༺ Shall We Go To The 2nd Floor? (1) ༻
My whole body was whining.
It felt as if my body had become a gong that someone had beaten furiously.
Astarosa of Obsession.
The destruction beam she spat out was incredibly powerful, more than I thought.
Honestly, it was a miracle I was unscathed.
Of course.
It wasn’t really a miracle.
It was more like an inevitability.
But Cariote, who hadn’t noticed my trick, looked me over and said,
“The attack by that demoness just now could definitely be described as critical. But Judas, you don’t have a single scratch. How did that happen?”
“That’s a trade secret.”
“I can sense a trace of magic. Mana shield…? No, Judas. I heard you have no talent for magic. How could you conjure a mana shield strong enough to block that spell…?”
Tsk.
Cariote’s deductive skills and intuition were too sharp.
I can’t reveal all my tricks in front of a demon now!
“Shh-.”
I cautioned Cariote.
Cariote closed her mouth as if she understood and then slowly shifted her gaze to the devil sprawled on the floor.
“Dina.”
“…Damn it. I’m not Dina. I’m one of the three pillars. I am Lord Astarosa…?”
Prideful with drool dripping from her face.
Demons were frightening in their arrogance and dogmatism.
An abnormal obsession and loyalty towards the Demon King.
Astarosa of Obsession was particularly strong.
“Mom’s item!”
Swoosh—
Cecily snatched the flute hanging around Astarosa’s neck.
It was a strange flute.
Really made out of bone.
Cariote’s eyes widened at the sight of the object but soon returned to a calm demeanor and she calmly tied up Astarosa’s body.
“What were you planning to do with that flute?”
“…Do you think I’d tell you? Just kill me.”
“No, I won’t kill you. Cecily, Judas. You’d better cover your ears.”
Ears?
Rustle— Swoosh—
Cariote took out a strange, broad plate from her pouch.
What is she trying to do with that? Hit us with it? As I pondered, Cariote with her nails out began to scratch the plate vigorously with her fingernails.
Like a big cat from the Felidae family scratching a tree!
Screeeech— Screeeeeeeech-!
“Oh, holy shh.”
It was like the sound of nails on a chalkboard!?
An incredibly loud noise burst forth from Cariote’s nails!
Even I, accustomed to considerable noise, involuntarily grimaced.
“Guaaak, gyaaaak, aaargh!”
Astarosa violently contorted her body.
She thrashed around in agony, even more than when she was slashed by Cariote’s silver sword.
Is this a demon’s weakness?
“If I had known demons had such a weakness, the expedition would have been easier.”
I murmured to myself, half in regret, half in admiration.
Then Cariote stopped her hand abruptly and slowly shook her head.
“This isn’t exactly a demon’s weakness. My sister hated this kind of sound terribly. Somehow, this creature seems to be a demon and my sister at the same time.”
“Really?”
“I’m not sure if I should be happy that my sister is alive in this form, or angry that she has become a demon. And above all…”
Cariote’s eyes moved to Cecily’s flute.
Whoosh—
Cariote then took out another strange object from her pouch.
It seemed to be a flute made from bone.
About the size of a child’s fist.
An ocarina—would that be the right term?
The curious thing is that it looked exactly the same as the flute Cecily was holding.
Two identical flutes?
A mass-produced item?
As I felt puzzled, Cariote spoke first.
“This is supposed to be one-of-a-kind. But how can there be two of them?”
Whoosh.
Cariote reached out towards the flute that Cecily was holding.
Cecily whimpered, “T-This belongs to Mom…!” but she couldn’t withstand Cariote’s strength and eventually handed the flute over.
“Give it back…!”
Cecily argued back at Cariote.
Her expression was scrunched up in anger, somewhat threatening.
However, Cariote didn’t seem to care much as she alternately looked at the two flutes in her hands.
Then she muttered a few words that were hard for me to understand.
“Like magnets. They’ve been attracting each other since they got close. It’s quite a strong force. If I let go now, will they stick together?”
Swoosh—
I could feel the strength leaving Cariote’s hands.
