Full Clearing Another World under a Goddess with Zero Believers (LN) - Volume 10 - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Makoto Takatsuki Has a Reunion

“Um... Sir Makoto?” Momo tugged at my sleeve, sounding worried. “The demon lord’s castle is this way.”

Bifrons’s human farm was like a back garden for his pitch-black castle, so the structure itself was visible for miles. Demons from the army were constantly in the vicinity as well. They were strong—we’d be devoured in an instant if they saw us. That was why, so far, we’d kept our distance. But that boy’s news had changed everything.

An execution of heroes... If Abel is one of them, then I will have failed before even starting. As far as I could see, that outcome was a distinct possibility.

The picture book said that Abel had grown stronger as time passed. By the end of the war, he had flown through the skies on a holy dragon, fought demon lords all over the world, and become the savior. If the legends were true, then barely anyone could’ve beaten him after he’d come into his full strength. So, if you wanted to alter the past, it made the most sense to target him while he was inexperienced.

Bifrons was supposedly the first demon lord Abel defeated, and there was a group of heroes due to be executed right now... Things would’ve gone really sour if I hadn’t listened to that boy.

“Momo, I’m heading for the castle. I’m going to save the heroes.”

She must’ve expected that, but she still reared back and yelled in shock. “H-How?”

“I don’t know yet. I need to check out the situation first.”

“Do you have any comrades...?”

“Nope. It’s just me.”

“That’s imposs—” She cut herself off, looking down in silence. “I-I...”

Yeah, it makes sense that she’s hesitant. She wasn’t really skilled enough yet to join me in a party. She couldn’t cast without incanting, so she wouldn’t be much help in a fight. Still, the human farm was hardly a place where I could just leave her with instructions to hide and be safe. I could only protect her if she stayed by my side.

“Do you want to come with me?” I asked.

“Huh? I... I can?”

“Of course.” I nodded, outwardly composed. But on the inside, I was panicking. I desperately wanted to find out what was happening with the soon-to-be-killed heroes.

“Follow me, Momo.”

“R-Right!”

We held hands, and I used Stealth to rush toward the castle.

“Hmm. Guess we can’t go any farther...”

Momo shook her head. “It doesn’t like it’s possible to get through.”

We stood on a small hill near the castle. A castle’s fortifications were usually built with two functions in mind: to showcase the importance of the place and to keep people out. Bifrons’s castle was enclosed by a moat and high walls, so its defenses were rather strong.

Most of the castle’s inhabitants were demons, though here and there I spied some elves and dwarves that appeared to be slaves. Some enslaved humans too. Every single one of the slaves was attractive—their bodies were well-built, so each stood out clearly, even at a distance.

I saw no little children or commoners like Momo or me. Guess we can’t pretend to be slaves and sneak in...

I forced down my panic, then used Clairvoyance and Listen to gather information. The demons were loud, so the latter skill easily picked them up. I overheard three important things.

One—Bifrons wasn’t currently at the castle.

Two—the heroes would be executed when he returned.

Three—there were three heroes slated for death, though I hadn’t heard any names.

I guess Bifrons being away is the silver lining.

As I used Listen to eavesdrop on a conversation between two demons, I heard some rather interesting details.

“C’mon, we caught them in the courtyard. Why haven’t we killed them yet?”

“Don’t you know? When you kill a hero, another one is born. The goddesses just give the skill to someone else. That’s why it makes the most sense to capture them and not kill them.”

“But Lord Iblis personally ordered us to kill these heroes, didn’t he?”

“Yeah, well, there’s some hero he wants dead at all costs—I have no idea who. Lord Bifrons is discussing it with him now.”

“Couldn’t Lord Bifrons have taken them to the meeting with Lord Iblis?”

“You fool! Who would dare parade those lowly heroes in front of Lord Iblis? Do you know how angry that would make him?”

“I don’t even want to think about it... Though, we’ve never even seen Lord Iblis in person.”

“Just hearing his voice is enough to make us shake.”

