In the center of Section 5, often used as a lecture hall, stood a large circular platform. Iris lay there coldly, resembling a main character on a stage. She remained motionless in the darkness, showing no signs of movement. Could she be… alive? Anxious thoughts crept up from my toes.

Checking her vital signs became my most urgent priority. I left the lantern outside the door to prevent the snake from noticing the light and entered Section 5. Taking advantage of the smooth silhouette that had its back turned to me, I carefully approached the platform one step at a time.

Just then, moonlight streaming through the window illuminated Iris on the platform, creating a spotlight effect. Soft breathing sounds. Thankfully, her chest rose and fell slowly. The moment I confirmed she was breathing, my legs suddenly gave out and I slumped against a bookshelf. She had simply fainted. But it was too early to feel relieved.

Though the snake showed no particular interest in the collapsed Iris, strangely it wouldn’t leave this place easily. It kept wandering around endlessly with its long body, seemingly searching for something. To safely get Iris out of here, I absolutely had to divert the snake’s attention elsewhere.

That’s when the seed sitting on my shoulder asked in a whisper.

[Don’t tell me you’re planning to fight it?]

“…No. I need to draw its attention somehow.”

[Its attention?]

“That snake is sensitive to movement. It can see well even at night, and with eyes on both sides of its elongated head, it has wide vision. So while I rescue Iris and leave, I need to completely divert its attention.”

Looking around calmly, I noticed old books stacked in rows everywhere. While there were many places to hide, there were also many obstacles. Moving carelessly would knock over books and reveal my location to the snake.

Should I throw books to draw its attention? …No. That would be too temporary. Even if I ran out immediately, there wouldn’t be nearly enough time to move Iris. While I anxiously bit my fingertips, the seed came up to my face and said.

[I’ll do it.]

“Huh?”

[You need bait to draw its attention, right?]

“Will… will you be okay?”

[Hmph. What do you take me for? I’ll fly around annoyingly without getting caught.]

As the seed slowly rose up, brilliant blue light flowed from its wings. This should be enough to disperse the Python’s attention. Sure enough, as soon as the seed appeared in view, the snake turned its head that way.

Just as I darted out from behind the bookshelf.

[Hey!!]

The seed’s voice rang sharply through the air.

[This is completely different from what you said!!]

“What…?”

[It has no eyes!]

I stopped abruptly at the unexpected words. But it was already too late. From the adjacent bookshelf, a huge shadow approached me rapidly. When I hurriedly looked up, the snake’s form gradually became clear from the darkness.

“…This is…”

Its body consisted not of reptilian scales but books, its teeth were pages, and its tongue was a red bookmark ribbon. Could this really be the magical creature Python? No matter how I looked at it, I couldn’t sense any life from it.

[Hey! Get your head straight!]

I unconsciously inhaled sharply at the piercing voice. The seed was right—escaping the immediate danger before me was the priority. Following what I saw in the encyclopedia, I stood perfectly still to avoid giving any stimulation.

“……”

Would it work? The snake didn’t attack immediately, just flicked its tongue made of red thread and circled around. I hoped it would just pass by, but that was a mistake. It was merely taking time to determine whether I was prey or not.

Having made its judgment, the snake lunged with its mouth threateningly open. When I instinctively stepped back to dodge, it swung its tail made of books.

“Whoa!”

I quickly ducked and jumped into the adjacent bookshelf. Having lost its target, the tail mercilessly struck a large bookshelf. Loud thuds. Like dominoes falling, the bookshelves collapsed one by one.

[This way!]

With the seed’s help, I quickly hid behind a cabinet. Rising dust like a heat haze blurred my vision. It happened in an instant. In the blink of an eye, Section 5 had become a battlefield. Though several bookshelves had collapsed, thanks to that the snake couldn’t easily find me.

While I caught my breath for a moment, an exasperated voice came from beside me.

[What on earth is that thing.]

“I… I don’t know either.”

[Anyone can see it’s not a magical creature!]

Come to think of it, even though I just faced the snake, the encyclopedia didn’t react. Unless it could freely change its form like Agnus… it really wasn’t a magical creature. The shadow that Priest Karl saw at Reton Temple was also said to be smooth like a snake.

If magical stones were at the center, combining surrounding objects to move, appearing alive…. The puzzle pieces gradually came together.

[Duck!]

The merciless snake gave no time to think. Just as I panicked seeing the long tail pass over my head, crash! The bookshelf right next to me collapsed, blocking one escape route. Unable to just watch anymore, I immediately called out.

“Agnus!”

The shadow rippled like a wave at my call. Then a wolf with thick fur leaped out and fiercely charged at the snake. The beast, having absorbed plenty of magical power, immediately went for the snake’s neck. The nape was helplessly torn by sharp fangs. Thump. Torn book pages fell to the floor.

However, the snake only staggered briefly before standing up again. What’s more, the fallen books floated up on their own and filled in the torn neck.

“…It can heal like that?”

This was a library. The books making up its body were in infinite supply. At this rate, it would just be an endurance battle between my magical power forming Agnus and the unknown snake. I had to find and break its core.

[What are you doing?]

“…Thinking.”

While Agnus kept the snake busy, I said to the seed.

