Dai Densetsu no Yūsha no Densetsu:Volume 8 Prologue

Prologue - The Promise Between The Two

From beyond the darkness, a voice was heard.

It was a familiar voice.

A pleasant, kind voice.

That voice spoke.

"... Hey, you awake?"

It was a voice that she was truly familiar with.

Her partner's voice.

The listless voice of a man as if he'd been asleep for a thousand years.

To that,

"... Mm,"

Groaning slightly, Ferris opened her eyes.

Before her, as she expected, was a man's face.

Ryner Lute's face.

He was waiting by Ferris's side.

"Did you sleep well?"

He said, smiling kindly.

Looking up at that kind face, Ferris asked,

"... Sleep? Who?"

"Ferris, obviously."

"Me?"

"Yeah."

"I was supposed to be waiting for you..."

"While waiting, you ended up collapsing."

"Is that right?"

"Yeah. That's what Toale said."

"I see."

"Yeah."

"... I see,"

Ferris said one more time, before looking around.

She saw that she was lying on top of a simple bed within a small tent.

Red light streamed in from the flaps, swaying gently.

The morning light shined on Ryner's kind, sleepy face.

It was incredibly quiet.

There was no sound of the wind.

The only thing that could be heard was that sound of her and Ryner's quiet breathing.

Looking at Ryner's kind face that was turned her way, she got up.

And she spoke.

"... Hmm. I wasn't really waiting for you."

Ryner laughed.

"You were definitely waiting just now..."

"You're wrong."

"Ahaha."

"I'm serious?"

"Yeah, sure. I know,"

Saying that, Ryner laughed again and then spoke.

"But, I worried you. Sorry."

"......"

"During the time when I was asleep... To be honest, I was just a bit conscious. So, I remembered the words you said..."

He began, but Ferris interrupted his words by swinging a fist up at his face.

And as she said something like be quiet, Ryner casually stopped her punch.

Even though he'd always be hit by her easily and be sent flying while shouting gyaa, he grabbed her arm with surprising force.

At that,

"... Uu,"

She groaned again.

While it didn't exactly hurt, she was confused as to why Ryner was grabbing her arm.

Alone in this crowded tent with Ryner holding onto her arm, her chest felt strange.

But she didn't understand why.

She didn't understand what was going on with her body.

The inside of her chest was pounding for no reason.

And there, with a kind face,

"I really worried you. Sorry,"

Ryner said.

Apparently not paying attention to the situation, he spoke gently.

To that,

"......"

Ferris shook off Ryner's arm a bit roughly, and,

"You didn't really,"

She said.

She averted her eyes from Ryner's face.

Already, she didn't understand what was happening to her, as her face became flushed, and so she averted her eyes.

Then,

"Oh, are you mad?"

As Ryner asked something like that, Ferris spoke.

"... I'm always mad at you."

"Ahaha. Then, is it because of my sleepiness?"

"It's because you've been a perverted sex fiend for a thousand years."

"Perverted sex fiend?"

"Correct. Night after night, you sneak into the tents of women and children to do as you please! However, your wicked ways end here. The beautiful girl angel Ferris-chan will deliver your punishment!"

She said, and in one movement, she readied her posture and launched a kick at Ryner that was twice as fast as before.

To that,

"Uowa, it'll hurt if you kick me that fast... Hold on,"

He said, lifting his right hand to block Ferris's kick; however, he didn't completely block it, and took a number of steps backwards.

Then while casually swinging the hand he used to block,

"Oooow~. Don't you think that hitting me seriously just now was too much?"

He said something like that, to which Ferris smiled faintly.

"I'm always serious when I hit you..."

However, while saying that, she stopped. She then looked at Ryner's arm.

His arm.

Even though it'd been torn to shreds by Lir's Lightning Beasts during the fight with Gastark, it'd been restored as if nothing had happened—staring at that,

"Your arm..."

She said, to which Ryner reacted.

After looking at his arm,

"Ah, this? Somehow, it was restored,"

He said something like that simply.

To that, Ferris asked,

"Restored?"

"Yeah. No, it's a long story... but, well, more importantly, there's something else I want to talk about. So can I ask you something?"

Ryner said that.

Ferris then asked,

"Something else?"

"Yeah. So, as repentance for abusing the guy who's supposed to be recuperating, could you just calm down and hear me out?"

