I Saved Too Many Girls and Caused the Apocalypse: Volume 11

by Namekojirushi

  “I can’t believe you would sink your evil fangs into the kindhearted Suzuran, too... Unforgivable! You have to be stopped, vampire!” she said through her clenched jaw.

  It seemed Yulia had once again come to her own conclusion on things. She reached her right hand into her robe and swiftly pulled out something small and glimmering.

  Ka-chink!

  The silver flash of her throwing knife was deflected by a second—a knife Suzuran had thrown—and clattered to the ground.

  “Kuh...! Please don’t get in my way, Suzuran!”

  Yulia threw more knives in anger, but they all met the same fate as the first. Once she was done striking down Yulia’s knives, Suzuran calmly returned the rest of her own to the holster on her thigh.

  “Those knives just now were all aimed at my mistress, correct?”

  “...Of course. Why do you ask?”

  “Why aren’t you aiming for me?”

  “You’re being controlled by the vampire. It is only natural that I prioritize defeating her.”

  Suzuran’s stoic expression remained unchanged upon hearing Yulia’s answer.

  “Then, Miss Yulia, you perceive all nonhumans—vampires like my mistress included—as enemies to be defeated at all costs. Is that correct?”

  “Yes, quite so.”

  “Then you should readjust your aim,” Suzuran informed her plainly. “I may be a human now, but I used to be an artificial life-form called a homunculus—a being given life by an alchemist.”

  “...What?” Yulia nearly gasped as she stared at Suzuran with a blank expression. “B-But, Suzuran, you’re clearly...”

  “Yes, in my current form, I am. And that is all thanks to Sir Namidare over there. But it wasn’t long ago that I was a man-made life-form... A nonhuman, as you call them.”

  “...”

  Rosalind and I watched on silently as Suzuran told Yulia her story. I didn’t really know what she was thinking, but it was clear she was the only one Yulia was going to listen to. That’s what my gut told me. Suzuran tilted her head slightly, looking at Yulia questioningly.

  “Now, what will you do with me, Miss Yulia? Will I be spared because I am currently a human? Or am I an enemy that must be eliminated because of my past as a nonhuman?”

  “Th-That is...”

  Yulia trailed off. She’d been rendered speechless. The head of her axe swayed from left to right, as though in reflection of her wavering emotions. Suzuran’s status as a former-homunculus-turned-human was particularly unique, even among my lineup of unusual friends. If humans were good, and nonhumans were evil... Where did that leave Suzuran, who had been both at some point in her life?

  “Suzuran wasn’t a human before... but she is one right now... All nonhumans must be eradicated, but... the vampire... But... I... Oh, dear father in heaven, please give me guidance!” Yulia clutched her axe tightly, her eyes wandering this way and that as if she were searching for an answer.

  “Miss Yulia.”

  Yulia flinched when Suzuran said her name.

  “Does your dedication to the teachings of God stem from the fact the church adopted and raised you?”

  What? She was adopted and raised by the church?

  “Hey, does that mean...”

  “Yes, I used to be an orphan,” Yulia explained, prompted by my confusion. “Someone from the church adopted me when I was all alone, and they raised me to be the way I am today. A devout child of God... and an exorcist who protects people.”

  Suzuran had mentioned before that she’d talked with Yulia about how she’d become a nun during their get-togethers at the church. That was probably how she’d learned about Yulia’s past. And to an orphan like her, the church must have felt like a parent. That was why she was so faithfully devoted to it and its teachings... to an almost frightening extent.

  “That’s right... There’s no way that God is wrong... Those who have turned their backs on God must face their punishment... That’s why... That’s why...!”

  Yulia continued to mutter as she tried to assure herself of her righteousness. She pressed a hand to her forehead like she was in pain, but her eyes were swimming as she looked at us through the space between her fingers.

  “If you insist on battle, Miss Yulia, then as unfortunate as it may be, I will accept your challenge. However...” Suzuran reached for her holster once more, looking directly at Yulia. “Please refrain from doing so just because God said to.”

