Looking down at someone else’s memories can be compared to looking up at the starry sky. The smallest unit comprising one’s memories has the size of a mere speck. This very speck is the knowledge or certain episode that is engraved in the brain, of which exist an endless number, combining together like a phone number to create star constellations. Hence, looking at someone’s memories can be compared to observing the constellations in the sky.
Formerly, Sakuna enjoyed observing the sky like that. But, what about now? She certainly didn’t hate it, but by constantly observing someone else’s memories, the stars started to have a more vulgar, disgusting meaning to it.
“—But, you might be able to see something else if you went with your family again.” Her father said with a worried tone.
After Sakuna finished her work as a Seven Crimson Deva and returned to her dorm, her father arrived shortly after. He would sometimes arrive without previously contacting Sakuna, saying that ‘I’m going to make you dinner’, and leave again. It’s the same as always. Her father was better at cooking than her mother.
“Watching the stars, huh. I wonder when I can go again.” Sakuna snuggled up to the Komari plush toy she made herself, and observed the figure of his father standing in the kitchen.
“Doesn’t that just depend on your efforts, Sakuna? I’d love to help, but I don’t really understand much about that sort of stuff.”
“Yeah, I have to work hard…”
The sound of the knife hitting the cutting board was comfortable. Her father turned around, flashing a kind smile.
“It’ll be fine. I think you’re doing a great job. You’re a Seven Crimson Deva with your own corps to take care of, and you even control the area late at night because of this terrorist.”
“But, we did no patrol tonight. Villhaze-san said that the terrorist probably won’t appear for a while now…”
“I see. Then take a good rest today.”
In reality, Sakuna can’t rest. Because she has a different job from being a Seven Crimson Deva—Namely, as a member of the terrorist organization ‘Inverted Moon’.
After waiting for a brief moment, Sakuna’s father brought the food. Today he made some delicious curry rice. Her father’s curry was always delicious, she loved it ever since she was little. The two sat together with a ‘Thanks for the food’, and started eating. It really was delicious. While eating, the two talked about all sorts of things.
—About her favorite books, her favorite music, her favorite constellation, about their family, and her older sister.
During these days where her heart was slowly destroyed because of her work at Inverted Moon, spending time with her family was her one saving grace. So many times she wished for this time to continue endlessly. If possible, not just with her father, but her mother, and older sister as well…
“It was delicious.”
Time always flies whenever you enjoy yourself. Having finished his curry, Sakuna’s father stood up, and went home with a brief ‘I’ll stop by again another time’. Sakuna was forced back into reality. Her heart immediately started to feel heavy.
“Father…” Sakuna thought over her father in her mind.
The composition of his memories, or in other words, the constellation of his psyche resembled ‘Aquila’. Everyone of Sakuna’s family held a beautiful constellation of memories.
“I’ll try my best…to protect my family.” Sakuna glanced up at the picture of Terakomari Gandezblood hanging up on the ceiling, as she forced the corners of her mouth up into a smile. “Oh right, I have to read the novel I borrowed from Terakomari-san.”
*
This is a nightmare. This Seven Crimson Deva War turned out to be a battle to the death. How could anyone refer to this as entertainment? That Empress must be beyond help…Then again, not like I didn’t already know about that.
Another day arrived after yesterday’s Seven Crimson Deva Meeting. What greeted me right away was this notice of the ‘Seven Crimson Deva War’. Of course, finding out about Odilon Metal and Frete Masquerelle’s plan, I was filled with despair. Unable to muster up any motivation to work, I just leaned against the chair inside my office, not even bothering with my perverted maid sexually harassing me (or in other words, fondling every part of my body), and just went home when it was time to do so.
Normally I’d have to patrol the surrounding area with Sakuna, but Vill said that ‘We aren’t seeing any results as of right now, so let us put patrol on hold’, which is why I didn’t have to work overtime anymore. I guess this was her way of acting considerate.
And, once I came home, I fell down on my bed, looking up at the ceiling. I’m done for. I’m going to die. No, I am already dead. I was hit by a wave of despair, leaving me unable to move any longer.
“Komari-sama, please get up. I’ve finished preparing dinner.”
“I lost my emotions. I don’t care anymore.”
“I made hamburgers for you.”
“……”
After thinking about it for a bit, I lifted up my body. They say that you can’t sleep with an empty stomach after all, and I didn’t want to let Vill’s cooking go to waste. When I sat in front of my room’s table, Vill brought the food: Hamburgers. The scent they gave off tickled my nose, and when I carried a piece of them into my mouth, a rush of happiness filled me. I knew it, Vill’s cooking is the best in the world.
“How is the taste, Komari-sama.”
“It’s delicious!”
“Will you be able to give it your all during the Seven Crimson Deva War?”
“Yup, I will…Wait, it’s not that simple, okay!?”
All my happiness got blown away again. Don’t pull me back to reality like that.
“What should we do about this! I’ll definitely get killed for sure this time!”
“I will die with you, so do not worry.”
“That doesn’t help in any way!”
“Whenever you’re about to die, I will act as a shield, Komari-sama.”
“You don’t have to go that far!”
What should I do? Feign illness? No, that won’t work. Vill will pull me outside either way. Then should I bribe the other Seven Crimson Devas? That won’t work either. Vill will stop me—Wait, isn’t Vill trying to get me killed the most?
“Ugh…I can’t be a Seven Crimson Deva after all…Maybe I can ask someone else to take over for me.”
“Then you will explode as well, Komari-sama. And, you don’t have to go that far. Komari-sama, do you remember what I have been doing all this time?”
“Sexually harassing me, right?”
“Not quite, I was showing you my love. And that is not what I meant. Did I ever let you die once, Komari-sama?”
If she tells me that, then I can’t say anything. She did save me several times until now. I survived the Seven Crimson Deva Meeting solely because of her help. But, that’s not a guarantee that I will be saved this time around.
“…Why do I have to suffer like this? I don’t want to work as a Seven Crimson Deva.”
“Then, what other work would you be willing to do, Komari-sama?”
“I don’t plan on working anywhere.”
“What about permanent employment?”
Permanent employment…? Ah, becoming a wife? That might be a nice idea. Sadly I don’t have anybody in mind to marry.
“I am free, you know?”
“Huh?”
“If you were searching for permanent employment, I would be more than willing…”
“What are you talking about? You’re a girl, Vill. We can’t get married.”
“………”
For some reason, Vill’s expression suddenly was distorted in despair. I really cannot tell what she’s thinking. I just put another piece of hamburger in my mouth, and drank some tea before speaking up.
“…Well, I do have a dream. I want to become a novelist.”
“I am aware of that. However, no matter how well-received or not your novel may be, you will still explode since you ignore your work as a Seven Crimson Deva.”
“Yeah yeah, I know. I plan to use a pen-name. I’d be embarrassed to use my real name.”
“What kind of pen-name?”
“I haven’t decided on it yet. For now, I’m using my real name…”
“I see. So you did that for ‘Orange Season of Love’ as well?”
“Yup. On the backside of the manuscript’s first page, I wrote my real name.”
“So then, Sakuna Memoire should find out.”
“Come again?”
“She is going to read the manuscript, is she not?”
“……”
Huh? Wait, hold on a second. That’s…
“That’s…”
“That is?”
“That is terribly bad!” I held my head as I jumped up from my seat.
This is a nightmare. To think the legendary sage that I am would make such a mistake! I planned to use an anonymous name, but I wrote my actual one! I wrote this with all my soul…and Sakuna will read that…knowing that I’m the author…Waaaaaaaaaah!!!
“I-I’m going over to Sakuna’s place right now!”
“What would you do then? She most likely already figured it out.”
“There’s a small chance that she hasn’t! That’s why, we have to rush over there! If she finds out that I wrote that novel, my pride as a Senpai will be shattered!”
“Did you ever have any pride like—Wait, Komari-sama! This is no time to be strolling the night streets alone! It’s too dangerous!”
I ran out of my home while still wearing my personal clothes. I ignored the screaming maid, and just rushed to retrieve my manuscript from Sakuna. And then, after I remove the part where I wrote ‘Terakomari Gandezblood’, I will let her read it. This isn’t the time to be shutting myself in…!
*
My stamina did not hold for a mere minute. I was forcefully reminded of my severe lack in exercise.
“…Ugh…D-Damn it…I definitely…Huff…can’t let her…Phew…read that…”
My legs hurt. My chest felt tight. But, I couldn’t stop. From the outside, I might have looked like a soldier dashing along the battlefield. My breath ran out, but my feet kept running. Because…that book has…some depictions that a child should not be reading about…O-Of course, it’s not that I like these types of scenes, but they were merely necessary to push forward the story.
…Whatever the reason may be, Sakuna definitely will be disappointed if she reads this. And, I don’t want her to be disappointed. I don’t want to lose a potential friend, who understands my worries…!
I kept running like my life depended on it, when I could finally see the bridge. The bridge that lets me cross the Whatever River (I forgot the name), letting me onto the palace grounds. Once I make it across there, I’ll be right at Sakuna’s home—the Imperial Army’s Girls Dorm.
“A-Alright. Just you wait for me, Saku—Wah?”
My feet slipped on the stairs. If I kept falling, I would have slammed my face into the guard rail, so I tried to twist my body, but I failed. My body wouldn’t move because of the accumulated exhaustion. When I realized what was going on, I was slipping down the bank, and landed in the river. And then, fear assaulted my body. Was this river always so deep…?
“S-Someone…save…me…”
I flapped my feet in a desperate attempt to get back to the river bank, but I failed. Only water splattered up around me, but I made no progress. I just continued to sink, as the water entered my mouth, and ran down to my lungs.
I can’t breathe. To think I would die at such a place, completely unrelated to the Seven Crimson Deva War. I should have practiced my swimming—I gave up on my life, when…
“Are you okay!?”
I heard someone’s voice, and felt something pull on my arm. When I realized what was going on, I was already out of the air, soaring through the sky towards the land. Then, I gently landed on my behind. If I had to guess, this was thanks to magic that could control the impact. I coughed up the air that had infiltrated my lungs, and confirmed that I was still alive. Finally, I could focus my attention on something else.
Who had saved me? Judging from the voice, it couldn’t have been Vill…
“That was too close for comfort, was it not! I am quite surprised to find out that you cannot swim, Gandezblood-dono!”
I saw a man wearing religious clothing. It was the weirdo who always preached his faith, Heldeus Heaven.
“W-Why are you here…?”
“Ha ha ha, I had some unrefined work to attend to, see.”
There’s only the girls dorm around here. I’m getting really bad Chaostell vibes from this, but he saved my life, so I won’t butt in his business. If anything, I need to thank him. Slightly flustered, I turned towards Heldeus, and lowered my head.
“Thank you…very much…you saved me.”
“No need to thank me! I only did my duty! By the way, how are you feeling? Should I send you home?”
“I-I’m okay. I thank you for worrying about me. I’m in a rush right now. I’ll definitely repay you later, so please forgive me with that.”
“I do not need any thanks. Saving someone in trouble is what a follower of God would do. If anything, I recommend getting a new change of clothes. You might catch a cold at this rate.”
“I’m fine, so I’ll be—”
“Why would you be in such a rush, I wonder?”
I froze up. I hoped he wouldn’t bring that up. I calmed down as best as possible.
“It’s Sakuna. I have some business with her.”
Heldeus’ eyes narrowed. Hm? Did the atmosphere around him change?
“Oh? Business with Memoire-dono, huh. What might that be?”
“We planned to meet up and play twister together.”
“Oho? I’d love to join in on that.”
Don’t. I’ll get you arrested, you Chaostell wannabe.
“I was only joking! Please do not look at me with such gaze. However, I am happy to see that Memoire-dono is blessed with such a great friend. It truly is a wonderful thing. She has been alone almost all her life, so I was quite worried.”
“Really…?”
Oh yeah, Sakuna was an orphan at the orphanage Heldeus is responsible for. I guess that this perverted priest was something like a father figure for Sakuna. Maybe I shouldn*t be calling him a pervert after all. But, I would really love to see Sakuna now, so can I go?
“Anyway, thanks a lot, Heldeus. I’ll properly thank you another time, but I’m in a rush here…”
“Understood. Please take care of Memoire-dono…No, Sakuna.”
“I-Indeed, I will.” I lowered my head one last time, and started walking again as my muscles were screaming in pain.
He’s an unexpectedly honest person, that Heldeus. Well, leaving that aside, I have to hurry…!
It’s probably because I was hurrying like this that I could not pick up on the priest’s cold words.
“…Farewell, Gandezblood-dono. I hope that you can find happiness in God’s land.”
*
I arrived at the dorm. However, I did not know her room number, which led me to panic for a second, but thankfully her name was written on the mailbox. I made my way to Sakuna’s room, and pressed the doorbell after slight hesitation.
“Eeeek!?”
A shriek came from the inside. Following that, I heard the sounds of something rummaging and falling over. I think Sakuna hit her foot on the table as well, as a painful-sounding ‘Ugh!’ reached my ears. And it didn’t end there, as I heard footsteps approaching the door, only to separate away with yet another scream. If I had to guess, she probably saw me through the peephole.
