“What’s this! Rice shaped into triangles, seasoned and fried is it. Crispy and fragrant, not bad”
“Professor hold on. Bring some to me too. I can’t move”
In the end, dawn came and Machina had not come to get them.
No she did come close, within a one kilometer radius to be exact, but it seems she refused to come closer.
Since it couldn’t be helped, Professor Deus and Ex stayed the night.
And now we’re all eating breakfast at the round table outside the cave.
Today’s menu is grilled onigiri with chicken broth soup.
“Also if you put it into you bowl and pour some broth over it, you can enjoy a different flavour”
“Ooh! Amazing! What an incredible idea! I’ve never had cooking like this before!”
“Pro-fe-ssor-, hurry up, hurry up”
I felt bad for her so I bring some to Ex.
“Thanks. I can’t move my arms right now so could you feed it to me. Aaaaah”
“Stop Takkun, you can’t do something like that”
Karna takes the grilled onigiri I’m holding and shoves it into Ex’s mouth.
“Mhmmm, mmhhhhm, hol-, wai-, don’t do it in one go. Mhmm, it’s tasty though”
Ex and Karna seem to be getting along.
Karna was the one who brought her to the table too.
“There we go, now maybe I should get Takkun to feed me”
“Why should I?”
“I’m feeding Ex so I can’t use my hands. That’s why, aaaaaah, dobaaaa!”
A grilled onigiri was thrown violently into Karna’s mouth.
“Do you want more? Evil lizard”
Reia holds an onigiri menacingly.
“Mhmmm, now you’ve gone and done it, mhhhmm, of course I’ll have seconds, Reia”
“Hey Reia, don’t play with your food”
“So-Sorry, Takumi-san. However, to be fed by Takumi-san is just too extravagant”
“Everyone just sit down and eat properly. If you don’t behave yourselves there will be no seconds”
With that everyone finally calms down and sits at the table.
“Fufu”
Sasha, the only calm one amongst them, watched over it all.
“Quite a lively meal isn’t it. Princess Sasha”
Professor Deus speaks to her.
“Yes, it’s fun. Very different from the formal meals at the royal palace”
“I too only considered eating as an intake of kinetic energy. I never thought about it as something to enjoy before”1
“I wouldn’t trade my life here for anything else. That’s why if there was someone who would try to destroy this place, I would crush them with all my power”
“I see, I understand completely, I promise to never do unnecessary things to Takumi-kun ever again”
After this, the plan is for the four of us to leave Ex and the Professor behind and go somewhere else so that Machina can pick them up in that time.
“See you later, Professor Deus. Please stop investigating me already”
“It’s unfortunate but I suppose I will. At any rate, compared to me right now, your strength is immeasurable”
I actually already brought out my all in that fight before though.
“Well if it’s for a meal, you’re welcome to come anytime”
“Re-Really! You sure? Thanks, Takumi-kun!”
Well you’re a valuable person, someone who can match the true me in a fight. I’ll take good care of you.
“Professor, take me next time please. I won’t lose again”
“Hah, no matter how many times you come I’ll send you away”
Ex and Karna have also seemed to have developed a similar friendship, smiling at each other while promising a rematch.
Slightly reluctantly, the four of us head to the fields.
Since Miacis has been tending to the fields every day recently, there’s not anything in particular to do but I figured I’d bring her some grilled onigiri as thanks.
“Takkun, wai-, Takkun”
While heading to the fields, Karna tugs on my sleeve
She’s fidgeting for some reason.
“Need to use the toilet? I’ll wait for you so go use that thicket over there”
“Not that, idiot! I have something to take about, just the t-two of us”
Hmm, it seems she doesn’t want Sasha or Reia to hear.
We give the two, who had gone ahead, some distance and hide in the shade of a tree.
“What’s going on? What did you want to talk about?”
When she was a demonic sword we could take privately in front of others but it’s a bit more inconvenient now.
“Um, you see. I only have a bit more time left in this form”
“Eeeh!?”
I thought the seal had been fully broken.
I instinctively look at the demon sword attached to her butt.
“You see, I’m basically forcing myself out right now. You know during the Great Martial Tournament, when I switched places with Chloe. At that moment a small hole opened in the demonic sword. A really small hole that can’t even be seen”
“I didn’t notice at all. So that’s how your souls switched is it”
“Normally only something without mass, like a soul, should be able to move through that hole. It’s like I’m twisting and forcing my body through”
It seems difficult just hearing about it.
Karna can change her mass from dragon form to human form but even then it must be difficult trying to do so from such a small hole.
“If I slack for even a moment, I’ll immediately revert. That’s why I’ve been asleep and saving my strength since the Great Martial Tournament”
“So that’s why you didn’t respond”
“Yeah, you must’ve been lonely, Takkun”
Karna was the one who looked somewhat lonely though.
“If you store more strength, will you be able to break the seal in the future?”
“…..That’s what I was thinking at first too. But it’s doesn’t seem to be working. The time when I switched with Kuu-chan, it wasn’t power that opened the hole. It was my feelings of wanting to save her I think. The way to break the seal is definitely…..”
Could it be that thing that’s a bit embarrassing to say aloud.
“The power of love I think!!”
Yup, she said it.
My face might be smug but it’s also red.
I avert my gaze.
As expected, it’s embarrassing.
“I-If sisterly love can open a small hole, then proper love between two lovers can definitely open a large hole”
“Ooh, so basically, what does that mean!?”
“If wonderful prince falls in love with me and gives me a kiss, I’m sure the seal will break!!”
Karna closes her eyes and puffs her lips like an octopus.
A simulation for if that time comes is it.
“I’m sure someone like that will appear one day, Karna”
Karna’s face, which had just been turning red and switching restlessly between expressions, suddenly turns emotionless like a noh mask.2
“Huh? What’s wrong Karna, oi, are you okay?”
“……As if I am! Takkun you idiot!”
With a shout, black smoke flows from Karna.
“Karna!?”
“Haaah, it’ll be a while until I fully recover it seems. Takkun, say hi to Kuu-chan for me”
The black smoke covers Karna and sucks her back into the demonic sword.
“Thanks for saving me, Karna!”
At my final remark, Karna laughs with a sigh mixed in.
“Oh well. I’ll just have to be patient. You better prepare yourself, Takkun”
Having been fully sucked in, Karna’s appearance turns to that of the demon sword.
“What do I need to prepare for?”
I grab the demonic sword and talk to it but Karna doesn’t reply.
Maybe she’s saving her strength by sleeping for now.
“You must’ve been lonely, Takkun”
I realise I never responded to Karna’s question.
“Yeah, I was a bit lonely”
I thought she couldn’t hear anymore as I mumbled.
But in my head, I heard a voice for the first time in a while.
“Then I’ll talk to you from time to time”
Hearing her happy sounding voice, I unconsciously smiled.
Translator’s Notes:
1: Pretty sure eating is potential energy but the raw say kinetic.
2: Masks used in a form of traditional japanese play.
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He’s dense but to be fair, he probably can’t see why anyone would fall for him.
Plus, with all the other misunderstandings he’s dealing with, hard to really tell. xD
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