Gozine

[Congratulations. You have cleared the first layer of Aksaras Labyrinth.]

Merely breaking through the first layer.
Yet, to me, this news was no different from clearing the entire labyrinth.
From the start, Aksaras Labyrinth wasn’t particularly difficult to conquer, aside from the fact that its terrain shifted each time one entered, making navigation challenging.
At least, based on the dozens of times I’ve attempted it, the outcome has always been the same.

There were a few early attempts where I failed, but those were exceedingly rare.

“Zitri. Are you alright?”

“…Yes. Are you alright, young master?”

Zitri asked cautiously.
I gave a small nod. As I did, I organized my thoughts about the information Altende had given her, whether it was truth or lies, I couldn’t discern.

Altende had told me that intense emotions were necessary for me to return to the past.
Most of the time, those emotions took the form of love, friendship, or something similar.

‘Ru sacrificed his companion. After that, he completed the Spatial Sword and gained his current power.’

The pieces fit together.

Why had Ru been so shaken?

The reason was simple.
The worst moment, when someone precious to him could be sacrificed.
Ru must have made a rational judgment.

A decision to survive. Because of it, he had no choice but to watch his companion die, and now, that regret had crystallized into the reason he told me conquering Aksaras Labyrinth was impossible.

Because he, too, had endured that pain.

Amidst the tangled memories, I clung to the sole thought of protecting Zitri as I gazed at the portal leading to the second layer. The Azure portal rippled ominously, its eerie aura manifesting and spreading before my eyes.

“Young master. I heard from Altende-nim about your situation. That you’re terminally-ill, that you’ve repeated time many times already. Is it… all true?”

“Yes.”

There was no reason to hide it anymore.
At least not from Zitri, so I confessed honestly.

“I was originally from this world, but I was sent to another world before returning. The beginning was about a year ago, when I first met you.”

“…That can’t be.”

“The reason rumors spread that I was a ruffian from the start was likely because of that. I was little more than an empty shell, and a model that mimicked my childish behavior replaced Nox von Reinhaver.”

Recalling these memories only fueled my agitation.

“From the beginning, I was living on borrowed time. I was dying while losing all my memories, and to survive, I had no choice but to keep cutting down enemies and growing stronger. The reason I sought to slay the Grand duke-level Demons and save the continent… was because Altende told me I had to find my reason for existing. That’s what she said.”

Zitri, being clever, must have realized how absurd everything I’d endured was.
As I spoke, I kept recalling fragments of the past.
Each memory reinforced just how ludicrous my current situation was.

“The Annihilation of Evil. That was the only thing my mother—no, the angel Altende, wanted from me. To eradicate all evil from the continent. For that, she decided to use me.”

“How… How could she think of using her own son…”

Even though it wasn’t her own suffering, Zitri shared in my sorrow as if it were hers.
That hurt me deeply.
If I hadn’t woken up at the last moment and kept talking to Altende?

Zitri would have ultimately let me go.

The more her feelings for me grew, the more she would have wanted me to return.

But I didn’t want that. So, at the last moment, I woke up and stopped her.

“Zitri, listen carefully. Don’t be too shocked. The Creator God and the angel… Honestly, my memories still aren’t fully restored, so there isn’t much I can say with certainty. But”

I spoke with deliberate weight.

“Even without returning to the past, I believe I can see the end of this story. By annihilating all the demons on the continent, protecting those within my circle, and finally—truly finally, completing this narrative.”

“But what about you, young master?”

In an instant, Zitri’s voice trembled as she grabbed my sleeve.

Ah, right.
Zitri von Rovelia. Only now did I recall the reason she had agonized and spoken with Altende.
Zitri continued.

“Then can you be happy, young master? Can you live a life no longer bound by a time limit? Inherit the family, uphold the Reinhaver name with dignity, and live without giving anyone reason to hate you beyond reason?”

“….”

I couldn’t promise that.

Altende had wanted me to annihilate evil.
To eradicate all evil from the continent, that was my ordained fate.
There was no denying that.

‘And if I do that… I can protect my companions. I can protect the people.’

That much was certain.

But in this moment, I couldn’t help but wonder.

When all of this is over, can I be happy?
There is no way to remove the trait of Terminally-ill

A trait equal to predetermined death.
No matter how much I replenish my life through the Ring of Black Flame, even that won’t last forever.
Moreover, there’s a high chance I’ll die in the battle against a Grand Duke.

I know this.
Across 27 endings, why did I keep wanting to return? Why did Altende insist that returning was my only choice?

