I heard a voice—an old man’s voice—urging to stay strong, promising to help control this overwhelming power.
A black grimoire descended from the shelves above the arena, its pages fluttering open as it hovered mid-air. At first, the pages were blank, but soon they began glowing with Dark Magic, filling with intricate symbols and writing. A magic circle appeared beneath , drawing in my Dark Magic.
I scread. The pain was sharp, as though my very blood was being drained.
"NAO! What’s happening? That grimoire... it’s doing sothing!" Envi’s voice was laced with confusion, but just as he seed about to say more, he fell silent.
I glanced toward Lyra, Alia, and Freya. Their expressions were frozen in shock, their eyes wide as they watched.
Suddenly, a notification appeared before :
[The Unknown Grimoire resonates with you!]
[Establishing a connection...]
...
Before I could react, my surroundings shifted. I found myself in an unfamiliar dinsion, utterly devoid of anything except myself and the grimoire. Slowly, the grimoire began to transform, taking the shape of an old man clad in a black robe.
"You bring back mories," he said with a warm, nostalgic tone. "You resemble my forr pupil."
He explained that he was the manifestation of the grimoire, a creation of the God of Darkness himself. Unlike other grimoires crafted by ancient sorcerers, this was the only one of its kind, imbued with the essence of divine darkness.
The God of Darkness, however, had betrayed the other deities, granting Dark Magic to demons and aligning himself with their cause. His reasons remained a mystery. Before his departure, he entrusted this grimoire to the mortal realm, leaving it to choose its own master—a wielder of Dark Magic with an extraordinary destiny.
One day, Hiro von Blackmore, founder of the Blackmore family, discovered the grimoire and ford a contract with it.
This occurred before the war of the Three Continents, when humans, special races, and demons clashed. Hiro beca humanity’s lone hero capable of wielding Dark Magic.
I listened intently as the grimoire recounted its mories. Hiro von Blackmore had drawn imnse power from it, using that strength to fight and seal the Demon King.
After the war, Hiro entrusted the grimoire to the Grand Kingdom of Solara, the ho of all grimoires.
Through the grimoire’s mories, I caught a glimpse of Hiro. Though his face remained obscured, I heard his final words:
"This isn’t over... I may soon perish, but hope will rise again to confront the darkness. When that ti cos, lend your strength once more." He smiled faintly, his silhouette fading.
[The Unknown Grimoire wishes to form a contract with you!]
[Accept the contract? Yes / No]
I selected "Yes."
A blinding light engulfed as the overwhelming power inside began to subside. My hair returned to its natural black, my eyes lost their unnatural glow, and my teeth reverted to normal.
----
[Abyssal Wrath Mode stabilized. Berserk status removed.]
The grimoire’s pages stilled and closed. With a soft glow, it entered my body, along with my katana, Kurogiri.
[Congratulations! You have obtained the Grimoire of Darkness!]
The Grimoire of Darkness allows you to control Dark Magic with precision.
Abyssal Wrath Mode can now be used without losing consciousness or entering berserk status.
Unlock greater potential for Dark Magic in the future.
25 INT and give 30% mana bonus.
----
My strength was depleted. My HP and mana had been drained to dangerous levels. I barely had ti to process what had happened before collapsing.
As I fell, I glimpsed Lyra, Alia, and Freya running toward , followed closely by Milly and Aisha.
My consciousness faded, but I heard Envi’s voice one last ti:
"Good work, you idiot. Now, let’s take a break."
In my dreams, I revisited the mories of the Grimoire of Darkness. I wanted to see Hiro von Blackmore, to understand his journey and learn how he sealed the Demon King.
But I wouldn’t stop at sealing. I had to destroy the Demon King and bring lasting peace to this world. That was the mission the Goddess of Benevolence had given .
I clenched my fists in determination.
Suddenly, a startled voice broke through the haze of my thoughts.
"Kyaah!"
My head throbbed as I woke up, slowly regaining awareness.
The first thing I noticed was the ceiling of the infirmary at Solara Academy of Magic.
The second... was the strange sensation in my hands.
Huh? What is this soft feeling in both my fists?
I instinctively moved my right hand, only to hear a muffled voice.
"Ugh... do that again..."
What...? It felt like I was gripping sothing soft—like a fluffy pillow—and for so reason, it was oddly satisfying.
I moved my left hand instinctively, feeling for sothing to grasp.
