Extra Chapter: Too Strong, but the Journey Goes On
ME, Kazuya, and the Demon King travel for a while, until we reach a town. I gather that Kazuya is looking for a way to seal the Demon King here, but first things first—we’re hungry!
We settle on a restaurant. Before long, our round table is full of scrumptious dishes, including Peking duck, a big fish grilled with herbs, simmered vegetables in a red soup, and a fruit platter. Considering we’ve been sleeping outdoors and only eating camping meals, I’d have thought Kazuya would be more than content, but…
“Who said you could sit with us?” Kazuya glowers at the Demon King seated next to him.
“Heh heh, you’ve got it backwards, but it’s only natural for you to be overawed in my presence. ’Tis I who deigns to permit you to be near me!” In contrast to Kazuya, the Demon King is in a fine mood. He takes a sip of his alcoholic drink and beams. “Now, this is tasty! To think it was made by a lower lifeform!”
“Stop calling humans a lower lifeform. Besides, you’ve got it backwards. We’re the ones letting you hang around us! We are!”
“Bwa ha ha ha ha! Bring it on! I see you’re in the mood to earbash me tonight!”
“It’s impossible to have an actual conversation with you!”
They’ve been bantering like this the whole trip. At first, I had fun listening to the two of them ribbing each other, but…
“Kazuya, you and the Demon King have gotten really close. You look like you’re enjoying yourself…” I mutter.
“In what way? How have I ever shown that?” Kazuya looks skeptical.
He said he likes me, but…
“It makes me wonder if the Demon King is your type.”
“Sakurako, are you okay?” Kazuya replies, genuinely astonished.
I can’t help but pout.
But wouldn’t you? Kazuya (in my brain) and Luke (in my brain) also got along like a house on fire, and that turned into them flirting over every little thing nonstop! If Kazuya keeps being pals with the Demon King the way he is, then before long Kazuya (in my brain) and the Demon King (in my brain) will start flirting as well! Then what’ll happen to me? That’s why I’m worried!
“Oho, I see what’s happening. The lower lifeforms are pretending to be crabby to get my attention. How adorable!” the Demon King says with a nod.
Kazuya’s eye twitches with disgust. “Like hell! Stop it. I can’t take being the straight man in the group anymore! What is wrong with you two? Can’t anyone else here be normal?!” He pauses for a second, then puts his head in his hands. “Or am I the one who’s weird here?”
Sorry, Kazuya.
None of this is his fault. It’s my bad for feeling uneasy over this, even though he told me he loved me… Wait a second.
Now that I think back on it carefully, I don’t think he ever actually said those words.
He called me important and special and stuff, and kissed me, but he didn’t say I like you or I love you!
“Hey, Kazuya… Just double-checking, but—”
“Sakurako!” Right at that moment, a pleasant voice fills the air, calling my name.
Reeling, I turn to see where it’s coming from and see a familiar face at the entrance to the restaurant.
“Luke…”
There he is. Bewildered, we both stare at each other.
“Found us already,” Kazuya mutters.
“Sakurako, at long last I’ve found you.” Luke’s long legs bring him to our table in no time, where he stands directly in front of me.
Looking into his blue eyes, I remember the adventures we had together. All that time that I was in love with love. How my chest would grow tight whenever he smiled.
Luke takes my hand in his, almost clinging to me, and kneels on the floor.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Why…Why did you disappear before?” He seems about to burst into tears as he looks up at me.
I’m at a loss for words. He’s asking why I ran away… Why did I?
Oh, it was because I didn’t want him to call me a monster. I couldn’t bear to see him disillusioned and scared of me after I ruined his ideal of me being a fragile, normal girl. But now that I think about it, running away was so selfish of me…
Kazuya interrupts my confusion by brushing Luke’s hand away from mine.
“I’m sorry we left you in the lurch all of a sudden. However, we have no intention of traveling with you anymore. We never promised to stick with you long-term, anyway.”
“Kazuya…” Luke’s eyes waver with dismay, until he examines Kazuya’s face. Then, he furrows his brow. “No. I can’t give up. Sakurako, I want to stay with you.” Luke’s words spill forth slowly, like he’s squeezing them out.
“What?” My eyes widen in surprise. “With me?”
Luke takes a moment to answer. “I do not wish to be separated from you.”
“B-but you do realize I’m not the weak girl you thought I was?”
“That makes no difference to me. It took losing you to know for sure, but I love you. I want to be with you.”
“What?! You love me?” Heat floods my face. I’m sure I’ve gone red. But oh my God, he loves me! The word “love” is pretty unambiguous! And he loves me? Even after he saw the way I get sometimes?! He’s still saying he loves me?! I stare back at him, my heart pounding.
Kazuya steps in between us. “All right, that’s enough gazing at each other! Luke, I’m sorry, but give up. Sakurako and I are basically together now.”
“Is that so?” Luke asks Kazuya, then turns to me. It’s like he’s checking with me.
Geez, he’s good-looking. My cheeks suddenly feel even hotter.
Luke turns back to Kazuya. “No, based on her reaction, I feel like I still have a chance.”
“Give it a rest! Fine, I get that sense, too, but stop it! C’mon man, how long do you think I’ve been in love with Sakurako? Fall back already!”
“I don’t think the length of time a person has been in love has anything to do with how deeply they’re in love.”
“Maybe so! That could well be so!” Kazuya howls sorrowfully.
Feels like Kazuya has been yelling a lot lately.
“Well, well. It appears another strange person has thrown his hat into the ring for the fair Lady Sakurako. Attracting suitors far and wide, that’s my Lady!” the Demon King says with a chuckle.
Luke spots the Demon King. He looks him up and down strangely. “Who’s this?”
“Uh… Yeah, him…” Kazuya scratches his head, embarrassed. It’s obvious he forgot all about the Demon King for a minute.
Come to think of it, Luke is a hero. Isn’t the whole point of his journey to seal the Demon King away? I wonder how this’ll pan out.
Before we entered this town, the Demon King used magic to disguise himself. His normally dark blue demonic skin is currently brown, and there’s no trace of the horns on his head. Still, maybe Luke can sense it.
“Heh heh, since you ask, lower lifeform. I shall introduce myself!”
Before the Demon King can give his name, Kazuya claps his hand over his mouth and turns to Luke with a smile that screams ‘keeping up appearances’. “This is our new traveling companion.”
Luke’s eyes narrow sadly, and his voice betrays bitter regret. “New traveling companion… In other words, you don’t mind traveling with somebody, you just don’t want to travel with us? Is it because we’re weak?”
“Luke! What was all that about? You said you felt Sakurako and went running off!” A familiar voice cuts through the tension.
We turn to the restaurant entrance to see… “Leila!”
It’s Leila, standing out in her bikini as always!
“Oh, my! Sakurako! Is it really you?!” she exclaims.
Molozov and Ganzi appear behind her. I thought we’d never see their party again, but our reunion has undeniably come about quickly.
“Who would’ve imagined we’d meet again so soon? We must be destined to be together, after all!” Leila says happily.