Volume 9 Chapter 12 The Two Who Reunite
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Where… is this?
Pushing through the beach, we’d somehow ended up at a rocky hillside. Descending that brought us to some unfamiliar town, out of nowhere.
It felt like we were just wandering down random paths, the scenery shifting in bizarre, disjointed ways. The structure of this world was as baffling as ever. With no sign of Alice or Athena—locals to this place—the uncertainty of trudging along like this only gnawed at me.
I had no interest in aimless wandering. I stole a glance at the two figures ahead and thought it quietly to myself. A flicker of irritation smoldered inside. How had things turned out like this? Why had they come barging into my peaceful, happy life?
”…Um, isn’t it about time—”
”I’m not letting go. I know you’re under that charm.”
”Brother might think he doesn’t need help, but please, just follow us for now.”
”…Gina.”
My protest died in my throat before I could finish. I caught a hint of anger in the air and faltered, words failing me.
I was charmed. That’s why they thought I’d bolt if they let go. No point trying to reason with them.
The black cloth wrapped around my arm was apparently to keep me from slipping away. It made me look like some captured criminal, and I couldn’t help wishing for a less humiliating setup. Gina’s grip on my sleeve seemed like a mix of restraint and consideration—she was holding back, at least.
Ahead walked the beastkin little girl and my sister. I let out a sigh. The girl’s fox ears twitched toward me at the sound. I quickly schooled my face into a neutral mask.
Gina aside, who was this kid? She seemed like a mage, but what a terrifying child. Alice and Athena had both been taken down by her alone. Sure, she looked young because of this place, but she was definitely no kid.
”This place really has a creepy vibe.”
We hopped across some stones to cross a river, and suddenly we were in the town. An oppressive darkness hung over everything. The buildings were all stone—probably part of some big city somewhere. But there was no buzz of people, no life to it.
”You said this looked familiar, right?”
”Yes. This scenery from the dream… I believe it’s the slums of Schiefeld. In the Theocracy, the gap between rich and poor is stark, so crowded cities tend to have districts like this.”
I widened my eyes at Gina’s words. She sounded just like someone who’d actually been there.
”I’ve heard of the Theocracy. It’s one of the big human countries, isn’t it?”
”It’s counted among the four great nations, or sometimes the three. A land that worships Goddess Teekua—and I’m listed as one of its priests.”
”I see. Then this country is lucky. They’ve got talent like you, so you must be quite the asset.”
”…That’s not—”
”No need to be modest. The ability you showed me was an unbreakable absolute defense. It’s irreplaceable, top-tier stuff. You’re a priest, but your work sounds more like military duty, doesn’t it?”
”Yes. In Bishop Sara’s stead, I’m currently commanding the front lines against the Demon Lord’s Army.”
The front lines against the Demon Lord’s Army—Klock stared in stunned silence at her words. Gina glanced back for a split second. He shot her a questioning look with his eyes, but she said nothing.
”Front-line commander? Then you shouldn’t be somewhere like this.”
”I fell for an enemy’s trap. An incubus named Bors used some unknown method to send me to this world. Probably to pull me off the battlefield.”
”Too capable for your own good. The more effective a commander, the more efficiently the army performs. But that makes the commander a prime target, too. In your case, with that one-of-a-kind prowess, you’d be the top priority for any attack.”
At the young fox’s sharp observation, Gina looked away. Was something weighing on her mind?
”If it were me, I’d keep a valuable asset like you close by. What are the Theocracy’s leaders thinking? Or do they have so many talents like you that you’re a dime a dozen?”
”…Well…”
Gina looked like she didn’t know how to respond. Agreeing would sound like boasting about her own skills. But denying it would contradict her current situation, or something like that.
”Where… are we?”
”Just a spot with no people around. I set up a barrier in advance to prepare it. Your presence won’t be detected here. We can rest for a bit.”
The three of us stepped into the ruins. Not a single sound reached us from outside—it was an eerily still place. In the corner of the room, strange papers were stuck to the wall. Magic circles drawn on them, most likely for the barrier. The young fox’s doing, probably.
”Brother—”
”Gina?”
The moment we entered the safe zone. As I turned at her call, she—clung to me.
”B-brother…!!”
”Gina. What’s—”
”Brother. Brother, brother, brother…!!”
”Huh…”
She collapsed to her knees, still clinging, her grip on my clothes trembling like she would never let go.
