◆ Near the Summit of Mount Daigami ◆
The severed body of Daigami lay on the ground, its legs and neck still connected to its torso, as if it wanted to say something.
“I… I did it… I killed the Divine Being…”
“Was this the right thing to do…?”
Though it was for the sake of the villagers, the fact remained that Daigami was the guardian deity of this land. Would the villagers truly be saved now? As Roel peered closely at the dismembered Daigami, its fox-like eyes fluttered open slightly.
“It’s… still alive! Rua-chan, it’s still alive!”
As I moved closer to confirm, a soft, white light emanated from Daigami’s body. Was it still planning to expand its Absolute Divine Territory? If so, Roel was in danger.
“Roel, get away!”
“There’s no need to…”
This time, Daigami spoke with its mouth. Its voice was much weaker than the echo that resonated in my mind. The light began to contract, and Daigami’s massive form shrank in response. What remained was a severely injured white fox, lying on its side, yet it did not take its eyes off us.
“D-Daigami has turned into a fox…”
“No, it always looked like a fox, Roel…”
“You must be surprised… Yes, this is my true form…”
“…What do you mean?”
“Though I am called a god, I was originally just an animal…”
“A long-lived animal gains spiritual power and transforms into a youkai or perhaps a god. I never imagined Daigami’s true identity was of that kind.”
I noticed a large number of villagers had gathered. Nanoka, Konoka, and their mother were among them. More than fifty people had rushed to the scene.
“I told everyone to run because it was dangerous…”
“I’m sorry, but Daigami is our god. We can’t just abandon it.”
The villagers began to gather around Daigami one after another. Even though it looked like a wounded white fox, the villagers were convinced that this fox was Daigami.
“I know it’s selfish to ask Rua for help, but please don’t kill Daigami…”
Konoka gently stroked the fox’s white fur. Given the way Daigami’s eyes were barely open, it was clear that if we left it like this, it would die. What should I do? Would it be alright to help the very being we had just fought so fiercely? If it attacked us again in perfect condition, we would have no choice but to truly kill it.
“Daigami, when I was almost attacked by a bear, it suddenly ran away as if frightened by something. That was thanks to you.”
“When the drought lasted for days and our fields were about to dry up, it was Daigami who brought the rain. After all, we prayed to the heavens together, including the women of the village.”
“Every year, we are blessed with good weather and bountiful harvests because of Daigami. The place where we built our village was originally a valley with strong winds, making it difficult for crops to grow.”
Seeing the villagers plead with tears in their eyes made me realize how foolish I had been to hesitate. I should ask Roel to heal Daigami.
“Daigami, this will be alright.”
But before I could even finish my thought, Roel was already healing it. The wounds closed up, but Daigami still did not attempt to rise. It seemed to be deep in thought.
“…How much time has passed since then? Long ago, I was caught in a trap set by humans, and one human saved me. At that time, I harbored a deep hatred for humans, but as I was cared for by that person, I gradually opened my heart. They provided me with delicious food and took care of me until I could once again live in the wild.
But human life is fleeting. That person fell gravely ill and could no longer move.
Yes, it was the Ash Death Disease known to all here. As a mere fox, I could do nothing but watch as they weakened. Do you know what they said in their final moments?”
The once-powerful white fox now gazed off into the distance, lost in thought.
“They did not tell me to distrust humans. They asked me not to hate all humans. Since then, I have observed humans, both good and bad… Before I knew it, I had grown fond of them, and I became a protector. Before long, I was revered as a guardian deity.
However, at some point, humans began to take it for granted that they would be protected, pushing their convenient and inconvenient matters onto the gods. Even the things I created, which you call the Millennium Herb, were hoarded without sharing. Before I knew it, I found no value in protecting you.”
Daigami had fulfilled its role as a guardian deity. Yet, I couldn’t understand why things had come to this. Even after hearing Daigami’s story, I felt no sense of resolution or understanding.
“The god whom people revered was, in truth, just a fox. This is the reality of a god. You must be disappointed.”
