C.S.O.

 The next day, Ruko, Chiaki, and Flamia went to Mea's house.
Although their hopes were too small to find Kuro, they were almost desperate because they couldn't find any clues about the whereabouts of their beloved husband.
With a little remaining hope, they might find a clue if they meet Mea.

They had to race against time because Kuro's condition was deteriorating every day.
But amidst all that, it might be more accurate to say that Kuro was becoming more dangerous.

“Here's the address.
We have arrived.”

The three of them arrived in front of a 10-story apartment building.

Their presence drew quite a bit of attention as three beautiful girls gathered and walked together.

“Is Mea's house in one of the rooms in this building? Hmm…
at first glance, it resembles the Treeho Inn in Alfheim.”

“The Inn actually uses the same concept.
Instead of building a spacious structure, it's better to build a tall place.
Haha…
I guess that's what they call modernization.”

“Enough, let's not discuss unimportant things.
We came here to meet Mea-chan.”

“..Tch…”

Chiaki showed an annoyed expression.
She still hadn't fully accepted the fact that Mea had become one of them.

Ruko felt the same, but she was more open-minded and wanted to give Mea a chance.
She realized they couldn't change what had happened between Kuro and Mea.

As for Flamia, she was the easiest to accept the reality.
Maybe because she was foolish or had her own reasons for doing so.

The three of them finally entered and took the elevator.
After reaching the 9th floor, they got out and looked for room number 113.
It didn't take them long to find it.

“…Chihaya.
I think it's here.”

Without hesitation, Flamia knocked on the door.
After a few moments, they heard footsteps approaching.

The door opened, and the one who greeted them was a figure they didn't know.

“Flamia-sama!!”

“Eh?”

The girl who welcomed them was overjoyed because she didn't expect Flamia to be their guest.

“Why did you come here, Flamia-sama? Uh, who are they with you?”

“They're my good friends, Ruko and Chiaki.
And if I'm not mistaken, you're Chiyo?”

“Correct.
Absolutely correct.
I didn't expect you to remember me.”

Tears welled up in her eyes out of joy.

Chiaki and Ruko exchanged glances because they had the same thoughts about the girl named Chiyo.

“Please come in.
I'll make tea for you.”

The three of them entered Mea's house with curious looks.

They looked around a bit.
They could sense that the house had an ordinary impression.

The three of them sat in the living room, while Chiyo was in the kitchen making tea.

“Sorry for keeping you waiting.
Please try my homemade tea.”

After serving the tea, Chiyo sat in a chair next to Flamia.
She smiled happily.
She seemed like a fanatic fan.

“Thank you, Chiyo-chan.”

Ruko and Chiaki still didn't talk much.
For both of them, Chiyo wasn't someone particularly important.

It seemed that this also applied to Chiyo, who didn't care much about them.

“This is refreshing tea.
Is it herbal tea, by any chance?”

“Yes, it's herbal tea that warms the body.
Isn't it useful in cold weather like this?”

“Yes, it does warm you up.”

Flamia calmly sipped her tea.

“By the way, what brings Flamia-sama here?”

Flamia placed the cup on the table and started to show a serious expression.

“We actually came here to meet Mea, your sister.
Is she at home?”

Chiyo had a complicated expression.
She seemed confused.

“…I'm sorry, Onee-chan is not home.
I don't even know where she went.”

Just like Kuro?

“Onee-chan has been coming home earl lately, and when she does, she immediately leaves again.
That's not the Onee-chan I know at all…
please tell me, what really happened to her?”

“…”

“…”

“…”

The three of them didn't know how to answer.
Because they truly didn't know the answer.

But it didn't mean they weren't aware that all of this was related to their husbands.

“…we don't know what happened, but that's why we're looking for your sister.
We also have matters that we need to resolve with her, sooner or later.”

“Flamia-sama…”

Flamia smiled warmly.
It was something she rarely showed to others.

She was the type of person who could be serious at the right moment but foolish at all other times.

“I think we can assume that Kuro and Mea are possibly together somewhere now.”

“But Chiaki-chan, our situation hasn't changed.
We still haven't been able to find Onii-chan.”

“Eh?…
What do you mean?”

“Ahh…
maybe you don't know, but I think all the problems with your sister were caused by our husbands, Kuro.”

“…….huh?”

