It was reminiscent of a very prosperous small city.
The inside was splendid yet sophisticated and neat, and the beautifully decorated gardens and buildings were a sight that could not help but make one exclaim in admiration.
Labyrinth Academy.
It had been built when nobles, who did not want their children to stay in a place lacking in comfort, poured money into its construction. Even now, they continued to make immense donations one after the other, and the view from this space was nothing short of spectacular.
It was a place where one could literally feel how much money had been lavished upon it. Everything from the supplies to the facilities was designed so that even the proudest nobles would not find them lacking. Naturally, its aesthetics were bound to be outstanding.
In addition, under the faint moonlight and the darkness of the night, which gave the scenery an even more subtle beauty, a man walked leisurely forward as if to break up the view.
His deep black hair, reminiscent of a starless night sky, fluttered in the gentle breeze. The man with his half-closed red eyes truly looked like a living painting.
A man like a painting in a picturesque landscape. The background and the figure blended harmoniously into a single work of art. If a single painter had been present, he would surely have wanted to capture this scene on canvas.
And that man in the scenery, Yujin, strolled along the street and turned to the side as though speaking to someone.
“Such a beautiful view. Wouldn’t you agree, Tia?”
If anyone had seen it, they might have called it madness, but he was not insane. He simply had someone by his side whom others could not see.
[That’s definitely true. Humanity’s sense of art had certainly advanced.]
Had there been one more person here who could see her figure, they likely would have gazed absentmindedly at the scene.
Because the woman walking side by side with the man, like a matching pair, certainly deserved such a reaction.
[It’s nice. The feeling of walking together like this… it isn’t something easy to experience as a dragon.]
“Right?”
[Although, that might also be because it was with you, Yujin.]
Tiamat said that, then smiled brightly as she looked at Yujin. For a moment, Yujin stared at her vacantly before letting out a dry laugh.
“Tia, have you really never had a relationship with a man?”
[Huh? Wh-What are you saying all of a sudden? That’s so abrupt…]
“I was just thinking it seemed impossible that no man ever held even the slightest romantic feelings for someone like you.”
Yujin did not sound like he was feeding her a line; he appeared genuinely curious. This made Tiamat all the more flustered.
[A-All of a sudden, what… I’m the ruler of dragons, you know. There wouldn’t have been anyone who thought of me in that way.]
“Really?”
At her words, Yujin felt certain. She might just not have noticed, but she had likely bewitched many male dragons without realizing it.
People who failed to notice the feelings of others often spoke in that manner. They were convinced there was no way anyone could harbor such sentiments for them.
Yujin smiled wryly.
“Let’s just go with that.”
[‘Go with that’? I’m telling you it’s true.]
“Yes, yes, if you say so. But anyway, Tia…”
He narrowed his eyes and looked off in a certain direction.
“For some reason, I feel a sense of déjà vu. Maybe it’s just my imagination?”
[!]
At Yujin’s words, Tiamat also narrowed her eyes and turned her gaze in the same direction he was looking.
“It reminds me of when I faced the first trial in the labyrinth.”
[…Yes, that’s right.]
Tiamat likewise squinted slightly.
[Another demon, it seems. Not only is it imbued with demonic power, but even though it’s as weak as a seedling, something there is on the verge of turning into a demon.]
“Weren’t all demons either killed off or sealed in the labyrinth, much like dragons?”
[That’s what I believed as well, but… it might be a situation akin to yours, Yujin.]
“…Hmm.”
At those words, Yujin stroked his chin for a moment with his eyes half-closed as usual.
A demon existed outside the labyrinth, at the academy, no less. How was that possible?
Yujin did not know. Yet Tiamat guessed it could be something akin to Yujin’s own case. A Transcendent being imprisoned in the labyrinth trying to transform a mortal into a Transcendent through its seed.
[It could be something like a parasite and host. Since we’re dealing with a demon, that possibility seems even more likely.]
“Hmm… I see.”
Yujin stroked his chin for a moment, then opened his subspace. He reached inside and pulled something out.
It was a small horn that emanated black demonic power.
And from that horn, a voice spoke.
[Uh, umm? Wh-Why did you summon me…?] (Encheos)
The demon Encheos, whom Yujin had tossed into his subspace simply because he had not needed him, stuttered in surprise.
“Encheos, do you know anything about the presence we sense over there?”
[The presence over there… Wh-What? That’s… demonic power of my kind?!] (Encheos)
At Yujin’s question, Encheos responded in a flustered tone. He continued speaking.
[This is Lady Lilith’s demonic power… But she should definitely be dead. How is this possible?] (Encheos)
“Lilith, you say… From what you’ve said, it sounds like she’s a dead Transcendent.”
[I remember her too. Lilith… She was quite a notorious demon.] (Tia)
“Do you know anything about her?”
