Chapter 18 – The Two Wings
Part C

Translator: Eros
Editor:
Donor: William C, Dominik T

“HIRO-CHAN!”

---- But from hearing a familiar voice calling for me, I managed to keep myself conscious.

“Rio…… na……”

I struggle to look up from my fallen down position. And I can see Riona standing in front of me.

Her back is facing me while she spread wide her arms. It seems like that she is standing there trying to protect me from Yuisia.

“I won't forgive anyone who bullies Hiro-chan......!”
“Sto…… p it…… Riona…… she is…… you……”
“It's alright…… Hiro-chan, it's alright now. Because Riona is here, Riona has come here……!”

Riona who says that line while turning her face to me, her figure now really overlap with Hina's figure that I saw in my past life.

---- Once, I have pledged myself to protect you. I definitely won't let you die no matter what. (He refer to Hina and his act of rescue in prologue)

But why did she appear at this kind of place? No, she definitely is only her look alike…… Hina should be still living happily on earth now. For me, that is the only truth that I believe.

“…… Demon Queen…… Lilith……”

I could hear Yuisia's whisper. She actually could…… see through Riona's true ident.i.ty easily.

Yuisia start to walks toward Riona slowly step by step. Seeing Yuisia approaching her, Riona still keep her pose to protect me even though I can see her small body trembling all over.

“You can't! Don't come here! Don't bully Hiro-chan!”

No, if things continue on, even you wouldn't be safe. Run away, escape far away from here!

If this is a nightmare then I hope it would quickly end. This petrified body of mine, Yuisia come approaching. And mother's disease, if those all are nightmare, please end quick.

---- But, they won't disappear, I can't escape. The sight in front of me and this pain of petrification, all of them are a legit cold hard truth.

Yuisia is now standing in front of Riona. And then I can see her hand tried to reach out to Riona. at that time ---- I…

“---- DON'T YOU DARE……!”

I move my still moving hand and scream out loud.

Hearing my scream, Riona who is also determined to protect me suddenly gives out a peculiar reaction, and then ----

---- from her body, numerous black colored symbol appears then start rotating around with her body as the center while also keeps on expanding until it filled the whole room.

LOG
- 《Riona》 is about to awakens her power as the Demon Queen……!

“……RIO……NA……!”
“……I will definitely never forgive those who hurt Hiro-chan…… Because I am the one who will protect Hiro-chan……!”

Riona who is still speaking like a child usually suddenly speak fluently like an adult.

---- There are no more places for doubt now.

It is indeed Miyamura Hina, my childhood friend in my previous live who are standing there in front of me.

“Hiro-chan, I will save you immediately okay…… I will make your pain go away. O rain of healing, grant strength once again to the corroded body…… [Healing Rain]”

LOG
- 《Riona》had recovered her Healing Magic skill until level 7!
- 《Riona》had activated [Healing Rain] magic arts!
- Your petrified state has been healed!
- 《Riona》awakening continues…… 《Riona》rate of demonification had been increased by 1 level!

With her power as the Demon Queen awakened, Riona's ability in magic blooms terrifyingly ---- And I managed to know such cruel truth from reading the record written in my log. Albeit the one that is awakened was not any kind of offensive magic, the one that she awakens is White Magic instead and that is because of her desire to help me from my peril.
Even when there are no clouds present here, a gentle healing shower of rain drizzles around me. And that is the magic that she uses. The part of my body that is already turned into stone from the effect of the petrification start turning back into flesh after getting in contact with the healing rain water. This magic is an advanced magic that is used to heal abnormal status effect…… and of course, curing petrification is also included into its range of effects.

---- But, the price that Riona need to pay for that power is not something cheap.

“Aa…… AAAaahh…… NOOoooo……!”

From Riona's small body, a pair of black wings suddenly appears on her back.

Those pair of wings that grows on her back is similar to that of a bat's, wings that would only be grown on a devil's back. And ironically, her black bat's wings put a real contrast color to Yuisia's glittering silver dragon wings. Their being is like an ant.i.thesis to each other.

