The Companion I Hoped Would Never Appear
"O-Onii-chan?"
Aria, who had been staring blankly at Irina disguised as Kania, suddenly spotted Frey cradled in her arms and opened her mouth in shock.
"Kania... what in the world is going on?"
Irina, gazing at Aria with a dazed expression, frantically spun her frozen brain into motion.
"Ah... well, you see. I've been hiding Young Master here."
"Hiding...?"
"Yes, you know about it, right? The incident in the newspaper this time."
Having no choice but to lie to protect Frey's lifespan, Irina averted her gaze from Aria's sparkling eyes and added,
"Young Master is somehow connected to that incident. So he hid in one of the safe houses in these mountains... and by chance, we found this cave and came inside."
"...I see?"
Aria eyed Irina suspiciously for a moment before asking,
"But why can't I sense any black magic from you?"
"That's... when I was pulling Young Master out of the incident..."
"So, was it really you behind that incident, Onii-chan?"
As Irina kept dodging her gaze, Aria bit her lip hard and muttered in a somber tone.
"You're really the one behind the 'Holy Undead Knight' incident that turned the Empire upside down?"
"I'm sorry. I can't tell you anything."
Of course, Irina knew the truth, but revealing it would leave Frey with only a year and three months to live, so she had no choice but to ignore Aria's question.
[Grinding teeth...]
Aria ground her teeth as she glared at Irina, then hardened her expression and declared,
"I don't believe it."
"Pardon?"
"You and Onii-chan are both lying. I can tell."
"Uh... that's..."
"Like I said before, I'll uncover the truth no matter what. No matter..."
Irina panicked at her words, wondering if she should flesh out her lie more, when Aria bowed her head and muttered,
"...I have to uncover it, but I'm so tired."
"What do you mean?"
"Believing in Onii-chan... searching for the truth... honestly, I'm exhausted now."
Aria squatted down in front of Irina, pleading with her eyes as she began to beg.
"Kania, tell me the truth. Everything you know. I'm ready to face it..."
"No."
Irina kept avoiding her gaze, then pushed Aria away, interrupting her.
"I'm just Young Master's tool."
Recalling what Kania had said to her in the previous loop, Irina mimicked her as closely as possible. Aria began to glare at her silently.
"Ugh... my head..."
As tension hung between them, Frey groaned in Irina's arms and opened his eyes.
"...Gasp."
Frey, smiling and about to say something to Irina, froze upon spotting Aria glaring coldly at him.
[Stroke, stroke.]
Worried Frey might still mistake this for a hallucination, Irina hurriedly wrote on his back with her finger:
Real Situation
As Irina's finger stopped, Frey took a deep breath, then stood up with a stiff expression.
"So, what brings you here, Aria?"
"That's... what I should be asking."
Their eyes met.
"Why are you here? Frey?"
"As I told you earlier..."
"You stay quiet, Kania."
Aria frowned and asked, cutting off Irina who tried to interject desperately. She blocked Irina's mouth and pressed Frey.
"Say it yourself. Why are you here?"
Frey rolled his eyes, assessing Irina disguised as Kania, Aria's expression, and the situation, then smirked coldly.
"I ran away."
"...From what?"
"Who knows? What could I have run from?"
"Don't dodge and just..."
As Aria interrogated him angrily, Frey fidgeted with his hands, then suddenly grabbed Irina's neck.
"Guhk...!"
"By the way... Kania, did you just say 'As I told you earlier'?"
"S-Sorry...!"
"I clearly told you not to tell anyone the truth... you useless bitch..."
Aria, watching in stunned horror, grabbed Frey's arm and shouted.
"St-Stop it! Kania-nee didn't say anything! That was my leading question...!"
"...What? 'Nee'?"
Hearing Aria's cry, Frey looked incredulous.
"Why is this lowly bitch your sister? You're from the noble Starlight family, not some street urchin."
"Don't say such disgusting things..."
"Well, looking at what you do, maybe you are some commoner who wormed her way into our family? Maybe I should check with magic later..."
"Shut up!!!"
Aria exploded as Frey crossed the line, channeling star mana into her fist and shoving him.
"...Ugh!"
Frey, who had been choking Irina, slammed into the wall and let out a short groan.
"You're not my brother! You're not...!"
All her pent-up stress erupting, Aria advanced on him, fist brimming with star mana.
"W-Wait! Lady Aria!"
Irina, realizing Frey had only pretended to choke her and felt no pain, shouted desperately.
"Stop! If you do that...!"
BOOM!!!
But Aria slammed her star mana-charged fist into Frey's face. Dust and debris flew, shrouding them. Irina stared blankly before rushing over.
"You're not my brother..."
"Cough! Cough!!"
Parting the dust, Irina saw Aria, tears streaming, fist embedded in the wall beside Frey's face, and Frey coughing from the debris.
