A calm autumn evening.

I lay sprawled out in a room with tatami mats.

I wasn’t wearing my usual clothes, but a man’s yukata instead.

I had Zabuton make it for me.

It’s loose and comfortable, and I’ve grown fond of it.

If only I had a TV here, I’d be watching it with a beer in hand.

While I was thinking that, spiderlings came over…

Apparently, they were going to perform a play on the chabudai.

I straightened my posture and watched.

The red-haired spiderling played the heroine, and the story was about her doing her best to live alongside her friends.

Did they come up with this on their own?

Impressive.

Next to me, the wine slime poured sake from a barrel into a cup while watching.

I almost asked for some too, but stopped myself.

I had to properly watch the effort spiderlings were putting in.

So I decided to wait until it was over to drink.

-0-

The story didn’t even last ten minutes, but it was quite entertaining.

How many points would I give it?

Of course, one hundred.

It was great.

Yeah, I’ll have the others watch it next time too.

Satisfied, I reached out to the wine slime for a drink…

But at the edge of the room, the phoenix chick Aegis and the eagle were standing by.

Looks like there’s a second act.

Let’s see it through.

I’ll hold off on the sake a little longer.

-0-

I didn’t expect Kuro, Yuki, and the orthros Oru to appear in the third act.

That caught me off guard.

And to think the first act was actually foreshadowing.

The way everything came together in a rush during the third act was impressive.

They’re not to be underestimated.

I’ve got to make sure I don’t fall behind.

Not that I’m going to start doing theater or anything.

I just mean, I’ll work hard too.

By the way, the sake was all gone before the third act ended. The wine slime drank it all.

-0-

The autumn harvest is just around the corner.

As I watched the fields with that in mind, Versa showed up during the day which is something unusual.

She wanted to borrow a sample of the devil statue made at the Prada Museum.

I had no reason to keep it hidden… now then, where did I put it?

I remember seeing it not long ago…

I returned to the mansion and started searching.

Ah, there it is.

I had stored it in the shed.

The last time I saw it was during spiderlings’s play.

Aegis had used it as a prop.

I handed the sample of the devil statue over to Versa.

So, what are you going to do with it?

You say there’s a soul inside, and you want to transfer it into a human-shaped vessel?

I don’t really get it, but… what kind of vessel would work?

The devil statue sample will choose one itself?

Ah, like it’ll be guided toward something.

-0-

Following the devil statue that Versa held, we stepped outside the mansion.

Heading south…

Wait, isn’t this the hangar for the Multipurpose Humanoid Mobile Heavy Machine, Arti-Horse?

You’re not seriously planning to use one of those, are you?

Even if you say the devil statue sample is the one choosing, that’s still a lot to take in.

Well, if there’s any silver lining, it’s that the one it picked was the first unit, Siegfried, the one that doesn’t move.

Still, asking me if it’s okay doesn’t help much.

What’s going to happen?

You don’t know?

…You don’t know, huh.

Is there a chance the Humanoid Mobile Unit might start moving on its own?

There is, you say.

That would be a problem if it went on a rampage.

When I voiced my concern, Versa said she understood and snapped her fingers. From the ground, countless thick chains shot out and bound Siegfried.

Whoa.

Versa’s actually doing something that looks like magic!

Seeing me very impressed, she started doing something else, so I stopped her.

Hold on a second.

Yoru is really attached to Siegfried.

If you mess with it and break it, things will get messy.

Even if you say it’s already broken because it won’t move, that’s not the point.

Anyway, I’ll go get Yoru.

Fortunately, the Big Tree Dungeon isn’t far from here.

I was able to bring Yoru back in less than ten minutes.

-0-

Yoru put up a fierce resistance after hearing the story, but Versa managed to persuade her.

Impressive.

For Yoru to back down without being threatened…

Did Versa hint at the possibility that Siegfried might move?

Didn’t she tell me earlier that she didn’t know what would happen?

