Sevens

Volume 4, Chapter 52 – Circry Sisters

Translated by: Reiji

What Miranda-san said from her mouth was that it wasn’t Shannon-chan who I should be wary of──

「You are stupid aren’t you? I’ll praise you for noticing Shannon’s eyes, but that’s all that can be praised from you. You are really just a child who is only strong.」

I crouched and checked my situation.

I had a short sword and a spare saber with me. My left hand was holding the sheath and my right hand the saber.

After that──

「Tsk!」

I blocked the attack of Miranda-san who slashed at me and tried to hit her with the sheath, but she turned her body around. That movement that was experienced in fighting made me get cold sweat.

「Academy students aren’t learning combat techniques in addition are they?」

We slashed and defended against each other while talking. Miranda-san was looking composed.

「I told you before. I can do anything skillfully. I……until now never had any difficulty so I didn’t understand it but, I can do almost anything if I give it a try.」

I blocked a spinning kick with my arm, and then I roughly struck with the sheath but it was blocked by the short sword.

I could hear the disbelieving voice of the Sixth from inside the Jewel on my chest that was swaying from the intense movement.

『No way……lies. Miranda who is like the exact resemblance of Milleia is』

Ignoring the Sixth who was shaken from learning the truth, the Fifth gave me instruction.

『Lyle, you can’t say that she isn’t in a manipulated state right now! Capture her no matter what!』

The Third showed me a possibility.

『Lyle, with my Art you might be able to obstruct any manipulation on her mind. How about you try using it?』

Honestly speaking, it was hard.

I had rested for a bit, but I had been using my mana until the very limit every day. There was fatigue remaining in my body and I could only fight at full strength for several minutes.

I also couldn’t say that my mana had recovered enough.

I took a deep breath, and then I chanted 『Mind』 inside my mind and looked at Miranda-san. However, Miranda-san was only smiling calmly.

The Second was surprised.

『Oi, it’s not working at all!』

The Seventh seemed to comprehend something.

『I guess it’s just to be expected from the great granddaughter of aunt……』

This time I stepped forward to initiate the attack, but Miranda-san put away her short sword and threw a knife. The Second yelled when he saw the knife with blade that looked similar to an arrowhead and seemed easy for throwing.

『Lyle, don’t touch that-!』

Believing in the Second’s instinct, I immediately rolled to the side to dodge. Then, the knife exploded when it collided on the wall. When I turned around that way in surprise, Miranda-san took advantage of that opening by throwing her short sword and knives as though to press me back.

The sight that I saw while dodging was the cracked wall and the scorched mark.s And then the rising smoke from that spot.

「Oh, you have a good instinct. Even so, that Art that makes it as though you have eyes behind you……All was it? That’s troublesome.」

I turned towards Miranda-san and opened my mouth──

「You want to ask me where did I hear it from right? Aria and also that girl Sophia are really honest. They easily talked to me when I flattered them a bit and praised you. I made them feel indebted to me, and it looked like you also made them feel inferior so it was easy.」

The Fourth seemed to be surprised too.

『Don’t tell me, the cause of the two of them being that lax was really──』

「The two of them growing relaxed like that, could it be──」

「That’s right. I slightly directed them. I approached them with an offer to do their job for them and showed so that it looked like they are being lax. I also used Sophia for experimenting with the sleeping drug, but that time too she only thought of it as her being too lax. I’m relieved that it went smoothly. Well, there was also me wanting to worsen the mood of the party though.」

I gritted my teeth. I felt embarrassed of myself that didn’t trust Aria-san and Sophia-san and only thought of it as them being lax.

But, Miranda-san immediately took out two of that peculiar knife. A knife that looked similar to a burst arrow’s arrowhead. She had several of them.

「But, it’s not just my fault. You are also at fault. This party might breakup sooner or later even without me doing anything.」

She broke into a run and threw the two knives to different directions. She expressly missed.

And then, she stood in front of me unarmed.

「Don’t look down on me-!」

I would get near and capture her. The Seventh yelled when I was thinking that.

『Lyle, don’t chase her too deep! Miranda’s aim is──』

There were two explosions right after that. The blast from each of them shook my balance. While the surrounding was enveloped in smoke, I looked at my left arm.

「──Guh」

A short sword was stabbed there. It wasn’t deep so I immediately pulled it out and threw it away.

「It’s useless even if you hide in the smoke──e, eh?」

I tried to locate Miranda-san right away, but my left hand started to go numb and I dropped the sheath I was holding.

