Van and Sato made their campfire.
Neither said a word after sitting down.
"Van," He let out, "I just realized,"
Van lifted his head.
"I didn't see your face just yet. Hah. Like, we've been traveling for… a little over two days now? I don't even know what you look like." Sato looked to the side, "I mean, since we saw each other at school."
The fire crackled.
Crickets chirped as Van blinked.
"Do you want to?" Van asked.
"N-NO! I-I mean, I didn't mean to, like, say I wanna or anything. Just… like, noting, I guess?" Sato muttered.
"..."
Van looked back at the flame.
"Alright." He simply replied.
'....'
As Van looked into the flame, he saw Sato as he blocked Varlog's spell.
"You,"
Van let out, making Sato flinch slightly.
"Were useful. Back then."
"..."
Sato blinked.
"O-oh… T-thanks…"
Once more silence ensued. Interrupted only by the constant low crackling of the campfire, amplified by the occasional breeze brushing through the leaves of the forest they were in. A forest on the other side of the plains leading to the elven forest.
The forest leading to Vorn's smithy.
'Right,' Van thought.
'Dungeon Master's Gateway. Wonder if it was worth setting up one at the elven forest, in case I'll need them.'
Van looked up slightly from inside his helmet at Sato.
'If I mark him as an ally he'd be able to go through it too. Bet he'd lose his shit.'
"Say." Sato let out, prompting Van to lift his head.
"This… Isekai setting. Would you rather be, like, reincarnated with a harem? O-or as someone overpowered?"
'...?'
Van looked up, then to the side as he pondered.
"... That fucker Kazuya," Van stretched his neck, "has both, I bet. The sooner I kill him, the better."
Sato gulped.
"M… Makoto," He let out, "Have…"
"Have you ever thought about what you want to do? After revenge…? Like, what YOU want to do—"
"Shut up, Sato."
A growl.
"You think this is Vinland saga or something?"
"..! I… I didn't think that—"
"I don't care about anime anymore, Sato." Van said, clenching his fist, yet his voice was firm and calm.
"I just want to fucking end it. End him. Is that really so complicated?"
"F.." Sato blinked as he looked down. "Fine, sorry—"
"Are you hard of hearing?" Van cut him off.
"I get it.. I'm sorry—"
"I can't. THINK." Van growled intensely, cutting him off again, "OF ANYTHING. OTHER THAN GUTTING KAZUYA, SATO."
Sato blinked as he looked up.
"I tried."
He added.
"I TRIED."
He repeated.
Sato's eyes softened, his shoulders loosening.
"I thought… Maybe once I revive her, I won't have to think about stuff like tearing him apart." He blurted.
'Right… He looked for a revival method.' Sato blinked. 'Just who is he talking about?'
A moment of silence. Sato said nothing as he looked at Van as he cracked his neck again, looking at the ground.
"W-... Who was it? Y-you wanted to revive?"
"...."
Van cracked his neck.
"Doesn't matter," He said, "I realized she can't really live again in a world where Kazuya exists. She just can't."
He looked away.
"It happened before, and I got nothing from it. If he's dead… If he's just dead," Van tightened his fist, "We can live together again, without…"
'That bunny suit.' Van thought, shaking his head violently at the image, startling Sato.
"I'll kill him. I'll savor it. I'll make him feel… EVERYTHING…" Van let out through clenched teeth.
"EVERYTHING I FELT." He looked up at Sato, "Then I'll kill him."
He exhaled.
"Then she can come back. Once the world is safe."
Sato blinked, his lips parted; words climbing up his throat as his eyes widened.
"Makoto… T-that person you want to revive. Y-... You can't be talking about your—"
[DING!]
{Dear Otherworlders!}
The message appeared to both Sato and Van.
{REJOICE!}
'... Does Sato see this, too?' Van looked up at Sato, he did too.
'Anyway, talk about a moment to interrupt the conversation. This world may really be a novel after all.'
"Makoto, you're seeing this?"
Van gulped, looking down again.
{The Demon Lord has been severely weakened! 5 of her generals have been decimated! The time for the final confrontation has arrived!}
{SLAY the demon lord with the rest of your fellow Otherworlders, and, with great luck…}
Sato's eyes glistened.
