"…Huh!"

The next day, after reaching the 10th floor, Raphne and her party were resting and preparing for the upcoming battle.

Among them, Raphne, who had been sleeping with her knees hugged next to a stele, suddenly opened her eyes wide and lifted her head.

"What's wrong, Raphne? Are you okay?"

Emily, who was beside her, approached with concern at Raphne's sudden movement.

But Raphne didn't answer and instead stared intently at the stele.

Then, with a serious expression, she spoke.

"I can feel it."

"What, what can you feel? Could it be Ken?!"

"No...."

Raphne shifted her vacant gaze from the stele to Emily.

With a very uneasy face, she slowly said:

"I have a feeling... that there's another woman next to Ken."

Ego Sword Tirfione.

She was just a single sword that had fallen into hell with her original master.

Following her master, a Female Knight dispatched from the kingdom to the Tower, she partook in the subjugation of countless monsters and, at some point, ended up here.

At first, she had no consciousness.

She was just an ordinary sword awarded to her master by the kingdom upon becoming a knight.

But after her first master, exhausted from endless battles in this hell, died, she remained in this shabby house.

And from some point on, while staying here, she began to absorb the demonic energy of hell.

As she was being tempered and honed by the surrounding energies, consciousness began to dwell within her.

She had formed a physical body from the demonic energy while retaining her mental clarity, living alone in the house where her master once stayed.

Without any purpose.

For she was someone who could do nothing without someone to pick her up.

She had merely kept her eyes closed and remained here the whole time.

But then.

“Excuse me.”

A human had appeared before her for the first time.

‘Uhh, uh, uhhh…’

Tirfione’s body stiffened, making it hard for her to speak in response to his sudden greeting.

It wasn’t because he was the first human she had met since her master.

Humans were just humans after all.

As an Ego Sword, she could easily kill such beings.

But there was something different about the man in front of her.

‘Wh-why am I feeling like this?’

For the first time, she felt a strange warmth.

Like an iron ingot being thrust into a furnace, her body heated up, and her face became flushed.

Her heart began to race, and her thoughts became disordered as blood rushed to her head.

‘I-I have to do something!’

“Hehehe… E-ex-excuse me! I am Tirfione, I am the spirit of the sword hanging over there.”

Despite her body trembling with nervousness and her words getting tangled, she managed to speak.

She pointed with her finger to her main body at the back.

'Is... is this the right thing to do?!'

In her confused state, she had at least made an introduction.

Why she decided to reveal her name to this stranger was a mystery.

Somehow, she just wanted to share something about herself.

Ken, awkwardly watching her, followed suit and introduced himself as well.

“My name is Ken Feinstein. Well... I said I was lost, but actually, I’m looking for something.”

Ken was slightly taken aback by her appearance, which seemed different from his memories, but his main priority was finding the key.

Tirfione, who had stood up suddenly and stated her name, seemed a bit more friendly, so he got straight to the point.

However, to Tirfione, his actual request didn’t register clearly.

“Ken... sir.”

“Sir?”

Tirfione blushed as she repeated Ken's name in an enraptured voice.

'Ah, even his name...'

The man in front who introduced himself as Ken.

Although she was just a sword, his presence made her heart flutter, as if she were human.

His eyes, smiling softly with an innocent air.

His sharp, prominent nose.

Despite some dirt, his skin was clear and fair.

His hair, roughly tied back as if he hadn’t taken care of it.

Although his appearance was unkempt, likely due to living in this place, it gave off a rugged charm that stirred a girl's heart.

‘What... is this feeling?’

Having only been a sword before, even after gaining consciousness, she had been alone, so she was inexperienced with emotions.

However, she didn’t really understand emotions well.

After all, there was no one here to make her happy or sad.

That’s why when the first boy she encountered stirred such feelings in her, her affection for him grew stronger.

Completely unaware of her feelings, Ken continued speaking.

“Excuse me, Tirfione. If it’s not too much trouble, could I ask you about an item?”

“Oh, yes, of course! You mean the thing you’re looking for!”

“It’s a small stone tablet with strange inscriptions on it. I really need it.”

Ken knew she had the key, but it would be odd to demand it right away, so he started with a formal question.