I who recovered my mobility immediately move out to support Riona's body which seems to be weakened and about to fall down because of the shock caused by her awakening. Those wings that is even more a nightmare that this already nightmarish situation proudly spread out here in this place.

“…… This is my fault…… Because of me…… Riona is…… Riona……!”

Riona's body powerlessly falls to me after she lost her consciousness. At least I must keep her safe from Yuisia no matter what.

“…… Don't do anything to Riona…… She is not any of that Demon Queen c.r.a.p. I will definitely…… !!??”

‘I will definitely not let you take her' is what I want to say but that word stuck back in my throat when I'm about to scream it at Yuisia…… because I got dumbfounded.

For a moment, I couldn't understand just what is it that is happening in front of me.

After declaring that much about being [never cry and will not ever] firmly, on Yuisia's cheeks right now ---- glittering drops of water are flowing slowly drops by drops one after another.

And those fallen drops of tears suddenly turned into hard-water drop shaped-crystal like object before falling to the ground and bouncing randomly around her.

“…… Lilith…… even after you get reborn again, you still choose to protect a human…… Why……?”

Yes, Yuisia is now crying. But I don't know the reason why neither the meaning of the word she just spoke.
But there is one thing that clear for me…… and that is the fact that Yuisia knows about Lilith before she get reborn again as Riona.
And maybe because she knows Lilith from before… did she cries because of how Riona, who is Lilith reborn form, act like that? …… If that really is the case…
The relations.h.i.+p between the Sovereign Dragon and the Demon Queen Lilith is actually not a hostile one? But there are still tangled together on a certain fate that is impossible for a mere mortal to know…… Yeah, that's sound alright.

“…… You've said that you never cry before right? But aren't you crying right now…… Yuisisan?”
“…… Am I…… crying……?”

She then turn her face to look downward to the ground where her crystallized tears fallen to like she is oblivious of it.
The thing that I wanted the most in this world is there just in front of me. But only getting it doesn't mean anything ---- if I don't manage to take those back home safely then all off it is just for naught.

(What should I do? …… Should I negotiate once again with Yuisia? Or……)

There is no time to hesitate. Those crystallized tears are within my reach yet it seems infinitely far because the one I should protect, Riona, is laying unconscious in my hand. To get all the thing that I want, and to keep protecting all that is precious to me, I must not be hasty……!

LOG
- The effects of [Dragon Howl] on《Yuisia》 had expired.
- Your [Heavenly Luck] skill automatically activated!

(Heavenly Luck? …… That's right! The skill that I get when Fortune skill reaches level 100……!)

This skill is the upgraded form of the Great Luck skill but this pa.s.sive skill's effect is not only just to make the possessor have a better luck generally but it also have the effect of create a lucky life-saving happenings when they are in dire danger! I who keep on dancing in the border of death had unknowingly cleared the condition needed to activate the skill.

---- Just what kind of effect would the skill bring? All I can do is to pray for the best while waiting for the log to continue.

LOG
- [Charm] skill has been automatically activated! 《Yuisia》 failed to resist! 《Yuisia》 is now on a [Charmed] state!

(…… Isn't this…… The abnormal status resistance effect from the skill [Dragon Howl] loses its effects…… and at such time [Charm] skill activates along with [Heavenly luck] in tandem…… created a deadly combo……)

At present, in this place, the thing that is the most threatening to us is the Sovereign Dragon, Yuisia, alone.

When I look at her again, I notice a tinge of red on her cheek that is wet with tears from her crying.

“…… The child of a human…… why…… He is just a human so yet……”

---- I once again saw the phenomenon that is already become something familiar for me. But Yuisia's reaction of bewilderment is quite severe and very unlikely her previous cold as steel image.