{You'll be able to return to your home.}
"Haaaaah…." Sato sighed as he collapsed on his knees. "I… Haaah… I can't believe… F… Finally… Haha…"
Sato wept.
Both kept reading.
{The final confrontation will occur in 3 days, in the Plains of Nex. Miss the opportunity, and you'll miss the chance to return home.}
{Message end! May the Gods be with you.}
"MAKOTO!! You… You get what this means?! We'll be able to return home!!!" Sato shouted as he sprung to his feet.
Van looked up at Sato's wide grin, a beat went by without him replying.
'... Well, maybe it's better this way.' Van thought as he blinked, 'I'm not really in the mood for anyone to perform pity-care over me anyway.'
'My goal stays the same. Regardless of whether I told him about my mom or not.'
"YOU MADE IT HAPPEN!" Sato continued.
"... If we can defeat her." Van replied.
"RIGHT, RIGHT…" Sato said, "But, I've heard, you know? That we, Otherworlders are—"
"You told me in your yapping session," Van waved him off, "We're considerably stronger than even the strongest native since our stats level up with us and whatnot. I'm aware…"
Van blinked as he thought about Vaelthir and the generals.
'Despite that, they've gone to that level. Impressive. I suppose the Demon Lord is even stronger, then.'
Van hummed.
"... All our classmates are still alive, then?" Van straightened.
"Y… N-no… Shin died when I was still around them, so…"
"He was a piece of shit anyway," Van missed no beat, "Not a loss."
Van then laid back on the ground.
"...."
Sato looked at Van's back.
"Van," He let out, firmly this time "I get your feelings about Kazuya,"
"I do,"
He cleared his throat.
"But please," He knelt, "Please, don't kill him before the Demon Lord is dead."
"...."
"He's still an S-Class." Sato continued, still firmly, "He might have skills we need to get this over with. So please. Please."
A beat.
"I wanna go home." Sato said.
Van looked at Sato via his helmet.
A few moments passed.
"Yeah. Of course." Van said as he turned around again.
"I'll wait nicely until the Demon Lord is dealt with."
Sato looked at his back for a few seconds.
Then exhaled.
"... That's good enough, haha… Thank you. Really… Thank you."
He collapsed on his bottom as he looked to the sky.
"I guess we're changing course, huh."
"Plains of Nex. I guess I'm going to make Sir Hicks wait a little."
He laid on the ground.
"But I am killing him." Van's voice interrupted.
"You got that?"
"..."
"Yeah. I get it, Van."
'Kazuya,' Van closed his eyes. Seeing his mother's face.
'... Right.'
"Ah, right." Van stood up.
"Hm?" Sato looked at him.
"I need to take a dump again."
"... O…kay…?" Sato tilted his head as Van vanished into the darkness.
In an unseen spot away from any light or prying eyes.
"..."
Van opened his inventory.
[Hikari Tanaka(dead) x1]
[Takeshi Sousuke (dead) x1]
'You motherfucker.'
He pulled Takeshi out and dropped him on the ground.
Stomping. Grunting with every hit.
"FUCKER—!"
…until there was nothing left to recognize.
'Had fun being next to my mom? You piece of shit.'
He looked at his bloodstained boot.
'Yeah.'
He took out a torch and burned what remained.
'Killing these fuckers comes first.'
'I won't look for a way to revive my mom until they're all dead.'
'Kazuya.' Van thought, looking at the dark skies above.
"I can't wait to rip you apart. Slowly."
This time it didn't feel like theater anymore.
"I'm actually looking forward to it."
He started back toward the fire.
'As if I'm about to return home and eat some tasty miso.'
'I know it'll happen.'
The embers faded behind him.
Ash. Nothing else.
'I'll let nothing... No one stop me.'
—---------
But while Van was gone… Someone had gone visiting Sato.
"Sato,"
Sato blinked, looking at who visited.
"VAELTHIR?!"
Vaelthir sighed as he looked away.
"... My queen wanted me to tell you something."
Sato tilted his head.
"About Van Hellix."