409 Bear-san, Doing The Best To Save Fina.
I never thought I’d have to fight myself.
The first match was a one-on-one match against a golem hardened by magic.
The second battle was against the five armored knights. A battle against multiple opponents.
The third battle was with a monitor lizard. A large monster.
The fourth one was unexpectedly against a copy of myself based on the first three fights.
But what is the final trial? I can’t imagine, but I hope it’s not going to be another big monster. And I don’t want another Fake-me to appear. If a red bear, a blue bear, a yellow bear, a green bear, a black bear, a white bear, or some kind of Bear Rangers appear, then I might use magic and go on a rampage.
[Missy, are you okay?] Rojina
As I’m imagining strange things, Rojina-san calls out to me.
[Yeah, I’m okay. That last one seems like a copy of me from the last three trials or something, so if I beat it with more power than that, there would be no problem.] Yuna
[Does that mean you weren’t even serious when you killed that big lizard?] Rojina
[Well, I mean…….] Yuna
While I was having a hard time explaining it, the ground in the back of the room started to glow. It seems the fifth and final battle is about to begin. There seemed to be another magic circle on the ground, it was glowing in a circular shape, then a pale white wall appeared. Is this white wall the next trial?
It’s a wall that looks like it was made by magic. I touch it with my bear puppet. I can’t tell how thin or thick the wall is. But my body can’t get through.
As I touch the wall, I go around it to check its size. The wall is about the size of a four and a half tatami mat. When I took a closer look at the wall, I can see a wall beyond the pale white wall, and there’s another wall behind it.
One, two, three, four, five. I don’t know for sure. Maybe there are five walls. It’s a five-layered barrier, I think.
Do I have to break down these five walls?
[Rojina-san, do I have to break this?] Yuna
[Yeah, break it down with the weapon you’re holding and you’re done. But remember, it’s not just a wall. You’ll have to use all of your power, and the power of that knife you’re holding, to cut it down.] Guildmaster
Guildmaster answered instead of Rojina-san. The final trial seems to be easy. I was expecting a much more vicious opponent, but it was a much easier trial than I expected.
Is this purely a test of the weapon and my power?
Well, as long as the Bear Rangers doesn’t appear, I’ll take it.
I was about to move away from the wall, within range of the knife, the ground inside the wall moved. When I looked closely, it looks like a person has fallen. That person was moving slowly.
[……Where am I?]
A familiar voice comes from within the walls.
I approached the thin, glowing, white wall. I can’t make it out clearly because of the pale wall of magical power, but it’s an outline I know very well and a voice I know too well.
[Fina?] Yuna
Fina is inside the wall.
[Yuna-oneesan?] Fina
I knew it! It’s Fina!
[Yuna-oneechan! Where am I? And what is this wall?] Fina
[We’re inside the Gate of Trials. Do you know how you got there, Fina?] Yuna
[Well, I was with Ruimin-san a while ago…… and then, ugh, I can’t remember.] Fina
Fina is holding her head in her hands. She doesn’t seem to know why she is here.
But how did Fina got here? And what about Ruimin who was with her, is she okay?
The only thing I can think of is magic, forced transference, but how is that even possible?
It might be possible that I could do it with a year’s worth of magic training.
[Yuna-oneesan. Why am I here?] Fina
[I think, maybe, you got involved in my trial.] Yuna
[The trial?…..] Fina
Fina, who is inside the wall, stood up and touched the wall.
Her voice sounded anxious.
[Yeah, Fina showed up during the last trial.] Yuna
[I see… But how do I get out of here?] Fina
Fina wandered around while touching the wall, looking for a way out, but she didn’t seem to find one. I, too, circled the wall, but could not find a way out. The only thing I can think of is that this is a test and I’m supposed to break down the magical wall to save Fina.
I look at the wall made of magical power.
The wall seemed to be a pale white wall and Fina’s figure could be seen faintly behind the wall.
There is an easy way to rescue Fina.
[Rojina-san, if I use magic, the trial will end, right?] Yuna
[Yeah, the trial will end, but you won’t clear it. You are free to decide what you want to do, Missy. So as long as there is no danger, you are free to try whatever you want.] Rojina
[Is this a trial, Yuna-oneesan?] Fina
[It looks like the point of the trial is to save Fina from this wall. But magic is forbidden, so as soon as I hit the wall with my magic, the trial will end and the wall will be gone.] Yuna
That is the fastest way to get Fina out of there.
I don’t have to go along with this incomprehensible farce.
[Yuna-oneesan, I’ll be okay, so try your best. Yuna-oneesan, you can do it!] Fina
[Fina…….] Yuna
[It doesn’t look like there’s any danger and I don’t want to get in your way. Yuna-oneesan, I’m happy to help.] Fina
[Are you sure?] Yuna
[Yes, I believe in you, Yuna-oneesan.] Fina
I thought about it and decided to accept Fina’s feelings gratefully.
