Whispers of the Past
The orphanage... We had finally arrived. At the church, no less.
If it had just been Anastasia and me, I wouldn't have felt this uncomfortable. I kept casting anxious glances at Orca, trying to gauge her reaction. I couldn't tell what she was feeling at all. Fine, let's just ask her directly.
"What are you staring at?"
"Well... I was just worried you might find it uncomfortable."
"Ha. Is that even a question? Of course I am."
"I figured as much..."
I knew she would be uncomfortable, she knew it, and Anastasia knew it too. It was only natural. She was a Devil Possessed, after all. Just as devils instinctively loathed humans, they also loathed the holy power wielded by the clergy. Of course, there was a difference between the two. The loathing a devil felt toward humans carried an aggressive urge to erase the source of their irritation. But the loathing they felt toward holy power was slightly different. It was closer to the disgust a human might feel upon seeing a filthy sewer rat. Even if she wasn't a true devil herself, the church was an incredibly unpleasant place for Orca. I still couldn't quite understand why she had insisted on coming, knowing full well how miserable it would make her feel.
"If it really is too much, maybe we should head back..."
"No."
"Ah, right. Okay."
Well, what could I do even if I didn't understand? She was the one who wanted to come despite the discomfort. It wasn't a bad thing, and since she had volunteered to help with the community service, I had no reason to stop her.
"I still think it would be best for you to go back," Anastasia chimed in.
"I said I'm not leaving."
"I respect your resolve, but... this is the heart of the church. The concentration of holy power here is unlike anywhere else."
"..."
"Yes, yes. I understand," I said, stepping in.
Talk about stubborn. Despite being in a place that must have felt utterly repulsive to her as a Devil Possessed, she showed no sign of backing down, as if driven by some deep sense of duty.
"Tsk. Why is the Watcher hanging around with a creature like that...?"
"Shh. She'll hear you."
"Let her. This is a church. Honestly, I almost wish she'd try to start something."
"True."
"...Shall we move along? The children must be waiting," Anastasia said, her voice tight.
The oppressive holy power in the air wasn't the only issue. This was the residence of the Pope. Befitting the headquarters of the Holy Church, the clergy here were all exceptionally devout. While there were moderates like Anastasia who viewed the Devil Possessed as mere victims, their overwhelming piety meant that many harbored a deep, aggressive hostility toward them. With both sides finding each other inherently repulsive, a clash could erupt at any moment. Sensing the tension, Anastasia quickened her pace, eager to leave the corridor.
"I'm sorry, Miss Orca. My sisters didn't mean any harm..."
"I don't care. I've always been cast out anyway."
"..."
"What are you doing? Keep moving. I doubt this hallway is the orphanage."
"...Right. We're almost there."
In all of history, there had never been a single case of a Devil Possessed living in harmony with their devil, let alone defeating it. That was why everyone looked at her with such sharp, defensive hostility, treating her like a ticking time bomb. I understood their fear, but... seeing Orca being shunned like this right in front of me left a bitter taste in my mouth.
"It's alright, Orca."
"...? What is?"
"Because one day, you won't have to look at reactions like that anymore."
"Whatever."
She clearly didn't believe me. Well, she had probably lived her entire life being discriminated against. If I didn't do anything, she would keep living that way, accepting the prejudice as a natural fact of her existence. I hated that idea. Of course, I could understand why people avoided her—she was dangerous. It was an undeniable fact that a rampaging Devil Possessed caused catastrophic damage. Telling everyone to stop discriminating against them would fall on deaf ears.
That was why I wanted to find her a friend. Someone who wouldn't judge her, someone who would stand by her side and shield her from the world's cold shoulder. Ideally, I wanted one of the kids I cared about to be that friend. Right now, the most likely candidate was... Leo. Since they had spent more time together than most, they must have gotten at least a little closer. ...Or so I wanted to believe.
"We've arrived. It's here."
"So this is it..."
"What do you think?"
