Volume 12: Prologue

Part 1

A dark, cold world──[Underworld].

It is an "afterlife" world composed of many layers, and the souls in each layer are assigned.

In the uppermost layer, you can feel the warmth of the earth, and this is where the souls of those who did good deeds during their lives rest peacefully.

Descending deeper from there, the lower level is an underground prison where the souls of those who had done evil in their lives are sent to.

"Ah…"

"G-get out…"

"It hurts… it hurts…"

The underworld, where the world itself is a prison.

The prison is made of special cages and bare rock surfaces that mercilessly harm the specters and souls housed there.

By nature, souls and specters do not exist as entities.

Therefore, a special power called [Mystical Power] or [Spiritual Power] was needed to harm them.

And in this underworld, everything is imbued with mystical and spiritual power to prevent them from escaping from their prisons.

In this underworld, where the screams of specters echo through the air, there is only one building.

In contrast to the dark and gloomy atmosphere of the underworld, the building is decorated with goldsmith's work and is extremely luxurious.

The floor is also covered with polished tiles, making it hard to believe that it is a building in the underworld.

In the center of the building, there is a hall where criminals are judged.

On an honorary seat, as if overlooking everything in the underworld, sat a young girl.

"I'm bored."

She was wearing a little civil official's hat on her bobbed hair, a royal scepter in her hand, and luxurious clothes that looked like some country's official uniform.

This girl was the king of the underworld──Reimei, and the master of this building.

Reimei cheekily poked her head in boredom.

"The dead used to come here so often, but recently there have been fewer and fewer of them… Well, it means that time has moved on, and the world over there has become more peaceful, hasn't it?"

Reimei looked like a young girl, but her age was much older than anyone else in the underworld.

In ancient times, there were many conflicts in various parts of the world, and medical technology was not developed, so many people flowed into this underworld.

However, as time passed and technology developed, the number of souls flowing into the underworld at one time decreased, and eventually, Reimei's work also decreased.

"Well, peace is the best thing. There will be no major work for me to do today, so I will take a nap──"

"──Reimei-samaaaaaa!"

"….."

Just as Reimei jumped down from her chair, seemingly determined that today's work was done, a muscular creature burst into the building.

It was humanoid in appearance, with red skin and two large horns on its forehead, resembling the Bloody Ogre of the other world.

However, in its eyes, there was a light of reason that was different from that of a monster, and in addition, there was a sense of charm.

Suddenly, Reimei, who had been caught off guard, stared at the red oni with a blue vein on her forehead.

"What is it, Nikkaku? I'm just about to go to sleep──"

"This is not the time to say such a thing! T-the underworld is in trouble!"

"Huh?"

At the plea of the oni called Nikkaku, Reimei tilted her head and sat back in her chair again.

"What in the world is going on?"

"T-the specters of the underworld are escaping!"

"What?"

The report was unbelievable to Reimei.

"That is impossible! How is it possible for the specters in this land to escape from the underworld's prisons?"

"But, actually, the oni under my command are already working to capture the specters that have escaped from their prisons!"

"!?"

Reimei's mystical and spiritual powers created all the prisons that existed in this underworld, and there were no specters that were powerful enough to break through Reimei's mystical power except one.

"Don't tell me that Meiko's seal has been broken?"

"N-no, it seems that Meiko's seal is intact."

"What? Then why… in this current world, there should be no one but Meiko who can escape from my mystical power…"

As Reimei desperately pondered the cause, Nikkaku opened his mouth to say something that sounded difficult to say.

"Um, there's one more thing I'd like to tell you…"

"What is it?"

"The fact that specters have escaped alone is important, but the border between the underworld and that world seems to have disappeared…"

"Why didn't you tell me that first…?"

The content of what Nikkaku said was not something that could be left unattended.

Essentially, there is a firm boundary between this world and the underworld, and it is because of this boundary that those in the world of the living are not able to wander into the underworld.

Conversely, specters could not escape from the underworld into the world of the living.

But now that the boundary between the underworld and the living world has disappeared, specters who have escaped from their prisons in the underworld can easily escape to the world of the living.

"This is not good… If this continues, specters from the underworld will be unleashed in the world of the living…!"

For reasons unknown, now that the boundary between the world of the living and the underworld has disappeared, Reimei herself will have to take action.

