[TS] Surviving in a Yuri Visual Novel

Lumani Tepes possessed a magic eye that could pierce through a person’s soul. According to her, the shapes of souls vary from person to person, with some beings possessing unpleasant souls, while others have clear, pure, and infinitely innocent forms.

Among them, the soul of the Hero, Leo, was described as infinitely pure and strong, truly optimized for the profession of a hero. Even with her eyes closed, she could tell that he was a hero.

“One of the abilities I’ve made useful on the battlefield. You must know well. Even if my eyesight is taken from me, it doesn’t matter because I can see souls.”

“…Such a cheat…!”

“I don’t know what you mean by that, but from the first time we met, I already knew you were Damien Redius. Once you see a soul like yours, it’s impossible to forget.”

She added that such a brightly shining soul had not been seen since the hero Leo, and while the color of the soul had gradually become darker as the war dragged on, she could never forget the strong soul that still retained its light.

“No matter how brilliant a soul is, it tends to lose its light when stained with blood, but you were different. You know? You have a soul that is hard to forget once seen. That’s why I knew you were Damien Redius from the start. Nothing more.”

Of course, she seemed to want to hide her identity, so I didn’t ask any further. However, this led me to open my mouth with a slightly hesitant expression.

“…Is that why you showed interest in me when we first met?”

“That was part of it, but I was also quite intrigued because you smelled like one of my kin, despite being human. Upon closer inspection, it turns out you’re half-human.”

Lumani looked at my face with an expression of interest, resting her chin on her hand. She seemed particularly curious about why my gender and race had changed.

Well, since my lovers Leticia, Leo, Chloe, and Irina had accepted my identity so easily, I didn’t feel the need for much explanation, but Lumani was different.

She had been an unforgivable enemy with whom I fought tooth and nail until death just a few years ago.

I hate Mazoku. I despised Mazoku and even the blood that flowed through me was disgusting.

The reason I chose the character Charlotte at the beginning was simply out of interest as a ‘character’ in a game. It might be a racially discriminatory statement, but I still hated Mazoku.

– Lord Damien.

– I hope you survive until the very end.

The voices of those dying on the battlefield still echoed in my head.

Now that I think about it, I hadn’t heard those voices when I returned to Earth, but they started coming back after I arrived in this world.

I chuckled internally.

So, now that I’ve returned to this world, am I supposed to keep my promise to remember those who died?

It could be a cruel statement, but to me, it’s something I can’t even find amusing.

Am I supposed to feel guilt for those who have died now? Their words cannot bind me or hold me back. I’ve changed too much to feel guilt over each individual who has died.

Of course, the deaths of those I considered somewhat close were sad.

Though that sadness didn’t last long due to the war, I hope they don’t think that I am someone without sadness or guilt.

It’s just that the sadness cannot keep clinging to me, so I have to shake it off. I didn’t know when I first possessed this body that I would end up taking lives. When I think back, I find myself missing that time which was peaceful, even for just a moment.

– W-Wait, that was magic…! No, more than that, my neck almost got cut off…! Wait! To attack out of nowhere, what are you doing? I almost died!

– Of course, I told you to die. You’re being too verbose for an intruder.

– An intruder?! I just opened my eyes and ended up stranded here… -.

– Such a ridiculous excuse wouldn’t even convince a passing wolf. If you had said you were lost instead, I might have believed you a little. But how bold of you to enter this northern territory ruled by Duke Lishiansis. Are you a traitor allied with the Mazoku?

– Uh…? Lishiansis…?

…No way.

The moment I opened my eyes, I was ambushed by Leticia, who mistook me for a Mazoku’s spy invading the north, and I almost had my neck cut off by her wind magic.

It’s a memory, but not one I’d like to remember. It was truly a close call; if I’d misstepped, my head could have been severed right after possessing this body.

“If I’m discovered, there’s no point in hiding. A magic eye that pierces through souls… I completely forgot about it. I envy you. I wish I had eyes like that.”

“Hmm. So are you not going to explain why you became a woman and became half-Mazoku?”

“Fufu. Well, perhaps.”