“Okay, so we’re supposed to capture heroes rather than kill them, right?”

“Yeah... I just told you that.”

“Then why does Lord Cain kill them immediately?”

“You...” The demon sighed. “Look, Lord Cain doesn’t have the common sense to realize his folly.”

“I guess so. He’s pretty touched in the head.”

“Yeah... He’s just as scary as Lord Iblis, but in a different way.”

Oh, right... The Mad Hero Cain.

Well, at least now I knew why the heroes weren’t being killed immediately. I still hadn’t found out whether Hero Abel was one of them, though. Also, Noah’s former disciple definitely didn’t have a great reputation, huh? What kind of person is he? I kinda wanted to meet him, but also...not so much.

“Sir Makoto... What do we do now?” Momo was chewing on an apple-looking fruit we’d found while traveling. I felt bad that it was the only food I’d been able to give her.

“I guess sneak in tonight.”

“T-Tonight?!”

“Yeah. The demons seem to sleep at night.”

We’d arrived at Bifrons’s castle last night and had been scouting for all of today. I’d noticed that there was barely anyone coming or going after dark.

I can use magic to spread some mist. There were guards, but they didn’t seem particularly vigilant. And why would they be? Under most circumstances, no one would raid the castle. The heroes had tried, but they hadn’t even made it past the castle’s town. How could a small group of heroes hope to win against this demon army?

I waited for my chance, feeling uneasy. Then, late that night, I cast my spell.

“Water Magic: Spreading Mist.”

It was the dead of night—maybe two in the morning. My spell covered the whole area in a shroud of fog.

Using Stealth, we slowly approached the town. If Furiae were here, I would ask her to put them all to sleep... Well, no use dwelling on what-ifs.

If we’d tried to go through the front entrance, the gatekeeper would’ve surely seen us, so we instead went across the moat and over the wall. I used my magic to conjure a path of water in the air and used Walk on Water to traverse it.

Momo’s hand didn’t leave mine, and her expression was nervous. Maybe I should have had her learn Serenity first... Well, something to keep in mind for next time.

Soon enough, we were inside the castle town’s walls. Even through the mist, Bifrons’s massive castle visibly loomed over us. I’d overheard that the execution was supposed to happen in the courtyard in front of the castle.

We kept to the backstreets since the main thoroughfares were lit with magic. I activated Scout, but it picked up an uncomfortable number of enemies all around us, so I stopped. Instead, I relied on Sense Danger to avoid the demons. Slowly, we slipped toward the center of the town.

Is this what a terrorist feels like when infiltrating an enemy country?

Using the thick mist and Stealth, we managed to somehow make it to the courtyard. We scoped out the place while hiding in the shadow of a building.

“Are you okay, Momo?” I whispered.

“I-I am... I’m scared, but I know I’ll be fine as long as I’m with you.”

I gave Momo’s hand a squeeze, and she held on to me tightly.

There were around a dozen monsters on watch. Gargoyles. This would be annoying. I also spotted several cages in the middle of the courtyard—there were people inside them.

What should I do?

The gargoyles sat atop pillars that were scattered around the courtyard. They could readily observe the entire area, so a sneak attack wouldn’t be easy. Though I wanted to be cautious, I also didn’t want to spend too long here.

As I contemplated my next move, I used Listen, trying to hear the guards’ conversation.

“The mist’s pretty thick tonight.”

“Yeah, it’s been awful. My whole body’s aching.”

“Aye. If we had a campfire, we could at least warm up.”

“I’m with you. Wanna take a break?”

“The captain’ll have our heads for that.”

“We’ll just warm up around the fire for an hour or so. Once we’re in a better mood, we’ll be better guards.”

Gargoyles were monsters made of stone, right? I guess that meant they hated the humidity. Let’s make it all the more unpleasant for them.

Water Magic: Deep Thick Mist.

“Bleck, it’s getting worse.”

“I ain’t standing for this. I’m gonna get warm!”

“Ah! No fair! I wanna go too!”

“Come on! Someone needs to stay!”

