After seeing Aid and Titty off, I healed Dia using basic Divine Magic. However, while I was able to remove the Status Ailment “Perception Interference” that had afflicted me before, Dia’s Skill “Overprotection,” the main problem, remained.
I thought it would be easy to remove if it weren’t for Sis, but it was more deeply rooted than I expected. The problem was that it wasn’t a Status Ailment, but a Skill she had acquired.
A Skill represents a person’s talent—in essence, their life and soul. I was confident I could extract it with “Distance Mute” if I tried, but I gave up because I didn’t know the side effects.
However, I decided it didn’t matter.
In the first place, some things shouldn’t be easily solved with magic.
More importantly, I had just seen a much more wonderful solution.
Following the example of those siblings, we too would talk things through and resolve our mistakes one by one.
“—So, the ‘I’ that appears sometimes is the real Dia…?”
We were talking on top of the flowerbed that had formed in the center of the Royal Capital where the duel had taken place.
“That’s… when I’m not in control. When cornered, my true self comes out, and I say ‘I.’ Hah, weird, right?”
“‘I’ is your true self, so your current way of speaking is an act…? If it’s difficult, you can stop anytime—”
“No, that’s not it. I’m not forcing myself to act. It’s just that both the ‘me’ who aims to be a sword saint and the true ‘I’ are both ‘Diablo Sis’…”
Her worries were similar to the conversation I had with Aid just before.
Aid, who had been running away from the “self” he wanted to erase. If I was heading down the same path, I absolutely had to stop him. But Dia herself dispelled that concern.
“Don’t worry, Kanami. I saw the end of Aid and the others just now. I have no intention of erasing my past self.”
It seemed she also had memories of when she was Apostle Sis.
She learned from the Guardian, who had just passed away peacefully, and said she wouldn’t repeat the same mistake.
“However, I won’t erase the current ‘me’ either. I still admire ‘swordsmen,’ and from the bottom of my heart, I want to be ‘me.’ I believe this dream is not wrong. Perhaps what was wrong was… the duty of being an Apostle. That was probably not something I should have carried…”
Simply put, Titty’s ‘gardener’ corresponds to Dia’s ‘swordsman.’ And Titty’s ‘Ruling King’ corresponds to Dia’s ‘Apostle.’
Faced with that answer, there was nothing I needed to correct.
“I understand. Both are you, Dia… So, let’s keep it this way.”
Whether she said ‘me’ or ‘I,’ she was still Dia—however, if she ever seemed to be burdened by a non-existent responsibility as an Apostle, I would speak up then.
As I thought that, Dia in front of me tentatively added with a worried look.
“Thank you for understanding… But, I have a small request… When ‘I’ comes out, I know I sound a bit off. But that’s just because I’m a little weak… So, Kanami… If I ever say ‘I’… could you be a little gentler with me…?”
Her request surprised me slightly.
Thinking back, this was the first time Dia had directly asked me for something.
Until today, she had desperately held herself back so as not to inconvenience me. Not only did she not ask for anything, but she had always followed my and our companions’ instructions. Seeing that she was now free, I felt our emotional distance shrinking.
“…Is that no good?”
Perhaps due to her small stature, she naturally looked up at me. Furthermore, she moved her single arm, opening and closing her hand. Even without using magic or Skills, the magnitude of her anxiety was palpable.
Dia was mustering her courage to grasp something important right now. I understood that.
“Of course. We’re companions, Dia. I’ll do anything I can.”
I took Dia’s hand, which was reaching out to grasp something she had been searching for.
Then, Dia furrowed her brow before smiling.
Finally, she seemed to have grasped what she was looking for… but looking at herself relying on it made her feel a little pathetic. She seemed that way.
However, without looking away from that pathetic feeling, Dia confessed to me. She slowly recounted the events of a year ago.
“Kanami… A year ago… I was actually constantly anxious… I was afraid of the Apostle memories returning. It was like a second self was being born… like my present self was being denied… I was truly terrified…”
As she muttered, Dia pressed her forehead against my chest.
She was probably embarrassed to make eye contact, but she didn’t want to pull away, so this was the only way.
I placed my hand on her head and listened.
“But I couldn’t tell anyone… I could only agonize alone, and it was painful. It was truly painful…”
“Yeah.”
