「アルファ。あと何人だ?」
『3人死んだわ。残りは5人よ。
『そうね』
アルファの反応に、アキラは表情を少し硬くしていた。アルファは不機嫌な態度を隠しもせずに、その不機嫌さに応じた表情と口調で話していた。
「......えっと、彼女達を助けるのがそんなに嫌だったのか?」
男達に誘導されていたモンスターがまだ大分離れた場所にいた頃、アルファは既にその存在を探知していた。また、そのモンスターがアキラには手に負えないことも把握していた。その
、万一の場合にはエレナ達に対処を押し付けようと、アキラにエレナ達と一定の距離を保たせていた。
そしてエレナ達の状況が致命的に悪化した時、アキラはかなり不機嫌な様子で、どこか思い詰めた表情で、アルファには更に予想外なことを言い始めた。
「アルファ。アルファのサポートがあれば、俺があの連中を皆殺しにすることは可能か?」
『彼女達を助けるつもりなの?』
「無理か?」
可能ならば実行する。アルファがその意図を読み取って少し
「つまり、何とかなるんだな?」
否定に類する答えを返せばサポートの質を疑われる。それは差し障るので肯定するしかない。アルファはそう判断した上で、アキラがやけに固執する理由を推測できず、
『なるわ。でもそうする理由ぐらいは話してもらえる? その理由に適した具体的な行動指針を決める必要があるの』
アキラが黙る。その理由を口に出すのを
ち、不快感、嫌悪、怒気を確認したものの、その理由までは推測できなかった。
しかもその負の感情は、以前にアキラが遺跡で襲撃された時よりも強い。前回のようにアキラ自身が襲われている訳でもない。襲われている者も別に知人でもない。それにも
だが現在のアキラの精神状態を、そこまで強い負の感情を誘発する理由としては弱い。アルファはそう結論付けた。
沈黙が流れる。アキラはそれを、答えない限り手伝わないという意味に捉えると、少し考えてそれらしい理由を口にする。
「......ああいうやつらが遺跡にいたら、また俺が襲われるかもしれないだろう。これから何度もここに来るんだ。ああいう連中は今のうちに殺しておいた方が良いじゃないか。......それに、ほら、俺に幸運はもう残ってないって言ってただろう? 彼女達を助ければちょっとは運が良くなるかもしれない。運っていうのは日頃の行いで良くなったりするものなんだろう? ちょうど良いじゃないか」
アルファがその返答を聞いて思案する。
アキラが述べた理由は建前だ。男達の皆殺しが前提として存在し、それを実行する
いサポートがあっても難しいって言うなら諦めるけど......」
これ以上問答を続けると、今アキラが抱いている感情が、僅かとはいえ自分にも向けられる恐れがある。更に自分のサポートに対する信頼を大いに損ねる危険性もある。アルファはそう判断した。
アルファにとって、彼らの命など全く重要ではない。アキラへの御機嫌取りの
『何を言っているのよ。私のサポートがあれば余裕よ。簡単だわ』
『良いわよ。さっさと済ませましょう。まずは移動するわ。こっちよ』
アルファはアキラの頼みを引き受けた。これにより本来エレナ達ともブバハ達とも何の関係もないところでブバハ達の命運は尽きた。
アキラはアルファのサポートを十全に受けてブバハ達を奇襲した。安全な狙撃位置からブバハの眉間に弾道予測の線を合わせ、何の
に身を潜めて次の狙撃位置に移動する。そして自分を襲った訳でもない男に向けて銃を構える。頭部に照準を合わせると、冷淡な表情の中に僅かな不快感を乗せて引き金を引く。狙撃対象を見るアキラの目には、憎悪よりも嫌悪に近い感情が籠もっていた。
撃ち出された弾丸が男の頭部に命中する。
い場所から狙撃しているからね。優位な地理的条件を的確に選択し続けることが出来れば難しいことではないわ。しかも今は色無しの霧の影響でアキラの発見が難しくなっているのよ』
「色無しの霧の
アキラは少し焦りながら答えた。本心で答えたのだが、調子に乗っているとでも思われたかもしれないと思い直して、気を引き締めて先を急いだ。
アルファはそれを分かった上で
協力させられてたんだ! 断ったら殺すと脅されてたんだ! 本意じゃなかった! 仕方無かったんだ!」
男は落ち着かない様子で周囲を見渡している。