"Calm down?"

"Yeah, yeah, calm down."

In response, Ferris nodded, and,

"Fine,"

She said, lowering herself onto the bed.

And like that, she sat down. Then, looking at Ryner standing inside the tent and noticing that he wasn't making a move to sit down,

"You're not sitting too?"

She asked, to which Ryner laughed again.

"How thoughtful of you."

As he said something like that, Ferris nodded greatly as if it were obvious.

"I'm always thoughtful."

"Is that so?"

"It is."

"Then, since you've given me permission, I'll sit,"

Ryner said. Then, he approached her.

He sat down by Ferris's side.

As the bed wasn't very large, they were close to one another.

Their bodies almost touching, they were close.

At that,

"... Ah, ahh, hmm. Since I'm fairly awake, I'll stand,"

She said, standing up.

And for some reason, her chest hurt again. It hurt badly. Breathing was becoming difficult.

She looked at Ryner. With a tired-looking face, he smiled cheerfully at her.

Ferris narrowed her eyes at that.

He really was recuperating.

Of course.

It was only natural.

After that battle.

That battle where the unbelievable occurred, and this man, who was usually so unmotivated and acted as if he could sleep for a thousand years without caring, endured by himself like a fool.

This fool was so pointlessly kind that it hurt him, killed countless people to protect his friends, and despite that, smiled with a face like he was about to cry—

Ferris spoke.

"... Are you all right?"

Ryner replied,

"What?"

"No, that..."

"Are you worried?"

"Why would I be worried about you?"

"Haha."

"So, you're really all right?"

Ferris asked.

Then, she stared into his eyes.

Into his black eyes for which he was constantly abused as an Alpha Stigma monster and, each and every time, strained with sorrow as if he were about to cry, she stared.

On top of that, he killed others again. For the sake of protecting his friends, he killed an unbelievable number of people.

And as expected, he was troubled.

Because he was a fool. Because he was weak. Because he was kind. While laughing frivolously, he was always suffering.

At that,

"... You..."

Ferris said, but Ryner interrupted.

"Hey, Ferris,"

He said.

In response, she stopped her words.

"What is it?"

Again, Ryner smiled tiredly, and,

"Even if you don't comfort me, it's fine,"

He said.

"You've always been by my side, so already, I've been comforted enough,"

He suddenly said something like that.

"Thank you,"

Ryner gently gazed at her, saying that.

"......"

And regarding that, again Ferris's chest became uncomfortable and it became difficult to breathe.

"... What are you..."

Again, Ryner interrupted Ferris's words. For some reason, he stared at her with a somewhat solemn face, and,

"So could you listen to me just for a bit?"

"......"

"Ah~, um, what. Well, this might be kind of sudden."

"......"

"But, this is how I feel. So I'm going to say it plainly. See, the other day, when we almost died? There was something I wanted to tell you, but if I'd died before I could, I felt like that'd be pretty bad."

To those words, Ferris tilted her head.

"What was it?"

Ryner made a slightly nervous expression.

"No, uh, well."

"Hmm."

"I..."

"Uh-huh."

"I, you..."

"Hmm. Me, what?"

Ryner paused again. After turning his gaze away as if he were searching for the right words, he looked at her once more.

And then, he spoke.

"... Ah~, uh, I... I think I love you, Ferris."

This idiot said something like that.

Inside this crowded tent, gazing straight at her, Ryner said that.

"......"

That he loves me—he, who always looked sleepy, said that with a serious expression.

And in that moment,

"......"

As to be expected, it felt like something was tightening within her chest. As it beat violently enough that it felt like she was going to be sick, she wondered just what in the world was happening to her body. Thinking that, she became uneasy, as her chest hurt.

"......"

Staring at Ryner, Ferris spoke.

"... You're saying that you love me? That you love me as a woman?"

She asked that.

Ryner easily nodded.

"Yeah."

"I-In other words... that... you want to be in a relationship as a man and a woman with me—that's what you're saying?"

"No, I wouldn't have put it as directly as that... um, well, but that's the idea,"

Ryner said, his face awkward.

Ferris stared at him.

"......"

Wordlessly, she stared.

Ryner then looked up at her with a troubled face, and,

"... Ah, could it be that that's bad?"

