"Whew…

" I took a deep breath and laid down on the bed beside Axilia, having just finished having sex with her. But-

"Heheh…

" With her tongue stuck out playfully, Axilia turned her body to me and started to reach down towards my hip area, but I quickly intercepted her with my own hand.

"Stop. That's enough for now.

"

"Eh…? Why? You're still hard, darling…

"

"Yeah, but learning everything in one day is not good,

" I replied.

"I also don't want you becoming addicted to doing this, so-

"

"Fufu~ I'm already addicted to darling~

" She giggled, hugging me tightly.

"But it's okay, I suppose~ we'll be doing it everyday once we get back to the Death Realm anyway~

"

I froze.

"… What did you just say?

"

"Hm? We'll be doing it everyd-

"

"N-No, not that,

" I hurriedly corrected.

"I mean… what did you say about the Death Realm?

"

"Eh? We'll be going back to it, of course~

" Axilia said with a bright smile, as if it were an obvious thing I should've already known.

"WHAAAAAAAT?!

" I cried, leaping off the bed.

"W-Wait, I can't go into the Death Realm! I'll die!

"

"Fufu~ don't worry, as long as you stay close to me at all times, you'll be okay~

" She comforted with an innocent smile that gave me the creeps.

"U-Uh… and, I'm assuming, I'll never be able to leave once I go there?

"

"Hm… not unless I decide to leave too,

" Axilia said.

"But there will be no reason to leave once we get there anyway… I can bless you with undyingness, and we'll be happy together forever, darling~!

"

Oh, **… oh ** oh ** oh **. This was not good. I never expected this to be on the list of my responsibilities when I agreed to being her 'darling' for the time being!

"Uh… d-do we have to go there?

" I asked hesitantly.

"Hm? What kind of question is that, darling~?

" Axilia sat up and threw her arms around my shoulders, hugging me from behind tightly.

"Remember what I said? Father sent me out to this realm to find a suitable partner for myself. And now that I've found him… it's time to go back.

"

I gulped. Arguing with her right now wasn't going to work. In fact, it would only make matters worse. I could only hope to find a way to escape on our way to the the entrance of the Death Realm…!

"S-So, uh, where's the exit of this place?

" I asked, slipping all my clothes back on and looking around.

"Eh…? There's no need to find the exit though,

" Axilia said, blinking innocently.

"… Huh?

"

"I can create gates to the Death Realm anywhere I want,

" she explained, smiling happily.

"Look.

"

She drew a circle with a single finger, shining white, and before I knew it, a portal suddenly opened in front of me. On the other side was a dark, haunted forest of sorts — it appeared to be nighttime over there, in the Death Realm, if there even was the concept of day and night.

I gulped, laughing awkwardly inside my mind.

Ahaha… w-well, there goes that plan.

*****

After getting dressed properly, Axilia pulled me through to the Death Realm by stepping through the portal, which closed soon after. I was now completely trapped here, until I wasn't. I needed to find an escape, somehow. I needed to get back to the other girls. But how long that would take… was a mystery.

"So, uh, for reference's sake…

" I began as the two of us walked through the path within the woods, dimly lit by the harrowing moonlight.

"… How close to you do I have to be to not get instantly killed here?

"

"Hm… let's see. That depends on your own power, darling~

" Axilia giggled and latched onto my arm lovingly.

"But don't worry… I'll always cling to your side like this~

"

Normally, I would be annoyed at the extra weight slowing me down, but in this unknown place… I was actually somewhat grateful for her reassurance in that statement. Of course, she couldn't literally cling to me all the time.

… Right?

But in any case… this place really is the Death Realm. I can feel the Necromancy Mana in the air… but it's also different from the one back in the Living Realm, somehow. It feels… deeper. More pure and true, like a coat of invisible fog over the air.

I reached out my hand to try and absorb it, but my hand was suddenly smacked away by none other than Axilia, who looked at me with a deadpan stare.

