Chapter 61

Epilogue Shinichi’s team managed to get Clarissa to vow under Geas that she would cooperate. At first, she resisted, but that was just her using reverse psychology. With their business done, they left Cemetarium Forest. “All right. To carry out our promise for the dark elven men, we need to get back to the castle…,” started Shinichi. He ended up looking at Fey who was both an ally and a potential risk. She’d learned too much about them, but he couldn’t just kill her since Rino was there. That left him with only one option. “I imagine you have some idea by now, but we are working with the Blue Demon King, the one who appeared in Dog Valley some time ago. I hope you don’t mind, but you’re going to have to come with us to his castle,” he said, making clear she didn’t have the right to refuse. She nodded. “I-it’d be worse if you left me here.” “How so?” “Y-you still have the other books. I haven’t had a chance to look at them yet.” “Oh right,” he said as she pointed to his backpack containing the books from the ancient civilization. She was a real idiot—so insistent on chasing after her dream of exploring that she’d abandon her family and join a group of demons for an adventure. Going to the Demon King’s castle was a nonissue. “A-also, I think I’d like to explore the demon world someday…,” she continued hesitantly. “I know how you feel,” said Shinichi. He’d only heard about it. He was interested in the underground world. “Okay, let’s all go to the demon world for our next adventure!” exclaimed Rino, offering to be their guide. But Fey looked confused. “R-Rino, are you…?” “We haven’t told you, huh? She’s a demon, too. In fact, she’s the Demon King’s daughter.” “Wait. Whaaaaat?!” cried Fey, falling over, eyes almost popping out from shock. The beautiful little girl resembled a human, but she was actually the princess of humanity’s greatest enemy. “I—I can’t believe I spoke so casually to a princess! Please forgive me! P-please spare my life!” “What’s wrong?!” Rino cried back, surprised as Fey suddenly knelt on the ground and started begging for her life. Rino crouched down in front of her. “You’re my friend. I would be sad if anything happened to you.” “A f-friend…?” “Is that wrong?” asked Rino. “N-no, I’m glad!” replied Fey, automatically giving in to the child’s sorrowful eyes. The others watched the exchange with smiles on their faces. “Rino, you’re getting more selfish,” praised Shinichi. “I wonder whose influence that is,” sulked Arian. “Let’s get going!” said Shinichi, forcefully changing the topic so Arian and Celes would stop glaring at him. Celes sighed and drew a magic circle on the ground. “Lady Rino, my apologies. Could you supply me with some magic?” “Yep,” replied Rino. She joined hands with Celes, lending her magic to cast Teleport. Their vision was distorted, and they felt dizzy for longer than normal, but a moment later, they appeared in front of the familiar castle of the Demon King. “We’re home,” called Rino. Her voice bounced through the castle. They heard a door burst open followed by the appearance of the gaunt face of the Blue Demon King. “M-my Rino! Is it really you? And this time, you’re neither a doll nor an illusion!” “So you’ve been hallucinating,” observed Shinichi. “Ooooh, Rinoooo—!” he cried, oblivious to Shinichi’s remark as he ran up to Rino, picking her up in a hug, tears and snot running down his face. But the moment the unknown girl entered his sight, he stopped in his tracks. His feet carved grooves into the stone floor from the impact. “…Who the hell are you?” he barked. “Oh, this is an explorer—,” started Shinichi, surprised by the Demon King’s expression but trying to introduce Fey— “Force.” A tremendous blow pounded into their backs, sending them flying. “Gah—!” Both Shinichi and Celes coughed up blood, knocked all the way to the Demon King. “Gn…!” Arian was the only one who was able to roll with the hit, managing to get to her feet with her magic sword drawn. “What?” Rino was frozen in shock as chains of light wrapped around her body. “How…?” whispered Shinichi as pain shot through him. Considering the situation, Fey must have attacked them from behind, but Celes had guaranteed she had no more magic than a normal human. That was what had convinced him she wasn’t a threat and why he let her travel with them. But now that they were at the Demon King’s castle, she was giving off crashing waves of magic. They were so powerful that even he could feel them. “How?! How are you—?!” Shinichi screamed, overcoming the pain to turn back and look. There he saw both his answer and something impossible. “Wait, what?” cried Fey, confusion on her bespectacled face. She stared at her own stomach—to find a tangle of red symbols glowing there. “A magic circle?” balked Shinichi. It was similar to a magic circle for Teleport that contained spatial coordinates. From the circle spilled waves of magical energy, giving way to a white arm. “Fey!” cried Rino. She seemed to know intuitively what would happen next. She struggled against the chains of light that bound her, trying to stretch her hand out to Fey. Fey looked back at her—at the friendship that lasted for twenty-four hours—before letting out a smile that was almost washed away by her tears. “R-Rino, I—” Fey’s small body could no longer endure the power from the magic circle. And then she split in two. The magic waves pushed out blood and gore in all directions. In the center appeared a shining figure. Her long golden hair blew gently even though there was no wind. She had a perfect figure that could even entrance other women. Her eyes were stunningly beautiful and cold. This was the woman that only two people in all history had ever seen in person but whose statue graced churches throughout the continent. There was not a single person who did not know her name. “Goddess Elazonia…” She was the very entity who had created the undying heroes and warped the ways of the world. She was the one who’d forced the destruction of the demons. Everyone forgot to breathe for a moment as they looked at the blinding beams of light she emitted.