(Part 2 )

While shouting in voice so loud that I surprised myself, I ran towards it.

I slashed at it with all my strength but was unable to even hit it, let alone scratch its armour. It simply dodged me by taking just a step back. Hitting the floor instead, my hand went numb but I used all my strength to continue the attack with a rising reverse slash. But once again, my attack was dodged just by taking a step back.

*gichi* It’s bug-like mouth made a sound.

It was laughing.

The moment I understood that, I rammed myself at it to break its stance. If my sword won’t hit, I just need to create a situation where I won’t miss. But I was unable to do that, in fact, it only ended with my left shoulder hurting. The demon didn’t even budge an inch. It felt as if I had just rammed into a huge rock.

The next moment, it grabbed me by my chest with one hand and lifted me up. Floating in the air, I tried struggling against its one arm grabbing me but it didn’t flinch at all. I was lifted up till I was looking down at it right now. And then, it threw me away like it was nothing.

Thrown directly at the foot of the silver statue of the G.o.ddess, my back hit the hard stone and I lost my breath. And at the same time, screams rose again. It must be the priests inside the cathedral. My vision swayed from the pain as I used my both hands to lift my face up.

Calmly, the black demon walked slowly towards me. I tried to pick up my sword but it wasn’t beside me anymore. I must have let go of it when I was thrown away.

“……s.h.i.t.”

Even my words lacked strength now. My body seemed to have lost its energy as well.

Why did it end up like this? We were summoned to save this world by the G.o.ddess. Is the conclusion to the reality of that fairy tale like situation supposed to be this painful? As I lay my body on the soft carpet, my eyelids seemed to get heavier. If I just closed my eyes right now, I’ll be at peace. The fear would disappear. Without feeling any sort of pain or fear, dying while in sleep is——-

“—Not okay in any G.o.dd.a.m.n way!!”

I raised my head with vigour. The black demon was……….still standing in the same place as before. I didn’t hear the voices of the Priests crying for help or the voices of agony of the injured anymore either.

It was looking directly behind me——

“ahn?”

Tracing its gaze, I turned to look back as well. My whole body pained just from turning my body but I felt like I could forget about that pain as well. There, the beautiful, silver statue of the G.o.ddess…….was for some reason, shining. It’s radiance felt divine, and warm. My heart that had been shivering with fear felt like it was being warmed up by that light. Just looking at it made the despair inside me go away.

I know this light. I recall seeing it. I recall feeling it.———The G.o.ddess, Astraera.

It’s the light that filled the s.p.a.ce where I first met her, it’s the aura she gave off. The warm light coming from the silver statue—–the magical energy, was the same as the one released by the G.o.ddess.

“wha…..What’s going on?”

Pain disappeared from my body. No, not just pain, the blood that stained my whole body was cleaned away and disappeared becoming pale light.

I wonder if that took a moment, or a few seconds or even longer. As I kept on dazedly looking at the statue, before I realized, a woman with golden hair was standing beside me. Enveloped in the light of magical energy, as if she had been blessed by the G.o.ddess, or as if she served the G.o.ddess herself, she stood beside me.

That scene looked so fantastical, and beautiful. She was like those holy women or princesses that appear in fairy tales. It made me completely forget even the smell of blood permeating the whole cathedral……..that woman was pure, holy, and simply beautiful.

Her gaze turned……and looked at me. She had almost cold-like jade green eyes, golden hair that looked like they were made of silk and a pure white dress that seemed to almost reflect and dance with the sunlight coming from the window. Her hair seemed to have been tied up properly yet seemed long and it fluttered in the torrent of magical energy coming from the statue. She took one step forward. With a *shururi* sound her long dress slid on the carpet. The sound of it clearly reached my ears.

“Are you alright, Renji-sama?”

She spoke to me. That voice felt, like a boy yet like that of a woman’s, almost androgynous and felt good to listen to. The owner of that voice kneeled beside me as if she didn’t even give a care about the demon.

“Now, please stand up.”

She gave me her hand. Somehow, without hesitation—-I took her hand. If I stand up I’ll have to fight that black demon once again. A monster that seemed like the embodiment of despair itself. There was no chance of victory. Even though I knew all that, I stood up without hesitation.

Her hand was small. Soft, pretty, a woman’s hand. Yet, it held strength.

——And that strength, was my [power].

Her cold eyes narrowed while looking at me. For a second, her expression changed to that of a gentle smile. But, only for a  second. It soon became rigid again. And then, she looked at the black demon.

For some reason, the demon had still not moved even a single step after the statue began shining. It was as if——it was waiting for me to stand up.

“Let’s go, Renji-sama.”

“…….ye..yeah.”

Finally, *gichigichi* a sound came.

That grating sound came from the mouth of that demon. It was laughing. I got gooseb.u.mps looking at the demon laughing like that.

We faced each other. Inside this cathedral, that was supposed to be peaceful, while being looked over by the statue of the G.o.ddess.

The whole cathedral shook greatly. Someone out there must have used a very strong magic.

At that moment, the golden haired woman disappeared and turned to jade coloured particles of light. I became surprised but it soon changed to exaltation. Power rose inside me. I wonder if this power is what magical energy feels like. A power that others had yet I didn’t. this must be it.

The woman, who had appeared suddenly, had no disappeared and that light concentrated in my hand……..and became one sword. It’s blade was jade green, the handle and decorations were in gold. As I swung that feather-like light sword towards an empty couch, it tore into two without any resistance. My face cramped at the sharpness of the sword. It was completely different from the swords I had used in the training ground whether in terms of weight, sharpness, in basically everything.

