What Have I Gained in This Half Year?

It's been roughly half a year since I started living with Master.

Neither of us is much of a talker, so we haven't actually said all that much to each other.

But, still.

Our eyes have met, and our hearts have connected.

Even without words, Master's and my hearts can connect.

At least, that's what I believe.

And probably Master, too.

The look we exchanged right before Master began fighting Baldy.

That gaze, as sharp and severe as always, was telling me.

That this was a new task.

The moment I understood that, I felt ashamed of myself.

I had become Master's disciple because I wanted to get stronger, because I wanted the power to survive.

And yet, here I was, hoping to be saved by Master without fighting for myself.

That's not right. That's not how it should be.

Overcome a crisis this small with your own strength.

If you mean to call yourself my disciple at all.

That's what Master's gaze was saying, scolding me.

And that scolding meant

that I could do it.

It was proof that Master thought so, that Master believed in me.

I was so happy.

......I understand, Master.

I won't make a fool of myself any further.

As your disciple, I'll show you a result you won't be ashamed of.

I'm a hostage, and my life is in their hands.

But I'll put everything I've gained in the half year I've spent with Master into this......

And I will overturn this situation with my own strength!!

◇ ◇ ◇

“Now, come! ......Allow me to subdue you!!”

With those words from Founder Dahachie, the battle between the two began.

The man who was Emi's master closed the distance to Dahachie in an instant without a sound, launching punch after punch.

Each strike was a 【Magic Strike】 with lethal power.

Fists that could crush boulders.

But Dahachie, too, was a first-rate fighter who had survived as an assassin.

He continued to parry the man's fists.

Even so, the sheer number of the man's blows was overwhelming.

Dahachie couldn't mount an attack of his own and was steadily pushed back, retreating...... but then he smirked, eerily.

“......!”

Sensing an inexplicable danger, the man leaped backward for a moment.

And just as he squared his fists toward Dahachie again...... blood trickled down from a cut that had opened on his right arm at some point.

“Hahaha! My, that was close! I had meant to help myself to one of your arms, at least! So the prowess they call ‘legendary’ is no mere show!”

Confident that his power could reach the man, Dahachie burst into laughter.

“Sadly for you, though, your style of slipping inside your opponent's guard with nothing but your own body is truly a poor match for me! For my ‘special ability’, which slices through anything and everything without anyone noticing: 【Invisible Slash】!”

“!”

Before Dahachie could even finish speaking, the man leaped further back.

The ground where the man had been standing a moment ago was sliced open by something invisible, leaving a deep scar.

“Hahahahahaha! Do you see, O noble god of ours!? I am strong! That man there is beneath my notice! As to the matter of the guide, might you not reconsider, even now!? Hahahahahaha!!”

Laughing uproariously, Dahachie swayed both hands loosely, as if conducting.

Every time he did, the ground around the man's feet was torn open, and the trees behind him were sliced clean in half.

By intuition...... or in fact, by unconsciously working out where it would strike from Dahachie's stance, gaze and so on...... the man kept dodging the 【Invisible Slash】, though he had no idea how it worked.

(......I can't get close.)

For the first time, sweat appeared on the man's forehead.

It was a bad match.

Dahachie was right.

In terms of close-quarters combat, the man was overwhelmingly superior.

But the 【Invisible Slash】 kept him from getting as close as he wanted.

On top of that, his beloved disciple had been taken hostage.

It was making the man anxious.

He had warned the opponent, but they were a cult that didn't follow reason.

There was no telling when they might snap.

......To be honest, if you were to ask whether Emi and this man could really get their meaning across with glances alone, the answer was no.

Until now, it had honestly just happened to work out, somehow or other.

They were both quiet types who didn't sweat the small stuff, so even when their thinking didn't line up, it never bothered them.

This time was no different.

The man didn't think for a single second that Emi should escape from being a hostage on her own.

He had simply glanced at his beloved disciple out of worry.

That was all.

But Emi didn't take the man's gaze that way.

She convinced herself that this was a task, a scolding, and proof of trust.

............And so begins Emi's challenge: a task from her master, one he has no memory of ever setting......!

