Chapter 46: Fall
[You've discovered the true culprit behind the missing ingredients – the Demonic Monkeys from the mountain.]
[You didn't hesitate to chase after the culprits. The others reacted immediately as well—those with high Agility stats like Baobhan Sith, Tristan, and Finn-sensei joined you in the pursuit of the Demonic Monkeys.]
[However, the Demonic Monkeys were incredibly nimble, swinging agilely through the dense forest canopy. They were far more familiar with the terrain than you, easily toying with your group like it was a game.]
[Only now do you realize—it's really no wonder that Tristan and the others were so thoroughly humiliated by these monkeys.]
[You activate the skill "Charisma B."]
[Check successful.]
[Under your command, the entire team becomes more coordinated, cutting off the monkeys' escape routes and completely sealing off their path.]
[Please perform another Agility check.]
A die falls.
[Check successful.]
[Even while sick, you maintain impressive speed, relentlessly pursuing the Demonic Monkey. After a fierce chase, you manage to corner one monkey at the edge of a cliff. Below is a raging river—no matter how agile it is, there's nowhere left to run.]
The water below surged violently. The Demonic Monkey stood at the edge of the cliff, clearly panicking, unsure what to do.
Everyone arrived moments later, panting, forming a tight circle that left no openings for escape.
Perhaps due to the cold, Eikou felt more drained than usual.
"Give it up. You're completely surrounded. Hand over our stuff, and we'll let you go."
Eikou spoke to the Demonic Monkey:
"Your mom back on Mount Huaguo is crying her old lady tears watching this. She said she gave birth to you so you could carry on the legacy of Great Sage Sun Wukong—raise hell in Heaven and make the monkey clan proud. Not to become some petty monkey thief like this. Do you know what people in the neighborhood back home say when they hear about your low-life crimes? Do you know how many bananas your dad has to eat each day just to keep his blood pressure down because of you? He's considered himself childless since three years ago."
"Why are you even talking this much to a monkey?" Baobhan Sith rolled her eyes at him.
"Look—your mom and dad are over there crying their eyes out. Uncle, Auntie, say something to your kid!"
The Demonic Monkey, hearing that, actually thought its parents were really there, and turned its head in the direction Eikou pointed. Even Baobhan Sith and Tristan were fooled for a second and instinctively glanced over.
Seizing the opportunity, Eikou immediately activated "A Knight Does Not Die with Empty Hands EX," grabbed Tristan next to him, and hurled him fiercely at the Demonic Monkey.
Noble Phantasm activated — The Sorrow of Tristan!
"You dare steal from me? Courting death!"
The Demonic Monkey flinched at the sight and instinctively dodged to the right, just barely avoiding the attack.
But Eikou wasn't about to let it go. He instantly lunged forward, raining punches like a storm, forcing the monkey to the edge of the cliff.
Just then, a die rolled out.
The result: EX — Great Failure!
Eikou didn't even remember rolling any dice recently. Why the hell did a Great Failure have to trigger right now?
Wait a minute...
He vaguely recalled the initial text simulation mentioning a hidden dice mechanic—dice rolled earlier might take effect at an unexpected moment.
Could it be… now?
"Eikou-kun, let me help you!"
Finn shouted with vigor:
"Allow me—the leader of the Knights of Fianna—to gallantly, elegantly—!"
Before he could even finish the line, Finn stepped on a slippery piece of salmon dropped by the Demonic Monkey. The slick texture made him slip violently, and he tumbled straight off the edge of the cliff.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
"FINN-SENSEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"
Eikou's voice, initially filled with sympathy, quickly morphed into a shriek of horror—because Finn, as he fell, had managed to grab onto Eikou's pant leg.
Finn-sensei, if you're gonna fall, just fall—don't drag me down with you!!
The man clung tightly to the cliff's edge, but his weight was pulling Eikou down with him. Just a little more and Eikou would also plunge into the abyss.
In the final moment before falling, Eikou desperately flung Tristan's Sorrow, hooking Baobhan Sith's hand. Thanks to that, he just barely managed to hang on.
Finn held onto Eikou.
Eikou held onto Baobhan Sith.
The three (and Tristan) of them dangled in midair, gradually descending.
"Let go, Finn-sensei! Don't drag me down with you!" Eikou cried in panic. "It's a teacher's duty to protect their students—go out with dignity, for your most beloved student! A man who sacrifices himself is always the most handsome!"
"Eikou-kun, I believe in your potential! You can pull me up!" Finn shouted from below, stubbornly refusing to let go of Eikou's leg.
"Believe your ass! You're just trying to kill me too! You selfish old man!"
"That's my line!" yelled Baobhan Sith, who was being dragged by Eikou (Tristan) and struggling fiercely. "Let go! I don't want to die with you two!"
"It's okay, Baobhan Sith. If I die, I'll make sure to drag you down with me." Eikou said calmly.
"WHAT KIND OF MAN ARE YOU?!"
"A man is someone who struggles pathetically against reality until the very end! I must survive, even if it's just one more second!"
"I think so too!" Finn chimed in.
"I wasn't talking to you! Piss off!"
The three (and one 'Sword') of them continued wrestling at the cliff's edge. At first, Eikou still managed to hold his position—but just then, Baobhan Sith, who was being pulled along, accidentally stepped on the same damn slippery salmon on the ground. She lost control of her balance and fell right onto Eikou.
"Yaaahhhhhhh!!" Baobhan Sith screamed in terror.
Finn, Eikou, Baobhan Sith—along with Tristan's Sorrow—all plunged straight into the river below.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO——!!!"
Their collective scream of anguish echoed across the valley.
SPLASH! All of them hit the water.
...
[You have sunk to the bottom of the river.]
[You struggle helplessly, and you seem to hear Barghest's voice.]
[In your delirium, the cold and rapid current causes you to see illusions.]
[You see the calendar pages flipping rapidly—spring is ending, and summer, autumn, winter pass in a blink.]
[No matter how beautiful something is, one day it will be gone. No matter how close your friends are, you will eventually part. And after that, you will say goodbye to the academy, attend your graduation ceremony, and step toward the end of your life.]
In the darkness, bubbles slowly rise toward the surface.
[One year — you only have one year left to live. Cherish the little time that remains, and protect those you hold dear.]
[Mochizuki Eikou, what kind of life do you want to live?]
It seemed like someone was speaking to him.
"Eikou-san…?"
Vaguely, he felt someone calling his name.
Something pressed hard against his chest, forcing all the air out of his lungs.
"Eikou-san! Eikou-san!"
The pressure was incredibly strong, to the point that Eikou felt like his bones were about to shatter.
He felt something parting his lips—someone was performing CPR on him.
He opened his eyes in confusion.
Morgan?
In that moment, he saw the blue moon hanging in the sky, saw Morgan's serene and beautiful face, felt as if his head was resting on her lap, and she was gently brushing aside his wet hair.
—— But that was just an illusion.
He blinked and realized he was lying under the clear sky in a field, sunlight filtering down through the thick canopy above.
In front of him was Barghest's beautiful face, extremely close—her sapphire eyes glittered like jewels, her long wet hair draping down beside his cheeks.
Barghest's soft pink lips were pressed against his, clumsily but earnestly blowing air into his mouth — her soft lips still carried the scent of river water.
She was giving him CPR!