"Good morning, Master!! Even Hell has a concept of time! Adorably distorted though it may be! Now then, let us enjoy another day of our tour through the inferno—"
"Keep the eye makeup subtle. We want a soft, airy look overall. Nothing too gaudy; remember, Master is the star of the show."
"Okaaaay. Oh, look, look! An appliqué!"
"Oh, nicely done! Look here, mine is a masterpiece too!"
"So cuuuute!"
"...I daresay you are the first heroes in history to hold a girls' night out inside the Château d'If..."
«Lust. This, too, is indispensable to humanity—nay, to all living things. One could call it a primal urge, an instinct. After all, for a man and a woman, there is no other way. Yet, this is occasionally shunned as something wretched. Do you understand why?»
—H-Huh...? But isn't it a very precious ritual for conceiving children...?
(That's the thing. It is enjoying the sex, not the child-making, that is forbidden. To indulge in pleasure rather than the biological duty is the sin. It's non-productive, right?)
«Precisely. As long as one copulates, one must bear fruit. One must give it form. That is the nature of the act between man and woman. Therefore, intercourse without conception is a barbarism lower than that of beasts. Remember this well, Ea. Pleasure is merely the oil to facilitate the blessing of a child. Pleasure for the sake of pleasure is the very foolishness that constitutes one of the Seven Deadly Sins.»
—Y-Yes, sir!
(By the way, Ea, do you want children?)
—Mm-mm. For me, Fou... rather than being given a child, I want to watch the world that those children weave together. I don't think I have any desire... to leave something of myself behind in the world.
(...)
—I am fine just existing in the world. That alone makes me happy. I have the King, and I have my best friend. Together with you two, I want to watch the world I love and the lives of the people in it. If I can experience that 'Joy' forever, then I am fulfilled—
«—She harbors no wish to improve it. A love for humanity that can never be overturned, is it?»
(How precious...)
—Jeez, Fou! Haven't you been getting defeated a lot lately...!?
Lust
"...Is anyone... there...?"
"Hm—"
A voice, far too small and fragile for a prison, reached Rikka's ears.
"Wait a second. That was a woman's voice. What does this mean? Master isn't the only one invited here?"
"The only one invited is indeed the Master. With high-grade exceptions, only souls steeped in malice and karma gather here. That is the sole and absolute rule of this place! A covenant spun at the ends of Hell! —Hey, should you be taking your eyes off her?"
Avenger jerked his chin forward. In the direction he indicated, the Master was already charging headlong toward the voice—throwing a bow like a boomerang to slice through wraiths and shattering monsters with Pankration moves as she ran.
"If you claim the name of Edmon, do not look away. She overcomes our surveillance with ease."
"Aaaargh, honestly! Wait! It's dangerous, you know!"
"Kuhahahaha!! Yes! Run, run! We are that woman's Servants; leaving the menial tasks to our Lord would be a disgrace to our names!"
"Shut up! Hey, Maaaaaster—!"
A short distance away, the Master—no, the woman—was sitting on the ground.
Her hair was a beautiful, well-tended shade of peach, tied back at the ends. Her red eyes wavered with sorrow and helplessness, giving anyone who looked at her an impression of timidity. She wore a military uniform... unmistakably red.
And then—
"Huge..."
Even through the uniform, her ample chest asserted its presence. Rikka muttered the word instinctively.
"Not quite Artemis level, but still substantial! ...Are you alright, my lady?"
Rikka knelt on one knee, bringing her eyes level to begin the conversation.
"I am not a wraith, nor a monster. I am a Master currently learning about Hell for certain reasons. My name is Fujimaru Rikka. I am someone who wants to be your ally. Are you okay? Breathe out slowly, calm down..."
She put the Rikka Manual: 'Convey the situation accurately to calm the disoriented' into practice. Before long, the woman recovered enough composure to speak.
"Thank you, kind soul... When I came to, I was alone in this darkness... Is this Hell? It is terribly dark... I feel a chill..."
"It's alright. You are not alone."
Rikka squeezed the woman's hand tight.
"If you don't understand anything, why not come with me for now? They say company in distress makes sorrow less. I believe this meeting is a rare stroke of luck for us both. I will protect you, so won't you come with me, without fear?"
