Chapter 9: Another Version 6

Another Version 6 (END)

---

I found the monster that was requested, blew it to pieces with explosion magic, and quickly returned to town.

I walked silently through the bustling streets to the usual agency. I stopped by the reception desk, showed them my proof that I had completed the hunt, and gave them a brief report, and then my job was done.

I walk to the corner of the bar, spills my reward on the table, and counts it on my fingers.

After that, there was nothing else to do. Feeling my throat getting weaker from not talking for too long, I spent the time in a daze, as if waiting for someone.　

I've been left alone by Mizell for a month now. I haven't seen his face or heard his voice.

Mizell accepted the invitation of a group of girls who had previously called out to him, and accompanied them on an adventure into the labyrinth.

When I was told that this was going to happen, I felt like I had been struck by lightning. My pride wouldn't allow me to lose my cool in front of him, so I swallowed my words and sent him off.

…Now, I regret that. Because.

It's frustrating. Really frustrating.

Every day, every minute, every second was far more boring than I had expected. If I took Mizell out of my current daily life, this would be it. It was painful to even admit it.

Or rather, it makes me feel miserable. Even when I insult Asurika in the mirror and make her apologize profusely, something feels unsatisfying. ...Playing alone is no longer satisfying.

Being denied the opportunity to tease Mizell, or have him make me do things... is like being banned from drinking, smoking, gambling, or other addictions.

What if Mizell was doing this to me as a retaliation or revenge against me?

This is such cruel retaliation.

I had done all sorts of things to make sure that Mizell wouldn't leave me. I never thought it would end up like this.

The current situation is the complete opposite. I had intended to make him dependent on me, but at some point that had reversed.

"Hmmm, hmmm..."　

I moved my feet under the table. Thinking about him made me feel uneasy. I started to sweat.

Ah, Mizell, My Mizell.

Now, to you――,　

I'm pissed to death.

Next time I see you, I'm going to destroy you. How dare you treat me like a fool.

What should I do? I can't allow him to join their party like this. They may be a friend of Mizell from the "original" story, but... so what?

You think you can escape from me now?

I'll harass you 100 times more than I've ever done before. I'll make your memories of the old Asurika into fond memories.

And then. And then. I will make him angry again. Until he gave orders in that cold voice――

……….

Come back soon.

"I want him to attack me" was a roundabout way of saying it now. When he get back, I'll have him do that.

"...Huff, huff..."

"Um, um. Are you okay, Asurika-san?"

"...?! Huh, huh, yes."

Before I knew it, the union secretary was right there.

Hastily put things in order.　

"Sorry. I'm not feeling well."

"Your face is indeed red. I received a request addressed to you, Asurika-san, but shall I send it to another day?"

"Request?"

...Not to Mizell?

Of course, it's a lie about me feeling unwell, so I listen to what he has to say for the time being.

...It was a simple request to defeat a monster. The reason the client chose me (Asurika) was because I was an adventurer that the association had been promoting recently... it seemed.

The location of the suspected crime scene, based on reports of sightings, is also quite close to Barima. If all goes well, it's a job that will allow me to have breakfast, leave the city, and be back in time for an afternoon snack.　

"I can take it tomorrow."

"Okay, then that's fine. I look forward to working with you."

The clerk put down the documents related to the request and went back to other work.

I read it, digest it, and mentally piece together what I need to accomplish.　

...Well, that's all I can do now. It's for stress relief and daily life. If they give me a job, I'll be grateful.

This job is much more dangerous when working alone, but I'm getting somewhat used to it.

To begin with, the talent and ability of this body is quite solid. Also, since her previous painful experience, Asurika has been working hard as a magician, and her body has responded to that. She's a good girl.

I'm a bit worried as to whether the level of the target is as expected, but if I prepare properly, I'm sure I'll be able to get the job done.

Even without Mizell.

---

Solo again today.

I'm going to focus on work and suppress my frustration. I'm going to complete the request I took on yesterday.　

After leaving the town and walking for a while, we soon arrived at the location where the target of my extermination seemed to be wandering around.

There are lots of rocks rolling around, making it hard to walk. It's a wilderness. Also, the creatures that live there seem to be docile, so they won't attack unless you attack them first.

...Humans probably have no business in a place like this. Why would the client go out of their way to have a monster exterminated in a place like this?

That's what I was thinking at the time.

…Someone invaded the area where I was casting my search magic.

I think it's "someone" because it has a human form.

I became more vigilant and accelerated the magical power within his body as I fixed my eyes on the visitor.　

