地面が赤黒かった。
視界がぼやけて、足が棒の様だった。
身体が動かず、今まで体験した事のない様な何も無い感覚。
口から何か出た。身体の中から軋む様な音がした。
間違いなく、否定する余地無く、考えるまでもなく、決定的に、限界だった。
目の前で佇む白い少女、名前はステータスを見る限りステラ。彼女との戦いは、完全に一方的な勝負だった。最初の攻防で、僕は彼女との間にあった圧倒的速度の差によって、攻撃を掠らせることも出来ずにやられた。彼女にとって、僕の攻撃は見てから対応してもなんら支障無く対応出来る様な、取るに足りないものだったんだ。
でも、立ちあがった僕に対して、彼女は無表情のまま僕を叩く。いつしか槍すら引っ込めて、僕の身体をその拳で叩き続けた。
彼女の白いドレスは、僕の返り血で所々赤く染まり、彼女の拳もまた血で濡れていた。
それでも僕が倒れなかったのは、痛みがないこともあったけど、なにより負けるのが嫌だったからだ。勇者に負け、フィニアちゃんとルルちゃんを奪われ、そして今度はこの白い少女に負け、レイラちゃんまでもを失うのが不愉快だったからだ。
「......分かりませんね、何故そうまでして後ろの魔族を護るのですか?」
「......ごぶっ......さて、なんで......だったかな......」
話し掛けてくる彼女は、不思議そうに首を傾げている。僕はもうなんだか思考が纏まらなくなってるけど、そうだな......なんで倒れないのか......確かに限界ギリギリだし、これ以上何か出来るわけでもない。
勇者と戦った時も、レイラちゃんと戦った時も、そうだった。勝てない、僕はこの世界に来てからずっと、負けてばかりだ。そしてその度に大切なものを失ってる。
レイラちゃんと戦って、左眼を失った。
勇者と戦って、大事な絆を奪われた。
あの巫女にしおりちゃんとの絆であるお面も奪われて、僕にあと何が残ってる? 弱くて脆くて負けてばかりの情けない僕自身と、リーシェちゃんとレイラちゃんの二人だけ。
僕は何回失うんだ。何回負けて、何回こうして奪われるんだ。
この世界は僕に優しくない、元の世界もそうだったけれど、なんで僕がこんな目に遭ってるんだ。理不尽、不愉快、気に入らない。
「僕は、もう奪われたくない、だけだ......」
「奪う、ですか?」
「フィニアちゃんも......ルル、ちゃんも......僕が、必死に......生きて、手に入れた絆だった......それを奪われた......もうこれ以上、奪わせない......!」
だから、例えレイラちゃんでも、僕の手の中にある物がするりと離れて行くのは許さない。だから僕はこうして立ってるんだ。もうこれ以上、奪われない様に、失わない様に、僕は負けたくない。
それが例え女々しくても、情けなくても、みっともなくても、みじめでも、格好悪くても、僕を舐めないで欲しい。しつこく、しぶとく、うっとおしいくらいに喰らい付いてやる。
「例え殺されたって......僕は負けるわけにはいかないんだよ......」
もうこれ以上失わない......これ以上僕の大事なものは、奪わせない―――!!
瞬間、心臓が一際大きく――――鼓動した。
咄嗟に胸を抑えた。
そして更なる変化が僕を襲う。血液が沸騰する様に熱くなり、加速するのが分かった。そして途端に、真っ暗だった視界が広がった。一つ一つの物が鮮明に映る。身体の軋む音が、止まった。棒の様だった足の震えは止まり、苦しかった呼吸が一気に楽になる。
『臨死体験』が発動したのかと思ったけれど、怪我が何一つ治っていないのを見れば、違うのが分かる。
じゃあなんだ? 何が起こっている?