“You hang back then, Captain!”

“Age before beauty, damn you!”

In the end, they left. Technically, one of them stayed, but if we were careful, we could get to the cages without being spotted—the gargoyle who’d missed his chance was grumbling and not focusing on keeping watch. That counted as dereliction of duty...but I wasn’t going to complain.

Slowly, we moved through the mist, keeping Stealth active. I peered into the nearest cage and saw a man bound in chains. He seemed to be sleeping, but his eyes snapped open as soon as I got close. He looked at me, gaze wary.

“Are you...human?” he whispered.

“I came to save the heroes,” I explained simply. “You’re one of them, right?”

His eyes widened. “I am. If you can call someone who gets captured like this a hero... I would appreciate your assistance. These cages were made by Sciulli’s darkness magic, so they’ll be hard to open without—”

I didn’t wait for him to finish before I unsheathed Noah’s dagger. With a quiet shink, the blade parted the bars.

“Wha?!”

I ignored the man’s shock and focused on slicing through the chains and shackles that bound him. I tried to catch the metal restraints before they hit the ground, hoping to prevent any noise from alerting the guard. However, they were so heavy that I nearly dropped them. Momo had to take up the slack.

“Are you okay, Sir Makoto?” she asked.

“Thanks, Momo.”

“O-Of course!”

Apparently, I was physically weaker than Momo... How sad.

The man looked dumbfounded. “Who in the...?”

“I’m Makoto. I came at Althena’s behest to save the heroes. What’s your name?”

His expression instantly hardened, becoming serious. “I’m Volf, the Hero of Ground. Thanks for your aid. My companions are in the other cages. Help them.”

This wasn’t the man I was looking for. Still, there were others—maybe one of them was Abel?

“Got it. Are they heroes too?”

“Yeah, they are—Julietta, the Hero of Wood, and Abel, the Hero of Lightning.”

I jolted, fist-pumping internally. I’d found Abel the Savior. Volf had definitely said, “Abel, the Hero of Lightning.” It seemed weird that he hadn’t called him the Hero of Light, but Abel had both skills, so this was definitely him.

I took a moment to collect my composure, then turned to Momo. “Let’s go. Time to get the others out.”

“Of course, Sir Makoto.”

“I want to know who you are later,” muttered Volf.

With our hushed conversation put on pause, Momo and I moved to the next cage. Inside was a long-haired woman. This must be the Hero of Wood, Julietta. I used my dagger to cut through the chains binding her.

Then came the final cage. I spied a fairly petite guy inside who looked around the same age as me. The dim light made it hard to see, but he had almost glowing blond hair and handsome features. His head was bowed though, so I couldn’t make out his expression properly.

This...is Abel the Savior? 

I’d finally met him. I took a moment to marvel at the reality of the situation—the man was a living legend, one who I’d heard about in all corners of this world.

I used Noah’s dagger to cut him free of the cage and chains. As I focused, the other two heroes began throwing questions at me.

“What exactly is that thing...?” Volf asked, his gaze focused on the dagger. “What’s it made of?”

“Th-Thank you...” Julietta whispered. “But who are you?”

Abel stayed still—his head remained bowed.

“I’m Makoto, and this is Momo,” I replied. “We came to help you. Before anything else, we need to get out of here.”

“Good plan—let’s go. Julietta, Abel.”

“Got it, Volf.”

There was a long pause after Julietta’s answer, and then...

“Right,” muttered Abel.

So apparently, the Hero of Ground is the leader of the trio...

We crept away from the courtyard through the mist, making sure the gargoyle still on watch duty couldn’t see us. We carried on through the back alleys for a while and almost made it to the wall, when suddenly, a clanging noise of metal on metal split the air. All around us, voices erupted.

“The heroes have escaped!”

“Find them!”

Tch, they noticed.

“Run!” Volf called out.

We reached the wall in moments. It was around three meters tall, and neither Momo nor I could use flight magic. We’ll have to figure out how to get over it.

“Hruh!”

