Chapter 33

Summary of the previous chapter:

～Maybe things have come to this...～

Ayame (Oh, it's swaying more than I thought. I'm starting to feel sick...)

Lily (Are you okay?)

Ayame (N-no, I can't... ero ero ero ero (vomit))

Lily "W-what... Kyaahaaa!?"

Shiran "What's going on!?"

A major disaster.

15

The fortress, situated deep in the forest, had a shape that resembled a combination of angular polyhedra.

In a word, it was imposing. The passage of time had faded its surface to a reddish hue, adding a different kind of weight to its original mass.

From here, only a part of the outer perimeter was visible, but it was clear that it was a massive fortress.

I had thought I would be taken to a village or town... but upon reflection, it was impossible for ordinary villages or towns to exist in what the people of this world called the "Sea of Trees."

It wasn't enough to armor oneself in cold metal. To survive in such a place, one had to be enclosed in a sturdy box made of thousands upon thousands of bricks.

"The transferred individuals, that is our Chiria Fortress."

Even in Shiran's usually stern voice, there was now a note of relief.

"You can rest assured. Our knightly order regularly sweeps the monsters around the fortress. Preparations for your reception should be in order. Your fellow compatriots must be eagerly awaiting your arrival. Come, let's go. The fortress is just ahead."

With a lighter step, the students began to move forward. The ground beneath their shoes had become a path, albeit a rough one.

"Are there other transferred individuals in the fortress besides us?"

Riding on the excitement of the students, I also asked Shiran.

"Yes. Like you, there is one fortunate individual who managed to escape this forest."

A shadow fell over Shiran's voice as she answered.

"Unfortunately, the only ones who managed to escape this forest on their own, apart from you two, are that individual."

"Only one person besides me and... Mizushima?"

"Yes."

"But there are many other students like me here."

I looked around at the students walking with a somewhat elated air. If Shiran's words were true, what were they?

"They did not escape this forest on their own like you."

Shiran answered with a consistent and honest attitude.

"Our Third Alliance Knights have several forward bases in the forest to gather information about the Sea of Trees. Your compatriots were hiding in those bases. We have been patrolling the four bases and bringing your compatriots to our fortress."

"I see."

I nodded in agreement.

I had thought it was strange from the beginning.

There were about eight hundred students in the colony at the time of the collapse.

How many of them managed to survive and escape the colony?

A hundred? Two hundred? Or perhaps even twice that many?

In any case, for those who fled the colony, this monster-infested forest must have been a hell waiting for them after the initial hell. I can say this from my own experience, and it's undoubtedly true. In fact, if I hadn't met Lily, I would have died in the wilderness.

If I were to exclude myself as an irregular, it wouldn't be strange if they had all perished.

When I found the students being protected by the knights, I thought, "So many survived?" The reason was this. To be honest, the number of students who had wandered through this forest and survived until now seemed a bit too high.

"But you never know what might happen."

Shiran said with a reflective tone.

"The bases are like rest stops for our knights when we explore the depths of the Sea of Trees. They look like simple mountain cabins."

"..."

"However, they are equipped with precious barrier stones, the pinnacle of alchemy, which keep monsters at bay. Thanks to these, the transferred individuals have managed to survive. You never know what might come in handy."

I fell silent, recalling the mountain cabin where I had spent a night.

It seemed to be one of the knightly order's bases.

The barrier stone must have been the mysterious stone that prevented Lily and Rose from entering the cabin. I had broken it to invite them in, but...

As I was reminiscing, I suddenly realized something was wrong.

"Is that barrier stone used in the fortress we can see over there?"

If so, Lily and the others might not be able to enter the fortress.

I was greatly worried about this, but fortunately, my concern was dismissed.

"No, it is not. The barrier stones have a limited range of effect. They can only cover a space as large as a cabin. It would be impossible to cover the entire fortress."

"I see."

"It is also a rare item whose manufacturing method has been lost. Its effects are limited, and it only keeps monsters away. It does not completely prevent entry. The conditions for installation are too strict to be used in this land."

I nodded in response to Shiran's words and sighed with relief.

This was good news. The barrier stone would likely not hinder us in the future.

Regaining my composure, I looked at the students walking around with a somewhat elated air.

"You never know what might happen, right?"

Repeating Shiran's words, I sighed.

"They were fortunate, weren't they?"

"What do you mean, Takahiro?"

"Well, according to what Shiran just said, they happened to find a mountain cabin with a barrier stone and were rescued by Shiran and the others. That's quite a stroke of luck, isn't it?"

Moreover, it was somewhat similar to my own situation.