I could somewhat understand that fear and pain.
Because of that Palinkron fellow, I had fallen into a similar situation.
“I didn’t know which was my true self… When I thought Sis was my true self, there were days I couldn’t sleep at all… The sleepless nights were hard…”
“I’m sorry. I was too caught up in my own problems and didn’t notice.”
The signs were definitely there.
She had even shown signs of seeking my help.
Hairi and Maria probably noticed. Even though they had known Dia for a shorter time than I had, they noticed, but I didn’t. That thought alone was deeply regrettable.
When I realized that it might have been me from a thousand years ago who destroyed Kanami’s sister, I could no longer stay by Kanami’s side. I had no face to show her… but thinking I could somehow atone… I ran away. Even though I knew running away was meaningless, I ran because I was scared. I… —
It wasn’t just me who regretted it, Dia did too. Unlike a year ago, we were regretting it together, not alone. Just that alone made the weight on my heart feel different.
Of course, at the place I ran to, I lost my place. I acknowledged Sis in my head, and I stopped being “me,” and I even stopped being “I.” I didn’t know who I was anymore, my mind was a mess… I couldn’t grasp anything… I felt like I had been walking down a dark path for a very, very long time…
When you’re alone, your heart weakens. And you don’t realize it until you become completely alone. It seems Apostle Sis exploited that. As I felt anger towards Sis, a slightly brighter voice was emitted.
“But, I came back. Thanks to Kanami, I finally came back. Thanks to Kanami calling my name. Thank you so much…”
Dia removed her forehead from my chest and looked up from her bowed head. Then, she gave me a smile filled with nostalgia. It was the same smile she had when we were exploring the labyrinth together, when we were fighting and rejoicing together. Remembering the name she called me then, I replied with a smile.
“Dia, you can call me ‘Christ’ now, not ‘Kanami.’ In the Allied Nations, I’m called ‘Aikawa Kanami Christ Eurasia Valt Fuziaze Von Walker,’ you know. I don’t mind what you call me anymore.”
I said it jokingly, implying it didn’t matter.
“Haha. Come to think of it, that name did spread. In that case, I’ll call you whatever I like without hesitation. …Because, names and positions aren’t important. What’s important is, I am me—”
“I am here as myself. That’s the most important thing.”
And so, we finished matching our answers to our regrets. For us, names were no longer important. It was a slightly embarrassing line, but as the two of us, we could share it with a smile.
“Ah, that’s all I needed. The two of you are here… that’s all that matters, now…”
Then, tears began to well up in Dia’s smiling eyes. Whatever she had been holding back was now overflowing. Perhaps not wanting me to see her tears, Dia hugged me tightly around my waist. Again, she rested her forehead on my chest and held me tightly, so tightly.
“I realized this past year. Sis and I are different… No, in the first place, no one is exactly the same. That’s obvious. There’s no such thing as the same soul in this world…”
I listened to Dia’s monologue while stroking the back of her head.
“Ah, I feel like my heart and body have lightened… I’m not afraid of anything anymore…”
It was truly good. Thanks to Dia being honest with herself, I felt my own heart lighten. With Dia’s return, along with Hidaki, most of the worries in this different world vanished. I tightly embraced Dia, the one thing I gained after a long battle. In response, she tightened her embrace as well. As if she would never let go again, she held me incredibly strong…
That unrestrained strength was something Dia had never possessed before. We could finally connect at heart. Not just our bodies, but our magic power intertwined, creating an illusion that our hearts were overlapping.
In that illusion, a priceless, peaceful time passed—and during it, I noticed something amiss. In fact, my skill “Sensation” suddenly began to issue a warning. My survival instinct, which hadn’t gone off all day, was frantically screaming “Danger” at me.
“Huh? W-wait a minute, Dia—”
Sensing danger, I panicked and tried to pull away from Dia. But I didn’t move at all. My body wouldn’t budge, as if I were trapped in stone. I couldn’t even breathe. Furthermore, an unknown pressure crushed my lungs, and my ribs creaked. They felt like they were about to crack.
“W-wait—I can’t breathe—!?”
