Vol-12 Ch 5 – Meiko

Part 1

I had a shocking reunion with Zenovis-san, but he was not the only mentor from the underworld.

Seeing my surprise, the woman I assumed to be the other mentor deepened her smile.

"Ara ara, it's so interesting to see the newest addition to Yuti-chan's family〜"

"Eh, Yuti?"

I didn't expect her name to come up here, and I was surprised. Then, the woman continued with a gentle smile on her face.

"I am Yuty-chan's master… 'Bow Saint' Archer Arrow. Nice to meet you, Yuuya-chan!"

"Eeeh?"

To my surprise, this woman… Archer-san… was Yuti's late master!

Reimei-sama laughed amusedly at my continued astonishment.

"Hohoho, that's a good reaction! Those three are your mentors."

"Well, Sage-sama and I are just helping Yuuya-chan seal Meiko-chan."

"Is that so?"

"Umu. As I said before, Meiko is the crystallization of the malice of all the great sinners imprisoned in the underworld. Even the slightest overflow of its power can create all kinds of evil beings in its surroundings. That's why I've asked Archer and the others there to take care of it."

"Evil beings are different from demons, aren't they?"

"No, it is not. They can't be defeated without the same kind of spiritual power as demons do, but in their essence, the malice that overflowed from the body of Meiko has transformed into a different form and started to move. Since it is originally malevolent, once it is unleashed, it will attack those around it without regard. Therefore, this existence cannot be left unchecked."

"We have obtained a power called spiritual power instead of mystical power because of our death. But with this spiritual power, it would be enough to deal with the creatures produced by Meiko and the like. Therefore, I have decided to train Yuuya so that you will be able to fight Meiko alone."

"I-I will be trained by Zenovis-san again…!"

The training was quite tough, but there was no doubt that I acquired my strength thanks to his training.

While the thought of undergoing that painful training once again made me feel a bit intimidated, it's an opportunity that I'm going to take advantage of. I will do my best again.

"Whew… I didn't expect you to still be so motivated after all the hard work I put you through. If so, then I will respond to that motivation. Unfortunately, I personally don't have any idea about spiritual power. So I will mainly teach you how to use weapons and magic. Well then, about spiritual power…"

"Yes! I will teach you!"

Kuuya-san's expression showed his pride as he said this.

"I have heard about you from my thought body in the present world!"

Now that I think about it, it's amazing that he can communicate between the main body here in the underworld and the thought body he left behind on Earth.

To put it another way, it's quite a feat to be able to seal one's own thought body in a scroll.

"With your current ability, can you fight with your body or weapons clad with your spiritual power? For the time being, in order to deal with Meiko, I'm going to have you learn the art of sealing while improving your ability to use your spiritual power, so please keep that in mind."

"I-I understand."

I was just about to say this when I noticed something.

"Huh? Come to think of it… I made a soul contract with Zenovis-san, but your memory was gone at that time, wasn't it? Then why…?"

"Ah. I am already dead now that we could meet again here. That's why I look the same as I did when I died… but being dead means that I am now only a soul. In other words, my memories have been released from my body, and I can remember Yuuya."

By dying and becoming only a soul, Zenovis-san was able to remember things about me that he should have forgotten.

As we were discussing things with each other in this way, Reimei-sama grinned.

"Well, I think you've had enough of talking with your mentors… There is one last person I'd like you to meet."

"Eh? Someone you want me to meet?"

"Here, come in."

When I saw the person who came into this hall, I was even more shocked than when I met Zenovis-san again.

Because──.

"Yuuya. How have you been?"

"Eh───"

I will not forget.

How could I forget?

That voice and that figure.

Absolutely.

As I stood there in a daze… my grandfather, Yuusuke, was in front of me.

"G…Grandpa…?"

"It's been a long time, Yuuya."

I was stunned and muttered to myself; Grandpa smiled gently at me.

Ah… how many times have I been saved by this smile?

Grandpa was always kind to me.

The appearance of the grandfather I knew very well was certainly here.

"A-ah… Grandpa… Grandpa…!"

I ran up to him and hugged him without worrying about the tears that were welling up in my eyes.

"Grandpa… Grandpa…!"

"…You've become splendid, Yuuya!"

"Yeah… yeah…!"

I was sobbing, but Grandpa gently held me in his arms.

Yes, Grandpa always soothed me like this.

I thought I would never see him again.

I never thought I would see him again like this…

In any way, being able to see Grandpa again was the best thing that could have happened to me.

＊＊＊

"Now, have you calmed down?"

"I-I'm sorry…"

When my tears had finally subsided, and my heart had calmed down, Reimei-sama called out to me.

Reimei-sama smiled gently at me as I felt my cheeks heat up.

"Don't worry about it. You must have had strong feelings for him, which is rare among humans these days."

"That's nice. I'd like to meet Yuti-chan, too."

Archer-san, who was watching the reunion between me and my grandfather, said so enviously.

"I'm sorry… I wish I could have brought Yuti along…"

"It's fine, don't worry about it~. After I died, Yuti-chan went down the wrong path once. But thanks to Yuuya-chan, she's looking straight ahead now… and that's all I need to be happy about."

"I see…"

Seeing Archer-san smiling kindly, I knew that she truly cared about Yuti.

Thus, after everyone had been introduced, Reimei-sama clapped her hands.

"Alright! This concludes our conversation here. I'll immediately ask Yuuya to train hard for the sealing of Meiko!"

"I-I understand!"

"Huff… Leave it to me."

"Onee-san will do her best, too."

"Fumu, for the first time in a long while, I can feel my skills as a sorcerer ringing."

We each responded to Reimei-sama's words.

"….."

At that time, I didn't realize that Grandpa was thinking about something else.

Part 2

"Haaaaah!"

"""Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!"""

──How much time has passed since I met Zenovis-san and the others again?

Now I was wielding the [Omni-Sword] clothed with my own spiritual power against the kobolds that Kuuya-san had created with his spiritual power.

When I started my training in this underworld, I had no idea how long it would take to resolve this situation, and I had many things to worry about because of my life on Earth.

However, the underworld had a separate flow of time from the present world, just like the heavenly realm, and on top of that, it was said that one does not age while in this place.

Therefore, I don't have to worry about the time it took to train, and I had spent a considerable amount of time training here.

In the beginning, I concentrated too much on manipulating my spiritual power, and when there were more than two kobolds to deal with, I often became careless with my handling of my spiritual power.

Now, however, I am able to handle multiple kobolds while manipulating spiritual power in a natural way.

Nevertheless, as I became more adept at using my spiritual power, Kuuya-san made the kobolds he produced stronger, so my training was quite painful.

"Yuuya. Relax your body. If you keep exerting yourself so much, you will collapse soon."

"I-I understand…!"

In addition to operating my spiritual power, Zenovis-san taught me how to handle weapons, just as I had done when I was sent to the past.

However, this time I was allowed to use [Omni-Sword] from the beginning, so this would be a big difference.

"You can cut anything you want to cut without having to rely on weapons anymore. So adding restrictions to your weapons now will have no effect."

…Zenovis-san said so, but I'm probably still relying on my weapon.

I had also taught some various sorcery from Kuuya-san to seal Meiko, but it was also difficult.

Because of this, the only new sorcery I was learning here was the "sealing technique," and I didn't have time to learn any other types of sorcery.

Well, since all I needed now was the sealing technique, there would be no problem if I could learn the other arts at another time.

I continued my training in this way, but then I was allowed to take a break.

"I-I'm tired…"

"Thanks for your hard work, Yuuya-chan."

"Oh, thank you, Archer-san."

"I don't know exactly what it is, but Yuuya, you've gotten a lot stronger, haven't you?"

"I-is that so? I'm glad to hear you say so."

While receiving a towel from Archer-san, I can't help but smile at my grandfather's words.

Then Archer-san opened her mouth, looking a bit dazed, as she sat down next to me.

"Even so… Sage-sama training is outrageous, isn't it?"

"I-is that so?"

"Yes, it is. I had only known Sage-sama as a character from a fairy tale, but seeing him in person like this, I realized that all those fairy tales were true."

"A-ahahaha…"

"Anyway, you have to remember that the training you're undergoing right now is quite frankly outrageous, even from my perspective as the holder of the title of Holy."

"I-I understand."

"However, if Yuuya-chan is that strong, Yuti-chan will be safe, and I am very grateful for that."

I couldn't help but ask Archer-san, who looked somewhat sad.

"Um… How did you get acquainted with Yuti?"

"Well… when she was a baby, she was abandoned in the forest near the village where I lived."

"Eh?"

"I found her by chance when I was making my rounds outside the village, so I was able to protect her… I don't know what would have happened to her if I hadn't found her then."

"I see…"

Amidst the surprise that Yuti was an abandoned child, Archer-san continued.

"The villagers were scared of her because she looked and sounded so out of touch with the world and because she seemed to be a seer due to her excessive insight. Besides, it wasn't a very wealthy village, and there was no one to take her. So I decided to take her in and raise her."

According to Archer-san, while raising Yuti, she also taught her the art of Bow Saint so that she could live on her own.

But even though Archer-san, who was already a Bow Saint at that time, was protecting the village where she lived, her power was feared, and she was kept away from the people of the village.

"I tried my best to help the villagers as much as I could. But the harder I tried, the more they saw me as different, and I was always alone."

"….."

Villagers kept Archer-san away from them despite the fact that she protected them.

…I can't say anything because I think it's selfish, but maybe there was something in that village that I don't understand.

But there was no doubt that Archer-san was seriously trying to reach out to the villagers.

"I was always alone like that, and Yuti-chan was the first family I had ever had. That's why I was so attached to her. I knew I had to let her do a lot of things on her own, but I was overprotective."

"Ah…"

When I heard Archer-san's words, I recalled the early days when Yuti first came to live at my house.

Back then, she was trying to get me to do whatever she wanted… Now, she's trying hard to correct herself and is able to do a lot of things on her own… But was that all a problem with the way Archer-san had raised her?

"Because it can't be helped! Yuti-chan is just too cute! Isn't she?"

"T-that's right."

I felt pressured by Archer-san's tone that I couldn't help but nod.

She nodded her head in satisfaction at my reaction.

"Yeah, yeah, you know what I mean, right, Yuuya-chan? That's why I can leave her in your care with peace of mind… Please continue to take good care of Yuti-chan, okay?"

"…Yes."

I nodded with a serious expression on my face.

"It's time to resume your training."

"Ah, yes!"

I replied to Zenovis-san's words and was about to resume my training──but at that moment.

"!?"

Suddenly, a tremendous chill swept over my body.

The feeling was similar to when demons appeared at my house on Earth… but it was nothing like that.

Above all, it was a sign of death or… something darker and denser.

I hurriedly turned my gaze in the direction of the signs and saw a pitch-black, bipedal monster standing there.

It was covered in pitch black, its eyes glowing red, and its silhouette was that of a werewolf, a combination of a beast and a human being.

The monster stared at us, and in the next instant, it disappeared from the scene.

"Wha!? W-where──?"

"──Fuh."

"Giiii!?"

"Zenovis-san?"

As soon as I lost sight of the creature, it appeared in my blind spot and attacked me at an unbelievable speed.

However, Zenovis-san, who had anticipated this, quickly gathered spiritual power in his hands, created a sword with it, and cut down the creature with a single sword stroke.

"This one is…"

A red oni came running from the distance as Zenovis-san looked like he had noticed something in front of the creature he had just slain.

"E…everyoneeee! T-there's a problem!"

"What's wrong?"

"Meiko's power has started to go out of control!"

"! So you're saying this is the residue from Meiko's power overflowing?"

"Yes, that's right!"

According to Nikkaku-san's story, the monster that had just attacked us was a being created from the power of Meiko.

The moment I confronted it, I felt a wave of such a terrifying power that seemed to reject life…

The boundary between the underworld and the present world is disappearing, and if that creature wanders around into the underworld, it could cause an avalanche of creatures to descend into the present world.

That must be stopped at all costs…!

We looked at each other and told Nikaku.

"Please lead us to where Meiko is!"

"I know that Meiko's outburst has only just begun, but now that it's happened, we need to seal her up as soon as possible…"

"While Yuuya seals Meiko, we'll have to deal with the creatures from before, won't we?"

"My arms are ringing."

"Yuuya, can you do the sealing technique now?"

"I- I think it's probably fine!"

I don't know if I can actually do it properly, but I have no choice but to do it after coming this far.

As we were about to head for Meiko's place, Grandpa, who had remained silent up until now, opened his mouth.

"Are you sure this is the right thing to do?"