The three of them then explained their situation, of course, with a different version so that an ordinary person like Chiyo wouldn't be shocked.

Perhaps they changed too much.

“…so, in short, Kuro-san seduced Onee-chan.
That's what caused her drastic change?”

They all nodded in agreement.

“…um…
it's hard to believe, isn't it? After all, Onii-chan already had his own harem.
We even wonder what's wrong with us?”

“I already knew Kuro-chan was a playboy since childhood.
But I never expected him to go this far.
He's the worst.”

Flamia laughed bitterly, not knowing how to react.

Both of them seemed to be saying that Kuro was the worst human being ever.
Perhaps that was true.
Strangely, she couldn't deny it.

“…so, basically, we're looking for Kuro to punish him.
And, of course, to keep Mea-chan away from being influenced by Kuro.
That's the story…”

“…….”

Chiyo fell silent for a moment as if thinking about something strange, but slowly she smiled.

“Alright, I understand.
I will cooperate, but I also want to hear their opinions after hearing what you said.”

“””?!””

The three of them were surprised because they didn't expect the person they were talking about to be in the same room without them realizing it.

Kuro and Mea smiled softly and embraced each other like a couple showing affection.

The three of them immediately went on high alert.
They were more surprised by Kuro suddenly appearing than by his being affectionate with Mea.
The reason, of course, was that the current Kuro was not the Kuro they knew.

(How could we not notice them?)

Flamia broke out in a cold sweat.
She could use all her powers, so it was impossible for Kuro and Mea to come without her realizing it.

The same applied to Ruko, who possessed the power of a God Slayer.

(Could he be using his skills…
or his God Slayer power?)

No one knew for sure what power Kuro was using, but they knew that Kuro was now standing in front of them.

This was their chance.

(But…
why is Kuro still the same…)

Why was he still the same as they had known him? His black eyes and the fangs that had appeared were completely gone now.

“Kuro, could it be…!”

Flamia wanted to immediately embrace her long-lost husband, but suddenly Ruko's hand blocked her.

“Be careful, what you're seeing now is just an illusion.
I think you don't need to see Onii-chan's current form.”

“…What do you mean?”

Kuro smiled faintly as if he could guess that Ruko could understand what had happened to his body, which had mostly transformed into a demon.

That's when Chiyo slowly stood up and approached Kuro's side.
Now, on both sides of Kuro, there were siblings who seemed to have become part of his harem.

“Kuro-chan…
could it be…”

“Don't misunderstand, Chiaki.
I haven't touched Chiyo.
She's only helping me at the moment.”

Chiaki looked at Chiyo with hatred.
They didn't expect Kuro to involve Chiyo in their problems.
Although, in truth, they were also curious about how Kuro managed to do it.

Chiyo chuckled mischievously.
She was delighted because she had successfully fooled the three of them.

“Onii-chan, come back quickly and perform that ritual.
It's still not too late to come back now.”

Kuro gave a cold gaze, seemingly indifferent to Ruko's words.

“I'm asking for the same thing, Kuro-chan.
Now, I don't care if you've lost your memories or not but don't leave me again.
I can't bear it if it happens again.”

Tears welled up in Chiaki's eyes.
The sadness she showed was genuine.

Losing Kuro for the second time was something she couldn't imagine.

“Kuro, I'm asking for the same thing.
I don't mind the new woman you chose but stop making the people who care about you sad.
Put an end to all of this!”

It not only worried them but also made everyone sad because they couldn't help.

Kuro understood all of that better than anyone else.

He knew that disappointing the people who were important to him…
but he didn't have any other choice.

(Is it enough…)

“….”

Kuro suddenly smiled faintly, and at that moment, a strong black light emanated from his body.

Not only were the three of them surprised, but Mea and Chiyo were equally shocked.
Both of them even moved away and kept their distance.

After a few moments, the light gradually faded, revealing Kuro's true form.

Red eyes with slits.
The whites of his eyes were now black like those of a monster.
Two large white fangs resembled a wild wolf pouncing on its prey.
Two small horns adorned his head.
His nails turned sharp and large.

And amidst all that, Kuro's clothes turned dark, mixed with the color of blood.

“O-Onii-chan…”

There was no doubt about it, he was now a demon.

Kuro then looked at Ruko with a sorrowful gaze.
“…Hime…
you should have known the truth…
I'll be waiting for you…” With a sad smile, Kuro disappeared as if swallowed by the earth, alone without Mea or Chiyo accompanying him.

