Chapter 49: Reaching Demon Queen Eien no Shi

Eien no Shi — that damned woman who had caused all this — was finally the one we would face so she could pay for everything. We could not let her get away with it. We were so close we could almost see her with our own eyes. I imagined everything: when this ended I would finally be able to rest. So many years in this world trying to save it… everything has a beginning and an end, and this could be my end — and Cleer’s. Everything was about to be decided.

You could count the seconds from Kori’s death to our arrival at the Demon Queen. I was a tangle of emotions I didn’t know how to release, but I knew I would give everything in this final battle. We walked down the remaining corridor before the last staircase. I thought about my years in my previous world and those I’d lived in this one; a nostalgic calm settled over me, like the silence before a storm — the final boss of a videogame, the last stage. There was a particular stillness, no sound but our footsteps. With every step we drew nearer to the Final Boss. When we killed her, the demons’ reign would be over. The thought made me feel a strange joy; I already knew what I had to do.

A song from my childhood echoed in my mind — a cheerful tune that somehow kept me calm and happy, as if promising rest. With every four steps I felt closer to my fate; if I died here, I would at least take with me the one who caused so much pain. I would not allow this to continue. I had pledged to end it, the vow I and Cleer made in that garden with Goddess Aqua. The final staircase remained; a heavier heat pressed down slightly, but nothing we couldn’t bear after all we’d been through. We began to climb.

We heard the Demon Queen’s laughter. I hated it, but something about her voice felt off — it wasn’t quite the same as the voice we’d heard earlier. Still, we could not let our guard down. We had to be fast and precise when we arrived. If we succeeded, the Queen’s army would collapse without their leader; if we failed, we had to be brave enough to sacrifice ourselves for the mission, for our loved ones and for all humanity. Everything depended on how we handled this last part.

Half the steps remained; the pressure mounted. I steadied myself mentally and sent them a telepathic message:

—If we don’t make it, girls, I want you to know you’ve been like sisters to me. All these years with you have been the best thing that could have happened in my second life. I wouldn’t have reached this point without you — you’re the best friends I could have.

They were surprised by my words, then replied telepathically with encouragement:

—We know, Taiyaki. We’re in this together. Your past doesn’t matter. You didn’t exploit your situation. We know this is hard for you, but be strong. We’re with you — that’s what friends are for.

Those words steadied me. The song in my head faded like a last blessing. After five minutes, we reached the top floor.

The chamber was lit only by candles, bathed in a reddish glow. There she was — Demon Queen Eien no Shi — and we froze at the sight of her. Laughing and pointing a finger in a pose that felt disturbingly familiar, she spoke words we could hardly believe.

—Well then, wretched humans. I, the great Demon Queen Eien no Shi, will kill you slowly and with satisfaction. Don’t worry about your loved ones — soon they will join you in eternal torment. I am the greatest: the strongest, the most beautiful, capable of anything. And right now I will kill every one of you. Here I go — so get ready to die, because here I cooooooome.

...

Her appearance was that of a child — so small — and we couldn’t understand why she spoke like that. It was seriously insane that all this was because of a little brat. She acted like she was the greatest thing, but we knew we couldn’t let our guard down. Ranma’s fusion said:

“Quick — attack. Don’t let her make any move that could give her the advantage. She may look like a little girl, but she’s surely the most powerful demon there is. Don’t be fooled: appearances lie. She’s extremely dangerous; if she managed to have an entire kingdom of horrible creatures at her feet, she’s hiding something.”

Eien no shi laughed like a little girl, but in a wicked way, and replied:

“You think I’m a little girl? Really? What a pity you believe that — because now I’ll play with you a little. First I’ll kill the three useless ones over there, then I’ll have fun with the two of you, and I won’t have to worry about that shadow technique trying to trap me. I’m not stupid; I know when to be careful. I’m not as dumb as my soldiers — especially that idiot Kori. She believed she would be rewarded for serving me, but if I’d finished killing you, I would have tortured her. I never meant for her to actually be useful; I used her like trash and discarded her, and you killed her like damned little worms. How I love watching friends turn on each other. Are you going to cry now that I’ve confessed this, or are my words meaningless to you?”

With that, Eien no shi had already killed the three remaining girls. Only Ranma’s fusion and her friends and us were left. We were terrified — but burning with the desire to kill Eien no shi — so we knew the final fight had begun.