With that grunt of exertion from Volf, a massive hole opened up in the wall. Guess that’s the kind of thing you’d expect from a hero. We all stepped through and then jumped across the moat to the far bank. Well, nearly... I almost fell, but Julietta caught me and yanked me back up.

“Y-You okay?” she asked.

“Thank you...” How could they all leap over those two meters so easily? Actually, now that I thought about it, Momo had pretty high physical stats.

“Let’s get out of here before the demons find us!” exclaimed Volf.

“Right!” said Julietta. “I have to say, this thick mist is a real help. I’ve never seen weather like this around here.”

“Sir Makoto is making the mist!” Momo told her.

“Oh? He is? That’s incredible. It’s covering such a huge area.”

“That’s right! Sir Makoto’s incredible!”

Momo and the Hero of Wood were chatting happily to each other. They sure made friends quickly.

“Keep the noise down,” Volf chided, though his expression seemed reluctantly amused.

“Got it!” the two said in unison.

Abel remained silent, staring down at the ground. A dark look had clouded his features.

This wasn’t at all how I’d imagined him...

After that, the five of us spent a while running. The heroes were covered in wounds, but they were moving shockingly fast...especially given that they had no shoes. We kept up our flight through the dark forest, and eventually, we managed to escape and shake any pursuit.

“Haaah!” The Hero of Ground sighed heavily. “We got away! We’re free!”

“Gahhh... I thought we were done for this time,” murmured the Hero of Wood.

We were currently camping in a cave that Volf had constructed with his magic. Julietta had spent some time hunting, and now, skewers of wild rabbits, birds, and such were roasting over the fire. The smell of the meat was becoming truly tantalizing. Momo’s stomach growled—her cheeks flushed, and she let out a cry of embarrassment.

Volf turned to her. “Oh, little miss, you must be hungry. Go ahead and eat. We owe you, after all.”

“Eat up, Momo!” offered Julietta.

“I can’t! Sir Makoto did it all, so—”

I interrupted her. “Momo, you can go ahead and eat.” Honestly, I wasn’t really all that hungry.

Momo took a skewer and bit into the roasted meat. I sat back, enjoying the charming scene. Well, I pretended to. In actuality, I was using the perspective control function of RPG Player to inspect the three heroes.

Volf, the Hero of Ground, was well-built. Scars crisscrossed his skin, wordlessly telling the tales of past battles. He’d looked severe and serious for our initial meeting and subsequent flight, but now he was smiling openly as he chowed down on a skewer of his own. When he lamented the lack of booze, he reminded me of Lucas, the veteran adventurer in Macallan.

Actually, I wonder how Lucas is doing...

Julietta, the Hero of Wood, had long chestnut hair and long ears—she was an elf. A really beautiful one at that. Her clothes were all ragged, so some rather risqué areas were almost on display, but she didn’t seem to care about anything peeking out. She did seem to have taken a real shine to Momo though, and was constantly fussing over her. Momo seemed happy to have an older woman to talk to.

And finally...

Abel, the Hero of Lightning. His hair was almost pure gold, and his eyes were the color of sapphires. He had delicate features that almost appeared womanly, but his muscles and chest were definitely masculine. Even after all this time, he hadn’t said a word—he just stared into the flames of the campfire.

“C’mon, Abel. You could at least thank the two of them...” Volf said.

Julietta nodded. “That’s right. They came to save us.”

Despite their urging, Abel didn’t speak.

“Sorry, Sir Makoto.” Volf glanced at me sheepishly. “Abel lost someone dear to him in the battle...”

“He’s usually much happier,” Julietta added.

I shook my head at their apologies. “You were all on the verge of getting executed, so I can’t really blame him. I’m just glad I was able to follow through on my promise to Althena.”

“That’s right!” Julietta exclaimed. “Who are you? Are you a hero? Only the priestesses can hear the goddesses...and you’re a guy...so what’s going on?!” She leaned closer and closer, gushing and practically overflowing with curiosity.

