Vol-07 Ch 3 – Perfect Evil

Part 1

"…Do I have to go again?"

"You have to go! Yuuya-sama is the savior of the Regal Kingdom, you know!"

I was currently traveling with Lexia-san and the others in a carriage to the Regal Kingdom. The other day, when the Evil attacked the Regal Kingdom, I defeated it with the help of Master Usagi and the others, and they said they wanted to thank me for that.

Of course, this gratitude was not only in words but also in the form of a reward. However, it seemed that they had to rebuild the city that was caused by the Evil Beast right after the incident, so they delayed the invitation.

"As for me, I'm afraid I don't deserve any thanks, but…"

"Well, I understand what Yuuya is trying to say, but you have to give up on this one. By the way, I heard that the Kicking Saint and the Sword Saint are already on their way to the Regal Kingdom."

"So Masters were invited too…"

Master Usagi seemed to be uncomfortable with this kind of formality, but he said that he would go there… No, I don't know if Iris-san forced him to go there or not, though.

There were many things to be concerned about, but Lexia-san and the others have prepared a carriage for me, so I can't refuse them now. Fortunately, it was during the summer vacation that I was able to get away with it, but if it had been after school started, it would have been difficult to make time for it.

"…I have things to do over there, too…"

"Eh? Did you say something?"

"No, it's nothing."

I was talking about Miu-san's case. I was just surprised at what Miu-san suddenly said to me that day, but when I listened to her carefully, I heard that she was being forced into an arranged marriage that she didn't want and that she needed to introduce her boyfriend to her father in order to stop it.

In other words, I was asked to be her temporary boyfriend. I thought she had confessed her feelings to me, and I thought my heart was going to stop…

I wondered if it was okay for me to be there or if it was okay for me to get involved, but Miu-san asked for my help and I want to help her as much as I can.

She said that she should bring her boyfriend along, and there wouldn't be much for me to do. But what do I wear? A jacket? A suit? Whatever it was, she asked me to prepare formal wear, so I'd have to do something about that.

I don't know where or how to prepare formal wear… but the best thing to do would be to ask Tsukasa-san, Kaori's father, but I don't think I could meet the president of the school without an appointment and Tsukasa-san must be busy.

If I had his phone number, I could have contacted him, but I don't even have a smartphone.

…I should go directly to the school and hope that I can meet someone I know. I'm relying on my luck stats at this point.

While I was thinking about this and that, we finally arrived at the Regal Kingdom.

"Exhausted. It was long."

"Well… we've been sitting for a while, haven't we?"

While Yuti, who came with me, said this with a slightly tired look, I couldn't help but smile.

It was impossible to fall asleep in a chair like in the bullet train on Earth, so it was painful if you weren't used to it. Yuti had probably traveled alone on foot rather than in a carriage until now.

Even so, the degree of our fatigue was still low, probably because the interior of the carriage was luxurious as it was also ridden by Lexia-san, a member of the royal family. If it weren't for that, I would have thought of using transfer magic to sneak around.

When the townspeople saw our carriage, they waved at us with bright smiles and thanked us.

When I was surprised by this, Lexia-san stretched out her chest.

"Yuuya-sama! You should be more proud of yourself, okay? It's thanks to you that this country has been saved!"

"N-no, I don't really feel that way… But if everyone can be happy like this, I'm glad."

At the urging of Lexia-san and Luna, I showed my face through the carriage window and waved my hand lightly. That action alone made the cheers louder and more frightening, but… Yuti didn't seem bothered and rather waved proudly. It's amazing. I envied her mentality.

Night and Akatsuki also participated in this event, but they don't seem to be particularly interested in the scenery outside, so they stayed quiet in the carriage. As for Ouma-san… well, he hadn't fought, and he didn't show much interest to begin with.

When we arrived at the royal castle safely, we were led directly to the place where the king of this country ─ Orghis-sama was.

…I'm not wearing formal wear this time either, but I hope he'll forgive me. It's just too sudden.

I didn't want to think that I would have many opportunities to meet with such a great person, but I also had to prepare proper formal attire for Miu-san's situation.

As I couldn't help but think about that, we finally arrived at a place called the audience hall.

It was similar to the place where I had an audience with Arnold-sama, the king of the Arcelia Kingdom, and Orghis-sama was sitting on a throne in the deepest part of the hall.

When I looked closely, I saw that Master Usagi and Iris-san were also there. However, I don't know why, but their expressions were somewhat grim. I wondered if something had happened to them.

"Thank you for coming, Yuuya-dono. And thank you to all of Yuuya-dono's companions for coming all this way."

Orghis-sama stood up and bowed as he said this.

"Thank you very much for saving my Regal Kingdom."

"Eeeh? P-please raise your head!"

I don't know if I should say this, but when a great man bows to me, I feel like I will get a stomachache from the stress. I'm not that great of a person…!

It's not that my thoughts were not understood, but Orghis-sama finally raised his head.

"Thank you very much. As gratitude for this favor, I would like to bestow upon Yuuya-dono a peerage in my country."

"P-peerage?"

I've already received it in Lexia-san's country, and it's already too much for me…!

I couldn't do anything about the numbers of peerage increasing further, but I knew it'd be hard to refuse when I already received a peerage in the Arcelia Kingdom.

And then Orghis-sama unexpectedly turned his gaze towards Lexia-san.

"Speaking of which, I heard that you received a peerage in the Arcelia Kingdom… but how about it? Our country is thinking of conferring a higher peerage than the Arcelia Kingdom to Yuuya-dono."

"Eh?"

"W-wait, wait! I'm not going to let you do that."

I was surprised by what Orghis-sama said, but Lexia-san replied with a straightforward attitude. I-is it okay? Lexia-san… the other party is a king… No, Lexia-san is also a princess, but…

When I looked at Luna, who was waiting behind Lexia-san, she had her hand on her forehead as if to suppress a headache. It's a problem even from Luna's perspective…

Lexia-san, who seemed to be heating up as I gave Luna a sympathetic glance, said.