It wasn’t just my hand that was shaking. Arm, shoulder……the numbness was gradually spreading to my whole body.

Then, several slender knives flew out from inside the smoke. At the same time a sticky thread flew at me. I couldn’t even dodge and the knives stabbed my thigh and right shoulder. My arm and torso got fastened to each other by the thread.

While I was trying to move somehow, the smoke cleared up quickly. Miranda-san was approaching me.

「Dungeon is really inconvenient. Even though I wanted to cause a dust explosion just like this, the smoke is clearing up right away. This environment that is matching to humans is also a puzzle isn’t it? ──Right, Lyle-kun!」

The distance was closed and then I got my stomach kicked. I fell face up. The sticky thread hardened and so I didn’t get stuck on the floor. But, I couldn’t move.

Miranda-san kicked away the saber that I let go.

「Even though you can sense me there are many ways to deal with that. Do you understand?」

Miranda-san said that with a smile, and then she kicked me over. My gaze turned toward where Novem and the others were at, but everyone was sleeping and showed no sign of waking up.

The Third was slightly frustrated.

『Paralyzing drug and sleeping drug……how troublesome. Lyle, can you move?』

While I was unable to reply, the Thrid considered it as affirmation and spoke.

『Buy some time. Just think of that right now.』

I was breathing in pain and talked to Miranda-san.

「……Just, what is your purpose──!」

A knife was stabbed deeply into my left thigh. When I turned my face toward Miranda-san, she was looking down on me expressionlessly.

「Purpose is ittt……making you take responsibility I guess. Well, also various other things while I’m at it?」

I turned my gaze to Miranda-san and listened to her talking without provoking her.

「You know, even someone like me thought that you would be good. I was living by acting the good and obedient girl in my life until now while keeping down the seething anger deep inside……when I met you the first time, could it be, fate!? I held that kind of hope.」

Miranda-san who twisted her body while blushing kicked me. The place the tip of her boots hit was terribly painful. She completely understood where to hit to cause pain.

The Fifth’s voice talked to me.

『She kicked at a nasty spot. That spot will cause the pain to linger for a while……』

Miranda-san’s face turned serious and took a knife before throwing it at me. And then she stepped on the knife.

「Uguh! ……Gah!」

She grinded on the knife with her foot while smiling seeing me suffering in pain.

「The numbness has receded isn’t it? I chose one that has immediate effect but recedes quickly. Because, if not then even the pain will be dulled. That will be boring. Err~, I was in the middle of talking right? You know, I really held hope for you. Lyle-kun who was disinherited from the Count house.」

I endured the pain while talking to Miranda-san.

「Haa……tsu! ……Was it……because, there was the talk of engagement with me?」

Miranda-san grinded on the knife while smiling even now.

「Correct. I’ll add one more knife as reward.」

She said that and threw a knife at me. I gritted my teeth and endured the pain from the knife that stabbed into my calf.

Miranda-san sighed and folded her arms under her breast.

「An encounter with a man that my family had a talk of engagement with in the past in a completely unrelated place. I really held high hope. On our first date, I did my best to put on cosmetics and also gave my all with various other things, and yet……you really are the worst.」

She kicked me strongly and I coughed.

And then Miranda-san stepped on my head hard.

「You made Aria and Sophia, and even your actual former fiancée to wait upon you……is it fun? As a boy it must be fun for you. But, from a woman’s perspective that’s sure not fun at all. They seem to keep quiet, but both Aria and Sophia are feeling discontent. Your former fiancée who is compelling them into that……is a bit strange isn’t she?」

I couldn’t say anything back regarding Novem, but I never thought that the two would be disgruntled. No, surely they had dissatisfaction but, I didn’t understand so far as to what kind of dissatisfaction they had.

「……Why, are you intentionally doing something this elaborate?」

Miranda-san removed her foot from me and then her face turned sad.

「My revenge. And then, it’s to make Shannon understand the power of her own eyes. If some of you died and only me and few others return to the surface, even that child will understand her own power. ……It looks like that child is happy she can control me, but bluntly speaking the power of her eyes is weak. Compared to the record that great grandmother left behind, she cannot even pull out ten percent of the eye’s ability.」

Great grandmother──Milleia-san was leaving behind a record. That was surprising.

「You, investigated a lot.」

「Shannon couldn’t see since she was born after all. It’s fundamental to investigate various things in order to search the cause right? It’s fine if I just investigated back through the family tree, so it was simple. Although, Otou-sama doesn’t know that his grandmother was blind. Really, what a pathetic man. I had it hard because of that. Even so, from my perspective you who know about that eye is also amazing enough though?」

The conversation continued. Because it was necessary to buy time.