"......

"Uh, ah, no, if you're not interested in me at all, Ferris, then just forget about it. So, ah, this is awkward, huh? Was I a bit too forward?"

"......"

"But, um, since this is important, I wanted you to hear it. So, you... don't like me?"

Ryner said that.

And the answer to that question was no.

It wasn't that she disliked him.

If she disliked him, she wouldn't have left Roland and come to this place together with him.

He was her important partner, her idiot friend whom she stayed with, her manservant, her tea-drinking companion.

But.

"......"

There,

"... You don't see me as a man, then?"

Ryner asked such a thing.

In response, Ferris narrowed her eyes, troubled. She hadn't thought that way in the beginning.

Though she'd read about such things in magazines and novels, something like forming a relationship as a man and woman between herself and Ryner—she'd never seriously considered it.

In spite of that, this idiot before her suddenly said something like that.

Furthermore, to that.

"......"

To that, her chest was throbbing unnaturally.

If it was because she was bewildered or because of something else, she didn't know.

But she did understand what this throbbing was.

That her heart was beating more violently than usual, she understood.

Moreover, right now, something was off about the idiot Ryner before her—she thought.

This idiot wouldn't be able to so easily say that he loved someone.

If he really does love me, he's not the kind of person who could easily admit that.

That, she knew.

She'd been with that idiot for long enough now. As the two of them travelled the world, almost dying again and again, laughing, doing pointless things, she knew that this guy wasn't the kind of person who could easily say that he loved someone.

Besides, there was the timing of it—after killing so many people and continuing to blame himself like a fool, he wouldn't choose now of all times to say something like that.

And so, staring at the man before her eyes, Ferris spoke.

"... Who are you?"

"Eh? No, it's me, Ryner..."

"That's a lie."

"Wha..."

He began, but Ferris again interrupted him by swinging a fist at him. On top of that, she used all of her strength. She let loose a punch at this man before her—at Ryner, in order to kill him.

A sharp sound rang through the air as her fist moved to strike Ryner's neck. With that much force, Ryner would die.

And with that much speed, Ryner wouldn't be able to counteract. Unprepared as he was, he wouldn't be able to counteract to her speed.

That, Ferris knew. After all, she'd been fighting alongside him all this time. Ryner, who specialized in magic and wasn't prepared, wouldn't be able to react to her at full strength—that was what she expected.

"Like I said, that's dangerous!"

Ryner said, again fending off Ferris's attack. With the right hand that should've been missing, he grabbed Ferris's arm.

He grabbed it firmly.

But Ferris didn't stop. Shaking off that hand, she launched a kick.

"Stop,"

Ryner said.

And then, unable to see or grasp what was going on before her, Ferris's body stopped moving.

Glaring at Ryner,

"Ha—so your true character has appeared. Who the hell are you?"

She asked.

He who had Ryner's face then laughed with a sleepy expression that was just like Ryner's, and,

"How was I exposed?"

To that, Ferris replied,

"Because you're not Ryner."

"Oh, is that so? I thought my voice and face resembled his rather well, though."

"But you're not Ryner."

"Is that right?"

"Yes."

"I seeee. As I thought, you understand Ryner.. you understand my son quite well."

Saying something like that, he snapped his fingers. Suddenly, his face that'd looked just like Ryner's changed into that of a different person.

However, even so, it wasn't that great of a transformation.

First was his long hair.

The exact opposite of Ryner's black hair, it was blond.

With the same drowsiness as Ryner, though he was more fair-skinned, blue eyes.

He was still young. He seemed to be in his mid-twenties?

At any rate, he closely resembled Ryner. While the colour of his hair, eyes, and complexion were different, they had the same intelluctual and lazy air.

Staring at the blond-haired man who resembled Ryner, Ferris spoke.

"... Your son?"

The blond-haired man easily nodded.

"Correct."

"However—"

"Ah, by the way, before you say something like how I look too young to be the twenty-year-old Ryner's father~, I'm the same as your older brother, in that this isn't my true form... I can change however old I look. For example..."

He said, snapping his fingers again.

The man's face changed once more.

His figure changed into that of someone a bit past forty.

That aging man laughed cheerfully.

"You've met me like this once before. Though your memories of that have been sealed away... Anyhow, I'll remind you of that time."

