CHAPTER 9

Remote Victory

“How are things with Seiya?”

“He’s been training with Cerceus every day since then.”

Five days have passed. I chat with Uno as we cook in the Porta residence kitchen. While cleanly chopping some vegetables, I sigh.

“Sigh… I can transform into a demon, too, but he still hasn’t asked me to help.”

“Maybe he simply does not wish for you to get hurt?”

“Hm… I don’t know about that. It doesn’t feel like it’s because he’s looking out for me.”

Regardless, I have quite a bit of free time, so I’ve been working on my cooking. Despite there being so many ingredients unknown to me, I haven’t had a problem, thanks to my special ability Appraise. The food Uno and Due have been serving us isn’t bad, but I want to make Seiya cuisine similar to what he used to eat in Japan, so I’ve been searching for appropriate ingredients.

“I think I’ll make curry today. Now where were those spices…?”

“They should be on the shelf over there.”

“Thanks!”

I walk over to the shelf Uno pointed at when…

“What the—?!”

I shriek…because I find Cerceus curled in a ball right next to the shelf.

“Wh-wh-what are you doing?!”

Cerceus is in Demon Mode, but he’s covered in bruises, and both of his horns are gone.

“What does it look like I’m doing?! I’m hiding!”

I glare at Cerceus in disgust.

“You’re an idiot, you know that? Did you honestly not know this was going to happen?”

“I think turning into a demon created a darkness in my heart! So I got a little too cocky!”

“Oh, my. That is strange. It shouldn’t affect you mentally as long as you’re in the underworld.”

“See? You heard Uno. You’re the only one to blame!”

“Groan…”

But Cerceus clutches his head while trembling.

“I’m scared… He’s so scary… He breaks my horns every time I turn into a demon! Without fail…!”

“R-really?”

“Rista, Cerceus appears to be utterly exhausted. We should leave him be.”

I leave the trembling deity behind and return to cooking, but it isn’t long before Seiya walks into the kitchen.

“Rista, have you seen Cerceus?”

I hesitate for a second, but I end up quietly pointing to the corner by the shelf. Seiya immediately marches over and grabs Cerceus by the scruff of the neck like a cat before he begins dragging him away.

“A-ahhhhhh! No, no, no, nooooooooo! I don’t wanna goooooo! Somebody, heeeeeelp!”

Watching Cerceus throw a tantrum kind of breaks my heart. It’s like helplessly watching a child being kidnapped. B-but, well, you reap what you sow! Good luck, Cerceus! You just have to bear with it a little longer until Seiya reaches max level!

That afternoon, I bring the curry I made to the garden, where they’re training, only to find Cerceus facedown and unconscious. After saying a prayer over his body, I invite Seiya to the garden table and grace him with curry.

“So how’s the leveling up coming along?”

“I actually just reached max level a few minutes ago.”

“Already?! I guess that means you’re ready to go!”

“Not yet. There’s still one more thing I have to do.”

Seiya begins to walk off after eating, so I follow him.

“Hey, where are you going?”

“To town.”

The people of the underworld lick their lips and grin when they see Cerceus and me. I find it really unsettling, so I’ve made it a point not to stray too far from Uno’s place. Seiya, however, has apparently been going to town after training or whenever he has a little free time, so I decide to muster up all my courage and follow after him.

…The underworld is crawling with bizarre creatures today as well. From individuals with long, serpentine necks to living, disembodied heads rolling on the ground, there are countless new sights to be seen around the Lord of the Underworld’s shrine.

“Hello, Seiya!”

“Good afternoon!”

“How have you been?”

I don’t know what’s going on, but everyone’s warmly greeting Seiya.

What in the world…?! Since when is he Mr. Popular?!

A creature, with the face of a woman but the body of a centipede, sweetly smiles at Seiya. I decide to copy Seiya, act natural, and greet her.

“Good afternoon!”

Her body immediately twists, and she begins licking her lips.

“Hyah-hee-hee-hee-hee-hooo! A goddess…! A goddesssssssss! Give me your HP!”

“Why did she suddenly change her tune when I greeted her?!”

I promptly hide behind Seiya. Uno said that the people of the underworld respect deities, but…I’m starting to feel like they only see us as HP dispensers!

But to no one’s surprise, Seiya briskly walks ahead with an air of apathy before stopping at a certain shop. Inside the wooden building, past the curtains, are what appear to be numerous swords, shields, and armor on display.

“Whoa?! There’s a weapon shop in the underworld?!”

A creature of the underworld crawls out from the back with its wiggling tentacles. The individual, who looks similar to an octopus in Seiya’s world, must be the shop’s owner.

“Did my order arrive?”

“Got it right here. But it wasn’t easy getting a spare for your spare and all that nonsense.”

It sounds like they’ve met before. The octopus-like owner uses his multiple tentacles to pick up and show off a slightly dull scarlet suit of armor and a sword with a blade of the same color.

“Seiya, did you order weapons from here?”

“Yes. I actually wanted to order more, but he said it wasn’t feasible, so I made sure to keep the order small.”

“What part of this order looks ‘small’?! You’ve got more weapons now than any rational person needs!”

