Chapter 13: Volume 2 - CH 1

“I’m sure that Her Majesty the Empress must be proud of having such a successful Seven Crimson Deva under her command. No mistaking it, your Excellency will be the next Empress.” Chaostell walked next to me, and bragged like he always would.

This is the following day after the battle with that chimpanzee. We walked down the hallway of the Mulnight Palace, on our way towards the audience room. Looking at my own reflection in the sparkling floor, I gave a disinterested ‘Yeah’. At my other side stood Vill, who gave me a glance.

“What’s wrong, Komari-sama. You seem to be a bit lackluster.”

“Of course I—N-No, I mean, I’m always brimming with energy!” In a panic, I corrected myself.

I shouldn’t be giving my honest feelings here. I don’t know who could hear me, and Chaostell is always clinging to me anyway. Unrelated to this, as for the reason I was here, I had been summoned by the Empress herself. Since I had won against the Laperico Kingdom again, I was promised a week of vacation. That’s why I had planned to shut myself in for the rest of the day, but the perverted maid suddenly barged in early in the morning.

“The Empress calls for you. If you don’t come in time, Her Majesty will kiss you as punishment, so let us hurry, Komari-sama! Hurry!” she said.

I feel like Vill sounded oddly panicky there, but leaving that aside, now that I was threatened, I had no other choice but to visit her. That is why I’m in a slightly bad mood today. I just got a nice nap, so if you dare take away my well-deserved vacation, I’ll start crying for real.

“…Hm, the Empress sure is a troublesome one. Suddenly calling me over like this, does she want a lesson from me?”

“Ohhh! To think you would use such vocabulary towards the ‘Lightning Emperor’…! That’s her Excellency for you!”

“R-Right? …So, Chaostell, why are you here?”

“I happened to spot you, so I thought I might as well come greet you.”

“I see. Good morning.”

“Indeed, good morning. And, there is one thing I wanted to give you.” Chaostell stuffed his hand into the handbag he carried with him.

I was worried that he might show me something obscene, but I turned out to be wrong, since he took out…folded clothes?

“I’ve talked about special goods of your Excellency, haven’t I? This will be the first attempt, an ‘Her Excellency Shirt’.”

“Huh?”

I accepted the shirt, and opened it. Imprinted on it was my face, showing half of a smile.

“…Huh?”

“Wonderful, is it not? This sold like hot potatoes, see, so I’ve been experimenting with other variations. I’m thinking of an embarrassed version, or a sulking version.”

“Huuuuuuuuuuuuuh!?”

Wah, eh, are you serious!? The heck is wrong with you!? You made this!? And, you were even selling it!? There’s no way anybody would buy this, right!?

“Please try it on yourself, your Excellency.”

“It’d be weird for me to wear it! I’m not some narcissist!”

“But, it’ll double your beauty.”

“Moron! Even if I fell into a river with no other clothes to change into, I would never wear something like that! Hey, Vill, say something!”

“I bought a hundred shirts already.”

“How do you have this much money to waste!?”

“Johan is wearing it every day under his military uniform.” Chaostell chimed in.

“The heck is wrong with him!?”

I held my head in disbelief. I know that everybody has a different taste. But, is it really fun wearing clothes like these? Are they just poking fun at me? Also, curse you Chaostell for just making that without my consent!

“Hey…you should stop.” I muttered.

“Stop…Why is that?”

“B-Because this is embarrassing…So call them all back.”

“What are you saying, your Excellency!” Chaostell spoke like a veteran swindler. “Even if this is your request, your Excellency, I cannot follow such. These goods are too wonderful to just be thrown away, see. They are still selling well, which only raises the honor of the Komari Squad. And, if you were to keep your position in this regard, then I, Chaostell Cont, will request a battle and show you my determination.”

“…………………”

Yeah, they really don’t listen to my orders at all. Ahh, damn it all!

“…I see. I see, I see. Well, I could easily defeat you in a mere second, but if you show this much confidence, then I cannot interfere any longer.”

“I thank you for your kind words!”

“But, when you do something like this again, you have to confirm everything with me first.”

“Understood. I will try my utmost so that the next type of goods does not disappoint you in any way!”

Don’t make it sound like I have any expectations to begin with.

“Lieutenant Cont, I have a few favorite pictures of mine, so if you could…”

“You be quiet for a second!”

Every single one of them is not taking me seriously. What’s worse is that I can’t scold Chaostell and the others, since they are strong enough to defeat me in a second if I were to talk back. Is there nobody here who would treat me kindly?

I pushed the shirt onto Vill, and started walking again, as if to escape the despair chasing me. Ahh, I wanna go home. I wanna shut myself in for the rest of my life.

When I walked ahead with these thoughts, another group of vampires wearing military uniforms walked towards me. At the front walked a woman with a confident atmosphere to her, and the other people after her seemed ready to kill at her command.

Subconsciously, I moved to the corner of the hallway. If I happened to bump into them, I would be killed for sure.

“Your Excellency, why are you creating a path? The other party should have made room for you instead. Let us show them how superior you are!”

Shut up for a second, please. I don’t want them to hold a grudge against me. I ignored Chaostell and moved ahead, when I glanced at the other group…and their female leader. She had glossy hair like a cloud ear mushroom, with a gallant gaze in her eyes. She should be around twenty. I can feel a noble atmosphere from her—Hm? Where did I see her before?

“—Oh my, if it isn’t Commander Terakomari Gandezblood! Are you here to meet Her Majesty as well?” Right when we passed each other, the woman called out to me.

This is bad. Why does she know my name? Did I meet her before?

“Y-Yeah. I’m heading over there right now.”

“Hm~ That reminds me, your victory against the Laperico Kingdom was your 10th in a row, right? It seems like the 7th Corps cannot be stopped.”

“Right! I’ll conquer the entire world next!”

What am I talking about? This isn’t the time to be blurting out nonsense—

“Pfft.” The woman suddenly burst out laughing.

“…Did I say something weird?”

“Excuse me. Your jokes were so amusing, I just happened to laugh, Gandezblood-san.”

“Huuuuh?”

“I mean, you can’t be seriously talking about ‘conquering the world’ after having defeated some mountain apes.”

The girl’s followers started laughing. If I had to guess, she probably isn’t a big fan of mine and my work (which was riddled in lies, to be fair). And, I can totally understand why. It makes me want to apologize, honestly. That’s why I couldn’t act arrogantly in the slightest. But with this many people around, I had to argue back at least in some way.

“What’s wrong with aiming high, hm? People can work hard because they have a dream.”

“Isn’t that dream a bit too unrealistic? Can you really achieve that…? After all—you are actually weak, are you not?”

“Eh?” A cold sweat built up on my back.

Hold on a second. How much does she know?

“All the enemies you aim for are weaklings. Not to mention that you keep sitting in your own chair, at a safe distance, just giving out orders. Did you ever really fight yourself?”

“S-Sometimes?”

“Sometimes? You mean ‘never’, right?” She laughed like she made fun of me.

But, I was just relieved. She didn’t know anything about me, and is just trying to provoke me with some false accusations…Then again, that is quite the attitude to have towards someone you’ve never met. I guess nobles are all on an entirely different level.

“That reminds me, you apparently caught that terrorist a month ago. But, is that any proof for anything? Maybe you just had your subordinates do the work, and reaped all the rewards?”

I heard an oddly loud Snap sound from both sides next to me—Hey now, don’t get provoked. Things will definitely turn annoying if you start a fight now. Let’s solve this like actual people. I read in a book that you should just praise people like her. For example, an ‘Indeed, you can say that again! I really can’t compare to you at all!’, and then they should calm down as well…But, before that,

“Hey, Vill. What’s her name? I feel like I’ve seen her before, but I can’t remember…”

“Who knows? Why don’t you ask her yourself?”

“Right, that’d be the easiest.” I turned towards the girl, and opened my mouth. “I’m sorry that it took me this long to ask, but who are you?”

Ah, I maybe could have asked that in a more gentle tone. But, when I thought so, it was already too late. The three people around me all gave different reactions. Vill was snickering, Chaostell held his chin with a profound gaze, and—the person in question was blushing furiously, as she spoke up with an angry voice.

“‘Who’…? You are seriously asking me ‘who’ I am…?”

“Sorry. Who might you be?”

