Chapter 135: Delusional Explosion Rendezvous

"Let’s see... for now, I sense six presences."

[Mana Sensing] picked up six distinct signatures.

These phantoms apparently possessed physical mass, and they were currently scattering across the world in different directions. It was painfully obvious that if I didn't destroy them before I got around to strangling that useless packhorse, things were going to get ugly.

Based on what Bicorn had said, these things were designed to fulfill the "desires" of whoever they encountered. In other words, this was nothing short of a magic spell designed to mass-produce the worst kind of "black history" imaginable.

"Alright, we're here—wait, what!?"

We arrived at a relatively large mountain—the site of Sol and Luna’s home. I was already breaking into a cold sweat at the fact that a phantom had chosen this place of all places to visit. As I reached the summit, I was greeted by a sight I won't soon forget.

"Hey, Sol. I need you. I want you to stay by my side... forever."

"Wh-whoa, Reima!? Is that really you? What’s with the sudden visit... and the sudden confession!?"

"It’s nothing. I just realized all over again how precious you are to me."

There he was, a fake "me" standing in front of their house, spouting lines like that.

Please, someone kill me. I want to bite my tongue off.

The sight of someone with my face and my voice whispering those things to Sol was more than I could take. It wasn't that the sentiment was entirely wrong—I did feel that way normally—but seeing it performed like that was agonizing. The voice was tuned to a strangely saccharine pitch; it was a non-stop parade of chills, goosebumps, and pure, unadulterated revulsion.

"Gah..."

I actually choked on my own breath.

My consciousness felt like it was flickering out. As I watched Sol’s face turn a deep crimson, the world seemed to grow distant. Is it okay to give up now? Can I just abandon the destruction mission and hide until the spell wears off?

My brain was already reaching its limit with the very first clone. I caught a glimpse of Uni—now in her human form—fretting nearby, but on closer inspection, she had actually started scribbling in a notebook. No one was lifting a finger to stop this disaster.

"Big sister, move. You can't kill that thing."

"Eh? Luna?"

It happened in a heartbeat. A warning echoed from somewhere, followed by a release of cold air so intense it felt arctic. A massive blade of ice materialized and cleaved my phantom double in two.

"What are you doing, Luna?"

"Just erasing a fake."

"A fake? But the scent and the presence were identical..."

"I know that. But there’s no way our dense, shitty, moron of a Master would ever say exactly what we want to hear. Besides, look. If it were the real Master, he could handle this much with ease."

All that remained of the bifurcated clone was a frozen statue. While the sight of my own frozen corpse made my blood run cold, I felt a wave of relief as the magic dissipated and the statue vanished.

"...Uh, thanks, Luna."

"Ah, Master! I slaughtered the fake. Don't I get a reward?"

"You... you saved me. I was chasing that thing down. It's an illusion created by Bicorn."

I drew back slightly at Luna’s aggressive phrasing, but I couldn't deny she'd done me a favor, so I offered my thanks. I glanced over at Sol, who was wearing a thin, faint smile... a second before her flames erupted.

"I see. Bicorn did this... right. Let's kill him."

Her voice was sweet and airy, light enough that you could almost see musical notes dancing around her words—which only made the underlying threat more terrifying. Flames licked at her claws; the heat coming off her was staggering.

"That idiot was definitely acting out of malice and self-interest, but I’m the one who’s going to strangle him. Try to keep the burning to a moderate level, okay?"

"Ehh? Reima, that’s way too soft. I’m going to be the one to kill him, so just leave it to me!"

Her voice was uncharacteristically sugary. But the words were nothing but violent.

She was clearly beyond furious. The air was thick with heat and bloodlust; just looking at her sent another cold sweat down my back. Maybe some of it was the ambient temperature, but I’m fairly certain eighty percent of it was pure terror.

"Uh... calm down, Sol. I love it when you smile, but this particular smile is scaring me."

"Ehehe, don't be silly. I just really, really want to incinerate that thing right now."

"Hey, Sol? Your entire speech pattern has changed. Let's just take a breath, okay?"

