After Scarlett signed the contract, nothing unusual happened to her. No sudden attacks, no strange warnings—just silence. It was almost as if the so-called "Supreme Being" had backed off.
Without wasting any more time, everyone escorted Scarlett and Irish to a luxurious hotel.
The place was beautiful—far grander than anything they had stayed in before. Towering marble pillars, velvet carpets, golden chandeliers hanging from the ceiling—the hotel looked more like a palace than just a place to sleep.
But despite its grandeur, very few people knew about this place. It was kept a secret from the outside world. Only a handful of trusted individuals were aware of where Scarlett and Irish were staying.
Unlike before, when Akino was always following them around and leading the way, this time, she was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Sora Aoi had taken over the responsibility of guiding them.
After reaching their room, Sora turned to them and handed over something.
"Here, take these," she said, extending her hand.
Scarlett and Irish looked down to see two ID cards.
"You can use these to go anywhere without any trouble," Sora explained. "Even inside dungeons."
Scarlett took the card and examined it. It felt strange, holding something that allowed her so much freedom in this world.
Before Sora could leave, Scarlett spoke up.
"I have a question," she said, her voice calm but firm.
Sora raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
Scarlett's expression turned serious. "I want to know… how long will it take for the Catastrophe to arrive? I need to finish my work before that happens."
Sora went quiet for a moment, thinking. Then she replied, "Granny Shia's predictions always happen within two months. One month has already passed since we summoned you two… so the Catastrophe could happen at any time within the next month."
With that answer, Sora left.
As soon as she was gone, Irish flopped onto the soft, luxurious bed and let out a loud sigh.
"Arghhh… this is so boring!" she whined, staring at the ceiling. "We should be on a honeymoon, not saving the world!"
Scarlett chuckled softly as she sat down beside Irish and started removing her armor. The heavy metal pieces clanked against the floor one by one.
"You know, Irish," Scarlett said in a casual voice, "I said that ,'I think I have an idea of where we are'."
Irish stopped whining and lifted her head slightly. "Yeah? What do you mean?"
Scarlett smirked and leaned back on her arms. "I was summoned to your world, right? That means there has to be a world I originally came from."
Irish's eyes widened as realization dawned on her. Her mouth hung open slightly.
"Wait… so you're saying…"
Scarlett nodded, a nostalgic look.
"Yes," she said with a small smile. "This is the world where I was born. My old home."
Irish's eyes widened in shock. "What?"
Scarlett nodded with a small smile. "Yeah, tomorrow we'll go for a walk. I'll show you a lot of interesting things while we're free!"
Irish tilted her head. "Really? Like what?"
Scarlett smirked and grabbed the remote lying on the bed. Without answering, she pointed it at the wall in front of them and pressed a button.
Click!
A huge screen lit up, filling the room with bright colors. A news channel appeared, and a reporter started speaking.
Irish nearly jumped back in surprise. Her eyes darted around as if looking for an enemy.
"A hologram?! Someone is trying to contact us—it's a challenge!" she shouted, quickly standing up and reaching for her sword.
Scarlett burst into laughter, rolling on the bed. "Fuahahaha!"
After a few moments, she finally calmed down, wiping a tear from her eye. "Hahaha… no, Irish, it's called television. It's a form of entertainment, and also a way to get information. Right now, it's on a news channel. It's kind of like the newspapers in your world, but instead of reading it, you just watch and listen to someone deliver the news."
Irish blinked a few times before slowly sitting back down. "Is that so…?" she mumbled, still a little embarrassed by her reaction.
Just then, the reporter on the screen spoke again.
"And now, for our next news… has the world's top S-rank hunter, Arthur Mathew, gone insane?"
Scarlett's ears twitched, and her focus sharpened.
The reporter continued, "Arthur Mathew has been against the summoning from the very beginning. He even tried to attack during the ritual, which led to his imprisonment in the Hunter Prison. But now, new information has surfaced. The summoned hero has immeasurable battle power and has even agreed to help us. However—"
The reporter hesitated, then turned to his right. "Let's take a look at Arthur Mathew's opinion on this matter."
The screen changed, showing a dimly lit prison cell.