はしない! か、金なら少しはある! あいつらの分も含めて全部やるよ! 貯金だってちょっとはある! それもやる! お、俺を殺したらそれは手に入らないぞ!?」
男が恐怖で引きつった表情を浮かべながら相手の反応を待つ。声も姿も銃弾も、反応は何も返ってこなかった。
男が安価な強化服を脱ぐ。すると路地の影からアキラが出てきた。
男がアキラを見て驚く。相手が子供だとは思っていなかったのだ。そして同時に
次の瞬間、男はアキラに撃たれた。弾丸は男の胴体の真ん中に命中していた。
訳が分からず混乱している男の頭に、少し前に見た似たような光景が浮かんだ。ブバハに撃たれたサラの姿だ。自分もナノマシン系の身体能力強化拡張者だと勘違いされたのだろうか。消えかける意識の中で浮かんだその考えが、その意識と命ごと消えていく。
アキラが男を見ながらアルファに確認する。
「これで全員だよな?」
い。ところで、何で撃ったの?』
アキラが不思議そうな表情を浮かべたので、アルファが質問の補足をする。
『殺す気ならもっと早く撃てばよかったでしょう? でもアキラがなかなか撃たなかったから、彼を助ける気でもあったのかと思ったのよ。それを
「ああ。そういうことか。初めから殺す気だった。でも黙って待っていればもっと安全に殺せそうだったから待っていただけだ。あいつらは弱い訳じゃない。勘違いするな。そう言ったのはアルファだろう?」
『確かにそう言ったわ。なるほど。納得したわ。慎重なのは良いことよ。でも、相手に時間を与えると危険なこともあるから、その点は注意してね』
アキラは素直に
り、最も選択を誤った者達が、全員の賭けと無理と選択の誤りの代償を支払った。遺跡に散らばる男達の死体は、東部で飽きることなく繰り返されている光景の一部であり、ありふれた結果の例だった。
エレナ達がビルに立て籠もって
サラが警戒を僅かに緩める。
「終わった......のかしら?」
エレナが情報収集機器の反応を確認する。
「周辺の反応はほぼ消えたわ。残っている反応は、私達以外は一つだけ。多分あいつらと戦っていた誰かの反応よ」
情報収集機器は色無しの霧の影響から大分回復している。この状態ならば自分達を襲った者達とそれ以外の反応を見間違えることはない。しかし、残りの反応が味方である保証はない。
「エレナ。その誰かの反応は、こっちに来そう?」
「楽観的に考えるなら、偶然近くにいた誰かが私達を助けてくれたってことになるわね。8対3、いや、私達を除けば8対1なのにも
しにも限度というものはあるわ。助けてくれたことには感謝するけど、見返りに何を求めてくるか分かったものじゃない。もし相手が男で、私達の体を要求してくるのなら、エレナは反対するでしょうけど、何とか私だけで我慢してもらえないかしらね)
エレナは情報収集機器に表示されている誰かの反応を確認していた。そしてその反応が遠ざかっていくことに気が付いた。
(こっちに来る気はなしか。......助けた報酬を求めるつもりなら、すぐにこっちに来ても良いはず。助けた相手の様子を確認しようとする様子もないのは、余計な
考えている間にも反応は遠ざかっていく。エレナは少し迷ったが、その反応を追いかけることにした。
「ちょっと行ってくる。サラはここで待ってて」
「色無しの霧は大分晴れたし、反応からは敵対する様子もないし、大丈夫よ。無理はしないわ。助けてもらった礼ぐらいは言っておかないとね」
エレナは少し心配そうなサラを笑って安心させると、手早く準備を済ませて1人でビルから出ていった。既に情報収集機器による索敵は済ませている。敵もいないので走ってアキラを追った。
エレナがアキラにある程度近付くと、情報収集機器に表示されている反応の移動速度が急に上がった。アキラが急いで離れようとしているのだ。
「ちょっと待って! 助けてくれた人でしょう!? お礼も言いたいし、ちょっと話したいこともあるの! こっちに来てくれない?」
するとアキラの方向から何かが飛んできた。それは丸められた紙で、空中に放物線を描いてエレナの足下に転がった。
エレナがそれを拾って紙を広げると、中には弾丸が入っていた。紙には汚い文字で、こっちに来るな、と簡潔に書かれていた。
紙に包まれた弾丸は、単に紙を投げやすくする
もエレナにその報酬の当てはない。特に金に関しては全くない。そもそも金を稼ぎにここに来ているのだ。サラのナノマシンの代金も必要だ。報酬として何を支払うかも含めて交渉が必要だろう。エレナはそう考えて、報酬に自分の体を含める程度のことは覚悟していた。
