INTERLUDE
The Deathless Monster and a Fleeting Dream II
He’s close.
As she floated in the pure white space, Ireena was abruptly struck by the sense that someone was coming.
“It’s Ard…! Ard’s getting nearer…!”
“Affirmative. They have currently broken through the first area. They’re steadily closing in on us,” replied Kalmia coolly as she floated in the void. There was no sense of urgency in her tone. Nor was there any change to her expressionless features.
Ireena furrowed her brow at the unnatural calm. “Hey. We’re enemies, right?”
“Affirmative.”
“Then Ard and the others coming this way is bad news for you, isn’t it?”
Why was she so unaffected? Kalmia shook her head from side to side. “Negative. The current situation is within expected parameters and is not a situation considered to be a risk. I have already accounted for them to approach and clash with Al. I would only feel danger…”
As she spoke, Kalmia slowly turned her head and focused her eyes on Ireena’s face. The gaze from the doll-like beauty was enough to make Ireena feel uncomfortable. She opened her mouth to change the subject and conceal that she was blushing.
“Wh-what?! Do you have something against my face?”
Kalmia softly shook her head. Her long white hair and its red highlights waved along with her motions. She then spent several long moments peering at Ireena.
“I would only feel danger if you elected not to save Al.”
Ireena felt a vigorous stir of anxiety and fear as Kalmia shifted her gaze downward. It was clear that Kalmia loved Alvarto deeply. Which was why…
“I don’t know how to put this. But you have a tendency not to show your true feelings, don’t you?”
…Kalmia probably truly wanted Ireena to save Alvarto. However, that wasn’t enough to clear up the doubt that lingered in Ireena’s mind.
“I mean… Why is it me anyway?”
“That’s—”
Just as Kalmia was putting her explanation into words, the pure white space began to morph again. Colors invaded the blank realm and rapidly began to spread. It was as though an invisible brush were drawing upon a blank canvas. By the time she realized what was happening, Ireena was already there.
A stone room. It seemed it was a continuation of the previous memory.
It was immediately after Luminas, one of the Evil Gods and the beautiful woman in crimson, had taken Alvarto for her own. It seemed that Ireena and Kalmia were going to follow his memories after that moment. Perhaps it was because this was the second time, but Ireena was able to watch the scene take shape more calmly.
“…I won’t take any requests from thee to return him.” Luminas’s crimson gaze moved from Alvarto to a different figure—Mephisto Yuu Phegor. A small smile played on his beautiful but unholy features.
“That’s fine. That won’t ever happen. This boy is yours from now until eternity. Not just his body…but his heart as well.” A malicious glint shimmered in his golden eyes. It was unsettling. It was the sort of gaze that inspired hatred from its mere presence. It seemed young Alvarto felt the same emotions welling up.
“Go, be happy. Not that you can understand me. After all, I never taught you how to speak.”
Yes, Alvarto had lacked the concept of language and couldn’t comprehend what anyone was saying. Yet he managed to deduce a speaker’s intent, regardless. The smiling Mephisto was angelically beautiful, and his voice came as an alluring purr. However, Alvarto found all of that only sent a shiver of disgust up his spine.
To Alvarto, Mephisto had always been a repugnant presence. Just the sight of him whipped up feelings of hatred, the dark emotions swirling in his chest. There was a need to destroy him. But something happened before Alvarto could act upon that impulse.
“Shall we depart?”
Luminas’s delicate, pale fingers gently reached for Alvarto’s hands. The long, slender digits closed around his little palm. It was warm. He had never felt such heat before. The hands that had touched him had always been cold. They had inflicted nothing but pain. Luminas’s contact was comforting.
The urge to kill the devil dissipated, and the scenery around Alvarto rapidly changed from a dimly lit and sterile stone prison to the glimmering spires of a great city. The boy now stood next to Luminas in a street crowded with people.
“Welcome to my capital, Gladsheim.”
The words of welcome didn’t register in the boy’s ears. That was understandable. Alvarto’s world since birth had been that stone prison. Suddenly, the world had exploded in size in front of his very eyes.
Everything he saw was new. The air itself was a novel experience. Even if he had known all the languages in the world, he would’ve been at a loss to describe how he felt.
Alvarto stared wide-eyed, overwhelmed by the sight. And he wasn’t the only one who reacted that way. Like him, Ireena looked around in surprise.
“H-hey, Kalmia. This city… An Evil God rules it, right?”
“Affirmative.”
She couldn’t believe it. To Ireena, who was born in the modern age, the image of places ruled by the Evil Gods had ever been that of a hellish dystopia. A land where demons whipped their human slaves while the streets were littered with bodies of the innocent.
The view before her was a complete contradiction to that preconception.
“Everyone’s just living a normal life…”
The expressions of the pedestrians. The faces of the merchants running their stalls. They were all happy and energetic, without a trace of pain or suffering. Ireena would have understood that if they were all demons, yet the majority of those she saw were humans, elves, dwarves, halflings, and orcs. All the peoples of the world were living as equals.
“…It’s completely different from what I was taught.”
History lectures had always described scenes that were the exact opposite of this. Evil Gods and demons were the sworn enemies of humanity. Everyone had believed as much. However, the reality…
“The creatures you describe as Evil Gods… At the time, they were known as Outer Ones. Each had their own individual personalities. It was true that many of them hated humanity and oppressed them. But some loved humanity and were loved in return… Luminas was one of the most notable of the latter.” Kalmia seemed faintly proud of that fact. “Everyone adored her. Humanity, demons, it didn’t matter.”
It was impossible to believe. But…
“Ahh, Lady Luminas! Such perfect timing! I had just taken my loaves out of the oven. Please take one!”
“Hah. My thanks. But I would appreciate it if thou could provide one to this child as well.”
“Of course!”
The baker wasn’t handing over the goods because he was intimidated. Rather, he had gone out of his way to approach Luminas and offer his goods to her of his own free will. That was something one only did if they respected the person…and he wasn’t alone.
“Greetings, Lady Luminas. You are as beautiful today as always.”
“Is the child with you…yours?!”
“W-who is the father?!”
“Well, let’s just say it’s someone you all know.”
