Chapter 6

“And to be exact, it’s not really losing it, right? More like leaving it in safekeeping. If the seal is undone, it comes back to me. And I can undo it anytime I want.”

“That’s just a formal notice that it’s possible in principle. Wait, don’t tell me you were seriously thinking of undoing it?!”

“No. I won’t. I know full well that the moment I do, millions will die. I’m not that irresponsible.”

“Whew, I thought… Anyway, then it’s basically the same as losing it.”

I shook my head firmly.

“It’s different.”

If I summed up the angel’s pointless rambling…

The transcendent hierarchy went [Sovereign Heaven, Knowledge Heaven, Subordinate Heaven, Dominion Heaven, Defiance Heaven, Potestates (Heaven of Power), Principality (Heaven of Authority), Archangel (Great Heaven), Equilibrium Heaven] from 1st to 9th grade. By that measure, my current rank after my so-called meteoric rise was only 6th grade, Potestates, in the eyes of the gods.

In fantasy terms, I was like a promising mid-tier martial deity, still basically a rookie. In other words, sure, I was a cut above the rest, but compared to Kion’s governing gods (2nd grade) and higher gods (3rd and 4th), I was nothing more than a pebble kicked around underfoot.

‘Which means if they felt like it, I’d be a dead man instantly. Unlikely maybe… but relying on mercy is no real safety.’

—That’s why, since I was sealing a Demon King anyway, I used it as an opportunity to secure my own safety with my own hands.

“I gave up my transcendence rank, but in return I gained a ‘bomb’—a bomb capable of mutual assured destruction. A bomb that could drag the whole world into ruin. As long as I hold this, neither gods nor angels can mess with me.”

“Uh… I never planned on messing with you, you know.”

“You never know. Did I ever eat with you? Hit the sauna with you? Why should I trust you or your bosses?”

“Well, if you put it like that… I suppose you’re right. Hmm. But mutual assured destruction, huh… yeah, if you broke the seal, Kion would face both the unsealed North Demon King and a fully restored hero. Quite an apt analogy.”

“Exactly.”

“Yes. Especially since we can’t interfere. No wonder… I thought you gave up your rank too easily, but it was all part of this plan.”

“Of course. I’m not just some muscle-brained thug. And honestly, my goal here in Kion isn’t to trample the world and stand above heaven and earth—it’s to live happily and richly, fitting into the world. Beat up a few punks when needed, sure. That doesn’t take a transcendent.”

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t even my goal but my parents’ wish for me. Since I couldn’t do it back on Earth, I’d succeed here at least and repay them.

“Still, it’s a huge loss regardless.”

“Let’s just leave it as a debt. You’re not going to run off without paying, right?”

“Heh… don’t worry. I’ll repay it later, with interest.”

That long drawl on ‘later’ was suspicious, but I let it go. I gripped the Sealing Sword and charged at the Demon King, who was still mid-revival.

Just as I’d boasted, I dismantled the Demon King’s desperate flailing, severed her limbs, and—

“Hup!!”

—I slammed the Sealing Sword into her chest.

CRUNCH!!

—SKREEEEEEEEEEE!!!

With the Demon King’s scream, a radiant light exploded from the sword.

…

The regenerating body crumbled like sand and was sucked into the light. Not just the body—the remains of the gear-monsters, even the shattered fortress itself, all drained away like water down a sink.

KWOOMMMM!!

As if erasing every trace it had ever existed.

And when the light finally subsided, a vast crater stretched before us, so deep its bottom wasn’t visible.

I gazed down at the pitch-black void and placed a hand over my chest.

“Ugh…”

A gaping hole of ‘loss.’

The enlightenment of mana I’d grasped when I crossed to this world, the heights I’d built up—it all slipped away like sand through my fingers.

I forgot the essence of mana. I forgot the flow of mana.

And before long, mana itself slipped out of the bounds of my perception. I could no longer see it, no longer feel it.

Behind me, the radiant wings—the symbol of transcendence—dissolved into nothing. I let out a wry smile.

“…Yeah, it’s a shame after all.”

The angel approached cautiously and tapped my shoulder.

“Um… are you alright?”

I brushed back my windblown hair and grinned.

“Told you, I’m fine.”

Her face flushed faintly for some reason, but when I met her eyes, she quickly cleared her throat.

“Ahem. Anyway, we should head down into the crater. We need to retrieve the sealed Demon King.”

…

Descending into the black abyss, I asked her, “So, what form do sealed beings usually take?”

“Mm. They often turn into stones or jewels. We call those sealing stones.”

“That’d be awkward to carry if it’s too big or heavy.”

For the record, thanks to my insistence, we’d already agreed that I would personally keep the sealed Demon King. There was no way I’d let something that valuable sit in someone else’s hands.

“It shouldn’t be too large. The stronger the seal, the smaller the stone tends to be.”

Soon after, with the angel’s help, I reached the crater floor.

“Light.”

She floated a glowing orb into the air, revealing something faint in the distance.

“That it?”

“Probably.”

…

Three minutes later, staring at the supposed sealing stone in the crater’s center, we looked at each other in silence.

“Hey, angel. What the hell is this?”

“Uh, well…”

“If you don’t know, then who does? You ignorant angel.”

“Ugh…”

Snoooore…

Lying sprawled out in a stormy sleep, snoring loudly—a beautiful girl with shimmering blue hair.

