Author: Yume Neiji

Boooooooooooooong!

The luxury cruise ship’s horn blows its sound. I squinted at the orange sunset as I sat on the deck feeling the sea breeze.

“This is the first sunset we’ve seen since we got married.”

“That’s true.”

Erna snuggles up to me, and a ring shines in her left hand.

“Do you regret it?”

“No, I feel so great. Although of course, I feel a little guilty.”

“I think that’s natural. After all, Shinichi is dull-witted when it comes to it but you have the deepest love in this world.”

“You can never really say I’m the best in the world you know.”

“I, as a goddess, says so, so it’s true.”

It’s illogical. But that’s what I want to be too.

A skeleton passing by offered me a cocktail, so I accepted it. The skeleton bowed down and left. My familiars are working everywhere on the ship. The Great Homeless is one of the largest luxury cruise ships on this world, weighing 230,000 tons. Inside, there are a number of bars, amusement parks, casinos, theaters, shopping centers, swimming pools, first-class restaurants and much more. There is also an arena inside, where guests can enjoy a little friendly match.

“Kyahahaha, if you want it back, go for it!”

“You’re bad -Gero! I’ll get back at you!”

Two of the Four Demon Kings run on the deck. It was nice to see that they are enjoying themselves. Beyond the horizon, Leviathan-san makes a brief appearance and immediately sinks again. The fantastic and mysterious sight make my mind calm. It’s strange, but I feel like the scenery I see is different from yesterday. I felt like I remembered how beautiful and vivid the world was.

“It’s already this late. If we don’t hurry up, it’s going to start.”

“Mmm, it’s time to call Liz.”

As I start walking, Erna thrusts her right hand forward.

“……What’s that hand for?”

“Don’t you understand?”

“?”

“Haaah.”

She let out a loud sigh. My ex-wife, Miyuki, overlaps with her appearance.

『You’re really dull huh. Usually, guys are the one who holds a woman’s hand.』

『Really?』

『Haaah. You’re so annoying. If this is how it is on the first date, you’re going to have a hard time going forward you know.』

『S-sorry. This is my first time dating someone.』

『Fine, fine, enough with that. Come on, let’s go.』

On our first date, I learned to hold hands with a woman. I felt like a box of memories that had been closed until now had opened. That’s right, Miyuki. She taught me a lot of things.

I gently took Erna’s hand.

“This is something a man does, right?”

“Y-yes….…”

We went inside the ship while holding hands. The people who we passed by looked at us and grinned as if teasing. It can’t helped because we know all of them. When I went to the casino, Freya is banging on the table in front of the slot.

“What’s this!? Is it broken? I only need one more to get three 7s! Now look at this, Tanaka-dono must be working hard to rip off gold! It’s unfair!”

She was banging so hard on the machine that a staff member Skeleton came over and forcibly pulled her away from the slots machine.

“I’ll bet on red.”

Pero puts the chip forward. The dealer skeleton nods and puts the ball in the roulette. When he raises the sign that says “No More Bet”, the chip can no longer be moved. The ball moved and it went into the red box and Pero won the game. After receiving the chip, Pero happily wags his tail.

In the other seats, I can see the kings of the four kingdom playing blackjack. Vishu, Dodol, and King Kycilia were throwing away playing cards with their hands in their head, and the Queen of Sanargia was chuckling. By the way, Scathach seems to really like the pool, so she’s probably still swimming right now.

The skeleton manager, comes over and bows to us. I asked where Liz and the others are, and he told me that she and her family have just returned to their room.

After passing through several floors, we came to the main hall. This is an atrium with a huge chandelier hanging from it. Looking down from above, I saw a Homeless Seraph playing the piano gracefully. He is a Homeless Seraph, but his appearance has changed since I became a god. He still had an amethyst-like skeleton, but he now had thick, large horns on both sides of the head and two pairs of black wings on the back. He still has a purple orb on the chest.

At the end of the performance, the people who had heard the performance applauded. Seraph stands up and bows. From there, we go to the top. There was a pool and bar to enjoy the open outdoors, and people in swimsuits were enjoying all around. Among them, the most eye-catching is the group of stalls that are already smoking. Fried noodles, candy apples, yakitori, cotton candy, takoyaki, squid, etc. The skeletons continue to cook wholeheartedly.

“Katakata”

Suketarou gives instructions while looking around the stalls. The figure is pure white without a single blemish. He seemed to have come full circle and returned to his original skeleton form. However, in reality, he is incomparably stronger than before. The pure white skeleton had no light in his eyes and his chest was equipped with black orb. Suketarou seemed to have received the most power from me of all my familiars, and had become a being that was infinitely closer to the gods. If Eugrapia was the most powerful of my familiars, then there was no doubt that Suketarou would be next.

Name: Suketarou Race: Bone Demon Deity Magic Attributes: Darkness, Holy, Evil, Nothingness Magic: — Skills: Eyes of Truth, Space Jump, Demonic Divine Attire, God Slayer Domination Rate: 100% dominated by Shinichi Tanaka Evolution: ―

The Demonic Divine Attire is Suketarou’s combat form. Its power is so strong that it can  apparently shatter stars……. I haven’t actually seen it, so I don’t know if it’s true or not. There are also other changes, such as Sukejiro, the ten division commanders of the skeleton army, and the five division commanders of the Angelton army. Well, I’ll come back to that later.

“Katakata!”

Suketarou finds me and bows reverently. He is wearing an apron and has a chimaki on the head. He is really all out. I later learned that while we were gone, Suketarou had become the owner of three shops in Mana. He has also steadily continued to run the Homeless Cafeteria, and is now a successful manager. Moreover, now he does not even hide his identity, and he usually serves customers in the form of a skeleton.

Suketarou packs yakisoba and yakitori in a bag and brings them to me. Although I refused at first, despite his humble nature, he pushed the bag in my hand with strange force. It looked delicious, so I’ll accept it without hesitation.

By the pool, Scathach was lying in a chair wearing sunglasses, and in the pool, Zefa was playing with Eva and Satanas in school swimsuits. Elsewhere at the bar, Budwell, the branch manager of the Mana Guild, and Duffy, Liz’s specialist, are chatting over a bottle of beer.

“It’s almost night, hurry up.”

“Don’t panic, we still have about 20 minutes until it starts.”

Led by Erna, we descend to the floor where our room is.

“Oh, Dad!”

“Naoki? What’s are you doing here?”

I met Naoki with a pale face in the hallway. He seemed very wary of his surroundings and behaves suspiciously which made me wonder.

“W-well, I was listening to Kurohime-san’s story, then our topic turned about Moore-san and the she started saying things like…… 『Reincarnating your father was a very good deed of yours. I’m going to give you a lot of guidance as a reward.』and so on…..”

“I’ll scold her later.”

What a troublesome old woman. I didn’t think she would try to get her hands on my son.

Naoki said he was going to the rooftop and parted ways.  I then knock on the door of a suite room. There was no response, so I opened it and looked inside. The Schmidt family and the Frederia family were all chatting together.

“My, what a very lovely young lady. Well, although she is not as pretty as our daughter Erna, she still boasts good looks. I’m sure as her parent, you are proud of her.”

“No, no, same here. My daughter is more kind and prettier than your daughter, so I was worried that you might think she is inferior to her.”

The two fathers changed their smiles to furious expressions.

“Come outside, Human!”

“Fine! Let’s do it!”

““Stop!””

The two mothers scolded them. Both of them became quiet with regretful expressions.

What’s going on? Why are they fighting?

“They’ve been bragging about their daughters ever since. I don’t think you know this Shinichi, but those two have been on bad terms since the wedding reception.”

Now that she mentioned it, it did seem like they were glaring at each other for a while. The culprit should be Sir Frederia. His bragging must have gotten on Liz’s father’s nerves so he bickered back.

“Shinichi!”

Liz notices me and runs to me. However, as soon as she saw me and Erna holding hands, her brows wrinkled.

“Mmmm”

“I know, I know.”

Just as I held hands with Liz, both families noticed me. The father of the two came running to me smiling.

“It seems like my Erna is the best after all!”

“Is that really so? It seems to me that my daughter is more compatible with Tanaka-dono!”

““Stop messing around!””

Their wife pulls their ears to make them quieter. I could only smile wryly.

“Anyways, Tanaka-san has really great power and financial resources huh. I never thought that he would give Erna such a wedding. I was also amazed by this ship.”

“No, not at all.”

“I’m really surprised as well. I can’t believe that my Liz found such a nice man, so much so that I want to abandon my husband and get married myself.”

“Uh-, no……”

“Shall we throw them to the sea as it is?”

“That’s a great idea!”

The two mothers seems to be getting along well as they are chatting happily. The father of the two was in a cold sweat and their molars were chattering.

“It’s about time to go upstairs.”

I invite both families to go up to the deck where the pool was. Many people had already gathered and looked towards the island. The sky darkens and the star-filled skyline shines.

“I’m starting”

A few seconds after hearing Eugrapia’s voice, a huge firework went up in the sky. The smell of gunpowder arrives on the wind and the popping sound that shakes the air. There were cheers every time the fireworks went off.

I look at my two wife on my left and right side. What is here is what I came to this world and obtained. Wife and son and many acquaintances. It’s the same with my familiars. If I go to the past, most of them may disappear. But the memory remains. This is my thanks and apology for them. A ritual to make a resolve that we’ll meet again.

Again, I’m really sorry.

“Are you still apologizing?”

Kanzaki was there with a cocktail.

“Just a little.”

“It’s not like you, Tanaka-san. You should be the one who doesn’t hold back when you do it. That’s the manager, the Homeless, the Shinichi Tanaka I knew.”

As expected, he is my right-hand man. He always pushes me when I needed it.

“Instead, do your best to save the world.”

“Mmm.”

“And let’s see that sunset again.”

“Yeah.”

The sunset that we just saw is the future. A brilliance that continues into tomorrow. I shook hands with him, and the last fireworks burst into the night sky.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

---

Previous ⚜ Table of Contents ⚜ Next

---

Along with Erna and Liz, we went to the 19^th floor of the Great Dungeon. Unlike back then, the orcs flee in fear as soon as they see us who have become gods. Now that I can defeat them without even touching them, it’s kinda weird.

“This area brings back memories. This is where I had the bad luck of encountering an orc.”

“I am not there yet.”

“Fufun! Too bad for you, I’m the first one to meet Shinichi. I’m the oldest member of the party.”

“Oniichan, you’re too kind. You should have just abandoned this woman.”

“If it’s fight you’re selling, I’ll buy it.”