So long as she was on the street, people from all walks of life, rich and poor, noble and common, approached to speak with her.
“Oh, Lady Luminas!”
“Come play with us!”
“Ah, I’m glad to see you’re all so energetic.”
It wasn’t just the adults, either. The children readily approached her, too. The innocent smile she flashed the kids was that of a goddess, hardly the sort of thing expected from an Evil God.
“How do I put this…? She seems like a really…great woman.”
“Luminas is indeed deserving of being considered such. There have been few rulers in history as beloved as she… She was a worthy person to be my wielder.”
Kalmia’s last sentence was drowned out by the energetic voices of the city’s people, but Ireena paid it no heed as she watched the scenes in the city.
“Err. Ah. Mmph.” Alvarto randomly made noises at the scene unfolding in front of him and at the warmth of the gazes of the people around him. What was this feeling? He didn’t know, but he didn’t dislike it. It was…comforting.
“Heh, I’m glad to see that thou approve of my city. From this day on, this is thy home. Forget thy past and allow this land to nourish and raise thee.” Luminas gently patted Alvarto’s head with an expression of motherly affection. Her compassion melted away the ice that had gripped Alvarto’s heart, and he was about to smile for the first time in his life, when…
“Shraaaaaaaah!”
…a terrifying hiss sounded in the middle of the street. The noise was completely at odds with the bright, pleasant day. The next moment, something attacked from overhead.
“Ah, careful.” Luminas picked up Alvarto’s small body and jumped to the side. Immediately after, blade strikes rained down on where the two had been standing a second earlier.
A pair of curved swords drew flowing arcs in the air. They plunged with such force that they would have easily sliced apart the body of even an Evil God.
“Ahh. Agh. Graah…!” To the young Alvarto, the situation appeared to be tense. The man with the gray speckles in his hair was dangerous. The sharp gaze he leveled at Luminas was filled with a feral, predatory hostility. Alvarto was driven by a need to do something. “Wagh!” He let out a shout at the sudden shiver he felt from behind.
Not an instant later, a giant mass approached Luminas’s head, whipping through the air. A war hammer. Though it had been swung without mercy, it never found its mark.
“Hah!” Luminas gave an amused chuckle as she stepped straight to the side. The war hammer cut through empty air, but there was no way to stop its momentum, and its heavy head struck the ground. As giant clumps of stone scattered into the air, Luminas spoke calmly to Alvarto. “Listen to me. Thou must not move a muscle.”
The boy didn’t understand the words. However, he still understood what she was communicating. Then…
“Shall we play?”
…Luminas’s divinely beautiful features suddenly took on the intensity of a rampaging killer. She fought totally unarmed. Relying solely on her own body, Luminas stepped in toward the nearest opponent.
Could the giant man who had swung his massive war hammer keep up? Luminas moved so swiftly that those who were watching had to wonder.
She was quick as lightning.
Luminas closed the distance in an instant and loosed an unavoidable blow. No one, not Alvarto, nor Ireena, could tell where the woman had struck or how. All they knew was that the giant man was tossed high into the air.
“Ha-ha! Stupidly strong, as always!” remarked the older man with the curved blades, laughing. He also raced forward with supernatural speed. After a moment, he and Luminas were fighting face-to-face.
“Your back’s exposed.”
“That is my line, Lucius.”
What had just happened?
The man called Lucius had been about to land a blow on Luminas’s unguarded spine. Yet somehow, it was now Luminas who was behind Lucius, and the tables had wholly turned before anyone could understand the situation.
“Heh. Damn.”
Like his cohort, Lucius was cast skyward. The big man had already landed, and he pursed his thick lips into a line.
“Nraah!”
He closed the distance and attacked with a horizontal swing. It was an impressive-looking maneuver, but this, too, caught only empty air. Then, as though in a repeat performance, his impressive physique was sent soaring like a piece of paper in the wind.
This situation continued for a while.
Land.
Charge.
Dodge.
Blast off.
The two opponents would reach the ground, step in, attack and miss, then get tossed up into the air again. Onlookers displayed no fear. Instead…
“Whoo-hoo! Go Lady Luminas!”
“You can do it, Lord Lucius!”
“Hey, Mister Garp! I’ll pay for drinks tonight if you can land a blow!”
…they offered cheers, like this was an impromptu street performance.
Alvarto’s mind couldn’t keep up with the bizarre display, and Ireena was much the same.
“…What is this?”
“Nothing to worry about. It’s just business as usual,” Kalmia replied with a faint note of exasperation.
“Hrmph. Guess I should try something a little underhanded every once in a while!” Lucius, with his blade-like gaze, locked on to Alvarto. The moment the boy understood what was happening, it was too late.
“Sorry, boy! You’re going to—”
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!”
As Lucius closed in, Alvarto unleashed his special ability. Black flames erupted from the child’s body.
“Whoa?!” Evidently caught by surprise, Lucius immediately jumped backward, and his eyes widened. “…So, it looks like he’s not just some ratty brat.” His instincts must have tipped him off to the danger, and he eyed Alvarto warily. Still, a smile remained on his lips. That expression reminded Alvarto of that devil…and it infuriated him.
“Rah…raaagh…!” Alvarto was going to erase him. His eyes filled with heated malice.
“Heh-heh. Good look for a little brat. It just makes this all the more entertaining.” Lucius’s expression glittered with a thirst for battle. The air became tense.
“Alas. I believe it’s time to call it a day.” Before the fight could commence, Luminas intervened. “It’s over, Alvarto. This is just a bit of play and not an actual battle to the death.” The gentle voice had come from right next to him. Luminas had somehow appeared beside Alvarto and reached out her hand for him, even as he was engulfed by dark fire.
For the first time in his life, Alvarto feared loss. That feeling quelled his anger and the flames that were the manifestation of that hatred.
“Yes, good boy.” Luminas’s pale hand gently patted the child’s head. The intensity from her earlier smile had disappeared, leaving only warmth and kindness.
Lucius watched the pair and shrugged his shoulders. “What’s the deal, boss? You take an interest in children?” There was no hostility there, despite the faint note of annoyance.
“B-beautiful.” Garp, the large man who was standing at a bit of a distance, had a gentle voice and expression.
