“We’ll Definitely Come Back to Save You!” — It’s Been Three Years Since I Was Left in the Most Difficult Dungeon, Isn’t It About Time for Help to Arrive...? - 32-33

Chapter 32: She Craved Affection, So I Offered Mine

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“…No way, you already got the hang of it? When it comes to combat, you really do have incredible instincts.”

“Wrong. It’s because being an adventurer is the only thing I’ve ever done, so this is the only way I can process things… There.”

Feeling a little embarrassed at the unexpected compliment, I wound the corrosive whip I had just summoned around my greatsword and strapped it to my back. Hel clapped her hands and let out a cheerful “Oooh~!” at the sight.

“This should work just fine. Now all that’s left is to make contact with your companions and read their hearts—ah, but make sure you decide what you’re trying to corrode in your head first. Otherwise, it’ll melt just about anything it touches.”

“Hey!! You should’ve told me that sooner!”

I hurriedly drew my greatsword and unraveled the whip wrapped around it. Though my beloved sword had barely retained its shape, the blade was now chipped and pitted with holes from the corrosion.

“M-My sword…”

“Master, this is just part of the learning process. You know, like a sharp lesson… Fufu.”

Hel chuckled, not looking particularly surprised, as she watched me stare blankly at my damaged weapon. So she knew this would happen and let it anyway, huh…?

“Alright then, time to give you an unforgettable experience. Get over here.”

“I—I refuse…!”

Hel tried to back away, but I snared her with the whip (after retracting the thorns, of course) and reeled her in. Naturally, I made sure not to melt her by consciously adjusting the corrosion.

“Thanks to you, I’ve gotten a better feel of your power. Appreciate it.”

“…If you really mean that, could you please release me now…?”

Hel twisted in place, begging. Sorry, but I needed a live target to get used to the whip’s handling.

“Hel, do you really feel sorry? If you do, I’ll let you go.”

“O-Of course I do… Yes…”

“Good—then let me check for myself.”

With that, I used a part of the whip binding her to trace along her body, letting my magic seep in from the surface and activate the power of Corrosive Touch. I sank the power deep into her core. As I reached into her heart, a mirror appeared in my mind, reflecting Hel’s thoughts and emotions.

But—

“I knew it. She’s totally lying.”

A membrane—or rather, a barrier labeled “apology”—was stretched over the mirror, blocking the view of what lay behind it. I sent the power of corrosion toward the slapdash obstacle, and it crumbled with ease, revealing her true feelings beneath. And then—

“…Hey.”

“…Yes…?”

“‘I wanted attention’—that’s what all this was for!? I lost a whole sword over that!?”

“B-But…! Ever since we left Niflheim, Master, you’ve only been paying attention to those three! And they’ve been getting all sorts of lucky breaks in the chaos—I wanted some of that too…!”

“Yeah, but you could’ve gone about it a little differently, don’t you think…? Jeez…”

Hel, suddenly acting all pouty and girlish. I knew it was part of her plan, but still—it wasn’t entirely her fault, so I couldn’t be too harsh about it. And yet, letting her off scot-free didn’t sit right either.

“……Alright. If you wanted attention that badly, I’ll give it to you until you’re satisfied.”

“Eh? Really!?”

“Yeah… But—only in this state.”

“Ehh…!?”

Bound tightly by the whip and completely immobilized, Hel broke out in a sweat as she realized this was going to be a totally one-sided match.

“Oh, and by the way, that promise you made earlier to ‘do whatever I say’? That’s off the table now.”

“What!? That’s not fair! I only enjoy turning you into my plaything, not the other way around—!”

“Now, now, don’t be shy. Didn’t you say earlier you wanted to be petted for three hours straight…? Let’s consider this a little practice—I’ll pet you all you want!”

“—NOOOOOOOOO!!! ………Ah…!”

【Boy and girl currently engaged in mischief】

“Whew… That should do it.”

After granting Hel’s wish and thoroughly petting and relaxing her entire body with the whip for the past several minutes, I laid her limp, twitching form down gently. Just to be clear—nothing inappropriate happened. Seriously.

Then I twirled the thorned whip I had formed through Corrosive Touch—now dubbed Black Thorn—with a seasoned flick of the wrist, fully accustomed to its weight. I had intended to do this partly for revenge, but it seemed to work even better than expected.

