Chapter 98: Dream of Farewell 2
It had been a truly delightful year.
The Daimaou-sama listened to Mirage-nee's request and lifted the spell that had been cast on Floria. Then, after a long time, we all gathered together and took a leisurely trip together.
First, we visited the Central Continent, then the Dark Continent, and finally the East and West Continents, which are said to be hard for those without qualifications. Both of these continents had been the continents we had set out to reach in our training with the Daimaou-sama in the past, but had been unable to do so, so life there was very fresh and very surprising.
First of all, I was really surprised to see so many people who respect the Daimaou-sama on the East Continent. Especially, I was shocked when I met Nell-san. She used the Daimaou-sama as if she were a child, and even if we were all together, she was so strong that we couldn't beat her.
But what is it? I can't forget the look on Nell-san's face when we parted. That look, as if she was mocking us, pitying us, or expecting something from us. That face was like...
Anyway, having had such a valuable experience on the East Continent, we next set out for the West Continent.
The West Continent, which we arrived at via the Central Continent, Daimaou-sama was famous. Perhaps more people on the Central Continent don't know about Daimaou-sama than on the Western Continent.
Seeing Daimaou-sama being bowed down by everyone we met, I was hoping that we would be treated like VIPs again, but the people of the West Continent were not as obedient to Daimaou-sama as the people of the East Continent.
I could tell from their demeanor that they respected the Daimaou-sama, but instead of kneeling down like the people in the East Continent, they were rather wary that their troublesome boss might do something wrong again.
That's why our trip to the West Continent was a bit cramped, with someone always watching us. And the people watching us were so strong that we lost a little of our confidence on this trip.
Still, the trip itself was a lot of fun, and as usual, Daimaou-sama went around and we would follow her, or vice versa, so it was really...... a lot of fun.
So I have stopped thinking about that time that triggered the trip. The bad premonition I had at that time. I had come to think that it was some kind of mistake before I knew it.
So, when Daimaou-sama heard her request, I really thought that everything had been resolved.
"Hey, hey, listen, listen! Mirage-nee!!"
I was staying at the biggest inn in a hot spring town in the northern continent called "Phantom Continent," and I opened the sliding door of the room where Mirage-nee was staying with all my might.
Thump*!
"Wah!? What a pain in the ass! Did someone go missing again? I'm sure the culprit is either teacher Kasadora or teacher Urnast, so go check the bedroom or basement...... and why are you hugging me?"
I dove into Mirage-nee's body, who was relaxing with Glenn-nii under what was apparently a kotatsu, the necessity for which I did not understand.
"Ehehe. No, it's not like that. I've brought a story that will definitely make Mirage-nee happy."
"Heh? What's that? I mean, get away from me...... you. Why are you sitting on my lap? Why don't you sit over there?"
"Of course not, this is my reserved seat."
"Don't be ridiculous, don't decide on your own."
“Ouch!?”
A shock to the head. Mirage-nee's chops really resonate. Glenn-nii shook his shoulders when he saw me teary-eyed.
"Ahaha. Mirage, it's been a long time since I saw you and Satanalia like that. Doesn't it make you feel nostalgic?"
"...It's not as annoying as it is."
"It is!"
"That's right. Ah, Satanalia, would you like to eat a mandarin orange?"
"I will. I will. Thank you, Glenn-nii."
"You've gone to a lot of trouble to play like a child. You really are a spoiled brat, aren't you?"
"Ehehe. Isn't it cute?"
"That calculated cuteness is annoying."
While saying something like that, Mirage-nee pats my head while I'm in a little girl form.
After all, it would be nice if everyone would spoil me with this appearance without hesitation.
I peeled the orange that Glenn-nii gave me (I'll bring some to Floria later) and picked one of the fruits that were forming in a circle, huddled together, and popped it into my mouth.
"Wah. These mandarin oranges are delicious... hmm?"
"What? What is it? Did you find any seeds? Wait. I'll get you a tissueーー."
"No, it's not that."
