Prologue

Prologue: At first, I was told "you don't have any talent."

At first, I was told that "I had no talent."

To become an explorer, strength and talent were too lacking.

Next, I was told "not to waste time." That I couldn't achieve greatness with just a "slave" that I could contract with.

I was called a coward, asked to back down, called unfair, and told that I would just die as a nobody.

I received all kinds of malice. A brave and talented explorer said, "Aren't you afraid of commanding monsters far stronger than yourself?"

I fought on. I lost, I won, I ran through.

As a "monster tamer," I stood before the castle of the demonic king, having overcome all obstacles with my trusted "slave" by my side.

And now, I stand before the castle of the demonic king, having overcome all obstacles.

"At last, you've made it here."

I kicked aside the monsters and beyond the dark forest was a towering black castle.

A sense of oppression that was like being crushed by lightning swirling in the sky.

The demon king, Shira Blacklogia, who was certified as the highest level, L, and had shaken the great country of Graell Kingdom.

Although it hasn't come out of the forest yet, eventually it’s immense power will be directed towards the surrounding cities. I must destroy it before that happens.

Hearing my words, the white-haired girl standing beside me, my "slave," replied, "Yes, my master. Please leave everything to me. Let me completely destroy her for you."

The explorers who had set out to defeat the evil dragon and never returned are undoubtedly heroes. 

However, her expressions was as calm as ever, facing the battle against destruction. 

Her beautifully trimmed hair shone vaguely silver, and her eyes of the same color seemed somewhat melancholic. The pure white apron dress she wore was a custom-made item, but it was inappropriate for this occasion and served no defensive purpose.

With a perfect beauty that seemed unbelievable for someone in this world, the girl was, in fact, not of this world.

One of the most detested species in a world that harbors hatred for all forms of life.

Among them, the Nightwalker was particularly nefarious, having once single-handedly destroyed an entire city and slaughtered the dispatch unit sent to subdue it, a vengeful spirit that spread disaster simply by existing, or rather, once spread.

Alice Nightwalker. Commonly known as the "Queen of the Night," her strength as a species was likely on par with the Nightwalker's. If that were the case, there was no way she, whom I had painstakingly raised, would lose.

A roar could be heard, and an alarm bell rang in my mind. However, I ignored it with sheer willpower.

This place was already equivalent to the Demon King's womb. I had prepared for this from the beginning.

There was no path to reconciliation. We had already passed that stage.

That dragon was born solely to destroy.

I came for war. Now, let's start the final battle.

"Alice, let's start with a knock. [Eva-Blast.]"

Pointing a finger towards the massive metallic gate, I gave the command order.

As always, Alice's voice was calm. Light radiated from the palm of her hand, and the battle began.

§

Alice's light mowed down the sky and burned the earth. It was an aurora-like light, as if a small sun had appeared. The light, which had a weighty presence, filled the old castle, and a storm of destruction raged rampant. I endured the shockwave by crouching down.

The situation was proceeding as planned. The enemy was a formidable opponent who had slaughtered many heroes, but we had already experienced battles with Demon King-class opponents. We had investigated everything about the map, abilities, and weaknesses. The chance to defeat the Demon King had not been given to me by chance.

There was an absolute condition that had to be fulfilled to attack Shira Blacklogia. Often, powerful Demon Kings had such unreasonable characteristics, but if we did not have the "Rusted Holy Sword" hidden in the castle, we would not be able to attack at all.

However, it was not difficult to obtain it if we knew about it in advance.

The rusty long sword in my hand was whispering to me, "Kill the Demon King and end the story."

Everything was going according to the simulation. We lured the Demon King into the predetermined hall and engaged in battle.

Without any chance to evade, the stream of destruction, literally at the speed of light, swallowed Shira up.

If my predictions were correct, this should have promised a complete victory.

After the destruction ended, the light disappeared and everything cleared up in an instant.

"Ku......"

A low growl could be heard as an unblemished black giant loomed before them.

The demon king of a certain myth roared with his chin held high, showing no signs of pain or discomfort.

"Why... this is strange. Why is there no damage..."

Eyes widened. The opponent's endurance had been confirmed. If his calculations were correct, Alice's current attack should have had enough power to kill the dragon, even if he was known as the demon king, three times over.

"Master, watch out!"

It was a momentary freeze that lasted less than a second.

