Chapter 13: Chapter 13: Do It For Her
-----
Louis and Mirai were engulfed by white light as they entered their daughter’s heart. In an instant, they found themselves in a completely different place. It was an urban city: cars hummed along streets, towering skyscrapers pierced the sky, and humans hurried everywhere, absorbed in their busy lives.
"W-What is this?"
"An urban city... what Earth looked like before the Dimensional Convergence."
Although most countries today were indeed urban and highly advanced, they had seamlessly blended high Fantasium technology into daily life, creating something incredibly futuristic—or, when traditions from Yggdrasil persisted, architecture that echoed medieval styles.
A city like this—completely devoid of magic, Fantasium, or any cultural influence from Yggdrasil, Spiritias, or Zipangu—had become impossible to find in the present day.
As they walked forward, they began to wonder why their daughter’s heart reflected such an image of the past. They narrowed their eyes, stepping into the crowded streets.
People passed straight through them, as though Louis and Mirai were not real but mere specters—ghosts of an ancient, nearly forgotten era.
They moved through the city, lost in time, witnessing a world now long gone.
Simpler times.
"People back then really didn’t know how good they had it," Louis sighed, gazing around. "Look—no monsters, no entities, no grievances, no Fantasium or magic. Just humans living their ordinary lives."
"I’m sure they had their own worries too..." Mirai sighed softly. "Nothing is ever as easy and perfect as it appears on the surface, dear."
"I know," Louis nodded. "But still... can you imagine it?"
"...?" Mirai turned to him.
"The life we could have had if... we were just students in a normal high school?" Louis asked, his voice quiet.
"Ah..." Mirai looked down, a bitter smile touching her lips. "It’s nice to fantasize about it."
"...In a way, maybe this is our daughter’s fantasy?" Louis wondered aloud.
"But why, when she was just born?" Mirai asked.
"Perhaps she saw storybooks about the past... or caught glimpses on TV..." Louis replied.
"Or maybe... well, we’ll find out soon," Mirai said. "I... I can feel her somewhere."
"She’s here?" Louis asked.
"Yes, she’s... ah! Elizabeth? Follow me," Mirai urged, already running through the streets.
Both climbed onto rooftops and scanned the city from above. Mirai detected her presence clearly, and Louis felt it too.
They dashed across buildings, scaled skyscrapers, leaped over crowds and traffic, until they finally found her.
She sat alone in a park, crying.
"Is that her?"
"..."
Louis narrowed his eyes. Mirai remained silent. Their girl looked completely different from before—fully human, with short black hair reaching only her shoulders.
She had green eyes, appeared about five years old, slightly chubby, and somewhat neglected. Her clothes looked old and worn.
"Mom... Daddy?"
The girl kept crying, tears streaming down her face. She had been abandoned by her parents.
Louis felt a sharp pain piercing his heart.
Mirai felt it too.
This girl—who looked nothing like their own daughter—still carried the unmistakable "feel" of Elizabeth.
"My baby..." Mirai whispered.
"I-Is she... really her?" Louis asked, still confused. "Why that appearance?"
"Is she crying for us?" Mirai wondered. "Or...?"
Just as they prepared to step forward and greet her, another figure approached.
A human woman with long black hair, tired eyes, and a bitter expression.
"There you are! Where were you this entire time?!"
"A-Ah... mom! I-I got lost... you and daddy were going too fast..."
"If you didn’t stop every time to stare at toys or food, we would already be home! Don’t you understand how much trouble you caused by making us search for you?!"
"I-I’m sorry..."
Elizabeth stood and walked toward her "mother," reaching out to hug her.
The woman pushed her away and slapped her hard across the face.
"Aahh! It hurts! Mom, why did you— Waaaahhhh!"
The little girl burst into tears, her cheek red and stinging from the merciless slap.
"You stupid kid! Don’t you understand how much of a pain in the ass you always are?! Ugh! I wish you hadn’t been born!"
"Waaahhh!"
"Now stop crying and come with me! Stop it or I’ll hit you even harder! Look how everyone is staring—you’re making a scene!"
"Waaahhh... Sniff... sniff..."
