#69: Chapter 69 — I Defeated the Demon King on Day One and Retired

“Ha… okay, I get it for now.”

I stopped thinking about it there.

Anything about Earth was, in the end, just an assumption on fake-Bel’s part. If I kept expanding on assumptions, all I’d be doing was writing a novel.

“So, the one thing that’s certain is this: if I defeat those mobs, they return to their original form—my so-called pure Spiritual Power—and get absorbed into me, right?”

“Yes. However, until you become aware of pure Spiritual Power and discover how to use it, its effect will be limited to slightly strengthening your physical body. And since the amount you have right now is very small, it’ll be even harder to notice.”

“Good. That’s enough for now. Then I’ll ask just three more questions.”

“Yes.”

“First, why is that distorted Spiritual Power rolling around inside my Imagery in the shape of monsters? I benefited from it in ways I never expected, sure… but I doubt a god would handle things that sloppily.”

“That’s because your Imagery is so vast and well-developed that it can incorporate even a god’s curse as part of the world itself.”

“Ah… like how the curses from those evil spirits were treated as nothing more than filthy sewage water here before?”

“Yes. It’s something impossible for anyone other than you.”

“What about a ninth-rank archmage on the verge of transcendence?”

“An archmage? With the small, cute Imagery of such mundane beings, there’s no way something like that would be possible.”

“Mundane, huh. Isn’t that a little insulting to attach to a ninth-rank archmage?”

“Compared to an irregular like you, what isn’t ordinary?”

“Hmm….”

“Most likely, even the god of Earth who sealed your power never imagined that the curse they placed would be devoured by your Imagery in this way.”

“I understand. Then next… why do those mobs all look like that? And what even are those Super Aniki Demons?”

“That’s actually something I want to ask you.”

“…What?”

“Those mobs are based on your memories and imagination. Only then would your Imagery not immediately suppress them, allowing the curse to take on those forms on its own. But why are such bizarre things coming out?”

…Based on my memories and imagination?

N-no, well… sure, back when I deliberately sought out trash games for fun, I did play Cho Aniki pretty intensely—and memorably—but still… that feels like it crosses a line.

“…Wait. Fine, let’s say they get a pass.”

“…They really shouldn’t, though.”

I lightly ignored fake-Bel’s protest and continued.

“But I don’t remember anything like that eyeball monster, or those torso monsters with missing limbs. I’ve never imagined anything like that.”

“Those are probably influenced by your unconscious.”

“My unconscious has stuff like that in it? Are you joking?”

“The unconscious is far more bizarre than you think. It often looks very different from the conscious mind on the surface. It’s possible you’ve been suppressing desires like wanting to cut off people’s limbs and decorate your house with them…?”

“There’s no way. I’m not some psychopathic serial killer.”

“Well, to you, humans aren’t that different from familiar insects or animals. You know how some kids take insects they catch, rip off their limbs, and bring them home? Is it possible you had similar impulses when you were younger?”

“…….”

The fact that I couldn’t outright deny it was a little terrifying.

I’d gotten better as I grew older, but… thinking back, my younger self (around late elementary to middle school) was honestly pretty dangerous. It was almost impressive I didn’t cause a major incident.

No—if I’m being truthful, I did cause some trouble… it’s just that I didn’t get caught.

“Well, anyway, I get it. Then I’ll ask just one last question.”

“Yes.”

“How do you know all of this? You’re a being inside my Imagery, right? Isn’t it strange that you can explain things I don’t even know?”

“No, it isn’t.”

“What?”

“It’s true that I exist within your Imagery… but I didn’t originate from you. Have you forgotten where I came from?”

…Ah. Right. This thing’s true nature was my Divine Power, and that Divine Power came from the yellow pill Yuribel gave me.

“Yes. And that pill was made using a part of Archangel Yuribel herself. In other words, I am a fragment of her.”

“Wait… so the pill I swallowed back then was actually made from… Yuribel juice?”

“‘Juice’ is a rather unfortunate choice of words. It’s not like some kind of goat extract.”

“Anyway. What does that have to do with you knowing things I don’t?”

“Of course. It’s because that fragment contains Archangel Yuribel’s residual will.”

“Residual will? You, I mean?”

“Even if it’s only a small fragment, it was created by carving off a part of Yuribel’s very essence. So naturally, residual will would remain. To begin with, why do you think I look like Yuribel?”

“Ah….”

“Because of that, I possess a portion of Yuribel’s knowledge as well. That’s the source of what I know.”

“Then… did Yuribel give me that Yuribel juice knowing this would happen?”

At the word “juice,” fak-Bel narrowed her eyes in clear displeasure and sent a sharp thought at me.

“That’s not it. Like I said, it was only a tiny fragment, so the residual will wasn’t very strong. Normally, the Divine Power would have settled in, and the residual will would have naturally dissipated.”

“Then…?”

At my question, fake-Bel hesitated, her cheeks faintly reddening.

“…Your Imagery is far too beautiful—and too perfect. Compared to reality, it’s almost higher in ‘resolution.’ Because of that, even the vague, fading residual will began to develop something like desire.”

…A desire to live a little longer… as ‘me.’

