In the forest bathed in beautiful moonlight, the leaves of the trees rustled softly in the wind.
The clatter of armor from the knights pursuing me, and their muffled screams as they sank into the bottomless swamp (the illusionary trap Lyra had so kindly prepared), which could be heard in the distance until just a moment ago, had faded away completely before I realized it.
It was a quiet night. There were absolutely no terrifying beasts lurking in the darkness; only the pure light of the moon illuminated our modest tea party.
"Phew... That was delicious. Tea brewed by Lyra truly is exceptional."
As I placed my empty, pure-silver teacup on its saucer, Lyra's eyes narrowed happily, and she began to clear the table with elegant movements.
"I am honored that it pleased you, My Lady. ...By the way, you have been moving your fingers in the air for some time now. Is there something bothering you?"
"Yes, just a little. In this world, there are these rather strange 'letters' floating in the air."
I was gently tapping a translucent blue board that only I seemed to be able to see; a "System Screen," as it insisted on calling itself, which had been blinking assertively in the corner of my vision for a while now.
It was an incredibly pedantic rule that did not exist in Hell.
While deciphering the words lined up there, I suddenly found myself reminiscing about the distant past.
Today, I am called things like the "Archduchess of Hell" and wear a Gothic dress adorned with an abundance of frills and lace, but... the truth is, in my previous life, I was just an ordinary "girl" you could find anywhere - a humble, young corporate salaryman.
Swaying on packed commuter trains every morning, bowing my head to my boss, with buying sweets at the convenience store on the way home as my sole pleasure in life. I was a truly mediocre, everyday person.
But somehow, I died, and while I was sinking into the mud of Hell, the shape of my soul must have mutated. Because when I woke up, I had taken on the form of this adorable (and tremendously mana-filled) young girl. Fate truly is unpredictable.
I was a little bewildered at first, but compared to my past life of endless labor, lounging around in cute dresses while eating delicious soul-pastries in the premium seats of Hell was a life akin to heaven.
Which is exactly why I want to return to that room as soon as possible.
I slid my fingertip across the blue screen, searching for an option like "Return to Hell" or "Spatial Teleportation."
[Attempting to activate Skill: Dimensional Gate]
[...Error. Environmental mana concentration in the surrounding area is below 0.0001% of the required value.]
[Activation failed. The caster's mana is sufficient, but the vessel of the world cannot withstand it.]
"...Oh my?"
I tilted my head.
The inorganic text displayed on the blue board spat out the same error no matter how many times I tried.
Even when I tried to use my fingertips to tear a spatial rift in the air, there would be a clink, like thin glass shattering, and it would immediately snap shut.
"Is something the matter, My Lady? Did those castle insects attempt some petty trick?"
"No, it's not that... Lyra, it seems we won't be able to return home right away."
When I told her this, Lyra's hands, which had been putting away the tea set, stopped dead. Her red eyes widened as if looking at something unbelievable.
"C-Cannot return...? Are you saying that even with Your Ladyship's absolute magic power, which surpasses even the gods, you cannot tear through space!?"
"It isn't that I lack the magic power. It seems the 'air' of this world is the problem."
I stared intently at the palm of my hand, illuminated by the moonlight.
I didn't understand the logic of magic in my previous life, but my long years and instincts as a devil accurately comprehended the reason for this phenomenon.
"Lyra, try to remember the air in Hell. It was thickly saturated with miasma and magic power, like mud, wasn't it? A rich world where just taking a breath made power well up inside you."
"Yes. The area surrounding Your Ladyship's room, in particular, was filled with the highest grade of despair and magic power."
"But this world is different. To put it in perspective, this place is a completely dried-up desert. The mana dissolved in the air is completely empty."
Smashing through the dimensional wall and opening a massive door to an entirely different world like Hell.
That was a task impossible to accomplish using only the magic power contained within my own body. To open the door and maintain it, the surrounding space itself must be filled with a massive amount of mana to function as "lubricant" and "support."
"If I try to forcefully open a giant door to Hell in this desert-like world... the friction and burden will cause this world itself to snap and shatter into nothingness. The foothold would disappear before it ever connected to my room."
Hearing my explanation, Lyra snorted, looking utterly bored by the prospect.