I looked up at Miranda-san.

「So you know, everything? How Shannon-chan’s eyes are special too?」

「Of course I will notice when I’m living together with her. That child thinks that I don’t notice though. Well, she is cute like that so I’ll forgive that. It was also Shannon who played pranks and made the servants quit, but that’s also alright. That child is kind after all. Surely she didn’t want them to get dragged into this.」

「Kind?」

There was one of the short swords that Miranda-san threw under the hardened string. I wriggled my body and moved bit by bit continuously until the binding was undone.

「That’s right. That child is stupid, cute, and kind. She is the same kind like Aria. Sophia is a different type but she is the same. Those girls are idiots, that’s why they are cute.」

While I was thinking that the two were pitiful because they were called idiots, I also wanted to agree just slightly.

「……You, do you know what Shannon is going to do?」

I spoke the conjecture that I and the ancestors thought up.

「Revenge towards the house that shunned her. She is using Miranda-san as a pawn for that revenge……is that not it?」

Miranda-san was laughing.

「Wrong answer. The revenge, no, the payback that child mentioned. You see──」

I doubted my ears when I heard what that payback entailed.

.

──The hospital where Shannon was hospitalized.

Recently, the rumor that the ghosts of children were appearing at midnight inside the hospital was spreading, but everything was peaceful other than that.

Shannon was waiting for Miranda who still hadn’t returned while eating sweets.

「Onee-sama still hasn’t returned yet? Even though it will be fine if she quickly showed those people a painful experience and returned. That Lyle guy has troubled Onee-sama, so it will be great if he meets a really painful experience.」

She would forgive him with that.

Shannon who thought such thing then pondered about the mischief she would inflict to her house now that Miranda had fallen under her control.

「When Onee-sama returns, I’ll go home immediately and make them pay! I’ll put bugs inside Doris-oneesama’s dress! I’ll doodle on Otou-sama’s important documents so that he will be embarrassed at work. And then, I’ll blame everything on Onee-sama! She betrayed me and turned me into laughingstock……you can get scolded because of that. And then perhaps I’ll forgive her after that.」

And then she remembered.

「Da, damn it! I have to think of how to pay back that woman too! Err~, what will be good I wonder? A, as I thought it’s bugs? Bugs are scary after all, even that woman will absolutely hate it won’t she?」

Shannon put her hand on her chin above the bed and pondered.

「I, I’ll put bugs in her food? No, as expected that’s too much. Even someone like me cannot go as far as that. But, in that case what kind of payback will……」

Shannon who was at her wits’ end never even dreamed that Miranda would be trying to kill Lyle and the others──

.

『……Who was it, the guy who said a lot of exaggerated things like mystic eyes or whatever?』

『Playing pranks is a bad thing, even so someone who wanted to crush a girl’s eyes just because of that really gives me the creeps.』

『Isn’t that adorable. And, what was it you guys said about mystic eyes?』

『……Shut up!』

『Why is Miranda who looks exactly like Milleia being like this──』

『Well, if she is similar with aunt, then this isn’t that surprising. However, this is unexpected.』

Floor B29. I who was in the middle of camping was being restrained and tormented by Miranda-san right now.

Because of my faked hitting on a girl, it ended up as something unthinkable like this. I understood until that point. But, I never thought that our conjecture would be completely wrong.

The me who said something like please open your eyes with a serious face was really embarrassing. After all Miranda-san wasn’t controlled from the beginning.

In other words, she was a person with a true character who could do something like this. She was a bit, no, a really scary person.

「The best that she can think of is only to put bugs inside Doris’s dress or doodle on Otou-sama’s paperwork. But, she is also trying to make a move on that woman……your little sister, that’s why I’m watching after Shannon in this city.」

My little sister──Celes. Miranda-san saw me grimacing and smiled.

「Oh, do you have bitter memories of your little sister?」

When I averted my gaze, Miranda-san stepped on me. She grinded her shoe sole and looked down on me with a smirk.

「Tell me of it, Lyle-kun who was disinherited and chased out from his house.」

Amidst that, the Third’s voice loudly came.

『──Lyle, you’ve bought enough time.』

When I wriggled, Miranda-san kicked me over. In that instant she made a curious face but it was already too late.

「Short sword? Don’t tell me──」

I unfastened the restrain and pulled out my knife which I threw toward Miranda-san. Miranda-san dodged, but I knew she would do that.

