Vol-13 Ch 1 – Gathering of the Holy

Part 1

"I'm back〜…"

"Oh, you're back!"

When I returned home safely from the underworld, Kuuya-san greeted me.

"Umu, umu. I know what went on over there, thanks to my main body in the underworld. And that girl is…"

"My name is Meiko. I'm… very sorry for the trouble I've caused you…"

Meiko had met the main body of Kuuya-san in the underworld and had informed her in advance that the Kuuya-san, who was now in front of her, was a thought body in this world.

And Meiko had apologized to many people, including me, for the trouble she had caused in the underworld with her power.

…Even though I told her that we didn't mind, it's probably not the case from her own point of view.

"Good, good. I've already received your apology. Above all, there was nothing you could do about it. As for me, I'm just happy that you're safe and sound."

"…Thank you very much."

With the warm words of Kuuya-san, Meiko bowed her head deeply.

As we had this exchange, Night and the others came over and jumped into my chest.

"Woof! Woof, woof!"

"Buhi!"

"Pii!"

"Oops… everyone, I'm home."

"Woof!"

As I petted Night, who was licking my face, Ouma-san came in next.

"Hmph, it seems that the problems of the underworld have been taken care of. However, it seems that you are bringing a strange being with you…"

"Oh, let me introduce you. This girl is…"

"──My name is Meiko, and I will be staying with Master. We are connected through a soul contract, and I hope that we will be able to live together in this house from now on…"

After saying this, Meiko bowed deeply.

"I don't have the right to decide whether or not you live here… but a soul contract? What does that mean?"

"Well… you know there was a problem in the underworld, right?"

"That is. I don't know the reason, but…"

"…The reason for that is me."

Meiko explained about herself while lowering her voice.

That she had been sealed in the underworld, and that she was the crystallization of the malice of the great sinners of the underworld…

"I had no desire to destroy the underworld or anything like that. However, regardless of my intention, the spiritual power that resides in my body had gone out of control… My spiritual power contains heinous malice condensed from the great sinners of the underworld… so if left unchecked, it would have a great impact not only on the underworld but also on this present world."

"Mmm… I still don't understand what you mean by 'spiritual power,' but is it safe?"

"I think you are right to be concerned about that. But thanks to Master… all the spiritual power that was in my body was absorbed into his body."

"What are you doing?"

After listening to Meiko's story, Ouma-san looked at me with a look of astonishment.

"That spiritual power or whatever it is that originally resides in your body must be dangerous to some extent. And that, too, there is enough spiritual power of Meiko to cause problems in the entire underworld, and it includes the malice of the great sinners, right? How can you take that on yourself…!?"

"T-that… was the only thing I could think of at the time…"

"Even if that's the case, think a little about your own safety! What if something happens to you?"

"I-I'm sorry…"

"Woof."

Ouma-san was worried and angry at me. Besides, Night also gently patted my hand as if to reprimand me a little.

Then Kuro, who was inside my body, muttered in dismay.

"You really are reckless, aren't you? Just like you were when you took me in from Yuti."

"Speaking of which, I put the spiritual power inside my body without your permission, but is Kuro okay with that?"

At that time, I was in such a hurry to absorb the spiritual power that I didn't have time to think about Kuro living inside my body.

"Yeah, I'm fine on that point. From the start, Meiko is close to the origin of our Evil. The wave of incredible power that's swirling around inside of you right now is, from my point of view, quite comfortable."

"I-I see. I'm glad to hear that."

"If anything, it's more amazing that you can take in so much malicious power into your body while it has no effect on you."

"As far as sorcery is concerned, Yuuya still has a long way to go, but when it comes to just manipulating spiritual power, Yuuya has become quite skilled. Besides, combined with the power that Yuuya had originally acquired, that malicious intent does not seem to affect Yuuya."

It was probably because I had acquired the power of Evil like Kuro that I am able to control the malicious intent, and the other powers such as [Divine Authority] and [Holy King Authority] must have helped keep it under control.

Whatever the case, it was comfortable for Kuro, it helped Meiko, so it was probably a good result. …I'm going to keep quiet though because I'm afraid that if I say it out loud, they'll get angry that I'm not reflecting on my actions.

"…Going back to the story, all the spiritual power that resided in my body was absorbed by Master, and I, who was originally a mass of spiritual power, became a part of him in a sense."

"So that leads to a soul contract, huh…?"

"The underworld is a place where souls drift. This contract is more profound than anything else. As Meiko said, it is safe to say that Meiko is now a part of Yuuya."

"Yes. If Master calls for me, I can fly to wherever he wishes."

"Can you do that?"

I was surprised at the information I had never heard before.

I was only aware that Meiko's spiritual power was just an addition to my spiritual power, but I had no idea that she had such a different ability…!

"Yes. When I was in the underworld, I was so busy suppressing my own power that I could not wield it as I wished. However, after Master took in my spiritual power, I was able to handle it with all my might without worrying about it going out of control. However, in that case, I will be allowed to use a little bit of the spiritual power that has been absorbed into Master's body…"

"T-that's fine, but… for now, I'm just glad that there's no problem with Meiko."

While I was thus explaining about Meiko and marveling at her abilities, Lexia-san and the others, who had gone shopping, returned.

"We're back! As expected, this world is so interesting!"