Finally, even my voice was suppressed. I immediately deployed the skill “Dimension” without incantation to analyze the cause of the situation. This abnormality attacking me now—its true identity was undoubtedly Dia’s magic power. I was enveloped by Dia’s excited magic, which was now acting as a physical force, holding me captive. It was as if a giant hand formed from an overly dense magic power was gripping me.
Judging that this was the situation to deploy a trump card, I cast a spell again without incantation and deployed “Distance Mute” throughout my body.
“—! Phew!!”
Understanding the attribute and nature of Dia’s magic power, I managed to slip away by shifting dimensions from it. As I, with a pale face, pulled away, Dia’s magic power finally subsided. Realizing her magic power had become rigid and tense from excessive excitement, she hastily apologized.
“Ah, aah! Sorry, Kanami! My body just moved on its own…!!”
It was likely the effect of the skill “Over-Grasp” which had not yet been deactivated. As a side effect, it made her want to capture me unconsciously. And it tried to capture me with full force, without considering my strength at Level 59. It would be a problem for anyone else, but against me, who could sense danger beforehand with the skill “Sensation,” it wasn’t much of an issue. Thanks to “Distance Mute,” I wouldn’t die unless caught off guard. And this level of injury could be handled with the recovery magic I cultivated in my battles with Aid.
“Haha. No, I’m used to this much. I don’t mind at all.”
I answered with a smile while applying healing magic to my cracked ribs.
Now, I can handle magic of other attributes, though still clumsily. For powerful spells, I have to pierce my soul with “Distance Mute,” but basic magic is no problem.
“Are you… used to it?”
“It’s no lie. Even if one or two bones break, I can heal myself easily now. This much… is like a puppy’s playful nuzzle.”
I tried to reassure her by implying it was something trivial and cute.
It wasn’t bravado at all; I genuinely felt that way.
I’ve endured pain more than I can say. Coming to this Another World has also increased my basic physical toughness. This level of injury is perfect for magic practice.
“B-but, it still hurts, right…? I’m sorry, I’ll suppress it quickly.”
Though I was used to it, the kind Dia hurriedly drew back the leaked magic into herself and condensed it within her body. She grasped this with “Dimension” and spoke of the difference compared to a year ago.
“Compared to the beginning, you’ve really gotten good at handling magic…”
“It’s thanks to Master Arti… and, annoyingly, Sis. I don’t think I’ll make output mistakes anymore… unless I panic.”
As if she understood my own personality well, she added, “unless I panic.” However, my control over magic has undoubtedly improved drastically.
For this past year, it was like I was being shown a magic demonstration up close by a legendary Apostle. Come to think of it, on top of that, she leveled me up too, so I should thank her a little. Just a little.
“Ah, of course, it’s also thanks to Kanami that I’ve become this strong! At first, I was able to become stronger because Kanami was there! Thank you so much!!”
Dia told me that I was among her masters. Then, she took my right hand, which had been distant, and gave me a smile that seemed to overflow with light.
Honestly, it was a rare type of smile for someone around me. I was almost mesmerized by that uninhibited, pure smile.
“I’ll keep getting stronger, so look forward to it! I’ll do my best to become a worthy companion for Kanami! And, let’s go on more and more adventures together!!”
She gripped my hand tightly and wouldn’t let go.
Perhaps it was because my Strength status had jumped so much after reaching Level 59, but I thought my bones might crack again. However, seeing that dazzling smile made me feel like I could forgive it.
Dia and I continued our handshake with smiles—then, Snow, sensing the end of the conversation, approached from behind.
“Alright, is it over? It felt like a really good conversation? Then next! Next, it’s my turn too! Hug me tight too! Kanami!!”
“Eh? Why…?”
Then, inexplicably, she made a spirited suggestion, and I tilted my head.
“Huh!? Isn’t your reaction different!?”
“Well, Dia and you are different, aren’t you…”
“That’s cruel! But I tried hard this time too! I tried *really* hard!?”
Snow insisted desperately, waving both her hands back and forth, but Dia cut her off.
“You tried hard? You were good when you were fighting me, but the moment you started fighting Hitaki, you became useless. Snow.”
“Gh, you remember!? Th-that was because, well, I always get scared fighting Guardians…”
“Apostles are fine, but Guardians aren’t? But you were okay against Aid one year ago, right?”