"T-Thank you...! Ah, what a radiant and kind person...!"
"Then, onto my back! Don't worry, one person is a piece of cake!"
"T-Thank you...!"
Hup. Rikka effortlessly hoisted the woman onto her back.
"Oh, wow! Oh... wow!"
"?"
"Master! Stop already... wait, who is that!"
"I have secured her!"
"Secured?! W-Well, if you're okay with it... What's her name?"
"...Name..."
The woman lowered her eyes apologetically.
"...I do not know... Nothing, nothing at all... Ah, my name, my name..."
"A woman without a name, is it? Far too fragile to be lost in the Château d'If. Like a leaf carried by the sea. —Is this the influence of a pure soul? Well, no matter."
"You talking to yourself and nodding is actually pretty creepy."
"—A woman stripped of her name and memories. In that case, you shall call yourself Mercedes."
Mercedes...? Rikka tilted her head.
"...Benz?"
"It is the name of a woman connected to a man who was once thrown into this Château d'If, stripped of his years, his name, his happiness, and his very existence."
"Mercedes..."
The woman named Mercedes repeated it slowly, chewing on the sound.
"Nice to meet you, Mercedes! Now, let's go!"
"Wait, wait! We're taking her?! Seriously? Really?!"
"Of course?"
"Nnngh! That confident tone makes my question sound stupid! Fine, fine, I'll protect her properly! Don't take your eyes off her!"
"Increasing our baggage? You have plenty of leeway, Master! Very well! Life is a journey of carrying unlimited burdens! One or two more women at this point matters not! Be careful, Mercedes! That woman is a human-shaped calamity who illuminates and swallows all who approach her!"
"That's a terrible way to put it!!"
"U-Um... pleased to meet you... Lady Rikka."
"Pleasure's mine!"
Taking breaks along the way, the three of them scattered enemies.
With scorching flames.
With repulsive black fire.
With leg techniques taught by Achilles and polished with Olga Marie that reaped everything in their path.
The Château d'If continued to creak until they dove into the Hall of Trials...
"Wait! And Hope!"
"What, all of a sudden!?"
"I dunno, doesn't it get you pumped up!? Like 'Sasuga Oni-sama', or 'Mate-shika'!"
"Kuhahahahaha! Indeed! Human wisdom is summarized in those words! You seem to have taken a liking to it, Master!"
"Wait, and hope..."
"Stop laughing! We're jumping in! I'll give the signal! One, two... three!!"
Rikka's front kick and Avenger's fist smashed the door down, and they entered while shielding Mercedes. Jeanne burned the enemies to ash, covering the rear.
—And so, the Abyss and the Sun wandered into the Hall of Trials.
"Kuhahahaha!! Welcome! Here begins the Second Judgment! Now, Master. I shall ask you."
Whoosh. Avenger spun his cape and faced his Master.
"—Have you ever harbored lust?"
"Eh?"
Rikka and Jeanne blinked blankly.
"Lusssst... what is that? Say it so I can understand."
"...It is a word that means desiring a partner."
Avenger's interrogation continued.
"Have you ever wished to touch the body of another who exists as an independent personality?"
"...N-Nnn... I always think about wanting to be a bride, but..."
—
Seriously, I'm definitely gonna ask him out! I'm counting on you, okay? I trust you!
Cheer for me! I really want him as my boyfriend! If you can set it up smoothly, Fujimaru, I'll make it work!
That bitch is the worst! Targeting the guy I'm aiming for... she should just die! Rikka, go throw away her bento. The nerve of her, making lunch for him!
Honestly, she's in the way... Rikka, you're my friend, right? You won't betray me, right?
—I'll go out with you. You've got the best face, anyway. And you look like you won't cause drama later.
So—let me do it. Raw, yeah? I won't take responsibility if you get pregnant. No way a middle schooler can take responsibility. Actually, the guys were rumor-mongering about you—
—You're a virgin, right? Not used goods, surely? I don't need a slut. Those two friends of yours... they smell.
Huh? What do you mean, I should stay away from him?
...That's cruel. Saying things like that about him... I trusted you... Did you try to steal him...?
—You traitor...!!
"—That is, not... really..."
