Surviving a Cruel Fairy Tale

24 – Act 1. Little Red Riding Hood’s Forest – Asrai (4)

While I was climbing the tunnel to the ground, I almost missed the root due to a sudden big shaking. .

“…… Already?”

It came earlier than expected.

At least, it must have been the promise with Little Red Riding Hood that I decided to destroy when I reached the surface and gave the signal after finishing the work in the underground cavern.

I was already more than half way up and didn’t get caught in the explosions and falls, but I got the feeling that something was wrong.

So I hurriedly climbed up the roots, tightening my grip, and the first sight I saw after escaping from the damp basement was a huge pit that opened up underground.

“This is all… ….”

I heard about it, but when I saw it in real life, it was too big.

Coming to think of it, it would have been impossible to drop that agile hunter with its decent size, but even taking that into account, the other side was far away.

I looked all around, but I couldn’t see the hunter.

I was worried that there might have been another variable because there was a feeling that it exploded a little prematurely, but if the hunter was safely dropped to the bottom, there would be no problem.

There is only one worry, however, that he won’t stay there forever.

Basically, hunters were strong.

Except for the topographical advantage of the forest, the strength was definitely considerable, and even the basic ability did not disappear no matter how the stage changed.

If left as it is, it was obvious that it would crawl back to the ground again, but no additional follow-up measures are in sight.

“Little Red Riding Hood?”

I understand that the hunter has fallen into the basement.

But I can’t see Little Red Riding Hood.

I wonder if they fell down together, but if that happened, something would have happened down there.

Her magic stood out.

The wind that accompanies the golden light.

If you can’t see it even if you can walk through the darkness underground, there is a high probability that her red cloak is on her ground, but for some reason I couldn’t find her anywhere.

Am I misunderstanding?

What if there’s already a quarrel going on down there?

But the ominous feeling that persisted in my head led me around the pit first, and I found her figure not far away.

“…… You.”

But Little Red Riding Hood is not what I imagined.

One step.

Just by approaching that street, a fishy scent spread that seemed to pierce his nose.

The liquid that soaked the ground red and the head that fell powerlessly.

All of those appearances directly expressed her current condition, but she couldn’t believe it and took a step closer.

“Little Red Riding Hood.”

One more step.

I approached her so cautiously that I opened her mouth, and fortunately she responded to my voice and slowly turned her head.

“…… Oh, are you here?”

“Samurai… ….”

Are you all right?

I couldn’t get those words out.

At first glance, the situation is the worst.

Little Red Riding Hood’s abdomen still gurgled and vomited bright red liquid, and even after washing her eyes, I couldn’t find any liveliness in her expression.

It used to be slightly stained around the eyes, but now it looked like the complexion of a dying person.

“…… Sorry. I made a mistake.”

“A mistake….”

“A little, more. I should have been more careful.”

I hope you don’t speak in a dying voice.

“…… Let’s get away first.”

The plan failed.

If she collapsed while planning to attack the hunter, there is no other way.

I won’t be able to attack him the same way later with this, but it was far better than having Little Red Riding Hood die here.

“First of all, stop the bleeding. It hurts a bit, but bear with it.”

“…… There is no time for that.”

“It is difficult to move you like this. It’s this much bleeding, but at least it stopped the bleeding.”

“There is no time for me to care.”

But if you leave it like this, it will really die.

As long as you’re alive, you can come up with a plan somehow, but death can’t be undone in any case.

“Now, what you need to do is…… Are you protecting me?”

“Little Red Riding Hood.”

I don’t have time to argue like this.

If you delay here, her hunter will surely climb up to her ground again, and it is impossible for her to run away with her wounded body on her back.

Originally, it was meant to be a trap to kill him, but now that it’s like this, it’s time to run away as quickly as possible.

But she weakly grabbed my wrist and shook her head.

“…… Everything, awesome it’s you The only thing that will end this crazy story is you, the author…….”

Little Red Riding Hood shook her head, unable to complete her words.

“Little Red Riding Hood!!”

