The Second Companion (1)

A space filled only with frozen earth and darkness. I was walking endlessly through that desolate, chilling gloom. It wasn't particularly difficult—aside from the sheer boredom.

I didn't feel the cold, I wasn't afraid of the dark, and I didn't tire from ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠physical exhaustion. It was all thanks to my ability, which ensured I took absolutely no damage inside any gate I summoned.

Still, walking through this pitch-black void relying solely on a flashlight and the system's guiding arrow was more grueling than I'd expected. Did I let my stubbornness get the best of me?

In truth, I could have reached the new territory quickly and easily using Gate Summon. However, I had chosen to walk the distance myself to understand how the territories of Myth-grade kaijus connected to one another. You never knew when that kind of knowledge might come in handy.

But even that practical justification was slowly being swallowed by sheer boredom. I had been walking in the direction of the arrow for hours, and there was still no end in sight.

Just as I was seriously considering giving up and taking the easy way out, a cluster of light cutting through the darkness caught my eye. Light was an ill-fitting match for Yugi's gloomy domain. Since the guiding arrow also vanished right at that point, I headed toward the light with absolute certainty.

As I drew closer, the environment inside the gate shifted dramatically. What had seemed like a mere glimmer of light gradually banished the darkness, and the frozen earth transformed into a landscape teeming with life.

The updated system message flashed before my eyes, but I dismissed it without even reading it properly. And honestly, who could blame me? The territory I had just stepped into was breathtakingly beautiful.

A brilliant sun bathed the world in a warm, golden hue, and trees swayed gently, basking in the cozy energy. Following the path of the trees, a magnificent lake that seemed to hold the sun itself came into view.

“…This is a kaiju's territory?”

I stood transfixed by the enchanting sight for a long moment. The atmosphere was more than worthy of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠such awe. As I approached the lake, drinking in the vibrant colors, a beautiful melody drifted into my ears.

Though the language was entirely foreign to me, the voice was nothing short of heavenly. Anyone else would have been instantly entranced. But for me, the song had quite the opposite effect—it snapped me wide awake.

A status effect the moment I step in... This kaiju might turn out to be a tricky one. To find the source of the singing, I walked along the edge of the lake. Just like Yugi's territory, this place seemed vast, but the singer wasn't far away.

— Ἦλθες, ὦ ἀγάπη μου?

A woman as breathtakingly beautiful as a sculpted masterpiece, her pink hair drifting loosely across the water's surface, murmured in a melodious voice.

Ah, seriously, I get it. Stop, stop. I glared warningly at the constantly updating system messages and swallowed hard. In my defense, the atmosphere was largely to blame. Setting aside her looks, anyone would feel tense meeting a member of the opposite sex in a place like this. And when that person possessed such otherworldly beauty, it was doubly true.

Regardless, I couldn't just carelessly approach someone who kept spamming status effects at me, intentional or not. No matter how absolute my damage immunity was, reaching out to an entity harboring potential hostility wasn't easy. So, I stood still and quietly observed her next move.

A few minutes passed. Staring in bewilderment at me standing there as rigid as a stone statue, she glided up to the water's edge. Half-human, half-fish. With only her upper body resembling a human, she was the very definition of a mermaid. Yep, definitely a kaiju. Only then did the tension brought on by her stunning appearance fade. Feeling much more relaxed, I pulled up her information.

First Xuanwu, and now a Siren—both were names I'd encountered quite a bit in mythology. Granted, in terms of sheer presence, Xuanwu was overwhelmingly superior to a Siren. Still, I liked her unique attributes. I had a feeling she would be highly versatile in areas other than direct combat. It might be a hasty judgment, but combat-wise, Yugi was more than enough anyway.

Her equivalent age is older than Yugi's. Why is she so old? Was there a lot of food around here? Pushing aside my idle curiosity, I quietly watched her as she slowly drew closer. My mind was already busy plotting how to form a Contract with her.

I'll need to build up our Bond to form a contract this time too, right? Should I feed her kaijus like I did with Yugi? I wonder if the corpses in the Kaiju Factory have refueled yet... While I sorted through these stray thoughts, Siren dragged her body forward until she was right in front of me.

