[That’s what a world with darkness left is like. Endless absurdities occur, and unfair things keep happening. The weak are held to stricter, narrower, and harsher standards, while the strong are judged by lenient and generous measures that are carelessly applied.]

The Darkness’s words were right.

Serena thought that those words weren’t wrong. The world she lived in was heartless, cruel, and cold.

For a child growing up, not having parents was a huge flaw.

In a world that operated on the assumption that everyone naturally had certain things, Serena, who had none of what everyone took for granted, always stood in some corner.

Even for small mistakes, the world judged her with prejudiced eyes.

If her clothes were just a bit dirtier or more worn, the phrase ‘because she has no parents’ always followed.

Teachers who looked at her with pity were actually better, while those who constantly said things like ‘because you have no parents, you should do better’ or ‘it’s because you have no parents’ were exhausting to deal with.

She tried to censor herself more, manage herself better, and live without giving others reasons to find fault.

Naturally, she thought she shouldn’t upset adults. She thought she had to accomplish everything given to her.

That way, even with the label attached, she might be able to hide it.

The orphanage director was quite oppressive, often raising his hand if a child didn’t comply with his wishes.

He always told us that even being picky about food was a luxury, that we should live with gratitude to him, and that we should consider ourselves fortunate just for not starving to death outside.

It’s only recently that I’ve realized that the reason my body freezes when an adult male raises his voice might be due to those past experiences.

But, you know.

To avoid being found fault with, I had no choice but to live more diligently.

I hated running away without accomplishing things because it felt like losing.

Even if I turned back crying and saying I couldn’t do it, it’s not like I had a home to return to anyway.

‘…Huh? Is that why I clung so desperately to the professors?’

Serena’s brow furrowed at this sudden realization.

It seems childhood memories have quite a significant impact.

[Do you understand now? Isn’t it much better for everyone in the world to live without malice, with grateful hearts? Serena, if you and I disappear… children like you won’t be born. Everyone will be kind to children, and everyone will be viewed the same way even for the same mistakes. No one will look at people with prejudiced eyes.]

Serena quietly raised her head to look at the Darkness. Come to think of it, even the name ‘Darkness’ seems full of prejudice.

It seems scary, frightening, and bad. But, isn’t darkness not necessarily all bad?

Serena stared blankly at the Darkness and then slightly turned her head. The warmth of the tightly held hand seemed to always calm her heart.

‘I want to go back and just lie on top of Magnus.’

It’s like he’s become a bit of an attachment figure. While having these ordinary thoughts, Serena suddenly looked at the darkness.

“I like the night.”

Serena said out of the blue.

“And no matter how I think about it, losing sleep doesn’t seem right. Wouldn’t people become exhausted if they can’t sleep?”

If the night is like a sanctuary but you can’t sleep, doesn’t that mean you have to be awake 24 hours a day?

Serena shook her head.

“And no matter how I think about it, the idea that ‘if there’s no darkness, evil will disappear from the world’ seems like something a kindergartener would come up with.”

[…What?]

“There were many adults with prejudice, but there were also those without. And originally, the world is absurd and unfair.”

Serena shrugged, smiling.

The Darkness trembled its bright red eye holes, unable to adapt to Serena’s suddenly changed atmosphere.

“Even in my case, I’m a duchess now while most are commoners and of lower rank than me. Will ranks disappear if Darkness disappears? That’s not the case either.”

[…..]

“…What can you do about things you couldn’t have? It can’t be helped. Isn’t it mean-spirited to say others shouldn’t have something just because I couldn’t have it?”

Serena thought while tightly holding Magnus’s hand. Magnus responded by gripping her hand a little more firmly.

“Even if you and I disappear, people will still think, ponder, and judge. They’ll try to correct failures. Just like you.”

[You’re just being momentarily deceived by Magnus von Kelahinum.]

“Have you looked in a mirror? You’re the villain now.”

Serena gripped the sword in her hand a little tighter. Magnus’s hand overlapped hers.

“Above all, did you talk to the World Tree before doing all this? Did the World Tree say it wanted this? That you should disappear from the world?”

Serena grinned.

“I’m not going to die. If you want to die so badly, you do it yourself.”

Her sword went up once and then slashed down hard.

The darkness’s body split in half with a rip.

The liquid that had been oozing out increased in volume and suddenly soaked the floor.

Serena’s face involuntarily wrinkled at the liquid flowing out from between the split.

“What is this anyway?”

It’s sticky and unpleasant.

[You’ll regret it.]

“I think it’s rarer for me not to have regrets in life.”

Swoosh-!

Serena said as she pulled out the sword she was holding. When she staggered from the heavy sword, Drukan took it.

“Ah, thanks.”

“It’s nothing.”

Drukan looked at Serena with a strange expression.

His sword is a holy sword.

It wasn’t originally a holy sword, but it’s called that for convenience because it’s imbued with the World Tree’s power.

And only Drukan, the contractor of the World Tree, could use that power.

In other words, even if someone else held it, it would just be an ordinary old sword, without the World Tree’s power manifesting.

[That’s enough.]

The darkness dropped its head.

It sounded as if it was groaning in despair.

[If darkness can’t be eliminated……]

The bright red eye holes and mouth hole on the split face began to widen gradually.

The holes, which had been slowly widening as if expanding their territory, eventually covered the entire face of the Darkness.

The black face turned a creepy bright red.

[Then I’ll just cover the whole world in darkness.]

“Wait, what do you……”

Slurp, the melting darkness slowly began to disappear into the liquid surging on the floor.

[It’s just a matter of returning everything to how it was before. That’s all. Maybe that would be best.]

The form of the Darkness, which had muttered softly, finally collapsed completely.

The Darkness was gone.

All that remained was the black water left by the Darkness that had melted and seeped away.

Serena’s eyes widened at the Darkness that had vanished in an instant.

“W-Wait.”

The water where the Darkness had seeped began to rise. Serena stepped back hesitantly at the water rising from her feet.

“Serena!”

“M-Magnus… I can’t… swim……”

The bars were firmly locked, and the prison door showed no signs of opening.

Of course, there was no key here.

And the black water that started gushing suddenly rose to their thighs. Magnus frowned.

He drew his sword from his waist.

“Serena, step aside for a moment.”

“Ah, okay.”

Splash splash, the black water, rising not just to drown but with the momentum to submerge a person, was unpleasant just to look at.

A blade aura formed on Magnus’s sword. As he lightly swung the sword, unlike before, this time the bars split in half.

Kuung-!

Splash.

The bars that collapsed like a sand castle were swallowed by the black filthy water and eventually disappeared.

Literally disappeared.

They didn’t remain on the floor or sink, but vanished, dyed by the pitch-black darkness.

“Serena! Come here.”

“Magnus, I don’t… don’t like water.”

Serena turned pale.

She was moving hesitantly towards him as he called, but with the water already up to her waist, her feet wouldn’t move easily.

The water also had a strange stickiness like a swamp, making each step so energy-consuming.

“What on earth is this……”

Drukan muttered softly, frowning.

“M-Magnus……”

“It’s okay, Serena. Calm down.”

“C-Calm down? How? It feels like we won’t be able to breathe soon……”

Fear took root instantly with the steadily rising water.

Serena said, half-clinging to Magnus. Magnus frowned, looking at the water that had risen to his waist.

“Drukan, can’t you do something?”

“I might be able to cut through it once.”

Drukan said, gripping his sword. The black water churned around him, trying to escape.

A pure white light began to emanate from the holy sword he was holding.