Chapter 55

When I opened my eyes, I was in a place of pitch-black darkness.

It was a dark void I had experienced several times before. Being here meant I was likely about to receive a lecture from “her.” Well, I was fully aware that I’d been incredibly reckless this time, so I suppose I had it coming.

Still, my head felt strangely warm.

『Ah, you’re awake.』

The face that suddenly popped into my view belonged to my very first Familiar.

Her name was Ulu. Her race was Dragon. Since she was currently in her human form, her black hair reached down to her waist, giving her the appearance of a beautiful older sister. She was a devoted dragon who had been constantly supplying me with magic power.

And right now, that dragon was giving me a lap pillow.

『What are you doing, Ulu?』

『It’s a lap pillow, exactly what it looks like. Is it so wrong for me to flirt with Ryu every once in a while?』

『…You aren’t mad?』

『Oh, I’m mad. You were reckless again.』

She gently rested her hand against my cheek, cradling my head.

『Try to put yourself in the shoes of the one worrying for once. This time was truly dangerous. Promise me: never go charging off on your own again.』

I had never once been able to win against those straightforward eyes of hers.

『Alright, I get it. I’ll make sure to rely on everyone to get by. I’m just a weak human, after all.』

『Good. Then I forgive you.』

As I surrendered myself to the warmth of her touch for a moment, a thought suddenly occurred to me.

『By the way, what happened to Dahaka’s soul?』

I recalled Dahaka saying something about putting a fragment of his soul inside me.

『That egg-like thing over there is him.』

Intrigued, I approached the object. It was a surprisingly beautiful egg. Its base color was black, but it was speckled with various reds, yellows, blues, and greens, looking like a miniature starry sky. This was Dahaka’s soul? Seriously?

『Dragons called “Evil Dragons” weren’t necessarily evil from the beginning. In Azi Dahaka’s case, he came to be known as an Evil Dragon while he was touching upon forbidden curses and researching his thirst for knowledge. Originally, he was just a normal dragon—a dragon with a powerful soul.』

『…People mention “powerful souls” sometimes, but what does that even mean? What’s the benefit of having a strong soul?』

Honestly, I’d always figured everyone’s soul was the same, so being told one was “strong” didn’t really click for me.

『Bring that over here.』

Did she mean Dahaka’s soul? Well, there wasn’t anything else to grab, so I picked it up. I followed Ulu, walking with that strange sensation of moving forward even though there was no ground beneath my feet. Eventually, we reached a glowing sphere.

『This is Ryu’s soul. If we put Azi Dahaka’s soul inside here, he will be able to resurrect in a shorter amount of time.』

『Wait, is that actually safe? Won’t our souls mix together and cause something terrible?』

『It’s fine. Since Azi Dahaka’s soul exists as one of Ryu’s skills, your wills won’t get all jumbled up. But we have to keep Azi Dahaka’s soul as a skill, so this is the only way.』

Huh. So, to preserve Dahaka’s soul, it was best to keep it with mine? And it was safe because our consciousnesses wouldn’t merge? Well, I might as well try; I wanted Dahaka to come back as soon as possible anyway.

With that thought, I brought Dahaka’s soul close to my own, and it slipped inside effortlessly. I felt no change in my consciousness or emotions.

『Did it really work?』

『It worked perfectly. It’s simply because Ryu accepted Azi Dahaka properly. Now then, Ryu, it’s almost time for you to head back.』

『Hey, Ulu… when will you be able to leave the inside of my body?』

I had always been worried about this. Ulu was always alone in this empty space. I couldn’t help but wonder if she was lonely or sad.

『I’m not lonely. This is inside Ryu, after all. If anything, it’s quite comfortable.』

『Really? You aren’t just saying that to make me feel better?』

『I’m truly not. Inside Ryu is warm, relaxing, and safe. If anything, I’m annoyed Azi Dahaka had to come to this space. I had this place all to myself.』

She said this with a cute pout, puffing out her cheeks.

『So, don’t worry about it, Ryu. I’m happy.』

『…If you say so.』

If she was happy, that was fine. But I still wanted to be together with her out there, in reality.

『Hey, Ulu. Is my soul really that amazing?』

『Well, yes. Honestly, it’s a mystery why you didn’t become a Hero.』

I see. I was “rare” in a bad way. But being rare in a bad way meant I had options.

『Ulu… if I become a “Demon King,” would you be able to come outside?』

It was a serious question. I wondered if she would give me an answer.

『…I could. But you shouldn’t become a Demon King.』

『Why not?』

『Because those people are all absolute monsters.』

『After trading blows with Dahaka, I think I’m already something of a monster myself.』

『…Are you serious?』

『Dead serious.』

Ulu thought for a moment, let out a single sigh, and then spoke.

『The condition for becoming a “Demon King” is to harvest ten thousand or more human souls. Can you really do that, Ryu?』

『If I just kill the people I don’t like or the ones who come to kill me, I might reach that number pretty easily.』

『You say that quite casually.』

『I’m only soft on my family and friends. As for anyone else, I don’t care where or how they die.』

Honestly, I couldn’t care less if people I didn’t know found happiness or misery. My only concern was my inner circle; everyone else’s business was none of my concern.

『Haa… you really are extreme, Ryu. As long as you and the people you love are happy, you’re fine—and everything else is irrelevant.』

『I think that’s just how humans are at their core.』

I didn’t have the power to save the world. But wanting to at least make my own family happy… isn’t that just normal?

Ulu looked off toward something, then held her hand over me.

『It looks like it’s time for “Good Morning.”』

『I see. Well then, Ulu, I’ll see you soon.』

『Let’s talk again, Ryu.』

『Yeah.』

And just like that, my consciousness returned to reality.