It happened quickly from there.

Points increased by thirty.

Apparently, summoning Lydia is a "disadvantage."

But disadvantage for whom? It's obvious. For the one being summoned. Forcing someone unprepared into a situation that harms them—while I gain points in return.

...The worst kind of deal.

　

Yet I still wanted Lydia by my side, for myself.

I couldn't bear the thought of going alone into an unknown world.

I didn't want to dissolve the twins... not at all.

Even in an unfamiliar world, if we're together, we'll surely manage. We can keep going just like before.

Since those called "those who must be protected" cannot be strengthened through points, I suppose I really do have to protect her myself—exactly as I thought. After

all, she was summoned without even obtaining my

　

consent. "I... will protect

Lydia." My whisper echoed unnaturally clearly in the silent, white room.

I must grow stronger. Stronger,

stronger, so that no one can harm her. Though I lost 27 points by making the

　

teleportation point relatively safe, plenty remain. I'll carefully consider which abilities will be

useful, one by one. There's still

ample room to spare—any power I wish to acquire, I can take. "Enchantment

... yes, this one it is."

Of all the things I've experienced in life, nothing has proven stronger than being liked by people.

Though we ourselves haven't changed at all, our circumstances have shifted dramatically—from the worst to the best.

Especially after the mark appeared, we've been treated as international VIPs.

I now have a manager and a bodyguard, and whenever I move, everyone rushes to catch a glimpse of me.

It wasn't really me they were drawn to, but the power of the mark itself. Yet in the end, it amounted to the same thing.

I still remember the flushed faces of those who stood before me.

Some even wept with emotion just from hearing my voice.

After being scorned all along,

there was no real difference in me—only the mark had changed everything.

　

Even those who abandoned us now come forward to claim us.

A force that made me feel special, yet deeply unsettling.

The "Charm" I gain at 50 points must be the same as the "Mark."

The power that transforms me, someone utterly insignificant, into someone who bears the "Mark."

It's bound to be incredibly advantageous.

I was also intrigued by a similar ability called "Spirit's Favor," but it seems to have no effect on human affection, and it costs 20 fewer points than Charm, so I decided against it.

With 33 points remaining,

I still felt I could afford one more special ability, so I chose "Dark Vision."

Living in dark rooms has always been a hassle, so this is a must.

The bodyguard mentioned that there are no streetlights in the other world, making nights extremely dark.

Since I've lived in darkness for a long time, I already have good night vision, but enhancing it further would definitely be a significant advantage."Then, if I take poison resistance and disease resistance... that still leaves twelve

points. I'd like to take some physical enhancement too, but Lydia can't benefit from those point-based upgrades. Maybe I should save a few points for her. Since physical drawbacks

are supposed to be resolved upon transfer, my sun-sensitive skin and eyes might already be cured. But Lydia will remain as she is. Looking at the equipment section

, there are things like universal remedies and such—maybe they could heal Lydia's skin and eyes too. Even if not, I'll probably need various items later, so it's best to keep some points reserved. Equipment can still be exchanged after transfer, after all.

I left twelve points unused and pressed the 'Complete' button. The

countdown for the interdimensional transfer begins

. 'Lydia... she's going to be mad.'

As I vaguely stared at the number gradually decreasing, I found myself thinking more about my younger sister than about the world I was about to enter.

I chose to drag her along, despite her having been born to kind, wealthy parents, able to make friends at school, and destined to live a happy life.

I made that choice.

She’ll probably cry, get angry, and demand I bring her back.

She might hate me.

　

If that happens—well, even with my sister, I might have no choice but to use force.

But still, I wish she could just smile, even if it’s selfish.

　　

After betraying her like this, I don’t even have the right to ask for forgiveness.

Maybe the people who abandoned us felt the same way.

Maybe they, too, wished we’d forgive them.

I’m so selfish.

Truly… so selfish.

　

— Regardless, the dice have already been cast.

'10 seconds remaining'

'5 seconds remaining'

'1 second'

'Then, may you have a splendid life. I wish you luck.'

