The land of the Demon Realm dyed in red, flames that destroy everything surges like a tsunami. They were flames that burned everything, even melting the earth on its path, but immediately after that, pale cold air hit the flames, trapping the flames in ice.
It would normally be impossible for flames to be frozen, but the cold air, which was created by magic, isn’t ice naturally existing in this world, capable of freezing even flames.
Seeing the tsunami of flames transforming into a wall of ice, Megiddo charged forward and shattered the ice. Their huge body enveloped in black flames, and their size, coupled with the way their steps crushed the earth, make them look like the very embodiment of destruction.
On the other hand, Isis, who is too small compared to Megiddo, clad in pale light and floating in the air…… Without being perturbed by the approaching Megiddo, she brought forth a huge magic circle behind her.
Thereupon, the black flames wrapped around Megiddo collided with the white cold air unleashed by Isis, causing a huge explosion. It was an explosion so large that it’s hard to know how many kilometers in radius were blown away. However, both of them, standing at the center of such an explosion, dispersed the nearby smoke as if nothing happened.[Hahaha, well~~ You really are strong, Isis. That magic power of yours is especially interesting. For the clash of our magic of the same level to result in mine getting outclassed, that means your magic power is special, right?]
[……Unnn…… Regarding my magic power of death…… Kuromueina said…… she doesn’t quite understand it either.]
[Well, it definitely is an unusual magic power. Even with magic power control techniques as efficient as yours, it doesn’t seem to be suppressed.]
[……However…… Compared to before, I’m now able to control it…… Creatures no longer die just by getting close to me…… This is thanks to Kuromueina.]
Megiddo smiled satisfactorily at the fierce battle, while Isis had a slightly troubled expression on her face. Some years have passed since she arrived in Kuromueina’s home, and under Kuromueina’s guidance, Isis had acquired an extremely high level of skill in controlling magic power.
Thanks to this, she was able to suppress her magic power of death to some extent…… but even so, she was still unable to completely suppress it, only being able to narrow the range of its effects or slightly weaken it.
It was good that she stopped indiscriminately killing plants and other living creatures around her, but in the end, the fact that the creatures that encountered her escaped in her presence remained unchanged. Even so, her situation was much better than before, so Isis was sincerely grateful to Kuromueina.While they were talking like this, they heard Kuromueina’s voice.
[Megiddo~~ Isis~~ It’s time to take a break, how about we drink some tea?]
[Ou!]
[……Alright.]
After nodding to Kuromueina’s words, Isis snapped her fingers and a Spatial Isolation Barrier covering their surroundings was lifted. The two of them then moved to a table in front of the huge World Tree.
Kuromueina was already seated, and Ein had prepared drinks for each of them.
[……Even so…… This place…… sure is peaceful…… Back when it was just me…… everywhere I went…… there were always people fighting.]
[Unnn? Ahh, of course, this place’s peaceful. The only people who would mess with Kuromueina’s residence are the suicidal chaps. You may not know this, Isis, but Kuromueina is famous for being the most powerful in the Demon Realm.]
[……So that’s how it is…… Amazing.]
[Hmmm, it’s simply because I had traveled around the Demon Realm for a long time. Those were just traces of that time that made me strangely famous.]
Even though Kuromueina said that with a wry smile, in fact, the words Megiddo said were the truth. The name of Kuromueina, the strongest being in the Demon Realm, is widely known in the Demon Realm, and even the inhabitants of the Demon Realm, who fight daily under the ideology that strength is justice, recognize and acknowledge that only Kuromueina stands on a pedestal on a different level from others.
So much so that if Kuromueina sets out to have the Demon Realm under her rule, the most famous and powerful people would lower their heads in front of her and accept her as the ruler of the Demon Realm in a matter of days……
[In fact, this place had become something like a non-aggression zone, but the Demon Realm is still the same, with battles still happening here and there every day. The strong people out there are made up of strong colleagues of mine, so unless something special happens, nothing will change. Well, if Kuromueina is going to rule the Demon Realm, then that is a different story.]
[I have no intention of doing that. Not like them fighting is that bad anyway. I’m not saying that strength is justice, but that doesn’t mean being weak makes people justice either. If people of different ideologies live together, there would inevitably be times when those ideas clash. The current state of the Demon Realm is also a way of being for a world, and I have no intention of denying others their way of life…… Well, if people ask me to help them or mediate between two camps, I’ll cooperate with them.]