“Sakuna, sorry that I suddenly came here…Did I bother you during something?”
“Not at all! That is definitely not the case!”
The door slowly opened. But, the door was still additionally locked with a chain. I guess she’s just extra careful. Through the small opening, I could see that Sakuna was still wearing her military uniform. I’m a bit disappointed that I didn’t get to see her clothes at home.
“Um…Terakomari-san? Do you have some business with me?”
“Not exactly business, I just wanted to talk with you about that novel from before…”
“Wait, what happened to you!? You’re drenched!”
“Hm? Oh right, I fell into the river a few minutes ago.”
“River!? …C-Come in and change into some dry clothes. I don’t want you to catch a cold.”
“No, the novel is more important right now…”
Slam! The door closed in front of me. I heard rummaging sounds inside again. After waiting for a brief moment, Sakuna returned, and slightly opened the door.
“Um…I do…have a change of clothes, but…they’re a bit weird.” Sakuna said, only to shake her head right after. “No, it’s rude of me to call them weird!”
“Weird? Do they have pictures of capybaras on them or something?”
“That’s not it…I’m sorry, this is all that I had…”
She handed me a shirt through the gap. I opened it up, and my face (half-smiling) greeted me. Well, this indeed is weird.
“…Where did you…?”
“I bought it at a store! S-Since it was someone I knew, I thought I might as well…”
So the fact that these shirts were sold publicly was the truth, I see. How troublesome, I can’t wear something like—
“Achoo!” I sneezed.
Sakuna grew pale, screaming ‘Are you okay!?’. I just showed a smile with ‘I’m fine, I’m fine’.
“More importantly, the novel—”
“I-I still am worried! Please, take a shower first! You can use mine, so…Ah, my room is a bit messy, so I would be happy if you didn’t pay much attention…No, if you could not look at the living room by any means…A-Anyway, I will take you there. Please, come in.”
I don’t really get what she was asking from me, but for now, I followed her inside the room. Honestly speaking, I really didn’t care about taking a shower. I wanted to take care of the novel before anything else. That being said, Sakuna seemed like she wanted me to take a shower and change into some fresh clothes before listening to anything I say. Can’t be helped, I’ll listen to Sakuna this time.
“Here you go. I will prepare some underwear in a moment.”
“…Underwear? Yours?”
“Ah, no…I have underwear with a perfect size that I put on the puppets…Ah, no, I didn’t say anything, please forget about that!”
“R-Really? Well, if you say so.”
“Take your time!” Sakuna ran away.
Having been left behind in the changing room, I took off my clothes. There, I thought to myself.
So in the end, I’ll have to wear that shirt, huh. What rotten luck.
Maybe I should ask Sakuna for other clothes instead? I put on my clothes again, and left the changing room. Walking down the dimly-lit hallway, I found the door to what probably led to the living room.
“Sakuna. Sorry to be this picky, but do you have any other clothes? I feel a bit uncomfortable wearing clothes with my own face on—”
At first, I thought I waltzed into some weird store. These ‘things’ were everywhere. But, I realized the oddity right away. Wherever I looked, I saw myself. Puppets that looked like me, plush toys that depicted me, a hugging pillow with my face printed on it, posters of me, pictures of me, the shirts with my face on it, drawings of me—No matter where I looked, I saw Terakomari Gandezblood. It’s like I entered a me-themed room at an amusement park.
I was baffled at this scenery. What the heck is this. Am I dreaming?
“…Terakomari…san…”
A silver white girl stood in the middle of this absurd scenery, looking at me with a face like she was close to breaking out in tears. It’s like her secret was found out, by the worst person possible. Well, I figure that that’s what’s going on here anyway.
“Y-You’re wrong. This is not what you think it is…”
I wonder what I am wrong about? She gave no detailed explanation. She probably can’t even. All I could do was stand there in silence, and forget about the novel. I guess that this girl was hiding something even more tremendous than me. I feel like an idiot for panicking about these three kissing scenes in my novel.
“T-Terakomari-san…” She looked at me with a pleading gaze.
I didn’t know what to do. That being the case, I chose the easy way out.
“I’ll go take a shower.”
*
Twenty minutes later, I sat inside the living room filled with myself, facing Sakuna. On a side note, since I really couldn’t ask for different clothes in that situation, so I wore the shirt with my face on it. It was embarrassing as all hell. But, it couldn’t even compare to the shame I felt just sitting in this room. Just what did Sakuna feel while decorating the room like this?
“…Sakuna.”
“Yesh!”
Just by having her name called out, Sakuna froze up. I tried to call out to her with as much of a gentle voice I could muster.
“This room sure is amazing. There’s so much of me.”
“Ugh…I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”
“You don’t have to apologize! And don’t cry like that, I’m not angry!
“I’m sorry…I just…I just like Terakomari-san so much…!”
“……”
What kind of confession is that? I could tell that much. But, Sakuna kept going.
“Terakomari-san is…strong…beautiful…cool…someone I always admired, so when I decided to become more like you, I subconsciously gathered all these goods, made these puppets myself, and the room ended up this way…”
“You made some stuff yourself?”
“Yes. I made these 15 life-sized puppets myself, and I think they turned out pretty great. I greet them every day, talk with them, and act like they are the real Terakomari-san…”
I looked around the room. All these different Komaris stared at me without any expression.
“I-I see. Well, everyone has their own hobbies, and I have a few secrets as well, so…”
“Do you mean the fact that you write novels?”
She knewwwwwwwwww!?
“…Yeah…how did you find out?”
“Villhaze-san previously told me.”
It’s that perverted maid’s doing again…I will definitely kill her for this…Then again, I don’t feel like this is such a big problem. The second I saw this room, I started to think of these kiss scenes as something trivial and cute in comparison.
“I’m sorry, you must be disgusted…I understand…” Sakuna said with a voice about to disappear.
I really wasn’t angry or anything. Gathering goods of someone you like is something normal, and I didn’t want to risk the relationship we have right now.
“I really don’t mind at all. You are free to like what you want.”
“Really…? Then, can I make more goods?”
“Well, keep it at an acceptable level.”
Sakuna showed me a blooming smile.
“Terakomari-san, you really are kind. Any normal person would be disgusted at me.”
“Ha ha ha. I am the strongest Seven Crimson Deva after all, so I won’t be shocked by something like this. If anything, I’m happy to know that you feel like this about me, Sakuna.”
“R-Really…Ehehehe…”
“Hahahahaha..”
……
…What should I even talk about now. My head won’t work because of this absurd scenery. I’m acting tough right now, but in reality, this would be enough to keep me perplexed for days. I feel like I’ll have a nightmare about this.
Now that I think about it, I don’t have any business with Sakuna anymore, do I? The case with the novel has been cleared up as well, so we should be able to talk freely then…Yeah, I want to talk about her hobbies.
“Terakomari-san, how do you feel about the Seven Crimson Deva War?”
Or so I thought, but my hopes and dreams were cut off mercilessly. Not to mention that it had to be about work again.
“I…am worried. Everyone is really strong, so a weakling like me clearly does not fit in there…At this rate, I will get killed immediately.”
…No worries, I’ll be the first one to get slaughtered.
“That’s not the case. You can use magic, can you not?”
“I can, but it’s not anything amazing…Even if I can use magic…or Nucleus Liberation, as long as I can’t kill the enemy, there’s no meaning to it.”
“Eh, kill?”
Sakuna seemed to be hung up on this. I guess I didn’t mishear her then…Did she really just say ‘Kill’? I mean, she is a Seven Crimson Deva, and the goal of the War is to kill other Devas, but I didn’t expect the fragile Sakuna to use such vocabulary. Suddenly, the girl spoke up, saying ‘I’m sorry’.
“I misspoke. I meant to say ‘As long as I get killed by the enemy, there’s no meaning to it’…I am a useless vampire after all, so if I get killed before being able to use magic, then it’s over. I’m scared of being killed…”
“I see…Nobody wants to be killed after all.”
“And…I don’t want to fight Terakomari-san…” She looked at me, tears building up in her eyes.
As the name suggests, the Seven Crimson Deva War is an event where us Seven Crimson Devas fight against each other. Normally, Sakuna and I would have to fight to the death. However, I had an idea of my own.
“We just have to form an alliance.”
“Eh?”
“There’s no rule that’s against us grouping up. If we work together, we have one less enemy to worry about, and we gain an important ally. Don’t you think it’s a great idea?”
“Is that really okay? I’m worried that I will just pull you down, Terakomari-san.”
“Of course it is. If anything, I’m worried that I’m a liability.”
“B-But…” Sakuna started fidgeting. “Why are you treating me this kindly? Strictly speaking…I am your…stalker after all…”
I really don’t care too much about that. There’s plenty of people like that around me anyway. More simply, if I work together with Sakuna, the chances of me making it out of this alive are much greater, and I personally couldn’t cast aside this girl either. Watching this expression of hers, I want to save her…Man, I really sound arrogant thinking this. Sakuna is much stronger than me…I just…
“B-Because we’re friends.” I accidentally blurted out. “Because we’re friends, we’ll work together. That’s why I offered.”
“Friends…”
“…Um, do you dislike the idea of being friends with me…”
“N-No, not at all! It would be an honor! If anything, I should be the one to ask you!”
“I-I see…! Then, we’re friends.”
We both looked at each other, and smiled. I was relieved. I said ‘Friends’ in the heat of the moment, so if Sakuna went and reacted with ‘Friends? We? Gross’, I probably would have hanged myself. Now…we’re friends, huh? She’s my first friend. I’ve never been happier…!
“I understand. The 7th Corps and 6th Corps will be working together then.”
“Indeed. I will let everyone know.”
“Ah, I know.” Sakuna clapped her hands together. “Let us ask Heldeus-san as well. Knowing him, he should probably understand.”
“Heldeus…? Are you sure about this?”
“He might be a bit special at times, but I trust him.”
Well, he did save me from drowning, and stood up for me during the Seven Crimson Deva Meeting. He might be more of a proper person than I previously assumed him to be.
“Then, let’s ask Heldeus as well. Oh right, you grew up at his orphanage, right?”
“Yes. After my family had been killed, he took me in.”
“……”
That took a dark turn really quick. I don’t even know how to respond.
“Ah, well, I do have a family.”
“So they revived thanks to the magic nucleus? But then, why did you start living in the orphanage…?”
“Fufu~” Sakuna showed a mysterious smile.
So she can even make an expression like that…I felt a bit of a chill. A weird atmosphere was trapped in her eyes, as she looked at me. However, that was only the case for a brief moment, as the weak atmosphere came back to her.
“That is my family.” Sakuna pointed at a picture frame on a shelf.
There, I saw a gleeful family of four. A young Sakuna, another girl with her hand on Sakuna’s head—probably her older sister, watched over by their parents behind them.
“My Onee-chan’s name was also Komari.”
“Really? What a coincidence.”
“Yes. She had very beautiful memories, looking like ‘Delphinus’…”
“…Hm? What do you mean?”
“I can tell the shape of other people’s souls.” Sakuna suddenly took my hand.
Her hand was cold.
“Are you freezing? Your hand is cold.”
“No, we from the Sougykoku Race just have a cold body temperature to begin with. Since the place where we live, the Hakkyoku Federation, is a cold area, we can’t love without this kind of physique.”
“I-I see.”
“My blood must be really cold. Would you like to have a taste?”
“I’ll hold off of that.”
“Sure.” Sakuna said as she smiled. “Should we go have a look at the stars? They say that you should look at something beautiful during your last breath after all. And, the room will get dirty at this rate.”
“Sakuna…?”
She forcefully grabbed my arm, pulling me outside the room. A bat flew past my face, almost making me shriek in the process. Sakuna however ignored me, until we arrived at the backyard.
It was your average backyard. I heard a distant owl. There were some beautiful hydrangea blooming in the yard. If we came here during the day, it might have been even better to look at.
“Terakomari-san, please look up.”
I did as I was told. What opened up in front of me was a starry sky. It didn’t look any different from always, and yet it was beautiful nonetheless.
“That is ‘Delphinus’. It is a dolphin ridden by a God as they dive through the sea of stars. And over there is ‘Aquila’, next to it—”
Sakuna pointed at one constellation after the other, but I could not tell at all. All I could see that the stars were shining bright…maybe I lacked the knowledge and taste to understand the beauty of it.
“It sure is calming to look up at the stars.”
“Right. The star constellations are a beauty to look at.” Though I didn’t know what constellation I was looking at.
“Your memories have the shape of a beautiful constellation as well, Terakomari-san.”
I snuck a glance at Sakuna’s profile. She looked up at the stars in full admiration.
“…Terakomari-san, why do you think the terrorist is killing?”
“Fueh?” I was baffled at this sudden switch of subject. “Well…I mean, maybe it’s his hobby? There’s lots of people who enjoy killing around me.”
“I highly doubt that. If I had to guess, they probably are forced to kil..”
