MTM 208

‘Zed, are you satisfied with things as they are?’

That question crossed Zed’s mind once more.

Perhaps that question had been directed not at Zed, but at Walter himself. He had craved power above all else and had ultimately enlisted the aid of the demons to finally realize that long-held desire, even if it meant transforming into a hideous monster that had lost all semblance of humanity.

It occurred to Zed that, for Walter, this ruinous outcome might well have quenched the thirst that had plagued him his entire life.

Zed forced aside the heavy emotions weighing down his chest and looked at the creature before him.

Walter’s obsession– a drive so intense he was willing to destroy his own body to achieve it –was no different from Zed’s own blind obsession with Harto. Zed also had been willing to let the world perish if it meant saving Harto. Though the forms differed, the essence of that tenacity was the same.

“Walter, if this is the choice you’ve made…”

Zed decided he would no longer pity him. Instead, he resolved to fully respect the path Walter had chosen.

“Now, hand it over…”

Lukaela held out her hand toward Zed. She demanded for the Fragments of the Demon God he had brought with him.

Instead of simply handing it over, Zed spoke in a steady voice.

“Before that, I want to see the fragment your kind is keeping.”

At Zed’s request, Lukaela nodded and signaled to Rozain, who was standing beside her. Rozain walked up onto the platform situated behind them.

Vrrrrm–!

As Rozain extended her hand toward the center of the platform, the floor split open, and a burst of red light flared. Moments later, accompanied by a heavy vibration, an altar carved from black stone rose through the floor. Pillars stood at the corners of the square altar, and atop one of them rested the sealed the Demon King’s spinal cord.”

At that instant, the red ruby on the necklace around Zed’s neck began to glow in response. This served as definitive proof that the item held by the demons was indeed a fragment of the Demon God.

Zed lowered his head and gazed at Harto, who was cradled in his arms.

He had to save Harto, no matter what. It didn’t matter if the world collapsed or the Demon King was resurrected; he had come all the way to Ruinbelt solely to achieve that one objective.

Snap.

Without hesitation, Zed snapped the chain of the necklace, his mother’s keepsake. He then held the pendant out toward Lukaela and warned.

“I must now create a heart for Harto. While I do so, I do not want any of you to interfere with me, no matter what happens.”

“I give you my word.”

Lukaela replied respectfully and took the pendant. Once in her hands, the ruby ​​pendant emitted a red aura and floated across toward the altar; upon reaching the center, it shattered into countless pieces.

At that moment, the blue bird that had been resting inside the ruby alongside the other fragments took flight, and the unsealed essence and vein of the Demon King were placed side-by-side upon the rectangular altar. Only the spot reserved for the heart remained empty.

“Then… let us begin the resurrection ritual.”

Lukaela’s eyes gleamed as she gazed at the fully prepared altar.

***

Splash!

Cold seawater surged through the shattered hull as the ship cut across the open sea. Though it looked as if it might sink at any moment, the vessel miraculously held together. While an attack by an unknown monster had broken a mast and wrecked parts of the deck, Boris’s skillful command ensured the voyage faced no major issues.

The real problem lay elsewhere.

Leon stood precariously before a section of the stern railing where the guardrail had been torn away, his eyes closed. He poured every ounce of his concentration into tracking magic to locate Zed and Harto. He was so focused that beads of sweat had formed on his forehead, despite the freezing wind.

“Hey. You’re going to fall if you keep that up.”

As Gerard approached and grabbed the hem of his [unauthorized copy]cloak, Leon gasped and opened his eyes. Sleepy peeked out from the collar of his cloak

“Did you find them?”

Gerard scrutinized Leon’s sweat-drenched face.

“Yes… I believe so.”

“‘Believe so’?”

“Tracking them wasn’t easy, likely because we are out at sea. I barely managed to pick up Harto’s elemental traces…”

Leon spoke dejectedly as he clutched Spi– a red gemstone –and Mir –a glass crystal –in his hands.

He had been tracking the signature energy by using these elementals as a medium. Unlike Spi and Mir, Krom was nowhere to be found. He had likely fallen from the basket when Harto hurriedly threw it at him. Yet, he was constantly moving somewhere above the water, not below it.

And after following that trail…

“We’ve finally arrived! That right there is Ruinbelt!”

Boris, who was manning the helm behind them, shouted out loud. As the ship crossed an invisible boundary, the thick, barrier-like fog dissipated, slowly revealing the island.

With fields free of even a single flake of snow, lush green trees, and an emerald-glowing sea, the landscape was so beautiful it was hard to believe it lay at the edge of the North; it looked just like a paradise from a fantasy.

“…It seems the two of them reached Ruinbelt safely.”

Leon murmured, his expression a mix of relief and worry.

“That’s good enough. The important thing is that they’re alive.”

Gerard said this as he patted the head of the downcast Leon, then carefully examined the waters off the island’s coast. Just as Boris had warned, the red reefs encircling the island made it appear impossible to approach with their current ship.

“Old man! Launch the boat!”

At Gerard’s shout, a sailor lowered a small rowboat into the water. Gerard and Leon grabbed only the essentials and hopped down into the boat. Leon was still terrified of the churning sea, but he chanted a mental mantra over and over: thinking of Zed and Harto made this fear seem like nothing.

Gerard took his seat, gripped the oars, and called out to Boris, who was looking down at them from the deck.

“If it looks too dangerous, don’t wait for us, turn the ship around and leave immediately!”

“Good grief! You still take me for some heartless, disloyal bastard!”

Boris retorted gruffly.

“Stop worrying about us and just watch out for those reefs so you don’t hole the ship!”

Gerard gave a wry smile at Boris’s shout, then began to row without a formal farewell. As they slowly navigated the fog-shrouded red reef zone of Ruinbelt, the sound of flapping wings suddenly erupted from all directions.

Squawk! Squawk!

It wasn’t just one or two. A flock of seagulls was taking flight into the sky all at once.

“What…?”

Startled by the sudden commotion, Leon– who had been clutching his bag tightly to his chest –flinched and turned his head toward where the birds had flown. Through the slowly lifting fog, a shadow began to loom over the small rowboat carrying the two men.

***

Thud.

Zed walked to the center of the black altar and carefully laid Harto down. At the edge of the altar, the Demon King’s essence, vein, and spinal cord hovered side by side. They pulsated slowly and resonated with a low sound.

Of the fragments required for the Demon King’s resurrection, only the heart remained.

“Harto… I will save you, no matter what.”

Zed murmured softly as he stroked Harto’s [unauthorized copy]hair. Then he took a deep breath and focused his holy power into his fingertips.

Sssss…

A warm glow of light flowed into Harto’s forehead. He channeled holy power to temporarily numb Harto’s senses and ensure he would feel not even the slightest hint of pain. It was a technique Gerard had taught him.

Next, he began unbuttoning Harto’s shirt one by one. Harto’s pale chest was slowly revealed.

Thump, thump, thump…

Perhaps due to his intense concentration, the sound of his own heart hammered against his eardrums. He couldn’t afford this. He had to successfully extract Harto’s heart, so he closed his eyes. Driven by the singular, unwavering resolve to save Harto, he pushed his focus to the absolute limit.