Chapter 203

CHAPTER 36 Memories of the Soul “I can’t believe it,” mutters Seiya in clear astonishment. “R-Rista?! Whose side are you on?!” shouts Cerceus. Nevertheless, I keep my eyes fixed on Mash, who is still a few meters away. He stops in his tracks and curiously stares at me. “A ‘trap,’ huh? Obviously. And I don’t care. I’m going to cut every one of you into tiny pieces before I have to worry about any traps.” “Do not underestimate Seiya! He has ten times—no, a hundred times—more traps than you’re expecting! The moment you step foot into the town, he will kill you!” “And why would you tell your enemy that?” “I—I…” “What the hell is wrong with you?” “Because…because I feel bad for you!” The moment I scream those words, I fly back with incredible force. Seiya had thrown me back. “That’s enough. Shut up,” he coldly demands without even glancing at me. My back hits the ground so hard that it knocks the wind out of me. Cerceus runs over to Seiya. “S-Seiya! What are you going to do now?” “Mash is apprehensive. He isn’t going to enter the town anymore.” Seiya finally turns around and looks at me, full of contempt. “I knew you were going to get in the way somehow, but I never expected you to be this stupid.” “…!” “I don’t need you to save warped worlds anymore. From now on, you’re going to wait in your room after opening gates for me.” His voice is as calm as ever, but I can feel the full extent of his rage. Keeping his composure, he assures Cerceus: “But this won’t be a problem. I prepared a backup plan just in case I couldn’t lure Mash into town.” Seiya snaps his fingers, and immediately the bushes on each side begin to rustle as townspeople from Iglu pop out. What the…?! D-does this mean that he already sent townspeople outside for an ambush before even removing the barrier?! Some of the leaders in the Human-Demon Alliance were mages, so he probably had them use teleportation magic to hide them outside. I don’t know the details, but Seiya’s extreme caution sends a chill down my spine. He imagines several different situations in detail in order to make sure he wins. It probably doesn’t matter how much of a threat Mash or Igzasion are. They’re still no match for him. “Cerceus, gather everyone waiting in town here. I have to tell them that the battleground has changed to the fields outside of town.” “O-okay!” Cerceus rushes off like a loyal servant. While he’s gone, the six townspeople who were hiding in the bushes surround Seiya to protect him. Mash looks at the militia only wearing chain mail and laughs. “You plan on using those humans as shields? And you call yourself a hero? The only reason you showed up now and not when Gaeabrande was on the verge of destruction is because you didn’t think you could defeat the Demon Lord. Am I wrong?” “I came to Gaeabrande, and I saved it.” “No, you didn’t.” “I did.” “You never even bothered to show up.” “I did.” “You’re really starting to piss me off!” “I came to Gaeabrande, and I saved it, but it was the real Gaeabrande, not this farce. This world is a mirage, and you’re nothing more than a twisted illusion that shouldn’t even exist.” “Enough with your bullshit!” Cerceus comes back leading a few dozen people while they argue. There are men fully armed along with Nina and other women cursed with Infect Lover as well. Seiya looks at the militia as they gather and quietly nods. “Tch! You were talking out of your ass just so you could buy time, huh? But it doesn’t matter how many weaklings you get together. Nothing will change. Looks like that stupid woman messed up your whole strategy. Do you really think you can beat Igzasion and me just like that?” Seiya turns a piercing gaze at Mash in spite of his smug smirk. “I’m perfectly prepared.” “…I’m seriously gonna tear you into pieces.” Mash spits on the ground, then delicate, blood-soaked arms suddenly appear around his shoulders and latch onto him. “Kill them, Mash…! The humans, the gods…and even the Hero…!” “I will.” “Hee-hee-hee.” Elulu’s ghost laughs before melting into the background. Mash begins to walk toward Seiya as an overpowering aura radiates from his body. “Just you wait. Your little tricks aren’t going to work when facing true power. Emperor Dragon Metamorphosis.” H-he can use it, too?! B-but what exactly is going to change?! Seiya, however, doesn’t even flinch. He keeps his eyes on Mash while firing up his men. “It’s time to give up your lives to save the world.” “““Yes, sir!””” The townspeople’s faces grow tense. It’s as if a violent whirlpool of hatred swallows the space between Mash and Seiya as they face each other. I can’t take it any longer, so