To Become a King and a Magician

Parallel world, London, England, in front of the apartment where Naoki once lived.

Aoko glanced at the address in her hand, carrying her suitcase, and nodded: "This seems to be the place… He suddenly said there's something urgent to discuss with us. What's up with that Merry guy?"

Two days ago, Aoko, who was originally exploring the African savanna, had a sudden dream. She dreamed of the dream demon named Merry, who said there was something extremely urgent to discuss with her, a Magus, and it was related to Naoki. Merry hoped Aoko could immediately head to London, England.

Regarding this somewhat strange invitation, Aoko initially had no intention of heeding it, just like when Merry suddenly asked if they wanted to participate in a Holy Grail War. Her intuition told her that nine and a half out of ten things Merry said couldn't be trusted.

So, Aoko initially didn't want to come, but shortly after, she was visited by Zelretch, another Magus like her, who also expressed his hope that Aoko would go to England.

Merry could be ignored, but even Zelretch showed up…

(Could Kouhai-kun really be facing some huge danger in a parallel world?)

With Naoki's abilities, Aoko found it hard to imagine him being in trouble. After all, without using Magecraft, even she wouldn't dare face him head-on, especially now that Naoki also had the power of the True Ancestor Princess… If he was truly in danger, the world might collapse.

(If that happens, things would really get troublesome…)

So, out of concern for Naoki, Aoko still came to England.

Reaching out to knock on the door, before Aoko could speak, the door swung open. Wearing a white shirt, Merry smiled at her: "Welcome, welcome, Miss Aoko. I've heard your name for a long time."

"You are…"

"Merry."

(So this is the dream demon who kept pulling her into dreams, the woman closely connected to Kouhai-kun.)

"I've been waiting for you. Come in, I've prepared the best pastries for you."

"Didn't you say there was something urgent?" Aoko asked. "You still have time to chat and eat pastries?"

"Girl talk should be over pastries. A serious atmosphere doesn't suit us at all." Merry chuckled. "Besides, though it's urgent, it's already happened. We can't prevent it now; we can only do our best to help."

Aoko frowned: "Help? Help who?"

"My troublesome King and your dear Kouhai-kun, the one and only in your heart."

"Too many embellishments."

Sighing in resignation, Aoko followed Merry into the apartment's living room. As Merry said, a pot of herbal tea and some lavish-looking pastries were already set on the coffee table. For some reason, the room was filled with the scent of flowers, giving the impression of attending a young noble's afternoon tea.

Instantly, a sense of unease enveloped Aoko.

Sitting on the sofa and watching Merry pour her a cup of herbal tea, Aoko couldn't help but ask: "So, what's the urgent matter?"

"Don't rush, try this macaron first. I even took the time to learn how to make them."

"…"

Seeing Aoko's slightly annoyed expression, Merry suppressed a smile: "It's nothing major, just that your Kouhai might die."

"Cough cough cough!"

Aoko, mid-bite into a macaron, choked and coughed several times: "What? Kouhai-kun might die?"

"Yeah. Well, not entirely accurate. So far, he's gone through a few incidents that could've killed him, but those were just possibilities. With his abilities, he can survive with a bit of effort." Merry said casually. "But this time's a bit different. The situation's so serious he can't handle it entirely on his own."

"He… can't handle it alone?"

"After all, the enemy's power is too strong for him. Not in terms of ability, but in nature."

"Stop speaking in riddles! What's actually happening to Kouhai-kun?" Aoko's voice grew impatient. "You didn't call me here just to spout nonsense, did you?"

Merry waved her hand: "Don't rush, let me start from the beginning."

"About five years ago, Naoki sealed a young Beast in Fuyuki City, one capable of causing destruction. You know this, right?"

Aoko nodded.

"But in truth, the core of that Beast was a girl connected to the Root, harboring immense hatred for Naoki. Though some things have changed over these five years, fundamentally, she still hates him, constantly scheming to break the seal and kill Naoki. However, the seal is too strong, and with my help, she could only rage helplessly."

"And then, the crux is, the parallel world Naoki visited… turns out to have a homolog of that girl! Even the fact that she's connected to the Root is identical—it's astonishing!"

Another entity connected to the Root?

Aoko's expression darkened: "What are you getting at…"

"That girl's name is Sajyou Manaka. And for some reason, the Manaka in that parallel world has now set a massive trap, preparing to kill our King. And since they're both 'Sajyou Manaka,' the sealed Manaka inside our King's body has also gained awareness, or spiritual freedom, and started her own plan."

"If they're connected to the Root, it's not surprising they can pull off world-shaking feats."

"So, the real situation now is that our King is being targeted simultaneously by two omniscient and omnipotent entities! And he, foolishly, walked right into the trap they set, preparing to break through with brute force. While I love his courage, it's a bit reckless~ Minus points!"

Despite the dire situation, Merry's tone was light and cheerful, as if she were talking about tonight's barbecue, making one wonder if she truly cared about Naoki's safety.

The shocking revelation left Aoko silent for a while. She'd been through a lot, but being targeted by two entities like Sajyou Manaka, with them fully prepared…

"So, what do you want from me?"

Merry wouldn't have called her just to share this. Aoko could already guess what she was about to say.

With a small laugh, Merry said: "Originally, I planned to go myself. After all, this is a special situation where even the Magecraft I left in Naoki's body was forcibly erased. But for some reason, I can't show up, so I had to find someone to take my place."

"The Fifth Magician, Miss Aoko."

"The location is Tokyo in that world. Though you can't use Magecraft, I'll do my best to provide support. Since I can't contact that noble or the princess, can I ask you to go there and help our King?"

"Alright."

After a moment's thought, Aoko agreed.

"Kouhai-kun has helped me a lot before. This time, let me return the favor."