The Hero's Defeat
"Uh..."
"Suzu-chan!"
"Suzu!"
With Suzu raising a groan and slowly opening her eyes, Kaori and Eri who were always beside her, called Suzu's name with anxious voices mixed with relief. Suzu spaced out for a while with only her gaze moving around, and finally opened her mouth.
"I-I don't know this ceiling~."
"Suzu, I know you like acting, but wouldn't it be better if you didn't say something like that at time like this?"
She should be thirsty. However, Suzu desperately said so with hoarse voice, which made Shizuku retorted in a half-amazed, half-praising tone when she heard her. Afterwards, Suzu moistened her throat using the water from the leather flask by her side.
With lovely sound of gulping, Suzu, who sated her thirst, said, "I'm revived! Literally!," words that couldn't be taken as a joke, and she tried her best to stand up with Kaori and Eri supporting her. The class's moodmaker who regained her consciousness from a critical condition, radiated a cheerful atmosphere which made the classmates who had been depressed until now show smiles.
However, the bright atmosphere was very contrary to Suzu's complexion. She was exhausted and suffered blood loss. With a pale face and thin lines below her eyes just like a bear's, her smile looked miserable. Some parts of her body were pierced, but it was unmistakably her "strength" to be able to smile as soon as she got up. Shizuku and Kaori watched her with respect.
"Suzu-chan. It's okay for you to rest some more. After all, your blood shouldn't have been replenished yet, even if your wounds have recovered..."
"U~n, so that's why I feel dizzy~. That bastard~, to pierce the beautiful Suzu... even though, "Can I penetrate you now?," is better to be said in bed!"
"Suzu! That's vulgar! Be more prudent!"
Suzu said while hatefully gazing at empty space, and Eri scolded Suzu with flushed cheeks. Some of the male students inadvertently, "Bff!?," but averted their gazes due to Shizuku's glare.
"Suzu, thank God you woke up. We were worried, you know?"
"Yo, are you really okay? Isn't your face completely pale?"
Because Suzu suddenly caused a commotion after she woke up, Kouki and Ryuutarou approached her. While being weakened for a period of time as an effect from using "Limit Break," Kouki became depressed because they were severely beaten. However, he seemed to have recovered somehow since a moderate amount of time had passed after they had retreated and hid where they currently were.
"Morning~, Kouki-kun, Ryuutarou-kun! Looks like we somehow got away, huh? Umm, is everyone saf—... Wait, one is missing..."
"Yeah, it's Endou. He retreated ahead alone. We think he should be able to break through the floors alone by hiding himself..."
After greeting Kouki and Ryuutarou with a smile, Suzu noticed one person was missing from the surrounding classmates. Suzu had lost her consciousness in the midst of battle, so Kouki and the others answered her doubt while they explained the current situation.
Incidentally, Kondou and Saitou had been de-petrified, woke up earlier than Suzu, and had already been debriefed of the situation.
"I see, looks like a lot of time had passed since Suzu fainted... Ah, that's right. Kaorin, thanks! Kaorin has become Suzu's life benefactor!"
"Suzu-chan, it's my duty to heal everyone. So don't exaggerate it by calling me your life benefactor because it was a natural thing for me to do."
"Heh~, even stoic Kaorin is wonderful! Shall we get married?"
"Suzu... it's eerie if you say that with pale face. For now, shouldn't you rest some more?"
Suzu was scolded by Eri while she was clinging to Kaori. If she over did it, Shizuku would physically stop her. It was the usual way of things. Even the classmates who wondered whether they'd be able to survive and return to surface again, gradually regained their composure thanks to Suzu and the girls' conversation that didn't mind their defeat.
However, the atmosphere which was starting to turn bright was douse with water by a person who always ruin the ambience.
"...What are you grinning about? We almost died, you know? Moreover, our situation hasn't changed even now! Think of how we can get out of here if you have time to joke around!"
The one who shouted while glaring at Suzu was Kondou Reiichi. And though he didn't express it, Saitou Yoshiki by his side also watched her with criticizing gaze.
"Oi, Kondou. Can you not say such a thing? Suzu only did this to change the moo—..."
"Shut up! It's not like you can say anything to me! After all, you lost! I almost died! Shit! What a Hero you are!"
Although Kouki tried to admonish Kondou due to his remark, Kondou suddenly burst like fire that got poured with oil and began to criticize Kouki.
"Bastard... Thanks to whom do you think we could retreat, huh? We could do that because Kouki opened a path for us!"
"To begin with, there's no need for us to retreat if he wins! More importantly, we obviously had our chance. It would have been all right for us to receive the invitation from Demon Race and defeat them later! But, you selfishly started the fight! Everything is your fault! This is your responsibility!"
This time, Ryuutarou began to admonish such a Kondou. Kondou stood up and confronted Ryuurarou. Sympathizing with Kondou, Saitou and Nakano also stood up and faced Ryuutarou.
"Ryuutarou, I am okay... I'll accept my responsibility, Kondou. We won't lose this time! We already understood the characteristics of the demonic beasts, and we won't get attacked by surprise again. So, we will absolutely win this time!"
Although Kouki made a gesture where he clasped his clenched fist, Saitou muttered with darkened eyes.
"... But, you could not win even with "Limit Break."
"Th-That's... i-it'll be okay now!