EVIFSHETHEDEMONKING (GXG) (GIRLXGIRL) (GL)

20

After Shilde gets a bite of her hamburger, I ask, “… What did you guys think about the mock battle earlier?”

“They were so strong!” Shilde said. “I couldn’t do anything after I was surrounded.”

“I couldn’t even move a muscle…” Hira mutters.

“I… I fell right for their trap,” Yusha mutters.

Everyone’s blaming themselves; but as far as I can see from my perspective, I think this was the whole group’s fault than any one member’s.

“They were amazing, weren’t they?” Yusha said. “It was like… they moved like shing-shing then attacked like boom-bam!”

… It’s a wonder I managed to understand her even though she was using those strange words. What even were they?

“Should we ‘find what we’re missing?” I offer.

Those were the auxiliary party’s parting words. “Find what we’re missing”, but what even is it…?

“Cooperation… it’s something we should get better at,” Yusha said. “I hope we can do that from here on out…”

“Aren’t we already good friends?” Shilde said. “Let’s just get along better!”

“Maybe I need to be able to fight properly…” Hira said.

Everyone’s throwing out different opinions or rather, everyone is just saying what they believe rather than what we all need…

“Enough… everyone, quiet down,” I said. “First of all, Shilde charged in to attack despite being our tank, Hira froze up, Yusha rushed into the enemy formation and got surrounded, and I couldn’t keep track of the enemy’s movements, right?”

“R-Right…” Yusha said.

“I-I guess…”

“Mm—mhm…”

Shilde, Hilda, and Yusha all look at me as one.

“Huh… what is it?” I ask.

I wonder if I said the wrong thing… but everyone spoke out before I could…

“Hey, Shilde, Hira, maybe this is what we’re missing?” Yusha asked.

“Yeah… I feel the same, too,” Shilde said.

“R-Right?” Hira stammered. “Me three…”

It seems there’s a consensus among the three of them, but about what?! I’m getting worried…

“Ah… what’s this all about? I’m curious,” I said.

Yusha dramatically cleared her throat. “Well, maybe ‘what we’re missing’ and what we need to find… is a chain of command and a leader.”

“Huh? Oh, that’s…”

Until now, we haven’t elected a formal leader. Yusha tends to be the one making the decisions, but I don’t think she’s the type who calls out orders on a battlefield…

“And speaking of a leader… I think you’ll be perfect for the role, Lily!”

I hummed and nodded along. “Wait, what?”

Huuh…?!

“M-Me?! But why?” I stammer.

“Looking back on it, you gave Yusha clear instructions after I rushed in and you were effectively leading our party, right?” Shilde says.

“That she was~!” Yusha hums. “It’s easier to give commands from the rear, right?”

“And unlike me, you can see plenty of the battlefield…” Hira said. “You’ve been able to keep tabs on everyone, right?”

“Well… I was just scrambling then,” I said.

I didn’t figure it out by myself but looking back on it now that Shilde and Yusha have pointed it out, I was the first to recognize what was happening to our party.

“We’re good friends but we’re a mess on the battlefield, so we need you to become our leader and coordinate us, Lily!” Yusha said.

Shilde and Hira seem to be silently urging me to take the position as well.

“But… there’s the question of if I can be the team leader…” I said.

“You’ll be fine!” Yusha said. “You can see everyone and give out instructions, right? I trust in you and will do as you say!”

“Yusha…!” I whimper.

When she said that, I lost my hesitation… I’ve decided!

“I understand,” I said, “I’ll be our party leader.”

“Alright!” Yusha cheers. “I’ll follow your orders from now on, Lily~!”

“Thanks, Leader,” Shilde said.

“P-Pleasure to be working under you…” Hira mutters.

“However! Now that I’m the leader, we do things properly, alright?” I said. “Especially you, Shilde, no more sleeping in class!”

“Ugh…!” Shilde gasps. “Can’t you ask anything but that?!”

Everyone’s glowing. It’s only been about two hours since the practical training but I’m sure that we’re stronger now than before.