The『Cursed Poison of the Holy Chalice』, one of the secret techniques the Theocracy employed, could only be produced by the saintess Meteria herself. It had no actual defects with the exception that it cannot be stored to be used for a later time.
（Why, why is she here!!! Wasn't she going for『The Coffin of the Undying One』? No, even more important, as long as there is that shitty Pope, she should not be able to act so freely….!!）
I knew that by using the Swords of Mortal Sin, I was transmitting my location to Meteria. Even though I tried to suppress the power of the curse to its bare minimum, I've been using these swords continuously for three days straight.
I knew that sooner or later someone will come here to investigate, but this was just way too fast.
（And this power, don't tell me they conquered a dungeon? Shit, this is just the worst, I am not in the shape to fight...）
With the demerits from using『Sloth』and『Lust』, the curse of the Holy Maiden, and the wounds and poisoning received from Gordes stacking up together with the situation that the magic power that I accumulated to maintain workshop seems to be running out as well, it's no wonder that I'm definitely not in any shape to fight back. And on top of that, Minnalis and Shuria were captured in a surprise attack.
Minnalis and Shuria, who were trapped in the Water Prison, are struggling to escape but it is not a technique from which you can easily break out off.
Compressed water turned into firm walls that would not allow even a sound to leak.
Nevertheless, mocking my panic, Meteria continued to talk.
「Aah, Kaito-sama, you are so badly injured… I am so sorry, it is all due to my incompleteness. If I could properly support Kaito-sama before time was re-winded by the Lord's hand, you would not have to go through such an experience.」
「What!? It… Cannot… You… Your memory?」
「Yes, of course. Each and every hour I spent with Kaito-sama are carved deep into my heart. It is all thanks to the guidance of Lord Lunaris. As Recipients of Lord's Will, we are truly special in this world.」
「? What did you say?」
Ignoring my confusion, Meteria wipes her tears and puts a hand on her chest as if embracing something precious to her.
「More importantly, I am truly, truly sorry. Kaito-sama will be hurt once again… All because I am lacking, you go through nothing but suffering, aah, just how heart-breaking it was. Not having enough power to stand by your side… Just how pathetic I felt. 」
「Meteria…」
While saying that, Meteria was crying her eyes out.
I sensed no deception from her but the sight of her sincerely worrying about me sent chills down my spine.
Even though I'm in this state, a question that was bugging me for the longest time has risen up in my mind.
「Why did you betray me…? What were you trying to accomplish by killing me?」
I have always been wondering about that.
Since sealing my Swords of Mortal Sin immediately after her betrayal, Meteria was the only one who didn't needlessly chase me around and almost didn't show herself at all.
When the first run came to a close, she also didn't look at me and just stood there with her eyes closed and hands clasped together.
No matter how much I think about it, I could not feel any malice nor hostility from her that everyone else had.
It contradicts itself. It just does not make any sense.
「…I never thought of betraying Kaito-sama.」
「Don't fuck with me! What are you talking about after sealing my Swords of Mortal Sin and labeling me as the enemy of God!!」
「It all was in order to save Kaito-sama. That was the only way to set the soul that was captured by falling to temptations of the Demon Lord free.」
Meteria shook her head.
「Set free… The soul…?」
「That is so. That is why I abode to Lord's guidance. It is proper for a Hero to be with a Saintess, it was decided so!」
「You, what are you talking about… Speak in a way that I would understand!!!」
「Such is the wish of Lord Lunaris, therefore there is nothing to worry about, this is the right thing to do. Ufufu.」
The sight of her acting as if she was possessed by something gave off a feeling of incredible creepiness.
『————Just between the two of us. I am actually not too fond of the revelations coming from Lord Lunaris.』
Echoes of the days long gone.
Words I heard on a wharf of a quiet lake, surrounded by the tranquility of a forest illuminated by starlight.
『Inside my dreams Lord Lunaris seems somewhat cold, and by following path designated by him, I have a feeling like I am being manipulated. Hence I do not want to stop thinking, I do not want to stop worrying. Perhaps it is unbecoming of a saintess...』
Just as she said, she never tried to use divine revelations as a reason for something.
Even in cases where it would be fine for a saintess to say that it is an oracle, she instead thought for herself and while anguishing over it, tried to come up with an explanation of her own.
And for that, I saw her shouldering difficulties she did not have to deal with and taking unnecessary wounds in the process.
