Countdown 36

The shadow clones that Hironobu had created were already down to the last three; they seemed to disappear after sustaining a certain amount of damage.

The harpies mercilessly attacked each clone until nothing was left before moving on to the next one.

Hironobu himself appeared unharmed for now.

“Aaarrghh!”

Tsuyoshi howled as he staggered with Kyoya on his back.

His left eye had been gouged out, and blood oozed out from the gash in his stomach.

Even so, he was still relatively okay compared to Kotaro and Jiro. The two of us hurried over to help Tsuyoshi.

“What’re you guys doin’ here?”

“We’re here to rescue you, duh!”

“Squat down so I can pick you up and fly you guys to safety!”

Despite our pleas, Tsuyoshi shook his head.

“I’m not going. Just take him and leave.”

He said, handing Kyoya to us, who remained limp in his arms.

Although Kyoya was wounded and unconscious, his injuries seemed fairly light due to the tightly-wrapped thread around his body.

“I’m gonna stay here and fight. As if I can run away after what they did to us! I’ll kill every single one of ‘em bastards!”

True to his word, Tsuyoshi tried to step towards the harpies swarming around Hironobu’s clones.

“No, I won’t allow it. I promised those two. You’re coming with us.”

“Didn’t ya hear what I said, dumbass? Gack!”

Tsuyoshi groaned as I rammed my fist into his stomach.

“Son of a bitch...you’ll pay for this...”

His remaining right eye rolled back into his head, and I caught him as he fell towards me.

“Shoko!”

“G-gosh, I’d hate to be you when he wakes up. But thanks. I’ll carry these two, so cling to my back.”

Shoko removed the gravity around her and took off.

“Where’s Hironobu?”

“Over there! Shit, he only has one clone left!”

After several blows, the last clone disintegrated, and the harpies surrounded Hironobu.

The creatures seemed like they couldn’t wait to get their hands on him, probably seething after being fooled by clone after clone.

“We’re too late! I can’t get close to him!”

“NO!”

My eyes met with Hironobu, and he raised his hand and smiled.

I noticed he had his index and middle fingers up. It was a peace sign.

From the very beginning, he’d meant to create a diversion so that the others could escape.

“Let’s go. Don’t look back.”

“Hironobu!!”

The harpies attacked Hironobu all at once, and he disappeared from our sight as they piled on top of one other.

Just then.

A spear pierced the mound of harpies.

It was an incredibly long pike. My gaze traveled the length of the shaft.

Kotaro and Jiro were standing, holding on to each other for support.

The two of them gripped a spear in their hands.

They only had two legs and two arms between them: it was a miracle that they were standing at all.

Battered beyond belief and unable to stand on their own, the two guys stood together as one.

The harpies that had been feasting on Hironobu scattered and flew towards Kotaro and Jiro instead.

A blood-soaked Hironobu emerged.

“Now!”

We sped towards Hironobu without a moment’s hesitation.

“Hang on!”

Hironobu clung to Shoko’s chest, and she soared into the sky without losing speed.

We no longer looked back.

My phone pinged to notify me of a new message. The text read “countdown: 36 remaining.”

“We did it, you two.”

“Good job.”

“We’ll be seeing ya.”

Kotaro and Jiro’s voices echoed clearly in my mind.

Although they were no longer with us, their memories continued to live on within me.