Power swirled around Gwen.
Yet, I sensed no magic power within it.
For some reason, it felt hauntingly similar to miasma.
The concentration was so overwhelming that any ordinary human would likely have rotted away just by standing near her.
Before long, Gwen began to hover slightly above the ground.
Sand cascaded from her as she flashed a bewitching smile.
"I have something very special to show you, Mr. Harvelt."
"That is unnecessary."
I unleashed my magic.
Thick vines erupted from the desert sand to bind her, only to be repelled at the final second.
The vines began to crumble, starting from their tips and turning to dust.
"Oops, how dangerous. I almost died just then."
Gwen made a gesture as if she were catching her breath, but her face was fixed in a cold sneer.
Contrary to her words, she wasn't the least bit shaken.
The power swirling around her had decomposed the magic within the vines, neutralizing the spell entirely. I could see the magic formula being stripped away the moment it made contact with her aura.
Ordinary spells would likely be destroyed without question.
Fortunately, the Covenant Magic remained in effect, but I would have to reconsider my methods of attack.
"Everything is ready. Now, behold!"
As Gwen threw both hands into the air, the sand surged to her left and right.
Two men crawled out from the dunes.
One had short chestnut hair and wore glasses.
He was dressed in plain clothing, and there was nothing particularly noteworthy about his appearance.
However, the eyes staring fixedly at me were burning with obsession.
The man with glasses took a step forward and raised a hand in greeting.
"Long time no see. I’ve been dying to meet you again. Filled out a bit, haven't you? You're looking quite the gentleman."
"……"
I fell silent.
I couldn't find the words to respond.
I shifted my gaze to the other man.
He had well-groomed blond hair and the bearing of a stylish aristocrat.
An evil smile was plastered across his face, one so deep it was utterly disproportionate to his handsome features.
His green eyes made no attempt to hide his sadistic nature.
"Dwight Harvelt. What a nostalgic sight. It brings back memories of a decade ago."
"……"
Again, I could not respond.
I could hardly believe the scene before my eyes.
The men who had appeared at Gwen's side were the inventor John Doe and the former member of the Four Heavenly Kings, Barulk.
"I decided to summon some guests who share a deep history with you, Mr. Harvelt! A touching reunion, isn't it? Oh, I'm just too kind!"
"What is the meaning of this? Is this the resurrection of the dead?"
"Have you forgotten? This is your mental world. I rummaged through your memories, Mr. Harvelt, and picked these two out."
Gwen explained gleefully.
Hearing that, I understood the general mechanism.
She had likely reconstructed the two of them from my own memories.
Even if it was limited to this mental world, she had performed a pseudo-resurrection.
It was an extraordinary ability, but it was too late to be surprised by such things.
Gwen was a Beast of the Outside World.
She was not an opponent I could understand by trying to fit her into the world's existing magic system.
"However, they aren't just fakes made of memories. Both of them are unmistakably the real deal."
"Impossible. I killed them both myself."
When I denied her claim, Barulk shook his head in a theatrical manner.
He spoke to me in an admonishing, lecture-like tone.
"There are exceptions to every rule. I believe I have already taught you that much."
"As for Mr. Barulk, I simply extracted his spirit from the soul imprisoned in your research institute. I had a bit of a hard time because that director sensed me, but I managed to succeed. Honestly, it was hardly worth the effort~"
In all likelihood, the resurrection had taken place while I was trekking through the desert.
By now, the research institute must be in a total uproar.
The fact that an abnormality had occurred with Barulk's soul had surely been noticed by the staff.
According to Gwen, the director had actually attempted to stop her.
I found myself concerned for her safety. I could only hope she was unharmed.
"By the way, for Mr. John, I protected the spirit that was left behind in his remains. It seems you only killed the primary personality, Mr. Harvelt."
"That’s about the size of it. I thought I'd go crazy, but I just couldn't die. Now I'm convinced I survived for this very moment."
John spoke with a sarcastic smirk.
He was a man with a dual personality.
In the past, I had engaged in a life-or-death struggle against him in the Technomagic Kingdom.
I had killed John at the end of that battle, but it seemed I had failed to finish off one of his personalities at the time.
Judging from Gwen's words, John's soul had undoubtedly perished.
However, his spirit alone had remained within the corpse.
Because I primarily perceive magic power and souls, I had been unable to grasp that lingering presence.
There was little reason for Gwen to lie now.
She was likely telling the truth about everything.
Currently, in addition to Gwen, John and Barulk had invaded my mind, and they appeared to have obtained physical bodies based on my memories.
(They really are doing whatever they please...)
Gwen was more prepared than I had expected.
She must have prepared this the moment she saw me step into the mental world.
Her playful attitude was prominent, but in reality, she possessed a cunning mind.
She was truly a bottomless opponent.
"Well then, I'll be watching the show from over there. I've gotten a little tired."
"Wait."
I attempted to fire a spell at Gwen as she turned on her heel.
John stood in my way, blocking my path.
"I'm not letting you go. You're dealing with us first."
John buried one hand in the desert sand.
When he pulled it back out, he held something resembling a black gun.
It was an object that did not exist in my memories.
I wondered if he had used some kind of spell.
(The living John should not have possessed any special abilities.)
He had fought me with his extraordinary imagination and the advanced technology of the Technomagic Kingdom.
He did not possess the innate power to create weapons out of thin air.
If that was the case, he might have been granted power by Gwen during his resurrection.
John pointed the gun at me.
"I’ve got to pay you back for killing me. That’s the only reason I’ve returned."
"As for me, I have been killed twice now. Since I was forced to endure such bitterness afterward, I believe I have every right to retaliate. Do you not agree?"
Barulk spoke sonorously.
He maintained a calm exterior, but his gaze burned with a raw desire for revenge.
Gwen, who had moved a safe distance away, was watching the scene leisurely.
It seemed she intended to leave the fighting to these two.
(Troublesome as it is, I have no choice but to defeat them...)
It was an unexpected rematch, but my objective remained the same.
The effort required had merely increased a little.
I just had to fight methodically.
Steeling my resolve, I readjusted my grip on my staff and magic sword.