「―――!」
すると、目の前の白い少女が初めて無表情に変化を見せた。と言っても、少しだけ眼を見開いただけだけれど。
どういうことか分からないけれど、身体が動く、身体の軋みもない、ならまだやれる。
ここまでずっと放さなかったレイラちゃんの黒いナイフを握り締め、鮮明になった視界の中で白い彼女を捉える。ナイフを突き付けると、彼女は見開いた目を元に戻し、無表情に戻った。
「何が起こったのか分かりませんが......今の貴方はとても―――綺麗ですね」
そう言った彼女の手に、バチバチと音を立てて青白い槍が生まれる。レイラちゃんですら脅威に怯えた、あの破壊の槍。神を殺す為の、灼熱の稲妻。
でも、何故だか今は全く......怖くない。
「口説くならもっと感情を込めて言って欲しいね」
「そんなつもりはありませんが、覚えておきましょう」
僕に起こった変化はなんなのかは分からないけれど、今は不思議と......負ける気がしない。
◇ ◇ ◇
ここで、この世界における『固有スキル』という
この『固有スキル』というものは、普通に持っている通常のスキルとは違ってかなり強力な力だ。
リーシェの様に魔眼系のスキルであったり、勇者の様に唯一無二のその者だけのスキルであったりして、この力にもかなり種類や差がある。
そして、称号に関係して先天的に備わっていたり、血筋が関係して先天的に備わっていたりと、基本的に『固有スキル』とは、先天的に備わっている天才の力なのだ。
だが極稀に、後天的に『固有スキル』が覚醒する事例もある。
元々、『固有スキル』は誰もが持っている力で、誰もが覚醒出来るわけではない力だ。
それは例えば、長年必死に努力した結果だったり、なにか強い衝撃を受けた拍子にだったり、各々理由は様々だが、共通しているのは何かその人にとって大きな―――それこそ今までの自分から生まれ変わるほどの何かがあって覚醒しているということ。
そしてその力は先天的なものにも匹敵し、歴史に残る数々の英雄を生み出してきた。
ある者は一国の王となり、後世に残る国を創り上げた。
ある者は多くの人間達を絶望へと陥れた悪龍に立ち向かい、世界を救った。
そしてある者は、愛する者を護る為に一国全てを敵に回し、その力を向けた。
そして更に、数々の英雄達はその力を振るってきた訳だが、その恐ろしさは『通常スキルの上位』だという所にある。
今回の勇者の持つ『希望の光』が分かりやすい例だが、この『固有スキル』というものは全て通常スキルの上位に位置する力であり、どのようなスキルであっても通常スキルである限りは『固有スキル』の齎す影響を覆すことは出来ないのだ。
故に、これを持つ者と持たざる者では、絶対的な格差が生まれる。幾ら剣術や身体能力で勝っていようが、『固有スキル』の有無で勝敗が覆されることだってある。
―――では、ここで桔音に起こった変化についてだ。
彼は、奪われたくないという気持ちが大きくなり、負けたくないという決意が強くなったことで、自身の肉体の損傷を越えて、瀕死の状態でありながらその精神と感覚が限界を超えたのだ。
研ぎ澄まされた精神は気絶という無意識の領域を越えて、存在の、魂の奥へと到達する―――!
その結果、彼の感覚は身体の痛みがないことを良いことに、人間が常に自身に課している脳のリミッターを強引に解放する。
だが、痛みのない桔音にとっては関係無い。動かせるのなら、生き延びられるのなら、後のことはどうでも良かったのだ。そう、使徒という脅威に対峙した桔音にあったのは―――
―――『全て奪わせない』という、決死の覚悟。
その覚悟は、彼に大きな変化を齎した。そう、それこそが『固有スキル』の覚醒。使徒が感じ取ったのは、その覚醒による強大な気配と、桔音が抱いた純粋な覚悟と想い。純粋なその気持ちは、彼女にとってとても尊い物に見えたのだ。
そして、桔音はまだその覚醒に気が付いていないが、無意識にその力の片鱗を発揮しようとしていた。
桔音が固有スキルに覚醒し、そして戦闘続行の意思を見せた時から......つまり使徒、ステラが稲妻の槍を再度生み出して戦闘を再開させた時からだ。
彼女の攻撃、無論本気で殺そうと迫る攻撃を、桔音は『全て躱していた』
ステラは距離を取って、そう呟く。
桔音はまるで、自分の動きを先読みしているかのように正確無比に槍を躱すのだ。そう、それこそレイラが反応出来なかった、あの
桔音はそう呟いて、笑う。
「今なら......どんな攻撃だって躱せそうだ」
どれ程の破壊力でも、どれほどの速度でも、躱せる気がした。肉体が限界を超えて、崩壊していくのを感じるけれど、それでも桔音は動く。感覚が、肉体の許容量を超えて、もっと、もっと動けと脳の電気信号を伝って火花を散らす。
