ch41-ch60 · 050-ch49

Chapter 49

"They run away quick, so I'm gonna beat 'em up a bit."

The holy sword spirit Tia said in a genuinely light tone, and Kagurazaka Chizuru could only watch with her mouth slightly open as she hopped up into the air.

First of all — what was a "Demon"?

She didn't know of any demi-human race whose skin turned pale purple like that. Nearly all the various demi-human races that appeared after the World Fusion were supposed to be accounted for.

The most prominent were elves like Ilseria, the most common were dog beast-people and cat beast-people, and rarer ones included dragon-kin who had dragon scales floating on parts of their skin due to possessing dragon factors. There were also kobolds with stuffed-animal-like appearances, and though few in number, fairy folk with wings on their backs, only about thirty centimeters tall.

But if a demi-human like that existed, they'd definitely stand out. And a race that strong would stand out even more.

Then, that person Tia had called a Demon must be...

Before she could finish the thought, Tia smashed the "stone cage" constructed by Soma Kengo's magic with her holy sword.

Like the wolf blowing down a straw house in a fairy tale.

An S-rank explorer's magic, broken with such ease.

With a chill, Chizuru instinctively turned to look at Soma Kengo, the caster of the magic. Soma, without even the composure to trace the brim of his hunting cap, had clear anxiety and irritation on his face.

Which meant he hadn't deliberately used weak magic.

That much went without saying. That pale purple man was a formidable fighter. Chizuru hadn't been going all-out either, but neither had he. Even for an S-rank like Soma, he must have infused the stone cage with a fair amount of mana.

And she broke it that easily—?

Chizuru certainly couldn't do that. Maybe if she put her full strength into a cutting strike, but she could never do it with such apparent ease. Most explorers probably couldn't.

The dragon-slaying swordswoman, Tia.

"What the hell are y— OGH! BGH! VEH! You—! GH!"

The "Demon," released from the cage, showed a moment of bewilderment at seeing Tia who'd freed him, but immediately began spewing cries of pain.

Because in the few moments it took to fall from the air to the ground, Tia had hammered him with a barrage of strikes. Each time the holy sword flickered, tiny meteors were driven into him... a total beatdown. By the time he hit the ground, she must have landed over forty blows.

A moment after Tia's light landing, the heavy thud of a full-grown man's mass hitting the ground echoed.

Tia then sent sword-strike meteors into both legs of the Demon rolling on the ground, watching until everything below his knees was a mess, and said:

"Sorry, but Demons don't listen to people and run away right away, so I went ahead and neutralized you. If it turns out you're not a bad guy, I'll heal you with recovery magic later."

She said it in such a genuinely light tone.

Silence naturally fell over the scene, the only sound the rain pelting the ground.

"Ah... I don't really get what's going on..."

The one who broke the silence was Toru.

That seemed to reboot Soma Kengo and Maisaka Risa.

"I'm S-rank explorer Soma Kengo. You're the 'Cursed Blade user' Hayasaka Toru, right? I came to determine whether you're fit to be the owner of the 'Cursed Blade' and the 'Holy Sword.' Sorry for the trouble, but I need you to answer some questions."

Glancing at the Demon occasionally, Soma Kengo walked over alongside Risa. Chizuru hadn't met him many times, but she'd never seen him this on edge.

He was tense... and on guard.

Probably because of the "stone cage" being broken so easily, and the holy sword user Tia — who'd turned the Demon she'd struggled against into a complete wreck in an instant. And her master, Hayasaka Toru.

"Huh."

The one being tensed at — Toru — looked around with mild bewilderment. More than wary, he seemed like he didn't really understand what was going on.

"Answer yes or no, affirmative or negative. Your name is Hayasaka Toru. Until recently, you worked as a cleaner at Sugai Dungeon over there. Through a series of coincidences, you became the owner of the 'Holy Sword' and the 'Cursed Blade.' Is that correct?"

"Uh... yeah, well, yes."

Soma turned only his eyes toward Risa, and the gloomy black-haired woman gave a small nod.

"Do you have any desire for revenge?"

"...Huh?"

"Revenge against society or those around you. Do you feel a desire to get back at them, make them suffer, or inflict the same pain you've experienced on others or on society?"

"Ah... uh, that's a no."

"Do you have concern for public welfare? Do you believe it's better for those around you, the world, and the majority of people to be happier than they currently are?"