“Yes, absolutely! What you’re searching for is definitely among my previous owner’s belongings!”

Her response was even more cheerful than he had expected.

Being born as a tool for humans, Tirfione felt great joy in fulfilling his request.

Smiling brightly at the joy of being useful as a tool, she immediately confirmed she had what he wanted.

‘She’s really friendly...’

The unexpected flow of the conversation made Ken awkwardly scratch his cheek.

This wasn’t the Tirfione he remembered.

He recalled some of the lines she used to say in the game.

‘I am Tirfione, the cursed sword. How dare you disturb my slumber. Do you wish to die?’

‘The key? Why would you ask me for such a thing? Stop bothering me and get out of my house.’

‘Hmph, take that and leave at once.’

‘...Well, it wasn't a bad conversation considering the long silence. Feel free to drop by if you think of it next time.’

Cold and calm, she had always been like that.

However, the more her affinity increased, the more her attitude changed. Yet, her inability to be completely honest was what made her character charming.

‘…Well, as long as it turns out well.’

Though her demeanor was vastly different from what he remembered, Ken thought it would be fine as long as things went smoothly.

In fact, from Ken’s perspective, it was beneficial because he could obtain the key faster than he had planned.

It seemed she didn’t mind either, as she immediately went to a shelf and started rummaging through her belongings to find what Ken was searching for.

However, suddenly...

‘Once you get this emblem...’

Tirfione recalled what usually happened after the emblem was handed over.

Carefully turning her head, she glanced at Ken.

Ken was blankly staring at her, waiting.

“Um, Ken. ...If you happen to get the emblem, what do you plan to do next?”

“Well… staying here any longer would be hard, so I plan to return.”

Tirfione was shocked at his words, which he thought were simply polite.

‘…Why does she look like that?’

Her face, which had been flushed a moment ago, turned as white as a sheet as she stared at Ken in disbelief.

Then Tirfione turned her head and bumped it against the shelf.

‘If I give this to him... does that mean he’ll leave already?’

She didn’t want to be separated yet.

No, more than that, she just didn’t want to part.

It would be nice if they could stay here together.

As these thoughts raced through her mind, an idea crossed Tirfione's head.

“Ah, ah! Come to think of it, this emblem is a precious keepsake of my master!”

“What?”

Tirfione knew she sounded strange suddenly changing her story.

But she was greedy, and she decided to be stubborn.

“I-I can’t give it to you just like that.”

With a stern face, Tirfione cautiously looked at Ken.

Trying to hide her true intentions.

And Ken, completely fooled by her effort, asked without suspicion.

“Then what do I need to do to get it?”

“What???”

“Because if you can’t give it to me outright, there must be some condition, right?”

Things were going completely against his expectations, and Ken was getting more confused.

Tirfione was just as flustered by his question.

She had only thought about placing a condition, not what that condition would be.

“Uh, um, well, that is…”

As she rolled her eyes and tried to come up with a plausible excuse, she spotted something.

On the wall was her true form – a rusty, dusty sword.

"Th-that!"

"What?"

"If you can repair my true form to its pristine condition, then I will give it to you!"

Tirfione thought this was a very good idea.

This place was the Hell inside the Trap of Tarlos.

In such a place, repairing her true form would surely take a lot of time and be quite challenging.

She came up with the idea of keeping Ken here while he struggled to repair her true form.

With such a perfect plan in mind, Tirfione confidently pointed to her true form.

But Ken was not flustered at all by her words and responded with a confident smile.

"Ah, if that's the case, there shouldn't be any problem."

"…What?"

Tirfione's finger, which had been gleaming with anticipation, drooped limply at his reaction.

‘Of course, it wouldn't be given away so easily.’

I had thought about repairing Tirfione's condition for exchanging the key.

After all, it was a way to raise favorability even in the game.

It was unlikely she would just hand over the key at the first meeting.

However, the condition she set was just right for me.

Repairing the Magic Sword.

That was my specialty.

"Well then, excuse me for a moment."

I immediately reached out to the wall and picked up her true form, the sword.

"Ah! W-wait a moment!"

For some reason, Tirfione, who had been standing still, suddenly rushed over and grabbed my hand as I picked up the sword.

“Oh, why?”