「...Are you really Meteria?」
「? Who else do I look to you?」
「Then how can you say that there is no need to worry about anything?」
「….Eh?」
To my words, Meteria stops moving.
「Did you lie to me when you said that you don't want to stop thinking and anguishing about it?」
「Lie? That is, no, I, I am… It is not true, it can't be…」
Meteria looked shocked and frightened. I had my heart bursting out of my chest and my sight was starting to blur.
（Crap… Poison has spread for good.）
「Master!!」「This, UUUUUUGH!!」
「?! 『Water Prison・Whirling Tides』!!」
Minnalis and Shuria almost burst out of the water prison due to lapse in Meteria's magic control, but the water prison had another stage to it.
The water that until now was in a form of a sphere, coiled around the two like a snake and restricted their movements.
「...Don't get in the way of our rendezvous.」
「Uh, Guh…」「Higuh, uuh…」
The rope of water tightened around the thin necks of Minnalis and Shuria.
「Stop, Don't!!」
「Please, worry not, Kaito-sama. I will not kill them now. I understand that those two insects are parasitizing on you, I will not do anything drastic to them....For now.」
At the hands of Meteria that immediately regained her composure, Minnalis and Shuria lost consciousness.
When Meteria turned back to me, her face had no signs of hesitation from before.
「Yes, there is no need for doubts, I just have to purify and thus save the soul of Kaito-sama that is still ensnared by the Demon Lord. 」
「Kuh…!!」
Meteria's words revived the scene of my death in the first world in my mind.
「Do not fret, there is no need to use such means this time. Such a tragedy should not have happened even once. That is why we will do a makeover! You will once again become a hero and will save this world.」
「…Don't give me that shit, there is no way I will do it after all that!!」
「Aah, poor Kaito-sama. But it is fine. I will make all necessary preparations for a makeover. This time I will support Kaito-sama for certain. We will become happy together.」
Meteria was laughing as if she was actually seeing a dream.
The conversation weirdly did not match up with how she was and her odd state was giving me shivers.
「What are you even thinking?!」
「It is a makeover. You will save the world from demons, repel a Demon Lord and will become happy together with me. Therefore Kaito-sama. Please wait for a while in your original world.」
「Wha, Original, World…?」
「Yes, exactly. Meanwhile, I will tidy up this world. I will cleanse it of everything that wants to prey on Kaito-sama. The princess shall be made into a marionette, Demon Lord replaced, weakened and killed. After that, I will summon Kaito-sama back into this world. Thus there will be no need for those comrades (pests) that the second-rate princess have assembled in the first world. This time, together with alone, Kaito-sama will become a champion that saved the world.
「…Wha, you, are you kidding me? Send me back and then re-summon?! How many lives do you want to sacrifice? And first of all, do you think I will obey after being subjected to that?!」
「Worry not, there is nothing for the kind Kaito-sama to be concerned about. If it is Kaito-sama that is yet to kill a Demon Lord then it is possible to send you back using the passage that you came through. This jewel can substitute for the sacrifices required to open the gate. There are no bodies of flesh but inside there is indeed a massive amount of human souls collected by a lich that was the boss of『The Coffin of the Undying One』」
「What…?」
With those words, she took out a deep purple, almost black jewel that was shining with sinister light.
「Such is the proper state of this world. As the proof of that, you used abilities of『Indolence』and『Lust』on your own volition, which would allow for this to happen. The after-effect of using 『Lust』is『Complete nullification of all resistances to abnormal status effects』and demerit of 『Indolence』is『Loss of Influence over surroundings』. It is distressing but now, the ritual can be completed without any resistance.」
The moment Meteria poured magic power into the jewel, a magic circle shining with seven colors appeared with me in its center.
「You went through a lot of suffering. I am so sorry, it is all due to my incompetence. But, it seems that by returning to a former world, a hero would lose all his memories of this world. It is sad that Kaito-sama will forget about me as well, but together we can create new dear memories.」
This magic circle had a pattern similar to that in the summoning room in the royal palace.
The light enveloping our surroundings was the same light I saw when I was summoned to this world.
「Wa, Wait, hey, wait a moment!!」
Everything was way too sudden and my mind could not catch up with that. Yet those words were going inside my head like an echo.
『Return to original world』
『Lose memories of this world』
「Now, I really don't want to part with you, but let's speak of our love next time. To return Kaito-sama on the correct path and to start everything from zero there is still a lot of things left for me to do.」
「Sto, Stop…, What is this, don't screw with me. 」
Rage and fear arise in my heart.
