What is Dark Magic?
There are many theories, but one thing is certain: it is not a power that originally existed in this world.
The descent of the Demon King brought forth a surge of malevolent energy, spreading across the continent.
Humanity needed a way to restore the corrupted lands, and the solution they found was dark magic.
The number of priests was too small, and the saintess herself was in no condition to purify such vast territories using holy power alone.
Thus, the idea emerged: why not repurpose the dark energy as a new resource? The concept wasn’t entirely flawed.
“Do you really think a mere mage can defeat me?!”
“What confidence! You’ve never beaten me, not even once!”
However, there was one problem: the three races created by the gods—elves, dragons, and humans—lacked the innate ability to generate dark energy.
Dark energy is rooted in the Demon King’s power.
With most corrupted regions now gone, using dark magic required borrowing dark energy from another dimension.
However, this power slowly corrupted the minds of its users.
Thus, every dark mage—those tainted by dark energy—became potential vessels for the Demon King’s rebirth.
To counter this threat, inquisitors were established, and most dark mages were sentenced to death by fire.
“I only wanted to save the dragons!”
“No, you’ve sullied Selene’s honor!”
A dense wall of darkness formed around Laura, encircling her in opaque energy.
The dark energy blocked her escape and served as groundwork to amplify the ensuing explosion.
If this had been the old Laura, she would have been overwhelmed without a chance to react.
Fran’s casting speed was as quick as it was powerful. Using magic without incantations was only possible if the spell was pre-recorded in a staff or if it was far below the caster’s capabilities.
To counter dark magic of this magnitude, incantations were essential, meaning Laura could never match Fran’s speed.
“Did you think such a childish trick would work?”
The staff once wielded by Selene, passed down exclusively to queens, now belonged to Laura.
While it was common knowledge that mages were at a disadvantage against dark mages, it was also common sense that skill could overturn natural disadvantages.
Destroying such walls didn’t require incantations. With a mere gesture, the dark energy vanished without a trace.
Ordinarily, dark energy would consume mana, but something unprecedented was happening.
“Puhaha! Yes, that’s it! Now it’s worth fighting!”
“…You’ve crossed the line, you trash.”
The battle had moved beyond the prison’s confines. Fran, her petite frame trembling, stood upright.
Her porcelain doll-like face was serene, almost endearing, yet her eyes had lost their light, drifting aimlessly.
Laura bit her lip. Doubt was not allowed. Don’t waver. Save the hero and Sera, and protect Selene’s honor.
Despite the relentless dark energy emanating from Fran’s staff, Laura’s mind was shockingly calm.
No anger, sorrow, or resentment remained. As she drew mana from the inherited dragon soul, countless memories of Selene flooded her mind—how deeply Selene loved this world and what Laura had meant to her.
The more she understood, the clearer her thoughts became.
Dark energy is borrowed power. You can’t defeat me with limited mana!
Fran, who had transformed the dragon’s blood into her own through dark magic, wielded a staff capable of summoning infinite power.
With a mere wave of her hand, a massive darkness engulfed the sky, blocking out the sun.
If an explosion of this scale occurred, everyone in the palace would perish.
Yet, Fran’s intent wasn’t the extinction of the dragonkin but war against humanity.
Knowing this, Laura still had no choice but to draw out every ounce of mana she possessed.
The hero’s party existed to protect everyone. The memories of her time with the hero wouldn’t allow even the slightest possibility of failure.
“How amusing. Let’s see how far you can push yourself.”
Marks began to appear all over Laura’s body as she prepared a large-scale spell. Countless magic bullets flew toward her.
Though she intercepted a few with multi-casting, she had to endure some damage.
It was a strategy to wear her down. With limited mana, Laura would eventually run dry, and Fran, with her infinite energy source, would claim victory.
Skill could overturn natural disadvantages, but both Fran and Laura had reached their respective peaks.
From the start, Laura’s chances of winning were slim.
“Kuhuhu, so that’s all you’ve got! Even with divine blessings and the inherited dragon soul, you couldn’t resist the fury within your heart!”