"Nikkaku! Now mobilize all the other oni to guard the boundary between the underworld and the living world! I will reinforce the prisons and seal the specters again as soon as possible!"

"Y-yes!"

After receiving the instructions, Nikkaku ran out of the building, and Reimei got out of her chair and stood in the center of the room.

And then──.

"Hmph!"

At that moment, a torrent of purple power, cloaked in a bewitching atmosphere, overflows from the center of Reimei, and the wave blows across the entire underworld.

At the same time, the prisons of the specters who were about to escape were once again strengthened by the solid mystical and spiritual power, making it impossible for the specters to escape.

"Phew… this should be enough to strengthen the prison for the time being."

Once again, Reimei spread her own mystical power throughout the underworld, and after confirming the situation of the underworld, she let out a deep sigh.

"…I never thought that the prison seal would be broken and the boundary between the world of the living and the underworld would disappear…"

With the unprecedented emergency situation in the underworld, Reimei shook her head with a grim expression on her face.

"No, let's think about the cause later. I must seal them back up before any more specters escape from their prisons and flee to this world──Fuh!"

Then, purple power erupted again from under Reimei's feet, and it transformed into countless giant 'hands.'

In the next instant, countless purple giant hands ran all over the underworld at once, seizing fleeing specters and sealing them back into their prisons.

After sealing all the specters in their prisons, Reimei let out a small breath.

"Nikkaku, Ikkaku."

"──Yes!"

"Did you call for me?"

At Reimei's call, Nikkaku and the blue-skinned oni known as Ikkaku appeared and kneeled there without a sound.

"Nikkaku. Have some of the oni guard the perimeter, and gather the rest of the oni in this hall."

"As you wish!"

"Ikkaku, while the oni are gathering, investigate the cause of this disturbance."

"Understood."

Both oni immediately disappeared from the scene, and a few moments later, Nikkaku gathered all the available oni under his command, just as Reimei had ordered.

Then, Reimei looked around at the assembled oni and began to speak in an imposing tone.

"───Thank you, all of you, for gathering here. There is an emergency in the underworld. As you all know, the boundary between the underworld and the living world has disappeared, and specters have escaped into the living world. I immediately resealed the prison and was able to seal the escaped specters before they headed to the living world, but it is a fact that some of them have managed to escape. And now that the boundary has disappeared, it has become necessary to be vigilant to prevent those from the living world from wandering into this one. Of course, I am still working to repair the boundary, but a complete repair will not be a quick process."

After sealing the specters that escaped from the prison, Reimei had also begun to reconstruct the boundary with her own mystical power.

However, reconstructing the boundary between the living world and the underworld is different from reinforcing the prison of the underworld, and it will not be an easy task.

"Therefore, everyone should be more vigilant and watch the boundary between the living world and the underworld than ever before!"

"Understood!"

"And, Ikkaku! What have you found out?"

When Reimei finished giving instructions to the oni, Ikkaku appeared from among the group.

"Yes. The cause of this incident was a single soul that flowed into the underworld."

"What do you mean?"

Reimei tilted her head at Ikkaku's words.

This is because Reimei had assumed that the specters in the prison had cooperated with each other to escape from the prison and, at the same time, had somehow worked out the boundary with the living world.

In reality, however, Reimei was surprised to find that the cause was a single soul that had drifted into the underworld… that is, a soul before it had been judged by Reimei.

"What in the world is going on?"

"Actually, that soul that drifted into the underworld… belonged to a false god."

"False god?"

When Reimei twisted her head in response to the unfamiliar word, Ikkaku explained.

"The 'false god' is a kind of disaster that appears in the [Heavenly Realm] where the gods live. Their power is such that they annihilate everything they touch, and to counteract them, one must have a power called divine authority."

"I know about divine authority. The power of these observers is the very embodiment of omniscience and omnipotence. But still, who would have thought that there is an existence that cannot be defeated without such power?"

Reimei also knew of the existence of the heavenly realms, but since the observers living in the heavenly realms have no concept of life or death, and the only threat to their existence is annihilation by the false gods, thus their souls have never been able to flow into the underworld.

"So what? What does this false god have to do with this case?"

"As I mentioned earlier, the false god has the power to annihilate everything it touches. That does not change, even if he is only a soul. In other words, anything that touches the soul of the false god will also be annihilated."

"What? No way…"

"…This time, his soul touched the boundary between the living world and the underworld, and that boundary disappeared."

