Strange Grief Wants to Retire ~ The Weakest Hunter Dreams of a Hero ~-Chapter 447.1: Sarasara ②

“Why do you know my name……?” (Saya)

My outfit is certainly a little unusual, but it is not like it makes me stand out among the crowd, nor do I have the presence of a particularly powerful person. I am probably not well known in a distant land like Zebrudia.

The female Hunter laughs cheerfully and says to me, who is wary of her out of habit.

“I thought so~! Our Cry-chan said that you helped him out during the Level 9 exam! What? Did you come to play?” (Liz)

“So that means………… You are a member of 《Strange Grief (Nageki no Borei)》?” (Saya)

“I’m Liz Smart, the 《Absolute Shadow (Zestu Ei)》. Nice to meet you~. What was that? Was that Sarasara? How did you do that~?” (Liz)

I am momentarily intimidated by her confident smile and the strong will that is hidden in her eyes.

This is unexpected. I never imagined that the members of 《Strange Grief (Nageki no Borei)》 would be this friendly. Moreover, even though she has heard about me from Cry, she doesn’t seem wary at all.

When I am confused and don’t know what to say, Liz *kyorokyoro* looks around and says.

“Are you by yourself? Is Kaiser-chan not here~? I wanted to meet Kaiser-chan too~…… Cry-chan spoke highly of him. Ah, that’s right! I’m bored right now, so why don’t I show you around the city?” (Liz)window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "67b6a3f059969b0665825541", id: "pf-13793-1"})window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "67b6a3f059969b0665825541", id: "pf-13793-1"})

No one has ever shown me around the city before. Most of my powers are supernatural, but I have still absorbed a huge amount of Mana Materials. Anyone with even a little discernment can tell I am no ordinary person, and in the first place, my name is too well-known in the Terrace branch anyway.

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《Little Witch (Yaen Saiden)》 is a force to be reckoned with. The only ones who don’t fear me are those beings who come from my Sarasara.

I instinctively open my eyes and ask Liz.

“What is your………… Relationship with him?” (Saya)

Even though Cry is her Party Leader, it is unthinkable from my point of view that she would be so friendly with someone she has met for the first time after just a brief conversation. Liz looks confused for a moment and says to me who feel like I am having a strange dream because of the difference in the way I am being treated compared to when I am in Terrace.

“Eh? What, you say………… Friends? And a friend of a friend is a friend. Isn’t that obvious?” (Liz)

“!! Yes………… Might be so. Certainly.” (Saya)

Friend. I nod without thinking, sensing the deep trust in her voice.

A friend of a friend is a friend. What a wonderful saying. If you follow that logic, you can have an infinite number of friends.

I am not so young as to believe that the world goes by with such a saying, but if all of Cry’s companions share the same belief, then my stay in Zebrudia will be a wonderful one.

Could it be that all the Hunters in Zebrudia are like this?

I am not particularly good with people with cheerful personalities, but it seems like I could become good friends with Cry’s friends.

However, it is true that Cry said that he would introduce his Party Members when I go to Zebrudia…… My arrival should have been sudden, but to think he would speak about me to them beforehand…… Maybe this is also one of the reasons why he is called 《Infinite Variety (Senpen Banka)》.

My expectations inevitably rise. All sorts of thoughts *kurukuru* run through my mind.

Perhaps intrigued by the character’s unique qualities they have never encountered before, a Foreigner with a slimy, mucus-covered body appears. It is a black figure with no eyes, nose, or mouth.

Even Foreigners have different types. The most common type of Foreigner is one that I call 『Shadow People』, a bipedal being with a shape-shifting body.

A shadowy figure gets between Liz and I, transforming the end of its long, tentacle-like neck into a giant eye, and stares at Liz.

The bloodshot eyeball approaches Liz as if peering down at her from above.

There Liz’s eyebrows *pikuri* twitch for a moment, and her arm, wrapped in a strange gauntlet, reaches out towards me.

My eyes widen involuntarily. Her straightened fingertips touch me――Or not, it touches the slender neck of the 『Shadow People』.

“!? Eh?” (Saya)

Liz’s hand grips the 『Shadow People’s』 neck as hard as she can. The eye that has grown at the tip turns bright red, and a trembling scream overrides the hustle and bustle of the main street.

However, the people crowding the main street do not notice the scream.

Sarasara’s Foreigners cannot be seen, heard, or touched by anyone. Except for me.

