Arc 1 - Chapter 5 - Kunitsukami

Sirius: [Hm...I see. It is executed in this manner...]

Sirius combed his hair as he hummed while memorizing the contents in the book that he found.

He simply kept on reading in the book that he found behind the walls, and it has been 2 weeks every since then.

Plagus was worried for the Human-Demon Hybrid, as he didn't even take a bite for the past 2 weeks, and didn't even speak to anyone, not even taking his eyes off the book that he found.

The Demon butler felt guilty. Sirius, a complete stranger until 2 and a half months ago, was forced to become a manservant to his lady, and he didn't have any way to express his opinions regarding this matter. While circumstances at that time were completely against them all, Sirius never gave the matter of saving them a second thought, and immediately risked his life for them, and Plagus couldn't do anything to help the young man.

He felt useless.

Nevertheless, Sirius never seemed to mind it, or rather, he seemed to not care.

Plagus wanted to talk to him even more, but Sirius was so secretive, and he talked a little if not at all. The only time where he will become so talkative was when something interested him, or when he finds some new information.

Plagus unconsciously released a chuckle from his mouth.

Hestiaca: [Hey, Plagus]

The Demon butler organized himself, before spinning elegantly to face his mistress.

Plagus: [Yes, Hestiaca-sama?]

Hestiaca: [What is that boy doing? He's been sitting for two weeks while reading this book in his hands. Is he eating properly?]

Plagus: [He's eating, Hestiaca-sama. Chishiki-dono seems to be studying, or that's what he told me]

Hestiaca: [Studying? Seriously. Does he really think that he has all the time in the world in his hands?]

Hestiaca scoffed at Plagus' answer. Not out of respect for the butler, but out of disrespect for Sirius, who was still sitting in his room silently.

Sirius: [I can hear your unpleasant voice from here]

Hestiaca: [Ugh! I hate you!]

Sirius, who can hear from hundreds of meters due to his naturally superhuman senses, was able to hate Hestiaca's words.

And of course, he was able to hear her declaration of discomfort towards him.

And this caused Plagus to try and stifle his laughter even more.

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Life was never easy.

It was horrible.

It was agonizing.

Sirius knew that, experienced that, tasted that, saw that.

He saw it firsthand. How life corrodes the existence of someone.

How it crushes the expectations of the ambitious, the hopeful.

It was disgusting to others, even revolting.

But to Sirius...

Sirius: [...It is bliss]

In his former world, he was empty, alone, no one wanted him. He was "blessed" with supernatural intelligence, to the point that professional people had to retire from their jobs because of him.

He didn't understand at that time, and doesn't understand right now, why did they retire? Why did people around him hated him? To the point of giving him a false crime. A crime that he didn't commit.

Even his parents didn't defend him. On the contrary, they loathed him, scorned him.

(Just go away and rot in any dirty place, you freak!)

(I can't believe that I gave birth to a disgusting monster in human flesh!)

It didn't hurt him at all.

Those words of unexplained loathing, this hatred, this resentment.

All that made him annoyed was...

Sirius: [...The Emptiness]

For all of his life, he was alone. Empty.

No one to talk to. No one to make him understand the concept of friendship, let alone the concept of love.

He felt...Empty.

Until he entered this world.

He got introduced to new species of living beings other than humans, and it turns out that those species have the exact same problem as his.

Discrimination.

Sirius: [Heh...]

And that was exactly the main reason as to why this world was heaven to someone like Sirius.

The thrill to know the unknown. The desire for more knowledge. The ecstasy to see what will come next in the future. The delight in being shocked. The twisted burst in brain juices inside his mind.

All of that made the man called Sirius Chishiki.

And that's why this world...

Sirius: [This world...Is Heaven to me]

No delight more than that. That was what Sirius thought as he was taking a stroll around the dungeon.

He sighed as he looked at his tattered school uniform. It barely covered his form, and not to mention the issue of having a weapon to defend himself with. The food was no problem, considering that within the past months, he was able to make a map of the forest surrounding the dungeon, and was able to discern the places of trees that held consumable fruit.

Sirius also found out that his Insignia, The Eye of Akasha, held the ability to scan not only living, but also non-living ones, and was able to find the properties of the things that he scanned with his eye, like knowing whether it is poisoned or not. That's how he was able to see the edible things to eat.

However, that wasn't the problem here.

Sirius: [I need proper equipment to facilitate the process of our progress...]

???: [Excuse me]

Sirius turned towards the source of the voice, only to witness the sight of a rather young girl with a light blue dress with belts. The outfit itself indicated that she was an adventurer.

Sirius: [...]

Using his eye of Akasha, Sirius looked into her intel.

Name: Rira Overhaul

Age: 17

Gender: Female

Magic Attribute(s): Light, Water

Magic Spells: Light Barrier, Aurora Prison, Solar Ray, Water Bullet

Sirius: [Hm...]

Rira: [Umm...Excuse me?]

Sirius just ignored the girl's calls and focused on her skills.

Light Barrier - Allows the user to create a barrier of light around themselves for defensive purposes. Can repel ghosts and unholy monsters like Demons. Light Attribute.

Aurora Prison - Traps the opponent in a rainbow-colored prison. The trapped target cannot use his magic unless their magic power is greater than the caster. The user can shape the spell to small restraints as well. Light Attribute.

Solar Ray - Fires a beam of light that carries the same heat and attributes as sun rays towards the opponent. Light Attribute.

Water Bullet - Fires a bullet made of pure water at the opponent. Water Attribute.

