Chapter 149

CHAPTER 61 Awakening and Resignation It’s another lovely day in the spirit world, but my mind is consumed by my impending demise. I can’t enjoy it. In the distance are Jonde and Kiriko, swinging their wooden practice swords. Sitting at a café garden table are Aria and Adenela, sipping on the tea that Cerceus brought them while chatting away. It’s a peaceful day. A normal day. That is, until Aria freezes. I sense the air grow tense around us. “What’s wrong, Aria?” I ask as I approach her. She notices my presence and looks up. “Rista, I received a message from Great Goddess Ishtar. She asks that you come to her room immediately.” “O-okay! Thanks!” I rush over to Ishtar’s room in the sanctuary. My heart is racing. When I burst through the door, Ishtar puts on her usual calm expression and sternly tells me: “The Demon Lord of Ixphoria has awakened.” A-ah…! I-it’s finally time…! I had a feeling this was the case… Why else would Ishtar ask to see me personally? I can’t remember the last time I was this nervous. “The Demon Lord, who has been enshrouded in mist up until now, briefly revealed himself…as if he knew I was watching and wanted to announce his awakening…” “I—I—I have to tell Seiya!” “It appears Seiya Ryuuguuin is in the plaza right now.” After expressing my gratitude, I rush out the door. Just as Ishtar’s power of clairvoyance demonstrated, I find Seiya in the plaza speaking with a god. “No, I’m the God of Wine. I don’t know anything about that.” Seiya appears to be asking the stout god something, but this is an emergency, so I butt in. “Seiya!! Ishtar said the Demon Lord has awakened!” “Okay.” The God of Wine scratches his cheek. “Well, uh… It sounds like you’ve got a lot on your plate, so I’m going to leave you to it.” After the God of Wine leaves, I suggest that we open a gate back to Ixphoria. Seiya, however, quietly shakes his head. “Not yet.” “What?! Seriously?!” “Just wait a little longer.” That comes as a shock. I thought he would want to leave right away once he heard the Demon Lord had awakened. “O-oh. Okay… I guess we could wait a little longer…” If Seiya isn’t ready, then I plan on waiting until he is. “Hero, exactly how long is ‘a little longer’?” I turn in the direction of the serious voice to find Jonde and Kiriko standing behind me. It looks like they were listening to our conversation. “Wh-what’s wrong, Jonde? That look on your face… You’re scaring me.” Jonde raises a hand to stop me, then faces Seiya once more. “I have been watching you fight for a while now, so I know relatively well how slow you are to act. I heard you failed last time because of your impatience—because you wished to save Ixphoria and its people from suffering as soon as you could. Therefore, it pains me to have to say this, but recently, you appear to be doing nothing more than wasting time in the spirit world.” “S-Seiya would never just waste time like that! Right, Seiya?” I turn around and look at Seiya, but he doesn’t say a word. “Even just now, I heard you talking to the God of Wine about spirits and whatnot. I find it hard to believe that such idle chatter is going to help you defeat the Demon Lord.” I’m standing on pins and needles, waiting for Seiya to tell Jonde to shut up or pour tea on his head. Despite all my worries, Seiya just turns his back to us. “I’ll let you know when it’s time to go.” Seiya then walks away, leaving us with those words. Jonde clicks his tongue. Kiriko, however, mutters: “I feel like Seiya…is waiting for something.” “‘Waiting for something’? Like what?” “I don’t know. It’s just a feeling I have.” Kiriko has a sixth sense when it comes to things like this. Unfortunately, I have no idea what that something could be. Once again, Kiriko and I sleep together in the room Cerceus is lending us. “Rista…” Kiriko, lying by my side, calls out to me. “Wh-what’s wrong, Kiri?” “I love spending time with you every day. It’s so fun… Jonde sounds like he wants to save Ixphoria as soon as possible, and I do, too, of course…but at the same time, I kind of wish we could keep doing this forever.” She pauses, then bashfully scratches her head. “It’s not right for me to feel this way…is it?” “I feel the same way, Kiri. I’m so happy, and I don’t want this to end.” Those are my honest feelings. “Rista, remember when I was sad back in Baraque, and you told me that ‘good things happen to good people’?” Kiriko wraps her hand around mine. Even though she’s a machine, her hands always feel so warm to me. “Well, the best thing that could happen to me is for you to always be happy!” “Kiri…!” A warmth spreads in my heart. At the same time, I feel ashamed of myself. Kiriko is always putting others before herself, and yet here I am—a goddess—only worried about myself. That’s when it dawns on me. Deep down, I’ve been avoiding the final battle against the Demon Lord. I was afraid of dying. But…what if Seiya knew exactly how I felt? Then that would mean that Seiya was waiting for…! The next day, I head over to Ishtar’s room alone. “Great Goddess Ishtar, I have a request.” I clearly state my intentions. “Seiya might use Valkyrie’s final attack, Gate of Valhalla, again during the battle against the Demon Lord Ultimaeus. If that happens, I will use Order to save him, even if that means being punished by the deities of the inner plane once more…” After a beat, Ishtar, wearing a serious expression, firmly nods. “Very well. It appears you have made up your mind. If such a time comes, I will permit you to use Order.” “Thank you very much.” I straighten my back before continuing: “I will defeat Ultimaeus and save Ixphoria even if it costs me my life!” “Even if it costs you…your life…?” “Yes! I am a goddess! I must save the world, and I’m willing to risk my life to do so!” “Ristarte…” “Of course, I don’t plan on dying! When Celemonic put a curse on me, Seiya told me, ‘Don’t give up so easily. Keep fighting until the very end,’ and that’s what I plan on doing!” After thinking about it all night, I finally put my determination into words. My fear has vanished. I feel cheerful, even. After grinning at Ishtar, I deeply bow before leaving her room. At Café du Cerceus, Seiya takes a seat at a garden table, crosses his arms, and closes his eyes. He doesn’t look like he wants to talk to anyone right now, but I approach him without even hesitating for a second. “Seiya, are you ready?” “I told you I’d let you know when it’s time to go.” After taking in a deep breath, I face Seiya and raise my voice: “I’m ready to go! I’m ready to face whatever fate awaits me!” Seiya looks my way. I notice he’s staring at something behind me. When I turn around, Jonde and Kiriko are there staring at Seiya, too. Their eyes burn with determination. “Hero, I am ready to meet my fate as well!” “M-me, too!” We stand in silence for a while until Seiya shoots me a piercing glare, but I don’t back away from his wrath. Instead, I put my unwavering will into words: “Seiya! Let’s defeat the Demon Lord! We’re going to save Ixphoria this time!” “Seiya…!” “Hero…!” We’re going to restore peace to Ixphoria so people like Queen Carmilla and Kiri can freely live as they please! Even if that means I’ll…! “Let’s go, Seiya Ryuuguuin! For the future of Ixphoria!” Seiya eventually stands, then looks at Kiriko, Jonde, and me in that order before glancing sharply at the sky above. “I’m perfectly prepared.” …A chill runs down my spine. Seiya didn’t even say that before our battle against the Demon Lord in Gaeabrande. But he did this time… Just like he did before every other battle from which he emerged triumphant.