"I'm tired…"

"Affirmative. Shopping with Lexia made me tired…"

There, Lexia-san was in good spirits, and in contrast, Luna and Yuti looked exhausted.

Then, Lexia-san noticed Meiko, and her eyes widened.

"Who…"

"Who?"

"──Who's that woman!"

"That way of speaking!"

I couldn't help but retort to Lexia-san's shouts.

But Lexia-san didn't care; she just kept coming at me.

"Who in the world is that woman over there, Yuuya-sama?"

"U-uh…"

"Yuuya. Could you please tell me as well?"

"Even Luna?"

Luna, who must have been exhausted just a few minutes ago, was just as close to me as Lexia-san was.

When I was panicking at the sight of these two, Meiko bowed gracefully.

"I'm Meiko, and I've come to serve Master."

"Meiko?"

I explained to Lexia-san and the others, who looked at me suspiciously, what had happened in the underworld.

"Such a thing happened while we were shopping… or rather, Yuuya is always involved in something, isn't he?"

"You're right…"

As for me, I just want to have a peaceful day, though…

As I was thinking this, I noticed Yuti with her face downcast.

"Master…"

It was because I also told her about Archer-san, Yuti's master… the Bow Saint, whom I met in the underworld.

I looked straight at Yuti, who had a sad expression on her face.

"Yuti. Archer-san was always thinking about you. And… I may not be as dependable as Archer-san, but I'm here for you too. So…"

"──It's okay."

Yuti interrupted me and smiled slightly, though she looked a little sad.

"Gratitude. Yuuya, thank you."

"Yes! Don't worry; we're here now too!"

"Hindrance. I want you to leave us alone."

"What do you mean by hindrance?"

When Lexia-san said this while holding Yuti, Yuti instantly returned to her usual mood.

"Well, it's okay. After all, it means that Yuuya-sama was active as usual!"

"T-that's not such a light thing to talk about…"

"More importantly, Meiko!"

"Y-yes?"

While Meiko was puzzled by the sudden pointing of a finger, Lexia-san continued without concern.

"I understand that you were saved by Yuuya-sama and became Yuuya-sama's maid as a favor to him. Therefore! You should also serve me, the future wife of Yuuya-sama!"

"Fu…future wife!?"

"Lexia-san?"

While everyone was surprised by the unexpected statement, Meiko was shocked that Lexia-san's words seemed to have been taken seriously.

"I apologize, I'm terribly rude…!"

"No, it's not! I don't have that kind of relationship with Lexia-san──"

"That's right. Lexia just keeps saying it unilaterally."

"What? It's going to happen someday."

"Where does your confidence come from…?"

After I managed to clear up the misunderstanding with Meiko and finished introducing Lexia-san and the others once again, Lexia-san and the others accepted Meiko somehow.

"I thought about it when we went shopping today, but I figured I wanted a maid! I may have to ask Meiko to do a lot of things for me from now on!"

"Don't bother her too much, okay? Unlike us, Meiko is new to this world…"

"I-I'll do my best!"

"Support. Don't worry; we'll support you too."

Meiko breathed a sigh of relief at Yuti and Luna's words.

Then, Lexia-san seemed to have thought of something.

"Right! Meiko is a maid, a maid in this world, isn't she? If that's the case, I'll see if she has maid power!"

"M-maid power?"

What is that power?

As I tilted my head at the unfamiliar words, Luna retorted in exasperation.

"Lexia… What are you talking about?"

"Is there something wrong with that? She is going to work as a maid in this house, right? Then, don't you think it's necessary to find out if she really has the ability to work as a maid?"

"N-no, Lexia-san. You don't have to go that far…"

"No, Master. I will accept this challenge!"

"Meiko?"

When I was surprised that Meiko would accept Lexia-san's challenge, Ouma-san, who was also watching the proceedings, let out a sigh.

"Hah… Is the important talk over for the time being? If so, I'm going to go now."

"W-woof."

"Buhi."

"Pii."

"Y-yes. I guess I'll be leaving now."

"Eehh?"

Night and the others, including Kuuya-san, were a little taken aback by Lexia-san and Meiko's situation and went to another room with Ouma-san to keep their distance.

"Ara, I thought I'd let you all do the judging since you're here…"

"Judging? What are you going to do?"

"First of all, the food! I want to show you the results of my training as a bride, and we'll see who's a better cook."

"…Oops, I want to get out of here, too…"

"I won't let you go! And neither will you, Yuti!"

"Failure. Lexia, so sharp."

Lexia-san caught Luna, who was about to leave the place and gave Yuti a sharp look as well.

W-will it be okay? Lexia-san's cooking is… Oh, I want to head to the room where Ouma-san and the others are too…!

Meiko was also sealed in the underworld until now, so I wonder if she can cook…

Despite these concerns, Meiko shows a willingness to do it.

"That is fine. I will show you my power as a maid!"

"Then let the cooking competition begin!"

"Why are you even doing this…?"

Thus began the cooking duel between Meiko and Lexia-san.

Part 2

"I-I wonder if it's okay…"

The two of them lined up in the kitchen, and I watched them from behind, feeling a little nervous.

In the end, Luna and the others escaped early… but if possible, I also want to escape.

After all, the last time Lexia-san cooked, a knife flew toward me from behind.

W-well, she did say that she had practiced cooking since then, so I guess it will be fine.

"Do you have to measure this properly? Well, it's not like I'm going to put different things in it or anything."