"Then, I'll give Yuuya-sama a higher peerage than what this country offers!"

"Hou? What a strange thing to say! Only the father of Princess Lexia, the king, can confer a peerage. I don't think Princess Lexia has the right to do that."

"That's where my spirit comes in!"

"…It's not good, this girl…"

I wanted to say a few words of encouragement to Luna, who looked more and more tired. She's really struggling, isn't she…?

But, Lexia-san. Even though I don't know anything about politics or rules of the country, I understand that she can't just give someone a peerage based on her spirit…

Although Lexia-san and Orghis-sama continued to glare at each other for a while, Orghis-sama suddenly relaxed his expression.

"Fuh… well, that's okay. Let's talk about this matter after the main topic."

I had no choice but to nod in response to Orghis-sama's words.

There was nothing I was looking for in particular; it was enough for me to be able to relax and have fun. I know it's impossible.

But… I only heard about it from Lexia-san… who said that the Regal Kingdom wanted to express their gratitude once again, but it seems that there was something more. As soon as Orghis-sama had finished thanking us, Iris-sama, who had also come here, opened her mouth with a grim expression.

"Now, may I continue with the previous conversation?"

"Yes."

Previous conversation?

It seemed that there was some sort of discussion going on before we arrived, and both Master Usagi and Iris-san seemed to have a grim expression about it. But the following words that came out of Iris-san's mouth were something I didn't expect.

"I'll ask you again. Is it true that you have summoned a saint from another world?"

"Huh?"

Another world? A saint?

Then, Orghis-sama opened his mouth while receiving the gaze of Iris-san and others.

"Yes. It's true."

"…The problem is that you have brought people from other worlds here. Do you understand that? This is the same as abduction, you know?"

"….."

Orghis-sama did not say anything to Iris-san's sharp point.

"N-no way… The Regal Kingdom was doing that…"

Meanwhile, I noticed that Lexia-san was dumbfounded, and I asked her in a low voice.

"Lexia-san… are there any problems with summoning someone from another world?"

."..There is only one problem. When summoning a person to our world, it means that the person will disappear from the original world. And that too, would be without any warning. It's like suddenly being forcibly brought to a strange land when they were just going about their daily lives. It's considered a form of kidnapping."

"Yes… it might be."

"I don't know the details, but I've heard that in many cases, the person who is summoned also has special powers as a Saint. In other words, there is a high possibility that the person is in a special position in the other world. Suppose such a person suddenly disappears and is kidnapped or abducted into another world. In that case, there could even be an all-out war between this world and that world if things go badly. But… this country was in dire straits before to do such a thing."

"…We had no choice."

"….."

I don't know much about political matters, but I understood what Lexia-san was saying.

It's true. It's not like he or she can come and go as freely as I can, and it's not like he or she was summoned to another world with his or her consent. The person who was summoned would be terribly confused.

When I distorted my face, Lexia-san said something that surprised me even more.

"I never thought that… the Regal Kingdom was able to recreate the magic of the Sage."

"Eh, the Sage?"

"Yes. Yuuya-sama knows about it too, doesn't he? After all, he was the one who defeated Ouma-sama."

Of course, I know a lot of things.

My magic circuit was inherited from Sage-san, and the house, weapons, and items in the Great Devil's Nest were all given to me by Sage-san.

"The magical research materials of the Sage are scattered all over the world, and in the past, there were wars fought over them, but now each country is conducting research based on the materials left behind by the Sage that are in their possession. Of course, the Arcelia Kingdom also has the materials of the Sage. And Sage's research materials held by the Regal Kingdom are… probably related to the transfer to another world. By arranging it, it led to the summoning of the Saint this time, as His Majesty Orghis said…"

Sage-san, did you do any research regarding the other world…?

Well, that's fine, but the biggest problem now is the person who was summoned. Even after receiving the sharp glances of Master Usagi and Iris-san, Orghis-sama remains undaunted.

"Of course, I understand the weight of my sin. And I also understand that this sin is something that I will carry with me forever."

"…And why would you do that?"

"It's simple. I don't believe that the Holy alone can defeat the Evil."

"""!?"""

We were all taken aback by the unexpected statement. As expected, Iris-san and Master Usagi did not expect this, and their eyes widened.

"Of course, it's true that you people, the Holy, saved us. I am truly grateful. But before my eyes, I found out that several Holy people had turned to the enemy."

"That's…"

"I know that it takes several Holy people to deal with one Evil. Meanwhile, many of the Holy, who are our source of hope, have betrayed us. There is no longer any chance that the Holy can defeat the Evil… Don't you think so?"

"It's…!"

Iris-san was about to say something, but she silenced herself in frustration.

I could understand what Orghis-sama was saying. In order for humanity to survive, Evil must be defeated.

When I suddenly turned my gaze to Yuti, Yuti had a complicated expression on her face.

…Yuti's master, the Bow Saint, was eventually killed at the hands of the humans she was protecting.

Then, Orghis-sama turned his gaze towards me.

"However, if there was one miscalculation… it was that there were other beings in this world besides the Holy that could defeat the Evil…"

Well, when it comes to this, it's not because of me; it's because of the items that my grandfather collected. Also, the power of the [Evil Den's Eye] obtained by taking in Kuro, was significant.

Then Yuti opened her mouth.

"Question. The power of the Holy is indeed insufficient. But that doesn't mean you can suddenly entrust the defeat of Evil to someone who is not even from this world, does it?"

"I'd like to reiterate that I'm grateful to the Holy for protecting humanity until now. But it's also a fact that an existence like the Fallen Saints has appeared. I only made the best choice for this country and this world."

For a while, gazes collided between Yuti and Orghis-sama, but Orghis-sama let out a small sigh.