“U-Uh...” I stammered. “It’s...complicated.”

I noticed a sweet scent wafting from her skin... She kinda reminded me of Mary from the Macallan guild.

Oh, right, I need to get back on track. Idly chatting was fine, but there were things I needed to know.

“Where are you heroes planning to go now?” I asked. Momo and I had nothing tying us down, so I wanted to accompany them if possible.

“We’re heading back to base,” answered Volf. “Would the two of you be willing to come with us? We can talk in detail there.”

Ah, they have a base. Awesome. “We’ve got nowhere else to go, so sure. Where is it?”

“Well, do you know Labyrinthos?” Julietta asked.

Hang on...? “Labyrinthos? As in...the dungeon?”

“That’s the one! We made our base on the top level. With the demon lords ruling the continent, there aren’t any proper towns, so...the dungeons are the only places we can hide.”

Oh, so that’s how they’d manage to stay hidden. Though, things were really grim if dungeons teeming with monsters were the safe option...

Julietta cocked her head, looking at me inquisitively. “Where in the world did you come from, Sir Makoto? Lady Momo seems to hail from the farm itself, but surely you do not? I cannot imagine mere monsters managing to take you out. However, you seem unfamiliar with this area.”

“I came from a very distant country,” I answered. That was as much info as I could give—after all, I could hardly say that I’d come from a thousand years in the future.

“I see.” Volf nodded. “Well, all right, let’s leave the chatter here for tonight. We should nap and then get back to—”

Suddenly, Volf was cut off by a vicious tremor that shook the ground beneath our feet.

Was that a spell?!

Unfamiliar voices yelled out nearby.

“They’re here!”

“The heroes?!”

“Maybe! Flush them out!”

“If the demon lord finds out that we let them slip away, we’re dead!”

Along with the voices, I could hear thundering footfalls.

We were followed?!

“They found us! Let’s go! Abel! Julietta!” Volf clapped the two heroes on their shoulders.

“Argh, this is the worst!” Julietta complained.

“Sir Makoto!”

Momo looked pale, so I took her hand. I...really wish I’d eaten some of that meat...

A gargoyle poked its head into the clearing, and with a roar, Volf reared back and punched it. Taking advantage of the opening, Volf leaped over the crumpled monster—the rest of us followed.

“Ack, we’re surrounded!” Julietta cried out.

She was right. At a rough count, there were around a hundred of them. I could see huge, doglike monsters at the front. Maybe they were similar to bloodhounds or something. Did they follow us by scent?

“Momo, stay with me,” I murmured.

“I will!”

I kept her hand in mine and drew my dagger to protect us. Unfortunately, I hadn’t slept much over the last couple of days, and I could sense that my focus wasn’t quite at a hundred percent.

“It’s the heroes! Capture them!” growled one of the monsters.

“Kill them if you can’t!”

“Arrrghhh!”

Our foes all came at once. Every one of them was fairly strong.

“Water Magic: Water Dragon.”

My spell collided with some charging monsters and warded them off. I’d already been borrowing mana from the elementals for days on end, so my magic felt a little weaker than usual. I’d be fine though—I was more worried about the heroes. After all, they were still only equipped with the gear they’d been allowed to have as captives.

The Hero of Ground was fighting about ten monsters barehanded.

The Hero of Wood had used her magic to create a makeshift whip from the plants in the area. Her movements were smooth, showing clear signs of training.

My real worry...was Abel. He was swaying on his feet as he bore the attacks of the monsters. Was he okay...?

Fortunately, the other heroes were strong, and they managed to defeat most of the monsters on their own. How had those two been caught in the first place?

I took whatever openings I could find to support them with water magic. Phew, I think we’ll cope...

Just as I was breathing a sigh of relief, I heard Julietta scream Abel’s name.

I whipped around, and...Abel must have slipped. A skeleton knight riding atop a wyvern was bearing down on him with a spear.

C-Crap! 

Hurriedly, I called out to the elementals.

Help him!

Only a single water elemental appeared.

Then...

