Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest Vol. 10

by Ryo Shirakome

  “Fufufu, you look confused. I guess you didn’t even realize I was here. That’s fine, I don’t mind. Not at all. You were busy fighting each other, right? You didn’t even notice you beat up my copy while I was in the middle of my trial. That’s fine, I guess I’m just easy to ignore! Fufufufufu!”

  Yue and Shea exchanged glances. Then suddenly, they remembered. Come to think of it, didn’t I throw something in the middle of that fight? And then blow it up with my hammer?

  Shea and Yue broke out in a cold sweat. They glanced back at Kaori, then quickly averted their gazes. Guilt colored their expressions. With all the caution of a bomb disposal expert, Shea said, “Ah, umm, Kaori-san? D-Don’t you think you should calm down a little?”

  “Ahahaha, that’s a good one, Shea. I’m as calm as calm can be.”

  Shea shrunk back and passed the baton on to Yue.

  “K-Kaori... Umm, did you manage to clear your trial?”

  “Hmmm? Oh, I beat my fake alright. Killed it with my own two hands.”

  Yue and Shea breathed sighs of relief. They would have felt horrible if they’d accidentally destroyed Kaori’s trial for her. However, Kaori’s next words wiped away any sense of security they had.

  “Yep, I killed it... after you two had beaten it to a pulp.”

  “......”

  “That still counts as a clear, right? The labyrinth won’t say it doesn’t count because you two beat it up first, right? What do you think?”

  Yue and Shea once again broke out in a cold sweat. Kaori crouched down next to them, her grinning face inches from theirs. Neither of them could look her in the eye. Despite her docile posture, there was a deep darkness in Kaori’s eyes. Frankly, she was terrifying.

  Unable to withstand the silent pressure coming off from Kaori, and wanting to protect her friend, Yue pointedly turned away from Kaori and said in a purposely provocative tone, “Then you should have just healed your copy and started over.”

  Kaori’s smile grew deeper and even more terrifying. She’d truly lost it now.

  “What did you just say, Yue?”

  “It’s not my fault. You’re the one who killed it instead of healing it.”

  Panicking, Shea hurriedly said, “Y-Yue-san, that’s going a bit overboard! We’re the ones in the wrong here! Hurry up and apologize!”

  Much to Shea’s chagrin though, Yue just harrumphed and doubled down. Timidly, Shea looked over at Kaori. Seeing her expression, Shea hurriedly tried to apologize.

  “U-Umm, Kaori-san! I’m really—”

  Before she could, though, Kaori got to her feet. The only thing she was paying attention to was Yue.

  “Fufu. That’s a funny joke, Yue. You barged into my room, messed up my fight, and that’s what you have to say? How about we deepen our friendship too, huh Yue?”

  Kaori drew her twin blades, a murderous glint in her eyes.

  Still avoiding Kaori’s gaze, Yue said, “F-Fine, bring it, you bitch!”

  She dropped into some strange karate stance. Yue’s stubbornness increased tenfold whenever it came to Kaori. Likewise, Kaori had no qualms about going all out when it came to Yue.

  “Fufufufu. You’re on, bitch!”

  And so, round two of the best friend fights began. The room had just finished repairing itself, but it was once again ruthlessly destroyed.

  “Y-Yue-san! Kaori-san! I know I’m not one to talk, but you really shouldn’t be fighting! Calm down!”

  This time, it was Shea’s turn to act as mediator. No one even noticed that part of the wall had crumbled away, revealing the path forward.

  Chapter II: Thank God She’s Still a Pervert!

  This was a dream. That much she knew. It was a nostalgic, albeit mundane dream about an inconsequential past event.

  Two high school girls sat on a park bench in the evening. The setting sun dyed everything orange, and the cawing of crows filled the air. Aside from the girls, the park was mostly empty. A single elderly man was walking his dog, and no one else. Every now and again a vehicle would pass by the road adjacent to the park, the roar of its engine cutting through the ambient noise.

  The two girls were slumped on the bench, looking more like exhausted office workers than high school girls.

  “Aaaaaaah...” One of them moaned softly. The other, Eri Nakamura, smiled ruefully at her companion.

