The heroes went out from the house, and headed back toward the inn. No one said a word to each other on their way there. The adults stayed behind to talk about whatever they should held a funeral or not.

The airs around them were similar to how they were on their first day.

Currently there were two people on the dining hall.

“A-are you alright?”

Mary worryingly said that.

“I’m fine. Sorry to make you worry.”

Her talk partner was Yuu. Even if he said he was fine, there was a visible strain on his face.

Compared when he was at the chief’s house, his face color was better. However it was still pale.

That was why Mary bought water for Yuu.

Yuu took a sip.

“Thank you. I feel better.”

“……”

Mary wanted to say something but, she was stopped by Julie.

Julie shook her head, as if she was saying to left him alone.

Mary looked worried but, decided to follow Julie, and leave him for now. There was nothing she can do for him now.

“See you later.”

Then Mary and Julie left that place.

Yuu, who was left behind, stayed there for an hour. He was in deep thought.

“Feral.”

The name of his childhood friend.

“Asche.”

The name of the demon girl he fought month ago.

“Demon lord.

The king of demon. Last boss. Asche’s father. His place was just beyond the forest at the back of this village.

“Power.”

The thing that connected all of the thing above, and the thing he lacked.

“……”

He tried to think of another possibility that might exist.

Did he really meet her? Then how about the burn wound on the arm?

Even with one of his arm gone, can Feral stay alive in a place with monster?

How did the arm get here? The demon’s lord castle should be much farther according to the chief.

Then how about the blood amount?

“……”

It was useless.

No matter how much he thought of it, the current Yuu can’t think clear like he usually does. The shock of losing the only acquaintance he has was that big.

“This’s hard. In the first place there isn’t any eye witness or more solid prove like his corpse.”

Yuu ignored the blood and the existence of the arm. To him that was insufficient to determined Feral’s fate.

That was how much he trusted him.

“He must be still alive somewhere. He might be unable to move freely because of his injury. Yes. He’s hiding somewhere in the forest while waiting for help.”

Blinded by his own delusion, Yuu concluded. He ignored all of the evidence that was right in front of him, and intercepted it as he like.

This was a rare thing for Yuu to do. If it was the usual Yuu, he would think about it calmly and accepted the fact that Feral died, and think of how he and the other can survive.

He himself realized the strangeness in his action but, there was nothing he can do about it.

“Now then I decided it. I need to find someone who can help me.”

Yuu was powerless. Even if he did train together the other, the gap caused by the additional title was big.

He had the same physical strength, and battle experience like the other. However he lacked the ability to fight on par with the other.

Although at first it doesn’t look useful, each skill has its own advantage no matter how small it is. Concrete skill such as healing and magic aside. Increasing stamina or strength may sound like nothing when compared. But, it still doesn’t change that it improved something.

Even Benedictus’s faith skill can be useful as a mental support.

This was Yuu’s speculation. According to him the one that obtained their title slowly become stronger than normal human here.

Of course their daily training also took part in it. However when the feeble Mary became as strong as normal female here in this month, he had no choice but to be certain. That was the case for Mary who obtained her title and healing skill, and not some basic improvement.

Yuu who hasn’t obtained his additional title was too weak to go on his own.

“Someone I can ask……”

Mary was immediately erased from his possible candidates. She was useful for her healing ability but, he thought it would be bad to take the only healer for his selfish reason.

Huke and Julie were also erased because they weren’t suitable for fighting in small group. While Hans was slightly suspicious.

That left him with either Selia or Hyodou.

“It’s decided.”

Among the two candidates it was obvious who was easier to ask. So Yuu headed to that person’s room.

*Knock knock*

“What?”

“Excuse me.”

Yuu opened the door after he heard the reply.

In the bed Selia just took a glance at him, and returned her gaze to the sword on her hand.

After the battle week ago she had already took the other half from the river and asked the blacksmith to fix it. After a week the sword went back to it original state, as if it didn’t broke in the first place

“I have something to say. Do you have time?”

“Speak.”

Selia didn’t turn around as she said that. She simply focused herself on her sword or just didn’t care about him.

“I’m planning to search for Feral. Please lend me your hand.”

“Did you forget about the thing that was shown to us? Do you think he still alive after that?”

“I believe he still alive somewhere in the forest, and waiting for help.”

“I see……”

Selia finally stopped checking her sword and shifted her gaze to him.

“Then what made you think that I would help you to help that guy? You should already know that I hate him so much that I wanted to kill him.”

“Yes, I know. However you didn’t kill him.”

“I just failed to do so. He was stronger than I thought.”

A sign of regret can be seen from her voices.

Yuu who noticed that started his action.

“Is that really true?”

“……What do you mean?”

Selia’s sharp voices directed itself to Yuu.

Yuu felt cold sweat pour on his back when she said that. Her sharp voices and her sharp gazes gave a pressure that was close to fear.

Yuu gulped his saliva and continue.

“From my perspective, you just went easy on him. No matter how strong he is, he was unarmed. When thinking about it logically it should be almost impossible for him to win.”

“That was just your imagination because you never fought him.”

“No. You definitely held back!”

Yuu cornered her with his word.

“There are several reasons why I thought so. First of all you didn’t immediately fight him and talked to him.”

“So, what about it?”