She hadn't sought others very often.
She hadn't wished to touch others very often.
Because—if she touched someone, someone else would get hurt again.
...She had thought about it once.
She was born from a person who was her mother and a person who was her father.
—Why?
For what purpose, and how? Why was I able to be born...?
"Wha—"
"OF COURSE I HAVE!!"
A boisterous roar blew away the stagnant air.
Interrupting Rikka's answer, it shook the Hall of Trials.
"Wha-!?"
"Here it comes! Look, open your eyes! That is the thing that seeks to violate and trample you this night!!"
Whatever appeared was a giant of a man, rippling with muscle. Lightly armored, with short, neat hair and a voice like a yakuza living an honest life.
In his right hand, he gripped a man's romance. Generous, a glutton, a hero among heroes who knew no fear...
"Heaven and Earth, Great Rotation! It is the way of the world, of course I have tons of it!! What kind of brave warrior or hero harbors no beastly desire! If you say my way of life is a sin, then fuhahaha, so be it!! I shall stand here as a great sinner!"
"Takeshi—!?"
"Takeshi, right. The Pewter City Gym Leader."
"Be silent."
"I am! The head of the Red Branch Knights and the former King of Ulster, Fergus mac Róich, I am he!!"
He roared. He bellowed. The Hero of Lust howled.
"I love women, mostly!!!!!"
"'Mostly'?"
"What's with 'mostly'? That's all there is, normally."
The two women were confused. They were not amused.
"Look into your heart, do not look away. It is something everyone harbors, and thus no one can escape. To seek another, to tremble, leading to wretched tears."
He whispered slowly.
"The Sin of Lust—"
"—Sin?"
...Is it a sin? Lust?
Is one person seeking another a sin? Truly? Is it really—?
Ah, but.
Thinking of someone, and hurting someone.
Hurting someone, and wanting to be thought of by someone.
If getting hurt by those feelings is a sin...
She couldn't say she had no idea what he meant—
"What nonsense is this about 'wretched'!!! I hold them when I want to hold them, I eat when I want to eat!! That is the truth of humanity! That is the very zest of life!!
"Then go back to the wild. If you have no need for reason, there is no reason for you to be human."
"Hahahahaha!! Harsh words!! But it goes without saying!! Now is the time, now is the flavor! You there, woman! I can tell! You are worthy of respect, a woman difficult to pin down!!"
Snap. His drill-sword pointed straight ahead. At the end of it was—
"You mean Mercedes!"
"M-Me...?"
"To be specific, you are charming! Especially that well-protruding chest, it is truly fine!! I was chilled to the bone thinking I'd be drinking and sleeping alone in this dreary prison, but magnificent, magnificent! Tonight is the best! I! Will! Have! You!!"
Beastly desire became a masculine spirit and roared.
"Tch...!"
"It's okay."
Grab. Rikka shielded Mercedes.
"I will protect you. Don't worry. I won't hand you over to anyone."
"—Lady Rikka..."
"And you unknown lot!!"
He turned toward them—
"You are... that. Unnecessary."
"—And? We're unnecessary, so what? Neither Master nor I have any interest in beasts. We have already decided on the scenario for her lost virginity."
"You are in the way. I will kill you."
A curt intent to kill and rejection.
"I see. That makes things quick."
Shing. She drew her sword.
"Are you saying you will take my woman? I know. Ah, I know. You intend to take the woman from me..."
In an instant, the thing calling itself Fergus howled.
His mouth split open, his features became villainous, and he exhaled a vulgar breath—
"I said I will not let you steal the woman!! That woman is a thing for me to hold, to pin down, to devour!! She is unnecessary to you!!"
"W-Wait, didn't he turn into something weird!?"
"Hoh, is that so. It seems you do not know the Vision of Tundale. What did you think that was? That is no Fergus, Hero of Ulster. It is something encountered by the knight Tundale, who learned fear in the Middle Ages. The Beast of the Wardens, with jaws like burning hills—in other words! A Demon of Purgatory!!"
"The agony of the soul, the legend of Purgatory handed down in medieval Europe... Somehow, I know of it... Ah... the Lord once captured heroes who offered faith and behaved piously toward pagan gods...!"