すると再び何かが飛んできた。今度は何かの箱だった。拾って確認すると、箱には紙が挟まっていた。箱は表面の印刷内容から回復薬だと分かる。紙には汚い字で使用方法が書かれていた。
この回復薬で仲間の負傷を治せ。そういう意味だろうとエレナは判断した。同時に相手には自分達の護衛を引き受けるつもりは無いことも理解した。
に戻ることにする。引き上げる前に、投げられた紙に少々追記して地面に置いた。
「分かったわ! 回復薬をありがとう! 私は戻るわ! 私のハンターコードを紙に書いておいたから、良かったら連絡してね!」
エレナはアキラがいる方向へ軽く頭を下げた。そしてサラの
アキラはエレナが十分離れるのを待ってからエレナが残した紙を拾いにいった。紙には何らかの文字列が追記されていた。それはエレナのハンターコードなのだが、アキラにはよく分からなかった。
「......ハンターコードって何だ?」
『アキラが情報端末を持ち歩くようになるまでは余り関係ないものよ。今は相手のハンターコードを知っているとハンター同士で連絡を取る時にいろいろ便利だってぐらいに考えて』
「そういうのがあるんだ。俺にもそんなのあったりするのか?」
『ないわ。確か情報端末を買った後にハンターオフィスで手続きをすれば手に入るはずよ。それよりもアキラ、本当にあれで良かったの?』
『あいつらの装備を持って帰ったりはしないの?』
アキラは以前自分を襲った2人組の所持品をしっかり持ち帰っていた。アルファには前回の者達と今回の者達の違いなど分からない。だがアキラなりの基準があるのだろうと判断した。
そこまでならとても好感の持てる人物像だ。サラが苦笑を浮かべて続ける。
「......姿を見せない。声も聞かせない。近付かせない。書かれている文字も汚い。これは筆跡等を調べられないように意図的に汚く書いたのかしら。......急に不審者になったわね」
途端に怪しくなった人物像に、エレナも苦笑を浮かべる。
エレナも命の恩人を悪く捉えたくはないが、実際に使用するのはサラだ。無理強いする気はなかった。
サラが軽く首を横に振る。
緊急を要する場合、又は効能の即時性を求める場合、服用せずに内容物を直接患部に投与すること。激痛注意。紙には汚い字でそう書かれていた。本来の使い方ではない。最悪、治療どころか傷が悪化する危険性も考えられる。サラはかなり迷ったが、紙に書かれている使用方法を採ることにした。
複数のカプセル剤を開き、内容物を両脚の負傷部位に直接投与する。事前の警告通り、かなりの傷みがサラを襲った。何かが傷口を強引に修復している感覚が痛みと一緒に伝わってくる。
「サラ、立ち上がっても大丈夫なの?」
「大丈夫。よく効いたみたいね。問題なく戦える程度には治ったわ。エレナも少し使っておいたら?」
サラが追加のカプセル剤を口に含む。緊急を要する場合、又は効能の即時性を求める場合ではなくなったので、正式な使用方法を選択した。
サラの勧めに従ってエレナも回復薬を使用する。エレナにも大きな
回復薬の効果により、エレナ達のアキラに対する評価は、命の恩人である不審者から、何らかの事情がある命の恩人にまで上昇した。お互いの顔を見て、必要なこととはいえ恩人を疑ったことに苦笑いを浮かべる。
サラが気を切り替えるように笑う。
く良い人だってことは分かったわね。どこの製品の回復薬か知らないけど、ここまでよく効くってことは、これ、結構高いでしょう? ここまで世話になって、礼も言えないってのは考え物ね」
「私のハンターコードを書いておいたけど、そもそも読んでくれたかどうかも分からないし、向こうが私達と連絡を取る気があるかどうか......」
「そこは向こう次第でしょうけど、私達は連絡が取れたら恩返しが出来るように、これからも頑張りましょうか」
エレナも気を切り替えるように笑う。
にも、あの連中の装備でも剥がしますか。私達の恩人は連中の所持品に興味がないようだし、売り払ってサラのナノマシンの代金に充てましょう」
「全く、名前も知らない相手に今日は世話になりっぱなしね」
エレナとサラはそう言って笑い合った。
"Alpha, how many of them left?"
