...

  "..."

  Right...

  ...I died...

  ...

  ...I wasn't able to save them either...

  ...

  I'm such a bad leader-

  "Is it really okay to trust them, Leader?"

  "...?"

  Voices...?

  "I don't think they're bad guys from the way they dressed themselves...and as I said earlier..."

  ! That voice!

  As per my instincts, I opened my eyes...only to see two individuals standing beside me

  "Oh? You're finally awake"

  "What...? I'm...alive...?"

  I said as I looked at my hands, no cuts nor bruises can be seen

  Its as if, I've never gone to battle

  "Huh? Of course you are. That whole things a sham after all"

  "What?"

  The man beside the demihuman sighed then looks at me

  "Its true, Hikari"

  "Rui...?"

  It then came to my mind-

  "! The others! What happened to them?!"

  I looked around the room, only to see no one but the two of them

  "They aren't here. They went outside with Mashiro"

  "Mashiro...?"

  "My other companion. The Demicat"

  "I see...I'm gd they're alive..."

  Wait...

  ...They're...?

  "T-That's Impossible! Didn't you finish them off already?!"

  "Leader, he's really bad at listening huh? I told him earlier that everything that happened was a sham"

  "He just woken up, of course he's in confusion. Give him a break"

  "What do you mean by 'Sham' ?"

  "..."

  From thereon, they told me everything that happened, as well as their pn from the start

  "...I can't believe it..."

  The moment we stepped within their area, we were already in their Illusion

  I knew that, that's why I broke that Illusion...

  ...The one thing I didn't knew was...

  That Illusion, was already inside of another Illusion that I wasn't able to detect

  It wasn't obvious to me that time because they lured our attention to the aura that they put within the forest

  And if that wasn't bad enough, the path that we took were already id out by them, which we willingly took bait in

  The monsters that we fought at that time, were illusions, yet they were real enough to wear us down

  Which was their goal, to let our guard up and let loose the moment we stepped in into the waterfall

  "An illusion inside of another illusion...how can someone can make such a complicated thing...?"

  "As if I would tell you my ways"

  The Lurachnid said in an arrogant tone

  "Lura, he's still our guest. Treat them with respect"

  "...I will, Leader"

  She said to Rui reluctantly

  "But why is it that when we took a stepped inside, our bodies suddenly got lighten? Is it because that's where the Illusion ends?"

  "Ha-"

  Rui grabs Lura on the shoulder, making a big gulp as she carefully chooses her words

  "*Ahem*, If that were the case, you would be dead for real you know?"

  "What...?"

  "Think about it, we came up, started a battle, you were struggling at first, but was able to almost beat us with your strengths, yet you weren't able to because of unforeseen circumstances. Why do you think that is?"

  "...?!"

  The moment we stepped in at that pce, it almost feel as if we suddenly got buffed

  Then they came to fight us, which we fought against

  We were able to unleash our full potentials without much struggle

  ...?!

  "The moment we went into that waterfall...was the time we already lost?!"

  The Lurachnid nods proudly, seemingly I hit the jackpot

  It was then that I finally realized...

  ...That we already lost consciousness right after we stepped in into that pce

  Everything that happened in there, was just like a dream...

  ...a dream that tormented our mental wellbeing

  A dream, no, a nightmare that utilized our mental state to be drained without the need for bloodshed

  This Lurachnid...is no ordinary Lurachnid...

  Usually...Illusions would target an individual as a whole, dragging its physical body with it, the body then not only sustains mental damage, but also physical damage...

  But I have never heard of an Illusion that only targets an individual's mind, leaving the physical body out...

  How did she even manage to recreate an image of our bodies? How did she even managed to manipute us to think those were our physical bodies? How did she manage to make us think that we were really on the brink of death?

  No...can all Lurachnids do this? Just who exactly is she...?