It’s just a matter of possibility?

That might be true, but…

Well, if Yoru’s convinced, then I won’t object.

Sorry for stopping you.

Please, go ahead and continue.

-0-

When Versa began chanting a spell, the sample of the devil statue gently floated into the air.

Then, just as it made contact with Siegfried,

A blinding light burst forth.

M-My eyes… it hurts.

I couldn’t keep them open.

But the light seemed to last only a moment.

When I managed to open my eyes again…

There was Siegfried, still bound in chains, unchanged.

The devil statue sample lay on the ground.

It hadn’t shattered.

Was that it?

No… something was happening.

Siegfried began to tremble slightly.

The trembling grew stronger.

Then, from Siegfried’s joints, blood and what looked like flesh began to spill out.

What the hell is that?

The blood and flesh moved with intent, trying to wrap around Siegfried.

Chains and all.

Maybe that’s why the blood and muscle couldn’t form properly.

After several attempts, the blood and flesh stopped moving… and turned their awareness toward Versa, the one controlling the chains.

It seemed to be asking, ‘can’t you release the chains?’

At least that’s what it looked like.

And I was right.

But Versa flatly refused.

The blood and flesh lashed out more violently a few more times, then as if reversing a scene, they flowed back into Siegfried.

The trembling slowed, then stopped.

Even so, Versa stayed alert.

The chains remained in place.

Yoru… had fainted where she stood.

Probably when the blood and flesh started pouring out of the joints.

Fainting upright is dangerous, so I laid her down in a safe spot.

By the time I came back, Siegfried was thrashing, trying to break free from the hangar.

So it wasn’t over after all.

The restraints in the hangar were already destroyed, but the chains Versa had conjured were still keeping it from getting out.

Then Versa turned to me and asked for confirmation.

Was it okay to destroy Siegfried?

I wanted to say no, but letting it go on like this wasn’t an option either.

Yoru was unconscious.

She’d definitely be against it once she woke up.

As I hesitated, something began to form near Siegfried’s head, flesh and blood from earlier, shaping into something.

It looked like a box… and something extended from it.

A cannon?!

Trusting my instincts, I rushed toward Siegfried and swung my hoe.

Throwing my spear would’ve been faster, but the angle was bad this time.

If I’d thrown it, it might’ve hit the racetrack, fields, or even the mansion behind the hangar.

I want to give myself credit for making that judgment.

The hoe I swung struck Siegfried’s right leg, tilling it into the earth.

With its right leg gone, Siegfried toppled inside the hangar.

I followed up with another swing of the hoe.

Its chest and head were tilled and returned to the soil.

Just as I was about to swing again, Siegfried stopped moving. A hatch opened, and something flew out.

A naked woman?

She was bigger than me.

Over three meters tall.

Her horns were massive.

I thought she might be a minotaur, but she was too slender for that.

Black hair… no, blonde?

White?

Wait….

I can’t perceive her properly?

A moment ago, she looked like a towering adult woman. Now, she appears to be a small child.

Even her horns are small now.

That child… was clinging to Versa.

And using her as a shield to hide from me.

Uh…

Is her existence not stable yet?

Without a name or power, she’s harmless in this state?

And Siegfried?

It won’t go on a rampage anymore.

Versa snapped her fingers, and the heavy chains disappeared.

So… it’s over.

I don’t intend to do anything to the child.

Can I leave her with you, Versa?

She made a deeply disgusted expression, but accepted anyway.

Thank goodness.

If you need anything, just let me know.

I’ll make sure it’s prepared.

Hmm?

Extremely bitter food… is that really necessary?

Alright, I’ll do my best to find some.

-0-

For now… I looked over at what remained of the half-plowed Siegfried, wondering what to do.

And saw that it had vanished.

The parts I’d tilled and returned to the earth remained.

Everything else had disappeared.

Versa pointed at the small child.

So she’s the cause.

Ah… how am I supposed to explain this to Yoru when she wakes up?