"Ah, exactly! This is the Château d'If! A Hell where the absence of the Lord is proven! Therefore, they gather! Therefore, they squirm!! Even if all those unsaved gather here!!"
"Hand over that woman!!!!"
"Jeanne!!"
"I know! Get behind me! —Bring it on!! Men who don't understand Master's value deserve to die—!!!"
Jeanne Alter shielded her Master, blocking the Warden Beast.
"Well? Have you witnessed it? That is Lust. Wretched, repulsive, the pinnacle of selfishness. That is the sin. —What do you think? Knowing this primal emotion, what do you feel?"
"I—"
—Lust is a sin? Really? Is this a sin?
...From a place beyond logic, a voice spoke.
Deep in her heart, a voice spoke.
And—she recalled a certain scene. A memory.
I remember those faces.
On the way home at sunset, covered in scrapes and bruises, I remember the faces of a family of three passing by.
The father asking, "What's for dinner tonight?"
The mother laughing, "Curry, since you two love it."
The daughter holding their hands, smiling so happily.
—Because that sight was so beautiful, so pristine.
We passed each other, and I looked back. I remember watching their backs for a long time.
Forever, forever. Until the sun went down. I remember watching until their backs disappeared from view.
I remember... myself, shedding tears—staring after them forever.
It's a story from high school.
Back when I was the manager of the rugby club, I once asked them.
"Isn't it tough? It's amazing... every day, crashing into each other, running, crashing again..."
I asked them.
"How can you work so hard?" I asked casually.
And then, the rugby club members all said in unison:
"Because we're idiots! And because we've got a cool manager!!"
—I remember laughing out loud with everyone.
There was a guy who hit a home run for the person he liked.
There was an ace who scored a hat trick for his girlfriend, who he was so proud of.
Meeting at mixers, everyone laughing happily.
"Rikka, don't forget to polish your feminine side too."
—I remember.
"The world won't leave a good kid like you alone—"
—I remember the teacher's words—
"—Yeah. I understand."
Gaining conviction, she lifted her face.
"Lust isn't the sin. Losing sight of how to live with lust is the sin."
The grudge fell into the abyss. Illuminated by radiance, everything was absorbed.
"Because—'People are born because someone thought of someone else'!"
Someone loves someone.
Someone takes someone's hand.
Sometimes they might make mistakes.
Sometimes they might clash.
But... beyond that...
—An irreplaceable 'blessing' and 'life' are born!
New 'abundance' is born from the 'lust' woven by precious lives.
—One of the karmas turns into light.
"—Yeah! No matter the result, I won't forget this feeling—!"
Slowly, she raised Dōjigiri Yasutsuna.
—Gratitude.
Gratitude to the two who met.
Gratitude to the two who birthed me into this world.
—I am a bad child who couldn't live up to your expectations, but...
"—Mom, Dad."
—I won't forget that you gave me these feelings and this name.
Sending her thoughts to them, slowly.
"—Thank you for giving birth to me—"
Slowly, she drew the sword.
—Thank you.
Thank you for inviting me into this world.
Please watch me. Even if I am a daughter you never wished for.
—My beginning. I will definitely save the world where you two met—!
And then—
"『Mother』—Lend me your strength! The precious person who taught me 'warmth'!! —Minamoto no Raikou!!"
Shouting the name of the irreplaceable mother who swore to love her, she put her strength into a single breath and drew.
Without any resistance, the blade was unsheathed.
And then—the mother's maternity and madness dwelling within mingled with the child's gratitude and truth obtained by Rikka.
A mother's prayer, a child's innocent gratitude.
Receiving them, one of the Five Swords Under Heaven shone gold—!!!
"Jeanne! Avenger! We're finishing this! I'll create an opening!!"
Like a newly watchful mother, she leaped before the beast calling itself Fergus with lightning speed.
"Kuhahahahaha!! Very well! Run like a tiger!! Trample over sin and punishment alike and advance!!"
"WOMAAAAAAAN!!"
The Warden Beast swung its club.
"—I insert the blade here."
Clack. She tapped the flat of the blade against it, easily neutralizing the beast's brute-force sword.
"!?"
"The blade deflects. —I swing the blade here."
