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When I left the bath, I saw Haruka-kun having a very evil smile on his face.

The girls always go bankrupt after that smile.

After all, that evil smile is the smile of an evil baron.

It’s a very evil smile that he makes when he is brimming with the intention to rip us off.

And until now, there hasn’t been a single case when anyone managed to escape that smile.

Our hard-earned money is snatched away from us, and we end up happy.

That happiness is forcibly brought upon us with no chance to refuse.

After all, that evil smile, that evil tender smile is the reason for our survival in this world.

It was when we just came to this fantasy world.

We thought that we were all but dead.

That being in such a world is no different from death.

So living in fear of death, we awaited its arrival.

I don’t think I was alone in this, after all, everyone had the same look back then.

The look of tired resignation, simply living on because we were too scared of death, awaiting the end.

Until the end came for us in that dark forest.

Surrounded by numerous monsters with no way to escape, I realized that this is it.

Even so, since president-san and the others were trying to protect us, putting their lives on the line, I also gave my all fighting.

No matter how scary, sad, painful, or bitter I felt, I kept fighting, even while crying.

But in truth, I already gave up. Because I understood that it’s impossible.

But because everyone kept fighting on, trying to protect me and the others, I also did what I could, and kept fighting on.

But after all, it was the end. I saw that even if everyone fought to the point of complete exhaustion, there still would be lots of monsters left.

Scared, terrified, vexed, and utterly miserable, wondering, just why we have to go through this.

After all, there is nothing good about living in such a world.

Dressed in rags, with nothing but tasteless fish for meals, spending every day trembling in fear of monsters.

The happy me must’ve died back in the previous world, and this world is completely different, is what I thought.

But even so, I didn’t want to see the others get injured or killed, so I kept fighting.

From the very beginning, I didn’t think that we could win or survive.

Until that red rain began.

Until the storm of red lights swept over.

It was so beautiful.

And so cruel.

The monsters collapsed in heaps, burned by the rain of bright red lights.

Scary, frightening, but so beautiful, that I ended up crying.

And so, all of the monsters were annihilated.

Even though there were so many of them, not a single one survived.

Then, a pitch-black figure approached us through the mountains of monster corpses.

For a moment, I couldn’t help but think, 『Ah, so this is my death』.

「HP potion, you will recover if you drink it…… It’s mushroom-flavored though.」

He blurted out, with a slightly troubled look.

That was Haruka-kun.

A classmate, but he was always alone and never spoke with anyone.

After that, the world was turned upside down.

The dull monochrome world where we could only wait for death, completely changed.

It’s almost as if it was suddenly reborn, painted in new radiant colors.

After all, everyone was smiling. And I was the same.

Eating delicious food, sleeping in a fancy house, relaxing in a lovely bath, everyone around was smiling.

Because until then, everyone thought that nothing but bad things were awaiting us in the future, that our happiest days were over.

The room was unlike anything I’ve seen, the bath was the likes of which I thought I’d never get a chance to try, while the food was incredibly delicious, unlike anything I’ve eaten before.

The happiness that I thought I lost with the previous world turned into even more amazing happiness in this world and was awaiting us in such a place.

It was like a super high-class hotel, in which I probably could never stay in our world. A super high-class resort.

Something way more amazing than the things that I had given up on was shoved into my face. I was made to realize that I can be happy even in this world.

That day, I was able to soundly fall asleep without crying for the first time since coming to this world.

A lot happened since then, but every day was now filled with happiness, where everyone could smile.

Although we’d still cry remembering our families, we at least no longer cried from despair.

I was smiling and happy every day. And the resolve to live on began forming within me.

Until the day Haruka-kun disappeared.

He left, saying that it’s dangerous for everyone. Left all on his own.

He might be in danger because of us, he might die because of us, he might already be dead. Then, what’s the point to keep living?

The world returned to its previous monochrome state. I returned to the days of crying from despair. Terrified, I waited, while the thought 『what if…』wouldn’t leave my mind.

But he came back to us, looking completely nonchalant.

I was relieved, thank goodness, I thought.

But then, I happened to overhear Kakizaki-kun and the others.

『How can he look so unfazed with that body?』

I heard that he must’ve had an arm torn off.

That he must’ve had his stomach gouged out.

That he must’ve had a leg cut off.

That he must’ve had half of his face burnt away.

That he must’ve been stabbed all over.

That he must be simply faking it and is actually going insane from pain.

That his whole body was wrecked so badly that merely breathing should be agony.

It is because Kakizaki-kun and the others went through the same, trying to protect everyone, that they were able to notice it.

He fully regenerated only on the outside and only appears unhurt.

I shouldn’t have felt relieved.

But it is because he wanted us to feel that relief that he acted like nothing happened, laughing with everyone.

He must’ve been enduring the pain and the agony all on his own, smiling in front of everyone.

And with that body, he fought on the next day again. All alone, without telling anyone anything.

So badly tattered that he couldn’t even regenerate mana, and yet he fought anyway. And we were once again protected by him.

Then after that, he went missing in a dungeon, taming a dungeon master and doing other enormously risky things.

That’s why everyone is smiling, smiling while struggling, trying to become stronger.

Since everyone has only combat skills, fighting is the only thing we can do.

That’s why we decided to protect, and if it doesn’t work, get stronger, and try again, and if that doesn’t work too, it eventually must work out as long as we don’t give up.

But we failed again. This is depressing.

But he is smiling with a very evil look. This is an evil smile that is praising us, the evil smile saying『You did your best, right』.

That’s why everyone will surely go bankrupt with a smile again. The meanest reward in the world.

Everyone will have happiness brought to them tonight. This is the evil smile saying that he is preparing something.

That’s why even if I feel down today, I can still do my best tomorrow. I can’t give up after all.

I absolutely, definitely, have to protect him. After all, there is no one else who can make such an evil smile.

War is very scary. I’m afraid of fighting fellow humans. But time and time again I was forced to realize that failing to protect is much more terrifying.

「Welcome back, Shield Girl? I have some good stuff today? Or rather, I’ve got it? Kind of? Well, anyway, it’s good stuff, I think? Probably? Actually, it’s a great offer, so great that I’ll get much richer as a result, well, a great deal for me. Yeah, so great that it’s laughably profitable? I guess? Sort of?」

A very wicked smile.

But I decided that I’ll protect it, and so I will. I don’t care if it’s just my ego speaking, I will protect him for my own sake. So we definitely won’t lose him anymore.

It’s for that sake I became a shield girl. This time it’s my turn to protect everyone.

That’s what I decided. He told me『How about becoming a shield pres?』, so this time I’ll make sure that no one gets hurt, I don’t want to just wait anymore, this time I want to protect them for sure.

That’s why I became a shield girl. That’s why I will definitely protect everyone.

Even if we failed today, I will fight again tomorrow, I will keep fighting until I can protect everyone. After all, I’m the shield girl, so I must protect.

But it seems that today, I’m going bankrupt. There is no escape from this evil smile. After all, this is the smile that keeps us safe, so I’m still no match for it. So happily laughing, I’ll go bankrupt again with a smile.

[TL Note: I thought about putting a note, stating whose POV this is at the beginning, but looking at the title decided to leave it as it is.]