[Louis.]
Yes, Master.
[From now on, never use that spell again.]
Why?
[Because of what you wanted to create after casting your first spell. If you use it again... "that" will only grow stronger.]
But if the time really comes when I have to use it...?
[In that case...]
"...Master."
Once again, I call out to that person.
The one who took me in, even when I had no home, no food. Who welcomed me warmly into her nest. She taught me magic, even when I had no mana to offer in return. She brought calm to my otherwise turbulent life.
She was my teacher.
"...Where am I?"
This space was deeply clouded, muddied, so much so that it was hard to tell if there even was a horizon—just a vast, endless, chaotic place.
Why am I here?
For a moment, I forgot.
"Mercadie."
And Behirastock.
Then I remembered. I had been eaten by Behirastock.
So is this place the inside of that giant insect?
If it were, I’d expect narrow, suffocating walls instead of this sprawling, murky world.
"I’ve... entered a spell."
Mercadie’s unique magic. *Eternal Predator.*
A spell that lives up to its name—the ultimate predator that devours all. No matter how powerful the entity, structure, or creature, once it enters this magic’s territory, it is inescapably consumed.
And that territory is the inside of Behirastock’s mouth.
If I had sensed Behirastock approaching, I might have escaped. But by some trick of Mercadie or Behirastock itself, I detected no tremors, no sounds, not even a presence.
"Right... without that, its range would be too limited."
An unstoppable instant-kill spell is useless if it can’t reach its target. So they had devised a way to ensure that it could.
Had I underestimated them, despite knowing they were a Duke?
...No.
This method of fighting wasn’t even mentioned in the original story. I had knowledge of their unique spells but knew nothing of how they wielded them.
It was a *lack of knowledge*.
"..."
So, how do I escape?
I looked around, but all I saw was a vast, polluted terrain stretching out in every direction. There was no obvious exit.
Do I just sit here and wait to die?
"I still have time."
This spell requires *digestion*. It’s a magic that devours concepts themselves, so it’s not instantaneous. There’s a step-by-step process to complete.
So as long as I escape before digestion is complete...
Which brings me back to square one.
*How* do I get out?
"Master Key."
Grasping at straws, I attempted to conjure my magic tool—but it didn’t appear.
"My link to Ultima’s Divine Spear has been severed."
The pen wouldn’t materialize, and my dimensional storage space didn’t respond. I could feel the faintest trace of star mana within me, but it was far too little to cast a standard spell.
A feeling of helplessness washed over me.
"...I don’t know."
All I could do was sit down. I crouched carefully, feeling the tainted earth under me as I folded my legs and gently settled onto the ground.
"So... this dirt is corpses."
More precisely, the remains of those previously consumed had transformed into dirt.
Touching the soil, I could sense traces of mana and different energies, suggesting who—or what—these corpses had once been.
Countless demons, monsters, and perhaps even humans from times long past.
Mercadie and Behirastock must have devoured countless beings over the years.
Still, one thing was certain. At least they didn’t seem driven to consume all existence.
If that were the case, some concepts might have already disappeared from this world.
Mercadie only had an interest in strong opponents, and because of that, Behirastock was allowed to devour only those who could meet that standard.
Which meant that everyone here had once been known as powerful figures in this world—or the demon realm.
"So I’m allowed in here too."
In a way, it was an honor, wasn’t it?
The Duke of the demon realm had inducted me into a tomb of strong warriors.
But that would mean I was the last guest.
After all, with her arrival, the Hero would eventually kill her.
"...The Hero."
Thinking of him, I unconsciously hugged my knees and buried my face between them.
A memory surfaced from the Citadel of Dusk.
[Louis, are you okay?]
The man who had saved me when I had been attacked by Ared’s third blade, bursting from the floor.
Honestly, before he arrived, I’d been terrified.
The thought that death was mere inches away froze me in place as I stood, staring blankly at the oncoming sword.
I hadn’t experienced death before, as I hadn’t died in my previous life on Earth. So, facing it now... I felt paralyzed with fear.
And yet.
He saved me.
From death.
From Ared.
He protected me, then looked at me with worry in his eyes and asked if I was okay.
In that moment, I felt something like a sunrise piercing the deepest darkness of early morning.
Was this what being saved felt like?
But I hadn’t had time to reflect on that feeling or sort it out. We quickly strategized to bring down the citadel, then powered up Ultima’s Divine Spear to prevent dozens of citadels from descending.
And when I woke up after passing out, he was there, holding my hand as he slept.
"..."
*Squelch.*
The ground felt soft under me, somehow turning damp.
The earth under my hand seemed to pull my fingers inward, and the spot where I sat felt like it was sinking. This graveyard of corpses was beginning to absorb me.
In other words, the digestion had begun.
"I imagined digestion as something gruesome..."
I’d pictured a violent breakdown in a vat of acid, but Behirastock’s digestion was different. It was slow and peaceful.
Almost as if it were offering a peaceful death.
"The Hero must be on his way by now."
I had asked Nightlux to bring the Hero, but I didn’t truly believe it would happen. It was more likely that he had already completed his request and was now returning to the city on his own.
The Hero.
The Hero Aswell.
No matter what thoughts ran through my mind, no matter what plans I made, he always drifted back to the forefront. Even though I had seen him only days ago.
The image of his face was becoming clearer and more vivid.
"...Why?"
When I think of him, I can’t help but pull back, to cover my face with my hands, to clasp my fingers and fidget.
Why?
"...Is it because he’s the Hero?"
And I’m just someone caught in this strange place, hoping for the Hero’s rescue?
That would make sense.
No one wants to die.
This calm feeling I was experiencing, even as I was pulled into this muddy process, wasn’t what I truly wanted.
If I were to be honest, I wanted to live.
But there was nothing I could do.
The earth continued turning into a liquid around me, closing in on my body. I reached out with one hand, like someone drowning in quicksand.
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The robe I wore didn’t register this process as an attack.
My breathing grew ragged, and my desperation to escape intensified.
And finally, I called his name.
"Aswell."
The Hero.
The Hero Aswell.
"Please... save me."
Please, let me live.
.
.
.
*CRACK!*
"Louis!!"
In that moment, I heard his voice.
----!!!
"Urgh! Serlin, cover me!"
"Got it! But I can’t hold it off for long—this monster’s healing is incredible!"
"I’ll finish quickly!"
"Serlin! Be careful!"
"How dare you cut open Behi’s stomach!!"
*CLANG!*
"Ugh! Mercadie, you’re mine!"
As my vision began to fade, I saw the strange sky above me split apart. Like shattered glass, it broke open, and through the cracks, I saw a single figure.
He had dark hair.
Soft, almost shaggy hair, though it looked gentle.
In his hand, he held a radiant sword.
Its blade shone like the sun, bathed in a glorious white light.
"Louis!!"
And he was calling my name.
Like someone reaching out to be saved, I stretched out my hand—and my vision was consumed by the darkness of the soil.
And then.
"I’ve got you!"
Suddenly, I felt a rough hand grabbing mine, pulling me upward.
The corpse-laden earth, Behirastock’s will itself, tried to pull me down, but it was no use.
Soon, I could see the world again.
I could breathe and smell the air.
I let out a gasping breath and could feel the taste of life.
I could wriggle my fingers and toes.
And finally, I stood on solid ground.
And when I looked up, I could clearly see his face.
"Louis. Are you alright?"
As he always did, he looked at me with worry in his eyes.
And for the first time, instead of calling him “Hero,” I used his name.
"Aswell."
You really came to save me.