“Amazing! We should be able to break through the Dragon Lord’s and the Great Mother’s defense with this move!” …Natosus ends up only granting Rosalie and Seiya with dark aura. After all, Seiya only brought Cerceus and me as insurance just in case he couldn’t learn the move, so in his words: “You two are absolutely useless to me now.” There are more polite ways he could have said it, though! After chanting and getting rid of the hands of darkness, Natosus positions himself in his ominous chair made of bone. “I have a move even more terrifying than this, though. Want me to teach you?” “Definitely. It doesn’t have any harmful effects depending on how you use it, though, right?” “I told you. My dark aura will protect you.” I start to feel a little worried, so I cut into their conversation. “H-hey, Seiya. Regardless of how safe it might be, maybe you shouldn’t be using dark skills. Don’t you think? I mean, you are the Hero, after all…” I try to approach Seiya while talking when, all of a sudden, a pitch-black hand looms out of the darkness between us. “Ack?! Natosus, come on! You startled me!” “It wasn’t me.” “Huh?” I can’t believe it, but when I look over in Seiya’s direction, his index finger is standing straight up. Each time he wiggles it, the hand below me moves in unison. Natosus gives a dry clap with his bony hands. “Wow! You mastered it just by watching me do it?” “I wouldn’t call this mastering it. I need to train until I can create thousands of these jet-black hands like grass growing on a field.” “Wh-what are you going to do with an extra thousand hands?!” “Can you shut up already?” Seiya turns a distant eye to Cerceus and me. “Only Rosalie and I need to train. Go back to Uno’s place.” “Okay! See you later!” “Cerceus?! Why are you acting like this has nothing to do with you?!” “I just think it would be in our best interest to go back, since Seiya told us to.” “No. You just want to bake!” Cerceus and I waffle over Seiya’s decision until two shadowy hands sprout from the floor around us. ““Eek?!”” “If you are not going back, then I am going to test how much damage these hands do when they touch a deity.” “R-Rista, let’s go! We shouldn’t get in the way of his training!” After Cerceus sprints up the stairs as if he were running away, the shadowy hand shoos me away as well. H-he really knows how to piss me off! “You better come back to Uno’s place with good news!” I reluctantly turn on my heel, leaving him with that pathetic parting shot. The second day of training. Noon. When I head to the living room, Rosalie is already sitting on the sofa. She’s hanging her head low, and it’s obvious she’s not feeling well. “Um… Rosalie? What happened to training?” “…He told me I didn’t need to come anymore.” “What? Really?” “While Natosus was teaching me how to create the Phantom Hands yesterday, the Hero appeared to be practicing a different move in the distance. After a while, though, he walked over and told me I could leave.” Rosalie lets out a deep sigh filled with sorrow. “He must have gotten sick of waiting for me, since I am a slow learner. To tell the truth, I wasn’t even able to manifest a single hand of darkness in the end.” “Hmm… I don’t think you should let it bother you. You know how he is. He’s unpredictable—impulsive, even.” Just when I finally got over the fart crisis, now I learn that Rosalie is depressed. Not too long after that, Cerceus comes in with some coffee for us. I decide to kill some time in the living room while trying to cheer Rosalie up, but no matter how much time goes by, Seiya doesn’t return to Uno’s place. I told him he better come back with good news, but all he did was send Rosalie home. What the hell is Seiya doing? After making some sandwiches, I head over to the Shrine of the Six Realms alone to see how Seiya is doing. I greet the guard, then head toward the staircase leading to the Infinite Corridor when… “Guh?!” I instinctively scream…because countless pitch-black hands are growing out of the stairs! The hundred or more hands then shoo me away! Seriously?! How dare he make a fool of me like this! But in a way, the hands growing like grass are proof that Seiya’s training is going well. While it’s extremely frustrating, I guess this is Seiya’s way of telling me that he’s improving. “H-hey, um…I brought you some sandwiches…” After I timidly hand the wrapped basket to one of the hands, it immediately passes it to another one, then another one until it is all the way at the bottom of the staircase. It’s like a bucket brigade! After watching the surreal scene, I decide to head back home in disappointment. The third day of training. Seiya hasn’t returned to Uno’s place once since he started training. I’ve been trying not to think about him lately while he’s training so I can focus, but this dark move he’s learning has far too many unknowns to it. I can’t help but be concerned. Although I expect that the hands will shoo me away again, I decide to make him some rice balls and head back to the basement staircase. However, when I get there, there isn’t even a single shadowy hand waiting for me on the staircase. This is Seiya we’re talking about, so I have to wonder if there aren’t any other traps… I quietly descend the stairs without making a sound, but there is nothing out of the ordinary. It looks like I overthought the situation. However, I can hear Seiya and Natosus talking in the distance. “You mastered it. All you need to do now is get creative and apply it to your needs.” “Yeah.” “But are you sure having me teach you this was the right call? Do you really think you’ll