Myungho looked at Akashi with a deeply furrowed brow, asking if he really had to do this, but I unusually sided with Akashi, urging Myungho to stab Musgaraki with the skeleton-like sword.
“Myungho. Trust me. If you know a dragon’s true name, you can command it once per person. It’s something Mother taught me, so it’s reliable.”
If you know a dragon’s true name, even if just once, you can command it. As a child, I read fairy tales where a cunning dwarf used this to build an empire and about a bold man who proposed to a dragon using its name.
Those stories seemed grand back when I didn’t know the truth… But after experiencing firsthand what happens when you tie yourself to a dragon, I felt sympathy for the protagonists of those tales.
They certainly didn’t end well. The empire likely turned to ashes, and the family probably met a bloody end. Entangling oneself with a dragon only brings tragedy and suffering.
“Still… I’m uneasy about this. Moreover, you said you’re planning to fight one of these things. When the outcome is so obvious, are you telling me to just sit by and watch?!”
Myungho spoke as though he was certain I would lose. To be honest… I also harbored the anxiety that I might shatter right from the start.
But we must fight. To gauge the power my father possesses and to see how strong I truly am, it has to be done. Besides, once we engage, there’s a chance it might be more manageable than expected.
Also, to determine whether all Great Worms are absurdly powerful enough to create fake underworlds or if the one down there is simply exceptionally strong, we need to fight.
“Yeah. Watch. See if it’s an equal fight or just a one-sided mockery. And then tell me. I’ll definitely come back.”
“…I warned you. If you still insist. Musgaraki, I don’t know how this will turn out either… Are you really set on doing this?”
-Yes. Listening to your words, I realize I’ve been foolish. Instead of taking a single step forward, I ran away out of fear of being hated. I will cooperate with you. Stab me. Ah, before that, briefly. Though it may not matter now, were you conscious while trapped in that sword?
“I… don’t really know.”
-Hmm. Perhaps I can enlighten you on that. Very well. Stab me truly.
Manliness and all that aside, I wasn’t comfortable causing worry to my friend, but this was why I moved with them in the first place.
Myungho tightly shut his eyes and stabbed Musgaraki with the sword. Cracks appeared on the blade as the snake’s body was sucked into it.
After the snake’s eyes, which had watched us until the very end, disappeared into the sword, Myungho let out a heavy sigh and said it was time to proceed.
“…Then, let’s do it as planned. Akashi. By my authority, I command you. Please, please don’t mess this up. Just follow the pre-agreed terms.”
Myungho resorted to using the rarely-used slave mark to ensure everything went smoothly. I’d rarely seen him this tense.
…Was it wrong to say we’d fight? He probably thought I was incredibly nervous since I mentioned fighting.
No. Don’t waver. If I hesitate, I might fail to achieve my goal. Yes, adventures are fun. Throwing yourself toward the unknown is thrilling.
But as long as that guy lives, my mind won’t be at peace.
“Tch, I’ll handle it. I’m not playing around with my own life. Let’s go. Yuna, stick to the plan, stick to the plan.”
“That’s right. Myungho, don’t bite your tongue from being too tense. You’re the one I’m most worried about.”
While Yuna and Akashi had enough confidence to put on a show of bravado, Myungho still looked stiff, as if he’d already succumbed to fear.
“Don’t worry too much. Everything will be fine. I’m not risking my life; I just want to gauge the level of strength.”
I joined in with some light-hearted banter, pretending it wasn’t a big deal. Only then did Myungho seem to relax slightly, awkwardly following my laughter.
“Hahaha… ha…haa. Alright. Then let’s follow the plan. Let’s go meet the mistress of the underworld.”
—
Though thousands of years had passed since the flesh was completed, there was no sign of awakening. Strictly speaking, he was already awake.
Only trembling according to the instincts imprinted in the flesh, not the soul—if this could be called being “awake.” What was the problem? Expanding the underworld, increasing the number of sentinels, strengthening the underworld’s intensity—none of it brought back his soul.
Had he not been bound by the role of the underworld’s mistress, she would have searched the entire underworld to find his soul. Loneliness only made her heart ache more.
Musgaraki. His kind and intellectual voice was what she longed to hear again. She wanted to listen to his whispers that understood and embraced her solitude.
Seeing his face twisted by the toxic energy of the underworld tore her apart inside.
Where have you gone? We promised to be together forever. Liar, cheat. Just as another day of complaints and curses without a listener was about to begin, a sound that hadn’t been heard in a very long time reached her ears.
Footsteps. The wriggling of giants, and sounds that weren’t caused by her own movements and speech.
Has God finally come to reprimand me for neglecting my duties? Or is it a wandering spirit that lost its way?
Her vision, blurred from being immersed in darkness for so long, couldn’t discern what it was. But judging by the vibrations, there were several human shapes—it was definitely not the esteemed gods.
So, who are these people here? The moment she wondered, an unheard-of voice came from the beings on the opposite side.
“I speak with the authority of one who knows. Ereshkigal! Do not harm us!”
How could they know? I only revealed my name to him. Could it be… him? Already knowing from the vibrations that there were multiple human forms, her confused mind could think of nothing else.
“Musgaraki? Is that you? Oh, I’ve waited for you here all along…! There’s no way I’d harm you…”
Their inquiry in the detestable human language doesn’t bother me. So…
“I speak with the authority of one who knows. Ereshkigal. Abandon the maintenance of the underworld.”
But upon hearing the next cold voice, the illusion shattered. That voice isn’t his gentle one.
A tender one wouldn’t make such cruel statements. One who swore eternity wouldn’t break it with their own hands.
Yet, my body moved against my will according to the wicked desires of those monsters. I could feel the magic power that I had previously dedicated to simulating the underworld surging back into me.
Stop. This is paradise. The paradise where we’ll be together forever when he returns,
but my body wouldn’t listen to my pleas. Instead, it accelerated the collapse of the underworld by reclaiming the magic scattered throughout.
As much as I wanted to crush the vermin ruining my paradise immediately, I couldn’t because of the initial command.
On one hand, I resented myself for having to watch helplessly as these insignificant beings stabbed his body, yet on the other, I wondered how they found out my name.
I’ve never interacted with humans. The only one I’ve been close to is him. And the only one he’s been close to is me. Exactly, exactly?
“While searching for an answer to an unanswered question, suddenly, a kind and loving voice came from his torso.
The clouded eyes that only saw instinct were now filled with wisdom and understanding. The scales that writhed in pain had neatly aligned.
“…Musgaraki? Is that you? Oh, you’ve finally returned!”
Where you’ve been doesn’t matter much. Now that you’ve returned, I can forgive anything. Even if it’s a bit late. Even if the underworld is collapsing.
The underworld still stands. And the power of the mistress remains intact. With a little strain, perhaps I can create a rift in the dimension to form our eternal paradise for the two of us.
He seems to have different thoughts than me. It’s okay. If I pour love during our eternal time, eventually he’ll think the same as me.
“…I declare with the authority of one who knows, Ereshkigal. Let it end now.”
But even he didn’t understand me. I trusted that he would stay with me till the end.
I believed in him.
But my trust was betrayed.
Still, there’s nothing I can do. Even if I try to bury this pit completely, I can’t harm these creatures.
Shivering with powerlessness and anger, I let out a loud roar, feeling the pit tremble.
Ah, what a situation where I can’t even express my anger properly.
Unable to control my rage, I smashed my head against the ground. Yet, they seemed to know no bounds, calling my name again and making demands.
“I speak with the authority of one who knows. Ereshkigal. Attack me.”
An unknown mongrel, raising its head defiantly, dared to challenge me.