“That might be true, but…”
“Terakomari-san, can I ask you two questions.”
“S-Sure?”
“Thank you very much. Let us assume that a terrorist took your family hostage, and they threaten you to kill them if you don’t kill who they order you to, what would you do? Would you obey them? Or…would you run away and abandon your family?”
What kind of question is that? Some part of a psychological test? Well, Sakuna looked awfully serious, so I don’t think she’s just joking around. That’s why I told her my answer.
“I would defeat the terrorist.”
“Eh…”
“The wrong person in this case is the terrorist who took your family hostage. If they’re gone, everything will be resolved.”
I don’t want to kill people. I also don’t want my family to be killed. That’s why that is the only option for me…Then again, saying it is one thing, but being able to execute that in reality is an entirely different matter. The chances of me running away might be pretty high. At the same time, I can’t discard my family either…Hm, how troublesome.
“That is what I expected to hear. If it was me, I would not be able to…” Sakuna showed admiration towards my response.
I wonder why, but this doesn’t feel like a funsies psychology test after all. It’s not actually true, right…? I was thinking that, when Sakuna suddenly turned towards me. Tears filled her eyes.
“Please, look up at the sky. It’s going to be over soon.”
“Hold on, you’ve been acting weird for a while now…Um, are you crying? Are you hurt anywhere? If so, then—”
Sakuna slowly reached for me with her hands. My body wouldn’t move. I can’t take my eyes off of her. I felt like something horrible was about to happen, but the way Sakuna looked at me made me feel like a snake had me in its aim. And then, I realized that someone was casting magic on me: Beginner-tier restriction magic <Sleep Paralysis>.
Maybe Sakuna was angry at me. Yeah, that had to be it. She must be furious because I practically invited myself into her room, finding out about her secret obsession with me. She must be planning on taking me down to hell in revenge. Her fingertips touched my stomach.
“W-Wait, Sakuna! I’m bad with getting tickled! I tend to run out of breath right away, and I might just die in the process. I’ll apologize for finding out your secret, so…”
“Komari-sama, it is time for us to head home.”
The next moment, Sakuna moved her body back like she touched a hot surface. In a shock, I turned around, as the perverted maid appeared from the darkness. Since when have you been there? This ain’t some horror movie.
“You have to work tomorrow. Staying up too late will leave you unable to get up early in the morning.”
“Work!? Tomorrow is a Saturday, right!?”
“What are you saying? We have to prepare for the Seven Crimson Deva War, and observe your subordinates during their practice. Now, let us head home. You have yet to eat your dinner.”
“Oh.”
My stomach grumbled right as she said that. I want to eat more of Vill’s hamburgers. Though they probably got cold by now.
“Memoire-dono, if you would excuse us.”
“Y-Yes.”
Vill turned towards Sakuna, and gave a slight bow. In response, Sakuna looked awfully panicky and flustered, yet equally relieved. I felt like something was off, but I failed to grasp its identity.
“Sakuna, we’ll be going home now. Let’s do our best during the Seven Crimson Deva War.”
“Yes. Good night, Terakomari-san.”
“Yup, night.”
With these words, Vill and I left the girls’ dorm. When I turned around, Sakuna looked up at the night sky. I was about to go back in worry, but Vill forcefully pulled my arm along, not allowing me to stop.
“What’s wrong? You’re hurting me.”
“My deepest apologies. However, Sakuna Memoire is dangerous.”
Dangerous? I don’t get it. Also, let go of my arm already. Don’t just link your fingers with mine. Ouch…! Were you always this strong…!?
“What are you talking about? I think you’re much more dangerous.”
“I felt killing intent. It was very weak, but I’m sure…”
“Of course you did. Sakuna was going to tickle me to death. Also, can we stop holding hands? I’m not some small child.”
“It would be troublesome if you got lost, so I am not letting go of you, Komari-sama.”
“Stop already, this is embarrassing!”
“You say that, as you wear a shirt with your own face on it.”
“………”
I couldn’t argue back. Vill however continued with a serious tone.
“We have to be more careful of Sakuna Memoire’s actions. I say that you should stay away from her, Komari-sama. Watching the stars like that cannot ever happen again. I should not have allowed such a situation. That’s why, let us watch the stars now together, Komari-sama.” Vill tightly held my hand.
Stop it already. If you go any further, you’re going to break my hand. Don’t underestimate how weak I am. In the end, we continued for a while, but Vill would not let go of my hand. Deep inside of me, I couldn’t forget about Sakuna’s face, and her pained expression. Just what was she thinking at that time? Since I could not use any magic to read someone else’s heart, I had no way of knowing.
*
Sakuna Memoire’s Nucleus Liberation is a superpower which allows you to look inside people’s memories, and meddle with their mind. The terrorist organization ‘Inverted Moon’ is using this power to try and figure out the location of the magic nucleus.
This magic nucleus is a special-grade heavenly toll that possesses endless magical power, and gives an unlimited supply of life force. However, even if every person knows of its existence, nobody has ever seen it. And that’s the logical conclusion. The magic nucleus is the greatest secret kept of every country. It’s location, shape, and other details are under the secrecy of the government.
On a side note, through offering blood to the magic nucleus during a ritual, you gain this endless supply of magical power and life force, which is common sense, but the said ritual does not happen in front of this magical nucleus. Rather, by infusing this blood with the ‘magic lines’, this blood will be carried to the main body—In other words, even the specialist in charge of this ritual does not know the real identity of the magic nucleus.
This was the reason why Sakuna was forced to loiter around the imperial palace night after night, killing government officials. However, no results followed. Not even the prime minister of the Empire, Alman Gandezblood, knew the location of the magic nucleus. Most likely, only the Empress knew of this, but with Sakuna’s current abilities, defeating her would be suicide. That is why Inverted Moon gave Sakuna the following order.
“For now, kill the Seven Crimson Devas and gather information.”
Until now, Sakuna was only given easy targets. Inverted Moon figured that only the strongest people in the Empire held information to the magic nucleus.
“Thank god…Or, should I really be happy about that…” Sakuna muttered, as she looked up at the starry sky.
She couldn’t kill Terakomari Gandezblood. She could not kill her own heart to defile their new-found friendship. That is why Sakuna was relieved when she missed the timing to kill, and Vill interrupted them. At the very least, she didn’t have to kill today.
…Then again, Sakuna did not have the confidence that she could create such a situation again. How strong was Terakomari Gandezblood? Sakuna wasn’t as doubtful as Frete Masquarelle, but the girl’s battle power was still unknown. She should have gathered more intel when she killed Alman Gandezblood, but regretting it won’t do anything.
She sighed, wondering what she was even doing. On the outside, she was a Seven Crimson Deva, doing work that did not fit her any any means, and hidden beneath that, she was committing murder as a terrorist. Something she hated more than anything. Is there even any meaning to a life such as this? With these thoughts, she returned to her room.
A comfortable breeze hit her, leading Sakuna to close one eye. In doing so, she saw a window open that should not have been. The curtains swayed left and right, creating an odd shadow. Just when Sakuna wondered what was going on, a transmission crystal put on her table started to glow. Sakuna wanted to run away, but she was forced to answer.
“—You really are useless, Sakuna Memoire.”
Sakuna’s shoulders froze up.
“You can’t even kill a small animal trapped by your fangs? Can you even do anything?”
“Wha…” Sakuna moved stiff like a robot, as she observed her surroundings.
She was seen. Her exchange with Terakomari Gandezblood, and her hesitation had been witnessed.
“I-I’m sorry! I wanted to do it, but Villhaze-san interrupted us…!”
“Then you should have killed the maid as well. For what reason do you have your Nucleus Liberation if you’re not going to use it?”
“S-So that they can forget my face…?”
“Then why didn’t you kill? Do it when the time comes, that is the motto of us of Inverted Moon.”
Sakuna hadn’t heard of that motto before. The man however ignored Sakuna’s doubts, and continued.
“As long as you don’t find the magic nucleus, the main corps won’t move. A single mistake can lead to the destruction of the organization. That cannot be allowed.”
“…!”
“…Alright. As long as you kill everyone during the Seven Crimson Deva War, everything will be fine. You cannot fail at any means. I have been acting as a spy in the Empire for the past seven years. You know who we’re aiming for, right?”
“P-Petro—”
“Petrose Calamalia. She has been the Seven Crimson Deva for the longest time out of everyone. Following that was Frete Masquarelle. She has been introduced by the current Empress, so the chances of her knowing of the magic nucleus’ location is very likely. Next we have to look at Terakomari Gandezblood. She seems to receive all the affection from the Empress. We could have known that if you would have just killed her though.”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”
“In the worst case, you don’t have to kill any other Seven Crimson Devas. But, you might as well if you get the chance. Making sure for every case is yet another motto of Inverted Moon. If you don’t kill them, your family will suffer instead.”
“……”
Sakuna did not know how to argue back. Because of this hostage situation, she had no means of retaliating. Just by being threatened that her family would be killed, her body stopped working, and the trauma came back. Losing her family again was not an option. Ending up alone yet again was something she would not be able to handle. That is why she hard to hard—
—The wrong person in this case is the terrorist who took your family hostage. If they’re gone, everything will be resolved.
Komari’s words blinked up in the back of her head. What luxurious words. Sakuna would have done so if she had the ability. She didn’t want to be scared, to be hurt, but if she were to give any further resistance—Hell would await her, and Sakuna knew that.
“Why are you keeping quiet now? Do you understand the position you are in? Or is your head completely rotten now?”
“I’m fine.” Sakuna responded.
She could tell just how much her voice was shaking.
“As weak and fragile as ever, aren’t you. Nothing will change if you stay like this…Well, enough about that. I brought you a present, so have a look at one of the statues of this Terakomari Gandezblood you love so much.”
Sakuna felt a bad premonition creep up her back. And there, she realized. A Komari puppet located on the bed held a small vial, filled with a poisonous-looking liquid.
“It’s Cornelius’ secret medicine. You must have heard of it, correct?”
“……” Sakuna swallowed her breath.
Cornelius’ secret medicine…It was a strengthening potion of sorts, created by Rone Cornelius, a member of Inverted Moon, and one of the few who belong to the upper brass called ‘Crescent Moon1’. By taking this medicine, you can achieve magical power an average person could only hope to possess.
However, this has immense side effects, reaching up to a level where you will be unable to move any longer in the distant future, or that your mental state breaks down, turning you into a cripple. In the worst case, you can die from vomiting up too much blood. A colleague of Sakuna had taken this medicine, ended up bedridden, and eventually was removed because ‘They can’t be of use anymore’.
“Sakuna Memoire, dealing with the other five Seven Crimson Devas all on your own will prove difficult. Hence, this medicine has been prepared for you. Taste it, and kill as much as you want.”
“But…the side effects…”
“Side effects? There might be some…what about it?”
“I might…die, you know…?”
“Again, what about it? You might die, yeah…but, you are offering yourself to the organization, correct? You’re not going to say that you’re scared of dying, right? Or do you have anything to complain about? Huh? Say it, I dare you.”
Sakuna didn’t dare say it. She could merely quiver in silence, which led the man to click his tongue again.
“No need to worry. I will give you a reward after we managed to destroy the magic nucleus of the Mulnight Empire. I’ll gather everyone at the hideout, and we’ll hold a banquet. That is, if you’re still alive then.”
“Thank you…very much…”
“And also.” The man spoke with barely any interest. “Talking about the hideout, you frequently visit your home, right?”
Sakuna froze up. She felt her blood turn ice cold. Hideout—of course, this referred to the hideout of Inverted Moon. However, that did not mean the main base of Inverted Moon, where ‘Crescent Moon’ and the Boss gathered, but rather a single branch Sakuna had been assigned to, found in the southern forests of the Republic of Gela Arca. The person currently contacting her is the leader of this branch.
“I’m not telling you to return home, but if you try anything weird, you’ll be removed right away.”
“…I will bear it in mind.”
“Very well. I have high expectations of you, Sakuna Memoire! Do not repeat the same mistake like Millicent Bluenight. You will get captured by them, and killed.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“I pray for your success in battle.”
There, the transmission was cut.
—Thank god, he didn’t find out.
However, her relief only lasted for a second. Not a single problem had been taken care of. Sakuna looked down at the vial in the puppet’s hands. It was filled with an ominous liquid. It is a type of heavenly tool created by Rone Cornelius’ Nucleus Liberation. These side effects could cause you to die, and not be revived.
Sakuna didn’t realize that she started crying. Everything was too much.
“…”
The magic nucleus could heal all wounds. However, the wounds deep inside Sakuna’s heart will never heal. Not even a heavenly tool can heal psychological pain like this. That’s why Sakuna thought it was a defective product.
“I can’t anymore…”
Nobody heard Sakuna’s words, as they vanished into the darkness. Sakuna couldn’t take this any longer. Maybe she should just die already. But, she didn’t want to. Because there must be people who go through the same hell that she is.
—Do not repeat the same mistake as Millicent Bluenight.
Sakuna remembered those words. What might that blue-haired girl be doing right now. She had been a candidate for a next ‘Crescent Moon’, but she lost herself in the rage and revenge.
