episode_0023

Approximately 15 minutes before the incident.

Having died and come back to life, Ian’s first thought upon witnessing the situation outside was,

“Ah, this is screwed up.”

Secondly, there were the humans who remained asleep in the banquet hall.

And they were nobles, no less.

If a member of the upper class went missing or died within the Brittany family, even if it were an unforeseen circumstance, awakening from a sensitive magical trace would mean game over.

Since saving them was not an option, at the very least, I had to devise a plan to prevent murder or destruction by other means.

“…If things escalate to that extent, Rachel will also be in a situation where she can’t intervene.”

As I rushed toward the center of the banquet hall, demons fleeing into the mansion blocked my path.

“Damn it.”

Dealing with the gorilla-like creatures with the remaining magical tools and spells consumed a considerable amount of stamina.

The distant consciousness of excessive bleeding upon standing up, and the sound of something collapsing from outside, urged me to hasten my steps.

As time passed, the demons gathered more and more.

What on earth were they doing outside that made the demons panic and flee?

I was completely battered just encountering two low-level demons.

The overuse of magic caused permanent damage… perhaps not to the point of complete breakdown, but certainly continuous unfamiliar spellcasting, and drawing on Rachel’s attributes would result in permanent harm.

My body was riddled with various wounds, barely suppressing the bleeding to protect vital organs.

As if under hypnosis, my vision began to blur, and cold sweat started to trickle down from my forehead.

Without magic, my body would have been entirely immobile. My state of mind was almost at its limit, with intermittent flashes of consciousness due to dizziness, and my rationality was nearly at its breaking point due to the tingling brainwaves.

“Ugh,”

[ The main episode is in progress. ]

[ A demon sealed beneath the family estate senses a presence and is reborn. ]

[ Protect Rachel – and Yuria. ]

[ Time Limit – None ]

[ If failed…??? ]

[ Reward: Condensed Life x1 ]

I expected as much.

Even in the original work, there were rumors of this guy making a significant comeback in the later part.

However, the current situation involves several overlapping variables.

First, I’ll focus on sealing Rachel.

A demon wriggling on the ground of the mansion in the form of a small dragon.

It’s possible that due to Yuria’s immense magic power, she woke up dozens of times faster than usual.

Ian had to find Rachel quickly.

The center of the ballroom collapses.

Even if the remnants of the magic devices installed in advance can somehow be stopped, they cannot withstand the demon’s attack.

At least it disperses attention and causes confusion.

……..

The earth trembles with Yuria’s magic.

What emerges from the trembling ruins of the mansion is none other than Ian.

“…Rachel?”

As he crawled out, pouring blood, our eyes met with Rachel, who looked at me with a startled expression.

“I…Ian, but don’t call me by name…no. How? You…”

Facing my appearance, Rachel seemed quite shaken, as if she had seen something unbearable.

Understandably so, the demons she had struggled against with all her might turned out to be unexpectedly stronger.

Ultimately, Ian’s death was believed to be confirmed by Yuria.

She felt helpless and frustrated for not being able to do anything.

Add to that the past, the trauma, and it’s understandable why she sat alone among the ruins, staring into space.

Was I the trigger in such a situation?

Normally, Rachel is known for maintaining composure.

Was it just before she collapsed?

“…”

Rachel’s magic trembled greatly.

Because of the reckless fight she put up, Rachel couldn’t properly cleanse her magic.

That’s how much she fought for me.

A woman moving only to kill, as if the magic clinging to her body meant nothing. However, she didn’t exude the same killing machine aura as before.

I understand the feeling of being pushed to the edge.

I’ve felt it once in the original world too.

Fighting a woman who is about to destroy the world right in front of you makes you feel pathetic and small, an inevitable phenomenon.

After calling my name, Rachel continued to stare at me with trembling eyes, conveying just how serious the situation was without saying a word.

“You… are fake.”

Unable to accept reality, Rachel drew her sword beside me. She probably didn’t even have the strength left to emit coldness.

As I took a step forward, Rachel took a step back, guarding against me.

