Kumodesu

Returning to the life of just the three of us felt a little strange. After all, I had spent every day visiting the Vice Director, talking and sharing so many things with him. And now… he was truly gone.

Even so, I had to keep going—for the sake of my little family.

Seryl's symptoms had not improved. In fact, they were getting worse. She was frequently plagued by headaches and fainting spells. I had tried every method I could think of, but I still hadn't found anything that could truly put an end to this.

The only thing that brought me some small comfort was that Veronica didn't seem to be affected. She was still very young, not even able to walk yet. I had worried greatly, since infant souls are typically more vulnerable than those of adults, but thankfully, nothing strange had happened so far.

...

The next morning, when we woke up, Seryl told me about a strange dream she had.

She said she saw a massive tree in the middle of a dense forest. When she reached out and touched the tree's trunk, a beam of light burst forth—and the tree immediately withered, as if its life had been drained.

The dream repeated itself so often that she finally decided to tell me about it. I was quite intrigued and tried to do some research, but unfortunately, I didn't have any relevant materials on hand.

It felt like some kind of omen… but clearly, there was no ancient tree like the one from her dream anywhere on this fifth floor.

Well, I could only continue researching and experimenting with my magic tools, hoping to uncover a clue. But I was running low on materials… and it seemed I would soon have to halt this work altogether...

…

It had been several months since Veronica was born. During that time, I had scouted around the nearby village multiple times, but the place was eerily quiet. The large front gate was always shut, and a protective barrier surrounded the village, preventing me from going any deeper.

Living so close to them left me constantly on edge. I wanted to wipe them all out, but then another issue came to mind. Though they were enemies, resisting us, they were also drawing the attention of the spirits. If they were to disappear, the spirits might turn their full attention to us.

And that… would be far worse.

Before we could deal with those people, we would first need to handle the spirits. But those things were incomprehensible, bizarre beings—and the hardest to kill out of anything I'd ever known. I honestly had no idea what to do.

Haah…

Everything felt like a dead end, and that made me feel utterly hopeless.

I wanted to give Seryl and Veronica a bright future… but even I no longer knew where to find that future.

...

Today, Seryl told me about another dream.

This time, after the great tree withered, countless tiny fragments—seemingly from her own body—broke off and scattered into the air. She described the sensation as so vivid, so real, that she forgot she was even dreaming.

Everything was growing stranger and stranger...

And there was something else. Veronica.

She… started crawling.

That wouldn't be strange at all—if she weren't only a few months old. Her development… felt too rapid, didn't it?

She constantly clung to Seryl, refusing to leave her side, as if she wanted to fuse with her completely. Even I sometimes struggled to separate them. But strangely enough, Veronica listened to Seryl perfectly. The moment she gently told her to let go, the baby immediately obeyed.

That made me wonder—did she really understand what Seryl was saying? If so… then her development was far too fast.

One day, I overheard Veronica babbling something.

No way!

Was she… starting to speak?

The sounds were still soft, unclear…

Or maybe this was normal, and I simply didn't know? This was my first time raising a child, after all—perhaps I just didn't understand how fast things were supposed to go.

Seryl was surprised too, but mostly she was overjoyed. She even joined in and helped Veronica practice. And indeed, just a few days later, the baby managed to say her first word.

"Da..d..d..aad..d..ad.."

That moment might have been the happiest my heart had ever felt—hearing my daughter call me "ba." Even if it was still shaky and unclear, for me, it was more than enough.

Veronica became more cheerful too. Lately, she clung to Seryl less and started to stick to me more.

I didn't mind at all. In fact, I was thrilled. There had been a time when she only wanted Seryl, and I felt like I was invisible.

Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that I needed to find out whether this development of hers was natural… or caused by something else. Seryl told me not to overthink it, but how could I not worry?

We were living in a place surrounded by brainwashed people and a bunch of spirits capable of mind control. Caution was absolutely necessary.

I figured I needed to pay more attention to her. I had only blinked—and already she had grown and changed so much. It was a bit alarming, but seeing her healthy gave me some peace of mind.

Our peaceful days passed quickly. And then—today, another group of people came to our house.

To ensure safety, I brought Veronica down to the basement first, then returned to deal with the trouble outside.

This time, they came in force. Around thirty or forty of them. It looked like they were truly ready to start a fight.

One of them stepped forward, raising his voice with fanatical zeal:

"Seryl, Loyral! This is your final chance! Offer your souls to the Spirits and receive their blessings! Your sinful souls shall soon be purified, and you will understand the greatness of the Spirits!"