I grab Cerceus’s shoulders and shake him. “This isn’t right! This just isn’t right! Mash and Seiya can’t hate each other!” “Rista, stay put! Please!” As I try to rush over, Cerceus grabs me by the arm, but I shake him off. Elulu’s voice echoes inside my head. “Seiya isn’t going to be able to save Gaeabrande like this.” This might just be all in my head! But…even then, I don’t think what Seiya’s doing is right! I don’t know what he’s wrong about, but I want to know the truth! I want Seiya to know the truth! But how…?! As I’m running toward them, I suddenly hear Rosalie’s last words in the back of my head. “You are still a goddess. Nothing can change that.” Rosalie…! I stop slightly away from where Seiya and Mash are standing, and I clench my fist tightly as I think back to Rosalie’s smile before she died. If I… If I have the power of a goddess…! Then please…! Just this once…!” “Conversion!” I shout almost involuntarily. After transforming into a demon god, I close my eyes and clasp my hands together to pray. Aria… Ishtar…! Please save Seiya… Please save Mash! …The noise around me suddenly fades into the distance. A gentle breeze swallows the tense, bloodthirsty air. I can hear birds merrily chirping in the background, and I slowly open my eyes. “What the…?!” Seiya and I are alone together in a cramped room. No longer are we facing Mash over that vast plain. Next to us are a cheap-looking bed and a simple table, which seem somewhat familiar for some reason. Is this…an inn…? “Impossible…” Seiya restlessly looks around. He’s clearly flustered, despite usually letting nothing surprise him. “Rista. What is the meaning of this?” He looks at me, then immediately grabs my arm. “Did you do this? What did you do? Where are we?” Seiya’s grabbing my lapel…or at least I think that’s what he’s trying to do, but he is so worked up that he’s actually crushing one of my boobs! “Eep?! Y-you’re…! You’re touching my boob, you knowwwwww!” “Enough fooling around! Send me back! Now!” “Fooooooooo! I’m not fooling around, and you’re honestly hurting me! You’re gonna tear it off! Ahhhhhh!” Seiya’s scaring me because he’s expressing his raw emotions, and he’s hurting me because he won’t let go of my boob. But as I cry and scream… “Ha-ha-ha-ha!” I hear someone’s amused laughter. I turn in the direction of the familiar voice to find a small, redheaded girl sitting on the bed in the corner of the room. Elulu looks at Seiya and me and smiles. “Don’t worry, Seiya. We aren’t in Gaeabrande.” “…Elulu?” “It’s okay. Time is frozen over there.” Seiya’s grip around my chest loosens. After quietly staring at Elulu for a few moments, he asks: “Are you—no… What is this place?” “Hmm… I’m not that smart, so I don’t really know how to explain, but…I guess you could say we’re deep, deep down in Mash’s heart.” Seiya knits his brow in silence as if he’s thinking, so I ask Elulu: “Do you mean we’re deep inside his subconscious mind?” “Yep. And it’s your power that brought you both here, Ristie.” “I…did this…?” “It’s because you’re trying to save Mash.” Elulu points at a shadowy figure that appeared out of nowhere. It’s Mash, just as we knew him, sitting on the chair in front of the table. He stands up while crying and approaches us. “I’m sorry, Master Seiya. I’m sorry, Rista. Everyone, I’m so sorry. I can’t believe what I’ve done…” Seiya cautiously observes Mash, then suddenly turns back and glares at me. “Hold on. Rista, this is all merely an illusion that you created to show me, isn’t—” “N-no! It’s not!” Seiya approaches Mash with a quizzical stare. “Mash, let’s check, then. Let me ask you something that only we would know.” “M-Master Seiya…?” “I taught you how to mentally prepare yourself for battle once before. ‘Doubt everything you see. Everyone is the enemy, even your family. I don’t even trust you, Mash.’ Do you remember?” “Y-yeah, of course I do!” “Then what did I say after that?” What?! There’s more?! What else did Seiya tell him?! Mash hesitates for a few moments, then replies: “‘And of course, don’t trust Rista, either’!” “What the hell are you teaching him?! I’m a goddess, you know!” But Seiya nods with a serious expression as if he’s satisfied with Mash’s answer. “Hmm… It appears this isn’t simply a figment of Rista’s imagination.” Just then, bloodstained hands appear around Mash’s shoulders from behind, and young Elulu’s face is overcome with despair. “What…?! She even appeared in here?! But how…?!” Darkness spreads behind Mash’s back as an adult version of Elulu leans over his shoulder while clinging onto him. There are two Elulus?! “Mash… Kill them… Kill the humans, the gods, and even the Hero…!” “N-no, no, no, no! Stop it! Leave me alone!” cries Mash while covering his ears. Seiya quietly watches. “Rista, is that the spirit of Elulu you were telling me about?” “You can see her, too?!” “Yes.” It appears that Seiya can see Elulu’s ghost in this dimension as well. The wraithlike Elulu tries to pull Mash into the darkness she crawled out of. “Maaassshhhhhh! Hurry! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts!” “R-Rista, help! Master Seiya, save me…!” Mash reaches out for our hands, but over half of his body has already become one with the darkness. The young Elulu lowers her sorrowful gaze. “There’s nothing I can do once that thing shows up… That’s from a different world than the one we reside in. We wouldn’t even be able to touch it…” “B-but…!” “There’s nothing anyone can do to save you…” Mash is slowly dragged into the darkness. All I can do is helplessly watch until… I suddenly hear the sound of metal sliding through a sheath, and Seiya’s brilliantly glittering blade slices through the darkness. I blink in utter confusion when all of a sudden, the darkness splits open, releasing Mash. “S-Seiya?! What was that?” “Dimension Blade: a blade of photons that can cut through space itself.” I can hear Elulu’s resentful shrieking echoing from the darkness deep within the crack Seiya is staring at. “Dieeeeeeeee… Die, die, die, die, die, die!” An earsplitting scream echoes, but before long, it fades into nothingness alongside the darkness. “Mash!” The young Elulu rushes over to Mash. He seems to be okay, although he’s breathing extremely heavily. Tears pour down Elulu’s cheeks as she looks up at Seiya. “Seiya… You saved Mash again just like when he was captured by Deathmagla…and you saved me again as well.” “You have memories of that?” “I remember our journey together. I remember Mash, too, of course. I’ll forget everything once I return to the real world, though.” “I can’t believe this is…” mutters Seiya in a daze until Mash leaps into his arms with tears in his eyes. “Master Seiya! I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I didn’t want this to happen! The past ten years have been nothing but pain and suffering!” Mash…! Mash’s subconsciousness—his soul—must have been screaming the entire time he was haunted by that twisted version of Elulu’s ghost. Elulu wipes the tears from her eyes with her hand and smiles. “But Seiya always saves us when we’re in trouble.” “Thank you, Master Seiya! Thank you so much!” “…No. Don’t thank me.” Seiya quietly shakes his head before our sobbing friends, then glances at me. “She’s the one who said she wanted me to save you, regardless of if you were illusions or not.” “Ha-ha-ha. Ristie has always had a kind heart.” Seiya looks away from me and lets out a deep sigh. After a few moments of silence go by, he softly mutters: “I almost mistook the true source of evil lurking in Warped Gaeabrande for something else. And…” “Seiya?” “‘The soul can transcend space-time and simultaneously know all, even in an infinite number of worlds…’ I should have considered that possibility before taking action.” Seiya approaches Elulu and Mash, and then…he does something I never even imagined he would do! He lowers his head to them! “I’m sorry.” “…?! S-S-S-S-Seiya apologized!!” I instinctively shout, since it’s the first time I’ve ever seen him do this, and Elulu shouts in pure astonishment as well. “What?! It isn’t like you to apologize, Seiya!” “I did something unforgivable to Rosalie as well. I wonder if I hurt her soul…” Elulu smiles at the unusually meek Hero. “You didn’t do anything wrong! You were just taking every possible precaution to save Gaeabrande, right?” “Yes. But—” “There’s nothing you need to apologize for. But…” Elulu quietly looks at Mash, who apologetically lowers his head. “Please save this warped world…” The corners of Elulu’s mouth curl upward. “Please take good care of Mash for me, okay?” A heavy gust of wind suddenly blows by, and my hair flutters. When I open my eyes, I’m standing back on the field, and Seiya is facing Mash slightly up ahead. “Heh-heh-heh! Time to unleash Igzasion’s true power!” The unbelievably powerful aura overflowing from Mash’s body shatters his armor as his body transforms. Fangs grow from his mouth, and his entire body is covered with the tattoo-like dragon crest. He grows wings from his back and looks no different from a demon now. There isn’t even a trace of the young boy in his subconscious left. I shudder before his evil aura and even more battle-specialized appearance. So this is Mash’s Emperor Dragon form! It’s nothing like the Great Mother’s!