A Miracle-Like Story (1)
The situation concluded that way.
The demon that had ruled over Belzen was executed through proper procedures, and the remaining forces inside the facility were likewise wiped out. They showed not a single ounce of mercy. From the very beginning, the operation had never been about capture or suppression—it was an extermination raid, pure and simple.
The members felt no pity at the tips of their blades. Before long, the black mages inside the building had been driven nearly to total annihilation.
“Laboratories One through One Hundred Five have been cleared. No remaining hostiles detected.”
“Any casualties on our side?”
“None whatsoever.”
“As expected of you. Excellent work, Miss Neria.”
“It is only thanks to the commander’s presence.”
I was listening to the vice-commander’s report. While I had claimed all the highlights for myself, she was the one who had truly directed the Belzen extermination operation.
While I confronted the demon on the lowest floor, Neria had led the members in a methodical conquest of the laboratory. She was an outstanding talent indeed.
“All imprisoned survivors have been rescued. The total was seventy-one individuals. They have been transferred to Astro’s dedicated medical wing for treatment. The plan is to release them from the imperial capital afterward.”
“Good.”
“As ordered, all research materials discovered within the facility have been slated for complete disposal. We are currently performing incineration to ensure no traces remain…”
The briefing continued in a calm, orderly fashion. There seemed to be no particular issues.
“And… here is the item you requested.”
Having finished her report, Neria reached into her coat and handed me a small case no larger than the palm of my hand. It appeared she had retrieved the object I had asked for.
“It was found in a nearby canyon. Just as you described, Commander, it was buried underground alongside massive bone fragments.”
“This is exactly what I was looking for.”
Click.
I checked the contents and slipped the case into my inner pocket. It was an item I would need later, and thanks to our capable vice-commander, I had obtained it with surprising ease.
I offered a brief word of gratitude.
“Thank you, Miss Neria.”
“I merely performed the duty expected of one who has sworn herself to you.”
“How admirable.”
“Everything is as you will it.”
Neria bowed her head in silence. As I stroked her long silver hair in praise, the girl’s breathing hitched strangely, as though an electric current had run through her.
“Hngh…”
Her usual cool demeanor had vanished, replaced by an expression that seemed to melt. Beyond her silver pupils, fervent longing glittered. Perhaps it stemmed from her unusually deep loyalty—simple physical contact was enough to make her blush.
“I’m proud of you.”
“…!”
The girl’s shoulders trembled. Satisfied with her reaction, I resumed walking. Neria followed unsteadily behind me.
Our steps halted before an iron cage. Inside, Anne—who had regained consciousness—and Irene sat leaning against the bars. Both were wrapped in small blankets.
I smiled gently and spoke.
“How are you two feeling?”
“I already told you I’m fine… How many times are you going to ask?”
“Even after hearing the answer several times, I still worry.”
“…I’m perfectly fine.”
“I’m okay too! It doesn’t hurt at all!”
Anne answered with cheerful vigor. She seemed fully awake now, her bright presence lighting up the surroundings. Her smile sparkled like sunlight on water.
No lingering aftereffects, it seems.
When I had restored her body, I had also carefully adjusted her memories. The horrors she had endured during the chimera experiments were far too heavy a burden for a child to carry. After much deliberation, I had chosen to erase them. All other memories, however, remained untouched. What I wanted to take from her was the nightmare, not the stubborn courage she had clung to.
In a sense, it had been a well-intentioned lie.
“I’m glad you’re not in pain.”
“Thank you for worrying about us, handsome big brother!”
“Handsome…?”
“Yes! You’re really handsome!”
“Oh dear… It seems you’re not only energetic but also possess excellent taste. You’ll make a fine writer someday.”
“Gasp! How did you know I dream of becoming an author?”
“There are ways of knowing such things.”
We chatted lightly. After a short while, Neria, who had been standing behind us, spoke up.
“All preparations are complete. It is time to return.”
“What about the other members?”
“They have already returned to headquarters via portal. We are the last group.”
“Hmm… And the laboratory itself?”
“Explosion runes have been inscribed. It will be reduced to dust in exactly thirty minutes.”
