DBOFS 78

Chapter 78

Logically, there could be no guide who would dash out the window to grab someone being abducted by a flying monster.

“Waaaah—!!”

And Jade was always an existence beyond common sense.

Of course, the one who regretted that fact the most was Jade herself.

“Am I crazy?!”

It wasn’t like she had truly intended to die!

Contrary to the tears of blood welling up inside, Jade immediately drew her gun the moment her eyes met Sebric’s.

To be precise, she summoned the gun.

“Thank you, Unknown Dungeon! Thank you, sudden quest!”

Grateful once again for the reward obtained after subduing Harris’ berserk state, Jade pulled the trigger.

Bang—!!

Her face automatically contorted at the sensation of mana rapidly draining from her body, but the magic bullet she generated boasted destructive power far beyond that of a normal firearm.

“Kyaaah…!”

It was enough that it pierced the man’s shoulder—the same one trying to gag and blindfold Dimuad—but it also sent him plummeting beneath the flying monster.

Just like when she had instantly eliminated the stuffed-monster beast.

Dimuad’s wine-colored eyes widened as her view cleared.

“…Jade?”

All of this had happened in the brief instant during which Jade had fallen.

Performing a feat close to divine, she managed to land precariously on top of the flying monster.

“Hah… huh… hah—!”

So close!

Jade nearly slipped, hastily clinging to the monster.

‘Crazy high-spec body…!’

It was unfortunate to be cast into such a comical world, but in that moment, inhabiting a body like this was sheer luck.

Behind the panting Jade, Camillo silently landed.

‘Jade-sama is truly amazing!’

He could only marvel.

The audacity to throw oneself into the sky for a purpose, the incredible reflexes reacting instantaneously to an enemy, and marksmanship close to divine!

‘Truly, just like his sister.’

Everything Jade did had purpose. Even what appeared to be a reckless leap was probably a move to gauge my reaction…

Camillo, awestruck, steadied the staggering Jade from behind.

“Th-thank you…”

Jade panted as she expressed her gratitude.

The brief relief of landing vanished instantly as the sudden impact made her heart pound.

‘I shot a person.’

And sent them plummeting. They were probably dead.

Of course, that was the intent behind pulling the trigger.

Though she had shot many beasts, she had never shot a person before.

Or driven someone to death…

Jade’s face turned pale, drained of color. Even after inhabiting the Morales world for so long, this was too much to react to nonchalantly.

“…You… you are—!”

Frozen in shock, Sebric recognized her and let out a horrified cry.

‘How are you here?!’

Even if Harris Godwin had suddenly appeared, he wouldn’t have been this surprised.

Sebric’s face twisted with shock, confusion, and betrayal as he pointed.

“You are surely the mage of the Arcane Tower…!”

But he couldn’t finish speaking.

Crack—

Sebric’s face twisted violently.

Camillo had seized the careless mage’s neck and whispered close to him.

“Who are you pointing at?”

With a chilling gaze.

Two figures appeared suddenly. And the commander was dead in an instant.

“Wh-what—!”

As the group on top of the flying monster froze, Camillo moved swiftly.

‘Since Jade-sama has already demonstrated her skill, I too must show a face worthy of it.’

Mistaking the frozen Jade’s state for the thought, “Now, show your skill,” Camillo drew his sword.

Before the unprepared enemies could recover, Camillo’s sword sliced through their necks, taking their lives.

“Ugh…!”

“Gah—!!”

Screams and bodies fell, and the figures on the flying monster rapidly decreased.

“Haah, haah…”

Jade, barely recovering from the shock, realized the situation was now under control.

‘I… I found Dimuad.’

She had prevented the child from being abducted. That was enough. She had thrown herself recklessly to achieve that…

But relief was premature.

[Kiiieee—!]

The controller, Sebric, had died, leaving the flying monster uncontrollable.

Without its controller, the flying monster wandered frantically.

“Ugh!”

“Waaahh—?!”

On top of it, Dimuad and Jade were even more endangered!

As the summoned beast rampaged through the sky, Jade’s frozen body slid instantly.

“Jade-sama—!”

Fortunately, Camillo grabbed her.

“Ca-Camillo?!”

Jade’s pupils shook. The shock had caused Camillo to fall in her place!

“I’m fine—keep your balance—!”

Camillo shouted to Jade as he fell.

