The Shikigami girl behind me was wearing a white kimono.

Saying she wasn’t cute was absolutely impossible.

Still… she was supposed to be a Shikigami with zero self-awareness.

So why was she…

“Why is Master looking at me so strangely?”

As she said that, the Shikigami girl tilted her head slightly.

Too cute. I honestly couldn’t look straight at her.

“Hold up, what’s your name?”

I asked because, in my vision, the name floating over her head was still just [Empress].

“Me? I don’t know either~”

“You’re not supposed to say that with a smile, you know?”

“Then please give me a name, Master.”

“Name you? I’m really bad at that… Wait! Why did the topic suddenly jump to naming you?

Isn’t the real issue why you suddenly have your own consciousness?”

“I’m not very sure, but in my memories there’s this vague description:

‘After killing a certain number of enemies, it’ll borrow fragments of other souls to form a new soul’~”

“I see… but you just tossed a single liquid nitrogen bottle.

Could it be the count accumulated from older battles?”

“Master?”

While I was lost in thought for a moment, she actually walked right up to me, staring with those curious eyes of hers.

I instinctively took a step back.

“Master, do you hate me? Did I do something wrong?”

“No, you just suddenly got really close and gave me a scare, that’s all.”

“Is that so? That’s good then~ If Master got mad and dismantled me, I’d be really lonely.”

“Relax, I won’t dismantle you. And I don’t know how anyway.

Back to the point—did your awareness appear just now, or have you had it for a while?”

“It appeared just now.”

“What about your memories?”

“Other than what I just explained, there’s nothing.”

“Combat routines?”

“Combat?”

“…”

Seeing her confused expression, I could only shake my head.

Then I used the previous mental link and ordered her to attack the wall next to us.

She dashed forward in one smooth step and slammed her fist into the metal wall.

With a deafening boom, the whole wall caved in, leaving a deep crater.

“Huh? What did I just do?”

The Shikigami looked at her own hand in confusion, then at the wall.

“What just happened, Master?”

“…Right. Looks like your combat system’s been assigned under my control, so you can’t use it on your own.

Okay then, I’ll call you Pure White.”

“Pure White? That sounds really nice~”

As she said that, the name above her head actually changed in an instant, the original [Empress] turning directly into [Pure White].

So I could name her like this too? That was really convenient.

“Anyway, you should head back into the ring for now—”

“No!”

I didn’t expect to be rejected so flatly!

All the other humanoids went back the moment I gave the mental order.

But this girl actually refused me.

And the ring didn’t pull her back either.

Was this some kind of joke?

“Why?”

“Because… being alone inside the ring feels really scary.”

“…”

Judging from her expression… it really did look like she meant it.

So a Shikigami whose punch could put a hole in solid metal was telling me… she was afraid of the dark.

…

“Fine, then just stay by my side. But don’t do anything weird, okay?”

“Okay, Master!”

“Also, don’t call me Master. Call me Fir instead. That sounds more normal.”

“Got it, Fir!”

It still felt a bit off, but whatever, I’d take it.

“All right, next up, let’s find those other two first…”

Thinking that, I looked around the mine tunnel, but I couldn’t see their names in any direction.

I opened the comm terminal.

‘Where are you guys?’

‘Right under you.’

I jerked my head down. At that exact moment, the floor suddenly split open with a huge crack!

I snapped my wings open, trying to take off, but when I turned, Pure White was already falling, screaming as she went down!

I rushed to grab her, and the moment I caught her I realized—

She was heavier than metal!

With a sharp whoosh, the two of us were yanked straight down into the darkness.