After Kuro's departure, the atmosphere fell silent.
But after a while, all eyes turned to Ruko.

“……Onii-chan……”

Ruko was shocked by Kuro's new form, but he was even more surprised when Kuro called his name.
A name that hadn't been heard before.

At that moment, Ruko began to remember forgotten memories.
No, not forgotten.
Those memories seemed as if they had never existed.

“…Ughh!! ..ahhhh aahhhhh…”

Ruko tightly held his head.
He groaned in pain, experiencing an intense headache.

In an instant, hundreds of memories flashed like a film reel.

Memories of when he first met Kuro.
Playing and bathing together.
Fighting and making up.
Both of them promise to always be together and protect each other.

But among all that, there was one memory he didn't want to remember.
The memory of the true form he used to call Onii-chan.

“…On-ii…-chan..”

After that, Ruko collapsed and lost consciousness.

No one knew what had happened, but one thing was certain, it was connected to the mention of 'Hime' directed at Ruko.

(Ruko-chan, Kuro-chan.
What really happened between you two?)

Chiaki realized that Kuro and Ruko still had many secrets that she didn't know.

__________________________________

Finally, they laid Ruko down in Mea's room.
Chiaki and Flamia didn't have many options in this situation because they didn't know what had actually happened.

“How is she?”

“As I suspected, we can only wait for Ruko-chan to wake up.
This is the first time Ruko-chan has been like this.”

“…….”

While waiting for Ruko to regain consciousness, they decided to ask a few things.
Of course, to the two people who had been hiding Kuro.

Mea made some warm tea.
Although she knew that fresh tea wouldn't lighten the heavy atmosphere, at least she wanted to show that she didn't want to be their enemy.

“Thank you…”

“…”

Mea just gave a small smile.
She then sat next to Chiyo.

As an ordinary person who still didn't understand what had actually happened, Chiyo was just a listener.
For now.
She had been involved in everything that had happened.
Sooner or later, she would know the truth.

“Um…
Mea-san, it may be a bit audacious, but may I know what you've been doing with Kuro all this time?”

“We were just traveling around the world.”

“…Huh?”

Mea quickly answered.
It was a sign that she was easily willing to cooperate, but her answer was somewhat surprising.

“Come on…
in simple terms, we were just teleporting around the world.
Fufu…
it was a really enjoyable experience.
I could go abroad for free.”

“Onee-chan, did you say that?”

Mea ignored Chiyo and took out her phone.
She then showed them a photo of her in Rome, Italy, Paris, and many other places.
Of course, Kuro was also in the photos, and they looked very intimate.

“Uh…
don't tell me that Kuro has been…”

“Yup.
He never left the Earth, but only traveled outside of Japan.
It seems he knew very well that Ruko-chan's power couldn't reach other parts of the world.”

“….”

“….”

Chiaki and Flamia were left speechless.
Kuro's method was so simple, yet they hadn't even imagined it.

No, imagining it would also be a mistake.
With Kuro's teleportation ability, it was impossible for them to find him.

“…it seems like coming to your house was the right choice, Mea-senpai.”

“….hm..”

“..but may I know why you went to those places? What were you actually doing there?”

Chiaki looked at Mea with suspicious eyes.

“Aha ha…
I guess I don't need to go into detail about what we were doing there, right…?”

“……….”

Yes.
It might be better if Chiaki didn't hear it.
If she did, she might immediately kill Mea.

“…alright.
We've strayed from the original topic.”

Chiaki changed the subject.

“We came here to find Kuro-chan, and we did find him, but the situation has changed now.
Although I hate to admit it, it seems I have no choice but to ask for your help, Mea-senpai.”

“…I-I also request your assistance.”

“You don't need to ask for it, Flamia.”

“Eh?”

Flamia didn't understand why Chiaki stopped her.

“It's nothing.” Chiaki turned her focus back to Mea.
“Mea-senpai, to be honest, after seeing all your actions, you're not the type of person who would hinder us, am I right?”

Mea just smiled.

“So, my problem here is why you didn't inform us about Kuro-chan's whereabouts.
What is your true intention?”