Erna and Liz glared at each other. It’s hard to tell if the two of them are on good terms or not. I looked at Moore’s map and continue on. That’s right, I found Erna’s backpack around here. I retrieved it and went after her.

I turned left at the crossroads.

“But why did you suddenly want to come to a place like this?”

“Maybe it’s because I wanted to feel it again, and I wanted to reaffirm that feeling I had when I first walked into this world. In other words, I’m trying to imprint the memories of this world on my five senses.”

“That’s right. If we go to the past, this place will disappear, even if there’s the same place, it’s still different.”

Yes, to us, that place of the past is just a similar place. What is here now is unique and will eventually disappear.

Soon, we arrived at the place where Erna and I met. Blue crystals shine on the walls, illuminating the floor like spotlights. I remember that I called out to the elf who was sitting here.

“Right! This is the place. This is where me and Shinichi met!”

“He picked it up by mistake.”

“Heh- you’re really looking for it huh? Let’s have a fistfight right now!”

Leaving the two of them making a lot of noise, I move under the light. I took something out of my pocket and hid it behind me.

“Erna”

“Yeah?”

I start talking with a serious face,

“I once had a woman I loved with all my heart, but she suddenly disappeared with my son. The rest of my life was unbelievable. I was so depressed that I couldn’t see the point in living.”

“Un.”

“One day, I met a strange elf. She can’t use magic properly, has a spending habit, and is loud-mouthed, but she is actually a competitive woman who works hard at everything. She is a very kind-hearted woman. Before I knew it, I was drawn to her.”

Tears gradually welled up in Erna’s eyes. Still, she listened quietly.

“Then I was reunited with my son and learned that my former wife still love me and I also get to know the circumstances that forced her to disappear. To be honest I was confused. Things that had been sorted out were turned upside down all at once. I didn’t know what to do.”

Liz is silent as she listens. There were also tears in her eyes, but sadness were in it.

“So I kept thinking, what should I do? After thinking about it over and over again, I came to a conclusion. I couldn’t abandon the person I love. That’s why I decided to love my ex-wife, but also love Erna even more.”

I took out a small box from behind my back and opened it in front of her. It was a ring with a simple design. It shines brightly under the light.

“I might be like this but still, will you marry me?”

“…………”

Erna covered her mouth and tears fell in her eyes. Her tears are spilling as she lets out an inaudible sound. She then replied in a small voice, “Yes.”

“Liz, you have it, too.”

““Eh!?””

I quickly pulls out another small box from my pocket and shows it to Liz.

“Actually, there was one more thing that I had been struggling. That was whether I should love Erna or Liz. Both of you are attractive and irreplaceable to me. I love you guys so much that I couldn’t choose one or the other. You can call me indecisive, but I have decided to marry both of you.”

“……I knew it would end up like this.”

“I kind of expected it too.”

The two of them look at me with exasperated look. I thought it over and over again before coming to this decision. Please forgive this selfish man.

 “I hope we’ll be together forever Shini~chi~.”

Liz accepted the ring with a smile. Erna is also smiling as she says, “Well well~”

Paaan. Two crackers sounded. It was Pero and Freya. Both Erna and Liz seem surprised by their sudden appearance.

“Why are you two here?”

“We’ve been set up?”

Kukuku, exactly. They have fallen into my trap. The scenery changes all at once and shifts to a certain place.

“Congratulations on your marriage!”

Paaan, Paaan, Fireworks, fireworks, fireworks.

Countless crackers are set off, and fireworks are also set off in the distance. The musicians who had been waiting played light music, and the strangers in formal clothes surrounded us and cheered.

“W-what!? What’s this?”

“Erna is not very perceptive at all. I created a situation that only you two don’t know about.”

“Could it be that this was a surprise proposal?!”

The place where we are now is on the sea.  We are on the deck of a huge cruise ship. Not far away was the Forbidden Island, a dazzling sea of emeralds is illuminated by the sunlight. By the way, the fireworks are set off from the island by Eugrapia.

“Erna! Congratulations!”

“Mother!? Eh? Eeeeeh!?”

Without even knowing what was going on, Erna was taken by her mother who is already dressed for the occasion. Dressed in formal attire as well, Liz’s family also arrived, and she was also taken to another room without further ado.

Now, I should start getting ready too. When I went to a room on the ship, I found Vishu and Dodol drinking on the sofa.

These two are already drinking? 

The ceremony is about to begin. In an instant, I changed into a white tuxedo and sat down on the sofa.

“Fuhahaha, why don’t you take that robe off for the wedding!”

“Gyahahaha! Good grief! But you look better that way!”

“Is it a compliment or an insult?”

I was also nervous, so I decided to get a drink. It’s been a long time since my wedding with Miyuki. At that time, I was also extremely nervous. I couldn’t even sleep the day before.

Click. Click.

When I turned to the sound of the shutter, I saw Pero with a camera. Come to think of it, I asked him to take a picture. In addition, Freya is taking photos of the guests, and Naoki volunteered to take videos.

“So you are here huh.”

“Oh, Dhal! You’ve come too!”

“Of course! It’s still too early to get drunk though.”

“Don’t say that. Come on, you can drink too!”

Sitting on a sofa in a tuxedo, Dhal takes a bottle of liquor from Dodol and takes a sip. Then Rodman and other acquaintances gathered in the room one after another. The banquet had begun, even though it was before the wedding.

“What the-, such smell of alcohol! Hey, you! What the hell is going on here!”