  "I was ordered by my Leader to not erase your memories of what happened in that pce, be grateful for that"

  "I'm pretty sure you're gonna erase more than that if I leave you be"

  The Lurachnid named Lura, smirks at Rui

  "You can even erase memories? Are all Lurachnids capable of doing it?"

  "Not everyone can do it, but I can. I'm a Divine Lurachnid after all"

  "Divine Lurachnid?!"

  "Evolved under my Leader!"

  She said again proudly

  "I have never heard of things such as Evolution on demihumans. I never thought that's possible"

  "Tell me about it..."

  Rui said, sighing a lot after that statement

  Looks like he dealt with a lot of problems about it...

  "But any case, Evolutions are just fancy terms for them to get stronger. Just like that one anime if you ask me"

  "Wait, did you just said the word 'Anime' ?"

  "I did. You know that word don't you?"

  "!"

  "You didn't answer my question before but, Hikari, you're a hero, right?"

  Lura had widen her eyes from what Rui had just said

  "..."

  "Heroes have extraordinary skills that they inherited when they come to this world, right? I didn't know if that Golden Counter of yours was one of those extraordinary skills, but judging from how you reacted to what I said just now, you are a Hero, right?"

  So he already knows that much...

  ...Seriously, I am no match for this person at all...

  "...It is as you say, I am a Hero that was summoned to this world"

  "I knew it..."

  "I can't believe Leader knew it just from those clues!"

  "It really isn't that impressive, Lura"

  "But if you knew the word 'Anime', does that mean-"

  "No. I'm not a Hero. I died in that old world, but I seem to have reincarnated into this world...wait, I don't think reincarnation is the right word, this is still my body from my old world, perhaps transported?"

  "This is the first time I've heard of this, Leader"

  "Right, I never told you about it, nor Mashiro"

  "But why though?!"

  "What are you getting mad for?!"

  "Transported to this world...that's the first time I've heard of such thing"

  I said, butting in to their conversation once more

  "Really? I thought that was common"

  "What's common to me back in the Empire was summoning Heroes"

  Especially that hero that got summoned after me...

  ...I wonder what's he doing now...?

  "I see...about that thing"

  "...?"

  "The reason why I brought you and your friends here is to discuss about that particur thing"

  "?!"

  "? What? Something wrong?"

  "N-No...nothing"

  Friends...

  Do they even consider me as their friend...?

  I shrug the thought at the back of my head

  "The Empire I'm pretty sure you mentioned Sol Empire?"

  "Yes...the Empire that we had"

  "You had? What happened to it?"

  "Well..."

  I told Rui and Lura about everything that happened

  ...

  ...

  ...

  "I see...that was some gruesome situation you guys got in"

  "Is it though? They were able to evacuate everyone except the King and some knights"

  "That's the problem, Lura"

  "What is?"

  "Without the King, there would be no one who's capable of ruling them. Their princess on the other hand can, but from what Hikari just said, she's still hasn't gone back"

  "It is as you say, Rui. For now, I'm the one who's managing and sorting things out on her Highness' stead"

  "And with the ck of knights stationed, your security isn't also great?"

  "Right again. I don't even know what to do especially the forest isn't a great pce to make a base with a lot of citizens on the line"

  "That is troublesome..."

  "This isn't your problem is it Leader?"

  "It isn't but..."

  "...?"

  "I can't just turn a blind eye on this even if I already promised to myself and to you guys"

  My eyes widen at what Rui had just said

  To think that he would go this far to someone he had a battle with...

  Lura however, sighs at Rui

  "You're too kind, Leader"

  "I wouldn't say that..."

  "You don't have to, especially that I'm still alive"

  "No, let me, Hikari. It is something that I have to pay for as well"

  "Its my responsibility as the acting ruler. I can't drag outsiders like you into our mess"

  "Hikari..."

  "Besides, I know what you meant by that st part. You said earlier that you did it to protect them, right? I did the same, so we're even"

  "..."

  "But I do have one question for you"

  "What is it?"