"Eh?"

It was an unexpected word.

Everyone except Grandpa was surprised by his words.

"Yuusuke. What do you mean by that?"

"It means exactly what I said, Zenovis."

Grandpa, who had once been in touch with Zenovis-san beyond the constraints of time and the boundaries of the two worlds, said in his usual tone.

"I've been stuck on it ever since I heard Reimei-sama talk about it. I wondered if it was really okay to seal Meiko. And now I finally understand."

"W-what are you talking about? Meiko is an existence formed by the crystallization of the malice of the deadly sinners in the underworld… and we can't just let her go unchecked!"

Nikkaku came to his senses at Grandpa's words and said so in a panic, but Grandpa put on a serious expression and uttered one word that came as a shock to us all.

"Did Meiko do something wrong?"

"!"

"We knew that the creature was created by the outburst of Meiko's power and that Meiko herself was the culmination of the evil intentions of the dead sinners of the underworld. But has this Meiko ever done anything wrong herself?"

"T-this is not the time to be talking about that! Do you know how dangerous the mere appearance of the creature you just saw could be?"

"I do know that. But is sealing Meiko really the only way to stop that creature from appearing?"

Zenovis-san opened his mouth to answer Grandpa's question.

"Yuusuke. I know how you feel, but we're not in that situation."

"Hmm… if you guys are going to stand on that side, I might as well side with Meiko."

"!?"

Grandpa's words, delivered in such a matter-of-fact manner, left everyone speechless.

But Grandpa continued on without paying attention to them.

"Because, you know, Meiko is not doing anything wrong of her own volition. But I can't overlook it if you just assume that she is evil and seal her up."

"What are you talking about? She is the fruit of the evil intentions of the deadly sinners! Such a thing is so bad that you don't even need to think about it──"

"Then why didn't Meiko make her move right after the seal was lifted?"

"T-that's…"

I couldn't hide my upset when I heard Grandpa's words.

Certainly, the creature that we just saw was probably created because of the overflow of the power that came from Meiko's seal being broken.

But it was not the will of Meiko herself.

Besides, as Grandpa said, Meiko's seal had been broken before I came to the underworld. And yet, the fact that the creature did not appear until just a few moments ago suggested that Meiko was trying to stop herself from going out of control as much as possible.

"We don't know much about this being, and to just seal her up unconditionally is just… It seems that Meiko hurts those around her regardless of her own will, but we don't know if Meiko herself is at fault or not. It's not very nice, but I don't think she should be sealed under those circumstances."

Grandpa's figure, who told us so with a resolute attitude, had not changed at all since he was still alive.

While I was being pressured by his imposing attitude, Zenovis-san confronted Grandpa head-on.

"Do you understand? Yuusuke. If that creature escapes into the present world, those without spiritual power will be overrun in an instant. Knowing that, you think you can save them from that creature?"

"That's what I'm saying. If there is a chance that I can save her, I will pursue it."

"…I'm not as optimistic as you are about the slim chance of saving her. If you try to stand in our way any longer, I will not tolerate it."

At that moment, Zenovis-san released a pressure that almost choked us as we watched.

But even in the face of such pressure, Grandpa did not change color.

"That's scary. I don't have strength like you, so I'm sure I'll be easily defeated. Still, I will continue to insist on this."

"…Are you sane?"

"Of course I'm sane."

"What makes you so stubborn?"

"I just don't like the idea of unilaterally deciding something is evil and sealing it up. The idea of just sealing it up and getting it over with, without considering other options."

"…If you can't find a way to do that, it's all for nothing. But you still want to persist?"

"Of course. I'll persist even if it ends in failure or is a waste of time. Because that would be… the human thing to do, wouldn't it?"

"!"

Those words penetrated deep into the heart of Zenovis-san, who wished to die as a human being.

That was why Zenovis-san's eyes widened at Grandpa's words.

And then──.

"Kukuku… Hahahaha! Well, that's certainly true!"

Zenovis-san laughed out loud.

"Yes… that's right. Humans are foolish beings, to begin with. Even though we know it in our heads, our hearts often fail to agree with us. And then we follow our hearts and fail. But I used to love them and think they were the way they should be… I didn't realize I'd forgotten that before I knew it…"

"Zenovis-san…"

Then, in a complete change of mood from earlier, Zenovis-san smiled ferociously.

