What Becomes Clear After Separation
This chapter is from Alma's POV
Mom teleported us to our villa on the first continent.
They bought this residence several years ago to be one of their bases of operation, but why are we here?
"W-where are we...?"
"It's my parents' villa. Mom must have sent us here with Space Magic."
『Pi?』
"She teleported us soon after they started sparring with Kajikawa-san, wonder why...?"
"...I don't know either...?"
A white paper got teleported before my eyes while we were wondering.
There's something written on it...
『Hikaru-san will be under our custody for a little while. You likely won't see him during that period, think of what you can do in the meantime. If there are things you can only learn by being together, there too are some things made clear only when you're apart. So please try to endure this. Ah, you can meet him once he's strong enough to take on both Duke and me, look forward to our progress report, okay.』
I reflexively crumpled the paper once I read it.
...Please stop doing things behind our back. You two are too heavy handed.
"...Those two really march to their own beat..."
"...I have to let them have a piece of my mind when they return here..."
『Pipii...』
There's so many things I want to say to them but above all, the condition for us to meet again is just too harsh.
Even fighting one of them is such a tall order, I don't think you can find anybody in this world capable of taking them both together.
It's so unreasonable I'm even suspecting this is a ploy to separate us from Hikaru forever.
...Though Hikaru can probably win after several years.
About three hours after we were teleported here, two figures showed up in a blue magic circle that appeared in the same room we came in.
They're finally done. I was going to press on them before I realized something amiss with them.
Dad's body is full of bruises and cuts and he's never looked this tired before.
Mom is unscathed, but her mana is running low. Looks like she can barely heal dad.
"Fu, fufufu. W-we're home, Alma..."
"U, ufufufu... Who could have thought there was such a wolf under all that sheep clothing..."
The two said that while smiling wryly, looking exhausted. What happened to them...?
No, more importantly--
"...What's this all about? First you teleported us away without warning and then gave us this letter. I'm really angry right now."
"Ah, I understand your wrath. There's no way you wouldn't be mad over this treatment."
"Then...!"
"But the result is crystal clear. You can tell from my state, can't you... Although his true color was a huge surprise even to us."
"What do you mean? Actually, why are you two so raggedy anyway."
"Hikaru-kun gave me all these wounds. And this is despite Lunati's buffing magic on me... He's probably stronger than me already in base states. Though he took several bottles of potions during the fight."
"!?"
That's not right.
Hikaru couldn't even hit these two just the other day, how did he get that strong all of a sudden.
He's not just rapidly growing. There must be something else going on here.
"His sheer Attributes tower over me if he uses that Energy Control thing. His techniques may be rough around the edges, but the fighting style he has come up with is definitely not inferior to mine. And yet, it was simply strange how he couldn't even land a hit on me."
"We knew the thing he lacked was a sense of crisis or perhaps the drive to get stronger hence we made a bet and imposed him with this condition... And the result was astonishing."
"...I'm scared to ask but how was he like?"
"He was neither flustered nor raging. He calmly and effectively kept choosing the nastiest methods to gain victory."
"He would accurately hinder our moves while chaining lethal blows one after another like a fierce deity. It was real tough~."
The two smiled wryly as they spoke about Hikaru's fighting style. I can tell how much they struggled from their reactions.
Perhaps Hikaru had been subconsciously holding back all this time.
Magic beasts are one thing but he must be unwilling to cross the line against human being. Maybe a screw got loose inside him when he was told he couldn't see us again.
He was still perfecting that combat style during our practice together and it seemed he's gotten closer to perfection now.
...I'm still not fully convinced, but this method has proven effective.
"Always together all the time doesn't make you companions. You can learn a lot by going your separate ways every once in a while."
"Afterwards, you use that experience to be better together as a party. You're free to hate us... Guh...! B-but, please understand that this is something that needs to be done for you and your friends' sake, Alma..."
Please stop coughing blood while saying I'm free to hate you. Why would you incur damage from the word you said yourself.
...I don't fully agree with them, but considering the rapid progress Hikaru made, they may have a point.
Besides, they're right about me being over reliant to Hikaru.
Looking at it from another perspective, this may be a good opportunity to improve myself.
"Okay. We will be acting separately from Hikaru for a while."
"Are you really fine with that, Alma-san?"
『Pi.』
"No, I really am not but Hikaru did get stronger and I believe it is necessary for us as well... I don't like how they did it without our consent though."
