Luci hovered lazily around the room, her singular eye narrowing as she studied
Natsuo. "You know, ever since you gave your soul to me, you've become…
boring," she muttered, a hint of irritation in her voice. "I'm telling you, this
is a waste of time. There's no real connection between your family and this
kingdom—or this king."
Natsuo sat in silence for a moment, his eyes reflecting the dim light in the room.
"I know," he finally said, his voice low. "I've known from the beginning."
Luci's eye widened in shock. "What?! Then why are we wasting time here?"
Natsuo sighed, leaning forward slightly, his elbows resting on his knees. "Because right now, I don't have much useful power. The abilities I gained are incomplete. If I want to save Minami and Kazuki, I need to be stronger. Much
stronger."
Luci floated closer, her curiosity piqued. "Stronger how?"
"I need to get in touch with the most powerful magic users in the kingdom—the
Magic Knights. I can copy their abilities and use them to open a portal back to
my dimension to save Minami and Kazuki," Natsuo explained, his voice calm
but determined.
Luci spun around excitedly. "Well, that's easy! Just use your knowledge, find
where they are, and beat down anyone who gets in our way. Boom! Problem
solved!"
A small smirk tugged at Natsuo's lips. "One of the options is exactly that.
The other option… is to infiltrate the kingdom's most prestigious magic school—
'Tatriya Magic Academy'. "
Luci stared at him in disbelief. "Wait, WHAT?! You want to become a student?
Take exams? Seriously? Do we even have that kind of time?"
Natsuo leaned back against the wall, eyes half-closed. "By becoming a top
student, I'd get direct access to the Magic Knights. They recruit from the
academy's best for their selection exams. It's the safest way to get close to
them without raising suspicion."
Luci threw her hands in the air. "Are you kidding me?! And how exactly do
you plan on getting into that academy? You think that creepy king is just going
to let you go?"
Natsuo's eyes glinted dangerously. "It's risky, yes. But I haven't ruled out the
other option—taking the easy way."
Luci floated in front of him, arms crossed. "And what's that?"
Natsuo's gaze darkened. "Breaking in and taking them down by force."
—————————————————————————————————————
Later, atop the burning ruins of the king's castle, Natsuo stood on the roof,
looking down at the devastation below. Flames licked the stone walls, casting
long shadows across the kingdom. The sky above them was thick with smoke,
swirling like a dark cloud of revenge.
Luci floated beside him, looking more amused than ever. "Well, well, well…
looks like you took the easy way after all! Who needs school when you can just
blast your way to the top?"
Natsuo's expression was unreadable, but his power radiated off him in waves,
the red orb of multiplication in his hand glowing brightly. The charred remains
of defeated Magic Knights lay scattered below, their once-imposing armor now
shattered.
"We don't have time for games," Natsuo said quietly. "I needed their power,
and now I have it."
Luci cackled with glee, spinning around in the air. "That was awesome! You
wiped them all out like they were nothing!"
Natsuo remained silent, his gaze distant as he looked toward the horizon. With
the Magic Knights' powers absorbed, his abilities had grown exponentially. But
this was just the beginning. He clenched his fists, feeling the raw energy coursing
through him.
The easy way had been chosen, and now there was no turning back. With the
kingdom in flames and the power of the Magic Knights in his grasp, the path
to saving Minami and Kazuki had opened before him.
But with every step he took toward his goal, a shadow loomed larger—the price
of his soul, and the future The Demon lord had in store for him.
"We move forward," Natsuo murmured. "No more distractions."
Luci floated beside him, her usual mischief fading as she sensed the gravity of
his words. "Yeah… no more distractions."
Together, they disappeared into the night, leaving the burning castle behind, as
the kingdom's fate twisted toward an uncertain future.