  “Suzu, you sound like an old man.”

  “But Erirriiiiiiiin...”

  Suzu, for the other girl was naturally Suzu, flailed her like a child throwing a tantrum. Her pigtails flailed around her as she shook her head.

  I’m pretty sure this was the day before we were summoned... Despite how she was acting, Eri examined her surroundings with cold, emotionless eyes. It was as if she’d detached from her body and was looking down on everything. Why am I seeing this dream? It’s just some pointless scene tainted by lies and deception. However—

  “Eririn, today’s Sunday.”

  “Umm... yes, and?”

  “Let me ask you something.”

  “Suzu, are you trying to imitate some TV actor again?”

  “We’re in high school now, right? Isn’t it our duty to enjoy our youth and find love and friends and mostly love!?”

  “I-I’m not so sure about that. Also, you said love twice.”

  “And yet, how did we spend our precious weekend!?”

  “We took it easy?”

  “You foolish four-eyed school librarian! How can you say that like it’s a good thing!?”

  “Wh-What does being the school librarian have to do with anything?”

  Suzu reached for Eri’s glasses, which she desperately protected while smiling awkwardly. To a bystander, their playful joking around made it seem as though the two of them were unbelievably close. It was just another normal weekend, with a perfectly normal pair of friends hanging out and passing the time. Eri sighed internally as she watched the scene play out.

  Suzu Taniguchi was a girl who could get along with anyone. Meanwhile, Eri’s goal was to make Kouki hers. The only reason she’d become friends with Suzu was to use her to get close to Kouki. To her, hanging out like this with Suzu was nothing more than a necessary annoyance.

  I bet this airheaded simpleton doesn’t even realize that her timid-looking best friend is actually manipulating her... Of course, Suzu wasn’t the only one who’d failed to realize this.

  Had you asked anyone in Eri’s class what they thought of her, they’d likely say something along the lines of: “She’s a quiet, introverted girl.”

  “But she’s pretty sharp too, and whenever she opens her mouth it’s to contribute something meaningful.”

  “She’s kind, and helps people out without expecting anything in return.”

  “She’s always smiling and knows how to compliment anyone, she’s like the perfect girl.”

  Not a single person had realized Eri’s true nature. They didn’t know she was a crazy, malicious psychopath who wouldn’t hesitate to hurt others if it helped her achieve her goals. Even the perceptive Shizuku had believed Eri Nakamura was a kindhearted girl. What a joke! We were all idiots! I can’t believe it!

  “Goddamn normies, taking all the guys!”

  “D-Don’t shout things like that, Suzu. It’s embarrassing!”

  When am I going to wake up from this dream? Eri thought as she stared coldly at Suzu. Unfortunately, Suzu’s next words drew Eri back into the dream.

  “Hey, Eririn. Who do you think would be a good match for me?”

  “How would I know?”

  “Aww, come on, I thought your hobby was people-watching. Shouldn’t you have enough data to know?”

  “It’s not a hobby!”

  Eri mentally clicked her tongue, berating her past self for getting so flustered at that. As she was watching, she remembered. Suzu Taniguchi would occasionally point out things like that. No matter how well Eri hid her personality, Suzu had managed to glean snippets of her true self.

  Eri hadn’t particularly hated Suzu
, nor had Suzu probed deeper into her personal life than any other person. Suzu had just managed to pick up on parts of Eri’s true personality via the everyday conversations they had. Part of the reason was that whenever she was with Suzu, Eri would occasionally let her guard down and her facade would slip. Like it had just now.

  Come to think of it, she always was good at sensing other people’s emotions. Considering how much time we spent together, I suppose it’s inevitable that she’d pick up on a few hints. Eri tried to justify her mistake to herself.

  Maybe she realized I was actually a calculating, cunning woman and chose to keep hanging out with me anyway... No, there’s no way that’s true. Eri internally shook her head, berating her own foolishness.

  Besides, that would mean she would have known I was planning something truly evil.

