After their battle with Stepping Man,
the Survivors spent a lot of time in bed.
In addition to the physical damage they'd taken,
they all had a lot on their minds, I'm sure.
Whenever they don't have something to occupy their minds,
humans start to think about things.
They think about the things they'd been too busy to think about.
The things they'd tried not to think about.
You can't believe in humanity...
"Adventurers Can't Save the World Yet!"
What city are we heading to next, Dad?
We're heading back to Labyrinth City for the first time in ages.
You remember Uncle Argas, right?
He gave me a pat on the head!
Do I get to see him again?
What is it, Dad?
Your mom and dad both love you very much.
Mom?
You saved us, Argas!
Wh-Why?
I'm sorry.
The Sticky Aqueducts.
The lowest ranked adventurers get their start here.
I'm an adventurer starting today, right, Mister Argas?
Yes. And now that you're an adventurer, it's just "Argas."
All adventurers are equal. Listen, Nick.
Adventurers have to trust each other!
It's chewing grass!
Is that grass yummy?
Just don't let your guard down, or you'll regret it.
I know that, Mister Argas!
That's what I meant by letting your guard down.
Part of the reason I became an adventurer was to make a living.
But the main reason was that I thought that if I had been stronger,
I could've helped fight alongside Mom and Dad.
When I joined Masters of War, Argas gave me a short sword.
What made me happier than anything was that he chose it
because he thought it would help me learn.
That's all in the past now.
I've absorbed the past and made it a part of me.
But, sometimes, I look back with regrets.
If I'd done something different that one time, or that other time...
If I'd given Argas a different answer, would I still be part of Masters of War?
If I hadn't run away then, would I have been able to die alongside my parents?
If I'd...
Agate?
What's Agate doing here?
And what does it mean for me that I can tell it's her just by seeing the back of her head?
This isn't good... It looks like it'll rain for a while.
Good timing.
I was wondering how I'd give this back to you.
This is my...
Which means you're, um...
You know, I never got your name.
I'm...
just a stray dog who loves idols.
You are?
Then... I'm Agate, and I'm just an idol.
It was raining that day, too, wasn't it?
Yeah...
You were out there in the rain without an umbrella,
so I couldn't help but talk to you.
I'm glad to find out you have a house!
Oh, you know, a girl from my agency...
Sorry, are you going to keep talking like this for a while?
Is it a bother?
No, it's not a bother, but...
Then let me talk a little more.
Okay.
Maybe that day was what saved me.
Did you say something?
No.
Mr. Stray Dog, do you sometimes hear things?
Quiet.
Hey.
Am I still holding onto this?
Until the rain stops.
That'll do.
Are you the one who killed Nalgava?
Yes.
That was me.
I knew it!
Which means I win!
I knew it! You killed him so you could take his place!
Ow...
You don't need to be making bets after breaking three ribs.
You don't get it, Doc.
If I'd lost, I was gonna lose another three!
Since you won, does that mean you get to grow three more?
That's impossible, duh.
Man, I'm a little worried about our new doc!
Medicine's a wonderful thing.
You can help others, even if only a little.
And while you're helping, you don't have to think about things.
Strangely, even after all the terrible things he did,
I can't bring myself to hate Stepping Man... Nalgava.
Maybe I took his place as a way to mourn him, or maybe I'm just doing it for myself.
Maybe they're the same thing, actually.
I just...
Doctor...
Thanks.
Of course.
I keep waking up, again and again.
Once again, the promise of some small salvation makes me suffer...
But is that really true?
Is life that cruel?
Is there really no salvation in going forward every day,
even if each day's progress is too small to see?
Hono Draco Rases Horn Dragon King
Gambling's not supposed to be something you do unless you feel like you'll win.
But even if I don't feel like coming, I still want my daily life back.
So I'm spending my days imitating the life I had before.
I'm a lucky girl, to be able to do that.
I've got no problems with life right now.
Right now, nobody's lying to me or trying to get me.
Things are going well.
How could I have a problem with this?
Oh...
I won.
I keep winning and losing. I haven't made or lost money.
But...
I'm bored.
It's good.
I wonder if Curran would eat this.
Morning!
Hey, it's been a while.
Guys...
H-Have you all been doing well?
I guess.
You're still doing it?
We agreed to stay out of each other's private lives, right?
O-Oh, that's right.
What happened with the Stepping Man incident was sad.
But it ended the way it should have.
We need to accept the life we have now, where we're not lacking for anything.
But right now, everyone's a little distant.
Everybody feels like they're struggling against something they can't quite figure out.
Survivors Law #1.
No interfering with other people's hobbies.
Nothing you say will make a difference.
If I wanted to, I could just take you and...
Very true.
If you want to be a doctor in a dangerous place like this...
You'll need my power.
Think of me as your bodyguard.
Thank you.
Morning!
That's the latest edition of Lemuria Monthly!
Olivia's still at it.
Let's see...
"Top 100 Weirdos of Labyrinth City."
Are you guys all...
Did you guys already eat?
Huh? Yeah...
I opted for the all-night package, so I ate a little at Red's place.
I only ever have a smoke for breakfast.
I see.