”Ah, ugh, uwaaaah…!!”
”Gina…? What’s wrong all of a sudden…”
Why had they come here? The thought had lingered in my mind for a while now. We’d been enjoying a fun life with Alice and the others—why did they have to disrupt that?
”Finally… we… reunited…”
”…Gina…”
Her tears hit me like a punch to the gut from the side. Her voice, choked with sobs, blasted through my head and left it blank.
What the hell had I been thinking? The charm was no excuse. My own sister had come for me, and I’d seen it as an intrusion. What a rotten thing to feel.
”Gina. Thank you for coming.”
”…Y-yes… I’m the one who’s sorry… so useless… I couldn’t get to you sooner…”
”N-no, it’s fine. See? I’m okay, just like this.”
The young black fox girl averted her eyes and stayed silent. I sank to my knees and pulled Gina into a hug. She trembled in my arms, letting out quiet sobs and tears for a good while.
* * *
”I’m so glad you’re really safe. Sorry for showing you such a pathetic side of me.”
”…Gina. You’re not pathetic at all.”
I sat leaning against the wall next to my sister, the bindings finally undone. Klock’s hand was still held in hers—Gina’s eyes a little red from crying.
She really was my sister. Gina at twelve years old, just a bit younger. It was hard to believe this shy girl from my memories had led an assault to rescue me. She was the type who never did anything bold like that.
”…Um, and who’s the girl over there…?”
”Kuzuha.”
”…Kuzuha?”
”I see. So the memory loss is real.”
Memory loss. So this fox beastkin girl was someone I knew, then?
”Why doesn’t Brother have his memories?”
”Because this is the Dream of Blissful Return.”
The Dream of Blissful Return. Alice had mentioned this world by that name. Apparently, even non-succubi knew about it.
”It’s a dream of the happiest time in your life. That’s why he’s regressed to that age.”
”Then… are we the weird ones for having our memories?”
”Who knows. Gina, how did you say you got here again?”
”It was that incubus, Bors…”
”Exactly. That incubus probably just sent your mind here. Your soul isn’t actually in this world.”
”What… does that mean?”
”In reality, you’re just asleep. Only your mind is here. So if you slit your throat and die in this place, you’d wake up back in the real world.”
”Huh—”
This fox girl said the most horrifying things. She looked like a child, but her word choice was downright alarming.
”But this guy’s different. His soul came here too. That’s why his memories regressed. It’s not supposed to happen. If he died now, it’d be the real deal.”
”Real death…!!”
What the fox girl said lined up perfectly with Lilies’ words. She’d definitely mentioned coming here soul and all. Death like that was news to me, though.
”So things are different for you than for me.”
”Normally, this world doesn’t have any entrances or exits. It’s set up so only the mind can slip through. Succubi can’t drag bodies or souls back with them, and people from the real world can’t bring theirs here either. But somehow, he got yanked in soul-first. That’s why everything’s such a mess. And thanks to that, I got pulled in too.”
”Thanks to that…? Princess Kuzuha. You—”
”Forget about me. More importantly, hey.”
The fox girl shot me a sharp glare. I flinched and straightened up in a hurry. This girl had been giving off a vibe like a guard dog on high alert the whole time. Just being near her made me feel like she had my throat in her sights.
”You’ve been glancing around all sneaky-like since earlier. It’s like you’re scouting for a chance to bolt.”
”Wha—?! N-no, that’s not…!!”
”You thought I wouldn’t notice? I know you’re completely under that charm, your mind dominated by those succubi.”
With that, she snapped out a piece of paper with a flick. It came from the sleeve of her ethnic-style outfit—a rectangular slip covered in unfamiliar script. Probably the same kind as the ones stuck to the walls in the corner, but the magic circle on this one looked totally different.
”First things first, let’s lift that charm. Otherwise, he’ll just wander right back to the succubi on his own.”
”Got it. Brother, just stay still and behave.”
”Wait, I’m already—”
”I don’t want to hear it—no ‘I’m fine’ or ‘I’m not charmed.’ Lie down on the floor. Resist, and I’ll kick you right where it hurts.”
”?! “
I clapped my hands over my groin on instinct. Kuzuha flashed the most wicked grin.
”Actually, maybe I should. This is a dream world, after all. Even if it hurts, your real body would be fine. Probably. Might even be convenient—make you useless to the succubi so they leave you alone.”