  “What?! What are you saying? For the devoted, God’s word is law! Cutting down those who would sully his name is the only way—”

  “A life dictated completely by the words of another is no life at all. Even if those words are the commandments of God himself,” Suzuran stated clearly. “My former self was created in order to kill my current mistress, Miss Rosalind. For 200 years, I lived my life trying to fulfill the singular mission that had been bestowed upon me by my master.”

  “...”

  “But once I became a human and looked back on that life... I realized what a terrifying thing it had been. Just the thought of it makes my hands shake now. I had been trying to kill someone with no motive of my own, simply obeying the words of another... And with this human heart, I can appreciate how wretched I truly was. That’s why I’m asking you,” Suzuran pleaded. “If you wish to subject me and my mistress to your judgment, then please do it because you so desire, Miss Yulia. I do not want to see you carry out such a dreadful task for any other reason.”

  “Say what you will, but this is my life! It’s the only life I’ve ever known...!” Tears welled in Yulia’s eyes as she leveled her axe at Rosalind and Suzuran. “You... You’re just a servant of the devil trying to sway my faith and make me turn my back on God! As punishment, I shall... I shall...!”

  “Hmph. Of course this is how it ends. What a waste of time,” Rosalind muttered in a bored tone after watching their exchange unfold.

  She then readied herself to intercept the attack Yulia looked like she’d be launching any moment now. As for me...

  “Wait,” I said, stepping between the girls and spreading my arms wide.

  “What now, Rekka? There’s no further point in a diplomatic approach. This girl is beyond reason. Her lot only know how to wail about God this, God that. They blindly believe in all the nonsense they’ve ever been fed, despite having never met or spoken to this so-called God of theirs.”

  “Silence!” Yulia raged at Rosalind’s mocking words.

  “That’s why I said to wait! If you’ve never had a proper conversation with the guy before...” I thrust my finger out, pointing in the direction of my house in the distance where Harissa and the others were. “How about we go ask God what he really thinks?”

  ▽

  From Rosalind’s place, I went and got the freeloading angel from my house.

  “What is it, Rekka? I only just finished showering... You’re interrupting my beauty sleep on top of the clouds, you know?”

  “Shut up. Try and be useful for once, you hopeless angel.”

  With my hands on her back, I pushed her along until we got to the top of the hill... and were standing right in front of Yulia. Well, Rachelle was an angel, so she was more floating than standing there, but whatever.

  “A-An angel...?”

  “Yep, that’s me! The angel of love and passion, Rachelle, at your service.”

  It seemed not even Yulia had expected an angel to appear before her, and she stood there looking at Rachelle agape and wide-eyed as Rachelle oh-so-casually introduced herself.

  “Are you... real?”

  “What? Gosh... People have really been doubting me recently, but I swear to you that I’m a 100-percent authentic, totally real angel. You think these wings and this halo are just for show? Do I have to perform a couple of miracles to get you to believe me?”

  “N-No! I apologize for my rudeness!”

  Seeing Rachelle’s discontent expression, Yulia fell to her knees in a panic and offered a prayer.

  “Hmm... So
, you’re one of those so-called nuns, huh?”

  “Y-Yes!”

  “I see. So, Rekka, why did you drag me all the way out here?”

  “Didn’t I explain it on the way...?”

  She really was a useless angel... With no other choice, I decided to refresh her on the key questions I needed answered.

  “Rachelle, Yulia is both a nun and an exorcist. In the name of God, she makes a living hunting nonhumans. Basically vampires like Rosalind and stuff.”

  “Yeah, so?”

  “So... what do you think God has to say about killing all those nonhumans?”

  “Why do you ask?”

  It seemed like Rachelle hadn’t quite gotten her head around what I was really getting at.

  “I’m asking if God really condones all that.”

  “Not really,” Rachelle replied flatly.