Erna’s father, who came to check on the situation, is immediately furious. I was seen in a bad place. However, Vishu and Dodol forcibly pulled him into the room and made him drink.

“—Hiccup, when I think that my sweet Erna is going to get married…… It’s so complicated.”

“I know, I know. To be a father with a daughter can be lonely.”

“You have a daughter too?”

“Yes. I had three daughters, but they all got married and left. And even though I thought I was relieved, I felt like I had a gaping hole in my chest.”

“King Dartan!”

“Sir Frederia!”

For some reason, the two hug each other. I never thought that they would get along better all at once because of that.

“Dear! I was wondering what you were doing! Erna’s preparations are over, so come quickly!”

“O-oh finally! Well, please excuse me!”

Sir Frederia left the room quickly. Liz’s father came in by mistake, so I stood up and shook his hand.

“Thank you very much for this time. I never thought that I would end up united with Tanaka-dono in this way.”

“Same here. She has helped me many times and I’m deeply grateful to you, her parents, for helping her so many times and raising her to be such a wonderful woman. Thank you very much for your support at the ceremony.”

He was also drawn in by Dodol and decided to drink. Like Sir Frederia, his wife came and dragged him away.

“It’s almost time.”

“Un, let’s go.”

Edner came to call me, so I stood up. At the same time, the guys who had been drinking were also following me in droves.

The wedding ceremony begins.

First of all, the groom enters first. I then wait in front of the priest for Erna and Liz to enter. The door opened and two people in wedding dresses stepped in.

Both of them wore a pure white wedding dress. Erna wears something that is gorgeous and elegant looking layered dress with sparkly diamond studs in it. Liz wore a classy classic dress with bow that looks cute and eye catching as well.

Their faces are veiled, and I can see that their faces had light layer of makeup. I was already nervous, but now I’m even more nervous. Sweat began to drip down my hands, and I ruminated in my head over and over again that this day had finally come.

The aisle on the church of the ship is purposely made wide so that two people can stand side by side. With a quiet step, Erna and Liz lined up in front of me.

“Do you swear?”

Huh? I was shocked. While I was in a daze, the oath ceremony had already begun.

“Yes, I swear.”

The priest then asks Erna and Liz,

“Do you swear to the Creator God that you will always walk alongside Shinichi Tanaka and serve him with all your heart for as long as you live?”

““I swear.””

The exchange of rings comes.

Erna and Liz took off their gloves, revealing their thin, white fingers.

Fist, I received the ring from Erna’s sister. With trembling hands, I slipped it onto Erna’s ring finger. Erna looks at her left hand with a crying expression. Next, I slowly put the ring on Liz. Liz was as expressionless as ever, but her eyes were filled with joy and the corners of her mouth were slightly raised.

Erna then picks up the ring. When it was put on my ring finger, it shone silver. Liz then puts the ring she’s holding in the same way, and the two rings merge into one.

“A kiss of vow.”

I raise the veil of Erna. Her face is more beautiful and divine than anything I had ever seen. Gently, I put my lips on top of hers. The soft feel that it sticks to mine felt so great. It makes me want to do this all the time. When I let go of her face, Erna turned bright red. Maybe mine is bright red, too. I felt that my face is hot.

Next, I lifted Liz’s veil, and there I saw an incredibly beautiful girl looking at me. I was reminded that this was the kind of girl I was going to marry. I put my lips on hers. Then she grabs my head and puts her tongue in my mouth. Shocked, I pulled my head back in a daze, Liz licks her lips happily. What a naughty girl. It’s not something you do at a wedding.

“Hey, you’re cunning!”

“I don’t know, this is what the kiss I saw looked like.”

“Who did you use as your inspiration!? Tell me!”

“Sec~ret”

The atmosphere became more relaxed after their quarrel began. In the end, it ended up with the usual one. But I feel like this is us.

After the ceremony, a grand reception was held. The people who gathered were influential people equivalent to the rulers of state of each kingdom. In addition, the total number of people who have been invited has reached 600. It’s the most flamboyant, grand and memorable wedding ever.

I decided to change my plan and delay our departure by a few days. I wanted to feel this time just a little longer.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

---

Previous ⚜ Table of Contents ⚜ Next

---

I stare at the ring on the round table. I’m currently at the Adventurer’s Guild headquarters, located halfway up the sacred Grand Mountain. I’m led to the conference room we used last time, where I’m currently waiting for a certain person. 

“Hoh~, so you’ve become a god huh.”

“Un. Well, it doesn’t really feel real though.”

Eva arrives and calmly takes a seat. I came to see her for two reasons. 

I’ll tell her the first one first,

“Moore’s clone has disappeared.”

“……I see. And what about Maria?”

“As she was. At the last minute, Moore had doubts about bringing her back to life and before vanishing from existence next to his own corpse, he said it was just his own selfishness.”

“What a fool……”

She turned her face away, biting her lip as she endured something. Her eyes were slightly moist.

“I made their tombs in the Demon Realm. I could have brought them to the surface, but I felt that there would be an unnecessary disturbance doing so.”

“That’s a good decision. Those two already had graves here. It doesn’t matter where the body is. In fact, I’m sure he would be happy to be buried with just the two of them.”

I can’t find the words to say so I fall silent. But in a moments time, Eva changed her expression and smiled.

