Chapter 465
The night sky outside the City... isn't so beautiful. Before the sky was blocked off, it must have looked like this...
Aoko Aozaki took one last deep breath, accepting the fact that her life was coming to an end.
The life force escaping from her lips transformed into bubbles, climbing towards the sky.
Then--
She encountered Fate.
Chapter 484 Erice: There's a cow!
The first signs were a glow unlike that of neon lights.
The sacred sounds of the Church could not conceal the bloody roars, the hymns of ancient peoples, and even songs with India flavor.
Various Melody from different eras rose and fell in succession, then gradually faded away.
Suddenly, Aoko Aozaki came to her senses and realized—
As her gaze focused ahead, a faint, slightly silvery, pure white light was approaching her. The surrounding seawater, as if imbued with human nature, freely swirled around the light, seemingly enjoying itself immensely.
Aoko Aozaki's consciousness gradually blurred again. After she slowly blinked, 'she' or 'he' was right in front of her, floating lightly in the water, with silver hair carrying a faint blue light.
The reason for this doubt was that the person who came was indeed the silver-haired Erice, but Aoko Aozaki felt that she was someone who looked different from Erice, making it hard to believe that this was real. However, for some reason Aoko Aozaki did not find it strange at all.
My heart has been pierced... I'm beyond saving...
Aoko Aozaki told herself that this was a hallucination created by her gradually fading consciousness, a hallucination manifested by her oxygen-deprived brain under extreme pain.
But at this moment, an indescribable, burning anticipation surged within the Witch's heart.
He opened his mouth.
"The situation is urgent."
'Silver- Erice' is calling out to Aoko Aozaki, speaking only to the dying Witch.
Let's leave it at that for now.
Even now, Aoko Aozaki has no idea what happened, but she still subconsciously tries to extend her fingertips, which have long since lost all feeling, to the person in front of her. Then she sees the three uniquely shaped lines on the Back of the Left Hand, emitting a deep red light.
I... have Servant.
This fact transcended everything, piercing the Witch's heart deeply.
Then.
When she opened her eyes on the bed in the familiar Western-Style Mansion, Aoko Aozaki didn't let out any cry or gasp. She just stared calmly. She suddenly noticed that her left hand was still outstretched—in the last moment before her consciousness faded, the Witch had indeed tried to grab that silver-haired person.
"Why can't Zeus in Greek Mythology control himself? He's always running around like a bull..."
Erice, who was flipping through a collection of Greek Mythology stories, saw Alice open her eyes. "Oh, Kuonji- san, you're awake..."
"..."
Aoko Aozaki Erice who was sitting by the bedside.
"Um, you fell into the sea last night."
Erice of Greek Mythology, pondering the words of explanation. "But thankfully, the Demon King saved you with my body. By the way, I've already reported to Police Chief Hijikata. He said that since the Flying Dutchman have been driven away, we can rest for a few days."
Actually, last night, after the Demon King went to rescue Kuonji Aoko Aozaki who had been knocked into the sea by Kundry, Erice suddenly lost her senses for a moment. When she came to her senses, she realized that she was holding the unconscious Aoko Aozaki. After the Demon King explained, she returned to the Kuonji Western-Style Mansion and reported 'everything except Kundry and Hel's through the Night Watch Communications.
After all, words alone are not enough, and explaining in detail would be troublesome. That's what Erice thought, and the Demon King also thought it would work.
Alice's fingertips gently brushed against the hospital Patient Gown on her chest. The burning pain from the Holy Lance Projection piercing her heart still lingered in her mind, but the heartbeat throbbing beneath her skin was unusually steady.
"Thanks."
"No, you're welcome!"
Erice quickly waved her hand, "I only provided a tiny bit of assistance; actually, it was mainly thanks to that Demon King guy, oh right..."
"I know."
Aoko Aozaki narrowed her dark eyes slightly, glancing at the still steaming cup of Black Tea. "But you and he are very close, aren't you? And he can only appear by relying on your body, right? That's why I said that."
"It's alright, but the main problem is that guy keeps bothering me..."
