"I Really Didn't Do Anything!"
“...Ugh.”
With my entire face throbbing in pain, I furrowed my brows and opened my eyes. What on earth had happened this time...?
“???”
...What is this now?
The moment I opened my eyes, the first thing that hit my vision was a thick, long, wriggling something that looked disgustingly fleshy. It stretched out across the entire room where I had been lying, spreading everywhere like vines.
It was pulsing strangely—brightening suddenly then dimming, swelling hugely only to shrink again. Overall, it was extremely weird and gave off a subtly unsettling vibe.
...Now that I think about it, it kind of looked like a giant slug. A really long, massive slug.
“...Where am I?”
I scanned the surroundings, but there was nobody around. Nothing except that wriggling thing.
“...Celine?”
The second I realized no one was there, it hit me—Celine was gone too. I tried to grab the Holy Sword from my back in a panic, but my hands found nothing.
“Where the hell did this go?”
Dammit, now I can't even do my signature move...
What in the world had happened? Why had Celine and the Holy Sword vanished? And why had I passed out in the first place...?
Right. Someone had slammed me face-first into the floor without warning. I hadn't even noticed until my head was being crushed. I racked my brain for who could have done that, but the answer was obvious.
...No one but a high-level monster could pull off something like that. But then... why am I still alive?
Lost in confusion from the impossible situation, a sudden poke came from behind.
...No sound at all?
“Rise, human.”
“Human?”
I turned at the foreign tone and froze. A bone-chilling dread raced up my spine, paralyzing my whole body. I forgot to even blink as I stared at the black demon looking down at me.
...A monster? Why is there a monster right in front of me... and why isn't it killing me? I'm unarmed right now— one strike and I'd be dead. It doesn't make sense. Monsters don't usually spare humans, especially one whose life is supposedly in danger. If I were the monster, I'd never have chosen to leave someone like me alive.
“Follow me.”
Follow?
The demon tossed out the short command, turned, and walked away. It had a transparent membrane attached to its back like a cape.
...I don't know what the hell is going on, but at least it didn't seem like it wanted to kill me immediately. I needed to figure out where Celine and the Holy Sword were while hearing what this monster had to say.
I somehow forced my rigid body upright and trailed after the demon.
On the way, I examined its form. It walked like a human. Aside from the obvious differences—much taller than me with four arms and a bulky build—it looked like a knight in armor.
...A knight-type monster. No obvious weak spots.
Still, even while following its back, the disgusting, slug-like thing continued spreading across the floor in spots.
What is this... I could ask it, but it wouldn't answer anyway.
“Enter.”
The demon pointed at the left with one of its arms. I stepped onto the oddly slimy floor following its order and stepped inside.
...Dammit, what is—?
“Your Majesty, I've brought them.”
“...You have my thanks.”
A long corridor opened into a dark room, and at the end sat a raised dais like a throne. On it reclined a woman with perfect posture.
“Kneel.”
“Ugh!?”
The demon kicked the back of my knee with its foot, forcing me down.
...Dammit. This is too much.
The woman on the throne wasn't human at all. I realized that from her figure and the long silver hair, plus the massive horns on her head and the strange gray carapace covering her body.
And her eyes... were reverse eyes. The whites were black, the irises red. In that instant, I knew exactly who she was.
“...The North Queen?”
“You dare address me by such lowly human titles.”
“...!”
The moment her words left her mouth, a dozen swords were pointed at my throat, the tips hovering right over my Adam's apple.
...Dammit, save me.
“Sheath your weapons.”
The monsters with murderous auras froze at the North Queen's command and withdrew their swords.
Those high-level monsters had just burst out earlier...?
“From now on, do not interfere. After all, this human is no threat without the Holy Sword.”
“Yes.”
The monsters vanished silently back into the darkness as if they had never been there.
I finally understood why Celine had warned about the Glacier Mountains being dangerous and why the Apollo Kingdom strictly forbade anyone from approaching.
...We really survived this long.
“...I ask again.”
“What?”
“Human, what is your relation to our father?”
...Father?
“I don't know what you're talking about. If you're asking questions, at least confirm if Celine is safe first!”
“...You mean that human woman? I haven't killed her, so rest easy.”
How could I possibly believe that?
“Then what are you going to do if I don't?”
The North Queen's pupils narrowed. It was the look of someone asking, 'What else can you do except believe my words here?'
I gritted my teeth at that glare.
According to the Mother, I was completely powerless right now. Without the Holy Sword, I couldn't do anything, so I couldn't even search for Celine.
...I was screwed.