“The phrasing was not the problem here!” She stomped on the ground. “How insolent…oh so insolent…! I am the heroic Seven Crimson Deva, the ‘Black Flash’, Frete Masquarelle! Remember the name!”

“I’m asking exactly because I don’t remember the…Wait, Seven Crimson Deva!?”

“Y-You brat…!”

“That’s my beloved Komari-sama for you! Picking a fight with the most famous Seven Crimson Deva of the Empire, Frete Masquarelle, born here in the imperial on the 7th of the 8th month, currently 21 years old, her hobby of counting banknotes, possessing unbeatable black magic, which earns her the nickname ‘Black Flash’, I can only admire your confidence, Komari-sama!”

“If you knew about her, then tell me, will you!?”

Why would you lie now!? Because of you, things turned unbelievably complicated! Look at that Frete girl, she looks like she’s about to explode!

“Heh…hehehehe…So you are underestimating me…To think such a day would come.”

“N-No, I wasn’t doing anything like th—”

“That is correct. Masquarelle-sama. Her Excellency had no intentions of doing so. Why would she pick a fight with a weakling such as yours?”

Don’t add oil to the fire, Chaostelllllll!!! I don’t have any intention of fighting this person! In this country of berserkers, she’s a super berserker! If I don’t get along with her, I’ll get wiped off the face of the earth!

“Hey, Vill. What should I do about this? Our relationship is taking a dip for the worse!”

“Leave this to me.”

“I know it won’t help asking, but what are you planning?”

“If you’ve committed insolence, you need to show your faith. For now, shall I give an attempt?”

“R-Really? Well, try it then.”

“Understood.” Vill showed a rarely serious expression, and stepped in front of Frete. “Masquarelle-sama. I am terribly sorry for this misunderstanding. Komari-sama had not been a Seven Crimson Deva for too long. She has yet to learn a lot about the world, so could you please overlook this?”

“Eh? Well…”

“Let me give this to you as an apology. It is the imperial capital’s famous brand of ‘Bloodstained Steamed Buns’, which had been praised during a certain magazine’s interview.”

There, Vill took out a wrapped object (from I don’t even know where), and offered it to Frete. I was deeply moved. I thought she was going to say something ridiculous, only making the situation worse. Maybe the perverted maid wasn’t just your average maid. Frete on her end blinked a few times, and accepted the offering.

“O-Oh really. It seems like your maid at least knows her stuff.”

“I gratefully accept your praise. However, there is one thing I would like to correct, seeing that you seem to have the wrong idea, Masquarelle-sama.”

…Hm?

“Komari-sama is the strongest and the cutest person in the entire world. You had sounded like you were provoking Komari-sama with a level of what a chimpanzee would do, so I was wondering if you were really aware of Komari-sama’s greatness.”

Stop. Please, just…just shut up…!

“This is quite the predicament. Not a single person in this world can be allowed to not know about Komari-sama’s greatness and charm. That is why, please allow me to give you this.” Vill handed the shirt she was holding to Frete.

—Wait, you moron! Why would you give her that shirt of all the things!?

“What exactly is this?” She opened up the t-shirt, and my face (with that half smile) appeared.

Immediately after, I could see veins popping on Frete’s face.

“…I am quite lost here, to be frank…But, Gandezblood-san, I don’t believe we will be able to get along.”

“D-Don’t be like that. We’re both co-workers, so to speak.”

“I personally don’t feel the desire to spend any more time with your arrogant attitude. Really, I thought that you might be someone interesting since Karen-sama had taken a liking to you, but I am utterly disappointed!”

“…Karen-sama? Who is that?”

“Don’t play dumb! It said in the newspaper this morning that you held a highly intimate relationship with Her Majesty the Empress!”

Empress? That woman had such a cute name? I mean, I’m not that shocked, to be honest. Not like I had any time to be anyway, since Frete used spatial magic, and took out the newspaper she was talking about.

[Her Excellency Komari-sama in a passionate relationship!?]

On the 4th day of the month, Seven Crimson Deva Commander Terakomari Gandezblood (15) has sent a heart-warming love call to our current Majesty the Empress Karen Elvesias (38). The Commander has stated that ‘I consider the Empress as the strongest person’, her words overflowing with passion. This ‘strength’ she refers to clearly refers to the popularity inside the Midnight Empire, so this can only be a confession. In response, Her Majesty Elvesias answered that ‘If Komari wishes for it, then I am willing indeed’ with a satisfied manner. Sources tell us that they have been calling each other ‘Komari’ and ‘Empress’ as well. I guess we are witnessing the birth of a couple with 23 years apart.

…The heck is this.

“I cannot accept this! Something must be wrong with Karen-sama! Who would grow to like such a vampire who only exists because of their family! Even though she won’t give me any attention at all!”

“Like I care! Also, do you not see that this is total nonsense!? It’s the Six Countries Newspaper! Half of their articles are fake and pure clickbait! They’re famous for that, you know!!”

At least in my head!

“Even if that article is fake, there’s no doubting that Karen-sama truly has taken a liking to you! Karen-sama, why would you choose such a small, unappealing girl! First Sakuna Memoire, and now her…!?” Frete grit her teeth, and glared at me.

In my opinion, that Empress is nothing but a bother. Also, don’t wrap me up in some ridiculous love triangle, will you.

“Anyway! I will not accept you. If you dislike that, then…I know, show me the adequate strength of a Seven Crimson Deva.”

“I-I will gladly show you. But, not today.”

“Hmpf, you are just running from your responsibility, I see! You will pay for this eventually!”

I felt a sharp pain in my chest. Not that I have any idea what she’s talking about. A follower of Frete’s whispered a quiet ‘It’s time’ into her ear. The heroic Seven Crimson Deva nodded, and started walking.

“Have a pleasant day, Gandezblood-sana. The next time we meet, I would love to see your true strength.”

*

I watched Frete and her followers disappear down the hallway, and Chaostell split up from us as well with an ‘I have some work to attend to now’. I’d love to hear about this work of his. He better not be making some goods again without my consent…No, I have to forget about that, I rather have to think about how to make up with Fre—No, meeting that perverted Empress comes first—Actually, I wanted to visit the post office, but I forgot my manuscript at home! There’s too many things to remember, god damn it!

While I was thinking about how stressful my days were, we made it to the audience room. What greeted me was a big-breasted blonde-haired beauty sitting on the throne, eating some ice cream.

“Ohhh!” She approached me. “I’m glad you came, Komari! Outside, it’s fairly hot, is it not? You were bad with this season, so why not have some ice to cool yourself down.”

“Mguh!”

She stuffed that ice cream right into my mouth. Cold. Sweet. It tastes like oranges! Delicious…Wait, no! Can you not stuff random objects into my mouth!? I accepted the ice cream, and mustered the best possible glare I could.

“Empress, what do you want.”

“Wahaha! How hasty you are. How does that forceful indirect kiss taste?”

“Don’t act like some disgusting old man! It tastes like oranges!” I pushed back the ice cream into her mouth.

I think that it can be considered a skill to constantly sexually harass other people, and not feel bad about it, I’m quite jealous. Oh right, there’s something else I wanted to talk about.

“Rather than that, what was this newspaper article about!?”

“Newspaper article? …Ah, about our passionate love?” The Empress said with the ice cream stick in her mouth. “That sure was a scandalous article. I don’t appreciate the idea of falsification of someone’s feelings.”

“Then, what was that comment of yours about?”

“That was my answer to the question of ‘What would you do if Commander Gandezblood requested a duel with you?’, you know. They always twist around your words. The Six Countries Newspaper is ready to fight every single powerful institution. They do bring out worthwhile articles once every ten years, but…most of the time it’s just infuriating.”

That’s quite unexpected. To think that Empress could argue with rational thinking. I thought she purposefully released that fake article…My opinion of her might have improved just a little bit.

“Well, normally I ask them to withdraw that special issue, together with ordering them to write an apology, but I won’t do that this time since I’m busy…”

“Huh…?”

“So, Komari, let me get serious for a second.”

“Hold on a second. You’re not going to let them retrieve the magazines? Everyone will get the wrong idea…”

“As I stated, I have more pressing matters to attend to. For example, your deceased father that had been killed last night.”

“This isn’t the problem of being busyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!”

“His corpse is right over there.”

“Whyyyyyyyyyy!?” I thought my eyeballs would pop out of my sockets.