Inside, a young man with a strong build and long, messy red hair sat on the ground, dressed in a prison uniform. His hands were cuffed behind his back, and he was screaming furiously.
"Why is no one listening to me?!" he shouted. His voice was raw with frustration. "I told you—that bitch is not a savior! We need to unsummon her as soon as possible!"
Scarlett's expression darkened slightly, but she remained silent.
Arthur turned to his left, speaking directly to someone. "Hey, Colonel! I told you before the summoning that two females would appear! I even described their exact appearances! And look—aren't the summoned ones exactly as I said?"
The camera moved to show the Colonel. He looked hesitant, his face filled with uncertainty. "Yeah… you did say that, but…"
"But? But what?!" Arthur yelled. "The Catastrophe is nothing! I can handle it myself! Just send her back already! Unsummon her before it's too—"
BAM!
Before he could finish, Irish stood up and punched the television screen with full force.
The entire screen shattered into tiny pieces, sparks flying everywhere.
Scarlett blinked in shock before letting out a nervous chuckle. "Uh… you know, Irish, you didn't have to break it like that. You could've just turned it off…"
Irish huffed, shaking her fist. "I can't stand someone talking trash about my honey!"
Scarlett lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
"Hmm…" she muttered to herself, deep in thought. "I bet he's just furious because he's losing his position as the top S-rank hunter… and now I am taking that spot!"
She smirked to herself, feeling a strange sense of satisfaction.
Then, she yawned loudly, stretching her arms. "Ahhh… whatever! I don't care what he says. Let him cry about it."
Turning to Irish, she said, "Alright, let's sleep. It's already late. We'll go out tomorrow."
Before Scarlett could even move, Irish pounced on her, wrapping her arms around her tightly.
"Mmm… don't get scared if I kiss you in my sleep," Irish mumbled sleepily, already drifting off.
Scarlett chuckled softly.
She reached up and pulled off her blindfold, revealing her mismatched eyes—one red, one blue. Even though she didn't need to sleep or breathe, she still hugged Irish back. The warmth of another person was… comforting. Before long, Scarlett closed her eyes and let herself drift off.
Inside the Dream
The moment she fell asleep, she found herself standing in an endless, white void.
Her expression twisted into frustration. "Ugh… not again," she groaned.
Just as she let out a sigh, a familiar voice echoed around her.
"Why? Do you not enjoy meeting me?"
Scarlett's body tensed. She turned toward the voice, and just as expected, a figure materialized out of nowhere.
It was a woman—no, not just any woman.
It was her.
Or rather, it was someone with her exact face and body, but with several eerie differences. Instead of mismatched eyes, this version of her had both eyes glowing a deep, unnatural purple, with dark sclera that made them look even more terrifying. Two sharp, purple horns curved from her head, unlike Scarlett's own uneven red and blue horns.
Despite these differences, she was undeniably just as beautiful as Scarlett. It was like looking into a distorted mirror.
Scarlett clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Tch. Can you stop stealing my appearance? And why do you keep modifying it? What, are you scared to show your real self?"
The other woman smirked, floating in the air as she circled around Scarlett. Her voice was teasing, almost playful.
"Ara, ara… can't you see? This is my real appearance… or rather, your true appearance."
Scarlett frowned. "What nonsense are you talking about now?"
The woman let out a mischievous chuckle. "You're the reason my appearance changed so much. You did this. So don't go blaming me!"
Scarlett folded her arms and gave her a cold glare. "If you're done whining, then send me back. I'm tired of your nonsense."
The woman sighed dramatically, placing a hand on her cheek. "Why are you always so angry when you meet me?"
Scarlett's expression darkened further. "Maybe because you keep appearing as me, and I hate that I'm a girl now! And worse—a busty, mommy-figure girl at that!"
The woman's eyes widened in amusement before she suddenly burst into laughter.
"Fuahahaha!" She twirled in the air, laughing so hard she actually rolled in a circle.
Scarlett's patience snapped. "Stop laughing and let me out of here!" She clenched her fist and swung a punch at the woman's face.
But just before her fist could make contact—
Whoosh!
The woman vanished and reappeared behind her in an instant.
"Tsk. Too slow," she teased, resting her chin on Scarlett's shoulder. "But you're being too hasty. I haven't even told you why I called you here this time~!"