Land of Death

Something began to emerge slowly from the fog.

At first, it looked like a shadow in the darkness, but its outline gradually became clearer.

“Ugh…”

Levi let out a small groan.

Her hand instinctively tightened around her bow, her knuckles turning white with tension.

The being before them was grotesque beyond imagination.

Tattered black robes covered its body, and multiple limbs writhed underneath.

It was impossible to tell exactly how many limbs there were.

The number seemed to change as they moved.

Its face was hidden under a deep hood, revealing only two glowing red eyes.

Black mist escaped whenever it opened its mouth.

The mist carried a rotting stench mixed with an oddly sweet scent.

“Demon…”

I muttered involuntarily.

The memory of meeting Lycoris flashed vividly in my mind.

The envoy of Abraxas…

The overwhelming aura I felt back then was palpable once more.

The demon tilted its head slightly.

“Oh? A human who has seen a demon before? How rare.”

Its voice was deep and viscous, like a swamp.

“…I’ve seen Abraxas’ envoy. Are you also Abraxas’ envoy?”

The demon revealed more of its limbs from under the robes.

The fingers and their shapes varied.

Some resembled human hands, others had sharp blades, some were like webbed fingers, and others like bird claws.

“Abraxas, you say? Are you referring to that arrogant evil god?”

A hint of mockery tinged its voice.

“Some humans believe in gods, others deny them, and others follow evil gods. Demons are no different. We are not one-dimensional beings.”

There was truth in its words.

The demon we met earlier and Lycoris were unmistakably different.

It seemed demons, too, had different factions or beliefs.

“Then you…”

“I follow Ivolg. The ruler of the Labyrinth of Death. I serve only him.”

The demon’s voice suddenly became fervent.

A wave of fanatic devotion surged forth.

The intensity was so overwhelming that I took a step back.

Ivolg.

A name I had never heard before.

It seemed to be the ruler of the labyrinth in this land of death.

“What is your purpose? Why must you harm us…”

“Lord Ivolg wished to dine on humans after a long time. So, I lured you here.”

The shocking truth.

So, it was this demon who controlled the witch and led us here.

Leaving an innocent witch in such a horrifying state…

Anger surged, but I suppressed it.

Now was a time for reason, not emotion.

“Then…”

Suddenly, the demon assumed a fighting stance.

Multiple limbs emerged from the robes, each holding different magical tools.

Some held wooden wands, others crystals, and some objects made of human bones.

Dark magic emanated from all the tools.

The air grew desolate, and the surrounding plants wilted.

“Enough talk. Now, die quietly.”

I reacted immediately.

Raising my wand, I cast a spell.

“Lightning Chain!”

A bolt of lightning tore through the air toward the demon.

But the demon casually raised a hand.

A black barrier formed instantly, rendering my magic useless.

“This is… The power gap is too wide.”

“Did you think something like that could harm me?”

The demon mocked.

Then, Levi drew her bowstring taut.

“I’ll support you!”

The arrow glowed with a divine light, both red and gold, imbued with Michel’s blessing.

“Divine power…?”

The demon’s eyes narrowed, wary of the light.

But in that moment-

The sacred glow on the arrow suddenly vanished.

Both the red and gold lights extinguished, leaving it an ordinary arrow.

“What…?”

Levi looked down at the arrow in confusion, her face pale.

“Hah! God has abandoned you! You think such ordinary arrows can defeat me?”

The demon laughed mockingly, its caution replaced by arrogance.

Still, Levi fired the arrow.

But the black barrier easily deflected it.

Yet, the sudden loss of divine power wasn’t the demon’s doing.

Perhaps something had happened to Lycoris.

“Foolish humans.”

The demon sneered.

It began drawing a complex magic circle with its many hands.

Blue patterns glowed in the air, and a black spear of magic formed at the center.

Just as the demon hurled the spear-

Whoosh!

Rote darted in front of us at incredible speed.

Using her floating ability to the fullest, she moved faster than expected.

The black spear collided with Rote head-on.

Clang!

Rote blocked the spear with her small body.

A loud explosion erupted, but when the smoke cleared, Rote floated unharmed.

“What, what the… My spear… Blocked…?”

The demon’s red eyes focused on me, bewildered.

Suddenly, my head throbbed with pain.

It felt like needles stabbing my brain.

My vision blurred, and my consciousness grew hazy.

“Mind control…!”

The demon had begun using its psychic abilities.

Just like what the witch endured.