“Millicent…”
Sakuna felt an odd connection with her. However, besides Nucleus Liberation, Millient excelled in almost everything, making Sakuna really admire her. Now, she even felt like meeting her, talking to her.
*
Millicent Bluenight was currently locked up in the prison outside the imperial capital, according to what Sakuna had hearts. She washed off the dirt on her body in the bath, put on another Her Excellency Shirt, went to the cafeteria outside and left again, but the girl was nowhere to be seen. The prison guard told her ‘She is not here’ as well. Maybe she had been executed? Sakuna hadn’t heard of this.
“Guess it can’t be helped.” Sakuna told herself, and walked away.
At the Mulnight Empire, there is never night. Even as the sun sinks below the horizon, the capital was always filled with vampires. Someone even pointed at Sakuna, saying ‘Isn’t that the Seven Crimson Deva Memoire-sama?’. Sakuna felt the troubles of the famous, and quickly returned home.
Sakuna was forced to give up on meeting Millicent. Not like she knew what to talk about with her anyway. As she was thinking that, she walked along the street as if to hide from the onlookers, and turned around after finding a certain name written on a door plate.
Bluenight.
Then, Sakuna remembered. This was the nobles’ living area. It wouldn’t be weird for the Bluenight Family to be living here. Though it was weird for the home to remain even after the family had been exiled. Out of a whim, Sakuna headed over to the gate.
Before, the garden had been taken care of dearly, but now weed was growing everywhere, showing no signs that anybody was still living there. Yet, it held a certain amount of magical power, like a ghost was living there.
“………”
Sakuna subconsciously set foot towards the abandoned building. Her desire towards seeing Millicent, and adventurous heart, moved her feet. She stood in front of the door. It wasn’t locked. When Sakuna put strength into her arms, the door opened with a scary creaking sound.
The inside of the building was dimly-lit, as only the moonlight illuminated the darkness. The floor was riddled with dust everywhere, as spiderwebs filled the corners of the walls and roof. No mistaking it, this place had been forgotten by humanity.
Sakuna’s reason was telling her to not waste her time investigating this place. Yet, her feet did not stop. Instead, they were moving up the stairs. Relying on a small white flame of magic on her fingertips, she moved forward.
Was Millicent happy to be removed from Inverted Moon? Sakuna did not know the answer to that. Then again, unlike Sakuna herself, Millicent seemingly found no displeasure in working for Inverted Moon. She might regret having things come this far.
—Sakuna felt something move at her back. She turned around, and found the old picture of a noble lady hanging on the wall. Sakuna felt a chill, but since nothing out of the ordinary could be seen, she turned around again. And then, she saw light burning deep into the hallway.
Nobody should have been there. Carefully, Sakuna made her way forward. A burglar? If so, then Sakuna might actually be killed here—With these timid thoughts unbefitting of a Seven Crimson Deva, Sakuna still won against the fear, and arrived in front of the room.
The door was half-open, allowing Sakuna to take a glance inside. To her surprise, the inside looked like someone was using it as a living space. No dust, dirt, or trash to see. The room was equipped with a bookshelf, a bed, a small kitchen, and even a washing room deeper in the back. At the wall stood decorative plants and other flower arrangements, giving the room a natural sensation.
Sakuna felt like she was looking at a different world. Now that she had come this far, there was no way to turn back. She carefully pressed her body through the opening of the door, when she caught on to something. A table stood in the center of the room, which carried a certain, familiar knife.
—Eh, isn’t this Millicent’s…
“What are you doing, Sakuna Memoire.”
“Hyaaaaaaaaaa?!”
Out of shock, Sakuna’s body flew forwards. She hit her head on the corner of the table, making her vision spin. She even bit her tongue. It hurt…in all sorts of places, actually. Yet, Sakuna had no time to bother with that, as someone stood in front of her.
When Sakuna looked up, she was greeted by a familiar blue-haired girl—Millicent Bluenight. But, how could she be here…?
“W-Why…?”
“Did you come here to assassinate me? You’re not doing a great job at that.”
“N-No…I didn’t come here for that…”
“Figures. Inverted Moon wouldn’t be as stupid to send such a weak assassin.”
They actually are. Inverted Moon is pretty stupid—Sakuna swallowed her thoughts.
“Weren’t you supposed to be in jail?”
“Only until a while ago. Not anymore. Can you stand?” Millicent offered a hand.
Sakuna saw this, glanced up at Millicent’s face, looked down again, and accepted the hand. She felt the warmth coming from the skin. This wasn’t a ghost.
“Would you like some tea, Sakuna Memoire?”
“…You know about me?”
“Of course I do. I kept my eyes on people with talent.” Millicent spoke with an arrogant smile. “Have a seat. You want to talk with me, right?”
Like this, Sakuna ended up having a tea party with her former colleague. Millicent brewed some black tea in a silver teapot, which gave off a delicious scent. Sakuna watched the skilled movement of Millicent, yet again reminding her that she was dealing with a noble. Sakuna just took a sip from her tea, when Millicent spoke up.
“How is Inverted Moon doing? Did they tell you something about me?”
Sakuna almost dropped her cup in response.
“N-No, not exactly…I don’t get in contact with other people…”
“Is that so. You see, countless people already tried to kill me. They’re probably afraid that I would leak information. I did kill all of them though.”
The fact that they didn’t even bother to try and save their captured comrade is what makes Inverted Moon so terrifying. More important than that however, Sakuna needed to ask something.
“…Why are you here?”
“Because a lot of stuff happened.”
“But…”
“I didn’t escape the prison or anything. I received permission to leave. That’s why I’ll be staying here for a while.”
“Then, shouldn’t you be cleaning some more…?”
“Huh? I will do that after this.”
‘You got a problem with that?’ told the expression on Millicent’s face, forcefully shutting Sakuna’s mouth close.
“Still, I’m shocked they actually let me almost go anywhere inside the imperial capital…even back to a place like this.” Millicent let out a sigh.
“Can I ask for the reason why you received permission…”
“A lot happened, as I said.”
“And I want to know about that.”
“I’ll kill you.”
Sakuna’s back stretched naturally, moved by fear. She was scared, yes, but the urge to find out was even stronger. Did she escape after all? Or did she bribe the guard? A lot of possible ideas filled Sakuna’s head, when Millicent glared at her again. She probably shouldn’t think about it that much, since she wasn’t related in any shape or form.
“So, you became a Seven Crimson Deva?”
“Yes…Only by chance, though.”
“Not because the organization ordered you to?”
“No. I had received a different order from them…”
Sakuna explained her circumstances: About how she was killing high-ranking government officials to find the location of the Mulnight’s magic nucleus, how her next mission was to kill the Seven Crimson Devas—and about how she was forced to fight Terakomari Gandezblood now.
The second that name came up, Millicent’s expression changed ever so slightly.
“I have to find the magic nucleus…Do you have any idea where it might be?”
“Why not ask the Empress?”
“I don’t think I would get an answer from her…”
“Probably not.” Millicent crossed her legs as she continued. “Since Inverted Moon has yet to find it after all their efforts, there’s no way you could find it on your own…Well, I guess that things like these might be more close than we assume.”
“But, I have to find it…”
“You’re probably fed up from working for Inverted Moon, right?”
“Why do you…”
“It’s written all over your face.” Millicent showed a snicker.
Sakuna was surprised to see her laugh like that.
“That’s why you came to meet me, someone who has succeeded to escape from Inverted Moon’s grasp…correct?”
“Yes…Millicent-san, what should I…” Sakuna’s words got stuck in her throat.
She assumed their environments were fairly similar, but that was a foolish thought. Sakuna wanted to escape Inverted Moon, but she could not do so. Millicent was removed from the organization through an unfortunate (?) event, although she did not want to.
“If there’s something you want to say, then do it.” Millicent clicked her tongue. “I hate this half-hearted attitude.”
“Eek…I-I’m sorry…Then, I will say it…Millicent, what should I do to escape Inverted Moon…?”
“Just escape them?”
“I am asking for the method right now…”
“Did you not listen to me?”
Sakuna was glared at, and silenced.
“Well, there’s countless methods you could use to escape. Act like you died, and go into hiding. Or get kicked out after failing like I did—Oh wait, in your case, your family is being kept hostage, right?”
Sakuna nodded.
“I see.” Millicent’s face tightened up. “In the past, I was told ‘Love what you love, and kill what you want to kill’. I’ve been living after this principle ever since, but I have the strength to do that. For those who don’t, that might prove impossible.”
“That does make sense…I am weak, after all.”
“Your heart is what’s weak.”
Sakuna’s face shot up.
“Not like I’m one to talk.” Millicent let out a sigh. “You lack courage.”
“…I know that.”
“I’m not talking about courage to face any difficulty. I’m talking about courage to use whatever method necessary.”
Sakuna was at a loss.
“There should be countless other methods. For example…I know, you’re close with Terakomari, right? Why not ask her for help?”
“I-I can’t…! I don’t want her to get wrapped up in this.”
“Are you a moron? She is already being targeted.”
“But…”
“And also, she possesses enough strength to destroy Inverted Moon with a mere pinky…Although it pains me to say it.”
“I can’t believe that.”
“Neither can I.” Millicent grit her teeth, as her hand holding the tea cup quivered. “What’s even more unbelievable is the fact that Terakomari is unaware of her strength. She believes that she’s weak. Yet, she came to fight me…I guess that strong heart of hers allowed her to win.”
“…Um, do you actually hate Terakomari-san…?”
“I loathe her to the part of wanting to kill her.”
Sakuna was glared at again, and forced to keep quiet.
“I hate those who worship her just as much. Sakuna Memoire, what exactly is that god awful shirt about? Are you making fun of me?”
Sakuna looked down at her own clothes, and found a smiling Komari.
“…I-I’m not making fun of you! I really like these clothes. I have around ten of these at home, so would you like one?”
“Like hell I do.” She really sounded disgusted at that. “For crying out loud, I can only see this country doomed to fail with all these fanatics. They all judge Terakomari based on her appearance. The same goes for you, of course.”
“Terakomari-san is very kind, so it’s not just her outer appearance.”
“Heh. Just to let you know, she’s not just kind.”
Sakuna was surprised, and looked at Millicent’s face. She cleared her throat, and changed the subject.
“My goal is to kill Terakomari, and to revive the Bluenight Family. My family is filled with useless folks, but…they might be out there somewhere…Though I don’t know if they’re still alive or not…They are still my family. That’s why I will defeat the Gandezblood Family, and bring glory to the Bluenight Family again.”
“Are you done with Inverted Moon?”
“……” Millicent put her mouth to the tea cup.
It was a gesture as if to cover a slip-up.
“Enough about me. If you want to be saved, then you have to ask someone for help. Talk to Terakomari, her ridiculous sense of justice will make her help you. There’s no other way for you, is there?”
“Do I…even have the right to take such a path?”
“You’re still complaining even now? Also, if there’s no way, then just open up a path of your own. Those with a heart of steel like that will be the ones to win in the end.”
“I wonder…”
“That’s just how it is.”
Millicent’s words stay with Sakuna. The two couldn’t be more different. ‘Open up a path of your own’ is a phrase only the strong are allowed to use. Sakuna can’t become someone like Millicent.
I have to save my family in my own way.
Sakuna continued her conversation with Millicent. Although she couldn’t find out the reason why Millicent was staying in this place, she apparently planned to hide herself and sharpen her fangs. These were preparations to one day kill Terakomari. But, all she revealed was that she kept training herself.
“I’m doing some other things on the side. Gathering information, reading lots of books.”
“O-Okay…for what sake?”
“I will use the knowledge of this entire world as my nourishment. Even knowledge can become a blade to defeat the enemy.”
Sakuna looked over at the bookshelf, and spotted literary magazines aimed at girls. Since Sakuna reads those as well, she could tell that there was even the newest issue. Millicent probably went out before to buy this. How will literature aimed at girls become a blade? Well, not like that mattered. Millicent was a girl her age. There’s plush toys on her bed even, so she might be quite girlish. Sakuna acted like she didn’t see anything.
—If Sakuna had looked around more deeply, she might have spotted the possible reason why Millicent was allowed such an extensive amount of freedom. A single envelope laid on the bed. The imperial crest was on the back of this luxurious letter.
Yet, Sakuna did not see it. She didn’t even try to. All that filled Sakuna’s head was a headache, and the fear of what was about to come.
“Thank you very much for today.” She left her thanks, and stepped out of the room.
At the very last, Millicent gave Sakuna the following words.
“If push comes to shove, let Terakomari drink your blood. If you do, she will be able to save you even if you die.”
Sakuna didn’t understand the meaning behind those words. She felt that Millicent had changed from before. How she was more calm, and how she was living more straightforward. In the end, she was completely different from Sakuna. She can’t become a good reference for her.
In the end, the only way to save herself is to do something about it with her own strength.