"…Well, that's fine. In order to protect this world, I summoned a new power from another world… who has the power to defeat and destroy Evil. As a responsibility, I will give that person whatever she desires. That's the only way I can atone for my sins now."

A period of silence ensues between Orghis-sama and Iris-san.

It's not easy… They both have their own beliefs, and it's hard to say who was wrong. It's the Evil that's bad…

I wanted to say something too, but I couldn't come up with the words. Can a person who's suddenly been summoned to this world be forced to participate in a battle against Evil without knowing why? That sounds pretty harsh. However, if a person was in a position to take on a country's responsibility, such a decision may be unavoidable.

"…It's been a long talk, hasn't it? So, that's it for today. I'd like to invite the Sword Saint and the others to meet the Saint that we summoned. As the protectors of the same humanity, you will be working together───."

The moment Orghis-sama was about to say that much.

"Huh? W-what's that?"

Suddenly, the entire castle… or even the entire country seemed to be shaking as the earth shook. As we were all startled by the suddenness of the situation, Ouma-san, who was still sleeping without any interest, opened one of his eyes.

"Hou? It came, huh?"

"Eh?"

Just as I was about to ask him what he meant, Kuro, who had been sleeping inside me, hurriedly spoke to me.

"Hey, Yuuya! Get out of here right away!"

"Wha? W-what's it…?"

"There's no time for explanations! Oh, shit, it's bad…! He's already here…!"

"───Haha."

A creepy, cold laugh sounded. It was as if all the malice in the world was in the voice, and my body instantly froze.

Part 2

A creepy, cold laugh sounded. It was as if all the malice in the world was in the voice, and my body instantly froze.

Then, with a deafening echo that made the world scream, a crack appeared in the space. A black haze, devoid of any trace of life, flooded out of the crack.

I couldn't afford to stop sweating, and when I turned my gaze toward the voice, I saw a black mass of malice that made the presence of Quarro, one of the Evil… seem cute.

A young man with a very well-shaped face stood there. He had jet-black long hair, which seemed to absorb everything, and brilliant red eyes, which were piercing through us.

"Hahahahahahahaha!"

Just by laughing, a black wave echoed through this audience hall, cracking the walls and floor.

Then Master Usagi, who was sweating all over just like me, squeezed out a voice.

(W-what… w-why… you…!)

"──Ha!"

Suddenly, the laughs stopped.

And the young man with a terrifyingly black presence bowed his head reverently.

"Oh my, oh my… Excuse me. I am Avis. The malice of this world, all of it."

"Malice of this world… all of it, you say…?"

When Iris-san managed to open her mouth, the young man in front of her ─ Avis, smiled.

"Fuh… don't you understand? I'll tell you simply. That's right… if you defeat me right here and now, there will be no more Evil in this world."

(What?)

"I am, we are ─ one."

"No way…"

Iris-san's eyes widened as if Avis's words had given her some idea.

"It seems that the Sword Saint has noticed… I am a perfect Evil, having absorbed the power of all the other Evils. In other words, it is no exaggeration to say that all of the malice that fills this world is me."

If Avis's words are valid, it means that he absorbed the other Evils, like Quarro, and became one…

That means that the power of Evil has evolved to the extreme at the same time.

I've managed to keep my composure, but this situation is dangerous for Lexia-san and the others! When I turned my gaze to Lexia-san and the others, I saw Akatsuki protecting Lexia-san and the others by activating his [Sanctuary] skill with a pained expression on his face.

"Akatsuki!"

"B-buhi…"

It's not as if he was going at his own pace as usual; Akatsuki was desperately trying to block out the presence of Avis.

Avis saw Akatsuki struggle and snorted boringly.

"You're not the same as a Holy, but you're also the planet's purification system… yet you're not as powerful as I thought."

"Grrrrr… Woof!"

"Night!"

Akatsuki, who was desperately trying to protect Lexia-san and the others, was mocked. Night, angered by this, jumped out at Avis!

But…

"Hah! A Black Fenrir's child, huh? If this had been an adult, I would have had to prepare myself for it…"

"Kyaan?"

"Night!"

As Avis waved his hand carelessly, a black mist followed it and attacked Night. Night, who pounced in the air, was hit by the black mist but managed to take a defensive stance.

However, the power of Avis's blow was so great that Night was blown away with great force. When I deployed [Magic Attire] reflexively, I reached Night instantly and managed to catch him.

"Are you okay, Night?"

"Woof…"

While stroking the apologetic Night, I turned my gaze to Avis. For some reason, Avis was also looking at me.

"I see, so it's you…"

"Eh?"

"…Hah. I guess I didn't need to worry about it. Nothing can stop me now…"

What on earth is he talking about? Definitely, Avis and I are supposed to be meeting for the first time.

While staring at Avis with caution, Avis's gaze shifted to Orghis-sama.

Orghis-sama was in a position outside the effect of Akatsuki's [Sanctuary], so he was completely intimidated by Avis, as his face turned pale and trembled. The soldiers guarding him were also standing by, but they could not move a finger in the face of Avis's intimidation and simply froze.

"The king of Regal. I was only going to say hello to you today since I have yet to be fully accustomed to my powers… It's not a bad idea to say hello and continue with the unfinished business that my compatriots have started, right?"

"Hah… hah… hah…"

As looking at a stone on the roadside, the gaze of Evil's unemotional eye is pierced, and Orghis-sama desperately gasps for air.

"Now, here's a gift from me ─ Perish."

(──Iris!)

"──Usagi!"

As Avis pointed his palm towards Orghis-sama, more and more black mist gathered in his palm, and eventually, it was released as a ray of black light. However, just before the attack was unleashed, Iris-san and Master Usagi jumped out as if they had been hit by a bullet, shouting each other's names, and intervened between Orghis-sama and the black light.

(Uoooooooooooo!)

"Haaaaaaaaaahh!"

