The Frail Maiden's Escape Plan

After taking down Violet-san, I beat a hasty retreat to shake off my pursuers. Just to be safe, I ditched Lindwurm entirely and holed up deep in the mountains.

After a while, I figured the coast was clear. I reverted to my usual appearance and let out a long, relieved sigh.

That should have done the trick.

By now, the stadium was probably buzzing with rumors about that mysterious powerhouse, Shadow. No one was going to remember some background-character mob from the Academy for Spellswords.

I’d put in some solid work today, so I figured I’d go find a hot spring and hit the hay. But just as I stood up to leave, a bizarre door manifested right in front of me.

This grimy, dilapidated door was just... hovering there in the middle of the woods. Those dark, crusty stains were definitely dried blood. No two ways about it.

“What is this?”

It wasn't just suspicious—it was a total red flag. Even I knew to give this thing a wide berth.

I turned on my heel to walk away.

The door appeared in front of me again.

“You’ve gotta be kidding.”

I pivoted to the side.

The door was there.

“Are you serious?”

I jumped backward.

The door stuck to me like glue. No matter how much distance I tried to put between us, no matter which direction I faced, and even when I threw in a hundred-twist backflip for good measure, that door was always right there in my face.

Fine. Have it your way.

“Guess I’ll just cut it.”

I drew my blade in a single motion and hacked the door to ribbons.

However, the moment the pieces hit the air, they fused back together as if nothing had happened.

I sheathed my sword and gave it some thought. I couldn’t exactly head back to town with a filthy, blood-stained door stalking me. I’d stand out like a sore thumb.

What even was this thing? There wasn't a soul nearby, so it didn't seem like a prank. There was literally nothing behind the frame, either.

“Is this some kind of Isekai-style Anywhere Door?”

It seemed pretty desperate for me to go inside, so I figured the only way to get rid of it was to play along. Honestly, I just wanted to soak in a tub and go to sleep.

I spent about thirty seconds of serious contemplation before reaching a conclusion.

Whatever. Let’s just get this over with.

I swung the grimy door open to reveal a deep, swirling abyss. Please don't let this be one of those 'instant death upon entry' traps, I prayed, and then I dove headfirst into the darkness.

When I came to, I was in a stone room.

It was a bleak, depressing place. There was a single door and a woman with her limbs pinned to the wall. It was Violet-san.

“Yo.”

I offered a casual greeting. She looked over at me, her eyes widening in genuine shock.

“...Yo,” she replied, mimicking my tone. “It’s been a bit.”

“Sure has. Did you call me here?”

“Did I...? I didn’t mean to. I just thought our time together was fun.”

“I enjoyed it, too.”

“My memories are a mess, but you’re the strongest person I can remember. I wish you’d been around during my era...”

“I’m honored.”

“So,” she said, gazing at me with a puzzled expression, “why are you here?”

“This door randomly showed up, and when I walked through it, I ended up here.”

“I don't really follow.”

“Join the club. By the way, do you know the way out?”

“I wonder. I don't have any memory of ever leaving this place.”

“But we were just fighting a minute ago.”

“I just found myself out there before I knew it. That was a first for me. At least, as far as I can recall.”

“I see. That’s a pain.”

I racked my brain for a solution. I decided I might as well try the only door in the room, but before I could move, Violet-san pouted and called out to me.

“Excuse me, but there is a beautiful woman currently being restrained right in front of your eyes.”

I looked at her, pinned to the wall in a cross-like fashion, and nodded.

“There is.”

“Don't you think you should, I don't know, try to save me?”

I tilted my head, realizing I’d completely misread the situation.

“Ah, my bad. I thought you were training.”

“Why on earth would you think that?”

“I used to do stuff like that for practice back in the day.”

I drew the sword provided by the academy and shattered her restraints. My Slime Sword wasn't responding, so the mundane blade had to do.

She let out a long, satisfied stretch and smiled with a hint of nostalgia.

“Thanks. That’s the first time I’ve been free in about a thousand years.”

“Is that so?”

“That’s just a guess. My memory’s shot, but it’s been at least that long.”

She straightened her disheveled robe and tucked a lock of her glossy black hair behind her ear. It seemed to be her signature look.

“Now then, our goals are aligned,” she said with a cool, composed face.

“Oh?”

“I want to be liberated, and you want to escape. Correct?”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

“Then why don't we cooperate?”

“I’m down, but do you actually know how to get out?”

“Not exactly. But I do know how to achieve liberation. This Sanctuary is a Prison of Memories. At the Center of the Sanctuary, there is a Core of Magic Power. If you destroy that, I’ll be set free.”

“Just you?”

She glanced at me from the corner of her eye and flashed a mischievous grin.

“Everything will be freed. You should be able to get out, too.”

“Won't the Sanctuary disappear?”

“Who cares if it does? Would that be a problem for you?”

I turned the question over in my mind.

“Now that I think about it, not really. Let's do it.”

“It's a deal, then. Also, you’ve probably noticed, but you can't use your Magic Power here. We’re close to the Center of the Sanctuary. If you try to circulate your Magic Power, the Core of the Sanctuary will just suck it right out of you.”

“So it seems.”

This was way more intense than that terrorist attack back at school. Every time I tried to knead my Magic Power, it just vanished. I’d been testing a few workarounds, but it looked like it would take some time to bypass.

“It's fine. I'm an expert at breaking things.”

“My, how reliable. By the way, without my magic, I’m just a frail maiden. I’ve always wanted to be protected by a knight.”

She gave me another teasing smile. For a self-proclaimed frail maiden, she seemed awfully composed.

She took the lead, stepping toward the exit and throwing the door open without a hint of hesitation.

“Hey, what are you going to do once you're liberated?” I asked her back.

“I’ll disappear,” she replied, not looking back. “I am nothing but a memory, after all.”