ever need to use a forbidden skill like this?” A forbidden skill?! What the…?! I hide in the shadows while trying to eavesdrop when… “Hold on, Natosus. Someone’s here… Rista, it’s you, isn’t it?” …?! How did he know?! I feel as if my hammering heart were going to leap out of my throat, but I suddenly remember why I came. I have rice balls for Seiya, so I approach him as if nothing were wrong and hold out the lunch bag with a cheerful note in my voice. “Hey, Seiya! How’s the training coming along?” “I already mastered the dark skill I wanted to learn, so my training here is done for now.” …And yet, he still doesn’t say his signature phrase, which makes me think that there is still something he wants to do. Seiya starts walking up the staircase without even looking back at Natosus. “S-Seiya, wait! …Thanks, Natosus!” “Yep. See you around.” I lightly wave good-bye to Natosus on Seiya’s behalf, then rush up the stairs after him. After returning to Uno’s house and preparing a change of clothes along with a few other items, Seiya gathers us all in the living room. He then looks at me the moment I take a seat on the sofa around the table. “Rista, I want to watch Mash’s past one more time before we head back to Gaeabrande.” “What?! Again?!” …I’m forced to stand in front of the wall just like last time before I’m smacked on the head over and over again. However, we don’t gain any valuable information no matter how many visions I have. I see Mash as a child bathing, Mash sleeping like a baby, and even a repeat of when his grandmother was making his bandanna. “Who asked to watch this garbage?!” complains Cerceus. I immediately cover my head and shout: “I’ve had enough! My head is going to explode if we do this anymore!” “Just one more time, and we can call it a day.” But the last vision I have is of an adult Mash destroying a human city. He holds Igzasion covered in blood as a woman begs for her life while holding a baby. “Please! I don’t care what happens to me! Just spare my child!” “Hmm… Let me think about that.” Mash immediately thrusts his sword into the woman’s chest. She falls to the ground as her baby cries. Mash frowns as if the noise is bothering him, then swings his blade without even a moment of hesitation. He laughs as if he just realized something. “Yeah, I should have killed the baby first. The woman would’ve suffered way more. I’m such an idiot. I got the order all wrong.” Mash continues to slaughter the humans while laughing just like he did in Nakashi Village. Even those who beg for their lives are relentlessly chopped into pieces. H-how cruel! “Rista, don’t stop the vision no matter what.” I want to cover my eyes, but I have no choice except to project this vision onto the wall until Mash leaves the village. “Hff…” My heart sinks before the barbaric footage, and Cerceus speaks up in disgust: “That isn’t Mash. That’s a monster. I regret ever making a cake for him.” “Exactly, Cerceus. The Dragon Lord is an illusion of a warped world that doesn’t even deserve to exist. Disposing of it is a nonissue.” “Let’s defeat the root of all evil together!” says Rosalie. All three of them share the same sentiment after watching Mash’s violent actions. All of a sudden, I am reminded of something and timidly tell Seiya: “O-oh, hey. I forgot to tell you, but I had a dream about Mash and Elulu the other day.” “I’m not interested in your dreams.” “Come on, don’t say that! Just listen! Because…I think the Mash in this world might be suffering, too!” Cerceus’s jaw drops while Rosalie knits her brow. “Huh? Did you not see what he just did? He didn’t look like he was suffering at all. If anything, he looked like he was enjoying the slaughter.” “You are truly a kind goddess, but you do not need to feel any empathy toward the Dragon Lord.” “They’re right, Rista. Letting your guard down could cost you your life.” “I’m not letting my guard down! In my dream, Mash told me to save him! Elulu also said that you won’t be able to save the world if you continue down this path!” “I ‘won’t be able to save the world’?” After Seiya’s eyebrow twitches, he gives me a chilling glare. “Are you sure that isn’t simply how you feel?” “N-no…! I don’t think so…!” I can’t say with certainty that this isn’t all in my head. I honestly have no idea what that was. Seiya stares at me as I am at a loss for words and lets out a “hmph.” “Y-you don’t have to look at me like that.” “I’ve seen enough. While this ended up being a waste of time again, I was still able to learn a dark skill after learning Mash’s weakness by chance last time. Defeating the Great Mother shouldn’t be a problem after a day’s rest to replenish my mana.” “Really?! So that means you’re finally prepared to go?!” I stare hard at Seiya, waiting for him to say the line in great anticipation, but he turns his head away from me and softly mutters: “I’m PP.” Did he just abbreviate his catchphrase out of spite?! What’s his problem?! More important, “PP”?! The next morning, I open a gate to Iglu, and we follow after Seiya while making our way to the end of the town. “Now that I think about it, this is going to be the first time we’ve seen the barrier around Iglu.” Seiya doesn’t even look back when I talk to him, though. He is quieter than usual, as if he’s angry. We continue to head toward the outskirts of town as an awkward silence hangs over the air. We were always in the heart of the town when we first came, but the closer we head to the outskirts, the clearer the barrier becomes. It’s as if the entire town were surrounded by polished plate glass. I glance at Rosalie, who