Yuisia steal a glance at me who is still holding Riona in my arms. Now that my charm skill managed to do its work, the next thing that I must do had already been decided ---- Yuisia isn't a human. More or less, she is categorized as a monster. So in short……

DIALOGUE
- You can use the skill [Servitude] to 《Yuisia》. Would you like to activate it? YES / NO

(Now I can…… TAME HER……!)

To shave off a monster stronger that yourself so you can use [Servitute] skill to the monster is basically an impossible task. I finally understand that after fighting Yuisia for real. She is after all managed to easily win against me without using any of her hidden trump card. Just her attack and defense power is already overwhelming.

To [Tame] that kind of opponent, there is only one possible way left…… and that is to put them on a [Charmed] state. I have tried to actively cast [Charm] a few number of times before to Yuisia with no apparent effect so I unconsciously thought that it is impossible to charm her.
I really forgot that even if I only have 1% chance to succeed, there's still a chance for it to success if I keep on persisting. And then with the combination of [Heavenly Luck], that 1% would become a definite success! Even a lesser Fortune type skill would make my chances with luck become better in general.

“…… I said that I would pledge my loyalty to someone strong…… but that is a bit incorrect. What I mean actually is that, I would pledge my loyalty to someone that I approve of”

Yuisia said that monotonically while her hand reach out to touch my cheeks in an endearing way. She keeps on caressing my cheek without any sign of getting tired of it. The smooth and tender feeling that I felt from my cheek when her finger caress my cheek made me wonder whether this girl in front of me is really a dragon or not.

“…… If I can have your crystallized tears then, I can allow you be my subordinate you know?”
“Alright. Human child…… what is your name? I haven't really heard it yet”

Yuisia looks at me straight in the eyes from a very close proximity. Having a dragon girl with white wings approaching me while hugging my childhood friend with black wings in my arms. Just what kind of situation is this?

(…… Riona, I will definitely find a way. I feel like I know what I should do now)

While saying my thanks to Riona who protected me in dangerous time, I face straight to Yuisia and made my choice.
Once I tame her, Yuisia will forever be my Guardian Beast. This will become the strongest enemy turned into ally story that I know even with the knowledge from my previous live included ---- this story is just too unreal and too good to be true but because of that, the story become even more attractive just like a dream.

LOG
- 《Yuisia》 has become your Guardian Beast!

I have decided my 1st command to Yuisia. I order her to collect her crystallized tears then hand it over to me. I receive all the scattered crystallized tears and found out that there are a total of 10 crystallized tears that Yuisia just ‘made'…… After this, I will ask Neris-san to make Elixir to heal my mother.

“…… Goshujin-sama(Master)”
“WA!...... Please don't use that way to call me from the start like that…… I feel a bit uneasy…… you can just call me Hiroto”
“Hiroto-sama…… I am the Sovereign Dragon, Yuisia. The one who loyal to you…… I swear to offer you all of my life”

As a symbol to show her oath, she gives me a kiss in my brow.
And then, her expressionless face just now suddenly gone without a trace and changed into a bashful smile.

If the [Charm] effect lifted, she might return back to ‘normal' but, since I tamed her too, the charm would never wear off.
With this, I can get the crystallized tears and also can safely return back home…… But I just can't let everyone else see Riona's current form.

“Yuisia…… hide Riona here for a while. I will return here after”
“…… The power of the Demon Queen is forcefully trying to awaken itself. Before she completely awakens, we have to put some kind of seal over her to stop it from going berserk”
“I know that. A method that might stop Riona from completing her demonization process….. there is only one way…… But I can't immediately do that now”

For now, I have to return to where my mother is as soon as possible.
While worrying about Riona's condition, I quickly backtrack the path I take to get here. When I get into the pa.s.sage that leads into the dragon's nest, I turn my face to look back for one last time and in the dragon's nest, I see Yuisia turning back to her dragon form and move to protect Riona who is still laying down unconscious.

(Wait for me Riona…… This might not be the most admirable method but, I can't just let you turn into a Demon Queen right?)

Eros: Should I use Demon Lord or Demon Queen for Riona?