…I-I hope it's okay.

As with Lexia-san, what is unknown is Meiko's cooking.

In the first place, Meiko has been sealed in the underworld for an uncanny number of years.

That is why she has probably never cooked, and since she is from the underworld and her existence is similar to that of a demon, it is likely that she does not need to eat.

Then again, I can't imagine Meiko being able to cook…

"….."

Meiko stared at the knife with a devilish expression, overflowing with spirit, as if she was about to go to war.

U-um… I wondered about that spirit in mere cooking.

But when the time came to start cooking, she was fearful at first of the knife in her hands to cut the ingredients, but she soon got used to it, and from there, the cooking proceeded incredibly smoothly.

And even though she had not followed any particular recipe, from what I could see from the back, it looked like it was a well-made dish.

"Next… I can just cut this up, right? Hah!"

"Oh!"

Surprisingly, just like Iris-san from the other day, Meiko used her spiritual power when cutting the ingredients to complete the process in an instant.

To be honest, I'm not sure about using spiritual power in cooking, but… I-it's okay, right?

What she's doing seemed pretty messed up, but the procedure and the handiwork itself looked pretty good.

C-could this be…?

As I was holding out hope for Meiko's cooking skills, something suddenly passed right by me.

"Huh?"

I fearfully looked to the side and saw a kitchen knife stuck in the wall.

"Ah! I'm sorry! It slipped out of my hand…"

"I-is that so…? Ah-ahahaha…"

It was just a coincidence, wasn't it? Yes, it just happened…

"Well… the color is kind of plain… isn't it! Let's add some blue here…"

B-blue? What on earth is she cooking…!

I had no idea what Lexia-san's cooking was, and I was just terrified.

──After that, I continued to be appalled by the cooking utensils and ingredients that flew in from Lexia-san's side, but the two of them were ready to complete their meal.

"Now, it's done!"

"Hope it suits your palate…"

"Oh…"

"Astonished. It's done."

"This looks delicious."

Luna and Yuti, who were already sitting at the table side by side, were wide-eyed as I carried the dishes they had prepared.

Kuuya-san doesn't know Lexia-san's original cooking skills, so he is genuinely enjoying looking at the food in front of him.

Ouma-san, who had also come to the dining table, was amazed at the food laid out before him.

"Oh? I wasn't expecting much since the girls were going to make it, but… it looks quite tasty."

"Woof!"

"Buhi!"

"Pii!"

"Hahaha, wait a minute."

Night was waiting with good manners, but Akatsuki and Ciel were looking at me as if they couldn't wait any longer, as if they were rushing me.

But still… I wondered what would happen at first, but the finished dishes looked quite delicious, including the one made by Lexia-san.

Meiko looked so skillful during the cooking that I wanted to ask her where she got her skills, and Lexia-san, on the other hand, despite her messed-up cooking, the finished dish in front of me now looked very delicious.

After placing the dishes in front of everyone, they immediately began to eat.

"Now, let's start with the one Lexia made first."

"Fufu! Be amazed by my cooking!"

Luna somewhat provocatively told us and took a mouthful of the beef stew that Lexia-san had prepared.

But…

"Mugu!"

"D-dangerous…!"

"Eh? Eh?"

Suddenly, Luna and Yuti, who had a beef stew in their mouths, turned blue.

Luna swallowed her mouthful and spoke with a shudder.

"T-the moment you put it in your mouth, a pungent smell immediately pierces through to your nose… Y-you idiot! How can such a delicious smell from the outside change so drastically when you eat it!"

"Chaos… Not only does it smell terrible, but the taste is also terrible… it's cooked so well, but the flavors of the ingredients don't blend together; they are just mixed together…"

"Eeehhh!? H-hey! I hope you're not just blabbering nonsense!"

"L-little girl… How can you serve such a dish with such confidence?"

"W-woof…"

It seemed that Ouma-san also ate Lexia-san's dish, and his usual confident appearance changed, and he was somewhat dismayed.

"Let me ask you something. Have you tasted this properly?"

"Eh? Taste? Even if I didn't, it's still delicious!"

"Are you an idiot?"

W-what the heck… Apparently, Lexia-san didn't taste it.

I fearfully put the stew in my mouth, too… U-ugh… this certainly has… a moderately unique taste…!

It's strange, the ingredients are properly prepared from the earth, so it shouldn't be like this…!

"What? Are you trying to say it tastes bad?"

"If you don't believe me, just try it."

Luna told her in dismay, and Lexia-san ate her own stew.

But…

"It doesn't taste bad."

"What the hell is wrong with your tongue?"

"Give up. I tasted it, and the result was the same…"

Lexia-san didn't seem to feel anything special after eating this stew. T-that's ridiculous…

However, I didn't think that Lexia-san's sense of taste was strange.

I've had dinner with her several times, and she said the food she ate then was delicious, so our sensitivities to taste must be the same.

If that's the case… For Lexia-san, the range of delicious dishes may be very wide.

I-I'm so impressed. I had no idea that even though she was a princess, Lexia-san was more tolerant of food than any of us…

While the shock of Lexia-san's cooking was still lingering, we decided to eat the meat and potatoes that Meiko had made.

Then…

"Mmm?"

"Delicious. It's very delicious…"

To my surprise, Meiko's meat and potatoes, which should have been the first time she had cooked them, were very delicious.

