Book 12: Chapter 5: Part2
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Part 2
“Haaaaah!”
“””Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!”””
──How much time has passed since I met Zenovis-san and the others again?
Now I was wielding the [Omni-Sword] clothed with my own spiritual power against the kobolds that Kuuya-san had created with his spiritual power.
When I started my training in this underworld, I had no idea how long it would take to resolve this situation, and I had many things to worry about because of my life on Earth.
However, the underworld had a separate flow of time from the present world, just like the heavenly realm, and on top of that, it was said that one does not age while in this place.
Therefore, I don’t have to worry about the time it took to train, and I had spent a considerable amount of time training here.
In the beginning, I concentrated too much on manipulating my spiritual power, and when there were more than two kobolds to deal with, I often became careless with my handling of my spiritual power.
Now, however, I am able to handle multiple kobolds while manipulating spiritual power in a natural way.
Nevertheless, as I became more adept at using my spiritual power, Kuuya-san made the kobolds he produced stronger, so my training was quite painful.
“Yuuya. Relax your body. If you keep exerting yourself so much, you will collapse soon.”
“I-I understand…!”
In addition to operating my spiritual power, Zenovis-san taught me how to handle weapons, just as I had done when I was sent to the past.
However, this time I was allowed to use [Omni-Sword] from the beginning, so this would be a big difference.
“You can cut anything you want to cut without having to rely on weapons anymore. So adding restrictions to your weapons now will have no effect.”
…Zenovis-san said so, but I’m probably still relying on my weapon.
I had also taught some various sorcery from Kuuya-san to seal Meiko, but it was also difficult.
Because of this, the only new sorcery I was learning here was the “sealing technique,” and I didn’t have time to learn any other types of sorcery.
Well, since all I needed now was the sealing technique, there would be no problem if I could learn the other arts at another time.
I continued my training in this way, but then I was allowed to take a break.
“I-I’m tired…”
“Thanks for your hard work, Yuuya-chan.”
“Oh, thank you, Archer-san.”
“I don’t know exactly what it is, but Yuuya, you’ve gotten a lot stronger, haven’t you?”
“I-is that so? I’m glad to hear you say so.”
While receiving a towel from Archer-san, I can’t help but smile at my grandfather’s words.
Then Archer-san opened her mouth, looking a bit dazed, as she sat down next to me.
“Even so… Sage-sama training is outrageous, isn’t it?”
“I-is that so?”
“Yes, it is. I had only known Sage-sama as a character from a fairy tale, but seeing him in person like this, I realized that all those fairy tales were true.”
“A-ahahaha…”
“Anyway, you have to remember that the training you’re undergoing right now is quite frankly outrageous, even from my perspective as the holder of the title of Holy.”
“I-I understand.”
“However, if Yuuya-chan is that strong, Yuti-chan will be safe, and I am very grateful for that.”
I couldn’t help but ask Archer-san, who looked somewhat sad.
“Um… How did you get acquainted with Yuti?”
“Well… when she was a baby, she was abandoned in the forest near the village where I lived.”
“Eh?”
“I found her by chance when I was making my rounds outside the village, so I was able to protect her… I don’t know what would have happened to her if I hadn’t found her then.”
“I see…”
Amidst the surprise that Yuti was an abandoned child, Archer-san continued.
“The villagers were scared of her because she looked and sounded so out of touch with the world and because she seemed to be a seer due to her excessive insight. Besides, it wasn’t a very wealthy village, and there was no one to take her. So I decided to take her in and raise her.”
According to Archer-san, while raising Yuti, she also taught her the art of Bow Saint so that she could live on her own.
But even though Archer-san, who was already a Bow Saint at that time, was protecting the village where she lived, her power was feared, and she was kept away from the people of the village.
“I tried my best to help the villagers as much as I could. But the harder I tried, the more they saw me as different, and I was always alone.”
“…..”
Villagers kept Archer-san away from them despite the fact that she protected them.
…I can’t say anything because I think it’s selfish, but maybe there was something in that village that I don’t understand.
But there was no doubt that Archer-san was seriously trying to reach out to the villagers.
“I was always alone like that, and Yuti-chan was the first family I had ever had. That’s why I was so attached to her. I knew I had to let her do a lot of things on her own, but I was overprotective.”
“Ah…”
When I heard Archer-san’s words, I recalled the early days when Yuti first came to live at my house.
Back then, she was trying to get me to do whatever she wanted… Now, she’s trying hard to correct herself and is able to do a lot of things on her own… But was that all a problem with the way Archer-san had raised her?
“Because it can’t be helped! Yuti-chan is just too cute! Isn’t she?”
“T-that’s right.”
I felt pressured by Archer-san’s tone that I couldn’t help but nod.
She nodded her head in satisfaction at my reaction.