The two attackers who had appeared out of nowhere now seemed quite personable. Ireena tilted her head quizzically at their sudden change in demeanor.
“…Who are these guys? Weren’t they enemies?”
Kalmia evidently took this as a question aimed at her, and she answered, “Lucius and Garp? They are Luminas’s vassals, and they were the greatest warriors in her army.”
“So that means…they’re not enemies, right? Why did they attack?”
“They’re just saying hi.”
“Huh?”
“To them, that’s a greeting.”
“…I don’t quite get what you’re saying.”
From Ireena’s perspective, it looked like those two were actually trying to kill their mistress. They clearly had a strange sensibility that was beyond her, though.
“You know, little man, you’re pretty—”
“Hissssss!” As Lucius approached with a smile, Alvarto hissed like a cat trying to intimidate an opponent. How could this man act so kind after trying to stab him? That strange demeanor reminded Alvarto of that devil. “Hissssss! Hisssssss!”
“Hah. Seems thou art rather disliked by him, Lucius.”
“Heh. It’s nothing new. Animals and brats don’t seem to care for me,” Lucius answered with a dry laugh, scratching at his gray-streaked hair.
Luminas introduced the two to Alvarto, but the boy, who couldn’t understand the words, still regarded the pair as enemies to be wary of.
Perhaps recognizing this, Luminas raised her hands in apparent resignation. “Well, the three of you can improve your relations later.” With that, she pulled Alvarto to herself. “We shall be heading to the palace… What about you two?”
“Honestly, I’d like to rest my bones after the fighting.”
“B-but there’s a need to train.”
“We found some issues that must be dealt with. And I can’t sleep easy unless they’ve been addressed.”
“Hah. Diligent as always.”
The trio exchanged another two or three sentences before going their separate ways. Luminas led Alvarto toward the center of the city with a sure-footed stride. Their destination was a solidly constructed great palace. The closer they came to the towering palace, the fewer ordinary people could be seen milling about. Instead, palace servants scurried here and there. At a glance, they looked well educated, and their attire appeared to be more expensive than the clothes of the common residents of the city, marking them as high-class individuals. However…
“Ah, Lady Luminas. I bid you good day… DIE!” cried the first one.
“Ah, so you’ve returned. Then let us deal with the work that’s piled up… RAAAGH!” shouted the second.
“YAAAHHHH!” The third was no different. They were all this way.
“…What’s up with these people?”
“This is what passes for normal here. Don’t pay it any mind.”
Initially, Ireena had thought this city to be a utopia, but she now had to revise her opinion. It was a strange, eccentric place filled with battle-obsessed weirdos.
“…Ahm. Urr.” Alvarto must have also found the relationship Luminas had with her subordinates odd, for he tilted his head in confusion.
He felt that the actions the people around the city were exhibiting to Luminas were no different from what the devil had done to him in his stone room. So why did he feel no disgust?
It was beyond reason.
“Thou wilt eventually understand, I promise.” Luminas gently smiled as she deduced what Alvarto was thinking. They continued walking, Luminas defeating her servants until they came to a particular room. Based on the furniture, it was an office. The large chamber was filled with books and stacks of paper. The desk, in particular, was a wreck, with parchment sheets that were probably vitally important documents piled so high that they nearly touched the ceiling.
Amid the clutter stood a girl with her arms crossed.
It was Kalmia. She looked exactly the same as the Kalmia who had stood next to Ireena. But her face, instead of wearing the mechanical expression of the girl Ireena knew, was more animated.
“…This is the last, last straw. I’m tired of this. I wish you’d stop with your wanderlust.”
Luminas let out a dry laugh as she faced the furious young woman. “Ha-ha-ha. These looming piles of papers art thou’s way of showing thy intentions, hmm? And yet, this… This is perhaps going too far. I had never in my wildest dreams imagined you would leave all of the work I assigned thee undone. Even I find this sight dizzying.”
“It’s your fault for entrusting me with all this. Who do you think I am, exactly?”
“Well, that goes without saying. Thou art the greatest friend that I shall have the pleasure of knowing in my entire life. Which is why I find myself completely dependent upon thee.” Luminas wore a great smile as she replied, and Kalmia could only sigh.
“…That’s one of the things I really hate about you.” Despite Kalmia’s troubled expression, Luminas’s attitude didn’t falter. Perhaps admitting defeat, Kalmia exhaled dejectedly again. “How can you be so self-centered? I can’t understand it.”
“Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha. You flatter me.”
“…Die in a fire.”
Luminas brushed aside the insult with a chuckle and changed the subject. “Allow me to introduce him to you.” Alvarto had been watching the exchange quietly, but now Luminas pulled his delicate body to her and spoke. “This boy is Alvarto Egzex. From this day forward, thou shall serve him.”
“…What?!” Kalmia let out a freezing aura of simmering fury. It was the sort of presence capable of cowing lesser minds. Luminas displayed no sign of being bothered, however, and turned her attention to Alvarto.
“Given that thou cannot understand words, it may be a waste, but…her name is Kalmia. She is my one and only friend, the best and the last—”
“I have no intention of accepting anyone but you as my wielder,” Kalmia interjected after suddenly appearing directly before Luminas.
“I’m not like my sisters. I’m not easy like Vald, nor do I define myself as a tool like Demise. Of my own free will, I chose to serve you and you alone as Kalmia. I won’t forgive any disrespect for that, not even from you.”
She glared at her mistress with bloodshot eyes.
The intensity of Kalmia’s anger and the expression twisting her features did nothing to change Luminas’s attitude.
“Ha-ha. Despite thy insistence that thou art tired of me, thine love for me is unmatched.” Luminas smiled fondly as she stroked Kalmia’s white hair.
It did little to placate Kalmia’s anger. Her eyes, if anything, took on even greater fury. “If you try to cajole your way out of this again, I’m done with you.” Her aura made it plain that she meant every word. Kalmia didn’t so much as blink as she continued to look up at her mistress. “I don’t understand your intention. Why did you bring back this child?” Kalmia locked onto Alvarto as the cause of her anger and vexation. “Why bring such a child, who could be anybody, to come between us? I don’t understand it in the slightest. I demand an explanation that makes sense.”
