It Merely Drags Them Down To The Bottom Of Profound Darkness

“Phew… I almost didn’t make it in time.”

—A single boy who has descended upon the Stygian Forest will save them all.

“…!? Jonah, how are you here!?”

Seeing Jonah suddenly appear, Titancia widened her eyes.

She had indeed told him the location of the Stygian Forest, but right now, this place was under the influence of the Barrier Stones. No matter how powerful Jonah’s ancient magic was, teleporting here should have been impossible.

Yet… he was here.

“Of course, to help you all, Lady Titancia. Fortunately, I was able to teleport without any issues using ancient magic.”

Incidentally, if teleportation had failed, Jonah had planned to teleport just beside the Stygian Forest.

After that, he would simply cast a barrier with ancient magic powerful enough to override the Barrier Stones—that was his backup plan.

That said.

“I was sure my magic would work without problems. After all… my magic operates on different principles from ordinary magic.”

Indeed… normal magic is produced using the mana within oneself. In contrast, ancient magic does not use mana; it offers one’s mana as tribute to command the fundamental laws of the world.

The hero must have sealed barrier magic that reacts only to demonic power into the Barrier Stones to repel demons.

In that case, ancient magic, which is not demonic, would not be blocked.

“So, what exactly is that thing the Swart Elf are protecting?”

“Eh? …Ah, r-right. That man is a cadre of the Demon King’s army, the Hunger Zarichu.”

Unlike Titancia, Quylindra, who did not know Jonah could use ancient magic, had been stunned by the situation, but she came to her senses when Jonah asked and explained.

“In other words, the Swart Elf are suffering unjustly because of that ugly man.”

“Gefu, gefu, gefu. You startled me by suddenly appearing, but what nonsense is a mere brat spouting? Both the Demon King’s army and I granted the Swart Elf ample favors. We promised not to lay a hand on them during the invasion.”

“…………………………”
“…………………………”
“…………………………”

At Zarichu’s words, the Swart Elf bit their lips and looked down.

It was true that they had sided with the Demon King to protect themselves.

But even after the Demon King was defeated by the hero and the Demon King’s army was annihilated, was the demonic contract that still bound them truly just? The answer was no.

In other words, they were a tragic clan that had been deceived by the Demon King’s army… by Zarichu, and exploited for over five hundred years.

“…That’s enough.”

“Gefu?”

“The fact that the Swart Elf are protecting you means you’re binding them with that demonic contract, right? An unjust contract where if you die, they all die too.”

“Gefu, gefu, gefu. For a brat, you’re not stupid. Unlike those black pigs.”

At Jonah’s words, Zarichu laughed vulgarly.

To be honest, Jonah had no obligation to save the Swart Elf, whom he barely knew.

But Jonah could not forgive it.

The fact that it had made Titancia—a precious woman who had always cared for and been kind to him since they met—so deeply sad.

And above all… the imposition of injustice.

That is why.

“Ahaha!”

Jonah laughed, raising both hands toward Zarichu, who was being protected by the Swart Elf.

Just like that time when he incinerated a massive swarm of locusts and defeated the sea serpent magical beast.

To make those who mistakenly believed themselves absolute feel an even greater injustice.

“O source of darkness that wanders the abyss. Manifest before me, become the guide that leads to the end of oblivion, and drag this sinful demonic servant who devours according to his desires into it.”

As Jonah swiftly traced with his right index finger pointed at the ground while chanting, a pitch-black magic circle emerged, connecting the five Barrier Stones on the outer perimeter.

“【Dunkelheit】”¹

The pitch-black magic circle became an endlessly deep hole, and countless black hands writhing in the darkness reached out toward the demon of thirst.

“Gefu, gefu, gefu—how much can mere black hands do? I will devour them all… !?”

Zarichu tried to devour the black hands, but far from taking them into his stomach, hands emerged from his stomach as well.

Indeed… the black hands emerge from darkness. Thus, even the seemingly infinite depths of the Hunger’s stomach were merely a playground for them.

“Gefu… s-stop…!”

Zarichu clung desperately to the building, resisting with all his might.

He cast pleading glances at the Swart Elf he had insulted as black pigs, but no one would meet his eyes… No, out of sheer terror, no one could even open their eyes.

“Ahaha, don’t worry. In the deep, deep darkness, they will play with you. Forever.”

“Ah… ah…”

Dragged into the deep, deep hole, Zarichu desperately stretched out his short, ugly hands.

But the black hands entwined around the arms, legs, neck, head, and torso of the demon of Hunger, every part of him, and then—

—swallowed everything, and the hole became isolated from the present world.