Chapter 112

CHAPTER 1 Dividing Lines The world blurred and swirled, and my insides churned. “G-grh…” It was common for teleportation spells of this magnitude to induce symptoms not unlike those of mana withdrawal. My mind was rendered momentarily blank. “…Where am I?” Clutching my head, I looked around to find myself in a sterile white space. The floor, walls, and ceiling were spotless, and I couldn’t even see where one ended and the others began. Around me were my fellow partners in crime, all groaning, suffering from much the same effects as I was. Minnalis, Shuria, Leticia, Mai, Nonorick, and…? “Y-Yuuto…?” As soon as his name left my lips, memories of the last few minutes hit me like a camera flash. Traveling to the Lunarian See, witnessing the murdered bodies of Metelia and Ardelius, and the sudden appearance of Alicia and the girl claiming to be the goddess Lunaris. The Offshoot army, the high elf, his invitation to Yuuto, and Yuuto’s acceptance… And then the scorching light that took them both away. “…I have to go back.” I got up and conjured one of my soul blades, the Transcendent Blade of Translocation. As I channeled all my mana into it, the blade flickered and flashed, agitated by my emotions. A moment later, however, I heard a cry of, “Settle down, you nincompoop!” and the next thing I knew, I was enveloped in a purple mist that neutralized the flow of my magical energy. I looked to see Leticia rise to her feet, her face twisted in fury. “Don’t try to stop me!” I yelled at her. “I need to… I need to…!” “D-don’t do it, Master!!” “Calm down, Kaito!!” Minnalis and Shuria ran to my sides, grabbing hold of me. “Grh! Let go of me! I have to go! I have to… Or else… Rgh!!” Or else I’d lose him. I didn’t want to. I couldn’t lose anything else!! “Let me go! If you don’t, I’ll have to use force… Grh!!” “Oh dear. Could you please try not to look so pathetic?” That voice took me completely by surprise. At first, I thought its bearer had come out of nowhere, but my spine stiffened when I realized they had been there all along. I spun around to see a strange green-haired girl. “Now, where are you going, leaving your injured sister behind?” “Oh…” “Whatever. Healing first, then we can talk. Full Recure.” She thrust out her palm, emitting a mist of pale green motes that sank into Mai’s wounds, healing her completely. The girl’s statement had made me freeze out of guilt, and in that moment, a deep-blue cord of mana materialized around my neck. Immediately, my strength left me, and my arms fell limp to my sides. The cord must have been infused with some kind of curse magic. “Don’t you remember the story of Humpty Dumpty?” “Wh-who are you…?!” She looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t place her. But that wasn’t important right now! “You can’t put a broken egg back together. You should know that better than anyone.” “Sh-shut up!” I filled my body with mana to resist the strength-binding cord. That allowed me to move slightly, but not enough to break free. “I’m grateful you healed Mai, but stay out of my way!!” I flared up like a bonfire once more, desperate to escape. “First off, what are you even going to do once you get back there?” the girl asked. I don’t know. Why should I care? I just have to get back, and then… “Are you going to go mad and try to avenge him? Yuuto, was it? Or are you going to search the floor for his bits?” “Shut up!! Dammit, get this thing off me…!!” I didn’t want to hear it. I didn’t want to hear it. I didn’t want to hear it. “Rrrrrrggghhhhhh!!” My anger boiling, I poured in every ounce of mana I had, and eventually, the restraint flew apart. “Hey! That thing was based on magical curse theory, thank you very much! Seriously, we had a perfectly coherent unified magical theory going on here, and then you all had to come along and ruin it.” The skin on my neck was bleeding where the restraint had been, but I didn’t feel the pain. I had more important things on my mind. “…Sigh. It looks like you have some cooling off to do. Why don’t you take a little nap?” “G-guhh!!” Something flew past Minnalis, Shuria, and Mai, and the next instant, I felt a small but powerful jolt through my whole body. It accompanied a feeling of powerlessness even greater than the one from just before. The casting was so swift, yet precise, I couldn’t even register what had happened. All I could do was sink into unconsciousness, my bonfire smothered once more by a shovelful of dirt. As always, her magic was so fast that by the time I noticed it, the tiny green spark had already made it past me and into Master, rendering him limp. “Uh-oh.” I don’t know if it was me or one of the other girls who said that, but we all began to fall, dragged forward by Master’s weight, when… “What are