293 Elf Village Defense Battle③

"Yamada-kun, right? What is this?! What did you do to Shun?!"

Kojo-kun shouts, but I'm currently holding Yamada-kun by the collar, so please wait a moment.

"Shiro, we really didn't do anything."

Just as I was gripping the Vampire Child by the neck, demanding the full truth, Oni-kun suddenly intervened with a defense.

"Shun was lying there, half-elf, and suddenly started suffering. Given the circumstances, Shun must have used some skill—perhaps a side effect occurred."

The Vampire Child nods in agreement, bobbing his head in response to Oni-kun's calm observation.

Suspicious.

The Vampire Child's eyes are darting—very suspicious.

"Though, Sophia-san did create the circumstances that caused Shun to use a skill, after all."

The Vampire Child, startled by the sudden reversal of Oni-kun’s stance, turns sharply toward him, as if a gust of wind had just swept through the air.

On his face was written, in bold letters: "Unbelievable—this one exposed me!"

The culprit’s gotta be you!

Sophia’s zombie inflicted a mortal wound on the half-elf there. Jun treated the injury, but immediately afterward, Jun began to suffer. From my perspective, that is how it appeared.

Oni-kun's concise situational summary.

Hmm, remarkably clear.

Hmm? Pain after treatment?

“Incidentally, if my eyes are not deceiving me, the half-elf over there was beyond救治. A fatal wound, by any measure. No matter how exceptional Jun’s magical ability, it was impossible to save them at that moment.”

Hnn?

What? So the half-elf lying unconscious right next to Yamada-kun is actually dead?

But she’s breathing normally. She’s just unconscious, isn’t she?

That means Yamada-kun used his Compassion skill to resurrect the dead?

“Jun’s action was resurrection? That ability couldn’t possibly activate without cost. I don’t know what the price is, but I understand why Jun suffered so much. Yatatsu, don’t blame this on us.”

Syrilis spoke sharply, still standing firm, sword raised.

His eyes showed confusion, yet a flicker of reason struggled to piece together the situation.

He seemed desperately trying to find a way to break this impasse.

But I have no room to care about that.

Cold sweat drips down my face.

Yamada-kun collapsing like that... in a way, it's my fault, isn't it?

I mean, he collapsed from using Mercy. That's definitely a Taboo level cap.

Mercy’s cost is Taboo level progression.

That alone wouldn't cause pain.

Unless the Taboo level cap is reached.

I experienced it myself. That gut-wrenching nausea—still unforgettable.

Yes.

Losing consciousness was unavoidable.

And someone in this room deliberately staged a corpse in front of Yamada-kun to raise the Taboo level.

I did.

That’s right. Yamada-kun reaching Taboo cap was my doing.

The final push came from the Vampire Child, but the setup before that—was mine.

Damn. Can't blame the Vampire Child now.

"Still, Yatata. Isn't it overreacting just because Jun passed out?"

As I pondered how to conceal this truth, Oni-kun conveniently shifts the subject.

"Jun is still alive. Not dead. And this is a battlefield. Death would be expected. Yet why react so severely over fainting? You don't seriously lack the resolve to die... or to lose someone, do you?"

A crackling pressure emanates from Oni-kun.

The force overwhelms the Imperial and Elven forces, paused mid-conflict several paces away. Their movements cease.

Even zombies—already lifeless—halt as if gripped by fear.

Oshima-kun, forced to face the pressure head-on, trembles, drenched in sweat.

As if doused from head to toe with a bucket of water, an absurd amount of sweat rises to the surface.

Trembling violently.

One might think it remarkable he still stands.

“If you’re here with such half-hearted resolve, I’m disappointed. You don’t know the truth. You have no resolve. Yet you believe yourselves righteous, standing here? That’s not merely absurd—it’s infuriating. To think my former friend was such a fool… it’s unbearable.”

Oni-kun spoke with unusual disdain, no effort made to conceal his revulsion.

His anger was masked as intimidation, but it rang false.

Perhaps, after all, it’s natural to feel this way—his former friend is the one before him.

The other, Oshima-kun, was half-conscious, overwhelmed by Oni-kun’s presence.

"Yatato. This is the first and final warning. Lower your weapon and surrender. Otherwise, even if you were once a close friend, I will cut you down. That is what resolve means."

Oni-kun declares, radiating oppressive force.

That was the end.

Yamada-kun’s legs go slack. He collapses to the ground.

The disparity in combat capability has already been made unmistakably clear. His instinct overrides reason. Submission is inevitable.

Of course it is.

The despair Yamada-kun now experiences—does it not mirror the feeling I once had upon my first encounter with Alaba?

The mere presence of an opponent signals absolute defeat.

That is the extent of the gap in strength.

Yamada-kun abandons combat.

Yamada-kun, the instructor, and the half-elf are unconscious.

Remaining are Hyalins and Black.

Yes.

This place is best left to Oni-kun and the Vampire Child.