I endured the pain and broke into a run to pick up my weapon. But, in front of me──at the place where everyone was sleeping, there was wire stretched around that blocked me from advancing.

「What’s this……wire?」

When I turned around, Miranda-san was slowly walking towards me. Seeing how she was broadly grinning, she must have a trump card.

「That’s unfortunate. You can’t go further than that. That’s why, it’s also impossible for you to get out of this room.」

There was the entrance at the other side of the laid out wire. No one woke up even though we made this much ruckus, so the sleeping drug that was used seemed to be really strong.

I pulled out my remaining knife and calmed down my breathing.

「A trump card is something that you must have in reserve.」

Miranda-san’s right hand──the fingertips were letting out thread. She swung her right hand, so I rolled to the side to dodge. But the thread clung on the laid out wire, forming a sticky net.

「The thread from before?」

Miranda-san was holding short swords with her hands, and then she headed toward me.

I held my knife with both hands and parried Miranda-san’s slash.

Sparks scattered each time. Miranda-san’s long and pretty leg assaulted me.

「Your walking manner is bad!」

I also kicked to counterattack, but Miranda-san easily dodged.

「Your hand-to-hand fighting skill is immature compared to your sword skill isn’t it?」

The Second praised Miranda-san.

『Good grief, what a woman. Jack of all trades? This woman isn’t anything like that.』

She was able to do anything that she tried, she must be in the category of genius.

I threw the knife and broke into a run, but there was a thread twining around my left hand before I noticed it. There was Miranda-san at the end of the thread. She let out thread from her left hand and pulled it.

「Ah ah, I won’t let you get away.」

The Fifth muttered.

『This girl, she was hiding an Art? However, she is a woman who is like a spider.』

I agreed. But, I couldn’t end like this.

「I can’t be killed here──Limit Burst!」

The second stage of the First’s Art. Using that, my physical ability drastically increased and I swung around my hand and threw away Miranda-san. I forcefully tore away the thread around my arm and picked a short sword lying on the ground.

Right after that, when I turned around there were three knives that looked like arrowheads approaching right before me.

「──Ah」

And then explosion. The surrounding caught fire for a moment due to the explosion, and then black smoke enveloped the place.

.

──While the black smoke was spreading inside the room.

Miranda was flying in the air from getting forcefully thrown by Lyle while throwing knives midair. She rode off the explosion blast by rolling on the floor, then she slowly stood up.

「Good grief, what a really troublesome child. Thanks to that I couldn’t play around.」

The failed work of magic arrow, the burst arrow had its destructive power heightened and improved into the knife. The special knife of Miranda also had its safety improved.

「Haa, dealing with the corpse will be troublesome.」

She imagined Lyle was scattered to all directions by the explosion, but she was calm.

However, when the black smoke rapidly cleared up, Miranda looked around and tightened her grip on her short sword. She placed her back on the wall and raised up her guard.

There wasn’t any trace of Lyle at the explosion site.

(……Don’t tell me, he endured an explosion that powerful? I didn’t hear that he has any Art like that, though I didn’t actually confirm it.)

From the way Lyle fought, she judged that he had no Art to protect himself. After all his way of fighting was based on dodging.

However, she couldn’t find Lyle anywhere. Miranda was sweating coldly, and then she suddenly noticed something and looked up.

Lyle was there. He was falling down while readying his saber.

「Too slow-!」

She crossed her short swords and blocked Lyle’s violent attack. It caused a lot of sparks, and then Lyle blew Miranda away with a spinning kick.

「Guh, a strengthening type Art huh!」

She rotated her body midair and kicked on the wall before landing on the floor. Then, a saber passed through right beside Miranda.

Lyle smiled while piercing the wall with his saber.

「Oh, looks like I missed.」

Lyle forcefully changed the direction of the saber and then moved to swing the saber horizontally with brute force while the saber was still stuck in the wall.

Miranda hurriedly crouched down and kicked at Lyle, but Lyle didn’t even stagger.

「Hard-!」

She got away from that spot to escape, then when she turned around she saw the wall that was cut by the saber slowly regenerating.

The difference from before was Lyle using a strengthening type Art that raised his physical ability. She had heard about it from Aria and Sophia.

(This is surpassing my predictions. However, how long can you continue in such state when you’re completely exhausted right now──)

And then, there was one more difference from before.

The movement of Lyle who was taking a stance with one saber was far sharper than before. To put it in another way, there was a clear killing intent in his movement.

