Ch.204204. The Black Necromancer at 18

When I sat down, glasses and a bottle of alcohol flew toward us.

The Dark Spiritmaster gestured for me to have a drink before we started, but I shook my head.

“Time is too precious to spend it drunk.”

After hesitating briefly at my words, the Dark Spiritmaster sighed and returned the bottle and glasses to their original place.

Perhaps because there was nothing else to do now, the Dark Spiritmaster awkwardly tossed out a question.

“Did Han-so take it well?”

Though she didn’t seem particularly curious.

Still, I answered her question.

“Yes, he told me that as a warrior, he would fight the Great Demon until the end.”

I thanked her again, but the Dark Spiritmaster made a subtle expression.

“Is that really possible?”

“…”

“I understand your judgment that we’re fake. But that means we’re ultimately beings created by Learic.”

Since Learic established the Monster Battle, they too were ultimately beings created by Learic.

“Can we really stand against Learic?”

She wasn’t wrong.

Yes, to be honest.

“It’s probably impossible.”

It was clearly impossible.

The Demon of Deception must have done this many times before.

Many heroes must have stayed in Room 110. Each time, they might have been caught in Learic’s schemes, enacting a murder play where they killed each other.

But there must have also been those who, like us now, tried to fight against the Great Demon.

“From the beginning, defeating Learic now is impossible. I have neither souls to control nor the Holy Grail.”

“Holy Grail?”

She reacted to the Holy Grail with an annoyed expression, but I continued, adding that it wasn’t important.

“The fortunate thing is that Learic isn’t a Great Demon obsessed with battle.”

Unlike Valkyria, the Demon of Struggle, or Dune, the Demon of Pride, who find satisfaction through combat.

Learic was rather the type who felt excitement and pleasure from deceiving and tricking others.

“But won’t he just kill everyone if things don’t go his way?”

That possibility might exist.

If Learic were human, that is.

What I’ve learned from fighting the four Great Demons is that while they show obsessive attachment to what they desire, they don’t cling much to anything else.

“What Learic wants isn’t my life. He just wants me to follow the ending he’s set up for the Monster Battle.”

“Hmm.”

“So conversely, we need to give him an ending he doesn’t want.”

“An ending he doesn’t want?”

“I’ll explain later.”

There was no need to explain it now, and doing so would be a waste of time.

The Dark Spiritmaster seemed to understand my intention and didn’t press further.

Another brief silence fell. I naturally took out a black jewel from my chest and handed it to the restless Dark Spiritmaster.

“This is…”

The Lemegeton that the Dark Spiritmaster had been searching for so desperately. It was something I obtained as soon as I arrived at the Monster Battle. Now I know it’s not real either, but rather a kind of replica that can only be used here.

The Dark Spiritmaster reached for the Lemegeton, realized it resonated with her, and gulped.

She was experiencing the effect of injecting the blood of the girl from the story who had desired the Lemegeton.

“So it really exists.”

Though she said this, a bitter aftertaste dampened her words.

She had finally obtained the treasure she had so desperately wanted, but the fact that everything was an illusion left her feeling empty.

“I’ve actually handled the Lemegeton many times. You can consider this exactly the same.”

“You’ve handled the real Lemegeton? So you found it?”

“Thanks to that, I was able to have you as my master.”

She let out a soft sound, saying she finally understood why she had taken me as her disciple.

I took a deep breath and spoke to her.

“It might be selfish, but I have a personal request.”

I knew that what I was about to do would be quite cruel to the Dark Spiritmaster beside me.

“Could you listen to a story?”

“A story?”

But there was a story that only the current her could hear.

“It’s the story of the connection between you and me, which began with this jewel given by the Demon of Deception.”

I shared our unexpectedly long story.

* * *

Dong-dong-dong!

The long bell sound announced that another day had passed.

My throat was irritated from speaking more than usual, but I remained in my seat, waiting for the Dark Spiritmaster.

I had told her that the Lemegeton she had been desperately searching for was actually just a tool for the Great Demon’s petty games.

I also told her that in the future, she would vaguely regret the path of necromancy she was so diligently walking.

And finally.

She learned about her own death.

It must have been quite difficult for an 18-year-old Dark Spiritmaster to accept, but I told her all those stories without hesitation.

The many stories the Dark Spiritmaster and I had experienced.

Stories about her, who had spent more time with me than anyone else—the same person yet also a different person.

“…”

Her head was bowed low, her face hidden by her hair. She must have many thoughts.

She could express resentment about her futile death, or she could be angry at me for so casually bringing up such a cruel story.

“Why.”

What came back to me as I considered these possibilities was:

A voice low and filled with gloomy emotion, yet still showing unwavering determination.

“Why did you tell me that?”

It was a fair question.

