The Heavenly Demon's Evaluation
What kind of bolt from the blue was this? I explained to my master the reason I had come looking for her, bringing Iris along.
“So neither you nor that divine instrument of yours could measure the child?”
“Correct.”
“...How unexpected. I may not believe in such instruments, but I do acknowledge your talent for gauging others. For even you to be unable to read her...”
“That’s why I came to you. I wondered if Master might have some method.”
If I had only raised Iris to three stars, I might have gotten a rough sense of her. But since I had pulled her without sending her into even a single dungeon, any judgment was impossible. When Iris launched, the only spec revealed had been the title Last Hero. Other players naturally tilted their heads, wondering what on earth that meant. They called it suspicious and decided to wait until the early adopters tested her first. I, however, had always been a professional gacha whale. The moment the new character dropped I pulled her instantly, and right as I was about to inspect her, I got sucked into the game itself.
“Strange. I do not possess the same ability you do. What exactly do you want me to discover?”
“...There is one surefire method, isn’t there?”
“The surefire method? What would that be?”
“The same method you once used on me.”
“The method I used on you?”
“Sparring with you, Master.”
At my words, Master’s face twisted into a scowl. I had expected this reaction from the start. After all, I was asking none other than the Heavenly Demon to measure someone’s combat strength.
“Disciple. Even this master has limits to her patience.”
“I know.”
“You know, yet you still say such things? You want me to test someone whose very presence makes my stomach turn? Do you truly wish to watch me slaughter a person?”
Of course not. I definitely didn’t want to see that. Why else would the title Heavenly Demon contain the character for “demon”? A being who ruled the world through pure strength and her own will. An absolute powerhouse who could crush anything that opposed her. That was my master, and true to her title, her personality was utterly vicious.
“This unworthy disciple begs you, Master.”
Yet even my master had one weakness. In this world—no, even if you included the entire murim—she had only one disciple, and she always yielded to that disciple. If said disciple knelt, she became even softer.
“You little...”
“I beg you. Please examine my disciple’s ability. I implore you.”
“Why go this far? Why kneel for the sake of that girl?”
“I made a promise. The day I met her, I swore I would give her the strength to never lose to anyone.”
“Promises exist to be broken! Breaking one once causes no real problem!”
“...Iris is an orphan.”
I pulled out the secret weapon I had prepared for this exact moment. At the word “orphan,” a shadow of distress flickered across Master’s face.
Was Master herself an orphan? No, absolutely not. The orphan here was me. Technically, having fallen into the game meant I could have no family, but I had wrapped that fact in the guise of a tragic past and used it to my advantage. Thanks to that, Master had even stopped using one of her favorite curses: “You parentless wretch!”
“So that was the reason? Because the child is an orphan.”
“...”
“You felt kinship. Or was it pity?”
“I’m sorry.”
“...I see. How could I possibly understand the pain of those who have lived without parents? Only those who have endured it can share in that suffering. As a complete outsider, I have nothing more to say.”
Master glanced at me, worried she might have wounded me. For all her Heavenly Demon bearing, she showed this side in moments like these.
“Even so, disciple. I still don’t like it.”
“Master?”
“There is a saying: only when something comes can something go. Doing it for free isn’t worth a single penny.”
“...Is there something you desire from me?”
At my question Master only cleared her throat several times. I knew that reaction well. She wanted something but her pride wouldn’t allow her to say it outright. As her disciple, I understood perfectly.
Then my gaze happened to fall on the earring dangling from her ear—an accessory I had given her long ago. It hardly suited the strongest under heaven, yet I knew such personal items raised favorability the most. After all, I had already maxed out the Heavenly Demon NPC’s affection in the game. I knew exactly what she liked.
“It has been many years since I gave you that earring.”
“Hm? Ah, this? Indeed. So much time has passed.”
“I heard some lovely new accessories have arrived at the village shop.”
“Have they now?”
For a moment Master’s eyes sparkled. Though she was a woman, she had never lived a single day of her life as one. Precisely because of that, she was all the more curious about feminine things.
“Shall I buy you new earrings to replace that old—”
“No.”
Huh? Wait. What did she just say? She refused?
The Heavenly Demon was supposed to accept any accessory without question. Flustered, I tried to read her expression when she continued.
“...I do not want anything that would replace this.”
While gently touching the silver cross-shaped earring, Master stared at me like a thief trying to steal something precious.
“Then… perhaps something else…?”
“Yes. Something else would be good. Let me see… A ring. Yes, a ring would be excellent.”
“A ring, you say?”
