Section 3 "I'm Back, I'm Home" (2/2)

It seems demon boars aren't the only enemies here.

This doesn't look like the work of a demon boar. The piglets may have made them for protection...either for themselves or for others.

At any rate, it seems their creations weren't enough to defeat the demon boars.

And there were automata lying on the ground besides the ones we defeated.

They felt powerful enough to me just now...

If nothing else, they seem stronger than the demon boars we fought.

...Which means the latter are just small fry compared to something else on this island.

It's probably just up ahead. Let's move, Master.

I can't imagine giant demon boars like the one we saw on the previous island would simply show up, however...

If we don't deal with them, they will quickly grow in power.

It's possible we might see multiple fortress-class enemies.

Everyone, stay on your guard.

This has become problematic...

Well, we can also sit around and wait for that to happen.

Fortress-class demon boars... Just as strong as Clan Calatin, or even... Hehehehehe.

R-Right. I know. I know.

I'm a good Servant who properly obeys my Master's orders.

Vetoed, huh...

？！

Oh, I can see it!

...

Th-This demon boar...

It's huge!

It's as big as that giant one from before!

...But it doesn't seem to be the same thing.

It seems to be protecting this tree. Hmm?

What's wrong?

...Oh, I see. So that's what's going on.

I see... I see. I get it now. Hmmm...

I'll show you later when this is over.

There's probably something waiting for us up ahead. When you see it, you'll understand whether you want to or not.

Sort of. But it doesn't really affect our situation.

There's just one problem. This island might be bad news.

Bad news?

Come on, tell us!

You seem to know something!

Of course. Beautiful women keep many secrets, you know.

？！

...

Oh? Its mouth is open like it wants to say something...

Gi... Gigi. Giiiiiiiiiiiii!

Eeee!?

I-It transformed! Now it's

Heracles, the famed Greek myth hero!?

!!!

A Berserker! Looks like we don't have time for questions!

Master, get back!

Going up against a Servant who doesn't think with his head is my specialty!

We can cook him well-done, or perhaps have him rare with wasabi and soy sauce!

Your head's mine!

...K-Kill... I w-will... kill...

You...

Oh, I'm exhausted. Master, Master. Care to massage me?♪

Quite persistent, wasn't it. It was on a completely different level than the other demon boars we've met so far.

Just like the giant demon boars from the other island, it was a monster that reached the level of a Phantasmal.

Normally it should only be found on the reverse side of the world, or it would have long been extinct.

But it's here in this world, and it's building strength.

...Is it possible that this island is isolated from everywhere else?

There are plenty of heroes who have seen the whole world.

And a greedy mage would never ignore a land with demonic beasts of this rank wandering around.

...In that case, the possibilities are narrowed down for us. Now, let's walk a bit further.

Wait a second. The demon boar was protecting this tree.

Shouldn't we investigate it before we

There's no need. That's an ash tree.

...What?

Now let's go. If it's still intact, it shouldn't have weathered away.

Hey, that's me!?

This is the statue that Mordred put up on the last island!

Seeing it wasting away like this makes you think about how all things eventually pass on.

How utterly terrifying. It's going to give me nightmares.

My statue... WAAAAH! Master!

？！

Huh? Wait a minute...

This old, broken stone statue is the one we built on the other island, right!?

Fou...?

...Oh! I get it now!

Well done. You are quick on the uptake, Marie.

Mash, this isn't an inextricable mystery. Everything is quite simple and obvious.

Considering the state this statue is in, one thing is perfectly clear: this is the same island as before.

...Oh, of course!

We set sail and continued along a straight course, but ended up back where we started.

Not only that, but time here passed at an incredible rate while we were gone.

And so when we, oblivious to all that, returned to this place...

...little did we know that some 2,000 years had already passed.

2

2,000 years!?

This island is special. Time doesn't progress normally here.

Even if you spend a year on this island, only a fraction of that time passes in the outside worldthat is, everywhere but here.

Yes, the first thing to consider is a means to escape safely. As expected from our Master.

It's true that we've solved the mystery of this island, but as to how we escape it...

Well, I'm sure it'll be fine. We'll find a way out as we solve more mysteries.

？！

At any rate, this world has been cut off from "our world" for 2,000 years now.

No heroes or mages existed here.

It was just a world where the boar piglets lived in peace.

But then the intruders came.

That would be us...

Correct.

I see.

We lived on that island and established a civilization, and so the boar piglets awakened to that concept as well.

...However, isn't their civilization a little too advanced?

It is, yes. That's also something worth thinking about...

Anyway, over the course of 2,000 years, the boar piglets built up an advanced civilization on this island.

They must have taken good care of that statue too. We built it, after all.

They worked so hard! I'll have to praise them later!

If Marie praises them, I am sure they will all be quite pleased.

Fou fou.

Yes, Fou always manages to give us courage.

Foumu.

Okay, let's head back for now. We need to consider what to do next in the face of these facts.