Prologue – Chapter 4

Chapter 04 Claire’s Determination

After running away, Claire rushed into the mountain behind the village.
Chasing her back, Louis, who also entered the mountain, had lost sight of her back.
(How far did she go...)
Louis was now pushing his way through the mountains.
The surface of the mountain, which seems to always be covered with edible wild plants, has already passed long ago, and now we are in the depths of the mountain, where it is usually said that one should tread into.
However, it seems that Claire is definitely treading forward, and Louis had to rely on the traces she left behind.
"I’ve really messed up..."

Louis couldn't help but let out a sigh.
It was a well-known story in the village that Claire treasured her birthday.
Claire, a bright child with the smile like a sun, she temporarily hides and becomes quieter when her own birthday approaches.
Louis, who had been involved every year until last year, should have known that it was like the calm before the storm before her birthday.

"Haa..."

Louis let out a melancholy sigh.
Louis knew that once this happened Claire is stubborn.
A day or two won't change her mood easily. You need to be patient with her for at least a week.
The mountain that she had stepped into was getting closer to a dangerous place.

"The sun is starting to set."

Should we go back to the village and call the adults? When Louis was thinking so calmly, his voice echoed in the mountains.

“Kyaah!!!”
(Claire's voice...!)

Louis' reaction was quick.
When he instantly figured out the direction from which Claire's voice was heard, he started running in that direction.
As he chased after her, the distance between her seemed to shrink considerably.
He pushed his way through the vegetation that blocked the path, and after a short distance through the mountains he caught sight of her.

"Gururururururu..."
"Ah, aaaaa, ah..."

And also the appearance of the monsters that were about to attack her.
"!!"
A wolf demon that was about to attack Claire, who was crouching against the huge tree behind her.
In that moment, Louis puts himself in between them with a wooden sword in one hand.

"Louis!"
“…Claire, are you injured?”

The monster showed a wary look at Louis, who suddenly appeared.
Exactly half a year ago, a monster that was the same as the wolf monster that attacked his mother, no, this is a little smaller monster than the one at that time was in front of Louis.
Keeping an eye on the monster, Louis asked Claire, who was standing behind him.
There didn't seem to have any serious injuries to Claire.
She had a small scratches, probably because she went into the mountain with only the clothes on her, but she didn't have any life-threatening injuries right now.
Breathing a sigh of relief at that, Louis glared at the enemy in front of him.
A wolf monster suddenly appeared and seemed to be wary of Louis, who was confronting him with a wooden sword.
However, he didn't run away, and the monsters who were impatiently waiting for the right distance didn't feel like giving up.

(I’ll Protect Claire)

Strangely enough, even in the midst of his first battle, Louis didn't feel nervous.
Even if it was just barely, he was able to protect Claire. 
“………………”
The time passed as they both stared at each other.
Louis didn't want to attack on his own.
Louis had only been taught basic forms.
Because of this, he had little experience with other opponents, so there weren't many ways to attack for him.
And his priority goal was to protect Claire behind him.
She was so weak that she couldn't move.
However, in her own way, she must be trying to keep her eyes open, and her strong gaze pierces Louis' back.
He never thought of defeating the monster.
Louis also knew that it was a high hurdle.
"...! Gau!"
"~!!"
The monster rushed in from the front, perhaps because he was impatient with the time passing by.
Louis's body inadvertently stiffened for a moment due to the force, but apart from the stiffness, his body was moving surprisingly smooth.
His swing is from top to bottom. The simplest swing.
"Kyan!!"
Following his will, the technique posture that was almost reflexively unleashed struck the monster's forehead.
The monsters involuntarily retreated, perhaps receiving a counterattack that exceeded its expectations.
Still glaring at his face, Louis unconsciously exhaled.

"Ha, haa...! Haah...!"
"Louis!"

Just one encounter with the enemy, that alone had greatly reduced Louis' physical strength.
(Usually I don't get tired even if I swing it dozens of times...)
Is there such a difference between practice and actual battle?
Looking at him, Claire let out a worried voice.

(It's no good, I'll be beaten like this...!)