"Well, that's better than the opposite, isn't it? Yes."

"Another question about public welfare. Do you think some degree of patience and compromise is necessary for public convenience? And would you accept that patience?"

"Yes. Personally, I think people who can't exercise any patience or compromise shouldn't be unleashed on society. Waiting quietly in line at a register, stopping properly at a red light — if everyone ignored that, we'd be worse than animals."

At Toru's answer, Soma's lips curled up just slightly. Even from the side, Chizuru could see some of the tension ease.

Maybe something had resonated with him.

Soma Kengo's tone and attitude were far from pleasant, but Toru didn't seem to find them unpleasant. Chizuru couldn't quite grasp what made Toru annoyed, and it left her feeling vaguely unsettled.

And independent of Chizuru's inner turmoil, the questions continued.

"Do you have common sense? For instance, do you think the idea that 'anything not illegal is permissible' is wrong?"

"Now we're talking about morality. Affirmative. People who say that kind of stuff are the reason laws multiply and things get annoying."

"Great minds think alike. I think so too. Next question. Do you believe it's acceptable to fight back if your dignity is violated? Do you think killing might be acceptable depending on the situation?"

"Yes."

It was immediate. Toru's expression, behind his plastic umbrella, became slightly sharper.

But — Risa shook her head.

"Gray. He doesn't think killing is acceptable in every situation."

"...Well, obviously. That depends on the situation."

"This one's white."

"Then, the last question. Do you have a desire to use the power you've gained to stand above others? Do you have a desire to look down on others and revel in it?"

"No... Probably not zero, but going out of your way to climb to a high place just to look down on people seems pretty boring to me."

"White."

"I see. Sorry, one more question. This is a 'my wife' kind of thing. Right now, you believe you could kill me if you wanted to. Yes or no."

"...Yes."

"White then."

"You're a monster. Alright — sorry for taking your time. Questions are over. Hayasaka Toru, if we'd judged you to be a dangerous individual, we intended to take the 'Holy Sword' and 'Cursed Blade' from you. Since they're apparently connected to your soul, we'd probably have had to kill you to take them. Good that it didn't come to that."

Soma exhaled, let out a wry laugh, and traced the brim of his hunting cap with his fingertip. His fingers were trembling slightly — probably not his imagination.

S-rank explorer Soma Kengo was... afraid of Hayasaka Toru.

For Chizuru, that fact stirred a strange sense of pride in her chest.

"Judgment is safe. Hayasaka Toru is not unfit to be the owner of the 'Holy Sword' and 'Cursed Blade.' From now on, I, Soma Kengo, entrusted with authority by the Labyrinth Agency, will guarantee that you are the owner of both blades. Which means you don't need to comply with anyone who tries to make claims against you. Even if it's the Prime Minister."

"Huh... Well, I get the feeling... but that shitty elf said she came to check if I was dangerous too. Is this like a double-check?"

"No, that shitty elf was just being pushy. We used her as a reference, but the judgment was always mine to make, on request from the Labyrinth Agency. The gloomy woman here is Maisaka Risa. She possesses a special ability to see through other people's lies."

"Ah... like, what if I said 'I only tell lies'..."

"Ow ow ow ow ow! Ow! What the hell are you doing all of a sudden!"

Risa suddenly grabbed both temples with both hands and started yelling, which surprised Chizuru considerably. She'd never seen this woman raise her voice like this before.

"Well, I was wondering what happens with paradoxes... sorry."

"I get hit with shitty headaches! Saying things that aren't white or black or gray all of a sudden — you're seriously scary, you know that! Soma, this guy's dangerous!"

"...Black. He's not dangerous."

"Shit! Don't imitate me! Every last one of you treats me like a convenient lie detector! Why do I have to deal with this troublesome... hmm, mm-hmm! Whew... alright, this man is not dangerous, for now..."

"Yeah, the gloomy introvert act isn't gonna work anymore..."

Toru's cold retort echoed, but Risa ignored him with a twitching cheek.

So — Chizuru thought — she'd been acting. She'd assumed the woman was just gloomy, but it was an act. She didn't know why she'd been putting on such an act.

Then.

"Hey. Are you done talking? I think we should deal with this problem here too."

Tia said, casually juggling the holy sword near the thoroughly beaten Demon. She seemed to have been bored.

