by Sakon Kaidou
◇◆
“I’m having you leave the clan,” she said right as I entered, without as much as a greeting, enjoying the comfort of her chair.
“So you’re firing me,” I said, not surprised in the least.
I was already prepared for this. After all, when she’d activated Plan C — the one she’d hidden from me — I’d gone and betrayed her. If I hadn’t deactivated La Porte de l’Enfer’s Freezing, her plan would’ve gone a bit better.
“Veldorbell said that he’s leaving the clan, too,” she added. “Well, he was a guest, so this isn’t unexpected.”
Her tone as she fired me and talked about Veldorbell was exactly the same as always — the one she used while roleplaying the mad scientist known as “Mr. Franklin.”
“He also left us with a nice parting gift of three soundtracks. A highly methodical guy, that one. It’s a shame to lose him, but... well... I can’t really argue with it.”
“You can’t?” I asked.
“Yeah,” she nodded. “He only joined this clan to find ‘a true hero’ or whatever, but taking part in my plan made him miss out on quite a lot. I also think that he wasn’t too amused by what I did.”
She then closed her eyes, as though remembering something.
“I’m not the most popular person. He wasn’t the first to distance himself from me. Right before the war, AR-I-CA, the Ace, left me and went on to become one of Caldina’s Superiors. People are turning away from me left and right...”
She formed a wry grin and looked directly at me.
“Yu,” she said, changing her tone. She was talking to me as herself now. “Why did you come to help me? You were disgusted with me, weren’t you?”
“That’s not...”
“You felt betrayed, didn’t you?” she cut my words short, not letting me deny it.
“That’s...”
If I tried to answer that question with “That’s not true,” I would definitely be lying. She’d made a promise that she wouldn’t hurt tians, but had gone on to design a plot where that promise was broken.
“That’s why, before you leave, I want to know,” she continued. “Why did you did you come to help me on the Pandemonium?”
She wanted an answer. But...
“I... I don’t know that, either,” I muttered.
I looked inside me, but couldn’t find the answer, no matter what. After all, I’d acted before thinking it through, so no amount of thought could help me know that.
“I just don’t know...”
Before I’d realized it, tears were flowing down my face.
They were a belated reaction to the fact that I will now be separated from my sister in this world, too. The words “before you leave” reminded me of this.
I finally understood.
Even if she’d lied to me, betrayed me, and did things I thought were horrible... I still really loved my sister.
Since I couldn’t give my own answer and just continued crying, she went and formed her own conclusion. “You couldn’t think of what to do, so you acted without thinking and ended up doing what you did.”
She stood up from her chair and walked up to me.
“Next time, take the time to form a conclusion that you can hold with you to the bitter end,” she said as she took out a handkerchief and wiped my tears away.
“Ah,” I silently gasped as I realized that she was doing it with the exact same precision and care as she used to.
“Yu.” She looked into my eyes. “Travel and broaden your horizons. That’s what I did back on Earth.”
“Eh...?”
“Thankfully, the experiences in this world — especially those related to your disposition — don’t ever go to waste. There’s a lot for you to gain if you leave my side and travel around, so don’t bind yourself to me or the clan. Experience Infinite Dendrogram as you please. And if you wish to return once you’re done, I’ll always be ready to accept you.”
“Sis...”
“Oh, also.” She reached into her inventory and took something out. It was a Garage storing a Magingear. “This is both a parting gift... and a birthday present. You’re turning fifteen on Tuesday of next week, right?”
“You remember...?” I asked, making her form a wry grin.
“Don’t be silly. I could never forget your birthday.” Then that grin became a smile.
It was unlike any expressions she’d displayed during the incident in Gideon. If anything, it was like one of the gentle smiles she’d given me long ago... when we still lived together.
“Francesca...” I spoke her real name as the tears she’d just wiped began flowing again.
I finally understood.
That devilish man was right — I’d always avoided looking at her bad side. It surely existed, and it made lots of people suffer, but it wasn’t all that she was. Just like now, she could still be very gentle to me, and that was no delusion.
“Thank you, Francesca,” I said. “Let’s meet again someday.”
“Of course, Yu.” She nodded. “Until next time.”
With that, I left the Triangle of Wisdom.
Once I walked out of the room, Cyco appeared out of my left hand.
“That’s a nice expression, Hugo,” she said.
“Mhm...”
“Good thing you got to be honest with your sister, right?”
“Cyco...”
Apparently, this sharp-tongued partner of mine had been watching my and my sister’s conversation.
“Thanks, Cyc—”
“Still, I know you’re girls on the inside and all, but you both look like adult men. And a scene where two adult men talk like women and have a teary farewell is a bit... you know...”
...Cyco, those words completely ruin it, I thought sourly.
◆◆◆
Giga Professor, Mr. Franklin
Still in my own room, I looked at the monitors and watched Yu leave.
She was surrounded by a large number of my clan members. I’d just announced that she was going on a journey, so they were there to see her off.