“Very well. Let’s head back.”
Shhhk.
At my words, a figure emerged from the shadows. A woman with long black hair, daggers gripped in both hands. She was the same member who had first greeted us during our last visit to headquarters.
Her masked lips moved.
“Commander.”
“Miss Lena.”
“I have come to escort you.”
Crackle!
When Lena extended her hand, a blue ring formed in midair. The surrounding space twisted, creating a doorway. It was the portal leading back to headquarters.
The fox who had been watching muttered in a daze.
“…You even have a space mage working for you?”
“She is one of Astro’s proudest assets.”
“An ability only about a thousand people on the entire continent possess, if that.”
“Otherwise, how could I have traveled from the academy all the way here in a single day?”
“You really are… the more I learn, the more terrifying you become.”
“Hehe. Shall we move first?”
The moment we stepped through the portal, a stream of noise from behind caught the girls’ sleeves.
They were the cries of monsters—creatures that had once been human but could no longer be called such.
Anne and Irene stopped at the same time.
“……”
Sorrow brushed against their ears. Perhaps because they had been in the exact same position only moments ago, their eyes trembled. These were people who had endured the same hell. The sound was especially heartbreaking.
Maybe they already understood there was no way to save them. The girls bit their lips tightly, faces twisted in pain.
“Hmm.”
This wasn’t the ending I wanted.
After a brief moment of thought, I turned to the vice-commander.
“Miss Neria.”
“Yes.”
“How many chimeras are imprisoned on the lowest floor?”
“Not many. The principle was to incinerate failures immediately, so the cages are emptied on a weekly basis. By our count, there are thirteen.”
“A precarious number.”
Healing thirteen mutants would require at least a month of exhausting work. I let out a low, troubled groan. In my peripheral vision, the fox clenched her fist tightly, eyes burning with frustration.
Still…
We had come all this way. It would be cruel to send her home with that expression.
Children are always prettiest when they smile.
“There’s no rule saying a miracle can’t happen twice.”
I spoke softly.
“Vice-commander? Bring the chimeras as well. Move them cage and all—it may be dangerous otherwise.”
“As you wish.”
The members began transporting the cages. They did not know I could restore the chimeras; I had never shown them. Yet they obeyed without question, trusting that I had my reasons.
Their solid faith filled me with quiet pride.
The two girls watched the scene in stunned silence. I met their eyes gently and asked.
“Does your heart feel a little lighter now?”
Death cannot be reversed. But if they had not died, it was all right to hope for a miracle.
“I hope today’s events don’t remain as nightmares.”
Because I am here beside you.
As long as my hand could reach them, I wanted to protect those who suffered. It wasn’t anything grand—just a small, quiet wish.
“Miss Irene.”
“……”
“If it would make you even a little less unhappy, I will gladly lend you my strength.”
The fox lowered her head deeply.
“…Why?”
Her voice trembled. She bit her lip in confusion and finally voiced the question she had kept locked inside her chest. It was frustration born of ignorance.
“Why… why would you go this far for someone like me?”
To the fox’s question, the snake answered plainly, carrying only sincerity.
“Because one must take responsibility for what one has tamed—for as long as it takes.”
Though people had forgotten this truth, I still believed in it. In taming. In the weight of relationships and responsibility.
“Does that answer your question?”
“……”
The fox gave no reply. She simply stared at me with her mouth closed.
We could delay no longer. I took each of their hands and led them toward the portal.
“Well then~ Let’s go back to our beloved home!”
Side by side, we crossed the threshold. And so we left the blood-soaked hell behind.
***
We returned to Astro Headquarters. There were many loose ends to handle. Having completed a rather significant mission, various parts of the organization needed reorganization, so I intended to remain at headquarters for the next few days.
The same was true for Anne.
“Whoa…! It’s so clean and huge!”
The other survivors had been sent directly to the hospital, but Anne had come with us. Her body required no special treatment, and she had strongly insisted on staying by the fox’s side. Thanks to that, the girl was able to set foot inside the headquarters of the continent’s most secretive organization.
“It’s amazing…!”
Anne bounced around excitedly.
“She really likes it.”
“Hehe, she’s at that age.”
