Volume 1 Chapter 24
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”There are many Demonkind in the Succubus area that use mental-type Magic. For example, things like seduction and illusion.”
In the Base’s Living Room, I listen to Hiiragi (the maid)’s explanation while facing everyone.
”If your ‘Eros Magic’ is that strong, I wouldn’t want to get close. Is there any way to deal with it?”
”Hero Candidates have special Magic, so only Demon general class Succubi have that kind of power. That said, even against a Low-Class Succubus, there aren’t really any solid countermeasures… so it will be tough to deal with.”
The charm Magic of Succubi seems to work on the same s*x too, which is really troublesome.
”Also, be careful of the Demonkind that can transform into ‘Nokken,’ which takes the form of your loved ones, and ‘Miraa,’ which turns into your greatest fear. Many students were killed by those 2 when I was there.”
Just hearing about those abilities is terrifying. If I had encountered them without knowing, it could have been a real hassle. Thanks to Hiiragi, we can set up some countermeasures in advance, which is a huge advantage.
”If Nokken and Miraa take on human forms, they create those appearances from our memories──unlike other Demonkind, they gain intelligence. Their transformation Magic has high resolution, so if they turn into Mr. Hyakudou, they can perfectly copy Mr. Hyakudou’s physical abilities. The Magic itself is different, though.”
So, worst case, I might have to kill a Demonkind that looks like me.
”By the way, what did they turn into as for your case, Hiiragi?”
”When I faced Nokken, it turned into my pet cat. It transformed into a weak form, so I was able to take it down quickly. But when it was Miraa, it turned into fire, so there was nothing I could do.”
Killing your own pet cat without mercy, that’s some serious resolve.
”Are you afraid of fire?”
”You can’t kill something that doesn’t have a physical form, right? Plus, I can’t get close with teleportation Magic.”
It was scary in the sense that there was no way to deal with it. I feel like we talked about this before.
”Mayuki was scared of dogs. I got bitten by a vicious Chihuahua when I were a kid. If I run into Miraa, step up and fight for me.”
”Don’t use your adorable childhood friend as a shield.”
If it could turn into a Chihuahua, it would be easier to take down. Sorry, but it’s a practical choice.
”I’m passing. When I think of scary things, I picture the Dragon at Mountain Summit.”
Unusually, the class rep seemed hesitant. If the Dragon multiplied, it would be hell, and it’s probably better not to bring the class rep along.
”Um… I’m scared of ghosts… I’m sorry.”
Yodomizu also seemed like a no-go. Ghosts probably wouldn’t be affected by attacks. If they can slip through both physical and magical attacks, there’s no way to deal with them.
”Kashiro can handle it, right? Your most beloved thing is books, so you probably don’t have anything to be scared of.”
”The first thing that comes to mind is a fragile bookshelf. Once, a bunch of books fell, and it damaged my precious favorite book.”
If I use Mayuki and Kashiro as shields, I think we can get through this. Anyway, Mayuki’s greatest love is probably herself. Even if it turns into her, it’s still an opponent I can beat.
”Let’s explore the Succubus area with me, Kashiro, and Mayuki. In the meantime, Hiiragi and the others can gather Magic tools.”
The Princess I have locked up in my room… well, she’s not much help. I don’t feel like bringing the two guys she’s controlling either, and I’ve asked Aoki to keep an eye on them, so it’s tough for them to join.
It’s a troublesome area, but if we clear this, the only thing left is the Dragon. I’m curious about the classmates I haven’t met yet… especially the president. Given her personality, I doubt she would suddenly try to kill us. I want to believe there’s room for discussion.
We’re gathering personnel and Magic tools for the Dragon battle. We can’t let our guard down, but at this rate, it seems like we can clear the Trial.
As soon as we started exploring, we were able to find Miraa. Normally, it’s a black shadow wrapped in mist, so it’s easy to spot at a glance.
Once we take it down, it seems like it won’t come back for a while, so we should finish it off here. But the fact that it’s still alive means… our classmates have probably already been killed.
Hiding behind Mayuki and Kashiro, I cautiously move closer.
”Mayuki, as soon as you’re within range of your ice magic, take it out.”
As I whisper the instructions, Miraa’s body turns towards us. I can’t shake the feeling that it’s watching me.
”By the way, what’s Hyakudou afraid of?”
”I’m not afraid of anything.”
”Liar. Koushi probably…”
”──My dear younger brother. Hiding behind a woman? I didn’t raise you to be such a weakling.”
I hear the voice of the most terrifying and beloved person in the world.
”…This is the worst. I shouldn’t have come.”
It’s my big sister.
The form of my big sister when she was human is staring at me expressionlessly.