The owner looks just as shocked as me. Not even a second goes by before I realize something else and yell:

“Hold on! Are you even going to be able to bring weapons from the underworld to parallel worlds?!”

“These items now belong to the customer. I don’t care what he does with them, nor where he does it.”

S-seriously?! Because this would never fly in the spirit world! The rules here are so lax! But there probably aren’t any good weapons or armor in warped Gaeabrande, so finding equipment here might be Seiya’s best bet.

I can’t believe Seiya was even making arrangements for weapons during training!

I secretly admire him until the shop owner’s mild manner suddenly changes along with his expression.

“Now it’s time to pay for those weapons.”

W-wait! Don’t tell me I have to be humiliated again?! After I step back in fear, Seiya says:

“Don’t worry. I brought something of equivalent value with me.”

“Huh?”

Seiya pulls one of the heavy, pointy objects out of his pouch.

“This is your payment. ‘The shameful horn of the God of Swords.’”

“Wh-wh-what magnificent HP!”

What the…?! He can use this as currency?! And just how many of Cerceus’s horns did he break?! Seiya ends up trading twenty of Cerceus’s horns for a total of ten swords and ten suits of armor. He then wastes no time before changing into his equipment in the back. When he returns, I use Appraise on his dull vermillion equipment.

Sword and armor from the underworld. The equipment is made from the ancient metal scarletium, giving it a higher durability than both diamonds and platinum. This equipment is super rare and can only be found in the underworld!

“Wow! That equipment is amazing!”

“It’s superior to platinum swords and mail as well.”

“That’s wonderful, Seiya!”

After that, Seiya purchases a shield as well “just in case,” despite the fact that he’s not going to use it, since he’s a magic knight. On our way out, the owner says:

“Pleasure doing business with you.”

Once outside, Seiya immediately enters the shop right next door. Inside are countless oddities, but there are also run-of-the-mill medicinal herbs as well. It looks like this is the underworld’s item shop.

“I’ll take this, that, that, and all of those over there.”

The shopkeeper this time is a headless suit of armor, but Seiya doesn’t seem concerned as he extravagantly buys almost everything in sight, as per usual.

“I appreciate ya wanting to buy this much, but can ya really pay for it all?”

Seiya responds to the dubious owner by showing him a bagful of Cerceus’s horns.

“‘The shameful horns of the God of Swords.’

“Oooh! Sold! Take as much as ya want!”

That’s enough to buy everything in the shop?! Just how versatile are Cerceus’s horns?! After purchasing a ton of underworld items—most of which I have no idea how he’s going to use—we begin leaving the shop, when suddenly the shopkeeper walks over to Seiya’s side and mutters:

“Ya know, it’d be really nice if ya could sweeten the pot a little more before ya go. I did sell ya everything, after all.”

“Fine.”

Immediately, Seiya grabs a handful of my hair and rips it out.

“Owww!”

He then chucks it at the shopkeeper.

“Here.”

“Ooo! Thank ya very much, kind sir!”

“Did you just use my hair as a tip?!”

I scream at Seiya, but he nonchalantly retires from the shop then begins walking away.

“Wh-where are you going now?!”

“To Xul Luxu’s place.”

“What?! But we already got what we wanted from her, right?”

“There’s something I want to discuss with her. Her special move was pretty interesting.”

“D-don’t tell me… Do you plan on turning into a demon, too?!”

“I wouldn’t be able to even if I wanted to. I did have an idea, though, while I was watching both of you be humiliated.”

Wh-what kind of idea could that have given him…? I’m curious, but just hearing the name “Xul Luxu” gives me anxiety. I don’t want to be forced into another handstand. Plus, Seiya is giving off his “How long do you plan on following me?” aura, so I decide to head back to Uno’s place alone.

Another three days go by.

“Cerceus, could you water the flowers over there next?”

“Sure thing.”

Cerceus was dismissed from his role the moment Seiya reached max level, so he started helping Due around the garden. He looks like a new man. He’s as happy as can be ever since he was freed from his training. Hm… Although there isn’t a single godlike thing about him anymore, he seems to enjoy cooking and doing chores. But all of a sudden, his once mirthful expression soon twists in fear. When I follow his gaze, I notice Seiya walking on his hands and coming this way!

“S-Seiya?! What are you doing?!”

“What does it look like? I’m walking on my hands.”

“I can see that! I want to know why you’re walking on your hands!”

But Seiya just focuses on a single point in his handstand and ignores my question. W-wait…! Don’t tell me he’s…!

Seiya calmly states:

“I’m perfectly prepared.”

…?! That might have been cool if he weren’t doing a handstand! B-but he’s finally ready to go!

“Yes!! Let’s go save warped Gaeabrande!”

I shout. Cerceus, however, awkwardly scratches his head.

“Oh, uh… About that… Should I stay here? I-I’m sure I’d just get in the way if I went with you anyway.”

Both Seiya and I look at Cerceus in disgust, but he makes a fine point. He’d be pretty useless. I wouldn’t mind if he stayed behind, but…

“You cannot stay here, Cerceus.”

Uno, who had been listening to our conversation, suddenly spoke up with a smile.