Then, Kuuya-san, who had been eating silently until now, opened his mouth.

"Hmm… There's a faint but a trace of spiritual power in it."

"Eh?"

"The spiritual power is originally a power that is despised by people… but apart from that, it can also fascinate people. This dish shows the fascinating aspect of spiritual power. In other words, it is only possible to express the aspect that is avoided by people. Being able to produce a fascinating aspect like this is something only Meiko, who has grown up in the underworld environment for so many years, can do."

"I-I see…"

There were two sides to spiritual power…

"But even if you subtract that power, I think it's still delicious. Where did you acquire such culinary skills?"

"W-well… It may be that one of the sinners from whom I was formed was a good cook…"

"I don't know why, but if they are the source of Meiko, they are very serious sinners. I guess they couldn't use that skill properly. At any rate, aside from Yuuya and me, spiritual power can have a negative effect on the body of a mere mortal. Be careful how you handle it."

"I understand. I'll do my best from now on with just this skill!"

Kuuya-san nodded in satisfaction as Meiko looked somewhat determined.

Then, Lexia-san, who had eaten Meiko's dish, gave a refreshing smile.

"…I'm completely defeated."

"Le-Lexia-sama…"

"Fine! Meiko, I will recognize your culinary skills as a maid!"

"! T-thank you very much!"

"You're talking so high and mighty, but Lexia wasn't much of a contest in the first place."

"Affirmative. The difference between the two is like heaven and earth."

"Hey, shut up! If you're going to go that far, why don't you try it, Luna?"

"Huh? Why should I…?"

Luna frowned at Lexia-san's sudden words.

But Lexia-san continues, unconcerned.

"It's true that Luna is my bodyguard, but you are also my attendant, right? Then, it's not surprising that you and Meiko are competing with each other."

"Even if that's the case, I'm not going to do it."

To Luna, who stubbornly refused to accept, Lexia-san smiled and whispered softly in her ear.

"…I know you're training to be a bride, too, right?"

"Wha-!? W-where did you hear that?"

The color of Luna's face changed at once.

…I couldn't hear them from here, but I wondered what they were talking about?

"Well, what are you going to do? As for me, I can divulge it to Yuuya-sama, you know?"

"Eh? M-me?"

"T-that's…"

"It's okay. Since we are here, why don't we just check out your skill once and for all? Right?"

Luna, who was admonished by Lexia-san, looked thoughtful for a while but then reluctantly nodded her head.

"…Alright. If you insist, let's do it."

"That's how it's got to be! I'm sorry, Meiko, but I'm going to have to ask you to have another bout!"

"T-that's not a problem, but… what are we going to do? We've already eaten and…"

"Then how about a dishwashing match this time?"

""Dishwashing match?""

Luna and Meiko tilted their heads, their voices sounding in unison.

"Yes! If you are an attendant, you should not only cook but also clean up afterward perfectly, right? That's why you're going to have a dishwashing match!"

"H-hah… that's fine, but…"

"And, since there's so many dishes, you're joining too, Yuti!"

Not expecting the fire to fly to her, Yuti's eyes widened.

"Astonished. Why?"

"Because it would be more fun."

"You decide on your own again…"

Luna held her head in this situation, which had completely become Lexia-san's sole domain.

Then, Ouma-san, who had finished eating, opened his mouth.

"I don't know what it is, but you have no more use for us, right?"

"W-woof…"

"Buhi~"

"Pii!"

"Eh? E-everyone!"

Ouma-san quickly went to another room, and Night followed him with an apologetic look on his face.

Akatsuki waved his hand cheerfully, and Ciel squealed cheerfully as if cheering us on and followed Ouma-san.

"Well, I guess I'll go over there too…"

"Even Kuuya-san?"

"The rest of you youngsters can have fun with each other…"

He left with an air of aloofness.

W-what should I do… should I run away before I get involved in something weird too…?

"Ara, everyone has gone… Well, if only Yuuya-sama is here, then it would be fine!"

No, they've blocked my escape route…!

"So, me and Yuuya-sama will be the judges!"

"Fine."

"…Give up. It can't be helped; I'll do my best."

"I'll win the next match, too!"

Meiko and Luna were motivated, but Yuti, who was completely caught up in it, let out a deep sigh.

"Well then… let's get started!"

Part 3

After moving to the sink, each with a dish in hand, Lexia-san gave the signal for the contest to begin.

"I wasn't an expert in cooking, but I know how to wash dishes. All I have to do now is to strike with my hands…!"

Using all of her spiritual power, Meiko made the dishes float in the air one after another, grabbed them before they fell, cleaned them one by one, and laid them out in the blink of an eye.

A-amazing… I haven't mastered how to handle spiritual power yet, but Meiko, who has spent so many years with spiritual power, can handle it at will as if it were her own limbs…

"Not bad. But I won't lose to you either…!"

Luna smiles wryly in the face of Meiko's strange technique.

At that moment, she threw a plate into the air, just like Meiko. However, the plate did not fall but was fixed in the air.

"T-that's…"

"I see; the plates are being held in place by Luna's strings."

While everyone was amazed at the sight of so many plates floating in the air, Lexia-san gave a calm commentary. W-what's this strange situation…

"That's not all… [Streamline]!"

Then suddenly, bubbles began to adhere to the plates that had been fixed in mid-air, and they moved dexterously and began to wash the plates!

