Tak.
An unfamiliar bottle was placed in front of me.
When Pocalor’s pure white fingertips withdrew, it was revealed to be a pitch-black bottle.
The bottle, with its silver vine-like decorations running across it and giving it a strange feeling, was so deep and dark that even the inside could not be seen properly.
“...”
I looked into the bottle more closely.
There was a rippling sound of water and a faint floral scent.
“It’s the spring of desire. I think it tasted a little hot.”
Pocalor added, recalling a memory from long ago.
Trip.
I shook the bottle again.
If I drink this seemingly insignificant bottle of water, I’ll become a devil.
I looked down at my sleeves, which were swaying with my movements.
The sleeves of the dress that Belled had prepared with great care had vine patterns embroidered on them, similar to those on the bottle.
And I realized that the pattern resembled the vines I had seen when I first entered Hell.
“Ah...”
I let out a short sigh.
Could this pattern be a symbol representing Hell?
I smiled slightly as I thought of Belled, who had ordered this pattern to be engraved on my sleeves.
I could guess what he was thinking.
He knew all too well how to give me a sense of belonging in an instant when I was going to Hell for the first time.
Wherever I go, he knows what I need... someone who always thinks of me.
Warmth spread across my face.
Thump .
I grabbed the bottle.
It was inevitable that I would feel nervous, but I didn’t have time to let it go on for long. Outside, a battle between the temple and the demons could break out at any moment.
Now was really the time to drink.
“Are you ready?”
I nodded at Pocalor’s words. And then, looking into the bottle with a faint floral scent, I put it to my lips.
Gulp.
The liquid that touched my tongue slid down my throat a beat later, causing a burning sensation.
“...!”
It was so cold that I could feel where the water was going down, but the burning sensation was so clear.
And then what I felt was an incredibly sweet scent.
“Haa.”
I let out a short breath and closed my eyes.
“The spring water is the source of magic, and magic is the power to achieve what you want.”
Pocalor said as she took the empty bottle from me.
“What you want will become your unique ability as a demon.”
I tilted my head slightly and asked.
“What is your ability?”
What do I want to achieve?
I asked myself the same question, but nothing came to mind right away.
I just want everyone to live. I want everyone to be happy.
I want to be able to see them whenever I want. It was when I was thinking that.
“Time has been delayed a little.”
A voice was heard from outside. I came to my senses with a start.
The narrowed eyes of Pocalor turned outside for a moment, and then she reached out her hand to me.
“I should get up soon.”
The outside situation was not easy.
I nodded at my words.
Spring.
As I got up from my seat, the shoes Pocalor had prepared made a clear sound of footsteps.
“Belled will escort you outside. And the steps you take to the altar will be your first steps as a demon.”
As she led me out of the building by my hand, I saw a door that seemed a little dustier than the one I had seen at the altar.
However, it was definitely the same door I had seen at the altar. As if the two doors were connected. It must have been the door I had come out of.
While I was thinking that, the two of us arrived at the door in no time.
“Congratulations on your new life.”
Pocalor said in a calm voice.
“...Ah."
It still didn’t feel real.
I nodded slowly.
“Thank you.”
“I will serve you without any shortcomings, Your Highness.”
Behind me, countless demons bowed down and greeted me.
I smiled faintly as I looked at them.
They were already ready to go.
“I will protect you and go to the human world with you.”
Pocalor pointed to the door.
My gaze turned to the inside of the pitch-black door. There would be a battle if I went beyond, but I wasn’t particularly scared.
These people, and most importantly, Belled.
I just hoped they would be safe.
“Don’t get hurt.”
It was the first order I gave as the Archduchess of the Demons after coming to Hell.
“I will obey.”
I took my gaze away from the demons who bowed their heads deeply and took a step forward.
Kuung.
Behind me, the heavy footsteps of countless demons wearing armor rang out. I had been alone when I entered, but when I left, numerous troops followed me.
I had no combat ability, but there was not a single person who was dissatisfied with me leading everyone.
