Prologue

“Hey, Master. You look awfully gloomy.”

“Huh…?”

Suddenly, the face of the Parasitic Sword—Puppetmaster was right in front of me.

Huh…? What’s going on…?

The Puppetmaster standing before me was in the form of a beautiful girl wearing a white dress. Yes, a beautiful girl. Perfectly symmetrical features, a slender body. Her skin was pale, and her hair shimmered. She looked completely human.

That’s strange. The Puppetmaster who had once despaired over her half-monster body and taken her own life.

Even after I repeated the loop countless times, she ultimately turned into a complete monster.

“Could it be… that I’m seeing a hallucination?”

“Ah, surprisingly sharp of you. That’s right—this is a hallucination.”

Hearing that, I was convinced.

Looking closer, the scenery around me was blurred, covered in a white haze. That alone was proof this wasn’t reality.

It seemed that looping through the dungeon over and over had pushed me to the point of seeing hallucinations from sheer exhaustion.

“No, no, it’s because of my strong feelings for you, Master, that you’re seeing this hallucination! Man, to be thought of so deeply—aren’t you one lucky guy?”

The Puppetmaster, reading my thoughts, exaggerated her gestures like an actor.

“Strong feelings, huh? You don’t actually care about me, do you?”

“Well now, who can say, Master?”

She wore a sly, knowing smile. I had no idea what she was thinking.

“So, what exactly do you want, showing me this illusion?”

If she really had such “strong feelings,” then there had to be a reason for all this.

“I just wanted to tell you, Master—you don’t have to keep dying for my sake anymore.”

For a moment, I couldn’t understand why the Puppetmaster would say something like that.

“Your goal is revenge, right? Once you killed those villagers who mocked you, your objective was achieved. So there’s no reason for you to keep dying and starting over anymore, is there?”

That was… true.

I’d kept going all this time, driven by the need for revenge. Even when I was about to break, that hatred was what kept me standing.

And in the end, I escaped the dungeon and got my revenge.

But then, the Puppetmaster despaired at her own appearance and took her own life.

That was when I realized something.

This wasn’t the future I wanted.

“I thought… after I got my revenge, I’d live together with you.”

At that moment, I finally understood.

After my revenge, there was nothing left for me. No hometown, no family. No friends to share a meal with. There was no reason to live.

The only one who had ever stayed by my side… was the Puppetmaster. That’s why I couldn’t stand the thought of losing her.

“I see… so Master’s actually quite the lonely one, huh?”

“Yeah. I’m lonely, alright. That’s why, let’s—”

I reached out toward the Puppetmaster standing before me.

“That’s not going to happen.”

But she didn’t take my hand.

“Because I’m not human, remember?”

Half of her body turned into a monster again. The monstrous half swelled up, and finally swallowed the human part whole.

It was the same scene as the day she had killed herself.

I lost control for a moment.

No matter how many times I saw it, that sight would never stop being unbearable.

“Ah…”

I let out a small sound.

When I came to, I was staring at the familiar dungeon walls and floor.

Apparently, I’d been dreaming.

“Maybe I should rely on the vampire, Judith.”

After waking up, I began to think about what to do next.

If anyone knew how to turn Puppetmaster back into a human, it might be her.

So I thought of contacting her—but no, if I did that, Ageha might start moving again.

I had a bad memory of the time Ageha suddenly appeared and killed Judith the moment I made contact with her.

Apparently, Ageha hated it whenever I got close to Judith.

“Then maybe… I should rely on Ageha instead.”

But I also remembered how, the last time I tried to break her seal, she killed me without a word.

Recalling that made my whole body tense with resistance.

“Still… I can’t just sit here and do nothing.”

With that resolve, I started walking with firm steps toward my destination.

“…Found you.”

Beyond the first teleportation circle stood a sealed girl.

She was sleeping within a barrier, her body wrapped in chains made of light.

No matter how many times I saw it, the sight of her sealed inside that barrier was… beautiful.

“Last time, I managed to break the barrier pretty easily, didn’t I?”

Murmuring to myself, I reached out to touch it.

The moment I did, cracks formed across the barrier. With a sound like shattering glass, the barrier broke apart. Her seal was released.

At the same time, I quickly stepped back, putting distance between us. There was no telling if she’d attack the instant she woke.

“Nnh… ah…”

Ageha let out a faint breath and slowly opened her eyes.

“Who… are you?”

That was the first thing she said.

I couldn’t help but widen my eyes.

“You… don’t remember me?”

Across the many timelines, I had met her again and again. From her words and behavior, it was clear she retained her memories just like I did. So I thought it was only natural she’d remember me.

“Have we met somewhere before? If so, I’m sorry. I can’t seem to remember you.”

“Well, if you don’t remember, that’s fine.”

I said that, feeling oddly relieved. If she didn’t remember the past, maybe that was actually for the best.

“This might sound strange, asking someone I’ve just met, but… may I ask you one question?”

“Yeah, sure. Ask me anything.”

I nodded, and she smiled softly before replying.

“I see, thank you. Then… do you happen to know who I am?”

“…Huh?”

It took me a few seconds to process what she had just said.