”Eek…!! S-stop!! I’ll behave, I swear!!”
”…Princess. Could you please hold off? He’s family. I can’t just stand by if he gets hurt for no reason.”
”…Hmph. It was a joke.”
Klock’s jewels were spared, at least. But with the fox girl glaring daggers every few seconds, I couldn’t let my guard down for a moment. It felt like her foot would come flying the instant I did, so during the whole exorcism, I huddled up and did exactly as told.
* * *
”Back to your senses?”
”Um… I feel clearer, maybe…?”
”Good. Then we’re set.”
The charm-lifting wrapped up quick and easy. The bindings came off, and just like that, I was free.
It didn’t feel all that different, sensation-wise. No burning obsession for Alice and the others. I wasn’t even sure how it’d been before, so the shift didn’t hit hard. But I didn’t see them in a bad light anymore either. Had the exorcism flopped? Or maybe… the time I’d spent with them hadn’t been all bad.
”Let’s start by getting a handle on the situation.”
Gina had been waiting in the corner of the room. Kuzuha beckoned her over with a casual wave.
”Gina. It’s weird to say ‘nice to meet you’ at this point, but could you fill me in on your current situation again?”
”Yes. So, to start over—it’s been a while, Brother. I’m really glad we could meet like this.”
”Gina… yeah, long time. Doesn’t feel that long, though.”
”I suppose not. My ‘long time’ isn’t from just recently. You’re still confused, I get that, but let me explain a bit about the real world. It might help you decide what to do next.”
”Got it.”
The real world. Alice hadn’t gone deep into it—the stuff outside Crimson Spire. I’d figured I’d never have to deal with it again, but here we were.
”You know we’re in this other realm called Crimson Spire, regressed to our past selves…?”
”Yeah. I get the basics. No memories, though.”
”So for you right now, I’m just the sister you’ve lived with under the same roof all this time.”
I nodded along with her words, a little jerkily.
”My body looks about twelve, but that’s the regression. In the real world, I’m twenty-six. You’re probably the same—back to your kid years. We’re reuniting in forms from about fifteen years ago.”
Fifteen years. From the ages, it added up to around that. Thanks to her memories, Gina seemed to have a rough sense of the time gap with reality.
”I’d heard, but… me as an adult? Still doesn’t feel real.”
”I know it’s hard to believe, but once we get out of here, it’ll prove true.”
Was it, though? Part of me still wondered. Everyone teaming up to pull a cruel prank on me would almost be easier to swallow. Telling me this isn’t reality—without memories, it’s tough to buy. Honestly, it was all so baffling I just wanted to throw in the towel.
”What was real-me doing, anyway?”
”I don’t know. For me, we parted ways around this point in time in the world. This is our reunion after fifteen years.”
”Reunion… after fifteen years…?”
Her story caught me totally off guard, leaving me baffled.
”Why’d we lose touch? Gina, your marriage was supposed to be way off…”
”…That, I think it’s better to save for after we escape this place. I’ve got a mountain of things to talk about with you—piled up over the years. But right now, it’d just complicate things for us.”
”We decided to talk it out among ourselves and put it off. Things are a bit too tangled up.”
Kuzuha chimed in from the side. I could tell there was some heavy stuff brewing.
”…Okay. We’ll save the reason we lost touch for later.”
Had some big incident torn us apart? But I got it—this wasn’t the time. This was another realm, not reality. For all I knew, we hadn’t reunited out there. If she wanted to wait till things settled, I’d give her that.
”You were fighting alongside the Hero to repel the Demon Lord’s Army until recently.”
”The Demon Lord’s Army…”
”…You’re not surprised.”
”I already heard I was the Hero’s lover.”
If Alice and the others said so, it had to be true. That’s about how I took it. I’d wondered if it was a mix-up, but hearing it from Kuzuha sealed it as fact.
Klock and Kuzuha’s back-and-forth. Gina, listening from the side, looked the most uneasy of all.
”I’ve heard the details from Princess Kuzuha already. But… really, the Hero’s lover? Brother, you…”
”Yeah, I don’t know the how or why either. Honestly, I can barely believe it myself.”
”It’s true. You fought Abyss monsters with me. The Hero heard you were in trouble, rushed in, and slaughtered them. Back in the Beast Country, you two are treated like heroes.”
”Huh… heroes…? In the Beast Country…?”
