"Eugy-kun! Let me meet Eri-san!"
Sumire asked me this after school out of nowhere.
"W-Why…?" (Eugene)
"Is that a no?" (Sumire)
She responded to my question with a question.
Does that mean she doesn't want to answer?
"It's not that, but the 7th Sealed Prison has too much miasma for a normal person to even enter…" (Eugene)
I remembered something.
"Ah, but we could ask the angel, Rita-san, to summon her to the 100th floor. You can take the dungeon elevator from there…" (Eugene)
(That won't do. If she wants to meet me, tell her to come to the Sealed Prison. I'll see her if she can make it here.) (Eri)
The Demon Lord's voice echoed in my mind.
It was Eri, speaking through thought transmission.
"Hey, Sumire, about Eri…" (Eugene)
I thought of telling Sumire that Eri didn't seem willing to meet. Sumire wouldn't be able to go to the Sealed Prison.
"It's fine. I heard her voice too." (Sumire)
"…You heard it too?" (Eugene)
Eri should've only spoken to me. But if Sumire heard it too…
(Is Sumire's abilities still growing…?) (Eugene)
Sumire's potential is still unknown since she is an Ifrit. Her mana capacity has already surpassed even Principal Uther.
"Alright, let's go!" (Sumire)
"N-Now?" (Eugene)
Sumire was unusually pushy today.
Though I felt uneasy, I headed to the entrance of the 7th Sealed Prison with Sumire.
◇◇
…The heavy black door creaked open with a grating sound.
The door's condition had deteriorated.
We have attempted repairs several times, but the door's inner structure quickly crumbled due to the miasma and mana from the mythological creatures within the Sealed Prison.
The door couldn't stay open long, or the miasma would leak out, so we had to open and close it quickly.
Currently, the only ones who could remain in the "Seventh" for extended periods were me and Principal Uther.
Not only the academy's students specializing in barrier magic, even the teachers couldn't enter. A desolate place.
"Sumire…are you okay? Let me know right away if you feel sick." (Eugene)
I turned to check on Sumire…and froze.
"Hmm? I feel totally fine." (Sumire)
Sumire's surroundings were covered in a golden aura of mana. The density and amount of magic she radiated far exceeded that of any human.
(It's turning into Ether…) (Eugene)
The Ether around Sumire was so dense that it repelled the miasma of the Sealed Prison.
"Shall we go?" (Eugene)
"Yeah!" (Sumire)
I took Sumire's hand and slowly descended the stairs leading underground.
Many of the mythological creatures in the 7th Sealed Prison were either asleep or had blurred consciousness.
We proceeded cautiously, keeping the light dim enough to barely see the passageway ahead.
Footsteps echoed down the dark hallway. The Demon Lord's lair was at the deepest part of the underground prison.
We had to pass through corridors lined with cells on either side to get there.
The underground prison was dark and damp, far from a pleasant place.
"…"
Sumire tightened her grip on my arm.
Kusukusukusu… Kusukusukusu…
Kyah! Kyah!
Fufufufu…
Laughter echoed from all around as if mocking us.
Sumire's shoulders trembled slightly.
"It's alright. Those are just mischievous spirits of darkness or night. They enjoy scaring people, so try not to react too much." (Eugene)
"O-Okay.." (Sumire)
Sumire nodded slightly, gripping my arm tighter.
As we continued deeper…
—"Oh my, what a cute one."
—"Never seen her before."
—"Hey, let's have a little chat."
The eerie sound of raspy voices scraped against our ears.
"Huh? Who's—mgh!" (Sumire)
I quickly covered Sumire's mouth.
"Those are the voices of evil spirits and ghosts lingering in the prison. If you respond, they might possess you, so ignore them." (Eugene)
"…"
Sumire nodded repeatedly.
I could exorcize them if needed, but it is not a pleasant experience.
We pressed on again.
…Tekeri…ri… Tekeri…ri…
…Shan…shan…shan…
Though we couldn't see anything, strange sounds came from the darkness at the back of the large cells, along with unsettling flapping noises that set us on edge.
"Um, Eugy-kun…what is that…?" (Sumire)
"Honestly, I still don't know. Let's keep moving." (Eugene)
According to the Principal, those sounds come from a summoned mythological creature, but I had never seen it myself.
It wasn't a place you wanted to linger, so I quickly sped up to get past that area.
At the deepest part of the 7th Sealed Prison was a massive underground cell.
Unlike the other cells, this one was illuminated by numerous lanterns, providing clear visibility.
As usual, I unlocked and then re-locked the multiple layers of seals one by one.
This is how Sumire and I finally reached the place where the Demon Lord resided.
Normally, I would have to wake Eri, who was usually sprawled lazily on her bed, sleeping, but today…
"Welcome, Sumire."
Eri was surprisingly already awake.
Her purple dress didn't have a single wrinkle, and her long silver hair was flawlessly smooth, without a hint of bedhead.
She gracefully crossed her legs, rested her chin on her hand, and gazed sharply…not at me, but at Sumire.
"I have come! It was scary though!" (Sumire)
Sumire faltered slightly, intimidated by the Demon Lord's imposing presence.
"Oh my…you're trembling, aren't you?" (Eri)
Meanwhile, Eri radiated a calm authority, exuding confidence.
(She is kind of…acting totally different from usual…) (Eugene)
It reminded me of when I first met her.
I was pretty nervous back then too.
"Of course I'm trembling! You tried to kill me!" (Sumire)
"Oh, you mean during the Trial of the Gods on the 100th floor? I had no choice. Once summoned to the Zenith Tower, you can't go easy on challengers. Though my power was restricted." (Eri)
"I was really freaked out… But later, I realized her wounds weren't that deep, and you avoided her vital spots, so that was a relief." (Eugene)
"Well, that's because you were there, Eugene. He can usually heal an injury no matter how bad it is." (Eri)
Eri responded nonchalantly to my remark.
The conversation had taken a dark turn.
The tension in the air was palpable and uncomfortable.
"So, what brings you here today? Revenge, perhaps? It's true that while I'm in this Sealed Prison, my powers are suppressed, so I wouldn't be able to resist." (Eri)
"N-No, I never thought about that!" (Sumire)
Sumire frantically shook her head at Eri's words.
That's a relief.
I was a little worried about that possibility.
"Hmm, so what is it, then?" (Eri)
"...…"
Eri asked, and Sumire's expression became serious.
"Demon Lord! I have something I need to say to you!!" (Sumire)
"Oh? Are you going to tell me to stop seeing Eugene?" (Eri)
Eri smirked slightly.
"I wouldn't say something like that! Wait, that's not it… Demon Lord-san, do you…like Eugy-kun? You have been doing that kind of stuff with Eugy-kun…every night, right?!" (Sumire)
"Uhm…Sumire-san?" (Eugene)
Having that said aloud felt incredibly awkward.
"...Well, yes." (Eri)
Eri, on the other hand, seemed to relax a bit.
"That's why I have to ask you!" (Sumire)
"What is it?" (Eri)
Eri urged her.
"Demon Lord-san, do you love Eugy-kun?! Or is it just about his body?!" (Sumire)
""Eh?""
Both Eri and I let out a surprised sound.
Sumire's question was far more blunt than I had expected.