After fleeing the colony, I wandered through the forest, both physically and mentally broken, and eventually found that cave. There, I had almost given up on life, but meeting Lily unexpectedly led me to where I am now.

Perhaps I felt a sense of empathy for the students walking around me.

"No, that's a bit different."

However, my thoughts were negated by Shiran.

"We went to the mountain cabin because we were requested to protect any survivors. So it wasn't by chance."

"Requested? What do you mean...?"

I was confused by Shiran's words.

This was not Earth, not the Japan we lived in. A rescue mission with a clear purpose was unlikely, and such a sweet scenario was not to be hoped for. Who could have made such a request?

As I was lost in my doubts, a loud cheer reached my ears.

Turning my head forward, I saw a small iron gate, which was modest compared to the grandeur of the fortress.

It seemed we had reached the immediate vicinity of the fortress while talking.

The area around the fortress, situated in the forest, had been cleared and developed.

The trees on either side of my path had disappeared.

The sky was vast.

It felt as if we had been freed from something invisible that had enveloped us until now.

This is the realm of humans. I could feel it in my skin.

Unfortunately, it did not give me a reason to let my guard down.

In front of the fortress, which was still a short distance away, dozens of knights stood with their heels aligned.

Among them, I spotted a few students in school uniforms.

...I thought there was only one student who had managed to reach the fortress.

Curious, I was about to ask Shiran, who was walking nearby, but I noticed she had stopped.

"Shiran?"

"Unbelievable..."

I turned around, having taken a step too far, and saw Shiran looking up at the sky, groaning.

I followed her gaze. A yellow light was blinking.

The mysterious creature that had been hovering around Shiran's shoulder was frantically moving its short limbs and spinning. Its gestures seemed to be trying to convey something, but unfortunately, I couldn't understand what it was trying to say.

However, Shiran seemed to understand.

"Everyone, draw your swords!"

Shiran's warning echoed through the forest.

Before I could ask what was happening, the situation changed. In the next instant, a giant green caterpillar emerged, pushing down the trees we had just passed through.

"Whoa!"

"Kyaaah!"

It was a large monster, over three meters long.

There were five of them, charging forward with their jaws clacking.

The students screamed, and the knights hurriedly drew their swords.

"Why are there so many Green Caterpillars near the fortress!?"

One of the knights shouted in agitation.

I recalled that Shiran had said the knights regularly cleared the monsters around the fortress. It was unusual to encounter such a large number of monsters in this area.

While thinking about this, I drew my disguised wooden sword.

This was already a reflex. I judged that there was no time to equip my shield and exchanged a glance with Lily, who was standing next to me. First, I needed to assess the situation.

As I looked around, I was stunned.

"...What?"

The students around me were in a state of panic.

Some were fleeing towards the nearby fortress, bumping into each other in their haste. They were the better ones.

Others were pushing past people in their way, collapsing, clinging to the knights, and even kicking down those nearby.

...What is this?

Could these people have survived until now?

According to Shiran, they did not escape the forest on their own. They had been hiding in mountain cabins and waited for the knights to rescue them.

However, they must have survived the hell that occurred in the collapsing colony before reaching a safe area. So why...

This made it impossible for us to escape carelessly and would hinder the knights' battle. Panic is contagious, and the knights were also becoming agitated due to the students.

It was not just a matter of slowing them down. This was clearly suicidal behavior.

"Don't panic!"

Shiran, the only one who remained calm, reprimanded her subordinates. However, there was a hint of bitterness in her tone, as she understood the gravity of the situation.

"Form a defensive line! They're coming!"

The Green Caterpillars, clacking their jaws, charged forward.

Despite their large, caterpillar-like appearance, they moved more like charging bulls.

The knights, who had been brought back to their senses by Shiran's reprimand, barely managed to form a defensive line with their shields to protect the students.

However, their backs looked unreliable to me.

Perhaps unconsciously, I was comparing them to the backs of Rose and the others.

I wondered if they could really hold them off.

With a heavy heart, I watched as the armored knights clashed with the five Green Caterpillars.

Or rather, it happened just before that.

The situation took an unexpected turn.

"Leave it to me."

A cool voice reached my ears.

By the time I realized, it was already over.

"What...!?"

I was dumbfounded, watching the Green Caterpillars, torn to shreds and spraying blue fluid, being blown away in the opposite direction.

The battle had ended in an instant.

It was as if only the result was presented to me, as if time had been cut and pasted.

I couldn't understand what had happened.

But I knew exactly who had done it.

Thud.

A girl in a sailor uniform, who had been nowhere to be seen a moment ago, landed on the ground.

She had positioned herself to protect the knights who were about