Sirius: [Interesting]

Rira: [Huh? What is?]

Sirius blinked as he was forcibly snapped out of his thoughts when the girl called for him.

Rira: [Are you alright, mister? You started staring at me like a creep before muttering all of a sudden]

Sirius: [Is it fine for you to address someone that you first met their acquaintance as a creep?]

Sirius suppressed a grunt of annoyance when the blonde young girl with green eyes indirectly threw a rude comment at Sirius' behavior.

To be honest, it was understandable. No one in their right minds would stare at others silently. It would be either called a rude person or a pervert.

Rira: [Says the person who keeps staring at people]

She just buffed her cheeks at him, causing Sirius to unconsciously roll his eyes.

Sirius: [That aside, what do you want?]

Rira: [Oh! Umm...Are you a Hero?]

Sirius' eyes narrowed at that question.

He thought of every single possibility. For starters, if he answered with "Yes", then this girl might ask of him to explore the dungeon with her because it won't make sense that she is asking of a Hero's assistance if she wasn't needing it.

Not that she actually needed the help, though. Considering the fact that she had such a load of skills under her sleeve.

On the other hand, however, if Sirius replied with "No", she would grow suspicious of him, and will even wonder why he is there. And eventually, she will realize that he is a Demon.

Well, she won't know that he's Half-Demon, but that wasn't what troubling Sirius at the moment.

He needed to find a proper answer, and fortunately, he had one.

Sirius: [Depends. What are you even doing wandering around a place like that in the middle of the night?]

Rira: [Umm...Well...]

Sirius then raised an eyebrow when he saw Rira fidgeting uncomfortably, with tears starting to form in her eyes.

Rira: [I was looking for my company...But I ended up getting lost...I tried returning home to Ehyeh city....But it was dark and I couldn't see left from right, and I had to keep walking forward. Next thing I knew was that I was in front of you here...]

Having given the explanation, she started sobbing openly, which would normally would have made a normal man's heart melt in sympathy.

Sirius: [...]

Too bad for her that Sirius wasn't a normal person.

Just by looking at her, he was able to use his telekinetic power to read her mind.

Rira: (This was the last place that Robert-sama was in. I wonder if he is there?)

Sirius: (Too obvious)

Sirius just rolled his eyes at the girl, before sighing.

Sirius: [Why do not you enter now? It is nighttime after all, and I do not suppose that you can return to the city at that time. Also do not worry, I am here to protect you]

Rira: [Really?! Thank you!]

Right now, luring her inside would be the most dangerous, yet the most considerably safe path.

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Hestiaca always pondered on her existence ever since the day she was born in.

She was born in the midst of war, plagued with the fact that she was a 1-Magatama Demon, while her elder sisters, Helel and Hera, were 8-Magatama Demons.

Despite that, her father, the former Demon King loved them equally, yet Hestiaca felt a sense of obligation towards him.

She could never describe her love to him, because unlike her sisters, she was not strong, they were born to protect, but she was born to be protected.

Her sisters were born to be lucky, but she...

Hestiaca: [...I was lucky...To be born]

They may not have expressed it, but she knew that they hated her deep down inside. Everything around her was completely wrong. From the moment she was born and until now.

Her mother died while giving birth to her, she was born with 1 Magatama, she was always behind her sisters, she never showed any talent in magic despite being the one with the greatest amount of Ether inside of her, and the lowest recovery rate of Ether.

Whenever she tried to use a simple spell such as Fireball, all what will come out is a small flare before it dissipates.

It was laughable. She was even trying to suppress the urge to laugh at herself.

She hated herself.

She loathed her existence.

She wanted to disappear.

She wanted to die.

She wanted to never appear in front of anyone again.

(Seriously...She is a disgrace to the Demon King's family)

(Be quiet! She'll hear you!)

(But isn't that the truth?! Helel-sama and Hera-sama are way better than her! They will be the ones to hold up the legacy of the Demon King! She is nothing! She can't even conjure magic normally! Seriously! That's why 1-Magatama Demons are despised in our hierarchy! Even if you're a 2-Magatama Demon, you can do more than the level of beginners!)

(Be quiet! You!)

(Seriously! I don't understand why she's alive up until now!)

Hestiaca: [Haah...]

She just sighed while staring at the ceiling of her room, not even noticing that her eyes were having tears that streamed down her dark cheeks.

Hestiaca: [Father...Was that what you thought of me too...?]

She blurted out a question that would never be answered. She knew that that person would never answer her no matter how much she asked because he wasn't there anymore.

But what could she do? She just kept yelling from inside her already fragmented heart. She barely managed to survive due to her fear of death.

And...

(Hestia...It is over for me)

(No! Father!)

(The Humans captured your sister Helel, and Hera...Managed to escape...You're the only one left...You must survive)

(If you're dying, then I shall die with you too!)

(No...You must live...For me...For your mother...)

(My...Mother...)

(She...Always wished for you...Her last daughter...To be happy...She knew that you...Will have lots of hardships...But she was glad...That she gave her life for your birth...I also...Was happy that you were my daughter, Hestia...)

(Hic...Father...)

(I'll use the last of my Ether...To teleport you away...You must survive Hestia. You must live. For our family's sake...For my own sake...You must restore the pride of the Demons back...And make them rise as equals with the Humans...)

(But I...I'm not strong...)

(It doesn't require someone with lots of power...To achieve the greatest of things...You shall find your answer...Sooner or later...)

(Hic...)