Heroes in a kingdom worlds away. That was news to me. It sounded way too out there. I tilted my head ninety degrees and still couldn’t wrap my brain around it.
”Rosetta spread all sorts of wild stories praising you both. The acclaim is huge. Then, just when you were settling into a peaceful life there, word came that the Demon Lord’s Army had declared war on the humans. You two headed back to the Human Continent to take down the Demon Lord. That’s the last I heard—about a month before I ended up here.”
Whaaat…
She was dropping bombshells left and right. It sounded like something straight out of a fairy tale. What the hell was she even saying? I wanted her to say it was all a lie. I found myself scanning her serious face for any hint of teasing.
I could follow the story, sure.
But buying it? That was a whole other hurdle.
Trying to sell such an outlandish story to someone without their memories—anyone would assume it was all a joke. To believe it, like Gina said, I’d have to get back to reality and recover those memories.
”Alright, my turn now.”
”Oh… uh, please go ahead. I don’t know a thing about you…”
Gina looked like she had more to say, but she closed her mouth. She’d yield for now. If it was important, she’d bring it up later. The fox girl crossed her arms in front of me and stood there with all the pomp of a tiny tyrant.
”We crossed paths in the real world just recently.”
”I see. So, someone I met in the Beast Country, then?”
”Yes. Though in real time, we only tied the knot about a month ago.”
The words hung in the air, frozen.
When something hits you that hard, your mind can go blank like that.
”…Tied the knot…? Wait, what?”
”I’m your wife. The Hero’s the main one, so I guess that makes me the second wife.”
”……Whaaaaat?!?!”
Tiny. This pint-sized girl with the fox ears snorted and declared herself my wife. Second wife. This kid. And she was a beastkin, too—the rarest kind of fox beastkin I’d ever laid eyes on, at least in my current state.
”W-wife…?”
”Yes, that’s right. And I’ve got your kid in here.”
”Ch-child…?!!!”
Klock choked, a weird squeak escaping his throat. A kid. In her belly. His mouth flapped open and shut, over and over.
He scanned the little girl from bottom to top. No way around it—she looked seven or eight, tops. A pregnant kid? Impossible. That was straight-up monstrous. His vision whited out for a second. If she knew about the baby, that meant she was already expecting.
”What kind of face is that? Just so you know, my body’s regressed too. Probably about fifteen years, same as you. No way I’d be knocked up at this age.”
”Ah, yeah. Right. …Oh, good…”
No, not good. Or maybe it was—he couldn’t tell. What kind of twist of fate had led to taking a fox beastkin as a second wife?
”So… you’re in your last month or something…?”
Gina piped up from the side.
”Not yet. My belly won’t start showing for a while.”
”Huh? Then it’s still—”
She doesn’t know if she’s pregnant yet? That’s what Klock thought, pure and simple. There were divinations and such that could tell early, but usually, it hit you with the morning sickness. He opened his mouth to say as much—right as Kuzuha’s sharp gaze turned even sharper.
”Watch your mouth. No memories or not, some things don’t get a pass. Beastkin get pregnant from mating during the season. You might not know now, but future-you did—and he still went after me. Me, the princess of Karakas.”
”Huh? …Huh? P-princess…?!!!”
He whipped around to Gina’s face. What the—? She looked like she already knew. Why hadn’t she said anything? Though… she had been calling her “princess” earlier.
”Were you two… in love, Brother?”
”No, not at all. How it happened? It’s the kind of story you don’t even want to hear.”
”Huh…?”
The kind you don’t want to hear? No way—had future-him… with a princess? Someone of her station?
”…Brother?”
”N-no, no, no, no way! I don’t get it, I don’t get it at all!!! Why a princess… wait, we really got married…?!!!”
”…Hmph.”
What a face she made. Seeing that wicked, fox-like grin on the little girl, he thought it. Not the kind of look a kid her age should have. If she really was that young, she’d grow up to be the villainess type—the one who ruins men for sport.
”…Well, I’m sure Brother meant it—he was committed to taking responsibility. Princess Kuzuha, please, he’s just a kid right now. Go easy on him?”
Gina stepped in to put the brakes on it. Did she believe in him that much? Even without the details, she’d jumped to his defense full-throttle.
”Gina, keep talking like that, and you’ll regret it once we’re back. This guy’s hopeless when it comes to women—way too reckless.”
”Huh?”
