DanMachi Vol.16

CHAPTER 5: THE PROOF OF ( )

The water surface rocks. Tiny ripples silently run up the shore before receding, transmitting the intermittent impacts originating from the boat floating in the distance.

Then a spray of water breaks the surface.

"Ghah!"

Sucking in a deep breath of fresh air, I bring my hand onto the shore. My clothes feel as heavy as lead as I drag Syr up with my other arm.

"Gh! Ack!"

"Are you okay?!"

I pat her back as she coughs. We're clinging to the stone-paved shore with only our upper bodies out of the water.

I pull myself onto land.

I had been shocked, and it had taken a lot of stamina, but I've gotten fairly used to things like this while exploring the Dungeon. I just ventured into the Water Capital on my last expedition, even. I'm not sure how to feel about this becoming something I'm familiar with, though.

I grimace at the sensation of being totally waterlogged as I hold out my hand and quickly lift Syr up onto shore as well.

I support her as she slumps down, kneeling on the ground. Looking back, I see Spoon Aqua still floating in the distance. The giant hull illuminated by magic-stone lights is rocking violently, indicating that the fighting isn't over yet. I can hear what sounds like glass shattering and the pained groans of someone getting blown away.

I'm not sure why they were all there, but I am going to have to apologize to Aiz and Lyu and everyone else afterward.

A mix of gratitude and regret fills my heart as I breathe a sigh of relief that there's no sign of anyone chasing us yet.

We ended up on the side of the boat opposite the ice bridge Freya Familia made. The city's western gate is somewhere behind us. The deserted shore is quiet, beyond the revealing reach of the streetlights.

It seems unlikely that anyone has noticed we escaped the ship yet.

And to be honest, I'd say I did pretty well diving off the deck, sinking to the bottom of the waterway, and then swimming all the way here, holding Syr the entire time.

"..., ...gh."

"Syr...?"

I notice Syr is trembling slightly as I hold her against my chest.

Wait, is she crying?

I frantically try to check as she looks down—

"Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

—when all of a sudden, she bursts out laughing, as if she couldn't hold it in anymore.

Her reaction startles me, but there's no stopping her fit of laughter. She's holding one hand to her mouth while pressing the other against her stomach as she lets out a muffled, innocent laughter I've never heard coming from her.

"That was a first!"

"Huh?"

"That's the first time I've ever done something like that!"

Raising her head, she examines me from up close, beaming ecstatically. Her cheeks are flushed with excitement, and her eyes are sparkling like stars. My shoulders slump.

Well, yeah...

An ordinary person would never leap off a boat in order to escape people chasing after her. I guess it's a testament to how much she trusts me, but that was really, really, really reckless.

Hit by a sudden wave of exhaustion, I consider telling her off a bit, but when I see the childlike excitement still visible on her face, I end up just smiling weakly.