"3 of them are dead. Only 5 people left. By the way, you only killed one of them, the other two were killed by those girls."
"Indeed."
Akira's face constricted after hearing Alpha's answer. Alpha did not hide the fact that she was in a bad mood and it was obvious from her expression and tone.
"...Uhh, do you really hate that we're helping those girls?"
When the monster that was lured by those hunters was still away from them, Alpha already detected its presence. Then she judged that it was not a monster that Akira could defeat. And so she was planning to make Elena and the other Hunters face it and lead Akira to safety.
But then Akira did something that she did not expect. Rather than moving away from the area, Akira decided to go towards Elena and the other Hunters instead.
And when Elena and Sara's situation worsened, Akira's mood was also affected and he was really agitated. He asked Alpha something that she never expected.
"Alpha, if I have your support, is it possible for me to eliminate all of those Hunters?"
"Are you planning to save them?"
"Is it not possible?"
Alpha could see that Akira was planning to do that if it was possible, so she answered that question while being puzzled about it.
"So in short, it will somehow work out, right?"
If she denied, then Akira would question the usefulness of her support. It would be bad if that happened, that was why Alpha had no choice but to approve it. Since she could not understand why Akira was so persistent about helping them, she asked him with a puzzled look.
"It will. But can you at least tell me your reason? Since there's a need for me to tailor my support actions accordingly."
But Akira just shut his mouth, he was hesitating to tell her his reason.
Alpha could clearly see a trace of hatred, irritation, disgust, and anger from his expression. But she could not understand why.
Moreover, Akira's expression was grimmer than the time when he was assaulted in the middle of the ruins. But now, it was not like he himself was getting assaulted, and the people that got assaulted here were total strangers to him. Despite all of these facts, his expression was really grim. He was lacking in both equipment and skill at that time when he was attacked by 2 Hunters. But he just did not have the leeway of realizing that since he was so desperate. Compared to that time, he was relatively safe here. He was better equipped and more skilled than before. The leeway created from that difference might be the reason why Akira was making this expression. At least Alpha understood as such.
But Alpha analyzed that there was no real reason as to why Akira's psychological condition was so disturbed now.
The silence continued. Akira took that as a sign that Alpha would not help him if he did not answer her, and so he stated his reason.
"...If those guys stayed in the ruins, they might attack me one day. Since I'll frequent this ruin from now on, it might be a good idea to use this chance and kill them all, right? Moreover, you did say that I used my life worth of luck, remember? So If I help those girls, I might get back some of my luck. After all, luck is something that is affected by what you do, right? So isn't it fine if we help them?"
After hearing that answer, Alpha contemplated deeply for a while.
The reason that Akira worded out was only an excuse for him to kill those guys. Akira was not looking for a reason to help those girls, but a reason to kill the guys. He did not say that he should kill the guys to help the girls. But more like he wanted to help the girls in order to kill the guys.
"If it's really something difficult to achieve even with your support, then we can just give up though..."
Alpha felt that if she continued the interrogation, then Akira would consider her to be the same as those Hunters. Moreover, there was a danger that Akira might lose trust in her support.
