To me, black magic is my most reliable power to live in this world. Furthermore, the research and development for the study of magic became a hobby for me.

The imagination is crucial to activate magic.

There are various categories within magic like the magic I use use can only be used by the person himself ‘Original’ , the magic used by Lily which can be used by people from same race ‘Extra’ and the magic used by Aten and other many magicians known as ‘Model’. They all can’t be activated unless a clear imagination is made in mind.

A countryside person and on top of it a rookie adventurer like me, the only thing I can do towards the research on my magic is to just deepen my imagination and understanding of magic.

By the way, the Model magic can be used by anyone with magic power present in them. It is originated from theories close to that of science and maths after all.

I gave up on learning the ‘model magic’, because to learn the model magic with the power equivalent to that of my “anti matter” , it takes at the least 2 years of training to learn it.

In the first place, this world’s the chanting for it and it’s original pronunciation

“???? ?????? ??? ????? ??????? ??? ?????? ?????”

is completely non-understandable to me

Most probably, I came to understand this world’s language thanks to remodelling, but from the rules of automatic translation that occurs inside my brain the chants have been left out.

On the contrary, the normal conversations and characters are 24×7 all year long being automatically translated, so it’s impossible to learn the language.

If, I had talent in primary color magic, I can use it without even chanting, but seems like there was no talent inside me except for black magic. [ET: SO lame~ pfft.]

Therefore, I stopped learning about the Model magic and decided to use my Original magic as my only weapon.

ANd so I invented the “Magic Bullet “Bullet Art”” and “Magic Sword”Sword Art””. [ET: SAO anyone... and MAO anyone>>>??<<<]

There is no effect like dramatical increase in power or any new effects were made but by using it in battles, I can feel “It’s gotten easier to use it” effect like the improvement in “Activation sequence” “Accuracy Management” and “Magical energy Requirement ”

The ‘magic bullet’ is just a general term for the attack magic I’ve made taking ‘buckshot’ and ‘a(chǎn)nti matter’ as center. the “magic sword” is the improved version for “automatic fencing” which can, at will, use blackened swords without using my hands.

In addition if I use the “magic bullet” with “black ballista” and the ‘magic sword’ with cursed weapons, then the offensive power will rise exponentially.

Other than that, I’ve made defensive magic before like ‘Shield’ and ‘Baphomet’s Embrace’ which by wearing it, my defence has gradually gotten better.

Compared to the first fight with Sariel, this time I had a lot of useful equipments and my offensive power had risen too,

But, even with all that I was still no match for her.

Holding onto a rope of hope, I on my own will entered the fight, but still Sariel went easy on me so as to not kill me.

The model magic’s offensive magic and defensive magic is commonly used as “Ignis Sagita” and “Ice Shield”.

But, Sariel activated the “Sagita” and “Shield” separately which meant that it’s power was reduced to half.

Sariel must have analised that her half power of her normal would be enough to take the fully equipped me head on.

There’s no way I can win against her. No matter with how much I attack her with the will to do or die, she can just play with me like a child.

Weak, Yeah, I was weak.

It’s still fine for me to fight to protect myself but when Sariel and Crusaders came to Pandora continent, the power to protect the Irz Village along with Lily was just too insufficient in me.

To protect other people too, more power is needed. If you say it’s obvious, then yes it is.

But, I understood that obvious thing just now.

I want to become stronger, I want more power, when I think that, i regret for not crave for power from start. Now that i think about it, it’s my first time ever to think like this.

“–Kurono!”

With my name called, I woke up from my dream to see the face of Lily.

“Lily......Good Morning”

“Good Morning, it’s night although.”

When I look around, it’s inside some forest. In the sky, a moon much bigger than earth’s version is brilliantly shining,

I also realise that I’m sleeping on Lily’s lap.

Moreover, Lily was in her little girl form so it will look like her embracing my head only.

“Am I alive?”

I rise up and murmur.

I recall everything till the moment I fell unconscious

“I carried you and escaped to here.”

“I see, Thank you”

“I’ve also retrieved all the weapons too”

When I closely look, the cursed hatched ‘Tsujigiri’(lit. Serial Killer) is leaning against a tree.

To think that she even had the time to retrieve weapons with her opponent being Sariel. But now it’s not the time to think about it.

“I thought to protect you, but ended up being protected by you, I’m so uncool.”

“I’m happy that you tried to protect me, but from now on don’t fight alone with opponents you can’t win against. Whenever there is danger for your life, I will be by your side. After all, I’m your partner, aren’t I?”

“That’s right, Sorry, now I won’t do something so reckless–”

That’s right, Lily is not someone I have to protect one sidedly but she is my partner whom I can leave my back to.

On my own will I go away from her to protect her, and in the end I get protected, there is no other thing more pitiable than this.

And I have unlimited words to thank to Lily.

“–by the way, Lily’s way of speaking is different, right?”

I once again look seriously at Lily, she looks like a small girl, but the words flowing out of her mouth are really fluent.

