Chapter 18: Volume II. Chapter XVIII. – You Call This A Warmup?!

“Hey… how long has it been?”

We are now on our way back to complete the first task. Well, we have been on our way back for some time now, but it feels like the route only got longer since we reached the checkpoint. Hidiku now also looks like he’s about to fall apart.

“Huh? How should I know?”

It seems he doesn’t feel like talking either. I can feel the annoyance in his tone growing. The rain has stopped some time ago, yet this stinky mud will remain for quite a while.

Agh! To hell with all of this! I want to get out of here already!

Just like him, with each passing second, the irritation within me grows ever so slightly until it all bursts out at once. But that emotion also serves as the fuel to my strength and I soon find myself pulling the log much faster.

The desire to get out of my current situation is strong, yet before I know it, I buried my face in layers of mud. The log got stuck between two trees, and the sudden impact smacked me into the moist soil. It’s all pitch black. My body is now losing its strength, and its temperature is slowly declining. I’m so done.

“Yuuna, get up! We are almost there. Don’t give up now!”

He says that, but my limbs are dead; I couldn’t get up even if I wanted to. The oxygen stored up in me is about to run out. Oh well, this is my queue to peace out.

“Hey! Yuuna! Don’t you dare to suffocate!”

Hidiku is most likely reacting to the bubbles that are emerging from the mud, as I’m slowly but surely drowning. He grabs me by my collar and lifts me up.

“No dying for you until we get back, you got that?!”

At least let me die in peace… My lifeless eyes are looking at the ground as what remains of the soil drips off my face. What’s that? I think I heard some squishy sound near us, as if someone was walking through the wet dirt. Some of the goo got into my ears. I can’t hear properly.

I roll up my eyes and into my sight step in two dark and muscular legs. You can’t be for real.

“Die all you want when we are home. I will not pull your corpse back! Now get up, I want to eat my ravioli with-”

I point out the thing before using my index finger, halting Hidiku's ranting. Even though Miss Kurenai was supposed to keep the demons at bay, one of them slipped through. What do we do? I’m yet again too exhausted to fight, let alone run, and so is Hidiku. They always choose the worst time possible.

Now what? The only thing I can think of is-

“HELP! SOMEBODY, PLEASE HELP US! WE ARE GOING TO DIE!”

Hidiku bursts into an uncontrollable cry out for help. It seems the kid had enough of these shenanigans. But that ridiculous-looking move blessed us with a spectacle of an armed crimson angel descending before us.

A clean, vertical cut defining the skill of this slayer separates the beast’s head from the rest of its body. Miss Kurenai has saved us again. Her shaded red hair releases a firm rosy scent as it flails in the air, accelerated by a mild breeze.

Ash particles ascend from the stiff corpse, almost inhaled by Hidiku. He’s gasping for air after his knees have given out.

“We could have been goners.”

He pronounces, and he’s right. But I didn’t expect him to react that way. Where did the tough guy that saved me just the other day go?

“Please forgive me for my late appearance. Hunger forced me to retreat for a brief moment. I'm glad you took care of yourself and avoided injury. Would you like a cookie as compensation?”

She then pulls a small, see-through pouch out of her wide Yukata sleeves, and sure enough, the bag contains cookies. Her smile has a hint of curiosity and calmness combined. I could be wrong, but… Miss Kurenai might be a bit of a ditz.

“We almost died for some cookies?”

The boy sounds like he lost all of his hope that very moment, and I don’t blame him. What has our life turned into? I want my peaceful days back.

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“Congratulations, you have finished the warm-up exercise!”

Master Abe stands on the veranda and welcomes us back with open arms. But right now, to us, that welcoming sounds like suffering. We are barely keeping ourselves up on our four limbs, almost eating dirt. I don’t know if I can do any more work.

The two gasping kids received the Master's welcome in silence as they tried to catch their breath. We sound like a pair of whistles.

“It seems you two had fun. I will give you ten minutes to recuperate. After that, training will resume.”

Only ten minutes? He’s insane!

“Fear not. In the end, it will all be worth it. I believe you can pull through this.”

Says Miss Kurenai as I unexpectedly capture her face next to mine. Where did she come from? I didn’t hear any footsteps. But what I expected even less was Hidiku suddenly screaming his lungs out as he’s trying to get back up on his feet.

“H-Hidiku?”

I’m startled. His breathing is heavy, almost as if he is carrying double his weight on his back. Just standing upright took every ounce of the strength he had within him, but he’s showing no signs of giving up. Quite the opposite.

The skies clear up, and beams of light come across the worn-out boy, illuminating him. He looked up at the sky with sheer determination, despite the beating and dirt covering his body. It’s hard to believe that the kid crying out for help just earlier was the same person. If someone told me this was the guy that tried to save my life, I would believe them now.

Huh? What is he doing? He’s approaching me with a scary look.

“Get up. You have people to save. Or are you going to abandon them?”

The fired up boy grabs my arm and pulls me up, but only half ways. He’s letting me do at least half of the work myself. To think he would act like this, it’s like seeing a new side of him.

Hidiku has always been the laid back type. He never stressed too much, no matter what the situation was. Always calm and collected, but now? His sister died. Our families were either killed or taken away. It’s all affecting him; he’s going through a change.

It only leads me to question myself; what am I doing? I’m the one that dragged us into this mess. I’ve shown everyone my determination for what? To be proved wrong? Am I going to disappoint them? Will I let this guy leave me in the dust? No chance.

I bring myself up to my two legs and answer Hidiku’s question with honesty.

“Sorry, and thank you. I talked big, but showed nothing for it. I look pathetic right now, But I have decided. Hidiku, we are in this fight together, so don’t you dare to leave me behind! You got that?”

He puts on a smirk as he lets go of me and readies his fist for a fist bump instead.

“Big words for a small shrimp. I’m counting on you, partner.”

Our fists connect and his smirk spreads across my face. It seems to be contagious.

“I hate to interrupt your little motivational moment, but the Master wants you to be ready at the entrance within the next two minutes.”

Vilia appears on the veranda, sitting in the Master’s stead with her legs crossed. I haven’t realized Master Abe has left. Better get ready then.

“Alright, time to back up your talk. Show me what you can do.”

It’s a challenge from Hidiku. A challenge I was already prepared to accept and will gladly do so.

“Right back at you.”

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