Tears welled up in Daigami’s eyes. While I couldn’t deeply sympathize with the people who had been sacrificed, I couldn’t help but wonder if there had been no other way. The villagers had trusted Daigami so much; surely, if it had reached out to them, a good outcome would have followed.
No, I too had been unable to do that at first. Rather, it was Roel who had extended her hand to me.
“Daigami, no more sacrifices…”
“It was a moment of confusion. I will no longer engage in such acts. I will return those who have been sacrificed.”
“Eh, really?”
Before we could grasp the meaning of Daigami’s words, it had already shown us the answer. Numerous orbs of light floated in the air, each containing girls with their eyes closed, hugging their knees. As the orbs gently descended to the ground, the light vanished, leaving only the girls behind.
“I-Itsuki-chan?!”
“Mm…”
Nanoka and Konoka rushed to one of the girls. The girl named Itsuki slowly opened her eyes. She seemed confused about the situation and did not respond even as the two called out to her.
“Um… Konoka-chan? Where is this? I was… at the river for the Purification Ritual…”
“It’s okay! It’s okay, don’t think about anything right now…”
The two embraced Itsuki, who still did not understand anything. Those rushing to other girls were likely family members. Everyone was crying and hugging each other, just like Nanoka and Konoka.
“Um, Daigami… what is this?”
“I have no intention of taking lives. I merely wanted to teach a lesson.”
“Even so, the villagers have done nothing wrong… They’re already suffering from the Ash Death Disease.”
“Human life eventually comes to an end. Even if it is a strange disease, that is the natural order. Even as a god, I am not permitted to intervene in the lives of mortals so easily, but…”
Pausing for a moment, Daigami lowered its mouth to the ground, and from the soil, a sprout emerged. A single green shoot rapidly grew leaves, transforming into a small plant. I immediately recognized that this fragile-looking plant was the Millennium Herb.
“Boil this and give it to those afflicted by the strange disease.”
The release of the sacrifices and the Millennium Herb. With Daigami’s grand gesture, the village was saved overnight. Amidst the villagers’ joyous celebrations, I noticed Roel wearing a suddenly dark expression. Before I could ask her what was wrong, I was swept up by the excited Nanoka and Konoka, and the moment passed.
◆ Azuma, Village Deep in the Mountains ◆
The villagers’ joy was uncontainable, and soon they had even begun a feast. Though it was mostly made up of their agricultural produce, everyone was celebrating as if it were the happiest moment of their lives.
Daigami—no, as Daigami-sama had said, when they boiled the Millennium Herb and gave it to those afflicted by the Ash Death Disease, the gray bodies began to rise in astonishment. Given that they had been completely gray and unable to move even their fingertips, the effectiveness of the Millennium Herb was truly astonishing. Although the grayness had not completely disappeared, it was fading, and Daigami-sama assured us that full recovery was just a matter of time.
“Is it really possible for a single herb to heal this much…?”
Roel was the only one looking puzzled. Before trying the Millennium Herb, for some reason, she had cast Angel Heal on the gray bodies. Of course, it hadn’t healed them as completely as it had now, and there had been no change whatsoever.
“My magic can’t do anything, huh? Just like with Tiferia-san, I might not be able to do anything when it really counts…”
Ash Death Disease could not be cured by magic. According to Roel, research on curing incurable diseases was being conducted around the Wizard Kingdom, but there had been no significant results. Even the world’s highest-ranking High Priest, Yuyu, could cover most diseases, but not completely. If she could, she would be in high demand from all nations, Roel had mentioned while lamenting Tiferia-san’s struggles.
Magic may seem convenient, but there are aspects of it that remain out of reach. I can use a bit of offensive magic myself, but I haven’t relied on it much lately. Most of the time, the Sonic Ripper takes care of everything.
To me, just being able to use healing magic is impressive. If it weren’t for Roel, many lives would have been lost. While I can defeat enemies, I can’t do anything for those who are injured. I want to encourage Roel, telling her not to be so down, but the atmosphere doesn’t allow for that right now, so I hold back.
“If Lua-chan catches a cold, I won’t be able to heal you…”
“I’ve never caught a cold, so you don’t need to worry. Right?”
