Chapter 12: Awakening

—If Itsuki-nii dies, I don’t care if we lose our home.

As the red shadow closed in, Nina’s words suddenly came to mind.
Nina is a kind child. Those words aren’t a lie. She’d tell me it’s fine if I don’t choose the dungeon path and settle for a much lower standard of living.

Same with Mitsuru. Same with Sena and Seika. Mutsuki doesn’t understand such things yet, but it’s true. I have a family who’d tell me that just being together is enough.

The one who can’t bear this situation is me.
I’m the only one who can’t stand this circumstance.
So, this is all my responsibility.

The Red Walker is approaching. I’m surrounded by a horde of Angry Monkeys, with no escape.
I shouldn’t expect help in 10 seconds.

Fight To live.

The Red Walker smirked. Its lips curled up, revealing a row of flat teeth.

Don’t watch its movements.
You won’t see them anyway.

Trying to track its linear movement slows your reaction.
What matters is the movement of points. Where the attack will land.

The Red Walker stomps in mid-air. Mana movement. It’s a magic that creates a foothold in the air. That’s all I need to know.

Predict its next action from minimal information.
Assuming there’s no room for counterattack, I raise my arm to defend.

“Uwoooohh!”

A roar.
The Red Walker’s swinging fist connects with my arm.

The impact courses through my entire body.

“—!”

Unable to endure, I’m blown away.

Crack
My left arm, which took the direct hit, creaked. My bones sound like styrofoam.

I leap backward. The Red Walker stomps forward.

“Molecular Activation—[Dwelling Fire]”

I place the magic in front of me. The Red Walker charges in, and its red fur ignites. It doesn’t stop. A slight deceleration, then a full-body charge.

“Ga…h!”

I can’t even dodge or properly defend. The Red Walker clings to me, not letting go. My strength drains away, leaving me limp.

A giant hand grabs my head. Pressure builds on both sides of my skull.

I can’t win.
It’s not even a fight.

But, I don’t need to win.

“Exactly 10 seconds. You survived well.”

With a soft, comforting voice, Toda-san appears. I didn’t even hear the sound of his armor. He stood there, composed, as if the encirclement meant nothing.

He touches the Red Walker’s arm.

“I’ve been waiting for you.”

Toda-san smiles, and the Red Walker releases me and backs away.

It fled.
The Red Walker, previously intoxicated with pleasure, now retreated in fear.

“Why are you running away? I don’t think our strengths are that different.”

He puts his hand on his sword, slowly closing the distance.
There was no longer a place for me there.

“There are a bit too many of them.”
“Calm down, Genzo-dono. My magic is plenty enough.”

I look back and see the other two. They seemed annoyed by the large group of Angry Monkeys, but when they saw me, they grinned.

“Hey kid. Can you still run?”
“Yes.”

“Then you can leave now. We’ll handle the rest.”
“Thank you.”

I’d only be a hindrance as i was wounded. I bow my head and immediately start running. The Anmons don’t pursue me. Even if they did, I still have enough stamina to deal with two or three.

Run. Run.

I gradually begin to feel a sense of excitement at having earned 200,000 yen.

“Haha. I did it…”

With this money, I’ll pay off the overdue rent for now. Even two months’ worth will earn the landlord’s trust. My earnings will allow me to continue living in that house.

The remaining money will likely go to food. But that’s fine. I don’t have enough to save, but things are definitely getting better.

Nina, Mitsuru, Sena, Seika, Mitsuki—
I want to see their surprised faces, their joyful faces.

I ran, and ran, and ran…

But the forest never ended.

“Did I get lost… No.”

That couldn’t be. I know the Sacrificial Forest well by now. I knew exactly where I lured the Red Walker.

Yet, I don’t know where I am now.
I should have already exited the forest. But looking ahead, there’s no sign of the trees ending.

I had a bad feeling.

—All beginners annihilated.

Why?
Because they were weak?
In the first place, was it the Red Walker that targeted the beginners?

No.
If all the deaths in this incident were caused by the Red Walker—the number of ears that fell earlier wasn’t enough.

The unique specimen isn’t just the Red Walker.

I looked up into the trees. I strained my eyes. I followed the faint traces of magic.
I found it.

That monster wasn’t an Angry Monkey. Its skin was dry like bark, and its eyeballs were on either side of its head. Its body was like a thin branch, looking more like a spirit than a living creature.

Tree Spirit.
I’ll call it that for now.

“That reminds me. There was one more thing I did.”

Not just the Anmon massacre.
I also gathered plants.

Personally, I thought I left enough for other creatures, but… perhaps other beginners came after me. Information about money-making through gathering must have leaked. They took everything valuable they could find.

In short, this one’s purpose is also revenge.