Saying that, the man reached forward with his hand. He moved to touch Ferris's head.

To that, she—

"... The same as Brother...? What are you..."

However, before she could finish, the man touched her head.

In that instant.

Somehow, inside her head, there was a sound. As if something was being forcibly disconnected, there was a strange sensation.

And she remembered.

Suddenly, she remembered.

She remembered the memories she'd lost.

Memories of when she was still in Roland.

She remembered the time when an aging man had suddenly appeared before her, claiming to have killed Ryner.

At that time, she'd lost her composure and tried to attack the man. And unable to do anything, she was defeated.

He was a genuine monster.

Rendering her unable to lift her sword, without drawing a magic circle, and furthermore without using an incantation, he released magic.

Already, she was unable to do anything at all.

There was nothing Ferris could have done alone, without help.

But upon hearing that he killed Ryner, she'd lost her head and attacked him.

She knew that she didn't stand a chance against him, but even so, she'd rushed at him.

The result was that she'd been bounded, as her consciousness was stolen and her memories manipulated. She hadn't known why her memories disappeared.

Glaring at the man she'd met back then,

"... Who the hell are you?"

She asked.

Again, the aging man snapped his fingers. Once more, he returned to his young, twenty-something form.

He returned to the man with a sleepy face that resembled Ryner's.

And while laughing cheerfully with a face like Ryner's, the man spoke.

"Like I said, Ryner's father."

"... Ryner's father?"

"Yeah."

"Then, what would Ryner's father want with me?"

As she asked that, the man shrugged, and,

"I thought I would greet the girl who might become my son's future wife,"

He said those kinds of joking words.

Binding Ferris with some sort of unknown power, he laughed frivolously and said such a thing.

In response, Ferris glared at the man.

"Don't mess around with me..."

"I'm not really messing with you. Don't you love Ryner?"

"......"

"See, your face became red so quickly. On top of that, your heartbeat quickened considerably. Well, I say that, but part of the reason your heart's beating so violently is in response to the bit of magic that's tampering with it. Still..."

Saying that, the man laughed cheerfully. No, to say nothing of the kind smile he had on his face as he looked at her.

"Still, those are your true feelings. If you by any chance dislike Ryner, then you must hate him quite a lot. But when I asked you if you loved Ryner, your face became red. Your heartbeat quickened. Now, just what are the feelings whirling around inside of you..."

Over there,

"Be quiet,"

Ferris said.

But the man wouldn't be quiet.

"Just what are those feelings, hmm?"

"I said to be quiet."

"Even if I listen, that won't change the truth. You and Ryner..."

"Just shut up!"

Ferris shouted.

To that, the man smiled wryly, and then shrugged.

"Well, I don't know if they're necessarily romantic feelings. But there's no doubt that you love Ryner in some way."

As he said that, in that moment, Ferris felt something within her move.

When he said that she loved Ryner.

When he said that she loved that idiot, in that moment, she felt her chest throb painfully.

This is love? She asked herself that, but her body didn't know.

From the beginning, she didn't understand love and such things.

But.

"......"

She didn't dislike Ryner—that much was certain.

And that guy seemed to be ascertaining her feelings.

He seemed to be ascertaining that she loved Ryner.

However, for some reason,

"For what reason are you doing this?"

Ferris asked.

While frowning due to the pain in her chest, she asked that.

In response, the man snapped his fingers again.

In that moment, just as before, thanks to a power she couldn't see, her body was able to move again. Her body was free again.

But Ferris still didn't move. Even if she attacked him, she couldn't win.

That was why, glaring straight at the man,

"What in the world do you want?"

She asked, to which the man smiled with a sorrowful expression. With a face resembling Ryner but one that was even lonelier than his, he looked up at her.

"My son... Ryner—to protect him."

He said.

"Protect?"

"Yeah."

"What do you mean?"

Regarding that, the man spoke.

"Don't you know better than anyone by now how much of a coward he is?"

"......"

"So very lonely, crying if left alone, and only able to laugh without worry when with others. Then, he'd say it. Because I'm a monster, it's all right for me to be alone. Because I don't want to hurt anyone, it's all right for me to be alone. As I'm a monster who shouldn't come into contact with others, it's all right, he says over and over and over again."

"......"

