A day had passed since the Founding Anniversary Festival, which I’d thoroughly enjoyed from the stall-side of things. Now, I was leisurely brushing Bell, hoping the routine would help me unwind and recover from the lingering fatigue.
Or rather, I should have been brushing Bell.
"Yo. Sorry for summoning you so out of the blue, Kaito."
"…N-No, it’s fine."
Truth be told, it felt less like a "summons" and more like I’d been abducted. Regardless, I looked at Megiddo-san, who stood right in front of me.
I was currently at Megiddo-san’s home—well, his castle, really—which sat adjacent to a massive Arena. Somehow, despite everything, this was my first time actually visiting.
Perhaps it was only natural given Megiddo-san’s stature, but everything inside the room was gargantuan.
"…So, what did you need to see me about?"
"Yeah, about that. Hang on a sec… Hey, Shaltier. You’re there, right? Is anyone else lurking around?"
"…There’s no one here," Alice answered from the shadows.
Hearing her reply, Megiddo-san nodded once, his expression growing uncharacteristically solemn.
"The reason I called you here today, Kaito, is because I have a favor to ask."
"A favor?"
"Yeah. I want you to… defeat me."
"Come again?"
Wait, what? That was out of left field. He wasn't asking for a sparring match, was he? Not "fight me," but "defeat me"? I had no clue what he was getting at.
Seeing me tilt my head in confusion, Megiddo-san began to explain, seemingly having anticipated my reaction.
"Well, to put it simply… actually, it’ll be faster if I just show you."
The moment he spoke, Megiddo-san’s body erupted in light, and his silhouette began to shift. Long, crimson hair flowed down as two great horns swept backward from his head. Standing there now was the figure of a glamorous woman dressed in tattered rags.
Wait… What is this?
This wasn't Humanization Magic, was it? I was fairly certain Megiddo-san’s humanized form was that of a burly, muscular man.
"Kaito, you probably know this already, but regarding my true form…"
"Wait, wait, hold on! This is the first time I’ve ever seen this form!"
"Hm? Didn’t you see it back in the God Realm?"
"Even if I did, I wouldn't have known it was you!"
By "God Realm," he was likely referring to the time during Shiro-san’s trial. He might have been present there, but without an introduction, I never would have realized that woman was Megiddo-san.
"…Anyway, so that’s your original form? I’ve got it."
"Yeah. So, about this form… To be honest, I can’t exactly use my full power like this. I’ve had to seal a part of it away."
"Seal it?"
"Yeah. I don't know how else to describe it, but there’s a Destructive Impulse inside me that even I can’t fully suppress. I’ve had it since the day I was born. In fact, until Kuromueina pummeled me, I spent my days rampaging through the Demon Realm, letting that impulse run wild."
As Megiddo-san spoke with a serious, pensive look, I matched his tone, listening intently. Right then, Alice materialized and plopped down beside me.
"Actually, I don’t know much about that era myself. It was before I arrived in this world. But from what I’ve heard, Megiddo-san once wiped out about a third of the old Demon Realm."
"It was ages ago, but that sounds about right. Unfortunately, I don't really remember it myself."
"Th-The scale of this story is just insane…"
Destroying a third of the vast Demon Realm? That’s a world-ending catastrophe. And if he was "ramping" until Kuro stopped him, I assumed she was the one who finally brought him down.
"While I was lost in that Destructive Impulse, Kuromueina defeated me. That’s when she sealed the impulse away for me."
"Whoa, you’re skipping way too many chapters! Why do you think I bothered showing up? Give us a little more detail than that!" Alice complained.
"I told you, I don’t really remember much… Well, if the story I heard from Kuromueina is enough for you…"
Heeding Alice’s complaint, Megiddo-san scratched his head and agreed to elaborate. It looked like he was finally going to tell us about his past. Honestly, I was quite curious, and I still hadn't figured out how any of this led to him wanting me to defeat him.
I braced myself to listen closely when—
"Oh, is this gonna be a long one? In that case, I’d like some tea. And some tea sweets—Ow!?"
"Alice, read the room…"
After delivering a swift clonk to the head of the overly casual Alice, I turned back to Megiddo-san and focused.
??? "Serious-senpai is bedridden from outputting too much sugar. It’s quite a shame, especially since the atmosphere actually felt serious for once…"