"W-what in the world is going on?"

"T-that! That's the advanced skill of washing many dishes at the same time by attaching bubbles to different strings and manipulating them!"

"Lexia-san?"

For some reason, Lexia-san's live commentary just wouldn't stop.

"Fufufu… Of course, unlike the strings I usually use, I use a material that is gentle to dishes and is specially designed for dish-washing."

"I-is there such a thing as a dish-washing-specific string…?"

The world of strings is too big.

I could only twitch my cheeks at Luna's words.

Thus, while Luna and Meiko were engaged in a fierce battle, Yuti is…

"Haah!"

Like the two of them, she tossed the dishes into the air and, using her precognition, accurately washes them in the order in which they fall.

And when she finished washing each and every plate…

"[Comet]!"

──She threw the dishes at the drainer rack.

Yuti threw the dishes precisely at the draining rack one after the other. After throwing all the dishes, Yuti finished washing the dishes before the two of them.

"Finished. I win."

"Um… Yuti?"

While Yuti was taking a break from washing the dishes, I called out to her.

"? What's wrong?"

"The dishes… are broken…"

"Ah…"

Naturally, there was no special processing on the draining rack, and all the dishes thrown in were broken.

Seeing this, Yuti froze and turned a fearful glance in my direction.

"…Afraid. Yuuya, are you angry…?"

"N-no, it's not like that, but… for the time being, let's not throw things unless you're in battle. It's dangerous if it hits someone…"

"…Affirmative. I'll be careful…"

I didn't say anything more to the frustrated Yuti. It was unfortunate that the plates broke, but I was relieved that no one was hurt.

Thus, despite a little trouble, the matter was finally settled.

"──I-I'm done!"

It was Meiko who finished washing the dishes first.

"Kuh! I was so close too…!"

Next to her, Luna, who finished washing the dishes by a really close margin, looked frustrated.

When I checked the dishes that had been washed, I found that they had both washed them properly without leaving a single stain, and I had nothing to complain about.

"That's too bad for you, Luna!"

"…I won't lose the next time."

"I-I'll be very committed too."

Luna and Meiko shook hands with each other after saying this.

Seeing the two of them, Lexia-san nodded in satisfaction.

"It has been decided that Meiko is an excellent maid! So from now on, please take care of me, Meiko!"

"Yes, it is my pleasure too!"

"A-ahahaha…"

After all that had happened, Meiko was safely accepted into the house.

＊＊＊

In the real world, Yuuya has returned from the underworld.

In the other world, Iris and Odis were visiting Usagi.

After the incident in the heavenly realm, the three realized that they were still lacking in their own abilities from their experience of fighting observers and the false god, so they had each been working hard on their training──.

"Usagi!"

(Iris? And Odis, too… what in the world has happened?)

Usagi tilted his head when Iris and Odis came to visit, even though they had been training by themselves in different parts of the world.

Iris also opened her mouth, looking somewhat bewildered.

"Actually… we received an invitation."

(Invitation? What is…)

"──[Heavenly Sacred Festival]."

(!)

Usagi was surprised at the unexpected word.

"A festival of the Holy held once every few years… Well, it's a kind of fighting tournament…"

(Why? It hasn't been that long since Iris won the last one, has it?)

"That's why we're confused."

As Usagi had said, Iris had won the title of the strongest among the Holy by winning this [Heavenly Sacred Festival], where all the Holy gathered to compete with each other in a contest of their own martial prowess.

However, due to the nature of the Holy, this tournament could not be easily held repeatedly.

It was obviously strange to receive an invitation to hold the tournament so soon after the last one.

(In the first place… Who started the [Heavenly Sacred Festival] this time?)

"It was the Katana Saint. The Katana Saint… Shu Zakuren."

(That guy, huh…?)

Usagi frowned as he pictured a man's face in his mind.

(I can't read what he's been thinking for a long time. I don't like that.)

"Yeah… he's always got a faint smile on his face… What in the world he's thinking… we were wondering about that as well…"

(…Well, that's alright. Let's put aside for the moment the fact that he has announced the holding of the [Heavenly Sacred Festival]. But more importantly, will the Holy gather?)

What Usagi was thinking about was whether or not the Holy would be able to gather properly.

Because of their role, the Holy are not in a position to move so easily.

Some of them had been invited to the ceremony as important figures in the country, and there had been various difficulties in holding the [Heavenly Sacred Festival].

Then, Odis answered with a difficult expression on his face.

"Regarding that… it seems that all the members will gather."

(What? You mean that guy was able to convince all the Holy to come?)

"That is what I mean."

Usagi was surprised again by Odis's unexpected words.

"What in the world is going on among the Holy…?"

They had no idea what was happening while they were practicing.

"Whatever it is, the only way to find out for sure what's going on is to participate, right?"

(…Yes, that's right. In addition, I've just finished my training. It's not a bad idea to test my skills once in a while at that.)

Having decided to participate in the [Heavenly Sacred Festival] for the time being, Usagi smiled ferociously.

＊＊＊

A few days have passed since Meiko came to my house.

Since she is now living with us in my house, I asked her if she would like to attend school too…

"Thank you for your concern. But it is enough for me to stay in this house. Besides, I will take good care of this house while Master is away."

…And so, she was now staying at home with Night and the others.

