Episode 91: A Perfect Day for Four Men to Game

On the way home from school that day, Ayane mentioned she had some errands to run. I was walking back with Shiki instead when a message suddenly pinged on my phone.

It was from Kaiser, asking if I was free to hang out.

Since I hadn't seen him in a while and my schedule was clear, I invited Shiki along and headed toward the city center. We traveled in the opposite direction of [Valsia], eventually reaching a detached house tucked slightly off the beaten path.

"Welcome to my castle, both of you! Today, we play to our hearts' content!"

Kaiser was waiting at the entrance, looking restless. He greeted us with a wide grin the moment he spotted us. Apparently, his family was out for the day, so it didn't matter how much noise we made.

He led us inside to a room stocked with snacks and drinks. There, four of the latest game consoles were set up, complete with a full array of controllers.

"A game?" I asked, eyeing the setup.

"Exactly! I thought the four of us could tackle the hunting game that launched today. I even made sure to get the limited edition controllers for everyone!"

"Oh, right. Was that today?"

"You bet it was! I’ve been waiting a whole year for this release! Up until now, I was always a solo player, but now I have a friend like Reima. I’ve been dying to play this together!"

Kaiser spoke with a literal sparkle in his eyes. I had no reason to refuse, nor did I intend to, but I found myself slightly overwhelmed by his intense "let's play" aura. Feeling the pressure, I picked up a controller, logged in, and started creating my save data.

"Hey, Goro. There are four consoles, but who’s the last person?"

"Isn't it obvious? Master, of course! So, Reima, would you mind calling Master Baal?"

Right, he does call him that.

"Got it. He’s a quick learner, so he should be able to handle it... probably. Anyway—[Summon] Baal Wild Hunt."

Since we were indoors, I gave him a quick warning not to go wild. The Summoned Beast appeared in his usual butler attire—black hair with silver highlights—though for some reason, he was wearing an apron. He stood there with a metaphorical question mark floating over his head.

"My Lord—is it time for my debut!?"

The moment he recognized me, Baal dropped to one knee and shouted. Once I explained the situation, he pumped himself up and gripped the controller. He sat there, motionless, like a dog waiting for a command. The image was so vivid I could almost see phantom dog ears twitching on his head. I briefly questioned if he was actually a god, but then I remembered who I was dealing with and stopped overthinking it.

"Shiki, what weapon are you using?" I asked.

"Bowgun. I always stick with this."

"I shall take the sword and shield!" Kaiser declared. "A blade paired with a shield is simply the pinnacle of style!"

"My Lord, I shall choose the spear! My only wish is to protect!"

Perhaps it was a resonance between people who both used the archaic 'Ware' to refer to themselves, but Baal and Kaiser got along famously. Baal was a being who lived to serve, rejoiced in the growth of others, and found supreme joy in watching over the lives of mortals. When I had first met him in the other world, he had been utterly alone. Seeing him so happy just interacting with people like this actually made me feel a bit sentimental.

"I guess I’ll... play it safe and go with the tachi."

It had been a long time since I’d played this series. I used to play it constantly before I ended up in the other world, but my last real memory of it was from my third year of middle school. I was a little worried about whether my skills were still there.

"Alright, the hunt is on! Everyone have their gear?"

"Yeah. Let's do this."

Unlike our usual trips into a Dungeon, this felt like a normal day in my original world. It was nostalgic, reminding me of the hours I’d spent with Shiki and Ayane. Before I knew it, several hours had slipped by.

"Oh, right. We're running low on snacks. I'll go grab some more."

"Mu? In that case, I shall go, Reima."

"It's fine. I'm the one who ate most of them anyway, so I’ll take responsibility for the restock. You guys keep playing."

"But My Lord, such menial tasks are my duty..."

"It’s fine, really. Baal, just stay here and talk with Shiki and the guys. My eyes need a break anyway."

"If that is your wish, I shall comply! I will come to fetch you if you lose your way, My Lord!"

I'm not going to get lost going to a convenience store, I wanted to snap back. But saying it out loud felt like it would only invite pity, so I kept my mouth shut and left the room.

"So, Master Baal. How exactly did you and Reima meet?"

"I’ve been wondering about that, too," Shiki added. "I want to know what he was like in the other world. Can you tell us?"

The question from my Lord’s friends hung in the air. It was likely born of pure curiosity, yet I hesitated for a moment. However, since my Lord had told me to engage in dialogue, I decided to reveal my past.

"Sir Shiki, Sir Kaiser... are you familiar with the god known as Baal?"

"I am," Kaiser answered. "The fertility god worshipped in Canaan, right? Looking at the comrades my friend introduced us to, it was easy to see that 'Master' is indeed Baal."

"I'm always impressed by your trivia, Goro," Shiki remarked. "I don't know the first thing about that stuff."

"Hmph! Such is the extent of my brilliance!"

The two of them were close, trading barbs even as they listened. They truly cared for my Lord. At first—back when I was first summoned to this world—I had been wary of them. But now, I knew they would never be his enemies.

"Indeed. But are you aware that the god Baal has another side?"

"...Master, do you mean Baal Zebub?"

He was a sharp child. He grasped my meaning from that single hint. Sir Shiki, who didn't understand, waited for me to continue, but Sir Kaiser’s eyes darkened as he realized the truth.

"The formal name of the world where we lived is the Mythology Disposal World Mythologia. It is a graveyard of sorts, a world where the 'Original Texts' of every evil, every monster, and every so-called 'evil god' from every mythology are discarded."

I thought back to the day my Lord saved us. I spoke while holding the memory of Reima Kariya close—the precious Lord who had rescued those of us who could only exist as 'evil' and restored us to the path of 'good' to save the world.

"Baal was a unique case. I possessed two aspects: the benevolent god Baal Zebul, and the demon Baal Zebub. Because of the nature of Mythologia, I was forced to live as a demon for a long time."

The Lord of the Flies. The Demon Lord of Gluttony. One of the Seven Deadly Sins.

I was a god; I had memories of helping humanity. And yet, my other side whispered constantly, demanding I devour everything. It allowed me no sanity. I gorged myself, greedily taking lives until nothing remained in my wake. I had become an existence that negated the very fertility I was meant to preside over.

"That’s..."

"That sounds rough."

"Yes, it was agonizing. I wanted to protect people. I wanted to pray for their harvest. Instead, I spent my days reaping lives with my own hands. But my Lord put an end to that cycle."

Our encounter had been a mere coincidence—a subjugation quest for an S-Rank disaster known as the Demon Lord of Gluttony.

My Lord had accepted the quest. When we first met, I was mindless. I attacked him as an enemy, only to be suppressed by his other Summoned Beasts and defeated.

"That was the first time I spoke with him. My defeat allowed the erosion of the Original Text to subside, granting me a moment of clarity. For the first time in centuries, I held a conversation. And in that moment, I realized that if it were this man, I could finally be put to rest. I begged him to kill me."

I didn't want to take any more lives. I didn't know when I would lose my mind again, and I couldn't commit suicide, as the Original Text would simply pass to a new host. I pleaded with him for total annihilation.

"He flatly refused me. Instead, I was saved by my Lord and his mentor, Merli. I decided then to devote my entire life to him. I was saved, allowed to live... I would become a demon a thousand times over if it were for my Lord's sake."

"...Man. It doesn't matter which Reima it is, he's still exactly the same."

"Indeed. From what I hear, the Lord of this world was no different? If you would be so kind, I would like to hear your stories as well."

"Yeah, you got it," Kaiser said. "I'll tell you everything before he gets back."