NOVEL WEB Chapter 1: Promise
When she woke up, she was certain.
It seemed like she had recalled her past life, somehow.
It may not be the memory of her past life. But if that was the case, and it was something that was forced into her head. Well, she wouldn't be up in arms about it, not really. Since the thing that occupied her thought the most at this moment was not those memories, but the past six years of her life. Because she knew...
That 'Aragaki Kobeni' was no more. The girl had already been replaced by 'Hiiragi Kobeni' when she woke up yesterday. After experiencing such a traumatic event, the name floating around in her head sent chills up and down her spine. She wondered just how much warmth would she need to chase away this cold. She could only pray that it was a coincidence, that it wasn't something complicated...
That she wasn't the [Last Boss] of this [Game].
She couldn't be—
"Kobeni?"
She angled her head to look at the other person in this room. It was the same girl that had been by her side when she woke up from a coma yesterday. The little girl whose eyes reminded her of Summer sky was smiling, as if it was a job she took very seriously. Once again, she found herself frowning. She couldn't understand.
'Why don't you hate me?'
She can't help herself but feel an irrational fear.
Hiiragi Yurika.
This girl was her half sister.
The legitimate and legal daughter of her father…
'Hate me, please...'
"Kobeni, are you hurt somewhere?"
She could only blink back and offer the girl a tired smile. The worry in those eyes already made her feel guilty even when she hadn't done anything. It was only when those bright eyes looked down at the leather bound book, that she dared to exhale. She was supposed to know this girl only as a kind big sister, just only that.
'So why are you this kind to me...?'
She gritted her teeth. She shouldn't know that she was the daughter of a mistress, or the fact that there was any relation between the two of them at all. A six year old little girl like her shouldn't know about those things, she really shouldn't...
"Kobeni!?"
She blinked owlishly at the startled cry. It was then that she saw her own tears falling down onto the comforter in her lap. Now she really felt guilty, making her abandon the book and rush to her bedside like this. Looking down at her own hand in the other girl's grasp, she felt it getting harder to breathe by the second.
On one hand, she wanted to apologize. On the other, she felt elated knowing that she was the center of this girl's attention. This was more concern than she ever got from her father, and because her mother was sick, she couldn't spend much time with her either. So it was given that her childhood was rather lack of warmth. Not that she would ever fault her mother for it, she was at least there with her.
That's why she didn't want this girl to see these tears...
Kobeni bit her lips and pondered.
Just what can she do to ease this girl's worries?
"Are you hurt? Are you uncomfortable? Do I need to call the doctor?"
Just like every time she forgot herself and cried in front of Yurika-nee, she simply nodded and smiled. It might not reach her eyes, but this kind hearted onee-chan of hers didn't find it odd and let it go. This girl was just a normal six year old, after all.
They were half a year apart, she supposed.
That's why when Yurike-nee came and stayed with her every evening, it made her feel bad that she'd waste away her free time in this small room. Especially with an illegitimate daughter of her own father. Shouldn't her half sister be running around with kids their age in the park? Not that she minded the company, but...
Looking at the leather bound book on the other girl's lap, she couldn't help but narrow her eyes. Rather than a book, it would be better to call it a journal. It was in this leather bound journal that their father recorded all kinds of knowledge. It's the only keepsake he left for his daughter, his legitimate and legal daughter.
Between those pages was the magic she desired.
This world was different.
It was a world full of wonder, specifically a world in which magic and technology walked hand-in-hand toward a bright future. There was no distinct divide between the two. It made this world quite interesting in her eyes, both of her, really...
Because in this world, magic was real!
One of the examples would be the journal in Yurika-nee's hands.
Thei father, Hiiragi Hiroyuki, was a researcher specialized in History of Magics. He gathered and recorded the information on various branches of magic from all over the world. He traveled a lot, that's probably why he was never there much. He had pictures and everything, so she knew it wasn't just another lie he told them. The journal was something he carried with him at all times, so she was able to take a peek inside once upon a time when he came to visit with souvenirs.