This existence leaning against the wall that I had previously ignored actually belonged to my father. I thought he was just sleeping at first, but he was actually dead!? I rushed towards him, trying to shake him awake.

“Father! Father, wake up!”

“No need to fret. He will recover today thanks to the magic nucleus.”

The Empress said so, but my heart wouldn’t calm down. A family member of mine was killed, you know. I can’t just be relieved with a ‘He’ll come back soon’. Also, why are you just leaving him aside like he was some toy!?

“He suffered a heavy wound at his abdomen.” Vill crouched down next to me, and observed the corpse.

Now that she mentioned it, I could see a part of his clothes ripped apart around his stomach.

“Since the wound has healed, I can’t give an accurate statement, but I doubt any weapon or magic has been used here. If I had to give a thought, his stomach was probably pierced with a bare hand. Any average person could not have pulled that off…”

“This sounds terrifying…”

Now that I think about it, Father never came home yesterday. Rorokko said something stupid like ‘He might have found a woman outside! Ahahahaa’, but that’s impossible. I always had a gut feeling that something worse might have happened. Never would I have expected that he was killed.

“Your Majesty. Did something happen with Gandezblood-dono’s body?”

“As you can see, he was killed. He was on his way back from a meeting, and was attacked as it seems. But, it wasn’t just Alman—In the past week, various high-ranking politicians and elder statesmen, together with even a Seven Crimson Deva had been killed. This is terrorism now.”

I was baffled. Is something like that really possible?

“What might be the objective of the terrorist?”

The Empress showed a troubled expression.

“We could not find out anything. The people who had been killed didn’t even remember that fact, so of course none of them could tell me about the criminal.”

“So memory manipulation magic?”

“That possibility exists indeed. However, since this happened in the vicinity of the imperial palace, that could not have happened without my conscience. Of course, with the use of high-tier <Invisible Angel’s Raiment> magic, it might have been possible, but…I personally assume that we’re dealing with a Nucleus Liberation right now.”

“Nucleus Liberation…This has turned quite troublesome.” There, Vill spoke like she had remembered something. “A moment of your time please, your Majesty. The royal palace should be off-limits for outstanders that don’t belong to the royalty or army, and a barrier prohibits entry of such. Could you find any gates used for <Teleportation> like Millicent had used?”

“We found no gates, no. Neither did I receive any reports that the barrier had any holes in it. There’s only one possible solution to this…Someone inside the army is working as a terrorist.”

“Is that so.”

“The elder statesmen are getting nervous, see. This morning, they already ordered me to ‘Seize that criminal right away’. However, when I bring in my own opinion, they immediately put the fault on me. I can see the reason why this country was in such ebb tide for a time.”

“Leaving that aside, if we don’t come up with a countermeasure, things will definitely turn ugly in the longer run.”

“I already have my plans. That is why I called Komari here—Komari, I know that you are worried, but the regeneration won’t be faster even if you keep staring at the body.”

“I-I get it! But…why did you have him sleep there? At least get him to the hospital.”

“I brought him here from the hospital so that you could meet him.”

“Nobody asked for that! Now I just feel bad for him!”

“We are talking about morals now? Just to inform you, when I was hit by a bullet and died, he threw my body into the cesspit, so I don’t think he has any right to complain now.”

What was that idiot thinking!?

“And also, if someone were to spot the body, they would figure out that something troublesome is going on, right? We’re already wary because of the previous terrorist attack, and it’s the duty of the Seven Crimson Deva to take care of this.”

I felt a horrible premonition. That’s why I waved my hand.

“Just ask Frete, she seems strong enough to handle this.”

“She already has the next few days filled with battles.”

“Then do it yourself?”

“I will sound like a broken recorder, but I am very busy.”

“I’m busy myself, so I’ll be going home now.”

“Komari.”

“What.”

“I give you the order to deal with that terro—”

“Don’t wannaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!” A scream escaped from my mouth. “Don’t wanna don’t wanna don’t wannaaaaa! I’m going to shut myself in my room, and get a good vacation! I was promised a week of freedom because I won in my last battle, right!? Weren’t you the one who promised me that!? So that was a lie!?”

“I don’t remember saying that.”

“That was a lie necessary to get Komari-sama out of her room, tehe~”

“Villllllllllllllllllllll!!!”

‘Tehe’ te nandayo1! You trying to act cute now!? Do you know how much I longed for at least a few days of rest…I stepped onto that battlefield because I thought I would get something out of it…And you…with that face…you just toyed with my feelings…!

“Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuggggggggh…!” Met with this shocking revelation, I couldn’t hold back my tears from coming out.

They fell down my cheeks, drenching the blood-red carpet beneath my feet. But, I tried to hold back. My entire body was shaking in rage, and I grit my teeth, as I glared at Vill.

“…Hey, Villhaze, you shouldn’t bully Komari too much.”

“However, if I hadn’t done so, Komari-sama would have not left her room—Please, calm down.”

“Shut up! I won’t forgive you as long as you don’t apologize!”

“I’m sorry.”

“……”

Don’t immediately apologize like that. And don’t make that apologetic expression as you lower your head. Now I have to forgive you…

“Next time, I will use brute force to pull you out of your room instead of using words, so forgive me.”

“That’s not better!!” My anger was fuelled again.

Well, she seems to be reflecting on it, so I won’t blame her any further.

“No, I will grant you a vacation.” The Empress said.

“W-What do you mean?””

“I’m saying that I will grant you a vacation if you listen to my request. At this rate, I have to fear that you might break down from overworking yourself—that’s why, if you manage to capture the terrorist, I will grant your request.”

So that’s how we’re playing this game, huh.

“…But, even if you tell me that, I’m not strong at all.”

“It doesn’t have anything to do with personal strength. Starting with Villhaze, you have wonderful subordinates, do you not? And, you won’t be alone on this mission either.”

“Eh?” A confused voice escaped my lips, when I heard sounds at my back.

I turned around, and spotted someone peeking at us from behind the large golden pillar at the entrance of the audience room.

“Sakuna Memoire! There is no need to be embarrassed!” The Empress screamed.

I saw the shoulders of the person jolt up in shock, but it still took them a second to move forward. Their appearance slowly showed from the shadows. It was a white girl. She might have some Sougyoku Race blood in her. Her hair which reached down to her shoulders possessed a snow-white, silver color. The way she acted gave a rather unreliable impression, but the gothic magic stick she carried at her back was quite impactful. The girl stood in front of me.

She’s white. Unbelievably white. She’s like an artificially created puppet, but her cheeks yet looked soft and responsive if you were to poke them. Our eyes met. I felt myself trapped in her blue eyes. Seriously, this girl really is…

“Beautiful…”

I wasn’t the one who said that. It was the white girl. The second I thought about how beautiful she was, the girl said it out loud towards me.

“Ah, I-I’m sorry, I just…”

“No, there’s no need to apologize…I am an unparalleled beauty after all…”

The girl started blushing, and cast her face down. What kind of atmosphere is this?

“Uhum!” The Empress cleared her throat. “In this case, the terrorist even killed a Seven Crimson Deva. Only Komari alone won’t be able to deal with this. Hence, I will have you two work together.”

Work together? With this girl…? I glanced over at the girl, who immediately averted her gaze. I think this is the first time I met someone who’s worse at talking with people than me.

“…Empress, I know it’s not my place to say that, but this girl is…”

“No need to worry. She has the needed strength, but more than anything, she possesses great willpower. She will definitely fulfill her revenge against that terrorist.”

“Revenge…?”

“That’s right, revenge. Now, Sakuna, introduce yourself to Komari, will you.”

My head was filled with question marks. But, the Empress didn’t bother with me much, and talked to the girl instead.

“My name is Sakuna Memoire, and I am a Seven Crimson Deva…And yet, I was killed by that terrorist…So I need to get my revenge no matter what.”

She’s a Seven Crimson Devaaaaa!? I was about to scream in shock. She is one of the strongest seven people in the country!? She really doesn’t give off any vibes like that. I stared at the girl in disbelief—to which she started blushing. Is she going to be okay?

“U-Um…”

“Hm?”

“I’m…not really good at talking, so…I wrote a letter instead.” She handed me an envelope.

Why do I feel like I get so many letters as of late? Is that some new trend?

