Tesilid's aura blade aggressively darted toward Cavalencia.
"Argh!"
The merciless penetrating force made Cavalencia bend backward, which was followed by a brief spasm before her body went limp again.
â¬Â«System» Congratulations! Dungeon Master, Demon Realm Rank 151 [Cavalencia, the Diva of Explosions] has been defeated.â
Cavalencia had been defeated, but the self-detonating piano was a separate matter. Of course, I wasn't just idling about while Tesilid was killing the bossâI also did what I could.
As soon as the piano began to explode, transforming into a fireball and filling my vision with flames, I closed my eyes to protect them from the heat and shouted, "Siege Barrier!"
A silver citadel appeared and formed a circular barrier around Tesilid and me, protecting us entirely. A monstrous noise along with the explosion devoured the entire stage, but, as always, the silver citadel endured the impact.
After the explosion, the structure of the opera house began to collapse. The ceiling and the walls caught fire and crumbled down around us, beating down on the barrier with large chunks of debris. The force didn't physically touch us, but the deep ringing of each impact felt crushingly heavy as the silver citadel quickly disappeared under the wreck.
Quite some time had passed, when silence finally returned.
"..."
"Is it over?" I asked belatedly.
"I think so, Allie."
Hearing his deep voice, I looked up and noticed Tesilid's face lingering close to mine. For a moment, we stared into each other's eyes.
I almost lost myself in the ocean of his gaze, but quickly pulled myself together and suggested, "S-should we leave?"
"Sure, Allie."
I exploded my aura the moment I released the barrier, which instantly blew away the debris that was burying us with a thunderous sound. When the dusty cloud blinding us finally settled, we could see what was left of the destroyed structure. At glance, the antique theater with only the main pillars that lined the hall left standing sort of looked like a rusty bird cage.
"Which way was the stage again?"
"That way."
Cavalencia, whom Tesilid had executed, had already turned to ash and disappeared, only leaving behind her items to loot. I casually started to go through them, but unfortunately we didn't find anything particularly useful.
â¬Â«Item» [Seductive Gothic Dress]
One of Cavalencia's favorite dresses. She'd saved it for a performance at the Demon Castle. Can easily earn the affection of demons, as it is designed perfectly to suit demonic tastes.â
In addition to the dress, we found an edible item as well.
â¬Â«Item» [Tranquilizing Candy]
Cavalencia is well-known for massacring the entire audience when she gets too excited while singing. This is the candy she takes before she steps on stage to keep her name clean. Helps regain control when in a frenzy.
Note: Take with caution as it is addictive and has side effects.â
So we had collected clothes and some questionable narcotics.
"I guess we should keep them just in case."
"Then I'll add them to our inventory, Allie," said Tesilid as he stored the dress and the candy away.
Meanwhile, I looked around in case there were any items that had been hidden under the debris or flung away by the explosion, but sighed when I realized that this was unnecessary.
"I guess there's nothing else."
Now that we were done looting, there was nothing else the dungeon could offer us.
"Thenâ"
I was going to suggest we leave as I began to turn toward Tesilid, but an unexpected situation left me speechless and immobile.
"Allie."
Tesilid's muscular arms gently wrapped around me from behind. I felt the heat of his body press against my back.
Suddenly Agnes muttered, «Uh, umm... I'm going to visit the Shrine of Saints! I'll be hanging out with Saintess Lucretia!»
Wind swirled around the necklace for a moment and then disappeared. As disrespectful as it was, neither Tesilid nor I thought to say goodbye to her. We stood hugging for quite some time, when his pleasant voice broke the silence.
"I'll open the exit in just a bit," he murmured.
"For now... Let's stay like this. Stay with me."
I recalled the last time he said this.
"Be with me when this is all over."
I wasn't going to move an inch. The view wasn't entirely the nicest because we were surrounded by destruction, but I didn't care as long as he was with me.
I stayed in his arms for quite some time, when I quietly whispered, "I want to see your face. Can I?"
Tesilid slowly released his arms upon my request, so I turned around and faced him. I liked the way his eyes looked intensely at me and the way his lips silently twitched as if he had something to say.
I could stare at him all day. I didn't seem to be the only one who was thinking this because he was also capturing me with his eyes like he had forgotten the concept of time. He seemed to have forgotten what he was about to say, for his lips had stopped moving, as if his attention was entirely dedicated to looking at me.
I guess I should speak first.
"There were many things I wanted to say when we met each other again," I said at last.
