By the time Felix finished pouring mana into the book—
The battlefield had already changed.
What had begun as a clash… had turned into a slow collapse.
High above the forest, Carrion roared.
Not in dominance.
But in defiance.
His Royal Beast Form burned like a dying sun against the night sky, golden wings tearing through the air as he lunged forward once more. His claws carved through the wind, crashing into Charybdis with enough force to shatter stone—
—but the result was the same.
A deep, echoing impact.
Scales cracked.
For a moment, just a moment—
It looked like Carrion had done it.
Then—
The cracks sealed.
The damage vanished.
Ultraspeed Regeneration.
Carrion didn't stop.
He couldn't.
With a snarl, he twisted mid-air, gathering all his remaining strength into a single strike.
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!"
His fist came down like a falling star.
The impact exploded across Charybdis' massive body, shockwaves ripping through the forest below, trees bending violently under the pressure.
For a split second—
Charybdis' enormous form dipped.
The air trembled.
Even the storm-like magicules surrounding it faltered.
Then—
Nothing.
The wound healed.
Again.
Carrion hovered there.
Breathing heavily.
His wings flickered once.
Twice.
The golden glow dimmed ever so slightly.
No blood.
No visible injuries.
Just exhaustion.
Pure, crushing exhaustion.
---
On the ground, Felix clenched his jaw.
"…Yeah," he muttered under his breath, gripping the book tighter. "That's not something you win by punching harder."
He exhaled slowly.
Half an hour.
That's how long he had been standing there.
Half an hour of pouring mana into the NamelessBook of Spells.
Half an hour of watching Carrion fight something he couldn't kill.
Half an hour of realizing one very important thing—
This wasn't a fight meant to be won normally.
His eyes shifted upward.
Past the massive body.
Past the writhing storm of magicules.
Toward the center.
The core.
"…Right," Felix whispered. "If I can't beat it… I'll just put it back where it belongs."
His fingers tightened.
Sealing.
Not just sealing—
Repairing a seal.
---
He flipped through the book.
The pages shifted on their own.
Rewriting.
Aligning.
Responding.
His mana surged.
"Alright…" he exhaled, steadying himself. "Let's see if this actually works."
He raised his hand.
And cast.
---
[Triple Maximize Magic: Greater Resist Break]
---
The spell didn't explode.
It didn't roar.
It pressed.
A silent, crushing force spread outward—
And then—
The world changed.
The suffocating pressure of mana jamming…
Cracked.
Like glass.
A ripple passed through the battlefield.
Invisible.
But unmistakable.
Mjurran staggered slightly, her eyes widening.
"…My magicules—"
Freed.
Not fully.
But enough.
Enough to breathe again.
Enough to fight.
---
Felix didn't hesitate.
The moment the pressure lifted—
He moved.
Every drop of mana he had left surged forward.
No hesitation.
No second guessing.
His voice came out low.
Focused.
"Now… stay still."
---
Magic circles bloomed across the sky.
One.
Ten.
Dozens.
Layer upon layer, overlapping in impossible patterns, forming a massive array around Charybdis.
The air warped.
Space bent.
The massive body of the beast seemed to… fold inward slightly.
Not physically.
But conceptually.
As if something ancient was being forced back into place.
---
Charybdis roared.
A deep, monstrous sound.
Not of intelligence.
Not of understanding.
Just instinct.
Something was wrong.
Its massive body twisted, the storm of magicules around it growing unstable, lashing outward in violent waves.
The forest below shook.
Trees cracked.
The air howled.
---
Felix gritted his teeth.
"…Yeah, yeah, don't like it? Too bad."
His arm trembled.
Mana burned through his body like fire.
This wasn't casting anymore—
This was forcing.
Holding.
Binding.
---
Above—
Carrion saw it.
His golden eyes narrowed.
"…So that's your move, Hero."
For a brief moment—
He smiled.
Then—
He moved.
---
With a roar, Carrion surged forward again.
Not to win.
Not to kill.
But to hold it in place.
His claws slammed into Charybdis' side, anchoring himself as he poured the last of his strength into suppressing its movement.
"DON'T YOU DARE MOVE!!"
The sky trembled.
Charybdis struggled.
Its body writhed.
But for a moment—
Just a moment—
It was held.
---
"That's it!" Felix snapped.
"Just a few more seconds—!"
---
The circles tightened.
The space around Charybdis collapsed inward further.
The storm condensed.
Compressed.
Forced.
---
And then—
It broke.
---
The massive body distorted.
Not shattered.
Not destroyed.
But… undone.
Magicules were ripped inward, sucked toward a single point.
The enormous form shrank—
Collapsed—
Condensed—
Until—
---
Silence.