"So don't ever come near me again..."
Aria glared fiercely at Frey, her bloodied hand trembling with rage. Frey gazed at her expectantly, but...
"Cough! Cough!!"
"...Huh?"
Frey coughed up blood, splattering Aria's clothes. Silence fell between them.
"What happened?"
"Kuh... Ah, it's nothing. Just... Cough!!"
"Onii-chan!?"
Frey tried to play it cool, but coughed blood again and staggered. Aria's face darkened as she shook him.
"Is it from when I pushed you? Are you hurt? Or is it related to that incident?"
"No... that's..."
"Tell me quick. How did you cough up blood...!"
As Frey averted his eyes, Aria sensed something off, yanked her fist from the wall, and pressed him, but—
RUMBLE!!
"Wh-What!?"
"...Kyaa!?"
The wall they leaned on shook and crumbled, sending them tumbling backward off balance.
'No matter how much he acts... he can't hide his true nature.'
Seeing Frey instinctively shield Aria and absorb the impact, Irina smiled bitterly and approached.
"O-Onii-chan... right now..."
"Get off."
Frey shoved his sister off him with a scowl as she stared wide-eyed from atop him, then brushed off his clothes and asked,
"So, why are you here? Aria?"
"...I was investigating Mother's accident."
"What?"
"You know, right? Mother died in these mountains."
Aria stood with Irina's help and continued.
"Something felt off about the incident, so I've been investigating alone in secret for a long time."
"...What's off about it?"
"What's off..."
As Frey grumbled curtly, Aria glared and said,
"...That's when you changed, Onii-chan."
Frey stared blankly at her for a moment, then smirked coldly.
"Well, since she died because of me, it was an accident."
"No, something's wrong. You know it too. Too many inconsistencies for an accident..."
"Ha, where's the girl who screamed I killed Mother? Suddenly playing detective?"
Aria drooped her head weakly.
"B-Back then... I got angry without thinking..."
"Well, it's true. Mom might as well have been killed by me. No need to apologize."
"But..."
"Mom died because of me!!!"
Unable to hold back, Frey exploded, roughly pinning Aria to the wall and yelling.
"So enough of this countryside drama...!"
"...I've never been here before."
"What?"
"I've never seen this space."
Aria spoke seriously.
"You know black magic flows from here, right, Onii-chan? I've come every day to investigate, but couldn't find the source."
"That means..."
"Yes, black magic surges at the end of this passage. The source is down there."
Frey fell silent with a complicated expression. Aria pleaded earnestly.
"Onii-chan... please... the truth is down there... the truth about Mother's death... So if we find it... you'll stop doing bad things."
"What are you talking about?"
Unable to follow, Frey asked back. Aria continued, slightly deflated.
"W-Well... you changed because of Mother's death, right? So... if we find the truth, you'll go back to normal..."
"Don't delude yourself, Aria."
Frey cut her off firmly, smirking.
"Even if a new truth comes out... I won't change."
"Why...? How?"
Aria muttered in confusion. Frey turned away and whispered lowly.
"Because this is my true nature."
With that, Frey walked deeper into the passage. Aria stared at his back dazedly for a long time, then followed with her head bowed.
'What intense evil energy...'
Irina silently watched the sad scene, tracing the evil black magic flowing from afar in her mind.
'...But with Aria here, it should be fine?'
Black magic that corrupts all mana and life with darkness has a weakness: light.
Of course, not ordinary sunlight or firelight—that wouldn't make people shun or fear black mages.
The only counters are special mana like Solar Mana, Moon Mana, Star Mana infused with light, or divine power from saintesses and holy knights.
Nothing else directly opposes evil black magic.
Given the black magic emanating from the passage's end, ordinary people should flee.
But with Aria, who wielded mana to counter it and was called the Starlight Mage in past loops... it should be okay to proceed.
"...Oh dear."
At that thought, Frey ahead sighed.
Looking ahead, a Death Knight radiating menacing aura blocked the passage.
"Good, it hasn't attacked us on sight."
Frey eyed it warily, then sighed in relief and said to Aria and Irina behind,
"It won't strike first, so let's head back."
"What are you saying?"
As Frey turned to leave, Aria frowned.
"A Death Knight is a piece of cake."
She began radiating sparkling mana.
"Haa..."
Frey sighed deeply and moved beside Irina to watch quietly.
"...Worried about your sister?"
"No, not at all."
Irina asked cautiously. Frey chuckled, tilting her head.
"A mere Death Knight... Aria can't lose."
"True."
But as Frey muttered confidently, Irina nodded in agreement.
It didn't feel real to them, who possessed world-top-tier power, that a Death Knight warranted capital lockdown and full imperial knight mobilization... but
BAM!!
"Grooo!!"
Aria had already severed the Death Knight's left arm—proof of her immense power as a star mage.