For Alpha, the life of those guys was of no value at all, so she decided that those guys would die in order to get back Akira's trust. Alpha replied back as if she was a bit insulted by Akira's remark while hiding the cold decision that she made.
"What are you talking about? It's easy as long as you have my support, you know."
"Sure. Let's finish this. We need to move first, come this way."
Alpha had decided to accept Akira's request. With this, Bubaha and his friends' fate had been sealed by someone that had nothing to do with them or with Elena and Sara.
Akira reached a safe place and launched a surprise attack at Bubaha and his friends with Alpha's support. Akira aimed the TP Line at Bubaha's forehead and pulled the trigger without even a shred of hesitation. He kept shooting to cover for Elena and Sara's retreat. Even after he saw Elena and Sara had safely retreated into an abandoned building, Akira's expression did not loosen up. He only felt that he was able to accomplish the false excuse that he made.
He moved through the ruins, passed through a building and dove into wreckage before reaching to his next vantage point. He then directed his gun towards the guys who were not even shooting at him, aligned his aim to their head and pulled the trigger with a cold face while feeling a little discomfort. As Akira aimed at them through his aiming device, his eyes showed that he was feeling disgusted more than hatred towards those guys.
The bullet spewed out from his gun, hit the guy right on his head. The bullet, originally made for fighting the monsters that had huge vitality compared to a human, blasted the guy's head into small pieces.
"It's because you've been shooting from their blind spot. It's for the best if you can choose positions that will give you a ground advantage. Moreover, the colourless mist is making it harder for them to spot you."
"If it is about the effect of the colourless mist, then we're in the same condition, aren't we?"
Akira nervously answered back. Although he answered that honestly, he was a bit worried that Alpha thought he was getting ahead of himself. So he refocused himself and rushed forward.
Alpha actually knew that when she gave Akira the stern warning.
"I-I was coerced to help that bastard Bubaha! He would kill me if I did not help him!! It's not like I willing to help him!! I had no choice!!"
He looked around nervously.
"I-I'm sorry, okay!! I won't do it again, ever!! I-If you want my money, I still have some! I'll also give all the money that the others have too!! I also have some savings! I'll also give that too!! I-If you kill me, you won't be able to get that money, you know?!"
His face was distorted by fear as he was waiting for a reply, but there was no one, no voice, no bullet, no reply at all.
After he then took off his cheap enhancing cloth, Akira came out from the shadow behind an alley.
The guy was so surprised when he saw Akira. He never imagined that it would be a small boy, so he felt relieved. The fact that Akira showed himself meant that there was still a chance for him to negotiate with Akira. His fear of death lessened and his tense face loosened up.
Then the next second, Akira shot that man. A bullet tore through the middle part of his torso.
Inside the head of that confused man, he remembered a similar scene not too long back when Bubaha shot Sara. On the very last second of his life, he wondered if Akira mistook him for a nanomachine enhanced person as his life and consciousness started fading away.
Akira kept looking at that man while confirming with Alpha.
"Did I get everyone?"
"Yes. It's done. by the way, why did you shoot him?"
Akira made a puzzled face, as such, Alpha gave more context to her question.
"If you wanted to kill him, you could've killed him sooner, right? But since you didn't immediately shoot him, I thought that you wanted to spare him, you know. So I'm asking you why did you suddenly decide to shoot him?"
"Ohh, so that's what you meant, huh? I was planning to kill him right from the start, but since it seemed that I could kill him more safely if I waited, I decided to wait. Wasn't you the one who told me that they're not weak and I shouldn't misunderstand this part?"
"I indeed said that. You have convinced me now. Anyway, it's good to be careful. There are dangers that come as you give more time to your opponent, so you should be careful about that too."
Akira obediently nodded.
Some of them lost their bets, suffered the backlash from pushing themselves past their limit and their wrong decision. And these people already paid in full for their actions. The mutilated corpses of Hunters were scattered in the ruins. This was one of the common scenes in the eastern district and had repeated again to no end. It was just one of the common happenings in that place.