"Kyaa! Umm... If it’s for your recovery, I’ll endure it..." a soft, familiar voice whispered.
What I felt was small, cushion-like, and strangely comfortable to hold.
Suddenly, Envi’s voice echoed in my mind.
"Hey, sleepy princess, you sure are bold. Waking up from unconsciousness and grabbing both girls’ chests? That’s next-level cheeky! HAHAHAHAHA!"
Chest? Girls?
My thoughts raced.
"...!!!"
I snapped my eyes wide open.
To my right was Alia, her cheeks flushed red. To my left was Lyra, her face equally crimson. Both of them had their eyes tightly shut, and I realized I had sohow placed my hands on their...
"U-uh... What... What is this...?" I stamred, too stunned to comprehend the situation.
It was my first ti feeling such softness—two completely different yet equally enchanting sensations. Even though their uniforms were still on, the... uh... tactile reality was undeniable.
In my shock, my fingers reflexively squeezed again.
Both Alia and Lyra yelped in unison.
At that exact mont, the door to my room burst open, revealing Milly, Aisha, and Freya. They were carrying my equipnt and so fruit, but all of it tumbled to the floor when they took in the scene.
"W-w-what is this, Naoki-senpai?!" Aisha stamred, her face pale.
"You’ve got guts, Naoki-dono..." Freya muttered, her face a mix of embarrassnt and amusent.
"YOU IDIOT BIG BROTHER!" Milly’s shriek tore through the air as she launched herself at with a perfectly executed dropkick.
"Ugh!"
Her kick landed squarely on my stomach, and I collapsed.
Oddly enough, it wasn’t the pain from Milly’s attack that knocked out again—it was the realization of what I’d just done. My nose bled from sheer embarrassnt, and the world went dark once more.
...
When I woke up, only Alia, Lyra, and Freya remained in the room. I imdiately bowed my head in apology.
"I’m so sorry about earlier! I didn’t an to... I wasn’t in control... It must’ve been because of the dream I was having..."
Their faces were still flushed, but after a mont, they began to laugh, forgiving for the incident.
Alia, however, seed unusually cheerful. "You know... If it helps your recovery, I wouldn’t mind if you—"
"Absolutely not!" Lyra and Freya interjected simultaneously, dragging her away before she could finish her sentence.
They then explained that Milly had stord off with Aisha, both of them visibly upset, heading back to the Braveheart Knight Academy dorms. Despite the awkwardness of the situation, I couldn’t help but laugh. I’d need to clear up the misunderstanding with her later.
More than anything, I felt relieved. Milly had escaped permanent damage from Norx’s attack. I was grateful I had been able to protect my little sister.
I asked about Luna, Marius, Kael, Sander, and Windy. They were all receiving the sa treatnt as I had and were recovering well. The advanced healing magic at Solara Academy made recovery twice as fast as usual.
Hearing those words lifted a weight off my chest. I turned back to Lyra, Freya, and Alia, my gaze steady despite the emotions swirling inside .
"Lyra, Freya, Alia... I’m sorry," I said, my voice steady but tinged with regret.
They looked at , startled but attentive.
"I’m sorry for losing control of my power and putting all of you in danger. I promise it won’t happen again. I’ll never let myself hurt any of you... because you’re all precious to ."
The sincerity in my words hung in the air as they exchanged glances. Then, one by one, they smiled warmly, their expressions filled with understanding and kindness.
"It’s alright, Naoki-sama. You saved all of us. We’re grateful to you," Lyra said gently, her voice like a soothing lody.
"Naoki-dono, you’ve fought so hard to protect us. We’ll work just as hard to protect you, too," Freya added, her usual optimism shining through her words.
"I’ll always be by your side, Naoki. We’re partners, after all. Even if our magic elents oppose each other, we complent one another perfectly," Alia said, her soft smile carrying a hint of warmth that sent a pang through my chest.
Their words resonated with , making my heart pound. They weren’t just allies or companions—they were special to . A feeling so familiar it reminded of Serena.
In that mont, I made a silent vow. I would protect them, no matter what it took.
Just as the atmosphere grew sentintal, a knock at the door shattered the quiet mont. The door creaked open, and to my surprise, Xerion von Solara, the headmaster of Solara Magic Academy, stepped inside. He was flanked by Professors Lowen and Aldin, their expressions as serious as his.
I had a feeling this was going to be a long conversation.
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