Chapter 8

◆Chiyuki

"Is Onii-sama still not awake? What is Sahoko doing!!"

Kyouka, whose full name is Mitou Kyouka, lets out an irritating voice. Kyouka is Reiji's younger sister by two years. She looks like Reiji, but their personalities are quite different. Reiji was defeated by the Dark Knight, and we returned to this Republic of Saint Renaria. We, the eight of us, were summoned in the temple of the goddess Lena in this country. We are in one of the rooms in that temple.

"Kyouka-san, no matter how much you raise your voice, Reiji-kun won't wake up."

I say this for what feels like the umpteenth time. Reiji is sleeping in the next room, and we need to keep it quiet.

"Chiyuki-san, aren't you worried about Onii-sama?!! It's because you all were so irresponsible that Onii-sama got hurt!! How do you plan to take responsibility for this?!!"

Honestly, it's a bit of a vent, but I find it too troublesome to argue back, so I remain silent. Kyouka did not participate in the battle against the Demon King. She and Takayama Kaya, also known as Kaya, stayed behind in the Republic of Saint Renaria. The official reason was to guard our base, but the real reason was that Kyouka is incompetent. She can't control her magic well and might end up attacking her allies. She also practices fencing, but her strength is questionable. Kyouka is essentially a weaker and gender-reversed version of Reiji. Frankly, taking her along would only be a hindrance. Additionally, she doesn't get along with the other girls, which would create a bad atmosphere during the journey. That's why she wasn't allowed to participate in the battle against the Demon King. Kaya, on the other hand, is quite capable, being skilled in karate and other martial arts. However, she couldn't leave Kyouka alone, so she stayed behind as well. Sahoko and Kaya are the daughters of the servants in Reiji's household. Kyouka and Kaya attend a different, more distant girls' school compared to the one we attended. In the original world, Kaya was Kyouka's attendant, which is another reason they stayed behind.

Now, only Kyouka and I are in the room. It has been three days since Reiji was defeated. His body is unharmed, but he has consumed a large amount of his life force, and there are no signs of him waking up. I understand that Kyouka is worried about Reiji, but there's nothing we can do. We can only pray for his safety. Sahoko is currently with Reiji. She can use healing magic and has been taking care of Reiji non-stop for three days. In the original world, she also took care of Reiji. I remember how Sahoko cast healing magic on the injured Reiji almost continuously for a whole day. Such an effort put her own life at risk. Thanks to her, Reiji, who should have suffered a fatal injury, managed to survive.

Why does Sahoko devote herself so much to Reiji? I've heard that Sahoko is Reiji's childhood friend. Due to family circumstances, Reiji grew up in a different place from the main family of the Mitou clan. There, the only child of his age was Sahoko, and they often played together. So, there must be a lot of history between them. Sahoko has been taking care of Reiji without sleeping for three days. She needs to rest, but of course, she won't agree to it. Kyouka also tried to take care of Reiji, but I stopped her because she wasn't helpful. But compared to Sahoko, I'm not much help either. No one can match Sahoko when it comes to Reiji. After letting Sahoko rest, Kaya, Shirone, and I will take turns taking care of Reiji. Kaya and Shirone are currently training in the training ground of the temple's guards. With Reiji unable to move, they need to be ready to step up if anything happens. That's why Shirone asked Kaya to train with her.

Incidentally, Rino is in her assigned room in the temple, and Nao is out for a walk. Since Reiji's defeat, the atmosphere among us has been heavy. Not only because Reiji suffered near-fatal injuries, but also because the shock of his defeat was immense. Until now, while the rest of us, excluding Reiji, faced life-threatening situations, Reiji was always the exception. It seemed that no matter who the opponent was, he could handle it easily. But to be defeated so easily...

The Dark Knight Dihart, the one who defeated Reiji. I think about him. The battle was so fast that I couldn't see it. When I realized, Reiji was lying on the ground, bleeding from his chest. Only Shirone and Nao saw the battle. According to Shirone, Dihart's movements are similar to Japanese swordsmanship, and he is a highly skilled practitioner. Shirone, who is knowledgeable about swordsmanship due to her background in a kendo dojo, said that Dihart's skills surpass her own. That's why she can't help but train with the sword.

"Rei-kun!!!"

Suddenly, Sahoko's voice comes from the next room. Kyouka and I rush in, and there we see Reiji sitting up, with Sahoko hugging him.