Days without Eve [Part 1]

It was the 8th day since Eve left, and at 9 a.m., Mio and the others were still the same.

Although Eve said she’d be gone for just a few days, it was still hard to get used to.

“What are you spacing out for, Mio?”

Alexander came into Mio’s room. She was startled at first but quickly recovered.

“I was thinking about Xiao An. What’s up?”

“Nothing. Just saw you zoning out.”

Alexander closed the door.

“Letting me and Ren use our original bodies and names—was that your idea or Eve’s?”

“My idea. After all, the other spirit kings are your and Ren’s sisters. I couldn’t keep pretending to be you forever, could I?”

“But Alexander doesn’t belong to me anymore. He belongs to you.”

“Let me be clear: I’ll only use the name Alexander in important situations. Most of the time, I go by Mio Kamikoshi Wescott!”

“But…”

“If I’m Alexander, you should be listening to me. If you don’t, then you still see me as a human.”

“Alright.”

“By the way, I’m planning to open a spirit academy for our country. Did you have any subordinates who could serve as teachers?”

“Not sure.”

“Forget it. I’ll have Mireia investigate the divine-human school later.”

“That’s too dangerous. She’s made enemies there before.”

“Don’t worry. The divine-humans aren’t the type to hold grudges. Mireia is loyal, efficient, and ruthless against enemies. Usually, people that strong betray easily, but for us, loyalty is a hundred times more important than efficiency.”

“Still, I have a bad feeling about it.”

“A bad feeling? Are there enemies?”

“No… It’s just a bad feeling, that’s all.”

“Now that Xiao An and An Yue are gone, we’re relying on you and Ren, especially you two.”

“Can I ask something?”

“Go ahead.”

“Can you restore Ren’s and my power to our original levels?”

“Sure. I’ll ask Xiao An when she’s back. Even though I have your soul and a few tricks, I can’t fully restore that.”

“What tricks do you know?”

“Healing, light orb, finger laser, energy wave… but Shizuku knows more. She can even cast dark thunder.”

“Probably because your Saint body and her using Ren’s original body make a big difference. Plus, with your semi-original bodies restored, you barely use your old ones.”

“Exactly. My current body is good, but I’m still training to control energy. I have something called Divine Might—an energy related to gods. After all, I’m half-divine.”

“I have an idea—what if Ren and I give you sisters our memories? That way, you’ll understand everything—skills, topics, anything.”

“Let’s wait till Xiao An returns. I’m off to Aresia now.”

“Alright. Ren and I will head to the snowy mountains.”

Mio went downstairs.

“Mireia, could you go to the divine-human school? I need their data and origin info. I’m planning to build my own school.”

“Understood!”

“Then I’m heading out.”

After Mio left, Kanon ran over.

“Mireia, I want to go too. I want to talk to my brother.”

“Okay. Though… I have a bad feeling about this.”

“You’re overthinking it. After the Root Gate incident, who else could send assassins?”

“You’re right.”

While flying, Mio spotted Beval and slowly landed.

“Little Be!”

“Sis.”

“Call me Mio outside. I don’t want humans knowing I’m the King. But since we’re sisters, let’s get along well.”

“Sure. By the way, my shrine maiden said this place has something called pizza. Tons of types and super tasty!”

“I love it too. But in my human body, I can’t eat too much.”

“Why not?”

“Gaining weight isn’t good for a girl’s image. But as a spirit, it doesn’t matter.”

“Then use your spirit body.”

“I don’t have my original one anymore. I’m using my Saint body and this one now. But let’s go together—I’m heading to Aresia anyway. I’ll pack some for her too.”

“Got it.”

“I’ll lead. It’s only 300 meters away.”

“Thanks.”

“No problem. Just remember to drink something while eating pizza—your mouth will get sticky.”

Meanwhile, in the Holy Kingdom, Gio and Sarati were practicing swordsmanship.

“Hey Gio, do you think the Spirit King gave us spirits on purpose to test us?”

“Hey Kara, do you know the Holy King’s goal?”

A human-shaped spirit with black hair and white military uniform shook her head, her light blue eyes on Gio.

“I may have been created by Alexander, but the last time I saw her was 5,000 years ago. She told me someone would become my master one day, then left.”

Gio started thinking.

“Could I be just a pawn?”

Sarati crossed her arms.

“Gio, don’t doubt the Spirit King’s words.”

“But if I think carefully, isn’t this too coincidental?”

“What do you mean?”

“A demon king’s mask, a sword spirit, and last time she even came herself.”

“Are you saying she’s using you?”

“Something like that. I’ll just stay cautious.”