---
Where a colossal monster once floated—
Only two things remained.
A grotesque corpse.
Twisted.
Bloated.
Limbs bent unnaturally.
Eyes bulging.
Skin stretched and cracked as if something far too large had once been forced inside it.
And above it—
A sphere.
Dark.
Chaotic.
Like a storm trapped in glass.
The core of Charybdis.
---
Felix didn't waste a second.
He stepped forward—
Reached out—
And grabbed it.
---
The moment his hand touched it—
The sphere pulsed violently.
Wild energy surged against him.
Unstable.
Dangerous.
Alive.
"…Yeah, no."
He immediately layered multiple seals over it.
One.
Three.
Five.
Each one tightening around the core until the storm inside dulled slightly.
Not calm.
Never calm.
But contained.
For now.
---
He exhaled.
Then shoved it into his pocket.
"…That's definitely not safe," he muttered.
---
A loud, booming laugh echoed behind him.
"BHAHAHAHA!!"
Felix turned.
Carrion descended from the sky, his form shrinking back as the golden glow faded.
He landed heavily.
Not gracefully.
His feet hit the ground with a dull thud.
A slight stumble.
Barely noticeable.
But it was there.
---
Carrion straightened.
Looked at Felix.
Then—
Lowered his head.
---
"It seems…" he said, voice steady but rough from exertion, "that today… a Hero has saved this Demon Lord."
A pause.
Then—
"And his state."
---
Felix blinked.
"…That's a pretty big sentence to drop after almost dying, you know."
Carrion huffed a short laugh.
"Don't misunderstand. I wasn't going to lose."
"Yeah," Felix nodded. "You were just… strategically getting exhausted."
Carrion smirked.
"…Exactly."
---
Felix shrugged.
"Either way, we were both trying to protect people."
He extended his hand.
"Titles don't really matter for that."
Carrion stared at it for a moment.
Then—
Gripped it firmly.
A warrior's handshake.
Solid.
Direct.
Respectful.
---
"…Well said."
---
From the side, footsteps approached.
The Beastketeers.
---
Albis walked ahead, posture straight despite the clear signs of fatigue in her movements.
Her armor was scuffed.
Her breathing slightly uneven.
But her gaze remained calm.
Sharp.
She bowed her head slightly.
"Thank you, Hero Felix."
Her voice carried quiet strength.
"You have our gratitude."
---
Phobio crossed his arms, looking Felix up and down.
"…So you're the one, huh."
His tone wasn't hostile.
Just… assessing.
"I heard rumors. Didn't believe them."
A pause.
"…Still not sure I do."
---
"Hey!" Suphia cut in, grinning brightly despite the scratches on her arms. "I do!"
She stepped forward, pointing at Felix.
"You're way cooler than I expected!"
Felix raised an eyebrow.
"…That sounds like there was a low expectation."
"There was!" she said cheerfully. "But you exceeded it!"
"…I don't know if that's a compliment."
"It is!"
---
Phobio sighed.
"…You really did fight Clayman?"
Felix scratched his cheek.
"Define fight."
---
Suphia leaned in.
"I heard you beat him without magic. Or weapons."
Felix paused.
"…Okay, that one's definitely exaggerated."
"Aww," she pouted. "So you did use weapons?"
"…Technically my foot counts, right?"
---
There was a brief silence.
Then—
Suphia burst out laughing.
Phobio shook his head.
"…Unbelievable."
Albis allowed a small smile.
---
Felix sighed internally.
Damn that Chosen One skill…
Everything turns into a legend.
---
They began walking back toward the city.
No one spoke much after that.
Not because they didn't want to—
But because they were tired.
---
Truly tired.
---
The kind of exhaustion that sank into your bones.
Carrion had already taken off ahead of them.
The Beastketeers walked in silence.
Even Suphia wasn't talking anymore.
Her earlier energy had faded into quiet steps and slow breathing.
---
By the time the city walls came into view—
The adrenaline was gone.
Only fatigue remained.
---
Suphia was the first to break the silence.
"…We should celebrate," she muttered.
Phobio didn't even look at her.
"No."
Albis shook her head gently.
"Rest first."
---
Felix nodded immediately.
"Yeah. I vote for sleep."
Suphia groaned.
"…You people are boring."
---
Felix chuckled softly.
"Surviving tends to do that."
---
He peeled away from the group briefly, heading toward where he had left his tent.
The white fox was still inside.
Safe.
Sleeping.
---
He lifted her carefully.
She stirred slightly, pressing closer against him before settling again.
---
By the time he reached the inn—
He didn't even remember lying down.
---
Just the feeling of the bed.
The quiet.
The absence of danger.