I turned my back to Mirage and turned my body around. I was sitting on her lap, so our faces were close enough to kiss.
"Wait! What!? What is it?"
I put my nose to Mirage-nee's neck, who made a disgusted face, and I inhaled to my heart's content her distinctive fragrance, which reminded me of the beach.
Sniff*. Sniff*.
"Hey, you. Why are you sniffing me all of a sudden? I'll knock you down if you keep sniffing me."
“Hmm. It still smells like Glenn-nii…is it?”
"Eh? Ha!? Haa!? W-what are you saying, you brat."
"Wa!? It hurts, it hurts! I give up, I give up, Mirage-nee."
Mirage-nee grabbed me by the face and my legs floated in the air. Ugh. This little form is cute, but it's vulnerable to this kind of violence.
"Mirage, leave her alone, Satanalia, you wanted to talk to us about something?"
"Next time you say something annoying, I'll throw you out of the room."
"Ugh. I've had a bad time because of it."
I rub my face after being released from Mirage-nee's iron claw.
"Well, yes. Listen Mirage-nee, Glenn-nii. It's about the great war that the Daimaou-sama was talking about."
“Satanalia, we promised not to talk about that during our trip, right?”
“Eh? B-but, Glenn-nii. Umーー"
"It doesn't matter. What is it?"
"Eh? Ah, yeah."
I was surprised that Glenn-nii stopped talking with a scary look on his face and Mirage-nee gently urged me to talk...... I felt a little uneasy about that exchange, which was different from usual.
"U-um. You see. If we ask the Daimaou-sama, she will protect each of us and the 300 people we love from being involved in the great war. Isn't it great?"
"Three hundred people, huh?"
"Satanalia, that's..."
In contrast to Glenn-nii's face, which looked so difficult to understand, Mirage-nee looked calm as if she had known what I was going to say from the beginning.
…………Are? I thought for sure that both Mirage-nee and Glenn-nii would be happy. Do the two of them have more than three hundred friends? What should I do? Should I ask the Daimaou-sama to give us 500 friends after all?
"Mirage-nee. Are you happy... aren't you?"
"No, I'm not. Thank you, Satanalia. I'm not happy about it. Let's sleep together for the first time in a while."
"Really? That's a promise!"
"Yes, yes. But I'll beat you up if you do anything annoying."
"Eh!? Why? Why? I want to have sex with Mirage-nee."
I stretched out my tail as thick and long as a serpent and wrapped it around Mirage-nee's body. I tried to take her lips, but she stopped me with the fairy she made out of water.
"Don't you dare to reveal your true nature as a succubus with that form of yours. If you want to play, go and play with our stupid master or with Kasadora. I don't want to sleep with anyone."
"Only Mirage-nee says such a thing among us. I'm not sure if it's a little weird to be so obsessed with sex, even though it's part of the training for magic. Isn't that a little strange?"
“I wish I could say I'm holding myself together. I'm not the only one who's been there, Glenn has, too."
“Eh? But Glenn-nii with Daimaou-samaーー"
"Satanalia! H-here, would you like to have another mandarin orange? I-it's delicious, you know."
"I'll have one!"
"Wait a minute."
I was about to take the orange when my hand was caught by Mirage-nee behind me. What? My arm is making a nasty creaking sound.
"With that idiot master... what?"
I realized this time that I had stepped on a land mine.
What should I do? I have to change the subject somehow.
“U-um. That's right! Celicia-nee is a little strange since she got back, do you know anything about it Mirage-nee?"
There was a time, a while after we visited the northern continent, when we couldn't find her. The Daimaou-sama seemed to know something, but she only smiled happily and didn't help us search for Celicia-nee.
After desperately searching for several weeks, we couldn't find any clues, so we waited for Celicia-nee to come back on her own, Celicia-nee came back at just the right time.
“Since she came back, Celicia-nee seems like she's acting strange. She won't tell me where she went. She's been holed up in her room with Shudoji-nee today. I wonder what it is?"
