394 – One Step Further From S8. Origin

Food nourishes the body, but the heart satiates the hunger of the soul.

Just as we must eat three square meals a day to stay healthy.

If we don’t share our hearts with someone, our soul will eventually fall ill.

Some admire, some cherish, some love. There are countless connections in this world. And those relationships arrive like fate, suddenly, one day.

Even someone you thought you’d never get along with, someone you kept at a distance, can become your best friend after a chance encounter. Isn’t that interesting?

Hmm.

My hobby is TRPG.

It was a hobby I reluctantly started at the urging of a girlfriend with a terrible personality, but it suited me perfectly. Looking back, I think I liked the fact that I could pursue a story’s ending with other people.

If that’s the case.

Perhaps even if it wasn’t TRPG, if it was something else that allowed me to forge new connections with others. Like a book club or a board game society. I would have naturally become absorbed in it.

The important thing isn’t *what* you do together, but the ‘liveliness’ of doing it together.

So, the Black Lizard was ultimately wrong. Just as you should look at the moon at the end of the finger, what we should focus on is not the *hobby*, but the *heart* beyond it.

In the end, it always circled back to the heart.

I am thankful for the bonds that connect us. I will now, in jest and light conversation, convey my love to my people, those to whom I can wave goodbye with a smile.

Public declarations are a bit embarrassing, even for me, so let us consider saving the world and slaying a black dragon as a substitute. I hope you will understand.

Alright then.

Humbly stick out your head and accept your fate, you black lizard.

You’re dead meat.

—

“I’m gonna be dead meat, so do SOMETHING, Papa──!!”

Aisha screamed, like a beaver witnessing her house swept away by a flood. A press, composed of compressed information, was about to flatten our daughter into a pancake.

But according to my calculations, our daughter could endure a little longer, so I decided to leave her be for now and focus my efforts on the offensive.

“Just endure with Dragon Scale, Papa’s busy casting!”

“⋯⋯Is that even a thing to SAY⋯⋯?!”

Just then, Selbiera flapped her fiery wings and flew to Aisha’s side. And she addressed her husband’s daughter like a new stepmother, awkwardly.

“Aisha. Well then, this uh, Mom! Will help! 『Radiant Gleam』!”

“You don’t become my mom just because I’m Papa’s daughter?!”

Aisha’s jaw dropped. Aisha seemed to feel a sudden dizziness at the sight of Selbiera’s active movements after awakening. Well, you’d be flustered if a cheetah suddenly started running at light speed.

*BANG*──!!

Selbiera’s flame burst through the information-press, and Aisha emerged from the swirling black smoke. Okay.

I turn my gaze. The black dragon, still smiling, was endlessly weaving complex magic with his three pairs of arms. Every code was disgustingly encrypted, making it visually grotesque.

It was like watching writhing worms crawl across the entire world.

Of course, I was no pushover either. I countered with the formless shape, displayed at the previous Tower of Zenith, conjuring illusion magic by utilizing every movement.

The computational power was neck and neck.

If our strengths were equal, there were two options. Wage a never-ending war or actively jump into the fray.

And both the black dragon and I chose the latter.

*Ssssssss*──

『Deception』.

The black dragon’s strategy was simple. He threatened to kill my wives, launching psychological warfare. Sometimes just threats, sometimes truly powerful attacks, hoping to overtax my computational power with defense.

My counter-strategy was also simple. Uh, yeah. Do whatever you want.

But if you mess around like that and show even the slightest opening, your head is going to fly. We continued this invisible tug-of-war.

If one of the four ends up dying, wouldn’t that mean we can’t achieve a happy ending, essentially a defeat for you? If asked that, I would answer like this.

“My beloved family aren’t burdens.”

“Sublimation – 『Phantasmagoria: Opening the Gate』!”

*Kuuung──!*

Yuna invoked Sublimation. The boundary between fantasy and reality around her blurred, and like Roderus’s *Mana Hardening*, she imbued information with a partial physical property.

In a sense, it was an application of *Information Hardening*.

If that’s the case, Yuri and Selbierre can definitely handle it. The dreadful spell, which shatters the human mind and creates hundreds of replicated personalities, writhes in the form of a centipede with a hundred heads.

*Charrrrrrrrk──!*

The sound of chains echoes.

“Selbierre. I’ll handle the control, so just focus on the firepower.”

“…Alright, I understand! 『Nova』!”

The amount of firepower is reduced by the amount used for aiming and controlling the magic. Instead of controlling the magic, Selbierre removes the launch function and levitates a small sun of ultra-high heat in mid-air.

Trusting that Yuri has a plan, she does as she is told, but how does she intend to apply this?

“But what are you going to do with it?”

“If we add substance with Yuna’s ability, we’ll be able to move your fireball physically. Just like this.”

