Teigu: the most formidable weapons in existence. They were the works of the Empire's first Emperor. Crafted from rare materials harvested from extremely dangerous Super Danger Beasts, even that was not enough. To "bind" these top-tier components together, something equally elite was required: Orichalcum, an ultra-rare metal.
This substance was thought to have vanished along with the methods used to forge Teigu. Yet, somehow, Asahi now held a block of pure Orichalcum in his hands.
"Why are you giving me this?"
Still clad in his armor, Asahi turned to question the High Priest of The Path of Peace inside a room occupied only by the two of them.
"I didn't expose Borick just to receive a reward."
"I know. Your actions were perhaps a bit... violent, but I can feel that you truly care for the followers. Please, accept this as a token of my gratitude."
Asahi didn't believe for a second that the man before him was ignorant of what this was; otherwise, he wouldn't have been so secretive as to enter this place without a single soul following him.
"Please, take it. This is truly precious, but it is of no use to me. I am willing to trade it for the safety of my believers."
"In that case, I won't argue further."
The High Priest bowed in thanks and departed, leaving Asahi alone. The man showed not a hint of lingering attachment to the Orichalcum. Had this been tossed into the Capital, people would surely have fought until their heads were broken and bleeding. The mere reputation of being the vital material for forging Teigu was more than enough reason to kill for it.
He deactivated his armor and looked at the metal in his hand, his expression pensive. What use could this bring him?
...
"It seems there were only those two monsters here."
"So, 'cleaning up a big toy' as that guy suggested referred to this. It seems this is where the new types of monsters were being hidden."
Tatsumi and Esdeath sat under the shade of some coconut trees to avoid the sun. She was busy recording the day's events in a notebook.
"What shall we do after we've finished resting?"
"First, we'll scout the perimeter of this island. We need to understand exactly where we are."
"True. If it can house monsters like those, there might still be mysteries hidden here."
"Panic only leads to death. We need to remain calm during our investigation."
"Then let's go."
Tatsumi was no longer being stubborn. He had recognized the reality of the situation: he absolutely had to rely on Esdeath if he wanted to return, so there was no need to put on a show of resistance right now.
However, while Tatsumi thought he would feel awkward and resistant, he found being with Esdeath quite natural—despite having constantly reminded himself that she was the enemy.
Esdeath was working very seriously with her pen and notebook, but the contents were merely simple, somewhat childish drawings. The first sketch showed her hugging Tatsumi from behind with a giant heart; the second was a portrait of Tatsumi, also accompanied by a massive heart.
"It looks nothing like him..."
Their journey of discovery began. Tatsumi volunteered to lead, sword in hand to clear the path, while Esdeath followed happily behind. He had taken off his outer coat and tied it around his waist; she had removed her hat.
They admired the scenery together and played with strange creatures, such as a flower so enormous it startled Tatsumi, or crabs that tried to crawl up his pant legs. They found vibrant fruits never seen before and drew their swords to hunt the creatures of the island together.
"Tatsumi, look at this. Why are you so embarrassed?"
"How could I not be embarrassed?!"
"I'm still wearing a bra. Turn around and look."
Esdeath reached out to strike a pose. Tatsumi covered his eyes with one hand while waving the other frantically. His timid behavior made Esdeath laugh radiantly—a smile that left Tatsumi momentarily dazed.
By evening, they grilled the meat from the prey they had hunted that morning, sharing a dinner for two under a brilliant starlit sky.
"I didn't expect the exploration to last until nightfall."
Though he called it exploration, Tatsumi felt it was more like a picnic. He couldn't help but admit... his time with Esdeath was actually fun.
"But it was enjoyable, wasn't it?"
"Ah... yeah..."
Esdeath placed her hand over the back of Tatsumi's. This time, although he was still hesitant, he didn't react as violently as before. This made her inwardly rejoice; he was "gradually" accepting her.
"And now, I've figured out the location of this island."
"Eh, really?"
"Yes. This is an island located very far to the southeast of the Capital."
"Very far southeast? We were teleported that far?"
Tatsumi was shocked. He was worried about the power of the Teigu owned by that Shura fellow. No matter how strong you are, if he can just throw you far away, you can't do anything to him. How do you fight that?
But Esdeath's next words made him even more worried, and sweat began to pour down his face.
"For a very long time, it will be just the two of us on this deserted island. What do you plan to do, Tatsumi? Choose your destiny."
"One: Living together here isn't a bad idea."
"Two: We must return to the Capital and live happily there."
"Three: 'Take' me right now."
"No! There are no such choices!!"
"How boring."
"Why are you so calm? We're going to be stuck here!"
"Because I already know the way for us to return. You don't have to worry."
"Wow! Really?"
"Of course, but I need you to give me a hand. Understood, Tatsumi?"
"Understood!"
Esdeath stood up and walked along the shore, with Tatsumi following. He had a bad premonition, but while looking for an exit, he could also find an opportunity to escape. Tatsumi was willing to accept any risk.
After walking for a while, they returned to the original beach where the two giant monster corpses still lay. The only difference was the appearance of a small, flickering purple circle of light.
"Just as I thought. Something was hidden right at the spot where we were teleported."
"So is it possible that... Shura can only teleport targets like us to places where these circles exist?"
Tatsumi observed and voiced his deduction. Esdeath nodded and continued.
"Not only that, it seems he can only teleport a few people at once. Even so, it likely consumes a massive amount of energy, so he can't deploy this move continuously."
"Meaning if we just keep watch over this symbol..."
"...it will eventually open. And that is one way to return."
"Now, before we talk about other ways to get back..."
"Before?"
Esdeath turned and suddenly hugged Tatsumi tightly, pressing her chest into his face and making him suffocate.
"It's just the two of us here, so we must learn more about each other!"
With great difficulty, he managed to break free. Tatsumi fell backward onto the sand, only to be pinned down by Esdeath.
"Wait... wait a minute! There are plenty of other ways to understand each other!"
"You want me to stop? Then tell me about yourself."