Chapter IV: The Vampire’s Dream Was So Sad I Had to Scatter Sugar Around

It was an entirely black world. She couldn’t even see her own arms as she stretched them out. In fact, it wasn’t even clear whether there was a sky or ground. So, where exactly was she standing? Or collapsed, perhaps? Her body felt heavy. She couldn’t put any strength into her limbs.

Ah, this feeling is the same as back then.

She’d once experienced this same sensation back during Alshiera Imera. It made it feel like her body didn’t even belong to her. Thinking back on it now, did that mean her body was going through the same thing? She thought of that in a daze as a small shadow gently floated up in front of her. The figure was quite familiar, so she tried to call her name.

“—”

Her voice refused to come out. Nevertheless, the shadow noticed her and turned around in astonishment.

“...Are you Kuroka?”

The shadow took on the vague contour of a very familiar face: Lilith, the princess of the succubi.

“How surprising. I heard about this from His Highness, but anything goes when you’re like that, huh?” Lilith said that, then brushed her head in a troubled manner.

“Still, it’s dangerous past here, so you can’t come.”

A dark something spread out behind Lilith. It was a dreadful presence that possessed a will of its own. And she knew Lilith was walking toward it. No matter how much she tried to scream at her not to go, however, her voice remained silent. Still, Lilith understood and strained a smile.

“I see. You’re worried about me... Thanks,” Lilith stated as she hugged her tightly. “Do you remember when His Highness was making the hot spring and we were attacked by twin sorcerers? Back then, I was too scared to do anything, but you handled them on your own. I feel a little pathetic admitting this, but I felt super relieved back then. You were really cool.”

She felt a tremendously fast beating from Lilith’s chest. The girl’s arms trembled ever so slightly. Nevertheless, Lilith mustered her courage.

“You know what? I truly respect you for protecting me without any hesitation,” she said, then swiftly turned around.

“There’s someone beyond here who’s unable to return and is rather troubled... And I’m the only one who can save them... It’s probably even impossible for My Lady. It’s useless for anyone other than the princess of the succubi to try.”

None of that mattered to Kuroka. Lilith was her precious childhood friend. In her eyes, it was far more problematic to have her run off into danger. And so, Kuroka stretched out her arms toward Lilith in order to stop her, but she couldn’t feel a thing. It wasn’t even clear whether she had arms. Regardless, she desperately stretched out to try and stop her childhood friend, even if she had to bite her and drag her back with her teeth. Yet, all Lilith did was smile back at her with a troubled look.

“I don’t know who’s over there. Leaving them won’t affect my life in any way whatsoever. But I’m sure I’ll regret it if I don’t save them. Sitting back and doing nothing is definitely the wrong choice.”

With that, she put Kuroka down.

“That’s why I’m going. So that, when I come back, I can take pride in being your childhood friend.”

◇

“Lilith!” Kuroka exclaimed as she jolted awake and found herself in an unfamiliar room. She tried to get herself up, but her vision was blurry. She felt a tremendous urge to vomit and reflexively gasped for air.

“You okay, Kurosuke?”

“Mister... Shax?”

She had a terrible headache and couldn’t focus her eyes. Still, she was confident the one in front of her was that awkward sorcerer. She threw herself into his chest and pleaded with him.

“Contact... Zagan. Lilith... Lilith is in danger!”

“I-I-I get it! I get it, okay?! So get off me! Y-Your clothes!”

“My clothes...?” Kuroka mumbled as she looked down at her body. She had a cheap-looking blanket over her lap that hurt a little when it rubbed against her, meaning it was touching her skin directly. And just as her focus returned, she noticed two bulges above her lap. She knew they were her breasts, but for some reason, their pink tips were clearly visible. Nothing covered them. That would have been normal in the bath, but it was rather improper at the moment.

Kuroka spent several seconds blinking repeatedly, thinking about her current situation. She didn’t need to, however, as the answer was quite clear from the very beginning. For some reason, Kuroka was completely naked and exposing herself.

“Hyah?!”

She screamed and covered her breasts in a panic. That was when her memories returned. Last night, in the middle of discussing the results of their investigations with Shax and Gremory, Kuroka drank some summer plum wine. She also remembered it contained silver vine, which was an aphrodisiac to the feline races such as the tabaxi and cait sith. And now, she found herself the following morning without so much as her underwear on. Judging by the crumpled cigarettes on the table, she could guess how someone had spent the entire night here in distress.

“...Huh? Wah! Wah?! Hyah?!”

Her mind and body failed to keep up at all as she let out meaningless screams. Something soft was suddenly placed on her shoulders. It seemed Shax had put his outerwear on her.

“Ah... Um, you know? I did my best not to look, at least.”

Even though Kuroka knew in the corner of her mind that his consideration showed he had treated her kindly the night before, whys and hows still flooded her thoughts. She understood that she was completely at fault for ignoring Shax and Gremory when they warned her about the drink, but she still couldn’t come to grips with her current situation. It was supposed to be the greatest event of her life, but she couldn’t remember a thing. The reality that she couldn’t remember struck Kuroka down far harder than anything else.

“M-Mister Shax? Wh-What did I, um...?”

“C-C-C-Calm down, okay? Everything is fine.”

She didn’t know how that was true, but she returned a stiff nod all the same.

After that, Shax took a deep breath and said, “By the looks of it, you don’t remember anything, do you?”

“...I don’t. Sorry.”

“Don’t be, it’s fine.”

Seriously, nothing was fine. It was utterly laughable that she couldn’t remember her first time.

“Just so you know, you’re probably misunderstanding something here,” Shax added in a comforting tone. “What you’re worried about didn’t happen, so relax.”

“Huh...? Meaning...?”

She looked up at him, unable to understand, when Shax’s expression turned grave.

“Last night, after you had that drink, you turned into a black cat again.”

A piercing silence filled the room.

A... cat?

She understood the words, but it took her more than ten seconds to digest them.

“Ummm, a cat...?” she asked, still doubting her ears.

“Yeah, the same as that time during Alshiere Imera.”

Kuroka was a fairy known as a cait sith. It was troublesome that she couldn’t control it, but she was capable of turning into a black cat. Just to make sure, she folded her thumb in and lightly gripped her hand like a cat’s paw next to her face.

“Umm, by cat... you mean like this?”

“...Y-Yeah! That’s it!”

For some reason, that gesture had Shax clasping his chest, but Kuroka didn’t have the composure to question why.

“Kurosuke, that was the first time you had silver vine, right? That’s probably why your body reacted. You started shrinking after you collapsed, so I carried you here in a hurry.”

Kuroka didn’t know what it looked like when she turned into a cat. Shax had surely been stumped about what to do when she suddenly started transforming. The reason she was naked suddenly seemed apparent.

After taking a look around the room, she saw that her clothes were spread out over the bed as if she had crawled out from within them.

She sat there in a complete daze as Shax continued, “This is a town of sorcerers. It’s entirely possible some guys noticed you’re a rare species. That’s why, umm, sorry, but I stayed here overnight.”

Even though he’d stayed in the room, there were dark shadows beneath his eyes. He had seemingly stayed up watching over her the whole time. In other words, that didn’t happen. Kuroka felt like dying from embarrassment.

“...Um, sorry for being a bother,” she told him.

“Don’t be. It’s nothing for you to worry about.”

Kuroka covered her face in shame.

“So, what was that you were saying? Lilith? That’s the girl the boss is looking after, right?”

“Oh! Right! Lilith might be in danger! We have to hurry back to Zagan’s castle!”

“Calm down. How far away do you think Kianoides is? Let’s tell the boss through sorcery first.”

Some kind of terrifying and dreadful darkness existed within that dream. Kuroka didn’t believe it was just a simple vision, which left her unnerved.

Shax gently brushed her head to calm her down.

“I’m telling you to relax. Believe in the boss. He’s not the type to let his subordinates get killed. He’ll definitely save her.”

Those words were enough to reassure her.

That’s right. Zagan’s there with her.

He was the Archdemon who’d accepted an Archangel, his supposed enemy, and took the brunt of Kuroka’s revenge without question. He was the one who saved her.

“Also, believe in yourself,” Shax said.

“Um... why?”

She didn’t know what there was in herself to believe in, given this situation.

Shax placed his hands on both her shoulders as she sat there in bewilderment.

“You’re a cait sith. You bring good luck. Plus, you’re the most loved fairy in the world. Just by believing in her safety, you should be able to help her.”

I’m really no match for him...

Even though he was normally so dense, he served as Kuroka’s pillar of support at times like this. That was why she gave him a firm nod.

“Right. I’ll believe in Lilith’s safety and pray for her.”

“That’s the spirit,” Shax said as he averted his eyes. “Uhhh... I’ll go contact the boss, so, um, you should, you know... Get dressed... I mean.”

Kuroka clearly saw Shax blush. She had Shax’s outerwear on her shoulders, but was still essentially naked. His reaction made total sense.

“...Um, Mister Shax?” she said his name and grabbed his sleeve to stop him from leaving.

“Wh-What is it?”

“Does your, um, heart throb? When, um, you see me like this, I mean.”

It didn’t feel like she’d be able to recover if he said he had no interest. Nevertheless, she decided to boldly ask for an answer. Shax’s face twitched, but he could figure out that she had no intention of letting go until he answered.

“Of course it does!” he shouted.

That was the first time she’d gotten the answer she wanted from him. In response, she pulled Shax’s outerwear up over her mouth and smiled.

