Immediately after witnessing the death of Mujarna, the rainbow-colored exoskeleton that surrounds my entire body turns into particles of light.

　My flesh and blood spilled out of the shattered particles.

　Thud!

I sat there in reaction to the 'Ultimate God Body Mode'.

''Ha, ha, ha.''

　I can't breathe.

　All over his body, pains like muscle pains were also running through his body.

　The 'divine Qi' in my body was also depleted, and my beast ears and tail were gone.

''Are you alright, Marle?''

　His Majesty Ameldus calls out to me with a concerned look.

　I smiled and said, "Yes.

　We have defeated 'Mujarna the Monkey King'.

　The greatest threat has been removed.

　Perhaps because she knew that, she gave me a calm nod as she laughed.

(But it's not over yet.)

　I stared at the 'Exploration Stone Disk' that was glowing with my waist belt.

　The glow was even stronger than before.

　When I took it off and pointed it into the darkness at the back of the cave, the glow of the magic stone in the center of the disc became stronger.

　Yeah, there's no doubt about it.

(There's a 'divine Spirit Stone' at the back of this cave!

　Googling

　I put my hands on my trembling knees and tried desperately to get up.

　Then.

Let me help you.

　To my surprise, His Majesty Ameldas lends me his shoulder and supports my wobbly body.

　The body we touched smelled of perfume.

　The women of Tolga are thinner than the women of the Albac continent, so I could feel their bodies more than I expected.

''Oh, thank you.''

　I thanked her, a bit flustered.

　She looked at my reaction and then laughed, "No problem," she said.

　It was a somewhat relieved smile.

(????)

　If you're confused.

I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make the most of your time in the city. I'm sure you'll be able to find it. That's a strange feeling.

　He laughed at me.

(...is it that different?)

　I don't know what I'm doing.

　But the reason I've made it this far is because of everyone's help.

　A lot of people worked together, and as a result, I can believe that we all defeated 'Mujarna the Monkey King' just because I was the last one to play a role.

　When I tell them that.

Okay.

　His Majesty Ameldas nodded, eyes downcast.

　Then.

The souls of the warriors who have lost their lives in this land will be glad to hear those words.

　And then he smiled at me.

(...yeah.)

　I nodded.

　Then the two of us lit the torches, cuddled up to each other, and proceeded deeper into the cave.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇.


　It was a large cave.

　A hollow space with a diameter of 20 meters stretched out to the far end.

(............)

　Is this the nest of the 'Monkey King Mujarna'?

　With this in mind, I walked deeper and deeper, relying on the flames of the torch, and eventually I saw a white light ahead of me.

　A part of the ground was glowing.

(Ah.........)

　It was a white, glowing stone.

　It was about twenty centimeters in size.

　Its brilliance was divine, and it looked like a piece of a large sphere to begin with, but yet it was sticking into the ground ahead of it, too carelessly.

''Is that it?''

　His Majesty Ameldas asked.

　I nodded.

　One look and I know it.

　I can feel it.

　The light that the stone emitted was definitely the same as the 'divine energy' inside my body, but I could understand that its brilliance was a power that was dozens of times stronger and more concentrated than ours.

　That.

　That is the one.

(That's the 'divine spirit stone' we've been looking for!

　Gazing at the figure, my heart trembled.

　I approached the 'Divine Spirit Stone' while borrowing the shoulder from His Majesty Ameldas.

　I crouched down on the spot and reached out a small hand.

　Cuk.

　I grabbed it.

　And the glowing stone slipped off the ground with surprising ease and settled into my hand.

(...........)

　It had been about 3 months since we left the Kingdom of Shumuria.

　The "divine spirit stone" that I had been searching for during my long, long journey was now here.

　I gaze at its brilliance.

(...............Finally, I obtained it.

　I felt as if I were going to cry.

　His Majesty Ameldas was watching my profile with a very tender gaze.

　That was the moment.

　Grrrr.

　The earth shook.

(!)

　Earthquake!

　The sudden shaking almost made us fall on the spot.

　However, the shaking soon stopped.

(.........hmm?)

　At that time, I realized after all this time that there was a cave beyond the place where the Divine Spirit Stone was located.

　From the darkness at the back of it, I could sense a fearless presence.

(!?!)

　whoosh

　The pores all over my body have opened up and I'm flooded with disgusting sweat.

　My body was rattling and shaking, and that's where I finally understood that I was 'terrified'.

'Merle?'

　His Majesty Ameldus is surprised at my change.

　I do not answer.

　No, I can't answer.

　Even so, I desperately move my right hand and call out the magical "light bird".

(I have to be sure........)

　That one thought was driving me forward.

　Ping.

　With a single cry, the 'light bird' heads to the back of the cave.

　Five maids.

　10 maids.

　And when it reached 20 maids, the light began to illuminate the cave's inner sanctum.

　--A giant.

　An emaciated, parched giant lay filling the cave.

　Even His Majesty Ameldus stiffened.

　I muttered, shaking the roots of my teeth.

''........Black......Giant....''

　What we found in the depths of this dark earth is the corpse of the demon that nearly destroyed this continent in the past.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇.


　We couldn't move.

　And the 'Devil's Corpse' in front of us was making the evil atmosphere emitted from it stronger and stronger.

(What in the world...?)

　I was confused.

　And then I saw it.

　The 'black water' oozing out of that dried up giant's skin through a hole called a hole.

"!

　As soon as he saw it, his 'Divine Dog Instinct' understood the identity of that 'Black Water'.

(That's a 'devil piece'!)

　Four hundred years ago, while being defeated by the White Titan, the Black Titan's body left behind the residue of its power - that black water - is, in other words, the devil's fragment, the Arkyn's soul inside me is telling me that.