---
And for the first time since the battle began—
Felix slept.
Not thinking.
Not planning.
Not worrying.
---
Just…
Sleeping.
---
Felix stayed in Dianva for a few more days.
Part of it was because Carrion had insisted on holding a celebration in his honor. Refusing a Demon Lord outright didn't seem like the smartest decision, even if Carrion didn't strike him as the type to take offense easily.
But the real reason was simpler.
He needed time.
Time to sit down, focus, and pour mana into the book without something trying to kill him in the background.
---
It took him three days.
Not continuously—he had to stop, rest, and recover—but when he added it all up, it came to roughly thirty hours of steady mana infusion.
By the end of it, his body felt heavy, like every drop of energy had been wrung out of him.
Still, when he looked at the book again, he knew it had been worth it.
It was ready.
---
They left the city quietly the next morning.
Not too far—just deep enough into the Jura Forest where they wouldn't be disturbed.
Mjurran followed beside him, occasionally glancing at the book in his hands. She hadn't asked what he had been doing these past few days, but the curiosity was clearly there.
Felix eventually stopped in a small clearing where sunlight filtered softly through the canopy above.
"This should work," he murmured.
---
He gently placed the white fox on the ground.
She looked up at him, ears twitching faintly. Even after recovering somewhat, she still wasn't as lively as she should have been.
"Sit here," Felix said, crouching slightly. "And don't move, okay?"
The fox tilted her head for a moment before obediently sitting down.
---
Mjurran stepped closer, her gaze shifting between Felix and the fox.
"…You've been preparing something, haven't you?" she asked quietly.
Felix didn't answer. He simply opened the book.
---
The moment he activated the spell, the air changed.
Not violently, but unmistakably.
Magicules gathered rapidly, forming a dense, controlled field around the fox. A large magic circle spread across the ground beneath her, layered with complex patterns that even Mjurran couldn't fully decipher at a glance.
Warm light rose from it, steady and powerful.
---
[Greater Divine Miracle]
---
The energy poured into the fox in a continuous flow.
It wasn't overwhelming or explosive. Instead, it felt precise—targeted. Every strand of magic seemed to know exactly where it needed to go.
Her body reacted almost immediately.
The dullness in her fur began to fade, replaced by a soft, healthy sheen. The thin patches filled in, becoming thicker and smoother, each strand catching the light.
Her small frame trembled slightly as the magic worked through her.
Healing.
Restoring.
Rebuilding.
---
Mjurran's eyes softened as she watched.
"…So that's what you were doing all this time…"
Her gaze shifted to Felix.
"…for her."
---
The fox's body grew slightly, just a little larger than before, more stable—more complete.
The change wasn't dramatic, but it was undeniable.
And most importantly—
She was no longer fragile.
---
Felix exhaled quietly.
"…Good."
---
The magic circle slowly faded, and the forest returned to its natural state.
For a brief moment, everything was still.
Then the fox blinked.
Her ears perked up.
Her tail flicked once—
And she broke into a small, unmistakable smile.
---
"Go on," Felix said, a faint grin forming.
---
The fox didn't hesitate.
She dashed forward and leapt straight into his arms, pressing herself against him as if afraid he might disappear.
"Ku!"
Felix steadied her instinctively, one hand supporting her as she clung to him.
"Yeah, yeah," he said softly. "You're fine now."
---
A faint sensation brushed against his mind.
Subtle.
Unfamiliar.
He paused.
"…Wait."
---
He focused on it, and this time, the signal came through clearly.
"Master… master…"
---
Felix blinked, then let out a small laugh.
"Oh… so you can do that now."
---
He carefully pushed a thought back, testing the connection.
Hey. Try speaking slower.
---
There was a brief pause.
Then—
"Master… hungry…"
---
Felix couldn't help but chuckle.
"Of course you are."
---
He reached into the satchel at his side and pulled out a couple of wrapped sandwiches, handing one over.
"Eat slowly."
---
She did not eat slowly.
---
Mjurran let out a quiet laugh behind him.
"She's full of energy now."
---
Felix glanced back briefly.
"…Yeah. That's a good sign."
After a moment, he added, almost absentmindedly,
"…Worth it."
---
Mjurran didn't respond verbally, but the way she looked at him had changed slightly.
Softer.
More thoughtful.
---
They stayed one more day in the forest to let the fox recover completely.
Then, without much ceremony, they left Eurazania behind.
---
The journey toward Tempest was anything but smooth.
Bandits, monsters, stranded travelers—Felix seemed to run into trouble at a frequency that would have been absurd for anyone else.
At this point, he had stopped questioning it.
---
Still, they made good progress.