  Ever since coming to Tortus, Eri had been overjoyed. Being summoned to another world had made it much easier to make Kouki hers. Compared to when she’d been in Japan, she’d been a lot more overt about her priorities. Especially when they’d been attacked by that demon woman in the Great Orcus Labyrinth.

  She’d almost let it slip that she would have been fine with just her and Kouki escaping. At the very least, she was certain her expression hadn’t been the perfect mask it had been before.

  While she doubted anyone else in the class had noticed, it was plausible that Suzu, the one person who’d spent the most time with Eri, had picked up on the malice she was hiding within. But in the end, Suzu had said nothing on that fateful day. Which had led Eri to the conclusion that not even Suzu had realized. Either that, or she’d known all along and just been unable to say anything.

  Personally, Eri thought the latter was the more likely option. Because Eri knew Suzu just as well as Suzu seemed to know Eri.

  Suzu, you’re a coward, aren’t you? Even when Suzu was aware of something, she’d pretend not to be. Even when she understood, she would feign ignorance. No matter the time, no matter the situation, she’d match her wavelength with others and greet them with a cheerful smile. That was the fragment of Suzu Taniguchi’s true nature that Eri was aware of.

  Eri laughed derisively at her friend’s cowardice. Just then, she suddenly felt like she was floating. The dream crumbled away like a sandcastle. It looked like she was waking up. Eri floated away from the dream, feeling not the slightest hint of regret. She cut away her past without remorse. From the very bottom of her heart, she didn’t care about her so-called friend.

  “Mmm...”

  Eri sat up and stretched. She looked around her room, the one she’d been granted in the demon lord’s castle. It was midafternoon, and sunlight was pouring through her window. As far as she could tell it was the same time of day that she’d fallen asleep. Meaning she’d been sleeping for a day or more. Eri sniffed, still feeling like she was in a dream. A vast presence flew in overhead, and Eri realized this must have been what had woke her.

  “It’s time to leave.”

  “Oh, you came all the way here to tell me that personally? You’re such a nice guy, Freid.”

  General of the demon army, Freid Bagwa was looking down at Eri from atop his white dragon, Uranos. He furrowed his brow in response to Eri’s flippant tone. He wasn’t a fan of how actively malicious she was.

  Unfortunately, Eri’s default state was annoying, so everything she did pissed Freid off. Freid himself knew saying anything was a waste of time, so he just shook his head.

  “Don’t do anything rash. Follow my orders. I don’t want to have to bury you.”

  “Yeah, yeah, I know.”

  Freid harrumphed and turned Uranos around, flying out the open window. A pair of ashen wings appeared on Eri’s back, and she got to her feet. Her hair had also turned grey, and she looked like a slightly dirtier version of a God’s Apostle. As she watched Freid fly off, Eri looked back at the room she’d been dreaming in. She couldn’t fathom why her brain had shown her a dream like that.

  However, it was undeniable that she’d dreamt of someone she’d never even once considered a friend. Perhaps that was why she felt compelled to say, “You always avert your eyes from the truth. That’s your weakness, Suzu.”

  Her whispered words were carried away by the wind, heard only by herself. A moment later, she flapped her wings and chased after Freid. Suzu wasn’t even on her mind anymore. Even if they ended up meeting again, Eri wouldn’t think anything of it.

  “That’s our weakness.”

  Suzu’s copy sneered at her. Its hair, skin, and even the fans in its hands were pure white, the opposite of Suzu herself. Its crimson eyes glared at Suzu. She was panting heavily and surrounded on all sides by her copy’s crimson barriers. A second later, those barriers began emitting an overwhelming pressure.

  “Ngh! Hallowed Ground!”

  Suzu crafted her own barrier to defend herself, and it pushed against the copy’s gravity barrier and started destroying it from the inside. Shards of glimmering yellow barrier mixed with wispy tendrils of crimson mana as the two barriers canceled each other out. Suzu then swung her fans down, summoning a gravity barrier of her own to assault her copy. Forced back by the pressure, the copy fell to its knees. However, it was still sneering.

  “Even though you know. Even though you understand better than anyone!”

