Thank You, Hang in There

“............”

Tossing aside Baldy, who had gone limp and stopped moving, Master rushed over to me.

Head, neck, arms, stomach...... He quickly felt me over, and once he'd made sure I wasn't hurt, he let out a deep breath.

I'm sorry for worrying you, Master.

But never mind me, what about you, Master!

You were slashed by that baldy, weren't you!?

Are you okay!?

As I stared intently at Master's wounded right arm, Master clenched and unclenched his right fist several times as if to show me, and muttered.

“......No problem.”

Then, he gently patted my head.

“You did, well.”

The moment I heard those words, the thread of tension snapped.

All the feelings I'd been holding down came rushing up, and the tears overflowed and wouldn't stop.

I was scared.

I was scared, I was so scared, Master.

But, I fought.

I hung in there.

As I went on crying in hiccuping sobs, tears pouring down my face, Master gently held me close.

Warm......

Behind the blank mask of my facial muscles, dead as ever, the fear that had filled my heart vanished before I knew it, and a comforting sense of safety filled me instead.

But.

That calm, warm time didn't last long.

Don.

Suddenly, Master shoved me out of his arms.

Eh? What?

Landing on my backside, with no idea what was going on, what I saw was

Master, cut deep in a diagonal slash from the shoulder, falling as blood sprayed everywhere.

“Ku-ha...... hahaha!”

A laugh echoed from behind.

It's Baldy.

Even with his heart pierced by Master, Baldy was still alive.

He was lying on the ground, barely breathing, and by the look of it he was using magic power to force a body that should no longer move to move, wringing out the very last of his strength.

“I, I am an apostle...... unlike you, lowly, rabble, cho, chosen, being......!”

Muttering something or other, Baldy stretched a 【Magic Slash Thread】 toward me as well.

“It, must not be! An apostle, losing, of all things! I, I, will bring eternal, slaughter”

The grating monologue stopped there.

Because Baldy, so weakened he could barely use 【Body Strengthening】, couldn't withstand the 【Stone Throw】 I'd launched with all my might.

Baldy's head was blown off, and this time, he was truly dead.

The 【Magic Slash Thread】 lost its form and vanished into a mist.

“............”

“............Master.”

Master lay powerless on the ground.

The wound was far too deep......

I took off my jacket and tried to tie it around him like a bandage, but it was no use.

Something like that wouldn't stop the bleeding......

“Master...... Master, Master......”

By now, all I could do was murmur, as if delirious.

The pool of Master's blood continued to spread around us.

Master's life was fading away......

“............”

Master managed to move his arm and gripped my trembling hand.

A big, rough hand.

Master's powerful hand.

Its warmth was slipping away, faster and faster.

“......Thank, you.”

What left Master's trembling lips were words of thanks to me.

......Why......?

Did I ever do anything worth Master thanking me for?

Didn't I just go and make myself his disciple, and cause him all kinds of trouble?

I, I've done nothing but take from Master, and I, I......

“............Hang, in, there......”

No.

With those few simple words of encouragement as his last, the strength left Master's hand, and he moved no more.

The grey clouds covering the sky began to drop scattered raindrops.

Lukewarm, lukewarm, summer rain.

It grew steadily harder, mixing with the pool of blood on the ground, and became muddy water, reddish-black and smelling of iron, that flowed away somewhere.

Amidst the pouring rain, I just sat there, clutching Master's cold hand.

I stared intently into Master's face.

That face, turned up to the heavens as the tactless rain beat down on it.

The expression of the stern-faced Master, which had hardly ever changed, no matter the occasion.

Even though it must have hurt to be slashed, even though it must have been painful.

It was a peaceful smile.

A kind, kind smile, just like Master.