Between practicing magic and studying the structure of spells through the book, Felix's growth accelerated noticeably.
Being able to observe magic directly—its flow, its structure, its composition—made learning far easier than he had expected.
By the time they reached the outskirts of the Jura Forest near Tempest, Felix could already cast up to Tier 3 magic on his own.
---
His favorite was [Fly].
Not because it was particularly powerful, but because it was convenient.
"I can't believe I had to rely on you for this before," he said one day, hovering slightly above the ground.
Mjurran raised an eyebrow. "You say that as if it was a burden."
Felix smirked. "It was."
"…That was tactical support."
"Sure it was."
---
With that, their travel time shortened significantly.
What should have taken close to a month was reduced to around twenty days.
---
And finally—
They saw it.
---
Tempest.
---
Even from a distance, it stood out.
The layout was clean, organized. The streets were busy, filled with movement and life. It didn't feel like the other cities Felix had seen in this world.
It felt… closer to home.
---
"…That's impressive," Felix murmured.
---
They landed just outside the city and entered on foot.
Felix noticed the attention immediately.
Eyes following them.
Watching.
Assessing.
---
"…Yeah, that's fair," he muttered under his breath.
He had flown in, after all.
---
But what caught his attention next—
Was something else entirely.
---
Clothes.
---
Felix stopped walking.
"…No way."
---
Mjurran looked at him. "What is it?"
---
He pointed toward a nearby shop.
"…That."
---
Inside—
There were shirts, pants, jackets.
Modern clothes.
---
Five minutes later, Felix was already inside.
"Finally," he muttered, holding up a t-shirt. "Something that doesn't make me look like I'm about to join a wizard council."
---
He changed quickly.
Jeans.
T-shirt.
A light jacket.
---
When he stepped out, he adjusted his sleeve slightly and let out a satisfied breath.
"…Yeah. That feels normal again."
---
Mjurran looked at him, studying him for a moment.
"…You look different."
---
Felix glanced at her. "Good different?"
---
She hesitated briefly before nodding.
"…Yes."
---
He grinned slightly. "Your turn."
---
"…My turn?"
---
A short while later, Mjurran stood in front of a mirror.
The outfit she had chosen was simple, fitted, and far more casual than what she usually wore.
She shifted slightly, clearly not used to it.
Then she glanced back at Felix.
"…How does it look?"
---
Felix paused for a moment.
Not because he didn't have an answer—
But because he did.
"…It looks good," he said, a little more honestly than he intended. "It suits you."
---
Mjurran blinked.
"…Really?"
---
"Yeah."
---
She turned back toward the mirror, observing herself again.
"…It's comfortable," she admitted.
---
Felix leaned casually against the wall. "I know. Shocking concept."
---
She gave him a small look.
"…You're enjoying this."
---
"A little."
---
There was a faint smile on her face now.
---
They ended up buying more than expected.
---
After that, they stopped to eat.
Felix froze briefly when he saw what was on the menu.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
---
"Do you know what that is?" Mjurran asked.
---
Felix smiled faintly.
"…Yeah. I do."
---
A few minutes later, they were seated.
Felix looked down at the plate in front of him.
Omurice.
---
"…It's been a while," he said quietly.
---
Mjurran watched him as he took a bite.
He paused for a second.
Then nodded.
"…That's really good."
---
She tried it herself, more cautiously.
"…It's sweet," she noted.
---
"Yeah."
---
"…Unusual."
---
"Yeah."
---
She took another bite.
"…I like it."
---
Felix chuckled softly. "Same."
---
They stayed there for a while.
Talking.
Nothing serious.
Nothing urgent.
Just… normal conversation.
---
And somehow, that felt rarer than anything else they had experienced so far.
---
By the time they stepped back out into the street, the sun had begun to set.
---
That was when Felix felt it.
---
A presence.
---
He turned slightly.
And saw them approaching.
---
Benimaru.
Shion.
Shuna.
---
And one more.
---
A woman with light blue hair and a calm, gentle smile.
Her presence felt familiar in a way that immediately put Felix on alert.
---
She stepped forward.
"Hi," she said. "I'm Rimuru."
---
Felix froze internally.
That was Rimuru.
And unless everything he knew was wrong—
This was not what he had expected.
---
Outwardly, however, his expression didn't change.
Not even slightly.
---
"Felix," he replied calmly.
---
Behind him, Mjurran shifted just a little.
And for some reason—
He could almost feel her pouting.
A/n: You might find this chapter to be a bit AI heavy since I haven't been getting much time and my draft turned out to be pretty... Straightforward, so I had to add stuff and than it became inconsistent... So in the end I had to rely a bit more on AI.
[Mjurran in Gymwear]
[Female Rimuru]