Then maybe I'll go eat something.
Was everyone already able to forget?
I can't.
Calios... my old party leader...
The one I once swore loyalty to.
I was deceived by him, abandoned... He stole everything I had.
Even if they lied to me, my days adventuring with White Heron were fun.
But... I'll never forgive Calios,
the man who stole the Dragon King's Jewel, the pride of my clan.
There hasn't been a single day where I've forgotten him.
You're a Tigerian! You need to be careful!
I didn't do anything, though!
It's okay to be careless, occasionally. But it's not nice to lie.
But I really didn't...
"You look like you just came out of the backwoods,
but here in the Labyrinth City, we take these things seriously.
You can buy it for half price, or would you rather..."
Y-You...
Want to see what happens if she scratches that pendant?
Curran.
Huh? What are you guys up to?
We heard they're preparing for the Summersleep Festival.
So we're off to take a look.
Summersleep Festival?
That's right, the Summersleep Festival.
They say that around this time of year, the monsters all become calm.
Will there be good food?
I'd guess so, yeah.
I can't wait!
Will the rage that was once so strong fade away some day?
If it does, is that a good thing or a bad thing?
I couldn't tell you.
The more you care about the present, the further away the past gets.
Maybe you're just supposed to care about the things that remain?
If that's true, then I only want the things I love to remain.
Dragonians are a proud race, with a destiny.
Their destiny is to serve the human who will become the hero, and save the world.
I'm a Dragonian. The daughter of the Tsubaki Clan leader.
Curran Tsubaki!
A proud Dragoon, protected by the grace of the Fire Dragon!
Big news!
Big news! Big news!
Olivia?
Extra! Extra! Read all about it!
A special, extra issue of Lemuria Monthly!
What's this about, Olivia?
Big news, everyone. Extremely big news.
Seems big, yeah.
It certainly is!
What's going on?
This is no time to stay calm!
Get excited or I won't tell you.
Wh-Wh-What?!
Whatever in the world is happening?
Great, that's perfect.
I don't like people who try to manipulate others' emotions.
A shocking story is breaking even as we speak!
What's this? "Legendary Dark Demon God on the Verge of Reviving"?
"...Say Rumors"?
Hey, don't steal my big reveal!
You're the one who was flinging papers everywhere.
More fake news?
If you keep spreading lies, eventually nobody's going to believe you.
But, this time, I've got verified sources.
What? Really?
I can see Kizuna's smart enough to know what this means.
Right!
It means she's making stuff up.
What if I said White Mask was involved?
Really?
I don't know for sure yet...
But what if I said I'd located the black market
that was dealing in Illusion King's Jewels?
You did?
Not yet.
Ahem!
I haven't found it yet, but my job's to take things that seem suspicious
and combine them into a sensational news article.
It's not news if you make it up.
Of course!
Where there's smoke, there's fire!
And if there's no fire, it's a gossip rag's job to start one!
You realize you're saying you're a fraud, right?
A fraud? No. A romanticist!
A romanticist!
A romanticist, Kizuna!
A romanticist! How exciting!
Would they deal...
in a Dragon King's Jewel, too?
Curran...
To be honest, I don't think I should be obsessing over Calios.
But I don't know what I should do!
I'm having fun with all of you, but it feels like there's something I'm avoiding!
Why not go for it?
If you can't get over it, then go chasing after it.
But, this time, you're not alone.
Yes.
Just make it a job, like we did with Stepping Man.
Nick...
It's fine by me.
We're the Survivors. We'll come back alive, no matter who we face.
A connection between Nalgava and White Mask...
We knew there had to be one.
And we can guess at other connections... I've heard lots of rumors.
Would a bad guy be connected to a good guy?
No, he'd be connected to an even bigger bad guy.
And if you keep following the chain of bad guys...
eventually you'll find the biggest bad guy, and you can teach him a lesson!
That sounds fun.
I think she just manipulated him.
Let's give it a go!
We can go catch all the bad guys!
Huh?
Nick, I want to do it too!
Then we're all in agreement!
Let's all go defeat the legendary dark Demon God! Hip, hip, hooray!
Hooray!
Well, sure. I guess.
Ningen Fushin: Adventurers Who Don't Believe in Humanity Will Save the World
I have a question for you.
Anything.
We artifacts will probably outlive them.
From your perspective, as the "Sword of War" that trains mankind and helps them grow,
what do you think of the Survivors?
They're all right, I suppose.
I'd expect a little more ambition
from the people who are going to slay the Demon God, though.
Oh? I thought you'd be harder on them.
That wouldn't be fair, would it?
They've only been around for 20 or so years of their short lives.
I'm amazed they've survived this long.
Clap, clap, clap.
Well, they do call themselves the Survivors.
And a bit of skepticism can save you a lot of trouble.
It's their greatest weapon.
And it's something you lose as you grow up.
Or it gets worse, and makes you stubborn.
That's fine. A hard head's a weapon, too.
Agreed.
Let them take their time.
And maybe they will be able to defeat the Demon God in the end.
Maybe they will...
Right now, these adventurers can't save the world.
But someday, they will.
But that won't happen for a long, long time!