First of all, as a result of hurriedly bringing her finger to her nose, it was confirmed that she was breathing, albeit weakly.

However, if left as it is, it is also a thread of life that is so thin that it won’t be strange if it breaks at any time.

Something must be done, but how?

There is no tool used to stop bleeding.

Can a person’s body be healed with my mysteries that change thoughts or phenomena?

I’m not sure because I didn’t expect to write something like this, but I thought it might be possible if I put in the time.

…… The problem is that I don’t have that time.

“Quit.”

If left as it is, Little Red Riding Hood will die.

However, it is difficult to move the blood in a situation where the bleeding has not been stopped. Should I hold it in my arms and move it somehow?

Either he or I…….

My mind is so complicated that I can’t organize my thoughts.

Destroy all the best-case scenarios already conceived. Conversely, it was a car that was thinking of a way to somehow break through this moment in a situation where it was cornered.

The ground against my knees trembled slightly.

The sound of a tree breaking.

I know the identity of the thing that comes along with the great earth tremors. The existence of a giant whom I had already met once and had quarreled with once.

“Human.”

It appeared from afar, lightly breaking a giant tree as if handling a branch.

“You look troubled.”

Red eyes stare at me.

Another variable in this forest.

I didn’t want to run into him, but I saw a glimmer of hope in the way he talked to me amicably when all plans collapsed.

“The woodcutter.”

“The forest is noisy. A foul smell came out vibrating. As well as the young beast, there is an unbearably foul smell coming from under the pit.”

The iron giant pointed his ax down to the basement.

“It’s the sign of a beast I haven’t felt in a long time.”

“I have something to tell you.”

“Do you want help?”

Before I could say anything, I turned my head to the man who had snatched the player away, but I couldn’t see his face because he was already in front of the pit.

“…… Can you help me?”

“If you wish, I will help. You gave me a heart This warmth, warmth, and emotion. These are all created by you, so there is no reason to hesitate.”

If it’s the Tin Woodman, maybe.

According to Little Red Riding Hood, in the past, hunters avoided the Tin Woodman. Even in the forest, that’s the case, much less when he’s away from the main battlefield.

“Help me.”

“Good. You awakened my emotions, my humanity. So, in return, I will hold that beast by its ankle.”

The iron giant did not look back.

I just continued talking with my back turned, staring down into the pit.

“You take care of that young beast.”

“…… Sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing? I hope I just want to be helpful to you. We are acting according to the humanity that this heart brings.”

That’s not it.

That heart is just a piece of iron that is only slightly warm.

The Iron Giant, the Tin Woodman, had a human nature from the start. I just followed the path in the fairy tale story.

If the fairy tale hadn’t been twisted, he would have met the Wizard of Oz and won his heart anyway.

“…… You are.”

“Human.”

The giant who interrupted me only slightly turned his head.

“After hunting that beast, I want to have a calm talk with you.”

“A story?”

“I gained a heart and realized my emotions, but this body has been operated as a machine for too long, so there are many immature points. If I want to be human, I will need to know you.”

So, he nodded as he saw the woodcutter begging to have a conversation with him.

“As much as you like.”

“Then hurry up and go.”

A piece of my heart rang at the woodcutter’s disparate, iron-like voice.

For me, it was just a test of my abilities.

But is it because I saw him willing to help me with such a small act? Each action of this giant began to move my heart little by little.

“I hope you are all right.”

“Hunting animals is not my specialty, but keeping the forest in order is my specialty. The same goes for the body that has been turned into this iron. At one point, I despaired of this, but I’m glad it helped my benefactor.”

So, after telling me to do what I had to do, the Tin Woodman jumped down the pit.

It took a while to look at the place where the iron giant disappeared.

First of all, I put her hand on Little Red Riding Hood’s wound to infuse her power and checked her condition.

The wound is definitely healing little by little.

If I could continue to heal like this, I would be able to heal her wounds without any problems, but I couldn’t help but worry about what was going to happen under that pit.

The Hunter and Little Red Riding Hood. And the Tin Woodman.

How would I end this story that takes place in the cursed forest?