Ch.204IF Side Story – And the Two Lived Happily (58)

Thump, thump.

Footsteps echo.

I walk toward the room at the end of the long corridor.

Thump, thump.

A corridor so long that the end isn’t visible.

But like all things, an end eventually comes.

“……”

I stop walking.

A massive door.

I place my hand on it and push it open forcefully.

BOOM—!

The door groans loudly as it opens smoothly.

Inside is an enormous space.

In the center stands a high throne.

“…Truly remarkable.”

A voice descends from the throne.

It sounds somewhat condescending, and also like someone grumbling in disbelief.

For a moment, I think that such a tone suits them.

Seriously, I’m beyond help.

“I did say we’d meet again, but I never imagined you’d come looking for me directly.”

I hear a mocking laugh.

But that’s not my concern.

“Come down.”

I draw my sword and point it upward.

“Your lifespan is already short enough. I don’t think you need to shorten it further by your own hand.”

Such arrogance.

The distinctive tone of someone who believes the world is beneath their feet.

Of course, what sits up there isn’t human.

“Well, fine. You’ll provide some brief entertainment. I’ve just finished adjusting to this body anyway.”

A shadow falls.

There’s a fluttering sound, followed by a gust of wind.

It was… enormous wings.

Wings that seemed like a contradictory mix of bat and bird—hideous yet somehow beautiful.

From atop the throne, the owner of those wings descends gracefully to the floor.

A face I know so well I could draw it with my eyes closed.

But the current appearance was very different from the one in my memory.

Hair that was once so white it would be indistinguishable in a snow-covered forest is now streaked with black patches. The innocent smile that once viewed the world with purity now evokes the seductive smile of a blood-thirsty temptress.

And the most significant change:

“Aren’t those horns heavy?”

“Hmm?”

The pointed horns on her head.

“Not particularly? I’ve never really thought about it.”

The Demon Lord says with a smile.

It’s a beautiful smile.

But surprisingly, it stirs no emotion within me.

I only sharpen the killing intent I’ve been harboring all this time.

Eila.

Wait just a little longer.

I’ll save you.

I point my sword.

The Demon Lord speaks.

“Please. What can you possibly do?”

Suddenly the world shakes.

The ceiling, walls, floor—everything trembles and mixes, splits and merges, darkens and brightens, heats up and cools down, disappears and reappears—.

When I regain my senses, the Demon Lord’s face is right in front of my eyes.

“See? You can’t even withstand this much.”

Damn it.

I expected this, but she’s become stronger than I imagined…!

“No holy sword, no companions. All that remains is your body, worn down by countless battles.”

A finger pokes my chest.

“What can someone like you possibly do?”

The Demon Lord turns away.

The sound of footsteps.

“You’ve ruined my mood.”

With her back to me, she walks toward the throne.

“Just go home. Enjoy your brief life, the short existence until this body returns to the mortal realm.”

“You think I’ll leave?”

I swing my sword.

A wind sharper than the blade flies toward the Demon Lord’s exposed back, only to be crushed.

An automatic interception system created by multiple layers of magic.

If I had gotten closer, I would have been the one crushed.

“Sorry, but I’m not alone.”

Outside, there are people who are buying us time, who accompanied us into this dangerous situation.

“For those fools, if nothing else, I can’t just turn back.”

“…Ha.”

She turns her head.

Her expression is distorted.

An expression Eila would never make.

“How pathetic.”

Mana surges.

As if it were the signal to begin combat…

“Alright, I have a good idea.”

“It’s definitely not a good idea, but I’ll ask out of courtesy. What is it?”

“I’ll kill you, strip the flesh from your bones, tear you to pieces, and show that woman inside what’s left of you.”

The Demon Lord takes a step forward.

I also take a step forward.

With each passing moment, the distance between us closes by two steps.

“How about it? Doesn’t the mere thought excite you?”

“Seeing Eila crying and screaming because of me does have a certain appeal.”

It’s an expression I’ve seen many times.

Mostly in bed.

“So, I need that body back.”

“If you can do it alone—try it!!”