Louis’s face twisted with bitter fury. His teeth clenched so hard it hurt; he looked ready to leap forward and tear the woman apart. Yet he held himself back, reminding himself that this was only a dream—an illusion.
Not reality.
And yet...
"T-That bitch...! How could she... how can she treat her daughter like that?! My baby...! Give her to me!"
Mirai surged forward, unable to contain herself.
Unlike the other humans, she was no mere specter. The moment Mirai drew close, the woman screamed and fell backward in terror.
"W-Wha...?!"
She stared up in disbelief at the towering demoness glaring down at her, eyes blazing bright red with rage.
"Why did you slap her?! What did she do other than get lost—all your fault?! It wasn’t her fault! Why did you...! Why do you treat her like that?!"
"W-Who are you?!"
"A daughter... is the most precious thing in a mother’s life! Why...! Why do you treat her like she’s less than garbage?!"
"I-I...! G-Get away from me!"
The woman sobbed and tried to scramble away. Little Elizabeth cried in confusion, not understanding what was happening.
"You’re not going anywhere!"
Mirai seized her wrist and lifted her off the ground by the arm.
"Aaaaggghh!"
As the woman screamed, Mirai raised her hand and delivered a sharp slap across her face.
"Aaaagh! W-Wha...! Someone save me!"
"Did you feel that? That’s the pain you inflicted on your daughter. It hurts, right? Then why did you do it?"
"I-I don’t know— I just...! I just do it because she annoys me... Sniff, please leave me alone...!"
The woman broke down completely, crying like a child.
Then Mirai felt a small hand tugging at her dress.
"L-Leave mom alone...! Sniff... mom...!"
"Ah..."
Mirai’s hand trembled. She released the woman, who collapsed to the ground, staring at her own palm in shock at what she had done.
The woman wept uncontrollably while her daughter hugged her leg and glared up at Mirai with angry, tear-filled eyes.
"I-I’m sorry... Elizabeth...! I...! I just wanted to protect you..."
"Leave!"
"..."
Mirai took a step back. She felt Louis’s hand gently settle on her shoulder.
The girl’s mother slowly stood, took her daughter’s hand, and walked away, disappearing into the crowd.
"W-Why is this happening?" Mirai asked, voice trembling. "What does this mean?"
"..." Louis remained silent for a moment. "It must be Elizabeth’s past life."
"What?" Mirai’s eyes widened.
"Every soul is not unique. Most have lived hundreds or thousands of lives," Louis explained quietly. "That is the circle of reincarnation that flows through this universe. Perhaps because of her lack of experience and memories in this life, she is remembering fragments of her previous one. Traumatic memories that shaped her past life’s pain... the very source that birthed the Grievance."
"O-Oh..." Mirai finally understood. "My baby... was she mistreated so much in her previous life? It’s... it’s so heartbreaking..."
"Hm..." Louis watched the girl vanish into the crowd with her mother.
Both sat down on a park bench as the sun slowly sank below the horizon.
"What do we do now? We have to wake her up..." Mirai sighed, tears streaming down her cheeks as Louis wrapped an arm around her shoulders, letting her rest against him.
"..." Louis stared ahead, mind racing for a solution.
Then he remembered something.
"Yeah... of course..."
He smiled softly, taking her hand. Mirai blushed faintly at the gentle touch.
"Remember when you pulled me out of my Fantasy Heart? When I became the Abyssal Dragon Tree of Ruin?"
"A-Ah... yeah... you were a child back then. In that dream-like realm, you were reliving your early childhood, but you were alone. Your mother wasn’t there."
"Exactly. I was living a carefree life as a child—unlike Elizabeth’s fantasy. Ours are reversed. Perhaps she isn’t longing to return to those times... she’s being tormented by them."
"The Grievance trapped my mind in eternal childhood, but for our daughter... maybe there was no need for such a trap."
"Hm... so, remember what you did when you helped me?"
"I... I ended up turning into a child too, and then I became your friend. We spent weeks together, sharing a childhood we never truly had. Even though it was technically fake... I cherished every moment. That little fantasy still lives dear in my heart."
"Me too."
Louis smiled at her, calm and steady despite the gravity of the situation.