And dangling from her neck was a pendant—identical in shape to the Sealing Sword I’d driven into the Demon King’s chest, though smaller.

In other words…

“…This is the Demon King, isn’t it?”

“P-Probably.”

“You called it a sealing stone. Does this look like a rock or a jewel to you?”

“……”

Leaving the angel speechless, I stepped carefully toward the girl—what had once been the Demon King.

Snoooore….

Crouching in front of her, I poked her cheek with my finger.

Squish.

Soft warmth pressed against my fingertips.

On a hunch, I moved my hand up to her chest—there was no mistaking the steady beat of a heart.

“This is just… a person. What the hell happened?”

The angel cautiously approached and began fumbling around the girl’s body.

“W-Well, I’m not exactly sure, but the seal itself seems intact. Otherwise, her power would be leaking out everywhere, but I’m not sensing any of that. And the Sealing Sword looks like it’s functioning properly too…”

Scratching my head, I gave the girl’s cheek a couple of taps. The angel flinched in horror.

“What are you doing?!”

“Can’t you tell? Trying to wake her up and ask her directly.”

“Are you insane? Do you have any idea what might happen?!”

“You just said the seal’s working fine.”

“Even so…”

“So what, we just sit here staring at her forever? We need to know what’s going on before we can decide whether to take her or seal her again.”

“Urgh…”

Shutting the angel up with logic, I poked the girl’s cheek again. This time she waved her hand like she was brushing away a fly.

“Mmnn… phuuuh…”

…Kinda cute.

Hard to believe that massive block of ice gears turned into this.

“Cute? That’s still the Demon King, you know.”

“Stop reading my thoughts. Just because I’m mortal again, am I easy prey now? Want me to sue you for invasion of privacy?”

“…Hmph.”

“Hey. Wake up, kid. You’ll catch a cold sleeping out here.”

“As if the Demon King could catch a cold.”

“You gonna keep nitpicking everything I say?”

“Forget that. If you really want to wake her, try calling her name. For conceptual beings like her, names hold great power.”

“That so? Then… ‘Akathastasia’?”

The instant I spoke it, the girl shot upright like lightning, ending her stormy sleep in an instant.

“Whoa! Give me a warning next time. You looked like a hopping vampire just now.”

Blinking blankly, she glanced around, then checked her hands and feet. Her wide eyes grew even sharper.

Her small lips parted.

“Chains…”

“Chains?”

“Th-The chains are gone.”

Chains—she must’ve meant the black shackles that had bound her limbs.

“They vanished when I sealed you.”

At that, her eyes bulged.

“Vanished? For real? Truly? Honestly?”

I nodded awkwardly, still baffled at how I was chatting casually with the same Demon King I’d just fought to the death.

“Yeah.”

Then she grabbed my arm, trembling, and shouted at the top of her lungs.

“Finally! I’m freeeeee! Screw you, Providence! Screw you, Total Universe System!!”

“…Huh?”

…

Clinging tightly to my arm, the girl let her emotions explode.

“Thank you, hero! Thanks to you, I’ve thrown off that wretched duty! How can I ever express this gratitude?!”

…Her energy level was off the charts.

I stared at the girl scrambling up my arm like she planned to climb onto my shoulders.

“Hold on, let me ask you a few things first.”

“Ask away, hero! I’ll answer anything! Or are you curious about this body’s three sizes? Ha! For you, I’ll gladly—”

“Not interested in your AAA cup—forget it. I’m asking… you are the North Demon King Akathastasia, right?”

“Of course! This transparent, shimmering blue hair! This overwhelming beauty none can resist! Who else could it be but me, Akathastasia?!”

“The gap from before is so huge I can’t match the two of you together…”

“Oh, that form was for battle! Back in my castle, I always looked like this!”

“So this is your true form?”

“Indeed!”

I gave a helpless laugh at how she clung to me so affectionately.

“You don’t seem to hold a grudge. I thought you’d hate me for beating you.”

“Isn’t it natural to cross swords in battle? I’m not the type to sulk over a few cuts!”

Calling herself “cut” after I’d split her from crown to crotch was… a bit of an understatement.

“I didn’t just cut you. I sealed you.”

“And thanks to that, I’m free of those shackles. That’s fine too!”

“Uh… really?”

“Two hundred years! For two hundred endless years I was chained in that castle, forced into battle after battle I never even wanted! Sure, a Demon King exists to bring trials—but if that’s the case, they shouldn’t have given me emotions or reason! It was pure torment!”

As I gawked at her impossible, otherworldly high tension, her eyes lit up again and she latched onto me.

“Hero! You gave me freedom, you gave me life—so you’ll take responsibility for me, won’t you?!”

“…What?”

“All my power is sealed. I’m no different from a human now. So please provide me food, clothing, and shelter. Nothing too extravagant: just three hearty meals a day, a nice country villa with a pool, and some decent clothes. And when I say ‘decent,’ don’t get me wrong—I’m not saying I’d turn down expensive ones.”

“……”

“Anyway, first let’s leave this wretched land of snow and ice! Hey, you dimwit angel! Carry me and the hero south, at once! And also—”

As the former Demon King rattled off an endless list of demands, I quietly edged away and muttered to the angel.

“…Can’t we return her? I asked to store her, not raise her.”

The angel flashed a bright grin and stuck up a middle finger.

“Sorry, valued customer. Opened items can’t be returned.”