“...O Lord.”
Ugh. Who is it...
“Ashen One.”
“Ah.”
When I opened my eyes, the Fire Keeper was standing before me.
“Please, touch the darkness within me.”
I had been about to level up with the Fire Keeper.
Something must have happened, but I couldn’t remember a thing.
“May the flame’s blessing be with you.”
For now, I leveled up and sat down at the bonfire. Unable to recall how far I had progressed, I checked the lit bonfires.
I made it as far as the Abyss Watchers.
I’d progressed all the way to the Abyss Watchers, the notorious newbie-killers that followed the Judge of Cinder, Gundyr. Since the next boss, Wolnir, was such a pushover, I had headed toward the Abyss Watchers' bonfire in a relatively relaxed mood.
But something feels off. No, it’s probably nothing.
The unease I felt had to be in my head. I was likely just mentally exhausted from the nonstop boss-slaying marathon I'd endured just to go home.
-So go. Don’t regret it.
Then, Kyung-sik’s voice echoed in my mind.
What? Why is Min Kyung-sik’s voice suddenly...
-I’m glad I got to see you, even in a dream.
What the—!!!
The moment I heard that he had seen me in a dream, the lost memories began to flood back.
“Gghh...”
So many memories returned in such a short burst that a piercing headache struck, leaving me staggered and clutching my forehead.
Still, everything returned. I had definitely died in battle against Rinne, reunited with Kyung-sik, and then, the moment I returned, I had been struck by Rinne’s attack once again.
No, not this kind of development again?
As my memories solidified, all I felt was disbelief. The first time, it was my original world. The second time, it was Dark Souls.
“Man, how am I supposed to get out of here?”
Was I supposed to defeat the Soul of Cinder again? If so, that would be truly depressing. I’d have to kill that bastard all over again.
“Right... What can I even do.”
With a sigh, I was about to continue through the Catacombs of Carthus to reach Wolnir when—
What is that?
Space warped in the corner of the Abyss Watchers' boss room. Thinking it might be the exit, I reached out, and my body was instantly sucked into the distorted crack.
Whoosh!
“Woo-hoo! I have arrived!”
The moment I opened my eyes, I sliced through a tree trunk that was about to attack Shido.
“......How did you get out of [Paradise Lost] on your own?”
“Ha! Like you need to know that!”
I’d been attacked the second I arrived, and it had pissed me off. Like hell I was going to tell him.
“Good! Phase 3 starts now!”
I was currently inside some kind of building. However, judging by the tree trunks wrapping around Rinne and spreading in every direction, it didn’t seem like an ordinary structure.
Based on that, I decided to use pyromancy. I’d burn the whole place to the ground.
“Y-you are...”
As I pulled the pyromancy flame from my inventory and equipped it, Shido, standing behind me, looked at me with a confused expression.
“Ah, right. Good day, Shido. I’m Higakieta Hai, your bodyguard. Please call me Hieta.”
Realizing he didn't recognize me, I gave a quick introduction and unleashed [Pyromancy: Flame Whip] to incinerate the attacking trunks.
“Hch! Hch! This feels great!!!”
“Kgh... Stop interfering!”
Apparently, Rinne was annoyed enough by my interference that she rained light bullets down upon me. Normally, I would have dodged, but Shido was right behind me.
“Ha!”
〔Yay! Hikinon is back after so long! What is it, master? Why are attacks flying at me the second I appear?!〕
“Because you’re a shield! What, is Hikinon some trash shield that can’t even block this stuff?”
〔As if! Leave it to me, Hikinon-sama!〕
I pulled out Hikinon, the counter to spirits, and activated [Ice Shield].
Boom! Boom-boom-boom-boom!
Crack! Tatatatatata!
As the light bullets vanished upon hitting the ice shield, shards of ice were immediately launched outward to intercept the remaining projectiles.
One side attacked with trunks and light bullets, while the other defended with an ice shield and a flame whip. It was a bizarre sight.
When I turned around to check on Shido, he was staring at the exchange between Rinne and me with his mouth hanging open.
“Oh no!”
Perhaps realizing I had turned my back, one of the trunks shot straight toward Shido.
I panicked, as it was out of the Flame Whip’s range—
“Shido!”
Tohka appeared, slicing the trunk apart in a single stroke.
“Nice! Tohka!”
“W-what is this? Who are you, and how do you know me?!”
