Kelvin sat down on a chair in the dining hall, and the surrounding scenery and atmosphere transformed in an instant. It felt like a familiar air, filled with a bustling hubbub. The voices he heard were all trivial, such as “Today’s fishing was a great success,” “A new path was discovered in that dungeon,” and “If you want to fight, do it outside!” Next, seeing a table that appeared to be a counter in front of him, he realized he was sitting at a counter seat. The figure of who seemed to be the owner of the dining hall was across from him, but strangely, their face was blurred and couldn’t be discerned.
“Seriously, who the hell would actually send someone to a dining hall?”
“I would, right here.”
A person sitting next to Kelvin responded to his muttered complaint. At the counter immediately next to Kelvin, empty plates were piled high, presumably after a thorough meal, and they were still attempting to build further height. The profile of the person constructing such a tower was someone Kelvin was very familiar with and had grown to cherish. Strictly speaking, the appearance itself was much younger, and the hair color was completely different, but the way they ate was still the same. Melfina’s evil embodiment, Kuromel, was there.
“Munch, munch… *Gulp* You’re as skilled as ever, Master. Thank you for the feast.”
“…”
Even though Kuromel thanked him after finishing her meal, the owner didn’t utter a word in response. Moreover, no one else showed any interest. Normally, piling up this many plates would attract attention, whether one wanted it to or not. It was as if only Kelvin and Kuromel had never existed in this world to begin with.
“So, what is this place? Is it recreating a scene from somewhere based on your memories?”
“Heh, as expected of you. You see through everything. This is a recreation of my memories… Although, you probably don’t remember this place yet. But, how did you know? That this isn’t reality?”
“When a child like you eats so messily without drawing any attention, anyone would guess that. I always wondered this with Melfina too, but where on earth does all that food fit in your body…”
Kelvin let out a deep sigh as he looked again at the plates Kuromel had stacked. Kuromel’s current appearance was very childlike, about the same as the child Shutra. Even so, the amount of food she consumed was comparable to Melfina’s. It was no wonder Kelvin was more amazed than usual.
“You and I are two sides of the same coin. When I was sealed by the Sacred Spear, I had to consume food for two. It’s the same now that I’ve been sealed. So, just because I’m in this little form, does that mean I shouldn’t eat? Even when sealed, one gets hungry.”
“R-right…”
Kelvin made a strange face at the surprisingly sensible answer. At the same time, Kelvin was deeply conflicted. Should he playfully admonish Kuromel, who was looking smug, by pointing out that even for two people, this amount was too much? After much deliberation, he decided to watch over her with a lukewarm gaze.
“Um, are you thinking something rude? What’s with that gaze?”
“I feel like I’ve said this before, but it’s probably your imagination.”
“Is that so? Yes, well, it probably is. What lies ahead for us is a long-awaited blissful time. There’s no way any tomfoolery would occur now.”
“Despite that, you brought us to a dining hall. Honestly, I didn’t expect the destination to be this.”
“At first, I thought about bringing you to a solemn cathedral and welcoming you with organ music, but I felt something was off. I figured you would choose that chair.”
“Your self-analysis is quite good. I definitely wouldn’t choose a cathedral chair if I were thinking of you. I can say with certainty that my past self wouldn’t either.”
“You’re saying something rude again, aren’t you?”
To an outsider, Kelvin and Kuromel, chatting away, would appear to be nothing more than a couple of close friends. Of course, this was disregarding Kuromel’s childlike appearance, but even so, the two of them were undoubtedly lovers.
“…Is it okay now? You don’t have to cry anymore?”
“You’re picking on me again. My tears ran dry when we last met. No need to worry! Besides, don’t you want to eat something? This is going to be your last meal, you know?”
“It won’t be. And I’ve been gaining strength from Efil’s home cooking.”
The meals Efil prepared literally brought various enhancement effects. Of course, Kuromel understood the meaning in this context, but she looked slightly displeased. It was as if she wanted to say, “Don’t talk about other women.” Clearing her throat, Kuromel coughed once.
“You’ve met many people in this world and influenced them greatly. I’m glad you seemed to enjoy it.”
“Yeah, I guess so. I’m grateful you let me reincarnate.”
“…You’ve influenced this world far more than I intended. Without you, our current allies wouldn’t have gathered here, and before that, you wouldn’t have lived a happy life. If the current heroes like Touya had properly defeated the Demon King, Black Spirit Knight Gerard would have been slain on the way to Trisen. Efil might have had both her arms cut off by a terrible master due to the Fire Dragon King’s curse. Sera’s safety wouldn’t have been guaranteed either, and Rion wouldn’t have had the chance to reincarnate. She might have been defeated by an unknown adventurer like Kuro or Alex. You’re the only one who would try to capture the Three Dragons alive. If an allied army hadn’t been swiftly formed to counter Trisen, Shutra would have remained brainwashed, leading to a tragic outcome. It would have been the same for Ange; she wouldn’t have regained her current cheerfulness, still trapped by the curse of her past life.”
“…Yeah, maybe. But that future didn’t come to pass.”
“It might just be about to, you know? If you are defeated in battle against me, I will ascend to the throne of God. Then, the next event will be ‘World Reincarnation.’ The creation of a new world. Everyone won’t be there. A new world, new adventures, new allies—and a new life will begin. And after that, in the next life, and eternally, all will be under my control.”
The pleasant conversation ended. Kuromel seemed to want to say this as she stood up and turned her back to Kelvin. Black wings were beginning to manifest on her back.
“What is it, Kuromel? You’re being impatient. That’s all after the fun is over, right? I don’t like it when you prematurely declare my defeat.”
“…Do you really think you can win? After I showed you such a power gap last time?”
“Do you think I’d come here willingly if I knew I was going to lose? You planned such a grand commotion, and you understand me so well, yet you think that?”
Kelvin’s expression showed no trace of doubt or fear. His eyes held a strong will, genuinely believing he would win. Seeing Kelvin’s face, Kuromel’s lips curved into a slight smile.
“Well then, shall we begin soon?”
“Yeah, let’s. But before that.”
“…? Ah, Huhu. Indeed.”
A restart. As if to say so, Kelvin walked towards the entrance of the dining hall, and Kuromel reseated herself at the counter. Swinging her legs, which didn’t reach the floor from the slightly high chair, Kuromel seemed to be waiting for someone.
“Yo, I came as promised. Did you wait long?”
“No, I just arrived as well. At most, about three minutes.”
Kelvin called out to her. Kuromel, delighted by the arrival of the person she was waiting for, hopped off the chair. What was this charade? The answer was simple: the two of them just wanted to do this. There was no deeper meaning.
“I see, then—”
“Yes, to your heart’s content—”
All the dining hall scenery projected around them cracked and shattered, and the false dream world began to collapse. Beyond the fragments that fell away lay the Divine Realm of the Shrine Maiden from some time ago. In this domain, where no one would interfere, the two of them wore beaming smiles, in many senses of the word.
“—Let’s fight!”
“—Let’s fight!”
