Sienna let out a deep sigh as she pulled the Demoneye of Fantasy free from her robes.
As she did this, the flow of time was distorted. Just like how the Demon King of Incarceration had dragged them out of reality into his dreamscape for a few short moments, Eugene and Sienna had also now been absorbed into the same dream thanks to the power of the Demoneye of Fantasy.
Within this gap of a few frozen moments in time, caught in the middle of a dream that was far removed from reality, Eugene tilted his head to the side as he glared at Sienna.
Eugene’s immediate reaction to this new situation was to question Sienna, “Are you insane?”
Although his tone was sharp and accusatory, Sienna was unable to defend herself and could only hunch her shoulders in meek shame.
“I did think that perhaps, just maybe, you might do something like this, but I didn’t think that you would actually go through with it,” Eugene said with a sigh of exasperation. “Are you planning on becoming a necromancer as well?”
Sienna stammered guiltily, “Th-that’s putting things a bit too harshly. Even though you know how much I hate black wizards—”
Eugene snorted and cut her off, “Oh really? Are you actually saying that when you were very passionate about studying black magic?”
“That’s!” Sienna yelped. “That’s because black magic is still just magic in the end. Also, Eugene, you should know full well that even black magic has many different types of magic. Do you really think that I would be crazy enough to try and learn necromancy?”
“So then, why did you do what you did!?” Eugene shouted angrily.It wasn’t like there weren’t any precedents for Sienna’s crimes. Three hundred years ago, when the Demon King of Incarceration had returned Hamel’s soul that had been harvested after his death because of Belial’s curse, Sienna had sealed Hamel’s soul into a necklace despite her comrades’ objections. She had done so to ensure that, once they had managed to slay the Demon King of Incarceration and the Demon King of Destruction, Hamel would safely reincarnate into a world free of the Demon Kings.
Of course, that was a completely different reincarnation from the one that Vermouth had been planning, so he had ended up taking the necklace from her, but — in any case — it was a fact that, in the past, Sienna had once captured his soul.
“Now, now, you both should calm down,” said a voice laden with amusement.
Eugene unconsciously squeezed his eyes shut to avoid looking at the source of the sound.
“Why did you do it?” Eugene eventually spat out, his eyes still tightly clenched shut.
Seeing Eugene react like this to that voice, Sienna couldn’t help but feel an instinctive surge of annoyance. Even a snot-nosed brat would be able to see that Eugene was currently feeling extremely agitated and emotionally confused.
“There are two reasons for what I did,” Sienna confessed. “First of all, I didn’t have the confidence that I could perfectly control the Demoneye of Fantasy. I was sure that I could roughly work out how to use it, but I decided that I simply didn’t have enough time to really familiarize myself with it, which would prevent me from being able to push it to its limits.”
“And your other reason?” Eugene prompted.
Sienna took a deep breath and said, “I didn’t like the idea of her leaving you with regrets and nightmares for the rest of your life.”
Eugene stayed silent in the face of this open confession.
“I’m sure you would insist that everything is fine and that you would eventually get used to the guilt,” Sienna said with a sigh. “And Anise, Kristina, and I are confident that we could erase any lingering regrets you might have. However, when it comes to human emotions, such things can never truly be wiped away completely.”
Eugene frowned when he heard her reply. “So what? For me to not have any regrets, you actually went and trapped her soul inside that thing? So that whenever I feel some slight pangs of regret, you can pull her out and let us have a short chat. Is that right? If you were just going to do that, then we might as well not even have killed her in the first place—”
“It’s totally different!” Sienna suddenly shouted. “Just what kind of impression do you even have of me!? Do you really think that I, Lady Sienna, would trap her departed soul just to play around with it?! Is that what you think of me?!”
Sienna was panting for breath as she stomped on the ground in anger.
After taking a few moments to compose herself, Sienna suddenly declared, “Once everything is over, I am going to marry you.”
Eugene’s jaw dropped in shock. “What?”
“I said that I am going to marry you!” Sienna loudly repeated herself. “As for Anise and Kristina, well… if they also want to join in… I might be willing to accommodate them.”
