While Yuuya was on his way to Meiko in the Underworld, Lexia and the others were shopping on Earth.
"Hmm! After all, this world is full of all sorts of unusual things!"
"Yes, indeed. I was amazed when I came here before, but I still can't believe it when I see it again."
"Unknown. I still don't know anything about it."
Because Lexia, Luna, and Yuti had lived in a world where magic was natural, they couldn't help but wonder about a world without magic and without monsters like this.
"This world is full of machines, and they help people's lives…"
"What's wrong?"
Luna looked around the city, then saw Lexia with a difficult look on her face and tilted her head.
"…No, I'm thinking about how we can make use of it in our country, but I don't know where to start…"
"Well, the fastest way would be to develop it into a magic tool, wouldn't it?"
"That's true. I'm currently thinking of… the 'smartphone' that everyone in town has!"
"Ah… That board-like thing, huh?"
"Agreed. As I understand it, everyone has one."
Although Yuuya does not have one, most people living in Japan have smartphones in their hands, and Lexia and the others have often seen them operating them on the streets.
"I'm also curious about the 'car' vehicle, but don't you think it would be easier to replicate the smartphone than the car?"
"Well, a smaller one would be less hassle than a bigger one, but… what does that thing actually do?"
"Answer. It's a tool for communicating with people who are far away from you."
"What? Such a valuable thing so easily…"
In the other world, the means of communicating with distant people are greatly limited, so the fact that such means are widely available to the public was a shock to them.
In the other world, if there was a tool that could easily communicate with distant places, there was no doubt that it alone would create a great change.
"Well, it seems to have many other functions, but that's still what I'm interested in. It would be best if we could figure out the principles behind it, but I don't know if I can be technical enough to understand it."
"Neither do I…"
"That being said, we can't invite people from the other world to come here, so it's not easy."
In the beginning, Lexia's goal was to somehow avoid admission to the Aurelia Academy.
She thought that if she could study abroad at Yuuya's school, she could be with Yuuya and also avoid admission to Aurelia Academy, but her ostensible reason was to bring back Earth technology.
Lexia, who was hoping to make life a little more comfortable for the citizens of the Kingdom of Arcelia, was unconsciously carrying out her ostensible goal of bringing back Earth's technology.
Luna noticed such thoughts of Lexia and gave a small laugh.
"Fuh… As expected."
"Hmm? Luna, what's wrong?"
"It is nothing."
"Hmm? Well, okay! We don't know much about this world yet. We're going to have a look around!"
"Yes, yes, princess."
And so the three of them continued to enjoy the Earth to the fullest.
＊＊＊
When Nikaku took us to Meiko, we found that the place was overflowing with the creatures that had just attacked us previously, and the onis were struggling against them.
"There are already so many monsters…"
"You were right to leave Yuunosuke behind."
As Zenovis-san said, I asked Grandpa to stay where we were training.
The reason being was that as long as we were going to Meiko, there was no doubt that it would be a fierce battle, and it would be dangerous for Grandpa, who didn't have the strength to fight.
Grandpa was worried about Meiko and wanted to come with us at first, but Zenovis-san convinced him to entrust us with taking care of Meiko.
So the four of us… Me, Zenovis-san, Archer-san, and Kuuya-san were going into battle…
When I looked closely, in the center of the battlefield where monsters were being created one after another, I saw a woman releasing a dark mystical power like a raging storm.
Is that Meiko…!?
"Ugh… Aaaaahhhh!"
Meiko groaned, shaking her long black hair as if she was desperately trying to suppress her own power.
And every time she cried out, her voice was imbued with a spiritual power that caused cracks to appear here and there in the underworld.
"Let's get rid of those monsters first…"
"Alright, Onee-san will do her best!"
"It's been a while since I've been on a rampage."
The three of them are walking forward without any signs of being particularly nervous in the face of the rampaging monsters.
And then──.
"Go away."
Zenovis-san randomly swung the sword he created with his spiritual power, and with that alone, many of the monsters were instantly cut down!
T-that's a lie, isn't it? He must have swung it only once, but how could it be cut into such tiny pieces?
"──[Meteor Shower]."
Archer-san released the same 'Bow Saint' skill as Yuti.
The power of the arrows, however, seemed to be more than twice as powerful as Yuti's. The arrows produced by the spiritual power shot through the monster's head one after the other.
"[Spirit Ball]."
Kuuya-san spread out his hands, and a spherical mass of spiritual power appeared there, which split apart all at once into smaller orbs.
"Now, perish!"
And then they flew toward the monster like a machine gun, annihilating it rapidly.
As I was appalled by the tremendous fighting power of the three of them, Zenovis-san turned his gaze toward me.
"Now, Yuuya. Leave this to us, and you take care of Meiko."
"Huh! I understand!"
I left the monsters in the hands of Zenovis-san and the others and pushed on.
I had actually discussed what to do about Meiko with the four of them before we got here, and I had come up with a plan, and I was going to execute it.
