"I will not let you see Fia-sensei. I will not let you pass further than this..." Having made that declaration, Noin-san did not move into a combat stance. Instead, she removed her armored mask, set her Japanese sword aside, and dropped to the ground, placing her hands before her in a formal prostration.
"What are you...?"
"I beg of you, Kaito-san. Please, do not involve yourself in this matter any further."
Still in the posture of dogeza, Noin-san pleaded with me in a voice that sounded truly pained.
Of course, I couldn't simply accept that and walk away, but faced with the sight of her pressing her head against the ground in desperation, I found myself at a total loss for words.
"...May I ask why?"
"...If you speak with Fia, she will be deeply wounded."
"...What does that mean?"
"You saved Chrome-sama. For that, I am grateful from the bottom of my heart. However, at the same time, you are... the existence who accomplished exactly what Fia could not."
When she said that, I had no rebuttal. In the end, it wasn't as if I had set out to save Kuro with that specific intention. Even so, the result remained that I was the one who managed to release her from her long-standing curse.
While I took pride in that, I finally understood. To Fia-sensei, my very existence served as a reminder of her own powerlessness.
"...Fia has been suffering for hundreds of years. On and on, without end. She has spent centuries weeping, apologizing to victims who are long gone, and driving herself into a corner in the name of atonement."
"..."
"Fia should be allowed to be forgiven by now. And yet, she refuses to stop. She will never forgive herself. She will continue to suffer forever... So please, do not corner her any more than she already is. Please, just leave her be... I beg of you."
"..."
I left the street where the church stood and began walking with no destination in mind.
My exchange with Noin-san replayed in my head, refusing to fade.
...Perhaps my outlook had been too naive.
I had assumed that if I could just convince Fia-sensei and arrange a meeting with Kuro, everything would be resolved.
But Noin was right; that might only serve to hurt Fia-sensei even more. It might plunge her into a suffering even deeper than the one she already endured.
I had wanted to handle this as peacefully as possible. However, Noin-san had stood in my path. If I tried to reach Fia-sensei, a confrontation with Noin-san was inevitable. There was no way to settle this quietly anymore.
Maybe I should just let it go. I was an outsider, after all. My desire to see Fia-sensei and Kuro reconcile was likely nothing more than a self-indulgent, selfish whim.
Kuro and Fia-sensei had both said they wouldn't meet. There was no reason for me to keep meddling.
I should just give up... and yet, damn it... why did it feel so wrong?
I really didn't know what to do anymore.
"Yes! Thank you for your business. Here are your Super Spicy Cookies."
"..."
Walking with my head down, I heard a familiar voice and reflexively looked up.
My eyes met with someone I knew, and her face immediately twisted into a look of pure loathing.
The only person I knew who would have such a harsh reaction was the Calamity God I’d met in the Hydra Kingdom—Shia-san.
"...Shia-san."
"Tch."
There was that merciless click of the tongue.
Shia-san glared at me, then spoke in an irritated tone.
"...What is with that pathetic look on your face? It’s irritating just to look at you. If you have a reason for it, spit it out. It’s probably something stupid, but I’ll at least listen."
"..."
Her voice was thick with annoyance, but wait... Was this her way of saying, "You look depressed, what's wrong? Do you want to talk about it?"
As always, her kindness was incredibly difficult to parse.
"U-Um, well, would it be alright if I asked for your advice?"
"Tch."
"Oh, uh, if you're busy, I don't mean to—"
"What are you standing there for? Get over here. There's a bench in that plaza. I’m not a woman with time to waste, so keep it brief."
Right. Despite all her complaining, it seemed she was going to listen.
I followed Shia-san to a nearby bench, and after we sat down side-by-side, I began to explain the situation.
Since I wasn't sure how much she knew, I started vaguely by mentioning a doctor named Fia-sensei. When she cut me off with, "Ah, you mean the former Demon King," I realized she knew the score and told her everything.
