A/N: I'm using a Mothy song for this chapter.
This chapter is for Rin_chan32! Thank you for reading this, and for your comments too!!
(Seven Crimes & Punishments; last song in the Deadly Sins Series, by Gakupo, Meiko, Rin & Len Kagamine, Miku Hatsune, Luka Megurine, Kaito & Gumi)
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Len's POV
"Orienteering of the Seven Atonements huh..."
Staring at the Deadly Sins Card hanging below my neck, I muttered to myself.
After getting ready at the positions under the Discipline Committee members' directions, the race began with the sounding of a shrill whistle. Fifteen minutes passed within the blink of an eye.
"Awawa. W-W-W-W-W-What shoulda do... Auau." Miku asked.
"What to do... Well, it's just crossing a bridge," Gumi answered.
We were standing before a deep ravine. Staring at the bottom of the cliff, Miku, who'd just joined us by now, was shaking tremendously. The river flowing below seemed absurdly far away. Traversing the top of this deep gorge, where falls were fatal, was a ragged rope bridge that looked like it could break any time, swaying in the wild winds over the ravine.
The Sloth checkpoint that our team decided to visit first was just ahead. Just to be safe, we'd checked out the surrounding area, but in the end, this was the only path leading to the checkpoint.
Gumi was right, it was just crossing a bridge, but...
"Are you okay, Miku?" I asked her. "If you're not feeling well, I'll give you piggy back ride."
"Ueh!? Oh, umm... Well, well... I-I'm fine!"
Although Miku said that, looking at the way she was staring at the rope bridge and trembling, she totally did not seem fine. She probably had fear of heights.
"...Better not push yourself too hard, right?" I scratched the back of my head and was just about to let her climb onto my back when...
"Yahahahahah! This shitty bridge is no stress at all! Yahaha!"
Completely wrapped in bandages, the boy with the Frankenstein look was charging towards the starting end of the bridge. This student was the one who had been bludgeoned out of commision early this morning: Big Al.
"Argh, retard! Why is he charging on his own!?" Gumi screamed.
"...!?"
I instantly imagined a certain scene and recalled certain words:
Challenging the rope bridge with foolhardiness, stepping too hard and ending up falling through the bottom, straight down into the ravine, my classmate, Big Al. As well as...
'Losing any team member along the way means instant disqualification entailing coercive condemnation.'
--This was part of the orienteering rules.
"Hey Big Al! Hold it right there!!"
"Gopuu!?"
Using a lariat move, I forcibly stopped him who was just rushing past. Struck by the throat, he fell over on his face and stopped moving.
"Phew... Sheesh, that was really close. I almost died," I said.
"...He's not dead yet?"
"M-Maybe he's already dead..."
Looking at Big Al whose eyes were rolled up and frothing at the mouth, Gumi and Miku murmured.
"No, he should be alive... After all, it's Big Al," Gumi commented.
"Awawa. But but, sure enough... he's still alive. After all, it's Al-san," Miku agreed.
"That's right. All we need is 'the entire team to gather at the checkpoint', right?" I added. "Even if he lost consciousness, it'll be fine as long as we transport him with us."
Then, I loaded Big Al on my back.
Damn he's heavy...
No matter how dangerous it was to cross the bridge like this, waking him up was definitely going to be even more dangerous. Left alone, he was going to do stupid things immediately...
"...But what about Miku now? How about I drop this guy on the other side and come back to carry you?" I asked her.
"Oh... No need, I'm okay! I will do my best!" she replied.
Although she still looked uneasy, perhaps the sight of Big Al on a rampage helped her to understand something. The trembling of her body had improved a bit.
"Just tell me any time if you're not feeling well, 'kay?" Saying that, I walked towards the other side of the bridge. "...Okay. Let's cross this bridge carefully."
I stepped onto the battered log that had suffered countless weathering. Using my left hand to grip the rope for support, securing Big Al with my right, I began to advance. Miku also followed immediately with Gumi holding the rear. The gaps between logs were quite large, big enough for the width of shoes to pass through. I carefully walked on such a bridge while slowly making my way step by step. With every movement, the bridge would creak and shake. The bark was peeling and falling off towards the distant bottom, sucked into the bottom of the dark valley...
"E-Eeeeeeeeeeeeeek!?"
A gust of wind made Miku tremble and crouched down on the spot. From the corners of her tightly shut eyes, massive tear drops were appearing.
"...Hey, are you really okay? I could give you a ride too, you know?"
Looking down at her, trembling, Gumi spoke with concern. She was not holding the rope at all, even leaking a yawn, advancing on the logs as though walking on flat ground. Seeing her so composed, I could tell that carrying Miku would be a piece of cake for her. However--
"I'm fine, Gumi. I-I w-will cross... by myself..."
Still gripping the rope tightly, she stood up unsteadily.
"I-It's not fair... i-if I'm the only one... not making progress!"
--Creak. She took a step forward.
Pursing her lips, suppressing her body's trembling, she showed determination in her eyes.
"Miku.."
"...Yeah, I get it. Then hang in there a little longer."
I was touched by her courage while it made Gumi smile. Confirming that she was slowly advancing, the two of us continued to walk again.
"Oh my oh my oh my~? Why isn't that Kagamine-san over there!"
Hearing a voice calling my name, I turned around. Standing on the opposite cliff was a very familiar girl.
A pretty girl with straw blond hair and amber eyes. Mayu Tanaka.
If she's here, then--
"HUH? Oh really!? Hahaha, so fucking slow. Is he trembling like a yellow belly!?"
"H-Heehee... wind flowing skirts... panties, panties... H-Heeheehee."
The albino guy, Dell Honne, accompanied by the short white-haired hunchback, Piko Utatane.