鮮明な視界はやがて色を失くし、音を失くし、あらゆるものが輪郭だけの線画の様に見えた。真っ白な背景に、黒い線で描かれた様な視界になり、余計な情報が一切入って来ない。
明らかに危険な領域、命を燃やして桔音はそこに立っていた。
「......何故貴方はそこまで足掻くのでしょうか。何故そこの魔族を庇うのでしょうか。そんなにそこの魔族が大事なのでしょうか?」
だからステラは問いかける。何故そこまでするのかと、改めて思う。
魔族は人間の敵で、人間の桔音がそこまで命を賭ける理由はない筈だ。なのに桔音は自身の命を燃やして使徒である自分に立ち向かってくる。
彼をそこまでさせる価値が、そこの魔族にあるのか。彼がそこまでする理由とはなんだ。
だが、問いかけても桔音の耳は既に聴覚機能を遮断してしまっている。生きているのが、おかしい位の状態。これ以上動けば、桔音は本当に死んでしまうだろう。
何故か『臨死体験』が発動しないのだ。おそらくは覚醒した『固有スキル』のせいなのだろうが、その事実は今の桔音にとって致命的だった。
「聞く耳持たず、ですか......」
「きつね君!」
「む......」
とそこで、ステラと桔音の間に、先程まで自身の心の変化に戸惑い、動けずにいたレイラが介入してきた。ふらふらと身体が揺れる桔音の前に立ち、ステラから彼を護る様に立ち塞がる。
「これ以上......きつね君を傷付けないで」
「......それは、貴方が彼を狙っているからですか? それとも彼が貴方の獲物だからですか?」
涙を滲ませながら、ステラを睨むレイラ。桔音がレイラを護ろうとするのも分からなかったステラだが、レイラが桔音を護ろうとする姿も理解出来なかった。何故敵対すべき関係である彼らがそうするのか、全く理解出来なかった。
だからその理由をレイラに問うた。彼女はその問いに答える。
「分かんない! でも......きつね君が傷付くのを見てると......胸の中がぐちゃぐちゃして......なんかいやなの!! だからきつね君をこれ以上傷付けないで......!」
答えは、分からないだった。彼女自身も分からないのだ、自分が何故桔音に傷付いて欲しくないのか、何故自分が桔音を護ろうとしているのか、さっぱり分からない。
でも嫌なものは嫌。実に、自分勝手で我儘で、彼女らしい答えではあった。
「......理解出来ません......が、貴女と彼の間に敵対の意思が無いことは分かりました」
「良いでしょう、人間と魔族でありながら共に居ようとする貴女方の想いは純粋で、浄化する必要性を感じません。私は勇者を追い掛けなければなりませんし、この場は退きましょう」
感化されたわけではない、理解した訳でもない、ただ人間と魔族という関係でありながら共に居るという、二人の想いが本物である事は分かった。
或いは可能性を感じたのかもしれない、『浄化しなくてもいい魔族』が存在する可能性を。
「無駄な怪我を負わせてしまったこと、謝罪しましょう。申し訳ありませんでした」
「え? あ......うん」
ステラが頭を下げたことで、レイラは呆気に取られる。
だが背後の桔音の身体が前のめりに揺れ、レイラの背中に倒れてきた故に、慌てて彼の身体を支えた。見れば、瞳は開いているけれど、意識は無い様だった。
「きつね君......きつね君しっかりして―――ッ!」
桔音を支えながら地面に寝かせて、レイラは必死に呼びかける。すると、固有スキルが解除されたのか入れ替わる様に『臨死体験』が発動した。
ステラの攻撃力の倍の耐性を手に入れ、その傷が凄まじい勢いで治癒していく。レイラの時よりも凄まじい耐性値を手に入れた桔音の身体は、ものの十数秒で全ての傷を完治させ、桔音の命の鼓動を繋ぎとめた。
「......はぁ......良かったぁ......」
心底ほっとしたように胸を撫で下ろすレイラ。
そんな彼女を見て、ステラは地面に倒れたままの桔音に歩み寄り、隣にしゃがみ込んだ。そして、桔音の顔を覗きこみ、露草色の瞳で桔音の左眼を見た。
「......この左眼は、治らないのですね」
「あ......うん、そうみたい......」
「そうですか......分かりました。それでは私が治しましょう」
「え? 出来るの?」
「無駄な負傷を負わせてしまった謝罪と、お詫びです。よろしいですか?」
ステラの言葉にレイラは少し考えた後、治るなら良いよね、と結論を出し、彼女のその言葉に対して一つ、頷いた。
The ground is dark red.
