Chapter 84: Welcome to the Demon World

With each step, the clouds beneath my feet grew damper and darker.

It felt like treading on an old, cotton quilt.

As I neared the boundary between the gray and black clouds, the air grew heavier.

Every breath felt like I was drinking something thick and sticky.

Breathing was a little difficult, but strangely, rather than feeling suffocated, my senses sharpened as if I had drunk a strong wine.

It was as if all the colors in the world became more vivid, and every sound more distinct.

Even the feel of the wind on my skin was ten times more vivid than usual.

Miel continued to fly around me.

It didn’t seem to mind these gross clouds at all.

In the darkness, her wings seemed to glow even brighter than usual.

The sight of the flickering blue light was quite beautiful.

A red mist still billowed from the sword at my waist.

Perhaps Crimson Bind was in a good mood, as the amount of mist seemed to have increased slightly.

Maybe it was because the mist enveloped me, but instead of a vague fear, I felt a strange sense of confidence.

The Night Veil cloak dragging on the ground was annoying, but its weight helped me plant my feet firmly and walk with a confident stride.

“Hmph… but this is so inconvenient…”

I tried to walk while holding up the cloak, but after a few steps, it was dragging on the ground again.

I nearly tripped several times, my feet getting caught in the endlessly trailing black fabric.

After repeating this a few times, I finally gave up on holding the cloak and walking.

“Ah, whatever, I’ll just let it drag.”

Miel, seeming to disapprove of my decision, flapped her wings and circled me annoyingly.

Seeing her expression, it was as if she was saying, ‘You’re going to step on it and fall.’

‘Miel is too much of a nag sometimes…’

But in the next moment, Miel’s premonition came true.

As I tried to take a step, I felt something catch.

“Ugh!”

I had stepped on my dragging cloak.

Losing my balance, I tumbled onto the gray clouds.

“Ouch…”

It didn’t hurt, but falling onto the wet clouds soaked my clothes.

The cloak spread out around me like a giant black puddle, and I felt like I was floating in the middle of it.

Miel flew right in front of my nose with an ‘I told you so’ look.

That just made me more annoyed.

Thanks to the trait Nis gave me, my clothes will dry quickly anyway!

“Hmph!”

Slightly annoyed, I swiped at Miel, but she easily dodged.

Her elegant flight just made me angrier.

I straightened my cloak and stood up again.

This time, I held the hem of my clothes tightly in my hand and walked slowly.

A moment later, Miel flew slightly in a direction I couldn’t see.

Then she fully spread her blue wings and stopped silently in mid-air.

A strong blue light emanated from her wings.

It scattered light around like a flickering blue neon sign.

What is she doing?

Miel looked like she was communicating with something.

Her wings trembled minutely, and she moved in a peculiar pattern in the air.

It was as if she was sending a signal to something invisible.

‘Don’t tell me she’s tattling to Lady Solaris…?’

I was suspicious, but I had more important things to worry about right now.

Standing on the threshold of the Demon World, I had to find my way quickly.

Something faint appeared in the distance.

What is that?

As I got closer, I saw it was a large sign.

It was written in elegant red letters on a black background.

≪ The Demon World welcomes you!
Tap the crystal ball below, and we will guide you to a safe zone!
≫

Wh-What is this!

Is this a defection sign!

Below the sign was a purple crystal ball.

It was so pretty that I just admired it for a moment.

Streaks of purple light crisscrossed inside the crystal, creating a dreamlike atmosphere.

I’m definitely not touching it!

I’m going to sneak in!

But then, for no reason at all, the crystal ball began to glow.

Huh…?

A voice suddenly flowed from the crystal ball.

“Is anyone there?
If you can hear me, please answer~”

The voice was as sweet as honey, a bewitching tone that caressed the ears.

For some reason, my mouth opened on its own.

“Yes.”

Ugh!

Why did I answer?

I was so surprised that the answer just popped out of my mouth.

The light inside the crystal ball shone even more brightly.

“Oh my?
There really is someone there.
I’ll be there soon, so just wait a little~”

“Yes.”

Aaaargh!

I answered again!

Miel flapped its wings wildly in front of my face.

Then it started slapping my mouth with its tiny feet.

‘No!
It’s not that I wanted to speak!’

It felt like that enchanting voice was forcing me to answer.

This must be the power of an evil god…

What should I do…?

I debated whether to leave before the person beyond the crystal ball arrived, or just wait.

If I ran, a rumor about a suspicious intruder in the Demon World might spread.

