Translator: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu
"May I ask… who you are?" Hoshi carefully asked as he looked at her.
Previously, he saw this golden-haired girl sitting on the red-leafed tree. Then, something like an earthquake occurred. When Hoshi came back to his senses, he noticed that everyone else was missing!
He then saw this girl again and asked who she was, but she wouldn't answer.
Since Hoshi had no idea where he was going in the Forest Palace, he reflexively chased after her, thinking that perhaps she would know something about this place.
With her appearance, her aura, and how she was by herself in this alternate dimension, there was no way she could be an ordinary person. Hoshi recalled how Senpai… er, Team Leader mentioned that he had witnessed scenes from another world before. Hoshi believed that this mysterious girl was likely an existence from another world!
Hoshi was nervous, excited, and also a little afraid to face her. That was because he was now in such a situation after seeing this golden-haired girl. Naturally, Hoshi knew that it was possible that she was the cause of all this in the first place.
However, he sensed that she wasn't an evil existence… Hoshi wanted to believe that she was friendly.
"My name is Hoshi Amami. May I ask your name?" Hoshi gave his name first and politely inquired what her name was again. He wanted to walk over closer, but was worried that she would turn around and run.
The golden-haired girl didn't answer. She simply stood there quietly.
At this moment, mist popped out and speedily formed into several black wolves.
Hoshi immediately had his three spiritual eagles start attacking. He was soon able to kill off all the black wolves and absorb their mist.
Since he had been battling by himself for quite a while already, Hoshi's powers and combat techniques had both improved noticeably. He was now capable of facing groups of small monsters all by himself.
More black wolves appeared again. One black wolf appeared behind the golden-haired girl and pounced straight at her!
"Careful!" Hoshi sent a spiritual eagle to knock away that black wolf.
He kept edging closer to the girl as he battled. The girl didn't move at all. She simply seemed to watch him through her bangs.
"Do you know how to fight?" Hoshi asked after he got closer to the girl.
Since she was able to remain unscathed in such a place, she would probably be able to fight… or have some other power.
However, the girl still didn't respond.
Could it be that she didn't understand his language? Hoshi suddenly had the realization that this was a possibility.
Team Leader had mentioned in his story about the other world that the people he saw were all speaking a different language. But for some reason, Seiji was able to understand them. However, Seiji had been unable to communicate with them, so he was unsure if the otherworlders were capable of understanding his own language.
How was Hoshi supposed to communicate with the golden-haired girl if she couldn't even understand him?
Hoshi didn't have the time to ponder this question as more black wolves continuously appeared. He busied himself with fighting.
After he finished cleaning up the small monsters, it was likely that a large boss monster would appear.
With his current strength after fighting so many monsters by himself, defeating a large boss by himself wouldn't be impossible anymore. However, it would be quite risky.
If Team Leader Seiji was still by his side, Hoshi would have absolute courage in challenging such a battle. However, Team Leader wasn't here right now… Hoshi figured he should choose to run away instead.
At his command, the three spiritual eagles kept circling in the air and speedily crashing into enemy monsters. They killed countless numbers of black wolves.
Any black wolves that forced themselves past the eagles would be greeted with a forceful bash of Hoshi's shield!
It wasn't only his eagles that had gotten stronger. Hoshi himself had also gotten stronger from fighting by himself.
Although his physical appearance didn't change at all, Hoshi was no longer the same soft and weak person as before.
The golden-haired girl quietly watched the unfamiliar youth stand in front of her and defend her with his shield. She slightly puckered her lips.
After a fierce battle, only a single black wolf remained. The three spiritual eagles simply took turns toying with it.
If Hoshi killed this final remaining small monster, the boss for this district would immediately appear. But even if he didn't kill it, that wouldn't delay the boss monster's appearance for very long.
It would be quite difficult to dodge a large boss monster's attacks in a narrow corridor like this. Hoshi wanted to leave!
"Let's get out of here," Hoshi told the golden-haired girl.
However, she still didn't move at all.
Hoshi could only try to grab her hand. He wanted to pull her to run along with him.
But, his hand met nothing but air.