Erice's waving hand suddenly froze in mid-air. "Maybe it's like a hermit crab and its shell? Anyway, I have absolutely no liking for that guy, that's the truth!"
Erice's hesitant will seemed to have been conveyed well. Lying on the bed, Aoko Aozaki unconsciously rubbed the Command Spell on the back of her left hand with her fingertips hidden under the sheets, slowly feeling the heat emanating from the Command Spell.
I'll just accept that as the case for now.
Then, the two of them fell silent and glared at each other again.
The atmosphere in the ward was inexplicably heavy, causing Erice, sitting by the bed, to think to herself: How awkward...
She couldn't wait for the Demon King to possess her so she could escape this atmosphere.
"You need to interact with more people; Erice, you're too withdrawn."
"Nonsense, I'm hated by Servant and I don't have Servant, how could I possibly have any human friends? You're just talking without Back Pain the situation."
"Kuonji doesn't have Servant either, right? Maybe you two will have something in common."
"The Information Network indicates that Aoko Aozaki has been staying here since the 1980s, right? She must be at least fifty years old now..."
Even in their Erice hesitated, "It's a bit... unpleasant to interact with Old Humanity of this age. Don't forget, last time we 'cheated' in front of her to participate in the Elimination Tournament..."
"No one knows what will happen before it happens, so there's no point in regretting it now."
"It's all because you forced me, you bastard! Just thinking about it makes me angry. Don't talk to me! Nothing good ever comes of talking to you!"
For some reason, even though she was certain that her internal conversation with the Demon King couldn't be overheard by outsiders, Erice Alice staring at her.
"... I'll go to the living room first. Miss Kuonji, please rest here."
Feeling a chill Erice stood up from her chair and walked towards the door.
"Thanks a lot."
As the creaking of the door hinges faded from the room, Aoko Aozaki's gaze slowly swept across the ward. The midday sun was streaming in through the window, casting shadows of varying depths on the rustic walls. Those light and shadows, which should have been still, moved slowly along with the large trees outside the Western-Style Mansion that were illuminated by the sun.
Alice raised her left hand and suddenly spoke, "Well, although I'm only saying it now..."
Her voice echoed hollowly in the cold house.
"You're still here, aren't you, Demon King?"
"..."
There was no sound.
Was it just my imagination? But the Command Spell Seals were clearly right by the bed and the chair; were they deliberately remaining silent?
Just before Aoko Aozaki was about to think that, she heard the voice of her conversation with Erice in her mind. Although she didn't quite understand it, Alice could hear their conversation after she woke up.
"Of course I'm here."
The sounds flowing directly into her mind seemed to Alice like poetry, reminding her of the Middle Ages classical poems she had read in her spare time.
"... Erice, does she know about this?"
One Servant, one Master – this is an ironclad rule in the New Era of Fr. It is impossible for a Servant to have multiple Master, and vice versa.
Therefore, Aoko Aozaki felt confused and somewhat guilty about the Demon King becoming her Servant. If that's the case, it means the Demon King himself was a Servant summoned by Erice, but he couldn't succeed because of the girl herself. However, last night, in order to save her, he chose to become her Servant...
"They probably don't know."
"Yeah."
Looking at it this way, it seems that she has done something to wrong Erice, Aoko Aozaki thought to herself.
"But it's better this way."
The next moment, Aoko Aozaki felt her body becoming somewhat out of control, and then she realized that her black hair had turned silver. "I didn't tell you beforehand that Kundry could Projection the Holy Lance... but don't worry, she's already left Akihabara."
"I see."
Aoko Aozaki murmured, not surprised because she had seen this behavior before in Erice.
"... You can no longer possess Erice's body now?"
Does this mean it can only possess my own body? I feel so bad for Erice...
"It's not that bad."
Novia, using the body of Aoko Aozaki, rested her hands on her chin and said, "Isn't there three characters in Goethe's 'The Demon King'? Since I am the Narrative Poem Materialization, it shouldn't be too much to include aspects of three people, right? The one next to Erice is the 'Demon King,' and the one who made a contract with you is the 'Child.'"