At those words, Ferris almost cried. Somehow, it seemed like the man was using magic to greatly sway her feelings.

The man continued.

"But humans aren't beings who can live alone. To live without others around you, laughing together with you, is impossible. That's why I wanted to stay by his side, but... in this world, that wouldn't work out."

"......"

"That's why, all this time, I've been searching for my substitute—someone who would always stay by his side. Someone who would stay close with that crybaby, who would never betray him and always support him..."

To that,

"Then, I'm to fulfill that role?"

She asked.

The man replied,

"Yeah. You don't want to?"

"......"

She shook her head at that.

No, from the beginning, that had never been the case.

After all, she'd known from the start that that idiot was the sort who'd cry if left alone.

And she had also been lonely by herself, and so she stayed with him.

But now, already, it wasn't just her by Ryner's side. Already, there were numerous other people by his side.

Like that girl named Milk, from the Taboo Breaker Pursuit Squad.

And the red-haired girl who'd travelled the Menoris continent to solve the mystery of Ryner's Alpha Stigma.

And there was Sion.

"......"

Right now, he'd distanced himself far away from Ryner, but even so, he surely still cared for him.

That was why Ryner wasn't alone.

If Ryner cried, called out, and couldn't move, he was, without a doubt, not alone.

Despite that,

"... Why have you chosen me?"

Ferris asked.

That, she didn't understand.

That was why,

"Why are you trying to have me as your substitute?"

She asked that.

The man spoke.

"Because you won't betray Ryner."

"Won't betray?"

The man nodded at him.

Staring at the man's face that was so much like Ryner's, Ferris spoke.

"However, Sion..."

"He betrayed him, didn't he? No, you've already seen for yourself that he's no good, haven't you?"

"......"

The man spoke of such things.

Haven't you already seen for yourself that Sion's no good? He said something like that.

In response, Ferris stared intently at the man.

"You, about Sion..."

However, the man interrupted her and continued.

"I don't know. I don't know what will happen. Maybe Sion-kun will eventually return to his normal self. But right now, that's impossible."

"... So that's why you've chosen me?"

"Yeah."

"But there are still other choices. In spite of that, why have you chosen me?"

"Like Kiefer-chan?"

"... Right."

"She loves Ryner, doesn't she? If it were for my son's sake, she'd throw away her life."

At those words, for some reason her chest tightened painfully again, as Ferris frowned. She discreetly pressed back on her chest that was acting like that.

The man happily stared at that hand, and,

"Does it hurt?"

He asked such a thing.

"... What are you talking about?"

Ferris said while frowning.

The man spoke.

"That there's another girl who loves Ryner—does your chest hurt when you hear that?"

"......"

"Because your feelings are being amplified, your chest hurts. But you don't understand the reason behind that pain. How cuuute. You still don't understand your feelings at all."

"......"

"But it'd be nice if you could come to grasp your feelings as soon as possible. After all, a human's life can end before you know it... You should hurry and convey your feelings to your important people. Do it while you're both still alive."

After saying such things, Lieral smiled sadly. And like that, he looked outside the tent. To the darkness outside.

It was still nighttime.

After confirming the situation outside,

"Now then, let's move on from this digression. My time's almost up already, so let's get to the main issue at hand,"

He said.

At that, Ferris asked,

"Main issue?"

The man then stood up from the bed, and,

"Right,"

He said.

And he looked around, before confirming that the sword was placed in the corner of the tent.

Ferris's sword.

A large sword forged solely for the sword clan—the Eris family.

The man walked over to that sword and picked it up. He withdrew part of it out of its scabbard. Revealing the base of the blade—in that part, a seal had been applied.

A small paper-like object: a seal. The seal had a black design. A pattern of smiling eyes within a circle. A pattern of a small nose-like object, and a pattern of a, as expected, smiling mouth.

Ferris had guessed that seal to be something like the face of the Dango God and that she'd fainted upon receiving the seal on her sword, as the Dango God had sent her a message! She'd said to Ryner and Sion, making a fuss over it.

"... Back then, when I'd fainted, it was because you stole away my consciousness, wasn't it?"

The man shrugged in response.

"In other words, you're the one who put that seal there?"

The man looked her way, and,

"Yeah, that's right. The shape of the seal didn't matter, so don't you think it looks good? After all, when I asked, you said that you liked it."

