A New Divine Oracle
“Then, allow me to explain everything in order.”
In response to my serious tone, Riena’s expression shifted. The warm, older-sisterly kindness vanished, replaced by the resolute gaze of a young high-ranking priestess as she began her explanation.
“Not long after Hero-sama returned to this world, my mother received a new oracle from the goddess Athena. And not just any oracle—it was what we call a Divine Oracle, a rare and momentous revelation.”
“A new oracle… a Divine Oracle, you say? What exactly did it reveal?”
“It spoke of the soul of Demon King Kanan—whom we thought vanquished—crossing the boundary between worlds. It escaped into this world, the one that contains his alternate-world counterpart. That’s why I followed the demon king’s soul here.”
“The soul of Demon King Kanan crossed worlds? Don’t tell me we didn’t finish him off completely…? But no, I know I felt it—that sensation of victory. Still… what exactly do you mean by ‘alternate-world counterpart’?”
Alternate-world counterpart—it was a term I’d never heard before.
“An alternate-world counterpart refers to a special kind of being capable of sharing a soul across different worlds.”
“Sharing a soul?”
“Yes. While not entirely the same, this world harbors a being nearly identical to Demon King Kanan. Most likely, after being defeated by Hero-sama and losing his physical form, Kanan’s soul sought to resurrect itself by merging with his counterpart here.”
“What?! Demon King Kanan is trying to come back in this world!?”
“To put it simply, yes—though some details are still unclear.”
“Hard to believe something like that happened while I was living a quiet life as a high schooler… I mean, for him to lose his body, yet still manage to escape to another world with just his soul? That’s insane.”
“You’d know better than anyone, Hero-sama—Demon King Kanan possessed a unique ability to manipulate space. It’s likely an extension of that power allowed him to cross dimensional boundaries.”
“Well, I guess that makes sense. You and I both managed to cross worlds too, so it’s not like it’s impossible for him.”
“Exactly. There’s a reason he was known as the strongest Demon King in history. As our enemy, he’s nothing short of relentless.”
Riena spoke bitterly, frustration flickering in her voice.
“I hate to admit it, but I agree. If we don’t stop him before he fully revives, it’s going to be bad. Really bad. This world doesn’t have the Holy Sword Strelka. And honestly? Without Strelka, I don’t think we stand a chance against Demon King Kanan at full strength.”
It wasn’t until I held the Holy Sword Strelka that I could fight him to a draw.
That’s how overwhelmingly powerful Demon King Kanan truly was.
“Even for Hero-sama, taking him on without the Holy Sword Strelka is going to be difficult… I really wish I could’ve brought it with me when I came. But transferring such a legendary artifact—steeped in divine power—across worlds… it was beyond my abilities.”
“No, it’s okay. Just you coming here to warn me—honestly, that’s more than enough. But… do we have any idea where his soul is? Or where this alternate-world counterpart might be? If we can, we need to stop him before he merges and regains full power.”
And if there was anyone suited to that kind of search, it was Riena. With her high-level skill in receiving divine oracles from Goddess Athena, this was her domain.
However—