Two Souls, One Flame
The little chick chirped. Groaning from the pain tearing through her chest, her large eyes welled with tears. Her trembling figure looked pathetic, yet pitifully endearing. Because she was cute. Because she was just so cute. It couldn't be helped that one would want to play a little prank on her.
"Bear with it, even if it hurts. Super Regeneration or not, you'll die if we leave a hole in your heart."
Frey gripped the hilt of the longsword impaling Lucia's heart. Even though there was someone far better suited for the job. Yujin would have been able to pull it out much more skillfully. Since he had always used a sword as his primary weapon, he could have pulled it out more gently than Frey. He might have been able to minimize the pain Lucia felt while ensuring the wound didn't tear further.
Knowing that, Frey still took hold of the sword. Even though she could have yanked it out in a single motion, she deliberately pulled the hilt slowly. With every agonizing inch, the intensifying tremors traveled up the hilt and seeped into her own body.
"This won't do. Yujin, hold Lucia down."
"Aris, what do you mean...?"
"She's shaking too much. The wound will tear if she keeps this up. It's hard to pull the sword out."
It was half-truth and half-lie. Certainly, Lucia's spasms interfered with pulling the sword out. Even Frey's hand on the hilt was shaking. But that wasn't what Frey actually cared about. Watching Yujin fidget and stamp his feet in anxiety was highly amusing. She would have preferred to leave him like that, but if he grew dissatisfied with her clumsy handling and offered to do it himself, it would be troublesome. By throwing him a task, she kept his attention occupied. It was a shallow trick, but the mentally cornered Yujin fell for it quite easily.
"...I'll speed up a bit. It'll hurt less that way."
"Y-Yeah... P-Please... Ah, ughhhhh...!"
But seeing Yujin placing his hands on Lucia's shoulders, and Lucia smiling to comfort him... somehow, it rubbed her the wrong way. So she decided to be a little mischievous. As she pulled the longsword, she gave her wrist a tiny twist. Pretending it was an accident, as if her hand had slipped from tension.
Blood sprayed wildly as Lucia's head snapped back. Saliva and blood mixed on her parted lips, forming bubbles. Tears streaming down her pale cheeks hung precariously from her chin, swaying. For a split second, her pink eyes lost focus. Her limbs twitched like an electrocuted frog. When blood splattered all over her face, Frey didn't dodge, even though she easily could have. The metallic scent of blood wafted over her. The sticky warmth on her face gave her a slight rush of exhilaration. Ah, seriously. You're so cute, Lucia.
I believe you now. You're definitely a good girl. Worthy of being Aris's friend. I've watched you from inside Aris all this time, so I know. You're kind, and you're trustworthy. You indulged all of Aris's whims, and you forgave me for the terrible things I did. You're brave, gentle, and beautiful. I think of you as a 'friend' too. So you'll understand, right? You said Aris is the most precious to you. And in a way, I am Aris too, aren't I? A little mischief like this... you can accept and understand it, right?
『Frey.』
The soaring excitement cooled in an instant. The blood warming her face suddenly felt ice-cold. That single word was like a bucket of freezing water poured over Frey's head. Frey trembled with fear, like a child caught red-handed by their parents doing something bad.
A-Aris...
Before the battle began, Frey had forcibly swapped places with Aris. It was because she was better suited for the current situation than Aris. And Frey wasn't the only one who made that judgment. Aris had thought so too. The two were equal personalities. Neither held superiority over the other. Forcibly taking control was extremely difficult. The only reason she had taken over so easily was because Aris had essentially consented to it.
She had been watching everything. Just as Frey usually saw the world through Aris's eyes from within, Aris was now seeing the world through Frey's eyes. Frey desperately tried to hide her anxiety. She couldn't let this emotion leak to Aris. Aris's voice was chillingly cold. It was a voice completely unlike the Aris who always exuded warm gentleness. Did she find out? What I intended, what I did? Frey might have acted on her desires, but she wasn't stupid. She had taken painstaking care to keep Aris from noticing. She had erected a wall within her mind to prevent her excited emotions from bleeding through. Yet, she had still been caught? Fear crept in, spreading. Frey's teeth chattered involuntarily.
No. She hadn't even apologized to Lucia yet. If Aris found out she had done the same thing again, Aris would truly despise her. A wave of belated regret washed over her, but the ship had already sailed. She had been annoyed because Lucia seemed to like Yujin. And because Lucia, enduring the pain, looked like a tiny, fragile chick... she had let her spite get the better of her. Even this was after holding back immensely. But saying that now would only sound like an excuse. Knowing this, Frey shut her mouth tight and waited for Aris's next words.
『I'm frustrated.』
The words that followed were completely different from what Frey had expected. Aris?
『I tried. Really hard. I even put aside the books I wanted to read, and I tried so hard.』
...
『And yet, I can't do anything. Once again, I left everything to you. While I just watch from the background...』
Aris's talent was absurd. The Golden Generation. Geniuses with exceptional talents had gathered in one place. Yet, even among them, Aris's talent was peerless. Standing on equal footing with them without even trying was proof enough of her genius. However, Aris's temperament was not suited for battle. While her talent as a supernatural ability user was miraculous, she was utterly powerless when it came to actual combat. It was as if someone else had stolen her talent for fighting. That was why Aris had left everything to Frey. She wanted to fight, she wanted to protect, but she knew Frey was far better suited for it than she was.
