Metro Labyrinth

The Talking Demon (temporary) started to run away.

　But she was stopped by me.

　So, with a quizzical look on her face, Sparkle (temporary) talking demon is chewing on a large number of mint mushrooms as if they were snacks.

　New Tokyo’s fungal civilization surpasses even the ancient scientific civilization in a small part due to the mysterious efficacy of somethings. Mint mushrooms are bean-sized dried mushrooms that at first glance look like chocolate candy and are literally “chewed and swallowed to make your breath smell good”. One can only guess why our house has a large stockpile of these mushrooms.

“*Whisper* (Shuu, she is…)” (Kure)

“*Whisper* (Abe, what’s going on? What’s going on with Noa?)” (Sou)

　Kure and Utsuki whispered in my ear. Tamiko, Giran and I are the only ones who know about Sparkle’s existence.

“Umm… I’ll tell you the situation later.” (Shuu)

　Putting aside Kure, who vaguely guessed something from my expression, it might have been a bad move to do this in front of Utsuki.

　The fact that she finds out means that her master, the Beast King Satou, will also be privy to the secret. I don’t know what the circumstances are, but that shark hates demons and he hates them very much.

　If possible, I wanted to get the information out of him without telling him about it, but if it became known, in case he became an enemy of mine—

　No, I shook my head. I’ll think about that later. For now, I have to focus on the person in front of me first.

“For now, let’s eat some of this too. The air smells bad when it’s so crowded.” (Shuu)

　The three of us nibble on mint mushrooms. The mint mushrooms are shooting cold through our noses. Tamiko, the only one spared from the garlic, dares not touch them. Not because she doesn’t need it, but because minty mushrooms are still too early for her childish palate. I’ll teach her about chocolate mint later.

　Sparkle seems to have recovered enough to stay here for the time being. The smell of garlic is not going to disappear immediately, but she checks her breath carefully and relaxes her shoulders, looking satisfied with the results.

“…Shuu calls me Sparkle.” (Sparkle)

　Sparkle said with a mysterious smile, regaining her composure. The eeriness and fear are all gone due to the garlic shock, but I don’t want to mention it. Of course, there is always the possibility that they might suddenly start acting up, so I take the utmost precaution as I sit across from them.

(I mean… it’s completely different, right?) (Shuu)

　Noa’s face, Noa’s voice. But still, when I face her like this, I can clearly see that she is a different person from before.

　We have only known each other for a short time, but we have spent a life-threateningly intense time together. We have interacted with each other as flesh and blood human beings.

　That is why I can tell just by looking at her. I can tell that the person smiling mysteriously in front of me is a different unknown lurking inside of her.

“…Well, why did you say ‘Sparkle’ when we first fought?” (Shuu)

　The assumption is that they are the ones possessing that boss bandit.

“But… it’s not me who sparkles, it’s Shuu.” (Sparkle)

　I guess they are not denying it.

“What do you mean by that? What about me sparkles?” (Shuu)

　Sparkle poked Tamiko on the forehead as she sat on the dining table and giggled.

“I’ve been watching you. I’ve been watching you since you and Tamiko were in that place–Outsuka Metro.” (Sparkle)

“……eh?” (Shuu)

　I turned around and narrowed my eyes. It was as though she was thinking about a distant place that stretched far behind me.

“At first… It was that white-haired monkey. Shuu fought with him, and you were both torn to pieces, but you still struggled and survived with Tamiko.” (Sparkle)

　A shiver runs down my spine. At the same time, the memory comes back to me.

　More than four years ago, on the 50th floor of the Outsuka Metro.

　It was about half a year after the start of survival, when I was still under level 20. I encountered a huge white ape. A Wraith estimated level 50 or above.

　At the time, it looked like a god of death, and I was completely beaten down, while Tamiko was seriously injured on the verge of death. Although we managed to escape with my desperate suicide attack, I almost shiver just remembering the horror I experienced at that time.

“You… were you there?” (Shuu)

　If I remember correctly, I had only told Noa about that time, that I had almost been beaten by a wraith when I was weak. I glanced at Tamiko, but she shakes her head.

“I couldn’t speak or think freely like this back then, either. But I thought you were beautiful.” (Sparkle)

“Beautiful?” (Shuu)

“Your opponent was so powerful that it was almost impossible to compare, and you were dying the way it should be, and yet you were struggling to survive until you blew your own hand off… That was the first-time emotion grew inside me.” (Sparkle)

　As for myself, I have bitter memories of struggling through the mud a small, bloody mess, but I never thought I’d get that kind of recognition.

　Putting that aside—no doubt. They can’t talk like this if they just overheard a memoir.

　In other words, they were really there at that time and saw the whole thing with their own eyes.

“I was inside a wolf at the time… watching from afar. It was very nostalgic. I saw you there many times after that. Constantly changing lives in that place, and I lived and died among many hosts.” (Sparkle)

　If we take the word “host” as it is.

　Then this something that is now borrowing Noa’s mouth is like a parasitic organism that has invaded from the outside. The drawing a line that it is not a separate personality created by Noa herself disappears completely.

“Sometimes I was your prey, seriously competing with you–oh, it wasn’t my intention, I was just looking through the host. Like that time with the one-eyed white-haired monkey, and finally that giant slime.” (Sparkle)

“You were among them!?” (Shuu)

　The Wraith that I encountered again as a mature individual, the Wraith that I had a history with. The boss of the 49th floor, a.k.a. Satan Slime.