you playing at?” Before we hit the ground, some kind of telekinetic force lifted up all four of us. The demon lord Leticia lowered Master gently onto his back, and placed the three of us—me, Shuria, and the black-haired girl—on the ground. “Oh, how remarkable. I had heard of the current demon lord’s proficiency for magic, but that’s really not bad. I’d like to be friends with you, if you don’t mind.” “…Sorry, I’m afraid I have a score to settle with someone who looks an awful lot like you,” Leticia replied. “In fact, I thought you were them at first, but it seems not. Regardless, that will likely put a damper on any efforts at friendship.” “O-oh, I see. I understand. Well, in principle, anyway. I suppose I should be grateful you didn’t sucker punch me as soon as we met.” The girl shrugged. Leticia eyed her suspiciously. “From the way you talk,” she said, “It sure sounds like the two of you are related.” “Well, I won’t say we’re unrelated,” the girl answered. “It all depends on how you look at it.” “…I wonder if Guren got left behind?” “Don’t worry about that. I picked him up before you.” “…Well, thank you for that, anyway.” Leticia cut her questions short and went over to look at Master. “He was so tough, I had to step up the magic a little to compensate,” said the green-haired girl. “It was originally developed to work on gods, so it was especially effective against him. But don’t you worry; it shouldn’t cause any serious injury.” The girl then turned her back on us, as though whatever happened to Kaito now was none of her concern. “W-wait a minute! Who are you? What did you to my dear brother?!” “Don’t worry, he’ll wake up—in a few days. Before that, though, I have to help my friend. Excuse me for one moment.” With that, the green-haired girl took a glass beaker from her pocket, uncorked it, and spilled the silvery liquid within onto the floor. The silver puddle immediately adopted the form of a small humanoid that went over to pick up Metelia’s body, which had been teleported along with the rest of us. “If you want to know how you’ll be spending those few days, just ask Minnalis and Shuria. Perhaps you haven’t noticed this yet, but you’re even more damaged than you look. That’s because you were in the presence of a god without the necessary precautions, you see. You’re not a follower, and you only indirectly benefited from the hero’s blessing. I’m surprised you’re even awake, if I’m being perfectly honest.” “Wh-what are you—Huh…?” The black-haired girl tried to stand but fell back on her rear, as if her feet had disappeared. “Now if you’ll excuse me for a moment,” the green-haired girl said, “I need to go and help one of my only friends in this world.” She strode over to the wall, and as she did, a wooden door appeared. The girl exited through it, and after she left, the door transformed into an empty wall once more. “…Just who was that?” asked Leticia after she was gone. “She might be even better at magic than me! And her soul doesn’t seem human…or demon, or beastfolk, or elf, or anything!” Leticia’s eyes narrowed as she muttered her misgivings. It was Shuria who answered her questions. “That was Towako Kuroi!” she said. “Kuroi? A strange name indeed…” Leticia frowned, but it was the black-haired girl who had the most extreme reaction to that name. “Did you say…Towako Kuroi? B-but that’s…” This time I answered, following on from Shuria’s words. “Yes,” I said. “Towako is from Master’s world. And what’s more…” “…she was the hero before him.” The world is divided by lines. Lines that separate white from black. Lines that separate light from dark. “Good girl, Alicia.” She was a wonderful person, my dear big sister Lamnecia. My goal was to be a great princess like her. I always thought the world was one big, connected place. I always thought those happy days would go on forever. But that all changed the day Lamnecia was killed. “Mother? Wh-what did you just say?” “…Your sister is dead.” One day, my beloved big sister was taken away from me. I was still young at the time, and the news sent me into shock. It was only after overhearing the maids’ gossip that I learned the truth. “Hey, did you hear about the princess? The older one, I mean!” “Oh, it’s so sad. How she died protecting a beastfolk child from monsters on her way back from the empire?” “It’s tragic, that’s what it is. And what were the royal knights doing? They were with her, right? Why didn’t they protect her?” “Apparently, they’d all been left with the empire for joint training. It was just bad luck.” Lamnecia fought monsters to save a child? And she died? Why? Why? Why? Why was she killed for trying to help someone? Why was she killed for doing something noble? Lamnecia always treated everyone with respect; even beastfolk in