“I’m not alone! It’s two against one, Demon Lord!!! I’ll separate that head from your body again!!”

And so, the battle began.

***

“So what are you going to do?”

Kang Seona asked.

For someone who boldly came along, her voice was filled with doubt.

“…I have an idea.”

“No, I mean a concrete plan—”

Just then.

Interrupting Seona’s words, a car stopped in front of us.

“Here it is.”

“Huh? Who…”

“It’s me.”

The window rolled down, revealing the identity of the driver.

“Y-you, why are you here…”

Seona’s mouth gaped.

“Get in first.”

Sungho sighed.

The window rolled back up, and Seona’s dumbfounded expression was reflected in the dark tinting.

With a click, the doors unlocked, and I opened the door to sit in the passenger seat.

“T-the Association Chairman’s car…”

The two kids followed behind.

“Ah, shit.”

Finally, Seona got into the car.

The doors locked, and the engine started.

The car drove off.

Inside, none of us spoke.

Sungho wasn’t the type to speak first, and Seona kept her mouth firmly shut as if uncomfortable with the situation.

The kids… were trembling.

Were they intimidated by the tense atmosphere?

The silence continued until we finally reached our destination.

“Isn’t this near the Association?”

“Yes.”

“Why are we here?”

“…Because the item is here.”

“Item?”

Seona muttered.

We got out of the car and followed Sungho.

Our destination was a large but quite discreetly hidden warehouse.

Upon arrival, Sungho approached the door first.

After completing what looked like a complex authentication process, the door opened, and misty vapor flowed out from inside.

We entered.

The first thing that caught my eye was a pillar so tall it reached the ceiling.

“This is…”

“A dungeon generation device, the prototype.”

“Eh? Dungeon? Generation device?”

“What are you planning to do with this?”

What else?

What else can you do with a dungeon-creating device?

“I’m going to open a dungeon. To the place where Eila is.”

“Wait, wait a minute.”

Seona strode over.

Her expression looked like she was holding back a torrent of curses.

Why did she insist on coming along if she was going to be like this?

How annoying.

“Do you have a method? There’s no guarantee it will connect to that place just by opening it randomly.”

I could feel her struggling to keep her emotions in check.

Calmly, I took two objects from my pocket and showed them to Seona.

“A ring and… a leaf? No, a branch…?”

“It’s a one-time artifact made from the bark and leaves of the World Tree.”

“…World Tree?”

Seona tilted her head.

“Its ability is to open something intangible and connect them together.”

The massive tree in the center of the Elven Forest isn’t actually the World Tree.

The World Tree, strictly speaking, refers to multiple entities.

The term encompasses all the trees in the forest that are connected to the giant tree in the center.

Connection.

That’s the essence of the World Tree.

Heart to heart.

What some might call souls, the World Tree connects as one.

This artifact was created by utilizing that property of the World Tree.

“Then what about this ring?”

“A wedding ring. Eila wears the same one, so it should serve as a kind of marker.”

But that might not be enough, so we need a medium.

And the most appropriate medium is this ring.

I’ve never actually tried this before.

So what will actually happen… even I don’t know.

No plan.

That word fits perfectly.

“Activate the device.”

“…Ah, seriously…”

I heard grumbling.

But she doesn’t voice any opposition.

We’re already in this together.

“Since it’s a prototype, it can’t open for long or very wide. If the readings exceed a certain threshold, the machine might malfunction… and above all, an alarm will sound when a dungeon opens—”

“It doesn’t matter. Do it.”

“…Really, seriously.”

Sungho operates the machine.

Electronic beeps sound, and strange mechanisms unfold here and there.

Whirr—

Before our eyes, a small black sphere appears.

A hole just big enough for a human hand to fit through.

I insert my right hand, holding the ring and the World Tree fragment, into it.

“…Let’s go.”

Like forcing open a closed door, I pull my right hand with all my might.

I feel tremendous resistance, as if something is gripping my hand.

The hole grows larger as I pull.

Finally, as I completely remove my hand from the hole.

“…Is this it?”

Before our eyes stood a massive castle.