◇ ◇ ◇

<Even if you say you'll overturn the situation, Emi......!>

Forced to watch Master's fight, I'm still restrained by Old Guy No. 2.

The sharp knife is still pressed against my neck.

<How do you intend to escape this restraint!?>

It's certainly a tough nut to crack, Omake-sama.

But this is a task Master gave me because he believes in me!

There must be a thread to the solution somewhere......!

“Hey, brat...... don't move. Don't think, anything funny.”

“............”

The moment I so much as twitch, Old Guy No. 2 wrenches my arm up harder and presses the knife even harder against my neck.

My skin is reinforced with 【Body Strengthening】, so a blade just held against it won't leave a single scratch, but with it pressed this hard for this long...... I'm probably getting a bruise by now.

Now, what do I do? What should I do?

Concentrate more and increase the precision of 【Body Strengthening】 so the knife can't cut my neck......?

<That is reckless, Emi. No matter how much you use 【Body Strengthening】, its strength is not absolute. This man, Priest Ogad, is likely a professional combatant as well...... It is more natural to assume that he has mastered a technique to infuse magic power and increase attack power, similar to 【Body Strengthening】, and if so, you must assume it wouldn't be difficult for him to pierce through your boosted defense and deal a fatal wound.>

Then, activate 【Grasshopper】 and leap away in an instant?

Activate 【Mantis】 and slice off Old Guy No. 2's arm to escape?

......No good.

Both require a preparatory motion.

Old Guy No. 2, who tightens the restraint at the slightest movement, would crush me before I could activate them.

【Magic Strike】...... is the same.

【Silverfish】 is...... not a technique that's useful at a time like this.

Even 【Intimidation】...... even if I did it, a little girl's 【Intimidation】 would probably be nothing more than a breeze to Old Guy No. 2.

Think, think...... think of something I can do!

Fortunately, Old Guy No. 2, who is holding me, was ordered by that bald Founder to keep me restrained.

It's an order from his boss.

He probably won't go against it and hurt me.

In other words, I still have time!

......Right?

“......Haa, haa......! Founder-sama...... is it not time yet...... Quickly, quickly, I want to reap heads...... I want to offer souls to the noble god......!”

Ah, oh craaaaaap!?

Old Guy No. 2's breathing has gotten heavier than before, and now that I'm listening, he's muttering some really creepy stuff!?

Something like a murder urge is starting to pour out of him, full blast!?

<It seems we're running out of time......!>

Think, think, think, think, think......!!

Think about what I've got, what I can do!

Seize it, with my own strength!

My own life, my own future!

What have I been doing this half year!?

What have I learned!!

<But Emi, the techniques you've learned are all the ones you just listed!? As for the fighting methods taught in sparring, there's no chance to use them while you're captured!>

Omake-sama screams.

<Emi, it pains me to say this, but you truly do not yet have the power to do something about this situation...... This man Ogad's rampage is terrifying, but all we can do here is believe that that gentleman will defeat the enemy and wait quietly......>

Don't! Don't say that, Omake-sama!

This is a task from Master!

These are the hopes Master has pinned on me, you know!?

<Even so, Emi......!>

I can't possibly betray that!!

No way, absolutely not!

I can't just stay here in silence and watch Master fight!

I'm fighting too!!

“Haa......! Hey, brat, I told you not to move! I won't be able to, hold back......!”

Guh......!

Old Guy No. 2's grip has gotten even tighter.

I can't move.

I can't do anything.

At this rate, I really will be doing nothing but watching Master fight......

....................................

Ah.

I see.

<......Emi?>

In front of me, Master and Baldy continue to fight.

Master is blocked by the 【Invisible Slash】 and cannot get close to Baldy.

He continues to move as if dancing, avoiding Baldy's attacks by a hair's breadth.

If it weren't for this situation, I'd want to watch more closely.

Master's movements, every single gesture, are refined and beautiful.

And it's not just his body movements.

His magic power manipulation, which is normally invisible to the eye, is precise, efficient, and wonderful.

The thread to the solution of this situation.

It was exactly there, in the battle unfolding before my eyes.

That said, what I should be paying attention to is not Master's wonderful martial arts.

The thread to the solution.

It was quite literally a “thread.”