A place where you couldn’t escape from even if you wanted to. If there was such a place, this would be it.
There was only everlasting white space as far as one could see.
Even if you kept walking, everything would remain the same, and your sense of direction would be lost eventually. I’m all alone in that kind of place.
Still, since I came here nearly everyday, I kind of got used to it.
[Greed and Luna... they are late]
Usually, Greed would’ve already been waiting here. But they were nowhere to be seen at the moment.
By the way, this spiritual world was created by Luna.
Right under this world was the space belonging to the Gluttony skill. That’s where the souls of the devoured monsters and humans were stored, wailing and calling out for salvation.
When the Gluttony skill was about to fall out of control, Luna saved me by creating this spiritual world.
And since then this world had become like a lid, suppressing the influence of the Gluttony skill on me.
Taking that aside, what is happening here? I’ve been sitting here for a while, on this white floor.
At the moment, I was sleeping in the real world. I wonder, what would happen if I were to meditate or sleep in this spiritual world?
Let’s try it out!
When I was about to try to meditate, I heard a familiar voice coming from above me. A somewhat sweet and childish voice...
[Hi, Luna! I’ve been waiting.]
[Really... this is the first time I saw someone trying to sleep here. And to look at a lady from below like that, you really have a guts.]
[Eh, I didn’t mean to do that last bit.]
I got up in a hurry. It’s because she’s approaching me, step by step.
Our position earlier could easily cause some grave misunderstanding after all.
[So you got up. I was thinking about stepping on you if you stayed in that position even after I got closer.]
[That’s fine as well]
The girl narrowed her eyes, seeing me trying to lay down again.
[Eee, that’s disgusting.]
[Ahahaha, I’m just joking.]
[Geez.]
Compared to when the two of us met for the first time here, I could hold a conversation and even joke around with her now.
I couldn’t thank Luna enough. But at the same time, there was still this feeling I couldn’t get rid of yet.
Because I devoured her soul when she assimilated to the machine angel Haniel. Even though she could create this world, Luna will never be free from this prison of Gluttony skill.
Spending such a long time as Haniel’s core. Only to end up in this current state.
I couldn’t really consider this as ‘saving’ her.
But she still thanked me regardless. Seemingly happy to at least end up here of all places...
Hearing that only made me feel uneasy.
There are things in this world that simply just won’t work. Back then, there was a time when god existed, and the world was full of salvation.
That’s what my dad once told me. A story of the Laplace god who once protected the peace of the entire world.
Everyone lived equally; there were no skills, no stats, and no monsters. It’s like a fairy tale for anyone who lives in the current era.
Eternal happiness under god’s protection. However, god is no longer in this world, leaving behind skill and stats instead... as well as monsters as a trial.
I remember hearing that when I was still a kid. But after my father’s death, I chose to abandon my faith.
Luna looked at me with a tilted head.
[What’s wrong? That troubled face... Don’t tell me you’re still thinking on how to peek at my underwear?]
[I’m not!]
[I wonder about that. You’ve been spending time with lots of girls lately after all.]
[Oi, there is nothing wrong with that.]
[Is that so? I’ve been watching Fate from here all the time. I can say that I know you better than anyone else.]
[Where has my privacy gone to...]
[It’s fine, it’s fine! You won’t hear any of it from my lips.]
When we first met, I thought that she’s the quiet type.
But the ‘her’ who is standing before me now is different from back then. She now actively speaks and laughs.
Luna could see my every action from this spiritual world. Therefore, she knew about what happened with my dad, and my meeting with the templar knight Libra.
And of course, she also knew the content of my conversation with Eris atop the hill. Sure enough, Luna smiled, showing that she enjoyed seeing my reaction.
[I’ve seen it, you’ve decided to finally admit your feeling to Roxy. Since it’s been decided, you’d better say it as early as possible.]
[....True.]
[Well, I know you’ve been holding back because of the Gluttony skill. If you think that Roxy is really the one, then you should just go for it.]
Luna paused at that point.
There was no point in saying more, as it’s already as clear as the sky.
Gluttony skill will seek out the person most important to me. That’s just how the skill works.
I don’t want to think about it, and Luna wouldn’t know when it’ll happen either. That’s because the previous holder of gluttony skill never allowed himself to be close to anyone.
[But you want to be with her, and she also responded positively, so just go for it. But always remember that if you run out of control, Roxy will be the one in the most danger.]
[I’ll keep that in mind. Un... I’ll definitely tell her.]
[I’ll be waiting to see it.]