"……!? you……"

"Good morning. You're finally alone. The Red-Hot Witch."

The person who called out to me was definitely a familiar face.

He was ...

He was the runner-up in that tournament. That gloomy magician who surrendered to Mizell. I forgot his name though.

When I saw him at a tournament, I thought he looked familiar and it made me curious.

…But why here?

And now, it's like...

He said it as if he had been waiting for me.

"That troublesome 'contract magician' is probably deep inside the labyrinth right now. It's true that human men are weak when it comes to human women."

"What can I do for you? I have work to do."

"You can forget about that. That request was a lie."　

The tension makes my heart rate increase.

...I was invited, it seems. I don't know how he managed to deceive the union members, but he called me here. That's what he said.

It's impossible to tell from his expression what he's thinking. He's expressionless. He doesn't seem happy or nervous about the situation. He seems like a total inhumane person.

"May I ask what your purpose is?"　

As I prepared several spells, he strained his voice.

The man is...　

"I want to further develop my fire magic. Please give me your heart. I've been after it for quite some time."

Saying this, he revealed the hidden "horns" on his head and his original "blue" skin color. I felt that he had finally given up on his camouflage.

Seeing this, two memories react.

...Those are "Savager"!

They are defined as intelligent monsters. They speak human language and have a human-like appearance, but they are the enemies of humans. They are also called the "Fallen Demons."

This is knowledge that Asurika remembers, but it seems this is the first time she's seen it in person.

So why did I feel like I'd seen this man before?

Now I remembered that. This guy...

In the original story, this is the monster that killed Asurika.

“Since you have a fire attribute, maybe steak would be good? I have some good sake… No, I see. You’re a woman, so maybe it would be better to let you have as many children as possible?”

I only knew it from a manga page, but now all of the characteristics fit me.

...Asurika is supposed to be a supporting character in the story. Who would have thought that there was someone targeting her? Was there a proper reason for her being killed?

"But you have a lovely face. I'd like to see you cry. Can you cry for a bit?"

In other words, I am about to be brutally trampled and killed, just like Asurika in the manga.

Seeing the culprit right in front of me, it all suddenly becomes reality and hits me. I see, this guy is a monster. I don't think I can understand what he's saying.

……I'm scared.

"Eh? No? I see. Anyway, let's take it home and play with it..."

The presence of magical power surrounding the Savager swelled up.

As Mizell said, he wasn't serious in the tournament. He's not an opponent I could have beaten individually. I know that because I'm a magician.

My body is trembling.

...No. I won't let myself be killed for nothing.

I won't let myself be played with by someone like this.

Asurika's body is my toy!　

"[Meteor Red Sun]!"

The fireball that had been prepared in the sky all this time descended towards the enemy.

It undoubtedly exploded where he was standing. A huge flame burst into flames. It was powerful enough to kill an ordinary person.

But...

"...!! Ah haha, so that's what it was..."　

From the flames, a healthy enemy appears.

I didn't know when the "Golem" had appeared, but he used it as a shield to avoid the magic.

Then, two more identical golem were summoned from the magic circle drawn in the air. Although Asurika had no knowledge of this, it was probably a type of summoning magic.

And that golem. ...The one that had beaten me up before, the magic-resistant golem.

Was that his doing, too? Certainly, if it hadn't been for Mizell, I would have ended there.

How relentless. Even before I left the royal capital, he already had his eye on this body...

...But that annoying obsession will end once I kill him. I'll put an end to it all, and then I can take over Asurika's life with peace of mind.　

I tried to cast some fire spells, but they were deflected by the three golems.

… I may be feeling good about myself, but that’s not the case. This is an opponent who has completely defeated me once. It would be a big mistake to think that I haven’t prepared any countermeasures.

I grip my staff tightly. I will not become that Asurika. I will not die here.

There's still a lot to look forward to.

I'll win.

---

"Gah..."　

I vomit blood onto the ground.

Even if I try to stand up, nothing moves.

...The golems were neutralised by blowing up the ground and creating traps. However, the master they were protecting was not weaker than a golem.

Under the pretext of fighting, I was beaten up quite a bit. I thought he was a magician, but that was completely wrong. I was kicked all over the place and slashed with magical blades.

His expression didn't change, but he must have been enjoying himself. Thanks to him, I'm about to give up.　

"Well then. Time to bring it back."　

I managed to raise my upper body somehow. When I raised my face, I saw a beast in human form in front of me.

I thought it was scary.

To come all the way to the world of manga or novels and then die in such a boring way is disgusting.

