DxD : The Siscon Demon King and the Swapped Princess

When unexpected accidents occur, humans sometimes freeze up, unsure how to respond. In emergencies, most people instinctively try to act based on past experience.

But when there's nothing in their experience to handle the situation, they might freeze completely, retreat into denial, or charge ahead recklessly. In such cases, mistakes are inevitable.

Fortunately, I'd somewhat anticipated encountering that stray demon, so I was able to respond with relative calm. The rescue operation, however—that was completely unforeseen. I had to question every detail, no matter how small, gather every available resource, and exhaust every possible option. Even if it seemed excessive, I couldn't afford to fail.

This incident also made me realize how difficult it is to act like the protagonist of my own creation. My handling of the stray demon was completely inefficient—it caused massive damage and showed no tactical intelligence whatsoever.

I still think there must have been better ways, but that was the only solution I could think of at the time. I could have used something smaller than a gantry crane dozens of meters tall to destroy that warehouse. It would have caused less collateral damage while still achieving my goal. But rational thinking like that was swept away by my fear.

I wasn't sure if something capable of merely crushing the warehouse would be enough to stop the stray demon. That uncertainty made me demand something with the size and power to definitely stop it.

I didn't have the luxury of choosing my methods carefully. I don't regret saving her—I was genuinely happy I could save her. I don't think my actions were wrong. Still, even so... I couldn't shake the feeling that I might have gone too far.

"Now, continuing with the news. In the early morning hours, there was a suspicious explosion at the port district. Details remain unclear, and area residents are expressing concern. Police report that an investigative team is looking into the cause, but due to the risk of secondary disasters, they cannot approach the area carelessly. We are currently awaiting their report. Next, regarding damage from the earthquake..."

"That's not too far from here, is it? How scary... There was also that missing person case. I wonder if this area is really safe."

"The current leading theory suggests a large explosion occurred due to oil or other materials stored in a warehouse. Helicopters are prohibited from flying overhead, and information from the maritime side is also restricted. I wonder what really happened there."

"Ugh, yeah. I wonder what really happened... Hahaha..."

Is this what they call a nervous laugh? The TV screen shows a scene that looks eerily familiar. Unlike the dead of night, the port is now bright and bustling with activity—hard to believe it's the same place as yesterday. Yeah, there are really a lot of people there now. In every sense of the word.

There might indeed be risk of secondary disaster, but I suspect the strict security measures are for the reason I'm imagining. I'm really sorry to everyone working behind the scenes—I left all the cleanup to you. If people saw a crane that had been blown away and now lay on its side, it would cause absolute chaos.

"You still look pale. No fever, though... Kanata, you're staying home to rest today."

"Thanks, sis. I'll stay in bed."

"You should. Mom said she'll finish work early today. There's lunch in the refrigerator, but will you really be okay until evening?"

"Sis, you worry too much. I'm already in sixth grade."

I'd collapsed into bed exhausted last night, but managed to get up when morning came. However, seeing how pale I looked, my family decided I should stay in bed. I felt bad for the friends I'd promised to play with, but it couldn't be helped. Honestly, I was grateful—I had things to do, so it was actually a relief. I really am pretty tired, so taking it easy today sounds good.

After seeing my sister off to high school, I turned off the living room TV, which was still broadcasting breaking news. No point watching longer—the information I was looking for wouldn't come up anyway. I ate the breakfast my mother had prepared and went over my tasks for the day. Time passed so peacefully I wondered if yesterday had been a dream.

"I really did mess up, didn't I?"

The more I thought about it calmly, the more distant my actions from yesterday felt.

What I did was simple enough to describe: First, I severed all the support legs of the gantry crane, detaching its massive body. Then I thrust the sacred artifact into the crane, nullifying its weight, and positioned myself weightlessly directly above the warehouse. Once the female victim exited the building, I yanked the spear from the crane, quickly kicked off to eliminate air resistance and impact, then plummeted straight down—grabbing her and fleeing the impact zone without caring about anything else.

That was all, but I'm amazed I had the stamina to pull it off. Must have been pure adrenaline. Unlike with living beings, I've been testing this technique on inanimate objects for the past four years.