“Then I’ll forgive you for last night.”

He had treated her like a child and disregarded her as a member of the opposite sex, but his answer just now was satisfying enough for her to forgive it all.

◇

“Got it. We’re also aware that Lilith is missing. Tell Kuroka not to worry about anything. It’d be more troubling if she brought on some kind of misfortune from her end,” Zagan stated as he walked over to Lilith and Selphy’s room.

He was communicating with Shax using sorcery. Zagan had made Shax learn how to do that before sending him out with Kuroka. Selphy was in a rush in front of him, while Alshiera and Naberius tagged along behind him. Setting aside Alshiera, Zagan didn’t really want Naberius loitering around the castle, but this was an emergency.

“I’m counting on you, Boss. So, what should we do?”

“Continue your investigation after Kuroka calms down. Wait... No, never mind. Rest for the day. I’ll send you instructions after we clear things up over here.”

“Roger that.”

In a sense, Kuroka’s power was stronger than Nephy’s, but far more unstable. Zagan knew nothing good could come out of her acting unreasonably in such a volatile situation. So long as he didn’t know Lilith’s exact situation, any additional trouble from her would just increase his workload.

Shax seemed to agree on this point. He honestly backed down. By the time he ended the communication, the group had arrived at Lilith’s room. She wasn’t there. Her bed wasn’t particularly messy. It was as if someone had been sleeping there normally moments ago and simply vanished.

Zagan looked over to Selphy and asked, “So, when did she disappear?”

“I don’t know. She was, like, totally there last night when I went to sleep, but she wasn’t around when I woke up. Also, I found this on her bed...”

Selphy held out a mirror. It was just big enough to hold in both hands. Zagan recognized it. This was one of Liucaon’s three Holy Treasures, the Mirror of the Afterlife. Upon looking into it, he saw Lilith running through the darkness.

“Is this reflecting where Lilith is right now?”

“That’s what I think. Lilith’s probably in, like, a dream right now.”

A succubus was capable of physically entering a dream. That was the reason they were able to do as they pleased within them. And it also meant it took a lot of work to drag them out of one.

“Alshiera. Lend me a hand. We need to pull Lilith back.”

“...It’s no use. Lilith is already beyond my domain. I can’t reach her.”

“Beyond your domain...? What do you mean?”

Alshiera bit down on her thumbnail and answered bitterly, “I explained this to Naberius earlier. I can’t leave this world.”

Zagan grimaced.

Wasn’t that regarding Furcas leaving the boundary of the world?

Lilith was in a dream. Nevertheless, Zagan came to a realization.

“The world ended there. That’s what it felt like.”

“To me, it was more like she was the guardian of that place.”

That was the scenery Lilith had once seen within her dreams. It was likely a view of the boundary of the barrier that enclosed the world. After that discussion, Zagan hypothesized that the barrier used intangible dreams as a medium.

In other words, to cross Alshiera’s barrier, you need to travel through a dream?

Lilith wasn’t a sorcerer, but she was one of the most powerful succubi in the world. She might have had the ability to cross the barrier. That would explain why Alshiera had kept close to that girl and always paid attention to her, even when Kuroka’s village was attacked. But was there truly another world beyond there? Or perhaps...

We have to hurry. This is getting bad!

If it was as Zagan suspected, Lilith was in an extremely dangerous place. There was even a chance that he wouldn’t be able to do anything on his own, even if he acted fast.

But that’s not enough of a reason for a king to abandon his subject...

Zagan shifted his attention to the mirror in Selphy’s hand and said, “So, this is our only clue...?”

He then tried to grab the Mirror of the Afterlife, but his arm sank right into the mirror itself.

“Wh-What?”

There was absolutely no mana at work, yet a terrifying force that he couldn’t resist at all drew him in.

“My Silver-Eyed King!”

“Mister Zagan?!”

Alshiera grabbed Zagan’s arm, while Selphy tried to pull back the mirror. However, it refused to let him go and swallowed his arm inch by inch.

I can’t hold my ground, it seems...

Zagan turned to Alshiera and said, “It’s fine, let go. This is the perfect opportunity to bring Lilith back.”

The expression Alshiera made at that moment seemed all too anguished... and all too memorable. She bit down hard on her lip and twisted her face as if she was going to cry, but forced a smile.

“I pray for your good fortune...”

It was a simple phrase, but what kind of emotions lay behind it when coming from this girl? The secret Alshiera had been trying to hide all this time was likely on the other side of this mirror. And so, Zagan answered plainly and clearly.

“Yeah. I’ll be right back.”

He slipped through Alshiera’s grip, and in the very next instant, the mirror started to swallow Zagan’s entire body. Mysteriously enough, there was one thing that convinced him he could bring Lilith back.

So long as Kuroka is praying for her safety, I’m sure Lilith is still alive.

And with that, Zagan vanished into the mirror.

◇

He wondered where he was. He didn’t even know who he was. All he had was an accumulation of regrets and lingering attachments.

I’ve been searching for something all this time, I think?

He had no idea what that was anymore, either. And precisely because he didn’t know, he ended up stepping foot somewhere he never should have on his quest for an answer. As a result, he ended up as he was now.

It was an entirely dark world. A voice could be heard. It was one that sounded much like the embodiment of eternal resentment. He couldn’t see a thing, he couldn’t say a thing, and he couldn’t feel his arms or legs. All he could truly sense was that eternal wail inside his head, screaming in both lamentation and hatred.

Aah, this is surely the end of the world. I’m going to vanish here. But what’s this feeling? It’s like this isn’t my first time here.

This had happened before. It could’ve been years, decades, or even centuries ago. Or perhaps it was yesterday. Regardless, he recognized this. It was painful, agonizing even. He couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t speak. No matter how much he tried to writhe about, it felt like he had sunken deep within the ocean. Back then, it was the first time he’d prayed with all his heart, wishing to live.

Oh, I see. Back then, I was saved by...

Someone had stretched out their hand to him as if granting his wish. He couldn’t remember their face anymore, or even what they sounded like. There was one thing he remembered, though: beautiful eyes, which were golden like the moon. He searched the entire world hoping to find them again, but never did. He had even forgotten who he was searching for and ended up all alone.

“I want... to see her... just once more...”

He was fine with simply vanishing, but at the very least, he wanted to see that face one more time. And just as he tried stretching out his arm to grasp at that fragment of a memory, he saw a faint light within the darkness. They shined just like those eyes did, with a golden glint.

He didn’t care if it was just an illusion. He continued stretching his hand out toward the light, and then...

“I finally found you,” a voice said.

A small hand grasped him. It was a girl’s hand. Her eyes were the same gold as in his memories. She had vivid scarlet hair, bat-like wings growing from her lower back, and twisting horns on her head. Her white skin was marked by small cuts here and there. She was in a dreadful state, covered in blood and dirt.

The girl gave him a relieved smile and mused, “So, it really was you.”

“Who are you...?”

Why did she know him? Did he know her? He continued staring at her face, not understanding the situation at all.

“Do you remember me? We just met in a dream,” she said.

A dream? What does that mean?

He tried cocking his head, only to realize his entire body was in so much pain that he couldn’t move a muscle.

“By the looks of it, you don’t remember,” the girl said with a sigh. “Whatever. I’m saving you, so come with me.”

“Why... save me...?”

He could tell by her wounds that this place was dangerous. She must’ve gone through quite the ordeal to reach him.

The girl knit her brows and replied, “Why, you ask...? Hmm. I wonder...”

She then gave him a bitter smile and declared, “Well, if I had to say, it’s because His Highness and my friend would surely do so. I don’t have any reason other than that... Huh?”

Her eyes suddenly shot open in surprise.

He felt something warm coming down his cheek. Without even realizing it, he had started crying.

I feel like I’ve finally found what I’ve been looking for.

This girl might not have been the same person as back then. Regardless, he had surely been searching for her this entire time.

“C-Come on. I’m just doing it for myself, so you don’t need to cry,” the girl said, pulling on his hand to start walking. “In any case, we’ll talk later. We have to get out of here first.”

“Get out...? Where’s the exit...?”

The world around them was black as far as the eye could see. There was no path in sight. He didn’t even know what direction they could walk in. Did this girl truly know how to get out?

“I don’t know,” she replied with confidence, “But the path won’t ever open to you if you just sit around. If we get walking, His Highness will surely come to save us.”

As they walked, five cracks in space appeared before them. The girl turned around and flashed him a triumphant smile in response.

“See?”

Her face, illuminated by the light pouring from the cracks, looked terribly dirty, yet endlessly beautiful.

◇

What is this place? It’s like hell...

Zagan found a world of mud-like darkness on the other side of the mirror. There was something dreadful about this world, since simply looking at it chipped away at his spirit. The stench of putrid corpses filled the air as fear assaulted his sanity.

Any living being, regardless of whether or not they were a sorcerer, would die in spirit far before their body could expire. And yet, not seeing anything at all was precisely what kept him sane. If he could see what was here, he was sure he wouldn’t be able to endure.

Zagan could tell his hand was trembling. Zagan, an Archdemon, felt genuine fear.

I haven’t felt this sensation since I first saw that demon.

On the day Zagan succeeded the title of Archdemon, he witnessed the summoning of a demon, though incomplete, during his clash with Barbatos. That was the very first time he had felt such dread. Although, what he felt now made that seem like a gentle breeze. His body was frozen up completely.