"Dear, why are you so relaxed though?"
"We just have to step into her ’story’ and slowly help her open her eyes."
"And how do we do that?"
"Like this."
Louis stood and walked forward.
His appearance shifted. He became an ordinary-looking human with short white hair and golden eyes.
"Eh?!"
Mirai stared in shock.
"We can let the Fantasy Heart assimilate us. We’ll risk becoming part of it, but it’s worth it, isn’t it?"
"...For Elizabeth, it is."
Mirai stood and closed her eyes, allowing the Fantasy Heart’s energy to envelop her. Slowly, her appearance changed.
She blushed as she looked at Louis now dressed in a normal salaryman suit—and at herself, dressed like a secretary.
With cascading black hair and red eyes, she looked completely ordinary. No horns, no extra eyes, no magic.
Just the simplest, most human versions of themselves.
"So what do we do now? Do you have a plan, honey?" Mirai asked.
"I do," Louis said firmly. "We will find her... naturally and slowly help her."
"Help her get away from her parents?" Mirai asked.
"Yeah. We’ll do it within the rules of this world," Louis replied. "Let’s go."
"W-Wait! You’re moving too fast—wait for me!" Mirai hurried after him.
Louis and Mirai began searching for their daughter, sensing her presence and watching from a distance.
At the same time, they integrated into this society. Over several days, they became teachers at the school Elizabeth attended.
They were good teachers—helping children and even supporting other staff.
Sometimes they get into minor trouble because of their relationship or because they occasionally neglect paperwork.
Both quickly became popular among coworkers and older students, though none of that truly mattered to them.
They focused on troubled children, those whose behavioral issues clearly stemmed from home.
Gradually, they began advising struggling parents, becoming more involved in that kind of work.
Mirai was quietly amazed at how naturally Louis adapted. She smiled, feeling hopeful that things might actually work out with him by her side.
It had always been like this between them—relying on each other. This time, Louis wanted to be the one she could depend on.
They learned many things, including their daughter’s name in this world.
"Jessica, huh?"
"It’s such a simple name... but it somehow fits her."
"Yeah, it does..."
"She has no friends and is often bullied by other girls..."
"That’s not good. Let’s slowly take care of things."
They nodded in agreement and got to work.
Days passed. Weeks turned into months.
After two months in this world, they could feel their souls slowly beginning to assimilate.
At most, they had another month—perhaps a month and a half.
They had to hurry.
Gradually, they began contacting the parents of Jessica’s bullies, calmly explaining what their daughters were doing.
After a week, the bullying stopped. The girls left Jessica alone.
Yet she remained painfully lonely.
So lonely that she sometimes approached them.
"Um..."
Mirai had to fight back tears or the overwhelming urge to hug her beloved daughter every time.
"Teacher..."
"Yes, dear?"
"I-I..."
For a while, Jessica had seemed to want to say something.
She had witnessed how the teachers helped other students with abusive parents—guiding them toward better homes or, sometimes, even removing them from harmful situations.
"...Nothing."
Jessica shook her head and walked away.
"Wait... Jessica!"
"...?"
Mirai looked at her with deep concern, lips trembling.
"Please... tell me. I... I want you to trust me."
"...Teacher."
"I... I’ve been helping as many children as I can. This world can be cruel, can’t it? So many kids need help... I don’t mind. Please... just tell me what’s wrong."
"..."
Jessica fell silent, as though she wanted to speak but something held her back.
Fear.
She shook her head.
"I-It’s nothing... I’m... I’m fine."
She forced a smile, nearly breaking Mirai’s heart.
That girl was not fine.
"Jessica, please... you’re not fine."
"...?"
Jessica looked surprised that the teacher insisted so much. She felt annoyed and embarrassed.
"B-But... Um..."
"You were forcing a smile, weren’t you?"
Mirai knelt, gently placed a hand on the girl’s shoulder, and offered her a small candy.
"Here. This is a little gift for you, because you’re such a good student."
"R-Really?"
"Yeah."
Slowly, the girl softened. She looked a little happier, more comfortable.
Mirai had to show her that she was safe here.
"Tell me, Jessica. I will do everything I can to help you—everything."