“I-It’s pretty embarrassing for me, so please read it later…Anyway, I’ll excuse myself here!”

“Eh, wait…Sakuna-san?”

I couldn’t even call out to her, as the girl started dashing away like a scared rabbit. Left behind, I dropped my gaze on the envelope, which had a star-shaped seal on it. I’m happy it’s not a heart at least, but I feel like this would bring about enough of a misunderstanding already if someone else saw this. Seriously, I got a really bad feeling.

*

Dear Terakomari Gandezblood-sama,

I am sorry to have pushed this letter onto you. I don’t have any confidence in properly telling you with my words, so this was the only other option I had. My name is Sakuna Memoire, and I would be happy if you were to call me ‘Sakuna’. Around one week ago, I became a new Seven Crimson Deva. I know that I shouldn’t be saying this, but I am not strong at all. Quite frankly, I am unfit to be a Seven Crimson Deva. I just happened to accidentally kill a Seven Crimson Deva, and this was accounted for as me overthrowing them…

But, even if I wanted to quit, I couldn’t. As you surely know, the Seven Crimson Devas are bound to fulfill a contract, and if we do not complete enough work sufficinging this, our bodies will explode, and we will die. I know that this might be a common occurrence in the army, but I hate pain. I don’t want to die. That is why I can only work harder, and become stronger…

However, a short while ago, I was killed by that terrorist. I don’t have any memories from when it happened, nor do I remember the killer’s face. All I know is that I was terrified when it happened. Dying is something very scary, and I don’t want to ever go through that again…

At the same time, if I keep going like this, I will die because of the contract. A Seven Crimson Deva being killed by a mere terrorist is unforgivable, which is why I have to get my revenge no matter what. If not, I will explode, and be dismissed. Of course, being dismissed would be the least of my problems (although I know that it is presumptuous of me to say that), but I don’t want to die again. That is why I have to capture that terrorist.

That would be the gist of my situation. I’m not as strong as Komari-sama, so I don’t know if I even have the right to say this, but I just felt like I had to tell you no matter what…And, since we will be working together now, I didn’t want to hide anything from you. That’s why I’m revealing everything. I may be inexperienced, but please treat me well. Let us capture that terrorist together (although I might not be able to contribute much, I will give it my best).

Lastly, I’d like to introduce myself properly. My name is Sakuna Memoire. I was born in the imperial capital. My grandmother from my mother’s side belonged to the Hakkyoku Federation, making me a quarter. I am not strong when it comes to raw physical strength, but I use magic during battle. I’m what you could call a mage (seeing that I possess a wand). My hobby is reading books, and my favorite book is ‘War Chronicles of Andronos’. My favorite food is omurice, my favorite animal is a capybara, my favorite season is summer, and my favorite constellation is Delphinus. When I was younger, I loved to watch the stars with my family. Please treat me well.

Sakuna Memoire

*

“The heck is this…!”

An hour had passed since the meeting in the audience room. Vill yet again forcefully pulled me with her to the training grounds, and just when I thought I’d be forced into another duel, she told me to ‘Observe the training of your subordinates’. At least I wasn’t forced to fight—is what I thought, so I went slurping on some watermelon juice on a nearby bench (as my subordinates were killing each other in front of my eyes), and decided to read the letter Sakuna gave me.

And there, I was baffled. Her circumstances are almost identical to mine.

“…Hey, Vill. Is this Sakuna girl famous?”

“Fairly, yes. It has been quite some time since a Seven Crimson Deva has been overthrown like that. According to what I have heard, she had the former Seven Crimson Deva explode in front of a lot of people.”

“You’re kidding me, right? In the letter, it says it was just an accident.”

“Whether it happened intentionally or by pure accident, the fact that she has killed a Seven Crimson Deva does not change, which of course gives her a great boost in popularity.”

“Hm…I see. Not to mention that appearance. Makes sense that she’s popular.”

“…Do you like such type of girl, Komari-sama?”

“Her? Hmm, I guess I do?”

“!?!?!?!?!?!?”

At least more than all these other brutes I’ve met so far—Hm? What happened with Vill? She’s got an expression on her face like the strawberry shortcake she kept ready all day was eaten away in front of her eyes. Does her stomach hurt or something? Well, whatever, this isn’t the first time she’s acting weird.

More importantly, I want to close the gap between me and Sakuna. I thought I was the only one suffering as a Seven Crimson Deva, but to think someone else with similar problems was right next to me. And, the hobbies she wrote about in the letter almost perfectly match up with mine…Hehe, I’m getting excited now. I can see great friend potential here.

“Alright! I will go visit Sakuna right away. I’d rather not bother with the terrorist hunt, but I’d love to talk to her once.”

“No can do. You have to watch over your subordinates.”

“Why? Meeting with Sakuna is more important, is it not?”

“Your subordinates can work hard because you watch them, Komari-sama. Please, take a look at Captain Melaconcy’s expression. He’s sending explosions everywhere.”

“He’s the same as always, isn’t he!? I want to meet Sakuna. And then, I wanna talk about ‘War Chronicles of Andronos’ with her!”

“Let us at least talk about your work instead—No, that won’t do. That girl gives off an oddly dangerous scent. There’s no mistaking it, she is loitering around at night, killing people.”

“Only that terrorist would do that! I have to meet Sakuna in order to capture that very terrorist as well, so at least let me do my work!”

“O-Oh my…! Komari-sama is willing to do her work…! Understood. I have received another battle request from Lieutenant Hades Molkikki, so let me finish the preparations right away.”

“I’m not talking about that kind of work!”

Why are you this frantic? Are you angry? Because I left over some bell peppers from this morning’s saladan?

“…Sorry, I’ll properly eat my bell peppers from now on.”

“I do not understand what you might be referring to, but I am happy to hear that.”

“That wasn’t it!? Alright, then forget I said anything!”

Damn it, now I said something unnecessary. Anyway, I want to meet Sakuna right away. And then, we’ll talk about our hobbies. I want to become friends with her, and share my problems. Then, I can also stay away from my berserker subordinates. Otherwise, I’ll die soon for sure.

I looked at Vill with a determined gaze, to which that perverted maid let out a defeated sigh.

“I understand. I will not stand in your way any longer—However, if we’re going to meet Memoire-dono, it has to be as a strategy meeting on how to capture that terrorist.”

“Ugh…O-Okay, I get it…but, now that I think about it, is there even anything I can do? That terrorist is a murderer, right?”

“You have to skillfully use your subordinates then. You have 500 trained killers and murderers at your demand, Komari-sama.” Vill glanced over at my subordinates fighting on the training grounds.

Their eyes were bloodshot, burning with desire to kill every single person around them. I could even see a lot of corpses that had already fallen victim to this slaughter.

“Now, give them the order.”

“Order…Aren’t they busy?”

“It’s fine, just call out to them.”

I feel like I’ll just get killed for doing that, but—I figure Vill will protect me. She will, right? Because I believe in her! Don’t you dare betray my trust! I stood up from my bench, took a deep breath, and stood up.

“—Everyone, can I have a moment of your time!”

Every single movement stopped. Almost like time came to a halt, the vampires froze up. Since that was so unexpected, even I was at a loss. Vill came to my assistance, and cleared her throat.

“Please gather over here. Terakomari-sama has new orders for you.”

“Orders.” Someone muttered.

The others followed suit.

“Her Excellency’s orders.”

“Her Excellency’s orders!”

“Shut up and listen!”

“Don’t let a single word go to waste!”

“Your Excellency, order us whatever you desire!”

“Who should we kill!?”

“Her Majesty the Empress!?”

“The chimpanzee!?”

My subordinates rushed towards me like a flock of piranhas. Their choice of words and attitude is as gross as—Hold on, one of you only has half of a face left, you okay!?

“Your Excellency! Might you be talking about this continued murder case?” Chaostell spoke up next to me.

Where did you even come from, you’re giving me a heart attack.

“I-Indeed. I received an order from the Empress to take care of that. She wants me to capture that criminal.”

“Ohhhh!” The vampires raised joyful voices.

I don’t quite understand why you would react that way, but I guess they’re at least willing to hear me out.

“Anyway, I need the help of you all in searching for this killer. I apologize for asking you during these busy times, but I want to capture this terrorist as quickly as possible”

“What are you saying, your Excellency!”

“If you order me, I will ignore anything else!”