“Don’t screw with me.”

Zagan raised his voice and brushed away the terror. He didn’t throw himself into the mirror just to stand here and do nothing. A king had to march forward to save his subject. Fear was nothing but a pebble on his road to achieving that.

However, he required some manner of path to be able to march forward. As such, his first question came back to mind. Where was this, exactly? This world didn’t seem to actually exist. If he had to guess whether this was a dream or reality, he would go with the former. But in that case, whose dream was it?

In other words, some sort of will exists here.

The fact that Zagan was still fine meant the dreamer was still asleep. He was left to live precisely because this was a dream. To put it simply, this was something like the early stages of a nightmare.

He had to find Lilith quickly and get out of here. With no sight, he had to rely on his hearing. Zagan strained his ears and heard something akin to a faint breeze. Or not. That wasn’t wind. It was a voice. He couldn’t hear the words themselves, but he knew what this was: fathomless resentment.

The voice couldn’t forgive the very existence of the world, including itself, and thus sought to repent for its sins by destroying the world and itself altogether. There was desperation, hatred, and grief all mixed together as the voice cursed continuously.

Upon noticing the voice, a sharp pain ran through Zagan’s entire body. It assaulted all those who heard it, much like a strong wind tearing at one’s skin. The sense of pain immediately vanished, but that didn’t mean the pain itself was gone. It simply meant he had lost the ability to feel pain. At the same time, a chill ran through his body as if all heat was being torn away from him.

Zagan finally understood. He knew what the identity behind this sensation was. If such a thing began spilling into reality, that would be all it would take to destroy the whole world. That was what this cursed world was.

I see. So, this is Azazel...

He had felt a similar fear in ‘Aristella’s’ eyes. She had manifested just a fragment of the power here by being a spiritual medium. This nightmare could render any normal person insane just by touching upon it. This was the will of Azazel. That was why Alshiera acted so uneasily despite possessing so much power. It didn’t feel like this could be extinguished with a thousand shots of the Seraph Hunters. And after being confronted with the true nature of this dreadful world, a sudden thought came to mind.

A cursed voice becoming power...?

Wasn’t there something else rather similar to this? Zagan didn’t have the time to linger on that thought, however.

I won’t be able to take this for too long.

He decided to march forward, but the more he moved, the more the cursed voice ate at his mind and body. Zagan was beginning to panic.

Regardless of how powerful a succubus is inside a dream, can she really withstand this...?

He had to find Lilith quickly, before it was too late. He couldn’t see anything. All he could hear was that resentful voice. What was he supposed to rely on to find her?

No, there must be some sort of clue.

When Lilith had consulted Zagan about her dream of the end of the world, he had ordered her to live. If she survived, he would save her. Zagan knew that even though she wasn’t a sorcerer and was weak-hearted, that princess still had the resolve to speak sharply when faced with an Archdemon. That will to live would surely be completely foreign within this nightmare. He had to find her.

Search... Find her! She’s definitely here!

He strained his eyes and ears and even focused on the sensation tearing at his skin.

How long had he kept this up? It felt like forever, but Zagan suddenly found another voice within that continuous cursing.

“—the path isn’t going to open if you just sit around—”

It was a silly voice, much like someone was just gossiping. That was exactly why it felt completely out of place here.

“Found you! Heaven’s Phosphor Fivefold Grand Flower!”

Zagan unleashed his greatest attack without hesitation. The five blades of Heaven’s Phosphor shot from his fingers and tore apart the darkness, opening a path. He could see golden eyes in the distance. They were still far away. It was as if those eyes were on the other side of a torrential canal. Nevertheless, Zagan took a step forward.

“Heaven’s Wheel Shadow Sever.”

He gathered the mana in the area and transformed it into a propelling force. This was his third form of power. He lunged down the path torn open by Heaven’s Phosphor and managed to find Lilith.

Just being a succubus didn’t seem to be enough to get through here safely. Her already revealing outfit was torn up, and countless cuts ran across her white skin. Honestly, he felt like it was because of her powers as a succubus that she managed to get off so lightly. Just looking at her pained his heart. He then spotted someone else with her: a boy in tatters.

He’s the boy who showed up in that dream on the boat?

She had apparently done something unreasonable so that she could save this boy.

“Your Highness!” Lilith yelled in joy.

“Don’t make me put in so much extra work.”

Now that he reached them, he had to get back quickly. Zagan didn’t even pause to catch his breath, carrying both Lilith and the boy under his arms. Shadow Sever was still in effect. However, the path he had torn open was already starting to shut. Not only that, it felt like the darkness itself was staring at Zagan.

I guess it found me.

It was like punching someone while they were sleeping. It was only obvious for them to wake up, and also natural for their anger to be directed toward him. Actually, this was more like lightly poking a dreamer with a fork, so it was still half asleep and not fully aware of the three intruders. As it was now, escape was still possible.

“It’ll get a little rough. Keep your mouth shut, okay?”

After checking that Lilith quickly gave him a nod, Zagan glanced at the boy. That was when his face stiffened up completely. There was a very familiar symbol carved on his right hand.

“It can’t be... Are you...? No, that can wait.”

The darkness was already showing Zagan animosity. It was already eating away at his spirit while the dreamer was asleep; he’d be done for in an instant if it were to awaken.

“Heaven’s Scale Eastern Sky, Western Sky.”

I can’t see where the exit is. Heaven’s Phosphor is a poor choice since it vanishes after being fired. This was his invincible shield, the first spell he developed so that he could face off against Sacred Swords and demons. Zagan slammed his shield against the darkness in front of him. There was a dull sensation like sticking his arm into a bog. A crack formed on the Eastern Sky. At the same time, a fissure formed in the muddy darkness and burst open with a crack of sound.

This’ll work.

Heaven’s Scale absorbed the mana around it to continuously strengthen itself. This space was much like an infinite supply of mana. The crack in the Eastern Sky repaired itself in an instant. Zagan clenched his fists once more and lashed out with the Western Sky, extending the path further.

So, my limit really is three at once.

Shadow Sever, Eastern Sky, and Western Sky were all in effect. Heaven’s Scale continuously devoured the darkness, but Zagan couldn’t control more than three of these spells. If he had just one more means of attack, he could open the path completely.

Fortunately, Shadow Sever was faster than the closing darkness. It wasn’t clear where he should be headed, or whether there was even an exit to begin with, but Zagan continued pushing forward, smashing the darkness before him. As he continued slamming his tattered fists to make a path forward, he saw a light in the distance.

“Your Highness! Over there!”

“I see it!”

It was the Mirror of the Afterlife’s light. Zagan knew this by instinct after having stepped foot in here through it. The instant he lunged toward it, he took a single glance behind him. A white slit was opening in the world of darkness. Beyond it, he could see a blue sphere tumbling about in place. The moment he recognized this as an eyeball, another identical fissure split open.

◇

“Haaah, haaah, haaah...”

After passing through the light, Zagan fell to his knees and gasped for air.

What the hell was that?

The dreamer, Azazel, might’ve woken up, but what exactly was it to see such a dreadful dream? It clearly wasn’t meant to be witnessed by anyone normal. It was likely something that must never be understood. After arriving at that conclusion, he finally figured out why Alshiera would never talk about it.

Within a dream... something which mustn’t be understood. Ah, goddammit, so that’s what it is.

There was no way she could talk about it. If she did, and someone figured it out completely, that would be all it would take to destroy the world. Even if all thirteen Archdemons cooperated, it didn’t feel like they could do anything about it.

Zagan let Lilith and the boy down on the ground.

“Sorry, this is about all I have,” Lilith said, tearing a piece of her tattered sleeve off with a worried look. She wiped off Zagan’s forehead. That was when he first realized that sweat was pouring down his brow like a waterfall.

This isn’t an expression I should be showing my subordinates.

Zagan accepted the scrap of cloth from Lilith and stood up.

“Don’t worry. The sorcery I used just had poor energy consumption.”

Heaven’s Scale was about as efficient as sorcery could get. He was being superficially vain, but Lilith let out a sigh of relief. There was worth in putting on that act if he could get her to relax. He then took a look around him.

“It seems we’re not back at the castle...”

They were now in something like a temple, surrounded by countless pillars. The pillars were simply-made with vertical grooves carved into them. There was an opening every few meters where a statue of a winged-human was enshrined. They somewhat resembled avians, but were strangely divine.

No, that’s no avian.

It was some other race, but he hadn’t been taught what exactly. Zagan suddenly pinched his brow.

Taught? By who? Do I know this statue... this place?

Even as he searched his memories, he couldn’t find anything which corresponded. Zagan had no way of knowing whether this was some delusion, deja vu, or a memory he possessed.

He took another look at the pillars. They appeared quite old. He couldn’t make out the details because they appeared weathered. There were signs of letters carved into them, but they were difficult to interpret. Each pillar stretched far off into the heavens.

There was no ceiling. There wasn’t even a sky. Only a dreadful and iridescent space that wasn’t quite the darkness of night spread out above him. This didn’t seem to be reality. Meaning he was still within a dream.

“I know this place...” Lilith suddenly said with a gasp.

“Where are we?”

“I told you about the weird dream I had before, right? This looks the same...”

“...I see.”

Zagan looked up. That dreadful space made him think of the world he had just been in.

If this is the boundary within that world, then Alshiera’s reaction makes sense.

