The First Stirrings (1)
"So... Flora... what the hell is going on?"
"You already know the answer! It's Raphael. Raphael!"
Bang! Emperor Athalia slammed her fist against the table.
"We watched Raphael die in our arms. I can still feel the exact texture of her skin, the weight of that moment..."
"So what in the seven hells is that living, breathing Raphael doing over there?!"
"Is she deceiving me? No—deceiving our entire hero party?"
Who is she? Who would dare trick us like this? A Raphael who moves and speaks and lives... it was impossible to believe.
Flora let out a long sigh.
"Hoo..."
"How much do you know about the world itself?"
"The world...? What are you talking about?"
"Exactly what I said. The world."
"At its core, this world revolves around the eternal conflict between the Demon King and the Hero. The Demon King commands demons and devils to corrupt the land, while the Hero purifies that corruption and eventually slays the Demon King."
"This structure between Demon King and Hero hasn't changed for hundreds—no, thousands—of years."
"And whenever the Hero is at a disadvantage, so-called 'heroes' appear to support and aid them. When the Hero holds the advantage, the Demon King's side deploys the Four Heavenly Kings to restore balance. Yet the Hero always wins in the end."
"Don't you find this situation unnatural?"
"How can the Hero possibly win every single time?"
"...Is this question somehow related to Raphael?"
"It is. It has everything to do with Raphael."
"Originally, a hero party consisted of four fixed members: the Hero, the Saintess, the Divine Archer, and the Archmage—you. But this time, Raphael joined under the condition of being a 'supporter.'"
"That's when I began to wonder. With a supporter now in the party, perhaps all Four Heavenly Kings would appear this time."
"...Yes, they did. But what does that have to do with Raphael?"
"...Calm yourself, Athalia. I'll explain everything slowly."
"And I must warn you that everything I'm about to say is purely my own theory."
"Also, Baden already knows about Raphael's condition, so keep that in mind."
"Baden knows about Raphael...?"p>
That Raphael fanatic? If he truly knew, he wouldn't be sitting here calmly. Could this really be the same Raphael...? Hoo...
"...Hoo... Fine. I'm calm. Speak. I need to know the truth about Raphael."
"Thanks to Raphael's appearance, all Four Heavenly Kings manifested, yet your hero party overcame those trials and defeated the Demon King. Correct?"
"...It is. Is there a problem with that?"
"The problem begins here. So let's consider the opposite scenario."
"...The opposite?"
What could 'the opposite' possibly mean? That Raphael became the Demon King? That made no sense at all. The opposite... the opposite... Ah. Could it be...?
"Balance...?"
"Bingo. Truly worthy of an emperor. To grasp the implication from such a small hint."
"...Flora. Are you saying she was revived because of that balance...?"
"...The world possesses something called the Scales of Causality. Are you familiar with it?"
"...Wasn't that only mentioned in ancient texts? The idea that the Scales of Causality determine the fate of the world was a belief held by the ancients."
But those same ancients were said to have suffered divine punishment and perished while investigating the Scales. It was even recorded in historical documents. And now you're telling me those Scales are connected to Raphael?
"Hmm, you know more than I expected. I believe the Scales of Causality truly exist to maintain equilibrium in our world."
"Once you accept that, everything else falls into place."
"Good triumphed over evil. Therefore, the world should enjoy peace until evil can grow once more. But what if evil never truly died?"
"What if that evil grew even stronger than before?"
"...That's too much of a stretch."
Yes, it was an outrageous leap. We definitely killed the Demon King—how could it possibly grow stronger? Unless there was some hidden collaborator helping the Demon King? We incinerated even the corpse...
"You must have noticed how the devils and demon race are running wild lately."
"......"
"...Are you suggesting the Demon King has been resurrected?"
"Yes. I believe the Demon King has returned. And Raphael was revived specifically to stop her."
"You know it as well as I do. Honestly, the true core of the hero party wasn't the Hero—it was Raphael."
"That's impossible. It can't be! Who would have revived her in the first place? And if she truly returned, she should have recognized me!"
Flora fell silent for a moment before speaking again.
"Hoo... I suspect the Goddess intervened."
"...Her Holiness...?"
"Yes. Right now, we stand at the very brink of evil's resurgence. In such times, a hero is needed to support the Hero. That chosen hero was Raphael."