“Yeah, yeah, you know what I mean, right, Yuuya-chan? That’s why I can leave her in your care with peace of mind… Please continue to take good care of Yuti-chan, okay?”
“…Yes.”
I nodded with a serious expression on my face.
“It’s time to resume your training.”
“Ah, yes!”
I replied to Zenovis-san’s words and was about to resume my training──but at that moment.
“!?”
Suddenly, a tremendous chill swept over my body.
The feeling was similar to when demons appeared at my house on Earth… but it was nothing like that.
Above all, it was a sign of death or… something darker and denser.
I hurriedly turned my gaze in the direction of the signs and saw a pitch-black, bipedal monster standing there.
It was covered in pitch black, its eyes glowing red, and its silhouette was that of a werewolf, a combination of a beast and a human being.
The monster stared at us, and in the next instant, it disappeared from the scene.
“Wha!? W-where──?”
“──Fuh.”
“Giiii!?”
“Zenovis-san?”
As soon as I lost sight of the creature, it appeared in my blind spot and attacked me at an unbelievable speed.
However, Zenovis-san, who had anticipated this, quickly gathered spiritual power in his hands, created a sword with it, and cut down the creature with a single sword stroke.
“This one is…”
A red oni came running from the distance as Zenovis-san looked like he had noticed something in front of the creature he had just slain.
“E…everyoneeee! T-there’s a problem!”
“What’s wrong?”
“Meiko’s power has started to go out of control!”
“! So you’re saying this is the residue from Meiko’s power overflowing?”
“Yes, that’s right!”
According to Nikkaku-san’s story, the monster that had just attacked us was a being created from the power of Meiko.
The moment I confronted it, I felt a wave of such a terrifying power that seemed to reject life…
The boundary between the underworld and the present world is disappearing, and if that creature wanders around into the underworld, it could cause an avalanche of creatures to descend into the present world.
That must be stopped at all costs…!
We looked at each other and told Nikaku.
“Please lead us to where Meiko is!”
“I know that Meiko’s outburst has only just begun, but now that it’s happened, we need to seal her up as soon as possible…”
“While Yuuya seals Meiko, we’ll have to deal with the creatures from before, won’t we?”
“My arms are ringing.”
“Yuuya, can you do the sealing technique now?”
“I- I think it’s probably fine!”
I don’t know if I can actually do it properly, but I have no choice but to do it after coming this far.
As we were about to head for Meiko’s place, Grandpa, who had remained silent up until now, opened his mouth.
“Are you sure this is the right thing to do?”
“Eh?”
It was an unexpected word.
Everyone except Grandpa was surprised by his words.
“Yuusuke. What do you mean by that?”
“It means exactly what I said, Zenovis.”
Grandpa, who had once been in touch with Zenovis-san beyond the constraints of time and the boundaries of the two worlds, said in his usual tone.
“I’ve been stuck on it ever since I heard Reimei-sama talk about it. I wondered if it was really okay to seal Meiko. And now I finally understand.”
“W-what are you talking about? Meiko is an existence formed by the crystallization of the malice of the deadly sinners in the underworld… and we can’t just let her go unchecked!”
Nikkaku came to his senses at Grandpa’s words and said so in a panic, but Grandpa put on a serious expression and uttered one word that came as a shock to us all.
“Did Meiko do something wrong?”
“!”
“We knew that the creature was created by the outburst of Meiko’s power and that Meiko herself was the culmination of the evil intentions of the dead sinners of the underworld. But has this Meiko ever done anything wrong herself?”
“T-this is not the time to be talking about that! Do you know how dangerous the mere appearance of the creature you just saw could be?”
“I do know that. But is sealing Meiko really the only way to stop that creature from appearing?”
Zenovis-san opened his mouth to answer Grandpa’s question.
“Yuusuke. I know how you feel, but we’re not in that situation.”
“Hmm… if you guys are going to stand on that side, I might as well side with Meiko.”
“!?”
Grandpa’s words, delivered in such a matter-of-fact manner, left everyone speechless.
But Grandpa continued on without paying attention to them.
“Because, you know, Meiko is not doing anything wrong of her own volition. But I can’t overlook it if you just assume that she is evil and seal her up.”
“What are you talking about? She is the fruit of the evil intentions of the deadly sinners! Such a thing is so bad that you don’t even need to think about it──”
“Then why didn’t Meiko make her move right after the seal was lifted?”
“T-that’s…”
I couldn’t hide my upset when I heard Grandpa’s words.
Certainly, the creature that we just saw was probably created because of the overflow of the power that came from Meiko’s seal being broken.
But it was not the will of Meiko herself.
Besides, as Grandpa said, Meiko’s seal had been broken before I came to the underworld. And yet, the fact that the creature did not appear until just a few moments ago suggested that Meiko was trying to stop herself from going out of control as much as possible.
