"... ...This place..."

"...The Soul Forest."

That probably means... that I'm dead.

I turned around, and saw the other me lying on the ground leisurely. It didn't surprise me anymore, but I still hated his presence.

His ways of handling things to release my unfiltered stress, was something I could never imagine myself pardoning.

"...You failed."

As he was being told off, the other me raised his body.

"That I did, but blame that on your weak and useless body. You have nothing in this world."

He walked towards me slowly with a hand gesture that implied that 'it could not be helped'.

"...As expected, no matter how much I change, I... will never accept you."

"...and then you'd end up looney again. Face it, White. You can't exist without me. I'm doing everything, for you~"

He patted my shoulder, of which I quickly shrugged it off.

"All that... just for me...? I find that very hard to believe."

"Hehhh~ Our little White's all grown up and become able to question people now~"

"Don't fuck with me-!"

I tried to grab hold of his body, but my hands went right through him as if he was entirely intangible. I fell to the ground from the momentum.

"Ooh~ Even an expletive. You've never said a single word of vulgarity before, did hearing about a slaughter shake you up? Very nice, very nice indeed. It was a pity I wasn't given an opportunity to let you witness it. The screams. And the fear. Mmm? Not gonna rebuke me? ...Boring."

"..."

I fell silent with my face flat on the blank surface.

I lost all energy to want to continue fighting with him. Seems like he felt the same, as he returned back to where he was, and lied down again. I flipped my body around and looked up in the 'sky'.

The black hole of which differently-colored gas entered and left it like a terminal.

...Why have I... come to this strange world...

What is... my purpose in life...

I don't know the answer, even though I know so much...

...I don't have any talents too... Am I truly unneeded...?

An unwanted... child...

...Come to think of it..., I've never... actually sat down and looked at my surroundings like his peacefully...

I began to become entranced by beauty of all of the colors blending together and separating from each other like a visual symphony.

He was stargazing the entire time I was unconscious...? Gas-gazing...?

"Star...gazing... huh..."

I muttered unconsciously under my breath. He seemed to have heard it, but kept silent.

Time passed slowly in this white space.

...Beautiful.

Master?

"?!"

The image of a girl that was seemingly the same age as me, who had pinkish red hair that seemed really strandy, paired with her sharp yellow eyes that matched the glow of the sword she was brandishing.

And it quickly distorted into a feeling of warmth at the back of my head, and a few wet drops on my face.

...There was crying.

I got up in a fluster.

"...So... ma..."

"Hm? That woman? What about her?"

This time, he responded with interest.

"Not 'woman', she has a name."

"And? Why would you care?"

"... ...I... She... she was crying... for me... It... It has been awhile since someone genuinely... care about me..."

I felt my wet cheeks.

...Looks like I've never outgrown my softheartedness in the end.

"..."

He got up and looked like he wanted to say something, but shut his mouth in the end.

As I rubbed my tear-filled eyes slowly, I was nudged sharply by him.

"Cut it o-"

"-I've been wanting to tell you this for awhile now but- ... there's someone here with us."

He quickly interrupted me and nudged his head towards my left, which made me become extremely alert again.

I turned to where he was indicating for me to look.

Within a few meters away from us, there was a girl with a small stature lying on the ground like us from a few moments ago.

A little girl who had white streaked hair to her chest with some greyish hues, and a pair of red droopy eyes with lifeless pupils. She wore a black nightdress with some black strings laced around her shoulders and white frilly patterns on them, extremely unbefitting of how her age seemed at first glance.

She opened her mouth disinterestedly after a long yawn.

"Haaah... Doesn't really seem all that beautiful to me though~"

Picking herself up slowly, she proceeded to stretch her body for a whole minute, while we continued to stare at her in silence.

When she was finally done, she returned to look at me.

"Ahhh. You're finally awake. Let's begin."

"Huh? Who are you? Begin...? Begin what...?"

"...? Huuuh, you sure you're still awake? Of course I'm talking about your candidacy for Demon King, what else?"

"...Huh?"

"..."