Chapter 38: Farewell and Reunion

The commotion around us was growing—it was because the commander of the monsters had been defeated.

And that noise reminded us: we were still surrounded by monsters.

We were flanked on three sides by a considerable number of them, but with our current strength, escaping wouldn't be a problem.

However, we couldn’t just leave. Not with Nevaska and Kalif’s bodies here.

We had to give them a proper farewell. Abandoning them wasn’t an option, nor could we allow this place to be desecrated.

"Kazuya, try not to wreck the area too much."

"Yeah, I got it. You better not blow everything up either, Miki."

We exchanged words and readied ourselves. At that moment, my gaze drifted down to my palm. The ring Nevaska gave me was still there.

Come to think of it, I never asked what kind of effect it had. Nevaska had said she wasn’t worthy to use it. What did she mean by that?

Even as I pondered, the monsters began closing in, launching a simultaneous attack.

"Kazuya! Buy me a little time!"

"Got it!"

Kazuya awakened and leapt into the fray, throwing himself at the horde. What followed was a one-sided rampage.

He fought like he was venting his frustration, as if to cast away the heaviness in his heart, unleashing his feelings through raw power.

I slipped the ring Nevaska had given me onto my finger.

As soon as I did, the ornament on the ring gleamed brilliantly—and a voice echoed in my head.

"Do you require my power?"

The sudden voice startled me. Was it the ring speaking? Some kind of enchantment that allows it to communicate with the wearer?

Even so, being asked if I needed power… I had no idea what the ring actually did. It was a demon’s ring, after all—normally, I wouldn’t say yes so easily.

But since it came from Nevaska… If I could master it, I was sure it would help.

"Yeah, I do."

I responded with a firm thought.

"Then let us see if you possess the strength to wield me."

The moment it finished speaking, my magic began pouring into the ring. No—more like it was being sucked out at a terrifying rate, as though the ring was trying to drain me dry.

My reserves were nearly empty, and my vision began to fade. If it didn’t stop soon, I’d be in serious danger—but just as I thought that, the ring ceased its absorption.

"It seems you are worthy to be my master. From this moment on, I recognize you as such and shall release my power to you."

The voice echoed in my mind once more—and then, a surge of magic rushed back into me. It was the exact amount that had been taken.

The ring on my finger suddenly felt as if it had always belonged there, perfectly fitted—and then, the knowledge of its abilities poured into my mind.

This was the Ring of Dual Resonance.

A magical ring that could mimic any technique that relied on the voice—spellcasting, singing, incantations—allowing it to perform them in the user’s stead.

In simple terms, it meant that both I and the ring could simultaneously chant spells.

Some monsters, realizing they had no chance against Kazuya, began turning toward me.

Perfect. Time to test this ring’s power.

"I’m good now!"

I called out to Kazuya as I activated the ring’s magic.

A ghostly white silhouette, resembling my upper body, appeared over my left shoulder. It began chanting a grand incantation.

What followed was a powerful spell: a massive wall-shaped barrier to keep the monsters from reaching us—then, bolts of lightning rained down from above.

I began a separate chant myself, conjuring spears of earth from the ground beyond the barrier to block escape routes and deliver a second wave of attack.

The magic activated by the ring had the exact same power as my own—just as I imagined. And I did expend mana in the process. So this ring truly did allow dual casting.

This was incredible. It was like I had another me. If I used this right, I wouldn’t be a burden to Kazuya, even in heavy combat.

The mana drain was considerable—but with this kind of effect, it was more than worth it.

We continued attacking together, and before long, the few remaining monsters finally turned tail and fled.

We had no intention of chasing them. That wasn’t what mattered now.

What we needed to do was give Nevaska and Kalif the burial they deserved.

Once the area was completely still, and we confirmed no monsters remained, Kazuya and I lowered our weapons and returned to where the two lay.

---

I wanted to build a grave.

Not just bury them—but give them a proper resting place, something solid that couldn’t be easily disturbed by humans or monsters alike.

"How should we lay them to rest?"

Kazuya asked me. Personally, I was thinking of placing both of them in the same coffin.

"I’d like to lay them together in the same casket first… and not bury them here, but near that big tree over there. What do you think?"

"Yeah, I like that idea. I was thinking the same. I’ll craft the coffin with earth magic."

Using earth magic, I created a coffin and gently laid their bodies inside.

Then Kazuya carried it to the base of a large tree, and we built their grave there.

"I think I made it pretty sturdy. What do you think?"

Kazuya tapped on it, testing its strength, and gave a thumbs-up.

Kalif and Nevaska Rest Here.

I etched the words, then silently pressed my hands together in prayer.

They had shown us one possible future.

Kalif had become a demon, exchanging Nevaska’s entire life for 500 years of his own.

Nevaska must have seen how dark that future would be. She gave up thousands of years of life to the Demon King—for a mere 500 years.

Even so, she chose to spend those 500 years with the one she loved.

She met us, who were in a similar situation, and chose to be killed by our hands.

For Nevaska, a future with no end in sight, full of uncertainty, may have been worse than this.