"Oh, I’m perfectly calm. By the way, how many more fakes are left?"

"...Four?"

"Got it. I'll burn every last one of them!"

What do I do? Sol is terrifying in a way I’ve never seen before.

The fact that her anger had come full circle into a bubbly, carefree persona was haunting. There was no point in trying to soothe her now. If anything, letting her bottle up this frustration would be even more dangerous. I decided then and there that the remaining phantoms of "me" simply had to be sacrificed to the flames.

It felt a bit weird to watch my own face get torched, but I’d intended to destroy them anyway. I’d just have to accept it as a necessary loss.

"Uni, I need you to keep searching for Bicorn. I'll take Luna and the others to hunt down the rest of the phantoms."

"U-understood! Sol-san and the others are much faster, anyway."

"Yeah. Thanks for the ride earlier."

---

I hopped onto Luna’s back and let a white-hot Sol take the lead. She began lashing out with the [Flames of the Sun], and any phantom that hadn't reached a target yet was obliterated the moment she spotted it. She didn't hold back; she hit them with finishing moves that left nothing but drifting ash.

"Fufu... three... left..."

Her voice started like a tinkling bell and ended in a gutteral, low-register growl.

I made a mental note right then and there: Never make Sol angry. I sat atop Luna, shivering in a cold sweat despite the heat.

"Based on the direction, the next one should be at Baal's Temple, right?"

It was the shrine built for him, dedicated to the worship of Baal Zebul. We’d built it to honor his former status as a god, though it currently functioned more like a high-end open-kitchen restaurant. As we approached, a delicious aroma wafted toward us.

"............No way."

Bad premonitions have a habit of being right. When we reached the temple, we found two "me's." One was happily eating a meal, and the other was offering words of profound gratitude while being pampered by Baal.

............It was almost heartwarming, in a way. It also reminded me that Baal really never changed. I offered a brief moment of silent prayer for my doubles before they were simultaneously incinerated and flash-frozen.

"Ah! My Lord—!?"

"Relax, Baal. Those were fakes."

"I am well aware! But a Lord who allows me to serve him so purely is a rare treasure! Why!? Lady Sol, why must you obstruct my ideal!?"

Baal cried out, his voice a mixture of sobbing and agonizing wails. He actually directed his anger toward the others for once, but Luna and Sol remained unmoved.

"Because fakes have no right to exist," Luna said flatly.

"That thing wasn't Master," Sol added.

"I know... I know! But... but still! I... I wished to serve my Lord more!"

"Look, I'll make some time for you later. For now, let's just go take down Bicorn."

"Order accepted. So, I simply need to destroy Lord Bicorn? Ah, [Seimei Metsujitsu]. I shall annihilate that packhorse until there is nothing left."

Baal transformed into a beast in an instant.

Pure killing intent boiled over as a storm surged. The mana of death began to dominate the area. Baal Wild Hunt—the Demon King of the storm-crowned hunt—had officially designated the degenerate horse as his prey. I briefly wondered if Bicorn would even survive the day as Baal’s steed let out a piercing neigh.

"Ah... Re-Reima-san! Ehehe, I’ve captured my trashy brother!"

"Ah, Lord Uni, you have my thanks. It would be a great help if you could bind him there."

"Eh? Um... B-Baal-san?"

"I am death. I am the storm. I am the god who presides over the rain of mercy. All life rests within my hands. Perish and be undone; know that this is the will of nature."

Yep... Bicorn is dead.

This was Baal’s ultimate move.

The storm swirled, coalescing into a spear of pure black death that stained the world in shadow. Recognizing the sheer scale of the collateral damage about to occur, we threw up barriers and scrambled for cover. From the distance, I heard the name of the technique called out.

"[Seimei Metsujitsu — Rankai]!"

In an instant, a horse was launched into the stratosphere.

The black star sure is beautiful, I thought, completely checked out of reality. I managed to rescue the final phantom—which was currently being used as a literal guinea pig by Merli—and then I went straight to bed.