  Even though it was the copy who was under attack, Suzu felt like she was the one being pushed back. The copy’s words squeezed Suzu’s heart like a vice, and she could feel her composure breaking. No! It’s not my fault! I didn’t know anything! Suzu wanted nothing more than to shout those words back. After all, admitting her copy was right meant admitting she was partly to blame.

  “You knew from the start, didn’t you? You realized from the very beginning that Eri wasn’t just a nice, quiet girl.”

  Everyone else had thought that was all Eri was. But not Suzu. From the start, she’d known Eri had a cunning streak to her. The reason Eri put on an introverted persona was so she could observe people from afar and make sure she could secure a safe spot for herself.

  Naturally, Suzu never pointed that out. But she’d never thought less of Eri for it either. Because Suzu had thought Eri was only like that to protect herself. It was the whole reason Suzu had wanted to be Eri’s friend in the first place. Suzu would never blame someone for putting on an act to protect themselves. She couldn’t. After all—

  “You thought she was just like you, didn’t you?”

  Blaming Eri for putting on a facade would have been equivalent to denying herself. There was a sharp crack as the copy destroyed Suzu’s barrier. It then assaulted Suzu with a barrier of its own. This time walls of fire bore down on her.

  Suzu quickly neutralized it with a water barrier. She used her left fan to protect herself, while she swung down her right to create another barrier to restrict her copy’s movements.

  “How about I help remind you just what kind of person you are. Along with what crimes you’ve committed!”

  Both sides continued deploying and neutralizing barriers in a defensive tug-of-war. Suzu’s class was Barrier Master, and her focus was on defense. Because of the way her skills worked, she couldn’t move much while fighting. Meaning both Suzu and her copy just stood in the same places, dancing with their fans to summon yet more barriers. This was what a fight between Barrier Masters looked like.

  As their battle raged on, the copy’s words continued to worm their way into Suzu’s ears. Though she was focusing entirely on her battle, Suzu was still forced to relive old memories. The first was a memory from back when she was still a child, and much less cheerful.

  For as long as she could remember, Suzu’s parents had been workaholics. Day and night, they’d worked. They’d rarely ever shown up for parent-teacher conferences or participated in school events where parents were invited. In fact, Suzu had been practically raised by the caretaker they’d hired for her. Suzu had more memories of spending time with her than her actual parents. Whenever her caretaker had left, Suzu had been left alone in that h
uge house.

  Perhaps because of the isolated environment she’d grown up in, Suzu hadn’t been very cheerful as a child, and she hadn’t had many friends. Lonely, but also unsure of how to get rid of her loneliness, Suzu’s childhood had been an unhappy one. Had it not been for her cheerful and lively babysitter, Suzu might have ended up even gloomier than she had.

  It wasn’t that her parents hadn’t loved her. They’d been careful about not spoiling her, and even if Suzu was often asleep by the time they returned home, they’d check up on her every night. But that hadn’t been nearly enough for a young child like Suzu. So even when she’d been awake when her parents came home she’d pretended to be asleep, or if they’d made time to come home early she’d just pouted instead of spending time with them.

  It had been thanks to Suzu’s babysitter that she’d been able to transform from a gloomy, moody child, into the cheery, outgoing girl she was now. A few years after she’d been employed, the caretaker had been able to see Suzu slowly turning into an unsociable child, and had given her some advice.

  “Just smile.”

  Honestly, it had been pretty half-assed advice, but the old caretaker had meant it from her heart. Furthermore, she’d been like a second mom to Suzu. Though Suzu hadn’t fully believed that was all it would take, she’d been willing to try anything to alleviate her loneliness. First, she’d tried smiling at her parents.

  “Mom, Dad! Thank you!”

  She’d acted overjoyed the next time they’d given her a present. Honestly, she’d still felt annoyed at them for neglecting her all the time, but she’d pushed those emotions down. Naturally, her parents had been surprised by her sudden change in attitude, but they’d also been happy.

  “N-No problem, Suzu! Daddy wants you to be happy!”

  “Suzu, come give your mom a hug!”

  She’d never seen them smile so happily before. Of course, their workload hadn’t changed, but now they seemed happy when they were with Suzu rather than apologetic. And that, in turn, made Suzu happy for real.