Hyakudou Masuzu. As far as I know, she’s the strongest person, and I’ve never been able to beat her. Just seeing her standing there makes me want to run away right now.
She’s dressed casually in a long sweater and men’s pants. She’s so stunning that she looks good in anything, but I wish she was wearing something less restrictive right now.
”Koushi, please don’t disappoint me too much. You must have anticipated that I would show up, right? Are you getting complacent with your convenient magic and lacking attention?”
I have no words to respond. I had a feeling my big sister would appear.
Still, I came here because… even if it’s a fake, I wanted to see my big sister’s face after such a long time.
”Kashiro and Mayuki, stay back. You can go back to base if…”
Cutting off my words, the demon in the form of my big sister interrupts the conversation.
”There’s no need for that. Right now, I’m a fake existence, but I’m created based on Koushi’s memories. I won’t do anything tacky, and I don’t have that much time to spare. With this level of Demonkind, the time I can take on this form is limited.”
I didn’t take those words at face value, but Kashiro added some context.
”Sounds like you really mean it. I’ll watch without holding back.”
”It’s my first time seeing a sibling fight. So exciting!”
These guys, as soon as they realized they were in a safe zone, started having fun.
”This is a good opportunity. I’ll train you again. It’s a sister’s duty to take care of her useless little brother.”
The moment I thought big sister was moving, she slipped right into my space. I didn’t even have time to swing my Battle Axe. I felt a sharp pain in my jaw, and then… I was launched into the air.
I managed to roll with it, but my vision was spinning. It wouldn’t have been surprising if that one hit had ended everything.
I couldn’t see her movements at all. She’s as strong as a real big sister. If she had been serious, I would have been dead by now.
”Get up, Koushi. If you don’t stand within 5 seconds, I’ll keep punching your stomach until you throw up.”
Almost reflexively, I got back on my feet.
…That threat sounds familiar. Did she read it from my memories?
”I’m really disappointed in you. You’ve gotten weak, Koushi. Why are you getting weaker instead of stronger after coming to the Island of Trials?”
Hah. A fake has some nerve saying that.
”Even now, you’re probably debating whether to treat me as your sister or not, right? You’re getting distracted by such trivial things, which is why your thoughts and reactions are slow.”
I couldn’t retort. It was exactly the kind of thing big sister would say.
”Stop thinking about unnecessary things while you’re fighting. Did I teach you that?”
”No…”
”Getting caught up in trivial matters creates openings. You should kill the enemy immediately. I should have taught you that only rational thinking is necessary for your goals. ──That’s why you’ll never beat me, no matter how long it takes.”
It’s big sister. No doubt about it, those are big sister’s words. It’s nostalgic, this strictness. Normally, she’s the kindest person, but during training, she was the strictest.
”Feeling lost is a sign of weakness. If you have time to worry, then train your body. You don’t have the unshakeable steel spirit. You’re living up to your name.”
That’s true. No matter how much I act like big sister, I’m facing Demonkind right now. To worry about silly things at a time like this is just plain foolish.
”If you’ve seen my memories, you understand. I don’t want to go all out because my body will hurt later. But well, if I don’t give it my all from the start, I won’t stand a chance against you. I’ll admit that.”
I’ve made up my mind. The Demonkind in front of me is definitely not big sister.
”──.”
The Demonkind that looks like big sister moves again. I stay put──just before it hits, I grab its right arm firmly.
”…I didn’t think you could stop me.”
”Hmph. You’re just similar, that’s all.”
Big sister would never say something like that. The mask is coming off.
”You’re the big sister from my memories, right? Then it’s impossible. You can’t be the perfect big sister.”
”…”
”The true terror of that person was… her unfathomable depth. No matter how much I grow, I never felt the despair of never being able to win against her from you. You only know what I know, so that’s only natural. A big sister with visible limits isn’t a big sister at all.”
The movements are so fast they’re almost invisible, but since it only moves like I know, it’s easy to block.
”…Koushi. You have a weakness that prevents you from being truly ruthless. While that’s a virtue, it’s unnecessary in battle. It’s fine to show mercy to the enemy, but make sure to prioritize properly.”
As she finishes speaking, the figure of big sister slowly fades away.
”It seems Miraa’s magic has run out.”
Kashiro calls out to me.
Even if it’s fake, it really hurts my ears. I can feel my own foolishness. The stubborn pride of not wanting to be cold like my parents… it’s true that it’s making me weak.
”I get it. I promised. I came here carrying big sister’s expectations… there’s no way I can lose to anyone.”
If I act half-heartedly, I’ll end up ruining big sister’s reputation. I can’t show a pathetic side. It seems I had forgotten that.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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