Boom! Boom─! Boom!
Yuma thought for a moment that an earthquake had struck.
Having returned to the Empire from the Lycanthrope kingdom of Baugalarc, he looked at Bell, who was suddenly charging at him like a beast.
“What the heck?”
He didn’t feel even the slightest hint of killing intent. The Skill [Crisis Detection] didn’t activate either.
Kugugugugugugu!
But what the heck was that fierce charge coming at him?
“Yumaaaaaaa!”
Seriously, why was she coming at him so fiercely?
Thud!
Bell leaped up and enveloped Yuma in a hug.
“I’ve broken the wall.”
She said that as she clung to him. Yuma gazed at Bell’s bright face as she spoke so cheerfully.
Slick…
He gently stroked her cheek, as if asking for praise, which made her smile wider.
He looked at Bell through [Search Eye].
[Lv.150] Bell
Race: Human
Alignment: Good
Class: Swordsman
Level: Grand Sword Master
Innate Traits: Genius, Body-Sword Unity, Heavenly Martial Body
She definitely broke down the wall.
And reached it. The pinnacle and ultimate level of the human race.
‘It’s probably not enough.’
To face the remaining ones, he needed Bell right in front of him. And Cloney too.
Even though he had personally slain the Evil God Incrinew, who could be said to have gathered these two and Princess Brigitte in one place, he still believed that these three were the keys needed to fully save this world.
‘Bell and Cloney have talents that can surpass this quantified level and standardized state.’
Yuma was convinced.
His role hadn’t changed much since the first time he brought them all together. It was to ensure that their talents shined fully. Until that somewhat small flame could illuminate the world completely. To protect that flame from being extinguished. Yuma had resolved to do just that.
He faced Bell’s pink eyes, which were staring at him intensely.
“You did very well.”
“Yep!”
Bell nodded vigorously. Then she slowly opened her lips.
“Don’t worry. I have no intention of settling down here. I’ll get stronger. A little more, I’ll keep getting stronger.”
Yuma’s eyes widened.
He could easily guess where this innocent desire was ultimately longing to go.
‘…It’ll be me.’
That longing was none other than directed at Yuma.
The realm of ‘illusion’ that [Absolute Counter] always manifested.
The absolute prowess that earned the title of ‘God of War.’
One thing: Yuma was convinced that Bell was one of the few humans who could get close to that illusory realm.
“Right, you can definitely do it.”
Yuma patted Bell’s shoulder.
*
In the central table of the palace.
Only the two of them existed there now.
Princess Brigitte looked across the table at Duke Yuma, the hero who had saved not just the Astes Empire but kingdoms across the continent and even lands of other races.
“Their invasion forces have dwindled rapidly. It seems we’re almost at the end,” she said.
There was no demon left standing boldly on this continent. The number of demons pouring in through the door, once in the thousands, had significantly decreased. The forces that occasionally emerged numbered at most five hundred.
“Seems that way,” Duke Yuma agreed with Brigitte’s assessment.
Brigitte gazed at Yuma, their eyes reflecting each other’s thoughts.
“Yuma, going to that demon world… it’s something we absolutely have to do, right?”
Going to the demon world as a human? It was undoubtedly a crazy idea. Imagining mounting a proper counterattack against the demon invasion was something any human would find unfathomable.
And that was the same for other races as well. The demon world was a separate dimension from the Intermediate World—a realm of magic.
The Grand Master. Tenth Circle. A place where all those great feats could become powerless. No matter how well one did in the Intermediate World, there was no telling what variables could arise in the demon world, where everything was an enemy.
Yuma was preparing to go to such a place, and Brigitte couldn’t fathom the reasons why, no matter how hard she tried.
Just as Yuma had always done, he seemed to think it was a necessary task.
“You’ll go even if I tell you not to, won’t you?”
Brigitte’s gaze trembled slightly for some inexplicable reason.
“Yeah, it’s something I have to do.”
Yuma spoke firmly this time.
Dragon Heart. He needed to consume the heart of a dragon to transcend being an ordinary person. What would happen after that transformation was still unpredictable.
“But becoming a mere talented human isn’t the end of it,” he thought. Something beyond that would happen.
Yuma believed so.
Status Window. The status window appearing before him continually guided him somewhere. The clearest path was to transcend ordinary life.
He didn’t even know if the existence granting achievements and rewards was included among the good gods.
“They said I’d meet them if I transcended being ordinary,” Yuma reflected.
He knew nothing about this world. From the very beginning, he had known nothing at all. After all, he hadn’t been summoned into the game “Loop Blood.”
Now, looking back, Yuma recalled the email that had been the trigger for his summoning into this world.
==============================
“Our next project will lack the constraints of roguelike elements, and we’ll be making our own open-world game.”
He wanted to present a special gift to the username Don’tScrewMeOver. Because they loved their game so much.
“When we’re ready, we’ll send you an invitation.”
==============================
“New work.”
If you think about it, one could say he had entered a new project from the creators of “Loop Blood.”
One could say I’ve entered a new creation made from everywhere.
‘This can’t just be some game world.’
Open world, hints at a new release—it’s all just wordplay. This is a complete world.
Not a game, but a real world.
