TL/Editor: raei
Status: 5/week mon-fri
Illustrations: none
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Ian's soul temporarily left his body.
The imnse power of death had separated his spirit from his flesh.
Like being swept away by a river current, Ian was slowly dragged into the world of death.
'If I go any deeper... I'll die.'
He could feel an enormous, overwhelming presence watching him.
The mystery of death.
A vast current maintaining the absolute truth of life.
Before being a wizard, Ian was a living being.
If he went any further... he would lose his life.
[Ian!]
Maria's soul called out to Ian.
She was helping to prevent him from accidentally crossing over into the world of death.
[I'm fine!]
Ian shouted calmly.
Maria had played a similar role when they traveled through Maronius's [mory world].
Maria quietly watched over Ian.
Soon, Ian faced the mystery of death.
[The living cannot show friendship.]
The mystery of death spoke in a chilling voice.
A dizzying voice that made it feel as if his heart might stop at any mont.
[I cannot linger long in the world of the living, and you cannot set foot in the afterlife. So friendship cannot be achieved...]
An unavoidable rule of the world.
Ian, being of this world, could only face death by dying.
...At that mont, Ian caressed sothing in his hand.
Sothing was whispering to him.
After a mont, Ian answered death.
[Then I will die.]
[Oh...]
Maria looked at Ian in shock.
She hadn't even noticed him touching sothing in his hand.
[Ian! What are you saying...]
[Ah. I never told you about this.]
[...?]
Ian showed Maria sothing.
A beautiful green ring.
Maria stared at Ian blankly.
What was he doing? Suddenly showing off a ring?
[This is a gift from my friend.]
[Your... friend?]
[Yes. A gift from an immortal being who lives forever.]
From the mont Ian made contact with the overwhelming power of death,
The ring had been sending signals to him.
Ian knew well who owned this ring.
The eternally living bird.
It belonged to Winnie the [phoenix].
At the end of his northern journey, Winnie had been reborn as a full phoenix and gifted this ring to Ian.
A nto of their friendship, he'd said.
[My friend says I'll be fine if I visit the afterlife.]
[...]
[So Maria.]
Ian patted Maria's shoulder.
[I'll be back soon.]
Maria stared at Ian in disbelief.
A gift from a phoenix?
How could Ian have such a precious item...?
'No. It's Ian after all.'
But soon Maria understood.
If it was Ian, it made sense for him to have so strange item.
It must have been sothing he acquired during his travels.
[You must... co back.]
Of course I will.
Ian broke his connection with Maria and surrendered himself to the flow of death.
[Do you truly wish to befriend enough to give up your life in the mortal realm?]
[I do.]
[...Very well. Then follow . I'll show you around the afterlife.]
It was sothing no sane person would ever attempt.
No matter how important it was to befriend the mystery of death, wasn't it insane to sacrifice one's life for it?
But Ian had chosen death willingly.
The reason was simple.
The phoenix Winnie had signaled that he would help Ian.
With the [immortality] power of the phoenix,
Ian could be saved from death.
This too was the power of connections Ian had ford during his travels.
[Maria. As soon as I return, attack the black wizards.]
[Yes, Ian.]
Ian descended into the deep world of death.
Maria returned to the land of the living.
#
Ian's [incantation] was brief and intense.
The language of magic was inherently that way.
The words spoken aloud were short phrases, but with the wizard's will added, they beca complete sentences.
Because of this, to others watching, Ian appeared to be muttering to himself in a strange language.
A novice warrior might wonder, 'What is that wizard doing?'
But the warriors on the battlefield were mostly seasoned veterans.
"When the spell is complete, we attack again."
Belenka and the knights waited montarily in places beyond Tzitzimitl's magic.
They planned to resu their attack once Ian's spell was complete.
Of course, they didn't know exactly what magic Ian would use or how...
But they trusted he would complete it properly.
"Isn't that dangerous?"
Unlike the warriors, the wizards looked at Ian with concern.
They might not know much about necromancy, but they understood mysteries.
Making contact with such a massive current was as dangerous as stepping into raging rapids.
The power of death was strong on the battlefield.
If the spell failed by even a little... Ian would die.
"...He's doing it to save others."
Wizard Herta gazed at Ian with eyes full of sorrow.
There was only one reason Ian was taking such a risk.
To save more people.
Herta habitually made the sign of the cross.
If Heaven was watching over Ian,
May it protect this righteous young man.
"It's over."
Suddenly, Ian stopped his conversation with the mystery.
Either the spell was complete.
...Or sothing had gone wrong.
Krysus let out a piercing scream.
"Ian!"
Herta's eyes widened, and Anton cursed.
The red-haired wizard ran to Ian.
...Ian had lost consciousness and was collapsing.
"Ian! Maria!"
Kira desperately touched Ian's cheek.
Then she covered her own mouth.
"Ian..."
Ian...
Wasn't breathing.
"Ian!"
No matter how many tis she called, there was no response.
