(Author's Note: You can skip the afterword, but I'd appreciate it if you read it.)
The two individuals who delivered the final blow to my already exhausted mental state began a session of 'girls' talk,' chatting about trivial things as if they were having the time of their lives.
They say it's the age where girls find even a rolling leaf hilarious, but technically, these two... were black mages with more than a hint of sadism. Seeing them engage in full-blown otaku talk was, in many ways, quite impressive.
A short while later—specifically, after Manaka had served tea and we'd emptied about two cups each, and about thirty minutes into an inexplicably deep discussion about those 'queer witches' or whatever—Manaka turned her gaze toward me.
"So, when did you first 'realize'?"
"Realize... in what sense do you mean?"
"Don't play dumb with me. I'm talking about the point when your 'boredom' came to an end, obviously."
The current Manaka had regained her emotions and had even reached the point of understanding the concept of 'love'—a total irregularity.
Naturally, there had to be some underlying cause that led to her regaining those emotions.
"Ah, that? It was actually nothing much. Around 1994... right when you were participating in the Fourth Holy Grail War, the King of Demon Gods approached me."
"Ah, the King of Demon Gods. If it's him... Wait, what?"
While I screamed internally, she continued her story as if reminiscing about the past, sucking a chocolate-stained finger.
"I didn't think much of him when we first met, but his quality was surprisingly high. After listening to him for a bit, I pretty much understood what he was after. I'd already been watching you mess around in Fuyuki City, and the vibe I got from him was similar to the sensation I felt from you."
"...Hold on. Was that bastard planning to turn you into a Beast of Humanity as well?"
"Well... something like that? Considering he intended to awaken the 'Goddess' inside me, your guess is probably right. Though he ended up failing and slinking away."
"Just slinked away? That guy... even if I'm currently pushing him back, he isn't the type to retreat so easily."
"True. In fact, he claimed it would be better for me to awaken and tried to force my manifestation as a Beast. So, I gave him a little 'pat' on the head."
"I can pretty much guess what your 'pat' entails, so I'll pass on the details..."
He probably ended up like Haagentis from the FGO joke singularities—turned into something little better than a cupcake—or suffered a miserable fate like Zepar, who tried to awaken Sessyoin Kiara as the Demonic Bodhisattva only to be consumed.
To use her phrasing, he likely experienced a 'terrible time.'
"And what about her, that Selenike woman?"
"Selenike is..."
She glanced at Selenike for a moment, then started squirming and twisting her body before finally opening her mouth.
Manaka's face was flushed a deep red, and steam was practically erupting from her head, like a rom-com heroine who'd just heard a dirty joke.
"She's my friend. My very precious friend."
"Stop. You realize your behavior and gestures are dangerous in several ways right now, don't you?"
Twisting her body, she fired a question back at me with a confident tone, as if asking what was wrong.
"Eh? Isn't it only natural to act like this toward a friend you like (love)?"
"What kind of nonsense is... Did you seriously learn about love from books?!"
"No, I've got dramas and movies, too! Especially when it comes to romance, I learned from a pick-up artist."
"Nothing to be proud of, you hopeless duo!"
In the end, I was forced to conclude that Manaka Sajyou wasn't a Beast of Humanity, nor was she someone who had truly understood 'love' before her metamorphosis... She was just a harmless shut-in.
...Honestly, looking back, I'd been worrying over nothing. Wait a minute.
"Hey, have you been keeping your Clairvoyance active this whole time?"
"Yep. It was fun watching you together with Selenike."
"No, no, that's not it... Then, you mean you were watching me agonizing over what to do with you? And Selenike attacked me earlier... how does that factor in?"
"Ah... I didn't show that part to Selenike. Yeah, I was keeping that a secret for now."
"...If you knew everything, why didn't you approach me first? We could have avoided all this fighting with your friend if we'd just talked from the start."
Selenike also looked at Manaka with curiosity, and the girl responded with a faint smile.
"That's because..."
"Because?"
"Because... it was fun...?"
"That's my Manaka! You say the things I—who am so small compared to a Magus—could never say with such composure! That's the part that gets me! It's awesome! It's breathtaking! I'm a total fan!"
"...Seriously, I want to go home."
Confronting these two fujoshi was truly exhausting.