My consciousness faded further.

“No… Must resist…”

Then, flames filled my vision.

Boom!

A massive explosion of intense heat surged forth.

“Kuaaah!”

The demon screamed.

Cecilia had arrived, unleashing a powerful wave of flames.

The fire instantly incinerated the demon’s black barrier.

The mind control ceased, and my senses returned.

Rubbing my eyes, I assessed the situation.

“Lord Ryandel, are you okay?”

Levi asked with concern.

“Yes… I’m fine.”

I managed to reply.

Luckily, I broke free from the mind control quickly.

Cecilia also moved.

Her usual lethargic demeanor gone, she charged in with an aggressive posture.

Her poison needles fired rapidly.

“Kueuk!”

The ice needles pierced the demon’s robes.

Black mist seeped out, and the demon’s body began to freeze.

“Now!”

Levi called out, drawing her bowstring again.

She fired arrow after arrow.

Without the barrier, several struck the demon.

I didn’t miss the chance either.

Raising my wand, I cast another spell.

“Electro Spear!”

Cecilia’s flames and Glacia’s ice harassed the demon, and Levi’s arrows and my magic followed in perfect sync.

The demon desperately tried to counterattack.

Dark magic flew from its hands, but Rote quickly blocked the way.

Cecilia unleashed fiercer flames.

The demon’s robes caught fire, and its limbs suffered burns.

“Kuaa! Damn insects!”

The demon roared in anger, releasing a toxic mist.

But Cecilia’s inferno consumed it instantly.

Meanwhile, Glacia’s ice needles pierced the demon’s body.

The Bug Race’s teamwork was flawless.

Like a seasoned knight squadron.

The demon’s body was now utterly battered.

Its limbs were scorched and frozen, its robes burned and iced over.

“Please… Spare me! Let me go! I’ll do anything!”

The demon’s voice transformed, its arrogance replaced by desperate pleas.

Yet, Cecilia and Glacia didn’t relent.

Flames and ice continued to torment the demon.

“Kueueuk… Lord Ivolg! Help… Please!”

The demon crawled pathetically, trying to flee, but its body was too damaged to move properly.

Finally, Rote charged forward.

Puff!

Rote’s body pierced the demon, destroying its core.

“Impossible… How…”

The demon’s body crumbled into dust.

Only the black robe remained, blown away by the wind.

“Hah…”

I sighed deeply.

It ended more anticlimactically than expected.

Levi seemed to feel the same, glancing around awkwardly.

“Cecilia… Glacia… Rote…”

Though the battle ended easily, it was the Bug Race who saved us.

Without them, we would have surely died.

‘I didn’t realize Lycoris’ Bug Race was this strong…’

Compared to Abraxas’ envoy, this demon seemed far weaker.

Yet, it was clear the Bug Race was much stronger than I imagined.

Flutter, flutter.

Zoom.

Hmm.

The Bug Race suddenly grew excited.

Especially Glacia, who was unusually lively, flying energetically.

They seemed to have discovered something, staring intently in one direction.

Deep within the Land of Death, likely where the labyrinth lay.

“Where do they want to go…?”

I muttered.

Cecilia flew in front of me.

Flapping hard, she tried to convey something.

She looked at me, then Levi, and pointed farther away.

“Do they want us to follow?”

Cecilia flapped more vigorously.

“I’m sorry… We can’t leave the witch behind.”

I worried about the witch.

Though the demon’s mind control was lifted, the aftereffects might linger.

Cecilia tilted her small head.

After a moment of thought, she flew toward the carriage.

Soon, a massive wall of flames surrounded the carriage.

Yet, the fire felt warm and not harmful, almost healing.

After a while, the witch moaned, regaining consciousness.

Flutter.

Cecilia returned, flapping more urgently.

She clearly wanted us to follow.

Levi looked at me.

“Lord Ryandel… What should we do?”

“Hmm…”

The Bug Race had surely sensed something important.

And given their skills, protecting us seemed more than possible.

But the labyrinth…

“Not the Grand Labyrinth, surely…?”

I muttered.

Levi’s expression turned pale.

“The Grand Labyrinth… But Lycoris hasn’t returned yet… Are we to go there…?”

Hmm.

“Ow!”

Glacia nudged me sharply.

The impact wasn’t light, and her glaring eyes urged us to hurry.

“It seems we have no choice.”

“Yes…”

In the end, we followed the Bug Race deeper into the Land of Death.