When Lilith first wandered into this place, Alshiera had gone pale bringing her back. She never explained why. Now that Zagan knew what lay beyond, it was perfectly understandable.

“So, this is something like the halfway point between that darkness and our world.”

Meaning this was Alshiera’s barrier. The strange structure of this temple made sense if these pillars were supporting that space beyond the distance.

“Can you get us back from here?” Zagan asked Lilith.

“Umm... Sorry, it’s no good.” Lilith shook her head apologetically. “I’m pretty sure this is the inside of a dream, but it’s not my dream... Last time, My Lady was the one to bring me back, I didn’t make it back on my own.”

“Hmm. Well, that makes sense.”

It likely hurt her pride as a succubus. She looked clearly downtrodden as Zagan plopped his hand on her head.

“Don’t worry about it. This is probably Alshiera’s barrier. Seeing how that vampire is involved, it isn’t so simple to break out.”

At the very least, it was an important place that supported the space above. It didn’t make any sense if someone could freely come and go.

Is the reason I was able to go directly to where Lilith was because she’s the master of the Mirror of the Afterlife?

Despite opening the path to its wielder, it couldn’t bring them all the way back. Still, it actually deserved great praise, since it could cross the barrier around the world for its wielder’s sake.

Now that Zagan confirmed the situation, he looked down at the boy lying on the ground. “Now then, it’s about time you start talking.”

He had been inside the darkness far longer than Zagan or Lilith. He was covered in wounds and breathing raggedly, but he was still alive. He was at least conscious enough to look up at Zagan.

“You’re Furcas, right?”

The boy had the Sigil of the Archdemon on the back of his right hand. He wasn’t wearing a robe or any amulets like a sorcerer would, and didn’t seem like anything more than that young boy on the boat in that dream, but Zagan wouldn’t mistake a Sigil of the Archdemon for anything else. It was much like the one on Zagan’s hand. The inner details were somewhat different. Orias would likely be able to tell him which part of the body this one indicated.

Well, this did make some sense. Lilith had mentioned a foreign body within Zagan and Nephy’s dream with abnormally strong power. If he was within the world of dreams with his real body, much like Zagan and Lilith were now, then he truly was a troublesome foreign body.

That, combined with the information Naberius had brought about Archdemon Furcas’ disappearance after trying to cross the world’s enclosure, made it highly likely this was Furcas. Meaning Zagan had gotten involved before Naberius even made his request. He glared down at the boy with an annoyed look.

“Fur...cas...?” the boy replied with an imploring gaze. “Is that... my name? Do you... know me?”

“Huh?”

Both Zagan and Lilith sounded stupefied. The boy held his head.

“I don’t... know. Why... am I here? Who... am I?”

Zagan exchanged looks with Lilith.

I see. From what Naberius said, quite some time has passed since this guy tried to cross the barrier.

It had been several days, perhaps even a week. At the very least, the time he spent there couldn’t be measured in mere hours. Spending several days within that nightmare was enough to destroy the mind of even an Archdemon.

Zagan finally understood why nobody was able to leave this world. To get out, one had to pass through Azazel’s dream. The succubi were pretty much the only ones who could bring their physical forms into dreams to begin with. That was why nobody managed to break through the barrier, and why any who did never came back. Even Archdemon Furcas had been reduced to such a state, after all.

By the look of it, he doesn’t even remember how to use sorcery.

It didn’t seem like he’d be of any use in escaping this place. Furcas held the second name Valley Cat. He was supposed to be a specialist in leaping across rifts in space who even surpassed Barbatos.

“Do you remember anything at all?” Zagan asked.

“...Nothing. Or maybe... I feel like I’ve met her somewhere before,” the boy said, giving Lilith a look.

“I think he’s referring to My Lady,” Lilith whispered into Zagan’s ear.

“Is that so? What about that dream we were just in?”

“Oh... right. I met him there too, huh?”

Having said that, it was true this boy had been with Alshiera in that dream atop the boat.

If he remembers Alshiera in this state, does that mean she did something to him?

That dream on the boat was supposedly a nightmare, so even though he was an Archdemon, Zagan sympathized with the boy a little. However, he still grabbed the boy by the back of the neck and lifted him in the air.

“Wha?!”

“What are you doing, Your Highness?!”

Both the boy and Lilith yelled as Zagan let out a sigh.

“We can’t stay here forever. Let’s look for any clues for a way out.”

“You have a point, but why are you lifting him like that?”

“Hm...? So we can walk around, obviously.”

Zagan wanted to get rid of the Archdemons, but after seeing him like this, his desire to kill the boy had faded. Besides, Lilith had risked her life to save him, so it would leave a bad aftertaste to abandon him here. The boy’s mouth was wide open in shock, but he eventually strained a smile.

“I feel like I understand what you said earlier, just a little. He’s a good king.”

“What’s this about?” Zagan asked with a grimace, but Lilith turned bright red without answering him. He then took a look at the pillars around him.

“What’s wrong?” Lilith asked.

“...This really isn’t the first time I’ve seen this place.”

Lilith’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know. I just feel like I’ve seen this palace before. I remember something like being led by the hand by someone. Maybe when I was very young.”

Who was it who had led him by the hand? He couldn’t remember their face or clothing, but that person had definitely been an adult. He vaguely recalled having to look up at them. There was one other person with them at the time. Someone around the same age as him, a small girl with red hair and horns. Her face overlapped with the girl right in front of his eyes.

What? Does that mean Lilith was here too?

In other words, did that mean Zagan had met Lilith in the past? It was certainly possible, considering who his father was. He had just spoken of the possibility with Nephy while inside that dream.

“The pillars back then weren’t this big,” Zagan said as he raised his eyes.

They had looked enormous to him back then, but they hadn’t been so tall that their ends weren’t in sight. Zagan suddenly started walking.

“H-Hang on, Your Highness. Where are you going?”

“I don’t know if this is the same place I know of, but I feel like there was something over that way.”

He didn’t know whether he had seen something or whether he had walked in that direction and found nothing. Regardless, Zagan simply marched forward.

◇

“Hm? Is this a statue of... Alshiera?”

He found it after proceeding further into the temple. There were statues all over, but only this one was placed in the center of the path. It was a step higher, much like an altar, and the pillar it was a part of was far more elaborately detailed. This was likely the very center of the entire temple.

At the very least, I don’t remember seeing anything like this before.

His sense of deja vu had faded in the middle of walking and he had lost all conviction. Regardless, he found this pillar by relying on his memory to walk in this direction. It was a strange pillar with the statue of a girl at its base.

That statue’s hairstyle was different and its eyes were shut, but Zagan could never forget that impudent face. Having said that, that statue depicted the girl sleeping, so he couldn’t actually sense any of her usual maliciousness. It looked to be made of something which resembled both stone and metal. It had a color like lead and a luster like a well-polished stone.

Much like a figurehead, the lower body of the statue was buried in the pillar, so the statue only depicted the girl from the waist up. Was her body beneath that fluffy dress truly that dainty? He knew she had modest breasts, but her neck and arms were so slender it felt like they would break at first touch. He could even see her ribs.

Both her arms were held up with chains around her wrists, making her slender, naked body even more prominent. Her long hair covered her nipples and groin, but exposed what she normally had hidden on her head: two broken horns.

Having her miserable scars fully laid bare like that made this look more like a sacrifice than a divine idol. Her silky hair had been scrupulously reproduced down to the last strand, making her almost seem alive.

“Does this mean this is My Lady’s temple?”

“I wonder about that. Is this your first time seeing it?”

“Y-Yeah... The last two times, My Lady stopped me.”

Zagan sank into thought.

“Last two times... huh? Was Alshiera the only one with you those times?”

“Huh? Well, yeah...”

“Was it possible there was someone else?”

“Hmmm, judging from her state at the time, I don’t think anyone else would’ve gotten off lightly...”

If this had been exposed to anyone, Alshiera would probably kill them, despite her oath. So, even if there was somebody here back then, Zagan didn’t believe they were still alive. It seemed the possibility that Zagan had been here at the same time was rather low.

It was possible that because she had been in a dream, Lilith mistook the experience as her own memory. She had, however, connected to someone else’s dream by playing another role in that dream on the boat.

“Hey, do you recognize her?” Zagan asked the boy as he thrust him forward in front of the statue.

“No, I don’t think so,” the boy said as he stiffly shook his head, still gripped by the back of the neck by Zagan. “It’s like... I recognize her just a little, maybe. Sorry. I can’t tell.”

It seemed his actual memory of Alshiera didn’t remain. At this rate, it was questionable whether meeting the actual person would make any difference.

“But... I feel kind of sorry for her, since she’s broken like that,” the boy added.

“Broken?”

“Look, over there.”

Zagan hadn’t noticed because it was covered by her hair. There was a crack on the statue’s abdomen. It was the same place Alshiera was wounded. At the sudden realization, Zagan dropped the boy.

“Hwah!”

The boy shrieked in pain, but Zagan didn’t pay him any mind and tried touching the statue’s neck.

What’s going on here...?

“Is she alive...?”

It was cold and hard. Just by its feel, this was no more than a statue. However, he could feel a pulse against his fingers. She was breathing. This was a statue of a member of the Night Clan, but for some reason, it had a pulse and breathed like a living human.

“Your Highness? What do you mean? It’s a statue,” Lilith asked in bewilderment.