“On second thought, my true form must not be touched carelessly!”

‘Ah, now that you mention it…’

Seeing her flustered expression, I remembered some details about Tirfione.

There are two dangers associated with the sword she mentioned.

Magic Sword Tirfione.

A sword that has existed for countless years in the [Bottom of Tarlos], imbued with the miasma of this place.

The first danger is the sword’s ability: ‘Corrosion.’

Anything living that is cut by the sword will be corroded by its power.

The second danger occurs the moment you step out of the house with the sword in hand.

The second you leave the house with the sword, all the monsters in this place will swarm to attack the wielder.

Every player who became greedy for the sword’s ability after discovering it in the game died this way.

And likely, the danger Tirfione refers to is the corrosion that happens when cut by the sword.

“Well, then… may I, just for a moment?”

Blushing, Tirfione looked at me cautiously.

For a moment?

What is she planning to do?

Thinking it couldn’t be anything too dangerous, I nodded.

She seemed a bit nervous, her face turning red as she brought my hand closer to herself.

And then…

Bite.

“Whaa?!”

She took my hand into her mouth.

“…Ugh.”

I felt her teeth sink into my flesh, followed by that familiar pain.

‘Is she… drinking my blood?’

With her eyes closed and face flushed, Tirfione held my hand in her mouth for a while before finally pulling away.

She looked at me with a dazed expression.

“It... it should be fine now... Hehe.”

Her lips looked even redder with a hint of my blood on them.

‘Has she done something?’

I was used to the sensation of being bitten thanks to Emily, so it wasn’t very painful.

But the feeling of having my blood sucked was new, which was a bit startling.

I could only guess, but it seemed like she did something to ensure I wouldn’t be harmed even if cut by her true form, the magic sword.

Not that I would try cutting myself deliberately to find out.

“Thank you. I will fix it right away.”

“Huh? Right away?”

“Don’t worry, it’s my specialty.”

Her flustered expression made me uneasy, so I pulled out a work hammer from my pocket to reassure her.

However, Tirfione’s face only grew more tense at the sight.

‘Anyway, let's get started.’

It was strange that she looked so distressed despite asking for the favor herself.

I first inspected her sword, which was the immediate concern.

‘Except for some rust and a few nicks on the blade, it’s in decent condition.’

It didn’t seem like it would take much work.

With that, I began repairing the sword to obtain the key.

“…Ahh, Ngh, Mmh!”

Strangely, the more I worked on the sword, the more odd noises I heard from behind.

Come to think of it, this is her true form.

Realizing I was essentially handling Tirfione’s body, I couldn’t help but become self-conscious.

“Ah… no, not there!”

Don't get distracted, don't get distracted.

The repair felt somehow more difficult than usual, but I managed to finish it.

“Haaa, haa, what, it’s already done?”

She looked somewhat regretful as she inspected her restored form.

“Wow, it’s perfect…”

Admiring her now spotless self, Tirfione murmured with a stern face.

Alright, since I've completed the task, I should get that key now…

But then.

“So, if you receive the seal… will you be leaving this place?”

Tirfione, her head bowed, asked quietly.

What was that? I felt a strange sense of déjà vu…

“Well, I’d feel bad staying longer than needed… so I suppose that’s what will happen.”

Feeling guarded by the odd atmosphere, I answered her question.

Wait, why am I feeling defensive?

It feels like I can almost foresee what’s going to happen next…

As I pondered this strange sense of déjà vu.

“…No.”

Tirfione murmured in front of me.

“…Sorry?”

I unintentionally questioned her quiet statement.

Tirfione lifted her bowed head at my question.

Her eyes were void, somehow eerily familiar.

"No, you can't leave..."

With her next words, I realized why I'd been feeling this sense of déjà vu.

Now that I think about it, Raphne, who imprisoned me in the tower, had said something like this...

Oh.

"Wouldn't it be nice... if you just stayed with me? Once you spend some time here, it’s actually a nice place to live."

"Ah, uh, Tirfione?"

Her eyes, appearing as though she had lost her mind, glistened as she drew closer with a smile.

Then, pressing herself against me, she looked up at me and whispered in a sultry voice.

"I want to be your partner."

...This is a big problem.

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