Thirty minutes later, Mireia arrived at the academy gate with Kanon in her arms. After landing slowly, Kanon exhaled.

“You fly so fast!”

“Of course. My current strength is way lower than before. Thankfully, my lord revived and strengthened me.”

“You’re one of her main subordinates. Still, the Holy King and my brother reconciling wasn’t just for peace. I feel like something was deliberately left unsaid.”

“You noticed too. The lord’s personality changed drastically. Maybe something happened when I died.”

“What does death feel like?”

“I don’t know. I can’t really explain.”

“What are you two doing?”

A voice came from behind. They turned around.

“Twilight Witch!”

“Isn’t that Mireia? And who’s this?”

“Hello, I’m Kanon Kazahaya, the divine-human’s sister. The Holy King sent us.”

“What for?”

Mireia exhaled softly.

“She wants data and the school’s origins. She’s planning to build her own school.”

“What kind of school?”

“Not sure yet. But it seems her goal might include humans who aren’t spirit users.”

“Then I’ll get you some info.”

“Um… Twilight Witch, where’s my brother?”

“Maybe in his room. I just got back, so I’m not sure.”

“Then Mireia, I’ll go to my brother.”

“I’ll come too. I want to check the area, environment, and rooms. Twilight Witch—no, Headmistress—please help.”

“Hehe… That’s not something you’d usually say.”

Kanon and Mireia headed to the dorm. Grevas went to get documents.

“Mireia, I remember the window view from last time. I’ll take you to my brother’s room.”

“Great. I need to talk to him too.”

As they reached the first-floor corridor, Restia suddenly appeared.

“Long time no see, Mireia.”

Mireia smiled.

“You too, dark elf! Your sister Restia is way cuter than you.”

“Restia, where’s my brother?”

“Upstairs. You’re not here for revenge, are you?”

“Relax. I’ll get payback during the tournament. But these floors are a bit slippery.”

“Mireia, you can’t use interdimensional darkness anymore, right?”

Mireia stood tall with hands on hips.

“True, I can’t. But don’t think I’m weak just because I’m human. Plus, none of you can use spirit armaments now. If we really fought, we’d have the upper hand.”

Restia replied with a grin.

“Interesting.”

Mireia walked toward the stairs.

“Kanon, after we talk, let’s check out the rest of the place.”

“Okay.”

At that moment, Shinnin, Est, and Claire came out of their room, planning to go shopping, but ran into Mireia and Kanon at the corner.

“Kanon, Mireia!”

Kanon waved.

“Brother, I came to play!”

Shinnin looked closely.

“Your right eye is still…”

“Yeah, I can’t see. The others could heal it, but I want you to use your wish from the tournament.”

“Leave it to me.”

As Shinnin stepped onto the stairs, he suddenly slipped and fell.

Before Mireia could react, Shinnin crashed into her, and both tumbled down the stairs.

“Ouch…”

Mireia opened her eyes and realized their lips were touching. Shinnin panicked.

Blushing, Mireia pushed him away with her right hand, furious.

“You pervy Demon King of the Night! I should’ve destroyed you when I had the chance!”

“S-Sorry! I didn’t mean to!”

Expressionless, Mireia said,

“If not for your sister, I’d beat you up… and that was my first kiss.”

“As expected from my night-demon brother.”

“Give me a break.”

“Get up. And stop touching my foot.”

“Sorry.”

As they got up, Mireia dusted herself off and glared at Shinnin.

“Don’t tell anyone about this. Or else I’ll never forgive Kazahaya Shinnin! Got it, dark elf?”

“Why me?”

“Your personality worries me. Whether friend or foe, you’re the same.”

“You said ‘Don’t touch my foot.’ Are you like Miss Holy Sword?”

“Let’s just be enemies and fight. And Shinnin, don’t think I’m weak just because I’m human.”

“I wouldn’t. But where’s Mio?”

“She sent me to gather data on the school…”

“And I wanted to see my brother, so Mireia brought me.”

Claire came downstairs.

“Hey Mireia, have you seen my sister?”

“Rubia? Why?”

“She said she was visiting an old friend in your country but hasn’t come back.”

“She’s probably in the outer region. We usually patrol the city center only—our country is too big.”

“I see.”

“But I think I get along with your sister. The lord does too.”

Shinnin muttered,

“If Mio rebels again, will you follow?”

“If ordered to, yes. But she’s doing fine now.”

Kanon approached Est.

“Sorry about last time, Est. I’ll treat you to something yummy next time.”

“What kind of yummy?”

“Too many to count!”

“Will there be parfaits?”

