Published: March 21, 2026
I meant to upload this yesterday...
(;Д;)(;Д;)
"...Aurum Trace."
I recognized the lingering magical residue floating around.
And the flash of green I caught when Miss Amelia was snatched.
Nine times out of ten it's him.
"...Hey, did you see which way Amelia was taken?"
Master spoke in a lower voice than usual.
He must be keeping his raging emotions under control.
He’s probably holding himself back from charging off right now.
"I can tell... but with Master like he is now, he can't beat that guy. I think I should build up my power."
I noticed my voice was a bit deeper than usual.
I was a little surprised myself.
If that man has started moving, then the demon lord is on the move.
Even though Master has been accepted as my lord, the idea that the demon lord, my creator, would be active and I’d resent it is something I never would have imagined back when I was the black cat.
"Who took Amelia?"
Master crouched over the spot where an enormous amount of blood had splattered and forced the words out.
A small amount of magical power lingers even in blood.
The stronger someone's magic, the more of it resides in their blood, and sometimes you can tell whose blood it was even after some time has passed.
Clearly a fatal amount — that blood carried Miss Amelia's magical signature.
"A man bearing the name 'Trace,' given to the third-strongest among the Demon Clan. Aurum Trace."
Master knelt and clenched his fist around sand darkened by that pooled blood.
"...For now, we'll wipe out the demonic beasts in this area. No more holding back."
Maybe because they smelled Amelia's blood, or because they sensed Master and me, the demonic beasts that hadn't been fully wiped out were gathering nearby.
"Understood."
Master didn't show me his face until the end.
"Activate shadow magic."
Perhaps spurred by Master’s anger, or because he was pouring in more magical power than ever, shadows leapt up from the crater Miss Amelia had apparently made and joined with Master’s own shadow.
Up until now, shadow magic could at most use the shadows of things close by.
It had the benefit of power, but the drawback of being difficult to use in well-lit places. Yet now Master could control the shadow magic.
"...Transform."
I took a breath and changed my body's form.
My dragon scales haven't been hardened by combat yet, so their durability isn't great, but this is different.
These are the demonic beasts I personally dealt with.
Light enveloped me and reshaped me — even changing the kinds of strength I possess.
When the light cleared, my viewpoint was somewhat higher than when I was in cat form.
My vision also split into three.
"Cerberus... Between this and the Cantinen Labyrinth, they're really pulling out all the famous ones, huh?"
Master muttered something, but the beast's characteristic ferocity made drool dribble from its mouth and muddled his thoughts. I could tell he wasn't thinking clearly.
I understood maybe half of what he said.
This creature's transformation grants far greater power than when I was the black cat, and makes movement much easier. Its build is so sturdy that ordinary attacks wouldn't even leave a scratch. But there are far too many considerations to account for.
Its offensive power is more than enough for the lower labyrinth levels, yet its thinking is unstable, as if drugged — a constant urge to destroy.
And the worst part: someone has to stop it.
With Master here it's manageable, but when I was a commander leading troops, I never could have used this.
"Master. I'm going to rampage now. When I'm done, stop me."
Without waiting for Master’s reply, my body moved on its own.
In an instant I leapt at the nearest demonic beast and tore out its throat.
Without even confirming it was dead, I pounced on the next one, craving more blood.
I could feel the hunger in me for blood being satisfied, bit by bit.
"Oh-ho, I see. When you're in that form you can't control yourself, huh."
In my fogged mind only Master’s voice echoed clearly.
"I couldn't control shadow magic either, but I finally got a bit of control. Thanks to your buying us time, well done."