“Indeed. A ring that suits this seat’s majesty would be perfect.”
Where in the world would you find a ring that matched the Heavenly Demon’s majesty? A sword, spear, axe, or mace would suit her far better.
“Understood, Master. I will bring a ring with me next time.”
“Very good.”
“Then, about examining Iris’s condition…”
“Since my disciple begs so earnestly, what else can I do? I shall do as you ask—this once.”
I had successfully moved the Heavenly Demon with nothing but the promise of a single ring. Hmm, that was a surprisingly cheap bargain.
Thinking so, I shot to my feet and shouted at the top of my lungs.
“Iris!”
“Yes, Master!!”
A vigorous reply came back, followed by the rapid patter of footsteps. Iris dashed behind us and bowed deeply.
“You called for me, Master!”
“Be grateful. My master has decided to examine you herself.”
“Grandmaster is going to look at me?”
“Yes. Therefore, consider it an honor and show her everything you possess with a grateful heart.”
Honestly, there wasn’t much for Iris to show. I wasn’t expecting her to fight impressively. All I hoped for was that Master might grasp even the slightest hint of what Iris’s true talent was.
“All because of my worthless disciple, I’m stuck doing a chore that was never in my fate.”
Master grumbled the entire time yet still took position in the wide clearing in front of the house. She looked at Iris and let out a deep sigh.
“I will not use my right hand.”
So saying, she tucked her right hand behind her back. Anyone watching might think it was an insult to Iris, but I could guarantee that the current Iris would still lose to even the smallest finger on Master’s left hand.
“Master. Everything else is fine, but you mustn’t kill her.”
“Do you think I wouldn’t know that much?!”
“I-I’m going to die, Master?!”
You’re not going to die. You might get a few cracks or fractures, but that’s all.
While reassuring Iris, I handed her a wooden sword. Since I didn’t even know what weapon she preferred, I had simply brought the first one I found.
“Don’t even dream of trying anything. Nothing you do will work on her.”
“Uuuu...”
“Just think of showing her everything you have. If Grandmaster changes her evaluation of you even a little, I will also be able to see you differently, Iris.”
“...Really?”
“Have you ever seen me lie?”
“Yes. Many times, actually.”
“Instead of remembering those times, tense up at least a little, you damn disciple.”
Thwack! In the end I couldn’t hold back and gave Iris a solid flick to the forehead using the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. Leaving behind the teary-eyed disciple who let out a pathetic “Heeing!”, I stepped back. Standing between my master and my disciple, I checked both sides.
“Are you ready, Master?”
“Worry about your own disciple. Who exactly are you concerned for?”
“Iris. Are you ready?”
“I’m ready! Master!”
“Then, Master, let’s begin immediately.”
I raised my hand and quickly retreated. Had it been the usual Master, she might have charged the instant I moved back. But because the opponent was who she was, she apparently didn’t feel any need to do so.
“Come.”
“...”
“Do not make me repeat myself. If you know your level and understand the difference between us—if you truly care for your master, who is also my disciple—then you had best come at me with everything you have.”
“...Haaaaat!”
At Master’s warning, Iris launched herself forward. Her movements were decent and her speed was quite usable. But by Master’s standards, it was still far, far below the mark.
Thud!! Iris probably never saw what hit her. Even I barely caught the motion—Master’s left hand swinging out. The next thing I knew, Iris was rolling across the ground.
She sprang up immediately.
“Uaaaaa!”
True to the disciple I had taught, she possessed both tenacity and guts. The moment she tumbled she rose again and charged once more. Master swatted her away like an annoying fly.
“I roughly understand your level. Then let us move on.”
Goosebumps rose across my skin at Master’s words. The “next stage” she spoke of was essentially violence wearing the mask of evaluation.
A single line of red light shot toward Iris. It was a trajectory I could only barely follow by focusing every ounce of my senses. To Master it was a simple movement, but to Iris it might as well have been a cruise ship sailing straight to the underworld.
Please, just take it easy. Take it easy! I prayed with all my heart.
Thud!
“...?”
“Huh?”
But the next scene made me realize something had gone terribly wrong.
“Kk...!”
Iris—the girl I had considered the weakest among all my disciples—had blocked Master’s attack with perfect precision.
That much was fine. Nothing was wrong up to that point.
The real problem exploded immediately after.
The true Heavenly Demon Divine Art revealed its form from Master.
“Master?”
“...You girl. What exactly are you?”
“Master?!”
“I asked what you are!”
It was on an entirely different level from the playful version I sometimes used in front of Iris. The genuine article had awakened.