In the end, they both looked happy.

—I had to believe that. Otherwise, my heart wouldn’t be able to bear it.

---

The journey to the Demon Lord’s castle had gone smoothly.

We’d faced no significant threats and finally made it close to our destination.

“…That was easier than I thought it’d be.”

“Means we’ve gotten stronger. But this is where the real fight begins.”

Yeah… the real challenge starts now.

That reminded me—

“I wonder what happened to the other Heroes?”

“You mean Roy and the others? Hmm… I doubt they got taken out. They might’ve already gone ahead.”

As far as we knew, two of the Demon Lord’s generals remained—the Thunder Emperor and the Spider Queen.

Now that I think about it, the two of us had already taken down the Giant King, the Flame Wolf King, and the Queen of Frost. It wouldn’t be surprising if the other two were already defeated by other Heroes. That would leave only the Demon Lord…

That… would suck. Imagine entering the Demon Lord’s castle only to find he’s already been beaten. That’s what happened with Kalif, after all—he only defeated one general, while the Demon Lord was taken down by someone else. It’s entirely possible.

As we neared the Demon Lord’s castle, I started thinking maybe that really had happened.

A demon corpse lay at the gate—it looked like a gatekeeper—and the castle’s massive front doors were wide open.

“Kazuya, looks like someone beat us to it.”

“Yeah. But judging by the state of this guy, it doesn’t look like it was that long ago. We might not be that far behind.”

Looking at the wounds on the demon’s body, they didn’t seem to be caused by fire. Which meant… maybe it wasn’t Dominic’s group who did this? Could’ve been someone else. Too early to tell.

We passed through the gaping front gate and entered the castle head-on.

Inside, corpses of monsters and demons were scattered everywhere—a clear sign that we were not the first ones here.

As we explored, we realized something: only a small part of the Demon Lord’s castle actually stood above ground. Most of it was buried underground.

The surface level had a throne room and a grand hall—just enough to resemble a royal palace. As a structure, it was complete. But when it came to fending off intruders, especially Heroes, the real defense was hidden below.

And that underground section… was a labyrinth.

“Now this is what I call a final dungeon!”

Kazuya grinned, clearly excited. I could understand the feeling. Final boss, final dungeon—textbook RPG stuff.

Except… so far, all we’d seen were corpses. We hadn’t fought even once since entering.

---

Since we entered the underground dungeon, we hadn’t run into a single dead end. Were we just getting lucky?

Now, we stood at another branching path.

“Hmm? I’m picking up a presence… and some sounds… this way.”

Kazuya pointed to the right.

Ever since we entered, my magic detection had been thrown off—completely useless down here. I had to rely entirely on Kazuya’s sensory instincts.

I strained my ears and heard it too—a faint rumble, like distant thunder.

Was someone casting lightning magic?

Whatever the case, someone was fighting. Most likely, another Hero’s party.

“Let’s move! Miki!”

Kazuya shouted and bolted ahead.

I chased after him, but there was no way I could match his speed.

He reached the door ahead of me, awakened, glanced back for a split second, then burst into the room.

He must’ve sensed something dangerous. I saw his face shift the moment he looked inside.

A thunderclap rang out. I couldn’t tell if it was Kazuya’s or his opponent’s.

Thunder roared again and again. A battle was clearly underway.

And one thing became apparent—those thunderclaps were the only sounds. Which meant Kazuya wasn’t the only one using lightning. His opponent was too.

And if even Kazuya couldn’t end it instantly… then that opponent had to be powerful.

That meant—he was fighting the Demon Lord’s general, the Thunder Emperor.

I finally reached the door and looked inside—and what I saw was devastation.

Dominic’s party was there, some members down, though they didn’t seem fatally wounded. But Dominic himself…

He’d lost his right arm and was in terrible shape.

Barely standing, barely holding his sword with his left hand… that was all he could manage.

He just stood there, helplessly watching Kazuya and the Thunder Emperor fight.

I immediately activated the ring’s power—dual-casting—to buff Kazuya with enhanced strength, lightning resistance, and a protective barrier.

Then I rushed to the others and began healing the ones who looked most injured.

As I rapidly cast healing spells, I realized again how amazing this dual-casting ability was. In no time, I had three of them patched up.

“Um, thank you so much…”

The woman—I think her name was Maria—expressed her gratitude.

“Um… if it’s not too much, could you please… heal Sir Dominic as well? I’m sorry to ask, but…”

When she mentioned Dominic, I must’ve made a face—Maria hesitated, then politely repeated the request.

Honestly… I didn’t want to heal him. At all.

But I had no choice.

Letting him die in front of me just because I hated him… would leave a bad taste in my mouth. That’s all it was.

I ran over to Dominic, but he didn’t even notice me.

His eyes were glued to the battle between Kazuya and the Thunder Emperor.

“Hey, I’m healing you.”

I said flatly and cast the spell.

Finally, he noticed and turned toward me.

“O-oh… wait, Miki-chan!? Then that guy is really—so I wasn’t seeing things… damn…”

He fell silent and turned back toward the fight.