Dark Fantasy’s Extra Chapter 124

Just before the heavy blade of Hilde’s Executioner’s Axe touched the back of her head, Blanc smiled instead.

“My, who do we have here? Isn’t it the useless junior?”

Blanc brushed her light brown hair once as she moved away from me to sit.

Then she looked at Hilde with deep mockery and a sneering gaze.

“Yes. It’s been a while. You perverted stalker.”

“Hmph, you’ve changed quite a bit since we last met?”

“Of course. I’m not who I was back then. But you’re still the same.”

“Naturally. That’s what we behemoths are. Behemoths never change.”

“…Indeed, Iron Hans was trash then and trash now.”

“Ah, it’s been so long since I heard that name. But how do you know about him?”

“You don’t need to know that. And… you don’t need to be next to my senior either.”

Hilde brought down her axe.

“Hmm, impressive….”

The axe blade was caught between Blanc’s thumb and index finger.

“Ugh…!”

Though Hilde trembled as she tried to push harder, Blanc still didn’t budge at all.

However, her expression showed considerable surprise.

“What incredible strength? You’ve already become this strong? I thought you had unusual talent, but…”

“Damn it…!”

When Hilde immediately freed one hand to draw her gun, I stretched my arm between Blanc and Hilde.

“Senior…?”

Hilde looked at me with a dumbfounded expression.

“Why… why did you come?”

“W-well, since you were a bit late, Senior….”

“You fool…!”

I grabbed Hilde’s arm.

“I told you to protect the trainees…!”

Though I barely suppressed my anger enough not to shout, I couldn’t help the fury that crept into my voice.

“If by any chance I die here, you’re the only one who can protect the others!”

“B-but, but….”

Hilde’s voice grew smaller as she seemed to realize her mistake, her eyes wavering.

“Ah~, you shouldn’t be so harsh.”

Blanc wrapped her arms around my waist and neck from behind.

“Such a cute junior came to protect you, after all?”

Then she whispered near my ear.

A blatant attempt to provoke Hilde, and personally quite unpleasant too.

Though I wanted to shout at her to get lost right now, I had to view the situation calmly.

Blanc wouldn’t kill only me.

The rest of the trainees and Hilde were unknown variables.

Though I might be able to guide things so neither gets killed if I do well, there’s no reason to take such a risk with 21 lives.

“Return… to your position right now.”

“B-but Senior is…!”

“…”

I suppressed my anger and lowered my head bitterly.

Sometimes this is more effective than ear-splitting scolding.

“…Yes.”

Hilde clenched her teeth and pulled down her hat brim to cover her face before turning back to guard the trainees.

“Show some restraint.”

I pushed Blanc away again.

As if it had all been an act, she moved away easily.

“That’s quite a good impression?”

Blanc said.

“I thought she was just a useless girl with talent but a soft core. Did you train her to be like that?”

“Don’t interfere.”

“Hehe… it’s a bit disappointing. If that child had been more of a warrior, I might have chosen her instead of you. Though personally, I much prefer you.”

Blanc embraced me again.

I tried to stay as still as possible, thinking of myself as a stone or tree.

“I can’t stand this frail body. If I just squeeze a little like this….”

But Blanc tightened her arms around me.

“Mmph…!”

For one very brief moment, an image of myself crushed into meat flashed through my mind.

If Blanc used her full strength, no, even if she was just playing around, I would literally be crushed.

Fortunately, Blanc seemed to know this and didn’t apply much force.

“But… even I get anxious. So I might have compromised at a delicate point.”

“Compromise?”

“Yes. If that child trains for a few more years, she might be able to kill me. The possibility is quite high. But… it might be a bit disappointing for how long I waited.”

“…!”

Those words… they were very similar to Blanc’s last words in Blue Paper Moon.

When you defeated Blanc through the proper route, her final words were ‘It’s a bit disappointing for how long I waited.’

Noah, the protagonist of Blue Paper Moon, was a noble man who showed truly heroic progress unless you deliberately chose strange options.

There was no reason Blanc couldn’t choose him as the one to kill her, but in the later parts of the story, she occasionally said Noah’s talent was too outstanding to be interesting.

“Strong ones like that aren’t really my type. You’re just right.”

Blanc rubbed her face against my chest.

It was like an animal marking its territory on a tree.

“Well trained, and your heart is still beating.”

Just when it was becoming unbearable, Blanc pulled away on her own.

When it was just a game I could brush it off, but facing it directly and being the target of such perverted obsession made me nauseous with visceral disgust.

“I’m satisfied with enjoying this much today. But that junior of yours….”

Blanc looked in the direction Hilde had left with strange eyes.

“Hehe, things will become very interesting. Everything will change soon. Not much time left now. So stay alive until then. My Eugene.”