(I hold no regrets in this world...But if there's a regret...Then it's the fact that I won't there to see you and your sisters growing up...)

(Father...Father...!)

(Thank you...For making me a father...)

(Please...Don't go...Don't leave me alone...)

(Hestia...My last wish to you...)

(Father...?)

(Hestia...No matter what-)

Hestiaca: [...]

Her eyes had more tears in it as she remembered the painful memory that occurred a year ago.

Hestiaca: [What should I do...? What should I do...Father?]

She asked once again, yet no one answered her as she covered her crying face with her palms, sobbing openly while alone in her room.

She was always and will always be alone.

***************************************************************************************

Sirius: [Stay close to me]

Rira: [Okay...]

Traversing through the dungeon, Sirius had Rira by his side. This was for two reasons actually.

First: He wanted to make sure she stuck to him so that he would react if she tried to do anything fishy.

Second: He wanted to make sure that she stayed away from where Hestiaca was to ensure that she was safe.

Rira: [Sirius-san, you sure seem to know the layouts of the dungeon]

Sirius: [That is because I used this dungeon to test out my magic several times, so I created a map in my head and memorized it]

Rira: [Oh! That's amazing! Are you planning to be a Hero in the future?!]

Sirius: [Actually, the thought never crossed my mind. What is on my mind is to get stronger for now. A person has to set one goal in front of him so that they will not go further astray. Then they go to reach their other goal upon finishing the first goal. That is what I believe]

Rira: [I...See...]

Sirius glanced at Rira from the side of his eyes, and a small, barely noticeable grin appeared on his face.

Sirius: (The first step is to confuse the mind, even by a little bit. Check)

His face instantly turned dead serious at the next instant.

Sirius: (Raising brain capacity to 15%)

The second step was to get ready for battle.

Rira: [Say, Sirius-san. What is your goal after you become stronger?]

That was the question that Sirius wanted to hear.

He knew that she will grow suspicious the moment he tried to avoid the subject by saying something else and dragging on with the topic to make anxiety grow within the girl's heart, and this was to rile her up on a subconscious level.

Sirius: [Do I have to answer that? That is mine to decide]

Rira: [...]

Rile up the enemy even more, and then...

Rira: [Pretty weird to have a purpose...For a Demon that is]

And in the next instant, Sirius spun in the air to dodge a ball made of water aimed at him. Upon landing, he jumped a few steps away from Rira, who was now glaring ominously at Sirius, long gone was her gentle and innocent features.

Rira: [You are really an incorrigible individual, aren't you?]

Sirius: [I could say the same about you]

Rira: [You look Human, but I can sense something else other than Human being inside of you. Could it be...That you sacrificed your soul to Demons?]

Sirius: [Would you like to know?]

Rira: [Tch!]

Clicking her tongue in anger, Rira left up her hands and called out.

Rira: [Solar Ray!]

A ray of light fired straight towards Sirius, who just stared as the light ray was nearing him with no even a hint of emotion in his face. And just as the light beam was a hair's breadth away from him...

Sirius: [Interesting]

Flashing his amusement in a rather casual and apathetic manner, Sirius tiptoed to the side, jumping one meter away from the direction of the beam, effectively dodging it as it soared away from its target, travelling outside the dungeon's entrance and colliding with a tree outside, blowing it apart.

Rira: [W-What?!]

Rira was shocked. The Solar Ray attack was supposed to be made of pure light, and nothing was faster than light in this world. Yet this unknown existence just casually dodged it.

Sirius: [Solar Ray. A Light Attribute spell that fires a beam of light at the opponent. It travels in the same speed and holds the same trajectory speed as light. For normal people that would be a truly troublesome spell, but to be honest, I think that some creativity is required, do not you think so?]

Rira: [What the hell are you...?]

Rira was confused, anxious and shocked.

This guy was literally in a life-or-death fight against her, a B-Class Mage with two magic attributes, who was hailed as one of the strongest Heroes in the city of Ehyeh, and all that he concerned him was the shape of her spell?

Moreover, the fact that he dodged her instant kill technique, Solar Ray, a pure beam of light, was actually shocking. No one other than SSS-Class Heroes, and the Zodiac Stars, could actually dodge something like that. And yet an unknown, Human-shaped Demon was able to dodge it that easily?

No, it even appeared that he was bored while dodging it.

Rira: [You...Who on earth are you?]

Sirius: [I believe that introductions in front of hostile individuals should never be presented. In addition, I have absolutely no intention of giving you any information other than my own name. More than anything that I know, we are both adversaries]

Rira: [Ugh...You're so annoying, you know that?]

Sirius: [Annoying, huh...I have been told that ever since the day that I was born]

Rira growled in frustration at Sirius' successful attempts at provoking her. He was literally adding more fuel to the fire inside of her.

Sirius: [Now that I have answered your question, Rira Overhaul, can you answer my own?]

Rira: [Huh?! How the hell did you know my name?!]

Sirius: [It is a trade secret. I am afraid that I cannot tell you]

Rira was yet having another shock hitting her like a bolt of lightning. How did he know her name was beyond her.

Sirius: [For your own information, you cannot hide anything from me. I can know whether you are lying or not]

Rira: [Ugh!]

Rira grumbled as she was about to open her mouth to lie at Sirius, only for him to cut her yet-to-come words in two.

Rira: [I'm...Here for my man]

Sirius: [Hm?]

Sirius suddenly saw the smirk that creeped into Rira's mouth, before suddenly...

Rira: [Aurora Prison!]

