Volume 2 Chapter 81 Takeru and Demon Lord Vega and Empress Mare (I)
"Huh? What's this all about?"
"Fishing?"
Rie-tan and Sagawa immediately chimed in.
"Um... actually... ahem ahem..."
"Huh? Wha──?!"
"Whaaaaat?!"
As I explained the situation to them, their reactions were exactly what I expected.
"Oh, you're serious about this?!" Rie-tan's eyes widened.
"Of course," I nodded.
"But, Takeru-kun, if you go through with this... you'll end up making enemies of every Seeker in the world!" Sagawa protested.
"Yeah... probably."
"Then──!"
Once they heard the whole story, they both leaned in, trying to convince me to back down.
"You really should reconsider," they pleaded.
But...
"Frankly, if we don't take action like this... we probably won't make it in time, you know?"
"Won't make it in time?" Rie-tan echoed.
"Wh-what do you mean?" Sagawa's voice trembled.
I took a breath. "It's not clear when... but soon. Probably very soon... there's going to be a massive, simultaneous attack by the Talking Monsters."
"A simultaneous attack? By the Talking Monsters?!" Sagawa's voice cracked in shock.
"Yeah," I said grimly.
"So... you mean the executives of the Talking Monsters that showed up in the Ryukyu Dungeon are going to attack?" Rie-tan asked.
"It's not just them," I replied. "It'll be a full-scale invasion. Swarms of Talking Monsters, led by those executives, rising out of the dungeons and targeting our cities. Everywhere."
"Wh-why...?" Sagawa's face went pale.
"You two already know I've been to another world, right?" I asked them.
"Y-yeah..." Rie-tan nodded.
"Uh-huh..." Sagawa agreed softly.
"Well... this 'simultaneous attack' by the Talking Monsters... it's tied to that other world."
"Huh...?"
* * *
"Tied to the other world?" Rie-tan asked, frowning.
I nodded. "To put it simply, the one who created the Talking Monsters is a top Demonkin from that world. An aide to Demon Lord Vega, known as Empress Mare."
I glanced at them both. "Under her orders, the Talking Monsters are surfacing from the dungeons to destroy human society."
"A close aide... to Demon Lord Vega..." Rie-tan repeated quietly.
"Empress... Mare..." Sagawa whispered.
They both stared at me, wide-eyed, trying to process what I'd just said.
Well... I couldn't blame them.
They knew I'd been to another world, sure.
But now, hearing that the Talking Monsters were created by a Demonkin from there, and that Demonkin was leading them against humanity...
It was a lot to take in.
But then...
"Well... the Talking Monsters were using magic, so I guess it kind of makes sense," Rie-tan said slowly.
"Yeah," Sagawa added, "I was wondering how they could use the same kind of magic as you, Takeru-kun. If they're creations of a Demonkin from another world... I get it now."
Their quick understanding caught me off guard.
Honestly, I was a little impressed.
"So... why does this Demonkin, Empress Mare, want to destroy human society?" Rie-tan asked.
"Well..." I hesitated.
And then I told them the story of how I defeated Demon Lord Vega.
"So basically... Empress Mare wants revenge because you defeated Demon Lord Vega?" Sagawa clarified.
"Yeah," I said quietly.
"W-wait a second! But you didn't have a choice, right? Demon Lord Vega was attacking humans with his Demonkin army! You and everyone else were in danger!" Rie-tan protested.
"Yeah..."
"Exactly! Besides, Vega had lost his mind, hadn't he? You didn't have any other option but to stop him! You had to defeat him! How can she blame you for that?!" Sagawa added passionately.
The two of them tried desperately to defend me.
But...
"...Empress Mare doesn't see it that way," I said.
"No, maybe she understands it... logically. But emotionally? She can't accept that Demon Lord Vega is dead."
"That's... that doesn't make sense..." Sagawa murmured.
I sighed. "Vega and I... Mare and I... we were all on pretty good terms at first. Despite being from different worlds, different races. That's why I can't shake the feeling... Maybe Mare believes there was another way. Maybe she thinks Vega didn't have to die. And if that's what she believes, then she's not going to be convinced otherwise."
"But... but wait!" Rie-tan insisted. "Didn't Demon Lord Vega ask you to kill him in the end? He told you to do it, right?!"
"Yeah," I replied.
"Then how can this be your fault?!"
I clenched my fists. "...But Mare loved Vega. And I'm the one who killed him. Whether it was mercy or not... I'm the one who ended his life. Do you really think she could ever just move on from that?"
"Wha──?"
They both fell silent at my words.
"I think... her sense of loss is immeasurable," I said, my voice low.
That's the undeniable truth.
I killed the person she loved.
No matter the reason, that fact will never change.
And the hatred she carries toward me, rooted in that loss...
Even after fifteen years, it hasn't faded.
It's something she'll never forgive.
And because of that... this whole 'Talking Monster' invasion plan?
Part of me still struggles to accept it.
I slumped where I stood, weighed down by the memory.
Rie-tan and Sagawa watched me, silent, at a loss for what to say.
The air grew heavier, thick with words left unspoken.
Then...
At that moment──
"Takeru," a familiar voice cut through the gloom.
"About that story... don't you think there's something kinda... funny about it?"
"Huh?"
I turned.
It was Sakurako-tan.
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