Some time had already passed since Elena and Sara bunkered themselves in one of the abandoned buildings. The sound of the sporadic gunshot from the outside had already stopped for a while and there was no sign of it returning anytime soon.
Sara lowered her guard for a bit.
"Is it... over?"
Elena used her information gathering device to confirm it.
"Most of the signals from the outside are already gone. There's only one signal other than ours. Maybe it's a signal from the one who was fighting against those guys a while ago."
Elena's information gathering device had already recovered fully from the effect of the colourless mist. So there was no way for Elena to mistakenly identify the signal between those who attacked them and the signal from other people. But there was no guarantee that the signal came from someone friendly.
"Elena, is the signal from that person moving towards us?"
"If we were to think optimistically, it must be someone who passed there by chance and decided to help us. After all, it was 8 against 3... If we don't count ourselves, then it was 8 against 1. But even so, that person saved us. That person must be a very nice person... Or so I hope."
[There's a limit for how nice a person can be. I do feel thankful to that person, but we don't know what that person might ask from us as a reward. In case if it was a man and he asked for our body as a reward, Elena might be against it but I hope he would be satisfied with my body alone.]
Elena kept watching the signal of that person from her information gathering device. Then she realized that the signal was moving away from them.
[So that person won't come here, huh...? If he wanted to demand a reward, he would come here as soon as he could. It doesn't even seem he wants to confirm our safety. That might because he wants to avoid having another fight, or he just simply lost interest in us. Or maybe he prioritizes taking those guys' equipment first...]
The signal kept moving away from them as she was thinking. Elena was hesitating for some time, but she then decided to chase after that signal.
"I'll be back in a moment. Sara, you wait here."
"The colourless mist has gotten lighter and looking from its signal, it doesn't seem like that person is hostile to us. So it'll be fine. I will be careful too. After all, I should at least say my gratitude to that person."
Elena smiled in order to reassure Sara, she then packed her stuff and went out alone. Since her information gathering device detected no other hostile signals, she immediately ran towards Akira.
As Elena approached Akira, the signal of her saviour in her information gathering device suddenly started moving faster away from her. It seemed that Akira was trying to run away from her.
"Wait for a second!! You're the one who saved us, right?! I want to say my thanks and I want to talk to you for a bit! Can you come here for a sec? Please!"
But then, suddenly a crumpled paper flew from Akira's direction and rolled to Elena's feet.
Elena took that paper and opened it. There was a bullet inside that paper and a short message saying "Don't come over here" written illegibly.
She could not understand whether Akira put in a bullet inside the crumpled paper to make it easier for him to throw or was it a kind of warning to her. But at least, she understood that the person who saved her did not want her to come close to him, although she did not really understand the reason. So she stopped chasing Akira and instead shouted at him.
But of course, Elena actually did not have anything to offer as a reward. Especially, she had no money to give at all. Or more like, she came to the ruins because she wanted to earn some money in the first place. She also needed the money for replenishing Sara's nanomachine. Elena knew that she would need to negotiate with him and find what he would want as payment. She already resolved herself in case he asked for her body as payment.
But then another thing flew from Akira's direction to Elena, this time it was a box. When Elena took it and checked the box, she recognized from the words printed on the box that it was a medicine box. There was a piece of paper inside it with instructions on how to use the medicine written in crooked letters.
Elena assumed that the message must be saying something like "Use this medicine to heal your friend" or something like that. She also came to understand that the one who saved them had no wish of accepting her request.
Elena decided to return back to Sara, but before heading back, she added some note on the paper that Akira threw at her and left it on the ground.
"Okay!! Thank you for the medicine!! I'll return back! I have written my Hunter code on this paper, so contact me when you have time, okay?"
Elena then bowed towards Akira's direction before running back to Sara.
Akira waited until Elena was quite a distance away from him before picking up the paper left by her. There was a series of characters written on the paper, it was Elena's Hunter code, but Akira did not understand it.
"...What is this Hunter code thingy?"
"It's unimportant until you have your own information terminal. For now, you can think of it as something convenient that allows you to contact other Hunters."
"So she even has something like this, huh. By the way, do I have a Hunter code?"