She shot rainbow-colored cuff-like projectiles towards Sirius, who was instantly hit in the neck and arms by it, sending him flying to a wall, pinning him to said wall.

Rira: [Hmph! You're not the only one that can use words as a weapon, Sirius-san]

Sirius: [...]

Despite Rira mocking him, Sirius just stared at his restraints, then at the Mage Hero impassively.

Sirius: [So that is the Aurora Prison. The namesake and explanation indeed suit the spell. It cuts off the flow of Mana and Ether and prevents the usage of magic unless the victim holds superior magic power than the caster. Rather intriguing]

Rira: [Ugh! You really annoy me!]

Rira was completely pissed off from Sirius analyzing everything like an expert. She found it so creepy considering the fact that they were literally fighting each other.

Rira: [Now then! Where is he?!]

Sirius: [Who?]

Rira: [Grrrr...]

Rira then growled at Sirius' show of feigning ignorance, before she slammed her foot up in between his legs.

However, the results were not in her favor.

Rira: [Ugh! Fuck!]

Sirius: [...]

Her attempt at making Sirius impotent with fusing her foot with Mana rewarded her with her right foot's bones shattering apart as she doubled in pain while clenching said foot.

In the middle of the pain, she was shocked at this.

She was a B-Class Hero, a person that was unordinary. In fact, if you're B-Class, this means that you have enough power to easily blow mountains off the map of the world. And yet, this guy was completely unaffected.

In fact, to Rira, it was like an ordinary girl slamming her foot at a boulder with full force.

Rira: [You fucking bastard! What the hell are you?!]

Sirius: [You really have quite the tongue despite being only 17 years old]

Rira: [Shut up!]

Rira was pissed off beyond reasoning.

She entered the dungeon because she was informed that this was the place the last Hero Party from Ehyeh City Hero Guild had entered. And yet she saw no one here.

This gave her a vague idea of where the party went, or to be more specific, of what happened to them.

Rira: [Huh?]

She then suddenly saw it with her eyes. The thing that confirmed her susceptions was lying on the ground.

A broken, double-edged sword.

Limping towards the broken weapon with her eyes wide in shock and disbelief, Rira reached for the weapon, falling to her knees to reach for it. She then stared at it in silence for a few seconds, not saying anything.

Rira: [Robert-sama...]

She then did an action that amused Sirius. She cuddled the broken sword next to her face.

Rira: [Robert-sama...Oh, Robert-sama...]

She moaned the name of the man that Sirius presumed that was the former wielder of the sword, blushing as if she was cuddling the man himself.

Now that Sirius thought about it, wasn't the name Robert the name of the man leading the first Hero party that the redhead killed 3 months ago?

Sirius: [...]

He didn't comment, however.

Sirius knew that there was a limit to how much you provoke someone, and he could see that Rira was at her limit.

Despite knowing that he was way stronger than her, Sirius was a cautious man, who analyzed every situation calmly and slowly before acting, even in crucial situations like this one.

Rira: [Robert-sama...Why...]

Sirius furrowed his brows upon hearing Rira speaking.

Rira: [I loved you so much...I waited for you to see me...I always thought about you...I suppose you didn't know that it was me who entered your house every day, right? I always entered your house, did your laundry, cleaned it, did the dishes and even made you lunch, but you always threw it away, even though I showed it as signs of affection to you...You didn't know that it was me, right? Right? Right?]

Sirius: [...]

Sirius had to suppress the urge to vomit. He didn't know why because he couldn't understand the concept of love, but if there was one thing for sure, it was that this girl had an extremely twisted viewpoint of love.

Rira: [So why...?]

He then saw as Rira caught the broken blade in a reverse grip and raised it above her head, before suddenly...

Rira: [Why...]

She slammed it into the ground once.

Rira: [Why...?]

She slammed once again.

Rira: [Why?]

And again.

Rira: [Why?!]

And again.

Rira: [WHY?!]

And again.

Rira: [WHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHY?!!!!!!!!!!]

The redhead watched as the petite woman with beautiful features was literally ruining said features with her dark display of a tantrum.

Rira: [YOU STUPID MOTHERFUCKING MAN! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO DIE?! AND IN A RATHER LOWLY DUNGOEN LIKE THAT?! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO DIE?! HUH?! TELL ME! I DID EVERYTHING IN MY POWER AND SOUL TO SHOW YOU MY LOVE! AND YET NOT ONCE YOU HAVE EVEN BOTHERED OR THOUGHT ABOUT LOOKING AT ME! I'VE DEVOTED MYSELF FOR YOU AND ONLY YOU! SO WHY THE FUCK DID YOU HAVE TO DIE, YOU STUPID MAN?! WHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHY?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]

Sirius: [...]

Despite the tantrum displayed in front of him, and the fact that he sensed the dreadful murderous aura surrounding Rira, not to mention the fact that he was restrained, Sirius showed no signs of fear, not even the slightest hints of said emotion.

He didn't understand the concept of love indeed, but he understood one thing from what was occurring in front of him.

Sirius: [You are a delusional fool]

Rira: [SHUT THE FUCK UP!]

Rira shouted at Sirius upon hearing his comment, which in turn made her so angry that she shot a Solar Ray towards him. The ray of light hit Sirius spot on, only for the outcome to be the same: Sirius was completely unharmed, only the upper half of his clothes was completely annihilated, leaving his torso completely naked.

Rira: [You piece of Demon trash! How the hell are you so powerful?!]

Rira shouted at him. Yet was even more angry as Sirius simply stared silently at her.