"But..."
Aoko Aozaki thought about it carefully and answered as sincerely as possible, "Wasn't the Narrative Poem Materialization just my guess from the beginning?"
Although Alice missed witnessing the battle Erice and Hel last night, she no longer believes that a pure Epic Poem Materialization could successfully defeat the Death God of the Age of Gods; it's highly likely that some strange elements were mixed in.
Who knows?
The Alice woman sat up and smiled naturally. "But I think this is a good way to put it."
"Erice, do you know about my injury?"
"She didn't know that I deliberately made her fall into a deep sleep at that time."
"..."
Aoko Aozaki remained silent, presumably lost in thought.
Just then, the silver -Alice, who had propped herself up, heard the sound of the window being opened, and a blue figure hurriedly flew in.
"Oh, it's Robin."
Hearing the Demon King so naturally utter Robin's name in his own voice made Aoko Aozaki frown slightly. Could it be that the Demon King had overheard her conversation with Robin earlier?
"Aaaaaah, Master! Why didn't you take me with you yesterday? What would I do if something really happened to you?!"
Perhaps out of excessive worry, or perhaps due to a lack of attention, the blue Robin Robin, who collapsed onto Alice's shoulder and wept, was undeniably Sorrow.
"Alright, alright, I'm still alive and well, it's nothing."
"That tone..."
Robin tilted her head and meowed, "You shouldn't be the master? No, you are the master! This is really strange, master, why is your personality suddenly so... Ah, I get it, the usual master would never be like this, your magnanimity really surprises me."
"Surprise?"
Robin was so frightened by the sudden shift in the topic to himself that he trembled with fear.
The chirping and flapping of its wings seemed to say, "There's no such thing," like a flustered student.
"There's no need for that. It's true that people's personalities change after a great ordeal, right?" The silver- Alice gently stroked Robin and smiled slightly. "Don't be afraid, Robin. After all, we've been together for so long."
"Waaaaah, Robin, am I hallucinating? Master, you really have become the Angel I've always thought you were! Although I thought you were before, now you're undoubtedly Angel even more, a gentle Angel! Not a cold one! Waaaaah, the Goddess will be so happy."
For Robin, the Angel is naturally Alice, Aoko Aozaki the Goddess is Aoko Aozaki's mother.
"Since the master is acting this way now, I'll strike while the iron is hot. I've said it many times: doing the same thing day in and day out is exhausting. Let's find someone willing to work tirelessly for the Western-Style Mansion! Preferably someone who doesn't charge a fee!"
"I feel like this is unnecessary..."
"Hey, Robin, I'm—"
Robin shuddered. "Master, why did your hair change color? Wait, why did it turn from silver to black? Could it be some kind of split personality...?"
Exquisite technique.
Having regained control of her body, Alice didn't hesitate to smash the Robin standing on her shoulder with one hand, or rather, to flatten it with one hand.
"Wait, Miss Alice, you're so cunning! You actually thought of using this method to trick me! It hurts so much, all the blood in my body is flowing backwards!"
After retrieving the Robin, the Witch expression was far from pleasant, turned her head and coldly glanced at the location of the Demon King that was transmitted through the Command Spell on the Back of the Left Hand.
Oh, right, I forgot to mention that.
Then, the Western-Style Mansion owner said in an even colder voice, "You cannot possess me at will, especially not in front of Erice. That is absolutely forbidden."
Through her conversation with Erice, Aoko Aozaki naturally understood that the girl actually carried very heavy feelings for the Demon King. Even though they hadn't established Master Servant, she had accompanied him for a long time. Therefore, there was no need for her to do anything unnecessary. Although she had indeed saved her... the contract signing last night was just a very accidental accident.
Although--
Aoko Aozaki pressed her left palm against the cold windowpane, seemingly unintentionally staring at the Command Spell on the back of her hand.
He is now the Demon King, or perhaps the Master of the 'child' in the Narrative Poem he speaks of.
But ultimately, it's wrong to steal a servant that rightfully belongs to Servant else, especially the granddaughter of someone who has been kind to you.