“That wasn’t the act of someone who hates someone to the point of killing him. If it were me, I would waited for him to enter the forest where no one can see, and ambushed him when he less expect it.”

“He has the privilege to know. So I just told him the reason why he should die.”

“Second. You never aim for his head and heart. That was why he didn’t suffer fatal injury.”

“Because he guarded it, it was useless to aim for those. If I tried to aim for it he will take the chance and took me out.”

Selia heavily denied every argument Yuu can think of. She also kept pressuring Yuu to his end just by talking.

However Yuu thought that it was about time.

“Lastly, you keep defending him even as we speak.”

“……”

She had been had.

Yuu successfully directed her to finish her with that last question. In the first place Selia doesn’t have any chance of winning again Yuu, because he was skillful in using words.

“It was just a coincident.”

“You still try to feign ignorance?I know from just seeing your room that you’re planning to go somewhere. And at that time when he was……”

Before Yuu can finish his word, a sword was already at his throat.

“If you say one more word, I will slice that throat open so that you can’t speak anymore!”

Selia threaten him.

This by any mean was not a bluff. A droplet already appeared on Yuu’s neck. If it was pushed just few centimeters deeper, it would be fatal.

Yuu was afraid that even gulping his own saliva can deepen the sword. So he held his breath and looked at the scary eyes in front of him.

He slightly regretted that he did that.

“Let me make this clear. I hate him. No, I detest him! If you dare to say such nonsense again, there won’t be next time.”

A severe warning.

Yuu only let out a confirmation sound without opening his mouth. After that, Selia finally drew her sword back.

“Haaa…”

Yuu, who regained his freedom to breath took a deep breath, and cough few times.

He touched his neck to check on it condition. It was also to reduce the anxiety. Because even after separated from it, he can still fell the cold water sensation on his neck.

“Three days.”

“Eh?”

Yuu was surprised because he thought that the negotiation had failed.

“It’s true that I’m planning to leave because I can’t accept his death until I see it myself. So I don’t mind accompany you with your wild-goose chase while I at it.”

Selia cleaned her sword from the tiny dote of blood and sheathed it.

Together with the click sound, Yuu finally snapped out from his confused state and thanks her.

“Thank you. Then let’s start tomorrow morning.”

Yuu sent out his hand toward her.

Selia who saw involuntary sent out her hand and grabbed his hand.

They made a shake hand to close their deal. Then both of them prepared themselves for tomorrow morning.

That night, Yuu was busy thinking about their plan like a child before a field trip.

In a blink of eyes it was already dawn.

Yuu and Selia left the inn where they spent a month with the other, and headed toward the forest.

There was an uneasy feeling because he planned to left without saying a word. However it wasn’t like he won’t come back again.

After three days no matter what the result they will come back here. So Yuu turned his back from the village and headed toward the forest.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“You are……!”

Together with a cheerful voice, several figure appeared from the forest.

Talkative archer, smiley assassin, huge martial artist, thin-air glasses man, feeble white mage, and brown skin beauty.

All high school students except Feral were present at that place. Everyone held their own respective weapon their hand while the other one held a small traveling bag.

“Why are you people……”

“You can’t possibility leave without bringing this skillful archer, right?”

“We all thought of the same thing. If you want to search for him, the more are better right?”

“Huke, Hans…”

Huke and Hans said that with a smile on their face.

“Hukky is right. When our friend is in trouble it’s natural for us to help.”

“Although I think I won’t be much help but, I think I somewhat will help you.”

“Hyodou, Mike…”

Hyodou said that as if it was normal. While Mike looked a little uncertain but, He still offered to help.

“I don’t really care about Feral but, because Mary came asking me to help there’s no way I can declined right?”

“J- Julie…!”

Julie lightly leaked out the reason why all of them gathered here. Mary was flustered and lightly hit Julie to hide her shyness.

“Julie, Mary……Everyone.”

Yuu looked toward the friends that he involuntary made because of the unexpected disaster.

Although they became friend because of the situation he was in, he felt a slightly warn feeling from seeing all of them here to help him.

Yuu himself was also slightly surprised. If it was the usual him, he would refused their help because it was dangerous. However for now he only felt happiness.

On the other hand Selia felt nothing except her burden became lessen.

“Don’t worry about the adults because I already told them about it. With a letter.”

“Isn’t that meant you haven’t told them!!”

Everyone laughed at Huke and Hans two man show.

“Well, we’re just going to find our friend right? It wasn’t like we’re going to do anything dangerous. They should be fine with it.”

“That’s right! We’re going on an important mission to search for our missing friend!”

“It’s not like the location that far from here either. When it gets bad, we can just run back to the village.”

“Everyone…… Thank you.”

Yuu said his gratitude.

Everyone accepted that with open heart, and lightly laughed on how they didn’t need it because it was a natural thing to do.

At this point they still hadn’t realized what was had in store for them at their destination. Later it would become something that can’t be undone.

Then without knowing of such thing. With Yuu as their lead, they started heading toward the forest to search for their missing friend.

Author note: Three weeks was it? This three weeks was a hell of test to me. Finally have time to breath, and continue the story.

The heroes were divided once again. I planned to do this slowly but, i guess it's about enough. With doubt as their source, the high school heroes went out to search for Feral who they believed to be alive.

Sorry for the late release, and once again sorry because i have a field-trip this week. So i predicted that i will release the next chapter around 2 week from now.