*Chararararak-!*

Chains of the mind wrapped around the large fireball. Yuri, grasping the end of the chain, began to spin it around. As she did, the fireball moved. It was essentially a simple chain flail.

Selbierre only supplies firepower to the small sun bound by chains, while Yuri takes charge of moving the sun to strike the enemy.

It spins around, leaving circles of flame in the air like a children’s fire-twirling game.

*Boom boom boom- Whack-!*

The swung fireball smashed the heads of the materialized spells. It repels any magic that comes its way, earning them some breathing room.

And from that gap is fired Yuna’s signature move, a purple ray that functions as a counter to all information-based attacks.

“『Subtraction』!”

*Flash.*

The beam shot out at the speed of light, erasing all data in its path. Even the Black Dragon couldn’t withstand the attack bare-handed, gathering its black scales to block it.

See? Not burdens, but a bonus. During the time they’ve bought, I finish the repeated incantation that echoed silently in my mouth.

“『Heart-Shattering Mystic Arrows』, a volley of 100.”

*Gooo──*

From the horizon in the sky, a dark meteor shower descends. Each and every one is a proper Heart-Shattering Mystic Arrow, brimming with malignant information.

[. . . . .]

The Black Dragon, Crown, moved its mouth. The language was unintelligible, but the meaning was clear. The meaning contained was 『Forced Exile』 and 『Dimensional Isolation』.

As if preparing individual demonic summoning gates on the Eastern Front, he plans to create super-small spaces and blast us into separate stages. We’re descending as a group, so he’s trying to scatter us.

“Oh, what do we do?! What are we going to do?!”

“Would it be effective to bind each other tightly with chains?”

“No, it’s alright. Just hold on after we’re separated. I’ll come find you soon!”

If he uses a turn on a large-scale attack like this, I can seize the offensive for the duration of that breathing space. I’ll parry it and land a solid blow.

*Crash!*

The surroundings shatter like glass, scattering, and the view changes. Moments that the Black Dragon remembers are reflected through the randomly opened cracks in the dimensional doorways. Ancient kingdom buildings, primeval forests I’ve never seen, ruins.

*Blink.*

When I come to, I’m in the midst of hellfire. And right in front of my face, the Black Dragon’s head is gaping open. Inside its throat, something pitch-black flickers, though I can’t quite discern what it is.

The danger sensor in my head blares an alarm. Dragon Breath.

That b*stard invested a massive amount of resources to hit me with its breath. Myriad illusions are binding me to restrict my movements. I’ll counter it. I spin my brain.

I unravel each one, turning them into useless scraps of data, and at the same time, I move my body.

“『Complete Release』!”

*Fwooom!*

My body swells thousands of times, transforming into 『Great Kaiju』 form. And I receive the momentum of that expanding acceleration, uppercutting the Black Dragon’s lower jaw.

*Thud!*

The dragon’s neck snaps back, and the Dragon Breath shoots into the sky.

*Thud! Thud! Thud!*

I need to add extra hits here. I infuse sharply refined malicious information into my front paws and slam down. One, two, three. I can land at least one more…

*Bulge, crack-!*

Teeth sprouted in the middle of the Black Dragon’s neck, and another mouth opened. And from there, Dragon Breath began to fire.

“『Transformation』…!”

I revert from 『Great Kaiju』 to a small human form and hastily dodge. Then, I break through space following the mark I placed on my allies.

*Crash!*

A gate connecting spaces opens. And from within, the 100 Heart-Piercing Lightning Blades I just fired pour out, striking the Black Dragon.

*Thud! Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh!*

Scales crack, and the dragon’s skin begins to rise in welts. The first effective hit. I could continue the offensive here, but pushing it further might endanger my allies. Gathering the scattered ones is the priority.

*Whish, whish, whish!*

I cross between spaces, rescuing my allies. I snatch Yuri, who was plummeting into an acidic volcano, and toss her to Yuna, then I open a gate below Selvier, who had fallen into the deep sea and was generating massive amounts of steam.

And I reached Aisha, trapped in a pitch-black space. I reached out to grab her, but stopped. Aisha was… preparing some large-scale casting.

I swiftly scanned the content. 『Return』, 『Parasite』, 『To Revert to One』.

It was a magic to infiltrate the Black Dragon Crown’s core. Reading her intent, I recoiled, shouting.

“Hey! Don’t you dare, damn it!”

“It’s not betrayal. And it’s the most certain attack method. 『From the Inside Out』. An attack from within has never failed, not even once. We can seize control in one fell swoop.”

“I know that! But I didn’t suspect you, not even for a moment. Aisha, you know I hate self-sacrifice. We can win without that nonsense, so don’t do anything stupid──”

“Your body can’t handle it, you know.”

Thud.

Aisha’s carelessly tossed words struck the core.

“The Black Dragon Crown has remodeled its body for centuries, perfecting its physical form to withstand its own computational power. But you aren’t. There’s no way a human body can fully contain the power of a god.”

