Episode 81: The Soul World

It was late at night, after the celebration had finally wound down. I was killing time by organizing the information I’d gathered today into a notebook when it happened.

"Master! It’s a disaster! You have to come, now!"

A magic circle suddenly expanded in the middle of the room, and Luna materialized from within.

Lately, thanks to Merli’s magic, my companions had been popping in and out whenever they pleased, so the teleportation itself didn't startle me. However, seeing Luna in such a rare state of panic made me realize I needed to find out what was going on, and fast.

"It’s unlike you to be this flustered, Luna. What happened?"

I figured someone had probably just started a petty argument, but that was a daily occurrence in my life. I couldn't see why she would be this worked up over something so routine.

"Um, well... Baha-nee and Merli started fighting, and now nobody can stop them!"

"Okay, I get it. This is a serious problem. I’m going in."

Any trace of optimism vanished instantly. A fight between those two was a worst-case scenario. I tossed my notebook aside, lay back on the bed, and immediately dove into the Soul World.

It had been a while since I’d last entered this place. The Soul World was vast—large enough to be considered an entirely separate dimension. I’d remodeled it to ensure the Summoned Beasts could live comfortably, resulting in a patchwork of their original landscapes. It was a strange world that now contained its own mountain ranges and oceans.

"If they’re fighting, I assume they’re at the Arena we built recently?"

"Y-yes. Hop on, Master."

According to the rules we’d established a while back, any serious infighting had to be settled at the Arena. Because I remembered that, I didn't have to waste time wandering through this massive world. I hopped onto Luna’s back and we sped toward the coordinates, but the scene waiting for us was...

"I am absolutely not backing down! Why don't you stop pretending to be his older sister already? You're just a knock-off who crawled out of the woodwork!"

"I am Reima-kun's big sister! You're the one who's just a total good-for-nothing!"

I had no idea what the root cause was, but the two highest-ranking members of my contracted roster were currently locked in a heated verbal spat. If it ended with just words, I’d be fine with it, but I knew for a fact it wouldn't. I had to stop them before the actual combat started.

"Baal, what’s the situation?"

"You have arrived, my Lord!"

"Yeah, yeah... Anyway, why are they fighting?"

I looked toward Baal, who was standing nearby protecting the other Summoned Beasts. When I spoke, he snapped his gaze toward me, looking like he was on the verge of tears of relief. Near his feet lay a boy in girl's clothing, sporting two golden horns and a gothic lolita outfit. He was battered and near death, yet he wore a strangely satisfied expression.

"Uh... what happened to him?"

"I do not know. He was already in this state when I arrived."

He’s probably the catalyst, I thought. "Just hang him up somewhere, or let Cerberus use him as a chew toy."

As far as I could tell, there wasn't any other collateral damage yet. I cast a quick [Water Magic] spell, splashing it over the boy to bring him back to his senses.

"Ugh... where am I?"

"Are you awake, Bicorn? Now tell me—what did you do?"

"Ah, Master! Listen to me! Those two are being horrible! All I did was a little purity-shaming and they beat me to a pulp!"

As a Bicorn—a creature that presided over impurity—I suppose he found their behavior "unforgivable," but that was no excuse for his big mouth. Of all the people to taunt, why did he have to pick those two? Is he actually an idiot?

"It's your own fault. I’m giving you to Cerberus so he can swing you around for a bit."

"Wait, what? But all I did was tease them!"

"Good grief. Knowing you, you probably remember exactly what you said, right?"

"Hold on, let me think... well, I wanted to set a 'naughty' mood, so I went over to Merli and said, 'Hey, for a Succubus, you're just a total scrub of an Ero-elf with a title who can't even seduce one guy~' or something like that."

"Enough. I’ve heard enough. It's definitely your fault."

"Eeeh? But I think they’re the ones in the wrong for not attacking you, Master! Maintaining this 'pure' equilibrium forever is just weird to someone like me who loves impurity. It’s already so—"

The Bicorn tried to finish his sentence, but his words were cut short by an axe flying in from parts unknown. Disaster was averted by the Bicorn getting flattened under the weight of the weapon.

If he’d kept talking, things would have gotten truly dangerous. Judging by the shape of the axe, I surmised that Asterios had done me a silent favor.

"That's enough talk! It’s time for a physical showdown!"

"Fine by me!"

While I’d been dealing with the Bicorn, the situation between the girls had escalated. Both of them had already readied their respective weapons.

"The winner gets to spoil Reima-kun!"

"If I win, I’m keeping him all to myself for an entire day!"

Wait, is that really what this is about?

The thought only lasted for a second. Before I could even sigh, hundreds of magic circles deployed across the sky. The war between the world's strongest Magician and its mightiest Phantasmal Beast had begun.