その日の『聖都』の空は気持ちの良い青空だった.
　街全体がティレンス皇子の成人を喜ぶ祝福の雰囲気に包まれ、至る所で音楽や笑い声が響いていた.
　だが、なんの前触れもなく、異変が起きた.

「────あれは、一体なんだ……？」

　街の中央に位置する大聖堂の屋根が突然、爆発するように吹き飛んだかと思うと、何かが空へと飛び出した.

　それを目撃した人々は疑問に思い、目を凝らした.
　聖堂の屋根を突き破り、勢いよく空に飛んでいった何か.
　それはどこか、剣を持った人のようにも見えたが、すぐに上空へと消えていった.

「……いったい、何が起きたんだ……？」

　各国から貴賓が招かれ祝賀会が行われているはずの大聖堂の上部が突然、大きく破壊されたのを見て、人々は戸惑い、ざわめきが起きた. 街中で奏でられていた皇子の成人を祝う楽しげな音楽が途絶え、人々は一斉に爆発のあった聖堂を見上げた.

　直後────
　青々としていた空が突然、赤黒く染まった.
　誰一人、今、何が起きているのかを理解できなかった.

　大聖堂の周囲に立ち並ぶ木々から鳥が一斉に飛び立ち、辺りに奇妙な地響きが起きた.
　そうして人々が戸惑ううちに、その揺れはだんだんと大きくなっていく.
　その不気味な震動は何かの胎動のような────まるで、巨大なものが地の底から這い出してくるような.
　大聖堂を遠くから見守る人々は、そんな不安を感じた.

「……なんだ、これは……？」

　そうして地響きが止むと、空が突然、全くの闇に染まった.
　まだ正午を過ぎたばかりだというのに、普通ではありえないことだった.
　そんな現象は、未だかつて誰も見たことがなかった.

　一瞬にして街を静寂が包んだ.
　その異変は『聖都』ミスラの人々にこれから得体の知れない不吉な何か(・・)が起こることを予感させた.



　◇◇◇



　あの男を力の限り叩き飛ばして開けた竪穴を這い上ると、その怪物(聖ミスラ)は大聖堂の舞踏会場の床に空いた穴から顔を出し、自分の顔を見て恐怖に縮み上がり悲鳴を上げる小さな者共を眺めながら、感慨に耽っていた.

　────ああ、ようやく地上(ここ)に出てこれた.

　自分があの暗い地の底から這い出たのは、何年ぶりのことだろう.
　少なくとも、二万年はあそこに自分は閉じ込められていたことになる.

　ここまで、本当に長かった.
　小賢しい者共にあの小さな青い石の中に封じ込められてから随分と長い歳月が経った.
　その間ずっと、自分はあの石に力を吸い取られ『迷宮』に縛り付けられていた.
　力を吸われる度、自分の身体は朽ち、今やほぼ骨格だけを残すのみとなった.

　ああ────すぐにでも食べ物(にく)が、欲しい.
　二万年もの長きに渡る飢えを満たす、美味い血(・・・・)が欲しい、と怪物(聖ミスラ)は逃げ惑う小さき者共を品定めした.

『……ア゛ア゛……ア゛ア゛ア゛ア゛ア゛ア゛ァ゛、ア゛ア゛ア゛ア゛』

　思わず漏らした歓喜の声で聖堂が揺れ、建物に亀裂が入るのを愉快に感じながら、怪物はゆっくりとその場を見回した. 　

　ああ────あれもこれも、美味そうだ.

　まだ満足に舌が出来ていないその怪物は心の中で舌舐めずりした.
　流石に、各国の要人ともなると、良いモノが揃っている. 　
　当初の目的とは違うことになったが、あれらをここに集めたのは、正解だった.
　......, but that "demon tribe" is not there.

　The monster (St. Mithra) was a little disappointed when he noticed this.

　They ran away. Or hiding.
　He had crawled all the way up here with that as his goal.
　The moment I decided to go outside, I really wanted to eat it first.
　The moment I decided to go outside, I really wanted to eat that first, before I ate the stone I was storing underground.
　──── Why isn't it here?

"Aaahhh, aaahhh, aaahhh, aaahhh".

　I look around again in frustration.
　Still no sign of them.

　The flesh and blood of that half-elf I had saved was delicious.
　But ──── it should have tasted even better.
　There's a lot of the remains of it (・・・・・) stored in the basement.
　He named it Demon's Heart, and it's a magical stone with the most powerful magic.
　It's a really good one.
　It stores blood in the best condition even after death.
　The stone would certainly taste good if eaten.

　But ──── I prefer the living first.
　Live fresh flesh and blood can never be beaten. 　
　That's what I prefer for my first bite.
　I've waited a long time.
　I've stifled my desires and held back.

　So I wanted to at least try the best food I could find, not that stone.

　However, the monster laughed at ...... and looked at the little people of good quality crowded around the stage.
　Well, it doesn't have to be that way, he thought quickly.
　I'm going to eat every last one of them anyway.
　I was going to feed on all the beings that had gathered in the Holy City. That's why I built the Holy City in the first place.

　In the end, I will gain more power than before.
　Thanks to that excellent food called Demon's Heart.
　So it's not a bad idea to save it as a treasure hunt for the last time.
　Even if you don't find it right away, you can search until you've devoured the last of the houses.
　As a celebration of one's own rebirth, there should be at least that much entertainment.

　With this thought, the monster (St. Mithra) let out another cry of joy.

"......aah. Aaah, aaah, aaah, aaah, aaah, aaah, aaah, aaah, aaah. ......

　The monster (St. Mithra) chewed on his freedom and looked around as the shock of the screams caused the cathedral to collapse all over the place and the people in the ballroom to run and scream again.

　──── That too. And this.
　At last, it's yours.


　On this day, you are truly mine.
　All of them will become a part of my body.
　When I think about it, I even love the sight of the soldiers in holy silver armor that I organized turning on me.
　Thanks to them, I am reborn on this day.

　Now, everything reflected in my newly formed eyeballs seems to shine brightly.
　The monster (St. Mithra) uttered his heartfelt joy.

"──── Aaah.

　A thunderous roar echoed through every corner of the Holy City, terrifying everyone.

　It was the voice of birth.

　It was the voice of birth. ──── A scream of blessing that he unleashed upon himself.
　It was a voiceless scream of congratulation that ──── was reigning over the surface world.
　A great crack ran through the building of the sanctuary, the floor, the ceiling, and the walls cracked.

　For the monster (St. Mithra), today was a special day.
　A day to flatten everything in front of him and celebrate his birth.
　The day he would be born into this world again. 　

　The monster (St. Mithra) slowly reached out for the supper in front of him and trembled with emotion, delighted that no one there could resist.

　But at that moment, the monster was in a flutter.
　It was absorbed in the act of satisfying its own hunger and desires for the first time in 20,000 years.

　So it didn't notice.
　Far beyond the hole in the ceiling of the cathedral he had built.
　Something small (・・・・・) was falling from the sky above.
　He paid no attention to the dot in the corner of his eye.

"────a......?

　And then ────
　By the time I noticed it, it was too late.

　By the time the monster (St. Mithra) turned his attention, the dot-like thing had become a shadow of a man, and with his small hands he was about to swing a black stick (...) at himself.

　...... Oh, this looks familiar.
　I remember seeing this sword and this man earlier.

　I think this is ────?

　Then the monster (St. Mithra) remembered what the being wielding the black sword in front of him was.
　By that time, it was too late.

"Parry.

　By the time she realized it, she had just crawled to the surface and was about to enjoy her long awaited meal when her giant head was cruelly smashed ────.

　It's a great way to get the most out of your time and money.