The two of them unleash the full force of a blow they could deliver right now at the black light.

But──.

(Gaah!)

"Kahaah!"

The two together could not hold back the black light for a moment, and they were blown away with tremendous force and slammed into the wall. The two of them went limp and did not move, as if they had fainted.

But just before the black light reached Orghis-sama, Yuti held Orghis-sama in her arms and she succeeded in dodging it.

"Kuh!"

However, although the direct hit was avoided, the shockwave from the passage of the black light almost blew away Yuti.

"Are you okay?"

Avis looked at us like that and opened his mouth in a boring way.

"Fuh… It's not much more than a mouthful. And you're already so cautious of this kind of thing…"

"What?"

"…And also… the outsider… is only on this level…?"

Finally, when Avis muttered something small, he turned his gaze once again to Orghis-sama, who Yuti was holding.

"Well, whatever. The first gift was interrupted by the Holy… Those Holy seem to have been knocked out by the first blow. They won't wake up for at least a few hours… But that's okay. There is no need for me to deal with them directly. And you'll be receiving another gift from me, okay?"

"Another gift? …Wha?"

When I twisted my head in response to Avis's words, a great deal of shouting echoed through the castle.

"I have sent a large number of Evil Beasts to this city. In a few hours, this country's inhabitants will be completely wiped out."

"No way!"

Avis's words left us in shock.

"Now, the two Holy that you rely on are unable to fight. What are you going to do now? King of Regal. You've been trying to fight against us, but can you do the same in this situation…?"

"Oh-oo-o-oh…"

Orghis-sama had summoned a Saint from another world as a non-Holy being in order to protect the human race of this world from Evil. However… I don't think that the power of the Saint alone would be enough to defeat the Evil.

Besides, the most important problem now was to deal with Avis in front of us.

And then, I'd like to heal Iris-san and Master Usagi with Akatsuki's [Sanctuary] skills, but Akatsuki was too busy protecting Lexia-san and the others, and Avis will probably get in the way if I try to move to give them the [Perfect Recovery Herb Juice].

In a desperate situation, I desperately tried to figure out how to get out of this crisis when Avis suddenly laughed.

"Well, don't be so cautious. Of course, it would not be out of the question for me to kill you at this point, but… now that I've become the ultimate perfection in the true sense of the word… wouldn't you like to be killed by me?"

"….."

If what Avis said was true, then his current state was not yet in full power. However, I couldn't see myself beating the current Avis in the future, who was not in peak condition.

Of course, if Avis was in full form, then it's hopeless… In any case, there was no way for us to stop Avis.

"This is why I said earlier that I was just here to say hello. Yes, to you."

"You're here to say hello to me…?"

When I was surprised by his words, Avis's smile deepened.

"A non-Holy being defeated Quarro… the Evil. This is not something that can be overlooked…"

"….."

"Once again, I've evolved into the ultimate perfection, and I'm going to do my best to kill you. So today is just a greeting."

Avis said so, looked over at us, and bowed reverently.

"So… enjoy the gift I have prepared for you for today…"

"H-hey!"

As soon as he said that, Avis was enveloped in a black mist and disappeared from the scene instantly. But there's no time to worry about that now.

"Yuti, Night! You two take over here!"

"Affirmative."

"Woof!"

"And Akatsuki! Take care of Iris-san and Master Usagi for me…!"

"Buhi!"

I smiled at the three of them as they replied, and I hurried off to the city where a large number of Evil Beasts were approaching.

Part 3

"Kyaaaaaaaa!"

"Damn it! What are the soldiers doing in the castle?"

"S-somebody! Help me!"

When I hurriedly changed into my usual armor and left the castle, the Evil Beast had already begun attacking the town. Although the soldiers and guards who were patrolling the city were fighting, they had not yet managed to defeat the Evil Beasts that were brought here by the Evil.

Then, in front of such a scene, Kuro, who was inside me, raised his voice.

"Hyuh! That guy's got some nasty tricks up his sleeve. He just unleashed a swarm of Evil Beasts when he had sealed off all the Holy that could fight them."

"This is no time to be impressed!"

Kuro's comment made me raise my voice, but he didn't seem to care and suddenly continued in a serious tone.

"Hey, Yuuya. Did you understand that when you confronted that Avis guy earlier? That guy has already been perfected as an Evil. And that strength is something that neither you nor the Holy can touch. Perhaps… even the Genesis Dragon will find it difficult to deal with him."

Kuro wanted to say that even Ouma-san couldn't win, but I think that's probably not true. After all, even when Avis appeared, Ouma-san remained asleep looking uninterested.

Having been defeated by Sage-san, Ouma-san must understand the possibility that there were beings in this world stronger than him. And, of course, he had the ability to see through that.

The fact that Ouma-san didn't react to Avis meant that Avis was not worthy of his interest, for him at least. Besides, Sage-san, who was said to be stronger than Ouma-san, was also naturally stronger than Avis.

But that didn't mean that Avis was weak…

"Anyway, all you have to do is run away like an adult and hide behind that door. As expected, even he does not have the power to cross the world. You can't beat him, you know. Do you understand?"

I understood what Kuro was trying to say. With my current strength, I'd never be able to beat Avis. And I think he's right that if I ran to Earth, he couldn't come after me.

But…

As I hurriedly moved through the city, I saw a woman holding a child in her arms and trying to protect the child from an Evil Beast.

"Haaah!"

"Gugyaaah!"

I took out the [Omni-Sword] from my [Item Box] in an instant, and I cut down the Evil Beast.

"Are you okay?"

"Eh? Ah, y-yes! T-thank you!"

I helped the woman up who was staring at me in a daze and told her to run towards the castle. The castle would probably accept the people.

While seeing the woman off, I answered Kuro.

"I don't want to get involved in something like this. If possible, I want to live a happy and peaceful life. But I can't just sit by and watch everyone suffer in front of me."