As I approached Meiko, more and more monsters were being created, and I kept pushing forward, cutting them down with my [Omni-Sword], which I had covered with spiritual power.
I finally got close to Meiko and took out a certain item from my item box.
"How about this?"
What I took out was the──[Gluttonous Vacuum Cleaner], an item that had sucked in the beam cannon that was once released from a Dragonian spacecraft.
This vacuum cleaner had the ability to suck up anything the user considered as trash.
That is, it can suck in anything except living organisms. In other words, it should be able to be used for the spiritual power, the power of death.
It was a gamble, but I turned on the vacuum cleaner as if praying.
Then, as if my prayer had been answered, the vacuum cleaner began to suck up all the spiritual power that was floating around Meiko!
"G-good! At this rate…!"
As the vacuum cleaner sucked in more and more power, Meiko, who had been suffering so much, turned her head to look at me, stunned.
"Y…you are…"
"I'm absorbing your power right now! If I can absorb all of it, I'm sure your outburst will subside…"
For a moment, hope flashed in Meiko's eyes as she listened to my words, but then a sad expression quickly appeared on her face.
"T-that's… No, i-it's impossible…! Please seal me up… I don't want to hurt anyone anymore…! I-if only I weren't here, I wouldn't have to hurt anyone… if only I weren't here…!"
A cry from the depths of her heart.
Meiko, who possessed the power to cause harm to those around her against her own will, must be despairing of her own existence.
…In the past, I, too, was mistreated by those around me even if I did nothing, and I used to think that it was my own fault.
I thought that my existence was making everyone uncomfortable…
In fact, my parents hated me.
So many times I wanted to disappear, but… only my grandfather accepted me.
That's why I──.
"No matter what you say, I… we won't give up! We will fight to the bitter end! So don't you give up either!"
"Why… why would you do that for me…?"
For Meiko to hear such a thing from me, someone she has never met before, would be nothing but bewilderment.
I just couldn't believe it was someone else's problem when I heard the true story of Meiko from Reimei-sama.
And besides…
"Reimei-sama wants you to be free!"
"…..!"
At those words, Meiko's eyes widened.
"A…am I… allowed to be free too…?"
"That's obvious…!"
I said, moving the vacuum cleaner while dealing with the monster that attacked me.
But… just how much more of this spiritual power would continue to overflow…!?
As long as the vacuum cleaner was working, I just had to keep fighting the monsters until this vacuum cleaner absorbed all the spiritual power.
And if I keep going like this, I'll be able to absorb all of Meiko's power… Or so I thought.
"!? A-ah… N-no… it overflowed again… Aaaaaaahhhh!"
"Wha-!?"
The spiritual power overflowing from Meiko's body became even more intense and erupted with more force as if she was fighting against the vacuum cleaner with all her power.
As a result, the vacuum cleaner could no longer keep up with the speed at which it was absorbing the overflowing power, and finally, it overheated and stopped!
"Oh no!"
"Ugh… Aaaaaaaaahhhh!"
"Kuh!"
With the vacuum cleaner stopped, there was nothing to stop the momentum. Meiko's spiritual power came forth with the greatest force ever and attacked me.
"Yuuya!"
"No way! At this rate, all of us will be swallowed up by her power!"
The wave of Meiko's power did not only attack us, but it also created a new wave of monsters, and they too, attacked us.
What to do… What should I do…!?
Is there no other way but to give up here and seal up Meiko…!?
When I thought about it… I remembered something.
…I don't know what will happen, but… this is the only way…!
I stopped resisting in the face of Meiko's spiritual power and opened my arms as if to embrace it.
"Yuuya-chan! What are you doing?"
"Yuuya! Get out of here!"
While Zenovis-san and the others were shouting that, only Kuuya-san noticed my intention.
"Don't tell me you're…! No, Yuuya! That method is…!"
What I was going to do was… accept all of Meiko's spiritual power into my body.
This is the method that Kuuya-san had taught me before as a way to increase my own spiritual power.
But this method was said to be very dangerous.
Still… if there is even the slightest possibility, I would like to take a chance on it…!
"Uooooooooooooohhh!"
I was swallowed up by Meiko's spiritual power.
Even in such a situation, my body accepted and absorbed Meiko's spiritual power.
However, unimaginable pain struck me.
"Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
It was as if my entire body was being devoured from the inside out.
In addition, the dark feelings and evil intentions of the sinners in the underworld were also invading my mentality.
Certainly… this is painful.
Still, compared to what Meiko had endured until now…!
It was a battle of willpower and guts from here on out.
With the intention of absolutely saving Meiko, I just keep on absorbing Meiko's spiritual power.
I wonder how much time has passed since then.
The wave of overflowing power from Meiko finally stopped.
"R-really… my spiritual power is…?"
"Hah… hah… I'm glad I managed it──"
"Ah!"
My vision blacked out like a broken thread from the relief that I had managed, although I thought I would never make it if I collapsed.
"──Good grief, you are so reckless. But… well done."
And just before I lost consciousness, I heard such a voice as someone held me up.