"That's……"
Glenn-nii turned his face away.
Are? This reaction.
"You don't need to know about it. Don't worry about it, why don't we go sightseeing in the city afterward? Let's play ping-pong and bowling."
"Let's go! Ah, but I don't think we can play bowling for a while."
"Why not?"
“Before we came here, Daimaou-sama, Floria and I were bowling, and Daimaou-sama said, [I'll show you a ball], and she dropped a meteorite on us. That's why the building was shattered."
“Eh? Sensei did that? Ah, by any chance, when it shook a little earlier? But it seemed it subsided...... Did someone stop her by any chance?"
"That's the thing, it's awesome! Some kind of puppet humanoid machine came out and caught the meteorite. It was not completely broken. But it's being rebuilt with nanomachines and stuff like that."
"Hmm. The level of civilization is annoyingly high compared to the central continent and the floating islands. What about her? What about that idiot master?"
"After the building was destroyed, a bunch of machines came out and tried to restrain the Daimaou-sama."
"There's no way a machine could catch that idiot master."
"Yes. The Daimaou-sama was going around destroying the machines with a great smile on her face."
“Floria is...... I don't need to ask.”
As expected of Glenn-nii, Floria started destroying all the machine dolls that were hostile to the Daimaou-sama. I don't like fighting, so I went back first.
"Yare, yare. She's an annoyingly conspicuous idiot wherever she is."
"Should I stop her?"
"Leave her alone. The people on this continent seem to know about idiot Master. Let's go have some fun on our own."
"Yes! Let's go! Let's go!"
"Yes. It's a great opportunity."
We got out of the kotatsu, put away the oranges and stowed away our valuables, and prepared to go out.
"Hehe."
"Hmm? What are you laughing at?"
"I'm happy that Mirage-nee is being so nice to me lately."
"Shut up. I'm always kind. Let's go."
"Yes!"
So I left the room, holding hands with Mirage-nee. That day, the three of us had a lot of fun until the sun went down. And at night, I played a lot with Celicia-nee, Shudoji-nee, the Daimaou-sama, and Floria.
It was fun, so much fun, I wished these days would last forever. No, no. We can keep it going. If it's us. Because we are the invincible Daimaou family. As long as we want, no one can destroy our happiness. There is no one who can destroy it. Yes, except for ourselves.
ーーーーーーーー
ーーーーーー
ーーーー
ーー
"Why?"
A desolate wilderness where all the greenery had been blown away by a fierce battle. I kneeled down on both knees in the devastated land, where the earth had been gouged out here and there.
"W-why? Why is this... hey, everyone! Whyyy!?"
A huge crystal as tall as a man. Five kings stand surrounding it, shining in seven different colors.
Celicia, King of Wind.
Shudoji, King of Earth.
Mirage, King of Water.
Glenn, King of Fire.
Floria, King of Light.
My beloved family. My proud sisters. But now I feel like they were different people, so close yet so far away.
Saddened and distressed by this, I screamed as if I was vomiting blood.
"Whyy!? Why, Daimaou-sama is... hey, answer me!! Celicia-nee, Shudoji-nee, Mirage-nee, Glenn-nii, Floria. Hey, answer me!!"
“Satanalia, weーー”
Glenn-nii was about to say something, but Mirage-nee stopped him with a glance. Blue eyes that reminded me of the ocean caught my attention.
"Satanalia. You're a troublesome person who didn't correct your spoiled habit, but you're not stupid at all. You know how this happened, don't you?"
“You're talking about the Great War? But the Daimaou-sama would save three hundred people! If we had that many, we could save all our friends, right? But why?"
“Three hundred? Are you kidding me? Do you know how many people live in our country? Three hundred is not enough. It is annoyingly...... low."
There was a weakness in Mirage-nee's words that made me feel as if she was about to start crying, and the tone of her voice, so unlike Mirage-nee's, further aggravated my nerves as my heart began to fray.
"Why? You don't know all the people in the country, right? So why did Mirage-nee do such a terrible thing to Daimaou-sama for the sake of so many people she's never even met?"