She knew just how many people would kill for a quick look.
Her father was cool, that she won't deny.
It was just that, knowing what she knew, her worldview changed...
However, it was already enough for her to believe it. She knew almost instinctively that her other self wouldn't lie about something like this. These memories were real, every single one of them. Whether it be that monotonous world, the one thousandth red crane, the young girl in black serafuku and loose cardigan, her other self...
Wait, didn't that girl say something about parallel worlds?
So she was a man once upon a time?
Oh well, thinking about it would only bring an unnecessary headache.
The possibility that this world would follow along the track to doom like the game was certainly not zero. Her other self had already tried it a thousand times, what made that girl think she would be able to do it? When she herself couldn't? She had no intention to make Yurika-nee face any kind of misfortune. However, if she started changing things, wouldn't that mean her knowledge would be useless?
She wouldn't let this sweet girl die, oh no...
But then, what about her?
The reason Yurika-nee died in the first place...
Hiiragi Kobeni.
She, who had the same name as Moonlit Paradigm's Last Boss?
'Coincidence? I think not!'
Eh, she shouldn't be questioning that anymore, should she?
Especially after the meeting in that dream…
Moonlit Paradigm, at its core, was still a role playing game. There was a romance aspect that allowed the player to get together with most of the characters in the game. For the localization team, that meant translating every single dialogue. It was hell. She could still remember the all-nighters she had to pull in her last lifetime.
That should already be enough to draw the attention of the gaming communities around the world, but the developers took it a step further. The design of character models were not something to scoff at. It was given that many future players would throw their money at the screen when they saw the promotional video for the first time. Yes, she was one of those players. No, she didn't regret those purchases.
'Huh? Buyer's remorse? What's that? Is it tasty?'
The game sold over eight million copies worldwide on all platforms, so the paycheck was enough to make up for all the hellish hours of overtime she had to endure. Although she would still take the job even if the game's not popular...
'Wait, let's focus on the present!'
It was revealed in the second game of the series, but Hiiragi Kobeni was behind everything that happened in the first installment. She was the Last Boss of the continuation. Other than that, she was also the little sister of Hiiragi Yurika, a side character with a rather large fanbase and shit load of fanarts on the internet.
Her onee-chan was just that endearing.
Her red eyes trailed over and met with a beautiful pair of blues.
"What is it?"
She chewed on her lips at that soft tone and smiled back.
Honestly, it'd be better if Yurika-nee was angry at her. She wanted her to hate and rage at her for being the root cause of their recent loss, not acting like a perfect and wonderful big sister she never knew she wanted. She knew why her other self loved this girl more than anything. She knew it all too well now, after being subjected to those kind looks and those sweet smiles. This girl's too much, really...
'Shouldn't you hate me?'
It was the question she wanted to ask the most—
But she couldn't.
Wouldn't.
Those smiles were fragile, she didn't want to break them…
She knew a mask when she saw one.
To be honest, she shouldn't have known about the two of them being blood related sisters either, and that fact reminded her of the problem at hand. Namely, the game's intensive storyline and the reasons why her in-game counterpart turned into a ruthless demon lord, the one who cared for nothing but her own goal in the future.
Aragaki Kobeni...
She was an illegitimate daughter of Hiiragi Hiroyuki and Aragaki Shion. She was an orphan who was picked up by the Head of Hiiragi Household, Hiiragi Tsubaki, who was her father's legal wife and Yurika-nee's birth mother. To put it simply, she was but an unwanted child who had no place in the household. That's the premise.
Her father married into the family, that's why she had not a single drop of Hiiragi blood in her body. It led to her being bullied and treated like a servant by most of the main family and branch family. The only reason why she survived her childhood was because Tsubaki-san and Yurika-nee lived on their own, away from the main house, limiting their exposure to those toxic people in the compound.
