―Heart of the Evil God, Holy Grail Divine Realm―
“So, what do you say? Now, you could be my main wife—well, maybe that’s a bit much, but as the Pope’s wife, you could live a life of luxury without any inconvenience. Oh, and if Serge dislikes the attention, I can keep her all to myself in secret. We could sneak out of the palace occasionally and run away together for a forbidden romance. Doesn’t that sound romantic?”
“Oh, my, my? Who is this peerless beauty? It’s Serge! My apologies. The aura you exude is so dazzling, I couldn’t recognize you at first glance. I worried that my idealized image of you—from not seeing you for so long—might have been overly embellished, but it seems my concerns were unfounded. The real Serge is even more beautiful than that.”
“…Beautiful.”
“I… I apologize for losing my composure. Oh, where should I even begin…”
While the three—no, four—reacted in their own unique ways, Fu-chan seemed to be on high alert. Even from my perspective, I could tell she was flustered.
“N-no, wait a moment! Don’t come any closer, don’t come any closer! I told you, I’m not interested in that!”
She even looked on the verge of tears… Huh? Did I just hear something strange?
“Fufufu, you’ve noticed, haven’t you, Lion-sama! This is the anti-Fu-chan containment formation that Shutra-chan and I meticulously researched using past records and eyewitness accounts from those involved, like your father, and then constructed!”
“W-what do you mean?”
I asked Collette, who had started speaking with excitement.
“The Heroes who were once summoned by Delamis’s Shrine Maiden all defeated the Demon King and chose to remain in this world forever. However, Fu-chan, who is over there, returned to her original world. This is despite having allies who cherished and loved that Hero with their very lives. Why was that? I couldn’t understand it, as I have no lingering attachments with Mel-sama, Kelvin-sama, and Rion-sama present, but Shutra-chan provided the answer! Fu-chan, you have peculiar tastes! You can’t fall in love with any kind of diverse and unique men!”
“Gulp!?”
Fu-chan reacted with an onomatopoeia, evidently out of options. Even so, the situation, which had been overwhelming just moments ago, flipped completely, regardless of the method. While a delirious Collette is a bit scary and terrifying as an enemy, she’s incredibly reliable as an ally. Older Kel said it too. Heaven gave her two gifts along with something truly remarkable, didn’t it? Yes, that seems to be the case.
But, what could Fu-chan’s peculiar tastes be? Her former allies, the ancient Heroes, were all embodiments of certain ideal appearances. A somewhat wicked but handsome young man with shining silver hair and a dazzling smile. A mature gentleman, a womanizer but also devoted. A rugged and taciturn knight who struggles to express his feelings. And most exceptionally, a prince from a fallen kingdom with brown skin who walks the path of romantic love.
It was an ideal reverse harem party for girls, a combination of characters that seemed to have leaped out of shojo manga or games. Yet, facing such allies, Fu-chan herself is starting to back away. Unless one has the protagonist’s special attribute like Touya, or is incredibly lucky, they couldn’t possibly create such a party. Hmm, information that might be a hint—
“I make it a rule to never forget a cute girl I meet.”
“I told you, I’m not interested in that!”
“—Eh!?”
My voice cracked involuntarily. I think I finally understood. Even being someone who spent 14 years in modern Japan, I’ve heard and seen my fair share of information like that. On the internet, in manga. The term “Boys’ Love” has become widely localized now, a word even I, who am not interested, know. Essentially, it means homosexuality, and even if people know it, few would say it out loud on their own. But in this case, Fu-chan is the reverse—
“Fu, fufufufu…! I see now, you’re as sharp as ever. I’ll just say it now, Collette’s guess is absolutely correct. Sai and the others are wonderful as companions, as friends. But as lovers? No thank you! Because what I like are cute girls!”
—Fu-chan was yuri.
” ” ” Whhhhaaat!?” ”
“Ah, figures.”
While the three were shocked to the point their jaws might have dropped, only Pope Philip, Collette’s father, seemed to have anticipated it.
“Are you saying you’ll stay in this world? That’s a joke, isn’t it? You know the Unique Skill I and successive Heroes possess, Absolute Benediction, right? This skill conjures convenient developments as if I were the center of the world, unless there’s someone with greater luck than me nearby. It displays its effectiveness not only in everyday life but also greatly in combat. For an ordinary guy, there would have been lucky perverted situations and erotic developments. And I was no exception. Handsome young men, attractive young men, mature men—I met them everywhere, from ancient times to the present, and was approached by them. Like the protagonist of a shojo manga, I encountered various troubles. But this skill didn’t prepare me for cute girls! Because it only grants happiness as a normal girl!”
“Uh, C-Collette? It seems you’ve stepped on a landmine…”
“Yes, it’s all according to plan.”
“The ancient Heroes, except for Collette’s father, have lost their souls…?”
“Yes, it’s all according to plan.”
Oh dear… Collette, you terrifying child!
“The only time I felt true peace was when I was with Iris, who had exceptionally higher luck than me. Only then did unnatural troubles cease, and Iris was always kind. That’s why it’s my turn to save Iris now. Iris is currently in a demigod state and is quite unstable, with only fragmented memories of the past. If you stand in the way of Iris and me, I won’t show mercy even to Sai and the others.”
Fu-chan’s eyes turned serious. The frivolous attitude and flustered demeanor were gone. She seemed to have made up her mind.
“…What is this?”
“N-no way… I… I was pushing Serge into a corner…?”
“N-no, it’s too early to give up! Serge, is your heart not lying to you!? Is this not some mistake!?”
“I know my own tastes are strange. But can you imagine how I felt when my companions, with whom I’ve traveled for so long, suddenly confessed all at once? It’s like the male protagonist being confessed to by all his male companions! That’s why I ran back to my original world! I like girls!”
” ” ” *G Huff…!* ” ”
A soul-piercing cry echoed through the white space. And then, the final blow. Though I’m in the enemy’s position now, I couldn’t help but sympathize. Both with Fu-chan and her former companions.
“…Yes, as I thought. My reading was correct. Everyone, lift your heads.”
“Philip…?”
Amidst the chaos, only Pope Philip remained standing, not kneeling. He wore a savior-like, benevolent smile.
“It seems I have won this match. Me, who understood her true intentions hidden beneath Serge’s act.”
” ” ” …What? ” ”
“Huh? Wait, Philip?”
“Ever since Serge returned to another world, I’ve been pondering. Why did she, who was so kind, leave without even replying to my confession?”
“So, that’s because—”
“Serge, who was pursued by countless men, had lost sight of what true love was. That’s why Serge was giving us a trial. If you truly love me, you’ll still love me even after some time has passed. Even if I reject you myself, you’ll surely understand my true inner feelings.”
“No, wait—”
“And among them, I alone have reached Serge’s true intentions. In other words, I was able to deliver true love to Serge. Ahaha, forgive me, everyone! As a married man, I’ve taken the lead!”
” ” ” …… ” ”
The ancient Heroes’ eyes regained their vitality. They looked like they were about to say, “As if we didn’t see that coming.”
“You are indeed the Pope, skilled in manipulating people. You brought them to their lowest point and then gave them a glimmer of hope. No matter what Fu-chan-sama says from now on, they will not falter. All that’s left is to implement the usual plan.”
The Heroes who stood up now had resolute faces, as if accepting everything.
