Together, we stepped through the great doors and emerged onto the surface.
The first breath I took was startlingly fresh. Cool air swept past my face, carrying with it a faint fragrance of stone, grass, and something else—something impossible to define. The surface of Nazarick stretched before us like a grand, silent fortress.
The area was vast—two hundred square meters of sacred ground surrounded by six-meter-thick walls, each lined with intricate carvings. The front and rear gates stood tall and impenetrable, the heavy metal engraved with runes that shimmered faintly under the otherworldly light.
The grass, short and perfectly trimmed, glistened faintly under the pale glow. The trees that surrounded the perimeter stretched high, their leafy branches forming a canopy that allowed light to pass through in shifting patterns. The mixture of deep shadow and gentle illumination gave the place a haunting beauty.
Scattered across the grounds were alabaster tombstones, each adorned with carvings—angels, goddesses, demons, warriors—all works of art in their own right. Yet their arrangement was almost chaotic, as though different visions of beauty had been forced together.
The four smaller mausoleums—north, south, east, and west—stood silent and guarded by colossal statues of armored warriors, each one standing six meters tall, weapons in hand, watching over the resting place of the Supreme Beings.
And at the center of it all stood the grand mausoleum, the gateway to the Great Tomb itself.
I stood at the top of the steps, gazing at the horizon. What lay beyond the walls was unlike anything I had ever seen—not the frozen darkness of Helheim, where Nazarick had once stood, but something infinitely stranger.
The sky stretched endlessly, not black nor blue, but an iridescent expanse of shifting hues—violet, silver, deep azure, and faint gold, all melting together like the surface of liquid glass. Wisps of light flowed across it like rivers, and far in the distance, massive fragments of crystalline structures drifted lazily, as though the very space were alive.
This… was the Void.
For a moment, I simply stood there, watching. The word 'void' had always conjured an image of endless emptiness, a hollow nothingness. But this was not emptiness—it was alive, vibrant in its stillness. The air here hummed faintly, carrying an invisible rhythm that resonated with the deepest layers of magic.
"I see…" I murmured to myself. "So this is what lies beyond the world's edge."
Without hesitation, I extended my wings.
From my back unfurled a pair of vast, jet-black wings, their leather like finish glistening like obsidian in the strange light. As they spread, a rush of wind swept across the field, scattering loose grass and leaves into the air. The sensation of freedom—of movement untethered by gravity—filled me as I lifted off the ground, rising steadily into the sky.
Shalltear followed behind me, her silver hair streaming in the wind, her crimson eyes glinting as she ascended.
I rose higher and higher, the Tomb shrinking beneath me until it was a small mark of dark stone against the shimmering expanse below. From this height, I could see the strange boundaries of this place—the curved walls of color and light that surrounded Nazarick like a sphere, containing it in a world of its own.
The Tomb of Nazarick floated within an endless sea of light and shadow—an isolated kingdom in the heart of infinity.
A slow, amused smile crept across my face as I looked at the infinite expanse of colors swirling around us. The Void was breathtaking—silent, mysterious, and endless—but it wasn't the only thing that caught my attention. The faint flutter of wings beside me and the soft, curious gaze from Shalltear were just as captivating.
"You seem happy, Alastor-sama," she asked gently, her crimson eyes shimmering like rubies against the surreal sky.
Her tone was polite, as always, but there was a faint note of curiosity buried beneath it. Perhaps even a touch of warmth.
I let out a quiet chuckle, glancing at her. "You think so? Maybe it's because a beauty like you decided to accompany me on this fine night."
For a brief second, her eyes widened. Then, as if catching herself, she quickly looked away. Her porcelain cheeks, usually pale and flawless, seemed to flush faintly with a tinge of pink.
"Surely you jest, my lord," she said, her voice composed, but I noticed how her legs brushed lightly against one another, the faintest sign of nervous energy—or something else entirely.
I tilted my head slightly, studying her reaction. "Do I look like I'm joking, Shalltear?" I asked with a faint grin, my tone smooth and teasing. "I meant every word. After all, it's not every day one gets to stand beside such a stunning guardian under a sky like this."
Her fingers twitched slightly, and for a moment she seemed lost for words. Then, with a faint, amused smile tugging at the corners of her lips, she said, "You are… rather different tonight, Alastor-sama. I never imagined you were like this."
"Oh?" I asked, raising a brow. "And what exactly did you imagine me to be?"
Her gaze met mine then, the faint shimmer of moonlight reflecting in her crimson eyes. "Someone distant… unreachable," she said softly. "The Supreme One—majestic, untouchable, above all emotion or mortal desire."
A light breeze swept past us as I chuckled under my breath. "And now?"
Shalltear hesitated for a heartbeat, then spoke, her voice almost a whisper. "Now, you feel… alive. Human, even. And I…" Her eyes softened, and her expression turned almost tender. "I think I love this version of you far more than anything else I could have imagined."
Her honesty took me by surprise for a moment. The usual regal mask she wore had slipped, revealing something fragile and sincere beneath.
"You love this version of me, huh?" I said quietly, my smile deepening as I turned toward her. "Then I suppose I'll have to make sure this version stays around a little longer."
Her lips curved into a faint, bashful smile, her usual confidence melting away for just an instant.
"As you wish, my lord," she murmured, bowing her head slightly.
~~~
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