「Aren’t you feeling any shame at all? Whose fault do you think it is that──」

「It’s the fact that I was acting dishonestly, but so what? It will be worse to leave alone the you right now. Rather, I have to thank god for that encounter. Because of that, I don’t end up leaving alone a woman like you at large.」

Miranda gritted her teeth. Was it alright for someone dangerous like her to exist? That was something that Miranda herself was always thinking.

「Even I……am aware that my personality is abnormal!」

Day by day she acted as the ideal woman while tucking away her daily dissatisfaction that was like a boiling black tar at the bottom of her heart. Before long it produced her dual nature.

Her gentle self and her terribly cruel self.

She parried Lyle’s merciless slash and then let out thread from her left hand. The difference from before was that it was a short thread that looked light as though it could be cut immediately. The thread that was like cotton candy was drifting in the surrounding. The amount was a lot.

Lyle seemed to think that the thread wouldn’t pose any problem and rushed at her with a slash from the front.

「That’s why you’re an idiot!」

The thread stuck on Lyle’s body. The sticking thread emitted sparking bluish white light and burnt to ash.

Then, Lyle’s movement was noticeably becoming worse.

「……What?」

Lyle looked at the burning thread sticking on his body in annoyance. Miranda explained it in a good mood. Even though it wasn’t a situation to do such thing.

「Ahahahaha, do you know? Humans, or rather all living creatures use the mana inside their body to strengthen their flesh body. In other words, as long as they are living then they are magicians in a broad sense. The string I created just now is sucking up that mana and burning it. It will also hinder you from using Arts, you can’t exert strength as you wish right?」

Lyle was laughing amidst the white thread that was floating in the surroundings.

A chill ran through Miranda’s back. Right after that, mana gushed out from Lyle’s body and burned all the threads around him.

「Then, I just need to pour out mana to the degree that there won’t be a problem even with the hindrance. Let’s finish this already……Miranda. I’ll also send Shannon to follow after you soon.」

Shannon’s face came into Miranda’s mind. If it was Lyle right now, he might really go out of this dungeon and kill Shannon. His killing intent convinced her of that.

(I won’t let you. I won’t let that child die!)

「……It’s still, not over!」

She threw away the weapons her hands were holding and released a lot of threads from both her hands. The threads formed shape as though they had their own will and covered Miranda.

「I’m still──」

Miranda displayed her last resort while Lyle was approaching──

.

Going back slightly in time.

I turned around toward the loud explosive sound. In my hands were a pile of short swords and knives that were lying on the floor. Miranda-san was facing the wall while mumbling to herself.

「……I was surprised.」

I was trickling cold sweat while tossing away the weapons I collected to the other side of the wire. *Clang clang* The metallic sound resounded inside the room, but everyone who was sleeping didn’t even stir.

Aria-san was even smiling happily in her sleep.

The Seventh couldn’t help himself from fidgeting uneasily since some time ago.

『Magnificent. What power! I wish to obtain that no matter what.』

It was the Sixth who weakly replied.

『Yeah. That sure looks convenient. More importantly, now that Shannon isn’t a threat anymore, how will we treat Miranda? Though I’m concerned for both girls.』

The Sixth was concerned about the matter of Miranda-san.

The Fifth was teased by the other ancestors──especially by the Second until the Fourth and got irritated. His tone was getting rougher.

『Do you want to dispose of them? That’s impossible. Rather, if possible I want those sisters to be placed where we can watch them carefully.』

The Fourth pondered.

『In that case, they will need to be placed at Lyle’s side then. However, is there any need to go that far? The matter about the mystic eyes whatever was also a misunderstanding, so I’m not confident with your words, or rather……』

The Third provoked the Fifth.

『That thing is dangerous. We’re going to crush those eyes depending on the situation! You said with an awfully serious look, and yet your conjecture was utterly wrong. Rather than Shannon-chan, it’s Miranda-chan who is problematic.』

The Fifth was feeling indignation.

『It’s really dangerous! Listen well, even if it’s alright right now but if one day something happens can you take responsibility huh!?』

The Second spoke lazily.

『In the first place, it’s not the place of Lyle or us to take responsibility for this.』

Now that he mentioned it that was true. There wasn’t any reason for me to go that far. I had finished retrieving the weapons, so I looked at my saber that was placed on the other side of the wire.

「……I can’t reach them. In that case, is there anything else that seems usable?」

When I searched my own clothes, there was a candy in my breast pocket. It was the same thing as the one that I received from Novem when we entered the dungeon. It seemed she concealed it in my pocket for me. I looked at Novem who was leaning on a wooden box sleeping.

