“What the hell is this… what’s happening?! This is…!”

I thought Hayami-san’s teleportation spell had activated, but instead of the familiar Ichigaya General Staff Headquarters, we were in an unfamiliar forest.

At first, I thought Hayami-san’s teleportation spell had failed.

However, unlike the battlefield filled with murderous intent we had just left, this place was serene, with the sounds of birds chirping.

“Lieutenant Hayami! Hayami-san! If you’re there, please respond!”

If this were a battlefield, shouting like this would be foolish, revealing my location, but right now, I couldn’t worry about that.

[Master, please calm down. First, assess the situation.]

Kon’s voice in my mind urged me to calm down.

Indeed, this panicked state wasn’t helpful.

“Yeah, you’re right.”

Even so, unable to calm myself, I sat cross-legged on the grassy ground, my body trembling as if ready to spring into action.

[It’s been a while since I’ve seen you this emotional. Are you that worried about Lieutenant Hayami?]

“I’m not being emotional!”

[You’ve been speaking aloud to me since a while ago. And stop fidgeting.]

“Oh…”

I hadn’t realized it until Kon pointed it out.

Feeling embarrassed, I took a deep breath to steady myself.

[Given Master’s state, I’ll explain the current situation concisely. First, the teleportation was executed imperfectly. Hayami-san likely tried to teleport us to the General Staff Headquarters in Ichigaya, but lacked the power.]

[Where are we now?]

[Judging by the vegetation, we are still in the same forest area. We haven’t strayed far from the original target location.]

[Where’s Hayami-san? Could she be in a completely different part of the forest, or did she leave me here and return to Ichigaya?]

As I calmed down a bit, I joked about the optimistic scenarios.

[No. Lieutenant Hayami remains in her original position.]

[…How can you be so sure, Kon?]

Hoping for the optimistic case, I questioned Kon’s certainty.

[It’s simple. From the start, the teleportation spell was only targeted at Master.]

[…How do you know that, Kon?]

[I’ve traveled with Master many times using Lieutenant Hayami’s teleportation ability. Normally, during teleportation, Hayami synchronizes with her contracted spirit and me, allowing us to move together. It’s like two people holding hands and jumping together.]

[You didn’t feel that this time?]

[Correct. This time, it felt like I was forcefully grabbed and thrown by an unfamiliar spirit. Quite rude.]

[So, from the beginning…]

[Under the influence of the interference spell, she judged it impossible to teleport with herself, so she gambled on sending only Master.]

“Damn it!”

I punched the ground in frustration.

Reflecting on Hayami’s words at that moment, I regretted not realizing it sooner.

But it was already too late.

[Incidentally, the reason she can only teleport one person besides herself is that she can only fully perceive one other person at a time. She believes she can’t extend her senses to anyone beyond that. Honestly, her spirit’s abilities shouldn’t have such limitations; it’s an issue with the practitioner.]

[That’s not important now! What matters is how to save Hayami!]

[…Her chances of survival are low. She has no direct means of attack, and if the interference spell prevents her from using her teleportation to escape, then…]

[But it’s not zero, right?!]

[…Indeed. Her chances depend on how she uses her remaining spirit energy.]

Grasping at straws, Kon’s response offered a glimmer of hope.

“Then, let’s bet on that! Okay! First, I need to figure out our current location. Let’s see, the manual for being isolated on the battlefield should be…”

I rummaged through my backpack, searching for the tattered emergency manual I always kept at the bottom, looking for the relevant page.

[Alright, I’ll help…]

Kon sighed but agreed to follow my lead, for which I was internally grateful.

[It may not compare to the shock of your parents’ death, but losing someone close could bring you to that state again…]

Kon’s muttered words didn’t register as I frantically searched the manual.