“…I have no specific intention.
Just so you know, I understand the reason why you want Kuro-Kun to return to his old self quickly, but at the same time, I also understand why Kuro-kun doesn't want to do it.
And that doesn't mean he wants to leave you, but quite the opposite.
He doesn't want to lose all the memories he shared with the three of you, but at the same time, he doesn't want you to suffer more because of him.”

“…what do you mean?”

“I don't fully understand either.
I knew that Kuro-kun was acting strange after his return from this place, and maybe you also noticed it during the soccer match, everything started then.
No, I think long before that, Kuro-kun was no longer his old self.”

“…..”

“…..”

Both of them couldn't deny it.

They were the ones closest to Kuro, yet they didn't realize it at all.
But maybe it was because they didn't want to see the weaknesses of the person they loved.

In this matter, the right question is – why?

“I still don't understand all of this…”

Flamia bowed her head with a sorrowful expression.

Everything that was happening now flashed through her mind.
The fun and joyful times often made her forget who she truly was.

Being a Valkyrie Maiden tasked with defeating the Demon God now seemed insignificant.
Compared to the problems they were facing now, those two issues were like night and day.

“It's okay if you don't understand,” Chiaki said.
“I don't either.
I thought I was the one who knew Kuro-chan and Ruko-chan the best, but now it's like I don't know them at all.”

The atmosphere turned unpleasant again.

But no one tried to restore the atmosphere because it wouldn't be the right course of action.

Suddenly, Mea sighed.

“You are truly selfish.
Now I understand why Kuro-kun keeps his distance from you.”

Chiaki's expression immediately changed upon hearing that.
She grabbed Mea's collar and prepared to slap her, but she stopped before her hand touched Mea's face.

After a few moments, Chiaki finally let go of Mea.

Chiaki's expression was complex.
She was sad, but in the end, she couldn't deny what Mea had said.

“Is there something you know about why Kuro is distancing himself from us? …I know that Kuro doesn't like opening up to others, but…”

“Don't misunderstand.
I'm not saying that Kuro-kun told me everything about what he thinks of you.”

“….”

“….”

“…isn't it strange? We might be in the same position, but Kuro-kun never truly opens his heart to any of us.
I also don't understand, just like you.”

“…are you suggesting that Ruko-chan is the only one who knows all of this?”

“I don't mean it that way, but think about it.
All of this started with Ru-chan.
Whether she realized it or not.
All of this wouldn't have happened without her.”

Kuro started playing CSO because Ruko gave him the VR gear on his birthday.
If Kuro didn't play CSO, he wouldn't have met Flamia and married all three of them.

With Ruko's status as Kuro's fiancée, she should have prevented it, but in reality, she didn't.
It was as if she let it happen.

And finally, all these problems also started with Ruko.
If you think about it again, all of this couldn't be a coincidence.

“…in the end, we can only wait until Ruko-chan realizes it, huh…”

Mea smiled a complicated smile.
Meanwhile, Flamia continued to bow her head, and no one knew what she was thinking.

It was normal considering the complexity of the issue.
But one thing was clear, the three of them had forgotten something important.

“Um…
can someone explain to me what really happened to Akame-kun (Kuro)?”

“……”

“…..”

“…..”

Now, how to explain all this to Chiyo?

__________________________________________________________________

That day was the first time she met him.
The older boy who was also her relative.
The boy named Kuro Kanata.

When she was first introduced to his parents, she was scared because she had never spoken to strangers before.
And that's what surprised her when she heard that she would be living with him under the same roof.

It was a tradition, so she couldn't refuse.
But for the sake of both of them, their parents would accompany them until she got used to it.

That was the day it all began.

“Kuro-niisan, let's play…”

“Yeah…”

The boy was like any other boy.
He did have a slightly stronger power than boys his age, but she knew he was kind-hearted.
That's why she didn't hesitate to invite him to play like any other child.

Slowly but surely, she began to adapt to her life in that house.
At the same time, their parents left, but it didn't mean they left her forever.
They were just watching from a distance and would always stay in touch.

The days of childhood were filled with happiness, sadness, and everyday life like any other child.
But that didn't change one fact that was going to happen.

He was my future husband.
That's what she thought.

As a Kanata, following traditions was an absolute law that couldn't be broken.
Although society viewed that tradition as strange because it had been passed down through generations, she couldn't avoid it.
The same applied to the person she called “big brother.”

Although she didn't fully understand what love was, she knew she had those feelings.
Feelings of jealousy and unhappiness often arose when Kuro chose Chiaki over her.