If Ikkaku's story is true, the soul of the false god could erase any boundary or, worse, even the concept of existence in it just by its presence, and if left unchecked, the underworld would surely be in turmoil.

"Where is that soul now?"

"Fortunately, the soul of the false god was already weakened by the time it arrived in the underworld, and its spontaneous extinction has just been confirmed."

"Oh…"

Once it was clear that the damage would not spread any further, Reimei leaned back deeply in her chair with relief.

"W-what a troublesome existence…"

Reimei was left scratching her head, wondering why this had happened!

Part 2

"Let me and Luna attend the academy in Yuuya-sama's world!"

After the battle with the false god, we returned to our original world.

Then, Ouma-san told me that my acquaintances were being attacked by monsters in the [Great Devil's Nest], so I went to help them and found Lexia-san and Luna there.

After rescuing them, I asked them why they had visited the [Great Devil's Nest], and this was what they answered.

As I froze at Lexia-san's unexpected comment, Iris-san, who had come with me to see what was going on, raised her voice.

"W-wait a minute! What do you mean by… the school in Yuuya-kun's world?"

"I mean it as it is, Iris-sama. We want to attend the school that Yuuya-sama attends!"

I thought I had misheard something, but it seems to be true.

I finally finished digesting Lexia-san's words and hurriedly asked.

"U-um, you want to attend the school I go to… What happened?"

"The truth is, it is customary for us royalty to enroll in the Aurelia Academy in the Luminous Kingdom when we reach a certain age. The school attracts children of royalty and nobility from countries other than ours in the Kingdom of Arcelia, so I was to enroll there for networking, diplomacy… and other such reasons."

"Y-yes…"

"But it's boring to go to school for political reasons or to look the part of a princess like that! If that's the case, I thought it would be more fun to go to the school that Yuuya-sama goes to!"

"Eeeehhh?"

The reason was even crazier than I thought!

"I-is that okay? If you have such a diplomatic reason, you should go to that Aurelia Academy…"

"It's fine! It is far more important to deepen my relationship with Yuuya-sama than it is to deepen the connections I can get there! And there are many things in Yuuya-sama's world that I can never experience in this world… so it would be best if I could experience many things in Yuuya-sama's world and bring what I learned there back to the Kingdom of Arcelia."

I don't really understand, but I guess Earth is a more valuable place for Lexia-san and the others than for them to deepen their relationships with other countries in this other world…

That being said, if it were the other way around, would that be the case?

I guess it's like saying that the other world might have resources lying around that we don't have on Earth and are worth exploring, rather than diplomacy among the countries that exist on Earth today.

When I was thinking about this, Luna let out a sigh.

"Hah… well, you see. Lexia is ready to go to the academy that Yuuya is attending…"

"Ara, so Luna isn't going too? That's fine if that's the case, though?"

"Wha!? I-I'm not saying that! …A-anyway, if she goes to the Aurelia Academy, I will have to accompany her as her escort. And that would inevitably lead me to participate in the troublesome exchange between nobles. I don't want that either. That's why, this plan includes me too, I would like to be taken care of in Yuuya's world…"

"W-wait a minute!"

Then Iris-san hurriedly interrupted Luna's words.

"I understand that you don't want to go to Aurelia Academy. I know what kind of academy it is, and I'm sure it's a hassle… but what do you mean you'll be taken care of by Yuuya-kun!"

"Actually, I've already talked to my father about it. Then my father said that if he knew that the Earth… where Yuuya-sama lives, is a safe world, he would be willing to change my study destination to the academy where Yuuya-sama attends! Then, the only acquaintance we can rely on is Yuuya-sama, and I thought it was inevitable that… we would be under Yuuya-sama's care."

"Why? You see, that 'Saintess' called Mai is on Earth, too, right? Why don't you live with her!"

"Unfortunately, Mai goes to a different school than Yuuya-sama. I got permission from my father to go to the school where Yuuya-sama is."

"Ugh!"

Iris-san bit her teeth in frustration as Lexia-san told her so in a happy mood.

As I was appalled by their exchange, Lexia-san suddenly took my arm.

"So, Yuuya-sama! Will you please come with me?"

"Eh? W-where are we going?"

"To the royal castle, of course! I want you to explain to my father that Earth is a safe place!"