And so, I was enveloped in blinding light.

◇◆◆◆◇

"……Wait, was I just asleep…?"

Enveloped in light, feeling as though I was floating… I think I had a brief dream.

But now, I was simply standing alone in a dimly lit place.

Could this be another world?

"Ah, Lydia! Lydia, are you…!? Are you here…!?"

No reply.

In a vast, dark space resembling a stone cave, only my voice echoed emptily.

Looking around, there was no one to be seen.

Upon closer inspection, only the parts of the rugged rock surface reachable by hand had been smoothed flat, with candle holders scattered intermittently along it. The flickering flames provided only a faint glow, yet somehow, thanks to the "dark vision" effect, they illuminated the area as clearly as dusk. There was no doubt that no one else was around.

Why!? Wasn't Lydia supposed to be brought here too!?

Suddenly, a voice echoed through my dazed mind.

'Ping pong paaan! Welcome to the other world, Transferee Number 0001, Nadia Rup. Let me quickly explain your status board! First, call up your status. You can do it aloud or in your mind—either way works.'

The voice was clear and loud, yet natural and easy to accept.

I glanced around, but there was no one to be seen.

"...S, Holy Spirit...? The voice of the Holy Spirit?"

The Holy Spirit grants missions to 1,000 apostles, they say.

I had never believed that story from the Orthodox Church, yet this voice couldn't possibly be human. It must be divine—or something akin to it.

If that's the case, the claim that this is the Holy Spirit actually held a certain credibility.

"First, please call up your status, Nadia Lup."

The voice didn't answer my question.

"Status"

I murmured it as prompted, and a translucent screen appeared in midair.

"From this status board, you can access various information, exchange items and skills, check rankings, real-time viewer count, remaining points, and crystal inventory."

"Crystals can be exchanged for items directly, or you can exchange thirty of them for one point. Crystals can be obtained through viewer popularity and various events."

"To exchange items, simply press the exchange button on any item's page. If you have enough points, you can exchange them right now."

The explanation continues in a matter-of-fact tone.

None of it mattered to me in the slightest.

"Never mind that—where's Lydia? What are you doing about her?"

"Those you wish to protect can be summoned at any time. Would you like to summon them now? If so, you can do so from the status board—"

According to the voice's explanation, it seems you can call them from any tab on the status board.

The bring-in item had the same specifications, and indeed, there was a section labeled "Call forth what must be protected."

"…If I press this, Lydia will come here? Here?"

'That's correct.'

"If I press this…?"

So there's actually a choice not to press it?

If I don't press it, Lydia won't come to this world at all?

I'm afraid of that possibility, even though I chose it myself.

Yet, as if reading my mind, the voice says,

'No, there is no option to not call her. You can only choose the timing. Up to seven days. If she isn't called within seven days, she will be forcibly transferred here.'

"Ah, I see."

Then there's no need to hesitate.

Then, let's call her right away. The longer we wait, the more hesitation will set in.

Even so, pressing the button myself made my fingers tremble.

I can't blame it on the Holy Spirit, or God, or anyone else.

I did it of my own will, calling my sister.

Just as I was about to press the button, another voice spoke.

'However, if the transfer recipient dies before being called, the one to be protected will not be summoned.'

'Huh?'

So if I die within the seven-day grace period, my sister won't be brought to this world...?

'So it's a double-layered grace from God...'

It's as if I'm being told to decide whether to call the one I love, only after seeing the situation firsthand... maybe.

Is this the mercy of God, or merely the "time to regret an irresponsible 'summons'?"

... No, that's not right. I must have been influenced by all the sermons I've heard at church.

Probably, this god isn't thinking that deeply at all.

It's likely just treating her like luggage.

Perhaps Lydia on Earth has already vanished, and now exists only as cargo stored in this status board.

— At this point, pondering it is pointless.

Think only of what comes next, of the future.

I need Lydia.

That's all that matters.

When I pressed the button on the status board, the words appeared: "Summon Lydia Lupp? YES・NO."

