The men with well-trained physiques surrounded Nacht and the others with uncanny expressions.
　It's a good idea to be able to have a good time with your friends. It's not just a matter of time before you get to the point where you'll be able to get your hands on a new one.

''This is another grand welcome.

Strange people, lots of strange people.

　All the men standing in the space that was spread out as if it were an oracle of doors were dressed in battle robes that resembled cloaks and armor, and Nacht felt as if he had been thrown into a period drama.

'Who are you, my dear?'

　A man with his black hair tied back as he listens.
　The moment the quiet voice echoes, a swing of a sword is pulled out in an instant. It's not just a matter of time before you'll be able to get your hands on a new one.
　It's a good thing that you're able to have a few millimeters of strength in front of you that can easily stain your soft skin with blood, but Nacht just smiled in amusement.

'You're good at it, though you're probably not as good as my friend--well, let's introduce ourselves, shall we? My name is Nacht, and you may respectfully call me Nacht, if you wish?

　Nacht, who has a sword at his throat, says pompously.
　It should be obvious which side is higher.
　It's a good thing that you're able to have a good time with your friends.

　I'm not sure what to expect.
　You can't help but instinctively feel an eeriness, something unfathomable, a sense of isolation.

'How did you move the door?　What do you guys want?

　Nacht gave a single sigh to the man who kept asking questions.

'You haven't been very polite at all--'

　With an exhaled breath, a huff, a beat as if time had slipped away.
　In the void created as it slipped through the chasm of consciousness, Nacht had stepped back before I knew it.
　Just like that, the blade that should have been in front of him was dislodged.

''Nah!''

'It's polite to say your name before asking a question. It's important to say hello, didn't your mother teach you that?

"...　By nature, I was born poor - I'm not very polite!

　The returning blade chases Nacht.
　It's a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
　But it is not.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work.
　I'm not sure I'm going to be the only one who can do that.

''Well, well, let's leave the playing around--''

　Nacht muttered, just inside his heart, that Aisha would be angry with him.

''--I have no intention of fighting without being so alarmed. We simply wandered in, opened the door, and when we stepped in, we found ourselves in an unknown place, period samurai, not the most cloven-headed, it seems--

Oh, um!　Really, I just happened to end up here by accident!　Well, Aisha and her friends are, shall we say, lost!　So I'm not the enemy of all those people!

　As if to supplement Nacht's incomprehensible explanation, Aisha shouted.
　In the first place, the purpose is in the Demon Continent, not here.

''You guys are the demon race, right?　In the first place, this door can only be opened by someone who is in league with the Demon King.

''Uh ... well ... well ... I'm a demon tribe ... just in case ...''
　The slightly tense air loosened as Filnelia argued modestly.

''Then you guys are messengers of the Demon Lord?''
　The man asked, somewhat timidly this time.

'No, I'm just lost,'

Hey!　

'You go to school with honesty, Nacht, and it's bad for your daughter's education to lie openly about it.

...?
　In a tone of dismay and resignation, Filnelia said.

'How true. This is Izmo, where the Land of Harmony is the capital. Demons are exceptionally allowed to enter the country, but - a lost child, huh?''

　The man shook his head in annoyance.

'Either way, it's beyond my control. The decision will be made by the Princess Miko-sama or His Highness the General, and I'll let you stay quiet until then.

　While I was playing with a bored Shtel on my shoulders, it seems that I came to a conclusion.

It's a good idea to go to a hot spring resort if you're talking about a country of harmony. In addition, Shtel would like to see the sea.
　It's an unexpected accident, but the surprises and unknowns are welcome for Nacht.
　It's so much easier to hurry up and turn.
　A little detour would be forgiven.

'I'm sorry, but you're not guests yet--I'm not saying you're bound, but I want you to know that you're not free.

What, you can't see the ocean?

　Shtel protests as he pats Nacht's head with a pat on the head.

'Haha, no way. Then let's get out of this gloomy building.

　If Shtel wants it, Nacht will fulfill it.
　It was a perfectly natural course of action.
　As Nacht was about to make his move, there was a quiet tension in the air again.

'Wait - I told you I'm not a guest,' he said. If you're going to do your own thing, then I consider you an invader.........
　The words did not last any longer.
　The earth, trodden by both feet, swayed for a moment.

'Come to think of it, you - you said something a little unpleasant. This, I don't have any freedom - haha, makes me laugh.

　The words you spit out are filled with magic.
　Nacht spins the words with a slightly grimace of intimidation.

Then you can try. If you can take this my freedom, you can try. That wouldn't be a very wise choice, though.

''Wait, Nacht-sama--this is, in all likelihood, Aisha and the others are the bad guys........''
　Aisha struggled to convince Nacht to do something about it.
　Filnelia gave one sigh as if she had given up, while Shtel looked down at Nacht's head, happily looking down at his surroundings.

''Kudos................''

　A voice of determination spilled out.
　At that moment, when the sword, which was about to be pulled out of the air, and Nacht's bright crimson claws were about to collide

Okay, all right. Shirou-chan, put away your sword, come on, hurry up!

　A prolonged voice pierced the scene.

''Everyone put away your swords, put away your murderous spirit, or else you'll die...''