At the same time as he was pushed hard from the side, black energy was released from the demon king's mouth.

"Guh..."

Rolling ungracefully on the floor, he somehow managed to regain his balance. He ignored the shaking of his vision caused by the impact with sheer willpower.

Suppressing intense nausea, he looked ahead - but there was nothing there.

The spot where the demon king had been standing just moments before had been carved out for tens of meters, revealing a deep abyss.

A chill ran through his entire body.

It was strong... no, he should have understood. The opponent was a king who had slaughtered countless heroes, so this level of power was within his expectations.

He had not skimped on preparation. He had gathered information and items, doing his best with the limited time and throwing away 80% of his wealth to prepare for this final battle.

The lizard-like head moved. Under the moonlight pouring in from the high window, in the cold air, the deep red eyeballs caught his attention. In response to the killing intent of the absolute powerhouse who had struck him directly, he reflexively shouted out the name of the slave he trusted.

"Aliiiiiiiiiice!!"

In an instant, a figure leaped out from the deep chasm left by the destruction of Shira.

Shira's attention shifted as Alice, rotating gracefully in mid-air, landed elegantly in front of me, reflecting the faint moonlight with her shimmering silver hair.

"Are you injured, Master?" Alice peered at my face with a worried expression, her complexion unnaturally pale and her features strikingly beautiful. Her blood-red eyes, a stark contrast to her skin, had changed with excitement.

My heartbeat that had been racing like a church bell settled down as I regained my composure. Alice was strong, especially at night. There was no way she could lose.

However, my confidence was shattered by Alice's next words.

"Master... this is bad. My life stock has dropped below 30% with just one attack."

"What? 30%... are you joking?" I didn't understand. It was impossible. Life stock was the lifeline of a Nightwalker, literally their life itself. Blowing away more than 70% of it with just one strike was not a matter of the Demon King's attack power or anything like that.

Shira growled, as if sensing our state of mind. I immediately switched my focus. No... The problem wasn't attack power. It was defense power. To take Alice's attack without a scratch was far beyond expectation. Winning would be difficult if we couldn't inflict any damage with our strongest attack. Did I miss something? But reflecting on it would have to come later.

"We need to retreat," I said.

The opponent's abilities were too far beyond expectation. If I held onto victory and glory here, and if by any chance Alice disappeared, I would regret it for the rest of my life. Of course, I had considered what to do if we couldn't win. The plan was shared beforehand.

As I turned towards Alice, the ground exploded.

"Wha-?!" A blinding light. My body was thrown and a soft arm held me from the side. There was no time left.

It's okay. We can still escape. It's the Master's job to stay calm at times like this.

The opponent is not agile and cannot fly. If we break the floor and drop them underground--

"Alice, what are you doing!?"

At that moment, when I tried to give a command to Alice, the biggest confusion and shock of the day hit my thoughts.

Alice was glowing white. An enormous amount of energy that I had never seen before was rising from her slender body, swaying like a mirage.

I know Alice's skills, but this power...

The entire hall began to crumble. Shira roared like a scream in the collapse of her own world.

"Master...please run away..."

It was a expression I had never seen before. Alice muttered with a heartless expression that went beyond sadness.

I don't know what she's trying to do, but I know it's not something good.

"Alice, stop..."

"Master!!"

I feel a weight all over my body. I'm being embraced. As soon as I understand, I'm filled with "fear" from the bottom of my heart.

My thoughts freeze in shock and my muscles convulse. My body, hands, feet, and even the muscles in my mouth stop moving, ignoring my brain's commands. The aura of fear, the most fundamental power that Alice possesses, is eating away at me.

Still, I try to give a command, but my lips are sealed by hers.

A moment is stretched out, and one second feels like ten seconds or even ten minutes, and finally Alice releases her lips.

"Master...this is goodbye. Until we meet again somewhere..."

Alice smiles. There was an extraordinary determination in her expression.

As a mere human, I cannot read Alice's heart, but I can understand that much. I desperately try to speak.

"Stop..."

The sound disappeared. My field of vision was filled with light.

And then, before I knew it, I was standing motionless in the middle of a foreign thoroughfare.

***********

My mind was completely blank.

The brilliant sunshine beat down on me. There were street vendors calling out in the open air, the sounds of hustle and bustle, and the smell of exhaust fumes mixed with the sound of the steel legs of the quadrupedal magic machines hitting the metal floor, which was unfamiliar to me as I had always lived in the Graeru Kingdom.

