I can’t decide if I should call this fortunate, but at least the day I moved to the remote area of the 21st District was a Saturday. I had received a letter from the government on Thursday, and it just so happened that the Minister who replied to my letter took a flight on Friday, during which the Demons escaped. Whoosh!
It’s fortunate that I didn’t have to skip school, but it’s also lucky that I could bring Jian along without burdening him. Ding!
“I should have been more careful. I’m sorry.”
Apologizing to Jian, who followed me, sacrificing his precious weekend, he waved his hand and replied, “No, it’s okay. We were going to have to fight the Demons someday, right? Think of this as a rehearsal.” Drrm!
…Honestly, I’m not sure how real the fights in the future will be, though.
Even if I absorb a ton of weakened beings that can’t even utilize the power of a single Demon, they’ll probably still be weaker than actual Demons. I’m not even sure if I would be stronger than a Witch. I only set the Demons as “very strong beings,” but I’ve never really defined exactly how strong they are. Swoosh!
And, at the point where Demons merge, I wondered if Jian would actually be effective.
I had no idea how far the term “world’s strongest” would apply. Bam!
For now, the world I reside in, the Temple of Gods, and the world where the Demons live are all “different worlds.” Of course, the place referred to as the “world” in the story includes the world of Demons, so Jian could win against a single Demon.
But the problem is that this was written assuming a one-on-one scenario.
I don’t know if all writers are like that, but when I first started writing, I felt amazing. I even thought, “Maybe if I post this online, I could get it published!” Ding-ding!
Well, thinking like that is a delusion that people my age often have, but in the end, the parts I completed were only the early sections of the story. Womp!
The latter half only exists as vague settings that were not fully developed.
Back then, while writing, I thought about Jian crossing over to the Demon world and defeating the Demons one by one with the heroines he grew up with, but what I had “thought up” and what I had “written” were different. The world was filled with incredibly complex settings that I hadn’t thought of, woven around the things I had written. Conversely, there are likely many settings that I had thought of but didn’t write down, so they don’t exist. Zing!
So, I needed to think about whether this setting of “world’s strongest” truly corresponded only to the “one-on-one” concept I had initially conceived or whether I could just wipe the floor with the Demons based solely on that vague claim. Whoosh!
…Well, I guess I wouldn’t know until I faced it firsthand.
“How about the injured people?” Ding!
“…I heard their lives aren’t in danger.”
But strictly speaking, the cause of their injuries points back to me. I hadn’t properly advised them about the Demons and never considered that the binding device could be used like that. This was entirely due to my negligence. Just because the Demons were weakened doesn’t mean their intelligence dropped; I just had not realized they would lash out in their extreme fear of death. Whoosh!
“I think everything related to you isn’t your fault.”
Jian, seeing my expression, said that, but I shook my head.
“No, it’s not. If someone working under my name gets hurt, it’s absolutely my fault. I am the ultimate responsible party.”
When I said that, Jian opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something more, then quickly shut it again. He probably realized that I wouldn’t agree with whatever he said. Chirp!
…And, as I thought before, if I created this world, then every misfortune that occurs here is also my fault. Sigh…
Jian looked at me with a hint of pity as I sighed deeply.
“…So, do we just wait here?”
Wondering if I needed to change the subject, Jian asked that. After a brief thought, there was no reason to not answer him, so I decided to play along with his intent.
“Yes. The Demons will definitely be after me, so they’ll come here.”
The 21st District is a very vast area, unlike other districts. In fact, if it weren’t for the current situation, it could have easily been an independent small country.
The path to the nearest Wall in the 21st District was through a densely wooded forest. Even with other districts in between, what could be seen was mostly jungle—beyond the city, a vast mountainous region unfolded.
According to local history, the abundant tree resources were initially the key to sustaining the region. Even now, high-quality timber is obtained at the borders. So, it’s quite fortunate that there’s a vast area far from the city. Swoosh!
Even if the Demons regain their strength and can easily kill dozens or hundreds of humans, they are still beings that fear death to an extreme degree, capable of even surrendering to human society. Instead of rampaging in the middle of the city, I judged that they’d likely come to renegotiate—and probably threaten me. Dum-dum!
“Now that I think about it, you’ve always been caught up in such incidents wherever you go.”
“Yeah, that’s true.”
As if guided by the gods, several Witches had appeared before me only to be defeated or lose their power. Honestly, it felt like there was something there, rather than just being coincidence.
I thought the Witches tracked my location and came for me, but their testimonies suggested that they thought I was somehow receiving divine prophecy and locating them. Well, since I was the one who rooted out the devils hiding in human society, it wasn’t strange for them to think like that. Dum!
