Published: March 21, 2026
Happy New Year.
Please take care of me again this year.
While Akira and the summoned group were sulking and dispersing with heavy hearts after the shocking revelation—some retreating to their rooms, others heading out onto the deck—I went to the airship’s Demon Stone to replenish my magical power.
My magic probably wasn’t fully depleted yet, but I didn’t want to sit still. If I didn’t move with some purpose, I felt like I would burst; that sensation made me restless. I may have been more unsettled than Akira and the others who were still in shock.
I pride myself on knowing better than anyone how much Akira wants to go home. More than Yoru, more than the heroes who came from the same world.
Akira had always worried about his family. He’d left behind a weak-bodied mother and a younger sister—if they were a close family, of course he would worry. That’s precisely why Yor and I had quietly discussed when to tell Akira about the taboo that directly contradicted his wish. We agreed it would be best to inform him at the same time as the other summoned heroes to minimize fuss and shock, but there hadn’t been a good moment until now, and it had dragged on. With Lattice Nail’s presence things didn’t go as we expected, but in the end we were able to tell the heroes about the taboo simultaneously, and the result was satisfactory. As Yor and I suspected, Akira—who unconsciously takes the heroes under his protection—did have his shadow magic run a little wild, but the only damage was a chair moving slightly. Yor said that if we’d told Akira alone on the ship, the worst case might have been the shadow magic swallowing the whole vessel, and frankly I thought that was quite possible too.
Akira himself had told me that his shadow magic seemed to possess its own will. I’d seen it act on its own, ignoring Akira’s orders, in the Brute Labyrinth; it felt different from ordinary magic. I thought it might be because it’s an extra skill, but no—the magic gives off a strangely human feeling, as if there’s a person inside the spell. And from close observation it’s clear the shadow magic is affected by Akira’s emotions. Indeed, the shadow magic used against ordinary demonic beasts and the one unleashed in the Brute Labyrinth against Demon Clan members differed dramatically in power and range. Even accounting for improved technique, the difference was huge.
If Akira’s heart were to be shattered and despair took hold, and that despair spread to the shadow magic so it slipped from Akira’s control, neither Yor nor I know what would happen. At worst it could be like the first generation hero who erased the northern half of the Demon Clan territory. Of course Akira doesn’t want that. That’s why Yor and I decided to take every possible measure to avoid it.
And now, while we avoided the worst outcome, the fact that Akira was shocked and we knew it but couldn’t do anything about it still sits like a burr in my chest.
“Amelia! Oh, you’re here! Got a minute?”
After I’d finished charging the Demon Stone to its limit, brooding, I was about to leave the room when Lattice Nail arrived with Amaryllis.
She’d been looking for me. When I asked why, Lattice Nail said that since we’d met again, she wanted to have a girls’ get-together somewhere. She said she’d asked Noah too, but Noah was busy repairing the damaged ship and had declined, and Ria couldn’t be found. She hadn’t invited the two other summon girls from another world.
Unfortunately the room here only had the Demon Stone in the center, so at Lattice Nail’s request we moved to the room assigned to Amelia. Being an Elf princess, I’d been given a somewhat larger room than the others. Still, there was only one chair, so I soothed the embarrassed Amaryllis and we all sat on the bed.
“Come to think of it, Rusty and Amaryllis haven’t been seen together before.”
Not just unseen—this was probably their first meeting. I couldn’t help admiring how quickly shy Amaryllis warmed up to join Lattice Nail’s company. Lattice Nail’s social skills are astonishing; I’d like to emulate them.