There was one thing that concerned me after hearing the Demon King’s words.
It was the dungeon ‘Dungeon of Melting Ones’.
This dungeon, which was supposed to appear only in the late game, was, in a sense, full of unresolved mysteries.
[Something… a familiar place. Have I been here before?]
[Strange… something is resonating in my head… it hurts… stop… please…?]
[Ugh… those monsters, for some reason, I can’t bring myself to attack them… why is that?]
[Sorry… I’m sorry… Mi, mi-an…]
As Noah headed toward this dungeon, he felt a strange mix of fear and familiarity. At the same time, he exhibited an unusual reaction by feeling apologetic towards the demons.
That wasn’t all.
Afterward, Noah suffered from severe mental penalties, collapsed, and ended up failing. From then on, he even began saying things like “I’m sorry” or “It’s only natural.”
‘It was quite shocking.’
Even within the game, not much detailed information was available, leaving many questions unanswered. However, after hearing the Demon King’s words, I had a certain suspicion.
Could this place be where Noah and the Demon King were born long ago?
‘Would seeing it help us understand something?’
Ordinarily, there was no need for me to accompany them.
The demons here are individually strong, and their numbers make them difficult to handle, but they’re not impossible to deal with.
Just running away would suffice, and as someone who knows the strategies, these foes are easy to manage.
The reason I insisted on bringing Noah and the Demon King was because I wondered if some kind of change might occur there.
Also, I wanted to alleviate Noah’s guilt somewhat.
‘So that’s why.’
Only after hearing the Demon King’s story did I understand.
Why Noah had suffered so much and apologized repeatedly in the game.
Perhaps the kid…
‘Was he feeling sorry for the demons he couldn’t save, or maybe other children? Or perhaps some kind of curse was affecting him.’
These were just guesses.
But it wasn’t an implausible story. The kid was simply too kind-hearted. His mood seemed off when listening to the Demon King’s words.
I turned my head and looked at Noah behind me.
Unlike the soundly sleeping Demon King, his expression was dark.
I spoke to Noah.
“Are you okay?”
“Huh?”
“Are you alright?”
Noah managed a weak smile.
He must have had a terrible headache. As he said this, he pressed his temples hard.
His smile still lacked strength.
It resembled the last smile of a dying puppy.
“Um… I keep hearing sounds in my head.”
“Sounds?”
“Yeah, they’re really faint and quiet, but… they won’t stop. I keep hearing them.”
“I see. Can you rest a bit?”
It had been a while since I’d seen Noah look so fragile.
Thinking about it now, we’ve been pushing him too hard. Meeting the Demon King also seemed to have some effect.
Noah’s gaze was fixed on me.
Instinctively grabbing the gear, I felt Noah’s hand on mine.
“I feel uneasy, but is it okay if I hold onto you like this?”
At first, I thought he was joking, but it didn’t seem like it.
“Do as you wish.”
“Yes…”
Noah turned his gaze toward the window.
Whenever he was deep in thought or troubled, he’d turn his head with a painful smile.
An old habit of Noah’s.
There wasn’t much I could do for him right now.
Just…
“Hold on until you feel better.”
“…Yes.”
Sharing a little warmth, comforting him was all I could do.
Though I couldn’t do much while driving, Noah seemed content just holding hands.
‘…Will he get better?’
It would be best to obtain essence this time and improve his mood.
And there might be something we could discover upon investigation.
Most importantly,
‘Let’s hope playing around a bit helps him feel better.’
+++++
Noah wasn’t feeling well.
“…Sigh.”
In fact, it would be stranger if he did feel good.
Considering everything with his father and the Demon King’s words, afterward, a faint noise kept echoing in his mind.
The sound of water draining and tapping against the glass windows. Over it, the desperate cries of something struggling.
Whenever he tried to forget by tightly closing his eyes, a few piercing words reached him.
“Why couldn’t you save us? It’s because of you that we died.”
“…!”
“Noah? Are you okay?”
“Ah… Uncle…”
“If you’re feeling unwell, you can rest. We haven’t reached the area with demons yet.”
“I’m fine. Let’s just keep going.”
Shivering and clinging tightly, Noah clung on.
Shin Hyun patted Noah’s shoulder gently, saying, “Is that so?”
The Demon King was already clinging to his leg.
Carrying two trembling children, Shin Hyun continued forward.
They arrived at a dungeon.
Carrying a lot of supplies, they began exploring inside.
Here and there, a rusted, broken old laboratory. Occasionally, the dripping of water sent shivers down their spines.