There was no need to tell the current Dark Spiritmaster such cruel truths.

I could have lied vaguely, saying she was living well and not to worry.

But.

“I needed to tell you. So that you would tell me about yourself.”

To hear the story about the Dark Spiritmaster, I needed to share the story about her and me.

Displeased with that answer as well, the Dark Spiritmaster clenched her fist and slammed it on the table.

The impact was so strong that the surrounding dishes and food shook. Purple mana flickered like flames in her hand.

“So why. Why do you need that? Why do you need to hear my story?”

The Dark Spiritmaster was already anticipating my answer.

Reddened eyes.

Choked breathing from overwhelming emotions.

Everything showed how much she was suffering, but…

I calmly closed my eyes and gave my answer.

“To learn what the Dark Spiritmaster is hiding from me.”

Knowing that the Dark Spiritmaster I was referring to wasn’t her, the 18-year-old Dark Spiritmaster gritted her teeth in anger.

“You think of me as just a tool?! Just using me? To better understand the real Dark Spiritmaster you’re talking about! You’re saying you’re using me!”

She was exactly right.

So I didn’t deny it.

“That’s not wrong.”

The Dark Spiritmaster I knew occasionally showed signs of wavering.

Sometimes she would look doubtful when watching my necromancy, and sometimes she would disappear for a few days before quietly returning.

And suddenly.

Really, one day.

I had worried that she might disappear like that.

“Through you, I want to better understand the Dark Spiritmaster I don’t know.”

“That woman is just like me! She’s also a being that will disappear!”

There was some truth to that.

The 18-year-old Dark Spiritmaster who could only exist in the Monster Battle.

And the Dark Spiritmaster who would one day close her eyes and enter eternal rest.

But.

“That’s exactly why.”

“What?”

“For the day when the Dark Spiritmaster closes her eyes in rest. To comfort her and give her a proper farewell.”

“…”

“I need to understand her.”

The necromancy shown by the 18-year-old Dark Spiritmaster was completely different from the Dark Spiritmaster I knew.

A cruel aspect that treated souls simply as tools. A cold witch who solely took lives aggressively.

The Dark Spiritmaster had hidden this past from me, but I was cowardly planning to uncover that secret in this way.

“And this is also to remember you.”

“…”

The reason I had to be so cruel to her was:

To give meaning to her fleeting life that could only exist in the Monster Battle, like Cinderella’s glass slipper with a set time limit.

“I won’t let you disappear from here without any meaning.”

“Ah, aah.”

“This is the only memorial I can offer you.”

The Dark Spiritmaster covered her eyes with both hands, unable to control her tears that had begun flowing at some point.

I had acted as if she should reveal everything, enduring cruelty for the sake of the Dark Spiritmaster I knew.

I spoke as if she should sacrifice herself for the real Dark Spiritmaster.

In one sense, I could be called a cruel man.

But as someone bearing the name of a spirit master.

This was all I could do for the 18-year-old Dark Spiritmaster before me.

Though she would disappear.

Leave a trace.

Just as Han-so died as a warrior.

I hoped the Dark Spiritmaster would close her eyes the same way.

“You, bastard.”

I don’t deny that my actions deserve resentment.

“I never wanted that.”

I knew I was being selfish while claiming it was for the Dark Spiritmaster.

“Are you saying that the current me influencing the future me… that’s my reason for existing? My meaning?!”

I’m sorry that’s all I can do for you.

“Is that how you comfort me? By leaving my trace?”

The Dark Spiritmaster, who had been continuously shedding tears, slowly curled up her body.

Various emotions rose from her trembling shoulders, but the tears wouldn’t stop.

Nevertheless, she forcibly held back her sobbing voice and glared at me.

“You…”

Swallowing her breath.

“I hate you so much, Deus Verdi.”

The Dark Spiritmaster spewed words of resentment toward me.

“I hate you for making me know this cruel truth. I hate you! I never wanted to know that my existence’s value could only end like this!”

But there was nothing else the 18-year-old Dark Spiritmaster could do to leave a trace outside.

Simply burying her in my heart wasn’t enough.

If this girl could influence the real Dark Spiritmaster.

Then I thought perhaps the 18-year-old girl before me would remain within the real one.

“Cold-hearted bastard.”

“Even if it hurts, I wanted to give you a chance.”

Not to disappear futilely.

But a chance to leave something behind as the 18-year-old Dark Spiritmaster.

“To me, you are also the Dark Spiritmaster.”

“Damn it.”

Her struggle of resentment toward me and the pain of knowing the truth continued a bit longer.

But it was only for a little while.

“…”

When all the emotions of resentment finally bottomed out.

“I have a favor to ask.”

All that remained was a girl’s sincere gratitude for being remembered.