The moment she saw me, Tohka went on full alert. So, she had forgotten me too.
“Shido! Are you okay?!”
Following Tohka, the others began climbing up as well: the commander, Origami, Kurumi, and Yoshino. They all looked at me with the same wary eyes as Tohka.
They’ve all forgotten me.
Whether it was Rinne’s doing or some kind of systemic error, the fact that I had vanished from everyone’s memory left a bitter taste in my mouth.
“Tch. This really sucks.”
I felt awful. The idea that everyone had forgotten me was crushing. But that wasn’t a reason to stop protecting them. Even if they couldn’t remember me, I remembered them.
“No choice. I’ll just have to wrap this up fast. Hikinon!”
〔Huh?! Why?!〕
“Sorry! That promise I made before, about being careful with my body! I don’t think I can keep it!”
〔What?! Hey, you bastard master! Is that any way to—〕
I apologized to Hikinon and returned him to my inventory, then switched my weapon to the Spiral Sword.
“Huuuh!”
I stabbed the Spiral Sword into my own chest and channeled electricity. I entered the [Soul of Cinder] state once again.
Immediately, the wary looks on everyone's faces shifted to confusion. The one whose reaction changed the most was Kurumi.
“Kurumi! What’s wrong?”
Her body was shaking violently. It was as if she were feeling an overwhelming, primal fear toward me.
Seeing her reaction, the others looked at me with even deeper suspicion.
“Sigh. What a cursed life.”
Kurumi’s overreaction had complicated things, but Rinne was the priority. Bound tightly in the tree trunks, Rinne had stopped firing light bullets for some reason.
“So you noticed? That firing light bullets now would be useless.”
There was no outcome other than them burning up the moment they touched me. My body was that hot.
“You said this was phase 3, right? Then try to hold out, Rinne.”
With one swing of the Spiral Sword, flames erupted along the building’s walls, incinerating every trunk they touched.
“R-Rinne?”
Shido seemed surprised, as if he still didn’t know that the spirit was Rinne.
“Didn’t you know? That spirit is Sonogami Rinne.”
“W-wait! Stop attacking!”
“Why should I?”
Now that Shido knew the spirit's identity, he begged me to stop, but I had no intention of listening. Rinne was far too dangerous. At the very least, I wasn’t stopping until I had wiped out every surrounding trunk.
“P-please stop attacking...”
I only stopped when Yoshino hugged my arm. Even though it must have hurt, she endured the heat and clung to me. Even as her skin began to burn, she wouldn’t let go.
Knowing how terrifying the pain of searing burns could be, I had no choice but to yield to Yoshino’s request.
“...If that’s what Yoshino is asking.”
I canceled the Soul of Cinder state, switched my weapon to a talisman, and cast [Miracle: Great Heal].
A warm yellow light spread around me, and Yoshino’s wounds healed completely.
Then, as thanks for enduring the pain, I gently patted her head.
“Ah...”
“...Ah, no. I’m sorry. That must have felt unpleasant.”
At the sound of Yoshino's voice, I lowered my hand. She still didn't know me. From her perspective, a strange man had just suddenly started patting her head.
But then, she suddenly grabbed my hand and placed it back on her head.
And when she spoke—
“N-no... It’s okay, Mr. Hieta.”
Yoshino spoke with tears in her eyes, as if she had remembered me.
“Haha, it’s been a while, Yoshino.”
『Hieta-kun! Do you have any idea how worried I was?』
“So Yoshinon was worried too. I’m sorry.”
“W-what? Why is Yoshino talking to that guy... ngh!”
As Yoshino acted familiar with me, Shido looked confused, then suddenly clutched his head in pain.
The moment Shido complained of a headache, the others reacted the same way.
“...The memories are coming back. The memories of the world that has repeated itself until now.”
Rinne’s quiet murmur clarified the situation.
I didn’t know what she meant by a repeated world, but I could tell the memories were returning. The headache was likely a side effect.
“Hi, Hieta...?”
“Yes, it’s me, Shido.”
Starting with Shido, then Tohka, Origami, the commander, and Kurumi, they all remembered me.
“Hieta! Where the hell did you go?”
“...Cookie recipe. It wasn’t Rinne.”
“Hiki! Do you know how shocked I was when you disappeared?!”
“I thought something was off, but it was because Hieta-san disappeared~”
“Let’s save the touching reunion for later and deal with Rinne first.”
Right now, it was time to finish this.
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