To those words, Ferris, as expected, glared at the man and spoke.

"I don't remember you asking or me saying that?"

The man laughed.

"You wouldn't. Because the question was sent straight to your brain. And that you were pleased with the design was sent straight from your brain. Furthermore, the place where your true feelings for Ryner entered, it was directly felt..."

"Be quiet,"

Ferris said.

The man became quiet, and then,

"Well, that's up to the person themselves to endure... It's fine. I'll be quiet."

"......"

"Now then, let's honestly go to the main issue at hand. Um, what was it?"

He said, to which Ferris, in a somewhat exasperated tone—

"Don't you know?"

She said.

"Doing whatever you want and appearing before someone who was sleeping."

The man laughed.

"Don't you also do whatever you want, breaking in and making a ruckus when Ryner's trying to sleep?"

"It's fine if it's me."

"Haha, your arrogance might be good for my son. I don't know about me, though."

"......"

"Buuut Ryner sure is popular, isn't he? With Ferris-chan, Kiefer-chan, and Milk-chan—with rather good children. As expected of my son. My~, it's hard to choose."

Glaring at Ryner's father who laughed while saying such things, Ferris spoke.

"Just hurry up and get to the point."

"Ah, right, I almost forgot. I'm really running out of time."

Saying that again, he looked outside the tent.

However, nothing was happening outside. Ferris couldn't feel any signs of movements in the air.

But it seemed that the man felt something that she couldn't. While paying attention to the outside of the tent, he spoke.

"Well, the main issue has exactly to do with what we were talking about before."

"What do you mean?"

"About you being my substitute. Not Kiefer-chan, not Milk-chan—you."

"Me?"

"Yeah."

"Why have you chosen me?"

She asked yet again.

"Because you're the sister of God Devourer [Lucile],"

Ryner's father answered.

Ferris narrowed her eyes at that.

"Because I'm Brother's sister?"

"Yeah."

"How is Brother connected with Ryner?"

The man laughed, and,

"I'm not telling you."

"Bastard..."

Ferris said, looking as if she were about to swing her sword; however, the man still smiled. He looked at her like her existence was even more trifling than an infant's.

That was why she didn't withdraw her sword.

After confirming that, the man smiled gently and spoke.

"I'm glad. After all, I truly don't want to waste any time on your pointless attacks."

To those words, Ferris asked,

"Before, you were paying attention to the outside of the tent—why is it that you don't have time?"

The man to that as well—

"I'm not telling you,"

He said.

At that, while getting irritated,

"In that case, what is that you want to talk to me about? I know that you placed the seal on my sword. But, have you come specifically to tell me that?"

She asked, to which the man replied,

"I've come to tell you the purpose of that seal."

"The seal's purpose?"

"Yeah. How to use that seal's power to protect my son..."

He began, but then suddenly, his words stopped. At the same time, a hole opened up in his right arm. As if a stake had been stabbed through his arm, there was a large hole that the man looked down at.

"Uh-oh, this really is bad,"

He said such a thing in his typical unconcerned, listless voice.

Regarding that,

"What in the world happened?"

Ferris asked, to which the man, as expected, while smiling frivolously—

"No, truth be told, I was devoured just now."

"Devoured?"

"Yeah."

"By whom?"

"By the pitiable puppet of the Priests... but, that's enough about that. More importantly, let's continue. It'd be bad if my entire body were devoured before I could finish, after all."

In response to those words, Ferris already had nothing to ask.

She couldn't understand most of what this guy was saying, so even if she were to ask something, he wouldn't give her a proper answer.

Furthermore, she wasn't able to beat him up and forcibly make him talk. At any rate, he was overwhelmingly strong.

She'd already reached the end of her patience. She'd reached the point where she just wanted to yell without even thinking. Perhaps that was also because of this guy's magic.

This irritated feeling was being unnaturally amplified.

The man noticed, and as he looked at her,

"Ah, before you yell out in anger, wait until I'm completely done,"

He said, laughing.

During that time, his body was steadily losing its shape. His right leg disappeared, his left shoulder disappeared, and yet the man was still smiling cheerfully.

While smiling, the man spoke.

"I want to ask two things of you."

"Two things?"

"Yeah."

"What are they?"

"The first is that you always stay by Ryner's side..."