Plop plop.
As they passed puddles of standing water,
“Aha ha ha ha ha…”
“Keerrrrrr-!”
“…Hey, did you hear that too?”
“I heard it.”
The laughter of children echoed.
What drove both of them mad was this laughter.
Since entering here, it had worsened. Even the usually stoic Demon King could clearly hear it now.
Whose laughter was this?
What could possibly make someone laugh so crazily?
“It’s ominous…”
Noah focused all his senses ahead.
Then, the answer appeared.
It was a demon.
Up until this point, it was fine.
Of course, it was normal to find demons in a dungeon.
The problem was its appearance.
“Ugh… Ahh…?”
“It resembles me… It resembles the Demon King and me…”
About the size of a small child, its disheveled white hair dragged along the ground. Its body melted like slime, sticky yet somehow retaining a human shape.
The Demon King quietly muttered.
“…It’s not just that. They resemble the others from before.”
“What?”
“The ones I personally killed by pressing the button… They resemble them.”
“Is that true?”
Stunned, Noah listened as the Demon King whispered.
“Upon reflection, I could feel some sort of magical power back then… Perhaps the magic circuit that has always existed within us. If there’s a problem with it…”
“We could end up like this…”
“What do you plan to do, Magical Girl?”
“Are you asking me?”
“Yes. Aren’t these creatures ultimately related to us? Wouldn’t it be better to end them with our own hands? Didn’t your older brother think the same and bring us here?”
“…Uncle too…”
Actually, there was no need to overthink this issue.
Ultimately, they were demons, and once eliminated, that would be the end of the story. Noah had done such things countless times. He was beyond professional.
Whether they understood this or not,
They grinned stickily.
Once again, voices echoed in Noah’s mind.
“Why couldn’t you save us? You’re the one who killed us.”
Voices coming from all sides. Noah realized.
“So it was you… Those tormenting voices.”
He understood that the source of those voices was none other than them.
Bang!
Surrounded by starlight, Noah transformed into a Magical Girl.
“…Seems like our thoughts are aligned this time.”
The Demon King also revealed a stern expression, extending his palm.
As he curled his fingers tightly, a small black hole formed above his hand.
It was unusual.
For their minds to align like this.
Huff, Noah sighed.
It was to clear the clutter from his mind.
Had she been alone, without his guidance, she might have collapsed and cried uncontrollably.
However, that didn’t happen.
“Ke ha ha ha ha… Why did you do it…”
“Shut up.”
“You could have saved us-”
“Be quiet. No matter what you went through, you’re just demons now.”
Magical Girl gathered starlight into her fists.
Simultaneously, she tried to suppress her emotions as much as possible.
Sympathy and guilt. She excluded all such feelings.
No matter how many voices she heard in her head, no matter how much they pleaded,
She suppressed her emotions, intending to just throw her fist-
Whoosh!
A giant tentacle shot out and grabbed Magical Girl’s arm.
“Uncle?”
Shin Hyun’s response came after a brief silence.
“I didn’t bring you here to kill them.”
He wore a slightly surprised expression.
“To beat up those pitiful kids again?”
“But…”
“You’re suffering too, aren’t you?”
Noah pondered deeply and nodded.
Because he truly felt guilty.
Shin Hyun chuckled and rummaged through his bag.
“These guys have a special strategy, watch closely.”
Swiftly.
Shin Hyun pulled out a plush toy from his luggage.
It was a soft and adorable teddy bear.
“Did you know about this too, Uncle?”
“Of course.”
A demon approached.
Its sticky, melted fingertips looked unclean.
Ignoring it completely, Shin Hyun extended his hand to stroke its head.
The confused demon watched as Shin Hyun offered the plush toy.
“A gift. I’ll give it to you. It’s yours.”
“My… mine…?”
“Yeah. Yours.”
“A… thank… you… ugh…”
The demon hugged the plush toy and smiled brightly.
Seeing one child receive the toy and become happy, the others looked on enviously.
With some hesitation, Noah also picked up a plush toy.
Their gazes were drawn to him.
All sparkling with anticipation.
Swish swish.
As Noah waved the plush toy left and right, their heads followed suit.
“Kids don’t get fixed by getting beaten up.”
One by one, the demons gathered around the plush toys, soon forming a crowd.
They all looked thrilled.
As Shin Hyun stood up to distribute the toys, he smirked.
“Kids need toys and snacks first, to calm them down a bit.”
The demons gathered eagerly, creating a sea of excited faces as they awaited their gifts.