“No, I had a sense of responsibility then… Aid wasn’t that scary… This time, Kanami and Titty-neechan were here, so I might have relaxed a bit, how do I put it…”
“Yeah, you do have that kind of tendency, Snow.”
It seemed Dia was finally noticing Snow’s troublesome core nature.
Seizing the opportunity for improvement, I chimed in.
“Yeah, that’s Snow’s biggest weakness. The moment she thinks someone else will do it for her, she immediately starts slacking off.”
“Snow, I know I’m not in a position to say this after being useless this time… but you have to give your all, always.”
Dia and I, still holding hands, admonished Snow.
At our combined front, Snow put her hands to her mouth and began to tremble, saying “Ah-ah-“
“Ah-are…? Is the lecture starting…? Th-this is a dangerous development! Neither Rustiara-sama nor Maria-chan are here, so I thought I could be spoiled, but that’s not the case anymore!?”
“That’s exactly why you’re useless, always looking for someone to spoil you… Sigh…”
Dia and I let out sighs mixed with wry smiles. However, while we knew it was Snow’s flaw, we also knew it was part of her character, so we didn’t truly corner her.
We understood each other’s flaws and complemented them.
At this point, our Party was getting closer to being a ‘true Party.’
Confirming this, I regained my composure and moved on to the next task.
“Alright, Snow’s self-reflection is over. Let’s go pick up Rouge-chan soon. I think she’s in the castle, so I’ll run there alone.”
After the brief joke following the serious battle ended, I let go of Dia’s hand and started walking towards the castle, which had grown into a large tree.
After this, I would hear from Rouge that Aid had entrusted Viais to her, and as a solution, I would welcome Kuuneru—
◆◆◆◆◆
—And then, a week later.
To this day, Dia now greets my return with a smile.
However, not all problems have been resolved.
The troublesome effects of the Skill “Overprotection” still remain, and Dia becomes extremely unstable if she gets too far from either me or Hidaki, whom she recognizes as “Christ.”
When I took Hidaki out, leaving Dia in the guest room, Snow was burnt to a crisp. Her magic power went berserk due to mental instability, and Snow stopped it by putting herself in harm’s way.
Though Snow and I teased each other a week ago, we are deeply grateful to her. However, if we express it, Snow gets carried away endlessly, making it difficult to praise her.
“—Kanami. If you’re done here, where are you going next?”
As I finished reminiscing about a week ago, Dia asked with sparkling eyes. Furthermore, she swung her arm solidified with light magic like a sword fighter.
“I’m fine anywhere as long as I can swing a sword. You decide. I’ve had some good matches with Snow these past few days, so I want to try it out quickly.”
“Huh? As for the sword match, it was my overwhelming victory, a complete sweep…”
“It was a good match, right!”
“Yes! It was a good match!”
Snow saluted crisply to Dia, who puffed out her cheeks.
It seems Dia wants to go on an adventure using her sword.
I know that for the past week, they have been practicing Swordsmanship together whenever they found time. Dia is doing it for her own enjoyment, but Snow is training diligently, following Titty’s instructions.
By the way, Dia is using the Straight Sword of Crescent Pectoral Azure. Snow has Brave Fluorite, the Primordial and Demon King’s Magic Sword, inherited from Titty.
“Sorry, Dia. Before deciding our destination, there’s something I want to test. The result of this will change things quite a bit.”
I understand you want to try out your sword quickly, but there’s something more important. It’s probably the most important thing for adventuring.
I take out an accessory I made in the castle’s workshop a few days ago from my Inventory and try to hand it to Snow.
“A pendant…? Huh, could it be…”
“It’s Titty’s magic stone. I want Snow to have this.”
“Is it really my sister? Wow, my sister has turned into a pendant.”
To be precise, it’s both Aid and Titty. It’s a masterpiece that effectively utilizes the charm of deep green and light emerald.
[Necklace “White Emerald Reason”]
A necklace adorned with the crystallized magic power of the Guardian Aid and Titty.
“Try wearing it for a bit. And then, strongly wish for help.”
“Okay, I understand. Mmm… Titty-neechan, please!”
Snow hangs the pendant around her neck and starts to groan. In response, I strengthen my Dimension.
The change in her body was immediate. The dragon scales that weren’t on her soft skin a year ago turned into magic particles and were absorbed into Snow’s body.