…Wow.

It seemed the brainwashing skills of those spirits had reached a whole new level.

The man who had spoken was one of the former nobles. I didn't remember his name, but it didn't matter. If they wanted to start something, I wasn't about to back down.

"Cut the crap. If you want to fight, then come at me."

I wasn't in the mood to argue. With people like this, fists worked best.

"Hmph! Arrogant fool! Don't think we don't have ways to subdue you!"

Just as he finished speaking, he began chanting something. But I wasn't about to give him the chance. I immediately threw a dagger at him—only for someone else to jump in and take the hit. That person died on the spot.

The dagger kept flying, though. More people threw themselves in front of him—one after another. It wasn't until the ninth person that the dagger finally lost its momentum and fell.

…They were seriously that devoted?

"The Spirits will surely reward your sacrifice."

The caster sneered, clearly pleased with the blind loyalty of his followers.

I didn't want to kill them all. Like I'd thought before, these people were serving as distractions for the spirits. If they were gone, the spirits would turn their sights fully on us, and things would only get worse.

So I just needed to eliminate their leader.

I moved in to finish him myself—but immediately, over a dozen people charged in to stop me. They were just common soldiers who used to follow the nobles. They didn't stand a chance.

"For the Spirits!"

"For the greatness of the Spirits!"

"For the Spirits!"

"..."

They weren't strong, but damn, their mouths were annoying. Every time they rushed in, they'd shout something like that. It made my skin crawl.

After cutting down over a dozen of them, I stepped back. I didn't want to slaughter them all—my goal was intimidation. But clearly, they were more troublesome than before.

The more I killed, the more fired up they became.

I didn't know what to do…

I was about to strike again when suddenly, Seryl collapsed behind me. I immediately turned back in shock.

"What's wrong?!"

She didn't answer. She was clutching her head, sitting on the ground in pain, her whole body trembling. I had no idea what to do. Leaving her here was too dangerous, so I decided to carry her inside.

But just then, while I was distracted, that bastard finished his chant. He shouted:

"In the name of the Spirits, I command you to submit!"

A blinding light burst forth. A white beam shot straight at my forehead.

I couldn't dodge—Seryl was right behind me.

"Hahaha! Let's see how you escape this time!"

His laughter was so smug I wanted to punch his face in.

But then—just as the beam was about to hit me—it stopped.

It didn't vanish. It didn't veer off course.

It just… froze, hovering in the air, as if blocked by something far stronger.

I was stunned, not Insight what had happened. But then I noticed the faces of the others—shocked and fearful—and saw that they were all staring in the same direction. I quickly turned to look.

And I saw Seryl.

She was standing behind me, arm extended. Strange cracks were forming along her skin. Her eyes glowed like crystal—divine and otherworldly.

"Such pitiful power dares show insolence before me?!"

Her voice boomed—deep, resounding, filled with majesty. It wasn't Seryl's voice.

Everyone, myself included, froze in fear. The white beam vanished without a trace.

I clenched my fists and asked quietly, "Who are you?"

"Seryl" did not answer. She simply walked toward the enemy. As she neared, she raised her hand, and a sharp beam of light shot straight into the head of the chanting man.

He flinched back in terror, thinking he was dead—but nothing happened. Still, he didn't dare utter another word.

"Seryl" swung her hand horizontally. In an instant, nearly ten people near her collapsed to the ground, their eyes blank, soulless.

Did she just… steal their souls?

I couldn't be sure. But remembering what happened to the Vice Director, I couldn't help but suspect it.

The rest of them went pale with fear. They seemed to understand what her action meant. No one dared speak. They all turned and fled in panic. The noble man remained, frozen on the ground, trembling.

"Seryl" walked up to him. Her voice thundered like a god's:

"Those corrupted beasts—I do not wish to see them disturb me again. Is that clear?"

"Y-yes… yes…"

He stammered and then scrambled away like the others.

Having received her answer, "Seryl" turned and walked back into the house. I was still frozen in place, unable to process what I'd just witnessed.

But then I rushed after her. When I entered the house, I found her collapsed on the floor, completely unconscious.

I didn't dare do anything rash. I simply lifted her onto the bed, then went downstairs to bring Veronica back up.

I had no idea what had just happened.

I could only wait until she woke up to find out.

But… an overwhelming sense of unease gripped my chest.

It felt exactly like the moment Charlot and I stayed behind to stop the Cerberus.

A terrible premonition.