a nation that despised them. She wanted to end discrimination, even though some people didn’t like her for that. Is that why they did it? Is that why they let her die? …If only there were no monsters. …If only there were no beastfolk children. …If only there were no other countries. The dark ideas that took root that day grew alongside me. But I never let those feelings out. I ignored them; closed my eyes, blocked my ears, held my breath. I knew something would break if I did otherwise. Not thinking about it was simple. I had duties of the utmost importance to attend to. Duties that had once been my sister’s, that had now fallen to me. People said my sister was the reincarnation of the prophetess who founded this country. Her sensitivity to the divine had been so great she could hear the Great Spirit’s voice clearly. By contrast, it took such monumental effort for me to even partially replicate Lamnecia’s feats that I had no time for anything else. Day after day, I endured harsh training to hone my magic while also taking lessons in court manners and education, learning everything I would need to know to assume the duties formerly expected of my dearly departed sister. And then, once I surpassed her age at death, and I was no longer a child, I heard the voice of the Great Spirit for the first time. My joy, however, was cut short by what little I could make of the fragmentary message. For it told that someone close to the royal family had dealings with the demons. This person was well-respected in the royal court, and my word alone was not enough to indict him. As I searched for more evidence to back up my claim, however, I inadvertently drew his notice, and he fled the land, covering his tracks. Then, a few days later, he appeared before me. Perhaps he wanted to distract the kingdom from his misconduct, or maybe he was simply tying up loose ends. Either way, he wanted to kill me. But I still couldn’t bring myself to believe that someone out there was allying with the demons. And so I foolishly asked my would-be assassin this question. “Why did you do it? Answer me! Why have you sided with demons?!” “Why? Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha!!” He returned only scornful laughter. And then… “Haven’t you figured it out yet? It’s because I’m a demon!!” “What…?” At that moment, it was like a huge hammer had split my head in two. This man had not simply been allying with demons—he was a demon. All I felt was a sense of revulsion. That one simple fact—that a man standing right in front of me, who looked just like a human and talked like a human, was not one—disgusted me beyond everything else. “You humans truly are a gullible lot. But thanks to that foolish trust, I was able to kill both of you!” “Wh-wha—?!” As I stood there, at a loss for words, I heard the utterance that caused my world to come crashing down. Both of you. If I was one, then who else was he talking about? Who had he killed before me? “Aah… Aaahhh… Aaaaaaaaaaghhh!!” In the end, the royal knights rushed into my chamber and cut down the fiend before he was able to harm me, but the damage had already been done. The fetters that had once bound my mind to reason had been broken. A few days later, an inquiry revealed that Lamnecia’s death had been no accident, but the result of a nefarious plot concocted by demonkind. The infernal beings had infiltrated our society some time ago, all in preparation for that day, as part of a scheme to drive a wedge between the Empire and the Kingdom. But I didn’t care about any of that. “Disgusting… Every last one of these contemptible fiends that get in our way. The world is full of them.” Ever since then, I saw the world divided by lines. There were humans… …and there were things that wore human skin. The smell of flowers reached my nostrils. A warm, sweet, all-enveloping scent. “Oh, Alicia. You’re awake.” When I opened my eyes, I was greeted by the lovely smile of my dear elder sister, Lamnecia. I slowly roused myself from slumber to find that my head rested in her lap. “What…is this…?” A field of pink flowers spread out in every direction, occasionally caressed by the soft touch of the breeze. My memories slowly returned. I remember now. I brought her back. My dear Lamnecia! I brought her back to life again!! The excitement made me feel giddy. I had succeeded in preparing a vessel daubed with divinity and had placed Lamnecia’s soul into it. Now, my dear sister walked the world of the living once more. Evidently, I had used too much mana in the process, causing me to pass out. “You were sleeping quite soundly,” Lamnecia said. “You’re still such a child, Alicia.” “Oh!” I was surprised as Lamnecia began stroking my hair with her long, pretty fingers. Her touch was soft and