He didn't question what I had wanted to say, which was to be expected. He didn't need to ask. From Leviathion's attack to the genre breach that created a random dungeon burst, Tesilid has probably put together the implications behind the strange series of events. After all, he had gone through the trouble to steal gold coins from the Black Market of Joy, so it was expected that he already knew everything I was about to say.
It was one of those moments where an explanation wasn't needed. We already understood each other. As the silence persisted, his Adam's apple slowly jumped, demonstrating a bit of nervousness as his gaze intensified. I wore the brightest smile I could manage.
"I like you," I finally admitted. "A lot."
His blue eyes shimmered beautifully, blessing me with an unforgettable view.
â
Blue and green met, and it seemed as if they could spend forever clinging to each other, bound by each other's gaze. Tesilid looked like he was possessed as he stared at Ailette, his eyes sparkling with love and affection. It felt as if he endured thousands of winters for this moment, as if his tattered soul still existed just for today, just to meet her in this instant.
He'd crawled through hell against betrayals, struggles, and endless battles, carrying his heavy body through the relentless cycle of his lives just to meet her here. Never did he imagine that he would reach such a moment. It seemed to him that finally there was a better reward than death in his life. He felt ecstatic that he had at long last achieved the salvation he desperately yearned for, enough to make this horrific world appear beautiful.
"What about you, Tez?" Allie asked.
Her clear voice that he could identify from a million miles away snapped him back to reality. Ailette Rodeline had stolen the spotlight of being the first to confess her feelings and was now urging Tesilid to answer with flushed cheeks. Tesilid couldn't help but chuckle quietly. He felt like he'd won.
"Stop laughing..." she scolded.
"I like you," was too light a phrase. Those words weren't enough to capture the feelings he had for her. Speaking his heart would tilt the scales, perhaps make her a bit uncomfortable... But it couldn't be helped.
"Tez?"
His large right hand cupped Ailette's left cheek. It was a gentle touch, but the coming together of two warm surfaces suddenly made him feel hot. He kept his eyes locked on Ailette's as he slowly leaned in, making her eyes widen briefly with surprise before quickly returning to normal. Her quiet breaths quickened with nervousness, but she didn't look like she was going to pull away. This wasn't strange to Tesilid because she'd always let him in.
Soon, the beautifully curved lips of the man finally parted.
"I love you."
Tesilid tilted his head to the side slightly so that their nose would not touch as their confessions rang in their ears and merged with their breaths. As the words of his confession faded, silence fell over them for a very long time.
Swoosh.
Eventually, a whirlwind slowly formed and created an exit, causing the two to separate and stare at each other in silence as they exchanged smiles. With that, they looked toward the exit and stepped through it neatly, leaving the destroyed dungeon behind. The way their hands were tightly grasped together seemed to demonstrate the trust they had for each other.
â
In Fanel, the capital of the Holy Kingdom of Elfenheim, the Vatican was still being protected by the Sacred Place Establishment artifact which Muriel had activated. Even though ten thousand demon soldiers were roaming their lands, the Vatican itself had held strong.
As this closely reflected the biblical story of the few humans who survived a disastrous flood, some of the believers compared themselves to those who were allowed to board the ark, telling themselves that they were the chosen ones. This faulty logic was the only way they could suppress the guilt they felt toward their fellow citizens, a third of whom had been left to perish on the outside.
Despite this, the religious order's cruel decision was proven to be sound, as their strategy to protect their base while waiting for the help of neighboring nations was going perfectly according to plan. A proof of this was the shift in the condition outside the Vatican's walls, for the shrieks of dying humans had eventually been replaced by those of demons, punctuated by the sound of explosions erupting across the land.
It was the noise of a fierce battle. The excited exclamations of the surviving citizens could also be heard, occasionally loud enough to make out shouts of praise for Grand Duke Heathfenrir and Marchioness Lecandro. Then, suddenly, the noise of battle outside no longer reached the interior of the Vatican.
"Doesn't it seem like things have settled?"
"D-do you think it's over?"
The cardinals sought opinions from each other, when one of them stepped forward and confirmed their hope.
"I-I believe it's over!"
"Y-yes!"
The barrier that was surrounding the Vatican lifted just in time, for Muriel at the grand worship hall had ended the activation of the Sacred Place Establishment. It was evident that those inside the building had also determined that the war was over.
With Walpurgis Night finished, the regular night sky that returned no longer contained the three moons of the Demon Realm. Those who survived were shedding tears of relief, when the gates of the Vatican opened to reveal two warriors who carried overwhelming power and presence between themâthey were none other than Grand Duke Heathfenrir and Marchioness Lecandro.