This is the second time I've felt this way. If I were the protagonist of the story, I wouldn't lose twice.

Ah, so boring.

... I relaxed my legs as I tried to stand up and looked up at the man's face.　

"You are likely a candidate to become the current 'Hero of Fire'. You have excellent magical powers. With this, I too will rise to the throne of the Demon King - abohh!!"　

Suddenly....

Someone's foot sunk into the man's face.

The Savager is blown away. The person who did it is someone I've seen quite a lot.

The man's impressive back standing before me is that of a man, but it looks large.

...In terms of angle.　

"Did I make it in time?"

Mizell looked over his shoulder and said.　

"……slow"

"yes?"

"Too slow, too slow, too slow!! You're not in time at all!!! You were just waiting for me to get hurt!! You sadistic bastard -- you're Sadotaro!! Sadotaro!!!"

"Uh, I, I, I'm sorry Asurika...! I followed you properly, but the barrier stopped me..."　

Who cares? I'm sick of such serious injuries.

Protect me properly. What kind of cool timing is this guy trying to come to the rescue at? And it's the second time. It pisses me off.

Usually, the hero gets there before the heroine gets hurt, right? Or maybe I'm not your heroine? What do you think I've done for you up until now, you sadistic bastard?　

"...What about your beautiful friends?"　

While healing my own wounds, I spoke to Mizell.

Beyond the rising dust, the Savager stood steadily on his feet.　

"Hmm? I don't know. I worked for my pay and just left at my leisure."

"...Ah, I see."　

I thought he had finally realize the charm of harem. But it seems that's not the case.

Also, he doesn't seem to be afraid at all, even in front of those Ravager. I feel like something is different in him from a month ago.　

"I wasn't just staying away from you. I realized something about my powers."

With a confident look on his face, Mizell held out his hand to me. I took it and stood up.

We were so close that I could see into his eyes. Mizell looked at me intently and said.　

"Asurika. Will you connect with me?"

"Eh?"　

What are you saying under the blue sky, in front of your enemy? Has it been because of me that you have finally become a sex-crazed monster?

"You can tell me about that when we get back to your room. Though I'm a bit turn off by this."

"...!! Wha-that's not it! Asurika, I've always thought that you're quite the pervert! That's not what I meant."

"Huh? I don't want to hear that from you. Pervert! Small fry! Virgin!"

"Huh?! Shit. Anyway, I'm going to defeat him, so fight with me."

Mizell closed his eyes and concentrated, and a translucent "tube" appeared behind him, seemingly made of magical power. It seemed to be extending from his back.

And Mizell...

"Th-this... I want to connect it to Asurika."

"...Sure, go ahead."　

A tube connects my back to Mizell's.

Then, through it, I felt Mizell's magical power flow into my body.　

"Asurika. Give me back my magic."

"...? No, I see. I get it."　

I accelerated the magical power and sent it into the tube.

Then, Mizell sends magical power back to me. I accelerate it even more and send it back.

This cycle is repeated many times.

...The magical power that humans wield can be "accelerated" within their bodies or with magic wands, increasing the output of the phenomena they cause.

Now that I'm connected to Mizell, it's like having two accelerators. The performance of both magicians and swordsmen has increased dramatically.

...So this is the true nature of Mizell's skill... The power to connect oneself with others.

It's so mainstream it makes me laugh. The guy who gets kicked out of the party has the typical hero ability.

But, well...

If that's the case, we'll win quickly.　

"Mizell"

"Yeah?"

"...If we defeat that guy together, I'll do anything you want."

Hearing this, Mizell chuckled faintly.

And then, his body began to burn red. This was probably due to the effect of the fire magic that Asurika possessed.　

"Understood"

With our practiced teamwork, we closed the distance between us and the enemy.

...Now I can say goodbye to the annoying shadow of the original work.

Mizell slashes at his enemy's body. The Savager, who was so strong, is unable to fight back against the speed, power, and heat of his attacks.

When I released the magic, a flame several times more powerful than the one Asurika remembered was released. It was so powerful that it didn't matter if the opponent was a flame-explosive user.

A two-man lynching. Cowardly. But this isn't the world of games or manga, lives are at stake, so I guess that's how it goes.

A storm of swords and fire.

Before long, he had sustained fatal damage.

Just before his body collapsed, he had an extremely dazed look on his face.　

"I'm going to die? That's strange."

...The one who had the power to kill Asurika was gone from this world.　

---

"...Uh, well, Mizell....What should we do?"

"what?"