　A beautiful girl stood behind her calm voice, her eyes captivating.
　Her sleepy, weary eyes were the first thing that caught my attention. Her skin, peeking out from her blue plum-patterned kimono, which was in bloom, was slightly tanned. Her hair was faintly pale among the many black-haired samurai, which would inevitably catch the eye.
　Such a girl approached Nacht, one step at a time, and then another.

''I was going to go easy on you, though.

It's best not to fight or fight or work.

'Haruka-sama!　It's dangerous, sir. I'll have to ask you to leave--

'Shirou-chan is ~ competent ~ but he's also incompetent ~ it's good that he's loyal to his duties, but you have to value your life...'

　Harka smiles as she comes in front of Nacht without saying a word, and smiles at him.

'Welcome, visitors behind the door - we welcome you~. Whether it's hot springs, the ocean, or a liquorice forest, we'll make it happen in moderation.





◇





　It was a vast shrine that existed only to worship a single door.
　The main hall that enshrines the door, the hall of worship for visitors, and the hall of offerings that connects them all together make it a huge site.

　The Mado-Ohashi Shrine.
　It was one of the three giant shrines in the Land of Harmony, where the first demon king, the founder of the demon race, had once visited.
　The chief administrator of it all was the current Goddess, Izumi Haruka.

　At the end of the stone-paved path, Nacht and the others were led to the end of a magical torii gate, which led them into a building that looked obviously gorgeous.
　The foliage of the trees, spreading lush greenery, blended with the wooden building. The vast and exquisitely landscaped natural garden is an art form. For some reason, a structure reminiscent of a high-class Japanese inn existed on the shrine grounds.

"Originally~ this place was built to welcome the Demon King, so~ so it is designed to provide a solid welcome~. But~ since hardly anyone comes here~, it's Haruka-chan's~, it's a skipping ground~

　A tatami room with the scent of rushes in the air. Shtel was the first to rush into the Japanese-style room, which was decorated with heavy wooden furniture.
　She lounged around on the tatami and, satisfied, laid her head in Nacht's lap.
　Looking out at the garden through the wide open sliding doors, Aisha finally calmed down and let out a breath of air, relieving the tension.

'And is it okay... well, I think Aisha and the others are probably... illegals... ...

　Aisha says cautiously as if she is uncomfortable with the unexpected hospitality.

The fact is, you don't have to be shy about it~. It's a good idea to have a good time with them. So~, why did Nacht-chan and the others come here?

'I had originally planned to cross over to the Demon Continent - but it seems I've gone to the wrong place.

Heh, so~, so there are three doors!

"--?　Didn't you, the administrator, know that?

It's not a good idea to use that kind of thing on me, because I can't use that kind of thing on myself, and the only people who can use it are the Demon King, the hero and Erin. I think it's crazy that you can use it, but who are you?

"My name is Nacht, and you may continue to call me Nacht, dearly.

　Halka's blurry eyes sharpened, though only slightly.

''Hmm. So, so, Nacht-chan~, what are you planning to do here?

　Nacht pats Shtel's head and thinks for a moment, then tells him that he just came up with an idea.

'Sightseeing, I suppose,'

'Pfft!　Hahahahahaha, I see... Well, I'd recommend Kusatsu now. There's also a festival, and more importantly, the hot springs are fantastic!

'That would be fun, I'd love to take a dip with Aisha.

　When Nacht said that, Aisha's face turned bright red.

It's a good idea to be able to have a good time with them.　Or shall I get you another room~?

Hmm, I don't mind being with you.

　When Nacht said that, Filnelia let out a sigh.

''Please ... leave me alone ... and I'm not going to water down your family reunion ...'' .........

'Yes~ Okay, so, Miss Filneria, please come over here...'

　Taken by Harka, Filnelia disappears behind the sliding doors.

''Is it okay for Aisha and the others to take it easy and go sightseeing........''
　Nacht laughs at Aisha, who says apologetically.

'Aisha is so serious. No one will complain or make you complain if you relax a little bit.'

　'Besides,' says Nacht, after a beat, 'I don't know what to do.

'I want to show Shtel all kinds of things. I want to let her experience things. A lot of things I've had to put up with, you know.

'Yes. Hmph, I'm sure Stell will be very pleased!

　It's a good thing that you're not the only one who has been on vacation.
　





◇





'Haruka-sama!　Are you sure?　Letting such an unknown and dangerous person go free!

　Shirou, the head of the Jingu Guard, is a child with no relatives and was raised by the shrine from an early age, and therefore has an extraordinary level of loyalty.
　But that's why he was so inflexible.
　That could have been the fatal factor in this case. Haruka thought it was necessary to educate her on this matter as well.

'It's okay~, but there's nothing else we can do! Opening the door means at least the same grade as Erin-sama. She didn't look exhausted and maybe even superior~, but I think it's crazy to stick a blade at someone like that~?

　In fact, the Lord of Black Magic appeared from beyond the door. That is not a mere mortal.
　One could be under the illusion that the legendary hero, the first Demon King, who once visited the Land of Harmony, set up the door and saved the country from the Forest of Violent Devouring, was that kind of person.

"Hero, huh--

　The words were unimaginably heavy, unimaginably heavy from Haruka's impression of cheerfulness and looseness, and they were spat out.

''--?''

　Without paying attention to Shirou, who had a question mark on his face, Haruka looked up into the void.

'It would be nice to have someone like that, someone like that story--'