"Because I am a king."
"I don't get it at all! What? Does a king have to sacrifice people he or she loves for people he or she doesn't know? Is it some kind of emotionless device or something? That's nice. The king can do whatever he or she wants. And if the king doesn't like it, the people can do whatever they want. That's what life is all about, isn't it? Why should we be judged on how to live by such a play on words?"
It was the first time I felt serious anger toward Mirage-nee.
My battered body gains strength. I look at the crystal in which the Daimaou-sama is trapped. It's so far away. But wait for me, Daimaou-sama. I'll get you out of there right now.
“…I am sure that I would have thought something similar in the past. The idea of living as an individual, rather than as a social group, is a way of life. Yes, I don't deny your idea, I won't deny it to you either. But that's why I won't let you deny my ideas either."
Mirage-nee took a step forward. It was a statement. She said that she would not hand over the Daimaou-sama even being hostile to me. And that was a farewell. It was a very cruel...... farewell, giving priority to a stranger whose face I didn't even know, rather than me, who had been with her for so long.
I was so sadly disappointed and madly jealous that something inside me snapped.
"Give it back. Give me back my beloved Daimaou-sama......!!"
I kneaded my magic beyond its limits. The difference in strength is hopeless. The only option left for me was to use the strongest and most powerful blow I could unleash at the moment.
"Don't touch her."
I don't know what kind of thoughts Mirage-nee had in her mind when she said that.
Did she think that there was no need for more than one person to attack me, or did she intend to make some kind of distinction? I don't know, and I didn't need to know.
Right now, I just want to take out the enemies in front of meーー
"Come! All the darkness in the world. All that is wounded and confused. The ones who suffer and gasp. From this world that is only a glimpse of cruelty, save them with your darkness. The dream is salvation. In the world of rest, where there is no suffering, dream of eternity."
"Be still and full of life. All the murmuring of the world. All that flows, all that changes, cannot be contained. Nothing in this torrent world remains unchanged. Then, water, at least be pure. In a world of suffering and confusion, be a blade that never turns murky."
The world is swallowed up by darkness with me in the center.
A large amount of water swirls around Mirage-nee.
Our gazes briefly crossed. Memories of Mirage-nee passed through my mind. That's. We wereーー
"Sleep - Come, Shine."
"Stream of water."
With those words, we cut each other down. And thenーー
"Nnh....... A dream?"
The bedroom in the Demon King's Castle. The first sleep I've had in a long time before the decisive battle with Floria has shown me a very interesting past.
"Mirage-nee, Glenn-nii, Floria."
I recall the three people in my family who were especially close to me. Although we had parted ways, the memories were still as bright as ever, which made me happy and sad at the same time.
I concentrated magic in my palm. The amount of mana that I couldn't compress three hundred years ago twinkled like a star on my hand.
"I couldn't reach them at that time, but this time..."
Mirage-nee…… no, when I woke up after the battle with Mirage, my family was already nowhere to be seen. Instead, the teachers took care of me with a kindness that they didn't show to us.
While I was training more than ever, I was also actively involved in the war that broke out due to the absence of the Daimaou-sama. I actively invited those who had lost their way due to the war.
Those who had lost their place and were burning with a desire for revenge would make good pawns to help bring back the Daimaou-sama. That is what I thought.
"It's ironic. I never thought I would understand Mirage's feelings at that time."
For 200 years, I focused on building a nation in order to create an army to help the Daimaou-sama. The poor people who had nowhere else to go but here said to me, who was trying to do all sorts of impossible things in order to create the strongest nation.
For the sake of the Demon King. So, please take care of her.
For the sake of the Demon King. So, please take revenge on them.
For the sake of the Demon Lord. So, please make a better world.
So, please. So, please. So, please.
At first, I was annoyed by those words, but when did it start? I was nodding my head sincerely. When did I want to repay those who died for me, even if only a little?
Or maybe I shouldn't make the same choice now as I did three hundred years ago. But stillーー
"I have my priorities...... in order."