So I said it.

“I can’t promise that. That I’ll be happy. Or that I’ll remain by your side forever. When the great battle comes…. I’ll most likely die.”

“No!”

Zitri finally broke down, collapsing into my arms as she wept.
Tears she could no longer hold back soaked my shirt.

As I watched my pristine white shirt slowly darken, as I saw the tears streaming down her porcelain cheeks, I despaired at my inability to take back my words.

But this was inevitable.
At the very least, I didn’t want to lie to Zitri and my companions anymore.

27 worlds where I staked my life and failed.
Even when I thought I had succeeded in annihilating evil, why did I keep turning back time and returning to the past?

Now, I know.
And I’ve matured enough to say it plainly.

“In the 27 repetitions of the past… far too many of my companions died.”

Zitri lifted her head. I continued.

“Not once did an ending exist where no one died.”

Finally, I put strength into my voice.

“The only reason I survived until now is because I stood atop your corpses.”

**********

Chaeeng——!

Sparks flew, leaving crimson afterimages.
Ru and Glint’s swords were similar, yet their trajectories diverged slightly.
In fact, that was only natural.
Even between master and disciple, perfect synchronization in swordsmanship was rare. Such a thing was only possible in fiction, not reality.
Moreover, Ru’s swordsmanship had evolved further after Glint’s death. It was precisely because of this that he had reached his current level.
Naturally, the fundamental essence of their swordsmanship had to differ.

“Your blade has dulled.”

“Didn’t I tell you? It’s just that your talent is absurd.”

Though Glint was in a state akin to undeath, his appearance was nearly indistinguishable from that of a living person. Save for the faintly dark aura surrounding him, he looked exactly the same as the man who used to smack Ru on the head, who was a head shorter in the past.
A village reduced to ruins. A boy dragged away as a slave by enemy knights. A boy who once felt nothing now gazed at his master and felt one vivid emotion.

Rage.

A clear, transparent rage. Unadulterated by anything else, a perfect fury.

“How fascinating. Ru, was it? There was a reason Amdusias-nim concerned.. To grow stronger with each battle.”

“Stay out of this conversation between master and disciple.”

“Well, let’s do that.”

‘As I thought… perfectly replicating the Marvas family’s necromancy is impossible.’

At Glint’s rebuke, Dantalion could only click his tongue.

It couldn’t be helped.

From the start, the Black Lion Demon, their former ally. It was a necromancy unique to Marvas.
Moreover, even the Necronomicon had been in the possession of Leon von Marvas, the current head of the Marvas family. Thus, the necromancy Dantalion wielded was nothing more than a crude imitation.
Though he had resurrected them with dark magic, they wouldn’t last long…

‘Eventually, they’ll break. But that’s enough. He can’t defeat me anyway.’

He hadn’t come here relying solely on half-baked necromancy.
Wasn’t he Dantalion, the demon capable of glimpsing the future, even if only two days ahead?
This much was well within his expectations.

…Of course, he hadn’t anticipated Ru’s abilities, and that he would continue growing even now.

‘Before Nox von Reinhaver… Before he arrives, I’ll deal with Ru. He’ll only become a hindrance to the Archduke in the long run.’

His objective was clear.

But unlike what others might expect, he had no particular intention of killing Nox.
The reason was simple.

‘His immense dark magic resonance… If utilized properly, it could revive the Archduke. For Lord Baal to manifest in this world, a vessel with immense dark magic and extraordinary talent is necessary.’

This was also why Dantalion had studied necromancy.
If he could resurrect a superior vessel and use it as a host for Baal’s spirit?
Wouldn’t that be the perfect resurrection of the Archduke?

But in the end, this plan had failed.

To revive the Archduke, a living being was ultimately required.

Those resurrected as undead had short lifespans. Glint’s body, currently fighting Ru, wouldn’t last more than a few hours. It couldn’t be helped.

So then

Who would serve as the vessel for Baal’s resurrection?
The question of whose body would become the Archduke’s new vessel was crucial.

The conclusion was simple.

Someone not yet fully matured, whose body would be relatively easy to possess. A being whose foundation was dark magic. Only one person on the entire continent met all these conditions.

Nox von Reinhaver.

Dantalion’s lips curled.

Right.

Dantalion’s goal was to capture Nox von Reinhaver alive and use him as material for Baal’s resurrection. To implant Baal’s spirit into his body and overwrite his ego, that was the plan of Amdusias and the high-ranking demon officials.

For them, Nox was nothing more than delicious prey.