Oni 11 – The status quo
I accepted Shiro-san’s kind offer and have taken up residence at a large mansion. While I am grateful, to be honest though, I’m not used to this. Since half the time in this world I’ve been living in run-down houses and the other half I’ve been roaming around having lost control of myself due to Wrath. There were times when I was able to stay at a vacant house that had no owner, or had just lost an owner, but I’ve never been able to stay at something magnificent like this mansion. Or rather, I feel like I’ve never even seen a mansion so magnificent even including my previous life. This mansion is so large it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it a small castle.
After being here for several days, I’ve been able to ask the mansion’s servants about various things. If possible I would have preferred to ask Shiro-san, but she’s not someone who talks very often anyway. She wasn’t talkative in her previous life either, but here she is almost silent. When we had that exchange after our reunion in the other dimension, I became keenly aware of that fact. The fact that it’s difficult to communicate with Shiro-san.
Thus, little by little I asked questions to the people who are the mansion’s servants. I had actually wanted to ask all in one go, but because they had jobs to do I felt awkward about interrupting them for a long period. However, maybe it’s because of that, but I think I’ve been able to learn the names and faces of the mansion’s servants and been able to talk with them in a fairly relaxed manner. I’m more or less treated as a guest, but I don’t have any kind of social position though. Rather than a guest, when I requested that I be thought of as a simple freeloader, I was treated more like a random young child. Thanks to that I’ve been able to have various conversations, and I’ve been able to find out what I wanted to know, even if only gradually.
Firstly, it seems this is a country of demons. Before I knew it I’d left the human country, and it seems that I’d walked into the demon territory. However, it couldn’t be helped that I hadn’t realised that either. There’s no visible differences between humans and demons anyway, and there’s no significant difference in lifestyles. If nobody had said so, I wouldn’t have realised that they were demons.
In addition, it seems that there’s almost nobody who are demi-human, as I am called. For the demons around me, image-wise I had expected a horde of devils, but there’s no demons with wings or horns. In short, if I don’t hide my horns then it’s likely that I would stand out. If I happen to go outside, it seems that it would be better to wear a cap to conceal my horns.
Next, it seems that none of the servants really understand Shiro-san’s true identity, so there’s various rumours flying around. The Demon King’s close aide, the Demon King’s younger sister, the Demon King’s fixer, and so on. I had heard that she seemed to be an acquaintance of the Demon King, but when I heard it again from other people I was surprised. Even so, after analysing the numerous speculations, it sure seems that she is quite close to the Demon King. There is the opinion that their faces look vaguely similar, so maybe they are actually near relatives. However, that’s purely at the limit of rumours, so unless I actually ask her myself then I’m sure I wouldn’t find out the truth.
There’s many mysteries about Shiro-san. While it is certain that she is a reincarnator like me, I don’t know what she’s been doing in this world to date. I’m somewhat interested in that. At any rate, it’s clear that she’s even stronger than me.
Even if I say so for myself, I’m strong. I’m strong enough that there was a time when I even wondered if there was actually anyone who could beat me. Without any pretence, I think that my strength when Wrath is activated even stands out at a global level. But despite all that, it only took seeing her for an instant to realise that I cannot beat her. Without even using the appraisal stone. I don’t even really understand why I thought that myself to be honest though. However, my intuition about that, was closer to being a conviction.
If forced to give a reason, I would say that it was due to that other dimension. I have dabbled in Space Magic myself, so I was able to read between the lines in considering how absurd a thing that other dimension really was, though not entirely. That vast area that seemed to extend forever. That space where even the flow of time was manipulated. If I hadn’t recognised the face of the person who had created it, I might even have thought that it was the work of a god.
A god, huh. What I just recalled, was that man in black who defeated me during that battle. When facing me who had activated Wrath, that man was able to defeat me as easily as handling a child. When Wrath was activated my status should have hit the maximum possible values. Against that, it shouldn’t normally be possible to knock someone down with casual ease. Shiro-san called that man a god. I feel like I should ask what her relationship is with a god, but I wonder if she would simply answer me.
Well, speak of the devil. Shiro-san has visited my room. Her entire body being uniformly white in appearance gives her a special aura, and combined with her inherent beauty somehow brings about a sense of unapproachable holiness. Considering what’s changed compared to her previous existence, not only the hair on her head but her eyebrows and even the colour of her skin has become white. In addition, it also seems to be the case that her eyes are always closed. I don’t really know why her eyes are closed though. However, according to the servants’ rumours, when her eyes open your soul gets sucked out, apparently.
When I invite Shiro-san into my room, I noticed that there was someone unexpected behind her.
「You’re!」
It seems this was unexpected to her as well, as her eyes had opened wide. She’s the vampire girl who had fought me on at least equal terms back then. If I can believe Shiro-san’s words, she should likewise be a reincarnation of a former classmate, Negishi Akiko-san, but… what’s this dangerous personality that seems about to try to cast magic at me the instant we meet?
「Augh!」
Negishi-san’s magic, was stopped by Shiro-san. Amazing. In an instant just now, she interfered with the magic construction, crushing it. As to what kind of skill she used to allow her to pull off such a stunt, I have no real idea. Incidentally, the reason for Negishi-san’s cry was because Shiro-san drove a roundhouse kick into her side almost as an afterthought. It seems entirely unnatural, but on receiving that kick Negishi-san’s body didn’t so much as quiver, but instead it seems the kick simply folded into her body. Or rather, is Negishi-san allright? Her body has been bent into a くshape on the spot and blood is gushing out of her mouth though. Bones and so on that should never be broken on a human body have been broken okay?
Shiro-san looks at Negishi-san’s condition, and slowly forces her crooked body back to normal. From Negishi-san’s mouth comes an unbearable scream that can’t really be described. Just hearing that scream could drive you insane. However, that wound regenerated so quickly that maybe I should be impressed about that instead.
This situation has been incredible since the start, but what’s going to happen next?