My field of vision is blurry, my legs are limp.
My body is unable to move, something I've never experienced thus far.
Something is flowing out of my mouth. I feel like I can hear a creaking-like sound from the inside of my body.
Surely, without a doubt, absolutely, I'm at my limit.
There's a pure white girl before me, from what I saw when I checked her status, her name is Stella. My fight against her was, an overwhelming one sided fight. Ever since the first clash, given her overwhelming speed, I was beaten into pulp without even able to land even a single attack on her.  For her, my attacks were nothing but worthless efforts without any needs for her to mind about it.
However, to the kept on standing me, she still expressionlessly fought me. Without I noticed it, her lance was nowhere to be found, and she only attacked me with her fists.
Her white dress is dyes red with my blood, as well as her fists.
Nevertheless, the reason I haven't collapsed is because I can't feel any pain, and more importantly, I definitely don't want to lose. Losing to the hero, I lost Finia and Lulu-chan, and now thinking that I'll lose Leila-chan if I lose to this white dressed girl, I really don't like the idea.
"...I really can't understand, why do you go that far to protect that demon behind you?"
"...*cough*... well, why... I wonder...??"
She asks so while inclining her head in wonder. I do feel like my mind is almost blank, but, really... why haven't I collapsed, I wonder?... I'm sure I'm already at my limit, I don't feel like I can do anything further.
When I fight the hero, as well as when I fight Leila-chan, it was also like this. I couldn't win, ever since I came to this world, I experienced nothing but lose. Moreover, I always loss something importang for me because of it.
At my fight against Leila-chan, I lost my left eye.
At my fight against the hero, I lost my cherished bond.
Even the mask, which was my only bond left with Shiori-chan, was snatched away by that miko, just what will be left for me later? For the weak, frail, and keep losing me, now I only have Rishe-chan and Leila-chan.
How many have I lost? How many times have I to lose, how many times have I to have my precious ones to be snatched away this way?
This world is surely unkind to me, my former world was just like so as well, just why I must always suffer like this? Outrageous, irritating, I hate it.
"I just, don't want to, loss anything, again..."
"Loss anything?"
"Finia-chan... Lulu-chan... the bonds I desperately created... that finally I got... it was snatched away... that's why, I won't let anyone snatch anything from me... ever again!"
That's why, even if it's Leila-chan, I won't let anything within my grasp to slip away from me. That's why I keep on standing like this. So that I won't ever lose again, so that nothing will be snatched away again, I don't want to lose.
No matter how effeminate, pathetic, disgraceful, miserable, and unsighty I become, I want to make everyone to not looking down on me. Or else I'll Insistently, tenaciously, or even irritatingly keep on biting on you.
"Even if you kill me here... I can't afford to lose here...."
I don't want to loss anything again... I won't let anything precious to me, to get snatched away ever again!!
Suddenly, my heart geartly and violently... punds.
I immediately hold my chest.
Then, my body is suddenly attacked by an even greater change. I can feel my blood is accelerating and hot as if boiling. Suddenly my pitch black vision brightens. One by one, everything looks so vivid. The creaking sounds from my body is, stopped. My legs are stopped trembling, and suddenly I can breath so smoothly again.
At first I think 'Near-death experience' is activated, by since none of my wounds is healed, so I understand that that isn't the case.
Then what? What is happening?
"...!"
Then, for the first time, the white girl before me shows some changes in her expressionless face. Nevertheless, it's only her eyes that very slightly widen, though.
I don't know what is happening here, but my body can move again, my body isn't creaking again, that means I can still keep going.
Grasping tightly the miasma knife from Leila-chan, I focus my vision solely on the white girl. When I thrust the knife forward, her slightly widened eyes are returning to its expressionless state.
"I don't understand what happened to you, but... just now, you look very... pretty."
Saying so, along with pricking sounds, a pale lance appears at her hand. Destroyer lance that even makes Leila-chan frightened. Weapon for the sake of slaying god, scorching heat lance.