"This can't be happening... where am I?"

I pinched my cheek. It hurt. It wasn't a hallucination. I looked around slowly.

I was standing in the middle of a wide street where large carriages could easily pass by. People of various races wearing fluid-shaped maneuvering armor and mechanical dolls over three meters tall were throwing curious glances my way.

"Hey, you're in the way standing there like that!"

"S-Sorry..."

I was pushed from behind and stumbled to the edge of the road, where I sat down.

I touched my cheek. I was sweating. The humidity wasn't that bad, but the temperature was high.

"It's hot...?"

Stupid me, it was supposed to be winter now. This heat, there was no way it was winter.

"Calm down..."

Stay calm and gather information. Look up at the sky. This is not a dream or an illusion.

In this city, there are magical machines made of metal that are used as carriages on wide roads that would be unimaginable in the capital. The level of development is different, and the culture is vastly different. The language spoken here is different from the one used earlier.

Switching gears in my thinking, I discard my usual assumptions and focus on understanding the situation. The battle with the Demon King was at night, but now it's morning. There is a time difference, and the climate and language are also different.

It seems that I have been "transferred" a considerable distance.

Skills that interfere with space generally consume a lot of energy. The magic of spatial teleportation requires an incredible amount of magical power that is beyond ordinary spells. Even at the level where the court magician is exerting all their power, they can only teleport a few dozen meters at most.

However, on the flip side, if you have enough energy, you can travel long distances.

Alice's abnormal power that she showed at the end. If only I had that kind of power...

"That's right... Alice...!"

Panic-stricken, I look around, but the silver-haired girl who was definitely hugging me until a moment ago is nowhere to be seen. She's been separated from me. I take a deep breath and try to calm myself down.

Hasty danger may have passed, but this is fatal. The power of the "Demon Tamer" is the power of the slaves with whom they have made contracts.

Following the usual procedure when separated from a slave, I closed my eyes and focused my consciousness on searching for the "Astral Link".

As I tried to follow the thread that connects my soul, I finally realized that I was isolated.

My hands trembled. It felt like I was in a dream.

"Hahaha... that's ridiculous. The proof of a soul's contract, the "Astral Link," cannot be disconnected like this..."

Only a dry laugh came out. The words I've said countless times today slipped out of my mouth again.

The "Astral Link" is the connection between souls that is bound by the most precious contract. The "Demon Tamer" binds it only with their one and only slave, with whom they have the strongest bond, and borrows their power through the connection.

Normally, you should be able to search for the "Astral Link" no matter how far apart you are...

I might be involved in an even more abnormal situation than I thought.

I held my head in my hands. I was already on the verge of a mental breakdown. The overly powerful demon king, the unbelievable long-distance transfer, the severed "Astral Link"... it was as if the familiar world I knew had changed completely in just one day.

Anyway, even though I don't want to believe it, it seems that I have to somehow manage on my own with nothing but the clothes on my back.

As a "Monster Tamer", I am only considered a full-fledged one when paired with a Slave, but now I am alone.

I reaffirmed the "interesting" scene that I had hardly seen before and nodded to myself.

"Oh well, I'll start over."

I won't dwell on my worries. What I should do now is not to be beaten down. If I don’t stop thinking, I'll die immediately.

Alice is not a concern. Even though the Demon King's power was abnormal, her survival skills are extraordinary. That is precisely why I challenged the Demon King with her.

For a "Monster Tamer", a Slave is like half of their body. If she is safe, then I can still fight.

I stretch my arms widely and do some stretching. By then, I had recovered somewhat from my worst mood.

Let's stay positive. Think the opposite. Adversity makes people grow.

Even though there is no Slave, not everything has been reset.

I remain as Phil Garden, the "Monster Tamer" assigned to defeat the Demon Lord.

First, I need to assess the situation and the new slave. With my determination set, I put on my usual smile.

§

The name "Night Walker" comes from the fact that its abilities have a significant difference between night and morning.

During the morning, her power is only at the level of an SS-class monster, but on the other hand, Alice at night is almost invincible. Especially on a full moon like tonight, her power was at its peak. The situation, time, and place were all moving according to my plan. I should have had no reason to lose— or so I thought.

After enslaving Alice for four years, I experienced my first defeat on this day and lost everything.