Things had progressed so rapidly that, before I knew it, a banquet was being organized in the garden of Lilia-san’s mansion.
As for Megiddo-san, the catalyst for all this… he had disappeared, leaving his subordinates to handle the preparations with clinical efficiency. They didn’t seem the least bit concerned and went about their work at a brisk pace, but was it really all right for the guest of honor to be missing?
Just as that thought crossed my mind, a pillar of fire erupted in front of the gate once more, signaling Megiddo-san’s return. I couldn't help but wonder if he produced a pillar of flame every single time he used teleportation.
However, any such trivial questions were instantly incinerated the moment I saw him.
Megiddo-san was carrying three uprooted trees in one hand and a green deer even larger than himself in the other.
“Yo, sorry to keep you waiting!”
“...Um, Megiddo-san… what exactly are those?”
“Hm? Oh, this meat is incredible. And while I’m fine with just meat, I figured humans would probably want some fruit too, so I brought some along!”
He answered with a boisterous laugh, setting his massive haul down near the center of the garden with ease. His subordinates moved instantly, beginning the process of butchering the gargantuan deer with practiced skill.
“...Hey, Megiddo. Isn't that… a Forest Horn?”
“Huh? I don’t bother memorizing the names of things I eat.”
“...Did you get permission from Lilliwood?”
“Why the hell would I need permission from Lilliwood?”
As “Kuro” looked at the deer Megiddo-san had hunted, her face clouded with exasperation. Hearing Lilliwood-san’s name gave me a sudden, overwhelming sense of pity.
“The Forest Horn population has been declining, so she mentioned she was going to restrict their distribution, didn't she?”
“Was that it? Well, there’s no point sweating the small stuff!”
“...I bet Lilliwood is clutching her head in frustration right about now…”
Apparently, Megiddo-san had helped himself to the deer and the trees from Lilliwood-san’s territory without asking. Given his personality, I doubted this was the first time.
Deep within the forest that boasted the greatest expanse in the Demon Realm—the land governed by the World King, Lilliwood—the King of the Forest herself stood in a state of utter shock.
“...This is… what on earth…?”
“Ah, World King-sama! J-Just a moment ago, the War King suddenly appeared… He said he was hosting a banquet, so he’d be taking some fruit and meat…”
“...”
Listening to the frantic report from her kin, Lilliwood fell silent as she surveyed the scene before her. Several ancient trees had been ripped out by their roots. It was a hellish sight; uprooted trees lay scattered everywhere as if he had been picking and choosing which ones to take. Lilliwood’s body began to tremble, and she screamed into the void with an expression of pure, unadulterated rage.
“MEGIDDOOOOOOOO!!”
Back at the mansion, the preparations were complete, and the residents—including Kusunoki-san and Yuzuki-san—had gathered in the garden.
Just as Megiddo-san raised a massive mug to lead a toast, a tree suddenly sprouted from the garden floor. The wood writhed and shifted, taking form until Lilliwood-san appeared.
“Megiddo!”
“Oh, if it isn’t Lilliwood. You joining the party too?”
“I did not come here for a party! How dare you ravage my forest like that?!”
“...Did I do something?”
In the face of Lilliwood-san, who was visibly shaking with anger, Megiddo-san merely tilted his head as if he had no idea what she was talking about. Seeing this, Lilliwood-san’s fury intensified, and she fixed him with a razor-sharp glare.
On their end, things were getting heated… but with three of the Six Kings now present in the garden, Lilia-san’s mind had checked out entirely, meaning things were becoming quite difficult on our end as well.
“The trees rolling around over there are all the proof I need!”
“Ah, right… I took some fruit!”
“Don’t pull the fruit out with the entire tree!”
“It’s faster that way, isn’t it?”
“...Just how many times do I have to tell you to harvest them normally, you muscle-brained idiot?!”
“Hah?!”
“What is it?!”
The argument between Lilliwood-san and Megiddo-san continued to escalate until Megiddo-san’s voice dropped to a low, dangerous rumble. However, as a fellow member of the Six Kings, Lilliwood-san didn't flinch, glaring right back at him. A storm of magic power began to brew between them, making the very air creak under the pressure.
“...If you’re looking for a fight, I’ll take you on, Lilliwood.”
“Fine. It seems words are lost on you… We’re moving elsewhere.”
“That’s exactly what I wanted!”
Before the banquet could even begin, a duel had broken out. Realizing they couldn't fight at full strength here, Lilliwood-san and Megiddo-san vanished almost simultaneously via teleportation magic.
For the gentle-looking Lilliwood-san to get that angry… Megiddo-san must have done this dozens of times before.