“Back off!!! What have you done with my child’s skin…”

“Calm down, Mother.”

“Shut your mouth. Stop playing with my feelings. I roughly understood who the voice echoing in my mind all this time belonged to.”

“No, it’s not like that—”

-Swish!

I drew a line in front of my feet. It was a warning that if she came any closer, I would strike.

She seemed quite sensitive, emotionally. At this point, she probably couldn’t even judge the situation well.

[ ???!!!?!! Warning, the target Rachel is expressing hostility towards you!!!! ]

[ Get out of there immediately. ]

Even the quest was saying so.

Rachel was in no mood to talk with anyone right now. Or should I say, the situation was just too dire.

With magic clinging to her, there was no doubt she was slowly dying. First, I had to calm her down before I could do anything.

“Rachel, please lower your sword for a moment.”

“Don’t make me say it twice.”

Still, Rachel kept pointing the sword at me, showing hostility.

I took a step over the line drawn on the floor.

Pause.

“….Kuk,”

Rachel bit her lip and took another step back.

“Don’t come any closer than this.”

Now, even the hand holding the sword was trembling. Her face reflected a myriad of emotions.

-Rumble!

A noise erupted. The ground shook slightly. The line drawn by the sword. The ground where Rachel stood shattered, as easily as if it were helping a line drawn on paper to be cut more easily.

Rachel, with narrowed eyes, fell from the edge of the mansion. Unless there was residual magic, the woman was almost like an ordinary person. And when an ordinary woman falls from such a height, she dies.

Without hesitation, Ian ran forward.

In the distant consciousness,

His dark, stained reflection was visible.

As if in a dark tunnel, a voice desperately calling for him echoed beyond his narrowed vision.

“Is…Ian!! Ugh…uh…”

Following this, he slowly opened his eyes under the rough touch shaking his shoulders.

A warm aura of his magic enveloped him near the skin.

“…Ian?”

Rachel couldn’t mistake his magic.

Realizing this fact, Rachel widened her eyes.

As Rachel, who had lost consciousness due to magic, came to her senses, she met Ian’s earnest gaze with a desperate look.

“Really… is it really you, Ian… alive…?”

Rachel’s pupils shook as she realized he was alive.

Sadness, pain, apology,

The past wrongs she had done to him flowed through her mind.

She felt an overwhelming desire to apologize and seek forgiveness as she nestled in his arms.

“Here, hush. How… But now, don’t embrace me anymore. Can’t you understand the situation!”

She pushed away Ian’s hand heading towards her sternly.

However, he disregarded her and reached out to that place.

“Excuse me for a moment, I’m sure…”

“Stop! Ian, please stop… Ugh, no…”

She unbuttoned her chest piece and took out one magic tool from within.

Something as small as a fingernail.

It was none other than a potion.

The potion that had been gradually collected by taking a little bit each day from Rachel’s room.

Perhaps it didn’t fully take effect on my body for a reason.

I poured half of it over my head and handed it to Rachel.

“Quickly, drink this. It’s dangerous if you don’t drink it right away.”

“No, I can’t. I don’t deserve to…”

“Rachel, pull yourself together.”

“…You, don’t mock me. You really-”

Sip,

Their lips briefly touched.

At first, Rachel was filled with surprise, but soon her expression softened as she swallowed the potion.

Seems like the affinity system is unstoppable.

Certainly, at least this went down well.

With this, Rachel’s magic output was restored. My body was able to move somewhat normally.

However, there was one thing excluded from Ian’s calculations in this method.

Yuria.

The variable that had witnessed the whole scene.

“……….Uh.”

Ian’s body, which met eyes with the empty space, stood frozen.

A feast of blood.

The words were truly not wrong.

Pupils filling the sky.

A waterfall of falling corpses and blood.

An abyss of demons tearing each other apart.

This hellish sight was far more serious than what I had seen from the window.

‘…Is that the final boss?’

But what was even more messed up was…

Legs made of the corpses of those demons.

A woman with bright red eyes, leading numerous subordinates, slowly approaching me.

No, a maid.

The problem was that she was coming towards me after ripping apart someone who seemed to be at least an intermediate demon.