His body had completely ceased functioning.
One word flashed through Kira's mind.
'Corpse.'
Kira knew from having seen it several tis.
This was no longer Ian.
It was the corpse of soone who was once Ian.
"Ian."
Kira calmly embraced Ian and remained by his side.
The world of magic was full of mysteries.
It ant a world beyond human understanding.
Ian had collapsed and died suddenly while reciting a spell.
But Kira didn't panic.
She believed in the power of the [mystery] Ian had embraced.
She wouldn't hastily judge sothing in a realm beyond understanding.
It was the kind of judgnt a seasoned wizard with travel experience would make.
Just then, a strange groan was heard.
Maria had awakened.
"Maria? Are you alright?"
Maria opened her eyes and looked alternately at Kira and Ian's corpse.
Then with a grim expression, she said:
"There's no ti."
"For Ian?"
"Yes. We need to attack the demon right now...!"
Kira nodded and shouted:
"Belenka-!"
Belenka was not one who would fail to understand such a call.
"Charge!"
The knights charged like a tidal wave.
There was no hesitation or fear.
"Regent! Regent!"
"They're coming again!"
"..."
Seeing the charging knights—
Antios stubbornly remained silent.
...Because Tzitzimitl could no longer wield its death whip.
'Did he persuade the mystery of death?'
Antios quickly realized.
Ian had conversed with the mystery of death, and soon after, Tzitzimitl had lost its magic.
Taking magic away from a demon—no ordinary wizard could achieve such a result.
Even for soone like Ian, this magic must have been extrely difficult.
For a human to befriend death more than a demon... one would have to accept death itself.
'I've lost, Ian.'
Antios stared blankly at the sky.
Ian Eredith Raven.
This crazy wizard.
He had walked into the world of death to persuade the mystery of death.
In other words...
He had committed suicide.
In exchange for throwing away his own life, Ian had gained enormous influence over the mystery of death.
That was why Tzitzimitl's power had disappeared.
'Did the space-ti wizards... predict even this?'
Antios had judged that Ian could never possibly block the power of death.
But Ian's actions had gone far beyond Antios's expectations.
Ian had literally died to befriend death...
And the spell had been perfectly completed.
"Regent! Aaaaargh!"
The black wizards were swept away with pathetic ease.
A demon unable to wield the death whip was just a common evil spirit.
Even the infinite resurrection through possession was useless.
What good was one possessed person wandering around against knights' swords!
Antios opened his eyes wide and shouted:
"Larabel! If you're waiting for an opportunity, now is the only ti!"
Finally.
If there was truly one last variable...
It would be the space-ti wizard Larabel's teleportation magic that had been helping the society until now.
Antios waited for Larabel's teleportation magic.
...
...
But the distortion of space never ca.
Larabel wasn't coming.
She had abandoned the society.
"This... fucking!"
Antios swung his sword clumsily.
"The golden age of magic...! The golden age was right in front of us!"
A protruding poml struck Antios's head.
Belenka grabbed the fallen Antios and shouted:
"I've captured the Regent-!"
The mont Antios fell, the battle was completely over.
Antios was the Golden Rule Society itself.
It was no exaggeration to say that the secret organization of black wizards had completely collapsed.
#
Surprisingly, the mystery of death didn't want to talk much with Ian.
[You just wanted to prevent that demon from listening to , right?]
[That's true.]
Ian readily agreed.
The mystery of death laughed as if it had known all along.
[Necromancers are all like that. Though there have been few as reasonable as you.]
Befitting an ancient and vast mystery, the mystery of death knew necromancers well.
It had seen many who approached seeking only power blindly.
[I expected as much. But your sincerity moved .]
But necromancers like Ian were rare.
To visit the world of death of his own accord—he must have been incredibly desperate.
The mystery of death acknowledged Ian's effort.
[And you... you know Lady Hrundal, don't you?]
[How did you know?]
The mystery of death pointed at Ian's waist.
It was the pocket where the Arcana cards were stored.
[Lady Hrundal instructed to bring any visitors to her palace.]
The mystery of death said with an amused voice.
[Though she probably didn't expect a visitor to arrive 'this way'.]
[I did co rather aggressively.]
It was completely different from when he had visited Hrundal at the sacred mountain in the north.
She certainly wouldn't have expected him to die to visit the afterlife.
[Co, I'll take you to the palace.]
The mystery of death kindly escorted Ian to Hrundal's palace.
[Lady Hrundal. A visitor has arrived.]
"A visitor? Just leave them there for now..."
It was a familiar space.
While Ian was looking at the nurous paintings, Hrundal appeared.
"You... Ian?!"
[Hello, Goddess.]
Hrundal spoke to Ian in a voice filled with disbelief.
"Well, freeze to death! Are you already dead?!"
[Yes. For now, at least.]
"That can't be right... Has the axis of fate shifted?!"
They'd t in a rather unusual way.
But nevertheless,
Ian had reunited with the goddess of the afterlife.
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