I told her about Fia-sensei, about Kuro, and about Noin-san... and about how I had no idea what the right path was.
When I finished, Shia-san looked thoroughly bored.
"...Are you an idiot? The First Hero is a massive fool who's beyond hope, but you are even worse."
"Ugh... I know it's a stupid thing to worry about..."
"That's not it. I’m asking just how much a mere human thinks he can overestimate himself."
"What!?"
Shia-san glared at me with cold, sharp eyes as she delivered a stinging reprimand.
"Do you honestly think you can save everyone? That you can save every single person you decide you want to save? Don't get cocky. You are an insignificant existence. On your own, you can't accomplish anything of value."
"I know that..."
"If you know that, then why are you sitting here all alone?"
"Eh?"
"...You are small. But if you truly wanted to, you possess the power to change the very foundations of this world. Why don't you use it?"
"T-That’s..."
In other words, she was asking me why I wasn't relying on the Six Kings or the Supreme Gods. Why wasn't I asking those around me for help?
Truthfully, I didn't want to involve the Six Kings because they were Fia-sensei's family.
But why was that? Ah, that was it... I had known from the start that this would result in hurting Fia-sensei, even before Noin-san pointed it out.
As that realization hit me, Shia-san suddenly grabbed me by the collar and glared into my face.
"...Stop being so soft. You’ve been an outsider from the beginning, and on top of that, the situation is incredibly delicate. There is no such thing as a clean, peaceful solution."
"!"
"So, what will you do? Will you keep playing the saint, putting on a hypocritical face while looking for a 'peaceful' way out? Or will you bare your fangs to force your will through, even if it means getting covered in mud? Decide for yourself!"
"...Shia-san."
"Are you a pure, peaceful saint? Or are you a greedy, ugly beast?"
She let go of my collar and stood up from the bench.
Watching her, I felt the fog in my mind begin to lift.
She was right. I had been an outsider from the very start, and this whole thing was born from my own selfishness. I wanted Kuro and Fia-sensei to make up. I didn't want to see Kuro look sad anymore. It was a completely self-serving desire.
So, what should I do? This was my selfish wish, and there was an obstacle in my way. The answer was simple.
"...I've wasted too much time. Go ahead and mope on your own."
"Shia-san!"
"Hmm? Is there something else?"
I called out loudly to stop her as she tried to walk away.
When she turned around, I stood up and gave her a deep bow.
"Thank you very much!"
"...Hmph. So that’s how it is?"
"...Yes. It seems I’m the greedy, ugly beast after all. I want Fia-sensei and Kuro to meet again... No, I’m going to make them meet again, even if I have to use force."
"And will you borrow the power of the Six Kings?"
"...No. I decided from the start not to involve them. As for the Supreme Gods, I don't know the extent of their history with Fia-sensei, so I won't ask them either."
"Well, that’s certainly arrogant of you. Then how do you plan to break past the First Hero?"
Her tone was challenging, but I could sense a trace of kindness beneath it. It was as if she already knew what I was going to say.
"I can't get past Noin-san to reach Fia-sensei on my own... So, please! Lend me your strength!"
I raised my head only to bow deeply again, asking for her help.
I knew Shia-san had no personal history with Fia-sensei and only knew of her, and her power was more than enough for the task.
Shia-san remained silent for a moment, then spoke with a hint of amusement in her voice.
"...Hmph. You look much better than you did a few minutes ago."
"Then...!"
I looked up to see a faint smile on her lips. She reached her hand out toward me.
"Very well, Kaito. I am a merciful goddess, after all. If you’re willing to bow your head and ask for power, I shall grant it!"
For the first time, she called me by my name as she readily agreed to help.
Dear Mother, Father—it turns out I’m neither a righteous saint nor a clever man who knows when to quit. I’m going to see my selfish wish through to the end and drag Fia-sensei in front of Kuro. The situation is simple. If Noin-san stands in my way, then I will break through from the front.