"And there's nothing that I can't do. That's right…"

"Hmph… that's what it is, Zenovis."

Grandpa and Zenovis-san laughed happily.

Seeing them, Archer-san and Kuuya-san smiled as if they knew they were in for trouble.

"Ara ara, this is a big trouble, isn't it?"

"That's right. But… that's what makes it so worthwhile!"

I heard that Archer-san and Kuuya-san were willing to help as well.

But…

"W-wait a minute! You can't just go ahead with this on your own! We don't have time to waste on something we don't even know will succeed!"

From Nikkaku's point of view, this is a crisis in the underworld and the present world, and he probably doesn't have time to think about Meiko.

However, Zenovis-san had already begun to think of measures to rescue Meiko.

And I, too, had already discarded the idea of simply sealing Meiko up after hearing Grandpa's story.

"──Enough said, Nikkaku."

"Re-Reimei-sama!"

Just as we and Nikkaku's arguments were reaching a crossroads, Reimei-sama appeared out of nowhere.

When she looked over at us, she had a sad expression on her face.

"…I'll tell you all about it. About Meiko…"

"….."

"As you say… Meiko herself has done nothing wrong. It is merely the crystallization of the malice of the deadly sinners in the underworld. Meiko has no will herself. And the power that resides in her body had never been wielded by herself. She must have known from birth that if she used her powers, the world would collapse. Despite being born from the malice of the deadly sinners, Meiko herself was surprisingly pure and kind. However… Regardless of Meiko's will, the power that resides in her body goes out of control. The result is that she continually hurts those around her, and she has asked me to seal her up. That is how she has been sealed… for tens of thousands of years."

"No way…"

The reason why Meiko was sealed was because she herself wanted to be sealed.

And for an amount of time that I can't even imagine…

After she had said all that, Reimei-sama looked us straight in the eye.

"Now that Meiko's power is out of control, we have no time to waste. It would be next to impossible to find any means other than sealing under such circumstances. Even so… I still don't want to give up on rescuing Meiko."

For Reimei-sama, those words must have been heavier than anything else.

It was not something that could be easily spoken out because it was Reimei-sama who bore the burden of the underworld.

Even so, Reimei-sama did speak up and said that she wanted to save Meiko.

…If that's the case, then it's decided what I'll do.

Grandpa laughed gently at Reimei-sama, who was about to start crying.

"We'll just have to dig our feet in until the end. Besides, if you see someone in trouble──"

"──We will help them, right? Grandpa."

"Yeah, that's right."

Hearing my words, Grandpa smiled happily.

"Reimei-sama. I don't know how it will turn out, but… I'll try to hold my ground and see it through to the end."

"…Thank you."

I accepted his words, and we headed off to Meiko's place.

Part 3

While Yuuya was on his way to Meiko in the Underworld, Lexia and the others were shopping on Earth.

"Hmm! After all, this world is full of all sorts of unusual things!"

"Yes, indeed. I was amazed when I came here before, but I still can't believe it when I see it again."

"Unknown. I still don't know anything about it."

Because Lexia, Luna, and Yuti had lived in a world where magic was natural, they couldn't help but wonder about a world without magic and without monsters like this.

"This world is full of machines, and they help people's lives…"

"What's wrong?"

Luna looked around the city, then saw Lexia with a difficult look on her face and tilted her head.

"…No, I'm thinking about how we can make use of it in our country, but I don't know where to start…"

"Well, the fastest way would be to develop it into a magic tool, wouldn't it?"

"That's true. I'm currently thinking of… the 'smartphone' that everyone in town has!"

"Ah… That board-like thing, huh?"

"Agreed. As I understand it, everyone has one."

Although Yuuya does not have one, most people living in Japan have smartphones in their hands, and Lexia and the others have often seen them operating them on the streets.

"I'm also curious about the 'car' vehicle, but don't you think it would be easier to replicate the smartphone than the car?"

"Well, a smaller one would be less hassle than a bigger one, but… what does that thing actually do?"

"Answer. It's a tool for communicating with people who are far away from you."

"What? Such a valuable thing so easily…"

In the other world, the means of communicating with distant people are greatly limited, so the fact that such means are widely available to the public was a shock to them.