“There is no need for you to ask us!”

“You bastards! Let’s go and find that terrorist right away!”

A storm of voices beached at my eardrums. Stop it already, you’re bothering the neighbourhood here. The maids inside the Seven Crimson Office are already glaring down at us. Can you not embarrass me any more—But of course, nobody heard my inner voice.

…Well, I guess I should be happy that my subordinates are this motivated. They might be a bother most of the time, but there’s no doubt that they’re strong, so there probably won’t be any need for Sakuna or me to participate.

“If I may be so rude, your Excellency, I have another idea.”

“What is it, Chaostell?”

I got a really bad premonition. He spoke like a convicted murderer who came up with a way to escape the prison.

“How about you offer a reward to the person who manages to capture the terrorist? That will raise their motivation hundred-fold.”

“Is there even any need to motivate them any further?”

“It would allow for this incident to be cleared up much faster, I assume.”

“Hm…”

I don’t mind if the terrorist gets caught faster. And, it’s the duty of a superior to give out rewards. That’s why this ‘carrot’ may be necessary. I glanced over at Vill. She had a blank expression, probably telling me to think about it myself.

…A reward, huh. To be perfectly honest, I get really bad vibes from this. The last time I promised a reward, that pervert of a withered tree forced me into a fashion show—No wait, as long as I specify the reward, none of that will matter, right? I just can’t say ‘I’ll listen to whatever request you have’, and everything should be fine.

“Alright…Everyone, listen carefully!” I went into Commander mode, and called out to them. “The job this time is quite difficult. After all, we need to look after a terrorist whose identity we don’t even know. This being the case, I will grant a special reward to those who manage to capture the terrorist!”

Everyone swallowed their breaths. Every single one of them was waiting for my next words.

“My reward for the one who captures the terrorist—is a special 3-day vacation!”

Sileeeeeeence.

……

…Huh? I thought they’d be delighted about that, so…why?

“Your Excellency.” Chaostell whispered into my ear. “If I may be so rude, I don’t believe that can be called a reward.”

“Eh? Why?” I tilted my head, when now Vill talked to me.

“Their hobby is slaughter. For people who spend their days on the battlefield, a vacation is not something they would be delighted about. Please, observe their expressions, and how they are colored with despair…”

S-Something like that is possible!? If it was me, I’d start dancing in joy if such a reward was promised for me. Are we that different? More importantly, at this rate, I will get them angry, I will get overthrown, and get killed…!

“I-It’s not just any vacation! More importantly…Yeah, I know! You get a break and I will give you a ticket for the zoo!”

I got tickets that I just received from my little sister Roro a while back. Two of them, actually. She bragged about going with her boyfriend, but apparently got rejected right before. I was lost on how to respond, when she just pressed the tickets on me with tears in her eyes. Hence, this was a good chance to get rid of these tickets. A single subordinate raised his hand.

“Um…does that mean that we can go together with her Excellency?”

“Hm? I mean, if you want to…”

Wait no. There’s no way a psycho would be happy to get tickets for a zoo, right?—Or so I thought, when…

“It’s…it’s a date…”

“A holiday date.”

“A rendezvous…”

“A secret date…!”

You are reading story Hikikomari Kyuuketsuki no Monmon at novel35.com

Oh? The atmosphere changed, didn’t it? Vill, what is going on here?

“…Komari-sama, I fear that this might be too much.”

“What do you mean?” I tried to ask for her thoughts, but I was interrupted.

An explosion occurred.

“Wooooooooooooooohooooooooooo!”

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”

“Heck yeaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

“A date! A date!”

“There’s no better chance than this!”

“This is God’s will!”

“It is a sign from the universe! Kill the terrorist!”

“Just you wait, you damn terrorist! You’re dead meat!”

“I’m the one who’ll go on a date with her Excellency!”

“Shut up, I’ll be the one!”

“The terrorist is aiming for politicians, right? Then I’ll just kill them first!”

“I see! ‘Burn the forest to find the hiding tree’, huh!”

“Hyahahahahaha!”

…………

……

…I feel like every single one of them could be the terrorist!

“It’s already too late. What should we do, Komari-sama.”

“Do these guys like animals that much?”

“I see it is already too late for you as well, Komari-sama.”

“That it is! What should we do about this!?”

They’re all running around like monsters now. My head went blank, as I could do nothing about this.

“…Your Excellency. We should be careful about their actions, or a riot may break out.” Dog-head Belius Inu Kerbero appeared.

“Komari-sama, about our plans for the future.”

“I’m meeting Sakuna now.”

“What about your subordinates?”

“…Belius, Chaostell, can I leave them to you?”

““Understood.””

The two dashed away. Seeing them vanish into the distance, I let out a sigh, and looked up at the cloudy sky.

“Well, things will work out, I’m sure.”

*

I feel like I heard distant screams and explosions, but I shouldn’t pay any attention to them. I’ll have to take responsibility for that later, but not now. I have to think about what’s most important. For dinner, I’d love some hamburgers, yeah.

“…Komari-sama, we have arrived.” Vill’s words called me back to reality.

The elevator moving with magical power opened its doors, and we found ourselves up on the 6th floor of the Seven Crimson Office. Since I’m in charge of the 7th Corps, I always leave on the 7th floor, and the same could be said for the respective Seven Crimson Devas and their floors. The 6th floor belonged to Sakuna, and her respective office.

Walking down the hallway, I found the door to the room. S-Still, now that I came here, I’m really nervous. This might be the first time I ever visited someone like this. I wonder if I’m even welcome?

“…Hm?”

There, I realized. I heard someone talking across the door. If I had to guess…it’s another man’s voice? And, did I just hear my own name? I wonder who she’s talking with. I know it’s not good to eavesdrop like this, but I can’t help it.

“Maybe someone’s with her?”

“Should we check?”

“Check? How?”

“Like this.”

Bang! Vill slammed the door open. She showed no restraint, revealing the inside of the room. Sakuna stared at us in surprise, and facing her was a man wearing the priestly vestments of the holy church. Even he was looking at me in confusion. Who could blame him, that’s gotta be one of the worst possible entrances you could have. Seriously, Vill, what are you thinking!? Our first impression couldn’t be worse!

“…Terakomari-san?” Sakuna’s voice was riddled with doubt.

I forced out the best smile I could.

“H-Hey, Sakuna. Sorry to suddenly barge into here. I came to talk about the terrorist…but maybe I caught you at a bad timing?”

I looked at the old man. It seemed like he was talking about something important.

“No no!” The man waved his hands. “By any means, you can stay. We just finished talking as well, Terakomari-dono! That’s why, I’ll be taking my leave here—Memoire-dono, at a later time!”

“…Yes.” The man spoke these words, and walked towards me—the entrance of the room, rather.

I opened a path for him, to which he stopped next to me with a smile.

“It is an honor to meet you, Gandezblood-dono! You’ve been working exceptionally hard as of late! At this rate, overthrowing the other countries is only a matter of time!”

“Y-Yeah. I’m looking forward to my rise and world domination.”

“Hahaha, brimming with confidence! By the way, do you believe in God?”

“…Eh?”

Where did that come from?

“Do you believe in God?”

“I-I mean, just like the average person, I guess…”

“Ohhh! What profound faith! So Gandezblood-dono is a follower of the pious God! I see, I see, so your great efforts had been blessed by God after all, that makes sense. As you might know, God is aware of everything in this world, and rewards people’s benevolence, and punishes people’s misdeeds. This shows in various aspects of this world—” The man spoke with glittering eyes, scaring me a bit.

There, I was certain of it. He’s just as much of a crazy guy as everyone else around. When I looked over at Sakuna, she was clearly embarrassed by his act, blushing furiously.

“Oh, excuse me. I seem to be taking up a lot of time when I just get so passionate. Either way, I am delighted to know that Gandezblood-dono is a fellow believer! I would love to talk with you about God’s influence in our lives!”

“Y-Yes, God and his creation is amazing.”

“Yes, that it is indeed!”

He forcefully grabbed my hand, shaking it up and down. The perverted priest showed a bright smile, and walked away with a ‘Now then, I look forward to seeing you another time! Amen!’.

This is what I think it is, right. He’s the type I definitely should not get involved with. Or rather, why is that weird guy even in this room?

“…Sakuna, do you know him?”