“I’m an expert! Once the Holy King lets me open an ice cream shop, I’ll treat you to everything!”

“Yay.”

“You’re just like the lord, Est.”

Meanwhile, Mio was helping Aresia set up a pet nest.

“Phew, finally done.”

“Thanks, little Mio.”

“No problem. Aresia, what do you think of this peaceful world?”

“It’s great. I wish it had the same culture as yours.”

“With me around, that’s just a matter of time. Alexander and Ren will help too. I just hope people in this world can be more understanding. Otherwise, I wouldn’t need to open a school to teach kids.”

“Can Alexander meet me?”

“Sure. But you’ll be mistaken for the Holy King—since I came to this world looking like you.”

“People often mistake me for the Spirit King. But your friends have amazing powers.”

“Yeah. Now they’ve returned to their world. Shizuku, Soen, and I can only rely on you all. But your Est sure loves fetching snacks.”

“Especially sweets.”

“Aresia, I hope you participate in the next Blade Dance festival.”

“No problem. I revived and learned so much thanks to you all.”

“Thank you.”

“No, thank you.”

“Be careful when fighting Shinnin. Alexander relied too much on your foresight and lost. She could’ve escaped.”

“I know. But I have a unique fighting style—mixing feints so the enemy can’t tell real from fake. Plus my cross slash.”

“Then I’ll level up too. My moves—Divine Arrowfall and Phantom Spirit Slash—aren’t strong enough.”

“That’s because you prefer bare-handed combat. I can’t beat you at that.”

“I’m just an ordinary high schooler. No fighting skills, just brute strength.”

“Combat experience builds over time. If possible, I’ll train with you.”

“Let’s do our best together!”

At home, Luminarius was chatting with Yugdora in her room.

“Yugdora, how come Lord has so many powerful people after her revival? It feels weird.”

“Who knows how many subordinates she has. Mireia doesn’t even know all of them. I know even less.”

“I heard there’s a civilian group besides the Holy Law Organization—one founded in her name.”

“I know that, but they’re all people without much combat experience. I even faced one of their captains four years ago with a regular wooden sword, and they couldn’t block even half a move of mine.”

“By the way, Kazehaya Shinjin seems to have been sick. It’s strange that even someone with the divine power of the Spirit King would fall ill.”

“I’ve been sick too. No matter how powerful healing magic is, illness is sometimes unavoidable.”

“I suspect Kazehaya Shinjin has a weak constitution. I wonder if our lord will pull any tricks at the Blade Dance Festival.”

“Not likely with his current power. By the way, didn’t you used to call him Ren Ashubel? Why the switch to Kazehaya Shinjin?”

“Using his real name—out of respect.”

“Speaking of Kazehaya Shinjin, I just want to face him one-on-one again.”

“Me too, but with our current strength, it’s probably impossible.”

“Well, we’ll just go all out in the next tournament.”

Luminarlis gave a mischievous smile.

“You’re not going to blow yourself up again if you lose, right?”

“What are you talking about? Our lord has banned suicide. Besides, I only self-destructed for the greater good back then.”

“But you still died for nothing. Although, to be fair, they were all soft-hearted and didn’t go for the kill. My family used to teach me the same—avoid killing. Murder is a crime, the most unforgivable act.”

“I used to be a healer. I saved someone who later harmed even more people. It made me lose faith in the world.”

“There’s no point talking about it now. Maybe the world our lord is creating is the one we’ve been hoping for.”

Suddenly, Luminarlis thought of someone.

“Yugutora, do you think Kanon will surpass her brother?”

“Hard to say. I’ve never seen her fight. Plus, she’s blind in her right eye. It’s difficult to judge her strength.”

“Then maybe I’ll ask our lord to let me spar with her bare-handed.”

“You know martial arts?”

“I learned before joining the knight order—for self-defense.”

“I see. Then let’s train some new moves together when we have time. Using the same old techniques all the time gets predictable.”

“Alright!”

Meanwhile, in the original world, it was pouring rain. Eve and Ankurosu were in a hotel watching TV.

“Ankurosu, isn’t it bad that something huge happened in the Celestial Realm and you’re not going?”

“Don’t worry. That rotten old man of mine is there. I plan to make full use of my copying ability in the coming days!”

“Copy what?”

“Food, game consoles, animals, books—everything.”

“What animals?”

“Kobe beef. It’s delicious. I’m going to travel the world and find animals that can be used for gourmet dishes.”

“You should focus on chefs. My mom knows a lot of famous chefs.”

“True. Once the rain stops, let’s go to the jewelry store. I can copy everything anyway.”

