Escape From a Deserted Island With Enemy Female Soldiers

102 – How to Save an Enemy (2)

I set up glowstones everywhere to illuminate the surroundings. Mushroom monsters thrashing around, covered in silk, came into view. Judging by the circumstances, it was the spider woman’s doing.

“What is it, if you’re going to help, help properly. Why stop halfway?”

“That woman probably acted like this because she’s outwardly on the monsters’ side.”

After ending the monsters’ lives, I untangled the threads and buried them in the ground.

“Why are you burying them?”

“Evidence disposal, duh. Think about it, Daisy. If evidence remains that the spider helped us, what will the other monsters think?”

The others were drawing the same conclusions as me.

The spider demon, Salvia, seemed willing to help us. But it seemed like there were many constraints due to her public stance.

“I’m still confused.”

The Saintess mumbled.

“That monster, it possessed the most evil aura I’ve ever felt. She could have finished us off for sure earlier. But why didn’t she make that choice?”

“I wonder that myself.”

“Anything else?”

The four of us discussed. Because of the lack of information, it didn’t last long. We could only tell that they weren’t immediately hostile to us.

Miyo asked cautiously.

“Could it be that they have other motives?”

“Maybe. The important thing is that the woman took Valkyrie.”

Adora’s expression soured upon hearing my words.

“I’ve felt this since we first arrived, but Major, you keep looking for Valkyrie. Are you that worried about her?”

“She was kidnapped while injured. It would be stranger if I wasn’t worried.”

“…Well, that’s true.”

I unfolded the map the spider woman gave me.

As expected, the island was shaped like a dumbbell. Two rounded sections. Separated in the middle, the bottom was painted white, the top gray.

“We’re here at White Sands, and up there is Black Sands.”

The Lieutenant pointed to the bottom and top in turn, explaining.

“The Commander said… the Black Sands area is corrupted because of the fallen monsters. The forest is contaminated, so the trees and soil are all a dull gray. To sum it up in one word, well…”

Demon Realm.

“It’s a Demon Realm. Everything there is corrupted by demonic power. If you’re not well prepared, you might go there and never come back.”

If it was a Demon Realm, I’d experienced something similar when I fought the plant monsters. The mana is dense, humid, and cold. You can’t think of it as a tropical region.

Remembering the day I fought the Alraune sent a chill down my spine.

I’m afraid to go.

Honestly, I don’t want to go.

But with Valkyrie kidnapped, there was no other choice.

“Everyone, what are you going to do?”

“We have to go as soon as possible. We all vowed during the year-end party and New Year’s party, right? To make it out alive, with no one dead.”

“Major Rachel has saved us every time from the front. We fox-kin don’t forget a kindness. Erich is important, but everyone else is important too.”

“Sergeant says he’s going too.”

The Saintess stroked Riyo’s head and looked at the Lieutenant.

“Gifford, what about you?”

“Uh…”

The Lieutenant had a blank look on his face.

“None of you are afraid? This is a Demon Realm. You can die from even a slight misstep.”

“I’ve been to Demon Realms before.”

“Where?”

“On another island. I almost died, barely made it back alive. Not a great experience.”

“So why?”

“I told you earlier. We swore an oath to return alive together. If we abandon Major Rachel just to save our own skins, I don’t have the confidence I won’t regret it.”

The Brigadier General let out a hollow laugh.

“Crazy. You’re all crazy. Reckless, far too reckless.”

“I wasn’t always like this either. I learned this recklessness from Erich. If you’re going to say bad things, go say them directly to one of your own subordinates.”

The Brigadier General’s gaze turns to me.

“You’re going?”

“Of course.”

“Even if I order you not to?”

“I will disobey an unreasonable order.”

“Don’t you think it’s dangerous?”

“Well, was the battlefield safe?”

The Brigadier General fell silent.

“I still don’t understand. Why this war happened. What we were supposed to be fighting to protect. I just felt empty seeing my comrades die. And I bet the Holy Empire soldiers felt the same.”

“Major.”

“But this time it’s different. If I can save Valkyrie, I will save Valkyrie. Because I don’t want to regret anything anymore. If I can save even one person, I’ll save them. What we’re trying to do now has a clear purpose, doesn’t betray humanity, and follows a righteous cause. There’s no reason not to.”

“You speak like a hero from centuries past.”

“Weren’t you aware? Every soldier is a hero.”

“Ha!”

The Major smacked her forehead. She giggled, grabbing my shoulder. Then, pretending to shake me roughly, she put her face close to my ear and whispered.

“Let’s go, Sunbae. I’ll protect you.”

Great, another fool who doesn’t know the value of their life.