“We don’t know much about this being, and to just seal her up unconditionally is just… It seems that Meiko hurts those around her regardless of her own will, but we don’t know if Meiko herself is at fault or not. It’s not very nice, but I don’t think she should be sealed under those circumstances.”
Grandpa’s figure, who told us so with a resolute attitude, had not changed at all since he was still alive.
While I was being pressured by his imposing attitude, Zenovis-san confronted Grandpa head-on.
“Do you understand? Yuusuke. If that creature escapes into the present world, those without spiritual power will be overrun in an instant. Knowing that, you think you can save them from that creature?”
“That’s what I’m saying. If there is a chance that I can save her, I will pursue it.”
“…I’m not as optimistic as you are about the slim chance of saving her. If you try to stand in our way any longer, I will not tolerate it.”
At that moment, Zenovis-san released a pressure that almost choked us as we watched.
But even in the face of such pressure, Grandpa did not change color.
“That’s scary. I don’t have strength like you, so I’m sure I’ll be easily defeated. Still, I will continue to insist on this.”
“…Are you sane?”
“Of course I’m sane.”
“What makes you so stubborn?”
“I just don’t like the idea of unilaterally deciding something is evil and sealing it up. The idea of just sealing it up and getting it over with, without considering other options.”
“…If you can’t find a way to do that, it’s all for nothing. But you still want to persist?”
“Of course. I’ll persist even if it ends in failure or is a waste of time. Because that would be… the human thing to do, wouldn’t it?”
“!”
Those words penetrated deep into the heart of Zenovis-san, who wished to die as a human being.
That was why Zenovis-san’s eyes widened at Grandpa’s words.
And then──.
“Kukuku… Hahahaha! Well, that’s certainly true!”
Zenovis-san laughed out loud.
“Yes… that’s right. Humans are foolish beings, to begin with. Even though we know it in our heads, our hearts often fail to agree with us. And then we follow our hearts and fail. But I used to love them and think they were the way they should be… I didn’t realize I’d forgotten that before I knew it…”
“Zenovis-san…”
Then, in a complete change of mood from earlier, Zenovis-san smiled ferociously.
“And there’s nothing that I can’t do. That’s right…”
“Hmph… that’s what it is, Zenovis.”
Grandpa and Zenovis-san laughed happily.
Seeing them, Archer-san and Kuuya-san smiled as if they knew they were in for trouble.
“Ara ara, this is a big trouble, isn’t it?”
“That’s right. But… that’s what makes it so worthwhile!”
I heard that Archer-san and Kuuya-san were willing to help as well.
But…
“W-wait a minute! You can’t just go ahead with this on your own! We don’t have time to waste on something we don’t even know will succeed!”
From Nikkaku’s point of view, this is a crisis in the underworld and the present world, and he probably doesn’t have time to think about Meiko.
However, Zenovis-san had already begun to think of measures to rescue Meiko.
And I, too, had already discarded the idea of simply sealing Meiko up after hearing Grandpa’s story.
“──Enough said, Nikkaku.”
“Re-Reimei-sama!”
Just as we and Nikkaku’s arguments were reaching a crossroads, Reimei-sama appeared out of nowhere.
When she looked over at us, she had a sad expression on her face.
“…I’ll tell you all about it. About Meiko…”
“…..”
“As you say… Meiko herself has done nothing wrong. It is merely the crystallization of the malice of the deadly sinners in the underworld. Meiko has no will herself. And the power that resides in her body had never been wielded by herself. She must have known from birth that if she used her powers, the world would collapse. Despite being born from the malice of the deadly sinners, Meiko herself was surprisingly pure and kind. However… Regardless of Meiko’s will, the power that resides in her body goes out of control. The result is that she continually hurts those around her, and she has asked me to seal her up. That is how she has been sealed… for tens of thousands of years.”
“No way…”
The reason why Meiko was sealed was because she herself wanted to be sealed.
And for an amount of time that I can’t even imagine…
After she had said all that, Reimei-sama looked us straight in the eye.
“Now that Meiko’s power is out of control, we have no time to waste. It would be next to impossible to find any means other than sealing under such circumstances. Even so… I still don’t want to give up on rescuing Meiko.”
For Reimei-sama, those words must have been heavier than anything else.
It was not something that could be easily spoken out because it was Reimei-sama who bore the burden of the underworld.
Even so, Reimei-sama did speak up and said that she wanted to save Meiko.
…If that’s the case, then it’s decided what I’ll do.
Grandpa laughed gently at Reimei-sama, who was about to start crying.
“We’ll just have to dig our feet in until the end. Besides, if you see someone in trouble──”
“──We will help them, right? Grandpa.”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
Hearing my words, Grandpa smiled happily.
“Reimei-sama. I don’t know how it will turn out, but… I’ll try to hold my ground and see it through to the end.”
“…Thank you.”
I accepted his words, and we headed off to Meiko’s place.