It was the first time I'd managed to activate the divine artifact's effect on something that massive, but I'm truly glad it worked. I'd only been running and exercising regularly, but thanks to that, I'd built enough stamina to carry a woman and escape. I really felt the importance of daily effort.

At that moment, I'd been sprinting at full speed with the divine artifact's effect activated, so I was exhausted and on the verge of collapse. But if an elementary school student who was supposed to be home was found lying on the roadside, that would be problematic.

Fortunately, Kei-san lives alone and had given me her address and phone number, so I was able to provide basic first aid. She'd fainted, so I left a note, put her to bed, then headed home.

I was also exhausted and running out of time, so I rushed straight home and collapsed onto my bed, losing consciousness. I was barely coherent toward the end, but I think I managed to hold on. I'm still incredibly sleepy.

"But leaving Kei-san alone was a mistake. She witnessed the underworld connection, and she probably saw my face too."

Above all, she'd nearly been killed by a monster and lost two friends. Unlike me, she knows nothing—has no idea what she's been dragged into, who the people involved are, or what the future holds. I saved her. If I did that, I should take full responsibility to the end. At the very least, I should tell her what she needs to know about what happened.

I washed my finished dishes, stretched to loosen my stiff muscles, and decided it was time to prepare. I changed from pajamas into regular clothes, took Megumi's note from yesterday's pocket, and put my wallet and the note in my current pocket. It would be better to contact her family first so we could both mentally prepare. I put on my outdoor shoes.

"Partner, do your usual thing. After all, if an elementary school student is wandering the streets, the police will pick them up... Oh, right. Is there anything you can do about this fatigue I'm feeling? —What? I have to get tired again to eliminate fatigue? Is my magical tool really that useful or useless...?"

Sensing my partner seemed dejected at that last mutter, I hastily declared "My partner is the best!" with all my might. From the outside, it must have looked like an elementary school student suddenly praising a spear on the roadside.

"Haa... But was that really a stray demon? I've seen their distorted forms in anime, but the appearance and atmosphere were completely different. Could there be more of those things lurking in this world?"

I feel so grateful to be alive! Even in this safe place, I can't help feeling I've been living in a world completely free from conflict. No matter how much knowledge I have about this world, or how many sacred artifacts I possess, I'll always just be myself. With that thought, I shrugged and ran through the crowd, unnoticed by anyone.

I found a payphone in a nearby park and called Kei-san. I did this because I didn't want my home number showing up in call history. However, there was no answer, and it eventually went to voicemail. I reluctantly left a message, but just as I was about to finish, the call suddenly connected.

"Hello?"

"Hello, is this Kei-san? I'm the one who helped you yesterday. Were you busy? If so, I can call back later."

"No, I'm sorry. I'm fine. I couldn't answer right away—it was an unknown number, so I didn't pick up..."

"Oh, right. I should have been more considerate."

I bowed my head over the phone, thinking I'd messed up. Of course anyone would be wary of an anonymous call. Plus, she'd been attacked by a supernatural being called a "stray demon" yesterday. It's only natural to feel frightened by unknown callers. Why am I like this... I almost sighed but held it back since I was on the phone.

"Um, I was thinking we should talk about yesterday. Is that okay? If you'd rather wait until you're feeling calmer, we can do it later."

"Right now is fine! Um, I'm sorry. To be honest, I'm scared to be alone. If I hear that laughter again, I don't think I can stop shaking. So..."

"It's okay. I know your address, so I'll come right over."

I cut off her breaking voice and told her I was coming immediately. Even though it was unavoidable at the time, I regretted leaving her alone. If I were in her position, I would have felt just as terrified. It's only natural to feel afraid even after returning to daily life, especially when there's no guarantee of safety.

Such an unrealistic incident—she probably couldn't talk about it with anyone. Even if she tried, no one would believe her, and she might end up dragging whoever she confided in into danger. That's why the only person she could discuss this with was me, the one who saved her. Even if I was just a stranger, a mysterious child of unknown identity. I finally understood that.

I quickly hung up, gave my tired body a jolt of energy, and ran straight toward my destination.

***

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