“...I ask again. This time, answer honestly. What is your relationship with the father you call the Demon King?”
“...The Demon King?”
So the Mother really meant the Demon King?
But why was the Demon King here? What did I have to do with him?
“I've never met the Demon King.”
I answered honestly. I didn't want to agree with the monster, but I couldn't die without answering. It was survival.
At that moment, the North Queen's red eyes flashed. Not figuratively—actual light. Her pupils glowed red, then went dark.
...What?
“...It doesn't seem to be a lie.”
“What?”
“Then the next question. Answer carefully this time too.”
I didn't know why a monster would ask so many questions, but since it was keeping me alive, I decided to drag it out as long as possible.
“What did you take from the father?”
...What did I take?
I'd never even met the Demon King—?
“I have no idea what you're talking about.”
“...Try changing the question.”
The North Queen's pupils narrowed.
“The father says you owe him something. Does anything come to mind?”
“...The Demon King owes me something?”
Yes.
...It felt like she was solving a riddle. I shook my head, no clue at all, and the North Queen leaned back against her throne.
“This place suits me, so I had no intention of moving. But the orders keep coming to bring you back. I wonder why the father is so obsessed with you.”
“...I have no idea either.”
The Demon King ordered you to bring me back...? Why?
When I answered, the North Queen's eyes flashed red again. She spoke in the same tone as before, deciding truth from lies.
“...It doesn't seem to be a lie.”
...Did she have the ability to read lies? Every time her eyes flashed, she declared it wasn't a lie. Maybe my guess was right.
More importantly, she had just said something huge. The Demon King ordered you to bring me back...? That meant the Demon King was after me. Why?
Of course there were plenty of reasons to kill a hero. Heroes appeared to defeat the Demon King and protect humanity. There was no need to spare someone who threatened him.
But if the North Queen's words were true, the Demon King didn't want to kill me—he wanted to capture me.
...Was there a reason for that? If I was a threat, he could have just killed me.
And if he wanted to capture a hero for some purpose, there were Elfride and Revius as well. Why target only me? Did that mean... the Demon King was after only me?
“My curiosity remains unanswered... but all I need to do is follow the father's orders.”
The North Queen snapped her fingers. The creepy monster behind me stepped forward and knelt.
...It even kneels like a knight. The only real difference was appearance; their manners were almost identical to humans. They even spoke the same language. No wonder this place felt so out of place.
“I obey, Your Majesty.”
“Release them. The questions are over.”
...Release?
“Understood.”
“...Wait! Where is Celine?!”
“That woman won't be killed. She is merely a vessel. We haven't started the operation yet, but it won't be long.”
“...What?”
Vessel. It was the same word used for a seedbed when planting rice. If I didn't understand what it meant now, I was an idiot.
“Why not? Isn't it better than dying?”
...For a moment I thought we could communicate. I was an idiot. These were just monsters.
“Dammit, release Celine right now, you monster!!”
“...You're noisy.”
The North Queen snapped her fingers.
“Keep it quiet. Do not kill.”
Then the kneeling monster swung its sword.
I watched in utter despair—the sword flying straight toward me. I knew it wasn't meant to kill... but it still stung.
“...This is bullshit.”
I squeezed my eyes shut as the blade came. It wasn't going to kill me... dammit.
Sacred Sword
THUD!
“...?”
An odd sound pulled my eyes open. A dull thud should have knocked me out, but instead I felt a sharp impact and somehow stayed conscious.
“...Eh?”
The four-armed monster that had swung the sword at me staggered back, severely wounded. A massive gash like it had been stabbed by something enormous.
...What the—?
The North Queen, who had been sitting gracefully and majestically, screamed in shock too.
“Kai! Kids, kill that thing right now!”
“Wait, I didn't do anything!”
Other high-level monsters burst out of the darkness and swung their swords at me, defenseless.
Dammit, I really didn't do anything!
“...Really... without me, you still couldn't do anything, could you♡”
Eh...? That voice...
Solis Ortus
KWAAANG!!!
A blinding ray of light shot forward, scorching the high-level monsters that had rushed at me. They collapsed with wounds that looked like they had melted from intense heat. And standing proudly in front of me was a woman whose hair glowed brilliant red like the sun.
Menacing warriors in flowing robes with radiant golden hair and powerful holy magic torn apart by divine power. If a goddess of the sun had descended, this was what she would look like. The sight stirred something in me—the feeling of being protected by such a woman.
“Abel, are you okay?”
In that life-or-death moment,
the one and only star who had come to save me was here.
“...Estelle.”