Deep within Trinity, at the Tea Party's terrace, the sun had set, and a cold wind howled through the quiet space.
"FOX ATTACK!" WHAM!
"Abesh!" Mash yelped.
Yurizono Seia, the master of this domain, swung a wooden bat at Mash's face. Of course, it didn't hurt him—it just knocked him backward, the bat splintering on impact.
"You—how do I even describe it?!" Seia shouted. "You idiot!"
"Whoa, what's with the sudden attack, Seia-san?" Mash asked, rubbing his head. "And where'd that bat come from?"
"This is a dream, Mash. In a dream, I can conjure things like this," Seia said.
"Oh, got it… Then I'll—" WHACK! "Why do you keep aiming for my face?!"
"I read somewhere that hitting an idiot's head makes them smarter," Seia said.
"Taking that literally is a bit…" Mash mumbled.
Clutching his head in confusion, Mash sat on the ground, dazed. Seia stormed over, grabbed his collar, and roared with a lion-like fury.
"I warned you, didn't I?" she said. "If you die, the worst possible ending awaits!"
"…That's why I'm fighting, so that doesn't happen," Mash said.
"Fighting? Pushing yourself to the brink? Saying it's fine if you nearly die?!" Seia demanded.
"…If I don't fight, everyone else will suffer," Mash said. "So I have to—"
"So it's fine if you suffer the most?" Seia interrupted. "I'm not angry that you fought—I'm angry at your reckless mindset! Fix it, now!"
"My… mindset?" Mash asked.
Seia gripped his collar tighter, explaining her anger calmly but firmly. She wasn't upset about his fighting but about how he fought and his past actions.
"You think it's fine to sacrifice yourself for others, that it's natural," Seia said. "I never agreed to that."
"…"
"I have prophetic dreams, but your actions this time? I didn't see them coming. You changed the future."
"I'm Sensei," Mash said. "Sensei has to be perfect… has to be an adult. That's why I—"
"Perfect?" Seia scoffed. "Perfect doesn't exist. You, of all people, should know that."
"…!" Mash's eyes widened.
"Sensei… no, Mash," Seia said. "You're strong—a glitch in the world, frankly. So what? Does being strong mean you have to sacrifice yourself for the weak?"
"That's…" Mash faltered.
"I saw your dream, Mash," Seia said.
"!" Mash's face paled, panic setting in as his secret was exposed.
"It was horrific… like hell itself," Seia said.
"…Then you get it, right?" Mash said, flustered. "I have to keep going, or—"
"Or you'll sacrifice yourself to prevent it?" Seia cut in. "Listen, Mash."
Releasing his collar, she placed a hand on his chest, her tone softening to a whisper.
"No one wants you to sacrifice yourself," she said. "Didn't you say you'd save both the whole and the individual?"
"…"
"The future can be changed—you said that, Mash Burnedead," Seia said, her voice pleading. "Please."
Burying her face in his chest, she begged, "Don't make me cry anymore… I'm tired of crying."
"…"
"It's almost time," Seia said.
As before, a bright light enveloped them, and Seia's form began to fade. She left him with one final message.
"Mash, you're not alone. Don't forget that."
"Seia-san…" Mash said.
"See you again, Mash Burnedead."
"Seia-san… Seia-san…!"
"…!" Gasp. "…The ceiling…"
"Sensei… Sensei?!" a voice cried.
"He's awake! Quick, tell everyone!" another shouted.
"Yes!"
"Oh… wow…" Mash murmured.
Mash awoke under a familiar ceiling, surrounded by the bustling sounds of the Rescue Knights tending to him. One phrase echoed in his mind:
"Mash, you're not alone… Don't forget that."
Covering his eyes with his hand, Mash whispered, "…I know."
Meanwhile, in a corridor within Trinity…
(Why… why, why, why, WHY?! Why can't I hit her?!)
"Piece of cake," Azusa said.
It wasn't a fierce battle between Saori and Azusa—rather, Azusa was effortlessly dodging every bullet Saori fired with lateral hops, leaving Misaki, Hiyori, and even Atsuko dumbfounded.
(I'm aiming right, timing it perfectly… so why?!) Saori thought.
"Your bullet storm's nothing compared to Sensei's throwing attacks," Azusa said coolly.
"Again… always with him!" Saori snapped.
Realizing bullets were useless, Saori switched to close combat. Her larger frame gave her the advantage, but that didn't mean Azusa would lose.
(Right—left… no, a feint to low… I see it!) Azusa thought.
(She's reading my attacks!) Saori realized.
(A kick… then!) Azusa countered.
Saori aimed a kick from Azusa's blind spot, but instead of dodging or blocking, Azusa struck Saori's shin with a fist.