  "Are you one of them? The Heavenly Beasts?"

  I said, as I nervously wait for Rui's reply

  "I am not a hero nor one of the Heavenly Beasts. I'm pretty sure I said that several times by now"

  "I see...so that report of theirs was really a false information..."

  "What report?"

  "About a party of adventurers of ours got killed in the hands of a Heavenly Beasts"

  "They weren't wrong on the first part, but it wasn't the Heavenly Beasts who killed them, what's even a Heavenly Beast? No wait, who even reported you that wrong information?"

  "That's-"

  Before I was able to expin it to Rui, the door suddenly opens

  "Rui sama! We gathered a lot of food for today's lunch!"

  The Demicat, Mashiro said, as she smmed a huge portion of foods inside the room

  "What the- Why did you even brought it inside?!"

  "But I want you to see it!"

  "Its impressive and all, but you should've put it in the kitchen outside!"

  "Alright..."

  She says as she drags it out of the room

  "Oh! Hikari! You're finally awake man!"

  It was then that I saw a familiar face outside of the door

  It was Ignis, alongside with Magna, Casa, and Aeris

  "Took you long enough"

  "But you were worried earlier, Aeris"

  "?! Hmph!"

  "You can be at least honest with your feelings, Aeris"

  Magna said, which made Aeris looked at him with a flustered look

  "You guys...you really are alive"

  "I can't believe it either at first, but that's just how it is according to them"

  "Enemies of yesterday are allies of tomorrow as they say"

  "Is there even a saying like that?"

  "Who knows?"

  "I would like to thank you formally once again Rui Hanzawa, for treating our Leader as well us for your kindness"

  "There's really no need for that, I knew that you aren't bad guys based from your outfits"

  He also said that before I woke up...

  "You really based our character off of that? You really are something!"

  "Of course my Leader is something else! He's the one that defeated your Leader!"

  "R-Right..."

  They said in unison, as if they have no choice but to agree

  "By the way, Lura-"

  "Ha?"

  "L-Lura sama, when will you train us?"

  "Ah right, Why not after we eat? I can't skip my Leader's delicious meal after all"

  "Alright! Ya hear that, Magna?!"

  "I'm already ready"

  "Yeah yeah, save that energy for ter, I'm going to whip you into shape"

  "You really agreed to it?"

  "Well you did say to treat our guests better, Leader"

  "I think you didn't get it quite clearly..."

  Since when they bowed their heads and called her "Lura sama" ?

  What just happened at a small amount of time?

  "Oh right, I should get ready to prepare our meal then"

  "Ah, can I help?"

  "Sure, I could use some help"

  "Wha- How come you don't let us help you Leader?!"

  "Well...that's because..."

  "They aren't good at cooking, right?"

  "Urk!"

  "What?! Is that it, Leader?!"

  "Uhh...Casa? A little help?"

  "I'm just kidding, Lura sama, I think Rui sama doesn't let you help him because he treats you girls like princesses"

  "?!"

  That statement really got Lura flustered

  "I-I still want to help Leader!"

  "Maybe some other time, okay?"

  Lura then pouts and grabs Ignis' and Magna's arms

  I changed my mind! We'll be training nonstop!

  "What?! What about lunch?!"

  "Lura sama isn't that a little-"

  "Shut up! I'm training you to the core!"

  Their screams can be heard as Lura drags them out of the room...right out of the house

  "I'll try to help as well"

  "You really don't have to Hikari, but if you and Casa insists, then please do so"

  "Aeris would love to participate as well"

  "Aeris? Oh she was in the corner"

  "?! How in the-"

  "Are you really asking that? Anyways you're helping as well"

  "Right...I have no choice either..."

  I didn't even notice that Aeris removed her presence in the room...

  ...to think that Rui was able to know where she was...

  ...

  At that point, I just thought that it is natural for Rui and his allies for those kinds of things, as we walk out the room, down the stairs to prepare for the meal...

  ...