Chronoa-san’s words—the revelation that Kuro was the one who had instigated the war between the Demon and God Realms—hardly registered. My mind simply couldn't process it.
"I understand your confusion, but for now, I shall continue the explanation."
"……Yes."
Chronoa-san spoke quietly to me as I stood there, reeling.
She was right; I could process this later. For now, I needed to focus on her words and make sure I didn't miss a single detail.
"I speak with authority, yet even I did not witness the entirety of that conflict. I saw the moment Kuromueina invaded the God Realm and confronted Shallow Vernal-sama, but on my way to that battlefield, I was intercepted and stalled by Ein."
"……I see. So Ein-san was involved, too."
Now that she mentioned it, it made sense. Ein-san was the maid who served Kuro and was supposedly the oldest member of her family. It wasn't surprising at all that she had fought in that ancient war.
"I have clashed with her many times since then, but much to my frustration, we have never reached a conclusion. At any rate, the first reason I am wary of Kuromueina is that she is the being who once dared to invade the God Realm."
"……If that's the first reason, I assume there are others?"
"Indeed…… The second reason is that, ever since that war, she has been 'hiding her true form and power.'"
"Her true... form?"
Come to think of it, I remembered Kuro mentioning she could change her appearance at will. However, since I had only ever seen her as a young girl, I’d assumed that was her natural state. Apparently, I was wrong.
"You likely know this already, but she is capable of shifting her appearance and gender. She is what is known as an Amorphous-type Demon, but as a living creature, she possesses a true form in which she can exert her maximum power. Though she currently chooses the guise of a young girl, she took a very different shape when she assaulted the God Realm."
"What kind of shape?"
"……A monster of jet-black smoke, as if all the darkness in the world had coalesced into a single form. That is her true self. I will be honest with you: when I beheld her in that state, I felt the emotion known as fear for the first time in my life. I felt as if she might even be a match for Shallow Vernal-sama, the God of this world. In fact, she fought Shallow Vernal-sama and yet lives to this day as if nothing happened."
"……"
Shiro-san was the Creator God who had brought this world into existence. She was the closest thing to "Almighty," a being so powerful that Chronoa-san claimed someone of Ein-san's caliber couldn't even hope to oppose her. She was the undisputed strongest being in the world.
And Kuro had fought her and survived. I didn't get the impression that Shiro-san was the type to pull her punches, either.
"Regarding that battle, Shallow Vernal-sama offered only a single comment: she called it 'a draw.' She refused to say anything more…… You understand how difficult that is to believe, don't you?"
"……Yes."
In other words, Kuro possessed enough raw power to fight on equal terms with the Creator God herself. If that was true, then it was only natural for Chronoa-san to be on guard.
Kuro was a being who might actually be capable of killing Shiro-san. For Chronoa-san, who swore absolute loyalty to the Creator, such a person was the ultimate wild card.
"She almost certainly possesses strength that exceeds any of the other Six Kings. However, as far as I am aware, she has never shown her true form since that war ended."
"I see…… So that's why you’re so cautious around her."
"……The two reasons I have given are certainly factors. However, the primary reason for my wariness is neither of those."
"……Eh?"
I was confused. The ancient war and Kuro’s staggering power seemed like more than enough reason to be wary. What could be more significant than that?
"The greatest reason I keep my guard up is that the Demon known as Kuromueina is…… an existence shrouded in far too much mystery."
"Mystery?"
"Yes. No matter how much power the Six Kings possess, they are living beings with wills and origins. For example, the Death King was born from the concentrated magical power of the deceased. The World King is the spirit of the Great Tree, the World Tree. It is only natural for such beings to have a point of origin. And yet, no matter how much I investigate Kuromueina, I can find nothing."
"……"
"I have no idea when she appeared, or where she came from. She is an enigma, and her purpose is equally obscure."
"Her purpose?"
"……Indeed. I do not know why she invaded the God Realm. I do not know why she raises so many Demons and humans, calling them her 'fledglings.' Despite her child-like demeanor, she is incredibly sharp-witted and shrewd. She is not acting on a whim. She must have an objective, but it is completely invisible."
Kuro had certainly helped many people, and they loved her for it. Until now, I’d assumed she did it simply because she was kind-hearted, but Chronoa-san suspected a hidden agenda.
"……It seems even Ein, her longest-serving subordinate, does not know her master's ultimate goal. However, Ein once mentioned overhearing Kuromueina mutter something after she had finished raising one of those fledglings…… She reportedly said, 'This one was no good, either.'"
"……"
This one was no good, either. Did that mean Kuro was looking for a specific result from the people she raised? I didn't understand. I didn't even know what "success" would look like to her.
"……That is all I have to say. I know I have spoken much to alarm you, but the truth is that I simply don't know her. These are my own suspicions. In reality, she may be living aimlessly like a drifting cloud, without a single ulterior motive."
"……I suppose if there is a reason, only Kuro knows it. Speculating on our own won't lead to an answer."
"Quite. As I said before, I do not believe her to be an evil being. I did say I don't consider her 'pure,' but then again, there are no truly pure beings in this world—save for Shallow Vernal-sama."
"……"
Personally, I didn't think that spacey goddess was particularly "pure" either, but she’d probably be furious if I said that aloud, so I kept the thought to myself.
"Miyama. This is merely a warning. I have no intention of dictating your future actions. However, I have a feeling…… that you might be the one to reach the depths of Kuromueina's heart, a place that neither I nor Ein could ever find."
"……The depths of Kuro's heart……"
"Trust is a beautiful sentiment, but it can also cloud your vision. That is why I chose to show you the side of her that I see. Keep it in the back of your mind, but do not overthink it. You should simply measure her worth for yourself, in your own way."
"……Yes."
She was right. The Kuro I had just heard about was only one facet of the Underworld King as seen through Chronoa-san’s eyes.
What Kuro was thinking, and what she truly desired…… those were things I would have to discover for myself through our time together. For today, I would simply be grateful that I’d learned a side of her I never knew existed.
"……Ah, that reminds me. There is one other. A member of the Six Kings who is incomprehensible in a different way than Kuromueina."
"Eh? Someone different from Kuro?"
"Yes. The Phantasm King, No Face. Their goals are easy enough to understand, but their true name and appearance—and even their daily whereabouts—are a complete mystery. They are an eccentric who almost never appears in public, except during the Hero Festival."
"I see. I wonder what they’re like?"
"……A noisy, irritating nuisance."
Chronoa-san offered a weary smile and headed back toward the mansion, signaling that the conversation was over.
The Phantasm King No Face…… the Faceless King. Perhaps I would cross paths with them eventually as well.
Dear Mother, Father—Chronoa-san’s story was a series of shocks, but even so, I’m glad I heard it. I feel like I finally caught a glimpse of another side of Kuro.