Her body was in ruins. She could feel her mana dwindling. Yet Laura charged toward Fran.
Her staff, glowing with an intense white light, unleashed a spell that burned all her remaining mana in one desperate gamble.
Fran laughed maniacally at the absurdity.
She had infinite power. No matter how many times finite power was multiplied, it could never match infinity.
A spell reliant on sheer mana was a feast for dark mages.
Foolish. You’ve lost your reason to anger. Staying with humans has stunted your growth.
Fran thought, unaware that it was her own rage that clouded her judgment.
“Battles between dark mages and mages are inherently unfair. Infinite power devours mana. How can you possibly win?”
Laura’s mind was clearer than ever. She wasn’t aiming to kill Fran but to save the hero and Sera.
Amid the enormous light created by the collision of mana and dark energy, Laura activated a spell pre-recorded in her staff.
“Humpty Dumpty’s Breadcrumbs.”
It was a simple lifestyle spell for finding traces someone had left behind. Completely impractical in combat, its difficulty was unjustified given its limited usefulness. Tracking was a job for thieves, not mages.
Few mages learned it, as its effects were too weak to justify its use. But Laura had always cherished this spell.
Because it was the first spell Selene had taught her. Though useless, bonds formed with others were a force no power could sever.
“Ah… hot… my body… my body is burning…”
Please, hero. Sera… I leave the rest to you.
With this spell, traces would remain even in the pocket dimension where the hero and Sera were trapped.
While there was no guarantee that the two could escape, companions are meant to trust each other no matter the circumstances.
As if to reward that faith, a massive explosion erupted next to Fran.
It was a fire unlike any other. Fran writhed in pain amidst the flames, but to Laura, the fire felt strangely warm.
“Hero… I’m sorry. The truth is… I knew about the Eyes of Enchantment…”
Laura had pushed her body far beyond its limits. The overuse of mana had likely caused permanent damage.
With her last bit of strength, she spoke words of apology to the hero.
“I… I just loved being by your side so much… I exploited your guilt… I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…”
“I see.”
Yes, the hero realized, the enchantment had never worked on him from the start. Laura had manipulated his guilt without hesitation.
He should have been angry, but he wasn’t.
Laura’s body was battered and broken, but her actions had all been for her companions.
The hero could not blame her for a single mistake when he, too, had deceived his friends for his own desires.
After all, it was he who had squandered the perfect opportunity to defeat the Demon King and save the world because he wanted to stay with Sera a little longer. As those memories resurfaced, the hero reflected on the events within the pocket dimension.
“It’s alright. Everyone makes mistakes. Sera told me the same thing—to let go of the past. So rest easy.”
“Really? You’re really okay with this? You… forgive me?”
“To be honest… I resented you. I was angry. But at the same time, I’m grateful. Unlike me, who hid my true feelings out of fear of losing someone I loved, you had the courage to seek forgiveness.”
Laura closed her eyes as the hero carried her to a safe place. Then, he approached Sera, who had lost consciousness from the recoil of using the sacred bomb.
“You liar,” the hero murmured to himself. “You said it would be a happy ending just for the two of us…”
Defeating the Demon King and returning to their original world—no man could misunderstand what that truly meant. And yet, how much resolve must have been behind those words?
Sera, who had once planned to die alongside the sealed Demon King within her, had seen the hero in his moments of weakness and told him, “We’ll do this together.” She had burned with holy flames, utterly ignoring her own safety to protect him.
She might be the greatest liar of them all, yet the hero couldn’t help but smile wryly as he looked at her still-breathing form.
“Yeah, you’re still the same, aren’t you? Even if you’re not trying to die anymore, you still disregard your own body completely.”
That’s why he had to protect her, to ensure she wouldn’t die. Everything was for their shared happy ending.
“Kuhuhu, wasting your time again, aren’t you?”
Fran, unsteady from the effects of the holy flames, mocked the hero.
Had he used the time spent tending to Laura and Sera to strike her down, the battle might have ended more easily.
Having returned to her draconic form, Fran sneered at the hero, but he silently drew his sword.
“I’ll return with Sera. So this time, you’d better be ready.”
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