After I thought the battle had ended, exhaustion washed over me, and my strength left me in a rush.
I stabbed Youkai Sword into the ground to support myself before collapsing.
'Are you alright, kid? You've been slashed pretty badly.'
"The wounds aren't that deep, so I should be fine. I'm just feeling a bit lightheaded due to blood loss."
Honestly, the fatigue was the more pressing issue. It had been a while since I engaged in such an intense battle without using magic. Well, a few days' rest would fix me up. I was grateful for my sturdy body.
But more importantly, there was something that bothered me.
"Phew."
I took a deep breath, redirected my magic power, and stood up. When I turned to the side, Tsukiko was standing there.
Her clothing, resembling hakama, was stained with blood in various places, and her beautiful black hair was in disarray. She had large wounds on her shoulder and abdomen. Despite the gruesome appearance, she maintained her usual dignified posture.
Thank goodness. It didn't seem like her wounds were fatal.
Tsukiko walked towards me without saying a word.
Come to think of it, this was the first time Tsukiko and I had met face-to-face since our quarrel following the battle with Luiid.
We hadn't resolved those issues at all. For now, I didn't need to force the topic; today was not the day for that.
"Tsukiko, are your injuries okay?"
Without responding to my question, Tsukiko reached a distance where our hands could touch and grabbed the hem of my clothes.
"Take them off."
"Huh?"
"I'll treat your wounds. So, hurry up and take them off."
No, if the wounds were as minor as they seemed, the bleeding would stop quickly with the use of body enhancement magic. But I couldn't bring myself to say that, so I hesitated for a moment before answering.
"Alright. But if that's the case, can you at least lend me the tools? I'll take care of it myself."
"...Fine."
I had expected her to refuse, but she surprisingly agreed. She proceeded to hand me various medical supplies and explained their use.
Underneath my clothes, I quickly wiped away the blood, applied a hemostatic sheet that looked like a bandage, and wrapped a bandage around it.
During the process, Tsukiko remained silent. She clenched her lips as if holding back something, waiting for me to finish.
It felt oddly strange to have Tsukiko so close. Back when we were dating, it was natural for her to be by my side, but now it felt like a distant memory.
Even so, just having her near made my heart race.
After completing the treatment, I adjusted my clothes and stood up.
"Thanks, you really saved me."
I handed back the used tools, but one of the bandages slipped from Tsukiko's small hand.
"Oops."
I bent down to pick it up but froze.
"――Why..."
I heard a faint voice from Tsukiko. It was a word that had finally escaped her lips, as if she could no longer contain it.
"...Why did you come here?"
Her eyes were cast down, and I couldn't see her expression with her hair obscuring her face.
I placed my hand on the hilt of Youkai Sword, which was still stuck in the ground.
"Well, you see, during our training camp, Kuroi-san bought this as a souvenir, claiming it was related to the Youkai Sword that had a history with the oni we fought today. I was brought here because of it. Thanks to this blade, I was able to fight. It's all thanks to this thing."
I wasn't lying. However, that wasn't the whole truth.
"I see..."
Tsukiko murmured softly. Her gaze rose to meet mine, her eyes like translucent black obsidian, and she saw my puzzled expression.
"Actually, I saw your body once, Yuusuke."
Tsukiko looked directly into my eyes. My face, undoubtedly wearing a confused expression, was reflected in her eyes, which resembled clear black obsidian.
She went on,
"By chance, I opened the door to the clubroom while you were changing, and I saw it then."
As she spoke, her slender fingers grazed my shirt.
——No, it wasn't that. What she was touching lay even deeper.
I felt like Tsukiko had poured cold water over me, helping me realize what she wanted to say. My racing heart seemed to be choked into silence.
"You were covered in scars."
Her fingers touched me gently, as if delicately scooping up the sins I had hidden away.
"..."
I couldn't say anything. What Tsukiko was talking about weren't the wounds I had suffered today. They were the battle scars I had acquired during my Hero days.
The most prominent one was the scar on my chest inflicted by the Demon Lord. There were various other scars of different sizes on my body. While the Saint's magic had significantly faded them, the scars I received from the Demon Lord and Galeo couldn't be completely erased. I had tried my best to keep them hidden from others, but had she seen them all this time? The last person I would want to show them to.
"You once told me that you have no memories of yourself from middle school for a few years. You disappeared like you were spirited away, and then you returned."
"...yeah."
I had indeed told her that. It was a story that would come up if anyone dug into my past or talked about my family. However, I said I had no recollection of anything that happened during that time. Not to my family, not to the world, not even Tsukiko.
"I don't know the details of what happened to you during that time. But I can guess. You must have gone through unimaginable hardships and carried a lot of pain."
Tsukiko's fingers gripped my shirt.
Her hand trembled slightly, as if shivering in the drizzle.
"You fought like this to save someone."
"..."
Unable to respond to Tsukiko's words, I remained silent. But she wasn't seeking a definitive answer from me.
Tsukiko's gaze distorted, and words formed on her lips, as if she were desperately trying to contain her emotions within her fragile self.
"I... I don't want you to get hurt anymore. Even if that's selfish of me, even if it means we end up apart in the end, still...
"You're someone important to me."
Her soft voice pierced deep into my heart. It was a sudden revelation. It struck me like a lightning bolt, causing the faces of Tsukiko and the distant Eris to overlap.
Two completely dissimilar people.
'You, who can only fight, are no longer needed. Hey, do you understand? For both this world and me, you're just a hindrance.'
Though the words were different, her face looked as if she might cry any moment, her voice trembled.
――――――――――――――Ah.
I understood. It had happened. Or maybe I had been avoiding this possibility all along. If I hadn't realized it, I could have held onto my resentment, embracing a kind lie and a cruel truth.
I had made a mistake in my choice, then and now.
My strength drained away, and the ground started to shake. The only reason I managed to remain standing was the petty vanity of not wanting to display my embarrassing self any further.
Tsukiko's hand released my shirt, and she lowered her face.
"I'm sorry for saying something like this when you came to help. Thank you so much. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't come. I'll meet up with the other Anti-Demon Officials soon and bring proper medical supplies and a change of clothes."
"Uh, yeah."
As she moved away from me, all I could say was that.
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