Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody

This is Satou speaking. There’s a saying, “the ghost’s true form is a withered silvergrass,” but isn’t it true that the source of fear, both in the past and now, is the unknown? Once you know, no matter how difficult the problem, you can make efforts toward solving it.

◇

““Ah! I knew it!””

Arisa and Hikaru exclaimed in unison when they saw the true face of the demon god beneath the mask.

However, their next words did not match.

“The face is exactly the same as the portrait in the Shadow Castle!”

“He looks just like Brother Ichiro when he was at the company!”

As Arisa said, he looks exactly like the person in the portrait they saw in the throne room of the Shadow Castle in the Rumork Kingdom.

To me, he doesn't look quite as much like Ichiro Suzuki as Hikaru claims. Maybe it’s how I’d look if I grew a beard and aged a bit before coming to this other world.

—Even though I had some idea, seeing it firsthand was quite a shock.

“Got it, you’re the other me (・)”

The demon god spoke in Japanese on purpose.

Ever since I saw that portrait in the Shadow Castle, I had a premonition—Ichiro Suzuki who came to this other world wasn’t the only one.

“You, who weren’t chosen by the princess (・・), I will give one last chance.”

—Chance?

Whenever an arrogant opponent says “chance,” it usually means something bad.

…By the way, who exactly is this princess?

In my mind, the mysterious little girl and God Parion from the divine realm came to me.

It could also be the dragon deity Aconcagua, but that one feels more like a queen or empress than a princess, so I ruled it out.

“Once, the princess said, ‘Simply granting divine status isn’t enough to become a complete god.’ She said, ‘The shortcut to becoming a true god is to expand your vessel by gathering multiple souls.’”

—No way.

I tried to move, but realized my body wouldn’t obey.

Arisa and Hikaru behind me didn’t interrupt the demon god either. It seemed they were also immobilized just like me.

The log showed we failed to resist something called “true ninjutsu: binding god shadow.”

When did he use such a technique?

Well, whatever. Right after that log, I acquired “true ninjutsu” and “resistance: true ninjutsu,” so I allocated maximum skill points and activated them.

Since I can’t use “magic disruption,” it seems the binding god shadow not only restricts movement but also blocks magic activation.

“I’ll absorb you and become complete.”

Like some old-fashioned game or manga from the Showa era—such outdated ideas aren’t popular these days, I wanted to say.

The demon god raised his palm toward me.

Even though I secured resistance, I still can’t move. Maybe his level is just higher.

This is bad.

“Now, at last—”

A sinister dark purple light wriggled on his palm.

◇

“What—?!”

The demon god vanished from sight.

The moment the light flashed, I retreated using unit placement together with Arisa and the others.

To prevent secondary damage, we moved to the center of the Great Desert.

Normally, the strategy would be to regain control from inside after being absorbed, but I prefer to avoid such messy methods.

“How did you escape the god’s bind?”

The demon god pursued us via teleport.

He seemed absolutely confident in his true ninjutsu capture.

“I prepared a delayed activation escape magic.”

I made a vague excuse with the help of my deception skill.

“Then I’ll eliminate your means of escape!”

The area darkened purple, and palm-shaped dark purple lights attacked from every direction.

Judging by the sensation, some kind of spatial magic barrier was also deployed to prevent teleporting away.

—Don’t move.

A voiceless message reached me.

Just before the palm lights reached me, a vivid scarlet light blocked them.

I recognized it.

“Karion!”

The demon god shouted in the divine era language.

“—Correct.”

In front of me, space distorted and appeared as the outline of a girl in scarlet light—God Karion.

As expected, it was God Karion’s “divine logic shield” that protected us earlier.