「……I’ve made you worry, Novem.」

I threw the candy inside my mouth. It felt like strength was welling up from putting in something sweet into my stomach.

「Even so, the Third’s Art has amazing effect.」

Miranda-san was standing while swaying. Her expression was really stern looking like she was fighting someone unseen.

『Well, it’s that kind of Art after all. It was great that you could talk with her while buying time. It would all be over if she killed you with no questions asked.』

The Third talked with a light tone, but from my perspective it wasn’t a laughing matter.

However──

「Even so, the First’s Limit Burst was also amazing. My wounds are already closed.」

The Second was astonished.

『It’s just as unreasonable as its user. It increases your strength without any demerit and also heals your wounds.』

When I looked at Miranda-san, she was trying to do something. If possible I wanted to capture her without injuring her but…….

While I was thinking that, *clang clang* the sound of something rolling could be heard.

When I turned my gaze, the sleeping Aria-san let go of her spear and rolled toward here from the other side of the wire.

The Second praised.

『You did well, Aria! Now then, with this you obtained a weapon.』

I picked up Aria-san’s spear and then I looked at Miranda-san.

「……It became something outrageous from that faked hitting on a girl.」

The Fourth was slightly angry at my words while saying.

『Learn a little bit from this incident what can result from your actions.』

The Third was laughing.

『Well, the incident this time couldn’t be expected though. Now then, Lyle……although it was your rebellious phase, this is a seed that you sowed yourself. Take responsibility for it. Do you have any idea of what to do?』

I nodded. Just as the Fifth said, I couldn’t just leave the two of them alone.

Certainly I felt something like fate from the Circry sisters, but even more than that I understood just how much this weighed on the minds of the Fifth and the Sixth.

「……I’ll at least take responsibility for what I had done.」

I walked to in front of Miranda-san, and then I took a stance with the spear.

「Let’s end this already, Miranda-san.」

Miranda-san lifted up both her arms and let out threads from her ten fingers and palms. She looked at me while muttering.

『──I cannot, end here yet!』

The threads wrapped Miranda-san’s body and created an object that was like a weaved skeletal structure. Inside the room, soil from somewhere was used as the flesh that was attached on the skeletal structure, then her lower body part transformed into a spider. Her hands were also covered with soil, and the long and ominous arms were completed.

That figure possessed bewitching impression that the box spider lacked. Miranda-san turned into a figure that was like a spider woman──an arachne.

The Fifth was dumbfounded.

『……She is really a spider woman huh』

Miranda-san yelled.

「This form is convenient inside the dungeon. Until now I have rampaged many times to clear up my stress. I hacked monsters to pieces again and again……this time, it’ll be youuuuu!」

The eight legs moved like a living thing. When she swung her largely stretching arm, the claws left behind marks on the floor.

When I swung my spear and deflected the attack, Miranda-san leaped and clung on the ceiling.

She let out threads from both her hands and instantly created a large spider nest in the room. The Second immediately advised me.

『Lyle, the vertical threads of spider web aren’t sticky. Be careful of the horizontal threads.』

I nodded and then looked up to the ceiling. There several large spiders webs were laid out in a shape that surrounded me.

「I will absolutely end you here……if not, we’re」

Even though her face and voice were the same like usual, the terror was different when it was said with her current form. However I understood that the fear Miranda-san was looking at me with was even more than that.

I crouched slightly and jumped on the spider’s nest. Just as the Second said, there was no stickiness on the vertical thread. I stepped on two of the vertical threads. The threads were firm, but it bounced me up and down so it was difficult to balance myself.

The Seventh looked at Miranda-san and noticed something troublesome.

『This is troublesome. She isn’t just imitating a spider’s appearance, she is even reproducing its movement. What kind of principle is behind it……』

I talked to Miranda-san.

「I actually wanted to apologize. To properly say……it was wrong of me. Please forgive me. Also-」

「Shut up! Shut up, shut up-!」

Miranda-san shook her head fiercely and didn’t want to listen. But, I continued my words.

「You are actually beautiful, and kind……I wished that I had a big sister like you.」

Miranda-san rushed on the spider’s nest.

I made us of the thread’s recoil to jump aside, and Miranda-san passed the spot where I was standing previously. However she immediately changed direction and approached towards me.

She skillfully used her eight legs. Her approaching figure looked exactly like a spider.

「Just what kind of illusion did she see?」

The Third responded carelessly 「Who knows」 because he didn’t know.

