I Finished Saving the World, But Then I Picked Up a Girl With Amnesia - Chapter 7

Night.

After seeing the Hero off as he returned to the inn, Shana walked alone through the streets of the city as dusk began to settle.

She had prepared everything she thought the red-haired girl might need, and the teleportation magic circle was perfectly in place. If nothing unexpected happened, they would be able to depart by tomorrow morning.

Yes, if nothing unexpected happened.

She deliberately turned into an empty alley and came to a stop.

“Alright, it’s about time you came out, don’t you think?”

Her question was addressed to the empty space around her, and a response soon followed.

Emerging silently from a shadow that blended seamlessly into the night, a figure twice her size loomed into view.

Its massive frame seemed enough to block the narrow alley entirely. Jet-black wings. Reddish-brown, razor-sharp claws. Altogether, its towering presence was unmistakably inhuman.

“When did you notice?”

A deep, smooth voice, surprisingly human, emerged from its fanged mouth.

“A devil, is it? And a high-ranking one at that. It’s been a while since I’ve seen one of you.”

Most of the so-called “monsters” that harm humans are creatures integrated into this world’s ecosystem. But there are exceptions.

Beings that comprehend human speech, skillfully lure humans into temptation, and drag them into darkness.

These beings are called “devils.”

“Answer my question.”

“Of course, I noticed from the very beginning. Who do you think I am?”

“I’ve heard you’re the Sage who stood alongside the Hero and saved the world.”

“That’s all? Well, fair enough.”

Facing the monstrous devil, Shana gave a light, carefree smile.

“Do you know anything about that amnesiac girl?”

“Even if I did, I have no obligation to tell you.”

“I see. Well then, goodbye.”

If it were a regular monster, she might have subdued and tamed it as a pet. If it didn’t bare its fangs upon encounter, there was no need to kill it unnecessarily.

But a devil was humanity’s enemy from the start. It existed solely to bring harm.

Words are for communication, and with an enemy for whom communication is unnecessary, there is no need to exchange words.

Thus, it must be eliminated swiftly.

The fastest, most efficient way. The magic circle for an offensive spell unfolded at the devil’s feet, radiating a brilliant light—

“Huh?”

—and then stopped.

The magic circle, meant to release the spell, failed to activate.

The Sage looked at her shadow. Stuck to it was a talisman marked with an unfamiliar sigil, blending into the deep darkness.

(No way… a magic-sealing talisman…!?)

Her high heels clacked against the cobblestones as she kicked back, her slender body leaping into a retreat.

A quick, decisive evasion.

But in the end, it was still the movement of a magus, not suited for close combat.

“Too slow.”

Devils learn human speech to form contracts with humans and drag them into darkness.

But humans are merely prey to devils—insignificant specks of dust.

There is no need to exchange words with trash you’ve already decided to kill.

“…Ah.”

The devil’s primitive claws pierced through her fragile body and tore it in two.

—

It happened a long time ago. Back when the Sage was still a girl who knew nothing.

Simply being alive made the world a living hell.

Born between a human and an elf, Shana faced persecution in the elf village. She had no surname. While elves as a race didn’t typically use family names, Shana’s human father had never acknowledged her, so she grew up not even knowing her own last name.

It wasn’t just her name. Her mother died shortly after giving birth to her. Shana didn’t know what kind of person her mother had been. If she had known even a little about her, perhaps she might have found someone to resent. But without knowing her face or personality, Shana couldn’t even summon hatred for her mother.

Her elven ears were the only clear inheritance from her mother’s side, while the rest of her body was so human-like that it seemed plain in comparison to the other elves in the village. She had no wings. She couldn’t fly. She didn’t blend in with her kind. The elven village showed no mercy in casting her out.

Had Shana been just another orphaned elf who had lost her mother, the villagers might have pitied her and shown her kindness.

But Shana was a special Half-Elf.

One cannot empathize with someone fundamentally different. Nor can one pity them. A being beyond comprehension is nothing but unsettling.

And so, when the boy who visited the village saw Shana, he became the first person she met who felt similar to her.

“You’re not really an elf, are you?”

Facing her directly, the boy spoke.

“Do you like this village?”

Facing him directly, Shana shook her head.

“Then, come with me.”

Without asking any further questions, the boy extended his hand to her.

There was no reason. No backstory. With just one question and one answer, the boy chose to take Shana with him.

“Ah, but I do have one favor to ask.”

After a moment of hesitation, the boy added.

“I’m about to go defeat the Demon King to save the world… Could you give me a hand?”

Shana didn’t even know what the “world” was.

Shana didn’t understand how terrifying the Demon King was.

But whatever this boy wanted to save, she wanted to save it too. Whatever he wanted to defeat, she was certain they needed to defeat it.

For Shana, the boy who extended his hand was the first “world” she had ever known.

And so—

“Um, I… I can use one special spell.”

Even her unsettling abilities might prove useful.

—

“There’s nothing more fragile than a magus whose magic has been sealed.”

The devil mocked as it looked down at the corpse.

If it had been a knight, they might have chosen to fight with their sword, even if their magic was sealed. The devil’s “magic-sealing talisman” was designed specifically to suppress the casting and activation of magic but didn’t suppress magical energy itself. In other words, it was a tool specialized for killing magic users.

A knight, who used magic to enhance their physical strength as a base, might have managed to land a blow in hand-to-hand combat against the devil.

But contemplating possibilities in front of a corpse was a pointless waste of time.

“What’s so ‘strong’? What’s so ‘unbeatable’ about that party? If the so-called strongest Sage in the kingdom is this weak, then the Hero’s limits must be just as shallow.”

“────That may be true, but when my magic is sealed, I’m just a helpless little girl, you know?”

A voice came from behind.

The devil instinctively leaped back. Its wings snapped open, claws at the ready, as it turned to face the source of the voice.

“You… What is the meaning of this?”

“What do you mean? Isn’t it obvious?”

The devil checked the corpse. It was certainly dead.

The devil checked ahead. The Sage hailed as the strongest in the kingdom was certainly standing there.

A lifeless body, and a calmly speaking Sage. In front of the devil stood two versions of the Sage.

Impossible. Such a thing should be absolutely impossible.

“I’m the Sage who saved the world. Do you really think I’d die after being killed just once?”

The Sage—Shana Granple—smiled.