“Go outside and bring someone here.”

[Me?]

“Yes. Please.”

[Are you stupid?! No one can hear my voice!]

“It’s okay. In your current form, anyone will follow you.”

[What about you?]

“I’ll manage somehow with Agnus.”

The seed, though half-doubting, saw my firm resolve and left Section 5 with powerful wing beats. Though I spoke confidently, it was close to gambling. I just hoped someone would follow the mysterious sight.

“Now… what do I do.”

With the seed that acted as scout gone, only Agnus and I were left to face the snake. But no matter how much Agnus attacked, the snake drew books from the shelves to heal its wounds. So I needed to find the core first and order a decisive strike to break it.

Being so tense, I couldn’t think of a good way to find the core. Just then, a book that had been slanted fell in front of me. I instinctively covered my head with both arms and froze.

“…Right.”

If it’s an object capable of at least basic thinking, it would prioritize protecting what’s most important. Just like how I covered my head with my arms knowing the book wouldn’t reach me, it too must be programmed with commands to protect its core.

While Agnus jumped around, I picked up a book from the floor. First I threw it at the snake’s tail. Nothing happened. So I gradually aimed higher from the tail. And the moment I threw the book at its belly.

“…!”

When I hit other places, the snake was too busy fighting Agnus to pay attention. But as soon as I aimed for its belly, the long tail quickly rose up and knocked away the book flying in a straight line. There it is. Pointing at the area the tail protected, I ordered Agnus.

“Pierce through its belly! Agnus!!”

Agnus roared mightily and charged straight at the snake’s body. The rippling shadow landed precisely after piercing through the snake. The monster that had turned Section 5 into chaos disappeared in an instant. The books forming the snake’s shape all collapsed to the floor.

“Hah, hah.”

I immediately slumped to the floor and grabbed my dizzy head. I thought everything was over now.

“…What?”

Suddenly light flowed from between the books and filled Section 5. Then following the light, the spilled books and collapsed bookshelves returned to their places. In a moment, the chaotic space regained its original form. Like nothing had happened… perfect destruction of evidence.

Only the books that had formed the snake’s shape remained piled like a grave beside Iris. As I walked toward Iris on trembling legs, Agnus blocked my path showing off its magnificent form. Its tail spun like a pinwheel, seemingly asking for praise.

“Yes. Thank you so much. You’re the best, Agnus.”

When I knelt down and stroked its chin, Agnus stuck out its black tongue long as if it had been waiting. And in its mouth—

“What… what is this?!”

Suddenly the door to Section 5 burst open. The seed had brought soldiers as requested. Quick-thinking Agnus entered the shadows immediately, and I calmly gestured to the soldiers.

“Help! Someone’s hurt from a fallen bookshelf!”

“We’ll move them to the infirmary right away. Stand back, it’s dangerous.”

I nodded and stepped back as two soldiers bent down to move the books.

“Hey, clear these books first!”

“Got it!”

While the two patrol guards struggled to move the books, I barely caught my breath leaning against a cabinet. I felt like I could fall asleep anywhere if I lay down right now. As I groaned, the seed that had been attached to the soldier’s shoulder fluttered over.

“I knew you could do it.”

[How can you say that now? You look like death.]

“Haha…. I guess I used more magical power than expected maintaining Agnus.”

Without Hyperion’s bracelet, I would have collapsed from exhaustion long ago. I wiped my face covered in cold sweat and let out a deep sigh.

“Still, I’m glad. No one got hurt.”

As I shook my head weakly, the seed hit my forehead with its wings and said.

[Sorry to burst your bubble, but I have to say this.]

“…Yes?”

[As you probably know, that was a doll created by a magical stone. So someone else commanded it to move.]

When the seed unusually hesitated to speak, I spoke first.

“Yes. It was Iris.”

[What? You… knew?]

I nodded with a bitter smile.

“Before Agnus returned to being a shadow… it gave me this.”

When I opened my tightly closed fist, the magical stone hidden in my palm was revealed. The culprit was obvious in a way. With two people in the same space, the snake made of books targeted only me. It was all Iris’s trap.

“It was all them.”

To think I almost got killed by the possessed novel’s protagonist. It really was like something out of a novel. Iris must have believed that meddlesome me would definitely come out of worry for her. And in the dark space, she made me believe until the end that the snake made from magical stones was a Python. Then she planned to eliminate me by disguising it as an accident from falling bookshelves or books. It was a chillingly perfect plan.

But she made a fatal mistake in the end.

“…They probably didn’t think I would resist.”

[Will you be okay? They must have discovered all your abilities now.]

The voices of the soldiers organizing books grew more distant, and the pounding of my heart dominated my whole body. Through the moving arms of the busy soldiers, I could see Iris still lying on the floor. She too must have lost the strength to move after using considerable magical power.

The magical stone in my hand, Iris who lost the energy to escape. A laugh escaped involuntarily.

[…What? Why are you laughing? Have you finally gone mad from the shock of betrayal?]

It felt like finally succeeding at an experiment that had been giving me headaches for days.

“Just… feeling relieved.”

Now that I had caught the evidence I’d been searching for, it was time to put a period on this incident.