“...Exactly what I said. It looks like stone, but it has a beating heart and is breathing.”

“Huh...? But... My Lady’s a vampire, right? Vampires don’t breathe, do they?”

A vampire’s body wasn’t actually alive. They didn’t have a pulse and didn’t need to breathe. They were cold to the touch and didn’t have any blood flowing through them. Furthermore, their bodies were something like a heat haze, which was why they could turn into mist or break up into bats. They vanished when their powers were lost, but revived over time as if nothing happened.

Zagan looked up at the statue with pity in his eyes.

“There are several ways for a human to turn into a vampire. The most well-known way is having your blood sucked by a vampire, but that isn’t possible if no vampires exist.”

In other words, some had turned into vampires without requiring another vampire to exist. Those who did were called pure vampires.

“As far as I know, there are three ways of turning into a vampire. The first is to use sorcery to transcend the human body. The second is to drink the blood of a sacred beast and get cursed.”

Zagan stopped there.

“And the third...?” Lilith timidly asked.

“Human sacrifice. To be offered up as a sacrifice, but not die.”

Lilith and the boy gulped.

“So... My Lady was sacrificed here...?”

“...Probably.”

In short, this was Alshiera’s real body.

“Is there any way to save her?” the boy asked sadly.

“Who knows? She’s definitely tied up here, but doing something careless might kill her.”

“What do you mean?”

Zagan almost felt like sighing at the boy’s ignorance. He was supposed to be an Archdemon.

“I don’t know what role she’s serving here. I’m pretty sure she’s the cornerstone of the temple that allows it to function. It’s also possible the temple itself is connected to her life. Even if we bring her out of here safely, there’s a danger her accumulated years will flow in a single instant.”

Alshiera had spent a thousand years as a vampire. If such a long period of time flowed all at once, no human would leave behind so much as ash. It was only barely possible with a paranormal being like a dragon.

The boy drooped his shoulders. “I see... So, we can’t do anything for her...?”

Zagan didn’t know how much of that dream on the boat was faithful to this boy’s past, but Alshiera had been his savior. Even without his memories, some lingering emotion remained within him.

“Hey, give me your hand,” Zagan said with an irritated sigh.

“Huh? Sure.”

Zagan grabbed his hand and pushed it against the wound on the statue.

“W-Wawawawawa!”

“Your Highness?! What are you doing?!”

Lilith and the boy turned bright red. Zagan didn’t know what had them in such a fluster. This boy was the one who said he wanted to do something for her.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Zagan replied in exasperation. “This guy can’t even remember how to use sorcery. So, this is the only way.”

Zagan forcefully drew mana from the boy’s Sigil of the Archdemon and poured it into Alshiera’s statue.

“Keep your hand there. It’ll mess up if you let go,” Zagan told the boy, then focused on repairing the damage.

What’s this material?

It was a simple matter to repair a human body, but he couldn’t analyze what made up this statue now that it was a human pillar of the temple. Regardless, the crack in the statue sealed itself in about ten seconds or so. By the time the light of mana faded, the statue had been splendidly repaired completely.

“Hmph. That about does it... What’s wrong?”

The boy sank to the floor with bright red cheeks.

“Wh-What’s wrong...? She’s a girl, you know...? T-Touching her like that is a little...”

Her body was made of something which was neither stone nor metal, but the boy knew she was alive now. He was apparently shy about touching her because of that. It truly was a sad state to be in for an Archdemon.

“Like I care. There are only two kinds of women in the world: my bride, and all others.”

Why did he have to care about the naked bodies of all the other rabble? If this was Nephy’s naked body, he would be shaken far more than this boy was, but Zagan still looked down on him arrogantly.

“Umm... What about Lady Foll?” Lilith pointed out.

Zagan folded his arms. “...There are three kinds of women in the world.”

After he corrected himself, she gave him a tepid look before returning her gaze to Alshiera’s statue.

“What did you do?”

“All I did was fill in the gash with mana. Well, it was quite difficult to give mana physical substance, so I used this guy’s mana to do it.”

He didn’t know the true nature of the material, so he had tried to create living matter out of mana and filling the crack with it to make the repairs. The work to do so was rather precise, so it was a bit of a bother to do. Normally, this would require drugs like elixir, other tools, appropriate catalysts, and a facility to match all that. It was beyond Zagan’s capabilities on his own, so he had forced the boy to serve as his assistant. That didn’t mean Alshiera’s wound had actually healed, however.

“Let me just tell you now, all I did was mend the appearance. There’s no meaning beyond that.”

Azazel’s sword has the same kind of power as Heaven’s Phosphor.

Alshiera didn’t possess a real body in substance, yet had suffered such a severe wound. Zagan knew better than anyone that such a wound couldn’t be healed. And yet, the boy smiled.

“Still, thank you. I feel like I’ve finally been able to pay back some of the debt I owe her. I don’t even remember what it was, so it may sound kind of weird coming from me.”

How did this guy get so twisted that he became an Archdemon?

It felt like he would’ve become an Angelic Knight had he lived properly. Zagan then returned his gaze to Alshiera’s statue.

Well, I guess she really does look pitiful exposed like this.

It didn’t look like it, but this statue was apparently alive. She wasn’t aware of her surroundings, so looking at her body like this didn’t feel good. Zagan removed his mantle and wrapped it around Alshiera’s statue.

“Well, it doesn’t quite fit, but it’s better than nothing.”

And just then, something shattered as the space above them tore open.

◇

“What?!” Zagan exclaimed as he looked up. A massive eye was looking down from the iridescent sky.

“...What a persistent bastard.”

It seemed Azazel had noticed them. One beat later, he identified the true nature of the shattering he heard. Several of the pillars closest to the eye had cracks running down them. It was clear that each and every one of them served some important role. If they were destroyed, Azazel was very likely to encroach past the barrier.

Is it because I touched Alshiera? Or maybe...

Zagan’s mind focused on the Sigil on his right hand. The Sludge Demon Lord that Bifrons had summoned possessed a fixation on the Sigil of the Archdemon. ‘Aristella’ also seemed to covet the Sigil. It was still unknown whether a portion of the Demon Lord’s body was sealed within it, but there was no mistaking that Azazel wanted it.

This space was within Alshiera’s barrier, however. And so, even Azazel couldn’t invade through sheer strength. It simply looked down at him, unable to get any closer.

Eventually, something fell from Azazel’s eye. It was a black tear. It crashed to the ground and splattered into the surroundings. What followed was a repulsive wind that felt like the very spirits of the dead, which coiled around them. There was a discomfort in the air as if human entrails were churning about.

The boy trembled violently, while Lilith was unable to endure and collapsed to the ground with her hands over her mouth.

They’d been struck by a wave of miasma.

“Wh-What?” the boy muttered in fear.

“...Stand back,” Zagan ordered as he held out his hand and stood at the front.

Now that I think about it, Barbatos and Orias managed to summon this.

Zagan recognized the figure that had fallen. It was a creature without form. It was different from any being in existence; a grotesque being whose very power existed outside the laws of the world. This was a demon.

Only a few demons had formed from the droplet. As Zagan was now, he could defeat such numbers, but tears continued to drip from Azazel’s eye. Each droplet gave birth to multiple demons, beating down on the ground like rain. At this rate, there would be thousands, if not tens of thousands, of demons.

“They’re trying to destroy the place!”

The demons didn’t even pay the three of them any mind. Instead, they began attacking the pillars. Some shot pebbles from their bodies, some wrapped themselves around the pillars to try and wrench them apart, and some simply struck them. Dozens of demons all attacked at once. The first pillar broke in no time at all and began crumbling to pieces.

This is useless...

An unmitigated disaster unfolded before his eyes. It was impossible to protect the entire temple, so instead, Zagan groped about for a means to survive.

“Y-Your Highness...”

Zagan came to a sudden realization as he heard that fading voice. He turned around and saw Lilith trembling in terror. The boy she had risked her life to save was standing next to her. And behind them was the statue of that annoying yet pitiful vampire. If he stepped aside, all of them would be lost.

Zagan sucked in a deep breath to calm his nerves, then said, “There’s no need to sound so pathetic. You stand behind your king. Keep it together.”

His obstinacy verged on humor. He had no way to defeat so many demons. Plus, it was entirely within the realm of possibility that Azazel’s true body would eventually descend from that fissure in the sky. All Zagan could do was buy a little time. No matter how much he struggled, the only thing that awaited them was an inescapable death.

Still, a man who can’t show some spirit in front of his subordinates isn’t a king.

That was why he chose to fight. There was a chance he could’ve survived if he escaped on his own, but that wasn’t the kind of king Zagan wished to be. After all, how could he possibly embrace Nephy after doing so?

“I forgot to mention this, Lilith,” Zagan said to encourage himself. “After we get back, I’ll let you pick a reward for that dream you gave us. Spend the time until then thinking of your wish.”

That’s right. I have a mountain of things to do once we get back. Now then... what shall I do about this?

He’d hardened his resolve, so he needed a plan. His foes already counted in the hundreds. And out of his arsenal, Heaven’s Phosphor Autumn Lightning was most efficient for handling multiple enemies at once.

No, that won’t do. This temple likely serves as Alshiera’s life-support.

It was already under attack by the demons. If he unleashed Autumn Lightning, the temple itself was liable to be destroyed. This structure was supposedly a means to seal Azazel in the sky. As such, he had to avoid using any sorcery that would damage it.