And yet, somehow, right now... I'm not scared at all.
"If you want to hit on me then please do it with emotions in it."
"I have no such intention, but I'll keep that in mind."
I don't know what's the true nature of the changes that happened at my body, but mysteriously... I don't feel like losing right now.
* * *
Here, let's do some explanation regarding 'innate skill' that exists in this world.
This innate skill was, compared with the common ones, it was a fairly more powerful kinds of skill.
Like, Trisha's demon eye, as well as the skill that were solely possessed by the hero, there were some types of innate skill.
There were ones that were acquired through acquiring a certain title, or ones that were inherited through bloodline, but fundamentally, innate skill was a gift that was gifted to those who were gifted.
However, there were rare cases where ones obtained innate skill through sheer luck.
Naturally, everyone possessed innate skill, it was just not just everyone could awaken it.
Training hard for a long time periods, receiving a sudden great shock, there were many causes of it, but there was something in common out of it, that was, one ought to face some life-changing great experience, that was when one could awaken one's innate skill.
Those skills were possessed innately, and numerous braves, who were recorded in history, were born upon awakening it.
One was a hotheaded king, he brought his country upon its prosperity.
One fought against a raging dragon that endanger humanity, he saved the world.
And then, there was one who turned the whole country into his enemy to protect his precious ones, he faced them with this power.
Furthermore, there were numerous braves who brandished this power, and their powers were 'way above the common skills'.
The current hero possessed 'Ray of hope' whose effect was pretty easy to understand, since these 'innate skill' were all clearly more powerful than common skills, no matter what kind of common skill it was, it wouldn't be able to overthrow the effect of an 'innate skill'.
That was why, there was an overwhelming gap between the one who possessed it and the one who didn't posses it. No matter how large the disparity between their phisycal ability or their sword skills were, the victory and defeat might be decided simply by the existence of 'innate skill'.
--then, here's the talk about the changes that happened at Kitsune's body.
With his strong will of not wanting to lose, and his strong feeling of not wanting to loss anything again, he surpassed the injuries on his body, surpassed his sense limit even though he was already on the verge of death state.
His sharpened mind unconsciously surpassed the unconscious domain, and reached the center of his very being, his soul...
And the result, not just he couldn't feel any pain on his body, the limiter that was constantly placed by the mind was forcefully released.
His muscles might torn apart simply by moving it, his mind was so worn out to the point he might be collapsed anytime. However, for Kitsune who couldn't feel any pain, those things were irrelevant. As long as he could move, as long as he could stay alive, he didn't care about what might happen later. Right, for Kitsune who was confronting the threat called as apostle...
...he undertook it with the resolution to put his life on the line because 'he didn't want to loss anything'.
Right, that was the awakening of his 'innate skill'. The one that the apostle sensed was, the great presence upon its awakening, and the pure resolution and feeling that were hold by Kitsune. In her eyes, those pure emotions were very noble.
And then, Kitsune hadn't realized its awakening yet, but he had subconsciously exihibited a portion of its effect.
After awakening his innate skill, Kitsune showed his will to continue the fight... then the apostle, Stella, brandished his lance and confronted him once again.
All of her attacks, either it was the one to press or even the one to seriously kill him, Kitsune 'evaded all of it'.
Stella took some distances, and mumbled so.
Kitsune precisely evaded all of her attacks as if he could forsee it. Right, even that comet-like attack which Leila couldn't react to at all.
Murmuring so, he smiled.
"Right now... I feel like I can dodge any kinds of attack."
No matter how powerful it was, no matter how fast it was, it was as if he could dodge all of it. He could feel that his body had far surpassed its limit and about to collapse, nevertheless, he kept on moving. His sense surpassed what his body capable of doing, but his mind kept on sending signal to his body to keep and keep moving.
Before long his vivid vision lost its colors, and his ear couldn't hear anything, all he saw was nothing but a mere silhouette. His field of visio was, as if a paint with white background and white line in the center of it, he filtered all the unnecessary informations.
That was clearly a dangerous domain, but Kitsune with his faint life was standing there.
"...why do you struggle that far? Why do you protect that demon? Is that demon really that important to you?"
That was why Stella asked so. Why did he go that far? She asked so once again.
