Arifureta: From Whelp to Dragonlord (ON Hiatus)

Part 5: The Dragon of the Abyss

   The death throes that the Behemoth echoed soon ceased. The stone bridge made a huge rattling noise as it crumbled. Keiji and Hajime disappeared into the abyss along with the rubble. That sight played for Kaori in slow motion and it filled her with despair.

In her head, last night's event repeatedly played in her mind. In the room illuminated by the moonlight, she sat here chatting with Keiji while they drank the fake black tea. That was the first time they had talked so in-depth with each other. Being driven by her nightmares, she paid a sudden visit to him. Even if he was surprised, he had talked to her truthfully. After a bit, she noticed that talking to him had erased her uneasiness.

She returned to her room in a jubilant mood. When she arrived back at her room, she noticed how boldly she was dressed and she writhe in shame. Kaori felt depressed because Keiji had not even reacted, in her eyes, to her looks. She felt she had no appeal. When Kaori saw Shizuku caught her making funny facial expressions, she wanted to pretend it never happened.

On that night, the most important occurrence was the promise she made to "protect Hajime". The promise that Hajime mentioned was to relieve Kaori of her anxiety. Hajime disappeared into the abyss, as she stared at him. She kept recalling that memory over and over again.

Somewhere in the distance, a scream can be heard. When Kaori noticed that the voice belonged to her, she grimaced as she was quickly brought back to reality.

"Let me go! I promised Them! I promised him! I will...I said I will protect them! Let me go!"

Shizuku and Kouki had to restrain her because Kaori looked like she would just jump after him. Kaori displayed such extraordinary power that they wondered where she got such power and how could she display such an amount with her slender body. Unlucky for them, she used that power to break free from them.

If she kept struggling like this, she might damage her body. Nevertheless, they absolutely couldn't let her go. If they released her, she would jump off the cliff. She did not have her usual calmness, not even a shadow of it, now she had such a frantic expression. No, it might be heartbreaking to say.

"Kaori! You can't! Kaori!"

Because Shizuku could understand Kaori's feelings, she could not find the right words to say. All she could do was call out her name desperately.

"Kaori! Are you also trying to die? It's too late for them! Calm Down! You'll hurt yourself!"

Kouki tried to best to convey how worried he was about her. To the confused Kaori that was here and now, these were not the words to say to her.

"What do you mean "too late"?  They are not dead yet! If I don't go,  they will surely need  assistance!"

It must have been incredibly difficult for Kaori to accept that Keiji Sumeragi and Nagumo Hajime were not able to be saved. Even though everyone else had given up hope, she couldn't bring herself to accept it. The other students, like Ryutaro, didn't know what to do and were probably feeling just as lost and overwhelmed.

At that moment, Meld approached them and struck Kaori in the back of her neck without saying anything. She jerked for a moment, then unconsciousness claimed her. Kouki held the now limp Kaori and glared at Meld. When he was about to start complaining, Shizuku preemptively bowed her head and said.

"I'm sorry. Thank you."

"Don't...Don't thank me. I can't let another person die. We will wholeheartedly leave this Dungeon. I'll leave her to you."

"You don't even need to ask."

She watched him leave, she headed for Kouki and got him to hand Kaori to her. Kouki still had a disappointed expression on his face from being interrupted.