Yes, she had fallen in love with her cousin.

One day, a miracle happened.

“…Kuro-niisan, look at this! I can use magic…”

Ruko controlled water.
She formed various shapes and moved them agilely as if the water had a life of its own.

Seeing that, Kuro simply smiled faintly.
For some reason, that smile pierced her and caused her pain.

“Um…
you're really great.
But remember, don't do it in public.
But you can practice magic in this dojo.”

Ruko nodded happily.
Meanwhile, Kuro went back to practicing sword techniques in a corner of the dojo.

Magical power would awaken with time.
That's why Ruko was happy because she could do things that only existed in anime.

But perhaps that was their first mistake.

Unlike Ruko, Kuro trained in sword techniques in the dojo every day after playing.
Kamikiri-ryu was a technique that ordinary humans couldn't perform, just like the magic Ruko possessed.

By combining magic and Kamikiri-ryu, a Kanata could slay gods.
That was the power inherited by their ancestors.
It was power, but also a curse.

“…………?”

Ruko watched Kuro training with his sword.
He looked really cool.
That's why she never got tired of watching him.

And because she always watched him, she knew what strange thoughts always haunted her.

Why didn't Kuro use magic?

(…could it be that Kuro-niisan hasn't awakened his power yet?)

That's when she realized why Kuro's smile was so painful.

(Kuro-niisan…
I'm sorry.)

Ruko tightly squeezed her hand and finally made up her mind not to use her power or show her power again until Kuro awakened his power.
That was the first action she took for someone other than herself.

But that might have been their second mistake.

One day, a month before Kuro's ninth birthday.
Ruko knew Kuro was taking a bath, and that's when she sneaked in to take a bath with him.

“Kuro-niisan, it's been a while since we bathed toge-“

She couldn't finish her sentence.

Not because she was shocked by Kuro's naked body partially covered by steam and water, but because of Kuro's eyes, which were red like those of a wild beast.

That wasn't normal.
Even for a Kanata like herself.

“What's wrong? Aren't you going to take a bath with me?”

Unexpectedly, Kuro seemed fine as if he didn't know about the change.

“Uh…
I think maybe next time, ahaha.
Sorry for bothering you.”

Ruko left with many questions swirling in her mind.
She was still trying to convince herself that what she had seen was just an illusion.

Still naked, she went to Kuro's parents, who happened to be on vacation at that time. 

“What was that just now? I was told that after making a contract, our eyes would change, but…”

Those eyes were not ordinary eyes.
They were not the eyes of a wild beast.
Those eyes were filled with hatred and darkness.
They were like the eyes of a demon itself.

When Kuro's parents saw Ruko approaching them in her naked state, they were naturally shocked.
They must have thought that something had happened for Ruko to forget to put on her clothes.

Ruko asked them what was on her mind, but unfortunately, it wasn't answers that she received.
Instead, she was commanded to forget everything she had seen.

Ruko didn't understand why Kuro's parents wanted to keep it a secret.

The time slowly approached for the decisive day.
Would Kuro awaken his power or not?

However, as the time came, Kuro still hadn't awakened it.

And a few days after Kuro's birthday, preparations for the forced awakening ceremony of Kuro's power began.

With a 99 percent risk of death, it was not a ceremony befitting a young child.

But Ruko was helpless to refuse.
She was powerless.
All she could do was pray.

That was the only thing she could do as his family.

One day before the ceremony, Kuro disappeared from home.

Kuro's parents didn't make any effort to search for him.
Strangely, when Ruko tried to search for him, they both forbade her.

In the end, she went to look for the man who might become her future husband.

First, she searched for Chiaki's house, who was her good friend.
Strangely enough, Chiaki's parents also said that Chiaki had gone somewhere.

(Could it be that they both went together?)

Searching and searching.
She didn't know where they had gone, but she kept searching in various corners of the city.

Finally, she found them at a family restaurant, having lunch together.

She wanted to approach them immediately, but in the end, she abandoned that intention.

“……”

Chiaki and Kuro were happily eating together.
They didn't hesitate to feed each other like lovers.
They looked affectionate, even though they were only 9 years old.

That smile.

That laughter.

That happiness.

That playful laughter.

None of it was ever shown to her.

(…Aaahh…
why do I feel this way…?)

For the first time, she experienced what it meant to feel hatred.