Chapter 35
"Well then, shall we kill Yūya’s uncle as promised? From what I’ve heard, he hardly seems worth keeping alive. Since it’s a special occasion, let’s use a grander spell. Of course, I’ll minimize the burden on Yūya and the others. In their current state, they’ll likely just faint. As for this man here—he’s already as good as dead—let’s make him suffer eternally. That sounds far more amusing."
"Feel honored. You’ll be the first human I’ve ever devoured."
"Dance forever in the unending night. ‘Hell’s Gate: Helzgate.’"
Darkness seized Yūya’s uncle. A pitch-black gate yawned open beneath his feet. He thrashed uselessly—no human could resist. In an instant, the shadows swallowed him whole.
Where… is this? An abyss of pure darkness. Why am I here? He remembered the woman who called herself Yuuya bombarding him with lightning before the void consumed him. Am I dead?
"Grrrrr…"
"Gurrr…"
"Guuu…"
"H-Huh?! W-What the hell are these things?!"
Countless beasts lurked in the dark. Wolf-like, but grotesquely oversized—three times the height of a man.
"H-Help! Someone, help me!"
He flailed, but gnarled roots pinned him down. He couldn’t move, let alone escape.
The creatures advanced slowly. No. Stop. I don’t want to die.
"No, NO! SOMEONE, PLEASE!!"
"GRRAAAAAH!!"
The beasts vanished—then agony exploded in his right arm. Below the elbow was gone. Bitten off. His scream echoed through the void.
"AAAAAH! MY ARM! MY FUCKING ARM!!"
Ignoring his cries, the beasts feasted. His arm. His shoulder. His legs. His gut. His head.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"
A sudden realization. Why won’t I die? Why am I still alive? How long will this hell last? Does it ever end? Or… is this forever? An eternity of being devoured? No no no no no no no—help me help me help me—
Someone… just kill me…!
After watching the darkness consume him, Lumière paused. Why did I promise Yūya and Yuka? Taking their bodies would’ve been trivial. So why didn’t I?
"(Had they harbored hatred or malice toward Albert-sama, I’d have possessed them without hesitation.)"
Their first meeting aside, she now considered the siblings—who felt only gratitude and respect for Albert. If they vanished, I could have him all to myself.
To me, only Noir-sama and Albert-sama, his reincarnation, matter. The rest are irrelevant. Or so I believed.
"(…But if those two disappeared, Albert-sama would grieve.)"
Though their bond was new, its depth was undeniable. When Albert-sama collapsed from the curse, Yūya didn’t hesitate—he focused only on how to save him.
Perhaps it was his simple, optimistic kindness that made him Albert’s pillar.
"(They’re naive and gullible. I could take them anytime. So there’s no rush.)"
Who am I justifying this to? She tilted her head at her own thoughts.
"(Well, it’s only a matter of time.)"
Eventually, their souls would merge. Whether fully or not, they’d become linked. What would become of them then?
"(Don’t make me kill you.)"
A fleeting wish. But even so—
[Earlier, just before Lumière’s spell…]
To pass the time, Yūya and Yuka played Old Maid.
"C’mon, hurry up and draw, Yūya."
"Then loosen your grip a little, would you?"
"I get to choose which cards you pick from!"
"And I get to choose which one I take!"
"Grrr…"
"Grrr…"
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