“Sir Makoto?!” screamed the voice of a young girl. While I’d been focused on Abel, a huge beast had rushed past me.

“Momo?!” I shouted.

Before I could register what was happening, she’d been caught in a griffin’s talons. The beast soared up into the air.

“Wha?” It took me a beat to take in what was going on—Abel would be skewered in a few more seconds, and Momo had been abducted.

Althena’s voice echoed through my mind. If Abel dies, the world will end. 

I didn’t have time to think anymore.

“Water Magic: Dragon Talon.”

I forced the mana from the elemental into my dagger to create a blade I could launch at the wyvern and skeleton knight. The blow shattered against my foes, and the monsters fell to pieces.

By the time I managed to regain sight of them, Momo and the griffin that’d taken her were nothing but specks in the distance.

“Heroes! If you want to save her, then come to the castle!”

“Sir Makotooooo!”

My Listen skill barely picked up those parting words.

Meanwhile, Volf and Julietta managed to fight off the last of the monsters attacking them. Abel’s expression was still dark. We might have repelled the attack, but none of us looked happy.

“What are we doing, Julietta?” Volf asked.

“Saving Momo, obviously!” she answered immediately.

They seemed ready to go straight back to the castle. The two of them...were heroes to the bone. But if they got captured again, there would’ve been no point in saving them in the first place.

“You should head to your base in Labyrinthos,” I told them.

“What?!” Julietta demanded. “But what about Momo?!”

Volf’s eyes widened. “How could you say that?!”

The three heroes’ expressions morphed into shock at my suggestion. Even Abel’s became slightly more twisted.

“You don’t have any real weapons or armor. If you go back, you’re going to your deaths,” I reasoned.

Silence was their only answer. After all, they stood empty-handed in ragged clothes. None of them could refute me.

“I’ll join up with you later. You said the base is on the top layer of Labyrinthos, right?”

“Huh?! What are you going to do while we’re at the base?!” Julietta asked.

Well, that goes without saying. “I’m going to rescue Momo from the demon lord’s castle.”

◇ Hero Abel’s Perspective ◇

“I’m going to rescue Momo from the demon lord’s castle.”

The person who had saved us said this casually, like he was announcing his intent to go for a stroll.

“Don’t be foolish!” shouted Volf. “Going alone is practically suicide!”

“That’s right! We’ll come with you!” Julietta insisted.

But the man just shook his head. “If you die, my mission will be a failure.”

“Urk...”

“W-Well...”

That curt response silenced the other two. I shifted. He—the man calling himself Makoto, on a mission from Althena—stared straight at me.

Don’t look at me like that... I know I’m useless.

◇ Several Days Ago — The Plan to Fight Bifrons ◇

We were the strongest squad, with the Hero of Fire as our leader. The outcome of our quest was almost assured—we would manage to kill the demon lord this time.

But...we were attacked by Demon Lord Cain and Setekh the Magic Eye before we could reach the castle. Over half of us were killed by Cain, and the rest were petrified by Setekh and captured.

Our leader, my teacher, was killed.

I couldn’t do anything. My confidence as a burgeoning hero with the ability to kill countless monsters and demons...was shattered. Demon lords were horrifying, impossible existences. The chances of victory were zero. Even our leader had stood no chance against Cain.

We can never win...

My teacher’s death...shattered my heart. And I remained mired in those feelings, even after he saved us.

Volf and Julietta didn’t seem to have given up, but I had lost any motivation to fight against the demon lords. That was why I barely cared as the monsters attacked our camp. But because of my apathy...the girl had been abducted. Because of me... Our rescuer had prioritized protecting me over saving her.

I didn’t know why, but...

“I’m going back to the castle. You three wait in Labyrinthos.”

He’d said this before nonchalantly turning to head down the path we’d taken away from captivity.

He was alone. Would he manage? Could we let him go by himself?

“Wait! Take...take me with you!”

I didn’t even realize I’d been speaking until the words had left my lips.

◇

“Um...are you angry, Makoto?” I asked hesitantly.