Striking a seductive pose, Siren tilted her head up slightly. She stared intently at me with her clear, luminous eyes.

She was nothing if not consistent. Chuckling softly, I reached out and patted her head.

Hiss—!

She reacted with rather violent rejection.

“Ah, sorry... My hand just moved on its own.”

Feeling awkward, I scratched the back of my neck.

“Calling myself your 'oppa' even as a joke feels a bit weird, and 'Master'? Ah, that's even worse.”

Siren blinked. Fortunately, her contorted expression softened slightly.

“Well... we can figure that out after we make a contract. For now, I should head over to the Kaiju Factory first.”

As I kept muttering to myself out of embarrassment, Siren watched me as if analyzing my behavior. Even under her somewhat intense gaze, I couldn't bring myself to look away.

“…I should probably buy some clothes for her too.”

With that, I summoned a gate and returned to Earth.

Siren's Realm.

What on earth was that creature?

He was a mere insect with pathetic mana. Yet, not only had he dared to trespass into her territory, but he was also completely immune to her allure.

She had approached him, wondering if he might be a higher-ranking kaiju wearing a human guise. But he was undeniably human—and that human had dared to ruffle her hair with his rough, calloused hand. It was an utterly offensive act.

...And yet, a strange warmth had lingered. In a life where ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠every single day was a relentless struggle for territorial dominance... that touch carried a warmth she had never felt in her cold, harsh existence. It was a warmth she had long forgotten, something from her distant childhood.

Now that the man had departed, Siren dove back into the water to collect her thoughts. That wasn't warmth, she told herself. I was just so flustered by his immunity to my charm that my mind went momentarily soft. She firmly rejected the tiny emotion budding in her heart.

Swimming through the vast lake, she solidified her resolve. The emerald waters possessed a power that could soothe her troubled mind. As long as the lake remained pristine and beautiful, Siren would not be plagued by trivial distractions.

After swimming for a long while, she sensed a presence above the water once more. It matched the man's energy perfectly.

This time, I will succeed in charming him. I'll either make him my loyal servant or put him to death. Vowing to elevate her own status through this victory, she shot straight up toward the surface.

But the moment she broke the surface, Siren was forced to put her iron resolve on hold.

The man was dragging a massive sack stuffed with something in both hands. It wasn't difficult to guess what ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was inside. After all, sensory detection was one of Siren's specialties.

The corpses of Rank 10 kaijus...?

He brought those vulgar, low-grade things into this beautiful sanctuary?

“Hiss!”

She hissed, threatening the man with pure fury. Though his mana was pathetic, she had assumed he at least possessed some basic decency.

“Haha, are you that hungry? Just wait a second. I brought plenty on purpose.”

She couldn't understand a single word he was saying. But seeing the gentle smile on his face, she thought he had understood her intentions...

...Wait, why was he untying the sack? Why, why was he pulling them out?!

Not stopping at just one Rank 10 kaiju, the man pulled out several more, holding them in his arms. Then, he stood there like an idiot, staring blankly at Siren. After a long pause, he spoke again in that incomprehensible tongue.

“Hmm? Since you're a lake-dwelling kaiju, do you eat your food in the water too?”

Siren felt a sudden, inexplicable wave of dread. She issued another warning with all her might. This time, she didn't just hiss; she actively channeled her emotion-manipulation ability.

“Hiss!”

“Haha. You've got a great food response, just like Yugi. Look how mad you are because I'm not feeding you fast enough.”

And then...

He threw them.

The Rank 10 kaijus—the very things she had only forced herself to eat back when she was weak and struggled to absorb mana...

Splash!

Into the Healing Lake, a sacred sanctuary she had painstakingly nurtured for hundreds of years, plunged the filthy, low-grade Rank 10 kaijus. Centuries of her hard work flashed before her eyes. As the realization struck, her mind went completely blank, and Siren fainted on the spot.

Bubble, bubble...

“Wait, what?!”