"Hahaha... What an absurd theory, Flora. Fine. Let's say the Goddess revived her. Then why doesn't she remember our hero party?"
"Because of the pain. The agony of death."
"If she retained all her memories, becoming part of the hero party again would mean suffering the greatest pain of her existence. Could Raphael truly endure that?"
"......"
"Do you understand now? Raphael is essentially a tool. A tool meant to kill the Demon King."
"The moment she revived, she began eradicating devils and demons, they say."
"And she gave herself the name 'Nameless.' Do you understand what that signifies?"
"...She's repeating the exact same behavior as before. In the past, she hid everything about herself and ultimately sacrificed herself in the Hero's place."
"You think Raphael will sacrifice herself again?"
"Honestly, I do."
"...I'll be going now. It seems we have nothing more to discuss."
Scrape—
Athalia rose from her chair. Then she spoke.
"I cannot give up on Raphael. That child has already sacrificed so much. To ask her to sacrifice herself again..."
"I'll find my own way."
"So you're choosing the same path as Baden..."
Athalia continued walking, lost in thought.
...Nameless... No, Raphael. Did you truly return just to sacrifice yourself once more? For our sake? For the world's sake? Who will acknowledge such a sacrifice? And why must you be the only one who keeps sacrificing...?
Baden knows about this too, she said. I should go find him. He seems to have become a professor. Something about raising a hero named Ian.
Suddenly Athalia stopped in her tracks as a thought struck her.
Wait a moment... Ian definitely had some connection to Raphael even before her revival. How is that possible?
And among all the heroes, Ian stands out as exceptionally strong. He can use both Raphael's techniques and the Hero's unique abilities.
Raphael... are you raising Ian because you believe he is the hero who will kill the Demon King?
Is that why you became a professor too?
What exactly are you thinking?
Are you trying to create a new hero party? The next generation to replace us...?
Meanwhile, inside the Demon King's castle, the Demon King and Lucifer were synthesizing a new body.
During the process, Lucifer suddenly sensed someone's presence.
Hmm...?
"Lucifer? Is something wrong?"
Lucifer focused on the sensation for a moment before speaking.
...Huh?
"...?"
We need to finish synthesizing this body quickly.
"Why? What is it?"
Raphael has been revived.
"............?????"
"Wh-what...? Who revived...?"
Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck. I don't want to die again. That monster came back? What insane bastard revived her?
"Did I hear that wrong...?"
That bastard... has already partially fulfilled the Fiend's conditions...
Already fulfilling the Fiend's conditions...? What the hell? For a second I thought I'd sensed it wrong, but no... I can feel the faint presence of the same Fiend energy I possess. What is she trying to become...?
The future I knew has been distorted...
"What the hell are you talking about?!"
...In short, we need to hurry with the body synthesis.
"How about using the Demon Dragon's heart instead of the regular Dragon's Heart?"
Wasn't the Demon Dragon one of your subordinates? Heh heh.
"That crazy bitch has returned and you're worried about that right now?"
"Besides, a king must have subjects to rule. This is merely a noble sacrifice. A sacred offering that will make me even stronger!"
Completely deranged by the news of Raphael's revival, Demon King Metelia immediately summoned one of the Four Heavenly Kings—the Demon Dragon.
"My King, you called for me?"
"Yes... Saurus. Are you loyal to me?"
"...! Of course! I would offer even my life if you asked!"
A sinister smile spread across her face.
"You said it with your own mouth. Good child."
"Huh...? What do you—"
Shuk—
"Wha... what... huh...?"
The Four Heavenly King Demon Dragon Saurus had his heart ripped out in an instant and died on the spot.
Heh... You're quite wicked yourself. I didn't expect you to kill your own subordinate like that.
"Heh heh heh... This is all because of Raphael... all because of that bitch... Saurus... become one with me."
...She's completely lost it. Poor thing.
"That's right, Lucifer. I'll create my new body using the Demon Dragon's heart. If you have any materials that could further strengthen this vessel, hand them over."
...Hmm...
How about the corrupted branch of the World Tree?
"The World Tree...! Perfect. Absolutely perfect!"
Lucifer handed the corrupted branch of the World Tree to Metelia.
This is my gift to you... So I sincerely hope your body synthesis succeeds.
Metelia immediately began the synthesis of her new vessel.
...My precious little doll... Do your best for me. Heh heh heh.