In fact, it seemed to be fun for Meiko, and I didn't have anything more to say to her.

Lexia-san and the others seemed a little disappointed… But I wanted to let Meiko do what she wanted to do. If she wanted to stay at home, that's fine.

And also, because of the way she was, it seemed that Meiko didn't age with her appearance, so if she wanted to go to school later, then she could think about it then.

So, after returning from the underworld, I was able to spend relatively peaceful days.

And today, my classes at school ended without incident, and I was about to go home, when──.

"──Tenjou-kun!"

"Ki-Kitaraku-senpai?"

The door to the classroom was opened vigorously, and from there, the student council president of this school, Kitaraku-senpai, appeared.

When everyone in the class was surprised by the sudden situation, Kitaraku-senpai came to me, paying no attention to the surroundings.

"Tenjou-kun, listen to me!"

"W-what is it?"

"The School Idol Project's stage has been decided!"

"…..Eh?"

For a moment, I couldn't understand the meaning of Kitaraku-senpai's words.

W-what did he just say? The School Idol Project's stage… has been decided!?

"Eeehhh!? I-isn't that too soon?"

It was understandable that I was surprised. After all, I had only just heard about School Idol a short while ago.

"Well, I visited the president of Star Productions the other day! We talked about a lot of things there, and the stage was decided right away!"

"When did that happen? Even if that's the case, I think everything happened too fast…!"

Kitaraku-senpai, not caring about my reaction, laughed it off.

"Hahahaha! What are you saying? When I get an idea, I act on it! That's my good point!"

"That may be so, but! In the first place… idol stage, what about the songs and choreography!"

I understood that the stage had been decided. But nothing has been prepared for the stage.

Then, Kitaraku-senpai grinned.

"Don't worry. I've got that all prepared too! By the way, I asked Kanade Utamori-san, who came to the last school festival, to write the song, and the choreography was done by a very famous choreographer who is the pride of Star Productions!"

"Eeehhh!?"

T-that's a lot of information!

"I've also prepared a place for you to practice for the stage, so from today, you can start practicing there right away!"

"Oh, no, wait!"

Kitaraku-senpai ended the conversation almost unilaterally and left happily.

I was appalled at the sight of him.

And thus, the preparation for the school idol stage started without me understanding the reason.

＊＊＊

After the class buzz subsided, I quickly set to work to prepare for the stage.

Then, Ryo and Shingo-kun, who apparently were not in the classroom at the time of the earlier commotion, came up to me and started to talk.

"Yuuya. Wanna go play?"

"T-there is a new game center near here. Do you want to join us?"

"Ah… I'm sorry. The school idol project started today, so…"

"I-I see that you've already started."

Shingo-kun's eyes widened at my words. That surprised me too, you know…

"I see… then it can't be helped. Akira also seemed busy, so we'll do it another time…"

"Huh? Is that so?"

"Y-yeah. But Akira always seems to be busy…"

"That's true if you ask me. I've hardly ever hung out with him after school or anything…"

Heh… Shingo-kun and Ryo had not had much time to play with Akira, either.

What is he doing, that Akira? Is there some reason why he can't play with his friends?

With these thoughts in mind, I parted from them and hurried to the room prepared by Kitaraku-senpai.

Part 4

"Um… everyone's stage is set."

"Eh?"

I had gathered Lexia-san and the others who had become members of the school idol group and arrived at the lesson room that Kitaraku-senpai had prepared for us.

This lesson room was usually used for physical education dance classes, the front of the room was covered with mirrors and even had a barre for ballet.

On the way to this place, I was handed a certain DVD by Kitaraku-senpai.

"This DVD contains the music and choreography for the song that the idol will be singing, so please take care of it!"

…After telling me that the DVD contained the song and choreography, he stormed off again.

Then Kaede, who had been listening to me, raised her hand.

"Um… I think we just talked about school idols the other day, and the stage has already been set? Or rather, is it going to be okay…?"

"…I think it's up to everyone's hard work…"

"Eeehhh!?"

It was too sudden not only for me but also for Kaede and the others, and they all looked at me with wide eyes.

"I-in the first place, isn't there someone like a teacher prepared for us?"

"I don't think so."

"Isn't that too unreasonable?"

I thought so, too.

The student council president wanted them to learn the song and choreography on their own.

But even though I expressed my concern, Kitaraku-senpai did not listen to me at all…

"Don't worry, don't worry! You guys can do it! Hahahaha!"

…That's how it went.

"By the way, has anyone ever sung or danced before?"

I asked, and no one raised their hand except Lexia-san.

"I've danced a few times in social gatherings, but… this one is probably not the kind of dancing that I'm thinking of, isn't it?"

Certainly, Lexia-san, in her position as the princess of the Kingdom of Arcelia, had probably experienced ballroom dancing in the other world.

However, what I am asking everyone to do this time was to dance as an idol. The direction of the dance was completely different.

"Well… I haven't checked the DVD yet, so I can't say for sure, but I think it's very different from the kind of dance Lexia-san is imagining…"

"Hmm… then let's check out the song and dance as soon as possible."

"I agree. Now that the stage has been set, we have no choice but to do it…"

At the urging of Luna and Merl, everyone decided to watch the DVD that had been given by Kitaraku-senpai for the time being.

After playing the video on the monitor provided in the room and finishing checking the contents of the DVD…

"T-this is quite…"

I broke out in a cold sweat when I saw the dance recorded on the DVD.