Luminas let out a tired exhalation at the interrogation and peered up at the ceiling. She then spent a few moments in silence before finally saying, “In all honesty, I don’t know myself. It was the first time I ever felt this emotion… I wanted to leave something for the world after I am gone. I never thought such a time would come.” The smile left Luminas’s beautiful face, and she faced Kalmia looking grave. “Allow me to state it once more. Thy master from this day forward is Alvarto Egzex. I have high hopes for this boy. Undoubtedly, thou shalt consider him a worthy master in time.”
Kalmia made no sign of listening to Luminas. Her jewel-like eyes glittered with displeasure, narrowed as they were at her mistress. Luminas regarded her friend with a troubled expression and sighed. Her voice was weak, frail even.
“It’s long past time that thee understood. My existence is not eternal. Unlike thee.”
Kalmia’s eyes immediately turned sad. “…I hate you. I really do hate you.” Her lips trembled as she choked the words out. Then she shoved Luminas out of the way and darted from the room.
“Oh goodness. My apologies, Alvarto. That wasn’t a pleasant thing to witness.”
“Urrm. Ah…?”
Both the boy and Ireena were puzzled. Without a grasp on Kalmia and Luminas’s relationship, there was no way to understand the feelings at play.
“You know, it’s…,” Ireena began.
“I don’t need your words. Your job is to simply witness.” The present Kalmia evidently required no sympathy.
“All right. Unfortunately, the introduction didn’t go as planned, but… Well, let us see how things develop. For now, I shall focus on completing this mountain of paperwork. It means I must neglect thee for a while. I hope thou will forgive me.” Luminas lightly patted Alvarto’s black hair, then sat down at her desk.
Time passed leisurely as she worked.
“Phew. Alas, it is too much to finish in a day.” Leaning back against her chair, Luminas let out a groan while stretching.
“Sigh. Enough is enough. Such work can wait until the morrow. The Luminas of today has worked hard enough. No matter what anyone says, I’ll not work another minute. I shall leave the rest to the Luminas of tomorrow. Good luck to thee,” Luminas muttered to herself before directing her gaze at Alvarto.
“I believe supper and a bath should be ready about now. I’m truly looking forward to seeing thine reactions to new experiences.”
Alvarto’s innocent reactions utterly fulfilled Luminas’s expectations and more.
“Pfffaaaaawww?!” Unable to bear the overwhelming assault on his taste buds by the delicious soup, Alvarto sprayed out the first spoonful.
“Mraaaahhhhhhhh…?” The comfort from his first bath thoroughly loosened Alvarto’s facial muscles.
The happy time that was filled with novelty and joy for both Alvarto and Luminas passed quickly. And with that, it was now time for bed. However…
“Err? Mrr?”
“This is a bed. It is thy place of rest… I suppose that makes no sense to thee.” Luminas struggled to get her message across with gestures. Meanwhile, Alvarto jumped up and down on the bed, using its bounciness as a toy.
“…Mrrm.”
After several minutes, Luminas’s efforts were finally rewarded when Alvarto curled up atop the sheets and began to breathe in slow, steady breaths.
“Oh dear. Child-rearing is more tiring than I had thought.” In spite of her exhausted statement, Luminas’s face was lit with a happy smile. “I should like to sleep with thee, but… No doubt it would be suffocating for thee for me to be too close. And…I should like to avoid thou getting too attached to thine mother and having trouble leaving me.” As she affectionately peered at the sleeping Alvarto’s face, Luminas wore a wistful expression. “—After all, I am not the one thou should walk beside.”
Her words never reached his ears, however, as his fuzzy awareness was pulled into the world of dreams.
How much later was it when a swoosh of fabric being shoved aside broke the silence, and Alvarto felt a sharp light pierce his eyelids.
“Urrph. Ah…,” he groaned, furrowing his brow even as he kept his eyes closed. He then tried to escape from the irritating light by covering his head with a blanket.
“Not allowed.” A firm hand snatched the blanket away from him before a sharp sting hit his right cheek. “Wake up. Now.” Next came a sting to his left cheek.
Alvarto interpreted the smacks as attacks and swiftly opened his eyes and jumped up. “Grrr…!” He stood upon the bed, letting out a feral growl as he glared down at his assailant.
“That’s how you respond when I go to the trouble of waking you? So irritating,” the attacker remarked coldly, without a trace of emotion in her features. There was no mistaking that it was Kalmia. She regarded Alvarto with a chilling gaze before going on. “As much as I don’t wish to be, I have been assigned as your trainer for a while. Luminas won’t listen to my complaints, and even if I’m to kick you out of here, the least I can do is make sure you’re better than a pitiful wild ape. So, I’ll raise you until you’re able to communicate normally with other people.”
Both her gaze and words demanded that the boy be grateful for her generosity. Alvarto found it unbearable.
“Graaaah!”
“I’ve said nothing to get snarled at.”
“Grrrrrrrr!”
“First, get off the bed. Being looked down on by you is extremely irritating.”
“Graah!”
“…Damned monkey boy.”
Kalmia clucked her tongue in irritation before her faintly drooping eyes sharpened into those of a killer. The tension in the room mounted, and a fight quickly felt inevitable.
“Ah-ha-ha. Dear Kalmia, so typical of thee to behave this way.” A thoroughly amused voice broke the thick hostility. The pair immediately turned their attention to the speaker.
Luminas, the beauty who was cloaked from head to toe in crimson, even in the early morning, sat cross-legged in a chair, chuckling.
“Mrah! Rrr!”
Alvarto leaped off the bed, rushing over to her and burying his face in her bountiful bosom.
“Yes, yes. Such a spoiled little child. It seems he quite likes me.”
“…What? Why do you look so smug? That’s nothing to be proud of,” Kalmia said irritably as Luminas lightly carded her fingers through Alvarto’s hair as he embraced her.
“Oh, nothing. I simply thought that despite thy claim to be the greatest of divine tools, thou seem to have little understanding of how to treat children.”
“…Ehh?!”