Though sad about her leaving, they all encouraged her and wished her the best.
Yu had only been in the clan for about a month of real life time, but she was already quite popular among our members. She was gentle to a fault, and as far as I knew, she’d spent a lot of her time helping people out. She even remembered the names of a few hundred clan members, which might’ve been part of why she was liked.
And speaking of being liked... a group of girls was bawling. They were the clan’s Yu fan club.
Which was fine and all, but... she was a girl on the inside. I was a woman, too, but strangely enough, people rarely noticed.
Were they anything like fans of the Takarazuka Revue?
It wasn’t something I could relate to, to be honest.
“It’s gonna get pretty lonely here,” said one of the clan members surrounding her.
“Yeah... We’re losing a skilled test pilot.”
“I really wanted him to test the Supersonic Death Revolver Catapult.”
Okay, what is that wonderfully-named device, and why don’t I know about it?
“Oh no! We’re losing a Master who’s handsome both inside and out.”
“They’re much rarer than those who are only handsome on the outside.”
“Only the beautiful die young...”
Yu’s not dying, though.
“There goes the pilot with a Maiden...”
“They were so picturesque, too... especially for lewds...”
“Oh, speaking of which, I’ll send you the new leader x Hugo thing when we’re done.”
All right, the fanfiction department is next in line to be eaten by my new monsters.
“The leader should’ve come and seen him off, too.”
“Dude, do you even know who you’re talking about? Guy’s probably watching this through those cameras over there.”
“Should we hack and kill the camera network?”
“...We’re the ones who’ll have to fix it, you know?”
I would very much prefer it if they didn’t damage their own surveillance system. Still, they were completely right about me watching.
The goodbyes continued for a long while. During her month — three months in Dendro time — in the Triangle of Wisdom, Yu had become a true clan member.
“Hm...” I quietly pondered.
I was the one who’d invited her to the clan, or rather, Infinite Dendrogram as a whole. Honestly, I could’ve invited her much earlier, and it was somewhat strange that I hadn’t.
After the imperium had gained superiority over the kingdom, after I’d killed the one who’d given me the death penalty, and after my Triangle of Wisdom had become more prosperous than ever, I’d suddenly had the idea to invite her over.
I didn’t know whether I’d just had an urge to show her what I’d created, or whether I just hadn’t had anything better to do, but that was when I’d become determined to meet her again, after several years of separation.
And soon enough, she and I had met in this world.
In all honesty, I truly hadn’t expected her to be like me and use an avatar of the opposite gender. That had made our rendezvous far more troublesome than expected.
Anyway, though a few years had passed since we’d seen each other, she was still a very good girl. Though she was roleplaying a pompous, theatrical knight/prince-like character, she was still as gentle as ever.
Her Embryo being a Maiden made it clear that she was also considerate of the tians calling this world their home, which was very much like her.
Yu was gentle, indeed.
However, it seemed like she’d misunderstood something.
“Well, it’s more like that I made her misunderstand,” I said.
She probably believed that I’d made her leave the clan and go on a journey purely for her sake. That was part of the reason, yes, but I’d also done it for myself.
Why? It was very simple.
“With her at my side... I’d be unable to do anything truly gruesome.”
Plans C and D had failed. That meant that the next time I designed a plot or worked to extinguish those who’d defeated me, I’d have to do something far more fiendish.
If Yu was at my side, she’d put a mental brake on me.
In hindsight, I could’ve been far more relentless with my plot in Gideon. Though her presence had given me peace of mind, she’d been in the way of my march to victory.
And now, she was going away.
My dear sister — the person I wanted to appear gentle to, and the embodiment of my conscience — was no longer at my side.
I was now free to act without restraint.
I wouldn’t have to cherry-pick my methods, and I’d be able to fight the ones who’d defeated me with all I had.
“Keep your head clean for me... Ray Starling,” I said, as pure vitriol bubbled up my throat.
Epilogue C: Ray the Unbreakable
Duel city Gideon, first district, Paladin, Liliana Grandria
Bells were tolling.
Three mornings had dawned upon Gideon since that nightmarish night. Clear, yet sorrowful bells were echoing throughout the city, as all the churches in Gideon were sounding out a requiem.
It was a sound for the second day of the three day-long combined funeral happening here in the knight offices in the first district, mourning the knights and guards that had laid down their lives during the incident.
Our Royal Guard had lost 18, Gideon’s knights had lost 15, and the guards had lost 28, making for a total of 61.
“...Sixty-one,” I silently voiced the number.
The only saving grace was that the lives lost here had been relatively few compared to the crushing defeat and loss of life we’d suffered during the war. And most of all, by some miracle, the incident hadn’t killed a single civilian. Though, sad as it was, I couldn’t say that it was the result of the sacrifice of the deceased.
Not saying a word, I looked at the mourners.
A young boy standing before a coffin was calling out for his father.
A woman was on her knees, sobbing uncontrollably.
An old man looked at the flower altar, completely still, as though in shock.