I selected YES.

"There's still seven days left, but can we call her out now? Isn't that fine?"

The voice (・) said, emphasizing the words.

"It's fine. Please do it."

When I answered like that, the words on the status board, "Call forth those to protect," began to glow, the light coalescing once more into a human form.

In the previously empty space, a girl with white hair and white skin appeared as if floating.

A girl who looked exactly like me stood blinking her eyes.

"……………………Nadia…? Why?"

My sister looked around, dazed.

She was dressed the same as before. It had only been a short while since I disappeared.

I couldn't bear to look into my sister's eyes, so I lowered my gaze.

"Lidia… I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Sorry…? Why? Why are you apologizing? Where… am I?"

"It was me… I called you, Lidia."

"Nadia...? Why? Why would she do this?"

The sister's confusion came through clearly.

That was true. She hadn't prepared for anything at all, and with the twin dissolution, she was supposed to be happy from now on.

In the vast, dark space like a cave, Lydia's voice echoed.

Her voice (・) said nothing.

Surely, she hadn't even explained anything before calling her.

"…I was told I could summon Lydia to another world too… I… didn't want to be alone, and I thought Lydia would hate it… but I decided I didn't care if she hated me… I…"

"Wait… really? So I can live in another world too?"

"Y-yes."

"With Nadia? Just the two of us? Like before?"

"If Lydia's okay with it, I… I really wanted to…—just like that."

I timidly turned forward, and Lydia's eyes sparkled as she suddenly grabbed my hand.

"I did it! I did it! I've always thought you were cheating all along!"

Saying that, she threw her arms around me.

I felt my heart race at the warmth of my sister's body, something I hadn't felt in a long time.

"Are you sure...? I just called you without asking."

"Of course it's fine! It's another world, isn't it? I actually wanted to come too! I've always been jealous of you!"

"Eh, really!? I was jealous of you too!"

"Why?"

"B-because you had kind parents and friends...—"

"Ahaha, I don't need that stuff anymore! You wanted me, huh?"

Hearing that, I suddenly realized.

Lydia had secretly believed she was "different" from me.

I hadn't imagined the emotions hidden behind the phrase "dissolving the twin bond."

　

If it were me—

I'd feel the same. Now that it's come to this, I don't need my parents anymore. I don't need friends either.

But if we must part, and if I must send you off with a smile, then we both have to grow up. Even things we don't need, we have to act as though they matter.

Just like me, who once smiled at indifferent members of the Orthodox Church and pretended to listen quietly to sermons I didn't care about.

"Then we're the same! We were both thinking the same thing!"

"Let's re-form our twin bond!"

Lydia's words seeped gently into my heart.

Gazing past my sister's shoulder, I looked at my own palm.

There was no mark there anymore.

◇◆◆◆◇

'How would you like to proceed with the item exchange?'

After a short while, a voice asks in that manner.

Come to think of it, wasn't it said that item exchanges are allowed at this time?

　

Lydia cannot hear this voice.

With twelve points available, she can exchange for virtually anything.

The voice turns out to be unexpectedly kind, answering various questions to a reasonable extent.

For instance, it explained that using a universal remedy could strengthen her skin and eyes to the level of an ordinary person, and while point enhancement isn't possible, she could grow stronger by killing living creatures.

After discussing it with Lydia, they decided to conserve their points for now.

'Is that all?'

'Yes, yes. Then, Holy Spirit, what should we do from here?'

'Feel free—enjoy yourselves however you wish.'

A world without parents, without an orphanage, without Sister Mikaela, without Nico, without the Orthodox Church.

We will live on our own, just us.

A place to live. Food to eat. All sorts of things we'll need.

Even my younger sister must be protected.

"With that, we conclude the explanation of the status board. And finally, as a special first-time transfer bonus, we've randomly granted you one ability from either the physical enhancement or resistance category."

Upon checking, my Spirit Power had increased to level 1.

I don't know exactly what Spirit Power is, but it normally requires five points. Lucky me.