[It’s only known that she died during the Great War. I’ve never encountered her personally, so I don’t know much else.] (Tia)
“Then what about you, Encheos?”
[….She had the power to cultivate flowers by feeding on the souls and energy of living beings. At the same time, those flowers possessed a powerful ability of mental control. Anyone who saw the flowers would be mesmerized by their beauty. Those who smelled their fragrance would be intoxicated by their sweetness. And those who tasted the honey produced by the flowers would fall into an irresistible, addictive obsession with their sweetness, completely losing their willpower. In the end, they would either become hosts for another flower or be reduced to mere puppets. This power worked even on Transcendants weaker than her.]
“I see.”
Even just hearing about it, it sounded like an exceptionally dangerous power. The fact that it could affect even Transcendents weaker than her was particularly alarming. Considering her infamous reputation, it was likely that she had been quickly marked as a dangerous entity and targeted for elimination by other Transcendents.
The fact that she never encountered someone as powerful as Tiamat meant that she might have been skilled at avoiding such powerful enemies.
In any case, it was clear that she was an incredibly dangerous demon.
“Shall we head there for now? Ah, but before that…”
Muttering to himself, Yujin retrieved something else from his subspace. It was a crystal ball.
“Let’s give them a heads-up first. After all, we’ve already arrived, so it’s about time we made contact.”
Yujin infused the crystal ball with his magical power. Then,
[I see it’s you. Are you ready?]
The voice of Ines, the Headmistress of the Labyrinth Academy, echoed from the crystal ball.
Yujin replied nonchalantly.
“Ah, Headmistress. Actually, I’m already at the academy.”
[…What?]
The Headmistress’s startled voice came through. She must have been wondering how he had arrived so quickly. Yujin had noticed earlier that the spatial coordinates of the academy were slightly distorted.
Of course, that hadn’t posed much of a challenge to him.
“The academy is certainly vast. I’m starting to wonder if I might get lost. Perhaps I might end up at… the student dormitories, for example?”
Yujin spoke casually while glancing toward the direction where the demonic power was emanating. Sure enough, the demonic presence was coming from the student dormitories.
With a light chuckle, Yujin continued.
“So, would you mind coming to meet me before I take a wrong turn?”
It would be best for her to come quickly. Whether to explain the situation or to handle it herself. Otherwise, Yujin might end up dealing with whatever it was, student or demon, at his own discretion.
[Wait…!]
Click.
Yujin ended the call on the crystal ball and promptly tossed it into his subspace. Then, he muttered to himself,
“Well, shall we get going?”
With that, he began moving forward.
[What are you planning to do?] (Tia)
“Well, who knows? It seems like a dangerous demon, so I should at least check it out. After all, this is my workplace now, isn’t it?”
[If you determine it’s dangerous, are you going to eliminate it immediately?] (Tia)
“I could just seal it like Encheos and carry it around.”
[………] (Encheos)
At those words, Encheos fell into an awkward silence.
In any case, Yujin chose not to warp but instead walked slowly toward what appeared to be the student dormitories in the distance.
Why didn’t he warp and instead chose to walk? The reason was simple…
“Do you think the other party might have sensed Encheos’s energy from over there? They seem to be rushing over at quite a speed.”
Someone was approaching rapidly from the other direction. Because of that, Yujin didn’t see the need to hurry. Warping straight to the student dormitories might lead him to encounter the Headmistress before he even had the chance to properly assess the situation.
Before long, Yujin found himself in the garden between the dormitories and the surrounding buildings. He could feel that the other party was drawing closer.
How long had he been walking? When Yujin reached the flowerbed at the center of the garden…
Rustle, rustle!
He heard the sound of movement beyond the bushes. Someone was clearly about to appear.
And then,
Swish!
“Hah… hah…”
“…Hmmm.”
From beyond the bushes, someone burst out, gasping for breath.
Her pure white hair reflected a radiant glow in the moonlight, complementing the mature curves of her figure.
A face with beautiful features that could perhaps rival Tiamat’s, and a pink left pupil.
A pure white flower bloomed over her right eye, though it was partially hidden by her hair.
She was a woman of both strange and mysterious beauty.
At the same time, the faintly excited smile on her lips was utterly captivating.
“Hah… ah…?”
For a moment, she froze upon seeing Yujin. Then, her gaze shifted to the horn of Encheos in his hand.
Thud!
Her single remaining eye trembled at the sight of it, and then, as if her strength had given out, she collapsed to her knees.
The flushed smile that had adorned her face was gone before he realized it. It was replaced by a vacant gaze fixated on the horn Yujin held.
“Ah…”
Soon, she sat down on the ground and started to shed tears from her only remaining eye.
Watching her, Yujin thought to himself,
…What is this?
He had no idea what was going on.
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