“...”
I felt nervous as I entered the door.
The temple people must still be at the altar.
Vine is a demon... did he not notice?
Just when I thought that the sound of my footsteps was particularly loud,
“Beryl.”
Someone reached out as if they had been waiting in the darkness. It was a voice of relief that was too long awaited to be surprising.
“... Belled. Have you been waiting?”
Squeak...
The door opened with a slightly louder sound than before. Then, light cut through the pitch-black darkness, creating the figure of the person he had been longing to see.
“Beryl.”
He quickly approached Beryl and grabbed her hand.
“...Belled.”
She hugged him with a slightly surprised voice.
Her loving smile was etched into his eyes like a seal.
“Have you been waiting long? Is there anything going on outside?”
Belled kissed her and nodded as she poured out her worries.
“Nothing happened. Everyone is just waiting.”
“Thank goodness.”
Hoo, Belled grabbed her hand as she took a short breath.
“Are you ready to go?”
The moment they stepped onto the altar, and the moment the priests felt something strange.
A battle would break out.
He asked if she was ready for that.
Beryl nodded at those words.
“Yes.”
Then she held Belled’s hand tightly.
I will protect this person.
I will definitely protect him.
Woong.
The shining mind’s eye tried to see Beryl’s future once again, but perhaps because it was a space where magic was entangled chaotically, the mind’s eye did not activate properly.
It was when he bit his lip and escorted Beryl and started walking.
Crack.
The sound of her shoes rang clearly in his ears. And Belled suddenly thought that the jet-black shoes that caught his eye looked familiar.
Even though it was clearly something he had never seen before.
“...?”
He stopped as he lowered his gaze to check the shoes.
“Belled?”
“Ah....”
A smile soon appeared on Belled’s face as he let out a short sigh.
These shoes, pitch-black in contrast to her pure white ankles, were the shoes that Belled had seen when he had seen her for the last time in the past.
It felt like a puzzle had been solved.
When Beryl had been sick from Marbes’ poison he had been relieved that she would not die, the last time he had seen her.
The sight of her wearing black shoes and walking away confidently...
“It was now.”
He whispered as he kissed Beryl’s forehead.
“I saw you wearing these shoes some time ago.”
“Oh, it’s out!”
The voices of people murmured. Beryl stood before the priests, escorted by Belled.
“Saintess, your clothes...?”
Some were concerned about such things, but everyone was curious about one thing.
“Have you been to heaven?”
“Have you met Him?”
An unfamiliar bottle was placed in front of me.
When Pocalor’s pure white fingertips withdrew, it was revealed to be a pitch-black bottle.
The bottle, with its silver vine-like decorations running across it and giving it a strange feeling, was so deep and dark that even the inside could not be seen properly.
“...”
I looked into the bottle more closely.
There was a rippling sound of water and a faint floral scent.
“It’s the spring of desire. I think it tasted a little hot.”
Pocalor added, recalling a memory from long ago.
Trip.
I shook the bottle again.
If I drink this seemingly insignificant bottle of water, I’ll become a devil.
I looked down at my sleeves, which were swaying with my movements.
The sleeves of the dress that Belled had prepared with great care had vine patterns embroidered on them, similar to those on the bottle.
And I realized that the pattern resembled the vines I had seen when I first entered Hell.
“Ah...”
I let out a short sigh.
Could this pattern be a symbol representing Hell?
I smiled slightly as I thought of Belled, who had ordered this pattern to be engraved on my sleeves.
I could guess what he was thinking.
He knew all too well how to give me a sense of belonging in an instant when I was going to Hell for the first time.
Wherever I go, he knows what I need... someone who always thinks of me.
Warmth spread across my face.
Thump .
I grabbed the bottle.
It was inevitable that I would feel nervous, but I didn’t have time to let it go on for long. Outside, a battle between the temple and the demons could break out at any moment.
Now was really the time to drink.
“Are you ready?”
I nodded at Pocalor’s words. And then, looking into the bottle with a faint floral scent, I put it to my lips.