*gichii* the black demon laughed again. It’s legs finally moved——towards, me.

I looked at the sword in my hand. It’s gem-like beautiful blade might look like it was weak but I felt that it was strong. I put strength in the hand holding the sword.

I recalled that that woman’s eyes were also similarly jade green in colour. The gold of the handle as well, was the same colour as her hair. When I realized that, it felt like the sword in my hand was that girl herself.

As I opened my eyes, a familiar face came into my view looking closely at me.

“…….what are you doing Anastasia.”(renji)

“Hmm. Observing?”(ana)

“You’re heavy.”

“I am not!?!”

Considering what to do about this doll-sized fairy sitting on me for a second, I gave up and rose up and she rolled down and fell off the bed. She seemed to be complaining something but, it was your own fault you know?

As I thought, I was just dreaming and I was back in the room I had been given in the castle. The furniture set in my room and the clear sky outside was still the same but there was no smoke rising and neither could I hear screams anymore.

It was the same peaceful world without the Demon G.o.d.

Will that be considered a good dream or a bad one? I couldn’t decide. Should I feel nostalgic and happy about dreaming about Eru or should I be sad to have witnessed that many lives lost?

[Puhh.]

Suddenly, that voice resounded in my head.

Hearing the sudden spurt of laughter from the very familiar voice, I turned to look towards my pillow in confusion. There, the golden medal the exact same as from my dream was kept.

“Good Morning, Ermenhilde.”

[Yeah. Looks like you had a good sleep, eh?]

“Well yeah, I had a good dream.”

[Didn’t seem like that to me though?]

But her enjoying voice suddenly went silent.

[You were making a lot of noise while sleeping, you know?]

“Because I had a good dream.”

[Oi.]

“Well, that was probably because Anastasia was too heavy.”

Saying that, I stood up from my bed.

Suddenly becoming curious about anastasia, I looked underneath the bed but she wasn’t there anymore. While I was confused, I heard the sound of my window opening. It seems in the instant I looked below, she ran out of the room. To use the window, how very fairy-like.

I wonder what happened? Well her eccentricity isn’t really a new thing but it’s not like I’d get angry at her for sitting on my chest either. I became a bit curious seeing her run away like that.

“What’s up with her?”(renji)

[Take a look at the mirror.]

While not understanding what Eremnhilde meant, I looked for a mirror. On looking, I understood what she meant.

“That son of a b.i.t.c.h.”

[She’s a girl though?]

“Who cares about that?!”

While replying to Ermenhilde’s tsukkomi, I rubbed the scribbling on my face with my fingers. Since she had used ink, it spread on my face on rubbing.

G.o.dd.a.m.n that prank loving fairy idiot. How could she…….

[It’s Renji’s fault for not waking up even though she kept on doing that.]

“Even if you say that…….you could have said something, at least.”

[I tried waking you up but you didn’t. haven’t you grown a bit too relaxed?]

“……..Maybe I have.”

I had no excuse so I could only agree with a shrug. But still, what do I do about this face? My face was currently filed with scribbling and drawings. She must have been on my chest because she was doing this to me. Even though she’s actually older than me, she’s still so childish.

“Say, Ermenhilde?”

[What?]

“In my dream, did I say something?”

[Hm? No………]

Unable to understand what I myself wanted to say, I scratched my head. I’m still half-asleep I guess. I thought of asking a maid to get some water to wash my face, but then again, I don’t want to go out with this face either. What do I do?

[Renji.]

“What?”

While I was thinking about how to deal with the scribbling on my face, Ermenhilde spoke up with a meek voice.

Her voice was familiar……..the same as when she’s worried about something.

[No, nevermind.]

“I see.”

Should I pursue the topic right now?

I thought about it for a second but decided not to at the very end. If something was the matter, she’d ask me herself. While thinking of that, I changed my thoughts back to the problem at hand. Was I just running, or was this my trust in her?

It’s probably the former, I think.

I had a dream. Not about Ermenhilde, but of Eru. That has happened many times before and not anything new. Eru died. And now I live with Ermenhilde.

It’s just……..their voices are same. It’s like talking to the same person but is actually completely different. I wanted forget about it. I end up treating and overlapping Ermenhilde with another person. That was, to me……and to Ermenhilde as well, something very cruel. That’s why, I was unable to ask Ermenhilde of her worries.

“What should I do with this face?”(renji)

[Just ask a maid to get you some water to wash it.]

“Yeah, I guess, but..”

It’s going o be really embarra.s.sing but I guess I can’t help it. For the time being, I decided to make Anastasia’s punishment 3 times harsher and looked for the bell to call a maid.

Since I barely use it, I had no idea where it was and it took a few minutes to find it. The bell was kept right at the centre of the table in the middle of the room. How the h.e.l.l did I even miss that?

I called for the maid to fetch me some water but her face was more surprised rather than amused. Well, I guess seeing a man just woken up with scribbling on his face would surprise most rather than make them laugh?

Closing the window, I sat down on the bed. Picking up Ermenhilde from my pillow side, I caressed its edge.

[What happened?]

“No, just thinking how peaceful it is right now.”

[That’s great and all but it’s so uncool to say that with that face, you know?]

“Wha, well, I guess, you’re right.”

As I gave a laugh, Ermenhilde made a tired sigh.

This is fine. This mood is just fine.

[……how deplorable.]

“Don’t say that. It’s very like me, right?”

As if replying to me, a small laugh resounded in my head.

[Maybe it really is, I guess.]

And, she said that.