  “B-But the teachings of the church—” Yulia immediately tried to interject.

  “Yeah, exactly. Those are the teachings of the church, no? The teachings of a group of humans trying to manage other humans. It’s only natural for humans to fear vampires and demons, the same way it’s natural for rabbits and mice to fear foxes and cats. Of course they’d want them exterminated. And by spreading that idea through their teachings, the church recruits more people for their cause without directly getting any blood on their hands. However, the big man upstairs has never made a statement on the matter. It’s not something he’s asked for, and it’s not something he desires.”

  Yulia desperately tried to argue, but Rachelle held a finger up to her lips as she explain the facts of the matter simply. Hearing it all, the strength drained from Yulia’s body, leaving her in a daze. She was probably at a complete loss after having the foundations of her faith so shaken. Straight from the horse’s mouth, too. Well, Rachelle wasn’t God, she was just a mouthpiece, but surely hearing it from an angel was persuasive enough.

  “Anyway, serving God is the angels’ job, so there’s no need for you humans to worry about things like that. I mean, if you want to do my job for me, I won’t argue... Uuugh, actually, now that I’m thinking about it, I haven’t met my quota yet...”

  Rachelle trailed off into moaning as she clutched her head. Serves her right, though. That’s what she got for slacking off at my place for days now. Next, Suzuran approached the stock-still Yulia.

  “Miss Yulia, what is the matter?”

  “...”

  “Miss Yulia?” Suzuran asked again when she didn’t respond. “Let me hear your answer.”

  “My...”

  “That’s right. The God you believe in doesn’t wish for either me or my mistress to be eradicated from this world. So what will you do now, Miss Yulia? It’s up to you to choose how you deal with us.”

  “...”

  “Will you go back on your words? Will you now claim to defeat us in the name of the church that saved you rather than in the name of God?”

  “H-Hey, Suzuran...”

  I was a little nervous about her doing anything that might upset Yulia, but she seemed intent on pressing the matter.

  “Sir Namidare, I would like Miss Yulia to decide for herself,” she explained.

  She then turned back to Yulia.

  “When I became a human thanks to Sir Namidare here... He freed me from the order my master gave me 200 years ago. The order that I was chained to. But being released from that chain was terrifying,” she said nostalgically. “I felt like I was losing something important—my purpose. And without that, I was lost. It was like I was starting over again from nothing, a blank slate... Just like you are now. But what you choose to write on the blank slate you’re given is up to you, I believe.”

  Yulia silently listened to Suzuran until the end. And then...

  “I...”

  ▽

  That Sunday...

  “Welcome, lost lambs. Thank you for coming to today’s mass.”

  Yulia stood at the pulpit dressed in her habit and greeted all the churchgoers in a quiet, welcoming voice. Suzuran and I had come to listen to her sermon, and were sitting together on one of the pews in the back.

  So... in the end, Yulia hadn’t exterminated Suzuran or Rosalind.

  Anyone would have found it difficult to abandon teachings they’d been following their whole life, especially on the spot like that. But what Rachelle said about God from her point of view as an angel and Suzuran’s story seemed to have moved her.

  “I will put your disposal on hold for now, vampire. However, know that I have seen many humans suffer at the hands of demons like you before. I will not eliminate you without reason... but if I ever find that you’ve brought harm to humans, I will not hesitate to end you.”

  Those had been Yulia’s parting words for Rosalind that day. Rosalind had scoffed, of course, but Suzuran and I both had breathed a sigh of relief. And now, after all that, here we were at the church...

  “I believe some of those with us today are attending mass for the very first time, so I would like to begin with a small lesson about God’s wonderful love.”

  Today was Yulia’s first mass since coming to town. I was hoping she’d think carefully about what she wanted to do from here on out as she fulfilled her duties as a nun.

  “...Come to think of it, why did you start coming to church to study love in the first place, Suzuran?”

