Chapter 29: The Hero Reflects

In a pink, overly fluffy, bed, Irina was huddled under the covers.

She’d been in this state for days.

“I do not even understand what I am fighting for anymore…”

She folded herself into an even more infantile position.

“I am going to stay right here, and do nothing…”

She sighed, letting the softness of her bed claim her.

The Demon King didn’t want to fight? He’d even gone as far as handling external threats? Were those the actions of someone set out to overthrow the world?

Even if it were part of some ploy, there’d be no gain in sparing her life. That night, he could have done so if he wanted… But he didn’t…

Logic was failing her; unsolved mysteries were piling enough to form mountains.

It wasn’t as if she didn’t want answers. Irina hadn’t known where to start looking. She could not see a way out of her endless standstill, and she would leave it at that.

Knock. Knock.

“Irina, are you in?” A familiar voice called from the other side of the door. “I know you’re in there.”

“……” Not a single muscle of hers twitched. She had attained a perfect state of stillness.

“I’ll be letting myself in, then.”

The doorknob twisted, and a young man with a conflicting sense of style walked into the room.

It was Shun.

“The entire Clan’s been in an uproar. First the asteroid, now weird monsters,” he scoffed, giving the room a look over. “I see you’ve been enjoying the bed, huh?”

Unresponsive.

“Hmm… What to do.” Shun stroked his chin, walking gently over to Irina’s bedside. “Irina~?”

He poked the lump under the covers—it was hard!

Shun whisked off the covers.

“Your still in your amor?!”

Yes. Irina was still in her armor. A physical manifestation of her magical ability.

“Wanna talk about what happened? Don’t bother about the Clan—I’ve kept all their queries at bay.”

“......”

“C’mon.”

“……”

“C’mon…?”

The lump…wriggled.

Irina’s head popped out from underneath the covers.

“I wish to be left alone.”

Shun blinked a few times after hearing her very blunt tone. But he couldn’t back down here. Not after succeeding in getting her head out.

“I hear you. And to that I say, don’t wanna.”

He sat down at the bottom corner of the bed. “Irina, you won’t get anywhere by staying cooped up in your room. Place some of your burdens on me, I’d gladly help you lift them—somehow…”

After casting one final, emotionless stare, Irina slowly…

…sat up.

● ● ●

“So it really was the Demon King you’d meant. Interesting.” Shun acted surprised, but being himself, he’d already had a hunch. “And you’re saying, he doesn’t want to bring destruction and calamity upon the entire world?”

“No…”

“Fascinating…”

“I still ask myself if I had heard him right.”

“Irina this is huge news!”

“W-What?!”

“We can finally bring an end to this war. If we proposed a sort of truce, then…”

“It would not work,” Irina said, her gaze cast downwards. “His words are one thing, but do you think the rest of the Clan would be so trusting in word of mouth?”

“No, I don’t. That’s why… We’ll both handle the delegations on their behalf—without them knowing, of course.”

“Have you gone mad?!” Irina’s voice for the first time in their conversation carried something other than apathy.

“I have always been a little crazy… In fact, I’ve never liked the notion of wiping out Demonkind to begin with.”

“D-do you know what you are saying? If this got out, you could be charged with treason!”

Irina had taken a very big risk the day she revealed to him her uncertainty with the nature of Demons. It was taboo to see them as anything but evil incarnate.

“Oh, I know. That’s why you’re the only one I’ve ever told that. Demons… Heroes... Humans… In the end, don’t we all share the same world? One side has made it clear that they have no interest in claiming it all for themselves. Wouldn’t it be more foolish not to build on that?”

“I…”

“I’ve been monitoring population statistics for a very long time now. And do you, Irina, know that the killings as a result of Demon-Hero encounters have been at their lower than at any other point in recorded history?”

She shook her head weakly.

“Irina, why don’t we take this chance? We can change the fate of the world!”

