That 91: One thing at a time

……"Save Point."

……"Ultimate Sword X."

……"Demon King."

……"Hero."

"Hah……"

It's kind of overwhelming, suddenly being told all this stuff.

Oh, by the way, we're still floating in midair.

Hakka-san seems to be patiently waiting for me to sort things out.

1. The player using the special job "Demon King" appears to be controlling the "hostile lifeforms."

2. In other words, killing the "Demon King" would bring peace to the world, but it seems the "Demon King" possesses a skill called "Undying."

3. The "Undying" skill is paired with the "Hero"—as long as one of them continues to live, the other will keep resurrecting.

4. Therefore, from our perspective, we have no choice but to kill both the "Hero" and the "Demon King."

...That is.

"If it means saving many people... Hmm, then there's no choice but to kill them both."

I'll give you an answer after a moment.

That is, assuming I'm taking Hanakas's information at face value.

"So, who exactly are these 'Hero' and 'Demon King'?"

"Well... that's the thing..."

Hanaka let out a deep sigh and said.

"We're currently still investigating."

"You don't know?"

"Yeah."

"Not even though they're 'Reincarnates'?"

"Well, you know... the past life I experienced and the current situation are gradually diverging. I have no idea how this will affect future developments."

That, I can kind of understand.

Given that she's here now, the course of events must have already shifted dramatically.

"What I do know is that by the time we reach Phase 3, an announcement will be made regarding the location of the Demon King, and likely around that same time, a Hero will be chosen from among those with good karma. That's all."

I see.

Good karma, huh.

"Wait—then wouldn't Saya-chan be in danger?"

You're right. We'll need her to pull off a little mischief soon—maybe rob a bank and burn the cash in a bonfire.

Hmm...

Muttering to himself, he returns once more to his thoughts in midair.

Think it over and over.

Think it over.

As a result, I arrived at the most fundamental question.

In short,

"Frankly, why did things get to this point—why are there zombies wandering around everywhere, and why do we have 'demon lords' and 'heroes' and all this level stuff? Just... why?"

That's the question.

"I'm sorry, but I just couldn't figure it out."

"So, the mastermind behind it all is still unknown?"

"About that, we debated it even in my previous life. But honestly, I think it's just... 'the whim of the gods'."

"Hmm..."

If that's the case, it's somehow disheartening, isn't it?

In the end, we're just dancing on the palm of that so-called 'god.'

"Anyway... we've talked about all sorts of things. Do you think I managed to convince you?"

"I don't know. You might just be a big show-off."

In truth, I couldn't help but feel it'd be risky to believe everything she said without question.

Then, Hana, rather cheerfully,

"Yeah, that's more like it—just the kind of 'teacher' I know."

Hmm.

I guess knowing your past life really is kind of creepy.

"Oh, right, one more thing, okay?"

"What is it?"

"You're... a proper girl, right?"

"Of course. I may not be mentally the same age as my looks, but I'm definitely a woman. Why?"

"Ah, then that's fine."

A big relief.

I've been constantly nervous because my first-person pronoun is "boku."

Having one boyish girl is plenty, really—no need for more.

▼

After we gently landed,

"Aaahh!?"

Ayaka-chan was waiting, her face completely red.

"What in the world is going on?! Hurry up and explain!"

"There's someone we must defeat to save the world. Also, Hana says she's a reincarnated person."

"Ah, I see! That's it!"

He readily accepted the simple explanation.

"Right, right! Reincarnation! Hmm... Wait, huh?...Huh? Well, whatever!"

I'm grateful for the adaptability of youth.

"So? What should we do from here?"

As I asked Hana,

"We first need to gather allies."

"Allies?"

"If we're going to act with an eye on the future, we should get acquainted with the powerful 'players' out there while we still can."

"Huh..."

I replied, a heavy weight settling in my stomach.

I'm not really good at chatting with people I don't know.

"At the same time, we'll need to level up. From experience, it's usually easier to negotiate with other 'players' when our level is higher."

Oh, really?

That's how it works, huh.

"...So? What did you mean by that 'efficient leveling' you mentioned?"

Are we hunting stray metals here?

She smiled faintly and replied.

"From here, Ikebukuro's nearby."

"Ikebukuro?"

"Even if 'Sensei' doesn't know yet, there's a space called a 'dungeon' near there now. Just go and kill every 'hostile lifeform' that comes out of it. That's all."

Hmm.

"Huh? Wait, isn't that basically just straightforward tactics...?"

I'd been expecting some clever shortcut or hidden trick, so it was a bit disappointing.

"There's no better way than being direct,"

Hakka smiled, her tone carrying a hint of meaning.

"Just because the current 'teacher' and Saya-chan are struggling to eliminate enemies around the 'dungeon' doesn't mean we should rush. We should prepare properly beforehand."

Then, Hakka's eyes gleamed a bright blue.

She was probably using her《Skill Identification》 ability.

"...Yeah. You definitely have the《Subjugation》skill. Did you kill the 'slave master'?"

"Uh? No, I didn't kill them. I just subdued them."

"Ahh, that's right."

For a brief moment, a complex expression crossed Hakka's face.

"Should I have killed them instead?"

"Yeah, no. Of course not. Between killing them or making them 'subordinate,' the latter is clearly far better."

...Hmm.

Did something happen between you and Shuuri-san in the past?

A little bit of suspicion creeping in.

"Anyway, what's crucial is that you have the 'Subjugation' skill. With this, we can increase the number of 'slaves' and rescue everyone around 'Sakagahara High School' one by one. Oh, and any help a 'slave' provides will also grant experience points to their master, you know."

Ah, I see.

Is that so?

I haven't received a lecture on the specifics from Tsumuri, so this is all new to me.

Of course, who to strengthen through subjugation is the "teacher's" prerogative. But please choose allies carefully. I especially want you to pick those who are ready to sacrifice everything. It will surely be a life-or-death mission.

Hmm.

In my mind, the faces of everyone from Gakkyō High School line up neatly.

I'd be most grateful if you'd run for office.

...What do you think?

Ultimately, it comes down to whether my absolute commands will sway everyone's hearts.

"Then let's get started right away. We'll tackle one thing at a time, okay?"