Eve rolled her eyes.

“Why do we, as gods, feel like thieves?”

“Let’s just call it a human offering. You’re half-god, after all.”

“Sigh, fine. Have it your way.”

“Then let’s get some good sleep first.”

“Where am I supposed to sleep? You only booked a single room.”

“I don’t mind sharing the bed. I look like a 12-year-old anyway.”

“You really like pretending to be a kid.”

“I am a kid. Besides, with my anti-aging spell, I’ll never grow up.”

“Same here. I’ll always look the same. I just hope Mio and the others will be okay while we’re gone.”

“Don’t worry. Their strength isn’t an issue. And with Alexander around, there’s nothing to fear.”

“That’s true. Still, I brought Nemesis and Edith just in case—especially Nemesis.”

“She’s a divine support unit, but also a bit of a troublemaker.”

Ankurosu began undressing and got under the blanket.

“Come on, sleep already.”

“Alright.”

Eve also started to undress and said,

“How about grilled meat for dinner?”

“Sounds great. My treat.”

As Eve removed her pants, Ankurosu chuckled lightly.

“So you wear pure white panties too.”

“Too? You as well?”

“It doesn’t matter for a kid. But you still look a bit skinny.”

“Proper diet and worrying about those sisters—being neither fat nor thin is just right.”

“If you get fat, just use magic to go back. But I don’t know your ideal figure.”

After undressing, Eve also got under the blanket. Ankurosu hugged her.

“Wow, so soft. Feels really nice to hold.”

“Let go… Better to sleep now so we’ll have energy for tomorrow.”

“Just let me hold you.”

“You’re such a selfish god.”

“I prefer being human rather than a god. As a half-human, you should understand the freedom of humanity.”

“Human freedom?”

“To be honest, I have a bit of a god-killing impulse.”

“But aren’t you one of them?”

“Not of one mind with them. Let me explain. My original goal was to give humans freedom from the gods. To do that, I must unlock the deep, sealed desires within people’s hearts. If we can achieve a massive unsealing ritual…”

Eve listened attentively.

“Don’t you think it’s sad that humans live under divine rules and unconsciously suppress their desires? People should follow their natural instincts and live freely. I will eventually unseal all human desires. There are two ways to do this!”

“What are the two ways?”

“Erase the King of Gods from the source! The god who stands at the top of all gods!”

“Your uncle! But…”

“You’re thinking it’s impossible, right? But he’s already dead. My father sits on that throne now. The second method is for me to become the King of Gods and release human desires! Even if my uncle is revived, I’ll make sure there’s a plan with no casualties.”

“But too much freedom could lead to chaos.”

“I’m just restoring what humans are supposed to have. Besides, humans have laws. Why listen to gods?”

“Fair point.”

“By the way, Eve, you’re planning to use Akatome and Kurotome sisters as your final hand, right?”

“No, actually I plan to set up informants in every region and country during the Blade Dance. The sisters will be pretending to work at a hotel in Dragon Country but are actually monitoring. I’m placing spies in the 12 generals of Odyssea, the Holy Kingdom, and all the minor countries too.”

“Using anime characters again?”

“No, just friends around my age. I’ll introduce you sometime.”

“Thanks. Now let’s sleep.”

“Me too.”

The two closed their eyes and began to sleep. Ankurosu, like a child, continued hugging Eve.

In truth, Ankurosu had remained childish in personality for over four centuries, with his appearance frozen at 12 years old. Unless it was something important, he rarely acted like an adult.

The rain outside got heavier, but the world of Blade Dance remained sunny.

An hour later, Mireia and Kanon were sitting in a shop after retrieving academy data, watching Kanon enjoy some ice cream.

“So good! Way better than anything from where I used to live.”

Kanon treated the ice cream like a gourmet delicacy. Mireia wore a bitter expression.

“Sigh.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Hard to be happy after your brother stole my first kiss.”

Kanon gave a mischievous grin.

“Night Demon King big brother is a bit much sometimes. But I heard from Lady Mio that you’ve changed a lot too.”

“I’m just a spirit turned human. Maybe I gained a little humanity. I wasn’t this gentle before.”

“Weren’t you Est before? Est’s personality shouldn’t be that bad.”

“That was then. But I’m still loyal and good to my people.”

“True. It’s all about stance too.”

“Once you’re done eating, come with me to deliver the data. Then let’s go to Eire Island.”

“Eire Island?”

“A small island in the middle of the Western Sea, 8,247 square kilometers.”

“Anything fun there?”

“It was a mining island we bought long ago. There’s a ton of gold underground. Now only about 200 people are stationed there.”

