Megiddo returned to Kuromueina’s home after an absence of several days. Since Megiddo was a battle-maniac who would rush off whenever he heard rumors of a strong opponent, it wasn't unusual for him to be gone for a while. However, it was rare for him to bring someone back with him.
Ozma, the man following in Megiddo’s wake, wore a dazed expression as he looked at Isis and the others.
"Yo, I'm back!"
"……Welcome home…… Megiddo."
[And who is this?]
"Ah, this guy’s Ozma. I took a liking to him because he’s pretty strong, so I brought him along. He’s a capable one!"
"……Er, hey. I’m Ozma. As he said, I’ve become Boss Megiddo’s henchman? Subordinate? Well, something like that. Pleased to meet you."
After introducing himself in a laid-back tone, Ozma let out a long sigh. He looked at Isis and Lilliwood standing before him, then at the gargantuan Magnawell resting near the house, and finally at Ein, who was busy with the cooking. Kuromueina herself was currently away, having been called upon to act as an arbitrator.
"……Haa. Honestly, it makes me embarrassed by how little I knew. I’d heard the stories about Kuromueina-sama, the Strongest of the Demon Realm, but I had no idea there were other monsters like this just lounging around. I can’t believe I used to walk around calling myself the strongest."
"Is that so? If it came to a real fight, you’d put up a decent showing against them."
"Maybe for now, right? I might not look it, but I’m confident in my ability to read an opponent. I’ve reached my ceiling…… From here on, I’ll probably only get marginally stronger over many years of effort. But everyone here—including you, Boss—is still in the middle of their growth, aren’t they? No, no, it’s a terrifying thought."
Just as Megiddo said, if they were to fight at this exact moment, Ozma possessed strength nearly equal to Isis and the others. However, Ozma’s power was the result of having already trained to his absolute limit. In contrast, Isis and the others were still far from their peaks and continued to evolve. Realizing he would likely be unable to even touch them before long, Ozma scratched his head with a wry smile.
"Well, whatever. I look forward to working with you all."
"……Yes…… Nice to meet you…… Ozma."
And so, Ozma joined their circle—not quite as a member of the "family," but as Megiddo’s subordinate. Isis smiled happily, pleased that their home had become even livelier.
Indeed, Isis was truly happy. The days of loneliness and solitude she had endured since birth had been replaced by such bustling warmth. She felt certain that these joyful times would continue forever.
Yes, and that was precisely why she had forgotten. Because she had hardly ventured away from Kuromueina’s home, the opportunities to confront the reality of her nature had dwindled.
She had forgotten the effect her Magic Power of Death had on most living things.
Sometime after Ozma joined them, Kuromueina began focusing her energy on the creation of a Magical Doll. This was no ordinary construct; she was attempting to create a Magical Doll that could grow just like a living being. Though it was an experimental endeavor, the development was proceeding smoothly.
[……Still, once it reaches this stage, it is equivalent to the creation of life.]
"Yeah. That’s why I don’t intend to do this recklessly, nor will I teach anyone else how to do it. I’ll only make one…… or three at most, I think. This also doubles as a Magic Theory Experiment for the Fully Independent Automatic Adjustment Formula."
Kuromueina nodded at Lilliwood’s words and continued her work. The body of the doll, which she had named "Zwei," was almost finished. All that remained were the final adjustments to the Magic Formula.
[Actually, is it even possible to produce a second one given the materials? Surely the core’s components aren't something easily found?]
"Yeah. It’s a Miraculous Substance that was created by sheer luck when several materials with immense Magic Power melted and fused together under an impossible amount of heat. Reproducing it would be difficult."
"By the way, where did you even find such a bizarre material?"
The substance Kuromueina intended to use for the core was incredibly rare—something none of them had ever seen before. According to Kuromueina, it was a one-of-a-kind freak occurrence, and its reproducibility was practically zero.
"……Actually, I found it during the restoration work back when someone scorched a third of the Demon Realm into a wasteland."
"……Ah~ er…… well…… sorry."
When it became clear that the culprit was the past version of Megiddo, he scratched his head with a sheepish, awkward expression.
"……But…… I’m excited…… for our family…… to grow."
[Indeed. I am quite eager to see what her personality will be like and how she will grow.]
As her family watched over the process, Kuromueina assembled the final components. Light finally flickered in the Magical Doll’s eyes, and her head tilted slowly.
"Good morning, Zwei. I’ve already pre-installed basic knowledge, but do you know who you are?"
"Yes, Kuromueina-sama. There are no issues with my knowledge. The members of Kuromueina-sama’s family also match the pre-existing data—!?"
"……Zwei? ……Are you okay?"
"!? Oh no, I see! Isis, no! Get back—!"
Zwei, having successfully activated, had been scanning her surroundings to confirm her data. But the moment her gaze fell upon Isis, her movements froze.
Seeing Zwei’s eyes widen and her face drain of color, Kuromueina sensed the danger and called out to Isis. But it was too late. Out of genuine concern, Isis had already moved closer to her.
"Hiee—! Ah—! No, stop! Noooooooo!?"
"……Ah."
Zwei scrambled backward with a look of pure, unadulterated terror, desperate to get away from Isis. Yes, Isis had truly forgotten. Since coming to this house, every person she met had been a chosen elite—individuals with rare talent and staggering Magic Power that placed them among the strongest in the Demon Realm.
Because of that, she had pushed the truth to the back of her mind. That her Magic Power of Death was a loathsome thing—a curse that invoked a primal, fundamental terror in the vast majority of the world’s inhabitants, making it impossible for them to even stand near her. Ironically, Zwei’s reaction had brought that reality crashing back down on her.
——Surely, one day, you too will notice it…… you will realize. And when you realize that you would have been happier staying ignorant, you will suffer even more than you do now.
She felt as though the snow falling on the Dark Snowfield where her other self stood had suddenly turned into a violent blizzard. In that moment, the words of her other self echoed in her mind.
??? "Well, I—Alice-chan—wasn't around back then, but man, that’s a heavy past. Fortunately, it’s already a settled matter that she’ll be saved by Kaito-san later, so that’s the one thing we can take comfort in."