is walking by my side. “So this is Iglu’s barrier, huh? It’s a little hazy so I can’t tell what’s happening on the other side.” “That was done by design. This makes it impossible to see what is happening inside the town from the outside. Iglu’s barrier only allows natural materials and sunlight through for the sake of our survival, but it blocks all life-forms from entering.” “Damn. They must have put a lot of thought into making it,” utters Cerceus with admiration in his voice. Rosalie places a hand on the barrier wall and nods. “Even though we are about to go outside, I will not be removing the barrier itself. I will simply be using a spell on us that allows us to walk through it.” I guess that means the barrier hasn’t been lowered once, then. Hmm… It’s a really tight security system. No wonder they were able to keep the dragonewts out all these years. Rosalie holds out her hand and chants. I don’t really feel any different, but I can apparently walk through the barrier now. All of a sudden, Seiya finally speaks up. “Rosalie, is there anyone else who can operate the barrier?” “Yes, the old village chief of Edona, Graham, can as well.” “I see.” My curiosity gets the better of me. “Hey, Seiya. Can I ask why you wanted to know?” “It has nothing to do with you,” replies Seiya without even looking at me. It looks like he really has been in a bad mood since yesterday. He’s probably thinking about how much of an idiot I am for worrying about illusions in a warped world, no matter how many times he tells me not to. But I can still hear Elulu’s voice from that dream in my head. That doesn’t mean I know what I should do, though. After all, we have to kill—not save—Mash in order to restore Gaeabrande to its original state. That’s the hard truth of the matter. While I’m worrying to myself, Seiya begins giving us orders in a matter-of-fact kind of way. “Everyone needs to turn invisible with the exception of Rosalie, who will take the lead.” “What?! Are you okay with that, Rosalie?” I worry about her, since she’s going to be the only one visible, but she gently smiles back at me. “There needs to be someone who takes the lead, or we’ll all get separated.” “Y-yeah, but…” I can feel Seiya’s eyes burning a hole into my back, so I decide to stop asking questions and keep quiet. Cerceus and I turn invisible after Seiya, then begin to follow Rosalie’s lead. As we pass through the barrier, it makes a dull sound as if we are going through a portal. But the outside world is terrifying. Everywhere I look, I see countless lifeless bodies of demons and dragonewts…smoldering fires…the smell of blood. There was only one barrier separating Iglu from hell. Ack! I had no idea the outside world is in such a miserable state! I stand in mute amazement. Cerceus seems to be at a loss for words as well, but after a few moments, Seiya calmly comments: “Rosalie, there are demons and dragonewts doing battle approximately three hundred meters northeast from here. Start heading in that direction. Slowly.” “Yes, sir!” I might be startled by the sight of so much death, but I’m sure Seiya has already sent out Automatic Phoenixes and fire salamanders to scout the area. Rosalie begins to walk slowly ahead just like Seiya ordered. There are far more demon corpses here than dragonewts. It looks like the dragonewts are close to exterminating them just like Mash said. There must have been a fierce battle here. There doesn’t even seem to be a single survivor. There are only bodies. I make sure not to step on any of them as I walk. “Hofff?!” I jump, startled by Cerceus’s sudden ridiculous scream, but Seiya reprimands him before I even can. “Cerceus, keep your voice down. Screaming defeats the entire point of being invisible.” “S-sorry! But Seiya, look!” I’m sure Cerceus is pointing at something, forgetting we can’t see him… Regardless, Rosalie surveys the area until she seems to notice that something as well. “This body…!” A demon’s corpse lies on the ground up ahead. It’s one we know all too well. It’s the severed upper half of the six-armed demon, General Eraser Kaiser. “Even a demon of Eraser’s level was… The Great Mother must have done this to him.” “I’m going to examine the body. Don’t move until I say to.” Seiya begins examining Eraser’s body while still invisible. He must be touching Eraser’s body because his arms suddenly begin to move and float in the air. It’s a creepy sight. After a few moments go by, Cerceus asks: “Seiya, did you find anything out?” “Yes. He’s always dead when I find him, just like when he fought the emperor.” “That’s seriously all you figured out after examining his body?!” is what I want to say, but I decide to keep quiet, since Seiya is already in a bad mood. Perhaps he realized it himself due to the moments of awkward silence, and he adds: “Of course, that’s not the only thing I discovered. His wounds are extremely swollen. These are different from burns caused by fire magic. It appears he was hit by a holy skill. We need to be even more careful from here on out. Do not let your guard down just because you’re invisible.” Rosalie begins to walk once more under Seiya’s orders. It isn’t long before we can hear the sounds of battle and see a group of dragonewts along with flickering light from magic. “Stop here. Rosalie, you turn invisible, too.” “But how am I going to lead if—” “Your job is done. I found the target.” When I strain my eyes at the group of dragonewts, I notice two individuals in the middle: Chaos Machina with a restless expression and the Great Mother wearing priestess attire.
Chapter 196
16 min read