Rira: [Still giving me the silent treatment, eh?! Well, I suppose you won't stay composed as you are now when I enter there, right?!]

She then pointed at the direction of the doors that had Hestiaca's room behind it.

Rira: [I felt something behind the doors. A concentration of Ether if I may say so myself. So I suppose that this is actually a companion of yours, right?]

Sirius didn't respond yet again.

Rira: [Silence is a sign of affirmation, don't you think?]

Again Sirius didn't respond.

Rira: [You know, if you don't answer, sooner or later I'll kill you. You know that?]

Sirius: [But even if I answered you, you would kill me anyways]

Rira: [Ha! You're so smart for a shitty Demon! Aren't ya?!]

Rira simply laughed in a mocking manner at Sirius, who was still staring at her emotionlessly.

Rira: [Or I can just ask her instead]

As Rira glanced to her side, she saw as Hestiaca and Plagus entered the scene, shocked to see the restrained Sirius, with Rira in front of him.

Hestiaca: [A Hero?! Now of all times?!]

Plagus: [Chishiki-dono! Are you alright?!]

Sirius: [I am well. Actually, I am rather well]

Rira: [Ha! How can you say that in your position?! I'm the master and you're the captured!]

Hestiaca just saw the exchange with a shocked face. Her manservant was bound to the wall with no way to defend himself, with the Hero in front of her being the one responsible for that.

But what could she, a 1-Magatama Demon, could do?

If her manservant, their strongest asset, was restrained and defeated like that, then what could she do?

Hestiaca: [Tch!]

She knew that there was only one thing to do, even in situations like this.

Even if she was powerless, no one, and she means no one, lays a hand on her properties.

Hestiaca: [Release my manservant right this instant!]

Rira: [Hm?]

Rira just tilted her head at Hestiaca's command, which in turn made her rather angry, to the point that she dropped Robert's broken sword and marched towards Hestiaca.

Rira: [Huh...Red hair, dark skin, and blue eyes. No doubt. You're the 1-Magatama Demon, the daughter of the Demon King]

Rira just chuckled as she affirmed Hestiaca's identity. And upon reaching her, she grabbed a handful of her wavy red hair.

Hestiaca: [Ah! Let go!]

Rira: [Huh. Pathetic. You're so weak. People like you, who think that they're on a higher pedestal than others despite not having the power to back up their words...Seriously, you piss me off]

She glared at Hestiaca as she tightened her grip on her hair, and no matter how much Hestiaca struggled, she couldn't free herself from Rira's grip.

Obviously, considering the massive strength gap between her and the Hero in front of her. While it's true that 1-Magatama Demons possess powers that rival normal Humans, to the point that they can crush their skulls with their fingertips, against someone like Rira, a B-Class Hero who can destroy mountains easily, there was no room for comparison between the two.

Plagus: [Let go of Hestiaca-sama, you filthy Hero!]

Plagus, despite knowing that he was no match, shot a fireball towards Rira, who just scoffed as the fireball neared her.

Rira: [Buzz off, fucker]

She then kicked the ball of fire in a rather casual manner, redirecting it towards Plagus, who had no time to react as the fire ball colliding with him.

Plagus: [Gah!]

Hestiaca: [Plagus!]

Rira: [Hah! That's why I fucking hate losers like you! Such a shame that people like you had to be sucked up to! Aside from you, I worked my ass off to gain Robert-sama's affection! To become one with him! Yet he got killed by weaklings like you! How is that even possible?!]

Hestiaca: [You...!]

Rira just looked in disgust at Hestiaca, who was desperately struggling against her grip on her hair.

Rira: [Oh! I know! How about I start by some stress relief?! I'll start by tearing off your hair until you're completely bold! Then I'll tear your beautiful dress until you become completely naked! Then I'll start to bash your head in until I break your skull! Then I'll make you pay for causing me all of that stress by violating your dead body! All while your two servants are watching!]

Plagus: [Hes...tiaca...sama...]

Hestiaca: [No...]

Sirius: [...]

Hestiaca was shaking in fear, every fiber of her being was shivering. This mad woman was going to kill her, all while two of her companions were helplessly watching.

Hestiaca: (No...No...I must live...For Father's wish...For this world...)

Rira: [If you wanna blame someone, then blame that manservant of yours!]

Hestiaca: (Help...)

Rira: [And now without further ado...]

Hestiaca: (Help...)

Rira: [Thanks for the feast~]

Hestiaca: (Help me...)

Sirius: [Solar Ray]

Rira: [Guh!]

And right before Rira could pull the first handful of hair from Hestiaca's head, she was shot from the back by a ray of light that pierced her back and went right out the other side from her torso, forcing her to release her grip from Hestiaca's hair.

Hestiaca: [Huh?]

Hestiaca watched in confusion as Rira knelt on the ground, doubling in pain as she clutched the hole in her stomach. Both girls then looked at the source of the light beam, to which it caused Rira to gasp in shock, and for Hestiaca to beam in happiness.

Rira: [What?!]

Rira watched in disbelief as the restraints around Sirius were gone, and he was just standing while pointing his finger at Rira's direction, his finger emitting smoke.

Sirius: [It is rather offending on my own right if you tried to do something so horrid to my mistress]

Rira: [Tch! Bastard!]

Rira wobbly stood to her feet, wincing in pain from both her broken right foot and the hole in her torso.

Rira: [I won't go down that easily! I'll crush you!]

