[I will change my name!]


    “The dead can no longer change their names.”


    [That’s discrimination!]


    The Dark Spiritualist, still floating mid-air, shouted with her hands covering her face. She wasn’t just spinning from side to side; she was also rotating up and down, as if in zero gravity, which was quite an impressive sight to behold.


    If Aria and Eleanor had seen it, their eyes would have sparkled with excitement while thinking it looked fun.


    [Shall I call Velica?]


    Stella, who poked her head from beside me, asked. While it did seem like we would need the power of the Demon Lord to face Luaneth’s massive, monster-like soul in front of us.


    “No, it is fine.”


    There was no need to overextend by having Velica possess my body since we weren’t even fighting someone at the level of a Demon Lord.


    And besides, I couldn’t keep relying on her assistance in every battle.


    [Is it a rehearsal?]


    Since Stella and Velica would soon be leaving, she was subtly asking if this was preparation for dealing with the situations that would arise when they were gone.


    Her smile, filled with consideration, had a tinge of bitterness, and there was certainly some truth in her guess.


    “The opponent is a Necromancer.”


    But my main reason for not wanting Velica’s help was different.


    “If he is a Mage walking the same path as us, there’s no way the Dark Spiritualist and I would lose.”


    Hearing that, the Dark Spiritualist, who had been gradually spinning faster, came to a sudden halt.


    Her head, which was pointing to the ground, slowly returned to its original position as if being wound back up.


    And before I knew it, the Dark Spiritualist was standing beside me, her chest puffed out.


    [Of course, with the two of us present, no Necromancer would dare to make a name for themselves.]


    Although I found it amusing to see her act all cocky, I, too, agreed with her opinion.


    Whoosh!


    Luaneth’s soul, which had been severed by the Dark Spiritualist’s magic, began to regain his original form again.


    His soul, which could be called a great monster or a demon, snorted as it glared at us.


    “I will be back soon.”


    [Please watch Senior’s back carefully.]


    Without any cues, the Dark Spiritualist and I stepped toward that man simultaneously.


    [Is this some kind of bond between Necromancers? It’s a little enviable... but do return safely.]


    Stella gently raised her hand to send us off. Hearing the Saintess’ encouragement, the Dark Spiritualist and I looked up at the huge demonic monster staring down at us. r??a?NO???E?s??


    [Now, pray tell me, my apprentice, how should we deal with this?]


    “...”


    Somewhat displeased, I immediately glared at the Dark Spiritualist, but she urged me to go on.


    “Luaneth is a Necromancer who fights by manipulating his soul in a unique way.”


    [Exactly. It makes me wonder how a human soul can take on a form like that.]


    A being larger than any evil spirit we had ever encountered.@@@@


    He couldn’t be classified as an evil spirit or an evil ghost. If anything, he had reached a level similar to that of guardian deities like Mountain Lord or Horua.


    After all, Luaneth even managed to take down the King of Elemental Spirits all by himself.


    “But for you, he is probably the most familiar opponent you could ever face.”


    I remembered the repeated explanations she had given that Necromancers and Summoners shared a similar concept.


    They both captured evil spirits and harnessed the magic within them and Necromancers controlled them through pain and oppression.


    The Dark Spiritualist nodded, seemingly satisfied.


    [Of course, making evil spirits kneel and inflicting pain on them is my specialty after all.]


    Whoosh!


    The air split with a heavy gust.


    The reverberation, which couldn’t have been caused by simply swinging a hand down, was akin to the scream of the wind.


    “How dare you act so leisurely in front of me!”


    With a shout, Luaneth’s soul formed a fist and came crashing down toward us again.


    Fangs and jaws rose from the ground. And before I knew it, I was inside the creature’s mouth. However...


    Bang!


    A spherical, violet barrier protected the Dark Spiritualist and me. Its sturdiness was overwhelming—completely unshakable and unwavering.


    Absolute defensive power.


    This was the answer that the Dark Spiritualist arrived at in her quest to evade death.


    It was noticeably different from her usual offensive magic. It felt as though the magic had been created by someone else entirely.


    I had a question in mind. However, I didn’t bother voicing it, and it was not like I didn’t know the answer.


    Nevertheless, the Dark Spiritualist approached me on the sly and asked for my thoughts.


    [Impressive, right?]


    “Yes, it is astonishing.”


    The absolute defensive power was comparable to the Aegis Robe I wore in the Dream Demon Manor, boasting of near-invincible defense for 10 minutes.


    The Dark Spiritualist nodded in satisfaction at the magic that was beautiful enough to be called so and continued with a playful tone.


    [However, even though I created this spell, I don’t really need it.]


    Because she was already dead.


    It was a grim statement, yet the Dark Spiritualist still had a smile plastered on her face.


    [So this is my gift for you, Deus. This magic is the final lesson from me as your teacher.]


    “...”


    [Deus.]


    Slowly and carefully, the Dark Spiritualist placed her hand on my cheek.


    Despite feeling no touch or warmth, I could clearly feel her emotions flowing into me.


    [Don’t die.]


    Even though she was already dead.


    [You should never.]


    She had created a magic solely for me.


    [You should never, you must never die.]


    Magic that defied death.


    “Alright.”


    Having no other words to say in response to her plea, I could feel an unusual emotion overflowing from within my chest.


    Findenai?


    Erica?


    Stella?


    An emotion that was similar but also different from what I felt toward those women surged within me. It seemed akin to Deus’ feelings for Illuania, yet different.


    Amidst these swirling emotions, the Dark Spiritualist smiled gently.


    [Live happily. Enjoy life, smile a bit, eat lots of delicious food, and every once in a while, take care of your teacher’s honor. Finally, grow old and die in your bed with a smile.]


    Her violet eyes glistened.


    [Then I...]


    Though she tried to pretend otherwise, the small teardrop reflected her true feelings.


    [I’ll be waiting for you.]


    For a moment, I almost reached out without realizing it.


    I almost caught her. But I did not move any further. Because that was the right thing to do.


    [In the world you create...]


    The Dark Spiritualist laughed softly, lowered her hand, and spun around to face Luaneth, who was glaring at us.


    He wore a look of utter confusion after having been defeated to the point of helplessness by the Dark Spiritualist and me.


    However, the Dark Spiritualist pointed at herself and turned her head slightly with a mischievous smile.


    [Congratulations on eliminating the evil spirit.]