Yukina kept telling me to kill her from the moment we met.

Shinya-san had a particularly hard time, but this Yukina person has a hard time too... It's a story that's lying around everywhere, but that doesn't mean it's not hard.

Rikka ignored Yukina... who kept asking her to kill him.

Or rather, he didn't know what she was saying because he didn't know the words.

But for some reason, Yukina persistently kept asking Rikka to kill her.

But Rikka, not knowing what she was talking about, continued to ignore her.

Then, Yukina started walking behind Rikka.

Although the altitude was high, it was not so steep and snowy, and the village was located near the mountain, so Yukina had been walking in the mountain a lot since she was a little girl, and if Ricca was not in a hurry, she could keep up with him.

I don't know if that was a blessing or a curse, but...

I don't know if that was fortunate or unfortunate, but Rikka didn't mind, and so the strange life of a SS-ranked monster and two women dressed in death clothes began.

Yukina said she wanted to die and wanted to be killed, but at the same time, she cooked the food that Ricca caught and made the cave where Ricca lived more livable.

This was also a cause of confusion for Rikka... Anyway, Rikka learned a lot of things from Yukina in her life.

Language, cooking, people and monsters, feelings of likes and dislikes, and many other things.

When she learned the words from Yukina and started to understand what she was saying, she finally understood Yukina.

And what she meant by wanting me to kill her.

However, even though Rikka understood what she was saying, she couldn't understand why she would want to die because of that, so she didn't want to kill her at all.

From a third party's point of view, it was a strange life together, but for some reason, it seemed to be going well.

Such a life continued for a while, but one day, I was able to ask Yukina why she was doing it.

In the first place, there was a reason why she was not taken seriously even though she was married, and that reason was because she had what is now called a magic eye.

At that time, there was no concept of the evil eye, and people saw her as someone who changed the color of her eyes and used abilities that they could not understand.

In those days, people who had the evil eye were looked at as people who changed their eye color and used abilities that they could not understand.

You should have told me before you got married. But it was only after they were married that the evil eye appeared.

It is said that the magic eye opens at different times for different people, and that some people may not open it until they die even if they have it.

It is said that the evil eye used to be a symbol of evil demons. I know a little bit about it too, since I found out that Sakura has the evil eye.

No matter where you are in the world, heretical power is frowned upon. I feel a little sad about that.

Perhaps the reason why Sakura was avoided by the maidens was because she was afraid of the evil eye.

If you are just a little different from others, you will be judged as if it were a bad thing. I wonder if that is the nature of human beings...

I don't want it to be such a lonely nature, but...

I'm not sure what to do.

"Was it strong?

"Yes. His eyes were glowing green. I think his name was... it was Goyugan.

"Ganyugan? I've never heard of that kind of magic eye.

We know it. I think it's a magic eye that heals your body.

Senna's story and Ricca's subsequent story can be summarized as follows.

It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

When activated, the Eye of Self-Healing can instantly heal one's body. It is one of the most powerful magic eyes. Naturally, the more magic power it consumes, the bigger the wound, the more magic power it consumes.

Yukina had such an eye, but she had been raised with great care and had almost never been injured, so she did not notice it.

The reason for her injury was that her husband raised his hand against her.

She has never been injured since she was born... but at that time, something triggered her to take action.

When he saw her eyes glowing green and her wounds healing, he was terrified and started to treat her badly after that.

You might think that it would be better to just give up on such a man, but the story is not that simple.

For the demon tribe, marriage is a once-in-a-lifetime event. For the demon tribe, marriage is a once-in-a-lifetime affair with only one partner, not something that comes and goes.

If you ask me if every single person on the island thinks that way, I'd say no, but it seems that 90% of the people do.

It would have been a wonderful story if she had married a good man, but in Yukina's case, it was only a fetter.

When she got married and left for the city, she was congratulated by the whole village and given a grand send-off.

In such a situation, if she divorced and came back, the village head and herself would be completely disgraced. I wish I could do something like that, but unfortunately, it's not that easy.

Even if I could return to the village, people would look at me negatively, and of course I would not be able to get married again. On top of that, she has the evil eye, the symbol of an evil demon. The damage was not only to herself, but also to her parents who had raised her with care.

However, this is only if she can get a divorce and return to her village.

The man she married is an onishi, albeit a scumbag.

The degree to which she cares about her physical appearance is different from Yukina's.

If other people know about the magic eye, your status as a demon warrior will be ruined. It's the same thing if you get a divorce. No matter what, she could not allow that to happen.

In other words, Yukina's only choice was to stay in the shadows for the rest of her life in that house. This was the only choice.

But still... Yukina had to endure the cold eyes of those around her.

One day, however, her husband brought her a woman with a bellyache, saying that she had made a baby.

Seeing this, Yukina couldn't stand it anymore.