「You fucking kidding me, you fucking kidding me, you fuuuuuucking kidding!!!」
Return to my original world? Lose memories of this world?
And what will that do? My original world where I have lost so many things.
Without any family or friends, without even knowing why it turned like this, I will have to live there all by myself?
Don't fuck with me, don't fucking give me that shit!
「Stop!!! Shit, I have things to do in this world! As if I can go back to my world like this!! I am still not done!!」
My head is boiling inside but my limbs affected by paralyzing poison won't permit me even to stand up.
「It's okay Kaito-sama. We will remake everything. Forget all the unnecessary things and once again, descend upon those lands as a hero. This time, I will always be by your side. I will take all of your loneliness and pain and together we will share joy and happiness.」
「What are you trying to do, why, why are you doing this!!」
「Why? That is obvious.」
She softly reached out her hand to me, touched my cheek and slightly parted her light pink lips.
「I love you dearly, Kaito-sama. No matter what happens, those feeling are absolute to me. Even if this is the path engraved by the Lord, this is my『Truth』」
「Mmguh?!」
Without even a chance to resist, a warm, soft and slightly wet sensation descended on my lips.
The next moment, I was assaulted with a feeling similar to that when I came to this world and felt that a link connecting me, Minnalis and Shuria was severed.
My vision distorts and thaws, my surroundings are filled with a torrent of indescribable colors.
In a space where it is impossible to tell where is up and where is down, I just keep falling while feeling resistance akin to being inside of a swamp.
There, black shadow-like hands, twisting like snakes extend towards me.
「Gaaah, guuh, Stop, StopStopStopStopSTOOOOOOOP!!!」
They are passing through my skin and in an impudent manner are grabbing and pulling something out from inside of me.
The fingertips are probing and seeking and then layer by layer taking away something that is important to me.
「GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH, DON'T SCREW WITH ME!!!」
Erased, erased, erased, erased.
I sense that every time something is being torn off me, I lose some of my memories and emotions.
「It is miiiiiiine!! Don't touch it as you please!!」
No matter what kind of shitty memory that is, it is not something that others are allowed to touch!
However, as if answering to my emotions, they become more intense.
「AAGAAAAAH, GUAAAAAAAAH!!」
The disgusting feeling like someone is stirring my brain came to me as I was grasping to a fragment of my memories as hard as I can.
As if I'd forget that…as if I'd forget that!!
「…, gah, ha?!」
That short moment felt like an eternity, then I felt like I broke through a glass floor and after being pushed by something from behind, I hit the ground.
A crashing sound came from far away.
「Kyyaaa!?」「What!?」「Wh, Who is that? Cosplayer?」
The sticky substance that was surrounding me dissipated and I felt a somewhat nostalgic air touching my skin.
But I had no leeway to pay attention to my surroundings.
「Don't, screw, with, me, it, is, mine!!」
Shadow hands still rampaged inside me.
If I lose my focus I will forget about ××× and ××× as well, and will really forget everything.
All that clearly was left was the memory that in that world there are still people I must kill and burning craving for vengeance.
「Guuh, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!」
Don't forget, what ××× did to me.
My family, friends, and quiet life, everything was crushed by them.
Don't let go, don't let go, don't, don't!!! Don't allow them to have their way with this memory as well!!
「Hey hey, you seem to be in pain, and also you are all covered in blood. Need an ambulance?」「No, this is a work for the police, he is clearly a suspicious person.」「Calm down, call teachers first.」
Grab on to those fragments with all my strength, so nothing more will be stolen from me…
「Bro, ther…?」
That was a voice that I longed to hear so much.
A quiet voice struck my clouded brain like a lightning.
With a completely blank mind, I raised my head and saw all too familiar uniform and classroom.
But there was a sight that caught my attention even more than scenery that I was missing so much.
「...Lie, this is a lie.」
Long, shiny black hair reaching to around, the knees and a blue ribbon that tied them at the thighs level.
Compared to my memory she got a bit taller and her facial features were somewhat more mature.
I wanted to meet her. I thought I never will.
I dreamed of this moment countless times and every time felt despair and frantically was trying to shake off those naive thoughts.
And yet.
「This is just, no matter how you look at this. This is just...」
Precious memories, unforgettable wounds, all, all of it…
Like sand falling through fingers, all of it faded away.
「This is just… Unfair.」
All that was left in my fading conscious was the sight of my dumbfounded little sister, Mai.