“Well, the last thousand years have not been as bad as you think, because that Idiot has come to see me from time to time and act like a husband. I’m sorry for Maria, but it was me who was more like Moore’s wife. I’m not going to give up on that.”

Is it her pride as a wife?

I don’t know what kind of relationship she had with Maria, but she seems to have had a rivalry in her own way. In his youth, Moore was a very popular man huh. I’m really curious to see what his father, Shigeru-san, looks like.

“By the way, Moore asked me to look after his descendants, do you know what their current situation is now?”

“Descendants huh…… Well, as for my direct descendants, I am doing my best to support them. As for the others, they should be scattered all over the world after the downfall. I have heard that Maria’s direct descendants live in the Royal Capital.”

To think that the downfall would made them disperse all over the world… It’s a little late but it turned out to be a troublesome request huh. For the time being, I’ll get to this after the battle.

I then hold out an envelope to Eva to finish my second errand.

“What’s this?”

“It’s an invitation to a ceremony.”

“Oooh! A wedding!?”

She opened the envelope and looked at the details with a suspicious expression.

“Three days later? That’s a bit hasty, isn’t it?”

I explained to her my plan on going to my past world.

“—Is that so? Alright then.”

“As it says, there’s no need for any gifts. Just come.”

“Definitely. And now that you have become the God of Destruction, there is nothing that I can give you…… No, there is one.”

“Hmm? One what?”

I tilted my head as question mark appeared in my mind. Eva stood on the round table and looked down at me happily.

O-Oi… I can see what’s inside the skirt.

“You may make me your subordinate.”

“Huh?”

“If you travel to the past, this time will disappear, right? Besides, you still don’t have enough fighting power against Gohma. The other party is a main god after all. There is for sure an army of tens of billions of angels waiting for you, right? Don’t you want me, hmmm?”

“But….…”

This is indeed an unexpected offer. I’m happy for it, but I can’t give an immediate answer because there seems to be a ulterior motive behind this.

“As you know, I am only a clone of the Demon King, or more precisely, a fragment of her soul. However, the Demon King has already lost her divinity and has lost the ability to manipulate soul. In that case, I am destined to be forcibly pulled back to the main body.”

“Does it mean that you will be absorbed?”

“Mmm. If that happens, I will never be able to be me again.”

In other words, before she is absorbed, with my power, she want me to reconstruct herself as separate individual. If she became my familiar, her power will be further strengthened and she will be able to continue to stay in this world. In this way, I can also make a powerful ally and strengthen my fighting power.

“Let me tell you, even if you go back to the past, you may not have a place for yourself.”

“Is it because there is another me here? In that case, I can just kill her and take her place, right?”

She grinned.

I see, that’s one way of thinking about it. If the future disappears, killing your past self will not cause a paradox. The contradiction arises because time is continuous both forward and backward, and it got no connection between us, who suddenly appears. To put it simply, we become doppelgangers of our past selves with memories of the future.

“You have another goal, don’t you?”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

Oi, there’s no use trying to get away with it.

If we go back in time, Moore’s clone will still exist. She is going to persuade him this time for sure. Just as Moore was attached to Maria, she is obsessed with Moore.

“In this current world, he and Maria entered the tomb together. So shouldn’t I be the next one to do so? Of course, I have no intention of neglecting you, my master. Everything in this body will become yours.”

“Are you trying to say that if I accept your conditions, you’ll become my familiar?”

“Correct. But let me tell you, this proposal came to be because it was you, otherwise, I would have chosen to disappear with time.”

Is it a proposal based on the fact that I am not interested in Eva?

Honestly, I don’t want anything from her other than as a fighting force. When the battle is over, I think she can be free to do whatever she wants. That is, of course, if we survive.

“I agree then. I’ll have you stay with me until the end of the battle.”

“Fufu. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to fight to my heart’s content.”

She jumps off the round table and then I placed my hand on the top of her head. Becoming a familiar of the highest ranking god, she will be infinitely close to an angel or god. With someone like her, she would certainly be a powerful force.

The familiar creation was over, but there was no change in Eva. She is about 150 cm tall as usual, with shiny black hair and red eyebrows. She is a beautiful and fragile looking girl with a blood-red dress and a parasol that stood out strangely. However, her abilities had risen by leaps and bounds.

Name: Kurohime

Race: Black-Blooded King

Magic Attributes: Wind, Darkness, Evil

Magic: ―

Skills: Eyes of Truth, Blood Manipulation, EX Counter

Domination rate: 100% dominated by Shinichi Tanaka

Evolution: ―

“Why did your name changed?”

“I took this opportunity to change my name. From now on, you can call me, Kurohime.”

“You have an arrogant attitude for a familiar huh.”

I check her status again. Blood manipulation should have been a skill that Eva, the main body, also possessed. As for the EX counter, it’s the first time I’ve seen it.

But is Eyes of Truth a skill that anyone can acquire after a certain level of strength?

“Blood manipulation is the ability to manipulate not only one’s own blood but also the blood of others. Not only that, it can also control the person I had bitten.”

“That powerful huh. But then why is it that Eva in the Demon Realm did not try to control me?”

“It’s simple. The seal that sealed the God of Destruction is designed to prevent brainwashed humans from being considered as key. You could say that she couldn’t do it even if she wanted to.”

She then said, “Try hitting me”.

I was a little hesitant, but with her current state, she wouldn’t get hurt I guess.

