Even more frustrated than Tohka were the Valkyries who had arrived a step too late.
Though they had long known that the Immortal Blades were an elite unit with the fewest combat missions, the experience of sortieing only to immediately return was still hard to get used to.
This was especially true for Origami, who had been eager to show her stuff and had planned to use her performance in this battle to wrangle some rewards. DEM's retreat had dashed those hopes.
Rita, understanding the Valkyries' frustration, could only think about persuading Durandal later to organize some activities to lift everyone's spirits.
"Being able to avoid a fight should be a welcome surprise," Rita chimed in at just the right moment, seeing everyone's dejection.
"Valkyries don't fight for the sake of fighting; they fight so that one day, fighting will no longer be necessary. A peaceful resolution is always something to be happy about, no matter what."
She had a point.
Rita's words snapped everyone out of their funk, and the disappointment in their hearts cleared considerably.
--+--
On the other hand, DEM's decisiveness in retreating wasn't entirely unexpected for Amber.
After all, while the situation had been unfavorable for them earlier, they still had a fighting chance. But once Tohka had fully recovered, the situation became entirely different.
"Let's get out of here first. Shiori must be worried sick about you," Amber said to Tohka, who wore a complicated expression.
"That's right! Shiori!"
Remembering the girl who had nearly died protecting her, worry flashed across Tohka's face.
Even though she'd been told Shiori had fully recovered, without seeing her alive and kicking right before her eyes, it still didn't feel completely real.
Kotori, who had been watching the entire scene from above, was equally curious about how Tohka had suddenly recovered. But now wasn't the time to dwell on that.
Recognizing a perfect opportunity, she teleported Shiori from the forest's edge right next to the two of them.
Sensing someone's sudden appearance, Amber looked toward Shiori. Following Amber's gaze, Tohka saw Shiori running towards them, completely out of breath.
"To...hka...! Are you okay?"
Shiori's P.E. grades were hardly stellar to begin with.
Coupled with the mountainous terrain being wrecked over and over, making even walking difficult, running all the way here had naturally drained her stamina.
Shiori felt like she'd just done a whole week's worth of exercise in one go.
But seeing that Tohka seemed unhurt, she finally felt relieved.
When Kotori told her Tohka was being surrounded, she had been terrified, barely even registering how her own severe injuries had healed, her mind filled only with concern for Tohka.
"I'm fine! But Shiori, you're the one! How could you just push me aside like that...!"
Tohka was overjoyed that Shiori was safe and sound, but also furious that she had shoved Tohka aside and thrown herself into danger.
But stronger than the anger was her moved feelings and the joy of having gotten Shiori back.
"Sorry... I didn't really think at the time, I just..."
Shiori, realizing it only now, remembered that Tohka was a Spirit, and definitely way more durable than a mere human like herself.
But back then, her mind had been completely focused on protecting Tohka, making her overlook the obvious.
"You dummy! You made me so worried! Stupid! Shiori, you big dummy!"
Tohka could tell perfectly well that Shiori, prioritizing Tohka's safety over her own, had pushed her away without a second thought.
Unable to hold back her emotions any longer, Tohka pulled Shiori into a tight hug.
Knowing the situation might soon become a bit too intimate for onlookers, Amber quickly reminded them of her presence. "I'm glad to see you're alright, Shiori."
"Durandal... thank you again for this time."
Still processing the sudden hug, Shiori hurriedly expressed her gratitude.
Having been saved by Durandal from powerful enemies twice now, Shiori's understanding of the 'world's strongest human' had deepened, and with it, her sense of security soared.
Her inclination towards joining Schicksal was becoming clearer.
After all, Ratatoskr had been completely useless this time, while the rescue had been carried out by Schicksal. And while Ratatoskr claimed to cooperate with Schicksal, the cooperation entirely revolved around her as the core.
The problem was, she, the core, wasn't even a member of Ratatoskr, just a member's relative.
And not even a blood relative at that.
Combined with the poor impression she had from the very beginning, no matter how much Kotori tried to explain things from a macro perspective, Shiori just couldn't bring herself to like Ratatoskr.
Put simply, if she just quit, Ratatoskr's so-called 'Date a Live' plan would be nothing but empty talk.
In contrast, the sense of security Durandal provided was tangible.
Shiori knew very well that if she were a member of Schicksal, under Durandal's protection, then that DEM bunch definitely wouldn't dare come bothering her time and time again.
"If Durandal hadn't been here, it might have been a tough fight! As expected of my dear friend!"
Tohka wasn't very good with words of thanks, and could only express herself in her own awkward way.
"You're welcome. While there is a cooperative relationship between us, you are my friends. That will not be tarnished by some cold, formal agreement."
Amber was quite fond of the original Shido and Tohka pairing.
Even though many other Spirits appeared later, she always felt Shido and Tohka were the most suitable match.
"Durandal..."
Shiori looked at Amber with increasingly moved eyes.
Perhaps her greatest luck had been that day grocery shopping, when she kindly helped Durandal and Rita deal with a shopkeeper bullying out-of-towners.
'A regular girl like me actually met the world's strongest while buying groceries? That's just too protagonist-like, isn't it?'
'Ah, wait, thinking about it, I'm not exactly that ordinary either.'
'Could I really have the makings of a protagonist? No, no, if anyone's the protagonist, it's definitely someone like Durandal.'
"Since things are settled here, I'll take my leave now."
Knowing she should give the two some space, Amber didn't plan to stay long.
"Eh? Leaving so soon?"
Tohka tilted her head, seeming to recall that the last time, the other had left quickly too.
Hmm... perhaps it was because Durandal was a powerful human, and Shiori was a weak human, so Shiori could just stay out in the world freely, similar to how Spirits couldn't just come out as they pleased.
Having explained it to herself within her own worldview, Tohka nodded again. "Then, see you next time! Durandal!"
"Would you like to come over for a meal at my place later? I didn't get to host you properly last time."
Unaware of Tohka's unique understanding, Shiori spoke to Amber with some embarrassment.
The last visit could only be described as a catastrophic disaster.
First, the conversation between Origami and Shiori made the atmosphere awkward, then Kotori and Mobius plunged it straight into the freezing point.
"Sure, I'll bring Rita along next time."
Amber knew the other wanted to express her gratitude and saw no reason to refuse, agreeing directly before flying off towards the Schicksal hotel.
At the same time, an aerial warship far larger than the Fraxinus took off from Schicksal, heading straight for Tengu City.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.