Louis understood after actually making contact with it.
He realized that his own wooden sword could not penetrate the fur armor of his opponent.
And the other person must have understood that, as the wolf's eyes were filled with murderous intent even more than before.
(If this happens, it's a matter of do or die...)
The second jump was immediate.
While Louis stared back at the wolf's eyes, the wolf once again lunged head-on.
The wolf rushes because he knew that Louis' attack would not be effective.
In response to the enemy's charge, Louis took a step forward.
"~~~fuuh!!!"
"Louis!!!"
The swung monster’s claw caught Louis' left shoulder.
However, it was supposed to chop up Louis, but when Louis took a step forward and lost a little momentum, it ended up gouging out the flesh on his left shoulder.
Seeing Louis' blood splattered, Claire let out a scream.
(Here it is!!)
However, her screams didn't reach Louis' ears until now.
Whether the monster started running or the monster was swinging its claws down, Louis, who was glaring at the enemy without change, swung his sword at the monster that was attacked and had an opening, albeit for a moment.
I knew that even if I swing it properly, it would be repelled by the fur.
Because of that, he aimed at its eyes.
“Gaaaaaaaaa!!!!”
"~~!"
The wooden sword that thrust into it was slightly short of reaching the monster's life.
Surprised by the pain, Louis thrust out his sword once more as he was wounded all over his body by the hands of the rampaging monster.

"Gaaa... aa, aaa..."

The monster cried out weakly at the end.

"Ha..., ha..., ha..."

(I did it... I was able to protect her... I was able to protect Claire...)
Seeing the monster's corpse that he had killed with his own hands, a sense of accomplishment welled up in Louis' heart.
All the training he's done so far hasn't been in vain.
He could protect himself.
A sense of helplessness that has been eating into him ever since his mother died.
Louis looked back at Claire as if all the darkness in his heart had dissapeared.

"Aah... eh...?"
“Louis……!!”

At that moment, all power left his body.
I felt my body plummet to the ground.
In my fading field of vision, I saw Claire with teary eyes running towards me.


◆

"Louis..."

 night.
Louis was wrapped in bandages and was sleeping peacefully.
The location was Louis' room, on the bed by the window.
In the end, right after that, Louis and Claire were rescued by the village adults who saw them entering the mountain and chased after them.
Claire clings to Louis, fearing that Louis will die if things go on like this.
After pulling her off with all their strength, they carried Louis, who was dripping with blood, in a hurry to the village.
Thanks to that, Louis was able to retain his life.
However, at the same time, his body was left with scars that would not disappear.

"..."

Claire, who had been taking care of Louis by forcing the adults what want to stop her even though she herself had suffered many minor raw wounds, stared at her childhood friend's side asleep peacefully on the bed.

"Louis..."

Beyond her sight, Louis was sleeping with an innocent expression.
Louis's face slowly fell asleep as if he had died.
Looking at his face, Claire remembered the scene from that time.
At that time--when she was attacked by monsters and couldn't do anything--it was Louis who stood up for her.
For Claire, Louis was just a childhood friend.
It would be a lie if I said that I hadn't been conscious of it at all since she was the same age as him, but since they were little, they grew up like a family member. She had a brotherly love that made her think him like a younger brother.
Recently, he seems to have been working hard on his sword training, but Claire was still physically and stronger than him, so Claire thought of Louis as a younger brother who needed help.

――However, the back of him who protected herself today seemed to Claire to be very large.

"Because I have to be strong"
A little while ago, I remember Louis' face when I asked him why he couldn't play.
At that time, I honestly couldn't think of the thoughts behind those words.
However, now I understand the strength of the feelings contained in those words.

---At the same time, Claire felt uneasy.
That was the final blow that caused Louis to be severely injured.
At that time, Claire saw Louis as too defenseless.
Yes, it's almost as if he even thinks anything is okay as long as he can protect someone else.
If you think about it, one day, when Claire asked Louis, who was single-mindedly devoted to training, "Why do you work so hard?", she said.
"I have to be strong"
"I want to be able to protect someone"

 And.
It's true that he's gotten stronger.
And he became strong enough to actually protect another person, Claire.

---However, in his goal, the existence that would protect himself was missing.

"If I don't protect Louis..."

When that thought came to her mind, Claire muttered naturally.
The monster that attacked Louis' mother six months ago, and the monster I met in the mountains today.
Until last year, monsters that had never even been seen around this village were appearing.
The monsters will probably continue to increase their appearance little by little.
And at the same time, I was convinced.
This childhood friend will fight to protect people from the increasing number of monsters and their threats.
And even then, he would put others' lives before his own.

--- He needed someone to protect himself.

"I will also become stronger. To protect Louis."

I didn't want to be protected.
I also want to be someone who can protect others.

That day, Claire made a strong decision.

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