Mary stared anxiously at the magic circle, glowing in a violet hue.

Zeri had proposed something to her: to find out Ken's true feelings.

Between Raphne, Emily, and herself.

Using her dream magic, Zeri would determine which of the three Ken cared about the most.

‘If... my ranking is lower, she said she could adjust it a little.'

Dreams are a peculiar phenomenon where the human subconscious awakens during sleep.

If that phenomenon could be exploited through magic...

Zeri had said that she could slightly adjust the priority of the three people in Ken's subconscious mind.

'This might be underhanded...'

But Mary was scared.

If the scenes she saw in her dream last night came true...

Then Mary would lose everything.

If that were the case, even if it was sneaky, she had no other choice.

Mary did not want to lose Ken.

'No, I'm sure Ken loves all three of us equally.'

Mary shook her head to dispel the anxious thoughts.

If the results showed that his feelings were evenly divided among all three...

Then there would be no need for any trickery.

At least in this moment of waiting, Mary wanted to believe in Ken.

"Hey, I just want to say thank you."

"...What?"

Zeri, who had been concentrating on the magic while bound in chains, spoke.

Startled by the unexpected gratitude, Mary looked blankly at Zeri and asked.

"You don't need to thank me. This is a deal... I'm just doing something for you because you're doing something for me."

"Exactly. I'm thanking you for that part."

"What are you talking about?"

"Especially that greed of doubting your fiancé, not trusting him—that’s what I'm really thankful for."

"...What?"

At Zeri's continued words, Mary's heart twinged painfully, and she glared sharply at Zeri.

Meeting her sharp gaze, Zeri calmly manipulated her magic and answered.

"Honestly, didn't you say it at the beginning? That what mattered was your own feelings, not his."

"Why are you bringing that up now?"

"Because it’s amusing. You spoke so confidently back then."

Zeri sneered as she looked at Mary mockingly.

"But here you are, unable to trust his love, relying on magic like this."

"...Th-that’s..."

"No matter what excuse you make, it turns out I was right all along."

Zeri's sharp, demon-like eyes stared coldly at Mary, as if seeing right through her.

"You just wanted to be the one most loved. More than how much you love him."

Zeri turned her gaze away from Mary, who couldn't respond, and looked back at the magic circle.

"So, that's why I'm thanking you."

"...What are you really trying to say?"

"Do you still not understand?"

The magic circle began to shine more and more intensely.

As if she had completed all the adjustments to the spell, Zeri lowered her magic power, which had been rising, while staring at the bright violet light.

And with a sidelong glance.

She gave a mocking smile, as if ridiculing Mary.

"I distracted you so that you wouldn't notice the true nature of the magic."

"...What?"

Mary's face turned pale at the realization.

She quickly turned her head towards the magic circle.

The massive vortex of magic power was swirling from the circle.

There was no way this was a level of magic that could be achieved with mid-level magic power.

And she realized that whatever this magic circle was, it was not something as simple as dream magic.

This was not her first time feeling such a flow of magic.

Mary, who was considered one of the top talents in magic at the academy, could sense it.

She had felt this power before.

But this time, it was on a different scale entirely.

And Mary quickly remembered where she had sensed this before.

She realized that it was the same flow of magic that Zeri used when she performed her spatial magic beneath the temple not long ago.

In conclusion.

The true nature of the magic circle that Zeri had instructed her to create was...

A large-scale teleportation spell.

"N-no, stop—!!"

Mary frantically extended her hand, channeling a huge amount of magic to her fingertips.

There was still time.

If she could damage the magic circle itself...

Then she could prevent whatever was about to come through this large-scale teleportation magic circle.

As she began to release her specialty ice magic from her fingertips—a spell she had used countless times before...

As if by some cruel joke.

The magic circle completed its role perfectly.

From the vortex of magical energy, Zeri summoned what she had intended.

―Thoom!!

The ice spear that belatedly shot out from Mary's fingertips flew toward its target with a tremendous noise.

But instead of aiming for the magic circle as intended...

It flew toward the beings that had appeared there.

And the ice spear...

Shattered into dust...

With a mere wave of the being's hand.

"Zeri Von Perleon..."

There were two figures standing at the center of the magic circle.

Two beings had been summoned.

Two figures slowly approached Mary.

One was clad in jet-black armor, carrying a massive greatsword on his back.

The other was dressed in an elegant outfit that mixed black, red, and gold.

He had long golden hair, which he pushed back in annoyance.

And protruding from his temples...

Were horns, identical to those Mary had seen before on the Demon King she had first encountered at the academy.

"Yes, Lord Arleus!"

"What is the meaning of summoning me here? I clearly ordered you to retrieve the cursed sword."

"I have located the sword as per your command. However..."

"However?"

"I determined that retrieval was beyond my abilities. So, I decided it was necessary to bring you here before the current Demon King could get his hands on the sword."

"I see... And that is why you summoned the Commander as well."

"Yes! With the Commander’s help, we will retrieve the sword and present it directly to you, my lord."

Mary, who had tried to attack, was ignored as if she was insignificant.

Zeri hurriedly knelt and addressed the man as her lord.

He was none other than Arleus Vana Armarion.

A prince of the Demon Realm who aimed to kill the current Demon King and take the throne for himself.