Selenike started celebrating her successful parody of a famous quote, while Manaka patted Selenike's head, celebrating along with her.
"...Anyway, I understand that you have no intention of awakening as a Beast. In any case, Flauros is about to start an all-out power struggle with me, so it won't be easy for him to go around awakening other Beasts recklessly."
"Hmm~ So you're definitely going to Chaldea? Marisbury won't be easy to deal with... though I suppose with all the Magi you've pulled in, there isn't much you can't accomplish."
"Hearing that from the Princess of the Root is like having my path paved in gold."
"Really? Then maybe you could do me a personal favor?"
"...Considering I basically broke in here without permission, as long as it's not too difficult. What is it?"
"Could Selenike and I go to Chaldea too?"
...What?
"I mean, it's not like it hurts us... but wouldn't that mean you're essentially choosing to fight Goetia head-on?"
"I'll have you know I'm a firm believer in universal equality. I'm prepared to fire off Magic Bullets even at a poor, pitiable Demon God Pillar!"
"What kind of reference is that supposed to be...?"
"Anyway, I want to go to Chaldea too. Besides, you've already brought Shiki Ryougi and 'Void Shiki' into Chaldea, haven't you? I think I'm more than qualified to go there myself."
She wasn't wrong.
Unlike Void Shiki, who was like a ticking time bomb representing a potential future while currently rejecting her Beast aptitude, Manaka—assuming her words were true—had rejected the King of Mages' proposal right to his face.
It felt strange to use the word, but in terms of 'protecting' her and ensuring she didn't awaken as a Beast of Humanity, the geographical advantage of Chaldea would certainly be helpful.
However, I had one complaint regarding her proposal.
"Certainly, it would be better for management... But it would have been nice if you'd told me sooner!"
Yes, how much better would it have been if I'd known earlier? Or if she'd just said so?
No, there were dozens of tasks and jobs that could have been finished instantly without wasting time if she had just stepped in...
"But that's a hassle."
"...That's clearly an excuse. What's your real reason?"
"To be honest, it was fun watching you run around trying to clean up the messes you made. Your use of Tengai Shinsei and your 'Impure World Reincarnation' of the King of Mages... even I was surprised by that!"
At this point, I fought to keep my mind from going numb, used Bansho Ten'in to pull her toward me, and gave her a sharp flick to the forehead.
As she clutched her head in mock pain, I gave her another flick and said,
"Be grateful it ends with this... Finding joy in the misfortunes of others—you know that's bad taste, right?"
"Hey, isn't a man supposed to forgive a woman's mistakes?"
"...Weren't you just a 'proponent of equality' a moment ago?"
"It's just a joke. A fun JOKE. You know what they say: 'A little massacre is good for the soul!'"
"That's a 'quip,' you fun-obsessed monster..."
She shrugged as if it didn't matter, and I had no choice but to hand the two of them the Self-Enforcement Geas scrolls I'd prepared.
Honestly, I couldn't guarantee that a mere piece of parchment would work on the 'Root'... but I had to hope it would at least serve as a deterrent.
Selenike Icecolle Yggdmillennia watched Manaka sign and then signed the scroll herself without hesitation. I placed the two scrolls into the mouth of the Naraka Path and spoke to her.
"I assume you already have my phone number and email address?"
"Of course."
"...I'm too tired to even comment on that anymore. Anyway, contact me immediately if anything happens..."
I had been agonizing over how to deal with Manaka and how to handle the Isemi family, who were likely conducting atrocities against civilians, but the fact that my worries had vanished in an instant left me feeling quite hollow.
As I let out a deep sigh and prepared to trudgingly walk out, Manaka didn't show the artificial, cruel smirk I knew, but instead offered a gentle smile.
"Karma."
"What? Now that I think about it, that's the first time you've called me by my name. Why not just go with that since you aren't a Magician of the Third or anything?"
"Haha, that's a funny thing to say for someone who's built a legend out of impersonation."
"...Shut up. Anyway, why did you call me?"
"You don't need to go to the Isemi family."
"...?"
"I've already 'settled' everything there."
As she said that, she offered a harmless, clear smile as if it were truly nothing.
Selenike shook her head as if Manaka were hopeless and proceeded to mess up her bob-cut hair. Seeing that, I sighed once more and took to the skies.
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