Her small body twitched as I called out to her. Why are you this shocked? I’m an advocate of peace and freedom, and entirely different from the other Seven Crimson Devas, definitely not a killer—is what I wanted to tell her, but I feel like that’s a bit too early.

“…That person was Heldeus Heaven. He is the Seven Crimson Deva that recommended me.”

Aren’t there too many weirdos in the army? Especially in the rows of the Seven Crimson Devas?

“Yes…However, his actual profession is a priest, and he is managing a church and orphanage outside the capital. I actually grew up in that orphanage.”

“I-I see.”

I don’t really get it, but it seems like she has some quite complicated circumstances. I’ll just ignore it, and get right to the main topic. Although I really don’t want to do any work…

At that moment, I heard a loud Ding Dong sound from afar. The clocktower of the imperial capital set off the sound magic, signalizing the inhabitants of the capital that noon had arrived. Oh yeah, I’m starting to feel hungry.

“Komari-sama, what should we do about lunch?”

“Hm…”

Yeah, this is a great timing. But, leaving right away would feel weird, so the natural flow of events should be…

“Sakuna, if you’re okay with it, d-do you want to eat lunch together?”

I said it. I actually said it. I never invited someone out by myself, so I’d say this is a great achievement on my end. But then, I started wondering. Was inviting her like that really okay? Maybe I’m jumping the gun here? I was worried for a second, when I heard Sakuna whispering.

“…Yes, I’d love to, Terakomari-san.”

*

We moved to the special restaurant ‘Fertile Field Fruit’ which was side by side with the Mulnight Imperial Palace. It’s a high-society location almost exclusively used by nobles who entered and left the imperial palace, and it’s a location I would normally never visit, but since this was the closest place, I saw no other choice.

…That might have been a mistake. At the same time as we entered, we heard voices from everywhere.

“It’s her Excellency Gandezblood.”

“You’re right.”

“As calm and collected as always.”

“She has this certain atmosphere around her.”

The people around us apparently were happy to see me, but Sakuna just hid behind my back.

“Maybe we should switch the location after all?” I offered, but Sakuna shook her head.

I don’t really get it, but apparently she doesn’t want to be a bother. Not like she is…but I’ll just respect her opinion. Shortly after, we arrived at our seats. Sakuna sat across from the table, and Vill stood at my back—Why at my back though?

“What are you doing? Sit down, will you.”

“Such a high-society store does not fit me. As a maid, I cannot sit at the same table as my master.”

“Even though you crawl into my bed every single morning?”

“Phew~” I heard a vampire whistling.

Looking over, Sakuna was blushing furiously, her mouth opening and closing in a panic. What’s wrong with her?

“That’s right. We two are partners that have made it through several life or death situations.”

“I feel like 80% of these situations had been created by you to begin with.”

“That is just your imagination. Anyway, Komari-sama and I are close enough to sleep in the same bed, and sit next to each other. I almost forgot.” Just as Vill stated, she sat down right next to me.

I feel like she was grinning at Sakuna like she was bragging, but what was that about? Maybe I’m better off not caring about that. For now, we finished ordering our food, and I opened my mouth in determination.

“Now then, let me introduce myself. My name is Terakomari Gandezblood, and I’m fifteen. I’ll probably be in your care from here on out, so…um…looking forward to it.”

“S-Same here…I’m Sakuna Memoire…Ah, right, did you…read the letter?”

“Yup, I did. I also like reading, so I think we should be able to get along just fine.”

“Okayyyy…” The girl started blushing furiously, as she somewhat managed to push out the words. “Thank you very much. I’m very happy…yes. But, more than my hobby, how do you feel about my circumstances that led me to become a Seven Crimson Deva? Were you disappointed after all?”

Oh yeah, she apparently became a Seven Crimson Deva because of an accident. How would I be disappointed because of that, I’m almost the same.

“I was just a bit curious, but how did that happen anyway? How did you kill that Deva?”

“With an explosion.”

So that fact was true?

“Since I’m weak, I felt the need to become stronger, so when I was practicing my magic, I happened to hit a passing Seven Crimson Deva…and killed them…”

“I-I see…That does sound quite unfortunate.”

“Yes…Normally, that wouldn’t be enough to become a Seven Crimson Deva, but that Heldeus Heaven just now was adamant on it. ‘I will definitely make you a Seven Crimson Deva, Sakuna!’, he said, talked to her Majesty the Empress, and I was accepted right away.”

“Yeah, I figure that this perverted Empress accepts anybody as long as she’s cute.”

“A-Am I…cute…?” Sakuna showed a surprised reaction.

And if that wasn’t enough, Vill glared at me like she was looking at her nemesis.

“Anyway! I understand that you had certain circumstances, Sakuna. But, what’s more important is that you have to hide your true strength from your subordinates. If they find out that you’re actually weak, they’ll definitely overthrow you.”

“I don’t believe that will happen…”

“Eh?”

“My subordinates all know that I’m not terribly strong. But, they are willing to support me as a Seven Crimson Deva, always protecting me. They are all nice people, so even if I want to quit, I also want to try hard for their sake.”

“……”

The heck is that. I’m like super jelly…Will I be accepted like this by my own subordinates if I did that? No, probably not.

“I-I see. That is something I’m very glad to hear. However, I have to say, I can’t appreciate the fact that you had been forced into this occupation. Even if you’re doing a great job.”

“No, I can’t even hope to compare with Terakomari-san. You’re a proper Seven Crimson Deva, and you have achieved this much.”

I really want to tell her how wrong she is, but I held back as best as I could. I can’t risk the other nobles around me picking up my words. I guess that choosing this place was the worst possible decision. I didn’t even know how to respond, when Vill sent me a gaze.

“Komari-sama, please remember that we came here with our work in mind, so keep any unrelated conversations to a bare minimum.”

Hm? Is she in a bad mood or something?

“I-I’m sorry, we should be talking about how to deal with that terrorist, right.” Sakuna panicked a bit.

You really don’t have to listen to that pervert. Well, I don’t want Vill to torture me later, so I guess I should focus on my work for now. Though, I still think there barely is anything to talk about. After all, my subordinates have been released, and they definitely won’t rest until they find the terrorist.

“Right. So basically…you were killed by that terrorist once, Sakuna. But, you don’t remember their faces, correct?”

“I’m sorry, I left the Seven Crimson Office at night, and wanted to make my way home…but when I came back to my senses, I had died outside.”

“I see…” Vill nodded. “According to what Her Majesty the Empress said, the killer possesses an ability to play with the other person’s memories, in the shape of a Nucleus Liberation. Memoire-dono, do you know what this Nucleus Liberation is?”

For a brief moment, so short I could barely pick up on it, it looked like Sakuna’s eyes grew sharp.

“…No, I have only heard rumours about it.”

“Nucleus Liberation is a different type of skill compared to magic. If the terrorist truly can use this ability, we can never be too careful.”

“Um, I’m really weak, so will I be fine?”

“We will have Komari-sasma provide a follow-up, so things should be fine.” Vill gave Sakuna a wink.

Sakuna’s eyes started sparkling as she looked over at me. Reflexively, my mouth moved.

“You don’t need to worry about anything. I’ll protect you, Sakuna!”

“I’m really sorry…The best I can do is crush an apple with one hand.”

“….”

Hold on a damn second, I thought she was as weak as me?

“…I-I’m sorry. I guess I have to at least be able to split a watermelon, right?”

“Wahahaha! There’s no need to be depressed! Right now, a pineapple is no problem for me, but when I was younger, an apple was my limit as well. If you work hard, you’ll get to the watermelon soon.”

“Yes, I will try my best.”

“But, you can’t play with your food like that, okay?”

“Yes, I will eat everything.”

“Very well.”

…The heck is this conversation.

“Komari-sama, the conversation is drifting off.” Vill warned me with a sharp tone. “We have to search for the terrorist before anything.”

“Hm…I’ve been wondering for a while, but what might be the terrorist’s goal? It’s not just randomly killing people, right? He’s not one of my subordinates at least.”

“The lack of information is critical here.” And that’s all Vill said.

There’s no reason to speculate indeed. My subordinates are currently on the run, searching for any possible clues, so they will surely capture that terrorist eventually. That’s why, it would be fine if I talked with Sakuna about books or constellations—No, that would make me a failure of a superior. I have to support my subordinates.