　Both of them were traumatic beasts that had once beaten me to death. The revenge match against them was one of the most tremendous death matches for me, even only within my time inside Outsuka Metro. [T/N: I hope Old Man Uni is still safe.]

“So, uh, can you change host easily?” (Shuu)

“It’s not that easy. The basic rule is that I can’t get out of my host unless I die, and back then I hadn’t grown up enough to enter a host on my own.” (Sparkle)

　The numerous beasts that I had defeated—in other words, sparkle was lurking within some of them. When I heard that, I felt like it wouldn’t be strange for them to be extremely resentful, but it seems that’s not the case.

　I mean… besides that.

　—they can’t leave their host until they die.

　It is a line that cannot be ignored. If that’s true, then Noa…?

　Sparkle dipped her finger into the water in the cup and dropped the water droplets onto the table.

“At that time, I saw the fight with you within the slime… Although I couldn’t touch you, but through the host I saw everything, I felt everything. It was a marvelous fight…”

　They poke the squishy ball of water with the tip of their fingernail, it spreads out and soaks into the grain of the wood.

“My hands were scraping you little by little. You also slashed at me with your shining blade. …You were really beautiful at that time. Each of your movements sparkled like your soul was on fire…” (Sparkle)

“Well, I was using [Light Blade].” (Shuu)

　Was the “Sparkle” derived from [Light Blade]?

“…When you killed me at the end… by your hand, I thought I would go after you. I wanted to see you again… And this time, as the real me… I followed your scent and presence, changing many times into various creatures. Desperately, as I searched for you.” (Sparkle)

　So that’s how they followed me to the surface. They are a stalker who is not only a Yandere, but also a very capable stalker.

“But while I was taking a break on my search… My host changed to a bat or a mole, and when I came to, I found myself on the surface. I completely lost the scent of Shuu and Tamiko, and I was in a great panic at the time… but then I found my first human host. It was a man without arms.” (Sparkle)

　A former hunter that became “Udeochi”. The former hunter who captured Noa, the leader of the bandits who trapped me and Obuchi…

“No way… did you manipulate them to attack us…?” (Shuu)

“No, it was a coincidence. I was the one who was most surprised when that man found Shuu… However, to borrow some human’s words, don’t you think it’s fate…” (Sparkle)

　“Fate” is the third most important word that should not be used by a Yandere. I’d like to gently tell them it’s all in their mind.

“That guy was on a pretty good streak, though, I’m sure he was a pretty good fighter, but he couldn’t compete with Shuu. Thanks to him, I got to be with you in my true form.” (Sparkle)

“…your true form, huh…” (Shuu)

　The horrifying monster that appeared immediately after killing the bandit boss looked like something out of a horror movie.

　The actual “Awakened Body” of a demon, if I integrate Giran’s story, is an immature failure on something that was to become a demon.

“Well, I went a little crazy for the first time and exposed my shameful side. But it was fun. As Shuu and I collided with each other, we both scraped the life out of each other and then we just melted into one. …It felt really good…” (Sparkle)

　I was at a loss as to how to react when Noa said those words in such a sensual tone with ecstatic eyes. I was left speechless. I should not be aware of the gap between the two. It’s not allowed.

“So… you went to Noa after that?” (Shuu)

“Well. I don’t remember the details, but when I woke up, I was inside her. Ever since then I was by your side, watching you. Looking through her eyes, feeling through her feelings.” (Sparkle)

　I put my hands behind the back of my head, looked up at the ceiling, and took a deep breath.

　Sparkle suddenly appeared out of the blue after the initial chaos on the surface. Just when I thought that was the end of it, I didn’t know that they were hiding inside Noa, and apparently they have been chasing after us from Outsuka Metro. I had no idea that they had been under our radar since I was living savagely in the depths of the metro.

“… from before…”

　For the time being, we have made a connection with our own causal connection–the story of how they came to appear in front of me. It’s hard to digest right away, but there are more important things to think about right now.

“There are so many things I want to ask, I’m at a loss as to what to do. For now, there are three things I want to ask you with the highest priority. Are you a demon or not? Are you our enemy or an ally? And… What do we need to do to free Noa from you?” (Shuu)

　It’s the equivalent of asking them to leave Noa’s body, but Sparkle doesn’t break their smile. It’s as if everything is normal.

“Sparkle demon! Get out from Noa, squeak! Shaaaa!” (Tamiko)

　Tamiko rides up on Sparkle’s thigh and gives her a back-and-forth slap on the Mt. Fujis. They swayed like boxing speedballs.

　The exorcist who boldly stood up against the demon was grabbed by the demon and the exorsqueak was flipped on her back and rubbed. The exorsqueak was instantly destroyed with, “Oh… this finger skill, it’s Noa’s…… how……!” And she immediately fell apart.

“…Hey, Shuu.” (Sparkle)

　While running her finger on Tamiko’s belly, Sparkle looked up at me.

“I want to go outside.” (Sparkle)

“Eh?” (Shuu)

“I want to look around the city with my eyes… with Shuu.” (Sparkle)

T/N: Damn Sparkle is very in love/obsessed with Shuu. I hope Noa gets out of this alive.