No matter what happens this time... I truly hope I can protect her—and Veronica.

The next day, Seryl finally woke up.

I didn't rush to question her about what happened before. Instead, I checked her overall condition first. Once I was sure all her vital signs were stable, I could finally relax and went to prepare food for her.

"Do you remember anything about yesterday?"

Seryl didn't answer immediately. She fell into a long silence, then slowly said,

"It felt like… something inside me awakened. But I still don't know what it was. Now, it's gone into hiding again, so I can't sense it anymore."

So even Seryl doesn't know anything...

I had already tried analyzing the situation. Judging by the way it spoke, its aura, and its ability to take away someone's soul, I figured that the thing inside Seryl was likely the same kind of being as those spirits—but on a far higher level.

For some reason, it was residing inside her. Maybe temporarily. And yesterday, it had been awakened by clashing with the power of that other spirit.

What if… it's the very key we need to defeat the spirits?

But relying on it also means putting Seryl at great risk...

I let out a soft sigh.

In the end, I'd have to find another way myself. While I was still lost in thought, Seryl suddenly took my hand and said gently,

"Don't worry too much. We'll find a way through this."

"…Yeah. You're right."

Seryl's health quickly stabilized, and she was soon back to her usual self.

We went back to our normal life—until a new group of strangers showed up…

This time, they seemed to have gathered everyone left in the area, and leading them was a very familiar face…

Muos.

His face hadn't changed, but his smile was far more disgusting than before. He stood at the head of the crowd, a few miles away from us. Clearly, they were more cautious than the last time.

"You two idiots!" he shouted mockingly.

"The Spirits have realized that you're in possession of something incredibly valuable. They've ordered us to retrieve it at any cost! This is your last chance—surrender it and become nourishment for the Spirits, or… die."

How amusing.

Despite being warned last time, these spirits weren't afraid at all—on the contrary, they had grown greedy for the mysterious power dwelling inside Seryl.

If they succeeded, she would be in grave danger.

I had no intention of wasting more words. I immediately entered combat mode and charged forward.

But just as I expected, they had come prepared.

Four opponents moved to intercept me. Each of them wielded a chain, attacking in unison.

Chains, huh?

They picked the wrong opponent.

I summoned my own eight chains and countered. During the fight, one of them made a mistake. My chain caught him, pulled him in, and he paid for it with his life.

At the same time, the others in the back began casting magic at me, while several more rushed in with various weapons, trying to throw me off. I quickly summoned stone walls around myself, then leapt into the air to escape the encirclement.

My chains kept finding targets, taking them down one by one. But no matter how many I killed, they just kept charging like mindless moths to a flame.

"Fools..."

Muos sneered from afar. He hadn't made a move yet, so I didn't pay him much attention.

"High Priest, what now?! We're taking too many losses!"

"Go grab the woman in the back! With her in our hands, that guy will be easy to tame!"

Just then, a scream rang out from behind me, breaking my focus.

Taking advantage of the distraction, one of them struck me in the back with a mace, followed by a barrage of attacks.

Luckily, I managed to swap positions and escape.

I dashed back immediately. That scream could only have come from Seryl.

While I was busy fighting, a few of them had snuck around the back, trying to capture her. Fortunately, the barrier I had set around the house was still in place, stopping them from getting in.

But even so, they managed to hook her with a chain and pull her out.

"Well, well. If you don't behave, she'll be in a world of pain," Muos called out, voice sickeningly smooth.

I clenched my fists, trying to hold back.

Seryl was in their hands—I couldn't afford to take any risks.

I stood still, surrounded on all sides by enemies, while Seryl was dragged next to Muos.

"Target secured. Retreat."

At Muos' command, the whole group began withdrawing, never taking their eyes off me.

All I could do was stand there, fists clenched, as they vanished into the woods.

No pursuit.

I had to hold back my rage and go back inside to check on Veronica first. Thankfully, the child was still sound asleep, unharmed.

Once I was sure she was safe, I headed straight for the village.

The gate was shut tight, and I had no way of knowing what was going on inside. Still, I was fairly certain Seryl wouldn't be in immediate danger—if they wanted to extract the power inside her, they would have to keep her alive for now.

Even so… I had to act fast!

I still had one skill left that could drastically boost my power.

But the price was my own lifespan.

I didn't want to use it—but now, I had no other choice.

Even so, caution came first.

I circled the area, confirmed there were no guards on the outside, and slipped in.

I'd been here once before, but I hadn't looked closely.

