As Lily walked into the darkness, the next moment, she found herself in a place other than her dormitory room.
Lily sighed deeply as she looked around.
“I resolved never to come back here again…”
In the darkness, or rather, chaos that swallowed both light and dark, there were musicians floating about. The ominous beat of a drum echoed loudly, along with the shrill notes of a flute playing in a minor key. The eerie sounds reverberated around, creating an atmosphere that sent shivers down one’s spine.
These musicians revolved around a particular spot, and at the center…
Lily forced herself to avert her gaze slightly from there and headed toward a presence slightly displaced from the center.
This presence extended a hand towards the center with a wistful gesture.
She spat his name with as much contempt as she could muster, second only to the strongest disdain she could feel.
“Nyarlathotep.”
At that, he pulled his hand back and spun around quickly.
“Oh, oh. It’s been a very long time. Are you-”
“What are you up to?”
“Hm? What do you mean?”
Lily barely restrained herself from swinging a punch at him as he tilted his head innocently and responded in a growling voice.
“Why are you provoking me?”
“Provoking? Why would I want to fight you of all people? I am your-”
“Shut your mouth. Do you really think you have the right to say that to me?”
“Dear me, you’ve gotten quite rude since the last time we met. Tsk tsk, being around those hypocrites has lowered your standards.”
“Give me a reason.”
“Hmm, but let me repeat, I don’t want to fight with you. I am… well, not deeply concerned, but somewhat sorry that your contractor got hurt. Wasn’t it Arthur? Is he alright?”
At his words, Lily’s eyebrows twitched.
“Don’t let him say your name so casually. And stop pretending like you know nothing when this was all your doing.”
He shrugged.
“Intentions? I have never given an order to harm your contractor. The mistake lies entirely with that foolish human who disobeyed orders and swung his sword recklessly.”
Lily clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her flesh and drew blood.
That entity could manipulate human actions with his eyes closed. After all, he was the one who had played with the most humans among all beings in the universe. Hurting her contractor must have been a result he had predicted all along.
“Hmm, but I don’t understand. Why are you so fixated on that human? When so many of your past lovers died or got hurt, you didn’t react like this. Moreover, you even made a contract with a woman this time. Have you developed some sort of caprice?”
Lily inwardly cursed. She mustn’t let him take an interest in Arthur…
“Hmm, I find it quite fascinating too. How can a human possess so much vitality?”
Nyarlathotep’s eyes emitted a chilling light. Lily felt goosebumps rise on her skin.
He had been observing as expected. But if he had truly seen all, especially that brilliant light, he wouldn’t have reacted like this. He would have directly sought Arthur out.
Fortunately, she had a plausible excuse ready.
“Golden Honey Wine. I made him drink it often.”
At that, the light in Nyarlathotep’s eyes dimmed again.
“Hmm, is that so? In that case, things change. What a pity. If he had possessed such a regenerative ability from birth…”
A quick change of topic was necessary. Fortunately, Lily had something that would interest him.
“I’ve been betrayed by Nano Dens.”
At the same time, Nyarlathotep let out an exclamation of joy and surprise.
“Aha! So the rumors were true. How funny, how funny. You refused to listen to me, and it ended up like this, didn’t it?”
“I’m not your enemy anymore. So stop these sorts of suppressions.”
“My goodness, I’ve never thought of you as my enemy. Anyway, all right. I won’t interfere directly.”
“Does that mean you’ll interfere indirectly?”
“Oh my, you know as well as I do that there are too many beings serving me. It’s quite burdensome for me to control them all.”
Lily felt an urge to sew his tiresome mouth shut.
“…Fine. Let’s agree on that.”
She chose to be satisfied with this. After all, he publicly proclaimed there would be no direct harm. Though he was a serpent-like being who lied constantly, at least here, before the being at the center, he would keep his word.
“Well then, I’m off.”
“Oo, farewell, my-”
Lily didn’t hear Nyarlathotep’s words till the end and instantly escaped from the chaos.
“…My what, did you try to say?”
He tilted his head after a moment.
“Meh, what difference does it make?”
After Lily left, Nyarlathotep looked at the being at the center of the chaos.
Interpreting some meaning from its irregular movements, Nyarlathotep whispered, suppressing his laughter.
“Hehe… Hehehe… The time is not far, oh my dim-witted father. Please wait just a little longer, just a little.”
An ominous sound emanated from the center of the chaos he was looking at.
-G!G!G!G!G!
Back at the dormitory, there was a single bead of sweat flowing down the pale cheeks of Lily.
Nyarlathotep had taken an interest in Arthur. Though she had managed to deflect it for now with an excuse, the mere fact that he took an interest posed a potential danger.
Lily bit her lip, recalling the countless humans he had ruined.
She slowly approached the bed where Arthur lay and headed there.
Looking down at him, her contractor appeared to be at ease, without any worry. Seeing Arthur like this, Lily couldn’t help but smile faintly.
“I’ll never put you in danger.”
Making a promise he wouldn’t hear, Lily got into the bed, lying down next to him. She lifted his arm slightly and nestled into his embrace.
With her right hand turned to support his chest, she closed her eyes.
Thump… thump… thump…
Hearing his heart beat rhythmically, the anxiety seemed to drain away like the tide.
