Chapter 26: “The Resolve of Two Legs the Bond of Duct Tape”
“Rin-chan‚ what should we do…!
Marshmallow Lake has turned into a soda fountain this time!”
I shouted at the edge of the mud swamp‚ waving my clumsy crutches around.
Rainwater was rushing in‚ and the murky surface was creeping up to just a few centimeters below Haru-kun’s chin.
“…Nagisa‚ organize the situation.
We pulled the ‘body’ up with the pulley‚ but the ankle is jammed into the structural frame.
If we pull upward‚ it’ll just tear off.
We’ll have to lift the rock itself.”
“Don’t say ‘tear off’!!”
Half-crying‚ I shouted while looking at Haru-kun‚ who was about to sink into the mud.
“…I’ve already calculated it.
The correct choice… is to abandon me… and escape…”
Water went into his mouth‚ and Haru-kun coughed.
His breathing sounded painful‚ and his voice kept breaking off.
“Rejected!
The word ‘abandon’ doesn’t exist in my dictionary!
The only entries are ‘all-you-can-have seconds’ and ‘adventure’!”
“…Your vocabulary… is poor…”
“Complain after you survive!!”
Rin-chan pulled a straight iron pipe from a pile of rubble.
It was long enough to use as a lever.
“Nagisa‚ pick up that L-shaped pipe over there.
We’ll use it as a fulcrum.”
“Rin-chan‚ what’s with that bent pipe!?
We don’t have time to play baseball!”
“…We’re not playing.
This is the jack’s ‘fulcrum.’”
The water surface was about to touch Haru-kun’s cheek now.
Almost no time remained.
Rin-chan pulled the crushed pipe from the mud‚
stared at its bent section‚ and let out a small grunt.
“…The fulcrum is secured.
Next is the ‘point of force.’
This pipe’s shape is bad—but it’s easy to wedge under the rock.
It’ll work.”
“Rin-chan‚ that… will really become a jack…?
It’s bent like a banana…!”
“…Because it’s bent‚ it’s easier to create an insertion angle.
The problem is strength.
It needs reinforcement.”
“Reinforcement… how?”
Without answering‚ Rin-chan began wrapping the AC adapter cord—my former tourniquet—around the bent part of the pipe.
“Rin-chan!?
That used to be my tourniquet!”
“…This pipe alone doesn’t have enough length or strength.
But if we bind your crutch to it as a splint with the cord—
it’ll be less likely to break.”
“Less likely… to break?”
“…Yes.
According to the calculations.”
While making fine adjustments to the angle of the pipe sunk in the mud‚
Rin-chan looked at me.
“Nagisa.
Lend me your crutch.”
“Huh!?
My ‘super-express crutch’ is going to become a part of that jack!?”
“…That’s right.
This is the last one.”
(Rin-chan…
If you make a face like that‚ there’s no reason for me to hesitate…!)
I handed over the crutch‚
and the improvised jack slowly began to take shape in the mist.
“Got it!
I’m going back from four legs to two!”
I jumped onto the end of the lever.
“Ready…
Here we gooooo!!”
The pipe creaked with a squishy groan.
At that moment—
the wound on my right leg split open with a crack‚ and a dark red stain spread across my sleeve.
“Ggh… uuugh…!
Rin-chan‚ this feels like I’m lifting the Earth!”
“…Endure it‚ Nagisa!
Just a few more millimeters!”
“It’s… useless…!
If it buckles and snaps…!”
“It won’t snap!!
Believe in Rin-chan’s calculations and my body weight!!”
My vision turned white.
The pain almost stopped my breathing.
But—I won’t let go.
“A–AaaAAAA—!!”
GOGAGII!
A dull sound rang out as the lever suddenly sank down.
The massive rock screamed‚
and with a heavy crash it collapsed in the opposite direction from Haru-kun’s leg.
“…Did it… come loose?”
Covered in mud‚ Haru-kun clutched his freed leg‚ trembling.
“Just as the theory predicted.
The crack propagated from the single breakthrough point.”
“That’s amazing‚ Rin-chan!
The rock sandwich—successfully dismantled!”
I tried to stand up—
but my leg wouldn’t take any strength‚ and I ended up putting my hands in the mud.
“Haru-kun‚ your leg… is still there?”
“…It is.
There are fractures… but it didn’t have to be amputated.”
For the first time‚ a light of “wanting to live” appeared in his eyes.
“…Phew.
That settles this—”
“…Nagisa‚ look at your feet.”
Before we realized it‚ the water level had already passed our knees and was approaching our waists.
“No way‚ Marshmallow Lake turned into the sea…!?”
“The upstream ground collapsed.
A flash flood is coming!”
“Support Haru!
Move!”
“Roger…!
Haru-kun‚ grab on!”
My right leg had already lost all sensation‚
and I could only drag it forward.
Rin-chan forcefully pulled my arm up.
“Rin-chan‚ you’re too fast… wait‚ my leg…!”
“…Don’t waste breath talking—use it for breathing!”
My vision flickered from the intense pain.
But if we stop‚ it’s over.
Haru-kun’s breathing on my back was weak‚
but definitely warm.
Relying only on the life we had rescued and each other’s body heat‚
we stumbled into the depths of the mist.
The water level kept rising with every moment‚
trying to erase our footprints from the world.
In a world sinking into mud‚
we still hadn’t been allowed to stop even once.
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