Sirius, the swordsman known by the moniker "Six-armed Sword Demon," was undoubtedly one of the Demon Realm's premier powerhouses.
Yet, she never let her prowess go to her head. She possessed a stoic spirit that craved nothing but greater strength. It was for that very reason she understood her position so clearly.
She knew she was one of the few elites in the Demon Realm capable of holding her own against an Executive of the Six Kings. However, she also understood that she was still leagues away from reaching the Six Kings themselves—the beings who reigned at the absolute pinnacle of their world.
Even so, she had believed that even if victory was impossible, she could at least reach them with the tip of her blade.
"So... that is what I thought... but... damn it... Is the distance... truly this vast...?"
She lay flat on her back, her strength entirely depleted. She couldn't even summon the grip to hold her prized blades, much less stand. Her breath came in shallow, ragged gasps.
Sirius had challenged Isis, and in a matter of minutes, she had been beaten down so thoroughly that she could no longer move. Despite possessing the vast magic power and physical stamina to fight for a month straight against an equal opponent, Sirius had been exhausted to the point of collapse in mere moments.
The chasm in power between them was simply that immense.
(In the end, even while I tried to tell myself otherwise... I was conceited. I thought I had grown strong. I thought I had reached a height where I would never again expose myself to such pathetic disgrace... And yet, here I am... and after she held back considerably, at that...)
This marked the second time Sirius had experienced such an overwhelming defeat. The first had been her battle against the mysterious swordsman, the encounter that had become her life’s obsession and driven her to commit to endless, grueling training.
This was the second time. Sirius felt she had become considerably stronger than she was back then, yet the crushing weight of defeat she felt now was identical to what she had experienced years ago.
(Like this, even if I were to find that swordsman... the result would surely be the same. Ah, why am I so weak?)
While her own weakness frustrated her more than the loss itself, Sirius wrung out the last of her willpower to push herself up. She bowed her head deeply to Isis, who was watching her quietly.
"For accepting... my extremely insolent request... I thank you. I am prepared... to accept the punishment for my irreverence."
"...Punishment? ...More importantly... if our match is over... I will heal you."
"Wh—"
Isis held out her hand, bathing Sirius in healing magic. As her wounds closed, Sirius wore an expression of sheer astonishment.
It was only natural. From her perspective, her actions had been the height of disrespect. She felt she had no right to complain even if she were executed on the spot.
Calling it a "test of skill" or a "match" made it sound civil, but in reality, she had forced her way in. She had fully expected Isis to harbor hostility toward her, just as Polaris had initially.
However, the emotion radiating from Isis was nothing like that. It was a pure, simple sense of concern for Sirius's well-being.
"...I think you are very strong, Sirius... but... I feel like... you are a little... too wound up."
"Too wound up, you say?"
"...Yes... You remind me of how I used to be... There is no leeway in your heart at all... Even though you intend to move straight toward your goal... I felt like... more than anyone else... you are the one standing in your own way... That is how it seemed to me."
"..."
Seeing Isis smile gently as she spoke, Sirius wore an indescribable expression. Finally, she spoke in a small, hushed murmur.
"...He really did exist."
"...Hmm?"
"I do not know his name, and I cannot even remember his face clearly. But I certainly fought a swordsman who was overwhelmingly stronger than I am now. I have continued my training solely for the sake of challenging him again. No matter how much I searched, I never heard a single rumor of such a man... But he was definitely there."
Isis did not know the details of Sirius's past. From those words alone, she could not fully grasp the weight of what Sirius was trying to say.
Even so, she knew exactly what she needed to do.
"...I see... In that case... you will have to become even stronger... before you fight him again... I think it will be difficult... but do your best... If there is anything I can do to help... I will cooperate."
"!? You... you believe me?"
"...I have never met this swordsman... but... if you say you met him, then he surely exists... Perhaps... he is in another world now... Among my own acquaintances... there is one who came from another world... and Trinia is not the only world that exists..."
"...I suppose that is true. If he were a powerhouse of that caliber, it would not be strange for him to travel to other worlds in search of even stronger enemies."
Isis did not know the full story, but she understood that what Sirius needed most right now was affirmation and a bit of mental breathing room—the very things she herself had lacked before she met Kaito.
Sirius closed her eyes, remaining silent for a long moment as if savoring Isis's words. When she opened them, she bowed to the Death King once more.
"Death King Isis Remnant. I am ashamed to ask after having already caused you such trouble, but would you allow me one more wish?"
"...Hmm? ...What is it?"
"I wish for you to take me into your service. Please, let me join your faction."
"...Eh? ...Ehh!?"
Isis blinked in surprise at Sirius's sudden declaration. Sirius dropped to one knee, performing a formal knight's salute as she continued.
"Until now, I had no such intention. I have received invitations from several other factions many times over the years. Yet, I had no desire to serve anyone or belong anywhere if it meant sacrificing my training time, so I refused them all."
"...U-Um... then... why now?"
"It is not a matter of logic. My soul and my heart are calling out to me. They tell me that I want to serve you... I believe I have been captivated by your nature as a King, which I caught a glimpse of during our short time together."
Those were Sirius's honest, unvarnished feelings. The way Isis had graciously accepted her insolent challenge, her overwhelming power, the kindness she showed after the battle, and the words that guided her spirit—Sirius had found herself utterly charmed by the monarch named Isis Remnant.
"...Is... someone like me really okay?"
"I cannot imagine serving anyone else. I am still immature, but please, permit me to pledge my sword to you."
"...Yes... I understand... I look forward to working with you... Sirius."
"Yes! Lady Isis!"
Thus, Sirius—the woman who would eventually be known as the Heavenly Blade Star of the Six Stars—formally joined Isis's faction.
Serious-senpai: "You know, Isis really has matured a lot, hasn't she?"
???: "I suppose meeting Kaito and finding salvation gave her the conviction she needed to truly be herself. Now that her own way of life can guide others, it was only a matter of time before people started being drawn to her."