“Ugh…”
Yujin woke up with a headache.
The last thing he saw was a bright white scene, and a deafening roar so loud he couldn’t hear anything else.
“… What is this?”
What appeared before his eyes was a vast plain. The place where he had fought Melicia was a dense forest, but now there were no trees in sight all the way to the horizon.
That place is the plain.
“I!?”
Could it be that the forest was completely wiped out in that last clash? No matter how you looked at it, wiping out a forest all the way to the horizon was surreal, and though it was hard to accept, Yujin asked Milu about it.
Is she dead?
One thing was certain—Melicia was nowhere to be seen. Either she was dead or she had fled. Those were the only two possibilities. Ilru, having understood his thoughts, answered boldly.
“No, she fled.”
“Is that so.”
Since the owner of Gungnir himself was so sure, she must have survived. Though he had thought he should have killed her by now, with the obstacle gone, his desire to kill had waned.
Good that she’s alive.
Instead, she left you a present while fleeing.
“A present?”
Looking around the ground, a silver glint flashed beneath the soil. At the sight of the familiar silver light, disbelief crept in, and to confirm it, Yujin dug into the earth.
“This is…!”
As expected, what came out of the ground was the holy sword Sonlaris. Which meant that the vast plain they were standing on was actually a forest buried beneath by the collision of two divine relics.
What a terrifying power.
Now is not the time to admire. Look over there.
“Huh?”
Following Ilru’s indication, Yujin shifted his gaze. Despite the absence of heat haze, the horizon began to ripple. That meant the pocket dimension Melicia had created was collapsing.
Thanks to that witch disappearing, the pocket dimension’s maintenance is failing.
So we’re about to return to the original space?
“Yes. Take the spoils and prepare to leave.”
Following those words, Yujin picked up the holy sword Sonlaris. Sonlaris was the finest weapon he had ever held, and above all, it was the relic of his friend, Iman.
“This strange unknown space won’t be left behind.”
The distortion in the space soon engulfed them, and a vast void without floor or sky welcomed them. Then, a small hole appeared in the void, revealing light.
Flash!
The blank void vanished, and they arrived in another world. They were greeted by the sight of a great forest filled with massive trees, and on the forest path, there were no other companions—only their group.
“What about the kids?”
Don’t know.
The question was soon answered by voices coming from within the forest.
“Sir! Where are you?”
“Sir—! Uncle Yujin!”
“You got paid, so you’re going to eat and lose!?”
“Hey, Sylvia!”
They heard the children’s calls. Judging by the volume, how it faded, and the echoes, they were about thirty meters apart, gradually moving away.
Should I go find the kids?
Just as he thought to move, there was a rustling sound.
Rustle.
“What? Where did you go?”
Needle appeared from the branches of a tree. Indeed, it was more likely that this guy would look for them than the kids. He jumped down from the tree with a puzzled expression.
“And what’s with that look?”
His clothes were torn and stained with dark blood. He clearly wasn’t going to believe any clumsy lies, so Yujin told him the partial truth without mentioning Melicia.
“I met an old friend.”
“Old friend? The one who tried to kill you like a sworn enemy… got trapped in a pocket dimension?”
Needle had already guessed that they were trapped in a pocket dimension. As a Free Knight, he must have faced various battles, and among them, had experience with pocket dimensions.
“Well, he was having an affair with that guy’s woman. Luckily, it wasn’t a serious fight.”
Yujin lied about the reason and severity of the battle, but—
“Not serious? Judging from the blood soaked on your clothes, that’s quite the wound.”
Needle stepped closer, ready to examine the fresh injuries. He dreaded a clash with Melicia. Even in this situation, Yujin had a lie to cover the truth.
“He said sorry and treated me before leaving.”
Showing his clean skin through the torn clothes, Yujin stopped Needle from getting too close. Seeing the completely healed wound, Needle raised an eyebrow, but fortunately, did not press further about the injury.
“What’s that sword?”
Needle pointed at the holy sword in Yujin’s hand. Sonlaris was an ancient relic; it was natural that Needle didn’t know its true identity.
“A friend left it as payment.”
At that bold statement, Needle snorted.
“What a generous—or gullible—friend you have.”
Whether Needle was skeptical or sarcastic, he said no more, and moved as if he had finished his business. Then he kicked off the ground and landed back on the massive tree branch, saying,
“Don’t dawdle, come join us.”
“Alright.”
They walked to where the children were.
“Uncle! What happened to you?”
“Did you fight a monster or something?”
“Aren’t you hurt anywhere?”
“Wow… this great forest is tough…”
The children bombarded him with questions. Yujin answered them casually, then resumed marching to stifle their curiosity.
“There was a bit of trouble, but it’s settled now, so let’s move on.”
They continued their march. This time, they passed through the great forest without issue, and the setting sun cast a purple sunset across the sky.
“We’ve arrived!”
At last, the vast lands of the demon realm welcomed them.