“??? Eh?” (Saya)

But right in front of my eyes, Cry’s friend is certainly interfering with a Sarasara Foreigner. Normally, Liz’s hand would not be able to touch the Shadow People, but would pass through them.

The 『Shadow People』 writhes in her hand as she clenches it tightly. It is the first time I have ever seen a Foreigner in pain. The other Shadow People surrounding us grow eyeballs all at once as if they are shocked at the first person who has ever interfered with them.

Liz looks straight into my eyes and says with a somewhat ferocious smile.

“Ehhh~, so this is Sarasara’s true identity? To be there even though I can’t see them or feel their presence――It doesn’t seem like Magic either, ain’t that interesting. So these guys were the ones that did that earlier too?” (Liz)

It cannot be. She cannot see them, cannot feel them. And it doesn’t seem like she can hear their screams.

Despite all that, why can she touch them?

Even though up until now, not a single person has been able to stand a chance against Sarasara.

People passing by look at Liz with a quizzical look on their faces.

While I cannot hide my agitation, the Foreigners nearby begin to move regardless of my reaction. Countless Foreigners of all shapes and sizes crawl out from the back alleys, through cracks in the road, and from the building’s windows. Their numbers are comparable to those that have appeared when I faced off against the hordes of Monsters before.

The sky darkens slightly. Behind Liz, a large black stain spreads across the ground. It is darker than a shadow, and since it is not a hole, you cannot see the bottom. People on the street walk over it, oblivious to it.

It is a boundary. The boundary between this world and the world inhabited by Foreigners. An entrance of a size I have never seen before.

Foreigners always emerge from the darkness. The size of the boundary is the size of the Foreigners. Whatever emerges from there will surely be a type of Foreigner I have never seen before.

My eyes are gradually heating up. A reverse cause and effect of my abilities is occurring. They aren’t appearing because I am activating my abilities, but my abilities are activating even more strongly in order for them to appear.

This is the exact opposite of what I hoped for.

The size of the boundary makes me gasp in surprise. At that moment, Liz suddenly lets go of her hand that has been gripping its neck.

“Ah, just kidding, just kidding. Something I’ve never seen before came in between us so~…… Sorry?” (Liz)

The freed Shadow People *yotayota* staggers backwards. There is a handprint around its neck, indicating that it has been strangled with great force.

I hurriedly used my gaze to warn the other Foreigners who were about to attack.

Certainly, this Liz is strong, but the number of beings Sarasara summons is enormous. More than anything, if a fight were to break out in this crowd, it would result in a sea of blood.

The Foreigners are emitting strong emotions I have never felt before. Whether it is fear or anger, even I cannot read the expressions on their faces, which, though humanoid, are not human.

However, when I gaze upon them with determination, the Foreigners surrounding us reluctantly *shibushibu* move away from Liz.

When I glare at the stain on the ground, it hesitantly stops expanding, and then shrinks and disappears.

For just a moment, I hear that *sarasara* rustling sound that I haven’t heard since my ability evolved. The sky brightens. For the time being, the crisis seems to have passed.

This is much more frightening than when I was caught in Code.

Liz’s beautiful pink eyes stare intently into mine.

To think that there is anyone who can touch Sarasara――Cry’s Divine Strategies are impressive, but it seems that the abilities of his Party Members are no less than Cry’s. I am curious as to how she is able to interfere with the Foreigners, but I doubt a Hunter would reveal their cards.

I hesitate for about ten seconds about whether to confirm with her or not, to then ask something completely different.

“………… Liz, what is your Level?” (Saya)

“Eh? I’m 6 tho’… Ansem-nii, look, look~! I’ve found Saya-chan that Cry-chan was talking about~! She said she came to play~!” (Liz)

“!! ………… Umu.” (Anthem)

Liz shouts without hesitation, even in the middle of the crowd, and the giant, whose existence I have completely forgotten about and have been suspending the pickpocket in mid-air, looks at Liz and me and responds.

!? Ansem-nii? Brother?? Is that her brother?? Is that really a human??

……………… Zebrudia……………… What a place.

As the large man *noshinoshi* stomps with great strength his way through the crowd and approaches me, I forget what has just happened and simply stand there in shock, with my shoulders shaking.

§

Thanks for reading! Let’s go, Liz! How did she manage to touch the Sarasara’s Foreigners!? So badass! As expected of someone from Strange Grief! And Saya’s reaction on Liz and Anthem are so innocent and cute. Haha, I can see Saya doing the “Osoroshii ko!” face when she is shocked of something.

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