With those words, Blanc disappeared too.

“…”

I know well what Blanc means by everything changing.

She must mean all the witches will soon be freely unleashed.

And literally, the whole world changes.

The land and sky will be covered in vivid curses and nightmares, and the world goes mad.

When the latter half begins in Blue Paper Moon, every field receives large and small effects.

And people die in droves, just like in games and novels.

The sound of waves crashing against rocks and the empty scattering sea breeze reached my ears.

I briefly looked toward the sea where Rusalka had disappeared before returning to where the trainees were.

“…”

The trainees’ expressions were extremely tense.

When I glanced at Hilde, she still couldn’t completely hide her fierce aura filled with anger.

Still unable to kill her emotions like this….

No, perhaps she’s become even more emotional than before.

Fighting between life and death gradually changes people.

Unfortunately, you can’t choose how you change.

I know that fact better than anyone.

“We’re going back. Take a one hour… no, two hour break and pack your bags.”

“Um… aren’t we going to investigate?”

One trainee raised their hand and asked.

“Something urgent came up that needs to be reported back. Though you must all be anxious, nothing will happen right away, so try to stay calm for now.”

“Yes….”

But they obviously couldn’t relax with just these few words.

“…The sea.”

I turned my head toward the ocean.

“Yes?”

“Has anyone been to the sea before?”

None of the trainees raised their hands.

“Go take a closer look. I need to talk with the escort.”

“But that….”

“Go and enjoy yourselves.”

I took Hilde and moved some distance from the trainees.

Though the trainees seemed a bit perplexed by this situation and hesitated, their curiosity about seeing the beach for the first time seemed stronger as they all headed that way.

Especially those who had been staring blankly at the sea from the start couldn’t hide their excitement, as if they’d been waiting for this.

“…Hah.”

My heart lightened a little too.

Even in such a harsh world, there’s still some innocence.

“Senior.”

And once we were alone, Hilde spoke as if she’d been waiting.

“Earlier, Blanc….”

“What about Blanc?”

“…Are you alright, Senior?”

“About what?”

“What do you mean ‘about what’!”

“…Sigh, look here.”

I wrapped my arm around Hilde’s neck and lightly pinched her cheek.

“D-don’t do that….”

Though she could easily shake me off now if she wanted to, Hilde didn’t resist.

“What do you mean ‘don’t do that’. You’re the one who needs to show some restraint.”

“W-what?”

“Didn’t I tell you earlier to guard the trainees well?”

“That… I did make a mistake there….”

“You need to be more aware of your position. You’re a promising talent.”

“But Senior was with that woman….”

“Are you perhaps jealous?”

“W-what?! N-no, that’s… I was just worried….”

Though I said it as a joke, Hilde must be quite troubled too.

Her worry for me is surely genuine, and though it’s a bit embarrassing, she probably was jealous too.

I know Hilde likes me.

I’m not sure what she sees in a lowly hunter like me, but perhaps it’s natural after spending time together.

But….

“Keep your public and private matters separate. I’ll let it slide this once, but if this happens again, I’ll have no choice but to report it.”

Hilde received this as her first official mission as an escort.

And I clearly told her as the leader and person responsible for the trainees to protect them before me.

Except in extremely rare cases, emotions shouldn’t take priority during missions.

“Y-you’ll report about Blanc, right?”

“Of course. There’s an incredibly dangerous being wandering around… Let me be clear about one thing – I have no feelings for Blanc. From the start, she’s a Beast and I’m a hunter. We’re just meant to kill each other.”

“But….”

“She looks human, true. Pretty face too. But did I seem like someone weak enough to be enchanted by such things?”

“N-no, of course not!”

“If you understand, then stay focused and don’t make mistakes next time.”

I removed my arm from around Hilde and was about to roughly pat her head like old times.

But just before my hand touched her head, I remembered what the Marquis had said.

If I truly cared for Hilde, I shouldn’t stay this close to her.

Though the Marquis was a traitor to humanity and was worried about Jarkoff who liked Hilde rather than Hilde herself, nothing he said was wrong.

Even now I seem to have unconsciously engaged in quite dangerous skinship, but Hilde wasn’t the only one who needed to be careful….

“Anyway, since we came all this way, you should enjoy the sea too. Last time we were here it was quite rough, so let’s view it comfortably this time.”

I turned to look toward the beach.

Without needing to be told, several trainees had already taken off their boots and were splashing in the seawater.

Some were playing like children, kneading the soft sand they’d never touched before in their hands.

It would be nice if this peace could continue forever.

Though that won’t happen, I can’t help wishing for it.

“…”

And several female trainees were staring intently at Hilde and me while whispering something.

I’ll need to make sure no strange rumors spread…