“…Well then, this time for sure… I will summon it…”
Princess Lily raised her hand, and fire danced in the air as it had before.
It eventually coalesced into a humanoid form, and the air in the room trembled.
It had no face, just a mass of fire in the shape of a person.
So this is the Great Spirit of Fire…
I don’t feel any heat.
“Did you call us? Princess.”
A voice like crackling, mixed with noise.
It had a mysterious resonance, neither male nor female.
I don’t feel any of the sacredness that one would associate with the word spirit.
Rather, it gives the impression of a rough mass of power.
I don’t know if this is because it’s the Great Spirit of Fire, or if other Great Spirits are different.
But, it’s just as Lumia-san said, I’ll know when I meet it.
The “something” I feel when I use magic has taken shape and is now in front of me.
There’s no doubt that it’s the same thing, appealing to my senses.
“…It’s not ‘did you call’… you’re playing dumb… you already know, don’t you…?”
The princess, though expressionless, spoke sternly to the Great Spirit.
“Are you referring to the incomplete one residing within that person?”
Incomplete…
So, she’s no longer human…?
But still, I have to say it.
I need to say it.
“…Please! Help her, please help her! Spiritification, while leaving her ego intact…!”
I desperately implored the Great Spirit.
Please, her—
The Great Spirit paused for a few seconds.
And then,
“If you offer a price.”
“A, price?”
Neither an acceptance nor a refusal, it demanded a price.
A price?
What on earth am I supposed to pay?
“…Why? …You never ask for a price… when we usually activate magic…”
“No, Princess. If you think about it, we always pay, don’t we?”
At Lumia-san’s words, Spike-san looked like he understood.
“Oh, I see. It’s magic power. But why do spirits seek magic power? They don’t need it to maintain their existence, do they?”
“Magic power is the power of the mind. Even after becoming a spirit, they are drawn to and desire something similar to their former selves. In the case of magic power, they use it as a price by converting it into magic.”
“The remnants of when they were human. When you put it that way, it’s quite sad…”
So it’s the nature of spirits.
However, the Great Spirit doesn’t seem to be demanding magic power.
That means…
“This time, we’re not activating magic. Since you’re sharing the power that spirits exist with, you’re saying to pay a different price, is that right?”
“Affirmative. Are you prepared to pay, no matter what the price may be?”
To the Great Spirit’s question, I,
“Yes.”
answered immediately.
“Wait, Katia! Even if you wait until after you hear what the price is—”
Lumia-san’s words were the last thing I heard before I was engulfed in the Great Spirit’s flames.
I saw the astonished expressions of Spike-san and Princess Lily, but there was nothing I could do anymore.
Even the princess makes that kind of face, huh…?
My consciousness fades—
When I came to, I was in darkness.
—Don’t tell me, did I die again?
…No, that’s not it.
I have the sensation of my limbs and body, which I didn’t feel then.
I also feel the ground.
Where is this?
“This is our domain.”
The same raspy, mysterious voice echoed in my head.
I don’t understand the logic, but does that mean I’m inside the Great Spirit?
“We are those who belong to fire… We seek vitality, passion, anger, affection… and conflict.”
Conflict…?
It likes to fight?
“If you desire our power, fill our hearts!”
I have no intention of backing down now.
No matter what it takes.
“What should I do?”
“Fight against the strongest one we have chosen from the remnants of our memories, and win. If you do, we will give you half of ourselves.”
“The strongest one…?”
Suddenly, light flooded the darkness.
A figure emerged from within it.
Click, clack, with a hard-soled footstep, it approaches me.
“Oh, I’ve been nominated. Wow, to think I’d have a turn even after death, as expected of me. The king of kings!”
He was a man about 180 centimeters tall with a sturdy build, wearing white light armor and a long cloak, and even a familiar black sword… He had a brown hair and the same orichalcum sword as me.
His fiery, glittering gaze captured me.
“Who are you?”
“You rude person. Haven’t you been taught that when you ask someone’s name, you should introduce yourself first?”
He seems to have a solid sense of self, to the point where I can’t believe he was created by the Great Spirit.
I was momentarily taken aback by his appearance, which was just like an ordinary human.
Since we weren’t getting anywhere, I introduced myself.
“I’m sorry. I’m Katia Myers.”
“I see, Katia. That’s a good name.”
“…Thank you. And you are?”
That’s a flashy red cloak, though.
I’m also curious about the black sword… Huh?
On the chest of the light armor, there’s a unicorn emblem…?
“I am Sieg Garcia Styx. The first king of the Garcia Kingdom.”
The first, king?
“Oh, isn’t that my partner? Do you have it now? It’s the best sword, isn’t it? How is it?”
I haven’t drawn it yet, but he seems to know even through the scabbard.
He recognized it as the same as the sword he had.
“Ah, yes. It doesn’t break, bend, or melt, and it cuts well. There’s nothing to complain about. …Were you the owner of this sword? I’m surprised.”