Luna nodded, satisfied with my reply.
But she immediately tilted her head again.
[That aside... recently Fate seems to be a bit sluggish.]
[Ermm, I wonder what is wrong...]
I knew what she wanted to say. She’s just trying to point out something bad in me.
She’s been watching me all the time. So Luna should know what happened to me in the real world.
[Ahahaha, I knew it! It’s very obvious since it shows on Fate’s right away. You have a very troubled face there.]
[I don’t have anything to say about that.]
[Umu, umu. Let’s see, Fate’s current situation is... I wonder how you actually sleep right now.]
[Can you, actually do... that?]
[Of course I can. Well, what’s going on here?]
Luna drew a circle with her index finger. It’s a habit of hers.
Right then, a square shaped screen appeared in front of us. It showed a ceiling.
Apparently that was what I could see at the moment. Of course. Luna was seeing things in the real world through me after all.
I was sleeping with my back on the bed. I guess it’s a good position to sleep. At least I won’t be waking up with my pillow at my feet
I’m having a good night sleep. Nothing really special.
[What the hey... Here I am worrying, and turns out it’s just me sleeping. There is nothing interesting in watching this...]
I still remember how Mimir sucked my blood on the bed. After that, due to the fatigue and blood loss, I ended up here... in the spiritual world.
Actually, I don’t know what was really going on while and after Mimir sucked my blood.
Ideally, she would just return to her own room with satiated look on her face...
But recently, when I woke up in the morning, I would find Mimir also sleeping on the same bed as I. Even if she’s being careful, after she drank blood, she’d be attacked by irresistible drowsiness, causing her to be unable to move. At least that’s what she told me.
But at least for now... Mimir was not there. Just when I put my hand over my chest in relief,
[Ah, look! Mimir-chan is also there.]
[Eeeh!?]
After a noise of cloth rustling, Mimir suddenly appeared from under the blanket.
[Fu~, I feel hungry again. Fate-sama! Are you awake? It seems that you are sleeping soundly. Well then, I’m digging in!]
After talking to herself, Mimir bit my neck.
And began to suck my blood.
I never knew... she was actually... drinking my blood all night long...
No wonder when I wake up in the morning, I always felt sluggish.
[You drank too much!]
[There there, calm down, Fate. It’s not really that big of a deal.]
[...yo, you mean there is more?]
[Un.]
Luna, obviously looking to bully me, replied with a wide smile on her face.
I have only bad feelings about this!
As we watched on, Mimir showed a very satisfied expression.
[Fuu~, I’m full. More than that and he may die from blood loss, so I have to be patient! Well then!]
Again, she started to move and disappeared from my sight. Where has she gone!?
All I could tell is that she went down...
[This only makes it even more dubious!]
[Now now, calm down, Fate. It’s alright, just trust her.]
But right when Luna said that.
I couldn’t see it on the screen, but after a while, I heard Mimir crying. I’m not really sure myself, since her voice was muffled.
So I could only try to hear her out.
Occasionally, I could hear a muffled [Brother, why...] from her. She’s probably referring to Hado or Rafal.
For once I was able to get a glimpse of Mimir during her moment of weakness. She said that she has gotten over it, but as it turns out that was just a lie.
Despite the face she always show to other people everyday, the wound in her heart from being betrayed by her own relatives is not one that could heal easily.
It’s thanks to Luna that I got to watch this moment.
[I’ll try to act kinder to Mimir from now on. Thank you, for showing me this]
[You are welcome. It’s hard to notice, but sometimes she would remember and cry like that.]
[I didn’t know that...]
[But well, when she’s in a good mood, she tended to play some mischief on Fate, so you better be careful.]
[Eh!? That’s so like Mimir. She needs to be punished sometimes.]
I don’t know what Mimir would do during those times, but it must be something no good. I could already tell from how Luna told me that.
I couldn’t bear to see Mimir crying anymore, so I looked away from the screen and turned to Luna.
I wanted to get to the main topic immediately. Because I won’t know the answer without Luna.
Luna seemed to realize that I had something important to ask, so she motioned her finger to erase the screen.
And as always, she looked at me in the face, waiting for what I wanted to say. So let’s get on with it then.
After I took a short breather,
[Why does Myne want to find the Door to that Land? I want to know why before I reach Hauzen.]
[Right. Even after all this time, sister hasn’t changed at all. She only had one goal.]
Luna began to talk while staring at the endless white world.
Hearing that, I felt a little uneasy, and the thought that I had to stop Myne resurfaced in my head.
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