Paaak. The hand that slapped her cheek was forcefully deflected back. When I checked, Kurohime’s cheek had no trace of being slapped at all. That means to say that I was counterattacked even before I could hit her.

“The EX counter is a skill that doubles and returns all perceptible attacks, and although it doesn’t auto-activate and it needs to be timed, it’s a pretty effective way to attack.”

She sits on the edge of the round table and dangles her legs. I have the impression that her appearance has become more formidable than before.

“As I said before, the enemy is far more powerful than you can imagine, and considering that there are also first-class angels who are god-slayers that takes on the role of the God of Destruction, it won’t be so easy to win.”

“Ah, so that is the role of that angel huh?”

“What? Didn’t you notice? You are surprisingly stupid huh.”

“Shut it. I just didn’t know what was going on.”

But we certainly need to be careful of first-class angels. The gods must have been at disadvantage because of their presence. In addition, Gohma’s own abilities are unknown. Well, let’s hear about that from Kurohime and Eugrapia later. I checked my pocket watch and leave my seat.

“Are you going already?”

“I don’t have a lot of time, and there are a lot of people I need to give invitations to.”

“That’s true.”

I greeted Kurohime lightly before teleporting.

　◇◇◇

By the time I got back to our hideout, it was already evening. In the living room, Pero and Freya are cooking together. Looks like we are having hot pot tonight.

“Hmm, where did Erna and Liz go?”

“Welcome back, Father. They said that they would remodel the room and then they stayed holed up in there.”

I have a bad feeling about it. When those two people act together, they never do anything good. For the time being, I decided to take a peek into Liz’s room.

“What the heck is this!?”

Beyond the open door, a Japanese-style corridor continued endlessly. There were shoji doors on both sides, and when I opened the door, I found a Japanese-style room with brand new tatami mats.

“Shinichi?”

“Uwaa!?”

The ceiling on the hallway opens up and Erna pops her head out. Then part of the wall rotated to reveal Liz.

“What are you guys doing!?”

“Remodeling”

“I know that seeing this. But this is going to be too much!”

“A ninja must be prepared at all times.”

Liz’s eyes shine brightly, and she’s more like a ninja than before.

“Oh yes, take a look at my remodeled room!”

“O-okay….…”

Erna takes me into the room. At that point, I was speechless.

“Isn’t it amazing?”

“…………”

It was a forest. A house stands alone in a quiet flower field surrounded by trees. It could be described as a moderately sized two-story log cabin. It was a stylish and serene building. The building is filled with antique-style furniture, and her own particular style can be seen everywhere.

When I found a room that looked like a bedroom and checked it, I found a king-size bed and a small table next to it where you could put a cup of tea. There seemed to be a veranda in this room, and the white lace curtains swayed in the wind at the open window. In addition, there are subtly beautified portraits hanging on the walls. Perhaps embarrassed, Erna hurriedly removed the painting from the wall and hid it behind the bed.

“My bedroom is even more amazing!”

I turned around, and Liz is there before I know it. She must have traveled in the dark water, but I would like her to at least give a greeting.

Liz beckoned me with her hand and told me to enter the black water. I dipped my foot into the water cautiously before fully diving in, then I fell straight onto a fluffy futon. I see, so the exit was connected to the ceiling of the bedroom. It felt strange.

When I looked around, I saw that the futon spread in a room of 12 tatami mats. Beside it lay a lantern painted in vermilion, and beyond the open door was a splendid garden with the sound of deer. Moreover, the moon can be seen on the other side of the wall. Moreover, as I listened closely, I can hear the sound of bell insects, which is surprising.

“Now we can have a child whenever we want.”

“Too bad for you. Shinichi absolutely loved my bedroom.”

This strange competition must have started while the room was being remodeled. This is interesting, but I also feel that it is a bit overkill.

“Ah! We have to make a nursery room!”

“Crap! I forgot about that!”

The two of them are talking happily again, so I quietly teleported and returned to the living room.

“Oh, just in time. We just made it.”

“Tanaka-dono, tonight’s dish is miso stew.”

“It looks delicious.”

As I sit down, steam is rising from the clay pot. I almost drooled at the ingredients that were being stewed.

“Eh? How about those two?”

“I don’t know. They’ll come when they feel like it.”

I said, “Itadakimasu!”, picked up the chopsticks and started eating.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

---

Previous ⚜ Table of Contents ⚜ Next

---

When I arrived at the Imperial Capital of the Estent Empire, I head towards the main gate from the front. However, two guards immediately crossed their spears to block my way.

“Why is there a human in a place like this? Go back immediately!”

“Wait, maybe he’s a new merchant. Hey, if you have a permit, show it quickly.”

One is a young guard. The other is a middle-aged guard. The younger one seemed to hate humans and tried to turn me away, but the middle-aged one seemed flexible as he talked calmly.

But what is a permit? Does it mean that I can’t enter the Imperial Capital without a certificate issued somewhere?

“I don’t have a permit.”

“Then you can’t enter. Get lost!”

“Instead, I have money.”

“…..I see.”

The young guard grins. However, the middle-aged man interrupted the conversation.

“Bribery is not appreciated. You can get a permit in the previous town, so make sure you follow the proper procedures.”

“Hey, Ossan, are you still saying something like that? You are too stubborn you know.”

“You’re the one being too lax. We are soldiers of the Honorable Empire. We can’t mess around and go casual with anyone.”