Gulp.
The liquid that touched my tongue slid down my throat a beat later, causing a burning sensation.
“...!”
It was so cold that I could feel where the water was going down, but the burning sensation was so clear.
And then what I felt was an incredibly sweet scent.
“Haa.”
I let out a short breath and closed my eyes.
“The spring water is the source of magic, and magic is the power to achieve what you want.”
Pocalor said as she took the empty bottle from me.
“What you want will become your unique ability as a demon.”
I tilted my head slightly and asked.
“What is your ability?”
What do I want to achieve?
I asked myself the same question, but nothing came to mind right away.
I just want everyone to live. I want everyone to be happy.
I want to be able to see them whenever I want. It was when I was thinking that.
“Time has been delayed a little.”
A voice was heard from outside. I came to my senses with a start.
The narrowed eyes of Pocalor turned outside for a moment, and then she reached out her hand to me.
“I should get up soon.”
The outside situation was not easy.
I nodded at my words.
Spring.
As I got up from my seat, the shoes Pocalor had prepared made a clear sound of footsteps.
“Belled will escort you outside. And the steps you take to the altar will be your first steps as a demon.”
As she led me out of the building by my hand, I saw a door that seemed a little dustier than the one I had seen at the altar.
However, it was definitely the same door I had seen at the altar. As if the two doors were connected. It must have been the door I had come out of.
While I was thinking that, the two of us arrived at the door in no time.
“Congratulations on your new life.”
Pocalor said in a calm voice.
“...Ah."
It still didn’t feel real.
I nodded slowly.
“Thank you.”
“I will serve you without any shortcomings, Your Highness.”
Behind me, countless demons bowed down and greeted me.
I smiled faintly as I looked at them.
They were already ready to go.
“I will protect you and go to the human world with you.”
Pocalor pointed to the door.
My gaze turned to the inside of the pitch-black door. There would be a battle if I went beyond, but I wasn’t particularly scared.
These people, and most importantly, Belled.
I just hoped they would be safe.
“Don’t get hurt.”
It was the first order I gave as the Archduchess of the Demons after coming to Hell.
“I will obey.”
I took my gaze away from the demons who bowed their heads deeply and took a step forward.
Kuung.
Behind me, the heavy footsteps of countless demons wearing armor rang out. I had been alone when I entered, but when I left, numerous troops followed me.
I had no combat ability, but there was not a single person who was dissatisfied with me leading everyone.
“...”
I felt nervous as I entered the door.
The temple people must still be at the altar.
Vine is a demon... did he not notice?
Just when I thought that the sound of my footsteps was particularly loud,
“Beryl.”
Someone reached out as if they had been waiting in the darkness. It was a voice of relief that was too long awaited to be surprising.
“... Belled. Have you been waiting?”
He must have been outside.
Belled hugged me tightly at my words.
When Beryl received the Fountain of Desire.
“The Saintess is late.”
The people of the temple were murmuring in the quiet central altar.
While the Vine people were relatively calmly watching the door, the priests could not.
“The inside of the door is pitch black...”
“Quiet. Don’t say anything ominous!”
No matter how she looked at the door that seemed far from heaven, she couldn’t help but feel more and more anxious.
“Isn’t something wrong?”
At that moment, the voice of a slightly younger priest suddenly rang out at the altar. The older priest next to him flared up.
“How could that be!”
Then another priest next to him spoke up.
“Then how about you go in?”
The old priest waved his hand in surprise at those words.
“Wh, what are you talking about!”
When everyone’s eyes were focused on the priest who was expressing with his whole body that he absolutely did not want to go in,
“...”
Belled was listening to the sounds inside the gates of hell no matter what they were talking about.
Of course, since the inside and outside of the gates were completely different spaces, there was no way he could hear the sounds inside.
There was no way the inside of the gates of hell could be dangerous. If it were dangerous... someone would have jumped out and talked already.
Beryl seemed to be late. How long would it take to go in, get some spring water, drink it, and change clothes?
