Chapter 66

"I've caused a disturbance, I'm resuming my posts."

"Setsu, there's something I need to tell you."

In a completely white space, there was a young boy and a beautiful woman who seemed to be his mother.

I was floating, looking down at the two of them from above.

Where am I?

As I watched the two, my head began to hurt mysteriously.

It felt as if my memories were being forcibly dug up...

...

...I see, this is... my memory from when I wasn't Setsu or Yuki.

My past life, the one who made the glutton eat.

"Even if I tell you now, you'll probably forget... so, I'll engrave it in your soul."

The mother placed her hand on the young me's chest and began to speak.

"You are my son. Because of that, I think you will face many hardships. There will be times when you need to make choices, and times when you will have to take lives. But, do what you want to do."

Her voice seeped into me.

It felt as if I was being made to confirm each part that made up me.

"Knock down those you want to knock down, and protect those you want to protect. You will become strong enough to do that."

With a rather nasty smile, the mother said,

"But, in the midst of all that, you must keep one promise."

As she said this, she placed her other hand on my head.

The mother slowly stroked the young me's head and continued,

"You must take one human life and bear it until you die. If you don't, you won't be able to become... what you are."

For a moment, there was a noise, and part of it was hard to hear.

Wasn't that the most important part...?

"You can't avoid killing, and you can't kill too much. If you don't kill, your soul will disappear with death. On the other hand, if you kill too much, you will become just a sinner, and I will have to guide you to the afterlife. You don't want that, do you?"

The young me didn't understand what she was talking about.

Of course not, I don't understand it now either.

"Well, you broke the promise and killed two people, didn't you?"

"Wh-!?"

I realized that my consciousness had entered the young me.

The woman's speech was no longer from the past.

She was talking to the current me, not the young me, but the me who had killed two people...

"You, who have taken two lives, must be guided to death by my hand. Why you must... you don't understand, do you?"

"...Of course not."

"You don't have to understand. You're going to die here anyway."

The woman's slender arm reached for my throat.

Her hand was slightly cold.

This young body didn't have the strength to push it away.

Even so, I didn't struggle or run.

If this person says it's the end, then it is the end for me.

"...Don't make it too painful, Mom. I still hate pain, even at this age."

"Hmph... You call me mother even though you don't remember... Well, I guess you can."

"Even without memories, I can tell you're my mother. Even without memories, the fact that you gave birth to me, the words you gave me, the lessons you taught me, are all engraved in my soul. You engraved them, didn't you?"

The soul... honestly, I'm not sure if it even exists.

Still, I remember, even though I lost my memories from my past life.

I remember this person as my mother.

Deeper than my heart, deeper than my memories.

"Why did I forget... Was it because of you that I didn't kill people?"

"...I told you this story when you were in this body. It's not surprising that you don't remember it. But your soul should remember, right?"

I looked at the hand my mother had on my chest.

I see... you engraved it like this.

"...I broke your command, didn't I? So, I guess it's only right that I be erased..."

To be honest, I still don't understand the magnitude of it.

Why only I couldn't kill two people, I couldn't understand the crucial part because it was hard to hear.

But I couldn't resist.

Probably, even if I resisted, I couldn't win against my mother.

This person stands in a different place from us.

"If you're going to do it, do it quickly... can you?"

"...Haha! You're still my son."

The mother took her hand off me, crossed her legs, and laughed, patting her knee.

She was incredibly masculine and yet motherly.

"I could erase you anytime. Let's talk about the past. I can't make you recover the memories you lost, but I'll tell you about the life you had with me... no, with the family."

"...Okay, please."

If this is the end, I want to hear about myself.

About when I was human.

...

...It doesn't matter anymore.

The rest, those people... everything...

...It doesn't matter anymore.

"〈Flying Spear〉!"

From Saiga's thrusting spear, a magical thrust shot out.

Shironeko twisted her body to dodge it and entered his guard.

...

...As expected, she's fast.

Saiga barely blocked the claws aimed at his exposed torso with his spear.

With a high-pitched sound, both were repelled and took a step back.

"Phew..."

Shironeko slowly exhaled and sharpened her senses.

Saiga understood that Shironeko was slightly stronger, so he didn't recklessly attack.

This was a blessing for her, and she was gradually able to focus on Mineko.

...There's no need to worry...

In the corner of her vision, she saw Mineko kick Kuroinu's stomach.

"Ugh..."

"Ha!"

Receiving a powerful flying kick to the stomach, Kuroinu was caught off guard, and Mineko's follow-up upper kick hit him.

What was remarkable about Mineko was that despite being airborne from the flying kick, she could deliver a follow-up strike with just the twist of her body and muscle power.

Unlike Kuroinu, who rolled ungracefully on the ground, Mineko landed steadily.

"Don't get cocky... you cat! 〈Flame Art: Cannonball〉!"

"You're a dog, aren't you...?"

Kuroinu got up and fired a massive fireball.

Mineko calmly observed it flying straight at her and immediately judged the situation.

"〈Heavy Kick〉!"

A magic-infused roundhouse kick caught the fireball.

Hit from the side, the fireball veered off and flew past her.

"...Can't break it... I need more training..."

"Damn..."

Kuroinu was internally anxious.

Although he had a trump card, he was being pushed back in this situation, and there was a possibility of being overwhelmed.

If he used his trump card and failed to finish her off, he would definitely lose.

At the very least, he needed to stop Mineko's movements.

(Annoying, but... I need to ask Saiga for help...)

"Whoa!?"

"...What are you doing?"

Suddenly, Saiga fell next to her.

Breathless and covered in minor scratches, it was clear he had been heavily attacked.

"Damn... I'm covered in scratches..."

"Pitiful."

"You're the one who's panicking, aren't you?"

"Shut up!"

Shortly after Saiga fell, Shironeko landed next to Mineko.

Unlike him, she was unharmed.

"Why are you flying over, sis..."

"It's an aerial battle. By the way, that Saiga guy is pretty good."

"...Seems so."

The fact that she was only lightly injured after fighting her sister was a testament to Saiga's skill.

And of course, Shironeko also acknowledged the strength of Kuroinu, who hadn't been defeated by Mineko yet.

"...A prolonged battle might not be good."

"Huh?"

"They definitely have something hidden. At the very least... I want to finish off Kuroinu."

"...Understood."

The two girls glared sharply at Kuroinu.

...

"That's the spirit."

"Right."

The quiet, intense aura of the two cat girls was so powerful that a normal person would faint.

Even Kuroinu and Saiga took a step back...

"Operation name: Nyan Nyan Hide and Seek... is what it is."