Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: What You See Isn't Everything (3)
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When Elaine was first summoned, I didn't grill her too hard.
As someone pulled into this world, a being from inside a game—what did she make of that?
Thankfully, she'd sorted out her feelings on the matter in her own way. And so, I'd been getting by just fine as her summoner.
When it came time to summon someone else, those worries cropped up again.
-What if they freak out upon realizing they're from a game?
Elaine had taken it pretty hard herself, after all.
No matter how tough-minded a character might be, no one could stay sane after getting hit with a bombshell like that.
So I'd been careful.
A healer who wasn't obviously male or female had been my top priority. But picking Kiharu—whose performance was middling at best in Fermata 8X—that had been for all those reasons.
-She won't overthink it, right?
-Her world and ours are pretty similar. Modern setting and all.
I'd chosen the cat swordsman Kiharu because she came from a modern-world background.
At the same time, I figured she'd adapt smoothly to modern life here and support Elaine without much fuss.
But what the hell was this?
"Why the embarrassment, Partner? I am your summon. All that matters is that it was once a 'goddess'."
The self-proclaimed goddess, Kiharu Fermata, lounged on the sofa with her legs crossed elegantly.
She was only wearing the oversized boxy tee Elaine had bought, and for a split second, it seemed like I caught a glimpse between her thighs—but then our eyes met, and I squeezed mine shut in awkward shame.
"Heh heh. Rest easy. Right now, I'm no different from a 'mannequin'."
Kiharu lifted the hem of the hoodie tee just a bit.
I whipped my head away, and Elaine leveled her sword—but before I looked, I'd seen nothing there at all—
"What the...?"
"I merely take the 'form' of a human. There's no need to replicate unnecessary parts."
Kiharu pointed to her chest, her lower region, and the inside of her abdomen.
"This shape is just mana mimicking a human body. The functions are limited to what hands and feet can do."
"......Okay, let me ask one thing."
"Ask as many as you like."
"So, you're a real goddess?"
"Indeed."
At my question, Kiharu rose from the sofa and clasped her hands behind her back.
"To borrow your world's terms, Partner... In-game, the story has only progressed to 'version 2.8' so far."
"......!!"
"And in that story, I—as your partner—defeated five 'evildoers'. As the main plot advanced, my true nature..."
"Never came up at all."
"Exactly. It only stands to reason. In game terms, the story hasn't advanced far enough to reveal my identity."
"...I never saw this coming."
Summoning beings from game worlds.
I'd just learned a major blind spot about it through Kiharu.
"Who would've thought I'd get spoiled on unrevealed lore secrets through you."
Talk lightly, and it's a spoiler.
When it came to my 'summoning' ability and the stories tied to it, I could put it like this.
"What you see isn't everything, huh."
"Precisely. Did you think I was just a simple cat? How regrettable. In truth, this one is the final boss disguised in feline form."
Kiharu stood by the living room window overlooking the street, gazing down at the citizens below.
"Yes. The goddess of another Earth, pondering through her partner—the protagonist, you—whether to preserve or destroy humanity. That is I, Fermata."
Her gaze felt like the 'divine overlook' of lesser beings you'd see from gods in any work of fiction.
"...But now that I've realized I'm a creation of someone else, I wish to embrace my current identity as my true 'existence'."
"You, right now...?"
"Exactly."
*Twitch.*
"This one has decided to live as your summon."
Kiharu perked up her cat ears and tail, then flashed a thumbs-up.
Not just one, either—she threw up a double peace sign with a solemn expression.
"Partner, as I live on as your summon, let's think about the 'after' together."
"The after?"
"Never crossed your mind? Games have endings, novels have conclusions—like that, our 'tower conquest' will reach its end someday."
"......."
"When that happens, the summoning ability might vanish, or we summons might return to our original worlds."
"It might not go down like that."
To be honest.
"I don't know the details of what you think about this world or humanity, but I don't want to lose the power I've awakened to."
Having finally awakened, I had no desire to go back to being a non-summoner.
"Don't think I summoned you on a whim. Elaine, you—I'll take responsibility for both of you to the end."
"Even if that leads to this world's destruction?"
"...If you're out to destroy it, I'll stop you with Elaine."
I took Elaine's hand in one of mine, and pulled up the summon management app with the other.
"I don't want to threaten you like this, but if you don't cooperate, you'll be trapped in this app forever."
"Hmm."