“’Tis nothing to be bothered about. After all, it is quite different from thy assigned role. Even thou hast things thy can do and can’t—”
“Don’t underestimate me, you bitch. There’s nothing in this world I can’t do.” Evidently, Luminas thoroughly understood how to motivate Kalmia. Although she appeared a complex sort, Kalmia was actually rather simple—
“You were mentally insulting me just now, weren’t you?” snapped the present-day Kalmia.
“O-of course not! Ha-ha-ha-ha!” Ireena sweated bullets as she felt a piercing gaze fall upon her.
At any rate, this was when Alvarto’s and Kalmia’s interactions had started, but…
“Today you’ll be taking a language quiz. Take the letters you’ve learned and make some words.”
“S-t-u-p-i-d g-i-r-l.”
“Well done. Your reward is my fist.”
…there was just something about these two that…
“Highly intelligent life-forms eat while taking care to follow table manners. The three basics are: one—silence, two—motions, three—posture. Obviously, gnawing on meat like a beast is completely out of the—”
“Graaaaah!”
“Have you no ability to learn, you monkey?”
…made them extremely incompatible. Still, Kalmia never abandoned her role as teacher, and Alvarto never rejected her lessons.
Luminas was the giant presence that kept the conflicting personalities together. Kalmia couldn’t ignore her requests, and Alvarto wanted to enjoy his time with Luminas more. The two of them fought constantly, and neither attempted to compromise for the sake of the other. They were like water and oil, but their relationship stayed intact for some reason.
Four years passed in the blink of an eye.
It was early morning. The sunlight illuminated the land, and the birds began to chirp. Like every other day, Kalmia barged into Alvarto’s room unannounced. She stalked forward almost menacingly, and she made no attempt to consider the boy who was fast asleep in his bed. When Kalmia reached the windows, she went out of her way to noisily open the curtains.
“Get up. Now.” She bombarded the happily sleeping Alvarto with bright sunlight and cold, sharp words.
“Mrrph…,” groaned the boy, face scrunched. “…Can’t you wake me up in a nicer way?”
Some of the first sounds out of his mouth today were human words. Over the last four years, he had made tremendous progress. Having learned proper language and mastered the manners and common sense required in daily life, Alvarto was no longer some savage beast. He was now able to comprehend a person’s words as well as the emotions and mindset behind them. However, that was precisely why…
“Why are you so categorically incapable of showing any appreciation? The least you could say is, ‘Thank you for rousing me every morning.’ That should be your first statement each day, and yet all you do is spit complaints. Curs are more grateful than you.”
“When did I ever ask anyone to come rouse me? You choose to do this. Demanding appreciation is, well, kind of obnoxious.”
“I don’t understand how you can say such things. Without me, you would end up sleeping past noon. Given that you are worse than a monkey because you can’t even wake up on your own, you should most certainly show gratitude for the fact that—”
“Yaaaaawn. I wonder what’s for breakfast… I’m really looking forward to it.” Alvarto turned away from Kalmia, completely ignoring her.
She in turn looked at him contemptuously, as though she were staring at a piece of garbage, and clicked her tongue in irritation.
Alvarto’s language comprehension had caused their relationship to settle into a cold war that was far below freezing.
“…That’s enough. Hurry and get dressed. Luminas is waiting.”
“What?! Why didn’t you say so?!”
Alvarto leaped from the bed and hurriedly began taking off his pajamas.
“To have no sense of shame when stripping in front of someone of the opposite sex. You really are a monkey.”
“Opposite sex? Who are you talking about? Oh, wait, you can’t possibly be referring to yourself, right? Because if you are, you’re a brilliant comedian!”
Trading barbs was as natural to the two of them as drawing breath. While on the surface they looked like they had an awful, hostile rapport…Ireena’s eyes saw the truth.
“You really are close, aren’t you?” she said.
“…How did you draw that conclusion from watching this exchange? Incomprehensible.” Kalmia looked thoroughly displeased as she watched memories of the past. Ireena saw through her, however. She knew that Kalmia felt something else.
“Being able to say things to each other without restraint is valuable and rare. I mean, you look like enemies on the surface, but the truth is—”
“Quiet. You should just shut up and watch.”
At Kalmia’s complete refusal to acknowledge the facts, Ireena could do nothing but shrug. Even as they exchanged quips, the memories continued to play out in front of them. After changing from his loose-fitting pajamas to a properly fitted set of elegant clothing, Alvarto left the room with Kalmia at his side.
They proceeded along the hallway toward the dining room. The servants they ran into along the way all reacted the same: respectful awe for important people and joy at seeing great beauty. The latter was primarily directed at Alvarto. While Kalmia had the artificial beauty of a sculpted doll, she was a familiar sight to the servants. By contrast, Alvarto’s grace had been refined and sharpened as he grew older and seemed to have no limit.
He would eventually become so captivating that the sort of princesses that people went to war over would pale in comparison.
Alvarto’s charm drew in all observers, regardless of age or gender, but…
“Hahh. I really hate those gazes.”
…the boy himself intensely disliked his own appearance.
Each time he peered into a mirror, he was reminded that he resembled that devil more than he had yesterday.
Alvarto was essentially a duplicate, a shadow of Mephisto. In a sense, they were more closely related than father and child. Thus, it was unsurprising that Alvarto would grow to look like Mephisto as he matured.
“If you don’t like it, you should change it. The power of magic should make that possible.”
“…The fact that you’re saying it despite knowing why I don’t shows just how twisted your personality is.”
As Kalmia noted, Alvarto was capable of changing his facial structure if he so wished. He had a reason for abstaining, though…
“Ahh, you’ve finally arrived. Good morning, Alvarto. Thou art as beautiful as always.”
…it was because she complimented him. In the large dining room, Luminas sat behind a long table. The crimson woman had yet to touch any of the opulent dishes that were set out on the table.
“…My apologies for keeping you waiting, Lady Luminas.”
“Hah. No need to mind it. ’Tis an everyday occurrence.”
As they exchanged pleasantries, Alvarto moved to sit down.
“Today, the special seat rights are mine.”
However, Kalmia hastily shoved him aside and sat down in the chair he was going for.
The seat in question was the one directly across from Luminas. To Alvarto and Kalmia, it was a special spot that let them gaze directly at their beloved.