"So, where is the cursed sword now?"

His quiet voice resonated.

It was just one sentence, spoken softly.

Yet as his voice resounded, enormous dark energy erupted like flames around the clearing where the magic circle had been drawn.

I was sleeping soundly on a soft bed when I suddenly woke up to a chillingly ominous energy blowing from outside the building.

Although the window was firmly closed to prevent the night air from seeping in, that peculiar dark, tingling energy seemed to completely ignore the barrier of the window, brushing directly against my skin.

"Raphne... Raphne."

"Ugh... No... I want to sleep here..."

When I opened my eyes and sat up, I saw that Raphne had somehow made her way into my bed and was holding onto me in her sleep.

I urgently shook her awake.

I also called out loudly to wake Emily, who was still sleeping in her own bed.

Lastly, Mary.

But Mary wasn't there.

Nor was Zeri, who should have been lying bound in chains with the luggage.

'What happened?'

The two were nowhere to be seen, and that ominous energy outside was blowing fiercely.

I had felt this energy once before.

Back then, the person was clearly suppressing their power, and it was faint—but now it felt exactly the same.

The same as the demonic energy emitted by Reinesis when she visited the academy.

'Did Reinesis come here? ...Or if not her...'

With Raphne still rubbing her eyes, and Emily quickly gearing up and following me, we rushed towards the source of the demonic energy.

And there...

"You’ve come. The one who possesses the cursed sword."

"Ugh... K-Ken..."

A wide clearing was engulfed in flickering purple demonic energy, almost like flames.

Strange symbols were drawn across the ground, and large ice shards and pillars—clearly remnants of Mary's magic—lay scattered everywhere.

Traces of a battle.

Above all else.

"Maryyyyy!!"

A blonde humanoid demon held Mary by her neck, lifting her into the air.

He had horns on his head, identical to those Reinesis bore.

Holding onto Mary’s neck, he looked at me with a cold, indifferent gaze.

The moment I saw that, I leaped forward, rage boiling over.

‘Quick Crafting!’

The skill activated instantly, and within moments a sword formed in my hand.

[Wait? Huh? This familiar feeling... the original?!]

What I'd created was the Cursed Sword Tirfione.

Not the mass-produced version made to kill the children of the demon god, but the original one abandoned at the base of Tarlos' Tower.

And I swung that corroding sword directly at Arleus.

But—

Clang!

"How dare you. Do you really think you can wield a blade against my master?"

The full-force swing was effortlessly blocked by a man clad in black armor.

"Hm?"

However, after blocking my sword, the armored man spoke in a voice filled with curiosity.

Sssss...

Noticing his greatsword was starting to corrode, he immediately swung his body around, kicking me away.

Just one simple kick.

Yet, with that kick, I used the force to step on his leg and launch myself backward, creating distance.

The armored man stared at his now partly corroded greatsword.

The first one to speak was not the man in armor, but Arleus.

"So, it's imbued with Tarlos' energy. I see, so you’ve used that to complete the cursed sword."

The Tirfione I had swung vanished like smoke from my hand.

"A quickly made cursed sword with magic... that’s not the one I'm looking for."

"Let Mary go... now."

Ignoring his muttering, I used my magic again to recreate Tirfione.

As I did, the armored man stepped in front of Arleus once again.

In response to my demand to release Mary...

The armored man raised his greatsword and answered.

"Hand over the cursed sword. Then I shall return the woman to you."

"…You are."

I carefully examined the man in black armor.

His armor glimmered with a flickering, dark purple energy.

He was dressed entirely in pitch-black plate armor, wielding a strangely shaped greatsword.

And he was the subordinate of Arleus, who aspired to be the Demon King.

The familiar sight made me realize immediately who he was.

'Commander... Valburke!'

Realizing his identity, I shouted loudly enough for everyone around me to hear.

"Everyone!! Never!! Never say your names!!"

Commander Valburke.

Known as the Black Knight, he was the final boss of ‘Epiris Academy.’

And I knew his unique skill all too well.

Unique Skill—Death Sentence.

A ridiculously overpowered curse-type skill that could kill an opponent under any condition.

But it had an activation requirement.

"You... it seems you know me well."

That condition was a name.

In the game, during the final battle against him, Emily's party all had their names known to him.

As the ‘Child of Prophecy,’ Emily’s party, tasked by the kingdom of Lillias to subdue the Demon King's forces, was famous.

But now it was different.

Back then, the only way to block the instant kill was to use the Goddess' Pendant.

However, if he still didn't know our names now…

"But, how unfortunate."

My hopes were dashed as the armored man slowly raised his greatsword, pointing it at me.

"A peculiar blacksmith who can create weapons out of thin air. Just as you know me, I also know you."

The moment he pointed his greatsword at me...

A massive surge of dark energy erupted from his body.

And then, out of his mouth...

Came a familiar name.

"Nice to finally meet you. Thank you for creating the cursed sword... Ken Feinstein."

His words struck me like an arrow to the heart.

The dark energy.

Quickly enveloped my entire body.

"Die."

It all happened so suddenly, I had no time to react.

Mary, who was being held captive, Raphne and Emily behind me—

None of them could stop it.

Valburke's Death Sentence was pronounced on me.

And the familiar system message appeared before my eyes.

[Ken Feinstein has died.]

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