gentle, filled with love. This was the feeling I’d longed for. The warmth I’d lost on that day, so long ago. “Oh dear, what’s wrong, Alicia? You’re crying.” With a gentle finger, Lamnecia wiped a single tear from my eye. “It is nothing, Sister. Please don’t worry.” “If you…say so…Alicia.” Suddenly, Lamnecia began to speak and move with awkward jerks, like a wooden puppet in need of oil. Her soul must not have grown accustomed to its new body yet. “Oh…dear…I…feel…most…peculiar…” “Worry not,” I said, slowly raising my hand to Lamnecia’s cheek. “Very soon now, this world shall be cleansed.” Yes, every last thing would be painted over in white, so that just like this garden, the only things in it would be Lamnecia and I. No demons, no beastfolk, no elves, no monsters, not even gods. No heroes, no demon lords, no priestesses. Nobody to get in our way. “So just you wait,” I said, “a little while longer.” “…Really? If you…say so, Alicia, then it…must be true.” “Yes, very soon now, my flowers will cover the world. I will create a realm for just you and me. As long as we have each other, then nothing else matters, does it?” “No…it…doesn’t…” Lamnecia ran her fingers unsteadily through my hair. This time, I would protect her. I wouldn’t let those fiends take her away from me. I would stay by her side, and she by mine, forever. That is why I had collected all these pawns. There is no need for impurities in this world. I closed my eyes. In the warmth of Lamnecia’s lap, I reached my mind out to the pieces of myself scattered throughout the land. In a dark and gloomy space, a gray snow fell. It came down as if trying to smother the world, to draw time itself to a crawl. “Hellooo? Anyone there? Kaito Ukei! Can you hear meee?” “…” Before my eyes, a pitch-dark figure stepped out of the ashen landscape. It had no eyes and no nose, only a mouth, like a rift in a featureless plain. Like a living shade. “Hey, come on. Let’s chat. The weather’s been dismal lately, hasn’t it? I hate rain; it’s wet and irritating and it spoils my mood. Not to mention it gets your food moldy… Oh yeah, come to think of it, that fried gujabiya, or whatever the stall owner called it, was awful, so bitter and sour. I think it had gone off, you know. I can’t believe you ate the whole thing—are you nuts? If it were me, I’d just have taken one bite and thrown the rest in the trash. Oh, and another thing, remember that inn we stayed at a while back? I don’t remember the name, but whatever. The point is, remember those beds? It was like sleeping on a cloud…” “…” It just kept coming, like a faucet that wouldn’t turn off. The weather, food, inns, the scenery, dreams, songs heard on the road, bits of this and that picked up along the way. Just an unstoppable flood of random crap that didn’t matter. “Hey, you alive over there? Even I’m starting to get bored, you know.” “…” How much time had passed? I felt like I was floating atop a lake. Not wanting to do anything, not wanting to think of anything, not wanting to remember anything. And so I said nothing. I said nothing to the dark figure that addressed me. I simply closed my lips. Closed my lips and shut my eyes. “The hero…before Kaito?” “Yes,” said Minnalis. “She was summoned to this world just like him and fought against a demon lord in this world’s past. At least, that’s what she claims.” I thought back to what my dear brother had told me. According to him, heroes past had fought against armies of demons, had defeated demon lords, and had been returned to their own world. These tales were recorded in oral tradition, myth and legend, and even the teachings of the Church. “Although, at this point, I’m starting to wonder if any of them really were sent home. I mean, I did get back in the end, so I guess it’s possible…” “…” When Kaito told me that, I wasn’t able to say anything in response. His eyes became unfocused, and he fixed them on the sky above. “…Whatever happened, I hope they figured it out better than I did.” I couldn’t tell what Kaito meant by that, but I couldn’t bring myself to ask. In any case, I concluded that the part about heroes being returned was to be taken with a grain of salt. “So…” “Don’t think you can hide from me, foolish boy.” “Ouchie!!” As I was about to rejoin the conversation, I heard bones cracking. I looked in the direction of the noise to see Nonorick being stepped on and a man I didn’t know doing the stepping. “Hey, what’s the big idea, treading on a cute little girl like me?! You’re going to get Nono’s clothes all dirty!! Move your feet!” “Girl? Hah! You’re a boy, boy, and you know it. Besides, it’s your fault for trying to hide from me.” His silver hair was slicked back, and he was tall, muscular yet not overly so, with an expensive fur-lined robe dyed black and