“Oh, Eterna…” Milkit also took out her communication device. She and Flum were both sitting with their backs against the wall in the underground space. “The two of us are here together in this empty space underground. There’s nothing here. It shouldn’t be too far from where I fell. Master…says that this place is connected to the housing area.”
“I understand. I’ll head over there as soon as possible. Don’t move from where you are.”
“All right. There are no Chimera here, so I think that we’re safe.” When the call ended, there was an awkward silence. Flum languidly stretched out her legs and gazed up at the empty space. Milkit hugged her knees and softly buried her face in them. A past life, a world destroyed by Origin; the present time, the master who fought against Origin. After they came to understand things about each other, they both concluded that they couldn’t understand one another. It would’ve been better if they had been strangers with different faces and appearances.
However, even though their names, appearances, and even their relationships were similar, there was a fatal difference. Being faced with such a presence was, to put it bluntly, a very unpleasant feeling. Milkit could only hope that her master would return soon. And Flum could only despair that she would never be able to see her Milkit again.
“I guess that in the end…I have no other choice but to disappear.” When Flum muttered those words, the air grew even heavier. Common sense would dictate that you should normally say something like “That’s not true!” in a situation like this, but that would mean Milkit’s master would not be coming back. Which was why she had no choice but to remain silent.
“I get it. A consciousness revived from a previous life, it’s like, it’s nothing more than a vengeful spirit, or a curse, or something. Rischel showed me that, right in front of my very eyes. So I guess that means I’m ultimately the same.” But even so, she wanted to think that there was a reason why she had been revived here and now. She didn’t want to think that she had just taken over someone else’s consciousness for no reason, causing trouble for others.
“It’s like a temporary sickness. Once things go back to normal, I’ll disappear. Which means I’m just an abnormality.”
“Please stop. I…can’t say anything.”
“Yeah…I suppose you’re right. Look at me, muttering resentful words, like some kinda evil spirit. Hehe.” That wasn’t a joke that could be laughed at, not even a little, so there was silence once again. Unable to bear the awkwardness, Milkit slowly rolled up her upper garments.
“Wh-what are you doing?”
“I thought it would be better to give this to you now.” When she untied the bundle that had been wrapped around her waist, a bag containing a cursed item came out.
“What’re these ominous-looking planks…?”
“I received this from Miss Sheitoom at the Demon Lord’s castle. Oh, and they’re not planks—they’re greaves. Since it’s cursed equipment, it will be useful to Master.”
“Oh, that reminds me, I think Henriette-san said something about that before. Is it really safe for me to wear these?”
“Yes, if you can use Souleater. I’ve heard that there’s no piece of cursed equipment more dangerous than that.” Flum timidly put on the greaves. Then she stood up and jumped vertically several times right on the spot.
“Wh-whoa…! My body’s gotten incredibly light. Thanks, Milkit!” Though awkward and clumsy, Flum smiled at Milkit. However, Milkit’s expression instead became gloomy. “Did I say something bad?”
“Even though your face is the same as Master’s, I can’t help but feel like there’s something different. It’s hard. I’m sorry.” Flum understood how Milkit felt, and it was true that she was at fault… Flum felt helpless and wretched, and she lowered her gaze toward her feet. Silence fell for a third time. Then Milkit broke the silence.
“After hearing your story, I thought that maybe fate does exist. The fact that you and Master have similar names and appearances is too much of a coincidence to be dismissed as mere chance.”
“It may have been fate that brought you and your ‘master’ together. But there’s no meaning to my being here.”
“I already told you: There’s nothing I can say to that…”
“I’m sorry. You’ve already said it before, and yes, I do know. It’s hard for me to say, but I know that I should just disappear quickly. When I look at you, I can see that you and this ‘master’ of yours have a very strong bond, and here, after you’ve finally been able to reunite, you find that there’s a different person inside. At this point, my existence itself is harmful, because I’m causing you so much sadness. But…I’m scared. I’m scared of dying. I don’t want to come back to life for no reason and then die for no reason. I don’t want that.”
Tears welled up in Flum’s eyes. Milkit, unable to say anything, watched her bite her lip in frustration with a sidelong glance. Because this girl wasn’t her master. The two of them fell silent again, and the only sounds that could be heard were the humming of the machines. The one who broke this silence wasn’t Flum or Milkit.
“Flummmmmm!” The voice of a woman that truly did seem like a vengeful spirit echoed from afar. Flum couldn’t say with certainty because the voice had become hoarse, but she recognized that voice.
“Rischel… It can’t be. Is she alive?” The pair stood up and looked around their surroundings, ready to run at any moment. In the distance, they could hear wet squelching sounds of meat rubbing against itself.
“She must have used an Origin core.”
“Those things have Origin’s power sealed in them, if I remember right. Humans can use them too?”
“They can. There’s also a high possibility that she isn’t human anymore, that she’s turned into a monster…”
“Anyway, let’s run for now. There’s no way we can take on something like that!”
“In that case, let’s go back the way I came. We might be able to meet with Eterna and—”
“There you are! Wait right there, I’m gonna come and kill you!” Rischel’s voice was coming from the direction that Milkit had just come from. Having no other choice, they ran in the opposite direction.
“It’s pointless to run. Because right now, I’m sharper than ever!” Rischel chased them from behind, and there occasionally came sounds as though she were hitting the walls with her axe.
“I can hear your footsteps, you know. I can hear your breathing, too. You really did me good earlier. You betrayed my affection for you! You trampled on it! That hurt! That hurttttt!”
Smash! Smash! Every time those loud sounds reverberated, Flum and Milkit’s bodies shook with fear. The underground of the fortress was made up of a mazelike structure with multiple entrances, and the same scenery seemed to continue endlessly, with everything covered in rusty, faded metal. Which meant that even if they rushed forward recklessly, they wouldn’t know if they were actually making any progress, if they noticed an exit somewhere, or if they were actually going backward. Then Flum, who was leading the way, found something on the wall.
“It’s a mark that Rischel made with her axe.”
“Then this is a path that she’s already passed through…”
“Don’t run away like a coward when it’s all over! Just give up and let me kill you!” Her anger bared, Rischel struck the wall with her axe. In that instant, the “mark” that Flum observed earlier exploded, exposing a big hole in the wall.