1 The original speaks of a ‘New Moon’, as it refers to the first visible crescent of the Moon after conjunction with the Sun
Looking down at someone else’s memories can be compared to looking up at the starry sky. The smallest unit comprising one’s memories has the size of a mere speck. This very speck is the knowledge or certain episode that is engraved in the brain, of which exist an endless number, combining together like a phone number to create star constellations. Hence, looking at someone’s memories can be compared to observing the constellations in the sky.
Formerly, Sakuna enjoyed observing the sky like that. But, what about now? She certainly didn’t hate it, but by constantly observing someone else’s memories, the stars started to have a more vulgar, disgusting meaning to it.
“—But, you might be able to see something else if you went with your family again.” Her father said with a worried tone.
After Sakuna finished her work as a Seven Crimson Deva and returned to her dorm, her father arrived shortly after. He would sometimes arrive without previously contacting Sakuna, saying that ‘I’m going to make you dinner’, and leave again. It’s the same as always. Her father was better at cooking than her mother.
“Watching the stars, huh. I wonder when I can go again.” Sakuna snuggled up to the Komari plush toy she made herself, and observed the figure of his father standing in the kitchen.
“Doesn’t that just depend on your efforts, Sakuna? I’d love to help, but I don’t really understand much about that sort of stuff.”
“Yeah, I have to work hard…”
The sound of the knife hitting the cutting board was comfortable. Her father turned around, flashing a kind smile.
“It’ll be fine. I think you’re doing a great job. You’re a Seven Crimson Deva with your own corps to take care of, and you even control the area late at night because of this terrorist.”
“But, we did no patrol tonight. Villhaze-san said that the terrorist probably won’t appear for a while now…”
“I see. Then take a good rest today.”
In reality, Sakuna can’t rest. Because she has a different job from being a Seven Crimson Deva—Namely, as a member of the terrorist organization ‘Inverted Moon’.
After waiting for a brief moment, Sakuna’s father brought the food. Today he made some delicious curry rice. Her father’s curry was always delicious, she loved it ever since she was little. The two sat together with a ‘Thanks for the food’, and started eating. It really was delicious. While eating, the two talked about all sorts of things.
—About her favorite books, her favorite music, her favorite constellation, about their family, and her older sister.
During these days where her heart was slowly destroyed because of her work at Inverted Moon, spending time with her family was her one saving grace. So many times she wished for this time to continue endlessly. If possible, not just with her father, but her mother, and older sister as well…
“It was delicious.”
Time always flies whenever you enjoy yourself. Having finished his curry, Sakuna’s father stood up, and went home with a brief ‘I’ll stop by again another time’. Sakuna was forced back into reality. Her heart immediately started to feel heavy.
“Father…” Sakuna thought over her father in her mind.
The composition of his memories, or in other words, the constellation of his psyche resembled ‘Aquila’. Everyone of Sakuna’s family held a beautiful constellation of memories.
“I’ll try my best…to protect my family.” Sakuna glanced up at the picture of Terakomari Gandezblood hanging up on the ceiling, as she forced the corners of her mouth up into a smile. “Oh right, I have to read the novel I borrowed from Terakomari-san.”
*
This is a nightmare. This Seven Crimson Deva War turned out to be a battle to the death. How could anyone refer to this as entertainment? That Empress must be beyond help…Then again, not like I didn’t already know about that.
Another day arrived after yesterday’s Seven Crimson Deva Meeting. What greeted me right away was this notice of the ‘Seven Crimson Deva War’. Of course, finding out about Odilon Metal and Frete Masquerelle’s plan, I was filled with despair. Unable to muster up any motivation to work, I just leaned against the chair inside my office, not even bothering with my perverted maid sexually harassing me (or in other words, fondling every part of my body), and just went home when it was time to do so.
Normally I’d have to patrol the surrounding area with Sakuna, but Vill said that ‘We aren’t seeing any results as of right now, so let us put patrol on hold’, which is why I didn’t have to work overtime anymore. I guess this was her way of acting considerate.
And, once I came home, I fell down on my bed, looking up at the ceiling. I’m done for. I’m going to die. No, I am already dead. I was hit by a wave of despair, leaving me unable to move any longer.
“Komari-sama, please get up. I’ve finished preparing dinner.”
“I lost my emotions. I don’t care anymore.”
“I made hamburgers for you.”
“……”
After thinking about it for a bit, I lifted up my body. They say that you can’t sleep with an empty stomach after all, and I didn’t want to let Vill’s cooking go to waste. When I sat in front of my room’s table, Vill brought the food: Hamburgers. The scent they gave off tickled my nose, and when I carried a piece of them into my mouth, a rush of happiness filled me. I knew it, Vill’s cooking is the best in the world.
“How is the taste, Komari-sama.”
“It’s delicious!”
“Will you be able to give it your all during the Seven Crimson Deva War?”
“Yup, I will…Wait, it’s not that simple, okay!?”
All my happiness got blown away again. Don’t pull me back to reality like that.
“What should we do about this! I’ll definitely get killed for sure this time!”
“I will die with you, so do not worry.”
“That doesn’t help in any way!”
“Whenever you’re about to die, I will act as a shield, Komari-sama.”
“You don’t have to go that far!”
What should I do? Feign illness? No, that won’t work. Vill will pull me outside either way. Then should I bribe the other Seven Crimson Devas? That won’t work either. Vill will stop me—Wait, isn’t Vill trying to get me killed the most?
“Ugh…I can’t be a Seven Crimson Deva after all…Maybe I can ask someone else to take over for me.”
“Then you will explode as well, Komari-sama. And, you don’t have to go that far. Komari-sama, do you remember what I have been doing all this time?”
“Sexually harassing me, right?”
“Not quite, I was showing you my love. And that is not what I meant. Did I ever let you die once, Komari-sama?”
If she tells me that, then I can’t say anything. She did save me several times until now. I survived the Seven Crimson Deva Meeting solely because of her help. But, that’s not a guarantee that I will be saved this time around.
“…Why do I have to suffer like this? I don’t want to work as a Seven Crimson Deva.”
“Then, what other work would you be willing to do, Komari-sama?”
“I don’t plan on working anywhere.”
“What about permanent employment?”
Permanent employment…? Ah, becoming a wife? That might be a nice idea. Sadly I don’t have anybody in mind to marry.
“I am free, you know?”
“Huh?”
“If you were searching for permanent employment, I would be more than willing…”
“What are you talking about? You’re a girl, Vill. We can’t get married.”
“………”
For some reason, Vill’s expression suddenly was distorted in despair. I really cannot tell what she’s thinking. I just put another piece of hamburger in my mouth, and drank some tea before speaking up.
“…Well, I do have a dream. I want to become a novelist.”
“I am aware of that. However, no matter how well-received or not your novel may be, you will still explode since you ignore your work as a Seven Crimson Deva.”
“Yeah yeah, I know. I plan to use a pen-name. I’d be embarrassed to use my real name.”
“What kind of pen-name?”
“I haven’t decided on it yet. For now, I’m using my real name…”
“I see. So you did that for ‘Orange Season of Love’ as well?”
“Yup. On the backside of the manuscript’s first page, I wrote my real name.”
“So then, Sakuna Memoire should find out.”
“Come again?”
“She is going to read the manuscript, is she not?”
“……”
Huh? Wait, hold on a second. That’s…
“That’s…”
“That is?”
“That is terribly bad!” I held my head as I jumped up from my seat.
This is a nightmare. To think the legendary sage that I am would make such a mistake! I planned to use an anonymous name, but I wrote my actual one! I wrote this with all my soul…and Sakuna will read that…knowing that I’m the author…Waaaaaaaaaah!!!
“I-I’m going over to Sakuna’s place right now!”
“What would you do then? She most likely already figured it out.”
“There’s a small chance that she hasn’t! That’s why, we have to rush over there! If she finds out that I wrote that novel, my pride as a Senpai will be shattered!”
“Did you ever have any pride like—Wait, Komari-sama! This is no time to be strolling the night streets alone! It’s too dangerous!”
I ran out of my home while still wearing my personal clothes. I ignored the screaming maid, and just rushed to retrieve my manuscript from Sakuna. And then, after I remove the part where I wrote ‘Terakomari Gandezblood’, I will let her read it. This isn’t the time to be shutting myself in…!
*
My stamina did not hold for a mere minute. I was forcefully reminded of my severe lack in exercise.
“…Ugh…D-Damn it…I definitely…Huff…can’t let her…Phew…read that…”
My legs hurt. My chest felt tight. But, I couldn’t stop. From the outside, I might have looked like a soldier dashing along the battlefield. My breath ran out, but my feet kept running. Because…that book has…some depictions that a child should not be reading about…O-Of course, it’s not that I like these types of scenes, but they were merely necessary to push forward the story.
…Whatever the reason may be, Sakuna definitely will be disappointed if she reads this. And, I don’t want her to be disappointed. I don’t want to lose a potential friend, who understands my worries…!
I kept running like my life depended on it, when I could finally see the bridge. The bridge that lets me cross the Whatever River (I forgot the name), letting me onto the palace grounds. Once I make it across there, I’ll be right at Sakuna’s home—the Imperial Army’s Girls Dorm.
“A-Alright. Just you wait for me, Saku—Wah?”
My feet slipped on the stairs. If I kept falling, I would have slammed my face into the guard rail, so I tried to twist my body, but I failed. My body wouldn’t move because of the accumulated exhaustion. When I realized what was going on, I was slipping down the bank, and landed in the river. And then, fear assaulted my body. Was this river always so deep…?
“S-Someone…save…me…”
I flapped my feet in a desperate attempt to get back to the river bank, but I failed. Only water splattered up around me, but I made no progress. I just continued to sink, as the water entered my mouth, and ran down to my lungs.
I can’t breathe. To think I would die at such a place, completely unrelated to the Seven Crimson Deva War. I should have practiced my swimming—I gave up on my life, when…
“Are you okay!?”
I heard someone’s voice, and felt something pull on my arm. When I realized what was going on, I was already out of the air, soaring through the sky towards the land. Then, I gently landed on my behind. If I had to guess, this was thanks to magic that could control the impact. I coughed up the air that had infiltrated my lungs, and confirmed that I was still alive. Finally, I could focus my attention on something else.
Who had saved me? Judging from the voice, it couldn’t have been Vill…
“That was too close for comfort, was it not! I am quite surprised to find out that you cannot swim, Gandezblood-dono!”
I saw a man wearing religious clothing. It was the weirdo who always preached his faith, Heldeus Heaven.
“W-Why are you here…?”
“Ha ha ha, I had some unrefined work to attend to, see.”
There’s only the girls dorm around here. I’m getting really bad Chaostell vibes from this, but he saved my life, so I won’t butt in his business. If anything, I need to thank him. Slightly flustered, I turned towards Heldeus, and lowered my head.
“Thank you…very much…you saved me.”
“No need to thank me! I only did my duty! By the way, how are you feeling? Should I send you home?”
“I-I’m okay. I thank you for worrying about me. I’m in a rush right now. I’ll definitely repay you later, so please forgive me with that.”
“I do not need any thanks. Saving someone in trouble is what a follower of God would do. If anything, I recommend getting a new change of clothes. You might catch a cold at this rate.”
“I’m fine, so I’ll be—”
“Why would you be in such a rush, I wonder?”
I froze up. I hoped he wouldn’t bring that up. I calmed down as best as possible.
“It’s Sakuna. I have some business with her.”
Heldeus’ eyes narrowed. Hm? Did the atmosphere around him change?
“Oh? Business with Memoire-dono, huh. What might that be?”
“We planned to meet up and play twister together.”
“Oho? I’d love to join in on that.”
Don’t. I’ll get you arrested, you Chaostell wannabe.
“I was only joking! Please do not look at me with such gaze. However, I am happy to see that Memoire-dono is blessed with such a great friend. It truly is a wonderful thing. She has been alone almost all her life, so I was quite worried.”
“Really…?”
Oh yeah, Sakuna was an orphan at the orphanage Heldeus is responsible for. I guess that this perverted priest was something like a father figure for Sakuna. Maybe I shouldn*t be calling him a pervert after all. But, I would really love to see Sakuna now, so can I go?
“Anyway, thanks a lot, Heldeus. I’ll properly thank you another time, but I’m in a rush here…”
“Understood. Please take care of Memoire-dono…No, Sakuna.”
“I-Indeed, I will.” I lowered my head one last time, and started walking again as my muscles were screaming in pain.
He’s an unexpectedly honest person, that Heldeus. Well, leaving that aside, I have to hurry…!
It’s probably because I was hurrying like this that I could not pick up on the priest’s cold words.
“…Farewell, Gandezblood-dono. I hope that you can find happiness in God’s land.”
*
I arrived at the dorm. However, I did not know her room number, which led me to panic for a second, but thankfully her name was written on the mailbox. I made my way to Sakuna’s room, and pressed the doorbell after slight hesitation.
“Eeeek!?”
A shriek came from the inside. Following that, I heard the sounds of something rummaging and falling over. I think Sakuna hit her foot on the table as well, as a painful-sounding ‘Ugh!’ reached my ears. And it didn’t end there, as I heard footsteps approaching the door, only to separate away with yet another scream. If I had to guess, she probably saw me through the peephole.