Kaede and the others are still the only students who are willing to cooperate with the school idol project, and none of them has any experience in dancing or singing.

So, I thought the songs and choreography would be somewhat easy to follow…

"I-it's a pretty up-tempo song… although it's certainly a very good idol song…"

Kaede was right; I thought the song was very good as if just listening to it would cheer me up.

It's no wonder, because it was Kanade Utamori-san, who was invited to the last school festival, who wrote the lyrics to the song.

I was surprised once again because I had never thought that Kitaraku-senpai had asked someone so famous to write a song for him.

It was hard to believe that a mere student could do such a thing, but that Kitaraku-senpai managed to do it without any difficulty, so it was still terrifying…

Anyway, what we thought was the biggest problem when we saw the DVD was…

"A-are we going to dance like this? It's pretty intense, but…"

"It looks difficult, isn't it…?"

──The choreography was set to the speedy tune of the song.

It was not extremely difficult, but I think it would still be too difficult for an amateur dancer to dance.

Fortunately, the formation didn't seem to change, so they only needed to learn the dances and songs recorded on this DVD…

As I was making a sour face at the unexpected level of difficulty, Luna, who was watching the monitor with a serious expression on her face, opened her mouth.

"Yuuya, can you show me the DVD just one more time?"

"Eh? Ah, yeah."

I did as I was told and played the video once more, and Luna continued to stare at it intently.

Then──.

"…I memorized it."

"Huh?"

As everyone's eyes widened at Luna's unexpected statement, Luna suddenly stood up and moved to the center of the room.

"Yuuya, play the video for me."

"G-got it."

When I started playing the video again, Luna started dancing to the music of the video.

And Luna continued to dance without making a single mistake. It was hard to believe that she was a beginner dancer.

What's more, she had only seen the video twice.

But to my surprise, Luna danced through the song perfectly.

"Hmm… Something like this."

"A-amazing! Luna-san, you're just amazing!"

"I-is that so?"

Kaede's eyes lit up as Luna took a breath and then she approached her.

"That's really great! Have you actually taken dance lessons?"

"No, I've never danced before. But I'm good at moving my body. At this level… I'm sure Yuti can do it, too, right?"

"Eh?"

"Affirmative. I learned it by watching Luna's movements just now."

"No way!"

I didn't expect that even Yuti had learned the choreography.

So, to confirm this, I played the video again, and Yuti danced perfectly alongside Luna. Kaede and the others were appalled at the sight of these two.

"A-amazing…"

"I-is this because of the difference in physical ability…?"

"Kiii! I'm torn between feeling proud of my Luna and feeling frustrated!"

"When did I become yours…?"

Luna was taken aback by Lexia-san's words, which were too honest, but she shifted her gaze toward me.

"How was it? I did pretty well, didn't I?"

"Y-yeah! I'm amazed! I didn't expect you to learn to dance so easily…!"

"I-is that so…? It is embarrassing to be praised so frankly, but… A-anyway, as for the dancing, you can leave it to Yuti and me. We've already learned the choreography and can teach it to the other three."

"Affirmative. I'll do my best."

I seriously wondered what to do when the stage was suddenly mentioned, but this might… be possible…!"

"Then all that's left is singing!"

"I've lost at dancing to Luna and Yuti, but I can do the singing too!"

"That… I'm not sure about either of them, but I'll do my best!"

At first, the school idol project seemed to be going nowhere, but now that things were moving in this way, it was a relief to know that they might be able to make it work.

＊＊＊

"Ah…"

A young man, moving through the city, trying to hide his presence in the crowd, came upon a scene and stopped.

"Oops…. oops…"

It was a scene of an elderly woman carrying a large package on her back and attempting to climb a pedestrian bridge.

"….."

Seeing such an old lady, the young man pondered for a moment. However, when he made up his mind to do something, he immediately called out to her.

"U-um… I'll help you."

"Eh? O-oh, thank you. But the luggage is heavy. It's fine."

For a moment, the old lady was surprised to be approached by the young man, but she immediately smiled kindly.

"No. Despite my appearance, I'm quite strong, you know. See…?"

"Oh, my!"

Then the young man carried the large luggage on his back with ease, along with the old lady.

The old lady rolled her eyes at the young man's incredible strength, which she could not imagine from his appearance.

"Ara, ara… this is amazing… I-is it heavy?"

"Not at all. It's light."

The young man smiled gently, but it didn't seem that way to the eyes of those around him.

"H-hey, look at that…"

"How can he carry that…?"

"In the first place, how did the old lady carry such a huge load so far, too…?"

As the people in the surrounding area were surprised, the old lady was moving with a huge wrapping cloth on her back, just like in a manga.

The young man, however, didn't even bother with that and finished crossing the pedestrian bridge with ease, carrying the old lady on his back.

"Since we've come all this way, please let me carry you to your destination."

"Ara, it's kind of bad if you have to carry me that far."

"No, no, I just want to do it…"

The young man's goodwill was appreciated, and the old woman let him carry all the luggage to her house.

"Thank you, Onii-san. Even so, you're a lot more powerful than you look."

"I-is that so?"

"I am so grateful to have a kind man like you helping me. Thank you."

"Ah…"

The young man was at a loss for words after receiving the old lady's pure words.

Then, with her face downcast, the old lady continued.

