After Benny promised to confront Shadow not to escape the past but to properly move into the future.
Given that she was already exhausted from battle, perhaps it was also because of the bickering that had just occurred.
After a brief chat, we all fell asleep right there.
Anyway, it wouldn’t hurt to take a nap now that we had plenty of time.
Just as we were deeply asleep, embracing each other like a body pillow.
Bang!
“Eh?”
“What, what was that…?”
A heavy sound echoed from somewhere. In an instant, I was jolted awake.
“…Benny. Can the Guardian of the Second Floor break this space?”
“No. The Guardian of the Second Floor is a Minotaur. It has good stamina and strength, but this magic can’t be dealt with purely by muscle.”
Well, I guess it’s impossible to handle distortion of space with pure physical strength.
Since we’re in a fantastical world, it might be possible with powers beyond the common sense found in novels, but honestly, that would just be considered a supernatural ability.
“Just as I thought?”
“Yeah. That temperamental Morgana wouldn’t create ordinary magic.”
With a sigh, Benny stood up. But she hesitated and stopped mid-rise.
Bang! Crash! Bang!
“Ugh!”
Benny’s small body trembled as if frightened by the continuous loud noises.
It can’t be helped. Benny is mentally too fragile right now. If this continues, she won’t be able to cast magic properly.
So, I carefully held her hand.
Her temperature felt slightly higher. The softness of her skin and the sensation of her thin fingers were transmitted to me.
Even though we probably have similar builds, why does she feel like a doll? Maybe this is how Elina and Lydia see me, too.
Putting aside the thought of using this later, I shrugged my shoulders at Benny.
“It’s okay. You’re stronger than before, aren’t you?”
“Mm…”
“If that’s not enough, then let me say it a bit differently.”
I gently embraced Benny from behind. Wrapping my arms around her soft belly, I buried my nose in her neck and whispered.
“Benny. Will you protect me?”
“……!”
I know how much men want to show off in front of women, such a pitiful creature.
And in the gender-swapped world of the Pan Continent, this would apply directly to women, too.
Benny might be more vulnerable now than usual. She might react with fear like a little animal to even the slightest stimulus.
But she’s not the kind of person who would be scared to the point of forgetting to protect the person behind her.
I haven’t known Benny for long, but I definitely know one thing for sure.
Benny values the people around her extremely, and we’re starting to get close to the level of friends.
A small spark ignites in Benny’s stiff eyes. Some might call it an illusion caused by the atmosphere, and others might say it’s just her pupils dilating, reflecting light… but I want to give it a deeper meaning.
Something like determination.
“…Wait a second.”
Taking a deep breath, Benny clenched her fist tightly.
Her small body emanated a faint haze. A visualization of her magic. She was probably trying to summon all the strength she had restored while sleeping.
I made sure to stay as still as possible. I knew that doing anything foolish right now would only disrupt her concentration.
After raising her magic for a while, Benny lifted one arm high. Then, with a trembling voice, she began to incant.
“Iron bars. Stagnation. Deception. Screams. And isolation.”
It felt like she was spitting out words without filtering them, a disorganized string of words.
But they painted a distinct image.
“No one shall escape, and no one shall break!”
Rough iron bars surrounded Benny and me. The crimson magic swirling around formed a prison that somehow reeked of blood.
In an instant, I understood. This was probably recreating the iron bars little Benny had been trapped in during her childhood.
According to Benny’s story, being trapped in those bars was stifling and scary, but conversely, it was also the safest place.
Because the experiments conducted by One Who Devours the Twilight only began after the child was pulled outside the bars.
Thus, the bars were both a prison that trapped Benny and, at the same time, the safest sanctuary… Also, the last wall that could not be broken.
Benny was now dredging up the deepest parts of her trauma for my sake.
Though I wouldn’t have known it at other times, I understood how difficult that must be for Benny right now, so I tightened my embrace around her without a word.
After a moment, Benny, having completed her magic, lowered her raised arm and said in a tired voice.