red. He wore pants, but above that there was nothing beneath his open robe, and I could see his bare chest. “Ouchies! Are you still mad about what happened?!” “No. I am a lord, and I can ill afford to hold a grudge over each and every trespass. It matters not to me that you stole from my castle, or that, like the wretch you are, you pilfered my rare wines and fruits for yourself, or that you took my treasured swords and fled my kingdom.” “It sounds like you are mad!!” “Well, I’m not.” “Anyway, it’s your fault for locking me up in such a boring place!” “If I recall correctly, you were the one who came to me seeking solace from a horde of dragons you angered. Did you not think there were limits to a lord’s generosity? Hmm? Do you need me to crush some sense into you?” “Owowowowow!!” From what I could overhear, it seemed as if Nonorick and that gentleman had had some business together in the past. “…Anyway, there’s no sense waiting around here,” said Minnalis. “Master needs to rest in a real bed. Everyone, come with me.” “If you can’t move by yourself, I’ll carry you!” chirped Shuria. “Get to work!” She activated her magic, conjuring a team of shadows about ten centimeters in height. These dark figures, like toy soldiers, lifted Kaito onto a stretcher-like board and carried him away. Then I felt myself being lifted into the air and looked down to see I was receiving the same treatment. As for Nonorick, the gray-haired gentleman picked him up by the scruff, like a cat, and carried him along. “You,” he said. “Rabbit. By whose authority do you give orders to royalty?” “I wasn’t asking you,” Minnalis replied. “If you want to stay here, then by all means, please do.” “…You’re all the same: Kaito, the rabbit, and the pointy-eared one. Not a shred of respect for lords.” As I was listening to the conversation another door appeared in the wall. It was much like the one the previous hero had disappeared through, made of wood but with a slightly different design. But while the first door was plain green with only a knob, this one had a motif carved into it that looked like a rabbit. The door creaked open, taking us to a room that, while no less sanitary, was clearly more rustic than the previous one. It looked like the inside of a log cabin. There was a rusty lantern hanging from the ceiling, a small fireplace, a window with trees and sky outside, and a bed of simple make; there were also tables and chairs that had clearly seen some use, along with a small, neatly kept kitchen. “I’m sorry it’s not the largest room, but please, make yourself at home,” said Minnalis with a pretty smile. Shuria laid Kaito on the bed, while the other six of us took seats around the table. “It’s time for introductions, I think,” she said, smiling sweetly. “I’ll go first: I’m Minnalis, and as you can see, I’m a Lagonid—a rabbit beastfolk. I’m also one of Master’s partners in crime.” The rabbit ears atop her head flopped adorably as she spoke. Her long, pretty, brown hair was tied up in a ponytail, and she wore a maid outfit that exposed the very un-Japanese shape of her breasts and hips. Why a maid outfit, though? I wondered. Then the girl sitting beside her spoke. “Me next! I’m Shuria! I’m a dark elf, and Kaito’s partner in crime, just like Minnalis!” She had smooth, cocoa-brown skin and silver hair. In true elven form, her ears were long and pointed, and they wiggled from time to time. She was wearing a kimono-like miniskirt dress that showcased her natural cuteness. “Hmm. I suppose that makes it my turn,” said Leticia, sitting next around the table. “I am Leticia, the demon lord, and the latest to join Kaito’s contract, along with Nono there. However, I have been with Kaito this whole time, my soul carried in his body, so although I am meeting some of you for the first time, it certainly does not feel like it. In any case, it’s a pleasure to meet you all.” Her deep, crimson hair flowed like a candle flame at night, and her piercing red eyes scanned the rest of us with intent. Her dress was awfully similar to the one Shuria was wearing, and it complemented her own cuteness nicely. “Does that mean Nono’s next?” said Nonorick, giggling coyly. “Why, I’m a cutie-patootie, as you can tell, but I’m also a true vampire! Minnalis, Shuria, this is the first time we’re introducing ourselves, isn’t it? I hope we get along!” He had shining blond hair, and eyes like tarnished gold. In terms of height, he appeared very much a child, like Leticia and Shuria, though the look on his face was very adult. This contrasted sharply with his outfit, which was reminiscent of military garb from Earth. I didn’t know if that was the intention, but the stark aesthetic difference amplified his charm. When I first heard he was actually a boy, I