Eugene looked perplexed, “Wha… what are you even saying—?”
Sienna interrupted him, “After that, I am going to shove her soul into a familiar.”
At this, Eugene was left gaping silently.
Sienna just continued, “I am going to shove her soul into the body of the most hideous and shitty-looking familiar that I can find. Then I am going to put a leash around her neck and tie her up in the front yard of our new home to act as our new guard dog.”
Was Sienna currently even in her right mind?
“Because by doing so, there won’t be any reasons left for you to have nightmares about her!” Sienna passionately explained. “When you see the ugly face of that little bitch tied up in front of our new home, you’ll never have nightmares about her, ever again.”
“Even if you transform me into a hideous familiar, I will still be me,” Noir suddenly spoke up. She had been standing in front of Eugene with her cheeks puffed out in a pout. “In the first place, isn’t the fact that you plan on leashing me up like that proof enough that you’re afraid of me?”
“What does that have to do with anything?” Sienna protested.
“It’s the reason why you won’t just destroy my soul or allow me to be reincarnated someday. Although there’s no guarantee that all of my memories will remain intact once that day comes.” Noir suddenly laughed smugly, “Ahaha, between Hamel and I there exists a very… deep bond of fate. When the day comes that I am finally reincarnated, I will surely be able to remember my dear Hamel.”
Noir refused to move away from Eugene. She just kept staring at Eugene’s face with a sweet smile.
“The fact that you want to make me into a hideous familiar… isn’t that because you’re afraid of the fate that ties Hamel and me together?” Noir shot Sienna a challenging look.
Sienna just glared at Noir without responding.
Naturally, Sienna didn’t feel any such fear. To be honest, she really did plan to transform Noir into a familiar for a certain length of time, but she didn’t necessarily feel the obsession to place the ghost into a particularly ugly mutt. Once Eugene had managed to completely overcome his nightmares and shed off any remaining emotions of regret and guilt, Sienna would be willing to let go of Noir’s soul cleanly.
However, if she admitted to such an intention, wouldn’t her plans just end up being twisted by Noir’s nonsense?
“There’s no need to turn her into a familiar,” Eugene finally said, letting out a deep sigh. “I understand and accept that you did what you did to prepare for today’s battle… and for my sake as well. However, I really don’t need a familiar like that. So just… once everything is over, just release her soul.”
“Alright,” Sienna replied with a sulky pout.
Since Eugene had agreed to compromise to that extent, it only made sense for her to restrain her pride.
“In any case, just how long do you plan on ignoring me?” Noir questioned as she slowly reached out to him.
Eugene quickly stepped back, avoiding the approaching hand.
Noir simply stepped forward in pursuit, “You know that I’m right in front of you, Hamel. It’s me, Noir Giabella. The same Noir Giabella who you stabbed in the heart, gave one last kiss, and sent off with an expression that looked like you were going to burst into tears.”
Eugene silently closed his eyes.
“Are you acting like this because our reunion is so awkward and embarrassing for you? Could it be that the taste of my lips from back then hasn’t faded yet? Ahaha, that necklace, I see that you’re still keeping it with you,” Noir proudly noticed.
“Get lost,” Eugene growled.
“If you were just going to give me such a response, what’s the point of you keeping your eyes closed and trying to ignore me? Besides, Hamel, it’s not like I’m in a position to ‘get lost,’ even if I wanted to. Do you really think that, if it were up to me, I would want to reunite with you like this?” Noir pointed out as she turned her head slightly to shoot Sienna a sideways glance.
“I’m sure that you already know this, but I have to say, I was already extremely satisfied with my death. It was the perfect death that I had always been hoping for. Because we really did end up almost destroying each other and I was able to leave you with such strong emotions when I died.”
Eugene silently recalled those last moments.
“So why did things end up like this in the end? It’s all because that mean-spirited witch cruelly decided to use my soul as a tool, all of her own volition. As such,” Noir paused as her hand approached Eugene once more, “you should open your eyes and look at me, Hamel. And in any case, all of this is only taking place within a brief nightmare.”