Then more evil gods might come after me.

That could be even more dangerous…

It’s better to respond honestly.

Before long, I heard footsteps in the distance.

They were soft and light.

The voice spoke again from the darkness.

“I installed this sign and crystal ball for those crossing over from the heavens, but this is the first time a good god has actually come.
There’s never been a signal since I put this up.”

I’m not a good god…

The owner of the voice gradually came into view.

 【Bellona】 

(TL Note: Runes for “Beauty and Magic” followed by the name “Bellona”)

At the sight of her, I felt my breath catch.

Dark, ink-black hair flowed down to her hips, dancing elegantly with a silken sheen.

It was like a waterfall made of ebony.

Her eyes, like black jewels, seemed to hold hundreds of years of history.

Her skin was as white as jade bathed in moonlight, and her crimson lips were like freshly bloomed rose petals.

Like the gods of the heavens, her attire was made of thin fabric, but it was black.

A silver trim accentuated her perfect figure.

The outfit was quite daring, and every time the fabric fluttered in the wind, hidden skin would be revealed and then concealed again, as if on purpose.

Wow…

I’ve never seen beauty like this before.

The people I’ve seen were incredibly beautiful, but this goddess seemed to be the very embodiment of beauty itself.

Every one of her movements was filled with grace and charm.

“Oh my…”

She looked at me and her expression showed a slight surprise.

“Could it be…
you’re an evil god?”

I hesitated for a moment.

I didn’t know how to answer.

Should I just be honest?

Or should I try to deceive her?

Right, let’s trust my SSS-class cloak!

“…That’s right.
I’m an evil god.”

A smile spread across Bellona’s lips.

Her smile was so beautiful that I stared at her, momentarily lost in a daze.

“It’s not good to lie, you know?”

She said with a laugh, touching my cloak with her fingertips.

A black energy flowed from her fingertips and seeped into the cloak.

Then, something unbelievable happened.

The length of the cloak gradually shortened until it fit me perfectly!

Gasp…!

It shrinks…?

“Your cloak can only be resized with the demonic power of an evil god.
But you don’t seem to be a good god either, so what on earth are you?”

Bellona asked, looking me up and down.

“I’m…
a flower.”

“A flower?”

Her eyebrows arched in surprise.

I thought it would be faster to just show her directly, so I used my polymorph ability to transform into a flower.

When I became my original form, Thanatos’s Crown, Bellona’s eyes widened.

She carefully approached and gently touched one of my petals.

“Wow…
I’ve never seen a flower like this before…”

Her touch was warm and gentle.

My petals trembled slightly at her contact.

A moment later, I polymorphed back into my human form.

“How fascinating!
A flower that can polymorph!”

Bellona clapped her hands in admiration.

“Hehe…”

Her cute reaction made me let out a silly laugh.

“Then this butterfly…
does it follow you because you’re a flower?”

“Yes!
That’s right.
Miel is my subordinate.”

“Oh my, how cute~”

Suddenly, Bellona lifted me up and held me.

Held in her arms, I was speechless for a while.

She held me as if I were a small child, possessing surprising strength.

“Let’s talk more on the way.
We shouldn’t stay in such a dangerous place for long~”

She started walking into the darkness, holding me.

I just dangled in her arms.

Am I really this short to be held like this…

And, this position is so embarrassing…

Especially, her chest pressing against my head was quite overwhelming.

What is…
this soft feeling…

Bellona’s gaze suddenly shifted to my waist.

The red mist rising from Crimson Bind must have caught her eye.

“The sword you have…
I can feel a very powerful energy from it.”

Bellona carefully reached out and touched the sword.

The red mist from the sword reacted to her touch, growing thicker.

The mist wrapped around her fingers and then slowly climbed up her wrist.

“I’ve never seen a sword like this before…
I feel a very evil energy from it.
Who on earth made it?”

“It’s Crimson Bind.
I heard it’s a dagger made from the blood of the legendary lich, Asterix.”

“Asterix…?”

When I recited what I had seen in the status window, Bellona tilted her head.

“I don’t know that name.
But this is definitely a weapon with a powerful curse.
How did you come to have something like this?”

“I just…
happened to get it by chance.”

Bellona smiled and removed her hand from the sword.

The mist seemed to reach out for her hand reluctantly before returning to the sword.

“And that ring…”

Bellona’s gaze moved to the Crimson Circlet on my left hand.

“This one…
I feel the power of an evil god from it, like the cloak…”

“The ring and the cloak…
I received them as gifts.”

