IBHJ 1373

Even with her connection to the Root—an eye that could pierce all truths—Sajyou Manaka still couldn’t see through the shield.

Its origin was hidden from her.

All she could make out… was a faint silhouette. A figure standing tall beyond comprehension. Radiant. Divine.

What is that…? she thought.

But whatever it was, she couldn’t touch it.

"I don't know what's happening," Mash said, standing her ground. "But I absolutely won’t let you hurt my Master."

She tried to sound confident. Her grip on the shield was firm. Her stance unshaken.

But inside, her heart was pounding.

I’m going to die.

Even with this miraculous shield in hand, that thought rang clear. Cold. Inevitable.

Sajyou Manaka tilted her head, amused.

“How fascinating,” she mused. “Since the Fujimaru family came along, everything’s gotten so much more interesting. The Lord of Salvation. Tethys. All these unknowns appearing out of nowhere…”

Her voice took on a strange, soft lilt.

“If I’d met you first, I might’ve loved you to death, you know. But now… there’s only one person in my heart.”

Her gaze flicked to the shield.

“That thing’s a nuisance,” she admitted, “but killing you would still be as easy as flipping my hand.”

Mash didn’t move. Her breath held.

“Still, I think I’ll let you live. For now.”

Manaka smiled, eerie and playful.

“I want to be there when you break. So until then… bye-bye, cute little marshmallows~”

“Wait—!” Ritsuka lunged forward, but Manaka had already turned away. With a simple wave, she released a wave of energy that shattered the colossal Tree looming over Mount Enzou.

The roots split. The cavern trembled.

And then she was gone.

Mash exhaled shakily, her arms finally lowering the shield.

She had been ready to die. Every nerve had braced for it. But the attack never came.

Why?

Her eyes dropped to the shield again. That had to be it.

The reason Manaka backed off.

“Damn it—!” Ritsuka slammed her fist against the stone floor. “She just walks away?! After all that, she just leaves?!”

This wasn’t Manaka anymore.

Whatever came back—whatever that was—it wasn’t the person they’d once known.

It was the demon that wore her face.

"Senpai..." Mash turned toward her, voice quiet. Her eyes filled with sorrow.

Mash’s chest still felt heavy.

She was grieving too—grieving the loss of Miss Manaka. Someone that kind, that strong… she had been dazzling.

But the world wasn’t a fairy tale. There were always things you didn’t want to see. Losses you didn’t want to accept.

That’s when a faint voice echoed softly through the cavern.

“Do you really want me to disappear that badly?”

Both Ritsuka and Mash snapped their heads up.

Light shimmered in the air around them, swirling gently until it took shape—forming a silhouette, then a figure. And then she stood there. Manaka. Just as she had been.

Mash’s grip tightened on her shield.

“Are you… Miss Manaka?” she asked, hesitant. “Or… the enemy from before?”

Manaka smiled, tilting her head. “What do you think, Mash?”

That gentle smile—that familiar warmth—it shattered all of Mash’s doubt. Tears welled in her eyes.

“Miss Manaka…”

But before Manaka could respond, Ritsuka rushed forward and threw her arms around Manaka, slamming into her with the full force of a tackle-hug.

“Manaka… Manaka… Manaka!”

“Aba—baba—whoa—!”

The sudden impact knocked Manaka back a few steps, nearly sending her tumbling. Her shoes flew off in the process, leaving her standing barefoot in just white socks.

Ritsuka clung to her tightly, face pressed to her shoulder. “Thank you… Thank you, Manaka…”

She knew. She knew everything.

Manaka had given up the Origin Era. She’d freed her from the Beast’s grasp. She’d risked everything—not for glory, not for recognition, but for her.

Manaka was about to make a joke about how unhygienic the snot was… but seeing Ritsuka’s tear-streaked face, she just smiled softly.

She reached up and gently wiped the tears from Ritsuka’s cheeks.

“I’m your companion,” she said quietly. “You don’t have to thank me. Besides… this way, I don’t owe you anything anymore.”

“You never owed me anything to begin with,” Ritsuka said through a sniffle, finally smiling. “If you want to know why… it’s because we’re companions.”

“But… how did you come back to life, Miss Manaka?” Mash asked, brows furrowed in confusion.

Manaka touched her chest, feeling the steady rhythm of her heartbeat. Her expression turned oddly complicated.

“I was saved,” she said, “by someone I don’t particularly like.”

Mash and Ritsuka exchanged a look.

Manaka glanced away. “After Kiara and the others defeated Demonic Bodhisattva, I met with her in secret. I made a promise—if Kiara was ever in danger, I’d help her.”

She gave a dry laugh, almost annoyed at herself. “Because of that, before she vanished, she left something behind. A demon king’s seed. She buried it deep inside me.”

Mash’s eyes widened. “So... it was planted back then?”

“I didn’t notice it,” Manaka admitted. “Not until it mattered.”

When she absorbed the malice and the Beast, it should have destroyed her. She should’ve been lost, completely overwritten by Sajyou Manaka.

But the demon king’s seed had preserved her essence. It clung to her consciousness, protected it—and once Sajyou Manaka left, it pulled her back from the brink.

A miracle born from a promise she barely meant.

“I see,” Ritsuka said softly, nodding as the pieces clicked into place.

Manaka stood up and looked in the direction Sajyou Manaka had disappeared. “That woman… She’s headed for Britain. Probably to find Arthur. Hmph—just imagining his face when he sees her, pale as a ghost... heh, that alone makes this trip worthwhile.”

The satisfied grin she wore sent a chill down both Mash and Ritsuka’s spines.

“…You’re enjoying this a little too much,” Ritsuka muttered under her breath.

Manaka's eyes sparkled with mischief. “Well, can you blame me?”

But her tone shifted just as quickly.

“Still. If we let her wander freely, it won’t end well. She’s too dangerous.”

Just then, the ground groaned beneath them. Cracks spread across the walls, and the great Tree, already weakened, finally gave way with a thunderous crash.

The entire cavern began to tremble.

“This place is collapsing!” Manaka shouted. “We need to move!”

Mash and Ritsuka nodded immediately, and the three turned and sprinted for the exit, the rumble of falling stone chasing them as they escaped the heart of Mount Enzou.