Clearly, they were family of the knights and guards who’d never made it back.
I could tell because they were exactly the same as Milia and I had been when we’d attended the combined funeral for those lost in the war... including our father.
“...Hhaah,” I breathed a sad sigh. As ones with a duty to protect the kingdom, knights and soldiers were all ready for death.
However, I doubted that any of them thought they’d die on that night.
Death could come suddenly and without warning.
Gideon’s knights and guards had been killed by either the monsters that had attacked the streets, or by the lawless Masters the other Masters referred to as “player killers,” while my subordinates had died in the battle against Franklin. Some had been crushed by that tentacle monster, while others had been consumed by the overwhelmingly powerful dragon clad in the red aura.
All of us had been powerless against them.
But Ray and his brother — the King of Destruction, Shu Starling — and many other Masters had avenged those that were lost. They’d saved my subordinates and the kingdom’s second princess, too, while also sending the tian-killing “player killers” to the gaol.
Thanks to their efforts, many of the deceased had been recompensed, and those that had died that night hadn’t died in vain.
I was silent.
Both the one who’d started the incident and the ones who’d ended it were Masters.
They had only been able to stop Franklin because they were like him.
“Even so, Masters... those chosen by Embryos... aren’t special,” I whispered.
They were as human as the rest of us.
They simply had a means of escaping death and were blessed with immense powers.
Though they were quick to gain power, their powers weren’t their identities.
That was why we had Masters who crushed others, such as the Hell General or Franklin, as well as those who stopped them, such as Ray and the King of Destruction. That was how it was among us tians, as well.
There was a vast difference in power between tians and Masters, but they were just as human as us.
That power difference was exactly why only Masters were capable of stopping a rampaging Master. That was what had happened that night... and what hadn’t happened in the war half a year ago.
“Protecting the kingdom requires their aid... Lady Altimia,” I muttered and pictured the person I served, the first princess and the acting ruler of the country, Altimia A. Altar.
Sadly, it was doubtful that Her Highness Altimia intended to borrow the powers of the Masters.
She didn’t consider them to be as human as us.
“Still...”
I watched the flower altar and noticed that the left hands of those placing flowers there were varied.
Those with and without crests alike were mourning the deceased and adding bouquets to the altar.
One was gently patting a crying child’s head, while another comforted a different child with a light embrace.
Another one supported a woman who was about to fall due to the staggering despair.
Another took the hand of an old man who stood still in shock, and helped him place his flowers on the altar.
“They really are just like us... Lady Altimia,” I whispered.
Speaking of Masters, I wonder what he’s doing, I thought.
Yesterday, he’d come here to present his flowers the moment the combined funeral was opened.
He’d just lost his left arm, so I could only hope that he wasn’t doing anything reckless. With what he’d done during the trouble with Milia, the Gouz-Maise Gang, and Franklin’s Game, it was clear that he wouldn’t hesitate to do absurd things for the sake of others.<
br />
“But that quality might just be a part of his kindly nature,” I said to myself and pondered about similar nothings when suddenly, Lord Lindos ran up to me with a panicked expression.
“Lady Grandria! We have trouble!” he exclaimed.
“Oh? What’s the matter?”
“Her Highness Elizabeth, she...”
“She has no official business today, yes? Today is a free day for her.”
She’d spent all of yesterday attending the combined funeral, and had spent all her days prior to the Clash dedicated to the relevant preparations. Because of that and due to her kidnapping by Franklin, she’d been given a day off today so that she could have a proper rest.
“Did Her Highness say anything?” I asked. “If she wishes to leave, simply have a number of Royal Guard accompany her, and—”
“She left a note and escaped the Count’s residence! Again!”
“...Augh.” I voiced a strange sound as I turned dizzy.
◇◇◇
Duel city Gideon, sixth district’s arena, Paladin, Ray Starling
When using Nemesis in her greatsword or halberd forms, I never felt a hint of her weight. Both of those forms could be classified as ultra-heavy weaponry, but I could swing them with ease thanks to that trait.
I was always thankful for it, but never was my gratitude as great as it was now that I’d lost my left arm.
I tried swinging the greatsword, then had her switch to the halberd and did the same.
Though I couldn’t spin the flag halberd due to risk of dropping her, I could still thrust, slash, and cleave without much trouble.
“Looks like I can get by without my left arm,” I said.
“Indeed,” Nemesis agreed. “The lack of an arm is nothing to us.”
Well, I wouldn’t go that far. Losing an arm was a pretty big deal. However, she was right that it wasn’t much of a problem when fighting with her as my weapon.
A very clear problem, however, was Gardranda.
Without my left arm, I couldn’t equip the left bracer, meaning that I couldn’t use Purgatorial Flames, which was one of my main skills. When punching Franklin, I seemed to have discovered a new way to use it, too, but now it looked like that would have to wait.
I’d thought that losing my left arm would render me incapable of storing Nemesis, but there was no problem at that front. The crest had simply moved to the upper left arm — the part that was still there.