When Kuro heard my true intentions, he let out a sigh of exasperation.

"Sigh… You're really stupid. Do whatever you want. I'll only lend you my power when you ask for it."

"Yeah, thanks, Kuro."

"Keh."

In response to my words, Kuro looked embarrassed and then fell silent.

"Now that I've got Kuro's support, I'll immediately──."

"──Why are you here?"

"Huh?"

A voice that I had heard before reached my ears. When I turned my head to react to the voice, I saw…

"Ka-Kagurazaka-san!"

When I went on a trip with Kaori and the others, I met a shrine maiden, Mai Kagurazaka, who was there when we had a courage test.

"W-what are you doing here?"

"That should be my line! What are you doing in this world?"

We both asked the same question, but it didn't stop the Evil Beasts from attacking us, and one of the nearby Evil Beasts attacked us.

"Ggaaaaaaah!"

"Get out of my way…!"

"Gugyaa! Ggaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

Then Kagurazaka-san took out that mysterious talisman and threw it at the Evil Beast. The black mist from the Evil Beast's body leaked out and dissipated, and the Evil Beast disappeared in agony.

I also used the [Omni-Sword] in my hand to cut down another Evil Beast nearby. Then Kagurazaka-san's expression became distorted.

"Kuh! By the way, this monster also appeared when you guys came for the test of courage…! It was your work at the time, too, huh?"

"N-no, that's not true! I don't even know why this guy showed up that time!"

"So why are you here? You would not be here if you had nothing to do with it. …Or maybe you were summoned just like me?"

"Summoned?"

Before coming here, I suddenly remembered the conversation that Orghis-sama and Iris-san had before we came in.

In Orghis-sama's story, he said that he had summoned a Saint in order to counteract the Evil.

"Could it be that the Saint who was summoned was you, Kagurazaka-san?"

"That's right! When I was suddenly summoned to a place I didn't recognize, I was told that the world was in crisis and they needed my help… I don't know what that means at all, but I couldn't just ignore it."

As if to vent her frustration, Kagurazaka-san threw out talismans one after the other to eradicate the Evil Beasts.

The Evil Beasts disappeared in a puff of smoke at the slightest touch of Kagurazaka-san's talismans. As was the case at that time, there is no doubt that Kagurazaka-san has an extraordinary power against Evil, and the fact that she came to this world, and perhaps the technique that summoned her may have done something that strengthened that power.

However, even though she had an incredible power to fight against the Evil, summoning Kagurazaka-san from a different world out of the blue and making her fight against Evil was just…

When I was stuffed with words, Kagurazaka-san's tone became more and more intense.

"And from what I've heard, I can't go back to Earth anymore, can I? They suddenly summoned me and asked me to fight for this world! I don't know why I should be involved in such an unreasonable situation!"

"….."

"──But if there's someone in trouble like this, I can't just leave them alone!"

"!"

I believe that Kagurazaka-san must have been bewildered, upset, conflicted, and troubled by the reality that she was suddenly summoned. Even so, when Kagurazaka-san realized that there was someone in need of help right in front of her and that she had the power to help them, she chose to fight like this.

Tears well up in her eyes as she deals with the Evil Beast.

"Really… why me? …I'm scared, I don't understand.., but I cannot just ignore it…!"

Then Kagurazaka-san looked at me again and gave me a soft smile.

"…But I'm glad I know at least one person who can help me. You were probably summoned to this world just like I was, right? You were amazing at that time. Even now, you're wielding a sword like that and killing the monsters…"

"N-no, I'm…"

"First of all, let's work together to save as many people as possible!"

"Oh, Kagurazaka-san!"

As soon as she said that, Kagurazaka-san started to move away from me. She probably thought that by splitting up and dealing with the situation, she could help as many people as possible.

However, it was still dangerous.

"Damn! There's too many of them…!"

The number of Evil Beasts rushing into the city was too much for me to handle one by one. I would like to use magic to wipe them out, but then the damage might be done to those who have not yet escaped.

"What the hell should I do…?"

It was the moment when I finished killing the Evil Beast in front of me while thinking desperately.

You have acquired the [Holy King] title

"Huh?"

A semi-transparent board appeared in front of me. I've not been able to level up much lately, and my opportunities to acquire skills have dwindled, but I never thought I'd get a new title at this time.

And what's more, it has a ridiculous sounding name…

I immediately checked the effects of the title.

[Holy King] :: The sole title given to those who have defeated more than 100 of the Evil with the soul of the Holy in their body and have mastered at least three of the Holy techniques. The liberation of the "Holy King's Authority."

"I'm not even a Holy!"

What's with this title? As a matter of fact, it looks like it's the pinnacle of the Holy!

And what is it? This [Holy King's Authority] is…

When I turned my attention to the skill [Holy King's Authority], its effect was now displayed.

"T-this is…!"

I opened my eyes and moved to the center of the city, defeating the Evil Beast.

And then──.

"I don't know, but… I have to do it!"

As I held the [Omni-Sword] in my hand, I gathered my strength. Then, a golden light began to surge from my body.

And when the golden energy is concentrated on the sword, I swing it out as hard as I can in a circle.

"[Holy King's Authority]───!"

At that moment, a wave of golden slashes, like a dragon, was released from the [Omni-Sword]. The wave is divine, and its momentum is increasing and spreading throughout the city.

If I had just released the slash normally, it would have destroyed the surrounding buildings and affected the people as well.

But…

"Gyah──."

"Gu-guge───."

The waves of golden light dispersed the Evil Beasts one after another, without harming the surrounding terrain, buildings, or people.

Furthermore…

"T-this light…"

"I-it's warm…"

"Oh! H-hey, look at this! My wound…!"

"M-my hand! My hand's back to normal!"

Surprisingly, the wounds of those who were bathed in the light of the [Holy King's Authority] began to heal. This was the effect of the [Holy King's Authority], which could only be used by those who had earned the title of "Holy King."