Combining that to the fact that she had been technically lied to for the last six years of her life, the mental health of this six year old little didn't seem to be looking good. It was these factors that sent her careening toward the road less traveled.
Also didn't help that it's hell she'd be walking into...
Many villains had this kind of backstory. Honestly, she's not surprised her in-game counterpart turned out that way. It wasn't a single bad day that led you into doing the unthinkable, but a series of bad days leading up to the worst.
Ah, that's right. Her other self did say that sometimes, a loop was no longer than half a day, didn't she? A thousand lifetimes, it's a wonder she can still smile.
If she had to thank someone for that smile, though—
She glanced at Yurika-nee.
The Hiiragi had been one of the most influential families in Japan up until a few generations ago when the quality of their onmyou practitioners took a nasty drop. While the power of Hiiragi once ascended beyond many other families, it had been on the decline for quite a while now, at least until Tsubaki-san took control.
Being an old and traditional family, the Hiiragi put stock in blood purity like many other old families. This little tidbit meant that she would be nothing but a parasite in their eyes, even when she was adopted into the family by the Head of Hiiragi.
The life of her other self was that of a slave.
Tsubaki-san, the one with any real power in the household, was often not at home. She was never neglectful to her daughters, adoptive or not, but her duty as the Head of Exorcism Bureau's Kanto Branch meant she was technically married to her work. It meant she was figuratively out of the picture, leaving them with sitters most of the time. Until one of them almost successfully kidnapped her, at least.
From Yurika-nee's backstory, it seemed like the aftermath of that incident was not pretty. They never really trusted anyone fully again, especially when it concerned any of the Hiiragi's Council of Elders. Her other self got a trauma out of it as well.
She was practically seething when she learned of Kobeni's backstory.
With that kind of childhood, Kobeni grew up wanting one thing. She wanted to change the system, to be free from its oppressive hold. Just because she was born different didn't mean she was less human than anyone. It was a caste system at its core, judging the worth of someone because of their prestige and bloodline.
All she ever wanted in her life was love and peace...
It was an honorable goal.
However, along the way toward that goal, her ideal changed. She came to realize that the world was a vast ocean, and that she was but a guppy in a little pond. Disillusioned and forced to face reality, her method changed. Kobeni would do anything just short of killing indiscriminately to achieve her ultimate goal.
There were two parts to her desire; love and peace.
So when her half sister lost her life and her adoptive mother executed for the crime she didn't commit, love was taken out of the equation. Her method now gained a nihilistic hint, and her ideal of peace twisted into something beyond recognition.
Kobeni achieved her goal, but it came with a price of blood.
'Innocent's blood, that is...'
The birth of the Demon Lord of the Modern Era came at the cost of millions of lives lost and the capital of Japan in flames. A childhood nickname between two sisters turned into a taboo. It all began when the light was extinguished from her eyes.
Kobeni's Happiness, it all hinged on one thing.
The Survival of Hiiragi Yurika.
She could hear the sound that haunted her dream even now. The screams that echoed against the concrete valley amidst the rainfall. They sounded suspiciously like her own voice, layered upon each other until it sounded more like a roar.
Thinking of that monotonous world brought tears to her eyes.
"Kobeni? You're crying again... Are you really alright?"
Kobeni felt her eyes narrowed against her will as a small pair of arms took hold of her shaking form. Red eyes stared at the wet spots on the cover atop her lap as this unknown feeling started to fill up the emptiness left by her loved ones. She can't help but lean against the other girl's shoulder, taking in this spreading warmth.
She never knew she wanted this...
However, it did nothing to ease her worry. This feeling only made her remember things she desperately wanted to forget. If she closed her eyes, she could already see it. The blade that stabbed through this sweet girl's chest, the way it pushed against the fabric of her shirt before it punctured through, and then the blood that gushed out afterward. It was painful, so painful she couldn't help but wailed—
"Cry it all out. It's alright, Onee-chan's here for you."
What her other self couldn't do...
She'll do it.
—She'll protect this girl!