Currently, we were traveling back to Bifrons’s castle. When I’d insisted on coming with him, his expression had turned sour—it was the first negative expression I’d seen on his face. It was obvious that he hadn’t wanted me to come along.

Y-You don’t need to look at me like that...

“I appreciate the offer, but I’d rather you head to where it’s safe,” he’d replied immediately.

“Wait, wait, wait,” Julietta had interjected on my behalf. “Volf and I aren’t much use without weapons since we’re the vanguard, but Abel’s great with healing and support magic—he’ll be a real asset!”

Volf had wanted us to all go to the castle. There’d been an argument, but Makoto had said that he wanted to hurry up, so the other two had withdrawn. I hadn’t really fought against the monsters, so I wasn’t tired and would be able to support him with healing magic.

Soon, Makoto and I broke through the tree line and spotted the castle. In the darkness of night, it was lit brilliantly.

“Um, Makoto...”

He was silent for a moment, then asked, “What is it?”

“Nothing...”

He hadn’t said a word since we’d parted from the others. He must be angry with me...I guess?

Suddenly, a huge shadow, darker than the night, darted across the sky.

“Stop, Abel,” murmured Makoto.

“R-Right!”

We hid beneath the forest’s canopy and waited. The shadow turned out to belong to a dragon—several dragons—flying overhead. Well, to be more specific, ten of them were wyverns and one was a red dragon. They flew gracefully through the air.

These are...

“Bifrons’s dragon knights...” I muttered shakily.

“Huh. So the demon lord’s back.”

In contrast to my quavering voice, Makoto’s was even. Did he even feel fear? The dragons were flying away from us, and their forms shrank as they neared the castle.

“All right, Abel. Let’s get going again.”

With that simple statement, he started walking off steadily.

“W-Wait!” I stammered. “Bifrons is back in the castle. It’s too late. We can’t save her...”

“Abel.” Makoto stopped, then turned around to look at me.

My breath caught in my throat. His eyes were like clear pools of water. In their depths, I saw no sign of nerves, anger, fear, or even righteousness.

“You should head back to Volf and Julietta,” he said.

I jolted. Does he think I’m losing my nerve? Surely everyone fears the demon lords!

Without another word, he silently carried on toward the castle. If I didn’t follow...he wouldn’t turn back. Does he not care if I’m with him or not?

“If you’re coming, stay close,” he said over his shoulder.

I jumped. “O-Okay!”

I was sure he hadn’t been looking at me, so how could he have possibly known what I’d been doing? He was a strange person. His voice sounded cold, but despite that, I could tell he was being considerate. Unlike my teacher or Volf, he wasn’t large in any way. Even so, I felt somehow at ease looking at his back.

“Let’s take turns keeping watch until nightfall.”

“G-Got it...”

It was now around midday, and we were near the castle, hidden inside a thicket of shrubs just big enough for two people to lie down in. I’d been certain that Makoto would burst straight into the fortress, but he’d decided to wait until nighttime.

“You sleep first,” he said.

“N-No, you must be tired. I’ll keep watch.”

Silence fell between the two of us.

“Okay,” he eventually conceded. “Wake me in an hour.” With that, he lay down, and I heard his breathing even out after a few seconds.

It was just past noon—the worst time to try and sneak in anywhere. I stared vacantly out toward the castle. Suddenly, something flitted past my eyes. A blue butterfly. It was fluttering around Makoto, borne by its transparent wings.

“Is that thing...made of water magic?” I murmured. I could feel a hint of mana. But...where was it coming from? Makoto was sleeping.

Then, the realization struck me—he was using magic in his sleep. I shuddered. Isn’t he resting? He’s training even while passed out...

“What in the world are you?”

He’d saved us from the demon lord’s execution grounds like it was nothing; he’d fearlessly decided to storm the army’s stronghold alone to save a girl. He’d said that Althena had given him a mission, but...she hadn’t said anything to me about that. Even though Althena gifted me with the Hero of Lightning skill...

