[Sukamoka Vol. 3] Chapter 4 Part 6: Who Now Stands Beside

Lakish held a sword – rather, a weapon in the rough shape of a sword – that she had picked up at some point. It was an amalgamation of dozens of metal shards, colorless light pouring out from the cracks between them, speaking to a crystallization of enormous power awaiting release.

The dug weapon, Seniolis. The girl raised the weapon, which had been knocked out of Feodor’s hands at some point, and dashed forward.

A single flash rent the night.

Even though she was utterly taken by surprise, Tiat still reacted as she needed to. Hastily reigniting her Venom, she blocked the strike with her energized Ignareo. A burst of light tore across the sky, accompanied by the grating of metal on metal.

“You… aren’t you… Lakish?”

“Ah, someone she knew, just as I thought.” The girl across from her was calm and composed. “Sorry. I don’t remember you.”

“But that’s…”

“I’m sorry.” The orange-haired girl swung Seniolis’ blade at Tiat again, but she didn’t intend to keep fighting off an one-sided attack. The illusory wings that’d begun to fade flared wide again as she took a big leap, trying to get an advantage in height for their battle. It didn’t seem like a bad idea; Tiat certainly was able to put up a better fight. Ignareo repelled the other sword five times, and three more times Tiat herself was able to twist and dodge a hit.

That was all she could manage.

Ignareo arced high through the sky, spinning around and around, as Tiat collapsed unceremoniously onto her face with a light thump.

“By any chance, did…?” Feodor swallowed hard, his throat aching painfully. “Did you kill her?”

“Nah, ‘course not.” Lakish shrugged. “I just knocked the Venom in her body off balance and she passed out. There’s no way I’d kill her or anything. After all, she’s your lover, isn’t she?”

“No, no, no–” Feodor tried to move his arm thoughtlessly and writhed in agony.

“I only caught a bit of what you guys were saying before, but it sure did look like you both love each other wholeheartedly, yeah?”

“No! We wholeheartedly hate each other!” Feodor protested, struggling through the burning agony. He was sure if Tiat was awake, she’d agree in a heartbeat.

“Oh, so it’s that sort of tricky relationship…” Lakish nodded sagely. “Are you into that sort of thing?”

“I’ve got no idea what you’re talking about!”

Taking a slow breath to calm himself, Feodor glanced at Tiat’s sleeping face, thinking about how straightforward she always was. Always trying to be like the fairy she looked up to, she’d even throw away her life for the sake of her goal – that wasn’t something normal people could do. Only a pure, innocent, single-minded idiot would do something like that.

…In other words, I’m jealous of her.

It was frustrating, but he admitted it.

Willem Kumesh, Kutori Nota Seniolis… to have people who went and died, leaving you behind, and yet to still be able to go on loving them. It’s that strength of heart that I’m jealous of. Probably because… it’s something I could never do…

Feodor had adored his brother-in-law. He’d wanted to believe that his brother-in-law was right, and refused to forgive the world for accepting his brother-in-law’s death just like that. He wanted to fix the broken world that had already accepted that fact.

If he was as honest as Tiat, he probably wouldn’t have arrived at the distorted conclusion he did. If he had just held on to the belief that his brother-in-law was justified, without resenting or harming anyone to prove it to himself, maybe he could’ve lived out a simple life somewhere. Even though he was reluctant to imagine it, it would likely have been a fairly happy kind of life.

However, that wasn’t how it went. Feodor had become twisted. Because he was twisted, he bared his fangs at the world.

…’I’ll make myself a problem for you,’ huh?

Feodor thought back to the declaration Tiat had made just a little while ago. What did she mean by it? Maybe she thought that Feodor, who’d long since made an irredeemable mistake, still had a card up his sleeve??

…Well, there was one thing he could think of.

She had probably held on to that belief of hers. The belief that Feodor Jessman, having hit rock bottom, still wouldn’t give up on his plotting. The belief that his plan would trample on the Leprechauns’ determination and struggles, that it would have something to do with forcing them to accept their unwanted salvation.

“They’ve got absolutely no ability to read people, every last one of them.”

“Hmm?”

“No, it’s nothing. Just talking to myself.”

Feodor experimentally put power into his legs. He still hurt all over, but it wasn’t to the degree where he couldn’t move at all anymore. If he took it slowly, it seemed like he could even stand up. 

“Let’s go.” Lakish offered her hand. “I dunno who you’ll end up picking in the end, but for now I’ll be the one at your side. At the least, you’ll let me take your hand, right?”

There was no doubt about it. The warmth of the hand Feodor clutched told him she was definitely in love. A false love he had etched into her with his own eyes. That was something that could and would never be forgiven by those who fought in the name of righteousness. It was proof of the twisted nature in Feodor’s own fight.

I mustn’t run, Feodor thought.

Tiat had said she’d make herself a problem for him. That was why he needed to pile on evil after evil for her to take issue with, in order to not make her determination a mistake and in order to prevent her desires from becoming reality.

In order to, for just one moment, end this world that existed atop the sacrifices of those girls.

He knew with certainty that alone was Feodor Jessman’s own struggle, borrowed from nobody else.

“Okay, let’s go.”

They carried Tiat to the foot of a nearby tree, covered her with a jacket, and without any particular meaning in it, looked up at the moon.

After that, the Imp once again made his declaration.

“My battle… will go on.”

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Prev -> Chapter 4 Part 5: Who Stands in the Way
Next -> Chapter 5: Lost Kitten