Then how about Heaven’s Scale Dragon Form? No... that won’t do, either. It’s good for long battles, but it’s only one dragon. He had no objections to its ability to fight forever, but it was far too small-scale to exterminate this many demons while protecting Lilith, the boy, and the temple.

Fivefold Grand Flower could only be fired once before dissipating, while Will-o-the-Wisp didn’t pack enough of a punch. As such, he wanted to use Eastern and Western Sky, but doing so would consume two of his resources at once. It wasn’t bad for defending, but it wasn’t suitable for defeating opponents. The situation would just get worse and worse until he lost.

Meaning I only have one choice left... Even if there were multiple better options, nothing would be resolved so long as the eye remained above them. In his current form, Zagan couldn’t do anything about it. But even so, he took a step forward.

“Can you... really defeat that thing?” Lilith asked in disbelief.

“I have to win and return to Nephy’s side... Oh, right. This is a battle I can’t forfeit, for Nephy’s happiness... and mine.”

He had just failed to invite her on a date, so he had to get back right away and do it properly. Zagan was suddenly filled with motivation. He had faltered for a moment, but after thinking about it properly, he realized there was no reason for him to waver before some lowly demons.

Scattering every single one of them and returning like nothing had happened... That was the kind of scene he wanted to show Nephy. There was no way he was letting their relationship end after clinging to her in a dream.

Zagan snapped his fingers. Countless firefly-like lights floated up around the boy and Lilith.

“Heaven’s Scale Snowfield. You two, don’t move from there. If you spread out, I won’t be able to protect you.”

“Y-Yes!” Lilith replied positively, returned a firm nod, and grabbed the boy’s hand, backing up next to Alshiera’s statue. She fully understood the appropriate action to take in that situation. Now that everything he had to protect was clustered together, Zagan could strengthen his defense to obstruct several demons swarming at them at once. That was his first priority. Next, Zagan weaved sorcery into his own feet.

“Heaven’s Wheel Shadow Sever.”

He was far outnumbered. And so, he had to overcome that by acting more quickly. In other words, speed was paramount. That was his second priority. And finally, Zagan thrust out his fist to start the third.

“Heaven’s Phosphor Purple Lightning.”

A mass coated his hand. It wasn’t as large as the Eastern and Western Sky, since it only covered his arm from the elbow down. However, unlike his invincible shield, this was made of Heaven’s Phosphor, which burned everything it touched to ash. In that nonsensical fist form, it could only be used for attacking, so it would’ve been far more efficient to shape it into a blade or simple flames, but Zagan didn’t care.

This shape is necessary. It helps enable my arts.

It was a form of Heaven’s Phosphor that Zagan had developed to use in conjunction with the martial arts he always avoided using. But then, why was it called Purple Lightning?

Zagan took a step forward using Shadow Sever. That one step accelerated his body to the extremes and covered ten strides in an instant. Heaven’s Phosphor left a pale trail behind in a vivid, purple streak. Shortly after, he took a second, then a third step, finally closing in on the closest demon. It had a repulsive appearance akin to a tar-like substance that imitated the shape of a human. There were several eyeballs spread out irregularly across its head, all of which turned in Zagan’s direction, but they didn’t actually catch sight of him.

Zagan twisted his shoulder and thrust out his fist. This punch worked in conjunction with the extreme speed of Shadow Sever. It wasn’t quite on the level of Andrealphus’ Void, but it still came close to it in terms of pure speed.

The tar-like demon didn’t even react. Zagan’s fist touched what looked like its abdomen. A light pop resounded in the air as its body burst like a balloon. The scattered remains of the demon turned to ash in an instant. And best of all, Heaven’s Phosphor remained wrapped around his fist.

I can break through!

Zagan took his next step. The demons were now advancing like a swarm, but he was already right in front of his next enemy. This time he drove in an uppercut, making the demon vanish from the chest up before it even realized what had happened.

He hit the next one... and then the next one. Every time Zagan took a step with Shadow Sever, he left a purple trail behind him that drew acute angles like lightning through the sky. Zagan himself was like a bolt of lightning trampling through the demons.

That was the origin of this new form of Heaven’s Phosphor. It was sorcery Zagan had developed to use in conjunction with Shadow Sever. Only when the two were combined did it become Purple Lightning. However, to move at a speed beyond a demon’s reaction time, he needed tremendous speed and accurate perception to properly control himself. The continuous training over the last month that he’d dragged Kimaris into had been for this purpose.

By the time he defeated his tenth demon, a dull pain ran through his fist. He was unleashing punches beyond the speed of sound. Any normal person would’ve lost their arm from the first blow, so even an Archdemon couldn’t remain unscathed.

Luckily, Zagan specialized in reinforcing his body. And that particular skill of his had helped him become one of the few Archdemons in the world. His shattered fist regenerated in an instant and smashed through his next enemy. What’s more, he used his arts to manipulate his body to its utmost capabilities. His godly strikes were unleashed in the most efficient manner possible in order to keep the burden on his body to a minimum.

In short, Purple Lightning was sorcery that helped Zagan unleash a fist of Heaven’s Phosphor so long as he had mana. Still, that wasn’t enough. The demons obviously weren’t going to let him punch them all without putting up any resistance.

The first ten demons had tried to strike back, but they had all missed. However, with ten of their brethren slain, the demons now knew they couldn’t keep up with Shadow Sever. A flimsy demon with a paper-like body—the same type as the one Orias had once summoned—fired a hail of pebbles without any preparatory movements.

“Tch...”

Zagan escaped the range of the projectiles. He could block them with ease using Heaven’s Scale, but he had already deployed it to protect Lilith and the boy. The only means he had of protecting himself were Shadow Sever’s speed and the defensive movements of his martial arts.

Seeing Zagan take evasive action, the demons realized this was a valid means of attack. Following up on the paper-like demon’s barrage, the others also unleashed countless projectiles in the shape of pebbles.

These things can even fight in unison?!

They fired blindly. Only a few attacks actually almost hit Zagan, but any single one had enough power to easily blow away one or two limbs. He struck down anything he couldn’t dodge with his fist. Then, he slipped through the gaps in the rain of projectiles and smashed down one demon after another.

He couldn’t relax his focus for a single instant. He couldn’t even blink. A single mistake would cost him his life. It was like doing acrobatics over a pit of spears.

There was an even bigger problem at hand, however.

The demons are multiplying a little faster than they’re dying.

In the time that it took Zagan to obliterate ten demons, ten more demons formed. It looked like he was putting up a fight, but at this rate, he would be overwhelmed. What’s more, around ten pillars had collapsed since Zagan had started his offensive... and he didn’t know how this affected Alshiera in reality. Nevertheless, Zagan didn’t give in to despair.

There’s still hope.

There was one other person who could enter to help them. Also, if Kuroka was praying for their good fortune, something unexpected could happen. That was why all Zagan could do was protect everyone until that moment arrived.

◇

“Lady Alshiera!”

A short moment after Zagan vanished into the Mirror of the Afterlife, Nephy and Foll came into Lilith and Selphy’s room.

Nephy had been told to rest for the day, but it was difficult to get rid of ingrained habits. Besides, after being so bold within her dream, she couldn’t possibly sit still. That was why she’d woken up like normal that morning and attempted to simply offer some help with her usual work. But even when preparations for breakfast began, Lilith and Selphy didn’t show up. So, she went with Foll to check in on them, where they found Alshiera and the others brooding over something.

Currently, there were five people in the room: Foll, Nephy, Selphy, Alshiera, and some unfamiliar sorcerer. It was rather cramped.

According to Alshiera, Zagan and Lilith were at the edge of the world... at the boundary between the inside and outside. And that boundary was within a dream. Thanks to Zagan, they had somehow managed to come back to a point of potential return, but Alshiera had suddenly collapsed.

Her already white skin turned completely pale and she trembled violently. The first to step forth and hold her in her arms was Foll.

“Alshiera. Don’t push yourself.”

“I’m... fine...”

“What happened?” Foll asked meekly.

“My body... has been found... by Azazel.”

“Wait, hang on, isn’t that really bad?” the masked sorcerer asked in shock.

“...Well, it’s certainly... not good.”

Alshiera held up her hand, which had become transparent starting from her fingertips. She also happened to be the only one capable of bringing Zagan and Lilith back.

Nephy turned pale as she took in the sight and Alshiera flashed her a smile.

“There is no need for you to worry. I’ll show you that I can at least bring the Silver-Eyed King and Lilith back here.”

“That won’t do,” Nephy said without hesitation.

“Huh...?” Alshiera muttered, staring back at her blankly.

“Master Zagan and Lilith are within a dream, right? And your body is over there and exposed to danger, under attack by some unknown enemy.”

Alshiera nodded.

“Then, it would be a problem if you did something as unnecessary as extracting them.”

“I thought you loved the Silver-Eyed King...?”

“I do love him. And I know because I love him. Master Zagan considers it a disgrace to abandon someone just so he can survive.”

He was fine with killing someone to accomplish his goals... and he also didn’t care if someone he didn’t know died somewhere out of sight. However, he would never allow someone he was trying to protect to die. Zagan would never admit it himself, but that was the kind of man he was.

In truth, I’d prefer it if he considered himself the highest priority and rushed back to me.

However, that awkward and obstinate man was sure to lend a helping hand when he saw someone in need. After all, the girl he went to save wasn’t a contemptible weakling who wailed for help. Lilith was a strong girl who did everything she could on her own despite her weakness.