“Interesting…
You received good gifts.
They all suit you well~”

Thank goodness.

She’s not asking any more questions!

Bellona’s expression softened.

She held me in her arms again.

“You’re a very interesting being.

A flower in human form, using precious equipment.”

Even though I had obviously avoided her questions, Bellona didn’t get angry.

Instead, she seemed intrigued.

“But how did you get here?
The human world and this place are cut off from each other.”

Ah…

How should I explain this one…?

“I was caught up in a strange power and ended up here…
So I’m trying to get to the human world quickly.”

Bellona tilted her head at my clumsy answer.

“A strange power?
Hmm…
as it happens, we’ve almost finished creating a passage to the human world.
I’ll take you there when it’s complete.”

“Really!?”

From now on, I’ll call you Lady Bellona!

Loyalty, loyalty!

“Yes!
But you have to do me one favor.”

“What is it…?”

“It’s still a secret~”

What kind of favor could it be…

It’s not something strange, is it…?

No, no.

She seems to like me a lot…

Don’t tell me it’s another apostle selection!

As I was lost in thought, an exclamation mark seemed to appear on Lady Bellona’s face, as if she had just remembered something she had forgotten.

“Right.
What’s your name?”

“It’s Ricoris.”

“Ricoris?
A flower name that reminds me of your original form.
What a pretty name~”

“Um…”

I looked at Lady Bellona with a ‘Lady Bellona, what’s your name?’ expression.

“Ah, right.

My name is Bellona.

The goddess of beauty.

And also the goddess of virgins.”

No wonder…

She was ridiculously beautiful…

“Lady Bellona, can you tell me what the Demon World is like?”

“Well, it’s not as beautiful and clean as the heavens.

But it has its own charm.

It’s much freer and has fewer rules than the heavens.”

I nodded.

According to Lady Bellona’s explanation, the Demon World seemed like a pretty decent place.

“It might be hard to adjust at first, but you’ll get used to it soon.

I had a hard time adjusting at first too.”

“You did, Lady Bellona?”

“Yes.

I was originally a god from the heavens too.”

I was surprised by Lady Bellona’s words.

A god from the heavens came to the Demon World?

Did she put up the sign because she thought there might be other gods like her…

“Why… did you come from the heavens to the Demon World?”

Bellona’s expression darkened for a moment.

A flicker of sadness passed through her eyes.

“That’s…
a long story.

I’ll tell you when I get the chance.”

I could feel the hurt in her voice.

I decided not to ask any more questions.

We continued to walk through the darkness.

The deeper we went into the Demon World, the more the surrounding scenery changed.

The black cloud floor hardened and turned into rock.

A black moon hung in the sky, and in the distance, I could see the silhouettes of temple-like buildings.

The Demon World…

It’s more normal than I thought.

Actually, it might be because I’m being held in Lady Bellona’s arms.

But the Demon World felt much more peaceful than I had initially thought.

The red mist from Crimson Bind grew thicker, and the red at the tips of my hair became more vivid.

But suddenly, Miel started flapping its wings wildly in front of me.

A strong blue light emanated from her wings, and she moved in a strange pattern in the air.

She acted as if she had discovered something invisible.

Flap-flap!

Miel suddenly started flapping her wings even more violently.

She was clearly showing signs of anxiety.

“Miel, what’s wrong?”

Lady Bellona also looked at Miel’s behavior with curiosity.

“Your butterfly seems quite anxious.”

“Yes…
usually when she flaps her wings like this, she’s warning me about something.”

Miel’s behavior was strange.

Did she receive some information through the sun Lady Solaris gave her?

Or is she just scared of the Demon World?

Lady Bellona shrugged.

“It must be her first time in the Demon World, so she probably needs some time to adjust.
She’ll get used to it soon.”

In the distance, in the darkness, a massive Gothic-style castle slowly began to reveal itself.

High spires and pointed windows created a magnificent silhouette under the black moonlight.

“That’s my temple~”

Bellona’s voice was filled with pride.

The castle was dark and imposing, but it also possessed an elegant and enchanting beauty.

It seemed to resemble Lady Bellona herself.

“Wow…
it’s really amazing!”

“We’ll be there soon.
You can rest comfortably there, and we can talk more about the future.”

Hope blossomed at Lady Bellona’s words.

It seemed like things were going better than I thought.

I thought the Demon World was a terrifying place, but it seemed to be quite decent.

But Miel’s strange behavior bothered me.

She was still flying around anxiously, making movements as if she were communicating with the invisible sun.