"Since you're here, would you like to have some tea? …Oh, my?"

When the woman looked up for a moment, the young man was already gone.

The young man walked away without saying a word and continued to wander the streets once again.

"Am I… a kind person? That can't be…!"

The young man's frustrated mutterings disappeared into the crowd.

＊＊＊

When Yuuya was practicing with Lexia and the others for the stage──.

"It's been a long time since I've been here."

Iris, Usagi, and Odis were visiting the Sacred Valley, the venue of the [Heavenly Sacred Festival].

The Sacred Valley was created when the Holy of a certain time period destroyed the powerful Evil, and the area's topography changed.

Perhaps because of this, evil beasts and others with the presence of Evil cannot even approach this area. However, instead, powerful monsters are attracted by the presence of the Holy and gather here, making the area as dangerous as the Great Devil's Nest, where Yuuya lives.

For the monsters, the presence of the Holy in this land was comfortable, and since the power of the Holy also had the ability to strengthen their bodies, it was easy to see how powerful the Holy were at the time when such terrain was created.

In the Sacred Valley, many Holy had already gathered.

Some of the Holy, including the Fist Saint, had already disappeared after their minds were controlled by Evil, but there are still some Holy left in the world.

Then one of the Holy noticed Iris and the others.

"Iris!"

"Gloria! It's been a long time!"

The woman who came to Iris and the others was a beast-woman with long azure hair and deep purple eyes.

She had a black steel prosthetic arm from her right shoulder down, and the way she carried herself made it clear at first glance that she was no ordinary woman.

The woman, whom Iris called Gloria, turned her attention to Usagi and Odis.

"I see you're with Usagi and Odis, too."

(It's been a long time.)

"How are the children?"

Gloria smiled at Odis' question.

"Yeah, they're doing too well. It would be great if everyone could come and play with them."

(…I don't like human children.)

"Hey! What are you talking about?"

Iris was quick to quip at Usagi's words but then turned her gaze once again to the Holy gathered in the place.

"But why did the Katana Saint decide to hold the Heavenly Sacred Festival?"

"Who knows… I wondered that myself. But now that we're all here, I think it's…"

"…It seems that there's definitely something he's after."

Iris intuitively felt that way.

This was because she had sensed a strange presence from some of the Holy since she arrived at the venue.

In addition… This sign could also be felt from the organizer of this event, the Katana Saint, Shu Zakuren.

"Hmm… It's a strange sign… or perhaps a strange pressure from some people. I think we've been through a lot, and we're getting stronger…"

As Odis said, the three of them, including Iris and Usagi, should have been much stronger than the other Holy because they had many opportunities to work with Yuuya.

However, some of the Holy gathered here were giving off a strange pressure that made even the three of them wary of each other.

As the three of them were observing the scene in the venue, a man came out to the center of the venue.

He had long, deep purple hair that was tied up in one bun and dark purple eyes. He wore exotic clothing reminiscent of Japanese kimonos and had a katana at his waist.

His face was covered with an unreadable smile.

"….."

That man was Shu Zakuren, the Katana Saint… who initiated this [Heavenly Sacred Festival].

Shu looked around and bowed.

"I thank you for agreeing to this sudden call. Unfortunately, it seems that some of the Holy have already passed away, but… it is a great pleasure for me to meet again with so many of you here."

Some of the Holy presents were surprised by Shu's statement.

"I thought there were some Holy who are not present, but they have passed away…?"

"Oh… I guess we haven't told Gloria yet…"

"Or rather, we haven't been able to tell most of the Holy."

"Do Iris and the others know anything about this?"

Gloria was surprised at Shu's words, while Iris and the others smiled bitterly at her.

In fact, if it were the case, they would have already informed the Holy that Avis, the pinnacle of Evil, had been defeated.

But after that, they were still involved in Yuuya's troubles, and as a result, they were unable to tell many of the Holy about it.

"Um… You know those Evil, don't you?"

"That's because they are our sworn enemies."

"…The leader of it has already been defeated."

"Eh?"

Gloria looked stunned at Iris's words.

"W-wait a minute. It's been defeated, you say…"

(It means exactly what Iris said. There is no Evil in the world today. Though evil beasts are still around.)

"….."

Gloria could not help but be appalled.

In the midst of all this, Shu's words continued.

"──This unforeseen situation where several Holy died at the same time. The cause of this is unknown to me either, but it is highly likely to be related to the presence of… Evil. Therefore, I felt it was necessary for the Holy to communicate with each other and enhance our unity. And we must not forget to check each other's skills and improve each other."

"….."

The Evil had already been destroyed, and Shu had not been told about it, but when Shu said that the purpose of the exchange between the Holy was still the same, Iris and the others looked more and more doubtful.

(…If all he wants is to communicate with the Holy, there are other ways to do it…)

"I think the main purpose is to confirm the skills of the Holy, isn't it?"

"If so, I don't know why that Shu guy suddenly started talking like that… and I don't understand his aim…"

When the three of them were showing their caution, Shu's gaze suddenly caught the three of them.

It was only a fleeting moment, but Iris did not miss it.

"…The talk has gotten long, but I'm sure everyone is busy in their own way. Let's start the [Heavenly Sacred Festival] right away. Let's decide once again who is the strongest among the Holy. And… about the future."

──Thus began the [Heavenly Sacred Festival] by the Holy.