Then something astonishing happened.
Whoosh— Pop!
The bone flutes, which I thought would stick together, merged into one.
Indeed.
Merged into one, literally.
No, to be precise, it would be better to say they were stacked or overlapped.
To merge implies an increase in size.
But the bone flute’s appearance didn’t change, nor did its size.
It simply went from two to one.
“What on earth…”
Even Cariote, who had seen many unbelievable sights as a demon hunter, furrowed her brow as if she couldn’t comprehend the situation.
Only Cecily hissed like a cat robbed of its box.
“Ahh! The flute Mom gave me…! What have you done to it now…!”
Pat— Pat— Pat—.
Cecily struck Cariote wildly with her fists.
Of course, Cariote didn’t feel any pain, but perhaps annoyed, she grabbed Cecily by the nape and lifted her high.
It was an odd comparison, but she looked just like a big cat of the Felidae family lifting its cub by the neck.
Surprisingly, it seemed to work since Cecily quieted down considerably.
“L-Let me go…!”
“……”
Cariote lifted Cecily to her eye level and looked at her with a firm gaze.
A situation fraught with tension.
“What, what is it? Why are you looking at this Cecily like that?”
While Cecily was feeling uncomfortable,
Cariote finally parted her lips lightly.
“You said you wanted to find your Mom and Dad. I don’t know about your dad, but it seems I’ve found your Mom. Cecily, you seem to be my daughter.”
“…What? What nonsense are you talking about?”
Cecily scrunched up her face as if she was hearing the most absurd thing ever.
Soon, Cecily gave Cariote a thorough look from top to bottom, her gaze scrutinizing like thieves assessing their mark.
“You don’t look noble at all…! Cecily’s Mom was the most elegant and virtuous person ever…!”
Indeed, Cariote’s current apperance was like that of a terrifying executioner.
Covered in dust and smeared with the blood of demons.
If a woman like that says, “I am your mother,” it wouldn’t be strange if Cecily fainted.
To break the grave atmosphere, I chimed in.
“I’m probably the father.”
“Hiiiik…!”
* * *
In the end, I couldn’t eat the sweet and sour pork.
I heard that Naru ate it all.
“Naru, Brigitte and everyone enjoyed the sweet and sour pork! We even left some for Dad, but Molumolu ate it all. Molumolu must have been really hungry since there’s no cafeteria food during exams.”
━Meow.
I see.
I was really looking forward to the hot sweet and sour pork, but knowing that Naru ate it made it okay.
Is this what they mean by feeling full without eating?
“So, this creature is the demon you’ve captured? It’s the Witch of Obsession, isn’t it? Judas, what in the world happened?”
In the sanctuary of Nocturne, located in the mansion’s basement.
Brigitte clicked her tongue while looking at the demon Astarosa.
Astarosa was tightly bound with ropes, half out of her mind after receiving a barrage of ‘Scratch Noise’ attacks from Cariote.
After the torture, this information came to light:
“This girl was gathering evil energy in a closed research lab. If left alone, she could have become incredibly strong. We managed to subdue her easily for now.”
Had we missed the timing and encountered her five or six years later, it wouldn’t have been surprising to see casualties due to her strength.
“Hmm.”
Brigitte crossed her arms and looked at Astarosa.
Then she asked:
“What was she gathering power for?”
Instead of me, Cariote answered:
“She was probably trying to resurrect Leviathan. It’s common knowledge that the remains of the Dragon King Leviathan are buried deep within this continent.”
The Dragon King Leviathan.
Was it said to be a huge snake?
As I imagined a giant snake in my mind, Brigitte frowned.
“Wasn’t that just a legend? The story of the huge snake that created mountains and the hunter. I thought it was a metaphor or an allegory?”
“No, it’s not a legend. I, Cariote Iscariote, am a descendant of that hunter who hunted the primordial snake. This flute is a treasure passed down through my family since ancient times. If I play it, I can control snakes.”
A flute that controls snakes.
It reminded me of a time when I was young, practicing the recorder late at night, and my mom slapping my back saying, “A snake will come out!”
