“Rui!”
“Don’t cry!”
Please don’t come any closer, both of you! This isn’t a holy maiden’s body! If you try to hug me, I might just end up getting hugged by myself behind you!
If you’re going to jump at me, then turn back into a tanuki!
“I don’t mind if you cry and finish up, but we don’t have time, you know?”
“Yeah. A-chan, Yuu-chan! I’m sorry for disappearing so suddenly, okay? I was kidnapped to another world. The details are a bit long, so please ask Sendai-san about it later. Oh, and Sendai-san has been having a terrible time because of my rash actions! I did something I would hate to have done to me… I wanted to apologize directly all along!”
Saying this, the holy maiden uses up precious time to apologize to me.
“Just talk to the two of them.”
“I’m really sorry! Um, A-chan and Yuu-chan, please get along! I’m sorry for changing my appearance! It wasn’t intentional, you know? But I’m definitely stronger than the Demon Lord! Yeah, a feast for the eyes! But I wanted to meet you in your original forms!”
The holy maiden babbles on, flustered. I wonder if the character for “most” can be used alongside the character for “next.” For now, I understand that the two of them are strong in the sense of “Hero” and “Demon.”
Even though 300 years have passed, it seems like she hasn’t been able to collect her thoughts. The two listening are also deeply moved and nodding along, half-crying at her scattered words.
Could it be that she intends to have me supplement her later? I don’t want to be interrogated.
If possible, I’d like to leave this to just them, but unfortunately, this holy maiden can’t get away from me. If she moves away, she’ll probably lose her form right away.
I want to escape this atmosphere, but is there anyone who can help? Wolf-kun, can’t you let me pet you a little?
…Could you stop quivering while lying down? I’m just giving off a strong presence; I’m not planning to do anything in particular. The demon named Kasane is also quivering in a similar fashion alongside Wolf-kun.
“What an unreasonable situation!”
“I cannot forgive the king, the prince, or any of the related parties…!”
While I was worried about Wolf-kun and the others, it seems the conversation has progressed. They appear to be angry at the residents on the other side who summoned the holy maiden.
I’m in a bit of a gray area since I had a similar experience with the holy maiden. Well, in my case, I was sent back immediately, so I guess it’s fine. …No, it feels wrong that I woke up in another world after sleeping for 300 years.
“Hehe. Thank you for getting angry. There wasn’t anything like that over there, so I’m really happy.”
The holy maiden smiles.
Since she was loved over here, her life there must have been lonely and unbearable for the holy maiden.
To the point where she dedicated her body and soul as the “Holy Maiden” to the “Demon Lord” me.
I can’t grasp the emotions of the time, but I understand the feelings that flowed in when I was summoned as the Demon Lord. Anger, sadness, resignation, loneliness—yearning for the people I left behind here.
Originally, I intended to hand this body over to the holy maiden, but she declined.
I am utterly alone, having just moved out from my uncle’s house, where I was taken care of after finally finding a job. Maybe out of some sense of reservation, I have yet to form close bonds with anyone.
Since childhood, I became accustomed to being alone. I accepted that even if I cried alone, my father and mother wouldn’t come back.
No matter where I search within me, there aren’t any strong emotions like that. So if I were to return here, I thought it would be fine if the holy maiden cried from loneliness.
As a way to at least give her time to say goodbye to her family, I gave her about 300 years of freedom, and she used that time to take responsibility for bringing in the magical essence.
I thought that the king with that magnificent beard could be imposing, but it seems he didn’t think so.
Though she’s a strange one, perhaps she was indeed the right holy maiden.
By the way, over there, the magical essence has vanished, and things must be quite dire. Fire loses its heat, water does not quench thirst, and the earth does not nurture plants. Well, good luck.
“I got to see the moving Demon Lord! And I got to meet the two of you! …So, time! I love you both!”
“Wait, Rui!”
“Don’t go, Rui!”
The twins reach out to the holy maiden as she disappears, laughing through her tears.
Since she’s vanishing within me, it feels like two hands are stretching out to my chest. But please stop getting any closer; touching is forbidden.
I wish someone would feel sorry for me for having to take on this somewhat perverted holy maiden, but these two seem to fully accept her just as she is.
Isn’t their heart too vast?
“Ugh…”
“Rui…”
The two kneel down, crushed. Could you stop that at my feet? No? Well, they’re standing silently and reading the atmosphere.
But I can’t have them like this for too long. Is it okay if I continue with my meal? This seems like a bad atmosphere, huh?
“There’s still a piece of the holy maiden’s soul that hasn’t melted— a small fragment. Asahi is fine, but Yuuhi won’t be able to remain a pure demon anymore, you know?”
I secure the two largest pieces of the remaining fragments.
“I want it.”
“Yeah, I want it.”
I gently release the melting fragment of the holy maiden towards the two looking up at me. It sways uncertainly as it moves forward, touches their bodies, and melts away like a flurry of snow.
