At first, the story was not about Sasakursan, but about what was going on with the modern magician.
According to her story, the magicians exist to purify the underworld.
Underworlds are places like small different worlds that born from the gathered magical powers that also exist in certain places on earth, and they seem to exist like the mirror of the ordinary world.
And then, in that different world magical powers form into certain shapes and become demons.
If it's left to its own device, the monster will come out of the different world and cause catastrophes, and it seems that preventing that catastrophes from occurring by defeating the demons is magicians' job.
There are examples of monsters that came out in the past, it seems that those are what people usually refer as youkai and demon.
Listening to that point, I have a question.
“Then, Sasakursan, have you ever killed a demon before?”
“….umm, no, I haven't. But I was once taken to a different world where demons lived at and shown how it looked like when I was small.”
Sasakursan answers so while slightly hanging her face downward.
There seems to be something in her mind….
I think her power that she showed on the PE test day was pretty great.
Scattering the soaring high cloud of dust and restoring the once deeply gouged out ground in an instant.
And then erasing those abnormal phenomena from the memory of a considerable amount of people around, although the magical power consumed was supposed to be enormous, she did not appear to be tired at all. At most she was only wiping the sweat on her forehead.
Although I think that Sasakursan’s ability as a magician can be said to be quite exceptional, it's a little unexpected that she's never defeated a demon, does it have something to do with that expression on her face?
“By no means bragging, I can say that as a magician I have quite a high ability. I can easily use magic that other people have difficulty with, and I even possess magical powers that surpass those of others. However everyone around me says 'You are a woman so you don't have to defeat demons' and keeps me away from the other worlds.”
“Hmm, I do feel bad for you, but actually I also prefer you to not go to such dangerous places, Sasakursan.”
“Fufu … you sure are kind, Shinjo-kun, but they are different, they say those words simply because they're jealous of my power and also fear that I may threaten their positions. Thus they're clinging desperately to that by saying that fighting is men's role.”
Ever since Sasakursan began telling her stories, she speaks the harshest when she talks about how she hates the other magicians.
Looks like magicians is an organization with male supremacy.
Or could it be only because the faction she belongs is that kind of organization?
I don't particularly know how things go there, but anyway, inside the organization Sasakursan seems to have a high ability as a magician, however because she's a woman, she's kept away from the different worlds and thus has no chance to use that high ability of hers.
Then…
“Are you dissatisfied because even though you have the ability, you have no chance to use it?”
“Umm … well, I'm indeed a bit dissatisfied with it, but that's not what I’m dissatisfied with the most.”
I thought that was reason, but It seems that I was wrong.
Sasakursan who answers so while slightly laughing immediately tells me what makes her dissatisfied with the most in a serious expression.
“What I'm dissatisfied with the most is their attitude, I hate how they act condescendingly to me because I'm a woman just to protect their puny pride. Moreover, I really hate that although they're keeping me away, they're still shamelessly trying to use my ability.”
“Trying to use?”
It seems that the roots are quite deep, and I can also sense Sasakursan's deep anger from the way she talks about her dissatisfaction with “them” to the point I feel like I can see dark aura around her.
Affected by that… No, that's not it.
Regardless of such a thing, I also begin to feel anger toward those magicians who are oppressing and moreover trying to use my beloved Sasakursan.
“They say they're going to marry me to a magician with higher ability than me. Laughable isn't it?”
“…That means that you're going to be engaged?”
“Yes. Soon, there will be a tournament for powerful magicians from various places… and I will be the winning trophy for that tournament.”
The hell is that?
What do they take Sasakursan for?
“Isn't that crazy? From what I've heard from you, Sasakursan, you're just a girl who's as a magician more powerful than the others, right? But why are you treated like an object like that…?!”
“… Thank you, for getting angry for me. You see, I also couldn't stand it anymore, that's why I started to think whether there was someone I could conveniently use to wreck a havoc during that tournament or something… Say, Shinjo-kun, what do say about joining the tournament?”
Withdrawing the dark aura around her, Sasakursan stares at me and asks so while broadly grinning like a child who's planning a prank.
Being invited in this kind of timing, of course the intention couldn't be none than that.
“You want me to win? Or rather, can even I even participate?”
“Yeah, you see, it’s not like everyone around me is but enemy, my grandfather somehow managed to give me the right to recommend one participant, so if I use it you can participate too. That's why, Shinjo-kun, will you participate and wreck the whole tournament for me? If you do, as thanks I'll offer my everything to you.”
Saying so, Sasakursan slowly comes closer to me, wraps her arms around my neck, and then entrusts her whole body to me.
Of course it is for her sake. In the first place, I have no reason to refuse to participate in the tournament, moreover I've long decided that I'll accept it should she really ask me to.
However, there's something that I'm not convinced with, something I won't yield.
That is why I drive my whole body to ignore the excitement I feel from Sasakursan’s soft body and activate the ability.
“Hn?!”
“I'm sorry, Sasakursan, it’s a little rough but I promise I will release it soon, okay?”
While apologizing to Sasakura who suddenly groans and stops moving, I carefully hold her shoulders with my hands and then separate her from me.
When our bodies are separated enough, I deactivate the ability, without understanding what just happened, Sasakursan pats her stomach, and gradually sweats dripping on her forehead.
Needless to say the ability I just used was Nature's call control, although it's just for a moment, it gives the target an urge to go to toilet that's accompanied with intense abdominal pain.
“Just now was the ability I got from the me who was transferred to another world in group, it's called Nature's call control. Given its name, it may sound like an absurd ability, but just as what you just experienced yourself, its might is pretty powerful. Do you know what I used this?”
“… I tried to use you… so you get mad at me…?”
Although slightly frightened, Sasakursan still answers the question.
However, I shake my head.
“I indeed am mad at you, but the reason is different. If it's you, Sasakursan, you can use me as much as you want.”
“Then, why…?!”
“It's because you take yourself lightly! Because despite saying that you hate how your surroundings treating you like an object, to destroy those environment you're similarly treating yourself like one! That's something that you mustn't ever do, right?!”
Being treated like an object probably hurts Sasakursan more than she thinks.
Thus, if even the person herself treats herself like that, then there's no point in saving her, that's why, even if it's Sasakursan own word, I can't forgive her idea about making herself a bait to lure me.
That is why I have no qualms even if I have to let her feel some pain.
And I also have no regret having done that.
To make her happy, I'll remove everything that may hurt her, even if it's her herself.
And that's the natural course that I'll keep doing from now on.