Having lost the chair to Kalmia, Alvarto glared daggers at her. “…I’m going to make you pay during combat training. You better be prepared.”
“There is nothing to fear from a general who is nothing but talk. Ah, today’s breakfast is quite delicious.”
The pair looked close to a physical altercation, yet Luminas chuckled with amusement as she watched.
“The two of you truly are close, aren’t you?”
““Pardon?!””
“Ah-ha-ha. See? Perfectly in unison.” Luminas smiled widely as she brought food to her lips.
Although Alvarto couldn’t explain why, he couldn’t bring himself to argue with her. If the boy ended up doing so and upsetting her, he would undoubtedly live in slumped depression for the rest of his life.
That was just how important Luminas had become to Alvarto. He had learned language, cleaned up his appearance, and endured frustration all for her sake. Luminas’s praise and her smile were the things that made life worthwhile. He would do anything if it made her happy.
Alvarto’s dedication to that feeling was unwavering, hence—
“Ahh, that reminds me. Dear Alvarto, ’tis about time for thee to participate in thy first battle.”
“Yes, with pleasure,” he answered without hesitation. Luminas casting her ward into danger as though she were sending him on a little shopping errand was strange on its own, but Alvarto, who showed not the slightest hesitation in agreeing to it, was also tinged with a certain madness.
“Hrrrm. I admire thy ability to answer so readily… Yet doth thee understand what thou art agreeing to do? I am not dispatching thee on a fun little jaunt.”
“I know. A place where people clash with the entirety of their strength and will and seek to take their opponent’s life… A war zone. That’s where I’m to go, yes?”
“Indeed. That is true. Dost thou feel no fear?”
“No. Not in the slightest.” Most people facing their first battle tended to react strongly—excessive excitement, obvious anxiety, embarrassing denial. None of those reactions applied to Alvarto, however. “I’ve been waiting for the opportunity to get results on the battlefield and make you happy. Why should I fear fighting? I feel nothing but joy at the prospect. I eagerly anticipate displaying the many skills you’ve taught me,” Alvarto stated eloquently, without the slightest hint of worry.
Luminas grinned affectionately, as a mother might have before a good son. “Mmm. It seems my eyes did not deceive me. Thou hast the talent to be a warrior.”
“You honor me beyond measure.”
Her praise only inspired him further. The wol Croft army led by Luminas was known as the most powerful and peerless force in the world. Even against the rebel armies of humanity, which had made a recent comeback, Luminas’s forces rarely took a loss. While the crimson woman was a great governor, she was an intense, savage warrior at heart. Thus, her greatest praise was reserved not for her intelligent bureaucrats but for her warriors who showed mastery in battle.
To know that adoration, Alvarto would happily march off to war and wager his life. He would do anything to be the most beloved of the woman who was both his mother and the mistress he served unwaveringly. That was Alvarto Egzex’s purpose.
“…You’re going to just burst out crying mid-battle. Just so you know, I have no intention of aiding you. I’m your instructor, no more, no less. I haven’t accepted you as my master.”
Kalmia’s irritating words also bolstered Alvarto’s determination.
“I never counted on a piece of scrap like you from the start. I’ll stand at the summit with my own strength.”
“I pray from the bottom of my heart that your arrogance brings a proper reward. Die as you regret insulting me. Or just die right now, damned bastard.”
Alvarto’s heart skipped as he traded barbs with Kalmia. The image of himself winning on the battlefield. The image of his mother praising him. He felt like he would dance with joy.
There was nothing special about the morning Alvarto faced his first battle. He complained about Kalmia’s annoying way of waking him, then changed into his clothing, ate breakfast, then…
“Now, shall we be off, my friends?”
…he departed the city as a member of the army, led by Luminas.
Alvarto was clothed in crimson garb that resembled a military uniform. While the design itself was the same as the uniforms worn by others around him, the outfit had been specially tailored to suit his body. Today marked the first time he’d donned it, but it fit him like a glove. Luminas had even complimented him on his appearance. This kept Alvarto in high spirits and helped him ignore the fact that he’d been assigned as a foot guard to that man.
“Heh-heh-heh. In quite a mood, ain’tcha, lad?” The man in question, Lucius, called from atop his mount. Smirking down at Alvarto while astride a powerful wyvern horse, he had a similar air to that devil’s, and Alvarto was unable to bring himself to like him.
In fact, Alvarto’s one-sided hostility toward Lucius was so great that it showed through in his demeanor.
“…Hearing your voice ruined my mood. How will you make it up to me?”
“Heh-heh-heh. Well, ain’t that a pity?”
The way he so casually accepted Alvarto’s biting remark was irritating. Alvarto hated the idea that Lucius was his superior.
“Why didn’t Lady Luminas include me in her honor guard?”
That’s what Alvarto had assumed his assignment would be. He had been looking forward to it. Unfortunately, the reality was very different, as Luminas had ordered him to fight beneath this despicable man.
“The boss lady has a tendency to lose sight of her surroundings when it comes to battle. She’s not suited to looking after a child.”
“…I’m not a child anymore.”
“Heh-heh. The fact you’re saying that proves my point.”
Alvarto despised Lucius. He far preferred the other pillar of the army, Garp. That silent warrior was worthy of respect and admiration, and Alvarto had always been closer to him than to Lucius.
For whatever reason, Alvarto simply couldn’t bring himself to tolerate Lucius, and it had been that way since their first meeting.
“Eh, no one’s looking for any miracles from a novice in his first battle. Your job is to make sure you don’t get yourself killed.”
That disrespectful attitude riled Alvarto like nothing else. The boy swore to himself that he would accomplish great deeds today to make Lucius eat his words.
At the end of their peaceful road, they arrived at the battlefield.
“Hey, lad. See that? That’s our cemetery.” Lucius said as much with a joking tone, but the glint in his eyes was that of a warrior prepared for whatever awaited him.
Rolling hills ran into the distance before ending abruptly before a gigantic, looming wall.
“Well, well. The great rabble of humanity really can impress at times,” Lucius mused as he rubbed at his jaw. “High enough to reach the heavens. Thick enough that none can penetrate it. Those structures are a crystallization of their hatred toward us demons.”