“Wh-why?!”

“Because our Lord requested that you go along with them as well. He told me that it would benefit you in the long run.”

“No… Seriously? Can things get any worse than this? I’d rather die than go back there!”

Cerceus is on the verge of tears. I have no idea what Hathies is thinking, but it looks like Cerceus is coming with us whether we like it or not. Seiya deeply sighs. Yeah, I know how you feel! I really do!

“You better not hold us back, Cerceus!”

After scolding him, I turn around and smile at Seiya.

“Right, Seiya?”

“Dammit. As if one pain in the ass wasn’t enough…”

“Yeah, I know what y—hey! That was a little harsh, don’t you think?!”

“Rista, can you open a gate to a specified location?”

“N-no, I can only open a gate that leads to the same place we went last time. I won’t be able to open a gate to any unknown locations anymore, either, since I can’t get permission from Ishtar…”

“You’re even more useless to me now.”

“Hey! This isn’t my fault!”

“Just open the gate.”

Seiya is trying to rush me, but Edona Village is overrun with bloodthirsty dragonewts. We’ve been in the underworld for a while, but since time flows more slowly here, surely not much time has passed in Gaeabrande. It’s highly possible that the dragonewts are still looking for us. Slightly nervous, I double-check with Seiya.

“Are you sure about this, Seiya? I’m going to open the gate.”

“Do it.”

Immediately after chanting and opening a gate to warped Gaeabrande, Seiya briskly walks ahead of me. This is the beginning of a new adventure. Uno and Due smile as they bow and see us off.

“Have a safe journey, everyone.”

“Come back whenever you want. We’ll leave the guest rooms just the way you left them.”

“Uno! Due! Thank you so much!”

I wave good-bye. But while I was planning on leaving with a smile, I notice Seiya is still standing right in front of the gate.

“Um… Seiya? Are you not going to go through?”

Before long, he gently opens the door and sticks one hand through the gate.

“Automatic Phoenix.”

A fiery bird shoots out of his hand, flapping its wings as it goes to scout. The Hero’s magic and skills change depending on the parallel world. Last time in Ixphoria, Seiya mainly focused on earth magic, so he usually used golems to scout, but he can’t use earth magic in Gaeabrande. That’s probably why he used an Automatic Phoenix instead.

Seiya vulnerably closes his eyes in front of the gate, leaving the door wide open.

“Hm… There are approximately one hundred dragonewts. There don’t seem to be any humans in the town.”

It sounds like he’s linking his eyes with the phoenix’s to get a bird’s-eye view of the area. This is exactly the amount of caution I expect from him. There is one thing that’s bothering me, though. Why did he leave the door to the gate wide open?

Wouldn’t he be better off going through the gate even if it’s just to scout the area?

Due and Uno watch over us until my one fear becomes reality. A dragonewt on the other side points in our direction!

“Huh?! I found a gate!”

“It must be them! The heretics are inside the gate!”

Dragonewts rapidly gather on the other side of the gate. Cerceus screams:

“Ahhh! They found us!!”

“S-Seiya! This isn’t good! The dragonewts are coming!”

W-we need to close the gate and—but I gasp before I can even finish my train of thought…because Seiya holds his hand up to the gate!

“Stop panicking. I already have a clear shot.”

“A-a clear what?!”

A flood of dragonewts, all bearing weapons with Chain Destruction, rush the gate! Cerceus and I wilt before their bloodthirsty eyes, but Seiya remains calm and tightly clenches his fist aimed toward the gate.

“Meteor Strike.”

Right as Seiya is finishing chanting, he swings his body to the side, kicking the door to warped Gaeabrande shut! A brief silence passes, followed by a blast so powerful that the gate creaks and twists from the other side.

“Whoa!”

The quakes from the violent explosion knock me and Cerceus to the ground. After a few moments, Seiya finally places a hand on the warped door and slowly opens it. All we can see on the other side of the gate is a town reduced to ashes. Not a trace of the abandoned village remains. Smoke slowly rises out of a massive crater that looks like it was made by a comet. The buildings have been destroyed, and countless charred remains of dragonewts lie piled on top of one another.

“Clear.”

I watch Seiya mutter that to himself as my lips quiver.

Wh-wh-who the hell attacks like this?! He just cleared out an entire horde of dragonewts in Edona without even leaving the underworld!

“I-it looks like we’re safe now! I’m sure glad Seiya’s on our side!”

Cerceus’s face is overcome with relief. And…

“Hee-hee-hee! I would never have even thought of doing such a thing!”

Unoporta coughs up a little blood in her excitement. Seiya lightly cracks his neck.

“All right, then. Let’s go. It’s time we save warped Gaeabrande.”

Seiya then marches forward and gallantly disappears into the gate.

“S-Seiya?!”

“W-wait!”

“B-bye, Uno! We’re really leaving this time!”

Cerceus and I follow after Seiya in a fluster, but on my way through the gate…

“Heh-heh-heh. That’s Seiya for you.”

“Yes. After all, he is our…”

Huh?

Due and Uno’s conversation catches me off guard, so I try to turn around and listen, but the door quietly closes behind me.