"You know, earlier, I said I'd listen to anything."

"...ah"　

I asked Mizell, who was walking next to me.

Taking advantage of the confusion, I once again put myself in a position where I was making Mizell give orders.

Mizell seems to be at a loss for words. The longer he stands there, the faster his heart beats. His face gets hotter.

Finally, he spoke.

"For the rest of the day, please call me Mizell-sama."

"--Ha, ha!? Gross."

"What is it? You were the one who called me that the other day."

"That's, uh, different."　

What kind of dangerous direction is this guy trying to go? Has he woken up from being bullied too much?

……….

Put my face down.

The corners of my mouth were loosening into a grin.

"...N-no, it's okay... Asu--"　

I don't know what Mizell looks like, I can only see his legs.　

"...Mi...Mizell-sama..."

"Asurika."　

...It's so noisy, I can't stand it. It's been a month. What a motherfucker. How dare you come back like you didn't know anything.

How dare he speak to me in such a calm voice.

"Asurika."　

When my name was called, my shoulders trembled. Just hearing that voice filled me with anticipation.

As I walked next to Mizell, I braced myself for his next words.　

"What should we do now? ...I wonder if there are others who are after Asurika."　

What, is that so?

Honestly, I don't care.　

"I don't know. Maybe there are."

"Then it's settled."　

Suddenly, Mizell stepped in front of me and got down on one knee.

He took my hand in a cheeky manner and looked up at me with his blue eyes.　

"From now on, no matter what enemies we face... I will be your sword. So, Asurika, will you become my flame?"

"..."

Wow.

It's something a princess and her knight do. If we did it, it would just be ridiculous.

Mizell also seems embarrassed, even though he did it himself.

"What's that? It's gross. It's weird."

"Oh! That's terrible. I put a lot of thought into that."

"...Well, whatever. Let's reunite the party."　

I grabbed his hand and helped him to his feet.

We started walking again, this time holding hands.

After the fight, his hands are incredibly warm.　

"Now that I think about it, Mizell's powers get stronger the more companions he has, I think. A party of just two would be a waste."

"Asurika, do you want to add more friends?"

"Hmm? Hmm, what about Mizell-sama?"

"I don't want to. I have the pleasure of being alone with you."

"Hmm. But you were in a party with a beautiful girl."

"I wanted to test my abilities, and I also thought I might be able to attract Asurika's attention."

"I don't like cocky guys."

After walking for a while, the city walls came into view in the distance.

Our hands were getting sweaty from holding each other in place, which felt uncomfortable.

But somehow, I don't feel like letting go.

"Mizell-sama, you really like me, don't you?"

"Yeah. You made me like this."

"Are you trying to blame me? I was just treating you normally."

"Is that normal?"　

Mizell seems to like me.

The person in question is also aware that he is being taken advantage of, and yet he still holds my hand like this. The initial goal was a complete success.

……….

As for me, well...

I don't really care about Mizell. I don't think I'll ever return the feelings he expects.

But, since this was a good opportunity, I wanted to give some meaning to this warmth.

So, I say something appropriate.　

"Mizell, you know, I ... I love you."　

It was a line I'd gotten quite used to saying. No matter how many times I'd said it, it no longer carried any weight.

But I said it just a little, with a little bit of awareness and passion. It's that simple.

……….

Curious to see his reaction, I looked at the face of the boy walking next to me.

...He looked troubled. His eyes looked a little distressed and lonely. Then, Mizell covered it with a gentle smile and said,　

"It's all lies."　

He muttered, but Mizell tightened his grip on my hand a little.

It wasn't that unpleasant at all.

I shook it back with just a light touch.　

---

"By the way, where are we heading? Shopping?"

"The Inn"

"Eh? Why? It's still daytime. Are you going to sleep?"

"...What are you talking about? You left someone for a month."　

Change the way I hold hands. Intertwine each of my fingers with the other person's right hand, making it difficult to let go.

This is commonly referred to as "lover's hand-holding," but if you actually try it, you'll realize it's meant to stop the other person from slipping away.

The touch of his hand became even more damp and moist. The discomfort was countered by the pulse of both of them.

As we drew closer, we could smell the mingling of our sweat after the fierce battle.

In that case, I wouldn't mind it getting even muddier.

"At least--"　

I stopped walking, stood a little taller, and, as always, spoke softly to Mizell's ear.

It was extremely hot, and the warmth of the time up to that point was carried in the voice that was exhaled.　

"I won't let you out of your room until tomorrow morning."

.

.

THE END