The two guards begin to quarrel.

I’d like to go inside soon…… Should I just make them sleep and get through?

As I was having that thought,

“What are you two arguing about?”

““A-Advisor!””

A figure who appeared to be a superior officer appeared with a fluttering cloak. Looking at his armor, he seems to be a high-ranking person. Hmm, I feel like I’ve seen his face somewhere.

“I apologize. A human suddenly came and asked to be let in….”

“What about the permit?”

“He said he didn’t have one.”

“Then drive him back—!?”

The man who was called the Advisor was stunned as soon as he saw me clearly. It was there that the memories of him finally came to me. He was the one who commanded the Imperial army when I was chasing them with my skeletons. I remember that thanks to him, it was difficult to catch the Imperial army. The other party seemed to remember me as well, and immediately bowed his head.

“Please pardon my subordinates for their impoliteness. Please let them go!”

“I don’t mind. Can you let me through now?”

“P-Please do. I’ll show you around!”

The Advisor is called Fector, a slim man with long gray hair tied at the back of his head. He has the temperament of a gentleman and does come across as a harsh one.

“I had no idea that Tanaka-sama would be coming. If you had given us a prior notice, you wouldn’t have experienced such a greeting.”

“No, that’s fine already, no need to worry about that. More than that, I’m impressed that you remember me well.”

“You may have forgotten, but I also participated in the sacred beasts defense battle. I don’t know how many times I prepared myself for death in those fierce battles with the angels.”

Looking back on my memory, I certainly feel like I’ve seen his face a few times in that place. However, I still has a strong impression of him from the war against the Empire. With him as my guide, I make my way through the imperial capital. The city center, which was damaged in the battle with the Emperor, has been repaired and regained its former tranquility and is bustling with people. No, in fact, it feels like it has become even more prosperous.

“Her Majesty, Scáthach is a very wise woman. She has opened up the market in exchange for drawing support from other kingdoms. Thanks to that, we are now richer than we were before the war.”

“That’s indeed what it looks like now.”

A few townspeople turned pale as soon as they saw me. They must have recalled the time when I marched with my skeletons in the previous battle.

“Don’t be too offended, it was too shocking for us Imperials you see. After all, it was the first time in thousands of years that the capital had been attacked.”

He said that the killing of the Sacred Beast was the most painful for them. The Sacred Beast Doran was the strongest guardian beast protecting the Imperial City. That’s why the Imperial Army was able to go on the offensive without defending any of its home bases. The loss of an absolute guardian god and object of worship must have shaken the empire like never before. Even though I had no choice at that time, I guess I am also responsible for upsetting the balance of power in the world. In fact, that even shook the barrier that protected this planet.

“By the way, what did Tanaka-sama come here for?”

“As you have thought, I would like to meet Empress Scáthach.”

“As expected huh. I had guided you to the palace with that in mind so I’m relieved. By the way, may I ask you why you are meeting Her Majesty?”

“Actually, there seems to be a ring in the treasury here that I am looking for, and I thought of asking her if she could give it to me.”

“I see. A ring huh….”

He crossed his arms and tried to remember if he had ever seen one in the treasury. Of course, not out of kindness, but because he is interested in the value of the ring. If it’s a normal ring, I can just make one. So he can at least tell that it’s not just a ring.

“What does it look like?”

“Probably black.”

“Black ring…… C-could it be the first emperor’s ring?!”

The first emperor of the Estent Empire—Emperor Guwan Shikōtei. He was reportedly very ruthless and dictatorial. However, many of the things he did were groundbreaking at the time, and it is said that he was undoubtedly the one who laid the foundation of the current empire. The first emperor Guwan wore a black ring all the time. Today, it is kept in the innermost part of the treasury, but successive emperors always have a ritual to test whether they can wear the ring after their accession to the throne. However, since the First Emperor, no one has been able to put the ring on.

“If that’s the ring Tanaka-sama is looking for, it’s almost impossible to get it. After all, it’s the national treasure of our empire. Even Her Majesty Scáthach wouldn’t agree to it.”

“Hmm, it’s a national treasure huh. That’s a problem then.”

“But first, we need to make sure if it is really Guwan-sama’s ring. We need to talk to Her Majesty and check the treasury.”

Fector led me inside to the Imperial Palace, and then to the throne room where the Empress was. Scathach was sitting on the throne with all the charisma of an Empress, and her expression does not change even when she sees me. Compared to that time when she lost her father, she is now very different.

“Welcome, Tanaka-dono. So, why did you come here?”

“I am looking for something. I think there’s a black ring in the treasury of this Kingdom. I want you to give it to me.”

“Are you saying you want it for free?”

“Of course I’ll pay you in exchange.”

“……Very well.”

She ordered her servant to bring all the rings in the treasury. It seems to take a while, so I start chatting with her in the meantime.

“You’ve become a lot more like an Empress huh.”

“Fufu, you say something quite embarrassing huh. Well, I wonder if you did this to me.”

“Maybe.”

Even though Scathach is called Empress, she is still a young girl. Her beauty seemed more polished than when I first saw her.

“By the way, don’t you want to be my husband?”

“Huh? Husband??”

Even I can’t believe my ears.

 Is she sane to propose marriage to the man who killed his father?

“I want to leave behind an excellent child, and in that respect, despite you being human, you have dealt with the world’s most powerful people on an equal footing, and even defeated those powerful angels. Considering the prosperity of the empire, my marriage with you should be a major turning point.”