I didn’t understand how a snake could appear on the 16th floor of a city apartment, but in this continent of Pangaea, it seemed that playing the flute could really summon snakes…!
Cariote added more to the explanation.
“The reason the Mage Astaroth targeted our family was because of this flute. He wanted to control the resurrected Leviathan with necromancy and wreak havoc with it.”
A giant snake running wild.
That sounded absolutely terrifying.
It was a relief that their plan failed.
Cariote then looked at Astarosa, tied up in ropes.
“My sister died along with my mother. I buried my mother, but I couldn’t bury my sister. The sorcerer took her body.”
“Took her body?”
Brigitte asked,
soon Cariote sighed heavily and answered.
“Only those who inherit the hunter’s blood can play the flute. And I think my sister didn’t die that day. I never actually saw her stop breathing…”
Her sister was presumed dead after being grievously wounded and taken by a demon.
Could this be a reunion then?
Of course, Astarosa growled.
“You’re not my sister. I am a faithful servant of the Demon Lord─.”
Gyiiik— Gyiiiiiiik— Gyiiiiiiik—
“Gyaaaaak!”
I see.
Cariote seemed to be someone who showed no mercy to demons, even if it was her sister.
Or was she even more ruthless because it was her sister?
Family is truly a complicated thing─ I thought.
The conversation ended somewhat like that.
After agreeing to keep Astarosa tied up in our mansion’s basement, Cariote seemed to remember something she had forgotten and spoke to Brigitte while we were heading back to the surface.
“I’ve vaguely realized through this experience that the magic of space-time is dangerous. Seeing the two flutes merge into one, it seems that perfectly identical things cannot exist more than once in the same era.”
Is that for real?
I didn’t know.
So, another ‘me,’ ‘Brigitte,’ or ‘Cariote’ coming from the future would eventually merge into one.
Anyway.
I headed to the mansion’s drawing room.
Cecily was there alone, taking an ‘additional test.’
It was because she hadn’t been able to take the test alone while we spent time in the laboratory.
Beep— Beep— Beep—
Cecily was diligently playing the recorder.
Is it a practical music exam?
But where did the teacher go?
I thought the homeroom teacher of Cecily and Naru’s class was supposed to come to supervise the additional test.
Anyway, when the test was over, I said to Cecily,
“So, do you believe now that I’m your father?”
“……”
Instead of replying, Cecily puffed up her cheeks.
Her face was full of dissatisfaction.
Soon after, Naru burst out, raising her hand.
“Oh, holy shh…! I thought we were friends, but we’re actually sisters! Cecily was Naru’s sister! And now that I think about it, Cecily was Naru’s family! Memories are flooding back!”
That’s how it went.
I had a lot to say, but maybe this was considered a resolution of one matter.
Just when I was feeling the complexity of the situation, Cecily spoke.
“The last cherry blossoms…”
“What did you say?”
“…Cecily’s father said he must go to where the last cherry blossoms are blooming. As soon as possible.”
That was all Cecily said.
She then ran off to play with Naru.
“The last cherry blossoms… What kind of metaphor is that?”
What could it be?
The cherry blossoms had mostly faded already.
But the answer to this was provided by Enkidus.
“The ‘last cherry blossoms’ is the name of a pub. It’s a cheap inn but due to its low prices, it attracts many customers. It’s located on 35th Street. It’s also quite a nice place with dancers performing.”
“Oh, is that so?”
I should hurry up and check it out.
Cecily did say that I needed to go to the last cherry blossoms quickly.
“Hehe.”
I went to the place introduced by Enkidus.
Just like what the guy said, there was an inn called “The Last Cherry Blossoms” standing shabbily between dingy alleys.
A fairly large cherry tree was planted in front of it, still beautifully showing off its pink hues, which was quite charming.
I went inside.
Instead of finding dancers, I encountered a familiar face.
“You, Judas?”
“Queen?”
The warrior woman Queen from the Demon Castle Breakthrough Party.
The one we thought had betrayed us, was sitting at a table, drinking in the middle of the day!
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