“Whoa, oh? The weird thing on my shoulder is back to normal! It’s going back to when I was born!”
“The Apostle wasn’t lying after all. Sigh, what an unskillful person.”
The physical abnormalities caused by Snow leveling up too much have been cured. Everything happened exactly as the Apostle had told us.
I sigh at the extreme personality of Apostle Sis, realizing that the information revealed during the peace talks before that duel was genuine.
“Snow, please keep the two pendants. I heard the level cap was 30, but with the magic stone of the Thief of Principles, it seems to double.”
The level cap of this world is becoming clear.
Humans start to deviate from the human framework around level 20, and cease to be human from level 30. Each magic stone probably increases the cap by about thirty.
“Hey, Kanami. I don’t have anything, but my level is high?”
Dia interjects with a question.
“I think Dia’s body is special because she’s an Apostle. Sis said something like that.”
“Is that so? If Sis said so, then it must be true.”
Dia probably has the same evaluation of Sis as I do. Apostle Sis wasn’t the type to lie, so I judged it to be correct.
“Sis’s personality was like that, but when I think about it, I’ve received a lot of information and power from her…”
Hidaki and Dia’s level 59 is the most obvious example. To reach this level, it would have originally taken much longer.
Snow nods in agreement. However, unlike me, her agreement was due to dissatisfaction, not joy.
“That’s right. Honestly, if we fought seriously now, Dia might be the strongest… In the past, I was the Strongest… but the power balance is gradually shifting… Ah, but I don’t want to train…”
Despite raising the level cap, it’s meaningless if the person herself is like this.
While playfully nudging Snow, who has openly declared her slacking, I move on to the next topic.
“With this, one worry is gone. So, what shall we do from now on…”
What Sis said was not wrong. This means it’s likely that Hidaki is also not lying.
I glance at Hidaki, who is sitting right next to Dia. Thanks to Aid, the Curse of the Ruling King has disappeared, and she no longer attacks anyone, becoming very peaceful.
However, Hidaki has yet to wake from her slumber.
She reacts as if sleepwalking, but basically, she’s unconscious. No matter how much I, her older brother, call out to her, she shows no reaction, as if she’s stopped.
How can I wake Hidaki from this state?
“My policy is to aim for the deepest part of the Labyrinth to wake Hidaki up. Everything from the battle a thousand years ago is stored there as Demonic Poison. It’s enough Demonic Poison to endlessly recall and converge within the Labyrinth, so if used well, it should actually grant anything.”
Perhaps the condition for Hidaki’s illness to be cured is the state of being a Substitute, as the Chosen One mentioned. That’s why, a thousand years ago, I inherited Apostle Sis’s Shaka Hōkan Jin and created the Labyrinth.
“No, Kanami. If you want to wake Hidaki, I think it’s a good idea to go meet Apostle Diplakla. Sis made it sound like she could wake Hidaki anytime. Since she’s the same Apostle, perhaps she knows something? Diplakla, sealed by Aid, should be inside the World Tree in the Great Holy Capital Fuziaze on the Mainland. If I, as the same Apostle, go there, I’m sure I can hear Diplakla’s voice.”
Dia actively offers her opinions. It’s a personality very different from the passive Snow, and it helps a lot.
“Certainly, going to Fuziaze on the mainland to meet Apostle Diplakla isn’t a bad idea… What’s more, Maria is in the south… Alright, it’s settled then.”
After all, it would be best to go pick up Maria directly. Meet Maria and Diplakla, then return to the Allied Nations where the labyrinth is located, and resume exploration with the whole party assembled. This should be the best plan.
“The south of the mainland, huh? It’s been a while.”
In contrast to me, who felt more tense, Snow was remarkably carefree. Dia chided her, as if to admonish her tourist-like mood.
“Aren’t you going to get in trouble for prematurely retiring as the acting Commander-in-Chief? Unlike me, you didn’t have an amicable resignation, right?”
“Ugh… A-at that time, Kanami will protect me…”
“Are you an idiot? If that happens, tell me. I’ll protect my companions.”
“O-oh? Dia, thank you! As expected! So cool! I’m falling for you!”
“No, basically you should handle it yourself, okay? Only if you absolutely can’t, then you can ask me…”
“Even so, thank you, thank you, thank you! Th-a-a-a-nk you!! Wow, lately it’s just been one good thing after another!!”
