Kai's POV:
"LET ME GOO!!"
I'm trying to go to the gate and open it, but Amari and Sayuri are holding me.
Amari is holding my left arm, not wanting to let me go.
"NO KAI, YOU STUPID!! HE TOLD US JUST TO GO AWAY!!"
Sayuri is lying on the ground, grabbing my leg.
"YOU CAN'T EVEN USE SANKALPA YET!! WHAT YOU WANNA DO!?"
I tried to use as much strength as I walked, but the two annoying ones won't let go of me.
"I NEED TO SEE SOMETHING!! RAHR!! LET ME GOOOOOOOO!!!"
Eventually, I somehow managed to go to the gate, and with a tremendous effort opened it.
After seeing what was in that open space, the three of us stopped and simply stared with our mouths open, a little scared.
That place was very destroyed, with several cracks in the walls, in pieces.
Iulius was standing, holding his sword in his hand. He was extremely injured, with cuts all over his body and face, and looked quite exhausted.
The Protector, on the other hand was sitting on the floor against the wall far from us, knives next to his empty hands, with only one leg stretched out.
Also covered in cuts all over his body, but still hooded and with his mask attached.
The three of us screamed at the same time.
"R-RED-HAIRED!?′
He looked at us and smiled.
"Ah, don't worry... It's done."
He looked at the Raccoon.
"I really don't want to kill you, heroes don't kill, they save others. Let's just leave it as it is, I won."
Despite all his injuries, the Raccoon didn't move or even breathe... I-Is he dead?-
"You understand nothing. You really understand nothing."
Oh, he's alive...
"By doing this you bring the apocalypse closer. But well now it's too late."
He slowly grabbed one of his knives, instantly Iulius pointed his sword to him.
"Hey! Drop that!"
"I tried to help you. I tried to protect you and the world. But I accept this.
You chose this path."
He threw the knife at a specific rock in that place and then there was a "click".
Instantly, everything began to shake and several rocks began to fall from the walls and ceiling, everything started to fall apart.
"Ende Baumgartner. That's the name of the Raccoon. The name of the one who will bring the destruction of humanity. It was an honor to have met you."
The boulder fell right on top of him, silencing him and covering him completely, the only thing visible was blood... H-He died... died...
W-Well, this was not my fault and he was a bad guy, so I shouldn't feel bad... But he died...
Ok, I know what I have to do!!
Iulius looked at us, a bit worried.
"The openings here have been closed, that means the only opening is the entrance, quick go there! I can manage on my own!"
Amari and Sayuri looked around, seeing that the entire cave was collapsing, pieces falling from the ceiling.
Amari broke a rock in half in mid-air with the chain.
"O-Ok! We need to go!!"
Sayuri shot Bium in another rock.
"Yeah, quick!"
"RED-HAIRED!!!"
I yelled at him.
"Have you seen a guy with blond hair!? IS HE FINE?!"
He tilted his head a bit.
"Hm, yeah I saw... Think he is ok."
Good...
I started to run.
Amari shouted at me.
"NO YOU DUMBASS! THAT'S NOT THE WAY, THAT'S THE CORRIDORS!!"
I looked at her and giggled.
"I'm glad I was right!"
"N-No but... WHAT?!"
"WAIT FOR ME, I WILL BE FINE!!"
She sighed, worried and looked at Sayuri, who was the same.
"W-We should just let him go?..."
Sayuri gritted her teeth in nervousness.
"Hm, I-I... N-NO! PROBABLY NOT!!"
"Tsk, fuck it, HE'S ALREADY SO FAR AWAY!!."
The two began to run towards the exit, climbing the stairs and dodging several rocks that appeared in the way.
Sayuri said.
"Y-You sure he will be alright?!"
"No! DEFINITELY NOT! PRAY FOR HIM!!"
Some time later, the two are outside the cave, extremely tired and out of breath.
Amari stood with her hands on her knees.
"Jeez ah... That was tiring..."
Sayuri threw herself to the ground, extremely tired as well.
"Yeah ah... I hope he's fine..."
"We can just wait now... ahhh..."
She threw herself to the ground too.
After a few minutes, when they were starting to get worried.
"OI! AMARI! SAYURI!!"
I appeared out of the cave, with a huge grin.
The two quickly stood up, looking at me in surprise.
Amari:
"K-KAI!? YOU'RE ALRIGHT?!"
My steps slowed down until I reached them.
"Yeah, Yeah, I'm fine..."
I fell to the ground.
"Amari, I'm not ok, can you hold me?"
"I TOLD YOU I HADN'T COMPLETELY HEALED YOU!!"
With a sigh, she put me in her back and started to walk towards the forest.
"Jeez Kai, don't scare us like that... You promised me that we would go home together."
"Ah, sorry..."
Sayuri tilted her head.
"Ah? Home? What you-"
Amari shouted.
"N-NOTHING! NOTHING IMPORTANT!"
"Oh ok, your goal is to return to your house outside of Beatitudo?!"
"NO IT'S NOT!-"
"Oh wait, YOU'RE BLOOD RELATED?! I NEVER-"
"NO WE'RE NOT!! J-JUST FORGET EVERYTHING WE SAID, EVERYTHING!!!"
I was just riding on Amari's back, with my tongue hanging out, very tired and hurt.
"A-Amari... Can't you heal me?"
"Tsk, I can only make you a bit less tired, I can't replace rest... It's better for wounds and stuff."
"But... Can you heal me?"
"No."
"Oh c'mon!!"
She smiled though, while we entered the forest.
Sayuri looked at me.
"Oh, Kai! You didn't answer me, what does your Sisu do?!′
"Ahhhhh, I don't want to talk very much now... I'm sooooo tired-"
Sayuri got angry.
"OH C'MON!! I NEED TO KNOW NOW!! You looked a... I don't even know how to describe it!"
"You said it was cool."
"No I didn't."
"You said."
"No I didn't."
Now I'm also angry.
"YES YOU SAID!!"
"I-I NEVER SAID THAT! AND FUNNY YOU SAY THAT, SINCE YOU HAVE NO ENERGY! Allegedly!"
"OH BUT-"
Before I could finish the sentence, a red-haired man appeared, Iulius.
He walked out from behind the trees, and said with a calm smile on his face.
"Hello guys."
The three of us looked surprised but happy saying his name.
He was seriously injured, and could barely walk with his only leg.
Amari said.
"Red-haired you're ok? You want me to heal you?"
"No I'm fine, you don't need to worry."
"Well then... Oh yeah, the reward, you want part of it?!"
Sayuri got extremely worried, holding Amari's arm.
"WHAT?! YOU'RE JOKING?! THAT WAS OUR ONLY GOAL HERE!"
"BUT IT'S FAIR!! HE DEFEAT THE MAIN BOSS, NOT US!!"
Iulius simply said.
"No, it's fine. But I want one thing."
He stopped smiling, instantly the 3 of us froze looking at him, scared of what he was about to say.
"Call me Hero."
The 3 of us shouted.
"NO WAY!!!"
Iulius instantly got angry and irritated.
"AH?! BUT THAT'S WHAT I WANT!"
Sayuri said.
"B-BUT THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS!!! Y-you should... A-Ask for something material!"
Amari said.
"That doesn't make any sense... BUT I AGREE WITH HER!!"
Iulius gritted his teeth, and placed his hand under his chin.
"Tsk, but that's the only thing i wanted... Oh!-"
He suddenly changed his expression, looking up as if he had realized something.
"Yeah that's right! A hero helps people without expecting anything in return! My goal is to be like Hero, to be worthy of meeting him, not to be him!"
He suddenly started running through the forest.
"HAHAHAH! ALL THIS WAS WHAT HERO WOULD DO!"
Before he disappeared completely, I screamed.
"THANK YOU- Augh..."
I managed to scream, but I felt a huge pain in my throat.
It is my duty to at least thank him, he defeated my trauma.
Amari looked kinda confused as Iulius vanished, and then simply started to walk again.
"Well uh, that was unexpected."
Sayuri then looked at me.
"Hey Kai, what the heck were you doing that took so much time!?"
"Yeah right, Why didn't we ask this as soon as he showed up?!"
I was kind of taken by surprise.
"Oh... Ah it doesn't matter, everything is alright."
Amari:
"It does!! You scared the shit out of me!!"
I started to giggle in her back, laugh.
They looked at each other and then at me, both confused.
"Hm, Kai why are you... Everything alright?"
"Oh, there is nothing wrong hehe... It's just that, everything is alright."
Yes, there's nothing to worry about anymore.
That guy died, and they and I are alive and well.
Everything is fine.
"Well uh, ok..."
I don't think they understood what I meant, but I don't care, I've just never been so relieved.
Sayuri got excited.
"Well, when we get home, we're going to have a huge party to celebrate our victory! Or rather, we're going to the guild-"
Amari calmly said.
"Sayuri... It's already night and everyone is completely exhausted... Kai even fell asleep."
Sayuri checked to see if I was really sleeping on Amari's back, and then said, somewhat embarrassed.
"O-Oh right... WAIT! WHY DOES HE GETS A PIGGYBACK, BUT WHEN I ASKED HIM, HE IGNORED ME!!"
"Ahhh, stop crying for attention loli."
"YOU-"
Suddenly, they heard a voice from behind us.
"WAIT!! I'M HERE!!"