『In any case, there is only one thing to do.』

That’s right. Right now──

I ran above the spider’s nest, jumped, and then avoided Miranda-san’s attacks like that while intentionally getting cornered against the wall.

「It’s checkmateee!」

Seeing Miranda-san gradually becoming unable to make calm decisions, I comprehended just how atrocious the effect that Mind displayed was.

I put both my feet on one thread and readied the spear.

「……Field.」

I used the Second’s Art and my senses spread out. At the same time I saw the inside of the threads and soil covering Miranda-san. It was like a real bone structure.

Miranda-san yelled. I calmed down my breathing while she was approaching.

「It’s over with thisssss!」

I muttered.

「Yes, it’s over.」

Half-baked attacks wouldn’t go through, while an attack that was too strong would harm Miranda-san. The Fifth and the Sixth didn’t wish for that.

Then, what I could do was──

「You put a lot of effort into creating this form but……there are parts where you are forcing it.」

I stepped forward towards Miranda-san who was approaching me from the front, slipped through the attack of both her arms and pierced the weak point at her lower body with the spear. The point slightly below the joint with Miranda-san’s upper body. When I stabbed that point, it ended up piercing below Miranda-san’s groin──at the area between her legs.

Various important bone structures were concentrated there, so with the spear thrust on top of the momentum of the form itself, the lower body part was easily crumbling. The spider armor──its fragile part was pierced by the spear.

Miranda-san was making a disbelieving face seeing the object that she created was easily destroyed.

「──Impossible」

Miranda-san was thrown out from the lower body part of the crumbling spider. Unable to kill her momentum, she was going to collide on the wall.

『Lyle!』

In response to the Sixth’s yell, I jumped between Miranda-san and the wall and caught her body. I crashed on the wall like that, and the crumbling spider body also crashed on the wall. A large crack was created on the wall, so the momentum behind the body must be really big.

「──!」

I who got my back colliding on the wall while holding Miranda-san was falling down while fixing my posture to land on the ground. I could hear the Third making fun of me.

『Really, how are you able to do something like that so easily? Like how you fixed your balance from that situation……』

Even I could at least land properly. Was he making fun of me?

The threads of the crumbling spider were vanishing as though they were melting into the air.

The ominous arms of Miranda-san in my arms were also crumbling. Her normal hands appeared.

Miranda-san instantly took out a knife from her clothes’ sleeve and slashed. I immediately pushed her away and her knife grazed my cheek.

I wiped the flowing blood with my hand.

「Are you still not giving up?」

Miranda-san stood up with trembling legs. She was running out of breath. It seemed she had really forced herself. Apparently the spider form just now was putting a really large burden on her.

「If I give up, Shannon will……I won’t let anyone kill that child.」

My heart felt pained seeing Miranda-san’s figure that was trying to protect her little sister. The sight of someone trying to protect their family…….

「……I’m not thinking of killing anyone. Besides, why are you going that far to protect a little sister who is attempting to control you?」

Miranda-san was making a tired expression, but she was smiling slightly.

「Because she is stupid and cute. Also, that child doesn’t make a wall between me and her. Even my family created a wall between me and them. Whether it’s my father or little sister……and all the people around me too. I could do anything since the past. Besides I was also acting like a kind person who always smiled, and yet……but, it’s only that child who-」

Family problems. It was Miranda-san’s problem that I didn’t understand.

It looked hard for Miranda-san to even stand on her two feet. She was standing in front of me with a knife in her hand, but it was obvious that she was forcing herself.

「That child is honest and kind. She called someone like me amazing……she told me that I’m a big sister that she is proud of. That’s why, at least with how much I hurt her……I too……besides I have to protect Shannon.」

「Protect?」

「I……have to protect her no matter what.」

Her eyes weren’t focused. I didn’t understand what she was saying. The Sixth was moved to tears by Miranda-san’s figure.

『As I thought, she is Milleia’s descendant. I always believed in you.』

The Third cut in.

『She seriously tried to kill Lyle and the others though. However, Lyle, what are you planning to do now?』

I walked closer and hugged Miranda-san to keep her on her feet. She tried to resist, but her body couldn’t move properly and she was unable to shake me off.

「I will protect you from now on. I will protect the two of you.」

「……Haha, just why. Why are you…?」

Miranda-san laughed powerlessly. Her hand let go of the knife. It seemed she was crying.

The Fifth said to place the two of them at my side. If that was the case, perhaps it would be better for us to stay together from now on.

「There are various reasons. Besides, I cannot leave the two of you alone.」

The two of them were too dangerous to be left alone.

