Chapter 15: Night before return
-In another dimension connected to the world where Meru is located.
"... Heee... That vessel was killed huh?" The young girl's light blue hair was loose as she widened her eyes slightly due to the energy from the Gluttonous Vessel she sent to the surface of that world in order to destroy the world and its entirety, including the gods.
However, unexpectedly the presence of the Vessel instead disappeared without a trace as if swallowed by something. This was really unexpected to the young girl.
"I didn't expect that there would be someone who could beat that Vessel in that world. Since all the powers of the creatures in that world were connected to magic, I ended up sacrificing Beelzebuth to create a Vessel as the destroyer of that world. With Its Magic Devouring and Endless Regeneration abilities, no one should be able to beat that Vessel... It's very strange." The young girl frown as she thought of whatever reason this could have caused.
"Well, maybe I need to investigate this matter further first before I can get out of this garbage dimension and seize the position from that my other self. Ah, that's right, I also need to find some subordinates that I can use." Muttering that, the girl turned her face away from the world where Meru was, "... I can indeed only destroy that world with my power alone. But, I shouldn't do that. I still need to leave some strength to face my other self, anyway."
Leaving the words behind her, the girl went through space-time to gather personnel that she could use for her purposes.
***
-In the middle of the ruins of Forhune with a horrific view of a ruined forest full of potholes everywhere, Meru and Sienna are sitting opposite each other with only a bonfire separating the two.
At that time, it was already night. So, with Ilnya asleep on Meru's lap and Rakka asleep on Sienna's lap, the two enjoyed the stillness of the night.
"Hei...Meru-san." Until when, Sienna raised her head from the bonfire and looked at Meru, "... Em, can I call you by that call?" Sienna said that while making an awkward smile on her lips.
"Yeah... I guess." Unable to find a reason why she should object to it, Meru simply replied while tilting her head slightly.
"I see... Meru-san, too, you can call me by my name... If you want."
"Then... Sienna?"
"Hm-hm." After that, silence enveloped the two again.
Even for people who arguably have a lot of experience in dealing with various types of people like Sienna, Meru's silence is still quite difficult to deal with. Ilnya is an exception. Besides, the two of them barely even knew each other.
(This... Very awkward.) Sienna's face began to stiffen from the awkward silence she felt between the two.
However, it was different for Meru. She actually had a lot of things she wanted to ask Sienna deep in her head. However, she is currently full of something else. She hadn't even looked at Sienna's eyes since just now.
(Magic, huh...) Meru is still disturbed by her fight with Vessel before. Meru repeatedly replayed the memory of the fight between herself and Vessel inside her head.
Meru tried to recall the sensation she felt at the time, as she felt the sensation as if something she recognized as magic had suddenly turned into something stronger, warmer, more and more, until become something that should not be able to have. An almighty power, Divine power.
That's how Meru felt at the time. Although at that time Meru could only do that because of the help of the 'Demon lord seed', Meru was determined to be able to master that change even without the help of the Demon lord seed.
Meru doesn't know what power really is. But, she was confident that the power would make her stronger.
During this time, Meru had enough of her magic and could live without any interruption. However, since her fight with Vessel and her encounter with that foreign voice, Meru has begun to feel that her current strength is not enough. She must become stronger.
Because... (I don't want to lose anything more.) The words also crossed Meru's mind as she stared at Ilnya's sleeping face.
A few moments ago, when Meru fell down after defeating Vessel, Ilnya was the first to run to her side and even started making noise just because she thought Meru was dead again back then.
Meru honestly didn't mind even if she really died back then. In fact, maybe she had indeed been waiting for those moments deep in her heart. Meru wants to be free, and that freedom is death.
However, if anyone expects her existence in this world...
"I think I'll live a little longer." Meru smiled as she muttered that.
"Hm? Did you say anything, Meru-san?" Feeling as if she heard Meru say something, Sienna asked Meru about it.
However, Meru's only response was, she smiled, and, "Nothing, I'm just talking to myself."
"Is that so..." Sienna was a little stunned at the smile Meru showed her at the time. However, before long, she also remembered an important thing that had been stuck in her head for a long time since seeing Ilnya's attitude to Meru.
"By the way Meru-san, are you is honestly Ilnya-chan's big sister or something?"
"... Eh?" Meru's eyes widened at that, "W-why... You think that way?"
"Eh? Is that wrong? Judging from anywhere, you seem like a pair of Sisters who love each other to me. Besides, you two are also from the same Race, anyway."
Hearing Sienna's next words, Meru's eyes subconsciously shot towards the figure of Ilnya who was currently lying on her lap, (P-physically, I was indeed bigger than Ilnya. And it's true, we also do look like a pair of sisters. Eh? Wait, how old is Ilnya really?)
When Meru begins to approve of Sienna's theory, she finally realizes that she doesn't even know Ilnya's age yet. She forgot to ask Ilnya that because at the time when she was supposed to ask that, her attention was distracted with Nervanish.
"I'm not sure, I don't know Ilnya's age..."
"Eh?! T-truly?! Although you guys already look that close?!"
"Y-yes..." Sienna's shock instead made the situation worse, Meru's face began to fall grim at that moment.
After that, Sienna began to painstakingly try to encourage Meru to return. However, it didn't have much impact as Meru still looked frozen.
Therefore, Sienna finally decided to tell Meru ilnya's age according to what Ilnya told herself and Rakka.
However, it instead made things even worse than before.
"H-hah...? So, I-Ilnya is... O-older than me?" Meru looked absolutely shocked to learn that. Although the expression still hasn't changed too much, even Sienna, who doesn't know Meru very much, can tell that Meru is currently in a state of shock. Even her voice trembled.
"... Ha ha ha, So, even though her body is this small, she is already 18 years old huh?! Ha ha ha!"
"Waaaahh! Meru-san has been broken!"
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha HA HA HA AHA HAHA HAHA!"
Like that, the noisy night of the two girls continued to go on without stopping - Until finally, the morning came.
"I-I can't take it anymore..." Having reached her limit, Sienna also fell and lay on the ground, losing consciousness.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!" Meanwhile, Meru's situation became even more dire. In addition to laughing endlessly, she has now even begun to emit terrible magic energy from all over her body.
"Ugh..."
"My back hurts..." Even Ilnya and Rakka were not in good shape at the time because they had been abandoned by the two girl who were supposed to be their thigh pillows. Their necks are stiff, their bodies hurt, it's an excruciating muscle pain you'll feel if you try to sleep on the grass of your yard without a tent or whatever.
With the terrible start of the morning, the party began their return journey to Gordias dragging the broken Meru behind them.
Weekly Power Status
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