Spin. Holding the sword in a reverse grip, she thrust the blade into the beast's right shoulder with fluid motion.
"See, the flesh flies."
As if humming a nursery rhyme, she effortlessly blew off its right arm.
"GAAAAAAAAAH!?"
She carved, dodged, and hacked the beast to pieces with sword strokes like lightning.
If you defend, then that arm.
If you dodge, then that leg.
If you counterattack, then your soul.
What Rikka wielded was the martial skill of the mother dwelling in the sword.
When wielding this sword, Rikka was not merely a Master.
Dwelling in her body was a mother's love, a mother's half-lifetime. The crystallization of the desire to protect a child with love.
—Dancing beyond the drawn blade was the Mystery-Slayer revived in the modern age.
—Minamoto no Raikou, the living image of the person herself—!!
"Jeanne! Time for disinfection! Close your eyes!"
"?? —U-Understood!"
"—And this is the secret technique of me, Gender: Rikka! My strongest killing move that made the burly rugby and baseball clubs tremble! One of my Noble Phantasms, completed by combining Teacher's Pankration with the essentials of self-defense taught by Tamamo—!"
No sooner had she spoken than she slipped into the beast's guard.
"!?"
"Hmph!!"
Grab.
"—!?"
The Master... grabbed the Warden's crotch.
"Gender: Rikka, Female Hercules Killing Technique—"
—A stance that would make even the demons of Hell cry and beg for forgiveness.
Now, the deed of Enma descended—!!
"『Miccot ☆ Castration Strike — Ball Crusher』—!!!"
With the grip strength forged by Pankration and holding a sword, she crushed the magnificent tool and its additives with all her might—!!
Squelch. The sensation of two things crushing.
"—Got him!!"
—Simultaneously.
"⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛————————!!!!"
The death agony of a male echoed through Hell.
"Now!!"
"Kuhah—, ku. Kuhahahahaha...! I shall perform the coup de grâce!! As a fellow male, that was a disgrace too ugly to watch!!"
Avenger flew in at super speed, gouging out the heart instantly.
"—Hah!!"
Running up the knees, chest, and shoulders of the Warden Beast, which had swollen to three meters...
"Punishment, executed!"
With a white blade flashing chakiri, he took off its head in one breath—!
"Finish it!! Jeanne!!"
"『Roar, My Rage』—!!"
Ferocious flames burned everything of the Warden to nothingness—!
"Rain of Isis, there. Clean, clean."
She disinfected her left hand thoroughly.
—The Hall of Judgment, where everything had ended.
"Wretchedly, yes, so wretchedly the Warden Beast has perished. You have broken through the second trial."
Avenger walked slowly.
"Continue to learn and kill in that manner. Your soul will crush the darkness and grow strong."
"Yeah! —Hey, Jeanne."
"Hm? What is it?"
"—Someday. Will you meet my parents with me?"
Squeeze. She held her hand.
"I want to tell them. Will you give me courage? The courage to say, 'Thank you for giving birth to me'."
"—Of course. I have to make your parents take responsibility for various things, after all."
"—...Lady Rikka..."
"Whether you can reach that future depends on you! Only one thing is permitted!!"
"Yes, everyone, all together!"
"""Wait, and Hope—!!"""
—Overcoming the trial, Rikka advances.
Devouring sin, discovering virtue.
—The craving of the soul seeks the remaining four sacrifices—
"What did you do back then? That was a terrible scream."
"A secret ultimate technique to stop fights between the rugby and baseball clubs. A sure-kill move I served up to the rugby and baseball members who called me 'Gender: Rikka'."
"???"
"More importantly, what did he mean by 'mostly'? Is it something Master Guda didn't teach me? Like how he didn't teach me, 'Lord Rikka, please have a proper sense of chastity. Yuri and Shudo are not things to be learned, but felt'..."
"Master Guda?"
"Oh, didn't I mention him? Master Guda is my precious, precious person, as wonderful as Gil—"
"Mother believes in you, Rikka. I pray for and believe in your return..."
"I gotta make a mountain of Golden Rice Balls! I'll feed ya until your belly bursts to make up for what you lost, so come back, Rikkaaa!!"
"Yes, yes. And if the worst should happen, I shall cut apart everything—"
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