In the other world, if there was a tool that could easily communicate with distant places, there was no doubt that it alone would create a great change.

"Well, it seems to have many other functions, but that's still what I'm interested in. It would be best if we could figure out the principles behind it, but I don't know if I can be technical enough to understand it."

"Neither do I…"

"That being said, we can't invite people from the other world to come here, so it's not easy."

In the beginning, Lexia's goal was to somehow avoid admission to the Aurelia Academy.

She thought that if she could study abroad at Yuuya's school, she could be with Yuuya and also avoid admission to Aurelia Academy, but her ostensible reason was to bring back Earth technology.

Lexia, who was hoping to make life a little more comfortable for the citizens of the Kingdom of Arcelia, was unconsciously carrying out her ostensible goal of bringing back Earth's technology.

Luna noticed such thoughts of Lexia and gave a small laugh.

"Fuh… As expected."

"Hmm? Luna, what's wrong?"

"It is nothing."

"Hmm? Well, okay! We don't know much about this world yet. We're going to have a look around!"

"Yes, yes, princess."

And so the three of them continued to enjoy the Earth to the fullest.

＊＊＊

When Nikaku took us to Meiko, we found that the place was overflowing with the creatures that had just attacked us previously, and the onis were struggling against them.

"There are already so many monsters…"

"You were right to leave Yuunosuke behind."

As Zenovis-san said, I asked Grandpa to stay where we were training.

The reason being was that as long as we were going to Meiko, there was no doubt that it would be a fierce battle, and it would be dangerous for Grandpa, who didn't have the strength to fight.

Grandpa was worried about Meiko and wanted to come with us at first, but Zenovis-san convinced him to entrust us with taking care of Meiko.

So the four of us… Me, Zenovis-san, Archer-san, and Kuuya-san were going into battle…

When I looked closely, in the center of the battlefield where monsters were being created one after another, I saw a woman releasing a dark mystical power like a raging storm.

Is that Meiko…!?

"Ugh… Aaaaahhhh!"

Meiko groaned, shaking her long black hair as if she was desperately trying to suppress her own power.

And every time she cried out, her voice was imbued with a spiritual power that caused cracks to appear here and there in the underworld.

"Let's get rid of those monsters first…"

"Alright, Onee-san will do her best!"

"It's been a while since I've been on a rampage."

The three of them are walking forward without any signs of being particularly nervous in the face of the rampaging monsters.

And then──.

"Go away."

Zenovis-san randomly swung the sword he created with his spiritual power, and with that alone, many of the monsters were instantly cut down!

T-that's a lie, isn't it? He must have swung it only once, but how could it be cut into such tiny pieces?

"──[Meteor Shower]."

Archer-san released the same 'Bow Saint' skill as Yuti.

The power of the arrows, however, seemed to be more than twice as powerful as Yuti's. The arrows produced by the spiritual power shot through the monster's head one after the other.

"[Spirit Ball]."

Kuuya-san spread out his hands, and a spherical mass of spiritual power appeared there, which split apart all at once into smaller orbs.

"Now, perish!"

And then they flew toward the monster like a machine gun, annihilating it rapidly.

As I was appalled by the tremendous fighting power of the three of them, Zenovis-san turned his gaze toward me.

"Now, Yuuya. Leave this to us, and you take care of Meiko."

"Huh! I understand!"

I left the monsters in the hands of Zenovis-san and the others and pushed on.

I had actually discussed what to do about Meiko with the four of them before we got here, and I had come up with a plan, and I was going to execute it.

As I approached Meiko, more and more monsters were being created, and I kept pushing forward, cutting them down with my [Omni-Sword], which I had covered with spiritual power.

I finally got close to Meiko and took out a certain item from my item box.

"How about this?"

What I took out was the──[Gluttonous Vacuum Cleaner], an item that had sucked in the beam cannon that was once released from a Dragonian spacecraft.

This vacuum cleaner had the ability to suck up anything the user considered as trash.

That is, it can suck in anything except living organisms. In other words, it should be able to be used for the spiritual power, the power of death.

It was a gamble, but I turned on the vacuum cleaner as if praying.

Then, as if my prayer had been answered, the vacuum cleaner began to suck up all the spiritual power that was floating around Meiko!

"G-good! At this rate…!"