“No, no way. I killed your father you know. Besides, your people will not stay silent.”

“Would a man like you care about such a trivial matter? My father is already dead, and when I think of the future of my kingdom, I am more than willing to throw away any grudges I might have. If the people are unhappy about my marriage to you, I will simply oppress them until they say yes.”

This girl may have been more terrifying than I thought. As expected, she is the daughter of the former emperor, I can really feel their strong blood connection. However, I have no intention of marrying her, so I have to refuse.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not going to do that. I’m sure there is someone more suitable for you.”

“Then let’s do this, if the black ring you are looking for is the ring of the First Emperor, which is our national treasure, I will give it to you but in exchange, I will ask you to become my husband.”

It has come to this huh. Hmmm….

I could take it by force, but I don’t really like doing so. If possible, I would like to make a proper transaction. That’s what I wanted.

“I have brought them.”

The servant returns with four rings placed on a tray. The Empress raised the corner of her mouth slightly, “Which one are you looking for?”

“Can I touch it for a moment?”

“No problem.”

The first ring. It’s a gold ring with a black pearl in it. I tried to touch it lightly with my finger, but there is no reaction. This is not it.

The second ring. It is a silver ring with onyx in it. I tried to touch it, but there is no reaction.

The third ring. It’s a gold ring with a blank opal in it. Again, there was no reaction either.

The fourth ring. It’s a jet-black ring embellished with gold. The black part is engraved with scrambled letters. When I touched it, a wave of light ran. This is it. No mistake.

“This is it.”

“That’s the First Emperor’s ring.”

As expected. It’s obviously different from other rings. The empress looked at me with a slight smile.

“If there’s anything I can trade outside of marriage, what is it?”

“It’s a difficult story, after all, it’s the history of the empire itself. If there is an equivalent value, it would be Sacred Beast Doran. Therefore, you cannot pay a price for that.”

“Sacred Beast Doran huh……”

It seems that she is determined to draw me into the empire. But it is true that Sacred Beast Doran is worth it. It is the best way to enhance the Empire’s defense and unify the public’s consciousness. It would be a reasonable price for the ring.

However, if I bring Doran back to life, the next thing she’ll demand is the former emperor, Gaen, and her other siblings. In that case, there will be no end to it. After all, when it comes to reviving the dead, it’s more about the outcome than the process.

“I’ll give you a new sacred beast, can I use it as a price?”

“What are you talking about? A sacred beast you say!?”

“I’m going to give you a sacred beast to replace Doran, and in exchange, I’ll have that ring.”

“Hmm, let me tell you, a mere dragon sacred beast won’t convince me. It must be at least a high-ranking dragon sacred beast.”

I used divine qi to create a dragon-type sacred beast. If I suddenly turn it into an adult, it will destroy the Imperial Palace, so I first create it as a juvenile and adjust it so that it becomes an adult in a few days. Its color is pure white. Golden eyes. Bestowed with light and holy attributes. A dragon cub appeared in a swirl of iridescent light.

“Kuwaaaang~”

“Come here.”

The dragon cub yawned as I picked it up. It had pure white scales and large golden eyes like glass beads. 

There was a commotion in the throne room.

“H-How did you do that!?”

“It’s a trade secret. By the way, is there anyone who can use appraisal?”

Looking around, I saw that one of her subjects possessed appraisal skill. I instructed that person to hold the dragon and check its status.

“How is it!?”

“Y-Yes…… Empress, it is indeed a sacred beast. It’s also a top-tier dragon.”

Empress Scathach vigorously hit the armrest of her throne and looked frustrated.

“Not yet, I can’t give you the ring at this rate! I’ll accept the exchange if you produce another top-ranking dragon sacred beast!”

“Hmm, that’s fine.”

This time, I created a jet-black top-of-the-line dragon. This one had darkness and holy attribute. It has silver eyes. The moment it appeared before their eyes, both Scathach and her subjects were speechless.

“You…… You have become a being beyond the real of humans……”

“The short answer is, yes.”

“It would be even more unfortunate then, if I had moved earlier…”

I can’t find the words to say to the depressed Empress. In fact, I was thinking of having her come to the wedding. I feel like it’s too cruel to invite her now. However, it is also a problem if she is the only one not present at the ceremony where the rulers of each kingdom all gather together.

This…. I guess I’ll invite her anyway.

I took out an envelope from my bosom. I handed it to a nearby servant and told her to show it to Scathach.

“Inviting me to your wedding ceremony…… What a thoughtless man you are.”

“I’m sorry, but it’s also a gathering for all kingdom, so I can’t help but invite you.”

“Very well. I’ll participate. However, the date of the event is three days later, which is quite hasty. What do you mean? You don’t even need a gift?”

“I’ll pick you up in three days. Please be ready by the time listed. The details are written in the letter.”

“Understood.”

Empress Scathach smiled resignedly.

“So, can I get the ring?”

“Given those two powerful sacred beasts, I have no choice but to accept. Even though it is a national treasure, the ring is nothing more than a useless ornaments that no one can wear. I am actually surprised that I was able to exchange it for more.”

Scathach looked satisfied as she stroked the two dragons on her lap. Those two will make the empire even calmer.

“See you soon.”

I took the ring and left the throne room.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

---

Previous ⚜ Table of Contents ⚜ Next

---