The power to exert the desired effect only on the things I want. However, it could not be activated without any risk.

"Ugh! Hah… hah… hah… I-it's so intense…"

I involuntarily kneeled down so that I could support my body with the [Omni-Sword].

Yes, it seems that the [Holy King's Authority] consumed a lot of the user's life force when it was activated. Even if it's only one time, it's already enough to cause a lot of discomforts… If it's used twice in one day, it would definitely shorten my lifespan.

As I was resting, unable to take another step, Kagurazaka-san came back, looking flustered.

"Hey, there was some kind of divine light coming through, and then those monsters disappeared… was that you who did that?"

"W… well…"

"Hey… you're sweating like crazy! Are you okay?"

"D-don't worry about me…. M-more importantly… T-the Evil… Beast?"

"Evil Beast? Do you mean that monster? If it's that monster, when it's caught in that light, it disappears. I took a quick look around before I got here, and I didn't hear any commotion, so I'm pretty sure they're all gone…"

"I… I see… then, that's good…"

When Kagurazaka-san's words unintentionally distracted me, I fell on my butt on the spot.

"H-hey…?"

"A-ahahaha… No need to worry, it's just my power is waning…"

"Geez, please don't make me worry! I don't want to be alone in this world, even though I've just met someone from the same world."

I told Kagurazaka-san, who looked somewhat frightened, something I hadn't been able to say to her earlier.

"I failed to mention earlier that… I wasn't summoned."

"Eh?"

"In my house in Japan… there is a mysterious door that allows me to travel between this world and Earth…"

"No way!"

Kagurazaka-san's eyes widened at my words. Well, normally, it would be hard to believe, but Kagurazaka-san was summoned to a different world like this.

"So, if you want to go home, Kagurazaka-san… you can always go back to Earth."

"That's…"

Kagurazaka-san was stunned by my words. Eventually, she let out a big sigh as if she had cleared her head.

"Haaaaahh… I see. You could go back and forth between this world and Earth, and that's why you were able to exert such power at that time…"

"That's what it is."

I managed to recover my strength, so I stood up and replied, and Kagurazaka-san gave me a stern look.

"…Even so, that power is strange. I was summoned to this world and was taught many things, including magic and the concept of skills and status… No matter how I look at it, your power is way out of line with normal people, isn't it?"

"I-I'm not aware of that, but…"

"…Well, okay. For me, just knowing that I don't have to spend the rest of my life in this world is a real relief."

Kagurazaka-san looked relieved, but her expression turned serious as she gazed at the city where the attack by the Evil Beasts had ended.

"There are many things I'm not happy about and don't agree with, but if people in this world are in danger because of something called Evil, I want to help them. I want to fight for everyone. It's because I know that I can always return to Earth with your help that I can think like that with a relaxed mind."

"Kagurazaka-san…"

"So I'm going to stay in this world a little longer. They might attack again. You're a high school student just like me, right?"

"Eh? Ah, yes."

"As you can see, I'm on summer vacation right now, so I'll be here at least during the summer vacation to watch out for those monsters."

She's a really nice person, isn't she?

"I understand. I'll come back for you at the end of the summer vacation."

──Although I ended up meeting Kagurazaka-san again in an unexpected place, I'm glad I was able to get through this attack safely. I took a deep breath as I remembered Avis's words that would eventually come back to haunt me.

Part 4

"…No, really, there are too many things happening…"

"Affirmative. Thanks for the effort."

After the attack, we were able to return home safely. In the end, due to the reconstruction work and other factors, it was inconvenient for us to receive the hospitality of the Regal Kingdom, so we finished our business and were allowed to go home first.

I never thought I'd see Kagurazaka-san again like that… Oh, by the way, I forgot to ask her to keep the fact that I came from Earth to this other world a secret from the people of this world!

…Well, I don't think anyone would go out of their way to ask Kagurazaka-san about me, so I guess it's okay…?

Lexia-san and the others stayed in the Regal Kingdom to help with reconstruction and for diplomatic discussions, and Kagurazaka-san said she was not returning to Earth yet, so I could return with the usual members in a relaxed manner.

When I left, I made sure there was no one around and used teleportation magic to return directly to my house. It would take a long time if I had to use a carriage.

So, I'm tired from all the things that have happened…

"…Isn't it kind of noisy outside?"

"Affirmative. I can hear sounds of fighting."

As soon as I got home, I noticed that there was a strange noise outside the garden of Sage-san's house. I really wanted to ignore it because I was tired, but it seemed that the fight was more intense than I expected, and I could feel the vibrations even inside the house.

I couldn't calm down without knowing, so I had no choice but to go outside to check.

"Gaaaaaaah!"

"Gugaaaaaahh!"

Then I saw two monsters fighting fiercely, something I had never seen before.

It looked like an ogre and a goblin, but…

"W-what is that?"

"Unknown. But it looks really desperate."

As Yuti said, the ogre and the goblin didn't seem to take a step back from each other; they were just concentrating on killing the enemy in front of them.

First of all, since this is the first time I've seen these monsters, I'm going to use [Identification] on both of them.

[Kaiser Ogre]

Level: 2

Magic: 5000

Attack: 50000

Defense: 10000

Agility: 3000

Intelligence: 1000

Luck: 1000

[Emperor Goblin]

Level: 2

Magic: 3000

Attack: 45000

Defense: 5000

Agility: 10000

Intelligence: 1000

Luck: 1000

No, no, no, they're strong! Or rather, why are these monsters here? At least, I've never seen one around this Sage-san's house.

"What the heck is… Hmm?"

"Question. What happened?"

"Ah, no… I saw a weird stone fall between the two…"

"Stone?"

Yes, a beautiful blue stone shaped like an egg has fallen between the fiercely battling monsters.