"How you choose to live in this world is entirely up to you. Viewers will always be with you. If you gain their cooperation, you'll find greater fulfillment in this world. Good luck."

With those words, her voice abruptly cut off.

As if the previous silence had been a lie, strange music began echoing from all around.

"W-what is this sound?"

"Yeah. Anyway, where are we? Inside a cave?"

To our murmured questions, an unexpected reply came.

"This is the Sanctum of Darkness. The barrier has been broken, daughters of the other world."

A deep, profound voice.

Resonating through the cave, it carried a solemn grandeur far more divine than the voice we had heard just moments before.

Looking toward the source of the voice, there was only darkness.

In the deep, endless darkness, a humanoid figure of absolute blackness, rejecting all light.

The silhouette of a woman with long hair.

So massive it could be called a giant—perhaps five meters tall.

A large figure, yet strangely not frightening.

"Who are you?"

"I am the Great Spirit of Darkness, guardian of Miliestas."

"Are you a god?"

"Not a god. I am the embodiment of darkness. You come from a world governed by different laws, don't you?"

"Yes! We just arrived today, so please teach us everything!"

"Hehe, I like bold children. Lately, more and more people have been afraid of me."

— This meeting was how we first encountered the Dark Lord.

The Dark Lord became our ally.

No, to be precise, she was on the side of all humanity. She never harmed anyone, but she disliked conflicts between humans. That's why this place became a safe haven for us. For us who've lived our whole lives in manholes, it was more than comfortably suitable.

With points, even a bed could be summoned.

Though some people claiming to be priests complained, they were allowed to do so as long as the Dark Lord said it was fine.

By making a pact with her, we were also able to learn the art of shadow spirits.

Though most of the magic was unimpressive, the Shadow Bag turned out to be quite useful.

"Enchantment"

— simply using this ability, we could easily control almost all humans.

It was nearly 100% effective on men, regardless of whether they were clergy or knights.

Moreover, the person I enchanted couldn't even tell the difference— even Lydia fell under my spell.

We had power, there were oppressed people in this country, and above all, we had resolve.

In this small nation, before we knew it, there was no one left to oppose us.

I've grown stronger, and I've fulfilled my purpose of protecting Lydia.

I don't lack food, I'm safe, and she's my sister.

Yet something feels missing.

I'm not really sure what to do next.

On a night several months after arriving in this world, I casually opened "A Hint on Living."

＜Consume 1 crystal to hear "A Hint on Living"? YES・NO＞

Lydia is sleeping beside me.

Only the Dark Lord watches me with interest, as if finding my actions fascinating. Though this status board is invisible, apparently some kind of force is at work, and I can see that.

Touching YES immediately brought up a hint.

＜『Protect the Re-Transferred』＞

"Re-Transferred... what's that again?"

I'm not sure exactly what it means, but maybe I should protect anyone who looks like they might be one.

The messaging function was recently reactivated, but it's flooded with insults and sermons from people of the True Church, so I hardly open it anymore.

"Well, I'll know when a Transferred one shows up nearby."

I have both a local map and a world map at hand.

Transferred ones are marked by blue dots, so it's convenient.

The likelihood of ordinary people in this world actively coming after us to kill us is low, but transmigrants are an exception—those sent on secret missions by the Orthodox Church are quite likely to come after me. I haven't just ignored the Orthodox Church's "mission"; I've lived my life without hesitation, even killing people.

A transmigrant coming to me like that.

Deciding whether such a person is someone worth protecting or a hidden assassin is difficult. You'd do well to treat this hint with skepticism—half-believe it.

If you protect someone only to find out they're an assassin, that would be foolish.

And even if my "charisma" is powerful, I'm helpless if shot with a gun.

"……But this is still a hint for survival, right? Like, if I ignore it, I'll die…? Maybe I shouldn't have looked."

Muttering regrets as I crawl into bed,

Feeling Lydia's warmth just beside me, my eyelids grow heavy.

What should I do tomorrow?

I hope something interesting happens.

　

— This is the story of us, well, me, before we met him.