Instead of getting a divorce, Yukina ran out of the house alone and headed for the village.

However, she could not enter the village, so she passed through... and came straight into this mountain. That was the story.

"There have always been stories like that... not as many as in the past, but there are still a lot of similar stories lying around.

Shouldn't you have divorced such a man instead of worrying about the consequences?

It's not that easy. If you try to force your way through, they'll burn down your entire village house.

Oh, no...

"That's what demons are like.

People like Sakura and the others are in the minority. There are more of them than there used to be, but ...... that's dwindling now because of the demon squad.

"............

In the past, marriages were supposed to be happier, but there are certainly people who are not.

If it was between commoners, it might have been easier, but when the demons are involved, the story usually takes a nasty turn.

I heard it was similar in Japan in the past, and I don't know... but it depends on which one you prefer.

There are two types of marriages: divorces are so commonplace that there are words like "divorced one, divorced two", or once married, people endure and talk with each other to somehow overcome hardships... I guess you could call it the weight of marriage.

"So?

"Yes. Yukina ran away, so she couldn't go back to her village or home.

Since she wore a deadly costume, she probably had no intention of returning home in the first place.

But unfortunately, she couldn't kill herself.

The reason was the evil eye.

The evil eye is unconsciously triggered when a person suffers a mortal injury or falls into a situation.

When that happens, there is no easy way to die.

Even if you poke yourself in the chest with a blade, you will only feel intense pain and will not die.

Even if she tried to hang herself, she would only suffer to the point of death.

Yukina had already tried many things before entering this mountain, and she said that none of them had caused her death.

Rikka was quite surprised to hear that she had already tried those things.

In the first place, Ricca could not understand the act of suicide itself.

For him, catching and eating prey was the only way to live, and there was no other purpose.

The idea of abandoning it was not in Ricca's mind.

Now that she could understand the language, there were more things she didn't understand.

I'm sure you've heard of it. I said, "Then you can live in this mountain," but all Yukina did was 'kill' me.

I can't read exactly what she was feeling at that time, but I can tell you that it was a desire to kill herself.

Just as the original world was hard to live in for me, this world was hard to live in for her.

Rikka was a monster, and Yukina, convinced that she was a snow woman when she saw Rikka standing in the snow, must have followed Rikka who could kill her.

But... if things were going well between the two of them, wouldn't it be better if they just lived together and worked things out?

"Yes. So we lived together for a while. But then something happened to Rikka's body.

I'm not sure what to say.

That was the change that occurred in Ricca's body.

The power to hurt people unconsciously.

Yukina was cold in the cave, even with the fire going.

A single small fire was not enough to repel the power that could turn the Needle Peak into ice.

Rikka tried to keep Yukina away from the snowy mountains, but...

Yukina refused?

Yes...

Yes... That's what she wanted, so it was only natural.

Yukina was slowly losing the cold. But in the midst of it all, Yukina cooked.

Her hands and feet froze, and she shivered in the cold...

"............

She cooked rice balls with the rice she had for some reason. It was then that Yukina told me, shivering. I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm not the only one.

What Yukina said at the very end of her life was to determine what would happen to Ricca.

In fact... Yukina had had a child with her husband soon after their marriage.

It was a cute little girl.

Yukina naturally adored her and tried to take good care of her.

However, ......

I'm not sure what to say.

To be precise, ...... her daughter was killed.

By her own husband.

The day he brought another woman into the house. The day he brought another woman into the house, he told her that he didn't want her to have a child with an evil demon.

That was the real reason why she left the house.

"That's... that's too much...

"My own child...

She said there was no point in living anymore...

To those of us who listened to the story, the man seemed like a demon.

He said that Ricca looked a little like his daughter.

So... he taught her how to cook and speak.

For her, it was a lost opportunity to raise a child. The opportunity to raise a child, which she had lost, was given to her by Rikka, who looked a little like her. ......

In the end, Yukina said.

She said, "Thank you." ............... She said, "I'm sorry.

Was Yukina's sorry to Rikka, or to her own daughter?

I'm not sure if she was talking to her daughter or to Rikka. She hadn't realized that Yukina had given her so much. Words, feelings...

It wasn't until Yukina was completely frozen and dead that she realized it.

It was only when she was gone that I realized how much I missed her.

For Rikka, it was the first time she had ever met someone and not been alone. It's natural that she can't realize how hard it is to lose that.

She must have become afraid of hurting people because of what happened with Yukina.

Are those Yukina's clothes?

Yes. When Yukina disappeared, Ricca knew that his power was dangerous.

So she looked for a place where no one would come. That's how she found this place. No one came here, and there were no villages or towns nearby.

Even then, there were not many visitors to this place.

"Little by little, the power leaked out and this is what happened.

That's what Needle Ice Peak looks like now. He was referring to the fact that the elevation of the mountain had been changed.