“Now then,” Vill suddenly spoke up. “There is only one thing we can do for now. Since the terrorist only appears at night, and only at the Imperial Palace, we should be patrolling the area at night.”

“…Huh?” I turned pale.

Nighttime patrol? …Huh?

“So that means I won’t have to work during the day? I can sleep until noon?”

“What are you saying? Noon is noon, and night is night. From 9am in the morning…to…let me think, 8pm at night should do the trick.”

“Huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh!?” I let out a roar as I got up from my chair.

9am to 8pm, you say? My head will explode if I work for that long!

“Don’t joke around with me! I definitely won’t put up with that!”

“Komari-sama.”

“What!?”

“Please be wary of the people around you.”

“………”

Sakuna looked at me with a baffled expression. So were the nobles around us, whispering to themselves.

“Her Excellency is a Seven Crimson Deva, right?”

“Does she hate working?”

“If that is true, then she is a failure as a Seven Crimson Deva.”

“No wait, maybe it was just a slip of the tongue?”

“Even so, something like that…”

“Now that you say it.”

Oh, this is bad.

“Don’t joke with me! As if I’d only work for such a short amount of time!”

The nobles around me were shocked. But, I continued.

“Children are still awake at 8pm! As if I could capture that terrorist if I went home at such a time! This is happening in a place where we have no oversight. That’s why we have to go out of our way and look everywhere!” I pointed my index finger at Vill, and flashed a cool pose.

I heard someone applauding me, whereas another whistled, until the entire restaurant was filled with applause. At the same time, I was riddled by despair. And if that wasn’t enough, Vill had to give me the rest.

“Komari-sama…! To think you were willing to give this far for the Mulnight Empire! Understood, I will arrange your schedule that you can be out on patrol until 10pm every single night. Memoire-dono, are you okay with that?”

“Of course. I will learn from Terakomari-san’s example.”

Stop. Don’t look at me like that. I’m not a good example. I’m a shut-in vampire who’s not strong at all. Ahhh, I really can’t tell her…

I let out a deep sigh, and sat down on my chair again. Working until 10pm? I’m not going to survive that. Sakuna, you actually don’t want that either, right? Please, complain…Yup, doesn’t seem like she’s bothered by it at all. Why are you this motivated? Didn’t you want to quit as a Seven Crimson Deva?

“…I guess this should do for now.”

“Yes, we’ll have to see for later during the patrol.”

I’m tired already, and the nighttime patrol hasn’t even started—Then again, if I’m lucky, my subordinates will find the terrorist during the day, so I won’t have to work at all. Though I hope they don’t go around slaughtering innocent people.

“…Still, that omurice I ordered is sure taking its time.”

“The restaurant is fairly popular after all, it must take quite some time.”

“Hmm.” I’m getting close to my limit here. I haven’t had anything to eat yet.

I grew impatient, when I heard a loud explosion sound from the outside. And, it wasn’t just any explosion, it was great enough to shake the entire restaurant. The nobles all raised screams of fear—and even I was about to.

“W-What just happened!? Is it the terrorist!?”

“That possibility stands, yes. Komari-sama, let us hurry!”

“W-Wait! I don’t wanna go there! I didn’t even have my omurice yeeeeeet!”

Vill forcefully pulled me away from my seat…I want strength. Strength to put up with these berserkers.

*

We ran out of the Imperial Palace’s garden, only to be greeted by a surreal scene. Corpses…mountains of dead bodies, who rolled over other deceased vampires. Not to mention that most of them I recognized, seeing that they belonged to my own corps, and they had been slaughtered unsightly. What is going on? Did they start killing each other? That would make sense, but—it doesn’t seem like that’s the case.

“Belius! Chaostell! What happened to you two!?”

On the grass, I spotted Belius and Chaostell, collapsed. If even they had ended up like this, then it wasn’t just your average quarrel.

“My deepest apologies, your Excellency…” Belius slowly opened his mouth.

Seems like he’s not dead yet.

“What happened?”

“She…’Black Flash’ did this…Cough!” Belius coughed up blood, and stopped moving.

Even if he’s going to be revived soon, looking at the corpse of someone you know never is comfortable, and I doubt I will ever get used to it.

“D-Don’t worry, he hasn’t died yet. Leave it to me.” Sakuna took a step forward.

I was wondering what she was doing, when she carried her giant wand in both hands, and pointed it at Belius while chanting something.

“‘Magic Nucleus O Magic Nucleus, Move everything that is calm in this world’ — Intermediate-tier healing magic <Revitalization>.”

Together with these words, a red light enwrapped Belius’ body. After a bit of time passed, Belius started coughing, seemingly having recovered at least a little bit.

“I can accelerate the recovery with my magic, as long as they haven’t died yet.”

“That’s amazing, Sakuna!”

“I-It’s not that great…As someone from the Sougyoku Race, I’m just good with healing magic like this…”

“It still is amazing. I can’t do that.”

“Is that so…Ehehe…”

I haven’t heard that she can use such amazing magic. I’m pretty sure that she’s far more talented than me, which makes sense, I guess…Anyway, more importantly.

“Belius, you feeling better?”

“Yes, somewhat…” There, he seemingly remembered something. “Your Excellency, I am terribly sorry! It’s Frete Masquarelle. We fell behind her.”

“Frete, you say…?”

There, I heard another explosive sound. I looked up in a shock, where I saw someone fighting up on a building. One of them was a woman holding a sword, possessing glittering black hair, as they danced through the air. It is the self-proclaimed heroic Seven Crimson Deva ‘Black Flash’, Frete Masquarelle.

The other person was evading Frete’s sword strikes, firing explosion magic at her. He is an upper brass of the 7th Corps, Melaconcy. Every time he attacked, a part of the building exploded, as rubble fell to the ground. Now, I wonder whose responsibility this will be?

“Tsk, how crafty…Eat this!” Frete’s sword accumulated magical power.

At the same time as she swung her sword, a torrent of jet-black magical power was fired—probably some type of high-tier black magic. However, Melaconcy showed a jump, evading this torrent, which hit the minaret behind him, and vanished into the air. Well, that is Frete’s responsibility. Right after, Melaconcy landed right next to me. That is some insane strength in his legs he got there.

“M-Melaconcy! What is going on here!?”

“Yeah! Frete’s angry, going rampant, she’s going to get more wrinkles, no more gallant. That Black Flash can piss off, I’m gonna beat her without a cough.”

“Talk normally, will you!”

“She attacked us, so now I’m fighting her.”

“You can talk normally!?”

“What a horrible accusation. I was merely doing my work.” Frete slowly descended down to us as well.

She still glared at me like she did when I first met her this morning. I was scared for a second, but with my subordinates around, most of them dead, I took a step forward.

“F-Frete! I see you’ve been having fun with my subordinates! What is this about? Depending on your answer, I will get angry, and ignore you for an entire wee—”

Suddenly…Frete’s body vanished.

“Fueh?”

Following that, a black lighting appeared in my field of view. I stood still because of the shock, when a loud roaring sound had my eardrums shake. A fierce wind hit me. When I opened my eyes, Sakuna’s back was in front of me. She held her giant wand in two hands, blocking Frete’s sword. Seriously, what is going on.

“…My, Memoire-san was the one to react?”

“U-Um…I don’t it’s very nice to just attack someone like that…”

“My hands slipped, that’s all.” Frete let out a snort, and pulled away her sword.

Only then I finally realized what was going on. That Frete had tried to attack me, and I definitely would have died there, if it wasn’t for Sakuna protecting me. Yet again, I was saved.

“Are you okay, Terakomari-san?”

“Eh, ye…ah…yes, I’m fine.”

“…I-I’m sorry! I’m sure that you must have been able to evade an attack like that, but my body just moved on its own!”

“N-No no no, you don’t have to apologize! It’s true that I could have blocked that attack with my pinky alone, but you did great protecting me! Thank you!”

“Ehehe…I was praised~”

What the hell. She’s so cute. And, reliable as well…Eh, what, is she an angel? Also, Vill, why are you just standing still over there, carrying your throwing knives?

“I…I wanted to be the one to save Komari-sama…”

That face of yours is scaring me. But, you know who else is even more scary? That person who literally tried to kill me. I glanced over at Frete Masquaralle, the Seven Crimson Deva, who clicked her tongue in annoyance.