‘Tutorial.’
If you think about the process, you could say that the game [Loop Blood] served as a tutorial about this world for Duke Yuma.
‘Am I chosen, or is this just a coincidence?’
Living in the modern world, the thought of there being someone else summoned here never crossed his mind. The summoner was definitely just one person. If there were more, they would have stood out by now.
‘…Let’s put all that aside for now.’
His head was starting to hurt. There was no point in worrying about things he wouldn’t figure out anytime soon. He needed to focus on what he could do right now. Yuma shifted his attention back to the Empire’s Empress, Princess Brigitte.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be back safely.”
Brigitte smiled softly at Yuma’s calm words.
“I can’t help but worry, but… I trust you, Yuma.”
Brigitte slowly rose to her feet. She walked over, her white hair swaying, and stood beside Yuma.
The noble Empress gazed down at Yuma.
Her delicate, white fingers touched Yuma’s cheek. Warmth was conveyed through her fingertips.
“I sometimes resent myself. Unlike Cloney and Bell, I don’t have any special abilities.”
Brigitte’s and Yuma’s faces grew closer, close enough to feel each other’s breath.
“No matter what dangerous choice you make, I can’t tell you not to. I don’t have the strength or the right to do so.”
Brigitte’s clear blue eyes locked onto Yuma.
“This time, I feel so powerless. So helpless…”
She softly voiced her own helplessness, slowly parting her lips.
Swoosh…
Brigitte wrapped her arms around Yuma’s shoulders, then covered his lips with her own.
Yuma hugged her back, cradling her against him.
Just for a moment.
A moment later, Brigitte, trembling with a racing heart, let her arms fall from Yuma’s shoulders.
“…That was reckless.”
Once she pulled her lips away, Brigitte looked into Yuma’s eyes as she spoke.
“Since we were both reckless together, it’s fine. You don’t need to torture yourself. Even if it’s just simple feelings.”
Brigitte smiled at Yuma’s gentle words.
The slight feelings of inferiority and anxiety that had lingered on Brigitte’s face just moments ago began to fade.
Brigitte’s lips that had just touched Yuma slowly parted.
“I’ll keep my promise to return safely.”
Their faces were still so close.
“Yeah. I’ll keep my promise.”
Only then did Brigitte finally distance herself from Yuma, turning around and walking elegantly up the stairs, disappearing from his view.
Princess Brigitte pressed her back firmly against the wall.
“Ahhh.”
And then she let out a deep sigh. A faint blush appeared on her snow-white face. She covered her face with both palms.
“…What have I done?”
The emperor of the Astes Empire, Brigitte, continued to mutter these words in her head until she fell asleep.
*
Duke Yuma’s party had arrived at the island of the Mullen Tribe.
This was because the gate to the Demon Realm had opened in the sky above the Mullen Tribe’s sea.
Yuma’s gaze swept over Cloney, Bell, and Hestia, and then to Brigitte.
Tisha, who had joined her clan, also bowed her head toward Yuma.
Step by step…
He moved towards Bell.
Then, he pulled out a [Dimensional Travel Orb] from his spatial pocket and handed it to Bell.
The [Dimensional Travel Orb] was a reward for defeating the Demon Lord Vefaron.
An item that allows movement across the boundaries of different dimensions.
It served as a holy relic functioning like a ‘Return Artifact’ that would allow him to return to the designated coordinates in the Intermediate World’s Astes Empire.
“If your life is in danger, don’t hesitate to use this. Of course, I’ll be with you. But the judgment about when your life is in danger is up to you.”
Bell, who was heading toward the Demon Realm along with Yuma, nodded her head.
“Okay, got it.”
She wasn’t that curious about why Yuma wanted to enter the Demon Realm.
“I’m just glad I can go with him.”
She was simply relieved that she could be Yuma’s sword.
Yuma approached Cloney.
Tears were welling up in Cloney’s eyes. Yuma didn’t see her as weak. In fact, it was strange how brave she had been up until now; her current appearance suited her age perfectly.
Yuma took out a handkerchief and wiped away the tears that had gathered under her golden eyes.
“…”
Cloney gazed at Yuma with wide, round eyes.
“Don’t worry. Just protect your companions, okay?”
Only then did Cloney finally smile brightly.
“Yes, Duke Yuma.”
They had already exchanged enough greetings with Brigitte.
“Keep your promise.”
“Of course.”
Yuma took one last look at Hestia. Hestia perked up her scarlet cat ears.
“Be safe, Yuma! Come back quickly! Ermel and I are preparing something that will surprise you!”
Ermel.
Yuma felt a bit of curiosity at the name of the former Holy Maiden he hadn’t heard in a long time. A minuscule curiosity.
“Alright, I’ll look forward to it. Make sure to protect the Empire well.”
“Yes!”
Hestia remained as energetic as ever.
Rumble…
Yuma and Bell’s gazes turned toward the gate to the Demon Realm, which was still sputtering out monsters.
Yuma and Bell climbed atop Griffin Ethan.
“Let’s clear them all out. They’ll enter the Demon Realm through that gate they opened.”
Swish—
Bell drew her sword.
“Understood, my lord.”
Ethan spread his massive wings.