Sirius: [Show me your resolve then]

Sirius then reached out to the side, causing a purple-colored energy to coat the broken sword lying on the ground, before it hovered from the ground and telekinetically flew to Sirius' hand.

Rira: [Telekinesis? Heh. You're so full of surprises, aren't ya?]

Sirius: [What can I say? It is a gift to have immeasurable knowledge]

Sirius then sprinted towards Rira, who extended her free arm as her other hand was busy pressing on the wound in her stomach.

Rira: [Water Bullet!]

She fired a ball of water towards Sirius, who casually swatted it away, continuing his advance towards Rira.

Rira: [Water Ball! Water Ball! Water Ball!]

She kept on firing, burning through her Mana Core, trying to hit him, but no matter what she did, she couldn't even snipe him down as he just casually dodged all of his attempts.

Sirius then reached her, narrowing his eyes while thinking about his first move.

Sirius: (A flying knee to the face to distract her perception)

He sent a flying knee towards Rira's face, breaking her nose, causing it to explode in blood, and made her stagger back.

Rira: [Guh!]

Sirius: (An axe kick to the left knee)

He then followed by implanting his foot into Rira's left knee, causing a sickening crack sound to echo throughout the dungeon, and for Rira to be forced to fall to her knees.

Sirius: (She is about to cast a spell. Hinder her ability to call for magic by a punch to the throat)

Sirius didn't stop there, as he delivered a sucker punch to Rira's throat, causing her to choke. The spell seemed to be Water Bullet, as Sirius saw water forming around Rira, and the moment he interrupted her chant, the water around her body burst, causing her arms to have multiple deep cuts on them.

Even if she wanted to scream from the pain, Rira was unable to do so, as the punch to her throat seemed to have broken her trachea, if the sickening crack sound that echoed within Rira's ears and the fact that she couldn't breathe properly, let alone talk or chant spells, wasn't any proof for that.

Sirius: [You are truly an incorrigible individual]

Sirius walked away from the now immobilized Rira, who had no strength to fight. He then walked until he reached Robert's broken sword, taking it into his hand.

Sirius: [Sukuna-Hikona]

Suddenly, the piece of metal suddenly disappeared from Sirius' hand, startling Hestiaca.

Hesitaca: [W-What the...?]

Sirius: [Do not be astounded. It is completely normal to me]

Hesitaca: [What did you just do?]

Sirius: [You shall see right now]

Sirius then walked towards the kneeling Rira, watching as blood and tears fell from her face and eyes respectively. Her knees and face were completely broken beyond repair, and her throat was completely crushed, making her completely opened for a finishing blow.

Sirius: [It is rather a shame to watch a soul die for rather pitiful reasons. However, respecting such wishes is considered in order, considering the fact that such wishes are the required trigger to draw the buried powers within. Nevertheless, I shall give you sanctuary and eternal rest by reuniting you with your beloved and making both of you become one]

Saying this, Sirius slammed his opened palm to Rira's chest, and not a second later...

Rira: [...!]

A sharp sensation of pain found itself assaulting Rira. She felt the rust of metal invading her broken nostrils, and despite being unable to move, she could sense that something was weighing on her chest.

Looking down with what remained of her rapidly fading energy, Rira now realized the reason.

Rira: [...]

Robert's broken sword was plunged right into her chest.

Rira: [Ughk...!]

She tried to stand up, but the end result was her body giving up and for her to cough up even more blood.

Rira: [Y...You...]

Sirius: [I am...What? Are you seriously going to curse me after considering the fact that it was you who provoked me?]

Rira: [How...Did you...?]

Sirius: [How did I break free from your restraints? Simple...]

Rira: [Ack!]

Sirius stopped talking, before throwing a kick to the hilt of the broken sword stuck into Rira's chest, pushing the sword even deeper into her chest cavity and causing her to cough out even more blood.

Sirius: [One of the theories that I have come to realize ever since my arrival into this world...If you possess a magic power far greater than your opponent...Then you can resist their abilities overall]

He then took a handful of Rira's hair, whose cries of pain were muffled by the blood in her throat.

Sirius: [And one more thing...Nobody. And I mean nobody...Dares to touch my mistress]

Upon saying this, Sirius swiftly yanked his hand up, forcibly ribbing a huge part of Rira's hair, causing blood to burst from her head and said part becoming completely bold.

He then continued his assault by infusing his hands with Ether, coating his fingers in the dark red energy, and with swift movements, he shredded Rira's clothes.

Rira: [...!]

If she was able to scream, she would have done so, but she was unable to even gasp. The only thing she could do was to cover her body with both hands, as the few pieces that remained barely covered anything.

Her body shaking in fear, she looked up as the glare of fury in Sirius' eyes seemed to pierce through her very existence.

Rira: (What the hell...Is that guy...?)

Sirius then grabbed the nearly naked girl by what remained of her hair, causing a few tears to form, and not a second afterwards, he used his other hand to grab her by her crushed throat.

Sirius: [O-Yama-Tsu-Mi]

Rira: [...!]

Suddenly, Rira's body started flailing, a look of complete agony formed in her face, with her eyes opened wide up as tears flowed freely from them, and the blood vessels inside her eyes were bursting at a rapid pace.

Hestiaca: [This is...]

Narrowing her eyes, Hesitaca noticed a transparent spherical barrier forming around Sirius, and upon closer inspection, she saw what was transpiring.

Hestiaca: [He's...Absorbing her Mana...And filtering it to Ether?]

The barrier around Sirius seemed to be absorbing Mana from the already immobilized Rira, before converting it to Ether that was absorbed by Sirius.