  The only real reason we’d been able to reach a peaceful conclusion to the situation was Suzuran, who’d made friends with Yulia by coming to church to see and talk with her every day.

  “Because I wish to have a child.”

  “Bwuh!”

  That unexpected answer made me choke on thin air. I rushed to cover my mouth, but it was too late. Yulia shot me a glare from the pulpit, then cleared her throat before continuing her sermon.

  “Ahem... So, ultimately, God will always watch over everyone because he loves everyone equally. Furthermore...”

  “...What do you want a child for?” I asked Suzuran in a whisper, careful not to disturb anyone else.

  “I’ve found myself interested in the community called family. When I was a homunculus, I gave up on the idea of a family because I had no reproductive ability... But now that I am a human, I would like to have a child of my own,” Suzuran answered plainly in a quiet voice.

  “I-I see...”

  So she wanted a family, huh? It kind of made sense when she put it that way, but there was still a major issue to address...

  “Suzuran... You do know you can’t have a child on your own, right?”

  “I am aware. A man is necessary to successfully perform the reproductive deed with me. Is that correct?”

  “You’re not wrong, but could you lower your voice a little...?”

  I glanced around with a red face. Suzuran had been speaking quietly from the beginning, but the church was so silent that I was still nervous about someone overhearing us. And as I continued to look around like a shady character, Suzuran added...

  “Although, I do have a candidate in mind, so there is no need to worry about that.”

  “Huh...?”

  A candidate in mind... Wait, she’d already found someone?! I was already surprised, as it was right after hearing that she wanted a kid, so I didn’t have the courage to ask for details. Instead, I just silently sat there wondering who she might mean.

  “...Thus, as humans, we must also must come to understand and forgive each other through love. That way, we can walk together towards living in peace just as God has intended.” Yulia stopped there and crossed herself, offering a silent prayer up to God in her heart. “May the world be filled with love. Amen.”

  Time Traveler L’s Life on the Streets: Log 2

  Homeless time traveler L was currently in quite a pickle. That was a fact she vehemently didn’t want to acknowledge, but there was no hiding from the undeniable truth. Yet that hadn’t stopped her from trying. In fact, it was her dogged persistence in refusing to accept reality that had escalated the situation to its current l
evel of seriousness.

  “...It stinks...”

  That was the short of it.

  The kimono L wore was made of superfibers that would never fray or dirty. They even had deodorizing properties, but that was intended to compensate for normal daily use—not hardcore camping outside for a month and counting. After the way L had been living, her high-tech clothes could no longer keep up, leaving certain parts of her—which parts, exactly, need not be said—rather smelly.

  Even if she was an artificial life-form, she was still a young lady at heart. She didn’t want to cringe every time she smelled her own hair. She wanted to find a way to wash it. And if possible, the rest of herself, too.

  But unable to come to grips with that, L half sighed, half groaned as she stared at the flowing water right in front of her. After coming to the river to fish, she’d coincidentally come across a rather convenient, protected space under a bridge. She’d been staying there ever since and had staked it as her home ground—quite literally.

  “Ugggh...”

  As long as she could stay out of sight, she could theoretically sneak into the river to bathe. Theoretically. But when she looked at the relatively clear water up close, she could see all the fish, frogs, and other animals living in it. With her Kiklim eyes, it was easy to spot the waste and microscopic toxins that polluted the river. That was natural, of course. And the levels certainly weren’t high enough to be cause for concern. Especially not for an advanced artificial life-form like L.

  And yet... Even though she was willing to eat the fish she caught from the river, when it came to jumping in and bathing alongside them... Something made her hesitate. Why was that? It certainly wasn’t rational or logical. But nevertheless, she just couldn’t bring herself to get in.

  “Oh, well. I’ll just have to find somewhere else to wash myself.”

  L stood up from where she’d been squatting by the riverside... and then froze for a moment.

  “It feels like I’ve been talking to myself more lately...” she mumbled forlornly with a heavy sigh.

  ▽