"Could you hold on just a moment! I'll need a little time, if you please!"

And.

Kujo Reiko, who'd been quietly observing the situation from behind, spotted a break in the conversation and strode forward. Toward Chizuru.

She seemed strangely angry — probably not Chizuru's imagination.

Chizuru, for her part, had no reason to be scolded by Kujo Reiko, who'd been happily exploring the labyrinth with Chizuru's Sword God. If anything, Chizuru should be the one angry.

Perhaps because she felt that way, Chizuru stood with her arms crossed in front of her chest, chin thrust out in a defiant stance, glaring at Kujo Reiko as if to say "bring it on" as she approached with long strides.

But Kujo Reiko showed no sign of intimidation, closing in to point-blank range.

"Kagurazaka Chizuru! What on earth are you wearing! That's scandalous!"

That's what she said.

It wasn't the kind of development Chizuru had expected — but then again, what kind had she expected? Nothing in particular, really.

"And what about it? What's wrong with my attire?"

"Underneath that coat is just underwear, isn't it! You're not some pervert appearing in springtime — you're a member of Anthem! Do be mindful of your appearance!"

Now that she mentioned it, she was only wearing underwear under a light coat, but it was like an athletic uniform. Chizuru personally didn't find it particularly scandalous. Not that it was something to display to the public on a stage, of course.

"I have no reason to be lectured by you. And if we're talking scandalous, Kujo's daughter, your own outfit is far more scandalous. Wearing a dress that flaunts your chest, grabbing Toru-sama's hands and bouncing them up and down! I saw the stream!"

"My, what a vulgar, old-man-like opinion! It's hardly my fault that my breasts grew large, and this dress is formal attire suitable for any occasion! Besides, Toru-bro-sama didn't pay much attention to my breasts at all, you know? He's a gentleman, a gentleman!"

"Hah! Perhaps he simply had no interest in your lumps of fat. There is nothing shameful about my attire! What is shameful is—"

—myself.

What am I even doing, Chizuru thought, biting down on intense self-loathing. Just because she was a woman she didn't like, Reiko had shown concern for her, and yet why was she lashing out like this?

This was no better than Ilseria.

The heated feeling in her chest plummeted, and Kujo Reiko peered at her with concern from point-blank range. A terrible sense of defeat. It wasn't about breast size. It was about the size of her character. Her capacity as a person was losing to Kujo Reiko.

"You've gone quiet all of a sudden? At any rate, that outfit can hardly be called ladylike. Joichiro! Set up a simple tent—"

"Already got it up."

A languid voice sounded from behind Kujo Reiko, and her butler, standing in a way that avoided looking at Chizuru, pointed to a simple tent he'd apparently already set up.

"It's a NINELINE tent that pops up when you pull a string. Well, putting it away is a pain. Kagurazaka-san, do you have a change of clothes? Looks like you've got a magic bag at least."

"...That's not something to say while refusing to look this way. My apologies, Kujo. And to the butler as well. I do have a change of clothes, so I'll gratefully borrow the tent. I must change into something not embarrassing in front of Toru-sama."

"Toru-bro-sama's...?"

"Indeed. That person is akin to my god."

Having said that, ignoring Kujo Reiko's puzzled, head-tilting expression, she entered the simple tent. Being NINELINE-made, it was probably developed as dungeon equipment — tall enough to change clothes while standing, and the fabric was opaque. Which meant she couldn't be seen from the other side either.

She unbuckled her belt, threw the sword and all into her magic bag, stripped off her underwear and coat, and tossed those in too. She pulled out a towel, roughly dried her head and body, then slipped into fresh underwear and a fresh jacket. It bothered her a bit that everything was NINELINE, under Kujo's umbrella, but the quality was guaranteed.

Once she'd finished changing and stepped outside, the butler held out a plastic umbrella.

"Hm... thank you, I'll gratefully use it."

"No problem. It wouldn't be fun if Ojou's rival was all down in the dumps."

The butler's words carried some implication, but Chizuru didn't quite understand, so she let it slide.

Then—

"Hey, are we good yet? The guy I beat to a pulp is getting all sulky."

Chizuru belatedly remembered there was still an unresolved issue.

The pale purple-skinned demi-human.

The one Tia had called a "Demon."

And conveniently enough, there was a woman here who could see through lies.