"You... how did you get here?" I asked, stunned by the divine presence standing in the sky above us, looking down at us and Mir.
"Really, how troublesome. I thought hiding him in another world would make him unreachable," Mir said with a lightness in her voice, contrasting the tense atmosphere.
However, upon closer inspection, there was a hint of nervousness in her demeanor. Despite her legendary strength, feared even by the gods, she seemed to be afraid of Eleona.
"Did you really think hiding him in another world would prevent me from finding him? There is no place I cannot reach..." Eleona declared, stepping lightly onto the ground. The overwhelming aura she exuded sent shivers down my spine.
"I thought I had covered all traces of him so thoroughly... How did you find him?" Mir wondered aloud.
Whoosh! Dark flames appeared in Mir's delicate hand, a menacing magic that seemed capable of snatching life itself.
It was clear she viewed Eleona as a foe, needing no conversation to confirm it.
"I couldn't sense Harold through normal means... So, the foolish dragon resorted to annoying tricks, did it?" Eleona mused, nodding her head as if understanding something.
"And so, I used a simple but certain method... searching through all worlds," she revealed. "Not just the other world but this world too, from beginning to end. I meticulously scanned everything, leaving nothing unexamined."
The idea of searching the entirety of all worlds to find me was beyond my comprehension. To me, even one world felt vast and immeasurable, sending a chill down my spine.
"I've come to reclaim what's mine... my happiness, which I found after scouring every corner of every world," Eleona declared determinedly.
"Tch, such a brute-force method," Mir scoffed, unimpressed, as she cautiously watched Eleona. "Harold is mine now... This situation is the culmination of all my efforts... Did you think I would let it go to waste?" Mir's eyes darkened, emitting a fierce intensity capable of swallowing anything into the void.
"I will claim my one true knight... If you refuse, I'll tear this world apart to take him back," Eleona declared, her presence overwhelming, like a raging storm.
"Do you think your threats will work on me? I will never hand him over... Even if the world crumbles and nothing remains, I'll keep him," Mir responded, intensifying the dark flames in her hand.
Mir and Eleona... neither seemed willing to give an inch. The atmosphere suggested that if left alone, they might clash violently, possibly destroying my world.
My survival instinct screamed at me to intervene.
"Then I shall take your life along with him... Foolish dragon," Eleona threatened.
"Come at me, goddess... As in the past, I will annihilate a god," Mir retorted.
At that critical moment, when the god and the ancient dragon were ready to strike each other...
"Wait a minute!!" I mustered all my courage to shout, interrupting the impending clash.
Startled, they both turned their attention to me, their hostility slightly easing, replaced by surprise.
If I had hesitated even a moment, I would have been caught in the crossfire, possibly destroyed by their conflict.
"How about trying to solve this through conversation? If you start fighting, I'll be the first one in danger..."
To my relief, my plea seemed to work. The hatred between them gradually subsided, evidenced by the fading flames in Mir's hand.
An uncomfortable silence descended. They were still wary of each other, but their unwillingness to act openly because of me changed the dynamics of the situation. "Perhaps realizing my existence a bit late, they both seemed confused with various thoughts... Despite wanting to tear each other apart, neither wanted to harm an innocent like me. They stood still, their expressions complex and changing.
"Ugh...
"Tch..."
Fortunately, the dragon and the goddess calmed down, though they still harbored resentment in their gazes. They agreed to postpone their final showdown.
"We'll settle this later... I'll make sure you face judgment for stealing what belongs to a god," Eleona declared.
"I, too, will face you before my life ends," Mir responded.
Though the situation ended somewhat amicably, I felt a sense of relief that I had managed to diffuse it somewhat.
"My knight, are you alright?" Eleona asked, concerned.
With a wave of her hand, the black chains binding me shattered, and I was finally free.
"Yes, I'm okay... Thankfully, it didn't end in a fight."
I emphasized how fortunate it was that they didn't clash. Getting up, I felt a sense of relief.
"Sorry... for keeping you tied up," Mir apologized, her reason returning.
"It's okay." I tried to comfort her, though my wrists still felt sore.
"Thank you... You're always so kind..." Mir suddenly praised me, shyly wrapping her left arm with her right.
"Um... Uh..." I stammered, feeling an awkward tension between us.
"Cough... To dare to commit adultery in front of your master... You're quite bold, aren't you?" Eleona interrupted, unable to stand the atmosphere and looked at me with discontent.
"Sorry, goddess, but I am your servant... How could I ever betray you?" I hastily flattered Eleona. "Hmph... Easy to say... But it seems my words happy her; her cheeks slightly reddened with an air of shyness around her."
"Harold...?" Mir's attitude softened again, creating a tricky situation. Calming one seemed to agitate the other – a truly challenging predicament.
"It's been a long talk... Let's skip the trivialities... Choose, my knight. What do you desire? Do you wish to stay in this world where you originally belonged, or in the world where I exist?" Eleona asked, cutting straight to the point. She seemed to be trying to resolve the issue through discussion, giving me the choice to make a decision.