While I stood there, stunned by the sight of the host vanishing along with the newcomer, “Kuro” spoke up again with a sigh of exasperation.
“...Sigh, this is going to take a while. We can’t start the banquet until Megiddo and Lilliwood get back.”
“...I suppose so.”
“Well, do you want to chat with me until then, Kaito-kun? Hey, hey, Kaito-kun, don’t you have any thoughts on my Magic Beast Mode?”
“Eh? Not really.”
“You don’t?!”
Since nothing was going to happen until those two returned, I decided to pass the time by talking to “Kuro.” She looked at me expectantly, fishing for my impressions of the beastly form she had taken earlier—which she called her Magic Beast Mode—but I couldn't think of anything in particular to say.
“C-Come on, surely you have something! Like, did I look cool, or was it scary?!”
“...With that many spikes, isn't it hard to move?”
“That’s what you noticed?!”
I couldn't help it. She had been covered in spikes from head to toe. I felt like if she tried to walk like that, she’d probably poke herself. My observation seemed to catch “Kuro” off guard; she froze in shock for a moment before speaking again in a flustered tone.
“No, no, but look, there has to be something else, right?! I showed you my Magic Beast Mode—something I’ve never shown anyone before! Don’t you have anything you want to ask me?”
“...Hmm. Well, can I ask just one thing?”
“Yes, yes! Ask anything!”
She seemed bothered by my lack of reaction and was practically begging for a question. Looking into those golden eyes that watched me with such anticipation, I decided to ask the one thing that had been on my mind since the moment she appeared.
I spoke slowly, holding her gaze.
“...Who are you?”
“...Eh?”
This time, “Kuro” froze completely. After a long, heavy silence, she forced a troubled smile.
“Oh, stop it, Kaito-kun. What are you saying? I’m—”
“You’re not Kuro, are you?”
“—?!”
Truthfully, I didn't have any concrete evidence; it was almost entirely a matter of intuition… but I was certain. The person standing before me—the one with Kuro’s face, Kuro’s voice, and even Kuro’s magic power—was not Kuro.
“...What on earth are you saying, Kaito-kun? On what grounds could you possibly…”
“I don't have grounds. I don't even know why… but you're different. You aren't Kuro.”
“...”
When I spoke with even firmer conviction, “Kuro” fell silent. After another brief pause, a voice that was decidedly not hers reached my ears.
“...I have to say, I’m genuinely surprised.”
“?!”
Though the appearance remained that of Kuro, the voice shifted entirely, turning into a familiar, high-pitched tone.
“This is the first time I’ve been seen through. I’ll have to re-evaluate my opinion of you… But for now, I shall offer you my praise. Truly magnificent…”
“...Phantasm King, No Face.”
“Precisely. My, my, I am quite impressed.”
The Phantasm King, still wearing Kuro’s form, began to clap as she offered her praise. It was unbelievable. Even now that she had been caught, I couldn't see a single difference between her and the real Kuro. The magic power I felt from her was identical.
This was a perfect disguise that not even Chronoa-san, a Supreme God, or Megiddo-san, one of the Six Kings, had noticed. No, it was more like a complete transformation or a perfect copy.
“Miyama Kaito. You brilliantly fended off the threat of the War King. I didn’t expect you to succeed so quickly. Wonderful… I feel quite proud myself.”
“...Look who’s talking.”
“However, I’m not satisfied yet. Show me more… show me your potential.”
“...”
Her voice was eerie, yet she sounded like she was having the time of her life as she smiled at me.
“But before that… I must provide a reward for you overcoming the Second Trial. Here, take this.”
“...What is this?”
The Phantasm King produced a small card—about the size of a playing card—from thin air and held it out to me.
“You’re going to visit the Death King’s castle, aren’t you? I suspect that will be of great use to you there.”
“?!”
This person was both terrifying and incredibly irritating. Information was said to gravitate toward the Phantasm King, and clearly, that wasn't an exaggeration—she even knew about that.
In fact, given her ability to disguise herself so perfectly, she might have been near me all along, wearing the face of someone I knew and acting as if nothing were wrong. As the sheer horror of her existence sank in, the Phantasm King laughed playfully through Kuro’s face.
“I have high expectations for you, Miyama Kaito… Continue overcoming these trials.”
“...”
“If you do, I shall eventually reveal it to you… the abyss you are meant to challenge…”
“?! Wait!”
“...Until we meet again.”
With those final words, the Phantasm King vanished like a puff of smoke, leaving behind a sense of dread even deeper than our first encounter.
Dear Mother, Father—The King who had slipped into my life before I even realized it. The Phantasm King, a name that perfectly matched the image of a hollow phantom—was a truly eerie existence.