「……You’re really, the worst. I tried to kill you though?」

That was exactly why I couldn’t leave you alone. Besides, the Fifth and the Sixth would be sad if I left Miranda-san and Shannon-chan alone like this.

I who didn’t know what to say at this kind of time was pathetic. The ancestors inside the Jewel also didn’t give any advice and stayed quiet.

「In the first place, it was my actions that caused this. That’s why, I’ll take responsibility.」

Miranda-san put her hands on my back and hugged me.

「So you’re saying that even after seeing my true nature. You’re, interesting just as I thought.」

「Is that so?」

「……I’m a troublesome woman you know?」

I didn’t mind that. Rather it would be reassuring if Miranda-san became my “comrade”.

「I don’t mind.」

「……You will, take responsibility right?」

「Of course.」

I would take responsibility to protect the two of them. Or rather, as expected protecting the two of them was like my duty as an adventurer──as the party leader.

Eh? Thinking carefully, putting the two of them at my side meant that I would have to bring them around with me. I remembered that I hadn’t checked whether the two of them wanted that or not.

「Well, I’ll have to ask you two to come along with me though……」

Miranda-san muttered.

「You’re going to take responsibility right? I’ll come with you no matter where. With this, I finally……」

Strength suddenly left Miranda-san’s body. She let go of her consciousness while still leaning on me.

「……Haa, it’s over.」

When I was feeling relieved that various problems were taken care of, the Sixth spoke loudly with deep emotion. Or rather, I only had little mana remaining so please don’t make a ruckus.

『Lyle, you’re really……so you’ve resolved yourself to that extent huh! I’m really glad!』

The Fifth was also praising me.

『Well, that’s great. They really cannot be left alone after all. In the end, this is the best choice. But, Lyle, this will be burdening you greatly you know?』

I got the feeling that I always got saddled with burdens already, but this atmosphere felt really different from usual.

The Fourth was speaking in a slightly harsh way to me.

『Anyway, remember that the number one is Novem-chan no matter what. Good grief, I was surprised when you spoke of taking responsibility that I couldn’t even make a voice.』

……? Strange. The reactions of the ancestors were strange.

「What are you all saying? I’m only accepting them as comrades──」

The atmosphere of the Fifth and the Sixth instantly changed. Their high evaluation of me just now was rapidly dropping.

『……As I thought, Lyle is Lyle after all.』

『Indeed. It was a waste to feel moved like that. But what now? From Miranda’s reaction she──』

Seeing me bewildered, the Second explained to me.

『Aa~, in other words, Lyle. Your statement about taking responsibility just now, Miranda took it as meaning that you will accept her as a woman. The conversation just now sounded like a love confession even from our perspective that we were shocked.』

The Third was laughing.

『That’s amazing. Just when we thought that Lyle has resolved himself, to think it’s actually just a misunderstanding. No, I’ve thought that perhaps it will turn out like this though. As expected from Lyle. You never betray my expectations.』

The Fourth was angry. He was enraged.

『This isn’t a laughing matter. If you said to a woman that you will take responsibility, it will be in that kind of meaning!』

The Seventh was exasperated, but he judged that it would be dangerous if I dispelled the misunderstanding after this.

『She is a woman who went this far just from a faked smooth talking. If she realized that just now was only a misunderstanding, I don’t know what in the world she will do next. Well, in the end you have accomplished your initial objective, so perhaps it’s fine like this. Well, although she is a capital noble, she is a daughter of a Viscount house. Her status is just barely suitable for you.』

No, talking about worthy or not, I was just an adventurer. It was me who was completely not worthy. What was the Seventh──Ojii-sama thinking about?

The Fourth concluded the talk.

『Well, let’s set aside the matter of status. However, with this, we don’t need to do anything like crushing the eyes of a little girl. Let’s just consider it as all’s well that ends well.』

The problem wasn’t resolved at all from my end though, what are you going to do about that?

「Ple, please wait. I mean, about putting them at my side it’s only as comrades, and I spoke about taking responsibility was as the party leader whose duty is to protect his comrades!」

The Second told me.

『Give up. Or rather, why did you use words like taking responsibility there huh.』

That’s not my fault! Everyone kept saying responsibility, responsibility so I……if I knew it would be like this then I would have used different wording!

While I was thinking that an intense pain ran through my body. I remembered this sensation of the strength of my whole body fading out.

「Do, don’t tell me……at this timing?」

I could hear the Third’s thrilled voice.

『Oh, could it be the second time is here already?』