Author note: I became busier than i thought. it sucks being a third year! I barely have free time because of school program to prepare student for the exam.

At this rate i'm not sure if i can daily update this story or not. Well, let's just see about it later.

On the opposite direction of the middle school heroes, Feral was walking toward the forest alone.

After failed to obtain a comrade, and fought them, Feral once again reevaluated his opinion of needing a comrade.

What he need was a reliable comrade that can assist him and not someone who will become his burden. Of course he knew that he had more experience and skill compare to them who just started training in a month, but as expected it was disappointing.

The only thing worth mentioning was Ophie’s last assist, and not her magic.

Her magic was so so compared to Asche’s that can defeat all of them in one hit, and not only was it blunt. It barely did any damage, and only blown people few meters away. However her timing and decision was good.

It decision to cut in his attack at that time prevent Feral to beat Icarus, and forced him to collide again his attack. Why his hand was unharmed? It was because a certain skill he obtained called “Flesh Gauntlet”, which hardened the skin around his hand to the level of steel.

Of course it only hardened the skin, and not reducing it damage. His hand was still a part of his body so the pain of the slash and the frostbite were left in his hand. On that point Icarus worth of his praise, but the way he gave up quickly wasn’t.

Icarus skill was sufficient, and his rune was useful in many ways. However Feral declined to recruit someone who easily gave up just because someone stronger was in front of them.

What he wanted was a comrade that refuses to give up until the end of their live.

However because the sample already represent whole of the possible candidates, he gave up on that.

Without finding such person, Feral headed toward the forest.

“Hmn?”

Unexpectedly there was someone there.

“I have been waiting.”

Her slim figure was revealed by the moonlight. Her blue hair that was tied danced along with the wind. Her sharp eyes clearly reflected Feral’s figure, and because of the terrain difference she was looking down at him.

She was wearing common brown colored clothes that gave the vibe of traveler, and on her side was a sword. A long one sided sword that was uncommon in this world.

The violent samurai, Selia, was there.

“I made you wait.”

Whatever they planned to meet aside, Feral did an appropriate reply.

“So what do you want?”

“Yu asked me to stay here, in case you try to escape.”

“……That bastard. He didn’t get stuck with me for nothing. ”

Just like what Selia said, Yuu already anticipated Feral’s escape and sent Selia to stop him. Although there were few reasons why she was the one that sent to stop him, the main reason was she the only that can do it.

“If you don’t want to get hurt, then don’t block my way! I won’t allow someone who get in my way, go away unharmed!”

“If you want to proceed here, you must defeat me first!”

“Hoo, you sure sound confident about it.”

Feral cracked his fist, and a daring smile appeared on his face. Even so Selia didn’t back down, instead she put her hand to the sheathed sword on her side.

“I won’t forgive you for running away!”

“Fine then, I will break my way through!”

Feral kicked the ground, and with a ferocious smile he came toward Selia.

Selia immediately intercept him.

She unsheathed her sword; a blue light was reflected from the sharp part from the sword until it was half-way out.

Feral didn’t plan stop his track, but at that moment her sword disappeared.

“!!”

Sensed the incoming danger, Feral stopped his advance and jumped. Soon the disappeared sword reappeared on her hand.

A long blue light ran across the ground where Feral was supposed to be, and sound of something cut through the wind together with the ground.

In one arc Selia stopped Feral’s track and made a long slash mark on the ground.

“You bitch, if I didn’t dodge that my legs would be gone!”

“Tch!”

Selia clicked her tongue.

Just like what Feral said, Selia was planned to stop Feral in that attack by slash his leg. Although Feral managed to dodge it, if he was late even for a second his leg would be taken.

Yes. This was the reason Yuu sent her instead of himself or the other. If Feral was the strongest among the heroes then Selia was the second strongest hero.

“Using an unaccustomed sword, I’d become slower.”

“That was slow……”

Although Selia said it was slow, In the first place her sword didn’t disappear into this air. It was just fast enough that it can’t be perceive by Feral’s eyes. To call it slow was something unthinkable.

However Feral didn’t feel afraid just because of that, instead he felt exited from this unexpected surprise.

Feral had seen Selia’s slash before, but that time she was using a stick which held her skill back because of the uncomfortable handle, and unsuitable shape. In the first place, stick was more suitable for striking not slashing. It held different compatibility for Selia’s Southern cross- style.

Now that she held the right weapon, she can finally show her skills.

Feral who found an unexpected strong opponent, let out a grin. He prepared himself for another attempt to pass through her, but unexpectedly Selia called out to him.

“Third march of three years ago.”

“?”

“Does that ring you a bell?”

Feral tried to think about it for a second, but in the end nothing came to mind.

“I see… How about a certain girl called Shelly.”

Something came to the surface of his memory, and on Feral’s face a surprised expression was made.

Selia who saw that sharpen her gazes, to the point that if people can kill with gaze, then it was enough to kill someone.

“So it was really you. For what you had done to her, I will never forgive you.”

The resentment she held all this time inside of her started flowing out like a broken dam.

Her word was like the silent night tonight. It was small and quiet, but beneath it there were and unwavering determination and clear objective.

It was for the sake of someone who was her friend. Selia recited many times.

All this time she held her feeling because of the law and order in their world, but now that it didn’t exist she lost her reason to hold it.

To her who held that feeling neither police nor judge can help her. After all that curse-like feeling can only be break with her own hand. She must do it with her own hand.

“All this three years, I have trained. I trained and trained to the point that my hand let out a blood. It was all for this moment.”

“……”

“If you want to apologize then it’s too late. You don’t deserve to get her forgiveness. Not that you’re able to do it, now.”

“……”

“For making her suffer, accept your punishment, and die!”

Selia point her sword straight to Feral’s neck.

Feral didn’t move. He just stayed still on the spot with a shaking shoulder. After a wind stopped blowing Feral finally opened his mouth, but no word came out.

“Kukukuku… HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!”

Word didn’t come out from his mouth, instead a laugh came out.

“What so funny?”

Selia scowled at him.

Feral didn’t stop laughing for a while. He laughed, laughed, and laughed. So much that tear started coming out from his eyes.

Is it still right to call it laugh? In Selia’s ear it didn’t sound like a laugh, but instead it sound like an animal howl.

Feral’s laugh scared the trees, and vibrate the air. Small bird and animal inside the forest escaped deeper into the forest to avoid the terrifying howl. Because of the location that quite far from the village, only few heard the laugh and awoken from their sleep in fear.

After a while Feral finally stopped laughing with a refreshed face. However the sharpness in his eyes didn’t disappeared, instead it became sharper after hearing that.

“Three years. So you trained that hard for my sake, how laughable!”

“Who did it for your sake!?”

“No, you definitely did it. For three years you trained so hard until your hand bleed, and now you offered yourself to become my prey. What else can you if it not for my sake? Is it that, you did it for your precious……”

Faster than his word, Selia already close their distance and swung her sword.

Feral already anticipated that. He punched the sword, and when it was deflected, he opened his hand and grabbed her sword.

Although the sharp pain went through his hand it didn’t injured Feral’s hand. Feral tightly held the sword, not letting Selia get away from him.

“I don’t care about your reason or feeling, but because you pick up a fight with me…I will defeat you!”