“Seems like you’re having your followers do all the work for you. Even though you can’t do anything yourself.”

“Not like I need to! And, I don’t feel like it today! Also, what were you doing with my subordinates? Manslaughter is a crime!”

“It’s simple. Your subordinates were disregarding public morals here in the royal palace.”

“Public morals? Were they smoking?”

“It wasn’t something simple like that!” Frete glared at me like a demon. “What kind of education have your subordinates gone through? Damaging of property and failed attempts at murder—Your subordinates were acting like terrorists themselves!”

“Eh, what do you mean?”

“I’m talking about all the dead subordinates of yours! They were going rampant inside the Imperial Palace, so I stopped them!”

“……” I looked over at Belius.

His ears dropped, and he spoke up.

“I’m terribly sorry. I wanted to stop them, but I couldn’t.”

…Huh? So wait, I’m the one at fault here? So I could be killed and I had no room to argue?

“…Gandezblood-san, are you listening? Your subordinates have created severe collateral damage, you know? How are you going to take responsibility for that?”

“I-I’ll pay with money…”

“Don’t you dare think everything can be resolved by paying money!”

“I’ll do anything…”

“Everybody can run their mouth like that!”

Then what else should I do? Have them participate in some volunteer work? Or should I denounce them? Should I step back from my own position? I’d love to do that, but I doubt Frete would forgive me for that…

Suddenly, the Black Flash started grinning.

“I have decided that Gandezblood-sana is not suitable to be a Seven Crimson Deva. On top of your true strength being unknown, you can’t even control your own squad. Never has any Seven Crimson Deva existed like this.”

She is completely right. That’s why, don’t glare at her like that Belius. And Melaconcy, no chanting magic. Vill, put away your throwing knives.

“Gandezblood-san, any objections?”

“None.”

“Very well!” Frete showed a truly delighted expression. “Then, I will submit a vote of no confidence. The deliberation will happen during the next ‘Seven Crimson Deva Meeting’. I am sure you must be aware of this, but this meeting gathers all Seven Crimson Devas, so of course you will have to be present. Fufu, I’m looking forward to what judgment we will arrive at.”

*

“—Hey, Vill. What will happen if I get discharged from my position during this Seven Crimson Deva meeting?”

“Since the contract magic does not get removed, you will explode and die.”

“So I will die either way!?”

A sigh escaped my mouth, which held my entire soul, and vanished into the darkness. Night had fallen upon the Mulnight Imperial Palace. I’m currently on the nighttime patrol which we had established this noon. After I finished my normal work at 6pm, I ate dinner, and now started patrolling the surroundings. It’s been like this for an hour, but the terrorist has yet to show up.

Now that I think about it, since that killer is only focussing on government officials, isn’t it kind of useless to just loiter around like this? Well, that’s only the least of my problems. Right now, there’s an even bigger problem plaguing me. That is the fact that I will probably die at this rate. I’m scared of dying though, and even if I resurrect, I hate pain.

“First the terrorist, and now this…It’s too much…!”

“It cannot be helped. I knew that it would come down to this sooner or later.”

“You knew!?”

“Everybody knew. In battle, Komari-sama is like a puppet put up on display. It was only a matter of time until people would grow suspicious.”

Yeah, I guess she’s right. I should have figured that Johan wasn’t going to be the last one.

“…What’s this Seven Crimson Deva meeting like anyway?”

“I do not know. However, taking Frete Masquarelle’s words into consideration, it will probably consist of the Seven Crimson Devas deciding on you being left alive or not, most likely with a majority vote.”

“As if I’d let anybody decide that! I’ll definitely die, won’t I!? There’s no other allies that I have…”

“I-It will be fine!” Sakuna tightly gripped her want as she walked next to me. “When it comes to a majority vote, I will be Terakomari-san’s ally! There is no person more worthy of being a Seven Crimson Deva than you after all…”

“S-Sakuna…!”

I was moved. Leaving aside the guilt I felt, I was brought close to tears at the fact that there is a vampire this kind to me. That’s definitely the first time ever. Overwhelmed by happiness, I subconsciously put my hand on her white head, and rubbed it. On a side note, she’s taller than me.

“You really are a good girl Sakuna. Once this is over, let’s talk about your favorite constellation.”

“Y-Yes. Thank you very mush…Um…but, my head…”

“Ah, sorry. I just happened to…Do you hate it?”

“I don’t. I’m happy…it feels like I have an Onee-chan now.”

“Onee-chan?”

“…! N-Nevermind! Just a slip of my tongue…” Sakuna had a terrified expression on her face.

What is she panicking for, I wonder?

“I’m really sorry. I’m just a bother, aren’t I…”

“Of course not. I’d be more than happy to have a little sister like you, Sakuna.”

“R-Really…? Ehehe…Komari-oneechan.”

“Ah…that sounds really nice. Can you call me like that one more time?”

“Komari-oneechan!”

“……”

When I rubbed her head some more, Sakuna showed a happy smile, narrowing her eyes. For a second, it felt like I could see a tail wagging behind her. What the heck. Was she always this cute? I’d love my good-for-nothing little sister to learn from her…Wait, wasn’t she sixteen? Doesn’t this make me her little sister instead? How does an older little sister work anyway?

“Komari-sama, this isn’t the time to be flirting.”

I heard a cold voice behind me. Turning around, I saw Vill glare at me with a frozen expression.

“Even with Memoire-dono’s assistance, the chances of Komari-sama being saved is relatively low. After all, there are another five Seven Crimson Devas, and the greater majority most likely holds discomfort towards you.”

“T-That’s right…! What should we do about this? Pay them with money?”

“We cannot bribe anybody.”

“Why do you have to sound all logical now!? My life depends on this.”

“There is no need for bribing. Just leave this to me, and everything will work out. Komari-sama, can you see my eyes?”

“Your eyes…? Wait, what happened? They’re blood-red…”

Vill’s crimson red eyes stood out in the dark.

“Nucleus Liberation <Pandora Poison>. It seems like it finally happened.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I believe I never fully explained it. My Nucleus Liberation allows me to see into the future. By having someone else drink my blood, I can see their near future. However, since the amount this time is very small, I can barely see anything.”

Sakuna took a step away from Vill. Look into the future, huh? Sounds pretty amazing, if you ask me. Vill looked up at the sky, and started muttering something.

“…Seven Crimson Deva meeting—Frete Masquarelle—Heldeus Heaven—Odilon Metal…I see, I see.” She looked down again. “I understand everything.”

“What did you find out?”

“This meeting will be an interrogation in three days, during the actual Seven Crimson Deva meeting. Frete Masquarelle will throw oppressing logic and arguments at Komari-sama, and it will be decided if Komari-sama is a worthy Seven Crimson Deva.”

“…And, what will happen?”

“At the meeting itself, Komari-sama will explode.”

“You’re lying, right?”

“I’m not.”

“You’re kidding me, right?”

“I am not.”

“Tell me that you’re lyyyyyying!”

“I was lying.”

“You were!?”

“I will make it a lie. I can change the future of an individual, so if you leave it to me, you will not explode. I won’t let you.” Vill said, brimming with confidence.

This led me to remember. If I leave it to her, everything will be fine. I just have to rely on her again—With these thoughts, I felt a ray of hope in this darkness that filled my heart, when Vill suddenly pushed her head towards me…What does she want?

“I am trying my hardest for Komari-sama.”

“R-Right, you are. Thanks.”

“I’m a good girl as well.”

“………”

Her expression was serious. I rubbed my hand on her head, which gave back a sweet lavender scent. There, I realized that Sakuna was gazing at me in confusion.

“Um…do you dislike fighting, Terakomari-san?”

“Eh? W-Why would you ask that?”

“I mean…a normal Seven Crimson Deva would choose a more violent method. If there was someone like Frete-san against them, they would try to immediately show their strength.”

Not good, she’s sharp.

“O-Of course, that would be the most effective method! But, I have the principle to not take any unnecessary and boring fighting. This time, I’d like to resolve it with words only.”

“Oh…I thought that was the case.” Sakuna showed a relieved smile.

I don’t really get it, but I’ll leave that for now. Because the hellish Seven Crimson Deva meeting is now approaching.

—On a side note, we couldn’t find the terrorist that day.

1 For those of you who aren’t cultured enough: Sauce

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