The village had many simple wooden houses, with ordinary tools and household items scattered around like any peaceful settlement.

I passed through them and ventured deeper in.

Beyond the wooden homes stood stone buildings with intricate carvings and more lavish interiors. This must be where the so-called aristocrats lived.

How ironic. Even brainwashed, they still maintained their caste system.

I pushed on until I reached a large square, where dozens of people were gathered.

In the center—was Seryl.

She was tied to a crucifix.

Muos stood at the center of the crowd, reading something from a book.

I didn't care what it was. I didn't sense any Spirits nearby, but just to be safe, I activated my stealth skill.

"And now, I present this exquisite offering to the Spirits!" Muos declared in a frenzied voice.

At his words, countless lights appeared in the air.

A quick glance was enough—I knew it was them. The Spirits.

They had that same twisted grin, their eyes filled with hunger as they stared at Seryl. One of them couldn't wait and started to move forward. But at that moment, Seryl's eyes suddenly opened, glowing fiercely.

I knew it.

The thing inside her had awakened once again.

"Insolence." A voice of overwhelming authority rang out.

The Spirit that had approached let out a shriek and disintegrated into nothing.

The entire crowd gasped in shock.

The Spirits had stopped smiling. Now their faces were filled with fear—and rage.

Seryl swung her arm and broke free of her restraints. She shot forward at blinding speed and erased another Spirit instantly.

The rest recoiled in terror—but didn't flee.

They encircled her, forming a ritual circle in the air. Light converged and a powerful beam shot straight at her.

Seryl was temporarily restrained. But she only stared at them coldly—then snapped her fingers.

Snap!

All the light chains were severed.

The Spirits staggered, injured, and backed off.

But I noticed it.

Seryl's body trembled slightly. The power inside her—it wasn't infinite. She couldn't hold them off forever.

The Spirits must have realized this too.

They didn't attack again. Instead, they gave Muos new orders.

He turned to the crowd and shouted: "Her power's running out! Everyone—wear her down!"

The mob roared and charged with weapons raised.

This was bad.

I couldn't stay hidden anymore. I had to act.

The first person who got close to Seryl didn't even have time to react—my dagger pierced through his skull.

I stormed in, cutting down everyone who blocked the way, and rushed to her side.

"Seryl! Are you okay?!"

"My power... isn't enough..." she said weakly.

"What do we do?" I asked, barely holding off the endless attacks from outside. They were relentless.

I raised stone walls around us and cast [Blind Veil] to form a defensive barrier.

"The best option now... is to seal them away."

"How?"

"With the power I have left… I can do it. But this body… will vanish."

My eyes widened in shock.

"Don't joke about that!"

"Before you refuse, hear me out." She coughed softly, then continued: "I was once the Spirit Queen. When my power began to fade, I chose to divide myself into fragments. These 'Spirit Shards' would dwell in other beings, borrowing their strength to eventually be reborn."

"This body… once held one of those shards. But after she gave birth, the shard passed to the child, leaving only remnants of power behind."

"Those who carry a shard can use part of my power. But if the shard is removed, they'll perish completely. However, if we choose to seal the Spirits now—I may still preserve her soul. As long as the soul remains, there's hope."

I stood there, stunned and silent.

"I've said what needed to be said. I've already spoken to her. What comes next… is your choice."

The glow in her eyes faded, replaced by Seryl's gentle gaze once more.

"Seryl!"

I caught her as she swayed.

She nodded slowly. "I heard everything."

I clenched my fists so tightly, blood seeped from between my fingers.

Seryl took my hand gently.

"I know… this is hard for you. But we still have Veronica. Only if we escape this place… can she grow up healthy and free."

"I know..."

Of course I knew. But how could I accept losing someone I love—again?

"Loyral, trust me. We'll meet again. I believe it."

She was trying to comfort me. But she also knew the odds were slim, almost nonexistent. But if she still believed, how could I be the one to give up?

"…Alright. I trust you."

"Thank you."

Seryl smiled. Tears streamed down her cheeks—but her expression was peaceful.

"Please take care of Veronica for me. Tell her that I love her. Tell her not to be sad without me. If she misbehaves, teach her gently. Don't hesitate to tell her the truth. She deserves to know."

"I'll protect her with my life," I vowed.

"That's all I could ever ask for…"

She smiled again. Her eyes glowed with light, and the tears were gone—replaced by serene resolve.

"Let's go." She said it—but the voice was no longer hers.

I took a deep breath and broke the barrier. Together, we stepped outside. Once the decision was made—there was no turning back.