Episode 148: Awakening

……I felt like I’d been having a long, long dream.

I saw the two of them in that twilight world. Between that and the surge of magic power I felt deep in my core, I felt a strange sense of relief. Or perhaps it was more accurate to say I’d finally moved past something.

“……Morning, Merli. What are you doing here?”

I opened my eyes and scanned the room. Merli was there, lost in thought.

Our eyes met, and a heavy silence filled the air. She stared at me with an intensity that made me freeze. Then, she stood up.

“Even I know better than to poke the serpent in the thicket this time. For the record, I wasn't here when you woke up, and we haven't spoken…… understood?”

“Ah, wait…… Merli?”

With those cryptic words, my mentor canceled her own summoning and vanished.

That was unusual, even for her, I thought as I watched the spot where she’d been.

“……Seriously, what was that about?”

I muttered to myself, several questions floating in my mind as I surveyed my surroundings. The room was plastered with recovery talismans and reinforced by a barrier.

Checking my body, I found no wounds. It looked like I’d been under constant treatment while I was out. I raised my arms and rotated my neck to check for any lingering issues, but I felt fine.

Can I still use magic like before?

I’d taken a lot of damage and, more importantly, I’d been reckless. I decided to test myself with a relatively complex ice spell.

“Are you kidding me? Why?”

I had focused on a two-stage manifestation to freeze the ambient mana around me, but the output was grotesque. The range was absurd—the entire room froze solid in an instant.

Shaken by the sheer freezing power I now commanded, I decided to leave the room and find the others to let them know I was finally awake.

---

“……There’s a barrier over there. Is that them?”

I had been sleeping in what looked like a private inn nestled in the mountains.

A high-intensity barrier was active a short distance away. When I approached, I found the group deep in training. The atmosphere was so intense that I hesitated to speak. They hadn't noticed me yet, and I couldn't decide how to announce myself.

Good morning? Long time no see? No, neither felt right.

The sky was pitch black, so it was obviously night. Besides, I didn't even know how many days I’d been out, so “long time no see” felt presumptive.

I shook my head to clear the useless thoughts. It didn't matter. If I didn't tell them I was awake, nothing would move forward. I tried to call out as gently as possible to avoid startling them.

“Um…… guys? I just woke up a second ago—what’s the current situ—”

Before I could finish the sentence, I felt their mana pivot toward me.

The group, who had been sparring with each other until a moment ago, leveled their magic at me in unison. Before I could even process the confusion, my body moved on reflex.

“Whoa, guys! Hold on!”

I shouted in a panic, trying to de-escalate, but they were already unleashing their finishing moves.

“……First off, you’re late, best friend.”

“Forgive me, my friend. [Valdrago Spear].”

“……[Kamisari-ryu—Mumyou Tokoyodachi]!”

Crap. I’ll die if I don't block this.

I didn't have time to wonder why they were doing this. If I didn't defend myself perfectly, I was a dead man. This wasn't a joke; they were actually trying to kill me.

“[Aegis]!”

My instincts screamed, and I instantly kneaded my magic.

The barrier held. I blocked the concentrated fire and emerged unscathed, but I immediately noticed that Ayane and Laura weren't among the attackers. I braced myself for a follow-up impact from them, but it never came. Instead, I felt warmth pressing against me from both the front and the back.

“Um, guys…… I can’t move.”

“You’re late, Reima,” Ayane whispered.

“……You slept too long, you idiot,” Laura added.

It was the kind of contact that would normally be impossible for those two.

Their embrace was so tight I could feel their resolve—they weren't going to let me go. The atmosphere wasn't right for trying to pull away, so I just stood there and accepted it. After a full minute of being hugged, they finally released me.

“So…… how long was I out?”

“Five days, sleepyhead,” Shiki answered.

“Five days? Seriously? What’s the situation now?”

“We’ll get to that…… but before we do, isn't there something you should say first?”

I paused, looking at their tired, determined faces. “……Right. I’m back, everyone.”

---

We returned to the inn, which they had apparently chartered in its entirety. I sat down in front of the group to get a proper briefing.

“So…… Levi is definitely waiting at Oceanus?”

“Yes, that’s what I was told. I don’t believe it was a lie,” Ayane replied.

“……I see. So we really have to fight her.”

I said it mostly to confirm the reality of it. Her target was likely me. Dia had said as much during our fight, and it was the only thing that explained her actions so far.

And having faced that power myself, I knew the truth. She was an outlier. We couldn't win without being monumentally reckless.

I want to protect the people precious to Reima in this world. That was why I’d decided to push myself a little further.

“Listen, everyone. Levi’s target is me. Leave the rest to me.”

“Yeah, sure,” Shiki said, his voice flat. “That’s why we’ve been training until we bled while you were asleep.”

“—What?”

“If Merli’s information is correct, our opponent is an entity that didn't even exist in Mythologia. An abnormal, peak-tier existence…… It’s a mistake to fight her. We should just leave it all to you.”

He was right. Honestly, Shiki and the others didn't have the strength yet. If there was a chance they would die, I didn't want them anywhere near that battlefield. I had planned to fight her with only my Summoned Beasts.

But my best friend trailed off, looking me straight in the eye.

“That’s why I’m telling you this: don't look down on us, Reima. We’ve seen how absurd this world is. We’ve felt our own powerlessness. We caught a glimpse of the path you’ve had to walk. We didn't train like this just to watch. We did it so you wouldn't have to be alone.”

“I was depressed thinking about how useless I’ve been,” Tsubaki said with a small smile, “but I want to catch up, even if it’s only a little.”

“We were trained to the brink of death by Merli-dono,” Kaiser added with a nihilistic grin. “I have no intention of being a burden.”

Shiki laughed.

I hadn't expected those words. They were so bright, so determined to walk beside me and catch up to someone like me, that it was almost dazzling.

“That’s the reality of it. You aren't alone, Reima. We’re here,” Ayane said.

“You’ve always shouldered too much, then and now. Lean on us more,” Laura finished.

I didn't know how to respond to that.

Deep down, I felt a surge of genuine happiness.

I’m weak, I thought.

I always acted tough, always decided I would be the one to protect them, yet I was won over this easily. I hadn't changed at all. I was pathetic—but in that moment, I felt that being weak was okay.

“Listen, Reima Kariya, don't get full of yourself. Nobody here has any intention of letting you play the sole protector. Your comrades have spent the last three days in a living hell just so they could stand on the same line as you. They did it so we could all come back and laugh together. So, we’re going to win.”

I had resolved to become stronger to protect everyone. I had worked myself to the bone for that goal. But as Shiki said, I had become conceited. I thought I had to do it alone. I thought I was the only one who could protect my friends.

I was wrong.

They were willing to fight for me. If they were willing to change the future alongside me, then I had to make sure I survived.

“You’re right, Shiki. Somewhere along the line, I started thinking I had to carry everyone.”

“Well, we did leave a lot to you in the past,” Shiki admitted. “But this time is different. We’re all going home together.”

“Yeah. ……Hey, everyone. Will you fight with me?”

I didn't need to hear the answer.

Everyone smiled and nodded. And for the first time in a long time, I was able to laugh too.

---

[Afterword]

It was a while ago, but we’ve exceeded 5 million PV, so here is the status on the celebratory project.

Please take a look if you’re interested: https://kakuyomu.jp/users/tawasigurimu/news/822139836850840287