However, Ferris interrupted that and spoke.

"So, that's already one thing?"

The man smiled.

"Yeah, even if I didn't ask you, you'd still stay with him. Isn't that right?"

"......"

"In that case, there's one more thing I want to ask of you. It's the main issue at hand."

"Then hurry up and talk."

"Yeah, I will,"

The man said. At the same time he said that, both of his arms disappeared. But, the man didn't pay that any heed. Instead, staring at the sword that she held,

"I've given that sword the same power that I gave your brother."

"The same power as Brother?"

"Yeah. In order to save you, your brother became God Devourer [Lucile], but..."

"Wha... Wait. What the hell are you talking about? Brother, for the sake of saving whom..."

She began, but the man didn't stop talking. As if he wasn't listening to her,

"But in order to save my son, you'll become God Devourer [Lucile]."

"Like I've been trying to ask, why are you saying Brother's name here..."

However, the man continued. Ignoring Ferris's words, he continued with what he was saying.

"For certain, there will be a time where Ryner can no longer withstand it. Because he's too kind, there will be a time where he can no longer move forward. So, when that time comes, I want you to swing that sword. When he loses hope and is no longer able to move forward, I ask you now to save him... that you devour the God [Monster] within Ryner. The means of doing it is simple. Tear off the seal on this sword, and then cut at Ryner. This sword will devour the monster within Ryner. And that way, Ryner will be saved. However, you will be destroyed,"

The man said.

However, you will be destroyed, the man said simply.

In response, Ferris stared at the man, and,

"... Destroyed? In other words, you're saying that I'm to die for Ryner's sake?"

The man easily nodded again. And,

"You don't want to?"

He said something like that.

Regarding that, Ferris looked at her sword. With the seal mimicking the face of the Dango God placed on it, she looked at her sword.

This sword possessed the power to save Ryner. And if she were to use that power, she would die.

To that, she asked,

"... That Ryner would no longer be able to withstand it—would that be the fault of the power he used in that battle?"

"Yeah."

"Just what is it that's inside Ryner?"

"A demon."

"A demon?"

"Yeah. A lonely demon."

"That's..."

She began, but the man shook his head.

"There's no time to explain."

"... Is that so?"

"Yes. But already, I'm done with what I wanted to say. However you choose is fine. To use your life to save Ryner or to not save him... that's your..."

However, Ferris interrupted.

"It's not a problem. If that idiot loses hope and asks me to save him—I'll swing my sword,"

She easily said.

And to that, Ryner's father again smiled with a lonely expression.

"... My son truly is blessed. To be beloved by everyo..."

He began, but Ferris once more cut him off and spoke.

"But you're wrong about one thing. That idiot's a coward and a piece of trash who only ever wants to slack off and take afternoon naps, but he won't quit so easily,"

She said.

"So surely, I won't have to swing this sword. I don't know what will happen in the future, but if by any chance that guy loses hope, if he stops walking, I'll smack his rear end and forcibly drag him along. Without me having to swing my sword, he'll surely stand up again and keep walking,"

She said that.

The man—Ryner's father smiled, looking at her as if he wanted to say something,

"......"

But over there, he disappeared.

Devoured by something, his face vanished. Furthermore, the remainder of his body steadily disappeared, until there was nothing left before her.

Looking around to confirm that there was nobody else in the tent—

"......"

However, in there, she awakened.

Rather than in a tent, she awakened in a small carriage.

Then, she remembered. Having fallen asleep while nursing the still-asleep Ryner, she'd taken a nap.

In other words,

"... That was all just a dream?"

She murmured.

But suddenly, outside the carriage, she heard a scream.

The voice of a man, as if his throat had been torn to shreds.

"......"

Ryner's scream.

She moved to grab her sword by her side and jump out of the carriage.

And then she noticed.

Something when she withdrew part of her sword from its scabbard.

And she looked at the seal with the Dango God's face drawn on it.

She looked at the seal that Ryner's father had placed.

"... Or maybe it wasn't a dream?"

She didn't know anymore.

Whether it was a dream or whether it was reality, she didn't know right now.

However, the fact that Ryner was screaming in what could only be a plea for help was, without a doubt, reality.

That was why she grabbed her sword with the seal, and,

"......"

She leapt outside the carriage.

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