Even while plummeting, Jade watched Camillo change form in an instant, mouth agape.

‘He… he should be safe, right?!’

Now that his form had changed, there was no way to tell where he had fallen. And there was no time to search.

“Waaaah!”

“Dimuad?!”

The rampaging flying monster threatened to drop Dimuad as well!

Jade desperately shielded Dimuad with her body as he tumbled.

“Ughh!”

A groan escaped naturally.

The boy was heavy…!

The flying monster, crazed without a controller, spun violently as Jade bore the full weight of approximately 50 kg of rice (0.65 koku).

Even Jade, resistant to fear and crisis, took a severe hit.

‘S-save this person—!’

It felt like she might die! Harris, where’s my all-purpose S-class ability? My fake guide is dying…!

Clutching Dimuad tightly, Jade cried silently, clinging desperately to the flying monster.

“Dimuad-sama!”

“Baron Rian—!”

“Grab him!”

From below, allies tried to attack the flying monster to save Jade and Dimuad, but…

[Kueeek—! Kyuik!]

It backfired.

The enraged flying monster, provoked by the attacks, flew from the East Wing to the North Wing, and then toward the desolate forest behind.

‘No, not there!’

Panicking, Jade clutched Dimuad even tighter.

“…!”

Dimuad, barely able to breathe, looked at Jade who held her tightly.

‘She’s trembling.’

The thin body shivered like it was scared, pressed against hers.

And yet she wouldn’t let go.

As if willing to do anything to save her.

‘Why?’

Dimuad’s violet eyes trembled. Why would you go this far for me?

‘Dimuad, no!’

Renor’s scream echoed in her mind, as well as the face that had desperately reached for her.

Dimuad remembered everything vividly. She thought this might be her last sight.

Her sister, who always sacrificed herself for Dimuad. The guardian who practically raised her in place of busy parents.

The family she loved so dearly, engraved in her memory to the very end. Dimuad didn’t blink, even as they ascended into the sky.

Though always irritable and arrogant, when gagged and blindfolded, despair that seemed suffocating swept over her.

But.

‘From the moment I awakened, I decided.’

I will choose my own end.

And now is that chosen end.

The moment Dimuad closed her trembling eyes and tried to swallow the poison hidden inside her mouth…

Bang—!!

Jade appeared.

The deafening gunfire startled Dimuad, and she realized the man suppressing her was gone.

The cloth covering her eyes blew away in the wind, restoring her vision.

And…

“Dimuad!”

A girl with pink curly hair soared through the sky, taking control of all her senses.

Even as her abductors fell one by one, Dimuad couldn’t take her eyes off Jade.

“Ugh~!”

Even as her vision swayed, and she almost tumbled, Jade embraced her tightly.

“…It’s okay.”

Unable to shoot her signature gun, merely clinging to the flying monster, Jade whispered.

“It’s okay, it’s okay…”

Her terrified face still seemed to console Dimuad.

‘Why?’

Dimuad wanted to die. She wanted to cry.

Helplessness made her want to die, yet the fact that Jade had come to save her made her want to cry too.

As her resolve to end her life wavered, repressed emotions surged to the surface.

Why… of all people, you.

Why do you even take over the last moments of my life?

To someone, kindness was poison, and love was death.

Dimuad had sensed from the first moment she saw Jade that she would be poison and death.

And knowing it, she would still be unable to refuse…

She could not be unaware.

From the moment their eyes met, she knew.

A strange, noisy banquet hall, mixed smells of unpleasant alcohol, suspicious and hostile gazes. Her mother enduring disgrace and shame for her sake…

She had wished the chandelier above her head would fall and kill her.

‘Harris-sama wouldn’t do that!’

Her sensitive nerves, by nature, strangely focused entirely on one person.

Yet Dimuad struggled against fate.

Pushing Jade away, insulting her, trying to make her hate her somehow…

‘Not you.’

It was her denial of fate, and a wish that Jade would not be swept away by her life.

Women Dimuad loved had always been sacrificed because of him.

And yet, even after pushing her away, why…

Seeing Dimuad’s face, twisted as if ready to cry, Jade kept muttering.

‘It’s okay, it’s okay, it will be okay. Somehow, it will be okay…!!’

Dimuad mistook it for comfort, but Jade, terrified, was only repeating self-reassurance while swallowing her tears.

‘Please don’t fall into that forest!’

That’s the Human-Hating Forest!