Both waited silently for my response.
I locked eyes with Eleona for a moment, sensing her worry that I might choose to stay in my current life.
"I choose..."
But that was needless worry. Eleona didn't understand my situation here. If I truly wanted to stay, I wouldn't even be in this room.
Turning to Mir, I was met with a mournful yet pleading gaze, as if she was begging me not to say anything.
Regrettably, my choice was already made.
"Goddess...? Can you bring me back to that world?"
I asked solemnly, and Eleona's demeanor brightened instantly, her face blossoming into a smile.
"You've chosen well, my knight! I'll send you back immediately!"
As she finished speaking, Eleona clasped her hands, beginning to cast a spell. The room started to fill with a peaceful and bright white light. In the end, I chose to return to that world.
To be honest, the thought of just a brief meeting was somewhat unsatisfying. It had been a while since I vanished, and I was eager to send my regards to them. However, there stood Eleona, her face clouded with sadness, her head bowed. Perhaps the situation turning out this way made me think this, but I could somewhat understand Mir's feelings. To go through all this trouble just for me... and then to be not chosen... It made her seem pitiable.
Softly, without realizing, I found my hand resting on Mir's head.
"Harold?"
I began to gently stroke her hair repeatedly. I couldn't fathom the weight of her sorrow, but I wanted to ease her heart if possible.
"The behavior from earlier is off-limits, but if you wish, I'll comfort you within reasonable limits. After all, you did all this for me."
"....!!"
At my suggestion, her eyes widened, and then the atmosphere began to lighten. She beamed a joy-filled smile.
"Thank you!"
Her gratitude, though brief, was heartfelt. She hugged me.
"You really are the kindest person I've ever met..."
Suddenly, the sweet scent of her hair wafted up to my nose, sending a tingle down my neck.
"Harold? Are you causing trouble again while I'm concentrating?!"
This time, it was Eleona who frowned.
"?! "
Although Eleona was busy casting the teleportation spell and couldn't move, feeling her sharp aura made me shiver.
"Uh... I'm busy preparing for the return, but... you better brace yourself once we get back..."
Those words sent a chill down my spine. It seemed I was in for some serious trouble...
Fwoosh ——!!
As Eleona finished her concentration, a brief burst of holy light filled the room. The place that had been a hotel room until moments ago was enveloped in bright light, transforming into a vast, expansive white space. Am I finally going back? Ironically, the thought of returning home fills me with a sense of peace, as if going back to my own house.
"Umm..."
At the same time, a feeling of excitement and nervousness causes my heart to beat faster.
"We're almost there, just a few more seconds and you'll be back!"
Bang ——!!
As soon as Eleona finishes speaking, my vision is completely obscured by light.
After a brief moment, my distant vision returns, and the surroundings become clear again.
"Am I back?"
When I open my eyes, I'm greeted by a dense forest, with Eleona and Mir by my side. The familiar structure of the forest suggests we're near Eleona's temple.
"Finally, we've arrived. Welcome back, Harold," Eleona says with a light smile, spreading her arms in a welcoming gesture.
The familiar place and Eleona's welcome elevate my spirits, affirming my return.
"All the effort to create that spell... and it all went to waste," Mir laments, her smile tinged with bitterness as she reflects on her futile endeavors.
Yet, she seems to have accepted the situation, feeling more disappointed than distressed.
I take a deep breath of the forest air, rich with magical energy – so pure and refreshing compared to the air in the human world, reminding me that I'm truly back in this world.
"...!"
I nod in satisfaction, feeling oddly elated.
But this feeling is short-lived....
An unexpected event occurs.
"Brother...?"
A tender voice of a young girl reverses everyone's expressions.
Including me, Mir, and Eleona, everyone looks bewildered, as if encountering something completely unforeseen.
"Where am I...?"
Slowly turning around, I see a familiar girl, rubbing her eyes as she gets up from where she had fallen.
In the midst of mediating between Eleona and Mir, I had completely forgotten that there was another person in the room.
My family member, who had been lying unconscious in a corner of the room due to Mir's actions...
"My body feels strange..."
But the astonishment doesn't end there. "Huh...? What's this strange sensation in my buttocks...?"
Her hair, usually black, was now dyed a stark white.
Perk!
Where there should have been nothing, animal-like ears had sprouted on her head,
Sway!
and she had nine fluffy tails, something no human should possess.
"Whoa?! Are these tails?! And they're attached to my butt?! What's with these ears on my head?!"
My sister, belatedly realizing her condition, panics and flails around in confusion.
"Brother...! What's happening to me?! Where are we?! How did this happen?!"
Unable to understand the situation, she descends into panic, screaming and bewildered.
This was truly an unbelievable scenario.
"Yura...?"
My sister Yura... she too had crossed over to this world.