hadn’t believed it. At that moment, the gray-haired gentleman interrupted. “You? A true vampire?” he said to Nonorick. “You have no right to call yourself that after abandoning your own kind.” “Aww, forget about that! It was ages ago! Besides, I am a true vampire; it says so on my status board!” “Your status board? Hah. The fact you place stock in such nonsense alone disqualifies you. Unless and until you repent, I shall never accept you as my own.” Flatly ignoring Nonorick’s complaints, the gentleman turned and addressed us. “I am Lord Godrick Adelheid, and since that foolish boy abandoned his heritage, I am the only true vampire left in this world.” Even his introduction was dripping with arrogance. “Phooey,” Nonorick sneered. “Lord of what, if you’re the only one? Why don’t you call yourself ‘Uncle Godrick?’ It’ll make you sound much cuter.” “Hah. A lord does not require a domain to be a lord. A lord is a lord, will always be a lord.” Godrick laughed off the boy’s insults without a second thought. The gentleman’s words made absolutely no sense, but he said them with such gravitas that I almost believed him. Godrick aside…the other four are all stunning beauties of a level I’ve never seen before. Grr… I’ve always scared nosy harpies away from my dear brother in the past, but now that they’re all my fellow partners in crime, I don’t much want to. Not to mention they are invaluable allies in our dangerous quest… Hmm, but… At last, my turn arrived. “I am Mai Ukei,” I said. “I am Kaito’s dearest little sister, who he loves more than anything else in the whole wide world. I must thank you all for being such good friends to my brother.” After I said that, the air froze. I may not be able to chase anyone away, but I can still make it clear that I’m first and foremost in my dear brother’s mind! …Grh!! However, the next thing I felt was an overwhelming surge of emotion, sent to me though the spiritual magic of our contract. …That emotion was relief and happiness. “I see,” said Minnalis. “I did guess as much. His little sister, you say. I see. I see.” “Tee-hee-hee,” giggled Shuria. “I’m glad, I’m so glad.” “So Master managed to make it back home…” “…and then he came back here.” The happiness was a result of Kaito making it back home to see his family, while the relief stemmed from the fact that he had come back. Their intentions were so blindingly pure that I felt a little sorry over how possessive I’d been, when… “Well, I should have known my master would never leave me. I shall have to repay his love by always staying by his side from now on.” “Uh?” “No, no, Minnalis. What Kaito needs right now is someone to take out his frustrations on. He can be as rough as he likes with me; I won’t mind. In fact, I’d like it! I’m getting excited just thinking about it! I can satisfy all his needs by myself!” “Grh?!” The instant I dared to feel remorse, the two women before me turned into completely different beings. Minnalis and Shuria were both smiling, but the air around them seemed to crackle with sparks. “Mrgh! What’s the big idea?! Don’t start catfighting without me! I’m Kaito’s main wife, and the rest of you are all concubines, you understand that?!” “Oh, I wouldn’t dream of taking that spot from you, Leticia. I am happy just being a humble servant, and Kaito my gracious master… However, they do say that a man often drops old fancies for new ones…” “Nraaah?!” “That’s right! I don’t mind what you call it! Love takes all kinds of forms, after all! As long as Kaito needs me, that’s good enough for me!” “Ngrrrh?!” Minnalis and Shuria wove their words of surface-level politeness with expert precision, causing Leticia to let out strange noise after strange noise, her face steadily becoming a cauldron of emotion. Then she threw a tantrum. “No, no, no, no, no, no, no!! Kaito loves me most! He does, he does! I’ve been with him since before the world was reset! He’s mine!” …Oh! What am I doing? This is not the time to be standing around watching!! I must do something before my dear brother is snatched away! “M-my dear brother does not belong to any one of you!!” I yelled. I faced one giant obstacle for Kaito’s affections that the other girls didn’t have to reckon with. Being his little sister was in many ways an advantage, but the fact remained that the values our society had imprinted on him since infancy worked in my disfavor. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, all these girls would be supermodels back home… I need to show some initiative, or I’m going to be left behind! “B-but even at the longest, you have only known Kaito for what, five years? I have been by Kaito’s side ever since I was born!” “That doesn’t mean anything!” said Minnalis. “It’s not about the length of time, but the depth!”