Her ferocious aura, akin to a scream that dared not be uttered in the face of brutal magic, was terrifying the surrounding demons.

My own legs were trembling, and there was no way those demons wouldn’t be afraid just because I was a demon too.

Yuria was now almost right in front of me.

I wondered if she had lost her sanity.

“…Yuria?”

Yuria, blinking, stopped for a moment.

Her reaction meant at least that my chance of survival wasn’t 0%.

Then, muttering and slightly furrowing her eyebrows, Yuria said,

“Ray, just wait here for a moment….”

Ah, inadvertently.

As soon as the word “Ray” reached Yuria’s ears, the cold gaze I had felt until a moment ago returned.

“…”

“You are fake.”

Why do you also call me fake?

“I was lonely. I was disappointed. How could you do that to me?”

“…”

“I alone subdued 500 creatures that woman couldn’t handle. So… so I deserve a better reward, don’t I? Isn’t that right?”

Suppressing fear, I barely respond,

“…Is that so?”

“Isn’t it? Don’t you have something to say to me?”

It’s a lie.

Yuria was lying.

She looked ecstatic, her mouth twitching with joy.

Just by looking at his eyes, it was enough to be fearful. In fact, if the answer here were any later, I might have been captured from my legs right away… No, I might have been captivated by blood right here.

“Of course, I could use these bloods to strengthen my power or… even introduce myself as a wife at the banquet, or no, well… Anyway, I didn’t hear the words welcoming me as a wife.”

“……”

Rachel, who had been watching from behind, tilted her head.

“Ian? What are you talking about? Marriage…?”

A desperate voice. It resonates deeply in the heart.

Ian’s mouth was sealed shut by the hot gazes felt from all around.

This is really like being caught between a rock and a hard place. Isn’t this a ridiculous situation?

But as time passed, with every passing moment, I found myself desperately nodding my head at Yuria’s increasingly constricting breath.

“Master?”

“Yeah, we definitely made that promise. When should we… have the meal? I’d prefer to have it just the two of us.”

“I would like to officially announce our relationship… but, if that’s your wish, I can’t help it.”

A beautifully drawn smile, but behind it awaits a night as sharp as a honed sword.

“…”

“Master, come here quickly. We need to establish ‘responsibility’ for each other. If you try to go alone this time, it won’t do. I believe you have no intention of turning a young vampire into a widow. Oh, Assistant Kaju watching from behind, I will give birth to the best successor, so please watch quietly.”

…Responsibility?

Widow?

Yuria’s face, spitting out vaguely bewildering words, was wearing a very happy smile.

[ !?!?!!?!!Affection level of Final Boss (Yuria) has changed. ]

[ Risen to ‘Love’ stage. You have now formed an eternal bond akin to chains. ]

[ You can never escape Yuria’s grasp! Congratulations!! You have bound yourself to the most beautiful woman in this world. Shall we make a second generation now? ]

What a crazy second generation.

Now, the notification window and status window are about to go crazy.

What should I do now…?

I reached out towards Rachel as they dragged me like a pig being led to the slaughterhouse, chuckling.

But Rachel turned away.

It’s like she’s saying just take it and come quietly.

By tomorrow, I probably won’t be able to get up.

The nobles in the banquet hall may try to cover up the fact that the demons killed them. If that happens, Rachel will have a hard time.

But surviving is the key.

“This can work… but damn.”

I didn’t expect Uria clinging to my neck to let go.

There are monsters below.

Why only me?

Even with the dragon appearing at the center of the banquet hall, Uria closed her eyes and embraced me, sucking blood from my neck, freshly regenerated by potions.

“Slurp, ah…. hah…. delicious… ugh, heh…”

Just by looking at the flushed face and the reddened eyes that seemed to twinkle, you could tell how much she was indulging in pleasure.

I admit that a lot of blood and magic went into making the mansion look like this in many ways…

I’m dying.

Seriously. I’m dying.

Not figuratively.

-Krrrrrrr.

In front of Ian, two resurrected dragons were soaring in the sky.