“⋯⋯I already underwent a second job change into an information lifeform.”

“Yeah. If not, your brain would have fried and killed you long ago. But you’re still in danger, I know. The heat radiating from the brain that’s running without a cooler⋯⋯ I can feel it all the way over here.”

“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”

Okay, I’ll admit it honestly. I’m pushing myself a little too hard.

But that’s something that can be resolved by selling a little of the future. I don’t even need to risk my life. And a family photo with one person missing isn’t a perfect happy ending. I can’t let it end like this.

I was about to grab that little minx by the hair and drag her out, but Aisha’s words stopped me.

“Hey. Just because you’re a piece that broke off from the core, does that mean you can ignore the sins you committed by saying ‘I’m not the core’? What do you think, huh?”

“⋯⋯You.”

So, that’s what she was thinking.

Aisha scratched the back of her head, as if embarrassed, and continued.

“Ah, well. It’s not like I’m reflecting or anything⋯⋯ I don’t reflect. I still enjoy doing bad things. But── at least I don’t want to be cowardly. Do you get what I mean?”

“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”

“And actually, it’s just for show. I don’t intend to die. I’ll burrow inside and make a huge mess⋯⋯ and then I’ll come out like I own the place. I’m confident.”

So, lighten up. That’s what Aisha was saying.

Starlight.

At some point, my daughter and friend, who originated from a fragment of the Black Dragon, was able to fill her eyes with resolve. In those eyes, I could see the Milky Way.

So, I couldn’t stop her. She was about to start flapping her wings, showing off at the moment she could be the most magnificent.

So, all I could say was this.

“⋯⋯If you die, you’ll have to watch a grown adult flailing their limbs and wailing loudly on the side of the road. I’m warning you.”

“How would that embarrass me? It would only embarrass you. Well⋯⋯ keep a close eye on me. And prepare a mountain of praise stickers. Because I’m going to achieve it.”

Swish, swish.

Aisha’s body, like sinking into a tar-black swamp, began to disappear from the legs up. Aye, go and make it so. Complete the mission splendidly and return to the embrace of your family.

I shouted.

“Go and blow that b*stard inside out! Aisha!”

Click.

Aisha gave a thumbs-up. And then, she was completely submerged, gone from sight. I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment… and then resumed action.

Let’s do our best. That’s what increases each other’s chances of survival. Let’s beat the Black Dragon senseless, making it impossible for him to lay even a finger on Aisha, who’s infiltrated his innards.

Let’s go. Back to the battlefield.

*

Thump.

She swims through a pitch-black emptiness. It’s like a deep ocean trench, a desolate expanse of space, maybe even resembling the womb of one’s mother.

This is where it begins. From this place, the persona of Aisha originates.

The Black Dragon, Crown, sensed his splinter infiltrating his interior. The cunning and wicked dragon whispered to his shard. Welcome, you’ve returned well.

This is the chance.

Look, the mad mage trusts you completely. Then imagine it. Turning at this crucial moment. What would happen?

Imagine his expression. How that emotion causes a chemical reaction, how it manifests itself. Perhaps he won’t believe it and will be thrown into shock…

It’ll be quite fun. Won’t it?

“…Yeah. Fun. I know. It’d be thrilling if the mad mage even started to tear up from the betrayal. Ah, I’m salivating and my limbs are trembling.”

She understands the aesthetics of euphoria and ruin. She knows about that dopamine, that dark pleasure coursing through the veins. She can almost touch its shape.

Furthermore, if she rejoins the main body now, she can regain her all-powerful position governing the world. Standing above all things, she could eternally enjoy a puppet show.

The Aisha of before wouldn’t have hesitated.

But.

She learned it. She came to know it.

The feeling of gathering around a table to chat, sitting side-by-side on a sofa, sharing jokes, and occasionally engaging in mischievous pranks.

And so. You see.

I know it’s inappropriate for me to say something like this──

“…I’ve come to like happy endings too, you know.”

……..

To her response, the Black Dragon deemed Aisha an impurity and initiated an attack.

Information is torn away piece by piece, components begin to melt.

However, instead of escaping, Aisha ventured deeper. Before she completely melts away, she must reach the deepest core.

They traversed a long and arduous road.

Wind and rain lashed, the inky night a torment to her. In such moments, a snippet of lighthearted banter would surface.

-You got no eyes, no hands, no mouth?

-Got ’em all, and a cute and pretty daughter to boot!

Heh heh.

Yes, you crazy mage.

I have touched the dragon’s heart. The toxin called ‘Aisha’ will work with deadly effect. The Black Dragon’s divinity will wane, its flesh rot, and its heart… well.

So I’ll be looking forward to what comes next. To the one who made me, who showed me a new path, my precious… my father.

May you realize your dreams.