into the air.
They were the complete opposite of Altera’s fire—gentle and kind.
As if time itself were being rewound, Yuki’s and my wounds rapidly healed.
Thanks to my contract with Finia, I already had automatic regeneration, but the attacks I’d taken exceeded that, preventing a full recovery—until now.
“H-how is this!?”
“Yeah… it’s perfect. Thank you, Finia. You really saved us.”
“Y-you’re welcome!? F-faaaah…”
When I reflexively patted her head, Finia turned bright red.
This time, it felt like I might catch fire instead.
“Rain.”
Kanade stepped in front of me and smiled warmly.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“Yeah… thank you.”
I used to think that Yuki and I could do anything on our own.
Correction.
With Yuki, and everyone else too—we can do anything.
There’s nothing impossible.
That’s an absolute fact.
“…Hey, what is this? What is this? You suddenly show up—are you elder sisters trying to get in my way too?”
Altera looked thoroughly displeased.
As if to prove it, flames occasionally leaked from her body.
The pressure was overwhelming.
The sheer aura of a Four Heavenly Kings member going all out was so intense that Finia looked like she might faint.
But Kanade stepped forward, refusing to be overwhelmed.
“We are getting in your way.”
“……”
“We were far away, so honestly, we don’t know all the details. But, you know? You did something terrible to Rain. And because of that…”
Kanade clenched her fist.
“That’s more than enough reason to fight!”
One by one, everyone else took their stances, shifting into combat mode.
My injuries had been healed by Finia, but my lost stamina hadn’t returned.
My legs felt like lead, and my hands wouldn’t move freely.
Even so—
My heart felt strangely light.
Clearer than ever before.
And a stronger fighting spirit than I’d ever felt surged up inside me.
“Altera.”
“…What?”
“Let’s settle this here.”
“Hmph. What’s with that attitude? You get all confident the moment your friends show up. How pathetic.”
“Say whatever you want. The moment I can fight at my best is now—when everyone’s here. Not alone, but together with my companions. That’s when I can give everything I’ve got.”
“Ah… honestly…”
Altera ground her back teeth together.
The sweet face of a young girl was gone, replaced by a demonic glare fixed on us.
“You’re just a human—how annoying! I’ll burn you all to ashes!!!”
“If you think you can, then try it. The lives you’ve trampled until now—those sins… you’ll pay for them with your own body!!!”
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