『I don't want to do this anymore.』
But that ended here. She didn't want to be a mere spectator anymore. Leaving everything to Frey while she sat back as an onlooker was nothing short of torture.
『I'm going to fight too.』
Aris... but you know, right? I'm better at fighting.
Her relief at not being caught quickly morphed into bitter guilt. Frey struggled to keep her face from crumbling. Knowing how Aris felt, what on earth was I doing...? To succumb to a momentary impulse and make the same mistake again...
『You're right. Frey, you're stronger than me. You fight better. Even if I took control of our body, I wouldn't be able to do as well as you.』
Doing even a fraction of what Frey could would be a miracle. Why was there such a vast difference when they shared the same body? It was likely a matter of talent. Frey was a natural-born monster, the very crystallization of combat instinct. It was as if she had been born solely to fight.
『So, I will lend you my strength.』
What?
『Supernatural abilities are the power of the mind. It's a power that dwells in the spirit, not the physical body.』
That was why she, possessing two distinct egos, held two different supernatural abilities in a single body. Ironically, while Aris possessed the power to destroy, Frey possessed the power to protect. It was by no means a coincidence that she had suffered no injuries other than her singed hair during the fight with the Black Knight.
『The output of a supernatural ability is influenced by the body, but the most decisive factor is the mind.』
As the mind matures, the ability grows. That was the reason for Yujin's rapid growth, and it was the same reason Aris had grown. A person's ego, their spirit, determined the strength of their supernatural power. Which meant...
『If two egos use their abilities simultaneously, wouldn't the output double?』
In theory, maybe. But we've never actually tried it, so recklessly attempting it is dangerous—
Cutting Frey off, Aris said:
『I already did.』
What do you mean you did?
『Just now. I did it.』
When they blew off the Black Knight's head. At Aris's murmur, a sudden realization struck Frey. Come to think of it, the Black Knight had died far too easily. No matter if it was a point-blank shot at maximum output, his head had melted without him putting up any real resistance. This was the same Black Knight who had blocked her heat ray with a single hand. Was his final struggle really just swinging his left arm? It was too pathetic. His response had been too clumsy. It was because his head had been incinerated before he even had the chance to try anything else.
『Frey.』
Aris...
『I can't remain a child forever. I refuse to just be protected. Let me fight too.』
...
『I hate that guy. He hurt Lucia.』
I feel the same way... No, you're right.
Then let's blow him away together. Without a trace. Not even a speck of elemental dust remaining.
"We fight together, Aris!"
『Yes!』
A red light flickered. The light, initially like a tiny firefly, swelled in size in the blink of an eye. A second sun blazed upon the earth. No, perhaps it was the third. For the sun that had fallen to the earth was already right before their eyes.
"Sun Sword."
Standing a few paces ahead, Yujin raised his sword high. Drawing a half-moon, he slowly brought it down. The red blade aligned horizontally with his shoulders.
"Straight Slash."
Extremely compressed flames cleaved the world. Like drawing a line with ink on drawing paper. From left to right. A red line cut through everything under the heavens.
"Maximum Output!"
Destruction followed destruction. Behind the second sun, the third sun followed. Low murmurs overlapped. The only one who could hear was Aris (Frey).
"Incinerate!"
A crimson light that annihilated everything in its path. The earth, the air, and even the sunlight illuminating the ground vanished without distinction. An intense heat slammed down like a brutal blunt weapon. Before it, the knight's remains couldn't withstand even a moment, crumbling away. They vanished, reduced to ash and dust.
◈ There was a park... and now there isn't.
Just as I hoped, Yujin and Frey cut down the Black Knight's rampage in a single blow. But I think they cut it down a bit too much. They didn't stop at just erasing the energy of death; they half-destroyed the entire national park. If any civilians had been caught in that trajectory, they'd be completely... wait, actually, probably not? There was no way any citizens were still lingering in the park. They had either fled long ago or were already dead. It had to be one of the two. Some might criticize this as an overly optimistic or cold judgment, but with high-tier monsters—and named monsters at that—showing up, any human presence would have been reduced to corpses. It was bitter, but... well, what could we do? I, and we, are not gods. We can't save everyone. When even the gods of the Four Seasons, whom humans worship and believe in, can't protect everyone, the number of people we mere humans can save is strictly limited. There would be no end to it if we blamed ourselves for failing to save people due to our lack of power.
"Y-Yujin! Frey! Are you guys okay?"
Once I purified the energy of death with my Super Regeneration, my stiffening tongue returned to normal to some extent. I hurriedly called out to the two. With an output of that scale, it wouldn't be surprising if they had completely exhausted their remaining stamina. They must have already been exhausted from the continuous fighting, yet they unleashed a ultimate move of this magnitude... I wondered if we should give up on fighting and evacuate now.
"Ah, I'm actually doing better than I thought."
Yet Yujin's response was remarkably calm. Though he was sweating slightly, there was no sign of exhaustion on his face.
"For some reason, I feel full of energy."
"How strange. Me too."
"Aris, can you keep fighting?"
"Why? Are you tired?"
"No."
"Then we're good."
Uh, uh... I blinked. The two of them were walking side by side ahead of me. Somehow, they seemed perfectly in sync...? Ehehe, I see, I see. They really are the protagonist and the main heroine. They must have bonded while fighting together. They say people grow close quickly when they share a common goal, right? Yep, my efforts weren't in vain! Right?