The process was like using a strainer to extract water from soaked rice. You get rid of the starch found in the rice after soaking and rinsing it, and all that remains is the starch-free rice, ready to be cooked.

The Mana that Sirius absorbed was like the soaked rice, the barrier around Sirius was acting as the strainer to extract Ether, which was the starch-free rice, for Sirius to absorb.

Hestiaca: [Amazing...]

Hestiaca was in awe. That guy just took down an adventurer just like that and was easily overwhelming her at that regard.

Sirius: [I see. Sukuna-Hikona focuses on shrinking the size of objects down to the microscopic level, and the user can control the size of the shrunk object, and even return it to its original size. It is a shame that it cannot be used on living organisms]

Sirius mused his inquiry regarding the spell that allowed him to plunge the sword into Rira's chest. Hestiaca just blinked in astoundment. From her own point of view, it felt like the sword instantly vanished upon making contact with Sirius' hand, and not to mention, he didn't need to call for an incantation.

Sirius: [Meanwhile, O-Yama-Tsu-Mi focuses on erecting several types of barriers. There are three barriers: A barrier for absorbing any energy source and filtering it to Ether, a barrier for reflecting attacks to their owner with tenfold the power of said attack, and a barrier for outright blocking all kinds of attacks through nullifying said attacks upon making direct contact with the barrier]

Sirius went through the explanation of his second spell, and it was then that his brows perked up. But before he could open his mouth to speak...

Hestiaca: [Are you seriously disclosing information about your abilities in front of the opponent?!]

Hestiaca screamed to the top of her lungs, to which Sirius simply blinked at her emotionlessly.

Sirius: [I do not understand the reason of your unreasonable anger]

Hestiaca: [Normal people don't say the description of their abilities out loud in front of their enemies! Are you seriously trying to show off?! If so, then you're doing a really poor job!]

Sirius: [It does not matter. She is dead now]

Hestiaca: [Huh?]

Blinking in confusion, Hestiaca looked at Rira and true to Sirius' words, she indeed stopped flailing, the color faded from her face, and she looked like a dried-out corpse in Sirius' hand.

Sirius then threw her to the ground, and not a second later, he stomped on her head, crushing it instantly and causing it to explode in a gruesome mixture of blood, brain, grey matter and viscera.

Sirius: [I took from my precious time to send you to meet your twisted lover. I expected a proper "Thank You" before you passed on]

Hestiaca: [I don't think that she would have done that, even if her throat wasn't crushed]

Hestiaca had a look of dismay as she looked at the mangled corpse of Rira.

Not only because of the rather putrid image that Sirius made out of her, but because of the girl's condition.

Even though she knew that she was a Hero that came to hunt her down, Hestiaca felt sympathy for her.

Rira worked hard for the sake of emotions and feelings that could never be returned to her. While her approach was completely wrong, the fact that her hard work completely went down the drain killed the poor Human from inside and caused her to go completely insane.

Hestiaca realized that, if she didn't have people like her father and her two sisters, she would have gone bonkers at any time just like her.

Hestiaca: (She's...Just like me...We both...)

Yes. Indeed. Both of them...Fail to live as ordinary people.

Sirius: [Are you alright?]

Startled, Hestiaca looked up to Sirius, who closed the distance between him and her, leaning forward to look at her face, and this caused Hestiaca to blush deeply, so much that her dark skin failed to hide the blush that rivaled the color of her hair.

Hestiaca: [Eek! What are you doing?! Stay back, you pervert!]

She then pushed him away, but he didn't seem to be bothered, if the bored look on his face was any indication.

Sirius: [I seriously do not understand why you are so flustered over the fact that I am trying to check up on your health]

Hestiaca: [That's because you too close! Some distance, please!]

Sirius was unable to understand her, and that was really one of his yet-to-be-solved riddles.

Hestiaca: [Oh! Plagus!]

Hestiaca then took notice of her own butler, who was still hurt from having his fireball deflected at him, having burn scars all over his body.

Sirius: [Do not worry. I can handle this]

Sirius reassured the worried Hestiaca, before extending his opened palm towards the fallen vampire butler Demon.

Sirius: [Okuninushi]

Just then, a bright white light manifested from Sirius' palm, and not a few seconds later, Plagus' wounds were completely healed, and his wounds were completely closed.

Plagus: [Huh? What?]

He soon woke up and found himself unharmed, causing him to become perplexed.

Plagus: [What happened?]

Sirius: [Okuninushi, a spell that focuses on healing its target to top condition, as well as heal all kinds of poisons and even diseases, including terminal ones. Quite different from ordinary healing magic, as healing magic cannot restore limbs, but Okuninushi can]

Plagus: [Amazing...]

Plagus was in awe. He never heard of such healing spell as potent as that.

Wait. Different from healing magic?

Plagus: [Chishiki-dono...By chance, is that--]

Sirius: [Yes, indeed. That is Void Magic, Plagus]

He confirmed Plagus' susceptions, and Plagus' couldn't be happier.

Plagus: [Amazing, Chishiki-dono! It hasn't been half a year, and you have mastered the usage of Void Magic spells]

Sirius: ["Mastery" is a rather outstretched word. The Kunitsukami spells are only support spells, and there are yet even more spells that I have not used. I can use them, but it appears to me that the opportunity to do so did not rise]

Plagus: [So you did master them...?]

Sirius: [The non-usage of an object or a technique means the incomplete proficiency with them]

Hestiaca: [You really don't understand the difference between execution and mastery...?]

