Strange Grief Wants to Retire ~ The Weakest Hunter Dreams of a Hero ~ - Chapter 351.2: Sytry's Strategy ④

After all, I guess I still have something like firing Magic Bullets with the 『Bullet Ring』 to keep them in check…… But you know, I was barely able to stop the wolf knights of the 【White Wolf’s Den】.  Even if I can’t defeat the Phantoms, I want a little more firepower.

However, there is no proper weapon that I can use in my Relic lineup. The most I can use is the 『Longing for a Foreign World』, which I have saved Lucia’s Magic in…… But that can only be used once, I guess.

Is there something else? Something even I can use, something reasonably strong, without limit to the number of times it can be used, and if it stands out, it would be perfect. If I can use it from a distance, that would be even better. Something like the 『Dog’s Chain』.

……………… Maybe Luke? …… No, no, no, no. What can he do now that he is a statue?

And just as I am thinking that far, an item pops into my mind. It is a strong item that even I can use, an item without limit to the number of times I can use, an item I can use from a distance, and on top of that, it really stands out, a very cool item.

The problem is that there is a certain amount of risk involved――Eeeei, now’s not the time to care about that. When I make up my mind, I put my hand inside Mimic-kun and pull it out.

――A cursed teddy bear with a pendant hanging around its neck.

§ § §

The lifespan of a “Spirit People (Noble)” is far longer than that of a human. Among them, a “High-ranking Spirit People (High Noble)”, who boasts an even longer lifespan, rarely dies from longevity.

However, the flow of time is still equal. Whether we want it or not, the day of battle will come.

Before a big battle, the Spirit People from Yggdra perform a spiritual unification at a power spot. At an empty and quiet park with no one around. Ruin and I, Serene, are performing our pre-battle ritual side by side while soaking our feet in the spring.

It has been 200 years since Ruin went missing. There is no shortage of things to talk about, but there are certain topics to discuss before the battle. Ruin laughs slightly after hearing about the events that have happened since the arrival of 《Strange Grief (Nageki no Borei)》.

“Cry Andrich. What an interesting human being. If, as “Princess Serene (Serene-kojo)” says, this situation is as that human envisioned――Then 《Infinite Variety (Senpen Banka)》 has Keller, the masked god, in the palm of his hand.” (Ruin)

Keller, the masked god. This is one of the few pieces of information Ruin had brought to us about the 【Temple of Origin】――The name of the hostile evil god.

Keller transforms living creatures into its kin by giving them masks.

Ruin also became a Phantom due to being captured by the Phantom and forced to wear a mask. It is probable that other warriors from Yggdra have transformed into Phantoms through the same procedure.

There is little other information that Ruin knew. It seems that while Ruin was transformed into a phantom, Ruin’s consciousness was as hazy and unrealistic as a dream. The only thing that remained in Ruin’s memory was the name of the god, perhaps due to Ruin’s will as a warrior from Yggdra.

Keller. That is a name not recorded even in Yggdra’s records. It is probably one of the countless evil gods that reigned in ancient times. An ancient god who seeks to regain its power by absorbing the power at the center of the world. As the guardian of the World Tree, it must be defeated at all costs.

“There’s hope, Serene. Let’s believe in him. That human’s plan turned me back into a proud Spirit People again. Then, we must return the favor with our actions.” (Ruin)

Ruin says in a serious voice to silence me. What a nostalgic tone of voice.

And then, I suddenly remembered something I was curious about.

“By the way, Ruin. Why did you stop moving when you were fighting Lucia? It looked like you stopped moving when you saw me――Could it be that you came to your senses at that moment?” (Serene)

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This is an important confirmation. There are two types of Phantoms: those that manifest as Phantoms from the beginning and warriors from Yggdra who were transformed into Phantoms. If the latter sees me and regains their memory and stops moving even for a moment, it could be used as a way to identify our former companions.

Ruin is silent for a while in response to that question, but slowly begins to speak in an emotionless voice.

“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t fully conscious. It was very faint, but as a Phantom, I remembered Yggdra. Yes…… When I returned to Yggdra, I felt nostalgic. I somehow felt like I shouldn’t attack, that place.” (Ruin)

I recall what Sytry told me.

According to Sytry, who had been watching the battle from the beginning, Ruin’s movements were slow, as if they were trying to confirm something. Even during the fight with Lucia, it seems that at first they mainly focused on defense and did not attack on their own.

Even after the souls of the people of Yggdra were forcibly turned into Phantoms, they certainly remained dormant within them.

It made me proud. Now that Ruin mentions it, no Phantoms have attacked Yggdra since the 【Temple of Origin】 manifested. Up until now, I believed that the barrier surrounding Yggdra was keeping them away, but perhaps that was because they had memories of their days as Yggdras’ warriors remaining deeply in their consciousness.

And there, Ruin sighs deeply and looks at me with an expression that tells me they didn’t know how to tell me about it.

“However, the reason I stopped moving just before I attacked, what stopped me was――Because you, the proud Princess of Yggdra, looked and had a terrible expression. It felt like I had been hit in the head. My consciousness, which had been hazy, suddenly became very clear. Even though I was your teacher for a while, I thought I would die in agony.” (Ruin)

“――Hh!? Uh………… Uuuuh!” (Serene)

I felt my face turn red all the way to my ears at those unexpected words.

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It is horrible…… It is too horrible. The reason I dressed like that was because that human gave me his Relic.

In the 200 years since Ruin had been gone, I have never once dressed in an outfit unbecoming of a Princess of Yggdra, except for that one time. No wonder the first words when they woke up were about my outfit. I had assumed that they just blurted that out while their consciousness was hazy――.

That human…… Was that the reason why he gave me the Relic?

Ruin mutters with a bitter expression.

“………… Maybe if Serene shows up in that outfit again… Maybe we will be able to tell the difference between a Phantom and a former comrade.” (Ruin)

“!? You must be kidding! I won’t do it. How can I let my fellow countrymen, who fought so bravely, see me dressed like that? I would rather die than dress like that!! Uuuuuh!” (Serene)

Thanks for reading! Hahaha! So as expected, Cry made Serene wear the Perfect Vacation to stun and save Ruin! Also Marin’s Wails and the Black Knight part 2, the return of the cursed!

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