Lilim from the Demon World: For You, Who Watched from the Closest Place - Unreachable Light, Approaching Shadows

The morning sun transformed the pale purple sky of the demon world into shades of orange. Gran Porta—one of the crossing points connecting the demon world and the human world—a stone archway over ten meters tall towered atop a cliff. Around the gate stood six soldiers of the Border Guard Corps "Limes," clad in silver armor. Beyond the arch, the boundary mist shimmered in rainbow hues, and occasionally, the sharp scent of magical energy drifted on the wind. I, Silvie, stood about ten paces behind the archway, posture perfectly straight. My shadow servant uniform, primarily gray and indigo, swayed in the morning breeze. I had retied my shoulder-length deep purple hair into a single tail at the back. My bangs were a little long, and when I looked down, they hid my amethyst eyes—so today, I had to be especially careful. (I'm nervous.) A thin layer of sweat coated my palms. Beside me stood Lady Ririmu. Her pink-blonde curls, reaching all the way to her waist, bounced softly in the morning light, and her large sunset-orange eyes were fixed intently on the archway, as if she could barely wait. Her pale pink dress billowed gently every time the wind caught it. "Hey, Silvie, not yet?! He's coming soon, right!?" Lady Ririmu grabbed my arm tightly and shook it. Her voice was brimming with excitement, her little fang peeking out. "The boundary mist is beginning to stir. I believe it will be soon." I answered with a shadow servant's smile. But deep in my chest, I felt restless. —Kenichi. The human boy Lady Ririmu had called her "destined one." I remembered last night, how Lady Ririmu had spread out more than ten dresses and been utterly ecstatic, asking, "Which one do you think is best?!" I had answered, "The pale pink suits you," and hidden the thorn deep in my heart. (I am a shadow servant. My duty is to support Lady Ririmu's love.) I told myself that. Over and over, countless times. —But. Beyond the archway, the boundary mist swelled violently. The rainbow membrane spread outward like ripples on water. One of the guards murmured quietly, "The crossing begins." In that instant, deep in my chest, something clenched tight. (He's coming.) The boundary mist split open—and a single boy stood there. Slightly long black hair. He had bedhead, and he didn't seem to care. Calm brown eyes gazed absently around the area. A navy parka, jeans. He held a small notebook in one hand, and a camera hung from his neck. (That's Kenichi.) The human boy looked up at the pale purple sky of the demon world, seeing it for the first time— "......Wow, this is amazing." He murmured, his mouth hanging open slightly. He didn't look nervous at all—just had an expression that said, "I've seen something rare." There was no way Lady Ririmu would miss that opening. "KENICHIIIII!!!" Her pink-blonde curls bounced as Lady Ririmu broke into a run. Before I could even think "What—?", Lady Ririmu had already thrown her arms around Kenichi. Her pale pink dress spread out softly, enveloping his body. "Whoa!? R-Ririmu-san!?" Kenichi's eyes went wide, and he tried to step back. But Lady Ririmu hugged his arm tightly and wouldn't let go. "I missed you! You really came! I'm so happy! I'm so, so happy!" "Y-yes... um, it's just, you're a little close..." Kenichi's face was turning red. A human boy suddenly hugged by a princess—he probably had no idea what to do. I— took a step back. I performed the shadow servant's bow. Right hand to my chest, I lowered my head deeply, deeply. Before the person her master loved, a shadow servant was meant to quietly erase her presence. (This is fine.) In the back of my mind, someone whispered. (I am a shadow. To Kenichi, it's fine if I'm just part of the background.) A dull pain spread through the center of my chest. Sharp and hot, like being stabbed with a knife. But by the time I raised my head, the shadow servant's smile was already plastered on my face. "Kenichi!" Lady Ririmu pulled Kenichi by the arm and brought him over to me. "Let me introduce you! This is my best friend, my shadow servant Silvie! We've been together forever!" Kenichi looked at me. His brown eyes narrowed just slightly. "......Silvie-san. Nice to meet you. I'm Kenichi." Kenichi gave a small bow. His way of speaking was slow, his voice gentle. "I am called Silvie. Welcome, and thank you for making the long journey here today." I bowed deeply once more. A formal greeting, as a shadow servant. (Lady Ririmu's best friend, huh.) It made me happy that Lady Ririmu called me her "best friend." But right now—those words just drove the thorn in my chest a little deeper. After all, to Kenichi, I was nothing more than "Ririmu's quiet attendant." That was fine. It was supposed to be fine. "Now, now, I'll show you around the city! Celestia is really, really beautiful!" Lady Ririmu took Kenichi's hand and started walking. I walked three steps behind them. A shadow servant is her master's shadow. She must not walk ahead of her master. The three of us walked along the cobblestone path. The streets of the royal capital Celestia glowed faintly, illuminated by the morning light. Buildings made with amethyst as a construction material sparkled as light hit their walls. From the fountain in the central plaza, water imbued with magical energy flowed out, glowing in rainbow colors, and from the market stalls drifted the scent of freshly baked bread and luminescent fungus soup. "Whoa......" Kenichi looked up at the sky, dazed. "The sky is purple. And those three moons... I can see them even though it's still daytime." "Amazing, right! When I went to the human world, I was so surprised the sky was blue! Oh, and over there—" Lady Ririmu bounced up and down as she explained. "That tower is the Moon-Reading Tower, and it's a hundred and twenty meters tall! And in the market over there, they sell rare magical tools—oh, but it might be closed today! Too bad! But, but, there's a delicious sweets shop over here! It's called Dolcelina! You absolutely