Her slowly moving hand caressed Eugene’s cheek. Eugene let out another deep sigh as he finally opened his eyes. He looked straight at Noir, who appeared no different from when she was alive. Seeing her like this, he couldn’t help but feel a complex mix of emotions.
“Ahaha…,” Noir laughed with a bright smile on her face.
Boom, boom, boom….
The nightmare started shaking. Sienna turned to look around at their surroundings in alarm, but Noir wasn’t surprised by this.
Taking back the hand that had been caressing Eugene’s cheek, Noir explained, “This dream is collapsing. It might have been a different story if we were still in my territory, but I can’t keep this dream up for so long in this place.”
“That makes sense,” Eugene said with a slight nod.
“I tried to pull the Demon King of Incarceration into the nightmare as well, but… it didn’t work out too well. His heart is deeper than any abyss, and the reality that he has lived through is far more terrifying and despair-inducing than any nightmare. The Demoneye of Fantasy wasn’t able to instill any terror into him,” Noir admitted.
“As expected,” Eugene nodded once more as he responded in a calm voice.
No matter how often the Demoneye of Fantasy was repeatedly activated, it wouldn’t be enough to even slightly shake the Demon King of Incarceration’s consciousness. Instead, it was Sienna, who had caught a glimpse of the abyss dwelling within the Demon King of Incarceration, who had experienced a wavering in her emotional stability.
Noir frowned in concern as she voiced her thoughts, “Although it’s funny for me, who has already died, to say something like this, I'm afraid this situation seems quite hopeless, Hamel. The Demon King of Incarceration still has a lot of strength, which he’s holding in reserve. Hamel, it seems that you have managed to adjust slightly to the Demon King of Incarceration's strength, but… even so, I can’t imagine you defeating the Demon King.”
Eugene just snorted, “You weren’t even able to imagine your own death. However, you still died in the end. And I’m the one who killed you.”
“And what an ecstatic death it was,” Noir said with a smile as she continued to caress his chest.
Even now that she was already dead, she could still vividly picture that moment.
“Whether or not you can imagine something, that doesn’t have any bearing on what I need to do,” Eugene insisted. “You said that this situation seems hopeless? I know that. However, I don’t feel hopeless.”
“So you think that you can win?” Noir asked him.
“No,” Eugene said as he shook his head. “I know that I have to win.”
He was far from confident in his victory. But that didn’t mean there was any reason for him to despair. The only thing that Eugene needed to do was to pour all of his strength into attempting to kill the Demon King of Incarceration. He had to fight with the full intent of defeating the Demon King of Incarceration.
“If that is what you desire,” Noir said as she slowly raised her hand.
A purple gem, the Demoneye of Fantasy, suddenly appeared in her hand. Noir chuckled as she lifted the jewel to her eye.
“As someone who has already passed, I, the Queen of the Night Demons, will do my best to help you realize your wish,” Noir promised.
The purple gem glowed with light and melted into Noir’s eye. At the same time, the nightmare had completely collapsed around them.
Their minds, which had been temporarily absorbed into the nightmare, returned to reality.
The scene they returned to was of Molon and the Demon King’s fists meeting in midair.
‘This feeling of having one of my blows blocked,’ the Demon King thought with a bright smile. He briefly enjoyed this sensation that he hadn’t felt in a long time before saying in a low voice, “It seems that wasn’t just any ordinary dream.”
The Demon King’s whispered observation wasn’t directed at Molon. But instead of responding to those words, Eugene spread his wings and leaped forward.
Badump.
Just as he was approaching the Demon King of Incarceration, Eugene felt a pulse of divine power wash over him. Eugene flinched in surprise and turned his head to look backward. Sienna, who was holding Mary aloft, also had a puzzled expression on her face.
The Demoneye of Fantasy had started floating in midair, all on its own. A hazy fantasm was gradually taking shape around it as Sienna’s soul power was drawn into it.
[Oh my god…!] Anise let out a cry.
There was no way that the Saint would ever be able to forget that figure. It was Noir Giabella. The Queen of the Night Demons, who was supposed to have died, had suddenly appeared next to Sienna. Moreover, her current appearance—
Sienna shouted in anger, “What do you think you’re doing?!”
[I’m turning myself into an angel,] Noir whispered. [Since you claim to be the Goddess of Magic, shouldn’t you have at least a single angel serving you?]
Sienna bit her lip, ‘Who asked you to go and do that on your own—!’
Noir reminded her, [You’re the one who said that you’d be using me as your tool, Sienna Merdein. So there’s no need for you to feel so angry about it. After all, resonating with you like this should be the most helpful thing I can do right now.]
Noir’s eyes shone with the light of the Demoneye of Fantasy. At the same time, Sienna also understood what Noir was attempting to do. Noir had once attempted to ascend to the throne of an Evil God in her previous life and had successfully managed to attain divine power by stepping into the realm of a Demon King as a mere Night Demon. Resonating with Noir would only further enhance Sienna’s divine status. Thanks to that, Sienna’s miracles could actually be cast through the Demoneye of Fantasy.
Boom, boom, boom!
The palace shook. Sienna’s will reinforced Eugene’s light as they worked together to drive back the darkness around them. The soul power she had been wielding was also infused with the force of her divinity. The two disparate types of divine powers didn’t clash with each other but instead blended together into one. Both Eugene’s and Sienna’s holy domains somehow fused together to suppress the Demon King of Incarceration.
This feeling… Eugene recognized it.
Even as he was feeling astonished, Eugene immediately raised his Divine Sword. Their two holy domains had fused together and became one; then, through the Demoneye of Fantasy, Sienna’s miracle had been cast to warp reality. They might have still been within the Demon King of Incarceration’s palace, but Eugene and Sienna’s holy domains had been overlaid on top of it, and reality itself began to straddle the line between dreams and fantasy.
In a blaze of divine flames, a crystal blade appeared in midair. There could be no mistaking it. Eugene let out an amused snort as he continued to pour out his divine flames.
It was the Divine Moonlight Sword Levantein. The sword that had previously been embedded in Eugene’s chest had appeared anew. And it didn’t just stop at just a single sword. In response to Eugene’s desire, the holy domain that had been enhanced by the Demoneye of Fantasy miraculously realized his wish as more crystal swords appeared.
The number of Levanteins continued to increase. But it still wasn’t enough.
Eugene’s head was growing dizzy and the taste of blood had filled his mouth. Blood was also flowing down from his nose. The Saints, who were still resonating with him, also swallowed back their groans as they helped to shoulder Eugene’s burden.
He needed even more swords, and they needed to be even stronger, stronger than the heights that Eugene had managed to reach during the nightmare that had once trapped him when he entered Giabella City. Something like this would have been impossible in reality, but it should be possible in a place like this.
There were now dozens of Levanteins floating in the air. But Eugene still desired more than just that.
Fwoosh.
All of the crystal blades erupted in flames. Then, the flames began to overlay on top of each other. As the growing blaze transformed into multiple multi-layered Empty Swords, the heat grew so intense that even the crystal blades began to warp.
“Haha,” the Demon King of Incarceration couldn’t help but unconsciously let out his laughter at this sight.
He knew that the dozens of Levanteins currently aimed at him were definitely not some kind of illusion. At least within the confines of this space, all of those swords were the real deal.
Even Molon, who was still blocking the Demon King of Incarceration’s advance, felt dumbfounded by the absurdity of this scene, but he immediately grasped the situation and leaped over to stand next to Eugene.
“How impressive,” the Demon King of Incarceration muttered with an amused smile.
All of the Levanteins suddenly launched themselves at the Demon King of Incarceration. All of their power, strong enough that it wouldn’t be strange if it destroyed the world several times over, was all focused on the Demon King of Incarceration.
The Demon King of Incarceration didn’t retreat. Instead, his smile grew even wider as he stepped forward to meet the Levanteins’ bombardment.
Enough power to destroy the world several times over? Something like that wouldn’t give the Demon King of Incarceration any reason to back down.
The Demon King of Incarceration had become used to acts of destruction far more terrible than this one.
He had seen this world destroyed so many times.
His fist simply shattered apart the flames.
Openbookworm & DantheMan's Thoughts