"Hmph!" Azusa grunted.
"?!" Saori staggered.
"No way…" Misaki gasped.
"Azusa-san… canceled Saori-san's attack?" Hiyori said, stunned.
"…" Atsuko watched silently.
"It's not over, Saori!" Azusa shouted.
Seizing the moment as Saori stumbled, Azusa fired a bullet into her stomach. Saori, refusing to stay down, regained her balance and aimed a palm strike at Azusa's jaw.
"No you don't!" WHAM! Azusa countered.
"Gah—(A headbutt… a headbutt?!)" Saori reeled.
"…Smash!" Azusa yelled.
(I didn't teach her that!) Saori thought.
Before Saori's palm could connect, Azusa headbutted her face, then swung her gun like a bat, striking Saori's stomach.
"What's with that fighting style…?" Misaki said. "That's not…"
"It's not how Saori-san taught us, or how we fight, right?" Hiyori asked.
"…" Atsuko remained silent.
"Of course not," Azusa said. "I learned this from Sensei."
"Again… him?!" Saori roared. "You love his teachings that much? His barbaric attacks—are they that appealing to you, Azusa?!"
Her eyes, clouded with an uncharacteristic darkness, betrayed the cool composure Saori usually embodied. She was consumed by negative emotions, a stark contrast to her usual self, and the entire squad could sense it.
"Saori, something's… wrong with you," Azusa said.
"Wrong? You're the one who's wrong, Azusa!" Saori shouted. "You spent so little time with him, yet you're nothing like us—raised in the same circumstances, with the same beliefs. Why are you so devoted to him?!"
"Saori…?" Azusa said, concerned.
"You're my family, not his!" Saori cried. "He's not your family, nor are those Trinity people! So why… why…"
"…Why do you look so happy?!"
Jealousy—that was the core of it. But it was more than that. Saori felt her family had been stolen by Mash and Trinity. The people she'd supported for years were suddenly taken by some unknown outsider—at least, that's how she saw it.
Yes, Saori… take them back. Your family, your precious things—reclaim them with your own hands…
But jealousy wasn't the only cause of Saori's unraveling. A voice in her mind, insidious and manipulative, was leading her astray.
"…Yes, I have to take them back," Saori muttered. "I have to protect… everyone… my family…"
"Leader… something's really wrong," Misaki said.
"Misaki… don't worry, it's fine," Saori said. "Once this is over… even your wounds…"
"Saori-san, um…" Hiyori tried.
"Hiyori—yes, Hiyori deserves good things too… delicious things…" Saori rambled.
"…" Atsuko gestured frantically in sign language.
"Hime… I won't let them take you… not anymore…" Saori said.
Her eyes changed—lifeless, hollow. Azusa realized it instantly: this was all Beatrice's doing. Fighting the urge to lose herself to anger, Azusa forced herself to stay calm and plan her next move.
(I have to wake Saori up. Her head wound from Sensei and whatever Beatrice did to her… that's what's causing this. So…)
"I'll protect them… I will!" Saori shouted, charging.
(This is the only way!) Azusa thought, rushing forward.
As she ran toward Saori, Azusa recalled a lesson from Mash:
"When you hit something, it's not just about strength. Put your feelings, your intentions into it."
"Feelings? Intentions?"
"Yeah, what you're fighting for matters a lot."
"Like what?"
"Well… for rowdy people, it's about calming them down. For bad guys, it's about blasting them away without holding back."
"Hmm…"
"It's tough to get now, but when the time comes, you'll understand. And you, Azusa-chan? You'll nail it—guaranteed."
"…I really get it now!" Azusa said aloud.
As Saori aimed her rifle at Azusa's face, Azusa dropped her weapon and charged straight in. The squad gasped, but before they could react, Azusa knocked the gun aside with her left fist.
"Saori!" she shouted.
(She deflected the gun… with her hand?!) Saori thought, stunned.
"Wake up!" Azusa cried.
With a powerful, focused strike, Azusa drove her fist into Saori's solar plexus. The small fist sank deep, sending Saori flying backward.
"…The Leader… lost?" Misaki whispered.
"Even with her wounds… Azusa-san beat Saori-san?" Hiyori said, incredulous.
Panting, Azusa faced Saori and shouted with all her might.
"I don't just want happiness for myself!" she declared. "I want everyone—everyone—to smile! I'm fighting for that day, and until it comes, I won't lose!"
Just as Mash dreamed of a happy ending, Azusa did too—a happy ending where her entire family could smile together.
-------------------------------
Want to read the latest chapters before everyone else?
Support me on Patreon!
You'll get early access to the next 30-40 chapters and this can help me continue translating the story regularly.
👉 [patreon.com/Greyhounds]
Thank you for your amazing support! ❤️