Escape is impossible. Help won’t come. My left arm is probably fractured.
The Tree Spirit lets out a creaking cry. In response, the forest begins to warp.

“Gigi… Gigigigi…”

Mana distorts, and the next moment, tree roots burst from the ground.
The footing crumbles, and I can’t step properly.

“Damn it!”

I can’t avoid it. Then, I’ll burn all the roots.

“Molecular Activation—[Dwelling—huh?]”

The magic won’t activate.
My brain is in confusion due to the unexpected situation. Next, quickly, the next magic—

Tree roots entangle my legs. I’m pulled, losing my balance. Other roots and vines, extending to catch me, wrap around my arms, stomach, and neck.

I’m tightened, and then hoisted up.

“Gigii… Gi…”

The Tree Spirit doesn’t approach. It watches me from where it’s perched on a branch.

The tightening force grows stronger. I can’t resist. I can’t even cast magic.
I’m utterly helpless.

“Ah… ugh…”

I can’t breathe. My throat is crushed. My vision blurs.
I can’t do anything.

…My consciousness…

I hate winter.

Because seeing my friends get warm coats makes me feel miserable.
Because even if I catch a cold, I have to go to school to eat lunch.
Because the lights in other houses on my commute look so much warmer than ours.
Because Santa ignores us.

The season my father died.
My mother also died in winter.
Winter is the season when we feel closest to death.

When the leaves fall, I feel like spring will never come again.
When the snow fallss, my chest tightens, fearing I’ll lose someone again.

I stood in the pure white snow I see in my dreams. My father was dead by a utility pole.
This is an illusion.

“Yes. I’m just an illusion.”

A voice spoke.
I look next to me and see a young version of myself.

“Only we know this scenery. Nina and the others don’t.”

That day, I was the only one who ran out of the house. My father was late coming home, there was a loud noise outside, and I hurriedly put on my shoes and ran out the front door. My mother stopped me, and my other siblings couldn’t leave the house.

“And that’s fine, isn’t it? Up until now, and from now on, it’s just us.”

I should bear all the pain and hardship. If that makes my family smile. If it protects what’s warm. I think that’s fine too.

Next to me, I speak to myself.

“I’m not an alter ego. If anything, I’m self-reproach. For my uncool self who gambled his life away and can’t even overcome a single trauma.”

Taking lives, having my life targeted.
My opponents are monsters, yet I, trapped in myself, am mocked by my own being.

“Did you think I was schizophrenic? That’s chuunibyou.”

To finally realize this only when I’m dying, how stupid. Uncool and stupid, yet I’ve burdened myself with something precious. I’m a fool with no escape.

“Still scared?”
“I am.”

I can speak. I can breathe.
Next to me, the child version of myself smiled.

“So, I’ll truly stake my life.”

…Light floods in…

Nothing has changed in the situation. I’m still hanging, my entire body constricted, unable to move.
But the force hasn’t strengthened or weakened.

It was frozen.
Everything clinging to me was solidified and unmoving.

“[Collapse]”

With a scattering sound, the frozen roots and vines shatter.

“Gigi…!”

The Tree Spirit groans and tries to use magic.

Somehow, I understood.
When we use magic, we use mana from the atmosphere. So, immediately after an opponent casts magic, mana is depleted, and they can’t cast another spell.

In short, it’s a speed race, a clash of magic.
This is a struggle for mana.

Projection of Mental Trauma

“’Only I should step on that snow.’”

The world blurred white.

I command all interference-capable mana. All molecular motion stops. Solidification of moisture. Winter spreads from my center. The ground becomes hard as steel, and roots can’t emerge from the ground.

“Do you hate the cold?”

I ask the Tree Spirit.
I take a step forward. Towards the Tree Spirit.

“Gigiii!”

With a shriek, the Tree Spirit turns its back.
If it were the me from before, I wouldn’t have been able to catch up. That’s a monster adapted to the forest. In terms of fleeing speed, it’s incomparable to an Angry Monkey.

But what about Toda-san?
If I can replicate his speed, I should be able to catch up.

“[Falling Blossoms, Flowing Water]”

This magic doesn’t just enhance physical abilities. Its essence is to control the body.

Like falling blossoms, like flowing water.
I surrender my body to the magic.

—Go.

The scenery blurs, and tree branches pierce my entire body. Leaves enter my mouth.

“Hahaha! I overdid it!”

Like a stop-motion image, I can’t even follow the process myself. Correctly controlling a body that moves beyond the limits of dynamic vision. How much training would that require?

The Tree Spirit is right in front of me. I seem to have reached the target location.

“Gigi!”

Its shriek sounds like a scream. Does it have emotions? Well, it doesn’t matter. Either way.

I turn my right palm towards it. With just that, mana condenses.

“[Frostbite]”

Ice crystals grew explosively, engulfing the Tree Spirit within them.