INTERLUDE: FINAL SCENE

——The One Who Would Become The Chief of The Crimson Demons!——

It had been two weeks since I bid Megumin farewell and left Axel.

During this time, I visited two cities, but I didn't find any adventuring companions.

… Actually, it didn't matter anymore that I couldn't find any companions.

As long as I had enough power, I would be able to gain levels faster by hunting monsters alone.

And I was aiming to become the top mage of the Crimson Demons.

Not merely to catch up to Megumin, but to surpass her.

To accomplish this, I was willing to take risks and fight powerful monsters.

So I had no time to look for companions anymore…!

I sat in the shaking public carriage and repeatedly tried to convince myself.

… What should I do? I was about to cry.

Goddess Lady Aqua. I'm very sorry that I lied. I really want some companions. I want reliable companions, preferably humans— No. As long as we can converse, it doesn't matter if they are humans or not. I want companions that can adventure with me…!

Just then, I heard a voice next to me.

"Hey, are you okay? You have been shaking your head for some time. Are you unwell?"

It seemed I was so troubled that I unknowingly started acting strangely.

I shook my head at the worried onee-san who was talking to me.

"No-No problem. I'm just bothered by something! Sorry. I'm not a suspicious person."

I said hurriedly as I felt my face heat up from embarrassment.

That onee-san smiled gently.

"Is it? From your appearance, you must be a traveling mage. Don't strain yourself too much, okay?"

The onee-san said and handed something over to me.

It was some packaged snacks.

"Uh, this…"

"This is very tasty. Why don't you have some?"

She smiled at my confusion.

"Th-Thank you very much."

Snacks…

I remembered when I came to Axel with Megumin, I got some snacks on the public carriage too. It was the aunt who had a kid with her.

Those memories flashed across my mind as I took the snack.

"Oh. Your eyes… Are you a Crimson Demon?"

The onee-san removed her hood and looked at my eyes.

There was only yellow in her eyes. The onee-san had short red hair. She looked at my eyes in nostalgia.

"Ah, yes! I'm a Crimson Demon. Uh… My-My name…"

"It's fine. You don't need to say it if you're embarrassed! I know the names of Crimson Demons are very special!"

The onee-san hurriedly stopped me as I was about to announce my name.

… What a kind person. I felt it was rare to meet such a knowledgeable person.

There were only two of us in the carriage. It seemed there were few passengers today.

"By the way, what's bothering you? If you don't mind, you can talk to me about it."

As I said "Itadakimasu!" and ate the snacks, the onee-san continued smiling.

"My trouble… Uh, it's a bit embarrassing…"

I told her everything that happened so far, even though she was a stranger.

The events involving how I left the Crimson Demon Village with a friend for the town of Axel.

Even with the most favorable qualities and conditions, I still couldn't find any companions.

I left my old friend behind and began my own journey in order to surpass her.

As the onee-san listened to my story, she closed her eyes.

After a while—

"… Is that so? I'm the same. My subordinates who were with me for a long time… They left this world one by one. Separation is really so painful."

She said and smiled in a somewhat lonely look.

This onee-san must have experienced a lot.

"Uh… Don't feel sad…"

"Oh. Sorry, no problem. We merely parted our ways for a while. It isn't as if I will never see them again… What do you intend to do next?"

"Me? I haven't decided. Since I want to gain levels quickly, I should be going somewhere with more powerful monsters."

The onee-san nodded in understanding.

"Then, do you want to travel with me? I'm going to visit the hot springs in a certain city. Sometimes, I travel with adventurers too. I might look like this, but I'm actually very strong."

"Okay."

I quickly agreed as I suppressed the urge to interrupt her. The onee-san was shocked.

"Is-Is that so? Uh… The city I'm planning to visit is Alcanretia…"

"Oh."

Someone finally invited me to travel together, yet her destination had to be Alcanretia.

I didn't think that I would return to the city with those people…

"What is it? Something wrong with Alcanretia?"

"Hm… That, uh… Actually, I stayed in that city for a while. I got dragged into an incident involving the minions of the Demon King's army."

The onee-san's expression changed when she heard "Demon King's army".

"Minions of the Demon King's army? … But it's too early for the plans involving Alcanretia…"

She softly mumbled to herself.

"Then? What did the Demon King's army do in Alcanretia?"

"Uh, there was a terrorist attack to turn all the hot springs in the town into Tokoroten Slime…"

"Wh-What…!? Hey, are you sure this is the work of the Demon King's army? I-I have never heard of such a ridiculous terrorist act."

"Because after the incident, someone saw the silhouette of a female devil… So the Axis Cultists were certain that it was doubtlessly the work of the Demon King's army. They said, 'Everything bad happening in this city is due to the Demon King's army'…"

"What do they mean by that!?"

The onee-san violently grabbed my shoulders. It was useless to complain to me.

"Uh. Anyway, that's how it was. A lot of things happened, so I don't really want to go to that city now… And, onee-san, please be careful. There are very strange people in that town."

"I realized that from your statements earlier. Thanks."

—Then the carriage slowed down and finally stopped.

"It seemed we have arrived. Then, I suppose we'll part here? I need to get on the carriage leaving for Alcanretia."

The onee-san stood up and sighed without enthusiasm.

"Ah, that… I'm really sorry, even though you invited me… I have never been invited by others before. I-I will never forget this!"

"It-It's fine to forget it! I just feel that your magic power is especially strong. You have a lot of potential, so I was rather interested in you! Don't be too serious about this!"

The onee-san smiled anxiously.

"Then I'm leaving. Both training and making friends are very important. Be sure to work hard in both areas. Or else you would become the Demon King, okay?"

She got off the carriage and waved at me.

After the onee-san left, the carriage slowly started to move again.

I put my face out of the window and waved to the onee-san. I engraved her words in my head.

"Or else, you would become the Demon King, okay?"

That was a famous story about the Demon King.

It was a story about the lonely Demon King with a very strange name.

The story about the powerful Demon King was to avoid letting one's children become lonely like the Demon King. If one was alone, that special power would be meaningless.

But that's not a problem.

I still had that… How should I say it? Companion, or friend, or crony… Yes, that rival. I still had that rival.

—One day, I will surpass her and become the chief of the Crimson Demons…!

I watched the onee-san walk away and silently made my resolution. Then, I suddenly realized something.

"I forgot to ask the onee-san's name!"