✦ ✦ ✦
Urushihara constrained Ignora, preventing her escape.
“Now I get why I was so attracted to Olba when he said he could take me back to heaven… I wanted to get back at you for what happened to me as an infant.”
It was those most personal of emotions that drove Urushihara to seal the fate of a god that wrecked an entire world. But—this time, at least—Emilia couldn’t find it in her to sass him back. She plunged into battle herself, after all, because she cared for her parents—and it was those parents who sapped her will to fight.
“Alas Ramus?”
“Yeh?”
“Time to break the source of everyone’s pain.”
“W-wait. That, that can’t be…”
Emilia’s sword of light retained its power, even with Copyhara and Nyx away from her. She pointed it at Ignora’s throat, making sure Urushihara wouldn’t get caught by it.
“…”
Wordlessly, she closed the distance in a heartbeat. Ignora had the power to make legions of angels do her bidding—even to seal them away like this. But she stood there helplessly, waiting for the tip to reach her. The assault on heaven, after countless hours of preparation and hard work, seemed ready to end with little more than a whimper. Just as the thought crossed her mind…
“Stop, Emi.”
“That’s enough, Emilia.”
…the tip was stopped in front of Ignora’s forehead by the hands of two demons.
“What are you doing?”
She glared at the large hands holding her arm and shoulders.
“The battle’s already over, isn’t it?”
Satan pulled her arm, moving the sword away.
“…And it’s not a good idea to banish her powers right now.”
Alciel, accompanied by Camael’s Heavenly Regiment, had his hands on her shoulders. The demons had stopped the human Hero before she could kill the god.
“…Camael’s Regiment told me a great many things,” he went on quietly. “Sandalphon, the elder of the angels, has been sacrificed by Ignora to the Sephirot, and as a result, only she knows how all of this machinery works. The angels who have slept here for hundreds, thousands of years—or even before then—did so to await the Sephirah’s ‘day of selection,’ just as Ignora aimed for. Now only she knows how to release them. Our mission here was not to massacre the angels. Put it down for now.”
Emilia gave Alciel a sidelong glance then lowered her sword.
“All right. I knew this…from the start.”
“You didn’t really wanna do it, did you? You wouldn’t have given up so easily once we stopped you otherwise.”
“What do you know about me?”
“I know more than anyone alive what you’re like when you’re out for blood.”
“Good point.”
Emilia softly sighed and transformed out of her Hero appearance. Her hair and eyes went back to the old Emi Yusa, her sharpened holy force and murderous rage out of the picture. Once they were sure the transformation was complete, Satan and Alciel let go.
But not everything was normal. As Emi undid her transformation, Alas Ramus manifested herself from the sword of light. Toddling over to Ignora, she grabbed the stupefied woman’s hand and placed it against her own forehead. The moment she did, Ignora’s bluish-silver hair turned purple, and she fell limp.
“Oh, that’s it?”
Urushihara shrugged as she let go of Ignora. “Well, geez. I thought you’d kill her, but… You guys are such pushovers.”
He was being pretty brazen about his mother. Emi shot him a glare.
“Stop using me for your own revenge. If you have a grudge over something, use your own power to deal with it.”
“But I get why he would say that. It definitely ain’t the most satisfying ending.”
Satan turned toward the wall behind him. There were more angels sealed up there than he’d ever want to count.
“And we’re being left with all the cleanup work, too. It’s such a pain when killing them all doesn’t end it.”
“You’re right.”
Ignora was in a trance on her knees, Camael on the floor in a permanently altered state. Eleos was unable to accept Copyhara’s and Camael’s current states, Nyx was a bit dazed after separating from Emi.
“Conquering the Devil King was a lot easier. Just kill and forget.”
“No doubt,” Satan said, flashing a tired smile.
✦ ✦ ✦
Emeralda and Albert each held an Airenia gold coin. These they transferred to a large, pudgy hand, where they were further examined with the receiver’s monocle.
“Yes, yes, everything looks in order. You may go back at any time within the allowable period, but if you want an extension, let me or Amane know, all right?”
“Okaaay, dear. Thanks as alllways.”
“Money makes the world go round, huh? Or worlds.”
Miki Shiba put the gold coins in a jewel box on the table, opened the door in the dark room, and invited the two of them through it.
“You have Japanese yen with you, right, Emeralda? Do you need any money exchanged?”
“Oh my, no, I exchanged a lot the last time I was here.”
“Very well. And I should also tell you—Urushihara returned half a day ago, with Acieth, Erone, Eleos, and Nyx.”
The sheer number took Albert by surprise. “Oh, he brought all four along? What for?”
“Acieth seems to have had another episode, but this time Nyx caught them in the act, so…”
“Ohhh. So nothing toooo new, then?”
“Well, there is one thing. I hear that Keter is about to bear fruit.”
“Bear fruit, huh? Well, you never know what’ll happen before a Sephirah child is born. It doesn’t lead to much change that we’d notice, so it’s hard to drum up much tension for it.”
“Indeed. But while we cannot see the sun or moon actually move with the naked eye, everything in the sky is constantly in motion. You know all the facts, and that makes you the cornerstone of world peace. Make certain you do not miss any change, no matter how small. Have a nice stay!”
The sound of the Shiba household door closing seemed louder in their minds than it actually was.
“…Eesh. Now I see why the Devil King finds her so creepy. Are all the Sephirah like that?”
“She can hear you, dear.”
“She probably could no matter where I was. Better to be an honest man, I’d say.”
“Ms. Shiba is helping guard Emilia and the others for us. As long as we’re bothering her with our own affairs, we should try to stay on her good side, dear.”
“Yeah, and that’s what the Airenia gold is for every round trip, ain’t it? Money sure makes the world go round. Oh, that’s an expression from this world, huh?”
“Oh youuu…”
“But let’s get going. This heat is awful.” Albert winced at the midsummer sunlight as he walked ahead.
“Ahh! Do wait a minute! I’ll tell Emilia that we’re here.”
Chasing after the loping man, Emeralda took a smartphone from her shoulder bag and turned it on. Albert was in a polo shirt and chinos; Emeralda, a sleeveless high-necked blouse and denim pants. Taking a glance at the adjacent Villa Rosa Sasazuka, they passed it for the time being, opting to walk to Sasazuka Station instead. From there, they took a Keio New Line train for Shinjuku and got off at Hatagaya, the first stop.
“I hate to walk in this weather…”
“Me too. So, anything unuuusual?”
The Hatagaya Shopping Arcade, visible when they climbed the stairs to the surface, looked unchanged from before. The same was true for the Hatagaya Station franchise of MgRonald.
“It all looks okay at first glance.” As Albert gazed up at the sight, they heard an engine approaching. The pair moved to the side of the road, figuring it was a car or bike—and there, they saw a familiar face.
“Oh! Hi, Emeralda! Hi, Albert!”
“Hellooo. Good to see you again, Ms. Iwaki, dear.”
Kotomi Iwaki, manager at the Hatagaya MgRonald, was just back from a delivery, her face a little sweaty under the top of her Honta Gyro-Roof.