　It was now beginning to act in front of our eyes.

　''Juk, Juk,''

The 'Black Water' overflowed endlessly from the 'Devil's Corpse' and spread out to the floor of the cave.

(Why...?

　How did this happen?

　When I thought that, I noticed the existence of the 'divine Spirit Stone' in my right hand.

''-- Don't take away the shine.''

　I suddenly remember the dying words of "Mujarna the Monkey King".

(........no way.)

　This 'Divine Spirit Stone' has been blocking the existence of this 'Devil's Piece' until now...?

　I shuddered at the prospect.

　'If that is true, then I have made a terrible mistake,'

　Mujarna said.

'-I am the king who will protect this land and make peace.

　That means that he knew about this 'Black Water' seal, and that's why he was protecting the 'Divine Spirit Stone' from the humans while reigning in this land for so long.

　That action may have been to protect the flock and its habitat.

　But as a result, the Monkey King Mjaruna was protecting this world as well.

　Rattling.

　My body trembled.

　I couldn't help but be afraid of the crime I had committed.

　I.........

　My hands had awakened the sealed 'Devil's Piece'!


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇.


Hey, Merle!

　His Majesty Ameldas shook me by the shoulder, and I came back to myself.

(Ah.....)

　That's right.

　Even if you regret it, you can't turn back the clock.

　Above all, there was no time left for us to spare.

　Shucks!

　I grabbed His Majesty Ameldas' hand.

　As it is, I pull her astonished hand and start to run towards the outside of the cave.

''I'm running away!''
What?

　She looked into those red eyes.

　I yelled as I ran.

'We can't compete with them now!　I can't wait to meet up with Kilt and the others.......!

　It's frustrating, and I don't have time to explain.

　His Majesty Ameldas follows my swordsmanship with bewilderment.

　Ta-tah-tah.

　I staggered to my feet and ran frantically.

　Soon, the huge corpse of the 'Monkey King' came into view up ahead.

(Ha!)

　I bite my lip as I walk past the corpse of the guardian who has protected this land and protected the world.

　Juke, Juke.

　From behind us, the Black Water was also spreading across the floor of the cave.

　And as soon as the Black Water touched the corpse of the Monkey King Mujarna, countless Black Hands reached out from the water's surface and grabbed onto the huge corpse.

(!?!)

　In front of our startled eyes, the flesh of the area touched by the Black Hand melts.

　Jwahhh!

　White smoke rises.

　In a matter of ten seconds, the huge body that was seven meters long was gone.

''How........''

　Perhaps realizing the threat, His Majesty Ameldas also turned pale.

　In the meantime, the 'Black Water' was still closing in on us.

　We ran again, desperately aiming for the outside of the cave.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇


　Eventually, we managed to reach the outside of the cave.

　The sun was shining brightly on us, but I wasn't reassured by that.

　But I couldn't be relieved by that.

The black water didn't stop spreading on the ground outside the cave, even though it was hitting the sun.

　As I tried to move further, I noticed that the black water was spreading outside the cave.

　gasp

(Uh.....)

　I tangled my feet and fell.

"Merle!

　His Majesty's impatient voice.

　I tried to stand up, but I couldn't put my strength into it well.

(It's a reaction to the ultimate god body mode........)

　I bit my lip.

　And then - I'm ready.

　My blue eyes gaze at you, Ameldace.

"You will go ahead, Your Majesty.
What?

　His Majesty looked surprised.

''I'll hold him off here. In the meantime, Your Majesty should bring reinforcements.''

　Saying this, I stood up with the last of my strength.

I held my sword to the "Black Water".

　His Majesty Ameldas looked at my profile.

''........Can you do it?''
Yes, sir.

　I nodded.

　At that, His Majesty nodded.

All right. I'll be right over!　Until then, never die!

　With those words, he went down the mountain slope at once.

　...........

(I'm sorry.)

　I apologized in my heart.

　The truth is, I didn't have the strength left to swing my sword even once, let alone stop the Demon Shard.

　But.

Someone has to know.

　I had to let everyone know what was happening here, the existence of the 'Devil's Piece'.

　If I am unable to move, His Majesty can't escape either.

　Neither of us can be allowed to die.

　Then it's my role to help her escape and die here.

　Jwa Jwa.

　The 'black water' spread out around them.

　Countless long 'black hands' grew out of that water surface.

(.........ah...)

　I looked at it and thought.

　I knew I didn't want to die....

　But there's nothing I can do about it.

　I took out the 'Red Luminous Signal Bullet' from my luggage and pointed it at the sky and pulled the trigger.

　Hurul Supaan.

　A red magical light shines in the sky.

　It's a signal of 'danger'.

　It was a signal to realize that I couldn't save myself anymore and to let the rest of my friends know 'don't come here'.

(I never thought I would use it myself...)

　I chuckle, illuminated by its glow.

　...........

　That's the end of what I have to do.

　I let out a big breath.

　The countless "black hands" shimmer and come closer to me.

　Suddenly, the face of "that man" flashed across my mind.

　It's a very sad face.

　I'm really sorry that I had to make him feel that way.

　But.

(But ... it was the only way.)

　Even though I knew there was nothing I could do about it, I spontaneously burst into tears.

　Crying, I say.

''I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise,''

　That was my last word.

　Hupac.

　The next moment, a single 'black hand' that extended out pierced my heart and penetrated to my back side.

(Ah.........)

　I felt more intense heat than pain.

　Coppock.

　His mouth is full of blood.

　I can't get my whole body to work.

　My vision slowly fades to black from my surroundings.

　Eventually, I can't get my thoughts together ... and I don't know ... anything.

　.................

　....................

　.........

　And so I died in the land of this dark continent.