“I’ve more or less figured out how to use the power. All that’s left is to find the others and bring them back… Eishia, Ripley, Midi… Where are you now?”

At that moment, in the supposedly empty forest—someone stepped on my shadow and whispered softly into my ear:

“If you’re looking for me… I’m right here, Athos ♡”

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Chapter 33: Far Too Naive

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In the silence of the forest, a black voice quietly moved the hands of the clock.

No one should have been here just moments ago, yet a creeping presence closed in, and a chill ran down my spine as I spun around. Standing there was a girl in a fluttering black robe, a single strand of white hair held between her lips.

“You can’t, you know… Athos has to be with me…”

“Mi-Midi…?”

“Hehe… I finally found you, Athos… You really do smell nice…”

Her clothes were disheveled from dirt and leaves. She was sweating, her expression thoroughly exhausted. And yet, her eyes gleamed brightly, fixed solely on me.

“How did you even find this place…? We should be far from the city…”

“Tracking magic… I followed the scent of the magic power you left behind…. All the way here…”

“You followed… All of it? You’ve been using magic to track me ever since then!? It’s been dozens of minutes since I left the city!”

If one were to walk the shortest route from the city non-stop, it would still technically be possible to arrive here at this time…But only if you ignored all physical strain in the human’s body. Unlike me, who was confident in my stamina, or Hel, a monster, Midi was a wizard—not exactly someone with a strong body. And tracking someone with magic while moving would have put tremendous strain on her.

“What the hell are you doing!? If you do something like that, your stamina and magic power will run dry and you’ll collapse!”

“Yeah… I’m about to collapse… And I don’t really like these kinds of spells either. I prefer stronger, flashier magic that feels good to cast… But, you know… If it’s for finding Athos, then even this kind of dull suffering feels really good…♡”

Though her voice was dry and faltering, Midi moistened it with happiness welling from within as she stepped lightly toward me. The “Broken Genius,” a firepower fanatic—some called her that, a girl who found ecstasy in the pain of magical depletion.

“By the way… Hey, Athos. You looked like you were having a lot of fun just now. What exactly were you doing…? To be precise… With that woman over there… Just the two of you…”

Her eyes, darker than the abyss, glared at me, and I felt my heart stop in my chest. Midi’s dripping voice thickened the air with excessive humidity, gradually making it feel heavier around us.

“N-no, that’s…! Uh…”

This is bad…! 

I desperately searched for an excuse in my head, but no matter what I said, just looking at the state Hel was in over there would make everything fall apart.

“…Athos, we finally met again…so why are you trying to run away? You don’t want to be with me…? …Is it because you want to be with that woman instead…?”

“What made you reach that conclusion!? It’s because you guys keep calling me the Demon Lord and trying to attack me! Isn’t that why you were chasing me too!?”

“The Demon Lord… Oh yeah, Athos died and became the Demon Lord… So I’m supposed to defeat you, right…?”

Midi tilted her head in thought for a moment, then looked up at me again.

“…Yeah, I don’t really care about that stuff anymore… As long as I can be with you, Athos, that’s all I need…”

“T-then how about we just talk for a bit? If being together is your goal, there’s no need to fight, right? Right!?”

My objective was to make contact with Midi and remove the lie embedded in her heart. That alone would suffice, so there was no point in engaging in a fight.

“…No. Athos is clever, so if I don’t completely stop you, you might run away again… I need to make sure at least three of your limbs can’t move…”

“Three limbs!? W-wait, is that how little you trust me…!?”

Midi nodded without hesitation. The blow to my pride was real. Meanwhile, she blushed slightly and spoke again.

“…Besides, I learned a special spell just for you, Athos… I really want you to see it…”

“…A spell just for me? What is it?”

I asked without thinking, caught off guard by her unexpected bashfulness and the words “just for me.” The answer I got was…

“…Necromancy.”

“…Eh!? That’s…! That’s the one that makes dead bodies move, isn’t it!?”

“Yeah… With this, we can be together forever… Even if you die… Always and forever… fufufufufu♡”

It was at that moment I realized. Trying to resolve things with Midi, a girl steeped in madness, with only a half-baked resolve… Had been far too naive of me.

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