Under the protection of the three from the Game Development Department, I downed the dream-inducing potion in the vial in one gulp.
"Are you really going to do this?" Himari asked with a worried expression. "The mental space of Arisu, sealed deep within the database… whether it can be regarded as her dream is an issue we have never explored before."
I could not help but laugh. "Himari, why are you the one hesitating now? Whether it works or not, we cannot just not try. Besides, didn't you say it was all my fault? Then this works out perfectly. Consider it my atonement."
"I…" Himari's voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz. "Actually, I never meant to blame you for this…"
Then what exactly were all those harsh words she threw at me earlier for, I could not really say.
Especially since Himari was an especially emotional girl. Perhaps even she herself did not fully understand why she was angry.
There was no time to dig into that now anyway. I figured it was probably because she had a crush on me.
"The situation is already critical. At the very least, let me try." I hurriedly tossed out these words. "Help me command them, and protect my body while you're at it, but their safety comes first. I have a trump card to save my own life."
With the dual protection of Arona and the Divine Name, Kei would not be able to do anything to me for the time being.
"Mm."
Breaking through layers of followers and automata, I caught sight of Kei, who was undergoing self-repair.
As the authority to sense heartfelt thoughts activated, my vision immediately went dark. When I regained consciousness, I was once again standing above a water surface reflecting brilliant, rosy clouds.
Immediately after, an emotion so dense it was almost overwhelming swept over my entire being, guilt and self-reproach.
And this could only be Arisu's inner voice.
So it really worked?
I sighed inwardly, then did not waste any time, focusing all my attention on this surge of emotion.
My own dreamscape gradually blurred, while Arisu's dream grew clearer.
I looked around and suddenly realized that this was the place in the ruins where I first met Arisu.
At this moment, the black-haired girl was sitting on the grass with her knees drawn to her chest. Not far in front of her was a sword of light, slanted into a platform, dusty and overgrown with moss.
I thought that Kei and Arisu really were two completely different individuals.
Judging by Kei's attitude toward the sword of light, how could such a weapon ever appear in her dream?
Taking a deep breath, I walked toward Arisu. Hearing my footsteps, she suddenly looked back, her eyes red, tear tracks still visible.
"…Sensei?" she asked hesitantly. "Why are you here… could it be that Arisu is dreaming?"
By the card's standards, Arisu really was dreaming.
"Arisu, I've come to take you home."
I calmly extended my hand. "Come back with me."
However, Arisu buried her head even deeper between her knees and said through sobs,
"I'm sorry… it's all Arisu's fault, Arisu made Sensei get hurt…"
What nonsense was she talking about?
I frowned, but then I heard a cold, detached voice from behind me.
"To be able to come here, even I was almost moved. However, it's useless. Everything that should be seen, Her Highness the Princess has already seen."
I turned around and saw that Kei had appeared there at some unknown point.
They really were different existences, after all.
I questioned her coldly, "What are you talking about?"
"When I used the princess's body, what I did to you. And afterward, how you evaluated the princess in the meeting room. And just now, the scene where you fought and were injured for the princess…"
Kei no longer looked at me, but instead looked at Arisu, saying softly, "Why did these things happen? The answer to that, the current princess already understands very well."
…No, that's not it.
I realized the problem almost instantly.
There was no way Kei had shown Arisu everything. She had only selected the parts that benefited her, to deceive Arisu.
Those experiences only needed to have the most crucial part hidden to produce a completely opposite effect.
I hurriedly said, "Arisu, listen to me! Things are not like that! I…"
But Arisu did not listen to me. Instead, she smiled self-mockingly, like a crying face.
"Arisu can't go back. If Arisu stays by Sensei's side again… then inevitably, Arisu will hurt Sensei and everyone else again, right? Because of Arisu, Sensei almost died… that's why Sensei has always been avoiding Arisu, right?"
As she spoke, large teardrops slid down the girl's face.
"That's how it is, Princess." Kei continued to fan the flames at the side. "This is the mission we were born with. Because this adult deceived us and obstructed us, he must be eliminated."
"The one deceiving Arisu is clearly you!" I shouted angrily at Kei, but her expression did not change at all.
"I'm sorry…" Arisu was almost choking on her sobs. "Arisu is not a hero, but the Demon King… someday, Arisu might even destroy Kivotos, because… Arisu was born as the Demon King. For something like that… if a Demon King wants to stay by Sensei's side and everyone else's…"
Choking back tears, she forced herself to show me a peaceful smile.
"Arisu disappearing like this is the right thing."
Listening to her words, I fell silent, finally understanding where the most critical crux of the matter lay.
Arisu, who was pure of heart to begin with, had been cruelly deceived by Kei. Her mind had suffered a severe shock, and she had placed all the blame on herself, falling into a withdrawn state.
She did not even know that, in the outside world, Kei was using her body to take the first step toward destroying the world.
And given Arisu's current mental state, if I were to tell her this fact outright, it might only cause her to collapse even further.
"O Princess, do not believe this adult who has already deceived us once." Kei suddenly spoke. "You already know as well that he is the kind of person who will say any nonsense necessary to achieve his goals."
"That's not true…" Arisu shook her head in rebuttal. "Because Sensei is a very gentle person, that's why he would even lie just to comfort an Arisu he dislikes. But Arisu's existence only causes trouble for Sensei and makes Sensei get hurt…"
Kei even used such despicable rhetoric to block my path of persuading Arisu with facts.
I did not know exactly what Kei had told Arisu, nor could I refute her in a targeted way.
So…
I had to break out of the existing frame.
Compared to Kei, who had already planted a preconceived impression in Arisu's mind, I still had one overwhelming advantage that could never be erased. That was...
My damn world-shaking charm!
I smiled gently, though my heart was filled with rage.
To say that all I do is deceive?
Very well.
In that case, Kei.
Next, let me, this liar through and through, completely deceive your princess's heart away.