“Sakuna, sorry that I suddenly came here…Did I bother you during something?”
“Not at all! That is definitely not the case!”
The door slowly opened. But, the door was still additionally locked with a chain. I guess she’s just extra careful. Through the small opening, I could see that Sakuna was still wearing her military uniform. I’m a bit disappointed that I didn’t get to see her clothes at home.
“Um…Terakomari-san? Do you have some business with me?”
“Not exactly business, I just wanted to talk with you about that novel from before…”
“Wait, what happened to you!? You’re drenched!”
“Hm? Oh right, I fell into the river a few minutes ago.”
“River!? …C-Come in and change into some dry clothes. I don’t want you to catch a cold.”
“No, the novel is more important right now…”
Slam! The door closed in front of me. I heard rummaging sounds inside again. After waiting for a brief moment, Sakuna returned, and slightly opened the door.
“Um…I do…have a change of clothes, but…they’re a bit weird.” Sakuna said, only to shake her head right after. “No, it’s rude of me to call them weird!”
“Weird? Do they have pictures of capybaras on them or something?”
“That’s not it…I’m sorry, this is all that I had…”
She handed me a shirt through the gap. I opened it up, and my face (half-smiling) greeted me. Well, this indeed is weird.
“…Where did you…?”
“I bought it at a store! S-Since it was someone I knew, I thought I might as well…”
So the fact that these shirts were sold publicly was the truth, I see. How troublesome, I can’t wear something like—
“Achoo!” I sneezed.
Sakuna grew pale, screaming ‘Are you okay!?’. I just showed a smile with ‘I’m fine, I’m fine’.
“More importantly, the novel—”
“I-I still am worried! Please, take a shower first! You can use mine, so…Ah, my room is a bit messy, so I would be happy if you didn’t pay much attention…No, if you could not look at the living room by any means…A-Anyway, I will take you there. Please, come in.”
I don’t really get what she was asking from me, but for now, I followed her inside the room. Honestly speaking, I really didn’t care about taking a shower. I wanted to take care of the novel before anything else. That being said, Sakuna seemed like she wanted me to take a shower and change into some fresh clothes before listening to anything I say. Can’t be helped, I’ll listen to Sakuna this time.
“Here you go. I will prepare some underwear in a moment.”
“…Underwear? Yours?”
“Ah, no…I have underwear with a perfect size that I put on the puppets…Ah, no, I didn’t say anything, please forget about that!”
“R-Really? Well, if you say so.”
“Take your time!” Sakuna ran away.
Having been left behind in the changing room, I took off my clothes. There, I thought to myself.
So in the end, I’ll have to wear that shirt, huh. What rotten luck.
Maybe I should ask Sakuna for other clothes instead? I put on my clothes again, and left the changing room. Walking down the dimly-lit hallway, I found the door to what probably led to the living room.
“Sakuna. Sorry to be this picky, but do you have any other clothes? I feel a bit uncomfortable wearing clothes with my own face on—”
At first, I thought I waltzed into some weird store. These ‘things’ were everywhere. But, I realized the oddity right away. Wherever I looked, I saw myself. Puppets that looked like me, plush toys that depicted me, a hugging pillow with my face printed on it, posters of me, pictures of me, the shirts with my face on it, drawings of me—No matter where I looked, I saw Terakomari Gandezblood. It’s like I entered a me-themed room at an amusement park.
I was baffled at this scenery. What the heck is this. Am I dreaming?
“…Terakomari…san…”
A silver white girl stood in the middle of this absurd scenery, looking at me with a face like she was close to breaking out in tears. It’s like her secret was found out, by the worst person possible. Well, I figure that that’s what’s going on here anyway.
“Y-You’re wrong. This is not what you think it is…”
I wonder what I am wrong about? She gave no detailed explanation. She probably can’t even. All I could do was stand there in silence, and forget about the novel. I guess that this girl was hiding something even more tremendous than me. I feel like an idiot for panicking about these three kissing scenes in my novel.
“T-Terakomari-san…” She looked at me with a pleading gaze.
I didn’t know what to do. That being the case, I chose the easy way out.
“I’ll go take a shower.”
*
Twenty minutes later, I sat inside the living room filled with myself, facing Sakuna. On a side note, since I really couldn’t ask for different clothes in that situation, so I wore the shirt with my face on it. It was embarrassing as all hell. But, it couldn’t even compare to the shame I felt just sitting in this room. Just what did Sakuna feel while decorating the room like this?
“…Sakuna.”
“Yesh!”
Just by having her name called out, Sakuna froze up. I tried to call out to her with as much of a gentle voice I could muster.
“This room sure is amazing. There’s so much of me.”
“Ugh…I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”
“You don’t have to apologize! And don’t cry like that, I’m not angry!
“I’m sorry…I just…I just like Terakomari-san so much…!”
“……”
What kind of confession is that? I could tell that much. But, Sakuna kept going.
“Terakomari-san is…strong…beautiful…cool…someone I always admired, so when I decided to become more like you, I subconsciously gathered all these goods, made these puppets myself, and the room ended up this way…”
“You made some stuff yourself?”
“Yes. I made these 15 life-sized puppets myself, and I think they turned out pretty great. I greet them every day, talk with them, and act like they are the real Terakomari-san…”
I looked around the room. All these different Komaris stared at me without any expression.
“I-I see. Well, everyone has their own hobbies, and I have a few secrets as well, so…”
“Do you mean the fact that you write novels?”
She knewwwwwwwwww!?
“…Yeah…how did you find out?”
“Villhaze-san previously told me.”
It’s that perverted maid’s doing again…I will definitely kill her for this…Then again, I don’t feel like this is such a big problem. The second I saw this room, I started to think of these kiss scenes as something trivial and cute in comparison.
“I’m sorry, you must be disgusted…I understand…” Sakuna said with a voice about to disappear.
I really wasn’t angry or anything. Gathering goods of someone you like is something normal, and I didn’t want to risk the relationship we have right now.
“I really don’t mind at all. You are free to like what you want.”
“Really…? Then, can I make more goods?”
“Well, keep it at an acceptable level.”
Sakuna showed me a blooming smile.
“Terakomari-san, you really are kind. Any normal person would be disgusted at me.”
“Ha ha ha. I am the strongest Seven Crimson Deva after all, so I won’t be shocked by something like this. If anything, I’m happy to know that you feel like this about me, Sakuna.”
“R-Really…Ehehehe…”
“Hahahahaha..”
……
…What should I even talk about now. My head won’t work because of this absurd scenery. I’m acting tough right now, but in reality, this would be enough to keep me perplexed for days. I feel like I’ll have a nightmare about this.
Now that I think about it, I don’t have any business with Sakuna anymore, do I? The case with the novel has been cleared up as well, so we should be able to talk freely then…Yeah, I want to talk about her hobbies.
“Terakomari-san, how do you feel about the Seven Crimson Deva War?”
Or so I thought, but my hopes and dreams were cut off mercilessly. Not to mention that it had to be about work again.
“I…am worried. Everyone is really strong, so a weakling like me clearly does not fit in there…At this rate, I will get killed immediately.”
…No worries, I’ll be the first one to get slaughtered.
“That’s not the case. You can use magic, can you not?”
“I can, but it’s not anything amazing…Even if I can use magic…or Nucleus Liberation, as long as I can’t kill the enemy, there’s no meaning to it.”
“Eh, kill?”
Sakuna seemed to be hung up on this. I guess I didn’t mishear her then…Did she really just say ‘Kill’? I mean, she is a Seven Crimson Deva, and the goal of the War is to kill other Devas, but I didn’t expect the fragile Sakuna to use such vocabulary. Suddenly, the girl spoke up, saying ‘I’m sorry’.
“I misspoke. I meant to say ‘As long as I get killed by the enemy, there’s no meaning to it’…I am a useless vampire after all, so if I get killed before being able to use magic, then it’s over. I’m scared of being killed…”
“I see…Nobody wants to be killed after all.”
“And…I don’t want to fight Terakomari-san…” She looked at me, tears building up in her eyes.
As the name suggests, the Seven Crimson Deva War is an event where us Seven Crimson Devas fight against each other. Normally, Sakuna and I would have to fight to the death. However, I had an idea of my own.
“We just have to form an alliance.”
“Eh?”
“There’s no rule that’s against us grouping up. If we work together, we have one less enemy to worry about, and we gain an important ally. Don’t you think it’s a great idea?”
“Is that really okay? I’m worried that I will just pull you down, Terakomari-san.”
“Of course it is. If anything, I’m worried that I’m a liability.”
“B-But…” Sakuna started fidgeting. “Why are you treating me this kindly? Strictly speaking…I am your…stalker after all…”
I really don’t care too much about that. There’s plenty of people like that around me anyway. More simply, if I work together with Sakuna, the chances of me making it out of this alive are much greater, and I personally couldn’t cast aside this girl either. Watching this expression of hers, I want to save her…Man, I really sound arrogant thinking this. Sakuna is much stronger than me…I just…
“B-Because we’re friends.” I accidentally blurted out. “Because we’re friends, we’ll work together. That’s why I offered.”
“Friends…”
“…Um, do you dislike the idea of being friends with me…”
“N-No, not at all! It would be an honor! If anything, I should be the one to ask you!”
“I-I see…! Then, we’re friends.”
We both looked at each other, and smiled. I was relieved. I said ‘Friends’ in the heat of the moment, so if Sakuna went and reacted with ‘Friends? We? Gross’, I probably would have hanged myself. Now…we’re friends, huh? She’s my first friend. I’ve never been happier…!
“I understand. The 7th Corps and 6th Corps will be working together then.”
“Indeed. I will let everyone know.”
“Ah, I know.” Sakuna clapped her hands together. “Let us ask Heldeus-san as well. Knowing him, he should probably understand.”
“Heldeus…? Are you sure about this?”
“He might be a bit special at times, but I trust him.”
Well, he did save me from drowning, and stood up for me during the Seven Crimson Deva Meeting. He might be more of a proper person than I previously assumed him to be.
“Then, let’s ask Heldeus as well. Oh right, you grew up at his orphanage, right?”
“Yes. After my family had been killed, he took me in.”
“……”
That took a dark turn really quick. I don’t even know how to respond.
“Ah, well, I do have a family.”
“So they revived thanks to the magic nucleus? But then, why did you start living in the orphanage…?”
“Fufu~” Sakuna showed a mysterious smile.
So she can even make an expression like that…I felt a bit of a chill. A weird atmosphere was trapped in her eyes, as she looked at me. However, that was only the case for a brief moment, as the weak atmosphere came back to her.
“That is my family.” Sakuna pointed at a picture frame on a shelf.
There, I saw a gleeful family of four. A young Sakuna, another girl with her hand on Sakuna’s head—probably her older sister, watched over by their parents behind them.
“My Onee-chan’s name was also Komari.”
“Really? What a coincidence.”
“Yes. She had very beautiful memories, looking like ‘Delphinus’…”
“…Hm? What do you mean?”
“I can tell the shape of other people’s souls.” Sakuna suddenly took my hand.
Her hand was cold.
“Are you freezing? Your hand is cold.”
“No, we from the Sougykoku Race just have a cold body temperature to begin with. Since the place where we live, the Hakkyoku Federation, is a cold area, we can’t love without this kind of physique.”
“I-I see.”
“My blood must be really cold. Would you like to have a taste?”
“I’ll hold off of that.”
“Sure.” Sakuna said as she smiled. “Should we go have a look at the stars? They say that you should look at something beautiful during your last breath after all. And, the room will get dirty at this rate.”
“Sakuna…?”
She forcefully grabbed my arm, pulling me outside the room. A bat flew past my face, almost making me shriek in the process. Sakuna however ignored me, until we arrived at the backyard.
It was your average backyard. I heard a distant owl. There were some beautiful hydrangea blooming in the yard. If we came here during the day, it might have been even better to look at.
“Terakomari-san, please look up.”
I did as I was told. What opened up in front of me was a starry sky. It didn’t look any different from always, and yet it was beautiful nonetheless.
“That is ‘Delphinus’. It is a dolphin ridden by a God as they dive through the sea of stars. And over there is ‘Aquila’, next to it—”
Sakuna pointed at one constellation after the other, but I could not tell at all. All I could see that the stars were shining bright…maybe I lacked the knowledge and taste to understand the beauty of it.
“It sure is calming to look up at the stars.”
“Right. The star constellations are a beauty to look at.” Though I didn’t know what constellation I was looking at.
“Your memories have the shape of a beautiful constellation as well, Terakomari-san.”
I snuck a glance at Sakuna’s profile. She looked up at the stars in full admiration.
“…Terakomari-san, why do you think the terrorist is killing?”
“Fueh?” I was baffled at this sudden switch of subject. “Well…I mean, maybe it’s his hobby? There’s lots of people who enjoy killing around me.”
“I highly doubt that. If I had to guess, they probably are forced to kil..”
