“Hey, have you heard?” a man dressed in farmer’s garb said, sparking a conversation in a wagon bustling with fellow travelers. “The mighty dragon Arutol attacked the capital just the other day!” “No way… That place must be ashes now,” his friend responded incredulously. “Not at all! He was magically cleaved in half as he…

“This is bad…!” Lalyn murmured under her breath, tension tightening her voice. Amoria’s face paled as she and Lalyn struggled to maintain the ritual’s magic. “What’s happening in there?!” “The meatshield… The spell’s unraveling his psyche—and Arlyn’s too!” Lalyn exclaimed, biting her lip in frustration. “I don’t understand why! She’s only supposed to act as an anchor,…

Van sat in Magus’s grave, his back against the goddess statue. Curled into a ball, he clutched his hair tightly. Memories surged: times with Magus in both worlds, Amoria’s confession of love for Magus, joyful moments in the demon realm shattered by seeing Alicia with another, countless deaths and tortures by the royal knights, lonely…

Amoria was in the midst of her morning duties at the guild, distributing quests to incoming adventurers, while Marcilla and Misa handled orders. “Haah… The guild is much busier today,” Amoria sighed, looking over the crowd. “Yeah… Arutol’s corpse that’s just outside the city walls must have drawn more people to the capital,” Marcilla replied,…

Van clumsily trudged through the open fields, making his way back to the city. His thoughts remained clouded from the earlier encounter. Though he could walk, breathe, and function, his mind felt heavier than ever, as if weighed down by a fog that refused to lift. ‘Haah… If not for my resistance and vigor, I’d…

Van turned to Mika and Rika, feeling a surge of control as he looked at their submitted expressions. Their eyes that yearn for his command. ‘Now then… These two… I…’ Van swallowed hard, as that sense of control began to overwhelm him. ‘…I have control over them… I can ensure… every day is like earlier.…

Mutah glanced at Salem, clearly puzzled. “Huh? Must not have been deep enough. Press it harder, MUTAH!!” Salem commanded, his tone firm. Mutah then turned to Van, pressing the seal onto him once again with even more force. Yet, the seal dissipated immediately upon placement, just as before. “…What the..!?” Salem uttered in disbelief, while…

Van was then led to the dining table by Rika, feeling dizzy and weary.  ‘To think… I’d grow this weak… from crying too much… They really do know my weaknesses, huh…?’ He thought, managing a weak chuckle as he sat down, a juicy steak placed before his groggy eyes. “Are you… not eating with me…?”…

“Are you…” “-Feeling better now…” “-Van?” They asked in unison, settling next to Van on a secluded bench. Van remained silent, overwhelmed and still processing the unexpected depth of emotion from their encounter. “Or do you need…” “-To be held a bit longer…?” They offered gently, noticing his stillness. Van slowly turned towards them, his…

“Hah… Well, now what…?” Van mumbled to himself as he leaned under a bridge. “At this rate, I’ll become an overnight sensation. Saved the city from that comically large dragon, then a damsel in distress, what next, fighting a horde of assassins sent my way—” Just as he mused that, two kunai-shaped knives clanged against…