As if, I’m talking with the young girl form of Lily.

“Un, right now my consciousness returned to the same way it is at the time of full moon nights”

“Only consciousness?”

“That’s right, because I have something to tell to you as soon as you wake up. I can’t explain information too with the mentality of a child, right?”

“Is, is that how it is......”

Having said that, I feel an extraordinary uneasy feeling from Lily.

I almost carelessly thought of asking her whether her usual behaviour was just an act?

“Muu, I doesn’t feel like you are accepting it?”

“Don’t mind it, and tell me what you want to tell me.”

“‘Kay, I don’t have much time so I’ll start first.”

“First, It’s already been 1 day since you fainted.”

It’s not like I used all my magic power, and still was out cold for 1 whole day, looks like I was really hit with great force on my head

“And here is between the woods at the foot of Riol ridge. I don’t know whether they are chasing us or not, but on the outskirts of Riol village there are many humans in white uniforms roaming around. It’s better if you don’t try to go to highway or the village.”

“I see, looks like it’ll be a detour for the way back to home.”

Even though Sariel was letting us leave, but even she can’t help it if soldier find out about the fact that a fight broke out there.

“Still, how did you carry me till here”

“When I saved Kurono from in front of her, I was in my original form.”

“her you say , are you talking about Sariel?”

“Un. that idiot woman”

Lily you’re face is scary, don’t make such angry face in the little form.

“Looks like it’s true she killed the Dragon King. Anyway, there is no doubt she is ridiculously strong, so kurono must not fight people like her from now on, I also don’t want to get involved with likes of her.”

“Aa, I got it, and looks like there will be no ‘next’ too.”

I doubt there will be another chance to fight with Sariel anymore.

After all my Assassination plan was ruined, I now need to think about what to do from now on.

“Well, let’s return to Irz village fast.”

After telling the news about the death of Dragon King and the possession of Daedalus, I need to prepare for running to another country.

Around this area there is no more hope, but if it’s Irz village near the western end, they still have time to run.

“nee, Kurono”

“Nh?”

“The magic I used to return to my original form, I had saved it as an emergency measure. The one that can use it is only the child form of mine and it’s complete coincidence that it succeeded and it also takes time. It’s mostly due to luck that I’m able to talk to you, that’s why don’t do something like this ever again.”

“Yeah, I got it, Sorr–”

Lily jumps into my chest.

“I was really worried.”

“–Sorry, Lily”

For a little while, i embraced Lily while patting her head.

Putting Lily in my hood, I run up the highway in full speed.

The capital city is overflowing with soldiers, so I had to take a detour through the forest which took me a lot of days to complete.

Using that I came near the center of Daedalus territory and soldiers were also not visible so I went ahead to use the south-west highway.

I keep on running except for time to eat. Not stopping for any village that passes by and even cutting the sleeping time.

Still it’s impossible for Lily to cut her sleeping hours, and was sleeping on my back just a while ago.

Even so, I want to give her a comfortable sleep at bed, but I need to go to Irz village as soon as I can , and this thing even Lily understands.

And at last, we came to Kuar Village.

Naturally, I had thought of passing through here without stopping, but there a lot of commotion coming from there.

“Did something happen over there?”

“?”

Along with Lily who also didn’t know about what was happening, i decided to move towards the centre of uproar.

The plaza was full of people.

If it was just that, I would’ve agreed that they are getting prepared for the summer festival but, the people in plaza were holding up luggage and were having tired expressions.

They are getting water from the vigilantes of Kuar village and getting first-aid for their injuries.

“Excuse, did something happen here?”

I asked one kuar villager in the plaza

“I don’t know what happened, but they have escaped from Irz village.”

“Eh?”

“They have been coming here one by one and by the morning it was a really big deal. The vigilante corps are also patrolling here and there, just doesn’t feel right around here.”

Now that I think about it, the faces of people in the plaza are known to me.

The moment I confirmed it, I rushed up to the plaza and shouted.

“I’m Kurono, an adventurer from Irz Village, what happened in the village tell me please!”

“Kurono......Yeah, i have seen you”(random villager)

“Oo, Lily-san is also here.”

After giving responses like that, some werecats stand in front of me.

“Irz village was attacked by human’s army.”

The moment I heard those words, though I didn’t want to believe it, I understood the situation.

“We also don’t know about the details, but last night a human army attacked us and the escape order was given out, so we in a hurried and ran up to Kuar village. Near the north-west highway many flames were present and explosions were also heard, most probably the vigilante corps have been fighting there.”

“Last night......”

“The only ones here are the ones who lived near the south-west gate, most of the villagers are still not here. Hey! you are an adventurer right, can you go and save villagers, no you can just go to see what is happening there, it will take more time for Kuar village’s vigilante corps to move—”

The surrounding people too look at us with eyes full of expectations.

“Yeah, leave it to us, we will definitely save the villagers!”

Please, please everyone be safe! [ET: 2 times please is not a typo.]

With expectations, I run with my all power towards the north – west highway to reach to Irz Village.