*

We started a forced march as soon as the sun rose. Following the map, we crossed the White Sand Zone and entered the Demon Realm. Just as the Major said, and as I already knew, a charcoal gray forest appeared.

How long did we walk?

As we approached our destination, the trees began to take on color.

“There are spiderwebs everywhere.”

“It seems we’ve entered the spider’s territory.”

“Ah, there!”

Riyo, diligently scouting as a scout should, pointed ahead.

“Enemies are coming!”

We immediately went into battle formation.

Soon after Riyo’s warning, a spider monster the size of a large dog appeared.

Hiss, hiss.

The spider didn’t close in beyond a certain distance. It lifted its sharply shaped forelegs, took a scything stance a few times, and then slowly retreated.

“Ah, it ran away.”

“Is it telling us to follow?”

“It’s completely different from any monster we’ve encountered before.”

While my companions were offering their own takes, I was listening to the voices of the stones.

[‘I’m worried about Rachel.’]

[‘Don’t worry, lass. With Erich’s personality, he’ll rescue her no matter what.’]

[‘Oh, that’s right. Senior’s a man who gets things done, so just keep quiet and watch.’]

[‘What, weren’t you guys rooting for other women before?’]

[‘Isn’t this a different matter entirely?’]

[‘Oh my.’]

They’re making weird noises again.

The Saintess asked,

“Check the map. Aren’t we almost there?”

“Yes.”

A space you could actually call a clearing appeared for the first time on the path, which had only been thick with trees. Huge spiders were busily spinning silk, moving to and fro across the clearing. Methodical.

“Are they building a house, maybe?”

When else in my life would I get to see monsters constructing something?

I was thinking that when a face I saw yesterday appeared between the trees.

The spider woman, Salbira.

Her eyes met mine.

[“Shoot.”]

The spider woman spun thread from her hand, building a web above our heads. A dark shadow fell in an instant. A chill.

[“Why have you come?”]

[“Did you take our comrade?”]

[“Yes. I distinctly told you to come in four days.”]

[“How can we wait four days when a sick comrade has been kidnapped? What if something happens to her before then, just let her die?”]

[“You don’t look to be in particularly good shape yourselves, do you?”]

[“Rachel’s worse off.”]

[“Aren’t you afraid? Shouldn’t you have at least considered what this spider monster is plotting and had time to prepare?”]

[“We know you’re stronger than any of us. You could kill us all here if you wanted to. Couldn’t you?”]

[“That’s the truth.”]

The spider woman drew out red thread, settling into a stance. At the same time, the Chief drew his sword, stepping forward, and Liyo and the Saintess stuck to either side of me. We formed up as prearranged.

[“You people.”]

The spider woman’s eyes scanned me and my companions.

[“You can’t be unaware of how strong I am.”]

[“We know.”]

[“We know it.”]

Miyo and the Chief answered in quick succession.

[“Knowing that, why be so reckless? Don’t you value your lives?”]

[“Human lives are short, unlike yours.”]

At the two women’s words that followed, the spider woman’s eyebrow twitched.

[“We humans, if we live a hundred years, we’re considered long-lived. Compared to the eternity of the universe, it’s nothing. Isn’t life just about being thirsty even if you live one more day, and full even if you live one day less?”]

[“It’s not about how long you live. It’s about how, and with whom, you live. And how, and by whose side, you die that matters most.”]

The Saint quietly recited a prayer. Energy, however fleeting, returned to her weary body. If there was a fight to be had, they would fight here, die together. They were all saying it with one heart.

Why could they go this far?

We had already faced death countless times. Sirens, ghouls, alraunes and wooden puppets, and even the demon controlling the golems. Especially the last time, we almost died helplessly if it weren’t for the stones’ help. Maybe everyone became detached back then.

We live if we can.

But, if even one of us has to die, we all die together.

[“Humans are amusing. Always picking the stupidest things to do.”]

[“Why is this a stupid thing to do? It’s smart, rather.”]

[“Where’s the smart in it?”]

[“If even one of us dies, the rest of us are going to die anyway. Wouldn’t it be better to die here together, loyally wiped out, rather than dying one by one, with the last one left facing a lonely end?”]

[“Well, I don’t want to lose it building other people’s graves.”]

[“That’s right. If we die like this, we can all laugh together in heaven. The goddesses will be watching over our souls.”]

The spider woman wore an astonished expression.

[“…Impressive.”]

Swish.

She retracted her silk and relaxed her posture.

[“Your comrade is lying down over there. My little ones are, quite literally, taking good care of them. They’re checking their condition, so just wait here a bit before going in.”]

[“Can’t we go in together to see them?”]

[“Can’t humans even wait that much?”]

[“As I said, her lifespan is short.”]

The woman started laughing at my words. It was an unexpectedly gentle smile, for a demon.