[Okay. I’ll get through the trials and help Fina out. Just give me a minute.] Yuna
[Yes!] Fina
[Well then, step a little further away from the wall.] Yuna
After making sure that Fina was far from the wall, I grabbed my Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear Knives. Then I swung them left and right with magic power. The first wall broke. I took a step closer to Fina.
[Yuna-oneesan.] Fina
[Don’t worry. I’ll get you out there soon.] Yuna
I said softly so as not to make Fina uneasy.
Quickly, I’ll hastily break down this wall, complete the trials, and rescue Fina as well.
I’ve also cut down the second wall.
Then, I quickly swung my knife down at the third wall. But it was bounced by the magical powered wall.
[Don’t panic, Missy. There’s still time. Calm down.] Rojina
Rojina-san, advised me when I’m about to panic.
I may indeed have been too focused on getting Fina out of there as quickly as possible and may have been careless with my knives. I stepped back to check the distance between us and swung down my Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear Knives alternately. The third wall also disappears.
Two more to go. The wall seems to be getting tougher and tougher, but if I stay calm and keep trying, I should be okay.
When I regained my composure, Fina, who was inside the wall, panicked.
[Eh? What? Water?] Fina
[Fina, what’s wrong?] Yuna
[There’s water coming out of the ground.] Fina
When I looked down, I could see something like water that was gushing out from the bottom of the pale white wall.
[Yuna-oneesan!] Fina
This is no longer a trial.
Fina may drown if the water increases. If the water went up to the ceiling, which was about two meters high, Fina would be in danger.
This trial is over. Fina doesn’t have to go through with this.
I’ll use my magic to help you in a minute.
[Yuna-oneesan. I’m still okay. So, do your best.] Fina
The water level reached up to her knees, but Fina urged me to continue the trial. She cares about others more than herself. But Fina is more important to me than any trials.
[Yuna-oneesan……] Fina
I don’t want to waste time thinking about it, so I gather magic power into my bear puppet. I don’t want to scare Fina any more than what she’s experiencing in the trials. I used the magic power I’ve collected in the bear puppet to shoot a fireball. With this, the trial ends. I couldn’t clear it, though. That’s fine. I didn’t want Fina to experience any more terrible things.
When the fireball was about to hit the wall, something unexpected happened. The fireball went through the wall and pa.s.sed by Fina.
[Fina!] Yuna
[I, I’m fine.] Fina
I was relieved. Then, I asked Fina to move to the right side of the wall. I shot the wind blade at Fina on the left side of the wall so as not to endanger her. But the wind blade also pa.s.sed through.
Magic just pa.s.sed through, yet the walls didn’t brake and the trials didn’t end.
I thought if you used magic, you’d be disqualified and the trials would be over!
The same might happen if I use bear magic. But if I used the flaming bear, it could burn Fina to death.
[Rojina-san! Guildmaster!] Yuna
[I don’t know.] Guildmaster
[Missy, if magic doesn’t work, slash it with your knives. You can do it, Missy!] Rojina
[Yuna-oneesan!] Fina
That’s right! Since it’s about testing weapons, I have to destroy them with weapons!
I grabbed my knives. Then, I put my magic power into it and break the fourth wall.
Okay, just one more.
I spared no time and slashed at the fifth and final wall. But the fifth wall bounced off my Swaying Bear Knife. So I also swung down my Hugging Bear Knife on my left, but it was bounced back as well.
It’s hard? No, it’s not hard, rather, it’s more like bouncing off a rubber-like wall.
I swung my knives down again and again.
Why can’t I cut it? Why can’t I break it?
The wall turns white, as if amplified by more magic, I can’t even see Fina in the wall anymore. But I can see that the water is increasing.
[Missy, calm down. If you wield the knives with such a disturbed heart, you will not be able to cut anything.] Rojina
Even if you say that… Fina.
[There’s still time. Take a deep breath, calm down, and trust the knives that Ghazal made. Believe in your knife handling. You can’t do it without either of them.] Rojina
I relaxed my body. Then I took a deep breath.
The water level is steadily increasing. But it’s still okay.
Fina. I’m coming to get you.
I poured magic power into Swaying Bear and Hugging Bear Knives I held on both hands. I put more strength into my legs. I clenched the knives in the bear puppet’s mouths with all the strength I have. I held the knives up. With the strength in my foot to step, the power in my arms to swing the knife, the rotation of my waist, and the angle of the knives, I finally swung the knives down towards the wall. It was the best attack I ever did. An “X” mark was engraved on the wall.
I don’t feel any rebound from it. I cleanly sliced through the wall.
The wall breaks.
[Fina! ……eh?] Yuna
The wall crumbled, the water disappeared, along with the thing I thought was Fina. There was nothing beyond the wall.
What does this mean?
Could it be, I’ve been tricked?
Wait, if I think about it calmly, I could have just stabbed knives in the magic circle and it would have ended.
I feel like I’ve been deceived in so many ways.