"I hope you can forgive us, Alma-chan."
Mom murmured a heartfelt apology.
I won't forgive them right away, but I'm not going to pursue the matter any further.
"But man, the alarm in my head rang non-stop throughout the entire fight. Frankly, it was unreal."
"I think the last time I saw you that panicked was at Daijel Dungeon, wasn't it dear."
"Well that was a different experience but I suppose they're both just as life threatening."
Dajiel, Dungeon?
"I've been there several times with Hikaru already. Was it that dangerous?"
"Err, it's an ordinary dungeon up to Floor 20 with normally harder and harder monsters and traps as you go down. But it's a whole different dimension from Floor 21 onward."
"Strength alone will get you nowhere there. Almost lost our life several times clearing even a single floor. Most parties won't get beyond Floor 10 however. So most people will never tread that place."
We only got down to floor 4.
Wonder what's lying deeper inside if the place is dangerous enough to threaten these two.
<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >
~~~~~~~~~~~
<I checked just in case after receiving a warning from Menu. How did this happen..!>
<Yo, what's up? You don't call me often. Did the folks I send your way make a mess or something? Sorry 'bout that. Who could've imagined they'd go on and make such a fun, cough cough, I mean, absurd show. They weren't that passionate or talented on earth. Their true potentials must've bloomed in your world.>
<...You knew, didn't you?>
<Hm, what are you talking about?>
<The fact that there was one Hero soul that never went back to your world.>
<Hmm? Ah, right guy never showed up. Well you know how much struggle I have managing more than seven billion people, my bad, my bad, hahaha.>
<I shan't buy that! You spend every single day observing and reliving the life of all seven billion people without missing a beat! There is no possibility of you overlooking the few souls you had sent here!>
<Aah, yup, I was aware. How he carried out his role as a 'Carrier' of resources, overcame all trials and tribulations as a hero, defeated Demon King, lived a TUEEE life and underwent his second reincarnation. All of it without missing a beat.>
<Second, reincarnation...!?>
<Yup. The advantage of redoing your life with your past memory intact is immeasurable after all. It's easy to imagine if you've read light novels about reincarnations and so on. He even experienced it once already, and thus he must have arrived to a conclusion the feat is feasible in a world of Magic and Skills like yours. He was trying to reincarnate once again in that world instead of going back to earth.>
<How did that... But Skills and Magic Tools that allow reincarnation should not exist anymore in this world. Then, how...>
<Normally that is. But not everything stays 'normal' in these worlds of ours.>
<...What does that mean.>
<Abnormalities occur here and there even in a world without Skills like Earth. Bizarre phenomenon known as anomalies, the so called bugs that defy laws of nature. We've got S... What was it again, 'S'-something recently too. No wait, I guess that one's a work of fiction?>
<You mean to say one of these anomalies allowed for his second reincarnation? But there is no such a bug in my world...>
<No, there's one ain't it. A spot where all kinds of bugs get jam packed inside. So much so the space there distorts badly, it even connects to my world.>
<...! Did he find a way to reincarnate there?>
<Yup. Well, it was an imperfect reincarnation that carried over his memory and knowledge but not his personality. Even got himself reincarnated into the worst possible pick too. All thanks to you slacking off with ID-ing Demon King's soul, otherwise we wouldn't have such a comical situation in our hands. What a riot ahahahaha.>
<This is no laughing matter! Why didn't you notify me if you noticed!>
<Ahahahaha, you know the answer. Why would I go out of my way and squash such an interesting turn of event?>
<How could you speak like it's not your problem too...!>
<Besides, I want to honor the choice my children make. Can't be a god that keeps restricting your people, can we?>
<The end result of that stance is your world. That world had nearly unlimited resources yet you let the populace to proliferate unchecked resulting in its near depletion.>
<I've no issue with that if that's the endgame my children choose for themselves.>
<Their history could have continued on for many thousands years more if only you lent them your guidance...>
<Nothing will change whether it's a hundred or tens thousands years extra time. Every world's gonna meet their end in some hundreds billion years anyway, and that'll be the end of us too. You and other worlds' gods are all fully aware of that already, no? What awaits for all of us at the end is 'Void'.>
<...!>
<The end result matters little, it's the process that counts. You'd be better off loosening up your iron grips. It'll be fine. My children have limitless potentials, see? They're gonna do something about it, I'm sure. If not, then it simply means the end of the world gets moved ahead for a tad. What's so bad about that?>
Posts