"E-Everything?"
Jessica sighed, looked down, and quietly ate her candy for a few minutes.
"I wish I had someone like you as my mom..."
"...!"
"My mom is... not nice... my dad too..."
"Not nice? W-What do you mean?"
"They..."
"..."
"They hit me..."
Mirai’s eyes widened as she looked at the five-year-old girl.
That wasn’t how a child her age should behave. She acted far too mature, as though life had forced her to grow up too fast and become serious beyond her years.
A child should laugh, play, enjoy life without fearing a slap every day.
"T-They abuse you?"
"N-No, it’s not abuse... mommy says that... it’s discipline."
"...That’s abuse, Jessica."
"But..."
Jessica’s lips trembled. Tears began to fall.
"They will get mad now that I told you... if you call them... t-they will hit me again once I get home..."
"..."
Mirai pulled Jessica into a gentle hug, surprising her.
"I won’t let them harm you."
"R-Really?"
"Yes, I promise."
Mirai smiled warmly, making the girl feel—perhaps for the first time—safe.
"Stay here. I’m going to call a few people. When they speak to you, you have to tell them everything you told me—and more, okay?"
"B-But..."
"Would you do that for me, Jessica? I will... make sure your life gets better. But you have to... you have to trust me."
"..."
Jessica looked down, her small hands shaking. She hesitated, not wanting this to become such a big thing.
Mirai held those cold little hands, warming them with her own.
"As your teacher, it’s my duty to protect you with everything I have... Jessica, I... am not your mother but... I would gladly become your mom if you let me. For that, though, we have to work together, okay?"
"..."
Jessica nodded shyly.
"O-Okay..."
At last, the girl trusted her enough to take such a step.
After more than two months of integration into this world, Mirai was finally making real progress.
After Jessica repeated her story—with tears in her eyes—the adults could no longer doubt her.
Child abuse was real. A five-year-old crying and terrified that her parents would hurt her was more than enough evidence.
"Don’t worry, dear. Everything will be okay. I’ll stay here with you as long as you need," Mirai said softly, stroking the girl’s head as Jessica eventually fell asleep on her lap after spending the night at school.
It didn’t take long.
Back at Jessica’s home, just as her father arrived and they began wondering—without bothering to call the school—where their daughter had gone, someone knocked at the door.
Knock, knock!
"Huh? Who is it?"
Her mother opened the door to find a handsome white-haired man standing there, flanked by several police officers.
"Hello. You are Jessica’s mother, correct?"
"Eh?"
"Hey, who is it?! Is it that stupid kid or... oh."
"You have been accused of violence and child abuse. Please come with us without resisting."
At that moment, their entire world collapsed. For the first time, these two parents learned there were consequences for their actions.
A child’s life was not something they could treat like disposable trash.
Not long after, Jessica stood in court with Mirai and Louis. After giving her testimony—tears in her eyes—her parents were sentenced to fifteen years in prison.
Jessica was placed in a foster home. Mirai and Louis visited her every day.
After a month and a half of dedicated effort, they were finally able to adopt her.
"Auntie!"
"Jessica!"
Jessica ran down the corridor the moment she learned she had been adopted. She threw herself into Mirai’s arms. Mirai caught her, lifted her high, and kissed her cheek.
"You can call me mommy from now on," Mirai said warmly.
"I-It’s still a little awkward!" Jessica giggled. "But okay!"
"Jessica, how have you been?" Louis asked gently.
"Ah, uncle... I’m fine," Jessica nodded. "T-Thanks for adopting me... I never thought... I... I never..." Her voice broke, and she began to cry. "Waaahhh..."
Both parents smiled, hugging her tightly as she sobbed tears of pure joy.
By now, they had completely forgotten their previous lives. They were fully assimilated into this world.
But they had achieved their goal.
They had saved Jessica—or rather, Elizabeth—from her deepest trauma.
As they walked out of the foster home together, holding her small hands...
As they spent a beautiful day eating outside, playing in the park, buying her new clothes and toys...
As evening fell and both parents watched their daughter sleep peacefully—finally smiling—in her new home...
The world slowly began to fade away.
-----