“…Alright. If you’re really Damien Redius, I can trust your strength, so I will believe you. After all, a magic eye would not exist in someone who was human—I couldn’t imagine you having one now.”

At Lumani’s question, I lowered my gaze.

Magic eye.

Since I’m half-vampire, while possessing this body, I did have hopes that I might gain some special power like a magic eye.

With the blood of the highest-ranking Mazoku flowing through me, I thought I might have the ability to petrify others just by looking at their souls, like the monsters from legends.

Well, that expectation didn’t last long. There were no skills related to magic eyes that I could learn.

I thought it would be better if it were simply because my level was too low to learn them. And that possibility was confirmed after just a month of acting as a professor at the Academy.

Kiiing…

Lumani’s gaze, observing me quietly, deepened. She was right.

While at the Academy, I had been catching monsters in my spare time, killing criminals who were making a name for themselves in the underworld, and as a result, my magic eye had bloomed.

“There’s no lie there.”

The ability of the magic eye is to penetrate the truth. It is the ability to discern whether the other party’s words are true or false.

It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Lumani. I just checked that there was not a single lie in her words. Ah, does that mean I didn’t trust her? I had become a Mazoku, and while Lumani was on our side, it was still hard to completely trust Mazoku.

Lumani must have known. That I was using the ability of the magic eye on her. Knowing that, she didn’t say anything.

With a light smile, Lumani comfortably rested her chin on her hand and asked.

“So, have I earned your trust?”

“Quite enough.”

“That’s a wonderful thing to hear. You’ve passed my test.”

“I was rude. I apologize. However, since one of the masterminds behind this incident is a Mazoku named Ryuren, this was the best way for us to trust each other. I hope you understand.”

Well, even if I hadn’t asked for understanding, I would have used the magic eye for confirmation anyway, but I didn’t need to say that. Half-closing my eyes, I gave Lumani a gentle smile.

Seeing that, Lumani let out an exasperated chuckle and responded with a grin.

“Anyway, you would have used the magic eye even if I hadn’t allowed it. That eye, it didn’t stand out much.”

“Thank you for the compliment. It’s quite an intricate skill… no, ability. Since it’s the eye that discerns the truth of someone’s words, it wouldn’t be good if it stood out.”

“…The ability to discern the truth of someone’s words… that would be useful when interrogating prisoners.”

If humans and Mazoku were still at war, this ability would have been exceedingly useful if I had had it when I was human. For a moment, I reminisced about the past and nodded.

“It would have been a welcome ability back then. But if possible, I’d prefer not to use such abilities.”

Every time I opened my eyes, I was met with corpses and the nauseating scent of blood. Whether it was prisoners or war, I was fed up with it now. Opening my eyes that had been closed, I continued with a faint smile.

“I will contribute in whatever small way I can to Ryuren and the organization he belongs to from now on.”

“Small? You’re underestimating yourself too much. Just receiving the help of the heavenly race itself is a source of fear for the Mazoku.”

“Haha. It doesn’t feel right to hear that from someone who doesn’t seem fearful at all. Ah. Now that we’re allies, is it alright if I call you Lumani comfortably?”

“There’s no need to be awkward about catching a common enemy. I welcome it. Feel free to call me Charlotte. You can call me Lumani as well.”

With a charming expression, Lumani said with a smile, causing me to flinch.

“……That’s a bit much.”

“Then that’s up to you. Besides, you used to speak informally before, so why the sudden formality? Now that your identity is revealed, is there any reason to speak formally?”

“Ah. It’s a habit of mine. Even if I try to change, I can’t help but stick to formalities.”

If Damien had met Charlotte, we would have been growling and fighting with each other, but here we are, having a friendly conversation. At some point, the forgotten archers and saint looked at the two of us with a bemused expression.

“Somehow it feels like we’ve been forgotten.”

“…Indeed. Optimism hasn’t changed, both in the past and now.”

“Today’s enemy is tomorrow’s ally. I never thought I would join hands with a Mazoku….”

Just then, the door opened at a perfect moment, and Leticia and Leo walked in.

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