"This stone statue looks a little like Yukina...

The goddess statue in front of me is not frozen, the real reason is because I was thinking of Yukina...

I don't know if they really resemble each other, but I guess it doesn't really matter to Rikka whether they do or not.

She stays here and thinks of Yukina. She needs that time. This is not the original meaning of the stone statue, but it is a prayer. Perhaps this is the right way to use this place.

Rikka is not sure about marriage, children, and so on. But I'm sure Yukina was much lonelier than Rikka.

I'm sure Shinya was, too.

"......

But if she disappears, everyone who loves Shinya will miss her. That's why Shinya shouldn't die.

I don't know where she hid it, but Ricca took out the rice ball she had been eating earlier and handed it to me.

The rice ball was cold and chilled. But for some reason, it felt a little warm.

You're right. Ricca is right.

I'll probably never stop blaming myself for my parents.

But there is someone who cares about me like this.

If I think about that too, I feel like I can sleep .......

Thank you.

Yes.

I'm not sure what to do.

Shinya.

Hmm?

Rikka will stay here, but I'll help you.

It may not be about Yukina, but you can't allow someone to do something you don't like.

Yeah. I'm not going to allow it.

Rikka has more power than she can control. I can borrow that power. I wonder if this is what it means to have the power of a hundred people. I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that.

I'm not sure what to make of it.

In the past, Sakura told us about the control method of the evil eye.

I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out.

In Rikka's story, she heard that Yukina was unintentionally activating her magic eye.

Is it because Yukina's magic eye is not the type of magic eye that can be controlled? Is Nilu's eye also of that type? No, is it really a magic eye in the first place...?

The more I think about it, the more I feel like I'm falling into a trap.

"Are you curious about the evil eye?

"I'm a little curious.

I answered Senna's question vaguely.

I'm sure you'll be able to figure out what's going on.

It's an off-the-cuff explanation, but it makes sense...right?

I'm not sure what to make of it, but I think it's a good idea.

I've heard that there are tools that can be used to control the evil eye, but...

Really?

What? Yeah... you've got a big appetite...

Oh no... hahaha...

If Nilu's eye is a demon eye, that power is definitely a dangerous kind. It's not that I don't trust Senna, but it's not something I can talk about with others.

It's weird.

"Do you know what kind of tool it is?

I've only heard rumors about it once, so... I think it was a mirror. I think it was a bright red mirror...? I think it was a bright red mirror or a bright blue one...?

"A bright red mirror...?

I've seen it somewhere before. The reward for clearing the dungeon!

I hurriedly opened my inventory and found the item I wanted from the list.

A crimson mirror.

No doubt about it. It's probably about this.

"What's wrong?

"No. It's nothing. Thanks for the tip.

What?

I never thought I'd hear something like this from Senna. I never expected to hear this from Senna.

I might be able to find out a lot about Nilu's eyes. I'll look into this later. If we use it when we're with Senna and the others, we might end up with a lot of holes around here.

"And then there's this place...

My sleepiness was nowhere to be found, and my thoughts wandered as I looked around.

The symbol on the wall.

And the goddess statue.

"Ricca. I'm sure you'll be able to figure out what's going on.

I was curious about the room where the ice flower was blooming. It's not right to build a room behind a stone statue when there is nothing there. There should be something there, but...

There was nothing there.

"Well...

If there was something, we could have at least considered it...

But... if the building was there before Ricca came, it must have been there for a long time. How long has it been there?

I'm sure it's too old to be described as old.

In the original world, it would have been registered as a world heritage site.

I'm not sure what to make of it.

I can see why there is a stone statue here. But perhaps the entrance to this place is opened by divine power. I don't know what the principle behind it is, but I don't know why they built it here.

As far as I know, only those who possess the jet-black stone can use divine power.

In other words, only a limited number of Onin people or ...... perhaps Watarai people can use it.

I'm sure you'll be able to figure out how to get the best out of this.

It's been here a long time.

I don't understand... a temple that's been around forever and no one knows about it?

Because Rikka put it on ice?

No, they probably don't know about it regardless.

Maybe some of the higher-ups know something about it, but...

It's not that I don't think it's strange that there was a temple of Froilstore-sama, but when you think about it, it's strange that they built such a magnificent temple and then left it there.

But... what good does it do to find out?

I don't know. I don't know, but I might be able to find out something about the wanderers and the demon tribe. It's a matter of some importance to me.

I see...Shinya-san is a ferryman, right?

However, the collection of the four demon flowers is a higher priority.

Once I've treated Sakura, I'll look into it afterwards.

Maybe they'll come and ask Ricca some questions.

I'll tell you whatever you need to know, Ricca.

Thank you for your help.

It's about the Watarai, the demon tribe, and the demon tribe, but it's also about researching their history. It's not that important at the moment.

I'll look into it later.