“Jackpot.”

“Dig all you want. But I’m after a stone.”

“A stone?”

“It instantly restores stamina. But it can only be used once every three days.”

“What’s the point if it’s just once every three days?”

“There are only about four in the world! I want one just in case. It’s handy to have something that instantly recovers strength.”

“For the tournament?”

“No, to retrieve it before any traitors get it. I just remembered.”

“Traitors!?”

“After our lord revealed their true purpose, a few people turned on us. Some know important secrets.”

“What if we run into a traitor?”

“Worst case, we beat them up. Betraying our lord is unforgivable. You know the punishment for offending the Spirit King.”

“Speaking of which, does the lord have a shrine maiden yet?”

“Hm… not yet.”

“Too bad. I wanted to learn Kagura dance and become a shrine maiden!”

“This isn’t an ice cream shop?”

“Both! A famous shrine maiden would sell lots of ice cream!”

“First time I’ve heard of an ice cream-selling shrine maiden. But maybe our lord favors you because you’re Kazehaya Shinjin’s sister.”

“No matter what, I’ll give my all for our lord. But I also want a spirit of my own.”

“What kind?”

“Someone like you—Est. If you could still become the Demon Slayer Holy Sword, that’d be perfect.”

“I doubt it. But our lord will figure something out.”

“I hope it’s a cute humanoid spirit.”

“All humanoid spirits are cute. Their personalities vary though.”

“I still want Est—loyal and ruthless to enemies, efficient like you.”

“But there are no Est fragments left. Unless our lord revives one specially.”

“Then I’ll ask him when we return.”

“Can’t you pick a different spirit? Why must it be Est?”

“Because Est is the most loyal and ruthless. Just like you.”

“Most spirits are loyal. But wow, you really love ice cream. Winter’s only three months away.”

“I eat ice cream in winter too. It’s my favorite food!”

“Don’t get a stomachache. You’ve had quite a lot already.”

“Don’t worry. Except for one eye, I’m very healthy.”

“You should get that treated. Being half-blind isn’t pleasant.”

“I’m saving it to use against my brother if he tries anything in the tournament.”

“Speaking of the tournament, when does it start? Our lord hasn’t said, and we’re just spectators this time.”

“So boring.”

“Can’t be helped. Our lord hasn’t fully recovered. And your brother may have gotten way stronger while we were dead. He could probably beat me easily now.”

“Then I’ll take care of it in the tournament after next. I can beat Demon-class spirits with my bare hands. Plus, I have a special technique.”

“A special technique?”

“Vital point strikes. I know every vital spot on the human body. No matter how tough they are, multiple hits to the vitals will kill. And I’m very strong.”

“But you have to land the hits first. Power’s useless if you miss.”

“I’m confident in my speed. I’ve been through a lot of life-or-death battles.”

“Life-or-death? I don’t recall your hometown being a warzone.”

“Just some internal conflicts. I knew despair back then—no family, no support.”

“But it’s all over now. I just do the little missions our lord gives me. Still, I wish someone would spar with me, or I’ll get rusty.”

“I’ll spar with you now and then—consider it training.”

“Thanks. Maybe we’ll make a good team.”

Just then, a voice came from the right.

“What are you two doing here!?”

Mireia turned around. A blue-haired girl in knight’s armor was staring at her.

“Aren’t you Alice Frangelto!?”

“Yes. I’m on patrol. Why are you here?”

“I came to get something from your principal. Kanon asked me to bring her.”

Alice looked closely at Kanon.

“You really do look like him.”

“Hello, I’m Kazehaya Kanon. Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“Um, Miss Alice, I heard my brother has a stepsister?”

“Yes, her name’s Myua. He’s known her since childhood, and she’s very clingy with him.”

Kanon frowned.

“Does he like her?”

“They’re really close. They often go shopping together.”

“Where is Myua? If she’s my brother’s sister, then as his real sister, I need to say hi too.”

“Not sure. She often wanders off.”

“That’s too bad. Maybe next time.”

At that moment, Mireia’s detector beeped. It was a call from Mio.

“Mireia, how are things?”

“All done.”

“Good. I ran into Amina. She says she wants to speak with you.”

“Got it. We’re coming back now.”

“We?”

“Kanon came too.”

“I see. Then come back.”

“Yes!”

Mireia sighed internally.

(Why does Amina want to meet our lord? Hopefully, it’s not like last time…)

“Kanon, finish eating. We’re heading back. Our lord wants me.”

“Okay!”

Up in the sky, Nemesis was watching them.

“The show’s about to begin.”