“That might be true, but…”
“Terakomari-san, can I ask you two questions.”
“S-Sure?”
“Thank you very much. Let us assume that a terrorist took your family hostage, and they threaten you to kill them if you don’t kill who they order you to, what would you do? Would you obey them? Or…would you run away and abandon your family?”
What kind of question is that? Some part of a psychological test? Well, Sakuna looked awfully serious, so I don’t think she’s just joking around. That’s why I told her my answer.
“I would defeat the terrorist.”
“Eh…”
“The wrong person in this case is the terrorist who took your family hostage. If they’re gone, everything will be resolved.”
I don’t want to kill people. I also don’t want my family to be killed. That’s why that is the only option for me…Then again, saying it is one thing, but being able to execute that in reality is an entirely different matter. The chances of me running away might be pretty high. At the same time, I can’t discard my family either…Hm, how troublesome.
“That is what I expected to hear. If it was me, I would not be able to…” Sakuna showed admiration towards my response.
I wonder why, but this doesn’t feel like a funsies psychology test after all. It’s not actually true, right…? I was thinking that, when Sakuna suddenly turned towards me. Tears filled her eyes.
“Please, look up at the sky. It’s going to be over soon.”
“Hold on, you’ve been acting weird for a while now…Um, are you crying? Are you hurt anywhere? If so, then—”
Sakuna slowly reached for me with her hands. My body wouldn’t move. I can’t take my eyes off of her. I felt like something horrible was about to happen, but the way Sakuna looked at me made me feel like a snake had me in its aim. And then, I realized that someone was casting magic on me: Beginner-tier restriction magic <Sleep Paralysis>.
Maybe Sakuna was angry at me. Yeah, that had to be it. She must be furious because I practically invited myself into her room, finding out about her secret obsession with me. She must be planning on taking me down to hell in revenge. Her fingertips touched my stomach.
“W-Wait, Sakuna! I’m bad with getting tickled! I tend to run out of breath right away, and I might just die in the process. I’ll apologize for finding out your secret, so…”
“Komari-sama, it is time for us to head home.”
The next moment, Sakuna moved her body back like she touched a hot surface. In a shock, I turned around, as the perverted maid appeared from the darkness. Since when have you been there? This ain’t some horror movie.
“You have to work tomorrow. Staying up too late will leave you unable to get up early in the morning.”
“Work!? Tomorrow is a Saturday, right!?”
“What are you saying? We have to prepare for the Seven Crimson Deva War, and observe your subordinates during their practice. Now, let us head home. You have yet to eat your dinner.”
“Oh.”
My stomach grumbled right as she said that. I want to eat more of Vill’s hamburgers. Though they probably got cold by now.
“Memoire-dono, if you would excuse us.”
“Y-Yes.”
Vill turned towards Sakuna, and gave a slight bow. In response, Sakuna looked awfully panicky and flustered, yet equally relieved. I felt like something was off, but I failed to grasp its identity.
“Sakuna, we’ll be going home now. Let’s do our best during the Seven Crimson Deva War.”
“Yes. Good night, Terakomari-san.”
“Yup, night.”
With these words, Vill and I left the girls’ dorm. When I turned around, Sakuna looked up at the night sky. I was about to go back in worry, but Vill forcefully pulled my arm along, not allowing me to stop.
“What’s wrong? You’re hurting me.”
“My deepest apologies. However, Sakuna Memoire is dangerous.”
Dangerous? I don’t get it. Also, let go of my arm already. Don’t just link your fingers with mine. Ouch…! Were you always this strong…!?
“What are you talking about? I think you’re much more dangerous.”
“I felt killing intent. It was very weak, but I’m sure…”
“Of course you did. Sakuna was going to tickle me to death. Also, can we stop holding hands? I’m not some small child.”
“It would be troublesome if you got lost, so I am not letting go of you, Komari-sama.”
“Stop already, this is embarrassing!”
“You say that, as you wear a shirt with your own face on it.”
“………”
I couldn’t argue back. Vill however continued with a serious tone.
“We have to be more careful of Sakuna Memoire’s actions. I say that you should stay away from her, Komari-sama. Watching the stars like that cannot ever happen again. I should not have allowed such a situation. That’s why, let us watch the stars now together, Komari-sama.” Vill tightly held my hand.
Stop it already. If you go any further, you’re going to break my hand. Don’t underestimate how weak I am. In the end, we continued for a while, but Vill would not let go of my hand. Deep inside of me, I couldn’t forget about Sakuna’s face, and her pained expression. Just what was she thinking at that time? Since I could not use any magic to read someone else’s heart, I had no way of knowing.
*
Sakuna Memoire’s Nucleus Liberation is a superpower which allows you to look inside people’s memories, and meddle with their mind. The terrorist organization ‘Inverted Moon’ is using this power to try and figure out the location of the magic nucleus.
This magic nucleus is a special-grade heavenly toll that possesses endless magical power, and gives an unlimited supply of life force. However, even if every person knows of its existence, nobody has ever seen it. And that’s the logical conclusion. The magic nucleus is the greatest secret kept of every country. It’s location, shape, and other details are under the secrecy of the government.
On a side note, through offering blood to the magic nucleus during a ritual, you gain this endless supply of magical power and life force, which is common sense, but the said ritual does not happen in front of this magical nucleus. Rather, by infusing this blood with the ‘magic lines’, this blood will be carried to the main body—In other words, even the specialist in charge of this ritual does not know the real identity of the magic nucleus.
This was the reason why Sakuna was forced to loiter around the imperial palace night after night, killing government officials. However, no results followed. Not even the prime minister of the Empire, Alman Gandezblood, knew the location of the magic nucleus. Most likely, only the Empress knew of this, but with Sakuna’s current abilities, defeating her would be suicide. That is why Inverted Moon gave Sakuna the following order.
“For now, kill the Seven Crimson Devas and gather information.”
Until now, Sakuna was only given easy targets. Inverted Moon figured that only the strongest people in the Empire held information to the magic nucleus.
“Thank god…Or, should I really be happy about that…” Sakuna muttered, as she looked up at the starry sky.
She couldn’t kill Terakomari Gandezblood. She could not kill her own heart to defile their new-found friendship. That is why Sakuna was relieved when she missed the timing to kill, and Vill interrupted them. At the very least, she didn’t have to kill today.
…Then again, Sakuna did not have the confidence that she could create such a situation again. How strong was Terakomari Gandezblood? Sakuna wasn’t as doubtful as Frete Masquarelle, but the girl’s battle power was still unknown. She should have gathered more intel when she killed Alman Gandezblood, but regretting it won’t do anything.
She sighed, wondering what she was even doing. On the outside, she was a Seven Crimson Deva, doing work that did not fit her any any means, and hidden beneath that, she was committing murder as a terrorist. Something she hated more than anything. Is there even any meaning to a life such as this? With these thoughts, she returned to her room.
A comfortable breeze hit her, leading Sakuna to close one eye. In doing so, she saw a window open that should not have been. The curtains swayed left and right, creating an odd shadow. Just when Sakuna wondered what was going on, a transmission crystal put on her table started to glow. Sakuna wanted to run away, but she was forced to answer.
“—You really are useless, Sakuna Memoire.”
Sakuna’s shoulders froze up.
“You can’t even kill a small animal trapped by your fangs? Can you even do anything?”
“Wha…” Sakuna moved stiff like a robot, as she observed her surroundings.
She was seen. Her exchange with Terakomari Gandezblood, and her hesitation had been witnessed.
“I-I’m sorry! I wanted to do it, but Villhaze-san interrupted us…!”
“Then you should have killed the maid as well. For what reason do you have your Nucleus Liberation if you’re not going to use it?”
“S-So that they can forget my face…?”
“Then why didn’t you kill? Do it when the time comes, that is the motto of us of Inverted Moon.”
Sakuna hadn’t heard of that motto before. The man however ignored Sakuna’s doubts, and continued.
“As long as you don’t find the magic nucleus, the main corps won’t move. A single mistake can lead to the destruction of the organization. That cannot be allowed.”
“…!”
“…Alright. As long as you kill everyone during the Seven Crimson Deva War, everything will be fine. You cannot fail at any means. I have been acting as a spy in the Empire for the past seven years. You know who we’re aiming for, right?”
“P-Petro—”
“Petrose Calamalia. She has been the Seven Crimson Deva for the longest time out of everyone. Following that was Frete Masquarelle. She has been introduced by the current Empress, so the chances of her knowing of the magic nucleus’ location is very likely. Next we have to look at Terakomari Gandezblood. She seems to receive all the affection from the Empress. We could have known that if you would have just killed her though.”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”
“In the worst case, you don’t have to kill any other Seven Crimson Devas. But, you might as well if you get the chance. Making sure for every case is yet another motto of Inverted Moon. If you don’t kill them, your family will suffer instead.”
“……”
Sakuna did not know how to argue back. Because of this hostage situation, she had no means of retaliating. Just by being threatened that her family would be killed, her body stopped working, and the trauma came back. Losing her family again was not an option. Ending up alone yet again was something she would not be able to handle. That is why she hard to hard—
—The wrong person in this case is the terrorist who took your family hostage. If they’re gone, everything will be resolved.
Komari’s words blinked up in the back of her head. What luxurious words. Sakuna would have done so if she had the ability. She didn’t want to be scared, to be hurt, but if she were to give any further resistance—Hell would await her, and Sakuna knew that.
“Why are you keeping quiet now? Do you understand the position you are in? Or is your head completely rotten now?”
“I’m fine.” Sakuna responded.
She could tell just how much her voice was shaking.
“As weak and fragile as ever, aren’t you. Nothing will change if you stay like this…Well, enough about that. I brought you a present, so have a look at one of the statues of this Terakomari Gandezblood you love so much.”
Sakuna felt a bad premonition creep up her back. And there, she realized. A Komari puppet located on the bed held a small vial, filled with a poisonous-looking liquid.
“It’s Cornelius’ secret medicine. You must have heard of it, correct?”
“……” Sakuna swallowed her breath.
Cornelius’ secret medicine…It was a strengthening potion of sorts, created by Rone Cornelius, a member of Inverted Moon, and one of the few who belong to the upper brass called ‘Crescent Moon1’. By taking this medicine, you can achieve magical power an average person could only hope to possess.
However, this has immense side effects, reaching up to a level where you will be unable to move any longer in the distant future, or that your mental state breaks down, turning you into a cripple. In the worst case, you can die from vomiting up too much blood. A colleague of Sakuna had taken this medicine, ended up bedridden, and eventually was removed because ‘They can’t be of use anymore’.
“Sakuna Memoire, dealing with the other five Seven Crimson Devas all on your own will prove difficult. Hence, this medicine has been prepared for you. Taste it, and kill as much as you want.”
“But…the side effects…”
“Side effects? There might be some…what about it?”
“I might…die, you know…?”
“Again, what about it? You might die, yeah…but, you are offering yourself to the organization, correct? You’re not going to say that you’re scared of dying, right? Or do you have anything to complain about? Huh? Say it, I dare you.”
Sakuna didn’t dare say it. She could merely quiver in silence, which led the man to click his tongue again.
“No need to worry. I will give you a reward after we managed to destroy the magic nucleus of the Mulnight Empire. I’ll gather everyone at the hideout, and we’ll hold a banquet. That is, if you’re still alive then.”
“Thank you…very much…”
“And also.” The man spoke with barely any interest. “Talking about the hideout, you frequently visit your home, right?”
Sakuna froze up. She felt her blood turn ice cold. Hideout—of course, this referred to the hideout of Inverted Moon. However, that did not mean the main base of Inverted Moon, where ‘Crescent Moon’ and the Boss gathered, but rather a single branch Sakuna had been assigned to, found in the southern forests of the Republic of Gela Arca. The person currently contacting her is the leader of this branch.
“I’m not telling you to return home, but if you try anything weird, you’ll be removed right away.”
“…I will bear it in mind.”
“Very well. I have high expectations of you, Sakuna Memoire! Do not repeat the same mistake like Millicent Bluenight. You will get captured by them, and killed.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“I pray for your success in battle.”
There, the transmission was cut.
—Thank god, he didn’t find out.
However, her relief only lasted for a second. Not a single problem had been taken care of. Sakuna looked down at the vial in the puppet’s hands. It was filled with an ominous liquid. It is a type of heavenly tool created by Rone Cornelius’ Nucleus Liberation. These side effects could cause you to die, and not be revived.
Sakuna didn’t realize that she started crying. Everything was too much.
“…”
The magic nucleus could heal all wounds. However, the wounds deep inside Sakuna’s heart will never heal. Not even a heavenly tool can heal psychological pain like this. That’s why Sakuna thought it was a defective product.
“I can’t anymore…”
Nobody heard Sakuna’s words, as they vanished into the darkness. Sakuna couldn’t take this any longer. Maybe she should just die already. But, she didn’t want to. Because there must be people who go through the same hell that she is.
—Do not repeat the same mistake as Millicent Bluenight.
Sakuna remembered those words. What might that blue-haired girl be doing right now. She had been a candidate for a next ‘Crescent Moon’, but she lost herself in the rage and revenge.