“B-but… Where would we even begin?!”

“That’s simple. We just have to meet with him again. But he seems like the type not to draw too much attention, considering he’s been avoiding our radars for so long. Do you know where we could find him?”

“The college…”

“Could you repeat that?”

“The college! The one I attend! …He is a student there…” Irina said, her armor fading, exposing her night gown she’d been wearing five nights ago.

“Hmm… That’s…new.”

● ● ●

Monday morning. Students were settling into their preferred sitting positions. The back rows tended to fill rather quickly. Then the middle rows followed. And finally, the front.

Today would mark the start of another week.

Another week of lectures, lectures, and then, more lectures.

“It’s been a week, and still no sign of Irina… Please be alive!” Hisashi threw his hands theatrically to the ceiling, before slumping on the desk. “I wonder what’s keeping her occupied. Or maybe… Maybe she was kidnapped? Her parents are super wealthy from what I’ve heard—”

“Do not jump to conclusions like that. Besides, I doubt any run of the mill kidnappers can successfully capture her.”

“I am serious, Kuro.”

Kuro maintained a straight face after his friend brushed off his words as a joke.

If only he could inform Hisashi that Irina wasn’t a girl who’d need protection from a couple of thugs or the like. Hisashi’s worries would be blown away if he’d simply said, “Don’t worry. She’s a member of the Heroic Clan—individuals who can wield powerful magic naturally.”

Of course, he wouldn’t go telling Hisashi that. It would be for the best if he remained far, far away from the domain of magical affairs.

“Hisashi. I want you to trust me when I tell you that Irina is completely fine, and she hasn’t been harmed in any way.”

Could he really say she hadn’t been hurt…?

9:00AM and the last of the students had found spaces to sit in the hall.

Kuro looked at the empty spot beside him. It had been vacant for about a month, until it was filled for a short time. But now that it was back to its former state, it felt as if it’d been empty for much, much longer…

“For today’s topic we’d be talking about—” The professor had quieted when the door pushed open, just enough for a person to squeeze through.

The grey suit.

The long, flowing strands of gold.

Eyes that were a clear, crystal blue.

It was Irina.

The professor smiled in her direction.

Several students livened up in their seats.

Hisashi’s slump was no more.

And Kuro, unknowingly, had a grin tugging at the corners of his lips.

But the grin vanished as quickly as it came once Irina tried to ignore the immense attention directed on her while she made her way up the steps, squeezed past a couple of students, and took that vacant seat right next to Kuro.

“Irina! How’ve you been?!” Hisashi quickly asked once she’d sat down. “Is everything okay?!”

“Yes, Hisashi. I had come down with a cold, and needed to recover,” she answered. “Sorry for worrying you—!”

“Why the apology? I should be sorry. I didn’t know you’d been sick. Glad you’re feeling better.”

“Yo. Long time no see,” Kuro said. “I was just telling Hisashi here that you’d show up sooner or later. Welcome back.”

Hisashi couldn’t see it, but a faint quiver ran through Irina’s lips, before she forced a smile.

“Thank you… Kuro…”

In high spirits, the lecture was currently underway.

Hisashi valiantly shrugged off the sleepiness knocking at his door. His eyelids remained in a constant, half-open state. Kuro didn’t find this odd, knowing Hisashi must have stayed up later than usual binging a series or two.

A poke on his left arm.

Kuro turned slowly to the finger, and saw the only person it could belong to…

“Are you really going to pretend none of what transpired that night happened?” she asked with a hushed, modest tone.

“If I can, then yes.”

She averted her gaze, face flushed.

Now that was weird. The weather was reasonable. And, the excuse she gave Hisashi was clearly a lie. Neither Demons nor Heroes fell sick. That was a fact. Maybe if it was an illness caused by magic, that would be a different story—

“M-Meet me behind the building. There is something I need to ask you…”

For the first time in Kuro’s life, he’d been wholly stunned.