"Don't die!"

With dripping nose, saliva and tears on the whole face, the elf child was shouting.

A small hand like an apple was pressed against the chest of the young man.

From there, a lot of blood is gushing out, and from the cut that extends until the abdomen his internal organs were partly protruded.

To stop it, the child was struggling to hold down the man's life even for a little bit.

"Don't die… Raid-sama!"

As the young man tries to wipe the child's tears… He gives up.

His left arm is already broken and will not move.

He wipes the little girl's cheek with his remaining right arm. Now instead of tears, it's blood that's smeared all over.

That was the blood of the young man, and also the blood of the fallen enemy.

In the corner of the young man's vision was the dead body of the defeated Devil.

On the other side, the children who have lowered to their waist.

Children who barely escaped from being sacrificed for a ceremony.

Among them, only this little girl ran towards the young man to treat him.

Furthermore for being too late there were sacrifices in another direction, breathless children and the figure of the main culprit, a priest.

"Do…not…cry…it's…alright"

There's no way it's alright. The young man was already prepared to die.

Nevertheless there was one reason to claim it was alright.

It's because his companion who was in this place before her figure disappeared.

A girl who always followed the right answer and was called a wise woman. That girl disappeared. But it was not pointless.

Then there's only one thing to think about. She went to call for help. Because I ordered so.

She's not very talented at magic.

Even so, compared with the average person she's skilled, but she doesn't have the ability to save the young man from the verge of death.

That's why she left this place, so she can call for someone who can help. She was allowed to leave.

"That's why… It's okay… right…?"

I squeezed the strength to spit up blood—-Actually a massive hemoptysis[1]—-and comforted the girl.

I'll probably die. My friend who went to call for help betting in that one possibility most likely will not make it in time, right?

That's why I wanted to reassure this girl.

"I…won't…die…"

A promise that I couldn't keep.

Leaving the girl behind, the young man—-One of the heroes who were called Shadow Feather Raid is…dead.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemoptysis