The purple glow of the blade flickered like flames. A chilling sound, akin to the wailing of a soul rising from hell, echoed in my ears.
Could this really be something that belonged to a true god? In fact, perhaps what the Fungal Kingdom worshipped wasn’t a deity at all but an alien god. Though it seemed amusing to think about, it didn’t matter much in the end.
They still hadn’t noticed anything yet. I channeled the overflowing divine power into my body, enhancing both my strength and senses.
I’m not sure what I can do with this, but I still held onto the hope that the sword’s energy could provide some assistance. After all, it was something more than mere mana.
Perhaps this dark barrier of the Demon Tribe can be easily pierced. If not… things might get complicated. Still, there was no intention of stopping.
Alterra is in danger. And this time, I have the ability to do something about it. If I can help, there’s no reason why I shouldn’t.
I gripped the sword tightly. Although the brush wouldn’t be much help, it could at least serve as a makeshift shield, so I didn’t discard it. I observed while pretending not to notice their chatter, waiting for an opportunity.
They probably thought they could subdue me instantly. Well, let’s see how this ends then.
“…Uh, what are you planning to do about the elf and the hero? You said controlling this alone is already exhausting. Moreover, if we keep focusing on this, we won’t be able to plant illusions of pain among the villagers. Then we’ll lose our justification for keeping the hero’s group here…”
“That can be fabricated when the time comes. For now… we should just leave this thing somewhere and come back later… This is giving me a headache. Is it really a half dragon?”
“…Are you really alright…?”
“I, who can deceive even an Earth Mother God for about three minutes by risking my life, won’t fall because of this trivial matter… There’s no way. I know my limits well, so don’t worry too much. If I can still talk like this, it means I have plenty of leeway.”
Right at that moment, after jumping as far as I could without breaking the branch I was standing on, I drenched the blade in violet flame-like energy and aimed for the neck of the small girl walking ahead.
“…Ah, Lord Hipnox, look out…!”
The tall girl, seemingly sensing something amiss, turned around immediately upon hearing my leap and stepped between me and the smaller girl.
A grating, unpleasant sound, like metal twisting or a woman’s scream, filled the air as the tall girl’s figure rippled.
Then, her false appearance shattered, revealing her true form: two small horns, black sclera with blue irises, pale skin, and clothing—or rags—that were hard to distinguish.
Ah, right. I remember now. The female demon I met in the swamp a while ago—Elize, wasn’t it? Seeing her straining against the black barrier brought it all back.
“…Guh, how…! Your kind… always interfering…! Ugh…”
If one hand isn’t enough, I pressed down on the blade with my free hand, increasing pressure on the barrier. Though the blade cut into my palm, I felt no pain. As long as I could save Alterra, anything was acceptable.
As expected, the demon’s barrier couldn’t withstand this and began cracking before shattering completely. At the same time, the demon struggling on the opposite side was thrown backward and slammed into a tree.
But as the sword’s flames faded, I suddenly leaned to the side. I wondered if I had been hit by some attack, but there was no pain.
It was just that my strength had suddenly left me and I fell over.
Yeah, my strength left me. Looking into the red eyes of the girl—of the demon—it felt like it was only natural. Somewhere, a voice shouted about hypnosis, but I didn’t feel the urge to resist.
Instead, it felt right. That’s correct; the hero was supposed to overpower them easily, so this must be the right course of action.
“Is, is everything alright… Lord Hipnox…? Yikes… I apologize for showing such an unsightly form. I never imagined a real hero would be tailing us… How could the Dark Wall granted by the Demon King break…”
“…Spirits that carry weapons capable of directly striking the soul are called heroes. What exactly do you people think a hero is? It’s not your fault. Nor is it his. It’s the fault of this guy carrying something so terrifying it can split the soul. Ah, my disguise has vanished.”
“What… what should we do with this? Perhaps we should eliminate any potential threats…”
“…Do you have a beef with that Great Mage? If we go against him, our escape plan will be ruined. Leave him be. I’ll handle the memories myself. The sword? Leave that too. Looks like only humans can wield it due to the divine essence tied to it. No idea which god’s divine essence it is though…”
My consciousness started slipping away. The short demon approached me, but I couldn’t move a finger. She poked my head with her finger and muttered about how someone so frail could have lured a Half-Dragon.
“…Forget everything you’ve seen so far and sleep deeply. Forget all worries and troubles, and drift off like a child taking a nap.”
I need to save Alterra… But my thoughts trailed off. Like being put under anesthesia, my consciousness abruptly snapped.
When I opened my eyes again, I found myself in pitch-black darkness once more. The directionless, timeless void felt strangely familiar.
Yes, I know this darkness. If I close my eyes and follow where my heart leads, I can sense a foreboding warmth and light filling the space.
When I opened my eyes, there stood a golden statue of a woman, shining brilliantly. The difference from last time was that instead of being partially destroyed, it was intact.
-Oh my. Is that you? Did you come here without even being summoned? Wait a moment. Let me guess. Are you dead?
“No. But… Yes. I’m extremely frustrated.”
-I’ve seen through your eyes. Among those who possess artifacts left by a fallen woman with powers similar to mine, you seem quite inadequate.
That’s true. There’s no denying how pitifully I performed. Collapsing without putting up a proper fight.
Alterra would have looked down on me disdainfully if she were conscious. The statue’s expression remained unchanged, but if it could express emotion, it would likely have been mocking me.
-Let me tell you why. Because none of it is truly your power. Borrowing strength from others may seem easy, but it’s not yours.
That statement stung painfully true. Every time I felt stronger, it was because I changed or acquired new equipment.
Not once did my inherent power increase. Yet, I foolishly believed I was now worthy to stand beside Alterra.
Unable to even properly deal with a single demon.
While I remained silent, the goddess statue whispered enticingly.
-I can teach you. About the power you yourself don’t know about. The methods to harness abilities beyond your imagination. I can show you.
It was unexpected and absurd. If I were less composed, I might have shouted, “How could you possibly know what I don’t?” But I managed to hold back.
“…What is the price?”
-Ah, clever child. You’re adept at uncovering others’ intentions. Or perhaps I’m just bad at hiding mine. Two things. First…
I will place trials upon your lover.
You trust your lover, but does your lover trust you? To what extent can your lover trust you?
I will pose questions to your lover. Show false visions to instill doubt. Plant grotesque hallucinations to cloud judgment.
This is the first condition.
“How is one person not enough?”
No matter the disparity in strength or position, I couldn’t tolerate this. One person suffering such terrible visions is enough. I didn’t want Alterra subjected to such horrors. Especially not imagining her seeing me with another woman.
-This is merely a proposal. Judging by the demons’ actions, they won’t harm her. You’ll reunite with her in a few days, so there’s no need to accept my offer now, child.
Then, the second condition.
Love more today than yesterday, and more tomorrow than today. Simply put, take the initiative. It’s ridiculous for a man to let a woman lead him into a kiss.
The second proposal… It was closer to a complaint than an actual offer. But the first condition still grated on me. Was I really asking Alterra to sacrifice for my desires?
Even though it’s not a true sacrifice… Still, if I had to witness such things continuously… I definitely didn’t want to agree.
However…
Something inside me asked.
However, if you accept this offer, wouldn’t it make Alterra cling to you even more? Wouldn’t seeing strange illusions and then finding you perfectly fine afterward make her fall deeper for you? The growing presence inside me kept whispering.
I knew what that presence was. It was greed. I…
—
Messing with memories, I pondered how to naturally separate these two for a few days. How should I proceed?
He usually doesn’t care much about anything special. Even if he threw himself into danger, he’d charge ahead without hesitation, making it even harder to separate them.
If I say I’m going somewhere, he’ll surely follow like a magnet. What excuse could I use to distance them? I thought carefully.
…Maybe claiming it’s “woman’s time”? Since she mentioned laying eggs… Ah, let’s try saying she’s laying eggs. That might work. Elize also distanced herself from the group when she laid eggs.
If I say I want some time apart for a while, he probably wouldn’t have much choice but to comply.
Just as I was about to tamper with the memory, something felt off.
This memory—I definitely altered it earlier. Why is it reverting?
This memory too… Hmm? Why are all the memories returning?
Confused, I suddenly noticed the hero lying on the ground grab the brush and, rising abruptly, made a large stroke in the air.
Trying to hypnotize him again, but when he made another stroke in the air, it didn’t affect him at all.
…Ah. I understand now. It’s not that it didn’t work.
The spell had been severed.