I crushed the magic that was twinkling in my hand.
I'll do my best for my beloved people. But I do it because I want to. I am not doing it because I am the king.
I will never be moved by the curse of a king's duty. I will always do what I want to do with my own will.
You may prevent it, or you may cooperate with it. It is up to me to decide what I want to do. Life should be free.
So if you want to get in the wayーー
"I pity you, Floria."
Three hundred years ago, when I tried to save the Daimaou-sama, Floria blocked my way and I was defeated. By the time I reached the Daimaou-sama with my wounded body, it was too late.
It was all because of my negligence. Floria, who had been making the utmost effort, surpassed me who had done only the minimum amount of training. That's all there is to it. That is why this timeーー
“After 300 years, let me show it to you.”
I of today is no longer the same as I was then. Now, even with the most powerful king, Celicia, I will not be defeated easily.
Of course, Celicia and Floria have grown more than they were then. That is why I think, or rather, I know. I know that I can't go easy on them. The next time we meet will be the time to put an end to this long-lasting relationship. I had this firm premonition.
"Really... it's a pity."
For the first time in 200 years, I immersed myself in memories with Floria.
Thud*, thud*. Thud*, thud*.
"Hmm? What is it? It's awfully noisy."
Are the children here to play? I wanted to be alone today, soaking up the memories with Floria, but I had no choice.
"Well, let's give them a big hugーー"
Bang*!
"Yay! Floria, get. Yay!!"
"Fua!?"
"Daimaou-sama, open the door more quietly. And where are you taking Floria-chan?"
“The captive princess is destined to go to the dungeon, of course. By the way, how dare you make my Aquim-kun [hii, hii] with this erotic body? You little bitch!"
"Uwa. What's with the ass drumming, it sounds great. I mean, that child really grew up to be so erotic!...... Hey, Daimaou. Let me punish Floria for you."
"N-o-p-e. I've thought of a way to torment Floria, and there is no way I'm going to give it to someone else. You should go and hold Rosina."
"No. Rosina is fine too. But after making her my familiar, it seems that I suddenly gave her too much pleasure, and now she cums endlessly just by looking at me. I'm letting her rest."
“Wait. She is the mother of Aquim's true love. You should treat her with more care. I will never give it away (serious face)."
"Wha! Don't make such a cool face. Y-you're making me wet."
"Honea, is it a good thing?"
"Hmm? Well, I'm sure Floria will be pleased with whatever you do to her, Daimaou-sama. Urnast, you don't mind that I hit you, right?"
“No way. I don't care about the fact that you suddenly hit me, and I don't hold it against you at all. Yes, you are right. I have always had trouble of suppressing my anger at all. You know that, right? So, I don't mind it at all, not at all."
"I see. I'm glad."
"Yeah, really. Fufu."
“So this is Satanalia's room. She lives in a nice place."
“Well, I designed it. Besides, look, look Daimaou. Those breasts."
"It's big. Mother is happy that that small Satanalia has something as splendid as Floria's."
Rub*, rub*. Rub*, rub*.
"How does it feel? Does it feel good? Is it good, sow?"
"Eh? Um, um, y-yeah."
"I see. Is that so?"
"Eh? What, what is it? What do you mean, Daimaou?"
"No, I just said it randomly. Now then, let's go back to exploring the Demon King's castle, shall we? Satanalia, let's have dinner together later. Please make a feast for us."
"Yes, I understand."
"Hey, hey, Daimaou, if you want to explore, come to my room."
"Hmm? I don't mind, but I won't do sex."
"Ha? Then what are you here for?"
“I'm visiting, you know!?”
"Then, Maou-sama, excuse me."
“Satanalia-chan, see you later.”
"Yes, I will be waiting."
Click*.
“………………………………Hmm?…………………… Umm???………………………… Yes………………………… Eh?………………………… Eeehhhhhh!? Wait a minute!! Wait a minuteeee!!"
No comments:
Post a Comment