have to try it!" "R-Ririmu-san, wait a second......" Kenichi, overwhelmed by Lady Ririmu's momentum, occasionally took out his notebook and jotted things down. It looked like he was writing about the stars and the sky. (Huh, so that's his hobby.) I thought that as I watched the two of them from behind. Lady Ririmu's smile was dazzling. Beside Kenichi, laughing innocently, linking arms with him—she looked truly happy. (I'm glad for you, Lady Ririmu.) But—every time I saw that smile, the thorn deep in my chest sank in a little deeper. We left the East Tower, passed through the central plaza, and arrived in front of Dolcelina. In front of the small stone shop, colorful luminescent flowers were displayed, and the sweet scent of cream hung in the air. Inside the glass case within the shop, the white glow of several Moonlight Puddings was lined up. "Marika-saaan! It's me, Ririmu!" Lady Ririmu burst in, making the doorbell jingle. "Oh my, Lady Ririmu! Welcome. Are you with a companion today?" The shopkeeper, Marika-san—a demon with the appearance of a woman in her thirties, with a warm and generous atmosphere—greeted us with a smile. "Yes! A very special guest! So I want you to wrap up three of the biggest Moonlight Puddings!" Lady Ririmu bounced as she placed her order. Kenichi looked up at the luminescent ore lamps inside the shop and said with curiosity, "These don't use electricity, do they?" Marika-san began explaining with a smile, "Electricity? Oh, human world technology. You see, this is ore that glows with magical energy." I—waited outside the shop. A shadow servant only enters a shop with her master when her master permits it. Today, Lady Ririmu was so absorbed that she had forgotten to call out to me. (Well, it's always like this.) I stepped into the small courtyard beside the shop. I sat down on the edge of the fountain. The fountain's water glowed faintly, imbued with magical energy. The gentle sound of the flowing water calmed my heart, just a little. I dipped my fingertips into the water. The cool sensation soothed the heated pain in my chest, just a little. (What was I expecting?) The moment Lady Ririmu hugged Kenichi, my heart turned cold, as if gripped by an icy hand. That was—jealousy. Lady Ririmu, my—my one and only master, was hugging someone else. (That's only natural.) Lady Ririmu is a princess. I am a shadow servant. My feelings are meant to be locked away deep in my heart for my entire life. I had decided that. (So why does it hurt this much?) "......Silvie-san?" Suddenly, I heard a voice from behind. I flinched and turned around. There stood Kenichi, notebook in hand. "Huh... Kenichi-san. Where is Lady Ririmu?" "Ah, she got really into talking with Marika-san. She wouldn't stop talking about new sweets, so I came out first." Kenichi gave a troubled smile. "......And also, I got a little tired of the crowd. I might not look it, but I'm shy around people." Saying that, Kenichi sat down beside me—leaving a little distance between us. The sound of the fountain water flowed between us. In the distance, I could hear the bustle of the market. Merchants calling out, children laughing, the sound of carriage wheels. But this courtyard, surrounded by walls, was quiet. "......This fountain is amazing. It glows on its own." Kenichi said, gazing at the fountain water. "It's mixed with magical energy. All water in the demon world is like that." "Huh... So the demon world really is completely different in every way." Kenichi opened his notebook and started jotting something down. I glanced at his profile. His slightly long black hair swayed in the wind. His brown eyes were fixed seriously on his notebook, and deep within those eyes—for just a fleeting moment, I thought I saw a flicker of golden light. (Just my imagination, probably.) "......I heard you've been by Ririmu-san's side for a long time, Silvie-san?" Suddenly, Kenichi asked. "Yes. Ever since we were little." "That's amazing. I never knew my parents. I grew up alone the whole time, so a relationship like that—'being there for someone forever'—is kind of hard for me to imagine." Kenichi murmured quietly. I was a little surprised. "You... don't know your parents?" "Yeah. By the time I was aware of things, I was already in an institution. I don't know who my parents are, and I've never really thought about why I'm alone." Kenichi gazed at the fountain with a distant look in his eyes. "......But people often ask me if that's lonely, and I've never really felt lonely. Because if you've been alone from the start, that's just normal." Those words—settled deep into my chest with a quiet thud. (If you've been alone from the start, that's just normal.) What about me? I have a family. My mother lives alone in the small Fontana family manor in the Trecorina Hills. She's frail, and I can't visit her often, but in her letters, she always writes, "Take pride in being able to serve Lady Ririmu." But—is that really where I belong? Ever since I was little, I've always been by Lady Ririmu's side. I've spent far more time beside Lady Ririmu than with my family. "......I might be the same." Before I knew it, the words had left my mouth. "Huh?" Kenichi looked at my face. I continued speaking, staring at the surface of the fountain water. "For me, being by Lady Ririmu's side feels more natural than being with my family. Even when I go back to my family home, I feel somehow restless. I feel more at ease in the room next to Lady Ririmu's, listening to her breathing as she sleeps." "......Hearing someone's breathing makes you feel at ease, huh." Kenichi laughed softly. "You're amazing, Silvie-san. To be able to go that far for someone." At those words— my heart gave a huge, pounding leap. That's wrong, I thought. I understood it in my head. This was just a compliment. There was no other meaning. Kenichi had simply thought "amazing" and

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Episode 3

Name: Lilim from the Demon World: For You, Who Watched from the Closest Place
Author: Novelia

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