The Axis Cult

TL: Cannongerbil

Editor:

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“I’m thinking of joining the Axis Cult.”

The pen rolled out of my hand and slipped onto the floor.

I thought it was a bad joke at first, but looking up at her face, she seemed deadly serious.

As I was writing down my dream request at the Succubus shop that I frequented, Loli Succubus said something completely outrageous.

“Are you feeling suicidal because you got caught and beaten up when you visited them to show a dream? Even if you want to die, that’s a horrible way to go. There are better ways to go out.”

“I’m not looking to die.”

“A succubus joining the Axis cult is nothing short of suicide. You’d have a better chance of survival stripping naked and diving into a horde of monsters.”

Both the Axis Cult and the Eris Church hate the undead and devils with a passion. If her true identity is revealed, she’ll definitely be exterminated.

Loli Succubus should be well aware of this fact. She’s seen them in person and is deathly afraid of them, after all.

“Dust-san, do you know what the opposite of love is?”

Suddenly, Loli Succubus said something incomprehensible again.

She’s completely out of it today. I know I should stay out of such a troublesome conversation with a woman in such a state, but I can’t help but be curious about what she said earlier.

I suppose I’ll go along with her for a while.

“That’d be hate, obviously.”

“Pfft, you don’t get it at all.

She proudly puffed out her chest and said, but what else could it be?

“Listen up, hating someone is the same thing as having great interest in someone. Your feelings are affected by them, after all. Indifference is not feeling anything for the other person at all! Haven’t you experienced something similar before, Dust-san? When you aggressively tried to hit on someone, first they’d get angry with you, before eventually ignoring-“

“Right, that’s enough!”

That brings to mind more incidents than I can count.

“In other words, the worst response you could receive is indifference, not hate.”

“When you put it that way, I can see what you mean… Still, what does that have to do with you joining the Axis Cult?”

I don’t see the link at all. The more I hear about this the more confused I get.

“This morning, I went to Vanir-sama’s store to give him my aid… But Vanir-sama ignored me. No matter what I did he wouldn’t give me a response, and just stood in a corner the whole time…”

“Couldn’t he just be in a bad mood?”

“That’s not it!”

She leaned over the table and pushed her teary face up towards mine.

It’s amazing how flat she looks even in this situation.

“Normally he would say something kind like ‘Urgh,how annoying. Moi is busy right now, so if you have that much free time, go sweep the floors instead.'”

“That’s kind?”

“Even harsh words like that are a sign of love!”

I now understand what they mean when they say that a maiden in love is blind.

“So I thought about it, if I was going to be ignored, I would much rather be hated. And thinking about what Vanir-sama hates most, that could only be the Axis Cult!”

It’s true that Sir hates the Axis Cult. The only thing he hates more is that Aqua girl. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the two of them have an amiable chat before.

“That’ll definitely make him hate you, but if things go badly you might end up getting vanquished, you know?”

“That would be preferable to spending the rest of my life without receiving attention from the man I love.”

“Eep… Scary…”

Looking at those bloodshot eyes, it doesn’t seem like she’s joking.

If I let things go on as is, I get the feeling that she might actually become a pretty fanatical Axis Cultist.

“Joining the Axis Cult seems like something of a last resort, so let’s try going back to Sir’s place to check one more time before we resort to that.”

“If he ignores me again I’m signing up immediately!”

I dragged Loli Succubus to the Magic Item shop.

Sir was definitely standing in the store, with his back to the window.

Just seeing his back doesn’t tell me anything.

“He’s stood in that same spot since this morning, ignoring me…”

“”Well, let’s head inside.”

I opened the door and entered, and Loli succubus followed me like she was trying to hide behind me.

“Oh, Dust-san! Ah, Succubus-chan is with you too.”

The (technically) owner of this store, Wiz, called out to us.

“Is Sir in a bad mood? He seems kinda silent.”

Normally Sir would at least offer us a word, even if it’s barely veiled complaints. I can kinda see why Loli Succubus would be so distraught.

Even now he’s simply staring at the wall in silence.

“Ah, no, that’s not Vanir-san, that’s just a husk that Vanir-san has shed. He said something about leaving it here as a repellent against Aqua-sama before heading out to do some shopping.”

I wordlessly stared at Loli Succubus, but she already had a wide smile on her face.

“Of course. There’s no way Vanir-sama would ignore me like that!”

This girl’s mood sure changes in a hurry!

But, oh well, that’s fine. I much prefer her smiling without a care in the world than being depressed.

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Epilogue

Short story 1

Dust Spinoff directory