"Huff... Huff... Huff..."
In the dead of night, Ume ran without looking back. Tears streamed down her face, and inside she burned with anger at her own weakness.
"Ume... When I give the signal, run without looking back. If you don’t run... then you’re not my little sister."
At her older brother Gyutaro’s words, Ume had fled at full speed. Could her brother really fight and defeat a monster like that...?
"No... My brother is strong...!"
Surely, in just a little while, he would kill that thing in one blow and, as always, hold her in his arms.
Thud.
"Eek!"
While running, Ume tripped over a rock and fell. Her knees were scraped raw, and dust clung to her whole body.
"This is seriously... so annoying..."
As she muttered that and tried to get back up, someone suddenly burst out beside her.
"Huh? What’s this? I’m lucky, aren’t I?"
A man approached Ume with a creepy, beaming smile.
"...An oni...?"
In Ume’s mind, the word [oni] came back to her—the thing that man had mentioned earlier.
"What? You know what I am? You’re a funny one. Hahaha!"
With that, the oni grabbed Ume’s arm hard.
"Ow...!"
"A young girl with such gorgeous looks, too... You’re going to taste amazing!"
Ume struggled to shake off the oni’s arm, but its strength was overwhelming, and she felt certain this was the end.
"Hahaha! What’s with that face? A face like you’ve given up on everything... I like it! Today really is my lucky day!"
"...I’m sorry, Brother..."
Thinking that, Ume closed her eyes. Then she heard a man’s voice, and opening them again, she turned toward where it had come from.
"Well, well... Is the game of tag over?"
"!!!! How..."
"!! Escanor!"
A massive, muscular man holding a huge axe stood beside her. Just seeing that was enough to make Ume feel safe.
"What? There’s no way you could’ve caught up! Just what the hell are you?!"
"There is no reason for me to tell you. More importantly... attacking someone in the middle of a game..."
Escanor grabbed the oni’s head with one hand and squeezed until it burst.
Paaang!
"Are you looking down on me..."
Escanor said it with a colder expression than anyone had ever seen.
"Ume. Are you hurt anywhere?"
"N-No... Thank you, Escanor."
"This much..."
After thanking Escanor, Ume immediately thought of her brother.
"!! Escanor! My brother is in danger right now! He might die!"
"Hm? What are you talking about?"
Ume explained what had happened a moment earlier.
"A strange man suddenly came toward us while eating women. My brother fought him alone and sent me away first, but I’m worried... Escanor! Please! Let’s hurry to my brother!"
Escanor was not the sort of man who would normally agree to such a request.
He did as he pleased. Because he had the right to do so.
He did not often listen to other people’s requests, and as for orders, those were not things to be given to him—they were things he gave.
"...Very well."
But Escanor did not get angry at Ume, the child he had acknowledged.
Her usual confident manner and smiling face reminded him of someone from his memories.
"Lady Merlin..."
"Take hold. I shall escort you there at once."
"Mm! Thank you!"
Ume took Escanor’s hand, and Escanor, holding her in one arm, ran toward where Gyutaro was.
"Her face doesn’t look like hers, and her personality is different... And yet, what is this feeling...?"
Escanor was slowly organizing his thoughts.
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