“And your world responded to me. It gave freely, filling in what I lacked with things from this mental realm.”

“…….”

“As a result, I became who I am now—the me you call fake-Bel. In a sense, you could say I’m a personality created through the collaboration of Archangel Yuribel and you.”

“Hmm….”

“For reference, that child you call fake-Shia is different from me. Her essence is magic born from your soul itself. In other words, she’s someone created one hundred percent by you.”

“Your unconscious wished for a companion in this lonely Imagery, so it gave her a personality. And that personality, wanting to become closer to you, imitated Akathastasia—whom you cherish. That’s how she came to be.”

“…I see. That clears up a lot.”

“Then… shall we get up soon? My leg’s starting to fall asleep….”

As fake-Bel tried to discreetly pull her leg away, I grabbed her thigh.

“Wait.”

“…You really do like thighs.”

“I do. Next time, black stockings—no, that’s not it. I just remembered an important question I forgot to ask.”

“An important one?”

“Yeah.”

“What is it?”

“If you can explain things this clearly, why did you avoid explaining it at all for the past three days?”

“Ah… that?”

Fake-Bel hesitated for a long while. Then she lowered her head, sending a thought so quiet it almost felt like it was crawling along the ground.

“…I felt like… if you learned everything, you’d leave that much sooner…”

“…….”

“S-sorry. I’ll come by more often from now on. You know, hunt some mobs and all.”

“…Okay.”

Come to think of it, fake-Bel’s reasoning did make sense.

Even though I’d known about the existence of the Imagery for quite some time, this was only the second time I’d really entered it properly.

‘I really was pretty indifferent.’

Sure, every time I used magic, I’d occasionally see their faces through half-instinctive perception… but from their perspective, that apparently felt more like seeing a ghost, or talking through a video call. Not quite the same thing.

Ugh… if only it weren’t for that damned Lake of Gouphus…

Anyway, because of all that, I decided to spend a fairly long time with the two of them this time.

In real-world time, it would amount to just a few minutes—maybe ten or twenty at most—so to anyone watching, it’d just look like I was taking a nap.

And so, I ended up wandering around with them for almost ten full days, something close to a journey.

Without borrowing Yuribel’s mobility, either—just on foot, or riding cars or motorcycles we found lying around by the roadside.

“Run, Oppa!”

“Run!”

Listening to their thoughts—now accurate enough that ordinary conversation wasn’t a problem anymore—I pressed down on the accelerator of a Porsche Boxster.

GWAAAAAANG!!

“So this is why people drive sports cars.”

Honestly, just running myself—or riding an angel—would’ve been much faster… but still, cars had their own kind of charm.

Oh, a paper license driver? Doesn’t matter. I’m the only one driving. Even if I crash, it’s not like anyone’s getting hurt.

As the wind rushed past me, I glanced at fake-Bel and fake-Shia, who were sitting pressed together in the passenger seat (it was a two-seater), bouncing with excitement.

Raising my voice so it wouldn’t be swallowed by the wind, I shouted—

“Hey!”

“Yes!”

“Yeah!”

“I was just suddenly curious—those mobs… they’re spread all across the world, right?”

“Yes.”

“Yeah.”

“Then do I have to hunt down every single one of them to fully recover that so-called pure Spiritual Power?”

At that, fake-Bel shook her head.

“Yes and no.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s true that they all have to be dealt with… but if you defeat a few of the final bosses, the leftover small fry can be wiped out by the power you regain.”

“Final bosses? There are things like that?”

“Yes. There are five of them. And you’ve already seen some of them.”

“I’ve seen them already? When?”

For some reason, fake-Bel gave a faint, amused smile.

“Would you like to see them?”

“Is that something you can just… show me?”

“Of course. Seeing them is actually very easy.”

“Then show me.”

The moment I said that, fake-Bel grabbed my shoulder as I was driving. Then she shot straight upward.

Flap!!

KWAANG!!

As the Porsche Boxster—still racing along at around 200 kilometers per hour—lost its driver and slammed into a roadside tree with a deafening crash… fake-Bel, fake-Shia, and I kept rising, higher and higher into the sky.

KWAHWAHWAHWAHWAHWAH!!

Past the troposphere, into the stratosphere. Past the stratosphere, into the mesosphere. And finally, upon reaching the thermosphere, the angel pointed down at the round shape below us.

“There. Down there.”

“Down there? What’s there?”

“The small continents sitting at the centers of the Five Oceans (the Arctic Ocean, Antarctic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean, and Atlantic Ocean).”

Ah, those? I remembered now. On the first day I entered the Imagery, I’d seen those suspicious continents that didn’t exist on Earth and briefly wondered if they might be Atlantis or Mu.

“So what about them? Ah—don’t tell me the bosses are on those continents!?”

“No.”

“Huh? Then what?”

“Keep watching. It won’t take long. Ten minutes at most.”

Still puzzled, I did as she said and fixed my gaze on those unidentified continents.

And after focusing like that for about five minutes…

Squirm.

Suddenly, the continent sitting in the middle of the Pacific—one about half the size of Oceania—twitched.

“…What?”

Squirm, squirm…

After writhing like that for a while, the so-called continent finally heaved itself upright.

KURRRRRR!