The conversation went on and on, and it was decided that I was going to head to the Royal Capital.

With Iris-san present, we were able to get out of the [Great Devil's Nest] without incident, but there we parted ways with Iris-san.

"The truth is… I really want to go with you…! If anything, I want to spend my school life with Yuuya-kun too…!"

"T-that's…"

Unfortunately, Iris-san and I are obviously different in age, so no matter how hard we try, we won't be able to spend our school life together.

Anyway, Iris-san was reluctant to part with me until the very end, but I guess she was still busy with her duties as a Sword Saint, and she left with regret.

After parting with Iris-san, we headed directly to the Royal Capital.

＊＊＊

When I arrived safely at the royal castle in the Royal Capital, I found myself being taken to the audience chamber, where I was to have an audience with Arnold-sama.

Then, sitting in the depths of the audience chamber, Arnold-sama stared at me with a somewhat tired look on his face.

"Oh, Yuuya-dono… it's been a while."

"I-it's been a long time…"

"Now, Father! I've brought Yuuya-sama!"

"Hmm… what a lot of energy she has, despite being my daughter…"

"This is the result of Your Majesty's pampering."

"Don't say that…"

Arnold-sama frowned even further when Owen-san made a small rebuttal to him, but he regained his composure and turned to me.

"So, I'm sure you've heard the story from Lexia…"

"Y-yes. She said that she wanted to study at my school…"

"That's right."

"Um, is that okay? From what I've heard, she's originally going to attend a place called Aurelia Academy…"

"If you're asking me if it's okay, I can't say it's really okay."

"Hey, Father?"

"Then…"

"But the world you live in, Yuuya-dono, is also important to us."

Arnold-sama spoke in a dignified manner.

"Certainly, the connections formed at Aurelia Academy are a part of our tradition and have been valued up to this point. But it is no exaggeration to say that the connections that can be forged there are ultimately dictated by the relationships between countries at that given time. In other words, for example, it is not possible for people from hostile countries to get along with each other. This inevitably leads to a fixed network of contacts."

"I-I see."

"In comparison, the world of Yuuya-dono is a far more unknown territory for us. That is precisely why I am willing to bet on it."

After saying all of this, Arnold-sama let out a heavy sigh.

"…However, I am also worried about Lexia's safety. So I would like to ask Yuuya-dono."

"W-what is it?"

"Is the world where Yuuya-dono lives safe?"

It seemed that his heart as a father prevailed more than as a king.

"Well, yes… first of all, I can't say that it is absolutely safe."

"Mm… that would be true."

"But I think it is very safe."

There is no place in any country where there is no possibility of being involved in a crime.

Of course, Japan, where I live, is definitely safer than other countries.

And needless to say, there are no monsters, so I think it is less dangerous than this country.

"Besides… if something should happen to Lexia-san, I will definitely protect her."

In response to my words, Arnold-sama closed his eyes and then quietly opened his mouth.

"…I understand. I will officially approve Lexia and Luna to study there."

"Yay! We did it! Father, I love you!"

"Ugh!"

At Lexia-san's words, Arnold-sama pressed his chest and smiled happily.

"I-I see. Umu."

"I'm glad for you, Your Majesty."

Owen-san said so with a bitter smile.

Then, somewhat embarrassed, Arnold-sama cleared his throat.

"Hmm! So, I accept Lexia's study there, but Yuuya-dono will take care of her in your world, won't you?"

"Yes, I will."

I can't just suddenly throw Lexia-san and Luna out to the Earth, can I…?

"I see. Well, if Yuuya-dono is around, it will be a great relief. However! I won't allow you to touch Lexia!"

"Father!"

"A-ahahaha…"

I could only give a wry smile to Arnold-sama, who was intimidating me as if to remind me.

＊＊＊

While various thoughts were crossing in various directions, a certain agenda was being discussed in the student council room of Ousei Academy on Earth.

"──As expected, our school should have a big promotion like the Nittei Academy!"

So declared a cheerful young man with brown hair.

At first glance, the young man looked like an idol, but his eyes sparkled with a boyish curiosity that could not be contained.

He was the student council president of the Ousei Academy──Sou Kitaraku.

The student council members who were present at the time turned a blind eye to the outlandish comments made by Kitaraku.

Then, the first to come to his senses was a young student council member… Yuu Inukai, whose eyes lit up just as brightly as those of Kitaraku.