It wasn’t only the members who had been waiting for us. The little foxes were there too. The children, who had been restless ever since hearing that Irene was coming, rushed over the moment we arrived. We were instantly surrounded by fluffy tails.
“Sister!!”
“S-Sis…!”
“Did you come because you missed us? Sister is the best!”
“You came with the commander again!”
Innocent children who knew nothing of the horrors. The fox, who had seemed on the verge of tears, soon wrapped her younger siblings in a warm embrace.
“Yes… I came because I missed you.”
“These are the siblings you told me about? They’re super cute!”
The lively scene brought a gentle smile to my face. Suddenly, someone approached from the side. It was a red-haired middle-aged man.
“Commander, you’ve returned.”
“Well, well… Our chef has made an appearance.”
Kyle Stroban, the former Red Sword Saint. He was currently serving as Astro’s chef.
“Uhahaha! I wish I could have joined the mission!”
“It would have been excessive firepower. Besides, if the chef is guarding headquarters, the rest of us can venture out with peace of mind, can’t we?”
“Being trusted like that makes me happy.”
“It always has been that way.”
We entrusted the rear to him because we trusted him. Kyle was that vital a figure within Astro—and would continue to be.
I asked half in jest.
“No major incidents while we were gone, I hope?”
“Uhahaha! How could any trouble occur in a place I protect?”
“So the title of star carries that much weight, does it~?”
“It is a name granted only to those who touch the night sky.”
“Truly a reliable chef.”
After a brief, light exchange, I lowered my voice so only Kyle could hear and got to the point.
“Sir Kyle.”
“Yes, Commander.”
“I have something to show you, Chef.”
“What might that be?”
“I’m certain you’ll like it.”
“Now I’m even more curious.”
His red eyes sparkled with interest.
“When will you show me?”
“Today might be difficult. The situation requires urgent recharging before I can demonstrate anything.”
“Then…?”
“Let’s talk tomorrow. Come down to the training room.”
“Understood.”
Kyle nodded obediently. I smiled with a hint of mischief. He probably couldn’t even begin to imagine what I had prepared.
I pictured the Sword Saint’s face colored with astonishment.
***
The very next day. Inside the training room at Astro Headquarters—a wide space prepared for the members’ personal training—Kyle stood at the center, looking in my direction.
“Uhahaha! I’m quite excited to see what you’ll show me.”
Other members were gathered around as well. Since I had told them it wasn’t necessary for it to be just the two of us, everyone watched comfortably. Most of Astro had assembled.
“……”
The weight of so many gazes was slightly burdensome, but I spoke the first words calmly.
“Today will be a joyful day… the day I keep a promise.”
“A promise.”
Kyle tilted his head, unable to grasp the meaning even from the hint I had dropped. Well, that was understandable. It had been a passing remark, spoken almost like empty words. It wouldn’t be easy to remember.
Still, that was fine.
“The tragedy from two years ago. The blood relative you lost during the great subjugation.”
“……”
“I’m speaking of your daughter, Sir Kyle—the one kidnapped by the black mages.”
I recited the past. The relaxed light in Kyle’s eyes shook. The wound had not yet healed; his fist clenched tightly on its own. I continued in a calm voice.
“Didn’t I make you a promise once?”
Have you forgotten? I had been quite serious.
—I don’t know how long it will take… but I will definitely bring her back.
—The other half of your world that you lost.
I reached out toward empty air. As my fingers closed, a pitch-black crack spread through the atmosphere like fractures across glass.
Crack. Craaack—!
I opened the subspace. What had filled the interior spilled onto the floor with a heavy thud. A lump of flesh easily ten meters tall.
<Aah… uwaah…>
It let out a faint groan. Hundreds of tentacles dangling across its body wriggled weakly, as though dying. The sight was hideous.
“C-Commander!? What in the world is—”
“Sir Kyle.”
This was the monster that had attacked the protagonist’s party in the previous Abandoned Laboratory incident. At the same time—
“I have brought back your lost daughter… just as I promised.”
It was Kyle’s daughter.
“……”
The red-haired man stood frozen, astonishment flooding his crimson eyes.