Zagan was a king who extended his hand to those who refused to give up and continued struggling. If he knew Alshiera’s life was in danger, he would definitely protect her. On the surface, he showed disdain for her, but when he had first found Alshiera on the verge of disappearing, he’d given her his own blood to extend her life.

In that case, Nephy’s only option was to accept that part of him and support him. She bit down hard on her lips, suppressing all selfish urges

“Master Zagan doesn’t wish for you to retrieve him. Instead, he wants assistance,” Nephy said, then paused and took a deep breath. “That’s why it would be a problem if you went to bring him back and got in his way.”

“That’s true. Zagan would definitely feel that way,” Foll said with a hearty nod. “I mean, Lilith and Alshiera are both family.”

Foll then hugged Alshiera tightly and whispered in her ear, “Alshiera, you can’t die until Zagan knows the truth.”

Her voice was so quiet that only her lips moved. Nobody should’ve been able to hear her without sorcery, but Nephy definitely did.

The truth...?

What did that mean? What was Foll hiding, exactly?

“Also, you promised,” Foll continued, as if to gloss over her whispering. “You’re coming to explore Archdemon Palace with me. You’re not allowed to back out now.”

“...How harsh.”

Nephy still had a mountain of questions, but that wasn’t her main priority.

“Lady Alshiera, is it possible for us to go help Master Zagan?” she asked.

“No. The Mirror of the Afterlife has vanished, and only a succubus can enter another’s dream. Even if you enter the dream with only your consciousness, you won’t be able to do anything.”

Was the reason she could use mysticism within the dream on the boat because it had been connected to Nephy’s own dream? Whatever the case, it seemed Zagan and Lilith found themselves in different circumstances.

“I’m the only one who can go,” Alshiera said as she clasped her chest.

However, it was precisely because Alshiera’s ‘body’ was in danger that it was difficult for Zagan to take action. It didn’t seem like she could fight in that condition.

Unexpectedly, it was Selphy who raised her voice at that point to say, “Um, I, like, don’t know nothing about sorcery, but can I say something?”

“What?” Foll asked curiously.

“If they’re inside a dream, isn’t it fine to just, like, call Lilith?”

Foll let out a disappointed sigh and replied, “And how do we do that when Zagan went in to save her?”

According to Alshiera, it was difficult for Lilith to return using her own strength. And yet, Selphy stood there with a puzzled look and cocked her head, acting like it was the simplest thing in the world.

“Huh? You can’t? I don’t think it’s all that hard...”

Everyone doubted their ears.

“...Can you do it?” Alshiera asked timidly.

“Totally? I mean, Lilith’s, like, a total sleepyhead, so I have to wake her up in her dream all the time.”

“Inside a succubus’ dream? How?”

“By, like, calling her really, really loudly?”

It was a mistake to expect an intellectual explanation from this girl. Nephy didn’t understand what she was saying at all, but it was apparently perfectly natural to her. This made her recall a phrase Zagan had once used.

“There’s a paper-thin difference between idiots and geniuses.”

Selphy surely resided within that minuscule gap. That was why nobody could understand her usually and why she looked so thoughtless all the time. This also rendered her statement rather convincing.

Selphy is the one who taught me how to sing.

“...This is the first time I’ve found you frightening,” Alshiera said in amazement.

“That so? Hehehehe, that’s totally embarrassing.”

Alshiera got back to her feet with Foll’s help.

“Then our course of action is set. You’re also going to help, Naberius. You brought it, right?”

The masked sorcerer shrugged and replied, “Well, since I’m the one who got him involved in all this, I’ll just treat it as a necessary expense.”

With that, Naberius pulled what looked like a long cylinder from his robes.

“That’s...!”

This was the first time Nephy had ever seen it, but she gasped when she realized what it was.

◇

“Ah! They’re over here, too!” the boy screamed.

Zagan was mowing down the swarm of demons like a bolt of lightning, but he was still just one person. He was, in fact, holding back their advance, but a few of them managed to encroach upon Lilith’s position.

“Don’t move,” Lilith said, hugging the boy closer to her. “This is the only safe spot.”

Her king had said he would protect them. And in her mind, so long as they didn’t do anything unnecessary, he would definitely keep his word.

Needle-like tentacles and pellets flew from the demons’ bodies, but the Snowfield placed around Lilith obstructed all projectiles.

Is there anything I can do to help him?

Zagan was putting up a brave fight, but there was no way he could protect the entire temple. Dozens of pillars had already been destroyed. In fact, every single one might have been damaged in some way.

Still, it was terrifying that he was even capable of protecting Lilith, the boy, and Alshiera’s statue all at the same time. Though, she felt like she shouldn’t have needed protection. It was far too late now, but Lilith regretted not learning sorcery like Nephy.

The fact that she was completely powerless within a dream, within her own domain, was pathetic. Lilith clenched her teeth in frustration.

“—”

A voice resounded out of nowhere. It was a song. There were no words to it, but the melody carried through.

“Selphy’s singing?”

She could never mistake it for anything else. This was the song of her thoughtless and kind childhood friend. Simply listening to it seemed to heal her frozen body. And that was also when she first realized that she was so wounded that her body had frozen up. The song soaked into her very heart, rekindling her spirit.

For whatever reason, Selphy’s voice could always reach Lilith inside her dreams. When she put her mind to it, she was even capable of surmounting Alshiera’s barrier.

“Selphy!” Lilith called out to her childhood friend when a new melody joined the song.

“[He who blows over death. He who blows over the reeds, and passes wisdom to man.]”

“Nephy?” Zagan muttered while still smashing the demons apart.

The demons who were swarming around Alshiera’s pillar were blown away as if repelled by the song.

Amazing...

Nephy had cast celestial mysticism by using Selphy’s song as a medium. And she wasn’t the only one making use of it, either. Her celestial mysticism had cleared the area around the pillar, giving birth to a temporary safety zone. The Snowfield began moving as if it was waiting for that exact moment. The lights moved away from the pillar and deployed around all the demons Zagan was fighting.

“What...? Foll?”

That wasn’t by Zagan’s will, since Lilith could hear bewilderment in his voice.

“Divine Echo.”

The space around them shook. Moments later, the amorphous demons stopped moving completely and crumbled away like sand.

Zagan had nearly hit his limit. His Purple Lightning vanished and Lilith could finally see him properly. It looked like he had dodged everything, but his body was covered in wounds and his breathing was ragged. And as she took in the sight, a light tap resounded behind her.

“My Lady?”

“What a troublesome fawn. How many times have I told you not to come here?”

She was pale, and the usual teasing tone of her voice was nowhere to be found, but this was definitely the same Alshiera that Lilith knew.

The vampire turned a sudden look over to the boy next to her and asked, “...A-And you are?”

She looked at him in shock as he returned a blank stare.

“Huh? Oh, I don’t know myself. These people saved me...”

Alshiera had surely met him before.

What do I do? He doesn’t even remember anything about her...

Alshiera looked surprised, but she eventually gave him an understanding smile.

“I see. You have terrific luck. You should give them your thanks.”

The boy returned a bewildered nod while shifting his gaze between Alshiera and the statue behind her.

After a second, Alshiera shifted her focus to Zagan, who noticed her arrival and turned her way.

“You’re here, Alshiera.”

“It is wonderful to see you well, my Silver-Eyed King.”

“Cut the useless flattery. You have a plan, don’t you?”

Alshiera gave him a troubled smile and replied, “I can bring you two... and one other back right away, but I was scolded and told not to do anything unnecessary.”

“Obviously. We haven’t finished taking care of that thing above us yet. Like hell I’ll let you drag me out this early.”

They’d eradicated the demons, but the eye in the sky was still completely unharmed and leaking out tears.

“Oh my,” Alshiera said with a giggle. “You two really do understand each other perfectly. How enviable... If we can shut the seal, then we can still make it in time. Lilith and I will stop that.”

“...Huh?” Lilith mumbled. It felt like she just heard something completely outrageous. “U-Uhhh, me? What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said. Aren’t you the world’s most powerful succubus?”

“Wh-What about you, My Lady?”

Lilith knew that this vampire used to be a succubus. And yet, Alshiera shook her head to reject that idea and gripped Lilith’s hand.

“I don’t come from a prestigious line of succubi or anything. You’ve already grown far stronger than I ever was.”

“B-But...”

She didn’t know what to do when faced with such uplifting words. Right now, she wasn’t capable of anything more than trembling in fear.

“Take heart. There is nothing you cannot do within a dream.”

Lilith looked down at the hand which was squeezing hers tightly... and took in a shocking sight.

“My Lady, your hand...” she said with a gasp.

Half of it was already transparent. Just touching it left a vague sensation on her skin.

“All those bullets I made for the Seraph Hunters are for nothing now, huh?” Alshiera said with a faint smile. “I didn’t anticipate vanishing like this.”

Lilith understood what was happening.

She’s going to disappear...

This temple truly couldn’t afford to take any damage. Each blow shaved away at Alshiera’s very existence.

Lilith had been manipulated by this girl and asked to fulfill unreasonable demands all her life. But when Selphy ran away from home and Kuroka was presumed dead, she’d stayed by her side. Before she knew it, she had grown taller than the vampire, but Alshiera was her older sister, her mother, and her friend.