When I’d asked Makoto which hero skill he had, he’d replied that he didn’t have one at all.

But he’s so strong. If I could just sneak a peek at his skills...

I used my saint rank Appraisal on him.

He’s telling the truth. The only combat skills he possessed were low rank levels of Water, Sun, and Fate Magic, along with Elementalist. He also had a couple of skills I didn’t really know—Calm Mind and...RPG Player. I was shocked at how low his stats were. And, on top of all of that...he wasn’t even part of Althena’s faith?! Why would she give a mission to a nonbeliever?! I couldn’t understand what was going on.

What was with this person? He was sleeping like a log despite how close we were to the castle. What had he gone through to make him turn out like this?

I gave up on understanding him.

◇ Makoto Takatsuki’s Perspective ◇

“Let’s get going.”

“It’s still evening, though...” Abel said. “Are you sure?”

I’d waited until it was dark last time, and that would likely be the best strategy this time too, but...

“I’m worried about Momo,” I admitted.

Abel didn’t argue.

“Y’know, you can wait here,” I told him.

“A-After coming this far?! I’m going with you.”

“All right.”

Personally, I would be pretty put out if he died, so it would’ve been better for him to stay behind. But regardless, things were looking a bit more optimistic now. For starters, I was properly rested. Since going back in time, I hadn’t been able to truly relax—the stress of not knowing whether Abel was alive had kept me on edge. On top of that, I’d spent over twenty-four hours awake before we’d set out to rescue Momo.

I’d needed real sleep. My lack of rest was what had allowed Momo to get captured in the first place—my concentration had faltered, and I’d failed her.

Elementals, are you there?

Yup! came a resounding chorus of voices.

Yes, my liege.

Even Undyne answered along with the normal elementals.

I was ready.

Water Magic: Spreading Mist.

It’d only been a day, so the castle’s inhabitants would be on high alert. There were a lot of monsters keeping watch. I used Scout to find places with fewer guards and added Stealth on top of it. This combination was starting to become a habit, but it was the best method I had. Abel had Stealth as well. Then again, it was probably a requirement for survival in this time period.

Slowly, we crept closer to the castle. The gate was heavily guarded.

Is there anywhere we can use to slip in...? The castle was huge, and so were the monsters. Surely there was some crack that a human could sneak through.

So many monsters and demons... I was sensing even more than yesterday. I figured they’d all gone out to search for the escaped heroes...but apparently not.

Well, they’d taken Momo as a hostage, so they’d be keeping a close eye on the castle.

As we were sneaking around—

“Wha? Sir...Makoto...?”

—someone called my name. There are only four people in this era who know my name, so that voice must be the person I’m looking for.

I hurriedly turned to where the voice had come from.

Momo. She’s here. But...

“Wha?!”

When I saw her, I was utterly lost for words. She was wearing what looked like a maid outfit.

The clothes didn’t matter.

“Makoto! I-It’s no good. We’re too late. She’s—”

I wasn’t listening to Abel. On unsteady feet, I approached her.

“Sir Makoto...don’t come any closer...”

“Momo...”

I needed to apologize. Divine edict or not, I hadn’t kept my promise to protect her—I’d chosen to save Abel instead.

I couldn’t muster a coherent thought, though.

“Makoto, get away from her!” Abel hissed. “She’s... She’s a vampire!”

A vampire?

Momo’s face twisted in sadness. “Lord Bifrons turned me. I’m your enemy now...”

Her head slumped forward as she forced the words out. Her hair fell around her face—it was now snow-white. Her dark eyes were red. Bloodred. Small fangs peeked out from beneath her lips. But the thing that shocked me more than anything else...was that I recognized her like this.

Hers was a very familiar face. The face of someone who’d helped me over and over again.

How had I not noticed? Was it because she spoke differently? Because her expressions were different?

It made sense—she didn’t look at all like Momo when she smiled so boldly. But...

She said she didn’t meet me in this time period...

The liar.

There was no doubt about it—Momo was the Grandsage.