Chapter 20: Kazuya’s Flashback (Part 2)

Early morning. I woke up.

As I sat up in bed, I glanced at the adjacent bed and saw Miki sleeping peacefully.

As usual, her sleeping posture was terrible—she had shoved the blanket aside like it was nothing but a nuisance.

I pulled the blanket back over her and gave her a few gentle pats.

Normally, I’d wake her up, but today, I wasn’t in the mood.

After changing, I left the inn alone to clear my head.

---

I became the Hero.

But both before and after becoming one, it wasn’t my own strength that got me there—it was all thanks to Miki.

Looking back now, I realize Miki had been carefully thinning out the monsters, adjusting things so I could focus on battles that were just the right difficulty for me, all to encourage my growth.

Even my first dragon subjugation after becoming the Hero—Miki could’ve wiped it out along with everything else. Now I understand she deliberately left it for me.

The same goes for the fight against the demon Sweat. All I did was battle Sweat—and even that was only possible because of Miki’s support, advice, and cooperation.

She took care of every other monster.

Miki had every right to boast about her own achievements, but she never even hinted at it. Instead, she acted like I was the star—praising me, celebrating me, building up my confidence.

But I was too oblivious to notice her consideration. I got carried away, foolishly believing I could defeat any opponent.

That’s why I failed in the dungeon raid.

The difficulty clearly ramped up, and past the 11th floor, I wouldn’t have made it even a single level further without Miki’s help.

Hell, without her mapping magic, I wouldn’t have even reached the 11th floor to begin with.

Even my enhanced abilities—normally, they’d be about as strong as Alice’s buffs from Dominic’s party. But Miki’s body reinforcement far surpassed that.

Since she always cast it on me, I mistook it for my own strength.

Under that delusion of power, I acted tough before the battle with the Earth Dragon.

And Miki, as usual, observed the fight from the start—gauging how well I could handle the monster.

But the Earth Dragon was on a completely different level from anything we’d faced before.

The bad matchup—lightning being ineffective—was one thing, but worse, my sword couldn’t even scratch it.

I was completely outmatched. The Earth Dragon ignored me and turned its attention to Miki.

Despite being a mage, Miki deftly evaded its attacks while landing effective blows of her own.

All while still healing and supporting me.

I was pathetic.

After all my posturing, not only was I useless—I was actively holding Miki back.

And then, my existence ended up dealing her a fatal blow.

While casting anti-breath and antidote spells on me, Miki’s barrier broke under the dragon’s assault, and its tail struck her directly.

Poison doesn’t affect Miki. If not for me, she would’ve only needed heat-resistant shielding—she wouldn’t have left an opening.

Even for me, the Hero, a direct hit from that tail would’ve been devastating. For a mage like Miki, it could’ve been instantly fatal.

The Earth Dragon closed in to finish her off, raising its tail for a crushing blow.

---

At that moment, I was drowning in helplessness.

My sword and magic were useless—I’d been brushed aside like a child.

Only when the Earth Dragon shattered Miki’s barrier and sent her flying did I finally snap out of it.

Only when Miki was in danger did I finally wake up.

I didn’t care what happened to me—I just wanted to save her. That overwhelming desire moved me.

The Earth Dragon reared its tail, gathering momentum to deliver the final strike.

My feelings for Miki—love, fear of losing her, the desperate need to protect her—

That intensity granted me a strange power.

But before I could even process it, I leaped.

And with a single slash, I severed its tail.

Only then did I realize the change in myself.

My body and mithril sword were cloaked in a golden aura, the blade crackling with lightning.

My body surged with power like never before.

But the drain was immense—this state wouldn’t last long.

So I had to end this quickly.

Calling out to Miki, I charged the Earth Dragon again.

I jumped, bringing my sword down in an overhead slash aimed at its head.

It struck the horn, slightly dampening the force, but I intended to cleave straight through it.

But the moment the horn split, the golden aura vanished.

Time was up.

I fell to the ground.

Heh. Of course I couldn’t even finish this properly.

Despite losing its horn and tail, the Earth Dragon ignored me, raising its claw to finish Miki.

When I looked at her, she was looking back at me.

It felt like she believed in me until the very end.

—Stop it. I don’t have that kind of power. I’m just this pathetic.

…But… but if the woman I love still trusts me at the end, if she’s still watching me, then I have to struggle until the last second!

Even if it costs me my life!

With all my strength, I leaped one last time.

No sword in hand, no way to stop the claw—but at least enough power to shield Miki from it.

Cloaked in the golden aura, I made it in time.

And I pushed her out of the way.

This was all I could do. Truly, nothing left.

…Miki… I’m sorry.

---

However, that moment never came.

I had expected claws to come slashing down, tearing me to shreds, but instead, I was only kicked away.

The S-Rank hero, Dominic, had intercepted the Earth Dragon’s claws to save Miki.

I couldn’t comprehend what had just happened—being grabbed, flung aside—but at the very least, I understood that I had been saved.

Watching Dominic fight drove home the gap between us.
He blocked the Earth Dragon’s claws, counterattacked, and to my shock, his strikes actually landed.

And then, with a burst of white aura, he finished off the Earth Dragon.
The difference between an S-Rank and a B-Rank—no, something even greater—was brutally clear.

After that, well… Dominic was probably a womanizer, and it seemed he had taken a liking to Miki’s beauty.
But it wasn’t just that. Dominic had seen Miki’s true strength—something I had failed to notice.

