Siblings
""Onee-chan!""
"Eh…? That’s really Yuki, isn’t it! What’s going on with you two!?"
""Of course! We came to see you, Nee-chan!""
"So that’s what it was! I’m so happy~ You really made it all the way here!"
In front of the well at the main house, a moving reunion. It happened in the simplest and most straightforward way.
I mean, look. We even held a secret strategy meeting with Shark and Yuzuki-chan, but every single idea I came up with got rejected.
The twin brothers make a dashing entrance from a high place!
That was shot down with “That’s dangerous.” Then I suggested disguising myself as the monster Kemojageruge with a giant boar pelt, scaring Nina-san, and having her little brothers heroically swoop in to save their sister. But that too was dismissed with, “What is that, some kind of wedding reception skit…?”
Yeah, well. When outsiders try to hype things up like that, the people involved just end up feeling awkward. Not that I’d know firsthand—I’ve never even been invited to a friend’s wedding. My only reference is those funny home video shows on TV.Anyway, seeing Nina-san reunited with her little brothers, Shark and Yuzuki-chan both looked relieved, as if a weight had been lifted from their shoulders. Since it was Shark who arranged for Nabe-san to bring the brothers here, I should give him proper credit for pulling it off.
"Well then, Shark, Hinagata-kun, good work getting this far. You really helped out with Nina-san’s brothers."
"Of course. We owed you for coming to save us during the Stampede and protecting the school. This is nothing compared to that."
"That’s true. Though honestly, I didn’t do anything—I just tagged along. Sorry about that."
"Ah, no, that’s fine. But hey, you two, is everything okay with school?"
I was grateful they’d acted for Nina-san’s brothers’ sake, but if it hurt their studies that would be another problem. So I asked about that.
"Yeah. School’s still packed with evacuees anyway."
"And with all the incidents happening around the country—people so hopeless after the Stampede that they’re attacking children—there’s even talk of just starting summer vacation early nationwide…"
"What, that’s what’s been going on out there…?"
Hmmm, since coming here I’ve been so wrapped up in mountain hunts and dungeon expeditions that I’ve turned into a total information weakling. I’d been relying entirely on Nina-san’s morning and evening market checks to keep me updated on big trends.
But really—attacking kids out of despair? What kind of warped mind does that?
If you want to let off steam, there are plenty of wild monsters crawling out of dungeons in mountains like these. But no, instead they’re scared of monsters and go after children weaker than themselves? That’s the thinking of absolute trash.
"Damn, unforgivable. I hate bullies and anyone who torments the weak."
"Yeah, same here! If I saw someone like that, I’d wanna knock ‘em flat!"
When I snorted in anger, Shark joined me, equally furious. Sure, her rough tone and overblown bravado can be a bit much sometimes, but in moments like this, it’s really admirable.
That said, throughout human history, the leading cause of death—including war—has been murder.
Truly, what a deeply sinful species humans are. It seems we can never be like those siblings, embracing each other tenderly in the sunset.