I've never seen such a stone before, so I was wondering about it, and for some reason, the Kaiser Ogre and Emperor Goblin that had been fighting seemed to notice my gaze, stopped fighting, and suddenly attacked Sage-san's house.

""Gaaaaaaaaaaaahh!""

"W-what the heck!"

"…Speculation. Those two are fighting over that stone over there."

"Eeh? W-why?"

"Unknown. But when Yuuya stared at that stone like you wanted it, they thought you were an enemy."

"Isn't that too unreasonable?"

I have no intention of wanting that stone. I don't even know what it is in the first place!

"I mean, what's with all these monsters all of a sudden? It's stronger than the Goblin General and the Bloody Ogre…"

"King. They're the king of the ogre and goblin species. In other words, the pinnacle."

"Eeh? That means they're the strongest of the goblin and ogre species?"

"Affirmative."

I really don't know why such monsters are fighting in front of this house! However, it's troublesome to have them fighting in front of the house like this. More importantly, it seems that I've been identified as an enemy.

"In that case…!"

When I took out the [Absolute Spear], I strengthened my body with [Magic Attire] and also released the power of Evil, and threw the [Absolute Spear] at the Kaiser Ogre with all my might.

It may be an excessive attack, but in order to make sure that I kill it, I will give it my all. As a result, my throwing of the [Absolute Spear] flew at an unbelievable speed, directly erasing the upper half of the Kaiser Ogre's body.

"Gah!"

The Emperor Goblin next to it seemed to think that the Kaiser Ogre's upper body had suddenly disappeared, and it turned its head in that direction in surprise. But I didn't miss the opportunity and immediately took out my [Formless Bow] and fired an arrow at the Emperor Goblin.

"Gaaa? Gugaaaaah!"

The Emperor Goblin noticed that something was coming towards it and immediately used the sword in its hand to block the invisible arrow.

"Gaaaaaaaaahh!"

The Emperor Goblin then shouted at me in anger, but while the Emperor Goblin was blocking the arrow, I threw the [Absolute Spear] that had returned to my hand with all my might again.

Similar to the Kaiser Ogre, the Emperor Goblin was unable to respond to the [Absolute Spear], and in the next moment, the upper half of its body disappeared, turning into particles of light and disappearing.

But unfortunately, it didn't seem to drop any drop items.

Level Up

"Huh?"

Then I let out a faint voice at such a message, something I hadn't seen in a long time. When I checked my status in a hurry, I found that my level had indeed increased by one.

[Yuuya Tenjou]

Race: Human (Transcendent Species)

Occupation: None

Level: 2

Magic: 12,000

Attack: 18,000

Defense: 18,000

Agility: 18,000

Intelligence: 11500

Luck: 18,000

BP: 100

"Huh?"

I noticed something different when I leveled up. Before I evolved and became a Human (Transcendent Species), my status increased by 10 for every level I gained, but now it has increased by 1000. I wonder if this is another benefit of having evolved?

At any rate, there seems to be no change in the BP that can be earned by gaining one level. So, let's think about which status to allocate the current 100 BP.

…I haven't had any drop items earlier, and more importantly, I've been involved in too many difficult situations lately. I think I'm going to increase my luck a little bit.

It may not seem like much, but I allocated all of my BP to luck stats.

And this is the result.

[Yuuya Tenjou]

Race: Human (Transcendent Species)

Occupation: None

Level: 2

Magic: 12,000

Attack: 18,000

Defense: 18,000

Agility: 18,000

Intelligence: 11500

Luck: 18,100

BP: 0

There are only 100 points, and so it's only raised by 100 as well. I can only hope that this luck stat will have some effect.

As I took a breath after defeating the two monsters and assigning my status, Yuti nodded.

"Impressive. Yuuya, you're getting stronger. I can't beat you now."

"I-is that so?"

In addition to training with Master Usagi, I also started training with Iris-san, so I do think that I am stronger than before…

For the time being, I went to see the stone on the ground that seemed to be the source of the fight between the monsters earlier. If I just leave it here, the monsters might fight in front of this house again, so I collected it.

"So… what do you think this is?"

"Unknown. No idea."

"Woof."

"Fugo."

In the house, I took a closer look at the stone I had retrieved. However, it seemed that even Yuti, Night, and Akatsuki didn't know what it was.

In this situation, the only person I could ask was Ouma-san…

"Hoo! This is a very unusual thing to pick up, is it not?"

"Eh, do you know what this stone is?"

"Yes. Incidentally, it's not a stone; it's an egg."

"Ah, I see, an egg, huh…? Eh, an egg?"

As expected of the Genesis Dragon, he knew what this beautiful blue stone ─ or egg ─ was. I knew it was egg-shaped, but I didn't think it really was an egg…

If so, what kind of creature would hatch from this egg, I wondered…

Ouma-san nodded with a triumphant expression, but his expression quickly clouded.

"…Well, I can't be sure, but…"

"Eehh?"

"It can't be helped. If it is the egg of the creature I imagined, it is a very extraordinary thing."

"I-is that so?"

"You must hatch it quickly to be sure."

"Hatch it, you say…? No, it won't hatch that fast, will it? And after all this time, can I raise it on my own?"

"It's really too late for that… Don't worry. If my prediction is correct, it will be of a similar type to the Akatsuki and will be of a species that has no parents."

"B-but if not…"

"Eeeii, that's too much to ask! Just hatch it quickly!"

Ouma-san tapped my foot.

"I-I get it. So, how do I hatch it?"

"Umu. You need to let your magic power flow into the egg."

"Fumufumu… And then?"

"That's it."

"That's it?"

No way. Is that all it takes for it to hatch? It's an egg, so shouldn't it be warmed up or something?

My question seemed to show on my face, and Ouma-san continued with a dumbfounded look.

"Well… that egg is different from a chicken egg, you know?"

"T-that's true, too. Then, I'll immediately…"

"Expectation. I'm excited."