Kuzuha turned away with a huff, facing off into the distance. Brother and sister both gaped. The way she said it—like there was more. Gina’s eyes flicked to Klock, but he was too scared to meet them and kept pretending not to notice.
”Anyway, we’ll save the backlog for later. Part of me wants to spill all his dirt to his family, but now’s not the time. What we need to focus on is getting out of this world.”
Kuzuha shifted gears, letting it slide for the moment. That sly, foxy grin of hers. Like she’d pressed a blade to his throat and could end him anytime, and that made her feel secure. Was she the evil princess type?
”We’ve got a plan to get out.”
”Uh… how exactly?”
”Simple. We leave the Dream of Blissful Return—and die.”
”Huh—”
”No other way.”
What was she even saying? That’s all he could think. Kuzuha laid out the most insane escape plan imaginable.
”Don’t make that face every time. You were quite the mime back in your kid days, huh?”
”No… wait, adult-me isn’t like that?”
”You always had that cool, unflappable look, no matter what. Poker face all the way, maybe?”
She stared him down, and for some reason, he felt exposed—like she’d caught him out. Sorry, future-me. Looks like the jig’s up, he thought in a weird, pointless apology to himself.
”Listen up. This is a dream world. Normally, just the mind ends up here. But you came differently—soul and all.”
As she talked, she wandered to the window and peered out, crouching down. “…Is that…?” The fox girl muttered under her breath. He started to ask if something was wrong but held back, not wanting to derail her.
Though… this kid’s skirt was way too short—thighs on full display. Too young to be anything but innocent, but he almost wanted to lend her a cloak or something to keep her warm.
”The mind comes from the body. Die in a normal dream, you just wake up. But if you die now? You’re gone for good.”
”Because of the soul.”
”Yes. This world isn’t meant to hold souls. Some idiot found a loophole to make it happen—that’s why you’re here.”
Calling her an idiot to her face—bold move. But the girl in front of him was a princess too. On paper, they were equals.
”Princess Asura’s handiwork, no doubt. We can’t meet her—ever. So, we’ll slip from this stagnant nightmare, the Dream of Blissful Return, into another dream.”
”Another… dream…”
”No entrances or exits in Crimson Spire. But there are dumps—the holes where you toss the trash. The dream we need is the Dream of Death. The one that makes you want to look away, wakes you up soaked in sweat.”
”…So not dying for real—but dreaming about dying?”
”Exactly. Death symbolizes rebirth and fortune—good luck, in other words. We’re off to dream the falling-to-your-death one. Do that, and we’ll wake up in reality.”
Death as fortune. Made sense, in a twisted way. The Blissful Return was the real nightmare—stagnant bliss. And the one everyone dreaded? That was the happy ending. Don’t get hung up on labels, he figured. Humans slapped words on things after the fact. What they called “bliss” might not be blissful at all.
Stagnant nightmare fit this place perfectly. All he’d wanted was to enjoy the days as they came.
”Won’t be that easy, little miss. That brat doesn’t need to wake up anymore.”
”…What?!”
It came right as he nodded along with her.
The window Kuzuha had just peeked through—the row of even wooden slats nailed like ladder rungs—shattered all at once.
Kuzuha’s reaction was lightning-fast. Like a wild animal, she yanked Klock’s sleeve and shoved herself in front, her slim black-furred arm flashing with glowing script.
Thick claws hooked into the window frame.
Beast claws, apparently—they’d yanked it down with brute force, shattering everything.
Klock couldn’t hold back a gasp at the sight of the figure clambering up slow and deliberate.
”Yo. Came to fetch ya, kid.”
Notes:
• Alice – Rabbitkin adventurer; appears at the same Barreith gathering, playful and mischievous, interacts with Klock, part of recruited volunteers
• Athena – Harpies adventurer; appears alongside Alice at Barreith gathering, flirtatious, joins Klock and volunteers for upcoming battles
• Gina – A kind choir member who shows genuine concern for Adelina. She’s a rare ally in this unfamiliar place, offering some comfort and companionship.
• Schiefeld – The capital city is a refined gem, appeared as Cynthia’s homeland, a place of rusted beauty and deceit. It’s a stark contrast to Cynthia’s unique appearance.
• Goddess Teekua – The deity who saved Sylvia after her death and granted her rebirth as a hero.
• Sara – Priestess, bishop’s daughter. Beautiful, defiant, careless. Intoxicated, carried by Klock. Status complicates her relationship with him.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply