Instant Death

Volume 6, Chapter 5 - What was our journey up to this point?

After rescuing Mokomoko, Chichika and the others began to head towards their destination again.

They were riding in the order of Enju, Yogiri and Tomochika, with Tomochika at the back holding the reins.

Mokomoko had stopped controlling Enju and was following them in spirit form.

Perhaps she regretted that she had been so busy trying to control Enju that she had fallen behind.

“I mean, these people were in the way!”

The horses were running between the naked and fallen humans.

The naked humans had sprung up from the ground and attacked them.

Naturally, the Yogiri turned them back, but there were so many of them that the ground ended up becoming skin-colored.

But then Tomochika suddenly realized.

She realized that he had thought of the fallen people as nothing more than obstacles.

She also realized that people die too easily, and that she had become accustomed to that.

“ugh… that sucks, I…”

『Hmm? Well, I doubt that they had a free will.』

“This is what I did, you know. I don’t think Dannoura-san needs to worry about it.”

“I’m not sure how to say this, but… I think it’s wrong for me to take it for granted that Takato-kun is killing people all the time.”

Can’t you just say I’m defending myselfself because someone’s trying to kill me?”

There’s no reason why she shouldn’t.

If it weren’t for Yogiri, Tomochika would have died a long time ago.

She was well aware of that, and I’m prepared for it.

However, she was wondering if she should dismiss that so easily.

“I mean, there are standards for killing.”

“I’m not sure I understand that. There are things you don’t kill, right?”

“Yeah, I guess. I think I’ve said this before, but first of all, if I have to choose between killing and being killed, I respond immediately.”

It was the same for Tomochika.

She is still a part of the old school martial arts family and has trained herself to react mechanically and reflexively to crises.

This is because hesitation leads directly to death.

“What if they don’t even want to kill us?”

“If they still try to scare us with violence or theft, I’ll kill them. Normally, I don’t do that. If I leave a person who takes such measures, I will be in trouble later on. They’ll just resent me for letting them get away with it.”

“Well, what about Hanakawa-kun? He was an enemy, but you let him go, right?”

“I guess so. Maybe because we talked too long.”

“Your explanations have become so random!”

However, it may be that he felt compassion.

It was true that he wouldn’t feel much resistance to killing someone who attacked him out of the blue. They were just like animals.

However, once he talked to them, he would be aware that they are human.

It might make it harder to kill them.

So, Mireille is…“

Tomochika remembered Mireille, the cat beast girl they had met in the first town after arriving in the other world.

Mireille had given them a tour of the town, but in the end she had led them to a group of criminals who had tried to kidnap Tomochika and her friends.

Naturally, Yogiri fought back, but in doing so, he was experimenting with abilities he didn’t normally use.

In that case, he used his ability on her with a time delay.

『You said it was an experiment, but it wasn’t really an experiment. That was just out of consideration. If she had died right in front of you, you would have been in shock. 』

Mokomoko said in a small voice.

He guessed it was that way.

Tomochika and the others had gotten too close to Mireille.

It was doubtful that they could simply dismiss her as having attacked them and turned on them.

“We’re starting to see it.”

Yogiri said.

Before they knew it, the plateau was gently sloping.

Below them, they began to see the walled port city and the sea.

“Finally. It’s taken us quite a while to get here.”

“I wonder if we should just keep going. From what we’ve seen so far, things tend to happen when we’re in a new town.”

“Hmm. I don’t know. In the meantime, if we let Mokomoko go for reconnaissance, she might get caught again.

『I really don’t trust you. What do you think of your ancestors? 』

“Well, I guess we’ll have to go there to find out.”

Tomochika and the others arrived at the port town.

＊＊＊＊＊

There was a checkpoint when they entered the town, but they were able to get in easily.

Apparently, it was not a problem unless you’re an overtly suspicious person.

It was a port town with a lot of activity and a lot of people.

“So, now that we’re here, what do we do?”

“We’ll need to arrange a boat, but for now, let’s find a place to stay. We can find something there.“

It was Yogiri, who had great faith in the concierge.

Asking the townspeople, he walked towards the most luxurious hotel he could find.

Then, suddenly, someone was standing in front of him.

“At last! I’ve found you at last! You guys! You’ve given us a lot of trouble!”

They were an armed female soldier and a man who looked like her follower.

For a moment, Tomochika didn’t think they were talking to her, but the female soldier was looking straight at Yogiri and the others.

“I’ve seen this somewhere before…”.

“Ahh! The ones who treated us like criminals in the first town!”

Edelgard, the captain of the guards, and Georges, her second-in-command.

They were the guards who came to the scene when Mireille and the others were killed in retaliation.

“But how did they get here before us?”

Yogiri and his friends have been getting into trouble everywhere they go.

Each time, the places they stopped at were damaged in various ways, and the transportation system was also devastated.

If she was following them, it was unlikely that she would be able to get to this town before they did.

“Well, Miss Edelgard. You didn’t have to show up in front of them. I thought Lain’s orders were to follow them and contact her if they were located.”

“What the hell? Then what am I supposed to do?”

“You can contact Master Lain.”

“And while we’re at it, these guys might escape!

“If they don’t bother to show up, they won’t run away?”

“That’s what I’m talking about! I will not allow them to run away!”

Edelgard sternly pointed at Yogiri.

“Here is another annoying one!”

“I’m not running away. How’d you guys get here?”

“Huh! Of course we flew here!”

“I mean, if there’s such a thing as flying, then what was the point of our journey so far?”

Tomochika barked.

However, if you asked him, there were means of flying in this world as well.

It seemed that there was magic related to flight as Hanakawa and his team used it, there are large creatures like dragons that fly in the sky, and there were the airships that the sages were using.

“Oh, don’t be so downhearted. The sky is a world ruled by the sages. Normally, you can’t fly in the sky.

A boy appeared from behind Edelgard and the others.

He spoke in a friendly manner, but Yogiri had no idea who he was. Tomochika seemed to be the same way.

“Who are you?”

“Henglong. Do you know what I’m talking about?”

“No. I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“You mean… I think I’ve heard it somewhere.”

But his memory was foggy, and he had no idea what it was about.

“I see. Well, let’s just say he’s a mysterious boy who seems to be everywhere and comes out of nowhere in a meaningful way.”

“I’ve never met anyone like that before in my life! Why do you think that’s a good explanation?”

She didn’t understand the situation, but Tomochika seemed to be in good spirits.