Kuromueina is a gentle and calm person, but there was this part of her that was indifferent to everything that isn’t related to those she calls family. Whether it’s the strong or the weak, whether their surroundings consider them good or bad, she would regard them all impartially.
Megiddo and Isis knew this themselves and didn’t say anything more. Instead, Isis moved her gaze toward Ein, who was preparing a cake.
[……Ein…… Is something wrong?]
[……I blundered.]
[……Blundered? ……With the cake? ……I think it’s beautifully done though.]
[No, it’s wasted. Look here. The cream is misshapen.]
Looking at Ein, who had a frustrated expression on her face, Isis tilted her head and asked, to which Ein pointed at the cake she was making with an annoyed expression on her face.
Indeed, just as Ein said, the cream in the part of the cake she was pointing to looked slightly distorted…… but it was almost unnoticeable.
[Nah, isn’t it fine enough already?]
[That isn’t good. Also, I don’t like the solidness of the sponge, and I could have also cut the fruits better! As someone who aspires to be the perfect servant, I can’t accept such a level of quality…… Anyhow, I will rewind time and rebuild it again, so please wait for a while.]
[No, how many times do you think you’ve done that before!?]
After expressing her complaints, Ein declared that she will rebuild the cake…… but this exchange really happens every time they’re having tea, so it was no surprise that Megiddo would reflexively retort.
Ein is a perfectionist, and she hates making compromises, so she does a lot of remakes until she’s satisfied with her creations. Even so, with Ein’s current skill, she was unable to create her ideal finished product, making her look dissatisfied at moments such as this time.
[No, that’s enough already, so let’s just eat.]
[……Ugh, if Kuromu-sama says so…… Haahhh…… I’m still a long way from being the perfect servant.]
This type of exchange would generally continue until Kuromueina finally stops Ein. Even with a dissatisfied expression on her face, they saw Ein following Kuromueina’s words and arranging the cake, making the three of them smile wryly.
[It’s alright to compromise in an adequate spot, you know?]
[Megiddo, compromise is something that I, who aspires to be the perfect servant, should avoid the most. A true servant is someone who always strives for the ultimate and stands by the side of perfection!]
[……Errr…… I don’t really understand what you mean…… but do your best.]
Ein’s current state, as she passionately talked about her ideology, was something Isis was already familiar with, so she just wryly smiled and started eating her cake.
[I’d have liked something spicy than sweet food though. Hey, Ein. Can you make a spicy cake?]
[Does it really have to be a cake?]
[I don’t really care what it looks like as long as it tastes good.]
[That certainly is like you, but you being like that makes you someone not worth cooking for.]
With an exasperated expression on her face at Megiddo’s words, who was being simple-minded in a sense, Ein brewed her own tea and sat down.
After watching this scene, seemingly as if she thought of something, Isis asked Kuromueina.
[……Kuromueina…… Do you have…… any favorite snacks?]
[Me? Hmmm, I like cakes…… but I’d like something I can hold in one hand and eat in one bite.]
[……Like cookies?]
[Cookies aren’t bad, but I just don’t feel that spark from them…… I suppose I prefer something with a softer texture? Like, having the cake become bite-sized…… Ahh, no, making cakes of that size would make the cream a hindrance in holding it huh? Hmmm, well, I just had this vague image in mind, so you don’t have to worry about me. I like everything, so I don’t really have a preference.]
Although she had a vague image in her mind of what kind of sweets she preferred, it was difficult for her to explain it, so Kuromueina could only wryly smile.
Enticed by that, Isis and the others also smiled. In the Demon Realm riddled with strife, the atmosphere in that place was strangely calm and warm.
As Isis reflected upon such happiness, a certain someone’s voice inadvertently crossed her mind.
————-Someday, you’ll realize it too…… Realizing that we would have been happier if we didn’t realize it……
Feeling as if she saw her other self standing still in the field of black snow, Isis shook her head slightly…… as if to shake off the indescribable anxiety within her mind……
<Afterword>
Serious-senpai : [Just when I thought it was gonna be full serious, a sudden heartwarming development arrived!?]
? ? ? : [Ein-san when she was still inexperienced, Kuro-san when she still hadn’t happened upon baby castellas, and when her thoughts were still close to that of Shallow Vernal-sama…… And then, there’s that gorilla that’s no different from the present. Only that gorilla hadn’t changed.]