The walls and the fortress beyond were constructed by the rebel army that was primarily composed of humans. The barricade around the garrison was not only the key to the rebel army’s defense, but it also served as a spear to counterattack the approaching enemy.
“Breaking through a single one is a pain, but getting to their general requires smashing through three of ’em. Oh, that reminds me. I’ve heard that none but our forces could get through so much as the first wall.”
That was understandable. The walls and the fortress protected by them were key to guarding the city beyond. Thus, the place was run by top-notch commanders who had routed all attempts at invasion.
“Cracking a tough nut like that…is the flashiest way to win, but… Well, no need to get too nervous. Our job’s just to distract them.”
As Lucius noted, he and Alvarto were part of the group with the easier task. They simply had to draw the enemy’s attention. While their foes were occupied, an elite squad led by Luminas would circle the fortress and attack the enemy’s largest strategic asset. The goal was that Luminas’s detachment would kill the rebel army’s leaders and claim the city past the garrison.
“Enjoy the bit of exercise, and when the boss lady sends word, retreat, regardless of whether we’re winning or not. Pretty simple.” Lucius laughed, yet he likely understood this battle wouldn’t be easy. To serve as an effective decoy, Alvarto and Lucius’s group needed to frighten their enemies enough that they’d devote themselves to destroying them. Failure risked the rebel army catching on to Luminas’s detachment, and then the entire plan would collapse.
“Can you truly stoke the enemy’s fears that much, Lucius?”
“Heh-heh. Leave it to me, lad. I’m unmatched when it comes to scaring the piss out of opponents.”
Those were the last words the two exchanged before the fight. It seemed the enemy’s detection net had found them. The rebel army fired the opening salvo from their position far in the distance. Countless points of light appeared on the surface of the giant wall before brilliant rays filled their entire line of sight.
Flare—a basic fire element attack spell. To demons like Alvarto, such magic was nothing to fear… But that changed when there were this many.
“Defend!” Lucius’s voice thundered at an earsplitting volume. The soldiers responded immediately, and in no time at all, the entire army was encapsulated by a protective dome of conjured shields.
“This is what makes humans such a pain to fight.”
The defensive formation was holding against the Flare bombardment. Just viewed on a per spell basis, the enemy’s volley wasn’t enough to break through. However, just as rain and wind could erode a boulder with the passage of time, the sheer number of attacks would eventually pierce even the toughest of magical shields.
“We need to get inside to have any fun. Soooo…all forces, charrrrrrrrrge!”
At Lucius’s second order, all the warriors sprang into action. The infantry kicked off the earth while the cavalry sped through the air.
As they advanced, they continued to repair and maintain the barrier guarding them from the Flare spells.
This was a masterful demonstration of why Luminas’s army was considered the best. It was certain that it, unlike other forces in the past, wasn’t going to fall to the enemy’s opening move. While the rebel army’s sheer size was an issue, it wasn’t enough to cripple Lucius’s troops.
“…An attack worthy of one of the Twin Jewels, I suppose.” No sooner had Alvarto muttered those words than he and the rest of the group reached the enemy’s line of defense. The Flare spells slowed to a trickle, and the small gates set in the wall swung open.
“Rahhhhhhhhhh!”
Countless enemies poured from the open doors, roaring like a flood. They outnumbered the demons five to one. Still, none among Lucius’s ranks faltered in the face of the advancing horde. If anything, the sight of their opponents fired them up, as the warriors bared their teeth in feral grins. Lucius was no different. He sat atop his mount at the front of the pack, beaming with a predatory glint in his eyes.
“All right, you bastards! Who’s the greatest warrior in this army?!”
“““Lucius! Lucius!”””
“Who’s the general known as the Raging Thunder?!”
“““Lucius! Lucius!”””
“What’s the name everyone thinks of when they think first into battle?!”
“““Lucius! Lucius!”””
“And the epitome of reckless bravery?!”
“““Lucius! Lucius!”””
Each time the general shouted to his soldiers, they responded in unison, morale climbing with each cry. Their morale and momentum were enough to carry them into the heavens. A moment later, Lucius charged ahead of his forces.
“Ahh! It’s a good day to die!” His wyvern horse understood its master’s intent and raced forward. “Hee-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-hee-heh!” As Lucius let out a shrieking cackle, his curved swords danced with terrifying speed—a storm of slashes that cleaved through anything that dared approach. “Graaaaaaaaaaaah!”
Blood sprayed in a mist around him. Enemy soldiers desperately fought back with weapons and spells, but it was pointless. Their bodies were sliced apart before their swords made contact, and every magic attack was cut in two.
Lucius’s skills were exceptional, but so was his beloved mount that he rode on. The wyvern horse must have shared its master’s warrior heart. The creature’s eyes burned with fighting spirit. It activated its own magic and swept aside any obstacles before Lucius had to deal with them.
It was a glorious display of man and steed as one. This was undoubtedly why Lucius was considered one of the Twin Jewels of Luminas’s forces.
“Follow His Lordship!”
“Raaaaaaaaah!”
Lucius’s army charged, following in his wake. No one was able to halt their advance.
“Ha-ha-ha! Hello there! Thanks for letting me in!”
The first wall fell. The thick gates were shattered into splinters, and Lucius passed through. His army poured in behind him like an avalanche. It was an overwhelming sight. The battle past the gate degenerated into a hellscape. Foes surged in from all sides, using their numbers to slowly crush one ally to death, then another.
There were no “people” here. Regardless of whether they were human or demon, all of them had lost any semblance of higher thought.
“Shaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
“Raaaaaaaaaaaagh!”
Shrieks and screams. These were not the sounds of creatures capable of reason. No, they were beasts. Everyone present had reverted into feral animals.
Although they had surrendered to the roar of battle, they still mustered everything they could to kill their opponents. With magic. With blade. With hand. Ireena could only stare in astonished silence at the gruesome sight.
She felt nauseated and wished to look away from the slaughter. Alvarto, standing amid the chaos, wanted to do the same.
He was embarrassed by his arrogant attitude from before the fight. He could have never imagined what it was truly like. War was such an overwhelming, intense thing. That the battlefield was such a terrifying, horrific place stunned him.