He was anxious as he repeatedly confirmed that not much time had passed as he thought, looking at the sun.
One minute felt like a year.
Thump.
And then he finally took a step.
“!”
The surprised priests stepped aside from him.
“D-Duke Vine?”
“Shh, don’t raise your voice in this sacred space.”
The priests looked at him with a puzzled expression but did not dare to speak to him.
They saw Belled heading toward the gate.
If they talk, they might have to go in together.
Because that thought was common in their minds, they could only swallow dry saliva and neither spoke to Belled nor stopped him.
“Shouldn’t we stop him?”
Finally, just as he was about to enter the gate, one of the young priests spoke. Then, the priests around him spoke in unison.
“We don’t know what’s going on, so it wouldn’t be bad to look.”
“If a monster comes out or something goes wrong, wouldn’t the Duke’s power be able to resolve it?”
They were ultimately expecting someone to check on the safety of the gate. They didn’t care what happened to the Saintess inside, but only for their own safety at the gate.
Belled finally left them behind, who were so disgusting, and disappeared into the pitch-black space.
Whew.
The air inside was the familiar flow of magical power that he knew. For a moment, it was a cozy atmosphere that was friendly to demons.
He took a short breath and started walking.
It had been a long time since he had gone through the gates of hell. This is the first time since the passage to the human world was closed by the gods.
After passing through this passage where it was normal to be completely black and unable to see anything, the gates of hell would eventually appear.
It was a darkness where you couldn’t tell how long it would last, but eventually, if you groped your way forward with your hands, you would reach the doorknob.
This dark passage, which had previously felt short, was especially long when you thought of it.
Squeak.
Whenever he came to this black hallway, it was his hands that had been groping around countless times to find the answer.
But this time it was different.
“...!”
Belled hugged me tightly at my words.
***
When Beryl received the Fountain of Desire.
“The Saintess is late.”
The people of the temple were murmuring in the quiet central altar.
While the Vine people were relatively calmly watching the door, the priests could not.
“The inside of the door is pitch black...”
“Quiet. Don’t say anything ominous!”
No matter how she looked at the door that seemed far from heaven, she couldn’t help but feel more and more anxious.
“Isn’t something wrong?”
At that moment, the voice of a slightly younger priest suddenly rang out at the altar. The older priest next to him flared up.
“How could that be!”
Then another priest next to him spoke up.
“Then how about you go in?”
The old priest waved his hand in surprise at those words.
“Wh, what are you talking about!”
When everyone’s eyes were focused on the priest who was expressing with his whole body that he absolutely did not want to go in,
“...”
Belled was listening to the sounds inside the gates of hell no matter what they were talking about.
Of course, since the inside and outside of the gates were completely different spaces, there was no way he could hear the sounds inside.
There was no way the inside of the gates of hell could be dangerous. If it were dangerous... someone would have jumped out and talked already.
Beryl seemed to be late. How long would it take to go in, get some spring water, drink it, and change clothes?
He was anxious as he repeatedly confirmed that not much time had passed as he thought, looking at the sun.
One minute felt like a year.
Thump.
And then he finally took a step.
“!”
The surprised priests stepped aside from him.
“D-Duke Vine?”
“Shh, don’t raise your voice in this sacred space.”
The priests looked at him with a puzzled expression but did not dare to speak to him.
They saw Belled heading toward the gate.
If they talk, they might have to go in together.
Because that thought was common in their minds, they could only swallow dry saliva and neither spoke to Belled nor stopped him.
“Shouldn’t we stop him?”
Finally, just as he was about to enter the gate, one of the young priests spoke. Then, the priests around him spoke in unison.
“We don’t know what’s going on, so it wouldn’t be bad to look.”
“If a monster comes out or something goes wrong, wouldn’t the Duke’s power be able to resolve it?”
They were ultimately expecting someone to check on the safety of the gate. They didn’t care what happened to the Saintess inside, but only for their own safety at the gate.