After lying in his embrace for some time, Lily suddenly opened her eyes, sensing something strange.
Thump.. thump.. thump…
The heartbeat she felt through her hand began to accelerate. The volume of the beats grew louder, changing from a regular thumping to a booming sound in the blink of an eye.
“Khhhh…”
Startled by the sudden noise, Lily turned her gaze to his face. He grimaced in pain, drenched in cold sweat. The sound that escaped through his parched lips was definitely a groan of pain.
“Arthur! What’s wrong? Does it hurt anywhere?”
He responded only with groans.
Lily felt as if her mind had gone blank.
Seeing the pained Arthur before her, yet being unable to do anything, filled her with despair. It was then she decided to resort to the method she had been saving for the very last moment. Resolving to act, Lily gathered her strength and pressed her lips to his forehead.
“I’ll come back soon. Wait for me.”
Pressing her forehead against Arthur’s, Lily entered his unconsciousness.
Entering the subconscious of a human grants the ability to see everything about that person. Though Lily deeply loved and respected her contractor, she had firmly resolved not to peek into his mind. However, there was no other way to resolve the current situation.
Advancing through the corridors of the unconscious mind, Lily soon entered a space of pure white.
“…Wha?”
Pure white?
Lily was thrown off guard by a color she had never imagined.
The background color of one’s subconscious usually reflects the purity of that subconscious. Twisted individuals show black, ordinary humans show dark grey, and those who might be called wise show light grey.
Yet pure white? That meant her contractor possessed a purity surpassing even a sage.
‘That doesn’t seem right though…’
No matter how kind Arthur was, this was unnatural. It was as if someone had deliberately sprinkled bleach on it.
Feeling an unknown uneasiness about the abnormally white background, Lily moved forward.
And finally…
“Khhhh…”
She discovered her writhing and groaning contractor lying on the ground.
“Arthur!”
Lily quickly approached his side and paused at the sight that only became visible up close.
“This is…”
Arthur groaned in pain akin to reality, with a dark, opaque shadow-like entity clinging to his head.
“A nightmare?”
This was the form signifying a nightmare in the subconscious. However, Lily had certainly bestowed a blessing that banishes nightmares upon him. It wasn’t just a formal blessing—it was real. How could there still be a nightmare?
There were two possible explanations for such a phenomenon. The first being that Lily’s weakening power had also caused the blessing’s effectiveness to wane. The second being that an influence from a powerful curse was stronger than her blessing.
In the former case, Lily, who had recovered her strength over the week, could easily handle it. If it were the latter…
Praying that it was the former, Lily stretched out her hand toward the nightmare clinging to his head.
“Oof!”
The nightmare clung steadfastly to his head, refusing to budge.
The latter possibility rose sharply.
Lily mentally sifted through the entities capable of casting such curses that could override her blessing. They were all horrifying beings, causing her to break out in cold sweat.
Arthur had progressed to the point of screaming in agony.
“No! Get a grip, Arthur!”
Lily gathered all her strength, but the nightmare remained unmoved.
“Urgh…”
At the sight of Arthur writhing in pain, Lily’s heart felt as if it were being ripped apart.
Her eyes began to well up as Lily buried her face in his chest and cried out.
“I confess, you fool! Shake off this nightmare and wake up!!”
At that moment,
WHOOSH
A light flowed out from Arthur’s lying body.
“What’s this…?”
The brilliant light she had seen before made Lily squint.
The light streaming out of Arthur’s entire body quickly expelled the nightmare, purifying his subconscious space.
“How could you withstand such an overwhelming nightmare…?”
Lily could only stare in bewildered amazement at the incomprehensible sight.
As the light returned to Arthur’s body, Lily, who had regained her composure, quickly embraced him securely, connecting their dreams.
At this, Arthur’s body became translucent like mist, being absorbed into Lily’s spirit.
After checking that Arthur had safely entered her own dream that she had created, Lily let out a deep, tired sigh.
Now that Arthur had entered Lily’s dream, no one could touch him without her permission.
“Huff…”
Wiping away her cold sweat, Lily glanced around her pure white subconscious and entered it.
Her contractor looked around curiously at the shadowy darkness of Lily’s dream.
Lily joyfully ran up to him.
“Arthur!”
But…
“…Who are you?”
He didn’t recognize her.
“…Arthur?”
His complete inability to recognize or understand her left Lily visibly disappointed, yet…
“Sorry, I don’t know who you are…”
At Arthur’s dejected apology, Lily was somewhat relieved. Even if he couldn’t remember, the pure Arthur would never change.
Lily smiled gently and firmly embraced the bowed Arthur.
“I’ll stay with you.”
Upon having her emotions reach him, Arthur looked up and met her gaze.
“Really?”
“Of course.”
With this, he blushed slightly as he replied,
“…Thank you.”
“Sorry.”
“Saaal…”
Though the last word wasn’t entirely completed, Lily trusted her contractor.
He would undoubtedly regain his memory.
He would undoubtedly remember her confession.
For now, she would merely wait and provide him the embrace in which he could rest.
When Arthur was securely nestled in her embrace, Lily whispered so quietly that he couldn’t hear it.
“Yes, I love you too.”