Plagus: [Fufufufu...That's a very Chishiki-dono thing to say and do]

The tension calmed down, and it even calmed down the panic that rouse into the hearts of the two young goblin brothers that came shortly afterwards.

Sirius: [Hestia. I have a question]

Hestiaca: [Huh? W-W-What?]

Growing flustered all of a sudden, Hestiaca wiped her face towards Sirius.

No one has ever called her with a nickname, with her father and sisters being the only ones to do so, and now her manservant is giving her one.

Honestly, it made her embarrassed...And a little happy.

Sirius: [I understand the fact that we are in the Shaddai continent, but how far it is to the Adonai continent?]

Hestiaca: [W-Well...The distance between here and the Adonai continent is around 8000 miles. So no matter how you spin it, it would take us more than 6 months to reach there]

Sirius: [Is there any methods to fast travel towards there?]

Hestiaca: [There is. The cart would make us reach there in around 1 month, but if we're talking about instant traveling...Then that would mean the usage of the Teleportation Circle]

Sirius: [The Teleportation Circle?]

Plagus: [Yes, indeed. It's a unique type of magic circle that allows for instant traveling. In the past, The first Demon King created that as a method of transportation from and to the other continents. However, after the Great YHVH Wars, the magic circles between the other continents were completely shut down]

Sirius: [Where is the Teleportation Circle located in this continent?]

Plagus: [It is located in the Royal Palace, specifically past the capital city, Ehyeh]

Sirius: [I see...]

Nodding at all of the information that he acquired, Sirius released a deep sigh, before looking at Hestiaca.

Hestiaca: [H-Huh? What are you...?]

She grew even more flustered when she noticed that he was looking at her. Her blush quickly grew until it made the color of her vibrant red hair jealous when he neared her face.

Sirius: [Well done]

Hestiaca: [Huh?]

Her blush instantly faded upon hearing those words.

Sirius: [You were courageous back then. I really appreciate the fact that you came for me despite your obvious inferiority to that Hero]

Hestiaca: [Is that supposed to be cheering or pity?! I really don't get you! Also, it's not like I was there because I was worried about you! I just wanted to make sure that my manservant is alive because you're my weapon!]

Sirius: [You know, that is what they call in my previous world a Tsundere, someone who hides their true feelings behind harsh words]

Hestiaca: [Shut up!]

And as their exchange continued, Plagus and the goblin brothers couldn't help but laugh.

Hestiaca: [Oh c'mon, you guys! Cut it out!]

Plagus: [Sorry, Hestiaca-sama, but it's as Chishiki-dono had said, you've done well]

Hestiaca: [What...?]

Sirius: [It is your own will that drove us to all of this, and the fact that you stood up to that Hero proves that you are worthy of being a ruler]

Hestiaca: [But...You should be the one to be brave, S-Sirius...I'm always scared, and I've always been. I'm done being scared]

Sirius: [...]

He blinked at her, seeing how down casted she was, and to be honest, Sirius could feel her fear back then as well.

However...

Sirius: [And who said that I was not scared?]

Hestiaca: [What?]

That caught Hestiaca off guard, since what Sirius had just said was practically unreasonable to her.

Hestiaca: [How...? But you just killed Heroes, and even now...]

Sirius: [And I was afraid while doing so]

Hestiaca: [I...Really don't understand]

Indeed. This was a rather complicated situation for her.

She saw how Sirius didn't even think twice before killing off those four Heroes when they first met, despite how Hestiaca showed him how she loathed Humans to heart, and the fact that she summoned him, a Human, to help her, really crushed her pride. Yet he helped her despite her rude behavior towards him.

Not to mention...The rather gruesome way that he defeated that Hero Rira...

Hestiaca: [You...Didn't even flinch when she threatened you...So how...?]

Sirius: [You see, if I was not scared of those Heroes, I would not have been able to protect myself from their attacks and intercept them in the midst of the battle]

Hestiaca: [What...?]

Sirius: [You cannot get rid of fear. It is like Mother Nature. You cannot change it. However, there is a thin thread of a difference between fear and horror. Fear is to be cautious and careful to survive. Horror, on the other hand, is to welcome Death with open arms]

Hestiaca: [...!]

Sirius: [And that is why...I am saying this...Well done...Hestia]

Hestiaca couldn't believe her ears and her eyes started to tear up.

Hestiaca: [Nobody...Has ever said to me those words...So why...]

Sirius: [It is simple...You chose to be courageous, and this is a proof that you do not want to die alone]

Hestiaca: [...!]

(Hestia...No matter what...)

(Sirius...No matter what...)

The fleeting memories of their precious people. The promise that they swore to uphold no matter what...

(...Don't die alone)

Hestiaca saw it now.

Sirius and her...Were exactly the same.

Sirius: [You should be proud of yourself. You are a true survivor, Hestia]

Hestiaca: [T-Thank you...]

Sirius: [With that being said, I have two announcements to make]

Plagus: [Hm?]

Sirius: [First, I will call Hestiaca as Hestia from now on. We cannot afford to be caught considering the fact that we are in the territory of enemies]

Hestia: [H-Huh?!]

Hestia blushed once again, this time it was redder than before.

Sirius: [Second and most important...]

Everyone around Sirius suddenly held their breaths. Obviously, considering the fact that this next decision will set off a series of unexpected events in the future, changing the lives of lots of people.

Especially both of Sirius and Hestia.

Sirius: [...Tomorrow in dawn, we shall make our way to Ehyeh City]