"Well, I agree! Let's do it!"

"Oh… Well, that's a bad habit of Kitaraku-senpai…"

Contrary to Inukai, the girl who spoke up in a somewhat languid manner was Nekota Yume, also a student council officer.

Seeing their extreme reactions, Kitaraku laughed happily.

"Hahahaha! That's good! You have to challenge everything!"

"That's right!"

"The last time you said that you even suggested that we do some weird project like 'Nagashi Soumen'…"

"It was a pain to have to stop that one! That would have been fun…"

"I'm glad they stopped it, though… If you want to know, the teachers said a lot of things about it during the athletic festival…"

"Was it? Hahaha! But the athletic festival itself was a success, wasn't it?"

"Well…"

The student council takes the lead in planning and carrying out school events at Ousei Academy, so all the events that Yuuya has participated in so far have also been held under the leadership of this student council.

At the recent athletic festival, the student council was able to incorporate a number of new events and activities, and they were able to do just about anything they desired.

Naturally, the teachers tried to stop them at least once, but because of their strong pushiness and the fact that all the past events were a great success, the council and their outlandish plans were tolerated at any rate. However, there is a limit to how much they can do, and the teachers will stop them if their plans are too outrageous.

The teachers were always nervous about what Kitaraku would say because they never knew what he would say.

Kaori, who belongs to such a unique student council, raised her hand ostentatiously.

"Um… specifically, what do you mean by promotion…?"

"That's a good question! What are we going to do… I haven't decided on anything yet!"

"You haven't decided what you're going to do?"

Kaori was surprised to hear Kitaraku say it so matter-of-factly.

"It's obvious! I just came up with the idea, after all!"

"Do we always get pushed around by your ideas…?"

"Hey, hey, Nekota! Are you complaining about what Kitaraku-senpai is doing?"

"You are too thoughtless."

"What?"

"W-well, well…"

While Kaori is quieting them down, Kitaraku is lost in thought.

"Fumu… I'd like to do some big promotions, but when it comes to concrete ideas… hah! That's right!"

"Eh?"

"How about a school idol?"

"""School Idol?"""

While the three tilted their heads at Kitaraku's outlandish statement, Kitaraku nodded his head as if saying it was a good idea.

"Yeah! School idols have been the subject of many anime and video games, right? However, there are only a few schools that actually do it… So! If our school has a school idol, it will definitely increase the school's recognition more than ever before!"

"A-as expected of Kitaraku-senpai!"

"No, no, no! I don't think the teachers will give us permission if we suddenly propose such a thing!"

"I'll push through!"

"You always do that, don't you?"

"B-but, isn't the idol a bit too much…?"

When Kaori uttered this, Kitaraku thought for a moment since she was the board chairman's daughter.

"Mm, if Houjou-san says so… no, but the board chairman is a man who can understand what I'm talking about, and I'm sure it will be alright…?"

"Even if the board chairman allows it, I'm sure the other teachers will oppose it…"

"Is that so? Well, the school festival was also a spectacular one, following the athletic festival. It was a lot of fun!"

"It's strange that you can call that fun, Kitaraku-senpai…"

"I-I apologize for the inconvenience…"

The school festival showdown between Nittei Academy and Ousei Academy over the enrollment of Yuuya was decided to be carried out at the sole discretion of Kaori, so the student council, which was planning the school festival as usual at the time, became very flustered.

Although they did not actively advertise the festival externally, they instead carefully selected the artists they invited every year and strengthened the school's security, and there was a lot of hard work that was not visible to the public.

However, even these hardships are done by Kitaraku because it was "fun," and the hardships of the student council members who had to go along with it were immeasurable.

"In the first place, who will be in charge of this idol project? I know you know that, but we can't do it, can we?"

"Mm? Is that so? If we work hard, we can manage…"

"No, we can't."

Nekota anticipated and crushed Kitaraku's statement.

"And I'm sure it's going to be tough to select those school idols, to find someone to take charge of the project itself, and most of all, to convince the teachers! It's all going to be tough!"

As Nekota said this while exhaling a sigh, Kitaraku pondered.

"Hmm… Nekota has a point… Can't we somehow convince the teachers while selecting the candidates for the school idols, as well as deciding who will be in charge of the project…?"

"I don't think that's possible…"

Thus, Kitaraku began to think of ways to move forward with the school idol project.