The Deities of Hell

Ritsu and Pomkichi turned around the right corner of the passage.

On the left of the pathway, before they turned the corner, there were several windows, and on the right, there were numerous rooms.

They couldn’t run further inside, so they took refuge in one of the rooms.

“Come here, Pomkichi.”

“Okay!”

Ritsu and Pomkichi ran into the second room in front of them.

“Hah, hurry and hide.”

“Who are you?”

However, a girl was already inside the room.

Several toys lay scattered all over the spacious room.

The girl looked like a sweet 7-year-old child with blond hair.

However, asymmetrical wings sprouted from her back.

“Huh?”

“I am the dead from hell! Pomkichi!”

“Woah, the plushy is talking.”

The girl looked at the speaking Pomkichi and grinned.

Although shaken up because of the wings on the girl’s back, Ritsu first panicked when he heard the rattling chains outside.

“Oh no! He’s coming!”

“What!?”

Ritsu and Pomkichi grew flustered.

However, the door to the room opened slowly.

Lars appeared in the doorway.

“Wha—t is wro—ng?”

The girl looked in Lars’ direction and slowly opened her mouth widely to speak.

Ritsu and Pomkichi were nowhere to be seen in the room.

“Did no one… come? Was there nothing… strange?”

Lars said in a soft and clear voice.

The girl shook her head in a large movement while keeping her eyes on Lars.

“I see. Then it’s fine.”

Lars was about to slowly close the door.

However, he then came to think of something and opened the door once again.

“Today… we’ll eat your favorite hamburger, Ria.”

“Yay!”

The girl—Ria—showed unconcealed delight.

Her voice was light, but she expressed her joy with her whole body.

“Come down at 7.”

“Okaaay!”

Lars looked like he was happy.

Even though his eyes were hidden and only his mouth was visible, from his tone of voice, he was obviously happy.

“It’s okay now,”

Ria said a few seconds after Lars finally left the room.

After she did, Ritsu and Pomkichi poked out their heads from the heap of toys they were hiding in.

“Thanks for hiding us.”

“Thanks!”

Ritsu and Pomkichi said and were about to go to the door.

However, Ria shot them with a toy arrow and bow.

Pomkichi was hit by the toy arrow and fell down.

“Woah!?”

“Wait, if you don’t want me to tattle on you to Dad, come back to me.”

“Dad? Do you mean Lars?”

“Lars?”

“The man from earlier, with the handcuff on him.”

“Yeah, that’s my dad. I’ll teach you everything you don’t know. So you tell me everything I don’t know!”

Ritsu showed a troubled expression, but grabbed Pomkichi’s head and approached Ria.

Then, sat down restlessly in front of her with Pomkichi.

“I will be the one asking. Who are you guys?”

“Ha, I am the handsome hero of justice, Ritsu Saienji.”

“The dead from hell! Pomkichi!”

Ritsu and Pomkichi said boldly with smug faces.

Ria gave them a small applause.

“I want something like that too. It’s cool.”

“Something like this? A cool way to introduce yourself?

“Yeah.”

“Well, what’s your name?”

“Ria Yumeno, 7 years old, my favorite food is hamburger. My favorite book is The Happy Prince. Self-sacrifice? I like places that are beautiful and sad.”

I see. Then… How about… The benevolent Prince! Ria Yumeno! Benevolent means loving many people, I think? Huh? Or was it loving individually? It has that kind of meaning at least.”

“C-cool… The benevolent prince.”

Ria blushed, and the two who shouldn’t be affected by her were.

“Try it out.”

“T-the Benevolent Prince! Ria Yumeno…”

A little embarrassed, Ria struck a pose.

Ritsu and Pomkichi smiled at her tenderly.

“Nice.”

“Cool!”

“Haha.”

Although Ria looked happy, she suddenly made a face like she was reminded of something.

“Are you a human, Ritsu?”

“Huh? I’m human. This guy next to me is a plushy, though.”

“So humans really don’t have wings then. Since humans in books don’t have wings, I noticed it.”

“I’m curious too. Are you human, Ria?”

“Probably. But I’ve had wings like Dad since birth. One side is small though.

“Maybe… you were born here in the Sanctuary? Do you know about the world outside?”

“Sanctuary? I don’t know about the world outside.”

Ritsu was flabbergasted at Ria.

She was born with wings like Lars’ and said she was his daughter.

Who knew what a child born and raised in the Sanctuary would come into contact with.

“There are tens of millions of people in the world outside, you know. There are also a bunch of things that aren’t here. Like delicious food, interesting books, and other cool things. I came from that world. And I will return to it.”

“I want to go too. I want to see the world outside. It’s something I’ve been thinking of… that there’s something waiting for me outside the door.”

“The door?”

“When Dad goes to the world outside, he always goes through the door on the third floor. And he told me not to go to the third floor, and the door is locked.”

“That! That’s what I wanted to know! Do you know where the key is?”

Ritsu was hooked on Ria’s talk.

Door, third floor, key, and other keywords for breaking out were said.

“I don’t know. But the off-limits basement is suspicious.”

“That. It’s the basement. Hey, Ria, do you really want to go to the world outside?”

“I do. It’s fine if it’s only once.”

“Then let’s proclaim war in the name of the rebellious phase. I’ll bring you to the world outside.”

“Thanks, Ritsu.”

“By all means, Ria.”

Ritsu and Ria hit it off and shook hands above Pomkichi’s head.