"Is that all? Then wouldn't it be fine to simply smash such a fragile, impoverished world to pieces? If they can be annihilated to serve as a stepping stone for Your Ladyship's return, the inhabitants of this world should consider it their greatest desire."
"You mustn't, Lyra. If the world shatters and we are thrown into the void of space, my favorite skull cushion might get lost. Besides, pointless destruction is not elegant."
I gently chided Lyra. She truly believes that as long as I am fine, nothing else matters. It's quite troublesome.
"However, My Lady. I have one question."
Lyra tilted her head, looking unconvinced.
"If this world is truly a desert so depleted of magic power, and the dimensional door cannot be opened... then how were you able to summon me to this world? The fact is, I am here before you, having arrived from our mansion in Hell."
It was a very valid question.
If the door to Hell couldn't be opened, then it shouldn't be possible to summon a devil from Hell either.
However, there was a clear logic to this. I settled back deeply into the plush armchair and opened my mouth, feeling a bit like a teacher.
"That is because you are a part of me, Lyra."
"A part... of Your Ladyship...!"
The moment she heard those words, Lyra covered her face with both hands and began to tremble, thoroughly overcome with emotion. The small bat wings on her back fluttered happily.
"Yes. Remember, Lyra. The day you came to me as a gift from my family. When I made you my familiar, I carved away a piece of my soul and deeply engraved it into yours, didn't I?"
"Yes...! I will never, for all eternity, forget the scorching, sweet pain and joy of that moment! From the top of my head to the tips of my wings, I am entirely yours, My Lady!"
It was a slightly heavy expression of love, but it was a fact.
Lyra is not just a subordinate devil. She is an absolute kin, directly connected to my soul via a pathway.
"What I did earlier wasn't opening a hole in space to create a 'door.' I simply 'reeled you in' through my own shadow—that is, an extension of my soul—because we are connected. Rather than crossing the dimensional wall, I pulled you up along the thick thread that is me."
To borrow the phrasing of the System Screen, it wasn't the [Dimensional Gate] skill, but a special skill called [Unique Familiar Summoning].
Because it was a spell formula that didn't rely on environmental mana and was completed entirely through my own magic power and our soul connection, I was exceptionally able to summon her, and only her, even in this mana-depleted world.
"It means you alone are special."
"Ah...! My Lady...! I, I... Even if it costs me my life, I will absolutely escort you back to your comfortable room in Hell!"
Overcome with emotion, Lyra knelt deeply once again under the moonlight and reverently kissed the hem of my dress.
"Well, I understand the logic, but that hasn't solved our current situation, has it?"
I sighed and looked up at the pale blue moon overhead.
"In order to return home, we need the 'environmental mana' to open the door to Hell. But this world's mana is empty. ...Tell me, Lyra. When you need water in a desert, what do you think you should do?"
At my question, Lyra narrowed her red eyes sharply, floating a terribly cruel, yet beautiful smile.
"It is simple ...We either find an oasis, or we wring out the pests in our way and sip their blood, yes?"
"Correct. As expected of my maid."
I nodded in satisfaction.
Even if the overall mana of this world is thin, there must be places somewhere where mana densely pools—like a dungeon, a spirit's dwelling, or a massive ley line. If we go there, we might be able to open the door.
Or, like the King and the knights at the castle earlier, we could "clean up" a large number of humans and monsters that contain mana within them, grind up their souls, and forcefully extract the mana.
"For now, let's try making our way out of this forest. It would be wonderful if we could find a splendid city with a fluffy bed, or a convenient location brimming with mana."
I slowly stood up from the armchair.
When I snapped my fingers, both the mahogany table and the antique chair turned into black mist and were stored away inside my shadow.
"Now, shall we go, Lyra? I will be careful not to destroy the world too much out of sheer annoyance at being summoned against my will... but let's appropriately pick up and 'clean up' any 'trash' that has fallen in our path."
"As you wish, my beloved Lady. May the path you walk be vividly colored with beautiful death and despair."
As if blessed by the moonlight, the Archduchess of Hell and her loyal maid quietly began walking deeper into the forest.
Just how much terror this world would plunge into as a result of their cleanup, no one could yet know.