Belled finally left them behind, who were so disgusting, and disappeared into the pitch-black space.
***
Whew.
The air inside was the familiar flow of magical power that he knew. For a moment, it was a cozy atmosphere that was friendly to demons.
He took a short breath and started walking.
It had been a long time since he had gone through the gates of hell. This is the first time since the passage to the human world was closed by the gods.
After passing through this passage where it was normal to be completely black and unable to see anything, the gates of hell would eventually appear.
It was a darkness where you couldn’t tell how long it would last, but eventually, if you groped your way forward with your hands, you would reach the doorknob.
This dark passage, which had previously felt short, was especially long when you thought of it.
Squeak.
Whenever he came to this black hallway, it was his hands that had been groping around countless times to find the answer.
But this time it was different.
“...!”
Squeak...
The door opened with a slightly louder sound than before. Then, light cut through the pitch-black darkness, creating the figure of the person he had been longing to see.
“Beryl.”
He quickly approached Beryl and grabbed her hand.
“...Belled.”
She hugged him with a slightly surprised voice.
Her loving smile was etched into his eyes like a seal.
“Have you been waiting long? Is there anything going on outside?”
Belled kissed her and nodded as she poured out her worries.
“Nothing happened. Everyone is just waiting.”
“Thank goodness.”
Hoo, Belled grabbed her hand as she took a short breath.
“Are you ready to go?”
The moment they stepped onto the altar, and the moment the priests felt something strange.
A battle would break out.
He asked if she was ready for that.
Beryl nodded at those words.
“Yes.”
Then she held Belled’s hand tightly.
I will protect this person.
I will definitely protect him.
Woong.
The shining mind’s eye tried to see Beryl’s future once again, but perhaps because it was a space where magic was entangled chaotically, the mind’s eye did not activate properly.
It was when he bit his lip and escorted Beryl and started walking.
Crack.
The sound of her shoes rang clearly in his ears. And Belled suddenly thought that the jet-black shoes that caught his eye looked familiar.
Even though it was clearly something he had never seen before.
“...?”
He stopped as he lowered his gaze to check the shoes.
“Belled?”
“Ah....”
A smile soon appeared on Belled’s face as he let out a short sigh.
These shoes, pitch-black in contrast to her pure white ankles, were the shoes that Belled had seen when he had seen her for the last time in the past.
It felt like a puzzle had been solved.
When Beryl had been sick from Marbes’ poison he had been relieved that she would not die, the last time he had seen her.
The sight of her wearing black shoes and walking away confidently...
“It was now.”
He whispered as he kissed Beryl’s forehead.
“I saw you wearing these shoes some time ago.”
The sight of her walking away confidently into the light.
The mind’s eye can see the end of a state.
His mind’s eye had certainly seen Beryl’s end.
The end as a human being.
The end of Beryl being tormented by her past.
He smiled.
“How was it?”
Beryl realized that the last time he had seen her was now.
Belled whispered something to her, who was trying to tighten her grip.
And while she opened her eyes wide, a light suddenly came closer to the two of them. They were already at the end of the hallway. And.
“...Isn’t it?”
The mind’s eye can see the end of a state.
His mind’s eye had certainly seen Beryl’s end.
The end as a human being.
The end of Beryl being tormented by her past.
He smiled.
“How was it?”
Beryl realized that the last time he had seen her was now.
Belled whispered something to her, who was trying to tighten her grip.
And while she opened her eyes wide, a light suddenly came closer to the two of them. They were already at the end of the hallway. And.
“...Isn’t it?”
“Oh, it’s out!”
The voices of people murmured. Beryl stood before the priests, escorted by Belled.
“Saintess, your clothes...?”
Some were concerned about such things, but everyone was curious about one thing.
“Have you been to heaven?”
“Have you met Him?”
Did she go to heaven? Is heaven inside that door?
Beryl felt her head turn cold at those words.
Her gaze met the priests and knights.
Beryl felt her head turn cold at those words.
Her gaze met the priests and knights.
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