"Nope. But you should be able to get one after buying your own information terminal and submitting an application in the Hunter Office. By the way, Akira, are you okay with that?"
"You're not going to loot them before returning home?"
Akira took all the equipment of the 2 Hunters that attacked him the other day. Alpha just could not understand what was the difference between those two Hunters and the Hunters that he killed just now. So Alpha concluded that it must be because of Akira's moral values. Akira put himself in danger without even expecting any reward and he even gave away his precious medicine box. But then he refused to protect them as if he did not care about them at all. He did not even think of meeting the people that he just saved.
When Sara put everything out like that, it indeed sounded like he was such a wonderful person. Sara then continued while making a bitter smile.
"...You didn't see him and you don't know his voice as well. He won't let you approach him and his handwriting is bad. I wonder if he did this intentionally so we won't be able to investigate his identity from his handwriting... He completely turned into a suspicious person now."
Elena smiled bitterly after hearing about the sudden change of image of the person who just helped her.
It was not like Elena wanted to make her saviour bad. But the one who would use it was Sara, so she did not want to coerce her into taking the medicine.
But Sara lightly shook her head.
This was the instruction written on the paper. It was not the usual way to take medicine. In the worst-case scenario, it might even make her wound worse. Sara was a bit confused, but she eventually decided to take the medicine as the paper instructed.
She opened multiple capsules and applied the content directly onto her wounded legs. Intense pain immediately assaulted Sara just like the paper warned. She could feel something forcefully healing the open wounds on her legs along with the pain. Elena was worried as she looked at Sara's pained expression.
"Sara, are you sure you're okay standing up?"
"I'm fine, it seems that medicine is really effective. It healed me to the point that I feel I can fight normally now. Elena, how about you try using it too?"
Sara then took some extra capsules and swallow them. Since she was no longer in emergency and in no need of immediate effect, she chose to take the medicine normally.
Elena decided to follow Sara's suggestion and took the medicine too. Although Elena was not gravely wounded, she had some injuries and she was severely exhausted, so she was in need of healing too. Not too long after she took the medicine, she could no longer feel pain in her head. From her experience working as a Hunter, Elena understood that it was not simply an effect from pain killer but it was because the injury on her head was rapidly healing.
Due to the effectiveness of the medicines, Elena and Sara's evaluation of Akira changed back from a suspicious person to a saviour with a certain circ.u.mstance. Although it was reasonable, Sara and Elena looked at each other and smiled bitterly to the fact that they were doubting their saviour just a moment ago.
Sara then smiled as to change the mood.
"Well, putting everything aside, we at least know that the person who saved us is a very nice person. I don't know where he got this medicine, but since it's very effective, it must be pretty expensive, right? Although he helped us this much, it's regrettable that we could not say our thanks."
"I left him with my Hunter code, but I don't know if he will even read it or if he will actually contact us..."
"It's fully up to him whether he'll do that or not. But let's work hard so that we would be able to return this favour in case we ever meet him again."
Elena also smiled in order to change the mood.
"You do have a point. We can't do anything about it no matter how much we think for now. So then, how about we loot those dead Hunters as a start for preparing to return this favour? Since it seems that the person who saved us isn't interested in their equipment at all, so we can sell them for money and use it for replenishing your nanomachine."
"Geez, that stranger really helped us with a lot of things today."
Elena and Sara laughed as they were having that conversation.
Rebuild World (WN)
リビルドワールド
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/rebuild-world/
Action Adventure Drama Harem Mecha Mystery Sci-fi Seinen
Abandoned Children Adapted to Manga Adventurers Alternate World Anti-social Protagonist Apocalypse Artificial Intelligence Beautiful Female Lead Cautious Protagonist Child Protagonist Dense Protagonist Determined Protagonist Distrustful Protagonist Futuristic Setting Gangs Gunfighters Harsh Training Lack of Common Sense Male Protagonist Manipulative Characters Monsters Near-Death Experience Older Love Interests Poor Protagonist Poor to Rich Ruthless Protagonist Shota Sudden Strength Gain Survival Twisted Personality Unlucky Protagonist Weak to Strong
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n9736dt/
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