“This is the best I can do. I don’t know what might happen as the magic collapses, so you should at least prepare yourself mentally.”
Her voice carried a hint of mischief. I smiled a little, returning her tone.
“Well, even in the worst-case scenario, I won’t die alone, so I won’t be lonely!”
“Don’t say such unlucky things!”
Just as Benny turned to look at me, letting out a shriek.
Bang! CRACK… CRUNCH!
The white space began to crack.
Sensing that this cube would break in a little while, Benny threw herself over me.
“Get down!”
“Gah!”
Benny, in true high-ranking adventurer style, pinned me down with surprising strength for her stature, as if she would become my shield even if the magic broke.
With the thought that I couldn’t let all the burden fall on Benny, I pushed against her shoulders. At that moment…
Screeeech———!
With a sound sharp like breaking glass, the entire space began to shatter into pieces.
The falling white debris bounced off the iron bars and flew far away for a moment. Then, a fire spread all around.
Flames burst forth!
Is this what Hell is like? The fierce flames filled my sight as if they were intent on burning the entire world.
As the jagged fragments of space shattered, the iron bars that protected us melted with a sizzling sound.
What’s happening? Did the magic break and we flew to another space?
There’s only one place in the Labyrinth where such flames could exist.
The Seventh Floor where the God of War sleeps.
If we really ended up there, I needed to be alert. No matter how strong Benny is, wandering the frontlines of the Seventh Floor without Shadow…
“…Jonah?”
“Yeah?”
The ominous thoughts filling my head vanished entirely at the sound of a familiar voice.
As I slowly turned my head toward the source of the voice, there stood Lydia, looking incredulous.
Her whole body wrapped in a fiery red and fierce aura.
“Ah.”
Now that I think about it, I don’t feel any heat from this flame. It’s not real fire; it’s Lydia’s aura.
…But why is Lydia here? And what’s with this enormous release of aura?
Even Lydia seems like she would find this difficult.
As I tilted my head in confusion, Lydia called my name again, a mixture of relief and gratitude in her voice.
“Jonah!”
Lydia, recovering her aura that had been burning the surroundings, ran towards me. I, too, smiled widely and reached out.
“Lady Lydia! You came to rescue us!”
“Yep! I’m here to take you out… Hmm?”
Lydia stopped right in front of me. Her red eyes began to shake aimlessly.
“B-Benny? Why…?”
Like a person shocked that a platypus’s skull was manipulated, I tugged at her beak, only to be startled that it was not separating.
And then, like a baton touch, Benny, who was unable to move, started to take action on top of me.
“Ugh… what, what’s going on? Where are we…?”
“Ah, you’re awake, Benny? I think it’s okay to release the magic now! Lady Lydia came to save us!”
“Lydia? Really?!”
Benny’s face lit up with color as she raised her head.
Then she locked eyes with Lydia and froze, as if someone had pressed the pause button.
Creeeak.
In a somewhat robotic manner, Benny alternated her gaze between Lydia and me with awkward movements.
In a trembling voice, she opened her mouth.
“C-Calm down, Lydia. I can explain everything!”
“Benny… In that outfit, with Jonah looking like that, in a spell that you can’t escape from unless you’re the caster, what could you possibly have to say in this position?”
“Exactly! I understand this situation looks very suggestive, but please just hear me out…”
“Ah, Benny. We’re in big trouble. It seems our clothes and underwear caught fire from Lydia’s aura just now… Ugh?!”
Benny hurriedly covered my mouth, looking up with an awkward smile.
There, Lydia had already drawn out a large greatsword.
“Jonah. I’m going to save you now.”
“Wait? I’m not in danger anymore!”
“No, to me, you seem dangerous.”
Lydia uttered firmly as she swung her aura-coated greatsword toward the iron bars.
KAAAAANG!
That was the sound marking the end of this relentless struggle.
…Or perhaps, the sound signifying the end of Benny’s reputation.
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