“Millicent…”
Sakuna felt an odd connection with her. However, besides Nucleus Liberation, Millient excelled in almost everything, making Sakuna really admire her. Now, she even felt like meeting her, talking to her.
*
Millicent Bluenight was currently locked up in the prison outside the imperial capital, according to what Sakuna had hearts. She washed off the dirt on her body in the bath, put on another Her Excellency Shirt, went to the cafeteria outside and left again, but the girl was nowhere to be seen. The prison guard told her ‘She is not here’ as well. Maybe she had been executed? Sakuna hadn’t heard of this.
“Guess it can’t be helped.” Sakuna told herself, and walked away.
At the Mulnight Empire, there is never night. Even as the sun sinks below the horizon, the capital was always filled with vampires. Someone even pointed at Sakuna, saying ‘Isn’t that the Seven Crimson Deva Memoire-sama?’. Sakuna felt the troubles of the famous, and quickly returned home.
Sakuna was forced to give up on meeting Millicent. Not like she knew what to talk about with her anyway. As she was thinking that, she walked along the street as if to hide from the onlookers, and turned around after finding a certain name written on a door plate.
Bluenight.
Then, Sakuna remembered. This was the nobles’ living area. It wouldn’t be weird for the Bluenight Family to be living here. Though it was weird for the home to remain even after the family had been exiled. Out of a whim, Sakuna headed over to the gate.
Before, the garden had been taken care of dearly, but now weed was growing everywhere, showing no signs that anybody was still living there. Yet, it held a certain amount of magical power, like a ghost was living there.
“………”
Sakuna subconsciously set foot towards the abandoned building. Her desire towards seeing Millicent, and adventurous heart, moved her feet. She stood in front of the door. It wasn’t locked. When Sakuna put strength into her arms, the door opened with a scary creaking sound.
The inside of the building was dimly-lit, as only the moonlight illuminated the darkness. The floor was riddled with dust everywhere, as spiderwebs filled the corners of the walls and roof. No mistaking it, this place had been forgotten by humanity.
Sakuna’s reason was telling her to not waste her time investigating this place. Yet, her feet did not stop. Instead, they were moving up the stairs. Relying on a small white flame of magic on her fingertips, she moved forward.
Was Millicent happy to be removed from Inverted Moon? Sakuna did not know the answer to that. Then again, unlike Sakuna herself, Millicent seemingly found no displeasure in working for Inverted Moon. She might regret having things come this far.
—Sakuna felt something move at her back. She turned around, and found the old picture of a noble lady hanging on the wall. Sakuna felt a chill, but since nothing out of the ordinary could be seen, she turned around again. And then, she saw light burning deep into the hallway.
Nobody should have been there. Carefully, Sakuna made her way forward. A burglar? If so, then Sakuna might actually be killed here—With these timid thoughts unbefitting of a Seven Crimson Deva, Sakuna still won against the fear, and arrived in front of the room.
The door was half-open, allowing Sakuna to take a glance inside. To her surprise, the inside looked like someone was using it as a living space. No dust, dirt, or trash to see. The room was equipped with a bookshelf, a bed, a small kitchen, and even a washing room deeper in the back. At the wall stood decorative plants and other flower arrangements, giving the room a natural sensation.
Sakuna felt like she was looking at a different world. Now that she had come this far, there was no way to turn back. She carefully pressed her body through the opening of the door, when she caught on to something. A table stood in the center of the room, which carried a certain, familiar knife.
—Eh, isn’t this Millicent’s…
“What are you doing, Sakuna Memoire.”
“Hyaaaaaaaaaa?!”
Out of shock, Sakuna’s body flew forwards. She hit her head on the corner of the table, making her vision spin. She even bit her tongue. It hurt…in all sorts of places, actually. Yet, Sakuna had no time to bother with that, as someone stood in front of her.
When Sakuna looked up, she was greeted by a familiar blue-haired girl—Millicent Bluenight. But, how could she be here…?
“W-Why…?”
“Did you come here to assassinate me? You’re not doing a great job at that.”
“N-No…I didn’t come here for that…”
“Figures. Inverted Moon wouldn’t be as stupid to send such a weak assassin.”
They actually are. Inverted Moon is pretty stupid—Sakuna swallowed her thoughts.
“Weren’t you supposed to be in jail?”
“Only until a while ago. Not anymore. Can you stand?” Millicent offered a hand.
Sakuna saw this, glanced up at Millicent’s face, looked down again, and accepted the hand. She felt the warmth coming from the skin. This wasn’t a ghost.
“Would you like some tea, Sakuna Memoire?”
“…You know about me?”
“Of course I do. I kept my eyes on people with talent.” Millicent spoke with an arrogant smile. “Have a seat. You want to talk with me, right?”
Like this, Sakuna ended up having a tea party with her former colleague. Millicent brewed some black tea in a silver teapot, which gave off a delicious scent. Sakuna watched the skilled movement of Millicent, yet again reminding her that she was dealing with a noble. Sakuna just took a sip from her tea, when Millicent spoke up.
“How is Inverted Moon doing? Did they tell you something about me?”
Sakuna almost dropped her cup in response.
“N-No, not exactly…I don’t get in contact with other people…”
“Is that so. You see, countless people already tried to kill me. They’re probably afraid that I would leak information. I did kill all of them though.”
The fact that they didn’t even bother to try and save their captured comrade is what makes Inverted Moon so terrifying. More important than that however, Sakuna needed to ask something.
“…Why are you here?”
“Because a lot of stuff happened.”
“But…”
“I didn’t escape the prison or anything. I received permission to leave. That’s why I’ll be staying here for a while.”
“Then, shouldn’t you be cleaning some more…?”
“Huh? I will do that after this.”
‘You got a problem with that?’ told the expression on Millicent’s face, forcefully shutting Sakuna’s mouth close.
“Still, I’m shocked they actually let me almost go anywhere inside the imperial capital…even back to a place like this.” Millicent let out a sigh.
“Can I ask for the reason why you received permission…”
“A lot happened, as I said.”
“And I want to know about that.”
“I’ll kill you.”
Sakuna’s back stretched naturally, moved by fear. She was scared, yes, but the urge to find out was even stronger. Did she escape after all? Or did she bribe the guard? A lot of possible ideas filled Sakuna’s head, when Millicent glared at her again. She probably shouldn’t think about it that much, since she wasn’t related in any shape or form.
“So, you became a Seven Crimson Deva?”
“Yes…Only by chance, though.”
“Not because the organization ordered you to?”
“No. I had received a different order from them…”
Sakuna explained her circumstances: About how she was killing high-ranking government officials to find the location of the Mulnight’s magic nucleus, how her next mission was to kill the Seven Crimson Devas—and about how she was forced to fight Terakomari Gandezblood now.
The second that name came up, Millicent’s expression changed ever so slightly.
“I have to find the magic nucleus…Do you have any idea where it might be?”
“Why not ask the Empress?”
“I don’t think I would get an answer from her…”
“Probably not.” Millicent crossed her legs as she continued. “Since Inverted Moon has yet to find it after all their efforts, there’s no way you could find it on your own…Well, I guess that things like these might be more close than we assume.”
“But, I have to find it…”
“You’re probably fed up from working for Inverted Moon, right?”
“Why do you…”
“It’s written all over your face.” Millicent showed a snicker.
Sakuna was surprised to see her laugh like that.
“That’s why you came to meet me, someone who has succeeded to escape from Inverted Moon’s grasp…correct?”
“Yes…Millicent-san, what should I…” Sakuna’s words got stuck in her throat.
She assumed their environments were fairly similar, but that was a foolish thought. Sakuna wanted to escape Inverted Moon, but she could not do so. Millicent was removed from the organization through an unfortunate (?) event, although she did not want to.
“If there’s something you want to say, then do it.” Millicent clicked her tongue. “I hate this half-hearted attitude.”
“Eek…I-I’m sorry…Then, I will say it…Millicent, what should I do to escape Inverted Moon…?”
“Just escape them?”
“I am asking for the method right now…”
“Did you not listen to me?”
Sakuna was glared at, and silenced.
“Well, there’s countless methods you could use to escape. Act like you died, and go into hiding. Or get kicked out after failing like I did—Oh wait, in your case, your family is being kept hostage, right?”
Sakuna nodded.
“I see.” Millicent’s face tightened up. “In the past, I was told ‘Love what you love, and kill what you want to kill’. I’ve been living after this principle ever since, but I have the strength to do that. For those who don’t, that might prove impossible.”
“That does make sense…I am weak, after all.”
“Your heart is what’s weak.”
Sakuna’s face shot up.
“Not like I’m one to talk.” Millicent let out a sigh. “You lack courage.”
“…I know that.”
“I’m not talking about courage to face any difficulty. I’m talking about courage to use whatever method necessary.”
Sakuna was at a loss.
“There should be countless other methods. For example…I know, you’re close with Terakomari, right? Why not ask her for help?”
“I-I can’t…! I don’t want her to get wrapped up in this.”
“Are you a moron? She is already being targeted.”
“But…”
“And also, she possesses enough strength to destroy Inverted Moon with a mere pinky…Although it pains me to say it.”
“I can’t believe that.”
“Neither can I.” Millicent grit her teeth, as her hand holding the tea cup quivered. “What’s even more unbelievable is the fact that Terakomari is unaware of her strength. She believes that she’s weak. Yet, she came to fight me…I guess that strong heart of hers allowed her to win.”
“…Um, do you actually hate Terakomari-san…?”
“I loathe her to the part of wanting to kill her.”
Sakuna was glared at again, and forced to keep quiet.
“I hate those who worship her just as much. Sakuna Memoire, what exactly is that god awful shirt about? Are you making fun of me?”
Sakuna looked down at her own clothes, and found a smiling Komari.
“…I-I’m not making fun of you! I really like these clothes. I have around ten of these at home, so would you like one?”
“Like hell I do.” She really sounded disgusted at that. “For crying out loud, I can only see this country doomed to fail with all these fanatics. They all judge Terakomari based on her appearance. The same goes for you, of course.”
“Terakomari-san is very kind, so it’s not just her outer appearance.”
“Heh. Just to let you know, she’s not just kind.”
Sakuna was surprised, and looked at Millicent’s face. She cleared her throat, and changed the subject.
“My goal is to kill Terakomari, and to revive the Bluenight Family. My family is filled with useless folks, but…they might be out there somewhere…Though I don’t know if they’re still alive or not…They are still my family. That’s why I will defeat the Gandezblood Family, and bring glory to the Bluenight Family again.”
“Are you done with Inverted Moon?”
“……” Millicent put her mouth to the tea cup.
It was a gesture as if to cover a slip-up.
“Enough about me. If you want to be saved, then you have to ask someone for help. Talk to Terakomari, her ridiculous sense of justice will make her help you. There’s no other way for you, is there?”
“Do I…even have the right to take such a path?”
“You’re still complaining even now? Also, if there’s no way, then just open up a path of your own. Those with a heart of steel like that will be the ones to win in the end.”
“I wonder…”
“That’s just how it is.”
Millicent’s words stay with Sakuna. The two couldn’t be more different. ‘Open up a path of your own’ is a phrase only the strong are allowed to use. Sakuna can’t become someone like Millicent.
I have to save my family in my own way.
Sakuna continued her conversation with Millicent. Although she couldn’t find out the reason why Millicent was staying in this place, she apparently planned to hide herself and sharpen her fangs. These were preparations to one day kill Terakomari. But, all she revealed was that she kept training herself.
“I’m doing some other things on the side. Gathering information, reading lots of books.”
“O-Okay…for what sake?”
“I will use the knowledge of this entire world as my nourishment. Even knowledge can become a blade to defeat the enemy.”
Sakuna looked over at the bookshelf, and spotted literary magazines aimed at girls. Since Sakuna reads those as well, she could tell that there was even the newest issue. Millicent probably went out before to buy this. How will literature aimed at girls become a blade? Well, not like that mattered. Millicent was a girl her age. There’s plush toys on her bed even, so she might be quite girlish. Sakuna acted like she didn’t see anything.
—If Sakuna had looked around more deeply, she might have spotted the possible reason why Millicent was allowed such an extensive amount of freedom. A single envelope laid on the bed. The imperial crest was on the back of this luxurious letter.
Yet, Sakuna did not see it. She didn’t even try to. All that filled Sakuna’s head was a headache, and the fear of what was about to come.
“Thank you very much for today.” She left her thanks, and stepped out of the room.
At the very last, Millicent gave Sakuna the following words.
“If push comes to shove, let Terakomari drink your blood. If you do, she will be able to save you even if you die.”
Sakuna didn’t understand the meaning behind those words. She felt that Millicent had changed from before. How she was more calm, and how she was living more straightforward. In the end, she was completely different from Sakuna. She can’t become a good reference for her.
In the end, the only way to save herself is to do something about it with her own strength.
1 The original speaks of a ‘New Moon’, as it refers to the first visible crescent of the Moon after conjunction with the Sun