Snow hugged Dia, deeply moved. In her life, there probably weren’t many people who would say they would protect her head-on. She expressed her joy with her whole body.
As I watched the two embraced with warm eyes, a knock sounded on the guest room door, and a girl’s voice was heard from outside.
“Hero! You have a letter!”
It was probably a Magic Stone Human working in the castle. Leaving the two entangled inside, I went out of the room.
First, I complained about the way I was addressed.
“Could you stop calling me ‘Hero’?”
“Huh? But Rouge says that.”
The blue-haired Magic Stone Human girl looked at me with a puzzled expression.
“That Rouge seems to…”
Even though I’ve said it so many times, she never corrects it. Even though I understand it’s a sign of respect, there’s something I can’t accept. In fact, things have spread like this.
“More importantly, here’s the letter. Please.”
“Thank you. But, from whom… Huh?”
I accepted the letter and was surprised by the name of the sender written on the back. Then, I immediately opened the letter and checked its contents. I read it all at once using Dimension, and was dumbfounded by what it said.
The letter contained a request for ‘rescue’——.
***
Thank you very much for reading this far.
There is also an “Extra Chapter” on the author’s page, so please check it out if you need a break.
Now, here is the final status for Chapter 6.
[Status]
Name: Aikawa Uzunami HP 369/369 MP 1312/1312 Class: Explorer
Level 29
Strength 15.97 Stamina 17.78 Dexterity 23.67 Speed 30.00 Intelligence 23.59 Magic Power 53.78 Aptitude 6.21
Condition: Confusion 3.12
Experience Points: 12932/110000
Equipment: Aris Family’s Treasure Sword “Rowen”, Red Talisman, Green Talisman, Epic Seeker Uniform, Chrome Gloves, Megistus Boots
[Skills]
Innate Skill: Swordsmanship 4.95
Acquired Skills: Martial Arts 2.01, Pseudo Martial Arts 1.03, Dimensional Magic 5.78+0.70, Magic Combat 0.93
Curse Technique 5.51, Sensation 3.62, Command 0.90, Rearguard Tactics 1.01, Sewing 0.70
Knitting 1.15, Deception 1.40, Blacksmithing 1.04, Divine Metal Blacksmithing 0.57
Unique Skill: Covenant of the Deepest Part
???: ???
[Magic]
Dimensional Magic: Dimension 1.79, Lag 1.00, Shift 1.00, Form 1.12
Time Shift 1.00, Connection 1.05, Default 1.09
Distance Mute 1.15
Unique Magic: Dimension – Multiple Expansion 1.15
Dimension – Decisive Calculation 1.35
Dimension – Curvature Calculation 1.01
Dimension – Thousand Calculations Offset 1.02
Dimension Severing Sword 1.05
Form – Twisted Iris 1.02
Resonance Magic: Dear Flash 1.12
Sakura Child Paradise 1.00
Dimension Winter 1.23
Midwinter of Overcrowded Dimensions 1.21
World Ice Serpent 1.01
Ice Bolt 1.01
Ice Sword 1.08
Ice Sword – Shock 1.00
Dimension Snow 1.04
Dimension Winter – Final Frost 1.01
Dimension Winter – Warped Ice World 1.00
Winter Another World 1.00
Magic: Dimension Decisive Calculation Dimension – Gradiate “Prelude” 1.32
Dimension Decisive Calculation Dimension – Gradiate “Prologue” 1.01
[Attribute Conversion Magic]
Divine Magic: Cure 1.00, Cure Fool 1.00, Remove 1.00
Ice Magic: Ice 1.00, Freeze 1.00, Ice Battling Ram 1.00
——I will only list the successful magic of other attributes as “Displayed.”
After all, writing down all attributes and all magic is…
By the way, there is no experience gained from defeating Idol Titty.
Some of the Resonance Magic can be successfully cast by consuming a large amount of magic power without borrowing the power of others or magic stones. However, the proficiency is less than 1.00. Therefore, it is not listed in my magic column.
The “Resonance Magic” column that is “Displayed” shows the proficiency when borrowing power from others.
This should be correct… (I’m a little unsure since I haven’t written down my status recently).