"Uh… was I not supposed to do that?

" I asked hesitantly, scratching my cheek.

"Darling… do not try to absorb the 'mana' here,

" she said quietly.

"H-Huh?! You knew what I was trying to do?!

" I cried in surprise.

"Fufu~ of course. Remember what I said earlier? I've been watching you since you first got close to me, darling. I saw what you did in the forest and know of all your powers. Chaos, was it?

"

I nodded.

"Yeah… do you know anything about it?

"

"Hm… no, not really,

" she replied after some thought, shrugging with one arm while still clinging to me with the other.

"Hehe~ it's a power only you have, darling~

"

… So even someone from the Death Realm, which should be more powerful than our own given Axilia's strength level, has never heard of Chaos Magic before…

"I see. But why shouldn't I try to absorb this mana? It feels quite powerful…

"

"That's exactly why you shouldn't try to absorb it, darling,

" Axilia said, hugging my arm tighter than before.

"Here in the Death Realm or any Realm above the Living, there is no 'mana'. Only True Essence.

"

"T-True Essence…?

" I echoed, confused.

"Hehe~ your body is not yet prepared to use True Essence, darling, but I can help with that.

" Axilia smiled wryly.

"Just wait until tonight~ I'll explain more then.

"

"Tonight… so there is the concept of day and night here as well?

"

"Yep~

" She skipped forward happily, pulling me along.

"See the castle up ahead? That's my home. Let's go~

"

Seeing her so cheerily like this, it was difficult to imagine she was the same girl who threatened to kill my loved ones without even batting an eye.

*****

- Within the Castle, Front Hall -

"I'm home, father~!

" Axilia exclaimed as she blast the doors open with a loud bang, nearly giving me a heart attack.

"Ah, Your Highness… you're home,

" an old man said, bowing deeply in front of us.

"Why did you not alert the guards? I would have personally came to receive you.

"

He wore a professional butler outfit, and his strength was unreadable — which usually meant he was quite the master.

"Fufu~ I wanted to give father a surprise,

" Axilia said, giggling happily.

"Where is he?

"

"In his personal chambers, Your Highness,

" the old man replied politely, then turned to me.

"And… I assume this man is the partner you chose?

"

"Yep~!

"

"I see. Follow me — I shall lead you to His Majesty.

"

The butler turned away from me, but I could still feel his lingering gaze on my body. In that brief moment he had looked at me, it was as if my entire soul had been gouged empty, laid bare for the world to see. He had been attempting to read my strength — and ultimately, I was unable to resist.

The butler led us up a circular staircase made of marble, our shoes clattering against the material — loud, crisp, and reverberating. There were few guards stationed around, but they were the elite of the elite. This building was, after all, the home of the monarch and his queen, stationed in the center of the castle bailey.

It was surrounded by various other buildings all around, and the whole castle was enclosed in a square-shape by four tall stone walls and four towers at each vertex — just like what a standard medieval castle would look like. It was simplistic, but that made it easy to navigate, which was good for me since I was new here.

Before long, we stopped before a pair of large, rosewood doors, lined with beautiful designs that stood at the pinnacle of craftsmanship. The butler, raising his arm, gently knocked on the door three times.

"Your Majesty, your daughter — Her Highness — has returned. May she enter?

"

"R-Really?!

" The hoarse voice of an old man croaked back on the other side of the door, evidently surprised at his daughter's return. But then, he quickly composed himself, clearing his throat, and continued in a normal tone.

"Ahem… come in.

"

"Yes, Your Majesty.

"

The butler pushed open the door gently and stood to one side, making way for Axilia and I to enter.

The first thing I saw was the backside of a wheelchair. It was mainly red in color, with its edges lined in gold. The frame seemed to be constructed out of pure silver, reflecting the light coming from the chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

Then, as the butler bowed and retreated, shutting the door behind him, the man in the wheelchair slowly spun around.

"So… my daughter, you have returned.

"