Honestly, I felt defeated.
I was weaker. I hadn’t even recognized Miki’s potential. I was forced to accept that I couldn’t win.
And worse… I started to wonder who truly deserved to stand by her side.

I was holding Miki back. Because of my incompetence, she couldn’t unleash her full strength.
But with Dominic, she wouldn’t have to hold back. She could shine brighter than ever.
As Dominic moved to take Miki away, I even thought about silently watching them go, like a beaten dog.

But then—

"Kazuya!"

Her voice reached me.

I glanced at Miki—her eyes were filled with fear.
She was begging me for help.

Thud! Something surged inside me.

I thought I had lost to Dominic.
I thought Dominic was the one who deserved her.

But logic didn’t matter anymore. My emotions, my heart—they screamed that none of that was important.
If Miki was asking for my help, why was I hesitating?!
"Deserve" or not—none of that mattered! The only thing that mattered was answering her call!

I tried to shout—but my voice came out weak, vanishing into the air.

This wasn’t the extent of my feelings. For Miki, I’d throw away my life without a second thought.
So—gather every last ounce of strength!

I sucked in a deep breath and roared with everything I had.
With a desperate cry, I somehow forced myself to stand.

Dominic, seeing me rise, let out a sigh and pulled Miki closer.
Blood rushed to my head, and I charged on instinct.
But my body refused to cooperate—I was a pitiful sight.

And then, for the second time, I was punched and sent flying.

Dominic called me immature, saying I couldn’t even stand up to an executive.
Shut up! I already knew that—how weak I was, how useless.
But even so, if Miki was asking for help—!

"Kazuya!—KAZUYAAA!!"

This time, her voice was different. A scream mixed with desperation—not just a plea for help, but also… concern. For me.

If Miki was worried about me now, it meant she didn’t want me to stand back up.
Because I was weak. Because it was painful to watch.
Kind-hearted Miki, despite wanting to be saved, was also starting to… give up.

She had wished for my help.
But now, for my sake, she was trying to let go.
And I—I had moved to answer her cry because I wanted to save her.

—I didn’t know what to do anymore.

—Then… would I just let Dominic take Miki from me?

Hell no! Not Dominic—not anyone!
I don’t care what anyone says! Even if Miki tells me not to bother, it doesn’t matter!
I love Miki! I’m in love with her! She’s mine! I won’t hand her over to anyone!
This is my selfishness—my raw, unfiltered desire to keep her!

"Taking back what’s mine is only natural!"

So—please! Give me strength!

I wished for power, pure and simple.

—And then, something strange happened.

A simmering force welled up from deep within me.
For the first time, I felt like I could draw out that golden power at will.

That said, in my current state, I couldn’t sustain it for long.

So—just for an instant. After that, pathetic as it was, I’d have to rely on Miki.

I took a deep breath, steadied my heart, and shouted my feelings. Putting them into words turned them into strength.
At the same time, I activated the golden power, slammed into Dominic, sent him flying, and pulled Miki back into my arms.

My Miki. I won’t let anyone take her from me again.

When I looked at her, her expression seemed… happy. Relieved.
If not for the situation, I would’ve held her like this forever.

After that, Miki’s barrier kept Dominic at bay, and he seemed to give up—for now.
Then, he headed deeper into the dungeon.

Turns out, the Earth Dragon wasn’t a monster native to this dungeon. Its corpse, horns, and tail were left behind.
We collected its horns and my sword, then left.

But afterward, my emotions were running so high that I’d called Miki "my woman."
Now, I had no idea how to face her.
We returned to the inn in near-silence, and I collapsed into sleep.

---

After a walk to clear my head, I stood hesitating outside our room.

Yesterday… that was my true feelings. I’ve always said I loved her.
Hell, I’ve even called her "mine" before.
…Well, half-joking. Serious, but not too serious.

But yesterday was different.
It was pure, unfiltered possessiveness—my own selfish desire, with no regard for Miki’s feelings.

Which means… she might reject me for it.

And then it hits me—am I really good enough for her?
We’re not equals. Can I ever become a man who deserves her?
Honestly… I don’t know.
Back when I was full of myself, I might’ve said yes. But after meeting Dominic, even that confidence is gone.

The one thing I’m sure of is that no one loves Miki more than I do.
But that’s it. No matter how much I love her, if I’m not her equal, it’s just empty words.

Maybe when she let me hug her this morning… it was just pity.
Because she felt sorry for me. Because we’re best friends.
And here I am, stupidly thinking we’ve gotten closer, playing the fool.
I’ve told her I don’t want her sympathy—but from her perspective, that’s probably impossible.

If I really love her… shouldn’t I want her to be with someone who deserves her?

Looking back at myself, all I see are my failures.
The weight drags me down. Right now, I wish I could just melt away.

Then—I thought I heard my name.
A quiet voice. Maybe my imagination. But it was Miki’s.

Pathetic. A second ago, I wanted to disappear.
But the moment I heard her, all I wanted was to see her.
God, my whole being is too obsessed with her.
…Well, can you blame me?
There’s no woman like her. My best friend. Beautiful. Kind as the ocean. And, well… generously proportioned.

I want to see her. Now.

Trying to act calm, I opened the door.

There she was—bathed in morning light, arms stretched toward the sky as if reaching for heaven itself.

…God, she’s beautiful.

Like a goddess.

And—

…I don’t deserve her.