"This … is my school's medical room." She muttered to herself and then,

"That it is." A familiar voice came her way, causing her to get to a sitting position. And as soon as she did that, she saw the figure of the Demoness Priscina standing in front of her bed while facing towards her right. Turning to her right, she found her dad standing at the entrance of the room.

"What is going on?" Grimma questioned to both of them. And as she did,

"What the h.e.l.l were you thinking!?" Her dad yelled at her. "Why the h.e.l.l did you attack Remedy Corporation? Had you lost your mind?"

Hearing him yelling that at her, she was unable to answer for a second. This was the first time she had seen that man yell like that, and it was shocking more than it was surprising.

"Answer me, d.a.m.nit!" He yelled, "Do you know what your stupidity has caused?"

"It was all planned." She said.

"What!?"

"Dues ex machina had planned and manipulated everyone around her to make this happen." She told him.

"Tsk!" He clicked his tongue and, "Don't blame your sins on others!"

"I'm n-"

"Shut up!" He yelled, "Even if Dues had manipulated you into this, the fact remains that you still had a choice of not doing this all and just tell me everything. But, you didn't."

"And if I had told you everything, what would have happened? What could you have done?" Her voice had started to rise as well. "What difference could it have made?"

"You think I couldn't have protected you all!?" He asked with veins popping on his forehead.

"Yes, I think you couldn't have." She yelled, "If not, then tell me – what was the last time that you used mage-craft for any offensive purposes?"

"A …"

"That's it, isn't it? I have read in your records and I know your personality too. You never use mage-craft for offensive purposes. Even if you know and use mage-craft that can be used offensively, you don't use it for that purpose. Never." She said with her face contorting with sadness and tears flowing from her eyes, "How could you have protected us then?"

"Hah!" He sighed. "Using mage-craft for offensive purposes goes against my being. And why would I use it anyway? There's no need to. There's always a way to resolve things peacefully."

"That's just idealistic bulls.h.i.+t." Grimma yelled, "People in Remedy always wanted to throw you out and they were trying to find a good excuse to do it. They always knew that I was the mage they were after but they didn't tell you to later blame it on you for not knowing things. They did all that just to get you. And Dues ex machina was making it all happen. Now, what would you have done against that, huh?"

"…"

"You could have resolved it this time but they would have found another excuse to get you. And when they did, there was no guarantee that I would be able to help." Tears kept streaming down the cheeks of the teenage girl, "And so, I helped. Or, I tried to help."

"…"

"…" She kept crying, on and on, for a whole minute that her father didn't say anything but showed her a look of pity. And then,

"I appreciate you caring about me, I do." His anger had subsided for that instant at least, "But, you have sinned. By killing or making this Demoness you summoned kill so many in cold blood, you have become a serial killer."

He told her.

"Yet, that doesn't change the fact that you are my daughter, my pride, and that I love you."

"…"

"And so, even though you are a criminal now, I will still protect you."

"B-but, that goes against your believes of condemning violence." She said as she tried to move but couldn't find the strength to do so.

"Yes, and for the sake of sticking to those believes and keeping you safe as well, I will condemn you for what you have done today for the rest of your life. But, I will not hand you over to the authorities." He said in blank voice.

"…" She couldn't say anything.

"…" And he chose not to.

"Ha! Haha! Hahahaha!!!" And so, the Demoness who had seen the whole exchange started laughing.

"…" Grimma still didn't say anything.

"…" And her father didn't either.

"I was part of such an amusing race, and the daughter of such a man?" She said, "I didn't know anything about it at all."

"What do you mean you were part of it?" He asked, doubting that the Demoness would have just made a grammatical mistake there.

"Well, do you want to tell him?" Priscina asked while turning to Grimma.

"… She's the Demoness I become after my death." Grimma said while trying her best to not show emotions. However, hearing that,

"What the …!" That man couldn't believe what he had just heard. Color almost faded from his face and hearing that,

"What's wrong!?" Priscina asked mockingly, "Even though you said you'd condemn her for the rest of your life, you are so shocked on realizing that she would become a citizen of h.e.l.l after death. Isn't that hypocritical?"

"… I-It's not."

"How?" Priscina asked.

"I said I'd condemn her for the rest of her life, not that I will d.a.m.n her." He answered.

"Ha! Hahahahaha!" She laughed yet again. "So you are fine with you giving her the condemnation she deserves but not with the same judgment being pa.s.sed on her at the time of her death."

"No, that's not it."

Of course he knew that a crime so big will land her in h.e.l.l. But,

"Why does she not just go to h.e.l.l and atone there like one is supposed to?" He asked, "Why does a she turn into a Demoness?"

"Ah, that!?" Priscina puts a hand on her mouth as he hears that question. "It's simply because she, or I guess I could say 'I' too, became so powerful as a human that my power would have been wasted if I didn't become a Demoness and use it for h.e.l.l's sake. So, Lucifer helped me out on that."

*****