"At that level, isn't she better than Irina at the same age?"
"Not quite... maybe."
Frey watched fondly, comparing her to Irina. Irina agreed awkwardly, then asked puzzled,
"But... why do you seem so anxious?"
Frey's fond smile hardened as he whispered lowly,
"...Scared of confirming the truth."
"Pardon?"
Irina frowned, not understanding, but Frey just shut his mouth and watched the battle.
BOOM!!
The battle ended minutes later as Aria's flash strike obliterated the Death Knight's head.
"Let's go."
Aria glanced indifferently at the headless corpse and pressed on.
"Phew."
"Sighing like that, you were a bit worried after all?"
"Yeah, her star mana just bottomed out. Can't sense black magic or use mana—if something happens, it's trouble."
Frey sighed deeply and followed. Irina followed too, but glanced back oddly.
'My imagination?'
Black magic seemed to emanate from behind, not ahead—but so fleeting, she dismissed it and hurried after Frey.
"Here. Strong black magic leaks from ahead."
Frey and Irina halted at Aria's words, staring forward.
"What could be here...?"
A massive door loomed before them.
"...Kania, what's wrong?"
Frey whispered worriedly as Irina trembled unconsciously.
"Terrifying black magic ahead. I've felt this magnitude only once."
"When?"
"Previous loop... when Ka—when I rampaged."
"What...!?"
Frey, unable to sense properly due to depleted star mana, exclaimed in shock.
"Impossible. That much black magic should've rotted this mountain long ago."
Irina gulped and nodded. Frey rushed to Aria reaching for the door.
"Aria! Don't open that door!!"
"...Huh?"
Quick-witted Aria unconsciously recalled her old brother stopping her dangers and pulled back, but...
Screeeeech...
"Wh-What!? I didn't touch it!"
The massive door creaked open slowly on its own.
Frey gripped his sword hilt; Irina extended her arms ready to attack, but...
"...What? No one's there?"
Fully open, it revealed a vast room dimly lit.
'What? Such massive black magic, yet nothing...'
Entering with Frey, Irina scanned puzzled.
"Seems like a black magic research space?"
"Artifacts and documents related to black magic everywhere—yes."
Aria and Irina discussed, deducing its purpose.
"But it's odd. Even for black magic research... this concentration feels unnatural."
"Agreed. Too potent for mere residue."
As they debated, Irina raised a point.
"Wait, why is this room lit?"
"Huh? True, no sunlight in this cave."
They looked up simultaneously.
"...Hold on."
Aria fired flashes upward to peer at the dizzyingly high ceiling, and...
"...Heavens."
"Impossible."
They gasped: the vast ceiling brimmed with black magic.
"That size... possible?"
Irina stared aghast, then scanned around.
"Ugh..."
"Y-Young Master?"
Spotting Frey clutching his head and collapsing, Irina rushed over.
"What's wrong suddenly?"
"I've... been here before..."
"Pardon?"
"Memories... hide... hide and seek..."
Frey babbled incoherently.
"Werewolf... Mother's death..."
"Frey?"
"Kania's......."
Spouting nonsense, Frey passed out mid-sentence.
"Kyaa!?"
"...Aria?"
Shaking him frantically, Irina heard a scream behind and whirled.
Shoooo...
"Th-This is insane!!"
Black magic from the ceiling engulfed Aria fiercely.
"H-How much is there...!"
Aria blasted star mana desperately, but couldn't dispel the overwhelming mass. Covered, she closed her eyes and collapsed.
"Who's there! Show yourself!!"
Irina ignited flames in her hands and bellowed.
"Come out now!!"
"...Understood."
Her bluff faltered as the door opened and someone entered. Irina extinguished her flames dazedly.
"Y-You..."
"Did you enjoy my impersonation?"
Kania watched calmly, then lifted the scattered black magic upward.
"H-How...!?"
"This is the place I found after hearing all truths from Young Master's subconscious long ago. Originally managed by Abraham, head of the Starlight family."
"Wh-What...!?"
"Of course, he's fallen now... so I've warded it with detection magic to block intruders."
Gently lifting fallen Aria, Kania eyed stunned Irina.
"Usually only Aria intruded... but three this time, so I checked. Correct."
"Th-The dorm disguise?"
"Left it to the continent's smartest. No worries."
Irina watched trembling as Kania placed Aria and Frey tenderly on beds, then asked shakily,
"So... what is this place?"
Kania sighed.
"Where my parents brutally murdered Young Master's mother and turned her into a werewolf."
"...What!"
Irina clutched her head like Frey earlier, muttering soullessly.
"W-Wait... then that wolf... no, the werewolf?"
"Haa..."
Kania gazed pityingly, looking up at the blooming black magic overhead.
"...The companion I hoped would never appear has increased by one."