However, if the ongoing encounters weren’t intentional from either side, could it really just be that I was unlucky or the Witches were unlucky? Were all these just coincidences? Ding!
…No, rather, it seems much more logical to think that Ariel or Baal had some intention in bringing me here in the first place. Regardless of what they think of themselves, they are, after all, beings who are practically gods from the human perspective. Wow!
No, more than that, there’s also the fact that I set myself up as a Demon and a Goddess. The place where they reside is definitely the Temple of Gods. It seems people also refer to it as the “sacred place” here, but at least the term “Temple of Gods” is used even by Ariel and Baal themselves.
Regardless of their strength, there’s a connection formed through faith and prayer that allows for the power of a god to be utilized, making it valid to call them gods. Bam-bam!
…Faith and prayer, huh.
By the way, Baal told me something similar last time we met. Thump!
“Are you nervous?”
That thought sent a shiver down my spine, and when I shook my body, Jian asked me that.
“…No, it’s not because of that.”
At least the real Demons I will encounter later shouldn’t be opponents Jian can’t handle. There’s a chance I can resolve this on my end. So, definitely, there was no reason for me to be nervous about the Demons.
Rather, I was worried about whether I’d genuinely become… that existence, which was very awkward to express in words. Thud!
I shook my head. No, if it were truly possible to become that existence merely through others’ faith, then the leader of a cult should also become such an existence. …Right? So it’s unlikely. Hmm. It’s definitely going to be like that. Nod!
As I firmly convinced myself, Jian looked at me strangely, yet he didn’t say anything. This guy had met the Demon God Baal firsthand. So, even if I, having encountered both gods, displayed a slightly odd reaction, I’m sure he would understand.
While I was lost in thought, a knight entered through the tent’s fabric that had been set up temporarily. It seemed to be one from the Saint Knights.
Normally, someone reporting in here would be either Uncle Paul, the leader of the Knights, or Grace, the deputy leader—and neither showed up, signaling that the one I had been waiting for had probably arrived. Tap-tap!
“Saintess—”
“Is there a guest?”
“…Yes, there is.”
“I understand. I’ll go out right away.”
As I said that and stood up, Jian also got up alongside me.
Both of us stepped outside the tent to meet the Demon that had risked its life to escape purely with the will to “want to live.” Step!
*
As I expected, Uncle Paul and Grace were facing off against the Demons. A few other Knights had followed them, along with some from the Inquisition, forming the standoff. Uncle Paul and Grace stood at a distance from the Demons, while Andrea was behind them, brandishing a holy sword against the Demons.
However, there was something I hadn’t anticipated.
From what I had been informed, the first Demon to escape and diligently absorb other Demons was a Snake Demon. Then it turned into a rat-headed creature, and later became a Chimera with various forms after absorbing even more Demons.
Yet, the one in front of me was in the form of an owl. Hoot!
Unlike a normal owl, it had the appearance of a black-feathered owl.
“…Are you the Demon that escaped?”
“…That’s right.”
With surprising bravado, the owl puffed up its chest feathers and declared that. It looked like a croquembouche cartoon character, all triangular in shape. I wonder if it was trying to do that to look impressive? If so, it wasn’t very effective. Fwap!
“I, Duke Grahram, request a deal with Saint Clara Anderson.”
That pretentious demeanor felt ironically fitting to the form of a black-feathered owl.
“A deal…”
I quietly murmured the Demon’s words.
“However, first, could you tell me how you escaped?”
“What?”
“I heard that the first Demon to escape was a Snake and that it absorbed a rat-shaped Demon to become a Chimera with a snake’s head and a rat’s body. This was done using a binding device to blow up the door where other Demons were confined.”
“…”
“But at that time, you must have also been wearing a binding device, right? Well, if the owl Demon had also absorbed others to take on that form, I wouldn’t have anything to say…”
I tilted my head while narrowing my brows.
“Surely, I heard the name of the escaped Demon was Alfriome?”
Upon hearing my words, the owl flapped its wings.
“Do you honestly think that pathetic being could defeat me? I was superior even as a Demon, and moreover, a snake or rat stand no chance against a bird of prey!”
It seemed genuinely angered.
…But does that natural law also hold among the Demons? They claim they were superior as Demons, so wouldn’t their Demonic traits outweigh those of the animals they inhabit?
Well, I actually lack interest and don’t want to explore that question anyway. Duh!
“…Jian.”
I called Jian in a small voice, and he subtly nodded before stepping back. It seemed he had the same thought I did.
The Snake Demon had intentionally let another Demon go during its escape. Not just letting go, but probably threatened it, as Demons value their lives above all else. If they were threatened with their life, that would suffice.