His hand went through hers without touching anything!
"This…" Hoshi tried again with the same result.
He couldn't feel anything there at all!
This golden-haired girl… was she a ghost!?
No, not a ghost, she was probably a projection.
Team Leader had told Hoshi quite clearly that he could only "see" the people from another world. Seiji had found it impossible to communicate with or touch them.
So these otherworlders were more like projections or illusions… it was impossible to determine if they were real existences.
'I actually thought that she was real.' Hoshi was quite shaken by this.
'Why did I think that she was real? I clearly heard Team Leader tell me about this phenomenon. When I saw such a mysterious existence like her, the first thing I should have done was to suspect whether or not she had a physical body!
'Was it because she looked so real?
'No… rather than looking real, she looks far more ethereal.
'She possesses flawless beauty and a mystical aura… No matter how I look at it, such a girl being alone in such a dangerous alternate dimension seems far too unreal.
'Then what exactly was I thinking?' Hoshi was confused.
Even now, he still felt that this girl indeed concretely existed in front of him.
He couldn't touch her, and she was clearly ethereal. Yet, he still felt that this girl was a real existence.
His feelings contradicted his sense of logic and reason, which confused him.
A large boss monster was about to appear. He needed to run away soon.
But…
Hoshi didn't give up and tried to reach out to the girl again. Yet, once again, his hand passed right through hers.
She was right before him, yet also didn't exist.
In that case, he wouldn't need to worry about her at all. He only needed to escape by himself.
Yet, Hoshi found it impossible to move from this spot.
He didn't want to abandon her. He didn't want to separate from her.
This was despite the fact that he didn't know what she was at all!
'What's going on with my own emotions? Have I been allured by a demon?
'Or, is it because I simply don't want to be by myself?'
Hoshi suddenly came to this realization.
He was actually afraid for himself, not her. He was afraid that if he separated from this girl, he would then be completely by himself in this unfamiliar place.
Spiritual monsters kept popping up everywhere. None of his companions were anywhere to be seen. And, he had no clue where to go to find them.
Perhaps in the very next instant, a massive number of small monsters would surround him, or a powerful boss monster would block his way, and he would die here!
He wanted companions. He didn't want to be by himself. Even if his only companion was an otherworlder…
At this moment, dense mist appeared again and speedily formed into a gigantic black wolf boss monster!
"I'm begging you, please come together with me…" Hoshi pleaded from the bottom of his heart as he reached out his hand.
He knew that there wouldn't be any response.
Still, he was unable to give up on this tiny bit of hope.
The giant wolf monster finished forming and immediately charged at Hoshi!
Hoshi's logic was warning him: run! RUN!!
Would he run away or stay behind in the next instant?
Hoshi didn't know.
He no longer needed to make such a decision.
The golden-haired girl who hadn't reacted a single bit up until now suddenly turned to face the charging black wolf boss, lifted her right hand, and flicked her finger lightly.
*Smack!!*
As if an invisible super hammer suddenly crashed down, something viciously crushed the giant wolf's head and flattened it into the ground! The wolf boss monster's entire back half was distorted from the impact.
Hoshi was startled by the tremendous sound. He couldn't help but widen his eyes in surprise at this scene.
The next moment, the giant wolf turned into nothing but mist.
This boss monster that would have been incredibly difficult for him to deal with was defeated with a single flick of the girl's fingers!
'Amazing…'
While Hoshi was still being astonished, the girl put down her hand and stepped forward.
A black crack suddenly magically appeared in the ground before Hoshi. This black crack then opened up into a black oval shape with a red pentagram spinning around inside it.
'Is that the portal to enter and exit Kazuko-san's Domain!?'
Hoshi widened his eyes even further. This spell array was quite similar to Kazuko-san's portal. However, the red symbol in the middle of the black oval was different.
The girl walked over to this spell array, turned around to glance at Hoshi, and then disappeared in a red flash of light.
'Is this… does she want me to follow her?'
Hoshi hesitated for a moment as he looked at this dimensional portal leading to the unknown.
He then clenched his fists tightly, gathered all three of his spiritual eagles, and walked up to the spell array.