Yuti was looking at the egg somewhat happily, too. The same was true for the Night and Akatsuki, who were looking at the egg in my hand with great interest.

As I poured my magic power into the egg, it gradually began to warm up.

"Ah!"

A crack appeared in the egg, and the crack gradually spread. Finally, the creature appeared from inside the egg.

"───Pi. Pi. Pi."

"Wow…"

What came out of the egg was a small bird with transparent blue feathers. In the beginning, the bird was just chirping with its eyes closed, as if it had just been born and its eyes weren't accustomed to it, but eventually, it opened its eyes and stared straight at me.

"Pi. Pii! Pii!"

"S-so cute…"

"Woof!"

"Fugo!"

Night and Akatsuki nodded at my words and looked at the bird chirping cheerfully in my hand.

"Beautiful. It's like the blue sky itself."

The bird in my hand made Yuti smile, too. However, only Ouma-san was excited in a different way.

"Oh! I knew it was as I expected!"

"Eh?"

"That bird is a sacred bird called [Luan]*. As I mentioned earlier, it is similar to Akatsuki in terms of the species type."

"Fugo?"

[T/n: In Chinese mythology, it is a mythical bird related to the Fenghuang (Phoenix). For this reason, it's also called a Phoenix at times. The Luan's plumage is blue, as opposed to the red or multi-colored plumage of the Fenghuang.]

After hearing Ouma-san's words, Akatsuki tilted his head as if he didn't understand it well. Ouma-san then continued with a bitter smile at the sight of Akatsuki.

"…Well, while both the bird and Akatsuki have holy powers to fight against the Evil, but its essence is different."

"Different? What's the difference?"

"The bird is said to appear and guide the one who is worthy of being a true king in this world."

"H-heh…"

I don't know what it is, but the story is really grand. What is it? This true king stuff…

"…Hmm? That means that… I shouldn't have hatched it after all!"

"Mmm? Why?"

"Why, you ask…? That true king thing, you know? Doesn't that mean it has to go to the right person?"

"Yeah. That's why you're here, isn't it?"

"...…Huh?"

I didn't understand what Ouma-san was saying and let out a silly voice. However, Ouma-san once again explained clearly to me who was dumbfounded.

"Therefore, Yuuya. It must be because you are the person who deserves to be the true king that it has appeared here."

"….."

Ouma-san said this with a dazed look.

On the other hand, I'm───.

"Eeeeeeeeehhh!"

I just screamed.

No, this is crazy! What? A true king? I don't remember becoming such a thing───.

Thinking to that point, I remembered the title ─ [Holy King] that I just acquired today.

"That title?"

"Astonished. Yuuya, the king?"

"Woof."

"Fugo."

Night and Akatsuki also looked at me in surprise, but I'm the most surprised one.

What is this, a true king? I don't remember becoming such a thing!

Then the blue bird in my hand tilted its head cutely.

"Pi?"

"... No, geez, I feel like anything is fine because it's cute."

"You're a big shot in an extraordinary way."

I'm not the type to be called a big shot, but in front of this cuteness, anything goes. Besides, I was surprised to be told that I was a true king. But to be honest, I didn't really feel it at all.

After I was convinced to some extent, I asked Ouma-san about something that was bothering me.

"By the way, you said that this bird is rare even from Ouma-san's perspective, but just how rare is it?"

"That's right… in all the years I've lived on this planet, I've only ever seen it once if that helps you to understand."

"Seriously?"

"Astonished. That's outrageous."

I've said it many times, but Ouma-san has been alive since the creation of this world. Even for Ouma-san, he's only ever seen it once, so the rarity of it must be pretty serious.

"That's why I don't know much about the bird's biology. And what kind of abilities it has."

"I-I see…"

"Pii?"

I tried to activate the [Identification] skill on the blue bird that was sitting quietly in my hand.

[Luan]

Level: 1

Magic: ──

Attack: ──

Defense: ──

Agility: ──

Intelligence: ──

Luck: ──

Skills: [Hades Return March]* [Resurrection] [King's Guider] [Blue Flame]

"W-what is this…?"

"…It's so ridiculous."

Ouma-san, who can read the status just like me, was just as puzzled as I was. First of all, none of the statuses are displayed, and all I could see were the names of the skills. And even the names of those skills had a dangerous vibe, to begin with.

What? This [Resurrection]. Can't it die? In addition, [Hades Return March]… there are only words there that sound dangerous.

The rest is the [Blue Flame] skill that this bird looked like and the [King's Guider] skill that Ouma-san mentioned… but none of it rings a bell. What was the effect? [Blue Flame], as the name implied, was probably to manipulate blue flames or something like that.

"Ouma-san…"

"I'll tell you in advance; I don't know any of these skills."

"Ugh."

I was about to ask him, but he said it first. However, to have skills that even Ouma-san did not know… it's too mysterious.

It's just a super cute-looking bird, though. When I stared at the blue bird in my hand, the blue bird shyly hid its face with its wings and twisted its body.

"Pi, pii."

"So cute."

"You've been saying that for a while now."

It's because it's cute.

When I was relaxing my cheeks, Yuti asked me a question.

"Question. What are you going to name this little one?"

"Eh?"

"Confirmation. This child is going to be part of the family, right?"

"Pi? Pii!"

The blue bird repeatedly nodded, as if in sync with Yuti's words, and looked at me expectantly. I-it's dazzling…!

"I-I don't have much of a naming sense, but…"

But just like when I named the Night and the others, I remembered that it reminded me of a clear blue sky when I first saw this child.

Therefore…

"You are… Ciel. What do you think of the name Ciel?"

I believe it means "Sky" in French…

"Pii! Pii!"

In my words, the blue bird… Ciel flew happily around in my hands.

"That's good. So, it's nice to meet you, Ciel."

"Pii!"

And so, by a strange coincidence, a new member was added to my family.