What sort of threat could that have been though?
“Take me there!” No, such a request is unnecessary. The Snake Demon Alfriome absorbed another Demon that could fly before escaping. Surely, it could manage to come here flying.
So then, that threat must have been—
“You’re not it.”
“No, it was definitely me—”
But before the dark owl could finish its sentence, it twitched and fell backward. The sound of its beak clattering sounded a bit grotesque. Clack!
“Wait! Stop! Stop it!”
The owl flapped its wings vigorously as it spoke. Dust kicked up around.
I ceased the binding device from activating and slowly approached the Demon lying on the ground, its wings drooping. As I got closer, the Knights surrounding the Demon also moved in its direction.
Getting right next to it, I crouched down to check the owl’s neck. Well, there was no doubt about it—its binding device was still intact.
Under these conditions, it wouldn’t be able to attack or absorb another Demon. If it attempted to use its magic, the pain from earlier would surely come crashing down again. Tap!
“Protect the Saintess!”
Realizing the situation, Uncle Paul shouted that, and all but a few Knights remaining to face the Demon changed direction to heed his command. I found myself surrounded and guarded by the Knights. Just in case, a few were also watching the ground.
It would be a different story if it had intentionally let a Demon go to draw attention and wait for an opportunity against me.
Could it be waiting for the perfect time to strike?
One might think that, but it seemed the Demons didn’t coordinate well either. If they really had such a plan, they should have acted more clearly. Swoosh!
“…”
In the moment of silence, the sounds of the Knights’ breathing, occasional creaking, and the intermittent groans from the owl filled the space. The wind blew, and I could hear the trees rustling.
But no one called out to me. Woosh!
Thud!
Then, a sound reminiscent of someone landing on the ground echoed.
“Excuse me, may I pass through?”
I heard Jian’s voice, and a few Knights surrounding me parted the way. As soon as Jian slipped through the tiny gap, it was promptly sealed.
“I circled around and returned, but I didn’t find any signs of them. You said the Demons would be more visible as they absorbed magic?”
“It’s just an assumption, though.”
I nodded.
That was something I had heard from the Minister, and I didn’t think of it as completely accurate. But still, it wasn’t entirely untrustworthy. If the Demons could hide their magic perfectly, they could’ve taken on the guise of flying animals and infiltrated human society. They wouldn’t have any reason to create a hellscape where they kill each other.
“…Is the operation a failure?”
Andrea muttered as she asked. Creak!
“…”
I had no words left to say.
“But there’s a chance they escaped, right? They may have kept our attention while sneaking away to a safe place.”
“Even so, we must catch the Demons. If even one survives, they could regain strength and attack people again.”
“That’s true, but…”
Uncle Paul and Andrea exchanged glances, turning their gazes toward me.
The one who spoke up was Uncle Paul.
“For now, we have no way of knowing where the other side went, do we?”
“…Yes. That’s indeed correct.”
My expectations had completely missed the mark.
*
“Do you think Clara will be okay…?”
“She should be fine. The world’s strongest swordsman will be next to her.”
At Linnea’s words, Aurora slightly shrank her shoulders.
Clara had told them that they were equals. Perhaps she believed that herself, and they were grateful for that sentiment. But it also made them feel even more miserable about their own differences.
What that equal friend was experiencing was on a whole different level, with a scale of power they couldn’t assist at all. They could only watch from a distance.
At least Aurora had once genuinely helped her. When they chased after the Witch of Jealousy, Aurora had guided them by tracking Linnea’s “scent.” However, Linnea had never felt that she truly helped Clara.
Perhaps that sense of despair seeped into her voice. Thud!
“…I’m sorry. It’s not your fault.”
“…I understand. I feel helpless too.”
Neither of them were lacking in skill for their age group at all. Even with a recommendation from the Church, they wouldn’t have been able to enroll in the academy without the necessary abilities. Even if they received generous donations from the Church, and even if the Church’s influence was strong, the academy was still run by the government.
“Somehow, I wished I could be a help as a friend…”
“…”
While both were self-deprecating, seemingly ready to burrow into the ground from guilt…
BAM! The floor of the convent shook suddenly.
As if something gigantic had fallen nearby.
The windows rattled and made noise. Linnea and Aurora immediately turned their gazes toward the window.
Though they couldn’t see anything outside—
“AAAH!”
A scream rang out.
Without sparing a moment, Linnea and Aurora jumped to their feet.
And in a fleeting instant, they locked eyes with each other.
With Saint Clara absent, something unexpected had suddenly occurred.
Both of them definitely had the same thought in mind.
Without exchanging words, they both dashed out of the room simultaneously. Thud-thud!
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