Human was demon's enemy, there should be no reson for a human like him to put his life on the line like that. And yet Kitsune still confronted her, an apostle, even while burning his own life in exchange.
Was there something in that demon that was worth to struggle that far? What was the reason for him to go that far?
However, even if she asked so, Kitsune's ears couldn't hear anything already. He was at the state where it was even strange for him to still alive. If he moved any further, perhaps Kitsune would really die.
Somehow 'Near-death experience' wasn't activated. Perhaps it was because of the effect of his just awakened innate skill, but for the current Kitsune, that fact was severly dangerous.
"You couldn't hear me, huh...."
"Kitsune-kun!"
"Hmm...."
There, the one that never moved at all up until now, Leila, suddenly interfered and stood between Stella and Kitsune. Her body was shaking and unsteadily standing before Kitsune as if protecting him from Stella.
"Don't... hurt him any further."
"...is that because you're also targeting him? Or is it because he is your prey?"
With tears streaming down, Leila glared at Stella. Stella couldn't understand why Kitsune protected Leila, and this time she also couldn't understand why Leila protected Kitsune. Why those two, who were supposed to be hostile to each other, were doing so, she couldn't understand it at all.
That was why she asked Leila what her reason was. And Leila answered her question as such.
"I don't know! But... when I see Kitsune-kun being hurt... it feels as if my chest is torn apart... somehow I just don't like it! That's why don't hurt him any further!"
The answer was, she didn't know it. Even she herself didn't know, why she didn't want to see Kitsune being hurt, why she wanted to protect him, she didn't know why at all.
But she didn't like something she dislike. Simply hers-like selfish and egoistic answer.
"...I don't understand... but, I do understand that you two hold no hostility to each other at all."
"Very well, given your pure emotions to be together even even though one is human and one is demon, it appears I don't see the need to purify both of you. I have to chase after the hero after all, I guess the sooner I leave this place the better."
Hearing Leila's answer, Stella decided to back off. She wasn't influenced by it, nor had she understood it, it just she had understood that their feelings to be together were genuine despite the fact one was human and one was demon.
Or perhaps she saw some kind of possibility from them, the possibility that perhaps there were demons that were 'okay to not be purified'.
"Let me apologize for giving such unnecessary injuries. I'm very sory."
"Eh? Ah... um."
Toward Stella who bowed her head, Leila was dumbfounded.
However, Kitsune, who was behind Leila, was collapsing forward and collapsed on her back. Leila flusteredly held his body. Looking closely, his eyes were still opened, but he was already unconscious.
"Kitsune-kun... Kitsune-kun, hang in there!"
While holding and laying Kitsune on the ground, Leila desperately calling out to him. And then, perhaps the effect of his innate skill had worn off, 'Near-death experience' activated.
Receiving resistance stat equaling double of Stella's offensive abilily, his injuries were very quickly healed. Kitsune's body that received resistance stat that was way higher that the time with Leila, all of his injuries were all healed in around ten seconds of time, and Kitsune's life had also gone steady again.
"...haa... thanks god...."
Leila let out a relief as if she was relieved from the bottom from her heart.
Looking at such her, Stella walked toward the lying down Kitsune, and crouched down beside him. And then, she peered into Kitsune's face, and looked at his left eyes with the azure eyes of hers.
"...his left eye, looks like it isn't healed as well, right?"
"Ah.... Um, seems like so...."
"I see... very well. Then, let me heal it."
"Eh? You can do it?"
"Take it as an apology for giving such unnecessary injuries. May I?"
Hearing what Stella said, Leila thought about it for a bit, and after arriving at a conclusion that it was all good if she really could do it, she nodded to her once.
I Kinda Came to Another World, but Where’s the Way Home?
【書籍化】異世界来ちゃったけど帰り道何処？
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/i-kinda-came-to-another-world-but-wheres-the-way-home/
Action Adventure Comedy Drama Fantasy Harem Shounen Slice of Life
Apathetic Protagonist Bullying Calm Protagonist Demi-Humans Demon Lord Demons Dense Protagonist Fairies Game Elements Ghosts Heterochromia Knights Level System Male Protagonist Murders Naive Protagonist R-15 Royalty R*pe S*aves Sword And Magic Transported to Another World Weak Protagonist Yandere
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n2650bx/
こいし