Alshiera gave Lilith’s forehead a little smack and said, “Don’t make that face. My long dream is simply coming to an end. After sleeping a little, the Night Clan always comes back.”

That’s a lie...

Lilith had learned that Alshiera’s real body was right there. The collapse of this temple meant Alshiera would face ‘death.’ Once she vanished, it would truly be over. Still, what kind of princess would she be if she couldn’t grant her last wish? Lilith felt tears threaten to overflow from her eyes, but she fought them back to provide a proper answer.

“Okay...”

“Thank you, my cute little fawn.”

It felt like that was the very first time Alshiera had ever thanked her. And upon hearing that, Lilith ruminated over what she’d said.

“Take heart. There is nothing you cannot do within a dream.”

“My long dream is simply coming to an end.”

Lilith formed a baseless theory around those words, but she at least found solace in it...

If what she says is true... I should be able to do it.

Thus, Lilith nodded.

“I’ll try. This time, I’ll be the one saving you, My Lady. I’ll definitely succeed.”

It wasn’t clear how much of that got through to Alshiera, but she still nodded and cast a glance over to Zagan.

“That’s how it is, my Silver-Eyed King. Please protect this area until we seal that eye in the sky.”

“That’s fine and all, but is it really going to just sit there and let you seal it? Demons are still dribbling down as we speak.”

Nephy and Foll’s attacks had obliterated the vast majority of them, but the demons still multiplied rapidly. Alshiera nodded, knowing this full well.

“I’ve played my hand. Do it, Naberius.”

“Yeah, yeah...”

The Archdemon fired at the eye. Immediately following that, a sphere that was as black as that nightmare burst above their heads.

“Huh? Is that a Seraph Hunter?”

“It’s the large-caliber sniper-type Seraph Hunter: Marduk II. It is the only Seraph Hunter here in this world aside from my Stern and Mond.”

“...I see. That was the fee you paid Naberius to repair your Seraph Hunters, huh?”

Lilith couldn’t follow the conversation at all, but she noticed that Alshiera shrugged and silently affirmed Zagan’s suspicions.

A second later, Nephy’s song resounded in the air once more.

“[The golden bridge runs a thousand miles for but this instant, and the serpent’s staff shall bring forth news of prosperity and ruin.]

[The reeds are tempted to an eternal slumber. Such is the divine scythe whose might can even reap the progenitor.]”

The moment Lilith saw the air tremble like rippling water, the demons’ bodies were smashed to bits. Since they were using Selphy’s song as a medium, their attacks were all sound based. Assaulted by the sudden and invisible onslaught, even demons had no means of evading. Zagan gave the sight a sidelong glance and broke into a run.

“Heaven’s Phosphor Purple Lightning!” he roared, once more activating the sorcery he had used to single-handedly hold back hundreds of demons.

“Now then, let us begin,” Alshiera said.

“...Right!”

The vampire gave Lilith’s forehead a light smack at that point.

“Your job is quite simple. You just need to make that thing sleep. You need to make it understand that this is just a dream.”

For a succubus, getting someone to sleep within a dream was child’s play.

But... sleep? That thing?

The eye resided amidst a vortex of hatred and despair that could render one insane through touch alone. The boy who had gotten stuck in there completely lost his mind to the point where he didn’t even remember who he was. It was a nightmare even for an Archdemon. How was she supposed to get it to sleep?

“You’ll do fine. All it’s doing is grieving. So, all you have to do is hush it back to sleep gently.”

Lilith understood now. To get rid of a nightmare, all she had to do was give the dreamer kind and gentle thoughts. It wasn’t simple to hush such despair, but it was possible if Alshiera was by her side.

“Ugh...” Alshiera let out a small groan. The eye in the sky was pouring down its nightmare in opposition. Thus, Lilith called out to it.

I don’t know what kind of monster you are, but so long as it’s dreaming, I can even get a god to sleep!

The eye began shutting as if dozing off, but at the last moment, it shot wide open in a final display of resistance. Black tears poured down from above, escaping its edges.

“This is bad. Naberius!”

“Don’t be unreasonable!”

Several of the tears burst in his firing line, but he didn’t possess the power to burn all of them. Alshiera moved to pull her iron weapons from beneath her skirt, but—

“Oh...”

Her transparent hands failed to grip them. The lump of iron fell to the ground with a thud. There was a clear sense of panic on Alshiera’s face. One of the tears was falling directly toward them, putting Lilith in danger.

Zagan was retracing his steps backward, but even with the speed of Purple Lightning, he wouldn’t make it in time. Nephy and Foll were still giving continuous support, but they didn’t have a precise grasp of the situation. Nobody could come to save them, meaning Alshiera’s next course of action was clear.

“Get aw—! Huh?!”

Alshiera tried to push Lilith away, but Lilith pulled her into a hug.

“No way! This time, I’m saving you!”

That was the first time Lilith had ever spoken to Alshiera in that manner. She wasn’t going to let her simply vanish on her watch. The two of them tumbled to the ground together. It didn’t look like they would be able to escape the falling teardrop.

Lilith hugged Alshiera tightly and shut her eyes. However, the pain she feared never came. Instead, she heard a certain voice.

“I’m always the one being protected! I hated not being able to stand tall during times like this! That’s why I wanted power!”

The boy stood over Lilith and Alshiera to cover them. He had the fallen Seraph Hunter gripped in his hand and thrust it out toward the teardrop. It was a mystery whether a demon actually had the same mass as its size suggested, but the teardrop came to a complete stop upon coming into contact with the Seraph Hunter.

This boy really is an Archdemon...

“Pull the trigger!” Alshiera screamed.

The boy did as he was told. A dull bang accompanied the black sphere that appeared. The demon’s massive body was engulfed by it before it even got the chance to scream.

The boy limply sank to the floor after that happened.

“Hah... Haha... That’s amazing.”

And with that, the eye in the sky slowly shut and vanished.

◇

“My goodness. I’d rather you not act so recklessly.”

It didn’t even take Zagan thirty seconds to annihilate the remaining demons. After confirming that none remained, Alshiera finally began grumbling. Her reproachful voice made Lilith avert her gaze with a headache.

“You’re the one who acted reckless. You shouldn’t have tried to protect me with your body like that.”

“...Well, I’ll at least thank you for giving me the time to say my farewells.”

Both of Alshiera’s arms and legs had vanished. She was no longer even capable of standing up. Lilith was hugging her from behind with Alshiera on her lap.

“U-Um, can you save her?” the boy asked Zagan.

“...Sorry, that’s impossible. Giving you blood won’t do anything at this point, right?”

The demons had trashed a fair bit of the temple. Thus, Alshiera could no longer maintain her body.

She simply gave Zagan a listless smile as a response.

“Do you have anything you wish to say?” he asked her.

“...Alas, what to do? How troubling. When you put it like that, I actually can’t think of anything.”

That was a lie, surely. She definitely had things she wanted to say, things she wished for. And yet, she couldn’t speak of them even in her final moments. All she could do was give Zagan a troubled smile.

“Oh, right. Tell Foll I’m sorry for breaking my promise...”

“...Fine. I’ll do that. Anything else?”

“Hmm... Nothing comes to mind.”

“...Liar,” Lilith cut in.

Zagan never knew what ran through this vampire’s head, but Lilith had been with Alshiera her whole life. The princess could at least tell when she was lying.

“Teehee, I’ve always been a liar.”

“My Lady... Don’t you feel anything about pushing me around all the time?”

“Well, of course I do...”

Lilith let out a sigh and replied, “You really don’t get it, do you?”

She then hugged the vampire tightly, passionately, and said, “I don’t have the slightest intention of letting you die, Alshiera!”

They were inside a dream. And as Alshiera had said, Lilith could do anything in there.

She’s vanishing because this place is broken. In that case, I just have to fix it, right?

This was now the third time Lilith had seen this place. It was a frightening dream. It was a dream she could never forget. And so, it was far easier to return it to its former state than showing someone a nightmare.

The crumbled pillars stretched back out toward the sky and the cracked earth filled itself in. In just a few moments, the temple returned to its original state. At the same time, color came back to Alshiera’s body. The limbs she had lost regrew, and Lilith could feel her weight in her lap. Alshiera froze up in shock. She always looked down on others from above, so it was honestly exciting to see her in such a state.

“I-Is this truly possible...?”

“It is. Didn’t you tell me yourself? There’s nothing I can’t do here.”

Alshiera looked up at Lilith in resignation and stated, “...You really got me there.”

“Ehem,” Lilith touted triumphantly.

“Tell me, when exactly did you become important enough to address me by name?” Alshiera asked with a dubious gaze.

“Eeek?! U-U-U-U-Um, My Lady! It was just... a slip of the tongue...” Lilith murmured and began trembling violently as Alshiera touched her arm and laughed.

“How long do you plan on continuing with these formalities? There’s no need to force yourself to do so anymore.”

“My La... Alshiera.”

After she finally said her name, the scenery of the temple began swaying.

“Huh? Wh-What is it now?” the boy asked in a panic.

“It’s time to wake up from this dream,” Zagan answered.

Alshiera had apparently shut them out of the place. And as the scenery gradually vanished, Lilith took one last look around.

“Huh...?”

Next to Alshiera, who was hugging the same creepy stuffed doll as always with teary eyes, was a boy with round glasses. And with those two to his back, a young man with silver eyes stretched his hand.

Who...?

With nobody to answer that question, the dream world vanished into nothingness.