Broken Possessors of Infinite Regression Academy

“Let me make it clear in advance that any suggestions like offering yourself as a gift are out of the question. Birthdays are meant for celebration, not for such things.”

“What a shame. It seems like quite a few people had planned something along those lines.”

“A gift…… Hmm, since Mira’s house is so wealthy, a simple expensive gift wouldn’t be necessary……”

“You’re thinking on a small scale for a hero. With money, you could create a mountain, not just take a bath.”

“You’re telling me to prepare something from the heart, and you’re rubbing your lower abdomen? You’re not in your right mind.”

“I can’t think of anything. Should I ask the Royal Guards and the others for ideas……”

“Asking the Royal Guards won’t help. They’re all girls.”

“Finally, the time has come to repay the humans! What do you want to give Nova?”

“Hmph. Why should I celebrate a human’s birthday? But since he might be sad if he doesn’t get anything, I might as well give him something.”

The club room was abuzz with chatter for a while. Some suggested outrageous ideas that were quickly rejected, while others struggled to find common ground, resulting in a constant stream of proposals and rejections.

Leona and Latina suggested that they would be naked, hugging each other, and tied up with a ribbon on the bed, but their idea was rejected with the comment that they should just do it without Mira.

Erestikatika was going to give a pregnancy test kit with two lines on it as a gift, but she was bombarded with questions about how a dragon would use such a thing.

Laura suggested allowing him to be an emperor as her husband as a birthday gift, but she was scolded for it. Elysier was sitting quietly next to her, but she was also swept up in the commotion for having a perverted look on her face.

Karna and Priscilla were deep in thought, struggling to come up with an appropriate gift. Meanwhile, Rosalia seemed to have a good idea, as she exclaimed, “Ah!” only to shrink back under the pressure of everyone’s expectant gazes.

Equinox, the Earth God, was on the floor, writing something down, saying that it was time to repay the favors she had received. The Demon God grumbled about why she had to do such a thing, but later, he seemed more deeply concerned than even her younger sister.

“By the way, what about Nika?”

Elysier’s sudden question brought the commotion to a halt. Indeed, there was one member missing from the usual group. Nika, who had been turned into a Demon King by Mira giving her a Demon Sword, had not shown herself since then.

“Before we worry about what she will give him, shouldn’t she show herself first? What is that woman up to? We haven’t heard from her in so long? Even Mira doesn’t know where she is.”

Nika, the Succubus Queen, had been demanding Mira’s essence, claiming that she needed regular replenishment due to her low fuel efficiency.

Since Mira didn’t know her whereabouts either, and they hadn’t secretly met, it was unusual for Nika to remain hidden for so long. Of course, the seven years when Mira was absent from this world was an extreme case and didn’t count.

“You seem to know something, Erestika.”

At Leona’s words, Erestika smiled lightly.

“I know. She told me before she left. If you promise to keep it a secret from Mira, I can tell you.”

There were sounds of agreement from all around. After all, Mira had been banished to Earth with strict instructions not to set foot in this world for a while, so there was no risk of him finding out unless someone deliberately contacted him.

When everyone agreed, Erestika opened her mouth. She explained that Nika, who had become the Demon King, was waging a war to end the eternal conflict between humans and demons once and for all. It meant that she intended to conquer all demons.

A few days ago, when they had last communicated, Nika had said that she had just passed the halfway mark.

“Why is she suddenly trying to conquer the Demon World?”

“He probably has his reasons for giving her the Demon Sword.”

“No matter how I think about it, that doesn’t seem like a likely reason……”

Priscilla muttered quietly, and everyone nodded in agreement.

“Anyway, if you’re curious, why don’t you just ask her directly? Hey, Demon God, where’s the Demon Sword now?”

“Don’t use me for that!”

The Demon God protested loudly but eventually closed her eyes and concentrated, opening a dimensional door. Beyond the oval-shaped door, a desolate view of the Demon World was revealed.

At the center of it all stood Nika.

“……This is the first time I’ve seen her looking so much like a Demon King.”

Someone muttered, and no one disagreed.

The usual gentle and affectionate atmosphere of Nika as Yustera, the brown-haired maid, or the occasionally seen Succubus Queen, was nowhere to be found.

Nika’s pink hair, dyed red with the blood of demons, fluttered gloriously from her back, and her horns, sharp like Elysier’s when she was a Demon King, grew impressively from her head.

Her pink irises, filled with murderous intent, stared sharply ahead, and her lips were firmly pressed together. It was hard to believe that this was the same Nika who had been so docile and affectionate.