“I bet… Huh? What do you mean by ‘it doesn’t melt’?”
“Oh, that’s just something on my end.”
“? Well, whatever. Now, since I’ve been nominated, shall we get started?”
“Um, are you really the real king?”
It’s strange.
He’s too much like the image.
Too much like the image of the hero, the first king, from the book “The Founding Story” in this country. The publication of that book was after the king’s death… If he’s the real thing, it wouldn’t be strange if there were some differences.
Why does he look exactly like the illustrations?
“What, are you doubting me? …Fuh, but your instincts are correct. I am the crystallization of the image of the king that many people held. The product of the imagination of the hero depicted by the people, the ‘I wish he was like this’.”
“So you’re saying you’re not the real thing?”
“I can’t say that I’m not the real thing either. For example, you were surprised by this sword, weren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“In other words, it hasn’t been passed down to later generations that I had this sword. It may contain the memories of those who knew the real thing, or perhaps even the memories of the person himself.”
“My head is starting to spin.”
“Fuh, there’s no need to think about it so hard. Simply put, you—”
Sieg drew his sword.
It seems that the time for chatting is over.
The surrounding fire lights up, providing enough visibility for battle.
“You get to fight the strongest hero!”
Black sword clashes with black sword.
Due to the weight of the sword strikes and the difference in physique, I take a few steps back.
“What’s wrong! You won’t be able to keep my partner at that rate!”
The first king, Sieg Garcia Styx.
A hero who helped his father, the lord of Garcia, who had become independent from the empire, and played an active role on many battlefields.
After his father’s death, he inherited his will and established the Kingdom of Garcia.
He traveled around the countries to establish the Four Kingdoms Alliance, and after stabilizing the situation, he went east.
He did not retreat a single step against the large swarms of rampant monsters, and continued to fight until his death, greatly expanding the kingdom’s territory.
If I remember correctly, he was something like that.
I can’t let my guard down.
I pull out my Main-gauche and close the distance in one go!
“Oh, dual wielding. But, you’re still too soft!”
Ignoring the closed distance, he swings his sword while bending his upper body. So dexterous…!
I deflect it with the guard of my Main-gauche, but it leaves enough weight to numb my hand.
“What’s wrong, are you okay with losing!? If you die in this space, your soul will disappear too!”
…So that’s how it is.
The fire spirits wouldn’t want a fight where one’s life isn’t on the line.
I light my black sword with fire.
“—Oh is that the reason you said it doesn’t melt? You’re an interesting one!”
Sieg shows no sign of being upset even when he sees the magic sword.
He has tremendous courage.
“Here I go…!”
I attack Sieg with my two swords.
The sound of metal echoes continuously in the darkness.
Sieg continues to defend against the two swords with a single black sword.
“Haha, you’re amazing. In my time, there was no one as skilled as you anywhere!”
“Then… just, fall down… please!”
Despite Sieg’s words, my sword has yet to reach his body even once.
“A true hero is at his best when he’s cornered. Isn’t that right?”
Saying that, Sieg took a bold distance.
It’s at a perfect timing that I can’t chase after him.
…Skillful.
“I’ll bet everything on this one blow!”
Sieg released all of his aura.
A desperate stance without thinking about the consequences.
“…Are you an idiot?”
“Yeah, I’m a huge idiot!”
Aside from how powerful something like this is, it’s over if it’s avoided.
Just by avoiding it, the opponent who has used up all of their aura will collapse on their own.
“A king always has his comrades by his side. That’s why he can do something so reckless. His allies will always help him… so he can just keep moving forward!”
Sieg charges.
I have to stand and accept it.
The Great Spirit is watching.
But that’s not all.
“I don’t dislike pleasant idiots like that!”
It must be his charisma.
If he were an ally, you’d want to help him.
If he were an enemy, you’d want to fight him fair and square.
That’s the essence of this man as a hero.
I also increase my aura.
The sound of swords clashing against each other echoed loudly.
“DORUAAAAAAA!”
“Guuuuuuu!”
I blocked Sieg’s black sword with my two swords, one above and one below.
Heavy, a ridiculously heavy blow that defies words…!
I almost involuntarily buckled my knees.
“Uuuuaaaaaaaaaaa!”
But, I can’t lose.
I will definitely… definitely go to meet her!
I block Sieg’s black sword with all my might and continue to maintain my aura.
I wonder if I was pushed back about two meters.
Finally, the sword, stopped…!
“What!?”
Sieg shows his first sign of agitation.
I sweep Sieg’s black sword to the left with my two swords, which have no strength left.
And I poured all the magic power and aura I had into my right leg.
I’ve already lost the sensation in my arms from blocking the full-powered sword.
That’s why,
“!”
I throw away my swords and jump.
I twist my body and slam my burning foot into his face!
“Sink!”
I felt the cracking sensation of his cheekbone breaking, and Sieg fell to the ground spinning.