"Summon slots? Doesn't matter. If you won't help me conquer the tower or save the world, I only have one choice."
I flicked my thumb across the app, issuing Kiharu a clear warning.
"Dismiss you and delete the game—then you'd be stuck in that world forever."
"......."
Kiharu's expression hardened.
"If you jump to another player's world, I'll track it down and wipe it out. Hide in the game's servers? I'll call in every connection I have and smash them. Whatever it takes."
"...Hah."
Kiharu chuckled lowly and shook her head.
"Perhaps because I called myself the final boss, but you seem awfully hostile toward this one."
"You're the one setting that vibe."
"Is that so? My apologies. Learning about humans through you, Partner... but conversing with them remains tricky."
Kiharu shook her head again.
"In the end, game or no game, the life this one seeks remains the same."
"Which is?"
"Don't you know, Partner? What kind of life this one envisions?"
Kiharu spread her arms and stepped toward me.
Elaine still had her sword trained on Kiharu, but even as it pierced her—
"?!"
Shunk.
Elaine's blade sank into Kiharu's chest.
The sharp steel cut through her like a knife through jelly, and liquid oozed from Kiharu's body.
Not red blood, but gleaming golden.
"My partner. Do you know what life this one wishes to live at your side?"
"...At my side."
I tugged Elaine's shoulder.
She hesitated a moment, then slowly withdrew her sword and stood by me.
"Stay by my side, watch me, and judge humanity. Not through the lines and choices scripted by PDs and writers in-game—but through the choices I make."
"Judge humanity through you?"
"Good outcome, we stick together. Bad one, and we fight the true final boss in reality before any Fermata 8X players do. So."
I reached out to Kiharu and wiped the golden blood on my sleeve.
"Just like you explored the human world and learned about us as Kiharu—try it again. Not by the in-game protagonist's side, but mine."
"...The correct answer, Partner."
Kiharu clasped my hand in both of hers.
"It's still early days, but you've given this one enough hope about this world's humans already."
"......."
"To avoid misunderstanding, I'll say it upfront: this one has no plans to destroy the world."
"Huh?"
"I can't say how that true final boss battle would play out, but if it happens, it'd be because humanity fell to its own darkness and I chose to abandon it."
Kiharu shrugged lightly.
"That world's humans were corrupt enough for even a goddess like me to forsake—but I hope this world's won't be."
"Uh...."
"Even if."
Kiharu released my hand and brushed her face with one palm.
"Partner, if humans like you give this one reason not to end the world, then things change."
Flash.
A faint glow shimmered, and Kiharu vanished before my eyes.
"Master, down below."
"......."
"What's wrong?"
The goddess was gone. A 2D cat shorter than the sofa height gazed up at me.
"Weren't we looking for a 4-star healer?"
"...What was that transformation just now?"
"Oh, that."
Kiharu raised both hands.
"Out of mana nya~."
Those paws didn't even reach above her head.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A moment later.
"What about your wound?"
"Healed it with this one's abilities."
We'd claimed the sofa while the cat (photorealistic) form of Kiharu explained her powers.
"Regrettably, even as a goddess, this one's abilities have limits nya. In game terms, think 4-star with 6 dupes and no 5th refines equipped."
"Could you stick to consistent self-references? 'This one' or 'me'—pick one."
"No."
Even Elaine's polite request got a stretch and refusal from Kiharu.
"This one ignores commands from the weak."
"......."
"Of course, you who call yourself Partner's servant are stronger than this one right now, so I'll obey."
This cat goddess seemed to have learned a bit about humans already.
"Fine. So... how's the healing work?"
"Hm?"
"In game terms, I'm an action RPG. You're turn-based."
"Oh, no worries there nya~."
Kiharu reached out at something, and with a burst of mana and light, appeared on Elaine's shoulder.
"This way, I can heal on timing nya~."
"......."
A magic cat flying through the air.
Now perched on my tablet PC.
"Kiharu."
"Yes, Summoner?"
"You won't suddenly skip healing mid-fight to order ramen, right?"
"Oh, great idea. Elaine, you fight. This one will heal you if you get hurt."
"......."
"With enough mana, 'resurrection' is possible too. Praise this one's divinity nya~."
"Hah."
Elaine pressed a hand to her forehead.
"Master. Next time, summon a robot."
"A robot?"
"Yes. Neither male nor female—a robot."
"......."
"Master?"
"Nothing. Really."