“Now that you mention it, I’ve never seen Lua-chan looking unwell…”
“I’ve never been sick, so I guess it must be really tough.”
I thought we were having a normal conversation, but the people who had recovered from the Ash Death Disease, along with their families, were half-smiling and looking quite uncomfortable.
“Lua-san, Lua-san! We’re going to make a feast, so make sure to eat a lot!”
Nanoka and Konoka, along with Itsuki, each held a large white turnip. The mysterious vegetable, known as the Ooshirokabu, is famous in this country and is said to be delicious whether boiled or grilled. It’s especially tasty when shredded and lightly charred over a fire, making it perfect as a snack.
“Lua-chan, this is delicious!”
“Try this one too!”
“This one’s really good!”
Surrounded by villagers offering various dishes, I watched as Roel eagerly devoured everything. She would snap up food like a fish, chomping down and inhaling it without hesitation, which made it all the more enjoyable for those offering it. Honestly, I wondered where she could fit all that into her small body.
Beside us, Lord Daigami was quietly gnawing on a raw Ooshirokabu, and I felt a bit embarrassed, as if I were being worshiped alongside this divine being. Lord Daigami had been large during our battle, but now he was no bigger than an ordinary fox. Thanks to Roel’s Heal, his wounds had healed, but it seemed he had lost most of his strength, and it would take some time for him to fully recover.
“Lua, was it? Do you understand the essence of your own power? Well, that aside, what you wanted was this, right?”
Then came Lord Daigami’s perplexing question. When I tried to answer, he merely chuckled like a fox, and that was the end of it. As if the essence of anything mattered, what I had honed in the Abyss Cave was everything to me. I picked up the Millennium Herb he had casually handed over and thought again about how much I had struggled for something like this.
“…This is bad.”
Suddenly, Lord Daigami stood up, turning to face the opposite direction of Mount Daigami. That was the direction we had come from.
“The humans have begun their mountain hunt. Naturally, their target is you.”
With Lord Daigami’s ominous statement, the festivities came to an abrupt halt. My secret worries had become reality. There was no way they would let us, who had repelled the demon mask, roam free. After all, we had barely escaped capture in Kai City.
“What should we do, Roel? If we stay here, we’ll only bring trouble to the villagers…”
“Yeah, we should leave…”
“Will this village be safe?”
Lord Daigami sat down like a dog, his gaze fixed on the ground.
“If you are deemed accomplices of the bandits, this village could very well face a burning raid. It was originally a forsaken settlement… there would be no hesitation in doing so now.”
“That’s not a joke! We just got your mother cured of the Ash Death Disease!”
“Should we just run away?”
“Where to? How? If we could do that, we would have done it long ago! We shouldn’t have built this village in the first place!”
“Lord Daigami, please save us!”
Seeing the village descend into panic in an instant made my heart ache. I couldn’t help but think that if we hadn’t arrived in this village…
“…No, we can’t just rely on Lord Daigami. We humans need to solve our own problems.”
“But what can we do?”
“Don’t worry. There isn’t a single person here who holds a grudge against you.”
Looking around, I saw that everyone was engaged in serious discussions. Even those who had been bedridden with the Ash Death Disease were united in purpose. They had fought bravely against the disease while trapped in the mountains. These people were truly strong.
“Lua-san, don’t worry about it. None of us hold any resentment against you. In fact, we’re grateful.”
Nanoka took my hand. Through her warm grip, I felt her sincere support, as if she wanted to ensure we wouldn’t be burdened by worry. I couldn’t think of leaving the village while these children were seriously contemplating what to do. If we left them, they might be killed. If that were the case, there was only one thing to do. But was it really okay to go through with it?
“Yeah, I think that’s the best option too.”
Roel readily agreed. Now it was up to the villagers; there wouldn’t be any good conclusions from just talking like this.
“I’ll go talk to them.”
Roel stepped into the crowd of villagers. Although it was our proposal, I wondered if they would be able to accept it.
To abandon the village.
Once Roel finished speaking, all the villagers turned to look at us.