Had I been lost in thought for too long? As we stood in front of the orphanage, Anastasia asked for my impression with a proud look on her face. I think I understood why she looked so proud. Despite having lost their families in an instant, the children running around and playing together were full of bright smiles. How much effort and care had she poured in to protect those smiles? I couldn't even begin to guess. For someone like me, who could only help a handful of students by relying on hypnosis and my knowledge of the future, the sheer amount of time and dedication she had invested was beyond my imagination.
"...It's wonderful."
"Isn't it? ...Hey, everyone! It's been a while!"
"Ah, Watcher Sister! Hello!"
At Anastasia's bright voice and clap, the children, who had been playing amongst themselves, swarmed around her. She was truly loved. This wasn't a reaction they would show unless she had been taking exceptionally good care of them.
"Who is that sister? She's so tall!"
"Why is only this part of your hair white, big sister? Is it gray hair?"
"W-Wait..."
"She looks scary. Is she mad?"
"I am not mad!"
"Kyaaa! She's totally mad!"
...It seemed Orca wasn't as terrifying to them as I had feared. With her sharp eyes and crooked posture, I thought the kids would be frightened, but perhaps children were just naturally fearless. They were touching Orca all over—a sight that would have made any student at the Academy pale in terror.
"Whoa..."
"Hm? What is it, sweetie?"
"So pretty..."
"..."
"Oh dear, I'm sorry. Our kids are a bit too honest."
What was with this massive difference in treatment? Sure, I sometimes startled myself when I looked in the mirror because of how pretty this body was... but technically, Orca and Anastasia were just as beautiful. Why was I the only one getting this reaction?
"Children, could you gather around for a moment instead of bothering our guests?"
"Okay!"
At Anastasia's call, the children swarmed away from Orca and crowded around me and Anastasia. Orca, who had just suffered the indignity of having her cheeks pinched and her hair pulled, already looked utterly exhausted. She seemed to be even weaker against children than I had expected.
"Alright, let me introduce them. This is my friend from the Academy, Orca, and this is Teacher Ophelia, who also works at the Academy."
"Hello!"
"Hello, everyone."
"...Friend?"
Orca was blankly muttering the word 'friend' to herself. Was the concept of having a friend really that foreign to her? Since the children were right in front of her, she couldn't show it openly, but she looked incredibly bewildered.
...Perhaps Anastasia would become her friend even before Leo did. I hadn't even considered it because their relationship didn't seem particularly great, but this felt like an unexpected harvest.
"I told them how much fun your games are, and they were so curious that they wanted to see for themselves. Can they join you?"
"Sure! Since they're friends with Watcher Sister, we'll let them join as a special treat!"
"Thank you. You're all so sweet."
"Hehe."
Seeing how close she was with the children, it was obvious she visited this place often. Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to handle them so effortlessly. Realizing that the strangers who had arrived were here to play with them, the children crowded around us, shouting excitedly.
"Hide-and-seek! Let's play hide-and-seek!"
"No! We played hide-and-seek last time! Today we're doing a treasure hunt!"
Wait, hold on. As the children raised their voices to decide what game to play, my head snapped toward Orca at the mention of those words. Hide-and-seek. Treasure hunt. There was someone here who absolutely should not hear those words.
D-Did she hear them...?
"Orca?"
"..."
The faint, subtle smile she had worn just moments ago while watching the children's bright faces vanished instantly, replaced by an eerie stillness. Dammit. She heard them.
...I really hoped she hadn't. Is it because she's a Devil Possessed? Her physical senses are annoyingly sharp.
"...Miss Orca?"
"I'm leaving."
"W-What?! But...!"
"Piss off. I hate this."
Sensing the sudden drop in temperature, the excited children began to look at us warily. This was a disaster.
"Now, now...! It seems Miss Orca isn't feeling very well right now! Teacher Ophelia and I will play with you instead! Shall we start with hide-and-seek?!"
"W-We plan on staying for a long time today...! We'll play whatever games you want! Sounds good?"
"...Okay."
Anastasia and I desperately forced smiles onto our faces, scrambling to soothe the children and lift the heavy atmosphere. But even as I did, my eyes remained fixed on Orca's back as she disappeared down the hallway.
...I had completely forgotten. I should have anticipated that Orca might react sensitively to children's games. I should have stopped her from coming, even if I had to drag her back myself.