The small wings that used to flutter on her lower back had grown large enough to cover a human, tearing through her coat as they flapped, and the Demon Sword in her hand pulsed with a sinister red light.

Nika, in her current state, was the very embodiment of a Demon King—the source of instinctive fear for all humans and the ruler of all demons.

“……”

Sensing something amiss, Nika slowly turned her head, her pink irises locking onto them.

“Hi, everyone! It’s been a while!”

Nika greeted them with a bright smile and waved her hands enthusiastically.

“Nika.”

“It’s Nika.”

“It’s Nika.”

It was unmistakably Nika, although her hair, now dyed red with blood, remained the same. Nika approached the dimensional door and smiled cheerfully, looking around the club room.

“What brings you here? Is the Master with you? Were you looking for me?”

“No, Mira’s not here. He was looking for you, though.”

“Oh, really? I’m sorry, Master. I should have told him…… Wait, no. That’s not right. It’s a secret, so I should surprise him.”

Nika’s excitement seemed to wane a little when she learned that Mira wasn’t there. However, she quickly regained her composure, determined to keep the secret and surprise Mira. It was a remarkable shift in her emotions.

“If the Master isn’t here, what brings you here?”

“It’s almost Mira’s birthday, so you should prepare a gift for him, too. Birthdays shouldn’t just pass by.”

“Really?! Thank you so much! I almost messed up!”

Nika’s face lit up with excitement as she approached the dimensional door. Her tail, which had been stiffly pointing upwards, now swayed left and right.

“Hmm, but it’s still a bit early to give a gift……”

The excited atmosphere calmed down a little. It seemed like she hadn’t quite conquered the Demon World yet.

“You can take a break for a moment, can’t you?”

“I could, but if I meet the Master, he’ll definitely ask me what I’ve been up to. I can’t lie to the Master, so I want to surprise him……”

Nika’s tail, which had been stiffly pointing upwards, now drooped downwards.

“Ah, I’ve got a great idea!”

But soon, she started waving her hands left and right, clearly indicating her changing emotions.

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Time passed, and the day of the battle finally arrived—my birthday.

Although I hadn’t been able to cross over to the other world, I had received regular updates, and the information I gathered suggested that it was indeed a battle-worthy occasion.

I heard that Nika had been running around the Demon World to choose a gift for me, and I also received an outline of the banquet prepared by the Crate family.

Of course, most of the details were left vague, with the promise of greater joy later, so I didn’t get any concrete information. Everything was told in a way that made it seem like they would reveal more but then stopped short.

Ironically, this made me even more anxious. Just the outline was already so grand; I could only imagine how extravagant the actual event would be.

“……Are you sure it’s really okay to go? Are you really sure?”

Next to me, Kang Yuna was trembling for a different reason. She had been trembling like this ever since the day before, even though we had already confirmed our attendance.

“Yes, I told you the precautions to take when crossing the dimensional door. Take off your shoes, raise your arms in a victory sign, and shout ‘Here I come!’ as you jump into the door. If you don’t follow these instructions, something terrible might happen. You could end up drifting between dimensions forever, slowly disintegrating at the atomic level.”

“Re, really?”

“No, I’m just kidding.”

“……”

A fist came flying at me. Next to us, Kang Rahe was chuckling, clearly enjoying the situation. I felt a little better seeing her teasing Kang Yuna.

I had informed my family that I would be away for a week on a business trip, and it wasn’t a lie since the Eternal Guild Master had approved it. It was technically a trip to another country, even if it was a bit further than usual.

“Let’s go in now. Both of you.”

Kang Rahe pushed us forward. Kang Yuna, who had been glaring at me, reluctantly entered the dimensional door and froze in place. I followed her and froze as well.

“……”

Far in the distance, a huge banner was floating in the sky above the imperial capital. The banner, which was large enough to cover an apartment building, was floating by itself.

Written on the banner in an antique font were birthday greetings for Mira Creyt, along with various other messages. I felt dizzy just looking at it.

Below the banner, a hologram of me stood proudly, holding Eternity in one hand, the Holy Spear in the other, and the Dragon Tooth Sword at my waist.

The banner and the hologram were obviously created with magic, and it seemed that not only the Magician’s Association but even the Emperor had given permission for such a grand display in the imperial capital. I felt overwhelmed.

“……”

Kang Rahe was also stunned. No matter how experienced she was as a Sword Saint, she had never seen such a sight in the skies above the imperial capital.

“Wow, in this world, birthdays are celebrated like festivals? That’s amazing.”

“……I’d rather it be a funeral than a festival.”

At least at a funeral, I wouldn’t have to witness such a spectacle as the person being celebrated.