“Haff…! Haff…!”
He hadn’t moved all that much, yet his breathing was labored. The furious shouts and screams that made his eardrums ache shook him to the core. Which meant that he was no longer paying attention to his surroundings…
“Waaaaagh!”
Suddenly, Alvarto detected a hostile gaze from behind. There was no time to react. He was going to—
“Ah, careful!”
What magic technique had been used? The soldier who had tried to catch Alvarto unawares was immediately reduced to heaps of meat. Naturally, that man was responsible. It had been Lucius, who was a good distance away, trying to break the enemy encirclement. He took a moment to glance in Alvarto’s direction.
“You’ve left your back wide open. You trying to commit suicide?! Eh?” he called with a sardonic grin as he looked upon Alvarto like the boy was a failing student.
Lucius’s voice and expression lit a fire under Alvarto.
“Rah… Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!”
A young man’s roar echoed through hell.
There was no fear in his eyes, nor terror in his heart.
“Answer my call! Sweet death!”
The moment he finished the two stanzas of his chant, Alvarto’s body was engulfed in black flame. In the past, it had been something he created unconsciously. Now, he was able to control it as he wished. Alvarto became a grim reaper, gathering souls on the battlefield.
“I unleash the Blade of the Abyss!”
The dark fire that surrounded him began to move as though it had a will of its own. It split into tens of thousands of tendrils and aggressively attacked the enemy army. All of those touched by the flames lost consciousness and collapsed, their eyes rolling back into their heads.
“Rah!” Alvarto let out a war cry and kicked off the ground. None could stop him. The enemies who approached, the enemies who ran, it made no difference. They were consumed by the burning shadow and vanished.
Alvarto was as a fallen angel spreading his black wings. The black flames released from his body eventually swallowed the entire area.
“Your back is open.”
He stepped behind Lucius just as the man was about to be struck from behind. The dark blaze wrapped around the spear jabbing for Lucius and destroyed it.
“Wha…?!” The poor soldier barely had time to express his surprise before the shadowy flames claimed his life.
Alvarto offered only a single remark. “Are you trying to commit suicide, Lucius?”
“Heh-heh. That’s a good one, lad.” Lucius smiled toothily at the boy, who snorted.
By this point, the battle’s outcome had been decided. The second and third walls, once previously believed to be impregnable, had been taken by a pair seeking to outdo the other.
“I’ll be taking the general’s head!”
“Hey! Hold on! Dammit, lad!”
After outmaneuvering Lucius, Alvarto had put an end to the battle.
Luminas and Garp, who had been part of the other detachment, had also fulfilled their roles perfectly. They had reclaimed the city from rebel hands, returned it to the original lord, and rendezvoused with Lucius’s forces.
Then, as everyone was making their way back to Gladsheim…
“Thy work was instrumental in this victory. It was a truly wonderful debut, my dear Alvarto.”
Alvarto had been given the great honor of sitting upon the same horse as Luminas. She gently embraced him from behind, praised him, and even patted his head…
“Heh. Heh-heh-heh. Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh…”
…surely, this was the peak of happiness. Lucius and Garp laughed dryly as they watched Alvarto giggle in joy.
“Thought I might admit he’s got some talent, but…still a brat.”
“B-but he’s adorable.”
Alvarto didn’t hear their words.
“Heh-heh-heh-heh. Lady Luminas, I worked hard.”
“Indeed. Even I was surprised that thou claimed the general’s head.”
“Heh-heh-heh-heh. I ended up bringing down a fortress that was considered invincible.”
“Indeed. Thou art a warrior that has exceeded even my rosiest expectations. Wonderful.” Alvarto was a child reporting his success to his mother. For a while, Luminas simply worked to sate Alvarto’s desires, but…out of the blue, she stopped patting his head and asked him a question. “How was it? Thy first battlefield?”
Alvarto thought to put on a brave facade and claim it hadn’t frightened him, but he decided against that. He didn’t want to lie to her, so he gave his honest impression. “It…was terrifying. From the very depths of my soul.”
Immediately after his answer, Luminas once again patted his head. Evidently, that was the correct response. Luminas’s reply was rather cheerful. “Yes, that’s good. That is how thou should be.” Her voice was filled with motherly love, yet there was something else, as well. “Throwing one’s body into bloody battles and seeking Valhalla through battle. We should be the last of those fools.”
The young Alvarto was, in the end, unable to realize that Luminas’s love was also filled with mourning.
It was here that the color drained from the scene and returned to pure white. As she floated in this blank canvas, Ireena softly gave her thoughts.
“I don’t know how to put it, but…he’s completely different from the Lord Alvarto I know…”
Ireena had met him once in the past, when she had been thrown into the ancient world by the power of a strange child claiming to be a god. She had gone with Ard and Ginny to have an audience with the Demon Lord Varvatos and had encountered the Alvarto of that era.
“His demeanor was completely different then. The way he talked, his expression… How did he end up that way?”
The man she had encountered had seemed like an unhinged battle junkie. It was utterly at odds with the boy she had witnessed here in this blank place.
“He is, in fact, playing a role, pretending to be someone else. That’s because if he doesn’t, his heart would be overwhelmed by sadness and break under the weight. He can no longer live as the true Alvarto Egzex. He can’t stand to live in this world without being someone else,” explained Kalmia.
Ireena still didn’t know Alvarto well enough to understand, leaving her with nothing further to say. She had no intention of asking how it had all happened. After all, she was probably going to have to bear witness, whether she wished to or not. And Ireena had already guessed that it would not be pleasant to watch. The elf girl kept silent as she waited for the re-creation of the past to resume.
Meanwhile, Kalmia gazed up at the empty space and began to speak. She gazed back at the past and wove words of tragedy. “Thinking back…that battle was likely the start of it. A particularly powerful faction within the rebel army. By destroying it, Luminas’s army obtained a great deal of prestige—respected by their allies and feared by humanity…
“It was the beginning of the end. They should never have sought to crush humanity’s hopes. If they had lost that battle… No, even that wouldn’t have been enough to change things. Regardless of how hard they tried, he would have come eventually.
“That man.
“That hated man.
“The Demon Lord Varvatos would have eventually come.”
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