As the vacuum cleaner sucked in more and more power, Meiko, who had been suffering so much, turned her head to look at me, stunned.

"Y…you are…"

"I'm absorbing your power right now! If I can absorb all of it, I'm sure your outburst will subside…"

For a moment, hope flashed in Meiko's eyes as she listened to my words, but then a sad expression quickly appeared on her face.

"T-that's… No, i-it's impossible…! Please seal me up… I don't want to hurt anyone anymore…! I-if only I weren't here, I wouldn't have to hurt anyone… if only I weren't here…!"

A cry from the depths of her heart.

Meiko, who possessed the power to cause harm to those around her against her own will, must be despairing of her own existence.

…In the past, I, too, was mistreated by those around me even if I did nothing, and I used to think that it was my own fault.

I thought that my existence was making everyone uncomfortable…

In fact, my parents hated me.

So many times I wanted to disappear, but… only my grandfather accepted me.

That's why I──.

"No matter what you say, I… we won't give up! We will fight to the bitter end! So don't you give up either!"

"Why… why would you do that for me…?"

For Meiko to hear such a thing from me, someone she has never met before, would be nothing but bewilderment.

I just couldn't believe it was someone else's problem when I heard the true story of Meiko from Reimei-sama.

And besides…

"Reimei-sama wants you to be free!"

"…..!"

At those words, Meiko's eyes widened.

"A…am I… allowed to be free too…?"

"That's obvious…!"

I said, moving the vacuum cleaner while dealing with the monster that attacked me.

But… just how much more of this spiritual power would continue to overflow…!?

As long as the vacuum cleaner was working, I just had to keep fighting the monsters until this vacuum cleaner absorbed all the spiritual power.

And if I keep going like this, I'll be able to absorb all of Meiko's power… Or so I thought.

"!? A-ah… N-no… it overflowed again… Aaaaaaahhhh!"

"Wha-!?"

The spiritual power overflowing from Meiko's body became even more intense and erupted with more force as if she was fighting against the vacuum cleaner with all her power.

As a result, the vacuum cleaner could no longer keep up with the speed at which it was absorbing the overflowing power, and finally, it overheated and stopped!

"Oh no!"

"Ugh… Aaaaaaaaahhhh!"

"Kuh!"

With the vacuum cleaner stopped, there was nothing to stop the momentum. Meiko's spiritual power came forth with the greatest force ever and attacked me.

"Yuuya!"

"No way! At this rate, all of us will be swallowed up by her power!"

The wave of Meiko's power did not only attack us, but it also created a new wave of monsters, and they too, attacked us.

What to do… What should I do…!?

Is there no other way but to give up here and seal up Meiko…!?

When I thought about it… I remembered something.

…I don't know what will happen, but… this is the only way…!

I stopped resisting in the face of Meiko's spiritual power and opened my arms as if to embrace it.

"Yuuya-chan! What are you doing?"

"Yuuya! Get out of here!"

While Zenovis-san and the others were shouting that, only Kuuya-san noticed my intention.

"Don't tell me you're…! No, Yuuya! That method is…!"

What I was going to do was… accept all of Meiko's spiritual power into my body.

This is the method that Kuuya-san had taught me before as a way to increase my own spiritual power.

But this method was said to be very dangerous.

Still… if there is even the slightest possibility, I would like to take a chance on it…!

"Uooooooooooooohhh!"

I was swallowed up by Meiko's spiritual power.

Even in such a situation, my body accepted and absorbed Meiko's spiritual power.

However, unimaginable pain struck me.

"Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

It was as if my entire body was being devoured from the inside out.

In addition, the dark feelings and evil intentions of the sinners in the underworld were also invading my mentality.

Certainly… this is painful.

Still, compared to what Meiko had endured until now…!

It was a battle of willpower and guts from here on out.

With the intention of absolutely saving Meiko, I just keep on absorbing Meiko's spiritual power.

I wonder how much time has passed since then.

The wave of overflowing power from Meiko finally stopped.

"R-really… my spiritual power is…?"

"Hah… hah… I'm glad I managed it──"

"Ah!"

My vision blacked out like a broken thread from the relief that I had managed, although I thought I would never make it if I collapsed.

"──Good grief, you are so reckless. But… well done."

And just before I lost consciousness, I heard such a voice as someone held me up.