When you are eagerly anticipating the finish line, a stretch of road that looks short always turns impossibly long without warning.
Herta had already listened to Kanzaki bicker with countless versions of himself for a full hour.
The arguments never stopped, yet somehow the constant noise was still preferable to silence.
In a place this bizarre, cursing had become an art form of its own.
"Mr. Creditor, maybe it's best not to drag family into this… after all, they share your face."
"Oh, that? No big deal. Have you forgotten what I am?"
Kanzaki answered with complete nonchalance.
"I'm a Virtual Substance Lifeform created by you humans. Where would I even get a family register? I can curse to my heart's content."
They walked for another half hour.
Kanzaki's footsteps grew heavier with every step.
Looking down, he discovered that the ground beneath him had, at some point, also turned into mirrors. Pale hands reached up from the reflective surface and clamped around his ankles.
"Tch. Petty tricks."
He simply ignored them and kept walking.
Further ahead, it was no longer just hands. Figures began rising halfway out of the mirrors, blocking the path completely. Their faces were frighteningly pale, twisted with deep-seated hatred, and they muttered without pause.
"It's all your fault! The supernova outburst is nothing but a lie!"
"I hate you! I hate you so much!!!"
"Herta… stay… stay… You are destined to fail your mission…"
"Your family died saving Azure Star… If you don't stay, you'll die too…"
"Keep going, and your friends will die… and then it'll be your turn…"
"Your Azure Star turn, my foot!"
Kanzaki tried a casual kick. To his mild surprise, the thing blocking the way actually went flying.
"Oh? So you've got physical forms now? Then let me show you what a real Shadowless Kick feels like."
Although each kick reduced the blocking figures to wisps of gray mist, the voices continued to spread, seeping relentlessly into Herta's mind.
"Ghosts in every sense of the word. As everyone knows, Virtual Substance Lifeforms aren't invincible. Plenty of them possess human-like intelligence."
"But why would even ghosts bully the weak and fear the strong? Could it be because the 'invincible' setting isn't allowed to exist and can't be replicated, so these things learned that behavior instead?"
"Ugh…"
"Hey, kid. If you're hungry, just hold on a little longer. There's not much road left. Once we get through here, I'll give you something to eat."
"…The food you have stored… it's not human meat, is it…?" Herta pressed a hand against her forehead.
"That's right. So, dare to eat it?"
"You… you keep it… I won't take what someone else cherishes…" Herta answered in a halting voice.
"What a shame. Then let me tell you a not-so-heartwarming little story instead. The time… ah, I remember now."
Kanzaki thought for a moment before beginning.
"This little story happened not long ago. A spaceship from your Azure Star ran into a rather troublesome Virtual Substance Lifeform and crashed deep into the illusory memory substance world. The ship was destroyed, but the people inside weren't dead yet."
"Before the engine power system failed completely, those aboard managed to send out a distress signal."
"Some time later, I watched several more spaceships dive into the same illusory memory substance world, heading straight for the crash site. Sadly, not a single one flew back out."
"No one ever found the people who sent that distress signal. Do you know why?"
Herta already knew Kanzaki loved being cryptic and asking rhetorical questions, so she simply played along.
"Tell me."
"Because that Virtual Substance Lifeform's setting is a vengeful spirit who died in a helicopter crash."
"You humans love creating ghost stories. Well, now you see the result. That vengeful spirit will chase and bring down any vehicle it sees flying in the sky. It won't stop until the target is destroyed."
"Perhaps the person inside was important. Several more ships still went in later without hesitation. Sigh. Wasted lives."
"…Is this still a 'little story'? It should be called an 'accident.'" Herta retorted.
"Makes sense. Then 'accident' it is."
"Was that vengeful spirit's territory very large? As far as I know, rescue ships have tracking systems. Seeing so many vessels lose contact in the same area, they should have rerouted."
"Ah, kid… oh, kid. Have you ever considered one possibility?"
Kanzaki sighed and lightly tapped the girl's forehead with his index finger.
"The crash site of the distress ship sits at the exact center of that helicopter vengeful spirit's territory. So no matter how many rescue ships arrive, they're only delivering themselves to death."
"Unless that unlucky bastard being chased has accumulated enough virtue for several lifetimes like you, and happens to run into a reasonable Virtual Substance Lifeform like me, otherwise…"
Seeing Herta's spirits drop, Kanzaki tapped her forehead again.
"I'm not saying this to discourage you. I'm saying it to lift your spirits so you'll hurry and bring the news back to Azure Star."
"So many ships were willing to die for that rescue. That means whatever the unlucky bastard was carrying is extremely important… or he himself is extremely important."
"Return to Azure Star sooner, and you can organize a proper rescue or find a way to recover the important items."
"Mr. Creditor, you make it sound so noble. Actually, you just want to eat me sooner, right?" Herta shot back.
"Wow, you saw right through me! Oh dear, I really am too honest. I can't hide my thoughts at all."
"…You'd better go back to telling bad jokes."
"You should have said so earlier! That's one of my strongest character traits!"
The moment the topic turned to bad jokes, Kanzaki's eyes lit up.
"Do you know why superheroes on Azure Star always wear tight suits? Because saving people is 'tight'—as in urgent."
"Why are math books always so sad? Because they have too many problems."
"…"
Herta actually felt a strange flicker of admiration for him.
The bad jokes poured out without end and without a single repeat, though some of them she genuinely failed to understand.
Under the continuous bombardment of terrible jokes and a steady flurry of Shadowless Kicks along the way, they finally reached the finish line.
A door appeared in their path without warning and swung open.
The noise—countless times more terrifying than any piercing shriek—abruptly ceased.
Finding his abilities restored, Kanzaki held Herta securely with one arm and turned to look back.
The abominations that had been spewing curses were still present, yet none of them spoke another word.
"It's better to resolve grievances than to hold onto them. Settling scores on the spot is most appropriate."
Tap—
A sharp snap echoed through the air.
Scorching heat surged from above.
Herta looked up and saw a fireball large enough to cover the sky descending, carrying an aura of world-destroying power.
"Is this your forbidden spell?"
"Forbidden spells aren't that weak."
The two figures—one large, one small—passed through the doorway without sparing another glance at the space behind them. In an instant, that entire realm transformed into a sea of fire.
Walking through the transition passage, Herta suddenly felt something being pushed into her mouth.
"…A lollipop?"
"That's right. Grape flavor. Do you like it?"
"Honestly, not really. But I don't have the luxury of being picky. I just didn't expect you to be carrying candy."
"Life isn't easy, the mage sighs. Occasionally I have to cosplay as Santa Claus handing out candy just to get by."
"Are you sure it's not about handing out candy to trick and eat pretty little girls?" Herta asked in return.
"A mere emergency ration actually understands me so well! You know too much! It seems I can't keep you around for long. I must eat you quickly!"